sms or mms "send" key cursor issue

[egomaniacal]

been searching for hours, so hopefully this hasnt been covered already. When texting, after hitting "send" the cursor vanishes. I cannot simply start typing my next msg, i have to tap the text box on the screen to get the cursor back first. Is everyone having this issue? It is really annoying to be typing for 10 secs, only to realize that it's not typing at all, because the cursor isnt there.
On a side note, is it possible to "send" via a hard key, or do you need to tap "send" via the touch screen?
Any help would be appreciated!