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928 FOCUS.qxp_Layout 1 05/11/2019 11:32 Page 2020 FocusMillwood WI October MeetingMaggi Piper was the speaker for our October meeting with a talk titled ‘Street Art’. Maggi is a London Blue Badge Tourist Guide.Maggi began photographing things that made her smile. Maggi entertained us showing us her slides of the things she hadphotographed including ‘Two mice and a piece of cheese’ in Philpot Street and a statue of Thomas Coram of the East IndiaCompany who started the Foundling Hospital in the late 1700’s. Another slide was a photograph of an Arabian Bank which wascovered in symbols to do with the sea. Maggi wondered why and discovered that it had been the Oceanic Insurance Company.We all had a very interesting evening looking and learning about Maggi’s slides.Our trade stall was ‘Traidcraft’ selling Christmas cards as well as biscuits, chocolate, coffee and sugar and many other items.Forth Coming Events16th November we will be having a stall selling cakes at the SWF Christmas Fayre.The WI Group Carol Service is at Holy Trinity Church on Friday 13th December at 11am.29th February we have a theatre trip to see “Priscilla Queen of the Dessert” at Cliffs Pavillion.31st March we have a tour of the Amazon Warehouse at Tilbury.20th April we have a theatre trip to see “Six” (Henry V111 Wives) at Cliffs Pavillion this is a matinee performance.Our next meeting is on Wednesday 27th November at Champions Manor Hall 7.30pm for a 7.45pm start. Our speaker is AnnHardy with a talk titled ‘The Theatrical Costumier’. Our trade stall is Books and Bric-a-brac. New members are always welcomejust come along on the night.FOCUSRest in PeaceThere have been many discoveries, inventions and achievements by humanity which, down through thecenturies, have enhanced, enriched and prolonged life. But, despite these many advances, when a lovedone dies, alongside our grief and heartbreak, we are likely to experience a feeling of complete helplessness.The reason for this is because their body, which in our love for them we comforted, fed, nursed, clothed,washed, protected and willingly sacrificed ourselves for, is no longer living and will not respond to ourattentions. Our love for that person does not of course end with their death, but the immediate practical,physical expressions of our love for them does. When death occurs, it would appear that there is nothingmore we can do, except provide a respectful end to their mortal remains.However, the Catholic Church has always encouraged us to continue to show our love for those who have gone before us intangible, practical ways. The Church does this by maintaining a tradition of the Jewish Religion which dates back to the OldTestament times of over 2000 years ago. Even before the coming of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection, His victory over bodilydeath, God’s chosen people were already offering prayers and making sacrifices to help those who had died; they continued toshow their love for them in tangible, physical ways.During the month of November especially, the Catholic Church asks us to focus our thoughts on all the faithful departed andparticularly on those in Purgatory - that school of love provided by Almighty God to prepare those destined for heaven, but wholeft this life not loving Him and their neighbour as much as they should or as much as they could. Jesus Christ said, “I am theWay, the Truth and the Life, no one can come to the Father (get into heaven) except through Me.” The “Way” of Christ wasalways the way of love, perfect love for His Father in heaven, perfect love for His neighbour here on earth. A love which culminatedand was visibly shown on the Cross: the definitive act of love shown by God and man in the one Person, Jesus Christ, who is bothtruly God and man. This love shown by Jesus is the only true yardstick which the whole of humanity is called to live up to and, ifpractised, becomes our means to heaven.By our prayers (the sacrifice of time), by our charity (the sacrifice of time or possessions given to others), we can make up forwhat those who have gone before us may have sometimes failed to do while on earth, and so help them on their way to heaven- that place of perfect joy, peace and happiness won for everyone, if they want it, by Christ’s death on the Cross and preparedby the Risen Christ, our God and brother, who has gone before us. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercyof God, rest in peace.Canon Peter Connor OFS (Catholic Parish Priest of Danbury and South Woodham Ferrers).South Woodham Ferrers Christian Council
928 FOCUS.qxp_Layout 1 05/11/2019 11:32 Page 21FOCUS ON HEALTH0South Focus Woodham FocusSouth Woodham Focus 21ALTERNATIVE TO SMEAR TEST IN THE PIPELINE. Researchers atQueen Mary University and The Royal London Hospital have developeda non-invasive test to detect cervical pre-cancer by analysing urine andvaginal samples collected by the women themselves.EurekAlert explains: "The initial use of self-sampling is likely to be forwomen who do not attend clinic after a screening invitation andcountries without a cervical cancer screening programme. In the longerterm, self-sampling could become the standard method for all screeningtests. The study indicated that women much preferred doing a test athome than attending a doctor's surgery,"Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently occurring cancer in womenin the world. In the UK around there are about 2 deaths every day.Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause ofcervical cancer - and 'safe sex' has been the mainstay of prevention.Now we also have the HPV jab - and the NHS website reminds us that"From September 2019, all 12- and 13-year-olds in school Year 8 will beoffered on the NHS the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine" ... and ..."Those who missed their HPV vaccination in school Year 8 can continueto have the vaccine up to their 25th birthday."The current gold-standard method for picking up precancerous andcancerous changes is the smear test - but, whilst the 'smear campaign'in the UK has been very successful, there has been a decline in itsuptake, particularly in some areas in the UK.Jerry Seinfield said: “A recent survey stated that the average person'sgreatest fear is having to give a speech in public. Somehow this rankedeven higher than death which was third on the list. So, you're telling methat at a funeral, most people would rather be the guy in the coffin thanhave to stand up and give a eulogy.” The 'Don't die of Embarrassment'campaign worked on the same principle - some people would ratherrisk dying of bowel cancer (which is eminently treatable if picked upearly) than send off a 'poo sample' when they get an invitation in thepost ... or seeing their GP when they develop symptoms. (Google'Bowel cancer - Symptoms - NHS' - and scroll down past the rubbish -for details). It seems the same theory applies to smear tests - and thenew test (which raises the possibility of samples being collected athome) - may help get round this problem. This new test won't, however,be rolled out throughout the NHS for some considerable time - so, fornow, the message is have your smear test when it's due. Google 'Cervical screening - NHS' for more info.I remember what my grandmother said to me on her deathbed. Shesaid: ‘I wish I’d bought a normal bed.' John Luke RobertsMEASLES acts like a computer virus - it can wipe your immune system'smemory. The New Scientist journal explains: "Measles is known to makechildren vulnerable to other infections. Now two major studies of DutchOrthodox Protestants, who reject vaccination, have discovered why: itmassively damages the immune system, making measles even morelethal than we realised. That is bad news, as measles cases worldwiderise to levels not seen since 2006, increasing tenfold in Africa anddoubling in Europe. They have reached the highest numbers in years inthe US and England. There were 7 million cases worldwide in 2017, butfigures expected to be published this December show that numbersrose “substantially” in 2018, says Katrina Kretsinger of the World HealthOrganization. “All cases are because people who should have beenvaccinated were not,” she says, because of weak health systems, poorpublic information and anti-vaccine sentiment."The NS reminds us that: "After measles vaccination was introduced inthe 1960s, cases fell dramatically. Mysteriously, wherever thathappened, deaths from completely unrelated infections also dropped."Now we have lost our measles free status we will doubtless see thesame trend here.I'm reminded of the AIDS-education campaign lunched in the 1980s.The catchphrase was: ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance.’ The same applies here -measles is not just another mild childhood illness - and it's eminentlypreventable. Perhaps the catchphrase for the next measles preventioncampaign should be: "Don't Dice with Death."latest NHS figures show ... The shock stats, which work out at 42 everyday, include only admissions for “mental or behavioural” disorders andnot for physical harm."One of the 'physical harms' that is seen with cocaine use is heart attacks(even in the relatively young) - and, sure enough, cocaine deaths are onthe rise.Meanwhile, The Daily Mail's front page proclaimed: "Hospitals delugedby 5,000 diabetics a DAY: One in 10 admissions is for diabetes as costof treating patients DOUBLES in a decade." Sophie Borland's articlewent on to say that:"More than 1.7million type 2 diabetics were admitted to hospital lastyear.GP leaders warned some type 2 diabetics need up to 200 appointmentsa yearThe illness even appears to be having a worrying impact on youngerwomen.One in ten patients admitted to hospital are suffering from a form ofdiabetes linked to being overweight and inactive."I imagine that many if not most of these patients are blissfully unawarethat they are running into major health problems until they're in theambulance.This news does not come as a surprise. The trend has been apparent formany years as more and more of us develop weight problems and failto take enough exercise. It has been widely asserted that the bills fordiabetes care swallow up a 10th of the NHS budget. Diabetes.org.ukreckons that: "Total health spending in England in the 2018-19 financialyear was £129bn, in Scotland £13bn and about £7bn in Wales" ... andit's spiralling upwards all the time.There is no shortage of information about the dangers of beingoverweight and being diagnosed as a 'type 2' - and there is an increasingawareness of damage to the vital organs (and the risk of heart attacksand strokes). Science Daily adds another warning to the mix: "For years,scientists have been trying to solve a medical mystery: Why do peoplewith diabetes have an increased risk of developing some forms ofcancer? Today, researchers report a possible explanation for this doublewhammy. They found that DNA sustains more damage and gets fixedless often when blood sugar levels are high, thereby increasing cancerrisk."When it comes to taking avoiding action before you become one of thestatistics on the front pages, The Mail did run a series of articles whichoffered sound advice. Google: 'David Unwin 7 rules to beat the bulge'for a taster. They also ran articles by the same author on 'mouthwateringrecipes' which take the pain out of adopting a healthier diet -so take a look at them while you're at it.As we all know, there's a lot of crap on the web - but, if you want moregood advice on this topic because you're worried about yourself or yournearest and dearest, take a look at the Diabetes UK website ...www.diabetes.org.ukYou know you’re getting old when you get that one candle on thecake. It’s like, "See if you can blow this out.” Jerry SeinfeldCREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE. I went to St Peter's Hospital last week ... andit was great. I wrote to 'the manager' as follows:Dear SirI wish to complain that there was nothing to grumble about when Ivisited St Peter's Hospital today for an x-ray. I’m now in my 70s and amnever happier than when there is something to whinge about – so I leftfeeling bitterly disappointed.The x-ray department is wonderful – whatever you pay your receptionistit’s not nearly enough as she deals with all comers quickly and efficiently.As an added bonus, she is extremely pleasant. The radiographer waslikewise congenial and clearly very competent.I half hoped that, when I got back to my car, I would find a parking ticketon it – (as I couldn’t find anywhere to pay for parking) – but there wasn’tone, so that was yet another opportunity missed for a bit of a beef.Having a two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don'thave a top for it. Jerry SeinfeldIN THE NEWS. This Monday the Sun's front page went with theheadline: "MIDLINE CRISIS" adding: "Middle-aged cocaine users arebeing rushed to hospital at a record rate. Cases involving those in their50s and 60s hit 1,774 last year — three times the number five years ago,It seems you don't pay for parking at St Peter's. The cafe was alsoterrific. The staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful and therewas even a pianist!I went to The Springfield Hospital the following day as an NHS patientand it was fine - but, that said, the receptionists could learn a thing ortwo from their counterparts at St Peters - and there was no pianist.Dr JohnFOCUS
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