First of all, I will be occupied with the conference from September 20th to 26th, 2011 so please keep your emails to a minimum as I don't know how much I will be able to check them.  Thanks.

There will be quite a few giveaways so one of our Network's legal advisor, Mr. Hugh Scher of Scher Law Professional Corporation - Toronto,  has been kind enough to provide us with a complimentary DVD entitled Solving LTD and CPP Disputes.  Mr. Scher is well known in the legal community for his expertise on disability law and also see ME/CFS and FM clients on a regular basis due to his expertise in that area also as well as other disabilities and conditions.  He will be a speaker at the Patient Conference;

Lawyer, Mr. Ted Masters, of the firm of Burke Robertson et al in Ottawa, who is also well known in the ME/CFS and FM community will be at our table at the conference and can be seen for legal advice.  His firm is providing complimentary tote bags and has provided us at their expense with our new banner which will be displayed at the conference;

Dr. Alison Bested has designed a tool kit for patients which will be available at a nominal cost at the conference and the profits will go to the National ME/FM Action Network.  Dr. Bested is well known in Canada for his medical expertise in the field of ME/CFS and FM and was one of the panel members of the Canadian ME Definition, Consensus Document, in 2003.  Dr. Bested does not only diagnose and treat people with ME/CFS and FM but was involved at government levels which led to a billing code for ME/CFS in Ontario for doctors seeing ME/CFS patients.  She advocates tirelessly for those who least are able to fend for themselves and is a regular speaker at events to spread awareness and hope.  We are deeply grateful to have such a gem in our midst.

Dr. Byron Hyde of the Nightingale Research Foundation will be kindly providing us with copies of The Clinical and Scientific Basis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which was published in 1992 but its medical and scientific information contained therein is still accurate and applicable today.  He is providing this book free of charge but suggests a donation be made to the National ME/FM Action Network.  We are grateful to Dr. Hyde not only for providing us with this valuable book for distribution but also for his difficult journey over the years in bringing awareness and knowledge to the population on ME/CFS and acknowledgement of the illness led to ridicule.

For those who are travelling, I wish you a safe journey and will see you in Ottawa.  Those who are not well enough to do so, please stay turned to our website at www.mefmaction.com for updates or Facebook.

I hope everyone's stamina holds out.  The National ME/FM Action Network team looks forward to meeting you.