MOST READ

MOST TRUSTED
OCTOBER 2016

50 SECRETS
YOUR PET
WONT TELL YOU PAGE 48

NEW BREAST MEET THREE

CANCER ADULTS LIVING
TREATMENTS WITH ADHD
PAGE 76 PAGE 56

THE HEROIC FIVE-YEAR-OLD

WHO SAVED HER FAMILY
PAGE 68

HOW TO MAKE CHOICES THAT

REFLECT YOUR VALUES
PAGE 62

WHAT I LEARNED DRIVING A BUS

FOR KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
PAGE 104

DIET STRATEGIES FOR DIABETES ..................... 46

PLAN A WASTE-FREE THANKSGIVING ............. 24
POINTS TO PONDER .......................................... 26
 WELL- EQUIPPED FROM
$25,995*
**
*MSRP of $25,995 on 2017 Forester 2.5i Base Model. MSRP excludes Freight & PDI of $1,675. Taxes, license, registration and insurance are extra. $0 security deposit. Model shown is 2017 Forester 2.0XT Limited with
technology package with an MSRP of $39,495. Dealers may sell for less or may have to order or trade. Vehicle shown solely for purposes of illustration, and may not be equipped exactly as shown. See your local Subaru
dealer for complete program details. **See Owners Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. Forester and Subaru are registered trademarks.
 Contents OCTOBER 2016

Cover Story
48 The Truth About Cats and Dogs
50 secrets your pet wont tell you.
MICHELLE CROUCH, WITH ADDITIONAL
R E S E A R C H BY R E B E CC A T U C K E R

Health
56 I Never Felt Like I
Belonged
Three Canadians on what
its like to be an adult with
ADHD. L I SA B E N DA L L
Life Lesson
62 Do the Right Thing
How to make choices that
reflect your values. LU C R I N A L D I
Drama in Real Life
68 The Littlest Hero
The Shymanskis had taught their five-
year-old daughter, Lexi, what to do in case
of emergency, knowing it could save her life.
P. | 68
They didnt know it would save her mother
and baby brother too.
O M A R M O UA L L E M

Health
76 Breast-Cancer Breakthroughs
After a decade-long lull, Canadian women are
seeing promising medical advancements.
SY D N E Y LO N E Y

Society
82 A Sticky Scourge
YUTA ONODA

Meet the man whos determined to rid Torontos

streets of 2,000 tonnes of chewed gum. PHOTOGRAPHY
BY CHANTAL
N AT H A N I E L B A S E N F R O M T H E WA L R U S LEVESQUE

ADDIT I ONAL MEDIA IN OUR TABLET VERSIONS

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 1
 Vol. 189 | No. 1,133
OCTOBER 2016

Department of Wit 4 Editors Letter

90 Rental Real Talk 6 Contributors
When apartment hunting, beware 8 Letters
of buzzwords. C A R O L I N E G . M U R P H Y

12
FROM LE JOURNAL DE MONTRAL

Human Interest
P. |
92 Doctors on Demand
Physicians in remote conflict
zones are using telemedicine
to treat patients. C H R I ST I N A FA R R
F R O M FA STCO M PA N Y.CO M

Heart
96 Force of Nature
I thought I wanted to create my
mothers dream garden. But
the plants taught me otherwise.
A L E XA N D R A R I S E N F R O M U N E A RT H E D

Editors Choice
104 The Kids of Bus 3077
Writer Craig Davidson spent a
year driving children with special
needs to school. These are their
stories. F R O M P R E C I O U S C A R G O

READER FAVOURITES

10 Finish This Sentence 119 Thats Outrageous!

16 Lifes Like That 121 Brainteasers
HEATHER OGG

26 Points to Ponder 123 Trivia Quiz

66 As Kids See It 124 Sudoku
81 Laughter, the Best Medicine 125 Word Power
103 @ Work 128 Quotes

2 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
 Health
ART OF LIVING
40 Joint Attack
Managing rheumatoid arthritis.
12 Survive and Thrive SA M A N T H A R I D E O U T
Turn on the Lights founder
Kate Eastman gives a voice Health
to sexual abuse victims. 42 Case History
ST P H A N I E V E R G E , W I T H A medical mystery resolved.
R E S E A R C H BY M AU R E E N CO U LT E R SY D N E Y LO N E Y

RD Interview
18 Wonder Woman
Room writer Emma Donoghue
on claustrophobia, the cruelty
of child readers and her new
novel. ST P H A N I E V E R G E
Food
46 Eating Right for Diabetes
Food tips to control your
condition. L I SA H A N N A M

Culture GET SMART!

20 RD Recommends
Our top picks in books, movies 117 13 Things You Should
and TV. SA R A H L I S S Know About Car
Maintenance
Travel J I L M c I N TO S H

22 Airport Travel Tips

How to get through a terminal 120 Rd.ca
with minimal fuss. October website highlights.
R O S E M A RY CO U N T E R

Food
P. | 42
24 A Waste-Free
Thanksgiving
Ways to plan a feast without the
excess. A N D R E M AY E R
VICTOR WONG

Health
33 Breathe Easy
Advice on keeping asthma in
check. SA M A N T H A R I D E O U T

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 3
 Editors Letter
Pet Fancy
I WAS AROUND FIVE YEARS OLD the day our first pet showed up.
My grandmother had come to visit, a floral shopping bag in tow,
and my sister, brother and I gathered around, expecting her to
have a treat for each of us. But instead of the usual candies, we were
astonished to see a white puppy with black spots. We named her Mimi;
she was a gentle, playful terrier mix. The dog lived with my family until
we kids were in our teens, and her advanced years were marked by the
distinguished grey hairs on her snout.
Since that time, Ive almost always had petsin the
1980s, my household included two dogs, three cats and
a bird. Today we have just one furry creature, a Maine
Coon cat named Luigi.
I love animals, both domesticated and wild. I
spend quite a bit of time studying and photo-
graphing them, so I was surprised when I
read this months cover story and realized
that I still have much to learn. I had no
idea, for instance, that dogs need to be
aligned with the earths magnetic field
before they poop. Thats one of 50 facts
and tips in The Truth About Cats and
Dogs (page 48).
In this issue, youll also find a feature on
new treatments for breast cancer that have
boosted the five-year survival rate for
patients by 10 per cent (page 76). Quite
an advance!
ROGER A ZIZ

Send an email to
robert@rd.ca
 Published by the Readers Digest Magazines Canada Limited, Montreal, Canada
Christopher Dornan Chairman of the Board
Robert Goyette Editor-in-Chief
Karin Rossi Publisher

Executive Editor Dominique Ritter Art Director Annelise Dekker

Deputy Editor Stphanie Verge Assistant Art Director Danielle Sayer
Senior Editor Sarah Liss Graphic Designer Pierre Loranger
Project Manager Lisa Pigeon
Assistant Editor Megan Jones
Circulation Director Edward Birkett
Contributing Editor Samantha Rideout
Web Editor Brett Walther
Proofreader Katie Moore
Contributors: Nathaniel Basen, Graeme Bayliss, Lisa Bendall, Susan
Senior Researcher Rudy Lee Camilleri Konar, Lisa Cecchini, Maureen Coulter, Rosemary Counter,
Michelle Crouch, Marcel Danesi, Craig Davidson, Conan de Vries, Katy
Researchers Caitlin Agnew, Bob Anderson, Dockrill, Aime Van Drimmelen, Christina Farr, Adrian Forrow, Jason
Martha Beach, Andrea Gordon, Lisa Hannam, Anja Javelona, Roderick Kimball, Chantal
Bennett, Vibhu Gairola, Levesque, Sydney Loney, Andre Mayer, Jil McIntosh, Omar Mouallem,
Leslie Sponder, Daniel Viola Heather Ogg, Yuta Onoda, Christina Palassio, Paul Paquet, Ian Riensche,
Darren Rigby, Luc Rinaldi, Alexandra Risen, Julie Saindon, Rmy
Copy Editors Chad Fraser, Amy Harkness Simard, Amarjeet Singh Nagi, Rebecca Tucker, Victor Wong

THE READERS DIGEST ASSOCIATION (CANADA) ULC

President Brian Kennedy Legal Barbara Robins
Product Manager, Magazine Marketing Mirella Liberatore
Production Manager Lisa Snow
Advertising Account Managers Toronto Sandra Horton, Alan Milroy, Kathey 121 Bloor Street East,
Stanton Montreal Linda Desrochers, Pat Tramley Vancouver Robert Shaw Suite 430,
Advertising Operations and Programmatic Manager Kim Le Sueur Toronto, ON M4W 3M5
Manager, Marketing Solutions Erin Dwyer 416-925-8941

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS, INC.

President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Kintzer
Editor-in-Chief, International Magazines Raimo Moysa
VOL. 189, NO. 1,133 COPYRIGHT 2016 BY READERS DIGEST MAGAZINES CANADA LIMITED. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in
part in English or other languages prohibited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Protection secured under International and Pan-
American copyright conventions. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070677. Postage paid at Montreal. Return undeliverable Canadian
addresses to 1100 Ren Lvesque Blvd. W., Montreal, QC H3B 5H5.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Govern-

ment of Canada.

Print subscriptions, $32.97 a year, plus $8.99 postage, processing and hand-
ling. Please add applicable taxes. Outside Canada, $53.96 yearly, including Readers Digest publishes 10 issues per year and may occa-
postage, processing and handling. (Prices and postage subject to change sionally publish extra, special and double issues (special and
without notice.) ISSN 0034-0413. Indexed by the Canadian Periodical Index. double issues count as two) subject to change without notice.

HOW TO REACH US
CUSTOMER SERVICE customer.service@readersdigest.ca
Readers Digest Customer Care Centre, P.O. Box 970 Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 0K2
EDITORIAL OFFICE 1100 Ren Lvesque Blvd. W. | Montreal, QC H3B 5H5 | 514-940-0751 | editor@rd.ca, rd.ca
FOR SERVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Pay your bill, view your account online, change your address and browse our FAQs at rd.ca/contact.
MAIL PREFERENCE Readers Digest maintains a record of your purchase and sweepstakes participation history for Customer Service and
Marketing departments, which enables us to offer the best service possible along with quality products we believe will interest you. Occa-
sionally, to allow our customers to be aware of other products and services that may be of interest to them, we provide this information to
other companies. Should you wish, for any reason, not to receive such offers from other companies, please write to: Privacy Office, Readers
Digest, P.O. Box 974, Station Main, Markham, ON L3P 0K6. You may also write to this address if you no longer wish to receive offers from
Readers Digest or should you have any questions regarding your record or wish to examine or correct it.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 5
 Contributors
OMAR MOUALLEM
(Writer, The Littlest
Hero, page 68)
Home base:
Edmonton. Previ-
ously published in The New Yorker
and Wired. Interviewing children
is never easy. Luckily, Angela,
Lexis mom, helped me reframe my
questions in a way that a five-year-
old could respond to. This story
is proof that if you underestimate
kids, they will underestimate them-
selves. But if you encourage them to
be brave, theyll thrive.
ADRIAN FORROW
(Illustrator, The
Kids of Bus 3077,
page 104)
Home base:
Toronto. Previously published
in The New Yorker and The Walrus.
Reading this story reminded me
that life throws you curveballs.
Embrace themthe experience
you gain might provide a new per-
spective. Im a big fan of graphic
novels. Nothing beats curling up
with one on a Sunday afternoon.
Its a great form of escape.
6 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
LISA HANNAM
(Writer, Eating Right
for Diabetes,
page 46)
Home base:
Hamilton, Ont. Previously pub-
lished in: Glow and Best Health.
Making healthier food choices
doesnt have to be complicated or
leave you feeling unsatisfied. I try
to maintain a healthy diet, but
sometimes I do indulgethankfully
pizza is one of those foods that can
provide more nutritional value
depending on your toppings.
CHANTAL
LEVESQUE
(Photographer,
The Truth About Cats
and Dogs, page 48)
Home base: Montreal. Previously
published in Montral Centre-ville
and Qubec Le Mag. I have a cat
named Shirow. Hes adorable,
easygoing and very low mainten-
ance (when hes not chewing on the
TV wires). If I could photograph
any celebrity dog, Id choose Boo
the Pomeranian. Google him. You
wont be disappointed.
 I CAN
FINALLY ENJOY
THE MOMENT.

RECONNECT WITH YOUR LIFE.

When Kim wants everything on her date to be just right, the

new comfortable fit of DEPEND FIT-FLEX UNDERWEAR gives
her the freedom to be herself. How will you reconnect with the
life youve been missing?

Now more flexible *

to move with you GET A FREE SAMPLE AT DEPEND.COM
* vs. leading bargain brand
 Letters
READERS COMMENT ON OUR RECENT ISSUES
LESS IS MORE
I am delighted to learn that Readers
Digest is adjusting the number of
issues it publishes annually. I have
been a subscriber for many years and
have always struggled to finish the
8 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
BITS AND PIECES
I just read Grieving for
Jonathan (July/August
2016), and my face is damp
with tears. At 22, Ive grown
up with access to the Inter-
net. I often forget how many
pieces of our relationships
are preserved in text mes-
sages and online. When
someone passes on, were
left with digital memories
that can add new challenges
to the grieving process. This
story was so touching.
Thank you.
MELISSA FULLER, R e g in a COVER ILLUSTRATI ON BY SAM ISLAN D
magazine in the summer months
and after Christmas, when life is
particularly hectic. Still, I enjoy tak-
ing my time with the magazine and
I cant imagine our home without it.
ARLENE GRAVES, C a l g a r y
ART THERAPY
Recently, I visited my 96-year-old
mother during her unexpected stay
in the hospital. She and I spent
many hours wandering around the
building, enjoying the paintings that
adorned the walls. My father was an
artist, so these pieces of art (some of
them even painted by Dad!) brought
us a great deal of comfort during a
stressful time. Your story Visual
Aids (July/August 2016) was very
timely. Im glad to see others are
sharing the gift of art. Kudos!
LORI STODOLA, O s o y o o s , B . C .
POOR PLANNING
I recently sat down with your Decem-
ber 2015 issue. The story Survivor
Dog made me quite angry. All I
could think was, What was this
owner thinking, putting that dogs
life in danger? Early in his walk, the
man knew that it was going to be a
challenge; he shouldnt have contin-
ued on. That story could have had a
very differentand heartbreaking
ending. JILL EARL, Hi g h R i v e r, A l t a .
NOT MY TYPE
I have enjoyed the articles in
Readers Digest for many decades.
However, Im disappointed that
the Canadian edition isnt available
in a larger typeface. Our population
of senior readers is growing, and
many are experiencing visual issues.
I would be willing to pay extra for
this option!
MADILYNN WADE, O w e n S o u n d , O n t .
HANDY AND HELPFUL
Your story The Greatest Canadian
Neighbours (July/August 2016)
brought to mind my neighbour,
Antonio Oliveira, an energetic and
generous 82-year-old. Whenever
you need him, hes at your doorstep,
armed with tools and a broad smile,
ready to tackle any job, however
strenuous. Thank you for reminding
me to appreciate the heroes close
to home!
SHEILA MASIH, B ra m p t o n , O n t .
Published letters are edited for length
and clarity.

We want to hear from you! Have something to say about an article you read in Readers Digest? Send your
letters to letters@rd.ca. Please include your full name and address.
Contribute Send us your funny jokes and anecdotes, and if we publish one in a print edition of Readers
Digest, well send you $50. To submit, visit rd.ca/joke.
Original contributions (text and photos) become the property of The Readers Digest Magazines Canada
Limited, and its affiliates, upon publication. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity, and may be
reproduced in all print and electronic media. Receipt of your submission cannot be acknowledged.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 9
FINISH THIS SENTENCE

I will never regret

travelling. playing
It gave me an appreciation hooky
for humanity. to catch some of the best
JAIME CALHOUN NASON, concerts everSantana,
TRACY, N.B. Aerosmith, the Eagles.
TARA WALKER,
THREE HILLS, ALTA.

taking the community fire engine for a joyride

with my friends as a teen. Somehow we never got in trouble!
NANCY A. DARRAGH, MONCTON, N.B.

joining the
Royal Canadian
Air Force! my
RIC SMITHERS,
SHERBROOKE, QUE. mistakes.
Without them,
I wouldnt be the
my first marriage. It wasnt a good one, person I am today.
but I wouldnt have my wonderful children without it. ROSELLA MATUK,
ANN BIRDGENAW, DORVAL, QUE. OSHAWA, ONT.

 Visit the Readers Digest Canada Facebook page for your chance to finish the next sentence.

10 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
 ART of LIVING

Turn on the Lights founder Kate Eastman gives

a voice to sexual abuse victims

Survive and Thrive

BY ST P H ANIE VERGE , WI T H R E S E A R C H BY MAUREEN CO ULT ER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEATHER OG G

! KATE EASTMAN WAS 23 years

old when she came forward. First
she told her mother. Then they went
to the Charlottetown police together.
Less than three years later, in
March 2015, Eastmanalong with
her mother, Deborah McEachern
founded Turn on the Lights. She
wanted to raise awareness about
the very thing she had kept quiet
for so long: childhood sexual abuse,
which, according to a 2014 report
from the Canadian Medical Associa-
tion Journal, happens to as many as
one in 10 Canadians.
The scariest thing you can do
to an abuser is to use your voice,
says Eastman. She did just that,
pursuing her stepfather through
the Prince Edward Island judicial
12 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
system. He was sentenced to four
years in federal prison for sexual
acts that began when Eastman was
six and ended when she moved
out at 20.
McEachern left her husband
following Eastmans disclosure,
but the familys difficulties were far
from over. McEachern wasnt able
to float the householdwhich still
included Eastmans younger broth-
ers and sisteron a single income
while also dealing with the debt
her husband had accumulated.
A year and a half later, the family
lost its home. That unexpected fall-
out led to discussions about, among
other things, the lack of financial
assistance for those coping with the
effects of sexual abuse.
Coming forward
against an abuser is
terrifying, says Kate
Eastman. If theres
someone around
who can relate, the
process becomes just
a little easier.
READERS DIGEST

Going through the aftermath, gambling and drinking, two of the

we learned that theres nothing out only things that distracted him
there telling you what you should from his pain.
do, says McEachern. Turn on the These days, Muttart copes through
Lights doesnt so much tell survivors communication: with Eastman, with
and their families what to do as help family and friends, with strangers. In
them figure out their next move. addition to his volunteer work with
Eastman has given talks in area Turn on the Lights, where he does
schools, and candlelight walks and outreach and fundraising, Muttart is
teal shirt days (teal has been part of Men Matter, a separate pro-
adopted as the colour of sexual gram aimed at male survivors.
abuse awareness and prevention) Men are taught that theyre sup-
have upped the groups posed to be tough, and
profile. But its social thats one of the main
media thats been reasons I kept things
invaluable. Eastman
I want this to be inside. But I have a son
receives an average of my career, says who is seventhe age
four messages a week Eastman. I want I was when the abuse
from survivors, most to always be the started. I realize now
of them in P.E.I.
Our website and
person who says how much it affected
me growing up, and
Facebook page are Ive also been how much it affects
healing places, says there. I get it. me as a parent,
Eastman. We talk he says. It helps to
about mental health. talk with people who
We talk about victim services. And understand what Im going through.
we talk about how each situation is That feeling of support is what
differentwhat works for one person Eastmanwho recently entered
might not work for someone else. her fourth year at the University of
Andrew Muttart was sexually Prince Edward Island, where shes
abused over the course of three wrapping up a degree in family
years by an older community sciencehopes to replicate.
member in his small P.E.I. town. I want Turn on the Lights to be
He wasnt able to talk about his my lifelong career. I want to always
experience until he was 29, more be the person who says Ive also
than two decades later. At that been there. I get it. Had there been
point, he had lost a lawn-care help like that when I was growing up,
business and a home through I would have spoken up sooner.

14 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

PSORIASIS
IS MORE THAN
SKIN DEEP
If you suffer from psoriasis, you
could be at risk of developing other
serious and chronic health conditions.

Dr. James Coffey, Dermatologist

PSORIASIS IS A CHRONIC TAKE A WHOLE-BODY APPROACH

INFLAMMATORY SKIN DISEASE
The autoimmune disease causes red, scaly
plaques to form on the skin, most often on
the elbows, knees, and scalp. An estimated
one million Canadians suffer from psoriasis.
ITS A COMPLEX CONDITION
People with psoriasis are at an increased risk
of developing potentially serious medical
conditions, also known as comorbidities.
"We used to consider psoriasis as just a
skin disease, says Dr. James Coffey,
a dermatologist in Grand Falls-Windsor,
Newfoundland. Now we know that inflam-
mation of the skin is the tip of the iceberg,
as patients are also more likely to have
psoriatic arthritis, or premature inflammation
of the heart, gut, liver, and other organs."
TO TREATMENT
While there is currently no cure for psoriasis,
there are various treatment options available.
Consider your options carefully, as a
holistic approach to managing psoriasis
can help lower the risk of comorbidities.
There are several medications which treat
the entire bodyespecially the biologics,
explains Dr. Coffey, referring to a category of
drugs that are prescribed when a psoriasis
inflammation is widespread and signifi-
cantly affects quality of life. TNF inhibitors,
a type of biologics, treat not only psoriasis
but several comorbidities such as psoriatic
arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
The latest research even suggests that
TNF inhibitors may reduce the risk of
heart disease in people with psoriasis.

KNOW THE RISKS For more information, and to get support,

Other possible comorbidities include diabe-
tes, hypertension, liver disease, depression,
anxiety, and other immune-related conditions,
such as Crohns disease. The more severe the
psoriasis, the higher the risk of comorbidities.
visit the following websites:
Canadian Psoriasis Network (cpn-rcp.com)
Psoriasis Busters ( psoriasismyths.ca)
Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients
(canadianpsoriasis.ca)

SEE YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR: If you suffer from psoriasis, talk to your doctor about the possible
link to other chronic illnesses. Its important to consider these comorbidities, as well as the type and
severity of your psoriasis condition, when making treatment decisions. Ask your doctor for a referral
to a dermatologista medical specialist who can help you manage the disease.
 Lifes Like That
THE BEST JOKE
I EVER TOLD
BY SOPHIE KOHN
I bought a new blender the other
day. The box says it easily pro-
cesses everything! And its like,
okay, buddy, were not all so lucky.
Sophie Kohn is part of the stand-
up comedy collective Joke Party.
Catch their
show every
Wednes-
day at
Comedy
Bar in
Toronto.
NOT LIKE THE OTHER
My husband and I both drive red
vehicles. Our youngest daughter
also has a red car, as do our eldest
daughter and her spouse. Our son is
the odd one out. One day he called
to tell me he was looking at a new
vehicleand that it happened to
be red. Well, I said, It looks like
youve finally seen the light!
Yeah, he replied. Im tired of
being the black Jeep of the family.
HEATHER DENNING, Ky l e , S a s k .
16 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
AT A DINNER PARTY, our guests
asked us what kind of vegetables we
would be cooking. Lets see, my
fiance began, summer squash
And some arent, I interjected.
reddit.com
SHATTERED EXPECTATIONS
A boy breaks an old vase at his rich
uncles house. Extremely angry,
his uncle yells, Do you know how
old that vase was? It was from the
17th century!
Oh good, the boy says, sighing
with relief. I thought it was new.
short-funny.com
MY PARENTS HAVE BEEN to Las
Vegas several times and have a real
fondness for the city. A few years
ago, we all went on a family vacation
to visit relatives in Italy. In Venice,
we took a gondola ride. We hadnt
been in the boat for more than five
minutes when my mom turned to
my dad and exclaimed, Wow! Its
just like the Venetian!
LAURA GOBBO, B u r n a b y , B . C .
We know good jokes come from near and
far. Send us yours! They could be worth
$50. See page 9 for more details.
 Made you look.
And yes, Im wearing them.

The core absorbs

bladder leaks and odours in
seconds. Hugs my curves for
a discreet t under clothes.

Always Discreet for

2016 P&G bladder leaks.
THE RD INTERVIEW

Room writer Emma Donoghue on claustrophobia, the

cruelty of child readers and her mysterious new novel

Wonder Woman
BY ST P H A N I E V ER GE
ILLUSTRATION BY AIME VAN DRIMMELEN

Since your early 20s, youve made a

living as a writermainly of novels,
including your big hit, 2010s Room,
which you then turned into a
screenplay. Do you ever fantasize
about less wordy pursuits?
It wouldnt really occur to me to
spend my time on earth on anything
but words. I have no other skills.
This is it, so it better work!

Your new book, The Wonder,

is about a girl in 19th-century
Ireland whos lived without food
for monthsor so it seems.
Most of the story takes place
in a small bedroom, a simi-
lar setting to the one in
Room. Whats the appeal?
You would think Id had a
very strange upbringing!
Im interested in isolating
certain relationships and

18 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
moving up very close, but it was only
once I stepped back that I thought,
Oh, its another trapped in a room
with a child book! I find motherhood
to be very intimate and at times
claustrophobic, so I think thats
mostly what sent me off on this riff
of exploring near-captive conditions.
Why set this book in the past? Eating
disorders are very contemporary.
Nowadays, were good at labelling
psychological phenomena. A century
or two ago, these issues were much
muddier. There were competing
modelssuperstitious, religious,
scientific. So you get diversity, sheer
confusion, which is great for fiction.
Earlier this year, you snagged an
Oscar nomination for Best Adapted
Screenplay for Room. Screenwriting
is working out for you, then.
Its great to try on a whole new kind
of writing in your 40s, because it
makes you feel like a beginner again.
You dont find that uncomfortable?
Its fatal to be comfortable when it
comes to writing. Emigration has
been handy to me in that
way. I feel like an outsider in
France, where my partner is
from, a different outsider at
home in Canada, and a differ-
ent outsider back in Ireland,
where I was born. That sort
of oblique vision lets you see
things oddly and newly; the less cozy
and comfortable you are, the better.
One of your upcoming projects is a
kids book called The Lotterys Plus
One. How cozy was that process?
I feel like a rank amateur. Children
can be very harsh. They arent polite
the way adult readers arethey have
to be gripped on every page.
A character in the book has demen-
tia, which your mother suffers from.
Was that difficult to write about?
Ive never been to therapy and I think
its because anything in my life thats
remotely painful I work through in
fictional form. Theres little we can
do about dementia, so writing about
it has felt hugely helpful. Many chil-
drens books that touch on the sub-
ject do it in a saccharine and dreary
way. I made it my personal mission
to use dementia without having the
whole book grind to a miserable halt.
Were your kids your initial readers?
I bribed my son, now 12, and some of
his friends to be my first focus group.
My nine-year-old daughter is reading
the proofs and offering last-minute
suggestions. Theyve been extremely
usefuland occasionally Ive been
able to distract them from an oncom-
ing tantrum by saying Oooh, we
put this bit in the book.
The Wonder is available Sept. 20.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 19
CULTURE

Our top picks in books, movies and TV

RD Recommends
BY SA RA H L I SS

1
THE BOOK OF JOY
The Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond
Tutu (with Douglas Carlton Abrams)
If anyone is qualified to provide insights into finding
peace in modern society, its the Dalai Lama and
Desmond Tutu, both of whom weathered persecution and
emerged with a commitment to making the world a better
placeas well as a Nobel Peace Prize. Long-time friends, the
men spent a week together last year at the Dalai Lamas resi-
dence, hanging out and contemplating the nature of happiness.
The result: The Book of Joy, a fly-on-the-wall view of a meeting
between two spiritual titans. Sept. 20.

DID YOU KNOW? They may be known for lofty goals, but the pals can

(T HE B OOK OF JOY) P ENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE;

be practical jokers too. During a group photo session at the Nobel Peace
Laureates Conference in 1998, His Holiness snuck up behind the archbishop (T HE GIR L ON TH E T RAIN ) BARRY WETC HER
and attempted to yank off his hat.

2 THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

Based on the British bestseller that broke
records on both sides of the Atlantic, this thriller
was a tough act to follow. But with the sublime Emily
Blunt starring as Rachel Watsona thoroughly
unreliable narrator wrapped up in what she thinks
she witnessed on her morning commuteits
unlikely to go off the rails. Oct. 7.
 3
THINGS
SMALL
GREAT

Jodi Picoult
Blockbuster author
Jodi Picoult has a feel
for timely subjects,
however thorny. In her
latest, a black labour-
and-delivery nurse is
blamed for the death
of a neo-Nazis new-
born son. As Picoult
sifts through the after-
4 THIS IS US
Fans of the now-defunct Parenthood
and Brothers and Sisters will find a worthy succes-
math, she maps out a sor in this new family dramedy. A collection of
constellation of strong, disparate strangersa hunky TV star, a man look-
precisely detailed ing for the father who abandoned him, a couple
characters, putting expecting tripletshave a serendipitous link: they
a human face on an share the same birthday. Thankfully, the show
urgent social issue quickly moves beyond that superficial connection
that can easily seem to explore the emotional ties and unexpected
abstract. Oct. 11. coincidences that join the group. Sept. 20.

5 TRUDEAUMANIA
Robert Wright
As the first anniversary of the election
of Canadas 23rd prime minister rapidly
(T HIS I S US) PAUL DRIN KWATER/NBC

approaches, we reflect on the last time

a charismatic Trudeau held office. In
his incisive exploration of Pierre Elliott
Trudeaus ascent, historian Robert
Wright overturns the notion that Jus-
tins father was more style than sub-
stance. Dense but deeply engaging,
the book explains why the erstwhile
PMs policy smarts were as formid-
able as his public persona. Sept. 20.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 21
TRAVEL
How to get through a
terminal with minimal fuss
Airport
Travel Tips
BY ROS E M A RY CO UNTE R
Plan Ahead
Minimize your wait by scheduling
your departure to avoid peak hours
such as weekend mornings. Some
airports have more than one access
point for security; do a quick Inter-
net search or ask an airline agent for
the fastest line. If you often travel
outside the country, the $50 fee for
a five-year NEXUS card could save
you as much as 90 minutes in a busy
customs queue.
Pack Smart
Avoid an unwanted searchor
having to toss your beloved face
creamby packing properly.
Bottles or containers of liquids
(100-millilitre format max) belong
in a clear resealable bag (no more
than one litre), and only one per
person. The exceptions are baby
food and milk.
22 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
Suffer the Search
Since 2010, Canadian airports have
installed full-body scanners that
reveal whats under clothing. If
youre selected for such a scan, you
can choose a manual pat down in-
stead. Someone of your gender will
do the search, and you can request
a private room with a witness.
Share Your Gadgets
If an agent asks for your phone or
computer password, do you have
to give it to them? Its a hot-button
legal issue, but the short answer, for
now, is yes. You could be criminally
charged for refusing.
Say Just Enough
ISTOCKP HOTO
Unlike cops, who need reasonable
grounds, customs agents can ask
you anything. To co-operate, aim for
succinct, direct and polite answers.
 SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

SEE YOUR COUNTRY

COME ALIVE
ON EVERY PAGE
Subscribe to Our Canada, the
most unique, proud-to-be-Canadian
magazine ever! Enjoy inspiring features UP TO

61%
and photos by Canadians just like you
and celebrate your country with fellow
O FF
Canadians from coast to coast! ER PRICE
THE COV

Written by and for Canadians just like you!

Subscribe today at ourcanada.ca/subscribe
FOOD
Ways to plan a feast without the excess
A Waste-Free Thanksgiving
BY A N D R E M AY E R
ILLUSTRATION BY KAT Y DOCKR I LL
! WHILE THE HOLIDAY is meant
to express gratitude for a bountiful
harvest, Thanksgiving has come to
reflect our cavalier attitude toward
food waste, according to Andrea
DAmbrosio, who runs Dietetic Direc-
tions, a nutritional counselling com-
pany in Kitchener, Ont. Most people
dont know how much we are actually
throwing away and the amount of
resources that go into growing and
transporting that food, she says.
24 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
Celebrations with family and
friends inevitably involve heaping
tables of food. More often than not,
we wind up overeatingand what-
ever we cant stuff into our already-
distended tummies typically ends
up in the trash.
According to a 2014 study by Value
Chain Management International, a
food production consultancy, about
$31 billion worth of food is wasted in
Canada every year, and 47 per cent of
thator $14.6 billionoccurs in the
household. DAmbrosio says we often
find ourselves chucking items that
have gone bad or are superfluous
because of poor meal planning and
our tendency to head to the grocery
store without checking the fridge and
pantry beforehand.
While its hard to undo a lifetime
of habits, you can have a delectable
Thanksgiving feast without being
unnecessarily wasteful.
Think Proportionally
If youve ever made dinner for a
large group of people, youve prob-
ably found yourself thinking, Better
too much than too little. That feeling
is understandable but misguided,
says Vanessa Perrone, a Montreal-
based dietitian and nutritionist.
We tend to prepare more food
than needed for family gatherings,
she says. This is both out of fear of
not having enough and also because
few of us are aware of how to prop-
erly judge portion requirements for
large crowds.
If youre trying to plan a less
wasteful holiday meal, the best
place to start is by buying a smaller
turkey. DAmbrosio says you typi-
cally need about one pound (or less)
of meat per person, so if you multi-
ply that by the number of expected
guests, you might find you dont
need a 30-pound Butterball. For
side dishes such as beans, mashed
potatoes or stuffing, a good rule of
thumb is to aim for three to four
ounces (or half a cup) per person.
DAmbrosio says another effec-
tive way to prevent waste is to
present meals buffet-style on a
counter, so guests can serve them-
selves and thereby only take as
much as they need.
The Joy of Leftovers
Even the most conscientious cook
is bound to have surplus food. But
with a little creativity and foresight,
you can ensure the extras are put to
good use. Its a matter of stretching
meals and making the most of left-
overs, Perrone says.
She suggests using shredded resid-
ual turkey meat and vegetables in
wraps, soups, salads, sandwiches or
something a little heartier, such as
turkey pot pie. Once youre down to
the turkey carcass, it can still provide
the base for a flavourful broth. Mean-
while, cranberries, sweet potatoes
and pumpkin can be incorporated
into muffins or other baked goods.
Reducing waste on special occa-
sions (and throughout the year)
isnt just about menu planning and
smart shopping, Perrone says. Stor-
ing food properly and ensuring its
safe to eat is also key. She recom-
mends the website Stilltasty.com
(which features a handy app) as
a resource to see how long refrig-
erated items can last.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 25
 Points to Ponder
BY CH RISTINA PALASS I O

P HOTOS: (M ELCHOR) ALA MY. QUOTES: (MELCHOR) JUNE 29, 2014; (SHIE L DS) PE NG U IN RAND OMHOU SE ( APRIL 26, 201 6 ) ;
I used to treat my phone like a Migrant workers pay taxes for the
loverI would go to bed with it and services Canadians enjoy, but we
wake up cradling it in my arms. Now dont get full health care, employ-
I wake up, I do some breathing ment insurance, pensions or social
in bed and then I focus benefits such as subsidized housing
on setting my intention or education.
for the day.
TETA BAYAN, m i g ra n t w o r k e r,

(BAYAN) MAY 24, 2016; (M A C M I LLA N) MA RCH 28, 2016; (NZET-SGUIN) JU NE 2, 201 6.
TRACI MELCHOR, h o s t o f C T V s in The Globe and Mail

Th e S o c i a l , on building healthy habits,

in The Globe and Mail
A story is about moving from one
state to another, a movement that, in
more interesting fiction, is psycho-
logical, involving a growth of aware-
ness, a gathering of insight about
what it means to be human.
When I was young, I often used to
think, What a pity that Canada had
a rather boring history. I wondered
why we didnt have revolutions and
civil wars and invasions like proper
countries did. Now that Im more
sensible, I realize how lucky we are to
have had this very peaceful evolution.

T h e l a t e n o v e l i s t CAROL SHIELDS, in Hi s t o r i a n MARGARET MACMILLAN,

the book Startle and Illuminate: Carol Shields on Writing on CBC Radios Ideas

I want to make people

realize how opera is
important in their lives.
Conductor YANNICK NZET-SGUIN, in The Guardian, upon being
named director of the New York Metropolitan Opera
 I really dont like being on television. I
find it intimidating, discomforting. It
makes me uneasy. It is not natural to
be talking to a piece of machinery.
But the money is very good.
R e n o w n e d t e l e v i s i o n j o u r n a l i s t MORLEY SAFER,
w h o p a s s e d a w a y i n Ma y a t t h e a g e o f 8 4
A basic income is a simpler and
more transparent approach to fight-
ing poverty than our current patch-
work of social programs.
S e n a t o r ART EGGLETON,
in the Huffington Post
P HOTOS: (SA FER) U.S. NATI ONAL ARC HI VES; (HA NOM ANSIN G) CBC MED IA CE NTRE .
Id love to live my current age in,
like, 50 years. Id love to see what
kind of technology we would have
at our disposal. Ive seen so much
change in my lifetime that I want
to be part of more.
P o p s i n g e r LIGHTS, in Toronto Life
I was standing next to an African-
American woman and I said to her,
So what is this neighbourhood
like? I was thinking I have some
level of connection to her because
my skin is brown. But she looked
me up and down and
said, You wouldnt last
one minute here.
R e p o r t e r IAN HANOMANSING
on covering the 1992 L.A. riots, in the new
book Thats Why Im a Journalist
QUOTES: (SAFER) BUST LE.COM (MAY 19, 2016); (EGGLETON) FE B. 26, 201 6; (LIGHTS) APRIL 19, 2016;
(HANOMANSING) DOUGLAS & McINTYRE (SEPT. 1, 2015); (ABELL A) THE WALRUS (JUNE 1, 2016);
(ANTHONY) MAY 4, 2016 ; (CAR I GNAN) JUNE 3, 2016.
In theseeconomically narcissistic,
ideologically polarized and rhetor-
ically tempestuous times, in a world
that too often feels like its spinning
out of control, we need a legal pro-
fession that worries about what that
world looks and feels like to those
who are vulnerable.
S u p r e m e C o u r t Ju s t i c e
ROSALIE ABELLA, in a convocation
speech delivered at Yale Law School
I think when someones dying theres
this level of urgency that makes you
want to capture everything.
TREY ANTHONY, c o m e d i a n
a n d c r e a t o r o f D a K i n k i n My Ha i r,
discussing family ties and the death of
her grandmother on CBC Radio q
I knew there were a lot of guys there.
Yes, its the military, but it never
crossed my mind that I wouldnt
be accepted because Im a woman.
C o l . JENNIE CARIGNAN,
C a n a d as f i r s t f e m a l e c o m b a t g e n e ra l ,
on enlisting in the army in 1986
 SPECIAL FEATURE

READERS DIGEST TRUSTED BRAND 2016

WHY TRUST
MATTERS
Readers Digest conducts an annual Trusted BrandTM survey in which
Canadians can vote on the brands they trust the most. We also invited
you to share why trust is so important when making purchase decisions
and how it influences your shopping habits. Heres what you told us.

Like most Canadians, I work hard for my I need to know that when
money. Trust equals my business. It is vital I buy something, the product
for customers to be told the truth. will give me the most value
CASEY, NEW BRUNSWICK for my dollar and the quality
will be consistent.
JENNY, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Once my trust is earned, I often find
myself purchasing the same product in the
future. I may not even (actively) think of it. I am willing to pay more for a
I just know, subconsciously, that Ive had product that I know will always
positive experiences with that logo or that meet my expectations.
brand and I automatically reach for it. KAREN, ONTARIO
DEX, ALBERTA

Consumers want to purchase from trustworthy

companies and get the best product for
their family. Trust is definitely essential when
shopping and making a purchase decision.
KIM, NOVA SCOTIA

Seeing that the product is highly rated

and recommended will greatly influence
my decision. I feel that if others believe
that this is a superior product, I will too.
MAGGIE, ONTARIO

Readers Digest Trusted BrandTM Contest submissions, January 8 to April 9, 2015. TMTrusted Brand is a registered trademark of Readers Digest Association Canada ULC
 SPECIAL FEATURE

TRUST BY THE NUMBERS

In this years Trusted Brand survey, thousands of Canadians voted for
brands across 40 product categories, from consumer packaged goods to
financial institutions. This years results are in! Here are the standout stats:

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COUNTS TRUST IS

ESSENTIAL

77%
of Canadians are more

89%
likely to trust businesses
that make product recall
announcements.

of you say it is essential to

TRUST IS DEPENDABILITY trust the brands you buy.
THE DECIDING IS WORTH
FACTOR EVERY NICKEL YOURE
DEVOTED

92% 81% 82%

of you will buy the more
trusted brand when quality
of Canadians would pay
more for the products of Canadians admit they
and price are about equal. and services they trust. are very brand loyal.

YOURE
85%
of Canadians are
brand ambassadors,
BRAND praising trusted brands
AMBASSADORS to family and friends.

WHAT MAKES A TRUSTED BRAND?

Key attributes of a Trusted BrandTM include reliability,
an excellent reputation and high customer satisfaction.
Simply put, a Trusted BrandTM provides superior products
and services on which you can depend.

The Trusted BrandTM seal is a sign of consumer confidence.

And these brands consistently deliver on their promises.
Visit TRUSTEDBRANDS.RD.CA for the complete list of winners.

Source: 2016 Readers Digest Trusted BrandTM Study. TMTrusted Brand is a registered trademark of Readers Digest Association Canada ULC
 SPECIAL FEATURE

THE 2017 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID:

EVERYTHING YOU LOVE
ABOUT THE RAV4 AND MORE

ER
HY

R
R
B

ID
C TU
CA
R M A N U FA

Canadians will accept no compromises when they buy a vehicleand

the 2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid delivers it all, in one amazing compact SUV.

The RAV4 is already a Canadian success story (its Toyotas top-selling vehicle so far
this year!), with gas models of the vehicle being built right here in Canada. The RAV4
Hybrid combines the driving fun, bold styling, generous amenities and impressive
versatility of the RAV4 with the advanced power of Toyotas Hybrid Synergy Drive.

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is Canadas most fuel-efficient SUV, at just 7.3L/100km city/
highway combined. Yet it still offers the added all-weather driving confidence of
all-wheel-drive enhanced with Toyotas Active Torque Control System.

The 2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is available in three models the LE+ with available XLE
package, with more standard features than ever before, the all-new sporty Hybrid SE
with a specially-tuned suspension and aggressive exterior style, and the Limited, featuring
numerous technology upgrades, including the Birds Eye View Monitor and more.

With safety always top-of-mind at Toyota, new for 2017, all Toyota RAV4 and RAV4
Hybrid models will feature Toyota Safety Sense (TSS-P) a comprehensive array
of cutting edge safety technologies, including Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian
Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control,
and Automatic High Beams. Toyota Safety Sense, available in two packages (TSS-P
and TSS-C) supports driver awareness, decision-making and vehicle operation, to help
drivers anticipate and avoid accidents and joins an already extensive list of Toyota
safety technologies found in every RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid.

Canadians can learn more about the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid named as the
Readers Digest Most Trusted Brand of Hybrid Cars for 2016 and Toyotas
entire lineup of hybrid vehicles at www.toyota.ca. To learn more about
Toyota Safety Sense, visit www.toyota.ca/toyota-safety-sense/en.

Trusted Brand is a registered trademark of Readers Digest Association Canada ULC.

 SPECIAL FEATURE

THE 2017 TOYOTA CAMRY:

THE BOLD MID-SIZE SEDAN THAT

R
PA

RE
S
DELIVERS FULL-SIZE VALUE,

SE

TU
N
GE C
FA
NO MATTER HOW YOU MEASURE IT R C
AR MANU

The Toyota Camry is the number one selling intermediate passenger car in
North America for a good reason. In fact, for many of them. By any measure,
Camry sets the standard for mid-size sedans and adds up to tremendous value.

The difference is apparent at first sight. Camrys bold styling and wide, athletic stance
promise an engaging drive, and contribute to handling stability and efficiency. Inside,
the cabin is expansive and comfortable, with space for five and plenty of versatile
storage for cargo. Soft-touch materials and advanced instrumentation with intuitive
controls create a premium interior, while engineers have further reduced wind and
road noise to create the quietest-ever Camry. On the outside, its all about style and
stance. On the inside, its your own personal oasis.

But looks arent everything, right? What the style promises, the performance delivers.
All models are engineered for dynamic handling, with the chassis and body structure
engineered to deliver a superior, comfortable ride, while suspension and steering
systems take its handling to a new level of responsiveness. Choose between a 2.5L
four-cylinder or 3.5L V6 engine, each delivering an ideal combination of power and
efficiency that will never steer you in the wrong direction.

Now available as a 2017 model, the Toyota Camry is available in six configurations,
including the sporty SE and XSE editions and impressively appointed XLE
models. Hybrid powered models are also available. Canadians can learn
more about the Toyota Camry named as the Readers Digest Most
Trusted Brand of Passenger Cars for 2016 and Toyotas entire
lineup of passenger vehicles at www.toyota.ca.

Trusted Brand is a registered trademark of Readers Digest Association Canada ULC.


Advice on keeping
asthma in check
Breathe
Easy
BY SA M A N T H A R ID E O UT
! WHEEZING, COUGHING, chest
tightnessasthma is breathtaking,
and not in a good way. Though there
is currently no cure for the condition,
the majority of sufferers can live full
lives with the help of medication and
trigger management.
There are a number of ways to
take control. Inhalers and pills are
the first choice, but regular aerobic
exercise helps strengthen the lungs
and control weight, which, in turn,
minimizes symptoms. Asthma
should not be getting in the way
of an active lifestyle; if it does, try
ISTOCKP HOTO
using a reliever inhaler (which
relaxes the airways quickly) about
15 minutes before working out and
take time to thoroughly warm up.
HEALTH
If exercise continues to trigger
symptoms despite these steps, its
a sign your asthma isnt properly
controlled, says Dr. Guy Brusselle,
the science council chair of the
European Respiratory Society.
Adjustments to your medication
routine, made by a GP or a special-
ist, may be in order.
When winter arrives, many peo-
ple find that the cold air sets off
their symptoms and can worsen
existing complaints. If youre
among those sufferers, drape a
scarf over your nose and mouth
when youre outdoors on sub-zero
days. Ideally, asthma patients
should also get the annual flu
shot and the one-time pneumonia
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 33
READERS DIGEST

vaccine to help avoid illnesses Whatever you do, dont skip the
known to bring on attacks. annual visit, even if the coughing
What works one year might be and wheezing have mostly sub-
less effective the sided. You may be

60%
next, as asthma able to cut back
tends to change on your controller
over time. At least medication (pills or
every 12 months, inhalers designed
check in with a to continually

3 million
doctor who will of Canadas prevent inflamma-
track changes and tion), since you
administer a peak should be taking
expiratory flow test asthma sufferers dont have the lowest amount
to measure the their condition under control, necessary. Still,
amount of air you raising the risk of lung damage sufferers should
and life-threatening attacks.
can move through carry a reliever
your airways. You inhaler at all times.
and the physician can then ensure No matter how mild the asthma,
your regimen is still appropriate being prepared is always the
for your asthmas severity. smartest plan.

News From the

World of Medicine
Individual Migraine Triggers
Pinpointed
For 90 days in 2016, more than 320 migraine
sufferers kept diaries of their food, drink,
habits and headaches for a study by the
ISTOCKP HOTO

Autonomous University of Barcelona and

the Medical University of Vienna. By ana-
lyzing the diaries, researchers zeroed in on
triggers for 87 per cent of the subjects. Few

34 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
 Confidence comes
from within.

#1 Pharmacist-recommended Replens is a clinically

tested moisturizer that helps replenish dry vaginal
cells for comfort and relief that lasts up to 3 days.
 READERS DIGEST
ST
READERS DIGE
SUBSCRIBE TO
NCE TO WIN A
FOR YOUR CHA

WIN A
patients were affected by the same
set of factors, suggesting that look-
ing into ones own case is more

LEXUS
helpful than avoiding components
linked to migraines in others.

CT 200h!
Low-Salt Diets Not
Necessarily Beneficial
Too much salt promotes cardio-
vascular disease, but too little salt
may have an equally detrimental
effect, suggests an analysis pub-
lished in The Lancet that looked
at more than 130,000 people in 49
countries. A diet with less than three
grams of sodium (roughly 1.3 tea-
spoons of salt) per day reduces
blood pressure but may also affect
hormone balance in a negative way.
The report concluded that while
people with high blood pressure
and a high-sodium diet (more than
six grams a day) should reduce their
salt intake, the rest of the population
need not be encouraged to cut back.

Exercise Worthwhile, Even

in City Air

65 %
UP TO Does exposure to urban air con-
taminants outweigh the health
OFF benefits of walking or cycling out-
THE NEWSSTAND
PRICE doors? Not usually, according to a
study led by researchers from the
University of Cambridge. On aver-
age, a city dweller would have to
walk 16 hours a day or bike for
RD.CA/LEXUS seven before inhaling enough pol-
lutants to trump the boost provided

-4 65 -0780)
(O R CA LL 1-800
1. Odourless, natural formula 2. Natural capsaicin blocks 3. Inflammation is reduced,
quickly absorbs into the skin. pain at the source and draws increasing joint mobility
nutrients to the affected area. for greater comfort.

Weed out arthritis pain and get back to your roots.

Based on traditional medicine and made with natural ingredients,
Lakota is natural pain relief that works. For reviews and testimonials
visit Lakotaherbs.com
NEW READERS DIGEST

by regular physical activity. Says the lead author:

Even in Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in
the world, people would need to cycle over five
hours per week before the pollution risks out-
weigh the health benefits.

Fast acting, Hands-Free Phones Pose

Driving Risks
long lasting A simulated driving experiment published in
pain relief for Transportation Research found that while
hands-free phones are less distracting than
up to 12 hours hand-held ones, they can still pose a safety risk.
Conversations can lead drivers to imagine what
Targets arthritis theyre talking about, and when subjects pic-
pain at the site tured topics in their minds eye, they focused
on a smaller area of the road and did a worse
of inflammation job of avoiding hazards, compared to controls.
Passengers can be distracting too, but are more
Easy open cap* likely to let the driver concentrate.

TEST YOUR MEDICAL IQ

The recovery position is the recommended

posture for
A. placing someone who is unconscious
but breathing.
B. healing from surgery.
C. slowing ones heart rate after exercise.
D. sitting with an injured ankle.
Answer: A. In first aid, the recovery position is
for people who are unconscious but breathing
and free from spinal injuries. By rolling the
*Available on Advil victim onto their side, one ensures that saliva
12 Hour 30s and 52s. or vomit wont obstruct the airways.
Advil 12 Hour is not currently
available in British Columbia
or Newfoundland. Be sure this
product is right for you.
Read38and | follow
10 the
2016 | rd.ca
label.
Get fast acting, long lasting arthritis pain relief
and make simple tasks simple again.

Fast acting 12 hour

relief of arthritis pain.

Up to 12 hours of pain relief.
Advil 12 Hour is not currently available in British Columbia or Newfoundland.
Be sure this product is right for you. Read and follow the label.
HEALTH
How to manage
rheumatoid arthritis
Joint Attack
BY SA MA N T H A R ID E O UT
! ALTHOUGH NOBODY HAS
figured out exactly why the immune
system sometimes targets the
healthy lining inside elbows, knees,
wrists and other articulations, about
one in 100 Canadian adults knows
how it feels. Rheumatoid arthritis
(RA) can lead to severe inflamma-
tion and stiff, swollen joints, along
with fatigue and a low fever.
The condition can cause perma-
nent damage if proper treatment
isnt administered, and because the
bodys defences are busy attacking
its own tissues, RA also increases
the risk of other health problems,
such as cardiovascular disease.
The customary first-line treat-
ment is disease-modifying anti-
rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which
regulate immune systems and pre-
vent them from attacking joint lin-
ings. The earlier these medications
are started, the more effective they
are, says Dr. Linda Li, a professor at
40 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
the University of British Columbia
and a senior scientist at Arthritis
Research Canada (ARC).
In rare cases, DMARDs can pose
serious risks. For example, metho-
trexate, a widely used treatment, can
cause organ damage; patients taking
it should be closely monitored.
If your doctor suggests methotrex-
ate, an online tool called Answer
(answer.arccanada.org) can walk you
through the factors you should con-
sider. Developed by several Canadian
universities with ARC, Answer can
make patients more likely to follow
through with treatment decisions. A
similar tool for biologicsa newer
class of medication made from liv-
ing cells, commonly prescribed for
severe RAis currently being tested.
Overall, Li says, the key is learning
ISTOCKP HOTO
about the disease and its treatment
options. The knowledge you gain
will allow you to make the best
decisions for your unique case.
RA can leave you feeling like
youre out of options.
You may feel youve tried everything for your rheumatoid
arthritis (RA). But if stiff, swollen, and painful joints are
still getting in your way, talk to your doctor. There are oral
prescription medications you may not know about.
Take the next step. Ask your doctor about oral
prescription medications for your RA.
Visit myRAoptions.ca for a guide to help you start the
conversation with your doctor.
Brought to you by one of Canadas leading
CA0116TOF012E research-based pharmaceutical companies.
HEALTH
Case History
BY SY D N E Y LO N E Y
ILLUSTRATION BY VIC TOR WONG
THE PATIENT: Brett, a 52-year-old
factory worker
THE SYMPTOMS: Debilitating back
pain and unexplained weight loss
THE DOCTOR: Dr. Herbert Ho Ping
Kong, Osler professor of expert med-
ical practice at the University Health
Network in Toronto
! IT ALL STARTED WITH a bad
back in the fall of 2014. At first, Brett
dismissed it as a side effect of his
physically demanding job in an auto
plant. But two weeks later, when the
pain got worse, he went to his family
doctor in Brampton, Ont., who sent
him to a physician at the Workplace
Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
The MD there confirmed Bretts sus-
picionshe was getting older and
doing too much heavy lifting. He
was told to rest and take painkillers.
42 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
But then Brett began losing weight,
and his back pain got worse. A differ-
ent GP referred him to an orthopae-
dic surgeon. X-rays revealed nothing
amiss, so Brett was sent home with
more meds. By now it had been three
months, and the pain was so intense
he could no longer work. He tried a
third GP, who discovered blood in
Bretts urine and referred him to a
nephrologist. Concerned he might
have a tumour, the doctor called for
a cystoscopy (in which a camera is
inserted through the urethra to the
bladder to look for signs of cancer),
but the results were negative.
Brett did, however, test positive for
IgA, a relatively benign disease that
occurs when the antibody immuno-
globulin A lodges in the kidneys,
causing inflammation and, in some
cases, resulting in blood in the urine.
1. Take 2 capsules of Lakota 2. Natural source pain relievers, 3. Boswellia and Devils Claw
Joint Care Formula every such as White Willow Bark, reduce inflammation, while
morning with breakfast. target and relieve tough Lumanite rebuilds joints, in-
joint pain. creasing comfort and mobility.

Pain relief for moving mountains.

Based on traditional medicine and made with natural ingredients,
Lakota Joint Care Formula is natural pain relief that works.
For reviews and testimonials visit Lakotaherbs.com.
READERS DIGEST

The doctor told Brett to manage his travel to the heart and attach them-
blood pressure and cut back on chol- selves to the damaged area, causing
esterol, which would help protect his symptoms that include severe mus-
kidneys and slow the progression of cle pain, sweating, weight loss and
the disease, which cant be cured. blood in the urine.
But IgA didnt explain the back Given the patients history and
pain. At this point, six months into symptoms, Ho Ping Kong knew as
his ordeal, Brett could hardly walk. soon as he heard a heart murmur
Hed also begun sweating profusely that it was endocarditisand that
and had lost 30 pounds. Then one they had to move fast. The blackened
of his fingers turned black. He con- finger was a sign of a septic embol-
sulted a fourth GP, who sent him to ism: infected tissue had broken off
Toronto Western Hos- the heart valve and
pital to see Dr. Herbert lodged in the artery in
Ho Ping Kong, whos his finger. It was an
renowned in the city Once he heard a emergency, says Ho
for his skill in sorting heart murmur, Ping Kong. More
out difficult diagnoses. the doctor knew it pieces could break off
If only someone was endocarditis and travel to his legs,
had listened to his his kidneys or his brain
heart, says Ho Ping
and that they and cause a stroke.
Kong. Within two min- had to move fast. Over the next week,
utes, the doctor was the patient was given
able to diagnose Brett antibiotics and had
with subacute endocarditis. He cardiac surgery to replace the valve
wouldve been dead within three and prevent heart failure. Because
weeks, says Ho Ping Kong, who sees the damage was extensive, he also
a case like this every couple of years; needed a pacemaker. Although he
its estimated that between two and couldnt lift as much as he used to,
six of every 100,000 people suffer Brett was back at work within two
from the condition. Endocarditis is months, pain-free. There are some
an infection of the inner lining of the cases where the clinical diagnosis is
heart that affects individuals who as good as any kind of CT scan or
have diseased or damaged cardiac MRI, Ho Ping Kong says. Its that
valves, such as those born with a con- combination of taking a complete
genital defect. (The doctor suspects medical history and a thorough
Brett may have had rheumatic heart physical examand you always
disease.) Bacteria in the bloodstream have to listen to the heart.

44 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
 JUST THE BEST...
Subscribe to Canadas best womens health and wellness magazine.
We give you the right tools to make your life easier, and make you
healthier and happier! Our goal: Just the best. Just for you.
DIGES T
EST
RS DIG

READ ERS

TACOY
REA DE

ESDA
TUJU ST GORT YOUR
EOVE
MAKALTHIER
OLISM
MEHETABMO

60
RE

10
NO IN
free trip! BACK PA
WIN A JAMAICAN
GETAWAY PAGE 109
10
MINUTES TO A
PAIN-FRE
S K
MINUTEBAC
E

IS YS
WA TO -
OF
GLUOTEN TO AR
AGE- PR
FREESKIN GEWANT
YOUNBO
UR LTH
YOHEA Y? DY
MORE
?

LyIoVurE
ENERGY
FOR
THIS
EATe dra ma
real-lifBREA KFAST
IS NHE AD
A HYEA
EAS
RTGIE
VEG
AK IT IN!
LANT
SMART TRANSPHACKS

DYROEUAM,HEALTHIER!
SKIN IVE
SAVERS SURVTE R
WINOUT
WITHCO
A LD
Heres how SMALL,
BUT MIGHTY,
TWEAKS
JANUARY
| FEBRUARY
$4.99
besthealthmag.ca/subscribe
2016 $4.99
MARCH | APRIL

MAG.CA
BESTHEALTH
BESTHEALTHMAG.CA
FOOD
Tips to control
your condition
Eating Right
for Diabetes
BY L I SA H A N N A M
! EXERCISE. Keep your weight
in check. Limit simple sugars. These
are all doctor-approved ways to
manage type 2 diabetes and lower
your risk of developing the condition.
It is an epidemic, says Dr. Hertzel
Gerstein, professor of medicine at
McMaster University in Hamilton,
Ont. There is a lot of research being
done to find better ways of treating
diabetes and identifying ways to
prevent it. Here are a few.
1. FATTEN UP YOUR MEALS (but
drop that piece of fried chicken). Its
the good fats that help, according to
a study by the National University of
Singapore presented at the Ameri-
can Diabetes Association 2016 Sci-
entific Sessions. The randomized
trial found that a high-fat diet (like
the Mediterranean one) improved
insulin resistance.
46 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
2. HAVE A JAVA. Harvard Univer-
sity found that moderate coffee
drinkers live longer and may be at
lower risk for diabetes, suggesting
that certain compounds in coffee
reduce insulin resistance and
inflammation. But limit yourself
to two cups a day.
3. EAT HEALTHY. Seems obvious,
right? But a new study published in
Nutrition Interventions in Diabetes
Care and Education found that stick-
ing with a diabetes-friendly diet
maintained blood sugar levels in
type 2 sufferers almost as well as
medication does. Diabetes Canada
recommends that half of each meal-
time plate be made up of at least
ISTOCKP HOTO
two kinds of veggies; the other half
should be evenly comprised of whole
grains and meat or meat alternatives
(such as pulses, eggs or tofu).
 Binge Eating Disorder:
Its a real medical
condition

Youre not alone.

In a multinational survey, almost 2% of
people experienced Binge Eating Disorder.
Binge Eating Disorder (BED) isnt just overeating. Its a real
medical condition, and one thats quite common. In fact, in a
multinational survey of over 24,000 people, the prevalence Reach out. Ask for help.
was higher for BED than bulimia in all countries surveyed.
Characterized by repeated episodes of binging (eating a Start the conversation.
large amount of food in a short period of time), BED may be
accompanied by feelings of distress, disgust and a sense of
a lack of control.

There is help.
BED can be managed, but it can also be a very sensitive
topic. You might not be comfortable discussing it, or maybe
youve hidden it from your loved ones. But now, theres
more information and understanding about BED than ever A survey to assess BED was performed using the DSM-IV diagnostic
before. criteria across 14 countries including the United States, Belgium,
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland,
Portugal, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and Romania.
Getting the support you need starts with a simple
This does not represent the full diagnostic criteria as per the DSM-5.
conversation. If you think you might have BED, reach out to DSM-IV is a registered trade-mark of the American Psychiatric Association.
family, friends or your doctor for the help you deserve. DSM-5 is a trade-mark of the American Psychiatric Association.

CDA/BU/15/0126
64614-04-2017-E
 The
Truth
50 secrets your pet
wont tell you

About Cats
& Dogs
BY M I C H E LLE CRO UC H ,
W ITH AD D I TI O N A L R E S E A R C H
BY R EBECC A TU C KE R
PHOTOGRAPH Y BY CHANTAL LEVESQUE

Mistakes Even the Most
Loving Owners Make
1 You think my wagging tail is
always an invitation for you to pet
me. Wrong! Italian researchers found
that dogs wag their tails slightly to the
right when they experience some-
thing they like and to the left when
theyre confronted with something
they wish to avoid.
2 You might be tempted to buy any
old dog-grooming brush, but you
should pick the right one for the job. A
rubber brush promotes good circula-
tion and loosens dirt, while a bristled
one removes dead hair. Talk to your
vet or groomer to find the best option.
3 Your favourite cat game to play
with me involves a laser pointer.
I live for the hunt, so I get frustrated
because I cant catch a darting light.
If youre going to use a pointer, please
sub in an actual toy at the end, giv-
ing me something to catch and kill.
It makes the game worth it.
4 Youre overfeeding me. How can
you tell? I dont seem motivated
by food treats when youre trying to
train me. Cut back and Ill start to pay
COVER STORY
attention. Check the guidelines on
my food packaging to find out how
much I should be eating and avoid
spoiling me with needless snacks.
5 On grooming day, you bring out
the blow-dryer. Dontit might
scare me, and the heat can hurt my
skin. If Im brave, you can try the
dryer on a cool setting. Otherwise,
stick with a towel-dry.
6 Please dont rush me when Im
going to the bathroom. Theres a
reason why dogs circle around before
getting down to business: our instincts
tell us we have to be aligned with the
earths magnetic field before we poop.
In fact, European researchers watched
70 of us engage in 1,893 defecations
over a two-year period just to figure
this outalthough theyre not sure
what motivates this behaviour.
7 You may think its nice to let me
sleep all day, but too much nap
time can affect my personality. I need
mental stimulation as well as phys-
ical activity, and when Im bored, I
might bark or damage furniture to
keep myself occupied or get your at-
tention. Twenty minutes of playtime
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 49
READERS DIGEST
for cats or several good walks per day
for dogs can make all the difference.
8 Since Im an old dog, I get to eat
whatever I want, yes? No! If I
have arthritis, Ill be much happier if
you give me a daily supplement that
contains glucosamine and chondroi-
tin sulphate, which protect joint car-
tilage. And switch me to a food thats
formulated for an animal my age.
Ways I Wish Youd
Keep Me Safe
9 If you lose me, dont just alert
local animal shelters, rescues and
control agencies. Let friends, neigh-
bours and area businesses know that
Im missing, toothat way, youll
have hundreds of eyes looking out for
me. (For good measure, be sure to get
me microchipped when Im young.)
10 If youre having me spayed,
ask your vet if she can remove
just my ovaries, not my uterus. This
is a much less invasive procedure
and is how cats and dogs are spayed
in Europe. Some Canadian veterinar-
ians have already made the switch.
11 Because Im a creature of habit,
even a subtle change in my
behaviour is a red flag that I might
be sick. So if it takes me an hour to
eat my food instead of my usual 60
seconds; if Im tiring out faster when
we play; if there are more urine
50 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
clumps in the litter box than usual;
or if I seem to be drinking more
water, call the vet right away. It could
just be a stomach bug, but I might
also be dealing with a serious illness,
such as a bowel obstruction, urinary
tract infection or kidney disease. Its
best to let the pros decide.
12 Theres no question that Ill
have a better chance of living
a longer life if you keep me inside
and dont let me roam free, whether
Im a dog or a cat. Its far less likely
that Ill get ill, hit by a car, stolen or
just plain lost. But once Ive been
allowed to roam free, itll be hard to
change me.
How to Really Make Me
Your Best Friend
13 Please introduce me around
when Im young so Im not
afraid of strangers. Some experts
say I should meet 100 new people of
different sizes, ages, genders and
ethnicities in my first 100 days at
home, even if its just a quick greeting.
Make sure you include people wear-
ing hats and sunglasses, since some
accessories can look scary to me.
14 You may think its weird (and
kind of icky) when I rub my
butt on the carpet, but its usually a
sign that something is wrong. I might
be a bit dirty, or I could be itchy,
in pain or struggling to go to the
bathroom. Check to see if
I need some help cleaning
myself and, if not, make an
appointment to see the vet.

15 When youre choos-

ing a new furry friend,
ask a vet or trainer for simple
tests you can do to gauge
temperament. For example,
you can try rolling me over
on my back to see how I han-
dle it. If I really struggle, Im
probably going to be tougher
to train than an animal that
lies there placidly.

Surprising Things
Dogs Love
16 Forget the boxed treats!
If you want me to really
pay attention when youre
training me, use a snack thats
moist, like a piece of greasy chicken.
19 Please, please can I choose
my own bed? The way I sleep

17 While some of us gulp down

grass only if weve eaten some-
thing that doesnt agree with us and
are trying to regurgitate it, others just
love to munch the lawn. So let me
grazejust make sure the grass Im
sampling is free of pesticides.
will determine which one is the most
comfortable. Let me try out a few
in a pet store. If I usually sleep with
my legs sprawled out, Ill be more
comfortable on a flat bed with-
out sides. But if I like to curl up, Ill
probably love a bumper bed.

18 Beware: I may eat your under-

wear, especially if its been
And What They
Secretly Hate
worn. Last summer, a Pennsylvania
vet reported surgically removing
eight pairs from one Labs belly.
20 You say Im great with kids,
but if Im licking, drawing my
ears back, turning my head away or

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 51
READERS DIGEST
yawning (all signs of anxiety) while
they play with me, Im probably just
barely tolerating them. If you keep
letting them pull my tail, one of these
days I might react badly.
21 If Im not used to strangers,
please dont let them reach
out toward me when we first meet
their hand may as well be a vacuum
cleaner. Instead, ask them to crouch
down on one leg and look slightly
away. Then let me approach them
and give them a sniff.
22 Hold those clippers! Most
dogs dont need to be shaved,
even in the summertime. My under-
coat actually insulates me from heat,
so it helps me stay cool. Just make
sure you keep my fur brushed and
tangle-free to promote good air cir-
culation. However, if my coat is very
thick or getting matted, you can give
me a haircutjust make sure to leave
at least an inch of fur to protect my
skin from sunburns.
23 If you leave me in the backyard
when youre not home, dont
fool yourself that Im going to run
around and have fun. The truth is, Im
probably going to sit in one spot and
wait for you to return. Being kept out-
doors can make me anxious and leave
me exposed to the elements. Dogs are
den animals, and many of us prefer to
be inside, ideally with you.
52 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
24 I may love to fetch and would
like to learn how to catch a fly-
ing disc, but those hard plastic Frisbees
can hurt my teeth and gums. Instead,
look for a soft one at a pet store.
Cats: Our Biggest
Mysteries Solved!
25 Lets get one thing straight:
declawing is not the same as
cutting our nails. Its a painful surgery
thats similar to amputating the last
two knuckles of your fingers. If my
scratching is destructive, try glue-on
nail caps.
26 The dead mice and birds
arent gifts: I just want to
return my prey to my den. And if I
continue to play with an injured
critter, its not out of malice. Even
if Im not hungry, this behaviour
engages my hunting instinct and
helps me practise some motor skills
(although it seems kind of mean).
27 Before you buy a fancy cabinet
to enclose my litter box, keep
in mind that most of us dont like to
feel cornered. I prefer an uncovered
box thats out of the way but where
I have a view of the room and can
escape if I see anything threatening.
28 You may think Im untrainable,
but I can actually learn just
as much as a dog if you start lessons
when Im young. The key is positive
reinforcement: reward me with cud-
dles or a treat when I do something
good, like sitting or coming on com-
mand. Avoid negative reinforcement.
Just show me what you want me to do
and reward me when I do it.
29 If I stiffen every time you run
a hand down my back, take
the hint. A 2013 study published in
Physiology and Behavior found that
cats who didnt like the sensation but
allowed their owners to stroke them
anyway were more stressed out than
those who avoided touch.
30 Remember, I see the world
as vertical, not horizontal. So
instead of getting mad when I knock
things off the mantel, build me a
cat superhighway around the room.
Install a shelf that leads up to a book-
case, then to a mantel, then to a chair
I can use to get down.
31 The sound of purring doesnt
always mean Im happy. I also
purr when Im in pain or afraid, be-
cause its a self-soothing mechanism.
32 Thinking about getting me a
buddy? Ill get along best with
a cat whos of the opposite sex and
slightly younger than I am, but dont
just throw us in a room together. Talk
to your vet or a trainer about how
to introduce us gradually. If Im an
older cat and Ive lived alone with
you for years, consider whether Ill
benefit from having a new friend. I
may already be too set in my ways.
33 Excuse me for putting my
bottom in your face, but you
should consider it an incredibly high
compliment. When I was a kitten, I did
the same thing to my mother so she
could clean me. It means I perceive
you as a maternal figure.
34 I love fancy cat gadgets and
toys, but I can have just as
much fun with a paper bag with the
handles cut off, an aluminum-foil
ball or a plain box. Its actually quite
easy to create a homemade toy that
Ill love. Anything that is shiny or that
I can scratch is going to make my day.
Training Tricks That
Help Us Learn
35 Dont wait until Im six
months old to start correcting
bad behaviour. By then, Ill be used to
drinking out of the toilet and chewing
shoes. Experts say its easier to instill
good habits from the beginning
starting at about eight weeksthan
to undo bad habits.
36 If you let me jump on your lap,
Ill likely climb up on anyone
with whom I feel comfortableeven
people who are scared of me or have
pet allergies. Its best to prevent this
behaviour by encouraging me to keep
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 53

my distance, in a nice way. If I try to
climb onto you, try standing up or
putting a pillow on your lap to block
my access.
37 To stop me from scratching a
piece of furniture, cover the
entire area with an old bedsheet,
aluminum foil or strips of double-
sided tape, because those dont feel
good under my paws. Then put a tall
scratching post right in front of it.
38 If you let me on the furniture
when Im young and cute, I
54 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
will think its always okay, no
matter how big I get.
39 What do you mean
you cant teach an
old dog new tricks? My owner
taught me to fetch the news-
paper from the driveway and
take it to him when I was 10
years old. It just takes time,
patience and repetition.
40 If I pee inside the
house or out of the
litter box, dont reprimand
me: I didnt do it out of spite!
Its because something is
wrongI could be stressed,
frightened or ill, or it could
have simply been too long
since my last walkand
I couldnt help it. Instead
of rubbing my nose in it,
show me where I should be doing
my business.
41 Want me to learn to walk by
your side on a leash? Give me
some incentive. As soon as I start to
pull ahead, stop walking. Wait for the
leash to go slack, then start walking
again. Ill quickly figure out that I
need to stay next to you in order to
keep doing what I love most: moving
and exploring.
42 Sometimes I might seem frus-
trated or anxious when Im
looking out the window at something
particularly interesting, like a bird,
dog or other cat. If you try to pet me,
I might redirect that feeling at you.
Dont get offended: its just that you
entered my space when my hunting
instincts were on high alert. Try not
to bother me if you notice that Im
focused on something.
43 When I bark, jump or grab
items off the countertop, I
dont mean to be bad. Im just bored!
I want your attention! Please get off
your smartphone and play with me.
44 If Im a dog who is scared of
thunderstorms or loud noises,
get me a snug-fitting ThunderShirt. Or
make your own. Wrap an ACE bandage
across my chest, cross it over the top
of my body and then under, repeating
over and under until its midway down
my back, then secure it. The constant
pressure against the middle of my
body will help ease my anxiety.
The Best (and Worst)
Foods for Us
45 Remember, my digestive
system is very different from
yours. Raisins and grapes can shut
down a dogs kidneys. Other danger-
ous foods include chocolate, coffee,
macadamia nuts and avocado.
46 Want my coat to be thick and
shiny? Make sure my diet has
plenty of essential fatty acids. Most
high-quality commercial pet foods
have enough, but pets on low-quality
foods or homemade meals that arent
balanced may develop a dull coat.
47 The type of food I need (and
like!) may depend on a lot of
individual factors, including health
problems. Ask your vet if I need
prescription foods that are specially
formulated for my concerns.
48 Consult a specialist before you
decide to cook my meals your-
self. According to the Canadian Veter-
inary Medical Association, its possible
for homemade food to deliver balan-
ced, total nutritionbut this usually
means sticking to a strict recipe, which
many pet owners fail to do.
49 Did you hear the hype about
grain-free cat and dog food?
Thats what it is: hype. Theres noth-
ing wrong with feeding me grains
they are an important part of a
well-rounded diet. Before you make
any change, talk to your vet.
50 If you switch me to a raw diet,
I may end up with cracked
teeth, a bacterial infection or a nutri-
tional deficiency. Also, exposure to my
feces could put anyone with a weak-
ened immune system at risk. Thats
why the Canadian Veterinary Medical
Association discourages raw diets.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 55

I Never
Felt Like I
Belonged
BY L I SA B E N DALL
WITHIN 30 SECONDS of walking in
the door, Doug Lawrie, 48, can cause
chaos in his household. I offer an
opinion or suggestion without think-
ing before I speak, says the father of
two, who was diagnosed with atten-
tion deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) in adulthood. That condi-
ISTOCKP HOTO
tion affects his parenting choices: his
snap decisions cause conflict with
his kids; invariably, his wife, Susan,
is left playing peacemaker.
HEALTH
Three Canadians on
what its like to be an
adult with ADHD
People with ADHD, like Lawrie,
experience extreme levels of impul-
sivity, distractibility or forgetfulness
that can interfere with relationships,
work and finances. They may have
subtle differences that cause ineffi-
ciency in areas of the brain that are
involved in cognitive tasks like paying
attention and planning. This makes it
difficult to focus and complete tasks.
Its widely accepted that the disorder
affects at least one in 22 adults.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 57
READERS DIGEST
ADHD runs in families, but it may
have non-genetic causes, as well.
Most adults with the condition today
have never been diagnosed, though
theyve likely had it since child-
hood. Keith Gelhorn, who teaches
at ADDvocacy ADHD and Life Skills
Coaching in Dartmouth, N.S., says
they typically blame themselves for
a string of failures: financial prob-
lems, lost jobs, rocky marriages.
They come in saying, My lifes a
mess. Whats wrong with me? says
Harpreet Aulakh, a Halifax psychol-
ogist who treats adults with the con-
dition. Patients often approach her
for help with depression or anxiety
(about 85 per cent of adults with
ADHD have another mental-health
issue). They arent always aware
they have the disorder, since symp-
toms can be significantly different
from those present in childhood:
an impulsive kid may have trouble
waiting his turn; an older person
might take risks speeding.
As Aulakh points out, the condition
can be an asset for those who have
it. When others cant pro-
cess information quickly,
they excel. Theyre fast
and they can multi-task.
Theyre very good as
emergency responders.
People with ADHD are
often creative, inquisitive,
high-energy risk-takers,
all enviable attributes if
58 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
youre an entrepreneur, inventor or
entertainer. The list of high-profile
folks with the condition includes
Canadian comedian Russell Peters,
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps
and Kinkos founder Paul Orfalea.
The biggest challenge may be the
stigma that people with ADHD often
face. Their symptoms are blamed on
laziness or immaturity rather than a
proven brain disorder. But with the
right tools, adults across Canada with
ADHD are living happy, successful
lives. Here are three of their stories.
Pete Quily
Almost 20 years ago, a display at the
library caught Pete Quilys eye. A local
group had assembled a collection of
books on ADHD and listed common
adult symptoms, such as forgetting
appointments, difficulty organizing
tasks and making careless mistakes.
Quily, who lives in Vancouver, recalls
thinking, My God, thats me.
Although hed done well in school,
hed struggled to complete assign-
ments on time. University work
was stressful. As an adult, he
continued to have difficulty
staying focused. He per-
formed well enough at a
COURTESY P ETE QUILY
job selling Apple comput-
ers, but because he was
easily distracted, tasks took
longer or were forgotten.
Pete Quily
 He didnt understand why he had
trouble doing things everyone else
seemed to find simpleuntil he saw
that book display. It was an explan-
ation, and it was such a relief, he
says. A doctor confirmed the diag-
nosis, and Quily began researching
ways to manage his condition. Still,
he wondered why someone hadnt
figure this out for him earlier. I was
angry that no one had spotted it.
Now in his early 50s, Quily has dedi-
cated himself to learning everything
he can about his condition. One of
the advantages of ADHD is curiosity,
he says. If were interested, we can
focus for hours, better than anyone
in the room. As his understanding
deepened, Quily began training to
become an ADHD coach, a process
that included a course with Coaches
Training Institute. (The profession is
not regulated, and only a few Canadi-
ans specialize in it.)
Quily now runs a support group
and offers telephone coaching. To
date, hes worked with lawyers, doc-
tors, professors and engineers,
whom hes taught to break
down their to-do lists into
steps with clear instruc-
COURTESY JENNA VAN DA L
tions and an estimate of
exactly how much time and
energy each item requires.
He also recommends that
clients outsource the tasks
they keep putting off, such
as paperwork.
Its a challenging condition but
very treatable, says Quily, who tries
to take his own advice every day. Hes
learned ADHD brings with it a great
many rewards, and believes increased
awareness of this would help many
adults live better lives. Many people
refuse to seek a diagnosis because its
viewed as solely negative.
Jenna Vandal
In the program she coordinated for
indigenous girls in Winnipeg, Jenna
Vandal taught life skills such as cook-
ing, self-defence and using public
transit. I was patient when they didnt
listen, says the 30-year-old, who is
Mtis and Anishinaabe. I didnt yell
at them the way I was yelled at.
As a girl, Vandal couldnt sit still,
concentrate on homework or make
friends easily. She was diagnosed with
ADHD at age eight, but nobody knew
how to support her in school. She
tried meds, but stopped taking them
when she developed tics and head-
aches. Shed dance on her desk to
release energy. I never felt like
I belonged, she recalls. She
nearly failed her classes.
In front of other students,
a middle-school teacher
p ro c l a i m e d , Je n na,
youre never going to suc-
ceed. Youll never make
something with your life.
Jenna Vandal
READERS DIGEST
In her early 20s, Vandal started
devouring documentaries about the
earth. Every question led to 10 more,
and the amount of learning I was
doing was snowballing. Her interest
piqued, she went on to take univer-
sity courses in environmental studies
and native studies at the University
of Manitoba, getting stellar grades
that helped her earn scholarships
and bursaries. If I had believed the
teachers who told me Id fail, I prob-
ably wouldve failed, she says. But it
made me want to prove them wrong.
Today, Vandals biggest challenges
are time management and impul-
sive decisions. Like other adults with
ADHD, her thoughts skip around
quickly, making it tricky to complete
a task or consider the long-term
consequences of her actions. But
as she gets older, she experiments
with new strategies. Ive found that
natural movement helps. A nice long
walk focuses my mind, and I can plan
more. Vandal also embraced camp-
ing a few years ago and has devel-
oped a keen interest in nature. She
fantasizes about an educational
system that fully incorpo-
rates the outdoors, with
students taking classes in
the bush, learning from
elders, climbing trees
and getting dirty.
Vandal has gone back
to university to finish up
her bachelor of
60 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
environmental studies; she wants
to become an urban planner with
a focus on green building. People
with ADHD are blessed with intense
passion, she says. I would tell oth-
ers, Strive to explore as much as you
can about life, because you will find
your calling somewhere, and you can
make your own change in that way.
Doug Lawrie
Like many adults, Doug Lawrie of
Burlington, Ont., found out he had
ADHD only after his son, Alex, now
13, was diagnosed at the age of five.
(Daughter Abbie, 18, was diagnosed
several years later.) Alexs psychiatrist
gave Lawrie a screening checklist
for adults, and almost every symp-
tom rang true. As a child, hed been
picked on for his impulsive outbursts
and switched schools in Grade 7.
Around the same age, he discov-
ered sports had a calming effect. I
would go outside in March and shoot
baskets for three hours in the freezing
cold, Lawrie says. It was my coping
strategy. My brain craved an outlet.
Lawrie eventually spun his
love of sports into a success-
ful career as a golf pro and
COURTESY DOUG LAWRI E
instructor. For the past
several years hes focused
on teaching children
and has been named
one of North Americas
Doug Lawrie
top 50 teachers by the U.S. Kids
Golf Foundation for three consecu-
tive years. Helping kids love a sport
they can play for their whole lives is
so rewarding, he says.
Creativity is one of Lawries pro-
fessional strengths. Hes constantly
coming up with new lesson ideas
and especially enjoys devising ways
to engage students who likely have
ADHD themselves. He attributes
that quality, as well as his ability to
connect with kids, to his condition,
which he thinks of as a gift.
For the most part, Lawrie has devel-
oped his own coping skills, though he
does take a daily medication, Adderall,
to help his symptoms, and has read
books on ADHD and relationships. He
uses time management software and
keeps written lists and reminders in
notebooks, and often listens to high-
energy dance music while he works.
It tunes out everything else so I can
start thinking, he says.
Although its been rocky at times,
Lawrie doesnt regret the road thats
brought him here, to a loving family
and fulfilling job. I know that Im
exactly where Im meant to be at this
precise moment, he says.
BIOLOGY LESSON
Whoever named it necking is a poor judge of anatomy.
GROUCHO MARX
GET SUPPORT
According to Harpreet Aulakh,
cognitive behavioural therapy
can help people with ADHD put
procedures in place tailored to
their day-to-day lives. One indi-
vidual might need strategies to
limit impulse buying, while a dif-
ferent person could require help
to keep track of her keys.
Drugs such as Adderall and
Ritalin can settle racing thoughts
by stimulating the part of the
brain that isnt working effi-
ciently. A calmer state often
makes it easier to learn how to
manage the condition. Medica-
tion doesnt treat all the other
things that come with ADHD,
Aulakh says. But in combination
with other therapy, it can help.
Pete Quily recommends medi-
tation, regular breaks and plan-
ning around obstacles in advance.
He finds support groups invalu-
able. Its nice to meet humans
with ADHD, he says, if for no
other reason than to say, Its not
just me; Im not a bad person.
There are other people with this.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 61

Do the
RIGHT
Thing
ASTRID BAUMGARDNER HAD grown
accustomed to her morning routine.
Her husband, a securities lawyer,
woke up each day excited to head to
the office; Baumgardner, meanwhile,
felt more inclined to stay in bed. She
should have loved her job: she was
a partner at a law firm in New York
and brought in a hefty salary. But she
couldnt muster the enthusiasm she
saw in her husbandthe position
didnt fulfill her need to help people
or give her a sense of purpose. So, in
2000, after 24 years in law, she left the
profession, sacrificing prestige for pas-
sion. After a series of positions in dif-
ferent fields, she earned her certificate
LIFE LESSON
How to make choices
that reflect your values
BY LUC R I N A L DI
ILLUSTRATION BY ANJA JAVELONA
as a life coach in 2008 and promptly
started her own business.
Today, as a lecturer and coordinator
of career strategies at the Yale Univer-
sity School of Music (a position shes
held since 2011and loves), Baum-
gardner helps students make deci-
sions as tough as her own. Through
her story and theirs, shes discovered
that people feel most fulfilled when
they choose options that align with
their most deeply held values. Heres
how to stay true to yours.
KNOW YOUR VALUES
If you hope to shape your life accord-
ing to your ideals, you have to know
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 63
READERS DIGEST
what those ideals are. Baumgardner
begins her sessions by having partici-
pants identify the concepts that are
most important to them from a list:
honesty, structure, family and so on.
Those qualities are influenced by
your parents, your culture and society
as a whole, she says, but you have to
take ownership of your own decisions.
Heres the tricky part: almost all of
these qualities are things most of us
aspire to hold dear. There are a lot
of shoulds, Baumgardner says. For
instance, we feel like we should covet
adventure, even when, in reality, we
spend our free time bingeing on Net-
flix series. To determine which prin-
ciples are more than just aspirational,
she asks her clients to reflect on situa-
tions that resonate with them.
For one of Baumgardners students,
creativity and lifelong learning was
key. He felt that being in an orchestra
would stifle that desirehe wouldnt
have autonomy over what and how
he played, she says. After graduating,
he launched a career as a soloist and
lecturer, and became the director of a
new-music ensemble that premieres
works by contemporary composers.
FIND THE BEST TIME
Identifying your values will steer you in
the right direction, but a few strategies
can help you follow through. Before
you make a big decision, do something
that will put you in a good mood: exer-
cise, socialize with friends, volunteer.
64 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
Researchers theorize that such activ-
ities enhance our mood, which boosts
dopamine levels in certain areas of the
brain, improving our cognitive abilities
and helping us weigh different options.
A SINGLE DECISION
CAN SEEM LIKE A
TUG-OF-WAR, BUT
LIFE CHOICES DONT
NEED TO BE AN
EITHER/OR QUESTION.
In one 2013 study, Ohio State Uni-
versity psychology professor Ellen
Peters followed two groups: one that
received small bags of candy and one
that didnt. The mild positive feel-
ings inspired by the gift influenced
subjects to make better choices and
improved their working memory. If
you can make someone just a little
happier, they may become a better
decision maker, says Peters, who is
also the director of OSUs Decision
Sciences Collaborative.
Trouble is, the toughest decisions
often arrive at the most inconvenient
times. When youre under duress, Pe-
ters recommends consulting a family
member, a friend or, in certain cases,
a professional. They can provide
advice thats not tinged by the work
deadline, spousal drama or leaky roof
sapping your mental energy.
BALANCE ALL OPTIONS
Of course, people make decisions
that contradict their ideals all the
time, no matter how single-minded
or happy they may be. There are
lots of values we hold dear, and they
frequently come into conflict with
one another, says Peters. Its not so
much that people dont know what
they want; its that there are many
things we desire, and we dont always
know how to make the trade-off. A
retired couple, for example, might be
torn between yearning to be actively
involved in their grandchildrens lives
and using their free time to travel.
While a single decision can seem
like a tug-of-war between compet-
ing impulses, broader life choices
dont need to be a definitive either/
or. That aspiring-globetrotter pair
might temporarily put off an epic
trip to explore locations closer to
home, or commit to setting aside
time for vacation with their family
every summer, no matter what else
comes up. An omnivore yearning to
cut out animal products may find it
easiest to make small-scale adjust-
ments that support the principles
that prompted his dietary shift. If he
opposes factory farming, he could
consider eating ethically raised
meat; if hes after health benefits,
he can opt for what food guru Mark
Bittman refers to as a vegan before
6 p.m. diet and complement that
with a more active lifestyle.
STAY THE COURSE
At Yale, students often stumble into
Baumgardners office when theyre
grappling with major decisions or life
changes. Though each case is unique,
Baumgardner typically starts by exam-
ining what led her client down a path,
then brainstorming ways for them
to reclaim that inspiration. A pianist
might benefit from listening to the
composer who sparked her interest
in the instrument or from watching a
heartfelt live performance. Following
that, surrounding yourself with people
who share your passion can also pre-
vent you from faltering. A group can
remind you, Hey, were doing this
because we love it, she says.
If youre still struggling, even after
revisiting your inspirations or seeking
out community support, theres no
shame in revising your core values.
If youre determined to pitch in at
an out-of-the-cold meal program but
spend the evening with pals instead, it
may be time to accept that camarad-
erie is more important to you than
volunteerism. Better yet, find oppor-
tunities to give back with your friends.
You may also learn that what you
believed was a core priority actually
has much more to do with living up
to the expectations of your parents,
co-workers or culture. If your val-
ues align with who you really are, no
one will have to ask you to make
those choices, Baumgardner says.
Itll just feel right.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 65
 As Kids See It
Dont rush me. Im texting for two.
BRIGHT IDEAS
A while back, our family decided to
move into a larger house. Though
we started our real-estate search
around November, it was very clear
that our six-year-old son, Thomas,
already had Christmas on the brain.
As we drove away after touring
a potential new home, Thomas
pointed at the building next door.
Why dont we buy that one? he
asked. It has two chimneys. That
means we can have two Santas!
COS VAN WERMESKERKEN, L a n g l e y , B . C .
66 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
AFTER MY WIFE PASSED away in
2003, I decided to pursue a univer-
sity degreesomething Id been
unable to do when I was younger.
At the age of 79, I achieved my goal
and acquired a bachelor of arts. Not
long after I graduated, a friend came
SUSAN CAM ILLERI KONAR
for a visit and brought along her
12-year-old nephew, Tomas. Learn-
ing of my accomplishment, he took
in my grey hair and wrinkles and
commented, Wow, did they ever
hold you back.
JAMES FEATHERSTONE, Ha m i l t o n , O n t .
STEADY STREAM
While waiting for my teenage son,
AND ONE FOR THE KIDS
Seth, to come home one Saturday
night, I switched on the television. Q: Whats made of leather and
They were playing The Breakfast sounds like a sneeze?
Club, an old favourite of mine. At A: A shoe. reddit.com

curfew, Seth arrived home and

began watching with me. When the
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
movie went to commercials, he was
One day, when my daughter, Trinity,
startledhed become so accus-
was about nine, we were watching
tomed to watching Netflix that hed
a program about extreme sports. At
forgotten ads existed. What hap-
one point, they showed a person
pened? he asked. Theres some-
flying in a wing suit onscreen, and
thing wrong with the TV!
Trinity informed me shed like to try
STACY BLOIS, Q u i s p a m s i s , N. B .
one some day.
Over my dead body! I said.
MY FAMILY AND I were enjoying
Shrugging, Trinity replied, Okay,
dinner the other day when the sub-
I can wait.
ject of mice came up. I mentioned
NICOLE BARNES, D a r t m o u t h , N. S .
that I trap them humanely and set
them free near our local airport.
MY FOUR-YEAR-OLD niece, Kiley,
Our son, Ryan, looked at me for a
was observing as her mother
moment, then asked, Do they ever
scrubbed the walls of their house
send you postcards?
one afternoon. Although my sister
BRIAN PRICE, We l l i n g t o n , O n t .
was standing on a chair, she could
not reach the ceiling. Noticing this,
MY FOUR-YEAR-OLD son, Kasen,
Kiley advised, Mommy, you need
was counting the four segments of
a shorter wall.
orange he had on his plate.
RUTH THIESSEN, Wa l d h e i m , S a s k .
If you eat two, how many are
left? I asked.
Two.
Thats right! And if you eat two Do your children make you chuckle?
Share the laughter with us! A funny kid
more, then whats left? story could earn you $50. For details on
He replied, The peel! how to submit an anecdote, see page 9
JAN BROERSMA, S u r r e y , B . C . or visit rd.ca/joke.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 67
DRAMA IN REAL LIFE

The Shymanskis had taught their five-year-old

daughter, Lexi, what to do in case of emergency,
knowing it could save her life. They didnt know it
would save her mother and baby brother too.

The Littlest
Hero
BY O MA R M O UA LLE M
ILLUSTRATION BY YUTA ONODA

68 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
READERS DIGEST
ANGELA SHYMANSKI WAS making
great time. It was 8:30 a.m. and the kids
were fed. The eight-seat Honda Pilot
SUV was fuelled and packed with all
the necessities for a road trip: a pop-
up tent, toys and snacks for five-year-
old Lexi and, for 10-week-old Peter, a
pink blanket and seven days worth of
clothesall of which had been worn.
No matter, thought Angela. It was 26 C
in central Albertathe hottest June 8
on recordso her infant would better
endure the eight hours home to Prince
George, B.C., in diapers only.
The 28-year-old had driven these
nearly 800 kilometres alone before.
She had college friends scattered
across Alberta, an older sister in Cal-
gary and a sister-in-law in Sylvan
Lake. Her husband of eight years,
Travis, an instrumentation mechanic
at an oil refinery, couldnt come on
the week-long holiday, but Angela, a
swimming and first aid instructor, was
eager to show off Peter to her friends.
IT WAS AN important trip for Lexi,
too. The morning they had left Prince
GeorgeJune 1, 2015marked the
beginning of the 100-day countdown
to kindergarten. Angela was keen to fill
the vacation with fun; by weeks end,
Lexi had seen gorillas at the Calgary
Zoo, picnicked with cousins, gotten
dizzy on amusement park rides and
made sandcastles at the beach.
As she was driving along the Ice-
fields Parkway, Angela accidentally
70 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
missed her first turnoff and, rather
than loop back, decided to continue
west on a slightly longer but more
scenic route through the Rockies. The
lost time would have been negligible
were it not for a 30-minute stretch
of road construction. The constant
stops and starts had begun to bother
Peter, who was now shrieking in the
back-facing car seat next to Lexis.
This called for a nursery rhyme,
Angela thought. She inserted a CD
and hoped for the best.
Zoom, zoom, zoom. Were going
to the moon. Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Were going to the moon.
In no time, both children were
slumped in their car seats.
Once she was out of the construc-
tion zone, Angela accelerated to just
below the 100-kilometre-an-hour
speed limit. The hum of the road
and the warmth of the sun, combined
with the lulling music, soon began
to have a relaxing effect, so Angela
opened the window, hoping the blast
of wind would keep her alert. She
began searching for a rest stop.
Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Angelas eyes closed for just a
few seconds.
EXACTLY ONE YEAR earlier, Lexi was
receiving the most important lesson
of her young life.
The Shymanskis, like many Jeho-
vahs Witnesses, observe family wor-
ship night. One evening a week, they
set everything else aside to bond over
bible readings and life lessons. On
this particular night, the Shymanskis
were preparing Lexi for a future emer-
gencya cousin of Traviss had lost
his home in a flood, and they wanted
to be ready for such a scenario.
Together, the young family filled a
duffel bag with water bottles, canned
food, a first aid kit, some cash, CPR
masks, spare clothes and toys, and
tucked it in a closet by the front door.
LEXI SPOTTED
HER MOTHER IN THE
FRONT SEAT.
WAKE UP, MOM! SHE
SCREAMED. PLEASE
WAKE UP!
Then they showed Lexi the smoke
alarms: if they start beeping, said her
parents, hurry to the driveway. Dont
go searching for anything or anyone
just get help and dont look back. To
demonstrate, the three walked bare-
foot to the nearest neighbours place,
half a kilometre away, as Travis and
Angela felt that calling 911 wouldnt
be practical for a child with limited
vocabulary and geographical sense.
Lexi absorbed every instruction.
This became apparent months later,
when a smoke alarm went off during
dinner prep. Before Angela could reset
it, Lexi was running to the driveway.
She never looked back.
THE FIRST THOUGHT that crossed
Lexis mind: Who turned off the power?
Seconds ago, it was a sunny day. Now
it was dark out, her neck hurt, the car
horn was blaring and Peter was wail-
ing. Lexi reached in his direction but
hit a force fieldher tent had flopped
forward and popped open. The girl
fished around the thin canvas and felt
her baby brothers hand.
Lexi stretched for the door handle,
but it was out of reach, hiding under
a big white pillowone of the side
airbags that now obscured all the win-
dows. She pushed on the pins of her
five-point harness, something Mommy
and Daddy always did for her. Once
they were unclipped, Lexi managed to
wriggle out of the straps to exit the car,
but when she pulled the handle, the
door was stuck. Turning on her side,
Lexi kicked at the door until it flopped
open and the car filled with sunlight.
Thats when Lexi spotted her
mother in the front seat, sleeping
on an even bigger pillow. Wake up,
Mom! she screamed. Please wake
up! Angela didnt respond.
Though it hurt to turn her head,
Lexi looked over the side of the SUV
and stared down a steep hillit was
just like the indoor rock-climbing gym
she liked to visit, but with boulders
the size of beanbag chairs, trees and
no ropes. The only thing keeping her
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 71
READERS DIGEST
family from rolling down the incline
was the large evergreen with which
the vehicle had collided.
That would be the only time Lexi
looked down, or back.
Her flip-flops had flown off in
the accident, but Lexi felt no pain
as she crawled over glass, rocks,
branches and pine needles and up
the embankment to the highway her
mother had driven off. It was just as
shed practised.
THE CHILD POINTED
INTO THE DITCH, TO
A CRUSHED SUV.
WITHOUT HESITATING,
JEREMIAH TORE
DOWN THE INCLINE.
THE JIRIKS WERE about halfway
through their journey when they
pulled over for a roadside picnic.
They werent in any rush, having
decided to take the scenic route
through Jasper National Park, tacking
two more hours onto their drive from
Wasilla, Alaska, where they lived, to
Minnesota, where Loni and Jeremiah
had met and started their family.
When their bellies were full and their
bodies were rested, the couple, their
three children, aged seven to 18, and
their two dogs climbed back into the
silver minivan for the final stretch.
72 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
No sooner had Jeremiah steered
onto the highway when Loni yelled
Stop! She pointed some 15 metres
ahead, to a tiny blond child in shorts
and a tank top climbing out of the
ditch. Jumping up and down and
waving her arms at traffic, the bare-
foot girl seemed to have materialized
out of nowhere. Jeremiah flicked on
his four-way flashers and pulled over.
Help! Lexi cried out as she ran
toward them. My mom needs help!
Jeremiah panned the tree-line
road. There was no one around.
Wheres your mama? he asked Lexi.
The child pointed into the ditch, to
a crushed SUV. Without hesitating,
Jeremiahan avid hiker who makes
his living installing power lines at
high altitudestore down the incline
in his sandals.
Lexi tried to follow, but Loni con-
vinced her to stay back. The girls
neck was red and bruised, and she
complained that she couldnt move
it. The woman summoned Isaak, her
oldest child, to assist, but told her
daughters KayDea and Analiseah to
stay behindshe didnt want them
witnessing a potential tragedy.
ANGELA SHYMANSKI WAS begin-
ning to regain consciousness when
Jeremiah came hurtling down the
hill. She looked over at the stranger,
her face scraped and swollen. Im
so stupid, she told him. I shouldve
pulled over sooner. He could barely
 hear her words over the blaring of the
car horn; the sound of the baby cry-
ing didnt even register until Angela
mentioned Peter.
The seat the infant was attached
to had become unhinged and had
flipped forward, leaving Peter upside
down in his harness, with little room
between the back of the steel-framed
seat and the floor. Jeremiah unlatched
the half-naked baby, wrapped him in
his blanket and climbed up to Loni,
grabbing at the evergreens branches
with his free hand.
His wife had been trying to reach
911 but couldnt get clear reception at
the foot of the Rocky Mountains. She
gave up and started flagging down
passing cars; five zipped past before a
Jeep Cherokee finally pulled over.
The driver, Lise Lord, was en route
to Calgary with her business partner,
Rick Nowicki, for a meeting. Long
before Nowicki had turned to finan-
cial coaching, the 50-year-old had Lexi Shymanski (top) being airlifted
been a firefighter/emergency medi- from Jasper; her brother, Peter, after his
cal technician. Although more than life-saving brain surgery in Edmonton.
a decade had passed since hed been
involved in a wreck like this one, he Thats my brother! corrected
COURTESY THE S HY M AN SKI FAM I LY

knew that whoever was still inside
that SUV had to be stabilized.
Nowicki was preparing to make
his way into the ditch when Jeremiah
reappeared with something wrapped
in pinka baby girl, he said to Loni,
passing off the child before returning
to Angela with the former firefighter
in tow.
Lexi, who, following a once-over from
Nowicki, was lying on Isaaks sweater
while the teen held an icy bottle of
water to her neck. Loni rocked the
baby in her arms. About twice a min-
ute, Peter would stop wailing, stare
into the sky with a frozen expression,
then shriek again. Loni, a special
education teacher for 16 years, had

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 73

The Shymanski family at home in Prince
George, B.C., shortly after the accident.
seen this happen with her students
and recognized it as seizures.
Down the embankment, Angela
was now sitting sideways, trying to
open the drivers side door. She kept
referring to herself as a bad mother.
Lets not talk like that, said Nowicki.
This could happen to anyone. Anx-
ious to comfort her, he opened the
door, pushed aside the airbag and
showed Angela her children. There,
at the edge of the road, was Peter in
Lonis arms and Lexi safely in the
care of Isaak and Lise.
Once Angela had calmed down
somewhat, Nowicki began going over
the injury-assessment checklist. The
seat belt had bruised her chest; more
alarmingly, the woman was complain-
ing of severe pain in her lower back.
Can you move your hands? Can you
squeeze your fingers? Wiggle your
toes, said Nowicki. Everything seemed
to be working, but he still wouldnt
allow her to leave without a stretcher.
74 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
READERS DIGEST
Instead, he asked Angela for her
husbands phone numberhe would
give it to the first responders Loni
had called using a satellite radio from
a passing forestry worker. While he
wrote the digits on the dusty, cracked
windshield with his finger, Jeremiah,
worried the smoking vehicle would
catch fire, was fishing under the
bumper for the battery cords. He
wrapped his hand around the hot
wires and tore at them until the horn
finally cut out. The three of them
then waited quietly for 20 minutes,
with only the sound of birds chirp-
ing, until ambulance sirens broke the
silence. The rescuersparamedics
and RCMPneeded ropes to get up
and down the embankment that Lexi
had climbed alone in her bare feet.
TRAVIS SHYMANSKI HAD just fin-
ished lunch at his desk in Prince
George when Angela called, mum-
bling something about an accident
and about the kids being okay. In less
than an hour, the 29-year-old was on
a plane to Edmontons University of
Alberta Hospital, where his wife had
COURTESY THE S HY M AN SKI FAM I LY
been flown by helicopter. After going
into shock at Seton General Hospital
in Jasper, Angela had been resuscitated
by doctors. She was now conscious,
but shed suffered a dozen injuries to
her head, lungs, liver and back.
Twenty-four hours after the acci-
dent, on June 9, the situation looked
slightly better for Angela. She had
permanent nerve damage in her left
leg, seemed to be suffering some
amnesia and was told shed likely
never again swim vigorously, do gym-
nastics or run competitivelybut she
might be able to walk. Peter, on the
other hand, was struggling to keep his
formula down after being discharged.
Doctors readmitted him and did a CT
scan to check for brain damage. (The
baby had intracranial swelling and
bleeding, but after a few days of worry,
it was determined he would be fine.)
Lexi, who refused to leave her
fathers side, had little more than
a few scratches and bumps on her
hands and feet. However, Travis was
worried about psychological strain
and didnt want his daughter spend-
ing more time in the trauma ward
than necessary, so he sent her away
with his sister, then left to pick up
lunch for Angela and himself.
His phone rang as he crossed the
street outside the hospital. Is this
Travis? asked a gravelly voiced man.
It was Rick Nowicki, who had mem-
orized the number Angela had called
out to him.
Nowicki lived in the town of Hinton,
300 kilometres outside of Edmonton,
HIDDEN TRUTHS
Very few of us are what we seem.
AGATHA CHRISTIE
and was in the city for an appoint-
ment. He was calling to see how the
family was doingand to ask if he
could bring flowers for Angela and
a teddy bear for the child who had
saved her mother and baby brother.
Lexis role in her familys survival
was news to Travis. His sister and
Angela had told him what theyd
heard from Lexithat his daughter
had escaped from the car and gotten
helpbut he didnt know the details
of her courage. Shes a remarkable
little girl, Nowicki told him.
IN NOVEMBER 2015while Angela,
who could move with a walker, was
awaiting disc-replacement surgery
in Germanythe Royal Canadian
Humane Association invited the
Shymanski family back to Edmonton.
The charity wanted to award Lexi a
Bronze Medal for Bravery.
At the awards ceremony, a reporter
asked the child about her plans for
the medal. She replied that she
wanted to take it to school for show
and tell. However, once she arrived
home in Prince George, Lexi changed
her mind. She decided to bring baby
Peter to show and tell instead.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 75
Esther Vetter
was diagnosed
with stage-3
breast cancer
in 2007.
 HEALTH

After a decade-long lull, Canadian women are

seeing promising medical advancements

BREAST-
CANCER
BREAKTHROUGHS
BY SYD NEY LO NEY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON GORD ON

ESTHER VETTER NEVER noticed Within a month, Vetter had a

a lump. The then 70-year-old from
Markham, Ont., was busy, active
and felt pretty good. At least until
one morning in 2007 when she woke
up with blood on her nightgown. I
just thought, Well, thats strange.
I figured it was probably irritation
from the chlorine at the pool where I
go for exercise classes. But it wasnt
the chlorine; it was breast cancer.
mastectomy, followed by six months of
chemotherapy. She has the aggressive
triple-negative form of the disease,
meaning that the three most common
types of receptors arent present in the
tumour, giving doctors little to target
in terms of treatment. In the past, a
patients only option was chemother-
apyand the prognosis wasnt good.
Now, thanks to committed researchers

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 77
READERS DIGEST
and a host of new treatments on the
horizon for women with even the
direst of diagnoses, all that may be
about to change.
WHEN IT COMES to treating breast
cancer, there is both good news and
not-so-good news. On the plus side,
the five-year survival rate for Cana-
dian women diagnosed with the dis-
ease is now 88 per cent. In 1986, that
number was 79 per cent, says Karen
Malone, vice president of research
and programs at the Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation. Those results
are due to improvements in screening
and early detection as well as more
effective treatments, she says.
The evolution of personalized
therapies is what excites MJ DeCo-
teau the most. Its been pretty quiet
with respect to truly life-changing
new breast cancer treatments in the
past decade, but now there are some
promising developments in precision
medicine, says the founder and exec-
utive director of the patient advocacy
group Rethink Breast Cancer, based in
Toronto. Breast cancer is a compli-
cated disease with many forms, and
these new treatments allow doctors
to give the right one to the right per-
son at the right time. Unfortunately,
DeCoteau says (and this is where the
less sunny news comes in), Canada is
particularly slow at rolling them out.
While the FDA will speed up access
and grant approval for breakthrough
78 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
therapies in the United States, the
timeline here is slower. Once Health
Canada approves a new drug or pro-
cedure, it must then be okayed by a
separate funding bodyand that can
take years. The Oncotype DX test is a
good example.
The tool analyzes the activity of 21
genes to predict the likelihood that
a patients breast cancer will come
back, while also identifying which
women will benefit from chemother-
apy and which wont. Six years ago,
Canadians were travelling south of the
border because they couldnt get the
test at home. Even now, its available
in only seven provinces. Rethink will
be lobbying to get the test funded in
Manitoba next. I just want the system
to catch up, DeCoteau says. A lot of
women dont have time to wait.
THE ONLY WAY WE
CAN CONTINUE TO
IMPROVE CANADAS
SURVIVAL RATE IS
TO PARTICIPATE
IN RESEARCH.
ONE HOPEFUL DEVELOPMENT
currently moving through Canadas
approval process is palbociclib, a
drug that improves survival rates
in women with hormone-receptor-
positive metastatic breast cancer.
Health Canada authorized the drug
in May 2016 (its been available in the
U.S. since February 2015), but it will be
a while before palbociclib is accessible
to everyone who needs it here. And
yet while the approval process may
be on the slow side, the fact that Can-
adian researchers are at the forefront
of many of these new developments
means breast cancer patients can still
get access to them in other ways.
Theres lots of active research go-
ing on in Canada, and weve par-
ticipated in almost all of the major
developments that have come out
recently, including palbociclib, says
Dr. Karen Gelmon, professor of medi-
cine at the University of British Co-
lumbia and medical oncologist for the
British Columbia Cancer Agency in
Vancouver. While we wait for funding,
theres some availability of the drug
through compassionate means, but
also through clinical trials. Gelmon
is on the steering committee for one
such trial thats about to be published.
It found that adding palbociclib to
metastatic estrogen-receptor-positive
patients treatment protocol doubled
the length of time they responded
positively, extending whats called
progression-free survival. The
results are really exciting, and there
are at least two other drugs in this
same class (known as CDK-4/6 inhib-
itors) that are being developed to help
women with advanced breast cancer
have better outcomes.
SOMETIMES SUCCESS ISNT about
a brand new drug, but the reapplica-
tion of an existing one. In June 2016, a
study published in The New England
Journal of Medicine led by research-
ers from Harvard Medical School and
Queens University in Kingston, Ont.,
found extending letrozole therapy (an
inhibitor that lowers estrogen levels)
from five to 10 years in post-meno-
pausal women with early breast can-
cer reduced the risk of recurrence by
34 per cent. Despite some good early
treatment, too many patients are re-
lapsing, Gelmon says. Many patients
are already starting to get more than
the conventional five years of treat-
ment in order to decrease their risk of
late recurrence. The drug is available
by prescription at most pharmacies.
THE ONLY WAY we can continue
to improve Canadas survival rate
for breast cancer is by continuing to
participate in research, Gelmon says,
including the hardest-to-treat forms,
such as triple-negative breast cancer,
which accounts for 15 per cent of
cases. Theres still so much we need
to know about the disease so we can
treat it effectively.
In many cases, a patients best
bet is to suss out a clinical trial.
Thats what Vetter, now 80, did af-
ter her breast cancer metastasized
in her spine in 2012. My doctor
told me, Mrs. Vetter, you may wake
up one morning and not be able
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 79
READERS DIGEST
to get out of bed. Vetter began
radiation treatment, and she and her
husband, Al, started looking for con-
dosif Vetter was going to be in a
wheelchair, their two-storey home
would present a problem. We were
resigned to the fact that her health
was going to go downhill, Al says.
But then they heard from her doc-
tor about an ongoing clinical trial
studying whether enzalutamidea
drug used successfully to slow the
progression of prostate cancer in
menmight help androgen-recep-
tor-positive breast cancer patients.
Vetter started taking the medication
in June 2014 as part of the trial at
Torontos Sunnybrook Health Sci-
ences Centreand shes still taking it.
Its keeping things at a standstill
and suppressing the growth of the
cancer, she says. When people say to
me, You look so good! I tell them,
Well, I have a good prostate! In
June, Vetter was able to join her
family for a trip to Cape Cod and over
the summer discovered that she still
had the strength to swing a golf club.
She and Al even went on a three-day
trip to Algonquin Provincial Park to
celebrate their 54th honeymoon. I
felt well enough that I said to myself,
I think I can handle it, she says.
Were doing things we thought wed
never do again. Now we have hope.
And we want the trial to be successful
so other people will benefit from it,
just like we have.
80 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
TRIALS AND
TREATMENTS
MJ DeCoteau, founder and executive
director of Rethink Breast Cancer,
wants patients to know that even
if one treatment fails, there will be
another they can try. One woman
said to me recently, I like to have as
many tools in my toolbox as I can,
DeCoteau says. One way to add to
that toolbox may be by finding a clini-
cal trial that fits your type of cancer.
The Canadian Cancer Society offers
information on current trials, as well as
links to help you locate recruiting trials
across the country. In addition, there
are two promising new areas of treat-
ment currently being tested in other
parts of the world that are worth
watching: Radio Frequency Ablation
(RFA) and immunotherapy.
RADIO FREQUENCY ABLATION
In March 2016, 15 studies were included
in a Nanjing Medical University meta-
analysis of RFAs (a minimally invasive
thermal ablation technique used as an
alternative to surgery for early-stage
breast cancer) that showed the tech-
nique may be a good alternative to sur-
gery with fewer complications, although
more research is needed.
IMMUNOTHERAPY In June 2016,
researchers at the University of Colo-
rado Cancer Center presented the
results of three clinical trials using
targeted immunotherapy drugs against
triple-negative breast cancer. One of
them, IMMU-132, has been granted
breakthrough status by the FDA.
 Laughter
THE BEST MEDICINE

Is anybody sitting here?

A COLOURFUL RESPONSE A MAN CALLS 9-1-1. When the

Yesterday I accidentally swallowed
some food colouring. The doctor
says Im okay, but I feel like Ive dyed
a little inside. KIM NOWAK, C a l g a r y
A WOMAN WALKS INTO a store
and asks the clerk, Can I try on the
dress in the shop window, please?
dispatcher picks up, the man yells,
You have to send the firefighters
immediately. Theres a fire!
Okay, sir, the dispatcher says.
But please, tell us how to get to you.
Puzzled, the man asks, What,
you dont have those big red trucks
anymore? short-funny.com

Im sorry, but you cant, says the

employee. We have change rooms BASIC INSTINCTS
for that. short-funny.com Two clairvoyants meet. One says
to the other, You are fine, and how
HAUTE CUISINE am I? short-funny.com
VRI ES

How many eggs are there in a

French omelette?
DE

Send us your original jokes! You could

CONA N

Just one, because one egg is earn $50 and be featured in the magazine.
un oeuf. reddit.com See page 9 or rd.ca/joke for details.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 81
GETTY I MAGES
 SOCIETY

Meet the man whos determined to rid Torontos

streets of 2,000 tonnes of chewed gum

A STICKY
SCOURGE BY NATH ANIEL BAS E N FR O M TH E WA L RU S

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 83
READERS DIGEST

A
NDREW MEADES HAS A recurring daydream. In it,
the 29-year-old is walking along Yonge Street in
downtown Toronto. Neon-pink receptacles, marked
with clear how-to instructions and never more than
nine metres apart, hang at waist level from poles
lining the sidewalk. Banners fly overhead, but instead of telling
passersby to shop or eat or see a play, they say something like Bin
It Your Way. Beneath his feetand this is the important partis
pristine pavement. And its bliss.

Meades cleans chewing gum off
city sidewalks for a living. Hes the
founder of a company called GTA
Gum Removal, though these days
only a small percentage of the busi-
ness actually involves removing gum.
The rest is everyday commercial
cleaning: graffiti removal, pressure
washing, and so on. Gum is import-
ant to Meades for two reasons. First
off, the guys a born problem solver:
hes never more animated than when
hes in his garage, surrounded by
heavy machinery, steam
rising from the cleaners
in his workshop. Its
a thrill to find some-
thing other people
cant fix, and then
to go ahead and
fix it.
Which leads
Back in 2014, when the city of
Toronto completed a litter audit,
gum was by far the largest source
of small trash. A third of the waste
documented was of the already-
been-chewed variety, beating out
cigarette butts, candy wrappers and
food waste. In Vancouver theres
enough sticky garbage that the city
is developing a pilot project for gum
collection and recycling, which is
expected to launch sometime in
2017. Environmental-documentary
filmmaker Andrew Nisker, in part-
nership with a Toronto digital map-
ping company called Esri, calculated
how much gum coats the streets of
Toronto today. The estimate? More
than 719 million wads, weighing
almost 2,000 tonnes.
Scraping that much waste off the
ground is a worthy challenge, and
ISTOCKP HOTO

us to the second Meades is working on it. But hes only

reason: for urban dealing with one side of the equation.
centres, little sticks of As every strategic thinker like Meades
gum are a big problem. knows, there are two ways to fight an

84 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
epidemic: you can battle the symp- polymer weve come to know, but
toms or you can kill the disease. would also biodegrade.
Since the late 1990s, there have
MODERN CHEWING GUM is sticky been dozens of patents filed, some
enough that, after mixing with saliva, from Wrigley and Cadbury, oth-
it can grip a telephone pole on its ers from independent scientists. By
own strength. Its hydrophobic so it 2007, Wrigley had reportedly spent
doesnt dissolve in your mouth, which more than US$10 million looking for
means it also wont decompose in the an environmentally friendly solu-
ground. Whether in its minty, fruity or tion. All for a good reason: the first
spicy incarnations, its a petroleum- company to introduce a tasty and
based polymer glazed affordable biodegrad-
with oil and coated in able gum could be set
molten confectionary for a windfall in public
candy-coated plastic. Figuratively relations and profit.
That chemical com- speaking, candy In 2006, Wrigley
position has proven to manufacturers hired Wilhelm Risse, a
be spectacularly suc- are happiness world leader in poly-
cessful for Big Gum, factories; Big mer science at Univer-
an industry estimated
Gum companies sity College Dublin, to
to be worth US$19 bil- develop the future of
lion and dominated
have long gum polymers: that is,
a l m o s t e n t i re l y b y
enjoyed the a less permanent plas-
Wrigley and Mondelez, benefit of built- tic. (Polymers form the
the corporate entity in positive PR. basis of products from
that owns Cadbur y. car bumpers to fishing
Still, gum manufac- line to disposable cups.
turers arent deaf to environment al The molecules that make up modern
realities, thanks to movements gum, though, are almost entirely pet-
around the world, from a gum ban roleum-based.) The goal for Risses
in Singapore to persistent cage team was to create a new gum base.
rattling in the United Kingdom, This base had to remain hydrophobic
where citizens and town councils but also had to be hydrophilic so it
have demanded that gum com- could break down in the grounda
panies pay for cleanup costs. As candy-coated conundrum.
such, more than 20 years ago, com- Risses team wasnt alone. In 2007,
panies began the race for a formula chemist and polymer expert Marc
that would chew just as well as the Hillmyer and a group of researchers

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 85
READERS DIGEST

at the University of Minnesota began positive PR. Mondelez didnt return

working on creating a more environ- repeated requests for comment on
mentally friendly gum. At the time, this story. Wrigley did. After months
they had a contract with Wrigley. of back-and-forth messages about
The specifications he was working an interview, I received an email
to are proprietary information, but saying that the launch of a biodeg-
Hillmyer, himself a gum chewer, radable gum was off the table. I
says, Whatever it is you like about asked if that was a condition for our
gum, our material had to be the conversation or a statement on the
same. It has a springiness, a literal status of the project.
mouth feel. Both was the reply.
The research push
began shortly after gov- GUM HASNT ALWAYS
ernments and citizens, b e e n g a r b a g e. T h e
particularly in the U.K., By the 1920s worlds oldest known
started to ask why Big and 30s, gum piece of chewing gum
Gum wasnt footing the was a staple of originates in Finland,
bill for million-dollar American life. where neolithic people
street cleanup costs. During the chewed melted birch-
Newspapers ran sto- bark tar around the
Second World
ries and city councils
held meetings. Gum
War, 150 billion fire more than 5,000
years ago. In Central
manufacturers were
sticks were America, the Aztecs
experiencing ser ious sent overseas and Mayans harvested
pressure, Hillmyer to soldiers. chicle from the rainfor-
says. The team in Min- ests sapodilla trees
nesota developed a natural, organic and
polymer that Hillmyer describes as biodegradable. In the early 20th cen-
high performing. After six years tury, Mexican chicle became a valu-
of work, they completed the able commodity as Americans
projectand then the gum developed their own affin-
company went quiet. ity for the sweet stuff.
Figuratively speaking, Chiclerosworkers
candy manufacturers who harvest
are happiness facto- chicle
ries; Big Gum con- would
glomerates have
the benefit of built-in

86 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
drain the tree of sap and process it. more honourable past are reani-
By the 1920s and 30s, chicle had mated, mint or fruit odours rising
become a staple of American life. from the sidewalk. You can almost
During the Second World War, 150 taste it, says Andrew.
billion sticks of gum were sent over- Off the streets, the two talk busi-
seas to satiate soldiers. ness. Making money in gum is hard,
Demand soon outpaced supply, and the Meades company has
and sapodilla trees needed rest shifted toward conventional com-
between harvests. After the war, mercial cleaning, sacrificing the
American chewing gum companies dream for a dollar. Its painful to
quietly pulled resources out of Mex- talk about because Ive gotten away
ico and poured them from it, Andrew says.
into petrochemicals But this is my pas-
instead. Gum waste sion. Im going to solve
quickly became a prob- Gum pollution this problem.
lem. In 1966, John Lind- is such a quick In 2008, Andrew
say, mayor of New York crime, says read about two men
City, hiked litter fines Andrew Meades. in Montreal who were
to combat the scourge. In all my years, trying to rid the city of
The move was largely its own gum epidemic,
Ive only
ineffective. Gum pol- and he glommed on
lution is such a quick
managed to to the idea. By 2010,
crime, says Andrew
catch one or he got serious. GTA
Meades. In all my two people, and Gum Removals first
years, Ive only caught Im watching. job was in June of that
maybe one or two peo- year, and interest grew
ple, and Im watching. quicklytwo guys
blowing steam onto the sidewalk
JUICY FRUIT, MEADES calls out as will do that. They were even featured
he steam-cleans sections of Toronto on a local TV news station.
sidewalk. Ostensibly, hes talking to The Harbourfront Centre was
his 26-year-old brother, Peter, just their first big job, but steam-blasting
a few metres away, but its a habit. gum is expensive and labour-
The pair shuffles along, dragging intensive. All told, it costs Andrew
machines that look like knock-offs and Peter almost 30 cents per wad,
of Star Wars R2-D2 behind them. and the only way to clean it is the
When they hit a caked-on stain with same way we chew itone stick at
170 C steam, traces of the gums a time. The cost is prohibitive for

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 87
READERS DIGEST

most businesses, which consider the happen when the streets are clean.
substance to be more bother than Its the broken-windows approach
burden. At one point, the Meades to gum policing. These days, litter
brothers serviced the Hudsons Bay is a bygone issue to some, displaced
Centre at Yonge and Bloor Streets. by conversations about greenhouse
On that stretch of pavement alone gas emissions and sustainability.
there were, on average, 52 new gum The Meades brothers are waging
stains each day. a battle with faulty tools against a
When a client wants its sidewalks well-funded enemy everyone loves
cleaned during business hours, in a war no one knows exists. It
Andrew and Peter use steam carts helps to stay positive.
to navigate busy walk-
ways. The detergent- AT THE VERY least, a
infused water blasts mass-produced biode-
the gum, and a vacuum Gum clean-up is g radable gum should
sucks it up. For most not cheap: in meet three require-
jobs, though, they use England alone, ments. The first is taste:
pressure washers that its estimated spearmint has to taste
pump out hot water. that $100 like spearmint. The sec-
The smaller carts often
million is spent ond is chew: it has to be
break, and they take too indistinguishable from
long, while the pressure
annually to its plastic alternatives.
washers are consider-
clean chewed The third, and perhaps
ably worse for water gum off the the hardest to over-
use, powering through ground. come, is price: it has to
30 litres a minute. cost the same to manu-
The solution, then, facture and to buy.
is not steam-poweredits alter- It seems companies have taken
ing human behaviour. People dont the path of least resistance: its
think about their discarded wad of possi ble that, since launching a
saliva-infused plastic once it leaves biodegradable gum wont be profit-
their fingertips, but Andrew knows able for Big Gum, it has abandoned
how to fix that : educate through the project. Youd like to think its
signs and advertisements. Garbage top priority, Dublin chemist Susan
bins, he says, have to be regular and Kelleher says. But until they tax it,
predictable, clean and well-marked. or people stop buying chewing gum,
Critically, people need to believe at the end of the day, its business.
in the cause, and that can only Peter Meades sees it the same way.

88 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
Theyd be solving a problem they
dont have. This issue isnt affect-
ing their bottom line. In the U.K.,
gum-litter task forces have formed
with industry partners, but theres
no clear indication that manufactur-
ers have been forced to pay the hefty
cleaning costs from years past. Its
estimated that about $100 million is
spent annually in England cleaning
gum off the ground.
Andrew Meadess vision is more
holistic. He needs everyone on
board: government, industry and
chewers all over the world. Meades
wants to work with Wrigley, as well
as Canadian cities, none of which
currently
have a strat-
egy for dealing
with gum waste.
His plan focuses on
awareness, that ephem-
eral good-cause catch-all.
If the customers care, he
thinks, then so will the money-
makers. Hes not ruling anything
out, from more aggressive signage
to Peter running around Yonge-
Dundas Square in a pink-blob suit.
Without a biodegradable solution,
shifting peoples attitudes is the
future of the gum problemand
Meades cant wait to solve it.

2016 BY NATHANIEL BASEN. FROM THE WALRUS, THEWALRUS.CA

IN GOOD HEALTH

Please stop arguing with me about my choice to be vegan.

It takes a lot of energy and I get winded easily.
@THEWOODENSLURPY

Ive stopped going to the gym now that Ive realized I can
just watch CNN on mute at home.
@LIZHACKETT

How long are you supposed to rest in between

weight-lifting sets? Like six months?
@PHILYUCK

Do people who run know that were not food anymore?

@IAMENIDCOLESLAW

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 89
DEPARTMENT OF WIT

When apartment hunting, beware of buzzwords

RENTAL
REAL TALKBY C A R OLINE G. M URP H Y FR O M L E JO U RN A L DE MON TRA L
ILLUSTRATIONS BY RMY SIMA RD

SO YOURE LOOKING for a place to always someone trying to pawn off a

live! Navigating rental listings is a lot
like scanning online dating profiles:
similar to the five-foot fellow who
gamely describes himself as a pro-
fessional basketball player, theres
$1,400-a-month studio sans balcony
as a hidden treasure in an up-and-
coming neighbourhood. Staying
alert is of the utmost importance.
Herewith, a guide to help you out.

90 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
1. If you see the words charming or
cozy, know that they are euphem-
isms for tiny.
2. Loads of character means never
renovated. The floors creak, the ceil-
ings are crooked and the original win-
dows let in the cold. But the antique
mouldings and stained glass are likely
very nice.
3. Recently renovated and/or
condo-style are less-than-subtle
attempts at justifying the rental price,
which happens to be $500 above the
market value.
4. Near everything: congratulations,
youve found an apartment in the city.
5. In a quiet building: youll have
to shut everything down at 8 p.m.
because the landlord lives below.
6. Bright: theres a window.
7. Well-lit: there are two windows.
8. Very well-lit: there could be a
window in each of the rooms. Or
maybe a patio door.
9. Steps from the subway: get-
ting to public transportation could
involve anywhere between two and
2,500 steps. Allow enough time for a
15-minute walk.
FROM LE JOURNAL DE MONTRAL (APRIL 9, 2016), BY CAROLINE G. MURPHY. 2016, QMI AGENCY. JOURNALDEMONTREAL.COM
10. Quiet, respectful neighbours:
youll hear them snore and brush
their teeth.
11. Fully renovated: floors have
been washed; walls have been
painted white.
12. Perfect for a couple: there is
only one viable bedroom.
13. Ideal for students: the apart-
ment hasnt been upgraded since the
landlord purchased it in 1972.
14. Apartment is available for
exchange only: the perfect place
youll never get. Sorry.
15. Awesome apartment for some
lucky tenant!!!: dont do it. No one
should ever say that.
Happy hunting! Keep all this in mind
and you may snag the impeccably
renovated, ideally located and afford-
able apartment of your dreams.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 91
ISTOCKP HOTO
 HUMAN INTEREST

Physicians in remote conflict zones are

using telemedicine to treat patients who might

Doctors
not otherwise stand a chance

ON DEMAND
BY CH R ISTINA FARR FR O M FASTCO MPA N Y.COM

DR. ROGY MASRI IS a physician sta-
tioned at a settlement in northern
Lebanon. His team primarily treats
Syrian refugees, who have flooded
into the area and other countries,
such as Jordan and Iraq, to escape
escalating violence. Its a job that
requires fortitude and ingenuity:
medications are expensive, and
while they can be accessed through
Doctors Without Borders for free, the
organization is sometimes unable to
meet the regions needs. Power fail-
ures are frequent, and patients are
suffering from all manner of unpleas-
ant ailments, from lice and rat bites
to respiratory infections.
Masri, who divides his practice
between emergency medicine and
hospitalist specialties back home in
Ontario, is a volunteer with Doctors
Without Borders. Here, he must make
do with limited tools and equip-
ment. When a patient arrives with
a common ailment, he can often
treat the condition and send them
on their way. But thats not always
the case. Several months earlier,
he recalled, a refugee had walked
into the clinic with a furiously red
skin lesion about the size of a quar-
ter on his hand. This patient hadnt
responded to previous courses of
antibiotics, and the wound had been

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 93
READERS DIGEST
exacerbated by a different doctors
efforts to surgically debride it. Masri,
who isnt a dermatologist and has
little experience with exotic diseases,
found himself stumped.
He used his smartphone to snap
a photo of the lesion, then uploaded
the image to an app called Figure 1. He
noted in the caption that the patient
was a 52-year-old male Syrian refugee
with an infection that had been treated
for more than a year; that he hadnt
experienced pain or itchiness; and
that the results of a biopsy conducted
two weeks earlier were still pending.
(In Lebanon, it can take four weeks to
find out information after a biopsy.)
On that particular day, Dr. Dimas
Yusuf, an internal-medicine resi-
dent at St. Pauls Hospital in Van-
couver, happened to come across
the photo. He had a bit of free time
between shifts and decided to play
medical detective. After ruling out a
bacterial infection and assessing the
patients current condition and the
length of time hed been living with
the lesion, Yusuf concluded that the
man was likely suffering from leish-
maniasis, a parasitic disease spread
by the bite of sandflies, which is
fairly prevalent in refugee camps
with unsanitary conditions.
Even from across the globe, I was
able to say with a high degree of cer-
tainty that it was that condition, says
Yusuf, who suggested that the patient
get a course of antifungal drugs to
94 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
treat the infection while awaiting the
biopsy results. He later learned that
his hunch was correct.
That two physicians in different
parts of the world were able to col-
laborate in such a seamless manner
is a direct result of the growing field
of telemedicinea term that broadly
refers to the practice of doctors
evaluating, treating and diagnosing
patients in remote locations using
technology. With their ability to
access specialized, targeted know-
ledge regardless of geographical
proximity, telemedicine apps such as
Figure 1 are radically transforming
how patients are treated in the most
under-resourced parts of the world.
C O L L O Q U I A L LY D E S C R I BE D A S
Instagram for doctors, Figure 1
has become a go-to option for health
workers in underserved areas. The
app, which launched in 2013, was cre-
ated by Toronto-based physician Dr.
Joshua Landy and two co-founders.
Figure 1 has more than a million users,
including doctors, nurses and other
medical professionals.
According to Morgan Reed, the
executive director of the App Asso-
ciation, a trade group that represents
IT firms and app creators, more
than 1.3 billion people lack access
to affordable health care, and these
individuals represent the majority of
the worlds population suffering from
serious medical conditions. Tools
 that could improve this situation are
available today at increasingly com-
petitive prices around the world, he
notes. Reed insists that telemedicine
will become mainstream once regu-
lators remove stumbling blocks, such
as confusion around requirements
for apps and devices, and insurance
companies are able to figure out new
models for reimbursement.
The number of patients using tele-
health services worldwide is expected
to rise to seven million by 2018 (from
less than 350,000 in 2013). By some
estimates, revenue from devices and
services will reach $4.5 billion within
the next two years (from $440.6 mil-
lion in 2013). Right now, these apps
are commonly used in rural areas
that lack medical services and clinics.
We see a lot of doctors post pho-
tos from areas with no comprehensive
medical care, said Landy by phone.
We have users in the military, in the
jungle and in refugee camps. Landy
stressed that patients can rest assured
that their privacy is protected. After a
user uploads an image to Figure 1, it
is wiped of any identifying details, and
the servers keep no record of the loca-
tion metadata contained in photos.
MASRIS SMARTPHONE HAS now
become an essential tool for practis-
ing medicine. When he needs a sec-
ROGY MAS RI
ond opinion, apps like Figure 1 and
USED WITH PERMISSION OF FASTCOMPANY.COM, COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
From a refugee camp in Lebanon, Dr.
Rogy Masri consults peers using an app.
an online system developed by Doc-
tors Without Borders connect him
with medical professionals across
the world on a real-time basis. The
downside is that Internet service and
electricity arent always reliable. Masri
occasionally finds that Wi-Fi cuts out
before a photo is finished uploading.
But in spite of the technical frustra-
tions and logistical headaches, Masri
maintains that telemedicine is a huge
advantage for treating Syrian refugees
who dont have access to specialist
care, let alone quality, regular follow-
ups. He typically uses telemedicine
apps to rule in or rule out diagnoses,
particularly when confronted with a
rare disease hes never encountered
before. Its like having a colleague in
every part of the world to bounce
ideas off of.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 95
 I thought I wanted to create
my mothers dream garden.
But the plants taught me a
different, important lesson.

Force
of
Nature
BY ALE XAND RA R I S EN FRO M
U NE ART H E D: LOV E, ACC EPTA N CE,
AND OT H E R L E SSON S FRO M A N
AB AN DO N E D G AR DEN

WE ARE NOT actively looking for a
new house. A bigger garden, though,
is often on our minds. Are we finally
becoming our parents? It seems our
agent, Wesley, knows us better than
we know ourselves.
The property is in our midtown
Toronto neighbourhoodr ight
across the street, in fact, tucked just
out of view. Im curious: I love hidden
places, like the secret buildings that I
constructed out of shoeboxes
as a child, and this
one fits the bill.
Wesley walks
us down the
long, narrow
lane that
HEART
runs between and behind two neigh-
bouring houses. The driveway opens
to an asphalt courtyard in front of a
rectangular one-storey ranch-style
building with a flat roof. Wait until
you see the back, Wesley says. An
acre of garden.
Impossible, I think.
I stare at the three-and-a-half-
metre-high brick facade. It is like a
shoebox house.
Theres a gaping hole at the base of
the front door. Its perimeter sprouts
jagged dandelion leaves.
Sorry about the weeds, Wesley
says. Uh, the place might need a
little work.
Fairy clocks. Not weeds, I say.
Excuse me? Wesley asks.
She loves dandelions, my hus-
band, Cam, says. Believe it or not,
those are working in your favour.
Dandelion flowers close at dusk
and open in the morning light,
I explain.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 97
READERS DIGEST
Mom introduced me to the flower
when I was a toddler. Look for the
longest stems, shed say. And I did,
because the garden was the only
place I got her attention. My mother
braided yellow chains into crowns
and bracelets that I would wear for
days. She stored them in the refriger-
ator at night to keep them fresh. They
made me feel important.
Inside the house, we enter a room
thats bordered by windows on three
sides. I catch my breath. Its the out-
doors magically brought inside. The
remaining wall is a painted canvas.
A single tree starts on the right, and
its branches spread up, down and to
the left. Translucent white flowers
cover the branches, each with five
petals and a blush of pink.
Sour cherry, I whisper. Moms
tree. The smell of fermenting fruit
fills my memory. At 77, Mom still
spends much of her time in her gar-
den, which is not so much a hobby
as it is a source of bountygoose-
berries, peas, cornthat can be put
up for sustenance throughout the
winter. Though shes lived in this
country since 1952, my mother still
has the homegrown-is-best sensibil-
ity of the new Ukrainian immigrant
she once was. Back home in Edmon-
ton, shes busy with the usual late-
summer harvest, gathering bowls of
cherries that she pits and preserves
in a heady liqueur, their juice leav-
ing bright red stains. This room is
98 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
what the entire house could be. An
ode to my mother.
Wesley hurries us through a large
living area to glass doors that open
to a cantilevered balcony. This land
was part of a prominent family estate
about 100 years ago, he says. And
suddenly, we have our first view of
the garden. The forest. The jungle.
This property is my parents dream,
the next generations betterment of
their lot, literally. Now we stand in
front of it, struggling between the
guilt of our opportunity and our fear
of not knowing what to do with it.
WE HAVE TO CLEAR
THE GARDEN BEFORE
MOM GETS TOO
FRAIL TO TRAVEL.
I WANT HER TO SEE IT
IN ALL ITS GLORY.
(P REVIOUS PAGES ) I STOCKP HOTO, MASTERFI LE
ON OUR FIRST day of tackling the
Amazon, I inhale the verdant heat
that wafts off the leaves. The sun
glistens on the spiderwebs that criss-
cross the path ahead. Well have to
cut through those, the police tape
the spiders have laid to keep us out of
their territory. Im sorry, I whisper
to the gangly arachnids. I quash my
guilt for wrecking natures course of
the past decade. Were returning the
garden to its splendour.
 Mom still cant believe we bought
the house. I hope you crazy kids
know what youre doing, she said
on the telephone not long after we
moved in. So tell me about the land.
Its been let go for years, I said.
Its an overgrown forest down a cliff,
once owned by a famous family.
Really? She didnt believe me.
When we talked, I noticed that
Moms voice was slurring a bit. And
her dizzy spells have become more
frequent. It turns out theyre actu-
ally a series of mini-strokes, caused
by a blood clot in her carotid artery.
Though the surgery to remove it goes
well, Moms failing memory leaves her
with no choice but to sell her house,
the one I grew up in and where she
spent so many hours tending to her
garden. Cam and I offer to move her
to Toronto, but neither she nor my sis-
ter, Sonia, agrees. She opts instead for
an assisted-care facility with plants.
We have to clear the garden, I tell
myself, before Mom gets too frail to
travel. I want her to see it in all its
glory, and to go home and tell Sonia,
I didnt know she had it in her.
MY GARDENING BOOKS take up a
wall of shelves, categorized by type
of plant or cultivation advice. I also
have several books about the human
relationship with nature. Cam rolls
his eyes when I talk about biophilia
(love of living things); he laughed
when I told him dirt is the new
Prozac because some soil bacteria
produce serotonin. It infuriates me.
But Never give up is our family
motto, and Im determined to convert
him, and especially our five-year-old
son, Max, to a deeper understanding
of the natural world.
This project is bigger than I
thought, says Cam, surveying a
growing pile of bills as he contem-
plates the work still to be done:
were already a year in, and theres
landscaping, a pond to rehabilitate,
weeds to be tacklednot to mention
the interior of the house itself, which
needs to be renovated.
I guess we save what we can, I say.
Well, winter is cominglets start
again next spring.
That night, I sleep and wake fit-
fully, dejected that weve gone as far
as we can with the garden, which
seems to be nowhere. Waiting until
next spring will feel like an eternity.
IM DISCOURAGED AND determined.
Too much time has passed: Max is
almost eight years old now, and were
stuck on garden cleanup. Cam won
the battle: the house came first, and
we postponed a year of outdoor work.
Now another spring has arrived.
The outdoor paths are roughly clear,
but Im still tackling the weed cover.
I walk up and down the garden stairs,
up and down, shoulders hunched as
I carry at least 15 kilograms of plant
detritus per trip. Ive amassed almost
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 99
READERS DIGEST
two dozen biodegradable waste bags
at the top of the driveway; theyre
spilling onto the front of the property
next door. These steps are so embed-
ded in my muscle memory that their
form pulses through my nightmares.
My physical body has unexpect-
edly meshed into this project as
much as my emotions have. The gru-
elling work brings our family closer
to the garden. It makes us feel we
deserve its beauty.
MOTHER NATURE
DECLARED WAR WITH
A BRUTAL STORM,
LEAVING UTTER
DEVASTATION ACROSS
THE GARDENS BASE.
IN AUTUMN, I stare at my counter of
pine conesnatural mulch, the same
stuff Im about to blow across the
garden with a giant pumper truck.
Maybe I shouldve left them under
the trees, like Cam should have left
the grasses. As much as we think
were working with nature in the
garden, were also working against it.
We celebrate it, and then we manipu-
late the hell out of it. I hope Mother
Nature forgives us.
Sonia calls with an update. Moms
not eating well. I sense the resigna-
tion in her voice.
100 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
She needs a change of scenery, I
say, starting to panic. Can we fly her
here for a visit? Ill come get her, and
well hire a nurse to come, too.
She cant fly, Alex, Sonia says.
With her heart, its impossible.
My anger comes from deep within,
rising quickly like a new spring, sur-
prising both of us. How do you
know its impossible? Have you
asked her doctor? Youre not the one
who decides.
Shell have a stroke. Her arter-
ies are blocked. She cant fly, Sonia
says firmly.
Let her doctor decide, I demand.
She agrees, annoyed that I dont
trust her. Im offended that she
has become the gateway to my
mother. We hang up, both want-
ing to say more. My sister has
lost hope.
Sonias not giving up, Cam
explains when I tell him. Shes pre-
paring for the inevitable.
MY PULSE POUNDS in my ears as I
examine the aftermath of the brutal
summer storm that swept through
last night. Mother Nature declared
all-out war, leaving utter devastation
across the gardens base. The demol-
ished 150-year-old oak is lying across
our path where it fell, crushing all
the trees and shrubs in its way.
Whats left of the trunk, the bottom
four and a half metres, is cracked,
splintered and stripped.
 The author, in the meticulously reconstructed pagoda at the centre of her garden.
The new redbud, the serviceberry,
the old peonies, the mulberry tree,
all the flowers near the bog, macer-
ated. Ive never seen a lightning
strikes fury. The heart of the gar-
denmy beloved white oaks, with
their sweet kernels that feed the
neighbourhood rodents and birds
is broken. To make matters worse,
mud covers the slope, and the mulch
has been pushed to the propertys
tableland in soggy piles.
In the evening Cam tells me a story
about a wagon builder who always
left a few exposed oaks in the middle
of cleared farmland. He claimed
that exposure to the elements made
these trees stronger, and wagon
wheels made from them were able to
MdP
withstand the heaviest loads.
Do you know how much work has
been destroyed? How much time and
money lost? This is all I have been
doing for the past few years.
I know it feels that way, but the
garden will emerge stronger, he says.
And we can fix it.
ONE EVENING A few weeks later,
Sonia calls. I assume its for our usual
Sunday night chat. Its not. Moms
health has worsened. When my sis-
ter visited that afternoon, the nurse
explained that its become impos-
sible to feed her. Even the thickened
liquids choke her, and shes refusing
to open her mouth when the nurses
try to slip a straw between her lips.
Sonia pauses and I stare out
the kitchen window, clutching the
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 101
READERS DIGEST

phone. A few maple keys float down
like helicopters, as squirrels on the
ground munch on the interior ber-
ries. I remember when I convinced
Max to eat one, telling him it tasted
like a green pea.
I fly home to Edmonton immedi-
ately. Within a week, Mom is unre-
sponsive. I sit in the chair by her bed,
curl into a ball, and close my eyes. I
dream of my mother. Shes smiling.
She descends a hilly dirt path to a
still lake under a cloudless violet
sky. I watch the back of her favourite
flowered dress flutter in the wind as
she gets smaller. She is chi, the Taoist
life force, soon to be shui of flowing
water and plants.
ONE YEAR LATER, Sonia arrives with
gifts: a gardeners apron she had
sewn for Mom and a cutting from a
peony that was grown from a piece of
one of our mothers plants. Im over-
come with relief, joy and sadness.
I watch her dig a small hole in the
cold November soil, put in the root,
and gently cover it as if shes swaddling
a baby. Legacy is a responsibility.
FROM UNEARTHED: LOVE, ACCEPTANCE AND OTHER LESSONS FROM AN ABANDONED GARDEN BY ALEXANDRA RISEN.
COPYRIGHT 2016 ALEXANDRA RISEN. PUBLISHED BY VIKING CANADA, A DIVISION OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA LIMITED.
REPRODUCED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The wind blows against the chimes
hanging on a nearby tree branch,
ones my father created out of copper
pipesthe only thing I brought home
after his funeral more than 10 years
ago. And suddenly, the tears flow.
Tears for my parents. Tears for
years of scrapes, an injured back
and the realization that Mom didnt
really need to see the garden; I just
needed to finish it. As the seasons
passed and the plants lived, died
and disintegrated into the earth over
a decade, their seeds taught me that
its never too late to start again.
I didnt know when we bought the
house that blossoms are symbolic of
our brief journey in this world. I see
it now, because I, like every living
thing, am transient too. Yet Im never
alone in the energy of nature.
Max will walk into his future con-
nected with the earth, the oceans and
the life within. Ill watch him, and all
who follow, from the vantage point of
my garden, grateful that my parents
gave me an unspoken connection to
the land, and an understanding that
life is fleeting, and that life is now.

FACT OR FICTION

A perfect life makes horrible art.

CHRIS ROCK

102 | 10 2016 | rd.ca

 @ Work
AT LEAST HES CONSISTENT YOURE SUSPENDED!
I supervised an employee who had
a negative view of everything I did.
If I took a vacation day, I was never
there. If I praised someones work,
it was too little, too late. He even-
tually took another job but was fired
six months later. Shortly thereafter,
he contacted me, hoping to return
to his old job.
Have you learned from this
experience? I asked.
Yes, I should have stayed here, he
admitted. Youre too indecisive to
have ever fired me. TERRY OCONNOR

CANT BELIEVE I JUST SAID THAT

Next time you fumble during a job
interview, take comfort in the fact
that it couldnt have gone this badly.
I was so nervous that when the
interviewer asked me what position
I wanted to hold in five years, I said
race car driver.
COMPLICATED SITUATION
The guy asked me to tell him a
Its difficult to say what my wife
little about myself, and I literally
does: she sells seashells by the
forgot who I was.
seashore. C o m e d i a n MILTON JONES
I was asked about punctuality.
HUBSP OT.COM

I went on about how it was good

Are you in need of some professional
to speak clearly and politely, and motivation? Send us a work anecdote,
it was nice to use proper grammar and you could receive $50. To submit
in speech and writing. dailymail.co.uk your stories, see rd.ca/joke.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 103

EDITORS CHOICE

Writer Craig Davidson spent a year

driving children with special needs to
school. These are their stories.

THE KIDS
OF BUS
3077 FR O M P R E C I O U S C ARG O
I LLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIAN FORROW

104 | 10 2016 | rd.ca

READERS DIGEST

I TRUDGED ACROSS THE FIELD, the late-September wind

flattening my jacket against my chest. The moon was still visible
in the early-morning Calgary sky. When I reached the bus, my key
slid crisply into the lock. I took the flashlight from the cup holder
and popped the hood release. Outside, I swept a beam through
the engine compartment. Everything looked tickety-boo.

I shut the hood and stepped inside
the vehicle, then keyed the ignition
and waited for the glow plugs to warm.
I flicked on the CB radio. Checked my
gauges. Got the heaters pumping.
Pulled the security pin from the rear
emergency door and slapped the seat-
backs to make sure they were secure.
After grabbing the broom from
up front, I walked a circuit around
the bus, taking a good swing at each
tire to check the inflation. I gave the
muffler a stiff crack, too. Crouching
down, I couldnt see any hoses or
wires dangling from the undercar-
riage. I popped the side door, low-
ered the wheelchair lift and raised
it again. Checked the hazard lights,
headlights, high beams, signal indi-
cators, fire extinguisher, first aid kit,
thermal blankets and traffic triangles.
Eyeballed the seven-way mirror sys-
tem. Tested the windshield wipers,
horn, fan, emergency brake and the
squelch button on the CB radio.
Rock and roll. I pulled onto the road.
and blown the interview. I was 32
years old. My background: a variety
of odd jobs, from tree planter and
whale watcher to ESL teacher, house
painter and librarianand writer.
After publishing my first collection
of short stories in 2005 (a success!),
I released my first novel (a flop). A
fleeting rise followed by a swift fall.
I parted ways with my agent ; the
money, never significant, dried up. I
really needed a job.
Upon returning home from the
interview, I noticed a sheet of paper
poking out of my mailbox. Openings
for school bus drivers! it read. No
experience necessary! Will provide
quality training! Must pass back-
ground check and drug screening.
It was one of your textbook cases
of mutual desperation: a company
eager enough to solicit applicants
through leaflet bombing meets a
man in dire enough straits to make
life-altering decisions based on ran-
dom flyers left at his front door.

TWO MONTHS EARLIER, in July BEFORE THE START of the school

2008, Id applied for the position of year, the bus company called me
lunch supervisor at a local school in to discuss my route assignment.

106 | 10 2016 | rd.ca

The coordinator began to thumb
through her call sheets and fire
off possibilities.
Grimhavens near me, I said.
She pulled up the information.
Route 412. Special needs. A hand-
ful of students. One is in a wheel-
chair. A beat.
Ill take it. You sure? Another
beat. Yeah. Lets give it a shot. Like
many decisions in my life, this one
was seemingly made on a whim.
Fate throws down its gauntlet: Will
you accept? But I craved a change.
AS WE WARMED UP TO ONE ANOTHER,
THE KIDS REALLY DID TALK. THEIR TALES
WERE WINDOWS INTO THEIR DREAMS.
I headed over to the yard to pick
up my school bus. Unit 3077. A yel-
low minibus. Mine was a split route.
Some were high-school students,
others in middle school. Their con-
ditions: cerebral palsy, autism, fra-
gile X syndrome.
I had little familiarity with these
terms; Id never even heard of fragile
X, which, due to an anomaly in the X
chromosome, could lead to delayed
physical, intellectual and emotional
growth. I scanned the assignment
sheet for each students program of
study. One read Regular Grade 11.
Others read PLP: Present Level of
Performance. Two students were
designated ALP, for Adapted Learn-
ing Program. Appended to one stu-
dents profile was a note: No sense
of direction; cannot be left alone. Will
get lost.
My ignorance shamed me. I had
long since realized that many people,
myself included, were uncomfortable
around individuals with disabilities.
Such encounters felt like a door open-
ing onto a vast realm where I had no
foothold, no understanding. This is
what made me hesitate before agree-
ing to the special needs route. Its also
what made me say yes.
SOME DRIVERS RAN their buses
the way feudal lords ruled their
fiefdoms, with an iron fist. The rules
on 3077 were more lax. My objec-
tive was to treat those under my
wing with respect; Id allow min or
infractions, hoping my charges
would self-correct with encourage-
ment. Sometimes this backfired, but
I wanted them to feel free to engage
with each other and with me.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 107
READERS DIGEST
As we began to warm up to one
another, the kids really did talk
about movies, sports, friendship,
family and a million other topics.
Mainly, though, they told stories.
Their imaginations were unbridled.
Their tales were a window into their
worlds and dreams. Every so often,
the gangJake, 16; Oliver, 13; Vin-
cent, 17; Gavin, 13; and Nadja, 17
broke my heart.
NADJA WAS THE groups social but-
terfly. Every day she would climb on
NADJAS STORIES ALL ENDED WITH
MEDICAL MISHAPS, NATURAL DISASTERS
OR IN-FLIGHT CALAMITIES.
board the bus and say to me, Good
morning, Craig.
By the way, she usually asked,
how was your evening? By the
way was one of her two pet expres-
sions. All right. How was yours?
Actually, I had a dinner party.
Actually was the second of those
pet expressions. And actually, it was
very nice. Nadja was forever attend-
ing dinner parties hosted by various
aunts and unclesor so she said.
Most of the kids presented me with
a picture of their lives that was more,
well, lively than the reality. According
108 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
to Nadja, those same relatives had
disaster-plagued existences.
My auntie? She had a nephew
and he got sick. By the way, he died.
Over the course of the year, Nadja
would tell 40-plus stories that ended
in the same grisly manner. Medical
mishaps, in-flight calamities or natural
disasters. Her uncles, aunties, neph-
ews and nieces were dying at a stag-
gering clip. I began to suspect that by
the way, so-and-so died was Nadjas
way of concluding a story for which
she could find no satisfactory end. Or
perhaps she craved the outpouring of
sympathy. But as the death toll shot
up, I became less sympathetic.
My uncle had two daughters,
Craig? And they were flying in a plane
over the mountains? And it was very
nice...by the way, they died.
All of them died? Yes. When
did this happen? Actually, it was
last week. Isnt it sad? Funny, I
never heard about a plane crash.
Youd think it would have made the
papers. Its so sad, isnt it?
Nadjas stories often took off on
fantastical orbits that defied the
laws of naturelike the one about a
lass of Nadjas acquaintance.
Shes a little fat, Nadja told me.
But thats because, actually, shes
pregnant? She has a lot of children.
Ten of them.
I said, Ten kids? That is a lot. Nadja
amended this number. Ten thou-
sand. Ten thousand children? Yes.
Holy s**t! Oliver cried from the
back of the bus. Hey, I warned
him. Language, buster. She has
10,000 kids, Nadja went on primly.
All girls. Holy schizz! Oliver and
I had recently settled on schizz as
a substitute for s**t. I was already
regretting it. And do you know how
many husbands, Craig? I couldnt
even guess. Nine thousand. Holy
hells ass! Oliver cried.
OH, OLIVER. HIS stories also often
took the shape of reality-defying
falsehoods. They werent so much
lies as M.C. Escheresque master-
pieces in which helixes of untruths
spiralled toward half-sketched van-
ishing points. At first I wondered
whether it was wise to indulge these
outrageous deceits, but Oliver was
such a good-humoured liar that it
was hard to call him one.
One morning Oliver showed me
a photo on his cellphone. In it, he
lounged on the hood of a yellow
Porsche. Hed probably snapped the
shot in a mall parking lot.
Nice, I said. Is that your car?
I could see the gears winding in
his head. Id intimated that I didnt
find the notion of a penniless
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 109
READERS DIGEST
13-year-old owning a luxury road-
ster inconceivable. You could see
him thinking: Why not?
Yeah, he said with a casual sniff,
I bought it this weekend. Oh. How
much? Oliver narrowed his eyes,
judging the depths of my credulity.
A hundred bucks. Thats a good
deal. Well, I haggled him down.
Usually Oliver didnt kick off the
ride with such a whopper. He pre-
ferred to wade in, starting the morn-
ing with a white lie, such as, I drank
a mug of java to get my day going.
OLIVERS MOST VIVID CREATION WAS HIS
BEST FRIEND. WHENEVER OLIVER FELT
MARGINALIZED, JOEY WOULD APPEAR.
If this fib squeaked past, hed forge
into bolder territory. Im going to join
a gym today, even though Ive already
got a well-developed upper body.
Oliver wasnt going to join a gym.
His upper body was underdevel-
opedpartly as a result of fragile X,
but more because boys his age werent
renowned for their rippling torsos.
But Olivers most vivid creation
was his best friend. Joey appeared
the way Batman does: whenever
Oliver felt marginalized, he would
flash the signal into the sky and
summon his buddy.
110 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
Nobody better mess with me or
Ill tell Joey, hed say. And when he
finds out hes gonna say, If theyre
messing with Oliver, they will have
to talk to my two friends. With stagy
showmanship, Oliver kissed his right
bicep. Thunder. Then he kissed his
left bicep. And Gus.
Nothing sums up the nature of
Olivers comic genius better than
this: it wasnt that Joey might name
his arms. Nor was it that hed call one
of them Thunder. It was the fact
that hed call the other one Gus.
THEN THERE WAS Gavin. Our initial
hurdle was eye contact: Gavin wasnt
a fan of it. But as autumn deepened,
he got more comfortable and our
eyes would meet fleetingly.
Gavin rarely spoke, and when he
did, it was just the odd word. On
November 13I wrote down the
datethe sky went grey over the
Rockies, and snow began to fall. It
came down in airy balls that looked
like fertilizer pellets.
Snowstorm, Gavin said.
Gavin liked his routines, the peo-
ple who knew him best told me. So
when I realized Id done something
he enjoyed, I made sure to do it
again, every day at the same time.
For example, in the mornings, when
we were at the high school and I was
lowering the wheelchair lift for Jake,
Id crouch under Gavins window,
then pop back up like a jack-in-the-
box and yell, Gavver! Usually Gavin
would smile bemusedly and cover his
eyes as if to say, Oh, brother. Other
times he would stare right past
me. But I sensed he enjoyed these
moments, and I kept them up all year.
FOUR MONTHS BEFORE I MET JAKE,
HIS MOTHER WAS KILLED BY A DRUNK
DRIVER DURING A FAMILY WALK.
THE OLDEST STUDENT on the bus,
Vincent, sat directly behind me. He
spun tales populated by warriors,
sorcerers, rogue cops and cyborgs.
When he said he was working on a
story, I came to understand it was in
much the same way Oliver worked
on his liesi.e., he was hammering
it out on the fly.
The main characters name is
Beeeeell...Biiiiiillaaaa... he would say,
stretching his vowels as he searched
for a name to settle on. Bill.
So his name is Bill? Id ask. Yes.
No, Huuuugo. No, Claire. A girl.
Okay, got it. Whats her story? Shes
immoooortal. Shes been in every war
from the Cruuusades to Iraq. What
are her powers? I would ask him,
because Vincents characters always
had superpowers. Claires got super
strength, super inteeeelligence. She
owns a machine that can make an
infinite amount of money. And shes
a lesbian. Claire and her girlfriend
vowed to be with oooone another
until the end of tiiiime. They fight
crime together. Do you want to know
what her costume is?
Of course.
Claire wears a goalie mask thats
autographed by Terry Saaawchuk,
and her old Naaazi uniform. But
shes not a Nazi. She was just con-
fused during that time of her life.
Many writers could learn a lesson
in conciseness from Vincent. Im no
good at emooootions, Vincent freely
admitted, but his tales held a sweet-
ness similar to that of their teller. Take
The Immortal, which ended with
Claire by her girlfriends deathbed.
Shes saaaaaaad but shes not
sad, too, Vincent said of Claire,
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 111
because she knows her girlfriend
lived a good life and died haaaappy.
I said, You dont give yourself
enough credit, Vincent. You can be
very good at emotions.
FINALLY, THERE WAS Jake. The
medical designation for his classi-
fication of cerebral palsy is called
spastic quadriplegia. Symptoms
include involuntary spasms, mus-
cular rigidity and abnormal muscle
tone. All of his limbs are affected,
and he uses an electric wheelchair.
Four months before I met Jake, he
and his mother, his sister and a fam-
ily friend were out for a walk. A drunk
driver jumped the curb in his Dodge
Durango and collided with them.
Jake was struck and thrown from his
112 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
chair; the family friend sustained
serious injuries; Jakes sister was
largely unhurt; and his mother was
hurt very badly. Jake was put into a
medical coma and remained in that
state for two weeks. By the time he
woke up, his mother had died.
At the beginning of the year, Jakes
stories were space operas: waylaid
starship explorers trying to find their
way home or a ragtag crew of help-
mates staring down an intergalactic
threat. Jakes narratives were similar
in two ways. One, they always ended
with the explorers safely home or
the threat vanquished. Two, they
featured a young male character
with telekinesisthe ability to move
objects with his mind without any
reliance on his body. This character
wasnt the dashing commander, but
he was always involved in the mis-
sions success in some minor yet
essential way.
In mid-autumn, Jake told me he
was working on a manuscript ten-
tatively titled Mystery Academy. By
the end of the school year, it was 140
single-spaced pages long. Jake had
written a book.
You need to have drama and fear
and high incident, he told me in
October. And youve got to keep the
tension at a fever pitch before laying
JAKES PROTAGONIST HARBOURED
A SECRET: HE WAS RESPONSIBLE, IN
SOME WAY, FOR HIS MOTHERS DEATH.
off. Andand, and!youve got to
have comedy. Your comic foil. And
romance. But not drippy.
Jake envisioned Mystery Academy as
a series, an epic on the scale of Lord
of the Rings. In the mornings hed give
me the latest update.
Ninety pages now! One hundred
and two! Big night112! Good
news and bad news, Craig. Bad news:
way too much social studies home-
work last night. Good news: I still
wrote a page of my novel!
His hero was once again a boy
with telekinetic powers. Jake gave
me hell when I mixed up telekinesis
and telepathy. Obviously, I would
take these opportunities to irritate
him further.
Oh, so your main character has
one of those machines like in Star
Trek, the one that zaps Captain Kirk
from the Enterprise down to the sur-
face of a planet?
Arghh! No, thats teleportation!
Its all different! Captain Kirk? Youre
so old.
The main characters in Jakes
novel were battling a dark force,
something huge and unknowable
that Jake dreamt one night. When
I asked him to tell me about this
baddie, Jake couldnt articulate any-
thing beyond a vaporous, seething
hate: the hatred his villain exuded,
and the hatred Jake felt towards his
own creation.
I was never able to discern if Jake
kept his villain vague on purpose
one of the rules of writing is to leave
the worst things in the shadows and
let readers use their imaginations
or if he did not want to approach his
villain head-on, to give it a name,
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 113
READERS DIGEST
a face. If he had, Jake might have
found that he recognized that mon-
ster. It might have lived in the same
suburb, a few blocks away. Its drive-
way might have had a Rorschach
stain where a busted-up Dodge
Durango had leaked a pint of oil.
Jakes telekinetic protagonist
harboured a secreta past event
unknown to even the hero himself.
Somehow, in some way, he was
responsible for his mothers death.
Jake rarely asked me for writing
advice, but I remember telling him
IN FICTION, WE CAN ATTAIN NOBILITY.
WE CAN BE OUR BEST SELVES: THE BEST
FRIEND, BEST PARTNER, BEST PARENT.
this: Its okay to use your own life
in fiction. Your own life has value.
The unique things youve experi-
enced. All you have to do is go back
to those galvanizing moments in
your past and write from there. Take
everything youve felt and thought
and put it on the page.
But there was no need to tell Jake
that. He already knew.
OVER AND OVER, Id hear the kids
stories. Repeated, embellished,
glossed, the same terrain covered
until a well-worn path had been
114 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
carved out. I knew just when the
moments of high drama would
arrive, and knew my own role
when to respond with an encour-
aging oooh or aaah. But I never
got bored of those tales. They were
security blankets for the kids, and
thats what they became to me, too.
We tell ourselves stories in order
to live. Another, wiser writer said
that. But after hearing these chil-
drens chronicles, I would think: do
we not also tell stories to live vicari-
ously in ways we cannot?
Nadjas tales of never-ending din-
ner parties were those of a young
girl who lived in a modest condo-
minium complex and yearned for
a taste of the glamour glimpsed in
fashion magazines.
Consider Olivers protector, Joey:
he-man, namer of biceps. Not a
boy with a condition typified by low
muscle tone who crouched in his bus
seat to avoid neighbourhood bullies.
Vincents heroes were blessed with
superior intellects and chiselled mus-
culatures. None were awkward teen-
agers with cumbersome physiques.
 Jakes protagonistwho our best selves: the best
could move objects with friend, best partner, best
the power of his mind parent. We can always do
was breathed into life by a the right thing, show the
boy trapped inside his courage we cant display
own body. in life, kiss the boy or girl
Were these fictional of our dreams, and live
characters or polar selves? happily ever after.
I am no differentIve Jake and the other kids
never written my true self conjured new lives into
into one of my novels. existence every day. They
We al l want big g e r had discovered what it
lives, do we not? The takes some writers half a
inability to find complete lifetime to figure out: tell
satisfaction is woven into EDITORS the stories that lie near-
CHOICE
the heart of the human est to your heart. That
condition. In fiction, we can attain way, theyre not really fabrications
a heightened nobility. We can be at all. Theyre hopeful truths.
FROM PRECIOUS CARGO: MY YEAR OF DRIVING THE KIDS ON SCHOOL BUS 3077, BY CRAIG DAVIDSON. COPYRIGHT 2016 CRAIG
DAVIDSON. PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF CANADA, A DIVISION OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE CANADA LIMITED.
REPRODUCED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Some people just have a way with words,

and other people...oh...not have way.
STEVE MARTIN

I dont want to brag, but I do speak pig Latin; I mean, Im not

fluent, but Im sure if I ever went there, I could get by.
BONNIE Mc FARLANE, comed ian

I bought one of those tapes to teach you Spanish

in your sleep. During the night, the tape skipped.
Now I can only stutter in Spanish.
STEVEN WRIGHT, comedian

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 115

 ADVERTORIAL

I want the sanctuary to

really be a sanctuary for all.
Brenda Bronfman

An oasis of discovery
and development,
repose, and renewal,
our Wishing Well
Sanctuary is a centre
for personal growth,
inner peace, healing
and joy. We are
also a farmed animal
sanctuary and therefore
we can say that we truly
are a sanctuary of all.

Wishing Well Sanctuary

is a charitable
organization; therefore,
your donations will
assist in feeding and
caring for the animals
at the Sanctuary and
also assist in providing
programs to youth
and their families
who otherwise could
not afford to attend.

wishingwellsanctuary.org
Wishing Well Sanctuary, 2710 10th Line, Bradford, Ont. L3Z 2A5
 GET SMART!

13 Things
You Should
Know About
Car Maintenance
BY JI L M c I N TOS H

1 Choose the proper fluids for

brakes, cooling and other systems.
For models built after the year 2000,
its crucial that you use the manufac-
says Glenn Maidment, president of
the Tire and Rubber Association
of Canada. If you can see all of the
sails, the tire needs replacing.

turers fluids or equivalents, says
Jason DAmico, professor of automo-
tive technology at Centennial College
in Toronto. If you decide not to, trans-
missions and other components may
be noisy or perform poorly.
3
Air can save you money. It takes
more energy to roll on an under-
inflated tire, and you can lose 0.3
per cent of your fuel mileage if one
of yours is just a pound of air short.

2
About half of all Canadian vehicles
Prioritize your tires. When they have at least one tire thats 10 per
dont have enough tread, you cent above or below its recom-
ISTOCKP HOTO

arent able to stop quickly or han- mended pressure.

4
dle slippery roads. Place a dime
in one of the tires grooves, with the Heed recallsthey identify
Bluenoses sails pointing down, potential safety issues. Even
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 117
READERS DIGEST
though automakers provide free
repairs for recalled vehicles, its
estimated that about 20 per cent of
owners dont take advantage. Visit
your automakers website to check
each vehicles recall status.
5
Replace your brake fluid every
two years. Its hygroscopic,
meaning it pulls moisture out of the
air. This water contamination greatly
increases the risk of brake failure.
6
Avoid waiting until your car wont
start to replace your battery. Have
it checked every fall after the three-
year mark instead. Batteries hate the
cold, and one thats failing could work
at 20 C but leave you stranded when
temperatures plummet.
7
Use the right grade of fuel. Some
sportier models require pre-
mium, which ignites more evenly in
their higher-compression engines.
Regular fuel can leave these vehicles
running sluggishly.
8
Listen to your car. Open the
window to check for grinding or
squealing brakes, clunks when you
turn the steering wheel or noisy
exhaust. If you can hear a humming
noise when the window is closed, it
could be an under-lubricated wheel
bearing. The bearing noise is speed
sensitive, so the faster you go, the
louder it gets, DAmico says.
118 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
9 Go long. During short trips, your
vehicles engine doesnt heat up
enough to remove condensation,
which reduces the engine oils ability
to protect moving parts. If you cant
take a drive lasting at least 30 to
45 minutes each week, DAmico
advises changing your oil every
three months, regardless of mileage.
10
After every winter, use a self-
serve car wash to remove salt
from your vehicles underside until
the water runs clear. Otherwise,
buildup can rust the floor pan or cor-
rode electrical wiring or brake lines.
11
Have the air filter inspected at
every other oil change. If it
gets dirty and clogged, it can cause
your vehicle to use more fuel.
12
If youre considering a more
eco-friendly vehicle, budget
for maintenance. Hybrid engines
still require oil changes. And while
electric cars dont contain oil, you
should have their brakes and steer-
ing inspected at least once a year.
13
Select your repair facility
wisely. Quick-lube shops sel-
dom employ licensed technicians to
inspect safety items such as brakes.
Make sure to head to a shop with
licensed techstheir provincially
issued credentials will be on dis-
playfor a safety check each year.
 Thats Outrageous!
OH BABY!
BY GRAEM E BAYLISS
EARLY ADOPTER
They say you have
to crawl before
you can walk. Well, Zyla
St. Onge learned how
to water-ski before she
could do either. Her father,
professional water-skier Keith St.
Onge, introduced her to the family
business by pulling her across the
carpet on a set of junior skis. She
loved it, so he tested her on water.
Zyla, then six months old, zipped
across Lake Grew in Floridaat
a kid-friendly 11 kilometres per
hourpast loved ones who waded
in, ready to catch her. After gliding
for 210 metres, the infant let go, and
Keith nabbed her within seconds.
Zyla declined to comment (she cant
talk yet), but Keith says shes onto
her next challenge: crawling.
YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE
For the Sacramento Kings and the
PIERRE LORANGER
Utah Jazz, it was just another NBA
game. But for six babies, the half-
time show was the competition of a
lifetime. Pitted against one another
at Sacramentos Sleep Train Arena
in March, the pint-sized
athletes scurried several
metres on their hands
and knees, hoping
to be crowned the
fastest baby. It was
soon a two-tot race, as four com-
petitors failed to leave the starting
gate. The leading pair was neck
and neck until one crawler stopped
unexpectedly at centre courtto
nap. His rival took the lead and,
ultimately, the glory.
UP IN THE AIR
In October 2015, Dr. Angelica Zen
had dozed off on a flight from Taipei
to Los Angeles when an announce-
ment woke her up: Is there a doctor
on board? When Zen, a pediatri-
cian, answered the call she discov-
ered that a passenger had gone into
labour. With the help of flight attend-
ants, Zen constructed a makeshift
medical tent out of blankets and
grabbed an emergency kit. Three-
and-a-half hours later, she delivered
a healthy baby girl to the applause of
a few groggy passengersand gave
new meaning to the word airborne.
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 119
 MORE GREAT READS THIS MONTH

Rd.ca/connect
T R AV E L

5 Vacation Apps
You Need to
Download
H E A LT H

How to Use Your T-Shirt

to Treat Injuries
If you cant get medical help right away,
you can still stop a bad bleed, prevent
infection or treat heat exhaustionall
with a simple closet staple

/r e a d e r s d i g e s t c a n a d a

@readersdigestca

/r d c a n a d a

/r e a d e r s d i g e s t c a

Newsletter

HOME

8 Decor Mistakes
Avoid these common pitfalls
ISTOCKP HOTO

to make sure your home looks

up-to-date and clutter-free

120 | 10 2016 | rd.ca

 Brainteasers
Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind stretchers,
then check your answers on page 124.

ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY DETAILS, DETAILS (Difficult)

(Moderately difficult) Four details from the drawing below were
Ahmad, Brielle, Dina, Ed sampled and rotated to new orientations.
and Ginny have their birth- Three of them were also otherwise altered
days on consecutive days in small but significant ways. Which of the
but not necessarily in that four was not?
order. This year, all of their
birthdays land between
Monday and Friday. Can
(I TS YOUR BIRTHDAY) MA RCEL DA NESI; (DETA ILS , DETAILS) DARREN RIG BY

you figure out whose birth-

day is on each weekday?
Ahmads birthday is as
many days before Ginnys
as Brielles is after Eds.
Dina is two days older
than Ed.
Ginnys birthday is
on Thursday.
AY
MOND
TU ES DAY

? ? WED
NES
DAY

?
THUR
S DAY

? F R IDA
Y
A B C D

?
rd.ca | 10 2016 | 121
READERS DIGEST

PATTERN FINDER (Easy) IT KEEPS TURNING UP (Difficult)

(PATTERN F INDER) MARCEL DANES I; (I T KEEP S TURNI NG UP) DARREN RIG BY; ( PATH PU ZZL E ) ROD E RICK K IMBAL L OF PAT H PU ZZL E S.COM
The numbers on the cubes The diagram below represents one
below follow a pattern. piece of a spiral staircase. The round
Can you determine what part goes over a post, and the edges
it is and provide the (marked in yellow) of the stairs
missing numbers? connect. Some dimensions are
marked (rounded to two digits),
91 and the staircase goes once around
the post. Rounding off to the nearest
metre, how tall would the completed
? 50 staircase be?
radius: 1.0 m
16 25 ?
? 11 ? 11
height:
0.25 m

3 ? 9 5 ? arc: 0.52 m

PATH PUZZLE (Moderately difficult)

2
Draw a path that goes from one of the
grids four openings to another. As the
path winds from one cell to the next, it 4 3
can move up, down, left or right but not
diagonally. It cannot pass through any
cell more than once. The numbers
around the grid tell how many cells the
path must pass through in the corres-
ponding row or column. Numbers that
are adjacent to both a row and a column
3
indicate the total number of the cells in
the path from both the row and the col-
umn. If a row or column has no number, 3 2
then the path may pass through as many
or as few of its cells as you like.

122 | 10 2016 | rd.ca

 Trivia Quiz
BY PAUL PAQ UET

1. Which countrys 1900 constitution 8. Which calendar date is the

left room for adding New Zealand as rarest birthday?
a member state someday?
9. In 2005, what celebrity jumped up
2. Earlier this year, who became and down on Oprahs sofa, proclaim-
the youngest person to receive four ing his love for actress Katie Holmes?
Oscar nominations for acting?
10. Of the six wives of Englands
3. Seven Catholic popes, three King Henry VIII, how many were
Russian czars and one great named Catherine?
Macedonian all shared what name?
11. In which country do the similarly
4. In what 1980s hit does the singer named Dnieper and Dniester rivers
buy bread from a man in Brussels reach the Black Sea?
who was six foot four and full
12. Which American king
of muscles?
posed for a photo with U.S.
5. What is the only major president Richard Nixon
European river to waltz its in 1970?
way from west to east?
13. Measuring just a few
6. Dr. Kenneth Leigh Evans millimetres, paedocypris
purportedly used a 300-year- progenetica may be the
old Jamaican recipe to create worlds tiniest fish species.
what coffee liqueur? In which country could
15. What Renaissance you spot one, if you
7. Whats the name of political thinker have good eyesight?
both the Libyan capital advised, It is better to
and Lebanons second- be feared than loved, if 14. Where is the
largest city? you cannot be both? humerus bone found?
ISTOCKP HOTO

12. Elvis Presley. 13. Indonesia. 14. In the upper arm. 15. Niccol Machiavelli.
10. Three (Catherine of Aragon, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr). 11. Ukraine.
Men at Work. 5. The Danube. 6. Tia Maria. 7. Tripoli. 8. February 29. 9. Tom Cruise.
ANSWERS: 1. Australia. 2. Jennifer Lawrence. 3. Alexander. 4. Down Under by

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 123

 Sudoku
Brainteasers:
Answers
(from page 121)

BY IAN RIE NS C H E ITS YOUR BIRTHDAY

Monday is Dinas birthday.
Tuesday is Ahmads.
Wednesday is Eds.
Thursday is Ginnys, and
Friday is Brielles.

8 4 5 6 1 3 DETAILS, DETAILS
D. In A, the root of the tree
1 4 was moved closer to the
bicycle pedal. In B, the rear
1 3 4 handlebar was deleted.
In C, an extra pair of lines

1 5 6 were added.

PATTERN FINDER
9 5 2 8 Each cubes number is the
sum of the two numbers
8 7 5 on the cubes below it to
the left and the right. The

3 2 8 missing numbers, from top

to bottom and left to right,
are 41, 25, 5, 14, 2 and 6.
8 3 IT KEEPS TURNING UP

7 2 8 1 3 6 The staircase will have the

same radius as this piece,
1.0 m. Its circumference
will be 1.0 m x 2 x 3.14 =
TO SOLVE THIS PUZZLE
6.28 m (because circum-
You have to put a number from ference equals radius x 2 x
1 to 9 in each square so that: pi). Twelve stairs will com-
plete that circle (6.28 m /
(S UDOKU) S UDOKUP UZZ LER.COM

every horizontal row SOLUTION 0.52 m 12), so the stair-

6 3 1 9 4 5 8 2 7
and vertical column 7 9 2 3 1 8 4 6 5 cases height will be
contains all nine numerals 5 4 8 6 2 7 3 9 1 3 metres (12 x 0.25 m).

(1-9) without repeating any 1 5 9 2 7 3 6 8 4

PATH PUZZLE
of them; 2
8 2 3 1 6 4 7 5 9
4 6 7 8 5 9 2 1 3
4 3
each of the 3 x 3 boxes 9 8 4 5 3 6 1 7 2

has all nine numerals,

2 7 5 4 8 1 9 3 6
3 1 6 7 9 2 5 4 8
none repeated. 3
3 2
124 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
 Word Power
Say is a versatile verb, but there are plenty of other options
waiting to be heard. Take this quiz to fill your vocabulary with
alternate ways of describing speech.
BY SAM ANTH A RID EOU T

1. animadvertA: speak out 9. inveigleA: invoke supernatural

against something. B: advertise beings. B: encourage someone
through word of mouth. C: use to break the law. C: persuade with
a gentle tone. deception or flattery.

2. parryA: repeat. B: wonder

aloud. C: skilfully evade a question.
3. asseverateA: declare emphat-
ically. B: make a counter-argument.
C: insult viciously.
4. concedeA: whine. B: grudg-
ingly admit. C: explain a plan.
5. repineA: say with a yawn.
B: express discontent.
C: contemplate.
10. ratiocinateA: reason logically.
B: provide feedback. C: pronounce
a judgment.
11. philippizeA: advocate under
the influence of corruption. B: con-
sole. C: convey unwelcome news.
12. importuneA: recite a poem.
B: offer assistance.
C: request persistently.

6. japeA: mock. B: talk with food 13. upbraidA: describe enthusias-

in ones mouth. C: boast. tically. B: gossip behind someones
back. C: scold.
7. calumniateA: agree without
thinking. B: make a false and
14. ballyhooA: praise extrava-
defamatory statement. C: take
gantly. B: shout hoarsely. C: gloat.
an unlikely guess.

8. perorateA: threaten. 15. quaverA: whisper. B: ask a

B: deliver a long speech. rhetorical question. C: speak with
C: mumble nervously. a trembling voice.

rd.ca | 10 2016 | 125

READERS DIGEST
Answers
1. animadvert[A] speak out
against something; as, First Nations
leaders animadverted upon the
pipelines threat to the watershed.
2. parry[C] skilfully evade a ques-
tion; as, Do you want someone
experienced or someone capable?
parried the candidate when asked
about her employment history.
3. asseverate[A] declare emphat-
ically; as, Cayman was a bad juror;
he believed everything the witness
asseverated, no matter how absurd.
4. concede[B] grudgingly admit;
as, I guess my trainer was right
when she said I wasnt ready for a
marathon, conceded Ayako.
5. repine[B] express discontent;
as, During lunch breaks, Donovans
co-workers would listen to him
repine over having left his village.
6. jape[A] mock; as, Sofia pre-
empted any japing about her ears
by calling herself the love child of
Prince Charles and Mr. Spock.
7. calumniate[B] make a false and
defamatory statement; as, Hoping to
snag Husnis job for herself, Mathilda
calumniated him as a thief.
8. perorate[B] deliver a long
speech; as, The conference delegates
sighed with relief when the organizer
finished perorating.
126 | 10 2016 | rd.ca
9. inveigle[C] persuade with
deception or flattery; as, Cant you
inveigle any celebrities to attend my
party? pleaded the socialite.
10. ratiocinate[A] reason logic-
ally; as, Actions are motivated by
desires, so morality cant be based
on reason alone, Hume ratiocinated.
11. philippize[A] advocate under
the influence of corruption; as,
Pavithra suspected the mayor was
philippizing when he praised the
local factorys safety record.
12. importune[C] request persis-
tently; as, Tired of hearing his kids
importuning him to bring them to
Disney World, Eugenio gave in.
13. upbraid[C] scold; as, Liese
upbraided her sister for having
called their mother a cheapskate.
14. ballyhoo[A] praise extrava-
gantly; as, Mateos boyfriend bally-
hooed his homemade lasagna so
much that he wondered if he was
teasing him.
15. quaver[C] speak with a trem-
bling voice; as, Do I have to read
my book report aloud to the class?
the child quavered.
VOCABULARY RATINGS
710: fair
1112: good
1315: excellent
Stop Snoring! Stop Sleep Apnea!
Stop torturing your sleep partner every night!
Yes, all three issues may be helped the very
first night you take this natural health remedy.
You will sleep well again and consequently
have more energy the next day.
Natural supplements gently address the root causes of health
issues, unlike medications that only address the symptoms.
Not habit forming. Take it every night or just when needed.
Helps you fall asleep quicker. Sleep satisfaction is guaranteed.
<Most adults sleep badly (69%). Consequently they are tired and less productive all of the
#23 NPN 80045172
next day. With many snorers, breathing repeatedly stops and starts. (Sleep partners will recognize
this sleep pattern). Sleep apnea may develop into major health problems: High blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, and
irregular heart beat. Bell Sound Sleep (Product #23) has helped tens of thousands.<I bought Sound Sleep for my sleep
apnea as recommended by a friend. I started to sleep like a baby. I got rid of my mask and all the gadgets of the CPAP
breathing machine I hated for three years. Great product. I will always use it. Works wonders for me. Gene Fairchild, 83, The
Villages, FL. Much more info on the Bell website. Dont have another bad night. Tens of thousands of happy users. A five
year success story. Based on our records, we can help millions that torture themselves and their sleep partner. Billions of
dollars are wasted, because tired people work at half of their physical and creative capacity. Dont worry, it works, or we
refund your retail price paid.

Bell Lifestyle has literally thousands of truthful testimonials like these:

<My life has been changed since taking SOUND SLEEP. I was taking medicine for stress and insomnia. In the
morning, I felt tired and without desire to do something all day. I decided to make a change and get off the medicine that was
making me depend on it. Bell Sound Sleep really helped me to sleep and feel relaxed the next day. I really recommend this
product. Fabiola Salgado, 33, Wheeling, IL. <First night my husband didnt snore at all! For the last ten years, I
bought my husband the nose strips advertised on TV, pillows, aromatherapy and others all in vain. Finally, I found Bells
Sound Sleep and for the first time, something worked. I will always make sure I keep an extra bottle in case the store runs out
because I want no more sleepless nights. Tracy Bradshaw, 43, Rodney, ON. <To my surprise, I really didnt snore
anymore or gasp for air! For the past four years I was increasingly aware of my snoring. I would wake up gasping for air.
After taking Bell Sound Sleep, Im sleeping through the night and feel rested and refreshed in the morning. I told everybody
who wanted to listen. Mark Wilson, 40, Hudson, NH.
We believe that many people can improve or overcome their ailments, if they try.
All products have NPN licences. All are guaranteed. No money is paid for testimonials.
Available in all health food stores and in many participating
Presidents own story: pharmacies and grocery stores. If they dont have it in stock
Eighteen years ago I started or dont want to order it for you, order it on our website,
to have arthritis, prostate, or call us with Visa or MasterCard. S&H $9.95. No S&H
kidney, snoring and sleep charges if three or more bottles are ordered.
apnea problems, which were
1-800-333-7995
Store locations
all helped quickly with on website.
natural health products. I made it my
lifes purpose to help others. Nick A. Jerch www.BellLifestyle.ca
160817-Reader's Digest Ad
 Quotes
BY CH RISTINA PALASSI O

I can act like an CANADIAN

extrovert, but STORIES ARE
EVERYONES
thats a perfor- STORIES.
mance. It takes THEYRE
a lot out of me. UNIVERSAL.
K A R E N K AI N JA SO N P R I E S TLE Y

A GREAT SONGS GREATEST ATTRIBUTE

IS HOW IT HINTS AT MORE. G O R D D OW N I E

Everything we do in life, we do to be
loved, to be accepted. I will make
films my whole life, loved or not.
X AVI E R D O L A N

I dont like the WHAT I LEARNED EARLY ON

[phrase] moving WAS THAT YOU HAD TO BE
on because you A LITTLE CR AZY TO SURVIVE
IN THE NHL . IN MY FIRST NHL
never move on:
GAME , I HAD THREE TEETH
you just adapt. KNOCKED OUT. FROM THEN
And you, in some ON , IF SOMEONE WANTED TO
ways, just survive. HIT ME IN THE MOUTH , THEYD
And you change. HAVE TO COME THROUGH
S TE V E N SOME LUMBER TO GET THERE .
SA BA D OS G O R D I E H OW E

PHOTOS: (KAIN) SIAN R I CH AR DS/THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA; ( D OLAN) GEORGES BIARD;
(HOWE) TMYPHOTO/GOR DI E H OWE C.A.R.E.S. QUOTES: (KAIN) TORONTO L IFE (MARCH 5, 2016);
(PRIESTLEY) CBC RAD I OS q (MAY 26, 2016); (DOWNIE) MACLEANS ( APRIL 13, 2009);
(DOLAN) THE GLOBE AND MAI L (MAY 22, 2016); (SABADOS) CBC NE WS ( MAY 25, 2016);
(HOWE) THE TORONTO STAR (JUNE 10, 2016).
 Specially formulated to treat inflammation and relieve pain on contact,
NEW RUB A535 Anti-Inflammatory Heating Cream works exactly where it hurts.
LIVE YOUR LIFE. TREAT YOUR PAIN.
 SENSITIVE TEETH?
YOUR COLGATE REPAIR CREW IS HERE.

Were not your ordinary sensitivity toothpaste.

Were on the job, sealing the openings to
exposed nerves to help repair sensitive teeth.

#1 BRAND USED MOST BY DENTAL PROFESSIONALS.

Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste provides superior sensitivity relief vs. ordinary sensitivity toothpaste
containing 5% potassium nitrate (equivalent to 2% potassium ion). With regular use. Toothpaste also fights cavities.
Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc. *TM Regd/M.D.