ms. beatrice

Ms. Bing of BPI sent me this funny story: 

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married.
She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room.

She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.

As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a
cute glass bowl sitting on top of it.

The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.

The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

'Miss Beatrice', he said, 'I wonder if you would tell me about this?' pointing to the bowl.

'Oh, yes,' she replied, 'Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the Park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter?'

CVA (stroke)

another relative had cerebrovascular accident (CVA) this month, his third stroke actually. he died of kidney failure a few days after that. four months ago,  a close cousin also had his first stroke while driving on his way home which led to his tragic death. inasmuch as CVA is a life-threatening disease, i decided to post some important facts about the said disease hoping to help us all recognize the early signs of stroke and thus save the lives of our loved ones.

what is CVA?

cerebrovascular accident (CVA),  also commonly known as brain attack or stroke, is the sudden death of some brain cells due to a lack of oxygen when the blood flow to the brain is impaired by blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain which would cause irreversible brain damage. it is one of the leading causes of death in many countries of the world.

signs & symptoms:

symptoms of a stroke depend on the area of the brain affected. the most common symptom is weakness or paralysis of one side of the body with partial or complete loss of voluntary movement or sensation in a leg or arm. there can be speech problems and weak face muscles, causing drooling, as well as a sudden severe headache often described as “the worst headache of my life” .  numbness or tingling is very common. a stroke involving the base of the brain can affect balance, vision, swallowing, breathing and even unconsciousness.

a bystander without medical training can also help to identify someone who is having a stroke, but remember that while many individuals with stroke may find the following tasks difficult, not all stroke symptoms can be encompassed in the following tasks:

• S — Ask the individual to smile.

• T — Ask the individual to raise both arms and keep them raised.

• R — Ask the individual to speak a simple sentence (coherently). For example, "It is sunny out today."

  note:   also ask the person to “stick” out their tongue . if the tongue is “crooked”, if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke.

risk factors:

the risk of stroke is determined by both genetic and environmental influences. a number of specific risk factors include a family history of stroke in first-degree relatives, older age, male sex, hypertension, smoking, diabetes and heart disease.

prevention:

the risk of stroke can be reduced through the following lifestyle changes:

• stop smoking;

• control blood pressure; 

• get regular exercise; 

• keep body weight down;

• avoid excessive alcohol consumption; and

• get regular checkups and follow the doctor's advice regarding diet and medicines.

treatment:

it is important to identify a stroke as early as possible because patients who are treated earlier are more likely to survive and have better recoveries. if one catches it too late (s)he can die. as many doctors note, "time lost is brain lost."

damage from stroke may be significantly reduced through emergency treatment. knowing the symptoms of stroke is as important as knowing those of a heart attack. patients with stroke symptoms should seek emergency treatment without delay, which may mean calling an ambulance instead of calling his/her doctor,  even if the symptoms have dissipated or apparently resolved. receiving hospital treatment within 3 hours of the attack may avoid irreversible brain damage.

glasswing butterfly

beautiful species huh? they’re called glasswing butterflies (scientific name: Greta oro), which thrive in Central America. this rare and delicate butterfly species rivals the refined beauty of a stained glass window through its  translucent wings shimmering in the sunlight like polished panes of green, orange, red and turquoise. according to rain forest ecologists, its presence in the tropics indicates high habitat quality and its demise alerts ecological change.

four sons

  another tale and its moral lessons:  

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter,

the second in the spring,

the third in summer,

and the youngest son in the fall.

 When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

shiatsu self-massage

  tired and stressed out? try this:

confused and unproductive perhaps?