back online!!- Update from Keri

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

I have finally gotten my computer up and running again. I had to

change my e-mail service so my new e-mail will be at the end of this

post. I was so glad to see many of you at the symposium, that was

such a great experience. I can not express exactly how much it meant

to me to be able to connect with so many of you that share such an

intense illness, and all that goes along with it. It really helps to

share. My husband was also very impressed and excited to come back

next year.

My appointment with Dr. Sutherland went very well. He is definitely

the caring, compassionate, and attentive doctor that I have heard so

many of his patients describe. I was so impressed with him at the

Symposium, during time between the sessions, while waiting in the

hall he seemed quite content visiting with all of us and answering

questions. He is definitely not the stereo-typical doc that portrays

himself as aloof and above the rest of us. He went over the small

amount of records I could bring (due to some very disappointing

problems with my hospitals med. records dept.), and then proceeded to

start from scratch with a blank piece of paper and go over the course

of my illness from start to present with me and Josh. He then

concluded that I was a good candidate for surgery. He explained very

well exactly what he would do (tailoring the proceedure to my

specific problems). He spent as much time with us as we needed to get

a clear picture of what to expect. So now I am waiting for his letter

of recommendation for the surgery to reach my insurance company so

that they can make a decision. I called Anne Marie (She's a real

doll) I gave her a direct fax number to hopefully speed up the

proceedure. I have been a real squeaky wheel, I call my Ins. Co. at

least three times a week, just to see if they have gotten the letter

yet. They should be pretty familiar with me by the time this process

is over. I can't set a surgery date until I get the approval so I

feel like this big important event could be a long way off, or

possibly just drop out of the sky with only a few days notice.

I have still been doing fairly well health wise, my GI switched me to

Percocet for breakthrough pain instead of Vicodin, and that is really

helping. I was in the hospital for five days since the Symposium but

no huge setbacks. I also got a really good recipe for veggie lasagna

from the hospital chef, even my hardcore carnivore husband raved

about it. Let me know if anyone is interested.

If I missed any thing directed to me, feel free to e-mail me. Much

Love and prayers to all of you. I feel blessed to have found several

dear friends via this site, and I wish you all the best.

Keri Beck

Mattoon, IL

joshnkeribeck@...