Picture it: Swartz Creek, Michigan. November 1997.
A scared, 23-year-old girl is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
Full of emotions and questions. Full of fears and tears. She bravely attends her very first in-person MS support group meeting. There are reassuring words and answers. Encouragement and comfort, and friendships are formed.
Oh, those were the days when I was first diagnosed! Actual face-to-face peer support. How priceless.
But fast forward 23 years.
There is technology that provides an almost-overwhelming amount of information, but there also are new levels of isolation and unknowns as our world continues to deal with a global health crisis. Where should people living with MS go now for peer support?
Picture this: The available technology that is being used to provide the plethora amounts of information and answers also is offering us solutions and social support from the convenience of our homes or workplaces.
This is AnCan MS. This is MyMSTeam.
These are two key online and social communities that Dan and I utilize for making connections with other people living with MS who totally can relate to our MS realities. And in turn, we can relate to theirs.
Here are real-life examples of why these are so important for us and the MS community and how you can get involved in these peer-to-peer networks.
Dan and I moderate this AnCan MS Support Group with fellow MS advocates Frank Austin, Kim Stroeh and Hannah Garrison. This peer-led virtual support group is hosted the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and offers live interactive audio and optional video chat that you can join online or by phone.
This powerful virtual group is blasting the myth of MS isolation. In fact, I just commented to Dan how cool it was that the last meeting we had included people from the states of Florida, Kansas, Texas, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa and (of course) Michigan. And this didn’t include regular attendees who live in Utah, Arizona and California. I mean, how can you feel alone when you’re essentially connecting with people coast-to-coast?
Plus, if everyone participating in the meetings is comfortable with it, each session may be recorded and posted to AnCan’s YouTube Channel and shared on social media. Check out a recently recorded meeting and mark your calendar to attend a future meeting.
This free and engaging online social network is for people living with MS. I encourage you to take a few minutes (or maybe a bit more) to learn and see how MyMSTeam can help you build the connections you need to moving forward. I even have downloaded the app so I can easily access informative articles, learn about treatments and find support right from my phone. It really is so fun and social!
I may have said this before, but it bears repeating: I hate MS, but I love my MS community. It is filled with such good people. None of us chose to be here, but we’re making the most of our situation.
Again, I encourage you to look into these two resources – AnCan MS and MyMSTeam. Check them out today!
And picture this: A world where MS isolation is no more 😉