teaching your patient to administer eyedrops diabetes
Teaching children to pray is very important. The purpose of prayer is to help your child develop a relationship with the Lord. Teaching your child how to develop love and patience helps them better understand the nature of God. Here are some tips to help you.
Praying should be out loud. Your child may not readily understand what praying is. To help try replacing the word "pray" with the word "talk." Encourage them to talk with God. It is said of men of old that they walked and talked with God.
Teaching your children love and patience is important when they are learning to pray. These two virtues when practiced keep our hearts soft and teachable. The prophet Samuel was able hear the still small voice of the Lord because his heart was teachable.
Part of praying is asking the Lord for the things we want and need. When we teach children what love is we help them feel positive and hopeful about their future. Their prayers will be more uplifting and from the heart.
Love is the most powerful force in the universe. When children are little they may not understand the word "love" but they certainly understand the emotion. You have been there for them from the beginning and you can share with them how God has been there for both of you from the beginning.
We all have learned patience when we pray because as we have grown older we have accepted that God does not immediately answer our prayers. A child, however, has not yet learned this. Therefore, we need to teach them patience.
Our children can learn to be patient when we set them a good example. When I look at the times I become impatient I see an opportunity to teach my children. When I am driving for example, I do not have to be the first guy there. You can share with your children that this is patient. You are willing to wait a little longer to arrive at your destination just like you are willing to wait on the Lord.
When we teach our children to pray we also need to teach them about love and patience. God is love and will always answer our prayers. We must be patient though and be willing to wait for him to answer us.
Mesothelioma is commonly referred to as Asbestos Cancer. This is an aggressive cancer which is caused mainly due to the inhalation of dangerous asbestos fibers. The disease affects the mesothelium, a protective two layered membrane which covers the internal organs like lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Between these layers, the cells produce fluid which helps in the easy movement of the internal organs. Mesothelium can affect any of these cells. Most of the victims are usually older individuals since the disease takes almost 25 to 50 years to develop. Even washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can prove fatal.
The symptoms of the disease include shortness of breath, chest wall pain, weight loss etc. Chest X-ray and CT scan can be used as diagnostic tools and the disease can be confirmed with a biopsy and microscopic examination. In spite of treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, complete cure of the disease is not possible. Researchers are trying their utmost for the early detection of mesothelioma. Other treatment options are gene therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy etc. Since it is very difficult to diagnose the disease in the early stages, the symptoms are quite serious. Later diagnosis means the cancer must have spread making treatment unsuccessful.
Statistics prove that the disease mostly affected men between the ages of 50 and 70 who were employed in asbestos companies before awareness was created in the 1970s. Second hand exposure to asbestos has resulted in more diagnoses of the cases among women, whose family members worked with asbestos. The residents of the localities where asbestos mines and companies are located are also prone to the disease. Shipyard workers, electricians, plumbers, construction industry workers, pipe fitters etc are also in the danger zone.
The reason for this illness is usually lack of protection given to those work with asbestos. If the employers properly take care of the health of the workers the disease can be prevented to a large extent. Even though there is no complete cure for the disease, the helpless victims can avail many options for support. It is the duty of the family and friends to stand with the victim during this terrible time. Legal help can also be sought very easily these days. But it is important to contact a qualified mesothelioma lawyer as soon as possible.
If you want to know more about Mesothelioma Cancer then feel free to visit Mesothelioma Information.
Understanding the Patient's Bill of Rights will enable you to take a pro-active role in your medical care, understand your rights as a patient and minimize the occurrence of medical errors resulting in hospital malpractice or doctor malpractice. The Patient's Bill of Rights has three major goals:
1. To increase patient confidence in the health care system by:
* Ensuring a fair medical system that is responsive to patients' needs;
* Providing patients with processes through which they can address their concerns;
* Encouraging patients to a take pro-active role in their medical care.
2. To emphasis the significance of the relationship between patient and medical provider; and
3. To promote a pro-active health care attitude by the patient by establishing rights and responsibilities of the patient and provider.
There are 8 key sections to the Patient's Bill of Rights.
Information Disclosure You have the right to receive accurate and easily understood information about health plans, health professionals, care facilities and consumer assistance programs. If you require aid to obtain or understand this information, you are entitled to appropriate services to assist you.
Choice of Providers and Plans You have the right to a sufficient choice of medical providers to ensure that you have access to high-quality care at the time it is required.
Access to Emergency Services You have the right to services in emergency situations in whatever location you are in. Health care plans should provide funding in those circumstances where a patient has acute symptoms that indicate the patient's health may be jeopardized without immediate medical care. You should not need authorization from your plan before medical attention is provided.
Participation in Treatment Decisions You have both the right and responsibility to participate in decisions regarding your care. If you are unable to exercise your rights and responsibilities, a duly authorized family member or other representative may undertake these on your behalf.
Respect and Nondiscrimination You must not be discriminated against by providers on the basis on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, genetic information or method of payment. You have the right to considerate, respectful care from care providers.
Confidentiality of Health Information You have the right to have your discussions with your health providers held in confidence. Your medical records must also be confidentially protected. You have the right to access your records and copy them, as well as request amendments to the records.
Complaints and Appeals You have the right to an unbiased procedure for resolution of complaints regarding providers, facilities and plans. This procedure includes an internal review and independent external review.
Consumer Responsibilities You are expected to assume reasonable responsibilities to promote the success of your care. These responsibilities include healthy dietary and exercise habits, disclosing all relevant information to health providers, following providers' advice, avoid knowingly spreading disease, being respectful to other patients and recognize the care facilities obligations for their care as well, being informed about your plan and reporting any wrongdoing to the appropriate authorities.
While this is a general overview of the Patient's Bill of Rights, it provides you with a basic knowledge of your rights and responsibilities for the next time you require medical assistance. If you feel you are the victim of doctor malpractice or hospital malpractice you should contact a qualified medical malpractice attorney immediately for advice.
A Patient's Right to Die and Be Placed on Life Support
Terry Shiavo's story
One of the most blatant episodes of life support struggle, Terry Shiavo's story was making headlines for many months now as the unconscious woman who for 15 years was living on substances she received from her feeding tube became the focus of a legal battle between her husband and her parents. Life support that is one of the most controversial issues of today's medical practice has served to pump funds and human effort into the rescue of a meaningless and empty life of that woman, like the lives of many other patients who are tormented rather than saved by the artificial prolongation of their lives via life support systems.
Numerous courts considered the case, and now the battle came to an end as Terry is died from starvation caused by the removal of her breathing tube on March 18. Schiavo collapsed in 1990 from brain damage caused by a chemical imbalance that resulted from an eating disorder (Torday 2005). Since the time she lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, she was kept in the center in a persistent vegetative state in a hospice in Pinellas Park, Florida.
Terry's legal custodian, her husband Michael Schiavo, believed that Terry should be allowed to die and so insisted on the removal of the tube. Her parents, Bob And Mary Schindler, on the contrary, insisted that Terry 's life should be sustained further arguing that their daughter was responsive to outside stimuli (Word 2005). Both sides had their supporters that stage street protests in support of their viewpoints, and media, both in the US and abroad, have been following the story closely. Michael Schiavo insisted that his wife made her wishes and told her uncle and best friend that she would not like to spend the rest of her life in a vegetative state. George Felos, an attorney for Michael Schiavo, conveyed her words in this way: "She said, 'I don't want to be kept alive artificially -- no tubes for me. I want to go when my time comes. Take the tubes and everything out" (Barrett 2005). Terri's parents, in contrast, thought that their daughter's state might improve with intensive therapy, and make every effort to keep her alive.
The relatives fighting over Schiavo's unconscious body have made numerous attempts to resolve the issue in court. In seven years, the case was heard by as many as 19 Florida judges (Torday 2005). All of them invariably supported Michael Schiavo, refusing to order the reinsertion of the tube. The final removal of the feeding tube occurred on the rejection of the Schindlers' petition to the Florida Supreme Court where the couple's request was turned down on March 26. The Schindlers five times tried to turn to the US Supreme Court that always refused to get involved. The parents' appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta also met with no success (Torday 2005).
The case that seems to be a purely family matter was taken up by the highest US authorities, including the US President George Bush and Congress. George W. Bush on March 21 signed the law that allowed the Schindlers to seek the reinsertion of the tube. The law had before been passed by both the House and the Senate, with a 203-58 vote in the House. Opponents of the bill, including Michael Schiavo himself, were vigorously protesting against the action they saw as interference in people's private life. Bush, however, commented on the passage of the bill in the following way: "Democrats and Republicans in Congress came together last night to give Terri Schiavo's parents another opportunity to save their daughter's life." "This is a complex case with serious issues," he added. "But in extraordinary circumstances like this, it is wise to always err on the side of life" (Barrett 2005). This action nevertheless also failed as the federal judge turned the last appeal down, allowing Terri to drift towards death.
One more high-ranking government official who intervened in the case was Florida Governor Jeb Bush. He supported Terri's parents and argued for the reinsertion of the tube. Finally, he declared that he would not order the reattachment of the tube. He was obviously in no position to order this after the numerous court decisions in favor of Michael Schiavo and the collapse of the bill in the Florida Senate that called for the reinsertion of the tube.
Controversial Right-to-Die Cases
The crux of the case seems to be not a life-and-death decision, but the debate over the extent to which the government and society can interfere in the life of an individual person or family. Most cases considered hitherto seem to indicate that a person's life has to be left in the hands of nature in case a terminally ill patient falls into a vegetative state, but forbid physician-assisted suicide
An example is the case Washington v. Glucksberg that was decided in the US Supreme Court on June 26, 1997 (No. 521 U.S. 702 (1997)). Dr. Harold Glucksberg in this case asked the question: "Did Washington's ban on physician assisted-suicide violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause by denying competent terminally ill adults the liberty to choose death over life?" (OYEZ, 1997). The court disagreed with the claim that the state's ban violates basic human rights and liberties. The denial was grounded in the belief that the practice was "offensive to our national traditions and practices" (OYEZ, 1997), anf lifting the ban can be detrimental to national liberties and interests.
A similar Vacco v. Quill case (521 U.S. 793 (1997)) decided on June 26, 1997 sought to prove that "New York's ban on physician-assisted suicide violate[s] the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause by allowing competent terminally ill adults to withdraw their own lifesaving treatment, but denying the same right to patients who could not withdraw their own treatment and could only hope that a physician would do so for them" (OYEZ, 1997). The court ruled against the claim, pointing to a difference between euthanasia and removal of lifesaving treatment, since physician-assisted suicide includes causation and intent to terminate a patient's life.
Fifteen years ago, the Supreme Court acknowledged that the patient has a constitutional right to refuse life-saving treatment. However, it demanded from the family or custodians the proof of the patient's wishes. This, for instance, was required of the family Nancy Cruzan who was in a state of coma at the moment her case was considered in court. The case was returned to Missouri state court that arrived at the conclusion that she really had stated her wish to die before she lapsed into a coma. The case of the 25-year-old woman who "careened off the road, flipped over, and was thrown from her car into a ditch" in 1983 (University of Virginia) became the first right-to-die case to be heard in the US Supreme Court.
More Recent Cases
One of the most notorious cases in the right-to-die discussion is the one related to the activities of Doctor Kevorkian, a controversial medical practitioner who sought to prove his right to assist his patients in dying. That is why on March 26, 1999, in Michigan he was found guilty of second-degree murder. Death With Dignity Act, accepted in 1994 in Oregon voters, by a narrow margin of 51% to 49%, is believed to have been inspired by Kevorkian's activities. Under this act, a competent adult is entitled to a request of a lethal injection by a medical professional in case he or she is terminally ill.
In Spain, the case of Ramon Sampedro became the focus of public attention as the man paralysed in an accident spent 29 years trying to defend his right to assisted suicide. The legal rulings he sought were obtained from Spanish courts as well as the European Commission in Strasbourg. After experiencing the disabling accident at the age of 29, he only died at 55.
Scholarly Evidence
In making decisions about a comatose patient's destiny, the court has to differentiate between various conditions. Thus, Terri Schiavo was in persistent vegetative state (PVS), one in which a patient is more likely to obtain permission to terminate life-sustaining treatment from a court. There are also patients who are in a 'minimally conscious state" (MCS), and who "unlike PVS patients, are able to feel pain (and pleasure); however, because they are so limited in their means of expression, no one can be sure to what extent a particular MCS patient is experiencing pain, suffering, and humiliation" (Mello, 1999). However, because these patients are still able to feel pain and suffering resulting from prolonged immobilization, they are in even greater need of permission to remove life support systems to end their lives. This argument is very important in evaluating the option of removal of the life support system: if the patient is able to feel pain and suffering (and it is likely that the physicians are not always able to adequately assess one's sufferings).
Now we see more and more cases in which doctors argue against sustaining the life of the patient, saying that "that medicine must not be used to torture the dying" (Morreim 1994). This perspective of the physicians has to be endorsed on the grounds that doctors better than those removed from the medical field realize that the right to die will protect the patient from unnecessary suffering. In cases when patients are not expected by medical experts to recover, it is "morally mandatory to cease aggressive treatment" (Morreim 1994), since future treatment is pointless and often cruel.
Denial of life support as a way to prolong the patient's suffering is related to the preservation of what many view as an intrinsic human right the right to decide on one's own life and death. This conclusion is inevitable "respecting [the patient's] autonomy as expressed by the substituted judgment of [her] surrogate agent and consistent with the principle of nonmaleficence" (Bednarz, 2000). Even though the person in a vegetative state may not be considered as a fully-fledged person, deep inside the person may be thinking and feeling and his or her decisions have to be respected.
It is necessary, of course, to agree the course of action taken to the patient's previous wishes. Thus, courts have adopted a 'clear-and- convincing standard' of these wishes that is often unnecessary to patients. To complicate the custodian's task, "courts typically require that the patient have envisioned the precise medical situation he is now in when he made the statement expressing a preference for nontreatment" (Mello, 1999).
Conclusion
In conclusion, exact criteria for preservation or withdrawal of life support systems have not yet been developed by the legal system. The right to die should be an inherent right of the human being living in today's world where people have more and more control over their rights. Courts have a point in demanding proof of the patient's earlier wishes; however, since this evidence cannot always be gathered, this claim often results in people being kept alive artificially at the time when they do not really want to be reduced to a life of a comatose body. To simplify the court decisions on these cases, it would be useful to include a question on life support in the standard procedure of insurance policy preparation. Then every person who has signed on the paper, stating the wish that the life support system be removed in case of terminal illness or coma can be safely allowed to die in peace.
Besides, one needs to consider the economic aspect of the matter. A person lying prostrate in a developed nation that can afford the kind of treatment to keep the person alive is consuming a lot of financial and human resources that can be put to better use. We live at a time when a lot of people are still in need of food, clothing and most elementary things; at the same time, huge funds are being used to sustain the balance between life and death for specific persons.
The case for removal of life support is especially vivid with respect to patients, such as those in a minimally conscious state, who can still feel pain and suffering. These people should be unnecessarily tormented at the time when their chances of survival are minimal. The society would be more merciful in allowing these patients to die rather than subject them to sufferings that last years.
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Medical malpractice can occur at any time even when things seem to be going right. Medical institutions play a big role in determining its procedures in relation to doctor’s insurance rights. The medical institution that employees the doctors have insurance responsibilities and are also liable for the actions of the doctors because the institution is supposed to provide supervision. On the other hand however, in a private practice the individual practitioner is responsible for all insurance. Recently the rate of medical insurance has risen a great deal due to the increase in medical malpractice. The reason why this occurs is because as the amount of medical malpractice occurrences increases, the insurance companies have to pay out more in compensation to the victim. The amount of risk an insurance company takes on a medical practitioner increases when the amount of malpractices increase as well. Therefore the only way for the insurance companies to keep making money, when medical malpractice give outs is on the rise, is to increase the premiums on their medical malpractice insurance rates.
Since medical malpractice in NYC occurs in a city that is so heavily populated with people, the event can spread fast. This may be both a good and bad thing for all parties involved in the situation. If a certain doctor has been giving out misdiagnose and prescriptions it is a good thing for the news to spread fast so that other people who saw that particular can check to make sure that nothing happened to them. However medical malpractice in NYC that happens or occurs to someone or someplace with notoriety that may be on controversial terms, it could be detrimental to a claim. This is where a medical malpractice NYC lawyer will be able to help in cases like these.
A medical malpractice NYC lawyer will gain the information needed to prove that a malpractice case was committed. They will also formulate an argument to show that the incident of medical malpractice caused negative side effects for the victim and that compensation for medical bills, loss of wages, and pain and suffering to be established. A medical malpractice NYC attorney is the key to making sure that the occurrence of medical malpractice has been resolved and justified in an arena.
Paul Justice gives advice to clients who are looking for attorneys to handle injury related cases such as medical malpractice, automobile accidents. To know more about medical malpractice NY, medical malpractice NYC and New York attorneys visit www.nbrlawfirm.com
A recent study shows that the drug Avandia which is used to treat type 2 diabetes also helps to prevent patients from acquiring diabetes. In a 3 year clinical study out of Denmark that included 21 different countries, people who were at high risk to acquire diabetes were 60% less likely to contract the disease while taking Avandia.
The study included 5,269 people that were treated at 191 clinics throughout the world. The average age of participants was 55, of which all had “evidence of prediabetes with either impaired fasting glucose (blood sugar) or impaired glucose tolerance. Having prediabetes puts you at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes.”*
Half of the patients received 8 milligrams of Avandia and the other received a placebo. Only 306 people taking Avandia developed diabetes or died of any cause, whereas 686 of the participants taking the placebo developed diabetes or died.
The amount of risk that was reduced by Avandia was more than double that of any other medication. This could result in a new era of hope for those who run a high risk of diabetes in their families or have many of the potential symptoms. In an article on WemMD.com, Dr. Hertzel Gerstein said, “If we can prevent diabetes, we may also be able to prevent the serious cardiovascular, eye, kidney, and other health consequences of diabetes."
You can find the drug Avandia online at PremierMexicanPharmacies.com. PMP compiles all of the most reputable Mexican and Canadian pharmacies, and delivers to you the lowest price for your prescription medication. PremierMexicanPharmacies.com also has a rating system which uses the feedback left by members to better inform you about the pharmacy you will be purchasing from. Visit this Consumer Advocacy website for more information on ordering from Canadian">http://www.premiermexicanpharmacies.com/why_canadian_pharmacy.asp">Canadian pharmacies .
*Salynn Boyles. Drug 'Avandia' May Prevent Diabetes. WebMD. September 18, 2006. Medical News
For more information on how to order meds from Canada and Mexico safely and effectively please visit our blog: Your Essential Guide to Buying Meds Online from Canadian & Mexican Pharmacies.
Common relationship error: men don’t respond fast enough when their significant others are in dire straits, emotionally. Chances are, you have waited for long, maybe too long, till she is genuinely disturbed, before you’ve shown that you are concerned. That is a serious blunder. As is the way with women, they won’t always make a clean breast of it and admit that they are distressed. What they will tend to do is drop hints and hope that you can read their minds. The reason for this extraordinary expectation? Women are pretty good mind readers themselves.
Most women you’ll meet will have that ability of putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. They know, intuitively, when you have a hard day or want more of her attention. They are just made that way, and believe that you are too. If you want to keep the woman in your life satisfied, you have to work on this a little bit. Make no secret of your love for her; be expressive. Listen, all ears, to what she has to say. If you listen, you can make better sense of her needs. You may think you already know about them, but to be honest, there’s more chance than one in a million that you don’t. This is one of the major reasons why women end their relationships with men.
If you have no clue as to how to make your relationship click, you have tough times ahead. The worst imaginable situation is when it gets bad enough for both of you, so you think that a break up is the best option. At these times, it is strangely difficult to focus on your day’s jobs, and even eat or sleep.
When you are through with this article, you’ll know how to sail smoothly through these phases of your life, and how to get you ex back with minimal pain and hurt on both sides.
Before anything else, you have to realize that your ex is not necessarily happy with the decision to break up. It is saddening to be the one to terminate the relationship so precious to both of you. Even though the two of you had zany problems, enough so she had to call it a day, she will surely miss your presence in her life, especially if you spent a lot of time together and did things with each other.
So how do you get back together with your ex with the minimum hassle?
DO NOT make your advances obvious. After you ex has had some time to cool off, you might call or SMS her. You can ask her out for a friendly chat. It would be smart to select a non-date like place for this meeting. DO NOT entreat her to accept you back. What you have to work on is enjoying the time spent with each other, just as you did in the early days of your relationship. Your ex will recall that you can have an amazing time together, and later, you can have a frank conversation and sort out all your troubles.
Remember, you have to be patient. Slow and steady is the way to go. Your ex will be back to you in a jiffy, with little stress and no heartbreaks.
FORMER Miss Sarawak-Malaysia Marlene Lim Hui Nee is no run-of-the-mill beauty queen, blessed, as she is, with a high IQ that matches her good looks.
The 24-year-old looks-plus-brains beauty from Miri recently returned to her hometown after her studies in Perth, Australia. It was a four-year pharmacy course but she had to extend it by one more year because of her involvement in beauty pageants.
thesundaypost talked to Marlene in her office at Club Infinity in Faradale Garden to find out what makes her tick as a model, beauty queen and pharmacist all rolled into one.
The former student of SMK Dato Permaisuri and SRK Jalan Bintang in Miri not only has what it takes to grace the catwalk and win beauty contests but also earn a university degree in a field that requires A grades in science subjects like physics, chemistry and biology.
During the interview, Marlene, a Capricorn, touched on some of the problems faced by the pharmaceutical profession, especially the tendency to give patients prescriptions without a satisfactory explanation.
“I hope to change the perception that people can take any kind of medication without proper advice from doctors or pharmacists. For example, there are many kinds of drugs for high blood pressure but not all are suitable or safe.”
She spent two years in Prime College doing her Cambridge A Levels (science) before leaving for Perth to study pharmacy.
Her secondary education was eventful — most of her teachers remember she was an active and diligent head prefect.
She represented her school in Malay and English speech and debating contests and later also the Leo Club in many events, picking up the Outstanding Secretary Award in 2001 as the only Sarawakian from District 308-A2 to have done so.
“All these helped me a lot in developing my leadership, organisational and public speaking skills.”
Marlene intends to return to Perth for a year-long training to gain professional experience in pharmacy. She will return to Miri to do the required one-year pre-registration service and up to three years of public service working for the government to qualify for the pharmacist’s licence.
“I hope to be able to serve with the Miri General Hospital during this time,” she said.
She speaks Mandarin with a Cantonese accent as a result of picking up the dialect from her housemates during her pharmacy course but she comes from a Hokkien family.
Marlene admits to being rather “tomboyish” while growing up but she was also very studious and active in school activities.
Asked how she got started in modelling, she said it was by chance that she was spotted wearing pants and T-shirts by someone called Josephine Ching from a modeling agency whom she met at a salon.
“She liked my tall lean figure and introduced me to part-time modelling. I was 18 then. My course mates and I were out asking for donations in aid of the Blind Centre at the time,” she recalled.
That was when she shed her tomboy image and took up fashion and modeling seriously.
Winning her first title — Miss Miri-World 2002 — blew her away because she lifted the crown despite her inexperience on the catwalk and lack of fashion or beauty sense.
“I was even more surprised when I won my first national title in the Miss Malaysia Queen International 2006 — I was the shortest and the least experienced,” she confessed.
Marlene wowed the judges who never expected a small town girl from Sarawak to be more knowledgeable and eloquent than her peninsular counterparts.
“Some people even teased that I was a ‘kampung girl’ but I believe if I’m true to myself, people can sense it and good judges can see through pretentious girls,” she said.
In 2005, she won the Miss Sarawak-Malaysia title plus two other subtitles, and was also a finalist in Miss Malaysia-World 2005.
Other titles included Miss Sarawak Earth 2006 plus four subtitles, and a second runner-up spot in Miss Malaysia Earth 2006.
Third in a family of five siblings — two brothers and two sisters — Marlene recalled that her mother was strict “but she is also very supportive.”
Her parents did not stop her taking part in beauty contests — they were confident she could look after herself.
“In fact, mum was very supportive, making time to watch my shows — she even helped choose my wardrobe,” Marlene enthused.
Her sisters gave her ideas and helped look for the things she needed while her father was very proud of what she was doing.
“As for my brothers, they used to tease me about my heavy make-ups,” Marlene fondly remembered.
In Perth, she was placed in the top 12 out of hundreds of contestants in the Curtin Idol 2008 competition.
In her modelling debut, she faced some problems getting used to the catwalk.
“I wasn’t taught the basics — I learned from doing shows and watching videos. Going overseas and participating in fashion shows and events also helped.”
Relating her experience in beauty contests, she said people tended to take her less seriously because she was from Sarawak and did not dress up or put on make-up all the time.
“But I surprised them when I stepped onto the stage, especially during the Q & A,” she said.
Another problem was befriending people who didn’t really take her as a friend as “all they think about is winning and getting famous.”
According to Marlene, although most pageants seem to highlight charity as the main theme, most times, it’s not really the case. Usually, it’s orientated towards publicity, profit and fame.
She claimed the results could sometimes be pre-determined, especially when the winner, other than having a pretty face, could neither speak proper English nor have a deep knowledge of Malaysian culture or history.
“Sometimes, girls are chosen just to make up the numbers — they do so many previews that the whole meaning of ‘true women essence’ is lost because the whole thing feels like a showgirl contest,” she said.
She also noted that local beauty pageants were getting more commercialised.
“I guess that’s why the quality of participants has gone down because educated girls are not keen to take part. I’m a straightforward person — I say it like it is.”
To comments that it’s degrading for women to parade on catwalks in bikini like in a cattle show, she said everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.
“The organisers are responsible to make the girls look elegant even in their bikinis. If I’m asked to do anything indecent in swimwear, I will voice my opinion because at the end of the day, I (not the organisers) will be judged by the audience. Sometimes the girls just follow what they are told to do.”
She said the main purpose of a swimwear round was to show the healthy body of a woman … that she was not anorexic or anything extreme.
“It also portrays her confidence and how well she carries herself in public. A woman will never look cheap if she knows how to carry herself.”
Marlene has groomed many models and beauty contestants, among whom are Amy Teo (first runner-up Miss Sarawak World 2006), Charlene Chai (Miss Sarawak Model of the World 2008 and first runner-up Miss Chinatown Sarawak 2007) and Natalie Chiaw (Miss Malaysia Global Queen 2008, Miss Global Queen 2008 International Level Miss Charm and second runner-up Miss Cheongsam Malaysia 2008).
On the difference between modelling and beauty contest, she said the former usually did not have a Q&A session and even if it did, it won’t so important compared to beauty pageants.
“In modelling, body proportion, height, poise as well as catwalk and posing skills are very important, not forgetting being photogenic. Sometimes, a model can have an attitude or other social problems but these are often excused. A modelling career usually flourishes following a successful contest — the models can then get more assignments and endorsements.”
On the other hand, she pointed out, a beauty pageant focused more on personality, the Q&A session and the way the contestants think and express themselves.
“Most judges can see if the answers are memorised or if they do not come from the heart. Sometimes, a tall and pretty girl can be the centre of attention but does not win due to lack of personality.
“Contestants should have a standard acceptable criterion — height, education level or experience — and are expected to carry themselves well in public as they represent the desirable qualities of women in general.
“Upon winning a pageant, a beauty queen gains social recognition and normally carries out various charity works or endorses a cause she believes in,” she said.
On the prospects of a modelling career in Miri, Marlene said an aspiring model was paid up to RM50 per show while higher rates like RM150 or more may be offered to title-holders. Models could get higher rates in West Malaysia and overseas.
“Sponsors and organisers prefer title-winning models because of public expectations and should therefore be willing to pay more for the fame and increased publicity.
“I feel sorry for title-holders who grab just any offers — even when the rate is low — because it will lower their value in the eyes of the client,” she noted.
Marlene was fortunate to have been guided by the right group of people. To aspiring models and beauty queens, her advice is to stay focused and not be distracted by the ‘glamour’ of the event.
She strongly believes academic qualifications are very important for a secure future, saying beauty and youth cannot last forever.
Asked if she intended to migrate to Australia, she said she would return to settle down in Miri after her training in Perth. She has plans to develop her career in event management and pharmacy both in Malaysia and Australia.
Although the two fields are very different, Marlene has a knack for management and multi-tasking — she is used to handling a few projects simultaneously and always ready to learn new things and improve.
She said she was holding on to event management because she owed it to the people who had helped and were still helping her.
“Event management will still be a part of my life — I’ll continue to do it for charity. Also, it’s important to have responsible people around — it makes the job a lot easier because things get done.”
Marlene devotes a lot of her time to charity work … and was in the forefront of organising the recent National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) Charity Fashion Gala Runway Show on Dec 19 at Boulevard Fair. All the proceeds, including salaries of her models and her own, were donated to the Nasom Miri branch.
Among the charity events and fashion shows she had organised were Model Search of the Year 2005 (national level) where nearly RM40,000 was raised for Miri’s first Palliative Centre in the General Hospital and the Miss Model of the World Miri-Sibu-Bintulu 2007.
Ultimately though, she intends to concentrate more on her career as a pharmacist and her sisters will help her run a new studio-cum-boutique they are setting up in Perth this year.
Her hobbies include reading, singing (in any languages), karaoke, and dancing (especially modern and belly dancing). For holidays, she prefers Hong Kong, Singapore, or China.
For the moment, Marlene, a big fan of Hollywood actor Richard Gere, has no time for romance but admits to being particularly fond of “someone.”
On marriage, she said: “Only when I’m ready and when the right guy comes along.”
She loves children and her whole family is crazy about kids.
“I would love to have three to five kids … five is my dream number,” she said.
Unfortunately, there's really no way to get your settlement more quickly. If everything goes as it should and you don't run into any roadblocks, the process itself can go quickly. However, you don't really have any control over it and it depends on circumstances, such as the type of accident you had and and the severity of any injuries you sustained. Of course, you want your money now, but you usually aren't going to get it as quickly as you would like.
The first key to successful negotiations with a claims adjuster is that you'll need to be patient. Before you write your first letter, before you make your first phone call, and before you do anything rash, remember that you're going to have to be patient. Patience most important factor you'll need when negotiating your personal injury settlement.
You're not just going to have to be patient as you wait for your money. You're also going to have to be willing to wait for all correspondence to be processed by the claims adjuster. He or she will be deciding how your claim should be settled, collecting facts and calculating damages figures.
You're also going to need patience as you establish ongoing communications. The claims adjuster is not necessarily going to see things as you do. You're also not going to be able to force your point of view on the adjuster. Instead, you're going to negotiate and be patient, and let the claims adjuster come to your point of view at his or her own pace.
Nonetheless, this tolerance and patience doesn't mean that you have to sit back and just wait. You also have to be persistent, even as you're being patient. This is the second key: persistence.
When you have conversations with your claims adjuster, let him or her have enough time to accomplish things, realistically. Don't rush your adjuster, but don't give him or her all the time in the world either. Put pressure on gently but persistently. Let the adjuster know that you know time is necessary to make things happen. However, it's also his or her job to let you know what's going on regularly and not just "leave you hanging."
If your claims adjuster has promised you would hear from him and it hasn't happened within a couple of weeks, follow up - call or write a note. Gently remind him that you're waiting for a response.
While you're persistent yet patient, you're also going to need to be organized. If you want to get the highest personal injury settlement possible, you're going to need to have your information ready, with questions set out on paper. If you're organized and have everything you need to establish a clear case for your settlement, you'll be calm with the adjuster and it'll show you mean business.
If you're disorganized or otherwise not ready to meet with the adjuster it's simply bad form on your part. He or she doesn't have time and doesn't want to deal with someone who's not ready to talk business. However, if you are organized and have the facts to back up your argument, the adjuster then has the capability to respond and move forward to the next step. This is the most direct and easiest way to get the personal injury settlement you deserve.
About Author:
Injury-Settlement-Guide.com teaches injured people how to protect their rights and obtain fair compensation for their damages.Learn more about Process of Insurance Negotiations at this page on the free educational website: http://www.Injury-Settlement-Guide.com/insurance-negotiations.html
WHY LIVING WILLS Modern advances in science and medicine have made possible the prolongation of the lives of many seriously ill individuals, without always offering realistic prospects for improvement or cure. For some individuals the possibility of extended life is experienced as meaningful and of benefit. For others, artificial continuation of life may seem to provide nothing medically necessary or valuable, serving only to extend suffering and draw out the dying process. States recognize the inherent dignity and value of human life and within this context recognize the fundamental right of individuals to make the necessary health care decisions to have life-prolonging medical, surgical, or procedure means provided, withheld, or withdrawn. States acknowledge the right of competent adults to plan ahead for health care decisions through the execution of advance directives, such as living wills and durable powers of attorney, and to have their wishes respected, subject to certain limitations.
PURPOSE OF LIVING WILLS In order to assure respect for patients' previously expressed wishes when the capacity to participate actively in decision making has been lost or impaired; to facilitate and encourage a sound decision making process in which patients, health care representatives, families, physicians, and other health care professionals are active participants; to properly consider patients' interests both in their self-determination and well-being; and to provide necessary and appropriate safeguards concerning the termination of life-sustaining treatment for incompetent patients as the law and policy of this State and the Legislatures have enacted Living Will/ Advance Directives for Health Care Acts.
REQUIREMENTS OF STATUTE The advance directive for health care (Living Will) requires a writing executed in accordance with the requirements of the state law. It must be signed and dated in front of an attorney at law, other person authorized to administer oaths, or in the presence of two subscribing adult witnesses. If the two adult witnesses are used, they both must attest that the declarant is of sound mind and not under undue influence. A designated health care representative shall not act as a witness to the execution of the advance directive. Since this is a legal document, it must be executed properly to be valid under the statute.
HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATIVE The declarant must designate one or more alternative health care representatives. "Health care representative" means the person designated by you under the Living Will for the purpose of making health care decisions on your behalf.
WHEN DOES THE ADVANCE DIRECTIVE BECOME OPERATIVE An advance directive becomes operative when (1) it is transmitted to the attending physician or to the health care institution, and (2) it is determined pursuant to the Act that the patient lacks capacity to make a particular health care decision. Treatment decisions in pursuit of an advance directive shall not be made and implemented until there has been a reasonable opportunity to establish and where appropriate confirm, a reliable diagnosis for the patient which shall include the attending physician's opinion concerning the nature, cause, extent, and probable duration of the patient's incapacity. This soon after shall be made a part of the patient's medical records. For additional information or to have a "Living Will" prepared, see your attorney. In addition, be certain your Last Will and testament is up to date.
1. Introduction:
As Americans, we take it for granted that we are entitled to make decisions about our own health care. Most of the time we make these decisions after talking with our own physician about the advantages and disadvantages of various treatment options. The right of a competent individual to accept or refuse medical treatment is a fundamental right now fully protected by law.
But what happens if serious illness, injury or permanent loss of mental capacity makes us incapable of talking to a doctor and deciding what medical treatments are best for us? These situations pose difficult questions to all of us as patients, family members, friends and health care professionals. Who makes these decisions if we can't make them for ourselves? If we can't make our preferences known how can we make sure that our wishes will be respected? If disagreements arise among those caring for us about different treatment alternatives how will they be resolved? Is there a way to alleviate the burdens shouldered by family members and loved ones when critical medical decisions must be made?
Living Will:
By using documents known as advance directives for health care, you can answer some of these questions and give yourself the security of knowing that you can continue to have a say in your own treatment. A properly prepared Living Will permits you to plan ahead so you can both make your wishes known, and select someone who will see to it that your wishes are followed.
After all, if you are seriously ill or injured and can't make decisions for yourself someone will have to decide about your medical care. Doesn't it make sense to
•Have a person you trust make decisions for you,
•Provide instructions about the treatment you do and do not want, or
• Appoint a person to make decisions and provide them with instructions.
A Few Definitions Throughout this booklet there are four phrases. Each of these phrases has a special meaning when it comes to allowing you to make decisions about your future health care.
• Advance directive-If you want your wishes to guide those responsible for your care you have to plan for what you want in advance. Generally such planning is more likely to be effective if it's done in writing. So, by an "advance directive" we mean any written directions you prepare to say what kind of medical care you want in the event you become unable to make decisions for yourself.
1. Proxy directives - One way to have a say in your future medical care is to designate a person (a proxy) you trust and give that person the legal authority to decide for you if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. Your chosen proxy (known as a health care representative) serves as your substitute, "standing in" for you in discussions with your physician and others responsible for your care. So, by a proxy directive we mean written directions that name a "proxy" to act for you. Another term some people use for a proxy directive is a "durable power of attorney for health care.”
2. Instruction directives - Another way to have a say in your future medical care is to provide those responsible for your care with a statement of your medical treatment preferences. By "instruction directive" we mean written directions that spell out in advance what medical treatments you wish to accept or refuse and the circumstances in which you want your wishes implemented. These instructions then serve as a guide to those responsible for your care. Another term some people use for an instruction directive is a "living will.”
3. Combined directives - A third way combines features of both the proxy and the instruction directive. You may prefer to give both written instructions, and to designate a health care representative or proxy to see that your instructions are carried out.
2. Questions and Answers
1. Why should I consider writing an advance directive/ living will?
Serious injury, illness or mental incapacity may make it impossible for you to make health care decisions for yourself. In these situations, those responsible for your care will have to make decisions for you. Advance directives are legal documents which provide information about your treatment preferences to those caring for you, helping to insure that your wishes are respected even when you can't make decisions yourself A clearly written and legally prepared directive helps prevent disagreements among those close to you and alleviates some of the burdens of decision making which are often experienced by family members, friends and health care providers.
2. When does my advance directive take effect?
Your directive takes effect when you no longer have the ability to make decisions about your health care. This judgment is normally made by your attending physician, and any additional physicians who may be required by law to examine you. If there is any doubt about your ability to make such decisions, your doctor will consult with another doctor with training and experience in this area Together they will decide if you are unable to make your own health care decisions.
3. What happens if I regain the ability to make my own decisions?
If you regain your ability to make decisions, then you resume making your own decisions directly. Your directive is in effect only as long as you are unable to make your own decisions.
4. Are there particular treatments I should specifically mention in my directive?
It is a good idea to indicate your specific preferences concerning two specific kinds of life sustaining measures:
1. Artificially provided fluids and nutrition; and
2. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Stating your preferences clearly concerning these two treatments will be of considerable help in avoiding uncertainty, disagreements or confusion about your wishes. The enclosed forms provide a space for you to state specific directions concerning your wishes with respect to these two forms of treatment.
Fluids and Nutrition. I request that artificially provided fluids and nutrition, such as by feeding tube or intravenous infusion (initial one)
1. ______ shall be withheld or withdrawn as "Life Sustaining Treatment." 2. ______ shall be provided to the extent medically appropriate even if other "Life Sustaining Treatment" is withheld or withdrawn.
Directive as to Medical Treatment. I request that "Life Sustaining Treatment" be withheld or withdrawn from me in each of the following circumstances: (Initial all that apply)
1. ______ If the "life sustaining treatment" is experimental and not a proven therapy, or is likely to be ineffective or futile in prolonging my life, or is likely to merely prolong an imminent dying process; 2. ______ If I am permanently unconscious (total and irreversible loss of consciousness and capacity for interaction with the environment); 3. ______ If I am in a terminal condition (terminal stage of an irreversibly fatal illness, disease, or condition); or 4. ______ If I have a serious irreversible illness or condition, and the likely risks and burdens associated with the medical intervention to be withheld or withdrawn outweigh the likely benefits to me from such intervention. 5. ______ None of the above. I direct that all medically appropriate measures be provided to sustain my life, regardless of my physical or mental condition.
5. What is the advantage of having a health care representative, isn't it enough to have an instruction directive?
Your doctor and other health care professionals are legally obligated to consider your expressed wishes as stated in your instruction directive or "living will.” However, instances may occur in which medical circumstances arise or treatments are proposed that you may not have thought about when you wrote your directive. If this happens your health care representative has the authority to participate in discussions with your health care providers and to make treatment decisions for you in accordance with what he or she knows of your wishes. Your health care representative will also be able to make decisions as your medical condition changes, in accordance with your wishes and best interests.
6. If I decide to appoint a health care representative, who should I trust with this task?
The person you choose to be your health care representative has the legal right to accept or refuse medical treatment (including life-sustaining measures) on your behalf and to assure that your wishes concerning your medical treatment are carried out. You should choose a person who knows you well, and who is familiar with your feelings about different types of medical treatment and the conditions under which you would choose to accept or refuse either a specific treatment or all treatment.
A health care representative must understand that his or her responsibility is to implement your wishes even if your representative or others might disagree with them. So it is important to select someone in whose judgment you have confidence. People that you might consider asking to be your health care representative include:
• a member of your family or a very close friend, your priest, rabbi, or minister, or • a trusted health care provider, but your attending physician cannot serve as both your physician and your health care representative.
7. Should I discuss my wishes with my health care representative and others?
Absolutely! Your health care representative is the person who speaks for you when you can't speak for yourself. It is very important that he or she has a clear sense of your feelings, attitudes and health care preferences. You should also discuss your wishes with your physician, family members and others who will be involved in caring for you.
8. Does my health care representative have the authority to make all health care decisions for me?
It is up to you to say what your health care representative can and cannot decide. You may wish to give him or her broad authority to make all treatment decisions including decisions to forego life-sustaining measures. On the other hand, you may wish to restrict the authority to specific treatments or circumstances. Your representative has to respect these limitations.
9. Is my doctor obligated to talk to my health care representative?
Yes. Your health care representative has the legal authority to make medical decisions on your behalf, in consultation with your doctor. Your doctor is legally obligated to consult with your chosen representative and to respect his or her decision as if it were your decision.
Kenneth A. Vercammen is an Edison, Middlesex County, NJ trial attorney who has published 125 articles in national and New Jersey publications on Probate and litigation topics. He often lectures to trial lawyers of the American Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association and Middlesex County Bar Association. He is Chair of the American Bar Association Estate Planning & Probate Committee. He is also Editor of the ABA Elder Law Committee Newsletter He is a highly regarded lecturer on litigation issues for the American Bar Association, ICLE, New Jersey State Bar Association and Middlesex County Bar Association. His articles have been published by New Jersey Law Journal, ABA Law Practice Management Magazine, and New Jersey Lawyer. He is the Editor in Chief of the New Jersey Municipal Court Law Review. Mr. Vercammen is a recipient of the NJSBA- YLD Service to the Bar Award.
In his private practice, he has devoted a substantial portion of his professional time to the preparation and trial of litigated matters. He has appeared in Courts throughout New Jersey several times each week on many personal injury matters, Municipal Court trials, and contested Probate hearings.
KENNETH VERCAMMEN & ASSOCIATES, PC Attorney at Law 2053 Woodbridge Ave. Edison, NJ 08817 732-572-0500 www.centraljerseyelderlaw.com To schedule an in office consultation, contact our web scheduler at Kenvnjlaws@verizon.net
A wedding is a scared, worship service. Being one of the most memorable and vital event in a lifetime, it is a couple's choice to celebrate it in a church. A traditional church wedding adds up to the romance in the bride and groom's mood of having a more meaningful exchange of vows. Pronouncement of the couple's love and commitment before God, family members and friends strengthen the impact of the wedding ritual.
Modernization did not change the preference majority of the couples for a traditional church wedding. The wedding ritual is usually done inside the Church premise at a day chosen by the bride and groom with the approval of the priest or the minister or pastor.
In a religious setting, the family and friends of the bride and groom are formally requested to witness the ceremony. A religious leader known to any of the couple usually conducts the matrimonial rites. A maid of honor, bridesmaid, junior bridesmaid, bestman, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers and ushers are present to help out with the ceremony.
Preparing for a church wedding ceremony means asking God's blessings be bestowed on the marriage and to sanctify it through bible readings and prayers. As taught in religion classes the Lord has founded marriage. By inviting God to be present in a wedding you are starting a marriage centered on Him. Surely, He is very much pleased to join a couple in their marriage.
Planning a Church Wedding Service
Soon after the couple's engagement there is a need to with the officiating minister to make known the wedding plans. Prior to the arrangement for the other preparations needed, the minister confirms the eligibility of the soon to be bride and groom to marry in his church.
Majority of the weddings are premeditated a year or more earlier to avoid any conflict of schedule with other weddings. It is during the months from May to October that couples choose a wedding date; an earlier confirmation will be to their advantage. Early arrangement is likewise essential to have adequate time for the minister's premarital counseling or any other classes or seminars if there are any.
Premarital Counseling
It is during the time of the counseling that practical information will be provided and given to assist the couple in establishing and keeping the marriage for the rest of their earthly life. Non-member will be obliged to agree and abide by the fundamental doctrines of marriage. Such principles are eligibility, consent from both of the parties, a lifetime promise, a self-sacrificial love and care for the husband and the will to obey for the wife, and the enrichment of their religious growth.
Wedding Music
A wedding worship service glorifies God, who establish marriage and sanctified it. The music, in that case, ought to give glory to God and spiritually enlighten those in attendance.
A processional or recessional is the time when the couple is walking down the aisle with appropriate respect. Religious hymns are more often favored.
The Wedding Ceremony
When the guests arrived in the church, the ushers lead them to the seat assigned to them. A booklet or flowers can also be given to them. The relatives and friends of the bride and groom sit on the side respectively reserved for them in the church.
The ritual may include marriage vows personally written by the bride and groom. Exchange of wedding rings to symbolize the couple's never ending love and promise to each other. After they are pronounced husband and wife, before their relatives and friends, the groom seal their unioin with a kiss.
Right after the ceremonial rites, the couple and the two principal witnesses will be ask over to sign the state-issued marriage lisence and wedding register.As the couple leave the church rice or wheat is showered over them, this being believed to mean fertility.
It can be said that in the midst of all the advancement brought about by this higly modern world, couples who wished to enter the married life still prefer to choose the traditional church wedding. This just shows that brides and grooms believed that they are not the sole participants in matrimonial ceremony. They are very much aware that Somebody beyond the oficiating minister joins them and blessed them to shower them with the spiritual graces that is necessary to strengthen their union.
Take a word of advice from an NYC leading plaintiff’s medical malpractice law firm specializing in physician and hospital mistakes and errors– The Najdovski Law Firm PLLC located at 55 Broad St, one block off Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan. Fortunately there are now abundant resources on the Internet that allow patients to research potential hospital before they are admitted to a particular hospital. The Najdovski Law Firm PLLC urges patients to make use of these resources before choosing a hospital for their surgery or treatment plan. Mr. Najdovski warns that just as there are doctors who have a more than average number of lawsuits against them, likewise there are hospitals which seem to attract more lawsuits than others.
Using sites such as the New York State’s Hospital Profile at http://hospitals.nyhealth.gov can help patients make good decisions about which hospital to use for their medical and surgical treatment. Hospital quality measures indicate how well a hospital provides care for its patients, especially in the specific areas of heart conditions, pneumonia care, surgical infection prevention, performance of coronary artery bypass grafts, angioplasties and pediatric heart surgeries, such as correction of Tetralogy of Fallot.
Beware: there is a growing tendency for hospitals which have realized that they have made a mistake or have negligently treated a patient to contact the patient to "apologize" for their carelessness, says attorney Najdovski, the Founding Member of The Najdovski Law Firm PLLC. Of course on a non-life threatening or minimal injury case, this may satisfy many people. But what is startling is that the internal department at hospitals commonly known as "Risk Management" offices (as in, managing how to pay out as little money as possible to aggrieved patients) actually contact patients who have suffered devastating problems with their health. Many times this "apology" is enough to stop the patient from bringing a lawsuit against the hospital. Frankly, although it may seem endearing, heart-warming and nice of them to admit a mistake, just remember that when your cappuccino in their office is long cold, you then have to go home and live with it.
According to an article on injuryboard.com, hospitals are working hard to minimize lawsuits by making many more apologies to patients than they used to. "Hospital officials are hoping saying ‘we’re sorry’ will cut down on lawsuits and save money," the article states. The new trend is being investigated at several hospitals across the country, but it is not clear whether it will make a difference in the number of patients who choose to sue.
Our system of law has developed to compensate individuals who have experienced medical malpractice. An apology from a hospital is nice, but should not be confused with rightful compensation for some patients who have truly suffered from a hospital’s errors. Attorney Najdovski states that the pain of being involved in a medical malpractice case could be avoided through researching the hospital first.
Attorney Najdovski urges that patients do not use the New York State’s Hospital Profile site as their only means of research. After carrying out basic web-research, patients should also contact people at the hospital and other patients of the hospital before making a decision. You are always free to contact Mr. Najdovski directly to obtain his opinion regarding your proposed treatment and his experience with whatever particular doctor or hospital you intend to use.
I'm sitting here with Rey, and we were talking a little bit. Four years ago, Rey came to the United States from Taiwan, and as he calls it, he had to speak "Engrish" for a few years before he really learned the language.
We're just sitting here, doing some work, and I told him that patience is everything. I told him that the reason why I am successful in life is that I've been patient.
I was successful business-wise when I was younger, but I was so impatient that I kept sabotaging myself along the way. When you are impatient you begin to sabotage everything you do - instead of letting things play out naturally and happen the way that they are supposed to, you force things. When you force something, you turn other people off - in both business and your personal life.
So how does this relate to dating?
I will tell you exactly how. For instance, I was supposed to have a date for lunch today. As I was driving to meet her, I was on the phone with my brother, talking about the Mets being in first place (which, by the way, is fantastic and is also about patience!)
So I was on my way there, and the woman I was supposed to meet told me that something came up at the last minute for her business and she would need to meet later on. Unfortunately, my schedule is pretty tight during the week, but I told her that was no problem at all. We texted back and forth and we set up a date for another time.
Most people would have reacted to that experience by saying, oh, what a flake - canceling at the last minute? What's up with that?
But something came up! It's called being understanding to other people's needs and their lifestyles. Just because it didn't transpire in the way you expected it to doesn't mean that you have to react in that way. It's not about you.
It's all about developing patience. The more patient you are the better things are going to be for you. Something I tell anybody that I coach is that we are out there to flirt with people today and get to know people today. When we're out meeting people today, you might find somebody that you'd like to take out today.
Or you might meet somebody that you just don't connect with today. But if you're patient and open, you might run into them again in a few months and they might be ready to talk.
You're building your social network not only for today, but also for the future. As you can see, nothing is really in the past. You might think that the past is ruining your present, but it's not.
So be patient in everything you do. If you have patience, good things will come to you - from money to love to friendship and everything else.
When Rey was speaking Engrish, he hated it and didn't want to speak it anymore. But he was patient and by being patient, he now speaks English better than many native English speakers.
As a patient you have the right to be fully informed by your primary health care provider about any treatments or surgeries that he or she recommends. It is the legal responsibility of your physician to obtain your informed consent. If your doctor does not obtain your informed consent prior to any procedures and you have suffered adverse consequences, you may have the right to sue for damages resulting from medical malpractice. For an informed consent to be given, you must be provided with sufficient information regarding the procedure to make an educated decision. This information must include:
· Diagnosis; · What the treatment is intended to accomplish; · Benefits and risks associated with the treatment; and · What alternative treatments are available.
There are two forms of informed consent: express consent and implied consent. Express consent is when the patient's consent is given either in written form or verbally. Written express consents should have:
· The physician's name who discussed the treatment plan with the patient; · The name of the physician who will perform the tests or procedure; and · The date and time the consent form was signed, along with the location of signing.
Implied consent is not given in written form or verbally. Implied consent arises when a health care provider performs necessary diagnostic tests or procedures that are part of medical treatment the patient has expressly consented to. The informed consent is required before your doctor performs diagnostic tests or invasive treatment. Legally an informed consent is only valid for a specified period of time.
Once you have given informed consent, the physician is legally and ethically required to proceed. You have the option of withdrawing your consent at any time.
You have the additional right to refuse any treatment offered. Your refusal can be based on any personal reason, including religion. Once you have given informed refusal, the health care provider must ensure that you fully understand any possible consequences which may occur because you declined a recommended treatment. The doctor cannot, however, use coercion or deception to change your mind.
You are entitled to take time to consider your decision for an informed consent or refusal fully. Although as a patient you are permitted to either consent to or refuse treatment, you cannot demand and receive tests or treatment your physician deems unnecessary or unsafe.
You, as a patient, have responsibilities as well regarding informed consents or refusals. It is mandatory you listen carefully to your physician as he or she explains the recommended health care plan and, if you do not understand anything, to ask questions until you feel you understand completely what is proposed.
If you feel that you are a victim of doctor malpractice or hospital malpractice as a result of lack of informed consent then you should contact a qualified medical malpractice lawyer immediately.
1. Set goals. This is probably the biggest omission for teachers. We know and want to communicate a lot of "stuff," but we haven't clearly defined our goal and purpose. Without a goal and purpose, our teaching wanders and we won't see the fulfillment the Lord intends in our ministries.
It may be helpful to choose a verse or passage to be a guide for your teaching. Then, as you prepare a lesson or a series of lessons, ask yourself questions to see if you are meeting your goals. For example, if we were looking at Ephesians 4:11-16, we might ask ourselves:
- How am I equipping people to serve through this lesson?
- How am I building up the body of Christ?
- How am I succeeding as an example of Christ-like character? How am I failing?
- What doctrines am I teaching on? How can I better communicate them?
- What practical application will my hearers draw from my lesson?
- What sin or error am I confronting?
- What spiritual disciplines am I promoting? Am I demonstrating them in my own life?
- How am I encouraging intimacy with God?
- How am I exhorting people to love?
- Is Christ the beginning, ending, and focus of my teaching?
Specific lessons and series of lessons will, of course, have additional specific goals particular to the topic at hand. These goals should be clearly delineated before teaching begins, and regular evaluations should take place to be certain that goals are being achieved.
2. Put forth effort. Give your preparation - and your delivery - the best of yourself. Don't expect fulfillment in ministry if you consistently "cobble something together" at the last minute, are rushing around the house to get out on time, and are tired when it's time to teach. You and your hearers will get the most out of your teaching if you put forth solid, concentrated effort into preparation time, and are rested and enthusiastic when it's time to speak.
3. Be orderly. Build a lesson as you would build a house. Lay a foundation and develop your points thoroughly and completely to a conclusion. You want your hearers to walk away with several things: facts, understanding, and application.
4. Avoid tangents. Whether they come from you or from one of your hearers, nip tangents in the bud (unless there is a distinct reason and the Spirit's leading to follow them and expand on them). Lessons should be tight, allowing no room for wandering or drifting. You will not accomplish your goals unless you stay focused.
5. Combine orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Each lesson should contain both right teaching (orthodoxy) and instruction on right practice (orthopraxy). Doctrine in a vacuum will not be remembered or be seen as applicable. Guidance on right practice will not become ingrained unless the reasons and doctrines behind it are understood. Instruction on the Word of God and the walk of God should go hand-in-hand whenever we teach.
6. Make it practical. Every lesson should be a "rubber-meets-the-road" lesson. If it's not practical, it won't be remembered. If it doesn't apply to life today, to my life today, then it's a waste of my time. Draw lessons from life today, and show how to apply lessons to life today.
7. Be dynamic. Whatever your teaching style, make it dynamic. Dynamic comes from the Greek word "dunamis," or power. Whether you lecture or lead discussions, whether you enjoy acting your lessons in front of a crowd or prefer quiet times in a circle, your teaching style should be power-filled through the Spirit. Be creative. Be compelling. Be challenging. Be excited. Be intense. However you speak, grab your hearers and hold them - only then will they hear what you're saying.
8. Encourage interaction. In almost all cases, people will learn more from a class that they participate in. Ask questions. Encourage responses and discussion. Be sure people are understanding what you're saying. Welcome input. Even a class that is predominantly lecture has room for learner participation. Frequently a question and answer time will serve to bring home the doctrines and lessons taught.
9. Repeat and review. You only remember a fraction of what you hear - so be sure your listeners hear what's most important many times. Review the key points of past lessons. Review points made earlier in a given lesson. Repeat truth until it becomes ingrained in your hearers.
10. Handouts and homework. Don't be afraid to ask your listeners to put forth effort on their own part. Give handouts with fill-ins and room for notes at each class - it encourages people to write down key points, therefore aiding the learning process (the more senses you engage in learning, the better you will remember). Give homework. Ask people to read and think and prepare for the next class, or to follow up on the one just given. Remind your hearers that Christian education does not happen for one hour on a Sunday - it must be a part of daily life.
11. Expect excellence. People will rise to your expectations of them. Never patronize or act condescendingly toward people. Don't give shallow or fluff-filled lessons. Dig deep into the truth and your listeners will fall in love with the truth, too.
12. Pray. Pray for yourself and your hearers. Pray for your preparation time, your sanctification, and your delivery. Pray for their attentiveness, understanding, and commitment to walk with the Lord. Pray for discernment, insight, and wisdom. Your ministry will only succeed if it is bathed in and founded on prayer.
© 2008 Paula Marolewski
You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.
Paula J. Marolewski provides challenging and interactive adult Bible studies for individuals, Bible studies, small groups, and adult Sunday School classes at Sink Your Roots (www.SinkYourRoots.com). Studies include such topics as Debunking the Myths about Knowing God's Will. The above article is an excerpt from Called to Teach.