Headway Natal

Headway Newsletter : October 2005

Editorial

I was horrified to read that our worst fears regarding the changes to the Road Accident Fund are now about to become a reality. Mike Friedman, a well-known and much respected Attorney (and good friend of Headway), gave us a talk in February this year on the proposed changes. Amongst the points mentioned, he said that these changes would result in road accident victims receiving severely restricted payouts; far fewer claimants would be entitled to claim; a large number of injuries would be excluded since the proposals mean that injuries will be "graded" and only those considered to be "serious" will be eligible for compensation from the RAF.

As I have said before, from our personal experience with TBI, in all probability the claimant will end up incurring costs which will exceed the amount that he'll receive by way of compensation. It now looks as if these proposals are going to go ahead, despite opposition from many people and organisations, including Headway. I think it may be too late for us to do anything more now, so if you have always driven carefully I would suggest that you drive at least 3 times more carefully, and take a look at your personal insurance! Rose

Welcome ………

Joining Headway this month are Stuart Hamilton, Mia du Plessis and Priscilla Sitole and their families. We welcome you all, and hope we can provide the help and support you need at this time.

General meetings………

On Friday October 7, Dirk Le Roux - who is a distributor for Herbalife - gave us a talk called "Say YES to N.O. (Nitric Oxide)". N.B. Nitric Oxide is a colourless gas involved in physiological processes in minute quantities; not to be confused with Nitrous Oxide which is also a colourless gas used an anaesthetic. Dirk started by giving us some statistics on Cardio-vascular Disease and its links to Strokes and Heart attacks. He told us that 40% of all deaths are related to Cardiovascular Disease, and that a deficiency in Nitric Oxide can contribute to nearly every major disease of our times. The cardiovascular system uses N.O. to control blood flow to every part of the body. Not only can it relax and dilate the blood vessels, thus ensuring that blood can efficiently nourish the heart and tissues of the entire body, it can also support healthy blood pressure levels. The immune system uses N.O. to combat toxins, providing a strong internal defence system. The brain relies on N.O. to store and retrieve long-term memories and to transmit information within the nervous system.

Dirk emphasised the importance of having a good, healthy diet, drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day, taking regular exercise, reducing salt intake, avoiding/stopping smoking - the classic advice given by all health-conscious people. However he brought our attention to a product called Niteworks - made by Herbalife - which, taken at bedtime, works by its antioxidant properties inactivating the free radicals in the body which contribute to cell damage, and is a beneficial supplement to support circulatory and cardiovascular health. It was a most interesting talk, and if anyone is interested in finding out more about this, or any of the other products, please phone Dirk on: 082 659 4098. Our final speaker for 2005, June Prentice, will be coming on the second Friday of November which is the 11th. We really enjoyed her most amusing talk last year and so we're delighted to say she's agreed to talk, amongst other things, about "My part in a great train robbery". It will be most entertaining, and all are welcome. Friday 11th, at 11.00.

Donations………

We really are lucky to be in a position to be acknowledging so many people each month for their generosity. The donations for October amounted to R9725 and we'd like to thank the following people: Ubuntu Community Chest - R5000 (this was for September and October); Cowies Hill Women's Institute - R50; Athol Heights Primary School - R102; D. Behrens - R1000; Dain van der Reyden and Shirley Warne for their monthly pledges - R200; John Dory's (Pavilion) - R1800; R. Munisamy - R100; Woodhead, Bigby & Irving - R348; R. Basson - R50 [in memory of Ken Hobson]; and finally, the following donations all in memory of Sam Lynn: Neil & Lynn Laing - R200, George & Pat Binneman - R100, Colin & Barbara Bumberry - R150, Dr I. M. Machin - R50, N.V Howard - R150, H. F. Elliot - R125, R. F. Ryder - R100, and C. M. Henderson - R200. And now, lots more thank you's are due to the many people who brought various items for us to use / sell etc. We'd like to thank Debbie Dipenaar & Dr. Deoduth for responding to our request for plates etc., Mrs Mohoric, & Mrs Adriano - Christmas decorations, Marie Potgieter - Gift Bags, Andrea Tomsu - a "Dumb waiter", Mrs Grimshaw - 2 lounge cushions & an electric grill, Westville Rotary Anns - table cloths, Irene Limbouris - a vase she made for our Headway reception, & a bar counter, Molly Magnus - Gift tags and book marks, Gerda Kok - items for the Second-Hand Shop, and Darina Obertik & Mrs Woodhead - material for our Sewing Group. We really do appreciate all your generosity and caring.

Fundraising……….

Altogether this month, we raised the grand total of R11,596, this coming from - Craft Market, sale of books, sale of Crafts, our O.T. Department, Jumble Sale, our Photostat / Telephone tin, Raffles and our Second-hand Shop. We are so grateful to all those who so faithfully help with this difficult portfolio. (In fact, we would welcome anyone who would like to become involved with our fund-raising. It's hard work, but we do have lots of fun.) Well done, and our grateful thanks to all concerned.

Occupational Therapy update………(from Debbie)

The buzz at Headway has been the TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) support group on Thursdays. The group gave topics to be discussed over the past few weeks and the list is not finished yet! Topics discussed thus far are: "how to prevent a stroke"; "relationship after a TBI" and "Epilepsy and TBI". The support group is an opportunity to learn and meet new friends who have survived through similar circumstances as you and the friendships have grown in this group. Don't miss out! Our work since the craft market has not stopped! The orders for crafts have been pouring in and our craft groups have been busy. But if I get the craft group to make any more angels, I will be the angel at the top of the Christmas tree this year! We enjoyed 2 outings this month. The first was to Tim's house where we enjoyed Michelin's divine carrot cake and Walter's famous pizza. Tim entertained us with his new Biblical DVD's and we had a relaxing time. Our KFC outing was a success and enjoyed by all. Welcome back to Zipho!! Zipho was away for 2 weeks writing her matric exams. It is good to have her back! A special thank you to Nomah (for helping me) and Ryan for doing all the extra transport. Thank you for all the extra help and for filling in the gap while Zipho was away. Thx!!!! Stay posted for our gift making workshops in November, and remember the Higher Ground Camp from 12th-19th November!

…and the Physio Department………(from Pam, Liz & Gillian)

Well the weather and pool are warming up so expect some splashing sounds when you visit Headway-Natal. Five of our attendees recently took part in a Swimming Gala for the disabled at Kings Park. It was also turned into an outing with everyone going along to cheer. In fact, if there had been a 1st prize for team support, Headway Natal, with everyone wearing our Headway T shirts, would have been the outright winner!! Congratulations to Murray, Simon, Keith, Richard and Nikki for their excellent participation, and extra congrats. to Nikki for winning a medal for coming 3rd in her race. Thanks goes to Gillian for all her hard work and dedication in organising everyone for this event. And another thank you goes to Westville Superspar, who came up trumps again by donating 12 "Goodie" bags for our participants.

We look forward to our next Swimming gala in February 2006! Gillian is going to a Hydro Conference near Budapest for a couple of weeks in November, so new ideas are on the way. We are so pleased, Kevin and Tim are able to walk 8m with the new walker and some help!! This is such exciting progress. In recent months, the Physio Department has gradually been adding new equipment - courtesy of our Wish List (which will be discussed more fully in the next Newsletter). At this point, we'd like to say a very, very special thank you to Kieran & Paul Fouche for the loan of Paul's walker, which Kieran had had specially made. We have now been able to acquire our own walker, and this has played a huge role in helping Kevin and Tim. We also now have a Stepping Machine, and are in the process of obtaining some light weight dumbbells. It's all happening!

Craft market round-up………

As reported in the last newsletter, our Craft Market was a great success and the final figure of R9180 was raised. Again, our sincerest thanks to all who donated in the many and varied ways to help us achieve another great fund-raiser. As promised, we did have our Headway Joke Book on sale and it seems to have been appreciated by all who read it. Isn't laughter and comedy great?! A huge thank you goes to Rob Reidlinger from Creative Copy World for editing, printing and donating the finished product to us. Another example of the "milk of human kindness" being alive and well in the Highway area! We have been selling the copies for R10.00 and it will be an on-going project - and can be bought at Headway. (The Recipe Book is also still in the pipeline, however computer problems have complicated its completion, but one of these days…...!) Our O.T., Debbie, organised a special lunch to say thank you to all who worked so hard for the Headway Crafts, and Rose Paterson also held a thank you lunch for the Sewing Group. We really do feel it is so important to be able to express our appreciation to you all.

Evening out at John Dory's………

As noted in last month's newsletter, Donovan, the manager of John Dory's in the Pavilion, in cooperation with Westville Rotary Club and Kylie from Beetle Inc. - (who did the marketing), committed themselves to donating a percentage of the takings for Tuesday 11 October to Headway. Considering that Tuesdays are notoriously quiet nights for eating out - unless, of course, it's Ladies Night! - there was an excellent turnout of Rotarians and their wives, plus the staff at Headway managed to fill 2 large tables, and what a fun evening it turned out to be! The company was excellent, the food was delicious and all in all it was a most successful evening. To top it off, a few days later, Headway was presented with a cheque for R1800. This was a really generous offer, and what a pleasant way to raise funds. Our grateful thanks to all who supported this fund-raiser, and a very special thank you to the organisers.

From the Internet………

The University of Tasmania is hopeful that a protein it has discovered will eventually help treat a range of brain injuries. Neuroscientist, Roger Chung, has identified a protein the brain uses as a natural healing agent after injury. He has found that directly injecting the compound into animals assists brain healing. Dr Chung says it is hoped that the protein can be developed to treat brain-related injuries, such as strokes and spinal damage. "We're very interested in knowing what sorts of brain injury we can hopefully try and help," he said. "So we've been looking at experimental models of different sorts of brain injury, and one of those is in collaboration with some researchers in Perth in Western Australia. "[We've also been] working out how it might help the optic system in the eye, which is another part of the brain." Dr Chung says he has sought the help of burns specialist, Fiona Wood. Dr Wood invented the "spray on skin", which was used to treat the Bali bombing victims. "We're hoping that one day we can help someone who's suffered some sort of brain injury, help them recover," Dr Chung said. "So what we need to do is to translate our results from the lab and take them into a clinic. "Fiona's done that and we're hoping to take her experience and learn from that."

Shift in Brain's Language-Control Site Offers Rehab Hope

Scientists have found that the site in the brain that controls language in right-handed people shifts with aging--a discovery that might offer hope in the treatment of speech problems resulting from traumatic brain injury or stroke. The shift was documented by researchers led by Jerzy Szaflarski, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Academic Health Center, and by Scott Holland, PhD, professor in the UC departments of Biomedical Engineering, Pediatrics and Radiology. Dr. Holland also heads the Pediatric Brain Imaging Research Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. While the site of language activity in right-handed people is originally the left side of the brain, starting as early as age 5 language gradually becomes a function shared by both sides. Between the ages of about 25 to 67, the site becomes more evenly distributed, until language activity can be measured in both hemispheres simultaneously. This may explain why young children who have had a large portion of one side of the brain surgically removed often recover completely.

"This knowledge may give new hope for rehabilitation of brain function in adults after stroke or traumatic brain injuries," said Dr. Szaflarski.. "The fact that language adaptability is seen even in the older people supports the notion that these patients can be rehabilitated and returned to productive life, possibly even after a devastating stroke." Scientists have long thought that the hemisphere or side of the brain that controls language and speech is determined before birth. Most people are right-handed and demonstrate more activity during language or speech in the left hemisphere of the brain. In left-handed people, language centers are located more symmetrically. Both doctors studied brain activity in 177 right-handed children and adults, aged 5 to 67, at Cincinnati's University Hospital using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The technique shows brain activity - in this case language tasks such as reading or speaking - in a specific color. "Our research revealed that language activity in the brain increases in the dominant hemisphere from age 5 until about 25," Dr. Szaflarski said, "which may be related to improving linguistic skills and maturation of the central nervous system.

We observed that the nondominant side of the brain started helping the dominant side during reading or speaking from the age of 25 to 67." Drs. Szaflarski and Holland and their colleagues are also investigating how the brain handles language when it is damaged by a stroke or traumatic brain injury. In children, Dr. Szaflarski said, the brain seems able to reorganize and shift the work load to the uninjured side. In adults, this doesn't happen as easily. With a view to developing better treatment for brain injury in children and adults, the researchers are now trying to learn at what age this transition occurs.

Historical aspects of Head Injury………

The oldest known medical text pertaining to head injury is the Edwin Smith Papyrus. Edwin Smith purchased the papyrus in 1862 from an Egyptian merchant in Thebes. There is reference to "instructions concerning a gaping wound in the head, penetrating to the bone, smashing the skull, rending open the brain….". Head operations for trauma were first carried out by the Egyptians. The ancient civilization of Egypt covered a period of over 50 centuries and at least 30 dynasties, between 6000 and 342 BC. The Smith Papyrus is dated around 2500 BC. Alexander's conquest of Egypt in the 4th century BC introduced Greek culture into Egypt. The contribution of Greek scientists to head injury is also immense. Although post-traumatic epilepsy was first described by the Egyptians (2500 BC), Hippocrates (400 BC) discovered that fits occurred contralateral to the side of the head injury. Galen, another Greek scholar, in 100 AD ascribed post-traumatic seizures to vascular events. In 31 BC with the demise of Cleopatra, Egypt passed to Rome, which ruled until 640 AD. Not many advances in head injury were made during Roman rule. Arab rule succeeded the Romans, and the Turks followed the Arabs in 1517. Surgery received special attention under the Arabs. Abu Qasim as-Zahrawi, a 10th century Cordovan surgeon, described many neurosurgical problems and operations. Neurosurgery, as a sub-speciality requiring special training, was established by the Arabs around 700 AD, and was named "Mu ' alij al-Majan" (person who treats illnesses of the core of the brain). (Extract from a paper written by Dr. Sameer Nadvi - neurosurgeon.)

Dates to diarise………

Friday 11 November: Guest speaker at our general meeting is June Prentice, at 11.00a.m. all welcome.
Wednesday 7 December: Headway's end-of-year "Christmas Crackers". Please bring a plate of eats. Time is 6.15 for 6.30
Thursday 15 December: Closing Day Braai. Booking essential.
Monday 9 January: Headway meeting for the staff.
Tuesday 10 January: Headway re-opens

Back page snippets………

We do apologise to any of our members who didn't receive last month's Newsletter. Our receptionist, Darina, has been away and we've had a few people asking what happened to the newsletter. As Robbie Burns, the famous Scottish poet, once said, "the best-laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley"!
Congratulations to Glen OConner and Helen Tallack on their recent engagement! Wedding bells are going to ring in December, and we wish them a lifetime of love and happiness together.
Now is the time for new telephone directories. Please can we request as many people / businesses as possible to drop off their old ones at Headway for our Mondi Paper Waste bin. Since acquiring our "bin", your excellent response has continued, so keep up the good work and come along with the "heavies". Thanks.
Just a reminder that if anyone wishes to donate money to Headway, it can now be done under the Section 18 A Act which means that it can be included as a tax deductible amount, and we can issue official receipts for this purpose.
We had a response to our request for side plates - thank you so much - but are still in need of more plates. So if there is anyone "downsizing" or just spring cleaning, please think of us and bring them along to Headway. Another thanks.

Some of the things one can learn from Life!

Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
It's the small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
Under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
The Lord didn't do it all in one day.
What makes me think that I can?
Opportunities are never lost.
Someone will take the ones you miss!!
A person should keep his/her words both soft and tender.
Tomorrow they may have to eat them.