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From a Board Member
Hello folks!
My name is Kent Newbold, I have MS and I reside in Santa Cruz county. I first learned of MSQLP via the conversations that I had with Andrea Dowdall. At the time, Andrea contacted me after she learned I had just been diagnosed, go to a support group meeting in Salinas. That was very nice of her because I had no knowledge of MS. I realized, since I knew absolutely nothing about MS, I should join an MS support group to gain the knowledge of this illness that had just ended my career. By talking to others in the group MSQLP provided, I was able to learn information that I did not know.
It was through an MRI that Kaiser found what was going on with my back/health issue. I had been having a sore back for several months after lifting something much too heavy. I was at work when this lifting accident occurred. I had been a Ranger for several years and lifting was just part of the job. But this sore back did not go away! After missing 14 weeks of work I began to realize this may be a difficult health condition. My wife and I were both shocked when I was told of the MS diagnosis by Kaiser Health Care.
Eventually I joined MSQLP as a client because of the conversations that I had with Andrea and the MSQLP support group in Salinas. It was only recently that I joined MSQLP as a Board Member. I was asked by Andrea and Grant if I could join the Board of Directors and be a representative for clients living in Santa Cruz County. Because I am a new member I'm learning several new things about MSQLP that I was not aware of as a regular support group attendee. MSQLP's programs helped me and I joined the Board because I wish to help MSQLP provide free services to more people that are in situations like mine. Now with the holiday season approaching, time with family and friends is on everyone's mind. People living with MS have the additional challenge of managing their MS. I hope you find time to relax and enjoy life's blessings.
In my MSQLP Board Member education thus far, I have learned about the effort and planning it takes to raise funds and help clients accomplish a better quality of life. The professional people that I have met on the Board, like me, are working to help MSQLP continue to improve our clients' quality of life. My wife, elderly father, and I will share a holiday in Pacifica, California. We are going there to join my brother, his girlfriend, and more friends. MSQLP is having a holiday party too! Check the events section below to see what's in store for December!
Thanks for listening to my story and happy holidays!
Sincerely,
Kent Newbold
Board Member
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Upcoming Events
(click the underlined topics for more info)
Aubagio Educational EventSaturday December, 7th
Seminar begins: 12PM
Rio Grill in Carmel
101 Crossroads Blvd
Speaker: Dr. Nida Laurin Complimentary meal will be provided.
Call 1-866-703-6293 to register for this free event! Space is limited.Support GroupsMSQLP Holiday Party!
Friday, December 13th
11AM-1PM Marina Library
190 Seaside Ave. (road construction does not prevent entrance)
Let's celebrate the holiday season and the end of a great year with food, fun, and great company!
Water Aerobics
Mondays & Wednesdays 12-1pm
@ Monterey Sports Center
No water aerobics after Monday December, 23rd until January 2014.
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Spotlight on MSQLP's
upcoming Support Group for Caregivers in 2014
Sign-up starts now!
As you know, MS is a chronic and often disabling autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system and can drastically impact an individual's ability to carry out everyday activities on their own. Many individuals living with MS rely on a family member, significant other, or close friend to provide care and assistance. Whether caring for a parent, spouse, child, or friend, a care partner may be responsible for another's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. But regardless of the love a family caregiver has for the recipient of their attention, caregiving can be emotionally and physically draining. This is especially true when added to other responsibilities at work and home.
In an effort to improve quality of life and reduce stress for families of people living with MS, MSQLP will be offering a pilot support group program, specifically for family (or friend) caregivers of our MS clients. The group is expected to begin the week of January 20th and meet once a week in Monterey county for approximately 1.5 hours for six weeks (ending the week of February 24th). Each session will focus on a different educational topic with time to share experiences. In this caregiver support program:
- A light lunch will be provided at each session.
- If you attend all six meetings of this program, and you are interested in participating, your name will be entered into a drawing to win a gift basket, valued at $50.
Registration is required prior to the program. Please call Angie at the MSQLP office: (831) 333-9091.
More details included on this
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Did You Know?
MS Support Groups in the area.
Excerpts edited by
Grant Helm- MSQLP Director
Probably the biggest advantage of an MS support group is an environment that gives the opportunity to realize that you are not alone; that there are other people who have the same or similar challenges, most succinctly rooted in MS. The sharing of experiences is often a revelation and/or a huge relief.
Being in a support group can also help you develop new skills to relate to others. In addition, the members of the group who have the same or similar challenges can support each other, and may suggest new ways of dealing with a particular issue. There are many benefits of joining a support group including:
- Learning new information & strategies for confronting problems.
- Finding reassurance and support from others with similar life experiences.
- Developing personal insights and achieving personal growth.
- The opportunity to be helpful to others.
- Feeling less isolated.
- Learning to express feelings better and to be more sensitive to the feelings of others.
- Feeling empowered and more self-confident in coping with challenges.
- Developing a connection to a community and personal identification with a social group.
Did you know there are many avenues available in our tri-county area for MS support groups?
Currently, MSQLP provides two separate support groups, one in Salinas, and one in Monterey. The information regarding our support groups is posted monthly on this e-newsletter and can also be found on our website at www.MSQLP.org
In addition, National MS Society provides a support group in Santa Cruz and has begun forming one in the Monterey area. You can find more info about NMSS support groups by clicking the bold text.
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of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project
on GuideStar and help us grow!
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MSQLP Websitewww.msqlp.orgOur Mission: The Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project (MSQLP) recognizes that people living with chronic illness have unmet needs. We are committed to filling these gaps by improving the quality of life of persons with MS in our local communities. We work with clients and their families to create comprehensive individual plans and programs that support independence. Our services are free.
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$30 will fund outreach services for one client.
$70 will fund one water aerobics class.
$100 will fund a HouseCall for a client.
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Click to support MSQLP
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Help us reach our goal of $3,000!
Any donation towards the Birdies for Charity fundraiser will be increased by 20% courtesy of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation!
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when you buy a shirt and bag together!
 | | $15 if picked up $20 if shipped |
Call 831-333-9091 to get your MSQLP merchandise just in time for the holidays!
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Click on iGive logo for details!
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Benefit MSQLP just through shopping online!
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Tip of the Month
Take Control of Your Holiday Shopping:
Tips for Managing Stress
by Andrew Garcia- MSQLP Intern
The holidays are meant to bring feelings of love and cheer. It can also be the forthcoming of unwanted stress. Holiday stress is very predictable. For the most part, we know when the stress will begin and when it will end. Planning ahead and taking full advantage of available support resources can help reduce the amount of stress you encounter during this holiday season. Here are some holiday-shopping tips to help you control or reduce stress levels:
Plan Ahead
A great way to start your holiday-shopping is by planning ahead. If you have a big family like mine, then you know how easy it is to forget getting a person a gift. Writing down a list of gifts that you are getting for each person can help highlight the people you don't have a gift for and to avoid last minute purchases. Set aside specific dates for shopping. Don't worry if you can't get all the shopping done in one day, if you plan ahead, you have many opportunities to split the shopping up and to go shopping when needed. Planning ahead can help reduce how far a person is halted when random MS flare ups or fatigue occurs.
Shop with a Partner A great way to reduce stress from holiday-shopping is by going with a partner. This partner can be a friend, family member(s), or caregiver. Partners or friends can help with caring bags, accessing hard to reach items, and you always have an escape driver if you become too tired.
Ask for Help The holidays can be a very stressful time. For some, their MS shows up when too much is happening at once, making it difficult to complete important holiday tasks. Many people are concerned that asking for help makes them a burden, but around the holidays, everyone can use a hand. Reach out for those around you. If a family member or friend is headed to a store that you need something at, ask for help. Most likely they will not have a problem picking things up for you.
Holiday-Shopping Online Who likes dealing with long lines, rude customers, or bad service? If you're looking to avoid the aforementioned antagonists, look no further. Online shopping has never been easier. Have a debit or credit card? Perfect! Purchasing goods and presents has become more efficient, more dependable, and in many cases more affordable. Most major retail stores such as Best Buy and Target have online sites where customers can purchase the same items that are found in the store and have them shipped directly to you. In some cases, the store can wrap the gifts for you. In addition to stores, there are online retailers such as Amazon, where one can buy a variety of items or gifts all under one website. The one warning with online shopping is identity fraud. Although rare, always be careful and take the appropriate precautions. I suggest shopping through the well known businesses such as the ones mentioned before. Online security is the most prevalent and the strongest for businesses that can afford the extra safeguards. Needless to say, holiday-shopping online can be very helpful for persons with MS. With a couple clicks of the mouse, you may avoid the mass amount of people crowding around the streets and stores.
Enjoy Yourself Enjoying yourself is the most important part of the holidays. Although the build-up could be stressful, make sure to sit back, relax, and spend quality time with those you cherish. Do not forget to enjoy yourself, you deserve it!
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Amy's Corner
Borrow audio books for FREE!
By Amy Lamb Heckel, RDH
If you need relief from the chaotic holiday season, what better way to relax than with a good book? Know someone who has difficulty reading? No problem. Help is at hand.
They may be eligible to borrow audio books for free. "Talking Books" is a free (yes, really free) service that many U.S. residents and citizens can sign up for. How does it work? The National Library Service (a division of the Library of Congress) describes it this way, "local cooperating libraries throughout the United States mail NLS audio books, magazines, and audio equipment directly to enrollees at no cost."
Does this sound too good to be true? My husband's mother has been enrolled for years and has had nothing but positive experiences. She is especially thrilled that to return an item she only needs to put it in the enclosed, already addressed, postage-free container, and then place it in her mailbox. Below is a quote from the NLS website defining who may participate in this program.
"Blind persons whose visual acuity, as determined by competent authority, is 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting lenses, or whose widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees."
"Other physically handicapped persons are eligible as follows":
- Persons whose visual disability, with correction and regardless of optical measurement, is certified by competent authority as preventing the reading of standard printed material.
- Persons certified by competent authority as unable to read or unable to use standard printed material as a result of physical limitations.
- Persons certified by competent authority as having a reading disability resulting from organic dysfunction and of sufficient severity to prevent their reading printed material in a normal manner."
"In cases of blindness, visual impairment, or physical limitations, "competent authority" is defined to include doctors of medicine; doctors of osteopathy; ophthalmologists; optometrists; registered nurses; therapists; and professional staff of hospitals, institutions, and public or private welfare agencies (e.g., social workers, case workers, counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and superintendents). In the absence of any of these, certification may be made by professional librarians or by any person whose competence under specific circumstances is acceptable to the Library of Congress."
The application for Talking Books may be found on by clicking the bold text.
You can also telephone 1-888-NLS-READ.This is a great opportunity which is why this information is being made available to you - again!
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Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project
519B Hartnell Street
Monterey, California 93940
831.333.9091
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