Ethel Dimont

Why Should We Believe Lies To Cover Other People Personal Motives?

2010-07-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

I had been treated by a health care professional for over ten years before I found information about the ADRENAL GLAND that says it can’t heal itself and it cannot be repaired, so why didn’t this healthcare provider tell me this? Why do some healthcare providers leave the patient with the impression that the treatment they are receiving is going to fix or even cure the problem, when it won’t?

My Adrenal Gland failed completely before I realized my health care provider was more sure of his treatments being the answer to my problems, than in his ability to finding out what my problems were, and administer the correct treatment for my problem. After ten years without results, yet alone obtaining a cure, we both agreed that the treatments weren’t merited any longer and we parted company.

The care they had been administering finally wore out the slow deterioration that had been taking place during their treatments, and it had become obvious to me, the patient, that what we had done all these years had been useless and in no way could have repaired the medical problem I thought this treatment was to help cure it.

What purpose does this ignorance serve? For the patient and for the health care official? For the health care official, the only reasons I have ever found for this type of treatment is money or laziness.

For the patient, the disappointment runs neck and neck with the anger of paying so much money for nothing. When they learn that all the treatments had done was nothing more than what the body was doing on its own.

When the patient does not know they cannot be cured, but continues treatment believing they can, only to learn they had been deceived, the anger finally builds to a level that is beyond the normal feeling of being upset. This anger takes on the attributes of rage.

Is it possible this problem can and should be handled so that the patient does not pay the price physically and add to the disillusionment that has developed toward medical care which, today, is so obvious less than what we all believed it was doing?
If I mentioned the caretaker’s name, he wouldn’t like it. I certainly did not like his deceiving me while he was being paid for something he knew would never help, yet alone cure.

I find it difficult to accept this type of “care” without feeling that I have been made a fool. Am I being too sensitive, or is it about time the victims of poor care find out they are being used. It is sad that we need to be wary of our health care providers instead of retaining respect for them.

The NFL and Head Concussions

2010-07-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

The battle over head injuries sustained while playing football have been going on for years and an end doesn't seem to be in sight. In May, the New York Times reported:

May 25, 2010 In what could have been a fresh start for the N.F.L.’s committee on head injuries, its two new co-chairmen, making their first official remarks on concussions before a House Judiciary Committee panel, were heatedly rebuked by lawmakers for sounding “like the same old N.F.L.” — NYT

When will the footbal industry come to see the obvious problems in their approach to using young men for their fun and games? Here are a few videos on the subject.

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbxJgN2Udjg&feature=related

Brain-Healing Bridges: ScienCentral News Video

2010-07-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

Reasons for Misdiagnosis

2010-07-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

The inability to see the torn connections deep in the brain, is one reason that so many TBIs are not treated with proper medical care. These connections are key to making our brain work correctly. Now they are understanding there can be great damage to the brain without any "bleeding."

If you are having any of the symptoms of a brain injury after a blow to the head, treat it as if you have a TBI and demand the medical care it requires to heal. Do NOT let anyone tell you that you are neurotic or making things up for attention. Get the right help ASAP!

A Few Good Doctors

2010-01-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

One of the deepest regrets I have in looking back over the years of recovery from my brain injury, is not finding doctors that understood the problem or cared enough about me to figure out the help I needed. I was called names and labeled a "malingerer" (lasy, good for nothing person) which I was not. In my search for good information I ran across this website and thought I would share the information with you, as it pertains to finding the right kind of doctor.

The Brain Injury Resource Center website is loaded with great information - check it out - http://www.headinjury.com/doctors.htm

From The Ashes:
A Brain Injury Survivor's Guide

Choosing the right doctor. In this age of specialization, it is wise to find a doctor with appropriate credentials, and expertise in the areas of your interest. The objective is to find a doctor who is technically up to date, and who cares about your suffering and the suffering of your family. If the doctor does not have special expertise and appropriate credentials in head injury, find someone who does.

You will want to find someone who will trust you and help you to identify and manage your own impairments. Not every doctor is willing to allow you this kind of freedom and support. Before anything else is settled, tell the doctor specifically what you want. If the doctor is unwilling to cooperate with you, keep looking until you find the right one for you.

Washington

Associates in Rehabilitation and Neuropsychology
1221 Madison, Ste 1120
Seattle WA 98104 - Telephone: 206-386-3860

Randal Beaton, PhD - Clinical Psychology
2910 East Madison St., Ste 212
Seattle WA 98112 -- Telephone:206-322-8353

William Burkhart, PhD - Clinical Psychology
10740 Meridian Ave N., Ste 104
Seattle WA 98133 - Telephone: 206-365-1428

Dr. Stephen C. Chan, DC, Evergreen Chiropractic Clinic
1032 S. Jackson St., Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98104
DIRECT: (206) 851-8955 - OFFICE: (206) 709-4006
email: stephen chan

David Coppel, PhD - Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology and Sports Psychology - Offices in Seattle, and Kirkland,WA
Telephone: 206-323-1600 - 425-822-1988
Works with Olympic & world class athlets as well as TBI

Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, MD, FACEP, Assoc. Professor & Director Lightning & Electrical Injury Evaluation Program, Deputy Head of Academic Affairs - University of Illinois at Chicago. Sensitive to needs of electric shock and lightening strike survivors.
url: http://www.uic.edu:80/~macooper/cindex.htm --

Lloyd Cripe, PhD - Neuropsychologist - Box 250, Carlsborg WA 98324 - Telephone: 360-683-8885

Gayle Fay, PhD - Pediatric NeuroPsychologist - 1900 - 112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 - Telephone: 425-452-8036

Robert T. Fraser, PhD - Vocational Specialist, 1221 Madison, Ste 1120
Seattle, WA 98104 - Telephone: 206-386-3860

Arthur H. Ginsberg, MD - Neurologist - 10330 Meridian N.
Seattle, WA 98133 - Telephone: 206-523-8990

Stephen Glass, MD - Pediatric Neurologist - 17924 - 140th Ave NE Ste 200 -- Woodinville, WA 98172 - Telephone: 425-424-9200

Herbert P. Gordon, DDS - TMJ Specialist - 2111 N. Northgate Way Ste. 221 -- Seattle, Wa 98133 - Telephone: 206-363-8240

Steven M. Horris, DC - Chiropractor - Ballard Back Clinic,
1534 NW 56th St - Seattle, WA 98107, Telephone: 206-784-2510
url: http://www.BallardBackClinic.com/

Ted Judd, PhD -Certified Hispanic Mental Health Specialist - Home based therapy, ecological model of recovery. Tasks as rehab exercises. Bellingham,WA 98225 - Telephone: 360-255-2505
email: tjudd@az.com

Victoria Lee, PhD - Grief & Loss - 509 Olive Way,
Seattle, WA 98101 - Telephone: 206-682-7850

NW Spine Institute - Chiropractic - 15710 - 24th St, Ste B,
Bellevue, WA 98008 -- Telephone: 425-644-8636

Dr. Richard Reinking - Behavioral Medicine Assoc, 1601 -
114th Ave SE, Ste 180, Bellevue, WA 98004-6904 --
Telephone: 425-454-3110

Lauren Schwartz, PhD - 20016 Cedar Valley RD Ste B204
Lynnwood, Wa - Telephone: 206-774-3838

Karen Tanzy, PhD - 509 Olive Way, Seattle, WA -
Telephone: 206-682-7850

Rainier Valley Chiropractic, PS - Dr. David Butters, DC -
4236 - 36th Ave S., Seattle, WA - Telephone: 206-723-2820

Dr. Lee G. Yardley, Chiropractic, - Federal Way, WA 98055 --
Telephone: 253-529-1100

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Other States
Bill Levinger, M.D.- Pain Management, 10 years in Family Practice and E.R. Medicine, and then Anesthesia training and Board Certification.

Associates in Rehabilitation and Neuropsychology -
2751 Debarr Rd, Ste 390, Anchorage, AK 99508
Telephone: 907-274-8211

Jill Brooks, PhD - 125 Paterson St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1977 - Telephone: 908-235-6596

James English, PsyD ABPP, ABPN -
Board Certified Amer. Board of Prof. Neuropsychology;
Board Certified Amer. Board of Prof. Psychology-Clinica
Telephone: 406-771-3394
Practicing @ Group Medical Practice - 1400 29th St S, Great Falls, MT 59405

Edward G. Ezrailson, Ph.D. -- Science Expert-Toxicology, Pharmacology, & Chemistry - 2308 W. Settlers Way, The Woodlands, TX 77380
email: edez1@neosoft.com -- url: http://www.pharmtox.com
Telephone: 281-364-9037 - Fax: 281-298-6895

Fay Headache Center - 99 University Place, Fifth floor, New York, NY 10003, Telephone: 212-995-5588

Paul Greilick, PhD, Clinical Neuropsychologist, 921 W. 11th St., #1W Traverse City, MI 49684 -- Telephone: 231-922-2686 -
Fax: 231-929-5586 -- url: http://www.traverse-neuropsychology.com/

Health Restoration Medical Center -- 26381 Crown Valley #130
Mission Viejo, CA 92691 --Telephone: 800-300-1063; 949-367-8870
FAX: (949) 367-9779 -- url: http://www.strokedoctor.com/map.htm

Thomas Kay, PhD - Clinical Psychology,
Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation
333 E 34th St., Ste 1N, NY, NY 10016 --
Telephone: 212-532-5446

Louis T. LaPorta, Jr., Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist
Offices in Boca Raton and Plantation
email: Doctor_of_Psychology@hotmail.com
Telephone: 561-901-1430 Fax: 561- 447-7501

Dr. Harvey Liss, Psy-phd - Brattleboro Counseling Center
67 Main St, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301 --
Telephone: 802-257-1062

Michael McCrea, PhD - Clinical Psychology - 721- American Ave, Ste 501, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188 -- Telephone: 414-544-2396
email: michael.mccrea@phci.org

Dr. Denise Natale. DC - Four Seasons Chiropractic, 66 Route 100 North, Ludlow, VT 05149 -- Telephone:802-228-4243
email: dcngjs@sover.net

William V. Padula, MD - Specialties of Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation, Low Vision - Shoreline Vision Rehab Ctr - 652 Boston Post RD
Gilford, CT 06437 - Telephone: 203-453-2222 -
url: http://www.padulainstitute.com/

Nathan Zasler, MD, FAAPM&R, FAADEP, DAAPM, CIME, & Michael Martelli, PhD, DAAPM - Concussion Care Centre of Virginia, Ltd - 10120 West Broad St, Ste G, Glen Allen, VA 23060 -- Telephone: 804-270-5484; Fax: 804-346-1956 --
email: info@cccv-ltd.com -- url: http://www.cccv-ltd.com/

Dr. Diane Roberts Stoler, Ed.D.-- is a health psychologist who more than nine years ago sustained both a stroke from a cerebral bleed (AVM) and two traumatic brain injuries (auto accident and brain surgery).
url: http://www.drdiane.com

Sarah A. Raskin, Ph.D, Dept of Psychology, Trinity College 300 Summit St, Hartford, CT 06106-3100 -- Telephone: 860-297-2342;
Fax: 860-297-2538 -- email: sarah.raskin@trincoll.edu

Sharon E. Williams, Ph.D. Clinical Child Psychologist - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, CA 94305-5729 -- Telephone: 650-723-5435
email: sharonw@stanford.edu --

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Therapists
Michelle D. Garner, MSW - Coaching and Counseling - Seattle WA.- Telephone: 206-729-5299
url: http://www.GarnerPerspective.com

Innovative Speech - Joan Green, M.A. CCC-SLP - 11215 Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD 20854 -- Toll-free: 800-IST-2550
Telephone: 301-602-2899 or 703-531-1161
url: http://www.innovativespeech.com

Annette Stucky - Physical Therapist , Seattle WA.
email: physicaltherapy.guide@about.com

Patricia K. Youngmann, MS, CCS - Speech / Language Pathologist
10740 Meridian Ave N. Ste 104, Seattle WA 98133
Telephone: 206-619-2263

Ralph A Woestemeyer, CSW - TBI Consulting & Therapeutic Services
TBI Survivor and professional social worker specializing in TBI
New Paltz, NY -- url: http://rawcsw.com/ --
email: rawpower@worldshare.net

Brian Injury Kit - A Positive Approach to a Devastating Change

2010-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

FACT: People who have experienced a brain injury – whether it’s classified as Mild, Moderate, or Severe – often experience multiple functional problems, which may include difficulty concentrating, remembering, organizing, handling emotions, and performing everyday tasks.

The Brain Injury Recovery Kit* is a patented, innovative 5-step system that provides educational resources, strategies, and tools for the daily challenges unique to brain injury.

The Brain Injury Recovery Kit provides realistic hope and:
√ Helps develop essential organization skills
√ Builds confidence and increased independence
√ Provides strategies and tools for getting through the day
√ Reinforces 4 Keys to a successful recovery
√ Positively involves family, friends, and caregivers during the recovery process
√ Supports the efforts of medical and rehabilitation professionals

Brought to you by Day-Timer, the Brain Injury Recovery Kit is a unique, patented system invented by Lisa Keller – a creative individual who sustained a brain injury – and her case manager, Sandra Knutson, CRC, CCM, CDMS, a professional specializing in the needs of individuals and their families after brain injury.

The Brain Injury Recovery Kit is a step-by-step approach to recovery that can be tailored to each individual’s needs and can be used at an individual’s own pace.

For more information visit:
http://www.daytimer.com/birk/default.asp?keycode=180847#

Strange World - DECISIONS ON ERRORS OF FACTS

2010-01-15T14:22:00.001-08:00

I have been in the “unknown” (strange world ) for nearly 30 years always believing it was “routine” after an auto accident and the symptoms were not unusual. But I may be one of the very few to search for answers during all those years hoping to be able to return to normal, which I saw as the original me.
Contrary to everyone’s opinion and belief, what I found was so unusual it left me no other possible choice but to accept my situation. All others thought I was making a wrong decision when I decided to try it…a situation that my body was actually telling me it could not be changed. When I did try, small, invisible change began to appear indicating something slightly different and subtle was happening to my body, I decided to stick with it. It was the wisest decision I ever made. My bodily memory lasted long enough to help me remember how long I had not been able to use my muscles, which resulted in their loss of the use of their active ability to function normally, and became stratified. I was not smart enough to know this was the reason why they couldn’t function nor was I aware enough of the importance of finding out why at this point)
Stimulating this and all the bodily functions, in the end took more than two years of stimulation – to help them try to function normally, again.
Or, so it seemed. But it was not so. It had by now been so depleted that whatever energy had not yet been completely exhausted, made it appear as though it was still functioning normally But one day, it exhausted itself It stopped functioning entirely, for more than a year. No one in the health care personnel field seemed to know the reason why. But, did they or had they just gone on assuring themselves their treatments were helping me, knowing full well they weren’t. When I finally called to find out why I was no longer being helped to my utter disgust, I was told by the person who had been giving those treatments for so many years, actually CONFESSED he, and others, had known all along that neither his or any other treatment was capable of curing or relieving it but was only capable of slowly continuing to delay any progress he had told me I was making.
It was just another ‘Health care treatment” that was known could only slow down the deterioration, but never telling me or the public or letting me know that was all it was capable of doing.
Would I, and other patients, be better off knowing the truth and learning to live with it rather than camouflaging the correct information to let us think we were actually being on the road to normalcy? Or was it money which seems to be more important these days than humanities health care?
Just another disillusionment of a health care professional we are told we are getting but are we?
It is almost frightening to think of what we are leaving our children to correct for themselves and their children and the future health care for all of us, including the world. What it will eventually do to our reputation is beyond the stretch or our imaginations.

HAVE YOU SEEN STARS?

2010-01-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

With cars, sports, wars, a blow to the head has become a major incident, overlooked physical injury for a million and a half people yearly. Society and routine medical care divisions categorize and treat it as temporary. If it is, the patient is lucky. If it is not, it becomes permanent and takes years before this injury may be acknowledged by routine medical care physicians, because there are not adequate test for such an injury to alert the medical staff that there is a problem. Medical staff needs to do it the old fashioned way – by observing.

IF YOU RECEIVE A BLOW TO THE HEAD
1. Do not assume symptoms are not important when the blow to the head was only slight.
2. Minor symptoms are potential clues to a possible serious physical problem.
3. Will probably continue to increase in spite of diagnosis that says “they will go away.”
4. Don’t wait too long to learn about head injuries, doing so often causes compounded problems which will delay the healing process or may cause the injury to become permanent.
5. It is the patient’s responsibility to question any diagnoses that doesn’t feel right – do not “live with it” if it isn’t getting better – head injuries can become permanent if ignored.
6. Head Injury victims are also doing their own research, along with other support groups, research clinic and brain injury activist groups who are searching for explanations and evaluating beliefs, concepts, and potential advances.
7. Answers are complicated, human bodies are all different, their healing processes are not identical, finding the proper approach and treatment for each body is vital and the reason why finding the right answer is so difficult.

Moral of the story - keep asking questions, keep seeking answers, never accept advice that doesn't have your best interest at heart.

Common Indicators of a Head Injury

2009-10-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

This questionnaire is not meant to be a formal "test" to see if you have a head injury. If you have multiple "YES" answers, bring this questionnaire to your doctor. Additional tests (medical and neuropsychological) maybe ordered.

HEADACHES
Yes
No
Do you have more headaches since the injury or accident?
Yes
No
Do you have pain in the temples or forehead?
Yes
No
Do you have pain in the back of the head

(sometimes the pain will start at the back of the head and extend to the front of the head)?
Yes
No
Do you have episodes of very sharp pain (like being stabbed)

in the head which lasts from several seconds to several minutes?
MEMORY
Yes
No
Does your memory seem worse following the accident or injury?
Yes
No
Do you seem to forget what people have told you 15 to 30 minutes ago?
Yes
No
Do family members or friends say that you have asked the same question over and over?
Yes
No
Do you have difficulty remembering what you have just read?
WORD-FINDING
Yes
No
Do you have difficulty coming up with the right word

(you know the word that you want to say but can’t seem to "spit it out")?
FATIGUE
Yes
No
Do you get tired more easily (mentally and/or physically)?
Yes
No
Does the fatigue get worse the more you think or in very emotional situations?
CHANGES IN EMOTION
Yes
No
Are you more easily irritated or angered (seems to come on quickly)?
Yes
No
Since the injury, do you cry or become depressed more easily?
CHANGES IN SLEEP
Yes
No
Do you keep waking up throughout the night and early morning?
Yes
No
Do you wake up early in the morning (4 or 5 a.m.) and can’t get back to sleep?
ENVIRONMENTAL OVERLOAD
Yes
No
Do you find yourself easily overwhelmed in noisy or crowded places (feeling overwhelmed in a busy store or around noisy children)?
IMPULSIVENESS
Yes
No
Do you find yourself making poor or impulsive decisions (saying things "without thinking" that may hurt others feelings; increase in impulse buying?)
CONCENTRATION
Yes
No
Do you have difficulty concentrating (can’t seem to stay focused on what you are doing)?
DISTRACTION
Yes
No
Are you easily distracted (someone interrupts you while you are doing a task and you lose your place)?
ORGANIZATION
Yes
No
Do you have difficulty getting organized or completing a task (leave out a step in a recipe or started multiple projects but don’t complete them)?

__________ Total Number of Yes Answers
If you have 5 or more Yes answers, discuss the results of this questionnaire with your doctor.

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For more great infomation visit: http://www.tbiguide.com/

To obtain a copy of:
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY SURVIVAL GUIDE
Contact: Dr. Glen Johnson, Clinical Neuropsychologist
Clinical Director of the Neuro-Recovery Head Injury Program

5123 North Royal Drive Traverse City, MI 49684
Phone 231-935-0388 Email debglen@yahoo.com
Website http://www.tbiguide.com/
Copyright ©1998 Dr. Glen Johnson. All Rights Reserved.

Eyes Open - Brain not Engaged

2009-10-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

Many times people with a brain injury, may be able to speak normally at the time of the injury, only their brain is not engaged with the events that just happened. Do not assume, just because an injured person can speak coherently, that they are not seriously injured.

At the time of my car accident, I was unaware that I was speaking clearly, but I have no memory of what I said and to whom.

Basic Facts about Traumatic Brain Injury

2009-08-21T17:37:00.001-07:00

This is very accurate! Symptoms don't always show up at the time of injury. It is very important to keep watch for signs of these changes for months after a head truama. I experienced many of the symptoms they talk about in this video, only at the time of my injury the medical treatment was to go home, rest and get back to your normal life. After a TBI - there is no "normal" any more.

High School Football Head Trauma

2009-08-21T16:29:00.001-07:00

For the Love of the Game!

Here is another silent injury issue. Our children are at risk for Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Brain Injury and Food

2009-07-17T17:54:00.001-07:00

This is very interesting information!!

Living With Traumatic Brain Injury

2009-07-17T17:49:00.001-07:00

This video is very inlightening about the daily struggles and victories people may have with a brain injury.

FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT - LEGAL AND FRAUDULENT

2009-07-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD AGREE THAT RFUSING TO TELL PARTICIPANTS IN A 97.1 MILLION DOLLAR CASE, REFUSE TO BE TOLD THE FINAL SETTLEMENT AMOUNT THE COMPANY RECEIVED OR ATTORNEYS WERE PAID, HOW AND TO WHOM THEY DISTRIBUTED THOSE FUNDS, WHILE PAYING THE MEMBERS IN
THE ORIGINAL CASE $22.91 EACH, a total of $685,000, never including the final
settlement amount or the number of orignal claimants.

HUMAN ERRORS

2009-06-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

Human errors are possibilities that occur contantly. Weather one is a physicain, attorney, or lay person. Outright mistakes are not human errors. They are the result of carelessness, unconcern, personal needs, or perhaps even the belief in myths.

Has the art of making distinctions been discarded to serve personal needs? Myths will come and go, depending on societal attitudes. We cannot change that. We can, however, try to be more discerning about them, especially when knowing how destructive they can be. Being aware of this characteristic, which many of us possess to some degree, is a major step in the right direction. Going beyond this can yield insights into the reasons for many modern dilemmas in the daily lives of lay people as well as professionals.

Myths often change through time and circumstances, but not always. Some serious ones, like medical myths about women's health, and invsible injuries such as concussions and closed head injuries, are prime examples of myths which are taking a long time to be resolved.

In modern times, opinions; non-verifiable or verifiable, containing a "grain of truth," repeated, heard or read often enough in newspapers, columns, television and Internet, start the planting of a myth. Often these myths are embellished in the retelling. Inevitably, that grain of truth, or half lie, sprouts like all seeds do, no matter how inaccurate they reproduce themselves as truths.

The Value of a Mentor

2009-05-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

Many people, did not have parents who where equipped to be a mentor as well as a provider. Even if this was true for our childhood, this lack doesn’t mean we are left fending for ourselves. It is perfectly fine to acquire mentors on our journey. Mentors can provide the emotional sustenance our parents couldn’t give us while they were providing other things like a roof over our head and food to eat – very important provisions. This is not to say parents can’t be mentors, just that there is room for both.

A problem comes into play when we try to substitute our mentors as our parents, forcing us to stay locked to our past, and limiting our emotional growth. More times than not, a mentor can say the same things our parents did, but it sounds better and we have less resistance to follow their advice. Following good advice, no matter whom it comes from, usually produces good results.

Most of us have at least one deep problem - our attitude about ourselves, which effects how we relate to others? This attitude can be either end of the spectrum – too little self esteem, or too much self-vibrato, you know the kind of people who think they are all that and a bag of chips. We all need to find a happy medium when it comes to self-esteem.

If you don’t like yourself, it’s very hard to extend joy to those who do. This attitude often reveals itself in jealousy and verbal tear-downs, causing strife in relationships. We have all seen the other extreem on American Idol, where people who clearly can’t carry a tune in a bucket, lash out at the judges who don’t pass them on to the next round. “They don’t know good singing when they hear it! They are so stupid!” We who are watching this show of stupidity, are not thinking it’s the judges who hold that title. For the most part, we see others as we see ourselves.

This takes us back to the heart of the problem – resistance to change, or following good advice. Living in past pain or glory, stunts our emotional growth. Rehearsing our past over and over again causes fixation instead of maturation. A good mentor can help refocus our thoughts. In a healthy mentoring relationhip, the future and all of its potential should be the focus. Denial of our weaknesses/struggles does not always serve us well.

Fortunately, today we have a plethora of Life Coaches who are trained just for that purpose. We also have books, recordings and for those of us who are blessed, a real live person who invests their wisdom into our lives.

I Will Still Have A Long ‘TO-DO' List Even After I Die.

2009-04-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

At the age of 92, you would think I should feel satisfied with the accomplishments of my life, only when I look at what is left on my “to do” list, I either have to live forever or will my tasks to someone else.

One of the most important tasks that should be in my will is to help the next generation understand the beauty of listening to a different point of view, instead of ignoring it.

My sense of responsibility is still good as new and has many years of life left in it. I feel this is one of most valuable possessions to pass on.

Tenaciousness has served me will over the years and helped me fix some of the most difficult obstacles that show up on life’s journey – illness, financial crisis, family disagreements, death and loneliness, just to name a few.

Hope may seem like tenaciousness, but it is different. Hope sees what can be. It is the hot air that helps our balloon raise so we can see great vistas. I know whoever receives this task will be blessed by it.

Oh yes, I almost forgot to add humor to my list of tasks to pass on. Without this gift, life becomes too long and too short.

Well, I will have to finish this inventory list later, I have other things to do right now.
Blessings and love to you all.

Why are there so many different religions?

2009-04-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

Does anyone, believer or non-believer, ever ask themselves - If there is a God, is there more than one? Or, why are there so many different religions?

If there is more than one god, did the God Almighty create them for man? Or, are they self-created beliefs that man uses to convince himself, for his own personal motives, to believe, not in one God – but their own interpretations that encourages them to use God as a way of convincing
themselves, and others that these ‘’PERSONAL CREATED BELIEFS” serve an international purpose rather than just their own wants and needs.

Does anyone really believe there is more than one God?

That Really Made Me Mad

2009-04-03T17:12:00.000-07:00

I had a disagreement with a physician which I wrote about to the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts. It was rejected by them, without ever giving me a reason why.

I belonged to the insurance group, Advantra, and he was my primary physician. My visit was a routine visit. The doctor suggested I take a pharmaceutical (Amox-Clav) and do exercise for my ‘ROUND SHOULDERS.” I don’t think he ever listened when I told him over and over again, I have had round shoulders ever since I was six years old and I did not think any pharmaceutical or exercise could correct that at my age, which at the time, was over 80. I was sure an antibiotic would not fix round shoulders. He prescribed a drug,
which was because I wasn’t feeling quite well,. After taking one dose of the drug he prescribed, I had some bleeding the next morning, and called him. He did not return my call.

I went to his office that morning, and, because I did not have an appointment, was told by the receptionist that I needed to go to the emergency room, which I would not do, but waited four hours in his office before he did see me. After a quick conversation, he did not tell me to stop taking the medication but told me I needed to go to the hospital. It was I who had to ask whether to continue taking the Amox-Clav or not. One would have thought he would have told me that himself.

I didn’t think checking into a hospital through the emergency room myself. I call a friend to accompany me. After a grueling day, I ended up with a three-day hospital stay, but they never found anything wrong with me. This doctor didn’t come to check on my condition until the end of the third day, which was too late to discharge me that day. Staying an extra day would not be cover by my insurance company. I insisted on leaving the hospital without his discharge authorization.

What is the patient to do if there is no, helpful listening ear for the patient’s benefit? I am sure the doctor’s would not stand for this if the situation was reversed.

Expediency Does Not Solve Problems

2009-04-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Is it asking too much of people on both the pro and con side of an issue, to listen and understand the opposing viewpoint? Finding workable solutions to the problems that face our world today will be no easy task, but we must find them. The question is - does it have to be TODAY? Is there no room or time for discussions? Blindly running head long into a problem could just make it worse. All sides need to set aside their party agendas and start getting it through their heads that this crisis isn't about them and their needs, it's about a world economy falling apart and the helpless that need help.

There is not a nation on the face of the earth that hasn't suffered by the hands of greedy people - be it political leaders, military war lords, business owners or private citizens. So, how are the world leads going to handle this crisis? Each nation has always touted itself as having the best approach to everything. Who is going to bend?

We hear how the whole world is in crisis, but how bad is it? I guess you need to consider who is doing the talking. How do we know if what is being reported is true or just propaganda to get us whipped into a frenzy, taking to the streets with a false message? We witnessed this during WWII, anyone that wanted to call themselves a good citizen spouted the hate language that would keep them safe. There was no talking it over and making nice.

We need to be careful how fast we run into a good plan - it might not be all that good.

WAS GOD ALWAYS THERE – WAS I TOO BUSY TO PAY ATTENTION?

2009-03-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

My sister and brother seem to remember our childhood experiences so differently than I do; they make it sound like we never lived together. Seeing life through a different set of eyes does explain the depth of our personal, political, and emotional differences and is a clear indication of why it appears we are from entirely different backgrounds.
At my father’s funeral, in a casual conversation, I learned why there has always
been a wall between my sister and me. She believed my father had liked me more than he liked her -- sad and definitely untrue, but my father was not there to tell her the truth of the matter. I guess like all of us, especially children, the need to be loved is strong, only love feels and looks different to each person and this interpretation leads either to an unhappy life, or one of security.
My affection for my father flowed deep as did his affection towards me. It was as normal as breathing. I believe my mother and sister were jealous of this relationship. It was through my father’s wisdom, past down to me, that I developed a sense of worth. It was these seeds he planted in my mind that protected me in the days to come.
I married young and divorced young, leaving me a single mother of a two year old daughter. This experience made me realize that if I did not change my life style I would end up in another “routine marriage,” for the rest of my life, even though I intuitively knew this was not what I wanted. I knew I had to change me. My father may not physically be here, but he will never be gone.
My life had been so complicated up to then, with so many unusual circumstances and decisions to make, which I never felt capable of doing. As I look back now, I find it difficult to believe that I alone was able to come up with these correct answers. My decisions would either lead to a successful future, or sad failure. Was there an unseen force guiding me?
Now began the task of seeing my real self, my responsibilities for my daughter, my future life, interests, and those duties I could not shed. I never was successful trying to be friends with my sister, yet I had no difficulty striking up a friendship with strangers, especially those who stimulated my interests in serious reading, discussions, music, and the world around me. In this process, my new acquaintances convinced me I was more interesting than the way I saw myself. I began to realize I was more than just a people pleaser, who took care of the details for everyone.
At just the right time, my future husband showed up. Born in Finland, a Military
Intelligence officer in the American army, on his way to Europe, during World War II. Both of us were divorced, and each had one daughter. It only took three dates before we both realized we had fallen in love, but did not reveal it. I did not expect to hear from him again when he left for his responsibilities in Europe, I was wrong. Before he even reached Europe, his first letter said: “When I return, if we both feel the same way, I will ask you to marry me…” He did, and we were married as soon as he returned.
When I met my future husband he also saw qualities in me that my friends had seen. This was exactly what I needed, someone with a different viewpoint, who saw me differently -- through his Finnish European background. Together we began to develop serious interest in news, politics, music, art. I also learned to listen to serious discussions even if I did not have enough knowledge to follow them. Slowly, over the years these people and focus groups became a major part of our life.
This would be just the beginning of a life filled to over flowing. Our 50 years of marriage took us around the world, meeting Heads of State and political leaders from Israel, Germany, Scotland, France, Italy and Finland.
Was it by chance that everything fell into place or was God always there guiding my steps, even when I was too busy to pay attention?

WWII Trauma

2009-03-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

A man in the building where I live asked me a question about WWII – Do you feel veterans were treated fairly after the war? Here’s my answer.

Did we treat the veterans of this War fairly? I don’t think so.

For more than twenty years after the war, GIs were told it was their negative psychological attitudes that was the reason for their physical symptoms they had developed once they had returned home from the front lines of war, and they were using these symptoms as an excuse for why they were unwilling to hold a job. In other words, they were being told they were lazy and didn’t want to work.

It took over thirty years after WWII before this myth was acknowledged as an error by the country – Government, Military Leaders, and the public. Apperently, the only wounds that were “real” were the ones you can see, like a missing limb or a gapping hole where shrapnel entered. I’m sure there was correct information out there about internal injuries, but it wasn’t being applied to the problems these GIs were experiencing. It appears some policy maker felt the potential cost of caring for “invisible” injuries was far too great and the budget took precedence over these problems.

Researchers, making this correct data available to the public, forced the army to finally confirm what the GIs had been saying was true; their mental problems were not caused by their attitudes, but by their brain’s response to the violent shellings they had experienced for years during their tour of duty. The army had no choice but to finally acknowledge the truth and shell-sock is now a common word associated with this kind of injury.

PREDICTION OR FICTION?

2009-03-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

I find it fascinating to read the predictions for the daily horocope on Aquarius. An Aquarius, is born between January 20 – February 18. After reading them for almost a year, I finally found one that fits perfectly.

Coded with five stars, it says:

Your ability to see past the obvious could make a big difference.
Understand what is going on behind the scenes. Sometimes
observation takes on a bigger role and more significance than
asking question. Tonight: Let your mind wonder.

My next step is to see who is responsible for the comments – or are
they opinions presented as predictions? With so many people, born
during this time period, it isn’t surprising that I found one that may be
correct.

GOD WAS ALWAYS THERE, BUT I WAS TOO BUSY TO PAY ATTENTION - BIO OF MYSELF

2009-03-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

Because the stories my sister and brother seem to remember about our relationships are so different from mine, they were like we never lived together. They do explain the depth of our personal, political, and emotional difference and are clear indications why it appears we are from entirely different backgrounds.
I was a pretty child, fussy about myself, scared of my shadow, but obedient. It appeared as if, even in those days my body talked to me. It told me what not to eat, something my mother never understood when the doctor told her it was doing, but she never gave up nagging me about food, and everything else.
My sister always criticized me but not until my father’s funeral, did I learn why. She believed my father liked me more than he did her. How sad and improbable, but too late to be repaired. Like all children, we both needed love. How we went about getting it
led us in entirely different life styles, both complicated and difficult to relate healthily to each other. We never succeeded. Try as I would, this problem lasted our entire lives.
My friends filled my requirements with like interests in serious reading, discussions, (not arguments, no matter whether you were a leftist or rightist), music, current events, and the world around us.
As a “taking care of details person,” I expanded even further in my interests when I met my future husband, a man so different from anyone I had ever known until then. He was a Military Intelligence Officer, had been divorced,with one daughter. After three meetings, we “subtly” realized we had fallen in love but did not reach the stage of being able to talk about it.
When he left for Europe to fulfill his responsibility as a GI, I doubted I would hear from him. My excitement was enormous when I received a letter from him, while he was still sailing on his trip to Europe, that said “When I return, if we both feel the same way, I will ask you to marry me.” He did. We were married as soon as he returned.
My simple life became so complicated, with unusual circumstances that it required the wisdom which I was not sure I had in order to make the correct chioces. As I look back now, I find it difficult to believe that I was capable of making them myself, and they turned out to be correct. Or was God helping, but was I too busy to realize it? Years later, as my life slowed down,and maturity well in place, I realized it was God’s hand in my life that helped me through my days of hard choices.

CONFLICT BASED ON BELIEFS

2009-03-06T12:33:00.000-08:00

If one believes one is religious, and we all believe in only ONE GOD … how and why do we have so many different religions? Has GOD told us to do this? Or can it be those of us who have so many different motives who “believe” there aren’t so many different religions to convince ourselves that our beliefs are the only correct ones?

Can it be GOD? The obvious answer must be loud NO. We must be telling ourselves that what we believe must be correct? This is a dilemma that muddies our thinking. There must be some way to repair the damage this is doing to all our different personal religious beliefs. If this is so, when GOD...IF WE LISTENING TO HIM…must be telling all of us the same thing.

I wish I knew how to help us solve this problem. It does not add to what should be a positive experience for each of us. Not necessarily all of us believe the same thing, but each of us has a choice by which we can live productively, have positive relations with each other, and be able to listen to our differences, and discuss them rather than simply disagreeing. Or is that asking too much of ourselves?

The Three "Me's"

2009-02-27T13:46:00.001-08:00

The Three ‘Me’S”

I saw my life in the form of three distinct people:
The original me before the accident.
The injured me I had lived with for almost 35 years after the accident,
The new me of today.

In the first “me”, happiness filled my life with the person I knew so well and liked. In the second, it was filled with anxiety and sadness and someone I did not know -- and did not like. In the third, a new me emerged ... one who began to show signs of the me I had tried so hard not to lose, as if she knew how badly I needed and wanted her.

Slowly, imperceptibly, I was sure she was trying to come back. I now rarely feel her, but others do and constantly surprised me when they tell me they do. Even people who see me for the first time seem to be aware of her – the pre accident me. This situation is so strange to me. The injury has so much control over my body; it is so subtle -- it is outside my reach. I had always thought of life as a continuation of daily experiences to prepare one for facing the future, creating anticipation and hope, as one looks forward to the future.

Since the accident, daily experiences were more devastating, than not. It was my good fortune that the healthy past came back in the form of memories, which helped me remember the normal, happy, healthy, emotional feeling of joy I had lost after the accident. Somehow, my memories and emotions reminded me “normal” was somewhere, but it did not tell me why it was unable to help me stimulate it.

New Hope For Head Injuries

2008-11-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

It’s been many years since my car accident, but the search for correct information is always at the forefront of my mind, as minimal information was known about head injuries at the time of my accident. I guess if my brain had been out of my scull, they would have known without a shadow of a doubt that my brain was injured, but that was not the case. There was no blood, no guts. My injuries were “invisible” -- broken bones, a collapsed lung, and a concussion. The broken bones and collapsed lung were treated, they could be seen with diagnostic tools, but concussions can’t be x-rayed or scanned, they are “felt” and only by the patient.

I was sent home after three weeks in the hospital, with authorization from the doctors, that I could go back to work. So I did, only to learn this was a very bad idea. In an article by Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press, new information is being presented about concussions. The recovery time is much longer for a concussion than normally realized. To read the article, follow this link, http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-08-12-athlete-concussions_N.htm#uslPageReturn

Dr. Kevin Guskiewicz is one of the foremost authorities on sports related head injuries and is an athletic trainer who chairs the sports science department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A few years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Dr. Guskiewicz over breakfast.

Our conversation that day revolved around the effect my head injury had on my ability to function. Dr. Guskiewicz confirmed many of the thoughts and feelings I had learned and experienced about head injuries. The effects, for the most part are” unseen,” unless you know what to look for. These injuries can’t be seen like a broken arm or a gash in the skin, but they are equally harmful if left untreated.
Mine injury had gone untreated and I suffered for it.

New findings suggest there are anywhere from 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports- and recreation-related concussions each year. These numbers don’t even include head injuries from car accidents, roller-coaster rides, war injuries or childhood accidents. With this many people suffering head trauma, we need to be more aware of how we perceive and treat these injuries.

In the past, injuries that couldn’t be seen, were viewed as psychological responses to the event. Thank goodness, there are new approaches and attitudes to fixing these problems. Symptoms are now becoming important tools for diagnosing “invisible injuries,” such as head traumas.

The best treatment for head injuries to date is rest and moderate activity for a longer period of time than normally prescribed. The body is designed to repair itself, if given the opportunity and environment to do so.

Medical True Believer

2008-10-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

The True Believer is so wedded to his belief he has no choice but to reject new ideas for fear they might require him to accept them and incorporate them in his treatment.

In politics or religion – members of both the liberal and conservative movements, believe their conclusions are the correct ones. The same attitude is true in the medical field - being so wedded to their beliefs, that to consider a new approach is anathema to their views. Practicing “pigeon-hole” medicine, leaves no room for new or opposing views to fit into these beliefs, or to even evaluate and consider new approaches to the problem.

This restrictive thinking has created pigeon-hole psychiatric syndromes only large enough for their patient’s symptoms to fit into one of them, preventing new views from seeping in. Not considering the cause for these syndromes, makes it easier to reject any new ideas. The fear of having to abandon their “true belief”and force them to evaluate new ones – consciously or unconsciously – becomes stronger than the sworn oath to responsibility to which they agreed when becoming a member of the health care system – their primary responsibility being the welfare of the patient.

Many doctors view general and specialized medical care as if they are different professions, whereas, in many cases both treatments may be required. This attitude has spread through the profession like lava from a volcano with as destructive a result when the patient is denied the proper use of both types of care together.

Unlike lava, it is invisible and only felt by the patient. Many times this has led to women being treated as if they were neurotics, seen as psychologically causing their symptoms. Finally, women have begun to rebel. Many patients are including alternative non-medical treatments with the basic medical care they have been receiving. Some allopathic care physicians are ready to prescribe both types of care since they are finding both are often very productive together.

Some physicians may not be ready for this application, but they are beginning to see this as having more possibilities than they had allowed themselves to consider until now.

Time, patience, open-mindedness, trust, and patient’s improving, will provide the validity of this idea. Meanwhile, the evidence shows that these procedures are not dangerous when practiced with careful by open-minded care providers, and have been extremely helpful to the patient.

Allostasis is the continuous process of adaptation that the host undergoes in the face of potentially stressful challenges. Allostasis begins with the classic stress response, i.e., activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathoadrenal system.

Sterling, P. and J. Eyer. Allostasis: A new paradigm to explain arousal pathology. In Fisher, S. and J. Reason, eds. Handbook of Life Stress, Cognition and Health. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1988, pp. 629-649.

2008-10-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

If you have ever had a "bump on the head" you should watch this video!

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=537085411

Dr. Rolland S. Parker, Dept. of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, has provided us with a down to earth, easy to understand video containing difficult to find information that could change your way of looking at a head or brain injury.

Where do you put the band-aid on an invisible injury?

2008-09-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Raison d’etra
(The Reason For)

Malpractice might have been the theme of my book had I been more interested in money than my health. After an automobile accident, and serious injuries, the misdiagnoses of three physicians were perfect examples of the never acknowledged errors that resulted in permanent health, economic, and human relationship problems.
My personal experience is an example of a situation endemic in society today that can and must be corrected. THE HIDDEN INJURY explains why it took three years before I was diagnosed with a head injury, and the long years I kept trying, unsuccessfully, to regain my health. After much study I found that I had seventeen of thirty possible symptoms that could develop, making it impossible to return to normal , or what I felt was the "old me."
Resorting to filing a malpractice suit never occurred to me. I put all my energy and thoughts toward searching for the answers on how to return to normal. This proved to be a difficult, if not an impossible task, without a proper understanding of the problem and the pertinent medical information which at the time was not available. Years later, it turned out that I had been following inaccurate medical advice.
There is no alternative to getting the proper explanations from physicians.
The only alternative is doing your own research, but too often, is beyond the capability of most people suffering from this kind of injury. Without a correct diagnosis and proper medical instructions, the symptoms will continue to develop and become chronic.
When proper help is not available from the medical profession, and the patient continues to deteriorate, this may lead to a malpractice suit. Blaming attorneys will not correct the cause of the problem Proper medical information and help are a must.
Answering this question might help: “Why is the “bottom line” of the three professions … medical, legal, and insurance … more important for them than the “bottom line” of patients, clients, and insured individuals whose financial, and even more important, health lifetime “bottom-line deficit,” is to them? This is a lifetime effort if it even can be corrected. There is no medical Wall Street for the patient to make up their financial losses and overcoming their health problems, when this happens, it requires constant effort, faith and luck.
And so, THE HIDDEN INJURY is an effort to give readers the information that can help them try to avoid these negative results.

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