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Sarcoidosis Support-Networking Group
Information and Support from the
Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia
to Midcoast ME U.S.A. . . . and
Beyond
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Important Note: May 1, 2009 – For the
second time during the 11 years that this Sarcoid Connection Website has
existed, a catastrophic event has occurred that has destroyed all of the
files that make up its pages. On or near the beginning of February 2009,
one of the servers belonging to my Web hosting site crashed, resulting in
the loss of many client Web sites. Unknown to me the hosting site did not
back up its clients’ sites, so the Sarcoid Connection ceased to exist. I
did maintain copies of some of the files, but they will require
considerable work to bring them up-to-date and re-download them along with
all the accompanying graphics files. Since my health has continued to
deteriorate in recent years, such an undertaking will be quite a
challenge, but I will do my best to bring back as much of the site as I
can. It may be a slow process, so I ask you to bear with me. Since I will
be restoring complete pre-existing pages, the links on those pages will
have no destination files at first. Please come back again to check for
those links. Major sections that are yet to be restored will be indicated
on the site index. For both new and returning visitors, I hope the
information I am/will be providing on this site will be helpful to you and
your loved ones.
WELCOME MESSAGE
My name is Chris,
and I've been diagnosed with
sarcoidosis, as well as a secondary condition called fibromyalgia.
In order to promote awareness and greater understanding of sarcoidosis
(and fibromyalgia) with the general public and the medical community, I
have been organizing a support-networking group, the SARCOID
CONNECTION. The origin and evolution of this Web site is explained on
my Sarcoidosis Support Networking Group Origins page. This group communicates via
various forums such as the Internet, postal service, telephone service and
support group meetings. It is based at my present home in the midcoast
area of Maine, but people throughout the world are welcome to participate
in any of the forums available to them. There are a number of participants
in Australia where I lived for the first 1-1/2 years of this Website's
existence. If you have sarcoidosis (with or without fibromyalgia) and/or
wish to learn about it, I hope you will make use of the information and
forums offered here.
Support Group Meetings -- For those of you in the midcoast area
of Maine who wish to meet with others who have been diagnosed with
sarcoidosis, so you can learn more about the disease, adjusting to having
it and coping with it every day, Sarcoid Connection Support Group
meetings will be held at least once a month in the Wiscasset, Maine area
as interest is shown. For information regarding time and location, please
contact me via the E-mail link at the top of this page or by telephone
at (207) 882-7099. I look forward to hearing from
you.
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THE PEOPLE I WANT TO
REACH
1) I am looking for people like me who have been diagnosed
with sarcoidosis and/or fibromyalgia, so I can provide them with
information about these diseases and how to cope every day with having
them. I will provide information at a layman's level as well as provide
sources for, and links to, more comprehensive information researched and
compiled by experts. I have kept the information about sarcoidosis and
fibromyalgia separate because they are two totally separate conditions.
People can have fibromyalgia alone, or it can frequently be a secondary
condition for people who already have sarcoidosis or other auto-immune
diseases.
2) I also want to find the friends and family of these
individuals, particularly those who are, or would become, spousal or
family carers/caregivers to the person having sarcoidosis and/or
fibromyalgia. The primary caregiver needs to understand that his/her own
physical and emotional needs must be addressed, too. I will provide the
carers with information about the two diseases, as well as information to
help them better understand their own needs as well as the needs of their
ill family member or friend.
3) I wish to promote awareness, knowledge, and understanding of
sarcoidosis and fibromyalgia to the medical community and general
public. In so doing, I want to provide a better understanding of those
who must live with "sarcoid" and "fibro" on a daily basis and encourage
greater funding for research into the cause(s), treatment, and cure for
these two little understood, but frequently occurring,
diseases.
TAKE ONE DAY AT A
TIME
AND LIVE EACH TO ITS FULLEST.
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For those people who like to put faces
with names, I have set aside a section of this Web site for information
and pictures about the Robert
and Chris Townsend families of the U.S.A. and Australia. During my
life in the mid-coastal area of Maine, I raised my three children, Daniel,
Wendy, and Brian. My nearly two years in the Hunter Valley of New South
Wales, Australia with my wonderful Aussie hubby, Rob, included my
stepchildren, William, Sean, Adam, and Nicole.
My time in Australia came just after my diagnosis with sarcoidosis.
Although my new hubby and I both speak English, his accent and vocabulary
differ considerably from mine. In learning to communicate with Rob, I
found I was learning an entirely new version of the English language that
was very fascinating, Aussie slang. Rob and I worked together on a project
that was fun and eventually evolved into a Web page for our American
friends and family to enjoy, "Rob
and Chris Townsend's Aussie Slang Dictionary". Because it became a
popular part of my site, I again include it for the enjoyment of all who
wish to learn to speak "real Aussie."
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NOTE: I invite you to sign my guestbook below, or send me
an e-mail if you
have any questions or comments about this site,
sarcoidosis, fibromyalgia,
or caregivers. You may also leave your
contact information if you
want other people to get in touch with you.
Please understand that
I may not be able to respond to queries at the
moment because of
my own health challenges.
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cmtown@excite.com
This Website has been rated by the
Internet Content Rating Association.
| Financial Statement and Disclaimer: This
website has been entirely designed and built at the expense of the
Webmaster, expressly for free and unlimited use by family, friends, and
the general public. The medical information contained on these pages is
informational only and should not be construed as a recommendation of any
particular form of medical care. Any such medical information should be
thoroughly discussed with a licensed medical practitioner before being
incorporated into a personal treatment plan.
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This site has greeted
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Compiled by Chris Townsend, Sarcoid
Connection
cmtown@excite.com
Last
Modified on May 3, 2009 |
