2004 EDNF Conference-HEY YOU NEWBIES!

[Guest guest]

Deb (are you going Deb?)

******************

Yes, I am pretty sure.. It is always a matter of finances and I hope I can

stay well enough to survive the flight and all those days of hustle and bustle.

It was really good for me to go last time.

By the way ... any Newbie's out there... I highly recommend this conference.

It opened a whole new attitude for me 2 years ago when I went. Recently

diagnosed and feeling so alone and weird ... different from others.... I had so

many questions that no one here could answer. What was EDS going to turn me

into as it progressed? All those questions and more were answered after I went

and I saw... I am not different from other EDS'ers and among friends. Most of

all the fear of what may be my future with EDS went completely away!

Hope there are many of you who decide to go. Yes, it is scary ... was for me

too but there are so many people who will take you under their wing...

did with me and I am eternally grateful for her for that. I would still be

wondering around the hotel trying to find the dinner room if she had not taken

care of me!

Think about it. I am glad I did and am VERY sure you will be too.

Debbi Brown

I believe that....

Friends are angels who lift us to our feet

when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

[Guest guest]

> By the way ... any Newbie's out there... I highly recommend this

conference.

> It opened a whole new attitude for me 2 years ago when I went.

I agree. Conferences are usually the first opportunity for those newly

diagnosed to get together with other people who have EDS. It's a chance to

make friends and to feel " normal " . The people you meet at a conference,

support group meeting, or the CEDA picnic may become your closest friends.

In my case, I met my best friend, April, and my husband, Kerry, at the 1994

EDNF conference. Sadly, April is no longer with us, but Kerry and I will be

celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary just after the conference, on July

24. I went to the conference in Walnut Creek 4 years ago and the closing

banquet was on our anniversary, so Kerry flew down to spend the weekend with

me after the conference.

Kerry and I will very likely be busy studying this summer and probably won't

attend the conference this year. Classes are supposed to start the first

week in July, although the official schedule isn't out yet for summer 2004.

We're pretty much going to be in class straight through until December 2005.

-Barb

[Guest guest]

> By the way ... any Newbie's out there... I highly recommend this

conference.

> It opened a whole new attitude for me 2 years ago when I went.

I agree. Conferences are usually the first opportunity for those newly

diagnosed to get together with other people who have EDS. It's a chance to

make friends and to feel " normal " . The people you meet at a conference,

support group meeting, or the CEDA picnic may become your closest friends.

In my case, I met my best friend, April, and my husband, Kerry, at the 1994

EDNF conference. Sadly, April is no longer with us, but Kerry and I will be

celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary just after the conference, on July

24. I went to the conference in Walnut Creek 4 years ago and the closing

banquet was on our anniversary, so Kerry flew down to spend the weekend with

me after the conference.

Kerry and I will very likely be busy studying this summer and probably won't

attend the conference this year. Classes are supposed to start the first

week in July, although the official schedule isn't out yet for summer 2004.

We're pretty much going to be in class straight through until December 2005.

-Barb

[Guest guest]

> DANG! I may just have to plan another trip to Seattle sometime! That

would

> be a shame, huh? NOT!

Well, if you do head this way, I'll let you know what dates we're free. Our

only free time that isn't already booked is between Summer and Fall quarters

and those dates aren't published yet.

We are working on trying to get to Florida on Spring Break to meet up with

Fuller when she's here and to see family at the same time. That's in

mid-March.

-Barb