Debi

Gail, Congrats on the 5 year, 1 month mark!!! I think Cindi hit on something - you need to forget about just the massage or the facial, you need to go for an overnight spa stay to celebrate both your milestone and the end of the school year! I think that's the perfect way to celebrate all of this!

Count me in with the Fat blue pen people, preferably gel. However, I lose every pen I own within minutes, so I have resorted to pen thievery myself, most of the time subconciously (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). I hate to call it thievery, since I end up losing it to someone else, I prefer to think of myself as some sort of pen Robin Hood.

Okay, not sure where to put this but needed to share my varmin story... Have gotten it in my head that I should look to buy a house maybe so went looking this evening. Last house I was in was huge, and the yard was incredibly huge and beautiful, looked like a park in the back with fountains, concrete patios, gardens, trees, lots and lots of landscaping. Very Great Gatsbyish (Okay, as Great Gatsbyish as you're going to get in a small town in Oklahoma!). Anyway, the house was somewhat in disrepair but it could be workable with some fixin up- it had like 3 baths, 5 bedrooms. The whole thing is $30,000.00 (gotta love Oklahoma - on Long Island it would've been at least $200,000 most likely more for the land alone!!) Okay, the only trouble is when I came out and got in the car, my legs were covered with varmin - fleassssssss !! This is like the 3rd time in my life that I have looked at a house and been hijacked by these varmin. Anyway, anyone else have any similiar horror stories and are fleas considered varmin? (I admit, I'm not from here, I don't know the varmin specs).

Joanie, You know I'm right there with you in the worry department so no sense telling you not to- Will be watching for your results, know that worrying is normal for us unfortunately and this too shall pass.. Thinking of you !!

Happy Birthday Katie!!

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. Frank, I was just reading this quote in my doctor's office earlier and then I read your post. When I read the quote, I wrote it down, I thought that it was so fitting for everyone on this site, and why we keep going forward. I think that only us know how scary it must have been for you to set foot out on the golf course today knowing the effort that lay ahead. You've got courage Frank, and integrity. But I knew that all along... Continue being a power of example for my whiny *ss Frank, okay? I was huffing and puffing because I walked up 3 flights of stairs today and look at you! Friggin overachiever!!

What I want to know is how someone hooked the camcorder up to my windshield without me seeing it...

Wow!!! You working on commission these days Frank?

Well close Maryann! Most email programs that customer service centers use have 'canned' responses that in order to streamline costs, cut down on the typing that the Customer Service Rep does. For instance when they get an email regarding fundraising, they either have a 'hotkey' or a list of categories. They click on the appropriate one and voila, the reply is automatically written. The rep can add to it, change it around or just send it the way it is. Again, it may possibly happen that enough emails may actually make it to the "appropriate department" (catch phrase here) but to be perfectly honest, that would surprise me, at least with catalog type companies. I don't mean to be a 'downer' but I think that as long as letters are being written, print them out, put a stamp on it, and stick it in a mailbox addressed to Corporate, maybe even the Marketing Department. In today's world, most company's Marketing Departments are the real decision makers. Anyway, don't get discouraged with the responses you're getting. The right responses are out there somewhere!!

Okay, here it goes... Ballroom Dancing! And Ann, I would love to start but basically the only lessons I'm going to get in this town is square dancing!!!

If I can interject, I think the idea of mailing the Corporate Offices is the way to go. Although email is a fast way to get people's attention, working in a multi-faceted service center myself that includes catalog brands, I am fairly familiar with how customer email is answered. Although flooding the customer service reps with email may surely cause some ripples to make it to Corporate, most of the reps are most likely answering your emails and moving on to the next one. I'm not sure with Coldwater Creek but alot of company emails are outsourced these days and may be answered by someone who's only connection with Coldwater Creek is that their company is paid by them to take care of their email customer service issues. Anyway, just wanted to add my 2 cents. These emails are only being answered by customer service reps who's job is to placate the customer with their emails, the way to go is definitely Corporate Headquarters where decisions are actually made.

Pat, First let me start off by saying that a second opinion is always a safe way to go so if you feel uncomfortable at all, go for it.. However, I did want to mention that when I had my surgery, no one knew if it was cancer or not, so there are times when it is not known for sure what is going on before the surgery. My surgeon was of the mind that it was a 50/50 percentage on whether it was cancer. It was in a place where a biopsy couldn't be done, and the PET scan lit slightly, but not alot. But the Pulmonary doc and the Surgeon both knew it was growing and there wasn't any reason NOT to take it out. So I only found out after surgery that it was cancer (although I knew in my heart already that it was). Either way, the surgery is 'doable' and although it sucks you have to go through this, there is a light on the other side of the tunnel. Good luck!!

Jean Stapleton in her Edith Bunker role.. When I was dating, every guy who came to the house, without exception would tell me that he felt he had just met the Bunkers. My mother acts and talks like Edith Bunker.

Oh Frank...that reminds me of the lost chihuahau cartoon!!!

Ann, Please don't stop if you want to continue. I'm real busy at work right now and don't have time to post much, but always read at night. If one of your questions really reaches out and grabs me, I post. Otherwise someone has already posted something I would have or I feel too guilty just replying to the 'fun' post, when I don't have time to answer multiple posts, so I lurk. Either way, alot of these questions make you think, and there is nothing wrong with thinking, whether you reply or not...

Joanie, You know someone has to be in that 25% group and I'm thinking that you and Geri are pretty much there! Although I don't have as much time as you under my belt Joanie, I certainly understand both your doubt and sense of amazement that you are making it. We have sat around and lost some really good people on this board. Now it's time to keep some- you are going to make it Joanie.. you are going to triumph.

TAnn, I don't know much about hospice either, but the one thing that I do know is how expert they are at working with pain- I am sure that they will be able to help you. You have fought so hard, my best wishes are with you for comfort in the months ahead.

Geri!!! Ummm and Frank, thanks for that visual. I want to say sooooo much more but I'm trying to behave...

Well, I'm back from the doctor but of course, not until I had another wierd experience. The nurse had to beep the doctor since he was across the street at the hospital. While I'm waiting she came in to do my BP, etc. Then she turns toward me, takes out a folder and says "I'm afraid I've been asked to speak to you about something unpleasant". Well, I almost threw up at that point because the only thing I could think of was the doctor couldn't make it and she was going to give me my results. Then she goes on to say that every 3 months they get a list of delinquent accounts and I owe $25.00 from over 90 days ago. Yeah, real unpleasant. Anyway, thanks for all your good thoughts and wishes and shared experiences - all was well with the CT, nothing abnormal at all- how awesome is that?? THe only thing that came up was fibrosis in my bottom right lobe which I'm sure is scar tissue from my surgery. Just a side note here- every single day, even though my job or or just life may drive me crazy - I never ever forget how grateful I am, how unbelievable it is that I am still here. So, I have not solved the mystery of the whatsit, but when all is said and done, I'm okay. The doctor admitted that he was intrigued by what it could be, but he has no idea, maybe a thoracic surgeon as suggested on here would be able to help. On the way out, when I was telling the nurse again about the whatsit, she said oh my gosh, I get that in my back every so often since my back surgery. The mystery continues......

It is so wierd, with the spasm thingy. Every time I have told a doctor their eyes have glazed over and they look at me like I'm totally crazy. IF you guys on here hadn't known what I was talking about in the past, I would think I was nuts by now. Also, there is someone that had lung surgery at work who has the same exact thing going on. This doctor had told me that I can apply these heat strips on my midriff to help with the spasms, if that's what they are. He told me I can put them on to control the pain when I get it. I tried to tell him that I don't know when it's going to happen, and when it does, the pain is over in 10 seconds. I'd have to be pretty quick!! I can't believe I can't get ONE doctor to understand what the hell I'm talking about!!! Oh and PAM!! I didn't mean THAT diaphragm was stuck on my ribs for crying out loud!!!!!!!!! Geesh!!!

I agree with what Geri said. No matter what you do this Mother's Day, unfortunately it's not going to be that easy of a day for you. I really think that if you force yourself to go with your Aunt, it's going to be even harder. You need to do what is right for you. After all, it is your day now too and you can start your very own Mother's Day tradition by doing what YOU want to do on that day! And if a good part of that is to miss your mom and grieve for her, then that's okay too. I think that that is normal. Just try to do something special for YOU on that day too!!!

Okay, I got 11 but I should've quit while I was ahead . Apparently I got that by sheer luck.

Okay, my job is seriously starting to crimp my style- I am missing all SORTS of things online.. Congrats Jan on your year and on your continuing health!! I am so sorry that I am a week late!!

You go Kathy!!!! Congrats!!!

Grrrr Today, I had to go for a chest CT, the FIRST one since before my surgery since my Oncologist thinks xrays are all I need. I'm totally stressed mind you, because Lord knows what could be there that hasn't shown up on an xray in almost 3 years (knock on wood, cross your fingers, pray to all the saints, whatever!!). So right after, the tech comes over, helps me up and his very first words are "When do you see your doctor again, soon?", followed by - "Who is your doctor?" Of course those 2 questions were enough to totally send me into the frenzy zone. I swear, if I find out everything is fine tomorrow, I'm going to drive on over to the hospital and punch this guy right in the nose. Then I'll ask him if he's seeing HIS doctor anytime soon!! Anyway, I went to my doctor about that annoying pinching whatsit under my right breastbone that I've had off and on since surgery, that's why the tests. It's been happening more frequently. Sometimes when I bend over, or stretch or twist, I get a sharp, intense pain like a charley horse under my right breastbone. It takes your breath away- you can't do anything but stand there frozen until it stops. Luckily it only lasts about 10 seconds. Then it feels almost as if something peels away, or falls back into place and other than a little soreness, you're good to go till next time. That could be the next day or a month later. It's really not something that I can't live with, but by now my curiosity is peaked and I would like to know if my diaphram or my damn leftover lung is getting stuck on my ribs or what this thing is...