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BERWICK AREA HEART SUPPORT GROUP
AUGUST 2005 NEWSLETTER
Next meeting August 3rd for our annual walk with the Walking for Health Group, followed by buffet at 8.00pm in the Day Hospital, there are a variety of walk distances to suit all ranges of fitness. Meet at the Day Hospital at 6.55pm, anyone unable to participate in the walk are welcome to stay at the Day Hospital,
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Our speaker on 6th. June 2005 was Kathy Tiernan, who has been practising alternative therapies for more than 10 years. She trained as an aromatherapist at the London School of Aromatherapy, qualifying in 1992, then continued training and achieved an ITEC Diploma in stress management, and a City and Guilds Counselling Skills Diploma. In 1998 she undertook a 3 year training program in Shiatsu and Oriental Medicine in Newcastle, qualifying as a Shiatsu practitioner in 2001.
Kathy’s practice is at St Andrews House, College Place, Berwick, and practices on shiatsu, aromatherapy and stress management
Website, http://www.kathytiernan.webhealer.net/
It was stress management that Kathy spoke to us about, but as most of her time was taken up with a practical demonstration that everyone took part in, there is in fact very little to write about.
Kathy spoke of some useful ways to deal with stress; one of the best is exercise, walking in particular. It burns off all that unwanted adrenalin our bodies produce when we get up-tight.But there are times when it is not practical or convenient to exercise or walk, this is where Kathy’s demonstration helps. It involved sitting in a comfortable position, or if more convenient lying on the floor, in a quiet room away from noise and distractions. Then closing the eyes, and gradually working through the body starting with the head, firstly becoming very aware of that particular part of the body, and then getting that part to feel relaxed before moving on to the next adjoining part of the body. By the time you get to the feet you should be feeling quite relaxed.I have to admit that especially when someone else is narrating a relaxation sequence, or an ‘imagine if’ peaceful story, very often I’m the one that’s snoring first, but I didn’t this time, maybe that’s because one of today’s causes of stress, the mobile phone, went off in the middle of the session. All I can say is I’m glad it was not mine
With the talking to a minimum this month, I’ve had to find a longer yarn.
Click to return to index
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Wally’s Yarn
Like his Grand dad and Great Grand Dad had done before them. Jake was a sheep farmer, working in the hills alongside his father, and had done so every day since he had left school 15 years ago.
One cold and wet night at the lambing, he was thinking to himself, “What’s this all about? What have I done with my life since leaving school? Where have I been? All these and many similar questions went round and round in his head all night.
Eventually he decided to do something about it, and after talking it over with his Dad it was decided that until Father could no longer manage the sheep on his own, Jake could go off and see the world and try different things.
Two years later, after working his way around the world doing what ever jobs he could, Jake was in Australia, and in need of a job. Drawing on his experience with sheep he got a job on a large sheep station during the shearing season. He was quite happy when he was asked to stop on and manage the place when the shearing was finished.
The next week everyone left, but the owner, Mr. Parker, stayed on for a couple of days to explain what was expected of Jake. He found that until the lambing time, the following spring, he was on his own looking after thousands and thousands of sheep, which were roaming over thousands of acres of the Australian outback. His nearest neighbour was 45 miles away.
Initially Jake enjoyed driving out each day, exploring the countryside and tending his sheep, but after a few weeks it became boring, especially with no one to speak to.
He had worked for four months through the height of the summer and whilst doing his job he got more and more bored with each days passing, then one day, out of the blue, the CB radio in his truck crackled into life.
It said, “G’day, are you the Englishman working for old man Parker?”
Jake replied excitedly, “Yes, my name is Jake who are you?
The radio replied, “I’m Bluey, I work at Thompson Station, it’s about 45 miles west of you”
Jake said,” I’ve been here over four months and I haven’t spoken to a soul. It’s nice to hear someone’s voice; I was getting quite bored with my own company.”
Bluey said,” I thought you might. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard from you before, but listen, what I called about is, are you interested in coming to a ‘barbie’ at the weekend?”
Jake was caught unawares, and didn’t know what to say. As he quickly thought it over in his mind, he thought, yes, I would like to go, but as he had also heard all sorts of stories about Australian bar-be-cues, he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, and so with a stutter in his voice said, “What’s it going to be like?”
Bluey was full of enthusiasm and tried to put his mind at rest, and said,
“Its going to be good fun, it starts Friday afternoon, there’s plenty of food; I’ve got in loads of steaks, burgers, sausages and of course plenty prawns and beer. Then we’ll have a hell of a party, with as much beer, music and sex as you want. It can go on well into the night, as long as you like. Then everyone can rest up, and when we get up, we’ll rekindle the Barbie, cook loads more food, have more music, more beer and as much more sex as you want. It will go on all day Saturday and well into the night. Then on Sunday, all I ask is that you join in and help give things a bit of a tidy before going home.
Jake replied, “I think you have convinced me, yes I will come, it will be nice to see and speak to other people after these weeks of solitude. What do you think I should wear?”
Bluey answered,” Wear what you like mate; there’s just the two of us”.
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Letter received through web site
Dear Sir/ Madam
Hart Ryan Productions a leading independent television production company has been commissioned by Channel 4 to make a two-part documentary about the people who are currently on the Heart transplant waiting list, in an important bid to raise organ donor awareness over the next year.
We are still in the initial stages of research and so would like to speak to as many people as possible so that we can make sure that we give a true and accurate representation of the experiences people have while they are waiting, we would also like to hear from family members and friends as we have found that waiting for a transplant has a huge impact on everyone in the family. There is no obligation to take part in any filming, at this stage we’d just like to talk to people informally and in complete confidence.
If you are interested in talking to us then please contact Melody on: 0207 403 6363 or melodyhowse@hartryan.co.uk
Many thanks and Best wishes
Hart Ryan Productions
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ET
Nothing out of this world. We know exercise training is good for arteries.
Researchers, however, keep coming up with more detail as to why.
It is known that the condition of our arteries, which is key to the elastic response and a good flow of blood, is improved after exercise training. Even arteries that are already dodgy are improved. (We call it Cardiac Rehabilitation and it is on offer at the Swan Centre.)
Recently a study has shown that ‘reactive oxygen’ that creates stress in the artery tissue is much reduced by exercise training. (Reactive Oxygen Species, or ROS, are not good news unless the body mops them up. They are one of the reasons we take our mix of colourful fruit and veg with their natural anti-oxidants that help with ‘mopping up’.)
Phil.
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The Wansbeck Wander
This is an annual sponsored walk for the B.H.F. organised by Mandy Hall from the Ashinghton Cardiac Support Group.
The walk is approximately 3 miles around the Lake at the Queen Elizabeth 11 Park in a circular route.
For further details or sponsorship forms please contact; Mrs A Hall 01670 816875 or Regional Office Freephone 0800 917 6976
There are many other walks in the North of England during 2005, for details of these, or any other information please phone Regional Office freephone 0800 917 6976 or e-mail region1@bhf.org.uk
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By gum!
“Chronic infections, including periodontalinfections, may predispose to cardiovascular disease”.
Recent further study has shown that microbes that specialise in periodontal disease (inflammation where the teeth sit in the gum) are found in greater amounts in people with thickened carotid arteries. The more of these bacteria found in the plaque under the gum, the thicker the walls of the important arteries. The two conditions go together
Even if your other risk factors are reasonably OK, gum disease could be bad news for some people. Suggestion? Get it fixed!
Phil.
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