Premiere HC Tampa Bay

TAMPA BAY area Promoting Healthier Living in Your Community • Physical • Emotional

PREMIERE 2013

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HealthyCells

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www.healthycellsmagazine.com

• Nutritional

Low Vision Rehabilitation Program Does Your Smile Hold a Secret 7 Tips to Help You Reach Your Goal Weight

M A G A Z I N E

see clearly after cataract surgery Our highly experienced cataract surgeons use the latest lens implants and laser technology to remove cataracts, correct astigmatism and bring vision into sharper focus. robert Weinstock, M.D.

Ask our cataract experts if you qualify for these advanced options.

(727) 581-8706 • www.eyespecialist.com robert Weinstock, M.D., stephen Weinstock, M.D., Neel Desai, M.D.

editors letter

Welcome to the Tampa Bay Area’s Premiere Edition of Healthy Cells Magazine ! ®

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his edition joins a family of magazines started in Peoria, Illinois in 1999 and has grown to include editions in Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, and Arizona. We are proud to bring you

the newest addition to the Healthy Cells Magazine family, and the first Florida edition.

The common goal of all Healthy Cells Magazines is to get posi-

tive healthcare information to the public. We are partnering with local providers who want to share their health-related message, and provide them with a voice to accomplish this. Every month there will be articles addressing some of the physical, emotional, and nutritional health issues affecting us right here in the Tampa Bay Area. We hope you enjoy reading these and other stories that impact our community.

The Tampa Bay edition is the first in the Healthy Cells Magazine

family to be managed by not one, but two owners. Having lived in the

Debbie

area for more than a combined 20 years, we are both very passionate about the magazine and the benefits it will bring to the community.

We are also excited to have met so many fantastic people in the pro-

cess of putting together the premiere edition of Tampa Bay’s Healthy Cells Magazine. Corey Dylan, radio host of Tampa Bay Tomorrow, collaborated with the Faces of Courage Foundation and Healthy Cells Magazine of Tampa Bay to tell their stories in a round table discussion that aired on all eight Clear Channel stations. We are very grateful for this opportunity and the ability to meet such wonderful people.

Finally, we would like to thank all the contributors and advertisers

who made it possible for us to bring you this magazine. We greatly appreciate their time and effort, and their desire to become partners in educating our community and helping us all live a healthier life.

Nellie

Sincerely, Healthy Cells Magazine, Tampa Bay Edition - Owners Debbie Sailor

Nellie Darby

debbie@healthycellsmagazine.com

nellie@healthycellsmagazine.com

Photo by Ron Hawks of Hawks Custom Photography

www.healthycellsmagazine.com/tampa

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 3

PREMIERE 2013 – Volume 1, Issue 1

5

Senior Living Options: The ABC’s of Retirement Living

6

Physical: Eye Openers: Cataract Surgery Tips

8

Emotional: What Really Makes You Happy?

10

Nutritional: The Paleo Diet: Your Ancestors’ Rx for Perfect Health

12

Obesity: Types of Bariatric Surgery

13

Recognizing Symptoms: Understanding Lupus

14

Medical News: An Interview with Dr. Kristen Decelles on Dementia & Hearing

20

Healing Wounds: Hyperbaric Medicine Brings Hope to Diabetic Patients

20

Optimum Health: The New Point of View

22

Home Safety: It’s What You Know Before You Mow

This Month’s Cover Story:

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Increasing Awareness: Cancer Survivorship

Faces of Courage

24

Periodontal Disease: Does Your Smile Hold a Secret?

25

Healthcare Service: The Skilled Home Care Alternative

26

Maximizing Eye Performance: Low Vision Rehabilitation Program

27

Pet Loss Option: Giving Your Pet a Dignified Resting Place

28

Advanced Techniques: The Role of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery in Today’s Society

29

Thinking and Feeling: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

30

Peer Support: Prosthetic Rehabilitation

31

Young At Art: The Important Role the Arts Play in Overall Health and Wellness at Any Age

32

Customized Medications: What is a Compounding Pharmacy

33

Weight Loss: 7 Tips to Help You Reach Your Goal Weight

34

Fertility Class: Stress and the Mind Body Connection to Pregnancy

page 16

For advertising information, contact Debbie Sailor, owner Cell: 727-424-6525 debbie@healthycellsmagazine.com or Nellie Darby, owner Cell: 309-310-2448

nellie@healthycellsmagazine.com Healthy Cells Magazine is a division of:

1711 W. Detweiller Dr., Peoria, IL 61615 Ph: 309-681-4418 Fax: 309-691-2187 info@limelightlink.com

Mission: The objective of Healthy Cells Magazine® is to promote a stronger health-conscious community by means of offering education and support through the cooperative efforts among esteemed health and fitness professionals in the Tampa Bay area.

Healthy Cells Magazine is intended to heighten awareness of health and fitness information and does not suggest diagnosis or treatment. This information is not a substitute for medical attention. See your healthcare professional for medical advice and treatment. The opinions, statements, and claims expressed by the columnists, advertisers, and contributors to Healthy Cells Magazine are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

Healthy Cells Magazine is available FREE in high traffic locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, including medical facilities and other waiting rooms. Healthy Cells Magazine welcomes contributions pertaining to healthier living in the Tampa Bay area. Limelight Communications, Inc. assumes no responsibility for their publication or return.

Solicitations for articles shall pertain to physical, emotional, and nutritional health only.

senior living options

The ABC’s of Retirement Living

By Sue Osborne, Business Development Coordinator, Pinecrest Retirement

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avigating the road of aging can be a challenge for everyone. Whether or not you are seeking a residence for yourself or for a loved one, it can be a confusing and frustrating time. Listed below are just some of the options available when looking to make such an important decision for ourselves or our loved ones.

• Independent living is the first stop on the retirement living highway of options. It can be described as a community where age qualified persons rent or “buy in” to an individual apartment.

Age qualified, in most cases, means 62 or older. Most retirement communities have several options in the size of the apartments and services. Services may include some meals, transportation, entertainment, and activities, maintenance, most utilities, and housekeeping. These independent living apartments are perfect for those who want to free themselves from the hassle of the day-to-day tasks associated with maintaining a private residence. The atmosphere in independent living communities provides residents with a relaxed and entertaining way of life.

• Assisted living is the next option in retirement living. At this level, communities offer assistance with the activities of daily living. Residents will receive three meals, housekeeping, laundry service, all utilities, transportation and apartment maintenance. The best aspect in assisted living is the 24 hour a day assistance provided by trained caregivers. Wellness checks, care plan meetings, and assistance with medication are just some of the services offered.

• Memory care communities are specially designed to meet the needs of those individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. These individuals need assistance facing the challenges brought on by the cognitive impairment caused by the disease. Some retirement communities have specific “safe-haven” areas established to protect the

residents from wandering. Some communities deal exclusively with these special needs residents. In any case, a carefully trained staff and specific routines provide a purposeful and meaningful lifestyle for the dementia resident.

• Skilled nursing center communities offer round the clock assistance with medical needs and all activities of daily living. Physical, social, and psychological needs must be met daily. Other medical care, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy, are also available. Skilled nursing may be a good choice if the following needs are evident: rehabilitation for fractures or joint replacements, wound care, recovery from a hospital stay, respiratory care, Parkinson’s care, stroke recovery, recovery due to weakness, diabetic rehabilitation, or terminal illness care, usually in cooperation with hospice.

When the time is right for you to start looking at making a move, don’t forget to contact Pinecrest Retirement Community located at 1150 8th Avenue SW, Largo, FL 33770, 727-581-8142. We are here to make your move as smooth as possible.

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 5

physical

Eye Openers Cataract Surgery Tips Submitted by St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute

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ging brings normal changes to every part of the body, and the eyes are no exception. By age 40, most people will begin to experience a loss of accommodation in the natural lens inside the eye. This loss of accommodation is due to the natural lens no longer being able to change shape. The lens eventually becomes dense enough to decrease vision, and at that point, it has become a cataract. While the word “cataract” is derived from an ancient Latin word describing the white water in the rapids of the Nile River, today people no longer wait until their cataracts are dense and white before having them surgically removed. Cataracts usually develop slowly and changes in vision are so gradual that many people are unaware that they have cataracts. Cataracts comPage 6 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

monly affect both eyes, and more than 1.5 million cataract surgeries are performed in the United States each year “Cataracts are a normal part of aging. But when it gets to the point where cloudiness affects your vision and your lifestyle, it’s time to do something about it,” said Pit Gills, MD, and President, St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute. “Usually the first indicator to people that there’s something wrong is when they have problems driving at night because of an increased sensitivity to glare from the headlights of oncoming cars.”

A person’s occupation also plays a key role in the decision to have cataract surgery. “If you’re a pilot or have an active lifestyle or play a vigorous sport, you’ll probably have your cataracts addressed earlier,” said Dr. Gills.

As a patient, it is important to do your research and see a surgeon who has the most experience with the broadest range of procedures and lenses. There is no one type of intraocular lens that fits all. What will work best for someone depends on their age, vocation, their lifestyle passions, and health contraindications.

“It is important to know what patients do in their free time, what symptoms bother them most, and what their vision priorities are,” said Dr. Gills. “It might be important that they not have to wear reading glasses, or that the surgery and lens choice addresses their astigmatism. Perhaps they need great night vision because of their job. Every little detail should be taken into consideration for the best results.”

It’s critical to have your surgery performed where there is a spotless track record of safety, which you can determine by asking these questions: • What is the facility’s post-surgery infection rate?

• What kind of safety standards are in place?

• What kinds of lens options are offered?

Using the most advanced technology available plays a significant role in patient outcomes. “Bladeless laser cataract surgery allows us to perform cataract surgery more safely and with greater precision than ever before,” said Dr. Gills. When choosing a cataract surgeon who does laser cataract surgery, make sure he or she is using the latest, most proven laser technology, and that the laser is FDA-cleared specifically for cataract surgery.

Find a surgeon who can perform whatever procedure it is that you might need, and who has experience with the intraocular lenses and treatments that will give you the results you want.

What Is A Cataract?

We all have a natural lens in each eye held in place by a capsule. The cells of the lens replicate and have nowhere to go, so over time the lens becomes denser. By our 40s, the lens is typically dense enough to cause the loss of accommodation — so you will begin to have trouble seeing objects that are close, such as reading fine print.

Eventually, the lens becomes dense enough to decrease vision, which is defined as a cataract.

Good eye health begins with you. “Keep your eyes healthy by eating healthy, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, and wearing sunglasses that protect against UV light,” said Dr. Gills. “If cataracts or other eye disease materializes, remember to do your research and choose the best, most experienced eye surgeon you can find who has the experience that will result in the best possible outcomes for vision and quality of life.”

For more information, contact St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute at 727-938-2020 or 800-282-9905. Visit www.stlukeseye.com.

Could I have lupus?

Know the symptoms

Muscle and joint pain 95% Fever greater than 100 degrees 90% Prolonged or extreme fatigue 81% Anemia 71% Kidney problems 50% symptoms Pain in the chest 45% Rashes 80%

Could I have lupus?

Know the

Light sensitivity 30 Hair loss 27% Abnormal blood cl Eye disease 20% Seizures 15% Mouth or nose ulc

Muscle and joint pain 95%

Contact Fever greater than 100 degrees 90% Prolonged or extreme fatigue 81%Lupus Anemia 71% Kidney problems 50%

Foundation of Florida (727) 447-7075 www.lupusflorida.org

Pain in the chest 45% Rashes 80% Light sensitivity 30% Hair loss 27% Abnormal blood clotting 20% Eye disease 20% Seizures 15% Mouth or nose ulcers 12 %

Contact Lupus Foundation of Florida

(727) 447-7075 www.lupusflorida.org Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 7

emotional

What Really Makes You Happy?

By Lucy Forsting

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appiness can be very elusive for most of us. We think about our childhood and the happiness we felt on special occasions like birthdays, Christmases, and vacations as a method of measurement. We remember our childhood friends and the times spent playing together as “happy” times. There’s the “first love” memory and the moment you find out you’re expecting your first child. Happiness means so many things to us and most of the time it involves other people. However, when these “other people” don’t “cooperate,” our happiness can disappear and leave us feeling frustrated, anxious, and even depressed.

Page 8 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

Happiness truly begins “within” and each of us controls this “happiness gauge” with our thoughts. It’s an internal rather than external compass and it lets you know if you’re on track and living your best life.

Are you following your “joy?” Do you know what inspires you and what your true life purpose is? Happiness, in part, is created by what and whom we love, by our work, and by being a part of something larger than ourselves but it also comes through being of service to others and performing acts of kindness.

Making a conscious effort to shift our mental outlook can also do wonders to lift our spirits. Taking the time to walk both alone, with

a friend, or a pet, and truly making the effort to be in the moment can change our vision and you’ll be amazed by what you will see and hear. Living in the “now” helps us alter our status of our thinking. If our thoughts begin with “I am” followed by a negative statement, the “happiness gauge” drops. “I am blessed” and “I am constantly learning” thoughts, on the other hand, offer an improved outlook that will begin attracting the life you desire.

Activities that will help increase happiness in our life are: • Meditation or yoga • Volunteering with organizations that give back to the community • Exercise of any type to improve circulation and raise the “happiness gauge” • Taking time to enjoy nature and all it has to offer • Aiming each day to reach the goal of “inner fulfillment” rather than external success Finally, it’s critical to understand that happiness begins with forgiveness. This can be self-forgiveness as well as forgiveness of others. If you don’t let go of the past, you can’t hope to find happiness.

As we forgive, an attitude of gratefulness for all we do have in life will shift our understanding that love, joy, and peace are already present if we just take the time to look around. Oprah recently stated at the Harvard graduation ceremony, “if you’re willing to listen to that small GPS inside yourself, you’ll find your happiness.” We all know that our inner voice never leads us wrong but we have to have enough faith to follow the path before us trusting the outcome will be for our highest good.

“Happiness, in part, is created by what and whom we love, by our work, and by being a part of something larger than ourselves but it also comes through being of service to others and performing acts of kindness.”

Lucy Forsting was a family therapist for more than 30 years. She is the author of The Adventures of Miss Twiggs and Company , available at www.amazon.com/Adventures-Miss-Twiggs-Company-ebook. This book is the first in a series based on “the law of attraction.”

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 9

nutritional

The Paleo Diet

Your Ancestors’ Rx for Perfect Health

By Chef Emily, Mindful Meals Personal Chef

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he Paleo diet is the popular name (and book by Dr. Loren Cordain) for an eating template based on the diet of our most recent ancestors from more than 10,000 years ago. The Paleo diet has gained tremendous acceptance in recent years as an effective way to resolve health issues, lose weight, and improve general well-being.

You might be confused about why the Paleo template is relevant to us now. Didn’t they hunt wild animals and forage for food back then?

Yes, they ate meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, just like we do now. Because of modern agriculture we don’t have to hunt or forage but our dietary requirements are identical to our closest genetic ancestors, Paleolithic man.

If we are genetically identical why does modern man experience a level and range of ill health Paleo man never knew? Today, we have food choices we didn’t have 100 years ago, let alone 10,000. These are primarily grain and sugar-based foods. What’s wrong with these foods?

Grain is virtually indigestible in it’s whole form and any intrinsic nutrition present is unavailable to assimilate into the body. To make an

Page 10 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

“The Paleolithic diet succeeds in regaining health by simply eliminating these inflammatory foods. Replacing them with a healthy range of whole digestible foods allows the body to begin healing itself.”

edible food product the grain goes through an intense processing, breaking down the protective elements. These types of foods are inflammatory or irritating to the digestive and immune systems.

Grain-based foods also act as sugar in the blood stream. Spiking the blood sugar sets our pancreas to work hard, releasing insulin to lower the blood sugar level again. When this happens too often, insulin resistance sets in and fatty liver develops.

The Paleolithic diet succeeds in regaining health by simply eliminating these inflammatory foods. Replacing them with a healthy range of whole digestible foods allows the body to begin healing itself.

As a personal chef specializing in cooking to the Paleo template, I hear a lot of questions, the most common being how to eat without grains. It seems daunting but if you are fearful of giving up a food you think you can’t live without, it’s a good indication you need to.

The best way to support your transition is to plan. The Paleo community has done much of the work providing books, blogs, websites, and podcasts. Identify those foods you know you need to replace and begin researching proper alternatives. Build a recipe library and list of foods and ingredients you need to have going forward.

Here is an example: replace pasta with raw zucchini noodles cut on a spiral slicer, make zucchini fettuccini using a vegetable peeler and cut thin zucchini planks to make lasagna. This is one small step that can produce big changes in your health!

For more information please go to http://mindfulmealspc.com/ or you can contact Chef Emily at mindfulmeals@yahoo.com.

Trying to get pregnant? Find support, reduce stress, and take back control with Mind Body Classes or individual counseling.

(813) 833-8393 www.KathyFountainFertility.com Facebook.com/FountainFertility

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 11

obesity

Types of Bariatric Surgery Submitted by John Paul Gonzalvo, DO, Tampa General Hospital

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he type of surgery that may help an adult or youth depends on a number of factors. Patients should discuss with their health care providers what kind of surgery is suitable for them.

What is the difference between open and laparoscopic surgery?

Bariatric surgery may be performed through “open” approaches, which involve cutting the stomach in the standard manner, or by laparoscopy. With the latter approach, surgeons insert complex instruments through 1/2-inch cuts and guide a small camera that sends images to a monitor. Most bariatric surgery today is laparoscopic because it requires a smaller cut, creates less tissue damage, leads to earlier hospital discharges, and has fewer problems, especially hernias occurring after surgery.

However, not all patients are suitable for laparoscopy. Patients who are considered extremely obese, who have had previous stomach surgery, or who have complex medical problems may require the open approach. Complex medical problems may include having severe heart and lung disease or weighing more than 350 pounds.

What are the surgical options?

There are four types of operations that are commonly offered in the United States: AGB, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch (BPD-DS), and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). Each surgery has its own benefits and risks. The patient and provider should work together to select the best option by considering the benefits and risks of each type of surgery. Other factors to consider include the patient’s BMI, eating habits, health conditions related to obesity, and previous stomach surgeries.

Adjustable Gastric Band AGB works mainly by decreasing food intake. Food intake is reduced by placing a small bracelet-like band around the top of the stomach to restrict the size of the opening from the throat to the stomach.

The surgeon can then control the size of the opening with a circular balloon inside the band. This balloon can be inflated or deflated with saline solution to meet the needs of the patient.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass RYGB restricts food intake. RYGB also decreases how food is absorbed. Food intake is limited by a small pouch that is similar in size to the pouch created with AGB. Also, sending food directly from the pouch into the small intestine affects how the digestive tract absorbs food. The food is absorbed differently because the stomach, duodenum, and upper intestine no longer have contact with food.

Biliopancreatic Diversion with a Duodenal Switch BPD-DS, usually referred to as a “duodenal switch,” is a complex bariatric surgery that includes three features. One feature is to remove a large part of the stomach. This step makes patients feel full sooner when eating than they did before surgery. Feeling full sooner encourages patients to eat less. Another feature is re-routing food away from much of the small intestine to limit how the body absorbs food. The Page 12 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

John Paul Gonzalvo, DO

third feature changes how bile and other digestive juices affect the body’s ability to digest food and absorb calories. This step also helps lead to weight loss.

In removing a large part of the stomach, the surgeon creates a more tubular “gastric sleeve” (also known as a VSG, discussed later).

The smaller stomach sleeve remains linked to a very short part of the duodenum, which is then directly linked to a lower part of the small intestine. This surgery leaves a small part of the duodenum available to absorb food and some vitamins and minerals.

However, when the patient eats food, it bypasses most of the duodenum. The distance between the stomach and colon becomes much shorter after this operation, thus limiting how food is absorbed.

BPD-DS produces significant weight loss. However, a decrease in the amount of food, vitamins, and minerals absorbed creates chances for long-term problems.

Some of these problems are anemia (lower than normal count for red blood cells) or osteoporosis (loss of bone mass that can make bones brittle).

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy VSG surgery restricts food intake and decreases the amount of food used. Most of the stomach is removed during this surgery, which may decrease ghrelin, a hormone that prompts appetite. Lower amounts of ghrelin may reduce hunger more than other purely restrictive surgeries, such as AGB. VSG has been performed in the past mainly as the first stage of BPD-DS (discussed earlier) in patients who may be at high risk for problems from more extensive types of surgery. These patients’ high risk levels are due to body weight or medical issues. However, more recent research indicates that some patients who have VSG can lose a lot of weight with VSG alone and avoid a second procedure. Researchers do not yet know how many patients who have VSG alone will need a second stage procedure.

John Paul Gonzalvo, DO, has relocated to the Harbourside Medical Tower at Tampa General Hospital. The new bariatric center is jointly operated by Tampa General and the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and employs a multi-disciplinary approach that can provide much quicker care for patients.

The first step toward having bariatric surgery at TGH is to attend a Bariatric Surgery Information Session. These sessions provide additional information and the opportunity to ask questions. Sessions are held on the following dates/times each month: 1st Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m., 2nd Tuesday of each month at 8:00 a.m., 3rd Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m., 4th Friday of each month at 3:00 p.m.

All sessions are held in the Harbourside Medical Tower, 5 Tampa General Circle, Suite 410. You must register to attend by calling 813-844-7473 or emailing bariatriccenter@tgh.org. Visit them online at http://www.tgh.org/weight.htm Source: http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gastric.htm#whataresurg

recognizing symptoms

Understanding

Lupus

By Linda Ruescher, Program Director, Lupus Foundation of Florida

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iredness, achy joints and muscles, unexplained fevers, hair loss, and rashes are symptoms the average person might chalk up to stress or working too hard. In fact, these symptoms could point to lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease. The cells of the immune system mistakenly attack healthy parts of the self. Lupus is an inflammatory disease. Autoimmune activity causes inflammation in joints, muscles, and organs, sometimes causing permanent damage. Lupus is chronic. There is no cure.

Nine out of ten lupus patients are women. Lupus is three to four times more prevalent in women of color. Most develop the disease during their childbearing years. Since the symptoms come and go, many people wait to seek a diagnosis. There is no definitive test for lupus.

Rather, a diagnosis is made based on history, symptoms, and a variety of tests to rule out other causes. The typical lupus patient takes three to four years to obtain a diagnosis. There are 1.5 million Americans who have lupus and 5 million people worldwide.

Most cases of lupus are mild to moderate. Lupus can, however, be life threatening. About half of all lupus patients will develop lupus kidney disease (nephritis). Lupus can affect any organ in the body, including the central nervous system where it causes seizures. Lupus can cause abnormal clotting of the blood resulting in strokes, heart attacks, and late term miscarriages.

The cause of lupus is not fully understood. About a dozen genes have been identified and implicated in lupus. Scientists are able to

breed mice that develop lupus. But genetics are just a part of the picture. Researches have studied genetically identical twins and lupus.

What they found is that both twins develop lupus only 24 percent of the time. Clearly, environmental triggers play a role.

Lupus is managed by suppressing the immune system. Before 2011, the only medications approved specifically for the treatment of lupus were aspirin, prednisone, and hydroxychloroquine - an antimalarial. In 2011, Benlysta (belimumab) was approved. Benlysta is a biologic monoclonal antibody generated from human genetic material.

Benlysta provides a protein that regulates the action of B cells, part of the immune system.

“Off label” treatments for lupus include some cancer chemotherapies and anti-rejection medications. Lupus is not cancer, but cancer chemotherapies weaken the immune system — a side effect which is desirable in managing lupus.

70 percent of lupus patients have systemic lupus erythematosus which affects the body. Other forms of lupus include discoid or cutaneous lupus that affect the skin, drug induced lupus which subsides when the offending medication is withdrawn, and neonatal lupus which affects a very small percentage of newborns whose mothers have lupus.

For more information please contact the Lupus Foundation of Florida at 727-447-7075 or visit www.lupusflorida.org.

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 13

medical news

An Interview with Dr. Kristen Decelles on

Dr. Kristen Decelles, AuD

Dementia & Hearing Submitted by St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute

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ith age, hearing loss is common. It starts with difficulty hearing friends’ conversations in a crowded restaurant or while sitting with a spouse who insists on ever-louder television volume. Ignoring these warning signs has many lifestyle consequences, and now research shows untreated hearing loss may actually increase your chances of developing dementia.

“In multiple medical studies, the severity of hearing loss was shown to increase the risk of developing dementia,” says Kristen Decelles, AuD, a board-certified audiologist who specializes in providing diagnosis, treatment, and management of hearing-related disorders at St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute, where she is Manager of Hearing Services.

“We think the ‘Use or Lose It’ theory applies. When you experience hearing loss, the brain spends a good amount of time trying to understand and process the unclear sounds, therefore working memory is compromised,” says Dr. Decelles. “This breakdown over time may be what is leading to a greater decline in overall cognitive function. Untreated hearing loss also can lead to social isolation, depression, and loneliness. There is a proven association between those factors and dementia.”

Decelles cites a 2011 Johns Hopkins School of Medicine study that looked at 639 adults between the ages of 36 and 90 over the course of 12 years. The study tested the groups’ hearing and cognitive function every one to two years. At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had cognitive impairment. However, over time those who had hearing loss at the start of the study were significantly more likely to have developed dementia. In fact, increasing severity of hearing loss correlated directly with an increased risk of developing dementia.

A January 2013 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association produced similar results. “This study found that over a period of six years, patients with hearing loss had a 30 to 40 Page 14 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

percent accelerated rate of cognitive decline compared to those with normal hearing,” said Dr. Decelles. “The rate of decline seemed to increase as a function of hearing loss.”

Dr. Decelles says that hearing aids may initially reduce the negative effects of hearing loss, but many variables may affect proper hearing aid function and contribute to cognitive issues later on. “This is why it’s essential that those with hearing loss receive appropriate care and treatment to enhance the very best possible hearing outcomes,” says Dr. Decelles.

Preventing hearing loss is the first step. Smoking, diabetes, noise exposure and certain medications contribute to sensory-neural hearing loss. So does diet. “A recent study demonstrated that healthier eating may be associated with better hearing in the high frequency range, which affects the ability to hear speech clearly,” says Dr. Decelles.

Dr. Decelles recommends people of all ages take steps now to protect their hearing acuity: • Don’t smoke. If you do, stop. Studies show smokers suffer hearing loss more than non-smokers.

• Avoid noisy environments or wear ear protection if you work or play in high decibel environments. “St. Luke’s can make custom ear molds to protect against noise,” says Dr. Decelles.

• Managing diabetes in accordance with your physician’s plan is important. Diabetics are twice as likely to develop hearing loss as those without diabetes.

• Eat more fruit, more vegetables, less processed and fast food.

There’s a strong relationship between poor eating habits and high frequency hearing loss and the ability to hear speech clearly.

Although the relationship between hearing loss, hearing aid use and cognitive decline are disturbing, research continues to examine theories about these relationships. “We’ll know more from the next phase of these studies,” says Dr. Decelles. “I’m committed to utilizing every tool and development I can in my care and treatment of our St. Luke’s patients.

Dr. Decelles outstanding work providing patients with top-notch hearing health care has been recognized by the medical community and by her patients. Specializing in comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, vestibular (balance) testing and management and treatment of hearing loss through amplification, Dr. Decelles continues to be a leader in hearing trends, treatment and innovative technology.

Dr. Decelles received her doctorate in Audiology from the University of South Florida; and has subsequently earned the American Academy of Audiology Scholar Award several times throughout her career. She performed her Audiology Residency at the Miami VA. St. Luke’s Cataract & Laser Institute was the first practice in the United States established exclusively to treat cataracts through the use

“In multiple medical studies, the severity of hearing loss was shown to increase the risk of developing dementia,” of intraocular lenses. Today, St. Luke’s continues its innovations in cataract and refractive eye surgery (LASIK) and the ophthalmic treatment of all eye conditions. St. Luke’s also offers hearing services, full-body plastic surgery, Mohs dermatology and at Reflections at St. Luke’s a range of cosmetic and skin rejuvenation procedures. St. Luke’s cares for patients in six locations, including its headquarters in Tarpon Springs.

For more information or to book an appointment, call 800-282-9905 or visit www.StLukesEye.com Main Office: Tarpon Springs, 43309 US Hwy 19 N; Spring Hill, 1180 Mariner Blvd; St. Petersburg, 9400 9th St North; Bayonet Point, 14030 US Highway 19 North; Tampa, 13303 N Dale Mabry Hwy; downtown Clearwater, 501 S. Ft. Harrison, (St. Luke’s and Reflections at St. Luke’s), www.reflectionsatstlukes.com

Enhancing Rehab Through Emotional Support Individual Peer Visits – For Amputees & Individuals Living with Extensive Bracing Needs  Meet a mentor who has experienced a similar circumstance, receive encouragement and tips from someone who has 'been there'.

Westcoast Ability Sport Clinics – For All Abilities  Clinics provided include golf, swimming, running, and biking. Is there an activity that you would like to try?

Let us know.

Amputees Together of Florida, Inc. Community Networking Meetings  This amputee networking group meets at least once a month at various Hillsborough and Pinellas locations. *There is no charge to participate in Westcoast Brace & Limb’s Patient Networking Programs. Please contact us for more information.

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 15

feature story Photo by Lorrin Wagner

By Libby Hopkins

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ancer is Serious, Camp is Serious FUN!” is the motto of the Faces of Courage Foundation. When campers come to one of the foundation’s camps, they get to participate in an array of traditional camping activities such as canoeing, fishing, archery, tie-dying shirts, ice cream socials to “pop hop” parties, which is a dance party where the floor is covered in Bubble Wrap and everyone hops away to music. Some of the comments you may overhear at camp are: “I’m so happy I don’t have to wear my wig!” or “Look everyone else has scars and a port just like me!” You see, the campers who attend the Faces of Courage camps have been diagnosed with any type of cancer or a blood disorder and their well siblings. These weekends allow some very brave children a chance to be “normal” — a rare opportunity to have fun in a safe and protective environment while they are battling the more than 150 side effects that come from chemotherapy, radiation, and multiple surgeries.

It is not surprising to see the volunteer doctors and nurses dressed in t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers just like the campers. At camp, the medical team is important but low-key and unobtrusive as they go about dispensing daily medications. Peggie D. Sherry is the Founder/CEO of Faces of Courage and to her and her volunteer staff, camp really is serious fun. “I have had the remarkable opportunity to meet all kinds of people, from all walks of life; cancer is a non-discriminatory offender. Each family has amazing stories of bravery over seemingly insurmountable odds,” Sherry herself is very courageous; she’s a two-time breast cancer survivor.

Faces of Courage is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation based in Tampa that offers free day outings, evening programs and traditional overnight camps for women, children and families. Though the camp is located in Florida, some of their camps are attended by women and children from all over the country.

They strive to provide a judgment-free, relaxed atmosphere where women and children can feel at ease and have fun. While campers and counselors support one another, the camps are not support groups. Expert advice and help is readily available, but the camps primarily focus on creating a fun, serene, medically supervised environment for the campers.

Sherry has been running camps for more than 15 years. She was the director of a camp based out-of-state that had one Florida office in Tampa. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, the company felt she couldn’t go through treatment and still run the camp, so they decided to close the

“

Page 16 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

“We often see friendships forged at camp that will last the rest of the camper’s lives. Until we find a cure, we need to find meaningful and lasting ways to enhance the quality of their lives. Camp does just that.”

— Peggie D. Sherry

Florida camp because she was the only employee. “Miss Peggie” (as the campers call her) started getting phone calls and emails at home from campers wanting to know when the next camp was scheduled. She was heartbroken to tell them the Florida camp was closed. She was approached by Skip Glass, owner of TransWorld Diversified, who suggested she start her own camp. He said, “The campers don’t care whose name is on the door, they just want to go to camp with you. If you will start your own nonprofit, we will give you office space and volunteer support.” With that pledge and an inheritance from her parents, Faces of Courage was born.

That was in January 2004, and since then, they have had more than 5000 participants through their various programs. Sherry is able to handle all these participants and camps with the help of her “angels” as she calls them. Her angels are her board of directors and the more than 900 volunteers who share their time, talent, and creativity to the foundation.

Dr. Howard Kahen is the President of Faces of Courage’s board of directors. He is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist. “Becoming active at Faces of Courage has had a major impact on my life,” Kahen said. He loves “being in the trenches” as he says when he refers to working at the camps. “Spending time with, in our case cancer survivors, and engaging with them is extremely rewarding and is what charity is all about,” Kahen said, “Many times I’ve had survivors thank me for what I have done for them and I really should be thanking them for showing me strength, courage and perseverance in the face of a terrible disease.” Camp has taught Kahen to count his blessing and appreciate the good in his life.

Cassandra Beitzel is the Vice President of the foundation’s board of directors and she is also a survivor of cervical cancer. “Face of Courage cancer camps are so inspiring and my involvement has gratified me in many ways,” Beitizel said, “It’s a piece of my world that I can give to others from my heart and soul knowing it

makes a difference in someone’s life.” Dr. Sara Hoffe is the Director of Physician Services and Radiation Oncology Service Chief at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center at International Plaza in Tampa.

She has seen firsthand how the camps have changed the lives of some of her patients. “A woman who feels alone, depressed, and pessimistic comes back from one of Faces of Courage’s events a changed person,” Hoffe said, “As a physician, I know how the importance of the mind/body connection and what Peggie and her group provides helps the healing journey.”

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 17

feature story

continued

Campers love calling Miss Peggie and sharing their stories.

It’s been almost 10 years since her foundation started and she is touched by each and every one of her camper’s stories, like the one from the mom of a 5-year-old camper named Johnny who called to tell Sherry about the birdhouse her son made her while he was at camp. “She called to tell me she was kind of embarrassed at first to display her son’s birdhouse in her kitchen because it was built kind of lopsided, with bent nails and not painted very well,” Sherry said.

The camp got a donation of pre-cut birdhouses from Home Depot and the children assembled them while being supervised by a camp counselor. Sherry tried to explain to the mother that her son was only five and she wanted her son to feel a sense of accomplishment by building his own birdhouse. The boy wanted his mom to display the birdhouse in their kitchen because he was so proud of it. “The mom said she wasn’t calling me to complain about the birdhouse, she was actually calling to me to thank me for the wonderful gift her son gave her because a month after her son came home from camp, he died,” Sherry said, “She told me her son’s days at our camp were the best days of his life and you couldn’t offer her a million dollars for that birdhouse now because it is so priceless to her.”

Page 18 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

Sherry’s hope for her foundation is that they find land to build a facility that offers year-round camps. They have outgrown their current rented location at Rotary’s Camp Florida. She needs 250 or more acres so she can expand and offer more programs. “We would like to offer caretaker and men’s camps, and develop employment classes for low functioning survivors,” Sherry said. She would like to have an organic farm on the property to grow fruits and vegetable for the camp.

If you would like to learn more about Faces of Courage you can visit them on the web at www.facesofcourage.org or call Sherry at 813-988-CAMP (2267). Also available on their website is the opportunity to be a part of their “Pledge a Camper Program.” This program encourages you to sponsor a camper for a weekend for $250.

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 19

healing wounds

Hyperbaric Medicine Brings Hope to Diabetic Patients

By Brooke Cobb, Director of Wound Care Services at Florida Hospital North Pinellas

optimum health

The New Point of View

By Dr. Frank Reinhardt, Palm Harbor Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

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or patients with diabetes, proper wound care can mean the difference between healthy feet and amputation. Healing a wound can be difficult when an individual’s circulation is affected by diabetes, and wounds in the legs and feet are common.

Since many diabetics also lose feeling in their lower extremities, they may not even realize they have a wound that is becoming infected. Untreated infections can increase the risk of amputation or could even become life threatening.

Even with the expert approach of a multidisciplinary team of primary care physicians, wound care experts, nurses, orthotists, podiatrists, vascular surgeons, neurologists and nutritionists, diabetic wounds can be very difficult to heal. At our Florida Hospital North Pinellas Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Institute we see the issues of non-healing wounds on the feet and legs all too often.

Fortunately, with the right treatment, many of the most impossible wounds can heal — thanks in a great part to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Much like a diver diving deep below the ocean depths to where the pressure is greater and your body’s blood produces more oxygen-rich red blood cells, hyperbaric chambers provide an ideal environment for wound healing.

Hyperbaric chambers can be large, glass compartments — like those in our facility — or even entire rooms at some large universities. Patients that are “diving” are taken very slowly through pressure changes within the compartment until they reach the optimum pressure. Dives last for several hours, but patients are able to regularly communicate with caregivers, relax, and even watch television.

During the time in the chamber, a patient’s red blood cells are working in overdrive at the site of his or her wound — helping to regenerate damaged tissue, and slowly but surely healing the wound.

The severity of a wound will determine how many visits a patient makes to the hyperbaric chamber, but the time spent is well worth it.

For our diabetic patients at Florida Hospital North Pinellas, hyperbaric medicine has meant the ability to return to a life without the chronic implications of a non-healing wound. For more information, please visit FHNorthPinellas.com or call 727-943-3640.

Page 20 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

here is a big difference between "sickness care" and "health care." Today's health care seems to have lost its mantra of maintaining an individual’s health and instead has grown in the direction of looking for that "quick fix."

The quick health fix that many turn to comes in the form of seeking something outside one’s self in order to feel better. A pill has quickly taken the high rung on the ladder of "health care." Pills do not keep one healthy; they suppress the symptoms from the pain or sickness. The body begins to adapt to the stresses and pains leading to a poor quality of life. Pain is the last symptom the body feels suffering from an injury. Only 10 percent of the nervous system is responsible for feeling pain. How much damage to muscles, bones, or other tissues occurs before pain is felt? How does one know if they are injured without feeling pain?

“The chiropractic philosophy of “health care” works by identifying and correcting subtle spinal misalignments that may lead to pain.”

Maintaining health by suppressing the body’s symptoms is not "health care" but rather "sickness care." Maintaining health seems more and more a necessity today than ever before. The stresses of work and family along with dealing with today's economic issues helps one reflect on the many reasons to prioritize the actual care of our health and not just the masking of symptoms.

The chiropractic philosophy of "health care" works by identifying and correcting subtle spinal misalignments that may lead to pain.

The nervous system controls every single process the body needs to sustain and regenerate life. The body has an amazing ability to regenerate. Skin cells regenerate every 14 days; within 180 days your blood cells are completely new, and in six months, heart and lung cells regenerate. The average life expectancy is 80 years. It makes sense to keep the spine aligned to promote a healthy nervous system and continued well-being.

By keeping the spine in alignment, the nervous system functions properly and the body functions in optimum health. This supports a high quality of life, high physical performance, and maintenance of vitality with age, and low risk of disease.

Take charge of your health by calling 727-786-7574 for an appointment with Dr. Frank Reinhardt at Palm Harbor Chiropractic & Rehabilitation located at 34258 US 19 N in Palm Harbor, FL 34684.

your Best ChanCe for Beating CanCer as the only nCi-DesignateD CoMprehensive CanCer Center BaseD in floriDa, Moffitt offers a level of Care that stanDs aBove the rest. With aCCess to the latest treatMents, proMising researCh anD ongoing CliniCal trials, our teaM of experts proviDes a plan that’s right for you, right froM the start. the results are shorter treatMent tiMes, reDuCeD hospital stays anD iMproveD quality of life During anD after treatMent. for you this Means Better outCoMes, anD your Best ChanCe for Beating CanCer. learn More aBout the Benefits of our teaM approaCh at MOFFITT.Org

Moffitt CanCer Center 12902 Magnolia Drive, taMpa, fl Moffitt CanCer Center at international plaza 4101 JiM Walter BoulevarD, taMpa, fl h. lee Moffitt CanCer Center & researCh institute an nCi CoMprehensive CanCer Center | taMpa, fl | 1-888-Moffitt

Closer to our patients.

Closer to a Cure.®

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 21

home safety

It’s What You Know Before You Mow Submitted by Shriners Hospitals for Children®

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ccording to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s NEISS Data Highlights – Calendar Year 2011, there were an estimated 83,291 total lawn mower-related injuries, including all ages, in the United States. Approximately 10,231 of those injuries affected those between birth and 24 years of age. Most lawn mower injuries can be prevented through awareness and education.

We encourage families to take the necessary precautions before mowing their lawns to prevent children from being hurt.

• It is crucial for your safety and those around you that you read the user manual before operating a lawn mower.

• Lawn mowing is only permitted by those above 16 years of age who are adequately trained.

• Children and pets should remain indoors while lawn mowing is taking place.

• Before mowing inspect your lawn and remove any objects or debris to protect bystanders.

• During mowing, you should be aware of your surroundings and always look behind before reversing.

• Children should never be allowed on the lawn mower as a passenger or even just sitting on the machine for fun.

Safely Refueling • Store gasoline in an approved container away from heat sources and out of reach of children.

• No smoking or drinking when operating a lawn mower.

• Do not refuel indoors.

• Never add fuel while the engine is running or hot.

• Always clean up spilled gasoline and dispose of rag correctly.

Page 22 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

Weather and Terrain •D o not cut grass when its wet because it can cause your feet to lose traction and slip.

•D o not mow on hills or slopes to avoid having the mower tip over and cause injury.

Other Dangers to Children • Fertilizers and other chemicals should be kept away from children.

•F lammable items including matches and lighters should be stored away.

• Razor-sharp, rusty or glass objects should be kept out of reach.

Backyard safety begins with you. Be a positive role model for children; show them that safety matters by following the lawn mower safety instructions. Remember: It’s What You Know Before you Mow. In 1985 The Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Tampa opened its doors to the community and became the 19th pediatric orthopedic hospital in the Shriners Hospitals for Children® international network of 22 hospitals. Since that time we have treated nearly 50,000 children providing expert comprehensive care in a child friendly and compassionate setting. We provide care from birth to the age of 18, regardless of the families’ ability to pay.

Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Tampa 12502 USF Pine Drive, Tampa, FL 33612-9411 For care -Toll Free: 1-800-665-KIDS www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/tampa

increasing awareness

Cancer Survivorship

By Sarah E. Hoffe, MD, Director of Physician Services, Moffitt Cancer Center at International Plaza

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any patients ask when they can be called a cancer survivor.

According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an individual is a survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his/her life. In practice, patients receive treatment then are followed by their primary team for five years.

The team often includes a surgical/medical/radiation oncologist who coordinates physical exam and history visits with laboratory and imaging tests. The primary focus is to ensure no recurrence of the cancer during that period.

In the last decade, as cancer treatments have improved, more attention has been focused on what is called “survivorship.” The medical community is now placing the spotlight on the physical as well as mental health challenges that can occur years after treatment, highlighting the potential for long term and/or late effects. These effects can change the patient’s identity, sexual health, and even financial well-being. This is often a foreign concept to the patient, who thinks surveillance for disease recurrence or long-term effects ends at five years.

Cancer centers around the country have now established survivorship programs that allow for patients five years or more from treatment completion to see a specialized team of experts. With the increasing numbers of young patients being diagnosed with cancer, these programs anticipate following patients for decades.

Part of the program is aimed at educating patients about the potential long-term effects they could encounter to increase awareness. For example, patients could develop decreased thyroid functioning after radiation for head and neck cancer. The program also is designed to capture the patient’s treatment data so that the potential late effects are known. This way, the patient’s survivorship plan can be personalized.

In addition to surveillance and survivorship plans for patients completing treatment, current recommendations also incorporate Integrative Oncology. Cancer patients learn about the mind/body connection and ways they can improve their immune function, such as meditation/

Tai Chi/Qi Gong, which helps decrease stress levels. They can also learn about the benefits of a plant-based diet and of moderate intensity exercise 30 minutes a day. Moreover, Integrative Medicine options may help them navigate which supplements they should be taking and whether to try massage or acupuncture.

Now that more patients are surviving cancer, experts are increasingly focusing on the “treatment is over, now what?” questions. These emerging strategies will arm patients with more resources than ever before, empowering them to partner with their own lifetime wellness plan.

For more information, please contact H. Lee, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, at 888-6633488 or visit www.moffitt.org.

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 23

periodontal disease

Does Your Smile Hold a Secret?

Cindy Roark, DMD

By Cindy Roark, DMD, Chief Clinical Director at Coast Dental

trol and Prevention. The infection is caused by the buildup of plaque, a sticky material made of bacteria and food debris that accumulates on the tooth. If the plaque is not removed by daily brushing and flossing, then it hardens into tartar, which pushes the bacteria deeper into the gum tissue. Bacteria cause the gums to become swollen and to pull away from the tooth, creating pockets where more bacteria will accumulate. If the infection is allowed to fester, it destroys the gum tissue and jawbone holding your teeth in place.

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.

The disease is often painless, which is why the diagnosis can be surprising to people. Some people have no symptoms. Others may notice red, puffy gums, bad breath, or bleeding when flossing or brushing.

Ever had gingivitis? That’s the first stage of gum disease, and the only stage that is reversible. Once it progresses, the damage can’t be undone. The goal is to get the disease under control through a variety of ways. While a routine cleaning focuses on removing plaque from teeth, a deep cleaning removes plaque from below the gum line. Antibiotics, laser therapy, even surgery may be needed to address the infected tissue and save the teeth.

Your Mouth is the Gateway to your Body Left untreated, periodontal disease can produce serious health risks. The bacteria can travel to other parts of the body through the bloodstream and cause additional health problems. Clinical studies have linked periodontal disease to: • Stroke • Diabetes • Alzheimer’s disease • Heart disease • Pregnancy complications • Adverse impact on artificial joint replacements The good news is that periodontal disease can be managed. The first step is to visit a dentist for a comprehensive oral examination and X-rays. As with most health problems, periodontal disease only becomes more expensive to treat the longer you wait.

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he findings of a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surprised even some dentists. It’s a goal we all have: We want to walk into the dentist’s office, hear that our teeth look great, and receive a routine cleaning. It can be a shock when that doesn’t happen. The culprit may not be cavities. It may be an infection of the gums.

Almost half of all Americans age 30 and older have some form of periodontitis, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Con-

Page 24 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

Cindy Roark, DMD, is a member of the American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. As the Chief Clinical Director of Coast Dental’s 180 practices, she coordinates the deployment of key patient care initiatives including digital radiography, dental laser therapy, oral cancer screening technology, bone grafting, and the protocol for the treatment of periodontal disease. For more information, please visit Coast Dental’s website at www.coastdental.com.

healthcare service

For Someone Special

Special Place TheASkilled Home Care Alternative

The loss of a pet after years of love and companionship can sadden us deeply. We understand that giving him a special resting place can help ease that pain. So, we created just that kind of place with our beautiful pet cemetery.

With majestic and a scenic gazebo, it offers 126473 trees CLNTS 2 19:15 10/5/01 WV you the same opportunities to express your love as a human cemetery does.

By Gena DeCamella, Owner/COO, Capri Home Care

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For more information, please feel free to contact Capri Home Care on their website at www.caprihomecare.com, or call directly 877-227-7442. Capri Home Care is a locally owned and operated Medicare certified agency. They have been in this area for over 10 years now, with services offered in Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Hillsborough counties. As a nationally accredited home care agency, Capri has gained Home Health Elite status and rates among the highest in Home Care Compare.

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Proud to be one of Florida’s only authentic pet cemeteries 7"

1750 Curlew Road • Palm Harbor • 727.789.2000 CurlewHills.com • CurlewHillsPetCemetery.com 7"

This bracelet was a gift Amber Apodoca

This bracelet was where a giftshe Amber received from the center helped Apodoca teens with drug and alcohol problems. She was wearing it received from the center where she helped teens with when an underage drunk driver took her life.

drug and alcohol problems. She was wearing it Friends Let Friends Drive Drunk. when anDon’t underage drunk driver took her life.

10"

Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.

Photo by Michael Mazzeo

oday it seems we are receiving fewer and fewer healthcare services for the amount we are paying. This is obvious as we see co-pays and deductibles on the rise and less face-time with our physicians. The outrageous pharmaceutical costs have made it impossible for some people to get the medication they require. The gap between what we are getting and what we need leaves many of us wondering what the future holds. You’ll be glad to hear that there is still an alternative. It is called skilled home care.

This type of service under Medicare is still covered 100 percent, does not require any co-pays, and remains the most cost effective and preferred health care service available.

Skilled home care differs from other types of home care services because it consists of nurses, therapists, and social workers. These professionals perform similar duties that you would find during a hospital stay, such as IV medication administration and physical therapy treatments, but in the comfort of your own home. Medicare also covers the expense of supplies that may be needed during your care. This service has been around for more than a hundred years, yet many people do not even know it exists. Often patients struggle needlessly at home after being discharged from the hospital simply due to the fact that the doctor did not order home care.

Home care is the vital link needed to receive the tools we need to stay at home, safely, and successfully. Ultimately the goal is to teach patients and their families about managing the disease process, such as CHF(congestive heart failure), hypertension, or diabetes, to name a few. These diagnoses can be overwhelming and confusing. It is important to learn the role new medications, proper diet, and activity level interactions play in the prevention of future hospitalizations.

There are many home care agencies to choose from. It is important to choose the right agency to meet your unique needs. Some patients may feel more comfortable having an agency in their home that is a large, hospital based agency, while others may feel more comfortable working with locally owned and operated agencies. Some of the benefits of working with a locally owned agency is that you will receive personalized treatment and have direct access even with the owners should you need that level of attention.

Premiere Tampa Bay — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page NOTE TO PUB: DO NOT2013 PRINT— INFO BELOW, FORArea I.D. ONLY. NO ALTERING OF AD COUNCIL PSAS.25 Drunk Driving Prevention - Magazine (7x10) B&W DD201-M-06177-A “Bracelet” 110 screen Film at Horan Imaging 212-689-8585 Reference #: 126473

maximizing eye performance

Low Vision Rehabilitation Program

By Ascentia Home Health Care

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ow vision is an impairment that significantly affects a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Low vision can be present from birth or result from injury or disease of the eye. Some of the conditions that can result in low vision include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, homonymous hemianopsia, optic nerve atrophy, and retinitis pigmentosa.

Low vision affects a person’s ability to perform daily activities such as managing medications, cooking and homemaking, and performing personal activities to name a few. This can significantly impact a person’s independence and quality of life but with the Low Vision Rehabilitation Program, which is 100 percent covered by Medicare if the person meets the established criteria, the participant’s independence and quality of life can be improved.

With the Low Vision Rehabilitation Program, the person is seen in the comfort of their own home for services such as skilled nursing or behavioral health nursing, occupational therapy (OT), or physical therapy. All patients receive an individualized plan of care based upon their specific needs and goals.

Medication errors are a major reason for hospitalization for a person with low vision so teaching techniques to safely identify and administer medications is critical. Also, education is a key component for those with low vision. An example would be educating and training those with diabetes to manage their disease while compensating for their vision loss.

Behavioral health nurses are specially trained to assist the visually impaired person with coping mechanisms to help with their adjustPage 26 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

ment to the vision loss. Occupational therapists work to maximize the person’s ability to perform their daily activities and to teach the person to utilize their remaining vision effectively. Things that we may take for granted such as putting toothpaste on a toothbrush, seeing a stove dial, or looking up a phone number can be very challenging when a person is visually impaired. The OT’s can train the person in modified techniques to do a daily task easier and with less frustration. For some people making things bigger and higher in contrast can help, yet for others they may need to rely on other senses such as tactile or auditory to assist.

A patient with macular degeneration may benefit from training in eccentric viewing techniques to help them read more effectively and to help with performance of daily activities. Home safety is a top priority for the visually impaired as falls in the home can have devastating consequences. With the Low Vision Rehabilitation Program every patient receives a thorough home safety assessment that looks at fall prevention, contrast, organization, lighting, and the potential of home safety issues. With a thorough review of a patient’s home, the therapist gains enough information to suggest modifications and recommendations to improve the safety in the home.

If you feel that you could benefit from this program, please request a referral from your physician or contact Ascentia Home Health Care at 727-723-1233 or visit online at www.ascentiahhc.com.

pet loss option

Giving Your Pet a Dignified Resting Place

By Curlew Hills Pet Cemetery

A Uniquely Different Pharmacy For Your Uniquely Different Needs

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We specialize in: • BHRT (Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Therapy) • Weight Management • Pain Management • Rejuvenating Therapies

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re you a pet lover? If so, you’re not alone. Experts predict that over half the American population has a pet at home. With the average life expectancy for pets at about 15 years, it’s safe to say that a large number of people will experience the death of a pet at least once in their lifetimes.

The close bond between people and their pets is well documented and filled with unconditional love. The loss of a pet after years of companionship can bring deep sadness — often leaving people with a need for grieving and closure.

The leaders at pet cemetaries understand giving a pet a dignified resting place can help ease the grief, and offer the same opportunities to express love and devotion as a human cemetery does.

Pet cemetaries are the ideal resting places for all types of pets. It is a dignified and loving way to commemorate their special lives. Some pet cemetaries are upheld to the same strict standards as required for humans. This means families have assurance that the grounds will be pristinely maintained and will never be used for another purpose.

There are even pet cemetaries that allow the owner to be laid to rest alongside their pet. Pet cemetaries can place both the owner and the pet’s cremated remains together if they so choose. So, the owner and his trusted pet companion can be together throughout eternity.

“We don’t have a lot of control over the fact that we’re losing our pet,” comments Keenan Knopke, President and CEO of Curlew Hills Memory Gardens. “But we do have control over how we deal with our grief. For many people, providing their pet a beautiful final resting place gives them peace of mind as well as a place where they can go to honor their beloved pet. We are very proud to offer this.”

Curlew Hills Pet Cemetery is part of Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, located in Palm Harbor. Established in 1979, it is a family-owned funeral home, cemetery and crematory serving Pinellas, Pasco and Western Hillsborough counties. It also provides the Garden of Heroes section for the commemoration of area K-9 service dogs. For more information about the Curlew Hills Pet Cemetery visit CurlewHills.com or call 727-789-2000.

• Vitamins & Nutrition

4330 South Manhattan Avenue • Tampa, FL 33611 Phone: Local (813) 839-8861 • Toll-free (800) 788-8123 Dial Ext. 1 for the Pharmacy Ext. 2 for the store or to schedule a consultation Fax Number: (813) 839-8941 www.hoyespharmacy.com Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 27

advanced techniques

The Role of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery in Today’s Society

By Dr. Samuel A. Joseph, Moreno Joseph Spine and Scoliosis

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“Spinal fusion is considered the gold standard of treatment for most conditions contributing to this pain: herniated disks, degenerative disk disease, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis as well as fractures.”

Page 28 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

p to 85 percent of adults will experience back pain, including low back pain, at some point in their lives. Two percent to 10 percent still report pain after three months, which makes it a chronic condition. Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work. After multiple attempts at conservative treatment including therapy, medications, and injections, surgery is often the last option available. Spinal fusion is considered the gold standard of treatment for most conditions contributing to this pain: herniated disks, degenerative disk disease, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis as well as fractures.

With traditional spinal surgery it is necessary to cut through muscles and pull them out of the way in order to reach the spine. This causes a large amount of pain, blood loss, and lengthens recovery.

The increasing demands and expectations of society for faster recovery with fewer complications have led to the development of minimally invasive surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) spinal fusion can now be accomplished using two small poke-hole incisions with minimal dissection, blood loss, and less pain resulting in a faster recovery than traditional open spinal surgery. By gently spreading through the muscles, the MIS technique allows us to reach the spine with much less pain and blood loss.

Using the MIS technique, a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is the most common procedure performed. The MIS TLIF is commonly performed for the reasons mentioned prior including herniated disks, and degenerative disc disease. A MIS TLIF involves relieving back and leg pain by removing any pressure on the nerve along with removing the disk. The disk is then replaced with a bone graft spacer, through which the vertebrae will fuse together. Small screws connected by rods are also placed and meant to hold the spacer in place to allow fusion to occur.

The major advantage of all of these minimally invasive techniques is that there is less damage caused to the surrounding tissues.

There is rarely a need for a blood transfusion, often there is less need for narcotic pain medications, and usually there is a shorter hospital stay.

Outpatient MIS programs allow patients to go home the same day as their surgery. Patients are up and walking within an hour of the procedure and are started on an aggressive outpatient physical therapy regime in order to restore function as soon as possible. Through these advanced techniques a patient’s pain can be reduced and back to work sooner with minimal disruption to their lives.

For more information please contact Moreno Joseph Spine and Scoliosis at our Safety Harbor location located at 1800 Mease Drive, Safety Harbor, FL 33761, phone: 727-669-5300 or our Tampa location located at 2727 West Martin Luther King Blvd., Suite 250, Tampa, FL 33607, phone: 813-870-1206 or you may visit our website at www.morenojosephspine.com.

thinking and feeling

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

By Linda Ruescher, Program Director, Lupus foundation of Florida

I

f you are alive, you have stress. Stress is a reaction to a stimulus that upsets equilibrium. The stress reactions of fight, flight, or freeze can be brought on by real threats or stressful thoughts. Regardless of the source, long-term stress has a negative impact on physical health.

High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are among the physical effects of stress. In fact, 75 to 90 percent of all doctor’s visits are the result of stress-related ailments and complaints. Stress makes existing medical conditions worse. Stress can cause anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, and lack of motivation. Stress leads to poor health habits such as over-eating, eating poorly, angry outbursts, and the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.

serving thoughts but not holding on to them. The habit of mindfulness expands from formal practice to everyday activities like eating or washing hands.

“Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction has been consistently documented as highly effective in teaching participants to become more responsible in the management of their own health, vitality and healing. Two decades of published research indicates that the majority of people who complete the MBSR Program report lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms.“ For more information about Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction please contact Linda1/28/04 Ruescher, Program Director at the Lupus Foun11:33 AM Page 1 dation, 727-447-7075.

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“Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction has

Resources: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn; and www.mindfullivingprograms.com.

been consistently documented as highly effective in teaching participants to become more responsible in the management of their own health, vitality and healing.”

An American Psychological Survey found the majority of Americans report their stress levels are moderate to high. They know high levels of stress are unhealthy but they don’t know what to do about it. We may not be able to control the stressors in our lives, but we can control our reaction to them. Enter Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, the MBSR program started in the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979, and is now offered in over 200 medical centers, hospitals, and clinics around the world.

What we think is a significant factor in stress and stress-related problems is we are always thinking. We have a thought about something stressful in the past or future and we weave stories about it.

The thoughts cause stress even though nothing is threatening us at the moment. Using mindfulness meditation and yoga, MBSR cultivates “greater awareness of the ways the unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviors undermine emotional, physical and spiritual health.” Participants make the link between thinking and feeling.

MBSR is an eight-week program in which participants are trained in mindfulness meditation, which is based on ancient healing practices. Mindfulness means simply being fully present in the moment — observing the sensation of the air on the skin, the feet touching the floor, the cushion under your buttocks. Mindfulness means ob-

Even as an adult, all of your bones keep changing.They’re either building and maintaining their strength or becoming weak and porous. Weight-bearing exercise is critical. By staying in shape, you can help prevent bone loss.

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Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 29

peer support

Prosthetic Rehabilitation Submitted by Westcoast Brace & Limb

H

ospital rooms light up when Abby Wold walks in.

Equipped with a warm smile, a mug full of her favorite coffee, and a packet of post-amputation information, Abby brings a welcomed sense of comfort to patients about to begin their prosthetic rehabilitation.

Abby visits new amputees frequently as part of a Peer Visitation* that serves patients in the Tampa Tri-County area.

It doesn’t take a new amputee very long to notice Abby’s prosthetic legs — Abby stopped using cosmetic covers a few years ago. She now prefers to let the metal mechanics show. “I don’t hide them because I’ve made peace with them. I choose to love them,” Abby says about her choice to ‘go bionic’. She also uses her exposed prosthetic components to educate new amputees on how a prosthetic limb is fabricated. “A Peer Visit offers a new amputee a glimpse into his or her potential future. Meeting another happy, successful amputee is proof that life goes on,” Abby says.

Life certainly hasn’t stopped for the 31-year-old student, volunteer, advocate, and newlywed. In 2003, two days before she had planned to leave for army basic training, Abby was diagnosed with Meningococcemia, complicated by multiple organ failure. As a result of her illness, Abby lost both of her legs below the knees, two fingertips and she developed adrenal insufficiency. She uses her experiences to connect with new amputees, making sure they understand that they’re not alone.

Fortunately, the peer support doesn’t stop at the hospital room visit. Amputees Together of Florida, Inc.* is a group which meets once a month in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and offers people living with limb loss a chance to interact in a group environment. Whether it’s bowling, enjoying a night of live music, or participating in a group discussion, members have the opportunity to network with others who have ‘been there’, enjoy a meal, and learn something new.

Michael Epps, a right, above-knee amputee, has regularly attended these group meetings since 2010. Abby and Michael both enjoy welcoming new members to the group because they know that the meetings really help. “Westcoast is the first prosthetic facility that encouraged me to be ‘out there,’” Michael says, “to really keep up and continue to have an adventurous life. They hook me up with other people who have lost limbs and want to be active.”

Peer Visits, group meetings, and sports clinics for all disabilities are programs available to patients. “There’s more to rehabilitation than making a well-fitting, high-tech prosthesis,” believes Greg Bauer, LPO, CPO. “You have to recognize the whole patient and realize that there’s an Page 30 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

Abby (left) and fellow Westcoast Brace & Limb patient Patti (right) ham it up after an Amputees Together of Florida, Inc. group meeting. emotional aspect to care.” Greg is the third generation owner of Westcoast Brace & Limb, a company that his grandfather started over 40 years ago. “With the right support,” Bauer says, “a new amputee can understand that the sky’s the limit.” *Peer Visitation and Amputees Together of Florida, Inc. are patient programs made available by Westcoast Brace & Limb.

For more information on Westcoast Brace & Limb’s patient programs, go to www.wcbl.com, or contact them toll free at 1-888-552-2555.

young at art

The Important Role the Arts Play in Overall Health and Wellness at Any Age

By Sue Osborne, Past President and Board Member, Suncoast Performing Arts Foundation

T

here are numerous studies done by art organizations and health professionals that clearly show the positive effects of the performing arts on health and wellness in our older Americans; and academic success, improved creativity, and better career opportunities for our youth.

Research done by Dr. Gene Cohen of the Center on Aging, a division of George Washington University, clearly shows that weekly participation in art programs results in better mental and physical health, fewer doctor’s visits and less medication. The study shows that participants in the arts save $170 in medication costs each year. In addition, the social engagement resulting from involvement with the arts promotes better outcomes when recovering from heart attacks and coronary bypass surgery. Other studies have shown that aging Americans experience a heightened sense of control and confidence that increases the level of T cells, which ward off bacterial infections and NK cells (natural killer cells) which fight cancer. This reflects the influence of the mind on neurological centers of the brain. The end result is a better immune system and better overall health.

For our young people, the effect that participating in the performing arts produces is outstanding. Studies done by the Americas for the Arts organization show those students who include art in their curriculum outperform non-art students on SAT scores and other standardized tests. The results include better scores on both language and math tests. Moreover, sustained learning in theater and music show dramatic increases in test scores and academic achievement, especially in disadvantaged youth.

The study further shows that young people working in the arts each week for a year are more likely to show the following: • Be recognized for academic achievement • Be elected to a class office • Participate in a math or science fair • Win an award for writing • Have better school attendance • Volunteer in their community This all adds up to better overall physical and mental health.

A major factor in successful careers is creativity and innovative thinking. Most business and school leaders rate creativity among the

top qualities needed to compete for higher paying jobs. 72 percent of employers say creativity is a primary concern during the hiring process. School superintendents feel creativity and innovative thinking come directly from participating in the arts. However, the arts are not a top priority in many school curriculums.

With the dwindling budget in our school systems, how do we provide artistic opportunities in the arts for our youth? In many cases, private organizations have stepped up to fill that void. These private funds make it possible for children to attend theatrical performances and summer camps which teach them the performing arts, music, and dance. The intangible results of these opportunities can be measured in the smiles on the faces of these young artists. That is reward enough for the parents and donors who realize the value of the arts in our society.

For more information on art opportunities in our area visit www.largoarts.com.

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Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 31

customized medications

What is a Compounding Pharmacy and How Does it Benefit the Individual Patient?

By Jennye Morano, Director of Marketing, Hoye’s Pharmacy, A PCAB-Accredited Pharmacy

T

he idiom, “before we can know where we are going, we must know from where we came” has been a part of common lexicon for many years. It has never been truer for the Compounding Pharmacy industry, which has seen a renaissance in the last 10 years, as physicians and other health care practitioners return to a focus on patient-specific medicine.

The art of pharmacy compounding has been around since before 1000 A.D., with the first drugstore recorded as having opened in 754 A.D. in Baghdad.1 Since that time, compounding has continued to not only evolve, but remain relevant throughout medical history. During the Middle Ages, priests and doctors began combining different sub-

stances to make elixirs and potions attempting to cure the ailments of their time. In the 17th century, “farmacies” cropped up in France and “pharmacopeias” in England, which offered myriad current approaches to chemist-based pharmacy, thus bringing into modern life the neighborhood pharmacist.

Pharmacy continued in this vein until the Industrial Revolution began and the term “economies of scale” became peppered into the pharmaceutical vocabulary as the demand for prescription drugs grew. However, in 1940, popular estimates still had 50 percent of all prescriptions as having been compounded. As pharmaceutical manufacturing grew, proprietary/manufactured medication became more of the norm.

In recent years, the demand for individualized, quality-controlled compounding has increased with the focus of medicine returning to the needs of the individual patient, as opposed to the “one-size fits all” or “cookie cutter” model.

Manufactured/proprietary medications are designed to match the patient to the drug, while in compounding the drug is prepared to match the single, individual patient need. Although proprietary medications can meet the needs of many patients, there is still a need for customized medication for individual patients on occasion. Some of the more common reasons to turn to compounding as the solution are: • The patient has allergies, which require an allergy-free medication • The patient requires a reduced dosage-strength of medication due to body size/weight not commercially available.

• The patient needs a medication that has been discontinued by the pharmaceutical manufacturer or is on back-order.

• The patient requires a unique or different dosage form from a manufactured pharmaceutical (i.e., the patient cannot swallow pills and needs the medication in a liquid or topical form).

This individualized approach to treatment, however, is only possible with what is known as the Triad of Care. The Triad of Care is a unique relationship between each individual patient, their physician, and their pharmacist recognizing that some patients have medication needs as unique as their own fingerprints and as such may not be available on the market.

So how can compounding benefit you? Simply look at the ends of your fingers and think about how customized medications could be made solely with you in mind.

For more information about Hoye’s Pharmacy, go to www.hoyespharmacy.com or call 813-839-8861. Hoye’s Pharmacy is located at 4330 South Manhattan Avenue, Tampa, FL 33611.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9324574

Page 32 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

weight loss

7 Tips to Help You Reach

Your Goal Weight

Submitted by Medi-Weightloss

T

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over one third of U.S. adults are obese. Billions of dollars are spent annually on managing obesity-related medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. Now, more than ever, our nation needs strategies to help people not only lose weight, but keep it off. Here are seven tips from their weight loss experts: • Start a food journal.

People overeat because they are unaware of what they are consuming. By keeping a food journal you are held more accountable for your food choices. A recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine followed over 1,600 overweight adult participants. The study showed the weight loss of those who kept a food journal was double their non-journaling counterparts.

• Know what’s on your plate.

Journaling, reducing calories, and decreasing portion size is important, but the types of food matter, too. Increase consumption of vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins, and limit saturated fat and simple carbs. In addition to providing vitamins and antioxidants, these foods will help you feel fuller and may reduce your total daily caloric intake.

• Don’t skip meals.

Part of living a healthy lifestyle is making sure you get the nutrients you need on a regular basis. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, may cause you to over-indulge in food later on in the day.

• Stay hydrated.

Often, we mistake hunger for thirst. Drink plenty of water thoughout the day — the old standby is eight, eight-ounce glasses. Listen to your body and drink enough water so you never feel thirsty.

• Set reasonable goals.

If you set the bar too high or only focus on your big, overall goal, you may start to lack the motivation you need to keep going. Instead, try focusing on smaller, short-term goals. Once you start accomplishing these, your overall goal will be in close reach.

• Find support.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, diet participants who had monthly personal counseling kept more weight off than those who did not. If you are joining a weight loss program, make sure it includes counseling and motivation.

• Incorporate exercise.

The National Weight Control Registry tracked the success of more than 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept if off for long periods of time. Of the participants followed, they found 89 percent reported using both diet and physical activity for weight loss, compared to just 10 percent who reported using diet alone.

Medi-Weightloss has helped thousands of people lose weight and transition to a healthier lifestyle. Losing weight can be hard. Start making small changes today and you’ll be closer to your goal weight than yesterday! For more information please contact Medi-Weightloss at 813-228-6334 or visit them at www.mediweightlossclinics.com.

Premiere 2013 — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Healthy Cells Magazine — Page 33

fertility class

Stress and the Mind Body Connection to Pregnancy

By Kathy Fountain, LMHC

“

J

ust relax!” The words every woman trying to conceive dreads hearing. The reason is simple — friends and loved ones are concerned and well-intentioned, but their advice strikes at the very core of a woman’s frustration when she feels like she’s the only one who’s not pregnant.

Is there a special diet that will work? Maybe exercising less — or more? How about a different doctor, or vitamins and herbs? Not being able to conceive can cause feelings of helplessness, anger, and despair.

Infertility. A powerful word that can make women feel small and alone. It’s also frequently misunderstood by the general population.

In years past, doctors had a theory that blamed infertility on a woman’s “unconscious conflicts” about motherhood. Although modern science has debunked that theory, and doctors today define infertility as a disease to be treated just like any other medical condition,

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Page 34 — Healthy Cells Magazine — Tampa Bay Area — ­ Premiere 2013

“The relationship between stress and conception is the subject of intense research in the reproductive field.” there are still many who unintentionally blame the woman or couple for not doing enough.

But is it true that “just relaxing” can help you get pregnant? The relationship between stress and conception is the subject of intense research in the reproductive field. It’s a proven fact that infertility causes stress — disruptions within the marriage or with friends and family, invasive medical treatments, and costly procedures often not covered by insurance. It can lead to intense physical and emotional symptoms as well, and drain the joy out of your life.

Whether stress causes infertility is a question not so easily answered.

In the past many have speculated that stress prevents pregnancy.

However, the most recent research disputes that. A study in Fertility & Sterility (Aug., 2012) found that women who were highly stressed and anxious prior to IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) are no less likely to have a baby. This is good news for women who feel pressured to be a “good patient” or “not worry.” On the other hand, the same study found that women who try IVF and fail, are more likely to experience anxiety and depression in the months afterward. The study concluded there is an urgent need to help women reduce their stress while trying to conceive.

Other studies in Fertility & Sterility (Feb, 2004) found the No. 1 reason women drop out of treatment is not because they were discouraged by their physician, but rather because they couldn’t handle the stress!

There is help for women in Tampa Bay. The Mind Body Class for Fertility is a class based on research initially conducted at Harvard’s Medical Center 25 years ago and is ongoing even today. This isn’t “just relax,” it’s a vigorous program that teaches proven stress reduction strategies and tools to cope with depression and negative thinking, along with guided imagery, meditation and yoga. Perhaps the strongest component of the class is the social support of other women who “get it.”

Over the past eight years, I have personally seen most of the women who have taken the class resolve their infertility within a year. Many conceive, but not all. Some adopt, building their families in alternative ways. Others decide to live child-free. They all learn to manage their emotions and resolve their fertility issues peacefully. It’s not about getting pregnant, it’s about learning to take back control of your life.

For more information about the Mind Body Class, visit www.kathyfountainfertility.com.

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