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(me at twelve, cute huh?)

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About Me

 

     Couldn't resist the temptation to snoop around my private life, huh? Boy you must be bored! :)

In answer to the many emails (no really, there've been LOTS!) inquiring about me, I decided to trump this page up a little. But you guys have really got to get a life!

 

To start with, I'm not that cute little boy any more. I'm happy to announce, I'm now 44 years old as of Nov. 15th, 1999. (Send gifts!)

Why am I happy? Well, when I was 13, my doctor told me life expectancy for a "Sickler" was 35. To have made 44 is no small feat.

 

Living with Sickle Cell hasn't been easy. I've had to change my career three times and I still don't know what I wanna be when I grow up.

 

My first career, way back in 19 and 78, was Respiratory Therapy. Before my little five year stint was up, I'd spent so much time as both a patient and employee, the rest of the staff was getting confused.

"Weren't you up on the 5th floor the other day, giving a patient breathing treatments?" Some baffled nurse would ask.

My doctor (not the one who tried to kill me) finally put an end to it when he insisted I file for disability. But that wasn't the life for me. I couldn't bear sitting around waiting for an SSI check.

 

Two years later, I started training for Piping Drafting. What's that? A piping draftsman designs the blue prints for large oil refineries. I always loved creating and drafting seemed like an excellent outlet.

Unfortunately, after 8 weeks training, five days a week, 8 hours a day, I took seriously ill and had to miss the last 2 weeks. Suffice it to say, I never finished that course and so ended my second career.

 

Although I tried to do as my doctor, family and friends were requesting, I still couldn't take sitting around the house idle. About three years ago, I enrolled in a local vocational school to study computer programming.

This time I completed the course and some idiot actually hired me! Go figure. It had been over 10 years since last I held a full time position and it was with great apprehension I took the job.

Things went well for about five to six weeks but then I started running down. Approximately four months after I was hired, my temp contract expired (along with my will to live!) and wasn't renewed. I didn't expect to be employed in the first place and didn't push the issue when I was "released."

 

Stuck at home again, I started rooting around the internet and got a brite idea. I'd learn Web Design! Yeah right, why not pick up Aeronautics while I'm at it?

Actually, I've learned  lot about these com-poo-ters and am now launching my own Web Design business.

I've had five operations, three of them hip replacements. (Don't look at me, THEY were the jerks loosing count!) I run down easily, I poop out at parties, I'm unpoopular... Sorry, channeling Lucy there. And on really hot days, my shoulders ache. Heck, they ache all the time.

But you know what? I love my life.

 

And if you find that S.O.B. doctor that told me I'd be dead by 35, tell him I want a refund!!