Soon we'll be 1,000!

[Brucie]

Hi everyone

Membership of TP has grown by nearly 20% in 2005 so far, and we look like we will blast through the 1,000 member line in the next 2-3 months.

We would like to make a bit of a splash about it when we get our 1000th member, and thought it would be good to collect some thoughts about TP from the membership at the moment. We might use these in a newsletter article, or some other material, so we would only do so with permission of the person concerned, and they would not need to be identified.

If you have gained benefit from TP, why not tell us? If you do so as a response to this thread, please mark the message with words that show we may use your comments - something like "please feel free to use these words as part of other material if you wish.

I've attached a bar chart to show how numbers have grown this year, for those - like me - of an anorak mentality....

 

[connie]

Bruce, Yes of course T.P. is ana sst, Where else could we let off steam. Tonight I feel devestated, personrl ptoblem, but here we can say as we feel. Power to yor elbow, love Connie

 

[angela.robinson]

hi connie ,sounds like you are having a tough time ,i hope things improve soon,stay strong ,ANGELA

 

[Anne54]

Dear Bruce
The two posts above illustrate beautifully what TP is good at, someone posts another gives support, it happens every day all the time.
Myself, I come to TP and mostly just read the other posts I take great comfort from them, if I have a problem I do a search, usually someone has had the same problem before, it helps a lot.
Being stuck in the house a lot of the time TP is a friend always there whatever time of day or night.
"Please feel free to use these words as part of other material if you wish”.
Anne

 

[janey]

Hello Brucie
I agree with everything said so far, and I also find TP invaluable for the wealth of practical information I can get about looking after someone in the various stages of dementia, along with care options, financial and legal aspects. TP provides the essential help that I just can't find anywhere else - not from friends, social sevices, the NHS, anyone. But most of all it provides a unique forum where I can express the feelings of utter devastation, loneliness, bewilderment, bitterness and despair that are experienced at times by anyone whose loved one has dementia, and be understood and supported. I am sure I am not the only one who would have cracked without fellow 'dementia families' to talk to at TP.
Please feel free to use these words as part of other material if you wish.

 

[Sheila]

Hi all, I for one found TP the only lifeline I had to talk things through etc. when Mum was at the end of her illness. It helped me so very much, I can't sing it's praises and those of all you lovely members enough. Love She. XX Please feel free to use this statement.

 

[storm]

Hi All, Before i found T/P ithought i would never be able to cope with mums A/D because every time i asked for help or information from so called professionals i came up against a brick wall,since joining T/P i have learnt so much and i feel the better you understand what you are fighting the easier the battle.I am virtually house bound with my caring role but with my friends at T/P i am never alone and its true what they say until you have been in this situation you can never understand the stresses we as carers are under,plus i like to think i am being useful to others by sharing my experiances about this long ever changing road of A/D on which we travel together instead of alone.Please feel free to use this.STORM

 

[Nutty Nan]

I found TP by accident while searching for information about Alzheimers. The site is priceless, the wealth of information amazing, and the support and the united front in the face of the 'common enemy' create an incredible feeling of belonging.
Where else could you turn without hesitation at any hour of the day and night to share your worries, and often find an uplifting thread, a funny joke, or someone else's plight that puts your own into a new perspective?!
It is so helpful to read that others are in the same boat, struggling with the same, often rather bizarre situations - no subject is taboo, we can share the highs and lows, and we don't have to feel that we are betraying our loved ones by 'talking about them'.
I feel that I have gained a huge circle of virtual friends who won't get bored with my ramblings, because they either identify with my problems, or they can switch off and do something else without hurting my feelings.
A huge Thank You to the originators, and 'long live TP'!!!
Carmen

(Please feel free to use this if you wish!)

 

[Chris]

Hi everyone

Membership of TP has grown by nearly 20% in 2005 so far, and we look like we will blast through the 1,000 member line in the next 2-3 months.

We would like to make a bit of a splash about it when we get our 1000th member, .......................... please mark the message with words that show we may use your comments - something like "please feel free to use these words as part of other material if you wish.

Hello Bruce - I'd like to add that in addition to helping to promote TP - the messages on TP are very very powerful way of getting across to all professionals what life is lik efor people who have dementia and their carers .

As a Carers Representative (former carer of 10 plus years) I have often used links to TP to illustrate my points when flagging up gaps in service provision etc There is much talk of consultations with service users and carers within health & social services these days but a very quick way to see the current state of life for many is to log onto TP - I reckon the picture is much the same all over the country - show me a model area !- I dont thnk there is one. So... please - I'd like to be able to quote from TP more & more - removing all names of course - and this is a public forum anyway.