Re: New member from Arkansas

[Guest guest]

Jim

Welcome to the group. Your story sounds very familiar. I had to stop

working in Feb. after many years of my employer working with me to

help me.

I hope you find some support here from so many with so many different

experiences.

laurie

> Hi everyone,

>

> I will give a brief outline of my disease - MERRF

>

> I first had problems in the early 1980s. They finally did a lung

> biopsy then and disagnosed it as Sarcoidosis. I came close to dying

> then but took predisone and had a lot of people praying for me and

> recovered.

>

> My next major bout came in 1991. I became very sick, had pneumonia

> and a collapsed lung. My doctor sent me to Denver and they

> diagnosed me with a motor neuron disease of some type and told me to

> go home and get a wheelchair. I refused to give up and managed to

> get to where I could go back to work.

>

> My last bout started in 1998. I started getting weaker and had a

> lot of problems. A local neurologist sent me to St Louis to the

> Jewish Hospital who have a major neurolgist center. They did

> a muscle biopsy and diagnosed MERRF. They kept telling me I needed

> to quit work to be able to function. I finally did quit in 2000

> after 30 years with a good company who worked around my illness. I

> was the Engineering Manager when I finally quit. I was 56 then. I

> am now on oxygen at night and when I do anything strenous.

>

> I have good days and bad days. If I overdo it, I will have several

> bad days. I fouund out that stress also makes it worse. I have a

> loving wife, 3 supportive children and two wonderful

> granddaughters. I am drawing disability and between it and my IRA

> am making it. We don't always get to do all we want but manage. I

> don't know what the future holds but am thankful for being able to

> get around.

>

> Hope this wasn;t too long. I have been reading the emails and posts

> and the make me realize other people also go through this.

>

> Jim

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements contained herein

are not necessarily those of the list moderators. The author of this e mail is

entirely responsible for its content. List members are reminded of their

responsibility to evaluate the content of the postings and consult with their

physicians regarding changes in their own treatment.

>

> Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who sends one is

automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity of the attack.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jim- I'm new here too. I lived in NW Arkansas for 4 yrs coming

back to Ohio about a year ago. I have moved in with my mother, since

I can no longer manage alone. I'm so sorry for all you've been

through. I have found it very difficult to not have a career

anymore, kind of lost a big part of my life. It's wonderful that you

have a supportive family, I think it can make all the difference.

Marla

> Hi everyone,

>

> I will give a brief outline of my disease - MERRF

>

> I first had problems in the early 1980s. They finally did a lung

> biopsy then and disagnosed it as Sarcoidosis. I came close to

dying

> then but took predisone and had a lot of people praying for me and

> recovered.

>

> My next major bout came in 1991. I became very sick, had

pneumonia

> and a collapsed lung. My doctor sent me to Denver and they

> diagnosed me with a motor neuron disease of some type and told me

to

> go home and get a wheelchair. I refused to give up and managed to

> get to where I could go back to work.

>

> My last bout started in 1998. I started getting weaker and had a

> lot of problems. A local neurologist sent me to St Louis to the

> Jewish Hospital who have a major neurolgist center. They

did

> a muscle biopsy and diagnosed MERRF. They kept telling me I

needed

> to quit work to be able to function. I finally did quit in 2000

> after 30 years with a good company who worked around my illness.

I

> was the Engineering Manager when I finally quit. I was 56 then.

I

> am now on oxygen at night and when I do anything strenous.

>

> I have good days and bad days. If I overdo it, I will have

several

> bad days. I fouund out that stress also makes it worse. I have a

> loving wife, 3 supportive children and two wonderful

> granddaughters. I am drawing disability and between it and my IRA

> am making it. We don't always get to do all we want but manage.

I

> don't know what the future holds but am thankful for being able to

> get around.

>

> Hope this wasn;t too long. I have been reading the emails and

posts

> and the make me realize other people also go through this.

>

> Jim