Generations articles from March 2001

Generations archives from March 2001

Dominant Ataxias: Medical and Scientific Update.
March 22, 2001... Editors Note: Reprinted with permission of Euro-Ataxia. This update is based on the presentation during this year's AGM in Valjeviken Rehabilitation Centre, beautifully situated on the south coast of Sweden. In last year's update on...

Recessive Ataxias: Medical and Scientific Update.
March 22, 2001... Editors Note: Reprinted with permission of Euro-Ataxia. Few forms of recessive ataxias have been recognized so far. The most frequent form (in Europe and in populations with European decent) is Friedreich's ataxia, which was described as...

Questions and Answers.(Machado Joseph (cerebellar ataxia) disease)
March 22, 2001... I am a 39-year-old female with Machado Joseph Disease. My symptoms are mild except for the severe foot cramps that can happen several times a day. The cramps distort my foot out of proportion which prevents me from walking. These cramps can...

Out With the Old and In With the New.(upcoming federal health funding)
March 22, 2001... The 106th Congress is over, as well as the tenure of President Bill Clinton. The legislation containing funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was the final piece of major legislation considered by the 106th Congress. The...

Mouse with Iron Disorder Offers Clues to Parkinson's, Similar Diseases.
March 22, 2001... NIH News Release January 30, 2001 Mice engineered to lack a gene involved in iron metabolism may provide important clues for deciphering the nature of a group of brain disorders -- similar to Parkinson's Disease -- affecting movement,...

Ataxia Sufferer Develops Kid-Friendly Web Site.(Bryan Masserant creates www.anelephantneverforgets.net)
March 22, 2001... Reprinted with permission from "The Guardian." It's bound to happen. Your 10-year-old is writing a school paper on something as innocent as tree frogs. During an Internet search, your child suddenly stumbles onto a sexually explicit...

NAF's Pen Pal Program.
March 22, 2001... Want to connect with others going through a same or similar situation? Try NAF's Pen Pal Program! Updated approximately every six months, NAF's pen pal program helps you connect with others facing similar experiences in life. It's a...

EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS FOR DISABLED.
March 22, 2001... One of the primary goals of the American disability rights movement has been to temper the economic oppression of persons with disabilities by decreasing our unemployment rate -- stuck between 65 and 70 percent of working-age people with...

Tough Times Made it Better.(treatment of underactive thyroid gland with Eltroxin)
March 22, 2001... This is my third article and I hope that it will be of help and benefit to others. There has been a lot of change in my life, for example weight loss, speech improvement etc. I feel like a totally different person due to these changes! Let me...

NAC Update.(antioxidant)
March 22, 2001... I know NAC is an antioxidant, but what does that mean? Although oxygen is a critically important molecule that humans couldn't live without for more than a few minutes, it can have some damaging properties as well. In certain situations,...

Disabled Still Means Able.
March 22, 2001... Most people would agree that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has opened many plausible doors to those of us with physical limitations, doors that were at first firmly closed to some. Now, we need to open our own mental doors. ...

Married to a Person, Not an Illness.(Friedreich's ataxia)
March 22, 2001... Over the years, I have come to know much about FA, Friedreich's Ataxia. I have learned that my wife's illness had a name that I could use to communicate, explain and educate my family and friends. It is a name that came to us after several...

Just Exactly What Is `Normal'?
March 22, 2001... Not too long ago, I was talking with an old friend about different things, when I casually asked her if she thought of herself as a normal person. She looked hard into my eyes to see ill was joking. "I'm about as normal as any person you'll...

MY SAFARI INTO AFRICA.(travel chronicles)
March 22, 2001... IF I KNOW A SONG OF AFRICA, I THOUGHT, OF THE GIRAFFE, OF THE AFRICAN NEW MOON LAYING ON HER BACK, OF THE PLOUGHS IN THE FIELDS, AND THE SWEATY FACES OF THE COFFEE PICKERS, DOES AFRICA KNOW A SONG OF ME? WOULD THE AIR OVER THE PLAIN...

A Letter to My Son.(from a mother with ataxia)
March 22, 2001... Dear Friends, This is lengthy and emotional, so if you all are not up to it, stop reading now. I have been thinking of posting my struggles with my son Chris to Internal for a week now. An e-mail from him (23 years old, at 50% risk for...

PBS to Air Ataxia Story in April.(on the American Medical Review series)
March 22, 2001... The National Ataxia Foundation is pleased to announce that the story on ataxia on the American Medical Review series, hosted by Mr. Morley Safer, will air in most PBS markets in April 2001. The story on ataxia will be fed via satellite on...

Thoughts from the Underworld.(thoughts from a person in wheelchair)
March 22, 2001... Who? Me? In a wheelchair? I am astounded to find myself here. In the merry old days when I navigated by feet instead of by wheels (and didn't appreciate it), I pushed wheelchairs, I loaded wheelchairs into cars, I pushed wheelchairs...

BON VOYAGE! Caribbean Ataxia Cruise in January.
March 22, 2001... Well once again, everyone had an absolutely great time and the Ataxia Foundation made valuable research dollars! A real win-win! During the cold winter throughout most of the country, the people on the Ataxia cruise were warmed not only by...

Why Should I Give to NAF?(National Ataxia Foundation)
March 22, 2001... Giving is to entrust upon another a gift that bestows a financial sacrifice from the giver. In a pure philanthropic definition, giving is a selfless commitment in helping others. In terms of a business relationship, giving is to channel...

In Flight.(poem)
March 22, 2001... Soaring with the birds, In the crimson sky, With nothing but one wing, To get me by. Over the mountain, Through a cloudy haze, I see my ram, But it doesn't stay. I abandon my flock, And look to...

Chesapeake Chapter and Support Groups.(National Ataxia Foundation meetings)
March 22, 2001... As this issue of Generations goes to press, the Chesapeake Chapter will be holding its annual Medical Meeting at the NIH on February 3, with topics focused on Neural/Stem Cell Research and the Emotional and Psychiatric Aspects of Cerebellar...

British Columbia Ataxia Society.
March 22, 2001... Shannon Connors -- Group Leader Map# 2C The 2000/2001 year has brought about many changes. First, thanks were given to Fiona Jackson, our outgoing President, for her pioneering work in establishing the BCAS. We then welcomed our new...

Northern California Ataxia S.G.(support group)
March 22, 2001... Mike Fernandes -- Group Leader Mop # 34 The Northern California Ataxia Support Group held its quarterly meeting on Saturday, January 13, 2001, in the spacious recreation hall of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Lafayette, CA. We had a very...

North East Ohio Support Group.
March 22, 2001... Joe Miller -- Group Leader Mop # 40 We met for our annual picnic at Garbry's Big Woods Reserve in Piqua, Ohio on Saturday, July 15, 2000. The weather was terrific and 17 old friends greeted one another. The food was wonderful, as always....

North Texas S.G.(ataxia support group)
March 22, 2001... Ross Ashley -- Group Leader Our January meeting was great! Ross and Kathy Ashley arranged for Randy Batiste of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission to speak. Good information was given... for use now or reference for need later. You...

Ambassador Listing.(for the National Ataxia Foundation)
March 22, 2001... The following is a list of NAF Ambassadors. Ambassadors are often in areas not served by a support group or chapter. Please get to know your Ambassadors, and if you would like to become an Ambassador please contact the NAF office for an...

Memorials and In Your Honor.(National Ataxia Foundation honors contributory members)
March 22, 2001... The National Ataxia Foundation is grateful to those who have made contributions in memory or in honor of their friends and families whose names are listed below. This list reflects contributions made from December 1, 2000 through January 31,...

Practical Advice.(on living)
March 22, 2001... One does not live over 50 years without learning a few practical lessons about life with or without a disability. I remember a time when I could have used some advice. These are the things that have kept me going through the years. ...

NAF Chapters and Support Groups.(National Ataxia Foundation)
March 22, 2001... The following is a list of NAF chapters and support groups. The use of these names, addresses and phone numbers for any purpose other than requesting information regarding NAF or joining a chapter or support group, is strictly prohibited. We...

STOCK TALK.(advice on donating stocks and bonds)
March 22, 2001... As various sectors in the market show signs of weakness, others have shown growth. Securities, such as stocks and bonds, have proven to be a prudent long-term investment strategy. Another wise investment opportunity is investing...