| In
this one-hour addition of Families in Focus, the panel addresses
the medical and psychological impact of chronic disease
on the patient and the family. It explores the toll on the
family's social life, emotional stability, financial resources
and physical health. Panelists share their intimate struggles
and provide concrete strategies to more effectively support
individual's living with these often-disabling conditions.
Tape piece - Produced by Paula M. Levine,
this segment features Cathy Chester who was diagnosed with
Multiple Sclerosis when she was just 28 years old. But she
was luckier than most. Although her disease is chronic,
she has a form of it called, "Relapsing, Remitting",
which means that it comes and goes, but does not usually
get worse. She's even more fortunate in that she has an
educated and supportive family behind her, and an extended
support group in the Gimble Multiple Sclerosis Center. We'll
visit with Cathy and talk with her family. We'll see what
her everyday life is like; we'll learn how she copes with
the unrelenting fatigue the disease causes, what meds keep
her on track, and how her family has adapted itself to her
limitations. We'll also visit the Gimble Center to see how
patients are diagnosed, treated, and supported. Finally,
we'll talk with June Halper, the Director of the Center.
Guests
Dr. Ronald A. Rigolosi - Director, Outpatient
Medical Clinics, Holy Name Hospital.
Lee Kushner - who has been living with
MS for over a decade.
Lisa Walls - who was diagnosed with kidney
disease at the age of eleven.
Steve Margeotes - A clinical psychologist
and Executive Director of Main Street Counseling Center
in West Orange, New Jersey.
Jim Capobianco - Is the primary caregiver
for his wife Barbara, who has early onset Alzheimer's Disease.
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