October

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STROKENET Newsletter

October 1, 2001 Issue #11

Linda Wisman, Editor,

mailto:LWisman@strokenetwork.org

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By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of

"STROKENET".

You are receiving this newsletter because you

requested a subscription or are on the Stroke

Newsletter list. Unsubscribe instructions

are at the end of this newsletter.

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IN THIS ISSUE

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=> Sponsorship Notice

=> Disaster Relief Links

=> Position Open

=> Organization Highlights

=> Editor's Message

=> Stroke Letter From New Zealand

=> Book Review: Out of the Blue

=> Website Review is www.healthanswers.com

=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information

If you would like to be a sponsor of this newsletter, please

Contact me: mailto:LWisman@strokenetwork.org

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DISASTER RELIEF LINKS

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We express our deepest sympathy to those affected by the

recent tragedies in our nation. We have been impressed by the

many acts of heroism that have occurred. Listed below are

links to a number of web pages which both give information and

provide each of us ways to be of help. Our thoughts are with

the victims their families, and friends.

American Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/

Disaster Donations

http://www.disasterdonations.com/

Federal Emergency Management Agency Response & Recovery

http://www.fema.gov/r-n-r/

Disaster Relief

http://www.disasterrelief.org/

Disaster News

http://www.disasternews.net/links.php

http://www.disastercenter.com/

http://www.usda.gov/news/disaster/index.htm

Concerns of Police Survivors

http://www.nationalcops.org/

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

http://www.firehero.org/

New York City Police Department

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/home.html

New York City Fire Department

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/home.html

Bureau of Justice Assistance

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/welcome.html

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POSITION OPEN

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The position of Nurse is currently open on our web page

http://www.strokenetwork.org/. If you are a Professional who

would be willing to help our readers please contact Pat Provost

at mailto:Pprovost@strokenetwork.org. We would also appreciate

your passing this request on. Thanks.

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EDITOR'S MESSAGE, by Lin Wisman

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Welcome to the October Stokenet Newsletter. This has been a

sad month for all as we have been devastated by the tragic

events this month in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Please see the disaster Links at the beginning of this newsletter,

which lead you to information including ways you can help.

This newsletter brings us several articles of interest. David

Ray reports on events in New Zealand. Included is a book

review on the book "Out of the Blue." Finally there is a review

of the website is www.healthanswers.com

I am currently looking for new items for this newsletter. If

you have any ideas or would like to contribute something

please let me know.

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STROKE LETTER FROM NEW ZEALAND by David G Ray

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We have all been absolutely gutted by the terrible news from

New York and Washington. Here in New Zealand we have been kept

informed with live television broadcasts of all the events as

they have happened. Our hearts go out, not only to the victims

and families of victims of these atrocities, but also to all

citizens of the United States. What more can I say - we are all

shattered.

This month members of our Stroke Club were given a demonstration

of oriental painting. We were all given the opportunity to try

for ourselves. It did not matter that the critics would not

accept our efforts, what did matter was that we tried, used

our hands and imagination and achieved something for ourselves.

This form of painting may look easy but it isn't - believe me.

However the materials used are minimal (a sheet of white paper,

black watercolour paint, water and an appropriate brush) and

the subjects endless.

At the beginning of September my wife and I went to Christchurch

in the South Island to attend the 80th birthday of my aunt.

Such occasions are a great opportunity to catch up with members

of our family especially those who we have not seen for many

years. My brother-in-law and myself have been compiling our

family tree and this gathering was an opportunity to fill in

some gaps and add names. We have been able to trace our

ancestors as far back as 1790 in England and the exercise

had proved very rewarding and most interesting. Compiling

such a list can give stroke victims an interest.

During this week we will have Stroke Week throughout New

Zealand. Newspapers, radio stations and television stations

will have articles and interviews about stroke. The Lower

Hutt Club will have an information stall in a local shopping

mall to inform people about stroke, how to prevent stroke,

and how victims, their families and caregivers cope with

their day to day lives. Naturally we also ask for donations

to carry on our work.

Finally we know that America will recover from the dreadful

happenings of this month and that our prayers are with all

stroke victims of New York and Washington as they cope with

these events.

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BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF THE BLUE, by Lin Wisman

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If you are looking for a book that is both thoughtful and

thought provoking "Out of the Blue" by Bonnie Sherr Klein,

a stroke survivor, is the answer. The book is subtitled

"One Woman's Story of Stroke, Love, and Survival".

Ms Klein is a filmmaker living in Canada, and the wife of a

doctor. Her strokes occurred over ten years ago. The book

covers the first three years. She is able to provide a

longer-range perspective than many authors who are stroke

survivors She makes it very clear that stroke irrevocably

changes lives. She illustrates why there is continual hope

for improvement.

Included in the text are statements by assorted relatives,

friends, colleagues, and medical professionals. She points

out that stroke is not just the experience of the survivor.

A stroke is an experience of a wider community. It is a

happening, which changes many people. It redefined many of

Ms. Klein's relationships.

The struggle of colleagues to help her finish a project was

astounding. Her children's struggle with the possibility of

losing her was heartening. The decisions of her family to

move on to the next steps of its life show a deep commitment

to their future.

The book shows her journey from believing everything would

return to as it was before to acceptance of her new disabilities

and limits. In her acceptance she shows us that it isn't

necessary to be like everyone else. Our differences as

survivors make us strong.

The experiences with the medical establishment are revealing

She was at an advantage with a doctor husband who had better

access to data. Ms. Klein lives in Canada, where the medical

system is supported by the public sector. However, her

experiences were similar to the experience in the USA (and

I assume elsewhere.) Her frustration with the aloofness and

chilly attitudes of many medical professionals was evident.

At the same time, there were those who were trying to break

through to a new commitment to the patient.

For the stroke survivor the book offers the realization that

others have had similar experiences. For the stroke survivor's

relatives and caretakers it shows how all involved with a

stroke are indeed changed by it. For medical professionals

it provides a new window into the mind of the stroke survivor -

though damaged the brain keeps on healing, finding new pathways

and regenerating. In an earlier publication this book was

entitled "Slow Dance."

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WEBSITE REVIEW, by Barbara Layne

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The website I have found for this month is www.healthanswers.com.

It is basically broken down into just a few sections:

* Encyclopedia

* Health Topics

* News

* Video

* Library

After having a stroke, there are so many questions that we

need answered, explanations of procedures that are required

for a better diagnosis of our individual strokes, and just

so many new words and phrases that we need further information

on. Our doctors do their very best when it comes to giving this

info, but these sites can really allow us time to read and

re-read articles to get a better understanding and time to

"digest" all of it at a slower pace.

This site gives all of this and it is easy to use. I hope it

will provide you with answers to some of your questions and

information on some of the latest research into the prevention

and treatment of strokes of all kinds.

God bless you all!

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This newsletter is the copyright of the Stroke Network and may

not be copied without the express written permission of the

editor, Steve Mallory, mailto:SMallory@strokenetwork.org

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Steve Mallory

President & CEO

The Stroke Network

mailto:SMallory@strokenetwork.org

Stroke Awareness for Everyone