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A CORNOCOUPIA WITH THANKSGIVING GOODIES
A LIGHT-FILLED CHANUKAH
and the
MERRIEST OF CHRISTMASES!!
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November 18th, 2007 – Speaker from Volusia County Council on Aging will
discuss Health, HMOs, Long-Term Care and Medicare
Supplement Insurance. Questions and Answers to follow.
January 20th, 2008 – NEW YEAR’S LUNCHEON – Pharmacist to discuss
Medicare D (drug plan).
March 30th, 2008 –
May 18th, 2008 –
September 21st, 2008 –
November 16th, 2008 –
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CONTENTS
From Barbara
Polio – Never Far Away in the Jet Age
Polio Outbreak in Nigeria
And Then It’s Winter
Rebuttal to Trach Article
Senior Citizens
Aging Well with Polio:
It’s Flu Season
FLIP Tips
You Always Have Choices
Quote of the Day
Staying Healthy and Safe While Traveling
Prevent Airport Thefts
Annual Checkups
Re-Register
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FROM BARBARA
This was a very quiet two months for me. The only “excitement” was that I, once again, went to my son on Long Island BUT, this time I flew out of Daytona Beach so that I could fly from Atlanta to New York with my daughter and grandson (they live outside of Atlanta). For the first time I flew AirTran – they go from Daytona to Atlanta where I had to change planes…. I had a 4 hour layover but thought it worthwhile so I could fly the remainder of the trip with my daughter and grandson. The weather was bad that day so, of course, the 4 hour layover turned into a 6 1/2 hr layover. Coming home, I also had a 4 hour layover that was actually 4 hours. I will say that I had no problems with respect to getting wheelchair service – they were very accommodating. However, I will probably not go out of Daytona again UNLESS an airline comes in that will allow me to go straight from Daytona to Long Island. From now on I will go to Orlando and fly out of there until that airlines comes into my local 10 minute away airport.
I’ve put the 2008 meeting dates above – you’ll notice that our March meeting will be the last Sunday in March as Palm Sunday and Easter fall on the third and fourth Sundays – and we want everyone to enjoy their holidays and be able to come to a meeting in March.
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Australia's first case of polio in 21 years underlines the importance of continued vaccination. Neena Bhandari reports | July 28, 2007
ON a sweltering February day in 1951, one-year-old Maura Outterside's tiny body was gripped by high fever and muscle pain. As she became non-responsive, her parents wrapped her in cold towels and took her to St George Hospital in Sydney. A lumbar puncture con-firmed every parent's worst night-mare in those days -- poliomyelitis, the viral disease responsible for crippling hundreds of thousands of children during the 20th century.
Polio epidemics from 1930 to 1970 afflicted 40,000 Australians, including media tycoon Kerry Packer, talkback radio host John Laws and former Labor leader Kim Beazley.
The crippling disease gripped entire communities with fear. "Kids in Victoria went to school with pegs on their noses. They didn't know how it was being transmitted," says a former nurse turned historian, doctor Kristine Klugman. "They only knew people had to be isolated. Worse, polio carried a stigma and it still does. People who had polio don't want to talk about it."
A highly infectious disease, polio is caused by a virus that mainly affects children under five years of age. While 90 per cent of cases do not cause symptoms, in some cases it invades the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine.
Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, and stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. Fewer than 1 per cent of people infected suffer paralysis, but the other 99 per cent are still able to transmit the virus.
Effective vaccines brought polio under control. In 1955, Jonas Salk in the US discovered the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), and six years later his rival Albert Sabin introduced the oral polio vaccine (OPV).
Australia, the Americas, Western Pacific and 51 European-region countries have been declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
But just when the world seemed a step closer to the eradication of this deadly disease, the virus has raised its ugly head in Australia.
Earlier this month, a 22-year-old Pakistani student became the first confirmed Australian case of polio in 21 years. Tests showed the man, who arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok carrying 249 passengers, was carrying a strain of polio similar to types circulating in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, one of that country's last remaining polio-infected areas. The man remained in isolation in a Melbourne hospital this week pending the result of tests. All but three passengers contacted by Victorian health authorities accepted a booster polio shot, but 29 passengers could not be contacted.
Their details were passed on to the federal health department, which traced some more of these last passengers. But the department this week said it was ceasing attempts to contact the last 15 passengers, whose details on pas-senger landing cards were inaccurate or unreadable, because the risk of infection was low.
"This case means polio is only a plane trip away from Australia," says Mary Westbrook, a conjoint associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of NSW. "It is a worry, because there is a pool of unvaccinated people in (Australia). In fact, a large part of the non-vaccinated children are in the more affluent areas of the state."
International travel between countries with endemic polio presents the greatest risk of spread of polio to non-immunised populations in polio-free countries. In 1988, polio paralysed more than 350,000 children in more than 125 endemic countries. That year, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to eradicate this ancient scourge -- it marked the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
Former WHO director-general Gro Harlem Brundtland said until the world stopped transmission of polio in remaining infected countries, "children everywhere will remain at risk of contracting this disease".
The initiative -- the world's largest public health campaign -- has achieved massive progress, although some of the gains have slipped. Polio remains endemic in four countries -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nigeria -- with fewer than 300 wild polio virus cases reported from them in 2007.
But some countries where polio was previously eradicated have recorded renewed outbreaks. Besides cases reported from endemic countries, the re-infected countries -- Angola, Myanmar, Chad, the Congo, Niger and Somalia -- have also reported polio cases this year, showing the re-infection threat is very real.
As Dr Kenneth Collins, co-ordinator of Rotary's polio program, says, the reinfection risk is very real. "We are advocating all children in Australia need to be immunised because we face the threat of polio being brought into the country by international travellers," he says.
Australia moved to the injectable Salk vaccine in 2005 because of the potential danger of vaccine-associated paralytic polio, which affects approximately one in 2.4 million recipients of the alternative oral vaccine.
Polio vaccine is funded for children under the national immunisation Program, and is administered at two, four and six months with a booster at four years. Data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register on June 30 shows that 91.8 per cent of children aged from 12 to 15 months, and 95.1 per cent of children aged 24-27 months have received their polio vaccinations. In 2007-08, the Govern-ment is providing $45 million for polio vaccines.
Booster vaccine doses are recommended for adults and health care workers, if at risk, and for travellers visiting polio endemic countries.
"There are three types of polio and having one type does not, unfortunately, make us immune from the other two types," says Mary-Ann Liethof of ParaQuad Victoria. "Fortunately, the vaccine immunises against all three types, so it is the only way we can ensure we are fully protected."
Many of the 40,000 ill Australians who survived the polio epidemics of the 20th century are facing of new disabilities. While they initially recovered and made the most of life with disability, today they are battling with profound fatigue, increasing muscle weakness, joint and muscle pain, increased sensitivity to cold temperatures and sleeping, breathing or swallowing difficulties and frequent falls -- all linked to late effects of polio.
Most doctors are not trained to recognise late effects of polio or the post-polio syndrome (PPS), or are reluctant to treat it as a new condition.
The main advocates for increased medical and government attention to PPS ha ve been the support groups for polio survivors.
Merle Thompson, who had polio at 15 months of age on the first Anzac Day after World War II (April 25, 1946), is the vice-president of the NSW Post-Polio Network. She has produced a research report that shows that the interval between the initial polio illness and the onset of the late effects of polio is between 30 and 40 years.
According to the report findings, more than 80 per cent of participants in the polio group rely on at least one appliance, and 12 per cent use at least six appliances. Many have found their need to use aids has increased, particularly for mobility. A cure for polio is still a cherished dream.
With stringent preventive measures and vaccination drives, governments across the world also need to invest in medical and health care for ageing polio patients.
Post Polio Network (NSW) Australia www.post-polionetwork.org.au/index2.html ParaQuad Victoria www.paraquad.asn. au/index.php?page=polio-info.
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Reprinted from Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 6, 2007.
Polio Outbreak in Nigeria Due to Oral Vaccine
London - A polio outbreak in Nigeria was caused by the vaccine designed to stop it. International health officials say, leaving at least 69 children paralyzed.
The CDC and the World Health Organization announced the cause of the polio outbreak last week, even though they knew about it last year.
Outbreaks caused by the oral vaccine’s live virus have happened before. But the continuing Nigerian outbreak is the biggest ever caused by the vaccine. It also follows a nearly yearlong boycott of the vaccine in Africa’s most populous country because of fears the vaccine was a western plot to sterilize Muslims.
FLECPPSG Editor’s Note:- Just in case you forgot, the CDC in January 2000 recommended that ONLY the Salk vaccine be given as the only polio cases that had occurred in the USA were traced to the oral (Sabin) vaccine.
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The following was e-mailed by Sylvia and Bill Bartholomew, members of our support group – Much thanks….
|
This may not pertain to you yet, but it will to all of us someday!! |
And then it’s winter!!
You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.
It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all.
And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is.. The winter of my life and it catches me by surprise.
How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?
I remember well... seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...
But, here it is...wife retired and she's really getting gray...she moves slower and I see an older woman now. She's in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not the one I married who was young and vibrant... but, like me, her age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.
Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit.
And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things.
But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...This I know, that when it's over...its over....Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done… things I should have done. But indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. Its all in a lifetime..
So, if you're not in your winter yet... let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!
Life goes by quickly - So, do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!
You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember.
"Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who came after. Make it a fantastic one."
LIVE IT WELL!!
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In our last newsletter we had an article by Dr. John Bach with respect to tracheotomies – below is a letter of rebuttal to this article sent to us by Richard Daggett, president of the Polio Survivors Assoc. in Downey, CA. A copy of this letter has been sent to the New Jersey support group. Our thanks to Richard for his letter.
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Dear Barbara,
In your September-October newsletter you reprinted a report on Dr. John Bach’s presentation to the 17th Annual New Jersey Polio Conference. I have great respect for Dr. Bach, but his flat assertion that, “Nobody with polio should have a tracheostomy tube for respiratory management - ever” is wrong.
I will give you the reasons I feel this statement is wrong, but first I want to emphasize a fundamental error in his presentation. One should resist the urge to use words like “nobody” or “everyone” or “always” or “never”. Absolute terms like these are unwarranted and unwise. All polio survivors are different. We should receive medical care based on our needs, not on someone’s preconceived notion of what is best for “everyone”.
Dr. Bach’s statement that, “trach tubes are foreign bodies. They contain very bad bacteria that go into the lungs” is an exaggeration. Should we ban pacemakers, coronary stents, or other medical devices because they are “foreign bodies”? Perhaps Dr. Bach has no experience with properly maintained trach tubes and stomas.
His admonition against trachs, “unless you can’t speak and can’t swallow and on top of that, saliva keeps dripping in” is not supported by the facts.
He also states that, “people with trach tubes become respirator-dependent and cannot tolerate even 10 seconds without being hooked up to the respirator.” This is both alarmist and absolutely false. I personally know dozens of polio survivors with trachs. Most can tolerate from several minutes to several hours off their respirators. Not one person is limited to “10 seconds”!
The doctor also mentions the problem with secretions. Anyone with severely limited vital capacity and reduced cough can experience trouble bringing up secretions. The Cough Assist machine mentioned in his presentation is a valuable aid at these times. However, the Cough Assist operates on 110 volts. It is not designed to be portable.
Imagine this scenario:
You are at a restaurant with friends. You feel the rattle of secretions in your upper respiratory tract. You can still breathe but the rattle is uncomfortable. Your friends notice your discomfort. You’ve followed Dr. Bach’s warning to polio survivors, “Don’t ever agree to take a tube in your neck”. You excuse yourself from the table and go out to your car. You cough and cough, hoping to bring up the secretions. If you are unsuccessful you drive back to your home and use the Cough Assist. If you are many miles from home I don’t know what you are supposed to do.
But, suppose you had decided that a trach was best for you. You excuse yourself from the table as before, but this time you go to your car and get suctioned through your trach tube with a portable suction machine. A minute or two later you are back in the restaurant with your friends.
This review of Dr. Bach’s presentation is perhaps too simplistic. The decision to have (or not have) a trach is not this simple. There are many issues that need to be addressed. It is unfortunate that Dr. Bach was not able to acknowledge the complexity of these issues in his presentation.
I have had a trach since 1984. It was my decision. I breathe easier and manage colds much better. No doctor told me, “You need a hole in your neck”. I asked for the trach. Certainly a trach is not for everyone. Non-invasive respiratory assistance should be tried first. I firmly believe, however, that a trach is a viable option for some. Scaring people is not good medicine. Dr. Bach’s presentation just might be scaring people to death.
Richard Daggett, President
(562) 862-4508
www.polioassociation.org
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- Please remember that each and every one of us is an individual which is why when a medical professional uses terms such as “all”, “everyone” and “never”, you have to take it with a grain of salt and do what is best for you and your particular circumstances.
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The below was e-mailed to us by another one of our local members, Bob Barry – thanks, Bob.
SENIOR CITIZENS
A very self-important college freshman from Ottawa University took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen standing next to him while waiting for a bus, that it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.
"You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one," the student said, loud enough for the other passengers nearby to hear. "The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon, our spaceships have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, electric and hydrogen cars, computers with light-speed processing, polio vaccines, and............."
Pausing for breath ................the Senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and said: "You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young.... so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little freshman – what are you doing for the next generation?"
The applause was resounding...
I love senior citizens.
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This next article was e-mailed to me on Sept 25th by Sunny Roller. Believe it or not, I was one of the “Wise Elders”!!!
Thank you, Sunny.
Aging Well with Polio:
Advice from Ginny and the Wise Elders
Condensed from a Presentation by:
Sunny Roller, M.A.
Michigan Polio Network Annual Meeting
September 21, 2007
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
I remember in 1954, when I was a little girl of six who had been walking with long leg braces and two crutches for just two years, my Mom and Dad bought me a little doll named Ginny. Ginny became my favorite doll of all time. She was eight inches tall, had bright blonde hair and was very portable. Because she was small, I could carry her anywhere. Ginny and I became very good friends. We played in the dollhouse; we chatted and had fun in the back yard playhouse. She had all kinds of pretty clothes and was happy with me. We even went to the Detroit Orthopedic Clinic regularly and had several polio surgeries at Children’s Hospital together. When Ginny first arrived in my arms, Mom carefully showed me that she came with a little printed heart-shaped tag around her wrist that said something very important to children about life. The tag read, open your heart; open your mind. Look for the best and that’s what you’ll find. Through the years, in my times of growth, searching, adaptation, struggle and bewilderment, Mom often reminded me of Ginny’s simple but profound message to us about life. Open your heart; open your mind. Look for the best and that’s what you’ll find. Today, these optimistic words drift back to me stronger than ever as I apply them to my late life years as a polio survivor.
Lately, I have become curious and concerned about growing old gracefully and happily. Statistics are showing that we have the same life expectancy now as our non-disabled friends. How do we who have struggled and succeeded with a progressive disability as children, teenagers, young and middle aged adults, face this time in life with hope and optimism? With the hypothetical “gift” of longevity, will our pain increase, our function decrease, our finances dry up and our losses be so huge that we will end up depressed, abused and lonely? That is scary--so scary that I decided to seek the truth about growing old successfully as a polio survivor. I was able to obtain a grant from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research to go on an expedition to post-polio support groups all over the nation to find out how people like us are making late life work well and what advice they have for us.
My journey across the U.S. started in March of 2006 and finished nine months later in November. I interviewed 15 post-polio people: 12 in person and three by phone. They lived in five regions of the country. These were individuals designated by their support groups to be mentors on successful aging. They were the leaders, the role models or what I like to say, they were the post-polio wise elders whom their peer group genuinely admired and sought out for advice. All of them had had polio for more than fifty years. Seven were women; eight were men. Their average age was 73 years. Four walked with a cane or crutches and eleven used a wheelchair. All had experienced the late effects of polio and were living with some functional decline. Two have passed away since we met, from heart problems. Seven were married, 6 were either divorced or widowed and two were never married. All were living independently in their homes and had functional help doing so. Ninety three percent had a partial or full college education with 29% holding a graduate degree. Their average age at retirement was 58 years. Most were doing volunteer work and enjoying leisure pursuits.
When we met, I asked them questions about their lifetime issues, their perceptions of life with a disability, what they thought their most valuable coping attitudes had been and their definition of successful late life adaptation. I asked them what they wanted all of the rest of us to know.
They tell us to stay connected and open to other people including family; to continue to build and maintain a strong social network, as we grow older. This includes staying close to reliable friends who care what happens to us. One woman in the East even commented that we should have made friends of all ages early in life so we don’t run out in old age! Building and staying close in family relationships is very important. Those who were still married exceedingly treasured having an understanding spouse. They told me that networking with groups of friends in the community is very important, which includes reaching out and helping others.
The suggestion for greater success from the wise elders that surprised and pleased me the most had to do with opening our hearts up more than ever to fresh joy and pleasure. They told me how vital it is to enjoy life and have fun! We have worked so hard all of these years proving we could make it with a disability, raising families, earning a living, and just getting from place to place. Now is the time: let go to just laugh and play again.
Perhaps more unique to polio survivors than other elders who had not grown up with a disability, they declared that it is important at this stage in life to completely accept who we really are now. We need to fully embrace ourselves with our unique life stories, our polio-affected bodies with old and new physical limitations. Denial doesn’t work one bit anymore. These wise elders have learned the fine art of being comfortable with themselves as they really are and open to who they are really becoming. “Accept yourself” sounds simple, but is tremendously complicated, challenging and profound.
They told me in a variety of different ways that it is important for us to continue using our brainpower to adapt to life once we have accepted what is happening. Adapt in smart ways. Be proactive and advocate for ourselves. We need to be assertive and go after what we need and want. Get functional help around the house or to get out of the house. Also, be financially prepared for this time in life or develop new clever ways to assure more financial security for the years ahead.
Getting a good education was one of the most repeated coping tactics that people used to get through life. They advised us to continue learning and stay connected to the young minds around us.
Meeting and spending time with these 15 post-polio role models was an exceptional pleasure and privilege this past year. They shared specifics about their individual lives and unknown to each other, gave us agreed upon guidelines for good living.
Perhaps the final advice that struck home the strongest with me had to do with their attitude toward life now. Every single wise elder told us that attitude is powerful and that it is critical to look for the positive in all things. Most of the wise elders, but not all, had a spiritual life that they could describe. Some were religious and others looked to a higher power through nature or in other ways. Connect with a higher power to transcend disability, the wise elders are telling us.
In spite of their youthful sorrows, their family problems and their mid-life struggles, these highly-regarded polio survivors were filled with graciousness and enthusiasm for life. The information they shared is neither rocket science nor is it new. But it can affirm what we already know and help us to become aware of areas in our lives that may need to be strengthened. I asked the wise elders to give me one word to describe how their lives are right now and here is what they said: I am content; I am flourishing; my life is better now than it ever was before--it is so good it’s like a dream; I live with a sense of anticipation and hope.
Ginny whispered to me a long time ago that there is hope. And today she reminds us that if we open our hearts to people, to ourselves as we really are and to having fun, we will be stronger. If we open our minds to assertive and clever adaptations, and to lifelong learning, we will be comfortable. And if we look for the best, stay positive and seek a spiritual focus we will remain energized. Open your heart; open your mind. Look for the best and that’s what you’ll find.
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Reprinted from USA Weekend’s HealthSmart Column, October 5-7, 2007
It’s Flu Season
By Dr. Tedd Mitchell
Don’t let myths keep you from getting the vaccination.
This time, every year, I talk to my patients about the cold and influenza season – and the need for a flu shot. With most patients, the discussion is short. I remind them that flu season is just around the corner and that having the vaccination improves the odds of staying healthy.
But for others, more explanation is needed to put them at ease about getting immunized. Occasionally, their reluctance is based on adverse experiences with the vaccination in the past. That’s under-standable. However, some people who resist getting immunized make up their minds based on myths about the flu and the flu shot. It is important to separate fact from fiction.
Flu Facts
1. Each year 30,000 to 35,000 Americans die from the flu and its complications.
2. Because the flu is caused by a virus, anyone can get it.
3. Kids under 5, adults over 50 and people with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis or heart disease, are at high risk for complications.
4. Being immunized by a flu shot or the inhaled FluMist (FDA-approved only for healthy people ages 5 to 49) significantly reduces the risk of getting the flu.
5. Most folks who get the flu shot have no reaction. Up to 25% may have some redness and slight swelling at the site. A small percentage may experience a slight fever, chills and headache within 24 hours. These symptoms end within a few days.
6. The flu virus mutates from year to year, so a vaccination from last season is ineffective against this year’s strains.
Flu Fiction
1. Flu is just a bad cold. Hardly, although it’s considered a respiratory infection, it affects the entire body, causing high fever (up to 104F) that’s accompanied by body aches, headaches, nausea and dehydration. Even after the infection is gone (it can last up to two weeks), people can be weak for several more days.
2. You can get the flu from the flu shot.
No, you can’t. The vaccine is not made from a live virus.
3. You can get the flu from wet hair or cold weather. No, you get the flu by coming into contact with someone who is infected. In the cold of winter, when people cluster indoors, exposure to the flu virus is more likely, but cold weather itself doesn’t cause the flu.
4. The flu shot is only for high-risk people. False. People at high risk definitely need the vaccination, but those at low risk also should get the shot to help keep the flu from spreading.
5. If I haven’t had the flu by December, I’m in the clear. Flu season can extend through May. Although it’s never too late in the season to get the shot, the ideal period for immunization is from mid-October to mid-November.
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is president and medical director of the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas. He writes Health Smart every week.
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Reprinted from State of Florida’s Elder Update, news-letter, September/October 2007
FLIPS Tips
Florida Injury Prevention
Program for Seniors
Janet Lehman, Injury Prevention Coordinator
Florida Department of Elder Affairs
For many elders, the risk of falling is a constant worry. Some elders who have fallen and were seriously injured, or have friends or relatives who have fallen, may develop such a phobia to the point they become ill and won’t leave their home. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of falling:
· Keep floors free of anything that you could fall over such as cords, shoes, pets, newspapers, magazines and spilled fluids.
· Wear proper shoes or slippers. Wearing shoes that have heels, or are too large or too small, can lead to a serious fall.
· Stay off ladders; ask friends and neighbors to reach for items that are too high in the cabinets. In addition, place items that you use on a regular basis, such as coffee, snacks, dishes and glasses on the counter.
· Wear an emergency bracelet or necklace to contact assistance.
· Use grab bars in your bathroom near your bathtub and toilet.
· Use non-skid rugs throughout your home.
· Continue to see your physician on a regular basis. Tell the doctor if you have any physical or mental changes since your last visit.
· Ask your physician about osteoporosis screening.
· Consult with your physician about taking and vitamin D to help strengthen bone tissue.
· Visit your eye doctor regularly. Your eyeglasses may need to be changed, and you may not realize it.
· Limit your alcohol intake, especially if you are taking medication that could cause dizziness and/or poor balance.
· Talk to your doctor about the use of assistive equipment, like a cane or walker.
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- Although this is technically for “Elders”, the “Tips” offered fit into what we need to do to safe-guard our homes for ourselves.
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The following “articles” are from a newsletter I receive by e-mail every day – it is by Lowell Merkin and called Your Daily Mentor. It also contains some items that happened on that date, a quote of the day (see below), some “cool” facts, and a joke or two. If you would like to receive it yourself, let me know and I’ll e-mail you the information. – Barbara
YOU ALWAYS HAVE CHOICES.
You don't have to buy from anyone.
You don't have to work at any particular job.
You don't have to participate in any given relationship.
You can choose.
You steer the course you choose in the direction of where you
want to be today, tomorrow, or in a distant time to come.
You hold the tiller.
You can decide to alter the course of your life at any time.
No one can ever take that away from you.
You can decide what you want and go after it.
It's always your next move.
~*~*~*~*~
QUOTE OF THE DAY...
It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
~*~*~*~*~
Good Ideas
When you get ads in your phone or utility bill, include them with the payment let the companies throw them away.
When you get those pre approved letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and junk like that, most of them come with postage paid return envelopes, right? Well, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little envelopes.
Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send the pizza coupon to Citibank.
If you didn't get anything else that day then just send them their application back! If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can send it back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing!
Eventually, the banks and credit card companies will begin getting their junk back in the mail. Let's let them know what it's like to get junk mail, and the best of it is that they're paying for it. Twice.
Let's help keep our postal service busy since they say e-mail is cutting into their business, and that's why they need to increase postage again.
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Reprinted from State of Florida’s Elder Update, newsletter, September/October 2007
Staying Healthy and
Safe While Traveling
Eric Villanueva, Florida Department
Of Elder Affairs
Nothing can ruin a perfectly planned vacation more quickly then getting sick. Whether you are traveling abroad or staying within the U.S. borders, there are some easy steps you can take both before and while you are traveling to ensure your trip will be a success.
Get a Medical Check-Up
■ Consult with your doctor for a complete medical check-up. This is especially important if you have coronary heart disease, hypertension or any other chronic condition, or if you have recently under-gone surgery or experienced a heart attack.
■ Discuss any particular health concerns you may have, such as dietary changes and the possible impact of different eating habits on your specific condition.
■ People with diabetes will need medical advice on how to safely stagger their medi-cations to fit a different time zone.
■ If you intend to travel to areas where infectious diseases are present, make sure you are fully vaccinated.
Take Extra Care With Medications
■ Some medications that are legal in the U.S. may be prohibited overseas. Contact the American embassies in the countries you intend to visit to be sure you won’t have a problem entering another country.
■ Take enough regular medication with you to last the entire trip including some extra. It is always a good idea to be prepared in case you are not able to find necessary drugs overseas and/or may have to deal with a delayed or cancelled flight.
■ You may want to consider bringing a note from your doctor explaining the purpose of your medications, just in case you are stopped at customs or immigration.
■ For medicines that must remain refrigerated, have your pharmacist guide you on how to best store your medicine when traveling.
■ Wear a medical alert bracelet that contains information others will need to take into account if you need urgent help. Your doctor should be able to advise you about the options available.
Pack Your Luggage Wisely
■ Make sure your carry-on bag contains everything you will need for the duration of the flight.
■ Pack a spare pair of glasses or contacts. If you damage or lose them, you will be glad your back up pair is with you.
Use Common Sense to Avoid Germs
■ Be cautious when buying water from street vendors. You might want to drink bottled water instead of tap water, particularly in third world countries. Remember that ice is usually made from the same tap water you are avoiding, so if you are drinking bottled water or another soft drink, ask for no ice.
■ Cleaning your hotel room with disinfectant wipes is very important. After all, when you think of antibacterial soaps for the hands, sometimes you overlook other portable products such as disinfectant wipes especially for specific areas where bacteria tend to loiter such as hotel bathroom counters, sinks and toilets.
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Reprinted from USA Weekend’s TravelSmart column by Everett Potter, Oct 5-7,2007.
Prevent airport thefts
It’s difficult to imagine a place more ideal for a thief than an airport. The barely controlled chaos and the legions of distracted and tired travelers present many opportunities for experienced pickpockets and thieves. But preventing airport theft is really just a matter of common sense.
First, never let a bag out of your sight anywhere in the terminal, including bathrooms and restaurants.
At the Security Checkpoint, don’t dump valuables such as wallets and watches into a tray. Instead, place them in the side pocket of a carry-on bag before you even get to security. When you go through the metal detector, keep a close eye on your carry-on items (especially laptops, which are among the most desirable objects for thieves) as they’re X-rayed.
At your destination, get to the baggage carousel without delay. Few airports have attendants checking baggage tags at these points, which means that anyone can theoretically walk up and take whatever bag they like. But that won’t happen to you if you’re there when the bags come out.
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- As I usually go through Security in either a wheelchair or my scooter, I always make sure that any “small” items (especially any valuables) are stowed away in my carry-on bag so that I don’t have the security officer going through my pockets more than their usual tapping of my body. As to the baggage carousel – sometimes it’s difficult to get there before the baggage comes out as, again, I’m either waiting for a wheelchair or waiting for them to bring my scooter to me. I travel by myself, and have to request that a sky-cap or porter help me to get my baggage off the carousel and out to the curb where I’m being picked up.
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The following article is reprinted from “USA Weekend”, Sept 14-16, 2007.
I Still Believe in
ANNUAL CHECKUPS
Despite what detractors say, this “quality time” serves to connect you and your doctor.
A time honored tradition in medicine has been the annual physical examination. But during the last several years, much debate has occurred as to whether the exam is a worthwhile exercise. Groups such as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advocate “targeting screenings” for specific problems in place of the old standard checkup of the past.
Reasons for moving away from the annual checkup? Some authorities feel that the cost of performing general evaluations is not justified. Many patients who see their doctors for annual visits still don’t undergo recommended preventive screenings. Also, if the annual checkups include broad screening studies, such as blood tests and X-rays, then the costs associated with such an evaluation might not be justified. As the cost of health care has climbed steadily, such considerations of how health-care dollars are spent certainly are to be expected.
What’s the other side of the story? When surveyed, a significant majority of patients and doctors say they find annual checkups necessary. Such “healthy” visits offer intangible benefits that can’t be measured by statistical analyses alone. Having an allotted time to discuss topics of concern helps a doctor and a patient bond, leading to a level of trust that’s important to the patient’s health.
Based on my experience, I come down on the side of doctors and patients. Certainly, bonding can occur when I’m performing acute care. But the real connection occurs when the patient and I are visiting at the time of his or her checkup. We’ve all heard about the importance of “quality time” with family and friends. That’s true of the annual checkup, too, which is why doctors and patients cherish it so much.
One of our Cooper Clinic physicians has a patient who travels quite some distance to come see him for an appointment every year. When the man’s physician back home asked him why he travels so far to get a simple checkup every year, the patient’s response was simple: “Because that doctor returns my calls.”
We live in a world in which the pace of everything is getting more hectic, and our interactions with everyone seem to occur at an increasingly faster rate. Medicine is no different. We’re all in a hurry; we want to streamline and are looking for the simplest, most efficient, most cost-effective means of doing everything.
In our effort to do this, however, we miss out on “human touch,” which could well be the most important part of a physician-patient relationship. By relegating an annual physical to a mere checklist, we run the danger of losing the quality that makes the relationship special.
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is president and medical director of the renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas. He writes Health Smart every week.
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RE-REGISTER
YOUR DO NOT CALL
The following information was in the Daytona Beach News-Journal on September 25th – the entire article was about the Do Not Call Registry possibly ending it’s five year cycle for you. If you think it is, just finish reading this article…..
Phone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry are valid for five years.
Verification: To check when a number is set to expire, a consumer may log on to donotcall.gov and click on the “Verify a Registration” button. Enter the phone number and an e-mail address and a verification e-mail will be sent with the expiration date.
Register: People may register their phone numbers at donotcall.gov or by calling (888) 382-1222. After a person registers, the phone number will show up on the registry by the next day. Telemarketers then have up to 31 days to remove the number from their call lists.
FECPPSG Editor’s Note:- I just verified when my Do Not Call expires and it told me that I registered in November 2004 so I have some time left.
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Looking forward to seeing everyone on November 18th.
Our speaker should have some very good information.
Barbara
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FLORIDA EAST COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT GROUP
12 Eclipse Trail / Ormond Beach, FL 32174
386-676-2435 / e-mail address: bgold@iag.net
DATE: Sunday, November 18th, 2007
TIME: 1:00 – 4:00 PM
PLACE: Red Lobster Restaurant
International Speedway Boulevard
Right off I-95 – Exit 261– Daytona Beach, FL
(head EAST for about 1/4 mile)
PROGRAM:- Speaker from Volusia County Council on Aging will discuss
Health, HMOs, Long-Term Care and Medicare Supplement
Insurance. Questions and Answers to follow.
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 November 13th, 2007
Any questions call Barbara at 386-676-2435.
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R E S E R V A T I O N F O R M
November 18th, 2007 Luncheon Meeting
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 -- Ormond Beach, FL 32174
11/2007
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DUES FOR 2007- Please take a look at your mailing label - on it you’ll see the month and year we received your 2006 dues, i.e., 01/2006 means it was received in January 2006, so your 2007 dues was due in January 2007. If your mailing label has the year first and then the month, i.e., 2006/01 it means that you indicated to us in January 2006 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 United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – some 40 of these reciprocate by sending us their newsletters. We receive as many dues checks from our out-of-state members as we do from our Florida members. So, please check your mailing label and return the tear sheet if your date is due. We really need your support now more than ever. Just to keep you advised, in addition to the previously mentioned countries, our newsletter goes to England, France, Germany, Israel, Panama, Portugal, Lebanon, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan and Wales.
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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.
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2007 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, Ormond Beach, FL 32174-4936
NAME:- __________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:- _______________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS:-__________________________ FAX #:- _______________
TELEPHONE NO:- Home _______________________ Office ________________
Date of Birth:-_________________ Wedding Anniversary:- ________________
Name and Date of Birth of Spouse:-_____________________________________
11/2007