Carol's Corner

He Restored My Soul

2007-10-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

For 11 years, the Wooddale community, and many, many other people have been blessed to have Carol Fiedler share her parish nurse healing gifts in such a caring passionate way. One of the delightful events that Carol began at Wooddale is the annual “Blessing of the Animals” service held this year on October 14 at 11:00. She will again preside at that service. And then on All Saints’ Sunday, November 4, there will be an appreciation reception honoring Carol after worship. The following article was written by Carol.

This summer of 2007 has been a time of rest, renewal and reflection for me. The rest has brought total healing to my shoulder with the help of physical therapy and a “nudge from God”. I have been renewed by being able to spend quality time with my family and friends, and especially my 97-year-old mother. When I realize what has happened over this summer and especially during the last 2 weeks, it makes me reflect on how fragile life is and that each and every day needs to be savored.

After prayerful consideration, I have decided it is time to retire.

I thank God for the opportunity to be your Parish Nurse for 11 years. We have experienced much joy and sadness. We have rejoiced at births and we have celebrated the “ultimate healing” of death. It has been such an honor for me to be able to share in the joys and challenges of your lives. We have seen many miracles happen in this congregation. God walks with us and sometimes he carries us. I have had so many “God planned” meetings and incidents happen during these 11 years. I don’t believe in coincidence. One incident happened upon returning from a nursing home visit, something told me to get to the hospital. The person I visited died about 10 minutes after I got there. It was a blessing to be there with him and his family.

As many of you know, my sister died at age 50 of ovarian cancer. She was at our home under Methodist Hospital Hospice Care. Because of all the help I received from Hospice, I became a volunteer in 2000 and this has been part of my community outreach for Wooddale. This is where I now feel I need to concentrate my efforts. This is where I feel I am being called to serve.

I have always felt such great support from this congregation and staff. Karen Tharp has been a wonderful friend and support for me. She is the one that got me signed up for my Parish Nurse training. I will be forever grateful to her. We are blessed to have her.

Pastor Tim has been the best mentor. I have learned so much from him about how to deal with people and how to be with people in crisis. He has always listened to my concerns with respect and let me cry when I needed to cry and he always supported what I wanted to do for this congregation.

I also thank my health cabinet, Jim Robertson, Mary Broman, Barb Heinonen and Eldon Berkland who have helped me so much, and are just wonderful individuals.

I have come to appreciate this quote from Chogyam Trungpa:
“You begin to see that there are seasons in your life in the same way there are seasons in nature. There are times to cultivate and create, when you nurture your world and give birth to new ideas and ventures. There are times of flourishing and abundance, when life feels in full bloom, energized and expanding. And there are times of fruition, when things come to an end….”

May God continue to bless our community at Wooddale.

Carol Fiedler

2007-04-21T10:30:00.001-07:00

Carol’s Corner
By Carol Fiedler, Parish Nurse

There are two seminars that I would like you to know about:

1. Taking Control of Your Diabetes Conference and Health Fair. Saturday, May 19, at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The cost is $35 for one person or $25 per person for two or more registering together before May 11^th.

2. Hope Edelman, author of Motherless Daughters and Motherless Mothers, will speak about the effects of mother-loss. She will be joined by the local authors of Kiss Me Goodnight, Stories and Poems by Women Who Lost Their Mothers as a Child. This seminar will be presented twice – Friday, May 18 at 7 pm at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, 60 Kent St., St. Paul, and Saturday, May 19 at 10 am at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, 5025 Knox Ave. S., Minneapolis. The events are free, but tickets are required. Call 612-672-7272 for tickets and directions.

Please see me or check the bulletin board above the coffee bar for more information about these two opportunities.

Child Abuse Awareness Month

2007-04-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

April is "Child Abuse Awareness Month". An article from Prevention Child Abuse, America states: The first step in helping abused children is learning to recognize the symptoms of child abuse. Although child abuse is divided into four types – physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment – the types are more typically found in combination than alone. A physically abused child, for example, is often emotionally maltreated as well, and a sexually abused child may also be neglected. Any child at any age may experience any of the types of child abuse. Children over age five are more likely to be physically abused and to suffer moderate injury than younger children.

My daughter Christa is going to be a social worker and has the opportunity to do a term in Cook County, in Chicago. I told her she would see things there that she would never believe could happen to children. Then I thought about the reports of abuse in Hennepin County, - scalding, shaking, beating of children. We need to be proactive when it comes to abuse of any kind. Any abuse changes the life of a person, and keeping silent just makes the problem worse.

I have resources that can help people "break the chain" of abuse. Let me know how I can help you. Our children are our future. Please check the kiosk for more information.

First call 911, Then Me!

2007-03-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

Carol's Corner

By Carol Fiedler, Parish Nurse

I saw the following article in "Prevention Magazine" and thought it would be worthwhile to pass on to you. As I was reading this, the mail-man was telling Karen about one of the people on his route, who had fallen and hit her head. She had a Lifeline with her that she could have pushed for help, but knew the mailman would be by at about 2:00 and waited on the porch for him to help her. Thank goodness she had a good outcome and the delay didn't cost her her life.

"Message to Mom:
Call 911, Then Me!"

A shocking 64% of people say they would call a loved one before 911 if they had crushing chest pains – the classic sign of a heart attack, notes the British Heart Foundation. 'A delay of just one hour in getting to the emer-gency room could allow more than 39% of your heart muscle to die,' says Richard A. Stein, MD, director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. 'The sooner you get there, the better your changes for survival.' Tell your parents to call 911 immediately if they experience chest or unusual shoulder pain or shortness of breath. Even milder symptoms, such as fatigue or slight pressure in the chest, probably deserve a call. 'For many women, warning signs aren't very dramatic,' Stein says.

March: DVT Awareness Month

2007-03-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

March is DVT Awareness Month. Deep vein thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot forms inside a deep vein, commonly located in the calf or thigh. DVT occurs when the blood clot either partially blocks or completely blocks the flow of blood in the vein. This is what Vice President Cheney is dealing with now.

Symptoms of DVT may include pain, tenderness, swelling or discoloration of the affected area, and skin that is warm to touch. A major risk associated with DVT is the development of pulmonary embolism (PE). PE occurs when a blood clot breaks loose from the wall of a vein and travels to the lungs, blocking the pulmonary artery or one of its branches. Patients with pulmonary embolism may experience short-ness of breath, an apprehensive feeling, chest pain, rapid pulse, sweating, or a bloody cough. If you believe you may be experiencing DVT symptoms, talk to your doctor immediately.

Please check the kiosk for a sheet on DVT, and if you are planning a long airplane flight, I have a sheet of exercises that you can do to prevent DVT.

Women's Heart Health Awareness Month

2007-03-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

Carol’s Corner
February is Women’s Heart Health Awareness Month. Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms of a heart attack, such as nausea; vomiting; pain in upper back, neck or jaw; indigestion; or being extremely fatigued.

What lifestyle changes can you make for a healthy heart?
1. Quit smoking.
2. Stay physically active (a minimum of 30 minutes a day) can be broken into 10 minute segments – do this most days of the week.
3. Limit alcohol intake.
4. Maintain a healthy weight.
5. Eat a heart-healthy diet.
6. Know your numbers.
Blood pressure should be
120/80 or below.
LDL “bad” cholesterol should
be under 100 mg/dL.
HDL “good cholesterol”
should be above 50 mg/dL.
Total cholesterol should be
under 200.
Waist measurement ideally should be 32 ½ inches or less for women, and 35 inches or less for men. 7. Aim for 10,000 steps every day. (I thought I walked a lot, but found that I have to do an intentional 30-40 minutes every day to attain that goal.) Get a pedometer and see how you fare stepwise on a daily basis. Challenge yourself to increase your steps each day. Get someone to walk with you – it makes it much more fun, and you can keep each other on track.

Will Power vs. Self-Control

2007-01-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

I thought this was an interesting article in the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
This could be helpful for people who made New Year’s resolutions in
changing unhealthy habits.

Willpower vs. self-control
It’s often taken for truth that making a lifestyle change is simply a matter of willpower. However, counting on your willpower alone to make a change is often a setup for failure. A more successful strategy is to reduce the need for willpower by relying on planning and self-control skills to make healthy behavior choices more convenient. These examples show the difference between relying on willpower and relying on self-control.

Willpower

I’ll make a cheesecake for others in the house, but I won’t eat it.

Self-control

I won’t make a cheesecake, but I can have a slice when I dine out.

Willpower

I’ll keep liquor for guests, but I won’t drink it myself.

Self-control

For a while – and perhaps forever – I will not have alcohol in my house.

Willpower

I’ll stop smoking cold turkey.

Self-control

Before I stop smoking, I’ll talk to my doctor about ways to ease withdrawal.

Willpower

We’ll go to the buffet, but I’ll just have salad.

Self-control

We’ll go to a restaurant that offers small portions and low-fat or vegetarian items

Willpower

Although I’m tired in the evening, I’m going to get out and walk for 30 minutes every day after dinner.

Self-control

I’m going to try to walk 15 to 30 minutes in the morning or at lunch. I’ll ask a friend to join me for encouragement

Messiah 1979 & 2006: Then & Now

2007-01-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

What a healing experience it was for me to hear The Messiah at Wooddale. I thank Mary, Solveig, the soloists and choir for all their hard work to make it happen. The last time I heard it was at Orchestra Hall in 1979. It was one of the lowest points in my life. I was separated, and realized the day of the concert that I would have to be divorced in order to survive. I took my wedding ring off that day, and could not pretend any more that things were okay. I sat through that Messiah, angry at God. I felt He had forsaken me. Why was I in this difficult situation? Why couldn’t I live happily ever after?

Fast-forward 27 years, sitting next to my soul mate, having just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Thinking about our two wonderful daughters who will be coming home Friday. Thinking back on listening to The Messiah in 1979, and thanking God for all I went through that year that has made me appreciate all the blessings in my life today. I could not have ever imagined what God had planned for my life. I thought I knew how things should go in 1979. He knew best all along.

How were you feeling while listening to The Messiah? Are you at a low point in your life? Are you angry at God? Do you think He’s let you down?

Read these words from The Messiah: Come unto Him, all ye that labor, come unto Him, ye that are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Are you at a high point in your life? Are you celebrating God’s gift of His Son
this Advent season? God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow in His love for us. Let us accept His love with joy.

P.S. Thanks to Roy Tyrer for “guilting” me into attending The Messiah. Just think what I would have missed!

Remember, We're not Alone

2006-10-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a difficult few weeks.
We need to be reminded that God
is always with us.

Footprints II

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking along the beach together. For much of the way the Lord’s footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying in pace. But your prints are in a disorganized stream of zig-zags, starts, stops, and turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns. For much of the way it seems to go like this.

But gradually your footprints come in line with the Lord’s, soon paralleling his consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends. This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens; your footprints that once etched the sand next to the Master’s are now walking precisely in his steps. Inside his large footprints is the smaller “sandprint,” safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoming one; this goes on for many miles.

But gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the larger footprints seem to grow larger. Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of prints. They have become one; again this goes on for a long time.

But then something awful happens. The second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse than before. Zig-zags all over the place. Stop, start, stop…start. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints. You’re amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream. Now you speak:

“Lord, I understand the first scene with the zig-zags, fits, starts and so on. I was a new Christian, just learning. But you walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you.”

"That is correct,” replied the Lord.

“Then, when the smaller footprints were inside of yours, I was actually learning to walk in your steps. I followed you very closely.”

“Very good, you have understood everything so far.”

“Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming more like you in every way.”

“Precisely.”

”But this is my question, Lord. Was there a regression or something? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first.”

The Lord smiles, and then laughs.

“You didn’t know? That was when we danced!”