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BERWICK AREA HEART SUPPORT GROUP
AUGUST 2009 NEWSLETTER
Berwick Heart Support Group's monthly meeting will be on Wednesday 5th August, 7.00pm in the Day Hospital Room, Berwick Infirmary. There will be a return visit by Dr Wooding to discuss progress in medical support for heart patients, and also a question and answer session.
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Encouragement
Welcome to the new members, who have begun to receive our Newsletter. Our ‘outreach’ has expanded because Terry has explored further ways of reaching you via Cardiac nurses, and Cardiac Rehab in Wooler and Belford. He has been able to do this on the back of the increased funding we received for the purpose.
For those new members, and in anticipation of a return visit this August by Dr Wooding, (she has supported us over the years), here is an outline of some of the points we as a group think are important, and the activities that we try to foster.
1. We are here for the members – you can tell your story, meet others who, over the years, have been through the various ‘mills’, and get a chance to ask a range of medics the questions that interest you. You will always know that there will be people who are interested in your progress.
2. In the first place we asked for NHS Cardiac Rehab, and then when it arrived gave it our long term support. We know this is proven to help you get back on your feet, feel well again, and that it will dramatically reduce your future risks.
3. We strongly support you taking your medications. With the advent of statins, the outlook has improved remarkably in the last 10 years. Medication does sometimes bring its own problems and you may need to be able to discuss a problem and ask questions. We hope to provide a forum where you can do that.
4. Medication works best if you can find ways to help your body help itself. The proven success of exercise (for example, exercise is a key to Cardiac Rehab) is obvious, but again, any problems can be discussed. Similarly, dietary changes that help prevent weight gain and involve you eating dramatically less saturated fat and salt and a great deal more fruit and vegetables, are not always easy. However, they can be done and the new cooking and eating (and even gardening) experience can become a fascinating past-time that you can share with others.
5. Last year we supported NHS Health Improvement who tested blood pressure in a large work-place in Berwick in order to detect and treat hypertension. We know that all the points raised in 4 above are proven to help normalise blood pressure. We like to reach out to people with raised blood pressure, or who have other ‘risk factors’ for heart disease, stroke, or peripheral artery disease.
Note. If you want to stop smoking, we will try to help as best we can.
6. We are always interested in reaching out to people with Type 2 Diabetes because of the strong link with increased risk of heart / arterial disease, and because, again, actions described in 4 above are proven to help, often dramatically. We will welcome a Diabetes Consultant at a forthcoming meeting scheduled for October.
7. We know that there is a link between heart disease and emotional stability and welfare. This issue was explored again by a recent speaker, NHS Clinical Psychologist Graeme Gillespie, and a write-up was in July’s Newsletter. If you missed or would like another copy of that Newsletter you can just ask, or you can read it online at our award-winning Website that is maintained by Terry.
8. We are not just ‘medical topics’, or even the interesting ‘alternative therapies’ such as breathing exercises. We have had some great speakers on local matters, for example, recently; old-time farm work, Berwick Archives, CAB. If you can think of speakers who could bring fun and interest, please let us know.
Phil
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My apologies for the short newsletter this month, as well as leaving the newsletter till the very last minute I’ve left the toner (ink) order until the last minute and the supplier has none in stock until next Monday.!!! ( normally they deliver the next day )
Terry
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