The Mended Hearts, Inc.
Hearts of Jersey Chapter #179

April 2010

Message from the President

You remember the old story that April showers bring May flowers. It also brings a lot more moisture to the water table that some of us are struggling with. I sometimes feel it’s just me and my sump pump although I know a lot of people have the same problem. The water table must be about 4 inches above my foundation, at least it seems that way. The record snowfall has given way to a record water level in all the local reservoirs. Right now, the only thing between me and a foot of water in my basement is the power company; I don’t think it is fashionable to have a swimming pool in the cellar.

For the first time in over eight years our chapter has had election of officers. I was very pleased to be able to offer you a slate of highly qualified candidates. The results of the election will be announced at the April meeting. Please take special note that the meeting is scheduled for April 15th so as not to conflict with the volunteer office awards banquet.

On the subject of volunteers, I just finished reading an article in The New York Times about volunteers cleaning up the beach at Sandy Hook. They offered an incentive “Day at Disney” pass to attract support. Mended Hearts needs more volunteers to join our visiting group. Sorry no Disney passes are available although a modest lunch is part of the deal.

In order to be a patient visitor you must also be a hospital volunteer. Both groups require very specific training and have rules that must be followed. We would like to include stent and implant patients in our visiting program but require a larger staff. Contact our visiting chairman Leonard Talalai if you have questions. The personal rewards are immeasurable.

I came across an article that just seemed to fit my style of organization. It is entitled “The Health care Benefits of Decluttering.” It was one of the health tips in the Real Age webpage. When I’m working on any project that involves reference material, my habit is to spread things on the floor, a very efficient filing system except it very seldom gets picked up after the project is finished. My logic is that I may need to go back and recall the same material to make changes. A technical term for that is referred to as fuzzy logic. The result is a floor space that is a mess. The article points out that disorganized and clutter filled floors are not only a symptom of stress but they are a source of stress. They point out some methods that are helpful to de-stressing your life. 1. Take baby steps. Don’t try to do it all at once. 2. A schedule. Even as little as 20 minutes a day on schedule will help. 3. Write it down. Make plans for what you wish to organize, how you want schedule it in and follow your plans. Don’t hesitate to throw things out.

Depression. Not something that we generally talk about out loud, but Dr. Tedd Mitchell in his weekly column in USA Weekend (March 12-14) treats it very nicely and I want to paraphrase many of his suggestions. One in four adults will have a bout with a diagnosable mental-health disorder such as depression each year. It knows no age limit although heart patients seem to be more susceptible to the symptoms of depression. Those symptoms include extreme sadness, and emptiness, anxiety and loneliness among others and an overall feeling of guilt, wondering why we should feel bad when life is so good. Trying to convince yourself that it will go away is not worth the effort. The first step should be to discuss it with your primary care physician. The doctor may recommend psychotherapy or simple medication and may often suggest that you get involved in activity with other people. That may include volunteering whether it’s in the hospital or the local library, get out and get busy. Don’t expect an overnight change but keep in mind that optimists live longer than pessimists.

I hope to see you at the April 15th meeting at Jersey Shore University Medical Center - details here.