February 6, 2010 Newsletter
HOPE IS EVERYTHING
We began the meeting with a few words from Patricia regarding the exciting developments with CCSVI. International doctors have convened in Italy with Dr. Zamboni and have concluded that venous restrictions occur prior to & are very possibly the cause of brain lesions in MS. WOW. This is big stuff. The University of Buffalo has performed their own trial with 500 people and will announce their results this week. They say they are optimistic that they have information that will create a whole new approach to the science behind MS. If you are on Facebook, there is a site there called CCSVI in Multiple Sclerosis and they have been following & reporting detailed information about this for months now. This is worth watching.
The MS Society will be giving a research grant for the study of CCSVI. Ann Johnson from the Society also brought up the first oral medication Fingolimod that has received FDA approval and we should have access soon!
Our speaker Randall Lippins, MFT spoke to us for about an hour. Randall, who also has MS, shared his story and personal anecdotes as he wove a story for us that just had a way of reaching each of us on a personal level. In a nutshell he addressed a few basics that come along with this disease such as * The shocking diagnosis * Why me? * You did nothing to get MS * The emotional impact * Finding acceptance * Healing vs cure * MS as a blessing not a curse * Be proud of who you are * Maintaining hope * Keeping dreams alive * You have MS, MS doesn’t have you * Live your life, don’t simply exist * Reach your full potential.
His talk just brought us full circle with the strong message that we need to be proud of who we are and not to let MS overtake our identities. Inside we are all people with valid gifts to share, experiences to enjoy and dreams to pursue. Don’t hide behind MS or hide MS because it is a part of this life. Things go smoother for us if we let it be known why things may be the way they are because it sheds a light for others.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE