invisibleillnessconf

OUR GUESTS HAD TO CANCEL 2 HOURS BEFORE THE PROGRAM... You can hear last year's program on the same topic/same guests here

http://tinyurl.com/4l5v22

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Lynn Royster, J.D., Ph.D., is founder and Director of the Chronic Illness Initiative at the School for New Learning, DePaul University where she also teaches in the on line program. She is on the Board of the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome Association of America and the parent of young man with chronic illness. Paula Kravitz is Assistant Director for Student Services for the Chronic Illness Initiative at the School for New Learning, DePaul University. She has been employed by the Illinois Department of Mental Health and several not for profit agencies in the areas of clinical therapy, teaching, program development and administration. She holds an MSW from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jolene Phillo, author of "A Different Dream For My Child"

Rosalind Joffe built on her own experience of living with chronic illnesses

for 30 years, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, when she

founded cicoach.com. This

career coaching firm is dedicated to helping professionals with chronic illness

develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers. Rosalind believes

firmly that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and

successful life. Rosalind Joffe is a recognized national expert on chronic illness

and its impact on career. She is the co-author of Women,

Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend!, Rosalind

is passionate about giving people the tools they need to thrive in their work

while living with chronic illness. Her website, cicoach.com, and her widely

read blog, http://WorkingWithChronicIllness.com

feature the resources and services a person needs to be successful at work –

while living with a chronic illness. And she can be found on twitter @WorkWithIllness

Rosalind is donating her book "The Keep Working with Chronic Illness Workbook

System"

Marcia, entertaining media guest expert, speaker, and professional organizer,

is well known as “The Organizing Pro” for her practical tips and clever solutions

in homes and offices. She appears on national radio and TV, and her tips in

national magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, Woman’s Day, and

Real Simple magazines. Marcia is the author of the popular “Simplify

for Success” book series, Simplify Your Life, Simplify Your Time, Simplify

Your Space, Simplify Your HolidaysAges and Stages of Getting Children Organized

(Thomas Nelson) and booklet. Marcia has a daughter that got Fibromyalgia

at age 17 and knows well what it's like to have an invisible illness in the

home. For more on Marcia's helpful resources go to www.OrganizingPro.com

Marcia has donated a copy of her book "Simplify Your Life."

Dena Dyer, talking with Lisa Copen As a busy wife, mom, and entertainer,

Dena Dyer

constantly loses things—but she’s holding onto her sanity (barely). Her favorite

forms of therapy? Cuddling with her two young sons, date nights with her hubby,

reading, and blogging. Dena is thankful for her creative life, which is varied

and full. In between driving carpools, helping her boys with homework, and shuttling

kids to sports practice, she writes, speaks, and performs part-time at Rockbox

Theater in the Hill Country of Texas. Her publishing credits include the books

Mothers of the Bible and Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy

Moms, articles in Focus on the Family, Woman’s World and HomeLife,

and tips for Working Mother, Redbook, Family Circle andParenting. Visit

her web site here. Dena has donated a copy of her most

recent book, Mothers of the Bible.

This presentation will focus on the challenges of building and maintaining

healthy boundaries while living with chronic illness. taking the time to learn

a few tricks can help you start saying NO to things that don't help you, and

YES to nurturing activities and people. Jenni created ChronicBabe.com

in 2005 to provide an online resource for young women with chronic illness who

want to live exceptional lives in spite of health-related limitations. A ChronicBabe

herself since the age of 25, she lives with fibromyalgia, asthma, anxiety, depression,

Raynaud’s phenomenon, rosacea and GERD. Beyond her speaking activities, Jenni

is an award-winning freelance writer with nearly 20 years of publishing experience.

She knows what it takes to make any writing “zing!” Jenni offers freelance writing,

editing and communications consulting for the health care industry, with a focus

on web sites, newsletters, feature articles and marketing materials. Jenni’s

work with organizations small and large, local and national, has earned her

numerous awards. Most recently she was named a “Women’s Health Hero” in 2009

by Our Bodies, Ourselves.

When the Husband is the CaregiverJoel CopenJoel Copen has been married to Lisa, founder of Rest Ministries, since 1996. They have a son who is 6 years old. We've had an overwhelming response to our seminars on marriage and family and when our speaker Kelly Rouba had to cancel at the last minute. Joel eagerly volunteered to be interviewed to offer a husband's perspective (surprising even his wife!)

Join Joel and Lisa as they discuss the ups and downs of marriage that includes a chronic illness, and what they have learned (and are still learning) along the way.

We’ve had 2 scheduled guests for this topic and both of them have had to cancel due to emergencies. But Lisa will be sharing her personal experiences.

Lisa is the founder of Rest Ministries, but through the years she has worn many hats, following her passions. These include being an author and speaker, being a book marketing consultant at writers workshops including CLASS, she designed web sites for years and still does occasionally for others and she has been the “expert” internet marketer giving presentations for her local Chamber of Commerce. Her latest (and perhaps most fun) is as the creator and designer of ScrapbookMyAdoption.com . She would love to take lots of calls and answer your questions. If you have started a business while chronically ill, be sure to call in and share too.

Join Jenni Saake (founder of Hannah's

Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage & Adoption

Loss ) and Lisa Copen founder Rest

Ministries, as we chat about surving crises in the midst of Chronic

illness. Between the two of us, Lisa and Jenni have survived 45 years of multiple

chronic illnesses including Chronic Fatigue Immunity Dysfunction Syndrome (ME/CFS),

rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, endometriosis, infertility, chemical

sensitivities and more. These ladies know that life doesn't stop just because

we are in pain. Hear us share our hearts and experiences through surgeries,

infections, IV therapies, broken bones, unemployment, adoption journeys, and

grief ranging from miscarriages to the deaths of grandparents. We will share

a few survival skills for coping with the stress of everyday life when crisis

hits and we'll look forward to chatting with you as you call in your own crisis

on top of chronic stories too! Jenni has donated a Gurrlie Girl 2 Cor. 12:9

bracelet where she is a consultant.

How can you improve your marriage when you live with chronic illness? Bill

and Pam Farrel are relationship specialists, international speakers, and authors

of 30 books including best-selling Men

are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti. A few of their other

books include: Single Men are like Waffles, Single Women are like Spaghetti.

Their newest release is The

Marriage Code. Other books include: Red Hot Monogamy, Why

Men and Women Act the Way They Do, Love, Honor and Forgive and 10

Best Decisions a Parent Can Make and 10 Best Decisions a Couple Can Make

(Harvest House). Bill and Pam are frequent guests on radio and television including

Focus on the Family, where their interviews with Dr Dobson were ranked Top 10.

Bill has experience as a Senior Pastor, Youth Pastor and most recently, as Pastor

to Small Groups under Dr David Jeremiah. Pam has experience as a Director of

Women, Pastor’s wife, and mentor. She is also the founder and President of Seasoned

Sisters, a ministry to women 40-65. )