Re: Who we are behind our CP-to -OT

[Guest guest]

wrote:

<Even being here just a short time, I feel like I'm beginning to know

some of the people on the board (snip)

I'd love to hear more about your lives outside of CP, if only to know

that there *IS* a life to be led with this disease that isn't

completely dominated by pain, nausea and surgery.>

,

It has been a beautiful day, more like summer than spring, because of

our location right on the coast. Unfortunately, I was over zealous

yesterday by cleaning out our dockhouse as a surprise for my husband.

He's not kept up with it for about three years by just piling in one

thing after another, not discarding anything that was broken or

unused, and it was so littered with " stuff " that you couldn't even

walk in past the doorway! I knew that we'd be wanting access to all

the floats, the big tube and lounge chairs now that Austin's here, so

I thought it would be a great favor to Bob to clean it all out.

The room is clean and fully usable now - I filled up two large garbage

bags full of broken " stuff " , empty soda bottles, broken nets and other

debris. I put it all in a wheelbarrow and pushed it to where our

other garbage cans are. Then I swept the floor.....and that's where I

made my mistake, certainly, and I'm paying for it today!!! All that

activity has just about done me in, I can't stand upright without

searing pain, and it's gone into my back and left shoulder blade,

too...not a good thing!

As far as your comment about feeling like you are beginning to know

people on the PAI board.....you will find that the longer you

participate in the association's message board, that some of the

people you share emails with will become online friends with you.

You'll build up a relationship where you " know " these people better

than some of those friends that you physically see each day. We share

so much of our fears, concerns and achievements with our physical

problems in such personal detail that bonds develop between us. And

then before you know it, you're writing to each other off-line to

further explore each other's problems and daily experiences....and

then as a result, you feel so close to this other person it's as

though you'd been friends for a long time.

Since we're seldom able to meet or see these other people, being able

to have a PAI forum where we could discuss subjects other than our

illness with these people we've become so friendly with would be

great. Our PAI website message board is dedicated to support and

learning for pancreatitis patients, their families and caregivers -

and the discussions within are directly related to the physical

aspects of the disease, and should be left that way. Yet, it would be

such an advantage to have another PAI forum for discussion of our

personal interests, too! I guess I need to find out from Karyn how we

could make that happen.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina Rep.

South Easstern Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or

opinion only, and should not be substituted for professional medical

consultation.

[Guest guest]

Heidi,

I'm sorry to hear you're in pain again. Do you think it was just too much

activity or was it the motion of sweeping? I know that now, after back surgery,

things like vacuuming and making up the beds are still painful for me. At least

now I have a legitimate excuse for passing off these chores! LOL

I'm sure your husband was thrilled to have the boathouse cleaned out, and that

he didn't have to do it, but I'm also sure he wishes you hadn't caused yourself

more pain. I hope it passes quickly.

Falsone

annapolis, md, where I swam in the Magothy River today as practice for the

Chesapeake Bay Swim. It was gorgeous...just after sunrise, flat calm, golden

sun reflecting off windows, and the sound of soft splashes of those swimming

around me...

---------------------------------