Comments by me (Susan) after my return from Sarasota, FL:  Mon, 15 May 2000 14:35 P.M., MST
What a great time we all had in Sarasota!  I do wish more of you could have joined us, but there is MN coming up in June, and there will be other Carcinoid meetings in the coming year(s)! People from 32 different states, and from 4 countries, were pre registered!  Many people took snapshots -- Bill Schoonover was first to set up a web page with pictures from there, but it is no longer on-line, sorry!   It was wonderful to put faces to so many names -- friends without faces from on-line.  I do wish we had had more time to sit and chat!

     A BIG thank you to Dianne Comstock, John S. Kleinbaum, Betsey Burrell, Novartis and ALL who worked so long and hard planning and setting up this well organized conference - and to all of the very fine speakers!  To have three of the very few Carcinoid experts, in the whole world, in the room together and speaking on the same day is almost unbelievable it is so wonderful!  I surely appreciate all of the time, effort and money that went into making this a rousing success!

     If you have never been to a "special interest" conference you are missing something very helpful!  The speakers were wonderful and informative, plus meeting with so many other people whose lives have been touched by Carcinoid is very special!  We all gain a great deal by meeting others dealing with the same medical/health issues that we are!

     Rosemary Finley arranged for those staying at the Holiday Inn (and wishing to) to meet at Denny's for breakfast on Thursday morning.  She also helped to arrange and reserve the Boat House Restaurant at the Hyatt (where many of us were staying) for two dinners Thursday evening, one group at 5:30 p.m. and one group at 7 p.m.  These get togethers were enjoyed by everyone taking part, lots and lots of talk and laughter!  Thank you Rosemary!

     Novartis provided a continental breakfast and lunch on Thursday, plus a generous $20,000 donation to the Wellness Community of SW Florida to help defray the cost of this meeting.  The Waterside Room was just that -- by the
harbor/marina in beautiful Sarasota, plus the weather was great.

    The registration packet was full of good information, plus note pad and pen, I'll list some of it below.
- Booklet "Living With Carcinoid Syndrome: A Patient's Guide to Treatment" by Novartis
- The March/April 2000 issue of "Coping with Cancer" Magazine.  On page 79 of this issue is a fine article "The Carcinoid Experience: Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of People With Rare Cancer" by John S. Kleinbaum, Ph.D., Program Director of The Wellness Community of SW Florida.  I already subscribe to this good magazine, which is $18 for one year (6 issues), order it from: Coping, P.O. Box 683368, Franklin, TN 37068-2268, or telephone 615-791-3859.
- The Spring 2000 issue of "Outreach: A Free Cancer Support Program" of The Wellness Community of SW Florida.  On page 5 of this issue is a picture of Bill Wixted the area Novartis Oncology representing presenting the $20,000 check and article "Rare Cancer -- Dealing with Carcinoid" by John S. Kleinbaum, Ph.D., Program Director.
- Xerox of Chapter 110 "Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumors and the Malignant Carcinoid Syndrome" by Larry K. Kvols, M.D., reprinted with permission of W. B. Saunders from Sleisenger and Fordtran's GastroIntestinal & Liver Disease,
6th Edition, Copyright 1998.
- Twenty-One (21) page hand-out to accompany "Food and Nutrition in Carcinoid Disease" as presented by Monica E. Warner M.D., R.D., C.D.N.
- Sixteen (16) page hand-out to accompany "Legal and Ethical Issues Faced by Cancer Patients" as presented by Barbara Harty-Golder, M.D., J.D.

     In Focus Video Productions video taped three presentation. In Focus has three vidos available, one $24.50, two $44.50, three $64.50, no shipping fees in the USA, but $4.50 for each tape OUT of the USA.  They are also able to convert to PAL or SECAM for a $20 fee.  FL residents add 7% sales tax.  Mail to:  In Focus Video Productions, 2108 Robinson Ave., Sarasota, FL 34232, USA.  (e-mail: infocus@coastalweb.net).

For presentations by Carcinoid specialists please go to my new section: Click here

Thursday, May 11, 2000 
- Eugene Woltering, M.D.
- Richard R. Warner, M.D.
- Monica E. Warner, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
- Larry Kvols, M.D.

Other speakers include:
Friday, May 12, 2000
- Barbara Harty-Golder, M.D., J.D. "Legal and Ethical Issues Faced by Cancer Patients"
- Paul Jacobsen, Ph.D., "Stress and Cancer" (The Healing Power of the Mind)
- Manolete Moscoso, Ph.D., "Mindfulness and Meditation" (The Healing Power of the Mind)

     It would have been nice if more people had remained to visit after the final speaker on Friday, but those of us who did stay had a nice time.  It takes effort, planning and money for the transportation and hotel, to attend one of these great meetings, but to me it is worth every cent!  Start saving now for more in the future!  Thought I have a prior conflict that will keep me from going to the MN conference in June 2000, I do plan to attend as many of these as possible in the coming years.  Sunny Susan in AZ.