tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79421393422776392912024-03-13T19:20:18.826-07:00My Jojo WorldA video blog for the creatively maladjusted.gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comBlogger413125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-53068020523823604402012-04-18T13:57:00.000-07:002012-04-18T13:57:31.222-07:00Temporary InkTattoos Designs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_8520" style="width: 410px;"><img alt="temporary tattoos, tattoo, temporary tattoo design, water proof temporary tattoos, Temporary Ink Tattoo, temporary body art, Temporary Zodiac tattoos.http://www.fshnsite.com/" class="size-full wp-image-8520 " height="640" src="http://www.fshnsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Temporary-Tattoos.jpg" title="Body Art and Temporary Tattoos Designs" width="640" /> <b>Temporary Tattoos Designs</b></div>For custom temporary tattoos wholesale you’ll make a great impression on your <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">customers</span> and promote your business at the same time! You can have your company logo made into a tattoo or any design you want. Removable <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4">tattoos</span> are a great <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1">fundraising idea</span> or <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2">promotional</span> tool.<br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_8523" style="width: 410px;"><img alt="temporary tattoos, tattoo, temporary tattoo design, water proof temporary tattoos, Temporary Ink Tattoo, temporary body art, Temporary Zodiac tattoos.http://www.fshnsite.com/" class="size-full wp-image-8523 " height="450" src="http://www.fshnsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Bijoux4-64WQURVW1img_01791.jpg" title="Temporary Ink Tattoo" width="400" /><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">Temporary Ink Tattoo</div></div>Most tattoos are quite safe, but it’s best to check the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">ingredients</span> to make sure you’re not allergic to any of the inks or ingredients being used. To <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD7">remove</span> a temporary tattoo design simply apply baby oil to the skin and wipe it off. While water proof temporary tattoos are waterproof, it will wear down the tattoo faster. You can make a temporary tattoo last longer by avoiding rubbing and keeping it free from water as much as possible.</div>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-39336619331860944262012-04-18T12:44:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.111-07:00care facility transition<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">My firstmorning after surgery coincided to the day with Patti’s admittance to a care facilityyears earlier. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Howafter 22 years of spouse caregiving had I missed this extraordinary ‘coincidence’?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Whatwould happen to Patti should anything happen to me as her spouse caregiver? –was among our concerns as the dawn of the care facility era approached after 15years of homecare. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Knowingwhat we know now and because of the care facility era, the answer is … Pattiwas worry free, stress free, safe and seamlessly cared for throughout mydiagnosis, surgery, and recovery. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Thisblog was originally created to share that transitional year for Patti’s family,friends, and anyone that may one day journey down the same path.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSJXwqmjNEs/T48ZDL_RuTI/AAAAAAAAKrM/SNBkKT6ZH_Y/s1600/2004+Misc+(1024x731).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DSJXwqmjNEs/T48ZDL_RuTI/AAAAAAAAKrM/SNBkKT6ZH_Y/s400/2004+Misc+(1024x731).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Backthen as one entry shares an Internet search found only 3 caregiving journalsand 3 Multiple Sclerosis blogs. Cyberspace is a different universe these days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Anywayblogs remain difficult to read in retrospect because you have to read thembackwards. So as I found myself rereading that transitional year whilerecovering, I reorganized the entries in chronological order. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Forconvenience, I have posted them as a permanent page with the tab ‘<a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/p/transition-year-to-care-facility.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>care facility transition</b></span></a>’ at the top of this journal.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Thoseentries remain a real diary of one family’s transitional year to the carefacility era after 15 years of homecare for Multiple Sclerosis. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetic`, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-62801249101772499252012-04-16T10:22:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.112-07:00Long-Term Care Insurance Reform<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><i>“I wannabe on the cover of Forbes magazine</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><i>Smilingnext to Oprah and the Queen”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">‘Billionaire’by Travie McCoy <span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">WhenForbes Magazine turns its capitalist focused eye on Long Term Care reform it isworth noting.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2012/04/11/make-long-term-care-insurance-part-of-health-care/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Make Long-Term Care Insurance Part Of Health Care</b></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">“Why notmake insurance for long-term care services and supports part of health carecoverage?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">It is aradical idea that turns the current model—which often treats long-term careinsurance as an element of retirement planning—entirely on its head…”</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">“We have to try something new” concludes the article.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">It’s been thousands of years of mythology plus thousands of yearsof knowledge since ol’ Oedipus solved the Riddle of the Sphinx, ‘What walks onfour legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs at night?’ Yet howmany of us deny daily our own aging and eventual need for care. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="http://www.strengthforcaring.com/util/press/facts/facts-at-a-glance.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Only a third of all adults</b></span></a> say they have even talked with family ora friend about providing care to them in the future or had purchased disabilityincome insurance or looked into independent or assisted living arrangements orpurchased long-term care insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Only 4 in 10 adults have set aside funds to cover additionalexpenses or signed a living will or healthcare power of attorney. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">How many can even afford such options?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RY5AKsvyWFk/T4xU7Kz8O2I/AAAAAAAAKpE/ebDXIgA3UpM/s1600/headline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RY5AKsvyWFk/T4xU7Kz8O2I/AAAAAAAAKpE/ebDXIgA3UpM/s320/headline.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">As a result … family caregivers provide about 80 percent of alllong-term care services in the U.S; an estimated 120 million adult Americans(57 percent) are either providing unpaid care to an adult family member orfriend or have provided this care in the past. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">When the baby boomer generation starts walking on three legs, howlong before this house of cards comes crashing down?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Yes! We need to try something new!<o:p></o:p></span></div>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-38060764734720491382012-04-11T16:29:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.112-07:00Most disturbing thing I have ever seen.<iframe width="400" height="301" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZtRGQRtwh2U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-23529240206455771372012-04-07T07:49:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.112-07:00lung surgery recovery<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><i>"He whoknows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Sun Tzu,‘The Art of War’<o:p></o:p></span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">At thetheoretical half way point of recovery from lung surgery, the word itselfremains somewhat alien after decades of spouse caregiving for MultipleSclerosis.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xcGJqCFbqz0/T4BRb1kKoBI/AAAAAAAAKn0/-VxavNATbN8/s1600/lung+cancer+survivor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xcGJqCFbqz0/T4BRb1kKoBI/AAAAAAAAKn0/-VxavNATbN8/s320/lung+cancer+survivor.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Me feelinga little better each day is strange, almost guilty, contrasted to decades of MScaregiving where ‘progress’ is measured in slowing decline.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Though afterthree weeks not every lesson learned is a quandary. Foolishly trying to be ‘muymacho’ I kept the pain meds in the bottle - until the first time I coughed oraccidently rolled over on my surgical side while sleeping, then I grabbed thatOxycontin like a baby grabs its bottle. … Though unlike a chronic illness, hourby hour it does get better. Yesterday, I only took two (2) ibuprofen. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">For me, mainly it’s my ribs that were retracted for surgery thatache and ribs take time. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Essentiallyrecovery is about not stressing my incisions. I have lifting restrictions. Mysurgeon’s anecdotes of repairing lung hernias for those who do not listen were deterrentenough for me. Not lifting more than 5 lbs - also means no pulling, no pushing,no sliding, etc of anything over 5 lbs for six weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">While Ido not need assistance with my activities of daily living, our adult daughterhas been a godsend for grocery shopping, lawn mowing, etc. even things I neverforesaw such as lifting the weights weekly on our grandfather clock.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1awAvambfAQ/T4BRr_VFY6I/AAAAAAAAKn8/Ezm7gbmdnaw/s1600/voldyne+5000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1awAvambfAQ/T4BRr_VFY6I/AAAAAAAAKn8/Ezm7gbmdnaw/s200/voldyne+5000.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Exercisingand strengthening lungs ... </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">When Iwoke up after surgery I was handed my very own Voldyne 5000! Actually it’srather fun once you get the hang of it, inhaling steadily to try and keep thebobber suspended in the “best” range.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Walking is unrestricted. I’ve currently built up walking to a miletwice daily, stretching it each day. Pre-surgery I walked two miles most daysof the week. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I must confess that in our parallel universe I have found ithelpful in my healing that Patti’s outings from her care facility, now madepossible by our daughter, have only fallen off about one day a week during myrecovery.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">related entries:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">when caregivers get sick - lung cancer</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 24</span></h3><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-do-you-glow.html" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">when caregivers get sick – do you glow?</a><span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 25</span></span></h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-man-plans-god.html" style="color: #3778cd;">when caregivers get sick – man plans, God laughs</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 26</span></h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/from-caregiving-to-survivorship.html" style="color: #3778cd;">from caregiving to survivorship</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 28</span></h3></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-68134218137609966432012-04-06T09:18:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.112-07:00Tiger Woods vs Multiple Sclerosis Caregiver<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AoQfGMgh3r0/T38WWweKjiI/AAAAAAAAKnQ/lcT20TldDxM/s1600/TigerWoodsBadGuy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AoQfGMgh3r0/T38WWweKjiI/AAAAAAAAKnQ/lcT20TldDxM/s1600/TigerWoodsBadGuy.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">The challengesof living with Multiple Sclerosis and the PR maxim that any publicity is goodpublicity are certainly getting a trial by fire this week.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_bianchi/2012/04/tiger-woods-masters-sick-relatives.html/comment-page-2" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Shamefully,Tiger Woods even ignores his sick relatives </b></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>“… There is a part of me, a big part ofme, that will be rooting against Tiger Woods<br /> </i></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> In fact, there is a part of me that hopesTiger Woods never wins another golf tournament.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> He is not a good person, and I’m sorry, Isimply cannot root for athletes who treat those around them like garbage…”</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/tiger-woods-half-siblings/story?id=16074340#.T38Vz_uvhCJ" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Tiger Woods Won't Help Half-Siblings?</b></span></a></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i> “…Tiger Woods' half-siblings say theircalls for help from the golf superstar have fallen on deaf ears.</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i> Woods' older half-sibling Kevin Woods hasbeen battling multiple sclerosis and is now confined to a wheelchair. He needsa caretaker and is in danger of losing his San Jose home…”</i></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/page/MastersRickReilly/tiger-brother" target="_blank"><b>We take care of our own</b></a></span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>"We haven't asked Tiger for adime," says Earl Jr., who lives in Phoenix. "Not even tickets to atournament. But Kevin's losing his home. He needs a caregiver and he can't havea caregiver and keep his home at the same time.</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i> A spokesman for Tiger said that he'spreparing for the Masters and wouldn't be returning my call to talk about it..”</i></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">While UScelebrity and sports driven media feeds on the larger than life story involvedin the Woods brothers dealing or not dealing with MS as an extended family, Ifor one wish that the families and friends of the other 400,000 Americans and2.5 million people worldwide diagnosed with MS take the time to look in themirror.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-38853979585123216582012-04-02T07:15:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.112-07:00empathy and caregiving<br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>“You never really know a man until you understand things from hispoint of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”</i> … HarperLee, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">As I sat on the bathroom floor from my first and only fall duringrecovery (and with only my pride injured), I could hear echoes of my own voice asking Patti …<i> “why are you stilltrying to do things you can no longer do?” </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Recovering from surgery has been eye opening. Through a quartercentury of caregiving for Patti’s Multiple Sclerosis and physical decline, I’venever experienced physical compromise myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffnp3bwp2H0/T3mzC4KmzPI/AAAAAAAAKnE/9zPSND2ceY0/s1600/emphathy+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffnp3bwp2H0/T3mzC4KmzPI/AAAAAAAAKnE/9zPSND2ceY0/s200/emphathy+.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, my pain and challenges are only temporary and in less than amonth will be gone but daily I find myself feeling staggered by the seeminglyendless ripples of change. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Even riding in our car or our wheelchair accessible van as a passenger is so rough on my ribs it feels more like a roller coaster. Shoulderharnesses may be safe but not ‘kind’ to ribs healing from being spread apartfor lung cancer surgery. Thank goodness for faux-down vests, the next best thing tobubble wrapping yourself. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Seeing, dealing with, and adapting to physical change from thecaregiver’s perspective is incomparable to living it. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><div style="font-size: 14px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a> </span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br /><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-11061671138322288662012-03-28T19:34:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.113-07:00from caregiving to survivorship<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> <i>“O Lord,Bless the surgeon’s hand. Comfort all who wait for news.” </i></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Though ‘all who wait’ was still only ourdaughter, we were committed to our conspiracy of silence until after surgery. Theevening before was spent as any caregiving evening as an outing with Pattiunaware of either diagnosis or pending surgery.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally it was time to attack the cancer. Inalmost 4 hrs of surgery I behaved myself under anesthesia and surgeon performeda wide wedge resection of the lung lobe removing cancer and surrounding tissue,spreading the ribs, and going into the lung lobe to get the lymph nodes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Awakening in ICU, I actually felt great – nopain at all! “It’s the epidural” explained my nurse.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">My epidural was my BFF for two more days ofpain free recovery. My only previous association with epidural was Patti’s birthof Megan but I have no problem endorsing, ‘real men get an epidural’. I waseven able to walk around ICU within an hour of awakening.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">On the third morning (first without epiduraland I felt like I had been run over by a truck) and St. Patrick’s Day morn’surgeon stopped by to say good bye, he was sending me home and by the waybiopsies were back – all the lymph nodes and surrounding tissue from wedgetested negative for cancer. Yabadabadoo!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dxl9gbwviV4/T3PH_Hm8yNI/AAAAAAAAKm4/YbshrrJDEA8/s1600/Mar_Karen_Bennett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rays of Hope, is a tribute to Karen Bennett's aunt Ruth, who kept hope alive while watching, caring for, and losing her husband and only child to cancer. 2012 Expressions of Hope Calendar March" border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dxl9gbwviV4/T3PH_Hm8yNI/AAAAAAAAKm4/YbshrrJDEA8/s320/Mar_Karen_Bennett.jpg" title="Rays of Hope by Karen Bennett" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">3 and a half days earlier I had transferedPatti from her wheelchair to her bed and wished her good night a MS spousecaregiver (maybe a quarter million of us) now I walked out defined by ‘surviorship’,one of more than 10 million cancer survivors in the United States. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Though honestly, most important to me was thatI was able to complete all my ‘activities of daily living’ by myself whilerecovering at home for the next month and should be back to full abilities then.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes I have some restrictions on lifting for nowbut thankfully our daughter is at home. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Steppinginto the void, she had picked up Patti from her care facility and had her homefor a family outing, one week to the day since our pre-surgery outing.</span><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Previous related entries ...</span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">when caregivers get sick - lung cancer</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 24</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-do-you-glow.html" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">when caregivers get sick – do you glow?</a><span style="background-color: white;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 25</span></span></h3><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-man-plans-god.html" style="color: #3778cd;">when caregivers get sick – man plans, God laughs</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 26</span></h3></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">(PS The pictured painting "</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">Rays of Hope" , is a tribute by Karen Bennett to her aunt Ruth, who kept hope alive while watching, caring for, and losing her husband and only child to cancer. 2012 Expressions of Hope Calendar, March)</span></span>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-3238154831195100812012-03-26T20:52:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.113-07:00when caregivers get sick – man plans, God laughs<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br />“Man plans, God laughs.”</i></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Yiddish proverb</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">An outpatient procedure, <a href="http://www.scandirectory.com/content/ct_guided_lung_biopsy.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CT guided needle biopsy</span></a>, was scheduled for the Monday morning after Super Bowl.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Informed I would need a ride home sinceconscious sedation was involved actually became a proverbial silver lining. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Sooo Super Bowl weekend I broke the news andthe truth to our daughter. I decide to stop trying to be my Dad and be me. Meganhas been at my side every step of the way even as a coconspirator in silence. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Outpatient pre-surgery famous last words #1</u> –“Less than 10% chance of anything going wrong” … well, 'I am the 10%' ending up witha collapsed lung (pneumothorax) and hospitalized overnight with a chest tubeinserted to inflate lung. Waiting to be discharged the next day I watched the lastsnow fall of the season from my room window.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_nb-ASmgjA/T3E1HMhZ9fI/AAAAAAAAKmg/It_ssR2QgPM/s1600/windowview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_nb-ASmgjA/T3E1HMhZ9fI/AAAAAAAAKmg/It_ssR2QgPM/s320/windowview.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Now a ‘we’, we learned the biopsy revealed thenodule was malignant and it was off to an Oncologist and Thoracic surgeon. Theyfelt a look and biopsy of lymph nodes would improve treatment options includingmaximizing surgery options.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Another outpatient procedure, an <a href="http://www.ctsnet.org/sections/clinicalresources/thoracic/expert_tech-40.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) Biopsy of Lymph Nodes</span></a> was scheduled for March 1. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>Outpatient pre-surgery famous last words #2</u> -“Less than 1% chance of anything going wrong” - well, 'I am the 1%' asmy heart beat plummeted and stopped beating for 5 to 10 seconds during theprocedure. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Revived and admitted to the cardiac unit overnight andafter a thorough cardio work up I was released the next day and informed that1) I DID NOT have a heart attack and 2) my heart was in excellent condition. (‘Probablyin better shape than the surgical team you freaked out’, quipped onecardiologist.) … Best medical guess – <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1661644" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">vasovagal response</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">After a night’s sleep at home I returned for a<a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/nscan/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">nuclear cardiac stress test</span> </a>which I rocked and was cleared for lung surgery.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Unanswered – no heart beat for 10 seconds; do Iqualify for zombie status? Or was I just thrown back like an undersized fish? Sorry,no lights or tunnel to report, I slept through it all.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">________________</span><o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">(to be continued … <i>since its inception Caregivingly Yours entrieshave courteously not exceeded 350 words and my ribs ache from surgery just trying to get these out</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><br /><div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>previous ...</i></span></div><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick.html" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>when caregivers get sick - lung cancer</b></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;">Mar 24</span><br /><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-do-you-glow.html" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">when caregivers get sick – do you glow?</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> <span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 25</span></span></h3><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;">continued ...</i></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/from-caregiving-to-survivorship.html"><span style="color: blue;">from caregiving to survivorship</span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #444444;"> </span>Mar 28</span></h3></span></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><i style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #444444; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</span></a></span></span></i></span></b></span></i></span></i></span></div></h3><br /></div>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-9858320127740602642012-03-25T16:28:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.113-07:00when caregivers get sick – do you glow?<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>"Families may be one accident, injury, ordiagnosis away from bankruptcy."</i> U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">As EOB (explanation of benefits) statements beganto appear from ever more sophisticated and expensive tests I realized cancerwas going to be expensive even with medical insurance. Our family resources hadalready been swamped living with a quarter century of one major diagnosis,Multiple Sclerosis. Can any family survive two?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Blinded by MS tunnel vision I had never noticedhow many stories in newspapers recounted the collateral damage of cancer suchas a family hosting a fundraiser at a local church to try and raise $6,000 justto pay their yearly medical insurance deductibles for their son’s cancertreatment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Why was I keeping it all to myself? - Almost 15years ago my Dad died of Pancreatic Cancer. He chose to keep it hidden as long as possible, dying less than a monthafter friends and family were told. Like father like son I originally chose tokeep it secret.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Keep in mind I physically felt great. Caregivingwas a comfortable masquerade focused on Patti. Glancing back at this blog fromthat time, I was writing about outings with Patti and even - <a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/01/exercise-fitness-caregiving.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">exercise, fitness, caregiving for Multiple Sclerosis</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">More importantly - what about Patti in the now,today?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nJJGRlFVHk/T24CuxYrcZI/AAAAAAAAKmA/xDrkoU9f08Q/s1600/new+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nJJGRlFVHk/T24CuxYrcZI/AAAAAAAAKmA/xDrkoU9f08Q/s200/new+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Megan, our daughter, brought Patti home fromher care facility for dinner earlier this week. She had not seen me since ourouting the previous week before surgery. Though Patti’s parents had visited and‘broke the news’ the night before, Patti remembered nothing. In response toMegan telling her while driving she only asked "he's not dead?" andwhen I personally recapped the story again later, she focused on x-rays and radioactivescans, asking only "do you glow?" </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt; lhne-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">When questioned about me the next day, aftertwo days of memory reinforcement, she responded "I think he had lungsurgery". <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">I remember sharing Patti’s diagnosis ofMultiple Sclerosis, almost 27 years ago, surrounding her like a sentinel. Decadesof MS has robbed Patti of physical and mental abilities. Long term caregivers willhave no caregivers. That's just the way it is. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">________________</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">(to be continued … <i>since its inception Caregivingly Yours entrieshave courteously not exceeded 350 words</i>)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>continued ...</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-man-plans-god.html" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">when caregivers get sick – man plans, God laughs</a><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"> </span>Mar 26</span></span><br /><br /><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/from-caregiving-to-survivorship.html"><span style="color: blue;">from caregiving to survivorship</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Mar 28</span></h3><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>previous...</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick.html" style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">when caregivers get sick - lung cancer</a><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"> </span>Mar 24</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-80858714850090533142012-03-24T10:33:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.113-07:00when caregivers get sick - lung cancer<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i><br />"Talk by a poet who has not been in the moon is likely to be dull.”</i>Mark Twain</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Like Twain’s spurious poet, I was guilty ofdully sharing the statistics of risk in long term caregiving.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, the stress diminishes my immune systemand increases my chances of cancer and chronic illness. Yes, my life expectancywill be shorter and my mortality rate higher. After all I have been a spouse caregiverfor over 22 years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">No longer am I a dull poet of the risks in longterm caregiving - three days beforeChristmas a chest X-ray revealed a ‘nodular density’ in my left lung. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Actually I was driving with Patti when my cellphone rang. Pulling over I tried to juggle a life altering conversation whileavoiding alerting much less alarming Patti. Shamefully I was grateful forPatti’s Multiple Sclerosis short term memory loss. Caregiving never reallygives you even a moment to focus on yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">At this point, sometimes a story is best told by taking a briefpeak at the last chapter first …<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nJJGRlFVHk/T24CuxYrcZI/AAAAAAAAKmA/xDrkoU9f08Q/s1600/new+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1nJJGRlFVHk/T24CuxYrcZI/AAAAAAAAKmA/xDrkoU9f08Q/s200/new+logo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">St. Patrick’s Day morning I was discharged from the hospital threedays after successful surgery for <b>lung cancer</b>. Now home recovering it’s time toshare because ‘my story’ is now part of ‘our story’. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Back to Dec 22 between holiday schedules andthe methodical plodding of medical testing it would be 27 days before I got tosit down and talk with a medical professional. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">That ‘vague nodular density’ on an X-ray begatan 8mm ‘spiculated nodule’ on a CAT scan which begat an 8mm ‘irregular nodule,with an SUV max of less than 2.0’ on a PET scan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Feeling abandoned by the medical profession, theGrim Reaper moved into my head and became my new BFF. Of course I couldn’tsleep and the Reaper and I spent the holidays and the month of January surfingthe Internet with my copies of each test and radiologist’s impressions tryingto determine how long I had to live.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Simultaneously, I could not comprise oncaregiving for Patti. Concealing everything from everyone, I stole only themoments to pause and treasure each ‘last’ Christmas, ‘last New Years’, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">I began living two lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">________________</span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">(to be continued … <i>since its inception Caregivingly Yours entrieshave courteously not exceeded 350 words</i>)<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNnrmal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;"><i>Continued ...</i></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-do-you-glow.html" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">when caregivers get sick – do you glow?</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>Mar 25</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/when-caregivers-get-sick-man-plans-god.html" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">when caregivers get sick – man plans, God laughs</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>Mar 26</span></span><br /><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2012/03/from-caregiving-to-survivorship.html" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;">from caregiving to survivorship</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;">Mar 28</span><br /><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-43183863229014061272012-03-18T04:14:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.113-07:00Vicki's MS Gazette Debuts<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to <a href="http://www.msfocus.org/national-ms-awareness-month.aspx" target="_blank">MS Education & Awareness Month.</a> There is a new addition to my sidebar - Vicki's MS Gazette.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a headline with the beginning of an article, just enough to let you decide if you want to read this particular article. If the first one doesn't excite you, scroll down. You will see other headlines over short blurbs. Like one? Click to see the full text.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vicki's MS Gazette collects news and stories from around all edges of the available social media.Enjoy.</span>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-25428832209002559092012-03-13T21:19:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:37:22.114-07:00“This chili is bangin’!” – MS and Speech<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Every day is MS Awareness day in our story. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Enjoying some of my home made chili at home earlier this month,Patti blurts out “this chili is bangin’!” Laughing, I couldn’t help but wonderif ‘gangsta wannabees’ had taken over Patti’s care facility. Certainly none of ushad ever introduced the slang into conventional dinner conversation. Is thisthe new jargon of care facility life in 2012?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">More than likely just MS Speech. Not one to write technicalentries our story of MS Speech for MS Awareness Week/Month is best told through trial and error memories we lived and laughed through to get here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2009/10/speech-voice-multiple-sclerosis.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Speech & Voice Multiple Sclerosis</b></span></a> </span>October, 2009<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TB2aKmPR0n8/SuYXi9SOY0I/AAAAAAAAHoo/cv1nR9Jhv3g/s1600/not+drunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TB2aKmPR0n8/SuYXi9SOY0I/AAAAAAAAHoo/cv1nR9Jhv3g/s320/not+drunk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2006/03/caregiving-church-moment.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>"a church moment"</b></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> March, 2006</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">... Patti cannot always control speaking volume andthe more she tries the more opposite it can become</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2008/03/caregiving-horton-hears.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>“Horton Hears A *&#!”</b> </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">March, 2008</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">... “The frontal lobes are very important inregulating our behaviour. … People … fail to inhibit their innermost thoughtsand do not modify their comments according to the situation.” Cerebral FunctionUnit, Carer’s Support Group, Salford, UK</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2008/12/hello-you-little-brat.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>"Hello!You little brat!"</b></span> </a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">December, 2008</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">... In a recent study of MS patients, … 62% reportedspeech and voice impairments</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2009/07/cursing-and-swearing-and-multiple.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>cursing and swearing and Multiple Sclerosis, oh my!</b></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> July, 2009</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">... Cursing and swearing is different thanlanguage, activating the emotional centers in the right side of the brain,rather than the cerebral communication centers on the left.</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2004/10/thou-shall-inspect-what-thy-expect.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Thou Shall Inspect What Thy Expect</span></a> </b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">October, 2004</span></div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">... From the National Multiple Sclerosis Society“Speech disorders are fairly common in MS. Lesions—damaged areas—in differentparts of the brain can cause several types of changes in normal speechpatterns. …Long Pauses … Words are Slurred … Swallowing Problems …”</span></i></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Regardlessof whether MS Speech is a disorder, an impairment, a symptom or whatever -after 22 years of spouse caregiving if Patti calls my chili bangin’, that’s acompliment in my book!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-77804286983999883322012-03-08T15:02:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.114-07:00UNLESS someone like you cares - wheelchair accessibility<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Picnicking with McDonald’s french fries under sunny skies on a 66</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">˚</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">F (18.8</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">˚C</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">)afternoon only got better when followed by a movie and popcorn. In Patti’sworld, after two decades of Multiple Sclerosis sometimes eating for tastetrumps eating for health. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">While dysphagia is always a clear and present danger at least thesecomfort foods require no assistance for self-feeding and are easy to monitor.Empowerment can also be a treat. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L64iNVdkKg8/T1k4uR8JRpI/AAAAAAAAKlo/xue_pXSYLXs/s1600/lorax_2+(546x364)+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L64iNVdkKg8/T1k4uR8JRpI/AAAAAAAAKlo/xue_pXSYLXs/s200/lorax_2+(546x364)+-+Copy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">"The Lorax" was 90 minutes of pure enjoyment, practicallyan animated musical. Of course there was a 'message' about protecting theenvironment but as with all Seuss stories the telling of the story is just sodarn entertaining and fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">While we are blessed to own a wheelchair accessible van that empowersPatti’s freedom, not everyone is. Perhaps even most families caring for some needing a wheelchair do not.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">With budget cuts looming, people in wheelchairs, their caregiversand families that depend on subsidized public accessible transportation orcontracted providers face an unknown tomorrow. Everything from access tomedical care to independence to access to family and friends could shrink. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Like everywhere, Pennsylvania’s budget in these economic times is createdwith scissors. Gov. Corbett is proposing $620 million in cuts to human servicesprograms; $422 million from basic education on top of the $765 million cut fromlast year’s budget, 20% cuts to colleges, 35% from State parks, and ‘zerofunding’ for public transportation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet this is democracy and these are ‘proposed cuts’ it is time forall interested parties to speak up and be heard. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>MS </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Awareness</b> in particular is not about one month or one week a year or glitzy ad campaigns. It's about keeping your eyes, ears, and mouth open.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9Ckv5Qg0cA/T1k5BaoPxTI/AAAAAAAAKlw/x1hwRu-IdhQ/s1600/PAcapitolfountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9Ckv5Qg0cA/T1k5BaoPxTI/AAAAAAAAKlw/x1hwRu-IdhQ/s320/PAcapitolfountain.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">That’s why I found this most disturbing for it is the double whammyof cuts to social services and zero public transportation funding that couldmost affect the lives of those needing wheelchairs. <i>“Able-bodied people hadunfettered access to stairs and elevators that lead to Gov. Tom Corbett’soffice on Wednesday. People in wheelchairs did not.”</i> <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/03/disability_activists_targeted.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Disability activists targeted in enforcement of Pa. State Capitol's restricted access policy</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>nothing's going to get better: it's not."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">“The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style,span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-35406539682009583312012-02-29T09:55:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.114-07:00deafening silence of Multiple Sclerosis awareness<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Unless we stumble over it, we literally and figuratively see whatis in front of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Most people might never see Multiple Sclerosis because the generalpopulation has <1% chance of having MS.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Additionally, of those diagnosed with MS the majority may havesymptoms “invisible” to strangers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Prevalence invites awareness and MS remains rare especiallycontrasted to cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, or diabetes. Can thesound of one voice in 700 (the statistical incidence of MS) hope to be morethan a silent scream?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Soooo, am I the only one noticing that Multiple Sclerosisprevalence is totally out of statistical whack when viewed in the context ofour current US Presidential Primaries. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Ann Romney, wife of MittRomney, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1998.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Marianne Gingrich, formerwife of Newt Gingrich, reports Newt asked for divorce just months after she hadbeen diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WR2qe-gKAE8/SXdFxi7k7hI/AAAAAAAAFqA/IepCW3vM0Ms/s1600/100_6224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WR2qe-gKAE8/SXdFxi7k7hI/AAAAAAAAFqA/IepCW3vM0Ms/s320/100_6224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">And on the other side … <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">US First Lady Michelle Obamawas raised living with Multiple Sclerosis, her father had MS.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">This is an extraordinary andexceptional alignment of MS awareness, yet do you hear it? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">27 years ago I, like most, had never seen or even heard of MS. Myawareness began when I saw Patti’s tears and heard her sobbing, “<b><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2008/01/caregiving-call_30.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">the call</span></a></b>”. <i>“…Thecaller explained Patti was crying uncontrollably and could I come get her. … Uponarriving I found Patti still crying alone in an examination room. Herneurologist appeared and explained he had told her that “she probably hasMultiple Sclerosis…”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Like comets that travel through once in a lifetime perhaps neveragain will Multiple Sclerosis be a part of the lives of so many major playerson our public stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">In the USA, the Month of March is designated for Multiple SclerosisEducation and Awareness. Open your eyes and ears.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">National Multiple Sclerosis Society <a href="http://www.nationalmssociety.org/get-involved/events/ms-awareness-week-2012/index.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">MS Awareness Week 2012</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Multiple Sclerosis Foundation <a href="http://www.msfocus.org/get-involved.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">MS Awareness Month 2012</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://msassociation.org/" target="_blank">Multiple Sclerosis Association of America</a></span><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;">* * * * * * * * * UPDATED</span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ktwbKTn3AI/T1VHzq2GcuI/AAAAAAAAKlc/AU9n0PjMCtA/s1600/Davy-Jones-Monkees+(510x446).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9ktwbKTn3AI/T1VHzq2GcuI/AAAAAAAAKlc/AU9n0PjMCtA/s200/Davy-Jones-Monkees+(510x446).jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Following death of former “Monkees” star Davy Jones of a heartattack on Feb 29, The Hollywood Reporter reports Jones' family is asking for donations tobe made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or a local chapter. Jones'niece died from complications stemming from multiple sclerosis 17 years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe the silence isn't so </span><span style="font-size: 22px; line-height: 25px;">deafening after all.</span><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-56446186597546850332012-02-27T12:24:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.114-07:00Mental Health Day at the Capitol 2012<iframe width="400" height="301" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XUxXm6_Pv68" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-61121078667545853772012-02-20T13:56:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.114-07:00Teen tied and shocked for hours; mom calls it "torture"<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" id="video" data="http://www.myfoxboston.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=11212" height="340" width="400"><param value="http://www.myfoxboston.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=11212" name="movie"><param value="&skin=MP1ExternalAll-MFL.swf&embed=true&adSizeArray=300x240&adSrc=http%3A%2F%2Fad%2Edoubleclick%2Enet%2Fadx%2Ftsg%2Ewfxt%2Fnews%2Finvestigative%2Fdetail%3Bdcmt%3Dtext%2Fxml%3Bpos%3D%3Btile%3D2%3Bfname%3Dteen%2Dtied%2Dand%2Dshocked%2Dfor%2Dhours%2Dmom%2Dcalls%2Dit%2Dtorture%2D20120219%3Bloc%3Dsite%3Bsz%3D320x240%3Bord%3D297143320499304700%3Frand%3D0%2E8652830781862046&flv=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emyfoxboston%2Ecom%2Ffeeds%2FoutboundFeed%3FobfType%3DVIDEO%5FPLAYER%5FSMIL%5FFEED%26componentId%3D137009527&img=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia2%2Emyfoxboston%2Ecom%2F%2Fphoto%2F2012%2F02%2F19%2Frotenberg%2Dcenter%5F20120219232228%5F640%5F480%2EGIF&story=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emyfoxboston%2Ecom%2Fdpp%2Fnews%2Fundercover%2Fteen%2Dtied%2Dand%2Dshocked%2Dfor%2Dhours%2Dmom%2Dcalls%2Dit%2Dtorture%2D20120219%23%2ET0JlK8ET3yQ%2Efacebook&category=news&title=Shock%5FVideo%5F10pm%5F20120219%2Emxf&oacct=foximfoximwfxt,foximglobal&ovns=foxinteractivemedia&headline=Teen%20tied%20and%20shocked%20for%20hours%3B%20mom%20calls%20it%20%22torture%22" name="FlashVars"><param value="all" name="allowNetworking"><param value="always" name="allowScriptAccess"></object><p style="width:400px"><a href="http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/undercover/teen-tied-and-shocked-for-hours-mom-calls-it-torture-20120219#.T0JlK8ET3yQ.facebook">Teen tied and shocked for hours; mom calls it "torture": MyFoxBOSTON.com</a></p>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-52742621935083611912012-02-19T13:00:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.114-07:00when more than homecare is needed Multiple Sclerosis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">From Multiple Sclerosis Foundation’s <a href="http://eflip.msfocus.org/Winter2012.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">MS Focus Magazine, Winter 2012</span></a>(pages 43-45):</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tfninb_dwj4/T0FcXRYPTZI/AAAAAAAAKjo/VWHaahL_4AA/s1600/msfocuspage1+(852x1107).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tfninb_dwj4/T0FcXRYPTZI/AAAAAAAAKjo/VWHaahL_4AA/s1600/msfocuspage1+(852x1107).jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">_____________________________________</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">pg 44</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYKz-KGxAic/T0FgOAowT_I/AAAAAAAAKkQ/Ftlzk93L3Yk/s1600/msfocuspage2+(856x1109).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYKz-KGxAic/T0FgOAowT_I/AAAAAAAAKkQ/Ftlzk93L3Yk/s1600/msfocuspage2+(856x1109).jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">_____________________________________</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">pg 45</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6WXWVpdHEo/T0Fg40I-5uI/AAAAAAAAKkY/BZ2O_zRGtd4/s1600/msfocuspage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6WXWVpdHEo/T0Fg40I-5uI/AAAAAAAAKkY/BZ2O_zRGtd4/s1600/msfocuspage3.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-50419667051827465532012-02-18T18:07:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00dental health Multiple Sclerosis<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Multiple Sclerosis does not make dental care easy. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Long story made short Patti was less than cooperative at her last failedcheckup. Fortunately there is a positive end to this story. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Believe it or not there’s at least one dentist who prefers thefreedom of not having an office practice, traveling between care facilities andnursing homes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Rather than just leave it alone he called me with a plan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">What if … he revisited after Patti had been given a dosage ofAtivan/Lorazepam beforehand, the proverbial “chill pill”. Adding me to the mixcould improve success because in the care facility era “no means no” forprofessionals, only family/POA can ‘persuade’ a patient. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Arriving I transferred Patti to a geri-chair, a recliner on wheels. I was blown away by the mobile dentistoffice set up, it had everything except musak. (Rummaging about I found a boom box and a CD of new age music and fixedthat.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Patti (under the influence of Ativan) was a model patient and thedentist was a godsend. Patti’s dentist prefers the life of mobile dentistry. Heloves its freedom and its focus on patients. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Patti’s teeth were cleaned, polished, and cavities filled. Only thehigh speed drill which sprayed water seemed to agitate her. I quipped it wasjust the tooth fairies waterboarding her. “Little bastards” she mumbled and witha smile her calm returned. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Afterwards, we talked about new solutions because status quo is notworking. Apparently an electric toothbrush is a win-win because in a pinch itcan be used simply with water, eliminating the whole rinse and spit challenge. Regardlessof MS and all its challenges, dental care cannot be trivialized. Brushing teethis social behavior. Visiting or outings should include teeth brushing ratherthan depend on staff, remember staff can be told ‘no I don’t want to’. Thinkingoutside the box is a must.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkge-1OBs5A/T0BYH8iGwGI/AAAAAAAAKjc/pzorQaGX7cY/s1600/chillin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hkge-1OBs5A/T0BYH8iGwGI/AAAAAAAAKjc/pzorQaGX7cY/s320/chillin.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Since it was 60</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">˚</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">F (15.6</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">˚C)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> afternoonin February, and the geri-chair fit in our wheelchair accessible van, I tookPatti to the park in her rolling recliner for a reward before a well-deservedafternoon nap. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Related previousentries:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2006/01/caregiving-trip-to-dentist.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">a trip to the dentist</span></a> </span>(Jan 2006)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2009/02/caregiving-teeth-brushing-smiles.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">teeth brushing smiles</span></a> (Feb 2009)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2010/05/dental-care-multiple-sclerosis.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">dental care Multiple Sclerosis</span></a> (May 2010)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-7799472509064685682012-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00Chang Shan vs Multiple Sclerosis<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>"A <a href="http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20120212/chinese-herb-targets-immune-system?src=RSS_PUBLIC" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">new study suggests</span></a> the Chinese herb known as Chang Shanselectively weakens the runaway immune response implicated in many autoimmunedisorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">As we begin this 27<sup>th</sup> year since Patti’s diagnosis of MS,I wish I could embrace hope with the enthusiasm of a quarter century ago. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xoKC1LLGAtc/TzlME2ebB-I/AAAAAAAAKiA/rwc6Vmshqwc/s1600/blue+evergreen+hydrangea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xoKC1LLGAtc/TzlME2ebB-I/AAAAAAAAKiA/rwc6Vmshqwc/s320/blue+evergreen+hydrangea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Now before everyone goes digging up neighborhoods, nurseries, andbotanical gardens for roots of blue evergreen hydrangea let’s take a moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">At the risk of oversimplifying … Our healthy immune system dependson T Cells. ‘Rogue’ T Cells have long been considered a culprit with MS. ‘Rogue’T Cells cannot distinguish friend from foe and target the body’s own myelin asif it were a bacteria or virus. Finding a way to suppress the ‘rogue T Cells’without suppressing all T Cells has been the challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Back in July 2009 … <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://archives.focus.hms.harvard.edu/2009/071009/discoveries_whitman.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Compound from Medicinal Herb Thwarts Turncoat Immune Cells</b></span></a> <i>“A smallmolecule (halofuginone) better known for its anti-malarial properties can blockthe birth of the immune cells involved in autoimmune diseases without blockingcrucial infection-fighting cells”</i>, report Harvard Medical and Dental Schoolresearchers. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Now in Feb 2012 after peer review and further retesting ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">“We recently demonstratedthat halofuginone (HF) …inhibits the development of TH17-driven autoimmunity ina mouse model of multiple sclerosis”</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchembio.790.html" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Halofuginone and other febrifugine derivatives inhibit prolyl-tRNA synthetase</b></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">With publication in Feb. 2012 <a href="http://www.nature.com/nchembio/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Nature Chemical Biology</b></span></a>,associated media and more are picking up the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Again at the risk of oversimplification, Chang Shan is the herbalform, Halofuginone is the synthetic. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Interestingly back in 2003, SunCatcher Herbs, developed <a href="http://changshansupplement.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>Sclero-Eze</b></span></a>,a herbal supplement that uses Chang Shan as a base. Their website announces <i>“mayTreat - Rheumatoid Arthritis - Scleroderma - Lupus - M.S.” </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">From a quarter century of experience I can share that breaking researchon mice can take a decade before availability to humans, if ever. On the otherhand while the herb is available it was not the herb that was tested.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">However, no one can imagine another’s hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-91417157551154812562012-02-10T20:41:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00Valentine’s Day Memories: good, bad, and ugly<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">As a caregiver spouse Valentine’s Day is at best a one sidedexercise. Yet marketing drives society and well look around theannual emotional ‘carpet bombing’ has begun.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Progression of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms both physical andcognitive long ago eliminated ever receiving any Valentine’s Day gift, gestureor even remembrance. It’s such a‘healthy couple only’ media blitz it only leaves me feeling more isolated andalone than usual. The caregiver perspective is expressed well in <a href="http://www.wellspouse.org/stories/valentines-day-fleeting-fluff.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>“Valentine's Day - Fleeting Fluff” by Terri Corcoran</b></span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Maybe it always was illusion? As a college student I double datedwith a friend on Valentine’s Day. Splurging on the memorable kind of restaurantit seemed a night and place framed for romantic love. Until my buddy decided toseize the moment to announce he was breaking up with his girlfriend. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Also long ago in my years on the road I knew someone who fallinghead over heels in love with a woman drove hours with that seething passion andimagination of romantics to surprise her and ask her to “be mine” forever onValentine’s Day. She instead surprised him, having settled down with her ‘truelove’ and asked him to leave her alone before he ever opened his mouth. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Maybe romantic love isn’t an illusion but a delusion? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Valentine’s Day also is not really even a holiday. Companies,schools, and governments go about business as usual. My Mom’s body was crematedon Feb 14<sup>th</sup>. There’s a figurative coffin nail in Valentine’s Daymemories. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In all fairness there are some good memories. My Aunt and Unclewere married on Valentine’s Day. They celebrated over 60 wedding anniversarieson Valentine’s Day before death interupted the romance. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">For almost two decades I’ve been involved with a Special OlympicsValentine’s dance for high school age special needs students unlikely to experiencetraditional school dances. <a href="http://caregivinglyyours.blogspot.com/2010/03/no-diagnosis-on-dance-floor.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><b>no diagnosis on the dance floor</b></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">And for whatever reason snow storms and blizzards enjoy visitingaround Valentine’s Day and I could not be happier. Snow is nature’s “hug me”!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div cl`ss="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5h-FxTfthT4/TzXvujdMUpI/AAAAAAAAKh0/UH-3vJHdnbw/s1600/valentinesnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5h-FxTfthT4/TzXvujdMUpI/AAAAAAAAKh0/UH-3vJHdnbw/s320/valentinesnow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-77396947277159359322012-02-06T17:38:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00Happy Birthday PSWC!<iframe width="400" height="301" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/P2wJVOKmvrY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-67727697995161483872012-02-05T10:13:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00care facility cabin fever<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><i>“loneliness, helplessness and boredom are the three plagues oflong-term care” </i><a href="http://www.edenalt.org/our-10-principles" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Eden Alternative</span></a></span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">“Don seemed to me to begoing downhill, and a couple of the staff also suggested that he wasdeteriorating. …Then the head nurse came up with a different theory and adifferent solution … Don’s got cabin fever, that’s all. … Here’s the thing. … </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>It only took a day or two, and Don was back tohimself again.”</i> <a href="http://www.mscarer.com/2012/01/31/stir-crazy.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Multiple Sclerosis Carer: Stir Crazy</span></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Recently I found myself in a similar situation with Patti anddinner. She was ‘reportedly’ finishing less of her meals and just wanted to goto bed. I began moving up my arrival time to be there to help with dinner. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">One such meal stands out. Arriving I saw Patti had finished her entreand overheard her yucking the aide’s offer of her fruit cup or potato soup andthat she ‘just wanted to go to bed’. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b7Y_B4chfvU/Ty7GK_ACfOI/AAAAAAAAKho/aIM7T5mM_J4/s1600/snow+ramp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b7Y_B4chfvU/Ty7GK_ACfOI/AAAAAAAAKho/aIM7T5mM_J4/s320/snow+ramp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Noticing the fruit cup was diced pears and peaches, two of Patti’sfavorites – I rephrased the question ‘would you like some cut up pears andpeaches’ with a totally different response. Of course, how could the aide knowPatti’s favorites? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Soup is a function of temperature more than taste to Patti. Hot isnot appealing. Hey we’re talking about cream of potato soup here. The cooler itgets, the more pretentious it becomes. Rolling out my best bad French accent, Pattienjoyed her ‘vichyssoise’ assisted by zee crazy french waiter. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Instead of another unfinished meal, there was not a crumb left nor did Patti 'just want to go to bed'.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><i>“… increased family involvement is positive and leads to quality oflife and quality of care for residents…”</i> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2247412/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">National Institutes of Health Family Involvement in Residential Long-Term Care</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">If the testimonials of two Multiple Sclerosis spouse caregivers, a long term carenon-profit, and NIH is not enough - then consider that even circling sharks pauseto stress the importance of family involvement. Boston nursing home abuseattorney <a href="http://www.lawfirmnewswire.com/2011/12/nursing-home-abuse-lawyer-says-family-involvement-crucial-to-safe-long-term-facility-care/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Bernard J. Hamill</span></a>, <i>“ensuring safe care is continued familyinvolvement. There is really no substitute for this.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-62564723912775438592012-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00Helping friends is fun, whether they like it tor not.<iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g3bFO3uhZmI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7942139342277639291.post-36884926518588425392012-01-29T14:23:00.000-08:002012-04-18T14:37:22.115-07:00Ouch! Degenerative Bone Disease and Multiple Sclerosis<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Ouch moments intermittently dominated this past week. While Patti cannever actually tell me where or what hurts, I observed each ouch always somehowinvolved the use of her left arm either removing her coat or transferring herfrom wheelchair to bed. I say intermittent because out of 8 coat removals only3 were ouch moments while two out of four transfers to bed involved an ouch. Lookingfor common denominators, each transfer ouch was preceded by a coat removal ouch,yet each coat removal ouch was not followed by a transfer ouch. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Ouch by deduction might even frustrate Sherlock Holmes. No it’snever “quite elementary” when asking Patti is unfortunately confounded by herMultiple Sclerosis symptoms of short term memory loss and cognitive impairment.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">With anywhere between half to two-thirds of those diagnosed with MSreporting pain as a symptom it would be easy to assume this is about MS. Exceptthat Patti has never in 25 years reported pain associated with MS. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In this situation the care facility era is a godsend. While Pattifell off to sleep I stopped to discuss my observations with the nursing staff.They ordered an x-ray of her left shoulder for the next day. X-ray machinescome to you in the care facility era easier than delivery pizza in the homecare era. The next afternoon I was looking at the radiologist’s report as Istopped by to pick Patti up for an outing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMvIm7fhK9E/TyXF4RLAa9I/AAAAAAAAKhc/MIDBvxkf8gk/s1600/M1100534-Joint_disease,_CT_scan-SPL+(456x530).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JMvIm7fhK9E/TyXF4RLAa9I/AAAAAAAAKhc/MIDBvxkf8gk/s320/M1100534-Joint_disease,_CT_scan-SPL+(456x530).jpg" width="275" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">On the good side the x-ray found no fracture or break, on thenegative it did reveal 'mild degenerative bone disease'.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="http://www.buzzle.com/articles/degenerative-bone-disease.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Degenerative bone disease</span></a> is commonly known as degenerative osteoarthritis. Allegedly this affects more than 20 million Americans. It’sabout the breakdown and loss of the cartilage of the joints which when workingproperly acts like a shock absorber helping the bones glide over one another. Whenbones begin to rub each other – ‘ouch’ may be an understatement.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Tylenol for pain and application/massage of a bengay type ointmentwill be the immediate treatment. Outings and such need not be compromised just adjustedto ouchless by minimizing left shoulder rotation. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><i style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer </i></b></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">videos: </span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: 800;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/daddyleer" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration: none;">www.youtube.com/daddyleer</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></b></span></span></i></span></i></span></span></div><br />gondeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04479292212960224883noreply@blogger.com