[Ian]

Guys.... Susan just sent me this message. :( If you don't mind sending her a PM, please do as she needs all of our support right now. Let's show her she's loved!

"You know I love you. I love PhenForum and I love what you have allowed me the honor of doing here. It's a gift and a responsibility. I have shied away from being too open about my confounded immune system because I know even less about it than anyone else, even.
I have been so allergic that even medicine to mend my broken bones and dissolving stitches and steel rods have forced themselves out of the body through the easiest opening and if one weren't available, one was made.YES!! GHASTLY! They also want to give me a PACEMAKER tomorrow!!!!!YIKES!

This last time while my immune system was down due to Remicade to keep arthritis at bay, I was so sick I just about died. REAL sick. Now they want to do IVIG therapy. It's where they replace your blood, literally. A bit scary, but often makes a huge difference. My health just won't endure the stamina needed to be on patrol or to be reliable as your moderator. I won't be able to have access to a computer to write on, though I think I will be able to read...I don't know.

I would like to address the board, but thought maybe you might rather just cut and paste the above for me? All of you are like family and I am not leaving, just cannot have the moderator responsibilities. I support you 100%!!

Always PhenForum~Susan"

[susanpesek]

Thank you, Ian. I am still here. That was sweet of you to post for me. This has been a particularly rough spell for me.

I was mistaken about tomorrow. They will begin a 24 hour monitor of my heart tomorrow. A pacemaker is much different now than the ones of years ago. They don't even put patients to sleep any more--just local anesthesia--and some 'don't care' medicine and 'there ya go'!

Bodies that are allergic try to rid themselves of whatever they perceive themselves allergic to, and with the kind of arthritis I have, my body thinks it's allergic to itself. It attacks my own joints, bones, blood, organs, etc, including my heart and tries to get rid of them. We are trying to cover some vital bases with the heart thing.

I think the IVIG takes several hours a day, but will look in as I can...no worries..I have had this for years and years. This is not new to me. I just haven't voiced it here. We all have things we carry and this load doesn't seem heavy until it gets into a rough spot. It'll soon be smooth again.

And I will be back as a plain old 'Mama' and get to nag each of ya'll and remind you to never, never, never give up.