E-NEWS from OFFER & AF October,
2005 ________________________________________________________________________________ from
the Organization for Fatigue & Fibromyalgia Education & Research
and the
Arthritis Foundation Utah/Idaho Chapter
________________________________________________________________________________ IN
THIS ISSUE:
The inclusion of information in this
newsletter does not constitute or imply endorsement by OFFER or the Arthritis
Foundation Utah/Idaho Chapter. Please consult your physician before using any
medication or therapy. ________________________________________________________________________________
NEXT OFFER EDUCATION
MEETING:
Speaker: Dr. N. Lee Smith, internist and OFFER Board
Member Topic: "Sleep Problems Related to Pain and Fatigue"
Wednesday, October 5, 2005, 7:00 P.M. Council Chambers, Salt
Lake County Complex North Building, 2001 South State Street, Salt Lake City,
UT This free Education Meeting is open to everyone – bring your loved ones.
Park free in the lot at northeast corner of the
complex.
ARTHRITIS
FOUNDATION EVENTS:
Fibromyalgia and Arthritis Self-Management Classes
The Arthritis Management Program can help you learn to manage your
symptoms on a day-to-day basis. Trained volunteers, many of whom have arthritis
or fibromyalgia, lead the courses. The program allows you to share experiences
with others, offering you the opportunity to both help and learn.
· South Jordan, UT: October 3 – November 7, Mondays, 1
P.M. · Murray, UT: October 4 – November 8, Tuesdays, 6
P.M. · Orem, UT: October 5 – November 9, Wednesdays,
6 P.M. · Ketchum, ID: October 18 – November 22,
Tuesdays, 8 P.M.
Healthy Living with Arthritis of the Hip
October 12, 2005, 6:30 P.M. The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital,
Auditorium 5848 South Fashion Place Blvd. (300 East), Murray, UT
Inaugural Young Adult Arthritis
Social/Seminar Topic: How Art Can Help With Arthritis and Other Chronic
Conditions November 3, 2005, 7 to 8 P.M. Salt Lake City Public Library,
Conference Room B 210 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City, UT
FM STUDIES
SEEK PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Lucinda Bateman is
seeking FM patients, male and female age 18 or older, who may want to
participate in a 3-month FM drug study. To learn more, call Ali Allen, RN, at
604-6637 and leave a message to let her know of your interest in the study, and
how and when to contact you.
The Fibromyalgia Research
Team at the University of Utah is seeking participants for a study
involving comprehensive rehabilitative treatment for FMS. To be eligible,
patients must: · have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia,
· be between 21 and 65 years of age,
· not exercise more than 30 minutes per week,
· not have heart disease, · not be
pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next year,
· not be planning any surgery within the next year.
The study includes comprehensive medical,
physical therapy, and pain psychology evaluations. Participants will be asked to
do home assessments monitoring their FMS symptoms for 7 days. Treatment includes
active physical therapy, physical education and counseling. All treatments will
be group format of 2 hours per session for ten consecutive weeks. Evaluations
and treatments are provided at no cost to eligible participants. For more
details, see http://www.painresearch.utah.edu/clinical/index.htm and
click on the link for "Treatment Program for Fibromyalgia." To volunteer for the
study, call (801) 585-7697 or send email to pain.research@hsc.utah.edu.
CFS/FM
RESEARCH DATABASE: Interested in participating in future Fibromyalgia or
CFS research? Just fill out the registration form at http://offerutah.org/OFFERSurvey.htm and mail it to
OFFER at 1002 E. South Temple, Suite 408, Salt Lake City, UT 84102.
OFFER-approved researchers will contact you when there's a study you may be
interested in; of course, you are under no obligation to participate.
HELP BUILD OFFER'S REFERRAL LIST:
We need your help in
expanding our list of health care professionals who treat FM and CFS. If you are
a patient and would like to recommend someone, please email offerregistration@yahoo.com, giving
the practitioner's name, title, address, and phone number, along with a brief
description of how that person helped you. OFFER will contact the practitioners
to ensure they are willing to be included on the referral list. Interested
practitioners also are invited to contact OFFER at offerregistration@yahoo.com. The
referral list is online at http://offerutah.org/doctors.htm.
VOLUNTEER WITH
OFFER: OFFER is an all-volunteer organization, and
there are many ways you can help. Whether you can commit to a few hours each
month, or prefer to help just with occasional projects, let us know. There's a
particular need for help with the monthly Education Meeting (for example,
calling to remind people about the meeting, or helping on the day of the meeting
with check-in and handout distribution). Please email offerregistration@yahoo.com or
leave a message at 801-328-8080 to let us know your interest and how and when to
contact you.
OTHER SUPPORT GROUPS IN UTAH:
See http://offerutah.org/support.html
for a list of other support groups around the state. These include
patient-led and professionally facilitated groups. To suggest a group for
this list, please contact OFFER at offerregistration@yahoo.com
.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
OFFER: Visit our
website: www.offerutah.org Check out our "Resource" section
for links to many informative web sites.
TELL YOUR
FRIENDS: Feel free to
forward this email to anyone who might be interested. To start or stop
your subscription to this free newsletter, send your request to offerregistration@yahoo.com
.