Connections and On-Going Impact on Others
This was not going to be a subject matter that I was going to post on PMPAwareness, but considering how meaningful this week has been and will continue to be to me I’ve decided to write on the positive aspects of support communities, be they here, work, family or friends and the importance of passing your knowledge on to others.
For those that have linked to my Caringbridge site from “Our Stories” on the main page, you know that effective the 1st of the year I have elected to go into hospice. But entering hospice is not the purpose of this post.
From my previous blogs, you may have gathered that I have been adamant that seeking treatment and building a relationship with a recognized PMP specialist is the first, and most critical step in fighting this umbrella of diseases. I have for 4+ years felt a calling to evangelize to the newly diagnosed on the importance of this step and not to count on anything local non-specialist medical personal may tell you.
What overwhelms me since announcing to the fellow creators of this site, and members of the PMPBB club Yahoo site is the number of people that have responded that I was the first person to respond to them or that I was instrumental in convincing them to seek specialist help. Having felt that this is a calling, and having expressed to my wife many years ago that spreading this advice was my true avocation, to know that I have had an impact on some people is very gratifying.
On Sunday, fellow creators of this site flew in/drove to Chicago from around the country to get together. When you consider the logistical effort, caring and financial commitment that this involved, it is enough to bring me to tears and leave me speechless. Some of these people I have met face to face in the past, others I just know from a mutual commitment to get the word out on fighting PMP and to build this site.
I would never have been around to pass my advice and accumulated knowledge on to others, if another PMP patient hadn’t reached out to me many years ago to advocate seeking out the specialists (and 1 in particular). If he hadn’t cared enough to reach out to me, I would never have been able to reach out and assist others. I am begging each of you, as your knowledge increases and your fight continues, to reach out to others and spread the word. I encourage each of you to actively “Pay it Forward” as you come across other newly diagnosed PMPers. In this way the knowledge and efforts all of us have put into building this site will continue to be shared.
January 10th, 2006 at 8:00 am
Bob,
Knowing that you have helped so many people, it is exciting to think how many more we will be able to help with more and more people joining this fight everyday. Hopefully soon PMP will not be a “rare” disease, in the sense that doctors don’t know what to do about, but rare in the sense that less and less people are getting it.
I for one, will continue the fight. Your wisdom, strength and courage will always be a reminder for me as to how to do that.
DUM VIVIMUS VIVAMUS
(While we live, let us live!)
Kevin
January 10th, 2006 at 8:12 am
Kevin, thank you my friend. I appreciate Sunday more than you can comprehend. I should have gotten up and moved around the table more, you and I didn’t get to spend enough time together. I hope your flight home was safe, uneventful and on time. Did you have time to do anything interesting on Monday?
The impact on my wife Karen was substantial. While she knew the effort I was putting into spreading the word I know she was impressed that there are others who have a similar mission/calling/dedication.
January 12th, 2006 at 6:23 am
Good morning Bob Friend,
Great post.
Keep up the good work. Your words will reach around the globe and as I write this, some dear PMP patient is linking in and being encouraged.
Thanks for being open and vulnerable. Thanks to those who flew/drove to Chicago to spend time with you and Karen, also.
With our prayers,
kat in Omaha
husband, too.
January 12th, 2006 at 8:44 am
Dear Mr. Peterson,
You were one of the first ones to write me when I posted on the yahoo group. I just wanted to thank you for your kindness and wisdom.I was going to wait to have my second surgery done and from the information from you, others and reading the posts on the site I did have my second surgery in August with the IPHC. I and am a luker, but I have noticed you have lighted the sparks of flames in others to carry on helping others to get good medical treatment from the PMP Doctors.
Thank you and God be with you and your family in this time.
January 12th, 2006 at 10:28 am
Nancy, hope you are doing well after your August surgery/IPHC.
I understand the reluctance of people in contributing as actively as others (what if I’m incorrect, do I have anything new to say, etc.). But I do encourage you within the “Pay It Forward” spirit of this blog entry to think about how you can spread the message forward and help one or two others. We each have different calling and skills, but there is something - no matter how small - that each of us can do to reach out to others.
And thank you for your kind words.
Bob