Sunday Conversations

Sunday Conversations - January 21, 2024

Details: Last Updated: 27 January 2024 27 January 2024

"It's not 'All In Your Head' "
Multi-Modal Healing with Judy Tsafrir

Sunday, January 21, 2024, 4 p.m. Eastern Time

Judy Tsafrir, MD

When a patient consults a physician and reports symptoms that refer to multiple unrelated organ systems which do not fit with known patterns or conditions, and when the laboratory tests that are conventionally run do not reveal any abnormalities, the conclusion is reached that they should see a psychiatrist. They are told that they are suffering from stress; that they are depressed or anxious. The implication is that their condition is psychosomatic; meaning that their emotions are manifesting as physical symptoms. This is a very invalidating experience that adds insult to injury.

Sunday Conversations - November 19, 2023

Details: Last Updated: 27 January 2024 27 January 2024

"What Sociology and the Illness Narratives Can Teach Us About Living with Chronic Illness"

Sunday, November 19, 2023, 4 p.m. Eastern Time

Helen McGunnigle

Helen McGunnigle is a graduate of Hampshire College where she studied pre-medical sciences and conducted an ethnographic study of college students living with contested chronic illness (including chronic or post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, ME/CFS, and fibromyalgia) for her senior thesis. In this Sunday Conversation, Helen highlighted the findings from this research project, exploring the early histories of these illnesses and what exactly makes them so contested. Following the discussion, she lead a conversation on the impacts of living with chronic illness.

Sunday Conversations - September 17, 2023

Details: Last Updated: 13 September 2023 13 September 2023

CANCELLED !! (as of 9/13)

"Understanding Long COVID: Clinical Approaches and Relationship to ME/CFS"

Sunday, September 17, 2023, 4 p.m. Eastern Time

Jason Maley, MD
Program Director, Critical Illness and COVID-19 Survivorship Program

In this edition of Sunday Conversations with MassME, Jason Maley will discuss what is known to date about the biology of long COVID, the approaches taken in caring for long COVID care in existing clinics, and what is known about the overlap between ME/CFS and long COVID. A recording will be available after the event.

Jason Maley is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and is a Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He works as a pulmonary and critical care physician and is director of the Critical Illness and COVID-19 Survivorship Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

The Critical Illness and COVID-19 Survivorship Program was launched in 2021 and is one of only a few in the country to integrate a broad multi-disciplinary team of medical experts to treat patients with persistent symptoms, which are also described as "long-COVID" or "post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)." The program is open to anyone experiencing long-COVID symptoms regardless of where they were treated for their initial COVID-19 illness. Patients are initially scheduled for a telehealth visit, and eventually an individual plan is developed for each baptient based on their main deficiencies. More information can be found at the program website at https://www.bidmc.org/centers-and-departments/pulmonary-critical-care-and-sleep-medicine/services-and-programs/critical-illness-survivorship-program

This event has been cancelled due to a conflict. There will be no Sunday conversations on Sunday 9/17. Please stay posted for an updated date for Dr. Maley's presentation!

Living with Chronic Illness: Sunday Conversations - August 20, 2023

Details: Last Updated: 30 August 2023 30 August 2023

Join MassME for an August Sunday Conversation! We are looking forward to meeting you on Zoom. Summer is a time for informal gatherings and socializing. Let's get to know one another, and have a chance to ask questions and share experiences!

After a brief welcome and introduction, we will gather together in small groups for moderated conversations about two topics of interest to our community.

“Living with chronic illness: How to you find meaning in your life?”
“Pacing: Personal approaches and what works for you?”

When you register, you can select which topic that you would like to explore with others. All are welcome - come to learn, share or just listen.

Based on your previous feedback, we will allow 40-45 minutes for a group discussion on your chosen topic. We'll return to the full group for a brief "de-brief" before signing off.

This is a live event via Zoom. It will not be recorded.

Living with Chronic Illness
Sunday, August 20, 2023
4 - 5 p.m. Eastern Time

This event is over.