Age - How old are you?
39
When did you start your site?
When I was 38
Marital Status?
Married (newlywed)
Occupation - What kind of work do you do?
I am a computer operator for Canada's largest police services. I deal with police services around the world. It's a very fast paced, high anxiety position, however I wouldn't change it for anything.
Hobbies - What do you like to do, besides keep this site?
I enjoy travelling, gardening, camping, water skiing, needlepoint and reading non-fiction crime novels. I have two dogs who take a very special part in my heart.
Location - Where are you from? Where are you now?
I was born in Quebec, Canada. I now reside in Ontario, Canada
Why did you start writing your Web site?
I was very angry at a lot of people within today's society. In order to turn that anger into something positive, I wrote my site with the hopes of educating others. Just because a person doesn't see a cast or scars, there are genuine illness' out there.
Why do you write a site about you?
I have encountered numerous stereotypes not only through the general public but my (Government) employer as well. The challenge arises when people say "But you look fine". I am hoping by telling my story that perhaps a spouse, relative or friend of someone that is going through the same things will learn something and be of more assistance to the person with the illness.
Do you communicate with readers of your site?
I frequently obtain email and very positive signatures in my guestbook. I have also opened a message board with the hopes that I could get people talking through that medium.
How much email feedback to you receive from your site? Is it mainly positive or negative?
I usually receive a small number of emails on a daily basis. I've had nothing but wonderful comments from my readers. Some are just happy to know that "there are others like them around" and that "no, they're not crazy" no matter what other people tell them.
Have you met any new friends because of the site?
I have met a few friends due to webrings I belong to with regards to mental illness and chronic pain issues. Those friends have been chosen carefully as I don't want to be a drain on them when I'm going down (mentally or physically).
Has your motivation changed over time?
Yes, however, as much as I would like to keep a constant update on my site, it takes quite a while to get motivated to start writing about my topics again. My topics are very personal and close to my heart. I often have to write and rewrite many items to take the anger out of the writing. There's no point keeping anger in a website as your viewers will walk away without learning a single thing.
How has it changed your life?
Believe it or not, it has also assisted me in knowing that I'm not the only one like this out there as well. People have the misconception that patients who suffer mental illness cannot function or can't cope very well. Unfortunately, I lost a very dear friend of mine when she told me "You've changed".
Do your friends and family know you keep this site/read it? If so have you had any really negative experiences as a result? If not why?
I have made my site available to a very small (less than 5) amount of family and friends. I wish to remain faceless with this site and don't want people feeling uncomfortable or being nosy just to find out what's going on in my life.
How has your Web site benefited you? Your friends? Or total strangers?
By putting up my website, I have been blessed in many ways. I find the writing has assisted me in getting over a lot of anger issues and when I'm manic, I can write quite well. The 3 friends that I have told about my site are all involved in the medical community. One is my Psychiatrist, one is a Psychologist and one is a nurse. All three advised me that they each learned something on my site that was an asset to them. Strangers feel relieved that they can "talk to" an unknown individual without feeling that I'm passing judgement on them.
If you had to do it over again from the beginning, what would you change?
I wish I had written up articles for all of the topics that I want to talk about (there are just to many). I also would have looked for a lot more links to excellent sits to encourage my viewers to obtain further information on these subjects.
What are your favorite things on your site?
My writing about Mental Illness and Chronic Pain. I would like to go deeper into the other topics, however, I have to be stable when writing the other topics.
