Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 01:37 PM EST [General]
A bloke is showing two young American girls around London and they come to a Pelican crossing. He presses the button and the pedestrian signal goes 'bleep-bleep-bleep-bleep....' 'Whats that for?' asked one of the girls. 'Oh thats just to let the blind know that the lights have changed' said the bloke. 'My Gaad' she said, really shocked, 'in the States we don't even let them drive...'
One day a man is walking along the beach and sees a quadriplegic girl on the boardwalk, sitting in her wheelchair and crying.
He decides to be a good samaritan and asks her what's wrong.
She replies sadly, "I've never been hugged."
So he hugs the girl, which seems to cheer her up and he continues on his way.
The next day he sees the girl again, still sitting on the boardwalk and crying, so he asks her what's wrong and she replies, "I've never been kissed."
So, he kisses the girl dutifully and goes on his way.
The following day, he passes her again, and once again, she's crying and he asks her what's wrong.
She replies, "I've never been screwed."
So, the man wheels her down the boardwalk, pushes her off the pier and says, "Now, you're screwed!"
Story Tools: Email This | Print This Framingham, Mass. - You think your kids have a long gift wish-list for Santa? So do GI Joes and Janes - not the Hasbro toy action figures celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, but real, live troops - and veterans. Today, veterans of many generations can use some help and acknowledgement beyond Veterans Day and Memorial Days events. Contrary to the heroes' situation in the action-figure world, in real life some GI Joes and GI Janes come home wounded or disabled - or otherwise struggling to adapt to a whole new way of life after their military service. Some may not be able to work right away - or ever. And they often have limited means just for living. In addition, older veterans in veterans long-term care medical centers for Alzheimer's or other problems also often face hard times that don't always include holiday gifts. Many veterans delight in even the smallest holiday gifts from others. During the holidays - and all year long - some wounded, injured and disabled veterans spend the holidays or all their days and nights in hospitals or in long-term healthcare facilities, not around the family holiday tree. So the winter holidays are a great time help them out or even add them to your holiday shopping or holiday card list - even if you don't know a veteran personally, and even if they or you celebrate a holiday other than Christmas, say Voluntary Services coordinators at the Veterans Administration New England Boston Healthcare System. The VA Boston Healthcare System runs a handful of major outpatient-and-inpatient and long-term care hospitals serving Massachusetts injured and disabled veterans of the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and of previous wars and service. The VA also has additional community health centers for vets needing outpatient regular care. Among the major multi-purpose inpatient-outpatient medical centers for veterans in Eastern Massachusetts are West Roxbury, Brockton and Jamaica Plain and Bedford facilities which treat (and/or house) geriatric veterans with Alzheimer's disease, Persian Gulf War (and now Iraq/-Afghanistan war) Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, amputation/-prosthetic patients, seriously mentally ill vets, veterans with spinal cord injuries, and those with substance abuse and homelessness issues. (Additionally, there are local campuses treating patients mostly on an outpatient basis.) The VA Boston Healthcare system inpatient-outpatient hospital on the West Roxbury-Dedham line is among the Massachusetts veterans healthcare centers which handle acute-care patients - "the sickest veterans," including spinal injury veterans who often have some degree of paralysis, says the West Roxbury facility's Voluntary Services Program Support Assistant Jo-Anne Assad. What can you do or buy for a real-life GI Joe or Jane being treated at such acute-care VA facilities? There's plenty to choose from. Virtually every inpatient-and-outpatient VA facility has its own wish list of actual gifts much appreciated and needed by patients. Or sometimes the greatest gift of all is to volunteer to help these patients in person.
The gift of your time Fortunately, at the West Roxbury facility "we have people call every day who want to volunteer," said Assad. And these very welcome volunteers come in all sizes and ages. For instance, there's a great call at the West Roxbury healthcare system med center "for volunteers to feed spinal cord injury patients" who cannot feed themselves. Volunteer patient-feeders help free up the medical center staff for other urgent medical duties and also give the patients a morale boost, said Assad. "There's some minimal time volunteer feeders need to commit to," Assad said, but there are plenty of time-slots that need to be covered - meals are at 8 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. And volunteer feeders for spinal cord injury patients need not work every day nor every meal shift, by any means. Just the presence of civilian volunteers is morale-boosting for veteran in-patients, said Assad. Among volunteers the patients really love to see are some Ambassador Program Friendly Visitors. Among these currently are kids from local schools who often make volunteer visits as part of their history studies, said Assad. While they are learning history and about different wars in school, they can get a first-hand personal taste of history by visiting with some real veteran patients. But the emphasis is on the benefit to the patients. Among the young visitors to the West Roxbury hospital recently have been "some Noble and Greenough school students (from Dedham) who have been playing cribbage and cards and talking with patients, and Oakdale School students (from Dedham) who visited on Veterans Day. Patients love to have the younger kids come in" or send greeting cards. "Kids send greeting cards, and we put up the notes and letters from the kids in a big display. The kids are so innocent, and patients love even the misspellings on the cards" and the cute kids' messages which the patients can read first-hand before they are displayed, Assad said. And recently on display in Lobby 2 of the spinal cord building was another recent young visitor's creative effort: "a really big soldier made by a school-child from Westwood - a poster-board soldier in camouflage" that visitors all noticed and the veteran patients loved. Also volunteering at West Roxbury VA are some Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical School students in the Health and Hospitals program of the Canton school who assist ward secretaries with clerical and other work. Although "not many have direct patient contact," their volunteer work helps the patients by freeing up more time staff to aid patients medically, said Assad. And recently "US Airways delivered sugar-free cookies in little white boxes with red ribbons on them" that the patients loved, Assad said.
Tangible gifts But there are many tangible gifts beyond volunteering that hospitalized and outpatient veterans appreciate at this time of year - and all year long, noted Assad. In fact, just about every VA facility has its own wish list of very welcome tangible gifts for GI and veteran inpatients, long-term care patients and, in some cases, outpatients These can be gifts from individuals or in the form of group donations from businesses, organizations, etc. But to donate actual items - or to volunteer in-person - be sure to check with the Voluntary Services Dept. of your local veterans medical center first because there are logistics involved in receiving and storing/distributing actual gifts and in coordinating volunteers. Some military groups or organizations for former military personnel also help collect gifts or encourage giving to veterans and GIs in hospitals. Among them are some Marine Corps League Detachments - organizations of former Marines helping their own -- and other military service veterans organizations. (The Marine Corps Leagues also are involved in the Toys for Tots program which collects gifts for needy children.) Here's what's on the wish-lists for veteran GI Joes and Janes in some local Boston Healthcare systems' major hospitals/clinics serving veterans and troops. Contact Voluntary Services personnel who can smooth the way for you to give actual gifts or the gift of your volunteer time to veterans in need.
West Roxbury Campus --Jo-Anne Assad Voluntary Services Program Assistant - 857- 203-5135 VA New Eng. Boston Healthcare Systems at West Roxbury is an acute-care site. Many patients there are being treated on an inpatient basis, often over a considerable length of time. Among them are "about 20 patients currently in the spinal cord" injury unit for whom volunteer feeders are needed. Volunteers for other tasks are also welcome. The VA West Roxbury medical center tangible gift wish list for 2007 includes: Adaptive phones for spinal cord injured inpatients; personal care items such as combs/brushes; deodorant (solids, gels and roll-ons); soap (Dove or non-drying); soap-holders; shaving cream; razors (Gillette/blue preferred); *electric razors (*for patients on certain medications and/or who cannot use regular razors); small shaving mirrors (hand-held and self-standing); lotion; shampoo; no-rinse shampoo & caps; body powder (baby, Gold Bond, etc.); toothpaste; toothbrushes; toothbrush holders (or caps); dental floss; mouthwash (alcohol free); lip balm (Chapstick, Blistex); denture cleaner; denture cups; denture adhesive; nail clippers; emery boards; nail files; reading glasses; magazine subscriptions;** crossword puzzle books (all kinds, large-print requests); headphones (for patient televisions); small handheld radios; small hand-held video games; cribbage boards; playing cards; dominoes; boardgames (for family/visitor waiting areas); ‘stress' balls (come in all different shapes). (**Magazine subscriptions should be addressed to: VA Boston Healthcare System, Voluntary Service (135), 1400 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury MA 02132)
Similarly, a recent Pvt. Charles Shutt Marine Detachment in Watertown list of items frequently requested by veterans medical centers as holiday or anytime gifts for veterans included these much- requested items, according to former Detachment Adjutant Angel Logan: Grooming Items: Disposable razors; shaving cream; deodorant (alcohol free); lotion (alcohol free); shampoo (alcohol free); conditioner (alcohol free); combs; brushes; toothbrushes; toothpaste. Recreational etc. items: phone cards; DVDs (movies); portable DVD players; CD's (music); portable CD players; headphones/earphones Clothing: (large sizes) T-shirts; sweat shirts; sweat pants; sneakers; slippers
VA Boston Healthcare Systems, Bedford - Like the West Roxbury facility, "Bedford is more a long-term care" facility serving many older veterans as well as more recent veterans at the VA's Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital. (Coordinate your gift donations through Chief, Voluntary Service, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, 200 Springs Road, Bedford - 781-687-2352 or 687-2422) Contacts: Joe Dooley, Linda Mitchell, Deborah Murchie.) Deborah Murchie forwarded this wish list - and some of the programs that monetary gifts support for veterans and GIs served by this facility: Bedford Patient Gift Wish-List - General Needs: full-sized (70"x 70") afghans, lap robes, bibs, wheelchair bags; recreational items such as (new only) board games, playing cards, jigsaw puzzles, chess sets, checkers, cribbage boards, etc.; envelopes (stamped); writing paper, pens; paperback books (no hardcovers) and magazines (only recent issues); men's clothing (Large, XL and XXL) such as new sweatpants/sweatshirt outfits; suitcases or large carryall/overnight-bags for veterans being discharged (check with the clothing room -781-687-2397 - for prior approval of donation of clothing items); 30- or 60-minute telephone calling cards; Canteen Coupon books (available for purchase in $1 denominations at the Veterans Canteen Service - call ahead to arrange for purchase - 781-687-2413 - checks accepted payable to Veterans Canteen Service). Personal Comfort Items - Generic: deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, denture cleaner, Poligrip denture adhesive, body wash soap, baby shampoo. Men's gifts: Electric razors (rechargeable, new only), disposable razors (large quantities); electric pre-shave lotion, aftershave lotion; combs; clothing such as white socks, underwear, sweaters, cotton sweatshirts, washable slippers, sneakers with Velcro laces. Women's items: cosmetic bags, cosmetics/lipsticks, hand and body lotion, hair dryers, hair brushes; new clothing (knee socks, sweaters, jogging or warmup suits, etc.) Seasonal items- fall/winter items -winter jackets, hats, gloves, sweaters, sweatshirts, sweatpants (large, XL and XXL) scarves. Spring/summer items-spring jackets/windbreakers, jeans, trousers (Dockers), baseball hats, belts, colored T-shirts, Polo shirts, walking shorts, sneakers. Special needs items: On occasion, patient wards send requests for special needs such as TVs, stereos, Walkman radios, adapted equipment and the like - contact the VA Voluntary Service coordinators to inquire about special needs items needed. (At Bedford VA, the VA Voluntary Service has provided a low-floor recreational vehicle MiniTrain, special hospital beds, a Health Information kiosk, Wheelchair bus and Satellite Bedside Radio Program for hospitalized veterans through monetary donations. The Bedford VA committee's current project is the purchase of a cable or satellite TV system for all patients in the Nursing Home Care Unit.-and donations to sponsored veterans who participate in the VA's Golden Age Games annually.) Monetary donations at Bedford's Edith Morse Rogers facility can be designated for a variety of patient accounts that support such things as: travel funds for vets to attend or participate during the year in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, Golden Age Games, etc.; recreation equipment such as card tables; monetary donations for horticulture programs for vets; computer access and training in computer skills for vets; monthly or periodic meals for homeless veterans; welcome-home packets for vets just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; funds for cable/-satellite TV access for veterans in hospitals; funds for vocational and recreational programs for veterans, including veterans with Alzheimer's etc. and for adult day care programs for aging veterans in need of day care; phone cards; gift certificates to local businesses (i.e. McDonalds or Friendly's restaurants) and other items to make newly returned veterans' lives a little easier. Donations can also be made to various wards at the Bedford facility -- these donations are used for recreational and entertainment events such as parties with food, monthly birthday parties for patients, crafts items for craft programs, etc. Volunteers are also welcome to help patients write letters, go outside, to the Canteen, assist during patient trips, and work with residents in gardening group programs, etc.
To find your local veterans inpatient medical center and veterans community health center, go to http://www1.va.gov and click on Find a Facility, then click on the map spot for Massachusetts. Before giving, consult their Voluntary Services department for advice and to smooth the way.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007, 10:56 PM EST [General]
Alexandra Smith November 22, 2007 TWO nurses from Royal North Shore Hospital who asked to be subpoenaed to appear at a NSW parliamentary inquiry will appear voluntarily but their evidence will be given in-camera.
The nurses made the request to the committee hearing the inquiry, led by the Reverend Fred Nile, saying they were scared to give evidence voluntarily because of bullying at the hospital and wanted to be subpoenaed so they would be legally compelled to appear.
Mr Nile yesterday confirmed the nurses would give evidence today and the committee would then decide whether to make the transcript public. Mr Nile was reluctant to subpoena them and had urged them to appear voluntarily.
A former senior orthopedic specialist at the hospital, Jeffery Sleye Hughes, who complained that cockroaches were found in one of the hospital's operating theatres, will also given evidence today as well as the relatives of former patients and other medical staff.
The inquiry was set up after Jana Horska, 32, miscarried in the toilets of the hospital's emergency department after waiting almost two hours to be seen by a doctor.
Ms Horska and her husband, Mark Dreyer, made an emotional appearance at the inquiry on Friday.
Other patients and relatives also recounted their horror stories of treatment at the hospital, including one woman with a burst appendix who waited more than eight hours for surgery and a quadriplegic who chewed through tubes so he could yell "help me" to his wife.
The inquiry is due to finish today and report to Parliament on December 14.
This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/21/1195321867013.html
Medicine's Next Big Thing: Healing spines and wounds
November 19, 2007 - Medical breakthroughs happen every day in research laboratories across the world. Researchers are constantly looking to come up with promising new therapies aimed at saving human lives. Each medical university in the United States has its own research success stories and it continues every minute of every day. At the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, researchers are close to uncovering new treatments that could help millions of people across the country -- and across the world.
Related Links Get ABC7 Newsletters Get Desktop Alerts STATINS FOR SPINAL CORDS: Drugs called statins were originally designed to lower cholesterol. Since their approval, statins have been studied to treat everything from Alzheimer's disease to multiple sclerosis for their effect on inflammation, and researchers continue to find new uses for the drug.
Now, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have found statins should help people with spinal cord injuries recover. Inderjit Singh, Ph.D., is leading the research, which, for the first time, shows statins have an effect on spinal cord injuries after they've occurred. In animal models, Dr. Singh and his colleagues found animals that received a statin shortly after an injury that caused hind limb paralysis showed significant functional recovery and less secondary tissue damage. In other words, animals that were previously paralyzed actually started walking again after they received treatment with statins. Researchers say statins protect cells responsible for producing myelin in the spinal cord. Myelin is a substance that maintains normal function by insulating nerve fibers that carry signals through the spinal cord. Dr. Singh says, "This was the greatest excitement -- when you see things you have worked [on] ... translating into animals and it has the potential to go to humans. This was major excitement." Not only does it have the potential to go to human trials -- that's the next step. Because statins are already FDA-approved and considered relatively safe, researchers expect human trials to start early next year.
WOUND-HEALING WEAPON: Across campus, researchers are on the verge of another breakthrough that could affect millions of people. Gautam Ghatnekar, D.V.M., Ph.D., and colleagues from the Medical University of South Carolina have come up with an innovative way to repair wounds and regenerate tissue faster and with less scarring. They have developed a bioengineered peptide based on a naturally occurring protein in the body that helps regulate communication between cells. In a study on pigs, the gel-like substance reduced scarring by 50 percent and healed wounds twice as fast. It also reduced inflammation surrounding the wound. Dr. Ghatnekar says the uses for the peptide are endless. "We expect this to be used right from mothers applying it on their children with cuts and bruises to soldiers taking it to the battlefield in their backpacks and putting it right on their injuries," Dr. Ghatnekar said.
The peptide can also be injected to heal the body from the inside out. Injecting it means the peptide could heal wounds from brain, heart and other organ injuries, resulting in less overall damage to the patient. Dr. Ghatnekar and his team hope to start human clinical trials on the wound-healing peptide in November 2007.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Heather Woolwine
Media Relations Director woolwinh@musc.edu (843) 792-7669 Print story Email Friend E-Mail story Newsletters RSS
Saturday, November 17, 2007, 11:39 PM EST [General]
Police allegedly hang quadriplegic man
LOS ANGELES - Jurors ruled the city of Pasadena must pay $80,000 to a quadriplegic man who sued because police officers allegedly jerked him out of his wheelchair and hung him upside down to search him.
Cornell Greathouse sued the city and four police officers for assault, battery, false arrest, false imprisonment, excessive force, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and negligence.
A Superior Court jury decided Wednesday the officers weren't culpable, but they ruled Pasadena must pay $78,939.12 for failing to train officers on how to deal with a quadriplegic.
Officers responding a 2005 disturbance call encountered Greathouse and, according to the suit, they pulled him out of wheelchair and hung him over a 4-foot concrete wall in order to search him
