MS Society of Canada, Hamilton-Halton Chapter

"What do you see here? Maybe you see a guy who is working out with no shirt, trying to boost his 'likes' on social media. Or maybe you see a guy who is trying t...o get a new picture for his dating profile. But what I see is a guy who works out without his shirt because he has severe heat intolerance and it’s the best way to control his body from overheating. What I see is a guy who wears ankle braces when he works out because his ankles get too tired and weak to stabilize him. What I see is a guy whose left leg is so tired that he can’t hold it straight. What I see is a guy that no matter what life throws his way, will never give up. Remember, we all go through battles that no one else knows about." - Donavon, diagnosed with MS in 2016 Jennifer Lewans Photography

In the 70s, Canadian workers gained access to 15 weeks of paid leave under the newly-created Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefit. Fifty years later, the ...benefit remains virtually unchanged. The EI sickness benefit allows Canadians who are impacted by a personal health issue to adjust their work status and access financial support while focusing on their medical needs. Once an employee has worked 600 hours in the previous year, they are eligible to access the sickness benefit, which dispenses 55 per cent of insured wages for a maximum of 15 weeks. Once the 15 weeks are up, an employee must requalify by logging another 600 hours of work. As it stands, 15 weeks is too short a time-frame for many people with chronic conditions like MS to adequately recover given existing coverage gaps, and overall, Canada’s EI sickness benefit lags behind supports found in other countries. The #TakeActionForMS campaign is calling on the federal government to extend the EI sickness benefit to at least 26 weeks. We’re advocating for crucial changes to help ensure people who live with MS and want to continue working are able to do so. Take five minutes to email your Member of Parliament asking them to #TakeActionForMS today. Join the campaign: https://bit.ly/38Oj6nV.

"Confession time: I'm pregnant with my second daughter and I have MS. What does this mean? I get weird questions like: Have you spoken to your doctor? Are you a...llowed to get pregnant with your condition? Aren't you worried about your children? The irony is that I've even received these questions from my own mother. Receiving an MS diagnosis can be really scary, especially before you do any research. Just after having my first daughter, my neurologist diagnosed me with the disease. It was terrifying because I knew my world was going to change and I thought it would be for the worse. However, what I learned is that I was embraced by a community that was supportive of my new journey and understood that I still wanted to work, travel, and have a family. Through this new step in my journey, I understood that I had triggers and that stress management became essential to my overall health and well-being. I surrounded myself with co-workers who became my extended family and helped me if I needed a moment to myself. Most importantly, I began seeing a neurologist that understood that I may want the option to expand my family one day. Here I am - pregnant with my second daughter - vulnerable by sharing my journey, but stronger because of it. I hope to raise my daughters to accept people's differences and learn from them." - Janelle, diagnosed with MS in 2016.

Are you the winner? Find out this weekend at Trivia Night for MS Couch Edition. Invite your friends and family over for a fun-filled evening of trivia in support of Canadians living with MS. This Friday at 7pm ET hosted by Lindsey Martchenko and Rachel Taylor ... OR This Saturday at 7pm ET hosted by Andrea Butcher-Milne and Katie Drake You could win any number of prizes, from PC gift cards to a two-hour golf simulator experience, right from the comfort of your own home. Tickets are $50 per household and can be purchased here -> https://bit.ly/34IFo85

If you could describe MS fatigue in one sentence, how would you explain it? Approximately 90% of people living with MS experience fatigue. MS fatigue can have ...a negative impact on work, family life, mental and physical health and social and recreational activities. On Friday, November 27th from 11 AM 12 PM ET, join Dr. Marcia Finlayson for an informative panel discussion on fatigue management as a part of our virtual MS Connect conference. Fatigue management is gaining more attention in the MS research community and a wider variety of approaches are being evaluated and tested for effectiveness. My panel discussion will address what we know about MS fatigue and the new directions being explored to help fatigue management. Sleep has a lot to do with fatigue, but we don’t study sleep much in this disease. I’ll be discussing how the interest in sleep is beginning to grow. - Dr. Marcia Finlayson, Queen’s University Register for Fatigue: Research Session and Q&A and the rest of our MS Connect sessions here: https://bit.ly/32frvwr.

Time is running out, get your tickets now! Trivia for MS Couch Edition is coming up soon and you don’t want to miss out. Choose from Friday, November 13 or Saturday, November 14 to challenge your friends and family to a fun-filled evening that supports Canadians living with MS. The need for information, resources and support programs for people living with MS is as urgent and critical as ever and you can help provide this by joining Trivia for MS Couch Edition. ... Tickets are $50 per household and can be purchased here -> https://bit.ly/34IFo85