Spring 2011 by The Waiting Room Magazine

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Spring 2011

Issue 7

LITTLE BIG CATS ON THE TRAIL OF THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ARABIAN LEOPARD WITH WILDLIFE VET, MAURICE O’SCANAILL

DIABETIC DIET JESS KEANE’S RECIPES TO SATISFY YOUR SWEET TOOTH

THE FATS OF LIFE WHEN BIG WAS BEAUTIFUL

ASK THE EXPERT DR NINA BYRNES ON HEARING

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL PHOTOJOURNALIST, EAMONN MCLOUGHLIN IN THE JUNGLES OF BURMA

Plus Inside FROM PLOT TO POT GROW YOUR OWN PUZZLES AND GAMES

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I keep telling my wife that a few extra little pounds on a man of my height is fine, nice even. But I’m not getting very far. She goes on about uncomfortable things like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hardening of the arteries. I point out that she has no medical qualifications whatsoever. And so it goes. My efforts to be a comfortable portly gentleman, in the Victorian sense, cut no ice. So I thought if I carried an article on obesity – another favourite term of hers – it might go some way to showing that my heart, under threat though it may be, is in the right place. We’ll see. But somehow I don’t think it’s going to deliver the desired results and I can foresee little chance of the lifting of the gentle but persistent siege. In an earlier (slimmer) life, I spent several years working in Oman, a beautiful and fascinating country. I was actually vet to the Royal Stables but part of my duties involved being wildlife vet to both the Arabian Leopard Project and the White Oryx Project. We all need something different in our lives and, for me, I’d have to say Inside... that this was it. In these days, dark in every sense, I thought it would be worth going back to visit brighter, warmer times. I hope you agree. Good health to you,

JESSICA KEANE: Essential, practical advice on food and nutrition – helping you to take control of what you eat to speed up your recovery, to feel healthy, strong and energised.

spring 2011

inside

The Waiting Room Magazine will not be responsible for, nor will it return, unsolicited manuscripts. Transparencies or prints submitted for publication are sent at the owner’s risk and, while every care is taken, The Waiting Room Magazine cannot accept any liability for loss or damage. The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Waiting Room Magazine. The entire contents of the magazine are the copyright of The Waiting Room Magazine and may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publishers.

The Fat and The Cat

REVERSING THE PROGRESS OF MILENNIA, TODAY'S YOUNGER GENERATION WILL PROBABLY LIVE SHORTER LIVES THAN THEIR PARENTS. WHY? features 05 Little Big Cats Critically endangered, the elusive and rare Arabian Leopard clings on precariously in inaccessible canyons in Oman

09 The Fats of Life From hogging to jogging. How our affluence is killing us!

22 Hope Springs Eternal Photo-journalist, Eamonn McLoughlin, meets a County Clare nun in remotest Burma where she brings Hope to AIDS patients

regulars 04 By the Book Books critic, Paul O’Doherty gives some wise words on a selection from his eclectic shelves

health

21 Garden From the plot to the pot – gardening expert and chef extraordinaire, Breandan O’Scanaill, on growing his own produce

11 Ask the Expert Listen Up! Dr Nina Byrnes answers readers’ questions on hearing problems

14 Health Notes ICGP's Dr Mel Bates on why Swine Flu is still an issue

competition

15 Sweet Tooth EAMONN MCLOUGHLIN: Photojournalist and traveller, Eamonn, recently returned from Myanmar, writes for publications in both UK and Ireland.

Diabetics can still enjoy delicious food, thanks to Jess Keane

08 Win a pair of Sprinboost Two pairs to giveaway!

18 A Night in A&E Reader, Sheelagh Coyle, spent a night there recently and kept her ears and eyes wide open

19 Big Prize Crossword Win two nights at The Clifden Station House with our prize crossword

20 Winning Wordsearch More puzzles and prizes

The Waiting Room Magazine, Northampton, Kinvara, Co Galway +353 91 638205 | info@waitingroom.ie | waitingroom.ie EDITOR Maurice O’Scanaill MEDICAL EDITOR Dr Sophie Faherty PRODUCTION Helen Gunning ADVERTISING Alex Xuereb CONTRIBUTORS: Dr Mel Bates; Dr Nina Byrnes; Sheelagh Coyle; Jessica Keane; Eamonn McLoughlin; Paul O'Doherty; Breandan O'Scanaill

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SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

review

MONSIEUR PAIN

By the Book Books critic, Paul O’Doherty, gives us his customary insightful take on an eclectic choice of the recent publications on his shelves

PULSE Julian Barnes A minor character, Arthur George, in A Kind Man, brings us to Julian Barnes and Pulse, whose previous book Arthur and George was nominated for the Man Booker in 2005. This time around in 14 short stories, Barnes’s focus is on the ironic, middle-class English life suffocating in its own familiar milieu, dabbling out into the world of Polish waitresses, Italian vineyards, family breakdown, death and the mystery of women – to men. While Barnes has been on better form in the past, and his short-story style will open debate to its brilliance or suitability to the genre, this is still a worthwhile exploration of the mundane everyday (suitability of the bendy buses to London streets) to the more politically worrying (will al-Qaeda attack the London 2012 Olympics?) Incidentally, for those who judge a book by its cover, its jacket is remarkably similar to Tom McCarthy’s experimental novel, C, that was Booker nominated last year.

A KIND MAN Susan Hill Susan Hill’s, A Kind Man (Chatto and Windus), is, as you’d expect, a tightly written expression of the author’s style that rarely uses two words when one will do, and is a trusted method which has previously reaped rewards with Booker long – and short-listed highlights such as I’m The King of the Castle, The Lost Man and Bird of Night. This particular study of wife and husband, Eve and Tommy Carr, and their struggle with the loss of their only child, Jeannie Eliza, is a softly written novella about love, repression, the acceptability of one’s circumstances and the bleak and desperate choices that life affords. While its title is significant, it’s also a sad and uncompromising morality tale that turns on the fallout of a miracle and the dilemma and consequences of accepting a wage for the power of healing.

GIVE ME YOUR HEART

A WELLRESEARCHED, CHILLING BAG OF TRICKS FOR CRIME WRITERS LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

Joyce Carol Oates Sticking with short stories, Joyce Carol Oates’ Give Me Your Heart (Corvus) is a 10-story collection dealing with issues of obsession, self-destruction, jealousy, personal reckless endangerment and worries that may or may not be real, among other emotions only waiting to be stirred. Now in her early 70s, Oates remains prolific, adding to her 70-odd books, this time as uncompromising and disturbing as before, unsettling what is normally your moral compass, opening doors to disturbance, and fiddling around with all sorts of insecurities that hide in the minds of most of her readers.

Roberto Bolaño Roberto Bolaño’s Monsieur Pain (Picador) is an impish instalment from the Chilean author who died in 2003, whose many works, including the brilliant The Savage Detectives and 2666, have now been, posthumously, translated into English. Set in the Paris of 1938, it tells the story of mesmerist Pierre Pain who is consulted by Madame Reynaud – whom Pain is in love with – to cure her friend’s husband, the sick Peruvian poet César Vallejo, who cannot stop hiccupping. Full of illusion, extravagated metaphors, and the threat of something darker, Bolaño’s snapshot spy-thriller take on pre-war Paris is overshadowed by the excesses to come and the sinister forces overflowing from Franco’s Spain. In short, classic Bolaño: well written, uncompromisingly mysterious and ethereally dreamy.

THE INVENTION OF MURDER – HOW THE VICTORIANS REVELLED IN DEATH AND DETECTION AND CREATED MODERN CRIME Judith Flanders’ Into the realm of non-fiction, Judith Flanders’ The Invention of Murder – How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime (Harper Press) is a fascinating investigation of Victorian curiosity with the specifics of murder and how the perpetrators might eventually be caught, tried and hanged. While mildly shocking, the narrative sucks you in from the beginning and from the comfort and safety of 21st century modernity and the locked doors and security alarms that go with it. Delving into the famous murders involving Jack-the-Ripper, among others, and intertwining stories from Ainsworth, Collins, Conan Doyle, Dickens and Stevenson, it’s also a well researched and chilling bagof-tricks for crime writers looking for inspiration, if inspiration were needed, and other crime-followers who love a good yarn. YOUR FREE COPY

wildlife

LITTLE BIG CATS

The Arabian Leopard, smallest and rarest of all leopards, is on the critically endangered list. Editor and wildlife vet, Maurice O’Scanaill, tells his tale! The thump of the helicopter sinking onto the floor of the wadi (valley) is the sweetest feeling. For several hundred nerve-wracking feet, I’ve watched the canyon walls slide slowly upwards on either side, looking close enough to touch. Despite my window seat, I can’t see the bottom. Climbing out

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into the baking air, I heft my Leopard Box, and, with Dr. Andrew Spalton, the project manager, set off along the rock-strewn floor, the only two allowed forward at this point. This leopard (nimr) would never have seen humans – even the hardy djebalis would have had no reason to penetrate this far

NO BIGGER PREDATORS TO ROB IT; IN ITS TINY WORLD, THE NIMR IS KING.

into the inaccessible fastnesses of the barren Djebel Samhan mountains of southern Oman. Landing closer might have scared our precious captive to death, so we face a long hike around a curve in the wadi to the 12ft cage-trap, with its half-eaten goat and very agitated nimr. f

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

wildlife

Author with assistant, Ahmed

Author prepares to take blood sample

Helicopter crew with sleeping patient

The Arabian Leopard, the smallest and rarest of all leopards, is on the critically endangered list. Apart from being paler, and just half the size of African leopards, the nimr has different habits. For starters, it doesn’t drag its kill into trees. There are no trees, but also, its prey can be as small as birds, insects and lizards so it is often eaten in minutes. Besides, there are no bigger predators to rob it; in its tiny world, the nimr is king. TOP PRIORITY

Despite the obstacles, we hurry. The leopard has already been in direct sun for too long. The trap needs to be in the open, visible to the observer perched precariously, for weeks now, on a high ledge almost a mile away. My orders from the minister, are clear: ‘Tabib (‘doctor’). When you get nimr call, go at once to Military Airport. Even if you are doing an operation!’ Luckily, I never had to make that difficult decision. But it has top priority. We’re a hundred feet up before I get my seat-belt fastened. In the arid Arabian Penisula, only the Dhofar region is blessed annually by the Khareef, the outer edge of the monsoon. The Khareef doesn’t actually stretch this far inland but there are very infrequent torrential flash-floods and, in those wadis so narrow and deep that their floors never direct-

ly feel the merciless sun, dwindling rock-pools persist between flash-floods, enabling little ecosystems to survive, with the nimr as top predator. In sight of the trap, we stop. Gauging the size and weight of a moving spotted creature through a 1.5" iron mesh is difficult, but critical; I must get my anaesthetic mixture right: too little and we’ll have to just let the groggy nimr go (you can’t keep topping up); too much and I wipe out a significant percentage of the world’s tiny population. With no precedents, I use the same cocktail as for a domestic moggy, only seven times more; I use highly-concentrated drugs as they must fit into a tiny dart. Eventually, loaded and ready, we approach the trap, split up, and while Andrew distracts the nimr at one end, I sneak up behind, put the blow-pipe through the mesh and blow sharply. The dart hits home, and we withdraw. Five minutes later, our nimr is lying asleep, but right in the middle of the trap, facing the opening. So who’s going to crawl in and haul him out by the scruff of the neck? Maybe he’s just lightly sedated, ready to explode into furious life the instant he’s dis-

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

turbed? In the end, I devise a very unscientific but effective method of gauging the level of anaesthesia – I navigate a long stick through the mesh and repeatedly prod him about the head. Getting no reaction, I pronounce it safe for ‘someone’ (the others have now arrived) to go in and haul him out, but eventually I am required to put my money where my mouth is and do it myself. GETTING PHYSICAL

Oral examination

Richard Ward's portrait of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos, using that trip as background, became Oman's official stamp for Wildlife Year, 2002.

The rest is easy. Rushing him into shade, I begin: overall examination, general health assessment; temperature, heart-rate, respirations; numerous blood samples, skin-biopsy, faecal sample. In the meantime, Andrew is weighing, measuring, photographing spotpatterns (the fingerprints of the leopard world) while my friend, Richard Ward, the wildlife artist (who just happened to be visiting for a few days from Ireland) sketches and photographs. An hour later, we sit and, from a safe distance, watch my patient, now with a tracking collar fitted, amble groggily off into the sparse, dry brush.

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advertorial

From 45 onwards we all suffer from symptoms of presbyopia, also known as tired eyesight

Helping Tired Eyes For clear sight, rays of light need to be precisely focused on the retina, located at the back of the eye. The focussing power depends on the elasticity of the natural lens. This is gradually lost with age, resulting in a slow decrease in the ability to focus on nearby objects. To rectify this you need a reading addition to your prescription, to help your eyes focus at close distances. Unlike bifocals, varifocals are spectacle lenses with no visible line. They have a gradual change in power from top to bottom, allowing you to see clearly at all distances with just one pair of spectacles. But don’t wait until you experience difficulties before visiting your optician. The Association of Optometrists Ireland recommends that you have your eyes checked at least every two years and more often when your optometrist advises. Certain patients, such as diabetics, should have an annual eye examination. Eye examinations are carried out by health care professionals known as optometrists (or ophthalmic opticians). They complete a four year honours degree programme and are responsible for the detection of eye diseases that may require medical attention, such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis. At Specsavers, you will only ever be examined by a fully qualified optometrist, or an undergraduate in their final year, under supervision (as locally run opticians, we are passionate about home-grown talent). All 39 Specsavers stores across Ireland offer digital retinal YOUR FREE COPY

A SLOW DECREASE IN THE ABILITY TO FOCUS ON NEARBY OBJECTS

photography, enabling our optometrists to perform comprehensive health assessments. A device known as a fundus camera is used to take a picture of the back of your eye – the only part of the human body where the microcirculation of the blood can be observed. This state-of-the-art technology helps with the detection and management of problems such as diabetic changes, hypertensive retinopathy, macular degeneration, optic nerve disease and cancers of the eye. These images help our optometrists

to spot previously undetectable changes within your eye, over a prolonged period. Many opticians charge extra for this latest optical technology. At Specsavers it is free. If you are over 40 or your optician recommends it, we believe that retinal photography should be part of your eye test at no additional cost. With our commitment to training, investment and improving eye health, it’s no wonder that Specsavers is Ireland’s most trusted optician¹. ¹Millward Brown Lansdowne survey (February 2010)

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

As a Matter of Fat... $ Fat is an energy store which can be called on at times of need for energy – hunger or times of great exertion # In the west, we prepare well for hunger and exertion but they rarely come and so we are left with increasing energy reserves (fat) $ To burn it off, we need artificial hunger (diets) and voluntary exertion (exercise) # Dieters and those who exercise to lose weight can’t control which area will lose its fat first $ Fat is stored subcutaneously (under the skin), or viscerally (internally surrounding the organs) # Obese men tend to lose more visceral fat, so despite losing weight, they look much the same

$ Obese women tend to lose more subcutaneous fat # There is no justice in losing weight! Some people may get thin in the face while keeping the spare tyre or women might lose weight from their bust, which they thought was just perfect, while still keeping the bum that they hate $ ‘Apples’ tend to carry their excess subcutaneous fat round their middles – most men # ‘Pears’ wear theirs lower down, on the hips and buttocks – most women $ Fat – it’s a lot easier to avoid putting it on than to get rid of it!

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feature

I read a scary statistic somewhere the other day: for the first time ever in the human story of the western world, life expectancy is set to go backwards. People of this generation will probably die younger than their parents. Some progress, hey?

The Fats of Life In our lemming-like rush for oblivion we are managing to out-manoeuvre the enormous strides in medical science and improvements in our living standards which should be guaranteeing us many extra years of relatively healthy old age. We binge drink to incredible levels from an incredibly early age and, by some unfathomable reverse logic, think that this constitutes A Good Time. We step blindly over the warning corpses of celebrities to do dope, coke, Es, uppers, downers, crack and anything else we can lay our stupid hands, mouths or noses on because that’s what the celebs did before they wrecked their lives – or worse. We drive too fast, party too hard, and, conditioned by the hosts on some of our more ‘cool’ radio stations, who gloat about last weekend until Tuesday afternoon and then begin to wonder about next weekend from Thursday morning on, do the minimum amount of work we can get away with. But all these life-threatening choices require our active collusion; what is less spectacular, but, in the long term, no less serious for the nation’s health, is the way in which the western world has put on weight. Heaps of weight. Leaving aside binge eaters, the change in our lifestyle over the YOUR FREE COPY

Above: PierreAuguste Renoir, The Large Bathers, c1887; Right: Willendorf Venus

ONLY THE VERY WELL-OFF COULD AFFORD TO BE FAT

last century has made it almost inevitable that we become heavier. A hundred years ago, people had neither the choice of foods nor the means to buy them even if they were available; they walked everywhere or rode bicycles or horses; most jobs were physically demanding; they worked long hard hours and had little time left for anything other than recuperative rest. Only the very well-off could afford to be fat and it was not frowned upon in those days for two main reasons. In the same way that an almost translucently pale skin proved that a society beauty didn’t have to work outdoors in the fields, being a ‘portly’ gentleman was

almost a badge that proclaimed: “I am rich enough not to have to do physical labour and I can afford lots of fine foods and fancy wines.” The other reason was, of course, that their lifespan was much shorter and many succumbed to infections or other illnesses, fatal at the time, long before their fatness had a chance to cause them serious trouble. f

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

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Being overweight is a slow killer and there were lots more quicker ones about in those days than there are now. These days, grossly overweight people have become the objects of countless reality TV shows, the modern equivalent of the circus side-show, but, in olden times, they were genuinely revered as models of deities, especially of fertility. With enormous sagging breasts, belly and love-handles, not to mention a nice tight curly hairstyle, the Willendorf Venus dates from about 22,000BC, while the extraordinary Fat Ladies of Malta were lovingly fashioned some 7-8,000 years ago. Even in more modern times, that epitome of early 16thC beauty, Titian’s Venus Anadyomene is no lightweight while a mere 100 years ago, some of Renoir’s nude models were definitely on the XXL side by today’s standards of feminine beauty. Before fat people became Guinness Book of Records famous, several of history’s more celebrated Gravitationally Challenged Persons were recorded by contemporary chroniclers. Dionysius, benevolent tyrant of Heraclea, was so fat he could barely move.

Obviously delighted with his opulent circumstances, he expressed the wish that he could end his life “on my back, lying on my many rolls of fat, scarcely uttering a word, taking laboured breaths, and eating my fill.” He died in 305BC, choked on his own fat. He was in his mid-fifties, a great age for his time. There was also a Roman senator who, famously, needed two slaves to carry his belly about for him. Titan’s Venus Anadyomene c.1525

The prodigious weights achieved by these historical figures are not recorded, and would probably have been exaggerated anyway, but American, Carol Yager (1960 - 1994), is reckoned to have been over 1600lbs. We don’t have to reach these stupendous weights – a mere 30lb over average is reckoned as being obese.

‘HOT’ GOSSIP It may seem strange that in societies that hold extreme thinness up as a fashion ideal, about 25% of Americans are considered obese. The figure for Europe is only slightly lower. It is little wonder then, that in these affluent societies, in which self-denial and strict exercise regimes have never been universally popular, there is much interest in researching foods that contribute to weight loss or at least those that don’t put on the pounds so quickly. High fibre foods like whole cereals and beans are becoming more popular, albeit sometimes grudgingly, as are low calorie foods like mushrooms, but a comparatively recent entry into the field is DHC, a non-hot version of the capsinoid that gives chilli peppers their kick. This chilli extract is showing some promise as it increases energy and fat oxidation and so helps to manage weight. Champions of chilli extract claim that it burns more calories, increases metabolism, decreases hunger, and stimulates digestion. And you thought that chillis were just for spicing up food!

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health

My mother is 74 and her hearing is deteriorating. It’s causing problems for the whole family. What should we do? Frank, Donegal Hearing loss is a serious issue: there are safety issues such as hearing smoke alarms etc, but everyday tasks like answering the phone also become difficult. And it’s distressing for the family to see a loved one in difficulty. You’ve probably already noticed some early indications of hearing loss: TV very loud, not responding when called or asking people to repeat themselves. First, your mum should see her GP to determine the cause. It’s probably age-related, but she should be checked for any underlying medical condition. She should then have a hearing test to see if she needs a hearing aid. Hidden Hearing offers tests free of charge.

I’ve played in bands for the last ten years and listen to music on my iPod for two to three hours a day. Should I be concerned about my hearing? Surely I’m too young to suffer hearing loss?

Phil (27), Glasnevin, Dublin 9

Unfortunately hearing loss is increasing among the under-30s, many cases being noise-induced hearing loss. A recent study by Hidden Hearing found that over half of MP3 users listen to their players at a level above 80dB and one in five has the volume at 100dB or more. That is the equivalent of hearing a pneumatic drill 10 feet away! Hidden Hearing is seeing a big increase in the number of people under 30 suffering from hearing loss that would be typical in a 70 year old. My advice is to follow the 60/60 rule – only listen to your personal music device at 60% of its maximum volume for up to 60 minutes a day. You should also consider wearing earplugs during concerts or when playing with your band.

Are diabetics more likely to suffer from hearing loss than non-diabetics? I was diagnosed as diabetic 18 months ago. Should I get my hearing checked? Karen (29), Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

Diabetics run a serious risk of early hearing loss. A recent study showed that diabetics were more than twice as likely to suffer hearing loss as non-diabetics. The study, with the majority of the participants having type 2 Diabetes, also disclosed hearing impairments from as early as ages 30 to 40. Have regular hearing tests to make sure you don’t develop a hearing problem. YOUR FREE COPY

ASK THE EXPERTS Dr Nina Byrnes, medical consultant to Hidden Hearing, answers your questions

My 58 year old father has recently complained about a constant ringing noise in his ears. In general his hearing is quite good. Could he be suffering from something like tinnitus?

Carol, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin

What you describe could well be Tinnitus. People suffering from the condition usually describe it as a ringing, buzzing or whistling noise. It’s surprisingly common, with 18% of the population reporting it at some stage in their lives. It can be caused by excessive exposure to loud music or noise, or something as simple as a build up of ear-wax. He should consult his GP who may refer him to an audiologist for a hearing test or to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist for further investigation. While there is no medication for tinnitus, other treatments can effectively alleviate it. Hearing aids are one of the options which can provide acoustic stimulation to the nerve pathways in the ear so that, over time, the tinnitus may become less bothersome even when hearing aids aren’t worn.

Dr. Nina Byrnes presents Health of the Nation for RTÉ, writes Medical Matters in the Sunday Business Post Agenda magazine, and is a fulltime GP. She is also Medical Consultant to Hidden Hearing, Ireland’s leading private hearing healthcare provider.

PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO LOUD MUSIC DOES CAUSE PERMANENT HEARING IMPAIRMENT

I think I may need a hearing aid. Is there any financial assistance or subsidy available for pensioners who don’t qualify for the social welfare scheme?

Nora, (68), Navan, Co. Meath

Hearing tests are usually free of charge, so it won’t cost anything to have an audiologist check your hearing. Hidden Hearing offers free hearing tests at each of its 60 clinics nationwide and they will also be offering free tests in their mobile hearing clinic during Hearing Awareness Week. If you have paid PRSI, you can still receive significant help when buying a private hearing aid. This grant did not change during the last budget and can be worth up to m1,520 per person. Also, if you pay income tax, you may be able to claim the cost or your hearing aid against tax.

For more information or to book a free hearing test, call 1800 882 884 or visit www.hiddenhearing.ie

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

advertorial

the locality and school. The reality however is that it is the peer group of those selected friends, especially best friends, which matters most.

ALCOHOL: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS Young People and Alcohol, can parents have an Influence? by Mark Morgan and Thérèse Hegarty The purpose of this article is to help parents to discuss drinking with their children. Although it is mainly aimed at the parents of teenagers it may also be useful for parents of younger children and, generally, for all adults concerned with the development of children. This article has been prepared by professionals who have expertise in the area of young people and alcohol but it does not set out to tell parents what they must or must not do. Instead it tries to provide useful information, which may help parents to openly discuss the issues with their children. • Parents have an important influence on their children’s behaviour. Many parents may be surprised by this – but it is true! • A key guiding idea is that alcohol consumption requires maturity and responsibility. For this reason postponing a first drink to an agreed age has a lot of merit. The exact age will need to be negotiated between children and parents and we take the view that the age of drinking by many young people is too young. • Better information can help parents to make the right decision. We often think that we know about our children’s drinking but many parents tend to underestimate the scale of consumption. • In Ireland, drinking patterns differ from, for example, wine producing countries – where children are introduced to alcohol in the home. We also differ in where alcohol is drunk, what we drink and in many of our attitudes.

INFLUENCES Many factors influence the drinking patterns of young people. FAMILY Families are of major importance in children’s drinking.

Your example is important. We are not saying that all parents who abstain from alcohol will have children who are abstinent or temperate. Nor are we suggesting that the children of heavy drinkers will necessarily have drinking problems. What is clear however is that parents who drink moderately have children whose use of alcohol is quite different to the children of those whose drinking is problematic. How you react to their drinking is also important. The research shows that a moderate and balanced approach to underage drinking is most likely to bring about positive outcomes. In other words if parents take an indifferent attitude it does not produce positive results and a very strict and authoritarian attitude can also cause problems. Many recovering alcoholics remember their childhood as one where love was not communicated and where they felt they were not valued. The research indicates that children who feel loved and valued are less likely to abuse alcohol. We often worry that alcohol problems ‘run in families’ and will be inherited by the children. This is not necessarily true – alcohol problems develop over several years – and we should focus on those conditions in the individuals lives which give rise to problem drinking. FRIENDS Parents identify peers as the most important influence on their children’s decision to start to drink. This is understandable – young people who drink regularly are likely to have friends who drink, while those who do not are likely to have friends who do not drink. Whether to drink (or not) is one of the most central decisions during adolescence and influences the selection of friends. Many of us worry about ‘peer pressure’, which is often considered to come from all the peer group in

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USEFUL CONTACTS Your school’s Parents Council Your school’s Home Liaison Officer Your Health Board's Health Promotion Officer Your local Residents Association VISIT DRINKAWARE.IE for information on alcohol and drinking, from fascinating facts to practical tips. DOWNLOAD FREE guides including: the essential ‘No Nonsense’ guide for students, ‘Festival Survival Guide’, ‘Alcohol, Sport & You’, ‘Alcohol –A Guide for Parents’ and our ‘Christmas Survival Guide’.

drinkaware.ie was developed by MEAS (Mature Enjoyment of Alcohol in Society Limited) MEAS is a drinks industry initiative against alcohol misuse MEAS, Merrion House, 1/3 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 611 4811 Email: info@meas.ie www.meas.ie

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY You may know about the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme, which is now running in most schools in the country. This focuses on the health, personal development, decision making and self esteem of young people and it also deals with the use of alcohol. However we cannot leave it all to the schools and, as parents, we can influence our children’s attitude to school and to participation. ‘She will be taught about alcohol at school soon enough – maybe I should leave alcohol education to the experts. Besides, I don’t want to put ideas in her head before she’s even a teenager.’ When a young person drinks too much it is usually part of a broad set of behaviours. Here are some suggestions that can help prevent these behaviours: • Encourage commitment at school – either to study or sport or other activities; • Find out about your school's policies on alcohol. Partnership between parents and schools is likely to bring about a better outcome than any effort made by either on their own; • Encourage children to read or to take up a hobby that does not involve drink. Moving from Primary to Secondary school is a stressful time – new subjects, new teachers, possibly new classmates and making new friends. If the transition isn’t smooth young people are more likely to become involved in underage drinking. Our children may want to appear ‘grown up’ at this time but in fact they are very vulnerable and we need to be alert to any changes and be available for a chat. Teachers have insights into our children which we may not have. Many are parents themselves and they all play a significant role in our children’s formation. Do talk to them if you have concerns about alcohol abuse.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Alcohol abuse is not confined to any particular sector in society. You can be sure that your teenager (or preteen) will be offered alcohol. You cannot be sure that your children will not make silly mistakes with alcohol (You probably did too!) Young people who come through all this with responsible drinking habits often share many of the following characteristics: Healthy Self Esteem. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and have the confidence to know they are liked and to like themselves. Because of this they are unlikely to harm or abuse themselves. Parents YOUR FREE COPY

can encourage self-esteem by being supportive of their children’s efforts from an early age and being willing and interested listeners to their ups and downs. They can make decisions. There are many influences on young people, often with conflicting messages. These young people can make up their minds without worrying too much what others think. Parents walk a fine line here. Too much control and children have no opportunity to think for themselves – too little and they may feel that decisions are not important. What young people need is encouragement to think on their feet, follow their own advice and resist following the herd at times.

YOUNG PEOPLE & ALCOHOL QUIZ: ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE?

YOU CAN BE SURE THAT YOUR TEENAGER (OR PRETEEN) WILL BE OFFERED ALCOHOL

5 All young people do not start drinking in the same setting.

TRUE There are three broad

locations for the 'first drink'. Own home or home of a friend (sometimes when parents are 1 The average age of begin- away), pubs/off-licences ning to drink is 14-15 years. (sometimes bought by a 'friend' who is overage), and TRUE Traditionally in Ireland parks/beaches/waste-ground. young people began to drink at age 16 or older, in the last 6 The changes in Irish 20 years the age came down Society are part of the and more recently it is around picture that influence the drinking of young people. 14-15 years. TRUE Childhood is shorter 2 The number of young in modern Ireland than it was people who have never tried alcohol has decreased even 20 years ago. Young people are independent minded over the years. at an earlier age, are sexually TRUE A generation ago up to active, and make decisions 1 in 4 of young people leaving about their lives earlier. post-primary school had not tried alcohol even once. Today 7 The amount of money the number reaching 18 with- earned by young people in out having tried alcohol is quite part-time work is a factor small, but there is still a minor- in under-age drinking. ity who never try alcohol. A TRUE The money earned 2007 survey (ESPAD) showed was quite substantial in the that 42 percent of Irish 16 year past. While part-time work has olds were not regular drinkers become harder to get, it is – an increase of 15% (from now possible to buy more 27%) on the previous (2003) alcohol for less money. survey results. 8 The best time to talk 3 Under 18's know that they to your children about will not be able to buy alco- alcohol is when they enter hol, even if they want to. the early teens.

FALSE Young people aged

FALSE Children often ask about alcohol and drinking when they are very young. When this happens a positive response is better than ducking the issue. Many parents do not see the need to raise the subject until their children 4 There is more drinking in reach their teens – when they apparently start drinking alcocities than anywhere else. hol. Ideally you should speak FALSE People from all back- to your child before he or she is likely to start experimenting grounds begin to drink at with alcohol. roughly the same age. from 16 upwards say that they can get access to alcohol if they want to. (We are not suggesting that alcohol is always easily obtained – what is crucial is that young people see it as easy to obtain).

YOUR FREE COPY

They understand that some rules are necessary. Through learning to live with clear and reasonable rules young people develop personal responsibility. Parents can help by having a few clear rules at home and by explaining the values behind the rules. A rule about telling those at home where you are going and what time you will be home is a great protection. They appreciate the value of money. They realise that they must manage on a limited amount of money. Parents can limit their children's pocket money or control the amount available from part-time jobs – by, for example, requiring a contribution to collective household expenses from income earned outside the home. They are busy with interesting lives. Some are involved in school, others in sport, dancing, music or youth clubs. They do not have much time to be bored. Boredom is one of the greatest causes of alcohol abuse. Try to spot their talents early and give them every encouragement to develop them. Their families either drink moderately or are open about their problems. They have seen their adult relatives drink in a moderate way, and have seen them choose not to drink when driving. They may have had an occasional drink in the safety of the home with their parents. Alternatively, if there are problem drinkers in the family, these issues have been openly and frankly discussed with them. Children of alcoholic parents can use the lessons from frank and compassionate discussion of the issue to help protect themselves and their friends. Children are not taken in by appearances – they are more influenced by what we do than by what we say. Teenagers in particular are rarely fooled at home and honesty is certainly the best policy.

PARENTS’ WORRIES “How do I explain the dangers of drink?” Most adults in Ireland take a drink when relaxing and socialising and it is helpful to acknowledge the enjoyable aspect of this. It is also helpful to discuss with young people the harmful aspects such as losing control, taking risks and wasting money. A good time to bring up these discussions is when watching TV when the issue arises. We can talk to our teenagers, listen to their views and convey information and guidance in a distanced way that is not too threatening for them. This has proven more useful than scare tactics or punishment, which can turn young people off. “I worry about the friends they are with.” The ‘best friends’ have a lot of influence in the development

of a pattern of drinking. Parents are wise to be aware of the pattern of drinking among young people in the area. It is also helpful to get to know the ‘best friends’ and make them welcome at home. Often parents criticise friends when they fear their influence. This can lead to a young person feeling torn between parents and friends and this is not helpful in maintaining good communication. It is better for parents to convey their worries about the safety of the young people than to run down the friends themselves. “Will they end up in a fight?” We also need to discuss the increasing trend towards rowdy and violent behaviour, often under the influence of alcohol, and to clearly state that violence at all levels is unacceptable. Parents can help teenagers to think about places that are dangerous and how levels of alcohol consumption can leave them vulnerable to involvement in fights. Young people need the older generation to be clearly concerned with their safety. “I’m so worried I can’t sleep.” Parents often worry when their teenagers begin to drink. Often that fear is not so much about the drink itself as the consequences of drinking. At its worst the fear can be about drink related violence or poor decision making around sexual activity. “Are they having sex?” We all worry about pressure on our children as they enter puberty and the confusion and anxiety that can follow. The age of sexual activity has fallen and peer pressure along with media pressure can make decision making difficult. Sometimes young people drink in response to this pressure and alcohol consumption can lead to inappropriate decisions. Parents can make it clear to their sons and daughters that sexual activity is always their choice and it is always OK to say "NO". Once again TV and films can provide us with opportunities to discuss this with our young people. “I just don’t know how to begin. I know she drinks sometimes when she’s out with her friends. She’s usually quite a sensible girl, but I just hope she doesn’t take any stupid risks. “Should I have drink in the house?” Most households do have drink at home and will often offer a drink to visitors. Drink however needs to be kept in a place where younger children cannot access it by accident. It is unfair to teenagers, especially if parents are away for a night, to leave them in a situation where they have access to a large supply of drink at home especially during the years when they are likely to experiment.

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

health notes

THE REAL GOLDEN GIRL In 1965, having outlived her child and grandchild, 90 year-old Jeanne Calment made a deal with a 47-year old lawyer: he would pay her a handsome monthly allowance for the remainder of her life, and her apartment would become his when she died. Decades later, Jeanne attended the lawyer’s funeral and, by the time she died, his estate had paid her twice what the apartment was worth; for, at 122 years and 164 days, Jeanne had become the oldest (fully documented) person who ever lived. She ascribed her longevity and relatively youthful appearance to olive oil, poured on her food and rubbed on her skin, a frequent tipple of port, and almost a kilo of chocolate a week! In fact, in common with the rest of us in

the western world (who can now expect to live more than twice as long as we could if we’d been born 400 years ago) the real reason was more likely, better housing and food, less hardship, more laws to protect us, far fewer small local wars and, of course, the enormous leaps in combating disease. But inevitably, by thwarting so many of nature’s traditional means of thinning us out once we’d past our ‘productive’ phase, we have automatically built up other problems.

SWINE FLU ...not again! Many people will have thought the threat posed by H1N1 or swine flu was over by the summer of last year and will be frightened that it is back again. Why didn’t the health authorities warn us? How dangerous is it? Dr Mel Bates, Irish College of General Practitioners

Predicting when and where an outbreak of influenza will occur is difficult but not impossible. They say that “Once you have seen one flu pandemic, you have seen one flu pandemic.” This is to remind health professionals not to get too cocky in making their predictions. However there are lessons to be learnt from how influenza behaved in the past. In the last pandemic, in the late 1960’s, that particular

COUGHS AND SNEEZES SPREAD DISEASES

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

Globally, the planet is now groaning under the enormous weight of billions of humans but, individually, we find we need to make provision so that all these extra years we have won for ourselves can be passed in reasonable comfort. Very few of us will be able to win a bet like Jeanne Calment’s, so we must look to less spectacular, but more certain means. One option for long-term saving is pension saving. Nowadays, the majority who retire at 65 can look forward to living for 20-23 years and, often, more, and if, like 80% of responders, you feel that the current State pension (€230.30 per week) wouldn’t meet all your needs, you should begin to prepare well in advance.

influenza virus arrived in April of 1968 (think swine flu arriving in April 2009 in Cancun, Mexico). The health authorities went on high alert. The catchy phrase they came up with was “Coughs and sneezes spread diseases”. They held their breath and waited for winter…and nothing happened! The surge came in October of 1969, a full year later, when everyone thought the danger was past. Those who got influenza at that time and recovered became immune to getting the infection again. That may explain why so few people over 65 have suffered from Swine flu this time round. The fact that they were alive at the time of the last pandemic may have conferred some extra protection or immunity to the current virus. While there has been reasonable debate about whether the health authorities overreacted to the threat of last year’s pandemic, they continued to prepare for the possibility it might make a comeback this winter. This year’s seasonal flu vaccine contains the swine flu vaccine as well as two other likely causes for influenza. Pregnant women, people with chronic medical condi-

For further information and to see just how much you need to save, check-out the Pension Calculator at www.pensions board.ie. There is also a wide range of booklets and checklists available.

tions, carers and people who work with poultry have been asked to have the flu vaccine on top of the usual over 65’s group. It’s worth noting that efforts by GPs and the HSE last year resulted in 25% of the population being vaccinated against swine flu, as opposed to 10% in the UK. People are still frightened by the recent news reports as the number of swine flu cases rises. What should they do? Your great grandmother could have answered that question. Get vaccinated (if you are in the ‘at risk’ categories), wash your hands, use a tissue (catch it, bin it, kill it), cover your mouth when you cough (a better method now is to cough into your elbow). If you get the swine flu, remember it is a miserable infection but the vast majority of people recover inside a week. Paracetamol and bedrest and staying at home is the treatment of choice. Antibiotics do not work for viral illness like the swine flu. Paracetamol takes about an hour to work, is most effective for the following two hours and then begins to tail off in the 4th hour. That is why it has to be taken every four hours up to a maximum of 8 a day. Pregnant women and those in the at-risk categories may need more treatment. Consult your doctor. People should watch out for a sudden deterioration in their illness on day three or four. This is associated with complications. Your GP, who knows you well, is best placed to advise you. YOUR FREE COPY

food

Sweet tooth Both Type I and Type II Diabetes are becoming ever more common due to our increasingly sedentary and indulgent lifestyle. Nutritionist, Jess Keane, gives some advice and recipes that help to address the problem – and taste delicious!

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate sugar metabolism. In Diabetes Mellitus (Type I) the pancreas produces little or no insulin, so patients are wholly insulin dependent; with the more common Type II Diabetes, there’s plenty of insulin but the body’s cells become resistant to its

WORRY ABOUT ADDITIONAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES LIKE HEART DISEASE OR NERVE DAMAGE

function. All diabetes patients (Types I and II) need to worry about the possibility of additional health complications like heart disease or nerve damage. When your diet is full of sugar (alcohol, fizzy drinks, cordial, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, sweettasting cereals), your cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. They need more insulin to manage the same amount of sugar. To manage your insulin levels, the solution is simple: fresh food that you have to cook. This way of eating may influence the right genes and promote a healthy metabolism. Limit ready-made food that comes from boxes, jars or cans. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT?

Vegetables (broccoli, green beans, spinach, cabbage, brussel sprouts, peppers, aubergines, leeks, onions) nuts, seeds, whole grains (oats, wholemeal bread wholemeal pasta, brown rice), olive oil, good sources of protein (chicken, turkey, salmon, mackerel, chickpeas, lentils, organic free-range eggs). Many of these foods contain the vitamins and minerals necessary for insulin control and blood sugar balance, such as magnesium and chromium. f

DAILY TIPS FOR IMPROVING BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL: 1. Eat protein with each meal and snack. Try a boiled egg or 1 tbsp of almonds with breakfast, 1 tbsp of hummous with a rye cracker as a snack. 2. Eat something every 3-4 hours to keep your insulin and glucose levels normal. 3. Avoid foods containing white flour and sugar, such as white breads, white pasta, white rice, sweet-tasting cereals flour, bagels, biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks. 4. Eat whole grains (oats, wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice) chickpeas, lentils, vegetables and ground flaxseed. Foods rich in fibre are important. Fibre slows the absorption of sugar from our digestive tract into the bloodstream. Aim to eat up to 30g of fibre daily. 5. Get moving. Excercise is critical to improving sugar metabolism. Walking for 30 mins after dinner is a powerful way to reduce blood sugar.

Diabetics should not add the decorative dusting of sugar!

YOUR FREE COPY

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

food

RED LENTIL AND SWEET POTATO HUMMOUS Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

1 tbsp soya or tamari sauce (available from health food store) 60ml lemon juice Chopped fresh coriander

GLUTEN-FREE (USE TAMARI SAUCE) WHEAT-FREE

DAIRY-FREE

This variation on traditional hummous is a wonderful vibrant colour. It makes a great snack with triangles of warm wholemeal pitta bread, oatcakes or raw vegetables for dipping.

VANILLA PANNACOTTA Serves 6 to 8 GLUTEN-FREE

WHEAT-FREE

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional) 1/2 tsp of turmeric 875ml water 290g red lentils

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, sweet potato, cumin, paprika and turmeric and cook for 1 to 2 mins more. Stir in water and lentils and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until lentils and sweet potatoes are soft. Strain and transfer contents of pot to a large bowl to cool. Transfer lentil mixture to a food processor along with soya or tamari sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper and purée until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and garnish with coriander and a drizzle with a little oil.

The natural sweetness of cream and the flavour of the vanilla are sufficient to make this taste like it contains sugar. This is a basic pannacotta recipe but you can experiment with different flavours; swap the vanilla for 8 leaves of lemon verbena or mint, the zest of 2 lemons or 1 tbsp of lavender buds. 500 ml cream, 150ml milk 3 vanilla beans, split lengthwise, seeds scraped 6 tablespoons cold water Leaves of gelatine (leaves of gelatine vary in size so follow instructions on back of packet to set 650ml of liquid) First, soak the gelatine leaves in a small bowl with cold water. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk and vanilla beans (cut the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla seeds, add both to the mixture). Bring just to the boil, remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Using a fine mesh sieve strain the mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Squeeze out the gelatine leaves gently (throw away the water) and add them with to the cream. Return to a gentle heat and stir slowly until dissolved. Let it cool slightly in the saucepan, until the gelatine begins to harden. Give it a stir and pour into dariole moulds, small ramekins or glasses. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. When ready to serve briefly lower the moulds into a pan of hot water and turn out on to the serving plate. Garnish with berries, fruit coulis or a mint leaf.

BANANA AND OAT COOKIES 24 cookies WHEAT-FREE

Jess gives essential, practical advice on food and nutrition – helping you to take control of what you eat to speed up your recovery, to feel healthy, strong and energised. Visit www.jkn.ie for more recipes and information

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

DAIRY-FREE

LOW GI

These cookies contain no added sugar or sweeteners. Instead bananas sweeten and bind the mixture. On average these cookies contain about 8.5g of sugars per 100g. Oats, coconut, almonds and walnuts slow the absorption of sugar and are considered low GI. Some research suggests that although fructose and many sweeteners may not affect blood glucose levels, they may alter blood fat levels, so it is important to keep all forms of sugar to a minimum. Always eat sweeter foods alongside protein and some ‘good’ fats to reduce their affect on your blood sugar levels. The dough is quite loose, so for a more uniform-sized cookie I have also made these cookies in minimuffin trays.

3-4 (300g) large bananas, well mashed 1 tsp vanilla extract 60ml coconut oil, barely warm so it isn't solid (or use olive oil) 190g porridge oats 50g ground almonds 25g unsweetened, shredded coconut 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 pinches of salt 1 tsp baking powder 50g walnuts, roughly chopped Preheat oven to 180°C. In a bowl whisk together the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. In another bowl mix together the oats, almond meal, walnuts, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 1 dsp in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 14 minutes in the top third of the oven, until lightly browned. YOUR FREE COPY

short story

A Night in A&E Reader, Sheelagh Coyle, recently accompanied her husband to A&E and, despite her worries, captured the surrounding sounds and sights in this delightful account of that troubling night

I sit beside my husband in an A&E Ward. He has fallen asleep in spite of all the noise around us, of staff, patients, phones and the comings and goings here in the early hours of the morning. A man, who sounds quite old, is in the next trolley behind me. I can’t see him as there is a curtain between us. He snuffles and coughs. I hear him breathing loudly. Then he has the hiccoughs. ‘Oh, Jaysus Christ, oh dear,’ he says to himself from time to time. He seems to be alone. A nurse comes to him. ‘We’ll take off your shirt,’ he says. ‘I’ll leave your vest on.’ ‘Oh, Jaysus Christ,’ he says again. ‘Lift your bum, Sir. I need to take off your trousers. Are you on warfarin?’ ‘What?’ he says aloud. ‘Are you on warfarin?’ the nurse repeats. ‘I don’t know,’ he says in a distressed manner. ‘I’ve to put this in your ear. It takes your temperature, so it does. ‘Now, I’ll put this on your little

finger,’ the nurse says patiently. ‘Oh, Jaysus Christ,’ the poor man utters again. Someone further down the ward shouts aloud. ‘Paddy. Has Paddy gone?’ I look at the screen above my husband’s trolley. The numbers read 60, 99, and 12. He fainted an hour ago and was advised to come here. A doctor comes and wakes him.

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

THE NUMBERS ON MY HUSBAND’S SCREEN NOW SHOW 59, 98 AND 15, ALL A COMPLETE MYSTERY TO ME.

‘You’ve had a vasovagal attack,’ she says. ‘All the tests are fine, but we’ll keep an eye on you overnight.’ She writes the word vasovagal as I’ve never heard of it before. I’ll google it tomorrow. Then she’s off to the next trolley. ‘Well, Sweety Pie, how are you?’ she says to the old man in a cheery voice. Sweety Pie, I think. I’d say it’s a long time since anyone addressed him so, if ever. The numbers on my husband’s screen now show 59, 98 and 15, all a complete mystery to me. Most of his clothes are in a plastic bag at the top of the trolley. The shirt I ironed six hours ago is now in a ball with his trousers and jumper. He’s asleep again. I hear more conversations further down the ward. ‘What did you do to yourself?’ a nurse asks. ‘Pop her out there and we’ll have a look.’ ‘Do you want something for pain?’ I look about me. I hadn’t expected to be here and I hate having nothing to read or no crossword to do. The doctor returns offering tea to the two of us. Wonderful! I tell her I’ll help her. I follow her up the corridor to a small staff canteen. Not sure if I should enter or not, I hover at the door, but she welcomes me in. She’s having a break. I make tea and take a cup to my husband too, who never refuses tea. The man next door has removed something for the third time that was attached to him. ‘You must leave it on,’ a nurse says to him. ‘Ah, Jaysus,’ he says again, obviously hating being here and all those attachments. A nurse looks again at the screen above my husband but makes no comment. I hear more conversations. ‘Did you get a tetanus?’ someone asks. ‘It’s difficult to see on the X-ray if there’s a crack in the big toe, but you’ll be sore tomorrow.’ My husband is moved to a room by himself where he’ll be able to sleep better. I decide to go home. As I leave in a taxi more people are coming in. There is shouting in the waiting room. A young girl is crying as she talks to a friend. I’m glad to be getting home. YOUR FREE COPY

Question 1

Jeanne Calment was the oldest certified person who ever lived. When she died, was she: a. 119yrs 221days b. 121yrs 73days c. 122yrs 164days

CROSSWORD

NO TIME TO FINISH? NO WORRIES! THIS MAGAZINE IS YOURS TO TAKE HOME! 1

2 12

3 12

4 12

9 12

12 The Spire of Dublin by Sebb

Crossword is open to readers aged 18 or over, are resident in the Republic of Ireland, except employees and their families of The Waiting Room Magazine, its printers, or anyone connected with the competition. The magazine is not responsible for entries lost, delayed or damaged in the post. Proof of postage is not accepted as proof of delivery. Any number of entries will be accepted. Winner will be the sender of the first correct entry to be drawn at random after the closing date. Winner will be notified by post, and only their name and the county in which they live may be published in the magazine. All personal information obtained through entry into this competition will be destroyed following its completion. Entry implies acceptance of these rules.

QUICK QUIZ

The Waiting Room Magazine No.7

Question 2

The height of The Spire in O’Connell St in Dublin is (to the nearest 5 ft) a. 300ft b. 350ft c. 400ft

Question 3

Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, was born in a. Trinidad b. Jamaica c. Cuba

Question 4

Singer, Tina Turner, was born: a. Anna Mae Bullock b. Sarah Louise Partridge c. Joanna Swann

Question 5

Ireland has won more Eurovision Song contests than any other country. Our tally is: a. 6 b. 7 c. 8

Question 6

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born in a. Macedonia b. Yugoslavia c. Albania

Question 7 St Swithin’s Day is a. 15th July b. 18th July c. 15th August

Question 8

When Michael Collins died at Béal na mBláth he was a. Almost 32 b. Just over 38 c. Almost 43

You are:

1-2: A pea brain 3-5: Suffering brain drain 6-8: A bulging brain box Answers: 1a; 1c; 2c; 3b; 4a; 5b; 6c; 7a; 8a

YOUR FREE COPY

12 15

19 12

24 12

ACROSS 1 Deliberately causing damage to disrupt. (8) 5 This is a debacle. (6) 9 The cheapest accommodation on a ship. (8) 10 Meagre and not very well covered. (6) 12 Rust, by its proper name. (4,5) 13 Sheeplike. (5) 14 Block something with a rough shoe. (4) 16 Britney Spears is an anagram of Presbyterian, but what religion is she? (7) 19 The things you possess are the result of causes. (7) 21 Gives leaders of the good life a pain in the foot. (4) 24 Body’s main artery. (5) 25 Zero degrees longitude goes through it. (9) 27 A standing stone from prehistory. (6) 28 A Jewish feast, also called ‘The Festival of The Unleavened Bread.’ (8) 29 Giving medicine to. (6) 30 Witches’ pot. (8)

8 12

27 12

12 12

7 12

12 12

When completed, the letters in the shaded squares will spell out a very large type of 1D whose violent premature death led to many being 17D according to the poem.

WIN two nights for two

puzzles

Brain Training with our

The Station House Hotel in Clifden, Co Galway

(includes an evening meal)

26 12

DOWN 1 A small member of the finch family. (6) 2 A native of northwestern France. (6) 3 Body. (5) 4 Choking or silencing. (7) 6 Unrehearsed. (9) 7 Second largest island in Mediterranean, capital Cagliari. (8) 8 One of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. (8) 11 Short man’s name is like 20D, for instance. (4) 15 The process by which milk is produced. (9) 17 The condition in which a sailor won’t be moved. (8) 18 Insults. (8) 20 Wise man with seasoning. (4) 21 Caribbean island invaded by the US in 1983. (7) 22 Its chemical symbol is Ag. (6) 23 Mythological ferryman of the Underworld. (6) 26 To do with the olfactory organ. (5)

HEALING HOWLERS: Taken from real medical records! “She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in separate directions early December.” “Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Smith, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.” “The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stock broker instead” “By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart had stopped, and he was feeling better.”

HOW TO ENTER: call our hotline 1515 415 464 or text TWR3 followed by your answer, name and address to 57000 Terms: 18+. €1 per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary. Competition closes midnight 20 April 2011 Entries made after the close date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.

Enter at www.waitingroom.ie or write in to The Waiting Room Crossword, Northampton, Kinvara, Co Galway

Congratulations

f Solution to the Winter 2010 Crossword won by Mags Glavey in Swinford, Co Mayo.

5 6

SUDOKU 1

Fill in the grid so that each row, column and 3x3 square contain all the digits from 1 to 9

2 3 8 4 9 2

6 1 2 7 9 7 1 5 3 5 7 3 4 3 6 9 5

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE 19

puzzles

win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50 * win €50

Seven patrons of the local library each took out three books by different authors, but when they all returned their books, one book was missing. For a chance to claim a h50 reward, tell us which author listed below is missing from the grid. Words may run forwards, backwards, horizontally, vertically or diagonally in a straight, unbroken line.

WORDSEARCH Christie Dexter Bryson Orwell Chesterton Charteris Lawrence

James Archer Grisham Peters Cornwell Patterson Rushdie

Franzen Rowling Crichton Heller Reichs Steinbeck Forrester

B S X W J

A Q D U P E O S R A O

R X

R E O O P R W D S K R C

S C W A N

T C

H H W H E

U E

H S

E S Z

R R

T W T W T X M E H I

T U T Y

I M E

I C

L W R H

N E R R O R S H N L R N V R E U G T W R H E I S I D B B S G Z D X R E O Z

G D N X S H

Y Q C M E

E O O H S H C G M N

T E C

W S M E N V N

S H A M

O R R E S T

E R

M H B E Q Y Q E A

C O R N W E

R A N

N G R

E N M O N

A M E S C A V

D L Q B C H E S T

W C H A R T

E R

T O N D

F O N S

Y V

HOW TO ENTER: Text TWR2 followed by your answer, name and address to 57000

Terms: 18+. €1 per entry incl VAT. Network charges vary. Competition closes midnight 20 April 2011 Entries made after the close date do not count and you may be charged. SP Phonovation Ltd. PO Box 6, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Helpline 0818217100.

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Tart With No Hair Is A Ride (7)

Available online at www.waitingroom.ie and selected book shops

(answers on page 38)

ACROSS 1 Animal we ride. (5) 5 Animal from which we get wool. (5) 7 Prickly animal that rolls into a ball. (8) 8 Black and white bear from China. (5) 10 Large fish that sometimes attacks humans. (5) 14 Mischievous animal that lives in trees. (6) 15 A lamb’s mother. (3) 16 A lamb’s father. (3) DOWN 1 Big grey animal with huge mouth that spends a lot of time in the water. (12) 2 Big grey animal with trunk and tusks. (8) 3 Creatures with eight legs that spin webs to catch flies. (7) 4 Big cat, orange in colour with black stripes. (5) 5 Very smelly animal, black and white. (5) 6 Very clever animal that likes to eat chickens. (3) 9 Creature at the seashore that might give you a nip. (4) 11 Very fast animal – like a big rabbit with long legs. (4) 12 Long creature without legs that can be poisonous. (5) 13 Wild animal like a big dog that makes a sound like laughing. (5)

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

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garden

Years ago there was a TV series called The Good Life, which told the story of a couple who gave up staid, routine lives to become self sufficient. Nowadays, many people all over the world are following this dream, particularly in growing vegetables. There are many reasons for this phenomenon: a desire to know where our food comes from, to reduce carbon footprint, to help family budgets or to fill increasing spare time profitably. But the main reason, for me at any rate, is taste. There are many opinions on the best way to grow vegetables or fruits – ridges, plots on a flat site or raised beds. Apartment-dwellers even grow vegetables in pots and window boxes. All styles should be considered but much depends on your space and the aspect of your garden. I favour raised beds as they are more easily managed and, if a weed control fabric is placed in the bottom and good soil and compost added, you should have little trouble with major weeds. Drainage is also easier, and proper drainage is important for all vegetables. A good bottom layer of gravel or stones before adding the soil or compost gives drainage. Raised beds are very versatile: they can even be built on tarmac or concrete and, when out of use, moved about. But be careful not to make your bed so wide that you can’t comfortably reach the middle for weeding, thinning, etc. Vegetable plots can also be features, with edges planted with ornamental herbs or vegetables and the main crop in the centre. Traditionally, especially in France, the vegetable garden has also been an ornamental one, with vegetables, herbs and fruits being used as much for decorative purposes as for culinary ones. Just think of the range of lettuces, each different in colour and shape, and picture how a simple mix of loose-leaf types such as Lollo Rossa or Green Salad Bowl, the butterheads, Clarion or Valdor, and the crisp heads, like Lakeland or Webb’s Wonderful will give a display both edible and visual. If you have a ‘geometric’ mind, and enough space, you can use timber, blocks or stone, either plain or decorated, to make interesting patterns and designs. The most important consideration when growing vegetables, especially if you are planning to grow them over

GROWING AWARENESS There is nothing quite like fresh home-grown vegetables and salad crops from your own garden, especially if you’ve planted and tended them yourself. Our gardening correspondent, Breandan O’Scanaill, gives us some tips

VEGETABLES, HERBS AND FRUITS CAN BE USED AS MUCH FOR DECORATIVE PURPOSES AS FOR CULINARY ONES

many years, is crop rotation. In addition to preventing the build up of soil-borne pests and diseases, crop rotation helps break up difficult soil and adds nutrients. A typical 4-year crop rotation: Year 1: legumes and pod crops – beans and peas. Year 2: alliums – onions, leeks and garlic. Year 3: roots and tubers – carrots, potatoes, parsnips, aubergines and beetroot. Year 4: brassicas – cabbage, kale, cauliflower and sprouts.

where possible. If you want to be organic or nearly organic, try companion planting, or the use of natural controls. Information is available online, in books and a visit to the Irish Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co Leitrim is well worthwhile.

This takes planning so good records are vital. These should also include how the various crops performed in the position they were in, and list any problems. Don’t be tempted to plant too early. The ground must warm up and there should be no risk of frost. All small growing things are very susceptible to frost and it is very disheartening to lose your hard work and money by planting too soon. You can help the soil heat up by covering the ground with plastic and use cloches to protect delicate seedlings, but I prefer to garden with nature. Pests and diseases are a major problem, but they vary with the crop so you need to check the likely threat to your crop before it becomes a problem. There are chemical solutions to most pests, but I avoid them

www.irishallotments.net and www.allotments.ie

ONLINE GARDENING www.garden.ie for Irish gardeners to network and blog

www.gardensireland.com country houses and castles with gardens open to the public

source allotments in Ireland

www.gardening.ie blogs on a huge range of topics and suppliers in Ireland

www.getirelandgrowing.ie green party campaign also lists community gardens, allotments and resources

www.galwaygrows.spruz.com for gardeners on the West coast.

www.greenme.ie directory of all things eco-friendly with information on community gardens.

www.permacultureireland.ie – for those interested in permatculture

Want a little help? There are courses available all over Ireland but why not try Kinvara Sustainable Living kinvarasustainableliving.com

SPRING 2011 | THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE

feature One of Sr.Marys goals is to give people their self-esteem back

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL Photo-journalist, Eamonn McLoughlin, spent seven months working and travelling in Myanmar (Burma). There are relatively few Europeans in that country but he managed to find another Irish person in the remote north.

It’s eight o’clock in the morning as the train slowly stretches its way into the dusty station high in the humid hills of northern Myanmar. My body aches after eighteen hours sharing my plastic covered wooded seat with baskets, boxes and sleeping bodies. Dazed, I follow the flow onto the platform, where the waiting, glass-rimmed face of Sr. Mary greets me. She has invited me to northern Myanmar to see her ‘Hope Centre’. I have very little information on what exactly this County Clare woman does up here in the isolated hills of Myanmar; all I know she works with AIDS suffers. We enter the Hope Centre compound. I gingerly follow behind Sr.Mary. I had images of people, gaunt with death, slowly withering away beneath thick blankets, but as Sr.Mary makes her way round with the affection of a doting mother, explaining to me the history of the patients we pass, I slowly realise this is a place where people come to get better. Though she is a trained nurse, Sr.Mary’s mission is not to provide the actual medical treatment for her residents and patients but to facilitate their return to health. Best described as a residential care home, the Hope Centre offers AIDS suffers a place to receive care and support as they struggle with the side-effects of the Antiretroviral (ART) drugs. It is a community of support, where the battle against the virus can begin,

with proper food, shelter and medication routines, a home until the residents feel confident and well enough to go out on their own to try and live with this virus. As part of her care program Sr.Mary also looks after outpatients at their homes, some of whom are past-residents of the Centre, while others have been referred to her by one of the medical NGOs. She invites me along to see her ‘Day job’. I’m driven along a sandy concrete main road and we carefully pick our way through the stream of overloaded mopeds. With great care we turn in and continue up a dirt track until we reach the home of a family Sr. Mary has been treating. The house stands tall, with its thin wicker walls and sloping bamboo roof. Sr.Mary calls out as if

THE WAITING ROOM MAGAZINE | SPRING 2011

...HIS GIRLFRIEND, BACK IN THAILAND, MAY NOT KNOW SHE, TOO, MAY HAVE THE VIRUS...

announcing we have come for afternoon tea to old friends. We are greeted warmly by a mother with two young girls. She is thin; her weak frame moves slowly and carefully as she squats down to tell the Nurse about the latest treatment she is receiving from one of the NGO medical clinics in town. Before we leave, Sr.Mary pulls out a bag of rice and some vegetables from the boot of her car and quietly places them inside the door of the house. Towards nightfall, as she finishes her day’s rounds, we visit the home of a young man, who, typical of the area’s youth, left his home to search for a better life. Unfortunately he became HIV positive while working in Thailand, so he had to return home, penniless and seriously ill. I am told there has been no contact with his girlfriend who still lives in Thailand and therefore may not know she too may have the virus. I feel shocked as I enter the family sitting room where he is prostrated among a circle of family members, all kneeling beside his wasted figure. I shy away. We’re too close in age, his situation too pathetic. I can’t pull myself to look at this reality. But something glittering catches my eye. I look up; it is like a renaissance painting, I can barely see the young man, just his outstretched frail arms, one in his mother’s concerned embrace, the other, jutting out from layers of blankets, being held with smiling affection by Sr.Mary as she attaches a glucose intravenous drip. The yellow liquid glittering in the afternoon window light.

Left: Young child waits to be tested, her parents are HIV positive. Above left: Wife watches husband receiving glucose injection. Above: Young girl born with AIDS, while her sister (behind) escaped the same fate. Bottom: The end of the day

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