Jo -

It was in that spirit yesterday I offered my post re "The Natural History of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome." And my last today, just before yours, dealt with how under "exigent circumstances" we can boldly go where no person has gone before in our personal symptomatology [read: spread of symptoms] whether or not it's in the books.

Of course we may meander a bit here and there, but so long as there is no ill will (overt or implied) I personally don't believe that we have to adopt a per se rule against it. It's part of what can make threads come alive, although having said this I know that it is too easy for me to take a simply question and launch into an extended discussion that misses what the person who started to thread was trying to get at. And while we (I) must be mindful of that, neither should a thread be limited to the "four corners" of the initial post, where what we're trying to do here is have a pleasant (and respectful) conversation.

Having given the question some consideration and with all respect, overt acrimony is another matter altogether, whether or not on topic.

Mike