MS Maze

The word “pseudo” can be very misleading. The dictionary defines pseudo as “pretend; false or spurious; fake, artificial, sham; not actually, but having the appearance of.”

In the case of MS, you can disregard the words pretend, false, spurious, fake, artificial, and sham. A pseudo-exacerbation is not an imaginary event or a psychological disorder. It is not a cry for attention, and most assuredly is not fake.

It is not actually, but has the appearance of an exacerbation — along with all the very real physical symptoms…

What’s the difference between a “true exacerbation” and a pseudo-exacerbation?” Read this post in its entirety:

Pseudo-Exacerbations in MS: Grounded in Reality

Too much sugar is not good for you. You probably already knew that, but how much is too much?

The American Heart Association suggests that women limit sugar intake to 100 calories, or 6 teaspoons, a day, and that men should limit their consumption to 150 calories, or 9 teaspoons. To put those numbers in perspective, one 12-ounce can of cola has 130 calories, or 8 teaspoons. Americans are currently taking in an average of 22 teaspoons of sugar per day.

It’s not only the consumption of high sugar foods and beverages we have to consider, but the essential nutrients we are lacking when we replace healthy foods with empty calories.

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/43963

Read this post in its entirety and get poll results:

Sugar Rush: Will You Cut Your Sugar Consumption?

Senator Edward “Ted” M. Kennedy was born into wealth and privilege, but spent his life advocating for the poor and disadvantaged.

He’ll be forever remembered as a champion of civil rights, equality, and bipartisanship. A leader in the fight for health care reform, which he said was the cause of his life, Senator Kennedy made it clear that health care for all was something he dearly wanted to achieve in his lifetime. Sadly, he will not see his dream come to pass.

If a comprehensive health care bill manages to pass during this president’s term, it will be due in no small part to decades of effort on the part of Senator Kennedy, and would serve as a lasting testament to his passion and commitment.

Read this post in its entirety and sign the petition honoring Senator Kennedy:

Farewell to Senator Kennedy, Champion of Health Care Reform

The health care system is failing women.

August 26 is Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote. It was a hard won battle, begun at the very first women’s rights convention in 1848.

The Suffragettes faced heated opposition, but would not be swayed from the cause they believed in. As our collective memory fades, we give little thought to the sacrifices and victories of the great women who came before us.

We’ve come a long way, but find ourselves in the midst of another super-charged fight, this time for comprehensive health care reform. The health care system is failing women, and it is women who must lead the charge for real reform that makes a difference for ourselves and our families.

Photo: WomensHealth.gov

Read this post in its entirety:

Women’s Equality Day: We got the vote, now how about health care?

Following up on our post, The Fresh Air Fund NYC Half-Marathon, we are pleased to report that the NYC half marathon and raised a whopping $80,000 this summer!

The Fresh Air Fund would like to thank everyone who supported the event and invite you to view photos on their Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/freshairfund. You can also follow Fresh Air Fund on Twitter @FreshAirFund.

The Fresh Air Fund is a not-for-profit agency, providing free summer experiences in the country to New York City children from disadvantaged communities. Each year, thousands of children visit volunteer host families in 13 states and Canada through the Friendly Town Program or attend one of five Fresh Air Fund .

Video courtesy of Debbie Zipp of Women Over 40 Rock! and In The Trenches Productions

Death Threats?

One of the trickiest minefields in the life of a person with chronic illness involves employment.

If your symptoms aren’t obvious and don’t affect your ability to do your job, should you inform your employer and your co-workers? That’s an intensely personal decision, but you are under no legal obligation to do so.

The Americans With Disabilities Act, which covers employers with fifteen or more employees, prohibits on-the-job discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Knowing your rights in the workplace is essential to your ability to earn a living and remain independent.

Read this post in its entirety and learn your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act:

MS on the Job: Workplace Protections Under ADA

Bipartisanship is a beautiful dream, in a kumbaya sort of way, but there are few issues that highlight the great divide between Democrats and Republicans like health care reform. In recent months the debate has exploded into a good versus evil battle with winner-takes-all stakes.

Republicans say that health care reform is needed, but are against a single-payer system, against a public option, not in favor of co-ops, don’t want to stifle insurance company profits, and have an “every man for himself” attitude, even when it comes to basic health care.

Their supporters are packing guns, comparing President Obama to Hitler, and invoking the Lord. They are not going to negotiate.

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/616726

Read this post in its entirety and weigh in on the poll:

Is Bipartisanship Necessary to Pass Health Care Reform?

When you have multiple sclerosis, you don’t have it alone.

You may be the one with MS and the physical symptoms that go along with it, but you can’t build a fence around yourself in order to protect those around you. Like it or not, MS spreads its tentacles out and affects the lives of your loved ones.

Besides being a person with MS, you may be a sibling, a spouse, a parent, a friend, a co-worker. You count on others and they count on you.

Depending on how MS has manifested itself in your life, it will touch everyone around you in small ways, and in profoundly significant ways, both emotionally and financially.

Some of our commenters have shared their own dramatic stories of how MS has impacted their families. What has MS meant to yours?

Read this post and the thought-provoking comments:

Multiple Sclerosis: It’s a Family Affair

The public option is not an essential component of health care reform. That’s the sentiment that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, President Obama, and others are putting out, signaling their willingness to compromise on one of the most controversial items in the reform bills currently being debated.

The idea they are floating is that a health insurance exchange — without a public option — will do the trick. So it’s back to the private insurers. But there is no reason to believe that the fight will end there. The rest of the reforms that are designed to protect people with pre-existing conditions, or those who cannot afford coverage, will be attacked. Insurers are happy to court the young and healthy, but they are not interested in helping the sick. A small bandage on a gaping wound is of little use.

Photo: http://mrg.bz/xLwCN6

Read this post in its entirety and Support the Historic Health Bill on Care2.com:

Fight for the Public Option!

How do so many people end up uninsured, anyway? Lots of reasons, not the least of which is the dreaded “pre-existing condition.” I have one. You may have one, too. If not, you probably will at some point. None of us gets through this life unscathed.

With the system we have now –  everything’s great — as long as you don’t get sick. If you do, you might just find yourself in the danger zone, branded with the “pre-existing condition” clause. If you think it can’t happen to you, you are overly optimistic — or a member of Congress.

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1211061

Read this post in its entirety:

Pre-Existing Condition Danger Zone

“I’m not in favor of death,” said President Obama during New Hampshire’s Health Care Town Hall Meeting. That he had to say it speaks volumes about the misunderstandings and misconceptions of the hotly debated health care reform bills currently working their way through Congress.

The false rumor that the House of Representatives voted for death panels that will pull the plug on the elderly because it’s too expensive to let them live, or variations around that theme, arose out of a provision in one of the House bills that allows Medicare to reimburse seniors for consultations for end-of-life care. There is nothing in the bill that speaks to forcing such consultations, or forcing anyone to choose death. There are no death panels, no death squads, no Nazi death marches involved. No, none of the bills favors enforced death.

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1034820

Read this post in its entirety:

Obama at Health Care Town Hall: “I’m not in favor of death”

Multiple sclerosis is a complex condition that can involve dozens of symptoms. Because MS takes different forms and varies so greatly from person to person, even those of us who live with MS have trouble with the terminology.

Understanding frequently used terms is helpful not only to us, but to the people who care about us and want to understand. These are some of the basic terms that we’re apt to hear on a regular basis…

Deciphering MS Speak

Don’t Let the Myths About Health Care Reform Scare You. Learn the facts.

Help fight the myths and demand health action now!

Worried about health care reform and how it will affect you and your family? Stop falling for the hype and learn the facts.

FactCheck.org is a a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. You can learn about FactCheck.org and it’s mission by reading its “about” page.

Get the real story behind those chain emails and partisan television hosts.

From FactCheck.org:
CPR Administers Bad Facts, Again

The group says premiums could nearly double for those who buy their own insurance. Experts we consulted disagree.

The latest ad from the group Conservatives for Patients’ Rights claims that “new rules could hike your health insurance premiums 95 percent.” That’s misleading. The claim in the ad refers to only 5 percent of Americans who have health insurance – those who buy it on their own. The claim comes from an analysis by a group that advocates for …

Surgery for Seniors vs. Abortions?

Family Research Council says abortions will trump care for the elderly in public plan.

A new TV ad sponsored by an anti-abortion group shows a white-haired man fretting that under a federal health plan, “They won’t pay for my surgery, but we’re forced to pay for abortions.”

“Will this be our future?” the ad asks, merging the fears of seniors …

False Euthanasia Claims

The claim that the House health care bill pushes suicide is nonsense.

On former Sen. Fred Thompson’s radio show, former lieutenant governor of New York Betsy McCaughey said that the House’s proposed health care bill contained a provision that would institute mandatory counseling sessions telling seniors how “to do what’s in society’s best interest … and cut your life short.” House Minority Leader John Boehner made a slightly more measured …

Obama’s Health Care News Conference

Facts vs. Obama

President Obama tried to sell his health care overhaul in prime time, mangling some facts in the process. He also strained to make the job sound easier to pay for than experts predict. Obama promised once again that a health care overhaul “will be paid for.” But congressional budget experts say …

Canadian Straw Man

More ads claim that Congress is pushing a Canadian-style health care bill.

Two ads from related independent groups make claims about an overhaul of the health care system, saying Congress wants a government-run health care system. One ad claims that “Washington wants to bring Canadian-style health care to the U.S.” But the health care bills moving through Congress don’t call for a single-payer system like Canada’s …