Friday, May 25

Back Pains :-(

The past week was one of the worst in my life. No less.

I've been going through a terrible lower back pain outbreak, harsher than anything I've known to date. I've waited with writing until I'd be somewhat relieved, so that these lines wouldn't be too bleak, but this post is not a happy one nonetheless...
For six full days, I spent most of the time in bed, the vicious and sharp pain engulfing me, becoming my existence. At the height of the pain, I was collapsed on a pavement, every tiny move yielding unbearable pain (tight muscles have probably applied direct pressure on a nerve). I was then taken by an ambulance to the hospital, where a shot of morphine-like material was my only salvation.
For almost a week, I couldn't walk, couldn't stand, could barely sit. In addition to the pain, I felt mostly helplessness and despair.

Today, after a couple of acupuncture treatments, things are improved. However, 9 days after this started (almost comically, in racing with my 5-year-old Maayan, from her kindergarten's gate to door...), I'm still far from being fully-functional, and have a long way to go.
I'll need to work hard, finding some treatment and life-style routines which would hopefully allow me to live and function without repeating this experience, at least not with such intensity. I can't say I know how to get there, but I don't really have a choice...

Giora

Wednesday, May 23

Auto-Completions in GMail

Time to share a piece of my professional life.
This recent announcement - http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/improved-search-in-gmail.html - is a result of what I've been working on for more than a year (with several other people, of course).
Still only available for those of you who use GMail with English UI (buttons, menus etc.), but hopefully before long it will be available in all languages.

Under the hood, this is a fairly complex and challenging system, and releasing it to the public at last makes me fairly proud :-)

Cheers,
Giora