Teva CFS Book English

64 Yael Meishar performing for Teva Kfar Saba employees younger daughter into the world, who is now 3 years old. “I was given a gift” says Yael “The doctor suggested that I avoid another pregnancy, but I went with my intuition again. Although my body deteriorated, I would do it all over again”. Singing her life story Yael didn’t let the disease prevent her from continuing to perform as a singer. “I tend to share with my audience how I feel that day. It became a part of the performance, because it’s important for me to be authentic and honest. At the end of the show, people hug me and tell me that I gave them a new perspective on life. All my shows are spontaneous and when I see people are moved, I know that I have been blessed with new friends”. Yael was invited to sing for Teva employees - in Petach Tikva, Ramat Hovav, and in Kfar Saba. “I remember that I performed in Kfar Saba three years ago, a month after I gave birth to my second daughter” (photos from the show on the right). The Association - an inseparable part of me “The Parkinson Association is an inseparable part of me” says Yael. “When we lived in Modi'in I helped open a chapter of the Association and when we moved to Pardes Hannah I became active at the local chapter. Information about the Association’s activities is conveyed by word of mouth, since the National Insurance and the HMOs are forbidden from giving information about new patients. At our chapter there are 20- 30 people that come from all over the area and from more distant places in the North. It’s really important to join the Association, because the peer group plays a huge role in coping with the diseases, but it should be done gradually and whoever joins should be ready for it”. Exercise for the brain Yael’s life is rich in activities that are meant to improve her quality of life - guided imagery, walking, Speech Therapy, as well as brain exercise using a unique method called RGRM that was invented by a Swedish drummer - a multisensory method to stimulate the brain based on rhythm, music, and movement: “You learn that in order to renew connections in the brain you need to do new things, like brush your teeth with you left hand... which is how the brain creates pathways and regenerates itself”. Yael “exercises her brain” by solving riddles, crossword puzzles, and Sudoku, and attempts to perform as often as possible, with her escort in tow. Yael’s daughters were born into the disease and for them it’s a part of life: “My eldest went through everything with me from day one. Now, when she is starting adolescence and sometimes experiences a bit of natural embarrassment, it’s important to teach her that it’s OK to be different”. “ I tend to share with my audience how I feel that day. It became a part of the performance, because it’s important for me to be authentic and honest. At the end of the show, people hug me and tell me that I gave them a new perspective on life “ [Yael Meishar] Better lives for our patients *