Sounds like you guys had so much fun! Sign me up for next year! My hubby loves Seattle and says he'll go with me!

Suzanne
Mommy to Miss Hannah Rose
26.5 weeker born 8/24/01
severe pre-e & IUGR
1 pound, 1 ounce
12 inches
Miracles do happen!

You've all described it so well, I don't have much to add.[:D] So many wonderful ideas to absorb!

The pictures are great; thanks for posting them, Ileana and Elizabeth. (For those who are curious because I don't have an avatar yet, I'm the one whose name tag Indigo is trying to pull off. She's adorable!)



Carol (39)
DH Bill (40)
Tara Mairichi
12/7-12/9, 2002
The Mightiest Little Angel

I'm still wiped, too! What a great week. Nancy, thanks again for loaning me your family, home & car. Like Catherine & Anne said, I'm still processing. It'll take a few days for me to figure out everything we heard & discussed. More on that as my mind catches up with my body (2-way jet lag - wheee!).

Can't wait for next year!! Now, must hit the hay...

Aimee
Georgia State Coordinator

Ds Nicky - 3/24/00 (28 wks - eclampsia)
Ds Kalen - 7/10/03 (36 weeks - preeclampsia)

Thanks for the pictures and experinces for all those who could not have been there.

april(24)
dh-billy(29)
dd-Natalie 3/10/04(pasted away after 1 hr.) induced labor at 23wks and 5 days due to severe PE/HELLP

Thanks for the pictures!!

Gloria mom to Josiah 11/12/03- 12/4/03 @ 26wks pre e
Moderator- Foro Latino
Future Adoptive Mom

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeAOGLNyxbs2rjo&open=1&sm=1&sl=1

Here are the pictures I got... sorry about the trembly hand and the inapropriate use of the flash... I guess I'll have more practice when I'll have a wiggly baby [:)]

Enjoy!

Ileana
IT Coordinator
Preeclampsia Foundation

Mother of Angel - stillborn on Feb 17, 2003 (24wGA, 410g)

I'm also sad I couldn't come...it sounds like you all had a wonderful time! THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting those pictures, Elizabeth! It was great to see them!!

Sara, 24
Local Coordinator, Utah
Moderator, "After Your Baby is Born"

DH, Scott, 26
Maggie Lylas, 6/9/03, 29 weeks, severe pre-e
Surprise, surprise! #2 EDD March 10, 2005

http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/m/maggielylas/

Sounds great, sorry I missed it!!!! Sounds like you all did such a great job, thanks!!!! Great pictures Elizabeth!!!!

Jill
mommy to:
Tyler - 4 (36 wks, PIH)
Angel baby - 1/20/03 (11 wks)
Faith Kristine - 1/5/04-1/30/04 (30 weeks due to severe PE, passed due to NEC & Sepsis(preemie complications))

trying for #2 to share our lives with since 9/02

Hey, I'm such a late-comer some days! I too had a wonderful time meeting everyone. It was very emotional to listen to the husbands and Aimee tell us their experiences in person. That took so much courage and strength to get up there and talk about something so painful and heartbreaking. By the end of Thursday evening I was emotionally drained and I didn't even attend the all day conference! It was so wonderful to match faces to the wonderful men and women I talk to every day on the forum.
Anne, you did such a wonderful job putting everything together! it all seemed to run pretty smoothly which is amazing for doing it for the first time.
Carol, we spent most of our time getting to know one another and I really really enjoyed it! I cannot wait to get together again now that I know you are so close.

One of the really neat things is that everyone chipped in and donated $6,850 by the end day to give to the PF! If only we could do that every day or even once a week. The conference really made me want to contribute more of myself to helping the cause. Hopefully Anne will find a place for me very soon! :o)

I thought I'd post a link to the pictures I took at the picnic:
http://share.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EegOGrFk5atnyQ

I really didn't get too much of a chance to take all that many pics since I was busy with Indigo most of the time, but you all understand! :o)

I can't wait for next year! Thank you so much for going to so much trouble in your life Anne and so many others for bringing the PF to life. My dh and I truly owe my life and Indigo's to this forum. We LOVE you all very much! :o)

Elizabeth

Indigo E. 11/20/03:37wks, PIH
ttc #2 is a go!

I am completely wiped. Like Catherine, I need time to process things but thanks to everyone for participating (both there and behind the scenes) to pull things together. I (and we all did) missed Laura. ALOT. I was wishing I had more time with each of you there (and those we missed!!!!!) because it was just too short. For me--it highlighted the value of 1:1 time. I went with Eleni to Vancouver for the NASSHP meeting (Paul joined us for one of the days) and that was also very informative. For me it was interesting because it is so academic. They are still arguing over whether or not to use Magnesium, how to check proteinuria, how to define high blood pressure, etc...Paul went to the session where all the junior (residents, young fellows, even a 1st year med student) spoke and many of them were very excited to support our work. The older set were more reticent to get involved with the research but the good news is they need us as much as we need them. It is great that we have people like Dr. Easterling and Dr. August (whose reputations are stellar) defining the research mechanism for our database and people like Paul and Ileana putting together the instrument. Paul, Eleni and I were lucky to get a good chunk of time with Dr. James Walker from the UK. Dr. Walker is routinely cited as one of the top three doctors internationally on preeclampsia and he is also just a really good man. He is very supportive of our registry idea and has been working on a couple similar projects in the UK. With the UK's group APEC being interested in possibly merging with us--there is a possibility of some broader research implications.

Thanks to all the presenters, volunteers, everyone. I am sooooo tired it is not even funny.

Take care divas. You rule! (And your DH's too.)

Anne Garrett
Executive Director
Preeclampsia Foundation