Thank you so much for accepting me!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/3/2007 11:03:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

lady_rider_hd@... writes:

Sorry, didn't mean

to make this a book. Just wanted to introduce myself and let you know

I'm very happy to be here today. Thank you for putting this together!!!!I

Blessed be to all of you and Good Night,

Steph, aka Lady_rider_hd

your book was very interesting .. I'm sorry you had to endure abuse like

that.. I endured it as a child but thankfully not as a adult... and I'm glad U

are here with us today also

may your God bless and keep you

Rose

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

My name is Steph and I found out about this through a gal named

and I am very grateful I learned of it through her. Thank

you, .

I have no idea why I never decided to do this long ago.....maybe I

wasn't ready, but I'm ready now. I'd like to introduce myself so

others will have some idea of my issues that I live with daily. We

all have our own particular problems and I learned a long time ago to

honor and respect that fact and to understand that there is no way I

could possibly know how someone with diabetes or MS feels just as they

could not possibly know how I feel.....but one thing is for certain,

pain is pain. And it's wonderful to have other people to go to when

you think you just can't take it anymore, or you find a solution that

seems to work for you or you just need to vent a little.

For now, I'll just describe what my physical problems are and then I

can go from there when the times are right. I have major Spinal decay

and Spinal injury. My discs (they call it DDD --degernative disc

disease), but in my case, my discs literally disappear and I am bone

on bone and my spinal cord is literally smashed " flat as a pancake " as

my Spinal Orthopedic Surgeon put it one time. At any rate, I've had 8

fusions, my neck is completely fused, no discs at all through T1. My

Lumbar (lower back) is fused in two locations using the caged fusion

technique....it was brand new back in 1996 and basically replaced the

rods unless you had more than 2 or 3 done. I have congenital spinal

disease in my Lumbar very severely, I have Spinal arthritis on every

single vertabrae (everytime they operate, they attempt to remove

that), I have osteoporosis. I was severely physically abused for 30

years of my life from the time I was 3 til I was 33. I'm 53 now. My

first husband broke my neck and I broke my lower back when I was 40

years old. That's when things got so bad, I finally decided through

the help of a very wise and Spiritual lady, to get real help.

Now, I'm writing a book about Chronic Pain Survivors because that's

what we are, survivors. No one but us can possibly understand or

fathom the pain and challenges we endure. Especially not most doctors

and hospitals and that is based on my own personal experience. But,

I'm lucky, cause I have a great Spinal Ortho surgeon and that's all he

does and an honest and to the point pain management doctor. I also

have 3 grown children who have great difficulty with dealing with my

issues and the most beautiful little granddaughters in the

world....lol....of course I would think they are. Sadly, my daughter

is angry with me right now and I can't see them right now, but I've

been through this with her before and hopefully things will change

soon. They help me keep my positive attitude along with my Creator.

I'll admit though, sometimes, there is nothing in this world that will

help me with a positive attitude when I feel like cutting limbs off,

but that passes and I just have to remember that. Sorry, didn't mean

to make this a book. Just wanted to introduce myself and let you know

I'm very happy to be here today. Thank you for putting this together!!!!!

Blessed be to all of you and Good Night,

Steph, aka Lady_rider_hd