Friends missing in Hurricane

[hockeykid]

Pooh-I'm so sorry that one of your co-workers is dead and there are still some missing. I hope you hear from the others soon! At least you have heard from some of them!

[MaryJo]

Oh, Pooh,

So sorry to hear about your friends, and truly hoping that you will now have some good news about those that are missing.

I've been watching on TV and following the disaster, and was so shocked that people had been left without even water!

Please know that I may be in England, but that I am thinking about you all and keeping you all in my prayers.

Lots of love,

MJ

[Aprilmarie52]

This whole situation is so heartbreaking. I am so sorry to anyone who has lost someone to this terrible disaster. I will continue to pray for everyone and their families.

[Eli6596]

Hi everyone,

I just found out last night that my grandmother and uncle are alive! I thought for sure that they were dead. They are still in their house in New Orleans. It only is flooded with 5 inches of water. It seems like a miracle to me. They have a generator, food and water, at least temporarily.

My mom, dad and brother are living in their next door neighbor's barn. They will not come to stay with me in Illinois, because they want to protect their house across the street from looters. Their house was flooded to the kitchen countertops with water. I have only been able to talk with them twice about 5 minutes each time since the hurricane. I cannot reach them by phone to tell my mom that her mom is alive. She is crying because she thinks her mom is dead.

I am grateful that they are alive but still worried about their safety/health. I feel helpless. My health is not good enough to do anything more than I try to do on a regular basis. Even the holidays or a simple cold sends me to bed. I wish I could be there to help but my health would not allow it. I have been a source of information for family and friends who have been able to contact me at least. I have developed a network with my cousin in Pennsyvania, and my brother's girlfriend who fled New Orleans. Everytime they get a shred of info., they call me and vice versa.

Pooh, I am so sorry to hear of your coworkers death. Too many have died and are suffering still.

Karyn

[Guest Julia59]

Poohbear,

I'm so sorry to hear about your co-workers death. I know this must be a very very difficult time for you. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Karyn, I'm so glad to hear that all is well with your family, i'll pray that your mother finds out very soon that her mother is Alive and doing OK.

You both are doing a wonderful job helping out with whatever you can do. Don't worry about the things you can't do, just understand that every little bit helps----and that means so much to those who are struggling to find their loved ones, or to those who don't have any food or drink---or they are struggling just to get their dosage of medicines.

I know this can't be good for your POTS symptoms, as stress from an event like this can even affect those of us who DON'T have a loved one involved in this tragedy. I can only imagine what it must be like for you.

You both hang in there----i'll be hoping and praying for you.

Julie :0)

[Karen]

Hi Karyn and Poohbear..do you know of http://www.nola.com/, which is The Times-Piscayune newspaper down in N.O.? You can see, by putting in someone's name, or posting something yourselves, if people you are searching for have been accounted for. Everyone is in my prayers. It's horrible. God bless you. Karen

[Poohbear]

Some good news!!!! We have found a couple of people via some of the internet survivor lists. We still haven't been able to talk to them but at least we know a couple made it out alive.

If anyone is needing it, there is a whole list of sites to look on here are a handful of them.

http://www.hurricanesurvivors.org/links.html

[morgan617]

Well, about all I can do is donate, so I did. I have been glued to the tv. I saw Geraldo and Shep Smith (who's from miss) and they were so upset, they got the powers that be moving to get people out of the convention center and off the freeways. My prayers and thoughts go out to everyone, directly and indirectly involved with this. It is a comfort to see Americans pull together in this time of crisis. morgan

[Eli6596]

Hi everyone,

Pooh I am so glad that you heard about your friends. Isn't it just the best present? I got to talk by phone to my grandma in New Orleans a few days ago for the first time since the hurricane. It was so good to hear her voice! Her house was miraculously not flooded and she is still there. It sits 3 feet off the ground in case of hurricanes.

My parents' house finally got electricity for the first time yesterday! They have hot and cold running water now too! They got their first hot meal in 2 weeks a few days ago. I was able to breath a sigh of relief. They lost most of their posssessions in the flooded house in MIssissippi, but they still have their lives. My brother of course cannot know about his house in New Orleans. I bet it is lost.

Well, figuring out what to buy them for christmas should be easy this year... for once!!! My parents always try to tell me not to buy them anything because they have everything they need. They cannot give me that line this year. Too bad it takes a hurricane to make shopping easier.

My dad says he has been washing himself off across the street with a hose. The traffic passes him by and he poses for them! He wants to make them laugh, and he does. My dad can be soooo goofy. A sense of humor triumphs.

Karyn

[Poohbear]

Thanks Karyn! You guys are all so great!!!

Yes, it's a blessing to hear from friends and their family members. It's still sad dealing with the loss of those who have died though. I'm still in shock about the loss of one of my co-workers. It's been hard not being able to have a funeral (even when they have it I most likely won't be able to attend).

One of my best friends is being deployed to the area tomorrow and will be gone for at least a month. I'm glad he can go and help but it's hard not being able to really communicate with him. He is one of the few I share everything about my life with. My closest friends are in the areas that had so much damage and it's been hard to communicate with them which has left me feeling isolated in ways but I thank God every day that they have their lives and in time, people will find a new normal, resources will be restored and communication will get easier.

Meanwhile, I'm battling some weird symptoms. I don't know if it's POTS related or something else going on. Maybe I will post separately on that!

[Sunfish]

karyn & pooh -

i'm glad that you both have gotten the good news that you have about your friends & family thus far & hope that there is more to come. pooh, i'm so sorry about your co-worker & can imagine that it is tougher to not have the conclusiveness of a service to go to.

both of you as well as your friends & families & all those down south continue to be in my thoughts and prayers,

melissa