BoomerBuzz Magazine September 2014

boomerbuzz magazine

Enrichment Programs on Cruises Taking Stock: One Boomer’s Life with MS

football food

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03 | TABLE OF CONTENTS

HORROR RIDE at Burgers Lake Haunted Hayride This ghastly ride may be your last...

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER/ 06

What do you do to enjoy the beautiful fall season? I love the smell of smoke drifting from fireplaces, the crispness of the autumn air and the brilliant colors of the leaves offering a palette of reds, oranges and golds. Beautiful!

If you are planning a fall vacation or road trip, Fall Palettes will offer you a selection of locations and the shades of autumn they offer to sightseers. Karol Wilson dishes up fabulous recipes that pack a punch for football season and in this issue in Redefining Cynthia Stock and Scott Schilling offer power-packed information on living with MS and steps for inspiration.

You can read about eco fashions, mid-century modern dĂŠcor and salt therapy which offer exceptional results for those suffering from allergies and asthma particularly.

Pristine beaches, accessible tourist sites, predictable weather and comfortable accommodations are all considerable factors in our applause of a Caribbean vacation! And if cruises are your choice for holiday excursions you might want to explore the various enrichment programs offered by the different cruise lines. They each offer exception opportunities for more than just sun worshiping!

Our regular contributor, Sonja Kabell discusses being a rule breaker and guest writer, Beverly Fells Jones talks about driving others away. National writer, Angela S. Deppe, CPA talks about how American Social Security is and will it still be around when you need it. Very thought provoking! Have you heard about Heroes on the Water, a unique kayak program for veterans? Exceptional! And you can also learn about the success of music therapy for patients with memory loss.

And if you happen to be in the Dallas area in October please take note of Blessing of the Animals, a spiritual celebration honoring our loyal companions who loves us conditionally. And what would Halloween be without a fun-filled spooky family festival like Horror Ride at Burgers Lake.

We hope you will share BoomerBuzz Magazine with family and friends who might enjoy reading and listening to our streaming BoomerBuzz Radio while dreaming of foreign shores, fall colors and autumn celebrations!

Thanks for reading and enjoy autumn wherever you reside,

07 | FEATURE

The Palettes of Fall

By Julese Crenshaw

Cooler temperatures, striking colors, smaller crowds—autumn is the perfect time to travel. The fall season is a powerful lure for travelers and offers an unlimited selection of vacation options. From bright yellow aspens in Colorado to crimson reds in Vermont, fall foliage alone is a reason enough for a full blown vacation or quick getaway. In addition, many destinations are less expensive and crowded during the autumn months.

Play golf in Arizona, relax on a beach in Florida, or take a dream vacation to Hawaii - the choice is yours.

Small towns are particularly charming in the fall, especially during the week when you can have them all to yourself. Shop for antiques, visit a local farmer’s market and relax in a local diner or coffee shop.

Every state has exceptional fall bounties and weekend getaways are easy to plan, but if you want more you might consider any of the following fall travel spots.

New England Autumn leaves in many other states are equally brilliant but New England is blessed with rolling, forested terrain and quaint towns -both of which accentuate the leaf-peeping experience. Top road trips in Maine include Route 17 from the coastal city of Rockland to the state capital of Augusta while in Vermont, you want to try an 88 mile loop in the center of the state. New York’s Hudson River Valley has been drawing leaf peepers since the advent of the United States. On the best days, you can see 5 states from the elevated panoramic view at the famous point LakePoint Lookout Inn on the Palisades Interstate Parkway.

Mid Atlantic Most people don’t equate North Carolina with premium foliage viewing. But most probably don’t know that Mt. Mitchell, in western North Carolina, is the highest

FEATURE | 08

mountain in the eastern US (6,684 feet), and that the surrounding Pisgah National Forest harbors vast expanses of deciduous trees. And you do not want to miss Asheville and the Blue Ridge Parkway, which stretches from Virginia to North Carolina.

The Shenendoah National Park in Virginia is a burst of brilliant color each fall and worthy of a visit if you are in this part of the country.

Midwest Region The Midwest also comes alive with radiant foliage in the fall. The coup de grace of Midwest autumn road trips is the Lake Superior Circle Route, which includes scenic stretches of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario, Canada.

The Hocking Hills of southeast Ohio unfurl their colors on the western slope of the Appalachian Mountains.

In Wisconsin, the glacially carved Kettle Moraine State Forest, east of Madison, offers prime viewing -- and hiking along the Ice Age Trail -- in early fall.

Western Region The Rocky Mountains offer stunning fall colors, although early snowstorms can impact road trips any time after Labor Day. The aspen trees in and around Aspen turn a warm golden hue in the fall.

The Maroon Bells, a pair of peaks in the 2.3 million-acre White River National Forest, southwest of Aspen, provide an idyllic backdrop for fall photography.

Prime viewing dates vary yearly based on weather. In general Mother Nature's autumn show kicks off at the Canadian border and makes its first appearance in New England in early September. As the month progresses, the colors wind their way down South where the final colors fade away in early November.

The US Forest Service offers regular updates on where and when to catch the best fall colors. To make the most of your fall foliage road trip, slow down, stop frequently for photo ops and interact with the locals along the way.

Julese Crenshaw is a freelance writer from Tennessee.

09 | FEATURE

There’s Nothing More American Than Social Security Will it still be around when you need it?

By Angela S. Deppe, C.P.A.

The Social Security Act was written into law during the backdrop of the Great Depression and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 14, 1935 as part of FDR’s New Deal. It was created to protect what were seen as dangers in the “modern American” life: old age, poverty, unemployment, and the burdens of widows and fatherless children. Think of it as a financial safety net. It promised the American people “some measure of protection against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.”

Social Security is a social insurance program that is primarily funded through dedicated payroll taxes called Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). It is the largest government program of its type in the world as measured in dollars and is one of the single greatest expenditures in the federal budget. Even though it was written into law in 1935, payroll taxes weren’t collected to pay for the system until 1937.

Originally, you had the choice of taking a lump sum or monthly payout. In the first 3 years, everyone took the lump sum, with Ernest Ackerman being the first American to receive a lump sum payment in 1937. He received a total of 17 cents and had paid 5 cents into the program. The first monthly check was issued in January of 1940 to Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, VT. She is also the first American who truly maximized the value of her Social Security benefit. She paid a total of $24.75 into the system for 3 years, 1937, 1938 and 1939. The first monthly payment she received was for $22.54, and by her second check she had already received more out of Social Security than she had paid into the system. Any guess on how long Ida May lived for? Let me give you a hint. In the 1930s, if you lived until 60 you were doing pretty well. In fact, life expectancy in 1930 was only 58 for men and 62 for women. Miss Fuller actually lived to be 100 years old and maximized her benefits by choosing the monthly payout. Over her lifetime, she collected just under $23,000 in total Social Security benefits having contributed only $24.75 - a return of over 92,000%! It’s a wonderful story (posted on www.ssa.gov), but also highlights the importance of understanding how you can maximize your Social Security benefits. Just think, what if Ida May had taken the lump-sum payout?

Many American’s believe that for a myriad of reasons, Social Security is going bust very quickly. Much of the information that your have read or heard about regarding the lack of solvency in the near term is simply bad information. The current long-term financial condition of the Social Security program

FEATURE | 10

remains challenging and will require legislative modifications due to substantial cost growth in the upcoming decades. This is the result of an aging population (we are living longer) and fewer workers per retiree paying into the system. However, the 2012 report on the status of Social Security and Medicare Programs by the Board of Trustees who oversee the fund found that if left alone, the Social Security Trust Fund will be able to pay all benefits though 2021 simply from the interest earned on the fund itself. After 2021, tapping both principal and interest from the fund will support and pay all scheduled benefits as is through 2033. Thereafter, collected receipts from income tax (FICA) would be able to pay 75% of current benefits through 2086. While the Social Security system will need legislative change to avoid its long-term financial challenges and potential to disrupt payments for today’s young workforce, the summary by the fund’s trustees found that it currently satisfies the conditions for short-term financial adequacy.

By law, the trustees are required to publish a current status summary of the Social Security and Medicare programs and make a 75-year long-term forecast of the program. The need to reform the system is nothing new. In fact, there have been many modifications to the system over the years to ensure its solvency. The first changes to Social Security were made back in 1939, four years after it was signed into law. Back then, one reason sited for the changes was the growing concern over the impact that payroll taxes were having on the economy. The payroll taxes were even partially blamed for the Recession of 1937. Sound familiar? During the early 1980s, the Reagan administration along with Congress made several controversial changes, including: raising the amount that employers and workers contributed, gradually increasing the Full Retirement Age (FRA) from 65 to age 67, and creating the idea of “means testing” by making Social Security benefits taxable for higherincome individuals. As a result, the Social Security system began to generate surplus funds designed to cover the added costs of the baby boomers. President Reagan summarized these needed changes by stating, “Social Security assures the elderly that America will always keep the promises made in troubled times a half century ago.” To insure the long-term promise of Social Security, we join others in acknowledging a need to make changes to the current system including, raising the FRA, raising payroll taxes, and diversifying the Social Security Trust Fund. However, none of these changes would have a material affect for Americans 55 and older according to the experts1.

Bottom line, claiming your Social Security benefits early because you think the system is going broke and you won’t get your money is a poor decision. Furthermore, it is an uninformed and uneducated decision, yet has remained a mindset since the early days of the program. Claiming early can cost you and your family thousands of needed retirement dollars and will not allow you to maximize the benefits you worked hard for so many years to earn. Think if in 1940 Ida May Fuller took a lump sum based out of fear instead of the monthly lifetime check she continued to receive until she passed away in 1975 at age 100!

Angela S. Deppe is a CPA, founder of SocialSecurityCentral.com and its easy-to-use Benefit Maximization Calculator, and coauthor of It's Your Money! Simply Strategies To Maximize Your Social Security Benefits. She lives with her family in Chicago.

1

Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research

is the Official Health Supplement Supplier of the WTA, US Speedskating, US Women’s Ski Jumping, US Luge, Speed Skating Canada, Cross Country Canada, Biathlon Canada, and Pachuca Club de Fútbol

USANA receives a

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Outside Magazine: Best Places to Work (3rd win since 2009)

US

SPEEDSKATING

USANA makes PR News’ 2011 Top Places to Work List 2011 Gold Communicator Award:

USANA 2010 Convention (Social Media)

Six 2011 Silver Communicator Awards: Health & Freedom Solution USANA Corporate Magazine USANA Influencer Magazine USANA Afloat Ad (Magazine Ad) USANA Afloat Ad (Design) What’s Up, USANA?

names USANA an Editor’s Choice; USANA® Essentials andHealthPak™ each receive 5-star ratings and gold medals of achievement

Telly Award: Nutritional Video PR News Digital Awards: Digital Communicator W3 Award: Business Blog, What’s Up USANA? PR News Award: Blogger of the Year, Tim Haran USANA has been a member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition since 2009 MountainWest Capital Network named USANA the #11 Top Revenue Growth Company in 2010 (our 6th time on the list)` Utah Business magazine named USANA to the Fast 50 for its revenue growth

USANA products meet the stringent requirements of Informed-Choice & HFL Sport Science

NSF Summit International Health & Freedom Award (SIA), 2011

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(2007)

Visit USANA.com for up-to-date information about USANA’s latest awards and accolades.

For More Information, Contact Sonja Kabell

972-935-6484

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11/2011

HEALTHY BALANCE | 12

Breaking the Rules

By Sonja Kabell

I have always been a little bit of a rule breaker.

Nothing super bad, just small things like taking a few extra sugar packets for my purse. Standing on the other side of the line that says "do not cross." Sneaking into the conference room at work to make a personal call or surfing the internet on company time. Not 10 commandments bad, just a little outside the lines.

As a baby boomer, following the "rules" is something we did. Here's a good one, go to school, get good grades and get a good job.

Rules might be good, might not make sense or might be bad. Remember back in the 60's where the rules slipped a bit. I say, rules are meant to be broken. I think it is time that you color outside the lines, my friends.

What if you play with your grandkids gaming station when they are not over? It's just sitting there, might as well. Shouldn't waste money.

Let's throw out the all rules about being too old, too tired, too set in your ways. It is time to have fun!

Look guys, life is short. You don't know when your number is up. It could be today or 20 years from now, who knows. Don't look back at your life and do the "shoulda, coulda, woulda."

Go to that social group and meet some new people. If you are single, don't let society or your kids or heck, even yourself, tell you that you are too old for romance! You are NEVER too old to have a love affair, not to mention the health benefits! My 60 something client told me that her love life is the best it has ever been in her life. I tip my hat off to her.

Take life by the horns and enjoy the ride. Travel the world, buy that car of your dreams, stay in the luxury hotel, get a weekly massages. I tell my parents to spend all the money they worked hard for, to enjoy it, I can make more. Living young at heart and staying active is the best medicine around.

It is time to write out that bucket list and get started. Live out loud, color outside the lines, break a few rules, just live your life to the fullest.

What if you just decided to pack your car, throw in a suitcase and drive. The kids are grown, why not? Hit the road and go explore!

Or what if you decided to stand out in the rain and get totally drenched? So what if the neighbors might see you. They should not be looking in the first place.

My favorite quote from one of my favorite movies, Shawshank Redemption, is, "Get busy living or get busy dying." I think I am going to get busy living! I hope you do too!

Sonja Kabell, Weight Loss and Wellness Consultant, Founder of Creating Healthy Lifestyles, USANA affiliate.

Like us on Facebook for daily healthy tips and hints!www.sonjakabell.com

13 | HEALTHY BALANCE New Fall Favorites

By Karol Wilson

It’s September, and time for some football! Here are three terrific recipes that have tons of flavor and are sure to be crowd-pleasers. The dip can take the place of that heavy onion dip and is actually quite healthy and easy to prepare in advance. The Chex cereal munchies mix is a slightly different take on the classic recipe. The touch of Texas barbecue sauce gives great flavor! The sausage balls are lower in cholesterol than the usual ones we’ve grown up with and the jalapeno punch combined with the fruitiness of the raspberry chipotle sauce makes it truly gourmet.

Enjoy watching your favorite team!

Spinach and Yogurt Dip (Courtesy of Chef Mansur Gorji’s New Cookbook, Zing!)

Sauteed Spinach Ingredients: 16 oz. fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped or torn 2 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 Tbsp. butter Yogurt Ingredients: 2 cups plain yogurt, chilled (Greek yogurt works best) ½ Tbsp. balsamic vinegar Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste Optional: 4-6 finely chopped green onions Preparation: 1.

2.

3.

Saute the chopped spinach garlic in button medium-high heat, mixing vigorously for about 2 minutes to avoid burning the garlic and butter. (The yield on spinach, one cooked, is about one-third.)

Chill the cooked spinach in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

After the spinach is chilled, mix with the yogurt, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Keep refrigerated until serving time.

Serve with pita chips.

HEALTHY BALANCE | 14

Sonny Bryan’s BBQ Nuts & Bolts

Ingredients: 3 cups each corn, rice, and wheat Chex cereal 2 cups pretzel chips or sticks 2 cups pecans 1 ½ cups unsalted butter 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp. garlic salt 2 Tbsp. onion salt ½ cup Sonny Bryan’s BBQ sauce (feel free to substitute with a Texas-style, ketchup-based sauce that’s on the sweet side) 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper

Preparation: 1.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

2.

Mix cereal, nuts, pretzels in a large bowl.

3.

Melt butter and mix with remaining ingredients. Whisk until blended.

4.

Combine the 2 bowls and mix well.

5.

Spread mix on cookie sheet and place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Mix every 20 minutes to blend seasoning well.

6.

Let cool and store in an airtight container.

15 | HEALTHY BALANCE

Southern Chicken Sausage Balls

Ingredients: 2 lbs. chicken jalapeno sausage, casings removed and finely chopped. (If you can’t locate chicken jalapeno sausage, use chicken sausage and 1 can of minced jalapenos.)

1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled 4 cups shredded cheese blend 6 cups Bisquick ½ cup fresh cilantro, no stems and chopped fine Raspberry Chipotle sauce (Available at most specialty food stores. Can substitute peach salsa or your favorite sauce.)

Preparation: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine sausages, canned peppers if using, cheese, Bisquik, and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix well.

Shape into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned.

“Paint” plates with sauce and place balls on top or put sauce in small bowl.

Makes 72

Karol Wilson is a Dallas-based publicist and food-writer. Currently working on her first cookbook, Karol is a longtime member of the prestigious and worldwide organization, Les Dames d’Escoffier. Members are voted in for their experience in the food, wine, and hospitality industries. The Dallas Chapter raises significant funds for women interested in these fields and supports numerous nutrition-related programs throughout North Texas. karolwilson@hotmail.com

HUNGER LI STENS TO MUS IC , TOO .

1 IN 6 AME R IC AN S STRU GG L E S WI T H H U NGE R.

TO GE T HE R WE’ R E

Hunger is closer than you think.

R each out to your local food bank for ways to do your part. Visit FeedingAmerica.org today.

17 |NEWS WORTHY

Eco Fashions Make an Environmental Statement!

By Christina Castle

In the past, eco-fashion brought to mind an image of a potato sack that was made of hemp and well oversized. Now, the picture is a simple black dress made from luxurious raw silk organza and a ruffled skirt created with ultra-soft wild-harvested bamboo or a hand-crafted work of millinery art with an emphasis on sustainability and uncompromising design or even a recycled pop can top or candy wrapper handbag. There is no limit to the environmentally fashionable designs offered today!

A recent trend in the fashion world is to use recycled or environmentally friendly fabrics to make clothing and accessories. Organic cotton, hemp, hand-loomed bamboo, Mongolian cashmere, merino wool, salvage fabric and other eco-friendly materials are a few of these eco-sustainable items that are being used to produce lovely designs whose production does not harm the earth.

Eco-friendly fashion is becoming more popular with environmentally conscious people who prefer not to leave a carbon footprint behind. It can consist of many fabrics made from plants that are grown without the use of chemicals or synthetic fertilizers which are harmful to earth.

Eco-fashion is all about choosing clothing manufactured in an environmentally sound way-whether it’s through sustainable materials or biofriendly production. Due to increasing concern about healthcare and the growing number of consumers preferring products made with sustainable materials, being eco-friendly with regards to fashion certainly does not mean having to sacrifice style.

Recycled materials are used for today's fashions along with renewable textiles and other fabrics. From recycled paper, soy textiles, and organic cotton fiber blends, the sky's the limit when it come to an authentic green outfit and dozens of fashion designers are turning to eco-friendly materials to create unique and fashion-forward collections that use all-natural fabrics.

Top fashion designers turn eco-friendly fabrics Into haute couture, imparting a unique mystique to this emerging green subset of the fashion world.

Christina Castle is a freelance writer who lives in Dallas, TX.

NEWS WORTHY | 18

Heroes Most Definitely…Heroes on the Water

By Jet Parker Our freedoms come at a big sacrifice. Together, Americans can help our wounded warriors gain the freedom they fought to protect. And that is exactly what Heroes on the Water is doing.

Through our nationwide community of volunteers and donors, our Nation's wounded veterans are offered healing and rehabilitating kayak fishing outings that are physically and mentally therapeutic by Heroes on the Water.

Started at Brooke Army Medical Center in 2007 and now nationally headquartered in Allen, Texas, Heroes on the Water serves wounded military personnel and medically retired veterans.

America’s wounded vets in forty-three locations in twenty-four states can take advantage of the unique kayak fishing program at no cost to them or their families. This program has become liberating for those who feel their injuries have cause insurmountable limitations and creates an open interaction where they can learn new skills and focus positively on their futures. Kayak fishing is a powerful form of rehabilitation, as well as an enjoyable one with

long-term results!

The success of the kayak program is due in part to the fact it is not just a one-time event but a long-term activity that keeps the wounded engaged over a period of time.

Participants receive basic kayak fishing and paddling instruction, angling clinics and paddling classes with skill sets ranging from beginners to the most experienced of paddlers, while adaptive equipment is offered to accommodate the soldier’s needs. This relates in turn to how they can adapt in other ways in their lives.

One soldier, at the Center for the Intrepid, called what we do "Triple Therapy" or "all at once therapy." On post he has to go to the gym for physical therapy, then go upstairs for his occupational therapy, and then go to the psychologist for mental therapy. With kayak fishing he gets it all at once - physical therapy from paddling and fishing, occupational therapy learning a lifetime sport/activity, and mental therapy from relaxing in nature with no distractions or expectations of performance.

You can become a volunteer, start a chapter in your area or just share the news of this great program by visiting their website at www.heroesonthewater.org. It only takes a little bit of your time and effort to pay back someone who has given so much more so you do have time and energy!

Jet Parker is a freelance writer of men’s issues. He lives with his family in Plano, Texas.

19 | NEWS WORTHY

Shortage Will Affect Boomers There’s another potential housing crisis coming and this one won’t be a collapse in home values.

The nation is facing a lack of affordable, physically-accessible and well-located homes for America’s aging population — especially those with low incomes, according to a new, gloomy study released today by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies & AARP Foundation.

According to the National Association of Realtors, there is a fairly ill prepared housing market ready for the challenges of the huge baby boomer population that is moving into their senior years.

Technology conundrum: How to help seniors age in place without creeping them out As baby boomers (and now Generation Xers) get older and grayer, the market for technology to monitor their health and help them age at home, rather than in some institution, is a potential gold mine. And that is not lost on vendors wanting a piece of the action.

Read More http://finance.yahoo.com/news/technology-conundrum-help-seniors-age-

NEWS WORTHY | 20

Dr. H. Reginald McDaniel Honored

The Association of Southwestern University Alumni selected Dr. H. Reginald McDaniel to receive the Distinguished Professional Award during Southwestern University’s 2014 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.

The Association of Southwestern University Alumni selected Dr. Reg, as everyone calls him, was chosen from among the university’s most highly regarded alumni to receive the 2014 Distinguished Professional Award.

Southwestern proudly bestows this honor upon the alumni for their outstanding professional and civic achievements.

Dr. Reg McDaniel is a graduate of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School & has spent 20 years practicing anatomical & clinical pathology.

Dr. Reg McDaniel @regmcdaniel

During his illustrious career, Dr. McDaniel served as Director of Pathology & Laboratories and Director of Medical Education at Dallas-Ft Worth Medical Center. In 1981 he began research at Fisher Institute for Medical Research using a bean extract to stimulate the immune system.

His interest grew towards research into the glyconutrient value of aloe vera and its role in supporting good health because it contains a very special sugar, mannatose, which when used in certain compounds , aids in the body’s defense, repair and healing processes. Read more of the recent study http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Headline/alzheimers-aloe-vera-reverse/2013/05/03/id/502667/.

In 1996, the American Naturopathic Medical Association recognized the work Dr. Reg and others aided in with their annual "Discovery of the Year Award".

Currently, Dr McDaniel is happily married to “the real love of his life”, as he states it, Dr. Candace McDaniel, an addiction specialist in Dallas, and serves as Texas Director of Research at Wellness Quest, LLC. He has published numerous educational papers on the effects of glyconutritionals in relation to various conditions.

21 | NEWS WORTHY

Necessary Treatments Innovations in Heath Treatments

By R. M. Oliver “Necessity is the mother of all invention.� Author Unknown

A clichĂŠ is merely a gathering of words whose combined meaning has withstood the passage of time. The particular arrangement above has been floating around Western Civilization for more than a few years and perhaps a revision would benefit the more jaded sections of our collective consciousness.

I see a tendency, at least in myself if not in humanity in general, to think of invention in terms of neat gadgets. Gadgets, like the one I am using now, that make life more comfortable. I believe innovations are so much more than that, as these advancements in health care may demonstrate. Salt therapy has been around for some time now but advancements in delivery systems have only recently made it across the pond. This alternative treatment address a broad range of ailments and has entered, stage right, via the direction of necessity.

I draw the curtain now upon an innovation to ancient knowledge, the therapeutic benefits of salt. The Egyptians knew of the salutary qualities inherent in salt, as did the Hindus. In the modern era in Europe Dr. Felix Boczkowski, a Polish health official, first wrote about the health benefits he observed in the miners at the salt mine in Wieliczka, they had good skin and did not suffer from respiratory illnesses.

For many years since, Speleotherapy or cave therapy has been common in abandoned European salt mines. Yet for the vast majority of the population the expense of traveling to such natural sites has been prohibitive. Watch as necessity takes the stage and her courtship with salt begins. This affair

NEWS WORTHY | 22 arises with a group of Russian scientists. If it’s too costly for the majority of the population to travel to natural salt caves then humanity strives to make their own and so necessity gives birth to Halotherapy.

Encrust the walls of a room with salt, put salt on the floors, pump pharmaceutical grade salt through an ionizer into the room, sit back in a zero gravity chair, relax, and breath like normal. Experience for yourself the benefits of a salt mine without having to become a miner or shell out thousands for a trip to an expensive natural spa.

James Rizzoto is the first to bring salt therapy to Texas launching Salt Escape in a Plano, a Dallas suburb in June 2011.

“I had watched my daughter suffer from asthma for years until I discovered this natural remedy,” Rizzoto said. Salt therapy is little known in the United States, the manager of Salt Escape, Tanya Holliman (Check name) said Salt Escape is one of only twelve such facilities in the United States. Rizzoto plans on expanding the therapy to include locations all over the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex.

Rizzoto further explains that salt “Is a natural antiinflammatory, bacteria can’t grow on it, and it acts as an expectorant to move the mucus out of your system while it’s opening up your airways.” The treatments benefit people suffering from a wide array of upper respiratory and skin conditions including allergies, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, psoriasis, ear infections, eczema, even cold and flu symptoms, and that is only the short list. Rizzoto, desiring to help as many people as possible, has managed to keep the price down with a single adult session costing as little as $45 and an annual subscription being only $99 a month for daily sessions.

And so, upon the stage of history necessity births innovation.

Starting out with people suffering from respiratory illness traveling to salt mines, to Russian scientists inventing their own man-made salt encrusted caves, to an IT professional and baby boomer wanting a better life for his daughter brining the concept to Texas.

Perhaps you’re unconvinced. There is only one way to remedy that, experiment. It could be you’re reading this somewhere far from any current Halotherapy locations.

Take a trip to Dallas and visit Salt Escape, visit Halo Air/Salt Rooms in New York, Galos Spa in Chicago, The Salt Room in Orlando, or The Salt Chalet in Los Angles. Perhaps you will become convinced, perhaps some necessity will move you to start a salt spa in your town. Please let us know if you do. it is an exciting time to live as knowledge that in previous generations might have remained geographically restrained can now travel the globe in seconds. In the area of health, a necessity for all of humanity, innovations from all corners can bring a better quality of life to more people quicker which I hope shines a light on the power of necessity to bring more than simple neat gadgets into our lives.

Perhaps it can bring greater and increased life as well, weather through salt or gentle healing touch.

R.M. Oliver is a freelance writer who resides in Arkansas.

23 | YOUR STYLE

What Is Mid-Century Modern?

By DeeDee Lowder

Many consider Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture combined with Arts and Crafts as the principal American movement for the aesthetic of MidCentury Modern. It is defined as an architectural, interior, product and graphic design that generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern architecture, design and urban development from roughly 1933 to 1965.

Reaffirmed in 1983 by the title of Cara Greenberg’s book, Mid-Century Modern Furniture of the 1950s (Random House), the term celebrates the style which is accepted worldwide as a significant movement.

The Mid-Century Modern movement in the U.S. was really a reflection of the International and Bauhaus movements – including the works of Gropius, Le Corbusier and Mies Van Der Rohe, although it is more organic in form and less formal. The Brazilian and Scandinavian style was characterized by clean simplicity and integration with nature.

Mid-century modern emphasizes creating structures with ample windows and open floor plans with the intention of bringing nature inside. Function was important with an emphasis placed specifically on targeting the needs of the average American family. Stephan Sardone, owner of Sardone Construction in Dallas says, “what has been exciting for me in our mid-century remodels is the opportunity to

visualize it in the old way, like the woman of the home working in the closed-in kitchen of the 50s, and envisioning it with the fresh philosophy of putting everyone together in a shared experience by making the kitchen the open center of entertainment.”

He states incorporating this openness throughout the flow of the home is challenging, but what makes a remodel so much fun.

Davis Call, of David Call Interiors in Dallas shares the same sentiments about mid-century design stating, “furniture and accessories from the 1950s mirror the curves and geometric shapes of the home’s architecture with emphasis on casual living, addressing the needs of modern life.” He says that this fall’s trend of geometric design is very reminiscent of the mid-century modern era.

DeeDee Lowder is a freelance writer, mother and entrepreneur who now lives in Atlanta. GA.

Discount

25 | BOOM VOYAGE The Caribbean Islands – Blues and Greens You May Have Never Seen

By Peggy Emerton Schilling There are many wonderful and beautiful places to visit in the world. If you are blessed enough to get frequent vacations then you are wellaware of the fact that it can be hard to choose what kind of vacation to go on and where to spend your days away from work.

Do you want to vacation somewhere warm or somewhere cold? Do you prefer a bit of an isolated vacation or do you like the busyness of being surrounded by many people? As my family and I have been vacationing for the past few years, we have determined our favorite spot, that we just cannot get enough of, is the Caribbean Islands.

I knew the Caribbean Islands were something special the first time we took chartered there.

There was a magic and a wonder in our eyes upon seeing the water that we’d never experienced before. My husband and I were absolutely hooked on the sheer beauty of the Caribbean Islands. I didn't mind the relaxed pace or the daily agenda of just being by the water and swimming if we felt like it.

One of the great things about the Caribbean Islands is the variety of locations and atmospheres there are to choose from. If you are looking for an island with a lot of activity, you can find it in the Caribbean Islands. If, however, you are looking for a quiet and secluded feel for your vacation, it is not hard to find a Caribbean island that fits your needs. Few places in the world offer such flexibility for any kind of vacation. You can stay on a Caribbean island that offers a lot of tourist attractions or you can stay somewhere that only offers the beach. It's up to you.

Another obvious thing to love about the Caribbean Islands is the sheer beauty that surrounds you. I have never been to a place more beautiful in all my travels. From the moment we stepped off the plane we were struck by just how full of beauty the Caribbean Islands are. The water holds a variety of shades of blue and green. The sand is nearly angel-hair white, and the sky is bright blue and filled with sunshine every day. The landscaping is immaculate and I have rarely seen as green of grass and plants. The Caribbean Islands are simply unmatched for this kind of beauty.

So, if you're looking for a great place to vacation, look no further than to the Caribbean Islands. You can experience any kind of vacation you want to, but all in the midst of the beauty and wonder of the Caribbean Islands. What could be better than that? Your experience by sea?

One of the most popular ports of call for Caribbean cruise ships is St. Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the three Caribbean cruises that I’ve taken thus far, two of them included a stopover in St. Thomas. On both occasions, there was a consensus amongst other passengers we met, that St. Thomas was one of the nicer Islands visited. Even though the driving in St. Thomas is on the left-hand side, it is still a U.S. territory. This means that this Caribbean island features many other conveniences of being American soil.

These included easy telephone connections for calls back to the mainland, the use of U.S. currency and English as the main language. St. Thomas is also one of the cleanest of Caribbean Islands and the locals do not aggressively hustle the tourists like they do on other Islands. Many passengers stated that St. Thomas is a place they would like to come back to in the future.

BOOM VOYAGE | 26 During my first visit to St. Thomas, we decided that we would spend some time snorkeling in the local waters.

My advance research suggested that Coki Bay on the northeast side of St. Thomas was a nice place to snorkel.

When our cruise ship docked at Charlotte Amalie, the capital city of the U.S. Virgin Islands, we hailed one of the many taxi cabs at the port.

It was a $15 US fare to Coki Beach where Coki Bay is located. It took only about 15 minutes to get there. The scenery along the way was magnificent as we went up a hill and saw our cruise ship in the distant harbor below. The island itself is very lush with greenery everywhere.

At Coki Beach, we rented snorkeling gear for $20 US. To my surprise, the rental attendant gave us each a hard biscuit to feed the fish while we were in the water. Once we got into the water, dozens of tropical fish immediately crowded around us. I guess they knew the drill quite well. We ripped off small pieces of the biscuits and the fish went for it, even if the food was just inches away from our face masks.

The yellowtail snappers, sergeant majors and occasional parrotfish displayed no fear of us at

all. After about an hour in the warm water, it was time to say goodbye to our new aquatic friends. Another $15 US cab ride took us back to the cruise ship port where we spend the rest of the day browsing the many duty free shops located there.

St. Thomas is definitely not an inexpensive island for either cruise ship passengers or resort tourists staying there, but extra comfort and quality of the island are quite noticeable compared to many other Caribbean destinations. The other main Islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. John and St. Croix) are more laid-back and less commercialized than St. Thomas.

We’re looking forward to another return trip to St. Thomas in the future for a multi-day scuba diving trip. For those thinking of going on a Caribbean cruise, I would definitely recommend one that has St. Thomas as one of its ports of call. It is one of the better Islands on any Caribbean cruise itinerary.

If I can help you in any way…please feel free to give me a call!

Peggy Schilling is the Co-Founder and Charter Broker for Select Charters. She specializes in understanding her client’s dreams and desires regarding the vacation of a lifetime. To learn more please visit: www.SelectCharters.com or email Peggy at Peggy@SelctCharters.com

27 | BOOM VOYAGE

On Board Enrichment Programs

By Lyn Edwin Cathey Regardless of which term you prefer to use; Enrichment Program, Edu-tainment, Info-tainment, Purposeful Pleasure, Cultural Learnings to Make Benefit for Cruise Passenger…whatever…these on-board blends of education and entertainment are growing fast in popularity. In fact, I’m wondering if growth will continue until it surpasses food & dining as the primary reason to cruise? (Yes, I’m asking this question in all seriousness.)

Wait! Before you jump ship, thinking this is the foodfor-thought equivalent of a Half-Baked Alaska, hear me out.

Reflected in cruise line advertising, passenger surveys and attendance metrics, on-board edutainment has become such a huge draw that cruise companies are spending lavishly on additions and enhancements, constantly improvising to maintain a competitive edge.

Example: The newest Celebrity ships have state-ofthe-art glass blowing exhibition facilities – located next to a lawn area. (Yes, real hot liquid glass next to real growing grass, not Astroturf. The lawn serves as sitting area, putting green, lawn bowling course, etc.)

Passengers can sit on benches or in the grass and watch glass blowers at work. The show itself consists of professionals – supplied by the Corning Museum of Glass of Corning, NY – creating works of art before your very eyes.

Long, well insulated poles are utilized to manipulate 2,000 degree glowing globs of molten silica. It is quite a show!

Personal Note – To me, that super-heated, pulsating mass of glass looks alive…ready to pounce at any moment. So, like Steve McQueen in the 1958 horror movie The Blob, I float around the periphery, poised, ready to run should it lurch in my direction.

Celebrity has obviously spent a tremendous amount of time, money, and creative energy – not to mention prime on-board real estate – to bringing this special interest attraction to reality, along with it’s unique, lawn-side venue. Which begs the ultimate question – is it paying off? Has on-board glass blowing proven popular?

While admittedly unscientific, my own survey says…well, maybe. The observed abundance of grass stained white shorts immediately following a demonstration indicates to me there is sufficient attendance with animated responses.

BOOM VOYAGE | 28 Here now, for your edification, is a quick review of some of the nomenclature versus actual content of programs for the three most popular premium cruise brands: Celebrity Cruise Lines – Offered under the heading “Celebrity Life” with three sub-categories:    

    

Savor – culinary & wine tasting courses Discover – computers, photography & all things digital, art, writing, languages, glass blowing, etc.

Renew – spa treatments, fitness classes and wellness seminars Holland America Lines – A new program titled “Explorations“, implemented by onboard Explorations Teams,consisting of a party planner, lifestyle coach, a “techspert” (technical expert), destination lecturer, dance instructor and book club leader. And, surprise, surprise, they work together as a team to lead: Lifestyle & Wellness Classes – nutrition, yoga, Tai Chi, etc.

Cooking Classes – taught in state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Theaters by the ship’s chefs History & Culture – seminars, guest lecturers and book club literary discussions Digital Workshops – computer literacy, photography, the Internet, etc.

Dance – lessons and dance related activities

On board computer classes on Holland America Lines



Princess Cruise Lines – Risking confusion with an email address, this line has implemented their enrichment programs under the too-clever-by-half moniker “Scholarship@Sea“. Besides the usual Culinary Arts and Wine Tastingofferings, “@Sea” programs abound:  Photography@Sea – beginners, advanced & Photoshop  Ceramics@Sea – complete with on-board kilns  Navigation@Sea – do you have to bring your own GPS?  Computers@Sea – basic literacy, Internet, etc.  Scrapbooking@Sea – ok, but is it graduate level?

(You can see why one Cruise Critic reviewer referred to some of the Princess programs as a “bit fluffy”.)

In conclusion – never would I stoop to scare tactics just to sell newspapers – but still have to ask

29 | BOOM VOYAGE And what if this infirmity turns out to be just a figment of our imagination? We can still count on the pharmaceutical industry to come to our rescue – developing an over-priced, over-advertised supplement to cure another disease that we previously didn’t even know we had.

Real, green, growing grass on Celebrity Cruise Lines

A Big Name celebrity (Sally Fields?) is probably already under contract to testify on Nightly News commercials about how her “IC” was reversed by a once-a-month dose of Boat-Niva – on sale in the gift shop, next to the Dramamine and Maalox.

Then, once the Sugar Free &, Low Fat versions of the on-board courses are launched, we will be doubly safe, free to ingest as much floating Brain Food as our five senses can absorb. It’s the American Way. See you in class – Large Animal Taxidermy Lite – 12 noon, deck six – buffet lunch provided.

Junior Ranger on Princess Queen Mary 2 Acting Classes

31 | REDEFINING

Willing To Let Them Go

By Beverly F. Jones

John loves his wife and children. He describes his wife as kind, loving, extremely intelligent, has a good job and that she is especially beautiful. He is so proud of her that he shows me a picture of her that he took that morning on his cell phone. During our conversation the phone rings and he says it is she and he needs to answer. As I listen to his conversation, I realize that he has called her to ask a question that did not need to be answered. He is attentive in his responses and wishes her a fine time.

As we get back to our conversation he tells me that she is out to lunch with some girls from her office. Today is her day off and she dressed nicely for this lunch date. He had called her earlier to see if she had arrived safely and then about 40 minutes later he called to ask about the issue they had just discussed while I was listening. In the past, John has accused his wife of infidelity and has questioned her extensively.

He is afraid she is meeting someone at lunch and not her officemates. As we continue in our conversation, I get him to admit the issue is not that she is cheating. He believes he doesn’t deserve her and that she could have a man, much better than he. The problem is his insecurity.

He is so afraid of losing her to someone better that he is driving her away. My advice to John was to let her go. He looked at me as though I were out of my mind. He has to be willing to let her go to keep her. He has to get rid of his fear of loss. When this happens he can look at the real problem and work to make the necessary changes. Fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism against stimuli such as pain or the threat of danger. The majority of the time, fear has no

REDEFINING | 32 basis in fact and is steeped with insecurity. Marie Curie said, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”

The opposite of fear is faith. When you are feeling fearful you are lacking faith and should develop it by believing in yourself. Therefore, I say to you, “What do you want instead?” For John it was to feel confident in his ability to keep his family together. We discussed how he could do this and put an appropriate plan

together.

Are you so afraid of losing someone close to you that you are driving them away? Step back and ask yourself, “What is the worst that can happen?” When you answer that question, ask it again and again until you get to the root of your fear. When you know the basis of your fear you will be able to make the appropriate decision of what you want and do the actions necessary.

Beverly Jones is a Certified Life Coach, hypnotist, speaker, and published author. You can visit her website at http://commandingyourlife.com.

33 | REDEFINING

Five Easy Steps to Staying Inspired

By Scott Schilling

Being motivated or staying inspired…which would you choose? Staying inspired of course! Every Boomer knows that…right?!

Or maybe I should set some groundwork…

Motivation is an outside in activity and only happens when someone or something is there to keep you “motivated”. Inspiration on the other hand is an inside out activity.

Typically inspiration comes from your internal desires to “get outside yourself” and focus on something

bigger and better than you are currently experiencing.

Staying inspired yourself to excel at your job or to be an example to your employees should not be something you do only when the spirit moves you. It’s an ongoing process that should include every facet of your business life. This means your mental attitude, physical well-being and appearance, work atmosphere, your interaction with others (clients and

REDEFINING | 34 employees alike), and your off-the-job environment.

care about your problems…and the other 20% are glad you have them…just kidding!

Inspirational experts get paid big money to tell professionals, those striving for success, that they must constantly examine these factors. So how do you do that? Follow the 5 tips that follow, and watch the changes.

It’s a joke…problems don’t help anyone…especially you. Turn your attention and energy entirely to your on-the-job tasks. This will actually be good for you because you’ll get a mental break from your troubles.

Create Positive Affirmations - The reason for writing goals for your business is the same as creating positive affirmations on paper. What your eyes see and ears hear, your mind will believe. Try it! After you’ve written them down, read them aloud to yourself – and do it every morning when you get into work. You’ll be amazed at what happens.

Maintain a Positive Attitude – Let’s realize that life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. We’re responsible for our own actions and attitudes, and changing them when appropriate. When you’re around people or things that are uplifting and positive, you feel that way. You have more confidence in yourself, and know you can change whatever needs changing. Boomers have been through enough…long enough to get this!

Start each affirmation with the command statement…I AM…that locks in your subconscious immediately and activates your inner receptors. Come up with a set of new ones every month. Statements such as, “I’m an important and valuable person,” or “I know I’ll make good use of my time today.” Repeating them out loud everyday at a set time will help reinforce positive actions.

Understand that whatever seed you sow is the fruit you reap. When you share positivity…it breeds positivity! If you can make your workplace such a place you’ll find happier workers and higher production. You might even find your employees look forward to coming to work!

Leave Personal Troubles Home - Everyone has problems, but they don’t belong at work. You’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule…well it applies with your problems as well. Eighty percent of the people don’t

Make Sure Break Times Are Really Break

35 | REDEFINING Times - This is an area where most bosses and entrepreneurs fall down. You become so intense about the project or situation you’re working on that you don’t ease up. Thinking that it’ll be solved in the next few seconds, and then you’ll get a cup of coffee can lead you right up to quitting time.

Regularly adhering to a specified break schedule, even if you’re the boss, releases the tension. If you work on a computer this is even a greater problem because before you realize it – you’ve been working in that same position for hours. The best answer to this is to set yourself a reminder on your appointment calendar for every 2 hours, and let the computer reminder chime send you the alert to move around.

entrepreneur that has a home office), or just get up and do a few stretches. Concentrated, tense thinking – typing - plotting plans - or whatever your work, makes all those muscles tighten up and knot up. Then when we move we “ooh” and “ouch” because we’ve knotted up into a ball of tension. Periodic stretching, even at our desk, or just getting up and walking over to the window and getting a different view can help.

One of the greatest disservice modern business décor has done to us, is making our offices pristine, sleek, unencumbered spaces. There is nothing more relaxing than getting up from your desk and walking over to a peaceful, serene, seascape or pastoral painting and just drinking it in visually. Momentarily transporting your mind out of work and into that place does wonders. A few good paintings and less shiny chrome in offices would benefit us all.

It only takes a little concentrated effort on our part to keep motivated and productive, which leads to success. I know you’re going to hate hearing this, but it’s true anyway – and that is, “WHEN LIFE GIVES YOUR LEMONS – MAKE LEMONADE!”

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise - I know that lately it seems that “exercise” is the cure-all to every physical ailment or your love life, but despite that there is some truth to that ugly word. By “exercise” I don’t mean that you should go out and join a gym and spend your lunch-time, 3days-a-week there working out. What is really beneficial and workable is that at those chiming alerts from your computer, get up and walk around your desk or room.

There’s something about us Boomers…and I for one like it!

Maybe go outside and get the mail and enjoy the sunlight (if you’re an Scott Schilling is a business Growth expert who speaks, trains, coaches and writes on topics specifically designed to help others make positive improvements in their thoughts, actions and success. To learn more please visit www.ScottSchilling.com

37 | REDEFINING

Taking Stock: One Boomer’s Life with MS

By Cynthia Stock

When I go to work someone invariably asks me how I am in the context of casual conversational banter. “I’m upright,” I reply, “which is a good thing.” And I laugh to myself. I don’t mean to sound snotty or glib or condescending. Diagnosed with MS in 1979, I consider every day I am able to go to work or to work out at the gym a gift. Not everyone with whom I work knows I have MS. It’s no secret, but not something I want to discuss along with politics, pregnancy, or the sale at Macy’s It started with a band of numbness, the lines of which perfectly matched one of the body’s dermatomes. The weird sensation started at my spine, wrapped around the middle of my right chest, and ended near my mid-abdomen. It felt like a low amplitude electric current. I expected to feel my skin vibrate over the area, but it didn’t. Even after a lumbar puncture and a myelogram, the doctor mentioned the presence of an abnormal protein in my spinal fluid, but offered no diagnosis. Subsequently the irritating skin-buzz disappeared. I enjoyed a few more months of worry free ignorance. The pace of my life didn’t slow down. I worked two jobs to save money for a house. I charged ahead with no inkling of how soon I would be foraging, like the dinosaurs, through my own tar pits of uncertainty.

REDEFINING | 38

I changed jobs and began to work full time nights in a Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. I don’t remember when what I now know as a paresthesia began, but it affected one foot and made it feel like it was stuffed with uncooked rice. If I walked on cold tile, my foot burned. If I walked on carpet, I swore I walked on pins. I sought out the expertise of a neurologist at the hospital where I worked. He insisted on another lumbar puncture and drew blood for a lot of tests, including an MS panel. I thought he was way off base. Allergies? Maybe. A pinched nerve from lifting? Probably. MS? No way. I went on a short vacation and put as much distance as I could between me and the possibilities. I didn’t know then that denial would be my best defense against being derailed by a diagnosis and the biggest obstacle to getting the help I needed.

I called the doctor’s office. As a nurse, I have delivered bad news on many occasions. It never becomes routine. I always pause and brace myself for the unpredictable responses. I think the day I called I heard what I wanted. I believe the doctor said the MS panel was negative, but that he still could not rule it out. I probably stopped listening after negative. When I returned to Dallas, I visited the doctor one more time. We discussed MS and its sequelae.

“Is there anything I can’t do because of it?”

I asked a question typical of someone raised in a family where hard work and tenacity conquered all.

“Do whatever you can for as long as you can.” The doctor replied. In a world not quite on the cusp of drastic changes in insurance, health care, and electronic medical records, he added, “And don’t tell anyone you’ve got it.”

Panic understates my reaction. I read everything I could about the disease. I learned about the signs and symptoms and imagined I had them all. I read about research, drugs, and hopes for a cure. I contacted the MS Society and attended a support group which scared the hell out of me and left me fraught with guilt. I didn’t walk with a cane or wear a patch caused by double vision. These were things that could happen to me, yet hadn’t happened to me.

In that moment I understood being both blessed and cursed. My mind capitulated to my overactive imagination. I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom in the dark contemplating the “what ifs.” Should I finish the needlepoint I started in case my hands stopped working? Or should I finish the book I started in case my eyes failed? What should I do first? Finally I went to my PCP who saved me with the magic of Valium. I took a total of two pills and began to get a grip on myself.

I focused on the neurologists words and began to “do.” I exercised, meditated, prayed, worked, and denied my disease. My MS. I wonder if people always add the possessive to their diseases.

39 | REDEFINING

Over twenty years I had only two major flair ups of “my” MS. The worst occurred when I went on a drastic weight loss program. I lost seventy pounds in six months through diet and exercise. During a visit to my mom’s, she and my step-dad took me out to eat. I walked across the entryway of the restaurant in my slip-on Aigner sandals. One went flying across the tile. I couldn’t feel or control my foot. In bed that night numbness spread along my inner thighs following the path of what I learned in nursing school as a pudendal block. The time had come for me to go back to the doctor. High dose steroids returned me to my previous level of physical health, but a change in reality wormed its way into my consciousness.

Several years later, I fell while jogging for the last time. I started working out at the gym. Then I realized I was having difficulty walking my powerful, energy driven Dalmatian. Again I went to the doctor. A course of IV steroids corrected my staggering gait. I shortened the walks and stayed closer to home. For decades I had managed without acknowledging the presence in my body of a chronic disease.

Then I switched PCPs. The new doctor came highly recommended. Soft spoken and easy to talk to, he zeroed in on problems with uncanny accuracy. He talked to me as a person, not just a patient passing through the system’s revolving door.

“Who do you see for your MS?” He asked.

When I told him I went to a general neurologist, he paused. We all know the signs when a person’s mental wheels are turning. “If you were a member of my family, I’d send you to the MS Clinic at the med school. You’ll need a letter to get in.

No problem there.”

I trusted him. “OK.” And so began my acceptance of my disease. My MS. I tried Copaxone, a daily subcutaneous injection. Walnut sized local reactions appeared sequentially on my belly, thighs, and arms as I rotated sites. With a baseline resting heart rate in the fifties, I couldn’t take Fingolimod which was known to slow the heart. I take Coumadin which made intramuscular medication administration risky for hematomas. The internet, something not at my fingertips when I was first diagnosed, brought me up to speed on what was happening in terms of treatment and cure. I read research about homeopathic over-the-counter supplements. I followed the development, FDA application for and approval process of Tecfidera, an oral agent for relapsingremitting MS. I’ve lost several pounds from the indigestion caused by the drug.

I went to the MS Clinic this week. I have a new doctor. He is brilliant, personable, full of new ideas, and gave me some good news. “At your age, I think you have seen the worst of your MS.” Note he used the possessive. He’s going to give me a new med to improve my walking. Ironically Ampyra, the drug, is an avian poison, but the FDA approved it in specific doses. It helps with urinary urgency, a problem I can’t biofeedback away. I still get frightened sometimes. I watched Hilary and Jackie last week, a portrayal of MS at its most devastating. It took me a few days to relax and remember: “I’m upright…which is a good thing.”

Cynthia Stock is a Registered Nurse in Dallas and a published author.

Visit www.Cynthia-Stock.com.

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41 | SENIOR SCENE

The Power of Music

By Claire Maestri

Music therapy provides relief to both the person who has dementia as well as to the dementia care provider. Clinical reports suggest that music therapy may reduce wandering and restlessness and improved mood after listening to the music. In fact, people with dementia can sing entire songs that they learned as a young child or young adult even if they no longer use purposeful words to communicate. It is very enjoyable to see a person who has great difficulty using words begin to sing whole songs and laugh, clap, and dance to familiar music. Here are 3 ways to use music in your caregiving day: 1. Helping with a Daily Activity: Music is an effective distraction that can be used when the person is requested to complete a task they don’t understand or typically refuse, such as taking a bath. If the caregiver plays music in the background and participates in making the music a fun activity by singing or clapping during the task, the person focuses on the music instead of the focusing on the task they do not find desirable.

2. Setting the Mood: Use music to set the mood of the day or the mood of the task such as calm, soothing, music at night just before bed, and more stimulating music in the afternoon. Meal times can be very quiet when the person is no longer initiating conversations or if they have lost the ability to use words to communicate. Music in the background can change the mood of the meal to a joyous one, and music can stimulate long term memories, such as hymns and music from their generational era.

3. Unwinding for Caregivers: The caregiver can also use music as a source of relaxation and meditation. It is important for dementia care providers to continue to take care of themselves and to pay attention to their own needs during the difficult times of caregiving. Use music at night after the person they are caring for goes to bed. Spend 15 to 30 minutes just before going to bed to listen to soothing music. This can be “me time�.

Listen with your eyes closed and try to only focus on the music. Pay attention to your breathing during this time. Complete relaxation for 15 to 30 minutes per day before going to sleep will result in more restful sleep and it is more likely that the caregiver will wake up rejuvenated the next day.

Music therapy is good for the soul of all, but particularly in regards to dementia care!

A Pet Blessing Ceremony is a spiritual celebration to honor our loyal companions who love us unconditionally.

Bring along your animal friends, all species welcome

Saturday, October 4, 2014 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Front Lawn of Abbey Mausoleum Restland Memorial Park 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas Chaplains available for individual blessings Animal Adoption hosted by City of Richardson Animals are an extension of the family and loved in much the same way people love their children. By honoring the significance of these special family members, they provide joy and comfort to their owners - and the pets benefit as well.

All faiths welcome.

For more information call Restland Funeral Home at (972) 238-7111 or Sandra.Moudy@RestlandFuneralHomeDallas.com or RestlandFuneralHome.com All animals are welcome provided they are under physical control (leash, harness, bridle, or crate) and are safe to be around others. If your pet is unable to be present, bring an article representing them (picture, collar, toy, halter, urn, etc.) to be blessed on their behalf. ŠRFH2014