[chrisy]

Wow, that's a great question. I guess I've seen it some - and yes, you definitely find out who your real friends are. My experience has been, with the people who I might feel "write me off" is that really, THEY just can't deal with the whole thing. And so they keep you at arms length, or even turn away completely, to protect themselves from their own fears. I've also experienced the opposite - people who can't, or won't acknowledge that I am still and will always be fighting this disease. I look normal and act (for me) normal, therefore I must be fine, right??? Maybe it's the same thing - they don't want to talk about it because they can't handle it. Or, because they WANT me to be fine. But that said, my circle got smaller and the ones who matter have already shown me their colors when I was first dx with mets. So, I know there are many who will stand up with me despite all our fears. Bill, just want to add my jeers to Nikki's cousin - she must have some really deep fears and lack of faith to have done that.