MS Maze

What is a typical case of multiple sclerosis like? The newly diagnosed usually ask what they should expect from a life with MS but typical, when it comes to MS, is hard to define.

One thing is clear — life with multiple sclerosis is anything but predictable. MS doesn’t come with a road map, a GPS system, or a set of directions. There is no forgone conclusion — and despite the uncertainty, that is good news.

Plenty of people will tell you horror stories of life with MS, or of folks with MS who climb mountains and run marathons. There is truth in all of it, but none of it necessarily will reflect your experiences or point to your own future.

Trying to pin down the typical person with MS is like trying to pin down, well, the typical person with MS. We are as varied in our physical condition and our outlook on life as the rest of the human population.

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A Typical Life with Multiple Sclerosis

Photo: Centers for Disease Control

Concerns over the safety of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, and the speed at which it was brought to market continue, as it becomes available to the general public amidst a massive campaign to inoculate Americans and lessen the impact of the pandemic.

Health care workers in particular are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. This group is consistently low in its participation in seasonal flu vaccine programs. Should the pandemic affect a large number of health care workers, the system could easily become overwhelmed, putting us all in danger. Consequently, some health care systems are requiring their employees to get the vaccine, resulting in a backlash and a call for freedom of choice. There is no mandate requiring individual Americans to get the vaccine against their wishes.

With distrust of the federal government running high and rumors and conspiracy theories swirling about the safety of the vaccine, just how many Americans will seek to get the vaccine is anybody’s guess.

Read this post in its entirety and see the poll results:

Safety Concerns Swirl Around H1N1 Vaccine

“And that’ll be $150 for use of the room.” As if there weren’t already enough items on your medical bills to de-code and argue over with your insurance carrier, keep your eyes peeled for the “facility fee.” That’s right, a charge for using the room.

The facility fee apparently has been around for quite some time, only most of us were unaware of its presence because it was buried among the fees submitted to our insurance companies. With fewer insurance carriers covering the fee, it is being passed along to patients.

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Medical ‘Facility Fees’… Another Way to Stick-it to Patients

Health care reform sustained life-threatening injuries this August, no doubt about it. Relentless scare tactics and intimidation took a hefty toll and the future of reform was said to be in grave danger.

President Obama’s televised speech to a joint session of Congress in early September was hopeful, but the Baucus bill , which did not include a public option, but did include an individual mandate, succeeded not only in keeping Republican support at bay, but in angering Progressives. Things haven’t been looking good for reform… but change is in the air…. Republicans, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are supporting reform…

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1198416

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Hope for Health Care Reform Returns from the Dead

Do you want to take antibiotics even when you are not sick? In a way, you are. Industrial farms routinely add antibiotics to the food of healthy animals in order to promote fast growth and to compensate for unsanitary living conditions — making an ideal breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria to spread to the human population.

The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act calls for the withdrawal of 7 classes of antibiotics vitally important to human health from use on industrial farms — unless the animals are known to be sick. Please take a moment right now to urge Congress to end inappropriate antibiotic use on farms.

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Stop Feeding Farm Animals Unnecessary Antibiotics!

What’s in a label? You are either disabled or not, right?

In some cases, yes, but disability, like life, is not always so clear. Is disability simply a physical state-of-being or a state-of-mind… and does the label matter?

Beyond the legal reasons, the definition of a disability becomes more cloudy… and less important. How others label us and how we label ourselves is as individual as we are.

Read this post in its entirety… we’d love your opinion on this one:

Beyond the Disabled Label

How well do you know your breasts? How much time have you spent with them lately?

It only takes about 2 minutes a month to check your breasts. Those 2 minutes could save your life! Come on… I know you’ve got 2 minutes to spare for some Breast Patrol. It could be a matter of life and death.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Read this post in its entirety and answer the poll… Will you pledge to perform monthly self breast exams? Please share with all the women in your life.

Breast Patrol… Fighting the Terror Within