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The Invisible Disabilities Advocate 14 March 2006    Join Us On April 28th or 29th at The Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker, Colorado!   Each Session Includes Both Presentations: But You LOOK Good! and Being Sick Well   Friday April 28th Morning Session: 9 a.m. - 11:45 Afternoon Session: 12:15 - 3:00   Saturday April 29th Morning Session: 9 a.m. - 11:45 Afternoon Session: 12:15 - 3:00   FREE Registration! Call 303.269.4001   IMPORTANT! If you plan to attend this session, please make sure you arrive perfume and cologne free.   Hear Wayne Connell, Dr. Boyd and Bill Honsberger on the Geno Geraci Show on KRKS 94.7 Out of Denver on Friday 4:00-6:00 PM    But You LOOK Good! Presented by   Wayne Connell, Founder and President of The Invisible Disabilities Advocate Wayne Connell is the Founder and President of The Invisible Disabilities Advocate, an organization serving those living with debilitating illness, pain and injury, as well as their loved ones. Wayne's inspiration to create this organization came from his wife, Sherri, who became disabled at the young age of 27. Sherri was a very active person all her life singing and dancing in musicals, riding her horse, lifting weights and loving to work. She obtained 2 Bachelor Degrees, but just as she was planning her Master's, she became very ill with Progressive Multiple Sclerosis and Late-Chronic Lyme Disease. Suddenly, she went from "on the go" 24/7 to struggling just to get to a doctor's appointment or take a shower. Despite the seriousness of her illness, people often had difficulty understanding how she could "look good" to them, even though she was very sick. Unfortunately, because of these misconceptions, people jumped to the conclusion that she was just lazy, unmotivated or was not trying hard enough. Sadly, Wayne discovered that these assumptions were all too common for many others in her situation as well. Therefore, Wayne found it imperative to develop an organization to educate friends, family, coworkers, businesses and medical personnel, in order to bring lives together with compassion and understanding. Wayne holds a BA Degree in Liberal Arts and is Certified through Dale Carnegie's school for public speaking. He loves to speak to groups of all sorts, giving them the tools to be a true source of encouragement and understanding to their friend or family member living with a chronic condition. This seminar is based his booklet, But You LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic Illness and Pain.  It's goal is to educate people about how extreme fatigue, pain, dizziness, cognitive impairments and other symptoms can be limiting, even though the person may not "look" sick or in pain. It also addresses "what to say," "what not to say" and "how to help" someone living with a debilitating disorder. Wayne is passionate about this subject, yet lighthearted and enjoyable! In his presentations, he really "hits the nail on the head!"

Being Sick Well Presented by Jeffrey Boyd, MD, M.P.H.   In his book, Being Sick Well, Dr. Boyd addresses four main causes for chronic illness and uses case histories, personal testimonies, and a variety of resources to illustrated not just how to cope, but how to live joyfully even in sickness. This will be the topic of this exciting seminar! More about Dr. Boyd: In 1987 he joined the Waterbury Hospital, one of the teaching hospitals of Yale, where he has been Chairman of Behavioral Health for more than a decade, and was also Chairman of Ethics for eight years. He has published sixty-two professional articles or chapters in books, on forty-two of which he was the first author, including an article in the New England Journal of Medicine. He has presented seventy-one papers to learned societies or scholarly organizations. Dr. Boyd has reviewed articles for the Science, New England Journal of Medicine, American Journal of Epidemiology, and a variety of leading psychiatric and theological research journals. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Religion and Health. Dr. Boyd released his book in the Spring of 2005. Being Sick Well - Joyful Living Despite Chronic Illness.

The Invisible Disabilities Advocate 11 December 2005  Dear IDA Friends, It has been another great year for IDA! We have continued to reach out to thousands living with debilitating illness and pain around the world! See what people are saying about us! I had an article published in HopeKeepers Magazine and I was interviewed and quoted by Advance for Audiologists magazine. In addition, we were referenced in an article that appeared in the Kentucky Monthly magazine and featured in an article in the Douglas County News Press. Here are some of the biggest highlights of the year: Our story was featured in the new book by Dr. Jeffrey Boyd, Being Sick Well. I was a guest on the Geno Geraci show (KRKS 94.7 FM), with host Bill Honsberger in June and November. As many of you know, my wife Sherri won the 2005 Hal O’Leary Inspiration Award presented by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in September! And, we opened a new online store, IDAstuff.com that sells t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, totes, cards, buttons and more! Proceeds go to IDA! Along with this exciting news, we also bring a heartfelt request. We would like to ask that you would please consider an end of the year donation for 2005 and/or monthly support for 2006. We need your help with our normal operating expenses, as well as increased costs in the past 2 years, due to filing of paperwork and legal expenses. By giving, you will be helping IDA continue to reach out to those who live with chronic illness and pain. Any amount per month would be greatly appreciated, no matter how small. If you have been blessed financially, consider a larger gift. Also, please consider having your business become an IDA Sponsor. Anyone can become an IDA Helper, Friend, Supporter, Silver Member, Gold Member, Platinum Member or Sponsor. Please see our Donations Page for more information on donating. Thank you everyone for your love and for being a part of this outreach! Wayne Connell Founder and President The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org    We need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions! We do not receive royalties for any books or publications. Please consider making a donation today!   DONATIONS BY MAIL Make check payable to IDA and mail to: IDA P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   DONATIONS BY CREDIT CARD VISA, MC, Bank Transfer, E-Check or PayPal CLICK HERE    Read All About Us Online now!   -To Unsubscribe, Reply With Unsubscribe-

The Invisible Disabilities Advocate 23 August 2005   Woman Receives Award for Helping Others with Disabilities Around the World! Hal O'Leary Awards Dinner Hosted by the Colorado Rockies on Coors Field On Thursday, September 15, 2005, The Colorado Rockies Baseball Club hosted the 2005 Hal O'Leary Awards. 6 local athletes and individuals were honored for making a significant difference in the lives of those in the disabled community. Hal O'Leary is the founder of The National Sports Center for the Disabled. The sold-out event included approximately 350 people on the infield playing surface at Coors Field. Sherri Connell was the recipient of the 2005 Hal O'Leary Inspiration Award for reaching out to others living with "invisible disabilities" -- people who show no outward signs of illness, but struggle daily with debilitating symptoms. Photo on right: Sherri and Keli McGregor, President of the Rockies. Sherri is honored to be a recipient of this award and ecstatic to have Invisible Disabilities recognized in the disability community. She feels this is a huge stride for all living with debilitating illness and pain! Hal O'Leary is the founder of the National Sports Center for the Disabled. In 1970, O'Leary was a salaried ski instructor at Winter Park when he volunteered to give a one-time ski lesson to 23 children with amputations. That ski lesson turned into the NSCD. Today, the center annually teaches 3,000 participants sports ranging from downhill skiing and snowshoeing to rafting, biking and horseback riding. O'Leary has been a leader and an inspiration to many, as he continues to have day-to-day involvement in the Center.  Named one of the Best 100 Things to Happen to Skiing by SKI Magazine, O'Leary coached the U.S. Disabled Olympic Team, was inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 1970 and was awarded one of only six Professional Ski Instructors of America Lifetime Achievement Awards. Hal is also nationally recognized for pioneering the adopt-a-ski program at Winter Park Resort in Colorado. We are so excited about this award! Sincerely, Wayne Connell Founder and President The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org    We need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions! We do not receive royalties for any books or publications. Please consider making a donation today!   DONATIONS BY MAIL Make check payable to IDA and mail to: IDA P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   DONATIONS BY CREDIT CARD VISA, MC, Bank Transfer, E-Check or PayPal www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm    Read All About Us Online now!   -To Unsubscribe, Reply With Unsubscribe-

The Invisible Disabilities Advocate 17 January 2005   How to Help People Living with Chronic Conditions, Quoted in Medical Book I am so excited to announce that the newly released 500+ page book, Striking Back, has used our booklet, But You LOOK Good! as a resource and has quoted from it in their Helping People chapter! It is an informative guide for those living with Trigeminal Neuralgia, their loved ones and their doctors. STRIKING BACK! THE TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA AND FACE PAIN HANDBOOK.    Published by TNA in 2004 and authored by George Weigel and Kenneth F. Casey, M.D. It is written in layman's terms, describes all aspects of TN and facial pain, and provides information and resources for patients, family, and medical professionals. A must-have guide for every facial pain patient! Click Here for More Information About TN and This Book! Sincerely, Wayne Connell Founder and President The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org    IDA wants to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions! We need your help! Please consider making a donation today!   DONATIONS BY MAIL Make check payable to IDA and mail to: IDA P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   DONATIONS BY CREDIT CARD VISA, MC, Bank Transfer, E-Check or PayPal www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm    Read our most recent newsletter online now!   -To Unsubscribe, Reply With Unsubscribe-

Founder and President:    Wayne Connell, BA   Vice President:    Carole Mitchell-Crouch   Board Members:    Alice Garrett, RN    Tom Groom     Paul Myhill, MBA   Advisory Board:    Stephen Barnes, MD    Marcus Brown, Ph.D    Carrie Carter, MD    Michael Erisman, MA    J.S. Geraghty, MD    Vernon Grounds, Ph.D    Robert A. Lees, Atty    Chris Miller, Ph.D     Read More About Our Board Members Here!   Read What People Are Saying About Us!   Help Us With Your Donation Today!   See Where IDA is Featured!   The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org   A Few Small Words Become A Great Big Voice!       In a world of quick-fixes, microwaves and fast food, there is hardly room in our schedules to be sick! Yet, an estimated 125 million Americans have some sort of chronic illness and 40 million are limited in their daily activity by it.   When Wayne first posted a few writings from Sherri's journal on the internet and called it, The Invisible Disabilities Advocate, we had no idea what was about to happen! Our plan was to use the site for friends and family to have a place to learn about her condition. Nevertheless, it now reaches the world!   This site took off right away, as word of mouth spread like lightening through computer modems through the internet. Many groups, foundations, hospitals and even corporations have used the site’s articles in training and support. In the beginning, we were excited to get 30 hits a month, but since 2004 we have been getting over 120,000!        To give readers something they could hand out to their friends and family, Wayne had 3 of the articles compiled into a booklet titled, “But You LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living With Chronic Illness and Pain.” Available at IDA's cost, this booklet helps loved ones with "what to say," "what not to say" and "how to help."    Those living with chronic illness have written to us time and time again that IDA was able to “put into words what I am going through!” Even more, we get e-mails from people telling us our site has saved their marriages, friendships and family relationships! It is time to get this booklet out on shelves where it can help even more families learn to cope with chronic conditions!   We are so excited about this outreach! This year, Wayne has transitioned IDA into a non-profit organization! He has such a passion for the hurting and feels called to be a full-time employee of IDA. Wayne wants to conduct seminars, conferences and workshops for hospitals, support groups, corporations and foundations. He has already held seminars where he works! We have only barely scraped the tip of the iceberg. Our vision is to reach out to the world with education and community services for this forgotten, lonely population! The time is NOW!   Visit our donations page at www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm  We Need Your Help! We are now taking tax-deductible donations to help us with the costs for IDA. We want to take this organization to another level to help millions who have not only lost their careers and health, but have lost spouses, children and friends due to lack of understanding! We are also looking for people willing to:   ▪ Host Sharing Nights - Informational Evenings   ▪ Spread the Word - Forward This Newsletter to Everyone You Know   Please consider an end of the year or monthly tax-deductible donation from your home and/or business. Any amount is appreciated! When You Make A Total Donation for the Year, You Become:   IDA Helpers $15.00+ IDA Friends $25.00+ IDA Supporters $75.00+ IDA Silver Members  $125.00+ IDA Gold Members $250.00+ IDA Platinum Members  $500.00+  IDA Sponsors  $900.00+         ▪ Be an IDA Sponsor! Give $75.00 or more a month through your business and we will place your logo on www.invisibledisabilities.org and link it to your site!    You Can Make Your Donation By Mail Make check payable to IDA and mail to: IDA P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   Or Visit:  www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm  Let’s Reach The World Together! Thank you for your support!           Wayne Connell, Founder and President     Wayne Connell with wife, Sherri The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org A Colorado Non-Profit Corporation ---- To unsubscribe from this newsletter, reply with "unsubscribe."----

The Invisible Disabilities Advocate October 2004 The Disabilities are Invisible, the Outreach Isn't! Couple Reaching Out to People with Invisible Disabilities on Magazine Cover   This is an excerpt of the article. Read the entire article at: www.invisibledisabilities.org/hk.htm   Sherri was an active young woman with two college degrees and an exciting career. But in 1991, just as she was to preparing to purchase a new home for herself and her beloved horse, she became ill and unable to work. . . Overwhelmed with emotions surrounding her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, Sherri began keeping a journal, focusing on all of the confusing misunderstandings people had about her illness. She transformed this into a pamphlet to pass onto caring friends who wanted to know more. Six years later, after she married Wayne, he suggested jumping onto the world wide web to share her writings with others. "When he offered to put the three pamphlets I had written onto a website on the internet, I said, 'What? Who would read it?' I knew the internet was huge and thought this idea was kind of silly. Yet once I thought about it I figured he might actually be onto something. If he did this, when I met someone, all I would have to do is to hand them a card with the website address and say, 'Here. This will explain everything.' That would be such a relief! So we put up the web site." When we started our website, we grappled with a name that would properly describe a condition that is debilitating, yet not obvious. We came up with the term "invisible disabilities." This does not necessarily exclude those with an evident impairment or those utilizing an assistive device. For example, in my case, I used a wheelchair but was restricted by my inner symptoms, not the challenge of the chair itself. One living with an invisible disability has symptoms that are debilitating such as: extreme fatigue, pain, weakness, dizziness, cognitive dysfunction and more. Wayne Connell is the Founder and President of The Invisible Disabilities Advocate. He put together some of Sherri's most popular writings, had them bound into a booklet and titled it, But You LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic Illness and Pain. Wayne has shipped copies all over the globe, without profit. Today, the web site, The Invisible Disabilities Advocate, gets over 125,000 hits per month and Wayne and Sherri feel blessed to reach out to others, even if it means through their suffering. Wayne Connell is the Founder and President of The Invisible Disabilities Advocate. He put together some of Sherri's most popular writings, had them bound into a booklet and titled it, But You LOOK Good! A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living with Chronic Illness and Pain. Wayne has shipped copies all over the globe, without profit. Visit The Invisible Disabilities Advocate at: www.invisibledisabilities.org Copyright © 2004 This article appeared in the HopeKeepers' Fall 2004 issue (published by a Christian Organization, Rest Ministries). To subscribe to the magazine, visit HopeKeepers today! Or subscribe by mail, FAX or phone. REST MINISTRIES, PO Box 502928, San Diego, CA 92150, FAX 800-933-1078 or phone 888-751-7378. There may be slight differences between this article and the one published in HopeKeepers. Sincerely, Wayne Connell Founder and President The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org    IDA wants to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions! We need your help! Please consider making a donation today!   DONATIONS BY MAIL Make check payable to IDA and mail to: IDA P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   DONATIONS BY CREDIT CARD VISA, MC, Bank Transfer, E-Check or PayPal www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm    Read our most recent newsletter online now!   -To Unsubscribe, Reply With Unsubscribe-

The Invisible Disabilities Advocate August 2004   Woman's Story Helps Others Living with Chronic Illness and Pain Featured Story in REMEDYfind's Multiple Sclerosis Newsletter   This is an excerpt of the article. Read the entire article at: www.invisibledisabilities.org/rf.htm   Personal Bio: As a little girl, I was energetic, full of life and loving every minute of it! Starting in high school, I had experienced a severe problem with my immune system, as I seemed to catch everything possible! By college, I was getting pneumonia once a year, bronchitis, strep and the stomach flu regularly. But, I was not about to give up my dreams and continued to work and go to school sick. I studied music, theatre, dance, was a cheerleader and thoroughly in love with the performing arts! After college, I went on to become a professional model, while working another fulltime job and entering modeling and talent contests. Several years later, I realized I was only chasing after a desire to be acceptable to society and to fit into their mold of what an ideal woman should look like; my body was famished from anorexia and my pursuit of a perfect image had left my heart very disturbed by it all. I concluded that starving my body and focusing on my outer image, was not pleasing to God... so I gave up the glamour and quit. I slowed down my schedule to only working 45-60 hours a week and went back to school full-time. During my Christmas vacation of 1990, I caught another virus and had a severe case of bronchitis... again! About a month later, I still had the pneumonia and fever and one morning I woke up with my left foot asleep. It took me about 20 minutes to get up and get into the car. The rest of the day, our customers watched me hobble around with a rolling stool underneath me, to hold up my left side. My back hurt so bad, that I figured I probably just slipped a disc! However, after a few weeks of being affectionately re-named, "Hunchback," the chiropractic treatments were not helping and I was getting much, much worse. I went to a couple of Neurologists, both of which suspected Multiple Sclerosis. As my condition quickly worsened, I became so ill, I could hardly sit up; I was weak, sick all over, in unbearable pain and going downhill fast! By the time I left the hospital, I had a confirmed diagnosis of Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Yet, that did not matter much to me, because I knew I was going to BEAT IT! So, I went home to rest for a couple of weeks, expecting to get better. When a couple of months passed, I could not understand why I had not improved and was still unbearably sick! Just to take a shower was an incredible effort that left my heart palpitating, head spinning, bones shaking and body sweating. As time passed, I saw my friends falling by the wayside, because they did not understand what I was going through. So, I wrote my first pamphlet about MS, hoping that they would read it and stand by my side in support, rather than making me feel even worse about not being able to go back to work yet. Even sitting, standing, reaching, bending and just talking was unbearable, as it caused "bone crushing" fatigue, incredible exhaustion and constant pain. I desperately wanted to escape this horrific illness, which had debilitated my entire body, and was still convinced I would. I remained determined not to give up my career, hopes and goals for my life, so I continued to go from doctor to doctor, try drug after drug and research everything I could, in hopes of finding the answer. Then, about 8 months after that, I was diagnosed with another illness, Lyme Disease. I never willingly gave up my career, nor would I ever willingly accept this illness without a fight! I went to work extremely sick on countless occasions in my lifetime, but this illness has rendered me debilitated beyond my will! Moreover, I would be working today, if it were at all possible! I have always been a determined person and would never have chosen to give up my career! I still have very vivid dreams about going back to work and being extremely happy. Nevertheless, then I wake up crying, when I realize it was only a dream! Because of my illness, I have gained weight, my hair has turned darker, my skin has lost its color, my face is puffy and I look much older. Even so, people I meet are always telling me, "but, you don't LOOK sick." Mind you, I do have to do a makeover on myself so that I do not look like this picture once in a while! Even so, I still do not look "well" or like I did before. I could never understand how they could say I do not look sick, because my old friends do not even recognize me. Evidently to those who have never seen me "well," think I look fine. Hey, I enjoy when people tell me I look nice or that I am attractive, who doesn't? But it is hurtful when they do not believe I am ill, because they cannot SEE it! In other words, when they say, "but, you don't LOOK sick," I feel like they are saying, "but, I don't believe what you are telling me, because I cannot SEE it!" I realize people mean well, but being a "positive," "never give up," "never give in," "never let illness stop me," "never let my dreams go" kind of person, it really hurts when people assume I am sick, because I am weak, do not try hard enough and lack a positive attitude! For support, links, articles and helpful resources, visit the site, The Invisible Disabilities Advocate Support from Loved Ones  Date Rated: 8/11/2004  Because our pain, extreme fatigue and cognitive impairments are not so obvious from the outside, friends and family have difficulty understanding them. They may or may not see a cane or a chair, but when they do, they often think that is the only obstacle we must overcome. So, they often do not realize the enormity of our situation and therefore, sometimes think we are just being wimps or lazy. Because of this, many with MS and other illnesses often feel rejected and ignored by their loved ones. When we do have support, we feel like we can conquer the world, but without it, we are not only having to battle the illness, but we have to fight for the belief, respect and love from our friends and family.  Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Consult your own physician regarding the applicability of any opinions with respect to your symptoms or medical condition. Information on this site is also provided subject to and contingent upon your assent to the Remedyfind User Agreement. Copyright © 2004 Remedyfind Inc. All rights reserved. Sincerely, Wayne Connell Founder and President The Invisible Disabilities Advocate www.invisibledisabilities.org    We need your help to reach out to all those living with chronic conditions! We do not receive royalties for any books or publications. Please consider making a donation today!   DONATIONS BY MAIL Make check payable to IDA and mail to: IDA P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   DONATIONS BY CREDIT CARD VISA, MC, Bank Transfer, E-Check or PayPal www.invisibledisabilities.org/donations.htm    Read All About Us Online now!   -To Unsubscribe, Reply With Unsubscribe-

Please Help The Invisible Disabilities Advocate with Your Donation Today! Return to Index IDA's Home / Help Loved Ones Understand / But You LOOK Good Booklet All About IDA / What People Are Saying / Help Be A Voice / Make a Donation IDA's Favorite Books / IDA Featured / Refer Site To Friend / IDA's Banners   Join Our Mailing List / View IDA's Guestbook / Sign IDA's Guestbook  IDA's Links / IDA's WebRings / Contact Information   Join IDA's Online Support Group     Copyright © 2005 The Invisible Disabilities Advocate. All Rights Reserved.  IDA is A Colorado Non-Profit Organization

But You LOOK Good!    A Guide to Understanding and Encouraging People Living With Chronic Illness and Pain   Order Online at: www.invisibledisabilities.org   To Order by Mail: Please send $5.25 (for printing, binding, shipping, etc.) for each booklet (includes postage in the US). Make the check payable to "IDA" and Send Order To:   IDA, P.O. Box 4067, Parker, CO 80134   *Note! IDA reserves the right to make changes, edits in content without notice. The booklet may differ slightly from the website! Proceeds go to IDA.

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