Hello there, I see that it is fairly quiet today so thought I could send this out. Early last month I tried to Unsubscribe from the TMIC and received several nice notes asking why I was leaving. I was only going on a little vacation to visit family in Ontario. I'm back now and have been for a couple of weeks.
My hubby and I have lots of family in that province so it takes quite a while to visit everyone. However, this time I also had another very special reason to be excited about our trip. I was going to meet PattiV from Michigan. Patti got TM in Nov 2003 and I got it in Sept 2003. We discovered each other on the TM website Forum and noticed that many of our symptoms were similar so we sent private messages to each other and eventually sent e-mails to our personal home e-mails. This was followed by exchanging photos, telephone calls and lots of things about each other that had nothing at all to do with TM. In other words we became good friends. We are just 5 years apart in age. We decided that THIS time that my hubby and I were in Ontario (we go once a year at least) it was about time that Patti and I got to meet. We set up a meeting place in a hotel about half way between where she lived in Michigan and where we were visiting in Southern Ontario. And it was a great thing to do. My hubby and I arrived first at the hotel and drove around looking for Michigan licence plates. They had not yet arrived. So as we were signing in I kept looking out the door for Patti and her hubby to arrive. My hubby saw them first. When I looked out there was Patti turning and taking her first few steps with her cane. I said to my hubby in a very excited voice "She walks just like me!!". That was so great to see someone who walks like me and it gave me a little heart tug to realize in just that moment that we were even more alike than I had imagined. Patti and I had wondered if our hubby's would have much to talk about and we just decided that if they didn't then they would just have to "listen to us talk". AND talk we did. For hours that evening and hours the next day. Our hubby's seemed to find lots to chat about too. Patti is a lovely person, warm and friendly and she gives great hugs. We chatted like long lost sisters actually. Even though we talk on the phone seeing and being with someone else who has TM is so much different. Somehow you get a better idea or something like that when you actually see that person in 'real life'. Now I know what everyone means who has gone to a TM symposium or small group meetings and you meet another person with TM. There is a special bond. No matter which 1/3 of recovery a person is in there is just something special knowing that that other person has gone through or is going through the same things you have done. Patti and I laughed and giggled and talked and talked and talked some more. We discussed things that I know we have talked about on the phone but somehow it was different when you could show that person how your legs or feet react to what you are experiencing. We were attacked a little differently me at T8 to T10 and she C4 to C6. She has problems with her hands/arms and legs. My problems are mainly legs from waist to toes. However, talking about the banding, balance, the prickly hot and cold are all the same for each of us. After seeing pictures of us together my Mom's first comment was 'you even smile alike'. Now that is something isn't it? I know this is long but I just want to emphasize 'if you have a chance to meet someone else with TM - then do just that' Thanks for listening, Heather in Calgary
