Watch Your Back - And Your Head!

23 Sivan 5768



School is out for summer vacation. You KNOW what that means:

SUMMERTIME INJURIES!

Prevent future heartache. Click on the links below to prevent injury to those sensitive neurological spots called heads and backs:


WATCH YOUR BACK!

PROTECT CHILDREN FROM SUMMERTIME ACCIDENTS

HEADS-UP FROM THE CENTERS for DISEASE CONTROL

BIKE SAFETY

PREVENT BRAIN INJURY IN SENIOR CITIZENS

HORMONE HELP FOR BRAIN INJURY and TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY PREVENTION

KNOW THE SIGNS OF BRAIN INJURY, GET IMMEDIATE MEDICAL HELP

THINK FIRST

PROTECT YOUR EYES!

UPDATE: Now that The AMERICAN BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD organization has commented favorably on this blogpost, I want to remind medical and mental health professionals (and everyone else!) that you can buy my book at bulk rates. CLICK HERE here to learn how.

~*~*~*~

To your healthy summer fun,

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

Find Out if Neurological Disease is Brewing in Your Body BEFORE it Affects You

22 Sivan 5768

The medical world in Israel is filled with innovation by people thinking "out of the box." Read on to learn about a dynamic foursome of women working together to identify neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer's Disease well in advance of when they begin to affect people.

Within the next four years, a simple blood test designed by those ladies may soon alert doctors and their patients to the need for preventative neurological care. See NEUROQUEST, and stay tuned to future developments.


By the way, if you're willing and able to fund the research of this NEUROQUEST effort, you can find out how to contact the group by watching the video and reading the article hotlinked above.


Think that's a great tip for today's blogpost? There are a whole lot more of that quality in my highly acclaimed 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."

BUY YOUR COPY TODAY. Scroll down the right-hand margin for purchase information or simply CLICK HERE ;^ )

~*~*~*~

To your good health,

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

Men, Take Care of Your Health

21 Sivan 5768

Here's a glimpse into why men need to nurture their health along with their family lives and careers: FOCUS ON MALE HEALTH.

Truth is guys, without your health, you won't have much of a life or a career. Or anything else.

My book explains to you just how to get your medical affairs in order quickly and efficiently, and how to tune up your satisfaction in life.

Scroll down the right margin for purchase information.

By the way, if you're planning to travel overseas, ask around for medical services you'll need before you leave. See STAYIN' ALIVE for a hint about why pre-medicated travel is a life-saving necessity.

Men and women (kids, too!) can nurture their health with the help of this terrific self-help site: HEALING.

~*~*~*~


To your good health,

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

Mental Health Therapists Agree: I Know How to Help You to Cope

17 Sivan 5768

Just in case you're wondering how well I can comprehend the grief you're going through and how realistic I am at dealing with that challenge, I'm going to let you in on some behind-the-scenes reality in my life. I edit other people's books from time to time (I provide professional writing services in my diverse career efforts). Several of those books are by mental health experts. They trust my insights as well as my editing skills.

Here's a glimpse of how one mental health professional thanked me for capably editing an early version of his book (published by Targum Press) that helps teens to cope with death, particularly the deaths of loved ones:

Saying Goodbye by Neal Goldberg and Miriam Liebermann (Hardcover - 2004)
Excerpt - page 19: "... Additionally, many thanks to Yocheved Golani who was most helpful in editing an early manuscript. We ..."

Want to learn how to manage your medical challenge? Trust my colleagues in the writing world.

BUY YOUR COPY OF

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

TODAY!

~*~*~*~

To your good health,

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

Healthy Respect and The Power of Compassion

16 Sivan 5768

MY BOOK reminds people to thank and to smile at medical staff who help them in any manner, even when the treatment is hard to take. Why? Because there is plenty of behind-the-scenes medical drama that patients need to know about. Simple decency calls for you to be gracious to the professionals helping you and to appreciate the effect of your kindnesses to others.

I thank the Partners in Kindness organization for permitting me to share the following excerpt from their free KIND WORDS E-mail service with you as an illustration of my remarks above:

KIND WORDS
View with Compassion

"Life is a Test"The author wishes to remain anonymous
Edited by Shmuel Greenbaum
Printed with Permission of http://www.partnersinkindness.org/

This morning I had to go for a blood test and EKG in preparation for upcoming surgery. After the blood test, I was waiting in line for my turn for the EKG when my cell phone rang. It was the nurse who had administered the blood test, telling me that she had forgotten to fill a second tube with blood for an additional test and I would have to return to the lab right away.

After the EKG, I went back to the lab. The nurse was waiting for me, and apologized profusely for her mistake. In that instant I thought about how fortunate we are to have such beautiful modern health care facilities that are improving all the time, and health care professionals who are doing the best they can to give kind and thoughtful service -- and I smiled at her and told her that it's okay, things like this happen sometimes and it's all for the best. "Some people would be angry and yell at me," she said and added, "thank you for being so nice."

We both had a good feeling and wished each other a wonderful day and good health. I felt great all day and I have a feeling she did, too!
-----------------------------------------------------------------

To your good health AND that of your medical care professionals,

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

Diabetics, You Need to Hear This...

15 Sivan 5768

Diabetics must keep to their prescribed diets, exercise and take their medicine correctly. That's not news. But THIS IS NEWS:

Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Hearing loss may be an under-recognized complication of diabetes. As diabetes becomes more common, the disease may become a more significant contributor to hearing loss," said senior author Catherine Cowie, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), who suggested that people with diabetes should consider having their hearing tested. "Our study found a strong and consistent link between hearing impairment and diabetes using a number of different outcomes."

Click on THIS LINK to learn more about Diabetes, hearing loss, and why diabetics cannot afford to mess around with medical care. Please. Make an appointment for your hearing test!

Read my book to learn about some strategies for coping with hearing loss (including how to get free or price-reduced hearing devices), how to stay upbeat with a double diagnosis (or any diagnosis) and focused on the future.


~*~*~*~

To your good health,

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

More HELP for SICKLE CELL Anemics

14 Sivan 5768

(sorry for the late-in-the-day post. my present schedule is causing some delays in my usual daily routine)

I've posted about Sickle Cell Anemia treatments before, including the path to a possible cure for the disease. Today's post is about Hydroxea, a drug some doctors are reluctant to prescribe simply because they lack sufficient information about it.

"We know that many people with sickle cell disease aren't being offered this drug, which is the only one we have to treat this disease," says Sophie Lanzkron, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of the Sickle Cell Center for Adults at Johns Hopkins.

There's some interesting research to back up Lanzkron's statement. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, paid for that research. Read about it HERE and be sure to share the findings with relevant medical professionals.

Find out how to search for and how to contact the medical professional you need when you read my book. It's all about Patient Empowerment.

- By the way, I APPRECIATE your votes for my various blogposts (I installed that starred widget thingy just last week, even though it appears on every page of this year-or-so old blog). Feedback from YOU makes my day! If you don't mind, let me also know why you've bought my book. Sales rose sharply this month and I'm curious to know why it's selling so briskly just now.

~*~*~*~

To your good health,

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

How To Spell Coping Mechanisms? R-E-S-P-E-C-T

9 Sivan 5768

I'm tossing in a bonus post for Father's Day. Many of the men in my life have been models of magnificent compassion and insight. Here's my salute to you, and to my own father (may his memory be for a blessing):

Some of my blog and book readers plus my Self-Help Coaching clients ask me for a quick explanation of my coping mechanisms. I can answer academically (I use various tools proven by time), but the true, better answer comes with your personal experience at coping. A person growing in coping competence knows, in their gut, what it feels like to fail to cope and what it feels like to succeed at coping. And they learn to admit those feelings to themselves and to critically important others in their life.

Here's the rest of my "Quickie" explanation of coping mechanisms:

NAME YOUR FEELING (including the ugly, embarrassing ones) or the feeling of the distressed person speaking with you. That makes it more “real.” Now you can deal with it.

CONVERSE ABOUT THE FEELING(S) with the caring person(s) involved in your life. Seek sensible strategies for managing the situation before you and/or the emotions popping up with that situation. Your increasing Self-Awareness can clue you in to your gut reactions (your completely honest initial response to anything at all). Go with your gut! If the decision you’ve made feels right, your tummy will feel calm and spread calmness throughout your body. If the decision is NOT good for you, you’ll feel the trouble. Cancel THAT decision!

RESPECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS. When you’re dialoguing about conflicting, mysterious emotions, don’t insult yourself or anyone else by remarking "Well, what do I know? I'm so stupid," “That’s not true!” or “No, you don’t know what you’re talking about (see my book’s opening remarks for a superb example about that problem).” Dismissive remarks are brutal. If you "Diss" yourself, your self-esteem eventually hits below bottom. What can happen when you reject someone else's thoughts? The victim of the insult will probably stop sharing honest thoughts with you, lie to you (honesty obviously doesn't matter anymore), and suffer more because the solution-oriented conversation died at birth.

REACT WITH RESPECT (genuine respect). That keeps the dialogue going (plus the relationship!). The solution can soon follow.

ZIP YOUR LIPS. The human brain needs an editor. Not all thoughts deserve to be said aloud or acted upon. Plan your remarks and your behavior. Learn to be silent as you consider your next sentence and/or action. See above paragraph ;^ )

SEEK OUT learned opinions and PEOPLE WITH PRODUCTIVE EXPERIENCES. Let them guide you as necessary.

The moment you feel elevated by your efforts, you'll know you've surpassed your previous limitations. You've grown as a person. It's a spiritual experience. That can take you to a whole 'nuther level of coping: Bringing GOD into your life ;^ )

Relationships can improve and sweeten as everyone around you learns that you embrace them, and yourself, with honesty and acceptance. Some folks will need more time than others to become comfortable with the new you. Allow them time to adjust. You'll both be happier for it.

There's more to the world of coping mechanisms, of course. But the best-laid plans and good intentions MUST turn into hard work if you want to realize RESULTS! Read my book and find out what some other coping mechanisms are. The "Suggested Reading List" in my book's "Resource" section provides more clues to managing emotions.

To your good health,

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

Another Reader Inspired by My Writings and My Advice to Adopt a Purposely Positive Point of View!

9 Sivan 5768

How much impact can my book and/or blog have on someone's life? Check out this just-arrived message from a reader (name omitted for privacy protection) using one of my nicknames:

"Hi Yo-yo,

I did a little research on Cranio Sacral Therapy at your suggestion and found two places in my area that perform this. I realize it is a several month commitment, and then they adjust to your needs. I have felt a bit "stuck" these past few years, and I really like that there is a mind, body, spirit component. It sounds to me like a win-win situation, either way! Something I could really benefit from.

Now, here is why I felt a need to write to you as someone who has tried this and really knows the benefit of having CST. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I need to have surgery again after 8 years. The thing I keep hearing from my old NS, and now my new NS is that there is concern of scar tissue, and the hard "eraser like quality" that my tumor had. My old NS doubts there would be a change in the consistency of the tumor. And my new NS said he thinks if there are any problems it would be from the hardening of the scar tissue and of course, as I already know the hardness of the original tumor. So, here is my question to you. If you had several months to detox your body, and incorporated CS Therapy before having your surgery, do you think it could help create the fluid it needs to release some of that bulid-up, hard, plaque like substance that could potentially make this tricky surgery even more risky? Something is telling me it could. But, I don't know enough about this first hand to make that judgment. I know you can't tell me what to do, but perhaps you have some insight or knowledge you can share that could guide me on this amazing journey I am now on.

Monday, I met w/ Dr. ____, who is in _____, and ... he is proposing two surgeries. One endoscopic, and then an eyebrow craniotomy to get to the upper portion if need be. Oh, how I do not want to have the craniotomy again! I trust he knows what he's talking about, but in my haste to want this to get moving, I scheduled the first surgery for two weeks from now...

So, my question is, do you think it is worth having the extra time to continue the self healing I have begun and to try CS Therapy to, in a sense, help Dr. ___, so when he gets in there, I will be helping the process on another level, I would like to know if this is what you would do, knowing now what you know.

I really value your input on this Yojeved, as you are the one who opened my mind to this from thousands of miles away!

Thank you, and God Bless! ____"

Rest assured that I informed the writer of multiple and wonderful mind/spirit/body possibilities. I definitely advocated for Cranio Sacral Therapy and other self-healing techniques before and after her surgery.

One of the things I've learned, as a Self-Help Coach and as a patient, is that a PURPOSELY POSITIVE POINT OF VIEW can promote healing far into the future and far beyond the Western Medical World's usual expectations. Look at the recent photo of me standing in a garden months after doctors expected to amputate my badly broken arm following a devastating accident (my fracture was further complicated by the short-lived development of RSD/CRPS) and years after I was expected to go permanently blind. I use both pain-free hands/arms and I see exactly what I'm doing every day.

Not a bad result for Positive Thinking and Behaving, hmmm?

Readers, here's My Advice to YOU:
Develop a PURPOSELY POSITIVE POINT OF VIEW.
Open your body/spirit/mind to healing potential.
Watch what happens.
The intention to heal can promote healing on its own.
Let it.

Afraid you can't possibly become positive about your medical situation? FAKE IT!

Keep faking until you actually feel upbeat. Make Happiness your new habit. Re-read that letter above and read between the lines. She's going forward very consciously. YOU can, too! Buy my book and learn how. The medical and mental health therapists who praised it on the cover agree: I teach something that works!

And, uh, guess who wrote the dedication to my book? Answer: my amazed Cranio Sacral Therapist. She witnessed my remarkable progress past medical hurdles.

THIS SUNDAY IS FATHER'S DAY! Buy Dad, Grandpa, or any guy you know in a medical crisis a copy of my book. Remember the important men in your life with a gift that could become important to them ;^ )

To your good health,

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

He's Gonna Wash those Drugs Right Outta Your Hair...

8 Sivan 5768



Ever heard the song "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair" from the show South Pacific? Sounds easy despite the heartache implied in the song's title. What if getting off drugs could be that easy?

Drug addiction is more than a medical crisis. A mental-emotional and physical nightmare, it includes social diseases (some of them deadly), financial crashes and ruined relationships. That's just part of the awful picture.

Malnutrition, caused by drug-affected sphincters that remain too tight at the entrance and at the end of the digestive system, is another serious concern. Food moves s-l-o-w-l-y in an addict's digestive tract. Addicts don't use the toilet much because food is not passing out of them in normal fashion (or at all). Addicts also tend not to feel hunger sensations with their artificially full bellies. They thus fail to seek out and to eat nourishing food, becoming thin and undernourished. Not a good situation for ending the addiction or for getting a life back on track!

Standard and unconventional detoxification methods have had limited success in helping opiate addicts to end their addictions. Addicts sometimes go off drugs for a while, then start using them again. The problem is not mere willpower or the lack of it, it's a neurological response to the addictive substances: It basically hijacks the drug user's personality. They live for more drugs, nothing else.

Now for the GOOD news.

Israeli surgeon Dr. Andre Waismann developed a new method for ending drug addiction. It's almost as simple as hair-washing, which I mentioned above. Waismann (his nickname is "Dr. Wash") uses a medical cocktail to end the neurological feedback loop that causes drug cravings. He also prevents excruciating withdrawal symptoms by using general anesthesia before administering the cure. Some people call this approach "Rapid Opiate Detoxification" or "Accelerated Neuroregulation (ANR)."

Read Accelerated Neuroregulation and learn a bit more about this interesting medical treatment.

Time will tell us how effective ANR can be. Meanwhile, share the news with anyone who might need it. Perhaps it will help them to return to a productive life. And maybe it can save a drug-addicted child.

Read my book for other cutting-edge healing tips PLUS information on how to contact the exact medical professional YOU NEED!

~*~*~*~

To your good health,

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

Readers Agree with Me: We CAN Break Through Barriers to Cope and to...

7 Sivan 5768


Judging from the many responses to the BHRT Summit advertisments on this blog a short while back, and the increasing sales of my book, it's becoming obvious that readers are benefiting from my writings.

Readers Agree with Me: We CAN Break Through Barriers to Cope and to Heal to the the greatest extent of human capability.

My "Can-Do Strategies" for dealing with medical problems puts much of the control of your medical future in your own hands: YOU decide how you will respond to various medical complications. YOU take positive action(s) that can produce desired emotional and/or health oriented results.

YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

My book highlights Alternative and Complementary Medicine endeavors. They literally made a Life and Death difference to me after my medical crisis in 2005. My organic foods and lifestyle continue to help me break through barriers and "generally expected limitations" until today. That's why my vision continues to improve against Western Medical guideline expectations and why my eyewear prescription continues to fall. It's how I beat the odds of having a horribly broken arm amputated in 2007, succeeding instead with innovative surgery and follow-up therapy.

Make the decision to heal/cope with medical challenges.
Be willing to think outside conventional practices.
Doing so helps countless numbers of people bedsides me to manage better in the face of medical crises.
Let such decisions and actions help YOU, too.

The return to natural living and healing methodologies is affecting the world of Western Medicine. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) is even accentuating the natural healing arts. Check out this recent National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine press release announcing the NEED for health care providers and patients to discuss nonconventional healing methods.

Don't care to read the whole report? Then just focus on these highlights for pursuing Complementary and Alternative Medicine protocols in your healing/coping endeavors:

PATIENT TIPS FOR DISCUSSING CAM WITH PROVIDERS

-- When completing patient history forms, be sure to include all therapies and treatments you use. Make a list in advance.
-- Tell your health care providers about all therapies or treatments -- including over-the-counter and prescription medicines, as well as herbal and dietary supplements.
-- Take control. Don't wait for your providers to ask about your CAM use.
-- If you are considering a new CAM therapy, ask your health care providers about its safety, effectiveness, and possible interactions with medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter).

PROVIDER TIPS FOR DISCUSSING CAM WITH PATIENTS

-- Include a question about CAM use on medical history forms.
-- Ask your patients to bring a list of all therapies they use, including prescription, over-the-counter, herbal therapies, and other CAM practices.
-- Have your medical staff initiate the conversation.

Keep praying! The One Above is in charge of our progress. Our job is to make that progress possible with improved attitudes and efforts.

RAMP UP YOUR HEALING/COPING efforts even BEFORE SPEAKING WITH DOCTORS of any type. BUY MY BOOK and LEARN HOW. See the right-hand margin for purchase information or simply CLICK HERE.

To your good health,

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

How My Book Helps People

2 Sivan

Whew, I'm catching up on my blogging late in the day. I encountered some complicated traffic jams to/from Jerusalem today. The delays messed up my daylong schedule. It's road repair and road-building season here. Lots of cops were out giving tickets for some reason or another, slowing traffic even more. So, here we go with today's tardy post:

I habitually carry copies of my book in a see-through carry-case wherever I go. A woman from England spotted me during my hectic day, and called out from the masses of humanity all around me.

"Are you the author of the book you're holding? You ARE?" she exclaimed. "I must tell you how it helped me and several other people."

She related how she'd heard of my book through other people who'd read it. Then she described a daughter residing abroad and living with a terrible back problem. Surgery was just this past week. But convincing the daughter to face surgery and then to make recovery progress afterward was a tall order, the mother told me.

"She'd given me a list of things to be done while she was in hospital. None of it was related to her well-being! I was so upset. She's been negative all along about her deteriorated health. Well, I focused on accomplishing her errands, one of which was to exchange books at a reader's co-op. I took her books there and noticed that one was by a man who had ruled GOD out of his life when he'd been faced with hardship after hardship. I saw that my daughter was reading negative materials and I simply could not get any sense into her head. I didn't know what to say to her. It all left me wondering, 'What is the purpose of life? Why does GOD give it to us? What ARE our problems for?' As I returned the books, I chatted with the woman in charge of the reading co-op. She raised questions similar to mine as we spoke. Then we corresponded a bit by postal service."

In short order, the troubled mother bought two copies of my book after remembering the "It's inspirational!" praise she'd heard about it. She read one and soon sent the other to her child.

Mom spoke with me for a long time about sundry issues in her life and quoted passages she'd memorized from It's My Crisis! and I'll Cry if I Need To. Our conversation veered from medical problems to family difficulties and SUDOKU to transit schedules. Then she returned to our first topic of conversation: how my book had helped several people she knows.

"I found the answer to my questions in your book! I know why GOD gives us life and hardships! You described a problem as an opportunity to gain new strengths. And you told me that GOD gives us our lives so we can improve on our spiritual strengths and become more spiritually developed no matter what religion we keep. My daughter and I have been discussing those ideas quite civilly. She eventually read your book. I believe she's becoming more positive. Her husband and children are also calming down. Why, I wrote to the author of that negative book and told him to read yours so he can feel happier! He wrote back to me that he intends to! And now that we've chatted, I'm going to write to the woman at the book exchange office and advise her to read it, too!"

That conversationsal exchange was an interesting highlight to my day. Let me hear from you and how you or someone you care about benefited from It's My Crisis! and I'll Cry if I Need To.

And be sure to let me know if the enlarged fonts I used earlier this week were helpful to you. Some readers have let me know that their vision problems prompted them to ask for bigger fonts.

To your good health,

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

Female Babies + Formula: NOT a Great Combination

1 Sivan 5768


Boys and girls are definitely not equal when it comes to benefiting from various forms of infant nourishment.

The June edition of Pediatrics magazine published troubling findings based on a 24-month-long study by Fundacion INFANT in Buenos Aires. It seems that formula-fed infant girls developed a higher risk for respiratory infections than did breast-fed infant girls.

The study also indicated that breast-fed infant girls fare better at fighting off infections than do breast-fed infant boys. Researchers suspect that breast milk triggers a protective mechanism that's easier to activate in female babies.

Formula-fed infant girls, by the way, suffered more respiratory infections than did baby boys nourished by mom or by the bottle. That leaves baby girls on bottle formula at high risk. Researchers thus came away from the study strongly encouraging mothers to breast-feed infant girls, especially premature baby girls.


Scientists are searching for ways to unlock breast-milk's protective mechanism so they can develop therapies as effective as 5 or 6 vaccines. Any wailing baby receiving a needle in the doctor's office (or in the tushy, actually) would appreciate that!

Want to protect your little ones with the best nutrition possible to offset future disease? Here are some potential resources for you to check out:

• National Institutes of Health
  
• Guillermina Melendi, M.D.
  
• The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
  
• Instituto de Efectividad Clinica y Sanitaria in Buenos Aires
  
• Hospital de Pediatria Juan P. Garrahan in Buenos Aires
  
• Maternidad Sarda in Buenos Aires
  
• And my personal favorite: Almond Blossom Cafe.

Learn more can-do healing/coping strategies for optimal health.

Read
It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To.

Buy a copy of It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To.

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!

To your good health,

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

PLAY with Words: B FUNNY

29 iYaR 5768


Some wistful E-mail writers and neighbors who read yesterday’s post complained to me that they have no idea how to be funny. Some of them proved it. So today’s message is a quick primer on how to have heaping helpings of humor to share around the hospital room or even in the privacy of your home when you face a medical - or ANY - crisis.

Issue an ALL-POINTS BULLETIN for Whatever Doesn’t Fit! For you non-Americans, an APB is a police term designating dedicated searches for criminals, missing children (usually napping in the closet or hiding behind mommy as she frantically searches the whole house) or stolen merchandise. In short, spot the item in a list/series of things that seems out of place and joke around at the expense of a thing without feelings. I prefer not to make jokes about people whose feelings can be hurt. Stick it to the inanimate and leave the neighbors alone. This means family members, too ;^ )

Pun, pun, pun. Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is a genius at this.

Play with words as you seek out the ones to convey the depth of your situation (I've done it several times on today's message). The surprising use of worn-out words gives them fresh new perspective that can enter and remain in your audience's heads. And yours!

Alliterate. All of us kind of crumble from hearing boring lectures. Attract attention with verbal allure. Say the same sounds again and again so they'll s-s-s-scintillate.

Timing. Poets and songwriter/singers succeed with rhythmic patterns (Garth Brooks does this well). Practice puffing your pronunciations with pregnant pauses. Allow listeners to think, to expect something routine, then WOW them with the unexpected!

Triples. The late comedian Steve Allen wrote about triples in one of his books about how to be a comedian. Build up a joke with three possibilities, the last one being a surprise ending to the lull building up in your listeners’ mind.

Turning the Situation on its Side with Laughter. Treat the problem at hand as if it were a naughty puppy or a friend with a wicked sense of humor.

Poke Fun at Pain. Pain is a universal, part of everyone’s lives. Prove that emotional and physical pain do not control your mind. Let everyone around you know that your responses to pain and to painful circumstances come from your sense of willpower and your desire for better times. Your attitude will invite people into your wonderful world of coping mechanisms.


Here, I’ll try to illustrate with some non-medical situations:

GOOGLE kinda lost it for a while yesterday. Several bloggers couldn’t update their messages. Not good news for those of us selling something. I E-mailed a writing colleague several times to find out how she was coping. Here’s how that went as I Turned the Situation on its Side with Laughter:

ME: Nuts! I can’t access my blog.
Is Google goin’ ga-ga?

JEAN: Yes! And I’m kinda peeved at the mo’!

ME: I need to correct a typo before my readers catch it. I have a “can can” in the middle of a sentence. French dancing is NOT on my blog's agenda ;^

JEAN: LOL!)

One more illustration before I leave you for the day:

A different colleague asked a professional writers' listserv for a solution to dirty mirrors and windows for an article she’s writing in WASHPOST. Hmmm, my chance to make it into a prestigious paper. So, here’s our cyber-dialogue (I hope it helps to hoist me into journalistic fame and sells my book by the truckload):

FREELANCE WRITER: I'm working on a story for the Washington Post Real Estate Section on cleaning windows, mirrors and glass...

How do you clean yours? Looking for your successes AND failures. (Grandma's technique anyone?)

And/or professional (or not so professional) window washers you have used and any stories (disasters) you'd care to share.

Please reply off-list to +=+=

Here’s my respone to that journalistic research effort:

ME: I use 2 methods:

Newsprint and vinegar (works like a charm and WOW is it cheap!) for total surface cleansing and brilliant shine.

A soft puff of air followed by a wipe-down with clean flannel cloth (usually an old shirt or nightie that saw better days) whenever I spot wispy-looking smudges (WHERE do those come from, anyway?).

Happy house-cleaning!

But the unexpected happened (use it for more humor) and I was ready for it, using Humor with a Twist of Utter Silliness:

FREELANCE WRITER: Those wispy looking smudges are part of the problem...

Me: They come from cooking, humidity and outer space. I kinda wonder which evil aliens are sending those smudges down here. Slobs! Go back to your own galaxy (or is it too messy for even you?)

FW: do you have a preferred newspaper? (City Paper works better for me).

ME: I live in Israel so I use whatever's handy, although I remember City Paper as quite helpful when I was in the DC area.

FW: could this "soft puff of air" be you blowing on the surface or is there some thingus that you use?

ME: Me. Does that make me a Me-ngus? ;^ )

FW: Is this approach one you discovered yourself or was it handed down or read about?

ME: The air puff was my idea. The newspapers with vinegar trick is older than than the Flintstones.

FW: There are over 1 million glass cleaning references on google. Could it all come down to newsprint and vinegar?

ME: Yep. Merchandisers take advantage of unaware consumers willing to pay for something to solve problems for them.

I first learned to make fun of life with its weird twists and painful turns from a grade-school friend I used to play with in downtown Detroit. Her dad sold a business to my father, and we little girls relieved our boredom from business discussions by wrapping towels around our trunks or sticking towels in our T-shirt collars, then pretending to be Wonder Woman or Super Girl as we leapt off tall buildings and rescued endangered animals (bouncy beds and stuffed toys, actually).

Aw c'mon, it was fun to pretend to be pretty and strong, not goofy girls as awkward as we'd been.

Readers, YOU CAN COPE with the vagaries of life. A neighbor, loved one, book (MINE for instance!) or your favorite blog could prove helpful to you. Seek out your solution. As Roseanne Rosannadanna would have said, "It just goes to show you, it's always something."

To my first mentor for funny frou-frou, here's to you Gilda Radner. May you rest in happiness.

~*~*~*~

To your good health,

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

The Alternative to Coping is Worse

28 Iyar 5768


Comedian George Burns once responded to a question about how he felt upon reaching his eighties. "The alternative is worse," he grinned.

That attitude can be a life-saver. I get a kick out of turning difficult situations around to my advantage. It's a skill that anyone can master. It takes time, but it's doable.

I persevere instead of letting irritating problems destroy me or my composure. I like to achieve my goals and to leave my tormentors gritting their teeth in frustration. It's the best revenge. I don't strike out at anyone. Troublemakers simply live to regret messing with me or they choose to become my (surprise!) advocates. I treat other problems (such as medical upsets) the same way. I don't get mad (well, actually I do to some extent), I have fun getting even without hurting anyone in the process of meeting my needs. I simply keep on keepin' on, knowing that laughter can bestow more life upon me. It's a skill anyone can learn.

In my book, I describe how I faced the news of my once-imminent death (due to a BENIGN brain tumor) with a determined change of plans for LIVING to the FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.

Sometimes, I treat stressful situations as a game. I reframe the problem with funny remarks, figure out strategies for achieving my goals and then behave as if things are not all that serious. It takes the sting out of the problem at hand, it reduces my sense of stress (plus that of everyone involved) and it causes laughter whenever I tell people how I accomplished my task. As Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport knew and taught, laughter is a life-saver!

That's part of the story about how I handled my shock in 2005. Friends and I formed tag teams, calling medical specialists around the world. We sought advice for reversing my diagnosis. Sure, we wept at the serious problem I faced. But we refused to surrender to it. I decided to face this phase of my life as a calm, cultured adult instead of as a screaming shrew or as a morose figure of despair. I wanted my dignity to remain intact throughout the ordeal. To reach that goal I also adjusted my vocabulary, calling the medical crisis a "Situation to be Resolved."

Surgeons had a hard time separating the hands of the friends grasping my stretcher as the time arrived to wheel me into surgery. I knew that the blue lines drawn across my face and tracing where the doctors would cut my skull open looked terrifying to my loving, non-medical observers. So, I firmly but sweetly told the women standing behind my head, "Me Amazon Warrior! Going to fight for my life. Be fine!" They were able to let go with trembling smiles. Humor put our situation into perspective, letting us cope with our fears.

Read 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. Learn how I coped with my medical crisis. Mimic me and lift your spirits above the horrors at hand. My book can teach you skills for blazing your own brave trail into the future.

We can't control our medical outcomes. But failing, worse REFUSING, to acknowledge our medical messes and to deal with them forthrightly can be dangerously disastrous. Senator Ted Kennedy surely knows that as he heads into surgery today (and I wish him well). The lesson I'm trying to convey is that we can perfect our attitudes. The Kennedys know that, as do I. You can, too. Striving to be a better person is a win-win situation.

~*~*~

Suffering with a Medical Crisis?
Been there, done that, wrote a book about it, and going forward into the future.

Want to learn MORE healing/coping strategies?

Then read, benefit from, and tell others about

It's MY Crisis! And I’ll Cry if I Need To.

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To your good health,

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