Hello and thank you for surfing on over to check us out!
Starting in October, this blog will be updated on a regular basis with helpful and informational information. For right now, I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to all of you:
My name is Kristin Abramowitz and I am the new blog administrator. I was diagnosed with MS in 2009 and have joined the ChangeMS team to try and provide as much information and support to fellow MSers. When I was diagnosed, there was not much information that was readily available for those who were newly diagnosed other than a few pamphlets on a select number of medications. ChangeMS was created by our “fearless leader” Tony Ferro to make that situation a thing of the past.
One of the ways we hope to provide as much information as possible is a regularly updated blog which is where I come in. I will be keeping this blog going by obtaining content and responding to comments and questions. For the rest of September I will be rounding up information for the first few months of the blog so that, starting in October, you will be able to check back for new content.
To give you a quick idea of what is to come, here’s a rough outline of the themes we will be covering for the first few months. We will have new weekly posts so please follow the blog to be reminded to check back when the new information is available!.
October: The Real Life Stories of MS
This month we will have new stories from people living with MS, caregivers and other people who have MS as part of their lives sharing some version of their MS story. We want to get everyone familiar with a bunch of people involved in ChangeMS and gain an understanding of where we are all coming from. This theme will be one that comes back every few months for as long as people want to share their stories (hopefully as long as this blog exists!).
November: Depression/Anxiety/Stress & MS
In November, we will be sharing how certain situations can effect people with MS and people who care about people with MS. Depression, anxiety & stress are common things people dealing with MS are faced with and it is important to understand this is a normal reaction and to learn about how to deal with these feelings. The posts in November will look to help with this understanding.
December: Getting Through The Holidays
The holidays can be stressful enough when not dealing with something as complicated and unpredictable as MS and other diseases. In December we will try to provide our readers with ways we have found to make it through the holidays with as little stress and aggravation as possible.
January: Fitness & MS
We all know that fitness is very important for everyone but it can be even more important for people dealing with MS and other illness. In January we will look to share insights on how to begin, maintain or improve a healthy fitness level with specific attention to people with MS and the people in their lives.
February: Relationships & MS
As a special nod to Valentines’ Day, we thought we would discuss relationships of all kinds this month. Life can get complicated for people dealing with disease and that can translate to difficulties in relationships with family, friends, spouses/significant others, co-workers, etc. In February we will try to address some of these situations and provide suggestions about how to better interact with others while navigating through life as a person with MS.
March: MS Awareness Month
This month we will touch on a variety of different topics in honor of MS Awareness Month. Anything from sleep and fitness to diet and other insights.
April: The Real Life Stories of MS: More Specific Theme To Come
This month we will have new stories from people living with MS, caregivers and other people who have MS as part of their lives sharing some version of their MS story. We want to get everyone familiar with a bunch of people involved in ChangeMS and gain an understanding of where we are all coming from. This theme will be one that comes back every few months for as long as people want to share their stories (hopefully as long as this blog exists!).
New topics for conversation will be discussed and shared as we move forward. Please do not hesitate to leave a reply below to provide your own feedback to the posts we share or ideas for future themes. We are here for you and your education and we welcome your thoughts and questions.
Thank you so much for joining us!
Kristin