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Maryland/DC/Delaware Chapter
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News
MD/DC/DE Chapter
"LENDING LIBRARY"
If you live within the MD/DC/DE area you may borrow from the following list.
1) You, Me & MG
2) Coping with Prednisone
3) Living with a Gray Disease in a Black and White World
4) The Autoimmune Connection- Essential information for women on diagnosis, treatment and getting on with your life
5) Living well with Autoimmune Disease
6) How Doctors Think
7) Acquired Hope
8) Beyond the Limits of Myasthenia Gravis
9) The Mystery Guest, MG
10) Don’t drive on the sidewalk – Inspirations through the detours of life
11) You are not your illness – Seven principles for meeting the challenge
12) Just Fine – unmasking concealed chronic illness and pain
13) A Delicate Balance -
Living successfully with Chronic Illness
14) I Can't Chew Cookbook
15) Easy-to-Swallow Easy-to-Chew Cookbook
16) Living positively with MG (booklet)
17) Your guide to healthy sleep (booklet)
18) Breath Easy (booklet)
19) But you LOOK good! (booklet)ONE BOOK per request
THREE BOOKLETS per requestEmail lhwaltz@msn.com, supply your home address and make your book request by title. We will mail the book to you with a self address, stamped envelope enclosed to make it easy for you to return it.
Since we only have one copy of most of our books we ask your cooperation in returning them as soon as you finish it since other members may be waiting to read it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "MG Matters"The MD/DC/DE Chapter newsletter is published quarterly and mailed to you at no cost. Please contact the chapter if you would like to add someone to our newsletter and special events mailing list. *Please note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to access the newsletter. Click here to download the latest version.
Latest Chapter Newsletter SUMMER 2010 {PFG} Archived Newsletters: Spring 2010 {PDF}
Winter 2009 {PDF}
Fall 2009 {PDF}
Summer 2009 {PDF}
Spring 2009 {PDF}
Winter 2008 {PDF}
Fall 2008 {PDF}
Summer 2008 {PDF}
Spring 2008 {PDF}
Winter 2007 [PDF]
Fall 2007 [PDF]
Summer 2007 [PDF]
Spring 2007 [PDF]
Winter 2006 [PDF]
Fall 2006 [PDF]
[PDF]
Spring 2006 [PDF]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** MG Chapter Mascot **
by Sandy Brooks
March 2001Our Maryland/DC/Delaware Chapter discovered a new member this year, who easily became a special and well loved friend. Riley was eight years old and had suffered for about a year with many common symptoms of myasthenia. Riley's unique quality was that she was a dog, a Basenji mixed breed.
Our member, Sandy Brooks, took her cat to the vet in Aberdeen, Maryland in October 2000 and Dr. John Moffa, remarked that he had a dog with myasthenia in his practice. Introductions were immediately made. Sandy and Riley quickly fell head over heels in love with one another and a bargain was struck. Sandy would try to be Riley's voice for her owner, Mary. This first meeting of comrades was over a mug/saucer of Riley and Sandy's favorite coffee, Orange Seville. We easily discovered that Riley and Sandy shared their best brand of coffee as they sat in similar poses in the kitchen! Sandy propped her chin in her hand and Riley propped her head on Sandy's knee. The first order of business was to address why Riley often, but not always, approached her bowl in a strange sideways manner, slowly, cautiously. Sandy suggested that Riley was perhaps experiencing blurred or double vision, as Sandy often did. Then we observed that Riley's head drooped and her neck was a bit drooped at these times. Mary was very conscientious to dose Riley with Mestinon about one-half hour before her meals, and we were certain that Riley thanked her for this. At the end of her dose, Riley's bark changed, as did Sandy's voice. Riley wore a teal ribbon and MG Research pin on her collar, Mary sported a MG bumper sticker on her truck, and they became ambassadors for our group, telling persons whom they met, about MG and Riley's problems. Local and state newspapers were called and a Riley Day Picnic was planned in her favorite park, a day in which our Chapter could be with Riley and enjoy her connection to us, to gift her with a new bowl and play with her if she was having a good day. Some days were walking days for Riley, others were sitting and petting days. We understood far too well. Riley however succumbed to aspiration pneumonia and died on February 27. Mary buried her on the golf course where they both worked, with a picture of herself and a coffee mug filled with Riley's favorite beans. Riley had been a worker herself, shepherding geese from the course and enjoying a special spot for herself in the office. Our chapter had read of Dr. Blalock's vaccine study at the University of Alabama and Dr. Moffa arranged for Riley to be enrolled into the program. It was discovered that Riley had a thymoma but the surgical risks were too high to attempt removal of the tumor, so antibody titers were drawn and the vaccine series was begun. Mary phoned on a Saturday morning after the first vaccine, to report that Riley was in the park and had chased a few surprised squirrels, and had then walked home, rather than require her usual truck ride for the two-block trip. Mary was elated and Riley had a "spark" in her eye, that hadn't been seen for a year. We celebrated. As the vaccine series continued, we discovered that Riley was no longer as "up" she had been and titers began to rise, much to our surprise. Riley had just completed the series when she succumbed to the aspiration pneumonia. Riley had been brought out of this condition almost a year ago, shortly after her diagnosis of myasthenia. She had always had problems eating and swallowing, like so many of us. Mary had fed her with the bowl elevated and held Riley on her lap, in an extreme upright position for thirty minutes after each meal, as an extra precaution. Our Chapter and our neighborhood misses Riley tremendously, and we thank her and Mary for their participation in Dr. Blalock's vaccine study. As a Chapter, we know that we were unique and truly gifted to have had Riley as a member, and our hearts are with all of the other animals and owners who are involved in Myasthenia research, for us.
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