ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 17, 1996 TAG: 9609170131
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Health Notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
One of the people who Dr. Jack Kevorkian helped commit suicide recently was a woman suffering from multiple sclerosis, a disease of the nervous system.
The incident distressed workers with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, however, because they worried that other MS sufferers might become depressed or lose hope because of it.
The suicide came when 46 new research projects on the disease were beginning.
Beth Barber, director of the MS Blue Ridge Chapter in Charlottesville wrote, "Please" on a request that the newspaper tell people about the new efforts to "give hope to people living with this devastating disease."
MS strikes people between the ages of 15 and 50, but is perhaps most dominant in the 20-to-40 age group.
It is chronic and sometimes progressive and attacks the central nervous system, which means the brain and spinal cord.
An estimated 1,500 people in the Blue Ridge Chapter territory have MS. Its symptoms are many, ranging from tingling sensations, numbness, slurred speech, blurred or double vision, muscle weakness, poor coordination, unusual fatigue, muscle cramps, and spasms to problems with bladder, bowel and sexual function and paralysis.
The symptoms can occur in any combination and can vary from very mild to very severe, said Barber.
Recently the National MS Society committed $11.2 million to support 46 new research projects and other investigations of the disease. The new projects are slated to begin next month.
MS staff points to a new treatment drug that went on the market in May and another that's waiting for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as evidence of the research success.
Avonex is the new drug for treating MS; Betaseron has been used for treatment of it since 1993. The drug awaiting an OK from the FDA is Copaxone.
Information on MS or the drugs used for its treatment and on other research can be obtained by calling the MS branch office in Roanoke, 776-0985, or (800) 344-4867.
Anyone newly diagnosed with MS, or who wants to know more about it to help a family member cope can get a copy of an 8-minute video on the medical and personal side of multiple sclerosis by calling (800) 532-7667. The video, called "MS Challengers," also is being distributed to physicians, libraries and community groups. So check with the local chapter to see if it's available before you order.
Go to med school
For $8, you can get a short course in the working of the human body this fall during the Roanoke Valley Mini-Med School.
In a series of six 1 1/2-hour lectures, medical experts will discuss everything from reproductive systems to the skin.
The lectures will be in the Lewis-Gale Foundation Auditorium on Tuesdays, from 7-8:30 p.m. beginning Sept. 24.
Here's the agenda:
Sept. 24, Male Reproductive System, Dr. Mark Schmidt; Oct. 1, Cardiovascular System, Dr. Michael Butler; Oct. 8, Female Reproductive System, Dr. Mark Gustafson; Oct. 15, The Skin You're In, Dr. Gary Gross; Oct. 22, Endocrine System, Dr. Myron Levey; and Oct. 29, Muscular System, Physician Assistant Cameron O'Conner.
Participants can register for just one lecture for $2 or get a season pass. Discounts are available for students and senior citizens. For more information, call 540-774-4022.
'Life in the '90s'
Thursday, Mental Health Association of Roanoke Valley kicks off a series of three lectures aimed at helping people cope. This week's lecture is "Double Trouble: Dealing with Individuals Who Have Mental Illnesses and Substance Use Problems." Speakers will be Helen Dasse, director of adult services in the mental Health division of Blue Ridge Community Services, and Curtis Blair, who directs residential services in substance abuse division of the Blue Ridge group.
On Oct. 17, Ann Harman, executive for student services and alternative programs for Roanoke city schools, will talk on "Avoiding the Homework Hassle: Helping Your children Develop Positive Attitudes toward School."
On Nov. 21, a psychiatric assessment specialist with Carilion Saint Albans Psychiatric Hospital, will discuss seasonal depression. All talks are from 7-8:15 p.m. in the Jefferson Center Training Theater on Luck Avenue Southwest, Roanoke. The cost is $5 per workshop. For more information, call 540-344-0931.
You can reach Sandra Brown Kelly at 981-3393, or (800) 346-1234, x393, or through e-mail at biznews@roanoke.infi.net.
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