Join us for Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists

The next installment of our Twitter webinar series, Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists, will take place on Wednesday, June 3rd at Noon (Eastern).  

During this 45 minute presentation, we'll give you a guided tour through some of the most useful third party Twitter applications to help you save time, reach more tweeps, and take tweeting to the next level.

There will also be time for Q&A with our Twitter experts, so bring your questions!

Joining the webinar is quick, easy and free.

1. Sign in (or Register) for a WEGO Health account.
2. RSVP to the event from the "Events" page on WEGO Health:  http://community.wegohealth.com/events/twitter-power-tools-for-health
3. After you RSVP, you'll receive a confirmation email from WEGO Health.  Be sure to respond to reserve your spot!

Please note:  An RSVP alone does not reserve your place.

Twitter Power Tools for Health Activists will be presented by Shwen Gwee.  Shwen is a very active practitioner of social media he blogs regularly on the Med 2.0 Blog and Podcast, founded the Social Pharmer Unconference and Network, and is highly active on Twitter (@shwen), with over 1,700 followers and more than 5,500 tweets. Shwen's aspirations are to combine his background in academia, agency, and industry together with his interest, experience and passion for emerging technologies and new media, in order to drive innovation in science and medicine.

• Want to know more, or RSVP? Visit: http://community.wegohealth.com/events/twitter-power-tools-for-health
• Missed "Twitter Fundamentals for Health Activists"?  Catch up with the presentation on SlideShare.
• Interested in other Health Activist Events?  Check out this great list from CureTogether:  Top 6 Upcoming Health Events.
  

Spotlight Interview: Jennifer B (Food Allergy Buzz/FAB Snacks)

Spotlight on: Jennifer B

Blogging Since: I have been blogging for more than a year. My blogs include www.foodallergybuzz.com and www.peanutfreebaseball.com. On Twitter, I'm FoodAllergyBuzz.

Occupation: Owner of FAB Snacks, Inc (www.fabsnacks.com), a snack store specializing on food allergy friendly snacks.

Volunteer & Advocacy work: Local food allergy awareness activities and the PTO for my children's schools.

How were you introduced to the world of allergies?
My first introduction to food allergies was through my 5 year old son's peanut allergy. He had always experienced mysterious hives, had a bit of reflux, and also had eczema. It was not until he was more than 3 year that we bought him a hot fudge sundae, decorated with a face made out of Reese's Pieces that we discovered his allergy to peanuts through a startling combination of gastrointestinal, skin, and respiratory reactions.

What made you decide to start blogging?
I wanted to start writing about something in which I am very interested, and food allergies are the thing I feel most passionately about. Once I began writing, I discovered I had more to say than I ever realized.

Besides your own, what is your favorite health related website?
I have so many favorite websites, it is hard to choose. I do have a few places I visit almost every day. Among my daily stops are http://allergicgirl.blogspot.com/, http://nut-freemom.blogspot.com/, http://allergy.hyperboards.com/, but this is by no means my whole list!

What is the one thing you wish someone would have told you when your child was first diagnosed with allergies?
I wish people would have said it is okay and normal to be afraid, to be worried. I felt pressured to "get up to speed" and relax. It took months to get comfortable with the idea that I knew enough about peanut allergies, food allergies, and cross-contamination, to adequately protect my son.

What has been the hardest part about dealing with allergies?
To me, the hardest part is finding food that I feel confident about. There aren't a lot of foods that I can pick up in the supermarket and feel 100% sure that it is not just free of peanuts, but that it is also from a facility that does not handle peanuts.

What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of how my five year old handles himself in situations involving food outside our home. He asks all the right questions to determine if a food is safe, and he understands when he cannot have a food due to his allergy. He remembers his reaction and is very careful, even at his young age.

What is the main goal that you have as a food allergy health activist?
My main goal is to help make the world a little more food allergy friendly by focusing on food allergic individuals and families as consumers. I want to discover and share food allergy friendly "food finds" and support food allergy conscious businesses. The more options that are available, the easier life will be for food allergic people like my son.

When you think of the future and the work you are doing, what gives you a sense of hope?
The increasing numbers of options at the supermarket and online, and the accomodations at schools and ballparks, give me hope because I can see even in the short time we have been dealing with a food allergy, that people are becoming more aware of the danger of food allergies and we as a society are adapting to meet those challenges.

To learn more about Jennifer and Food Allergy Buzz/FAB Snacks visit her WEGO Health profile page.

Sleep Apnea Spotlight :: Ed

While working on a project for the WEGO Health community, I came across The American Sleep Apnea Association webpage. I also stumbled (almost literally) upon the blog of Ed Grandi, the Executive Director of the ASAA. Ed has been writing at Sleep Apnea ED since 2005 and he did me the honor of letting him interview him for WEGO Health's sleep education community.

The biggest hurdle in  teaching the public [about sleep apnea is], getting them to take it seriously.

How did you become involved in the sleep apnea community?
My formal involvement began when I was hired as executive director of the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA). Since joining the association I have had the oppprtunity to interact many of the pioneers in the field. In the relatively short time I have worked the field I have learned a great deal mostly from talking with patients and answering their questions


How long have you been the executive director for the American Sleep Apnea Association?
I was hired in May of 2004.. I had worked in the nonprofit sector for DC based charities for four years and decided I wanted to lead an organization.. The ASAA was looking for someone with a background in fundraising so I went for it.

What has been the biggest hurdle in the path of teaching people about sleep apnea?
The biggest hurdle in  teaching the public: getting them to take it seriously. More often than not it takes something like the death of an athlete from complications of sleep apnea to get people's attention. The challenge for many of those in treatment is lack of a consistent continuity of care. For many, they are left to their own devices (so to speak) and it is very easy for them not to pursue treatment.

When you think about the future, what gives you a sense of hope regarding sleep apnea? What concerns or worries you?
I am hopeful that awareness is increasing and people are beginning to understand that there is a reason why they are miserable; not enough quality sleep. I am hopeful that there is evolution happening in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. [There are also] at-home studies [being done] and treatments other than [the] CPAP machines. My worry is that due to turf wars between the various medical professionals will slow the progress being made and one person dies needlessly.

Learn more about Ed at his WEGO Health page!