Date: April 9th 2006

THE LOST MY PARTNER NEWSLETTER

VOL. III, Issue 4 April, 2006

Brought to you monthly by Laurie Spector & Ruth Spector Webster, authors of Lost My Partner ­ What’ll I Do?; A Clear, Practical Guide For Coping and Finding Strength When Your Spouse Dies

NOTE: Our new mailing address is:

McCormick Press,

c/o P.O. Box 6877,

Beverly Hills, Ca 90212-6877

Hello and welcome to our newsletter! We know how losing a spouse can turn your whole world upside down. It can also make concentrating on anything, even an online newsletter really difficult. Just as we’ve done with our bereavement book, Lost My Partner ­ What’ll I Do?, we specially designed this newsletter to make getting valuable professional advice “user-friendly”. Each month we offer comfort, reassurance and practical strategies as well as useful tips from our readers.

We want to make this newsletter on ongoing source of support you can turn to any time, so please let us know how we can make it more relevant for you. We welcome any suggestions or ideas that you’d like to share with us.

Let us hear from you at: contact@lostmypartner.com

Thanks for joining us.

Warmest Wishes

Ruth and Laurie

MONTHLY FEATURE

FIVE HEALTH TIPS FOR SURVIVING BEREAVEMENT

Research has shown that you are more vulnerable to physical problems following the death of a spouse. This doesn’t mean that you will get sick, only that it’s important to take care of your health during this stressful period.

The best ways to safeguard yourself include:

1. Inform your doctor(s) that your spouse has died. Pre-existing medical conditions can be affected by the stress of coping with loss and you may need an adjustment in medication dosages or other treatment changes.
2. Make sure you’re getting adequate nutrition. Appetite loss is a common symptom of grief and can create health problems over time. Rather than forcing yourself to polish off three full meals a day, make an effort to eat several small snacks throughout the day, including fruits, vegetables and lean meats or other sources of protein.
3. Consider vitamin and/or meal supplements. Ask your doctor about taking vitamins and/or one of the liquid meal supplements you can buy at the market.
4. Take short naps to compensate for the lack of sleep at night. Sleep disturbance is a very common symptom of grief. A word of caution: Some doctors will want to prescribe sleep medications. Although this type of medication can be helpful in the days following the death, continued use can interfere with the normal grief process.
5. Keeping moving. If at all possible, try to get at least 20 to 30 minutes a day of light exercise, like taking a walk. Mild exercise has been proven to help overall health and wellbeing.

Remember: Bereavement puts you’re under a lot of stress both emotionally and physically. It’s important to take the best care possible of yourself during this vulnerable time in your life.

YOUR QUESTIONS

"I recently lost my husband of 32 years. My grown daughters want me to come live with them in another state because I have Type I Diabetes. I’d much rather stay in my own home as long as I can, but my daughters worry about me. What should I do?" Norma B.

Although your daughters mean well, you have to trust your sense of what feels right for you. If you’ve been managing on your own and your doctor isn’t concerned about your safety, consider getting set up with a life-line device that you can use in an emergency.

Your daughters might be reassured by having a daily “check-in” where one of you phones the other at a pre-arranged time.

In general, we recommend that anyone living alone, regardless of their current health, arrange a “buddy system” with a neighbor(s). This involves each of you agreeing to help the other in case of an emergency, whether it’s contacting paramedics or family members or providing a ride to the doctor’s office.

Discovered a coping strategy that works for you? Share it with others in future newsletters. Email us at:

contact@lostmypartner.com

If you enjoy this newsletter, please tell your friends and/or colleagues about it.

If you’re interested in obtaining a copy/copies of the book, Lost My Partner ­ What’ll I Do?, telephone toll free at 1-877-727-3814 or visit our website: www.lostmypartner.com

Remember that our new mailing address is: Mc Cormick Press, c/o P.O. Box 6877, Beverly Hills, CA 90212-6877.

(Copyright 2006 by Laurie J. Spector, M.S.W. and Ruth Spector Webster, M.S.W. All rights and all media reserved.)