Written by:

Eric Sabo -
Published on: June 2, 2005

A rapid, severe headache has long been considered an early warning sign of stroke. Along with other clues, such as a sudden numbness on one side of your face or body, an extremely painful headache that seems to come out of nowhere may require an immediate trip to the emergency room. Strokes are more common as you get older, but these so-called "brain attacks" can strike at any age. The faster you get to the hospital, the better your chances of preventing serious damage to the brain.

But new research suggests that migraines and other headaches are not just an early sign of stroke, they may even put you at risk for one. Looking at some 12,700 men and women who were involved in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, published in May in Neurology, investigators found that people who have a history of severe migraines were more likely to suffer an ischemic attack, the type of stroke that is caused by blocked blood vessels. Compared to those who reported few serious headaches over their lifetime, migraine sufferers also showed greater symptoms of having a stroke or mini-stroke, known as a transient ischemic attack.

This connection appeared strongest in men and women who suffer from aural migraines, which are associated with blurry vision and strange smells, in addition to pain. Intuitively, a link between migraines and stroke would seem to make sense. Severe headaches are believed to cause a disturbance in blood vessels, and there is an unusually high prevalence of strokes in younger migraine sufferers.

How to Tell the Difference

But these recent findings also cause some confusion. For those who frequently get serious headaches, how can one tell regular pain from a possible stroke?
"There is a great overlap in symptoms between migraine and stroke," says Philip Stang, MD, lead author of the study and an associate of the department of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina. "And there are types of migraine that include stroke features and vice-versa."

Keeping that in mind, experts say there are some potential differences as well. For one, most migraines will clear up relatively quickly, whereas stroke symptoms are constant.

The presence of certain risk factors may also make one more suspicious that a headache could be a sign of stroke. For example, younger women with migraines, especially if they smoke or take oral contraceptives, are more likely to suffer a stroke than others, says Stang. In older patients, hypertension is a more serious risk factor for stroke than severe headaches.

It may turn out that the link between migraines and stroke risk is not a serious concern. In an editorial that accompanied the study, the authors argue that there are more questions than answers at this point. Stang is cautious as well. "Since there is no laboratory test to confirm migraine, it is difficult to be so precise and assured," he says.

Still, there is little question about the importance of seeking medical help at the first signs of a stroke, including severe headaches. Specially trained hospital staff can determine if you are having a stroke and initiate treatment, which can prevent significant harm if started early. Experts recommend that you seek help immediately if you experience the following, sudden symptoms:

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Problems walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Severe headache with no known cause

Here’s the 2nd article: It is very interesting and one most of us, including the medical profession including nurses, don’t realize the dangers to the patient and family are concerned.

Right-Sided Stroke Harder To Detect

Written by:

Karen Barrow –

Published: August 25, 2005

Strokes that occur on the right side of the brain go undiagnosed more often than left brain strokes, said a new study.

Since the left side of the brain controls coordination and language, left-brain strokes usually cause clear symptoms, like slurred speech or weakness in the right hand. However, since the right side of the brain controls judgment, symptoms are more subtle.

"It is intuitive that patients, their families and their physicians might be more likely to recognize a disturbance of speech or language than a cognitive deficit," said Dr. John N. Fink of the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Science in an editorial accompanying the study, which was published on July 30 in The Lancet.

With more right-side strokes going undetected, however, the speed and quality of care may suffer during the early stages of attack, the most critical time in preventing permanent damage. Fink points out that strokes on the right side of the brain may influence relationships, one's abilities at work and the ability to safely drive.

The study is based on data from 11,328 stroke patients in Germany. Of these, 56 percent were found to have had a stroke on the left side of their brain, while 44 percent had one on the opposite side. About 15 percent more patients with left-sided strokes were treated or admitted to the hospital within 3 hours than those with right-side strokes.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked or ruptured, resulting in a lack of blood supply to a particular region of the brain. The longer this region goes without blood, the more damage that occurs. Treatments are available to stop the progression of the stroke and to prevent further brain damage.

Diagnosing a right-sided stroke is complicated for two main reasons, the researchers state. First, current stroke-diagnosing methods are designed to look for the symptoms of a left-sided stroke, making a right-sided stroke much harder to diagnose. Secondly, since a right-sided stroke affects awareness and reasoning, a patient is less able to realize that they are acting unusually and seek help in the first place.

"Right sided events are probably perceived by patient or doctor as being less severe or are not identified as a stroke at all," said study author Dr. Christian Foerch, from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany.
The study authors call for an increased awareness of right-sided strokes. But since the symptoms are so unclear, the responsibility resides mostly in the ability of doctors to be better able to identify these strokes and begin treatment quickly.

"It is up to physicians who assess patients with stroke to train other physicians and organize stroke services to improve our standard of performance," said Fink.
© 2005 Healthology, Inc. ________________________________________________________________
Stroke Information for Seniors Added to the NIHSeniorHealth Web Site: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Stroke Information for Seniors Added to the NIHSeniorHealth Web Site

For release: Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Each year in the United States, there are more than 700,000 strokes. Nearly three-quarters of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65 and the risk of having a stroke more than doubles each decade after the age of 55. To help older adults learn more about the signs and symptoms of stroke and the need to act quickly, the National Institutes of Health is adding four new topics on stroke to its NIHSeniorHealth web site:
Act Quickly, Warnings Signs and Risk Factors, What Happens during a Stroke, and Treatments and Research.

The site features easy-to-read stroke information, developed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and may be found at www.nihseniorhealth.gov.

“Stroke is an unmistakable event. Few other medical conditions come on so suddenly or are so noticeable to a bystander,” said John R. Marler, M.D., associate director for clinical trials at the NINDS.

A stroke occurs when normal blood flow to the brain is disrupted. Brain cells die when deprived of oxygen and nutrients provided by blood. Because stroke injures the brain, the person having a stroke may not realize what is happening.

But to a bystander the signs of a stroke are distinct:
• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination

• Sudden severe headache with no known cause

In treating a stroke, every minute counts. New treatments are available that greatly reduce the damage caused by a stroke, but must be delivered quickly after symptoms begin. Knowing the stroke symptoms, calling 911 immediately, and getting to a hospital are critical to preventing long-term disability.

Risk factors for stroke include family history, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, physical inactivity, advancing age, and being overweight.

Older Americans are one of the fastest growing age groups using the Internet, especially when searching for health information. In fact, 66 percent of “wired” seniors search for health and medical information when they go online. NIHSeniorHealth, a joint effort of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), was designed especially with seniors in mind.

The site, which is based on the latest research on cognition and aging, features short, easy-to-read segments of information. The new section links to other information on stroke on the NINDS website at www.ninds.nih.gov.

The site also links to MedlinePlus, NLM’s premier site for news on diseases and wellness, drug information, clinical trials, and other consumer health resources.
The NINDS is the nation's primary supporter of biomedical research on the brain and nervous system. It is dedicated to research and education on the causes, treatment, and prevention of stroke. The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. The NLM, the world's largest library of the health sciences, creates and sponsors web-based health information resources for the public and professionals. All three are components of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation's Medical Research Agency—is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Date Last Modified: Tuesday, August 23, 2005

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Ms Hartman is a nutritionist who contributes quite a few articles with an approach which anyone can understand. This article is about the nutritional value of Flax seed and how it can substitute for other foods in our daily diet.

What about Flaxseed?

Jann Hartman,
Baltimore, Maryland

Fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon contain two omega-3 fatty acids – eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA). A third kind, alpha-linolenic acid, is less potent. It comes from soybeans, canola, walnut and flaxseed, and oils made from those beans, nuts and seeds.

Flaxseed oil and flaxseeds (which need to be ground into flaxseed meal to be properly utilized by your body) each provide omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that the omega-3 fatty acids, especially those in fish, have cardioprotective benefits, but that all omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid, the one in flaxseed, are needed for good health Flaxseeds are also a great source of soluble fiber as well as providing thia-min, riboflavin, niacin, trace minerals and even some high quality protein. You must consume them because your body cannot manufacture them.

To add this supplement to your diet, you can either use the flaxseeds whole or use the flaxseed oil. Practically, it is easier to use the oil and not have to bother with grinding the seeds. Remember, the oil must be refrigerated so that it does not turn rancid.

Nutritionally, flaxseeds will give you more bang for the buck. They have a pleasant, nut-like flavor and taste good sprinkled on a variety of foods. You must either chew the seeds very well or grind them, because whole seeds pass through the body without their essential nutrients being absorbed. You can purchase ground seeds, but they are much more perishable than the whole seeds. Either way, they need to be kept in the refrigerator, too. The seeds can also be bought in bulk and kept in the freezer for even longer storage.

The recommendation for adults is to use one or two tablespoons of flaxseed meal or oil daily. You can stir it into hot cereal or into your juice. It can also be used as a replacement for an egg in some recipes such as muffins or pancakes. To replace one egg, use one tablespoon flaxseed meal plus three tablespoons water (or other liquid). You can also mix one to three teaspoons of flaxseed oil with a little ketchup as a condiment. Be careful not to exceed recommended amounts as flax can have a laxative effect.
The US Department of Agriculture recently released MyPyramid, an updated guide to healthful eating and active lifestyles. You can find it online at www.mypyramid.gov.
Enter information about yourself into “My Pyramid Plan” and get a customized food guide that tells how much from each food group you need every day.

Jann Hartman, a polio survivor, has a degree in Home Economics and Nutrition and has written and lectured on nutrition for the past 20 years.

A consumer brochure, “Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans,” can be downloaded from www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/brochure.htm.

Post-Polio Health (formerly called Polio Network News)
Issue: 21.2
Article title: What About Flaxseed
Author: Jann Hartman, Baltimore, MD
Page (s)/column location: Page 8
Reprinted from Post-Polio Health (formerly called Polio Network News) with permission of Post-Polio Health International (www.post-polio.org). Any further reproduction must have permission from copyright holder.

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A TEXAS BLESSING

Note: If you are not a resident of TEXAS or never have lived in the humid Southwest, you may not understand the weight of this blessing!

Bless this house, oh Lord, we cry. Please keep it cool in mid-July. Bless the walls where termites dine, while ants and roaches march in time. Bless our yard where spiders pass fire ant castles in the grass. Bless the garage, a home to please carpenter beetles, ticks and fleas. Bless the love bugs, two by two, the gnats and mosquitoes that feed on you. Millions of creatures that fly or crawl, in TEXAS , Lord, you've put them all!! But this is home, and here we'll stay, So thank you Lord, for insect spray.

HOLD IT.............there's more....................

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TEXAS IN JULY WHEN. . . .
The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The trees are whistling for the dogs.
The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
Hot water now comes out of both taps.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk. Ah, what a place to call home.
God Bless Our State of TEXAS !!

POLIO POST NEWS North Central Florida Post-Polio Support Group

Polio Survivors are Long-Time Pioneers

By Joan Swain

“Polio Pioneers” was the name given by the March of Dimes to the 1,829,916 children in grader 1-3 who participated in the 1954 field trial of the Salk poliomyelitis vaccine that was joyfully proclaimed “safe and effective” in April 1955. In her talk at the 14th Annual Conference on Post-Polio Syndrome last April, Joan Headley, Executive Director of Post-Polio Health International, asked, “Is Our Work Finished?”

Probably not, was her answer. To help us reach that conclusion, Ms. Headley outlined the many ways in which polio survivors have served as pioneers throughout their lives. She describer “pioneer” as one who goes into previously uncharted or unclaimed territory with the purpose of exploring and possibly colonizing it. Pioneers suffer hardships but they often form societal structure for those who follow.

Polio survivors were pioneers when they went back to their neighborhood schools with crutches, wheelchairs, and braces. They went through high school, and when it came time for collect, they were frequently financed by vocational rehabilitation scholarships. They were frequently the first in their occupation, their work or their school.

Pioneered independent living movement

They were pioneers as educated jobseekers who sometimes were denied positions because of their disability. Surprised and indignant, a core of these polio survivors were pioneers in the independent living movement. Their demand for societal change coincided with other movements of the 60s.

Doctors learned about the musculo-skeletal system, muscle testing, reeducation of muscles, physical and occupational therapy, brace making, and other improvements from polio pioneers. They then applied this information to other disabilities. Survivors who originally needed the help of an iron lung wanted lighter weight ventilators so that they could be more mobile, and thus more independent.

In the late 70s and early 80s, polio pioneers were important in bringing their problems with increasing weakness to the medical community. And in 1981, the first conference on the topic was held. Over the next 10 years, support groups sprang up all over the world.

Successful self-help implementers

Polio survivors have been the most successful in implementing the philosophy of self help, according to Ms. Headley, who described self help as assuming the responsibility for your own care and helping each other get the skills to be able to do that. This is basically what is now known as chronic disease self-management, and important part of the control of diabetes and other chronic conditions.

Being on the leading edge of people with disabilities, along with World War II veterans, polio survivors have the opportunity to be examples to people—we’re aging with disabilities. Issues such as Where are we going to live? Become problematic when some assisted living centers don’t want wheelchairs in the dining room. “There’s a perception of wheelchairs out there that it’s up to us to challenge and to change,” Mr. Headley said.

This article is intended for personal use only. It may not be reproduced without express written permission of the author, the North Central Florida Post-Polio Support Group, or of the publication listed in its credits.

0297 - Polio Survivors are Long-Time Survivors.doc
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These last two or three items are meant to leave a smile on your faces. You never know if they will be appreciated or if they will offend someone . They are meant to be light and to be not of the thought provoking kind of thing!

Your Age By Chocolate & Diet Stuff

YOUR AGE BY CHOCOLATE MATH

DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute... Do the math as you read.
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is one of those waste-of-time things, but it's pretty fun.

1. First, pick the number of times a week that you would like to have chocolate. (more than one time, but less than 10)

2. Multiply this number by 2 (Just to be bold).

3. Add 5. (for overindulging on Sunday or whatever day).

4. Multiply that number by 50 (we'll wait while you get the calculator...)

5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1755. If you haven't, add 1754.

6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number...

The first digit was your original number (i.e., how many times you want to have chocolate each week).

The next two numbers are...YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)

Supposedly, THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2005) IT WILL EVER WORK.
ITALIAN PASTA DIET, IT REALLY WORKS !!

1) You walka pasta da bakery.

2) You walka pasta da candy store.

3) You walka pasta da ice cream shop.

4) You walka pasta da table and da fridge.

Also:
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to hear the truth after all those conflicting medical studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat, lots of carbs, consume a lot of liquors, and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat, eat a lot of carbs, drink lots of alcohol, and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine, eat lots of protein & carbs, and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine, tons of carbs, and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer, eat lots of sausages and fats with carbs on every dish, and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION:

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
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If you are pretty good with numbers and puzzles you’ll find this web site entertaining and head scratching for quite a few hours. One thing for sure, you don’t get to terribly bored???? They have puzzles from easy to very hard and over 25000 of them. They also have little buttons to push to see how you are doing which I found kind of intriguing.
http://www.websudoku.com/?level=1

PLEASE REMEMBER THE CHRISTMAS PARTY SCHEDULED FOR 13 December 2005 @ 12:30PM – 3PM. It is to be in our meeting room at Warm Springs Resource Center. We need to have a RSVP by November 15th as to the number who plan to attend.
We realize it is a little early to start planning the party this far in advance to some but a lot of details have to be confirmed by the management of Warm Springs.
The Director of the Resource Center has already reserved the room for our usage for that day for those particular hours. The planning so far is to have a barbecue brisket, potato salad, & beans (with drinks provided by Warm Springs). It will be discussed at our meeting in September and October. The plan is to use some of the dues for the food and charge a fee of $2.00/plate to defray any other costs—like the paper plates, table clothes etc .

My Piggy Bank after filling up my car today!!!!

Poor thing.....don't know what we'll do if things don't get better.....
I think this kind of expresses all of our opinions about the current outrageous gasoline prices. I don’t get out very often now a days but when I do, just seeing the prices displayed on the gasoline pumps just takes your breath away.
THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
Leave doubt behind
Doubt is nothing but a thought you choose to have. Just as easily as you choose to have doubt, you can choose to let it go.
Doubt has no power other than the power you give it. Yet the power you give it can be enormous.
When you focus on doubt, your problems and limitations become greatly multiplied. When you give yourself to doubt, your resources and abilities lose much of their value.
So why would you want to hold yourself back in this way? There's really not even a single good reason.
As soon as you sense that doubt is pulling you down, make the decision to leave it behind. Remember that each doubt is your own creation, and once you stop sustaining it, it will no longer be.
Choose to walk away from doubt. And you'll set yourself free to achieve great things.

Ralph Marston

Copyright ©2005 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
(From The Daily Motivator. http://greatday.com/v.html?1157h05BAxxq
This site has both the printed version and the slide show version with beautiful pictures. Mr. Marston lives in the Hill Country in the Travis Lake area just outside of Austin, Texas.

Happy Thanksgiving!