OCWLS Group - Holiday Party - This Friday

Hello all OCWL folks! No one probably remembers me now......I've missed the last 2 meetings and I won't be there tomorrow night either. I've had a couple of health issues. The last meeting I had a bone marrow biopsy that day and was quite sore and uncomfortable and opted to baby myself at home. My blood platelets dropped very low and I was sent to a hematologist/oncologist who bantered around words like leukemia, lymphoma and blood cancer. I completed my rounds of tests with him and he concluded that my bone marrow was producing platelets but somewhere my body was destroying them. He sent me to a rheumatologist because I also had a positive ANA. After weaks of testing, it was determined that I have Lupus and it is causing me some damage. They want to start me on meds but not steroids because of the side affects and because they are trying to respect my weightloss and steroids would really interfere with that. So first we will try the other drugs. Here is the irony, one of the reasons I chose lapband surgery was because you didn't have the malabsorbtion issue. Now due to the lupus episode I am going through, I'm losing my hair by the handfuls...... Anyway, with all the banter of all it could have been, I'll take the lupus and the temporay loss of hair and almost be happy about it. I am happy about my 59 pound weightloss since 7/17/06. Sorry I will miss you all tomorrow again. It is my work's Holiday party and since I work in Human Resources, I must go. Have fun and I'll see you all in Lakewood, if there is a meeting in December? Miss you all, Donna

Hey Donna - what do you mean we forgot you? You can't be serious? In any case, sorry to hear about your health issues, though glad that it isn't anything much worse. We'll miss you tonight in Toms River, but look forward to seeing you on the 18th in Lakewood. Yes, there is a meeting. Hugs, Nannette

Donna~ NO ONE forgot you! Don't ever worry about that, you are not a "forgettable" person! We remember you and miss you at the meetings. I missed the last one too, I wasn't feeling well and went to Dr. Trivedi the next morning. I am fine, I was just severely constipated I am so sorry you are going through this Lupus episode. I knew you were going through a lot of testing, that in itself is a pain and not much fun. But, considering what the doctor thought you could be battling, this might be the least of the bad? The lesser to two evils, so to speak. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know if there is anything I can do for you, maybe I can drive you to the next meeting, at Kimball, Monday, December 18. Let me help you if I can. 732.920.0281. I will pray for you. I will pray that these drugs they are going to try first will do the job and ZAP all the bad Lupus right out of your system! On a side note, my Grandmother was recently put on a daily dose of Steroids, and she is dropping weight like mad! She doesn't even have weight to drop, but she is... and they said a small population of patients do lose weight with the steroids. She said she has never felt better since she started the steroids too. So, that is my second prayer for you. IF it does come down to you having to take the steroids, I pray that you react like she did, she loves how she feels and is losing weight. Please keep me posted and I hope you will come to the December 18'th meeting. We will miss you tonight!! Love, Michelle Surgent-Brennan