This Week...
PREVENTIVE GERONTOLOGY at WVRC on July 23rd
DICK ROBINSON led the Pledge. PP STEVE SCHERER gave the Invocation: “Dear God, we come to you amid plenty and we remember the homeless and the hungry. We come to you among friends and we remember the lonely and the dysfunctional. We come to you as Rotarians and friends of Rotarians, and we ask for your help in helping others. Bless this food to our use and us in your service. A Men.“ Well done, STEVE – thanks. LENNY FRIEDMAN was introduced with the news that when Leonard Bernstein’s parents named their son LENNY for Mr. Friedman, they hoped he would be as musical as Mr. FRIEDMAN! Despite this, we were led in singing You’re a Grand Old Flag.
We had no Visiting Rotarians, but PP STEVE SCHERER brought his son, Ben, who has been coming to WVRC almost as long as he’s been around. BEN has finished his 3rd year of Medical School, and apparently earlier attended that well-known College with the initials DP. SUNNY was of course with LENNY, and our Speaker had two guests, Bill Wilson and Scott Harding – who is a student at UCLA.
The Head Table contained some big hitters. BILL EDWARDS was summoned forward to explain how he rated a full page in the UCLA Library Newsletter. BILL is a UCLA alum, graduating in English, and he recently made a major contribution to the Library – this act caused him to be fined a hundred bucks! This brought forward PEGGY BLOOMFIELD, who joined her son, BILL JR, our former member who now belongs to Manhattan Beach, in giving Rotary International one million dollars! PEGGY explained that as she thought about it, if BILL JR could do it, so could she. It’s hard to fault this reasoning. As a result of these donations, both PEGGY and BILL JR will be inducted into the Arch Klumph Society and have their portraits hung in the Klumph Gallery. One of the local rewards for these major donations is that a portion of the money is set aside for projects within the Rotary District from which they came. This will all be noted in the November issue of The Rotarian. PEGGY was of course given a standing ovation in tribute to her generosity.
Next up was PP BOB WESSLING, who felt it was necessary to correct Prexy ED”S introductory statement that DePauw was building a 120,000 seat football stadium. YOE is unsure if PP BOB said the correct figure was 679,000 or maybe something else, but we were all glad to have the record straight. While he was up there, PP BOB pointed out that in the recent movie, “Public Enemies” John Dillinger robbed the bank in Greencastle (that’s Indiana, as I’m sure you know by now) of $74,000. And at the risk of too much DP exposure, we should recall that both PP BOB and PP STEVE’S son BEN attended that institution.
It was Prexy ED’s sad duty to announce that SLOSS VIAU died this past weekend. “SLOSS was a wonderful gentleman, always friendly and happy, who enjoyed Rotary and was generous in his support of WVRC. He was a WW Village Rotary Benefactor, a Paul Harris Fellow, and a John Sandman Fellow.” In speaking to Skip Viau, Sloss’s son, ED expressed our deepest condolences to the family. Marjorie would appreciate cards and letters, of course. A website will be set up by Gates, Kingsley and Gates, who are handling arrangements – the address is www.mem.com, SLOSS VIAU. And your thoughts and remembrances can be added there. We are providing a flower tribute for the family. His Memorial Tribute will be at 10am on August 2nd, just before the regular worship service at Westwood United Methodist Church.
The annual Auxiliary Fun Party will be held on Saturday the 8th, in the gardens of SHIRLEY and PETER MORE’S home in Westwood. Entitled the August Moon Festival, it will feature both a Chinese dinner and Chinese vocal entertainment. Please send your checks to MARGIE DOWNIE for $40 per person. This will be a lovely event, in good company – see you there!
Last week, along with Prexy ED’S notes, I got a copy of several actuarial jokes, one of which was then told. In the interest of accurate reporting, for which I modestly admit I’m infamous; I now pass along the latest epistle. Without prejudging your reaction, I feel we might better be served by either PP ERIC or ELLIOTT, even though there is the obvious risk of what the hell they might say…Anyway, here goes – A patient was at her doctors office after undergoing a complete physical exam. The doctor said, “I have some very grave news for you. You have only six months to live!” The patient asked, “Oh, doctor, what should I do?” The doctor replied, Marry an actuary”. “Will that make me live longer?” “”No”, said the doctor, “ but it will SEEM longer…” Fortunately, table talk now intervened.
STEVE PETTISE introduced our Speaker, Arnold Bresky, M.D. Dr Bresky started his medical career in OB-GYN, and has delivered over 10,000 babies! Thirteen years ago he made a major switch of specialties, becoming a Gerontologist – that is, treating us seniors. His medical training was at UCLA, and as an intern, he worked a 36 hour shift, with 8 hours off, and then back to work. Fortunately for both us and the students, this regime has now been eased somewhat.
Dr. Bresky began by crediting the work of Dr. Gary Small and others at UCLA with significant Research, and he defines his contribution as making their discoveries more accessible. He had a large White Board, which he used to note important points in his presentation. He then patted his breast, and dangled a set of keys, using these two motions to demonstrate his own name – Bres Ky. This illustrated two of the factors that aid memory – sight, and sound. He learned during his prior practice that more babies are born in September than any other month – which he attributes to the fact that everyone celebrates the New Year the same way!
He asked what is the biggest fear for seniors, and the answer is cancer. But memory loss is overtaking cancer as a concern – as many as one in four of us will have to deal with some degree of memory loss. If we want to live forever, so to speak, the current target would probably be 120 years. To do that, the body must repair itself, and detoxify itself on a continuing basis. Why the need to detoxify? Because in the last 100 years, our soil had become loaded with minerals that are not healthy – lead, sulfur, various sustances that, in effect, float about. They are absorbed into our body, and our liver leads the way in cleansing.
Dr. Bresky is concerned about a coming shortage of caregivers. There are 40 million caregivers in the US today – mostly family members, but the number is declining, and we need at least 200,000 new professional caregivers per year to meet the coming need. The spouse is not the major caregiver in the family – it is the daughter, instead. These caregivers suffer from depression, high blood pressure, shame and guilt – they burn out. Actual numbers show that 40% of family caregivers die before those they are caring for. They are untrained, have no idea about dementia – simply learning how to empty a bedpan and change linens is not enough.
Alzheimers disease is the major concern – today there are 5.3 million people in the US who are suffering from Alzheimers, and the number may double in the next five years – and then double again by another five years. So we must confront it. It cannot be cured, only alieviated. He drew a rough sketch, showing brain cells, which are separate, but connected by what I heard as myesyn. These strands decline (that is, their iron content evaporates) in their ability to transfer nerve signals as we age, and that is the basic cause of Alzheimers. White blood cells can repair myesyn. But no pill really helps – it can only be delayed, not cured. Two major risk factors in Alzheimers are age and genetics. If a blood relative has, or had, Alzheimers, your own risk is doubled. Another major cause is high blood pressure, which many people have. And the last major contributor is diabetes.
There are NINE factors that really count in treating Alzheimers. Number one is fun and laughter. Depression kills brain cells. There is more money being spent today on special diet plans and Viagra than on Alzheimers research. This could result, he says, in a coming population with huge boobs and amazing erections, but with no idea of what to do with them!
#2 treatment is relaxation, meditation and prayer. Prayer is the best of these three options, and praying for useful work is the best prayer of all. It is possible today to predict in ten years who will get Alzheimers, by the way.
Unit therapy is #3 – it has been around for 5,000 years, and he recommends Mozart Piano Concerto #21 as the best music of all.
#4 is sleep – the brain heals itself while sleeping, and the best time is between 11 pm and 7 am. The biggest problem with non-sleepers is financial worries, thus he recommends having a competent financial planner to help with this problem. Senior moments, by the way, start at age 50. And the number one defense reaction is denial.
Moving right along, here is #5 in treating Alzheimers – Physical Exercise. This must be done, and on a regular basis. It may help to have a partner to help you maintain a systematic program.
# 6 is eating – we are what we eat. He advocates the Mediterranean diet, which can lower the risk by 40%! He advocates two glasses of red wine for men and one glass for women on a regular basis. #7 is hydration – the brain is 75% water, and you need several glasses per day.
Brain exercise is #8 – crossword puzzles are the very best, period. They can reduce your risk by – get this – 66% Art is helpful – try drawing, or painting, and you may be surprised at your talent! The final, # 9, is to do an act of kindness EVERY DAY. It will make a difference.
Contact for Dr. Bresky is (818-883-7300, abresky@earthlink.net, and www.mybraintuneup.com
Prexy ED’S closing comment – Happiness is one of the attributes of man which eludes the most determined search, and comes – if it does – unsought, and in the most unsuspected places. He who has failed in his efforts to find happiness in a Palace may find it in a humble cottage,
where love reigns.
