NHF 2009 Meeting - Building Bridges

Building bridges is exactly what I did this year at the annual meeting put on by the National Hemophilia Foundation. Not only did I touch base with individuals I haven't seen in years, but I met dozens if not hundreds of new people that are involved in the inherited bleeding disorder community. I especially liked the theme this year, as that is exactly what goes on at an NHF meeting as well as tons of educational material, lots of cool freebies, like shirts, pens, mugs, stickers, toys, candy, etc. We all love freebies. More than just that, I was very honored that the Arizona Hemophilia Association chose me to receive their annual grant for airfare and hotel accommodations to this year's meeting.

The main things covered this year are as follows:

• Advocacy & Education
  
• Von Willebarnds Disease (VWD)
• Health Care Reform

On the last night of the meeting, there was a Halloween costume party and dance floor. I went to the party as a rock star, and I was compared to Slash, George Clinton, and I thought if i had a mask I could have pulled off the Buckethead look. (pictured left) To be honest, I haven't gotten this much exercise in about 5 years. I had such a great time and I learned a lot. If you would like more information don't hesitate to contact me and I can help you or point you in the direction of someone who can.

Among the activities was a cruise of the San Francisco Bay (Sponsored by Baxter) where I got to see the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge (pictured right and below). Unfortunately, It was too dark to see Alcatraz.

Lastly this marks a change for this blog. I will be posting more. Stay tuned for big things!