Brief Stop at Benalla, Victoria

Uta’s Diary, January 2017

After we left Melbourne, Benalla was our first stop. We were on the way to a farmstead near Wangaratta to visit our grandson Tristan and his family.

Peter took the following six pictures during a brief stop at Benalla, Victoria.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

From Wikipedia:
“Weary Dunlop Memorial Located within the Botanical Gardens and clearly visible from Bridge Street is the Weary Dunlop Memorial, a powerful statue depicting two Australian doctors (Dunlop being the standing one) helping a wounded and emaciated comrade. Cast in bronze and over 2 metres high it stands on a granite plinth with the words “compassion, integrity, forgiveness, humility, courage, leadership, friendship” engraved on the granite base. It was created by sculptor Louis Lauman to dramatically depict Dunlop’s work helping wounded and dying POWs. The sculpture was unveiled in 1996. Dunlop was both the commanding officer and surgeon for over 1,000 POWs on the Thai-Burma railway. You can read more about him singular life at http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/dunlop/bio/. The statue at Benalla is much better than the one depicted at the Australian War Memorial. There is also an excellent Visitor Guide available at the Visitor Information Centre. – See more at: http://www.aussietowns.com.au/town/benalla-vic#sthash.owRJLzR1.dpuf”

About Health and Disease

Drug firms ‘inventing diseases’

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4898488.stm

Last Updated: Tuesday, 11 April 2006, 09:32 GMT 10:32 UK by the BBC

Disease-mongering is putting people at risk, researchers say

Pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, researchers have warned.Disease-mongering promotes non-existent diseases and exaggerates mild problems to boost profits, the Public Library of Science Medicine reported.

Researchers at Newcastle University in Australia said firms were putting healthy people at risk by medicalising conditions such as menopause.

But the pharmaceutical industry denied it invented diseases.

DISEASE-MONGERING

Restless legs – Prevalence of rare condition exaggerated

Irritable bowel syndrome – Promoted as a serious illness needing therapy, when usually a mild problem

Menopause – Too often medicalised as a disorder when really a normal part of life

Report authors David Henry and Ray Moynihan criticised attempts to convince the public in the US that 43% of women live with sexual dysfunction.

They also said that risk factors like high cholesterol and osteoporosis were being presented as diseases – and rare conditions such as restless leg condition and mild problems of irritable bowel syndrome were exaggerated.

The report said: “Disease-mongering is the selling of sickness that widens the boundaries of illness and grows the markets for those who sell and deliver treatments.

Campaigns

“It is exemplified mostly explicitly by many pharmaceutical industry-funded disease awareness campaigns – more often designed to sell drugs than to illuminate or to inform or educate about the prevention of illness or the maintenance of health.”

The researchers called on doctors, patients and support groups to be aware of the marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry and for more research into the way in which conditions are presented.

They added: “The motives of health professionals and health advocacy groups may well be the welfare of patients, rather than any direct self-interested financial benefit, but we believe that too often marketers are able to crudely manipulate those motivations.

“Disentangling the different motivations of the different actors in disease-mongering will be a key step towards a better understanding of this phenomenon.”

But Richard Ley, of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the research was centred on the US where the drugs industry had much more freedom to promote their products to the public.

“The way you can advertise is much more restricted in the UK so it is wrong to extrapolate it.

“Also, it is not right to say the industry invents diseases, we don’t. It is up to doctors to decide what treatment to give people, we can’t tell them.”

Diary

For years I’ve been walking with my neighbour Irene, usually for about half an hour early in the morning. I am 77. Irene is only one year younger. However she seems to be a great deal fitter than I am. I struggle all the time to keep up with her pace of walking.

Before my operation on the tongue last year I had to visit a pre-operation clinic. I was seen by three different women doctors who were all extremely friendly. During the interview with one of the doctors I mentioned that I had often trouble walking fast. She asked me then whether I liked swimming. I said I liked it very much. Her advice was then to go more often swimming rather than walking. I very much welcomed this advice and have often thought about it. Indeed I frequently went swimming in winter time last year. This was soon after the operation. I loved it.

Yet strangely enough, during last summer I didn’t make it to the pool very often. I decided now I am going to change this. Just a few minutes ago I thought of a plan which I want to write down now.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Walking and swimming in the morning

Tuesday: Thai Yoga from about 9am to 11 am

Thursday: 12 to 1 pm Gentle Heartmove Exercises

Saturday: Walking to buy the newspaper

Sunday: Walking to church

It’s not a great change in my schedule. The only significant change is the inclusion of swimming on a regular basis. Because of this I am going to cut short the walk with Irene and go to the swimming pool instead. I feel good to have made this decision. Please, wish me all the best that I am going to stick to it!

Uta’s Diary

5th of December, our second daughter’s birthday; the youngest daughter’s birthday is coming up in four days. The two girls are exactly twenty years apart!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is Thai Yoga for beginners with Chaija Noradechanunt from the University of Wollongong. In the pamphlet it says:

‘Enjoy stretches, breathing work and relaxation practices in a women only place.’

On Tuesday, the 13th December, is going to be the last class for this year.

I like these Thai Yoga classes. I hope they’re going to continue next year. For the Thai Yoga I go to Coniston, which is two trainstops away from where I live. The Older Women’s Network hire the Community Hall in Coniston for these classes. They say:

‘You’re in good company with Illawarra OWN Wellness Centre. What is a Wellness Centre?

A Wellness Centre provides older women with a different model of health and wellbeing. We offer a holistic approach to improving and maintaining health and coping with illness by providing a variety of choices for healthy living. The Wellness Centre provides an informal, friendly and supportive environment.

We are committed to:

. Flexible, “drop in” attendance

. Learning from each other, as well as from health professionals

. Consumer involvement & participation

‘Social isolation is a threat to the well being and health of us all. As women tend to live longer than men, they are more likely to feel isolated. Being on a limited income further restricts many people and decreases our ability to lead full and productive lives. To enjoy healthy senior years our minds and bodies need to be active and we need to do all we can to ensure we foster a willingness to stay well by keeping active.

An older woman is generally considered to be 50 years and over. Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Women aged 45 Years and over. All are welcome at the Wellnes Centre.’

Thursdays I usually go to a class here in Dapto. It’s a gentle exercise class with Marta Venegas. This class is to improve core strength and balance. I like these classes. Marta always brings stimulating music along. She sees to it that we keep up with a bit of dancing and also some more serious fitness training. Some of the exercises can be done sitting or standing. This class is breaking up next week. The break lasts to the beginning of February! I must aim at going to the swimming pool more often to maintain some kind of fitness.

My laptop is playing up sometimes. I think I need to take it for another service.