New Here Introduction

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone, my name is Crystal and I wanted to let you all know

who I am and get to know all of you.

Ok, so I have 2 kids that are teenagers that are great and awful at

the same time ....lol In 1993 I broke out in hives for the first

time. A few weeks later my dr. discovered I had Lupus

antibodies..my mother has Lupus so this was not that shocking. I

didnt let it stop a lot of my life.

I was doing social work and loving it ... well for the most part!! I

did a lot of childrens services and that was great. I worked with

families of kids with disabilities to get them whatever services

they needed. But I also worked with adults and that was cool too.

In 2000 I hurt my back and started having shots put in my spine. 3

years ago I was dxed with UC after a colonoscopy.

Life gets hard sometimes and it gets depressing. These are the days

when it is so important that I make an attempt to put one foot in

front of the other. Success is measured in steps so that is what I

do. I take steps on those really bad days. Maybe it is just going

to the mailbox but that counts as a success when you are not sure

you can get there.

As you get to know me you will find that boy howdy can I ever talk

er type in this case..lol. But I am a good friend and a great

listener and maybe when I feel like I dont have the strength to take

those steps you'll say something to me that will help me get thru

the day and be a success and then when your on your last leg maybe I

can help you to make it thru the day, with a thought, a smile or a

shoulder.

Hope you are all having good days and better thoughts.

" Live like its your last day here "

" Love like its the most precious gift "

" Dance like nobodys watching-but for petes sake stop stepping on my

toes and let me lead "

Crystal

[Guest guest]

Welcome Crystal!

I'm , 45 w/fibro. I also have a 22 yr old daughter with cystic

fibrosis. I have a husband and a 24 yr old son, plus a little adorable mutt

dog named Lucy to round out the family. From the outside we look like a

perfectly normal family, but on the inside, we aren't exactly with 2 of 4 of

us having chronic diseases. My daughter is doing really well and I am not

doing too bad!

Welcome again and hope to get to know you better.

love,

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group Jolynn and glad to have you here this is a very supportive group and you will find plenty of people to talk to here and that will help with feeling isolated in the sickness arena. Good to hear from you!!

Colleen in NY**************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001)

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group Jolynn and glad to have you here this is a very supportive group and you will find plenty of people to talk to here and that will help with feeling isolated in the sickness arena. Good to hear from you!!

Colleen in NY**************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001)

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group Jolynn and glad to have you here this is a very supportive group and you will find plenty of people to talk to here and that will help with feeling isolated in the sickness arena. Good to hear from you!!

Colleen in NY**************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001)

[Guest guest]

Hi, Jolynn welcome to the group. You will find that it is OK to vent & some new friends here. I am glad that you found us for I have not been here long but I have been helped just like you will be nobody is alone here. So welcome LMay

From: leominsterhsg <leominsterhsg@...>Subject: New here introduction Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 12:45 PM

I have been dealing with things on my own for a while but now I need to read how others are dealing with things and a place to vent so I am not constantly venting to family and friends who care about me but can't identify with what I am going through. A little about me: I am 33 and the mother of 2 wondeful children, I am married to a wonderful husband. I have lived wihth scoliosis since I was six having my first surgery, for scoliosis, at the age of 11. I have since had more surgeries and now my entire spine is fused except for my neck. I am still in some pain but have saved my ability to use my legs. On top of that, one of my daughters also has skeletal issues and epilepsy. She is going in for her second surgery in a few months. She is 11 years old and has dealt with way more than she should have to at that age. Having to watch me go through so much and then herself going through

this stuff with grace makes her a hero in my book. She never complaines, although she is certainly welcome to. She is always smiling.So here we are a family dealing day to day with disability and chronic medical conditons. But that isn't what I try to share wiht most people becuase I hate being looked at wiht pitty. We are working through things well but it isn't like there is an end in sight. For us, it is more about dealing with what is currently on our plate at the time and not getting too put off when another issue pops up (as it always does). I am glad to have found what looks to be a very supportive group.Jolynn

[Guest guest]

Hi, Jolynn welcome to the group. You will find that it is OK to vent & some new friends here. I am glad that you found us for I have not been here long but I have been helped just like you will be nobody is alone here. So welcome LMay

From: leominsterhsg <leominsterhsg@...>Subject: New here introduction Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 12:45 PM

I have been dealing with things on my own for a while but now I need to read how others are dealing with things and a place to vent so I am not constantly venting to family and friends who care about me but can't identify with what I am going through. A little about me: I am 33 and the mother of 2 wondeful children, I am married to a wonderful husband. I have lived wihth scoliosis since I was six having my first surgery, for scoliosis, at the age of 11. I have since had more surgeries and now my entire spine is fused except for my neck. I am still in some pain but have saved my ability to use my legs. On top of that, one of my daughters also has skeletal issues and epilepsy. She is going in for her second surgery in a few months. She is 11 years old and has dealt with way more than she should have to at that age. Having to watch me go through so much and then herself going through

this stuff with grace makes her a hero in my book. She never complaines, although she is certainly welcome to. She is always smiling.So here we are a family dealing day to day with disability and chronic medical conditons. But that isn't what I try to share wiht most people becuase I hate being looked at wiht pitty. We are working through things well but it isn't like there is an end in sight. For us, it is more about dealing with what is currently on our plate at the time and not getting too put off when another issue pops up (as it always does). I am glad to have found what looks to be a very supportive group.Jolynn

[Guest guest]

Hi, Jolynn welcome to the group. You will find that it is OK to vent & some new friends here. I am glad that you found us for I have not been here long but I have been helped just like you will be nobody is alone here. So welcome LMay

From: leominsterhsg <leominsterhsg@...>Subject: New here introduction Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 12:45 PM

I have been dealing with things on my own for a while but now I need to read how others are dealing with things and a place to vent so I am not constantly venting to family and friends who care about me but can't identify with what I am going through. A little about me: I am 33 and the mother of 2 wondeful children, I am married to a wonderful husband. I have lived wihth scoliosis since I was six having my first surgery, for scoliosis, at the age of 11. I have since had more surgeries and now my entire spine is fused except for my neck. I am still in some pain but have saved my ability to use my legs. On top of that, one of my daughters also has skeletal issues and epilepsy. She is going in for her second surgery in a few months. She is 11 years old and has dealt with way more than she should have to at that age. Having to watch me go through so much and then herself going through

this stuff with grace makes her a hero in my book. She never complaines, although she is certainly welcome to. She is always smiling.So here we are a family dealing day to day with disability and chronic medical conditons. But that isn't what I try to share wiht most people becuase I hate being looked at wiht pitty. We are working through things well but it isn't like there is an end in sight. For us, it is more about dealing with what is currently on our plate at the time and not getting too put off when another issue pops up (as it always does). I am glad to have found what looks to be a very supportive group.Jolynn

[Guest guest]

WELCOME TO THE GROUP..JOLYNN;

IM SURE THAT YOU WILL FIND MANY NEAT FOLKS HERE WHO ALSO HAVE MANY AILMENTS;; THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD INFO HERE TOO & A LOT OF LISTENERS; & VERY CARING FOLKS;; SORRY THAT YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO DEAL WITH;; YOURSELF & YOUR DAUGHTER;;

TAKE CARE

HUGS

DORT

FROM MICH

From: leominsterhsg <leominsterhsg@...>Subject: New here introduction Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 1:45 PM

I have been dealing with things on my own for a while but now I need to read how others are dealing with things and a place to vent so I am not constantly venting to family and friends who care about me but can't identify with what I am going through. A little about me: I am 33 and the mother of 2 wondeful children, I am married to a wonderful husband. I have lived wihth scoliosis since I was six having my first surgery, for scoliosis, at the age of 11. I have since had more surgeries and now my entire spine is fused except for my neck. I am still in some pain but have saved my ability to use my legs. On top of that, one of my daughters also has skeletal issues and epilepsy. She is going in for her second surgery in a few months. She is 11 years old and has dealt with way more than she should have to at that age. Having to watch me go through so much and then herself going through

this stuff with grace makes her a hero in my book. She never complaines, although she is certainly welcome to. She is always smiling.So here we are a family dealing day to day with disability and chronic medical conditons. But that isn't what I try to share wiht most people becuase I hate being looked at wiht pitty. We are working through things well but it isn't like there is an end in sight. For us, it is more about dealing with what is currently on our plate at the time and not getting too put off when another issue pops up (as it always does). I am glad to have found what looks to be a very supportive group.Jolynn