CAREGIVER Fall 2019
Free
Issue 6
PROVIDING OPTIONS AND SUPPORT
LABOR of LOVE 20 YEARS LATER
Caregiving Under Stress
Oklahoma Clinic Cutting-Edge Care
CONTENT
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Written By: Lisa Sydnor Hospice - 06 20 Years Later
ASK LISA 12
Advice for Aging Issues
Caregiving 14 Under Stress
Oklahoma Clinic 16
Cutting Edge Mental Health
Go Smoke-Free 22 Let VA Help
Senior Day Recap 24 At the Oklahoma State Fair
26 Medicare Enrollment
14
The Scariest Time of Year
28 Remember When Halloween
30 On the Lighter Side with Robbie Silver Linings
32 Tentou Day
It’s All in the Name.
42 Herbal Alternatives Garlic
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44 CBD - Cannabidiol Pain Relief, Naturally
Vicki Muir, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
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28 On the Cover: In 1999 John Spivey, Denise Glavan Heath and Cindy Longanacre published a book titled Hospice, A Labor of Love. The book speaks to the selfless mission of caring for those who are dying. 20 years later, Spivey revisits where Hospice stands in the modern era. Read their story and become more familiar with Hospice on page 6.
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EDITORIAL
Hello Readers,
THANK-YOU!
Once again, I want to extend a big THANK YOU, for all of your calls and emails. I am so happy the information in CAREGIVER Magazine is helping you on your journey of caring for your loved ones. We appreciate your support and encouragement. The 30th of October from 10am-2pm, we are hosting "The Scariest Things", Eunice Khoury, Bill Muir, Cindy Longanacre and Tim Ingram are just a few of the expert in their field speaking and providing much needed information on topics most people put off making decisions on. We will be gaining knowledge and con&uering our fears together. I want to send out a special Salute to the Veterans and their caregivers who picked up one of the 1760 copies delivered to the VA Hospital in OKC this past month. Thank you to the VA staff who have been amazing to work with. Sr. Day at the State Fair on the 18th of September was a blast and make sure to put it on your calendars for next year. We want to thank all of our advertisers for providing such a high standard of care to our readers. Without them CAREGIVER Magazine could not be printed and delivered each month. To the CAREGIVER Team, you are the best! Thank you for your hard work and talent. We handled some emotional subjects this month and I know i went through a few tissues from behind my keyboard. I appreciate you for giving of yourselves like you do. It is Autumn everyone! We should be in full pumpkin spice mode. So raise your favorite mug to Autumn and watch for falling leaves!
LaShanya L. Nash
Publisher 4
LASHANYA NASH
Publisher and Editor
COLUMNISTS LISA SYDNOR ROBBIE LAMBERSON JOHN SPIVEY MICHAEL E. BROWNING
ADVERTISING Advertising Director
LASHANYA NASH
Advertising Acct. Mgr. MICHAEL E. BROWNING
ACCOUNTING ANDREA O'HAIR
LISA SYDNOR Dir. of Community Outreach WYNELLE RECORD Social Media Coordinator
Graphics by: WISE Marketing STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Wynelle Record Emberlee Nash
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HOSPICE – 20 YEARS LATER By John Spivey
“Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
In 1999, along with my co-authors Denise Glavan Heath and Cindy Longanacre, we published a book titled, “Hospice, A Labor of Love.” We felt those words encapsulated this selfless mission of caring for those who are dying. Back then, Denise served as Chaplain for a hospice whose team was among the first on the site at the Oklahoma City bombing. Cindy worked as the Director of Nursing for the same hospice. I was the Marketing Director for a hospice and writing a column for The Daily Oklahoman titled Parenting Solo.
publication of our book, we decided to evaluate how this “calling” has progressed, if indeed it has. The following is an excerpt from our book and describes my family’s first experience with hospice. It begins by lamenting our culture’s discomfort with the death and dying experience.
“Death has become a distant reality to most of us in North America. It is not this way in many other cultures nor has it always been this way here. Why is it this way now? I think it is for two reasons. First, our society has become a culture of the “moment”. The three of us have since gone our own ways but We are encouraged not to live in the past, and we we’re never far from each other. Hospice remains seldom consider the hereafter until it becomes the a passion project for us and 20 years after the here and now.” 6
“The second reason is a mixed blessing. Our medical community has so invested itself in life – sickness and death are fought with such zeal – that we now enjoy nothing less than the world’s greatest healthcare system. In our methodological high tech world, death is an opponent. As such, when some doctor’s lose a patient, as every doctor will, they feel as if they have failed. Death represents failure.” “Hospice believes that death is not a failure of medicine.” “Lost within all our technology is the concept of a natural death. Quantity of life has become confused with quality of life. Strange though it may seem, when faced with death today, we must sign a legal document to keep from being hooked up to some machine. We must ask permission to be allowed to die naturally, as God intended.” “The true failure is that our dying are not being served. And it is precisely for this reason that Dr. Kevorkian has arrived. No one wants to see their loved one die in pain. But because so many are doing so, they have embraced this pathologist and allowed him to do something that we believe God did not intend humankind to do.” “Hospice represents a positive alternative. But even with the Information Superhighway, this news is slow to get out.” “What is hospice?” I asked my father’s physician in December of 1994. I had been involved in healthcare for over six years and had never heard of it. At that time, I represented the other side of medicine – the pharmaceuticals I sold were developed to prolong life.” “My father was dying. I knew that he was sick, but I had never entertained the idea that he might actually die, that he might leave my mother, my sisters, and me, never to be with us again. I did not know how to act, or even how to feel. But feel I did. I began to ask questions that had not occurred to me before, questions that this book will explore. I look back on
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that time and wonder how I could have been so unprepared, why the concept was so alien to me. My ignorance intensified the most emotional time of my life.”
so many years ago when we were taking care of your father. However, since there are so many competing companies, the public should know that there are good ones, and there are bad ones.”
“As my family struggled to come to terms with a reality we had never faced, we soon realized that the hospice team was not there to push us into a program. Simply put, they were there to walk with us through the most difficult time of our lives. They alleviated my father’s pain, taught us how to make him comfortable, offered practical advice on legal matters, allowed us to voice our anger and fears without judgment, and prayed with us when we so desired. They could not take away our pain; they could not solve our family squabbles. They just helped.”
“As I see it, there are two main issues, and they are connected. We are still struggling with the fact that patients are not being referred soon enough. Far too often, referrals come in at the very last minute. This is a problem with all specialties, even Primary Care.” “This happens because many physicians have difficulty speaking with their patients, and their patients family, about end of life issues. In fact, they are so uncomfortable having this conversation that this critical moment in a person’s life, and death, may not happen at all.”
It’s 20 years later, and where do we stand? What is the state of hospice? At this point, I stopped her. And I recalled, vividly, how my dad’s neurosurgeon approached my I posed these questions to Cindy, now the co- family and me after his surgery. We all sat down owner and VP of Clinical Operations of Physician together and he spoke. “Well, this is a bad tumor.” Housecalls. “Today, more people are being referred to And that was it. That’s all he said. This was almost hospice than ever before, simply because there 25 years ago and I could feel my blood pressure are so many more hospices. More people are rising even now, just thinking about it. aware of the concept now. It’s rare to find a person who doesn’t know about it, as you didn’t “It makes me angry to this day,” I said.
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“I understand. I’ve been dealing with this for many years. Here are my thoughts. He chose his profession for a reason. He was trained to be a surgeon. He may be very skilled with his hands, but not necessarily with people. He may not like dealing with people at all. That itself might be the reason he chose neurosurgery. He’s there to fix a problem and if he can’t, he gets uncomfortable.”
were dying. In the end, doctors are people too. But things are changing, I see it.” “What’s really frustrating is that part of the problem is semantics, it’s our language. Consider the terms hospice and palliative care – they are the same thing, with this distinction – hospice is palliative care for the end of life.”
“We tend to think that all physicians are philanthropic by nature. They’re not. He may be motivated by the salary. The expertise involved may intrigue him or he may be more science-oriented, interested in research.”
“I was interviewing a doctor recently for Physician Housecalls. She had helped to initiate a palliative care program. She said that, when speaking with other doctors about this, they didn’t want to refer to hospice because that signified giving up on the patient. On the “What it really comes down to is that they have no other hand, they were very interested in palliative care, training for these kinds of conversations. I have also known as comfort care. It was common to hear attended seminars developed to teach doctors how them say, tell me more about this palliative care thing.” to talk about such weighty matters and they struggled with it. They found it very hard to tell a patient they “Many years ago,” Cindy continued, “I helped establish
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the first palliative care program in Oklahoma at Mercy Hospital. It was developed as a specialty outside of hospice. We wanted to assist with medical issues like pain management, and create ways to help the family during this critical moment.” “It took a long time to get physicians to come around. It was like pulling teeth to even get a “consult” because they felt as if they were losing control of the patient. Over time and with persistence, palliative care is now a part of virtually every hospital in the state.” “And so we find ourselves at a peculiar crossroads. Palliative care is now acceptable to physicians while hospice still epitomizes the ultimate decision a doctor will make – letting go of a patient who is dying. Somehow, we must get to a place where they no longer feel as if they have given up, to accept this moment and reject the belief that they have failed.” Denise is a retired minister, now living in Denver. She is active in her church and community and remains passionate about end of life issues. She has published another book, “Pray, Pray, Pray… But How?” Like Cindy, she felt drawn to hospice. Echoing the sentiments of so many others, she will tell you that it was a “calling”. Several years ago, she worked for a doctor that she described as a staunch Christian, devoted to his patients. The more they worked together, the more she saw that it was very hard for him to let go of his patients. For him, death meant failure. Sound familiar? As her training and experience kicked in, she helped him re-evaluate how he looked at death. “How can you say that death is failure?” she asked. “Death is a gift from God. It’s a part of life.”
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Now, how often have we heard this? Beyond acknowledging it as the cliché it is, do we really think about this? Or do we only think about it when it is front and center in our lives? The thing is, Denise had more experience with death and dying than the doctor she worked for. “You know my story,” she said. “I’ve seen hell.” And indeed she has, working at ground zero during the Oklahoma City bombing. He was afraid of death because of what it represented to him professionally. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she had a better understanding than him because of her faith – because she did not fear it. As a minister, she coped with this on a daily basis.
In the months to come, we will explore the subject of hospice, the discomfort so many physicians feel about this, the death and dying experience and our culture, and what the future may hold. But as of now, the answer to our question – 20 years later, has the service of hospice progressed – can best be answered this way. In some ways it has. And in some very important ways, it has not.
“I know in my heart that this is all part of God’s plan. But somehow, we have lost sight of the fact that pain is a part of life, that trauma is a part of life, and that, yes, death is a part of this beautiful gift we call life. If the very people, these highly educated people, that are trained to care for us are uncomfortable discussing this, what does that mean for the rest of us?”
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Text message received this morning: Mom fell last Saturday and cracked three ribs. Since her fall she has been pretty sore, and this morning vomited black stuff four times. This week she loaded a folding table in the car (broken ribs and all!). And, she has been taking pain killers not currently prescribed by doctor. Since I started back to work, things are going downhill again. I am considering selling this property and finding an assisted living location, so she is never without care. She just tells everyone she is fine. Her inability to communicate is very frightening. She won’t ask for help. She wants to please me but won’t be honest about how she feels. Too many trips to ER. My response after making certain his mom is okay and will not be admitted with any life-threatening complications: Take deep breaths, don’t make any life decisions for at least 72 hours. You are frightened and angry. She is the same, but for different reasons. Call me when you can talk.
and not try to do things that put her at risk. She wants you to not worry so she doesn’t communicate. It isn’t that she can’t; it’s more that she wants life to be like it was – not like it is! You want her to trust you and acknowledge that life isn’t the same “as before.”
Your mom just scared the devil out of you and herself. She Both of you have legitimate concerns. Right now, you wants to be independent. You want her to ask for help are fighting the same battle but at odds with each other.
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Mom needs an intervention by a peer, someone who has actually been there, done that. She must be honest with herself about what she can and cannot do. She must acknowledge, on a scale of 1-10, just how fragile her health is and what are her new parameters. No one can do this for her. It is time for self-evaluation.
fears. No accusations or recriminations from either of you.
This is a very difficult journey. You love your mom and can’t imagine life without her. She loves you but wants to live every minute of her life! That’s a good thing. However, she must fully realize how rebelling against you isn’t the answer. Key for both of you is acknowledging and You must allow her to make these decisions. You cannot accepting new limitations which will enable peace of wrap her in cotton and put her up for safe keeping. She mind and clarity of purpose. has the right to live her life. By the same token, she must be reasonable and use better judgment. Being a woman It is difficult for a parent growing older – you feel you are of a certain age, I understand exactly how she feels. As not in control of your life anymore. And the children feel the mother/grandmother/great-grandmother of a rather they must intervene and take over decision making. There large, caring family, I had to do my own self-evaluation. I is a happy medium, but it isn’t easy finding it! Caregivers, came to realize I was causing undo worry and concern by you and your loved one can benefit from a support group. not sharing and pushing myself even when I knew it was NOT the same one – find one for each of you, one that fits time to stop and rest. It is very difficult. I haven’t mastered your needs and circumstances. it yet. It is a work in progress. The key is to keep the lines of communication open and T A L K to each other. Share Speedy recovery and keep one of the S C A R I E S T how frightened you felt and encourage her to share her things at bay. It’s called T A L K I N G!
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Caregiving under STRESS Written by: Vicki Muir
The total number of persons caring for an adult in the United States is approximately 39.8 million. The length of time spent providing care for a loved one is on the average 4 years. Twenty four percent will spend time caregiving that exceeds five year and fifteen percent will provide care for 10 years or more. Oddly enough as age increases so does time spent in hours dedicated to caregiving with the largest group being that of age 75 and older spending at least 30 hours or more a week in a caregiving role.
Vicki Muir, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
For info. contact: 405-308-6433
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In the course of one day it is estimated that the average person makes 35,000 decisions per day. That statistic alone is impressive to say the least. For the caregiver decision making is multifaceted and at times can be overwhelming. You may be making decisions regarding direct care, medications and medical care, assistance with daily living tasks, financial matters, legal matters and even life or death decisions. We know that as time goes by and the acuity of your loved one’s illness increases decision making may become more difficult. This can be related to many factors impacting
you such as fatigue, loss of sleep, medical problems and stress that may compound with time. Other conditions that may contribute to difficulty in decision making include family dynamics, spiritual or religious beliefs, lack of a social support system and isolation. It is not uncommon for caregivers to develop anxiety or depression during the course of caregiving which may also impact your decisions. Last to mention is the elements of grief we may experience during the process of caregiving. All that said it’s easy to see why decision making may de difficult. Stress is a major factor in this process. When we are stressed the parts of our brain that normally facilitate decision making and subsequent actions may not function well. This is evident especially when we experience anxiety and fall into a stress response reacting instead of responding to situations. Fortunately, there are some things we can do to increase our decision-making ability. Self-care is so important even though it may be difficult to put yourself first. Removing stressors that are not necessary in your life and setting boundaries with others helps. Maintain structure and consistency as much as possible in daily routines. Also, decrease stimulation and eliminate unnecessary activities. Include family, friends and even your minister or other professional if possible, in the process. Our ability to make clear decisions is best in the morning until 10 or eleven when activity increases. You can prioritize and plan for many decisions. Often writing things down and looking at pro’s and con’s may help in the process. Last but not least strive to maintain your and your loved one’s integrity and dignity. Respecting their wishes and allowing them to participate in their own care as well as other decisions is so important. Ideally, we have legal, medical and financial matters taken care of before illness strikes. Unfortunately, that is not always true. If you have prepared Advanced Directives, a will or trust or other documents, the recommendation is that you inform your family of your decisions and wishes early on to provide them with a clear understanding of your wishes. 15
OKLAHOMA CLINIC CUTTING EDGE MODEL IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE By Lisa Sydnor
I met Ralph Hirschfield while he was doing an internship at the Carl Albert Mental Health Clinic in McAlester, OK. We connected because of the coverage CAREGIVER Magazine gives veterans. He was impressed by the understanding of the veterans’ commitment and sacrifices made for our country that is reflected in the articles. Ralph joined the Navy in 1988, trained as a hospital corpsman; then in 1993, was certified as a Deep Sea Diver and served as a Diving Medical Technician and was certified as an Advance Independent Corpsman. In 2001, he returned to the classroom to become a registered nurse; after receiving his RN in 2008, he continued on to earn his undergraduate degree in 2012. In 2014, Hirschfield graduated from Georgetown University with a Master’s degree and certification as a Nurse Practitioner and retired from the Navy. He observed that a small rural community with a very large, poor service area in Oklahoma is leading the way in mental health integrated care and such phenomenal success should be noted and replicated. Ralph introduced Dr. Baugh and me electronically. When I called and asked for an interview, she wanted to know why I was interested in their small clinic. I explained my personal interest in the integrated program and also how I could see it as a great help to caregivers. You would only have ONE contact for your loved ones medical concerns? Wow, I wonder how many hours that would save caregivers? Ralph Hirschfield
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I have come to believe that Oklahoma Department of Mental Health staff don’t truly grasp how incredible this program is and that they are being emulated and held up as an example of what can happen when agencies collaborate and aren’t afraid to step out on faith.
Dr. Richard Bowden
Carl Albert Mental Health Clinic in McAlester covers ten counties in southeast Oklahoma with six satellite offices. They currently serve more than 2600 patients. The clinic has a 15 bed in-patient unit and one out-patient examination room. At the time of this writing, they are in the process of relocating the out-patient services and will have six examination rooms. Debbie Moranis the Regional Director, Southeast Oklahoma; Dr. Richard Bowden is the Medical Director; and, Dr. Cindy Baugh, is the Integrated Care Lead Practitioner for the Carl Albert Mental Health Clinic. Working closely with the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and the Oklahoma State Department of Human Services, they have led the process of instituting the integrated care team approach for all their patients. Dr. Baugh is a Nurse Practitioner, which is an advanced practice registered nurse classified as a mid-level practitioner. After 2015, a nurse practitioner (NP) is required to hold a doctoral degree. Cindy received her doctorate from the University of Tennessee Health Science in Memphis, in 2015. She has three specialty certifications: Psychology Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist; Psychology Mental Health Nurse Practitioner; and, Family Nurse Practitioner.
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As an NP, she is trained to assess patient needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose illness and disease, prescribe medication and formulate treatment plans. As an NP she is trained in basic disease prevention, coordination of care, and health promotion. According to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, a nurse practitioner is educated at the graduate level to provide “primary, acute, chronic, and specialty care to patients of all ages”, depending on their field of practice. The World Health Organization supports the implementation of integrated care citing cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction as primary benefits. Integrated care results in safer provider care and establishes more effective communications with all caregivers. Statistics reveal that a mentally ill person has 25 years less life expectancy than the general population. CAMHC utilizes holistic care models and population health management as companions to the integrated care program. When a patient comes to the clinic they are assigned a specific health care professional. This is their direct support and care contact,
Dr. Cindy Baugh
I was not familiar with the term “population health management” so I asked for more information. I think every medical professional should use this concept. Population management targets an illness as a whole person. For example, if a patient is diagnosed
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as hypertensive, diabetic and obese, the education component is immediately put in place. The education program highlights and emphasis how the interaction of weight, high blood pressure and diabetes work together to the detriment of the patient. Counter measures are established, goals set and worked on, not to demonize the patient, but to give them information and tools to take charge of their health and establish more control. It helps the patient understand that high blood pressure can make you feel exhausted; that eating too much sugar can lead to lethargy; and, that the combination leads to inactivity. This knowledge empowers the patient to better understand the necessity of following a program specifically for them. The patient can understand that not exercising or controlling food intake causes weight gain, which causes high blood pressure and diabetes to worsen. Being mentally ill has such a negative stigma; many are ashamed as if they have deliberately become mentally ill. This makes everything in life more difficult and often complicates any progress in management of the mental illness. Some patients cannot talk to anyone about their illness, cannot describe other symptoms they are experiencing and often do not understand how complex their health situation is or what they should do. In the integrated care program, the care professional makes appointments, takes the patient to other appointment, and if necessary will speak for them
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and work with others to see that the patient gets the care needed. The goal is to educate and lead the patient to the realization that they can facilitate their own care plan. Having ONE care professional to accompany the patient to consultations, to interact with other health care professionals who could include lab and x-ray, pharmacy, medical specialists, physical therapy, until the patient feels comfortable to handle the communications has been identified as a real game changer for the patients.
Dr. Baugh and Ms. Moran both used the expression “think outside the box” when describing the inter agency collaboration that has taken place over the past 3-5 years as they have instituted the integrated care, population health management and holistic approaches to serving the mentally ill in southeast Oklahoma. They see patients gain confidence and have a purpose in life. Many have adopted a pet, proving once again, everyone needs to love and be loved. suspect you flu symptoms, youflucan call 1.866.FLU.CREW to have If have you suspect you have symptoms, you of medical professionals sent to yourto home for diagnosis and treatment. This is just one more example of how Oklahomans canDispatchHealth call 1.866.FLU.CREW have a team of Travels are excelling and leading the way in implementing medical professionals sent to your home So The Doesn’t If you suspect If you you suspect have flu you symptoms, haveFlu flu symptoms, you can call you1.866.FLU.CREW can call 1.866.FLU.CREW to have to have for diagnosis and treatment innovative and purposeful programs. a team of amedical team ofprofessionals medical professionals sent to your home to your for diagnosis home for diagnosis and treatment. and treatment. If you suspect you have flu symptoms, yousent can call 1.866.FLU.CREW to have isk? a team of medical professionals sent to your home for diagnosis and treatment.
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OKLAHOMA CITY VA MEDICAL CENTER IS SMOKE FREE By Lisa Sydnor The VA formed a committee representing many of the different VA services to study and evaluate the impact of a smoke-free campus on daily life at the VA. This smokefree policy includes the Long-Term Rehabilitation Center, Hospice and any VA owned property. As a result of this policy change all veterans who use tobacco are offered the opportunity to receive prescription medications, as well as nicotine patches, lozenges, gum and personal/group counseling/support to help quit smoking. Per the Council on Chemical Abuse, nicotine is as addictive as heroin and is viewed as more difficult to stop primarily due to availability. Not only is nicotine more accessible, it is also more acceptable than drinking or drugs. It is not seen as an “addiction.” A tobacco user is not referred to as an addict. A tobacco user becomes habituated to nicotine which causes a chemical imbalance in the brain. Additionally, the act of lighting up, inhaling, holding the cigarette/cigar is habit forming in itself. Over time people develop a physical dependence to the nicotine and smoking provides a way to manage stress and negative feelings. The very act of lighting up, bringing the
cigarette to your mouth and inhaling becomes a deeply engrained and automatic habit. Quitting tobacco is not easy, and many smokers make multiple attempts before quitting for good. Effective October 1, 2019, Oklahoma City VA Medical Center along with all other medical centers across the country became smoke free facilities. This is the next step to further the commitment to provide a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, vendors, volunteers, contractors and employees. The policy covers all smoking material including but not limited to: · Cigarettes · Cigars · Pipes · any other combustion of tobacco · non-Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including but not limited to electronic or e-cigarettes, vape pens, or e-cigars. VA health care providers are ready to help all veterans who are ready to quit smoking or using smokeless tobacco
Veterans: Call us in Times of Crisis by Lisa Sydnor
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products. The VA has more tobacco use treatment options available to veterans in VA care than ever before. Tobacco cessation counseling and medications provided at all VA medical centers Quit VET: VA’s tobacco quitline, in English and Spanish. Call 1-855-QUIT-VET (1-855-784-8838) between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. SmokefreeVET: VA’s quit tobacco text messaging program. Text VET to 47848 or visit smokefree.gov/VET to sign up for SmokefreeVET in English. For Spanish, text VETesp to 47848 or visit https://veterans.smokefree.gov/tools-tips-vet/ smokefreevetesp. Stay Quit Coach: VA’s interactive quit tobacco app. Visit https:// mobile.va.gov/app/stay-quit-coach to download. It is also important to lean on the support of the people who love and care about you. Family and friends can be a great source of encouragement. Tell them know what they can do to help you. Just don’t give up. Quitting takes practice. Even the most motivated person may try to quit five or more times before succeeding. Knowing why you want to give up tobacco is part of a successful quit strategy. The most effective approach to smoking cessation is to attack it from all angles. The VA offers multiple options.
Research shows that a person has the best chance of quitting tobacco for good when they: Use tobacco cessation medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Take part in tobacco cessation counseling. Attending treatment programs and/or support groups dramatically increases the chance of quitting and staying quit. Participants learn about the physical and psychological factors involved in tobacco use and nicotine dependence and how to use coping techniques and skills needed to stay quit. Veterans reach out and take advantage of the programs available. Additional information is available at: https:// www.mentalhealth.va.gov/quit-tobacco/ https://smokefree. gov/ Access tools and resources to help you quit. General toolkits as well as toolkits for vets, women, teens, and elderly are also available. Twitter: @CDCTobaccoFree - Follow this Twitter handle to stay on top of the latest news and tips.
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September 18th, SENIOR Thank you for a great day filled with music,
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DAY at the OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR games, fun, education and PRIZES! See you next year at the Fair!
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before making a final decision. Your or your agent may need to do additional research/ homework to find the best fit for you. You may change your mind about your plan selection. Meeting early in the season gives you the opportunity and time to make changes before the December 7th deadline. Know your agent and put them to work! If you work with an agent let them do the hard stuff. They’ve gone through the specialized training, testing, and licensing so you don’t have to and they sit through hours and hours of additional updated training, every year, on all the regulations and new plans (or your plan’s changes) from the company or companies they represent.
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Know what plans/companies they are appointed with. Some agents can offer plans from multiple companies, some are only able to offer plans from one company. Know which is important to you and don’t be afraid to ask. Ask if they are available to meet other times of the year to help you with future questions or issues? Be sure to keep their information handy. Ask for multiple business cards and keep one in your wallet.Program their contact information into your phone or ask them to do it for you; business cards can be lost. It also helps when they call you; their name will come up as a known contact instead of an unknown number. Last, but not least, protect your interests and information! Be wary of unsolicited phone calls or home visits. Don’t give sensitive personal information, such as your social security number, over the phone to someone you don’t know. It is perfectly fine and should be welcomed to have a trusted friend or family member at your appointment with an agent, if you make one. If you don’t have an agent, ask a friend or family member to refer you to one they know. Most importantly, if you aren’t sure, sleep on it. Important decisions shouldn’t be rushed.
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Written By: Lisa Sydnor
Remember When? Remember when Halloween was a great neighborhood oriented fun holiday? It was a time when parents walked the neighborhood with their children, mingling with other parents, watching out for all the children out trick or treating. Remember When the neighbors made popcorn balls, cookies, bags of popcorn or caramel apples to give to the trick or treaters? It was a great thrill to get a shiny, new penny in your Trick or Treat bag. Remember when a galvanized tub of water gave hours of delight and challenge as we “bobbed” for apples. Remember When Halloween meant wholesome FUN? Remember When there were no Halloween costume or decoration stores? When we made our own decorations? Remember When Halloween parties included a prize was awarded for the funniest, most original, and most authentic costumes? Remember When you spent hours (days even) putting together your costume? Everyone had a favorite; such as a pirate or hobo. Many little girls wanted to be a princess or a bride; a nurse or cowgirl. My favorite was a gypsy costume pulled together from my mother’s closet. She had this amazing black taffeta circular skirt that rustled when I walked; add many necklaces and dangle earrings, a sequined top and some old high heels. I was a gypsy!! Now, my sister’s favorite costume was dressing as a hobo. She would roll our dad’s old work clothes in the dirt, borrow suspenders, add work boots stuffed with paper so she could keep them on and she was a hobo. She always added a yard stick with a red bandana tied on the end to carry her treats.
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Halloween! Remember When we made our own Haunted Houses and tried to scare the younger kids? Remember When we played the “body parts” game as we toured the Haunted House? Participants stuck their hands under a towel and had to identify body parts by touch while a narrator told a scary story. I remember grapes were eyeballs; spaghetti was intestines; a soggy sponge was the brain; red Jell-O was blood and a tomato was the heart… Remember When Halloween meant FUN? Remember Halloween parades in school? Each class got to parade the halls and every classroom. At the end of the day, each teacher gave out prizes for costumes. I got a prize a couple of years; a candy bar and a ribbon! I would not have been any prouder if it had been $100! Remember When we tried to out-do each other with scary stories? When a ghost was an old sheet with eye-holes and a flashlight to illuminate the floating affect? Remember When we carved the pumpkins with a knife and a spoon? Remember pouring out all your goodies to see how many pennies you got and if your favorite candy bar was in the bounty? Remember trading (or trying to!) with your younger siblings for the “best” candy? Caramel apples and popcorn balls are still my favorites.Are you sharing your memories with the younger generations? Encourage creativity and fun this Halloween; but make it SCARY!
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"Silver Linings" By Humorist and Novelist, Robbie Lamberson
I’M
sure you’ve noticed things change as we get older. Music is louder, signs are smaller, and our entire culture and morals have morphed into expanses I don’t recognize anymore. It’s not all bad; actually some things have vastly improved like medicine and communication. One of my favorite authors, Rick Bragg wrote a touching piece on the love affair America used to have with front porches that has descended into back patios with privacy fences. In his article he quotes the late writer Lewis Grizzard, “It is hard to get drunk and fall off a backyard”. This amusing anecdote stirred my memory pot of the home where I grew up and the last time I paid a visit. Deciding on going back was a fateful decision especially when, as poets will tell you, you can’t go home again. I didn’t listen, I never do. All the way there I took a slow trip down memory lane but when I arrived, I discovered the lane had vanished. It was totally gone, like a large UFO had descended on a moonless night and carved out the eighty acres with its pastures, woods filled with blackjack trees,
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and all the structures. It was a sobering shocking sight I had trouble comprehending. It was gone like it had never existed. In reality it was definitely gone but in my mind I could still recall the distressed green roof that stood out like a beacon when you topped the church hill. The house stood atop the very last hill before the narrow road ended at the river a couple of miles to the east. The two bedroom house sat near the red dirt road, way too close, as dust swirled like miniature tornadoes whenever a car or truck raced by. Dust covered everything inside and out, allowing you to write your name on all the contents. That’s why Momma always had a dust rag draped across her left shoulder to yank off and give something a quick going over when someone unexpectedly pulled into the driveway, which was a common occurrence. The house had clapboard siding in two colors, faded green on the lower half and watery white on the upper all the way to the eaves of the green roof. There was a two car detached garage with dirt floors and an open attic that wasn’t much good for
storage, but its green roof attested to its ancestry to the big house. Was it a large house? I’m sure if I could walk across the squeaking pine floors I would be astonished at how the familiar walls had shrunk over the years. A large tangle of honeysuckles grew west of the old garage. The huge vine had grown half way up the side and out across the yard sending its fragrance into the wind. Its sweet aroma was one of many things we took for granted. Hot summer evenings were spent with Momma and I sitting on the back steps and Daddy perched on an old backless bench, leaning against the side of the garage, chewing and spitting while whittling with his favorite pocket knife. He never carved anything, just whittled down a good piece of wood until it was all gone. Away from the city lights the night sky was filled with a gazillion stars and we got excited when a “falling” star was spotted. It was a good luck sign, don’t you know? There was a hen house, a large barn stacked with hay each summer, and a pasture filled with cattle that led you to a large pond. Its welcoming banks were a great place to sit and think while chucking clods at the nosy turtles who always managed to stay just out of reach. Now there are paved roads where the farm once stood. The pond has been filled in and a red brick house with a chain link fence sits sedately in its place. Saddened I drove back to the main road and parked in front of what should have been the house I grew up in. I walked across the area, without asking anyone’s permission, and stood on the site for a few minutes. There was no scent of honeysuckles; nothing remained to remind me of those years. I haven’t lost that extraordinary time. When I want to feel loved and safe I just close my eyes and the sweetness of honeysuckles wafts around me. The farm is still real, still wonderful, and its memories cloud out the visions of my last visit. I realize that each generation gives way to the next. I hope the families that dwell on the old farm land raise children that have loving memories long after the inevitable changes occur. Yep, that’s what I wish for them.
“
A large tangle of honeysuckles grew west of the old garage. . . Its sweet aroma was one of many things we took for granted. 31
Tentou Day 2019
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Faye “Lynn” Tentou had some really fun co-workers at the United States Post Office in Yukon, Oklahoma! One of her coworkers was also her best friend and started a tradition as a result of Lynn’s last name. Every year on October 2nd (10/02) her co-workers (and later her friends, as well) would all call her on 10/02 and wish her “Happy 10/2 (Tentou) Day”. Ms. Tentou’s daughter Tracy Sharp says that her mother and all of her friends and co-workers “always got a big kick out of that”. Unfortunately after retiring, living independently, and enjoying life to the fullest, Lynn had a stroke that changed her life forever. She found that she was unable to use her left side and speech and swallowing became very difficult for her. As a result of her stroke she had to move out of her home and into an Assisted Living Facility. Later Lynn was admitted to Promise Care Hospice due to her physical decline and terminal condition. Ms. Tentou’s daughter Tracy reached out to the staff of Promise Care Hospice.
By Trish Westcott
To see if a special “Tentou Day” could be arranged for her on 10/02/2019 in the facility to brighten her spirits and allow her family, friends, and co-workers to celebrate her. The facility director offered the “Theater Room” in the facility for the shenanigans to take place and the University of Oklahoma donated several items for her as she has always been a big OU fan. To make the day as perfect as possible for her, Promise Care Hospice provided a cake for the guests and a strawberry milkshake for Lynn as well as a red feather boa to honor her love of the color red. Lynn was so happy when she was brought into the room and was met with all of her friends, co-workers, and family shouting “Happy Tentou Day” that it brought her (and all of her guests!) to tears of joy! “Tentou Day" was a day that will stay in all of our hearts and minds forever! Promise Care Hospice 405-996-0502
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An All American Boy in the Jungle
In Honor of Veterans Day By LaShanya Nash
As a young girl I knew my Dad was the greatest hero to ever live. Like James Dean, John Wayne and Lee Marvin all rolled into one superhuman. Just like all Daddy’s girls before me I know without a doubt my Daddy was the best. I was born in 1971 less than two years after Daddy came home from Vietnam. This post-Vietnam man was all I ever knew. Being raised by a battled hardened combat soldier seemed perfectly normal and average. I came to realize it was not the same experience my school friends had with fathers who had not been to Vietnam and seen combat. There are a few things that all children of combat vets have in common. First and foremost, you never startle them when they’re sleeping. Mother told us from a very young age if we needed anything to always come to her side of the bed and wake her up. Never touch Daddy when he is sleeping. We never had night lights in the house, Daddy wanted his vision to be adjusted to the dark. There was no camping, well let me rephrase that, he was not camping. He always commented “I camped for 13 months in the jungles of Southeast Asia and I like hot showers and clean sheets.” No Fireworks shows, He would tell us, “If anything is coming out of a mortar tube it is going to be by me and we are not going to be in a mob of people with TNT being shot at us.” I know Daddy struggled to keep grounded and stay centered when I was young and my Mother, Irene, stood by him and helped him through some tough times. By the time my younger siblings were born many of his demons from the war he had locked back into Pandora’s box. I always hoped Daddy would talk to someone at the VA or join a support group but that was not something he ever did. He had his own ways of processing, he watched Vietnam War movies or looked through picture albums of photos he took from Vietnam, and then would go on a walk or saddle a 38
horse and ride to be by himself. He read his bible every night. He doted over us children and was a very loving, present father. We knew, as his children, we were the most important thing in our parents lives we were always loved unconditionally, and it doesn’t get any better than that. My younger sister and I had a conversation recently about the movie Sergeant York which was one of his favorite movies and he enjoyed watching it with us kids. In case you are not familiar with the old black and white flick about a young conscientious objector, played by Gary Cooper, who is called to war in service of his country in WW1. His internal battle he was fighting with himself played out on the screen swirled together with the external battle he was fighting with the enemy. That was my Daddy’s message to us kids. He did what he was called to do. He did what he had to do to survive as a Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader, 1st Infantry, Big Red One Division in the Vietnam War during the Tet Offensive. I am very proud of Daddy’s service to our country. As the daughter of a Veteran I saw everyday what he sacrificed for our Country. I now realize that all of us as Americans have a little piece of the heart and soul of the men and women who have served like my Daddy. He sacrificed many things but definitely his youth and his innocence to protect our freedoms. We as Americans enjoy a way of life like no other country in the world because of the sacrifices of military men and women both past and present.
fall is when he got sick with a very fast and aggressive inoperable form of cancer. It is when he passed and when we buried him on Veteran’s Day 2016. It was a befitting day for him to be buried in a flag draped coffin with taps being played. With everyone he loved and who loved him close by. The weather was as pleasant and sunny as his personality. I often think about my Dad and wonder what it would have been like to know him before Vietnam. I’ve seen pictures and heard stories of him as a boy and young man, he was the all-American boy. I have included a photo of him right before he went to Vietnam, his younger brother playing his guitar and the look on my Daddy’s face, I can only imagine was the collective American expression and cumulation of anxiety that all young men his age at the time were feeling. Two years ago, as the young man in uniform handed the flag to my 90-year-old paternal Grandmother she turned to me and whispered I expected to get this years ago. I never thought he would make it home from Vietnam. Many soldiers don’t make it home, and many who do take their own life. We are experiencing a surge in Veterans committing suicide, on average 22 Veterans a day. That is one soldier every 65 minutes. This Veterans Day I challenge you to begin walking up and thanking our Military men and women. Let our Veterans know they are appreciated. If you served and you know someone in your unit is having a hard time adjusting, reach out to them. If you are a military spouse and you know your husband or wife is in a dark place, seek help. If you are thinking of harming yourself call 911 or the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 press 1. In Loving Memory of my Daddy, Ollie Gail Brown, January 7, 1947 - November 7, 2016.
The Autumn of the year always makes me think of my Daddy, Ollie Gail Brown, everyone called him Gail. Late 39
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A home or establishment that may provide assistance with personal care, medications, ambulation, nursing supervision and intermittent or unscheduled nursing care. They cannot provide 24-hour skilled nursing care. Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health Mainly Private Pay, LTC Insurance may cover , VA Aid & Attendance, & Tribal Benefits Medicaid Option through DHS (Advantage Waiver)
Provides health, recreational, social and supportive services to impaired adults for more than four hours per day. Participants do not stay in the center overnight. Adult Day Care Act - November 1, 1989 Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health VA allows respite benefits Medicaid Option through DHS (Advantage Waiver) Combines the services of a nursing facility with an assisted living center or an adult day care center. It is licensed under the Continuum of Care and Assisted Living Act and must also meet requirements applicable to nursing facilities, assisted living centers and adult day care centers, as applicable. Continuum of Care & Assisted Living Act—May 20, 1997 Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health Currently in Oklahoma, all Continuum of Care’s only have assisted livings. Medicaid Option through DHS (Advantage Waiver) for Assisted Living and Adult Day Car
For a list of OKALA Members Visit www.OKALA.org 40 40
A nursing facility that provides 24-hour skilled nursing care and related services for residents who require medical or nursing care.Nursing Home Care Act - October 1, 1980 Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health Nursing homes provide the highest level of care Options for Medicare/Medicaid
Provide residential accommodations, food service, and supportive assistance. May also provide assistance with meals, dressing, bathing, other personal needs, and medication administration. Cannot provide medical care such as skilled nursing. Residential Care Act - November 1, 1984 Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health A typical residential care resident is younger than other long term care options and only requires assistant with medication administration NO Options for Medicare/Medicaid Created in 2013, this program is for residents who are veterans living in the state veteran’s centers. They are licensed as a nursing facility and can provide 24-hour skilled nursing care and related services for resi-dents who require medical or nursing care . Falls under Nursing Home Care Act - May 29, 2013 Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health Apartments, cottages, and single-family homes for seniors 55 & over who do not require assistance with daily activities or 24/7 skilled nursing but may benefit from convenient services, senior-friendly surround-ings, and increased social opportunities. NOT Licensed by Oklahoma State Department of Health No oversight since they are not licensed May have “High Acuity� that is receiving Home Health and or Hospice services
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Learn Herbal Alternatives: From Your Spice Rack
Garlic to the Rescue! By Michael Edward Browning Pale and pasty. Thin and spindly. A clammy-skinned monster. Maybe Count Dracula looked of such ill health - simply because of his legendary aversion to garlic? Just a seasonal jest there. Still, there are centuries of multi-ethnic evidence backed by mountains of current multinational study results that point to this "stinking rose" as one true ally in our annual prep for the onslaught of cold and colds. Garlic (Allium sativum) has a well-known component, allicin, that has proven effective in supporting our entire body, every cell, as the organosulfur compounds introduced thru our digestive tract travel to every corner, cleaning up. The other part to allicin activity is that the compound is only found after the crushing or grating of fresh bulbs and is also unstable, fading quickly in the bloodstream. But like the clove head itself, garlic is packed in with many nested nuggets of nutritional goodness including Vitamins C, B6 and ever elusive Manganese. In addition, diallyl disulfide and s-allyl cysteine are allicin's more stable sidekicks and may contribute to the outcome of a pair of studies (one using capsules and the other, aged garlic extract) to affect a 60% decrease in cold/flu occurrence and days lost to illness. Sounds like a good guy to keep around for the atypical winter that seems to have just dropped into our now frigid laps. Arctic chills can bring actual chills into the temple and one great way to keep the heat on is to get an allicin boost. Send some sulfur around the bloodstream to fend off those icy days when it feels like you might be compromised. Grandma's method was direct. Munch down (at least) one clove, raw (she also swore by garlic oil for earaches, same olive oil preparation as found in the recipe below).
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Now this method can fend off more than vampires. If you don't care for garlic's strong character, going with some of the "flavorless" supplements now available is an option. But fresh garlic's value around the spice rack medicine chest includes its well documented antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-fungal, antioxidant properties. Again, it's not necessary to eat it raw to benefit. Adding this low-calorie cousin of the onion to your cooked dishes is easy to do and so advantageous!
Showing Supportive Traits For
Garlic and onions cooking in the kitchen fills the whole house with a hearty, appetizing aroma that seems to smell delicious to nearly every palate on the planet! · Damaged Livers When a meal starts there, however long it takes it’s · Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia destined to be accompanied by plenty of salivating. So, · Antibiotic Aid there’s the additional appreciation that all the · Bone Health anticipation brings for your final product. Usually that’s a · Common Colds and Flu soul-satisfying, savory main dish, but garlic can make the · Cancer Prevention rounds in style, from appetizer to dessert. Yes, there’s · Detoxification even garlic cookies and cake (garlic-pineapple upside· Heart Protection down cake anyone?). Apparently, it pairs well with chocolate. · High Cholesterol · High Blood Pressure So, I encourage you to heat things up inside your · Hip Osteoarthritis bloodstream this winter and get buddy-buddy · Immune System Support with garlic. One great way to evolve that relationship is · Oxidative Damage to get some in the ground. It's as easy as breaking up a Downsides include acutely odious breath (different from whole head or two and covering the cloves with a few inches of dirt. More studies show outdoor gardening chronic halitosis) and some folks are allergic. If you are activity reduces stress and extends life. Right now, is either prone to bleeding or on any blood-thinning meds, traditionally planting season for garlic to hibernate and definitely check with your doctor before adding a bunch pop out next spring. He'll be like the first friend on the of garlic into your diet. Garlic lowers our blood viscosity, block to come and knock with a ball when the snow increasing flow. That's how it helps our circulatory melts. Meanwhile, garlic as oil, paste, powdered and pulmonary systems, lowering blood pressure. But. supplements or fresh from the clove will be a stand-by We don't want blood pouring right out of you, guy for you in every season, most especially in the much as that would delight Dracula! freezing days forecast ahead this winter! Science Behind this Article:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16484570 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16619371 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15173999 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16397916 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11697022 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22280901
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22151785 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15881870 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17955479 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16335787 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf101606s https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19060427
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8169881 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23590705 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20594781 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24035939 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11238796 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11238807
"Thoughts about about Medicinal Cannabis still a little fuzzy?"
RSVP to 405-314-7840 or canna.edu.rsvpify.com 43
The Scary Talk By Michael Browning
Before we get carried away with science, let’s talk . .
After nearly a century of false information, half-truths and outright lies, it’s no wonder that even as two-thirds of our nation has adopted medical cannabis laws, many of us still find the subject uncomfortable to discuss. We’ve been programmed to see it as taboo even though it’s a plant, as natural as the dirt on our shoe. When overwhelming evidence supports the notion that you may find pain, stress, musculoskeletal or insomnia relief from medicinal cannabis, who can you calmly discuss this idea with? Often, due to lack of medical school education on the endogenous endocrine communications performed by our endoCannabinoid System (ECS) your trusted healthcare professional is ill-equipped to discuss the subject with a competent level of understanding as to how this system works (or how this plant medicine could help you). One of the key things you may want to remember is that Every Human Has One! Every mammal with a spine has one (that’s why you keep hearing about how good pets are doing with CBD therapies). Its function is to maintain balance between all the systems of the body. It’s our interdepartmental peacekeeper. Our switchboard operator keeping the lines of communication open between the circulatory, respiratory, digestive and every other system inside us.
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Even though it has been known by science for over thirty years, we patients are finally just getting safe access to a medicinal herb that has been alongside us in civilization for eons. A 2,700 year old tomb was uncovered in the Gobi Desert with cannabis next to a shaman, making a case for an ancient awareness of this herb’s value to mankind. This is key to preparing yourself for exploring cannabis therapy. You should also keep the CBD version of
cannabis therapy at the forefront of your exploration, especially if you’ve never experienced any cannabis in your life. While you don’t tend to lose coordination or muscle control like you do with alcohol intake, THC can be disorienting to the point of extreme discomfort to some of the uninitiated. For simplicity’s sake, THC is the euphoric cannabinoid and CBD is the healing cannabinoid. Cannabinoids are naturally-occurring compounds that bind to and activate CB1 and CB2 receptors found throughout the body.
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We started out studying THC and CBD as they make up the highest concentration of cannabinoids in cannabis. We now know of hundreds of cannabinoids that comprise the plant’s chemical makeup. Each present with a particular quality or package of qualities but it is the combination of all cannabinoids (along with flavonoids, terpenes and other constituents) that produces the “healthcare team” known as the Entourage Effect. Working together they can mitigate the effects of some and accentuate the desirable effects of others. This is why broad-spectrum or whole-plant medicine is preferred over isolating or synthesizing a particular cannabinoid. When we strip them away from the whole, we lose the safeguarding aspects of nature’s conglomerate. Expect side effects. Before we get carried away with science, let’s talk about the talk. Or talks. If you are just exploring the idea of cannabis therapy, you’re bound to have several (potentially scary) conversations. Likely they will start with your family. That can be hard enough but then you start thinking about broaching the
subject with the family physician you’ve had for 30 years. Could be terrifying. Depends on that relationship. If it terrifies you, consider the services of a doctor who specializes in recommending cannabis therapy. It will be a separate bill, but these doctors tend to have a lot more ECS knowledge than your average MD. They are likely to provide more accurate answers to your questions. Many primary care doctors are not educated on the benefits of medicinal cannabis therapy. If you’re concerned about discussing your cannabinoid intentions with your General Practitioner. You may wish to talk with a physician that has continued their education in the field of Medicinal Cannabis for instance, Green Hope Wellness Clinic offers an easy, online appointment to see a knowledgeable physician in this field. So, Equip yourself first. If you do just a little homework and remember that every human has one (an ECS), you may just be the most informed and confident one in the room. To their great credit, many health professionals are taking proactive measures to
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get caught up with the patients who have been delivering story after story of efficacy in symptom control, healthy metabolism and restful sleep. There is something very informative in all this anecdotal evidence, it’s been collecting for centuries. Now the pile of science is stacking up too, just as our stigmas fall like the autumn leaves. Whether it’s your doctor that you are ready to confide in; or your pastor, hair stylist, siblings, parents or even kids, please remember that your health choices are yours to make. Also, what you share with people is your choice. If you don’t feel safe or supported, you don’t have to share. Many times, the social trepidation that comes in the beginning of cannabis therapy is replaced with the resounding joy of symptom relief. Still, know your audience and yet be as honest as you can in the situation. It’s not advisable to never tell your main doc if you do decide to start cannabis therapy. There can be problems interacting with other prescribed therapies and possible contraindications. We always
suggest you check before changing behaviors. Finally, medical cannabis that includes THC is NOT for everyone. Many people have excellent ECS results from an over-the-counter CBD remedy. Amazing and immediate. It’s legal for use and may cost less. CBD enjoys a diffused public perception as it has proliferated in recent years, riding on its ‘nonimpairing’ reputation. There again, be prepared. My friend got a CBD tincture that contained notable amounts of CBG (Cannabigerol), a very relaxing cannabinoid that knocked her out. Not for daytime use! So, try the legal stuff before heading off to get a special license. It’s a new territory and we’re all making the maps. But there are plenty of people who tried THC in food, impatiently, and got more than they bargained for! When the time-delayed dose finally digested, they may have wished they had chosen a different delivery method. Maybe you heard about or read Maureen Dowd’s op-ed in the New York Times about her not so incredible edible experience? Explore fearlessly but step carefully! And never be afraid of the talk.
Information sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3997295/ https://www.uclahealth.org/cannabis/human-endocannabinoid-system https://www.cell.com/trends/pharmacological-sciences/fulltext/S0165-6147(09)00128-X https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/high-times-ancient-china-2700-year-oldmarijuana-stash-found-shaman-grave-021722 https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Cannabis-Recommendation-Exploration-Doctor-Patient/dp/0975890034 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2734632 https://jamanetwork.com/searchresults?author=Nathaniel+P.+Morris&q=Nathaniel+P.+Morris http://timeforthetalk.today/2018/index.php/patients/
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