I
learned how a support system works in the rooms of Alcholics Anonymous. Recovery doesn't only mean from physical symptoms. It is an inside job. I learned that I just have to live one day at a time! Most important, I have learned how to reach out and ask for help. I don't have to do it by myself. It was in AA that I learned I'm not alone. Go to my AA
Recovery Page to see how we recover with the 12 steps.
A support system is crucial to living with the disease. One way I've discovered to develop a support system is in chat rooms. I've found two of them where good people hang out and are ready to share their experience, strength and hope.
MedSupport FSF Forums is where you can chat with people who have MS. If you are a significant other, you're welcome here, too. There are now regularly scheduled meetings. I have been participating in the meetings at 8:00p.m. eastern times. The support is fantastic. There are forums where you can leave messages, information about Multiple Sclerosis, and they have a 24 hour hotline for those who need to talk NOW.
I have finally been connected with the online meetings through the Akron/Canton, OH, Multiple Sclerosis Society: North East Ohio MS Group, NEOMSG. We have meetings and can be fixed uup with a penpal or two. Do you live in Ohio and wish to connect with others who also have MS? Check us out!
I know some people who go to MS World for support and information. They tell me it's a good place to find help. I'll be honest - I haven't spent any time there.
There is an amazing amount of information available on the Web. I've found a few sites where one can get information or follow links to get the information that is being searched for.
I have been going to the Mellen Center, a part of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, for eleven years. They use the team approach: "central to our philosophy is the importance of meeting the social and psychologic needs of people with MS as well as their physical needs."
At the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, you can find out more about MS. Follow the link to The International Foundation of Multiple Sclerosis.
The
Integrated Network of Disability has links to many sites relating to MS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epilepsy,
Attention Deficit Disorder, Crohn's and other chronic diseases and handicaps.
I
followed a link at GeoCities to Sapient
Health Network, an interactive health information service. It's for
people who have chronic diseases such as MS, asthma, cancer, depression, CFIDS and FMS, and obesity.
The Americans with Disabilities Act has made a difference in the
workplace, as well as in public places and transportation for people who
have handicaps. This Site, The ADA Page, has some good links and information.
Another
good site regarding the ADA is that of The Council for Disability Rights. I think that these two sites are a good place to begin learning about the ADA and your rights.
I really should read the Inside MS, the quarterly magazine published by the National MS Society, more carefully. They have some good "Cybersources." ADA & Disability Info has some wonderful links related to the ADA, Service for Independent Living, Products and Servics, assitance in university, nonprofit organizations, and other very useful links.
Just for the heck of it, I decided to see what the Cuyahoga
County Library has at their web site and found some fascinating links in the process! Did you know that there is an internet library? Check it out!
I had heard about Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen and wondered what everyone was talking about. Until I listened to the tapes. I laughed. I cried. I had found a source for living, hope and spirituality. It's about shared experiences. There is now a mailing list, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Home Delivery, to which one can subscribe so as to receive a helping each day. Go ahead and subscribe. While you're at it, why not sign up a friend?
When
I discovered GeoCities, I wandered thru the neighborhood called Hot Springs and found KayJay's site. She has a disability that comes under the umbrella of Muscular Dystrophy. Her site is about being "On the Road to Healing" - the journey of recovery from abuse of handicapped people. If you or someone you know is being abused, I think this is a good place to go!
I found The Wacky World of Randy to be refreshing. He and I seem to have a similar outlook - humour is essential! Randy's site is about dizziness, balance disorders and other hearing related topics. And humour!
Poetry Corner Go back to the Main Page.