Meeting Highlights - 2019

 

NOVEMBER PPN WINTER CELEBRATION LUNCHEON

November 19th, 2019

The Post Polio Network (MB) Inc. held their Winter Celebration Luncheon at the Caboto Centre. The chef at the Cabot Centre prepared a turkey dinner with all the trimmings for us to enjoy. There were many comments from our members who enjoyed the meal. There were 44 attendees including our two guests from SMD Services, Derek Day and Aline Abrao. Unfortunately, the highway conditions prevented one of our members and her guest from attending.

The door and draw prizes were well appreciated. Special thanks to the Hazlitt’s, the Cranswick’s and C. Simpson and her sisters for their donations.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year for 2020.

 

 

OCTOBER PPN GENERAL MEETING

October 29th, 2019

The Post Polio Network (MB) Inc. held their October General Meeting at the Caboto Centre. Wes Hazlitt eloquently introduced our guest speaker, Dr. Gordon Goldsborough. The meeting was live streamed on FaceBook. Dr. Goldsborough has a deep curiosity about local history and, armed with his trusty drone, has explored hundreds of abandoned sites in Manitoba from schools, dance-halls and hospitals to factories and abandoned quarries. He has compiled two books on this subject and has a weekly radio show, which can be heard on CBC’s Weekend Morning Show. His first book, published in 2016, became the top selling non-fiction book of the year in Manitoba. Dr Goldsborough is also the current President, Head Researcher and Webmaster of the Manitoba Historical Society and the Production Coordinator and Pageant Editor of Manitoba History magazine. You can view his presentation here: https://lnkw.co/postpolionetwork-goldsborough

Dr. Goldsborough called his presentation “More Abandoned Manitoba”. There is an interactive map of over 7500 historic sites/places in Manitoba of which 80% are outside of the city of Winnipeg. The map can be found at www.mhs.ca/map2.

As example:

  1. There used to be 2000 one room school houses around the province; however, there are less than 400 still standing and the majority in major disrepair. In the 1960’s the majority of these schools were closed and consolidated.

  2. There are abandoned medical facilities. There is an abandoned sanatorium in Ninette. In Brandon, the Valley View Mental Health, Mb. is abandoned. The old Shriner’s Hospital for Children is no long operational; but, still stands and has been used in films.

  3. The abandoned grain elevators. In the past virtually every town had a grain elevator. From 730 to 130; but, of these 130 the majority are not in use. In twenty years this “symbol of the prairies” will be gone.

  4. ALSO, Abandoned camp grounds such as the one at St. Anne’s Rd and the Perimeter were closed when highways and transportation made movement so much easier. Dance halls once were found all over the provinces and provided socialization areas for the rural population and are gone. Old highways have been closed as the TransCanada Hwy was completed. There once were 200 Fallout Shelters or Monitoring Posts that were built during the Cold War and are now abandoned. One of these was on the North Point of Grindstone Park.

 

SEPTEMBER PPN GENERAL MEETING

September 24th, 2019

The Post Polio Network (MB) Inc. held their September General Meeting at the Caboto Centre and there was good attendance to listen to our guest speakers. Our Vice President, Wes Hazlitt, filmed the session and it was broadcasted live on Facebook.

Our guest speaker was Allison Pattison, Community Engagement Specialist at Canopy Growth. Their brands include Tweed and Tokyo Smoke and Spectrum Therapeutics.

Spectrum Therapeutics provides medical cannabis products to improve the lives of patients around the world.

The following is a brief outline of the presentation:

The fundamentals of Spectrum Therapeutics are to provide safe access to all. Spectrum has been a medical supplier of a quality product. Our bodies have Cannabinoid receptors, located throughout the body, and are part of the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory.

The CB1 Receptor is the TCH receptor and the CB2 Receptor is the CBD Receptor. CB1s are located mostly in the head/spinal area and the TCH is what gives the “high” or euphoria and can treat pain and is fast acting. CB2s are located throughout the body and are not psychotic; but act as an anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety buffer. TCH and CBD do NOT bind to each others receptors.

Medical use of cannabis is legal IF there is a prescription from a doctor or nurse practitioner and can only be purchased from a licensed producer by mail order.

There are three varieties of medical cannabis: dried flower form (that is smoked), oil (resin and coconut oil) and soft gels.

TCH vs CBD

Euphoric Sleep and calming

Psychoactive effects Reduces:

Can cause anxiety Anxiety

Reduces: Inflammation

Nausea Seizures

Pain Relief

Increases:

Appetite

For both medical and recreational cannabis the Cannabinoid ratios are as follows:

  1. TCH little or no CBD. For the more seasoned consumer

  2. TCH/CBD more even distribution of TCH/CBD. A mellowing effect and better for first time consumers.

  3. CBD little or no TCH. For relaxation

How to take Medical Cannabis

  1. Inhale via a vaporizer. This is less harmful and has immediate effects.

  2. Ingest (oils and soft gels). Effect can take 30 minutes to 2 hours.

To find the correct dose

  1. Start low and go slow

  2. Document dosages and amount and journal. Adverse reactions are usually from taking too much.

REMEMBER: If you are not finding any benefit, see your health practitioner. Results/Symptoms are not always the same for everyone. Short term effects of using cannabis can be impairment, dizziness, drowsiness, short term memory, dry mouth, anxiety, and dry cough. If you stop after long term usage there can be mood changes, appetite changes, sleep disturbances; but, these are short term effects.

ACCESS to Medical Cannabis

-By Medical Practitioner

-Thru Spectrum website www.spectrumcanada.com. Use the “find a physician” button on the website for a screening interview that will lead to finding a doctor.

Talk to a pharmacist regarding drug interactions prior to use.

Don’t mix with alcohol

Don’t drive under the influence

Store products responsibility

Know and understand rules when travelling to different countries.

 

 

MAY PPN GENERAL MEETING

May 28th, 2019

The Post Polio Network (MB) Inc. held their May General Meeting at the Caboto Centre and there was good attendance to listen to our guest speakers. Our Vice President, Wes Hazlitt, filmed the session and it was broadcasted live on Facebook & YouTube.

Our guest speakers were Natalie Pirson and Chelsey Summerfield from Independent Living Resource Centre (ILRC). Natalie and Chelsey are Independent Living Counsellors.

The ILRC is located at 311A 393 Portage Avenue in Winnipeg. ILRC provides support to all self declared people with disabilities. It is a grass roots organization that is a social model and not a medical model. It is run by those with disabilities who run 20 different programs. It promotes independence in all aspects of life.

The philosophy of ILRC is founded on the rights of people with disabilities to live with dignity in their chosen community, participate in al aspects of life; and control and make decisions about their own lives.

There are five main areas:

-CORE is information referral and connect persons with programs at ILRC; resources and agencies.

-PEER SUPPORT INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS is a series of workshops on a variety of topics related to disabilities, e.g. disability tax credit.

-ADVOCACY PROGRAM meets on a monthly basis to teach self advocacy; confidence building and empowerment.

-PACE (Personal Attendant Community Education is a 5 week course to train attendants for disabled persons with areas such as medication management, dressing, housekeeping.

-R&D

SELF /FAMILY MANAGED CARE (SFMC)

ILRC established Self/Family Managed Care in 1957 as an alternative to Manitoba’s government run Home Care program. “Self management is consumers accepting full responsibility for their assessed care needs by coordinating, managing and directing those non-professional services needed to maintain an independent community living lifestyle. A designated family member undertakes and accepts full responsibility for managing the assessed care needs of the eligible consumer.

A Home Care social worker from a Regional Health Authority (RHA) assesses the needs and time requirements for the care of the disabled person. From this assessment RHA provides the monies to the person who is managing the SFMC. These monies are used for all expenses incurred for the care of the person. Semi-annual reports are submitted to RHA and all unused monies must be returned.

The responsibilities of SFMC can become overwhelming. ILRC has designed a program (support system) known as “ILRC as Agent Option”. Under this program the ILRC acts as a service provider that fulfills specific administrative and employee related roles. Attendants can be from the PACE program. There are no out-of-pocket expenses for the family.

 

 

 

APRIL PPN GENERAL MEETING

April 30, 2019

The Post Polio Network (MB) Inc. held their April General Meeting at the Caboto Centre and there was good attendance to listen to our guest speaker.  Our Vice President, Wes Hazlitt, filmed the session and it was broadcasted live on Facebook. 

Our guest speaker was Krista Paulson, Physiotherapist, Certified Hand Therapist and an Acupuncture provider.  Ms. Paulson is a co-owner of EastCity Physiotherapy located at 1123 St. Mary’s Rd. in Winnipeg. 

In her opening remarks she noted that after the initial Physiotherapy degree, it takes 5years to become a certified hand specialist (CHT).  The CHT is a misnomer in that the specialty is hands to shoulder treatment.

She discussed:

1. Trigger Finger

Trigger finger concerns the link between the muscles in the forearm to the tendons to “pulley’s in hands and fingers.  It is the friction between tissues (tendon & pulley) that causes the tendon to get thicker and thusly having problems moving thru the pulleys causing the trigger finger effect.  Trigger finger is common in mobility aid users.  Treatment is custom hand splints (worn at night for mobility aid users)  that can alleviate the problem in about 6 weeks, or longer depending on the progression of the condition.  Steroid injections   are used as well as surgical intervention.

2. Guyon's Canal Syndrome

Guyon's canal  is caused by entrapment of the ulnar nerve in the Guyon canal as it passes through the wrist causing issues with the ring finger and baby finger numbness. (Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the medial nerve)Guyon’s is common in mobility aid users due to pressure on the heel of the hand.This syndrome can be confirmed with nerve conduction testing.Treatment is custom splints that go from the hand up the forearm (worn at night for mobility aid users), padding on handles to off load pressures on the nerve, and surgical intervention

3. Disuse Atrophy

Weakness can be caused by disuse and then because of weakness the hand is disused.   This also occurs naturally as one ages.  It is a fine motor skill weakness and there are detailed specific exercises designed for fine motor skill tasks.

4. General Tips on Advocacy

Patients should know that it is okay to:

-tell your story to your health care provider

-ask questions of your health care provider and mirror back responses to ensure understanding

-ask for more information; i.e. suggest a book or a website to provide additional information

-AND get a second opinion to ensure that you make an informed decision.

This event was recorded live and streamed to our Facebook page. You can view that video here: https://lnkw.co/PostPolioNetworkonFacebook

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March 2019 Annual General Meeting

Post Polio Network (MB) Inc. held their 32nd Annual General Meeting on March 26th,2019. The meeting was held at Caboto Centre, 1055 Wilkes Ave, Winnipeg.

The AGM was conducted by the president, Cheryl Currie and reports were received from the Executive Committee and the Committee Co-ordinators

Elections were held for open positions on the Board of Directors. Mr Wes Hazlitt was nominated for the position of Vice President and acclaimed as the new VicePresident.

It was announced by our FundRaising Co-ordinator, Doug Mihalyk that we had Kinsman Kin Kar tickets to sell if any member wished to promote their sale. Our thanks to all that volunteered to sell these tickets.

At the end of  the meeting a raffle took place. Our thanks to all who donated prizes for the raffle