Reintroduce myself for new members

[DonnaBoll]

Hello everyone!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Donna Boll. I have been given the wonderful opportunity from The PBC Foundation to facilitate your online support group, Health Unlocked. For the last 6 years I have facilitated an amazing online PBC support group for The American Liver Foundation. I too had PBC for some 20 years before receiving a life saving liver transplant 18+ years ago - and am doing well. I know first hand the many challenges someone with this disease encounters on an almost daily basis. For 43 years, before my retirement 9 years ago, I practiced as a registered nurse . There were ways I found helpful for my members to get to know each other as just ‘people’ - not merely someone who has a common liver disease. I may,in time, see if these prove helpful for this group as well. Self care, both physically and mentally, is of the utmost importance for all of us. I want to let you all know that I am looking forward to checking in on the site throughout the day to reply with any information / suggestions that I can as a nurse and/or as a PBC patient myself. As always, no medical advice is given except from your own physician. All of us exchanging information and experience is priceless. Please be patient with me, as I am in the US and may not be familiar with some UK terms or your health care. I hope to learn from all of you. I don’t want any of us to think we are only a common disease group - we are so much more who need to always strive to live the best life we can. I hope you will be patient with me as I begin this learning journey with all of you. Looking forward to getting to know you and help in any way I can with this very complicated disease. We are all in this together. .Any suggestions for the group are gladly welcomed. This is your group. I will officially begin on February 1st.