FEATURE:

Life Preservers

by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi and Elaine Terry

At one time or another, to stay afloat amid life’s challenges, we all need a boost, a helping hand, someone to
remind us we’re not alone. These three programs provide innovative
means of support to those who are
hurting, both inside and out.

 

Top: Amy Miner (left) helps breast cancer survivor Susan Heitzman create a puppet. Bottom: Other Hands on Healing projects include crocheting and painting. Photos by Jayson Tanega.

Hands on Healing

The idea for the Hands on Healing program came to 57-year-old Ruth Aloni after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2002. At the time, the prognosis for her to survive five years was “very poor.”

Forced to take leave from her job as regional sales manager for American Standard Plumbing, which she loved, Aloni recalls, “I was alone; there was no one at home to talk to, no soft spot to land on, no hand to hold, just me and my fears. I knew I had to find a way to let my mind float free and unburden itself. Art became the place where I could redirect my focus from the incredible fear and uncertainty of having cancer.”

Aloni began drawing and doing crafts to fill her day and help her cope with the debilitating side-effects of chemotherapy treatments. “I learned that I was a lot more creative than I thought,” she says. “And from that, I thought, Art is helping me. Perhaps there are more people that it could help.”

That spurred her to approach the American Cancer Society about launching an art program for cancer patients. After receiving the go-ahead to bring it to fruition, she visited craft shows to meet people who could serve as instructors. The first Hands on Healing class was held in February last year.

Ruth Aloni works at her easel. Photo by Steven Fox.

Initially, drawing, painting, jewelry making and knitting were the primary offerings, but Aloni has expanded the list to include classes on lei making, guitar, aromatherapy, puppetry, exercise, cartooning and pottery painting. She plans the bimonthly Hands on Healing schedule that is distributed through the American Cancer Society, oncologists’ offices and hospitals.

At least a dozen options are offered every month at various locations around Oahu. They’re free or a minimum fee is charged to cover the cost of materials. Any cancer patient or caregiver who’s interested can call 595-7500 to register.

“I believe participating helps in several different ways,” Aloni says. “First, it gives cancer patients a social outlet. It’s a distraction that is nonmedical, so when they get involved in a craft, their mind is focused on what they’re doing. Very often with that comes a sense of renewal, hope and joy that they’re doing something they never thought they were able to do. They can learn a new skill at a class and continue doing it on their own at home.”

Art therapy is gaining momentum across the country. According to a 2003 study funded by the National Institutes of Health, it can significantly decrease distress, anxiety and depression while improving quality of life and vitality. “Art really does help the whole body heal,” Aloni says. “The mental aspect of healing is so important.”

Too often people diagnosed with cancer see their lives filling up with a depressing routine of doctor’s appointments and time at home and in bed. “You forget what a normal life is,” Aloni says. “You feel that you have no control over your life and your fate and that is terrifying.”

Art has helped her realize she is responsible for her own happiness. “If I don’t create a world that is positive and fulfilled for myself, no one can or will do it for me,” she says. “To wallow in self pity and unhappiness only hurts me and robs me of the day-to-day pleasures that life still has to offer. I must con-tinue to be as happy and fulfilled as I can for without that I rob myself of joy and thereby the will to fight and go on.”

Tai Chi for Arthritis

With its slow, fluid movements, tai chi, which traces its origins back some 600 years to China, has been described as meditation in motion. Its graceful postures and gestures are reminiscent of ballet, but, in reality, it is a martial art that lowers blood pressure, sharpens concentration, relieves stress and pain, improves balance and range of motion, and encourages proper posture, which causes less wear and tear on joints and surrounding soft tissue. Controlled breathing helps the participant release tension and balance the flow of qi, the vital life energy that purportedly is the key to optimum health.

Top: Jerry Punzal instructs (from left) Yvette Oishi, Naomi Kamai and Arlene Hirata. Bottom: Tai chi improves circulation, which eases the pain and stiffness caused by arthritis. Photos by Ropati Hebenstreit.

These benefits make most forms of tai chi an ideal therapy for those with arthritis. Seniors enjoy it because it is easy to learn, doesn’t require a lot of space or special clothing or equipment, is non-competitive and can be done pretty much anywhere at any time at their own pace.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, one in three Americans has some form of arthritis (there are over 100 types of arthritis and related diseases). That translates to 66 million people — a number that has nearly doubled since 1985.

The concept of using tai chi to treat arthritis has mushroomed in popularity since it was introduced in the 1990s. A study published in the September 2003 issue of The Journal of Rheumatology reported that those who practice tai chi for arthritis have 35 percent less pain, 29 percent less stiffness and 29 percent more ability to perform daily tasks such as climbing stairs.

“If you have arthritis, improving circulation is key,” says Jerry Punzal, 58, who teaches the Tai Chi for Arthritis program with the cooperation of the Arthritis Foundation’s Hawaii branch. “Tai chi is a low-impact way to get your blood flowing, which brings oxygen to the affected areas. This can help alleviate the pain and stiffness of arthritis.”

The Arthritis Foundation worked with Dr. Paul Lam, a physician and tai chi master in Sydney, Australia, to develop the curriculum for Tai Chi for Arthritis, which is offered at hospitals, churches, YMCAs, health clubs, community centers and many other locations throughout the United States. Lam began doing tai chi 30 years ago to treat his own osteoarthritis.

On Oahu, hour-long Tai Chi for Arthritis classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays at 3 and 6 p.m. at Tenrikyo Honolulu Ko, 349 North Judd Street in Nuuanu. The cost is $4.50 per session; to register, call 596-2900. You don’t have to have arthritis to join the classes, although many of the students do.

A lot of people sign up with friends and wind up making new ones in the classes. “They bond, they encourage each other,” Punzal says. “Maybe someone couldn’t do a certain posture at first because she was too stiff and sore, but within a few months, she can. Everyone cheers.”

Exercises for arthritis can be divided into three categories: strengthening, range-of-motion/flexibility, and conditioning/endurance. All are addressed in the Tai Chi for Arthritis program, which, based on the gentle Sun style, doesn’t involve deep knee bends or vigorous maneuvers. Says Punzal, “We modify movements as needed so participants can stay within their comfort zone.”

Punzal is one of only two instructors in Hawaii who’ve been certified through Lam’s program to teach Tai Chi for Arthritis. He himself suffers from arthritis in his shoulders and knees — the result of past injuries from doing high-impact activities such as parachuting and kickboxing. Teaching tai chi, he says, has helped him keep as limber as possible. And, he notes, “It’s really rewarding being part of a group that has a common goal of doing something good for their bodies.”

Family Bereavement Camp

The death of a loved one always leaves a big void in people’s lives, and for a child, that void can be especially upsetting and frightening.

To help youngsters aged eight through 17 cope with their loss, Hospice Hawaii has held an annual children’s bereavement camp for the past eight years. This year, the event, set from June 23-25 at Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center in Punaluu, is being opened to all family members who have lost someone dear in the past four years. These include kids as well as the significant adults in their lives — parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, uncles and aunts. Participants will sleep in tents under the stars and ease their grief through interaction with others who are going through the same ordeal.

Says Chris Otake, Hospice Hawaii’s bereavement coordinator, “It makes more sense for us to do the camp for the whole family unit because they’re grieving together. A lot of times they don’t know how to do that. We hope to help them by building their support system and defining some of the things that make them feel better. There’s a lot of sharing, and our goal is for them to come away from the camp feeling closer and more comfortable about talking about their loss with each other. I don’t think they ever heal totally, but maybe they can look at their loss in a different way.”

Left: Chris Otake gets acquainted with a rainbow pigeon as Doug Beter watches. Right: An assortment of rocks that camp participants painted in memory of loved ones who’ve passed away.

The camp is preceded by two events that enable participants to get acquainted with each other. A gathering in July wraps up the program. “It’s healing for them to mingle with other people who have experienced loss and find out that they’re having similar feelings,” Otake says. “Since the camp is outdoors, it’s more experiential. There are more opportunities for them to be in touch with each other, get to know each other and share their stories.”

Many of the activities relate to grief, loss and healing. For example, participants break, then glue back together flowerpots; craft a wooden frame to hold a picture of their family or the person who’s passed away; and make candles that are lit to honor the deceased.

A raku project represents the family before and after the loss. Before the ceramic bowl is fired, Otake explains, it has a certain look to it. The firing process represents the chaos of death — losing a family member.

“After it’s fired, the bowl is much different than it was before, but it’s whole, it looks nice and it serves a purpose,” she says. “The analogy is that your family isn’t the same after a loved one dies, but it’s still functional and there are still positive things about it.”

The children’s favorite activity is the release of “rainbow pigeons” on the last day. Splashed with food coloring mirroring the vivid hues of the rainbow, the birds are brought to the campsite courtesy of Doug Beter of Rainbow Pigeons. Each participant releases a pigeon after whispering a message for their loved one to it.

“It gives the kids a connection with the person who has passed on,” Otake says. “In some cases, it’s the only chance they have to verbalize a good-bye.”

Slots for this year’s bereavement camp are full, but you can contact Otake at 791-8044 for next year’s information. She says, “The camp is a way to assure those who are mourning that they’re not going crazy — that even though experiencing grief and loss is very difficult and painful, they can grow from it. It’s an opportunity for them to learn about life in a larger way.”

back to top

© Copyright Generations Hawaii. Designed by Trade Publishing