Just a reminder that Norma won't be in chat this week - she's on vacation. If anyone has any questions on hosting you can email me at deb@durgin.net

Anyone who is hosting on Wednesday can host or take it off. I think chat will be an in-and-out kind of day, so people may pop ina-anda-outa when they can at all. Or not. Leave any special Bar-B-Que Requests in the Connections Room.

Chat Etiquette Reminder

Please make a point to welcome any new chatter that comes in our room. Introduce yourself. Ask if there is anything special they want to ask about, know about. Don't ignore the new chatter. Offer them coffee and a muffin. Make them feel at home. Don't keep chattering about peripheral MS stuff with others, or off-topic stuff.

Just keep in mind the one rule we have: nobody gets to play Doctor in chat. What we mean by that is; don't go diagnosing chatters ailments or recommending medications. Share your experiences, and what any of the drugs have done for you. Don't encourage the idea that any medication is a miracle cure. Or dismiss any, or all, medicines as doing nothing. Even the well known medications have a wide range of effectiveness. The effectiveness of non-traditional and alternative medicines is even less certain. So talk about your experiences, factual studies and medical trials. Offer your opinions with care, and never recommend. Third hand medical testimonials from a friend of your auto mechanic's wife aren't welcome, unless they are really funny.

Also keep in mind that Laws and Health Care options also vary widely both within countries and across the globe. So be sensitive to the personal situations and tribulations chatters face. Don't rub in how great things are for you.

Between the laughs, a serious note: We are a support chat. With that said, we can only help by listening; none of us are professionals. In our years of chatting with MSers online, one of the most common problems is depression. This is a very serious problem. We do feel sometimes just being a good friend, listening, and kidding around can help. And sometimes is just the right thing to turn the a bad mood around. But when things just don't appear to be getting any better in a reasonable amount of time, and chat is just a temporary fix, it is time to get professional help. Many times it's as simple as a medication change. Or something else.

I have not told many, but when my daughter was dx'd 11 years ago, I had to learn as much as I could. I wanted to know what is the worst case scenario, and what is the best with MS. What courses could it take? How likely one versus the other? I wanted no more surprises. Having my one and only daughter dx'd with MS was enough of a surprise. I went to Gaylord Rehab for a very long seminar on MS. It was the mental problems that really got most in a lot of troubles, because they were not ever taken seriously. I have seen this many times in my years online. If you see someone in chat that seems headed down this road, try to cheer them up, focus on the positive, and give them some suggestions. If they come back just as bad off, try again. If they keep comining back, let them know that they might be in need of some support beyond what any of us can provide in chat.

So, About Our Chat: We try to maintain a positive, upbeat attitude. We may have MS, but MS doesn't have us. It's not the focal point of our existance, it's just one part. So if there's a problem, no need to moan and groan - it just needs solving. Go over it, around it, blow it up, or joke about it. We won't ignore somebody's problem because it's gross, unseemly, or offends somebody else's sensibilities. We'll help figure out a solution. If somebody want's to wallow in their problem, we're not going to be too sympathetic.

Don't feel bad if you visit our chat and don't like things: The folks in it, what's talked about, the limited avatars and emoticons, the sounds, or anything else. We don't have room for every MSer in the universe, and don't claim to cater to every taste. If you want something different, we encourage you to search out another chat room. There are chats for those that want to wallow in pity, moan and groan. sing songs on a voice chats, fantasy-date, or do whatever comes after that on webcam chats. If you don't find what you need, or think you can do better, we encourage you to go buy your own webserver, start your own website, and run your own chat to cater to that unmet need. Please let us know about your site and chat, so we can direct any like-minded folks your way.

Norma is coordinating all chats. Please contact her for any changes. All you have to do is look at the schedule for and find a place that fits when hosting is good for you. If somebody is already hosting then, pop in to support them, and let them know you'll back-up, or buddy host with them. Just let her know what you choose! Norma's email is NORMAJJOHNSTON@SBCGLOBAL.NET

The Global Chat Schedule was comprehensive, but confusing. . . . . So it has been revised to break things down by day, and show the equivalent times in different time zones. Hopefully this will make it a bit clearer how an Eastern Standard Time relates to your personal timezone or country.

Knowing someone is available to provide support at dependable, specific local times makes a chat more successful.

Please, if you go in chat and a host does not answer you right away, please wait, Our hosts do a 2 hours stretch and need bathroom time and coffee time. So if they're away right at the sec you arrive, be patient, they will come back.

This could be you*

Your name, story, and photo in the spotlight, right here in our newsletter. Just send it along to: PWMS@PeopleWithMS.com

People like to read other stories about MS and dealing with the everyday life with MS. Everyone's M.S. is different and everyone's story is different. Get to know the chatters we chat with.

Stories and Picture's

PWMS Welcomes!

Please, we have issued an All Points Bulletin for any new chatters ! Come in, ask them to send us their e-mail addresses at PWMS@PeopleWithMS.com ; it is the only way we can send them out our weekly newsletter. Also, let them know about your stories and pictures, and perhaps ask if they'd like to submit one.! A great way to get instant recognition, by appearing in the newsletter. Most of us love to know more about each other and see who we chat with. When no one is here and a new MSER comes in and reads our stories and poems it helps to read and see how MSers deal with life.

We need pictures and stories of our new chatters. It helps new MSer's to see that they can do it also. It helps to know your not alone. So please help others - we need your pictures and stories. They can be emailed to PWMS@peoplewithms.com . Or, anyone who wants to add Pictures or update their story, please do so.

NEW BIRTHDAY PAGE

CLICK HERE CLICK HERE

Upcoming Birthday:

PeopleWithMS - Birthdays, Anniversaries, Etc.

Who will be next ?

Gailpooh MN July 15th

Red JULY 16TH

Steph July 20th

* * * We need someone to keep track of our chatters Birthday's. * * *

If anyone wants to host a chat Birthday Party, we provide the room, we clean up! We will send out invitations. We all have birthdays, some have Anniversary's. Help make a friend feel very important. We are all important in chat! Throw a surprise party for a chat buddy. Thank your best friend for being there for you! He or she deserves a party!

Book a room and tables for your ' Surprise ' Birthday party while there's still time by e-mailing PWMS@peoplewithms.com

Please Email us with any poems you would like to share with us PWMS@peoplewithms.com

So far, we have some semi-famous people. Not really a lot, and not really terrifically famous. Kind of a sad excuse for a list. You're sure to know the name of one or more people that are way more famous. Send us the name of any well known person with MS, and perhaps a one liner about them: PWMS@PeopleWithMS.com

Our objective is to provide an informal, supportive site for people seeking on-line information about Multiple Sclerosis. We aren't doctors, we aren't experts. We just live it everyday. We formed this site to share what we have learned, provide a focal point for exchange of information, and give back to the community.

Support is a very big word when it comes to MS. Doctors can only tell you so much during an office visit. Leaving unanswered questions, concerns and issues. People with any disease can often learn best from each other. To this end we provide a chat forum to share information and suggestions, posting of the latest news, and links to authoritative sources of information.

There are many informative sites out there. Visit them all! You can never have enough information. We do not intend to compete with any other sites. Like coffee shops, each has it's own unique atmosphere and clientele. There can never be enough of them.

Our chat is open for anything that has to do with MS. Some topics are not pleasant. But need to be talked about. If you have a problem, no matter what it is, chances are there is someone in chat that can help you. The one thing that PWMS will not accept is being laughed at for any MS problem. We expect all chatters to be considerate of others.

We have appointed Norma, Marlene, Debby, MS_Kitty, JeffS, JackIL, Eddie, Sae What and Wayne room administrators. They have been using the chat. They walked through the set up with us. They can help you if you need help.

Chat Login	PeopleWithMS.com Newsletter July 01, 2007	News
Chat Schedule		Stories and Pictures
MS DownUnder		ChatStar
		Birthdays
MS Canada		Famous People
Healthy Eating		Poems
Recipes		Rod's Music Shoppe

PeopleWithMS.com Newsletter

CRAFTERS

Debby's meetings will be on Tuesday's at 8PM EST for some fun!

PWMS Welcomes!

MS DownUnder

	Marlene, the hostess for our Thursday Night Trivial Chat has the questions. And the answers. She's mostly right! Eddie is our Trivia King for this week. Marlene is laying down the law: Specific answers will be the only ones counted! Yes means Yes! No means NO! Come join us ! *Join us Thursdays at 7 pm EST for some fun.*

*MS DownUnder*
	If you have any favorite links to resources, now's the time to mention it. . . Post us at PWMS@PeopleWithMS.com
	Support the Aussie Mid-Day chats, which follow directly from the North American evening chats. Hang around chat a bit on those nights to help Snowdogs welcome newcomers. Meanwhile, Wayno is back home from rehab !"

*MS Canada*
If you are interested in lending a hand on the Canadian portiion of our site, let us know. Or let us know where you have seen information we should add to help us build up the Canadian portion of the web site.
COME ON CANADA - HELP US OUT HERE! WE CAN'T BELIEVE NO ONE FROM CANADA WILL HELP OUT WITH INFORMATION.