Good Vision in a Downpour

I thought this tip from a policeman about how to achieve good vision during a heavy downpour, even at night, was too important not to pass it on.


"Most  motorists turn wipers on the HIGH or FASTEST SPEED during a heavy downpour, yet the visibility through the windshield is still bad.

In the event you face such a situation, just put on your SUNGLASSES (any model will do), and miracles! All of a sudden, your visibility will be perfectly clear, as if there is no rain.

Amazingly, you still see the drops on the windshield, but not the sheet of rain falling. You can see where the rain bounces off the road, but it works to eliminate the "blindness" from passing cars or the "kickup" if you are following a car in the rain.

Make sure you always have a pair of SUNGLASSES in your car. You are not only helping yourself to drive safely with good vision, but also might save your friend's life by giving him this idea."

Another good tip:

A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago. It was raining, though not excessively when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane and literally flew through the air. She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence! When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened, he told her something that every driver should know - NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON.

She thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe, consistent speed in the rain, but the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on, your car will begin to hydro-plane when the tires lose contact with the road, and your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an aeroplane.

She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred. The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the driver's seat sun-visor - NEVER USETHE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE ROAD IS WET OR ICY , along with the airbag warning. We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed - but we don't tell them to use the cruise control only when the road is dry."

Caring Conversations

Dear Linda:
I'm 84 and just learned that I have a terminal illness. I've led a blessed life and have no fear, but feel I have loose ends, and I'm not sure how to share my final wishes with my dear family. Have you any ideas for how to begin?

Looking for Direction

Dear Looking for Direction:

You demonstrate great courage during one of the most difficult times people face. There is no doubt your thoughtfulness and consideration of others have been factors in your life well lived.

Of all the phases experienced, the end of life seems the one for which we are least prepared, yet preparation is crucial to ensuring that our wishes are respected and to determining how our final days are spent.

Time taken to prepare is the opportunity to evaluate our lives, mend fences, handle regrets and finish business. Also, making final decisions lessens the suffering in the physical, psychological and social areas for all involved.

The Center for Practical Bioethics has an excellent workbook called Caring Conversations that can be downloaded from site www.practicalbioethics.org or ordered from 800-344-3829. Using a series of questions, it guides you through the process of deciding your beliefs and preferences in the areas of spiritual/religious values, healthcare, career and work, financial matters and personal relationships.

Some examples of decisions you’re guided to make and will ultimately share with your family are: what will make you feel most comforted (living your days in a hospital or at home), treatments (pain medication but not tube feeding), duty delegation (wills and powers of attorney), and fulfilling financial obligations (prepaid funeral and trusts to pay medical bills).

Read Dying Well (Berkley Publishing Group) by Dr. Ira Byock, who suggests that dying people need to say “I forgive you. Please forgive me. I love you. Thank you and good-bye.” Perhaps the kindest and most respectful farewell is allowing the opportunity for those caring conversations.

Demonstrating Friendship

When the challenges of life happen, people often offer to help. They may bake a cake for a  funeral gathering, cook a casserol for a sick friend or donate money to a catastrophic event collection, but it is a reality that offers of help are often given out of politeness and sustained help is rarely realiazed.

I experienced the rarity after my recent surgery. I have only a son who lives locally. The rest of my family is now either deceased or living far away, and I needed help. My son, of course, was wonderful, but it was my friends who carried me through the three weeks of recovery.

They visited daily and staved off any cabin fever. They shopped and ran errands as I could not drive. They cooked and cleaned. At every turn, I experienced one blessing after another. These are friends who do not give lip service but heart service.

As we grow older, it is imperative to surround ourselves with people who are givers. How do we accomplish that? By bring a giver first. If we are generous with others, they will surely be generous with you. Now, I am not saying that you should do for others for what might come in return, because doing for others is intrinscally a good and valuable endeavor, but we should be mindful that a real support group becomes more and more critical.

I sent thank you notes to my friends who made my recovery so much easier, but words were insufficient to express how deeply I really appreciated not having to ask for help; how much I appreciated friends who anticipated needs and filled them, and how much I appreciated love expressed through action instead of words which are often offers of help without real commitment.

Such generosity was moving and monumental in my life, proof that paying it forward is rewarding on many levels. We can only exist as a member of community. They say it takes a village to raise a child. I say it takes a support group to face aging.

Putting on the Pressure

I got lots of notes of interest in my low blood pressure column, so I thought I'd better cover the other part of the spectrum--high blood pressure, particularly the issue of genetic predisposition.


While genetics is a factor associated with high blood pressure (also called hypertension), smoking, alcohol consumption (more than 3-4 ounces of 80-proof per day), caffeine (5 cups per day), obesity, oral contraceptives, a high-salt diet, and stress are major contributors to a problem that nearly one-in-three Americans have.



Referred to as the “silent killer” because there are no symptoms at disease on-set, many go for years without knowing they have hypertension. When left uncontrolled, it can lead to stroke, heart attack, and heart or kidney failure.



The best way to know if you have hypertension is have your physician get an accurate measurement of systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes between beats). Normal blood pressure (the force of blood against the artery walls) is less than 120mmHg systolic and less than 80mmHg diastolic.



Because there is no cure for hypertension, medication and life style changes are crucial for keeping blood pressure in normal range. Stop smoking (as it also leaches calcium—another contributor to hypertension), minimize caffeine, alcohol and salt consumption, and increase exercise. The American Heart Association recommends 30-60 minutes a day to reduce stress and lose weight that causes heart strain. As little as a 10-pound loss can be beneficial.



Call the American Heart Association at 800-242-8721 (http://www.americanheart.org/) to order its free packet “Understanding and Controlling High Blood Pressure” that includes “Shaking Your Salt Habit”, a guideline for healthy cooking and flavorful recipes that replace salt with other spices.



Follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Rich in fiber, it contains more electrolytes, potassium, calcium and magnesium than the average diet. Visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash to order one free copy of the diet. Be sure to consult your physician, however, before beginning any new diet or exercise program.