What I'm trying to get across is that our first official support group meeting is Monday! Irene (The Crafting Hobbit) and I are co-coordinating the brand new Memphis TN FORCE Outreach group.
I'm so excited about this. It's been a long time in the works, so it's great to finally see our vision for the group come to fruition. You can check out our local webpage here and sign up for our email updates.
When I was first struggling with my decision to have a PBM, this is the place I turned to. It was so nice to have a place to go where I could vent and say the CRAZIEST things and still be met with nothing but love, support, and caring. I felt a lot less crazy hearing people accept my strangest, saddest thoughts.
I know that I couldn't have made it through the months before my PBM and the craziness after without having the FORCE message boards to go to. While I had great people in my life, I didn't feel like I could really bear my soul to them about what I was going through. But on FORCE- I could!
Before I discovered FORCE, I searched desperately for a support group in the area. The only ones I could find were for breast cancer survivors. I wasn't one of those, so I definitely didn't feel comfortable going to them for support. I called the local chapter of the American Cancer Society, thinking that maybe they could help. The answer I got was something along the lines of "Well, there's no support available for someone in your situation just yet, but maybe you should start something!"
So a year and a half later, here it is! I know how alone I felt at the beginning of my journey, and I don't want anyone else to have to feel that. If we can help just one person, it'll be enough for me!
Good for you. Is it that you created a local chapter in your area of FORCE? I found one local to me but the meetings are on Sundays during church and I have a church commitment....so, I need to figure that out. I Just missed the last one AND I Found out later that my geneticist was there as a guest speaker! :(
ReplyDeleteI am getting told that all over about CS and LDD...when I look at rare disease org's I get told "Well, you should start one.." but then I Get the run around about how to do that. I've connected with some amazing people on the rare disease communities on Twitter who have been great resources...and when I get to the point of my uterus and the PBM....I'm going to do all the research I can. The PBM is first on my mind because for some reason I'm just not ready to part with my uterus yet. A lady in the CS support group on FB just had both....in less than 3 months TIME!
Glad you found me on Twitter! :) Keep posting on your blog....your journey really helps me. :)