Dear Friends,

For those I met at Las Vegas I want to say this past weekend was one of the highlights of my life.
It was great to meet all of you on the board that was able to attend. Despite the challenges we have, God works in special ways because we all had a chance to meet each other "face to face."
I'm sorry I didn't have more time to spend with each of you but I know I will get to know all of you soon, through many more of these "reunions."

For those who were not able to attend this one, I hope to meet you at another MM gathering.

I want to thank DJ again for bringing this "group" together not to mention Michelle, Shari, Jill & Tara, & Cara's mom & and all the rest of you for all the hard work and effort to make this happen.

Also, Jill and Tara that was with best "memory book" I ever saw. My dad feels the same too. Both of you put together something awesome on behalf of all us. Thank you so much.

Mr. & Mrs. Akama, the "message" book holding all those wonderful messages from our MM friends in Japan was a GREAT IDEA and it was beautiful!

Again I feel so FORTUNATE to be able to be a part of this MM family, THANK YOU ALL, for your compassion and being my "FRIEND."

Lot of Love,
itsme

Irene...it was GREAT meeting you, too.

Cara and I just pulled in the driveway few minutes ago...driving back from Vegas....Cara kept saying...I miss DJ, I miss Tara, I miss Christy, I miss Michelle, I miss Shari, I miss Tara's Mom and Dad, I miss.... on and on.  She had a BLAST !!!

She even looked at me every time someone said "MRI or moyamoya"....as if never hears it anywhere else but heard it so many times over the weekend...all those other words associated with MM including "TIA"....for a 7 year old thats pretty good I thought...but then there are so many adults out there who "never" heard of a "TIA"...they ask me or ask another person what the hell is Cara talking about (especially if they don't know her case)....when they find out...they go...Uhhhh a little kid have some kind of stroke like symptom already !!!!

But anyway was a wonderful environment to be in, we REALLY enjoyed it and look forward to the next one...hoping more people come.

LOTS of pictures were taken...so there will be lots more on soon.

HUGS...good to be back home with my boys though...they're happy to see MOM.

Carol  ;;D

Hey Guys!

Just got back from Vegas (whew!  I'm pooped!).  I want to thank everyone for a great time.  It was so special to meet everyone face-to-face!  It was just amazing!

I have to send a few special thanks out....

To Shan - for the goodies from Hawaii!

To Michelle - thanks for being my roomie!

To Carol, Cara, Tara, Jill, and Cambell - thanks for providing the food!

Of course, thanks to DJ, for bringing us all together (and to Carrie for taking ALL those pictures!)

(Oh, and a special thanks to Mar for helping us win at the Blackjack table!!)

....I hope I didn't forget anyone (sorry if I did)....

....Cant wait for next year!!!

-Shari

Hi everyone,

We, too, just arrived home within the last hour or so.  My head is swimming with the unbelievable memories of the weekend.  My gosh - we had 18 MM patients along with family members and friends all together in one place!  It was so nice to put faces to many of the names on this site.  The experience was indescribable, and we are already looking forward to next year's gathering with lots of anticipation!

Irene mentioned a memory book.  Several weeks before leaving for LV, Michelle (Seachelles) sent out a regular email notice asking people if they wanted to participate in a scrapbook-type album for DJ.  The intent of the album was (and is) to say thank you to him for the gift of this wonderful website.  Anyone who wished to participate was asked to send their thoughts to me in a written email and/or to send pictures of their choice to include in the album.  

The album was made without DJ's knowledge - yes, I do believe we surprised him!!!  To maintain complete secrecy, all communications were done via email, not through PM's on this site.  As such, we were only able to get the email message out to people who had their email address publicly displayed on their profile.

So . . . the purpose of this communication is to now invite participation from anyone else here who would like to be part of the book we presented to DJ in Las Vegas.  The book is beautiful - black leather, with embossing on the front.  It is about 1/2 full, and we would love to add to it!  If you would like to participate, just type a PM to me (or send it to me via email at sca4gold@lycos.com), and Tara and I will make a scrapbook page for the book.  If you want to include pictures as part of your page, you may email or snail mail them to me (I'll give you my address if you ask).  We'd really love to receive any and all submissions!

I will second what Irene said about the weekend being one of life's highlights.  As I sat in the hospitality suite and looked around at everyone, I was reduced to tears as I contemplated the path we've all traveled to arrive at this point.  While occasionally tearful, it was such a joyous occasion!  I can't wait to share it with even more people next year!  Stay tuned . . . .

Hugs to my MM family,
Jill  



 

 

Hi Jill,

my name is Kathy.  I live in Lansing,MI> and would love to have your address so thatI can mail you a picture for the scrapbook.

                                Thanks!
                                               kathy a
                                           kathy5619@gmail.com      

It was so nice to meet many of you at Las Vegas.
We could spend only limited time there.  Even though it was still exciting and good enough to say Hi to everyone.

We really appreciate DJ, Michelle, Shari, Jill, Tara, Campbell and everybody else who prepared, organized, and coordinated the wonderful event!

Already looking forward to meeting next time.
Thank you!  Cotadad

I can’t seem to find the words to express my feelings about our LV get together, other than to say, it was incredible!! It was one of the most special moments in my life. I’ve always said that our MM family was a wonderful group of people, but I don’t think I ever really knew how true that statement was until after this experience. To see, feel and share the heart and spirit of these people was amazing! It was truly a blessing and I’m so very grateful to have been a part of it. THANK YOU!

Mar

I just wanted to say that it was an awesome weekend.  I thought I felt connected before, but its so much stronger of a connection.  I can't thank you all enough for sharing with me your experience.  It was a terrific experience over the weekend.  I also want to thank you for sending your wishes to Holly.  She really liked them.  I will be working on the email list of names and contact info.  If anyone didn't sign it and would like there information in the book as well please feel free to PM me.  This also goes for anyone from the board too.

Wish I could of met everyone here, can't wait for the next one.

Hillary

Hi MM Family!

Lore and I got home at 2:00 AM this morning and Lore had to go work at 6:00 AM.
It was GREAT to faces on names!
As Irene said it was highlight of my life in past few years!
Everyone of you have made a difference in my life!
I want thank Michelle and Shari for their hard work and everyone who contributed to the reunion!
Carol I think Cara should be our spokesperson!
Great Birthday Card,thank you all,Unsuspected :)

Love My MM Family!
Kevin

I will write more when I wake up.

Back at work :(, wishing we were back in Vegas with our mm family [smiley=laugh.gif]...  Just wanted to say thank you to DJ, Michelle, Shari, Jill, Tara, Campbell, and Carol & Cara...  and anyone else who helped put the event together!  We had a great time and are very glad we were able to go.  I also want to thank everyone we met, as I said on Sunday; the people we have met (online and now in person) are all wonderfully supportive!  I'm so glad we found the MM.com site and all of you!  We can't wait until next year's meeting!

Jim and Christy

ps: I agree with cubbie; Cara would make a great group spokesperson!

I think we can all agree that the trip was awesome. It is definatly at the top of my list for trips in my life. I kept my boyfriend up all night talking about everything we did especially the hours me, mom, dj, dj's mom, and carrie spent at the three card table ~ what a great time.  I am not sure i could have had any better of a time as i did! There is no way i could ever forget this trip ~ thank you everyone!

[smiley=heart.gif]Christy

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that made it to the MM gathering in Las Vegas.  I think I can speak for everyone and say that we all had a great time.  I'm sure that next years will be even better.  

I know that the weekend was very gratifying and memorable for me.  I will never forget it.  Like everyone has said, it's nice to put names with faces of those that I am acquainted with on the boards.  

I'd like to take a moment and thank DJ, Shari, Carol, and Jill and her family for all their help that they gave me during the weekend.  You all helped to make this a successful event and I can't wait for the next one.  

Michelle

Hi All, [smiley=wave.gif]

I'm like Mar.  It is difficult to express exactly how you feel because the reunion was so awesome it was almost sureal. [smiley=wow.gif]

I can't begin to express my gratitutde to Michelle, Shari, Carol, DJ, Jill and family for all the work put into making this a very special and memorable occassion and to Shan for the goodies. [smiley=heart.gif] [smiley=bow.gif]

The reunion was probably the best thing for Kevin, aside from his surgery, that I can remember having such a positive and profound impact on him.  I'm sooo glad we were able to attend.  We felt privledged to attend and loved meeting everyone and hearing their story and absolutely can't wait until the next gathering. The MM family is a very "special" family and we are genuinely grateful to all for your support and friendship. [smiley=hug.gif]

That Cara is something else!  She will melt your heart! [smiley=heart.gif]  She loved and hugged everyone and especially DJ.  At one point, I thought she would need to be surgically separated from DJ. lol

Kevin really laughed and had a good time at New York New York's douling piano bar with Shari and Michelle. You guys know how to have a good time! [smiley=beer.gif]lol

Kevin and I had a good time having lunch with Mar and "Fish" and talking with Irene and DJ's mom. Perhaps the age thing? [smiley=winkkiss.gif] lol. Kevin really wanted to meet DJ in person as most of you know, without moyamoya.com, Kevin would not have been treated and ultimately would not be here. So meeting DJ was very special to Kevin.  He had met Campbell and Tara at the hospital but never met Jill (she was sitting with me through all the surgeries) so he was excited about finally getting to meet Jill.  Cara made Kevin laugh and feel "young" again.  Equally, Kevin enjoyed meeting everyone and has a special meeting story with each and everyone at the reunion and wants to thank all for their support and friendhip. It was a very humbling, memorable and pleasurable experience for Kevin. Like all the others, we can't wait for the next reunion. [smiley=wink2.gif]

We hope all can make it to the next reunion. That would be very special.

Hugs,

Lore
 

Carol,
       Just for your info TIA means Transient Eschemic
Attack or in english, where a blood vesselsupplying blood to the brainbecomes blocked,temporarily, the clots then dislodge, simply from the bodie's own


mechanisms and   the symptoms go away   (Symptoms vary from numbness on one side of the body,vision changes.drooping of the mouth, etc./typical stroke symptons.)

        Another type of sroke would be a Hemorragic Stroke where the vessel rupters and leaks out into
the surrounding brain.

I hope this helps you some and doesn't confuse you more.  I have done quite a bit of research  on this
subject out of sheer curiosity.  

           Then there is the Eschemic Stroke where  the clot actually lodges in the blood vessel and causes an out an out   full blown stroke where the blood cannot get to a certain area of the brain  and causes that  area to be permanently damaged.

                                kathy a  :)
                                            kathy    :)a  :)                              

Hi Kathy A,

not sure where you got the idea that I'd be confused about TIA's and hemorragic stroke (which my dad died from Jan of 2005)...and Cara's symptoms I always felt were more of TIA's (shes had over 300 of them) than seizures...like you I have done a lot of research on that, too.  Thanks for the concern though.   ;)  Carol