Listen. Listen to the Person Before You.

18 Tevet 5768


I'm posting about another troubling problem for ill people. I've witnessed this maddening glitch first-hand as a witness to, and as the victim of, someone's failure to listen.



Many caregivers insist that they are noble, correct and in charge when caring for patients be they friends, relatives or clients. HOWEVER... here's how the conversations beween some caregivers and the people they're allegedly caring for tend to go (fill in the blanks as appropriate.):

"I know what you need..."

"I want to..."

"Stop talking. Listen to me, I know what's best for you..."

"I'm going to... Now just stop that and let me..."

"I don't want to hear you say 'I can't.' Would you just let me...?"

Did you hear the sick person above the din? Me neither. And far too often that silence leads to a deteriorating patient who's already ill, and an increasingly strained relationship.

The name of the problem is "Inflated Ego." Or what is sometimes called "I Disease." The caregiver is bossing around the ill person, issuing this barrage of "I, I, I, I," messages while genuine medical needs go unmet. This is not a healthy situation. So, I'm providing a reality alert: The caregiver is NOT the most important person in this scene. The patient is the VIP (Very Important Person) here!

Here's the information that's being drowned out, along with the despairing person who needs medical help:

"That's the wrong medication/food you're giving me."

"You're hurting me when you move me around so hard. I'm not a rock."

"You're still holding the wrong medication/food."

"The doctor said not to do it like that. You're supposed to read the directions."

"You bet I'm upset! Please stop talking/shouting/screaming over me and listen. Just listen!"

***

Ready to close your mouths and find out how to solve the problem? Great! Hold that pose while the ill person in your care expresses their concerns. Next, wait for him or her to ask you to explain what you heard and understood. Only then may you speak. Get it? Conversation is an interactive activity.

When you enter the ill person's room, do not start talking. Smile. Observe the scene: does the ill person seem tired/rested/content/upset/warm/cold/in or out of pain?

Ask the patient these questions, one at a time: "How are you?" and "Did anything change since we last spoke?" "Please tell me if you want something." Then LISTEN without interrupting as the person responds to you.

Do not treat sick people as fools. Do not threaten them. Do not speak in a condescending manner to people who are sick. You might be dealing with neurological or physiological changes that the patient(s) cannot control. You might not realize the level of physical or emotional pain you're unnecessarily causing to that person. You just might damage someone's already fragile health by using the wrong medicine, medical appliance or food item, let alone the wrong attitude.

Ordering ill people to "Snap out of it! Stop acting sad and sick" is cruel. Behave respectfully or have someone else perform the personal care. Your change in behavior just might improve someone's quality of life. Prevent uwarranted suffering. Remember: communication is supposed to be fair and productive. Good communication ends in relief. See the smiles here?

One more item on this sensitive subject: study the sick person's behavior and body when hired help is providing medical care. Elder abuse and other abuses in the medical world exist. Prevent and end them by practicing good sense. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart.

***

MEDICAL ALERT FOR DIABETICS! Click this link: Bayer recalls Contour test strips for diabetes

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are trailing off into history. Share the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give copies of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To

http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: 537 votes of praise for my book since December 2, 2007. That's when the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis "Recommended Reading."

My book is now among other recommended titles on the Musella Foundation website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To, vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm.

I hope you choose a 9 or a 10.

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Worms Wriggling in Human Brains, Guts, and...

17 Tevet 5768

One topic in my book raises eyebrows among readers and wherever I speak with audiences: worms.

Read this article (Intestinal worms and human allergy.) to understand:

1. Why I've begged parents (for decades) NOT to let children play in sandboxes that can't be entirely sealed when children are not playing in them.

2. Why I no longer eat fish due to globally polluted waters filled with sickened and worm-infested fish.

3. Why I advocate medically supervised use of Bentonite clay and colonic hydrotherapy:

Worms infect more poor Americans than thou0ght... Developing...

Er, the problem is not limited to Americans. It is a problem without international borders. Want to end many cases of asthma? Poor nutritional absorption? Neurological problems that escape conventional diagnosis? Re-read the above articles, relevant passages in It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To and in my book's "Resource" section. Do an Internet search on the topics of human parasites, intestinal worms and similar phrases. I'll understand when you reach for a barf bag. sigh...

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.


The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are leaving exhausted shoppers everwhere! Spread the warmth of the holidays and some comfort far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: 535 votes of praise for my book in almost a month! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani

Coping with a Medical Crisis?

Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Toxic Toys Alert!

16 Tevet 5768


THAT TOY MIGHT NOT BE GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN. OR ANYONE!

I hope you'll read this Detroit Free Press article and learn how to separate dangerous items from your shopping lists and piles of presents. Please. Don't let a happy holiday season become a source of sickness and sadness.

Testing toys for toxins
Nearly one in five toys under this year's Christmas tree could be something you don't want your kids playing with.

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are at full frenzy! Save your sanity by avoiding dangerously iced and snowy roads, crowded malls and headaches easily prevented. Buy gifts online.

Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: over 500 votes of praise for my book in almost three weeks! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani

Coping with a Medical Crisis?

Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Nifty Medical News: More on Medicinal Plants, Lose Cellulite Safely and...

14 Tevet 5768

Golly, I just shared natural medical and hygiene care tips with you on December 19 and now I have more, and more wonderful, news for you.


The Israel 21c organization announced some significant medical breakthroughs this past month. I selected the three biggest stories to share with you:



Experimental orchard lays groundwork for new medicines

For the past 30 years at Kibbutz Ketura in Israel's Arava Valley, an unusual experiment is underway. An orchard planted by Israeli scientist Dr. Elaine Solowey has been domesticating wild medicinal plants and preserving endangered species. And along the way, Solowey has made some headlines around the world. read more

Recontouring the body, without the risks

If you think Americans are looking a little younger and more fit lately, it may be because of the recent FDA approval of a breakthrough Israeli system in aesthetic medicine called Accent by Alma Lasers. It can reduce abdomen sizes, and remove unsightly cellulite and wrinkles, all in a safe, painless and quick manner. read more

An Israeli design for an 'Energy Tower' could not only produce huge amounts of inexpensive electricity, but may also reverse the very process of global warming itself. Read more

That's an appealing look at physical health issues. Here's a wide-ranging collection of articles about neurological injuries, with a salute to the military forces fighting to defend decency in the world: Wounds within: Traumatic Brain Injury

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: 450 votes of praise for my book in three weeks! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Lift Your Spirits and Your Self Esteem!

11 Tevet 5768

One of the people who praised my book on the back cover is a world-famous psychiatrist. He's an addiction specialist and a HAPPINESS SPECIALIST.

Please listen to this broadcast and find out how to lift your mood, spirits and outlook on life whether or not you believe in GOD:

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski: Low Self-esteem Shatters Happiness

Live your life to the fullest.

Be kind to yourself and to others.

Buy Happiness and the Human Spirit, What Spirituality is Really All About.

And buy It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need to: A Life Book that that Helps You to Try Your Tears and Cope with a Medical Challenge.

Both books can vastly improve your mood.

***

What’s the Problem You Need to Solve?

Yesterday’s post struck a chord with people all over the world. Health Writer and blogger Star Lawrence in Arizona, USA loved it. Now she’s referring her readers to my part of the blogosphere.

A few men stopped me on the street to remark that their wives were amused by that pasta fork back-scratcher idea. We agreed that none of us knew where to buy back-scratchers, so this was an affordable, easy solution.

What sort of medical problem do you need to solve? Let me know so I can check out my human resources department (medical professionals I’ve known on collegial terms for several years). I just might let you know what I learn about your coping with a medical crisis concern in future posts.

***


I’ve received positive feedback about the bright white text I’ve been using. So I’ll keep it going for you.

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: Almost 400 votes of praise for my book in about three weeks! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life

Have a Good Health Care Idea?

10 Tevet 5768

My Israeli blog visitors might be interested to know that the Health Ministry invites Israel's citizens to submit requests for new Health Basket benefits.

Suggestions by local citizenry will be prioritized along with those submitted by medical professionals, then added to the recommendations being prepared for the Finance Ministry (it subsidizes national health services). At least that’s what was reported on Page 7 of the Jerusalem Post this past Friday.

Send your politely phrased ideas to public.sal @ moh.gov.il (remove the spaces on either side of the @ symbol after you copy & paste the info into your E-mail system).

***
While we’re on the topic of health care ideas, here are some ways you can avoid trips to the doctor or pharmacy. All you need is a nearby garden or a peek into your kitchen cupboards:

Want to boost your immune system without a big expense? Buy organic Curcumin/Tumeric and cook it in soups, rice, vegetable and meat stews. I even lightly powder salads with it. Adjust the al dente amount according to your preferences.

Here's a bit of exciting information about Curcumin/Tumeric from The Brain Tumor Society (a fan of my blog named Cindi alerted me to it): http://www.tbts.org/assets/files/Fact%20Sheets/Nutrition_and_Brain_Tumors.pdf

I recommend using canned Crisco (a small container reserved for the changing table) on baby's behind. It will now remain rash and odor-free because ammonia won’t develop on the tender skin. Wash baby’s bottom with pure soaps and water and use cloth diapers as often as possible to minimize diaper-area problems.

Cradle Cap comes off after you've smeared vegetable oil on it. Let it sit a few minutes. A gentle rubdown with baby soap, a simple terry cloth washrag or towel wipes it off. Baby will probably coo as you work. Kiss as often as you wish.

Honey on boo-boos (even for youngsters and adults) is painless and curative. DO NOT use honey on infants under one year of age. It’s life-threatening if they eat it, and babies tend to lick their wounds, let alone sweet stuff.

Aloe juice also cures boo-boos and it dries upon skin like a protective bandage. If you don’t have an aloe plant in the garden or potted in the house, buy one.

Mint toothpaste on itchy bug bites ends the misery. And you'll never have cavities on your ankles or knuckles ;^ )

Liquid soap also ends bug bite itch.

Want to keep bugs off you without using chemical preparations from the store? Crush a clove of garlic, put the liquid in an empty, clean spray bottle and add a bit of water. Spray the liquid lightly onto your sox. You can spray crushed garlic juice and water mixtures onto plants infested with bugs and they will leave the area.

Cooled teabags end under-eye puffiness when you rest them on your lids (my neurosurgeon mentioned this as I giggled upon hearing an old, reliable truth!)

A bar of soap (any type) between the bottom sheet and your mattress cover ends middle-of-the-night leg cramps, though I don’t know why. You get used to the bump (sort of) and if you’re really talented, you can scoot the bar of soap into juuuust the right spot using your ankles. Yeah, there, under that cramped calf muscle… ahhhh….relief! After a week or so, you won’t suffer leg cramps at night. Just keep that soap bar on the mattress pad for long-lasting comfort.

Men, this is for you: you don’t have to scratch your itchy backs on the corner of a doorway any longer. Just grab a plastic pasta fork with smoothly curved prongs and rub it over your shirt above the itchy area (no, not directly on your skin! Yuk!). I refuse to name the guy who taught me that maneuver because he wants to trademark it. I bet he and his wife can still hear me laughing over transatlantic waters… Listen, it saves wear and tear on your skin, let alone the sweater you might be wearing… Give it a try.


***
Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis! https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving: 377 votes of praise for my book in almost three weeks! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research declared It’s MY Crisis to be “Recommended Reading,” then added it to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote there once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Perhaps You Want to Reconsider Tonight's Menu

9 Tevet 5768

Poultry Workers and E. Coli

This news might make you sick, so brace yourself for it.

According to a December 2007 edition of Environmental Health Perspectives, poultry workers in the United States are 32 times more likely to carry E. coli bacteria resistant to the commonly used antibiotic, gentamicin, than others outside the poultry industry, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In the study, researchers conducted in-depth analyses of 49 study participants, 16 working within the poultry industry and 33 community residents… for resistance to the antimicrobials ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriazone, gentamicin and tetracycline. Findings showed that poultry workers had 32 times greater odds of being colonized with gentamicin resistant E. coli than other members of the community.

TO REPEAT: Findings showed that poultry workers had 32 times greater odds of being colonized with gentamicin resistant E. coli than other members of the community.

"One of the major implications of this study is to underscore the importance of the non-hospital environment in the origin of drug resistant infections," said Ellen K. Silbergeld, PhD, senior author of the study.

That leaves the average person wondering about the safety of the food supply. Once you read the next paragraph, you might consider learning how to prepare vegetarian casseroles or organically raised fowl. Both are filling, nutritious, and safe. Well, they’re safe unless you add lots of drugs to them and let drug-resistant workers handle the birds the way the American poultry industry does to chicken and other poultry products. Makes you wonder what's going on in poultry processing plants in other parts of the world. Here’s the warning bell from the article referenced above:

"The use of antimicrobials in industrial food production has been going on for over 50 years in the United States," said the study's lead author, Lance B. Price, Ph.D., who serves on the research faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, and is a scientific advisor to the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. "Some estimates indicate that well over half of the antimicrobial drugs produced in the United States are used in food animal production. In the U.S. alone, over 9 billion food animals are produced annually."

Ask yourself in all honesty, "Do I want to continue eating debatably safe foods handled by people who are at risk for becoming quite ill and at risk for making me ill by endangering my food supply?" Look at this peaceful duck and think: "If I eat animals raised on grains and clean water only, my health and well-being might be better off."

Finding the above concerns hard to swallow? Here’s my information source:

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Office of Communications and Public Affairs
December 17, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

POULTRY WORKERS AT INCREASED RISK OF CARRYING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT E. COLI

***

I'm trying to accomodate some vision-impaired fans of this blog. Please let me know if making my text white helps you to read it more easily.

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

***
The votes are in and still arriving! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research decided that It’s MY Crisis is “Recommended Reading.” It was added to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Hear Me Speak on Internet Radio

7 Tevet 5768

Readers of my blog and other people are filling my answering machine and E-mailbox will "attagirl!" messages of praise and approval because they enjoyed my English-language radio interview at http://www.ouradio.org/index.php/ouradio/channel/C299/

Here's a handy glossary of a few words you might need to translate:

HaShem is a Hebrew word for G'D
Emunah is Hebrew for Belief in/Trust in G'D
Simcha is a synonym for "joyous occasion"
Refua is Hebrew for "cure" or "recovery"
Tehillim are psalms. "Pesukim of tehillim" means "verses of psalms"


Robert Goldman alerted me to the live link and gosh the show is making me smile, too! Thanks much for the tip, Robert!

Long-time blog visitor Francisco Hernnandez-Marcos liked the interview so much he posted it to his blog, http://francisco.hernandezmarcos.net/en/

UPDATE: Er, a somewhat frequent bit of skepticism ripples through the crowds listening to me in live and pre-recorded forums. Some people strongly doubt the validity of my concerns about food processing and food packaging methods that damage human health. Or, the doubters want proof of my claims about harmful practices. OK, you asked. I'm responding. See Peril in plastic?

Listen to me on OU Radio, invite to speak in your community, and I can share with you more of my "You can do it; you have choices," thoughts.

I hope that my message fills you and your loved ones with hope. As I tell listeners throughout my dialogue, upbeat thoughts are the best medicine. Light your way to improved health and peace of mind.




Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness.

The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

The votes are in and still arriving! On December 2, 2007 the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research decided that It’s MY Crisis is “Recommended Reading.” It was added to other recommended titles on the Musella website. Readers can vote once daily for their favorite book. Once you’ve read It’s MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To you can vote for it at http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm (I hope you choose a 9 or a 10).

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Keratoconus Contact Lens

4 Tevet 5768

Keratoconus is the problem of a bulging cornea. It disturbs vision and it's difficult to treat. Dry Eye and some other visual problems can be resolved to some extent with a rather newish invention that also improves vision for people with Keratoconus.

The Boston Foundation for Sight created the Boston Scleral Lens Prosthetic Device. It’s a contact lens for people with unusual eye health problems. A nifty solution for people who have not found anything else that helps them to see better, the Scleral Lens can be a great help. See http://www.bostonsight.org/ for more information.

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the world and emotions of illness in many helpful ways.


The Xmas and Kwanzaa shopping seasons are in high gear! Spread the warmth of the holidays far into the future when you give someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers save on large orders of It's MY Crisis!https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

Read some reviews of It's MY Crisis at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Crisis-Ill-Cry-Need/dp/1601452780/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197564383&sr=1-1

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Moms’ Sick: Here’s How to Cope

3 Tevet 5768

Men, I intend to give you equal time. But first up, I'm sharing some online videos about women who are sick for extended periods of time.

Two of the themes running through both videos are 1. cruelly dismissive remarks that medical "professionals" made to women experiencing genuine illness and 2. lack of interest in exploring an intelligent, articulate adult's medical concerns and symptoms. "You're having hormone problems," "You need psychotherapy," "You're just busy and tired from raising kids," and so on were just some of the responses made to the people in these shows.

If you're a woman, you're probably familiar with the problems mentioned above. I sure am, and WOW am I disappointed in the medical world's regard for women.

Here's my suggestion for repairing the problem. Suggest watching the "Moms with Long-term Illnesses" and "Post-Partum Depression/Empty-nesters" videos to your medical team, plus to your family and friends. It's a painless and valuable education effort on their part.

Here's the link to the videos (at the same blog): http://www.douglas.co.us/networkdc/dcmom/index.html#topVideo

If and when you respond to the E-address at the video blog above, please “CC” me. Or simply send your reaction to the dialogues to giveretgolani@gmail.com.

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn more about how to cope with the stresses of sickness in the family.

***

CHANUKA ends later today !!!!! Spread healing cheer and keep the warmth of the holiday going far into the future when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

The good feelings you'll foster can be as warm and appealing as these Chanuka latkes.












Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Bedsores and Xmas Trees that Make You Sneeze

2 Tevet 5768

Today's topics are completely unrelated, but timely. Winter weather brings out the holidays. People facing medical challenges tend to become stuck indoors, even in bed, for long periods of time during wintery weather. Life does not always feel as happy as commercials say it will feel, especially for someone who is ill. So, let's look at two relevant issues of the day...

BEDSORES

When a person is in bed too long for their skin to bear it, bed sores appear. This is a sign of breakdown in “skin integrity.” It is painful and dangerous. Germs can easily enter the bloodstream through the oozing wounds. The singular medical term for these unwanted holes in the skin is “Decubitus Ulcer.” It’s pronounced Deh-kyoo-biht-us. Decubiti is the plural term. It’s pronounced Deh-kyoo-biht-eye (as in eye ball).

Bedsores are graded into one of four categories that indicate if the sore is simply a reddish pressure mark on the skin or an open and painful sore (medical professionals tend to use the terms “skin break down” or “skin deterioration” when discussing the problem) or worse. Without careful supervision, bedsores can become life-threatening.

Worsening bed sores can become oozing areas that expose the muscle below the skin (a very serious medical problem). The worst situation is an infected wound that might reach down to the bone. It's as ugly as it is serious. Be sure to discuss the situation with a health care professional until you understand the problem 100%.

Bedsores result from too much pressure. A person in bed for long periods of time (weeks, months) is experiencing lots of unusual pressure on the body parts touching the bottom sheet: ankles, elbows, hips, shoulders, buttocks and the area above the buttocks (what is commonly called a “tail bone”).

Here are some easy, quick cures and prevention techniques for bedsores. Check with your medical professionals before using any of them. You need to understand that potential dangers might exist and how to handle them. Those dangers must be handled correctly for patient health and healing:

Use prescribed medicine as directed.

Have the affected person eat fish, turkey (NOT beef) meat and/or peanut butter daily for the rich protein content. Any kind of nut butter can help. Nuts are full of protein. Puree the food if necessary. Chewing can be difficult for the very ill person. And bed sores are likely to make them cranky.

Place an egg crate or air mattresses atop the bed mattress. Cover that with a fitted sheet and let the person sleep in increased comfort that lets their skin heal.

Gently massage around, and direct sunlight upon the affected body parts that bear weight when in bed. Try to situate the affected person near a window filled with sunshine and expose the damaged body areas to that light for several minutes, one at a time, daily.

Gentle bathing. DO NOT immerse a person with bed sores into a tub without medical supervision. Bed sores require that a person be bathed gently and with what Americans call "sponge bath technique." The person lies snuggled in warm towels or blankets in bed as one part of their body is cleaned at a time. The bathed area should be immediately dried in a gentle manner. Again, check with your medical advisors about how to do this correctly. Perhaps a home health aide can do it best for all concerned.

Learn from medical professionals about how to safely turn the person in bed a few times daily. This lets affected body parts rest from pressure it usually suffers.

All of this promotes blood circulation and/or good skin integrity. These techniques prevent and cure bed sores.

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with many medical ups and downs so you can better enjoy the holiday season.

XMAS TREE MOLD ALLERGIES

This seems to be a pretty Grinchy idea to pose at this time of year, but the evidence is in. It's true even if some folks deny it (watch your nose, Pinocchios). Some folks are allergic to the molds from Xmas trees. See Allergy Free Holiday Christmas Tree Allergy Dallas Plano Fort ...

Consider safer alternatives. And be sure to keep children, pets, decorative lighbulbs and electrical cords out of harm's way.

Okay, let's hear it for papier mache and posters!

***

CHANUKA’S HERE !!!!! Spread more cheer when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Provocative Health Care 2008 Predictions

1 Tevet, 5768

It’s that Psychic Season again, when people with fancy and spooky titles such as “Seer,” “Prognosticator,” "Psychic" and “Forecaster” make their audiences rather anxious with ominous predictions for the new calendar year. I prefer to have happier thoughts filling my mind and yours. And I delight in providing people with something helpful or interesting to contemplate. I sincerely believe that acts of pleasant behavior provoke more goodness in the universe. So, I now announce Yocheved Golani’s Provocative Health Care Predictions for 2008. Five predictions, to be exact (may goodness fill our lives!):

1. A scientist who has discovered the cure for some animal viruses will launch a cure for several human viruses including AIDS.

2. A webportal databasing every known form of cure for every known medical malady will launch to serve patients and medical professionals searching for the exact treatment needed for specific diagnoses with specific complications. I even know the URL!

3. War will engulf the world (possibly for less than one month). People will create Out-of-the-Box solutions to medical and other problems (think of that ER episode when Nurse Carol Hathaway was trapped in a corner market with a shooting victim and used glue, straws, duct tape and other items to preserve his life).

4. Prayer and acts of benevolence will prove astonishingly helpful to anyone performing them as well as to the intended beneficiaries of these kindnesses. The kind of stuff that makes news headlines.

5. Stem Cell Research and Therapy will be eclipsed by a bigger medical discovery. Hmmm… I’ll give you one hint. It concerns music.

The Bases for My Predictions
How do I know to launch such guesses? Well, I've been a medical writer for some time. Keep coming back to this blog for the answers to that question. Find out what I knew before much of the medical world. I have wonderful sources for information and they're not extraterrestrial. They are quite human, humble, and very hard working.

***

Buy It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To. Learn how to cope with the confusion sure to happen when the world faces a paradigm shift in the coming year (I predicted a world war lasting less than a month, after all)!

***

CHANUKA’S HERE for a Few More Days !!!!! Share some happiness when you give loved ones or anybody in need of a medical morale boost a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To. Buy it at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

or from any book outlet.

Order it in book stores anywhere if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com:443/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?

Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Neurological, National Council of Negro Women to Reduce Childhood Overweight, and Breast Cancer News Roundup

29 Kislev 5768

I usually post mid-week, but WHEW, holiday season is apparently not the time for taking breaks in the world of medical developments. Here are some awesome snippets of information I gleaned from the many press releases I’ve received this past week. They're just too good to save until Monday or Tuesday:

1. Free, accurate information on many neurological disorders is now available on a new Spanish language website from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/. Learn about stroke, dementia, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, autism, and many other neurological disorders at that URL. The publications can be downloaded or ordered free of charge. The website also provides information on clinical studies, links to non-profit organizations that offer information and assistance on neurological disorders, and a contact form where people can submit questions on topics related to health and biomedical research.

2. Michigan rehabilitation center improves lives of brain injury survivors: http://www.origamirehab.org/education/pyramid_strat_n_definitions.html

While we’re on the topic of brain injury, I hope you’ll hang up your cell phone FOREVER: STUDY: Regular cellphone use increases tumor risk...

3. Holiday Assistance for families dealing with pediatric brain tumor!
http://virtualtrials.com/news3.cfm?item=4065

4. Officials from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a collaboration with the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) to help African American children maintain a healthy weight. As part of this collaboration, NCNW members around the U.S. will offer a fun, fast-paced training program for parents, and one for children, developed by the National Institutes of Health. The programs are based on NIH's successful "We Can!" or "Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition," a science-based national education program to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight. For more information, visit http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov/ or call toll-free (in the USA) 866-35-WE CAN (866-359-3226)







5. Weight gain hurts breast cancer survival

While we’re on the breast cancer topic, see

'Cool' Israeli technology freezes lumps and tumors
Israeli start-up Arbel Medical had developed a new technology that may be able to remove breast lumps and tumors with cryotherapy, a method of surgery that uses extreme cold to kill diseased tissue. The therapy, IceSense, can be used with local anesthetic alone, and promises not only to significantly reduce treatment and recuperation time for the patient, but also leave no scars. Clinical trials of the new device begin in Israel at the end of this year, and are planned for the US in spring next year. Read on...

***









CHANUKA’S HAPPENING FOR A FEW MORE DAYS!!!!! Spread more cheer when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.blogger.com/

Order it in book stores if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your improving mental and physical health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Clowning Around in the Patient's Room

27 Kislev 5768

It's My Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To holds contact information about Compassionate Clown Alley and Dr. Neal Goldberg in the book's Resources section. Find out why both are wonderful to have near a sick person. Read: Alternative Medicine: Clowning It Up at Hospitals

UPDATE: Here's contact information for buying a Hanuka (Chanuka, spell it as you wish) menora that blind persons can light by themselves: milbat@netvision.net.il. Call the Israel office at +972.3.530.3739 for more information. Sorry, I do not have an online photo to show you.

Learn more about MILBAT's innovative technologies for the disabled in my book It's MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To: A Life Book that Helps You to Dry Your Tears and to Cope with a Medical Challenge.
***

CHANUKA’S Gonna be HERE One More Week!!!!! Spread more cheer when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.blogger.com/

Order it in book stores if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

Wishing you a happier, healthier holiday season,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Teach Your Doctor How to Listen! And to Use Time Wisely.

26 Kislev 5768

You know that ice cold sinking feeling you get when a doctor is treating you like a nuisance on a conveyor belt? Or worse, insulting you? You want to scream, "I Need You to Pay Attention to Me and to Treat me with R-E-S-P-E-C-T!"

And then you feel awful for your raging emotions. Sigh. Welcome to the real world of medicine, sickness, and the search for relief.

Many doctors are wonders of courageous, kind-hearted humanity. Others need to figure out how to truly listen to their patients. We need for them to understand that they owe us their full attention when we consult them or let them treat us. We are not medical geniuses or therapists. We are balls of terror, nerves on edge, and struggling to appear calm when we feel desperate.

The Los Angeles Times recently published an article defining proper procedures for doctors. Not medical procedures, either. This is about social skills, listening attentively and respectfully to patients in the office, at the hospital, and on the phone. Take notes on the article or print it out, in order to share the lessons with your medical team:

Like doctors, seniors don't have time to waste - Los Angeles Times

Before I close this section of today's post, I want to share one more relevant thought: Dear Doctors: Your patients do not care to shiver in the cold air nor do they want to expose their privates to the whole world passing by the exam room door. Those merciless cloth or paper gowns and towelettes must go! Tolerate the button-free, extra-long T-shirts that we women prefer to wear while you're examining us. And let the men wear their underthings. Honest, we didn't go to a doctor's office or other medical site to catch cold, to feel humiliated beyond endurance, or to wonder if we're the worst-looking person you've seen all day. Yes, you comfortably dressed in the suit, tie and shoes covered by a white lab coat. sigh...

All you need to do is to GOOGLE the phrases "Modest medical gowns" or "modest hospital gowns" and bunches of wonderful resources come up. Readers, share the news with your medical professionals. Doctors, please stock those far more preferable clothing alternatives in your offices.

I hope that the above information warms your hearts and helps you on your healing/coping journey. Or helps you in your professional endeavors, Doctor ;^ )

UPDATE: Here's a brilliant bit of news about using a Check-List to better manage medical care. The article's a bit long, but golly is it worth reading: The Checklist by Atul Gawande - If something so simple can transform intensive care, what else can it do?

***

CHANUKA’S STILL HAPPENING !!!!! Spread more cheer when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.blogger.com/

Order it in book stores if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani

Coping with a Medical Crisis?

Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Motivational Thoughts Coming At You (and FROM YOU!)

25 Kislev 5768

Gosh do I appreciate that you're managing a medical crisis at this time of year. Twelve months ago I was still creeping forward with the help of a cane. Today I can dance a jig. I remember very clearly what it is like to go from despair to joy many times over in my healing journey, and how that progress happened.

Here's a motivational thought. I suggest that you note it in your day-planner or journal, maybe even tape it to the refrigerator: "Your past will be your future if you pack it into your personal baggage."

What it means is that dwelling on the miserable parts of your past in conversations and in your private thoughts, or making your actions reflect that sadness just drag it smack into your future! Redesign your life. Launder the yukky stuff in your luggage ;^ )

Focus on what's working, the things that are going well. Create happy remarks you consciously share with others. Talk to yourself in an upbeat way. Everyone around you will notice the pleasant change. They'll feel invited to share happiness with you. Yours and theirs!

Do it. Dont't just "try" to leave your past behind you. Actually Leave it Behind You! Your future is opening before your face, your limbs and your mind. Let it into your life, one improvement at a time. Then you can replace your motivational thought with a newer one: I AM LIVING MY FUTURE AND INVITING PROGRESS, HAPPINESS, HEALING, SERENITY AND CALM INTO MY LIFE.

I'm the redhead in the lower left corner, hoping to see the improvements in your life. Drop me a line and let me know how things go!















***

Votes for It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To are climbing (with the highest average score) since I announced a few days ago that the Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research and Information added my book to its Recommended Reading list. [Oy, my writing colleagues will want to clobber me for such a loooong sentence]

Please join the fun and help to promote awareness of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To. Amazon will surely notice the sales as more readers buy it for someone they love, including themselves.

Go to http://www.virtualtrials.com/books.cfm then scroll to the bottom gray area. Find the title It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To. Click on a number on that same line (I hope you'll click on the number 10).

You can buy It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at the Musella website with a credit card. Then you and everyone with whom you share my book can feel better.

Thanks so much!

Happy Holiday Shopping and STOCKING STUFFER ALERT!

CHANUKA’S HERE !!!!! Xmas is coming up and so's Kwaanza. Spread more cheer when you buy someone a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3067.html

Order it in book stores if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php
















To your good health,

Yojeved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Make Your Memory Skills STRONG No Matter How Old You Are!

24 Kislev 5768

Some days you wonder what day it is, let alone where the car keys went. Gosh, do I have a clock for you (with thanks to John Kallestad of Day Clocks http://www.dayclocks.com/, who permits me to post his product here.)

I’ve provided simple tips for improving your memorization skills before today. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) http://www.nia.nih.gov/ just shared more good news in a November 30 2007 press release. Here’s a snippet from that announcement:

"Older adults with pre-existing mild memory impairment benefit as much as those with normal memory function from certain forms of cognitive training that don't rely on memorization, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society."

It means that older adults have the ability to maintain skills that allow them to carry out daily tasks and lead a higher quality of life. All they need is a bit of professional training with their existing cognitive skills (Cognitive Skills mean what you know, plus how you know facts).

The National Institute on Aging and The National Institute on Nursing Research http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ suggest using different types of activities (e.g., word lists, story telling, problem-solving exercises) and focusing on specific areas of the brain to improve memory.

Meanwhile, other evidence shows that if you have a hobby of filling in word or number puzzles, keeping diaries or journals, and of getting regular exercise, then you’re already strengthening your brain power for long-term benefits.

UPDATE: Here's a cool resource: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/health/11brod.html?_r=1&ei=5070&em=&en=8da9d4b5c4af4681&ex=1197608400&pagewanted=printr&oref=slogin

And here's another: http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2007/04/11/easy-steps-to-improve-your-brain-health-now/Steps to improve brain health which include physical exercise, good nutrition, mental exercise, and stress management with tips on each.

OH! Remember those car keys I mentioned in the first sentence up above? Here ya go! (Gosh if things were only this easy in real life!)

CHANUKA’S ONLY HOURS AWAY (Dec. 4/5)!!!!! Spread more cheer soon! Buy It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.blogger.com/

Order it in book stores if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php






To your good health,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.

Musella Foundation Recommends "Its MY Crisis! And I'll Cry if I Need To"

22 Kislev 5768

Al Musella, creator and head of The Musella Foundation For Brain Tumor Research Information just sent me an E-mail after reading It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To . He indicates "It is good. I added it as a recommended book to our book list."

You can add to the popularity of It's MY Crisis and I'll Cry if I Need To by voting for it at http://virtualtrials.com/books.cfm. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, find my book's title in the gray area and on the same line click "10."




CHANUKA STARTS THIS WEEK(Dec. 4/5)!!!!! XMAS and KWAANZA are coming right up! Spread more cheer soon! Buy It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To at http://www.blogger.com/

Order it in book stores if it’s not on the shelves. It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To can be shipped worldwide. Specialty editions are available for large organizations.

Booksellers, save on large quantities of It's MY Crisis!
https://secure.booklocker.com/booklocker/wholesale/order.php

To your good health,

Yocheved Golani
Coping with a Medical Crisis?
Make the Changes You Need in Your Life.