MS Maze

The federal government may be having a hard time passing health care reform, but states aren’t wasting any time with efforts to block its effects.

While President Obama takes health care reform back on the road again and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sends a warning to insurers that continuing to raise premiums will hurt the industry, states are working overtime to take matters into their own hands.

This week Virginia became the first state to enact a statute to amend state law…

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Health Care: Who’s Stalling, Who’s Making Preemptive Strikes, Who’s Paying the Price

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1034819

If you are steadily losing your ability to walk… to move… to remain independent… your tolerance for extended debate and controversy over a possible treatment, if not a cure, is put to the test.

In this case, debate centers around “Liberation Treatment.” All around the world people with multiple sclerosis have been clamoring for action, ever since last September, when cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni released the results of a preliminary study of MS patients indicating a link to chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), a narrowing of the veins that restricts the flow of blood from the brain, causing iron build up, in turn causing the degeneration of neurons.

Dr. Zamboni undertook this research in response to his wife’s own heartbreaking battle against MS. The resulting theory that some types of MS are caused by CCSVI, told him that it might be treated by clearing out major veins to free the blood flow. After confirming that his wife did indeed have CCSVI, he opened the veins by using a small inflated balloon to clear the blockage, a procedure that has earned the moniker Liberation Treatment. In the three years following her surgery, she has not had a relapse…

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Longing for Liberation

More on Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month

A Diagnosis Odyssey

Who Gets It and Why

Diagnosis, Denial, Due Diligence

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1095865

So you’ve been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Now what?

Denial. My own lasted only a few brief moments. The odyssey to diagnosis was a difficult one, and I quickly embraced the sweet relief of finally having an answer. But then it hit me

I have MS… I have MS… I have MS… Me… MS!

There was a surreal quality about the whole thing. Discombobulation sums it up rather nicely.

What do you do when everything you know about yourself changes just as you are hitting midlife? How do you plan for life’s second half with a body you’ve never met before? How do you cope with a relapsing/remitting disease that shows itself on some days and plays hide and seek on others, never knowing which it will be? How do you pull yourself together?

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Diagnosis, Denial, Due Diligence

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1158788

More on MS Awareness Month

A Diagnosis Odyssey

Who Gets It and Why

Reconciliation can sound like a dirty word, depending upon who is doing the speaking, but the process is nothing new and is certainly not out of the bounds of normal politics.

Introduced in 1974, the process of reconciliation is used when Congress issues directives to legislate policy changes in mandatory spending (entitlements) or revenue programs (tax laws) to achieve the goals in spending and revenue contemplated by the budget resolution.

Reconciliation was first used in 1980 and at least 22 times since then on a variety of policies including overhauling the welfare system, and passing several huge tax cuts under George W. Bush. Of the 22 times reconciliation has been used, 16 were approved by a Republican-controlled Senate.

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Reconciliation: What Does It Really Mean Anyway?

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinwburkett/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

What lends itself to demagoguery and political gamesmanship, misrepresentation and misunderstanding?

Health care reform is the obvious answer. “But,” said President Obama, “that’s not an excuse for those of us who were sent here to lead to just walk away. We can’t just give up because the politics are hard.”

The president’s latest proposal would change three basic things about the current health care system.

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Obama’s Call to Action: Will You Answer?

Photo: whitehouse.gov

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)… some call it the MonSter, or the Beast. It is a demyelinating disease, an invisible illness, a mysterious ailment subject to many misconceptions. Who, what, where, when, why, how… all good questions.

That’s why the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation recognizes March as National MS Education & Awareness Month, and the National MS Society designated March 8-14 as MS Awareness Week.

WHO gets MS? About 2.5 million people worldwide…

WHAT is MS? MS is a neurological disease in which…

WHERE is MS most prevalent? Northern latitudes farther…

WHEN do people get MS? It is difficult to pinpoint when MS begins, but diagnosis usually…

WHY do people get MS? That’s the big question! The cause…

HOW is MS treated? There are several…

Throughout the month of March, I will offer glimpses into my own life with MS in Care2 Healthy & Green Living. While there is no such thing as a typical case, those who are familiar with MS will nod in recognition. If you are not familiar with MS, please allow us a few moments of your time during MS Education and Awareness Month, and check back here in Care2 Causes in the weeks to come.

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Who Gets MS and Why

Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Having trouble getting health insurance? Maybe you can get on your pet’s insurance plan. Probably not, but that didn’t stop Hal Ziegler from making the call anyway, after receiving the infamous rate increase letter from Anthem Blue Cross.

Terri Carlson finds herself in a similar situation. Her attempt at a solution was to advertise for a husband with health insurance benefits. It’s a fairly drastic response, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

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Pet Insurance for People..Marriage for Healthcare..How Far Would You Go?

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/911229

“The health insurance industry is the shark that swims just below the water, and you don’t see that shark until you feel the teeth of that shark.” – Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)

Despite the bipartisan health care summit, the shark is still circling. During the great airing of grievances, it became immediately clear that both Democrats and Republicans are confident in their interpretation of what the American people want and need.

A minor exchange between John McCain and President Obama provided a flashback to campaign days, and the stack of papers representing the Senate bill was referred to as a “prop” by the President.

A recurring theme on the Republican side was the admonition to…

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After the Health Care Summit : The Shark in the Water

Photo: whitehouse.gov

Is there a link between the use of occupational pesticides and Parkinson’s disease? That’s what we’d like to know.

People with Parkinson’s disease have been found to have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer’s disease, say researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

A study recently published in the Archives of Neurology found a link between use of pesticides in a person’s occupation, such as farming and other agricultural work, and development of Parkinson’s disease. Three chemical compounds were found to be associated with a three-fold increase in risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Read this post in its entirety and check out the Care2 action items:

Pesticides and Parkinson’s: Possible Link Must Be Investigated

President Obama released his proposed health care reform proposal on Monday, despite Republican demands to scrap the whole thing and start over with Thursday’s “bi-partisan” health care reform summit.

The White House frames its plan as an opening bid for the summit and sticks fairly closely to the Senate bill, but eliminating the sweetheart deals with individual states and easing the tax burden on high-end (cadillac) health plans.

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Obama Health Care Plan Targets Insurers, Lacks Public Option

Sorry, but it’s not me… it’s you. Despite evidence to the contrary, most Americans believe they are managing their own health well, while those around them clearly are not. Only 17 percent of us recognize that our own health is going in the wrong direction and we’re pointing fingers.

It is human nature to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt, easier to make excuses for our own shortcomings, even while casting a critical eye on everyone else. We sneak in that extra sugary snack and conveniently dismiss it as just a little treat. Ten minutes of exercise seems like 30 when you’re the one doing the exercising. You smoke, but you’re tapering off.

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It’s Not Me… It’s You

Health Care Self-Advocacy: Be the Squeaky Wheel

Photo: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/905626

Congress dropped the health care reform ball… will the President pick it up and run with it?

Time.com’s Karen Tumulty reports that White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, when asked if the White House is preparing it’s own health care plan for next week’s summit, replied “Stay tuned.”

Ms. Tumulty went on to say: “One official told me that a White House measure is likely to look very much like the Senate bill, with a few changes: It would be stripped of some of the controversial special deals, such as the now-infamous “Cornhusker Kickback,” and there would be instead a more equitable provision to help states deal with their increased Medicaid costs. There would also likely be some kind of revision (and probable retrenchment) on the deal that was struck with the unions on the ‘Cadillac Tax.’”

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White House: “Stay Tuned” for Health Care Proposal

Related Reading:

Public Option No Longer Optional

Health Insurer Defends 39 Percent Increase

Marrying for Health Insurance: Size Does Matter

Photo: whitehouse.gov

Despite claims to the contrary, the public option is not quite dead. At least not if Senator Bennet has anything to say about it.

In a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), along with Senators Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) clearly and concisely states the case for avoiding a filibuster by passing the public option through the process of reconciliation.

“We respectfully ask that you bring for a vote before the full Senate a public health insurance option under budget reconciliation rules. There are four fundamental reasons why we support this approach – its potential for billions of dollars in cost savings; the growing need to increase competition and lower costs for the consumer; the history of using reconciliation for significant pieces of health care legislation; and the continued public support for a public option.”

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Senators to Reid: Public Option No Longer Optional

Photo: democrats.senate.gov

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2010) – Roush Fenway’s race cars will each carry a special decal honoring the life and cause of Olympic medalist skier and multiple sclerosis (MS) advocate, Jimmie Heuga, in this Sunday’s Daytona 500 race at Daytona International Speedway. Heuga passed away Monday at the age of 66 in Colorado; 46 years to the day that he won his bronze medal in the 1964 Winter Olympics.

Heuga, a college skiing teammate of Roush Fenway President Geoff Smith at the University of Colorado, was a bronze medalist in the 1964 Olympic games, but will most be remembered for founding ‘Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’ (formerly The Heuga Center for Multiple Sclerosis) a national nonprofit organization that has served as a leading provider of innovative lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS and their support partners.

“Jimmie was one of strongest willed and toughest competitors that you will ever meet,” said Smith. “He was able to take that competitive tenacity and use it in his battle against MS. He never backed down from the disease and in turn was able to do great work empowering other people impacted by multiple sclerosis. His contributions will not be forgotten and it is an honor to be able to remember Jimmie and help continue his cause by this small gesture.”

Heuga became one of the first two Americans — along with teammate Billy Kidd — to win an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing.

He was diagnosed with MS in 1970 at the age of 26, but refused to succumb to the neurological disease. He instead became a champion for others suffering from the disease, and his campaign to demonstrate that MS did not necessarily mean a life of inactivity is credited with helping to change the mindset about MS and exercise.

“This is a very sad week,” said Can Do CEO Kim Sharkey. “But with this opportunity of being part of the Roush Fenway Racing organization participating in the Great American Race – the Daytona 500 – it’s exciting for our organization and partners. Jimmie would be proud of this and thankful for his friendship with Geoff Smith.”

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams.  Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, and Paul Menard.  For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway.  And for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

Submitted by ‘Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’ organization. For more information visit: www.mscando.org.

February 14 is Valentine’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate love and romance. It is not usually a day when we want to ponder our own mortality, but it also happens to be National Organ Donor Day.

There is something we can do right now to help others after we’ve gone. We can offer the precious gift of life through organ donation.

The need is great: As of February 1, 2010, there were 105,525 people waiting for an organ for transplant, and approximately 35,000 children and adults in our country have life-threatening blood diseases that could be treated by a marrow/blood stem cell or cord blood transplant.

Please… read this post in its entirety and follow the links to give the gift of life.

Valentine’s Day Gift of Life

Photo: OrganDonor.gov