Heart Murmurs Online Newsletter
February 2008

OUR EDUCATION/SELF HELP PROGRAM

• Monday, February 25, 2008

• 7:00 p.m. at the School for the Deaf

• Due to the cold weather the January meeting was cancelled.

• We are very fortunate to have the same speaker for February
   

FROM OUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Our guest speaker for our February educational meeting is Dr. Trent Dusang, general practitioner for some 18 years. His talk will focus on how to communicate with your physician and will feature a discussion approach coupled with member participation and communication throughout.

Dr. Dusang's long-term clinical practice is characterized by providing treatment and care to Seniors - providing support to families, with particular experiences and expertise in the areas of Palliative care, Dementia, and chronic pain. Given that most of us qualify as Seniors familiar with some of these same issues, the evening with him would seem to be 'right up our alley'. Thus, we might look for a sizeable turnout of members and interested friends on Monday, February 25.

If any of you wish to pass along name(s) and telephone nos. of other possible guest speakers/presenters, please let me know.

Dave Fleiger,
Tel. 465-2685

Exercise and Self Help/Education Membership

• 2008 Exercise monies are now Due.

• Pay Ron Kirschner at exercise class or give it to with Bob Schaufele.

• The renewal fee for exercise/self help is $153.00 for the year.

• Self Help only members is $15.00.

Coming Events:

• Monday April 7, 2008 Annual General Meeting will be held at the Alberta School for the Deaf. Anyone wishing to be on the Executive contact VP Ron Torgerson at 435-5344 or at exercise.

• June 6, 2008, BBQ Friday Malmo Community Hall.

• December 7, 2008 Christmas Party Sunday.

Weigh In

• 2008 weigh-in has started. CASE keeps track of your weight as part of the exercise program.

• There is an optional weight loss contest. Next weigh in is Tuesday February 19.

Monthly Social Breakfast

• South East Edmonton Seniors 9350 – 82 Street.

• NEXT BREAKFAST 9:00 am Wednesday February 25, 2008 at the low price of $4.25.

• The cost of the breakfast is $3.75 and the $.50 cents will be totaled up until April and the amount will be donated to the SEESA building fund.

• Someone will win a free breakfast.

• The January winner was Lois Halberg.

Hearts and Flowers

If you are aware of any member who has taken ill, has been confined to their home, or has been hospitalized, please e-mail this information info@edmontoncase.org or call Phil Bradshaw 434-1349, Barry Latham 452-2611 or Glen Gregory 434-3336.

Birthdays

Organic Cooking Classes

You may recall Connie Kramer was a speaker last year at our Education/self help meeting. Her topic was Organic foods. She has two cooking classes in March at Planet Organic Market at Calgary Trail and 80th Avenue. Call Connie to register or for more info: 481-7917.

March 12th
Anti-Cancer foods. This session focuses on the benefits of Soy
foods. Soy can support the body to be cancer free. Enjoy a variety
of dishes that help prevent cancer according to the book, "Foods that
Fight Cancer." Sveta Silverman, M.D. will join Connie in teaching this class.

March 26th
Alkaline Grains that are Gluten Free--learn how to prepare grains so
the body wants more and more. Grains can work beautifully for
breakfast, lunch or dinner. Enjoy eating and exploring their great
taste and time saving preparation.
 

TIPS when Calling 911

Calling 911 is very stressful and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. 911 call-takers are trained to guide callers through the experience, but knowing what to expect can help make the 911 call go smoothly Time Required: Until the 911 call-taker hangs up Here's How:

1. Stay calm. It's important to take a deep breath and not get excited. Any situation that requires 911 is, by definition, an emergency. The dispatcher or call-taker knows that and will try to move things along quickly, but under control.

2. Start by telling the call-taker what kind of emergency you have. If a law enforcement center has answered the call, they will need to transfer calls for fires and medical emergencies to the appropriate center. You will hear clicking - do not hang up!

3. Wait for the call-taker to ask questions, then answer clearly and calmly. Even though many 911 centers have enhanced capabilities - meaning they are able to see your location on the computer screen - they are still required to confirm the information. Bear with this line of questioning, you don't want the ambulance to respond to the wrong location.

4. If you are in danger of assault, the dispatcher or call-taker will still need you to answer quietly, mostly "yes" and "no" questions.

5. If you reach a recording, listen to what it says. If the recording says your call cannot be completed, hang up and try again. If the recording says all call-takers are busy, wait! When the next call-taker or dispatcher is available to take the call, it will transfer you.

6. Let the call-taker guide the conversation. He or she is typing the information into a computer and may seem to be taking forever. There's a good chance, however, that emergency services are already being sent while you are still on the line.

7. In some cases, the call-taker will give you directions. Listen carefully, follow each step exactly, and ask for clarification if you don't understand.

8. Keep your eyes open. You may be asked to describe victims, suspects, vehicles, or other parts of the scene.

9. Do not hang up the call until directed to do so by the call-taker.

No matter what happens - Stay Calm. 
What You Need:
A phone.
A deep breath.
Know where you are.
 

STROKE IDENTIFICATION

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics)...she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized; diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(Coherently) (i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks,
call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this:
Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue..
If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other,
that is also an indication of a stroke.