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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-11-05, Page 9Russell Jervis, right, of Clinton, received recognition for his years as a volunteer with the Huron Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society at the annual meeting in Exeter. Presen- ting the phi to the former transportation committee chairman . is Mark Pfaff, southwestern district director. Mr. Jervis has retired from his work with the unit. (Ex- eter Times -Advocate photo) Society reaches goal • from page 8 said the Society will have to move to get the public to change their habits regarding smoking, diet, sunbathing, etc., and there was a requirement to reach ethnic groups. The Society also sees the need to convince governments to fill their roles in the area of patient services, working in partnership with the Society in that regard. The Society,wi1l feature some hard-hitting campaign approaches this year. One of those will be aimed at smokers, suggesting that smokers should be contributing more to the cancer group "so we're ready when you need us". Mr. Potter said the immediate future is filled with some exciting research projects and they will explode in the next decade to reach the ultimate goal of a cure for cancer. In concluding, the London mancited' the need to attract and train the growing number of volunteers to enable the Society to meet its goals. "It takes people to get the job done and our job is to get the people," he said, adding that potential volunteers should be ap- proached now to work on the campaign and not left until campaign time arrives. Officers elected at the meeting were: past president Mel Farnsworth, Goderich; presi- dent George Michie, Belgrave; vice- president Angus MacLennan, Goderich; se- cond vice-president Murray Hunter,. Wingham; treasurer Sheila Davis, Clinton; campaign chairman Mel Farnsworth, Goderich; commemoration Jim Remington, Goderich; education Mabel Wheeler, Belgrave; medical advisor Dr. Walter Wong, Wingham; patient services Mary McLaughlin, Wingham; planning and development Angus MacLennan; matec- tomy visiting Mary Lou Aubin, Goderich; transportation Joyce Pinkney, Goderich. The campaign report showed contribu- tions from the branches as follows: Clinton - $29,863;' Exeter $35,326, ' Goderieh $345764,• Seaforth 345764,- Seaforth $12,748 and Wingham $25,491. A Society award was presented to Russell Jervis, Clinton, who is retiring after serving eight years as a volunteer driver and former transporation chairman. Heart and Stroke elect executive CLINTON -• At their appreciation dinner on October 22 the Huron County Chapter of the Heart and Stoke Foundation announced their executive for 1986-87. This new executive includes President Stan Connelly, Goderich; Vice -President Marion Zinn, Lucknow; Past President Bruce Shaw, Exeter; Treasurer Jean Hildebrand, Seaforth; Secretary Deborah St. Joseph's hosts euchre CLINTON - The Knights of Columbus hosted a euchre party in St. Joseph's Hall on October 22. The ladies' high was won by Cecelia Edgar, while John Van Den Elzen was the winner for the men. Lee Gliddon had the ladies' low ar' olive Goldsworthy, playing as a man, has we men's low. Holding the ladies' lone hands was Elizabeth Medd and Agnes Carbert, also playing as a man, had the men's lone hands. Dorothy Bezzo was the lucky chair winner and the door prize was won by Cheryl Flynn. The next card party will be held on November 12. McBRIDE BROS. MACHINE and REPAIR Specialize in: •Precision machine work •Custom fabrication •Tractor & Combine repairs *Replacement machinery parts '/. mile West of Kippen Brad Dennis 262-2687 262-2616 Call anytime CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1986 -Page 9 Epilepsy - It's riot what you think By Kathy Bromley Part 2 What is epilepsy? Every breath you take, every blink you make are all controlled by electro -chemical energy impulses from the brain cells called neurons. Normally, these impulses literally "turn off" after their specific command has been carried out. When they don't "turn off" the body reacts by jerking or twitching and the person may loose consciousness. These erratic physical and mental ac- tivities are called seizures. For centuries, man has believed, or been led to believe that seizures were signs of the devil in one's spirit. People were also labell- ' ed , as having a disorder and this still holds true today. People with epilepsy are looked down upon as being people with an unusual condition. But epilepsy and stroke are the two . most common conditions affecting the brain. Epilepsy is not as uncommon as what it is believed to be. In fact, seven people out of each 1,000 have the illness. Plus one in every • 20 have a seizure at one time or another in their life. People. are _becoming more and more aware of epilepsy- becoming familiar with the symptosis and being ' prepared in knowing what to do when someone is in a seizure. After all, it is proven now that no one knows just who will end up with seizures - it could be you, or someone very close in your family. Unlike strokes, which usually are more common with older people, epilepsy strikes before the age of 30 in the greatest per cent of the cases. Seventy-five per cent of the cases begin before the age of 20 and 30 per cent of the cases develop before they reach the age of five. Today there are as many as 20 different seizure types. They are classified according to the area of the brain that is affected. Some of the possible signs of epilepsy are: 1. Short attention blackouts that look like the person is daydreaming. 2. Sudden falls for no apparent reason. 3. Lack of response for brief periods. • 4. Dazed behavior. 5: Unusual sleepiness and when wakened from sleep. 6. Head nodding. 7. Rapid blinking. 8. Frequent complaints from the child that things look, smell or feel 'funny'. 9. Sudden bending or bowing movements by babies who are sitting down. 10. Grabbing movements with both arms in babies lying on their backs. 11. Sudden stomach pain followed by con- fusion and sleepiness. .12.,Muscle jerks by the arms, legs or body. _ Repeated movements that look out of place or unnatural. What Causes Epilepsy? To this question, there is no simple answer. Some of the causes are fever, infec- tious diseases, brain tumors, absesses and head injuries sustained in car accidents. For my situation it has been determined to be caused by a convulsion I was in when a baby. This left the scar tissue on the brain now causing my seizures. In the case of the elderly, poor blood cir- culation can often be a cause for seizures. What it boils down to is that anything that is harmful to the brain (even drug and alcohol abuse) are potential causes of epilepsy. Heredity plays some role in the cases of epilepsy, but it is beginning to appear that what is inherited is not the condition itself, but the 'tendency to be susceptible to seizures. "Epilepsy is not contagious" and anyone can have brain injuries causing seizures. This is one of the old wives tales that has been proven wrong. Another old wives tale, and yet one still quite common, is to place a spoon in the mouth during the seizure to avoid swallowing of the tongue. If one stops to think for a moment, the tongue is firmly connected to the mouth and by no means can Harc2LHowes, Ashfield; Campaign chair- man E. Bryon Goldsmith, Goderich, Educa- tion chairman Nancy Larone, Seaforth; In memoriam chairman Iry Armstrong, Ex- eter; Jump rope chairman Don Young, Auburn; Heart to Heart chairman Gord Baxter, Wingham; Human resources chair- man Nancy Wise, Clinton; Public relations Marg McLeod, Turnberry; Assistant treasurer Coyle Coleman, Seaforth; and Medical advisor Dr. Harry Cieslar, Goderich. This year's directors at large are Colin Campbell, Wingham; Herb Turkheim, Zurich; Niall Straw, Exeter; and Tom Hum- phreys, Exeter. For her work in promoting public awareness of a healthy heart Shirley Gilbert from the health unit was given a certificate at the dirincer Cke irritability one swallow it. How Are People With Epilepsy Affected? The biggest problems that lie with being an epileptic (or person with epilepsy which is how one is now referred to) is "discrimina- tion and social insecurities" that one faces each and every day. I will admit, though, more and more lee- way is being made as opposed to even a decade ago, to allow a person with epilepsy to lead a normal life, especially if one chooses to be on the working force. In the past, people with epilepsy have been discriminated against by employers, insurance companies, schools, drivers, licence agencies and believe it or not, coun- ty officials who issue marriage licences. Yes, at one point, people with epilepsy were forbidden to marry to avoid passing the disorder on, being as it was believed to be in- herited! This not only shows how the medical department has advanct (i in fin- ding out more about epilepsy, but also, it proves that the public is seeing epilepsy under the surface a little deeper. Today, situations•arg improving, for peo- ple with epilepsy. Many provinces now per- mit • the person with epilepsy to obtain a drivers licence, provided •he/she has his/her doctor's certificate stating that they have been free of seizures for a certain period of time - usually about two years. Another of the myths, about epilepsy, is that.. we are sometimes considered. equivalent to mental retardation, being as. both conditions centres with the brain. Facts have been proven that people with epilepsy are of at least normal intelligence, unless of course their seizures are caused by a brain injury which affects their in- telligence itself. If this holds true, there is no way around it. , Behavior disturbances are more common in a person with epilepsy than that of the general population, but it is said that this fact shouldn't come as a great surprise. Milky Wheys By Stephanie' Bush HOLMESVILLE - The sixth' meeting of the Milky Wheys was held on November 3 at the Goderich Township Hall. They opened the meeting with the 4-H Everyone would develop personality pro- blems if they were shut out of a job, looked down upon, prevented by the law from doing as others do. One of my "acts of bad behavior" I ex- perienced was when I was pregnant with my youngest son Scott. My husband, Bev, had been laid off for the winter and money was tight. Yet, each month due to my medica- tions, the baby bonus and then some was eaten up to go directly to the coverage of the drugs. Being in a depressed mood the one day, I decided to go off of my medication - under` the circumstances the money could go towards a better cause ( especially as I was still having seizures, so what were they doing for me?) Paying some bill or groceries, not to speak of the thoughts of how and if the baby would be affected by all of the medication going through my system played a great role in my decision. Ap- parently, the next time I had a seizure, I had a grand -mal seizure, as opposed to a psy- chomotor seizure, as I normally experienced. One of the reasons bringing the serious seizure on was partially due to my body go- ing into shock froth cutting myself off the drugs suddenly, instead of gradually. Also, the fact I had no medication in my system to keep the seriousness down to a minimum. .Luckily, my son was not affected and the doctor was called in and gave me needles to bring my medication level back up in my system. As for myself, there is between a two to three year lapse in my brain that was wiped out - I don't recall anything and to this day, I find I do not have near the memory that I us- ed to, all because of that one foolish mistake! I'll leave you this week with a word from the "wise" which is what I learned the hard way with my experience. Never go off your medication or make alterations' unless it is under your doctor's orders. • enjoy snack pledge and then discussed the achievement program. After closing, the meeting, they enjoyed the prepared snack. Their next meeting will take place on November 10 at the same place and time. ms nova DECISION! Canada Savings Bonds 73/4% V _ VS. 524-2773 INVESTMENTS & INSURANCE AGENCY LTD. 122 The Square, Goderich 1-800-265-5503 Z NOTICE it is an offence to burn leaves or other debris on the PAVED PART of any ,street within the Town of Clinton. The resultant heat does much damage to the asphalt. Offenders will be prosecuted. Marie Jefferson Clerk Treasurer New! Haircolor Like Never Before! Colorance by WILIIIIINIELL � Allow us... Sy Desi FAMILY Design. HAIRSTYLINGA amaze you with our new unique col- or development: Colorance combines the protective qualities of a semi per- manent treatment with the durability ' of a permanent color. 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