Question:
I recently saw a documentary on the making of the original "The Planet of the Apes". Charelton Heston mentioned in an interveiew that he witnessed and amazing phenomenon. The actors and extras dressed in ape suits and makeup spontaneously segregated themselves. Here's what I mean. Those who dressed like orangatangs stayed with orangatangs. Those who were gorillas stayed with gorillas. Those who were chimpanzees stayed with chimpanzees. Now I am not referring to those who appeared and spoke a line or two in the movie. I am talking about people/actors/extras, while still in costume, hanging among themselves during breaks and lunches and dinners.
This is my first time at the conference. Does such a thing happen there? Do those with mild cases hang with mild cases? Do the severe psoriatics hang with the more severe psoriatics? Do different types (guttate, pa and the like) of psoriatics hang with their "kind"? Please excuse the expression. Do the singles stay with singles and the families hang with families? If so, what about the subclassification of mild and severe within those groups? Or the different types of P within the singles and families? You get the idea.
Based on the context of my first paragraph, I am not referring to a deliberate act among our own. I am referring to a happening that is spontaneous and unexplained. Well...like Mr. Heston has said, "a phenomenon"
Simply put, I want all people to join in reindeer games.
Hi Mario,
This will be my 3rd conference, so I have some experience. I would say that there is a good mixture of severity, age, treatment choice, etc. that gather together at the conferences. It does tend to break off into smaller groups at times, but I think that's simply because we're sometimes too large of a group to get reservations for dinner together, etc.
I do see an inclination for those who have "met" via the message boards to bond a bit more quickly. But I have also seen people who have just discovered this disease and support system walk in terrified that they will be all by themselves and not fit in, get quickly swept up by a group preparing to do something together, and spend the rest of the weekend with new lifelong friends. From my experience, I would say that the conference offers a safe place to be yourself, wear short sleeves if you want, or long sleeves if you're not ready, have a good time, learn a great deal about our common bond, and make lifetime friends.
I hope this means you are coming to the conference, and if so, I look forward to meeting you. You'll find it a life changing experience. :)
Yes, I am going to the conference no matter what.
Great question!
The NPF, the conference, the message boards, Capital Hill Day, local meeting, support groups, etc. have bonded so many of us that come from so many different backgrounds. Others can correct me if I’m wrong. We are all in the same boat. There won't be anyone counting of your spots, or judging your severity. You don't get any extra point for longevity of the disease. It is a great opportunity to learn a lot about the disease, but to also be in an environment where you can feel comfortable forgetting about the disease. Everyone there "knows". To one degree or another, we have all walked in each others shoes. Everyone is not only welcome to join in on all of the reindeer games, but it is also encouraged! When I went to my first conference, I did know a few from the message boards. When I left that conference, I had made life long friends all across the country and everywhere in-between. I hope you find the event to be as fulfilling as many of us have. Looking forward to meeting you, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS!
Hi nomo.
From my experience in Boston no one was left alone unless they wanted to be. There were huge groups of people going to dinner ( I remember a bus! ) and then others who walked to restraunts for dinner etc. We were not connected at the hip and if one group decides to go one place and another group chooses another...thats fine! Big groups, lil groups.... We usually all ended up at the same place at some point in the evening.
If your sitting in a session or looking at products at the event strike up a conversation with someone interesting ~ bring em' along! You're not going to believe how many great people you will meet!
As far as severity, choice of treatment, marital status, hair color or eye color lol, it didn't matter as Steve has alread pointed out we are all in the same boat and we enjoy ourselves!
I think there was some type of telephone chain too, so if you want to PM your cell # go right ahead! It's a great way to stay in touch with what's happening.
See you in Portland! :) meet me for coffee!!!!!
Karen
This is going to be my third conference that I have attended along with three trips to Washington DC as part of the National Psoriasis Foundations capital hill day and numerous community meeting and least of all many, many social get together
with friends I have made along the way. My circle of friends include so many different people from such diverse backgrounds all bound together with a common problem, Psoriasis.
It is an opportunity to meet others dealing with the same problems. There is so much information available to you at the conference. You can learn more about your disease and ways of dealing with it. You get out of Portland what you are will to put in. The workshops are invaluable but more importantly the people you will meet is reason enough to go. You are not alone in your disease, 6,000,000,000 otheres share your pain!
I know now but it took a lot of time to realize that Psoriasis does not define me as a human being and I came to that conclusion by chatting here at home, both on the message boards and in the chat room. The friendships I have made are cemented even if a cure was found today; these bonds will never be broken. You get out of the conference what you are willing to invest in it. Putting your self forward is not easy with this disease but if you take that chance I thing you will be well rewarded.
Looking forward to meeting you in Portland.
Mitch
nomobties~
I agree that there do tend to be groups of people that branch off merely due to the fact that they have met before...either on these message boards or at previous conferences/Capital Hill days, etc. However, I do see a huge opportunity to connect with everyone on a social level this time around if you are registered for the Saturday evening dinner cruise.
Often times people are running around heading to workshops and such and there usually seems to not be a whole lot of down time during the conference because one feels the need to pack as much information in the time alotted. So after hours is the time when people have a real opportunity to get social. Usually the social time is during lunch (when they have table topics) and afterwards, but the cruise, again, seems like an excellent opportunity.
Now that I have weighed in heavily for the dinner cruise, I sure hope that you actually have a reservation for it! :rolleyes:
Hope to meet you!
You are going to love it. I have met some great friends over the past two years and it has been wonderful.
Hope to see you there.
Take care,
Diane
This is my first time at the conference. Does such a thing happen there? Do those with mild cases hang with mild cases? Do the severe psoriatics hang with the more severe psoriatics? Do different types (guttate, pa and the like) of psoriatics hang with their "kind"? Please excuse the expression. Do the singles stay with singles and the families hang with families? If so, what about the subclassification of mild and severe within those groups? Or the different types of P within the singles and families? You get the idea.
Based on the context of my first paragraph, I am not referring to a deliberate act among our own. I am referring to a happening that is spontaneous and unexplained. Well...like Mr. Heston has said, "a phenomenon"
Simply put, I want all people to join in reindeer games.
Answers:
Hi Mario,
This will be my 3rd conference, so I have some experience. I would say that there is a good mixture of severity, age, treatment choice, etc. that gather together at the conferences. It does tend to break off into smaller groups at times, but I think that's simply because we're sometimes too large of a group to get reservations for dinner together, etc.
I do see an inclination for those who have "met" via the message boards to bond a bit more quickly. But I have also seen people who have just discovered this disease and support system walk in terrified that they will be all by themselves and not fit in, get quickly swept up by a group preparing to do something together, and spend the rest of the weekend with new lifelong friends. From my experience, I would say that the conference offers a safe place to be yourself, wear short sleeves if you want, or long sleeves if you're not ready, have a good time, learn a great deal about our common bond, and make lifetime friends.
I hope this means you are coming to the conference, and if so, I look forward to meeting you. You'll find it a life changing experience. :)
Answers:
Yes, I am going to the conference no matter what.
Answers:
Great question!
The NPF, the conference, the message boards, Capital Hill Day, local meeting, support groups, etc. have bonded so many of us that come from so many different backgrounds. Others can correct me if I’m wrong. We are all in the same boat. There won't be anyone counting of your spots, or judging your severity. You don't get any extra point for longevity of the disease. It is a great opportunity to learn a lot about the disease, but to also be in an environment where you can feel comfortable forgetting about the disease. Everyone there "knows". To one degree or another, we have all walked in each others shoes. Everyone is not only welcome to join in on all of the reindeer games, but it is also encouraged! When I went to my first conference, I did know a few from the message boards. When I left that conference, I had made life long friends all across the country and everywhere in-between. I hope you find the event to be as fulfilling as many of us have. Looking forward to meeting you, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS!
Answers:
Hi nomo.
From my experience in Boston no one was left alone unless they wanted to be. There were huge groups of people going to dinner ( I remember a bus! ) and then others who walked to restraunts for dinner etc. We were not connected at the hip and if one group decides to go one place and another group chooses another...thats fine! Big groups, lil groups.... We usually all ended up at the same place at some point in the evening.
If your sitting in a session or looking at products at the event strike up a conversation with someone interesting ~ bring em' along! You're not going to believe how many great people you will meet!
As far as severity, choice of treatment, marital status, hair color or eye color lol, it didn't matter as Steve has alread pointed out we are all in the same boat and we enjoy ourselves!
I think there was some type of telephone chain too, so if you want to PM your cell # go right ahead! It's a great way to stay in touch with what's happening.
See you in Portland! :) meet me for coffee!!!!!
Karen
Answers:
This is going to be my third conference that I have attended along with three trips to Washington DC as part of the National Psoriasis Foundations capital hill day and numerous community meeting and least of all many, many social get together
with friends I have made along the way. My circle of friends include so many different people from such diverse backgrounds all bound together with a common problem, Psoriasis.
It is an opportunity to meet others dealing with the same problems. There is so much information available to you at the conference. You can learn more about your disease and ways of dealing with it. You get out of Portland what you are will to put in. The workshops are invaluable but more importantly the people you will meet is reason enough to go. You are not alone in your disease, 6,000,000,000 otheres share your pain!
I know now but it took a lot of time to realize that Psoriasis does not define me as a human being and I came to that conclusion by chatting here at home, both on the message boards and in the chat room. The friendships I have made are cemented even if a cure was found today; these bonds will never be broken. You get out of the conference what you are willing to invest in it. Putting your self forward is not easy with this disease but if you take that chance I thing you will be well rewarded.
Looking forward to meeting you in Portland.
Mitch
Answers:
nomobties~
I agree that there do tend to be groups of people that branch off merely due to the fact that they have met before...either on these message boards or at previous conferences/Capital Hill days, etc. However, I do see a huge opportunity to connect with everyone on a social level this time around if you are registered for the Saturday evening dinner cruise.
Often times people are running around heading to workshops and such and there usually seems to not be a whole lot of down time during the conference because one feels the need to pack as much information in the time alotted. So after hours is the time when people have a real opportunity to get social. Usually the social time is during lunch (when they have table topics) and afterwards, but the cruise, again, seems like an excellent opportunity.
Now that I have weighed in heavily for the dinner cruise, I sure hope that you actually have a reservation for it! :rolleyes:
Hope to meet you!
Answers:
You are going to love it. I have met some great friends over the past two years and it has been wonderful.
Hope to see you there.
Take care,
Diane
1 2