Archive for December, 2009
The natural order of things
My mom died at 11:30 tonight (technically, last night). She was 85 and her husband died three days ago. She is where she wants to be. She received excellent medical care, beyond what she needed. I had to ask them to stop one treatment tonight because it was bothering her and there was no need [...]
We’re not there yet
The Senate finally managed to squeak through a deeply flawed bill this morning, and I will admit it does accomplish some reform, but not enough. I’m eager to see what happens in conference as the House and Senate bills are forged into one. The main issue is an alternative to insurance companies; something to make [...]
Off the grid and goodbye to Millie
We got over a foot of snow last Friday and it’s going to take weeks to clean up the mess. The power went out Friday afternoon and wasn’t restored until Monday night. We have a kerosene heater and a propane camp stove, battery- and propane-powered lamps, oil lights and candles. But the heater really only [...]
The current bill
Something needs to be done now about health care in this country. Five people die every hour because they’re uninsured. However, the closer I look at the current bill before Congress, the more I believe it shouldn’t pass. I tend to watch insurance company stock prices, and they’re rising. It’s a gimme to them with [...]
I’m on the Internets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQjj4yErw9M That’s video of my talk in Washington last week. Watch it and then get out and tell your own story. There’s another vigil in Waynesville, NC on Wednesday. 6 p.m. in front of the courthouse.
A long week
I got home from the candlelight vigil Wednesday afternoon to find a tree on my house. Plus, the power was out in the entire neighborhood with the coldest weather of the season approaching. In fact, it was out all night, came on in the morning and went out again, came on in the afternoon [...]
‘Blessed be the bothersome’
“Blessed be the bothersome for they shall receive health care,” a speaker at tonight’s rally said, after exhorting all of us to call our legislators again and again and again on the issue of health reform. Another mother, whose son survived cancer despite the worst efforts of insurance companies, spoke about her ordeal after I [...]
‘I saw it on TV’
I’m on my way to Washington to speak at a candlelight vigil, and I stopped for gas in Virginia. I went in for a snack and on the radio was a comercial urging Virginians to tell their senators to vote against anything to do with health care reform. I told the clerk how much that [...]
Candlelight vigil
I’m headed to Washington, DC, to speak at a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of our horribly broken health care system. It’s hard to believe there still are people trying to block access to care for all Americans. I don’t understand how one could oppose it. How can anyone believe we have the best [...]
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.