butterfly hope

We set sail on this new sea because there is knowledge to be gained.                                             

                                                                John F. Kennedy

If you are battling a terminal illness, or are a caregiver, these are sites that can help give you guidance, support and valuable information.

The key to successfully managing our health care is to have the knowledge of all options. Many times when patients are in a health crisis, they feel paralyzed because they do not have any knowledge of the options. These links are intended to provide information of numerous options; both traditional and non-traditional. Butterfly Hope has not accepted any paid advertisement for any of these links. Unless stated, we will not endorse them. Their purpose is to assist you in finding information about traditional and non-traditional care. Butterfly Hope strongly suggests, when using non-traditional care, that you do so in conjunction with your prescribed treatment regimen.

                    Associations

This is not an all inclusive list of associations. This list will be periodically updated.

Alsa Association (Lou Gehrig Disease)  http://www.alsa.org/

Alzheimer’s Association:   www.alz.org

American Cancer Association: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org

American Lung Association: http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22542

Breast Cancer Foundation: www.NationalBreastCancer.org

Colon Cancer Alliance: http://www.ccalliance.org/

 Muscular Dystrophy Association: http://www.mdausa.org/

Multiple Sclerosis:www.NationalMSSociety.org 

National Council on Aging: www.ncoa.org/content.cfm?sectionID=109

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:http://www.ninds.nih.gov/

                  Traditional Support Services

These services can help the caregiver and patient as they continue to battle the disease process. Links provided in this section are not intended to be an endorsement of any particular company. Their purpose is to provide an example of the types of services offered by these types of companies.

Durable Medical Equipment can make life easier for the patient. This equipment includes: oxygen, walkers, scooters, bedside commodes, shower chairs and many more items designed to assist the patient in being more independent.  Medicare and insurance will pay a portion of the cost of this equipment if you have a physicians order.

Home Health Care is designed to provide nursing and therapy care for a patient who is having difficulty in leaving their home.  Nursing care includes assistance with medication management, monitoring blood pressure, wound care and family teaching. Physical therapy assists the patient in regaining mobility. Medicare pays 100% of the cost of this service. Most insurance will pay for a portion of the service.  These services require orders from the physician. An example of a home health company is Conficare. To reveiw what a home health agency can provide log on to: http://www.conficare.com/default.aspx

Respite Care is a service that is provided by an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home to give the caregiver a break from their duties. The patient will stay at the Assisted Living Facility for a brief period of time, usually no more than a few weeks. The staff at the facility will provide the care for the patient during this period. This provides the caregiver the opportunity to take a vacation, go to reunions, or go away on business. It is sometimes good for the caregiver to get a break from their duties in order to better care for their loved ones.

There are times when a patient is able to manage at home by themselves...but needs just a bit of extra help. Sometimes the help is just sitting and talking or assistance in preparing meals. The patient may need someone to run errands for them. It may be the caregive does not want to leave their family member alone. For these circumstances there are many excellent  companion services available. One such service is HomeInstead Senior  Care. This is a fee for service business, but they provide a much needed service. To review there services log on to:  www.homeinstead.com

Publications and web resources

Cancer Compass is an online publication that assists in educating the patient as well as the caregiver. It provides an online message board that enables the patient and caregiver to communicate with other patients and caregivers. http://www.cancercompass.com/

Cure magazine is a wonderful magazine that offers alternative treatment and information on all the latest research and technology. It is free for people living with cancer and their caregivers.http://www.curetoday.com/currentissue/index.html

Part of health is having a positive attitude. Research has indicated that a person that maintains a positive attitude is more likely to recover from a serious illness. This site is dedicated to providing inspirational stories. http://www.forbetterlife.org

Natural Awakenings Magazine has many articles on holistic health and how to heal the mind, body and spiriti. http://www.naturalawakeningsmag.com/resources/content/

National Library of Medicine is a great resource to gain more information about a particular disease and research concerning the disease. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

Information on different diseases, their prevention and cures can be found at: http://health.yahoo.com/

Quack Watch is a website that talks about the ineffectiveness of alternative treatments. There are some articles that are of interest, if you are considering alternative treatment.               http://www.quackwatch.com/

Non-traditional Treatment

(Integrated or complimentary)

This section is designed  to empower both patient and caregiver to explore complimentry treatment options.

The American Holistic Medicine Association has articles on Holistic Medicine and its effectiveness. http://www.holisticmedicine.org/  

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians websites discusses the philosophy of naturopathic medicine. There is also a directory to naturopathic practitioners. http://naturopathic.org/

There are many organizations that offer retreats for patients that have terminal illnesses. Some of these retreats focus is on coping and relaxations. Some focus is on integrated treatments. This program offers a bit of both. http://www.commonweal.org/programs/cancer-help.html

This site is for Delphi University and Spiritual Center. They offer courses and retreats in “New Age” healing. We suggest if you utilize a program such as this that you do it conjunction with your prescribe course of treatment. http://delphiu.com

Hypnosis has many uses for a patient living with a terminal illness. A skilled therapist can provide relaxation exercises, and help with coping skills. Some evidence suggests that hypnosis can assist in accelerating the healing process. Some believe that a person’s body can be taught to heal itself through hypnosis. It is our belief that if a client chooses to utilize hypnosis that they should do so in conjunction with their normal medical care. The hypnotist at this site has extensive experience in working with patients who have chronic illnesses. www.guidedexcellence.com/ If he is not in your area, your local Mental Health Association or Hospice can provide an appropriate referral.

When, during a medical crisis, it is not uncommon to turn to herbal supplements as a miracle cure. We are not discouraging this; however feel that it is prudent to research any and all supplements prior to using them. If you choose to use supplements, they should be used in conjunction with your normal prescribed treatment. Please be aware there are many infomercials that promise miracles. Just because it is on T.V. it does not make it true. The best consumer is an educated consumer. This website will help you gain a better understanding of supplements.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/herbal-supplements/SA00044

Reflexology Association of America explains the benefits of reflexology. It also provides a listing of practitioners in all areas http://www.reflexology-usa.org/

Reiki is an ancient art of healing, originating in Asia. It is a form of energy healing. The practitioner slowly moves his/her hands a few inches above the patient’s body.  In theory, the practitioner is transmitting healing energy waves, from the universe into the patient. Whether it has any practical use in the healing process has been debated. Most people will agree that it is a very soothing experience. Relaxation can help the body heal itself. If you try Reiki, we recommend that you do it in conjunction your routine medical regimen. Most Reiki practitioners will be listed in the phonebook. www.reiki.com

Seek Wellness is a site the reviews numerous diseases. Alternative and conventional treatments are discussed. http://www.seekwellness.com/

Though there is very limited scientific evidence to support “solar healing,” some claim that the sun has amazing healing power. The solar healing theory states that by using sunlight we can heal ourselves of emotional, spiritual and physical problems in as little as three months. If you are interested in this method of treatment we recommend that you do so in conjunction with traditional medicine.http:///www.solarhealing.com or www.sungazing.com

Dr Andrew Weil is a Harvard University trained physician. He is a pioneer in integrated medicine. Integrated medicine is the science of combining traditional medicine with holistic medicine. www.drweil.com

Women Health Center is a site designed to assist women with health issues, through the use of alternative treatments.  http://www.healthy.net/scr/center.asp?centerid=6

                                             Spirituality

Many people find great strength in God. These sites are to help find spiritual answers.

This site assists you in finding scripture by topic of interest. It has numerous translations. http://www.biblegateway.com

Joel Osteen is a national known television personality. His messages are uplifting and soothing. http://joelosteen.lakewood.cc/site/PageServer?pagename=JOM_homepage

The power of prayer is a tremendous tool for physical and/or emotional healings. There have been numerous “blind studies” on prayer and healing. In these studies there were a control group of patients that received prayer and a group that did not. The patients did not know which group they were in. In each study the group which received prayer had a higher/faster percentage of healing than that of the group that did not receive prayer. This site is dedicated to praying for those in need. http://members.tripod.com/~geolion/index-gpf.html  Butterfly Hope strongly endorsees this site.

The Unity Church was founded on the positive attributes of God. The founding mother of the church, Myrtle Fillmore (http://www.gratefulness.org/readings/MyrtleFillmore.htm) was cured from terminal tuberculosis by using positive affirmations and visualization. Unity offers many courses on healing, miracles and the positive attributes of God. http://www.unityonline.org/aboutunity/index.html

This is a link to the Unity broadcast network. They offer continuous spiritual empowerment programs. http://www.modavox.com/unityFM

                        Legal Support

If you need a Will,  Living, Medical Power of Attorney, Durable Power of Attorney enlisting the services of a parilegal can be less expensive than an attorney. However, parilegal's are not permitted to give legal advice, their role would be soley to prpepare documents. If you need legal advice on any  of the above matters, please, see an attorney. To explore the services that a parilegal can priovide:

                              http://www.LegalAce.com

                                               or 

                   http://www.tiptopwebsite.com/gngdocument

                                          Financial Support

 If you are on Medicare it is always good to check out the facts about your benefits. This site will give you all the knowledge you need to navigate throught the system. http://www.benefitscheckup.org/

Free Medicine Revolution is a web site designed to help you find a discount program that will assist in getting medicine at a reduced cost or free. If you utilize this program, they will charge a small processing fee for each prescription. http://www.freemedicinerevolution.com/?gclid=CPnnmMKB8JECFT00FQodi2aExQ

Depending on your age, a reverse mortage can provide income. This may be helpful if you are disabled or have a long recuperation period. This type of loan is not suitable for everyone, but it is an option worth exploring.  http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hecm/rmtopten.cfm

If you need a Will,  Living, Medical Power of Attorney, Durable Power of Attorney enlisting the services of a parilegal can be less expensive than an attorney. However, parilegal's are not permitted to give legal advice, their role would be soley to prpepare documents. If you need legal advice on any  of the above matters, please, see an attorney. To explore the services that a parilegal can priovide: www.tiptopwebsite.com/gngdocument

                        Potpourri

The healing process is enhanced when a person is able to find ways to relax. These sites are meant to help you find relaxation and joy in your life.

There are times that laughter is the best cure for the blues. When you need to laugh at a silly joke the place to go is Comedy Cures.  ComedyCures.org    

Delilah is a national syndicated radio show. This website has inspirational stories and a guide to stations that broadcast her show. www.Delilah.com

 This is a website for Shalom Park in Ocala, Florida. It is a park dedicated to helping people find serenity. If you are in the Ocala area, we recommend that you visit this park. For those out of the area, check with your local parks and recreation department to see if they have a similar park in the area. www.hapi-info.org

Music therapy soothes the soul. This is a site to an online jukebox that plays the popular music from 1950-1984. http://www.tropicalglen.com/