Newsletter
Extracts from the September 2006 Newsletter
Opening Words
Autumnal Norfolk sunset
Deep sunset colours in an autumn sky over Norfolk.
Now that the celebrations are over, let us reflect on the past ten years of the group’s existence.
The group has brought the condition osteoporosis, and its attendant ills and problems, into the local psyche. In doing this, the group has also given great pleasure locally via quizzes, displays, shows, talks and events. For this, thanks must go, not only to those whose names are prominent within the group, but also to all those members who have stayed with the group these past ten years. We should also thank those members who come forward monthly and give life to our meetings.
Thanks also to Chris Hornby for his outstanding help through the Citizen Newspaper.
I am pleased to say, at the end of this decade, that the Duchess of Cornwall has graciously accepted our offer of lifetime membership.
Finally, let’s look forward to the next decade when we hope the treatment of osteoporosis sufferers will greatly improve.
From our Chairman, John Fludgate
The Bone Walk
The Bone Walk
We hope to see a few skeleton t-shirts being worn on Thursday 28th September for our combined Bone/Town Walk.
The National Osteoporosis Society has organised Bone Walks, taking place in September, mainly around the weekend of 23rd and 24th; but any September walk can be included.
Walks will be taking place around the whole of the UK, and can be of any length. This is the largest event organised by the NOS. Everybody will be encouraged to wear skeleton t-shirts and to collect sponsorship. The money will go to the NOS for core services — the telephone helpline, information leaflets and volunteer support.
We are going to combine ours with a Town Walk on Thursday 28th September 2006. Dr Paul Richards has agreed to lead a maximum of 30 people around Medieval Lynn. We are sure it will be easy to walk whilst listening to his enthusiastic stories. If demand is high, he would be willing to repeat the walk with a further 30 people.
The walk will start at 5:30 pm at the West Door of St Margaret’s Church, Saturday Market Place, King’s Lynn, finishing around 6:50 pm at the Methodist Hall ready for a cup of tea prior to our usual meeting. Dr Richards will continue with his talk in the evening, so that members who are unable to join the Bone Walk will be able to hear about the places visited.
The Group will pay for members, but for others, the Town Guides will charge £2.50 for OAPs and £3.00 for adults. Please contact the Secretary, Edie, if you are interested. Skeleton t-shirts costing £5.00, and sponsorship forms, can be supplied.
Thanks to Osteoscan for their support.
Have you ditched dairy?
A lack of calcium in modern diets
There is an interesting article in the summer issue of Osteoporosis News, asking if fad foods are making our bones fragile.
Two-thirds of British women say they have healthier diets now than they did 20 years ago, and eat more organic foods and fewer preservatives. But a survey carried out by the NOS also reveals they could be putting their bones at risk because nearly 20% said they eat fewer dairy products than two decades ago. Milk and dairy are packed with calcium, as we know, but less than 1 in 5 of those surveyed could identify alternative sources of calcium. So, if they are taking dairy products out of their diet, do they know how to find alternative sources of calcium?
Osteoporosis News (free to members of the NOS)
Other, less well-known sources of calcium
| Source | Quantity (grams) | Calcium (milligrams) |
|---|---|---|
| Fish | ||
| Fried Whitebait | 100 G | 860 MG |
| Tinned Salmon | 100 G | 93 MG |
| Sardines in Tomato Sauce | 100 G | 460 MG |
| Bread & cereal | ||
| White Bread (better if calcium enriched) | 1 slice | 33 MG |
| Wholemeal Bread | 1 slice | 16 MG |
| Swiss-style Muesli (add milk for more calcium) | 100 G | 110 MG |
| Fruit & vegetables | ||
| Watercress | 100 G | 170 MG |
| Dried Figs (5 figs) | 100 G | 250 MG |
| Orange, peeled | 100 G | 33 MG |
| Green/French Beans | 100 G | 56 MG |
| Boiled Curly Kale | 100 G | 150 MG |
| Stir-fried Okra | 100 G | 220 MG |
| Others | ||
| Tahini (sesame paste) | 1 heaped teaspoon/19 G | 129 MG |
| Baked Beans | 100 G | 53 MG |
| Tofu (brands vary – check the label) | 100 G | 510 MG |
Also, check out the supermarket shelves for calcium-enriched orange juice and soya milk. Tap water can also contain a surprising amount of calcium, although it varies across the UK.
The NOS has produced a super recipe book called Great Food for Strong Bones that has a number of dairy-free and dairy-limited recipes in it. It can be ordered from the NOS, priced £13. You can place your order by calling the NOS on 01761 473111 with your card details.
If interested, you could also contact the Vegan Society or Vegetarian Society for more information.
Some of the recipes highlighted are:
- Spiced fruit compote (143 MG of calcium per serving)
- Griddled swordfish with salsa verde (45 MG of calcium per serving)
- Roasted Thai-style tofu with stir-fried vegetables (681 MG of calcium per serving)
- Garden pea and watercress soup (118 MG of calcium per serving)
They sound really interesting! There are so many intriguing and helpful articles in Osteoporosis News. It's yours free, four issues per year, if you belong to the National Osteoporosis Society. Joining forms are available at our meetings, if you are interested.
Sandringham Flower Show 2006
The Show was held on Wednesday 26th July 2006. The Group had a stall selling cards and toys, giving out information, balloons and calcium sweets.
This year, as last, the stand was visited by Prince Charles and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Our then Chairman, John Fludgate, presented Her Royal Highness, who is President of the National Osteoporosis Society, with a scroll making her an Honorary Lifetime Member of our Support Group. The Duchess wished the Group well in the future, hoped to be kept informed of our progress and looked forward to receiving our quarterly Newsletter.
Jeff Hoyle had devised a Quiz Sheet and we encouraged visitors to take part. The winner’s prize was 50% of our takings. The amount we took was £66, so a prize of £33 goes to Mrs Rimmer from Cannock, Staffordshire. We also asked people if they would be interested in receiving information regarding our Annual Quiz – so we now have a few more names to add to our mailing list. A brilliant idea. Thank you Jeff and Ros for arranging this.
Past Fund-raising events
Coffee Morning | July 2006
A wonderful morning was spent near to the beach at Snettisham. My thanks go to everyone who came, brought cakes and supported the raffle. Special thanks go to Edie, Ros, the two Barbaras and my husband, John. This event would not have been possible without their help.
Well, the weather for once was on our side — boiling hot! It was an enjoyable get-together of members and friends.
I was delighted to hand a cheque for £220 to Janet Strang from NOS headquarters at the Anniversary Party to go towards funding for research.
My thanks go to everyone.
Thanks to Jill Fysh for this report.
Quiz | July 2006
This is the 8th year for our Annual Quiz and again it was held in the Ballroom of the Duke’s Head Hotel, King’s Lynn. The management of the hotel give us the venue free and we are very grateful for this. We also thank gratefully the King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Bridge Club for the loan of tables, and Dick Ropa for the reduced fee charged for the PA system.
Mainly our thanks go again to Jeff Hoyle. He always comes up trumps. As Quizmaster he has to devise some easy questions and some difficult ones to keep everybody interested and entertained.
This year the Mayor, Mrs Clery-Fox, entered a team for the first time, and won resoundingly! She kindly gave back the prize money, but will be keeping the shield — for a year.
Next year, the challenge is open again, so remember to look out for the details in the Newsletter and in the local press.
Charity Stalls
We had several tries to sell our goods in King’s Lynn: on the Tuesday Market Place, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and at King Edward VII High School. The reward was rather small. Only £80 was raised, so perhaps it is time to take a break. On every occasion this time it was exceedingly hot. We have now experienced strong wind, rain and blazing sun, and feel we deserve a rest. We hope you agree.
Forthcoming Fund-raising Events
See our Diary Dates for a comprehensive list.
Recent Group Events
Talk given by Cantech | May 2006
It is not often members are queuing up to take our guests home with them after a talk, but that was definitely the case at the talk given by Chris Tedder. Actually, delightful as Chris and her husband were, it was the two dogs accompanying them that stole our hearts.
Cantech is a group of volunteers who, along with their highly trained dogs, can be called on to search for vulnerable missing persons. Dogs of various breeds can be suitable for the work, but they have to be carefully trained in a very structured and disciplined way. Members of the group train together regularly, doing practice searches, and they are always pleased to have people offer to ‘go missing’. Chris explained that if their service is required, it is usual for the police to contact the local organiser. This may be at any time of the day or night. Volunteers are called, and Chris mentioned the long distances that they may have to travel to help. She also explained some of the technicalities of the work, and the ways in which the dogs’ sense of smell is so superior to that of human beings.
During the evening we were introduced to Echo, a two year old Black Russian Terrier. She qualified as a level 2 search dog this year just two days before her second birthday. This is a breed developed by the Russian army to be rugged and hardworking in a range of climates and Echo was a beautifully behaved example. We also met Charlie, an 8-month old Newfoundland who already weighs over 80 kilos. He is in the early stages of training but was very pleased to meet us and dribbled delightfully on anyone who petted him. He was gifted to Cantech by the breeder to be trained as a search dog. At 12 weeks he began his air-scenting training and by 15 weeks he started his tracking training.
We were pleased to meet all four Cantech helpers and to begin to understand the complex and important nature of the work they do.
Thanks to Ros Harre for this report.
Osteoporosis Update | June 2006
At this meeting the Group’s Medical Adviser, Dr Norman Williams, Consultant Rheumatologist from the Edith Cavell Hospital, Peterborough, paid his annual visit to the Group to update members on recent developments in treatments for osteoporosis.
The first line of treatment now is one of the bisphosphonates. That is Didronel, Actonel, Fosamax or Bonviva. HRT is no longer licensed for the treatment of osteoporosis, although it is still prescribed for menopausal symptoms and it does help keep bones strong. HRT is only usually prescribed for 5 years now.
If a patient cannot tolerate a bisphosphonate, the second line is strontium ranelate (Protelos) or raloxifene (Evista).
The third line would be nasal calcitonin (a hormone) or IV Pamidronate which is given in hospital over a 2 hour period. There is an update on this treatment being developed so that a patient can have one injection a month in the GP surgery and a trial of a yearly injection. For very serious osteoporosis, teraparatide (Forsteo) is available. This is a programme of self injection only given to people over 75, and on a consultant's recommendation.
Dr Williams told members that there is only a three week waiting list for hip and spine DXA scans at Peterborough now and these are available to patients in West Norfolk.
The National Osteoporosis Society provides detailed information on each of these treatments. If anybody would like a copy either contact the Secretary, Edith Finbow, or download a copy from the NOS website.
AGM & 10th Birthday Pampering Party | July 2006
This year is an important one for the Group. We are celebrating our 10th Anniversary. Ten very busy years and we hope local people are now much more aware of osteoporosis, of the problems that the condition causes and the lack of a specialist service in this area.
We wanted the July meeting to be something of a party, inviting some of the people who have helped us. As well as speakers and demonstrations we invited some of the complementary therapists who have supported us at our Roadshows to have stalls. It was a very hot and busy evening, but I hope everyone attending will agree, an enjoyable one.
Janet Strang and Andi Marsh came from the National Osteoporosis Society, one from Bath and one from Rochester. They surprised Jill Fysh and Edie Finbow by presenting them with Certificates of Appreciation for the work they had carried out. They also presented one to Ellen Eade but this had to be at her own home, as she and Ken were not well enough to come to the party. All three had started the Group and have worked hard for it ever since.
Alderman Ian Stockwell also attended, congratulating the Group on its successful record and wishing us well for the future. Peggy Spencer, our President, cut the cake and the raffle, stalls and donations provided a further £145 for our funds.
