ISSUE 7
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INTRODUCTION
Positive_Aspects_Website
Newsflashes
About Me
Why Are You Receiving Positive Aspects?
About Positive Aspects – How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
Reproducing Articles from Positive Aspects
An aspect of having an artificial leg and psychiatric diagnosis By Andrew Voyce
Books
Bringing Wheelchairs into the 21st Century – By Robin Kettle
Campaigns
Computer Hints and Tips
Discussion *new
Downloads and Resources
Dream Holiday or Nightmare – Disneyland Paris By Terri Balon
DVD’s Videos and CD’s
Energy Matter and Anti-Matter – 2nd Episode By Roy King – Inventor and Researcher
Erbs Palsy
In The News
Law And Order
Leisure And Fun – With links re: Travel Insurance Firms
Letters – Dear Trudy
Medical And Reseach
Mobility Advice for all readers of Positive Aspects *new
My Short But Political Story By Paula
Parent To Parent – Carer to Carer
Pauls Story
Penfriends And Personals
Petitions *new
Poetry And Prose
Reports
Requests – Can You Help?
Support
Things To Make Life Easier
Useful Information
Useful Websites
You CAN Achieve Your Goals and Aspirations By Natalie Yarrow
Donations to POSITIVE ASPECTS are gratefully received
Subscribers to Positive Aspects and the counties they are registered in:
‘Where’s My Article?’ If you have sent me an article to be included – it may not be in this issue – sometimes I receive so many articles that it makes sense to hold some over for forthcoming issues. Please note – If you have sent me information about regional groups etc., it will be sent out as a Newsflash to all those who live in the relevant area. If you have sent me details about a forthcoming event etc., it will be in Diary Dates.
What can go in Positive Aspects Newsletter? – Anything on a national level – i.e. information that is applicable to all readers of Positive Aspects. For everything else, there’s Positive Aspects Newsflashes.
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INTRODUCTION
Hello there! Spring will soon be upon us and I am beginning to feel more positive about things. My depression is worse in the winter months as I associate winter with illnesses and all the like! Touch wood, we have all been relatively well in the Ransome household. Alice had a tummy bug early February, but between Tim and me, I got through it. He went in to work late and left early so he could take and collect Emily from school. I was left alone with Alice for 6 hours and I am so proud of myself for handling it all. My dear friends Janet and Alison helped me through by being on hand, and Alison sent me her biography to read through – this helped to take my mind of things. Admittedly the whole house was sanitized from top to bottom, and my OCD went through the roof for approximately 4 days, but I got there, I did it and I am so proud of myself. It just goes to show that nothing is impossible.
Weight Loss Report: It was my New Years Resolution to lose weight. I would like to get down to 12stone by 31st December – that’s over 4 stone! I was going to join an online slimming club, but I have devised my own diet plan, just cutting down portions and eating healthier. I started it all on 8th January and I have lost exactly 1 stone! I am so chuffed – I feel better for it too, not getting so out of breath and feeling faint. Now, I shall start to introduce exercise to the plan, as I need to tone up. I walk Emily to and from school daily – 15-minute brisk walk 4 times a day (unless Janet has the car) and I have divided my housework up into 5, so I have jobs to do Monday to Friday. I find this helps too. I am finding it really hard to give up chocolate, so I am allowing myself a treat once a week. I also enjoy a pizza every now and again too, and I am finding that it is better to have something that I fancy otherwise the craving gets worse! I’ll keep you posted – lets hope the next time I write I may have lost a bit more!
Positive Aspects Website: I feel this may be a good opportunity to update you on my decision about the Positive Aspects website. Many of you will know that in July last year I was lucky enough to be accepted for a Community Champions Award which gave me funding for a new pc and to set up a website. I was concerned about setting up a website, mainly because there are so many websites already out there, providing enough, good information about disabilities and mental health issues and because I have built a friendly, positive, feel to Positive Aspects and readers know that they can email me with their problems, queries etc., and most of the time I can point them in the right direction. By having a website I felt this feel good factor would be lost. I sent out a questionnaire to all readers in December and I was lucky to receive over 450 responses. Lots of issues were raised, good and bad, and the section where I asked readers for pointers to other websites where I could get ideas on presentation etc., there were over 2 A4 pages! So, for those of you who would be interested to see the responses with the website pointers, I intend on compiling it all, as it might be of interest to some of you. Particularly the section where many of you gave me ideas re: accessibility. If you would like to receive a copy of my findings – please email me – - With the money that was going to be used to fund the website, I informed The Community Champions of my decision and they were happy to support me in my new project which allowed me to get some flyers and letters printed and sent to various places where the flyer could be displayed. I would like to take this chance to thank the Community Champions for their support and understanding, and to you, the readers of Positive Aspects who helped by sending/displaying a flyer.
Newsflashes: If you want to send out something to help promote your group and/or event, I can send it out for you via a newsflash. Newsflashes are sent out nearly every week, depending on the areas concerned, and this is a brilliant way to help spread the word. Here is an example of how it works: A club in Ipswich Suffolk wants to spread the word about their Fun Day. They send me the information via an email and/or attachment, and I then send it out as a newsflash to all those who are subscribed to receive Positive Aspects in Suffolk. The good thing about Newsflashes is you don’t have to wait for the next newsletter and I can send out all your information whereas if it were in the newsletter I would only be able to produce a few lines. If you have something you want to send out via a Newsflash please send it to: Please tell me in your email that you want the information to go out as a newsflash – I cannot guess. If you are holding an event i.e. training course, conference etc., and you wish the information to go to all subscribers, rather than just the area where the event is being held, I require a payment of £30. This is to help me with costs, and particularly as I am sending out information where the event holders are charging, I think it only fair that I receive some urgently needed funds! To send the information out to the area of concern however, there is no charge – remember though - all donations are gratefully received!
ABOUT ME: I get asked many times ‘what made you start Positive Aspects?’ So, here goes: My Name is Trudy Ransome and I am 39 years old. My husband Tim and I have been married 10 years in June this year. I have 4 children. Bobbie is 15, Nicholas is 13. Nicholas has Williams Syndrome, which is a rare genetic condition that affects around 1 in 20,000 births - www.williams-syndrome.org.uk Alice was born on 27th May 1998 and was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome during the early hours of her life. Then there’s Emily, she was born on 18th January 2000. I love all my children, equally and I am proud of every achievement they make. –Me-
All throughout my life, I knew I was different from other people. I thought I was weird! A freak! But after Alice was born and I had a nervous breakdown, I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I also have emetophobia (fear of vomiting), http://www.emetophobia.org I am prone to having periods of severe depression and self harm and I have had suicidal tendencies in the past. Top of the Document
I take Prozac, which helps with my OCD.
I have been involved with various voluntary organisations for over 12 years now, so, in February 2006, Positive Aspects was born. I have been surprised at how quickly word has got around about Positive Aspects, perhaps even more surprised when people write and tell me that they would not have known about certain information had it not been in Positive Aspects. I feel happy to know that everyone is getting the information that is rightly theirs.
WHY ARE YOU RECEIVING POSITIVE ASPECTS? You have been sent this issue of Positive Aspects because you have either subscribed to receive it or somebody else that is subscribed has emailed you this copy. Subscribe: If you want to receive your own free copy, send an email: with ‘subscribe’ in the subject/text - So that you can receive the ‘Positive Aspects Newsflash’ articles, please let me know what County you live/work in. Unsubscribe: If you wish to unsubscribe from receiving Positive Aspects - send me an email: with ‘unsubscribe’ and the county you live/work in the message/text - I will make sure your details are removed.
ABOUT POSITIVE ASPECTS:
· Positive Aspects is for anyone who has an interest in any disability and/or mental health issue from anywhere in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. People outside of England – please be aware that some of the information i.e. law changes, might not apply to you.
· It is free to subscribe to Positive Aspects – donations are gratefully received.
· I can only give out the information I am given. If you are disappointed that your disability/mental health issue is not mentioned in Positive Aspects then do something about it! Send me articles! –
· I do not get paid for producing Positive Aspects and I work around my family. Please bear this in mind before giving me lists of ways in which improve it!
· Positive Aspects Newsletter is produced bi- monthly (every other month). The next issue of Positive Aspects will come out in May 2007. You are welcome to send me your articles either by email - or post to: Trudy Ransome, 23 June Avenue, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 4LT. the deadline is April 15th 2007. Please understand that I may not be able to produce your entire document and/or include all/any photos.
· I also welcome all newsletters, magazines and snippets. You can either email these to me as attachments to: or post them to: Trudy Ransome, 23 June Avenue, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 4LT.
· Disclaimer: Contributors to Positive Aspects express their own opinions. These do not necessarily reflect my own. Positive Aspects has been produced for general interest only and I cannot be held responsible for any incorrect information or any loss/costs incurred by any persons.
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REPRODUCING ARTICLES FROM POSITIVE ASPECTS: All articles in Positive Aspects have been given to me and researched in good faith. If you want to reproduce any of the articles in Positive Aspects, please note the following: #1 - If the article has come from another named source, please mention this source when reproducing the article/s #2 - If the article is copyright ©, Please contact me for details. #3 - Mention Positive Aspects.
An aspect of having an artificial leg and a psychiatric diagnosis
I lost my right leg below the knee as a teenager, and a few years later was admitted to a mental hospital for the first time. That was 1974. I was in and out of those places until Mrs Thatcher thankfully closed them with her 1990 community care law. (I have not been an inpatient since). As a mental patient, I was given large doses of medication by injection in the backside. The particular concoction I was given mostly was called Depixol. The euphemism for injection in the rear was ‘depot injection’. The effect that Depixol is acknowledged to cause (as a ‘side effect’) is akathisia. Akathisia is derived from the Greek ‘not to sit’. But it is not to sit- constant restlessness- 24 hours a day until the injection wears off, which in my case was seven or eight days. Injections were given every two weeks.