I'm so sorry to hear your daughter is missing. If you think she might be in
the Atlanta area, let me know and I'll get the word out around here, too.
Just being 16 is stressful enough, I recall, without any additional stumbling
blocks. Please remind Steve that her taking off could have as much to do with
being 16 as with anything else. I know there's not much else I can say but
that my thoughts and prayers are with you.
On the subject of keeping your mind busy.... That's the best advice for all
of us. I have a job that keeps my mind working constantly and my hobbies take
care of any other time I might spend moping otherwise. I know from long term
experience that keeping active makes you feel better -- especially when you
are accomplishing something. I hope Steve throws all his mental efforts into
coming up with ideas to locate your daughter and that he can use the piano to
play away those nagging worries that he doesn't want to voice.
Please keep us informed about your daughter and let us all know if there's
anything we can do to help locate her. We'll do anything we can think of.
Afterall, that's something else we can do to keep our minds busy....
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From: Amy Thropp
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 1997 8:53 AM
To: tmic-list(AT)eskimo.com
Subject: Re: Bill's question/Julienne's response
Speaking as the significant other to Steve who is the one with TM, it can be
very difficult to watch your spouse suffer and be helpless to change
anything, but I have learned that I can survive just about anything and this
bout we are having with TM is just another step in life. I am going to
share something with all of you that has caused us great pain and has
contributed to Steve's suffering more than TM ever could.
Our 16 year old daughter ran away from home 3 weeks ago and we have no idea
where she is. I don't tell you this to gain sympathy (but any prayers on
Rachel's behalf wouldn't hurt). I just want to remind people about the
effects of stress on TM and how it is possible to cope even with the most
difficult of times. Steve has been steadily recovering, although slowly.
You can review some of my previous posts to see his progress. This episode
should have set him back tremendously, but he is so focused on getting
Rachel home and keeping up our strength for our son who is only 8 and has
been away for the summer and doesn't know yet that his sister is gone. It
has been a nightmare for us, and yet, Steve hasn't had a significant
increase in symptoms or problems related to his TM, although I do see him
wince or grab his side when it starts spasming, but it doesn't seem to be
any more than usual.
I guess that when it comes down to it, everyone with TM or a chronic disease
like it should really try to put their energies into something that
completely absorbs them. It's amazing how you can put aside your bodily
symptoms by intensely focusing your mind on something else. I know this
sounds crazy, but if anything good could come out of Rachel's leaving, it is
that Steve found out how to cope with his disease. Now he is focusing on
work, our son, his music (he plays the piano) and our life going forward and
he still slowly continues to improve. He's coming up on the 1 year
aniversary of his TM attack and I have to say that he is significantly better.
We are all stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Keep the faith, folks.
Amy