Neurofibromatosis Cafe A place to talk, have fun and share.

The University Of Texas, Health Science Center, is in the process of conducting Rapamycin clinical trials, to treat NF patients with tumors on the body.  I’m happy to say that I’m one of those being treated.  I feel hopeful as well as others members in my family. My mother and sisters are happy to take part in this study.  Second day in the study, and looking forward to what I believe will be a huge step in finding a cure for NF.   I also plan to give updates on any improvements I see on my tumors.

Anyone needing information about taking part in the study, stay tuned. I will have more information on who to contact in Houston, for The Rapamycin Therapy.

I spoke with Mari Garcia administrator of Gillian Anderson’s Official Web Site, I was asked sometime ago to help out and to contribute a doodle for NF, Inc’s Second National Doodle Day Auction. I was happy to post a blog and do what I can to be of help. Please check out the links and see your favorite Actors and actress and others who have support the fight against NF.

The auction will start on May 8 on eBay. So far there are two pages and more doodles will be added as they come in. Be sure and blog your favorite doodle.

NF, Inc. is raising money for neurofibromatosis through their annual National Doodle Day! As part of NF Awareness month, celebrity doodles will be available for auction on eBay.

These doodles have a very important aim: the funds they raise will benefit NF, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing support to individuals and families affected by neurofibromatosis (NF).

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that affects one in every 2,500 births. NF is more common than Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy and Huntington’s Disease combined. Funds raised from the Doodle Day auction will go to support education, advocacy, coalitions, and research for treatments and a cure.

To learn more about NF, please visit www.nfinc.org.
For more information about National Doodle Day, contact email doodleday@nfinc.org

View celebrity doodles

To all my friends who are reading this blog, I’d like to introduce you to my “Friends of Neurofibromatosis” group on Face Book. We have quite a few members now, over 70. I am now in contact with a few good friends that I had lost contact with from the 1980s. My friend Dr. Vincent “Vic” Riccardi is now part of our “Friends of Neurofibromatosis” group. I’m sure anyone who has NF may know him or have heard of him. Dr. Riccardi is a legend when it comes to neurofibromatosis research and treatment. He has not only been a good doctor, but a good friend. He has done a lot for NF. At one time he was on the Board of the Texas Neurofibromatosis Foundation. He was its Medical Director for many years helping decide where to give the money we raised for research. Hopefully, maybe we could get him to come to the blog from time to time.

Two other friends have showed up too! Megan Phillips and Andy Ganster are now online with us. Megan, Andy and I shot some TV commercials with Lou back in 1989. That’s when we first met Lou through Bob Hopkins, then the TNF Executive Director. Those were some pretty serious commercials but they helped neurofibromatosis get some much needed awareness.

I hope anyone visiting this blog will also join us on Facebook as well. We will all learn as we go alone on Facebook. The games and quizzes are fun and challenge. It a good way to find friend you may have lost contact with. Believe me, I know!

Here is the link!

To All:

I have created a group on Facebook called “Friends of Neurofibromatosis.”

To those of you unfamiliar with Facebook, it is a FREE website that allows you to do a lot of things like post photos, videos, and friend links, much like MySpace, but with one very important difference. It allows members to form groups of like-minded people who share special interests and allow them to easily interact with each other.

I can’t think of a more perfect tool to use in building a community of people who are challenged by neurofibromatosis in one way or another than this. Whether you have NF, have a friend or family member with NF, or are just interested in helping people with NF, this is the website for you.

By becoming a member of this group, you will be able to connect with other people who share the same frustrations, burdens and pain of NF. You can pass along information that you think might be helpful to others. We can send time-sensitive newsletters to ALL group members with a click of a button when an important event or news item occurs.

Facebook will never replace this blog but it will provide us the means to meet new people, build awareness, share information, and, most importantly, help us build a community that helps provide comfort, education, distractions and support to all affected by NF.

Please check out the group at this link and if you can see the endless possibilities that this site provides, please join!

I thank you! —Lou http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21960217912