Post by Linda51 on Jul 22, 2008 10:31:50 GMT -6
Hello Everyone!
I just got home last night around 10:33 pm. I just want to thank everyone who took the time out of their busy scheldue to come to this conference. A month ago I thought we had made a big mistake by having this conference this year and by going to Chicago but actually it was the opposite CHICAGO was the place to have this conference and this was the year to have it. Chicago has some of the best doctors out there among other cities as well.
We had 41 ppl to come to the conference that counting SCT surviviors, family members and speakers but we didn't have 41 ppl to attend all at once. The way the hotel had the room set up when you walk in it look like a full house. We had father and son, mother and daughter, sisters, son and mother, husband and wife, one set of parents so we had a variety and we had some SCT survivors by themselves.
Westin Hotel was a beautiful hotel. I didn't hear any bad comments. Since we thought it was going be a small number we decided to go with breakfast and lunch on both days which was the best thing to do because there wasn't any restuarants to close by and for the most of us we would have needed transportation. So for future conferences we will probably do it the same way to serve breakfast and lunch but have it set up in the main conference room. We had a great view of the lake from the main conference room.
All of the speakers were just wonderful I didn't hear a bad comment on any speaker. In fact I did hear one person say they thought some of the speakers might not be that interesting but they were wrong.
The highlight for me was seeing my NS there. He was already in the room when I got back from lunch on Saturday. It was great to see him again after 9 years. I think he was totally surprise when we had 2 patients there wanting to know when could he see them and was coming up to chat with him when he got through and asking for his business card. I had the honors to introduce him and when he got up to the podium he said "thank you Linda that was the best introduction I have ever had". He also told me he was very impressed with everything which made me feel so good inside. He also like the hotel as well. I think it kinda hit me during Dr. Jallo presentation what had just happen and I was fighting back the emotion and I had just come full circle.
Well, there more to say but at this time I will stop and let others say something. Thanks again to everyone who attended you made my weekend and all the time and work put into it was well worth it.
~Linda
PS: I forgot to say we had 19 SCT survivors with 2 patients. It almost a tied between the guys and gals. 10 guys and 11 gals.
PSS: I want to add special thanks to the conference committee and helpers. Also, I forgot to thank Stacey Switzer at the end of the conference for getting us the LCD Projector this time. Also, she let us use her video camera and tripod so thank you Stacey. Also Jennifer Wolff saved us by having her laptop with her. In the past we had been used to having Missy and Brad (Ida's husband) there and they took care of getting everything hook up but this time they couldn't make it. To make a long story very short Jennifer show up with her laptop and everything work out great and we got started a little late but ended on time and even had time to pass the microphone around for everyone to introduce themselves.
Last note we was afraid we wouldn't get enough people to come to the conference to take care of the rooms blocked. I left Autumn a voice mail Monday morning and we got 34 rooms out of the 40 and all we needed was 32 so we made it! Thanks again to all who stay at the Hotel without you we wouldn't have made it.
I just got home last night around 10:33 pm. I just want to thank everyone who took the time out of their busy scheldue to come to this conference. A month ago I thought we had made a big mistake by having this conference this year and by going to Chicago but actually it was the opposite CHICAGO was the place to have this conference and this was the year to have it. Chicago has some of the best doctors out there among other cities as well.
We had 41 ppl to come to the conference that counting SCT surviviors, family members and speakers but we didn't have 41 ppl to attend all at once. The way the hotel had the room set up when you walk in it look like a full house. We had father and son, mother and daughter, sisters, son and mother, husband and wife, one set of parents so we had a variety and we had some SCT survivors by themselves.
Westin Hotel was a beautiful hotel. I didn't hear any bad comments. Since we thought it was going be a small number we decided to go with breakfast and lunch on both days which was the best thing to do because there wasn't any restuarants to close by and for the most of us we would have needed transportation. So for future conferences we will probably do it the same way to serve breakfast and lunch but have it set up in the main conference room. We had a great view of the lake from the main conference room.
All of the speakers were just wonderful I didn't hear a bad comment on any speaker. In fact I did hear one person say they thought some of the speakers might not be that interesting but they were wrong.
The highlight for me was seeing my NS there. He was already in the room when I got back from lunch on Saturday. It was great to see him again after 9 years. I think he was totally surprise when we had 2 patients there wanting to know when could he see them and was coming up to chat with him when he got through and asking for his business card. I had the honors to introduce him and when he got up to the podium he said "thank you Linda that was the best introduction I have ever had". He also told me he was very impressed with everything which made me feel so good inside. He also like the hotel as well. I think it kinda hit me during Dr. Jallo presentation what had just happen and I was fighting back the emotion and I had just come full circle.
Well, there more to say but at this time I will stop and let others say something. Thanks again to everyone who attended you made my weekend and all the time and work put into it was well worth it.
~Linda
PS: I forgot to say we had 19 SCT survivors with 2 patients. It almost a tied between the guys and gals. 10 guys and 11 gals.
PSS: I want to add special thanks to the conference committee and helpers. Also, I forgot to thank Stacey Switzer at the end of the conference for getting us the LCD Projector this time. Also, she let us use her video camera and tripod so thank you Stacey. Also Jennifer Wolff saved us by having her laptop with her. In the past we had been used to having Missy and Brad (Ida's husband) there and they took care of getting everything hook up but this time they couldn't make it. To make a long story very short Jennifer show up with her laptop and everything work out great and we got started a little late but ended on time and even had time to pass the microphone around for everyone to introduce themselves.
Last note we was afraid we wouldn't get enough people to come to the conference to take care of the rooms blocked. I left Autumn a voice mail Monday morning and we got 34 rooms out of the 40 and all we needed was 32 so we made it! Thanks again to all who stay at the Hotel without you we wouldn't have made it.
