Yvonnie Bailey- Davidson
Dear Counsellor:
I am 44 years old and I have a medical illness. I have difficulty complying with the instructions of weight loss, exercise and diet. I would like to get some coping strategies for healthy living.
Jane
Dear Jane:
Whenever we have a chronic condition we are placed in a position to make life-long changes in our lives to promote good health. Exercise, weight management, stress management and diet are the foundations of good health. It is the basis of all health care and can prevent the development of certain illnesses or the complications of certain conditions.
It is tedious to take tablets several times per day and so sometimes people forget or get frustrated. One has to devise strategies like keeping the pills in a specific place everyday so that as you pass by you can see the medication.
It is good to work in a group or with friends as this will give support to your activities. Have a friend or two who will, via the telephone, help to motivate you to continue with your lifestyle programmes. It would be excellent if you have someone who can help you directly with the
programme.
As you do your walking, you can talk to your companion to make the walk less boring. A faithful companion like a wife or husband can motivate and help you to stick to your schedule and routines and keep your programme going.
Spirituality has helped a lot of people and they are finding that believing in God can help them to cope with the realities of life.
My baby has
a disability
Dear Counsellor,
I am 26 years old and recently delivered my first child. I was expecting a normal, healthy baby but my baby has Down's Syndrome.
The doctors told me that she has physical abnormalities and will be mentally retarded. I am devasted and cry daily. I am unhappy and need to find solace to deal with my disappointments. I am looking forward to your usual encouraging words.
Joan
Dear Joan:
Thanks for your letter and I will try to meet your requests. We have no control over some things in life. We have to trust in God who directs our path. Many times pregnancy is filled with high positive expectations, parents beaming with pride and high self-worth.
The parents have achieved the ultimate they will have a baby. Many infertile couples go through many tests to be able to reproduce. You can imagine their joy when the pregnancy becomes a reality.
Life, however, is full of the unexpected. Many babies are born with some physical or mental abnormalities. It is a great disappointment for the new parents and their grief is intolerable. They are mourning the loss of their dreams, hopes and expectations.
The parents need professional counselling to deal with these losses and the profound grief. The death of a dream requires grief counselling. One has to deal with the depression, the anger and the acceptance. Many times we simply have to live with things as they are because there are no other options.
One of the things you will need is a lot of support from family, friends and healthcare workers. You have a child who will be with you for all their years.
These days we encourage in-home care of these children with lots of early stimulation. It has been shown that these children do well with early intensive intervention; their level of functioning can be very high with their self-help skills being well developed.
Your health care provider can work closely with a counsellor to optimise the functioning of yourself and your family. In Jamaica, there are many facilities for children and adults with disabilities. As part of your empowerment you can join the associations to lobby for people with disabilities.
Dr. Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson; El Shaddai Medical Centre; 9274824;
yvonniebd@hotmail.com.
