Letter from the Director
What an absolutely amazing 8th annual Walk 'n Roll we had this year. MSQLP board and staff were pleasantly surprised to see a lot of new faces at the fundraiser on Saturday, August 23rd. We would like to extend a sincere thank you for the tremendous show of support we received at our 8th annual Walk 'n Roll fundraising event. The event was great fun, with fabulous music, a delicious BBQ, and an exciting collection of silent auction items and raffle prizes. Together with your support we raised more than $12,000, which will allow MSQLP to continue funding free programs and services that support families living with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease in the Central Coast.
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As a fundraiser, that also functions as a social event, this year's Walk 'n Roll was easily the best yet due to the tremendous amount of participation and positivity that occurred. A special thanks goes out to all of our sponsors this year: TEVA Neuroscience, Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Union Bank, Pacific Physical Therapy, Monterey Peninsula Orthotic & Prosthetic Services, Herbalife, and American Karate. Without the support of these local and corporate sponsors, we would not be able to print T-shirts for the event or provide the delicious food and accommodations that was offered. Every year the MSQLP board and fundraising committee meet to determine new ways we can improve the next Walk 'n Roll. This year, we are asking for your help. We have created a survey that with your input, will help improve next year's Walk 'n Roll and potentially make this fundraiser even better!
You can access this survey further down the newsletter. Or click here.
Thanks again for your support!
Sincerely,
Grant Helm
Executive Director
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Upcoming Events
(click orange text for flyer)
Thursday, September 4th
Postural Rehabilitation
2 to 3:30PM @ Marina Library
Featuring Jennifer Vendela
Contact MSQLP at 831-333-9091 to register!
Support Groups
MSQLP's Joint MS Support Group
11AM-1PM
Marina Library Community Room
MSQLP's Family Caregiver Support Group
Friday, September 12th
11AM-1PM
Marina Library Outside Plaza
Water Aerobics
Mondays & Wednesdays
12-1pm @ Monterey Sports Center
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Never Stop Moving: Wellness Workshops
By Osiris Salgado- MSQLP Case Manager
As our summer months are coming to an end and the holiday seasons are approaching it is even more important to maintain a level of physical activity as part of a daily life especially when living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson's disease (PD). Over the past two decades, researchers and clinicians have focused exclusively on the benefits and promotion of exercise training in persons with MS or PD. Exercise training is a type of structured physical activity that focuses on improving one's physical fitness and is typically performed under supervised conditions in a gym or at home.
For people with MS and Parkinson's, exercise is not only healthy, but a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and daily living activities.
People with MS experience many benefits from engaging in an exercise program. For example, exercise programs can improve endurance, balance, muscle strength, and can help improve walking. In addition, exercise can alleviate symptoms of depression and fatigue. Engaging in exercise can improve overall evaluation of life satisfaction or quality of life in people with MS. There might even be benefits for cognitive function and brain health (mentioned in the MS Focus magazine of 2014).
Similar to the research done with MS patients, studies have shown that exercise can improve mobility, balance, tremor, flexibility, grip strength and motor coordination for those living with Parkinson's. In addition, there is a strong consensus among physicians and physical therapists that improved mobility decreases the risk of falls and some other complications of Parkinson's
disease and MS (Parkinson's Disease Foundation 2014).
Centrally related to this topic, MSQLP is hosting a series of wellness and exercise workshops offered free for individuals living with MS or PD. Attending these events is a great way to learn new exercises that can be organized into a program and practiced at home. The schedule of the events flyer can be seen here. If you would attend any of these events, please call the MSQLP office at (831) 333-9091 to register.
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Did You Know?
Excerpts edited from an article on Vaccination and MS by Dr. Patricia Coyle
Neurologists who treat patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) sometimes must consider whether it is safe to administer vaccines to these individuals. The current literature indicates that live and killed vaccines are safe for patients with MS, according to a review presented at the 2014 Cooperative Meeting of CMSC and ACTRIMS. In addition, current disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) generally do not appear to affect the efficacy of vaccines. Fingolimod is the one DMT that raises concerns, however. Before starting fingolimod in a patient with MS, neurologists routinely assess the patient for an immune response to varicella zoster virus (VZV). If the results are negative, most neurologists will vaccinate the patient before treating him or her with fingolimod, said Patricia K. Coyle, MD, Director of the MS Comprehensive Care Center at Stony Brook Neurosciences Institute in New York.
Several studies suggest an association between benign viral infections and an increased MS relapse rate. One theory is that the infection increases the relapse rate by activating the immune system. As many as one-third of relapses are associated with a prior infection, said Dr. Coyle. "Therefore, vaccines should be beneficial in MS if they prevent infection, so long as they're relatively safe," she added. But vaccinations should not be administered during or shortly after relapses.
A 2001 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 643 patients with MS for a four-year period. The patients' rate of relapses was 2.3% during periods when they received a vaccination, compared with a range of 2.8% to 4% during periods when patients were not being vaccinated. The authors concluded that vaccines are not associated with an increased risk of relapses.
After reviewing studies of vaccines in patients with MS, the MS Council for Clinical Practice Guidelines concluded in 2002 that the evidence supported strategies to minimize infections that can trigger relapses. The panel also concluded that the vaccines for influenza, hepatitis B, varicella, tetanus, and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin were safe for patients with MS.
Read the full article from Dr. Coyle by clicking here.
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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. MSQLP is committed to filling these gaps by improving the quality of life of persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the tri-county area of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito. Our programs serve families living with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Monterey County. We work with clients and their families to create comprehensive individual plans and programs that support client independence.
All of 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 house visit with a client.
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Benefit MSQLP just through shopping online!
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Click on logo for details!
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Click on logo for details!
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Walk 'n Roll 2014 Satisfaction Survey
Once again, a very special thanks goes out to those of you who came out on Saturday, August 23rd to celebrate and raise funds for free and local support services provided by MS Quality of Life Project.
Every year that we deploy the Walk 'n Roll fundraiser we look for ways that we can improve it upon past renditions of the event. This year we saw improved participation and a really positive energy overall. If would like to help us plan and/or improve next years Walk 'n Roll please fill out the satisfaction survey linked below.
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Amy's Corner
Herd Immunity
By Amy Lamb Heckel RDH
Ever heard the term? Why is the concept so important to those who cannot be vaccinated? (And to the people who love them?) Because those who cannot be vaccinated can at least be partially protected if the people around them are vaccinated! This is the idea behind herd immunity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call this effect "community" immunity and explain it this way. "...a situation in which a sufficient portion of a population is immune to an infectious disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness) to make its spread from person to person unlikely. Even individuals not vaccinated (such as newborns and those with chronic illnesses) are offered some protection because the disease has little opportunity to spread within the community. Also known as herd immunity."
Why is this important to you? Many people who have MS are treated with immunosuppressant medications and are therefore often deemed to be poor candidates for vaccination. If the people around them get vaccinated, the chance that the person who is compromised by medication and/or treatment will become ill is greatly lessened. For those who want a deeper understanding of herd immunity, I have included a link to a video by Dr. Aaron Carroll. He is both a medical researcher and a pediatrician who accompanies his explanations with rather helpful visuals.
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of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project
on GuideStar and help us grow!
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Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project
519B Hartnell Street
Monterey, California 93940
831.333.9091
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