HELLO, MY FRIENDS! MY NAME IS CYNTHIA. I AM A SINGLE 41 YEAR OLD CATHOLIC WOMAN. I AM A CHRISTIAN EXISTENTIALIST IN MY PHILOSOPHICAL BENT.
HEALTH PROBLEMS KEEP ME FROM WORKING. MY DIAGNOSES INCLUDE: SYSTEMIC LUPUS,ENDOMETRIOSIS, HASHIMOTO'S THYROIDITIS, PERNICIOUS ANEMIA, ASTHMA,IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIA, CROHN"S DISEASE,SJOGREN'S SYNDROME, DIABETES.
HOWEVER YOU CANNOT KEEP A GOOD WOMAN DOWN FOR LONG. I PLAN AFTER HAVING BEEN REGULATED WITH THE RIGHT TREATMENT REGIMENT, TO BE OUT WORKING AND CONTRIBUTING ACTIVELY TO SOCIETY AGAIN. I CANNOT STAY STILL FOR LONG. ACTIVITY IS A MORAL IMPERATIVE TO ME.
WHEN I AM ABLE TO, I DO VOLUNTEER WORK. CURRENTLY, I AM AN OUTSPOKEN ADVOCATE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LUPUS AND OTHER CHRONIC ILLNESSES. I HAVE WRITEN ARTICLES,BEEN INTERVIEWED AND TELEVISED, SPEAKING ABOUT THE TOPIC. I LOVE IT!
I WAS VICE PRESIDENT OF THE LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION OF LUZERNE COUNTY FOR FOUR YEARS AND WAS ON THE STATE BOARD OF THE LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATON OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR TEN YEARS.
I HOLD A MASTERS DEGREE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AND HAVE EXPERIENCE AS A CERTIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATION CONSULTANT AND TEACHER. I DO WORKSHOPS ON VARIOUS TOPICS RELATED TO DISABILITIES. I, MYSELF, HAVE LEARNING DISABILITIES AND ADHD; THEREFORE, I SPEAK FROM BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SCHEDULING A WORKSHOP WITH ME, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
POCONO/NORTHEAST BRANCH OF THE LUPUS FOUNDATION OF PA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING A 15 COUNTY AREA INCLUDING, LACKAWANNA, LUZERNE, CARBON, SCHUYLKILL AND LEHIGH COUNTIES AMONGST OTHERS. ... I AM A MEMBER OF THEIR LOCAL BRANCH COUNCIL; I AM THE LOWER LUZERNE COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE AND THE FACILITATOR FOR F.A.I.T.H. (FACING AUTOIMMUNE ILLNESSES TOGETHER HEAD-ON) OUR LOCAL LUPUS SUPPORT GROUP. FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I HAVE ORGANIZED “THE TAMING THE WOLF FESTIVAL”. (LUPUS IS “WOLF” IN LATIN.). AT THIS FESTIVAL, MY COMMITTEE AND I ASSEMBLE OVER 150 THEME BASKETS FOR A RAFFLE, SELL A VARIETY OF ETHNIC FOODS AND BAKED GOODS, OFFER CRAFTER’S WARES AND PROVIDE HEALTH INFORMATION ON A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS. OUR HARD WORK HAS RAISED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS EACH YEAR WHICH WE ARE PROUD TO BE ABLE TO GIVE TO THE LUPUS FOUNDATION!.
MY PARENTS WERE STRONG CATHOLICS. BOTH WERE DISABLED. THEIR FAITH HAD A STRONG INFLUENCE ON ME. THEY WERE GENEROUS AND SHOWED ME, THAT THROUGH FAITH, I COULD ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER I SET OUT TO DO. I THANK GOD FOR GIVING ME SUCH WONDERFUL, CARING PARENTS.
MOM HAD JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND LATER DEVELOPED MYASTHENIA GRAVIS. SHE WAS TOLD TO NEVER HAVE CHILDREN, BUT IN SPITE OF THAT, HAD 3 CHILDREN. MY SISTER KATHLEEN WAS BORN IN 1955, MY BROTHER JAMES WAS BORN IN 1960, AND LITTLE OLD ME WAS BORN IN 1965.
MOM WAS A FEISTY ITALIAN WITH AN OPINION ON EVERYTHING. SHE DIED IN FEBRUARY, 1995. I MISS HER SO MUCH. : (
MY DAD LOST ONE ARM IN A FIRECRACKER ACCIDENT WHEN HE WAS EIGHT, BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP HIM FROM RUNNING HIS OWN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. HIS COMPANY, SHINGLE KING ROOFING & SIDING, WAS IN OPERATION FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY AND LOST HIS VISION. DAD WAS A VERY PROUD AND INDEPENDENT MAN. HE DIED IN FEBRUARY OF 1998. HIS WITTY SENSE OF HUMOR AND FIERY IRISH SPIRIT ARE SURELY MISSED.
I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED LEARNING ABOUT ME AND MY FAMILY. PLEASE CLICK ON MY MANY LINKS BELOW. I HAVE A WEBSITE WITH FAMILY PHOTOS, ANOTHER WITH MEDICAL WEBPAGES I CREATED. IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME. PLEASE SIGN MY GUESTBOOK, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!