I am glad that things for Elizabeth are going well. It's all very positive that she has a diagnosis, that there is a course of treatment, and that it was caught early. You all are on the prayer list.

Sorry to crash, but I just wanted to let you know that Elizabeth is in VERY good hands! (I'm a proud Emory student!) I also think this is an incredibly sweet thread...it speaks volumes about the AOPi sisterhood!

Please pray for a coworker's nephew who lives in AL. His 2 year old nephew got Ecolio, not sure yet of the source, and the little boy is not doing well at all. He was doing fine and then yesterday it turned for the worse and he now has developed something else related to Ecolio.

That's horrible news. My thoughts and best wishes go out to your co-worker and family.

Kristi, hope you're all adjusting to your new "normal" with Elizabeth.

hey folks - need a bit of AOII prayers - just got word that my grandmother (she was married to my grandfather who died in late November) has been diagnosed not with a small stroke that we thought she had, but actually ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

I am not sure which type it is, but I am flying out next week to visit and leanr more about what is happening .... need a bunch of roses and love coming up north way!!!

I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. Be safe.
Silver

Roses and love are headed to you and your grandmother.

Sorry to hear about your grandmother. Roses and prayers for her and your family as she goes through this.

You and your family and your grandmother are in my prayers.

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Please pray for a family friend in New Orleans who passed away this past weekend from a brain aneurism without warning. She left behind two daughters who are a junior and a senior in high school and a husband. She will be missed....

****HUGS all around*****

Thanks, girls - I will keep you posted !!

Roses,
Shala

Shala, you and your family are in my prayers!

This isn't exactly a prayer request but rather to keep your fingers crossed! I have an interview tomorrow for the Lancome Counter Manager position at a department store in the area (about 40 minutes from my house). I REALLY would like this position as it is full-time and I LOVE working for/with Lancome. I shouldn't have too much of a problem getting the position because I was a counter manager a year and a half ago for a different store - and they have their Gift w/ Purchase promotion starting in about 3 weeks so I have a leg up because I've been there, done that, basically know the products (with the exception of specifics on the REALLY new stuff!). Anyway, enough of my babbling!

Sarah

Sarah, you know I'm pulling for you on the Lancome opportunity :)

Happy thoughts and wishes for everyone else needing them right now.

Beryana-
Good luck with the Lancome job. I am also in retail, so I know it is a tough business!

I just found out that my AOII Little Sister (and best friend) who was 8 months pregnant lost the baby - they do not yet know what happened and are waiting for the Autopsy results. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she and her husband are going to need them to get through this.

Beryana,

Good Luck with the job!



Brandi,

I'm so sorry to hear this. It's so sad to lose a baby.

Dears Sisters Please pray for Past International President Ginger Banks, tomorrow (thursday) she is going in for surgery! See her note below... she is always so uplifting .. even when facing BRAIN SURGERY - Tasha

Dear Friends,

I always thought it might be interesting to have a date with a brain surgeon so I could pick his brain. I envisioned that the date would be us sitting across a table together at a lovely restaurant. As it turns out, I do have a date with a brain surgeon, but I won't be across the table. I'll be on it.

Having been diagnosed on Jan. 17 with a brain tumor (a meningioma, which on the outer surface of my brain) and having no doubt about what we need to do, I say "let's get it on" and "let's get it over with." I've got more dates -- in restaurants and other places -- to plan.

The surgery is scheduled to be on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005, at 12:30 p.m. (Central Time) here in Austin, TX at the North Austin Medical Center.

I'll recover at my Mom's house here in Austin (bless her!). I understand the recovery will take about a month, but it's hard to predict how long I'll be at Mom's.

I've asked Rene Fitzgerald to provide future medical bulletins to you. Please feel free to contact her for the latest.

As much as I love, value, and treasure the e-mail messages I've received (they've been my lifeline) since I found out about this extra added attraction on my brain, it probably would be best to not send messages to my e-mail address for at least a while after Feb. 8. It may be sometime before I feel like sitting at the computer. We'll let you know when I'm up and running again -- on the computer and otherwise.

In the meantime, we'd love to hear from you via my Mom's e-mail address: dit4305@earthlink.net . (She has dial-up, so please don't send any large files.) Mom will let me know about messages, but we may not be able to respond. We hope you understand.

I've tried to acknowledge all the wonderful communications I've received, but I probably won't be able to do that for many others in the near future -- for a while, at least. Even if you don't hear from me, please know how very much I appreciate your concern, friendship, and love. They have sustained my family and me during the last few weeks and will provide us even more strength during the weeks to come.

My family and I profoundly appreciate the outpouring of love, support, encouragement, and HUMOR that we've received since getting my diagnosis. If it's not pressing our luck, please keep all of that coming! It means a lot and has kept us going. I don't even want to think about what the last few weeks would have been like or what the coming weeks would be like without it.

I've always believed in the power of prayer, positive thinking, positive energy, and letting people know I care. Now, I believe in all of that even more because I've seen the powerful effects in my life, especially recently. Thank you from the bottom of my heart -- and the top of my head. Thanks in large part to you, I feel better already and know everything is going to be OK.

All this is very scary. But, we're taking enormous comfort in the fact that everything we've learned about my tumor is very encouraging. From what we believe, this tumor is treatable, it's benign (a beautiful word!), and the long-term prognosis is very good. In fact, a neurosurgeon said, "You have a menginioma and that's good." I'm glad he thinks so!

Also, I thought you might like to know that I feel that I couldn't be in a better position to be prepared for all this. With all "my stuff" delegated to willing, capable hands, the support and encouragement I'm receiving, and knowing I can fully focus on getting better after surgery (thanks in HUGE measure to my dog Mandy and me being in Mom's loving care at her house while I recuperate), I can't imagine being in a better situation or better place mentally to fully focus on getting better. I'm very blessed.

The five doctors I consulted said the same thing: surgery is necessary, the tumor is relatively easy to access (location, location, location), and I should be fine. Besides, I've been wanting to get a new hair do. This should take care of that.

I'm just sorry that all those people who've thought for years that I have a swelled head now have the MRI to prove they were right!

My love, thanks, and best wishes to you always,
Ginger

Please pray for a Nu Beta collegiate member who has just found out she has a brain tumor. Her father just called to let me know.

Please pray for me next week as I will be induced two weeks early for my DS. With gestational diabeties the baby's lungs do not develop as quickly as those without. So as much as I'd like easy labor vibes I'd rather have healthy baby vibes!!

Also on a sad note, my 88 year old grandmother who has been suffering with dementia and quite possibly alzheimer's disease for the last two years is, if I can borrow Ronald Reagan's quote, '
"in the twilight of (her) years." I'm being told that she will no longer be force fed after next week (my uncle didn't want her to die on my mom's birthday which is next week.) We anticipate that she will not make it past mid-May. Please pray for my uncle. This cannot be an easy decision to make. And I know that he's struggled with doing what is right for quite some time.

Needless to say, lots of good vibes to your family. Let me know if you need anything.

Roses,
Christin

PS--are you going tomorrow night? If so will see you then :)

Here's to good thoughts and prayers to you, Heidi and the baby...and uncle...and everyone else who needs it!!!

:D

Well. This semester has been tough for me but I've gotten through it. Now, I have to be there for a friend. My best friends grandfather is in the hospital. They don't think he'll leave the hospital before he dies. They are still trying to figure out if they want him on a respirator or whatever.

On a lighter note. My oldest sister is pregnant and due in July. It's a lid'l girl. Let's just say, that eventually I won't be the only AOII in the family! ;)

Just wanted you all to know that my grandmother finally passed away this morning. I'm glad she's not suffering anymore, but as I assumed her children are not dealing with this and each other well. So hard to see them fight at a time like this. And I know that after the funeral it will take a pure act of God for the three of them to communicate on any level. Makes me so happy to be an only child!

I am so terribly sorry for your loss. I will pray for you and your family at church this morning.
God bless you and yours,
Silver

Sarah,

I hope your grandmother's last days are as peaceful as possible. I also hope that your many fond memories help keep her spirit alive in your heart each time you think of them.

Heidi

(((((HUGS)))))
And love and caring and prayers and more love and chocolate....
Silver

Sarah, I'm thinking of you and your family now. Roses to you all.

Beryana-
Both of my grandfathers died of parkinsons. I hope they will eventually find a cure. My prayers go out to you and your family.

Jennifer

You and your families are in my thoughts and prayers, Snowlady & Beryana.

I would like to ask for as many prayers as possible. I am currently in a career decision junction (yes, again!). There is a long-term sub teaching position open at the local Catholic high school in the religion department (2 Sophomore Old Testament classes). Father is on a leave of absence and is suppose to be back next semester (end of January). If he is not back then the sub position would be extended to the end of the school year and would be 4 classes (2 Junior Morality classes and 2 sophomore New Testament classes). I do have a second job lined up (I go in for the interview tomorrow but basically unless I completely mess that up the job is mine) and they are willing to be VERY flexible (food demonstrator for Kwik Trip (gas station)).\

This is the 2nd opening at Assumption in the religion department in the past 4 months - and this is where and what I want to teach. I am 95% certain I will put in my 2-week notice at the bank and accept these positions but I still need your prayers as I am not able to talk to my branch manager until Monday - but I do have the resignation letter written in case she is not able to work with the sub schedule.

Sarah

Whoops! Supposed to be a PM!
Silver