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.)