NC State Researchers Advance Understanding Of Stem Cells

Here's an interesting article via Rudy Sims. www.disabilityresourceexchange.com

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171379.php

Gleaners Food Bank Doubles your donation today

I just donated to Gleaners Food Bank. They are doubling all donations today. Please give to end hunger in America.

www.gcfb.org

Affordable Biologics

I just read about this today. We need to get an amendment in the Senate Health Bill to address the costs of biologic drugs (used for cancer, AIDS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.). I am on Enbrel and the co-pay has gone from $50 to $435 per month in just 2 short years. See my posting below "Genocide in America". Please sign this petition to get this amendment added so the severely ill do not have to choose between groceries and medication they need to stay ALIVE!

http://publicoptionplease.com/biologics/petition/

Link between Arthritis and Heart Disease

How does having Rheumatoid Arthritis affect your chance of developing heart disease? Having Rheumatoid Arthritis is in itself a risk factor for heart disease, just as is diabetes and obesity. What can you do to reduce your risk?

http://www.arthritis.org/heart-disease-connection.php

California awards stem cell grants (via Rudy Sims)

This is awesome news. No mention of Rheumatoid Arthritis in this article but I know we are close. I predict my disease will be curable in 5-10 years with stem cell research. I literally can't wait!

http://www.disabilityresourcelinks.com/main/2009/10/stem-cell-agency-awards-230-million-in-grants.html

Arthritis Summit 2010

Can't wait for my first Advocacy Summit in Washington D.C. March 1-3, 2010

http://www.arthritis.org/advocacy-summit.php

Bone Bash 2009

I just got my tickets for the Bone Bash 2009! More info at http://www.arthritis.org/bonebash.php

The Day I Met President Obama

The phone rang on a Friday night. The gentleman on the other end said "I have the opportunity of a lifetime for you." My instinct told me right away I was being invited to meet the President, but my mind said, "No Way!" President Obama was scheduled to come to speak at Macomb Community College the following Tuesday and I had been sending out e-mails to contacts to try to get tickets. The man on the phone said I was going to get a private meeting with the President of the United States of America. I almost fainted. My heart was beating a million miles a minute. I knew he was serious when he said you have 10 minutes to get me an e-mail with your info for the secret service to do a background check. I sent the e-mail in 5 minutes!

I was diagnosed with JRA at 18 months old. I am now 35 and on total disability. I graduated from Oakland University and became a CPA. My career was cut short due to a 3 year bout of Colitis and my JRA is not in control because the co-pay for the drug I need is $435 per month. That is why I became involved in the health care debate in Congress. I attended numerous rallies and visited Senator Levin's office in June. I told my story to anyone who would listen and started a blog to share my story with others. I give free advice and support at http://vicbosblog.blogspot.com/ . I'm not sure how exactly I was selected but I did meet some pretty important people at these health care rallies and I also volunteered during the 2008 campaign season to share my story with my community.

On July 14, 2009, my chance had arrived. I was instructed to meet my contact at the front of the line at Macomb Community College. We had a group of 8 community volunteers who were also invited. After waiting for hours, we got the signal from the secret service to follow them. We were escorted through what seemed like a maze of people, then a maze of hallways lined with black cloth drapes. We were put in a room that had been cleared out and the infamous black cloth drapes blocked the back half of the room that was full of chairs and tables stacked to the ceiling. The secret service agent asked if we had anything to give to the President. I gave him a copy of the Arthritis Foundation's Principles on healthcare reform and an article about my story that was in the local newspaper. After another short wait, we heard his voice in the hallway. We all had the same look on our face and no one talked. He entered the room and we all lit up with smiles. We all got our photos taken by the white house photographer, a handshake and an introduction. I told the President my name, and how honored I was to meet him. He responded "It's very nice to meet you, too." We all took our photos and he spoke to all of us of how important our volunteer work is to the healthcare reform debate. He was very grateful for all our hard work. "The fight's not over yet, we need to keep spreading the message of health care reform. Keep up the good work," he said. I exclaimed, "You can count on us Mr. President!" Then he left the room and went straight out onto the stage to give his speech.

This was a day I will never forget! Thank you Arthritis Foundation for giving me the opportunity to help others with this disease. We may have a disease but it doesn't have to have us!

Article about my fight for a cure!

Here is a link to a local newspaper article about my fight to find a cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

http://sourcenewspapers.com/stories/062109/loc_story1001.shtml

Arthritis Prevention Control and Cure Act of 2009

Attention all Arthritis Sufferers:

Do you have Arthritis? 46 million Americans have one or more forms of the 100 different forms of Arthritis. I know. I am just one. I was born with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis 35 years ago. I have suffered tremendously at the hands of this progressive, incurable disease. It is now time for me to put up my dukes and fight. Not just for me, for all the patients who are too disabled to fight for themselves. I have endured 35 years of discrimination from many sources: students, teachers, family, friends but most of all strangers staring. No one quite knows how to react when they hear my story. That's why I'm gonna keep on tellin' it. I want people to stop looking at me like I'm joking or I'm flat out lying, when I say "I was born with Arthritis". This is not an old person's disease. 300,000 children in the US has one form or another of Juvenile Arhtritis. We need not be ashamed. It is not our fault. No one is to blame. There, no more blaming.

How do we fix this problem? First things first, pass the Arthritis, Prevention, Control and Cure Act of 2009 (S984). This is a must! Please follow this link and READ THE BILL! http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.984: Then, call your Senators to co-sponsor this bill. We almost had it passed last year but the economy fell apart. If you need any information on arthrits the best place to start is www.arthritis.org This is the website to the Arthritis Foundation. They are there to help us. They have given me a new lease on life and I will always be grateful to them for showing me I can make a difference. If I can do it, you can do it to! Peace and Blessings, Vicki

10 tips for Rheumatoid Arthritis Caregivers

This a great article about how to keep your sanity as a caregiver to a rheumatoid arthritis patient:

http://organizedwisdom.com/helpbar/index.html?return=http://organizedwisdom.com/How_to_Care_for_Someone_With_Rheumatoid_Arthritis&url=www.everydayhealth.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis-caregivers.aspx

Questions about arthritis? Just ask.

Please feel free to let me know what YOU want to see on my blog.  This blog is for YOU! I promise if I don't know the answer to your question, I can and will point you in the right direction :)