Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

July 13, 2007

Today’s Announcements

 I so badly need prayers.  My brother in law is very, very ill.  He was suppose to have gone into surgery for gall stones.  Simple procedure they told us.  While in there they discovered that it was a tumor and not gall stones.  The tumor was cancerous. They removed this and some of the surrounding area, including the tip of his pancreous.  He seemed to be doing very well.  the doctors said he went through surgery very well. He is in such good shape and good health.

All of a sudden things changed.  It appeared that his blood was NOT clotting.  He was getting plasma, but he was bleeding.  They became concerned and decided to go back in and open him up.  They did this and found that the sutures they made in his pancreous were not holding.  He was bleeding from there.  They repaired this and closed him back up.  He then developed sepsis and pneumonia and started going downhill.  They then had to put him on a ventilator because he was having trouble breathing.  He is heavily sedated and sleeping.  The only ones seeing him are his wife and son.  It is touch and go.  His wife just called and said he is stable and opened his eyes when she called out his name.
 
Could you please add him to your prayer list.  His name is George Little. His wife's name is Elaine and his son's name is Greg.  He is Gene's younger brother. he is such a good person. He exercised and ate healthy and took care of himself.  This just came out of nowhere.
 
 Thank you,
 Vivian

Sent comments to Sharon: 1946@bellsouth.net

Today’s Stories

~**~**~

Dementia: 

One Day At A Time

Tanja Cilia

Dementia describes a group of symptoms caused by changes in brain function.

The term includes both Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s, and diagnosis

requires a thorough physical, neurological, and psychiatric evaluation

Clouds surround my brain

Those I once loved are strangers

The mirror tells lies

A decline in alertness, short-term memory and cognitive functions leads a person to ask the same questions repeatedly. They may not be able to find the correct word for what they mean to say, or get lost in familiar places. Personal health, safety, nutrition and hygiene mean nothing; days pass in a blur of nothingness.  What makes it worse is that the people around a person with dementia may simply respond by ordering him to “snap out of it”.

Dementia alters behaviour and personality; sufferers become “strangers”, even unto themselves, moody, irritable, weepy or prone to temper tantrums.  This condition may also be dangerous. One may ‘forget’ that cars are dangerous and jaywalk across the street in the rush hour, or forget to switch off the cooker burner when the chip pan is still on it.  In extreme cases, a person thus affected looses all inhibitions - and thinks nothing of appearing undressed in public, or saying things that are highly inappropriate for the occasion.

      Treatable conditions that may cause dementia include:

• dehydration
• emotional problems 
• head injury
• high fever
• metabolic imbalances
• reactions to medicines
• sexually-transmitted diseases
• substance abuse
• thyroid gland problems
• vitamin deficiency

Irreversible dementia is caused by incurable conditions, especially in older people, as in;

• Atherosclerosis, which basically occurs when where plaques are formed within the arteries, and prevent an adequate supply of oxygen from reaching the brain.
• Alzheimer's disease, where the  brain nerve cells die. Eventually, a person will find it seriously problematic to carry out daily activities.
• Dementia with Lewy bodies, which are abnormal structures found in certain areas of the brain. This could be a variant of either Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Disease.
• Subcortical Dementia, or Binswanger Disease, is a  rare form of dementia caused by lesions occurring in the deep white matter of the brain.
• Vascular dementia which is also known as Multi-Infarct Dementia,  occurs when  small strokes and blood clots in the brain's blood vessels destroy brain tissue. Here, high blood pressure is a contributing factor. 

 Less common causes of dementia include:

• AIDS
• Huntington's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Pick's disease
• Hereditary conditions

Diagnosis
This may be done by the family doctor, a geriatrician, or a neurologist.
The first strep would be to examine a complete medical history, with information about prescription or over-the-counter medications that are being taken.  Blood and urine may also be checked.  Then follow a number of physical and mental tests, and an interview about one’s diet, general state of health, and emotional health; family members may also be asked questions about the person being examined. Sometimes a CT Scan of the brain, and other tests, may be necessary.
Treatment

• Conventional medicine or alternative therapies may be used to help control insomnia, agitation, phobic behaviour, and anxiety.
• For those with Vascular dementia, it is important to prevent further strokes by reducing risk factors like hypertension, high blood cholesterol, controlling diabetes and  cutting out smoking.
• Irreversible dementia cannot be cured. Treatment will centre around coping strategies and improving quality of life.  
• Non-invasive treatments include a healthy diet, exercise, social activities and a safe environment.
• Eventually, the condition may deteriorate such that 24/7 attention is necessary, in which case a sheltered environment is imperative.

Coping

• Ask about social or medical benefits that are available.
• Avoid getting into a rut-routine. Staying involved helps both the carer and the person afflicted with dementia.
• Don’t be reluctant to ask for help, or at least to accept it from anyone who offers.
• Keep the family doctor informed about any changes.
• Make sure people with dementia are kept up to date, as often as necessary, about details such as what day it is, where they live and what is happening in Malta and in the world.
• Memory aids such as a calendar, a list of daily plans, safety instructions, written directions on how to use household items, and flash cards, are useful.
• Remember that someone with dementia is a strain on both the body and the psyche; make sure that you have regular “time out” sessions without the need to check back constantly.
• Remember that people are often all too glad to give unwarranted – and often conflicting – advice.  Always get yours from the horse’s mouth; Health Care professionals are there to help.
• Even if short-term memory is practically inexistent,  events from the past may remain crystal-clear.  Work on this and provide stories, sounds (including music) and scents from the past to encourage interaction. 

Comments on Conversations
Remember that people with dementia have an altered perception of the truth – and of time itself. You cannot force them to accept the truth – which, to them, is different from yours anyway.

·         You may choose the easiest, and most exasperating, way out, and answer all the questions that are put to you again and again. 

·         Fudging the truth, or Therapeutic Lying, may sometimes work; if a person asks what time a (dead) husband will be home, you can say that this will happen ‘later’ and suggest an alternative occupation to waiting.

·         Aikido takes its name from the modern Japanese martial art, and means "the way of harmonious spirit".  It is gently leading the person with dementia away from the issue, by mentioning something that is actual, yet connected with the past.  For instance “You made me this crochet blanket, and I like it.”

·         Validation Therapy is based on empathy, and helps prevent the withdrawal of old people who feel that no one listens to them any more, into a vegetative state. One travels into the past with the person, mentioning events as well as feelings; “Do you remember when you used to make jam? Yours was the best in town, and the house used to smell heavenly for days afterwards…”

Tanya Celia

This is the beginning and the end of the feature I wrote... my mum had temporary dementia when she was dehydrated last year....
 
 

Clouds surround my brain

Those I once loved are strangers

The mirror tells lies

 Comments on Conversations
Remember that people with dementia have an altered perception of the truth – and of time itself. You cannot force them to accept the truth – which, to them, is different from yours anyway.

·         You may choose the easiest, and most exasperating, way out, and answer all the questions that are put to you again and again. 

·         Fudging the truth, or Therapeutic Lying, may sometimes work; if a person asks what time a (dead) husband will be home, you can say that this will happen ‘later’ and suggest an alternative occupation to waiting.

·         Aikido takes its name from the modern Japanese martial art, and means "the way of harmonious spirit".  It is gently leading the person with dementia away from the issue, by mentioning something that is actual, yet connected with the past.  For instance “You made me this crochet blanket, and I like it.”

          feelings; “Do you remember when you used to make jam? Yours was the best in town, and the house used to smell heavenly for days afterwards…”

Tanja Cilia

tanjachilja@hotmail.com

~**~**~

This I Believe # 18
Bill Walker
missourisage@yahoo.com

This I believe, each person, each animal, each bird, each fish, and everything we see has a reason. God made it all, he had a reason, I believe this.

I often wonder the whys of many things. We have people that can do certain things, while many can not get the hang of it.   We have people that can sing and some makes a living doing that. Others can play music on some type of instrument; some makes a living doing that. We have people that can't carry a note of music that would be me for sure. For some strange reason we have people who can master different things, while some can master only one thing, and some can't do that. This I believe.

I think a lot of the problem may be a person sometimes either has push, or will give up. Those that push will make it, while those that give up, and think it is hopeless, will be the drop out. This I believe.

I remember a story of a man many years ago. This man who was the bookkeeper for Big Al Capone was crippled.   He was sharp enough with figures to could keep books for a gangster, why wasn't he working for some place that was on the up and up? His cry the night the Feds busted down the door was how was a cripple to make a living? The Fed
man in charge, said today the people elected a crippled man to the White
House.

If you stop and think, we all are handicapped about something, we also have a gift. If we look hard enough, we have a way for a fair living. This book keeper had a gift, but he chose a life of crime with it. If he would have been working for a company keeping books, he might have made a  living, and not been in fear of ending up in the
drink some time for working for a gangster.


Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

~**~**~

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

A Ride In The Car
Cynthia Groopman

Into the car, we shall happily jump,
For to the park, we will ride, where we can frolic and romp.
Let us all hop into the car,
As we embark on a trip, either near or far.
We shall travel to the mall or to the grocery store,
Or spend a day at the mountains or the cooling seashore.
Onto the highway, we shall go,
As we drive carefully and slow.
We must not speed,
And all of the rules of the road we must heed.
We must park in the correct way,
In order to avoid the angry ticket agent spoiling our day.
We drive along with laughter and a smile,
As we savor the summer sunshine and enjoy every mile.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia L. Groopman  

~**~**~

Memories Of Our Car
Cynthia Groopman

Once we owned a beautiful car of a sparkling sky blue,
And how we admired and enjoyed it, through and through.
At the spur of the moment, all the children would enthusiastically hop in,
As our dad would take us for a spontaneous ride or a spin.
Sitting smiling in the back seat,
I would look out of the window, munching on a delicious candy treat.
We would laugh and sing,
As I would be overjoyed about each and everything.
To many places we would go,
Which included visiting family, friends, or a musical or movie show.
Riding in the country during the good old summertime,
we would have a picnic in the park and frolic in the green grass and bask in the golden sunshine.
We would travel to the baseball game,
Or tour the Baseball Hall of Fame.
One sad day, the car was unable to ride,
It was eighteen years old, when it died.
When it was time to say good-bye,
Tears were cascading from my saddened eyes.
Oh, dear car of blue, you served us well,
and if you were able to talk, oh what interesting stories you would tell.
For dear car, you were more like a devoted friend,
And I cried when our relationship had to come to an end.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia L. Groopman

 

 ~**~**~

A Lonely Telephone 
Cynthia Groopman

Regally perched upon the wall,
The frownful face of the telephone is not sparkling at all.
No longer does it jubilantly ring,
As its dulcit tuneful voice does not sing.
When its receiver is picked up, there is nobody speaking at the other end,
And not even a  chat can be enjoyed with a friend.
Oh, where is the person's voice who really cares,
And all of the humorous incidents that we laughingly share.
The telephone is lonely and its depression is sorrowful and deep,
As it is engaged in a fitful sleep.
Late at night, I hear it sadly weep in a tone that is full of sorrow,
And its plea is for a call tomorrow.
So please enable my telephone to prance as it elatedly rings,
And once again it will be glad about everything.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia L. Groopman    

~**~**~

Thoughts
Cynthia Groopman

Swirling round and round,
My thoughts are often deep,
lighthearted, sentimental, nostalgic and profound.
Thoughts of nostalgia take me back to a time so loving and dear,
painting a picture in my mind that is so beautiful and clear.
As I long and yearn for the good times of the past,
I only wish that they could be real and forever last.
Thoughts of a recently departed loved one cause me to cry,
As teardrops of sadness cascade from my eye.
Thoughts of wonderful happier times,
Inspire me to bask in remembrances smiling glowing sunshine.
For thoughts are indeed a treasure that is rarer than gold,
As they relate a marvelous story that can be retold.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2004 Cynthia Groopman

Readers Feedback

 Carol,
That was a fascinating piece of work.  I think you should send a copy to Psychology Today.  As for my own puzzle it isn't complete yet, but I can make out the picture enough to know what I am working towards.  Wishing you every joy, Joe

Re Value of our lives---------What an interesting column this is Carol.  It helps to explain the total lack of what we might consider to be ethical behavior or explain the violence which exists in this world in such large measure.  People are not concerned with being good or moral or decent when they are hungry or their or their families base needs are not met.  The base of the pyramid must be completed in this world’s society for decency and security to be attained.      Louise

Bill - This is a good one—one of your best for sure.  Thank goodness you got that check! Louise

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