EDITORIAL
Amazingly, it is now June.
We’ve been through the heat of summer; we’ve experienced a delightful
autumn with its “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”. We are beginning to feel that it is now
winter, if we can really call it winter in Durban! But whatever the season, Headway continues to
try to answer the needs of those who come to us for help. An important aspect of our help is the fact
that we can call on volunteers to fill in all the needs that the few staff that
we have are unable to meet. Spring is
round the corner, and with spring everyone feels much more energetic. Prepare for spring now. Spring clean now and sort out your wardrobes
and book cases. Headway can make good
use of your unwanted items. Better still;
think about offering your services at Headway as a volunteer. We can help you to let your talents “blossom
and flower”. Rose
Welcome
to………
This month, we would like to welcome the following new
members and their families: Petrus
Ntenga and Bea Reed and
we do hope that your association with us will be beneficial.
Condolences………
We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Jeanette
Leach and family on the sad loss of her husband, Mike Leach. Mike has been a very active member and
supporter of Headway, especially the Stroke Social Group. We are going to miss Mike’s sense of
humour and his strong personality, but his memory will remain with us. We wish Jeanette strength and courage
as she continues with her planned move to Cape Town, and wish her peace
and happiness in her new environment.
The latest report which we’ve had on Sandi Smith is that
she’s now out of ICU and is on the way to recovery. It has been touch and go for a while, so
we’re delighted to hear that progress is now being made. Keep it up, Sandi.
General
meetings………
I know it’s now winter,
but sometimes I wonder if the low turnout at our meetings is due to the weather
or due to us not seeming to choose speakers who have universal appeal. All I can say is that our guest speaker, Claude
Laurent, was most interesting and what he shared with us was
pertinent to all of us connected to Headway, and indeed to anyone who
believes in a holistic approach to health.
So then, what exactly is the Vibromuscular Harmonisation Technique?
VHT is all about “Balance and Harmony”. Claude explained that it is a
holistic, gentle and non-invasive technique used to rebalance, re-align and
relax the body. It is based on the
philosophy that, given the right prompting, the body will return to a natural
state of well being. VHT consists of a sequence of very precise
and gentle moves over muscles and soft tissue, using fingers and thumbs,
and elbow for hamstrings. VHT developed from the “Bowen Technique”
which is a system of therapy developed by the late Tom Bowen, 1916 –
1982. His work gained a significant
reputation for being able to overcome muscular skeletal problems, and he
continued to develop his therapy right up until his death. After his death, Jock Ruddock, an
ex-professional wrestler, studied the Bowen Technique, becoming Europe’s
top “Bowen” practitioner and instructor. He wanted to improve the technique and so
developed VHT in 1999.
VHT is
non-invasive and non-diagnostic. It is holistic in that it concerns the whole
body, supported by any additional work in any areas of specific concern. VHT
practitioners, unless they are qualified and licensed medical practitioners,
won’t make any form of diagnosis.
However, if they observe any unusual condition, or a client complains of
a specific condition, the practitioner will instruct the client to consult with
a qualified medical professional. The
aims of the VHT practitioner are to use moves and procedures which
infuse the body with chaotic vibration impulses which resonate throughout the
connective pathways of the body, fascial trains and meridians, connective soft
tissue, neural pathways – causing chaos and confusion levels, while also inducing holistic relaxation. This encourages the body to enter the alpha
state, wherein it is bereft of all critical and analytical properties. With the body in this state, its innate
wisdom is allowed to address stress structures and other problems that have
been locked within the body for so long.
Claude spoke very gently, yet persuasively, and asked for any
volunteers who had any stiffness or soreness who would like to experience this
technique. Two people volunteered, and said quite categorically that they felt
a definite improvement. I certainly felt a large degree of interest in what VHT
is offering, and feel that it really can only be beneficial to have an open
mind. Anyone wishing to find out more in-depth information can phone Claude
on 031- 2626530 or 082 347 4291. He also gave us a website for anyone
interested. bowen2000.com
|
|
JUNE GENERAL MEETING.
On Wednesday 11th June, Mike Friedman will be
coming to talk about the “Satchwell Commission”. This concerns all the proposed changes
to the existing Road Accident Fund – RAF – which may have particular
significance to anyone who is currently involved in a pending MVA
court case. Mike is a highly
experienced lawyer, and a good friend of Headway. Don’t miss this opportunity to come and
hear him talk and answer your questions.
All welcome.
|
|
- General Meeting on Wednesday 9th July: We are delighted
to be able to announce that our guest speaker will be Joan van Niekerk,
well known for her work with Childline and the National Director
of Childline. An incredibly
busy person, Joan has agreed
to come and talk about:
“Sexuality
and Sexual Problems after an acquired brain injury/stroke.”
Donations………
Never a month goes by but we are able to report that we have been
fortunate enough to receive donations.
This month we received an amount totalling R4,436-00, but most of
this has been given on the instruction that we simply said “anonymous”. We received an amount of R1,000-00 from
Ubuntu Community Chest, and the remainder came in the form of regular
donations, and also “extra amounts” enclosed with Membership Renewal
Forms. We truly appreciate such kindness. “Donations” can come in any form, not
just monetary, and I’d also like to extend our sincere thanks to Phil
Hamilton of Swift Tree Fellers who, some weeks ago, removed dangerous
dead branches from the big tree in the Headway car park, and charged us not a
cent for his service! Also a very special thank you to the cinema management
at Gateway, Umhlanga Rocks, for supplying several of our attendees with
free movie tickets on our outing on the 9th May. All this
generosity, given so willingly and happily makes a considerable difference in
many lives.
Fund-raising………
A total of R2,432-00
was raised in May, this coming from our Second Hand Shop sales – R1,011-00
; sales of our honey – R378-00 ; [did
you all read about our honey production/bottling etc in last month’s
Newsletter?? We are so proud! And it is undeniably the best honey
around. If you don’t believe me, come
and try some for yourself]; R125
was raised from “craft sales” – [see below in “news from the O.T.
corner]. The balance came from the sale of
second-hand books, cool drink sales, cards, “funny money”, jumble and
raffles. Our eternally grateful
thanks to all those for whom the fund-raising is an on-going commitment.
P.S.!! Our monthly
jumble sales continue to be popular and pretty well supported. However, the support is such that we are now
in need of jumble!! We actually have no
more. So, on the one hand, our jumble
sales have been very successful, but on
the other hand our regular “buyers” have cleaned us out!! Please will you have a good sort-out
and let us have all the things you don’t really want / use, and would like to
get rid of. Our thanks in
advance!!
P.P.S.!! Our Picnic Quilt and Hamper Raffle was
won by David Louw, sheet W, no. 9. Needless to say, he is delighted. Watch this space to hear about our next
raffle!!
News from the O.T. corner………
Many of the projects and events flowing from our O.T.
department are ongoing. To this end, we
are in need of glass bottles in order to bottle preservatives such as jam, lemon curd,
chakalaka etc as we prepare for our Craft Day in October. {are
you all remembering and also planning to do your bit??}. Our cooking
team is making a number of products which will be sold at the Craft Day, and they are busy sharpening their skills
at vetkeok-making – to be cooked and sold on the day. If you have a flair for cooking, or a need
for a creative outlet, we do cooking at Headway every Thursday
morning from 9.00 – 10.00 a.m.
Please collect all bottles, including bottles for vinegar, and bring
them to Headway. All sizes
welcome!!
Mark Ollerenshaw, Cameron Milton, Murray Dangerfield and Kevin
Grinker have completed a course in recording their own dance track. They did this by combining various musical
instruments, creating a vibey dance track [which can be heard at Headway
for any interested parties]. A big thank you to Ryan Fewster for
teaching the attendees how to use the computer programme, and for the many hours
of editing and individual work with these successful candidates. Well done, guys!
From “sounds of music” to the “sounds of nature”! We had another visit from Jean Senogles,
who came to give us a slide show on the Palmiet Nature Reserve. With Jean was one of her
colleagues, Clive Read, a TV cameraman who works for the SABC
and who is passionately involved with the environment. Jean gave a most
interesting environmental slide show and talk on the Palmiet, showing
scenes from both before and after the floods of 1984 (when there was a deluge
and an excessive amount of rain fell over a 3-day period). Jean’s talks are always so
interesting and informative, and there is so much more to learn that hopefully,
(since she has shown great interest in Headway), we’re going to see more
of her. Jean has also promised to donate a few indigenous trees to Headway,
on condition that they are cared for and nurtured by Simon and Cameron!! And such was the interest and enthusiasm from
the attendees that Clive has also promised to return with a selection of
his videos and to talk about his work.
Something really to look forward to.
Our sincere thanks to both Jean and Clive for generously
giving us their time.
And lastly, from the OT corner, do you keep forgetting to
take your own plastic packets with you when you go shopping? Are you finding this whole issue of having to
provide your own bags a hassle? We
have the solution for you!! Rose Patterson and her sewing team
have been working feverishly, and so we invite you to come and see their nifty
shopping bags: different sizes
/ different thicknesses / some to fit wheelchairs /
even “macho” ones! And the prices
are ridiculously low. So do come along
and consider buying one or more to keep permanently in your car!
Health awareness………
We eat roughly 16 times more sugar today than
we did 100 years ago. Most of us
have no idea how much sugar we are eating because much of it is
hidden among ingredients in processed food.
A ready-made savoury meal, for example, can contain up to 20 percent sugar. Manufacturers frequently substitute sugar
for fat to such an extent that low-fat versions may contain more sugar
than their full-fat counterparts.
Researchers at Princeton University, New Jersey claim the body
can become addicted to sugar and fat. Eating too much of either stimulates the
brain’s “feel good” chemicals, generating a high. High-sugar foods produce 50
percent more free radicals - which attack healthy cells - than the same amount
of fatty foods. Sugar,
along with fatty foods, also encourages the liver to produce too many
triglycerides – blood fats which fur up arteries, increasing the risk of heart
disease and strokes. If you
frequently crave a lift from sweets or alcohol, and afterwards feel low and
lacking energy, it’s very likely that you are suffering from fluctuating blood
sugar levels. This can cause fatigue and
irritability, plus more cravings. It can
also cause the production of damagingly high levels of insulin as the body
attempts to balance the sugar overload. Too much sugar in the blood can
cause insulin resistance and can lead to Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The
key to improving one’s health, and reducing the risk of heart disease and
stroke, is to cut down on sugar, and ensure that carbohydrates
comprise just over half your daily calories, and no more. A high carbohydrate diet can lead to weight
gain and blood-sugar disturbances, both risk factors for metabolic
syndrome. White bread, rice and pasta
which swiftly raise blood glucose should be replaced with wholegrain bread and
pasta, and brown rice. Eating protein at each meal prevents blood sugar
lows. Cut down on caffeine! Avoid overeating because it causes sugar
overload and leaves the body struggling to cope. Research has shown that 30 minutes of
daily exercise can halve the risk of Type 2 diabetes. (Taken from an article
in a recent International Express Newspaper.)
Stroke Social Group………
(This report was written by Peter Deighton, at my
request. He wrote it in the ‘third
person’ however I have taken poetic licence and put it into the ‘first person’).
“About three years ago, it was felt that some form of activity
should be introduced to Headway to cater for the older person who has
experienced a stroke. The O.T. at
the time, Jenny Kruger, started an informal group which is now known as
the Stroke Club. Originally there
were only 3 or 4 participants, and Jenny ran the club with
my help. When Jenny left
Headway to work at the Open Air School, I continued with the club,
and there have been at least 16 people participating during the last 2
years. Recently Kate Makanjee
joined as a helper, and Lillian, the wife of one of the members, also
lends a helping hand. The main purpose
of the club is to enable people to socialise with others in a similar, or even
worse, position and to realise that having a stroke is not the end of the
world, but, with the right attitude, can be the beginning of a new life. We participate in card games, bingo, horse
racing events and brain teasers. We
try to incorporate everyone in all our activities, even if it is only rolling a
dice or holding the cards. Some people
don’t enjoy the club, and we wish them all the best. There are many who do, and
they come back week after week. We meet
on Thursday mornings, from 9.30 to 11.00, and finish up
with a cup of tea or coffee and the occasional cakes or biscuits. Recently Rosanne Hardy, one of our psychologists,
has been giving the group some inspirational message or informative talk for
about half an hour. We always welcome
anyone who would like to join in the fun and laughter, and understand if you do
not come every week, come late or wish to leave early. So feel free to come and join the club.” (Our continual thanks go to Peter
for his wonderful help and sharing of his talents. He is a most amazing person, and makes such a
huge positive difference to so many lives.
We are indeed fortunate that he decided to become part of the Headway
Family.)
Translation of our literature………
For years now we have been discussing the very real
need to be able to provide our literature on T.B.I. and Strokes
in the Zulu language. As with so
many ideas, theoretically it has been a real priority, but practically
it has just never happened. All this is
about to change!! An Anglican
priest, the Rev. Victor Mkhize of
Dundee, KwaZulu Natal, has agreed
(and has already started!) to translate some of the leaflets which were sent to
him recently and he is doing this out of the goodness of his heart. BUT - there is actually a huge
amount of literature to translate and it would be neither fair nor
proper to ask him to consider this vast amount of work as an ongoing project
without some form of compensation. And
so, I’m first going to make an appeal for sponsorship for this project through
this newsletter. Is there anyone out
there who is in a position to offer sponsorship, or are there any suggestions
as to who we could approach? I’ve never yet
met anyone without an opinion, so we’d really appreciate hearing from you.
FINAL THOUGHT
Today well
lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision
of hope.”
