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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-04-08, Page 7Times -Adv • • te, April 8, 1987 Por e YOUTH RALLY MUSIC — Providing music for Saturday's youth rally at Trivitt Anglican Church were from the left Susan Adams, Rev. Duke Vipperman, Kim Genttner, Rick Mawdsley and Dave Rader. ANGLICAN YOUTH RALLY — Exeter's Trivitt Memorial Church was the site for an area youth rally, Saturday. Above, Hazel Snedden of Exeter chats with John Burford, Stratford; Chad Willemsen, Dashwood; Chad Abraham, Milverton and Mork Lindenfield, Huron Pork. T -A photo Second Near* to Near! program underway A heart attack or cardiac strrgery is a critical event in anyone's life. Coining up against your own mortali- ty is awesome. Going on afterward is tough. A comfortable and familiar way of life has suddenly changed, and the prospect of facing a new one can be -overwhelming for -patient, partner. and family. Some cardiac patients who are de- nying their condition can not assimilate'the wealth of information given in the hospital to prepare them for a changed lifestyle. For others, anxiety about the immediate life threat makes thinking beyond the mo- ment difficult. The trauma of going home is com- pounded by depression, fatigue, Ihysical limitations, job uncertainty, Iroblems of self-esteem and worry about sudden death. Myths and misconceptions about heart disease, nedication, nutrition, and activity do's and don'ts must be addressed. The patient's partner and family are experiencing the same feelings. The spouse, who is often isolated from Hie patient's doctor, feels alone, with n) one to turn to for information or reassurance. Both suffer an overload o' stress at the worst possible time, aid both need information about heart disease and its treatment, and support and reassurance from others facing similar problems. The Heart to Heart program begun it Exeter last spring as a pilot project fcr Huron County will start a second session here on April 4. The program, which is sponsored b' the Ontario Heart and Stroke 1' undation, has been designed as a bridge to take cardiac patients and those closest to them for a lifestyle (hit is gone to a new one that can be equally fulfilling. Doctors, psychologists, nutritionists, occupa: bona therapists and other specialists ad as tour guides to make this alien te-ritory less frightening. Just having all one's questions answered by experts dissipates many worries and anxieties. Another vital aspect of heart to Heart is the mutual support couples give to and receive from each other. A maximum of 10 couples is enrolled in each program so participants have ample opportunity to get to know w and care about each other. Among those who took part in last year's Heart to Heart, the importance of the mutual support experienced ranked as one of the most significant benefits of the. program. Audrey Barry, Exeter, attended with her husband Bert, who had a single bypass in 1985: She said the closeness and companionship of "super people" changed the Barrys' outlook, and she felt badly when the sessions ended. Audrey confessed that at the begin- ning she and her husband were sunk in depression. She said the psychologist talking about stress real- ly helped "because she described ex- actly what I was feeling". Audrey believes the aftermath of heart surgery adversely affects the mate at least as much as it does the patient. "You go through it too - the depres- sion, the scared feeling - but the mate is supposed to be the strong one. You are worried too, about money and other things, but you bottle in in", she confessed. Muriel Parsons agrees. The RR :3 Exeter resident knows at first hand that "there's a lot of coping after your husband has a heart attack" and said the emotional support and "seeing how others were coping" were of im- measurable help. Husband Bev advised any cardiac patient to get into a Heart to Heart program as soon as possible after be- ing released from hospital. He com- pared the adjustment to going from a run to a crawl. (Parsons' condition is further complicated by "farmer's lungs" which he attributes to 40 years of breathing in the dust of the barn. He advises farmers to wear a mask whenever they are doing chores ). Wayne Clausius, Exeter echoed Parson's suggestion that the sooner a cardiac patient enrolls in a Heart to Heart program the more prepared everyone is to deal with what is coming. Clausius was in a Change of Heart program in Halifax after his heart at- tack seven years ago at age 39. The RUMOR'S Unisex Hair Design • Complete Hair Care Service' • Open six days a week • Appointments not always necessary Call: Janet, Sandy or Joyce 235-0202 414 Main St., S., Exeter, Centre Mall STUDIO NOVA • c 4. not tune y of u$irel• SAVE 3Q%ff on our entire collection of 20 pc.sets of dinnerware, microwave,con- ventional oven, and dishwasher safe. Large selection of patterns in stock to choose from. Co-ordinating faftwaro off The designs are always right and the quallty is second to none Offor good AprIl 1 to AprII 30 COI ,'11 4)0 444 235- 1 252 11 focus there was on physical rehabilitation. Ile said the Exeter pro- gram provided a wealth of informa- tion from some of the best speakers available. His one lament was a lack of facilities in town for the physical exercise that is an important part of the recovery process. This was confirmed- by _Pal_ McFalls, who is waiting for a bypass operation. Clausius and Pat have volunteered to help launch such a program. "There's a lot that can be done, and it needn't be expensive", Clausius said. All heaped praise on Dr. John God- dard, the facilitator of the pilot pro- ject. Among the speakers he obtain- ed were Dr. Linda Steele on car- diology, Dr. Vi Currie on nutrition and a London psychologist. Dr. Goddard added a session on drugs that proved to be one of the most popular in the program. Par- ticipants were asked ahead of time to submit a list of all their medications, and kept pharmacist Trevor Wilson talking for three hours about the fami- ly each drug belonged to, what it could and couldn't do, and the side ef- fects. One woman was astounded to discover that she should not be taking a certain cold remedy, as it in com- bination with her prescribed medica- tion was a dangerous mix. Dr. Goddard also changed the last session. Instead of an inter -group wind-up, he called in Rev.- Bruce Pocock from Lucan to talk about solv- ing the family conflicts that inevitably arise after someone has had a heart attack. Participants said they were sorry to have the sessions end with no ar- rangements made to continue getting together on a regular basis. Pat McFalls noted that "eyeryone needs that mutual support". This year's facilitator is VON nurse Janice Ilayter Oke. Dr. Steele will again be the speaker on cardiology to help group members understand heart functions and disease, identify risk factors, learn when to be con- cerned about warning symptoms and what to do, and discover what medications are prescribed and why. This is aimed et increasing self- confidence and decreasing fear. Barbara Major McEwan, the dieti- tian at South Huron Hosptial, will answer the question "What should I eat to promote good health?". She will Area 4-H clubs meet Ity Cheryl McCarter Exeter 2 4-11 club met at Barb Poole's on Wednesday, April 1. We discussed housekeeping chores as to how we can eliminate extras, and combine some $ceps together to make work easier. Doing dishes can be easier when pots are soaked in the proper water temperature. When hand washing dishes, we learned to wash glassware, silverware and cutlery, dishes, plates and bowls and cookware in the above order. We also learned how to look after our refrigerators. How to make a bed was discussed as well as vacuuming. Safety in the kitchen 'was detailed to us. - We enjoyed pizza and cookies made from recipes in our manual: Next meeting is April 8 at Poole's for a pot luck sueper. * * * By Darlene O'Itourke The last meeting of the "En- thusiastic Experienced Experts" was held at Linda O'Rourke's. The main objective of the meeting was to learn how to care for our clothing including: laundry, pressing, storing and repairing. We invited a guest, Mrs. Sharon Miller to–demonstrate. She helped each member with sewing on buttons, mending and learning basic stitches. After the meeting was adjourned, a gift was presented to Mrs. Miller in appreciation. Snacks and refreshments were served. * * * By Jodi Sararas The fourth meeting of the Exeter 4-11 club was held April 1 at the residence of Mary DeBoer. The members talked about using a washing machine, and how to wash clothes. They also learned how to sew a patch. • Last week there was a mistake. The name of the club is "We Can Do It." The next meeting will be April 8 at the home of Nancy Hines. offer specific suggestions on prepar- ing meals low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fats, and explain the importance of following specific diets prescribed by the physician. Kinesiologist Laura Overholt will assist participants in understanding how physical activity affects and l?enefits - the heart, and help them assess their own physical tolerance -_-- and reduce fears about exercise and sex. They will find out how to pace themselves, differentiate between beneficial and harmful activities and recognize when they are "overdoing it and how to react". Chris Etue,an occupational therapist with Home Care, will lead the session dealing with the psychological aspects of heart disease. Ambulance attendant Jim Hoffman will attend another meeting to discuss cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The overall emphasis of the Heart to Heart program is positive rehabilitation. A minimum of eight couples and a maximum of 10 is recommended for each Heart to Heart program. Four couples have already signed up for the one beginning on April 14. There is a charge of $30 per couple, but no one is turned away because of inability to pay. The project was set up to be self- supporting. The pilot program was funded last year with $300 in "seed" money to be used to pay the facilitator and purchase hand-out material. The money paid by participatns pays for the following Heart to Heart course. This year the eight Heart to Heart sessions will be held in the teachers' lounge at South Huron and District High School. Those interested in par- Barbara McEwan at 235-2700. Pre- ticipating may enroll by contacting registration is required. You are inviied to our in-store Spring Fashion Show - Thurs., April 16th at - 7:30 p.m. * Bring a friend and come out for a preview of Spring SENIORS Residing in Exeter & District This is your last chance to participate in the Rental Geared -to -Income project financed by the Ontario Government and promoted by the Exeter Seniors Housing Committee in the 1986-87 project. In an effort to control the program, the Government has produced stiffer guidelines., Committees must prove a definite need for this type of housing in_ their community. A 20 -unit building must be occupied by at least 40% of renters in the Geared -to- Income bracket. Suggested rate for such tenants would not be over 25% of a combined monthly family income with all utilities paid. When the renter is prepared to pay market rent the fee would be $385.00 monthly for a single bedroom, $445.00 monthly for a two bedroom with all utilities paid. The committee organized a survey to ascer- tain the needs in the area. It should be noted this is only a survey not an application to rent. Latest figures released by the consultant gives the following information. • 325 households returned the questionnaire 23 were prepared to pay top rent and move in immediately. 5 were in the Geared -to -Income bracket. If the committee decided on a 20 unit project, 8 units would be the minimum in the lower bracket. After studying the information, the commit- tee comprising retired businessmen, farmers, ministers and housewives feel that the seniors should study their problems further and if fur- ther advice or questionnaire is required con- tact the names below by April 25, 1987. The committee needs your, support Ervin Sillery 235-2504 A. Garnet Hicks 235-2438 1