A letter from Karyn. I hope everyone gets involved

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone. I received a letter from Karyn that I would like everyone to

check out. I also have this letter posted on my website and the chat room page

which can be found at http://www.top5plus5.com/ChatRooms-Pancreas.htm . She has

some amazing Ideas and I think that you will enjoy them all. As you will see in

the letter she is also looking for State Charter Representatives to help with

people in your state dealing with pancreatitis. I hope that everyone will get

involved. I hope this finds you and yours well. I plan to help out here in

Oregon. Also Karyn wants everyone to know about the 2nd Annual Symposium is

coming up in October. Their is a tong od work that needs to be done. I hope

everyone will get involved in this also. It will be a two day event, Friday and

Saturday. Car pooling is a great idea for this. The letter is as follows.

A Letter From Karyn

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply. My energy level makes it difficult for me to concentrate

on more than one person at a time; i.e., Vs the message board. I will try to

check in once or twice a week.

I try to stress to everyone the need for a united voice, many people, many

faces, one voice. That may be the slogan for the year 2001, and 2002. I help

them understand the manageability of using web only or atlas the daily digest.

Otherwise it does seem insurmountable and chaotic. I have hopes of assigning

them a " buddy " to help walk them through the use of the web as a serious tool to

empower them to feel in control of their disease; to be a survivor, living in

the solution, not a victim. BUT; always give them the space and place to mourn

and grieve their losses; life for them will never be the same. again; whether

care giver or care receiver.

It is so important encourage them to maintain a membership with the Pancreatitis

Association, International. I remind them that they can do this by signing up

for web only.

My vision of the Pancreatitis Association, Intl. has is to claim a domain. I

need help finding the right one, I know Yahoo has one. I wanted to compare the

rates between yahoo and AOL. If you have time could you suggest which one. I am

ready to get started.and begin building a web site that is just as multifaceted

as the American Cancer society's. And why not. I did volunteer work for them for

many years. That society started out with two people with cancer. That is how

the Network started, from my lonely and desolate hospital room searching and

finding another person with Pancreatitis, someone, when no other, could

understand. And, here we are 2 1/2 years and 4 countries and nearly 300 members

later. It is time to expand the services and resources available through the

Association. The online Panc Support Network will continue. I needed to change

the name not only to encompass more services, but also because of the group in

England called the Pan Supporter Network. I didn't find this out until after I

started this one. Because we will be joining the world convention in 2004 I

wanted to have established a non competitive name, such as the Pancreatitis

Association, International. I am the International founder and CEO and United

States Representative. I am currently encouraging interested individuals to

apply for State Chapter Representatives. I was hoping you would consider this

for your home state, which, BTW I don't know. There are no real duties to

perform for the time being, just assist any members who subscribe from your

state as I described in the description of moderator. You may delegate any new

members to another state chapter representative now. We just need to know who

they are and what state they live in.

I am also eager to start a Pancreatitis Web Ring. I want the Panc. Assoc. Intl.

to be the web Ring home page. This will be the new domain site. After it is up

and running, I wanted to link the chat rooms to it I will then solicit

interested individuals or groups to request participation. I need help with

this.

This should empower these members, who have been stripped of most their dignity,

to stand tall again, to take charge of their health, their bodies, their lives.

Oh, yes, my visions also sees the production of The Journal of Pancreatitis.

A friend recently died from this disease. That total 2 deaths since the group

started. I want to start the Laurie Steinbacker Foundation. She always

wanted a computer when she was well enough to write. She made it to the public

library a few times. She never did get a computer. She died after a week long

coma. The foundation will be to any patient who needs a computer. We all need to

have oour voice heard.

I also need help completing the application for nonprofit tax exempt status. It

is overwhelming me. Well, it is probably the culmination of all of these

activities.

Please feel free to share any or all parts of my vision with the group. I want

them to know how much I miss them and care for them.

I need to post a request for any `person interested in becoming their State

Chapter Representative. I will be able to accommodate everyone.

I forgot to mention the 2nd Annual Symposium is coming up in October. Their is a

ton of work that needs to be done. Start talking that up, encourage car pooling.

etc. It will be a two day event, Friday and Saturday.

Keeping you in my prayers,

Karyn KarynWms@...

Founder:

International Pancreatitis Association Pancreatitis Support Network

Mark E. Armstrong

www.top5plus5.com