Notes for Alyssa... [Sept 30 Update]

[steph1030]

each day there is something that makes god remind us that we are not invincible nor are those around us

strength will help the entire family

i tried to get into the sitre but i too had a problem and an error message

the family will be in our thoughts and prayers

hold tight to one another and be there for each other it DOES help and prayer is definitely a huge healing help as well

take care

[DwayneEMTP]

Hi all,

I'm giving this thread a little bump, trying to piggy back on some of the good spirit of the holidays!

Thanks so much to those of you that have written her...She loves them!

And to those of you that continue to write on a regular basis? Man, I don't know what to say to you...that is a different kind of special...Thanks for doing that.

Alyssa is doing great! Her Doctor just reviewed her treatments (finding them all to be in order), because she is supposed to be very, very ill at this point in her treatments. But she's not! I believe it's attitude driven. She takes oral kemo daily, with an anti emetic, as well as gets radiation treatments 5 times per week...

To date she is pretty sleepy 12 hours out of the day, but almost no n/v, HA, etc...Her hair is falling out in some places, yet growing back in others, which she thinks is terribly funny...

She's pretty dang cool all in all.

If you have time to drop her a note at the previously linked address...It will be time well spent.

Have a great day all!

Dwayne

[DwayneEMTP]

I copied that address and pasted it into a new tab. It worked very well.. better than linking. Your niece is going thru difficult times. I was glad to sign the guestbook and I will be back to sign it again.

I'll tell you what, your posts, and the fact that you continue to post, cheer me up and there's nothing wrong with me!!!

Pretty cool you do that Kaisu. If you ever need a favor, you come to me first ok?

Thanks again.

Dwayne

[Kaisu]

I am delighted to do it Dwayne.. It is a real pleasure - and thank you for introducing me to Alyssa.

[Dustdevil]

I don't come to the Non-EMS Discussion forum often, and when I do I just skim it. Consequently, I end up missing things like this. Drop me a PM about things this important, Bro!

Anyhow, I left a message in her guestbook. I'll keep checking back. I want to see this thing through with you.

BTW, maybe we could get the other Alyssa's link deleted from Kaisu's earlier post. I came real close to leaving her a message that would have made no sense to her, and probably freaked her out, lol. I'd have felt pretty bad if I did that. :?

[DwayneEMTP]

You all slay me.

Something I've learned about myself in this thread...

I seem to have a limitless store of language for the posts that irritate me, or seem unproductive, I can even talk a little bit about medicine now, but I don't seem to have any of the language I need to explain how I feel when I read your posts on Alyssa's website.

Thank you doesn't work...I say thank you to the box boy at the market, I mean it, just in a different way. I should have something better. I should be smart enough to explain that sometimes I read those posts and I suddenly can't seem to catch my breath.

There is something broken when I have a dump truck full of "you're a bonehead" responses, yet nothing 'right' for "You're different. You're attention changes me and everyone around me." I'm going to work on that.

Shoot, I'm just an old, fat, struggling medic student. Nothing special here, but some terribly special people give me and my family their time, and sometimes the 'hugeness' of that just comes washing over me...it's a special thing, and if I get hit by a bus today, I wish I had a good way to make sure you knew what that meant.

I've gotten some of the most amazing PMs, none of which I've responded to yet, simply because I don't know what to say. I just can't bring myself to send a canned 'thank you', they need and deserves more, I want it to say more, I just have to work on it. Having an MI, spontanious pneumo, get hit by a car? I now have the tools for that. Now I see that I need a better toolbox for this. Thank you for that as well.

Anyway. Please know this. You and yours will be in the thoughts, prayers and happy thoughts of my family this holiday season. If ever there is some way I can wash some of what you've given to me back over you or yours...I'd consider it a favor if you'd let me know.

Have a great holiday everyone!

Dwayne

[Connie31079]

Hi Dwayne!

Please know that I would write in Alyssa's guestbook if I could. I've tried several times, but I can only get into her journal, I keep getting the message that "I have to enable cookies".....whatever that means. :? I'm not very computer savvy, so I have no idea how to "enable cookies"! I'd go and bake some and feed it to my CD-ROM, but I don't think that would help! LOL!

Anyway, I read her journal whenever I can, and sometimes it brings tears to my eyes, seeing what she is going through. No child should ever have to struggle with cancer!!! I close my eyes and take a "step back", and count my blessings for all that I have, and how my life has turned out, even though I complain about it most everyday.....Alyssa's journal makes me stop and think how different life could be if I ever suddenly became sick.

Please thank her for me, since I can't access her guestbook.

Connie

[Dustdevil]

I seem to have a limitless store of language for the posts that irritate me, or seem unproductive, I can even talk a little bit about medicine now, but I don't seem to have any of the language I need to explain how I feel when I read your posts on Alyssa's website.

I should never come to EMT City first thing in the morning. At first, I thought you were talking about unproductive, boneheaded posts to Alyssa's guestbook. :? I was ready to organise a lynch mob for you. :twisted:

[DwayneEMTP]

Yeah, well, you'd have to get in line.

And I hear Iraq is wayyyyy back by the end of the line...

Thanks for sending her notes Dust...pretty cool.

Dwayne

[DwayneEMTP]

Just a bump in this thread for the holidays.... :wink:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alyssageske

I just got off the phone with my sister in law, Kati, and niece Alyssa.

Kati was talking about what a blessing it is to hear from the people at the City...She couldn't really believe that these were people that I knew, that I shared time and opinions with, that had taken time to take an interest in their family.

"Why do they spend their time with us? (Said humbly) There are times that I can't read more than an entry or two at a time, because the enormity of the the love from around the world simply overwhelms me..."

She used to like to read through the many responses, but I've never talked to them about my City family...She had believed all this time that I'd taken out an ad in some lonely heart paper/magazine asking people to write and say hello (Ok, so perhaps I've given her reason to believe I might resort to unorthodox means to fill Alyssa's mailbox...Thank God I never needed to go past plan "A" in this case) When she found out these weren't simply lonely people answering an ad, but smart, kind, busy people that have full lives and other things to do...she was stunned.

Kaisu, Wendy, Dust and all of you that have been posting regularly are truly a joy to this little girl and her family. I had hoped that she would get a kick out of getting notes from around the world. I'm ashamed to admit that it never occurred to me that each of you would bring so much more...that you'd leave part of your heart, soul and amazing strength with each visit.

I underestimated you, even after knowing you all this time...I'll be much more careful in the future!

Thank you for all you've done for my niece, my family, and myself. You've changed me for the better in many ways...I'll never again be the person I was before we met.

From Dwayne, Barbara and Dylan in CO...We'll be sending you love and happy thoughts for the holidays! (Please ignore any naked people that might inadvertently slip into those happy thought...they're...err...probably coming from Barb!)

Merry Christmas all!

Dwayne