Event: July 14, 2019 WIMSSHG 45th Anniversary & B.B.Q. DDO Civic Centre 4-8 p.m.

105 - 1255 Trans Canada, Dorval, Qc H9P 2V4

Tel: 514-676-1588 email: grpspbo@videotron.ca

The West Island Multiple Sclerosis

Self- Help Group

March 2019

HORIZON

2019 is an important year for our group We are celebrating 45 years of our groups existence this year. I am sure Madeleine and her late husband Roger would have been astounded if they were to hear that the group they started, West island self-help group, would still be in existence today. It is also 25 years of the MS walkathon. This is a Canada wide event and provides funds to the MS society towards research. It also provides our group with much needed funding. Funding that is used to help cover the cost of the different activities the group provides throughout the course of the year. Our last event, the wine and cheese get-together was a great success. We can never give enough praise to the volunteers who make these outings possible. Being disabled can sometimes have unexpected consequences. Sometimes, because of our limitations, we find ourselves in different situations that may not be funny at the time but when we look back on these occasions we can see the funny side. There was one occasion for me that was certainly not funny at the time but I did laugh about it afterwards. I was still walking using a walker and I reached into a closet probably to get something like a coat but of course our balance isn't great. I managed to reach past my point of equilibrium and consequently fell into the wardrobe. So what do you do when you fall? Like the drowning man you grab hold of anything you can see which in this case were coats. So, there I am lying on the floor of the wardrobe covered in coats with only my feet sticking out. There was a young man living in our house at this time and he happened to return from his place of work just after this happened. Now because he lived in our house he was aware that there were times when we got ourselves into difficult situations but this one was not something he expected to see. When he entered the house all he could see were two feet sticking out of the wardrobe. With no thought for the individual who was lying in that wardrobe he asks Nita in a voice full of mirth, “why are there two feet sticking out of your wardrobe”. Of course anyone with any compassion would be asking the owner of the two feet if he was okay and what could he do to help.

Tom

I must admit that when his mirth subsided he did manage to help me get back on my feet and I was none the worse for my fall. Does anyone in our group have funny or unusual stories they would like to share with the group? If so let us know and we will try and publish them in future editions.

Saturday, April 6th, 2019 from 9-5 p.m. Hôtel Mortagne,

1228, rue Nobel, Boucherville, Québec, J4B 5H1

A bilingual event and accessible to the general public, the Quebec

Summit on Multiple Sclerosis is event offered every two years and is

essential to update one’s knowledge of this disease, to learn more

about advances in multiple sclerosis research or to meet eminent

researchers in the field of MS.

The program this year: cognitive rehabilitation, cannabis, gut

microbiota, all topics that have attracted the attention of researchers

in recent months.

Do not miss this appointment: register now and save

the date of April 6, 2019 on your agenda!

Tickets are on sale until March 29, 2019 at a cost of $ 10

and include a lunch box.

To view the schedule and purchase your ticket, visit

www. sommetsp.ca.

MEETING POINT:

DES SOURCES HIGH SCHOOL,

2900 LAKE ROAD, DDO.

5 AND 10 KM ROUTES: Wheelchair accessible

REGISTRATION : 8:30 a.m.Walker pledges and last minute donations

WALK KICK-OFF: 10:00 a.m.

NOON: Entertainment and lunch at the finish line

Honorary President :

Sheldon Kagan

SUNDAY, MAY 26TH, 2019

REGISTER TODAY: mswalks.ca or by phone: 514 676-1588

Pre-registration: Thursday, May 16, 9-4 p.m.

and 6-9 p.m. 105-1255 TransCanada,

Hwy, Dorval, H9P 2V4.

2018 was a year of change. We moved to a larger office on the

TransCanada highway. It is fully accessible - Please come by and see

us!

The wine and cheese, the sugar shack, the summer BBQ, the corn

roast and the Christmas dinner were all very successful.

In terms of outings we visited the ecomuseum, the Chateau Taillerfer-

Lafon, the group’s founder Madeleine Couillard’s residence and the

Montreal Casino.

Services to members are Monday group at the Karnak Shriner’s

building (3350 Sources boul., DDO), chair yoga, adapted aquafit

(accessible to all!), caregiver meetings and newly diagnosed (diagnosis

10 years and less) group. The services of the psychologist specialized

in MS are available. All services are free of charge for those who have

MS and live in the West Island. Small cost for those outside our sector.

At Karnak, we hosted WICA, singer Mario Ardea and magician Blair

Marshall. There will be special monthly events at Karnak in 2019.

The participants of the 2018 West Island MS walk raised 105,208$ in

2018.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge our wonderful volunteers –

dedicated ones at the Monday group, at the pool, the members of the

Board of Directors as well as those who help out on committees, at

special events and at the Walk. NONE of this would be possible without

their implication.

Please contact us for additional information! 514-676-1588,

grpspbo@videotron.ca, FB Multiple Sclerosis West Island.

Director’s Yearly Report

Nicole Duchastel

The annual Christmas party took place on December 9th, 2018 at Karnak. We had a great turn out with 112 guests. This year, we had 13 children that got a chance to see Santa. They were so excited that they could hardly sit down. One by one, they took turns telling him how good they have been and what they would like for Christmas.

The food did not disappoint again this year. It was delicious, and the wine complemented every mouthful. We even had the pleasure of having Mario Ardea the musician who played and sang throughout the party! Many members took to the dance floor to show off their moves. It was a fantastic evening filled with laughter and joy!

CHRISTMAS PARTY

Two summer camps for young people between the ages of 7 and 17,

having a parent with multiple sclerosis, will be offered this summer: Camp

Richelieu Saint-Côme, Lanaudière, June 23-29, 2019, and Camp Edphy

International, in Val-Morin in the Laurentians, August 4 to 10, 2019.

Various recreational activities as well as activities on MS will be offered.

This camp allows them to share their experiences with other young people

in similar situations and to better understand their parent's illness while

having fun.

MS Camp is offered free of charge. For a chance to be selected, youth

must send a letter or drawing explaining their motivation to participate in

the camp by April 30, 2019.

For more information visit campsp.ca, contact Carole Corson at

1-800-268-7582 or by email at carole.corson@mssociety.ca.

"I would like to highlight how amazing the camp for children of parents with

MS is. It's not just because it's free and the activities are fabulous, but also

because my children have a better understanding of their dad's symptoms

through camp activities. Being together as a couple is magical. The daily is

sometimes so difficult and frustrating: when my children go to the camp,

the whole family is winning! Rosalie

A free camp for young people whose parent has MS!

The annual Wine and Cheese party was held this past March 3rd at the Karnak Centre and 76 people joined in for an enjoyable afternoon. The first course started with a white

maple wine Domaine Labranche, accompanied by three cheeses, Tomme des Alpes, Patelo and Gré des Champs. The second course was also a white wine, Seyval-Blanc Vidal,

served with three additional cheeses, Baluchon, Fleuron Tête de moine and Sauvagine. Finally, the third course was served with a Poiré de glace, Pierre & Terre and two cheeses, Fleuron and Reypenaer. Along with all these wonderful cheeses, a potpourri of crackers,

fresh bread, almonds and fresh fruit was served.

WINE

CHEESE

AND

28 of us enjoyed a fantastic day at the

casino on December 5th, 2018. We had the

pleasure of receiving a $10 playing card which was appreciated by all.

Some of us even got lucky by ending up with some big winnings. After

playing for a couple of hours, we headed

upstairs for a wonderful lunch. The setting was inviting as well as accommodating for those in wheelchairs. After lunch, we headed off to the

Cabaret to see the musical the Crooners. What an amazing show! We all had excellent seats and got to enjoy an hour and a half of beautiful singing.

We could not believe that 3 p.m. had rolled around so quickly, and it was time for us to go back home.

What an exciting and pleasurable day we all had! Hopefully we will get the opportunity to return soon!

Casino

outing

Potluck Dinner

Our annual potluck was held on January 14th at Karnak. 45 of us enjoyed tasting the many different types of foods. There were so many choices to choose from, that we got to sample a little bit of everything. As always, the meatballs, chicken cutlets and the different assortment of salads were amongst the favourites. The desserts were also a big hit. It was an enjoyable afternoon filled with lots of laughter.

Espoir Famille Weekend offers people with MS, their spouses and children the opportunity to meet other families affected by MS, discuss with participants the reality that unites them and get out of their isolation. It hosts approximately 250 people annually. This year, the event will take place on October 19 and 20, 2019, at the Victorin Hotel in Victoriaville. Various themes related to MS will be discussed in the form of conferences and workshops. An activity program is also specifically designed for 6 to 17-year olds whose parents have MS to help them better understand their parent's illness and to connect with other children and teens who live with MS. a situation like theirs. On Saturday night, young and old gather for a festive evening. Espoir Famille Weekend programming will be unveiled in late spring and registration will

begin on June 13, 2019. All details will be available on espoirfamillesp.ca.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Newly Diagnosed MS Group Our next newly diagnosed group

will take place on March 27th from 10-12 p.m. at our office. Please

confirm your presence by calling Christina at 514-676-1588 or email

at christina.karavolas@ scleroseenplaques.ca

Retro corner

CONDOLENCES

Danielle Tisserand of our group, passed away on Saturday,

February 9th, 2019. Our sincerest condolences to the Tisserand family and to her

husband Alex Simoes.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ANNUAL MS B.B.Q & THE GROUP’S 45TH

Join us for our annual B.B.Q to be held on

Sunday, July 14th, at the DDO Civic Center, located at 12001 Sources Blvd, DDO, from 4- 8 p.m. This year we are

celebrating the group’s 45th anniversary! Hope to see you all there! Registration by

July 1st at christina.karavolas @mssociety.ca or by phone at

514-676-1588

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

notes

Once a month we will have special events at Karnak: Conferences, karaoke, bingo, lunches, music,

arts & crafts etc.

INFO

A special thanks to those who work to bring us the Horizon:

Tom Ramsay, Nicole Montpetit, Christina Karavolas, Vaughn Bolduc, Michèle Paré and Nicole Duchastel.

Caregivers Meeting Our next caregivers meeting will take

place in early April from 7-9 pm. Please confirm your presence by calling

Christina or Nicole at 514-676-1588 or by email at

grpspbo@videotron.ca

Facebook: Multiple Sclerosis

West Island

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21 March Aquafit

25 March Monday meeting (Income tax Info session)

28 March Aquafit

1 April Monday meeting

4 April Aquafit

8 April Monday meeting

11 April Aquafit

15 April Monday meeting (Sugar Shack at Karnak)

18 April Aquafit

22 April No Monday meeting (Easter Monday)

25 April Aquafit

29 April Monday meeting

2 May Aquafit

6 May Monday meeting

9 May Aquafit

13 May Monday meeting (Special activity & Free lunch)

16 May Aquafit and (Walk Pre-Registration)

20 May No Monday meeting (Victoria Day)

23 May Aquafit

26 May MS WALK

27 May No Monday meeting

30 May Aquafit

3 June Monday meeting

6 June Aquafit

10 June Monday meeting

13 June Aquafit

17 June Monday meeting (Special Activity)

20 June Aquafit (end)

24 June No Monday meeting (Saint John the Baptist)

1 July No Monday meeting (Canada day)

8 July Monday meeting

14 July B.B.Q. DDO Civic Centre 4-8 p.m.

15 July No Monday meeting

Aquafitness classes The aquafit sessions tailored to our

needs, at the DDO Aquatic Centre, 12001 blvd. de Salaberry, DDO.

When: Thursdays from 10:30 -11:15 P.M.

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