Lower Mai
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When every beat counts
une has been named National Stroke Awareness month.
BAILA LAZARUS STAFF REPORTER
In a display cabinet in Lily Liben's living room stand little figurines she has delicately painted in the style o<"Royal Doulton. Outside the house are her vegetable and berry plants which are ali-eady yielding fruit. And in the kitchen a recipe for potato latkes awaits her culinary hand.
"Ifniy eyes can see, my ears can hear and my feet can walk..." Mrs. Liben lets the sen-Ujnce ti-ail off as ifthe statuettes, tiie garden and the cooking are testament enough to her resilience.
Mrs. Liben, 79, has suffered three strokes in the last 11 years. Slie recovered I'rom all except f()r the most recent, which occurred 1.5 years ago. This latest left her weak on her right side and affected hei' speech more permanently tlian the others. But it has not curtiiiled her activity around the house nor her enthusiasm for travel.
Mi's. Liben, who speaks Russian, l^'rench ;md Yiddish, lost the use of her English after the last stroke. Her short-term memory failing, she struggles when recalling the time she spent in hospital in Vancouver. Her daughter, Peai-1 Feldman, jumps in now and then to prod her mother's memory.
"Do you remember you were in bed and you could understand and write but you could hardy speak?" Mrs. Feldman asked rhetorically. "And when you started talking a bit of Yiddish,
Lily Liben
all the nurses thought you were contused until we explained it to them?"
Mrs. Feldman's sister, Roslyn Liben, who had a stroke when she was 33, explains how stress-full the experience can be. "When you have a stroke," Ms. Liben said, "you can't even blow out a match. You want to say one word and something else comes out."
Strokes occur when the supply of blood to the brain is interrupted by a blood clot or the rupture of a blood vessel. Disabilities can include paralysis, communication disorders, cognitive impairment and even behavioral and emotional changes.
According to information released fhjm the Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C., there are approximately 40-50,000 strokes in
Canada each year and it is considered the fourth leading cause of death in the country. The foundation describes stroke as a "highly preventable disease" but adds that at least 10 percent of strokes are preceded by warning symptoms that are mistaken for flu or heat exhaustion.
In its bid to educate the public, the foundation has declared June to be National Stroke Awareness Month and has released a new resource book titled The Canadian Family Guide to Stroke. The book provides valuable information to stroke survivors, their families and caregivers.
In addition to the strokes, both Mrs. Liben and her daughter, Roslyn, suffer from transient ischemic attacks or mini-strokes which affect their vision and make them stop whatever they're doing. "All the doctors say there's nothing you can do for the small ones," Mrs. Liben said. Sometimes "everything just goes dark."
Family activity has slowed down a bit due to the hospitalization, but they still take a trip on occasion. In November Mr. and Mrs. Liben went with the family to Disneyland and three weeks ago they travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mrs. Feldman says families of stroke victims should have patience and a sense of humor. "Things do slow down," opined Mrs. Feldman, "but our way of dealing with it is (to) never give
up."n
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Are you at risk?
Ask yourself the following questions to see if you're at risk of a stroke. If you answer "Yes" to any of these, your risk of a stroke increases.
• Has your mother, father, grandparent, brother or sister had a stroke prior to age 55?
• Do you smoke?
• Have you been told by a health professional that you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have diabetes?
• Have you been told by a health professional that you have high cholesterol?
• Do you have a heart condition? Have you had a heart attack or heart surgery or have a heart rhythm disorder?
• Have you ever had a stroke or a "mini-stroke" (transient ischemic attack)?
Exercise caution
stroke sufferers who are looking for rehabilitation activities in a Jewish atmosphere should check out the Aquaturtles program at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. It's an aquatic program specially designed for people who have had a stroke. The "Aquaturtles" participate in a group class comprised of pool exercises and stretches to improve circulation, strength, flexibility and confidence in movement.
For more information call 257-5111.
Laying down tlie law
Morris J. Wosk (left) was awarded an honorary doctorate of law from Simon Fraser University June 6 for his philanthropic and business achievements here and in Israel.
Pro bono advice
Once again this summer. University of B.C. law students are offering free legal advice to those who cannot afford a lawyer. The program will staff over 20 neighborhood clinics throughout the Lower Mainland until August 16, including 16 clinics in the Vancouver area.
This service is provided by students with the Law Students' Legal Advice Program with the help of the program's supervis-
A claim to claim
Are you filing a claim with Swdss banks for fbnds lost during the Holocaust?
The Bulletin would like to interview people who feel they have or may have claim to the estimated billions of dollars hidden by European Jewish families in Swiss bank accounts before and during the Second World War.
We are also interested in interviewing people who have been trying to reclaim property and money lost or confiscated during
ing lawyer, Brian Higgins.
Advice is offered on a variety of subjects, including a Do-Your-Own-Divorce program which provides a low-cost alternative for those seeking uncontested divorces.
The advice program has been working in the commimity for 27 years and is B.C.'s second largest legal aid organization. For information regarding clinic times and locations, call 822-5791. □
the 1930s-40s in Europe.
Please contact Roberta Staley at the Bulletin at 689-1520. Or fax us at 689-1525.
You tall(ing to me?
The next Look Who's Talking, a free community listing, will run July 5. Send in your submissions and photo by 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Jime 26. Questions? Call 689-1520.