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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2002)
Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, November 27, 2002 Page 2 Last Wednesday I made sure that the I.V. stuck in a vein in the top of my left hand was stuck in far enough. This feat of skill was achieved by my unconsciously and cleverly pushing on it with a paper towel after washing my hands in a rest room at the offices of “my cardiologist.” It hurt. Physically. And mentally, when I realized how dumb a move it was. However, there was no doubt that the thing was in far enough. However, the pain wore off (today), and I think that the radioactive stress test I endured probably will have a good prognosis. Hadn’t had such an enjoyable experience since the one I underwent in April last year at Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, Calif., when, lacking anything better to do, I managed to have my second heart attack. The one in Grants Pass last week (the test, not another blood pump extravaganza), was at least as much fun as the one in SoCal. Good people, too; especially Technician Bob and Nurse Joany, the dynamic duo of stress-o-rama. Here’s how the procedure works, for those of you who will miss the thrill of modern medicine. First, wear loose and comfortable clothing, and bring a nice sandwich. Sec- ond, be prepared to lie still (seriously!) for 30 minutes with- out talking, with your right hand under your right hip to keep that arm still; and with your left arm bent so that your hand and forearm rest on your forehead. Now try to boogie from that position. Just kidding. A mysterious and magical medical machine then moves slowly across your heart area, taking pictures for the dining and dancing pleasure of your favorite cardiologist. The first film is taken not “too long” after you arrive. Then you hang around awhile awaiting the real stress part. Nearly constant blood pressures are taken, and EKG leads are attached (man, they’re cold with that jell stuff on them). And now, start running, sucker. I ran and ran. Was getting nowhere. Ended up at 3.4 mph with about a 15 per- cent grade on the happy treadmill. Huffing-puffing, just like an old steam engine. Finally, Bob and Joany said that I could quit, when I claimed that I had reached level nine on a 10-point scale, as far as exertion goes. How far does exertion go? Not far on a treadmill. The ol’ heart was a’pounding though. Actually, when that portion was concluded, I felt pretty good. After that I ate the terrific low-fat tuna sandwich that Jan had made for me. She was already eating hers when I found her in the interior waiting room. Following that, I was invited back to the slow-moving heart camera. While I laid there you would not believe the places that itched (on me), that I couldn’t scratch. I itched in places where I didn’t even know I had places. And I wished that I had taken Bob’s suggestion that I use the rest room again. He knew. Especially after giving me two cups of wa- ter in connection with the injections of something called thallium. But I survived. And for that matter -- keeping in mind all medical and emergency-responder people -- from medics to orderlies (not to mention lawmen and firefighters) -- I am grateful. They have helped me survive. A lot. Overall, I’m really glad to be alive and kickin’. With that thought, all of us wish all of you a Happy & Stress-Free Thanksgiving. I say, count your blessings. And that’s Amen for this week. Illinois Valley News An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and published by Robert R. (Bob) and Jan Rodriguez Bob Rodriguez, Editor El Jefe Entered as second class matter June 11, 1937 at Post Office as Official Newspaper for Josephine County and Josephine County Three Rivers School District, published at 321 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction, OR 97523 Periodicals postage paid at Cave Junction, OR 97523 Post Office Box 1370 USPS 258-820 Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330 Volume 65, No. 36 STAFF: Virginia Gilliam, Cindy Newton, Chris Robertson, Sharon Silva & Becky Loudon Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association DEADLINES: News, Classified Ads NOON MONDAYS POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ welcomes letters to the editor provided they are of general interest, in good taste, legible and not libelous. All letters must be signed, using complete name, and contain the writer’s address and telephone number. The latter need not be published, but will be used to verify authenticity. The ‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters. One letter per person per month. Letters are used at the discretion of the publisher. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged nor returned. A prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is inordinately long in the editor's opinion. *In a photo caption last week, it incorrectly was stated that Debi Dobie and Em- manuel Lungwa Demzee, who are engaged to be married, attend Brigham Young Uni- versity (BYU) at Provo, Utah. In fact, they attend the BYU campus at Rexburg, Idaho. *In a page 1 story last week the end of a story about Siskiyou Community Health Center inadvertently was de- leted. Following is the com- plete last paragraph: Despite the changing face of medical care, Scheufele said that, “SCHC remains focused on and committed to its mission.” The cross of the Legion of Honor has been conferred upon me. However, few escape that distinction. - Mark Twain - Chain Link Specialist 592-6192 Questions and Answers by Christina Snell Executive Director at Lovejoy Hospice In order to help you become better informed about hospice services, Lovejoy Hospice is publishing this question and answer column every month. Look for us on the fourth Wednesday of every month in 'Illinois Valley News.' If you have questions you would like answered in this column, phone us at the number below or E-mail us at lovejoy@parragon.com Q: “My friend says she is just having the ‘holiday blues’ but I think she is really depressed. How can I tell the difference?” A: Holidays are a time of the year when some people may suffer from the ‘holiday blues’. If they have lost a loved one around the holiday, that can add to their feelings of sadness. How- ever, when that continues for a long period of time and begins impacting their entire life situation it is time to take action. Symptoms of depression are: 1. Insomnia - difficulty getting to sleep or increased need for sleep. 2. Significant weight loss or weight gain. 3. Inability to concentrate, make decisions or remember 4. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, sometimes for no apparent reason. 5. Fatigue or loss of energy. 6. Lack of interest, motivation or pleasure in almost all activities including job, hobbies, family and sex. 7. Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, low self-esteem or indifference. 8. Recurrent thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts, desire not to be alive. 9. Difficulty controlling thoughts and/or inability to physically move. If your friend has shared that she’s had five or more of these symptoms in the same 2-week period, professional counseling may be the answer to re- claim her life. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction, OR. 97523 ‘Ideal parent’ From Donna Pernicka O’Brien I am the mother of six boys, and, yes, I gave birth six times (ouch). My fifth son, Drake, is 11, and today he handed me a paper he wrote for a class assignment, and I wanted to share it with every- one. It is titled, “Ideal Parent.” While I was reading his paper, my eyes filled with tears, and my heart pumped with joy. I gave my son a big kiss and a bear hug. We are not perfect par- ents, nor do we even want to try. All we wanted to do as parents is give our kids all the love, caring and the best guid- ance we can. All my boys are doing well. God has blessed me well, and I thank him and my husband. If I go to bed and never wake again, you can say that I have had the best 39 years of my life and never regret being me. To me, my awesome fam- ily is the ideal family. * * * By Drake Pernicka Have you ever thought of what an ideal parent would be? Now I would like to tell you what I think an ideal par- ent would be. So sit back, re- lax, and enjoy. My parents are the ideal parents. They are supportive in whatever I do. I want to be a forensic scientist and they’re behind me 100%. I also wanted to be a doctor, and they were behind me in that too. I ran for student council and my mom made me the best posters in the world. I got a $300 scholarship for college, and my dad and mom both want me to go to college and graduate. My parents are active. They take me quad riding and camping. I love it when my dad takes me somewhere spe- cial, and it’s only the two of us. We have such a good time together. It makes me feel so good to know that I have the best parents I could ever dream of. I am so rich in a way, because my parents are the best, and to know that they would do anything in the world for me. My parents take me to the coast and we walk along the beach. Then we build castles and watch the ocean try to take them down. They take me quad riding at the track. My parents do that with me because it doesn’t take a lot of money and the best things in life are free, but it is so great to be with them hav- ing fun, it doesn’t take a lot of money to let me have fun. Now, I hope you have a better understanding of what an ideal parent would be. My parents are the ideal parents, and I hope you liked it. Tax misinformation From Lou Chauvin Cave Junction With the economy in tat- ters, war looming, unemploy- ment rising, and the national deficit growing at an increas- ing rate, it’s not surprising that all money measures in the re- cent ballot were beaten down (with the exception of the Illi- nois Valley Fire District, whose voters came close to being destroyed by the largest fire in Oregon history). However, I believe that the funding defeats were due, in part, to the influence of the anti-government crowd that spews the “government- spending-is-bad and out-of- hand” nonsense. Only five other states dedicated a smaller share of their income to state and local taxes than Oregon. And that tax burden has remained steady for the last 20 years: 10.5 percent in ‘78/’79 and 9.3 percent in ‘98/’99. Gov- ernment employment has also shrunk as a share of total em- ployment. State and local gov- ernment employed 16.2 per- cent of all Oregon workers in ‘79, but only 14.6 percent in 2000. We truly need state and local services for the function- ing of our society. It would take a whole book just to list the job descriptions, from the guy that visits the gas stations to make sure the meters are correct, to the firefighters and their supporting staff, to the port managers, to the prison staff, to the teachers and pro- fessors, to the real estate agency, to the fish and game people, to the public health doctors and nurses and vector control people (mosquitoes, rats, etc.) -- all these and thou- sands more make our lives possible. They are inherently neces- sary because they guarantee the quality of our lives. Li- braries, jails, and college classes cannot be abandoned when things get a little tight, a little uncertain. That’s the slippery slope that jeopardizes our future. If you feel overtaxed, con- sider talking to your federal representatives. By the time George W.’s term is over, our defense budget will be equal to all other defense budgets in the whole wide world. It cur- rently exceeds that of the top 50 countries of the Earth. We are now an empire greater than any that has come before, beholden to the rich and powerful, who buy power, through our votes, with cam- paign contributions. Getting along From Billie L. Coakley Cave Junction I was able to attend the Biscuit Fire meeting Oct. 29 at the county building. This meeting was highly informative and progressed in an orderly and polite manner. This was surprising to me, as the groups involved and the people attending were and are quite diverse. Becoming educated about the process involved to re- cover from this devastating fire is important because this is our neighborhood. We should be aware of decisions affecting where we live, work and play. We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. Putting our differences aside to learn and work for this recovery is worth the time and effort. Six from valley honored on ‘National Dean’s List’ Six students from Illinois Valley are among the approxi- mately 140,000 included in the 25th annual edition of “The National Dean’s List, 2001-2002.” Those honored, who were or are attending Rogue Com- munity College: O’Brien resident Dwayne K. Neuberger; and Cave Junc- tion residents Jedediah D. Galloway, Joshua J. Gallo- way, Glenda Graham, Nicho- las Leach, and Christina R. Leippe. Students are chosen for the honor by their college deans or honor society advis- ers. They must be in the upper 10 percent of their class or on their school’s dean’s list, or have earned a comparable honor. 4 different manufacturers’ lines of BLACK HILLS GOLD Largest selection in Josephine County for all your Black Hills Gold needs Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. most Saturdays Evening & weekend appointments available Custom designs, appraisals & quality repairs by graduate gemologists SUBSCRIPTION RATES One year in Josephine County - $20.80 One year in Jackson and Douglas Counties - $24.40 One year in all other Oregon counties and out-of-state -$28 Editor’s Note: Views and commentary expressed in letters to the editor are strictly those of the letter- writers. * * * Typed, double-spaced letters are acceptable for consideration. Hand- written letters that are double-spaced and highly legible also can be con- sidered for publication. Cards of thanks are not accepted as letters.) 939 SE 8 th St., Grants Pass 474-1193 or 1-888-758-8569 Email: lovejoy@terragon.com. Remember the days when people treated you with honesty & fairness? We do.
