Minutes March 2005

MINUTES OF THE NATAL BYPASS CLUB HELD IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE ENTABENI HOSPITAL, DURBAN ON WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2005.

1. WELCOME

52 As per attendance register.

2. APOLOGIES

Ian & Margaret Smith (their daughter has suddenly contracted Guilame Barré disease) Herman Davidson, Cyril Edwards, Hendrick van Rooyen, Muriel Adams, Dave Parry, Krish Moodley, Ken & Norma Monckton, Wenwood Harris, Willie van Rooyen, Bishop M.D. Biyase and Des Sutherland.

3. TESTIMONIES FROM FIRST TIMERS

a. DOUGLAS JONES (64) His annual medical check-up indicated a slightly abnormal ecg and he was referred to Dr Rob Dyer. A treadmill test followed by an angiogram revealed four blocked coronary arteries resulting in bypass surgery. Fine now but emphasized the importance of an annual check-up. Also interesting to note that his father and brother had died of heart attacks at a young age.

b. DOUG PAUL (77) A staunch member of the Club now becomes qualified as a full member having had a triple bypass on the 11 January. This is co-incidental to his wife’s’ bypass operation on the same date last year! Doug’s operation lasted three hours and was witnessed by his daughter who is a fourth year medical student. Doug has lost a lot of weight for no apparent reason.

c. RON MASTERS (71) Another long standing member had to have a repeat following surgery some years ago. One of the three grafts had blocked plus another two new grafts and a valve replacement (metal). He has recovered fully.

4. VISITATION REPORTS

a. St Augustines - Unfortunately Zed Tones who has assisted Ken Monckton has been transferred away from Durban. Ken is also finding difficulty in attending to his visitation duties. We are fortunate in having our new member Doug Jones volunteer to fill the gap. He will be inducted by Jack very soon. Many thanks Doug! A very rewarding commitment.

b. Westville - Les Bolt reported that they had visited 300 patients last year. He is ably assisted by Tony Ries & Des Sutherland.

c. Entabeni – Chris O’Flaherty & Jack are being encouraged and appreciated by the courteous nursing staff and continue with their bi-weekly visits.

5. MEMBERSHIP AND FINANCE

The increased subs to R25 per annum are being paid but there are still many outstanding subscriptions. These were due on the 1^st January.

Please do not send cheques to Jack, but to:

The Natal Bypass Club

P O Box 1805

New Germany 3620

Alternatively, deposit into the following bank account:

Standard Bank – Savings Account

Pinetown Branch

Account No 257360549

But please follow this with a phone call or fax to Les Bolt 031 7013435. This is most important. Thank you.

Les took Jack to task for his bad reporting following the last meeting. R769 was not a balance at the end of last year but a carry over. In fact, our present balance is R8079, which is remarkable considering the costs of our printing and postages, refreshments, etc.

This leads us to a recommendation by Les that we should use R6000 for the compilation, publication and distribution of a booklet for the benefit of patients and families and which will cover and answer the repetitive queries we have had over the years during our hospital visits and at our meetings. This proposal led to a lengthy discussion. Some members felt that we should not delve into our healthy bank balance but rather seek sponsorship from say Hudson & Knight.

The final decision was that Les will chair a sub-committee of which Jack and Chris and others will assist in the content and compilation before approaching sponsors. The ball is now firmly in Les’s court but Jack must apologise for the increase in subs, which, with hindsight, was not necessary. Nevertheless, there have been no complaints. Indeed the subs plus donations have been forthcoming. Thank you.

6. GUEST SPEAKER – JENNI RIVETT

Because the electronic equipment was incompatible with Jenni’s program at the November 2004 meeting, we made a point of rectifying this at this evenings’ meeting. We set up the hospitals equipment comprising laptop computer and projector which seemed fine, but when Jenni tried to project her program it didn’t work! Then we tried to connect Jenni’s laptop to the projector but the patch cord didn’t fit. So once again, Jenni had to give her presentation without visuals. How very frustrating!

Unfazed, Jenni spoke to us thus:

Nutrition

We are all different and respond differently to certain foodstuffs. Some will be allergic, others not. Our digestive systems differ from person to person.

Best way to eat is to keep it simple. Jenni hopes that by the end of her talk, she will give us better choices for dieting.

Dieting Disasters

1. We try to diet 100% of the time and when we fail, we go into a slump.

2. It is impossible to adopt an “all or nothing” approach. We say, “From Monday, I am going to go on a strict diet” and the good resolution is soon broken and then another and another is made.

3. We succumb to the gimmicky promotions and when we come off them, our weight goes up to more than it was before.

4. We become bored with exercise because we don’t do them correctly.

South Africans have become lazy. They use cars because there is a lack of public transport which would entail walking to railway stations, bus stops, etc.

We lead a very social life and our level of activity is not high enough to sustain it.

Keeping active is better than one hour in the gym.

Thus there is a cumulative effect of the big picture.

We are becoming duped into joining gyms, buying machines, etc.

Cutting Out Dietary Fats

It is a fallacy to believe that cutting out all fats will reduce, e.g. Heart disease. A very low fat diet results in powerful craving and binges.

All carbohydrates that we eat result in an increase in blood sugar levels and an increase in insulin secretion. When the resultant blood sugar drops as a result of this secretion we are subject to peaks and valleys of blood sugar and this must be broken. Moderation in everything you eat is the answer.

Here are a few tips on healthy eating:

We are eating too many processed foods and our systems cannot cope particularly because our activity levels have dropped.

We should consciously make an effort to eat less. Here are a few ways to do this.

Eat Nature’s Source mixed berry muesli and also orange & cinnamon & banana with skim or 2% milk.

Oat porridge and rye bread are good,

Eat low glycemic index foods as per food labels. For comprehensive information on this, try to buy “The Holford Diet” book which is the best publication on health and dieting.

Don’t eat bread, pasta, potatoes and rice at night as this causes lethargy the next morning. (They cause high secretion of insulin).

Eat carbohydrates early in the day.

Don’t skip meals as this causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

Always have breakfast.

Always have snacks handy. Best is almonds which cost R59.99 at the Hypermarket. Very good. Also an apple in the morning will boost magnesium. Other nuts tend to have a high fat content.

At 5 p.m. eat a red grapefruit.

Try to have 4 to 5 alcohol free nights per week or 1 to 2 glasses of wine maximum.

Do not exceed one cup of coffee or two cups of tea per day. They cause dehydration which should be avoided and can be evidenced to dark urine, small volumes of urine, elevated heart rate and headaches.

Water is the only medium with which to combat dehydration.

Note dehydration caused by too much blood sugar results in an afternoon slump.

Aim at 2 litre of water per day, but very gradually move to this level by starting at ½ litre per day and increasing this by ½ litre per day each week until the desired goal is reached.

The body is unable to digest the chemicals in canned drinks.

Fruit juices have a high glycemic index.

We are victims of our taste buds.

Consistency in eating the correct foods is the answer. Adopt the 80/20 principle, i.e. the right food 80% of the time. If you binge today and go back to your diet tomorrow, that’s ok. The occasional treat will not harm you.

Try to eat 3 to 4 different fruits per day but beware of acid fruits which cause you to be edgy.

Alkaline fruits and salads are good.

Very important for bypass survivors is Omega 3 daily – taken in capsule form.

Jenni was thanked in our usual warm sincere way for giving us so much “Food for Thought”.

Jack added his personal thanks with a kiss and a hug. “Eat your heart out guys!”

Finally here are two stories to share with those who were unable to attend the meeting:

JENNI’S JOKES:

A wife who is very concerned about her husbands’ weight and fitness tells him that walking is the answer so she tells him: “I want you to walk 2 km in the morning and 3 km in the evening.”

After seven days he phones and says “I am now 35 kms from home and I’m tired and hungry, how much further must I walk?”

Then there was the women very dissatisfied with her figure when she looked in the mirror and said to her husband. “Just look at me, I have no waistline, my bottom is big and sagging, my thighs are flabby and my boobs are facing south. Is there nothing about me that hasn’t changed since we married?”

“Yes there is” answered hubby, “your eyesight!”

FOOTNOTE:

To all Lipitor users

Enclosed with previous minutes you received an application to join Pfizer’s Wellness program. I have just received my first package with comprehensive notes and a handsome folder in which to file future literature. Many aspects of how to combat heart disease, risk factors, etc. etc. are covered. Do think of joining, you won’t regret it. I still have forms if you’ve lost yours.

Thank you

Jack Piek

Tel 031 563 3200