August 2007

                                                                                                     Vol. IV, Issue #42


          Bergen CFS-FM Support Group Newsletter

Meeting Report

This summer we experimented with informal meetings in July and August.  Frank Kawa assumed the helm for those gatherings and it turned out to be a successful venture.  The August gathering was as large as an in-season meeting.  Thanks Frank!  Please note below, info regarding the next luncheon.

  The first meeting of the new season (see calendar) will be held on Sunday September 16th.  You may have heard or noticed that the parking fees at the hospital parking lot have been reinstated at $5.  Parking lot tokens will be provided, at no cost, to our attendees.  The tokens will be distributed at each meeting.    
Below you will find a schedule of the meetings and topics from September through December.  Meetings with speakers will include time for open discussion, questions and concerns regarding CFS and FM.  Meetings with no scheduled speaker will be all discussion.

 

You will also find information about the New Jersey Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association (NJCFSA) fall conference to be held on October.  We encourage all Bergen members to consider attending the conference.  It is an opportunity to hear presentations by some of the top people in the field.  The NJCFSA is our parent organization.

 

Newsletter

As you know, this newsletter is mainly distributed via email which does not incur any expenses for our readers.  If you change your email, please remember to send us your new address. 

 

A small number of people are receiving the newsletter by regular “snail mail” delivery.  We are asking these people – if it is possible – to contribute $5 for the year (11 issues) to cover the mailing and to help with the printing expenses.  You can send it to Pat LaRosa 243 Glen Avenue Dumont, NJ 07628.  If you now have email access, please send your email address to pat@larosas.net.

 

Just For Fun

Social Director, Frank Kawa, has set a date (Wednesday September 5th) for a luncheon at The Seville Diner 289 Broadway in Westwood.  The group will be there from 1:30 PM until about 3 PM.  Just show up.  If you have any questions or wish to let Frank know you are coming, you can call Frank.  He can be reached at 201-768-4111.  You do not need to contact Frank to attend.

NJCFSA Conference    

A brochure can be downloaded at www.njcfsa.org.  

                      

New Jersey Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association and Monmouth Medical Center

Co-host

NJCFSA Fall 2007 Conference

Featuring:

Richard Podell, MD    *  Dharam Ablashi, MD  *  Susan Levine, MD  *  Malcolm Schwartz, MD, (Moderator)

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

DATE: Sunday, October 7, 2007

TIME: 11:30 am - 4:30 pm

LOCATION: Sheraton Eatontown Hotel Conference Center Eatontown, New Jersey

ADMISSION: Register by September 23: $35    Register on conference day: $45

NJCFSA HelpLine: 888-835-3677

Registration includes buffet lunch, program handouts, and free parking. For health considerations, this conference is fragrance-free, smoke-free and pet-free.

Directions to the Sheraton: Garden State Parkway to exit 105, Route 36 East to Route 35 South to Industrial Way East. The Sheraton is 5 minutes from the Garden State Parkway exit.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

MALCOLM SCHWARTZ, D.O., is the Section Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Monmouth Medical Center. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology, and is Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine. He served as President of the North Jersey Pediatric Society, and received the Distinguished Service Award from the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians. In 2006, Dr. Schwartz received the Merck Excellence in Care Award from the American Osteopathic Foundation.

Richard Podell, M.D., M.P.H., graduated from Harvard Medical School, is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and is a Clinical Professor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Since the 1980's, he has specialized in CFS and FM, and was a principal investigator of the Ampligen Study. He has authored articles and books on CFS, FM and other illnesses, and contributed to A Consensus Manual for the Primary Care and Management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Dr. Podell is in private practice in Springfield and Somerset, New Jersey.

Susan M. Levine, M.D., F.A.C.P., is a Board Certified, Infectious Disease and Allergy & Immunology Specialist, with a primary interest in CFS and FM. Dr. Levine has published many research papers in peer-reviewed journals; she was a contributing author to A Consensus Manual for the Primary Care and Management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She served on the Name Change Workgroup, reporting to the Federal Government committee for CFS. Dr. Levine collaborates with scientists from multi-disciplinary fields in national and international research studies; she presented her findings at the IACFS conference in Florida in January 2007.

Dharam V. Ablashi, D.V.M., M.S., Dip. Bact., worked at the National Cancer Center (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 22 years as a Research Microbiologist, Head of DNA Viruses Section and Coordinator of DNA Viruses. He is internationally known for his work on Human and Primate Herpesviruses. In 1986, he co-discovered Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6). He has contributed numerous articles and co-authored two books on HHV-6. Dr. Ablashi is co-founder of the Epstein-Barr Virus Association, and the American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - where he was President from 2003 to 2004. He was Director of Herpesvirus Programs at Advanced Biotechnologies, Inc. He has served as a consultant and advisor to many organizations, including the United Nations, WHO and NASA. Dr. Ablashi is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine, and Scientific Director of the HHV-6 Foundation.

REGISTRATION FORM

Please fill out and detach this form /

copy form for additional attendees

______________________________________________________

Name

______________________________________________________

Address

______________________________________________________

City/State/Zip

______________________________________________________

Daytime phone

 

Accommodations at the Sheraton:

To reserve a room at a discounted rate of $135 per night at the Sheraton Eatontown Hotel, please call 732-542-6500 by September 7, and refer to the NJCFSA Fall 2007 Conference.

Other hotels in the area:

Holiday Inn, Tinton Falls 800-HOLIDAY

Red Roof Inn, Tinton Falls 732-389-4646

Days Inn, Wall Township 800-325-2525

ABOUT NJCFSA

 

 

 

NJCFSA is a non-profit organization that supports patients and their families with the following: HelpLine, website, physician and attorney referrals, current medical information, newsletter, support groups, lending library, medical conferences, fundraisers, funding for CFS research, high school student & medical school student scholarships, public education, publicity and media coverage, public policy and advocacy.

Please support the activities of NJCFSA by becoming a member

for an annual $25!

Conference registration: $35 $ ________

NJCFSA membership: $25 $ ________

(Optional)

TOTAL $________

Please make check payable to: NJCFSA, Inc. Your returned check will be your receipt.

Mail check and this form to:

NJCFSA Fall 2007 Conference

P.O. Box 477

Florham Park, NJ 07932

 

Calendar

 

September 16th – Speaker  - Mary J. Acevedo - Senior Attorney & Director of Outreach & Continuing 

            Legal Education of Legal Services of New Jersey, Inc.

 

October 21st     -  Speaker - Lesley A. Allen, Ph.D.,  (Psychologist) Associate Professor of Psychiatry,

UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.  Dr. Allen is involved in treating FM patients and is interested in how they respond to treatment. 

 

November 18th - No speaker   

 

December 16th – Holiday Celebration

 

Next Meeting

The next meeting will be Sunday September 16th at Pascack Valley Hospital from 2-4 PM.  We hope you will join us for some information about legal issues related to CFS-FM.

 

 

This newsletter is intended for CFS patients in the area of this support group.  The purpose is to share information and support.  If you have questions about meetings please contact: Pat LaRosa at pat@larosas.net, Nancy Visocki at ngv.njcfsa@verizon.net, Judy Machacek at judymachek@msn.com or Frank Kawa at 201-768-4111.