Where have they gone?

To each his/her own, it’s none of my business and all those similar thoughts might be true but I miss the old days when regularly there would be a post or brilliant reply from PrimeBoy, Zywie, lorraine-cooper1960, christiesdad, Xerxes, SinfulSot, Heidi and others.  I know Gute’s watching from above and we all miss him.  I’m so thankful for LadyHope, MMSH, Bill, Mrs.A and all those others of you who continue to take the time and expend the energy to make things better for us.  

Let’s find Mooza.

With gratitude for all we have,

Mike

well said mike, thank goodness for the "faithful few" who regularly post....yourself included. i often wonder what happened to some of our past members, hopefully they have found other ways to pass the time. hope they are all well. regards mmsh

Thank you Mike! ;I do try to post often and keep connected with everyone. We are a special, courageous group of people who have battled some tough illnesses. For today, we conquered those issues, when we post we give our courage, strength and hope to others. Primeboy said in a previous post that we are our brother's keeper...we watch out for each other as we would care for ourselves. I believe it. Well said Primeboy! Have a nice evening. LH

Hello Mike. Thanks so much for writing this post. I often sit here wondering where people are now and how they are getting along. Then I recall that every now and then one of them will pop back and make a comment and it somehow feels better again. I just presume that life on the internet is a bit like real life in that people move on and do their own thing. It comforts me to think that maybe their lives have got that much better that they no longer have the need to be involved here on a regular basis. After all, there are so many participants who join us and rarely, if ever post anything. Perhaps some of our old communicative friends have taken to being observers rather than active participants. I know that I sometimes pop in to see what's being said  but don't have the time to respond. Perhaps they feel that way too. Who knows?  But I do wish them all well whatever they are doing.

Bill

Thanks for pitching in.  The contributions by those "regulars" of the past are priceless.  You folks contribute similarly and we're really fortunate to have each other.  Besides the empathy, sympathy, compassion and kindness, there's a wealth of hands-on practical information to improve the lives of ostomates young and old and ostomates-to-be.  

Let's try to continue being there for each other and all who need us.

Mike

Thank you Mike. It's good to know that I'm missed. I started working again recently. I really like this site and feel blessed to have found it. It is very informative and the members are so supportive of each other.

Thanks for checking in Heidi.  Glad to hear you're back at work.  Hope you keep in touch when you can.

Mike

Hi Heidi, Glad that things are going well, you are feeling better and are back to work. That is great news. Keep in touch when you can. Take care. Happy Spring! LH

Thank you LH. You are so sweet,and I hope things are going well for you too.

Yes, thing are going well. How are you feeling. It sounds like the reversal was successful. I am so happy for you.

Some regulars from the past are still around but ;tend to ;stay on the sidelines. I loved to post all the time and join in the busy chatroom. Xerxes and I had a lot of fun taking some ;discussion threads to ;places never intended by the originators or connecting forum topics to something Shakespeare wrote. Zeppo used to award points for clever or outrageous comments and Mooz would let out a loud AARRRRGGGGHHHH! heard all the way here from Melbourne. Many of the things we talked about had little to do with ostomies but everything to do with so many other shared interests.

A few of us still frequent the chatroom late Friday evenings and talk not only about the good old days on this site but also about how we are getting along today. Even though I am not as active here as I once was, I still appreciate all the great friends ;I made here and how vital this forum has been in enabling me and so many others ;to adjust to our ostomy.

For these reasons I recently changed my membership status from "full" to "lifetime" and I expect to get off the sidelines real soon ;to renew old friendships and ;meet many of our new ostomates.

Hi Primeboy, Thanks for the post. Great to hear from you. Hope all is well. Take care and have a nice weekend. LH

Hello Primeboy.

Great to hear that you are thinking of rejoining the regular written contributing bunch as your posts have been greatly missed.

The Friday evening  chatroom sessions are far too late at night for me but I can understand the enthusaism for them. 

I can also understand why people prefer private chat  to sharing their conversations with a wider audience. 

It reminds me of the introduction of out of town shopping malls where people have seen the advantages and drifted that way.

Unfortunately, many of the shops in town are now boarded up because they don't have enough business to keep them going.

Best wishes

Bill

Aww Mike,

You and many others make outstanding post here and make coming to the forum worthwild. I have also had some changes in my life and seem to pop in when no one is about. I too miss many of the folks like Firedup, Sinful Sot and Mooza but am truly grateful for those who have remained constant. Like the others I too am in hope that they are well and are happy in doing whatever and where ever they are. All the folks that post on MAO will always be in my prayers and never far from my heart.

Hiya! I totally miss you all!! And think of you all so often :)

Between my job and ever growing family .. I just don't have a lot of time to post or pop into chat... But do know that I and I am sure the other beautiful people here smile and think of you all.. Have a great Monday gang!! Miss you all!!

great news....

Hi "All"....Many thanks toyou Mike, for posting this topic.

I've been guilty of letting my membership lapse, and just not visiting the site regularlyso I too changedmy membership to lifetime, figuring that my ostomy will be with me a "lifetime". MMSH....always good to hear from you, and PB too.I'll be going to the conference in DC, and will finally get to meet Lady Hope.Is anyone else going?

I noticed that a lot of new people have begun to post....so I guess those of us who remember the "old timers" are now the Old timers.I don't seem to find many people in the general chat room.....when I check in there.Is there a specific time that it's more active...

Best wishes to all... Marsha

Hi LH. The reversal was successful and I feel great. Thanks so much for asking.

Hey, Heidi92. It's so wonderful to hear from you. Glad to hear everything is going well and that you're once again well enough to bless the lucky patients of Madisonville. Keep in touch! ;

Thanks for the compliment Mark!

I suppose it could be that life just has some folks busier than when once were. Maybe they will stop back sometime.

Hi Heidi,

Good to hear all is working out well. Welcome back

Hey Heidi and Mrs.A.  Just nice to know you guys are hanging around and reading.  

Please keep in touch.

Mike

Hi Everyone, Just checking in....hope everyone is having a nice summer. Just returned from a short trip to Boston, MA. It was a fun mini vacation. We really enjoyed visiting the sites. Take care. LH

It is possible that some of the older members have benefitted from their time here and then moved on to address other challenges in their life. That is how support groups often work. Still, many of us make friends and feel a continuing need to say in touch. I feel I am in this latter group. WHile I was most active about 4 to 5 years ago, I made dozens of friends and communicated daily. Over time I lost many friends through attrition, but managed o stay in touch with a few. Even now, some of those who have left are ;slowly returning and being welcomed back into the fold. It's easy to see their past contributions by examining older threads. You will often feel amazed at all the vital wisdom and practical information left us by the "departed" which is still available to readers who take time out to explore previous contributions. They may be gone but are not forgoten.

PB

Thank you, Primeboy!

I'm a newbie, and if there was anything on this site to make me feel most welcome, it is your love and respect for the "oldies." Which, if I live long enough, I might become, in due course of time.

I've been running a couple of associations for endangered breeds of goats. Sure, you can learn all you need to know about raising goats by surfing the web. Kind of. But not really. To do it right, you need to talk to someone. Oldies are lovely.

Over time, the wisdom of the oldies may fade, and that's OK. Oldies don't need to be the brightest star, it's perfectly respectable if they fade from yellow to green to blue to. . .indigo? Can you really even see that?

Us newbies love to read up on stuff. But nothing feels better than the closeness of our immediate wordsmiths. Especially if they fire back answers, and we get to converse.

That's why websites are helpful, but GOOD chat sites are so much more personal, fulfilling, and untimately helpful. We DO respect our oldies.Ultimately, even if we have to address the same questions over and over again, always rediscovering our answers that were already written many times somewhere else, it's OK.

It's not the answers we need most of all, it's the interaction that it takes to get there. Humanity.

Hello NotDeadYet. Thanks for the post

"It's not the answers we need most of all, it's the interaction that it takes to get there."

I think I will be able to use this time and again  in future.

Best wishes

Bill

Welcome back LH.  Glad you enjoyed your trip and just your little note can be encouraging to lots of folks wondering where their lives are going.

Thanks,

Mike

Hi PB.  Always a pleasure to read your stuff.  So many have learned so much from you and some of the "departed".  I want to think you folks are still available when needed.  So many lives were changed for the better because of your contributions.

Mike

Hey NDY, I just can't resist.  If I was asked if I knew anything about goats I would have to answer, "Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahh".

OK, seriously, thank you for your efforts with the endangered guys.  Where would we be without folks like you?

Sincere thanks,

Mike