The Newly Diagnosed Teleconference Series is an opportunity to hear useful information directly from experts in the field. These experts will discuss information that is most relevant to someone who has been diagnosed with MS within the last two years.
Each teleconference lasts just one hour and is accessible via a toll-free number. You can ask questions or just listen to the information. Best of all, you can do so from the privacy of your own home. Participate in both calls or just the one that interests you**.
**Please note that if you would like to participate in both calls you must register for each one separately.
MS 101: Understanding MS
September 17, 2009
Moving Past Your MS Diagnosis
September 24, 2009
MS 101: Understanding MS
September 17, 2009 from 7-8pm
For many people who have recently been diagnosed with MS, learning more about the disease and the treatments available can help ease the anxiety and confusion that sometimes comes with the diagnosis. This call will cover the basics of multiple sclerosis including the courses of the disease, common symptoms, and myths about the disease. In addition, this call will provide an overview of the types of disease–modifying medications used to treat MS, including the ways the medications are administered, how often, side effects, and things to look for when using these injections, such as site reactions and flu-like symptoms.
This teleconference is appropriated for people who have been diagnosed within the past two years and want to learn more about a medical overview of MS and self-injectable medications.
Guest Speaker: Joan Marie Ohayon, RN, MSN, CRNP, MSCN
Joan Ohayon is a nurse practitioner in the Neuroimmunology Branch of the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Ohayon received a Masters in Nursing from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia in 1997; after which, she became certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Additionally, Ohayon is a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Nurse and is a member of the International Organization of MS Nurses.
Actively involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ohayon serves as a Research Advocate and on the Clinical Advisory Committee for the National Capital Chapter. Ohayon has given numerous educational presentations to both community and professional audiences, as well as co-authored many publications and abstracts. She is a Guest Lecturer and Faculty for several courses and educational classes at NIH. Ohayon has also been a guest speaker on several televised programs on multiple sclerosis.
You may register online or by phone by calling the Hampton Roads Chapter at 757-490-9627.
Moving Past Your MS Diagnosis
September 24, 2009 from 7-8pm
We know it can be difficult to hear the words “You have MS.” There are so many questions that arise in the first few years about what the diagnosis means for you, how it will impact your life and relationships, and how to manage the chronic nature of the disease. This teleconference will address how to move past the common emotional reactions of shock, fear, anger, and denial that you may experience when first receiving an MS diagnosis, how to cope with the new “uninvited guest” in your relationships with family and friends, and how to maintain your quality of life in the years ahead.
This teleconference is appropriate for people living with MS who have been diagnosed within the past two years and want to learn more about handling the emotional and physical aspects of diagnosis.
Guest Speaker: Kathleen Fuchs, PhD, ABPP-CN
Dr. Kathleen Fuchs is a board certified neuropsychologist and associate professor of clinical neurology at the University of Virginia. She is a professional staff member at the James Q. Miller Consultative MS Clinic and serves on the Clinical Advisory Board for the Blue Ridge Chapter of the National MS Society. She sees people with MS for neuropsychological evaluations and for psychotherapy, as well as works with people to help them develop compensation strategies for cognitive problems. Her research interests include estrogen effects on cognition and aging with MS.
You may register online or by phone by calling the Hampton Roads Chapter at 757-490-9627.