VETERANS CORNER: Contacting VA for help should not be a negative experience

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Gary Kennedyby Gary Kennedy

I will try to hit on several of the things that seem to be of interest to our readers regarding veterans and their perceived difficulties with first contacts with the VA System. We receive a lot of phone calls which ask about receiving VA help and the best way to approach that perceived negative.

First off, it should not be approached as a negative but some tell stories of demeaning responses and degrading attitudes of those in an advisory position both administrative and service organizations. Some feel fearful to approach the VA to ask for assistance in areas of both medical and emotional distress. All it takes is one demeaning answer to send someone in need down the road to suffer alone. I have seen this and it is very sad to say the least. When a veteran extends his/her hand for assistance it should be taken and given the assistance that is needed. Actually, that is one of the reasons that person receives a paycheck.

I have always been of the opinion that the employment screening process should be very in depth. Those without sensitivity to our veterans should never be considered for employment no matter “who or what” they know. Have you ever seen a veteran cry? Well, a negative visit by a veteran to the VA leads to one of two things, tears or extreme anger. Both of these responses are tragic and unnecessary. One leads to withdrawal and dangerous depression and the other leads to adrenaline rushes and cause extreme anger and possible violence.

I have been asked on many occasions by other veterans to accompany them to the VA and help with the development of their cases. So, I end up doing a lot of that sort of thing and sometimes become privy to exactly what they fear. However, I am equipped to handle those sort of things to the benefit of the veteran. Usually we successfully handle the situation to the veteran’s benefit.

Another question that is very popular is how does one qualify for outside consultations and treatment? All veterans that receive treatment at the VA due to these service-connected disabilities have the right to ask for an outside consult. This is usually done through your Primary Care Provider (PCP). If your circumstances warrant it, this will be allowed and the charges for this will be forwarded to fee services via VA Community Care. I myself have been referred to outside providers in this manner.

I have been a VA watch dog for many years and have seen many negatives over time, but I must say, Fee Services and the VA Community Health Care teams have never been one of them. Their teams are extremely well versed and solid. They handle millions of dollars in payouts for medical situations every year. They are very compassionate and are there supporting us 24/7. Sometimes things move a little slower than some of us would like, but that the team is, without any doubt, behind us and will never let you down. That is one team in the VA system that is under greater leadership and sees that we vets are protected in the medical theater.

Learn to understand the different departments and what they do and you will know how to approach these areas in a meaningful way.

Next week we will try to approach BVA which is an entirely different department than the one I have discussed today and I know many of you are anxious to know more about that other area that appears to be a stumbling block to a lot of you. God Bless.

Give Us Your Best Shot! Week of February 21, 2019

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To submit a photo for The Town Line’s “Give Us Your Best Shot!” section, please visit our contact page or email us at townline@fairpoint.net!

BUSY CAMERA1: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, was busy with his camera recently, photographing a cardinal seeking food in the snow.

 

BUSY CAMERA2: Michael Bilinsky, of China Village, was busy with his camera recently, photographing two mallard ducks trying to keep warm. They almost look like decoys.

 

WARM RAYS: Pat Clark, of Palermo, snapped this hawk soaking in some warming sun rays while perched in a tree.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: New Brain Health Initiative Could Unlock Mysteries Of Alzheimer’s, Dementia

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(NAPSI)—Scientists are contemplating important questions about health, mind and age: Could your blood hold the molecular secrets to a fountain of youth, preventing age-related brain disorders? Are brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease caused by a failure of interconnected systems, triggering a dominolike cascade of disease? Can targeting the red blood cells and blood vessels jointly keep your brain healthy and prevent dementia?

The Problem

As people live longer, Alzheimer’s and other age-related dementias are on the rise, projected to reach more than 75 million people worldwide by 2030. To date, no effective therapy has been developed for these disorders, which are not only deadly but exact a high financial and emotional toll on society.

The Research

To find solutions, three large-scale research teams are exploring those questions as part of an initiative to merge research of the brain and the blood vessels to develop new understanding of—and, ultimately, better preventions and treatments for—age-related brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The Scientists

To help, American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health, and The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute, launched the $43 million research project to bridge the science of vascular and brain health through revolutionary, out-of-the-box thinking. Additional supporters include the Oskar Fischer Project and the Henrietta B. and Frederick H. Bugher Foundation.

The three teams, headquartered at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif.; Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Calif.; and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, OH, respectively, work to develop new solutions to the urgent problem of age-related cognitive decline. The researchers are:

  • “Rusty” Gage, Ph.D., a neuroscience researcher and president of Salk, who will lead an eight-year project looking into new targets for therapeutic research and biomarkers of early-stage cognitive decline.
  • Tony Wyss-Coray, Ph.D., a professor of neurology at Stanford, who will lead a four-year project studying how changes in the immune system affect cognitive health.
  • Mukesh K. Jain, M.D., a cardiologist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, who will lead a team of investigators on a four-year project investigating whether targeting red blood cells and blood vessels can prevent dementia.

The Hope

The research could yield transformational discoveries to better detect, treat and prevent cognitive decline.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Weasels (ermines) are finding their way into people’s homes

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The different coats of the winter and summer ermine.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of incidences where weasels have found their way into homes. There were reports in Harpswell, Cumberland and Bangor.

The woman in Bangor said she noticed what she thought was a rat or an escaped ferret in her ceiling. It had been running around in the ceiling, so she removed one of the ceiling panels. When it poked its head out, she called the landlord and both determined it was someone’s escaped pet ferret. However, it was later determined to be a weasel, or ermine as they are also known.

Weasels are naturally very curious and do wander from time to time into people’s houses, perhaps in search of mice. Their small size allows them to get into nooks and crannies.

There was one instance when the homeowner captured the ermine in a humane trap, and before she even had it for a minute, the ermine escaped.

Ermines are common throughout Maine and hunt both night and day, but people don’t often see this small animal because it’s well camouflaged, moves fast and tends to keep out of sight.

Weasels are usually brown, gray or black with white or yellowish markings. All weasels become all white in the winter. The winter fur of the least weasel glows a bright lavender color when exposed to ultraviolet light.

Ermines are especially difficult to spot in the winter season, when their coat turns from brown to white, an adaptation that allows it to hide in the snow. The only thing that remains pigmented on an ermine is the tip of its tail, which is jet black.

As nocturnal animals, weasels sleep during the day and are active at night. Most of a weasel’s time awake consists of hunting, storing excess food and eating. Their bodies don’t store fat, so they need a constant supply of food to provide enough energy. In fact, the least weasel eats 40 – 60 percent of its body weight every day, according to the Nature Conservancy.

The most common weasel is the short-tailed weasel. It can be found in North America, Europe and Asia, in regions as far north as the Arctic. Their homes include marshes, scrubs, hedgerows, alpine meadows, riparian woodlands and riverbank habitats, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

The genus includes least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and minks. These animals are small, active predators with long and slender bodies and short legs.

According to Dr. Alessio Mortelliti, assistant professor in the University of Maine Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, “It’s pretty much anywhere in the world, plus it’s an invasive species in some places.”

Ermines are especially ferocious and bold. It is not uncommon for this predator to attack and kill prey that exceeds them in size and weight. For example, ermines, that weigh between 1.6 to 3.7 ounces, have been known to attack gray squirrels, which are much heavier, typically weighing between 12 and 24 ounces. Ermines are very aggressive, “they can go for prey that is bigger than them,” said Mortelliti. Ermines will attack young rabbits and hares, but they prefer smaller prey such as mice and voles. In fact, one of the ermine’s key adaptations is their ability to manipulate its flexible body into small tunnels that are created by smaller animals.

They are also bullies. Although they can dig their own burrows quite quickly, they sometimes take over another animal’s burrows and make them their own.

In Greek culture, a weasel near one’s house is a sign of bad luck, even evil, especially if there is a girl about to be married, since the animal was thought to be an unhappy bride who was transformed into a weasel, and consequently delights in destroying wedding dresses. However, in neighboring Macedonia, weasels are generally seen as an omen of good fortune.

In North America, Native Americans, in the region of North Carolina, deemed the weasel to be a bad sign: crossing its path meant a “speedy death.” According to Daniel Dafoe, meeting a weasel is a bad omen.

In the English language, being called a weasel is considered an insult, being regarded as sneaky, conniving or untrustworthy.

How do these animals find their way into homes? Usually through some openings in the foundation, broken windows or sometimes through openings in the roof like attic vents or chimneys.

How do you rid yourself of one? Use fresh meat, if possible. Position your bait strategically, so that the weasel must bring its entire body into the trap and step on the trigger plate to get to it. Make sure the bait is far enough from the trap walls that an animal cannot reach inside and steal it without entering. Weasels are known to bite, so wear heavy gloves whenever handling the trapped animal and refrain from sticking your fingers inside the trap.

Again, weasels are cute, but do not approach one unless it is safely in a Havahart trap, be careful handling it, and take it deep into the woods, where it belongs.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who is the only NFL player to be named MVP of the Super Bowl from the losing team.

Answer can be found here.

Trash Talk: Barrel for plastic bags will no longer be available

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by Irene Belanger

There is a lot going on at the China Transfer Station:

ALERT! Effective March 1, 2019, and until further notice, there will no longer be a barrel in the recycle building for plastic bags. The current very low and non-existent market has determined this. But you can reuse them for waste basket liners, cleaning your vehicle of unnecessary wrappers, etc. Then toss them in the hopper with the rest of your trash. Thank you all for helping. Hannaford has a container for their empty bags and Wal-Mart has boxes in their entries for any plastic bags, as well as pellet bags. This is taking stewardship.

Also, thank you to the ladies who have volunteered through the China For A Lifetime Committee to help keep the “Free For Taking” building in better order; we don’t want to lose this amenity. It’s a tall order during the cold months.

It would help immensely if everyone dropping off “good stuff” would bring it in clean. Glass and plastic items: please no dirt and moldy dried-on food.There was a time when some of us would take lots of dirty items home to wash/clean them and bring them back for someone to give them a new home.

Only clean clothes, shoes, pocketbooks can go into the “Apparent Impact Container.” Thank you for doing good.

Absolutely no electronics are to go into the “Free For Taking” building. If you have toasters, TVs, small ovens, mixers, etc., please find an attendant and they will happily help you place them where they belong. If they are clean and still work, let them know.

Don’t forget we also have a paint section. We also take any and all clean cardboard.

The China Transfer Station has a very good reputation state-side due to the great job the staff does. Please give them a thank you.

Trash has become a big deal and very complex. We thank the residents for helping us to reuse, recycle resource. The staff goes for all training made available.

The compost is working even in the winter. Think spring! There will be lots of good compost ready for you for free for your garden.

We appreciate you all! Stay warm and safe.

SOLON & BEYOND: Surprise! CMP reimbursement check arrives in the mail

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning my friends, don’t worry, be happy!

This is one of those weeks when I don’t have any real news to share, but I came across an old clipping (way back in 1988, when I was writing for the Skowhegan Reporter, and my byline back then was, Solon “The friendliest town in the state”). This particular column started, “After writing this column for over six years, some weeks I am hard put to think of something amusing or uplifting to share with you. Such was the case this week and then lo and behold on Saturday what should I find in my mail but an official looking letter from Central Maine Power Co. My heart skipped a beat and I opened it with trepidation because when I get riled over “the principle of the thing” I’m apt to get a bit sassy!

Anyway, inside, much to my wondering eyes, was a check for $48.73; this was the $50 deposit that I was told I couldn’t get back until 1993! They had added on $1.74 in interest and subtracted $2.74 for final bill, there is something very final about “final bill,” but keep in mind to run an air conditioner, sewing machine and a light bulb or two. Now whether this was one of those miracles that sometimes happen in my life or “the power of the press,” either way it did me a world of good and I had to share it with all of you.

Another thing in that same column was a picture of a pig with babies, and the head line, “And this little piggy went to Solon,” Linwood Tuscan, of Solon, got a surprise recently with eight piglets, the first litter from his sow.

In between all of that in this cut out column was lots of history that you don’t see any more (which bothers me, because it is hard to get personal news now, because of privacy matters). I’m going to print some of the old news that was in that column: “The Solon Extension will meet at the Firehall on Thursday, October 13, at 10:30 a.m., for the meeting entitled “What is U.M.C.E.S.?” This will be led by Ruby Gates, and the dinner will be in charge of the Bingham ladies. Another one is as follows: Officials From Solon who attended the Annual Maine Municipal Association Convention in Augusta were selectmen, first, Judy Robertson, second, James Hills, third, Dana Hall and town clerk, treasurer, and tax collector , Mary Jackson and her assistant Barbara Fish. Mary and Barbara stayed in Augusta for the three-day convention.

At the end of that column, also under the pig picture, were these words: ” Brings back memories of the pig rodeos we used to hold in Flagstaff on my uncle’s farm. My mother tried to bring me up to be a lady but probably because I was the littlest, I always got elected to ride the pigs. (Of course, she didn’t know about all of this until afterwards!)

I did get an e-mail about the Weston Woods is a 275-acre forest that has been part of the Weston Homestead of Madison for nearly 250 years. The classically-designed Federalist home, built in 1817, remains in nearly its original condition. The 55 acres of farmland with a mile of frontage on the Kennebec River is actively farmed and protected into perpetuity under an agricultural easement held by Maine Farmland Trust. The pristine forest remains to be protected and SWT holds an option to purchase, We have raised nearly half of the asking price but need your help.

Another little skrid of paper I found near my computer this morning is a good one for Percy’s memoir: “Never Be Discouraged: If we refuse to be discouraged and trust God’s Guiding Hand… So take heart and meet each minute with Faith in God’s Great Love, Aware that every day of life is controlled by God ‘s Great Love, Aware that every day of life is controlled by God Above… And never dread Tomorrow or what the Future brings, Just pray for strength and courage and trust God in all things… And never grow discouraged be patient and just wait For God never comes too early and He Never Comes Too Late!” (words by Helen Steiner Rice.)

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Hearing loss can cause people to isolate themselves

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by Debbie Walker

I saw the best ad for hearing aids recently. It started out with “My husband left me, but he’s come back.” It reminded me of how, long ago, we really lost my Dad. He was disabled for about 36 years. He died in June 2005, just before his 79th birthday, but truthfully we lost him long before that. It all started years ago, and progressed very gradually.

In 1989, dad and mom made a trip from Maine to visit us in Florida. My daughter was graduating from high school and they wanted to be there. I watched dad at the party we had to honor her accomplishment. Dad had always been a very sociable person – he had owned a mom and pop store and enjoyed the interaction with all his customers. However, I was watching him sit back at this party, with all these new people, and not communicating with anyone. I watched his face; I could tell he wasn’t hearing what was going on and he wasn’t very comfortable.

The process of losing your hearing, I imagine, is gradual, unless, of course, it is caused by an accident or infection. It seems that slowly the person affected withdraws from family and friends. One thing we noticed after a while was that dad talked only when he could control the conversation. He would talk about history, and antiques, and family history. He talked. There were very few people that he could have these conversations with comfortably. It all makes for a very small world I would think.

Dad and mom’s conversations became almost non-existent, just answers to some very loud questions. If dad had been willing to get a hearing aid, they and we could have had so much more. He was very interested in a lot of different subjects, some that the rest of us would like to have shared with him in our adult years. We would like to have been able to share our interests with him too. Some of these things don’t really become important to you until you are an adult. We lost those years with dad.

It seems that getting glasses because our eyesight fails is much easier to accept than losing our hearing. I am more than curious; I don’t understand why. You need the glasses or contacts otherwise you are just not going to be able to see, and I believe headaches drive some people to tend to their eyesight. But not their hearing; I can’t imagine that it isn’t every bit as important and uncomfortable. Yet people don’t want the hearing aids.

I know several people who have hearing aids and just won’t wear them. I understand with some it is vanity. I have heard some say they can’t get used to the changes in crowds as opposed to TV or one on one conversation, ”background noise” I think is the description. (I also understand that for some a hearing aid will not help. It’s more of a physical problem, I guess, and there isn’t always an answer for that.)

I am thankful that my mom got a hearing aid. It seems her driving force was that she wanted to be able to hear my nieces and nephews: they are very soft spoken. Mom had watched dad slowly slip away from us over the years and I am thankful that she understood how important her hearing was for her and to us as a family.

Dad was lucky. He had mom as a buffer zone to the world, but mom wouldn’t have had that same luxury.

I know of some very disturbing situations that have happened because of something said being misunderstood due to a hearing problem. People like dad will sit there, appearing to be listening, but not hearing much of what is said at all – but they won’t tell you. Imagine that same scene with a discussion with a doctor: they are telling you how to care for yourself and you don’t get all the information. That type of situation could actually turn out to have tragic results.

I wonder how many people we have that are misunderstood as being a loner simply because they isolate themselves from situations they can’t control due to the hearing problem. I wonder how many people get depressed because of the loneliness and don’t seek help.

In the ad the woman says, “My husband once left me, but now he has come back!” Do you realize it is not just the loneliness suffered by the person who has lost their hearing, but also that of their partner, family and friends?

REVIEW POTPOURRI – E.B. White: The Elements of Style

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Peter Catesby Peter Cates

E.B. White

The Elements of Style
(with William Strunk, Jr.), 4th edition – Longman Publishers; 1935, 1959, 1979, 1999; 95 pages.

Although Elwyn Brooks White (1899-1985), better known as E.B. White, was born in Mount Vernon, New York, the family vacations during his childhood in Maine’s Belgrade Lakes, the routines of farm life and the workings of nature, enriched his own writings. In addition, he spent many years of his adulthood living on, and working, his farm in Brooklin, Maine, near Deer Isle and Stonington. These years, with the many New Yorker contributions, added much.

I hope to devote another column or more in the weeks ahead to White. This week I am focusing on The Elements of Style, a 1935 book on writing by his English professor at Cornell, William Strunk Jr. (1869-1946). White edited and revised extensively, in 1959 and 1979, editions before his own death in 1985. Some extras were tacked on the above 1999 fourth edition by his stepson, Roger Angell, himself a noted writer on baseball and still living in his 99th year.

The 95 pages of content mirror Strunk and White’s commitment to saving teacher and student hard labor yet keeping the book concise and most helpful to anyone who writes lots of words in a week. I offer choice quotations from both men:

“‘Omit needless words’ cries the author on page 23, and into that imperative Will Strunk really put his heart and soul. In the days when I was sitting in his class, he omitted so many needless words, and omitted them so forcibly and with such eagerness and obvious relish, that he often seemed in the position of having shortchanged himself – a man left with nothing more to say yet with time to fill, a radio prophet who had out-distanced the clock. Will Strunk got out of this predicament by a simple trick: he uttered every sentence three times. When he delivered his oration on brevity to the class, he leaned forward over his desk, grasped his coat lapels in his hands, and, in a husky, conspiratorial voice, said, ‘Rule Seventeen. Omit needless words! Omit needless words! Omit needless words!’ ”

Actually, I have found this book in one or two earlier copies, very edifying for more than 40 years.

VETERANS CORNER: More political appointments not the answer

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Gary Kennedyby Gary Kennedy

I will apologize to the followers of the veteran’s corner as I have been unable to follow-up on your many responses. I have personally undergone a couple of spinal surgeries which have left me laid up for the past two months. I promise, however, to whittle your comments and opinions down over the upcoming issues. I need to mention, however, if you are sending in articles for print, they must be proper/respectful and limited in length. Those of you who have called, I will handle as needed. Many of you have asked for support on issues which I will give special attention and/or refer to the proper people for appropriate answers/actions.

On January 24 Bayard Bergmann wrote a lengthy article which was difficult to understand in part. He wrote, “Only political appointees can stop the VA scandals.” Well, our column is not out to stop the VA scandals, although we believe there are many. All you have to do is pick up a paper or turn on the news to see that the world is looking at our country as one big soap opera; it’s sad and disgraceful. A country such as ours which has been respected throughout the world is now airing its dirty laundry for all to see. The Putins of the world just sit back and smile, while we drag ourselves through the mud. Although this column is dedicated to helping veterans and their problems, what we are trying to achieve is being lost along the way.

I personally don’t believe that more “Presidential Appointees” is the answer to an already teaming, listing structure which will cave in on the veteran if it is allowed to continue. Already I have heard all over the world, “take a look at yourself.” How can you defend against the implications here? These are hard times in and of themselves without our political appointees making things worse. It should be a given that a new president will in fact make all his strategic appointments: the pre-existing should be eliminated. That is just good common sense.

I don’t see the difference between 38 VA political appointees and 138 political appointees. My opinion on this is, if one person is appointing them it goes right back to a party issue. The president needs to set the tone here; it’s his direction. Most politicians are on the side of our veterans; those that have hidden agendas would be soon found out and eliminated. Veterans’ needs and rights are being given the best attention ever at this time. I happen to be one who is 100 percent permanent and total, and have been so for many years. I have been watching a very good structure appear after many stagnant years. Most of the problems most of us see are at the VA level and need to be brought out into the light of day.

The most urgent needs are of a medical nature, ie: doctors, operating rooms and a better defined B.V.A. (Bureau of Veterans Affairs). I personally believe that President Trump has done a fine job cleaning things up considering the information he has been given to work with. Those who are self-serving have kept things from him and I believe it is up to we veterans to bring the concealed problems to his attention.

Of course, the president needs people who agree with his vision for veterans and their welfare. However, inflated government doesn’t solve the problem. It just turns beef stock into beef stew. It tastes better but isn’t what you were trying to do. Veterans need to find a more direct venue for their problems so the issues are clear and the money can go where it is really needed to be. Tell what you know and make sure it gets to the president’s desk. If you try venting the problems at the local VA level, your information will fall on deaf ears. There are incompetent persons out there getting promoted beyond their capabilities; so, of course, your information will hit a break wall.

The president can’t see everything. He is fighting on many fronts to keep us free and safe; we need to help. I personally agree that the best way to populate the government with meaningful, productive help is by the president’s hand. The hangers on from previous administrations just muddy up the water and nothing gets done. Replacing the old with new is very necessary in order to move forward with the president’s vision. I don’t believe in over populating with presidential appointees. The delegation of authority is very important here, so the president must make his appointments wisely and oversee what he designs.

It’s a difficult task if one watches what is happening today, but it is the way it must be done. Partisan games do not help veterans who come from both sides of the aisle. I think we forget that our men and women in uniform come from all sides of the political spectrum. Color, gender or political affiliation really never comes into the picture when we consider our freedom. Those that serve allow us the right to move about freely and believe in what we wish. We encourage all opinions to be voiced here. God Bless.

Gary Kennedy is a disabled veteran, and accomplished veterans’ advocate. He can be reached at garyek55@gmail.com.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Cold, painful fingers can mean a serious disease

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(NAPSI) — “Zombie Hands.” That’s what can happen to an estimated 5 to 10 percent of the population when temperatures start to fall.

In a typical case of Raynaud’s phenomenon, also known as Raynaud’s disease or syndrome, sufferers experience numbness and pain in their fingers, toes and other extremities. Fingers turn white, blue or red as the small blood vessels go into spasm within minutes of exposure to cold or stress, and they appear to be “dead” as blood flow is constricted.

Named for the French physician Maurice Raynaud, who first recognized the condition in 1862, it causes an interruption of blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose or ears. There may be associated tingling, swelling or painful throbbing. The attacks may last from minutes to hours. In severe cases, the area may develop ulcerations and infections, which can lead to gangrene.

Raynaud’s can occur as a “primary” disease—that is, with no associated disorder—or as a “secondary” condition related to other diseases, such as scleroderma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Ninety percent of Raynaud’s sufferers don’t seek treatment and too many physicians pay short shrift to those who do,” says Lynn Wunderman, founder and chair of the Raynaud’s Association. “Treatment is important because some sufferers may have an underlying condition such as systemic scleroderma or lupus. Awareness of such a problem may allow for earlier medical intervention.” Simple blood tests can rule out the presence of antibodies associated with diseases that have Raynaud’s as a component.

What’s Being Done

To help, the Raynaud’s Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health organization, launched a new and assertive campaign,”Don’t Turn a Cold Shoulder to Painful Fingers,” to urge those with the disorder—and their doctors—not to dismiss the pain that Raynaud’s sufferers endure, or the lifestyle adjustments they make to minimize exposure to cold or stress.

Although there is no known cure as yet, treatment options such as calcium channel blocker drugs have been clinically proven to alleviate symptoms by opening up the blood vessels so blood circulates more freely.

How To Lend A Warm Helping Hand

You can support the Raynaud’s Association with a tax-deductible donation. Contributions help fund member mailings, the website, awareness-building efforts, and thousands of educational materials distributed each year to sufferers.

Learn More

For more facts, visit www.raynauds.org.