The Huron Expositor, 1989-02-08, Page 3THE HURON EXPOSITOR, FEBRUARY 8, 1989 - 3A
Local cases bring home message of heart and stroke month
February is Heart and Stroke Month and
the Heart and Stroke Foundation is conduc-
ting its annual fund raising and awareness.
campaign. This month the public is con-
stantly hearing in the media that it should
support the Heart and Stroke Foundation,
and should understand the causes of heart
disease and stroke. But to bring this
message home, 'The Expositor spoke to
some Seaforth residents who have firsthand
knowledge of heart disease.
ART FINLAYSON
Art Finlayson of Seaforth missed
Christmas 1988.
On December 23 he was having trouble
sleeping. He felt uncomfortable, sweaty,
and his left arm was bothering him. At 4:30
a.m. Mr. Finlayson decided if he got up and
moved around he might relieve some of his
restlessness. When he rose a severe pain
lanced down his left arm and his head reel-
ed. Consciouness started slipping away, and
as he fell he caught the covers of the bed,
pulling them from his sleeping wife. For-
tunately Mrs. Finlayson awoke when the
covers slipped from her and called the
ambulance.
Mr. Finlayson suffered a massive heart
attack caused by a blood clot.
Even though Mr. Finlayson is 76 -years -
old, the attack was a complete surprise. He
has maintained a healthy and active
lifestyle all his life. He hadn't been inside a
hospital in 40 years.
"I never dreamt I'd have a heart attack.
There's never been problem in our family.
But I guess a blood clot can change things in
a hurry," he said.
Mr. Finlayson spent nine days in intensive
care and a total of three weeks in the
hospital in Stratford immediately following
his attack, and he says his experience in-
stilled in him a respect and appreciation for
the health care professionals who helped
restore a measure of strength in him. He did
not require surgery, but takes medication to
thin his blood and prevent further clots.
"There's a lot of good people to look after
you," he commented.
Mr. Finlayson asked his doctor what caus-
ed the heart attack. He doesn't smoke or
drink and generally keeps active, only
recently helping in the construction of a car
port and deck on his home, and he alley
bowls in the winter and lawn bowls in the
summer. He thought he may have been
overdoing it recently.
The doctors admitted they are not sure
what caused the attack, but they do know
chances are one in 16 of it happening again.
On the positive side however, Mr.
Finlayson says his life may soon be back to
normal. If he takes care of himself, in three
or four months the damage which was done
to his heart will be repaired.
"It gives you a warning. You've had it
once. Now when I get the mail at the post of-
fice I take the steps one at a time instead of
two."
IRWIN JOHNSTON
Irwin Johnston suffered a heart attack
two years ago, required double by-pass
surgery afterward, and has since made
some important changes in his lifestyle.
Mr. Johnston's family had some history of
heart trouble, and he suffered from angina
( a symptom of heart troubles characterized
by a pain in the chest when lifting, running
etc.) but he didn't anticipate problems at on-
ly 57 years of age.
"I fully realized I had a problem, but
never expected to have a heart attack at my
age."
The conditions of Mr. Johnston's attack
were similar to Mr. Finlayson's. He had
trouble sleeping on January 12, 1987, was un-
comfortable and had an upset stomache. He
didn't have the severe pain he associated
with a heart attack, but when he was driven
to the hospital he found he had taken a small
to medium heart attack, and had suffered
some small damage to his heart.
Arteries to his heart were clogged by a
buildup of cholesterol, and he needed double
by-pass surgery to clear passages.
On May 31, 1987 he had the surgery at
University Hospital in London. In three
hours of surgery an incision from above his
navel, up to his chest, and into the
breastbone was made. An artery was taken
out of his leg and used to repair the clogged
arteries of his heart.
The surgery was a success for Mr.
Johnston. He said his chest felt little serious
pain, although the leg the artery was taken
from did bother him some. He had the
surgery on a Saturday, was in intersive care
until Monday, and was out of the hospital in
a week.
Mr. Johnston has done a lot of reading
about heart disease, and has made changes
to his lifestyle.
After surgery he had no desire to smoke,
and although he used to smoke cigars or a
pipe he has given that up. He eats a low fat
diet consisting of a lot of vegetables, fish,
and chicken. He has taken seriously his doc-
tor's recommendation that walking is im-
portant, and is a common sight on Seaforth
streets. as he does three or four miles per.
day at a brisk walk. He is now 25 to 30
pounds lighter than he was before he went in
for surgery two years ago.
The surgery cured him. of his angina and
he is now able to dance and do some of the
things he couldn't formerly. '
He is back at work as administratorof the
Fordwich Village Nursing Home.
Today he says he feels pretty super.
Through reading Mr. Johnston has
NEW LIFESTYLE - Irwin Johnston of Seaforth suffered a heart attack and double
bypass open heart surgery about two years ago. Since then he has made many
changes in his tifestyle, and one of these is walking -it is now a common sight to see
him out walking Seaforth's streets. Mr. Johnston is one of the three individuals featured
in this week's Heart and Stroke feature story. Corbett photo.
become somewhat knowledgeable in the
area of heart disease. About seven per cent
of the bypass operations have to be done
again because the new artery's joins even-
tually dissolve. He hopes not far down the
road there will be a way to eliminate
chplesterol buildup without surgery.
LEO TEATERO
Another Seaforth area native may not be
alive today if he hadn't been diagnosed with
a rare heart disease and given surgery then
he was 17 -years -old.
Leo Teatero, son of Leo and Francis of
Egmondville, was cleaning a vat at the can-
nery when he hyperventilated. It was
thought to be a heart attack and he was
taken to Exeter where Dr. Waters, after not
being satisfied with a cardio test made an
appointment for him with a specialist in
London.
Dr. George Klein, of University Hospital,
diagnosed Leo as having a rare condition
known as Wolff Parkinson White syndrome.
The victim of the syndrome has two bundles
of pacemaker nerve connections, where it is
normal to have only one.
This can cause a "short circuit," par-
ticularly when the heart is working hard,
and the heart may go into a racing pattern.
Bruce Melanson, a hockey player with the
Oshawa Generals, died from this in the
same year as Leo was diagnosed as having
Wolff Parkinson White syndrome.
Leo was the 97th person in Canada to have
open heart surgery to remedy Wolff Parkin-
son White syndrome, and his surgery was a
success.
Mrs. Teatero says for a long time after
surgery her son was afraid to exert himself,
or do anything, but books and resource
material available from the Heart and
Stroke Foundation and other sources helped
give him some confidence, and gave his
parents supportive information.
Doctors explained to Mrs. Teatero that
without the surgery, her son would have
"dropped dead" one day at the age of about
21, and the cause would not have been
known without an autopsy.
Today Leo is 23 -years -old and lives and
works in Ottawa.
One striking feature of dealing with the
issue of stroke and heart disease on a local
level, is that virtually' everyone you talk to
knows someone who has had a stroke, heart
attack, surgery, etc.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foun-
dation 30,000 Ontarians will die from car-
diovascular disease this year. One out of
every two Canadians is at risk, and heart
disease and stroke are still Canada's
number one killer.
However, 20,000 lives were saved last year
in 'Canada, and ongoing research has con-
tributed to a 34 per cent decrease in death
rates since 1955.
HCBE discusses
12 -month school ye®r
The pros and cons of having a 12 month
school year were,discussed .atthe February
meeting of the Huron County Board of
Education.
The issue of a 12 month school year has
arisen as a result of the need for crowded
metropolitan Toronto schools to get 100 per
cent use out of their buildings. A select com-
mittee on education is currently looking at a
variety of education topics such as
semestering, curriculum and hours of in-
struction. In its first report, the Select Com-
mittee on Education commented:
"The scheduling and length of the school
year seems to be based more on the tradi-
tional needs of an agrarian society than on
any pedagogical rationale. In addition, the
increasing curriculum demands placed on
the school system by a rapidly changing
society have called into question the ap-
propriateness of the current length of the
school day."
The HCBE was invited to comment to the
Ontario Public School Board's Association
(OPSBA) on the need for changes to the
length of the current school year and day.
Comment from the board was needed by
February 8, 1989.
Many trustees had immediate concerns
about the 12 month opening of schools.
UWE AND THEA WISCH of RR 2 Kippen last year enrolled their ties got a taste of rural life during stays on the Wisch farrri staring
farm as oe of the 95 Vacation Farms in Ontario. 57 different par- its first year as a vacation farm. Corbett photo.
Vacation farms offer extra income
Last year Uwe Wisch and his wife Thea, of
RR 2 Kippen, opened their home and farm to
strangers on 57 occasions.
About a year ago Mr. and Mrs. Wisch
found their house was virtually empty since
their son and daughter had left to make
their way in the world, so they remodelled
four upstairs bedrooms and got involved in
Vacation Farms to supplement their farm
income, and to meet new people.
The Wischs were surprised to have 57 dif-
ferent parties come to stay with them in
their first summer on the Vacation Farms
program.
But a guest of farm vacation is more like a
guest in your home, and not just a tenant
renting a room. Some of the people are
travellers who want more "homey" accom-
modations, and others are from urban
backgrounds who set out specifically with
the intent of seeing what rural life is all
about.
"Mostly they like to talk and be involved
with the family. A lot have never been on a
farm before and that's why they come,"
says Mr. Wisch.
Mr. Wisch says you have to enjoy talking
to people to enroll your farm in Vacation
Farms and be successful as a host. He says
the people who make use of,fars s vacations
have a different attitude than people who
use hotels.
"Theywant.a different relationship with
theirhost,they waribto:talk and get to know
you," he explains. The guests ask him about
• farming, coping with Ithe;farm crisis, if he
makes itis own tupti, .ani anyuung anu
everything to do with ivral living.
"That's the main thing, you have to like to
talk and communicate with people -make
them feel at home," says Mrs. Wisch.
Many of the Wisch's visitors were
Americans, a number were Torontonians or
from other Canadian cities, and other
visitors came from England and France.
Mr. Wisch says he was surprised to find how
well Canada is promoted in other countries
and the tourism results it has.
Most of the guests stay for a weekend and
move on, but some did stay as long as a
week.
The Wischs provide a lot for the $40 per
room they charge. Guests have use of their
own room and a private bathroom they
share with the other guests (if any), and
there is a downstairs common room with a
TV and VCR for their use. Each guest gets a
key to the home, and generally can come
and go as they please.
Their breakfast is provided, and
breakfast is generally the longest meal of
the day, as all the guests and their hosts eat
together and get to know one another.
Guests generally also have their run of the
Wisch farm;-Stid"ttey can swim fn the pool,
fish in the pond, help or watch Mrs. Wisch
make her dried flower.arrangments, or just
wander the farm. On the farm there are
geese, cats arida dog. Mr. Wisch also keeps
cattle or sheep in ,Ins eight acre ;pasture to
add to the scenery.
Thefarm<is located relatively•elose.to the
Stratford theatre and Grand .Bend .and is
generallytin an attractive area.
"I think kids do a lot of growing outside of
school. There's a lot of growing and :matur-
ing that takes place when a child is working
during the summer," commented trustee
Tony McQuail.
Another trustee, Norman Wilson, noted
his son had just finished Grade 13 and was
looking forward to the months leading to
September to raise money for university.
Questions of the current quality of educa-
tion, the financial implications of having
schools open year-round, effects on tourism
and agriculture industries, and the con-
siderable social change and affect on social
patterns such a move would have would all
have to be looked at before such a move
were made.
Smaller issues; .including ,.that of
maintenance, were also brought up. Now
school building maintenance is done during
the summer while students are on holidays.
When would there be time for maintenance
during a 12 month school year?
Heat was another issue. The cost to air
condition schools during the summer would
drive energy costs as high as the cost to heat
them during the winter.
Don McDonald suggested making better
use of the current year would be a more ac -
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There are currently 95 farms enrolled in
Vacation Farms, and most charge from $35
per night, to a maximum of $60 per night
depending on what is offered. Vacation
Farms was started 20 years ago by the
Federation of Agriculture to increase the in-
come of family farms, and last year one
farmer made $12,000 in one year through his
vacation farm. In tourist areas many farms
are booked solid through the tourist season.
Some farms are getting bookings for the
March break.
This year the Vacation Farms Association
tried to promote a winter vacation featuring
skiing, snowmobiling and other activities, to
lengthen the tourist season for farmers, but
the weather didn't cooperate.
People interested in joining Vacation
Farms should have suitable accommoda-
tions, well maintained facilities, a family
owned and operated farm and a working
farm so guests can see it in action. Farm
animals are an attraction to guests as are a
suitable location, and hospitality. The Vaca-
tion Farms Association inspects to see that
farms meet most of these criteria, and sam-
ple the farm's drinking water.
Mr. and Mrs. Wisch report they haven't
yet made a lot of money as a result of Vaca-
tion Farms, but they had extra expenses
their first year to get into operation.
They :have, however, .always been given
highest :marks when being rated by their
customers on the service they offer. Pro-
bably ibecause they take time out ;to,enter-
toin theirguests,.andoffer them aveaLeoun-
try ..yaeation.
Wed., Feb. 8
1-3 p.m. — Moms and Tots Skating
6 p.m. — Celebrity Dinner at Community
Centres
6:30-8 p.m. — Minor Broomball
8 p.m. — Seaforth Horticultural Society
meats at Seaforth Public School
8-10:30 p.m. — Ladies' Broomball
Thurs., Feb. 9
4:30-5:30 p.m. — Minor Hockey
5:30-6:30 p.m. — Minor Hockey
6:30-7:30 p m. — Minor Broomball
7:30-12 Midnight — Men's Broomball
Fri., Feb. 10
2 p.m. — High School Hockey
Madill vs. S.D.H.S.
5-6 p.m. — Junior Houseleague Hockey
6-7 p.m. — Senior Houseleague Hockey
7-8 p.m. — Petite Ringette
8 p.m. — Wellesley vs. Seahawks
Sat., Feb. 11
9 a.m. — Kings vs. North Stars
10 a.m. — Canadians vs. Oilers
11 a.m. — Leafs va. Penguins
12 noon — Whalers vs. Flames
1:30 p.m. — Story Hour at Library
1-2 p.m. — Mites Mackey
2-3 p.m. — Novice - +Bunny.Ringette
3-4:30 p.m. — PUBLIC SKATING
4:30-6:30 p.m. — Goderich vs. Novice
Hockey
6:30.6:45 p.m. — Atom teams unknown
6:454:30 ,p.m. — PeeWee at press time
8:30 -so pan. — Winghem vs. Queens
1Qldtimers
Sun., Feb. 12
12-1 p,m. — Novice klingotte
1-4 p.m. — Mitchell vs. Centenalres
5-7 p.m. — Ringette Fun Night
8 p.m. — Bruins vs. Penguins
9:30 p.m. — Hawks vs. Rangers
Mon., Feb. 13
4:30-8:30 p.m. — Figure Skating
8:30-10 p.m. — Beaver Oldtimers
10-11 p.m. — Midgets
Tues., Feb. 14
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY
2 p.m. — Seaforth Women's Institute
Family and Consumer Affairs meeting
with Doris Huglll in charge. To be held
at the home of Thelma Dale
6:30-8 p.m. — Bantams Playoffs - teams
unknown
8 p.m. — The Hospital Auxiliary meeting
in the Hospital Board Room. Joyce
Doig will be guest speaker and show
slides on China
8-10 p.m. — Midgets Playoffs - teams
unknown
7:30 p.m. — Ringette Playoff Meeting at
Queens
Wed . , Feb. 15
1-3 p.m. — Mom and Tots Skating
1:30-4 p.m. — Senior Shuffleboard
6:30-8 p.m. — Minor Broomball
8-10:30 p.m. — Men's Broomball
7:30 p.m. — Special Ringette Meeting to
Plan the Eric Nagler Concert
Mon., Feb. 20
7:30 p.m. — Senior Citizen Euchre at
Seaforth Legion. Sponsored by Seaforth
Jr. Farmers. For ride can Lynda
627-1209 otter 5:30 p.m.
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