Don't sing in a bushfire
Do not sing in a bushfire. It is a very dangerous activity. Since December 2, eight members out of 80 (10 per cent) of The Glorious Mudsingers Choir have either lost their homes (3), lost a house on their property of a family member (1), had infrastructure and forest destroyed (3), or been burnt out completely on their property unable to get out (1). Various other were forced to evacuate. This is a very high proportion and a dreadful story similar to the stories of so many across the nation.
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The choir draws people from Moruya in the south to Tomerong in the north, exactly the limits earlier predicted by the RFS for the Currowan Fire. It has now spread much further. The eight people who were so damaged by the Currowan Fire came from Willinga Lake at Bawley Point, Boyne Mountain behind Termeil, Brooman Road near the Clyde River, Three Falls Road near Pigeon house, Clyde Ridge Road at Woodburn, Little Forest and Conjola.
All of these people had sung at the Mudsingers' Christmas Concert to raise funds for the Fire Fighters. They were all in fine voice on the night. Perhaps they should have sung louder. Or Softer. In spite of their terrible experiences and their losses they will continue to sing because the choir represents a strong community bond.
But they won't sing in a bushfire. It tempts fate.
Rod Hayes, Boyne Mountain, Termeil
Hope for stroke
If you or a loved one had a stroke 30 years ago, the chances of returning to the life you knew were slim. But that is not the case anymore. With the right treatment at the right time, it is possible to make a good recovery.
With a new year underway, it's a fitting opportunity to look back on how far we have come in stroke treatment and care and think about what we can do to reduce our own personal stroke risk in the future.
Stroke strikes the brain, the human control centre. There will be more than 56,000 strokes in Australia in 2020 - that is one every nine minutes. Sadly, the numbers continue to climb as our population grows and ages and lifestyles become more sedentary.
But in good news, stroke is no longer a death sentence for many. Medical diagnosis and treatment have become much more advanced in the past two decades. There has been a significant reduction in lives lost as a result.
The game changers were the introduction of the time-critical therapies thrombolysis (blood clot dissolving treatment) and endovascular thrombectomy (blood clot removal treatment). Australian researchers were at the forefront of these treatments.
In addition, the number of patients being treated in a dedicated stroke unit has increased. So too has access to rehabilitation and carer training. There has been increased recognition that stroke's impact extends beyond the physical to mental health. Together these steps help maximise quality of life and independence after stroke.
While much has been achieved, there is still a lot more to be done in 2020 and beyond.
Our regional health services and patients are being left behind as our city hospitals innovate. It doesn't need to be this way. There is huge potential for telehealth to remove geographical barriers to stroke treatments and boost the capacity of our regional health services and clinicians.
Finally, every single Australian can make a difference to reducing the burden of stroke on our community. Stroke is largely preventable. While we cannot avoid ageing and genetic factors, there are many steps we can take to reduce our own stroke risk.
In 2020, I urge you to make time for a health check with your doctor to determine your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat). These issues can be controlled, reducing stroke risk.
