Posts Tagged ‘caregivers’

12:25pm – 22:45 December 9;  21:08 December 11;  08:58-13:33 December 12, 2024 Aix-les-Bains, FRANCE

Dear Reader,

Bonjour!

I wish you and everyone around you … peace, happiness, and Nature’s Beauty.

I am forever grateful to the people in my life who help me grow.

I am forever grateful to healers, medical, health professionals, caregivers, patients, researchers, authors, editors, publishers et al who make current information available in many languages.

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YouTube link to the interview with

Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. about the BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BRAIN and HEALING

Chronic Pain; Parkinson’s and other Movement Disorders; Strokes; Autism; many more conditions

posted in 2015 by CANADA BROADCAST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c5aTlq3nYI&list=PLcU9gOvQNUr8XPza1RhGAjp06-f3E4QAL

Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. | The Power of Thought

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You know friends who have had . . . Strokes?  Chronic pain? Someone you care about suffering from symptoms of MS?  Cerebral Palsy?  Muscular Dystrophy?  Alzheimer’s?  Parkinson’s?  Head injury? Balance problems? Vision problems? Depression?

Our amazing brains!

Reviewing the chapter titles and the index sparks hope and motivation to ask physicians the right questions.

https://normandoidge.com/

the book –

The Brain’s Way of Healing:  Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

by Norman Doidge, M.D.

Available, so far, in 22 languages:

The Brain’s Way of Healing is now available in over 100 countries, and 22 languages including translations from English into  Bulgarian, Chinese Traditional Characters, Chinese Simplified Characters, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Polish,  Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil,  Romanian, Russian,  Spanish,  Turkish and Ukrainian.

French edition book title:

GUERIR GRACE A LA NEUROPLASTICITE: Cerveau les fabuleux pouvoirs de guérison

English translation of French edition: HEALING WITH NEUROPLASTICITY:   Brain The Fabulous Healing Powers

Chapter 1 Physician Hurt, Then Heal Thyself

Michael Moskowitz Discovers That Chronic Pain Can Be Unlearned

Chapter 2 A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms

How Exercise Helps Fend Off Degenerative Disorders and Can Defer Dementia

Chapter 3 The Stages of Neuroplastic Healing

How and Why It Works

Chapter 4 Rewiring a Brain with Light

Using Light to Reawaken Dormant Neural Circuits

Chapter 5 Moshe Feldenkrais: Physicist, Black Belt, and Healer

Healing Serious Brain Problems Through Mental Awareness of Movement

Chapter 6 A Blind Man Learns to See

Using Feldenkrais, Buddhist, and Other Neuroplastic Methods

Chapter 7 A Device That Resets the Brain

Stimulating Neuromodulation to Reverse Symptoms

I. A Cane Against the Wall

II. Three Resets: Parkinson’s, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis

III. The Cracked Potters

IV. How the Brain Balances Itself—with a Little Help

Chapter 8 A Bridge of Sound

The Special Connection Between Music and the Brain

I. A Dyslexic Boy Reverses His Misfortune

II. A Mother’s Voice

III. Rebuilding the Brain from the Bottom Up: Autism, Attention Deficits, and Sensory Processing Disorder

IV. Solving the Mystery at the Abbey: How Music Raises Our Spirits and Energy

Dr. Doidge’s books make for fascinating reads – our brains and the phenomenon of neuroplasticity -  thank you to all the patients who did not give up, their loved ones, their physicians who did not give up, and the dedicated neuroscientists . . .  for providing the stories.

Even if your physicians and healers have not read this book . . . YOU can arm yourselves with the information and ask them to make referrals. And, you can also ask friends to share their resources.

I cheer for you, friends & colleagues!  To those who write books, I cheer for your books too!  The subject matters in your books and Dr. Doidge’s books carry plenty of connections.

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Conversations with our own Brains about what we want for our Bodies.

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My father suffered from Parkinsonian Disorder.  The disease impacted the safety of his walking.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment (after reading Norman Doidge, M.D.’s book The Brain’s Way of Healing

… especially Chapter 2 “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms”

and learning how to ask Papa’s neurologist the right questions)…

Questions that led Dr. White to  order “specific” physical therapy for Papa – therapy NOT for injuries like a broken leg from a skiing accident but therapy for movement disorders -  to help Papa reverse the Parkinson’s “shuffling” gait and “freezing” gait as well as improve posture. Thank you, Dr. White!

The Brain is smart. When one set of instructions “doesn’t connect” another set of instructions will. At one appointment with neurologist Dr. Luthra when she said to my father: “Let me see you walk.”

I offered information: “Dr. Luthra, when Papa is at a doorway to enter or leave a room, and, at elevators (lifts) … his legs lock … he can’t move. That’s dangerous when the elevator door closes and he cannot move. Or when his walker gets caught by a rug that is not properly secured to the floor.”

Dr. Luthra stepped out of her small office and stood in the hallway, facing Papa. She smiled, gestured for Papa to walk out of the room.  At the threshold, his legs wouldn’t cooperate. He lurched forward with his walker, but his legs couldn’t move.

Dr. Luthra: “Mr. Leung, keep one hand on your walker, raise your other arm.” She demonstrated. She raised her right arm straight up. She added: “Raising your arm tells your Brain that you want to move.”

Papa kept his left hand on his walker, he raised his right arm, then lowered it back to the walker

I watched with astonishment as he and his walker walked out the room with ease.

Later, Movement Disorder Physical Therapist Brenda taught Papa more tricks to help his Brain and his Body talk to each other, learn from each other.

If I hadn’t learned what I had learned from Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D.’s books and asked my father’s physicians the right questions, perhaps my father wouldn’t have received the level of attention from people who had the power to prescribe and deliver specific therapies, specific treatments… appropriate to Papa’s needs.

One day I was thinking out loud to my dear friend Sue R.  I said: “I wish there was a Chinese edition of Dr. Doidge’s book. Papa would benefit so much if he could read Chapter 2 himself.” Sue told me that Wen Hsu worked with publishers in Taiwan.

Fast forward….  Wen contacted the publisher in Taiwan who was translating  THE BRAIN’S WAY OF HEALING into Chinese. Wen wrote to the editor, explained to her/him about my father’s situation; the editor emailed Wen the “advance copy” of Chapter 2.  One of the happiest moments in my life was presenting Papa those pages – Chinese transalation of “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms – How Exercise Helps Fend Off Degenerative Disorders and Can Defer Dementia”

Then, when the Chinese edition came out in print, Wen helped me order many copies of the book from the publisher in Taiwan.

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Papa and his friends read this wonderful book in their native language.  I am forever grateful.

https://normandoidge.com/

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Has it really been more than nine years ago when I published my October 21st, 2015 blog post

https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/the-brains-way-of-healing-chapter-titles-and-index-in-book-spark-hope-and-motivation-to-ask-physicians-the-right-questions/

Through http://www.duskyswondersite.com Dusky Pierce, I had found a remarkable book that has enriched my life, my papa’s, my friends’, Papa’s friends.

Please ask your librarians and booksellers to make this book available.

The book is The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity

by Norman Doidge, M.D.

Dr. Doidge’s first book:  The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science

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Here is the YouTube link to Dr. Norman Doidge’s lecture in Melbourne, Australia

posted April 23, 2013  An astonishing new scientific discovery called neuroplasticity is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the adult human brain is fixed and unchanging.  The Brain is, instead, able to change its own structure and function, even into old age.

Melbourne Conversations: Your Brain – How it can change, develop and improve

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibpbkV7xc24&list=PLcU9gOvQNUr8XPza1RhGAjp06-f3E4QAL&index=2

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A thousand thanks to Michael J. Fox Foundation

https://www.michaeljfox.org/

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https://movementdisorders.ucsf.edu/

The UCSF Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation Center is a well-established, internationally recognized program. It is also one of the busiest deep brain stimulation implanting centers on the West Coast with a wide referral base.

The mission of the center is to provide state-of-the-art comprehensive multidisciplinary care to patients with movement disorders. They offer a variety of services that include comprehensive neurological evaluations, medication treatment and disease management, botulinum toxin injections, neurosurgical procedures including deep brain stimulation, and deep brain stimulation programming.

The medical staff includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, radiologists, and nurses who have specialized training in movement disorders and the problems associated with these conditions whose goal is to provide individualized comprehensive care.

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Thank you for reading my blog post:

The Extraordinary and Beautiful Ever-changing Brain, Healing Body to Improve Daily Life, Neuroplasticity

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For other posts related to “Neuroplasticity” … please look at the right side of my blog… under “Categories” please click on “Beautiful Brain Neuroplasticity”

delicious soup from Madame Cornet in Aix-les-Bains

I wish you and everyone around you – vibrant health, peace and happiness.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

Author / Blogger / Story-Theme Consultant / Photo Historian

https://m.youtube.com/@teresajadeleyung/videos for

short short movies of Paris, FRANCE; Portland, Oregon USA; Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA 2024

https://LoveMadeOfHeart.com/blog/  goes to Teresa Jade LeYung’s Blog on Wellness, Story Themes, Archetypes

Love Made Of Heart ®

Blog Post 3 of 3 “Papa Makes Decision While In Nursing Home Again” by Teresa Jade LeYung

photo by Elley Chu

As writing coach and theme consultant Teresa Jade LeYung, I ask my clients: “What does your main character want?”

Sometimes, the client’s response is: “I’m  not sure.”  Other times, the reply is: “Nothing.”

If the protagonist in a story wants nothing, then, what is the story?

There is always something!  Could it be that your Hero cannot accept what is happening to her/him?  Does he/she want life the way it was, not the way it is?

That is my father’s dilemma. He has lost control over his day-to-day activities. Ever since the hospitalization for Aspiration Pneumonia and urinary tract infection in July 2018. Ever since he could no longer live by himself.

No more going to the hallway or balcony with his walker to exercise or taking the elevator to go to the mailroom whenever he wants to. No more watching his Cantonese television programs with his girlfriend who lives in the building. No more telling his caregiver to stop by the grocery store and bring him a particular fruit or a Chinese pastry he is craving.  No more quarterly appointments with his UCSF neurologist or UCSF hi-tech physical therapy for movement-disorder.  What irony – the appointments he had labeled “unnecessary” and “there’s nothing wrong with me” are now out of reach and “Why can’t I go?”

When nursing home staff members ask him “Do you want anything? Do you need anything?” he raises his left hand to gesture “No” and smiles.

When I am with him, occasionally he will tell me in Cantonese: “I don’t want to stay here.” (I think to myself Oh, Papa, of course. You were independent, in spite of Parkinson’s Disease, in your studio apartment.  Aspiration Pneumonia and urinary tract infection created your decline and now you are in a nursing home, in a room with 2 other residents, no furniture of your own. I am sad for you. But, I know that you are safe and well cared for by dedicated staff.  You are a lucky guy.)

I do not lie to him. I say: “This is your home now. Nurses and CNAs take excellent care of you. You are safe here. You have friends here. If you exercise and get strong to the point that you can live on your own again, then, I will help you find another one.”  I reinforce my words by taking out a green exercise band from the top drawer of the nightstand.

I had bought the green band when I was getting physical therapy for my plantar fasciitis. Last month, I found the band, and used a thick permanent marker to write my father’s name on it.  [ If you don't put your name, room and bed number on an item, that item is likely to disappear.  Even if everything were labeled, staff and residents would still experience "missing items."]

Papa is in good hands with the nursing home staff. And, since November, he’s been receiving visits from a nurse, a chaplain and a social worker from Hospice By The Bay.  Also, he gets visits from former caregivers (with help from my sister, I can afford to pay them to visit), his daughter-in-law, his grandson, his girlfriend, a few other people, and me (his representative and advocate).

Who else feels loss of control?  Me.  When I see Papa not practicing safe eating behavior.

What is safe?

- Papa sits upright and is fully awake (should not be putting food or drink into his mouth if he is slouching or sleepy).

- Eat slowly.  He uses a teaspoon to put food or thickened liquid into mouth.  Chew.  Swallow. Swallow again.  Say “AAH” twice.  If you don’t hear a clear AAH, that means food/drink has not cleared past the throat.

-  Do NOT tilt head backward when swallowing (head-tilting increases risk of choking and aspiration)

Oh, how I get exasperated when I find out that someone gave him food that hasn’t been pureed by dietician or liquid that hasn’t been properly thickened by his nurse.  Last month, two other residents gave him something to chew (Chinese chew); the nurses explained to the two nice people that my father cannot just chew, that he has a swallowing problem, that he could accidentally swallow the food. The residents don’t understand that another episode of aspiration-pneumonia could be fatal. They can’t empathize.

That’s another question I ask my writing-clients – “Which characters are sympathized and which ones are empathized by your narrator?

I am indeed grateful that my father likes the staff at the nursing home, and the meals served to him, and that he gets to walk with his walker about 5 times a week with the CNAs who are especially trained.  I am indeed grateful to everyone in his life and mine.

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR 2019!

I wish everyone safety, abundant joy, and excellent health.

Sincerely,

Teresa Jade LeYung

 Teresa Jade LeYung – founder of Love Made of Heart (aka Teresa LeYung-Ryan) says: “When I’m in Paris, I know I have come home.”  Teresa speaks openly through her writing and advocacy, her immigrant experience, and her knowing beauty.  As author, publisher, theme consultant, and a found-object artist, she empowers women to transform dreams into lifestyle. http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

Teresa LeYung-Ryan’s Blog Post 3 of 3

How Dr. Norman Doidge’s Books Help Me and My Chinese Papa Who Has Parkinson’s

I am not fluent in Cantonese.

When I was a new immigrant from Hong Kong in the 1960s, San Francisco public schools did not have ESL (English as a Second Language) classes.  Classmate’s snickering compelled me to learn my new language with urgency. By fourth grade, you couldn’t shut me up.  Then our parents (actually, probably just our father) insisted that my siblings and I go to Chinese School (classes in Chinatown everyday after regular school was let out).  One year of misery. Thank goodness our mother spoke up to our father (in Cantonese) – “Let our children succeed in English school first.”

Fast forward to 2017. Parkinson’s Disease has caused what Papa would say with his Cantonese accent “a lot of problem.”

[ According to http://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons/ Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly in most people … a person’s brain slowly stops producing a neurotransmitter called dopamine. With less and less dopamine, a person has less and less ability to regulate their movements, body and emotions.]

Papa and Teresa chuckle at the last part of speech exercises taught by Terri Snyder from Self Help for the Elderly - photo by Wen Hsu, translator extraordinaire

While I lack the vocabulary to tell my father that I sympathize, I do know how to encourage and praise with sincerity.  When he frowns at my prompting to do the exercises (taught by the dear professionals from Self Help for the Elderly) or Sit and Be Fit™  (recommended by NP Heloise Lim), or to pick up his feet when those darn rubber mats at grocery stores and restaurants seem to ambush him and his walker… I say to him: “You win! Do NOT let Parkinson’s win. You win!”

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Through the engaging stories in this book – The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity by Norman Doidge, M.D. – I have learned that our wonderful brains are forever changing, growing and healing. That knowledge gives me the vocabulary to ask the right questions as an advocate for my father. Dear friend Wen Hsu ordered the traditional Chinese edition of Dr. Doidge’s book through a bookseller in Taiwan. Papa has the book near his dining table; next to the Chinese edition is the English edition; both books are there for Papa’s helpers and friends to read.

As for my being an advocate/daughter who is not fluent in her parent’s native tongue, I know how to find people who excel in their work. In the past three weeks, Wen Hsu (translator extraordinaire) has translated my multiple letters (written in English) into Chinese for Papa’s Caregivers/Helpers.

I salute Papa’s caregivers/helpers, his caring friends, my caring friends, wise mentors, supportive spouse, dear sister, MaMah, Papa’s spunk, the doctors, nurses, administration staffs, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, interpreters, dear folks at Self Help for the Elderly, South Market Senior Health Clinic, UCSF Movement Disorder and Neuromodulation Center, E.R. staffs, staffs at U.C. Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital, SFGH Orthotics and Prosthetic Center, the dear staff members at the building where my papa lives, and Dr. Norman Doidge for writing his book The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity.

Mr. Leung with traditional Chinese edition, Teresa LeYung-Ryan with English edition of the book THE BRAIN'S WAY OF HEALING: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity by Norman Doidge, M.D. - photo by Wen Hsu, translator extraordinaire

Special thanks to the dear folks at Self Help for the Elderly – Nurse Valerie Chan, Nurse Chiu Li, Physical Therapist Jenny Chiu, Occupational Therapist Tom Wong, Speech Therapist Terri Snyder, Translator Albie Wong, and of course the administrative staff, and all the nurses and therapists who have helped my father in the past and shall in the future.

Knowledge that leads to health and wellness – this is my wish for everyone.

Sincerely,

Teresa, advocate/daughter to my Chinese papa

P.S.  I am rereading Dr. Norman Doidge’s books

Teresa LeYung-Ryan, photo by Britt

Teresa LeYung-Ryan is

author of:

• Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW (workbook);
• Love Made of Heart: a Daughter Finds Herself through Witnessing Her Mother’s Mental Illness (novel used in college classes, recommended by the California School Library Association and the California Reading Association, and archived at the San Francisco History Center);
• “Talking to My Dead Mom” Monologues (the first monologue received an award from Redwood 10-Minute Play Contest and was staged at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, CA);
• Coach Teresa’s Blog  http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog (which attracts thousands of writers) helps writers build their platforms before and after publication
• “For Themes’ Sake” and “Heroes, Tricksters and Villains” and “Where Are You On Your Writer’s Journey?” and other workshop material

creator of “Immigrant Experience Writing Contest” and

owner of trademark

 and proponent of public libraries, public schools, and excellent public healthcare for ALL!

The link to this blog post #3 of 3 in this series:

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/teresa-leyung-ryans-blog-post-3-of-3-how-dr-norman-doidges-books-help-me-and-my-chinese-papa-who-has-parkinsons/

Blog post #2 of 3 in this series:

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/teresa-leyung-ryans-blog-post-2-of-3-how-dr-norman-doidges-books-help-me-help-my-papa/

Blog post #1 of 3 in this series:

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/theme-consultant-teresa-leyung-ryans-blog-post-1-of-3-what-i-learned-about-the-brain-from-dr-norman-doidges-2-books/

For other posts in my blog, please go to: https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog

If you’re looking for my blog posts pertaining to our Beautiful Brains and Neuroplasticity… https://lovemadeofheart.com/blog  look at right side of screen, you’ll see the category “Beautiful Brains Neuroplasticity”.  Please click on that category to get those posts.

Dear Writers/Caregivers/Advocates for Loved Ones,

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan here . . .  I see how helping a loved one/being an advocate is so much like writing a book.

My papa has been diagnosed with Parkinsonism by his neurologist. If Papa is telling his story, he would be the first-person narrator; if I’m telling the story about him, then I would be the third-person narrator.

A book (story) consists of one main character (also known as “hero” or “protagonist”) or multiple main characters and other characters (other archetypes), a subject matter that is discussed repeatedly (“theme”) and at least one plotline (“what happened?”). The merging of these elements helps the writer show the hero’s journey.

Helping a loved one/being an advocate consists of at least 2 protagonists (YOU and the loved one) and other archetypes (physicians, healthcare and social service providers, other family members and friends, neighbors, coworkers, vendors, . . . the stranger who gives up her/his seat on the train for you), themes (the cause for help and advocacy and the related issues), and plotlines (the interconnected events associated with all the characters).  Who will be the most transformed in the story?  The loved one?  You the caregiver/advocate? The person who is most transformed would be the main character/hero/protagonist.  Perhaps both people will go through great transformation.  Two protagonists!

I am writing – I keep a notebook for whenever I visit my papa or when I do something on his behalf- gosh, there are so many little “subplots” to keep track of! (Is this Papa’s third or last session with the physical therapist? Mary and I need to witness the exercises so that when the P.T. closes the case, we would be able to coach Papa. Did he say he wanted another heating pad? Oh my, there are at least 18 model to choose from.   Gotta review friends’ advice about what is a comfortable bed and also Consumer Reports. Then Papa has to “test drive” some beds. You just can’t shop for a mattress the way you shop for a pair of shoes.

MATTRESS SHOPPING TIPS (from Sealy’s website)

1. Plan to spend at least one hour in the store.
2. Wear loose clothing and easily removable shoes.
3. Test out mattresses in groups of three for easier comparison.
4. Lie on each mattress for 5 to 15 minutes to let it fully adapt to your body.
5. Don’t feel rushed. It’s ok to ask for privacy.

I would add:  Bring your own pillow so that your neck is supported while trying out mattresses; maybe bring an extra pillow case too.

And, I am reading the book The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries from the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity by Norman Doidge, M.D.  Chapter 2 is titled “A Man Walks Off His Parkinsonian Symptoms”  . . . how John Pepper has been able to reverse the major symptoms, the ones that Parkinson’s patients dread most, those that lead to immobility. He’s done so with an exercise program he devised and with a special kind of concentration . . .

All the “characters” in Dr. Doidge’s books (The Brain’s Way of Healing  and The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science) and in Dr. Victoria Sweet‘s book (God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine) are guiding me on my journey as an advocate for my father.  And, I just know that my mom plays a huge role in helping me.

I thank everyone who has given me her/his time, energy, and prayers.

Here are links to websites I’ve relied on lately:

https://franceskakugawa.wordpress.com/category/caregiving/  Frances Kakugawa

http://www.writeradvice.com/ywmtdw.html  B. Lynn Goodwin

http://www.normandoidge.com/  Norman Doidge, M.D.

https://www.michaeljfox.org/  Michael J. Fox Foundation

Special thanks to Margie Yee Webb, Frances Kakugawa, Penny Manson, Debbie Ramos and her daughter Melanie who went out of their way to help me research specific items and to Mary, my sister Maria Leung, Linda Harris, Sue, Janet, and Elaine for being there in person.

Sincerely,

Writing Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

Author & Fanbase-Building Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan says: “Reach out, not stress out. Enjoy your writer’s journey.”
http://WritingCoachTeresa.com

http://lovemadeofheart.com/

http://lovemadeofheart.com/blog/

https://www.youtube.com/user/teresaleyung

( This blog post welcomes comments from everyone who has learned something from Marisa Suzuki.  Please press the “submit comment” button when you’re done.  Thank you so much. )

My feisty friend Marisa died this morning.  At 3:00am pst she left for her “Mountain Lake” where she’ll dance, swim, and sun herself again. Marisa introduced me to Ashleigh Brilliant quotes http://www.ashleighbrilliant.com/ (“IF I’M NOT HOME, ACCEPTING WHAT I CAN’T CHANGE, I’M PROBABLY OUT, CHANGING WHAT I CAN’T ACCEPT.” was one of her favorites); also, she shared Aikido wisdom. . . (“FALL, ROLL, AND GET UP SAFELY” was/is one of my favorites).  I’ve met other remarkable people through Marisa–her sisters and other family members, her friends, and her son Mikko who inspired me to give thanks to the food I get to eat everyday; her caregivers during her transition are compassionate and beautiful spirits too.

Marisa

To the ancient Maya, Earth was the cosmic turtle  http://today.brown.edu/articles/2010/04/maya-art When I visited my sister and brother-in-law, I saw the exhibit “Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea” at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA.

Dear Marisa a.k.a. Mountain Lake Turtle (Friend to all Cats), I wish you safe and joyful adventures at your mountains and lakes.

Much love from Teresa