New from New York!

[Nikk]

Thank you for all the welcomes, guys.

I did get your PM just now Terri. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner, I have been busy with my move. I just got settled into my apartment yesterday, so I should have more time now. I moved into the Roanoke area, and so far I love it here.

[Terri]

Glad to hear you are getting settled in. I wish you the best with life in general but especially your health.
My husband & I have a place on the eastern shore and like to go every chance we can. We like fishing in the Chesapeake, however, this year we just didn't get to go as often as we would have liked.
I always feel better when we go to Va. I don't know if it is the lower elevation or just the fact I can let my problems at home and be stress free for a few days.
You've come to the right place for info and support. If you have any concerns, let us know. I've had my mind put at ease more than once on this forum.
Take care.

[Terri]

I am familiar with Vine Grove; it's about an hour and a half drive from me and is quite close to where my 16 year old grandson resides. Might even look somewhat like SW Pa. Thanks again, Ron

I have never been there myself but my Aunt says it is similar to Pa. She always wants me to come and visit.
I think you will benefit from this forum Ron. Questions, concerns, just needing support we are here for you.
I too, consider myself more fortunate then some who have been "blessed" with this disease. So far, I have avoided the sinus issues and my kidneys and eyes are still working, so yes, I am blessed.
A few weeks ago, I spent the day with a good friend (younger than me) she has MS. Believe me, I am blessed! I hadn't spent any personal time with her for a few years and didn't realize she had deteriorated as much as she has. She is always happy go lucky, not complaining, just goes. Her left leg is just dead weight and with help she can scoot her right leg along. For the past 6 months, her husband has been dealing with some type of cancer in his sinusus and has had 4 plastic surgery's so far. As I said, she just goes on with out compaining. Sometimes when I'm having a bad day, I think of her and my problems seem a little less.
Hope you are having a good day and that goes for all the weggies out there reading this post.

[Thakator]

Thanks, Terri. And, you are so right in saying how blessed we are in comparison to how it could be - - and how it so manifestly is with many of those around us. I see them just about every time I go to the clinic or to the hospital. Saw it in the fear of a mother from the Kentucky mountains who held her five year-old son in her lap while we were awaiting our MRIs, one for me and one for him. Heard the fear in his voice as he kept saying, "Mommy I want to go home." Five years old - - and he was already on his second full round of renal canceer. Five years old.

Yes, my newfound weggie friend, we are blessed. I remember holding each of my sons in my lap while in the rocking chair and relaying to them (just as soon as they could begin to comprehend the words) the Chineese parable about the man who complained because he had no shoes - - until the day he met a man who had no feet. I believed it then, believe it now. Curve ball thrown our way or not, we are blessed. Ron

[Sangye]

I know a lot of kids with horrible diseases--some whose cancers are so aggressive and difficult to treat that they're on multiple heavy-duty chemo drugs at once plus radiation treatments for months at a time. Some have been in treatment for years-- most of their lives. It's easy for me to get depressed about being in such bad shape in my 40's. Then I remember these kids who have never known good health. Those that survive will never have good health in the future due to the damage from the chemo and radiation.

And even those kids have it better than so many kids in the world without access to medical care. What suffering there is in the world....

[Jack]

There are always plenty who are far worse off than anyone on this site. I might be in a fairly ropey condition myself, but then I think of the younger people I have known who have since died and think to myself that I have already managed better than they did (in terms of years at least).

[elephant]

I often think of my mortality and how lucky I have been, having this disease since 12 and really not being treated for it most of the years. I am in my 40's ! My good friend's daughter has leukemia and she was diagnosed at the age of 9 months. She has been through chemo and almost died of pneumonia. Now she is three years old in remission but needs to be check out monthly and takes Bactrim every other day. She is a normal 3 yrs old with a little developmental delay secondary to being hospitalized most of her life.