NEW Art Therapy Group

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Last Updated: 01 March 2022 01 March 2022

Join us for a series of 5 bi-weekly art therapy classes featuring various creative exercises led by expressive art therapist, Kerry Lang, LMHC.  Kerry is a MA Licensed Mental Health Counselor with years of experience leading groups and workshops for those with chronic illness, specifically those with Lyme disease, and more recently Long-COVID and ME/CFS.

These 90-minute sessions will be a mix of fun, creativity, connection, vulnerability, and exploration. No experience with the arts is necessary- we welcome all levels of creative experience!

The group will meet on Zoom every other Thursday from 2:30 - 4:00 P.M.

The first session is Thursday, March 24th.

*Registration is open through March 14 for MassME members. Professional licensing requirements constrain us to offering this program to MA residents only. Class size is limited to 12 participants.  There is a $20 suggested donation to cover materials.

Click here for full details and registration information

Sunday Conversations - March 20, 2022

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Last Updated: 28 April 2022 28 April 2022

"A Functional Medicine Approach to Complex, Chronic Illnesses”

Presented by Andrew Lenhardt, M.D.

The presentation is relevant to ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Long Covid and Chronic Lyme Disease.

Sunday, March 20, 2022, 4 p.m. ET – Please join us!

Andrew Lenhardt, M.D., is a board-certified family doctor with a background in functional and integrative medicine. He has long experience treating people with complex, chronic diseases. He practices in Beverly, MA.

He is the author of two books: The Best of Both Worlds and Emotional Intelligence in a Complex World. Dr. Lenhardt is on the faculty of Tufts Medical School, Endicott College and Yale University and has been teaching medical students and nurse practitioner students for over 15 years. He has developed the algorithms used for the RootFinder tool at Complex Health Solutions. In his personal life, he is married with three sons and two Pomeranians. His interests include pickleball, bridge and exotic travel.

Dr. Lenhardt presented his approach to evaluating and treating patients with complex, chronic diseases.

This is a virtual presentation via Zoom.

Video links:

Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz31KwoUbYrEBZUVzD6OZb9GXJqoRWbPJ
Full event: https://youtu.be/21AwgCUT8fE
Part 1 - Intro to Functional Medicine: https://youtu.be/4oW8_YBL1ds
Part 2 - Patient Perspective: https://youtu.be/z6V1r1SWNBo
Part 3 - Q&A: https://youtu.be/i55KER2y06s

Request from Patient Services Coordinator

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Last Updated: 03 February 2022 03 February 2022

Dear fellow patient, family member, friend, or provider,

My name is Ken Casanova and I am the patient services coordinator for the Mass. ME/CFS & FM Association – and a fellow patient.

As you know, finding a physician or other health care provider knowledgeable about these illnesses is, next to the illness itself, one of the most daunting tasks a patient and family can face.

Our Association has compiled a database, largely based on patient reports, of physicians and other providers from which we can refer patients for illness evaluation and treatment. The database consists of infectious disease doctors, neurologists, endocrinologists, sleep specialists, pediatricians, primary care physicians, integrative physicians, psychologists/therapists - as well as alternative practitioners.

We recommend doctors who will document disability to Social Security or insurance companies.

We need to improve and update our database. Would you tell us of any physicians or other health care professionals who have provided knowledgeable evaluation and/or treatment of ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, long-covid, chronic-Lyme and similar conditions?

Which illness(es) did the provider diagnose and/or treat?  What was the specialty and treatment approach of the provider?  Was there improvement? How would you evaluate the provider(s), and would you recommend him or her for other patients?

I want to assure you that the information you give us will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous as it is entered into our database. We do not make our database public – it is strictly private. We also are careful not to send too many patients to any one doctor, so as not to discourage the doctor from seeing patients with these illnesses.

Also, if we have referred you to any providers in the past, we would appreciate any feedback on the referrals.

I realize responding will take some effort and energy, but any information you give us – of whatever length – will be of real benefit to other patients. If it’s easier for us to talk by phone, just write me back with your phone number and we will give you a call.

Please use our Provider Recommendation Form for referrals or Contact Us for more information.

On behalf of patients and our Association, Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ken Casanova,  Patient Services

Sunday Conversations - February 2022, Applying for Social Security Disability

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Last Updated: 28 November 2022 28 November 2022

"Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits if You Have ME/CFS or Fibromyalgia”

The presentation is also relevant to Long Covid and Chronic Lyme Disease.

Sunday, February 20, 2022, 4 p.m. ET 

The Conversation discusses when and how to apply for benefits, qualification requirements, the application process, and how to medically-document your disability – as well as how to optimize your chances for approval.

An experienced disability and worker’s compensation attorney discusses the role of an attorney in the disability process and the need for legal representation at hearings. A parent of an ME/CFS patient will discuss how he assisted his daughter win her benefits.

Links for this program

Playlist 
Full event video 
Part 1: Applying for Disability 
Part 2: Patient Experience 
Part 3: An Attorney's Role  
Part 4: Q&A   

Speaker slides

Your Questions Answered! (from Chat)

More resources 

Featured speakers

Atty. Ron Belluso, attorney specializing in disability at Keches Law Group, and a MassME Board member. Ron has successfully represented many ME/CFS and other disabled patients through the disability process and at Administrative Hearings and is a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives (NOSSCR).

Ken Casanova, MassME member and Disability Counselor. Ken is the primary author of the Association’s Disability Handbook, “How to Apply for Social Security if You Have ME/CFS,” and has guided nearly 100 people through the disability process over the years. He has been the Association's president twice, and has been a social worker, community organizer, and legislative advocate.

Bob Robitaille, MassME member and volunteer. Bob assisted his daughter win her Disability benefits and now provides guidance to others as a member of our Patient Services team.

Moderator: Karin Dove, MassME Patient Services Volunteer