# Why I'm active on TUG again



## JudyS (Mar 27, 2015)

If you are a long-term TUG member, you may know that I used to be fairly active here. (That's how I have 3000+ posts listed under my user name.) But, I didn't post much for a few years, and now I'm back. Here's why.

In 2008, I came down with something that seemed like the flu, except it didn't go away. I had to quit my teaching job, and I spent much of the next several years bedridden. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, and most of them thought either I was imagining my illness, or that I was just tired because I was out of shape. (In other words, they thought I was "lazy or crazy." During the year before I got sick, I had been exercising vigorously for about an hour a day, but the doctors still thought I was lazy.) 

For the next few years, I often wasn't very active here, other than to try to rent out my weeks or try to give them away. My husband lost his job in the "Great Recession" and I couldn't get disability benefits even though I was way too sick to work. We spent over $100,000 on medical bills in five years, mostly on trying various treatments for me. So, covering the MFs on our timeshares was very difficult. (I owned 24 timeshares at the start of my illness). Renting/giving away our timeshares was a high priority even when I would have rather been resting. 

Luckily, my husband found a good job a couple of years ago. Then, about a year ago, I decided to get direct-to-consumer genetic testing through a company called 23andme.com. (They are closely affiliated with Google, and they charge only $99 for testing for a variety of different defects.)  I was hoping to find something that would help me understand why I was so ill and weak. 23andme really didn't give me any answers as to what caused me to become disabled, but it did find something else very important -- I have a BRCA1 mutation, which causes an extreme risk of breast and ovarian cancer. (A BRCA1 mutation is what led Angelina Jolie to have a double mastectomy.) 

I was shocked that I had this mutation, because no one in my family had ever been diagnosed with ovarian or breast cancer. Most of the doctors and genetic counselors I talked to said it must be a mistake, and they felt 23andme was not reliable. But one doctor was willing to order testing from Myriad Genetics, the main lab that does BRCA1 testing. Myriad Genetics confirmed my BRCA1 defect.

If no one in my family had breast or ovarian cancer, then how could I  have Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome? Well, half of women with Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome inherited it from their fathers. But men rarely get breast cancer, and they can't get ovarian cancer. (Men don't have ovaries.) Probably about 1/3rd of women with BRCA mutations have no family history of breast or ovarian cancer. 

There is increasing evidence that many, probably most, breast cancers in middle-aged or younger women are caused by hereditary cancer syndromes. (A hereditary cancer syndrome means the person was born with a defect that causes cancer, rather than their cells starting out normal and then slowly acquiring genetic damage through exposure to carcinogens or bad luck.) Not all breast cancer genes are easy to find, but some are very common among certain ethnic groups. I'm of European Jewish decent, and people with the same ancestry as me have about a 1-in-40 chance of having a BRCA defect. So, I firmly believe that all women of European Jewish decent would benefit from BRCA testing, even if they have no family history of breast or ovarian cancer. 23andme tests for all three forms of BRCA defects commonly found in European Jews, and only costs $99. If you don't know how to interpret the results, I've posted a thread on the 23andme discussion forums that explains how. 

Even after Myriad Genetics confirmed my BRCA1 mutations, it took about four months before I could find a doctor willing to order a breast MRI. The MRI showed an abnormality in one breast, which turned out to be Ductal Carcinoma in Situ. (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, aka DCIS, is a very early form of breast cancer that is sometimes called "Stage 0" breast cancer.) 

The MRI also caught a glimpse of my liver, which looked very abnormal and inflamed. A biopsy showed I have cirrhosis of the liver. The cause of the cirrhosis seems to be a combination of autoimmune and endocrine problems -- I've tested negative for infectious hepatitis, and I'm not a drinker.

Liver problems can cause severe nausea and fatigue, and the cirrhosis is probably what prevented me from recovering from my illness in 2008. It's nice to finally know what's wrong with me, but cirrhosis is life-threatening and the only good treatment is a liver transplant. 

In November 2014, I had a double mastectomy. I immediately started to have bleeding problems, which were probably caused by my liver disease. In December, I developed massive bleeding into my GI Tract, was rushed by ambulance to the ER, and nearly died. (And it was just like in the movies! I was immediate surrounded by about a dozen frantic doctors and nurses, who were shouting "Get her to trauma bay two!" "Tell the blood bank we need O- blood, stat!" "We're losing her -- stay with us! Stay with us!") 

So, if you were at St. Joe's hospital in Ypsilanti, MI on the morning of December 15, 2014, and had to wait forever to be seen in the ER, now you know why. It was my fault; all the doctors and nurses were busy working on me. 

After five days in the hospital, with the first few in intensive care, they let me go home. I seem to have recovered well from my near-fatal bleeding episode. And, I probably won't have any breast cancer problems down the road. However, I have a bunch of difficult decisions to make. I still have my ovaries, which have a high risk of becoming cancerous. I feel they are ticking time bombs. But, taking them out could cause me to bleed to death.  I also have these extremely uncomfortable devices under the muscles of my chest, called tissue expanders, which were put in as part of the breast reconstruction process. (Boy, do I regret opting for breast reconstruction!) The tissue expanders can't stay in permanently, but taking them out could trigger more bleeding. The combination of cirrhosis and a BRCA1 defect puts me at very high risk of liver cancer, and liver cancer is usually quite lethal. And, I have started to develop endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining.) Endometrial cancer is usually not fatal, but the standard treatment is a hysterectomy, and that would be very risky in my case. So, we (me and my oncologist) are trying to treat the endometrial problem with hormones. (It has hopefully not yet reached the invasive cancer stage.)

Now that my doctors know I have liver disease, my liver inflammation is being treated. Cirrhosis is almost never reversible, even if the inflammation is reduced, but reducing the inflammation makes me feel better. So, I'm in the odd position of feeling better, even though I now know my illnesses are life-threatening. 

Because I feel better, I want to go traveling, and that's making me interested in my timeshares. I'm generally not well enough to travel on my own. (I need to use a wheelchair for anything but the shortest distances, and my upper body is very weak from where they cut into my pectoral muscles -- I should *not* have opted for breast reconstruction!)  But, I might be able to manage an onsite Disney trip on my own, and I'm hoping that sometime in the next year my husband can get a few weeks' leave from work so we can go to Hawaii. 

I also have this very strong desire to make money. Until I became disabled (at which point I could no longer work at all), I was either a student or I was working as an adjunct professor. Being an adjunct pays maybe minimum wage, if you really work fast. The idea that my life may end without me ever making any real money bothers me. (I was never able to have children, either.)  Plus, I may need a liver transplant, and those aren't cheap. 

So, even though my attempt to make money from timeshares was a failure before, I'm trying again. I know a lot more now. Plus, I'm just much clearer on what my goals were. In the past, it was really hard for me to give away timeshares that I had spent good money to purchase. I kept waiting for their value to go back back up. I did this even though I knew better -- I just didn't want to admit that I had made a mistake buying them. Now, I'm going to be less emotional about my timeshares. I'm going to concentrate on rentals in a few areas I know well, and timeshares don't make money for me, I'll get rid of. (Except I'll keep my DVC even if it doesn't make money, because it was an anniversary present from my husband.) 

Huh, I'm facing a life-threatening illness and I want to make money -- both to pay medical bills, and because I find it humiliating that I've never made a good living. I guess that makes me the Walter White of timeshares. (I even know a fair amount of chemistry.) Luckily, renting timeshares doesn't involve shooting people and blowing things up.


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## WinniWoman (Mar 27, 2015)

Gee- I don't know what to say....


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## jackio (Mar 27, 2015)

I am sorry you have been going through so much. I'm glad they found out what was causing your symptoms and that they can treat the symptoms if not the disease. I don't know anything about renting timeshares but I wish you the best of luck.


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## M. Henley (Mar 27, 2015)

*MRIs*

Thank God for MRIs (and CAT Scans).


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## bnoble (Mar 27, 2015)

> Luckily, renting timeshares doesn't involve shooting people and blowing things up.


You owe me one keyboard.  Mine is soaked in coffee.

Welcome back!


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## Glynda (Mar 27, 2015)

*Wow...*

What a roller coaster of events you've been through. Emotions as well! I am so sorry! It must have been, and be, really hard. 

I too had my DNA tested by 23andme.com but I need to add for the readers that 23andme has been put on hold for medical testing by the FDA for now.  Oddly, the same FDA is using, even contracting, 23andme's research, and some hurdles have been cleared, and 23andme is confident that they will eventually be approved to resume, but for now, the DNA testing is *only* for ancestry.  I got in right under the wire and was tested medically and do not have the most common BRCA mutations for early onset breast and ovarian cancer.  My doctor wasn't very interested in my results but I am glad to read that your results held up through further testing though sorry that this has happened to you.  That at least gives more credibility to the rest of the medical testing results from 23andme as well. 

Best wishes for a resolution to your health problems.  Glad you are feeling better and back!

Glynda


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## mpizza (Mar 27, 2015)

Glad your health is stabilizing and welcome back!


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## Pat H (Mar 27, 2015)

Oh, what an awful few years. May everything improve enough so that you can travel and enjoy it.


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## WinniWoman (Mar 27, 2015)

M. Henley said:


> Thank God for MRIs (and CAT Scans).



This is what I do for a living. Promote imaging.


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## pedro47 (Mar 27, 2015)

Welcome back and may God give you the strength and good health so that you may enjoying traveling again.


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## bogey21 (Mar 27, 2015)

Glynda said:


> I too had my DNA tested by 23andme.com but I need to add for the readers that 23andme has been put on hold for medical testing by the FDA for now.



This is ridiculous.  We have politicians who advocate eliminating the IRS.  Maybe they should change course and go for eliminating the FDA.

George


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2015)

Thanks, everyone, for all of the kind words!



Glynda said:


> ...
> I too had my DNA tested by 23andme.com but I need to add for the readers that 23andme has been put on hold for medical testing by the FDA for now.  Oddly, the same FDA is using, even contracting, 23andme's research, and some hurdles have been cleared, and 23andme is confident that they will eventually be approved to resume, but for now, the DNA testing is *only* for ancestry.....


No, this is not true. 23andme _still_ does testing for genetic defects. However, with the FDA ruling, 23andme is not allowed to tell customers "You have a BRCA1 defect" or to give them any other interpretation of their health data. Instead, if 23andme customers want to know their health results, they must take the raw data that 23andme provides and analyze it themselves. This is not as hard as it sounds, because there is a program called Promethease that will do the analysis. 

I was tested by 23andme after the new FDA regulations went into effect, and 23andme wasn't allowed to tell me anything about my health results. I used Promethease to get my health results instead. 

However, if a person only wants to check for the BRCA defects commonly found in people of European Jewish ancestry, I have designed a very easy system that just takes a few clicks. If you are a 23andme member, you can see this method here: 
https://www.23andme.com/you/community/thread/27684/

Bear in mind that there are thousands of known genetic defects that can cause breast cancer. 23andme only tests for the 3 most common defects in the U.S. (These three defects also happen to be very easy to test for -- some genetic defects are harder to find than others.) In the U.S., these three defects are found almost exclusively among people of European Jewish decent. (The same three defects are also found in some Arab populations -- mostly in Yemen, I think.) So, if you belong to any other ethnic group, 23andme can't tell you much about your breast cancer risk.


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2015)

bogey21 said:


> This is ridiculous.  We have politicians who advocate eliminating the IRS.  Maybe they should change course and go for eliminating the FDA...


The FDA ruling, which forbids 23andme from telling customers what their medical testing shows, made it harder for me in many ways. 23andme asks people to "opt in" to see critical health information, so people will be emotionally prepared before they see the results. In contrast, the Promethease program doesn't have any way to opt-in or opt-out, and the default is to show the most important genetic information first. So, I ran Promethease just to see if I could get it to work, and the very first thing it told me was that I had a BRCA1 defect and that on a scale of 1 to 10 of how bad a defect this was (compared to all the other defects 23andme tests for), this was a 10. 

The second thing Promethease told me was that I am female, but I already knew that. (Gender is also a major determinant of life expectancy, which is why it is one of the first things Promethease tells you about.) 

I was really shocked to learn I had a BRCA1 defect, and hoped there was some mistake, but the FDA won't even let 23andme release customers' health results to a genetic counselor. I couldn't find a genetic counselor who was familiar with the output from Promethease., so I was completely on my own.

Obviously, I don't agree with the FDA's limitations on 23andme.


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 27, 2015)

Hi Judy,

Welcome back and thanks so much for sharing your story.

Your inner strength and resourcefulness are truly amazing.

Good luck on your rental ventures and resuming traveling, if you are able is a good goal.

Best wishes,


Richard


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## silentg (Mar 27, 2015)

Glad to see you back on TUG Judy!
Such a nightmare for you to go thru, do you travel alone or have you in the past? Are most of your timeshares in the same area or are they spread out in USA? Keep us informed about your travels and wish you good health to enjoy your timeshare vacations!
TerryC


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## VacationForever (Mar 27, 2015)

Judy, Thank you for sharing.  I have learned a lot from your post.  Good luck and take care!


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## lprstn (Mar 27, 2015)

So glad you are back. I'm praying for good things to come for you. You are a strong person and never regret the past, just keep moving and learning and living life the best you can.

Thanks for sharing your story, it makes us realize that we should never, ever, take our health and lives for granted.


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## Jestjoan (Mar 27, 2015)

*Judy*

Thank you for sharing your story. Sorry you have so many complications. I wish you all the best. 

I had LCIS about 20 years ago.

I did the 23and Me test a few months ago but have only put it through Genetic Genie so far. I will run it through Promethease very soon.

Thanks again, Judy.


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## TUGBrian (Mar 27, 2015)

Wow that story is difficult to read...will say a prayer for you.


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## GrayFal (Mar 27, 2015)

mpizza said:


> Glad your health is stabilizing and welcome back!





Pat H said:


> Oh, what an awful few years. May everything improve enough so that you can travel and enjoy it.





pedro47 said:


> Welcome back and may God give you the strength and good health so that you may enjoying traveling again.



YES to all of the above


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## LisaH (Mar 27, 2015)

Hi Judy, so sorry for what you had to go through. I hope there is medical solution for your ailments soon.
I am so glad you posted, especially info about 23andme. I wanted to get a test done but I am more interested in the disease profiling aspect from its genetic testing. Since FDA shut down that part of the business, I was waiting for it to obtain its regulatory approval. Your post about Promethease is really helpful. I will get the test down now instead of waiting. Thanks!


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## Patri (Mar 27, 2015)

Good grief Judy. We will accept your medical excuse. 
What a nightmare. Very happy to hear you have pulled through. Welcome back. Stay


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## happymum (Mar 27, 2015)

So sorry to hear of your troubles, what a very difficult time you have been through. I appreciate you sharing your story with us so that others can benefit from your experience. I have faced somewhat similar decisions but without the complications of liver disease. I can't imagine how difficult that must be. Hugs to you and best wishes for the opportunity to travel and enjoy.


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## gvic (Mar 27, 2015)

Hello Judy.... God Bless You and your Courage; Faith and "Resolve".  Welcome back....Tugger  Best, gvic


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## susieq (Mar 27, 2015)

Oh my gosh, what an ordeal you both have been through. I admire your resolve to get to the bottom of this. Thoughts and prayers are with you.... may you find the relief and relaxation of a wonderful vacation.............


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## Passepartout (Mar 27, 2015)

Judy, you have shown strength and class to deal with this terrible adversity. Our thoughts are with you and wishing you good health and satisfying travels. Keep on keepin' on, girl!

Jim


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## AnnaS (Mar 27, 2015)

Wow - you have been through so much Judy.  I will keep you in my prayers.  Glad to hear you are feeling better and I hope you get to travel.  Wishing you the best.

Welcome back!


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## Patri (Mar 27, 2015)

JudyS said:


> I also have this very strong desire to make money. Until I became disabled (at which point I could no longer work at all), I was either a student or I was working as an adjunct professor. Being an adjunct pays maybe minimum wage, if you really work fast. The idea that my life may end without me ever making any real money bothers me.
> 
> and because I find it humiliating that I've never made a good living.



Judy. I came back to reread your whole post, because it was so intense. I can at least relate to you on these points. I think I set a record as a stay-at-home mom. 23 years! Loved it and would never change those years. Then in 2005 we got news that DH's corporation was eventually going to terminate him. At least we had time to plan. I went to work in 2006. Lucky to find two part-time jobs, then a fulltime one, which I still have and love. However, its pays glorified minimum wage.

DH fired in 2009. Nice severance. Took nine months to find a job. At age 54 I went to school for my master's and became an adjunct on top of the FT job. Got hired immediately and love it. Your statement about working fast to make it pay off was funny, but true. 
I keep my eyes open for high paying fulltime jobs, but at this point I think age discrimination comes into play. Plus, still an overwhelming number of job seekers, despite the economy. An area non-profit director said they had 173 applicants for an entry-level job, from high school to master's educations. Don't know who they hired.

I am not humiliated that I have never earned a LOT of money, and my job has the insurance, so I feel good I can cover that. It was way too expensive through DH's new job. I just would like to know what it FEELS like to bring home a large paycheck.

Life is good as is and I am making a difference in what I do. I am good at it and respected for it. So while you may not make a lot of money, it won't matter to your friends and family and the dent you make in this world. You are too valuable for that.


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## WinniWoman (Mar 27, 2015)

Patri said:


> Judy. I came back to reread your whole post, because it was so intense. I can at least relate to you on these points. I think I set a record as a stay-at-home mom. 23 years! Loved it and would never change those years. Then in 2005 we got news that DH's corporation was eventually going to terminate him. At least we had time to plan. I went to work in 2006. Lucky to find two part-time jobs, then a fulltime one, which I still have and love. However, its pays glorified minimum wage.
> 
> DH fired in 2009. Nice severance. Took nine months to find a job. At age 54 I went to school for my master's and became an adjunct on top of the FT job. Got hired immediately and love it. Your statement about working fast to make it pay off was funny, but true.
> I keep my eyes open for high paying fulltime jobs, but at this point I think age discrimination comes into play. Plus, still an overwhelming number of job seekers, despite the economy. An area non-profit director said they had 173 applicants for an entry-level job, from high school to master's educations. Don't know who they hired.
> ...


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## taterhed (Mar 27, 2015)

Isn't it funny how life seems so boring and routine until you hear about someone like yourself.  I wish you a speedy recovery and I would like to thank you for reminding me how precious our lives and health are.  Hope to see you in Hawaii someday  soon.   God speed.  


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2015)

Wow, lots of people have said such nice things! I was afraid people would think I was whining, since I wrote such a long post about my poor health. Thanks, everyone, for the kind remarks.

Also, I got a PM from a concerned TUG member who was worried about my plan to make money off of timeshares. I know that making money from timeshares is extremely difficult, and maybe my plan sounds crazy. I've owned 18-24 timeshares during each of the past 7 years, and most years I was lucky if I broke even, despite putting a lot of effort in. But after doing 150 or so rentals, I think I have figured it out pretty well now. I may have found a "niche" market that is profitable and isn't already occupied by other Tuggers. I will be careful and will only acquire timeshares that I can easily dispose of if they don't work out. Later in the year, I plan to post on how its going. 

On the topic of my not making money, Patri said:


Patri said:


> Judy. I came back to reread your whole post, because it was so intense. I can at least relate to you on these points. I think I set a record as a stay-at-home mom. 23 years! Loved it and would never change those years. ...


I think our society doesn't give enough credit to people who spend their time caring for children. If no one raised children, our society would fall apart. The work stay-at-home moms and dads do is more important than most paying jobs. 

But in my case, I was never able to have children. (And DH & I started the adoption process, but for various reasons, adopting never happened, either.) It's the combination of little earnings and no children that makes me feel bad. 



Patri said:


> At age 54 I went to school for my master's and became an adjunct on top of the FT job. Got hired immediately and love it. Your statement about working fast to make it pay off was funny, but true.
> I keep my eyes open for high paying fulltime jobs, but at this point I think age discrimination comes into play. Plus, still an overwhelming number of job seekers, despite the economy.....


Ah, another academic here on TUG! What subject do you teach?

And, I hear you about the tight job market and age discrimination. My husband had such trouble finding full-time work (he's an electrical engineer) during the Great Recession. I'm sure being in his 50s didn't help. He keeps his knowledge and skills very up-to-date, but it's hard to prove that to an HR person who doesn't know anything about engineering.


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## WinniWoman (Mar 27, 2015)

I never wanted to work a Paid job. I wanted to be a homemaker. I wasn't into kids, however. I more was into dogs, but I did give birth to a wonderful son at age 31. 

I wanted to just stay home in my house in the woods and do homemaking type things and work on the house and care for the wildlife and pets, etc. Maybe a little volunteer work or dabble in writing (I have a Journalism degree).

Instead, I have been stuck in soul-zapping jobs my entire life, earning a low 5 figure salary. I am happy and appreciative that I was able to have the income, as we needed it or I would not have that house in the woods, but I really would have liked to be Snow White.


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2015)

silentg said:


> Glad to see you back on TUG Judy!
> Such a nightmare for you to go thru, do you travel alone or have you in the past? Are most of your timeshares in the same area or are they spread out in USA? Keep us informed about your travels and wish you good health to enjoy your timeshare vacations!
> TerryC


Thank you! Before I got sick, I did a lot of traveling, both alone and with friends and relatives. I had more time to travel than my DH did, so I went many places on my own: Bermuda, London, Amsterdam, Italy, Eastern Europe, and even Beijing. 

I'm not optimistic about ever traveling again to China on my own, but I think I'm probably recovered enough already to manage a Disney trip, especially if I stay onsite. Disney World has great disabled access, and I can have an electric scooter delivered directly to my hotel. I use the service at www.OwnersLocker.com to store clothes and even a CPAP (a type of machine used to help breasting at night.) Owners' Locker is a great service and they deliver my stuff directly to my hotel. If I'm at a DVC resort, there is 24-hour bell services to deliver the box from Owners' Locker directly to my room. 

Taking Disney's Magical Express to the Orlando airport doesn't work for me (they drop me off where there are no skycaps to push my wheelchair), but I can just take a cab to the airport. 

I own a variety of timeshares, but most of them trade well and I generally travel off-season,  so it doesn't matter much where my actual ownerships are located. 



lprstn said:


> ...never regret the past, just keep moving and learning and living life the best you can...


Well, when I say I regret having breast reconstruction, I don't really think I used poor judgment. Instead, I feel mislead by the plastic surgery department. Breast reconstruction was painted in very positive terms, but now that I've had the surgery, I've met lots of other women who say breast reconstruction was far more difficult and painful than they expected. 

And it's not just my plastic surgeon who paints a rosy picture of breast reconstruction, it seems to be plastic surgeons in general. Since I've had so many problems, I've looked at a lot of websites that give information about breast reconstruction, and the surgeons on these sites all make it sound like breast reconstruction is an easy, almost pain-free, process. Not so!

I think the issue is that breast reconstruction is a very, very expensive process (sometimes more than $100,000, which should tell you how complicated it is). Also, unlike most plastic surgery, insurers are required to pay for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. (This is not a new requirement -- coverage for breast reconstruction has been federally mandated since the 1990s, and my home state of Michigan has mandated coverage since the 1950s.) This means breast reconstruction is a big money maker for plastic surgeons, and so they have an incentive to promote it as a salesman would.

Of course, it could be worse. The plastic surgeons could use the same techniques timeshare salespeople do: "Your new breasts will have the highest demand and trade power of any breasts in the US! You'll be able to rent out your breasts for twice the annual maintenance fees!"


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## JudyS (Mar 27, 2015)

mpumilia said:


> ..Instead, I have been stuck in soul-zapping jobs my entire life, earning a low 5 figure salary. I am happy and appreciative that I was able to have the income, as we needed it or I would not have that house in the woods, but I really would have liked to be Snow White.


That is a rough situation -- a "soul-zapping" job. It seems like more and more people are stuck in those sorts of jobs these days. 

I need to remember that there are positive aspects of not having a job. For example, I can post on TUG for hours on end if I want!

Mpumilia, I hope you will be able to find time to do many of the things you enjoy. Maybe you can do some writing. I know a lot of people who write "on the side" and a few who have actually made a little money at it.

In fact, I have been slowly working on a book for a number of years now. My PhD is in psychology, and I became fascinated by Michael Jackson and the problems he was having. So, I am writing a psychological biography of him. I tried and tried to find a publisher, but I got nowhere. The attitude seemed to be that, as I had never met Michael Jackson, I couldn't possibly have anything interesting to say. This makes no sense to me. At the same time publishers were turning me down, there was a bestselling biography of Cleopatra. I'll bet the author never met Cleopatra! 

My husband and I plan to publish my Michael Jackson book ourselves, but I know that making any money on it is a long shot. 

If anyone is wondering why I never became a therapist, the psychology program I attended trained people to teach college and do research. It did not provide any therapy training. Therefore, I am not eligible for a license to do psychotherapy. 

There are actually two fields called psychology -- one involves treating people and the other involves research and teaching. It's like the difference between medicine and biology, except both types of psychology have the same name. Colleges are willing to hire the therapy type of psychologist to do teaching, even though therapists aren't trained in teaching. A lot of therapists want to teach because it looks good on their resume, and they don't care what they get paid for teaching because they are making their living doing therapy. So, there were many therapists competing with me for teaching jobs, but I wasn't allowed to compete with them by working as a therapist. That stank, frankly, especially because many of my students came to me seeking help for serious problems, and they felt I really helped them.


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## bogey21 (Mar 27, 2015)

JudyS said:


> I think our society doesn't give enough credit to people who spend their time caring for children. If no one raised children, our society would fall apart. The work stay-at-home moms and dads do is more important than most paying jobs.



I agree with this and have an interesting take on it.  Until our kids graduated from High School I refused to let my wife work as I made enough money to keep everyone comfortable and felt the kids would benefit by having someone at home and interfacing with the teachers and other kids at school.  It worked well.  The kids prospered and stayed out of trouble.  

Shortly thereafter I retired and we got divorced.  Note that my ex-wife is 20 years younger than me.  Her lawyer was shocked when I insisted on giving her $4,000 a month from my Pension (it goes up to $6,000 a month after I die) which was more than she was asking.  When she asked why I was being so generous my response was that she had earned it being a stay at home Mom and that it was because of me she had no career to fall back on.  My ex immediately got hired by American Airlines as a Flight Attendant, a job she still holds today.

George


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## JudyS (Mar 28, 2015)

Jestjoan said:


> Thank you for sharing your story. Sorry you have so many complications. I wish you all the best.
> 
> I had LCIS about 20 years ago.
> 
> I did the 23and Me test a few months ago but have only put it through Genetic Genie so far. I will run it through Promethease very soon....


I meant to respond to this earlier! Thanks, Joan! I assume you have had no problems with the LCIS since? (For people unfamiliar with the lingo, LCIS is Lobular Carcinoma in Situ. It is in the milk glands (the lobes), whereas DCIS is in the milk ducts.) Lobular carcinoma is generally not dangerous as long as it is treated while still in the "in Situ" stage of development, before it gets invasive. 

If you want help with Promethease, just let me know.


----------



## DaveNV (Mar 28, 2015)

Judy, I just wanted to add my best wishes as you work your way through all these life challenges.  You've always shown me you're a classy dame, and I have full expectation you'll come through all of this with flying colors.

Go get 'em,
Dave


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## MULTIZ321 (Mar 28, 2015)

JudyS said:


> ...
> 
> Ah, another academic here on TUG! What subject do you teach?...



Hi Judy,

In case you missed this previous Tug thread: Which Tuggers Are/Were Teachers [The Poll is above the Thread]

Also, I'm glad you've maintained your sense of humor and can laugh at some of your travails. Inspirational is an understatement.


Richard


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## Patri (Mar 28, 2015)

Judy, most of the classes I have taught are Public Speaking. So much fun!


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## tlwmkw (Mar 28, 2015)

Judy,
Sorry to hear of all your troubles. Do hope you can get the situation resolved now that you have all this information.  Can they give you the clotting factors that your liver isn't producing so that you can have the surgeries that you need? I've heard of others with liver issues doing this.
Can you post info about breast reconstruction? This is very timely for me.
God bless!


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## Zac495 (Mar 28, 2015)

Oh my gosh , Judy. You have been through too much. Good for you for not giving up. Thanks for telling us this information - I too am of European Jewish decent. I will look into it.

I really, really hope you can travel. 

Will they try to figure anything out to take out the ovaries? How scary to be in the ER knowing they're all working on you. So glad you're back.
Love,
Ellen


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## Jestjoan (Mar 28, 2015)

*A Breast Cancer Site*

http://www.breastcancer.org/

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/reconstruction


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## Fern Modena (Mar 28, 2015)

Judy,
I've never used Magical Express, but I just looked it up, and they say to be picked up at the airport (if you use a wheelchair) you should tell them this when you make your reservation. I would personally confirm this the day before. If they cannot accommodate you, then by law they must pay for alternate transportation for you. Otherwise they are discriminating on basis of disability.

I'd make sure to request the service you need to go back to the airport several days ahead, being specific, and if there is any problem, have the hotel manager get involved. If they can't/won't agree to give you a dropoff where you need, the hotel/timeshare manager will have to agree to issue a payment for a taxi or handicap shuttle.

Hope this helps. You shouldn't be discriminated against.

Fern 



JudyS said:


> Taking Disney's Magical Express to the Orlando airport doesn't work for me (they drop me off where there are no skycaps to push my wheelchair), but I can just take a cab to the airport.


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## Jestjoan (Mar 28, 2015)

*Judy*

I used Promethease and I am overwhelmed. DH did his, too.

I can't download it to my new computer. Error message. UGH. I guess we need to have the HP guy we met at Best Buy out to fix the darn thing.


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## falmouth3 (Mar 28, 2015)

Judy, I'm sorry to hear about all the health difficulties that you've had.  I'm glad you were able to get some treatment once you received a diagnosis.  I hope that the treatments help you to feel better and to keep you going for a long time.


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## Rascalsmom (Mar 28, 2015)

Judy I appreciate your post.  I learned from it.  I met someone in 2012 who had gotten valuable information from 23andme.  I considered it at that time, but didn't follow through.  I think now I will - one of my parents died young and I have little health information about that side of the family.  So thank you for sharing.


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## sue1947 (Mar 28, 2015)

JudyS said:


> But in my case, I was never able to have children. (And DH & I started the adoption process, but for various reasons, adopting never happened, either.) It's the combination of little earnings and no children that makes me feel bad.
> 
> (and in a later thread)
> That stank, frankly, especially because *many of my students came to me seeking help for serious problems, and they felt I really helped them*.



You've accomplished more than most just by being a teacher.  You know you helped some of your students as noted in your quote above.  However, you will never know how many you helped by training them to become psychologists or to just have a better understanding of psychology to take into their lives/careers.   You may not have been paid much, but your accomplishments are great.  

How much money you made is irrelevant.  It's the substance that matters.   Years ago, Walter Cronkite was interviewed just after renegotiating his salary.  He was asked whether he thought he was worth that large sum of money.  He replied something to the effect:  "compared to a teacher, no.  compared to a pro basketball player, yes" .   I was teaching at the time and his words have stayed with me.  

So keep on fighting the good fight on your health issues and looking to the future with your rental business and travel.  You should be proud of the way you handled everything thrown at you.  

Sue


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## ThreeLittleBirds (Mar 28, 2015)

Wow, Judy. I wish I had some magic words. I am so glad you were so persistent with your healthcare. 

I'm currently getting my Ph.D. (I'm in my late 40's) in clinical health psychology. Part of me regrets starting the process, but I am too far in now to go back. I figure I might be 70 when I am financially comfortable. I hope.

Thank you for sharing your story. I do some genetic testing with my research, but have never done anything on myself. I might try the 23and me.


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## MuranoJo (Mar 29, 2015)

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Judy.  Your post could potentially save lives down the road.

I've heard of Angelina Jolie's decisions for surgery recently--and I'd probably do the same thing in her/your shoes.


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## rapmarks (Mar 29, 2015)

Judy, I have thought of you many times since you visited my house and wondered if you were out of timesharing.  I was so shocked to read your post, and sorry to hear all you have gone through.  thanks for posting all the valuable information and sharing your experience.


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## Glynda (Mar 29, 2015)

*Thanks*



JudyS said:


> Thanks, everyone, for all of the kind words!
> 
> No, this is not true. 23andme _still_ does testing for genetic defects. However, with the FDA ruling, 23andme is not allowed to tell customers "You have a BRCA1 defect" or to give them any other interpretation of their health data. Instead, if 23andme customers want to know their health results, they must take the raw data that 23andme provides and analyze it themselves. This is not as hard as it sounds, because there is a program called Promethease that will do the analysis.
> 
> ...



I did not know that 23andme was allowed to give raw health data to customers under the FDA ruling.  I was tested after the ruling, but prior to it taking effect.
Thanks for letting me know.  Is Promethease independent from 23andme?


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## Jestjoan (Mar 29, 2015)

YES, it costs $5.00.


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## JudyS (Sep 22, 2015)

Thank you to everyone who posted such kind thoughts!

Lately, my health seems to be stabilizing and I feel better -- *except* a few months ago I was in a vehicle accident where I badly broke my shoulder. So, typing has been difficult and I have not posted much on TUG. (I tried using Dragon Naturally Speaking -- a voice recognition program -- but I couldn't get it installed on my computer. I recently got a new computer and will try installing Dragon again.) 

I think there are some questions/comments on this thread that I never responded to before I broke my shoulder. My apologies, and I hope to be posting more on TUG soon!


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## JudyS (Jul 11, 2016)

I wanted to post an update on my health. I'm really pleased and relieved with how things are going. After five surgeries, I have now been declared cancer-free. The cancerous cells in my breast and uterus turned out to be at an extremely early stage. So, surgery is considered a complete cure. I am still at very high risk of liver cancer, but none has shown up so far. 

A couple of months ago, I posted on the Buying, Selling Renting board that I was hoping to make money renting timeshares because I was disabled and couldn't work a regular job. I'm sure some people were curious about my disability, but I didn't want to go into any details because I felt it was off-topic for the Buying, Selling Renting board. 

The reason I am not healthy, despite the successful cancer surgery, is that my liver is badly damaged from an inflammatory condition caused NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.) Over time, the inflammation caused me to develop cirrhosis of the liver. This illness can't be fixed (it will probably get worse over time) and sometimes makes me extremely tired. (I was in bed for 20 hours on Thursday, and deeply asleep most of that time.) I also get dizzy when I stand up (this is a side effect of a medication I take to prevent internal bleeding.) And, my legs often swell painfully when I sit for any amount of time.

So, I don't see how I can do a regular job. I am applying for Social Security but I was disabled for a number of years before my illnesses were ever diagnosed. This makes it very hard to qualify, because I have been out of the work force for too long to be currently covered by Social Security disability insurance. The only way I could qualify is to prove that I have been disabled for years, long before doctors figured out what had gone wrong. Although my doctors now think my cirrhosis started in 2008, I don't know if Social Security will accept that. So, it is uncertain if I can ever qualify for disability benefits. 

As for making money renting timeshares, if I can actually establish a successful business doing that, then I won't need disability benefits. But, as we all know, it is very hard to make money renting timeshares. So far in 2016, everything I own has rented for more than the MFs, and I am very pleased with that. However, I just don't own enough timeshares to make anything like a real living, even if they all rent well. So, anything I earn is getting put back into buying more timeshares that I can rent in 2017. Whether I can grow this  into a business that makes any substantial kind of money, I don't know. But, I have gotten some great advice from Ron Parise! So, maybe. 

My husband is currently unemployed but he had a job interview last week that went well. So, maybe he will find a new job soon. Until then, for living expenses we will either borrow on our credit cards or raid our IRAs. If things don't get better, we will eventually sell our house to pay off our debts. Not the best options, but then, there are many, many people who have NO financial options, so we are fortunate. My husband is doing a lot of home improvements, so he is making good use of time while unemployed. Also, our   local government will probably give us permission to convert our house into two dwelling units -- or as I think of it, a make the house into a lock-off! I suspect this would add major value to our house, which would really help if we eventually have to sell.  

So, there are a variety of stressful things going on in my life. But, mostly I'm happy that the surgeries went so well, and I am pretty optimistic. In a week, my 23-year-old nephew is coming from California for an extended visit and to help paint and do yard work. I'm very happy about that. What a fine and helpful young man! Both my nephews came for long visits last summer, although the older one is too busy this year.  

If you've read this entire long post, thank you!


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## Timeshare Von (Jul 11, 2016)

Hi Judy . . . it's so good to hear from you again!

I hope things continue to work out for you.  Congrats on being cancer free!  Taking one day at a time, with optimism is one of the best ways to fight the effects of a long-term illness/condition.

You are in my thoughts & prayers!


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## Phydeaux (Jul 11, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> This is what I do for a living. Promote imaging.




As someone that spent their career in diagnostic imaging, I'm curious how you promote imaging.


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## bogey21 (Jul 11, 2016)

I am in the process of having my family tree professionally analyzed to find out best I can the cause of death of as many of my ancestors as I can.  I contemplate then going to a genetic counselor at UT Southwestern to try to determine what muted genes I should look for after which I plan to be professionally tested to see if I have any of them.  Uncharted territory for me.  I am trying to walk before I run but want to do whatever I can to determine if there are any time bombs lurking in my body.

George


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## JudyS (Jul 11, 2016)

Timeshare Von said:


> Hi Judy . . . it's so good to hear from you again!
> 
> I hope things continue to work out for you.  Congrats on being cancer free!  Taking one day at a time, with optimism is one of the best ways to fight the effects of a long-term illness/condition.
> 
> You are in my thoughts & prayers!


Thanks so much, Yvonne!



bogey21 said:


> I am in the process of having my family tree professionally analyzed to find out best I can the cause of death of as many of my ancestors as I can.  I contemplate then going to a genetic counselor at UT Southwestern to try to determine what muted genes I should look for after which I plan to be professionally tested to see if I have any of them.  Uncharted territory for me.  I am trying to walk before I run but want to do whatever I can to determine if there are any time bombs lurking in my body.
> 
> George


It's possible to inexpensively ($204) get tested for many defects at once by getting genetic testing from www.23andme.com and then running the raw data output through a program called Promethease (www.Promethease.com.) 

But Promethease leaves users to their own devices when it comes to interpreting the results. (It's designed for genetics researchers, not laypeople.) And, if Promethease does find anything wrong, it just throws it at you, no warning. If it finds a bad genetic defect, that will be the very first thing listed on your  Promethease report. That's how I learned about my hereditary cancer syndrome. 

Also, this method will definitely not find all known genetic defects. That is far beyond the cheap technology used by 23andme.  

As for whether genetic testing will be helpful in your specific case - George, am I correct in recalling that you are about 80 years old? If that is so, and you are still well enough to post here and travel, then your genes have to be pretty good.

If you do pursue your plan, George, I'd be interested in what you find out. But, I've never heard of genetic testing being used to prevent illnesses in elderly people. Illness in elderly people is due overwhelmingly to age, not to inherited genetic defects. 

There *are* genes that promote longevity, but medications (statins, metformin, and aspirin for example) are really the only way we currently know of to try to duplicate those genes' beneficial effects. And currently, those medications are prescribed based on things such as cholesterol levels, not genetic testing.


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## AnnaS (Jul 11, 2016)

Thanks for the update Judy.  Glad you are cancer free and feeling a bit better but sorry to hear about all your other troubles (liver, job situation, SSD, etc.).  Will you keep you and your hubby in my prayers.  Good luck with SSD & I hope your hubby finds/get the job too!!!


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## Glynda (Jul 11, 2016)

*23andme*



JudyS said:


> Thanks so much, Yvonne!
> 
> It's possible to inexpensively ($204) get tested for many defects at once by getting genetic testing from www.23andme.com and then running the raw data output through a program called Promethease (www.Promethease.com.)
> 
> ...



23andme has been approved by the FDA to do limited medical testing and reporting again.  I was tested prior to the temporary shutdown so have my medical reports.  Haven't really determined just how different the new reporting is.


----------



## clifffaith (Jul 11, 2016)

JudyS said:


> So, I don't see how I can do a regular job. I am applying for Social Security but I was disabled for a number of years before my illnesses were ever diagnosed. This makes it very hard to qualify, because I have been out of the work force for too long to be currently covered by Social Security disability insurance. The only way I could qualify is to prove that I have been disabled for years, long before doctors figured out what had gone wrong. Although my doctors now think my cirrhosis started in 2008, I don't know if Social Security will accept that. So, it is uncertain if I can ever qualify for disability benefits.



So, so sorry for your troubles.  Makes me angry when I hear about someone truly in need who can't claim SS benefits.  My lazy sister had been on and off unemployment for years, intermingled with disability payments for being out of work due to "depression".  Sure she was depressed, she couldn't hold a darn job due to her work habits!  We called her "a secretary with an attitude" and the family would take bets as to how long a new job would last.  Mom and Dad gave her $400 a month for years to tide her over just so she could stay in her apartment and not live with them.

So three years ago last month sis has the bad fortune of keeling over from a brain aneurysm (luckily in public) and the good fortune of getting an all expenses paid (can't get blood out of a turnip) stay in Cedars Sinai's world renown critical care ward.  We closed up her apartment and she has lived with my parents for the last three years.  She just got awarded permanent disability of approx. $1500/mo, even though she has no discernable handicaps.  Also got a lump sum of something like $30K for back payments, and she gets several hundred dollars a month in "food stamps".  

Now I wouldn't change places with her for anything, but it frosts my behind that I've worked all my life, have several more years of work ahead of me, God willing, and my lazy bones sister is living rent free with mom and dad while buying fancy juices with her free food card.  My parents claim they will ask her to kick in some rent money starting in 2017 ($1500 isn't enough to live on in Los Angeles when one won't consider a roommate or living in a less upscale neighborhood), but hell's bells my mother can't coordinate with my sister to get to the grocery store together to use the free food card to fill the family larder, so I won't hold my breath to see her start charging rent.


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## #1 Cowboys Fan (Jul 11, 2016)

I am guessing she has a 0% chance of reading TUG posts.....................



clifffaith said:


> So, so sorry for your troubles.  Makes me angry when I hear about someone truly in need who can't claim SS benefits.  My lazy sister had been on and off unemployment for years, intermingled with disability payments for being out of work due to "depression".  Sure she was depressed, she couldn't hold a darn job due to her work habits!  We called her "a secretary with an attitude" and the family would take bets as to how long a new job would last.  Mom and Dad gave her $400 a month for years to tide her over just so she could stay in her apartment and not live with them.
> 
> So three years ago last month sis has the bad fortune of keeling over from a brain aneurysm (luckily in public) and the good fortune of getting an all expenses paid (can't get blood out of a turnip) stay in Cedars Sinai's world renown critical care ward.  We closed up her apartment and she has lived with my parents for the last three years.  She just got awarded permanent disability of approx. $1500/mo, even though she has no discernable handicaps.  Also got a lump sum of something like $30K for back payments, and she gets several hundred dollars a month in "food stamps".
> 
> Now I wouldn't change places with her for anything, but it frosts my behind that I've worked all my life, have several more years of work ahead of me, God willing, and my lazy bones sister is living rent free with mom and dad while buying fancy juices with her free food card.  My parents claim they will ask her to kick in some rent money starting in 2017 ($1500 isn't enough to live on in Los Angeles when one won't consider a roommate or living in a less upscale neighborhood), but hell's bells my mother can't coordinate with my sister to get to the grocery store together to use the free food card to fill the family larder, so I won't hold my breath to see her start charging rent.


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## Sugarcubesea (Jul 11, 2016)

Judy,

As a fellow Michigander, I'm so happy that you are feeling better. I hope your hubby is able to find a new job soon, the economy in Michigan is finally in a much better state then 5 years back.

I would continue to push hard for disability as your most defiantly entitled to that benefit...

All the best, for continued good health.


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## spirits (Jul 11, 2016)

*You are in my thoughts*

Hi Judy.  Thank you for posting your story.  My DH and I are on holidays at a beautiful spot on the ocean on Vancouver Island.  I am a teacher...still working part time and my husband has been retired for many years.
Today we both decided to be lazy and stay inside and surf the net, watch tv and read the newspaper.  Doing nothing and being lazy are very relaxing ways to spend time with each other.
Anyway, I read him your first post and we just both looked at each other, breathed a sigh of relief that our lives are basically wonderful and sent you our prayers.
When I first read your post, I thought, oh...a teacher...so am I....addicted to timesharing...so am I.....and then the rest of your story just broke my heart.
I don't have a lot of advice to give you.....there have been great Tuggers sharing good ideas with you.  But I would just like to share a quick story about my son in the hopes that it can help you with your desire to contribute to the family finances by getting a job.
I have been lucky...mostly...to have been a teacher for almost 42 years.  Many of them were part time, or as a supply teacher as I was raising my two sons.   But the job was really stressful at times and I paid a price emotionally for it.  I honestly didn't think I was tough enough to do the job...I am basically shy and sweet and some of the holy terrors in the classroom really pushed me around.  But I toughened up and became a very good teacher, met some wonderful students over the years and am ending my career on a high note.
But times are different now....jobs are very hard to get and if I were starting out now, I don't think I would have had the luxury of having had a long time career doing one job.  My son graduated from university a few years ago but struggled to find a job in his field.  He got a job with a railroad as a traffic controller, found out he was good at it and has used his skills to transfer to another job closer to home.  His new job is as a dispatcher for a large oil company.  Going to university he would not have considered this field but his skills are a good match for a job most would consider a trade rather than a professional career.  Perhaps you can look outside your usual field, find something in a different area from your normal idea of what an ideal job would be and see what happens?
Whatever you choose, I hope it works out for you. Keep the wind at your back and your hopes high (;


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## JudyS (Jul 12, 2016)

Glynda said:


> 23andme has been approved by the FDA to do limited medical testing and reporting again.  I was tested prior to the temporary shutdown so have my medical reports.  Haven't really determined just how different the new reporting is.


The new medical reporting by 23andme is extremely limited. 23andme can give customers their "raw data," but in most cases, they are not allowed to tell customers if their genetic pattern can cause illness.

In particular, 23andme is not allowed to tell its customers about any health problems that the customers might have themselves. Instead, 23andme is only allowed to tell its customers if they have *one* copy of certain defects that only cause illness when *two* defective copies of the gene are present.

The idea is to prevent situations where two healthy people decide to have children together, both turn out to have one copy of the exact same genetic defect, and they have a child who is ill because the child has two copies of the defect. The particular illnesses that 23andme can warn people about are all very rare and become apparent in childhood.

There are also some cases where having two copies of a defective gene will cause illness late in life -- causing, say, Alzheimer's. 23andme is not allowed to tell its customers if they have such a problem. 

Even though 23andme is not allowed to tell its customers about most sorts of health problems they might have, the information is still there is the "raw data" produced by 23andme's tests. This raw data looks like something like this: ACTGCCGGTACTTGGGGGACTCTGACATC..., with the string of letters going on for about a million letters. Each letter represents one "bit" of the person's DNA. 23andme is not allowed to tell its customers what this long string of letters *means*. However, customers can find out what it means by running the data through the Promethease program. Promethease does not require much computer knowledge at all, but its output tends to be confusing to people with no genetics training. 

Glynda, Promethease will tell you far, far more than any medical information 23andme ever gave you. 23andme was being very cautious about giving out medical information, and only told people about a few of the best-understood defects. Their tests produced much more medical information than they ever gave to their customers. 

I am glad that I used 23andme and Promethease to analyze my genes. There's a good chance it will end up saving my life. I wish more people would do it. 

I have tried explaining this to a lot of people and most people don't seem to understand me at all. So, if anyone here understands what I'm saying, maybe you can give me suggestions on how I can communicate this more clearly!


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## JudyS (Jul 12, 2016)

Thank you very much, Anna, Faith, Sugarcubesea, and Spirits!



			
				spirits;1905767.. said:
			
		

> Perhaps you can look outside your usual field, find something in a different area from your normal idea of what an ideal job would be and see what happens?...


The problem is, my health fluctuates a lot. (This is common with inflammatory conditions.) I have a lot of "bad weeks." During good periods, I can do a little -- maybe go grocery shopping along with my husband if I use one of those electric carts and he puts most of the groceries in the cart and bring the bags into the house. But, during bad periods, I have to stay in bed a lot, and have trouble showering and dressing myself. I don't know of any job that will hire a person who frequently has to take off a week, or several weeks, because they are sick. I've spoken to various employment counselors and they didn't have any ideas, either. 

One of the good things about renting timeshares is I don't have to do much when I am sick. During my good periods, I can look for new timeshares to buy, write up new ads, look for desirable reservations, bump my ads on Craigslist to get more replies, etc. During bad periods, I can deactivate my ads (except for weeks that are close to check in and still haven't rented) and not have to do much of anything.

I am interested in finding other work like that which I could do from home. But the only thing I've come up with is writing a book. I wrote a book proposal and most of the text for a biography of Michael Jackson, but couldn't find a publisher. I do have some other ideas for nonfiction books, but they will take  a long time to research and write.


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## ronparise (Jul 12, 2016)

So Judy, has anything changed since we met in Ft Myers regarding your hope to make some money with timeshares.   

I know things have changed. somewhat, since then with the timeshare system we talked about,  but it still works, and there are other possibilities... 

you could be the middle man... forget buying timeshares, (that takes money and time, and concentrate on renting them. There are a number of folks making good money acting as "points managers" or rental agents for owners.
You pay the owners just enough to cover their maintenance fees, and you keep everything over that

 I have a couple of million wyndham points and some worldmark credits you could start with tomorrow.  Find  the customers and you could be earning money tomorrow

Regarding the book: self publishing is the thing today... Sure it would be great to have a publisher to take care of the editing, printing, marketing and distribution, but forget paper and do it yourself..  Hire an editor and do an e-book.  You will have to do your own marketing, but most of that can be done from home with a computer. 

or decide on your topic and do a blog.  Charles Dickens published his stuff a chapter at a time, you can do the same thing with a blog

Anyhow, let me know if you want to do something with my points


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## bogey21 (Jul 12, 2016)

Interesting.  I am a "do it myself" guy.  For example, although not a lawyer, I have always done all my own legal work.  I even handled my own divorce and successfully negotiated a very complicated QDRO.

Although I think 23andme and Promethease are great I plan to engage a Genetic Counselor in my personal search for mutated genes because I want someone professionally trained to lead me through the process.  Fortunately a nearby hospital, UT (University of Texas) Southwestern is close by and has an expertise in this area.

Why the different approach?  It is because I can live with mistakes in the legal arena but not in an area that conceivably can  have an impact on my mortality.

George


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## JudyS (Jul 14, 2016)

bogey21 said:


> Interesting.  ..
> Although I think 23andme and Promethease are great I plan to engage a Genetic Counselor in my personal search for mutated genes because I want someone professionally trained to lead me through the process.  Fortunately a nearby hospital, UT (University of Texas) Southwestern is close by and has an expertise in this area...


I completely understand!

By the way, when I asked you to, "tell me what you find out," I meant please tell me if you find a Genetic Counselor who is on board with this approach, and whether they turn out to be helpful. I didn't get good results from the Genetic Counselors I spoke to, but I know other people who say Genetic Counselors are great.


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## JudyS (Jul 14, 2016)

ronparise said:


> So Judy, has anything changed since we met in Ft Myers regarding your hope to make some money with timeshares.
> 
> I know things have changed. somewhat, since then with the timeshare system we talked about,  but it still works, and there are other possibilities...
> 
> ...


I used some of your suggestions to get some good reservations for next year, Ron.Thanks! PM me if you want the details.

I've also found a bunch of cheap timeshares that I can rent for the more than the MFs. Of course, I have to pay the 2017 MFs long before I collect rent on the 2017 weeks, so that is the limiting factor. But, it's a start.

When it comes to renting out someone else's points, I don't know. Finding customers is the hardest part of renting for me. Also, it's the most time-critical. I wouldn't want to be in a position where an important holiday was coming up, I had lots to rent, and then was too sick to get much done. Maybe if I get more skillful and efficient at finding renters, I could rent other's points. But, I don't think I'm ready for that now. 

As for blogs -- I had two blogs over the years, on different subjects. I couldn't get people to read them. I managed to get 2000 Twitter followers, but hardly any of them went from Twitter to my blog site. The blogosphere is *very* crowded.

Ebooks have a similar problem. There is literally something like a million ebooks published each year, and it's very hard to find readers. I have a friend who has written dozens of romance novel ebooks. She makes the first in each series available for free. She's gotten hundreds of thousands of downloads that way, but not a lot of people pay to read the rest of the series. Her reviews are good, so the problem seems to be that people expect ebooks to be free.


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## Glynda (Jul 14, 2016)

*23andme*



JudyS said:


> The new medical reporting by 23andme is extremely limited. 23andme can give customers their "raw data," but in most cases, they are not allowed to tell customers if their genetic pattern can cause illness.
> 
> In particular, 23andme is not allowed to tell its customers about any health problems that the customers might have themselves. Instead, 23andme is only allowed to tell its customers if they have *one* copy of certain defects that only cause illness when *two* defective copies of the gene are present.
> 
> ...



Thanks Judy. Having no genetics training, I don't think I would understand.  I would need help.


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## amycurl (Jul 14, 2016)

Please, please, please, if you are considering genetic testing, make an appointment with a Certified Genetic Counselor. These are highly skilled professionals, with at least a MS in Genetic Counseling and have passed a board exam and maintained strict CEU requirements to remain certified. 

23andme is really considered "recreational genetics." It might provide some information, but does not take the place of a visit with a CGC. The counseling comes first, to help make the decision for what to test for, and then they help you process and understand the results and options. They are trained both in the medical genetics and in the psychosocial counseling needed to perform their jobs with skill and professionalism.

You can do a search (just put in your city and state) to find a CGC in your area:
https://customer.abgc.net/abgc/ABGC...spx?hkey=94273207-1a6e-4c6d-ac24-0c6b3793c8cd

And, please note, not all Genetic Counselors are certified, i.e. have taken--and passed--the "board" exam, and maintained the CEU requirements. I would really recommend that you make sure the one you see is a "true" CGC. (If you live in a state that requires genetic counselors to be licensed, licensure usually requires them to be at least be board-eligible.) The link above is the database from the American Board of Genetic Counselors, the certifying body.


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## bogey21 (Jul 15, 2016)

Agree 100%.  Exactly what I plan to do once I have accumulated the causes of death of members of my family tree.  Fortunately one of my local hospitals (UT Southwestern) has a number of certified Genetic Counselors to choose from.

George


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## bizaro86 (Jul 15, 2016)

One quick suggestion for other employment that might fit your health condition and skills is freelance writing. Just based on this thread you're obviously a skilled writer and it is a naturally time flexible job. A few publications would also make it much more likely to get your book published, imo.

Assignment via personal connections are the best, but there are also sites like Upwork that post freelance jobs.


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## JudyS (Jul 15, 2016)

amycurl said:


> Please, please, please, if you are considering genetic testing, make an appointment with a Certified Genetic Counselor. These are highly skilled professionals, with at least a MS in Genetic Counseling and have passed a board exam and maintained strict CEU requirements to remain certified. ....


Amy, about half of all women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome have no breast or ovarian cancer in their family histories. None. Zilch. Nada. Without a family history of cancer, I doubt a person can even get an appointment to talk to a Genetic Counselor about cancer risk.

There was absolutely no breast or ovarian cancer in any of my close relatives. Yet, I do have hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, and I was already starting to get breast cancer when 23andme found the defective gene. (And the cancer didn't show up on a routine mammogram, either.)

So, what is it you think I should have done?


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## JudyS (Jul 15, 2016)

bogey21 said:


> Agree 100%.  Exactly what I plan to do once I have accumulated the causes of death of members of my family tree.  Fortunately one of my local hospitals (UT Southwestern) has a number of certified Genetic Counselors to choose from.
> 
> George


George, have you spoken to those Genetic Counselors about getting an appointment? In my experience, it was quite hard to get in to see a Genetic Counselor. I suspect they won't support the approach you are taking. That is what I was trying to hint at before, when I asked you to please tell us how it goes.


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## JudyS (Jul 15, 2016)

bizaro86 said:


> One quick suggestion for other employment that might fit your health condition and skills is freelance writing. Just based on this thread you're obviously a skilled writer and it is a naturally time flexible job. A few publications would also make it much more likely to get your book published, imo.
> 
> Assignment via personal connections are the best, but there are also sites like Upwork that post freelance jobs.


Thanks for the compliment about my writing!

I actually have published several scholarly articles, but that didn't seem to help at all in getting a publisher for my book. I would love to do some freelance writing. I don't think I have any personal connections that would help me get freelance writing assignments, though. 

I have never heard of Upwork before, but I will look into it. Thanks!


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## bogey21 (Jul 15, 2016)

JudyS said:


> George, have you spoken to those Genetic Counselors about getting an appointment? In my experience, it was quite hard to get in to see a Genetic Counselor. I suspect they won't support the approach you are taking. That is what I was trying to hint at before, when I asked you to please tell us how it goes.



My short answer is "No".  I'm going to wait until I have nailed down the cause of death of those in my family tree.  This is in process.  I know there are multiple cases of colon cancer and that my Mother died at age 50 from breast cancer.  When I have this information I plan to make an appointment with a Genetic Counselor and ask, based on this information, what muted genes I should be tested for.   

I intend to proceed based on their advice.  At this point I have no idea how difficult it will be to get an appointment.  As UT Southwestern has 5 Genetic Counselors on staff I don't anticipate a problem getting an appointment.  How helpful will they be?  I won't know until I try.

George


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## amycurl (Jul 15, 2016)

JudyS said:


> Amy, about half of all women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome have no breast or ovarian cancer in their family histories. None. Zilch. Nada. Without a family history of cancer, I doubt a person can even get an appointment to talk to a Genetic Counselor about cancer risk.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Did you attempt to get an appointment with a GC, either before or after your 23andme results? You said you assumed your couldn't, so I was wondering if that assumption was based on your experience. I would not assume that you can't get an appointment without family history. Please know that I am very glad the 23andme results provided some guidance, but that service will never replace the skill and guidance of a CGC for the vast majority of people.


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## amycurl (Jul 15, 2016)

JudyS said:


> George, have you spoken to those Genetic Counselors about getting an appointment? In my experience, it was quite hard to get in to see a Genetic Counselor. I suspect they won't support the approach you are taking. That is what I was trying to hint at before, when I asked you to please tell us how it goes.





Judy-I hadn't seen this response. I'm sorry that you had a difficult time getting an appointment. But not all areas of the country are the same. Some CGC's even are in their own private practice. I guess what I am saying to others is that one should at least make the attempt.


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## JudyS (Jul 16, 2016)

amycurl said:


> Judy-I hadn't seen this response. I'm sorry that you had a difficult time getting an appointment. But not all areas of the country are the same. Some CGC's even are in their own private practice. I guess what I am saying to others is that one should at least make the attempt.


But what I'm saying is that a lot of people, or at least a lot of women, have hereditary cancer syndromes *but have no family history*. In most of these cases, the woman has inherited the defective gene from her father.

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers are some of the most common hereditary cancers, but only about half of women who get these cancers have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Genetic Counselors will not test women who have no family history of cancer.

Even after I got my 23andme results saying I had Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (caused by a defect in my BRCA1 gene) the first Genetic Counselor I spoke to said it had to be a mistake. She said I had nothing to worry about because no one in my family had breast or ovarian cancer. (It's actually possible that one of my great-grandmothers, on my father's side, had ovarian cancer. But, she died in 1905. That's so long ago that I don't think her doctor could even tell what kind of cancer it was. And, Genetic Counselors don't usually look at such distant relatives.) 

Then I saw my Primary Care Physician, who said the same thing -- no family history, therefore the 23andme results had to be a mistake. "All you need is an annual mammogram," she said. Wrong. The mammogram showed nothing, even though a few months later, an MRI found cancer in my right breast. 

My gynecologist was willing to order testing through Myriad Genetics, the main company that tests for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Myriad Genetics confirmed my Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome. so, you would think that finally, a Genetic Counselor would take me seriously, right? Wrong again. Now that I had confirmation of my defect from Myriad Genetics, I was finally able to see a Genetic Counselor, five months after 23andme first found my genetic defect. I also saw an oncologist who specialized in Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome. I asked for an MRI. They didn't order one because -- you guessed it --  I had no family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

I found another doctor who did order the MRI. And, the MRI found cancer -- but fortunately it was very early. Breast cancer in women with BRCA1 defects tends to be much more lethal than "regular" breast cancer. By the time it shows up on a mammogram, it is often too late. 

I'm sure Genetic Counselors are good for people who have a family history of disease, but many women have Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome and have no family history suggesting they have the syndrome. Genetic Counselors just don't seem to get this. Neither do most other people. It is so frustrating. A woman can inherit Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome from her father. But her father won't get ovarian cancer, because men don't have ovaries. And, her father probably won't get breast cancer, either. About four out of five of women with a BRCA1 defect will get breast cancer if they don't do something to prevent it. But, only about one out of 100 men with BRCA1 defects get breast cancer.


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## ronparise (Jul 16, 2016)

JudyS said:


> I used some of your suggestions to get some good reservations for next year, Ron.Thanks! PM me if you want the details.
> 
> I've also found a bunch of cheap timeshares that I can rent for the more than the MFs. Of course, I have to pay the 2017 MFs long before I collect rent on the 2017 weeks, so that is the limiting factor. But, it's a start.
> 
> ...




This thread is hard to follow,... three threads in one, 1) Your health 2) genetic counseling, and 3) renting timeshares  Theres even a 4th that Im tempted to start.... taking off on one of the above posts, 

so back to renting timeshares for fun and profit

You have correctly described what has to be done to make this work, Buy the timeshare, pay the maintenance fees, find folks to rent and collect your money.  When I started doing this the advice I got was that it cost too much to get started, and the risk was too high...not to mention that even if you had the money to get started, the risk/reward ratio wouldnt make sense. ie your income after all the money and work it took to get going would be so small as to make the effort just silly

So you say  "Finding customers is the hardest part of renting for me" 
and then you say "I don't think I'm ready for that now". 

please understand its the hardest part for everyone that does this.  Whether you do this for yourself or as a  salesman for someone else, it has to be done and its hard.  If you are afraid you cant do it than you shouldnt be renting for someone else,   and you certainly shouldnt be investing the time and money to build your own portfolio. If you are not ready to rent for someone else, what makes you think you are ready to rent for yourself.  




On the book, I know that there are tons of ebook published each year,  but the one thing traditional publishing and do it yourself publishing, have in common is;  You have to have a book written first, and either way readers that are willing to pay, have to be found... My point is you gotta have the book first, Have you written the book, or are you waiting until you have a guarantee of paying readers.


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## Glynda (Jul 17, 2016)

*testing*



JudyS said:


> But what I'm saying is that a lot of people, or at least a lot of women, have hereditary cancer syndromes *but have no family history*. In most of these cases, the woman has inherited the defective gene from her father.
> 
> Hereditary breast and ovarian cancers are some of the most common hereditary cancers, but only about half of women who get these cancers have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Genetic Counselors will not test women who have no family history of cancer.
> 
> ...



I am adopted. I know a very little bit of medical information concerning my biological family.  No breast or ovarian cancer on the maternal side.  I do not know about my biological father's side.

My 23andme report states: "No copies of the three early-onset breast and ovarian cancer mutations identifiable by 23andMe. May still have a different mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2."

Are you saying I would still have cause to worry on both sides and this would not be enough information to rely on mammograms and exams alone?

Thanks!
Glynda


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## Egret1986 (Jul 17, 2016)

*Regarding renting timeshares.  I agree with this statement.*



ronparise said:


> This thread is hard to follow,... three threads in one, 1) Your health 2) genetic counseling, and 3) renting timeshares  Theres even a 4th that Im tempted to start.... taking off on one of the above posts,
> 
> so back to renting timeshares for fun and profit
> 
> ...



I have been renting and reselling timeshares for ten years.  I was concerned at the beginning of this thread that this wasn't a good idea given the information provided by the OP.

Each year, I am finding different things that have changed this business since I first started doing this.  It was a lot easier a few years ago to make really good money with much less effort.  There's a lot more competition from others doing the same thing.  There are a lot more options for finding vacation rentals and lodging that have developed in the last couple of years.  I am finding what worked a few years ago doesn't necessarily work now.  I am finding more and more people are doing last minute rentals, as opposed to booking months in advance.  I am finding rent is stagnating on some rentals that were once lucrative.  Before I left home for my current vacation, I received special assessments in the mail for a resort where I own two weeks of timeshare.  I own at many different resorts and I believe all of them have now had a special assessment at some point over the last five years (for hundreds of dollars to well over a thousand).  An acquisition that I just didn't foresee or consider has greatly impacted me financially and time-wise.  Buying timeshares that close quickly and don't have issues to work out seem to be a thing of the past.  

I will have made it through another season with success this year.  But each year it seems harder and harder to find the renters and make the profits that make it worth the effort.

Judy, you're facing a lot and I wish you the best.  I've been an entrepreneur all my life in one form another.  For me, it will take time to move out of my current endeavor; but that's my motivation now.


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## Glynda (Jul 17, 2016)

*Promethease*



Glynda said:


> I am adopted. I know a very little bit of medical information concerning my biological family.  No breast or ovarian cancer on the maternal side.  I do not know about my biological father's side.
> 
> My 23andme report states: "No copies of the three early-onset breast and ovarian cancer mutations identifiable by 23andMe. May still have a different mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2."
> 
> ...



OK, I ran Promethease.  It stated: "0.77x decreased breast cancer risk."  Which seems to follow the 23andme report.  

Now I have to worry about Alzheimer's.  That's scary.


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## JudyS (Jul 21, 2016)

Because this thread has gone in so many directions, I have started a new thread on genetic testing. I have moved my post to this new thread:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1908956


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## JudyS (Jul 21, 2016)

Egret1986 said:


> ...
> 
> I will have made it through another season with success this year.  But each year it seems harder and harder to find the renters and make the profits that make it worth the effort.
> 
> Judy, you're facing a lot and I wish you the best.  I've been an entrepreneur all my life in one form another.  For me, it will take time to move out of my current endeavor; but that's my motivation now.


Egret, thank you for your kind wishes! I know that it's hard to make money from timeshares. My rentals for 2016 have gone well. But at one of my resorts, I am having a harder-than-expected time getting the reservations I want for 2017. I am hopeful I will eventually get good reservations. But when you rent out timeshares, it seems there is always some new issue to deal with.

I can see why you would switch to a different business if you can!


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## JudyS (Jul 21, 2016)

ronparise said:


> This thread is hard to follow,... three threads in one, 1) Your health 2) genetic counseling, and 3) renting timeshares  Theres even a 4th that Im tempted to start.... taking off on one of the above posts,


Good point about the multiple threads. So, I started a new thread about genetic testing. 



ronparise said:


> so back to renting timeshares for fun and profit
> 
> ....
> 
> ...


Well, actually I know finding renters is the hardest part for everyone. I wanted to be more diplomatic than saying, "Ron, you want me to do the hardest part!" But, I guess I just ended up being unclear. 

I have had good luck renting my weeks for 2016. (What d'ya bet my saying that will jinx the two weeks I have left for this summer? ) But finding renters is the most time-consuming part. Whether it would be worth doing for someone else depends on what it pays, I suppose. But right now, I am happy doing what I am doing. So, I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 




ronparise said:


> On the book, I know that there are tons of ebook published each year,  but the one thing traditional publishing and do it yourself publishing, have in common is;  You have to have a book written first, and either way readers that are willing to pay, have to be found... My point is you gotta have the book first, Have you written the book, or are you waiting until you have a guarantee of paying readers.


Ah, topic number 4! My Michel Jackson biography is planned to be two volumes. The first volume will be 300 pages and the second (which I will only write if the first is successful) will probably be longer. For the first volume, I have about 220 pages written and edited, with a detailed outline of the rest. 

But, I have found that writing a thorough biography is amazingly time-consuming. And even after I have a finished manuscript, I will still need permission for quotes and pictures, plus I will need to do all the work that goes into turning a manuscript into a published book. So much has gone wrong in my life that I really need some successes *now*. A chance of a successful book years from now is just not good enough, especially since that chance is likely a small one.. So, my writing is on hold for now.


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## icydog (Jul 28, 2016)

Hi Judy, I'm just checking in because I'm concerned.  Are you doing/feeling better? How's the rental business coming along? I hope you're okay and I'm glad you're back to posting. 
Marylyn


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