AHS Friends,

Unfortunately, I won't be in town for the 30th reunion. Our family had a vacation week to fit in between summer jobs, and band camp and business priorities. The last week of July worked best for everyone's schedule. Then, the decision was Ames Iowa as a vacation destination or Bermuda. It was a tough choice, but Bermuda won out.

Our children are rapidly becoming fantastic young people. My son, Nick, just completed his freshman year at Harvard. He is majoring in Chemistry or Biology and I fully expect him to change the world. (He has a proud mother, but no kidding he is brilliant.) Our daughter, Loren, is almost 16 and will be a junior in high school this fall. She is beautiful and smart but also a typical second child (less driven and more social.) Loren has been suffering from POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) for the past 16 months. She blacks out, is exercise intolerant, and suffers terrible headaches and stomach pain because her automatic blood pressure regulation mechanisms don't allow enough blood-flow to her brain. We have taken her to Mayo Clinic and New York Medical College, as well as many local specialists over the past year. There doesn't seem to be an effective treatment. She has taken many drugs, but they don't seem to help so she is weaning herself off of them. Apparently, some adolescents outgrow POTS over several years, we hope so.

I am not a patient person by nature nor was I cut out to be an empathetic nurse. We have had to learn to slow down and be realistic about what Loren can or can't do. It is an awful feeling to be helpless when your child is in pain and suffers a chronic illness. Loren seems to be doing somewhat better this summer. She has fewer bad days. But in an age of immediate gratification, waiting to see gradual improvement is excruciating!!

My family home is still in Ames. My father died in February, but Mother is still going strong. My sisters all live in the Midwest (Iowa City, St. Paul and Evansville.) We enjoy returning to Ames and always stop at Hickory Park for great BBQ. We will be thinking of all of you enjoying great food and good company on Saturday. If anyone would like to correspond, my email address is vidnovic (at) per low (d0t) c0m

Best Wishes, and see you in July 2004!

Janet (Brown) Vidnovic