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EmpowerSource Support Group News is a free newsletter provided by the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Its purpose is to share the activities and ideas of people around the country in MSF-affiliated support groups as well as information about outreach advocacy and living positively with MS. Volume XV Issue 1 Winter 2016 The MSF does not advocate or endorse any specific treatments healing modalities or practitioners. The material presented in this publication is for informational purposes only. For specific advice consult your healthcare provider. Dear Friends A new year has begun and new opportunities await all of us. Weve filled this issue with a variety of stories about interesting people and topics that will hopefully provide you with some inspiration and ideas for 2016. Youll read about a support group in Ohio that started as an indirect result of its leaders love of Spanish conversation the inspiring stories of perseverance and triumph from our MS Victories and Resolutions Contest winners a support group in California that stays up-to-date on medical marijuana and MS through a local dispensary and some tips to help you get SMART about goal setting. As usual our winter issue also includes the MSFs annual hidden objects challenge in the form of our Spot the Sunshine contest. At the MSF we look forward to continue doing all that we can to help you live the best quality of life possible with MS this year. If you have any thoughts ideas or feedback please do not hesitate to contact us anytime. We also have many exciting projects in the works and cannot wait to share them with all of you throughout the year. I wish all of you a bright and hopeful 2016 full of possibility and many joyful moments. Sincerely Alissa Ayden Support Groups and Outreach Manager MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOUNDATION SUPPORT GROUP NEWS 6520 N.Andrews Ave. Fort Lauderdale FL 33309 888-MSFOCUS 673-6287 supportmsfocus.org Jennifer Savitscus has been a Spanish teacher for the past twelve years. Its one of my greatest passions in life she said. Jenny has taught students of all ages through the years from youngchildreninpreschool to retired adults hoping to learn a second language. Still she doesnt encounter many people on a daily basis that speak Spanish in her area. She said I live in Ohio and I dont have all that many opportunities to practice my spoken Spanish. However my eyes and ears are always open for an opportunity to practice. So 10 years ago when Jenny came across a websitecalledmeetup.comthatwouldallowherto find people in her area that shared her interest in Spanish conversation she was thrilled. She said The first meetup group that I joined was a Spanish meetup group in the Akron Ohio area. By joining this group I found that there are a number of people living in Akron who speak Spanish want to practice it and get together regularly in order to do so The first meetup that I attended was at a local restaurant chain. A group of about 10 people were gathered around a table eating lunch and talking in Spanish A whole new world of regular Spanish conversation and camaraderie had suddenly opened up to Jenny and her enthusiasm about it was infectious. Jenny said that one of the aspects she thinks is most exciting about meetup.com is that its not just for people who love Spanish. She said Think of any interest gardening computers musicals movie watching fine dining socializing do-it-yourself repairs. Theres a meetup group for it If there isnt one already then why not create one When Jenny was diagnosed with MS in March 2015 thats exactly what she did. She said My way of facing this diagnosis was a strong desire to meet and know others also living with MS. So that same month she created a group called Columbus MS Friends Support. Like most groups it started small. I met the first member of the group later that same month for coffee and lunch. It was such a relief for me to meet someone my age who understood not only my symptoms but what I was going through emotionally as well she said. As a teacher Jenny has the summer off and she knew that break would provide her with the free time she needed to help the group grow and schedule more frequent and consistent meetings. On June 7 2015 the group held its first official meetup which brought 10 people together including seven people with MS and three support partners. Little by little the group continued to grow and I became more educated on the resources and national organizations that support people living with MS. As I learned more about the available resources I started to think that it made sense to try to align the meetup group with one of the national MS organizations. Doing so would be a way of both attracting new members and supporting the current members with more resources Jenny said. However she was concerned that if she did so the structure and format of her meetings might have to change. Once she learned that all of the support groups affiliated with the MSF are independent self- governing and maintain control over their From Meetups to Meetings Columbus MS Friends Support Group Westerville Ohio 2 3 meeting structure she knew it would be the right fit. In Fall 2015 Jennys group became an affiliate of the MSF Independent Support Group Network. With regard to the new affiliation Jenny said As a result we have had new members attend the meetings and I have seen increased enthusiasm and connection among current members. She recommends that new group leaders use all the tools available to them to help get the word out about their group. In my opinion meetup.com social media and national MS organizations such as the MSF are really all integral sources to use collectively in attracting new group members she said. Jennys story seems to be proof that lifes unpredictability can sometimes be a wonderful quality. A passion and career that began 12 years ago ultimately led her to a fantastic opportunity to create a local support network when she was diagnosed with MS. So why not pick up a new hobby this year You never know where it might lead. Columbus MS Friends Support Group meets the third Sunday of each month at 230 p.m. Please contact Jenny at 614-398-1225 or MSTeekybirdgmail.com for meeting location information. Visit the groups website at meetup.comcolumbus-ms-friends-support. Editorsnote Meetup.com is free for members but charges a monthly fee for meetup organizers. Also consider other online meeting sites such as bigtent.com and evaluate what best suits your needs. The MSF does not endorse any given website or service. Spot the Sunshine Contest Its time to say goodbye to Winter and hello to Spring Get out your magnifying glasses and ask family members or friends to help A number of suns have found their way onto the pages of this issue and were counting on you to help us spot them. Random drawings of the correct entries will be chosen to win 25 gift cards. Please include the page number and exact location of each sun along with your full name and mailing address in your submission. Submit your entry via email to supportgroupsmsfocus.org or via mail to Multiple Sclerosis Foundation EmpowerSource Support Group News 6520 N. Andrews Ave. Fort Lauderdale FL 33309. All entries must be postmarked no later than March 31. Good luck MS Victories and Resolutions Contest Winners In our last issue we asked you to use your insight and creativity to help us compose a master list of MS Victories and Resolutions for 2015 and 2016. MS victories are accomplishments of yours from 2015 that illustrate your ability to live well with MS. MS resolutions are promises you would like to make to yourself to make 2016 a better year of living with MS. Congratulations to our contest winners Renee Johnson Bakersville N.C. Martha Gonzalez Hialeah Fla. Kalonie Lopez Rigby Idaho LaShandra Thomas Rex Ga. and Cheryl Dean Harrisonburg Va. Special congratulations to Renee Johnson and Kalonie Lopez whose names were chosen in a random drawing of our winning entries to receive 25 gift cards. MS Victories from 2015 Renee had no new disabilities grew stronger spiritually continued to teach full time learned to enjoy today not worry about tomorrow and appreciate the interruptions in life. Martha finished her CAN certified nurse assistant certification went to a job fair for the University of Miami and got hired on the spot. Kalonie maintained a gluten-free diet quit smoking finished reading the Old Testament hit the spike on the kendama a traditional Japanese toy more than once and has been drug-free all year long. LaShandra graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from her local university took six classes during her last semester maintained great grades and made the honor roll again. Cheryl spent a wonderful week at the ocean in Virginia Beach Va. traveled to Indiana to celebrate her aunts 100th birthday participated in MS respite camp at Smith Mountain Lake Va. and kept a daily gratitude journal for the entire year. MS Resolutions for 2016 Renee resolves to improve her overall health lose weight eat right sleep more listen more and talk less stay more up-to-date on the latest MS research enjoy life more and complain less and take more time for something shes always felt guilty about doing rest Martha resolves to continue with her studies and become a registered nurse specialist in MS. Kalonie resolves to stay drug- and alcohol-free maintain a gluten-free diet swallow her pride and ask for help when she needs it be nice smile more and strengthen family relationships. LaShandra resolves to eat healthier exercise more listen to her body more minimize stress factors help others to stay positive on this journey and gain more insight and education on MS. Cheryl resolves to maintain her daily gratitude journal plan her fathers 90th birthday celebration book her long-awaited dream trip to Hawaii serve a meal to the less fortunate in her local community and live a full active and productive life with MS Submissions may have been edited or abridged for clarity and space requirements. 4 5 Getting SMART About Goal Setting 2016 has started and were ready to do all we can to make it the best year possible. If you tried to create New Years resolutions you may have encountered the frustration that leads many to view doing so as a difficult activity. Its tough to sift through an entire year of ones life in order to figure out what worked and what didnt and what we hope could be different in the future. Its even tougher to take that knowledge and translate it into viable self-improvement goals for this year. We often end up with vague unrealistic expectations that prove impossible to keep and make us feel like weve let ourselves down. However have you ever tried getting SMART about your approach to goal-setting We think it might just be the thing that helps all of us get better at making and keeping our New Years resolutions and personal goals this year SMART goals are often used by businesses in order to help set and manage objectives. The tool has proved so helpful that many people in different sectors of society have employed it for a variety of purposes. SMART is an acronym where each letter stands for a particular word that describes specific criterion for making goals. For example instead of saying I want to exercise more this year and setting that as a goal you might instead say I want to go to a yoga-in-chairs class specific once a week measurable and realistic at the local gym attainable for the next three months timely. If you end up finding that your goal was not as realistic or attainable as you thought simply adjust it It might take a bit of time and effort to get just right but we think youll find that setting SMART goals can help you have a better brighter and more productive 2016 Your goal should be as specific as possible and answer the questions What is your goal How often or how much Where will it take place How will you measure your goal Measurements will give you specific feedback and hold you accountable. Goals should push you but it is important that they are achievable.Are your goals attainable Is your goal and timeframe realistic for the goal you have established Do you have a timeframe listed in your SMART goal This helps you be accountable and helps in motivation. 6 Support group leader Susan Musgrove and co- leader Debi Williamson take an active yet laidback approach to running a support group. The group meets once a month at a local pizza parlor and infuses other activities throughouttheyeartoadd some variety such as a party holiday luncheon and guest speakers. The monthly meetings provide an opportunity for everyone to talk about their lives listen to each others stories and share information with the group. Susan said Lots of friendships have grown during the past 10 years from this well- established meeting. Family friends and care partners are always welcome to attend and we never turn away latecomers or early leavers. Debi and I would rather see people come even for just a little bit of the meeting than not at all. Attendance runs from eight to 40 people depending on the time of year weather and topic. The groups latest topic medical marijuana resultedinacrowdofaround35peopleassembling at the pizza parlor to hear the latest news and updates. Mitcho Thompson community outreach liaison for Peace in Medicine a local medical marijuana dispensary in Sonoma County came to speak to the group for the third year in a row. Mitchoisalivelyspeakerwhosepresentationstake the form of an educational and fun version of show and tell for adults. Susan said Mitcho brings samples to look at of the various preparations of medical marijuana. There are vaporizers tinctures oils balms and many edibles. We learned that the two main strains of medical marijuana are sativa which has more of a mental euphoric effect and indica which affects the body in a calming way. Forthosewhoqualifybutneedabitofguidance Peace in Medicine provides patient consultants whoSusansaidlistentowhatyourneedsareand point you in the right direction. Mitcho explained to the group that an interesting aspect of medical marijuana is that patient feedback has actually been responsible for providing a great deal of useful information about its efficacy with regard to treating various conditions. Susan said It can be especially effective for muscle spasms pain and sleep problems. A number of people in our MS community use medical marijuana for just those problems. In California all that is required is a letter of recommendation from a physician that you then bring to a dispensary. The letter should state that taking a form of medical marijuana may be of use for your particular condition. Mitcho also passed around samples of the different medical marijuana preparations for the show and tell portion of his presentation which were met with a great deal of curiosity Medical Marijuana and MS Sonoma County Santa Rosa MS Support Group Santa Rosa Calif. 7 Theres nothing quite like meeting up with other people with MS in person to socialize have fun and share information and experiences. However there are also many excellent ways to connect online. Doing so can be particularly helpful if you are trying to stay better connected with your members throughout the month or advertise the existence of your support group to a wider audience of people with MS. If you arent able to attend an in-person support group in your area starting one online can offer you a great way to connect with other people with MS. While there are various sites online that you can use to create a group Facebook is a good option many people already use the site and setting up a group is simple and free of charge. In order to create a Group on Facebook youll need to set up a personal Facebook account by going to www.facebook.com and filling in the information under Sign Up. Once youve done so log into your account and follow these instructions from your PC or Mac to create a Group 1. From your home page go to the Groups section on the left side menu and click Create Group. 2. A window will appear where youll be able to add a group name add members and select the privacy settings for your group. 3. Click Create when youre done. Once the group is created youll be taken to the group. To get started click ... at the top right of the group and select Edit Group Settings. From here you can add a group description tags set a group email address and add a group picture. How can you help drive traffic to your newly created Facebook Group If you make your Group public using Facebooks privacy settings then it will also show in Google searches. Both public and closed groups will appear in searches from within Facebook. Secret groups will not. It might be a good idea to include the words MS Support Group as well as the area you are hoping to serve in the Groups name to help people find it more easily when searching online. Additional Tip If your support group is an affiliate of the MSF Independent Support Group Net- work the MSF can put a link to your Facebook Group in the National Independent Support Group Directory on the MSFs website as well as on your support group meeting flyers to help drive more traffic to it. Information about creating a Facebook Group is from httpswww.facebook.comhelp. and a few jokes from the members. Susan said Im pretty certain it all returned to Mitcho intact and in one piece It was a really good meeting with lots of great information questions and laughter. The Sonoma County Santa Rosa MS Support Group usually meets on the Second Monday of each month from noon - 2 p.m. at Round Table Pizza 2065 Occidental Road Santa Rosa CA 95401. Please contact Susan at mudwomansonic.net or 707-544-9654 or Debi at debiwebi7comcast.net or 707-548-8437 for more information. Visit the groups website at sonomacountymsgroup.org. National Headquarters 6520 North Andrews Avenue Ft. Lauderdale FL 33309-2132 Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage P A I D Ft. Laud. FL Permit No. 2698 Change Service Requested Contact Alissa Ayden to start your own support group OR submit your questions comments pictures or articles Mail MSF Attn Support Groups 6520 N. Andrews Ave. Fort Lauderdale FL 33309 Email alissamsfocus.org Phone 888-MSFOCUS 673-6287 Lending Library Whether you are looking for caregiving resources an audio book a relaxation tape exercise video or a guide to alternative therapies for MS contact the MSF Lending Library. Free Subscription To subscribe to EmpowerSource Support Group News go to the MSF website www.msfocus.org click SubscriptionsPeriodicals and fill out the form or contact Program Services. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Call the MSF at 888-MSFOCUS 673-6287 or go to our website www.msfocus.org. Volume XV Issue 1 Winter 2016