December 14, 2007
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The First Year: Multiple Sclerosis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed
by Margaret Blackstone
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Oftentimes, when a family member or friend is diagnosed with a medical condition, our first response is to "Google" the disease for information. Sometimes this can be scary and can lead folks to negative web sites. We at Ready, Set, Learn, wanted to provide you with a safe-start to understanding the disease known as Multiple Sclerosis. More importantly, we wanted to provide parents with resources to help you help your children as they try to come to terms with your diagnosis.
What is M.S.?
MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord, and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses.
In MS, myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken.
Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, and this produces the various symptoms of MS.
People with MS can expect one of four clinical courses of disease, each of which might be mild, moderate, or severe.
- Relapsing-Remitting
Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience clearly defined flare-ups (also called relapses, attacks, or exacerbations). These are episodes of acute worsening of neurologic function. They are followed by partial or complete recovery periods (remissions) free of disease progression.
Frequency: Most common form of MS at time of initial diagnosis. Approximately 85%.
- Primary-Progressive
Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience a slow but nearly continuous worsening of their disease from the onset, with no distinct relapses or remissions. However, there are variations in rates of progression over time, occasional plateaus, and temporary minor improvements.
Frequency: Relatively rare. Approximately 10%.
- Secondary-Progressive
Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience an initial period of relapsing-remitting MS, followed by a steadily worsening disease course with or without occasional flare-ups, minor recoveries (remissions), or plateaus.
Frequency: 50% of people with relapsing-remitting MS developed this form of the disease within 10 years of their initial diagnosis, before introduction of the "disease-modifying" drugs. Long-term data are not yet available to demonstrate if this is significantly delayed by treatment.
- Progressive-Relapsing
Characteristics: People with this type of MS experience a steadily worsening disease from the onset but also have clear acute relapses (attacks or exacerbations), with or without recovery. In contrast to relapsing-remitting MS, the periods between relapses are characterized by continuing disease progression.
Frequency: Relatively rare. Approximately 5%.
The following web links will provide you with more information on M.S.
What Causes MS?
Who Gets MS?
Symptoms of MS
Diagnosis of MS
Pediatric MS
For the Newly Diagnosed
Resources for Kids and Teens:
Keep Smyelin: This is a great series of online newsletters and activities to help young children understand M.S. a little better. Plus, you can download a printable activity book for your child as well!
For kids and teens who have a parent or relative with MS
www.msforkids.com
www.msforteens.com
www.msforparents.com
Courtesy MS Society of Canada
Attention Big Brothers and Sisters!
There is a place for you too. Share your experiences with other teens.
Visit Teen InsideMS
The whole family lives with MS. It can change family routines and personal interactions in a variety of different ways. Family resources are available in the Family and Friends section.
December 21, 2007
Christmas "Hand Print" Tree
Make an adorable Christmas tree from your children's handprints. This makes a nice decoration to put on a door or a great bulletin board in a classroom.
What You Need:
- Green construction paper
- Brown construction paper
- Yellow construction paper
- Pencils
- Scissors
- Glue
What You Do:
- Trace the children's hands on green construction paper.
- Cut out the hand prints.
- Draw a tree shape on a large piece of paper
- Cut out a small rectangle of dark brown paper for the tree trunk.
- Glue the rectangle below the tree.
- Glue the hand prints together in a tree shape. Start at the bottom of the tree. Starting with the second row, make the fingers overlap the next hand a little bit.
- Cut out a yellow star for the top of the tree. Glue it on the tree.
- Decorate as desired.
Hands and Feet Reindeer Craft
Use your child’s hands and feet to make a beautiful homemade Christmas decoration!
What You Need:
- Large googley eyes
- Large red pom-poms
- Brown construction paper
What You Do:
- First, with the brownpaper, cut the antlers and reindeer, using your child's handprints and shoeprint as patterns.
- Then, cut the ears with the other brown.
- Glue the antlers together at an angle.
- Add the ears and glue the head on.
- Glue the eyes and nose to the head.
- Finally, add a smile with a crayon or marker.
December 28, 2007
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P. Bear's New Year's Party!
by Paul Owen Lewis
Happy New Year Everywhere!
by Arlene Erlbach
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New Year’s Party Hats
Make these trendy party hats and ring in the New Year in style!
What You Need:
- Large sheet of construction paper, 12" x 18"
- Stapler
- Scissors
- Markers, crayons, stickers, glitter
- Glue
- Elastic or string
- Hole punch - optional
What You Do:
- Roll the paper into cones. Staple the edges together, and cut off the excess so that the bottom is round.
- Let the children decorate their party hats with markers, crayons, stickers, stickers, and glitter.
- You might help them write "Happy New Year" on the hats in glitter—or, they can write it themselves.
- Finally, poke two holes in the sides with scissors or hole punch and attach elastic or string to hold the hats in place. Now your children are ready to celebrate the New Year in style!
Cookie Tin Time Capsule
Capture a year’s worth of memories in time.
What You Do:
- Take lid off the tin.
- Lightly sand the cookie tin (lid and bottom) all over on the outside to rough up the paint.
- Wipe the cookie tin off with rag.
- Spread out newspapers and place cookie tin on it.
- Spray paint the cookie tin. Let dry.
- Use paint markers to add your message. Some sample messages might be:
- Time Capsule: Don’t open until New Year’s Eve 2010
- These are a few of my favorite things! 2007
- Family members’ names could go around the outside of the tin
- Let each member of your family place a few special items in the tin. Some ideas to place in the tin could be:
- Report cards
- Funny pictures
- Favorite stories or joke
- A note to special family members
- Baseball trading cards
- Favorite songs, hobbies, etc
- Anything that is important to you now
- Place the tin some place you will be able to find it in 10 years! You can set any year to open the tin. You decide.
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