Support in your community

Stephanie is a Winnipeg-based Registered Dietitian with over 10 years of experience helping individuals build sustainable, evidence-based nutrition strategies to support their health and quality of life. She has worked with a wide range of clients managing chronic conditions, digestive concerns, inflammation, and complex nutrition needs.

Stephanie is passionate about translating nutrition science into practical, realistic strategies that reduce overwhelm and support long-term well-being. She believes nutrition should feel supportive, not restrictive, and focuses on helping individuals nourish their bodies in a way that aligns with their health goals, medical needs, and lifestyle.

In addition to her clinical work, Stephanie is an educator and speaker who regularly delivers workshops on evidence-based nutrition topics, empowering individuals to feel confident in their food choices.

This was an interactive meeting with Dr. Amanda Wurz, a Behavior Change Researcher and an Assistant Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley in B.C.

Dr. Wurz shared information on Exercise and Behavior Change and has kindly provided the following resources for downloading:

Behavior Change Worksheets

Small Shifts to Lasting Change Presentation Slides

November’s meeting was an opportunity for members and supporters to share their current challenges living with scleroderma.

We had a great turnout at our SG meeting on May 10th. Dr. Ada Man was a fantastic guest for this in-person meeting.

Dr. Man is a Winnipeg Rheumatologist who specializes in Scleroderma.

She did a presentation including slides and answered many questions. All attendees were very engaged.

The presentation slides have been shared by Dr. Man here.

We are all on a different journey but some of us share the same concerns. This meeting was about sharing and learning about each other’s experiences.

We were joined by Dr. Lynda Balneaves and Dr. Maia Kredentser.

They have both shared their presentations:

Cannabis and Scleroderma: Is there a Role? [Dr. Balneaves]

How Psychology Can Help With Chronic Pain and Illness [Dr. Kredentser]

This was our first ‘in-person’ meeting since the beginning of Covid, and featured a presentation by Diamond Athletic. A video of the meeting is available here.

Do you wonder if scleroderma is preventing you from qualifying for borrowing, getting personal coverages or from retiring with a comfortable lifestyle?

You are always in control of your own destiny, and Kevin Pickle from Co-operators showed us better ways to care for loved ones financially and ease concerns moving forward, including:

► Qualifying for loans, mortgages and other credit products
► NEW First Home Savings Account (FHSA) & First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit
► Qualifying for personal coverages to protect you and your loved ones
► Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP)
► Guaranteed Issue Coverages & alternatives
► Restrictions for travelling

November 25^th, 2023

Patients and family members met to discuss all our current concerns and share possible solutions.

April 22^nd, 2023

Three instructors from Yoga for Scleroderma led us through an amazing session that included several poses, stretches and relaxation exercises specifically designed for those living with scleroderma. A video of the session is available here.

There are many resources including videos and useful tools and where to find them on the Yoga for Scleroderma website.

They also provided this list of free resources and we encourage you to check them out!

January 7^th, 2023

Patients, partners, family members, supporters, and caregivers met to welcome the New Year.  Attendees asked questions of each other, discussed challenges, accomplishments, ideas and experiences and got to know each other better while providing support to each other.

September 17^th, 2022

Scleroderma patients and family members met together for a very meaningful discussion of our feelings and emotions related to living with scleroderma – including our initial reactions to a diagnosis (which included denial, fear, anger and grief) to the ongoing emotional journey of acceptance and coping.

Attendees included those who have been recently diagnosed as well as those who have been living with scleroderma for some time, and a significant age range was represented. 

Eleanor Adaskin, a nurse with over 40 years of counselling experience joined the group to assist in facilitation, and to offer her advice and reflections to the group.

A list of resources has been developed which includes books, online resources, and a partial list of info regarding local counselling services to assist those looking for help in coping with the emotional toll of scleroderma and maintaining or improving our emotional and mental well being.

The resource list is available here.

April 23^rd, 2022

Physiotherapist Jaime Angus discussed the benefits of myofascial release and the importance of movement in those living with scleroderma. She walked us through an excellent presentation about what fascia is, its importance in the body, how it can be affected by scleroderma, and practical information and practices to help keep the fascia supple and stretched.

Whether you are a patient, supporter or family member, we are sure you will find the practical demonstrations for posture, breathing, gentle movement, and fascia release helpful.

A recording of the presentation is available here.

January 22^nd, 2022

On Saturday, January 22, approximately 20 community members joined together on Zoom for small group discussions. 

After introducing ourselves and a brief practice session with online breakout rooms, we separated into groups to discuss different symptoms of scleroderma including fatigue, lung issues, gastrointestinal issues, Reynaud’s and joint pain and stiffness.

Meeting in a smaller group enabled us to share our experiences, ask questions, and compare coping strategies. The groups shared many coping strategies.

A full summary of the discussions can be found here.

November 20^th, 2021

This very informative webinar featured a look at the effects of scleroderma on the mouth, throat and esophagus, what to watch for, and potential treatment.

Dr. Ada Man, Rheumatologist at the Manitoba Clinic and Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba presented a general overview of the effects of scleroderma on the mouth, upper and lower GI tract, followed by Dr. Matthew Woo, Consultant Gastroenterologist at the South Health Campus, Calgary, Alberta and Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, who discussed diagnoses and treatment of common GI issues. Presentations were followed by a Q and A session.

If you missed this presentation, a recording of the webinar is available here.

Read the biographies of our presenters:

Dr. Ada Mann

Dr. Man completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Toronto and her Rheumatology residency at the University of British Columbia. She spent two years at the Boston University Scleroderma Research Center for a research fellowship with an emphasis on epidemiology.

Her research was focused on cardiovascular outcomes, interstitial lung disease progression, as well as patient reported outcome measures in scleroderma. She and her team developed the SSPRO – Scleroderma Skin Patient Reported Outcome – which has been validated in and is used in clinical trials.

Dr. Man practices General Rheumatology with a special interest in scleroderma at the Manitoba Clinic in Winnipeg and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with the University of Manitoba. She is a member of the Canadian working group for stem cell transplant in scleroderma and represents Rheumatology in monthly multidisciplinary rounds for interstitial lung disease.

Dr. Matthew Woo

Dr. Woo is currently a Consultant Gastroenterologist at the South Health Campus, Calgary, Alberta and Clinical Lecturer in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta.

He completed his MD, medical residency and adult gastroenterology fellowship training at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario. Thereafter, he completed an advanced fellowship in Gastrointestinal Motility at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Woo currently serves as co-director of the Gastrointestinal function lab at the University of Calgary and is program director of the Gastrointestinal Motility fellowship at the University of Calgary. His research interests include clinical and diagnostic aspects of gastrointestinal motility, connective tissue disease and functional anorectal disease.

May 15^th, 2021

Click here to hear a recording of Dr. Brett Thombs’ presentation to Scleroderma MB regarding the Scleroderma Patient-Centered Intervention Network (SPIN) and an update on research and online programs available to scleroderma patients in Manitoba.