I enjoy reading the various posts in this forum, most of the time they are very informative, sometimes gut wrenching, but always well intended. So, you can imagine my dismay when I saw that one such well intended entry elicited so much anger and hostility. We certainly can all benefit from the experience of others, without resorting to the "kill the messenger" mentality. This is a community of support, and as such we are not here to dissect each others posts, or take them out of context. We must bear in mind that what works for one does not necessarily work for all. It is imperative that we remain open to suggestion,and respect the opinions of others. Only then will can we have a flow of information that is free of attack or condemnation. Enough said.
Lets talk about ME.....LOL!
I am adjusting to Stacy being in San Francisco, though I wonder sometimes if she is sugar coating how she is feeling. I need to talk to you about guilt. I have had a lot of it, I lived on it, even thrived on it. As a parent I guess I felt that it was my duty to make things better, and when I couldn't, I felt guilty. I found myself wondering if I could have somehow prevented this chronic pain thing from happening. Maybe I did something... or somehow failed to act. I remember Stacy falling face first on the pavement when she was 3--could that have caused her problems? I questioned each traumatic event in her life. Over time I came to realize that no amount of TLC could have stopped the course of chronic pain in her life, and what happened in the past is exactly that--in the past. I made a list of the things I felt guilty about. Seeing them in writing made me wonder what I was thinking. I made a pact with myself that I would no longer feel guilty over something that I had no control over. I gave myself permission to get on with life and accept the limitations that chronic pain presents.



You post was wounderful as usual. I am sure you miss Stacy (as do I) so much. Also, I am sure you worry all the time...it's not like she just moved across town, she moved to the other side of the US.
You are right, it is hard to tell if she is sugar coating things. A big part of your communication is on here. I also know how proud you are of her articles and she feels the same way about yours. I have to admit that I was disturbed by the responce to her article. She took the time to write and share her personal experiences so other may benifit from them. Let me remind you that this girl has been through quite a bit for her age and is still dealing with some pain issuse..........just like everyone else here.
I wish Stacy and the others would post more because I kind of miss all the regulars and the wonderful times we shared in the past. Now what I wish most of all...........that I would not be afraid to post due to some of the negative attitudes and comments from certian people. Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.
To all my "friends" I made in the past....I hope you are all doing well and I hope to hear from you at some time.
To Candy....I hope you never have to feel the dismay of one of your daughters articles or posts being picked apart...........well you know what I am trying to say.
Take care and hugs........Sue (Dream Big)