Thanks for this website!

[briarrose]

Michelle Sawicki, Mighty Mouse and everyone else that helps here.

Moderators and patients!

I want to thank M & M especially for all of their hard work on this website.

Last year my doctor told me that I had to either see a shrink or join a support group. I asked him why, I wasn?t complaining of depression or anything of that nature. He told me that he didn?t want me to become a ?chronic illness patient.? I asked him what the heck that meant. His nurse said it?s a patient that they do everything for and the patient still complains of not being better. Ok, that is not me! Never will be! Never has been! I was pissed that they would even think such a thing. I want my life back and am trying to be positive about it and I?m not a quitter.

Anyway I told him that I visited the NDRF web pages and they were very therapeutic and was this acceptable for him to get off my back. Don?t think he really answered.

At my next visit I told my doc that I had checked into support groups and of course they didn?t have one here in Oregon or Washington. He said find something that was close to my illness. So I went to the chronic fatigue support group this past weekend. That was an eye opener. They were very nice people and their topic for that meeting was actually POTS and OI. They passed out a sheet of helpful websites, which included the NDRF. I added this one to the list. I realized how much people need to be told that they really need to stop playing nice and advocate for themselves. Doctor?s are cruel!

On my way home, I was thinking this is and has been the most beneficial place for me. If I?m in a support group, it is important that it is POTS.

So thank you to everyone who dedicates countless hours designing and doing upkeep on this great website. Thank you to everyone that visits and comments on this website. For all of us that can?t start a support group and don?t want to see a shrink, this is a great therapeutic place to be!

Steph

[MightyMouse]

Steph, how sweet of you to write all that nice stuff! I want to add that for me, this has been a completely reciprocal relationship--I come away with as much or more than I give. That's a cool thing! Between this site and NDRF, I've been *mostly* sane that past couple of years.

I know EXACTLY what you mean about getting peeved with folks who try to call you depressed or anxious when you're not. I've been depressed at points, so I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it just gets me bleep-ing furious when that's what a doc tosses at me when they just can't figure out what's really wrong. I'm one of the most optomistic, upbeat, non-depressed people on Earth --most of th4e time--if the doctor can't see that then he/she doesn't deserve to be a physician. That whole blame the patient attitude is completely unacceptable. I combat this by being confrontational with docs who cop that kind of attitude--but I'm not sure if that approach does a darned thing other than make me feel better.

Anyway, it was very nice of you to post your positive thoughts. I know Michelle has put so much into this site--even before there were any donations coming in to fund DINET. I'm just a "hanger on" who helps out here--she's the reason this place exists, and from me, gets a low and deep bow down from the mouse.

Nina

[Michelle Sawicki]

Thanks Steph and Nina! I know when I was first sick it felt so good to talk to others who could really understand. It still does. So thank you to everyone out there who offers their support and encouragement to others on this board. And thank you to seaboardbc and goldicedance for sponsoring this forum. Members like you, Steph and Nina, are what keep this board a positive and therapeutic place. I'm grateful to have you guys here.

Thank you,

Michelle