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Headway Newsletter : September 2004
Editorial
The main thrust of this Newsletter will be to make everyone aware of our up-and-coming Craft Market, to try to motivate you all to come along and to bring friends and relatives too, and just to support us in each and every way you can. Why should you go to the effort of helping and coming along? What's in it for you? To answer the latter question first : well, Christmas is just around the corner, and if you have family or friends overseas, then October is the month for posting in time for Christmas. And where better to buy novelty items and get value for money? Read the details below about the stalls we plan to have. As for the first question: to most of you, we are YOUR organisation. I have said so often before, we are as strong and successful as the support we get from you, our members. We are fully committed to helping and supporting you whenever and wherever you express a need. Your support for us helps to make us feel that what we are doing is all worthwhile. Rose
Welcome ………
Our new members this month are Mildred Cele, Barbara Ilsley, Mariam Lockat, Gladys Ndlovu and Hazel Parker. We welcome you to Headway and wish you happiness and our support and help on your road to recovery.
An additional welcome………
We are extremely happy to welcome another Physiotherapist, Gillian Adams, to Headway. Gillian began at the beginning of September, and is working for us 2 mornings a week - (so we are now able to offer physiotherapy 5 mornings a week.) Gillian was in private practice in Pretoria before going to work in England in 1997. She worked at a Day Centre for neurologically-disabled persons, and in private practice. She also completed her Masters Degree. One of her main interests is Hydrotherapy.
Gillian says she is happy to be back in South Africa and to be part of Headway. From our side, we are delighted to have Gillian as part of our team, and look forward to a long and happy association.
Sending our good wishes………
We learned a few weeks ago that 3 of our members, Louis Crookes, Shirley Burgess, and Hennie Pretorius, have recently had a few health problems. We hope that all is going well, and we send our best wishes for a return to full health.
Donations………
We are continually grateful for the monetary donations which fortunately keep on coming in each month. The following amounts were received: Westville Ladies' Bridge Club - R1250; Ubuntu Community Chest - R1500; Friendship Pledges - R200 (2xR100); L. Krog - R50; Frangipani Club (use of our premises) - R30; anonymous - R250; and Community Care Centres (used to be called Operation Jumpstart) - R10,000. This last donation was earmarked specifically to cover the costs of completely rewiring Headway House. I don't think there is anyone reading this newsletter who is unaware of the on-going costs of maintenance on a property. Quite apart from our day-to-day running costs, which are in excess of R1000 a day, it is essential for us to ensure that Headway House is always safe, clean & tidy, and that everything is operating correctly.
(just an aside: our swimming pool has recently developed a leak which obviously will need to be fixed - and soon if this hot weather is going to continue!!). A large amount of our everyday maintenance is kept under control by Stan Paterson, who works away quietly in the background doing a myriad of chores which we all take for granted. Thank you so much, Stan, it is greatly appreciated even if we don't tell you as often as we should!! Donations in kind continue to arrive, and for this we are so very grateful.
It helps us to keep our shop and our book sales remaining viable enterprises. Our special thanks go to Shelley Grobler for providing us with cakes every Wednesday, to Hennie & Judy Pretorius for donating tea, coffee and sugar, to Jessica Perritt, Avis Wallis, Mr & Mrs Grimshaw, Mrs Johnston, Don Phillips, Jane Bishop, and Mrs Bradley for their kind donations towards our shop and our books / magazines sales. Another thank you goes to Mrs Mellow for the kind donation of a set of Golf Clubs and carry bag. A special thank you needs to go to Costa and Cathy Sofilas who recently donated a "Tree of Happiness" (which is made from an arrangement of semiprecious stones), and also 100 "Friendship Cups" which we'll be selling at our Craft Market.
Recently we made an appeal in the Highway Mail for the Vodacom plastic music drums which had been given out to spectators at the recent rugby Test Match, Springboks v Wallabies, at the Absa Stadium. Thank you to Mrs Spoks, Annette Gardiner and Maureen - our volunteer - for your kind response and for donating your drums. They are currently being used and enjoyed in our Music Therapy Group. (Are there any more out there just gathering dust??)
Fund-raising………
Fund-raising this month brought in R1609 and this came from mainly from our on-going sources, namely our shop sales, which raised R757; sales of T shirts - R380; our Collection Tins - Bread Ahead - R109, Carmel Owen - R108 and Hillcrest Motors - R81; honey sales - R100; sale of E pap - R32; miscellaneous - R32 and Paper Waste - R10. A heartfelt thank you to all concerned for your continued efforts for Headway. We really do appreciate your hard work and your commitment.
HEADWAY CRAFT MARKET
SATURDAY 30 OCTOBER: 08h30 TO 14h00
VENUE: HEADWAY-NATAL, 11 MENSTON ROAD, WESTVILLE
Our CRAFT MARKET, detailed in the box above, is one of our main FUND-RAISING projects each year. Last year's Craft Market was a huge success, and so we're hoping to build on that success. There were many positives arising from last year's venture, and probably one of the most important was the amount of confidence and self-worth built up between our attendees, volunteers and staff - a direct result of the quality of work which they produced and the wonderful camaraderie which grew from "working" so cheerfully and productively together. The decision was taken to build on this momentum and make "craft making" an on-going activity. And the result of that is that we have produced such an amazing amount of lovely and varied items for our CRAFT MARKET. (A huge vote of thanks to our wonderful staff and superb and generous group of volunteers.) We are still hopeful that many of you are busy making a variety of goodies to help us, and that many of you will be able to bake or donate edibles for our Cake Stall and our Tea Garden. (Any queries, please phone Headway). So just to whet some appetites and inspire you to make a date to come along on the 30th, here are some details of what you can expect to find.
º HEADWAY º CRAFTS º PUZZLES º QUILTING º BEADWORK º WOODCRAFT º BOOKS º CLOTHING º POTTERY º SUN-KIST PRODUCTS º CARDS º CAKES ETC º HEADWAY SEWING GROUP º BEAUTY PRODUCTS º BEADWORK º WHITE ELEPHANT º TEA GARDEN º 'WORS ROLLS º SECOND HAND SHOP… and more…
A great deal of thought and energy go into the planning and execution of a Fund-Raiser like this, and it is so exciting and rewarding to be able not only to "show off", and hopefully sell, the fruits of our hard work, but to make the whole day into an enjoyable experience where everyone is a winner. It's an opportunity for each and every one of you just to visit Headway,
plus an opportunity to pick up some real bargains in time for Christmas,
plus an opportunity to have some fun.
We're all working very hard to make the day enjoyable for you; please support us and help us to make it a success!
Guest speakers………
Our guest speaker on Friday 3 September was Dr Dennis York, and his topic was (the latest buzz word) "Homocysteine". He gave us a most interesting and informative talk - one which gave us all very good reason to stop and think, and perhaps to take some action and have our homocysteine levels checked!! So what is it about this new buzz word that has got the some of the medical profession so excited? We've all heard about strokes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart attacks, Alzheimers, cancer etc. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were able to prevent any of these diseases and to be able to know what the chances are of succumbing to any of them? This is where a person's homocysteine level can be an indicator.
Our homocycsteine level can tell us just how well, or otherwise, we are. Homocysteine is an amino acid which is a "building block" of protein which occurs naturally in our blood. The amino acids move around our bodies making everything work. The levels of our homocysteine are more accurate than cholesterol in predicting our risk of a heart attack or stroke. Patrick Holford, author of the book dealing with homocysteine called "The H Factor", says that a person's H score can predict the risks of over 50 diseases - including increased risk of premature death from all common causes. It can reveal how quickly a person's body will age.
(Ladies, take note!!) It is believed that people should be able to live at least to the age of 120, but only if they are very aware of, and take care of, their homocysteine level. Researchers are starting to agree that one's homocysteine level can both directly and indirectly be responsible for the major diseases which affect both men and women, and that is why is it considered so important for each of us to know what our homocystein level is. Once a person has found out, if the news is not too good, then it is a fairly straightforward matter to correct and control the levels, without having to spend a fortune on medication. Dr York mentioned that the B Vitamins, (especially B2, B6 and B12), Folic Acid and Zinc have a very important role to play in achieving and maintaining a healthy homocysteine level. He emphasised the importance of "moderation" and also "natural is best".
He went on to say that although there is no miracle homocysteine-lowering medication on the market, your levels can be lowered by following what is called the "H Diet" which includes the following advice:
a) eat less fatty meat, more fish, eggs and vegetable protein;
b) eat your greens, especially salads, and have at least 2 fruits a day;
c) have a clove of garlic a day;
d) reduce salt intake;
e) reduce your intake of coffee and tea, or drink rooibos;
f) limit your alcohol - generally, women can't process alcohol as well as men!;
g) reduce your stress;
h) stop smoking;
i) take a high strength multivitamin supplement every day;
j) correct oestrogen deficiency;
k) KNOW YOUR HOMOCYSTEINE LEVEL!
Although the research into homocysteine is still in its early stages, what we are hearing is clearly very exciting, is very much in keeping with recommendations from other "health-conscious" organisations, and it is yet another strong indicator of the need to follow a sensible diet and a healthy and active lifestyle. Dr York ended by saying that the quality of our lives depended on the choices which we make in our lifestyle, and not on our genetic make-up.
Our next Friday morning speaker, on Friday 1st October, will be one of the social workers from the Epilepsy Foundation. I think this will be a most interesting talk since epilepsy is one of the more common results after an acquired brain injury. It will be an interactive talk, so come along, ask your questions and get up to date with the latest thinking on epilepsy.
Our talk on Friday 5th November will be given by our new physiotherapist, Gill Adams, and we've asked her to talk about her recent work in the UK, her specific interest in Hydrotherapy and to update us on recent developments in the neuro-physio scene in the UK. It will be a most interesting talk, all are welcome, and we encourage anyone who is interested to come along. The talk will begin at 11.00.
Health news………
In typical form, I found the following articles in other publications, and felt that they would be of interest. Here are two items I found in the most recent copy of Longevity.
CONVERTING SKIN CELLS TO BRAIN CELLS. " New hope is on the horizon for people suffering from neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's - and it lies in the largest organ of the body, namely the skin. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, have used skin cells from adults to grow nerve precursor cells. According to the team, the study provides an avenue for further studies and raises the possibility of generating nerve cells from a person's own cells which overcomes the risk of rejection of transplanted nerve cells from other donors."
CREATINE FOR STROKES. "recent finding from doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital in the USA suggest that a widely available dietary supplement helps reduce the effects of a stroke. Creatine is an amino acid derivative used by athletes to build muscle. It has now been found to reduce brain injury after a stroke by 56 % in mice who were fed the supplement for a month prior to the stroke. The research team hopes that Creatine might eventually be given as a protective measure for patients at risk of a stroke in much the same way as aspirin."
Headway outreach………
There is both good news and bad news this month. The bad news concerns our intended Health Day which we had planned for the beginning of October. We have had extremely successful Health Days for the past 2 years, and it had become a fixture in our calendar which had engendered great interest and anticipation from the public. In fact, we have had several phone calls asking us to confirm when our Health Day will be. Unfortunately it has now become a casualty of the new Pharmaceutical leglislation since we relied fairly heavily on the donation from our local Pharmacies and Pharmaceutical companies of the various equipments and testing strips which we used. Sadly we have had to cancel this year's plans, however if it is in any way possible, we'll try again next year. However, we do have some plusses this month.
Linda Hiles and Rose McArthur took part in a live radio broadcast on Thursday 16 September. The talk was about Headway and Acquired Brain Injury on a programme run by the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa and Health Radio. It was a most interesting and enjoyable experience and hopefully was of help to those who were listening. (Headway has had a few phone calls as a result of the programme). Linda and Rose also took part in a LIFESTYLE FAIR at the University of Durban's Medical School.
The aim was to make Headway known to the current medical students and also to the other exhibitors. Three of our attendees, Nikki Draper, Mandla Mkhize and Rajiv Shah also helped just by being there and talking to people about their personal experiences. We had done a similar outreach last year, which was a huge success. This year the LIFESTYLE FAIR was more "low key", however our aim is always to publicise Headway to as many people as possible so it gave us a further opportunity to have a more public face. Rose was invitied to give a talk on Headway at the retirement village, La Domaine, in Hillcrest. The main interest expressed by those present concerned Stroke, and it really is sad to hear all the stories about family members or friends who have suffered a Stroke, and have struggled through the experience unaware that we exist and are in a position to give the much-needed help and support.
Knowing from my personal experience just how hard it can be for families, and we luckily were supported by Headway, it is imperative that our aim must always be to try to have a much higher public profile BEFORE someone actually needs us, so that people actually do know where to turn.
Support Groups………
For a good few years we have been running a support group for carers on Tuesdays from 12 - 1.00. We have now decided to change the day to a Wednesday, with immediate effect. So, here is an update and a reminder of the support groups we hold:
Monday: Stroke Carers' support group 11.00 - 12.00
Tuesday: Zulu-speakers' support group 09.30 - 10.15
Wednesday: Brain injury / Stroke carers' support group 12.00 - 1.00
Thursday: Stroke Social Group 09.30 - 11.00
Thursday: Brain Injured support group 12.00 - 1.00
I found the following Indian legend quite by chance several years ago, and it has always hovered around in my mind. It is simply called "Bamboo", but in its simplicity there is a profound and beautiful message.
Bamboo
Once upon a time, at the heart of the western kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there
in the cool of the day was the master of the garden who went for a walk.
Of all the dwellers of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a gracious and noble Bamboo. Year after year, Bamboo grew yet more beautiful & gracious. He was conscious of his master's love and watchful delight, yet he was modest and in all things gentle.
Often when Wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would throw aside his dignity.
He would dance and sway merrily, tossing and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon. He would lead the great dance of the garden which most delighted his master's heart. One day the master himself drew near to look at his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of love, bowed his great head to the ground in joyful greeting. The master spoke: "Bamboo, I would use you." Bamboo flung his head to the sky in delight.
The day of days had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and destiny!
His voice came low: "Master, I am ready, use me as you want."
"Bamboo," the master's voice was grave, "I would be obliged to take you and cut you down."
A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo. "Cut…me…down? Me whom you, master,
have made the most beautiful in all of your garden? To cut me down, ah, not that, not that. Use me for your joy, oh master, but cut me not down." "Beloved Bamboo," the master's voice grew graver still. "If I do not cut you down, then I cannot use you." The garden grew still. Wind held her breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There came a whisper. "Master, if you cannot use me unless you cut me down, then do your will and cut."
"Beloved, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also." "Master, master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust, but would you take from me my leaves and branches also?" "Bamboo alas! If I do not cut them away, I cannot use you." The sun hid her face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low, "Master, cut away."
"Bamboo, Bamboo, I would divide you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use you."
"Master, master, then cut and divide."
So the master of the garden took Bamboo and cut him down and hacked off his branches and stripped off
his leaves and divided him in two and cut out his heart; and lifting him gently, he carried him to where there was a spring of fresh, sparkling water in the midst of the master's dry fields. Then putting down one end of broken Bamboo into the spring and the other end into the water channel in his field, the master laid down gently his beloved Bamboo.
The spring sang welcome. The clear sparkling water raced joyously down the channel of Bamboo's torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted and the days went by. The shoots grew. The harvest came. In that day was Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility.
For in his beauty he was life abundant.
But in his brokenness he became a channel of abundant life to his master's world.
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