Free flu shots are offered through the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) at Walgreens for people affected with a neuromuscular disease. The flu can cause serious and even life threatening complications to people with Muscular Dystrophy. The flu shot is often the best defense against influenza so again this year the MDA is providing the funds to obtain them at Walgreens.

Please check with your doctor before getting a flu shot if you have any type of neuromuscular disease and if you are on immune suppressant medications. Those particularly at risk have a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, polymyositis or dermatomyositis. The intranasal form of flu protection is not recommended for anyone with Muscular Dystrophy.

If your insurance does not cover the flu vaccine, the MDA’s Flu Shot Program partnered with Walgreens is providing vouchers for free flu shots. The flu shot voucher is available online or by phone at 1-800-572-1717

The 2010-2011 influenza vaccine will protect against H1N1, as well as the common influenza B virus and an H3N2 virus. So one shot this year will cover you. Thank you to the MDA and to Walgreens for providing flu shots for people with neuromuscular diseases.

Abet Guidaben, former member of the Crispa Redmanizers of the Philippines Basketball Association was recently diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis.  Guidaben was began showing symptoms of the disease when he was in Chicago last June 19 at a PBA Legends benefit game to raise money for scholarships to aid poor students in the Philippines.

His situation was so serious that he was in the Intensive Care Unit in an unnamed hospital in New Jersey. He has had difficulty speaking (dysarthria), swallowing (dysphagia), breathing and suffers from double vision. No update has been given since July 30th.

Even an athlete, who is healthy and strong can be hit with Myasthenia Gravis.

Please help support Myasthenia Gravis awareness at the CBS Early Show on Monday, June 7, 2010. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America invites you to join us for a LIVE taping of the nationally broadcast TV show, the Early Show on CBS on Monday, June 7 at 7:00 AM EST in front of the Apple store at 59th and 5th (near FAO Schwartz) in New York City.

In order to make a big impression on TV and help raise awareness for MG, we need your support! June is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month! Please show you care by attending the CBS Early Show on June 7th.

We hope to see you there bright and early at 7 am. We will create a large presence on the plaza with T-shirts and a large banner to increase visibility during this time. Please bring your family and friends! The more people, the more likely the cameras will show the group at the CBS Early Show.

This Is How I Roll, Living Independently With Neuromuscular Disease is a webinar held by the MDA on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 6 PM EST. Hosted by Vance Taylor, Katrina Gossett and Angela Wrigglesworth, this webinar is geared toward people who want more information on living independently.

Event Address: https://mdaevents1.webex.com/mdaevents1/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661483220

Event Password: MDAWebEx2010

Call-in number: 650-429-3300 (U.S./Canada) Long distance charges apply.

The BluFrog Energy Drink Contest is almost over so I wanted to be sure to pass the word along. I usually don’t write about contests on this blog, but since the prizes are so amazing, I wanted to be sure my readers had an opportunity to enter.

There’s three ways to enter:

1. Twitter about why you think BluFrog is the best energy drink. Be sure to include the hashtag #blufrog and the link http://bit.ly/UiiJy
2. Leave a comment about which prize you want to win here – http://itsabluworld.com/contests/
3. Write a blog post about the prize you want to win. Leave a comment on the page above with a link to your post. (Kind of like this post)

Here’s the prizes that are offered:

1. BigGamer – XBox 360 Elite package
2. Happy Blu-Year – Trip to New York City to celebrate New Year’s Eve at Times Square
3. Bluapalloza – Trip to Chicago to attend Lalapalloza
4. BluStreak – Trip to Orlando and Richard Petty Racing Experience
5. XtremeBlu – Trip to Aspen and the Winter X Games

For more details on all of the prizes and the rules be sure to visit the BluFrog contest page. Don’t wait too long! The end date is July 17th at 11:59 pm EST.

Have you heard about BluFrog Energy Drink? It is made of healthy ingredients and no caffeine. It is only 68 calories per 8.3 oz can. There’s no jitters and no crash. No need to purchase to enter the contest, but it’s been getting great reviews. For those of us who can’t handle caffeine, this may help with fatigue.

I was pleased to learn about a college scholarship for people who use a wheelchair. This scholarship is for $500 and is expected to be used for books or other extra needed items for full time students. This is provided two times a year, fall and spring and has other requirements besides the use of a wheelchair and those are that the student must:

• Be enrolled in an accredited two or four year college
• Have a minimum 3.0 GPA
• Complete a 500 word essay by the deadline specified
• Be a legal resident of the USA
• Complete an application by the deadline
• Submit two character references (more information about this will be provided after the application is received)

The deadline for the upcoming fall scholarship is July 31, 2009 and can be completed online or via the mail. If done by the mail, the postmark must be July 31, 2009. There are two questions for this essay. Only one needs to be completed:

• What area of your school do you think would benefit from improved accessibility and how would you improve it?
• What area of your school do you feel has excellent accessibility and why?

The AmeriGlide Achiever Scholarship enables someone who faces challenges every day to not only earn money but to promote what is needed to make colleges more accessible for people with disabilities.