member for one year today!

harma · Post by **harma** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:28 am

I just realized, checking the date of today and the date that I joined this group, is exactly today a year ago, so I have two penguins next to my name now. I won't write a nice poem like Ant did, when he had his first anniversary. I will do it in my way.

First if I look back, last year how I was doing than and where I am now, not only MC, but also my whole life, than I can say WOW!!! My mc got so much better thanks to all the support and good advice here. Although I am still on my very boring simple diet. It even got more boring since I can't find everything I ate in holland. And I am still using the medication, my mc is so much better than last year. And I am still so so so happy and so grateful I have found this board. I am even not sure if I could have made the move to here if I hadn't found the potty people, found out about the food intolerances, the enterolab testing. Also that I had my dexa scan, know that I have osteopenia, I also owe to this board.

Gabes, thanks for putting the doctors travel letter on this board (has also been useful here in Jordan, when I went for day trip to the dead sea and wanted to take my own food inside a resort), Ant thant you for making the "taking to the restaurant diet card", I haven't used it yet, but for sure if I go out for dinner here, I will.

Tex, Polly, Gloria, ant, shirley, joe (just some names that come up), barbara, thank you so much for always being there, here on this board (and any other I forgot) with your terrific advice, support, kind words.

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:34 am

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:37 am

Hooray for Harma!

I can't believe you have been here a year! CONGRATULATIONS!
And lucky us that you found the PP! It has been such a delight to read your posts, from your innermost hopes and dreams to your amazing adventures. :yourock:

Here are some flowers to celebrate your one year anniversary............

:bouqueofpinkroses:

Love,

Polly

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 6:38 am

Happy Annivesary, Harma. I've enjoyed knowing you this last year. Here's to many more.....

:bouqueofpinkroses:

Kari · Post by **Kari** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 7:55 am

Hi Harma,

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary!!! I LOVE reading your posts - they are so genuine and honest. It feels like being right along with you on your journey. You are truly a unique person. Arabic is a beautiful (but very difficult) language, and I envy your opportunity to learn it in a country where they speak it!!! Wishing you all the best and looking forward to hearing more about your journey as it unfolds.

Warm regards,
Kari

Post by **tex** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:33 am

Hi Harma,

Congratulations.

:butterfliesonrose:

Actually, the penguins depend on the number of posts that you have written. Tomorrow, the system will place a gold star under your avatar, to recognize that you have been a member for over a year.

I always enjoy reading everything that you write, also, and I look forward to reading about your continuing adventures. I hope that you can soon find some more safe foods to eat.

Tex

ant · Post by **ant** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:47 am

Dear Harma

Congrats on your one year. Your medical and actual journey to a new life is an inspiration.

Here is to the first and of many years of friendship.

Best, Ant

harma · Post by **harma** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:47 am

oh so I have to wait until tomorrow to see my first star. Well anyway I celebrate it today!! Today something really amazing happened to me (it wouldn't be in a one horse town but this is real big town with a couple of million of inhabitants with even more taxi's). The first two weeks I rented a studio in one of the suburbs of Amman from Dutch/jordanian family. Through them I found a taxi driver, descent, speaks good english and I used him a lot for my rides to town, when I was staying there. Once I moved to uptown Amman, I just go on the street and take any taxi available.

Today in a totally different part of Amman, I just left a bookshop annex cafe to go home and there was a taxi outside waiting, so I got in, wasn't that Osama my regular taxi driver of my first two weeks. So even things like that happen in real big cities. We had a nice chat. He is really a nice guy, working extremely hard and long hours (up to 20 hrs a day) to make a very good living, not for himself, but for his two children, who are in a private school. He has a boy and girl and both are in private school (sometimes people may have the impression parents invest more in boys than girls in this part of the world, that is a big misunderstanding and not true, at least not here in Jordan).He couldn't drive me home, because he was booked by tourists for the whole day and waiting outside while they were having dinner.

It's amazing how you also can have in big cities personal contact.

Post by **tex** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 11:08 am

Harma,

There's your star. The system times your registration anniversary to the second.

That's probably a good omen that you found someone you know, in your new neighborhood.

Tex

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 4:29 pm

Harma!

It's hard to believe that you've been a member for a year. You have come a long way since then and we have benefited so much from your contributions.

I'm still in awe of your Jordan adventure. I could never do it; I'm not a risk-taker. I like it nice and safe. You have a lot of courage. Keep writing about your experiences, they are very interesting.

Gloria

barbaranoela · Post by **barbaranoela** » Mon Oct 04, 2010 8:42 pm

Congrats Harma==isnt it wonderful not only to have been educated on your ailments-etc.- but the best is having a great bunch of friends

:flyingdoveleft:

Barbara

harma · Post by **harma** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:00 am

and I saw it my star!!! I feels a bit like I have earned it, my first year surviving with MC

Ginny · Post by **Ginny** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:56 am

Harma, you have been amazing! I'm with Gloria; safe and secure so your adventure is incredible! When you look back next year you will probably be even more empowered due to your success in life and illness. You go girl!! Ginny

Mars · Post by **Mars** » Tue Oct 05, 2010 10:52 pm

Happy Anniversary!

You have earned the gold star! I am also in awe of your travels and stories that you share with us, please keep them coming! You're an inspiration!!!!

It's great to have so many friends near and far!

Love,
Mars
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Linda in BC · Post by **Linda in BC** » Tue Oct 12, 2010 8:29 am

Harma, I missed your 1st anniversary as I got behind in reading posts, but i still wanted to say Congratulations. :party:

You DO deserve that gold star for surviving MC ! Not just surviving, but actually thriving! following your dreams.

That is such a nice story about you bumping into "your " old taxi driver. I lived in Vancouver for one year ( big city by Canadian standards) though I prefer to be a small town girl, and I remember once seeing someone I new on the bus, and being totally amazed that that could happen. You get so used to being anonymous in the big city that you even forget to look for anyone familiar after a while. What a nice surprise for you. I totally understand the pleasure in such an occurrence. Makes you feel like you are starting to "belong"

Thanks for sharing that.

Love Linda