AI - Just when it could not POSSIBLY get weirder [Archive]

adduncan

10-26-2003, 01:47 AM

Hi folks..

(See, I TOLD you I'd be around!)

I know I've conversed w/ many of you about my AI process both on the boards and in private and the subject always comes up that things happen for a reason, whether those things seem good or bad at the time.

This very afternoon (Saturday, of all days...) I found out that Pat and I will have to relocate to the Chicago area by June 2004 at the latest.

To say the least, I am NOT looking forward to this. Moving is hell and I put down some long roots in Houston. But realistically, Pat's job has been hanging by a thread due to some internal machinations at Minute Maid/CCNA and he has to get the hell outta there or reserve a spot in the unemployment line.

On the other hand, we're going to be closer to his family, and one of my SILs will be only minutes away.

For my AI pursuit.....this REALLY and truly puts me back at square one. New city, new part of the country, new dynamics in the GLO world. In a way, it worked out that I hadn't settled into a GLO home yet--I would feel horrible if I were initiated, then had to move away from the people who worked to vote me in. It just wouldn't be fair to the org.

For the next few months I am planning my little heart out to transition my day gig, get my business moved........and I'm holding Pat to our deal that if we ever move away from Houston, I get to retire from full-time work.

BTW - the new job is in Evanston, IL and we're going to be hunting for homes on the north to northwest side of Chicago. My SIL is in Winnetka.

Pardon me for being a little scatterbrained. The shock wave hasn't worn off yet and I'm going to have a few more cry sessions before I settle in to this.

Hugs everybody. {{{GC}}}
Adrienne
:o

Jill1228

10-26-2003, 01:11 AM

http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/smileyhug.gif
Hug coming your way hon!

Ya know this sounds cliche, but I guess everything happens for a reason. As far as AI goes, yes you are back to square one. Let me quote Garth Brooks (I love that man):
"Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers"

Here is another hug for ya...you might need it!
http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/smileyhug.gif

DeltaBetaBaby

10-26-2003, 01:14 AM

Well, I will tell you that there are a lot of Chicago GCers, and some of us even come from orgs. that do AI.

Jill1228

10-26-2003, 01:17 AM

There were some in Chicago that actually did AI:
Valkyrie (who is now near Denver)
and DGMarie

CutiePie2000

10-26-2003, 02:23 AM

Originally posted by Jill1228
There were some in Chicago that actually did AI:
Valkyrie (who is now near Denver)
and DGMarie

Yes, that is absolutely right! (Jill was just much quicker and beat me to it!)

Sistermadly

10-26-2003, 01:53 PM

*cough* Headquartered in Evanston, IL....

Lots of active alumnae in the area..

Valkyrie just moved from that area... *cough*

*innocent look* What? :D

astroAPhi

10-26-2003, 03:38 PM

Adrienne,
I'm very sorry to hear that you have to leave the place that you call home, and that your AI search is back to where you started. However, I wish you the best. Chicago is my home, and it is truly a beautiful city. I grew up about 4 towns west of Evanston, and it will always be home to me.

I knew there was gonna be tons of A Phis in here when I saw the words "Chicago", and especially "Evanston". haha. :D

MelodyCat

10-26-2003, 06:00 PM

*big, big hugs*

I like Jill's take on this. . . sometimes our prayers go unanswered for a reason. I'll be sending extra prayers your way.

Cluey

10-26-2003, 06:13 PM

Moving stinks, but I've heard nothing but great things about Chicago.

Best of luck with your move and your continued interest in AI :)

~ Annie :)

SmartBlondeGPhB

10-26-2003, 07:23 PM

To post a little more, I would think most if not all GLO's have really strong alumnae chapters in the Chicago area. I know we have 2 or 3 (last time I looked - maybe more).

Lady Pi Phi

10-26-2003, 07:53 PM

Sorry for the Hijack, but I notice you said that you're husband works for Minuted Maid/Coke...so does my mum and I worked for them for 4 summers as well...
I definitly know what you mean. My mum had the same troubles when Minute Maid and Coca-Cola Ltd Canada merged into one. So many people lost their jobs...my mum was one of the lucky ones...well sort of...it's definitly best to get out while he still can.

Anyway end hijack.

Best of luck to you on your move and more good wishes for the future.

cutiepatootie

10-26-2003, 08:47 PM

Originally posted by Sistermadly
*cough* Headquartered in Evanston, IL....

Lots of active alumnae in the area..

Valkyrie just moved from that area... *cough*

*innocent look* What? :D

to quote my sister sistermadly and please allow me to COUGH REAL LOUD HERE **cough cough** chicago **cough cough** evanston **cough cough** A PHI HQ **cough cough** AI possibilities **cough cough** even better,

BTW the info i tried to get for you elsewhere they never even wrote me back after the first email i sent them.

Laura

aopirose

10-27-2003, 11:10 AM

I too believe in unanswered prayers. Good luck with your move! Chicago is one of our favorite cities. My husband goes up twice a year for business and sometimes I travel with him. I used to travel for business there too but it is way more fun being a tourist!

DeltaBetaBaby

10-27-2003, 08:29 PM

I would like to gently remind everyone that AI, like all recruitment, is mutual selection.

Unregistered-

10-27-2003, 10:18 PM

Originally posted by DeltaBetaBaby
I would like to gently remind everyone that AI, like all recruitment, is mutual selection.

Ditto that DBB. Now where's that "Shameless plugs" thread again?

cutiepatootie

10-27-2003, 10:52 PM

Its not shamless plug time when someone ask you for advice and assistance with AI thank you very much! :(
BTW the ones making those comments have been assisting in this path and know the situation well so if we do any harmless ribbing like we did our deepest apologies.

Laura

33girl

10-28-2003, 12:04 AM

As SmartBlondeGphiB stated, almost all GLOs have strong alum chapters in the Chicago area, since Greek life is so strong in the midwest. To say one group would be more of a possibility than another simply because their HQ is there really doesn't make sense.

Sistermadly

10-28-2003, 12:05 AM

No offense, but knowing Adrienne like I do, I don't think I have anything to apologize for.

Yes, AI is a mutual selection process. We know that. I can't -- and won't -- speak for anyone else, but I don't think that the post I made indicated that Adrienne was a shoe-in for Alpha Phi.

It was a good-natured nudge between two GC buddies. That's all. However, if the reaction makes the original poster uncomfortable, I'll delete my post if she asks me to.

AchtungBaby80

10-28-2003, 01:00 PM

Cool it, it's all right. I don't think Sistermadly was out of line, especially if she knows Adrienne. It would be a different story if this were a random PNM who came on here and everyone was like, "Pick myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy sorority, it's the best!" but that's not what's going on so don't worry about it. It's not worth getting knickers in a twist over something that was said only half seriously. ;)

By the way, Adrienne, I can understand your shock--that's a long way to move! I wish you luck.

Tom Earp

10-28-2003, 05:15 PM

First off Addriene, sorry about the move! Moving sucks, 7 times in 7 years, non-military too!

PNAI is like a rush process, except, it is not a lot of people going through rush but one.

PNAI is a relative new thing to all of us. I know I have had PMs about NIC Orgaizations and dont really know the answer. But I have learned a lot on here to see what Soroitys are doing. It is still very new to some and some fight against it. Why, I do not have a clue. But, if there is a person so interested in My Organization, who has graduated and did not have a chance to become a member, I would be flattered.:)

They who were a little more Mature now, show and interest in My Fraternity Ideals and programs. Is that so wrong?:confused:

Every Man that We as My Chapter gave an (Honorary Initiation), which by the way, they do become full Brothers, for was someone who showed that there was the interest, and upon initiation, still worked for The Chapter and Fraternity!:)

daoine

10-28-2003, 05:26 PM

I can't imagine having to move that much -- that really sucks!

I also can't imagine going back to Square 1 again, but if you have the strength to do it, you're going to be BY FAR the most knowledgable woman when it comes to AI EVER. I *really* hope that things, for whatever reason, tumble into place this time!

DZHBrown

10-31-2003, 10:50 AM

Like SmartBlondeGPhiB said, that seems to be a pretty strong Greek area. I know DZ has 2 or 3 chapters there! (Why yes, we do AI. :D )

cutiepatootie

10-31-2003, 11:06 AM

Dzhbrown bad girl ...heheheh :D the shameless plug police will come after you..... come join the bad side lol :)

laura

DZHBrown

10-31-2003, 12:06 PM

Originally posted by cutiepatootie
Dzhbrown bad girl ...heheheh :D the shameless plug police will come after you..... come join the bad side lol :)

laura

Oops, I actually didn't read the whole thread before I posted mine! I didn't realize that was a sensitive topic here! I just wanted to inform that we do indeed do AI! Sorry

Tom Earp

10-31-2003, 05:56 PM

Not to worry!:)

This is LXAALUM and my thread! We are very nice guys, WE are Lambda Chis!:cool:

By The Way A, Still trying to push Good Luck towards you all the way!

adduncan

11-01-2003, 01:21 PM

Hi Kids--

Thanx so much to everyone looking out for me. I think I'm going to write a novel about this journey one of these days.

OK, here's the latest. As of about Wednesday-ish, Chicago is on indefinite hold.

It turns out my better half has had some vision problems lately (double vision, specifically). As soon as he saw his PCP, he got hustled into a neuro-ophthamologist's office PDQ. Within 48 hours he was scanned w/ an MRI (initially they thought he had a tumor, aneurysm or MS)

The good news is, all of those very major, scary things are ruled out. The MRI was textbook normal. (Hey, he *has* a brain, that was good news itself! And somehow this genius managed to fall asleep during the very LOUD scan.)

The bad news is, we're in the realm of exotic autoimmune disorders and further tests should pick out which one, if that's the case. (Best case scenario is "s**t happens" and they just correct the eye alignment--not holding out for the longshot, tho.) Mr. Adrienne decided not to change insurance companies and jobs and cities before we solve this new problem. (Wise move, IMHO. When you live down the block from one of the top medical complexes on the planet, you don't take it for granted.)

So life is in one big holding pattern for our household. So anyone who wants to send over positive vibes and/or prayers to whatever diety you acknowledge, I'll be grateful.

I don't mean to be a downer, folks. Just keeping the crew up to date and sometimes that means everything isn't all roses.

{{{{{GC}}}}}
Adrienne

navane

11-01-2003, 02:39 PM

Oh my, I have prayed that the doctors would be able to discover the problem and find ways to correct it. I'm thinking of you both!

Did the doctor actually say that they were exclusively looking into the possibility of a rare condition?

A few years ago, my dad was reading the newspaper one Sunday morning when, all of a sudden, he couldn't see the upper left quadrant of the paper. That is, if he looked at a wall, the upper left section of his vision simply wasn't there. He called out to my mom, a registered nurse to come in. When she came in, he could only see her from the waist down. (?!!!) She drove him to the hosptial where he underwent lots of tests which came out normal. At the end of it all, his vision came back by itself and they concluded that he had experienced an "atypical migraine". This type of migraine is one that is not normal for whatever reason - in this case he did not feel a headache. Migraines are known for messing up vision.

A year or two later, I started having blurry vision, but my head didn't hurt or anything. I too had to go to a doctor to undergo all kinds of tests including an MRI (I didn't fall asleep!!) to check for brain tumors. My MRI came back completely normal. Guess what the doctor told me? He said that he believes I had an atypical migraine! Funny that, across two years and two doctors, my dad and I both had the same condition. I guess it's hereditary.

At any rate, I'm hoping that your husband could be experiencing something as simple as that.

Sending good wishes your way!

.....Kelly :)

CutiePie2000

11-03-2003, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by adduncan
When you live down the block from one of the top medical complexes on the planet, you don't take it for granted

Sounds very wise to me.

BaylorBean

11-05-2003, 09:14 AM

Good luck with everything. I moved to Houston to go to school here because of the medical center. I am in the heart of it currently and it is definately a very wise decision to stay around here until you find out what is wrong. From what I have witnessed here, Houston is definately one of the best places to get sick in (that sounds bad but hopefully you know what I mean).
I moved here from the general Chicago area, and I miss it so much! Houston is great but there is just something about Chicago that will always make me want to move there.
Good luck and I hope everything turns out for the best! :)

BadSquirrelBeta

11-09-2003, 01:58 PM

You have such a grand outlook--yes...things happen for a reason and I wish you all the luck when you get settled with your AI pursuits...no matter which groups you are interested in, let me know if I can help! I just keep thinking that you are moving to the land of the Blues Bros and I can't get the song out of my head...c'mon...baby don't you wanna go...sweet home Chicago!!

Take care and keep us informed!!!

adduncan

11-10-2003, 05:30 PM

Hi gang.

Well, there are still tests to run and doctor's appointments to keep, but it's beginning to look like my better half has Graves disease.

Considering all of the things that were possible (multiple sclerosis, cancer, etc) THIS IS FANTASTIC NEWS!!! Graves is a relatively-speaking "easy" thing to manage and it is not life-threatening.

I thank everyone for their positive words/thoughts/etc. You don't realize how close you get to someone (ie, a spouse) until you're hit smack in the face with the prospect of losing them.

Once the medical workup gets completed and confirmed we can get the show on the road with treatment and life can finally continue.

{{{GC}}}
Adrienne
:D

tinydancer

11-10-2003, 05:33 PM

I am sooo glad to find out that it is not as serious as you thought. Well, I mean, it is serious, but I'm glad it is not life-threatening.

PenguinTrax

11-10-2003, 05:53 PM

I have Graves' - feel free to e-mail me.

adduncan

11-24-2003, 07:14 PM

Yes, folks, I'm here. :)

OK, here's the rest of the news.
Mr. Adrienne went thru a few marathons of testing - the docs backed off the Graves disease diagnosis, and now the final verdict is ocular myasthenia gravis. (In short, the muscles in his eyes are not responding to nerve impulses.) The treatment is some simple oral meds. He'll need some monitoring for a while (read: we're staying in Houston, period) but the condition is NOT life-threatening, and with appropriate care, it may not be really life-altering either. :D

This Thanksgiving, you best believe I'm going to be praising whoever will listen that the situation is not worse. He's going to get back to his marathon training and make sure everything in life gets back to normal.

Mr. Adrienne also put his size-11 foot in my tail end regarding AI as well. He's been my biggest cheerleader and the shoulder I cried on when things crashed and burned. So w/ some time passing, I'm thinking of getting back in the PNAM saddle again.

But regardless, of what has happened this past year....I *want* this--I want to make a significant contribution to Greek life in general, and a GLO chapter in particular.

So we'll see where things go......

Adrienne
(PNAM-2004)

rainbowbrightCS

11-25-2003, 08:56 AM

all I can say is "wow"

He sounds like a great cheerleader.

Jill1228

01-20-2004, 06:10 PM

Sweetie, just posting to let you know that I am in your corner and I want you to find your home this year!

If there is anything I can do, please let me know!

adduncan

01-20-2004, 06:18 PM

Originally posted by Jill1228
Sweetie, just posting to let you know that I am in your corner and I want you to find your home this year!

If there is anything I can do, please let me know!

Jill,
Everything I could need from a GC friend was right in this post!

{{{HUGS}}}

Uplifting words make all the difference in the world.

To make it really brief....I'm talking to people, etc, etc, etc. And we'll see what happens. :cool:

(Update on the other news in this thread: Mr. A finished the Halliburton Half-Marathon on Sunday with no complications in sight! There's a 50/50 chance that the MG will go into remission w/ cont'd treatment. He's been improving week by week and if you didn't know something was wrong, you wouldn't notice!)

Adrienne
:D