I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Nanners and Ivy for the help and support that they have offered to my g/f and myself, and to the countless other people and their partners also facing challenges with chronic illness. You both mean soooo much to us!
My g/f came here after being diagnosed with Crohns, and later, other serious auto immune diseases as well. I know that my g/f read and learned a lot from Nanners after she was faced with the shocking news of her disease... it was about the last thing we could have anticipated! Nanners was a name my g/f would often bring up to me.. reading some of the posts to me. Nanners and Ivy have unfortunately suffered from this DD for many years, but it was this experience that they brought to the table to selflessly help others going through many of the things they had gone through themselves. Nanners and Ivy never claimed to be the world authorities or the last word on Crohns; they offered knowledge gained from what they have personally been through to both newbies and veterans.
It was about a year before my g/f actually signed up to become a member, but my g/f was an avid reader of the forum and gained a lot of knowledge and support through the caring and knowledgable moderators and people on this site. Although my g/f has probably had more interaction with Nanners, Ivy too has been invaluable with her advice and support. I thank them both for their support during my girlfriends' operations (both planned and those that came as a suprise). It meant a lot to the both of us to have that support and lifeline.
I joined this site after being exposed to it by my g/f. I found solace in a site where I could read and learn about Crohns AND how I could deal with both the diseases my girlfriend had to contend with and how best to be there for her. I also joined this site for my own problems (not crohns). I have found a good number of the people on here to be extremely empathic and willing to lend an ear to someone suffering with the many conditions that the people on here deal with on a daily basis.
I personally find the "letting go" of Nanners and Ivy to be wrong on sooooo many levels. The fact that we're in the middle of the holidays on top of everything else is just yet another factor that just compounds everything else. I agree with Sniper that something really stinks with all of this. Something just doesn't pass the smell test and I too find this situation to be disgusting. I noticed the appearance of troublemakers on the forum that really didn't seem to have any agenda other than just that, to create trouble. I have read many of the posts and threads regarding Nanners and Ivy (many are now locked). I've read posts from the Mods dismissed, as well as posts from the admin and there still remains a lack of substantive reason for their dismissal. Everything I have read so far has only substantiated the great injustice that has been committed. To know that such a thing has taken place and to just accept and to move on with this site does not make sense to me. I understand that many people find this site to be a major support group, but I find the support of the admin and this site to be analogous to supporting bullies after they have cut down two very special and caring people. I think it takes integrity to take the right side.
I do hope that this situation is righted, as Nanners and Ivy have been invaluable to the many people that they have leant their ears, heartfelt advice, and hugs too. They have made a major impact on people going through horrific ordeals.
Even if this situation is righted I cannot see how this site will regain it's credibility. I'm not sure I'm going to continue to be a part of this community. This makes me very sad as I have met some fine people in both the forums and the chat... it's really a shame.
This is the first time I have been able to sit down and write something regarding this (have had a very full plate). I'm sure I could have expressed myself much better, but I am very disturbed by the treatment of these two exceptional ladies.
If you ever decide to make your own site Nanners or Ivy, please let us know. I think your dedication in helping people without any monetary compensation.. and all the hours, sweat, blood, and tears that you have put into your duties show how capable you would be in such an endeavour.
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