Re: Thanks Again to Ethne

[Guest guest]

Ethne,

We're really glad that you found us, too! I got the impression

from your first post that you had pretty much limited yourself from

learning about your disease in the past, and kept to yourself

much of the time.

Yet, there is power in knowledge, power to recognize symptoms

and know how to treat them appropriately. We offer here the

benefit of gaining knowledge by learning through the

experiences of others. We also offer friendship and empathy

with open hearts and understanding. I will repeat again, I am

glad you found us.......because I believe the good people here

will become your friends and are people you can trust to guide

you through the trials of this disease with honest candor and

familiarity.

It's too bad about the job, but if it causes you pain to work where

you were, it's not worth it. A few years ago, I took a job working at

a local plant nursery and had one of the happiest years in

employment that I remember. I have a keen interest in

horticulture (my granddad was a horticulturist/florist/farmer and

had two beautiful glass greenhouses on his farm), and I spent

hours as a young child following him around soaking up every bit

of plant knowledge that he would impart. I had no idea that 40

years later that knowledge would suddenly come back with a

flourish and I would be utilizing it to work at a nursery. I thrived at

the " job " , which was pure pleasure, except for the intensive

physical labor involved. Unloading a semi-truck full of 60 pound

bags of chicken sh__........ah.....chicken manure, was torture! I

was forced to leave that job because I have arthritis, and was

having reoccuring problems with flareups that made the work too

labor intensive. Needless to say, that job that I loved so much

would be an impossiblity for me now with the CP and diabetes,

too!

It is very sad that sometimes we have to give up some of the

important things in our life for the preservation of our health.

Many here have had to do so. Several members have had to

give up their employment......their careers, because of health

conditions. I try to recognize this, and offer understanding and

sympathy for the tremendous sense of loss and depression they

must experience when this happens.

Since you were only there a few months, it's my hope that you

won't suffer too much sadness for having to leave. Stick with us

and we''ll do all we can to keep your morale and your sense of

self-worth at it's peak.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

Southeastern Representative

PAI, Intl.

Note: All advice or comments are personal opinion only, and

should not be substituted for professional medical consultation.

> Once again, thanks to those who have responded to my

questions. I think I have made up my mind about the job. It is

stupid to suffer more pain (probably needless) for the sake of a

few dollars. Also, I am so glad I discovered this site and joined

it. I have lived in isolation with this condition for roughly 20 years.

It makes a lot of difference psychologically to know that there

really are people out there, who know what it's like to live with cp,

although I wish for all your sakes, you didn't have to know what it

is like.

Kind regards

Ethne