Welcome to the United Church of Sun City 

Greetings from your Parish Nurse...

I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that it is December and the Christmas Season has come already! Anyone else feel that way?

The last few days, I’ve been thinking about gifts—both the giving of gifts and receiving. Often one of these areas is difficult for us. It may be giving a gift—will they like it? Have I kept my gifting equal? How will I get it to them? What if they don’t like it? 

But receiving gifts can be just as difficult. Did I express my thanks? I feel like I don’t deserve this. This is more than the gift I gave to them, etc., etc. We certainly overthink our gifts don’t we?

In thinking about it, I have just a few things to suggest. I was talking with a friend the other day who is temporarily in need of some extra emotional and physical support. She may just need to talk for a bit. Or may need a ride to the grocery store or an errand run for her. One of her other friends had called and offered to help her. As she talked to me about this, she said, “I don’t want to lose a friendship because I ask too much right now.” She was having a difficult time accepting this gift of friendship at this time. I reminded her that the friend had offered to help and others may offer too! I finally said, “Please don’t keep this other friend from the gift she receives by helping you. When we help others, our endorphins go up. It makes us feel good and gives us a purpose. So don’t cheat her of that experience!”

I know it may be a convoluted way to think of it, but when you need help and someone offers that assistance, be willing to accept it!

It made me think about my gift giving as well. Instead of getting caught up in all the physical gifts, could I focus on giving myself to others in some way? And as I thought, there are lots of ways to do that!

Some ideas are:

• Give a smile to a stranger! You never know what a difference it can make.
• Give a tip to someone in your world that you know is struggling—a little extra for a waitress, a tip for your groundskeeper, maybe a tip for your hairdresser. You can think of many others that don’t have all the extras.
• Give time to someone who is lonely. Look around in your neighborhood or activities. There are always people that feel that they are on the “outside.” Maybe invite a neighbor in for tea and cookies. Or take someone out for a Christmas concert. Maybe just call someone, ask questions and listen. If they are lonely and need to talk, you may not have to say much if anything!
• How about telling your family a story from your past—of you growing up and experiences you had. If you have a picture to go along with it, even better!
• Invite some people over to play cards, or dominoes or some other simple game. Games are a great way to be able to talk and get to know each other without awkward silences.
• Give the gift of forgiveness. Is there someone in your life that you have been meaning to communicate with and forgive the past? Now is a great time to do it.
• Give the gift of encouragement. Instead of just signing your Christmas cards, how about if you put in two or three sentences about what that person means to you. What they have done for you, or maybe just saying how much you love them. As the commercial says, Christmas card…$2. Words of encouragement and love...Priceless!

I’m sure you can come up with many more ideas. But think about giving the gift of yourself this Christmas. And think about accepting gracefully the lovely gestures from others.

Lisa Dunbar, Parish Nurse

Dispelling Some of the Information About the COVID-19 Vaccine

As a Parish Nurse, the pandemic of COVID-19 has certainly brought many challenges in focusing on the health of our congregation. Currently, the challenge is to help our congregation members to understand, to make an educated decision, and to receive the vaccination.

I have found that the first hurdle is in educating our congregation. I have been able to put short articles in the church newsletter, and to send an all-church email that gave information about the vaccine. It focused on dispelling some of the misinformation being disseminated on the web. For instance:

Concerns have been expressed about the vaccine being developed so quickly. Is it safe?
Although we don’t have years of research, the companies developing the vaccines tested it on the usual number of people that they have tested before with any new drug or vaccine. The difference in the timing is because much of the governmental bureaucracy that slows down the process after the test is finished was mitigated. The testing itself was still completed in a manner similar to other vaccines. As with any new treatment, vaccine or drug, there are potential side effects, but for the vast majority of recipients, the benefit far outweighs the risk.

I have heard about people reacting to the vaccine and becoming very ill, or even dying. Is this true? 
As with anything that we put into our body, we run a risk of being allergic to a substance in the medication or vaccine. At times, this may be a severe reaction called anaphylactic shock. In this case, the allergy may cause the body to swell tissues especially of the neck and trachea that may result in shortness of breath, a racing heart, and at its worse, a cardiac arrest. This is the reason that any recipient of the vaccine is required to remain at the site for 30 minutes after the injection as this is the time period where an anaphylactic reaction would take place. Each site is equipped with medical personnel and supplies to deal with this type of allergic reaction.

This happens very, very rarely. The current numbers are 11 reactions like this in 1 million recipients. These reactions may also occur after an influenza vaccination injection at a slightly lower rate. Although very serious for the 11, the 999,989 other recipients had no serious problems. A recipient of the vaccine may commonly have minor symptoms – a sore arm, muscle or joint pain, a low grade fever – similar to symptoms following other vaccinations. These are from an inflammatory response our body produces after a foreign substance has been introduced and usually only lasts 24-48 hours.

I have heard this vaccine may change my DNA. Is that true?
There is nothing in the vaccine to change our DNA. This vaccine is a new technology. In the past, vaccinations have carried in them a weakened amount of virus, which immediately stimulated our bodies to make antibodies to fight off the infection, The new Covid 19 vaccine has no weakened virus in it. Instead, it carries a message to our RNA to watch for an identifying factor on the virus – in this case a “spike” on the virus body. When our body recognizes that factor, it then begins very rapidly producing antibodies to fight the virus.

So a recipient may in fact “have the virus” for a short time before the antibodies are produced. It fights the virus before serious symptoms develop so one does not become ill. But it does raise the question of whether someone who has been vaccinated may still “spread” the virus even though they may have no symptoms. Studies continue to focus on this question. This is why even after vaccination, we may be required to wear masks in public places where social distancing is not possible.

Are fetal cells used in the production of the vaccine?
Fetal cell lines from fetuses in the 1960s and 1970s continue to be used in much of the early testing of many of our vaccines and other drugs. These tissues are registered and reported as the testing takes place. But no recent fetal tissue has been used in developing the Moderna or Pfizer Vaccinations. Other vaccines, notably the one from Johnson and Johnson, do continue to use more recently harvested fetal tissue in their development. There may be other companies as well.

After educating our congregation, the next step has been to identify those who are most vulnerable and require help in registering for the vaccination.

I began to make phone calls on those over 75, and those with chronic illnesses. Many had family or friends who were working with them to register for an appointment and who were willing to transport them to the appointment.

However, some of our congregants did not have access to a computer or were not able to complete the process on their own. I was able to assist them over the phone, at times registering them as my “family members” (after all, we are a church family!). I also helped to arrange transportation for those needing assistance.

Finally, I have continued to follow up with those registering – reminding them to take their ID and insurance card, walking them through the process at the sites, and informing them of the possibility of minor discomfort after that could be treated with Tylenol. I also continue to remind everyone to continue their social distancing precautions, handwashing, and wearing a mask.

Some in our congregation have chosen to wait to receive the vaccine. Some because of concern of long-term effects of the vaccine, others wish to wait for the vaccines with only 1 injection. I continue to share information with them, and to support them as they continue to follow the social distancing precautions and choose to remain limited in their social activities.