The Carousel Network
Chronic
Neuroimmune Diseases
Information & Support For Sonoma County, California
Contact Us:Welcome to our home on the web
Welcome to The Carousel Network (TCN) of Sonoma County. We hope that you will find useful information here. Please take some time to explore our resources.Why is your group named "The Carousel Network?"
Simply enough the founder of our group loved carousel horses and named the original group after what was most dear to her heart. It also provides a metaphor for how the symptoms of the related chronic neuroimmunological diseases seem to go around and are not just particular to a single malaise.Something new?
You might notice a different format and content. We are the same organization with a new webmaster. If you are looking for one of Melissa's (our past webmaster) numerous informational articles on chronic neuroimmune diseases please visit her current web site (hint: see sidebar for the link).
The Carousel Network
We are here to provide information and support to those who are afflicted with CNDS, as well as their friends and family members. We believe that by sharing information and our experience, we empower each other to find effective ways of managing these diseases. We have monthly speaker meetings, a bimonthly newsletter, a web site, a phone list, educational materials, a community resource list, and a place to meet on line 24/7. If this is your first visit to us, we welcome you!What are chronic neuroimmune diseases (CNDS)?
Variously called chronic neuroimmunological disease, chronic neuroimmunoendocrinological disease, or chronic immunological neurological disease, these are biologically multi-systemic diseases most likely caused by infective, genetic, and environmental factors. These diseases and disorders, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivities, are documented in the medical literature, but as of yet there is no known cause, no cure, and no magic bullet.Unfortunately, the majority of the general public (and a big chunk of the medical professions) find it easier to dismiss these very real conditions as being "all in our heads." Ironically, these disorders are in our heads, in our brains, to be exact, not the hypochondriasis or psychosomatization, but some very real functional and organic changes in our brain, and how the brain, immune, and endocrine systems functions and responds to input from the world around us and dysfunctions within us.
What is the prognosis for those who have one or more of these disorders? Some regain a degree of health, some remain the same, and some worsen over time. There are many treatment options available and often treatments work well for some and not at all for others. It takes patience and commitment, but improvement is possible for many.
Become a TCN member
Members get our bimonthly newsletter, are eligible for membership in our private email list, receive email reminders for meetings and events, and have borrowing privileges with the TCN Library. The information in our newsletter often complements the information covered at the meetings during those months, enabling those who attend meetings to better understand the material covered by the speaker or other program. For annual membership, please complete a membership form, and send it with your check for $20 made out to The Carousel Network to the address to the left. You may also join when you attend one of our meetings.
Donations
Monetary donations may be made payable to The Carousel Network, and sent to our mailing address. If you would like to donate books, videos, or other media related to CNDS please contact us. We appreciate your assistance.
Volunteer
We are an all-volunteer organization, currently operated exclusively by people with CNDS. We will happily take healthy volunteers, too. We are looking for folks to help with tasks large and small. Please let us know if you would like to be of service by emailing us at carousel@cndsinfo.net. For information on the types of things we need volunteers for, please see our Volunteers Are The Carousel Network page.
Peer-to-Peer Support
Join Carousel Net, the e-mail list for TCN members to share experiences and coping strategies. To join the group, enter your email address in the box below. Once your request has been approved by our membership coordinator, you will receive an email from Google asking you to confirm. (Please note: our monthly meetings are open to everyone, but only TCN members receive the TCN newsletter, have borrowing privileges from our library, and can join our e-mail group.)
Subscribe to CarouselNet Visit this group
Join TCN: Send your check for $20 to The Carousel Network, 122 Calistoga Road #216
Santa Rosa, CA 95409-3702 (or join at a meeting). We will send you our bi-monthly newsletter. TCN is supported solely by membership dues and donations. Please renew your membership annually. Thank you.
Legal Disclaimer: The Carousel Network, Chronic Neuroimmune Diseases is an all-volunteer, 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We do not give medical advice, nor does TCN endorse products or treatments. Members of our group are being treated with mainstream and alternative therapies, often in combination. If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyaliga, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Lyme Disease, or any other medical condition, we encourage you to work with an informed health care practitioner as you make the choices and decisions about your own treatment. You are responsible for your own health care decisions.©2007 The Carousel Network
Last Updated: June 3, 2007webmaster@cndsinfo.net
http://www.cndsinfo.net/index.html
