Chronic Bits 

We're big fans of Dr. Hebert, and he has surpassed our high expectations and created an excellent Halloween-themed Grand Rounds this week. It's spooky! You're gonna love it!

In the recent newsletter of the Arthritis Foundation, an article piqued our interest, asking if we are a Type D personality. Apparently, Type D (for "distressed") folks tend to see the glass as half-empty - and also struggle more with chronic pain and illness. See the connection? Learn more.

And you should too. In fact, you can help Save the Ta Tas (from breast cancer) by buying an excellent t-shirt from the Save the Ta Tas web site. Heck, even if you don't care that much about charity, these are rockin' t-shirts! Thanks for the tip, Babe Autumn!

We love this new resource: The Chronic Pain Store. Whether your pain is from an injury or medical condition, this online shop offers a large selection of high-quality pain relief products, and you can even search by symptom or condition. Check it out!

The American Pain Foundation is offering a new publication, "Treatment Options: A Guide for People Living with Pain." Click here to sign up for a free download of the PDF version.

According to the National Women's Health Resource Center's (NWHRC) second annual Women Talk national survey, universal health coverage was selected as the health advance women desire most. The survey of more than 1,100 women asked which "medical technology or advancement(s) would you most like to see become a reality" and 15% of women opted for universal health coverage rather than a cure for neurological diseases (14%) or breast cancer (13%), a vaccine for HIV/AIDS (12%) or a cure for diabetes (8%). More.

Grand Rounds is fresh at Health Care Law Blog. One of the biggest editions of this awesome blog carnival we've seen so far! Get reading... and if you've got lots of time today, check out the Grand Rounds archives.

We luv Change of Shift, an excellent nursing blog carnival. Check out the latest edition!

To further advance research into biological and health differences between the sexes, the Society for Women’s Health Research has launched the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD), as a scientific membership division dedicated to exploring the role of biological sex in health and medicine. "Creating the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences furthers the Society’s mission of improving the health of all women through research, education and advocacy," says Phylllis Greenberger, president and CEO of the SWHR.

New from the National Women's Health Resource Center, this report on Autoimmune Diseases & Women's Health offers up a ton of resources useful to women of all ages and stages of diagnosis. This is just one report in a great series by the NWHRC, so check their web site for more helpful info.

You may have noticed the site's been quiet the past couple weeks, as Jenni the Editrix has hosted and visited almost a dozen different family members in a very short span of time. Thanks for being patient! We're settled in again here at ChronicBabe HQ and coming at you with tons of goodies. Enjoy!

This new site examines chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with tips for the newly diagnosed, news about funding, newsletters, a well-stocked bookstore and more. And you have to check out the Oxy-Pup oxygen tank covers - priceless.

Babe Kim points out that the first-ever Sjogren's Walkabout is happening in nine cities starting October 28 (the fundraising program runs through June 2, 2007). It's a great cause, and there are many ways to participate. Get more info from the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, especially if you live in Long Beach, Calif., Chicago, Phoenix, Rockland County and Long Island, NY, the Washington, D.C. area, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, or Philadelphia and like a good walk. (P.S. to folks familiar with this syndrome: Sorry we can't figure out how to make an umlaut!)

And we're not talking easter eggs, people. Catherine Price of Salon.com's Broadsheet recently looked at an Australian proposal that would encourage women with chronic illnesses to donate their eggs for stem cell research. As a woman with diabetes, she says, "The idea of getting to participate in research that might eventually help find a cure... is pretty thrilling." Check out her thoughtful perspective.

WiredBerries says it's a "social network for women dedicated to pursuing a healthy lifestyle" featuring lots of user-created posts on food, fitness, music, love and more. We really don't get the name, but the site seems pretty cool. Thanks for the tip, Babe Rickey!

We love the DailyOm, recommended by Babe Kirsti, and today's entry on "the wisdom of fear" is especially poignant. As we change (and accepting illness and developing coping strategies is definitely considered change), some fear is normal - this brief article examines how powerful it can be to examine our fear and learn from it. Check it out! And...subscribe to get the DailyOm in your in box.

Another great blog carnival, Change of Shift, is live today with edition #8. Check it out! Great stories from a nurse's perspective.

Grand Rounds is fresh at RDoctor this week. For newbies: the Grand Rounds archives, chock full of informative, interesting, provocative medical and health writing.