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The February Edition | February 7, 2019
Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Message from the President

Greetings friend, and welcome to the February Comfort Connection! 
I realize Thanksgiving has come and gone, but today I am thankful for so many things. I am so thankful for the healing I have received since 10% of my body was horribly burned October 25, 2018. It’s been just over three months since that traumatic incident.
I would like to explain today why I am soooo thankful. I received immediate care (and drugs) from the emergency team (at least six people attended to me constantly for a few hours) at St. Boniface Hospital. Then I was transferred to (one of) the best burn units in the country at Health Science Centre. The team there further worked on me for another few hours while family, friends and employees waited patiently outside to see if I would be OK.
The hospital staff all around was second to none. But, the BEST advice I received, in my opinion, was from my physiotherapist. He came to see me a day and a half after the incident in ICU. Both gentle and kind, he encouraged me to move my hands. Tighten them in a fist; hold for 6-10 seconds. Extend the fingers; hold for 6-10 seconds. Burns respond best to this slow stretching of the skin. I was supposed to do this 10 times and three sets a day, or more often as I could tolerate.
Before he came to see me, I had no idea what to do with my hands. They were lying on my lap wrapped in big bandages. They hurt like heck if they went below waist level as the blood pumped mercilessly in their direction. Other than that, I didn’t know if I was supposed to move them, or just let them rest. After my physiotherapist came to visit, as long as I was awake, I never stopped moving my hands. Some days I could make a fist all the way, some days I couldn’t.
Since that time, I have seen the way some people’s severe burns have healed. Without movement, without that advice, contractures set in, and they can never ever again open their fingers fully. In fact, they may never move their fingers again without surgery. It’s as if their fingers are permanently wrapped around a bottle or can, but there is no bottle. I AM SO THANKFUL I have FULL FUNCTION of all my fingers.
Three months later, I am still stretching and fully extending my hands in every direction. This is something I consciously do pretty much all day. In fact, they still stiffen up during the night when I don’t move them, and I need to stretch to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep. It was described to me that deep burns are like cement. As long as cement is turning in the barrel of the cement truck, it won’t set. But when it stops moving, it gets hard. That’s why I need to continuously stretch these injuries that seem as if they will never heal (but they will—it just seems like an eternity so far).
Another piece of advice I received is to massage the scars as they form. Did you know you can actually massage a scar away? I did not know this. I spend A LOT of time rubbing my hands. For one, it feels good. For another, some days, I can actually rub skin/scars away that don’t belong to leave smooth, more flexible skin. 
I am SO THANKFUL. What if I had not received the care that I did? I would NOT be in as good shape as I am now. There is so much more I could talk about... the surgery, the dressing changes, the out-patient care, the free pressure garments... but you get the idea. We have an incredible health care system.
Did you also know Manitoba is the most generous province in regard to Home Care? Not only will they provide up to 56 hours of care per week, you can exchange those hours for cash to pay for Private Services like you receive at Comforts of Home – Care. Give us a call (204-949-3234) to find out how it works.
What are you thankful for today? Wishing you a thank-filled Valentine’s Day! 
Blessings, 

Katherine Peters
President & CEO

Comforts of Home – Care 

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing In-Home Help

It's important to know ahead of time what to expect when you get in-home help.
Are the caregivers trained? Who supervises the caregivers? What happens if you need to change your schedule?
We have a handy resource that outlines some of the most important questions you should ask your home - care company. Download it for your own use and share it with others who could benefit, too! 

Click here to get the top 10 questions you should ask

Recipe of the Month: Middle Eastern Salad Tacos

This clean eating recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser... and it's quick and easy to throw together, too!
Packed full of veggies and bursting with flavour, you can enjoy this as a warming snack or have several to make a nice meal.

Click here for the recipe

Video: 91-Year-Old Backflips Off Diving Board

This might be the world's most extreme grandpa: he does backflips off the high diving board!
"I just want to keep doing it and have fun... I don't want to get old."

Click here to watch the video now

Flexible Caregiving When Schedules Change

William was experiencing some health issues and needed overnight care. His family contacted us at Comforts of Home – Care so a caregiver could be there for those tricky overnight shifts.

After a few weeks, his family was able to spend more time with him. They didn’t need overnight care with the same regularity as before—but they were anxious about what might happen if circumstances changed unexpectedly...

Click here to find out what happened next

Joke of the Month

Hospital regulations require a wheelchair for patients being discharged. 
However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman—already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet—who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital.
After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him.
"I don't know," he said. "She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown."  
Comforts of Home - Care
P: 204.949.3234 | F: 204.949.9049 | E: info@cohcinc.com | W: ComfortsOfHomeCare.ca
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