was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease during my seventh grade year of school. It was in September, and I was relieved to know what was going on with my body. However, I was also very upset that within two months I almost tripled my body weight. I went from 80lbs. all the way up to 190lbs. It was not a pretty sight. Anyway, after mild depression about my appearence, I realized that I was lucky to be healthy. So, I finished high school, and am now in college at Transylvania University. So far, no problems, knock on wood.

k, that's not the entire story. I am very lucky that medications work. I hope that they continue to work on my CD for a long time. Please don't think that my condition thus far has been all uphill. I may not have had surgery, but I have had some pretty serious side effects from the meds... Thankfully, none of them ended with me stuck in the hospital for more than a few hours. I'll write more about myself later, but for now this will have to do. Bye.

decided it was time to write some more. Up to this point, my story has been farily non descript. Guess I'm readdy to elaborate about myself. Like I said I go to Transy, and I've just completed my first year at college. I really had a good time...that's bad. This next year I really need to work hard so that I can keep my GPA high...guess I had a little too much fun. Personally I attribute it to the fact that I was a freshman and just hadn't learned how to manage my time. But, I did have a good time, and that was something I desperately needed to do. I've really enjoyed being on my own, away from home. I love my family, but I like being indipendant.

've made friends this year that I plan to keep for a life time, even though some of them won't be back at my univ. next year. We've been through a whole mess of stuff together, and we've all come to rely on one another when we're in a tough situation. We've partied together, cried together, and grown up together this year...it's summer now, and I'd do just about anything for us all to be together again. I miss being able to walk down the hallway and just hang out in their rooms. I miss all of us sneaking out of the dorms after a party. I guess, I'm just ready to see everyone's face again, and to hear their vioces, and to get hit when I make a bad joke. Somehow, talking through the computer just isn't the same. We all stay up to obscene hours typing away at the keyboard, keeping each other informed about our lives. We talk for hours, and sometimes it feels like we're in the same room, but then i hear the beep from the speakers and am reminded that I'm just sitting in front of a screen, and not in a room with my friends. So far, we've talked each other through some pretty nasty situation this summer using our computers. The only problem is you can't hug someone through a computer, or hold them when they need a good cry. No matter how great computers become, they'll never replace a shoulder when someone needs one to cry on. I'm ready for school to start in the fall.

Chris, Adrienne, Wes, Jenny, Crystal, John (my roomie), Scott, Jennifer, Sarah, Jon, Phil, Megan, Jill and everyone else...I miss you guys. Can't wait till the fall when most of us will get to see each other again. Wes, Jenny, Crystal...it's going to be weird without you here next year. I'm not sure how we're going to do it without you. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it without you.

Michael

p.s.~ John (my roomie), you're going to have to go out with us to a couple of parties this year. I'm not taking "no" for an answer. :-)