Lyme Disease
Thousands suffer from it, and the symptoms are devastating, and often fatal.
It can be easily treated if caught early, but Australia's brightest scientific and medical minds have been at loggerheads for almost two decades over whether or not it's here. Some say it is without a doubt, and they can prove it.
The existence of Lyme disease is medically recognised around the world, and although millions suffer, they can get immediate treatment.
Here in Australia it's a different story. It’s a daily battle for those with Lyme disease to even be heard.
The disease, also known as Lyme Borreliosis, is an infectious disease with insidious results.
Transitions AfterCare Program launched
Experiencing the loss of a loved one brings change into our lives on multiple levels. When we lose someone we love, we often become responsible for things we once were not - finances, home maintenance, and even everyday tasks such as cooking.
It is with these changes in mind that France Family Funerals has partnered with Baptist Community Services to conduct the "Transitions" AfterCare Workshop. These unique 5-week workshops give the surviving spouse, companion, sibling or the child of someone who has passed on the opportunity to come together with others, who have experienced a loss, in a small group setting.
Christmas after the death of a loved one
Grieving for a loved one is never easy, but the holidays seem to deepen sorrow, loneliness, guilt, anxiety and depression. These feelings are completely normal during the holiday season. You can manage the holidays better by taking charge of the season instead of letting it take charge of you.
Fears
The anticipation of a holiday without a loved one is often more difficult than the holiday itself. You might find yourself feeling numb during holidays and special celebrations during the first year after your loss, but the second year might be even more difficult. Share your fears and concerns about the approaching holiday season with close family
members and friends. Tell them what they can do to help you.
Create New Traditions
If you try to keep your holiday season exactly the way it was before, it probably will intensify your feelings of loss. Try something different to help you and your family move on. "The first Christmas after my dad died we created a new tradition," says Cheryl Beach, who lost her father in 2003 after a long struggle with emphysema. "We now gather at my brother's home on Christmas Eve, which we could never do while my dad was alive because he was too ill to leave the house. We will always miss him, but doing something different helped all of us cope with his loss, especially the first Christmas after his death."
A Special Tribute
Some families have found solace in creating a special tribute to their loved one during the holidays. You might leave one seat empty at your holiday dinner table, or light a candle in his honour. Ask each family member to share a special story or write down a memory to place in a bowl or hang on the Christmas tree. Bring out old family pictures to help spark memories.
Create Balance
The rush of the holiday season can create stress even without the additional burden of grief. Think about how you want to celebrate the holidays ahead of time. You should balance social commitments with alone time where you can release pent-up feelings of sadness and loneliness. Try writing a letter to your loved one to say goodbye. Setting aside private time to acknowledge your grief can make it easier to postpone waves of emotion in public.
Seek Professional Help
If you find yourself unable to cope during the holiday season, it is important to find professional help to get you through. Some find comfort in the rituals of religion during the holidays. Others are reassured by a support group or professional counsellor. You might like to read some books on grief to help you understand the process you are going through.
If you need to talk...
Lifeline operate a 24/7 telephone support line. Call them on 13 11 14.
Celebrity Pallbearers
Have you ever thought about (if possible) which celebrities you would choose to be pallbearers for your funeral? I guess that is probably not a normal thought many of us have. But as it turns out many celebrities are pallbearers for each other. Mysendoff.com has created a really cool infographic that shows what celebs have been pallbearers for other celebs.
Top Five Regrets of the Dying
For many years, Bronnie Ware worked in palliative care. Her patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. She was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.
"People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them."
When Bronnie questioned her patients about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard.
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.
Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.
You can read more about this theme in Bronnie Ware's book, available here.
