It is widely speculated that President Obama will sign a Bill tomorrow allowing a further research to be done on stem cells. Michael J Fox has been relentless in his efforts and campaigning in this area. It is research which may well be necessary to find a cure for chronic degenerative diseases. As he said in his book “Lucky Man.” “If the potential of stem cell research is realized, it would mean an end to the suffering of millions of people-a rescue, a cure. But the potential benefits are not limited to Parkinson’s. Stem cells could lead to breakthroughs in developing treatments and cures for almost any terminal or catastrophic disease you can think of.” M.J. Fox, Lucky Man, Pub. Hyperion NY, p. 250

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for continuing to visit my site. I hope you are feeling reasonable as you read this. I have not been feeling great and am trying my third biologic. I have hope again so that is a good thing. We all need support, I can finally confirm that the date for the next Karen and Arthritis Women’s Support Group (KAAWS) is Wednesday April 15, 2009 at 6.45 p.m. The venue will be a casual restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I will post the exact location the week before we meet.
Until then keeping blogging or emailing me and think happy thoughts.
Karen

Hi Dianna,
Thank you for reaching out. I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis and hope that my website has been of some help. I am still chasing a few people for a final date. The next Karen and Arthritis Women’s Support group will definitely meet sometime in March. I’ll try to post the date by the weekend. How is your schedule for either of the first 2 Wednesdays in March?
Thanks so much for the mail.
Keep in touch and let me know if you need anything.
Karen

Hi Everyone,
Happy 2009. I wish you all laughter, love and happiness.
The first Karen and Arthritis Women’s Support (KAAWS) group meeting was held in New York at the end of 08. It was a great success. The ladies who attended shared their personal stories and we gave each other some RA management tips. New friendships were also made over a glass of wine. Emails and phone numbers have since been exchanged. Our next meeting will take place at the end of February / early March. We are coordinating our schedules. The exact date and venue will be posted soon. Please feel free to join the group.
Stay tuned and remember to do one thing for yourself today that will make you feel happy.
Cheers
Karen

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for the emails which keep dropping into my box. By blogging on my site we can also try to reach out to a broader community and support one another.

Here are the details of my first Karen and Arthritis Women’s Support Group get together. I am excited.

Date: Wednesday November 5 , 2008
Time: 6.30 p.m.
Place: Midtown Manhattan. Please contact me via my website for details.

I hope to see you there.
Remember do something to make yourself feel nice.
Karen

Hi Everyone,
Seth from Creaky Joints asked me to post this exciting event.

CreakyJoints.org will be hosting a landmark event in New York City on September 21 for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis. At this FREE event, participants will learn how to live better with RA, meet experts and other patients, and enjoy a healthy lunch. People with Rheumatoid Arthritis, their family members, and/or caregivers are invited to attend. visit the CreakyJoints website to RSVP and learn more.

Hi Friends,
I am proud to announce the first meeting of the KAAWS group -
Karen and Arthritis Women’s Support. It will be held on
Thursday September 25, 2008 at 7.45 p.m in midtown Manhattan. Venue – TBA

Recently, I have been contacted by many young women who are struggling to come to terms with their arthritis. These are women from all walks of life. Some are in their 20′s and are fearful of their future, yet they know they must persevere with guts and determination to build a career and juggle their personal lives. Being single or dating with the disease doesn’t seem to matter, their profound feelings of helplessness are the same. Then there’s the women who have arthritis, along with powerful jobs, husbands and families to take care of. They’re trying to ‘do it all’, but are feeling like they are failing. Depression or anger soon follows. We also have to face the daily intense fatigue that comes with chronic disease. It’s just another thing to cope with. Whichever way you look at it, it’s overwhelming.

Most women choose not to blog, preferring to contact me directly through my website where the mail automatically drops into my personal box. It’s time to go public ladies! We have to because we all need each others support. Please start blogging, rather than emailing, so we can share the burden. You are not alone.

In response to these women reaching out, I have decided to start the
Karen And Arthritis Women’s Support group (KAAWS). The meetings will be informal and over a glass of wine, or Pellegrino if you prefer. The first meeting will be on
Thursday September 25, 2008 at 7.45 p.m. in midtown Manhattan. The exact venue will be announced via blog as soon as I can gauge the numbers. This will be the first of many which I hope will expand across the country. The meeting is open to anyone suffering a chronic condition and any woman who feels she needs support in general. It doesn’t matter whether you have arthritis or Lupus, MS, Parkinson’s, or if you’re a mom and feeling alone in Manhattan. Come along and talk about it; perhaps we’ll even have a laugh.

For now, remember to make the present moment your friend.
Cheers
Karen

To view Karen talking about Arthritis and Food on the Today Show click below

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=c7b25150-7aef-497c-ac72-d887e5e5385d

Diet and exercise are beneficial whatever arthritis you have. In fact, controlling your disease through diet is a must. Boosting your immune system is key because it is probably depleted by medications you’ve been on, or are on. In fact if you have arthritis it is even more reason to protect the body against the side effects of drugs. Anti oxidant rich fruits and vegetables like blueberries, strawberries, apples, broccoli and sprouts are also important because disease can create free radicals which can damage cells. Anti oxidants neutralize free radicals. So buy fruits and vegetables of various colors.

Protein rich foods also boost your immune system, repair tissue and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Think fish and beans.

For lunch I throw lettuce, carrots, kidney beans, baby tomatoes, cheese and a little tuna into a plastic container. Couple this with a little salad dressing and a slice of bread. It’s the perfect lunch.
What are your thoughts about diet and arthritis?

Cheers
Karen

Finally, I found a new fertility clinic in Manhattan (www.centerforhumanreprod.com) where the doctors addressed the fact that my auto immune disease might well be impacting my ability to get pregnant. I will always be grateful to Dr. Barad for his gentle understanding. However, it is now April and I have endured many injections, moments of hope and bitter disappointment. The details of which are still too upsetting to blog about. Long story short, we’ve stopped the ivf and Matt and I are working at putting the fun back into our lives. If you have an auto immune disease and you want a child, my advice is to absolutely start trying sooner rather than later.