Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Life

Spring Stirrings

I continue to be convinced that I am a doctor because I have much to learn.

Fortunately, my patients bring their wisdom, daily, to my door. I need only open that door and be willing to hear their stories in order to be enriched by the wealth of experience and true courage I see in their lives.

Today I sat with a patient who has arthritis in many of her joints. Her history was complicated by many medical problems, including one requiring brain surgery.

I had successfully treated my patient's arthritis pain with acupuncture in the past, in collaboration with several other highly qualified health care providers of other specialties.  My patient has, herself, taken an active role in her healing, through exercise, lifestyle and dietary changes.

I hadn't seen her for many months. This is a common occurrence with those who have been made well.

Upon her return to our office a few weeks ago, my patient admitted to being greatly discouraged by the limitation of her activities which had occurred due to a recent increase in pain.

Things looked very bleak indeed. She felt ensnared by the darkness of the Winter months.

Now several visits later, she is experiencing relief once again. Her outlook has taken a 180 degree turn.

No longer trapped by her body, she is able to once more connect with that which brings her joy.

She told me that she is often inspired by nature, and specifically by crocuses that come up in the Spring.

She loves the idea that the energy of the life force, even in its dormancy, is ever present.

She told me of the 48 dahlias she has stored in her basement, which though seemingly dead, will soon begin to exhibit growth.  They are merely waiting for the right messages from the spring season.

Just as we, if we are paying attention, might experience the messages of growth and renewal sent forth from the earth.

I was, as I often am, humbled by the gentle wisdom of my patient. 

My patient was my very own message of hope; my very own harbinger of Spring.

I am a doctor because I have much to learn.

I am blessed by those who appear at my door, willing to teach.

 

blurred brilliance

February 2012

~~~~~

Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Blog is read weekly on the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour. Show summaries are available on the Dr. Lisa website. Subscribe to podcasts of the show through iTunes and let us know what you think!

Schedule a phone or office consult with Dr. Lisa at 207 847 9393.

Deliberation & Joy, Re-Entry

Before I left for Guatemala, I had tea with a friend who had herself visited the Safe Passage site several times. Jane, one of the foundational members of the group that created Our Daily Tread, had known our late friend Hanley Denning well.

Jane told me that "re-entry" after my trip might be interesting.

Which it has been.

It has been interesting to return to a land of relative peace and prosperity, knowing that I am a fortunate lass.

It has been interesting to return to the life I have cultivated for forty years, and realize that there are a few things I still need to change.

It has been interesting to return to my friends and family, feeling changed already.

The most interesting thing has been to remember what we originally wrote in Our Daily Tread in 2008: live with joy; live deliberately. Share what you have, and who you are, with others.

These words, printed the year after Hanley's death, continue to ring true. I know that I must continue to live each day as if it is the only one I have been given. Life, as my dearest one reminds me often, is not a dress rehearsal. Happiness and joy are within our grasp, if we keep this notion in mind.

At the same time, I am cognizant of the fact that I must continue to work deliberately toward the future. I have a radio show that is among the most important things I have ever done. I have patients I value highly. I have three children whom I call beloved.  I have countless friends and family members who enrich my life, daily. I know that even as I am enjoying the present, I must be making necessary changes to ensure the sustainability of my joy, and the joy of those around me.

Finally, I know now that in sharing what I have and who I am, I must be highly realistic about what I actually have to give. Guilty in the past of giving just about everything away to my own detriment, I no longer have that luxury.

I am just one woman. I do not need to save the world.

I simply need to show up. Be who I am. Treasure what I have been given.

Do what I can.

Be the best person I can be, at any given moment.

And if I stumble, or fall short of the expectations I have set for myself, treat myself the way that I attempt to treat others: with compassion and love.

These are my re-entry thoughts.

Life is simultaneously long and short. We must live deliberately, and with joy.

We must share of ourselves.

And we must continue to realize what a gift each day truly is.

 

Guatemala City 2011

 

Universality

I am told that Guatemalan families are comprised, on average, of 3.4 children.

Women tend to have their babies early—at Safe Passage it is not unheard of for eleven- and twelve-year-old girls to be giving birth.

By the time children in the poorer areas of Guatemala reach the age of six, they are considered old enough to work.

And they do. They can be found hawking fruit at the local Mercado and selling their shoeshine services in Antigua’s Central Park.

Babies and toddlers, too, are everywhere. Carried on backs, their heads peaking above their mothers shoulders; slung across chests, often nursing while their mothers work. Crawling on dirty pavement and on street corners, as their mothers peddle necklaces and soccer jerseys. 

Being cared for by their older siblings, many of them only months older than they.

Children learn early that survival is contingent upon their family’s ability to work.

If Guatemalan children in the lower socioeconomic strata have the benefit of access to an education, it is rare that their parents will be involved in their daily school activities: there simply isn’t time for soccer-game-watching in the face of a family’s need to eat.

Safe Passage parents recognize the value of an education. Each morning they prepare their children for school as best they can, given the dearth of running water and electricity that often exists in their makeshift homes, and walk them to the project. They kiss them goodbye, leaving them in the capable hands of staff and volunteers.

They return at the end of the day knowing that their kids will have been fed breakfast, lunch and snacks. They know that their children will have had the chance to brush their teeth and comb their hair.

They also know that their kids will have received instruction in reading, writing & ‘rithmetic. They will learn social skills, art and music.

And, on rare occasions, parents will have the chance to see their children perform.

Yesterday, on my last day in the project, I, too, had the chance to see the children perform: it was talent show day in the Guarderia (nursery school).

As a mother of three in suburban Maine, I’ve seen many a school performance.  I’ve seen plays, concerts and sporting events.

I’ve had the privilege to witness countless kid-related activities.

Yesterday I was struck by what a privilege this indeed is.

I stood behind rows of parents and siblings, their clothes soiled by city grime, and realized that the chance to witness a child in his or her growth is an opportunity not afforded to parents whose main focus is survival. 

I knew that the joy of watching one’s first-grader dress up as a flower, or perform a rhythmic dance with a pom-pom held in hand, is a joy relatively unknown to many across the globe.

What I also saw yesterday, however, was the universality of parental love.

Whether we are seeing our children perform on a temporary stage in a school carved out of dump-lands, or we are joining them (as I have this past week) in their volunteer activities in a foreign country, we do so because there is nothing more important than to be present in their lives.

We also know, regardless of where we live or what our family looks like, that we will do whatever it takes to help our children survive.

 

Talent Show

Safe Passage, 2011

 

Safe Passage: Spirit & Reality

Signs of Hanley are everywhere.  A painted wooden sunshine on the Guarderia (nursery school) playground declares this “Hanley’s Garden;” Hanley’s portrait hangs near an artificial Christmas tree at the entrance to the school.

 These, and other reminders, belie the fact that it has been almost five years since her death.

 But it is in the children that her spirit seems most represented.

I knew Hanley first as a sweet and slightly goofy high school kid. She smiled readily, and found humor in many things. She was eternally kind. 

She was the type of person, I thought at the time, who might like children. Her spirit was itself childlike; joyful. Gentle.

 When I attended her wake in the winter of 2007, I was shocked to see her body lying before me, bereft of that spirit.

Scheduled to get my passport photo that day for an upcoming trip, I followed through with the task. My photo retains a hint of the underlying uncertainty I had been feeling. A hint of the grief-tainted wonderment that my friend’s spirit was no longer present on the earth. 

But, of course, this spirit has remained. 

Every child who spends time at Safe Passage channels a bit of this spirit; every staff person; every volunteer.

There is an underlying sense of hope and purpose.

The Safe Passage program currently serves 550 children and adults through work in three main buildings.  This week while at Safe Passage, I have seen every age represented, from toddlers engaging in water play, to mothers studying for their sixth grade diploma.

I have witnessed first-graders learning about healthy foods from La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar); I have joined eighty -ear-olds in a dusty rooftop yoga class.

 All around us, outside the walls of the program, poverty reigns.

 Homes are primarily shacks built of makeshift items, found in dump forays; shells of human beings roam the streets, their minds evaporated by the glue they sniff constantly.

Glue is known to reduce hunger pains. It also enables one to escape reality.

In many parts of Guatemala City, it is easy to see why reality escape might be an attractive option.

But within the walls of Camino Seguro (Safe Passage), a different sort of reality escape is taking place. It is purposeful, and long-term. It is made possible through education and vocational programs. Every participant is taught self-sufficiency, from the children who clean up their classrooms after lessons, to the adults in the “Creamos” program who are creating jewelry for resale.

Every individual who wishes to make it so is being given the opportunity to move past their current circumstances; escape their present reality.

It is in this sense of opportunity that the spirit of Hanley Denning remains most evident.

Hanley, though no longer physically present on the earth, remains with us still.

 

Camino Seguro (Safe Passage) 2011

 

 

 

Recycled Lives

“They are more scared of us than we are of them.”

 This was my tour guide’s response to a suggestion that the presence of circling vultures seemed an ominous sign. 

How could they seem anything but ominous? We were standing near several abandoned tombs at the edge of a city-sized cemetery.

We were also overlooking a vast ravine, which has served as the dumping ground for Guatemala City’s trash for countless years. A line of yellow trucks snaked in between sheer cliff faces, formed abruptly following recent landslides. 

What was unusual about this line of trucks was that they were currently in a standstill. According to my guide, it was likely that toxic substances had been disgorged by a previous vehicle and that the trucks were waiting to be given permission to proceed.

As if waiting for a given period of time would have any significant impact on the dispersion of toxic wastes.

Or as if this particular set of toxic wastes would make even a small difference given the unfathomable amounts of other unsavory items already in the dump: animal carcasses, human waste, industrial discards.

And, likely, human bodies. Those buried in previously mentioned landslides, sucked into sinkholes or caught in methane fires.

Meanwhile, even as the trucks remained motionless, the piles of surrounding detritus swarmed with human beings.

These beings, my guide informed me, were performing a valuable service. They were collecting recyclable materials to be removed from the dump, thus reducing the waste piles that would eventually need to be capped off to make room for more waste.

Our fellow humans, more than a mile away, reflected on the ground the birds circling high above them in the sky: each organism a sentient spark, searching to find a bit of treasure amidst items abandoned by others. 

The stench of the dump remained in my nostrils as I left the dump with my guide, and we wove our way through streets teeming with overflow trash, and ownerless roving dogs.

I gagged slightly, and held my breath.

We pulled up in front of a gate, across from a house constructed remainder scraps, topped with by a corrugated metal roof. The sheet which comprised the door moved slightly with our passing.

And as the gate opened into the Guarderia campus of Safe Passage, I saw what Hanley Denning had worked so hard to put in place before her premature death in 2007.

An oasis; a place of creation, rather than discard.

A center of calm, and clean, and sanity, where children whose parents picked through trash piles could receive an education, and themselves be freed from their parents' poverty-stricken life.

A place where sentient humans could extract and nurture the best in other sentient humans; a place where treasures could be found.

In the distance, the vultures circled, and workers scavenged near toxic waste piles.

Here, I realized I could breathe again, and was no longer intimidated by ominous-seeming birds who were merely trying to take their place in the circle of life.

Here the concept of recycling took on a whole new meaning.

 

intersections

Guatemala 2011

 

 

Get Rippling

I love meeting passionate people.  Even better, I love meeting passionate people who care about others and their world. Last night I met with a crowd of passionate people, in a fascinating and creative setting, and the energy was palpable!

Earlier this week I was asked to give a talk at the annual meeting of the shareholders and board of directors for Rippling Waters Organic Farm.  Rippling Waters holds a special place in my heart, as I began my community supported agriculcture (CSA) experience with a farmshare through Rippling Waters more than a decade ago.

Rippling Waters has had a far-reaching impact on its community. In addition to providing the greater Portland/Steep Falls/Standish area with locally grown organic produce, Rippling Waters has:

~Spearheaded the Hollis School Garden initiative,

~Created the Food Connection Corps, a six-week youth farm education experience which fosters high school student interest in the environment,

~Obtained grant funding to enable participants of Maine's Supplemental Nutrition Program (formerly called WIC) to become CSA holders,

~Made farm and gardening-oriented classes available at high schools and colleges,

~And much more.  (Download the Rippling Waters Winter Newsletter 2011 for more information on their efforts.)

Given all of the above, I knew that I would be speaking to a group of like-minded individuals. I didn't realize that I would be speaking in such a creative setting.  The meeting was held in Portland at the Urban Farm Fermentory. The Fermentory, located on Anderson Street, off Marginal Way, is a hotbed of creative activity--literally. 

According to their website, the Urban Farm Fermentory took over an "all but abandoned single-story warehouse in the East Bayside neighborhood" and and built

~A fermentation center for food and beverages such as sauerkraut, pickles, cider and wine

~A micro apiary for honey production,

~A micro farm, growing herbs and flowers.

The Urban Farm Fermentory was thus an appropriate place to discuss "Making the Case for Change: The Essential Role of Community Partners in Creating a Healthier Maine" with the Rippling Waters crowd.  Our discussion centered on the idea that each of us has something valuable to offer the world, and that by connecting with others, we are better able to effect important change.

The Rippling Waters group included individuals from a broad variety of backgrounds: educators, builders, health care providers, farmers and many other diverse fields.  It was clear that these people cared deeply about Rippling Waters and its programs.

I was fortunate to be in the presence of so many passionate people, in an equally passion-filled setting.

The passion with which my new-found Rippling Waters Organic Farm and Urban Farm Fermentory friends are approaching the world will no doubt serve to effect change in ways both known and not.

Their impact of their efforts is certain to keep on rippling.

it's a tree...it's a door..it's fabulous Urban Farm Fermentory wall art!

 

Finding Farmers Markets on WLOB (8/3/2010)

August 1-7, 2010 is National Farmers Market Week!  People across the country have been supporting the growth of farmers markets: according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, between 2008 and 2009 the U.S. experienced a 13% increase in the number of markets in the U.S.

In honor of Farmers Market Week, our August 3rd "Dr. Lisa" WLOB segment with Ted Talbot and Scott Landsley (filling in for the vacationing Ray Richardson) focused on the relationship between fresh foods, farmers markets and wellness. 

Many thanks to Liz Kistler for researching this topic and pulling this blog post together!

The health benefits of farmers markets go beyond individual nutrition.  According to the USDA: 

• A farmers market is often the first point of entry into the economy for small and medium-sized producers.  The market may then become the platform on which these producers will grow their business. 
• Farmers markets present an opportunity for personal interaction and new learning for consumers. 
• And finally, farmers markets have broad-reaching benefits for the community.  Farmers markets support the local economy, help build strong neighborhoods and make fresh foods accessible to communities where access may otherwise be limited.

August offers a wide diversity produce at local farmers markets.  If you are living in Maine, find a farmers market near you using the Get Real, Get Maine! online directory.  To learn more about the benefits of farmers markets, and for information about becoming involved, visit the USDA website on Farmers Markets and Local Food Markets or the Farmers Market Coalition.

Speaking of local farms, this week's basket o' fun contained our week 8 farmshare from Meadowood Farm in Yarmouth: 

~1 head of romaine lettuce
~1 bunch parsley
~1 bunch dill
~1 bunch scallions
~2 pounds potatoes
~1 pound beets
~3 pounds summer squash
~1 cabbage
~1 Antohi Romanian sweet pepper
~1 head garlic
~2 cucumbers

We created several recipes this week using our farmshare foods, including curried summer squash bisque, no-mayo potato salad with dill and pecan carrot slaw.  Stay tuned for future blog posts on these.

Do you have suggestions for future health segments on WLOB? Leave a comment on the blog or send an email to: info@drlisabelisle.com.   

Join us each week for our 7:20 am Tuesday health segment with Ray & Ted on WLOB .  Our next segment will be in two weeks, August 17th, where we will discuss Immunizations. You can find us on WLOB 95.5FM (greater Portland), streaming at wlobradio.com!

Ray, Ted & Health Literacy on WLOB (10/6/09)

What if you could not understand the information written on your child's prescription medication bottle?  Or decipher the instructions your doctor gave you regarding an important laboratory test?  Due to low literacy levels, 26% of American adults (1 person out of 4) struggle with these situations. In recognition of this important problem, last week's Three-fer Tuesday health conversation with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB 95.5 FM/WPME TV covered the "Three Ls of Health Literacy."

As the medical advisor to the statewide Raising Readers program, I have a special interest in literacy.  Our program has been making books available to Maine children, ages 0-5, for almost a decade.  We have distributed more than a million books through well child visits at pediatric provider offices.

Here are the "Three Ls of Health Literacy:"

• Leave satisfied with the words of your devoted doctor or designated health helper.  Write down your questions before visiting the office.  Once there, make sure you understand what you've been told.  Repeat back any complicated instructions.
• Lean on an assistant to help you understand what has been said.  If you are unclear about your interactions with your devoted doctor or designated health helper, consider bringing a friend or family member along to your visit.
• Learn how to ask for assistance.  Local libraries and adult education programs offer two good resources.  Or call the Literacy Volunteers of America, Maine Chapter: 1 800 322 5455.  

For further information, visit the following websites:

• Health Literacy Basics
  
• Health Literacy & Health Outcomes

Still on the "L" theme, last week's local foods "bountiful basket," which Ted refers to as "Dr. Lisa's Basket o' Fun," contained:

• onions from White Oak Farm in Warren,
• tomatoes from Belanger & Sons in Lewiston,
• and leeks from Bowdoinham.  (All of the above via the Rosemont Market in Yarmouth.) 
• Also carrots, turnips and Brussels sprouts from our final New Elm Farm (Freeport) farmshare. 

In the interest of keeping this blog post short, I'll wait for Wednesday's blog post to re-visit today's WLOB discussion with Ray & Ted on the "ABCs of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month." 

For more Wednesday fun, remember to attend tomorrow's 7th Annual Yarmouth Community Garden Harvest Dinner.  My friend, Marjorie, tells me that the YCG

had a good year, despite all that rain and gloom in June and July and then losing ALL of our tomatoes to late blight (that was a real bummer). But still we rented 145 plots (we started with only 25 six years ago!), taught children about organic gardening and compost and pests and bees and all kinds of good stuff in the Garden Explorers program, and most important, have distributed close to 2000 pounds of vegetables to seniors and local food pantries.

Hooray for the YCG! Let's get over there tomorrow and show them our appreciation of their efforts.

Local foods, literacy & Dr. Lisa: how's that for a "L-laden" Three-fer Tuesday?

Dinner at the Garden

Looking to enjoy some delicious, locally grown food while supporting a worthy cause?  Consider attending the 7th Annual Yarmouth Community Garden Harvest Dinner next Wednesday.  My friend, Marjorie, introduced me to the YCG several years ago.  I've been a fan ever since.  

For Harvest Dinner details, see below...

Twofer Tuesdays

Tuesdays are an exciting day in the land of Dr. Lisa.  Why?  Because Tuesdays are Walk with the Doc and Farmshare day.

This year we have quite a pleasant group joining us for Walk with the Doc.  All of last year's Docwalkers are back, and we've gained a few more friends as well.

After Walk with the Doc, which takes place at 11:45 on Tuesdays beginning at the Sparhawk Mill in Yarmouth, we look forward to our late afternoon Farmshare pickup.  This takes place at Cordelia Lane's New Elm Farm in Freeport.  This is our third year with Cordelia.

Last week was "Farmshare Week #1."  Our share was comprised of:

• arugula
• lettuce
• scallions
• kale
• radishes
• spinach, and...

 

a sweet little pot of basil.

Can't wait for tomorrow! Hope to see you Docwalking...