Bad day

January 29, 2004

>

> And you believed them? One thing I hate about winter weather is

> how quickly

> things change from bad to worse.

>

I have this theory that toying with weathermen is one of God's favourite

amusements. I mean imagine that he is bored. " Hmmm...what shall I do to

day...Gee I already used up all those spare parts on the platypus. Hmm...I

guess I will spend the day making Troy Duncan sweat! hahahah! "

Cherilyn

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March 31, 2004

HEY TONY, I CAN RELATE TO THE PAIN AND WAITING FOR THE DRUGS TO HELP THE PAIN TO GO AWAY OR AT LEAST FOR THE PAIN TO GET BETTER. SOMETIMES I CAN HARDLY SIT AT THIS THING AND WRITE ANYTHING.

I COUNT MYSELF LUCKY IN THAT I AM NOT IN AS BAD OF SHAPE AS SO MANY OF THE FOLKS IN THIS GROUP. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO IF MY PAIN WAS ANY WORSE THAN IT IS. WELL,I GUESS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO JUST LEARN HOW TO LIVE WITH IT AS I DO THE PAIN THAT I HAVE NOW.LOL

I CAN ALSO RELATE TO YOU AND HOW THE DEPRESSION HITS WHEN YOU HURT ALL THE TIME. I ALSO HAVE PAIN WHEN I SIT ,WALK AND WHEN I STAND. I ONLY HAVE A BULGING DISK IN MY BACK BUT IT SURE DOES CAUSE ME A LOT OF PAIN.

I ALSO HAVE A RUPTURED DISK IN MY NECK THAT CAUSES ME TO HAVE REALLY BAD PAIN IN MY NECK AND SHOULDERS ALL THE TIME.THERE ARE TIMES THAT I CAN NOT SIT ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY NECK HURTING SO BAD THAT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING. I FILED FOR SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY AND WAS DENIED,SO I APPEALED IT.

I TURNED IN MY SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY APPEAL YESTERDAY AND FULLY EXPECT TO BE DENIED AGAIN. I HAVE A LAWYER THAT IS GOING TO HANDLE MY CASE FOR ME. HE ONLY DOES SOCIAL SECURITY CASES ,SO HE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE. HE TOLD ME THAT I AM LOOKING AT PROBABLY OCTOBER BEFORE I WILL BE ABLE TO GO BEFORE A JUDGE FOR A JUDGMENT ON MY CASE. GUESS I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO JUST SIT AND WAIT ,HA REMINDS ME OF THE MILITARY,HURRY UP AND WAIT.

WELL I HAVE SAID ABOUT ALL THAT I GUESS I CAN SAY FOR NOW.

I DIDN'T MEAN TO WRITE A BOOK ,BUT THAT IS WHAT THIS GROUP IS FOR. A PLACE THAT WE CAN COME AND SHARE WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR LIVES AS WELL AS OUR EXPERIENCE STRENGTH AND HOPE.

TAKE CARE AS BEST AS YOU CAN . MAY YOU HAVE A BETTER DAY TODAY THAN YOU HAD YESTERDAY.

LARRY

Tony <ohmyfnback@...> wrote:

Having a Very Bad Day today!! I am so sick and tired of laying on the floor in the morning till the drugs start working. Wow it just gets so depressing. I feel bad cause the wife don't know what to do for me and she blames herself she thinks its her that causes the pain. I just cant waite to feel better. Can't stand, walk, sit Just have to lay. Live on drugs (Better living through chemistry) lol

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF.

LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR THAT

June 17, 2004

Dear ,

I sure can identify with you on feeling like everyday something else goes

wrong. Sometimes I’m afraid that people aren’t going to believe me since it

seems so impossible for one person to have so many things wrong at once. So

far at least the doctors haven’t doubted me. I think if they did I would

either start crying or get up and slug them…lol.

It is very overwhelming to have something wrong every day. So many times I

think I would give anything to have a day without pain. That must have

been really scary with the Melanoma. I guess autoimmune disease is the gift

that just keeps on giving…lol. I’m glad they feel good they got it all. I

know that is a normally really slow growing cancer.

I think on the people you work with you have to just ignore or let their

comments go. Just mark it up to ignorance. We are to young to be sick, but

arthritis isn’t just an old person disease. I get frustrated about the RA

remark too, even though one of my doctors thinks I have both types. I think

my symptoms are more PA, but I am having a lot of problems with other areas

as well. I was negative on the RA factor though.

Hang in there on the Enbrel. Have you thought to have your rheumatologist

call your insurance company to speed things up? I know that really works

sometimes. Enbrel didn’t work for me and I had some really bad side

effects, but it is a real wonder drug for most people. I hope it’s your

answer and you start to feel better right away. Try to keep your hopes up.

Staying positive is the only thing that keeps me going some days.

Good luck and let me know how you do on Enbrel. Be sure and watch for

anything usual once you start to take it. Like I said most people don’t

have any problems, so I’m sure you will be just fine. Take care, Fran

(Editor's Note: Dear : Since you asked (anyone else run into this

[Melanoma]? I had the misfortune of having to deal with it. Fran mentions it is

normally a slow grower; knowing her, if Fran says it is, I'm sure she's right:

However, I need to note that is not true in all cases. In some (i.e., me--what

luck!) it was extraordinarily fast. It sounds like you had yours removed when it

could still be done @ the doc's office (probably well less than the size of a

pencil eraser?). Mine was about 3X that, and took a Lymphoscintogram, a signal

lymph node biopsy on the operating table, and a wide area excision--3 days in

the hospital. It was about 2 months from nothing to its size when removed. I am

knocking on wood just about continuously while writing this; I was very

lucky--very very lucky--that there was no spread to the lymph nodes, and also

lucky that I drew an M.D. (Houston)-trained surgeon, I'm told, and I

believe it. Anyway: Please, if any of you out there remotely suspect you might

need to be screened, run, do not walk, to your dermatologist. I don't know if

there is a direct PA-Melanoma synergy. But I do know that those of us who've had

more X-rays, bone scans, IVPs, etc., than the norm, as well as those with fair

skin/blue eyes/blond hair, especially if we burned and peeled more than once or

twice as kids in the sun (I lived in Hawaii and Ft. Lauderdale as a kid :-( ),

OR those of us who've gone through PUVA treatment for the P (there's my hand

again...), have a much higher than average chance of facing Melanoma. My surgeon

put it bluntly, regarding " sunburns " : " Think about it, " he told me; " You exposed

yourself to harmful radiation to the extent that you actually burned layers of

skin off your body. It's the same result as if you were too close to Chernobyl.

It wasn't some innocuous " sun " burn; you were radiation burned. " The good news is

that, caught in time, it's 80% survivable; the not so good news is that surgery

is the virtually the only hope: chemotherapy (Interleukin II) is now believed to

have between almost no, and absolutely no, positive effect, according to the

latest studies.

Sorry to go one like that, people, but if I scared one person (with an

irregularly shaped, OR (not and!) multi-colored, or uneven height, or (even

partially) blood-bordered, mole--of any color (mine was quite light), which may

or may not itch, to the dermatologist, I'm thrilled to have done so. We PAers

HAVE to watch closely for this nasty malady. Just what we needed, many of us

having enough skin problems as it is. But we, many of us, are used to checking

out our skin, right? I highly recommend having a spouse, significant other,

whatever, check out the places we can't get to ourselves, or, if there isn't

that option, buy a good hand-held mirror and then stand in front of the big one

in the bathroom, using the little one as an extra set of eyes. Another hint:

DON'T worry only about skin acreage that's been directly in the sun; any cells

with melanin (including the retinas, of all places) can be the trigger.

OK, Rant now over.

D.]

[ ] bad day

Today has been the worst day yet - it seems like every movement

hurts. I'm hoping the Vioxx starts to work soon so I can go up the

steps and get in bed.

Perhaps unrelated but I had seen the Derm a month ago for a biopsy

to confirm the psoriasis on my elbow (I had thought it was just dry

skin all these years) and since I had never had a full skin check

they did one and found what turned out to be a melanomia. I had it

removed today. He said that because PA is an antoimmune disease it

could have stimulated it's growth? He thinks he got it all. Has

anyone else run into this?

It really feels like every appointment I go to there is something

else wrong and I feel very powerless over the entire situation. My

co-workers look at me like I'm crazy - they say dumb things like

thank goodness it's not RA or that I'm too young for arthritis so

maybe that not what I have (I'm 33). Hopefully the insurance

approval for Enbrel comes in this week, I understand it really helps

alot of people (I'm currently taking Areva and it's doing a number

on my GI tract).

I'm glad this site is here - I don't know anyone locally who has

gone through this and can understand.

[Editor's Note: Sorry to hear today's a bad one. Hang in there - help is

on the way! OK - I made that up, but maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

If the Arava is bothering your stomach (it does mine), ask your rheumy for a

script for Nexium. It really helps. Kathy F.]

Please visit our Psoriatic Arthritis Group's informational web page at:

http://www.wpunj.edu/pa/ -- created and edited by list member

aka(raharris@...).

Also,in August 2001,list member Jack aka Cornishpro@... began

to conduct extensive research which he publishes as the " Psoriatic Arthritis

Research Newsletter " , monthly in our email and digest format. Many thanks to

Jack. Back issues of the newsletter are stored on our PA webpage as well as

the archives of the list.

Don't forget that the list archives comprise a tremendous amount of

information (Over three years of messages and answers).Feel free to browse

them at your convenience.

LET'S HEAR FROM SOME OF YOU LURKERS out there! If you have a comment or

question, chances are there is a person who has been around a while who can

help you out with AT LEAST an educated guess for an answer! If not,we can

steer you in the right direction with a good website to go to,

Blessings and Peace,

Atwood-Stack, Founder

Alan , Web & List Editor

Jack , Newsletter Editor

Pat Bias, List Editor

Ron Dotson, List Editor

Orin, List Editor

, List Editor

and any others who help in any way (thank you!)

June 17, 2004

In a message dated 6/17/2004 12:57:48 PM Eastern Standard Time,

heatherfitz@... writes:

It really feels like every appointment I go to there is something

else wrong and I feel very powerless over the entire situation. My

co-workers look at me like I'm crazy - they say dumb things like

thank goodness it's not RA or that I'm too young for arthritis so

maybe that not what I have (I'm 33).

Hang in there ,

We are all in the same boat that you are in. I have had the same problem

as you for years and I am so sick of people saying that I am too young to have

these problems. I don't even say to people anymore that I have PA. I

tell them I have RA because that is what they understand. And as for being too

young, tell them to research juvenile RA.

Janet

June 17, 2004

Hi ,

You did have a bad day- I am checked yearly for melonoma because

we are more at risk. So far I have been OK. Does your rheum know

about it? It might be important for him/her to know if you are

starting Enbrel. Hope the enbrel helps your pain.

hope you have a better day tomorrow,

Marti

-- In , " bearsyisalady "

<heatherfitz@r...> wrote:

> Today has been the worst day yet - it seems like every movement

> hurts. I'm hoping the Vioxx starts to work soon so I can go up the

> steps and get in bed.

> Perhaps unrelated but I had seen the Derm a month ago for a biopsy

> to confirm the psoriasis on my elbow (I had thought it was just dry

> skin all these years) and since I had never had a full skin check

> they did one and found what turned out to be a melanomia. I had it

> removed today. He said that because PA is an antoimmune disease it

> could have stimulated it's growth? He thinks he got it all. Has

> anyone else run into this?

> It really feels like every appointment I go to there is something

> else wrong and I feel very powerless over the entire situation. My

> co-workers look at me like I'm crazy - they say dumb things like

> thank goodness it's not RA or that I'm too young for arthritis so

> maybe that not what I have (I'm 33). Hopefully the insurance

> approval for Enbrel comes in this week, I understand it really

helps

> alot of people (I'm currently taking Areva and it's doing a number

> on my GI tract).

> I'm glad this site is here - I don't know anyone locally who has

> gone through this and can understand.

>

> [Editor's Note: Sorry to hear today's a bad one. Hang in there -

help is on the way! OK - I made that up, but maybe tomorrow will be

a better day. If the Arava is bothering your stomach (it does mine),

ask your rheumy for a script for Nexium. It really helps. Kathy F.]

June 17, 2004

Thanks Fran. I needed to hear that today. I spoke with my family

doc this afternoon and she told me that the melanomia was probably

triggered by the PA but that I may have gotten it anyway. We

decided that I am going to keep with the Vioxx for pain instead of

taking something stronger. I am a recovering alcoholic (7 years in

a few weeks) and I don't want to take anything that affects my mind -

it's just a risk I am not ready to take. Besides, most days the

Vioxx does help - imagine that, a non-narcotic pain reliever really

works! Suprise!

I took a vacation day tomorrow and am meeting my oldest and dearest

friend to take our children to Sesame Place. We planned it a year

ago and the kids are so excited they can't sleep. I am praying that

tomorrow is a good day and my kids don't have to suffer because

Mommy's not feeling well. There are so many things I can't do with

them that I really really want this one day to be special.

Thanks for your support - I find that checking the posts throughout

the day helps me feel connected and not so different.

[Editor's Note: , I understand why you, or your doc, or both of you, want

to avoid potential problems by sticking with Vioxx for pain--and I'm glad to

hear that that particular NSAID is, mostly, effective for you. I hope it remains

that way. There undoubtedly are some people (e.g., you) who find their personal

biochemistry consanguinous, and well-benefited, with one of the NSAIDs. If this

is you, great!

That said, I get an inkling that there may be times when you need extra help.

So: two thoughts, which you could go over with your doc if you ever feel you'd

like to--and so can anyone else in the same situation (I suspect there are many

such folk.)

(1) Some people experience superb pain-control results with non-narcotic

Tramadol (Ultram, etc.) It's a very interesting drug, psychopharmacologically.

Although it acts with a dual mechanism, one of which is a central action which

is very important in making a pain med successful (much more so than

peripherally acting NSAIDs) it does NOT have the characteristics, or effects,

that the narcotics do and that you want to avoid. It might be ideal for you;

your doc could let you try a small " starter " prescription (or a handful of

samples) to use on those days/nights when your regular Vioxx leaves you

unrelieved. It is also effective for neuropathic pain, which NSAIDs are mostly

not. Finally, its side effect profile makes it--in my humble opinion--vastly

superior to the NSAIDs, especially over the long term. (I would highly recommend

you look at the contraindications, side effect profile, warnings, etc., of

NSAIDs, versus Tramadol.)

(2) The other option (and you may have already tried this at some point; if so,

so be it), again for those times when Vioxx fails you, is to discuss with your

doc having her write you a prn scrip for good old Tylenol #3. T3 has just 30 mg.

of codiene in it (along with the good old NSAID, acetominophen), but that's

enough to provide 4-6 hours of centrally-acting pain relief. As long as you're

taking no more than, say, 10-15 Tylenol #3 per month (no more than 1 a day),

there shouldn't be any problem with tolerance; further, codiene doesn't (except

for rare individuals) have the mental clouding effects of its strong relatives

(hydrocodone, morphine, demerol, etc.).

I hope the above is useful to those evaluating the best course for themselves,

regarding pain management. As always, the best course of action is to, as

did, engage in a meaningful dialogue with one's doctor. For those of you

finding you may need stronger pain meds (that is, when pain actually limits your

life, and you would be more active, more involved with family and work, more

participative in the life of the community if you were on a different meds

regimen), it's probably time to get to a pain management clinic, where there is

a greater willingness to prescribe adequate medication. I know it was the

smartest thing I've done in the last several years.

D.]

> Dear ,

>

> I sure can identify with you on feeling like everyday something

else goes

> wrong. Sometimes I'm afraid that people aren't going to believe

me since it

> seems so impossible for one person to have so many things wrong at

once. So

> far at least the doctors haven't doubted me. I think if they did

I would

> either start crying or get up and slug them…lol.

>

> It is very overwhelming to have something wrong every day. So

many times I

> think I would give anything to have a day without pain. That

must have

> been really scary with the Melanoma. I guess autoimmune disease

is the gift

> that just keeps on giving…lol. I'm glad they feel good they got

it all. I

> know that is a normally really slow growing cancer.

>

> I think on the people you work with you have to just ignore or let

their

> comments go. Just mark it up to ignorance. We are to young to be

sick, but

> arthritis isn't just an old person disease. I get frustrated

about the RA

> remark too, even though one of my doctors thinks I have both

types. I think

> my symptoms are more PA, but I am having a lot of problems with

other areas

> as well. I was negative on the RA factor though.

>

> Hang in there on the Enbrel. Have you thought to have your

rheumatologist

> call your insurance company to speed things up? I know that

really works

> sometimes. Enbrel didn't work for me and I had some really bad

side

> effects, but it is a real wonder drug for most people. I hope

it's your

> answer and you start to feel better right away. Try to keep your

hopes up.

> Staying positive is the only thing that keeps me going some days.

>

> Good luck and let me know how you do on Enbrel. Be sure and watch

for

> anything usual once you start to take it. Like I said most people

don't

> have any problems, so I'm sure you will be just fine. Take care,

Fran

>

> (Editor's Note: Dear : Since you asked (anyone else run

into this [Melanoma]? I had the misfortune of having to deal with

it. Fran mentions it is normally a slow grower; knowing her, if Fran

says it is, I'm sure she's right: However, I need to note that is

not true in all cases. In some (i.e., me--what luck!) it was

extraordinarily fast. It sounds like you had yours removed when it

could still be done @ the doc's office (probably well less than the

size of a pencil eraser?). Mine was about 3X that, and took a

Lymphoscintogram, a signal lymph node biopsy on the operating table,

and a wide area excision--3 days in the hospital. It was about 2

months from nothing to its size when removed. I am knocking on wood

just about continuously while writing this; I was very lucky--very

very lucky--that there was no spread to the lymph nodes, and also

lucky that I drew an M.D. (Houston)-trained surgeon, I'm

told, and I believe it. Anyway: Please, if any of you out there

remotely suspect you might need to be screened, run, do not walk, to

your dermatologist. I don't know if there is a direct PA-Melanoma

synergy. But I do know that those of us who've had more X-rays, bone

scans, IVPs, etc., than the norm, as well as those with fair

skin/blue eyes/blond hair, especially if we burned and peeled more

than once or twice as kids in the sun (I lived in Hawaii and Ft.

Lauderdale as a kid :-( ), OR those of us who've gone through PUVA

treatment for the P (there's my hand again...), have a much higher

than average chance of facing Melanoma. My surgeon put it bluntly,

regarding " sunburns " : " Think about it, " he told me; " You exposed

yourself to harmful radiation to the extent that you actually burned

layers of skin off your body. It's the same result as if you were

too close to Chernobyl. It wasn't some innocuous " sun " burn; you were

radiation burned. " The good news is that, caught in time, it's 80%

survivable; the not so good news is that surgery is the virtually

the only hope: chemotherapy (Interleukin II) is now believed to have

between almost no, and absolutely no, positive effect, according to

the latest studies.

>

> Sorry to go one like that, people, but if I scared one person

(with an irregularly shaped, OR (not and!) multi-colored, or uneven

height, or (even partially) blood-bordered, mole--of any color (mine

was quite light), which may or may not itch, to the dermatologist,

I'm thrilled to have done so. We PAers HAVE to watch closely for

this nasty malady. Just what we needed, many of us having enough

skin problems as it is. But we, many of us, are used to checking out

our skin, right? I highly recommend having a spouse, significant

other, whatever, check out the places we can't get to ourselves, or,

if there isn't that option, buy a good hand-held mirror and then

stand in front of the big one in the bathroom, using the little one

as an extra set of eyes. Another hint: DON'T worry only about skin

acreage that's been directly in the sun; any cells with melanin

(including the retinas, of all places) can be the trigger.

>

> OK, Rant now over.

>

> D.]

> [ ] bad day

>

> Today has been the worst day yet - it seems like every movement

> hurts. I'm hoping the Vioxx starts to work soon so I can go up the

> steps and get in bed.

> Perhaps unrelated but I had seen the Derm a month ago for a biopsy

> to confirm the psoriasis on my elbow (I had thought it was just dry

> skin all these years) and since I had never had a full skin check

> they did one and found what turned out to be a melanomia. I had it

> removed today. He said that because PA is an antoimmune disease it

> could have stimulated it's growth? He thinks he got it all. Has

> anyone else run into this?

> It really feels like every appointment I go to there is something

> else wrong and I feel very powerless over the entire situation. My

> co-workers look at me like I'm crazy - they say dumb things like

> thank goodness it's not RA or that I'm too young for arthritis so

> maybe that not what I have (I'm 33). Hopefully the insurance

> approval for Enbrel comes in this week, I understand it really

helps

> alot of people (I'm currently taking Areva and it's doing a number

> on my GI tract).

> I'm glad this site is here - I don't know anyone locally who has

> gone through this and can understand.

>

> [Editor's Note: Sorry to hear today's a bad one. Hang in there -

help is

> on the way! OK - I made that up, but maybe tomorrow will be a

better day.

> If the Arava is bothering your stomach (it does mine), ask your

rheumy for a

> script for Nexium. It really helps. Kathy F.]

>

> Please visit our Psoriatic Arthritis Group's informational web

page at:

> http://www.wpunj.edu/pa/ -- created and edited by list member

> aka(raharris@y...).

>

> Also,in August 2001,list member Jack aka Cornishpro@a...

began

> to conduct extensive research which he publishes as the " Psoriatic

Arthritis

> Research Newsletter " , monthly in our email and digest format. Many

thanks to

> Jack. Back issues of the newsletter are stored on our PA webpage

as well as

> the archives of the list.

>

> Don't forget that the list archives comprise a tremendous amount of

> information (Over three years of messages and answers).Feel free

to browse

> them at your convenience.

>

> LET'S HEAR FROM SOME OF YOU LURKERS out there! If you have a

comment or

> question, chances are there is a person who has been around a

while who can

> help you out with AT LEAST an educated guess for an answer! If

not,we can

> steer you in the right direction with a good website to go to,

>

> Blessings and Peace,

>

> Atwood-Stack, Founder

> Alan , Web & List Editor

> Jack , Newsletter Editor

> Pat Bias, List Editor

> Ron Dotson, List Editor

> Orin, List Editor

> , List Editor

> and any others who help in any way (thank you!)

>

June 18, 2004

Dear , I'm glad to know my email helped. Sometimes I feel like I'm

not sure if I should respond to someone one or not. You sort of wonder when

you have never had what they are suffering with. For some reason, your

email hit home with me.

I only want to say one other thing about pain control and recovering

alcoholics. I know what kind of hell alcoholism can be, not because I am

one, but both my sister and my brother have and one of them still does

suffers horribly with this disease. My brother has been sober now for over

20 years. About 5 years ago he noticed his arm was totally numb and he

couldn't even move it. This seemed to come on over night. He went to the

doctor and found out he needed surgery on a disc in his neck. He told the

doctor he couldn't have any pain medication due to his alcoholism and the

fact that one one is really ever considered recovered. Well to make a long

story short, he ended up in so much pain his doctor convinced him to take

the drugs. And he did just fine. He was like you and didn't want to ever

chance going back to where he was before, but he found once the surgery

healed he simply didn't need the narcotics anymore.

I understand that everyone is different and everyone's reasons for addiction

are different as well. I wouldn't begin to tell you to go ahead and not

consider the consequences. But like said, it sounds like you are

still suffering some even with the Vioxx. I took Vioxx for several years

before I was even diagnosed with PA, I was told I had an instant case of

osteoarthritis, which I know now is unheard of, since it normally takes

years to developed. Anyway, it did help me, but now I can't take it since

it isn't recommended for people with any type of heart condition. So if for

some reason you find it's no longer available to you, I think I would

discuss with my doctor the possibility of having another pain control

medication lined up. But like I said , I totally understand how this

is a really personal decision and one that only you can make.

I hope you have a good time at Sesame Place. I can't imagine having this

disease with younger children. I feel like I miss out enough now and my

" kids " are 21 and 23. When we lived in Indianapolis we used to take the

kids to the Children's Museum downtown and it was always a wonderful time.

So I sure hope you get to go and can enjoy yourself.

This is the first time I've heard about PA having a link to Melanoma. So it

wasn't exactly the kind of news I wanted to hear, but I'm glad you posted

and told us about it. 's follow up was enough to make me have my

doctor check out a mole on the back of my neck the next time I go in.

Vacationing in Florida as a child, I can't begin to tell you how many

sunburns I was exposed too. My parents always made us use suntan lotion,

but without any Sunscreen in there it was probably like adding oil to a

baking turkey...lol. So it's one more thing to be aware of and I appreciate

you writing about it.

Please feel free to write me anytime . You aren't any different than

any other person, or young Mom who has a health condition. I hate that our

disease makes us feel so different from the rest of the " normal " population.

Sometimes once you get to know other people's problems you realize you

wouldn't want to deal with their " bag of luggage " either.

Take care and keep in touch. Let me know if you get to go out with the kids

and I hope you all get to have a great time. Thanks for writing and sharing

your information. Love, Fran

--Original Message-----

From: bearsyisalady [mailto:heatherfitz@...]

Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 9:59 PM

Subject: [ ] Re: bad day