The World According to Glissando

Tag: health

  • Love You to the Moon and Back

    A Real Life Story by Glenn Hansen

    Dedicated to Sweet Judith, wherever you are in God’s universe.

    CHAPTER 16

    Speaking of music, it was around this time that I decided to try and find out more about the man playing piano in the window. We were now almost always acknowledging each other when he was there playing. I know, kind of hard to do so when he’s not playing. lol

    At Riverview Healthcare Centre, there is a lovely, multi-denominational chapel at one end along with a patient hair salon and a beautiful solarium sitting room for patients and their visitors with massive coated windows so you could see and feel the sun directly without overheating. I came to realize that the other set of doors at that end accessed the ward where I saw my “Piano Man” (thank you, Billy Joel).

    One day I decided to go through these doors to the front desk of the ward to try and learn about him. This is when I became aware that these were restricted access doors, so I could not open them without being accompanied by a healthcare centre employee. Curious, I thought. I decided to not pursue this further at this time.

    A few days later, I again went to the ward with the restricted entrance. This time, I was able to meet up with an appropriate employee and asked her about why the doors to the piano man’s ward were locked. Like virtually every other employee I met at Riverview, she was very approachable, friendly, and helpful with a nice educational touch. She explained that the doors were secured for this ward because it housed patients with memory/cognitive issues (illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease). She further explained exiting the ward was also secure out of concern for these patients wandering off unaccompanied.

    I had heard of this type of secured entrance/exit before from my music performing experiences at seniors’ care homes.  I occasionally went out and played and sang at these types of venues and I remember not being able to get out of the building after my first performance at one. One of the staff at the care home came and explained the secured door concept to me. There was an ever-changing code you had to enter in order to get out of the facility. Like at Riverview, it was to ensure residents with cognitive/memory issues could not wander off unaccompanied. It made perfect sense. Who knew?

    A sense of sadness struck me. There was a pretty good chance my piano man suffered from some sort of worsening cognitive/memory issue. I was very sad for him. He loved to play, but maybe he had very little remembrance of his joy after he finished playing. I was also saddened to think that even though our connections were genuine in the moment, he may not remember them as well.

    Life is arbitrary and unfair. This familiar phrase is so true. To be deprived of happiness and joy because your mind diminishes in this way is terrible. You get locked out from your own happy memories by your own brain. Add to this the declining cognitive function; it must be very frustrating to live with this affliction for both you and those around you. And to think you are aware of this happening until nearly the end must sometimes be exasperating.

    We can think we are invincible when we’re young, some of us for most of our life even, but there is no shortage of ways for life to take a person down at any age. Yet, some of humanity is still afflicted with destructive arrogance. Don’t people realize how small we really are in comparison to the universe? We should be humble, not arrogant. This whole “life” thing is almost beyond conceptualization and appreciation. Maybe that’s why some turn to arrogance and bullying; to try and have some sense of personal strength and control over the world. But, it’s delusionary and it’s wrong. We need to respect and care about each other. The kind of caring I witness every time I’m at Riverview Healthcare Centre.

    I was disappointed to realize the apparent plight of my piano man. Then I had a nice thought. Even if it was in the moment only, he still experienced some joy while playing and likewise whenever we connected through the window. It brought a smile to my face that maybe I was able to contribute to his life in a positive manner in some way. I was encouraged by this and determined to carry on with our relationship be it as it may.

  • Love You to the Moon and Back

    A Real Life Story by Glenn Hansen

    Dedicated to Sweet Judith, wherever you are in God’s universe.

    CHAPTER 7

    After the move to Riverview, which was a fair distance from where I lived, it was not possible to go and see Judy every day, although initially, I did for a few days. Shortly after Judy’s admission to her new facility, I met her doctor when he came to talk with Judy, who indicated that my presence was desirable. Like the staff in the ward, he was amazing. The kindness, the warmth and the supportive approach was truly wonderful, and his special expertise with patients in Judy’s situation was remarkable. Judy and I became comfortable with him immediately.

    The doctor had a comprehensive strategy to greatly enhance Judy’s health as much as possible. He wasn’t talking about curing her; he was talking about greatly improving her quality of life.

    I realized that Judy coming to Riverview was a true blessing. This place was designed for people with critical illnesses. This is not a knock against the hospital where she had spent over five months. That hospital was designed for traditional healthcare and they did it well, but this new facility was exactly where she needed to be. While delivering care with expertise in critical illness situations, it was a positive, loving atmosphere, and there were many potential things a patient could do if they so desired and were able to. I quickly met many genuine and selfless people working there, more than one usually encounters in the outside world. The work being done here at Riverview Healthcare Centre was unlike any other type of health care facility I had observed.   

    When Judy first arrived, she was in a very grim place health-wise. I have to admit that on a few occasions, I thought I might be witnessing her last breaths.

  • Pain

    Pharmaceutical prescription pain treatments have not evolved for over 20 years for moderate to severe types of pain, with opioids the major prescribed medicine. In the United States, a new FDA approved drug , suzetrigine, trade named “Journavx”, by Vertex Pharmaceuticals has the promise of providing major pain relief without the addictive nature of opioids. This is a significant advance in pain relief medicine and potentially signals a huge cultural change for the better.

    “Journavx” works by blocking nerve pain signals throughout the body, whereas, opioids work by dulling the sensation of pain within the brain. The societal reverberation is significant, as the new drug is said not to be addictive, which would eliminate the need for addictive opioids. Time will tell just how effective “Journavx” really is in reducing moderate to major pain, and while it seems to be non-addictive, we will see whether this is the case over the long term. However, this breakthrough holds the promise of being the safer, new answer to pain relief.     

  • Red

    The FDA has just banned the food additive Red Dye 3, a widely used food enhancement made from petroleum to make food and beverages, plus drugs, look a bright cherry red. Please note it is made from petroleum and you’re ingesting it. Approximately 30 years ago a link between Red Dye 3 and cancer was discovered. It’s taken 30 long years for it to finally be banned.

    As we move into an era of less government regulation, or so it seems, this is a concern. No company that I am aware of has voluntarily stopped using this food enhancement product over the last 30 years. Why? Money. Change can be costly in business, like everything else in life potentially is. Business does not want to add expense to their bottom line, even for a changeover that is a short term prospect, even if it makes a product safer for people.

    A couple of things come to mind regarding this issue. One: people who work for the food industry at all levels also consume this petroleum product. Does this not concern you? Two: this begs the question, how can we trust business in a less regulated world? Business rarely takes the high road when it might cut into revenue and profit. Lead and asbestos, long since banned, immediately come to mind, and both are still occasionally found in products to this day.         

    So, this is something to think about. You might say it’s food for thought, but without any artificial enhancements.