**************************************
A
CORNOCOUPIA WITH THANKSGIVING GOODIES
A
LIGHT-FILLED CHANUKAH
and the
MERRIEST
OF CHRISTMASES!!
**************************************
tation on orthotics for polios.
of
the Volusia Hand Clinic will talk on carpal tunnel syndrome.
*************************************
CONTENTS
From Barbara
Improving
Communication with
Our
Doctors
Doctor’s Appointment?
“Goodbye,
Mom!”
Apples
Pack More Punch
Mystery
Ride
Focus
on Eyes
Heart
Health: What You
Need
to Know
God
is Watching
Stroke
Awareness Month
I
Got Polio When I Was….
We
Must Stop This Immediately
***************************************
FROM
BARBARA
Just
a quick update on the carpal tunnel surgery I had back in September. It’s coming along, but slower than I thought
it would. The tips of all my fingers,
with the exception of the pinky, are still somewhat numb. The middle finger is still number than the
others, but not as bad as when first operated on. Hopefully, it will keep improving.
***************************************
The following article was sent to us
by one of our
PANANA CANAL CRUISE
By Betty VanGieson
We live in one of Del Webb's
Sporty Mini Travel scooter which is 22 1/4 inches wide. Just
made it through the door with a half inch to spare on each side. I drove
past the bed to a nice open area near the desk and TV to park and we went
out to sit on our deck. When our room steward came in to check if
everything was OK, he was extremely surprised at seeing a scooter sitting in the
room. He went over everything with us and explained about the mandatory
After two days at sea, we arrived in
We took a tour of the island.
Something in the shape of a pear grows on the tree. Later a single cashew
grows from the "pear". The cashew gets all its nourishment from the
"pear" not from the tree as it grows. Along the way we saw lots
of what looked like small children's play houses made of what looks like
granite with steep roofs with lots of vases filled with flowers in them near
the churches. Our driver explained to us that although a few people are
buried, most people are placed in these "houses" when they die.
They do not believe in cremation or embalming their dead and everyone is
"buried" standing up.
The next day were at sea. The following day we arrived at the
first set of three locks at the
The Coral Princess had
a clearance of two feet on each side of the ship and about seventeen feet in
the front and back when we were in a lock .
Eight "mules" kept our ship straight in the lock. A mule looks
like a small train engine. Each is attached to the ship with ropes.
The purpose of the "mules" is to keep the ship absolutely straight
when going through the locks. The slightest error one way or the other
would damage the locks. They are called mules because when the
After another day at
sea, we docked at
After another day at
sea we docked at
After another day at
sea, our next port was
Another
day at sea and then Cabo San Lucas. This time we took a tender. They
took my husband and me down one level from everyone else, in a handicapped
elevator. From there I could roll right on onto the dock. The sea was calm and
I was able to take the step down to sit in a seat. They then lifted pieces from near the opening
top make a solid platform over the inside steps and loaded my scooter
there. On coming back there were two of us in scooters. I was loaded next
to last, and
then they again formed the platform. The other person in the scooter was lifted
on board sitting in her scooter and then they loaded my scooter. Upon arriving
at the ship, my scooter was unloaded and then
they unloaded her in her scooter and unfolded the platform. Some
people sitting behind me started to push their way forward. The crew told
them in no uncertain terms that they had to wait. We had two foot swells
and the crew was fantastic in getting me off, including holding on to me until
I was seated and had my power on. They then let my husband off.
Everyone else was held until we were long gone. Unless the seas are very
rough, taking a tender is a breeze.
After another day at sea, we arrived in
Some things to
think about when traveling. If you use power, take an extension cord as
there are only two electrical outlets - one in the bathroom and one over the desk.
Check if your chair
or scooter is small enough to be placed in the bins below a bus. The bus
driver will not take the seat off your scooter, etc. so have someone with you
who can do this. The bus driver will assist this person in lifting your
equipment in and out of the bins under the bus. You must be able to get
up the steps on the bus, but the driver will give you a boost. All the drivers
we encountered were very strong, however we only took
trips that were labeled handicapped accessible.
***************************************
Reprinted with permission of author, Dr. Henry D. Holland, reprinted from PPRG
of SE Wisconsin, June 2006, reprinted from Triad PPG Newsletter, The Seagull, April 2006.
Improving
Communication
with Our Doctors
by Henry D. Holland, MD
Why am I qualified to offer these suggestions? I have had the experience of being a patient
many times in my life.
I have used a ventilator since I had a permanent tracheostomy in 1970.
This treatment resulted from the damage initially caused by polio in
1950. I have an intensified interest in
post-polio syndrome because I have experienced its effects since about 1990.
I have been a physician
since 1966, and my specialty is psychiatry.
I am currently a clini
cal professor at the
Most
physicians follow the medical model, which is generally based on the scientific
method. The thorough physician would get
a complete history from you and possibly members of your family, perform a
physical examination, try to obtain copies of previous medical records from
other medical sources, and would get laboratory and other objective tests. Routine tests usually include a complete
blood count, blood chemistries including electrolytes, liver enzymes, kidney
screening tests, cholesterol, and others.
A chest X-ray and thyroid function studies might also be included.
I
think it is essential and extremely important to have a doctor who will listen
to you. As a patient I think it is
equally important for you to present your history of polio and post-polio
syndrome symptoms in a concise manner and as objectively as possible. I recommend that you answer the physician’s
questions in a similar manner. If your
doctor seems hurried, that is a distinct disadvantage for both you and him/her. It is a good idea to write some notes so you
remember to tell the doctor about the onset of symptoms, when the symptoms
seemed to progress, and what you have done that seemed
to increase the symptoms or decrease the symptoms.
Most
physicians will formulate a possible or differential diagnosis based on the
history and the physical exam even before the objective test results are
known. In some cases, treatment may be
started at that time. After the results
of the objective tests are known, often the diagnosis can be made.
The
diagnosis of post-polio syndrome is one of exclusion. The usual symptoms – weakness, fatigue, and
pain – are very similar to other conditions.
Therefore, your physician must exclude these other possible disorders as
an explanation for your symptoms. The
most important initial factor is to make sure that your physician knows of the
history of polio in your life.
My
initial diagnosis in 1991 was a self-diagnosis.
A neurologist and a pulmonary doctor did not think that I had post-polio
syndrome, but I am not sure that they knew much about it. Fortunately my primary care (internal
medicine) doctor was willing to listen to what I had to say. He was also willing to read the articles that
I brought him. Admittedly, I had an
advantage because, as a physician, my opinions and observations were not
immediately dismissed.
As
a patient, you can become frustrated early on in the diagnostic process. Hopefully your physician will be honest and
not defensive and will admit if he/she knows little about the disorder. This is likely a good sign that the physician
is willing to learn. If you can afford
it, give your doctor either Managing
Post-Polio Syndrome (1998) by
I
often hear that polio is not taught anymore in medical schools. I think that this is an inaccurate
perception. Infectious diseases,
including polio, are taught in accredited medical schools despite the
possibility that an American physician may never see an actual case.
I
have never seen a case of leprosy, bubonic plague, elephantiasis, or yellow
fever. However, I studied and was
quizzed on all of these diseases.
Post-Polio
Syndrome is probably taught less because this disorder is a “syndrome.” A syndrome is a group of symptoms that
collectively indicate or characterize a disease, a psychological disorder, or
another abnormal condition. The causes
of some syndromes are known and others are not known. When the cause of a syndrome is not clearly
known, the teaching emphasis would be on recognition. As treatment may vary or change, a precise
treatment plan may be suggested but with reservation. This is the case with post-polio
syndrome. For example, how much exercise
is enough or how much exercise is too much?
The treatment of post-polio syndrome is more individualized and less
empirical than known disease processes.
The
average physician may never have a case of post-polio syndrome cross his/her
office threshold. If a case does, that
physician may focus on other causes before considering the diagnosis, assuming
that he/she knows about post-polio syndrome and assuming you told him/her your
polio history.
Communicate
honestly about the severity of your symptoms.
Many polio survivors minimize the severity and dysfunction of their
symptoms. Don’t hesitate to tell your
story with complete disclosure of how bad you are feeling or hurting. It is important for you to communicate with
clarity and emphasis about what has changed and what you are experiencing. You could simply complain of fatigue, pain,
and weakness, but if you explain how the fatigue, etc., is limiting, then your
doctor will begin to understand. For
example, if you report that walking up a flight of steps is no longer possible
without resting or extreme effort, you are more objective in your description
than simply reporting fatigue. You, as a polio survivor, understand what you
are experiencing. If the doctor has a
genuine ability to emphathize, he/she may also be
able to understand. However, the doctor
may worry about missing something that is more treatable than post-polio
syndrome, such as a malignancy, multiple sclerosis and other CNS diseases, HIV,
or any other disease that might present with a complaint of fatigue, pain, or
weakness.
The
successful doctor/patient relationship depends in part on a feeling of comfort
between the two personalities involved.
The patient wants help with a problem and trusts the doctor to use
his/her expertise in solving the problem.
The doctor’s goal is to diagnose correctly the patient’s problem and
initiate the appropriate treatment promptly.
This
process will be more rewarding if the doctor and the patient have mutual
respect, are not competitive, and both are capable of listening with attention
and interest. IF a doctor does not seem
interested, finding another doctor would be wise. If the doctor admits unfamiliarity with
post-polio syndrome and is not interested in learning more, then that doctor
should refer you to a colleague who is both more knowledgeable and more
interested.
The
best outcome is to find a doctor who knows about post-polio syndrome or is
willing to learn, is a good listener, is not obviously hurried, respects all of
his/her patients, and takes a genuine interest in you as a patient with a
problem and as a person. You will know
when you have found a doctor with whom you can relate.
***************************************
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- After Dr. Holland’s article (above), I felt this was most
apropos. It appeared in the Daytona
Beach News Journal “Medical Guide” issue of
Doctor’s Appointment?
Be Prepared
By Lynda Shrager
New York Times News Service
Have you ever left your doctor’s
appointment and realized you forgot to mention a symptom, ask a question or say
you didn’t fully understand the instructions?
If we are lucky, we get about 15 minutes of actual face time with our
doctor, and remembering everything that needs to be discussed is difficult. Therefore, being well prepared for an
appointment makes the office visit more productive and increases the potential
for a more effective outcome. Use these
tips to prepare for your doctor’s visit.
DETERMINE YOUR GOALS
·
Is
this a well visit or preventive checkup?
·
Are
you looking for a diagnosis, a name for what you have?
·
Do
you want to establish a treatment plan, either a modification of what you’re
already doing or a new one?
·
Do
you want to discuss the prognosis: What
will happen to you, what will the future likely bring?
·
Are
you looking for reassurance, help with feelings, fatigue or depression?
GATHER YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION
·
Prepare
a detailed medical history of your own health and that of your immediate blood
relatives.
·
Create
a list of current medications – prescription, over-the-counter, natural and
herbal – with dose and frequency.
·
If
the doctor orders tests to be completed prior to your appointment, call ahead
to ensure the office has the results. If
you need to bring the actual X-rays, MRIs or other
films to your appointment, determine where they are and make plans to pick them
up in advance.
LIST ALL YOUR SYMPTOMS
·
Keep
a diary of when symptoms start, what triggers them, how often they occur, how
long they last and what seems to alleviate them.
·
What
do they feel like or look like (if appropriate)? For example:
achy, burning, stabbing, dull, stiff, tingly, sore, annoying, crushing,
red, swollen, oozing (you get the picture).
·
How
severe is the pain? Use a scale of 1 to
10, with 1 being barely a problem and 10 feeling as if you need to go to the
hospital.
Determine what referrals or pre-authorizations you may need
from your health insurer.
CREATE A LIST OF CONTACT INFORMATION
·
Include
name and phone numbers for emergency contacts.
·
List
all other doctors who treat you and why, plus their phone and fax numbers, and
office address.
·
Include
pharmacy name, phone and fax.
LIST SPECIFIC AND DIRECT QUESTIONS
·
What
kind of diagnostic tests do I need?
·
What
exactly is my disease or condition?
·
What
are my options for treatment?
HAVE A PLAN FOR DOCUMENTING WHAT YOU LEARN – LEAVE A SPACE
AFTER YOUR QUESTIONS TO JOT DOWN NOTES:
·
Bring
an advocate to take notes, so you can focus on what is being said.
·
If
an advocate is not available, ask permission to tape record the doctor’s
responses (especially if this is a second opinion or specialist).
EMPOWER YOURSELF
·
Do
research so you have a better understanding of some medical terms the doctor
might use. If you are having hip pain,
prepare by learning a little bit about the hip joint.
***************************************
The following is an e-mail sent to
me by one of our members, Gary Fredericks of
“Goodbye, Mom!”
A guy shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady
following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring
at him.
She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to
him and said, "I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease; it's just that
you look so much like my late son." He answered, "That's okay."
"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out "Good
bye, Mom" as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy." She
then went through the checkout, and as she was on her way out of the store, the
man called out, "Goodbye, Mother." The little old lady waved and
smiled back at him. Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into
someone's day, he went to pay for his groceries.
"That comes to $121.85," said the clerk. "How
come so much... I only bought 5 items. "The clerk replied, "Yeah, but
your Mother said you'd pay for her things, too."
Motto: Do not trust all little Old Ladies
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- Gee, wish I had thought of that….
***************************************
Reprinted from
Apples
pack more punch
An apple a day also may keep away
memory loss, asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and tooth
loss. Crisp, new details:
■ Cancer. An Italian study showed that eating at least
an apple a day cut risk of cancer of the mouth and pharynx by 21%; esophagus,
25%; colon, 20%; breast, 18%; ovaries, 15%; prostate, 9%.
■ Asthma.
Apples are rich in an antioxidant called apigenin
that, in animal tests in
■ Diabetes. Harvard investigators found that
women who ate an apple a day were 28% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
than women who ate none.
■ Heart.
Eating apples may help stifle blood clots and plaque in arteries, which
lead to heart disease. Example: Eating two more apples or 1 ½ cups of 100%
apple juice a day slowed changes in bad LDL cholesterol that contribute to
artery-clogging plaque, says University of Califor- nia-Davis research.
And European studies suggest less fatal heart disease and 40% fewer
strokes in apple eaters.
■ Teeth.
Harvard epidemiologists say men who stopped eating apples were more apt
to lose their teeth.
TIPS:-
■ Eat the skin – it can
have 6 times more antioxidants than the flesh.
■ Red Delicious is tops
in antioxidants.
Contact Jean
Carper at stopagingnow.com. Scientific sources are at usaweekend.com
FECPPSG
Editor’s Note:-
Guess I have to start eating more apples and I really prefer Granny
Smith apples to Red Delicious….
***************************************
MYSTERY RIDE
By Barbara Goldstein
Many of you have said that
you like when I tell you about my “adventures” so, here’s another one.
Several of my friends
and I belong to a social group called “Friendship Force.” It is a worldwide organization. One of the benefits (and why we joined) is
that they plan one or two day trips within reasonable rates.
Well, middle of October
we went on a MYSTERY TRAIN RIDE. Of
course this meant that we wouldn’t know where we were going until we got
there. Actually, when we got on the bus,
the “tour” leader handed out a sheet basically telling us what we would be
doing and going on each day, EXCEPT where the actual Mystery Train would be
taking us.
I’ll
start with getting me and my scooter onto the bus. The new charter buses seem to have very
little or no trouble getting the scooter into the luggage compartment. I have an Electric Mobility Rascal and the
front tiller is able to be brought down to the level of the seat and the
backrest can be brought forward too.
This makes it extremely easy for the bus driver to get the scooter into
the bus. I had more trouble getting into
the bus then my scooter did. The first
step was slightly higher than I could raise my good leg to get on – however,
with a little bit of help from the tour leader I was able to do it. Whenever I go on one of these buses (and I’ve
gone on several trips) they reserve a front row seat for me so that I don’t
have to walk too far into the bus. This
is appreciated by me as these front seats also have extra leg room, which we
usually need.
Of course we made
several stops the first day and I had to get off (and back on) the bus several
times. The bus driver made sure that he
took the scooter out for me and set it up as soon as he was able to once we
reached our destination(s).
The first day’s long
drive (from
That night we went on
the Mystery Train ride and it was absolutely fantastic. My scooter was able to get onto the train but
I had to get off it and walk into the actual dining car which was only a two-step
walk.
The following morning,
after breakfast, we once more got onto the bus and went to the
I had been to the Hard
Rock Casino in
Our bus ride back to
Daytona went smoothly and I’m looking forward to doing many more of these one
or two-day trips. My next “excursion” is
my cruise right after Thanksgiving and I will, of course, tell you all about it
in the January/February newsletter.
***************************************
Reprinted from
Focus
on eyes
Here’s why even small changes
affect your quality of sight.
Within the same week, my 15-year-old
daughter was fitted for glasses, and my father underwent surgery for
cataracts. Although their specific
problems are quite different, the interventions both had will distinctly improve
the quality of their lives. Those of us
with normal eyesight may have a hard time relating, but we all know the eyes
are wonderful and complex organs. In
fact, a significant portion of our brain function is required just to interpret
the information our eyes provide.
Even
small changes in our eyes can affect how we see. Although there are many causes of vision
problems, the most common one is a change in refraction, or the way light
enters the eye. As light enters the eye
through a round, smooth cornea, it is bent, or refracted, and sent through the
clear lens and toward the back of the eye (the retina). The bent light rays focus directly on the
retina, which pro-cesses and sends information to the
brain, where it is interpreted as sight.
If not properly bent, the light rays focus either in front of or behind
the retina. As a result, the retina’s
ability to process information is compromised, and the brain interprets a
blurred image.
Optometrists
and ophthalmologists use glasses to correct these refractive problems. When properly prescribed, eyeglasses make up
for the error in refraction from the cornea to give us clear vision. Fortunately, recent surgical advances have
made altering the structure of the eye (such as the cornea and the lens)
possible to correct refraction problems, reducing or even eliminating the need
for glasses.
3 Major Types of
Refraction Problems
■ Nearsightedness.
“Myopia” occurs when the focal point of the refractive images fall in
front of the retina instead of directly on it.
Those with myopia can see objects that are near clearly; distant objects
are blurred.
■ Farsigntedness. “Hyperopia”
occurs when the focal point of the images falls behind the retina. People with hyperopia
see distant objects clearly, but near objects are blurred.
■ Astigmatism. This condition occurs if the
cornea’s shape is irregular, causing light rays to scatter through the lens
toward the retina. Consequently, light
focuses on several focal points in the eye instead of one. Astigmatism often occurs along with either
farsightedness or nearsightedness.
People with astigmatism have difficulty seeing fine detail close-up or at
a distance. Correction requires glasses
that bend light rays at various angles over the misshapen cornea.
***************************************
Reprinted from Elder Update, May/June
2006, Health and Wellness
Heart Health:
What You Need to Know
Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a “man’s
disease, it is the leasing cause of death for both women and men in the United
States, with women comprising 51 percent of the total heart disease deaths.
While heart disease is the number one killer of women, only
13 percent of women in a 2003 survey by the Centers for Disease Control were
aware that this is their greatest health problem. Here, the term “heart disease” refers to the
broadest category of “diseases of the heart,” which includes acute rheumatic
fever, chronic rheumatic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, coronary
heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and any other
heart condition or disease.
Studies among people with heart disease have shown that
lowering high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure can reduce the risk of
dying of heart disease, having a nonfatal heart attack, and needing bypass
surgery or angioplasty.
Studies among people without heart disease have shown that
lowering high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure can reduce the risk of
developing heart disease.
Facts About Women and Heart Disease
Heart disease is often perceived as an “older woman’s
disease,” and it is the leading cause of death among women age 65 and
older. However, heart disease is the
third leading cause of death among women age 25-44 years of age and the second
leading cause of death among women aged 45-64 years. Additionally, in 2002, death rates for heart
disease were higher among black women than among white women.
There is a range of risk for heart disease depending on
family and personal health history and the treatment recommendations from a
physician will depend on a woman’s level of risk. Regardless of the risk level, these life
style modifications are recommended for all women:
·
Cigarette
smoking cessation
·
30
minutes physical activity most days
·
Heart
healthy diet with weight maintenance / reduction.
·
Evaluation
and treatment of depression
Facts About Heart Failure
■ Heart failure is a condition where the heart
cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to meet the needs of other body
organs. Heart failure does not mean that
the heart has stopped, but that it cannot pump blood the way that it should.
■ Heart failure is a serious condition. There is no cure for heart failure at this
time. Once diagnosed, medicines are
needed for the rest of the person’s life.
■ The risk of death
within five years of being diagnosed with heart failure is more than 50
percent. About 80 percent of men and 70
percent of women with heart failure under the age of 65 die within eight years.
■ People with heart failure are at increased
risk for sudden cardiac death.
Source: Center for Disease Control
Women Experience Different Symptoms from Men
Heart attack symptoms in women are
often more subtle than those experienced by men. Women are more likely to experience the
following symptoms during heart attacks:
·
Fatigue
·
Anxiety
·
Sleep
disturbance
·
Stomach
complaints
Unfortunately, these
symptoms are not generally associated with an AMI (acute myocardial
infarction). Even members of the medical
profession sometimes fail to link these symptoms with heart problems. It is not unusual for a woman’s heart attack
to be dismissed as anxiety.
Although considered a
classic heart attack symptom, chest pain is not commonly experienced by
women. Results from a survey of 515
women published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, revealed some interesting
statistics: more than 70 percent of
women experienced no chest pain prior to the attack, and as many as 43 percent
of women reported no chest pain symptoms during the attack.
Further, women who do
experience chest pain may describe the pain as “sharp,” rather than
“crushing.” This description does not
match the popular (and traditional medical) perception of heart attack
symptoms, and may be misdiagnosed.
Additionally, in the
days before the attack, 95 percent of women surveyed reported unusual symptoms;
the most common being fatigue, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. This list presents some of the common
symptoms experienced by women both prior to and during a heart attack. These symptoms are important to consider in
addition to chest pain, since in some women they may be the only symptoms
present.
Symptoms Before an Attack
Fatigue (71 percent)
Sleep disturbances (48
percent)
Shortness of breath (42
percent)
Indigestion (39
percent)
Anxiety (35 percent)
Symptoms During an Attack
Shortness of breath (58
percent)
Weakness (55 percent)
Fatigue (43 percent)
“Cold sweat” (39
percent)
Dizziness (39 percent)
Source: NCERx
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- I, for one, was not aware of many of the symptoms of a heart
attack. Hope none of us experience any
of them for a long time to come.
***************************************
Time for another “funny” – here’s
another one from Gary Fredericks –
God is Watching
Children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic
school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun
made a note, "Take only one, God is watching."
At the other end of the table was a
large pile of chocolate chip cookies. Moving through the line a boy wrote
another note to leave by the cookies, "Take all you want, God is watching
the apples."
***************************************
Here’s another article reprinted
from the same issue of Elder Update, May/June 2006, Health and Wellness
Elder
Affairs Recognizes MAY
As
National Stroke Awareness Month
Stroke
is the third leading cause of death in the
What is a stroke?
A
stroke, sometimes called a “brain attack,” occurs when blood flow to the brain
is interrupted. When a stroke occurs, brain
cells in the immediate area begin to die because they stop getting the oxygen
and nutrients they need to function.
What causes a stroke?
There are two major
kinds of stroke:
● The
first, called an ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or
plugs a blood vessel or artery in the brain.
About 80 percent of all strokes are ischemic.
● The
second, known as a hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel in the brain
that breaks and bleeds into the brain.
About 20 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic.
What disabilities can result
from a stroke?
Although
stroke is a disease of the brain, it can affect the entire body. The effects of a stroke range from mild to
severe and can include paralysis, problems with thinking, problems
with speaking and emotional problems.
Patients may also experience pain or numbness after a stroke.
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
Because
stroke injures the brain, you may not realize that you are having a
stroke. To a bystander, someone having a
stroke may just look unaware or confused.
Stroke victims have the best chance if someone around them recognizes
the symptoms and acts quickly.
The
symptoms of stroke are distinct because they happen quickly:
● Sudden numbness or weakness of the face,
arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body).
● Sudden confusion trouble speaking or
understanding speech.
● Sudden trouble seeing in one or both
eyes.
● Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss
of balance or coordination.
● Sudden severe headache with no known
cause.
Women Experience Different
Symptoms from Men
Women
may report unique stroke symptoms, including the sudden onset of the following:
·
Face
and limb pain
·
Hiccups
·
Nausea
·
General
weakness
·
Chest
pain
·
Shortness
of breath
·
Palpitations
Act in Time
Stroke is a medical
emergency. Every minute counts when
someone is having a stroke. The longer
blood flow is cut off to the brain, the greater the damage. Immediate treatment can save people’s lives
and enhance their chances for successful recovery.
Why is there a need to act fast?
Ischemic
strokes, the most common type of strokes, can be treated with a drug called
t-PA that dissolves blood clots obstructing blood flow to the brain. The window of opportunity to start treating
stroke patients is three hours, but to be evaluated and receive treatment,
patients need to get to the hospital within 60 minutes.
What is the benefit of treatment?
A
five-year study by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS) found that some stroke patients who received t-PA within three hours of
the start of stroke symptoms were at least 30 percent more likely to recover
with little or no disability after three months.
What can I do to prevent a stroke?
The best treatment for stroke is
prevention. There are several risk
factors that increase your chances of having a stroke:
·
High
blood pressure
·
Heart
disease
·
Smoking
·
Diabetes
·
High
cholesterol
If you smoke –
quit. If you have high blood pressure,
heart disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol, getting them under control – and
keeping them under control – will greatly reduce your chances of having a
stroke.
Source: National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- This should have gone into our May/June issue, but – better
late than not at all.
***************************************
Reprinted from The
Post-Polio Experience with the express permission of the author,
Margaret E.
Backman, Ph.D. Published by iUniverse, Inc., website (www.iUniverse.com). No further reprints allowed
without obtaining the permission of Dr. Backman (mebackman@aol.com).
DEVELOPMENTAL
STAGES:
“I
GOT POLIO WHEN
I
WAS…”
One
of the first things polio survivors tell me is how old they were when they got
polio – be it 10 months, 10 years, or whatever.
Instinctively polio survivors know that age of onset is a very
significant factor in:
·
how they experienced the illness.
·
how
their families experienced the illness
and
·
how they coped with life afterwards.
With this in mind, let
us take a look at the childhood stages of development. In so doing we may better understand how the
child perceived the polio experience, and how this would influence his or her
personality and later adjustments to life.
CHILDREN’S REACTION TO ILLNESS
Infancy and Early Childhood
When
polio occurred at the preverbal stage of development, the little patients did not
have the vocabulary to help them express their feelings and needs. Because infants were not able to commun-icate and had no outlet for their feelings, except
perhaps crying, early experiences remained in the unconscious. The lack of verbal labels attached to their
emotions meant that painful and frightening events associated with medical
procedures, physical restraints, and ventilators, were not consciously
remembered later on.
The
underlying feelings, however, could still surface at a later date, triggered by
something that stirred the memory. But
without the verbal cues, the person can become bewildered by the emerging
feelings that seem to come from nowhere.
In later years, many of those who had polio in infancy or early
childhood may experience isolated symptoms, such as free-floating anxiety or
shortness of breath in stressful situations.
Without psycho-therapy to help them make the verbal connections, they
may not realize why they are experiencing these feelings and may find
themselves in a state of panic, thinking that something is wrong with them
mentally.
In
the days before the polio vaccines, it was not the custom to have parents visit
on a regular basis, let along sleep overnight in the hospital room. In fact the little patients were often in
quarantine, with very limited contact with familiar faces, if at all.
There
is some thought that children can tolerate short separations from their mothers
or primary caretakers up to 9 months of age.
But the impact of these separations is not well understood.
Preschool: 1 – 3 years
During
the first two years of life, children are still very dependent upon their
parents and cannot understand why the parents are not able to make their pain
and discomfort go away. Young children
may blame their parents for causing their disease.
The
initial emotional reaction is anger, often expressed as demanding and clinging
behavior. If the caretakers (parents and/or nurses and doctors) do not
understand the reason for this behavior and react harshly, the child can feel
rejected and withdraw in despair.
Separation
anxiety. Children with polio also could not understand
why their parents did not save them from the doctors and the hospitals and
convalescent homes. And of course they
did not understand why their parents were not there with them, protecting them
and taking care of them.
Separation
from parents at this early age can have a severe effect on later emotional
development, resulting in separation anxiety and dependency. The children feel that the absent parents
have abandoned them. Anxiety and
depression set in as the little patients begin to fear that they can no longer
depend upon their parents, or that they may never see their parents again.
In
today’s thinking, a parent or a supportive other should be included as much as
possible in the medical visits and hospitalizations, particularly after about 9
months. But this was not always done in
years past. Fear of separation from the
primary caretakers (usually the mother) peaks at about age 3 and gradually
declines after that to age 6 or 7, when youngsters can better understand what
is going on – not to say that they don’t miss their parents, but that they can
tolerate such separation better.
Lack of
trust. Some children who had polio were not
informed about the hospitalization, only to find themselves suddenly taken away
from their parents and put in a strange environment, where they may have been
physically restrained, stuck with needles, put in an iron lung, or had other
unpleasant treatment.
Their
language was not yet developed to the point that one could readily communicate
with these young children. So when
older, many had trace memories and disturbing feelings related to these early
experiences that they could not understand.
To
stop the young patients from crying, adults often fell back on “white lies,”
such as telling them that they would
be going home sooner than actually was to be the case. This set the stage for distrust of authority,
which can last into adulthood. Trust is
important and adults should not promise anything they cannot deliver, but they
often did. It is in these young years
that the basis of trust and mistrust is laid down.
Today
children are given better preparation when going to see a doctor or when going
to the hospital. In keeping with their
age, they are told what to expect as a way of alleviating anxiety, and parents
are included as supportive figures more than in the past.
Lack of
mobility. In
addition, children between 1 and 3 years of age are very active. They do not accept physical restraint
easily. Lack of mobility, plus the
restrictions of hospitalization, can be particularly hard on them.
Shame
and doubt. Early childhood is the period where children
struggle with issues of shame and doubt, and develop their sense of
autonomy. Toilet training, which
normally takes place during this stage, plays a significant role in the
developmental struggle. The child with
polio may have had problems with toilet training as a result of the illness,
but the involvement of others besides the mother cannot be overlooked.
Whether
those in the medical facilities were patient and helpful enough in encouraging
these children cannot always be known.
But this is the period where the children learn about control and begin
to form a self-image and pride. If they
were called bad or punished for lack of control or cooperation during this
time, their personality development may have been negatively affected. Some of these early traumas can be overcome
later, but an accumulation of these negative effects can take its toll.
Ages 3 – 6 Years
Theoretically,
since children, three and older, have more mature verbal and cognitive
functioning, their patterns of psychological adjustments to illness would be
more complex, as contrasted to the isolated symptoms infants develop. Later in life, these psychological reactions
might appear as unresolved issues of dependency, submission, and helplessness.
After
age 3, children have more awareness of themselves and their environment,
including more awareness of their body parts and functions. This also leaves them vulnerable to fears of
physical assault. During these years,
they also begin to communicate more coherently, but with language comes the development of fearful fantasies. Understanding of reality is not well
developed – Even seeing another child needing assistance for breathing, for
example, can be terrifying. They may
falsely interpret this as a punishment the other child is getting for being
bad.
An
interaction of psychological development and early hospital experiences is
illustrated by the reactions of Jim, who still becomes quite anxious even when
going to the doctor.
Jim was almost six years old when he
was hospitalized. It was the first time
he had been separated from his mother.
He said he found the hospital very institutional, cold, unattractive and
fright-ening.
He actually shuddered when telling me.
Jim remembers not liking the nurses.
He said he particularly hated the thermometer. When asked if it was a rectal thermometer, he
replied, “Yes, and I felt violated and exposed.”
On the same theme, he said that he
also hated the hospital gown – that he felt “naked underneath, vulnerable. People could see your body. It was the same with the thermometer. I was always a very private person,” he would
explain.
Jim also remembers when he was
wheeled into the operating room, screaming and crying. “I felt like I would never come back. I wasn’t afraid of dying,” he explained. “I didn’t know where I was going, and I was
afraid I would be separated from my parents, particularly my mother.”
Jim’s experience
illustrates his early fears of separation, as well as his feelings of
vulnerability. Jim’s extreme modesty and
concerns about his body are typical for a child of that age; in his case,
however, these feelings stayed with him into adulthood.
Children 3 to 6 years
of age are beset by fantasies and often fear mutilation of their bodies. Polio was certainly an assault on the body –
the body image and the body integrity.
Since physicians and nurses usually did not speak directly to the
children, overhearing conversations amongst adults – who spoke in front of them
as though they were not there – added to the terrifying fantasies and
contributed to feelings of depersonalization.
Perhaps this is familiar to you.
When adult patients,
who have experienced such traumatic events as children
face medical care again in life, they may become extremely anxious. Physicians may not understand the underlying
cause of the patients’ anxieties and may become impatient with the constant
questioning or misinterpret the patients’ behaviors.
(The rest of this chapter will be in the January/February 2007
newsletter.)
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:-
Would love to hear from any of you as to how this may have or may not
have applied to you. In my case, I
contracted polio at 10 months of age and don’t remember anything of my early
childhood. I only know what my
mother told me.
***************************************
I’ve been wanting
to reprint this for the longest time – don’t remember who e-mailed it to me but
know that I’ve received it several times.
We Must Stop
This Immediately!
THIS KIND OF STUFF HAS GOT TO
STOP IN OUR COUNTRY !
Have you noticed that Stairs are getting steeper.
Groceries are heavier. And, everything is farther away.
Yesterday I walked to the corner and I was dumbfounded to discover how long
our street had become!
And, you know, people are less considerate now, especially the young
ones. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them
to speak up they just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent
message until they're red in the face! What do they think I am, a lip reader?
I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On
the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I
ran into an old friend the other day and he has aged so much that he didn't
even recognize me.
I got to thinking about the poor fellow while I was combing my hair this
morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection.... Well, REALLY NOW –
even mirrors are not made the way they used to be!
Another thing, everyone drives so fast these days! You're risking
life and limb if you happen to pull onto the freeway in front of them. All I
can say is, their brakes must wear out awfully fast,
the way I see them screech and swerve in my rear view mirror.
Clothing
manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they
suddenly start labeling size 16 shirts as 18 1/2 or 19? Do they think no
one notices that these things no longer fit around the waist, hips, thighs, and
chest?
The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank,
but in reverse. Do they think I actually "believe" the number I
see on that dial? HA! I would never let myself weigh that much!
Just who do these people think they're fooling?
I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on -- but
the telephone company is in on the conspiracy too: they've printed the
phone books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in here!
All I can do is pass along this warning: We are under
attack! Unless something drastic happens, pretty soon everyone will have to
suffer these awful indignities.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE SO WE CAN GET THIS CONSPIRACY STOPPED!
PS: I am sending this to you in a larger font size, because
something has caused my computer's fonts to be smaller than they once
were.
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- I don’t
know about you, but these things are happening to me every day!!! (Also, every newsletter send to you [or put
on-line] is in a larger font).
***************************************
UPCOMING CONFERENCE
More information in
January/February 2007 newsletter.
Hold those dates!!!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT
GROUP
12 Eclipse Trail /
386-676-2435 /
e-mail address: bgold@iag.net
RESERVATION FORM/MEETING NOTICE
DATE:
TIME:
PLACE: Red Lobster Restaurant
Right off I-95 – Exit 261–
(head EAST for about 1/4 mile)
PROGRAM:-
GUEST SPEAKER:- Chris Wysocki, an orthotist
with
Hanger Prothetics & Orthotics in
give a
presentation on bracing for polios.
Cost of the Luncheon is $10.00 all
inclusive. As usual we will have a choice of several different menu
items.
Please send in your reservation tear sheet and check
no later than
Any questions call Barbara at 386-676-2435.
=================================================================
R E S E R V A T I O N F O R M
Name:- _______________________________ Phone No.:-
_________________
Number of People Coming:- _________ Number in Wheelchair(s):- ___________
Amount of Check Enclosed:- ________________ @ $10.00 per person
Make check payable to and mail same to:
FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT GROUP
12 Eclipse Trail
--
11/2006
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
DUES FOR 2006:- Please take a look at your
mailing label - on it you’ll see the month and year we
received your 2005 dues, i.e., 01/2005 means it was received in January 2005,
so your 2006 dues was due in January 2006. If your mailing label has the year
first and then the month, i.e., 2005/01 it means that you indicated to us in
January 2005 that you wanted to receive the newsletter but paid no dues. That’s OK as we still believe that anyone who
wants information should receive it – but we do need you to return the tear
sheet with either the “Dues” box checked or the “Keep me on the Mailing List”
box checked.
Your
dues covers the supplies we need to send out the information packets to all
inquiring about Post-Polio Syndrome, any other correspondence we do, and
postage for publicity and for the out-of-country (25) newsletters that we send
out. We’re fortunate in that the “Free
Matter for the Blind and Physically Handicapped” status takes care of the
postage for the over 450 newsletters sent out within the United States. We network with approximately 60 other support
groups throughout the
***********
WHEN YOU MOVE PLEASE be sure to send us your
new address. Sometimes the post-office
will return the newsletter to us with a “forwarding period expired” notice on
the front with your new address but most of the time they are just returned to
us with “address unknown” on it. SO, if
you want to continue receiving the newsletter it is UP TO YOU to make sure we
have your new address.
=========================================================
2006 DUES/MAILING LIST
____ Dues Enclosed ____ Keep me on mailing list
If sending dues, please make Check
($5.00) Payable to and Mail to:-
FLORIDA EAST
COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT
GROUP
12 Eclipse Trail,
NAME:-
__________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:-
_______________________________________________________
E-MAIL
ADDRESS:-__________________________ FAX #:- _______________
TELEPHONE NO:-
Home _______________________ Office ________________
Date of
Birth:-_________________ Wedding Anniversary:-
________________
Name and Date of Birth of
Spouse:-_____________________________________
11/2006