Gosh, lovemychildren, you really have had a stressy day! :-(. I do hope your dog is ok - I'm sure you could do without such dramas, on top of everything else. Hope you had a nice peaceful evening and were able to put your feet up & relax for a bit!
Yes, I think it definitely does us good to get out once in a while if we can possibly manage it. I was just out for a couple of hours or so, and just to a little pub, so nothing too full-on or stressful to cope with, and I managed pretty well really, and had a lovely time. It's pretty rare for me to go for an evening out (my first night out to a restaurant in well over a year was a few weeks ago too!) but I'm glad I went - I think it did me good. It sounds to me like you're doing a fantastic job of looking after everyone, so hope you find time to take care of yourself too, and have the odd night out. It's definitely good for lifting the depression and taking your mind off things for a while, so don't feel guilty!
Girlie, I'm eager to know how you will do on rifampin so keep us posted. I'm hoping that my increase in symptoms is a herx, and that the rifampin is hitting something. Fingers firmly crossed!