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June Special Section
2 | June 2021 | NorthFulton.com | ForsythHerald.com
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The “Round TUIT” Brought to you by - Michelle Wilson, Wilson Legal, PC When I was growing up, my mom had a round white magnet on the fridge with the letters T -U-I-T on it. When she’d ask us if we had done a chore and we responded that we’d get it done when we got around to it, she’d take that magnet, slap it on the table NAME in front of us and say “here’s your round TUIT now get up and do it” in her best first grade teacher sing-song voice. Her words would get stuck in your head and we began forcing ourselves to avoid the phrase “when we get around to it” so that we wouldn’t give her a chance to use the magnet on us. We knew the chore needed to get done and Mom wanted it done sooner rather than later. It is really easy to put off chores – especially ones without reminders. Updating your will, your power of attorney, your healthcare directive are chores that slip your mind. The reminders come when you or someone you know has a bad life event. Often it’s more expensive or too late to help after something bad happens. Don’t wait for a crisis. Find some help to review your documents today. Check out //wilson-legal.com/events for upcoming presentations. Wilson Legal, PC 407 East Maple St., #105 Cumming, GA 30040 (770) 205-7861
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Life, Legacy, and Grandpa’s Rules Brought to you by: Village Park Across the country, citizens enjoyed their Sunday by celebrating Father’s Day. Fathers and father figures play an important role in communities by creating a legacy for the generations to come. In honor of the special occasion, we asked the experts at Village Park Senior Living to share their advice about life, fatherhood, and grandpa’s rules. Delos Knight is a father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. In his experience, he has learned the importance of a father’s position in their children’s lives. He emphasizes that fathers have the ability to impact mental wellness and influence future decision-making skills for their children. “Fathers support emotional development and set the standards for their kids’ future relationships,” Delos continues to explain the residual impacts of the role. “If you do a decent job fathering, your kids will pass it along when they become fathers.” To further clarify how somebody can do a decent job fathering, Delos shared a token of his best advice. “You’ve got to trust your children
to be intelligent and do the right things, then congratulate and reward them when they do.” Although fathers are characterized as the ones who establish positive behavior in their children, grandpas are often distinguished by their own positions. Fellow resident, John Wozniak, shared what grandchildren can expect from family dynamics. “Your parents have the responsibility of making you into the citizen they think you should be, but your grandparents have the responsibility to spoil you. That’s our job.” John enjoys creating memories full of happiness for his grandchildren. He says whenever they visit, they know at grandpa’s house, it’s grandpa’s rules. Prior routines and regulations are often adjusted for a joyous experience. “There’s nothing wrong with having ice cream for breakfast, there’s nothing wrong with having ice cream before your meal,” John smiles. “That’s what grandparents do.” At Village Park Senior Living, we would like to thank John, Delos, and all of the fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers that continue to guide the upcoming generations. Designed to embrace the community,
Bungalows & Cottages City Homes Independent Living Assisted Living Memory Care Village Park Milton 555 Wills Road Alpharetta, GA 30009 470.509.4557
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residents often share their stories and cultivate new friendships. You can explore all three of Village Park’s
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Why do some tumors track along nerves? Brought to you by: Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta At a recent conference, an outstanding lecture by Dr. Scott Lester of the Juneo Clinic, Rochester, provided insight into the question of why tumors exhibit “perineural invasion” – the behavior of tumors wrapping around and travelling along nerves. The answer is another example of how nature and biology never cease to surprise. In medical school, one of my favorite professors loved to say, “50% of what you are going to learn during these four years will ultimately be proved wrong.” As I sat in my hard wooden chair taking notes on apparently error-ridden knowledge, I hoped that the 50% that was misinformation was at least not the half that mattered. As it turns out, one of the pieces of misinformation apparently concerned perineural invasion. In medical school, I was taught that some tumors track along nerves because nerves are convenient highways to other parts of the body. This was the “path of least resistance idea.” Professors also posited that some of the vessels and lymphatics running along with the nerve are an additional reason for tumor growth along nerves – essentially the idea that tumors spreading along nerves is really just tumors spreading along the surrounding lymphatics and blood vessels – “business as usual.” Several recent studies presented by Dr. Lester have provided data that sheds new light on this subject: In one experiment, scientists placed a nerve next to but well apart from a tumor growing in a petri dish. The tumor extended a strand of cells in the direction of the nerve and grew toward the nerve. This challenges the idea that perineural tumor growth in patients is simply cancer extension along nerves already touching a tumor. Then, the scientists tested proteins found in the nerve and found that the entire nerve did not have to be present in the dish to attract tumor growth. When scientists put a small amount of a nerve protein called GDNF (glial derived neurotrophic factor) in the dish, the tumor grew towards the GDNF. Apparently, proteins in the nerve attract tumor growth. So nerves are not just highways: some tumors seek out nerves by growing towards proteins that nerves produce. In another experiment, scientists placed pancreatic cancer cells next to the sciatic nerve inside of a live rat. Predictably, the cancer grew and invaded the sciatic nerve. The muscles relying on the sciatic nerve were unable to function which caused partial paralysis. However, when the scientists delivered radiation to the rat’s sciatic nerve BEFORE implanting the
pancreatic cancer, the tumor grew but paralysis did not occur upon tumor implantation against the nerve. Nerves that had received radiation produced less GDNF. We have long thought of radiation as primarily working by killing cancerous cells because radiation is known to cause breaks in cancer cell DNA resulting in cell death. But these studies led Dr. Lester, a radiation oncologist, to ask if radiation therapy’s effect on healthy tissue is just as important to its success as its effect on cancer cells themselves. Perhaps in some cases, radiation’s effect on growth factors in healthy nerve tissue is critical to preventing cancer recurrence. As many questions as answers are raised by these studies. Will we one day have medicines that treat perineural tumors by inhibiting neurotrophic factors? For tumors that do not track along nerves but that invade muscle, bone or other tissue, will medicines increasingly target growth factors in these tissues to prevent spread? Already, medicine that targets “vascular endothelial growth factor” is being used to treat certain cancers. Perhaps one day a local injection of a medicine that blocks neurotrophic factors will be used to help treat perineural tumors. As a Mohs surgeon, I took interest in these studies because many skin cancers track along nerves and because identifying perineural invasion under the microscope is an important part of my job. When I find significant perineural invasion, radiation therapy after surgery is an option I discuss. I hope that I might one day be able to offer a targeted pill or injection as an alternative to radiation. However, I thought that these studies are of broad general interest because they are an intriguing example of how the obvious or intuitive answer so often is not the correct answer when biology is involved. Tumor growing along nerves is not just a case of taking the path of least resistance. So much of what we assume or are taught does not turn out to be the whole story. Nature is always more complex than we imagine, and new discoveries provide opportunities for medical advancement. If you or a loved one struggles with skin cancer or any dermatologic complaint, consider Premier Dermatology and Mohs Surgery of Atlanta. Dr. Brent Taylor and Kathryn Filipek, PA-C are delighted to help you achieve your skin health goals. Dr. Taylor is a Harvard-graduate, a board certified dermatologist and vein care expert, and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon. Kathryn Filipek has greater than 15 years of dermatology experience with expertise in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology including fillers, Botox®, and sclerotherapy.
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A NEWSLETTER FROM
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Is Your Wallet Prepared For Nursing Care? Brought to you by- Jay Looft, Medicare Insurance Broker, SeniorSource Medicare Solutions Many believe that Medicare insurance will pay for assisted living and nursing home care, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Medicare will provide coverage up to the first 100 days of Skilled Nursing Care, also referred to as Rehabilitation Care. Staying in a “Rehab” facility usually takes place after a surgery to help get you back on your feet. Rehab is not a long-term care situation. With average costs for full time care in a nursing home now reaching $8,000 per month (source: ltcg.com), it is wise to plan ahead. You hope it won’t happen to you, but that is a risky bet. If you are of lower income, you June qualify for Georgia Medicaid; however, that typically requires a “spend down” of your assets. You could also self-pay, but if your longterm care needs last longer than average this could mean a sizable amount of your estate has been forked out to provide you care.
A better way to preserve what you have worked so hard for is by obtaining Long-Term Care Insurance. LTC Insurance comes at a cost, like most insurances do, but costs are lower if you purchase between the ages of 50 and 60 versus waiting until you are in your seventies. Long-Term Care Insurance companies will examine your health in order to qualify you for their insurance, so it’s better to get it while you are younger and healthier if possible. If you are 70 or older and in good health, it June still be possible to get approved for an affordable LTC plan. The Long-Term Care Insurance business has changed in recent years, with new policy designs and new companies entering into the business. At SeniorSource Medicare Solutions, we keep up to date with the latest news and changes in the Medicare and Long-Term Care Insurance industries. If you have thought about getting LTC Insurance for yourself or a loved one, please give us a call today! Call us at (770) 913-6464 or visit our website at www.SeniorSourceMedicare.com.
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