FENWAY MEDICAL

My Care Necessities is proud to partner with

Fenway Medical is an online catalogue dedicated to helping caregivers care for their aging parents. Their purpose is to provide you with an easy and discreet way to receive incontinence, nutritional and medical supplies directly to your home. With more of us taking care of our parents outside a professional setting, we understand that your responsibilities are constantly changing and your valuable time is limited.

Take a few minutes to peruse their site and check out the great products they carry.

Handiexchange.com

Whether you live in Canada or the U.S. there's a new way to purchase new and used healthcare equipment online. Check it out at http://www.handiexchange.com

ALBERTA GIFT SHOW

Booth #6003 - Body and Soul Section
February 15 - 18, 2009
Edmonton, Alberta

Yep - off to another show. This show is geared to gift shops, independent pharmacies, bookstores, unique giftware, resorts, gourmet food, stationery/card stores - and a whole lot more.

I'll keep you posted.

SIMPLY HEALTH - Newsletter

I can't believe it's December already. Time sure is flying.

My Care Necessities just turned 1 years old a few days ago. To celebrate I thought it was time to create a newsletter that I can send to retailers, wholesalers and distributors - oh and a few friends.

People can sign up to receive the newsletter and even pass it on to their colleagues, friends and family members. If you would like to sign up all you have to do is press the sign up button and we'd be happy to add you to our list.

Thanks for your support and enjoy the Christmas season.

Cheers!

POINT OF PURCHASE DISPLAY

We're listening! Retailers are telling us they need displays. Now Available - Point of purchase displays that hold 6 books. A great way to test-drive these books in your store to see how they sell.

MEDTRADE 2008

WOW - I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. I've been super busy and alot of great things have been taking place.

The last week of October saw Bruce (my husband) and I in Atlanta, Georgia for a gigantic healthcare product show called Medtrade. It truly was huge - even if seasoned veterans were disappointed that it was only half the size. The show went well and just how well will depend on the coming months as orders continue to come in.

We learned alot about HME's, DME's, the business of American healthcare and much more. It was truly a fantastic trip. The bonus was meeting up with friends we hadn't seen since our North Carolina days. What a great time we had dining out and getting re-aquainted.

Last week Bruce and I were in Toronto for the WinDoor tradeshow held anually in November. We really felt the crunch of the economy at this show. Buyers stayed home and the show was virtually void of any traffic. We made the best of it and enjoyed walking downtown - visiting the St. Lawrence Market for the first time - dining at our favourite seafood restaurant Pier 4 with Fred and Sylvia and even the downtime.

Thanks to all the really great people who helped me prepare for my first International Tradeshow: Tim, Elizabeth, Deb, Bruce, Fred, Tanis, Bill from MB Trade, TC4 Graphics and others. Couldn't have done it without you.

SO WHAT MAKES ME QUALIFIED?

Every once in a while I get asked - so what makes you qualified to put together a book like the Personal Healthcare Journal. The assumption is that I work in some capacity in the healthcare field - likely a nurse.

While sometimes I feel like I should have entered the nursing profession, my kids will tell you I am not the least empathic so patients out there can be grateful that I did not enter this very noble and sometimes thankless career path.

Back to the qualifications. Our immediate and extended family has won the lottery as I like to say in all things health related. It's helpful to know all the different ailments and illnesses your family has encountered, here are just some of the things that run in our family:

• diabetes
• hypothyroidism
• celiac disease
• prostate cancer
• asthma
• depression
• aspergers (autism spectrum disorder)
  
• interstitial cystitis
• heart disease
• adhd (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
  
• osteoarthritis
• arthritis
• migraines
• fibromyalgia
  
• a few mystery illnesses
  
• and probably a whole lot more that I'm not aware of

I have been involved directly or indirectly in the lives of the people who experience one or more of these illnesses. It's mind boggling really when you start to list the number of illnesses or diseases people in your family have experienced.

Visiting doctors, asking tons of questions and being fascinated by the human body and all it's quirkiness, I have learned that it's important to keep track of the information you receive. Keeping track helps you to have a much better understanding of what is really going on.

So... if you haven't started a healthcare journal yet - start one today. If not for yourself - for your kids - they'll be glad you did.

RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

HARO (Help A Reporter Out) continues to be a great source of contacts for My Care Necessities. Everyday I receive three emails of reporters looking for stories. Stories are generally broken into these categories: business and finance, health and fitness, general and technology.

As you can imagine I often have the opportunity to share a story regarding the business and health areas. Everyone once in a while I am able to hone my writing skills by submitting an article in the general category if it's relevant to their request. The website Resources for Entrepreneurs while primarily American - is carrying an interview I recently conducted with them. To check it out click on the title Resources for Entrepreneurs.

Till next time!

DELIVER 200 JOULES PLEASE

Monday and Tuesday of this week delivered a nice change of scenery.

As a standardized patient (SP) (someone who acts as a patient with a variety of maladies for medical research or exams) it has been my pleasure to participate in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) educational videos.

Wardrobe was way cool - I got to wear scrubs - always wanted to do that and I didn't even have to go to school for 5 years to get the chance. I played a nurse in various scenes but mostly helped coordinate scenes and actors. Long days, decent pay and tons of fun.

What did I learn? That's the beauty of being an SP you always come away with more than you came. We had first hand training in CPR, bagging a victim/patient (with oxygen), learning about defibrillators both hospital and portable types, and what a code blue team does. Extremely fascinating stuff. And yes - they really can deliver 200 joules - that's the jolt you see on TV when they defibrillate a patient.

I got to have a bird's eye view of what a code blue looks like from a healthcare perspective while being a participant in a mock emergency. It never ceases to amaze me how much we take our healthcare teams for granted. Our healthcare professionals are highly trained and while yes they are human and will make mistakes they really have yours and mine best interest at heart.

Everyday we have the opportunity to learn. The more I learn about the medical field and how we can best help our healthcare teams the more I realize that when the Personal Healthcare Journal is used as it is intended we really can receive a quicker diagnosis and treatment for our illnesses.

So... keep on using your book, maximize it's potential and in no time you'll learn how to more effectively manage your health.

MEETING WITH THE MINISTER

As promised, here's an update on my meeting with the Minister of Healthy Living - Kerri Irvin-Ross.

Time sure goes fast. I had a half an hour to state my case for the book. I gave her some history, we talked about various ways it could be used and by whom, who's using it and who's looking at it.

Overall I think it went very well - being my first time meeting with a Government official I really have nothing to compare it with. I do have to say though - she was impressed with the briefing note I had ready for her - a huge thanks to my friend Barb from Biggar Ideas for giving me the idea.

I left the meeting with a promise that Minister Irvin-Ross would review the book and my proposal and then get back to me. Very Cool!

I feel grateful for the opportunity to have met with her and introduce the Personal Healthcare Journal to her. She now knows it exists and that's a good thing. If it leads to anything more - I'll let you know.

DISTRIBUTORS WELCOME!

My Care Necessities is looking for Canadian and American distributors for it's Personal Healthcare Journal in the following areas:

• Healthcare Products
• Hospital Gift Shops
• Book Distributor
• Pharmacies

If you or someone you know is a distributor in any of these areas, please have them call Betsy at 204-918-5313 or email at betsy@mycarenecessities.com

PLEASE CARRY MY BOOK - Honest it's Amazing!

A month or so ago I joined this incredible email network called HARO or (Help A Reporter Out). Through this I've managed to submit stories for blogs and websites that are book and health related. This story Please Carry My Book - Honest It's Amazing talks about how to get your self-published book into stores and how to look for markets that seem outside the box.

As stories get published I'll provide links so you can read them for yourself.

Enjoy your day - thanks for your support.

Betsy

INVISIBLE CHRONIC ILLNESS WEEK

Invisible Chronic Illness Week
September 8-14, 2008 in the U.S.

This is my submission for an article to be posted for this week.

This past June our daughter got married. It was a beautiful wedding and of course I cried. Now imagine planning a wedding for 200 guests that is predominantly gluten-free. What's gluten- free you ask?

Three years ago our daughter was diagnosed with an invisible illness called Celiac Disease. One year later another 4 of us were also diagnosed. Today there are 7 of us in our family that have Celiac Disease. This plunged all of us into an unkown world of new foods and diets. We got a crash course in all things gluten-free.

Celiac is an auto-immune illness that prevents the absorption of wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats. I had no idea that these offending grains could have such an impact and that they were in just about everything!

Imagine having to giving up your favourite bread, pasta, cookies, pastries, processed meats, salad dressings, ice-cream cones, cereal, soy sauce - well you get the point.

I used to wonder why people stood and read labels at the grocery store. Just buy it already was the thought that popped into my head. Well... guess what - I'm now a label reader myself. Who knew that even bacon could have hidden glutens or soup in a can or even salad dressings of all things. But it's true - we all read labels now.

Some people in our family get sicker than others if they've accidently ingested gluten. Take for instance my oldest daughter, she gets violently sick for days. My brother on the other hand doesn't really experience any symptoms so it's much harder for him to stick to a regimented diet. Me, I just really gassy, bloated and the odd time have diarrhea - kind of like a flu.

So back to the wedding, what did we serve? We managed to have an amazing stuffed chicken dinner complete with gravy and steamed veggies. The buns of course were not gluten-free but we managed to score some really great pavlova for dessert for our gluten-free members. Once the dance began we brought out a huge 32" tower of fruit, some gluten-free and regular desserts. For a really cool alternative to serving all you can drink alcohol we served all you can drink espresso's, latte's and cappuccino's.

It's not easy eating gluten-free, especially when you travel. I have to bring a suit-case full of my own food just so I can be sure I have something to eat when we get to our destination. Airports can also be tricky. But like I have told my kids who are all celiac's you can either manage your disease or let the disease manage you.

MEETING WITH THE HEALTHY LIVING MINISTER

Imagine my excitement at being invited to meet with Manitoba's Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross on September 2, 2008!

All along I have believed that the Personal Healthcare Journal could benefit many people. Our own family has experienced the benefits and now others are experiencing the benefits of using this simple, easy-to-use tool.

Here's a quote from an Atikokan Healthcare Team member in Atikokan, Ontario: “The possibilities for how this book can be used to help not only seniors but anyone with multiple medical needs is astounding. It is simple and easy to read with lots of space for every aspect of a patient’s health needs. What most people don’t expect when they get this book is that there is also information on how to speak with your doctor as well as information on advanced directives. I can’t tell you how important the information on advanced directives is to both patients and families. The Atikokan Family Health Team is excited about the possibilities of this book and the many uses we will have for it. We are hoping that every senior in Atikokan will have one as well as all those other people who would benefit from this book.”

Our healthcare system is changing. We need to value the work our doctors and nurses do. They are pressed from all sides: family, work, patients, other healthcare professionals and even government.

If we can help them out by staying on top of our own health, their jobs will become easier and we will all benefit.

I'll let you know how the meeting goes.

POSTER CAMPAIGN

Advertising can get expensive - so how do you get the message out that the Personal Healthcare Journal exists? A Poster Campaign.

It's beginning. Doctor's offices, hospital emergency rooms, the Wellness Centre, Great West Life in Winnipeg, message boards at Victoria Beach and in healthcare centres in Kenora.

If you or a friend would be willing to hang a poster with little tear offs that tell people where they can pick up a copy of the Personal Healthcare Journal email me at betsy@mycarenecessities.com

MedTrade Here We Come!

Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, Georgia - October 28-30
Booth # 3979

Yes you read that right. There are over 725 exhibitors with over 240,000 square feet of show space - WOW!

Having been a part of many trade shows before the scope and magnitude of this particular show is extremely exciting to be a part of.

We'll gather together with a host of other companies eager to show their wares to thousands of attendees looking for the latest and greatest in healthcare products.

MedTrade has become the largest international show. Exhibitors and attendees from all over the world converge to discuss and learn about all things medical. Everything from sleep labs, mobility devices, breast surgery, ulcer care, oxygen therapy and much much more.

Making this the perfect place to showcase the Personal Healthcare Journal.

I'll keep you posted as the date draws closer.

HOSPITALS COMING ON BOARD

If you check out the column to the right you'll notice there are now three hospitals on board. Two in Winnipeg and one in Toronto.

I enjoy meeting with gift shop staff at the various hospitals. Did you know that most of the staff are volunteers? In fact the Victoria General Hospital gift shop manager is also a volunteer - now that's dedication!

Each store has its own unique blend of products but all are interested in one thing - that's to provide great gifts for hospital patients, friends and family - in fact some stores record that most of their sales come from hospital staff. Another great benefit is that money raised goes back into the hospital in some form or other.

The next time you're looking for a great gift stop by your local hospital gift shop - there's plenty to choose from - don't forget to pick up a Personal Healthcare Journal while you're there.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Well, the Dragon's Den auditions are closed and the tallies are in. The Personal Healthcare Journal didn't make it on to the show - but that's ok. Exposure is what I was really after. How can you lose with 4 free minutes of advertising on a national media website?

Anyway - thanks for voting and thanks for passing the word along that this great resource exists. I'll keep you posted.

Dragon's Den Audition on CBC

It's true - I've taken the plunge. Some people have called me brave - other's crazy - you be the judge. Click on the link Dragon's Den Audition to visit my audition tape for Dragon's Den. So why am I trying to get on Dragon's Den? Well... as my audition says - it all comes down to distribution. It's a great product but it needs to get across Canada and into the U.S. for people to really benefit from it. So... take a few minutes, sign up for a CBC account and please vote for me!

Thanks for your support.

BOOK EXPO CANADA

Book Travels without Author

It's true the Personal Healthcare Journal will be attending BookExpo Canada in the New Titles Showcase in downtown Toronto without me. It's kind of like sending your kid half-way around the world to do humanitarian work and hope that he'll come back in one piece.

Book Expo Canada for the unaware is where you go to be seen. Publishers, retailers, wholesalers and distributors converge in one place in Toronto for two glorious days to check out each other's stuff. Having never been there myself - my guess is that it's somewhat like a car or bike show - a lot of posturing and tire kicking along with admiration for new products and perhaps a little buying and selling.

Here's what I'm hoping for... some awareness and attention. My little company that can with one title is hoping someone will pick me out of the crowd and want to check out this guppy in a big sea of marlins.

I'll keep you posted. The show dates are June 15 & 16.

COMING SOON!

Personal Healthcare Journal

Due to popular demand from the boomer generation, the Personal Healthcare Journal for Seniors cover is being fazed out and a new cover excluding (for Seniors) is being introduced.

Anticipated date for re-release is May 23. Stay tuned and check back for updates.

MORE STORES ADDED!

As word gets out more stores are being added to the list of retailers who are carrying this valuable tool. Along with purchasing this book online at www.mycarenecessities.com you can also find this book at the following stores:

WINNIPEG

• Chapters - St. Vital Centre
• Coles - City Place
• Coles - Kildonan Place
  
• McNally Robinson - Grant Park & Polo Park
• Shopper's Drug Mart - Henderson Hwy

SELKIRK

• Blaine's Bookstore

KENORA

• Shopper's Drug Mart
  

TORONTO

• Indigo Bookstore - Mount Sinai Hospital
  

THE WORD'S GETTING OUT!

The last two weekends were spent at shows targeted to women in the Winnipeg area. It was so encouraging to have many women stop by the booth and say - hey I saw you on TV or I read about you and your book in the paper.

Thank for stopping by and for checking out this new book. I appreciate your comments!

Another store is on board - the Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Places where you can purchase the Personal Healthcare Journal for Seniors:

• online at www.mycarenecessities.com
  
• McNally Robinson - Polo Park and Grant Park
• Mount Sinai Hospital Indigo Bookstore - Toronto
  

Media Interviews

• Winnipeg Women Magazine - March/April issue
• Big Breakfast on City TV, Winnipeg - April 16 at 7:45 am with Brian Yasui
• Community Newspapers - The Herald and The Metro with Jolie Toews

NOW AVAILABLE!

Hot off the press!

For those of you who've been waiting for the Personal Healthcare Journal for Seniors to come in - the books are here.

Ways to buy:

• online at www.mycarenecessities.com
  
• McNally Robinson - Polo Park and Grant Park

Media Interviews

• Winnipeg Women Magazine - March/April issue
• Big Breakfast on City TV, Winnipeg - April 16 at 7:45 am with Brian Yasui

PRE-ORDER Your Book Today

Demand for the Personal Healthcare Journal has been high.

Reserve your copy today by clicking on the PRE-ORDER title today.

Perfect for helping your parents, yourself or a loved one track their personal medical history - so information is there when you need it. Bring it with you to the doctors, physiotherapist, chiropractor... to all your healthcare appointments.

Record medications, allergies, vitamins, medical tests, blood pressure and more.

All pre-ordered books will be shipped the day after the books arrive. Books are expected on or near March 30.

For more information visit my website at www.mycarenecessities.com

If you have any questions? email icare@mycarenecessities.com

Watching the Book in Action

Monday morning I got a call from my mother-in-law. I could tell instantly by her voice that she wasn't doing well. We got to the heart of the problem quickly. Her knee was swollen and she was in a great deal of pain. Unable to walk except with the help of my father-in-law she was having trouble getting around. Could I take her to the dr.'s?

Being self-employed and working from home gave me the opportunity and flexibility to take her to a walk-in clinic that specializes in muscles and bones. After waiting quite a while, we saw the doctor. He was worth the wait! He examined her knee, and quickly ordered an x-ray. After reviewing the results - he ordered an MRI. He suspects a torn miniscus - ouch!

His recommendations? Ice the knee 3x a day and see me in 7-10 days. The MRI will be ordered and should be done in the next 4-6 weeks.

We recorded the symptoms, recommendations, tests and follow-up appointment in her healthcare journal. It works! It was so great to see all her appointments and info listed in her book. All she has to do is check back in the book to remind her of all the details.

Book Signing - Thursday, April 17

It's true my first book signing.


When: Thursday, April 17
Time: 7 pm
Where: McNally Robinson - Polo Park

Everyone is welcome and you're certainly invited to bring a friend. Let me know if you're planning to come.

Check back for updates.

Personal Healthcare Journal

NEW RELEASE - Available April 8, 2008

A simple, easy to use journal that helps seniors and their families track their personal healthcare. Once you get into the habit of using it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

Use it at home. Write in it before and after your healthcare appointment. Bring it with you to all your medical visits and when you travel out of town.

Six sections inside:

1. Quick Reference Guide
2. How-to use the book
3. Personal health information
4. Medications, allergies, vaccinations and vitamins/supplements
   
5. 50 appointment pages to record symptoms, questions and answers from dr. visits
6. Resource section (includes web-sites, medical terminology etc.)
   

COST: $29.95 - includes shipping and handling

To pre-order your copy, send a cheque or money order to:

My Care Necessities
149 Dunrobin Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R2K 0T3

Purchasing options will be available on my website soon.

Contact Betsy Hiebert at mycarenecessities@mts.net