P age A4
J anuary 24, 1996 • T he P ortland O bserver
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Finding Your Niche
In The Workforce
B y P rof . M c K inley B urt
Formerly Brain Dead Woman
Learns To Communicate
In a highly unusual case, two re­
searchers reported that a car accident
victim, whose injuries left her appar­
ently brain dead for 15 months, has
come out o f her vegetative state and
learned to communicate.
Because the so-called “vegetative
state” is considered permanent if it
lasts for 12 months, the case may
prompt reviews o f many issues con­
cerning the care o f patients who
emerge from a coma yet seem to have
no awareness o f their surroundings,
the researchers said.
Reporting on the case in the New
England Journal o f Medicine, Dr.
Nancy Childs o f the Healthcare Re­
habilitation Center in Austin, Texas,
and Walt Mercer o f Henry Ford
Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, said
they were aware o f only one other
such recovery that has been well doc­
umented.
Their patient was 18 when she
suffered a brain injury. When she
came out ofher coma, her eyes opened
but did not focus or track anything.
She did not respond to commands
and extensive tests showed she was
in a vegetative state.
However, after 15 months, hospi­
tal staffers thought there were times
when she flexed her leg or closed her
eyes in response to commands. They
recorded the responses as “rare and
inconsistent.”
The patient was given generic
drugs that affect the nerve cel Is in the
brain and her responses grew consis­
tent. She became able to use eye
blinks to communicate and after five
years o f therapy, was able to spell
out “Mom, I love you” and to com­
municate by mouthing words and
short phrases.
She remains in a long-term care
facility.
Childs and Mercer say there was
no way doctors could have predicted
that she would recover, and there
was no clue as to what prompted her
emergence from the coma.
The woman’s case “illustrates that
clinical practicality and ethical pru­
dence may suggest forgoing the use of
the term permanent vegetative state’
altogether,” the researchers said.
Three factors complicate decisions
about whether people in a vegetative
state should receive aggressive care.
The first is that in spite o f her
recovery, the young woman remains
“severely disabled and totally de­
pendent.”
The second is that the bill for her
care came to well over $1 million.
“ Whether desirable or not, cost
has become an ethical issue,” Childs
and Mercer said.
Thirdly, the woman, as with other
patients who recover from a vegeta­
tive state, has “no behavioral evi­
dence o f depression or desponden­
cy” over her handicap. She likes hu­
mor, making jokes and teasing.
Diet Paramount In Heart
Disease Fight
Unfit middle-aged men seeking
to cut their risk o f heart disease
should concentrate on diet, not just
exercise, according to researchers.
' A University o f Maryland study
concluded that both weight loss and
aerobic exercise do the older, fatter
body good, but researchers found
“aerobic exercise training in the
absence o f weight loss has substan­
tially less beneficial effects.”
In the study of 111 sedentary and
obese men aged 46 to 80, 44 were
told to lose 10 percent o f their body
weight, while 49 were told to in­
crease maximum aerobic capacity
by 10 percent while maintaining
body weight.
Based on medical tests conduct­
ed before and after the nine-month
regimen, men in both groups ach ieved
reduced blood levels o f low density
lipoprotein cholesterol, the so-called
bad cholesterol that contributes to
artery blockage that leads to heart
attacks and strokes.
Both also showed lower levels of
plasma triglycerides and insulin,
which are indicators o f coronary ar­
tery disease. But the weight-loss
group gained even more health ben­
efits, including significant increases
in high-density “good” cholesterol,
larger decreases in fasting glucose
and insulin levels and significantly
lower blood pressure.
Age was a factor as well, as older
subjects lost only two-thirds as much
weight as middle-aged subjects and
did not attain the same health bene­
fits.
“Collectively, these results sug­
gest that weight loss is the preferred
treatment to improve coronary ar­
tery disease risk factor profiles in
healthy, overweight, sedentary, mid­
dle-aged and older men,” study au­
thor Leslie Katzel wrote in the Jour­
nal o f the American Medical Asso­
ciation.
Heart disease is the leading cause
of death in most developed coun­
tries.
Many coronary deaths are caused
by heart attacks that strike without
warning in middle-aged and older
people.
Oestrogern Doesn't Cause Weight Gain
The long-term use o f hormones
such as oestrogen is not responsible
for extra weight commonly gained
by post-menopausal women, accord­
ing to the latest studies by research­
ers.
After adjusting for age and taking
into account factors such as alcohol
consumption, smoking and physical
activity, researchers at the Universi­
ty o f California found no significant
physical differences between wom­
en who took synthetic hormones and
those who did not.
“The present study confirms that
hormone users tend to be leaner when
first given oestrogen and shows that
neither long-term nor intermittent use
explains or prevents the weight gain
and central obesity commonly ob­
served after menopause,” wrote Don­
na Kritz-Silverstein and Elizabeth
Barrett-Connor in the Journal o f the
American Medical Association.
However, the comparison found
hormone users did start menopause
earlier than non-users, were more
likely to engage in moderate to stren­
uous exercise, and were more likely
to drink alcohol three or more times
a week.
The researchers tracked 671 wom-
en, aged 65 to 94, between 1972 and
1991. O f those, 146 used hormones
continuously for 15 years or more,
331 used hormones intermittently,
and 194 never used hormone replace­
ment therapy.
Oestrogen replacement therapy is
designed to relieve the symptoms of
menopause caused by a drop in nat­
ural hormone levels that include ex­
cessive sweating and dryness and
shrinkage o f the vagina.
O estrogen also helps prevent
osteoporosis(abrittling ofthe bones)
and narrowing o f the arteries cause
by impaired blood flow.
Sick Teens Face Eating Disorders
Teenagers suffering from chron­
ic illnesses such as diabetes tend to
be more likely to develop eating
disorders because o f a poorer body
self-image, according to research­
ers.
The study o f 3,500 adolescents in
grades 7-12 in Minnesota public
schools found those who had diabe­
tes, asthma, attention deficit disorder
and seizure disorders were more like­
ly than their “normal” peers to devel­
op patterns o f binge eating, frequent
dieting and purging o f food.
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer o f the
University o f Minnesota School o f
Public Health said the anonymous
survey showed the need to carefully
Guard Against HIV Infection
British researchers are testing
“chemical condoms” that could let
women guard against HIV but still
get pregnant, the New Scientist re­
cently reported.
The vaginal virucides would be
aimed at women whose partners
refuse to practice safe sex.
“Eventually, virucides could of­
fer women greater control over their
sexual health. They may be marketed
in the form o f gels, creams or foams,"
said the weekly science magazine
If successful in preventing the
transmission ofthe virus which caus­
es AIDS, the compounds could be
especially useful in countries such as
Uganda where women face intense
pressure to bear children despite the
high incidence o f HIV.
Tests began late last month in
London, picking up from the 1980,
when scientists identified a number
o f compounds that appeared to pre­
vent HIV from invading susceptible
cells.
Researchers grasped the potential
but their work on vaginal virucides
soon ran into problems as benefits
from killing the virus had to be
weighed against damage done to oth­
er cells.
The latest trials at St. M ary’s Hos­
pital aim to exploit the com pounds’
ability to kill the deadly virus while
also protecting vulnerable cells.
A safety trial on 36 women who
were not sexually active revealed no
side effects or damage to the vaginal
lining.
But the ultimate test will be to
study virucides in countries where
the risk o f HIV is high, said the
magazine
screen chronically ill students.
“Health care providers need to
be alert to the higher risk among this
group for the use o f unhealthy
weight-control practices,” she wrote
in the Archives o f Pediatrics and
Adolescent M edicine, a journal
published by the American Medical
Association.
There was a good resp o n se to
last w eek ’s a rtic le , “E d ucation
In The next M illennium : Part II” .
M ost seem ed in agreem ent that,
given the failure o f the p o liti­
cians and the edu catio n e s ta b ­
lishm ent in general to address
the problem inatim elym anner,and
awful lot is going to depend upon the
individual in preparing for gainful
employment.
In respect to the fast decreasing
number ofjobs, one reader alluded to
the game of “Musical Chairs” played
at his elementary school. "Everytime
I’m laid off and go back into the job
market there are less positions open
-- I'm a 'p e rm a n e n t’ tem porary
worker.” He “appreciated the fact”
that in the two preceding articles I
have addressed procedures realistic
enough to deal with the problem.
I believe I put it, indeed, “A mind
is a terrible thing to waste” and that
as a high school dropout very early
on, I never allowed this circumstance
to place any of the conventional re­
strictions on my career development.
Neither can you in these times of
economic slowdown and a contrac­
tion of employment opportunities.
As in the case of that Beaverton
executive who hired me to address
his Human Resources Seminar, it
also is going to be quite difficult for
you to plan your personal economic
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School System and a Community
College (Last week I quoted from a
Oregonian news article, “I earning
To Compete: A Triparte Approach
Involving Government, Schools and
B u sin e ss
p re p a re s
E u ro p e s
W orkforces”). Still a problem we
see.
The Aluminum Plant provides a
comprehensible model o f both the
individual nature and the interaction
of over fifty, trades and professions,
and how there is both a commonality
and a possibility of integration in
each. I proceed to show that for each
there are m anufacturer’s texts and
manuals which in a clear and concise
manner describe operating and main­
tenance procedures; even the under­
lying scientific basics. With the manu­
facturers representatives coming on
the job to mentor and/or follow up
with workshops or lectures. Thats all
over.
And, then, I am able to show that
by paying attention and showing ini­
tiative I was able to leave the ac­
counting d ep artm en t fo r a new
“Niche in the workforce”—convert­
ing the environment into my own
community college’. Becoming an
“Electronic Instrument Technician,”
within a year I was servicing and
repairing, voltmeters, temperature
controls, mass spectrometers, water
gauges, weather instruments, time
clocks, etc. “Read, W ork, Do
Masters of Excellence Series
Success In Business And Life
B y C ora S mith
valuable than money, he said.
Rohn encouraged people to
spend time with something wor­
thy.
Other tips were to evaluate as­
pects o f your life by questioning
what it takes to govern people,
what constitutes a good life, what
m akes life w orthw hile, what
makes life valuable and how life
works with economics?
He said you should build finan­
cial independence and follow a
good formula and a common de­
nominator for your career/finan-
cial success.
Find opportunity from others
and profit from their experience,
he said, av o id in g neglect o f im ­
portant issues to your progress.
T ake risk s, w alk out o f the
shadow s into the d ay lig h t, he
said . D ev elo p your p ersonal
g u id an ce system , going w ithin
to c o m m u n icate, bu ild in g se lf
esteem to avoid dangers and seek
opportunities, he encouraged.
Other tips: E arn the valve o f
o th e r p e r s o n ’s e x p e rie n c e s ,
so rt out the best for y o u rse lf
and use it, purch ase books,
learn from failures and be a se­
lective listener.
Several books he suggested for
your personal library include the
Bible, Richest Man in Babylon
and Think and Grow Rich.
These books are easy to read,
he said, understand them and they
will change your life.
Jim Rohn, author of “The Art
of Exceptional Living” was in the
Portland during a recent Masters
of Excellence series.
Corporations, private enter­
prises and just plain folks eager
to succeed in business and their
personal lives, attended the Jan.
10 event at the Jantzen Beach
Red Lion.
A dapper, handsome man of
high energy, Rohn discussed his
international travels in correla­
tion with his millionaire status
and how he achieved his goals by
the age of 31.
Rohn gives credit to a million­
aire friend, who after several fail­
ures in business, seeing a need
to be around po sitiv e m oney
m ak in g a c h ie v e rs , b e g in a
m entor program that lasted
five years. It was that sixth
year that his successes begin
to” bring in the bacon.”
It was simple, he said, by sim­
ply doing what he did best. He
talked about issues that concerned
him and in particular about kids.
He said it begin by “wonder­
ing, what can I do to make myself
better?”
His rich friend taught him the
philosophy of his life - manners,
discipline, multiple skills, lan­
guage skills, finances and most
importantly (a well kept secret of
the rich) time management.
Time is more important and
Rohn also told listeners to cor­
rect old habits in judgm ent, if
they are wrong do som ething
about them.
The truth helps to set us free,
he said.
The powers o f emotions such
as feeling sorry for yourself and
how you feel about the past, can
be used as a school, letting it be
your teacher, he said.
Reach into the past for your
needs and move on i nto your suc­
cessful future, he said. He also
advised listeners to filter out un­
worthy and undesirable charac­
ters and situations in your life.
Write it down, long range and
short range goals, cross off ac­
com plishm ents, erase ideas if
you’ve changed your mind, ap­
ply new ones, always remember­
ing to be realistic, he said.
Rohn said it was also impor­
tant to measure your personal de­
velopment and celebrate your suc­
cesses with friends or family
members. W isdom and faith in­
vested in labor creates new life,
he added.
Videos and books are avail­
able on R ohn’s successes.
He was a compelling and in­
spirational and a result-oriented
speaker.
D ennis W a itle y , the next
speaker in the series presents
“W inning in the 21st Century,
Profi les of the New Leader, sched­
uled on Feb. 7.
"Touch of Class"
Black History M onth Special
Feb. 1st-29th, 1996
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F ebru ary
i s IS Ia ek
H is to r y
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development in a straight line.
And I went on to counsel, “Read,
Work and Do!”
But I should elaborate, for even
though for years I have provided my
own experienced-based models for
the "upward bound", it is still very
easy to be overwhelmed by a cold,
uncaring system and to be intimi­
dated by the glut of information and
disinformation coming from every
direction. One methodology I use is
a w orkshop scenario where last
month, for instance, I “immersed” a
group o f community people in my
The Dalles Oregon work experi­
ence at an aluminum plant.’
An industrial plant and support­
ing workforce (700) o f this type pro­
vides a model par excellence for the
exercise of initiative in pursuing vo­
cational or professional development.
The very nature of the plant with its
24 hrs a day, 7 days a week schedule
required that it be a self-contained
city with all the infrastructure of
metropolitan area: water, lights, sew­
ers, fire, police, telephone, cafeteria,
recreation, school and lecture rooms,
hospital, etc.
In describing an incredibly rich
learning experience to which any of
us may subject ourselves, several
participants commented that over
twenty years ago I had antedated
contemporary educators in tying to
introduce this model to the Portland
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