Column

As some of you may already know from my previous articles, I am the mother of a pediatric stroke survivor. Due to brain trauma from the stroke, my daughter has special needs. The day she was born was the day my life became intertwined with the special needs world of prescriptions, paperwork, doctor appointments, and physical/occupational therapy. Along with all of the obligations came the whirlwind of emotional adjustments.

I am the type of person who asks, “Why is this necessary?” or “How can I find out more on my own?” Some call that resourceful, others call it irritating. Either way, I will immerse myself in digging up more information. This benefits me in many ways. For example, after some research on the internet, I was led to a non-profit organization for pediatric stroke families (CHASA). I finally did not feel alone with my fears of the many future scenarios that played in my head. It turned my despair into one of hope and solutions. So began my activities within the special needs communities.

My book about Naomi also stemmed from a frustrating search to purchase a special needs book that I could read to her brother, Stefan, who was eight at the time. I could not find a reading that really got to the heart of the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual essence of someone who has developmental delays. I wanted a book that my son could relate to, as his new world now included a little sister that almost didn’t survive. Instead of giving up, I decided to write my own children’s book that would educate others about medical conditions while instilling compassion. That was the day I wrote I See You, Little Naomi.

I was once advised to take the first step without expectations of the outcome (which I am horrible at doing). Deciding to step over my doubts was a blessing. Through my family’s outreach efforts, we are now on the board of a non-profit called inClusionClubHouse, whose mission is to build a clubhouse where special needs individuals and the mainstream population can join together. Since my involvement with their fundraising events such as the Special Needs Prom, I have happily taken on the task to expand that mission to the East Bay. To network with other special needs families in my area, I formed the “It Takes a Village” group through New Hope Church in Concord. My hope is to connect with people who may be struggling, and tell them that they no longer have to feel like an island.

Tests in life are inevitable and worrying that one’s child might be stereotyped, bullied, or misunderstood, is quite common. It’s even more intense for those with a loved one who has endured medical setbacks. What better way to turn a test into a testimony by building a community where the mainstream and special needs are included on this journey?

It isn’t always easy. It is a rollercoaster ride, but our tests are always transformed into testimonies once we take that first step toward healing. Just trust the universe’s process to turn a mess into a message. The saying, “Let go and let God,” could not be more appropriate.

Hopefully you will be able to join me in letting go of the outcome, for sanity’s sake. We all have something to offer, including our special loved ones. The best things offered are given from the heart, and what we give away, the universe will give back. We remember the tests, but live in the testimony through our actions and growth. May our special ones be encircled with understanding and inclusion. Remember that we all need support sometimes because, “It takes a village.”

Stefanie Boggs-Johnson is the Northern California Facilitator for inClusionClubHouse and published author of I See You, Little Naomi and soon to be released I See You, Little Andrew. Her educational children’s books promote special needs awareness and compassion. For more information, please visit inClusionClubHouse.org or her Facebook page @ItTakesASpecialVillage.

As we live our lives we are apt to experience a multitude of “coming of age” moments. One of those moments is when we realize that an elder in our family circle, who was previously known as the “care giver,” now needs us to care for them in a way that we are unaccustomed. Some people seem to grow old and infirm inordinately quickly; perhaps from too many heartaches and disappointments. Life isn’t easy but I believe that we are here to help each other ease the path. There oftentimes is no “START” sign that alerts us to the fact that a family member or friend now needs our help navigating their health issues.

When I moved to California my mom would visit from the East coast with her oversized luggage in tow. Seriously, the airlines marked it with a “HEAVY” sticker every time because she would also pack her favorite snacks. On one occasion while I was picking her up at Oakland airport, I was unable to lift her big red bag into my Jeep Wrangler. I left her at the curb to get the car but I had to come back for her. In retrospect, she was having trouble walking due to leg pain but she never said a word about that. She told me to just go ahead and put the bag in the Jeep myself and I started laughing because it was HUGE. Normally, I can handle most physical tasks, but I was literally afraid of busting a gut or something. Eventually, we hoisted the bag into the car together and laughed all the way home.

My mother never told me when she was hurting or that she needed help and I therefore assumed she was the same strong woman that I had known all my life. When she went to the hospital in Pittsburgh for unclear reasons, but related to abdominal pain, I assumed she would tolerate the event with minimal difficulty. Devastatingly, my mom died unexpectedly during that hospitalization. My biggest regret is that I wasn’t there to support her when she needed me.

Older patients may get better medical care when they have family with them at their doctor visits or when they are in the hospital. Understandably, this isn’t always possible due to social, economic and logistic reasons; however, the reason they do get better care when accompanied by someone who knows and cares for them is multi-factorial. The art of medicine and the medical practice model have changed vastly over the last fifty years. As a result, the amount of time that a doctor has to spend with her patients and conceptualize an idea of the problem and issues to focus on is reduced to a fraction of what it should be.

If a patient comes to the office alone, we have only the information that they can give us to help formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan. Not infrequently, patients can’t remember specific facts or incidents surrounding the issues for which they are seeking help. They may be overwhelmed by the medical experience or may have impairments with memory or thought processes. Patients may even be too embarrassed to mention issues that are significant and crucial for the doctor to know. Also, due to time restrictions with each patient, we physicians are losing the ability to develop trusting relationships with the people for whom we are assuming responsibility. Patients are reticent to heed the advice of a doctor they don’t know well or if they don’t understand the information that is being given to them.

In my experience, if a close relative or friend accompanies a patient, I have an opportunity for a better view of that person’s medical issues and how they are affecting her life and to what degree. Even if that support person is only present for the initial office visit, it is helpful to have a familiar point person who can be contacted if I have future questions or concerns. Also, my treatment of a particular pain issue may involve medications or therapies that an older patient is unacquainted with. I do my best to teach and explain the rationale behind all of my decisions and treatment plans, but it is frequently much easier if I can simultaneously relay the information to the support person who may have a better understanding of my thoughts as well as the ability to reiterate the recommendations after the office visit to the patient.

All of the aspects of the complex medical system we have today along with the numerous health issues that people are dealing with make it more important than ever that we take the time, whenever possible, to be there for our friends and family. Sometimes we might just have to insist to be an “extra ear” to accompany our family member but most likely the offer will come as a relief in knowing that they are not alone.

Q. My perennials are looking shaggy with brown leaves, and leggy branches. Do I have to wait until spring to cut them back or can it be done now? Also, what perennials can I plant for year-round color? I don’t want to mess with annuals anymore because I’m tired of replanting them.

A. Perennials are groomed now, or you could wait. I’d groom the spring blooming ones now, so they are ready to take off as the temperatures warm up in March. Most of the Sages, Evening Primrose, Shasta Daisy and Penstemon can be pruned off to the ground as they produce basal shoots while others are trimmed back for shaping. You’re correct in that perennials don’t need to be replanted like annuals, however their blooming cycle is seasonal and I’m not aware of any herbaceous perennial that blooms year round. Flowering ornamental plants such as Floral Carpet Roses or Euryops have a very long bloom season. Garden Mums, Cyclamen, and English Primroses are the primary fall perennials. Mums have the shortest flowering season while Cyclamen and English Primroses bloom continuously through May. Next spring and or summer, you could add Iberis, Foxglove, Coreopsis, Penstemon, Verbena, Phlox, Bacopa, Million Bells, Rudbeckia, and Echinacea, the Coneflower just to mention a few. Also, don’t overlook the contribution from variegated foliage from landscape shrubs and grasses. Your favorite garden center now has a selection of small perennial plants in packs. Planted now, these varieties will bloom next year. If you wait to plant in the spring, these plants won’t bloom until the following year. You avoid this with those plants growing in four-inch pots and larger sizes. Your first step might be to step back and evaluate the blooming pattern of the existing perennials to see which season needs to be enhanced. Also give some thought to the type or shape of flowers you prefer—daisy shape, columnar, or just dainty-type flowers. Do they need to be large, small, or somewhere in between? There are lots of right answers but what is the right one for you? The areas do not need to go colorless as you would mix in a few annuals. I’m a believer in mixing annuals and perennials to bridge the color gap. You could add Primulas, Primroses, Calendulas, Pansies, and Violas for next color. Planted now, they will continue blooming until next April/May. I’d plant them close to one another as they’ll grow very little between now and next February and add some nutrients with a Starter Fertilizer to prevent the leaves from turning yellow. You now have year-round color with a minimal amount of replanting. And finally, as the leaves drop, be sure to gather up all the debris that accumulates at the base and around the plants. The foreign material packs down around the crowns with the winter rains. It can cause the plants to rot during the rainy season. It’s repeated as needed during the fall and winter. I think it’s only time a think a blower make sense.

Q. Two years ago, I dug up ten little Rugosa rose seedlings and planted them. One of the bushes is four times larger than the others and never bloomed. Can I rectify this problem by adding extra phosphorous? Also, is it possible that a hybrid wild seed produces a seedling(s) that is not capable of blooming?

A. Adding additional phosphorus is not going to correct this problem. With nutrient deficiencies, all the bushes would be experiencing the same problem, not one out of ten. Your second assumption is correct. You’re dealing with genetics. Seedling roses like many other plants are unpredictable when started from seeds. The genes from one parent combine with a second. Flowering is one of the many characteristics that may or may not transfer from seedling to seedling. Hence, vegetative plant parts are used to produce commercial plants such as cuttings, budding, grafting, divisions, etc. Vegetative reproduction guarantees that every cutting will mirror the parent or donor plant. I’d then select the most vigorous cutting(s) to replace the non-blooming plant.

Q. I started a compost pile and was amazed at how fast everything decomposed once the pile got going. I used food scraps and yard clippings including the pruning from my peach tree that had leaf curl. Before planting this spring, I added the compost to my vegetable garden. Now, my bell peppers and pole beans have what looks to me to be leaf curl. Is my soil contaminated?

A. As a general rule, we don’t compost diseased plant parts. The internal temperature of a compost pile doesn’t get hot enough to destroy the disease organisms or weed seeds. Diseased plants trimmings are disposed of in your garden trimming container for weekly pickup with the other household solid waste and recyclable. Although in this case, the diseased leaves have done no harm and your soil is not contaminated. The leaf curl on peaches is called Peach Leaf Curl. It’s a water-activated fungus that attacks only peach and nectarine trees. It will not affect any other species. Also, the fungus spores overwinter above ground not in the soil. Curly leaf on plants can be caused by many different things such as insects, herbicide damage, and changes in temperatures along with the fungus diseases. On apple, cherry and plum trees, Aphids are the primary cause of leaf curl. Aphids are sucking insects, and you’ll find them on the new growth. They cause the leaves to curl up like an Italian cookie. The herbicides in Weed and Feed turf products cause curly leaves with Mulberries and other shade trees planted in and near a lawn. The leaf curl is a reaction to the chemicals absorbed by the roots. Citrus leaves curl up from cool temperatures in the winter months. So, again there are many reasons for leaf curl. The good news is that Peach Leaf Curl hasn’t contaminated the compost or vegetable garden soil. I’d take a few samples of the curly leaves on the peppers and beans to your local garden center and have a nursery professional help identify the problem(s). My guess would be you have some type of sucking insect problem.

Joint pain, known as arthritis, comes in many forms. The most common type is osteoarthritis, known as “wear and tear arthritis.”
Joint pain can flare up for a number of reasons—some of which may be overlooked by conventional practitioners. Many of my patients ask me if their pain is caused by arthritis. Sadly, it is estimated that one in five Americans has been diagnosed with some form or arthritis. There are over one hundred different arthritic conditions, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis being the most well known.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation in the synovial fluid of the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is most common in the hands and feet and is frequently accompanied by a hot or warm feeling in the joint, stiffness for over 30 minutes in the morning, the same joint affected on both sides of the body, polyarthritis (more than one joint affected at a time), and pain that can last through the night. With this form of arthritis, most of my patients notice the pain eases the more they use the joint.

Osteoarthritis, on the other hand, feels worse the more we exercise and as the day wears on. Also linked to inflammation, this type of arthritis can be traced back to a breakdown in the joint cartilage. It generally affects the hips, knees, spine, hands and feet, and develops as more of a wear-and-tear situation, whereas rheumatoid arthritis is closely tied with genetic factors that lead to an autoimmunity problem.

What you need to know if you suffer from arthritis.

All forms of arthritis involve some kind of inflammation, either local or systemic. When injured, a chain of events in your immune system known as the inflammatory cascade is triggered. This is what causes the redness, swelling, and pain we often see with an acute injury. When this process, known as local or acute inflammation, turns on and then off in response to injury, it’s a sign of a healthy immune system. Yet when the symptoms of inflammation don’t disappear, it tells us that your immune system is unable to turn itself off when it should and therefore leads to a state of chronic inflammation.

How do I begin to heal my arthritis pain naturally?

1. Adopt a healthy diet rich in natural anti-inflammatories. Choose a diet of richly colored fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and pure omega-3 fatty acids. Remove foods that contribute to inflammation such as refined sugar, white flour/baked goods, canned or packaged foods.

2. Correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies: Vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant deficiencies have been shown to suppress immune function and contribute to chronic degenerative processes such as chronic inflammation, arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Special blood testing can reveal what your body has absorbed from your food and/or supplements over the past six months and zero in on what is deficient. Micro-Nutrient Testing allows a person to know exactly what to eat and/or supplement in order to support the healing process. By correcting nutritional imbalances, the body is given the building blocks it needs to naturally create its own anti-inflammatories and heal from the inside out.

3. Class IV Laser Therapy. Ending the pain caused by arthritis requires stopping the cycle of inflammation. Class IV laser therapy is an excellent method for this, because it is presently the only modality that can both reduce inflammation and heal tissue simultaneously. Laser therapy creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness, and pain. As the injured area returns to normal, function is restored and pain is quickly relieved.

We have great success helping people solve the causes of their joint pain. If you suffer from arthritis it is worth your while to spend some time figuring out which of any number of factors are contributing to your pain, and which combination of therapies will help heal it. The good news is, you can do it without drugs, and you don’t have to give up any of the activities you love!

For more information or to set up a consult with Dr. Niele Maimone call 925.362.8283 or visit www.alignhealingcenter.com.

Without a doubt, Oktoberfest is the world’s most famous beer festival. The festival was originally celebrated in the city of Munich in Bavaria, Germany in the year 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese. The resulting party was so enjoyable Munich decided to make it an annual tradition. Since that time Oktoberfest has evolved into a 16-day festival of beer, celebrating the arrival of autumn and all things associated with beer, food, and fun. If you’ve never visited Munich for Oktoberfest, put it on your bucket list today.

Beer is the star of the show at Oktoberfest and the Germans are rightfully proud of the many distinctive styles of beer brewed in Germany. Germany is renown for its beers and for good reason. They are truly world class.

Since the 16th Century, German beer production has been governed by a strict set of laws called the Reinheitsgebot. These laws set forth the official “do’s and don’ts” of beer production and resulted in Germany’s reputation for producing beers of the finest quality and utmost purity. The Reinheitsgebot laws still exist today and are one of the many reasons for German beer’s continued strong popularity in the world market.

Light golden lagers and pilsner-style beers dominate the German market but you can also find dark beers, smoky beers, and red-brown hued Bavarian Dunkels. These beers are fuller in body and weight, and may have flavors of mocha, chocolate, burnt toffee, or smoke.

There are more than 1,300 breweries in Germany today. Most of them are located in the south of the country. Bavaria alone has more than 700. Many towns are famous for their production of a single style of beer such as “Gose,” a unique beer flavored with coriander and salt, only produced in the little town of Leipzig. Such beers are almost impossible to find outside the region, except during Oktoberfest when producers bring their mouthwatering wares to the festivals.

This year, Oktoberfest started on September 22, and the revelry continues through October 7. Munich comes alive with beer-centric festivities. Parades, music, dancing, traditional and contemporary bands, yodelers, comedians, and a great program of events are scheduled. More than 6 million revelers, both young and old, join in the merriment each year.

Local breweries sponsor events and each has a massive tent erected to accommodate thousands of guests, with beer, food, and entertainment. Truly, the party never stops. Beer at Oktoberfest is enjoyed in Beer Gardens or Beer Tents with different themes, and sipped (or gulped!) out of magnificent and enormous glasses called “steins.”

There’s no shortage of food during Oktoberfest and you’ll be tempted to try German delicacies and traditional Bavarian food such as spicy sausages or “wurst,” delicious roast chicken, boiled beef, succulent suckling pig, and enormous Bavarian pretzels. Dive in. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of delights.

Fortunately for beer drinkers today, Oktoberfest is also celebrated in international cities around the world. Everyone wants to share in the golden wealth of a German brew and enjoy rich German cuisine.

Look for local festivities in your area or throw an Oktoberfest party of your own and seek out a spectrum of German beers to share with your family and friends.

Cheers! Or as they say in Germany, “Prost!”