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THE HERALD Wednesday May 1991 Page 11 Community Mystery still surrounds MS By LISA BOONSTOPPEL POT The Herald One day almost 20 years ago while Sandra walking around her university campus she experienced a numbness and burning sensation in the palms of her hands and the soles of her feet and she knew she was experiencing the first signs of Multiple Sclerosis Today Mrs Hentschel can no longer walk on her own since her form of MS called slowly pro gressing has gradually weaken ed her brain ability to control the nerves that enable us to walk talk and see among other impor tant bodily functions Being a student studying physiology and occupational therapy Mrs Hentschel knew all there was to know about MS but she believe what her casional bouts of numbness and blindness indicated Once the disease was ed she though what a waste all her education was but being a fighter she decided to work as long as she was able She reached that point five years ago after giving seven years of her life to helping patients with diseases at Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital I worked until I couldn stand up said Mrs Hentschel in an in terview at her home Friday after noon She decided to share her story about her disease to en courage people to buy carnations which will be sold this weekend in local grocery stores and liquor stores to raise money for the MS Society Its the first time in re cent years that the carnations will be sold in Hills A few years ago Mrs schel herself sold the flowers to raise money but because of her 11 lness no longer has the strength or stamina for this task These diys she is very careful of what she does because she at the point where if she falls she can t get up Her husband of years is around to assist her in the evening hours but dunng the day she can only manage to do the dishes plus volunteer work at the Bennett Health Care Centre at Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital It is depressing she admits It s embarrassing when you can look after yourself anymore She finds sharing these feelings with a group of MS patients in Burlington helps her cope with the disease Since Mrs Hentschel has the slowly progressu kind of MS she had to deal with the fact that someday she may become com pletely immobile but that something no one can predict Fortunately she is not expenenc She s eager to promote knowledge about MS Extensive research about the disease and her own personal experience make her a reliable source of in formation about the disease which she says is a common disease in North America and in Europe As well twothirds of MS sufferers are women But there a lot of mystery sur rounding MS since doctors haven been able to find a cause or cure for thismost common of neurological diseases Money from the sale of tions goes towards funding researJi Some of the funds also stay in the community to aid peo ple who suffer from the disease Carnations will be on sale Fri day and Saturday for dona Bouquets and singles of fresh cut flowers as well as silk flowers will be available Give youngsters a break What is Kidney Dialysis Patients suffering from kidney failure must have their blood purified by a dialysis machine every second or third day The unit is the size of an apartment The Kiilny Kid has a M fan in resident Dun in who resist the costume worn by His 1 or Norma a bif Ituf Norma president of the I less Club will tie model linj to Miracle ImmkI Mart in where the 1 will be collecting coins The is attempting to a Kilometre of tins will he donated to the Kidney- for kidney dialysis nation rumps photo size refrigerator which means the patient must stay immobile for three to four hours while blood flowing out is purified and return ed Some patients must travel a half hours to the nearest hospital that provides the dialysis treatments Why do we need Kidney Dialysis vacation camps When a family member must have dialysis three days out of every week just to remain alive what does the family and patient do to have a change of pace Family members could take turns going away or they could abandon the patient to a hospital for two weeks But what of the pa tient whose limited ability and activity already strains self confidence then again a family with this situation by need and nature pulls closer together and are far less likely to go anywhere alone Camp Dorset is a summer vacation camp equipped with a kidney dialysis centre Nurses from Ontario hospitals up their summer vacations to volunteer at clinic The medical program is strictly monitored The recreational facility con of family cottages made available to patients for very lit tie cost The children s dialysis camp is run by the Kidney Foundation of Canada The child patient is taken by bus along with a paid medical team recreation director and all medical equipment for a two- week session each summer at various vacation camps They set up on arrival and dismantle before departure These children have an op portunity to enjoy a vacation with others in the same situation while their families are relieved of their care temporarily How good it makes one feel to be able to say my son or daughter is away at summer camp when that same son or daughter must pass up so many activities the rest of us take for granted the rest of the year This Saturday from a m to 3pm at the Georgetown Miracle Mart Plaza the public can help ease the pain for kidney failure patients Members of the Georgetown Lioness Club wil be at the plaza asking for donations in a Kilometre of Corns blitz with proceeds collected going to help fund Kidney Dialysis Camps for children sufferer of the disease Multiple Sclerosis Sandra of knows how important this weekends annual carnation fuidraisinf campaign is to monej for MS research Herald photo by Lisa Boonstoppel Pot Forge exhibition Studio In Terra held a Spring Celebration ex last Saturday In recognition of the gallery reopening for the summer months The artists who have work on display at the gallery unhide left to rljhl Monica geometric pottery Paulus Tjianf rovers painting and Agnes Olive Raku fired clay Ab sent is VladymyrKuiylo mixed media Herald photo