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Hi Mira,

FWTW, when I had my Modified Whipple, (I think they are all a little

different) I was five months before returning to work, and even then felt I

went back to work too soon, and it was a full year of " getting better " before

I felt I was stabilized. Just hang in there and recognize that while progress

might be slow, it's still progress. And remember that ten hours in an OR is a

heck of a long time and will require a long recovery.

Best Wishes, Poncho - GA

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Hi Mira,

FWTW, when I had my Modified Whipple, (I think they are all a little

different) I was five months before returning to work, and even then felt I

went back to work too soon, and it was a full year of " getting better " before

I felt I was stabilized. Just hang in there and recognize that while progress

might be slow, it's still progress. And remember that ten hours in an OR is a

heck of a long time and will require a long recovery.

Best Wishes, Poncho - GA

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Hi Mira,

FWTW, when I had my Modified Whipple, (I think they are all a little

different) I was five months before returning to work, and even then felt I

went back to work too soon, and it was a full year of " getting better " before

I felt I was stabilized. Just hang in there and recognize that while progress

might be slow, it's still progress. And remember that ten hours in an OR is a

heck of a long time and will require a long recovery.

Best Wishes, Poncho - GA

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Poncho What do you take daily for pain relief , what dosage .

from Canada. I posted this question on the site and only one person

answered me I need this info as to what people are taking for my doctor.

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Mira,

I bite my lip to keep from screaming every time someone bad-mouths the

Whipple Procedure. I thank my surgeons each and every day for mine.

Three and a half years ago I was crippled by pain from CP. Three fourths

of my pancreas had calcified from 12 years of clinical and subclinical

acute pancreatitis attacks subsequent to Pancreas Divisum. Multiple stent

placements had failed to help and I was faced with being disabled by pain

until there was no pancreas remaining. I chose to have the Whipple in the

hope that I could get some relief.

The two years that followed was interrupted by some acute attacks but I

will forever be thankful for the skill of my surgeon and the Whipple he

performed. I got all of my kids through school and well started in their

adult lives. I had a record income year and ended up with the job I had

always dreamed of and excelled at it. My wife and I became closer than we

had ever hoped to be and we found and bought our dream farm on which to retire.

None of this would have been possible without the Whipple.

I am realistic. I know from my research what the end result of CP is. I

know that someday I will end up with out a pancreas. I have only had hope

to be pain free and insulin independent. The Whipple got me more than two

years of that goal.

Some of you may think of my surgery as being unsuccessful since I am now in

end-stage CP but I think it was a flying success for giving me the two best

years of my life.

It's funny how different things can be.

My surgeon used a technique for the Whipple he helped develop when he was

at UCLA Medical Center before coming to Houston as the Head of Surgery for

Baylor College of Medicine. This technique was developed to reduce post-op

complications and to make the recovery period shorter. It used a vertical

mid-line incision rather than the broad cut under the ribs. It also used a

single -Pratt (J-P) drain which came out after 4 weeks. They took

3/4 of my pancreas from the head back. I was in the hospital for only 10

days (shorter than some of my AP attacks). I had no complications at all

other than a minor fistula.

I had the surgery on July 15, 1999 and was back to work the last week of

August.

It is unfortunate that the Whipple was not able to stop the AP attacks

which have now destroyed most of the remaining portion of my pancreas.

Like I said I will be eternally grateful for the time the Whipple bought me.

Chuck

At 02:53 PM 9/21/2002 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi Everybody,

>

>I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital to

>have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

>I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

>I was in hospital over a month,.

>Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still have

>lots of pain different kind of pain but never the less

>lots of pain.

>The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

>presserveing operation where they take the head of the

>pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick the

>tail to another small intestine.

>I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea and

>did not go away.

>I will appreciate a reply from anyone how experience

>so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

>Rrgards Mira

Chuck Sullivan

chuck@...

" When in command, Take charge. When faced with a decision, do what is

right. Nothing else matters. " - Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

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Mira,

I bite my lip to keep from screaming every time someone bad-mouths the

Whipple Procedure. I thank my surgeons each and every day for mine.

Three and a half years ago I was crippled by pain from CP. Three fourths

of my pancreas had calcified from 12 years of clinical and subclinical

acute pancreatitis attacks subsequent to Pancreas Divisum. Multiple stent

placements had failed to help and I was faced with being disabled by pain

until there was no pancreas remaining. I chose to have the Whipple in the

hope that I could get some relief.

The two years that followed was interrupted by some acute attacks but I

will forever be thankful for the skill of my surgeon and the Whipple he

performed. I got all of my kids through school and well started in their

adult lives. I had a record income year and ended up with the job I had

always dreamed of and excelled at it. My wife and I became closer than we

had ever hoped to be and we found and bought our dream farm on which to retire.

None of this would have been possible without the Whipple.

I am realistic. I know from my research what the end result of CP is. I

know that someday I will end up with out a pancreas. I have only had hope

to be pain free and insulin independent. The Whipple got me more than two

years of that goal.

Some of you may think of my surgery as being unsuccessful since I am now in

end-stage CP but I think it was a flying success for giving me the two best

years of my life.

It's funny how different things can be.

My surgeon used a technique for the Whipple he helped develop when he was

at UCLA Medical Center before coming to Houston as the Head of Surgery for

Baylor College of Medicine. This technique was developed to reduce post-op

complications and to make the recovery period shorter. It used a vertical

mid-line incision rather than the broad cut under the ribs. It also used a

single -Pratt (J-P) drain which came out after 4 weeks. They took

3/4 of my pancreas from the head back. I was in the hospital for only 10

days (shorter than some of my AP attacks). I had no complications at all

other than a minor fistula.

I had the surgery on July 15, 1999 and was back to work the last week of

August.

It is unfortunate that the Whipple was not able to stop the AP attacks

which have now destroyed most of the remaining portion of my pancreas.

Like I said I will be eternally grateful for the time the Whipple bought me.

Chuck

At 02:53 PM 9/21/2002 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi Everybody,

>

>I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital to

>have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

>I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

>I was in hospital over a month,.

>Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still have

>lots of pain different kind of pain but never the less

>lots of pain.

>The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

>presserveing operation where they take the head of the

>pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick the

>tail to another small intestine.

>I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea and

>did not go away.

>I will appreciate a reply from anyone how experience

>so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

>Rrgards Mira

Chuck Sullivan

chuck@...

" When in command, Take charge. When faced with a decision, do what is

right. Nothing else matters. " - Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf

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Chuck,

I know how you feel about the whipple. I feel the same way

about the reconstructive surgery I had on the pancreatic

ducts (due to pancreatic divisum). I now have chronic CP and

acute attacks once a year, but the surgery gave me 5 years

of no pancreas problems. For that, I am extremely grateful.

It helped me finish getting my Bachelor's degree and find a

steady job afterwords. None of which would have been

possible if I had not had the surgery. I would have hit End

stage CP alot soon than I have. I do not regret the surgery

at all.

The surgery was considered experimental at the time I had it

(only 150 had been performed in the US at that time). I had

no complications.Unfortunately, they now think i had already

had chronic CP at the time, which is why the surgery was not

completely successful.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

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Chuck,

I know how you feel about the whipple. I feel the same way

about the reconstructive surgery I had on the pancreatic

ducts (due to pancreatic divisum). I now have chronic CP and

acute attacks once a year, but the surgery gave me 5 years

of no pancreas problems. For that, I am extremely grateful.

It helped me finish getting my Bachelor's degree and find a

steady job afterwords. None of which would have been

possible if I had not had the surgery. I would have hit End

stage CP alot soon than I have. I do not regret the surgery

at all.

The surgery was considered experimental at the time I had it

(only 150 had been performed in the US at that time). I had

no complications.Unfortunately, they now think i had already

had chronic CP at the time, which is why the surgery was not

completely successful.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

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Chuck,

I know how you feel about the whipple. I feel the same way

about the reconstructive surgery I had on the pancreatic

ducts (due to pancreatic divisum). I now have chronic CP and

acute attacks once a year, but the surgery gave me 5 years

of no pancreas problems. For that, I am extremely grateful.

It helped me finish getting my Bachelor's degree and find a

steady job afterwords. None of which would have been

possible if I had not had the surgery. I would have hit End

stage CP alot soon than I have. I do not regret the surgery

at all.

The surgery was considered experimental at the time I had it

(only 150 had been performed in the US at that time). I had

no complications.Unfortunately, they now think i had already

had chronic CP at the time, which is why the surgery was not

completely successful.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

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Hi Patrica, I take hydrocodine as needed and as much as needed. I have had

Panc. attacks that require only one 7.5 mg pill. And I've had Panc. attacks

that need maybe 8 of those pills over a twelve hour period.

FWIW, I find pain relief most effective if I'm totally immobile. I try to

keep the fluids up and extremely limited activity

Best wishes, Poncho - GA

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Mira,

so sorry you had those complications. I hope they go away

soon and so does the pain and nausea. Wish I could make it

all better. I've heard a couple of other members had delayed

gastric dumping (not the whipple I think, but another

pancreas surgery. I'm not positive, I just remember someone

posting about it, don't know who or what surgery they had).

I hope it goes away. Keep me informed on how you are doing,

I'm concerned about you. Look forward to your feeling better

enough to post regularly.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

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Mira,

so sorry you had those complications. I hope they go away

soon and so does the pain and nausea. Wish I could make it

all better. I've heard a couple of other members had delayed

gastric dumping (not the whipple I think, but another

pancreas surgery. I'm not positive, I just remember someone

posting about it, don't know who or what surgery they had).

I hope it goes away. Keep me informed on how you are doing,

I'm concerned about you. Look forward to your feeling better

enough to post regularly.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

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Mira,

so sorry you had those complications. I hope they go away

soon and so does the pain and nausea. Wish I could make it

all better. I've heard a couple of other members had delayed

gastric dumping (not the whipple I think, but another

pancreas surgery. I'm not positive, I just remember someone

posting about it, don't know who or what surgery they had).

I hope it goes away. Keep me informed on how you are doing,

I'm concerned about you. Look forward to your feeling better

enough to post regularly.

Kimber

--

Kimber

Vallejo, CA

hominid2@...

Southwest Representative

Pancreatitis Association, International

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mira,

It took me a least 3 months to feel good after my WHipple and to be able to eat.

I remen=mber my doc telling it could take a year to 18 months before everything

was back to normal and completely healed inside, So be patient and give it some

more time. In the end I was good for 2 years before I started to have the

Chronic pain and nausea. All lot of people last longer, but I developed a

gastric outlet obstruction and has problems after that. He said that doesn't

happen very ofter.

Just take it one day at a time and make the most of the feel good days. Better

days will surely follow.

If I had to do it all over again, I go throught the Whipple again, that's how

much better I ended up feeling.

Take Care,

Louie in WV

whipple surgery

Hi Everybody,

I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital to

have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

I was in hospital over a month,.

Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still have

lots of pain different kind of pain but never the less

lots of pain.

The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

presserveing operation where they take the head of the

pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick the

tail to another small intestine.

I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea and

did not go away.

I will appreciate a reply from anyone how experience

so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

Rrgards Mira

__________________________________________________

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Mira,

It took me a least 3 months to feel good after my WHipple and to be able to eat.

I remen=mber my doc telling it could take a year to 18 months before everything

was back to normal and completely healed inside, So be patient and give it some

more time. In the end I was good for 2 years before I started to have the

Chronic pain and nausea. All lot of people last longer, but I developed a

gastric outlet obstruction and has problems after that. He said that doesn't

happen very ofter.

Just take it one day at a time and make the most of the feel good days. Better

days will surely follow.

If I had to do it all over again, I go throught the Whipple again, that's how

much better I ended up feeling.

Take Care,

Louie in WV

whipple surgery

Hi Everybody,

I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital to

have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

I was in hospital over a month,.

Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still have

lots of pain different kind of pain but never the less

lots of pain.

The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

presserveing operation where they take the head of the

pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick the

tail to another small intestine.

I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea and

did not go away.

I will appreciate a reply from anyone how experience

so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

Rrgards Mira

__________________________________________________

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Mira,

It took me a least 3 months to feel good after my WHipple and to be able to eat.

I remen=mber my doc telling it could take a year to 18 months before everything

was back to normal and completely healed inside, So be patient and give it some

more time. In the end I was good for 2 years before I started to have the

Chronic pain and nausea. All lot of people last longer, but I developed a

gastric outlet obstruction and has problems after that. He said that doesn't

happen very ofter.

Just take it one day at a time and make the most of the feel good days. Better

days will surely follow.

If I had to do it all over again, I go throught the Whipple again, that's how

much better I ended up feeling.

Take Care,

Louie in WV

whipple surgery

Hi Everybody,

I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital to

have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

I was in hospital over a month,.

Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still have

lots of pain different kind of pain but never the less

lots of pain.

The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

presserveing operation where they take the head of the

pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick the

tail to another small intestine.

I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea and

did not go away.

I will appreciate a reply from anyone how experience

so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

Rrgards Mira

__________________________________________________

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Hi louie,

Thank you for your replay, I know you yourself just

had an operation I do wish you speedy recovery and

pain free days.

I'm 3 months after my whipple operation, I can eat low

fat soft foods,.

My doc. also told me that will take a year for

everything inside to heal, I'm prepared for this what

I can't take is the nausea or the bitter taste in my

mouth it feels asthough the bile is coming up my mouth

intead of going down I know they took my gall ballder

out and re connected the bile duct direct to the

duodenum.

The bigget complecation is the Delayed gastric

emptying I was told because my surgery was doudenum

preserving whipple I will not have Delayed gastric

emptying but not my luck I got it anyway and will take

a year for my stomach to go back to it normal

activity. Right now it feels hard like a brick and

painful anytime I eat something.

I will be seeing my doc. on the 8th of Oct.

Thank you again Louie,

Take care

Mira in the UK

--- edhall ehall@...> wrote: > Mira,

> It took me a least 3 months to feel good after my

> WHipple and to be able to eat. I remen=mber my doc

> telling it could take a year to 18 months before

> everything was back to normal and completely healed

> inside, So be patient and give it some more time.

> In the end I was good for 2 years before I started

> to have the Chronic pain and nausea. All lot of

> people last longer, but I developed a gastric outlet

> obstruction and has problems after that. He said

> that doesn't happen very ofter.

> Just take it one day at a time and make the most of

> the feel good days. Better days will surely follow.

> If I had to do it all over again, I go throught the

> Whipple again, that's how much better I ended up

> feeling.

> Take Care,

> Louie in WV

> whipple surgery

>

>

> Hi Everybody,

>

> I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital

> to

> have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

> I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

>

> I was in hospital over a month,.

> Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still

> have

> lots of pain different kind of pain but never the

> less

> lots of pain.

> The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

> presserveing operation where they take the head of

> the

> pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick

> the

> tail to another small intestine.

> I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea

> and

> did not go away.

> I will appreciate a reply from anyone how

> experience

> so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

> Rrgards Mira

>

> __________________________________________________

>

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Hi louie,

Thank you for your replay, I know you yourself just

had an operation I do wish you speedy recovery and

pain free days.

I'm 3 months after my whipple operation, I can eat low

fat soft foods,.

My doc. also told me that will take a year for

everything inside to heal, I'm prepared for this what

I can't take is the nausea or the bitter taste in my

mouth it feels asthough the bile is coming up my mouth

intead of going down I know they took my gall ballder

out and re connected the bile duct direct to the

duodenum.

The bigget complecation is the Delayed gastric

emptying I was told because my surgery was doudenum

preserving whipple I will not have Delayed gastric

emptying but not my luck I got it anyway and will take

a year for my stomach to go back to it normal

activity. Right now it feels hard like a brick and

painful anytime I eat something.

I will be seeing my doc. on the 8th of Oct.

Thank you again Louie,

Take care

Mira in the UK

--- edhall ehall@...> wrote: > Mira,

> It took me a least 3 months to feel good after my

> WHipple and to be able to eat. I remen=mber my doc

> telling it could take a year to 18 months before

> everything was back to normal and completely healed

> inside, So be patient and give it some more time.

> In the end I was good for 2 years before I started

> to have the Chronic pain and nausea. All lot of

> people last longer, but I developed a gastric outlet

> obstruction and has problems after that. He said

> that doesn't happen very ofter.

> Just take it one day at a time and make the most of

> the feel good days. Better days will surely follow.

> If I had to do it all over again, I go throught the

> Whipple again, that's how much better I ended up

> feeling.

> Take Care,

> Louie in WV

> whipple surgery

>

>

> Hi Everybody,

>

> I have not posted for 5 weeks I went to hospital

> to

> have the whipple operation on the 15th July.

> I'm back home I was discharged on the 12th of Aug.

>

> I was in hospital over a month,.

> Now that I'm home I can honestly say that I still

> have

> lots of pain different kind of pain but never the

> less

> lots of pain.

> The operation took 10 hours, I't was duodenum

> presserveing operation where they take the head of

> the

> pancreas from the credle of the duodenum and stick

> the

> tail to another small intestine.

> I do take enzymes with every meal, but the nausea

> and

> did not go away.

> I will appreciate a reply from anyone how

> experience

> so much pain as a result of whipple surgery.

> Rrgards Mira

>

> __________________________________________________

>

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Hi Poncho,

Thanks for your reply,

I agree with you 10 hours in the OR is very long time,

I keep thinking what did they do for 10 hours? and how

may pairs of hands went in and out my body,.

My op was duodenum preserving with this I should not

have Delayed gastric emptying but I have it and the

taste in my mouth is the bile taste coming up instead

of going down,. I will get better As for my job I have

lost it,. I only hope is to get better and find

another one.

Thank you again

Mira

--- poncho9191@... wrote: > Hi Mira,

> FWTW, when I had my Modified Whipple, (I think they

> are all a little

> different) I was five months before returning to

> work, and even then felt I

> went back to work too soon, and it was a full year

> of " getting better " before

> I felt I was stabilized. Just hang in there and

> recognize that while progress

> might be slow, it's still progress. And remember

> that ten hours in an OR is a

> heck of a long time and will require a long

> recovery.

> Best Wishes, Poncho - GA

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

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My doc explained why I was in surgery for over 7 hours. He spent more than

3 hours freeing the Mesenteric Artery (Vein? I don't remember

which). Evidently the walls of this large and critical blood vessel attach

to the pancreatic tissue surrounding it. They have to get in and cut and

scrape all the tissue away.

Chuck

At 10:05 AM 10/1/02 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi Poncho,

>Thanks for your reply,

>I agree with you 10 hours in the OR is very long time,

>I keep thinking what did they do for 10 hours? and how

>may pairs of hands went in and out my body,.

>My op was duodenum preserving with this I should not

>have Delayed gastric emptying but I have it and the

>taste in my mouth is the bile taste coming up instead

>of going down,. I will get better As for my job I have

>lost it,. I only hope is to get better and find

>another one.

>Thank you again

>Mira

>

Chuck Sullivan

chuck@...

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My doc explained why I was in surgery for over 7 hours. He spent more than

3 hours freeing the Mesenteric Artery (Vein? I don't remember

which). Evidently the walls of this large and critical blood vessel attach

to the pancreatic tissue surrounding it. They have to get in and cut and

scrape all the tissue away.

Chuck

At 10:05 AM 10/1/02 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi Poncho,

>Thanks for your reply,

>I agree with you 10 hours in the OR is very long time,

>I keep thinking what did they do for 10 hours? and how

>may pairs of hands went in and out my body,.

>My op was duodenum preserving with this I should not

>have Delayed gastric emptying but I have it and the

>taste in my mouth is the bile taste coming up instead

>of going down,. I will get better As for my job I have

>lost it,. I only hope is to get better and find

>another one.

>Thank you again

>Mira

>

Chuck Sullivan

chuck@...

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My doc explained why I was in surgery for over 7 hours. He spent more than

3 hours freeing the Mesenteric Artery (Vein? I don't remember

which). Evidently the walls of this large and critical blood vessel attach

to the pancreatic tissue surrounding it. They have to get in and cut and

scrape all the tissue away.

Chuck

At 10:05 AM 10/1/02 +0100, you wrote:

>Hi Poncho,

>Thanks for your reply,

>I agree with you 10 hours in the OR is very long time,

>I keep thinking what did they do for 10 hours? and how

>may pairs of hands went in and out my body,.

>My op was duodenum preserving with this I should not

>have Delayed gastric emptying but I have it and the

>taste in my mouth is the bile taste coming up instead

>of going down,. I will get better As for my job I have

>lost it,. I only hope is to get better and find

>another one.

>Thank you again

>Mira

>

Chuck Sullivan

chuck@...

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