Cancer Prevention Pill | SHEDDING Victim Mentality | Cooling Inflammation
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
Nurturing women’s health in Colorado Springs
Unmasking your symptoms Serious health problems may be lurking behind some common ailments
FREE
and low-cost screenings Page 10
spring 2015 Volume 5, Issue 2
HealthyStart
How bad is it not to
Exercise: Never too late, too old, or too little E
ven 10 minutes a day of moderate exercise can make you happier, and help you stay healthier, age better, and live longer. And it’s never too late to start exercising — or go back to it if you’ve stopped. “Exercise boosts your mood; helps you tolerate stress; increases energy, focus, and metabolism; slows the aging process; and helps you sleep better,” says Chitra Pedadda, MD, medical director of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. People — including Dr. Chitra Pedadda seniors — who start exercising along with eating healthy, can reduce their risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Even small amounts of moderate exercise, like brisk walking around the mall or gardening, bring large health benefits. “You don’t have to push it hard and break a sweat. It’s about moving and not being sedentary,” Pedadda says. Some benefits, like feeling good and lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, start as soon as 10 minutes into exercising. Lowering the risk of disease takes about a year. “Just start moving,” Peddada says.
10
Performing minutes of moderate exercise five days a week can cut the risk of death from heart disease by 46 percent.
2
Walking miles a day can cut the risk of hospitalization in half for COPD patients.
You can easily get sick — or make someone else sick — by not washing your hands before eating or after using the bathroom. Flu and cold germs can live on surfaces up to eight hours. Other germs, including some for serious infections, live for days or even months. “People pick up germs from bathroom counters and floors, doors, handles, elevator buttons, the grocery store, everywhere,” says Joan Strauch, RN, CIC, infection prevention manager at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. If you’re healthy, you’re less likely to get sick from these germs, but you can still spread them to others, including people with serious diseases and older people who are more likely to get very sick. Wash your hands for 15 seconds, says Strauch, especially before you eat. If you don’t, you’ll put germs you’ve picked up into your mouth.
30
minutes of moderate exercise three times a week can add up to six years to your life.
Looking for a new way to exercise? The Penrose-St. Francis Wellness Center offers a variety of classes, from Zumba to sunrise yoga and Tai Chi. Visit penrosestfrancis.org/calendar for class dates, times, and locations. bloom is published four times annually by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. As part of Centura Health, our mission is to nurture the health of the people in our community. The information herein is meant to complement and not replace advice provided by a licensed healthcare professional. For comments or to unsubscribe to this publication, please email us at bloom@centura.org. bloom is produced by Clementine Words LLC. Executive editor is Jill Woodford.
FAST FACT The first soap was made by Babylonians around 2800 B.C.
2222 North Nevada Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
bloom
2
Spring 2015
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
Cover photo: ©IStockphoto.com/DNY59; This Page: ©IStockphoto.com/JStaley401, /Floortje; Opposite Page: ©IStockphoto.com/Filip_Il, / Alasdair Thomson
wash your hands?
Prevention in a pill
Medications can cut breast cancer risk in half If you’re at high risk of developing breast cancer, you may be able to cut that risk in half by taking certain medications that were once used only in treating breast cancer. Two classes of drugs have proven to reduce risk by more than 50 percent. Both types of drugs stop estrogen Dr. Nicole Choy from fueling the growth of cancer cells, but they do it in different ways. Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) block estrogen from attaching to cancer cells and can be used for women before or after menopause. The second type of drugs, used only in postmenopausal women, are aromatese inhibitors. These drugs prevent the body from converting testosterone into estrogen, the mechanism in which estrogen is produced after menopause. Because these drugs have side effects, they are used only with women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer, says Nicole Choy, MD, a breast surgeon at Southern Colorado Breast Care Specialists. “We look at the woman’s risk of breast cancer, the side effects of the drugs, and also the desire of the woman: ‘Do you want to reduce your risk of cancer but take on the risk of the drug?’” Drugs that can cut the risk of breast cancer in half Type of drug
Brand names
Increases risk of
SERMs
Tamoxifen, Raloxifene
Menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and irritability; blood clots; endometrial cancer
Aromatese inhibitors
Aromasin, Arimidex, Femara
Menopausal symptoms, joint pain, bone loss
What does ‘HIGH RISK’ mean? • Two or more close relatives with breast cancer • Mom or sister with breast cancer before age 50 • Mom or sister with cancer in both breasts • Certain types of benign breast disease • Carry one of the mutated genes that cause breast cancer
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Choy, call 719-571-8840. Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is part of the Centura Health Cancer Network, delivering integrated, advanced cancer care across Colorado and western Kansas.
For the man in your life
Low-T therapy: Is it worth it? Low-T (testosterone) therapy, promoted as improving sex drive and boosting energy as men age, is one of the most prescribed medicines. But for Dr. Preetham Reddy many men, Low-T therapy could also increase the risk of heart attack. “Research indicates there’s a link between starting Low-T therapy and more cardiac events,” says Preetham Reddy, MD, a cardiologist at Colorado Springs Cardiology, a Centura Health Clinic. While studies don’t provide conclusive evidence, a recent study published in PLoS One found that the risk of heart attack doubled for men younger than 65 who had heart disease and men over 65 with no heart disease. “The increased risk showed up within 90 days. That’s a red flag,” Reddy says. Men with heart disease shouldn’t use Low-T therapy, Reddy says. Other men could consider it if they don’t have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of heart disease, which increases their risk. But it’s best, Reddy says, to improve health through exercise and a better diet. If you or your partner have risk factors for heart disease, a cardiac calcium scoring test could help you and your doctor get a better picture of your heart health. Learn more about this noninvasive test by calling 719-776-8768.
Low-T
therapy may double the risk of heart attack.
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is part of the Centura Health Heart and Vascular Network, the region’s leading provider of cardiovascular care.
Breaking the cycle of severe pain with acupuncture
Need a break from severe back or migraine pain? Try ear acupuncture, six to 10 needles each about the size of a grain of rice, placed on the ear’s surface. “Ear acupuncture breaks the cycle of pain,” says Nicholas A. Piantanida, MD, a family and sports medicine doctor at Penrose-St. Francis Primary Care. Ear acupuncture relieves pain for up to four days, while the needles are in the ears. It can help people with back pain sleep and do physical therapy, and make migraine medicines work better. “But ear acupuncture is only done when we know the underlying cause of the pain,” Piantanida says. Dr. Nicholas Piantanida It may be uncomfortable when the needles are put on the ear, but this quickly fades away. The needles fall out on their own or can be removed with a fingertip twist. Piantanida repeats treatments as needed, for example, before a patient with back pain begins physical therapy. To learn about this and other pain relief options, schedule an appointment with Dr. Piantanida by calling 719-776-4646.
penrosestfrancis.org
Actual size of needles
FAST FACT Ear acupuncture relieves pain in about
80%
of patients.
Spring 2015
3 bloom
Masquerading symptoms Those aches and pains are more than likely no big deal, but they also may be warning signs of a bigger problem. Listening to your body and knowing when to seek help lets you see what’s really behind those symptoms.
T
hat nausea you’re feeling might mean you have a stomach virus — or you could be having a heart attack. Bleeding after menopause could be a side effect of hormone therapy or blood thinners — or it could be cancer. These and other common symptoms are often caused by minor health problems. But sometimes, these masqueraders are something more sinister. Symptoms in one part of your body could mean there’s a problem somewhere else. Back pain, for example, could be hip arthritis or cancer. Even if the symptoms don’t seem related, they could be.
bloom
4 Spring 2015
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
Listen to Your Body
Be Persistent
It’s not always easy for doctors to make the right diagnosis when symptoms could be many health problems. That’s why it’s so important to tell your doctor everything and even be pushy, if you need to, to get a diagnosis. Tell the doctor about all of your symptoms and ask what else they could be. Ask for more tests, and follow up to get the results. Give all of the doctors you see complete information; it’s very likely that one doctor won’t know what another doctor did or said. “If you’re convinced that something is really serious, get a second opinion or go to the emergency room,” Gadeliya says. One telling sign that something is serious is experiencing a major change in how you feel from one day to the next. If you have sudden, intense symptoms, head for the emergency room. It’s always better to seek help and find out it’s something minor than to ignore the symptoms until it’s too late for effective treatment — or any treatment at all.
Get Help Immediately
It’s definitely time for a trip to the emergency room for symptoms that could be a heart attack or “red flag” symptoms that could be cancer or a spinal cord problem. Low back pain along with any of these symptoms is likely to be something serious: • Numbness or weakness in the legs, feet, or butt • Sudden urinary incontinence • Trouble controlling bowels Other “red flag” symptoms are weight loss of 10-15 pounds over about six months without trying, and pain that lasts longer than six weeks. continued next page
FAST FACTs
80%
of women who have a heart attack don’t have chest pain, according to a study published in 2012 that looked at 1.1 million people who were treated in an ER for heart attack.
penrosestfrancis.org
90%
of women will survive uterine cancer if found at its earliest stage, according to the American Cancer Society.
80%
of people over age 55 have some arthritis, although it may not cause symptoms.
heart attack Although heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, women often ignore symptoms that could be a heart attack. That’s partly because those symptoms are different in women than in men and don’t Dr. Kimberly Dulaney “look” like a heart attack. “About 50 percent of the time, women have chest pain, but about 50 percent of the time they don’t,” says Kimberly Dulaney, MD, a cardiologist at Colorado Springs Cardiology, A Centura Health Clinic. Dulaney often sees women in the emergency room who think they have a stomach bug but are having a heart attack. Women are especially likely to think nausea and vomiting aren’t serious because the cause is usually something minor. When it’s a heart attack though, they “feel different than food poisoning or a gastrointestinal virus,” Dulaney says. And there are usually other symptoms, like shortness of breath. Women with risk factors for heart disease — diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and a family history of heart disease — should be especially alert to the possibility of a heart attack. Symptoms: • Chest pain • Shortness of breath • Extreme fatigue • Nausea • Vomiting • Light-headedness • Dizziness • Breaking out in a cold sweat • Pain in your arm(s), back, neck, or jaw Other possible health problems: • Stomach problems, like the flu or heartburn • Stress
Spring 2015
5 bloom
photos: Opposite page: ©istockphoto.com/heckmannoleg; this page: ©istockphoto.com/ppart
Only a doctor can tell whether symptoms are a sign of something minor or serious. Yet, women often ignore common symptoms because they’re too busy taking care of everyone else to see a doctor, or they simply write them off as a normal part of life. When we do ask for help, Dr. Albina Gadeliya sometimes doctors don’t pay enough attention to us. “Some doctors are less likely to recognize serious conditions in women than in men,” says Albina E. Gadeliya, MD, a family medicine physician at Centura Health Physician Group Tri-Lakes Primary Care. “When women express pain, doctors often don’t take them as seriously as men who express pain.”
Gallstones
Gynecologic Cancers
Hip Arthritis
Most of us have had indigestion, an uncomfortable feeling in the upper belly that happens while eating or right afterward. Usually, Dr. Scot Lewey this is nothing to worry about. But indigestion could be a sign of gallstones: pebblelike substances that form when digestive fluid in the gallbladder (a pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen under the liver) hardens. Often, gallstones cause no symptoms and need no treatment. “Pain in the right upper abdomen that occurs shortly after eating, especially fatty foods, in a woman with a family history of gallstones is suspect for gallbadder disease,” says Scot Lewey, DO, FACG, a gastroenterologist at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. Pregnant women or women who have given birth also have a greater risk of gallstones, he added. If the pain is so bad that you can’t sit still or find a comfortable position, or it’s sudden and gets worse fast, see a doctor. Gallstones that cause this much pain won’t get better without treatment.
After menopause (more than one year without a period), you shouldn’t have any menstrual bleeding at all. If you do, it could be a sign of Dr. Dirk Pikaart endometrial (also called uterine), cervical, ovarian, or vaginal cancer. Bleeding after menopause is more likely to be something minor than cancer. But only a doctor can tell the difference. If you do have a gynecologic cancer, early diagnosis is crucial. “The longer cancer is in the body, the more likely it is to spread,” says Dirk Pikaart, DO, a gynecologic oncologist at Southern Colorado Gynecologic Oncology. “If it turns out to be cancer and it is caught early, it is often curable with surgery alone.”
Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor, and its causes are complex. Sometimes pain in the back, groin, or Dr. Orderia Mitchell legs could be stemming from arthritis in the hip that can be missed when doctors are focused on trying to find a problem in the back. Women are three times as likely as men to have hip arthritis. They often have pain in other parts of the body too, making it hard for doctors to single out the hip as the real culprit. If you feel stiffness and pain that’s worse in the morning, it’s likely to be arthritis. If it’s bad enough to prevent you from getting around and doing what you want to do, see an orthopedic surgeon. Hip arthritis can be effectively treated through medicines and lifestyle changes or hip replacement.
Symptoms: • Feeling full without eating much • Feeling too full after eating, and for longer than usual • Pain, which ranges from mild to severe, in the upper belly • Bloating in the upper belly • Nausea Other possible health problems: • Gastritis • Ulcers • Constipation • Swelling of the pancreas (pancreatitis) • Celiac disease • Stomach cancer • Intestinal blockage or reduced blood flow
bloom
6 Spring 2015
Symptom: • Bleeding after menopause Other possible health problems: • Polyps, growths in the uterus that usually aren’t cancer • Thinning of the lining of the uterus or vagina • Thickening of the lining of the uterus • Infection of the lining of the uterus (endometriosis) • Side effect of medications such as hormone therapy, Tamoxifen, or blood thinners
Symptoms: • Pain in the back, groin, or legs • Stiffness • Limited ability to move, bend, or walk Other possible health problems: • Muscle or ligament strains • Disc disease (e.g., bulging or ruptured discs) • Osteoporosis
Do I have hip arthritis? Do you experience pain in the back, groin, or legs? This could be stemming from arthritis in the hip. Knowing the symptoms of hip arthritis can help you get the appropriate treatment. Join orthopedic surgeon Dr. Orderia Mitchell at this FREE seminar to learn more about the symptoms and the latest treatment options. Tuesday, April 28, from 6-7:30 p.m., Penrose Hospital, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Cancer Center Conference Rooms B and C. To register, go to penrosestfrancis.org/events.
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
photos: ©istockphoto.com/ppart, /chrisbrignell, /ppart; Opposite page: ©istockphoto.com/Serge_Bertasius, portrait ©Steve Bigley
continued from Page 5
& QA
with Alison M. Fry, MD, FAAFP
Family Medicine Physician With Centura Health Physician Group and Penrose-St. Francis Primary Care 3027 North Circle Drive Colorado Springs
Boosting Your Health
with vitamins and minerals Q: What can vitamin and
Q: Why can’t I get enough
A: Even if you eat a healthy diet, you’re still
A: Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue
mineral supplements do for me?
vitamin D without a supplement?
not getting all of the key vitamins and minerals necessary to be well and help prevent disease. Fruits and vegetables aren’t as nutritious as they used to be, due to overproduction and under-replenishment of the soil. Many women are too busy to eat well. Also, it’s very hard to get enough of some vitamins and minerals through food alone. Use appropriate supplements along with, not instead of, a healthy diet.
Q: Are calcium supplements safe?
A: Calcium builds strong bones and helps
prevent osteoporosis, but it’s best to get as much of this mineral as possible through three daily servings of green leafy vegetables and healthy dairy products. Calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart disease. Talk to your doctor about whether the benefits of taking calcium outweigh the risks for you. Women should have 1,200 milligrams (mg) a day of calcium before menopause and 1,500 mg afterward, taken in two doses. Calcium can interact with thyroid medications, and should be taken four hours later.
and joint pain, while getting enough helps improve calcium absorption and prevent osteoporosis. It boosts your immune system and improves your sense of well-being. It may help prevent heart disease, cancer, and depression. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to get enough vitamin D, found in salmon and mackerel, through food alone. Sunlight also provides vitamin D, but too much can cause skin cancer. Most women should take 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 each day. Have a blood test to check your level of vitamin D to find out how much you need.
Q: What other vitamins should I consider?
A: Although the evidence doesn’t support
taking a multivitamin, I take one and think it’s generally a good idea. Taking 400-800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid may lower the risk of heart disease. For women of childbearing age, I recommend 1,000 mcg of folic acid to prevent birth defects in the spinal cord of the baby.
Dr. Alison Fry
Dr. Fry helps her patients live healthy lives. After working in a refugee camp in Central America after college, Fry realized that a good life requires good health. She focuses on wellness and believes that diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity are preventable when caught early. A primary care doctor for nearly 20 years, Fry uses nutrition, exercise, and complementary medicine to keep patients healthy and lessen the impact of diseases. Fry enjoys spending time with her husband and two active sons and walking their four family dogs.
To make an appointment with Dr. Fry, call 719-776-4646.
penrosestfrancis.org
Spring 2015
7 bloom
technology
Stopping severe, frequent
nosebleeds
Doctor’s Bag
High-tech treatment stops bleeding “Many people think there’s nothing else to be done. Embolization has a success rate of 95-98 percent,” Shay says. Embolization involves plugging the bleeding blood vessel with tiny beads or pellets to block the flow of blood. Shay does this by threading a catheter (a thin tube) from an artery in the groin to the blood vessel in the nose. He uses an X-ray image of the blood vessels (angiogram) to ensure that the bleeding is in a place that’s safe to plug. Embolization also can prevent severe nosebleeds in people who have had severe, frequent nosebleeds in the past or who have needed a blood transfusion after a nosebleed, Shay says. Severe nosebleeds in children can be treated with embolization at specialized children’s hospitals.
About
90%
of people get nosebleeds; less than 6% of them need to see a doctor.
bloom
8 Spring 2015
Why Nosebleeds Happen • Colorado’s dry climate (most common) • Aging • Genetics • Medications • Rare causes include bleeding disorders, blood vessel abnormalities, or cancer
Dr. Scott Shay
As the only interventional neuroradiologist in Southern Colorado, Shay also does life- and brain-saving procedures to remove blood clots in stroke victims and repair brain aneurysms (bulging or ballooning in a blood vessel). Shay recently moved to Colorado from Hawaii, where he was medical director of neurosurgical surgery at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. “My wife and I have always enjoyed the mountains, hiking, camping, and winter sports. We wanted a place that was not too populated, with clean air and nature,” he says. Before that, Shay was a Navy doctor for 11 years, practicing in California, Texas, Okinawa, Japan, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For a referral to Dr. Shay, talk to your primary care physician or call 719-776-6700.
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
photos: ©istockphoto.com/timsa, Portrait ©Steve Bigley; opposite page: ©istockphoto.com/ryasick
F
or most people, nosebleeds are a minor annoyance that can be stopped by sitting down and gently squeezing the nostrils for a few minutes. Sometimes, though, a nosebleed won’t stop without a trip to the emergency room. The bleeding can even be so bad that the person needs a blood transfusion. People over the age of 65 are most likely to have severe and frequent nosebleeds requiring treatment. “The blood vessels become more brittle with age, and many older folks are on medications that predispose them to bleeding complications,” says Scott R. Shay, MD, an interventional neuroradiologist at Centura Health Physician Group Penrose Neurosciences. Medications that cause bleeding include aspirin, Plavix®, and blood thinners like Coumadin®. If bleeding won’t stop, doctors pack the nose with gauze or cotton packs. When this doesn’t work, or if the bleeding starts again after removing the packs, an ear, nose, and throat doctor can do minor surgery to burn or clip the bleeding blood vessel. A few people continue to have serious nosebleeds even after this.
Upside
turning it
Down
Moving from a glass-half-empty to a glasshalf-full mentality reaps big rewards
E
Sandra Janzen, LPC, CAC III
Behavioral Health Therapist Center for Behavioral Health 961 East Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs 719-634-1825 Specialty areas: Addictive behaviors, women’s issues When Sandra Janzen talks with her clients about breaking free from the victim mentality, she’s speaking from firsthand experience. From difficult lessons learned in her own relationships and life choices that included co-addiction and alcohol addiction, she determined that she wanted to model something better for her two daughters. At age 30, she had a life-altering experience. “God picked me up by the scruff of the neck and said, ‘I have a very different path for you if you’ll choose it,’” Janzen says. She did. Janzen says of her life since then, “It’s been my faith that has sustained me during times when I wanted to quit walking on my own recovery path. An attitude of gratitude goes a long way on tough days and keeps me focused on my priorities.” One of the books that has been helpful for Janzen personally is The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie.
penrosestfrancis.org
veryone has those moments when they let themselves slip into a “victim mentality,” thinking that what’s happening in their life is someone else’s fault. While that’s normal, adopting this attitude for too long can lead to mental and physical health problems. “People who have a victim mentality believe that they’re powerless — that they have no control over what happens to them,” says Sandra Janzen, LPC, a counselor at the Center for Behavioral Health at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. People who think like victims tend to be pessimists. And research has found that pessimists are less likely to set goals or make good choices. In a study published in the February issue of Health Behavior and Policy Review, researchers found that people who were optimistic were twice as likely to have healthy hearts. One reason, researchers believe, is because optimists believe they have the power to control their health and adopt healthier lifestyles to reach that goal. But you don’t have to be born an optimist to pull yourself out of a victim mentality. “If you’re willing to be honest with yourself and recognize that you have developed an unhealthy pattern, then you can start the process of change,” Janzen says.
1 Forgive. Forgiveness is essential to moving forward, Janzen says, but it doesn’t have to involve reconciliation.
2 Change your self-talk. You must consciously reframe the words every time you find yourself blaming someone else.
3
Set boundaries. A victim mentality can stem from not standing your ground. Know what you are and aren’t willing to do.
4 Have patience. “You have to realize that it took a long time to get here, and it won’t go away overnight,” Janzen says.
5 Get a buddy. “Under stress you’re going to default to your norm,” Janzen says. “You need someone in your life, a coach, therapist, good friend, who you give permission to hold you accountable.”
Refuse to Be a Victim Learn how to improve your personal safety and avoid becoming a victim, whether you’re at home, traveling, or just driving to the store. Saturday, April 18 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For full details, see Page 11.
Spring 2015
9 bloom
Exercise With Us!
The Penrose-St. Francis Wellness Center offers group fitness classes, including Zumba, Tai Chi, Boot Camp, Yoga, Body Toning, and Spinning classes throughout the week. Visit penrosestfrancis.org/ calendar for class dates, times, and locations.
Spring
Get Moving: Gaining Fitness in a Safe and Effective Manner
calendar
We all need to get moving, but the challenge is identifying targets and personal goals that are right for you. Fitness should include a holistic approach to mature the physical body and engage the mind and spirit in lasting behaviors that add value to your daily life. Join Dr. Nick Piantanida, family and sports medicine physician, and Shad Schreiner, DPT, OCS, physical therapist, on a journey where they will bring you beyond the crossroads of your fitness challenges and partner with you in forming ideas to get moving toward valued targets on the higher ground of improved health.
bloom 10 Spring 2015
Inspire Health Tip
Higher Calling Take a moment to relax, get centered, and hear a recorded word of encouragement with the FREE Meditation Moment line. Call Monday-Friday, 719-776-2993.
$49 Teen Sports Physicals Location | Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion, 17230 Jackson Creek Parkway, Monument Is your teen anxious to get in the game? For their safety, many schools require a sports physical, or preparticipation exam (PPE), before an athlete is cleared to play. Centura Health Urgent Care Tri-Lakes offers sports physicals, which include an assessment of an athlete’s general health and screening for conditions that might increase their risk of injury. Call 719-571-7070 for more information. No appointment needed. Please bring any required school paperwork with you.
Screening Savers
$99 May Screening Mammogram Special Date | May 1-31 Location | The Center for Women’s Imaging, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, Suite 220 In May, in addition to our usual spalike atmosphere, comfy robes, and aromatic hand treatments, enjoy fruity mocktails and receive a FREE gift! Saturday appointments available. Most insurance plans cover screening mammograms at no charge to the patient — check with your insurance plan for details. Self-pay patients pay only $99 during the month of May. Payment required at time of service. To schedule, call 719-776-8010.
Oral, Head, and Neck Cancer Screening Date | Wed, Apr 15 Time | 4-6 p.m. Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms A-C Cost | FREE Registration | 719-776-2000 A painless and noninvasive five- to 10-minute exam of the mouth, head, and neck area. Limited appointments available.
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services
photos: ©Shutterstock.com/ Ljupco Smokovski, ©istockphoto.com/hidesy ; opposite page: ©istockphoto.com/LdF, /Lise Gagne
Date | Thu, May 7 Time | 6-7:30 p.m. Location | Penrose-St. Francis Primary Care, 3027 North Circle Drive (Circle and Union), Community Room Cost | FREE Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/events
Stepping On! Date | Fris, Apr 10-May 22 Time | 10 a.m.-Noon Location | St. Francis Medical Center, 6001 East Woodmen Road, Conference Room 4 Cost | FREE Registration | 719-571-8000 AND Date | Fris, Apr 17-May 29 Time | 10 a.m.-Noon Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Room B Cost | FREE Registration | 719-776-5926 In a small group setting, older adults learn balance exercises and develop specific knowledge and skills to prevent falls. The workshop is co-led by a healthcare professional and a lay leader. Local guest experts assist by providing information on exercise, vision, safety, and medications. Limited to 14 participants.
Refuse to Be a Victim® Date | Sat, Apr 18 Time | 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms B and C Cost | $10/person to cover cost of materials Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/ refusetobeavictim Learn personal safety tips and techniques to avoid dangerous situations and avoid becoming a victim. Topics include: • Mental preparedness • How to make your home more secure • Improving your physical security in various environments • Safety precautions when driving • Safeguarding yourself and items while traveling • Technological security • What to consider when choosing physical self-defense training • Personal protection devices *This is not a firearms course, nor a self-defense course. Open to men and women. Continental breakfast will be provided. penrosestfrancis.org
Aging Well by Design Date | Tues, beginning Apr 21 Time | 1-3 p.m. Location | Penrose-St. Francis Primary Care, 3027 North Circle Drive, Conference Room Cost | FREE Registration | 719-776-5207 A 12-week program designed to improve health and well-being among independent-living adults, ages 65 and older. By empowering individuals to make lifestyle choices that support physical, spiritual, and emotional health, participants can learn how to get more out of life and engage in the world around them. Topics include: • Healthy aging • Nutrition • Medications • Time and energy • Social relationships • Physical and mental activity What If? What Else? What Now? Date | Sat, May 2 Time | 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue, 2nd Floor Conference Room Cost | $125/person Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/ whatif5 Experience a one-day, interactive, life planning session facilitated by best-selling author Sara Boatz. You’ll identify your dreams, articulate your goals, and leave with a clear purpose, direction, and a written plan to live the life of your dreams. Seminar includes continental breakfast, boxed lunch, work binder, and book. Registration is required by April 28. Payment due at time of registration. Mud Run Prep Date | Tues, May 5-Jun 30 Time | 5:15-6:15 p.m. Cost | $3.50-$5/class Registration | 719-776-5776 Run your best obstacle course race or mud run in 2015. Each class combines functional cardio and strength exercises similar to what you could see on a mud run course. This is a moderate to high intensity level class, but modifications for all fitness levels can be made.
Finding Reliable Health Information Date | Tue, May 19 Time | 6-7 p.m. Location | Penrose Hospital, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Webb Memorial Library, Marjorie Reed Building Basement Cost | FREE Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/ healthinfoclass Do you rely on Google for your medical information? Do you know if the sites are reliable, or do they have a hidden agenda? Learn easy steps to evaluate a website for its reliability and truthfulness. Bring along a list of sites used and we will evaluate them as a group. Light refreshments will be provided. Class limited to 16 people. Say Yes to Oral Health Date | Sat, May 30 Time | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms A, B, and C Cost | FREE Registration | Email carolynkalaskie@centura.org or call 719-776-4542 by May 22 Learn how oral health affects overall well-being from a panel of experts and get your questions answered. Community Emergency Preparedness Day at Sky Sox Stadium Date | Sun, May 31 Time | Game starts at 1:35 p.m.; exhibits open at 3 p.m. Location | Sky Sox Stadium, 4385 Tutt Boulevard Join Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and other emergency first responders for fun, interactive activities and information to keep you and your family prepared for any emergency or natural disaster. Exhibits are FREE. For Sky Sox baseball ticket information, call 719-597-1449 or visit skysox.com.
Therapeutic Drumming for Cancer Patients/ Caregivers Date | Every Tue in May Time | 4:30-5:20 p.m. Location | Penrose Pavilion, 2312 North Nevada Avenue Cost | FREE Registration | Call Sherry Martin, LCSW, at 719-776-5311 A group empowerment drumming experience that provides stress relief and helps strengthen the immune system. Long-Term Consequences of Chronic Opioid Use Date | Wed, May 20 Time | 6-7:30 p.m. Location | Penrose Cancer Center, 2222 North Nevada Avenue, Conference Rooms A and B Cost | FREE Registration | penrosestfrancis.org/ opioiduse Have you been taking opioid medication for over six months? Do you still have pain, even though you take pain medication? Are you having sleep disruptions, feeling fatigued, or depressed? If you answered yes to any of these questions, join pain management specialist Dr. Scott Ross to learn about the long-term effects of using opioids, symptoms, and the latest treatment options. 11th Annual First & Main Summer Concert Series Date | Fris, Jun 5-July 31 Time | 5-7 p.m. Location | Park across from Cinemark Movie Theater at First and Main Town Center Cost | FREE Dance, sing, and enjoy the Colorado weather at this FREE outdoor concert event presented by PenroseSt. Francis Health Services. Each week you’ll enjoy live music, including country, pop, rock, funk, and soul to start your weekend off right! Great for the entire family.
While we never need an excuse to buy a new lipstick, sun protection for your lips means mandatory shopping! Always look for lip products with an SPF of at least 15. And consider lip balm vs. gloss for the summer, as balms tend to hydrate more and stay on longer.
Spring 2015
11 bloom
Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Non-Profit Org US POSTAGE
PAID
colorado springs, CO Permit NO. 14
2222 North Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80907
ONE OF AMERICA’S 50 BEST HOSPITALS
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is part of Centura Health, the region’s leading healthcare network. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 303-804-8166. Copyright © Centura Health, 2015.
Eating to Cool
Inflammation
With Teri Meno, RDN, medical nutrition therapist at Penrose Cancer Center
O
ver the past few years, inflammation has become the hot topic in medicine. And for good reason. Chronic inflammation, researchers believe, may be at the root of many health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s. Inflammation is actually a normal response mechanism. When you’re hurt or a foreign body invades your system, your body has a short-term inflammatory response to help you heal. But it’s when your inflammatory process gets stuck due to stress, lifestyle, or environment that it becomes an issue. In the body, chronic inflammation can increase hormones such as insulin and cortisol, which can damage body tissues and cell DNA and lead to chronic diseases. You can moderate this process by eating a healthy breakfast each morning and avoiding a diet high in refined sugars. You also need to limit foods that have pro-inflammatory properties, such as processed meats, fried foods, and desserts with added sugar. One of the best ways to cool down inflammation is to follow the Mediterranean diet, which relies on a balance of fruits, vegetables, cold-water fish, and whole grains, with a healthy dose of “good” fats (olive oil, nuts) to top it off.
Not all omega fats are created equal. Omega-3 is the one you want. Omega
6
Type
Omega
Eat
These foods may help reduce inflammation: Extra-virgin olive oil Whole grains
3
Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines)
Beans and lentils
Effect
Increases inflammation
Decreases inflammation
Main dietary sources
Fried foods, trans fats, certain oils (sunflower, corn, soybean), processed meats, sugar
Plant foods (fruits, beans, vegetables, nuts, whole grains), fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines), olive oil
Go online to penrosestfrancis.org/recipes to get anti-inflammation recipes.
What to
Spices (garlic, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, pepper) Dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)
photo: ©steve bigley
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is once again “One of Healthgrades® America’s 50 Best Hospitals™” for the eighth consecutive year!