HEART Matters “It’s great to be alive – and to help others!”

January – February 2013 Volume 19, Number 3

The Mended Hearts, Inc. – Twin Tier Chapter 262 Johnson City, NY – Chartered November 1994

Resolve to Improve Your Health

Second Story Headline The purpose of a newsletter

is to provide specialized information to a targeted audience. Newsletters can be a great way to market

your product or service, and also to create credibility and build your organization’s identity among peers, members, employees, or vendors.

First, determine the audience of the newsletter.

This could be anyone who might benefit from the information it contains, for example, employees or

people interested in purchasing a product or in requesting your services.

You can compile a mailing list from business reply cards, customer information sheets, business cards collected at trade shows, or membership lists. You might consider purchasing a mailing list from a company.

Next, establish how much time and money you can spend on your newsletter. These factors will help

determine how frequently you publish the newsletter and its length.

The purpose of a newslette is to provide specialized information to a targeted audience. Newsletters can be a great way to market your product or service, and also to create credibility and build your organization’s identity among peers, members,

employees, or vendors.

Special Interest Articles

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Individual Highlights

Inside Story 2

Inside Story 3

Inside Story 4

Inside Story 5

Inside Story 6

Inside Story 7

Last Story 8

In This Issue

Resolve to Improve Your Health Pg. 1

Contact Information Pg. 2

Calendar and Announcements Pg. 3

President’s Letter Pg. 4

Visiting Statistics Pg. 4

Christmas Party 2012 Photo Gallery Pg. 5

Dogs Benefit Heart Patients Pg. 6

OFFICERS

President – Mary Lou Winheld Vice President – Mike McNeal Treasurer – Jerry DeMorat Secretary – Dorothy DeMorat Newsletter Info. Monica Chiao – Editor

(607) 862-6087 Lchiao@binghamton.edu

Address Changes Paul Houle

(607) 754-1505

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you UHS for printing and mailing this newsletter.

Conditioning Your Mind for Change When it comes to improving our health, whether it is through losing weight, quitting smoking, decreasing our cholesterol, lowering our blood pressure, or managing our diabetes, we often focus on eating healthy and exercising. But in truth, the first step on the road to making lasting change is often neglected or missed. According to Margaret Moore, CEO of Wellcoaches and co-author of the Book Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life, conditioning our minds for change is vital in order to make long-term improvements.

We need to improve our ability to control our eating habits, handle distractions, manage stress, solve problems, and manage our time. All of these components are involved in conditioning our minds for change. These are essential prerequisites to lasting change because, in so many situations, such as during a luncheon or when visiting friends, there is a lot of great food around and we have to be prepared to resist temptation so it doesn’t push us over the edge and we fall of the wagon. In addition, our lives have become so busy running here and there that something always comes up to add to the frenzy. So often, our exercise time or our own needs are first to be shoved to the side. In essence, making a change shakes up our life and, unless we are fully prepared, we will inevitably abandon ship as we so often do with New Year’s resolutions.

Because we have not taken the necessary steps to condition our minds for change, instead we are stressed, mentally disorganized, and in a constant state of frenzy. That is why we are constantly spinning our wheels trying to improve our health by losing weight, managing our diabetes, overcoming depression, or coping with many other possible limitations. It is very hard to take care of ourselves these days when we are under an enormous amount of stress because of the uncertain economy, raising a family, working, and trying to hold everything together. We all want to be healthy, and for the most part we know what we need to do. We need to get to a place where we can manage our stress and the frenzy in our lives with a sense of peace, calmness, and confidence. If we can condition our minds for change, then the rest gets easier.

We need to identify what is stressing us or what is creating static or frenzy in our lives in order to create clarity and make the stress more manageable. We also need to show a level of compassion and understanding of how difficult it might be for both ourselves and others to refrain from poor lifestyle behaviors.

continued on page 6

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Mended Hearts Chapter 262 & UHS ContactsAll phone #s are in area code 607

Editor’s Corner

The New Year is a time for new beginnings. What better way to kick off 2013 than to focus on getting and staying healthy? Our feature article Resolve to Improve Your Health will help you do just that. Thank you to to Sherry O’Connell of UHS for contributing to the latest issue of Heart Matters, which is viewable online at http://issuu.com/mendedhearts262/docs/heartmattersjan-feb2013. Reader submissions are always welcome! Please keep your feedback coming. Remember, this is your newsletter and I want to know what topics you want to read about. The deadline for items to be included in the March – April 2013 issue is February 22, 2013. -Monica Chiao, Ed.

UHS Volunteer Services Coordinator Tricia Alamo ………………….…....763-6149

Officers President: Mary Lou Winheld…..…785-1017 Vice-President & Program Coordinator: Mike McNeal…………………..…648-6490 Treasurer: Jerry DeMorat…..….…...785-3019 Secretary: Dorothy DeMorat….…....785-3019 Appointed Positions Address List Maintenance & Mailing Labels: Paul Houle…………...……...…..754-1505 Certificates: Dan Terpak………………….…..797-7895 Ray Welch……………………....754-3366 Historian: Shirley Burright…………….…...754-6299 Newsletter Editor: Monica Chiao…………………...862-6087 Path Pak Coordinator/Materials Ordering: Shirley Burright………………....754-6299 Patient Visiting Chairman: Ray Welch………………………754-3366 Publicity: UHS Statistician: Shirley Burright…………….…..754-6299 Telephone Follow-up: Hal Fischbeck…………………...748-9348 Volunteer Trainer & Re-accreditation Leader: Ray Welch………………………754-3366

Patient Visitor Staff Location Phone Procedure Bainbridge Mary Lou Benedict…967-8320 By-pass Chenango Mike McNeal ………648-6490 By-pass Endicott Dorothy DeMorat…..759-3234 Aortic valve Endwell Hal Fischbeck……....748-9348 Aortic valve Ron Greenblott……..754-2267 By-pass Marge Guley..………785-9309 By-pass Ron Kavulich……….785-3133 By-pass Ray Welch…………..754-3366 By-pass Mark Winheld………785-1017 By-pass Johnson City Dan Terpak………….797-7895 By-pass Kirkwood Kathy Breward………217-8069 Aortic valve Vestal Rosemary Mott………797-1479 By-pass Regional Contact Persons Newark Valley Lois Overacker………642-3304

We would like to visit with you and offer our support and encouragement. Feel free to contact any of the people listed under “Patient Visitor Staff” to get answers to your questions (medical questions need to be referred to your medical doctor), voice your concerns, or just chat. Give us a call!

3 Calendar and Announcements

About Mended Hearts Chapter 262 – Twin Tier Chapter 262 Mended Hearts is a national organization of over 250 chapters with more than 17,000 members. Our purpose is to offer help, support, and encouragement to heart disease patients and their families.

Our local Mended Hearts chapter was formed in October 1994. We have nearly 120 members including a volunteer staff of about 15. These volunteers visit hospitalized patients and staff the waiting areas of the Coronary Care Unit. Our Mended Hearts volunteers who call on you have heart disease and are trained to help you who have a heart problem. We offer encouragement and support to patients experiencing various heart problems and procedures (open heart surgery, angioplasty, stents, etc.) and their families.

We meet most months from September to May on the fourth Monday at Wilson Medical Center, Picciano Building (4th Floor, Rooms 5B & 5C). Our programs provide health information and social and entertainment time. Come join us!

The Monday meetings listed below start at 6:30 p.m. on the 4th floor, Picciano Building, UHS Wilson Medical Center, 40 Arch St., Johnson City unless otherwise noted. Mended Hearts meetings are open to all who are interested, not just members.

Monday January 21st – Join us for an informative presentation on sleep apnea. Lynn Chamberlin, P.A., will discuss the causes, effects, and treatment options available.

Sunday April 28th – 2013 Southern Tier Heart Walk at the Binghamton University Events Center. Further information will be provided when available.

Friday February 1st – National Wear Red Day. Wear red to show your support for the fight against heart disease in women.

Sidney Mended Hearts will not meet again until March 2013. Further information will be provided when available.

Monday February 25th – Tentatively scheduled is a presentation on women’s cardiac awareness.

Mended Little Hearts of Binghamton – call Amy Root ((607) 725-8433) or e-mail mendedlittleheartsofbinghamton@yahoo.com.

Monday March 25th – This month’s planned topic is stroke prevention and awareness.

The Stroke Support Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 1-3 p.m. in the Vestal Public Library. Call Sue Mays ((607) 754-3405) for more information.

T-Time (Congestive Heart Failure Support Group) meets on the second Thursday of every odd month from 6 to 7 p.m. at Lourdes Hospital. For more information, contact Colleen Cameron or Carol Zander at Lourdes Hospital ((607) 798-5493) or visit http://www.lourdes.com/events/support-groups/congestive-heart-failure.

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Recommended Reading

Chapter 262 Visiting Statistics 2012 Oct. Nov. YTD

Patients…………….…….…21….…..…22………226 Pre-Op………...……………..6…….….…9………..52 Post-Op………...…………..18…...….…17………171 Family……………………….19………....17………156 Cath/Angio……………...…..18…….…...27……...221 Cath/Angio Family……….….8……..…….0……….60 Follow-up Calls………...…..10……….…18……...165

It's time to elect local chapter officers for the next term. A nominating committee is presently working to provide a slate of officers but has been unable to come up with any new names. Therefore, the sugested slate of officers will be the same as those currently serving: Mary Winheld, President; Mike McNeal, Vice President; Dorothy DeMorat, Secretary; and Jerry DeMorat, Treasurer. Nominations from the floor can be made at the January and February general meetings and at any other time before March 22nd by contacting Ray Welch, Dan Terpak, or Dorothy DeMorat (contact information is on page 2). We hope some of you will volunteer before March 22nd. The election will be held on April 22nd and the installation on May 27th. Also, we have an immediate need for a historian, which involves maintaining information and scrapbooks about chapter events. In February we'll vote for the national Mended Hearts officers. Check the Winter 2012 issue of Heartbeat magazine for candidate profiles. Anyone who does not have a copy of Heartbeat can get the profile information from me (Mary Winheld). Also, anyone who cannot attend the February meeting and would like to vote may contact me and I will give you an absentee ballot, which you should return to me by February 22nd.

Enough business! This is now the New Year and the time to look forward. The holidays can be crazy as dashing, dashing, dashing we do go – through the stores, through the house-cleaning, through food preparation and eating, entertaining and visiting, and various other frenzied holiday preparations. And, don't forget “Dashing through the Snow!” Enough! I for one enjoyed it all, but I'm now glad it's over – I need a rest, I'm ready for less dashing! Now as we look forward to the New Year, please resolve to think of ways you can help Mended Hearts Chapter 262. Our faithful core of workers and visitors is dwindling and is not being replaced. Please step forward. Offer to help!

To all, I hope that your New Year is healthy, happy, peaceful, fulfilling, and everything else you dream it to be.

Love to all you special people, -Mary Winheld, Pres. Your riddle to decode: S – N – O – W (answer on page 6).

In honor of American Heart Month in February, Mended Hearts member Monica Chiao recommends Knit Red by Laura Zander (2012, Sixth & Spring Books). A collection of 30 beautiful projects designed to be knitted in red yarn, the book also includes health tips and heart-healthy recipes. Even better, a portion of the purchase price will be donated to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in support of The Heart Truth!

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Christmas Party 2012 – Photo Gallery

Notable Quote

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” -Jim Ryun

Santa (Paul Houle, center) visits with, from l. to r., Daisy Webber and Marge Guley.

Santa, a.k.a. Paul Houle, spreads Christmas cheer.

Donna and Hal Fischbeck pose with a mini-Santa.

Getting into the Christmas spirit with, from l. to r., Shirley Burright, Marie McNeal, Mary Lou Winheld, and Roy Gregg.

Give Blood

January is National Blood Donor Month. Please help to replenish the blood supply now when the need is the greatest. You can find a blood drive near you and sign up at http://www.redcrossblood.org/.

Mended Hearts Chapter 262 members gathered at Wilson Hospital on December 13, 2012 to celebrate the holidays and received a surprise visitor!

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, We ask for health that we may encourage others, We ask for Wisdom Lord that

Author – Herbert Mal

A Mended Hearts prayer We ask your Blessings, Lord, We ask for strength that we may pass it on to others, We ask for faith that we may give hope to others, We ask for health that we may encourage others, We ask for Wisdom Lord that we may use all of your gifts well. Author - Herbert Maedl

Those of you who are dog owners know the boundless joy these creatures provide. But did you know that dogs can improve the health of patients with heart disease? A scientific study at the University of Los Angeles Medical Center showed that visiting with therapy dogs helped to measurably lower stress, anxiety, and heart and lung pressure in patients with heart failure. And Harefield Hospital in Uxbridge, England, has teamed up with The Dogs Trust charity in its “Hounds Help Hearts” program that prescribes daily walks with dogs to heart patients, allowing both humans and canines to meet their exercise needs.

Often when we already feel bad about not exercising or not eating healthily, our inner critic becomes louder and adds more negative thoughts such as “we are getting older” and “our health is declining,” making us feel even worse. Negative thoughts like anxiety over medical problems, sadness because of declining health, or anger at ourselves for not being more in control, impair our brain function and cloud our thinking. When this happens we are less resilient, less creative, and less excited to move forward. We are not on top of our game with decision making, problem solving, and making healthy choices; thus, lasting change is unlikely. The average diet and exercise experience is full of toxic self- talk (“I don’t have the time,” “I don’t like to cook,” “why haven’t I lost more weight,” “I don’t like to exercise”). This leads to a vicious cycle where we are in a constant state of frenzy, overwhelmed by our negative inner critic. More often than not we abandon our diet and exercise and return to our original habits. We find some comfort in our old routines and habits because they are familiar.

Conditioning your mind for lasting change is a necessity. Simply quieting your inner critic clears your mind and gets your brain ready to learn, as well as increases your creativity and willingness to take steps forward. One way to quiet the frenzy when you feel negative emotions is to do something active like take a brisk walk. Try to keep busy to prevent yourself from dwelling on perceived failures and instead amplify positive behavior. Take the time to condition your mind. Fully arm yourself by having a plan and becoming fully prepared. Having an organized mind enhances your ability to creatively solve problems when bumps in the road appear. Your ability to persevere is heightened when you are in a state of calmness.

-Sherry O’Connell, M.S. Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist Certified Wellness Coach

Resolve to Improve Your Health (Continued from page 1)

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Dogs Benefit Heart Patients

Dutchess helps to keep my heart healthy.

So if you have a dog, thank him or her for making you feel better. And if you don’t, consider adopting one from a local animal shelter. I recently did just that, and I can personally attest that my wellbeing has been enhanced considerably. -Monica Chiao

Answer to riddle on page 4: Dashing through the snow!

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Member Enrollment

Inside Story Headline

The Mended Hearts, Inc. National Office Phone: 888-HEART99 (432-7899) www.mendedhearts.org

Member Information (please print or type) Name (Mr./Mrs./Ms.)_______________________________________ Chapter ______ OR Member-At-Large Address___________________________________________________ Phone (____) _______________________ City_______________________________________________________ Alt Phone (____) ____________________ State/Zip__________________________________________________ Retired: ( ) Yes ( ) No Email address______________________________________________ Occupation________________________ Preferred Contact: ( ) Phone ( ) Email ( ) Mail

Family member (must reside at same address; please name): (Mr./Mrs./Ms.)_________________________________________________________________ Family member Email address__________________________________________________ May Mended Hearts staff or volunteers contact you regarding local chapter opportunities? ( ) Yes ( ) No Medical Info/Demographics (Optional for Mended Hearts reporting purposes in aggregate only) Name of Heart Patient _____________________________________ Name of Caregiver __________________ Date of Surgery/Procedure _________________________________ Phone (____) ________________________ Type of Surgery/Procedure _________________________________ Alt Phone (____) _____________________

( ) Angioplasty ( ) Heart Attack ( ) Cath ( ) Check here if also Heart Patient ( ) Atrial Septal Defect ( ) Pacemaker ( )Valve-Surgery ( ) Type of procedure ____________ ( ) Aneurysm ( ) Transplant ( ) Valve Transcath ( ) CABG (Bypass) ( ) Afib arrhythmia ( ) ICD (Defibrillator) ( ) Stent ( ) Other arrhythmia ( ) Other __________ Many chapter newsletters include surgery/procedure anniversaries of members. Please indicate here if you are agreeable to having your name published in this way. ( ) Yes ( ) No Add my email to monthly national email updates? Add my email to monthly national email updates? ( ) Yes ( ) No ____________________________ ( ) Yes ( ) No ____________________________ Patient signature Family member signature

Optional Info: Date of Birth ___________________________ Race: ( ) Caucasioan; ( )Black; ( ) Asian; ( ) Am. Indian; ( ) Other Gender: ( ) Male; ( ) Female

National Membership Dues: Includes subscripton to Heartbeat magazine and one insignia pin for an individual or two pins for a family membership (must reside in same household). Select type of membership and include chapter dues (unless you wish to become a member-at-large). National dues are tax deductible less $10.00; Chapter and Lifetime dues are 100% tax deductible. You must be a member of the National Organization to be a Chapter Member.

Application Dues Individual $22 (National $17 + Chapter $5) ( ) Family $31 (National $24 + Chapter $7) ( ) National Life (Individual) $155 (National $150 + Chapter $5) ( ) National Life (Family) $217 (National $210 + Chapter $7) ( ) Dues Summary: National dues $ ________ I am joining as a non-heart patient: ( ) Physician ( ) RN Chapter dues $ ________ ( ) Health Admin ( ) Other Interested Party ( ) Other_________ TOTAL $ ________ A tax-deductible contribution $_______ to ( ) National OR ( ) Chapter

New chapter members: Please send payment with enrollment form and check made out to Mended Hearts, Inc., Chapter 262, to: Or, if joining as a member-at-large, send to:

The Mended Hearts, Inc. Jerry DeMorat National Office 12 Canterbury Dr. 8150 N. Central Expressway, M2248 Endicott, NY 13760 Dallas, TX 75206

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Purpose of the Mended Hearts, Inc.

We’re on the Web! Read this newsletter online at: http://issuu.com/mendedhearts262/docs/heartmattersjan-feb2013

“It’s great to be alive – and to help others!”

The purpose of this organization is to offer help, support, and encouragement to heart disease patients and their families, and to achieve this objective in the following manner: A. To visit, with physician’s approval, and to offer encouragement to heart disease

patients and their families. B. To distribute information of specific educational value to members of the Mended

Hearts, Inc., and to heart disease patients and their families. C. To establish and maintain a program of assistance to physicians, nurses, medical

professionals, and health care organizations in their work with heart disease patients and their families.

D. To cooperate with other organizations in education and research activities pertaining to heart disease.

E. To establish and to assist established heart disease rehabilitation programs for members and their families.

F. To plan and conduct suitable programs of special educational interest for members and for heart disease patients and their families.

Donations If you are interested in making a donation, please contact our Treasurer (contact info. on page 2).