Month: November 2008

Arthritis Prevention, Control & Cure Act Update

Posted on by sherYl555

What Happened During the Lame Duck Session

A note from the Arthritis Foundation:

As the 110th Congress winds down, we wanted to provide an update on the status of the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act (H.R. 1283). There was no Senate consideration of the bill during the November “lame duck” session. It is possible that Congress will meet again in December given the current economic conditions, so we will continue working to find any opportunity to make headway. At the same time, we are beginning to look ahead to the New Year with a new Congress and a new Administration. Your past efforts at reaching out to your Members of Congress have not gone unnoticed as evidenced by the unanimous House passage of the Arthritis Act in late September. The Arthritis Foundation will be calling upon all its advocates again to continue the momentum and push the Act through both the House and Senate next year.

Resolve to get involved! Click here to find out how to become an advocate.

Honda Introduces The Best Christmas Gift Ever!

Posted on by sherYl555

Honda Robotic Walker This device may look like  it is right out of a sci-fi movie, but it actually a new machine developed by the makers of my favorite car. Honda.

The article mentions that this gadget would be useful for auto factory workers and people standing in long lines. I could definitely see this device being really helpful to us arthritis folks. Now, if we could only find a way to get our insurance companies to pay for it! Pricing and commercial product plans are still in the works.

Imagine a bicycle seat connected by mechanical frames to a pair of shoes for an idea of how the new wearable assisted-walking gadget from Honda works.

The experimental device, unveiled Friday, is designed to support bodyweight, reduce stress on the knees and help people get up steps and stay in crouching positions.

Kudos to Honda for thinking creatively! Can’t wait to see how this develops.

Arthritis Foundation Responds To Obama

Posted on by sherYl555

Below is a portion of an email from Chief Public Policy Officer at the Arthritis Foundation National Office in Washington DC, Amy Melnick. The email was written in response to Larry and Juanita Stuart’s story that was highlighted on Barak Obama’s 30-minute primetime special:

Earlier this week, we sent the attached letter to now President-Elect Barack Obama. The Arthritis Foundation will be working with the new Administration, and with the new Congress, on policies and legislation that will expand access to comprehensive health care to include preventive care, self-management programs, surgical interventions, rehabilitation services, and prescription medications for people with arthritis. We must work together, and with other like-minded organizations, at improving the care for people with arthritis. It truly was a watershed moment for people with arthritis to be featured on national television by a candidate running for our nation’s highest office. We plan on using this opportunity with President-Elect Obama and his new Administration to engage in substantive policy and advocacy work on behalf of the 46 million people, including nearly 300,000 children with arthritis.

Do you think it will be possible to find a cure for arthritis in my lifetime? My answer: Yes we can!

Read the letter that the Arthritis Foundation sent to President-Elect Barack Obama

Barak Obama Talks About Rheumatoid Arthritis

Posted on by sherYl555

During president-elect Barak Obama’s 30 minute special that ran the week before the election on multiple national TV networks, he highlighted the struggle that Larry and Juanita Stuart of Ohio face on a daily basis: Juanita has rheumatoid arthritis and their mounting health care bills have forced Larry out of retirement that he had worked so hard to earn.

I have empathy for Larry and Juanita Stuart’s struggle, and I also have deep gratitude for their willingness to share their story. Rarely is the topic of any form arthritis brought to light in such a grand scale. I hope that it helps to raise awareness.

If you have trouble viewing the embedded video below, click here .

Forward the video to 7 1/2 minutes to see the segment on rheumatoid arthritis.