Headway Newsletter: April 2003

 

Editorial

The editorial this month is short and sweet because I seem to have run out of space! Sweet is perhaps the byword in this edition of the newsletter as there are many mentions of honey and the sweet smell of success with our bee-keeping project.
Veronica

 

Welcome to our new members this month: Chariksha Soni, Wilfred Boddington, Terry Coomer and Jacobus Nel.  We wish you a happy and helpful association with Headway.

 

Monthly General Meeting in May

Our guest speaker this month is Claude Laurent who will be talking about VHT – Vibromuscular Harmonisation Technique which is a holistic, gentle, non-invasive technique used to rebalance, re-align and relax the body.  VHT evolved from the “Bowen Technique” and is used to promote pain relief, muscle tone, flexibility, circulation, tissue healing, energy, co-ordination and general health.  This should be a very interesting talk, and an excellent way to start a Self Care Routine (Caregivers see below).

 

April General Meeting: Report Back

Rose McArthur reports:

The guest speaker at our April General Meeting was Wanda Boshoff who is an Occupational Therapist. Wanda also does a great deal of group therapy and her approach is an interactive one.  She is no stranger to trauma, having suffered a freak accident on the beach 4 years ago which, although leaving her dependent on a wheelchair, has given her the insight to inspire others.

 

Wanda said that prior to her accident, in her work as an OT she was aware of a certain distance between herself and her patients; now she is able to see her patients from a different perspective which has enhanced her ability to inspire and empathise.

 

To everyone’s surprise, instead of focussing on motivating those who have suffered a brain injury, Wanda said that she wanted to talk specifically to the Caregivers and address their trauma.  She stressed how vital it is that the carers look after themselves properly – what use are carers if they are stressed, tired, unwell and over-stretched?  By spending allocated time to themselves, carers can go on indefinitely because they will have reduced stress levels, feel better about themselves and will thus prevent burnout.

 

Wanda advised that self-care varies from person to person and should be holistic.  She spoke about the Self-Care Wheel which looks at our well-being in the following areas a) Spiritual b) Physical c) Financial d) Social/Emotional e) Career.  If there are any aspects in the caregiver’s life that are not being addressed and needs which are not being fulfilled, it is important to consider making the necessary changes.  It is imperative to find time for yourself as self-neglect can lead to anger and resentment.

 

These are some of the questions caregivers need to ask themselves:

§         Do I make time each day for myself?

§         Is my life balanced – do I include “have to”, “like to” and “want to” things in my life and prioritise them?

§         Am I fitting exercise into my day?

§         Am I connecting with nature and enjoying being creative in some way?

 

Wanda says that it is critical to have balance in our lives – if it difficult to find time for yourself, then you must try to make alternative arrangements.  Try to set aside a time each week to participate in activities which are pleasing and/or restful.  Nurture yourself every day, enjoy yourself and reward yourself with a pat on the back.  No-one else is going to!

 

(Note from Rose:  One of the major benefits of belonging to Headway is that most of us have “travelled down the same road “ and can share the emotions and trauma that it entails.  We know how difficult life can become and we pay sincere tribute to all the caregivers and sincerely know that you deserve that pat on the back.  We also heartily endorse all that Wanda said and urge you all to make special time for yourselves.  You will be a much better carer if you do!)

 

Further info:  Wanda Boshoff runs a programme out of Westville Hospital entitled “Say YES to yourself!” and she can be contacted at Tel: 031-265 1276/7.

 

General Meeting: June

Please diarise now! Our speaker at the evening meeting in June will be none other than our long-time friend Mike Friedman.  Mike is well known to many Headway families for his hard work in providing legal representation in MVA claims. Mike’s topic will be “The Satchwell Commission” (or the Road Accident Fund Commission), an article on which appeared in the April 2003 edition of the BIG Newsletter which was distributed with The Way Ahead last month. For those who did not read the article (or who have forgotten the details), briefly the Commission recommends in its report that, in the case of a road accident, a “no fault” system should apply in which all the victims (even those who are to blame for the collision) will receive compensation.

 

To some this may seem like a fair way of dealing with this kind of situation until you hear that the person who was not at fault in the collision (and may have suffered serious injury) will subsequently receive considerably less compensation.

So, come along on Wednesday 11 June and listen to Mike giving his opinions on the recommendations of the Commission and offering sound advice on what to do.

 

Headway Happenings

OT Debbie reports:

Easter Service

April has been a great month especially with the celebration of Easter.  The attendees made chocolate parcels and handed them out at our Easter Service which was held on Thursday 17 April.  We had asked Danie Momberg, a chaplain at the SAP, to share an Easter message with us.  Danie broke his back in three places in a motor vehicle accident when he was in his twenties and was paralysed for 2 years.  He shared his experiences with the Headway “congregation” and explained how his faith in God pulled him through.

 

Following on from the buzz and excitement of our Easter Service, the sound of buzzing bees has eventually resulted in a harvest!  See below!!

 

Outings

Our outings have developed a new flair as they are divided up into various categories including cultural, educational, outreach and fun.

 

Thirsty’s at the Point

The FUN aspect was attended to in our outing to Thirsty’s on Friday 11 April, where the usual good time was had by all.  It is a favourite haunt for Headway outings and the staff members there are always very accommodating and cope cheerfully with our wheelchairs and unusual refreshment orders!

 

Kwa Muhle Museum

EDUCATION was next on the list of outing categories and a fascinating morning was spent at this little-known local history outlet. The Kwa Muhle Museum is the original headquarters of the Native Administration Department where Africans came to apply for the Dompass that would give them permission to seek work in Durban.  The museum has numerous displays which focus on aspects of urban racial segregation as part of an apartheid plan that was known as “The Durban System”. Our regular outing helper, Peter Deighton, amazed all with his wealth of knowledge about the exhibitions but our OTA Zipho Mkhize found it all a little upsetting!

 

All agreed with Zipho that life “in the old days” was no picnic if you were a Zulu and that our country has come a long way since then. Our thanks to OTA Lesley Vezi for his excellent organisation of these outings and to OT Debbie for her enthusiasm and innovative ideas.

 

Honey equals……. Money?

Brian Dangerfield emailed this report to us:

Members of the project team are at last getting a taste of working the beehives during a good honey flow. On 18 March five of us headed up to Richmond with Wayne. We first went to Ixopo to see the Sappi beekeeping project at Woodstock and tried our hand at extracting honey. We had a bite to eat at Wayne’s family home in Richmond and then robbed the Headway hives. A total of 110 kg of honey was taken off the hives and this was extracted at Richmond. Most of this has been bottled and is being sold in the Headway shop. This outing was followed by trip to the Drummond site where we took off two supers of honey.

 

After delays due to rain, the hives in Richmond were robbed again on Friday 25 April. Due to the uncertainty of the weather, robbing was done in the late morning, while the going was good. The bees were very active and aggressive which was a first time experience for the team. The bees had been productive since our last outing and even more honey was taken off on this occasion. The honey is being extracted at Richmond as the Headway machine is still not operative. It is probable that the next robbing will be extracted at Headway, which will a significant challenge for the team. Labels have been received for the Headway honey and arrangements are hopefully being made to have a new Headway team involved in bottling and marketing.

 

The Headway Beekeeping Team has every reason to be very proud of these latest developments.  The honey, with its own smart “Inyosi Honey” labels is now available for sale and the new team is looking for ways to market the results of all this hard work.  If there are any readers who can suggest outlets for sales or who would be willing to contact places that would market the honey, please contact the Headway office (health shops, fresh produce markets, fruit and vegetables and home industry shops for example).

 

New Groups

The “Pre-Voc” Group

This well-bonded team meets every Monday and, apart from enjoying the dynamics of the group, the members are coming up with a whole lot of new business ideas.  Under the guidance of Debbie, they put together an Easter Raffle (won by Eileen York) which was a great success – the tickets sold with mind-boggling speed (at only R1 a ticket it was a bargain).  There are more money-making plans afoot and the members of the group say – watch this space! (The abundance of honey and possible by-products of bee-keeping are in the equation somewhere, you can be sure.).

 

Zulu-Speaking Carers

OTA Lesley has created a new group which meets on Tuesday mornings from 10.00-11.00 especially for Zulu-speaking carers.  It provides an opportunity for them to discuss problems, share some of the difficulties they encounter in their work with the disabled people in their care, and help each other to find solutions.

From Tuesday 6 May, the group will be run as a Workshop and the starting time is a half hour earlier (from 9.30 a.m.).  Family members are also invited as there will be practical demonstrations on how to work with the disabled including bathing, feeding, dressing, transferring techniques, wheelchair management and the use of assistive devices.  Towards the end of the four-week workshop it is hoped that a speaker from Smith & Nephew will address those attending and give a demonstration of the many manufactured devices available to make the carer’s task easier.

 

Stroke Carers Group

Recognising their unique needs and problems, Psychotherapist Linda has started a group specifically aimed at support for spouses and family members of stroke survivors.  This group meets from 11.00-12.00 a.m. every Monday.

 

Stroke Survivors Group

The informal group of stroke survivors who meet every Thursday at 10.00 a.m. and engage in activities designed to stimulate memory and cognitive functions (as well as just have a good time together) are now being treated to an extra half hour of brain stimulation.  Psychotherapist Rosanne spends the first half hour with the group, and volunteer Peter Deighton continues to guide the remainder of the morning’s activities.

 

Support Group for Carers of Brain Injured

This long-established Carers Group chaired by Psychotherapist Rosanne, continues to meet every Tuesday from 12.00 a.m.–1.00 p.m.

Each of the support groups at Headway has a very important function and, if you are interested in coming along to any of them, please contact the Headway office.

 

Psych Drama Group

Group Therapist and Psycho Drama specialist Kerry has been working on role play in her psych drama sessions. Members of the group are given opportunities to deal with anger management, relationship problems and other issues of conflict through role playing and role reversal.  Kerry is also running an informal speech practice group on Wednesday mornings with the emphasis on fun and participation.

Kerry’s own recovery from a car accident gives her extraordinary insight and empathy and her expertise in her chosen career is constantly being enriched as she is presently studying for a Masters degree in the Psychology of Education focussing on language issues and education for the disabled.

 

Craft/Sewing Group

The Headway Sewing Group under the guidance of volunteers Rose Paterson and Rea Hoekstra is working in top gear at the moment. Each member of the group is making a quilt using a number of different techniques from fabric painting and printing to appliqué, patchwork and batik.

 

Cameron has also made a very smart patchwork denim waistcoat for himself (but is not keen to take orders – sorry!).

In view of the new plastic shopping packet laws, the group is currently hard at work producing bright cotton shopping bags for purchase – group members will get a cut of the sale and we encourage all our visitors to support their efforts. (If anyone has any large pieces of fabric, such as curtain or upholstery material they no longer need, the bag-making group would be grateful.)

 

Items for the Craft Market, to be held in October, are also being made by the group – beautiful aprons decorated with hand-painted pictures.  Productivity is the name of the game on Wednesdays!

 

Personality of the Month

Those who know Cameron Milton will agree that his attitude to life is enviable (the first time I met this wonderful young man I was bowled over by his constant merriment and sense of fun – in fact I have often remarked that if we could bottle Cam’s joie de vivre and sell it we would be millionaires! Ed).

 

Cameron’s story is a little different to many other Headway casualties in that his head injury was not caused by a car accident but by an accident in the army.  As Cam tells it, he was just 18 years old with one month to go to “uitklaar parade” and looking forward to Christmas with his family when tragedy struck.

 

Ordered to work on a truck with another young army recruit, the two of them were trying to change the wheel when something exploded under high pressure, hit Cam’s friend, Grant Mann, first and broke his neck.  Cam, who was crouching down, was lifted off his feet and thrown 6 feet backwards. His injuries were extensive and the surgeons at Voortrekkerhoogte-One Military Hospital had to perform a 13 hour operation to try and repair the damage.  The optic nerve in one eye had been severed, his skull was shattered, 5 teeth had been knocked out and his jaw was broken in 3 places.  He was in a coma for almost six months and spent an entire year in hospital.

 

Once Cameron had recovered sufficiently he was brought back down to Durban and admitted to Hillcrest Hospital, his memories of which are not at all happy.  The main problem was that there were no other young people there and he had to endure the situation for a year until an operation at Entabeni Hospital, to release the tendon contractures in his legs, gave him a chance to make a move.

 

A sympathetic social worker at the hospital investigated alternative accommodation for Cameron and he was happily relocated to Northbay Lodge where he has been for the past 9 years.

 

Life has been good to Cameron since then and he has been a daily attendee at Headway for some years. The therapists at Headway were instrumental in enrolling Cameron in a Reflexology course, he has enjoyed giving motivational talks to schools and two years ago he became engaged to Steph. He is grateful for his excellent memory, is always ready with a wisecrack or joke, and sees life as a constant challenge.  You will not be surprised to hear that Cam is a Monty Python fan and his favourite song (and motto?) is “Always look on the bright side of life” from the movie “Life of Brian”.  

 

Fund Raising

Street Collection

The Westville Street Collection took place on Saturday 12 April and was the usual lesson in human behaviour for all the people who stood holding a collection tin at the Westville Shopping Centres on behalf of Headway.  For some reason, every regular collector reported a drop in the number of people who stopped to put money in their tin. Even Walter and Tim, who are usually the star partnership on Street Collection days, struggled to get a positive response from Mr and Mrs Jo Public (Walter said he counted as many as 100 shoppers at the Pavilion ignoring them between donations).  More encouraging was the response at the Village Market Westville where most of those who put money in the Headway tins were people whose response was “Oh yes, I know about Headway”.

 

The amount raised in total from the three Westville Shopping Centres was R2 288.00 and we reiterate our thanks to all those kind people who made the effort to help with the collection.

 

Other Income

Thanks to the excellent response to our appeal last month a lot of jumble, books and shop items have been arriving at Headway.  Thank you to one and all.  The Headway shop made a profit of R 1 728.00 this month and the amount raised from the sale of books, cards and jumble was R474.00.

We are intending to draw the raffle for the Picnic Hamper & Quilt very soon as the general consensus is that at last enough funds have been raised from ticket sales.  We are very grateful to all our Headway visitors and attendees who took away a sheet or two to sell.  The amount raised this month on raffle sales was R200.00.

 

Donations

We are constantly reminded of our fortune in receiving donations from various sources.  This month we thank Col Davies who sent £100 from England (it converted to R1098.00 once the bank had taken its cut). This is the third amount we have received from Col, each time in memory of a member of Jackie Holtzhausen’s family.  Sadly, Jackie lost her dear husband Lou earlier this year and we extend our deepest condolences to her.

 

Membership renewals were accompanied by many extras and we thank all those kind people who added on donations (many of R50 or R100) to their renewal. Special thanks to Mass Discounter (R450), Walter Pippan (R950) and that elusive little “Anony-mouse” (R450).  TT Cradock Trust supported us with a final donation of R1 950 (the Trust is now closed) and we are very grateful for all the contributions from the Trust over the years.

 

Back Page Extras

§         Our thanks go to Committee member Martin White who organised an excellent price on the new shade cloth for our carport using funding left over from donations made towards the entrance awning.

§         We received a phone call this month to tell us that attendee Murray Dangerfield read the lesson at church on Palm Sunday and did it so well that the general feeling amongst the congregation was that he should become a regular feature on Sundays!  Well done, Murray.

§         Two new people joined the Headway staff this month: Darina Obertik who has taken over reception duties from Emma, and Ryan Fewster (OT Debbie’s husband) who is handling some of manager Lionel’s work.  We are all enjoying the extra pairs of hands!

 

Errata! Rose apologies for a few mistakes and oversights last month (probably from trying to get the newsletter out too quickly!):

·         The R140 000 that was recorded as a donation to Headway was incorrect – the money was donated by National Lotteries to our Outreach Project for us to spend ONLY on Zimele.

·         Margie Lilienfeld was not acknowledged for her efforts in organising Graham Clarke to talk to Headway, and……

·         Therapists Linda and Debbie were not thanked for their considerable research and efforts in presenting the General Meeting talk on “Driving after a brain injury”.

 

Our thoughts and prayers are with:

Our dear friend and stroke survivor Mike Leach who recently underwent radical surgery and is still in Westville hospital.  The Headway stroke group miss his humour, intelligence and kindness.