I'm here!Was a long journey, had a few minor dramas, (someone...

I'm here!

Was a long journey, had a few minor dramas, (someone picked up me luggage by mistake in Frankfurt, had to get airline to track em' down...eventually got it back...arrghh..I wasn't too upset though I was disappointed and was wondering how I would survive the next week odd without all me stuff!
Turns out they were a dear old German couple, I ended up meeting them and I got my bag back)! No point in crying too heavily over spilt missed deadlines milk sometimes, as long as we get there!

A couple of cancelled trains and one that just stopped three stations short of my destination didn't help on the next day...met some really random but nice ppl, one at 5am in an underground station that was as lost as me as there was no one to direct us to the airport...he had a real heavy Belarus kinda ascent and just started a conversation with me by saying "Mother*ucker" as he had been going up and down the massive train station for the last 2 hrs wondering which train to get and finding no help! I laughed at him a lot under my breath, he was like a gentle giant...we found the right train not long thereafter.


But I had a very productive day yesterday...


Today was a free day in Vienna...did lots of walking around (20780 steps and counting, still gotta get some supplies from the supermarket) and settling in, I can actually see the conference centre from my hotel. I have registered now.

Here is a small fact to make it less about me and a bit more about OA and our investment!...last year in OARSI (Denver, CO). they had around 750 - 800 attendees...
This year? 1100 plus. Going to be packed...but this is good, will be starting lots of random convos and dropping the P word...

Err... PPS?

Or PAR?

If I see Dr D Felson Im going to try and pin him down...I will also have Dr D Hunter on my radar too. Some of you will remember Dr Flavia Cicuttini who is the Head of the Musculoskeletal Unit, Monash University and Head of Rheumatology, Alfred Hospital. She has had a bit to do with PAR in the past, definitely need to get her opinion of how we are faring.


Yes I agree...the sci is one thing, the funding is now more important...but they still need each other...kinda like a partnership!!


One other hint...I showed some MRI's of one certain patient pal of mine just recently....mate, the reactions, the seriousness and wonderment looks on their faces....tells me I definitely need to show this to more Doc and Researchers and certainly ANY Pharmas that are present at this conference in the next 4 days. Just give me the fish to catch...my net will be cast wide...I will not only tell this story...but I tell it with gusto and conviction and I don't need any notes to read from...

I understand this is a conference about research and sci. But it is so worth taking a chance and attempting to spread the word as far and as wide as possible....Pound the Proverbial Pavement?


Who me?


Oh you bet.