Lexington Woman Magazine

Volume VII

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING, AND EDUCATING

Real WOMEN

2nd Annual Surviving the Holidays

What is a Ta-Tini?

Meet Kim Hamrick

Affairs of the Heart Debbie Kelly

Cayce, Chapin, Columbia, Irmo, Lexington, West Columbia, and White Knoll

In this Issue

Volume VII

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING, AND EDUCATING

31

Real WOMEN

36

From the Editor 2 2nd Annual Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show What is a Ta-Tini?

Meet Kim Hamrick

Affairs of the Heart Debbie Kelly

Events

3 What’s happening in and around Lexington?

Cayce, Chapin, Columbia, Irmo, Lexington, West Columbia, and White Knoll

Volume VII

Editor-In-Chief:

Lori Samples Duncan (ld@woman2woman.sc)

Project Coordinator: Theresa Adams Lauri Truesdale

Contributing Writers:

Sommer Cagle Ruth Chapman Elaine Clary Edna Cox, RD, CSG, LD Pastor Mark Crumpton Lori Samples Duncan Jennifer P. Hutchinson, RDH Shirley Keels Debbie Kelly Tim Loonam, DVM Tyler Ryan Daniel Webb Martha Windsor

Cover Photo:

Clark Berry Photography

Publication Layout and Ad Design: Melissa Wates

Photography:

Clark and Becki Berry, Clark Berry Photography Cathy Lindner

Woman 2 Woman Enterprises

PO Box 85282 | Lexington, SC 29073 (803) 808.0866 | www.woman2woman.sc Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However, the publisher cannot assume responsibility for errors or omissions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. © 2010

Things we love about

Lexington 4

Let’s Talk

5 Lexington Woman loves Lexington men!

6 Ah, romance 8 Heart conditions that require a “Bye Past”

Kids

9 10 12 14

Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic!

Our Featured Teen Writer: No one was happier than me Disney Land nothin’...Kid City!!

Future Lexington women to look for!

Professional

15 Our Featured Green Company: Recycling puts new spin on “Kick The Can”

game

Health & Wellness

18 A business dream come true 20 Birth control trial in Columbia 22 Affairs of the heart 24 Be heart smart in 2010 25 Getting to the heart of things 26 Want a healthy heart? Listen to your dental hygienist and dentist!

Education

27 fastFORWARD

Pets

29 The importance of socializing your pet

Celebrating the Survivor in You!

31 Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show 32 Meet the models of the 2009 Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show 34 How I survived breast cancer 36 What is a Ta-Tini?

Web & Business Directory 39 A Personal Note 40 www.lexingtonwoman.sc

From the Editor

T

hank you for choosing to take the time to read this edition of Lexington Woman. I am continually amazed at how blessed I am to share my thoughts and referrals to the women of Lexington. We believe the businesses in these pages are the best of the best. Each business you will see featured has made a personal commitment to you, the Lexington Woman, to provide you with quality products and services, and I invite you to call them or go in and give them your business. Without their support, Lexington Woman could not continue to share such valuable information with you.

It’s a new year, and love is in the air. My very own valentine just so happened to be born on February 14, so I am doubly blessed to share that day with him. I hope you find yours filled with love and laughter. Take your children by The Studio in Lexington to make a memory with Karen Petta and her staff of talented artists. Your gifts will be one of a kind. Or, schedule a special portrait with Clark Berry of yourself or your family just because you shouldn’t put it off one more day!

Lexington Woman has joined Facebook, and we want to encourage you to become our fan. We post special quotes and contests that you don’t want to miss! It’s always nice to get a little extra something or give a little something extra back.

Baseball season is getting ready to kick off, and other spring sports will be starting soon. Our sons and daughters will be representing our community on local teams and in competitions. Let’s go out and support our schools sporting and fine art events. Admissions money help with funding!

Congratulations to all the students who will be participating in arts and music competitions in the month of February as well. LOPAC was a wonderful event again this year, and I am so excited that so many of our local students are involved in chorus in our schools. The Lexington High School Chamber Choir was amazing.

Our 2nd Annual Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show is featured in our Survivor section.

It was a huge success, and I would love to see you at the Fashion Show again later this year where proceeds will benefit a variety of local charities. Also, don’t forget to check out Fight Like a Girl Round 3 – an event to raise money for The Ta-Tini’s who are a group of young survivors in our community! See their ad on page 37.

It is my privilege to live and work in Lexington. I am proud to be a member of the Lexington community and all it has to offer. In the spirit of making Lexington an even better place to work and live, I would like to challenge each of you to do something kind for someone today and everyday. I wonder what would happen if we all decided to perform just one random act of kindness every twenty four hours.

May God Bless and Keep you,

Lori Samples Duncan

ld@woman2woman.sc (Look us up on Facebook!)

Hebrews 13:15

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

This issue is dedicated to

matters of the heart!

You’ll find articles, quotes, and eye-opening facts that all relate to the heart. Enjoy!

Events

What’s happening in and around Lexington?

Junior Woman’s Club of Lexington’s 6th Annual Fashion Show Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 6pm Country Club of Lexington $25 ticket

Carolina Springs Elementary School

Colonial Life Arena, Columbia

Carolina Springs Elementary School chorus, band and orchestra students perform a free concert. The school’s book fair will be open before and after the event.

Buy tickets online at www.TWCtix.com, the Time Warner Cable Box Office at Colonial Life Arena, Play It Again Sports locations in Columbia and Lexington or call 1-877-4-TWC-TIX.

Featuring spring fashions by Lola, Kohl’s, Kicks and Etcetera. Proceeds will benefit Lexington County Women’s and Children’s charities. Tickets may be purchased at Lola, Kick’s, and White House Florist Past fashion shows have raised over $20,000 and have funded projects at the Nancy K. Perry Shelter for children, Samaritan’s Well and the Dickerson Center for Children. Questions? Contact Aubrey Hutto at (803) 665-5157.

Lexington One Concert Festival March 30-April 1, 2010 Lexington One Performing Arts Center on the Lexington High School Campus

Lexington Has Talent Baked Spaghetti Supper & Talent Show Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 5pm-8:30pm Lexington Town Hall

Springdale Eggstravaganza Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 3pm Felton C. Benton Park, West Columbia

Mama Mia! April 6-8, 2010 Koger Center, Columbia

Easter egg hunts for all age groups, pictures with the Easter Bunny, bring your Easter baskets. Call 7940408 for more information.

CSES Spring Concert Monday, March 29, 2010 at 6:30pm

Lexington One high school bands perform in a festival that includes high school bands from around the state. Judges evaluate the bands in various categories including performance and music literacy.

Lexington Men

10th Annual Kid’s Day of Lexington Saturday, April 24, 2010 Virginia Hylton Park, Lexington

Visit lexingtonkidsday.com for more information.

Broadway in Columbia presents Mama Mia, the musical. For tickets, visit www.broadwayincolumbia. com or call (803) 251-2222.

Disney on Ice Tuesday, April 15-18, 2010

***All proceeds will benefit Kiwanis Club’s local Key Club scholarships and local children’s charities

The Bi-Lo Charity Golf Tournament Monday, May 3, 2010 at 10am

All donations will go to the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands. Contact Theresa Steele for more information at theresa29170@yahoo.com.

love Lexington Woman!

Call To Advertise With Us

(803) 808-0866

A special thanks to the Carolina Springs Middle School coaching staff and team captains!

Coaches (L to R): Jason Rowe, Chris Folsom, Matt Hall, Wayne Crosby, Dan Smith, and Wayne Hall Team Captains (L to R): Jared Williams, Trey Duncan, Daniel Eichelberger, Aaron Holmes, Hunter Laag, Jordan LeMay, Craig Blakey, and Dusty Moore

www.woman2woman.sc

woman2woman@woman2woman.sc P.O. Box 85282 | Lexington, SC 29073

“We know what an exceptional business you are, let us get help you get that message to Lexington women” www.lexingtonwoman.sc

Things We Love about

Lexington

Things we love about Lexington!

by Lori Samples Duncan

H

ere are some of the things we love about Lexington:

Dixie youth Baseball – Lexington is blessed with a ton of great coaches and wonderful facilities. Bravo to all the local businesses that sponsor teams and help support this activity for our children.

Furniture truly fit for a queen!

This set is by AICO Designer series Villa Valencia with marble bed posts and accents. Call “The Amazing Furniture Guy” at (678) 656-2262 to get yours!

Lynn Floyd Wright – a local children’s author. I love her book, The Prison Bird. Order it online at www.amazon.com and give it as a gift to a new mother!

We love Sugar Cookie Dolls & Jewels! Call (803) 732-9348 or visit www.sugarcookiedolls.com to order your very own Gamecock or Clemson doll. They make great gifts and great keepsakes! No Sugar Cookie design is ever duplicated exactly.

Aloette has a great product you’ll easily fall in love with! Restorative Enzyme Peel is an amazing product that you won’t be able to live without once you’ve tried it. See the Aloette article and ad starting on page 18, and visit Judy Cook for yours today!

We love weekend trips! We are partnering with Faith Based Vacations & Group Travel for a fabulous Savannah Get-A-Way trip the

weekend of May 20-22. The total cost of the motorcoach trip is $299.

If you’re interested in joining us, contact Teilah Shirley at (803) 4146029 or tshirley@faithbasedvacations.org. Hurry – seats are filling fast! (More information can be found on page 9.)

White Knoll Baseball Players who volunteer with their time to make a lot of ladies smile!

Read more about these guys and our 2nd Annual Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show in our Survivor section!

We love mother/daughter book clubs!

We love the new location of KICKS Shoes at Shoppes at Flight Deck in Lexington.

We love glass fusion parties at The Studio in Lexington for a girls night out! Create one of a kind glass pendants, plates, coasters, wall art, and vases using specially ordered fusible glass. Learn more online at www.thestudiolexington.com, and see their ad on page 13.

We love Lexington Children, and we love them double when they come in twos! Three year old twins, Madisyn (left) and Carsyn Hall (right) are two of our favorites!

Web Design | Graphic Design | Media Placement | Speciality Products Branding | SEO Campaigns | Social Media Campaigns

www.TylerRyanGroup.com

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

803.398.1776

Let’s Talk

Lexington Woman loves Lexington men!

Billy W. Huckabee – a local “Good Guy”

L

exington Woman salutes Billy W. Huckabee. Billy was nominated as our Lexington “good guy” by his daughter Heather Huckabee. Here is why Billy W. Huckabee was chosen for this edition of Lexington Woman.

In Heather’s Words…

I just wanted to tell you about a wonderful man in my life. It is none other than my father, Billy W. Huckabee. My father is not only a wonderful man to my family but also to his friends, neighbors, and community. My father is a retired state employee who spends his time now playing golf (oh the good life).

But in his spare time he does wonderful things for his community. He serves on the board for the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission to bring wonderful things to Lexington County that benefit a number of people. My father has also helped his long time friend Nikki Setzler with his Senate Campaign.

Being a special education teacher, my father has always found time to help me and my class. He has helped us raise money to go to Special Olympics, he has volunteered to help

(left to right) Billy, Sarah, Holly, and Heather Huckabee with field trips, and finds time to come and interact with my students.

Most of all I take from my father a great deal of what a parent should be. My father is loving and caring, but also firm. He has helped me become an independent women with great morals.

I also wanted to add that my dad is dependable not only to me but everyone he knows.

He is also encouraging; he supports choices that both his daughters make.

golf tournament that provides scholarships to students planning on attending Clemson University. He is a huge Clemson fan!!

I am so very lucky to have him as my dad, and I thank God everyday for him.

Do you know a local “good guy” who should be featured here?

He is also very involved in the Lexington County Tiger Club (an organization for Clemson University). He plans their annual

Please send us a detailed essay explaining why you feel your nominee deserves to be featured as our next “Local Man of the Hour.” Emails can be sent to our editor at ld@woman2woman.sc. We will notify you by email if your “good guy” is chosen.

Palmetto STYLES

HAIR S AL ON

9 9 6 - 5 5 3 2 •117 E. Main S tr ee t • Lexingt on www.lexingtonwoman.sc

Let’s Talk

Ah, romance

by Ruth Chapman

T

ake a moment and think, what is the most romantic thing you have ever encountered? I think every person has a different interpretation of romance. Some couples do the most romantic things together… and others wouldn’t know romance if it walked up and shook their hands.

What is romance? Is it a candlelight dinner on the deck watching a sunset over Lake Murray? Is it walking together on a country road holding hands? How about watching an old black and white movie together in your sweats and socks? Or enjoying a picnic in a field under an oak tree?

Commercials and television have skewed our opinion of romance. This sometimes puts undue pressure on men and women. Let’s face it; men, in general, are neutral on romance.

Women, however, especially avid readers of romance novels, put a lot of stock in romance. And teenagers sometimes have such high expectations that they set themselves up for failure trying to be the perfect date.

Imagine how hard it is for a teenage boy on a limited budget to please the teenage girl who watches Disney movies and expects her life to end in the fairy tales they portray.

My husband tries to be romantic, in his own special way. For instance, let me tell you about our proposal. We had dated for five years, through college, and my husband is something of a “motor head”. He had a 1981 neon blue Z-28 with t-tops and a shifter only he could work. Because we both lived at home while we attended the University of South Carolina and had jobs, we had decent disposable incomes. To my way of thinking, having an entirely chrome engine with braided hoses was a colossal waste of money. I felt we should be saving towards furniture for the inevitable home we would share. So when he

told me he was thinking about buying a CJ-5 Jeep, not as a replacement vehicle, but as an additional vehicle, I was very angry. I did not have a diamond to show my friends, after 5 years of dating! So, being the foolish girl who thought she could make demands, I told him that if he bought that Jeep, I had better get a ring.

I think every person has a different interpretation of romance.

Some couples do the most romantic things together...and others wouldn’t know romance if it walked up and shook their hands.

Well, he bought the stupid thing!

And when he drove up to my parent’s house in that red CJ-5 and rang the door bell with a big grin on his face, I couldn’t help but laugh with him. I have to admit that I really enjoyed riding around in it. But I still didn’t have a ring. So, on Friday night he took me to our favorite nice place for dinner, a now defunct restaurant called Julie’s Place, and all night I waited for my ring. I knew he had purchased a ring because I had looked in his checkbook and had seen a large amount with no payor listed. You can imagine how disappointed I was when the evening ended, without so much as a mention of the ring. I had been so sure that was the night; I tried to cement every detail in my memory.

I was very unhappy figuring I would

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

C C

THE

HAPMAN OMPANY

FINE JEWELERS

Specializing in On-Site Custom Repair and Design

803-996-5530

903 North Lake Drive, Lexington (look for the black awning)

www.thechapmancompany.com

Let’s Talk

photo by Clark Berry Photography

(right to left) Ruth Chapman with her daughter, Christine Chapman, and mother, Beverly Abdalla have to wait at least another week. And I wasn’t too happy with him.

It might not be the most romantic place and time, but I’ll always remember it and it makes a nice story.

He had asked me to accompany him to Society Hill, SC a small town in Darlington County where his family is from, to show his new jeep to his uncle. I agreed, so on Saturday we headed down I-20.

We got off the interstate, rode through the backroads in that loud jeep, unable to converse.

When he suddenly pulled over on Old Camden Highway, in front of a dilapidated, old abandoned house with a corn field on one side and a cotton field on the other. He went around the back of the jeep and said he had to check on something.

I wasn’t paying any attention until he came to my door and opened it. I won’t tell you what I thought was on his mind…but he asked me if I would marry him. It wasn’t the first time he

had asked me, so thinking he was kidding, I said, “of course” still not understanding what was happening. Then he handed me a diamond ring, still wrapped in the blue wax paper looking wrapper that diamonds come in from suppliers. My response was, “Here? Now?!” It was an oval shaped single diamond mounted in yellow gold (remember it was the 80s). He had made good on his promise and completely caught me off guard. We celebrated by stopping at The Sonic drive-in with a corn dog. This was September 8, 1986, the beginning of my senior year in college.

It might not be the most romantic place and time, but I’ll always remember it and it makes a nice story. I suppose romance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

However you define romance, I hope you all have your own special memories with many more to come in the future.

Celebrating it with a nice piece of jewelry would make it extra special.

P.S. After my husband read this story, he felt the need to point out that he actually performed this extravagant meal ritual 3 weekends in a row, just to get my ire.

Matters of the

Heart!

• 1 in 5 women is affected by heart disease, and the risk increases as women age.

How can you reduce your risk?

• Choose healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits, food with whole grains and high fiber, fish, and low- fat meat and dairy products.

• Get screened to find out what risk factors you may have.

• Maintain a healthy weight. It can make a huge difference to your heart!

• Take time to relax! Stress in life puts a strain on your body and heart.

• Manage your prescriptions and over-the-counter medications.Take them only as directed. www.lexingtonwoman.sc

Let’s Talk

Heart conditions that require a “Bye Past”

by Pastor Mark Crumpton

W

e have all been hurt by things and by people in our lives. Most were minor bumps, bruises, and scratches that are just part of learning to walk. We learn from these events and generally speaking we become stronger because of them. These are the ones that hurt really bad at the time but we soon forget all about them; and they leave little to no evidence that they ever even

you have been mistreated for so long that you have lost feeling and don’t believe that you deserve to be loved or that anyone could ever love you. Maybe you have fallen in your own life and damaged a part of yourself on the inside.

The problem is that these scars affect everyone around us. They rob others of our true

Pastor Mark Crumpton with his wife, Natalie, and daughters Emmaly and Meghan occurred. But let’s face it, we’ve all been hurt by things and by people in the past; and we have the scars to prove it!

These scars are caused by deep wounds or repeated abuse over a long period of time.

Some of our scars are on the outside for the world to see but others are on the inside where only we know they exist. My wife Natalie, a cardiac nurse, tells me that a heart attack, causes scar formation in the heart muscle, which leads to loss of muscular power and even heart failure.

I can’t help but think of how many people are suffering emotionally today with heart conditions that require a bye past. Perhaps you were abused in the past and your heart has lost some of it’s power to love or trust another person, even your spouse. Maybe

Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was reminded one day of a vicious deed that someone had done to her years before. But she acted as if she had never even heard of the incident.

“Don’t you remember it?” her friend asked.

“No,” came Barton’s reply, “I distinctly remember forgetting it.”

If there are “scars” from your past (ie: self image, abuse, divorce, losses, accidents, etc.) that are defining who you are today, then you need a ‘Bye Past.’ It is time to say goodbye to the past.

love and worst of all they rob us of the joy of allowing ourselves to be unconditionally loved. So how can we treat this? There is only one option, a “Bye Past”.

A scar only occurs when a wound has healed, and a wound that has healed should not bleed or cause constant pain. We may look at a scar and remember where it came from but they do not define who we are. If there are “scars” from your past (ie: self image, abuse, divorce, losses, accidents, etc.) that are defining who you are today, then you need a “Bye Past”.

It is time to say good bye to the past. It is time to forgive those who have hurt you. It is time to forgive yourself of any past mistakes.

We simply aren’t strong enough to carry the past with us and survive.

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

The Bible never says “Forgive and Forget.”

We may never forget where our scars came from, but we can choose not to let them define who we are. Forgiveness is a choice.

Forgiveness is intentional, it is not just a matter of emotions, just as it is with love. We can’t just love when we feel like it.

Likewise, forgiveness is a choice we make in response to the command of Christ.

Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. KJV

We do not deserve God’s forgiveness, but he has bestowed grace to us (Undeserved Mercy) to set us free. Forgiveness is still what sets us free!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV) Pastor Mark Crumpton, Lexington Church of God (803) 957-6675 1228 S. Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29073 www.LexCOG.org

Kid’s Stuff

Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic

by Daniel Webb

A

century of classic and contemporary Disney Stars will take to the ice to share memories, laughs and excitement in Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic.

The magnificent celebration skates into Colonial Life Arena April 15-18. Tickets are on sale now!

This magical moment in entertainment history combines Disney’s unforgettable stories and enthralling characters that have entertained families the world over. The captivating production features the largest cast ever of lovable Disney stars on ice – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Nemo and the Incredibles – and exciting moments from Disney’s Mulan and The Lion King.

Audiences will not want to miss this oncein-a-lifetime ice spectacular that features beautifully choreographed figure skating to Academy Award®-winning songs “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Zip-a-Dee-DooDah,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Under the Sea,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and

This magical moment in entertainment history combines Disney’s unforgettable stories and enthralling characters that have entertained families the world over. many more. Dazzling sets, memorable characters, beautiful costumes and exciting special effects will transport audiences through decades of beloved Disney stories.

Tickets for Disney On Ice Celebrates 100 Years of Magic are available in person at the Time Warner Cable Box Office at Colonial Life Arena, Lexington and Columbia Play It Again Sports stores, by phone at 1-877-4TWC-TIX or online at www.TWCtix.com.

You’re invited

to join us on a Girlfriend Getaway Weekend to

Savannah, Georgia!

We are partnering with Faith Based Vacations & Group Travel for a fabulous Savannah weekend trip May 20-22, 2010. For three days and two nights, the total cost of the trip is $299.

Activities for the group will include the following and much more: • Two Nights at the Country Inn & Suites • Lunch at Paula Dean’s - Lady and Sons • Historic Savannah Trolley Tour Riverboat Dinner Cruise - Feast on a delicious buffet while you enjoy cruising along the scenic Savannah River • Show Tickets at The Savannah Theatre - “Southern Nights” A Musical Variety • Hop On/Hop Off Shopping at the Savannah Historic District and along the Waterfront • Motorcoach Service from Columbia If you’re interested in joining us, or for more information, contact Teilah Shirley at (803) 414-6029 or tshirley@faithbasedvacations.org.

Hurry – seats are filling fast!

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

Kid’s Stuff

Our Featured Teen Writer: No one was happier than me

by Sommer Cagle

T

he sun peeked through my bedroom window willing me to wake up. I yawned and stretched. When I was satisfied with how awake I was, I jumped; out of bed that is. My little sister, Savannah, and I shared bunk beds. I loved my bed. I had always slept on top, even when I had first shared bunk beds with my older brother, Stephen. Besides, because the room we shared was no bigger than a closet this was our only option, and that was perfectly fine with me.

...I realize that is what I want in my future family.

Love caused by activation, not blood relation.

As I thudded to the ground, I could hear my dad’s snores down the hall. He and my mom would be asleep at least another hour. I closed the door of my tiny bedroom and slid down the carpeted steps.

I strolled into our hunter green family room, no bigger than a wide hallway. Stephen and Savannah were already transfixed by a show, their eyes glued to the twenty year old screen, and their minds enveloped in Peter Parker’s world. I found my place between them on the worn, plaid couch filled with memories, and popcorn crumbs, as we began to waist away our Saturday.

An hour or two later my dad came downstairs to make pancakes, just like he did every Saturday. I could always tell it was him plodding down the stairs because his 6’3” frame could be heard as he thumped down the steps. He rubbed his eyes, still trying to wake up as he walked through the family room and into the kitchen. His eyes were almost a deep shade of purple from the film he had been obligated to watch early into the morning from the high school football 10

game he had coached the night before. He was, and still is, the best dad ever, and in maintaining his reputation at this position he forced a sloppy grin on his face. “Who wants pancakes?” he shouted as cheerfully as a sleep deprived man could.

“I do!” all three of us echoed in reply.

We asked every minute if they were done.

“Five more minutes,” Dad called from our cupboard of a kitchen. That was Dad’s response to everything. It was like an automatic answer button that was pushed often in his vocabulary, especially on family road trips.

When the pancakes were finally done the house smelt better than a Denny’s, probably because the pancakes were better than a Denny’s. My siblings and I each picked our own specially made “S” shaped pancakes.

My mom sauntered in and she smiled at my dad and he grinned at her. Even then I knew my parents would always be in love. “Want some pancakes babe?” my dad would offer.

“Sure honey,” she said as she plopped into her seat. “Sorry I didn’t help with breakfast; I was just trying to pick up one – two – three since the boys are coming over tonight to watch the kids.”

“Chris, Danny, and Julio are coming over tonight?” I asked eagerly. These three boys were roommates in my mom and dad’s college Sunday school class at church. All three of them swam on the swim team for the local university.

“Yes, and you guys need to rake the leaves out back before they get here or you won’t be allowed to play.”

Our baby – sitters coming over was as much fun, if not more fun, than having our friends spend the night. Needless to say, we didn’t have to be warned twice. After we had wolfed down a few helpings of pancakes we meandered from the cozy, batter smell of the

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

house into the chill, the breeze that autumn blew on us. I felt a sense of dread as I held my rake and trash bags, becoming overwhelmed with the truck loads of orange, red, yellow, and brown leaves piled before me. It was not the fact that between the three of us we could not get it done, just that it would be a lot of work I did not want to do. We loved our boys though so we began to work as hard as we could.

Or so I thought then. I do not think I understood that raking five minutes and playing on our rusting swing set thirty minutes on and off like that for the rest of the day wasn’t really that much work at all. It did feel like forever though, and I begged for night to come quicker, for the sun to go hide and the moon, the dancing, shining want-to-be star, that had pulled me through many a night, to wake up.

When the sun finally began to dip into the horizon we heard them. The roar of the un-airconditioned jeep was probably heard by all of the houses that crowded our cul-de-sac.

We ran from around back to meet them. Although we loved them all equally each one of us had a favorite, and now that I think about it, I believe each one of them did as well.

Chris Henniger, or Gur as we called him, stretched his long legs out of the driver’s seat, which is exactly where Stephen was headed.

Gur was the tallest, with dark brown hair.

Even though it was evening he still had on slim shades that he always wore just like the gum he was always smacking. “Steve – O!” he called and put my brother into a head lock.

Savannah had run to the back seat. Julio, nicknamed Jewels by Dad, danced his way down the driveway. His dark Brazilian skin and tiny muscular body made him stick out in the three-some. If his body was not enough to make women swoon, his thick, native accent did the trick, as in the case of

Kid’s Stuff my three year old sister who was dancing in his arms.

My focus however was on the passenger’s side: Danny.

He looked like what a typical life guard would. His golden hair was cut short for swimming and he was still tanned although summer had been fading away for some time.

“There’s my Sommer,” he sang out as he swung me around.

This twenty year old was probably one of my best friends. If I were a normal, boy–crazy five year old I probably would have had a crush on him. Only now do I realize how attractive all three of them were. But Danny was not a crush, he was mine. He was my big brother, my clown, my cheerleader, and above all else, my hero. And I was his little girl.

As we all hugged, my parents rushed out the door blowing kisses and “I love you, be goods” at us and headed off to their dinner date. My mother did not bother to talk about where everything was because the boys practically lived there when they were not on campus. My dad did not go over how they were to be paid because they considered their constant raid of our fridge and doing of their laundry payment enough.

All was settled. We had the house to ourselves.

We spent the evening following our usual routine, starting with a game of front yard kick ball.

Whosever’s team Stephen was on always won, even though there had to be plenty of debate over whether home plate was really the prickle bush or still the old river birch. It hurt my pride a bit that I always lost, but I didn’t mind all that much this particular night. The roommates took the playful

game even more serious than us, and came in dripping with sweat and ready for pizza and a movie.

By the time we had torn through a couple of boxes of pizza, everyone was tired and the boys 5:30 a.m. swim practice kicked in one by one as they fell asleep.

Gur’s long body was sprawled over the floor alongside my brother. Jewel’s neck was wrapped with one of Savannah’s boa and Savannah herself was wound just as tightly around the poor man’s neck.

Danny had his arm around me.

His neck slowly began to loosen back as his eye lids became heavier with each passing moment. I snuggled up close and pulled the blanket over both of us.

I could not sleep and my mind wondered as I played back my whole day. I thought of my parents, my siblings, Gur, Jewels, and of course, Danny. I do not think I realized then how much nights exactly like this one meant to me. I did not realize how much I loved having an odd family filled with people from different races and sizes and stories. Now years later, I realize that is what I want in my future family. Love caused by activation, not blood relation.

No, on that night, nothing of that kind of insight ran through my little mind. All I knew was that the people cramped in that cozy little room and on that dinner date loved me more than anyone else in the world.

The thought warmed me more than the blanket did and allowed me to begin to drift to sleep. The last thing that flashed through my head was something even as a five year old I understood… No one was happier than me.

Congratulations to the Carolina Springs Middle students who earned “Superior Ratings” at Irmo Middle School for singing in the South Carolina Solo & Ensemble Choral Festival Competition!

(Front row – left to right) Abby Duncan, Sarah Huffman, Lauren Waters, Maegan Reynolds, Sam Walker, Bailey Shelton, (Middle row – left to right) Jillian Polk, Adara Steinmetz,Tarah Barnes, Abbi Burke, (Back row – left to right) Taylor Lindner,Trey Duncan, Kylle Hansen, Ashlee Bennett, Noori Jaggi, Cheryl Felder

“The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Congratulations to the South Carolina JETS softball team who won the 2009 ASA Sun Fun Bash Championship! Great job girls!

(Front row - left to right) Hayley Elkins, Megan Kirkland, Savannah Gleaton, Lydia Riser, Jenna Williams, (Middle row - left to right) Gabby Keisler, Holly Helms, Natalie Willis, Kelsey Campbell, Brooke Lucas, Tori Taylor, (Back row - left to right) Coaches Candace Riser, Nate Keisler, and Anthony Fulmer www.lexingtonwoman.sc

11

Kid’s Stuff

Disney Land nothin’…Kid City!!

by Tyler Ryan

R

aise your hand if you have fond childhood afterschool memories of coming home to an empty house, making a snack, maybe getting a little bit of homework done before Mom and Dad got home. Please excuse any typing errors, as one of my hands is in the air. We never had something as cool as Kid City on Old Cherokee Road. It photo by Cathy Lindner was the vision of Elaine HarElaine Harkey (Owner), Lynda Norris (Director), key, and after a year of planand Sharline Stasio (Assistant Director) ning, working with architects, and hard work, in August of 2009, Kid City It’s not all business at Kid City; next to The Lab is the game room. We’re talking video opened the doors. games, air hockey, crafts…everything you There are no other words that can describe might need to have a little fun after a day at this place, other than to call it what you school. After several rounds of Guitar Hero, might if you were in 3rd grade...“COOL!” Sharline took me to the coolest part of Kid With Assistant Director Sharline Stasio, City: the gym, where there’s an inside basI walked in, passed the security, and en- ketball court and stage. Here, kids can shoot tered the Kid City Café. There were tables, some hoops and even jump on the stage for benches, menus, and a service window. This a performance. is awesome! The next stop was The Lab, where homework is the focus. If they get Kid City’s goal is to provide a positive, nurtheir homework done at Kid City, they can turing experience every day. Kid City Direcspend the time with their families, enjoying tor, Lynda Norris, believes that there is “a loss of innocence” with children. Not that each other.

There are no other words that can describe this place, other than to call it what you might if you were in 3rd grade...

‘COOL!’

they are bad kids, but there is so much inbound information, they sometimes don’t know what is right and wrong. At Kid City, core values are instilled: love, acceptance… you know, the basics.

Each afternoon, after a snack, kids are put into groups that rotate through the various rooms at Kid City. They go to The Lab, for homework and reading and computing. Next, they spend some time playing games…of which, I now have a high score…

After that, it’s time to see Coach Chris for some PE. Lynda does point out that it isn’t simply “watching the kids play basketball.”

an After-School and Summer Program

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Lab • Game Room • Gym • Cafe • Outdoor Jungle Gym Experienced Staff • Reasonable Rates • Open until 6:30pm Keypad Entry • Fenced Playground • Security Cameras • Personal Lockers 12

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

www.kidcityonline.com (803) 808-0171

1224 Old Cherokee Road • Lexington

Kid’s Stuff

Matters of the

Heart!

A healthy lifestyle can start early. These tips can produce lifelong benefits for your kids:

photos by Cathy Lindner

Kid City is associated with Windsor Academy She says there are organized games, and fun to be had.

This isn’t your everyday daycare, although Kid City will offer day long programs in the summer. Kid City is staffed by educators, and folks who have a strong desire to help children. Their goal is not to just hang out while mom and dad work. “It’s not just babysitting. It’s a place to hang out, and see your friends,� says Lynda.

Speaking of the summer program, Kid City is already planning a summer full of fun stuff. Try this on for a menu of fun for the summer: Monday Manors, Foreign Phrase Fun, Big World Through Little Eyes, Kids Talent Time, Guitar Lessons, Theme Parties, Arts/Crafts, Water Park and even help with the required summer reading.

ing is secure, with keypad entry. There are blockers on all the computers, and cameras in every room ensure that the kids are in a safe environment where they can be‌well, KIDS!

• Get your kids involved in food preparation and cooking.Teach them how to prepare healthy meals.

Kid City’s hours on school days are from afterschool to 6:30, with day long programs when schools are not in session. You can learn all about Kid City, and meet Elaine, Lynda, Sharline, and the rest of the staff when you drop by. You can also find them on the web, at www.kidcityonline.com

• Pay attention to how much time your child is spending watching tv, playing video games, or using the computer.

Limit them to 2 hours per day.These activities can lead to excessive snacking and a sedentary lifestyle, which can contribute to obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Next month, we’re going to sit down with Kid City’s founder, Elaine Harkey, and find out more about her background in education, and how retirement simply became another chance to give back to the children she has spent a lifetime teaching.

And don’t forget about safety. The build-

Working Studio and Gift Shop

• Encourage physical activities that your children enjoy.

They’ll be more likely to continue them as adults.

• Be a good role model and keep things positive!

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13

Kid’s Stuff

Future Lexington women to look for!

Jenna Brooks Williams

J

enna Brooks Williams, age 13, was nominated for Lexington Woman’s “future woman to look for� because not only is she a talented athlete and extremely bright young woman, she is a young woman who isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in or to make an unpopular decision.

Jenna has been playing softball since she was 4 years old. She loves softball, volleyball, horse-

back riding and hanging out with friends.

She was named 2006 MVP for the WFC fast pitch softball World Series and plays for the SC JETS fast pitch organization. Jenna is on the White Knoll High School Junior Varsity softball team. In addition to being great at softball, she is also a talented volleyball player. She plays for Carolina Springs Middle School, as well as the Magnum 14 Elite volleyball organization.

Jenna has remained on the A/B honor roll her entire academic career. She won the highest GPA award for science and math in the 2008-2009 school year. She was voted Class President at Carolina Springs Middle School for her 6th grade year (2007-2008). and was voted Treasurer of the BETA Club for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years.

Jenna is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is always willing to help a friend, and I have seldom seen her without a smile on her face. Jenna likes to have fun and seems to know who she is as a person. Whether it is a credit to her great parents, Chris and Karen Folsom, or just Jenna being Jenna, we feel that Jenna Brooks Williams is a future Lexington woman to look for!

Know a young lady who should be featured here?

If you know any local young ladies who are working hard toward their future goals, please email your submissions to ld@woman2woman. sc for consideration in our next issue.

$ 1HZ 3ODFH $ 1HZ )DFH We’ve moved. Get the compassionate care you expect at our spacious suite at LMC Lexington and meet new team member, Dr. Caleb E. Wheeler. More space for all, the same devoted care for you, backed by the Midlands’ best hospital and the Lexington Medical Center network of care.

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www.lexpediatricpractice.com 811 West Main Street, Suite 204 • Lexington, SC 29072 Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women 14 /33B [ B & LQGG

30

Professional

Our Featured Green Company: Recycling puts new spin on “Kick The Can” game

by Tyler Ryan

T

he numbers should be better. Only thirteen percent of homes, fifty-two percent of commercial companies and fifty-seven percent of industrial companies actively recycle. It is those numbers that inspired Nancy Ogburn to take an active role in making South Carolina a leader in recycling. In late 2008, she approached the Commerce Department to learn more about why so few people recycle at work.

Nancy learned that there were many reasons, but the biggest reason came to staffing. Often, a program would be started, bins were put in, and recycling would begin. It wasn’t long, however, before the bins were overflowing because there was no one

wanted to handle all the aspects of a business’s recycle program, allowing them to focus on their business, while still doing their part for the environment.

Before she knew it, Tomato Palms Go Green Division was a full grown business. Nancy sent out letters to business owners all over the Midlands. She even purchased the recycle bins, to further make her service turnkey. She started with an SUV, going to each of the businesses, educating the employees, and handling the programs.

Can you say, “YES, we are a GO GREEN Business”?

Does your business need help making sure all recyclable items in your office are taken to the proper recycle center?

We provide FREE bins for offices, break rooms and cafeterias. We pick up and properly recycle aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass, inkjet & toner cartridges, copy paper, fax machines & desktop printers.

Not only does Nancy’s Tomato Palms program pick up recycling, and transport it, she also keeps track

Not only does Nancy’s Tomato Palms program pick up recycling, and transport it, she also keeps track of the material weights for her clients.

Nancy Ogburn assigned to maintain them and soon the program trailed off. It wasn’t a matter of companies not wanting to participate, it was simple logistics.

Nancy’s question for the Commerce Department was “Is there a need for a turnkey program…where it becomes easy for businesses to recycle?” The answer was a very clear “yes”. Nancy

of the material weights for her clients. An end of the month report to each client keeps them updated on how they are doing. Nancy also enters the weights for her clients into the DHEC Re-Trac program which contributes to South Carolina’s overall recycling percentage rates.

So you might be asking yourself, what of that money comes from the recycled cans? This is an interesting

In-Office Recycling Free Bins - We Pick up www.tomatopalms.com

803-781-6363

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

15

Professional sidebar to the story of how Tomato Palms came to life. She was inspired by the story of a homeless man, who collected cans in an effort to survive. Not forgetting that inspiration, Nancy is proud to donate many of the proceeds from the recyclable materials directly to local community homeless shelters.

Last year, Nancy gave proceeds to the Nancy K. Perry Children’s Shelter.

Nancy also pointed out the rough numbers for the recycled materials. Currently you can earn fifty-two cents for a pound of aluminum cans, twenty dollars for a ton of cardboard, and thirty dollars for a ton of office paper. Fifty-two cents a pound may not seem like much, but as Tomato Palms grows their business, the contribution to the community is quickly adding up.

In only a little over a year, Nancy’s Tomato Palms Go Green Division has grown from a handful of companies and a SUV, to a fully enclosed customized trailer, with clients in Richland, Lexington counties and as far

Underwater Treadmill

In 2009, Tomato Palms recycled 34,719.6 pounds (That’s over seventeen tons,Ya’ll). They are also off to a great start in 2010 recycling 12,125.4 pounds in the first six weeks. away as Calhoun and Orangeburg. In 2009, Tomato Palms recycled 34,719.6 pounds (That’s over seventeen tons, Ya’ll). They are also off to a great start in 2010 recycling 12,125.4 pounds in the first six weeks.

What kind of clients uses the program?

Nancy says there are “law offices, dentists, hospitals, restaurants, retirement communi-

Power Hose Jet

ties, condominiums and property management companies” who are taking advantage of the service. Tomato Palms prides itself on having an easy, affordable program. The servicing of the bins, as well as the pick up and hauling of the recyclable materials can be scheduled daily, all the way to monthly, depending on the needs. They handle all aspects of the process, and even provide the business with the bins, which makes it almost impossible for businesses not to want to participate. Tomato Palms also provides quarterly reports from DHECs Re-Trac program which tells the client the environmental impact savings their recycling efforts having produced.

Nancy believes that she makes recycling easy and affordable. Tomato Palms service removes the obstacles that used to make it difficult for businesses to maintain a recycling program.

You can learn more at www.tomatopalms. com or by calling (803) 781-6363.

Our goal is to achieve mental and physical wellness through our combination of Complementary/Alternative therapies with traditional Occupational Therapy.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

Shoulder Rehab

Power Jets Sports Rehab

• Occupational Therapy

• Aqua Detox

• Physical Therapy

• Women’s Health Issues – Chronic/Acute Pain

• Reiki Therapy • Pediatric Therapy • Aqua Therapy Chair Lift

Hima N. Dalal

Aquatic Push-ups

Occupational Therapist Reiki and Myofascial Release Consultant Sports Personal Fitness Consultant

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• Myofascial Release Treatment and Craniosacral Therapy

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

• Yoga/Personal Fitness • Weight Loss/Toning • Ayurvedic Diet • Permanent Cosmetics

803.359.1551

163 Charter Oak Road Lexington, SC 29072

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Affiliate Companies: • Medi-Home Medical Supplies and Equipment • Tri-County Home Health • HELP Line • Sunrise Diabetic Supplies • Medi-Home Infusion • Medi-Home Private Care

(803) 400-1177 • (800) 894-7541 166 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100 | Columbia SC 29210

HOSPICE OFFICE LOCATIONS

Camden (803) 432-1195 (877) 675-4368

Sumter (803) 905-7720 (888) 900-6334

Providing Quality Care to the Midlands for 13 Years

Columbia (803) 400-1177 (800) 894-7541

Newberry (803) 321-0341 (866) 469-6334

Orangeburg (803) 535-0537 (800) 620-3597

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

17

Health & Wellness

A business dream come true

by Tyler Ryan

T

he promise of easy money. “Work part-time from home,” the ad reads.

But then, as your dreams of a big house, and college for the kids swirl, so do the words “If it sounds too good to be true…” In 1981, Judy Cook was a stay at home mom. She had left the medical field to take care of her daughter, but found it was time to return to the work force. She saw an ad in the paper, with an amazing promise. She decided to try it out.

It turned out that Cook was replying to an ad to sell Aloette, a complete skin and body care line. Her plan was to sell the product parttime, and do the required initial 10 in-home showings. She didn’t have to give any money up front for inventory. She didn’t have to pay Aloette for the privilege to represent them.

They trained her, gave her tools she needed, including a $1200 sales kit, and she hit the street. Soon after selling over $1 million (not a type-o) in products during her first year, she was offered the opportunity to open her own franchise in South Carolina, and Cook’s dream of business ownership became a reality. Cook points out that she didn’t have any formal business training, and it wasn’t “easy,” but her own drive and faith in the product pushed her to the success she found.

Aloette stands out from the other well known

photo by Cathy Lindner

Judy Cook makeup and skin products because of what goes into it. Aloette is medical grade and organically based. This mixed with the vitamin and minerals that go into the products make it the choice for people with sensitive skin, who can’t use other product lines.

Fast forward nineteen years, and Cook’s business is stronger than ever. With an excess of 50 active Aloette representatives in the field,

Cook continues to help women realize their own business ownership dreams. Just like when Cook started, the opportunity to make your own success story requires no investment. No inventory. Nothing but an amazing opportunity to build a career. You may have even seen Cook’s daughter, Jennifer CookConrad, who also sells Aloette, on Lifetime TV, as they focused on what Cook calls an “opportunity of a lifetime” for women.

She didn’t have to pay Aloette for the privilege to represent them. They trained her, gave her tools she needed, including a $1200 sales kit, and she hit the street. photo by Cathy Lindner

Tyler Ryan, our writer, chatting with Judy about her success with Aloette 18

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Health & Wellness As a sales rep, you are provided training, and the tools for success, including your sales kit, and a personal website. Don’t think, however, that the support ends there. Each month, there are sales meetings, where reps share ideas, are educated on new products, and are recognized for achievements. Cook pointed out that Aloette doesn’t forget the community that has helped her succeed, as they are helping to raise $250,000 for the Go Red Campaign.

She also points out that you never have any inventory to deal with, which makes Aloette very attractive. When a rep gets an order, it is sent to Cook at her Sunset Boulevard office, and it is packaged and sent directly to the customer.

While talking with Cook, I asked her about how the economy has affected the business.

She was quick to point out that people will give up a lot, but one of the last things they will part with is their appearance. “It is possible to make $200,000 a year…” says Cook.

She has reps in the field doing it. Although

Just like when Cook started, the opportunity to make your own success story requires no investment. No inventory. Nothing but an amazing opportunity to build a career. photo by Cathy Lindner

those are some busy ladies, it is very possible to make $75,000-$100,000 from your own home business. So who are the reps? “Reps are women in their 20’s to 60’s.” They are students, homemakers, and retirees.

emailing jcookaloette@acsc.net, or by calling (803) 808-1818. “We are looking for women who want to work part-time, to the ones that want to make a six figure income,” says Judy Cook. It’s possible. She is proof.

You can learn more from Judy Cook, by

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

19

Health & Wellness

Birth control trial in Columbia

by Shirley Keels, Columbia Women’s Healthcare Administrator

T

here is a point between the laboratory and the marketplace where the proof of drug efficacy takes shape. That point is the focus of the clinical researchers who dedicate their time, expertise and energy to performing vital clinical trials.

worked with 7 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies since our beginning in 2001. We have helped bring to the market such drugs as Lunesta® for Insomnia, Enjuvia® for hot flashes and Sanctura® for overactive bladder.

study but instead may be seeking treatment for menstrual cramps, acne, etc... This trial lasts one year as well. Just think… if you qualify to participate in either of these trials you will receive free birth control for an entire year.

Our office includes (all Board Certified) 6 OB/ Gyn and 1 Gyn Physician.

Together they bring over 150 years of service to the Columbia area! We have worked with 7 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies since our beginning in 2001.

Pharmaceutical companies provide billions of dollars of free medical care every year. This care includes physical exams, pap smears, ultrasounds and laboratory evaluations. SC Clinical Research Center collaborates with these companies to bring these services right to you. Our office includes (all Board Certified) 6 OB/Gyn and 1 Gyn Physician. Together they bring over 150 years of service to the Columbia area! We have

20

Currently we are evaluating a new dosing regimen of a birth control pill. To participate you must be between the ages of 18 – 39, sexually active, in need of contraception and willing to use the trial pill as your only form of birth control for a year. In this trial you will have a complete physical exam which includes a pap smear and laboratory evaluations.

We are also evaluating the effect of oral contraception on bone mineral density. To participate in this trial you must be between the ages of 12 – 18. If you qualify you will be placed in one of two groups. One group will be the “control group” where you will not take the birth control pill and the second group is the “test group” where you will take the birth control pill. You do not have to be sexually active to participate in this

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

We are seeking participants for 3 other trials as well: low libido for women, overactive bladder with leakage, which both involve study medication, and low libido for men, a non-drug study that involves questionnaires only.

All services provided are at no cost to you or your insurance. No co-pays or additional fees and you may be compensated for time and travel. If you think you are interested in any of these trials please contact our office at (803) 988-1438 for a phone interview.

columbiawhc.com (803) 254-3230

Craving quality care?

Take care of that craving and we’ll take care of you.

tending to the unique nature of women 1301 Taylor Street, Suite 6-J, Columbia, SC 29201

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www.lexingtonwoman.sc

21

Health & Wellness

Affairs of the heart

by Debbie Kelly

U

ntil asked to write this article about affairs of the heart, I had never considered my work as a geriatric care manager as helping to mend the hearts of adult children or spouses of aging persons. I use the word “helping” judiciously as I don’t think the heartbreak of recognizing that parents or a spouse experiencing mental or physical decline ever truly gets mended. But as I thought about how to write the article, it occurred to me that this heartbreak is exactly why I sought the career of geriatric care management.

I saw it in the faces of the three adult children sitting before me and the hospice nurse that accompanied me on the planned visit.

The visit wasn’t to talk about preparing them for their father’s admission to hospice care.

They had already confronted that hurdle.

What they asked for was help to decide what to do about their parents as they clearly could no longer live alone in their home.

Their parents, both in their late 80’s, were confined to the ground floor of their home because neither could ambulate safely on the stairs to the bedroom they shared for so many years. They were sleeping together on a pullout couch in the living room, despite the single hospital bed that had been set up

in the same room for their father’s use. They had slept together for many years and nothing was going to change that. They used the entry hallway powder room as their bathroom even though their mother so missed the luxury of a hot bath upstairs. The laundry room was in a basement that required yet another set of stairs to reach. He used a

The threads of their lives woven by the love, strength, and stability of their parents were seemingly crumbling before them. walker for ambulation; she a walking cane.

He was physically weakened; she had limited vision due to macular degeneration. She depended on her daughters to get to the grocery store and shopping, though she would also use a local taxi service to avoid bothering her children who had full time jobs and

children still at home. He was fully mentally alert; she was beginning to have periods of forgetfulness, though it may have been related to lack of good sleep because she was up and down at night helping him to the bathroom. The revelation that she fell asleep in a chair while cooking that caused the smoke alarm to sound and that she had tried to navigate the stairs but slid down them the previous week was the crisis that brought about the meeting with their children.

Though these adult children, all professionals and parents themselves, had awareness of the increasing needs of their parents, they had been unsuccessful in engaging them in any meaningful planning for their current and future needs. Their parents were very private and independent-minded and they were adamant that their children not be burdened with their affairs. This meeting was to devise a plan for me, as the hospice social worker, to provide intervention with the parents and to advise the adult children on options to maintain them in their home or to plan for a move to assisted living, if necessary. The discussions were difficult.

Each child had a different, though close, relationship with their parents. They were overwhelmed and pained with the notion

Professional Consultation, Planning and Support for Aging or Disabled Persons and Their Families We advocate for the best possible solutions to the challenges aging persons face, and ease the minds of the family members who care for them.

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803-960-8524 | geriadvocates@sc.rr.com | www.geriadvocates.com 22

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Health & Wellness of taking charge of their parent’s affairs, both the financial aspects and decision-making about their living arrangement. After all, these were the same parents that had reared

And I am thankful to them for allowing me the opportunity to experience that one true life-changing moment when I said aloud to the hospice nurse, ‘This is what I am supposed to do with my life.’ and guided them and still provided that same support as adult children dealing with their own children.

I heard it in their voices. I learned about it through each of their deeply personal experiences with each parent. But I saw it most in their faces. The heartbreak of knowing that no matter what the outcome, their lives were about to change. The threads of their lives woven by the love, strength, and stability of their parents were seemingly crumbling before them. And it hurt.

Matters of the

Heart!

A plan was devised for me to visit with the parents the following Monday to begin the process of implementing a strategy to provide ad-

ditional resources in the home for support and perhaps setting up a true bedroom in the living room, among other things. However, on Friday night, their father fell while trying to get to the bathroom and broke his hip and nearly injured his wife onto whom he fell backwards. As a result, they both eventually went on to live together in an assisted living apartment very near their home and homes of both daughters. It wasn’t a perfect path or a perfect solution. But it did allow them to continue to live together until his death a year or so ago. She remains in that assisted living apartment. Their children, I believe, felt some relief at their parents being taken care of and were able to visit and provide support as they always did. I haven’t spoken to them for a few years now, but I feel certain that they have healed a little over time.

And I am thankful to them for allowing me the opportunity to experience that one true life-changing moment when I said aloud to the hospice nurse, “This is what I am supposed to do with my life.”

I like the notion that at least one of my roles as a geriatric care manager is to help to mend broken hearts. I have seen similar scenarios many times since working with this family and every situation, while unique, is difficult and painful. I have told many adult children and spouses of aging persons that our work together is tending to the “business of life.” But it is the heart that brings us together in the first place and that sustains all of us in the process.

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”

– Mohandas Gandhi

Dentistry for the Whole Family!

Children are welcome! (ages 1 and up)

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Call today

(803) 359-3245 for an appointment

5545 Platt Springs Road Lexington, SC 29073

Dr. Melissa Backman

New Patients Welcome!

“When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.”

– Mark Twain

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.”

– Helen Keller www.lexingtonwoman.sc

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Health & Wellness

Be heart smart in 2010 Lexington Medical Center

A

ccording to the American Heart Association, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women in the United States. Some risk factors include elevated cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, family history, smoking, stress and lack of regular exercise. People can reduce their chances of having heart disease by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

...Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the number one killer of women in the United States.

Here are four heart disease prevention tips.

1. Smoking and using tobacco products are two of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Those who use tobacco have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders including heart disease.

2. Regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease as well as decrease the chances of developing other conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times each week. Take a quick walk during lunch breaks, walk your dog or complete daily routine tasks such as gardening and housekeeping.

3. Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet will help protect your heart.

Even a small reduction in weight can be beneficial. Reducing body weight by 10 percent can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and the risk of diabetes. Eat foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. A diet that is full of fruits and vegetables, 24

whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy products can help reduce weight and risk factors.

4. Another way to prevent heart disease is to have regular health screenings. Without regular testing, many people are unaware of serious health conditions that can be prevented or identified early.

Incorporating these simple tips into your lifestyle can help you care for your heart in 2010.

The American Heart Association provides these facts about women and heart disease: • Nearly 37 percent of all female deaths in America occur from Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

• CVD is a particularly important problem among minority women. The death rate due to CVD is substantially higher in black women than in white women.

• In 2005, CVD claimed the lives of 454,613 females; cancer (all forms combined) 268,890.

• In 2005, coronary heart disease claimed the lives of 213,572 females compared with 41,116 lives from breast cancer and 67,894 from lung cancer.

• At age 40 and older, 23 percent of women compared with 18 percent of men will die within one year after having a heart attack.

What is healthier for the Lexington Community than a Heart Center for Lexington Medical Center?

This past December, Lexington Medical Center filed a Certificate of Need (CON) request with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) for approval to perform open heart surgery and therapeutic cardiac catheterizations.

“The ability to perform open heart surgery at Lexington Medical Center is necessary to

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

enhance the delivery of health care in the Midlands,” said Thad Westbrook, chairman on the Lexington Medical Center board of directors.

If DHEC approves the CON, Lexington Medical Center would create a space in its Surgery Department for an open heart surgery operating room. Post-surgery heart patients would be cared for in critical care units with intensive cardiac and pulmonary monitoring capabilities. If Lexington Medical Center receives permission for open heart surgery by April 2010, the hospital could begin its open heart surgery program by early 2011.

Lexington Medical Center operates the state’s second busiest Emergency Department, treating approximately 90,000 patients a year. It also operates the busiest diagnostic catheterization lab in South Carolina without a corresponding elective angioplasty or open heart surgery program. As a result, Lexington Medical Center has to transfer hundreds of patients each year to other hospitals for cardiac care.

“It has been a priority of Lexington Medical Center for several years to make comprehensive cardiovascular care more accessible to the people of Lexington County,” said Mike Biediger, Lexington Medical Center president and CEO. “Approval of this request will allow us to address acute cardiac events in a more timely fashion, ultimately saving more lives.”

Stay heart smart this month and follow the approval process for Lexington Medical Center’s open-heart surgery Certificate of Need.

Health & Wellness

Getting to the heart of things

by Edna Cox, RD, CSG, LD

F

ollowing a Heart Healthy diet can definitely reduce your risk of developing coronary artery disease and hypertension.

Including heart healthy foods can also reduce your chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

The recommendations for a heart healthy diet include limiting foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.

• Saturated fat should account for less that 7% of total daily calories • Trans fat less than 1% of total daily calories • Cholesterol less than 300 mg for healthy adults • Individuals with high cholesterol or who are taking cholesterol-lowering medications should include less than 200 mg per day Including soluble fiber can lower blood cholesterol as well.

Recommendations: • Men over age 50 – 30 grams of fiber per day • Women over age 50 – 21 grams of fiber per day

Fresh produce provide the cornerstone for a heart healthy diet because they help rid the body of free radicals in the bloodstream and protect the blood vessels. You want foods to be in their natural form as it comes out of the ground. The less processed the better and more nutrient dense.

Whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts, and fatty fish all offer heart protecting phytonutrients including a variety of Edna Cox foods is best to get all the different nutrients needed. Plus, you’ll stick to the heart healthy diet longer if you have variety.

Top 10 Heart Healthy Foods 1. Salmon – Omega 3 fatty acids. Grill salmon with a rub or marinade. Serve on top of pasta or a salad.

2. Oatmeal – Omega 3 fatty acids; potassium; folate; calcium; soluble fiber. Top with fresh berries for breakfast or a snack.

3. Black or Kidney beans – B-complex vitamins; niacin; folate; calcium; soluble fi-

ber. Add to a soup or salad for a nutrient boost.

4. Almonds – Omega 3 fatty acids; vitamin E; fiber; heart-favorable mono and polyunsaturated fats; phytosterols.

5. Blueberries – Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); anthocyanins (flavanoid); ellagic acid (polyphenol); Vitamin C; folate; calcium; potassium; fiber. Add to breakfast cereals, muffins or salads.

6. Broccoli – Beta-carotene (a carotenoid); Vitamin C, E; potassium; folate; calcium; fiber. Steamed as a side dish. Florets great with a veggie dip.

7. Sweet Potato – Beta-carotene (a carotenoid); Vitamin A,C,E; fiber. Top with cinnamon and nutmeg, sans butter – you won’t miss it!

8. Red Bell Pepper – Beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids); B-complex vitamins; folate; potassium; fiber. Add to salads, wraps or sandwiches.

9. Red Wine – Catechins and reservatrol (flavenoids). A glass of red wine can improve your “good” HDL cholesterol.

10. Dark Chocolate – Reservatrol and cocoa phenols (flavenoids). The chocolate should have 70% or higher cocoa content.

Registered Dietitians will help you achieve your personal health goals for your Physical and Emotional Well Being Carolina Nutrition Consultants, Inc. offers individual nutrition counseling for: • Weight Loss • Heart Health • Bariatric Surgery • Diabetes Management

• Digestive Disorders • Eating Disorders • Senior Nutrition • Health & Wellness

“Nutrition Designed for the Lifestyle you Desire”

Call (803) 996-0312 to schedule an appointment in our office or for your convenience in the comfort of your office.

4881 B Sunset Blvd Lexington, SC 29072

FEEL BETTER

Learn more at www.CNConWeb.com

LOOK BETTER

LIVE BETTER

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

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Health & Wellness

Want a healthy heart? Listen to your dental hygienist and dentist!

by Jennifer P. Hutchinson, RDH

Y

ou may not associate your visits with your dentist to preventing heart disease, but maybe you should! Most people say “Hey, I’m going for my cleaning,” but really you are doing much more.

mation and bacterial infection in the body.

The first stage is known as gingivitis then progresses to periodontal disease. As a dental hygienist, I rarely see patients with no plaque or tarter buildup, no inflammation and perfectly healthy gums! So, when most people think that they are really “healthy” the question is are they?

One of the most important risk factors for heart disease occurs in the mouth. The bloodstream is like the highway for your body – it is all connected. photo by Clark Berry Photography

Jennifer Hutchinson, RDH You see, bacterial plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth can cause a constant inflam-

One of the most important risk factors for heart disease occurs in the mouth. The bloodstream is like the highway for your body—it is all connected. The bacteria in your mouth enter the bloodstream and at-

tach to fatty plaques in your coronary arteries, causing clots which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The fact is people with periodontal disease are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease as those without.

So, when you see your dental hygienist, listen to the advice that she/he gives you on maintaining your oral health. Everyone is different, and treatment is specific to you.

It may be replacing fillings or crowns that do not fit right anymore causing “bacterial plaque traps” or having your teeth professionally cleaned more often, such as every three months to reduce bacteria and maintain health.

When you correct poor oral health issues, you are decreasing the risk of heart disease.

You should also have good home care habits, such as flossing daily, brushing 2-3 times a day with a soft toothbrush, and using a mouthwash that is recommended by your dental hygienist.

Together, we can fight for a healthy heart.

Keep smiling in Lexington!

Dr. Steven J. Hutchinson, DMD Jennifer P. Hutchinson, RDH Cosmetic | Restorative | Preventive

(803) 359-0566 209 West Main Street | Lexington, South Carolina 29072 26

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Now Accepting New Patients

Education

fastFORWARD

by Martha Windsor

M

any folks are already aware of fastFORWARD. No, not the feature on the remote that allows us to zip through commercials. The unusual spelling is indicative of a progressive, new program Newberry College designed for busy, ambitious adults who want to complete their bachelor’s degree. fastFORWARD offers a blended program of traditional and online studies for students who seek a degree in Organizational Management or in Early Childhood Education (ECE.) According to Chair of the Education Department at Newberry College, Dr. Cindy Johnson-Taylor, fastFORWARD is all about meeting needs. “Our students are dedicated to completing their degree while they’re getting on with their lives. They need to keep their jobs so the program is created in a flexible time frame.”

For clarification, In South Carolina, ECE certification is pre Kindergarten 3, 4, and 5 to third grade. With exactly the same program as the day student experiences, fastFORWARD ECE doesn’t cut corners. The degree is nationally accredited with the same rigor, same privileges and same prestige.

On-campus courses are offered in the evenings and on the weekends. “Currently the classes are on Monday and Thursday evenings and on one Saturday per month.

The Saturday classes offer variety. There are

group activities and lots of moving around, rather than long class lectures. We listen to feedback from our students; their opinions are valued and respected.”

The current ECE students in fastFORWARD named themselves the Alphas. “I ask and they provide excellent feedback.” The Alphas are all women ranging in age from early twenties to mid forties (or the new twenties.) They enjoy the mix of on-line and on-campus courses. “We offer blended classes in philosophy and religion, but there are some classes that can’t be taught in a blended format.”

Classroom management is a prime example.

Johnson-Taylor designed the program for the education classes to meet in a traditional format. “It’s not watered down.” The demands are the same, only the format is different.

Why education? In addition to her responsibilities at the College, Johnson-Taylor serves on several SC boards and committees. Not only is she devoted to education, she understands the needs of educators. “Our students will be prepared.”

By 2013, federal policy states every daycare or childcare facility must have a degreed professional on staff. Newberry responded to this change by developing fastFORWARD ECE. “Our students will be ready to accept those new job opportunities.”

Why Newberry? “Not only do we offer reduced tuition, but we inform students about the SC Early Childhood TEACH.* For teachers working in child care, TEACH provides scholarships to complete their degree. For many, the costs of tuition, books and mileage are completely covered.

Why fastFORWARD ECE? “This program works best for someone who has completed a degree in Early Childhood Development from a SC technical college. Although we will accept those with other associate degrees, this program is designed for folks who have an ECD. Those students can complete their B.A. in 24 months.”

Although it is an accelerated program, it isn’t a quick fix. “If someone has never been to college and wants to get a degree in ECE, go to Tech first.” Yes, Virginia, Dr. Johnson-Taylor does sound a bit like Santa. In Miracle on 34th Street, Macy’s Kris Kringle sends customers to Gimbles for certain toys. Likewise, Newberry suggests students first seek Early Childhood Development at Tech before completing their 4-year degree in ECE. “We want serious students” admits JohnsonTaylor. If you’re committed to improving yourself and have a passion to teach children, consider this opportunity. If you’re interested in preparing to become tomorrow’s continued on next page

Meet Cindy Johnson-Taylor Cindy Johnson-Taylor is the Chair of the Education Department at Newberry College and an associate professor of Education. Under her leadership in the past 3 years, the department has added 3 new majors leading to teacher certification and has more than quadrupled student enrollment in her department.

She serves on the Professional Review Committee for the State Board of Education and is recognized in the state as a driving force in teacher education. She is involved with Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) initiatives and is a certified trainer for SREB in the area of Leading Assessment and Instruction. She serves as the President of the South Carolina Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, a member of the board of directors of Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA) and is the principal investigator for grants totaling in the millions. www.lexingtonwoman.sc

27

Education South Carolina’s Leader in Group Tour Travel

educator, put down the remote and investigate the fastFORWARD ECE program today.

For more information: Contact Dr. Cindy Johnson-Taylor at (803) 321-5206 or the Director of Adult Education, Jessie Long at (803) 321-5691. Email: fast.forward@newberry.edu. Website: www.NewberryFastForward.com _____ *Teacher Education And Compensation Helps

Teilah Shirley is an award winning vocalist and owner of Faith based Vacations & Group Travel where the customer always comes first. Teilah and her dedicated staff would be happy to plan an individual or group trip to any destination of your choice. With certified travel agents available, FBV can arrange anything from day trips, multi day adventures to locations around the world. Their primary focus is motorcoach trips. The company works with a variety of churches, associations, charities, business networking groups, Chambers of Commerce and seniors throughout the state of South Carolina so groups can travel together to special events and popular tourist spots. Call (803) 414-6029 or email tshirley@faithbasedvacations.org to plan your next vacation today!

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t 4UVEFOUT USBOTGFS QSFWJPVT DPMMFHF DSFEJU IPVST UP FBSO B EFHSFF JO BT GFX BT NPOUIT t 4UVEFOUT BUUFOE DMBTTFT BU OJHIU PO UIF XFFLFOET BOE JO B CMFOEFE GPSNBU t $MBTT TJ[FT BSF TNBMM BOE TUVEFOUT HFU NPSF JOEJWJEVBM BUUFOUJPO t .PTU BEVMUT RVBMJGZ GPS TVCTUBOUJBM ĂśOBODJBM BJE GPS UVJUJPO Enroll now for classes starting August 2010.

Robert D. Phillips, Ph.D.

(803) 360-9698 By appointment only

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

www.NewberryFastForward.com fast.forward@newberry.edu (803) 321-5691

Pets

The importance of socializing your pet

by Tim Loonam, DVM

H

ave you ever met one of those family dogs that are just a joy to be around…? Or have you visited a home with an out-going cat that loves strangers and wants to be in the middle of all activity…?

Well-socialized and behaved pets make a house a home, but it does take planning and training. During the first few months of their lives, puppies and kittens are especially sensitive to the types of experience they have with the new people, animals, objects and situations in their world. Success dur-

Well-socialized and behaved pets make a house a home but it does take planning and training. ing this critical learning period is very important. According to the Humane Society of the United States, nearly half of the 10 million dogs and cats that end up in shelters annually are euthanized, and the number one reason these animals are turned over to shelters is for unacceptable behavior.

Peak socialization occurs between 3 and 12 weeks in puppies and 3 to 8 weeks in kittens.

Since a large portion of this peak socialization occurs before these little ones leave their mother, its important to get your new pet from a breeder who provides socialization training. What if you don’t know the pet’s background? Don’t fret; you can still socialize them, just be prepared for it to take longer and more effort.

The key to successful socialization is making sure the puppy or kitten’s new experiences are made enjoyable by providing treats, praise, play and petting during the new experience. Pairing new experiences with something pleasant ensures the new experience will be perceived as good in the future. Begin socialization training the moment you arrive home with your new pet, but don’t over do it. Young animals tire easily and have short attention spans; it’s better to have several short training sessions throughout the day instead of one marathon session.

Food is a great motivator for puppies and kittens, and one of the best recommendations from leading behaviorists and trainers is to put away that cute food bowl and have your

family hand-feed your new pet at each meal.

This ensures your puppy or kitten sees you as ‘the great provider’, which strengthens the human-animal bond. ‘Food motivated’ pets are easily taught basic commands, and behaviorists and trainers also recommend applying the ‘nothing comes free’ philosophy when feeding young pets. Have them learn ‘sit’, ‘stay’ or other basic commands, which they must perform before and while they are being fed.

Here are some other ideas to include in your socialization plan: • Arrange for your pet to be left alone several times during the day. Begin with a few minutes and work up to several hours, and make sure these alone times are unpredictable. Again, use treats to your advantage, but provide them inside of safe, behavior-modification toys that give your pet something to do while you’re gone (Think Rubik’s Cube for pets!). Pets given these experiences are much more likely to be tolerant of being left alone and less likely to develop separation anxiety. continued on next page

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and Pet Lodge

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Goats, Sheep and Llama Services

Small Animal Dentistry

Nutrition and Retail Products

Equine Services

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Pharmacy and Laboratory Behavior and Training Consulation

Pet Lodge

Tim Loonam, DVM Owner/Veterinarian

803.808.PETS (7387) | www.gracepets.com 147 Charter Oak Road | Lexington, SC 29072 www.lexingtonwoman.sc

29

Pets (See behavior modification toy examples

available online through Kong at www. kongcompany.com)

• After your new pet has been examined by your veterinarian and an immunization and de-worming plan has begun, take your pet to public places (children’s soccer games are great!) and allow your puppy to meet people different from your family members – different genders, ethnic groups, and ages. Everyone wants to pet your puppy, and allow the strangers to offer small treats too.

• Gradually acclimate your pet, especially kittens, to riding in your car. Practicing car rides to your veterinarian’s office where you drop in for a treat also help minimize the stress related with visits to the vet.

• While on a leash, let your pet experience people and objects moving rapidly such as joggers, kids playing, people on bikes, and cars. Also, give your pet experiences with noisy objects such as lawn mowers, vacuums, and blow dryers.

• Begin introducing your pet to water, particularly hoses, to make bathing easier. Be careful not to force your puppy or kitten to experience things that frighten them. They won’t “just get over it”; they will often get more fearful and even become fearful of you.

30

Matters of the

‘Food motivated’ pets are easily taught basic commands, and behaviorists and trainers also recommend applying the ‘nothing comes free’ philosophy when feeding young pets.

• Ask your veterinarian about ‘puppy’ and ‘kitten’ classes. Not only do they offer great socialization training, but they can also be a great stepping-stone to future obedience training. (Visit the Greater Columbia Obedience Club’s website at www.gcoc.net) Many times illness or injury can alter behavior, so if you have trouble socializing your new pet or they seem overly fearful of people or a particular experience get help from your veterinarian.

Dr. Loonam is the owner of Grace Animal Hospital and Pet Lodge in Lexington. Visit their website at www.gracepets.com or call 808-PETS.

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Heart!

• Worldwide, 8.6 million women die from heart disease each year, accounting for a third of all deaths in women.Three million women die from stroke each year.

• 71% of women experience early warning signs of heart attack with sudden onset of extreme weakness that feels like the flu.

• Under age 50, women’s heart attacks are twice as likely as men’s to be fatal.

• 8 million women in the US are currently living with heart disease; 35,000 are under the age of 65.

L e x i n g t o n Wo m a n c e l e b r a t e s t h e s u r v i vo r i n yo u All Fashion Show photos by Clark Berry Photography

SURVIVING the Holiday’s FASHION SHOW

O

n November 5, 2009, at the Wingate in Lexington, we held our 2nd Annual Surviving the Holiday Fashion Show, a fundraiser for Chemo With Style. What an amazing and awe inspiring event to see 25 women who had all fought and survived cancer. There were over 200 guests in attendance and from the front doors of the Wingate to the back room, we had a fantastic time.

White Knoll High School baseball players escorted our Survivors onto the runway.

These young men could not believe each of the beautiful models were all cancer survivors. This was a wonderful life lesson for the guys. Because of their experience with the Survivors in the following pages, imagine how different their response to a diagnosis

will be if a mother or future wife of one of them gets the news some day.

Lexington Woman and Chemo with Style would like to take a moment to thank all of the businesses and individuals for their support of this event. Without the help of so many volunteers, this event would have simply not been possible. See the full list of our supporters and sponsors on page 33.

We would like to offer a sincere thanks to Clark and Becki Berry for the excellent photography provided at our 2nd Annual Fashion Show. also a very special thanks to the cofounders of Chemo with Style, Paulette Criscione and Terry Vann-Schon. They both

played a major role in planning this event.

Linda Davis and Frances Whitney were also tireless in thier efforts to assure this event was as great as the last!

The following pages of Lexington Woman are dedicated to Survivors of any type of cancer. We believe the moment you decide to fight after diagnosis, you become a Survivor. Their stories inspire us, and their courage challenges us to be better human beings.

Their desire to take a life changing experience and make a difference in the world makes me proud to be a woman. We invite you to Celebrate the Survivor in each of these women and yourself! www.lexingtonwoman.sc

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Celebrating the

Survivor in You!

Meet the models of the 2009

SURVIVING

the Holidays

All Fashion Show photos by Clark Berry Photography

Brenda Argoe

Survivor for 8 years

Doris Sarvis

Survivor for almost 1 year

Jerry Poston

Survivor for 1 year

Melissa Kyzer

Survivor for 2 years

32

FASHION SHOW

Jeanette Ford

Sallie Baker

Sylvia Butler

Bren Miller

Survivor for 1 year

Survivor for 4 years

Survivor for 3 years

Janice Harris

Sharon Johnson

Thrisha Shriver Survivor for 1 year

Survivor for 5 years

Deidra Bowers

Mary Summers

Bertha Birchmore

Survivor for 29 years

Angie Sharpe

Survivor for 1 year

Survivor for almost 1 year

Survivor for 3 years

Amy Kinard

Brittany Barfield

Survivor for 3 years

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Survivor for 3 years

Survivor for 1 year

Mandy Bowden

Survivor for 3 years

Survivor for 3 years

Paulette Criscione

Survivor for 4 years

Kim Hamrick

Survivor for 4 years

Celebrating the

Survivor in You!

Thank you to all of our fashion show sponsors!

photo by Clark Berry Photography

Thanks to the White Knoll Baseball Team for escorting our models! (front row) AJ Bolin, Chris Henry, Mark Matthews (back row) Matt Tanner, Robbie Streett, Chris Harrison, Eric Allen, John Martin Eubanks, Chris Andrews, Taylor Britain, Jordan Baker, Josh Sealey, Austin Dunn

• Alala • Annie’s Attitude • Artist Mary Hartfield • Avon Beauty Center (St. Andrews) • Back Country Sales, LLC • Bath and Body Works • Beautiful Nails • Bistro • Carla Jackson • Carolina Gifts • Cato Fashions • Chapman’s Jewlery • Clark Berry • Creative Nails • CVS of Lexington • Danny Allen • Dem’s Jewelry • Eddie Wright of Sound & Images • Envision Family Eyecare of Lexington • Frances Whitney • HealthSource of Lexington • High Cotton • Hospice Care of Tricounty (Orangeburg and Columbia) • Howard Still • It’s Personal • Joan Robinson of Hair to Stay • Joanie Battaglia • John Miranda’s SC Artist Gallery • Kenneth and Anne Smith

• Kim Neil • Kimberly Pollard • Kristie’s Sunset Creations • Laci Duke, MAC makeup • Linda Branham of Mary Kay • Linda Davis • Maggie Evans, Volunteer • McClarries • Mops in Motion • Palmetto Styles • Palmetto Wine • Peace Lilly • Publix of Lexington • Ramsey Goodman • Rebecca McClain • Remington College • Renee Shinn, Volunteer • SCOA • Signs By Tomorrow • Something Special Florist • Susan Optical Studios • Tera’s Merle Norman • Teresa Amick, Volunteer • Terry Lynn Summers • The Custom Framer • The Eclectic House • The Willows • Tonya Forrester, Volunteer • Travinia’s • Village of Sandhill • Vital Energy • Walker Spruill & Jason Putnam Videographer • Yankee Candle

1068 Lake Murray Blvd.

Irmo SC (803) 407-5290 www.demsjewelers.com Join us on facebook We Buy Gold www.lexingtonwoman.sc

33

Celebrating the

Survivor in You!

How I survived breast cancer

by Elaine Clary (5 year Survivor)

C

ancer – what a life changing word, especially when a doctor is saying it and looking at you. First, you are stunned. Second, you cry. Third, you go into shock.

Suddenly life takes on a whole new meaning.

Maybe your life was fine, no aches or pains – then all of a sudden, you are very sick. My cancer was in my right breast and spread to my lymph glands. You have to go through more tests than you can count and visits

way each of my two grown sons would come through the back door, see me sitting there with my bald head and shout with the biggest grins on their faces, “Mom you look so cool with your bald head – I really love it.“ So what did I learn from all this? First and foremost, I learned that my God is always with me and that he definitely has a plan for my life. I would have said that I knew this before getting sick, but cancer makes you

God did not heal me of this disease to sit and do nothing.

He’s given me a gift – being a Survivor. photo by Cathy Lindner

Elaine Clary with the oncologist and surgeon. Finally, the protocol for your treatment is decided. Then it begins.

After four months of life-altering chemotherapy, three surgeries, six weeks of physical therapy and seven weeks of radiation, followed by one more year of chemo (the drug Herceptin), I can truthfully say that it was as bad as I had heard it was. No one lied to me about it. Besides feeling so incredibly awful, I lost my hair – the hair on my head, my eyelashes, in my nose, everywhere. I would pass the mirror and wonder who that was walking so close to me. I felt like I had lost me.

My wonderful sister told me that I should look at it like I was pregnant. When I had been pregnant, I didn’t look or feel like me, but after the delivery, I did get the “me” back.

It would be the same with my cancer. She was right. I did eventually get the “me” back.

As long as I live I will always remember the 34

see things clearer than you ever imagined.

My favorite Bible verse became Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand says to you, ‘fear not for I will help you.’” During every test, every chemo treatment, every surgery, every blood drawing, every doctor appointment etc., I would open and close my right hand and know that God was holding it as he had promised. By doing this, I received the peace that only he can give.

Secondly, I learned that there is nothing in this life as valuable as family and friends.

Again I would have said I knew their value before I got sick, but cancer once again gave a whole new meaning to their value. One such person was my sister, who kept the roads hot between here and Atlanta, because she couldn’t stand not being here to take care of me (and her family for doing without her so she could.) My first treatment resulted in

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

17 straight hours of vomiting, and she never left my side for a moment. She sat up in a chair all night by my side in the hospital after my major surgery and provided constant, never ending encouragement. Another person was my husband for always being there, loving and supporting me and doing whatever it took. My two sons always made me smile whenever they appeared. And, wow!

I learned I had some incredible friends; so many of them took turns taking me to chemo, brought food, sent cards, made many phone calls and visits, prayed for my healing, and gave constant encouragement and words of love. One friend kept trying to bring us food, and I kept putting her off, not wanting her to go through all of the trouble.

Finally, she said that she was bringing it anyway, no matter what I said. I realized then that I must let people help me. It made her feel better to do something – I had to let her help me (a valuable lesson).

What an incredible feeling it was to hear that the personnel in the office where I worked, after hearing of my diagnosis, gathered in the conference room and prayed for my recovery. Every time I turned around, I was hearing about my name being put on another prayer list – even in other states. What a comfort! What encouragement!

Third, positive attitude is essential. I viewed chemotherapy as another opportunity to kill some cancer. During chemo, everything is all about your blood and its levels. If your blood wasn’t right, then you couldn’t get chemo. As bad as it was to get it, it is worse not to get it – no chemo, no cancer killing. I use to open and close my right hand during the blood check before the chemo, praying God would let my blood be okay. I was blessed – I never missed a chemo treatment. One week I had a D & C on Tuesday and a chemo treatment on Thursday. It was rough, but I made it.

Sometimes it was a mental war in my head.

Sometimes it was forcing myself to get out of bed when I absolutely didn’t feel like it, all the while knowing I couldn’t let this defeat me. I found that staying busy made time pass more quickly, something you sincerely want

Celebrating the

to happen. I never allowed myself to be without hope or to be without faith. I could never get down because there was always someone loving and encouraging me. How blessed I was! You see, faith, hope and love can get you through anything.

Fourth, I have learned the power of cards, phone calls, visits and other ways of encouragement. Sometimes people really care but are slow to do these things because they don’t really know what to say. I’ve discovered that it’s not the words that are important but the act itself.

Sometimes a phone call from friend or family member saying he/she is thinking of you, or hopes you have a good day, or loves you, could be the very thing that gets a sick person out of bed that day with a fighting attitude of not letting the disease win. Oh, the power of encouragement!!!

If I could live my life over again, I would not want to omit the cancer. I have learned so very much and have seen so many things with clearer vision. I have seen the greatness of God, the unconditional love of family and friends, the warmth of new friends who are cancer survivors, and the truth of what’s really important. I have acquired a new mission in life – I want to pass the love, encouragement and support I so generously received during

my ordeal onto others going through the same thing, with hope that they then will pass it on. I went through all phases of treatment (chemo, surgeries, radiation, physical therapy) instead of just one or two phases, and for this I am thankful, for it enables me to identify with even more women. The Bible speaks of a refiner’s fire that we sometimes go through in order to become a better person. I feel my cancer was the refiner’s fire for my life. I pray everyday for God to use me for His glory to serve and help others with this dreadful disease.

I was seven months late in getting my mammogram – not such a smart thing to do. Then I discovered the lump in my breast while taking a shower.

I had never been late with my mammograms before, but this one time I was. The biopsy revealed another lump in my lymph glands. I know that just a few short years ago I would have never survived cancer.

Even though treatment is literally hell, I have been fortunate to live in a time when such great progress has been made with this disease. The wonderful news is that breast cancer is not the death sentence that it once was. I am an example of how a person can get breast cancer, have it spread to the lymph glands, and with treatment, become cancer free. I hope this gives encouragement to other women. Another thing I’ve learned – DO NOT be late for your Mammograms!

This article is brought to you by Dems Fine Jewelers. Visit www. demsjewelers.com, call (803) 4075290, or see their ad on page 33.

photos by Clark Berry Photography

Elaine is the president of The Pink Posse Phillies, a breast cancer support group.

Survivor in You!

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

35

Celebrating the

Survivor in You!

What is a Ta-Tini?

by Tyler Ryan

W

ith an ultrasound a day behind her, she picked up the phone and learned, at twenty-six years old, she had breast cancer. It was March of 2006, and a day that Kim Hamrick, now thirty, would never, ever forget.

The road, as anyone can imagine, left her lessons, humor, and a “one hundred eighty degree” change on her outlook on life.

About a year before that, she had been doing what every woman should do…self checkups. At twenty-five, she felt lumps, but then at that age, “Everything is lumpy,” says Hamrick. During that year’s annual exam, her doctor told her to try cutting caffeine out for a year. It could be a fibroid issue. That phone call in late March, however, left her thinking, “I’m not going to live long.”

Hamrick, by every account, was healthy. She worked out, ate right, was very active, but it all came to an end that day. It was only a week after the phone call, that she had MRI’s, cat scans, and even had a port installed. Although she had what was described as a “slow moving” cancer, they wasted no time in treatment. It was no time before eight rounds of chemo started.

Hamrick said, as many survivors can attest to, that the first four rounds were the most toxic. It would make her sick for days at a time. Then she saw the loss of her hair, as she entered the Adriamycin/Cytoxan or “Red Devil” stage. “It made me feel like a truck hit me.” The process left her in what she called

photo by Clark Berry Photography

Kim Hamrick at the 2009 Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show a “chemical induced depression.” It was then she felt at her lowest point.

On September 11th, six months after the diagnosis, the bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction was done.

Since then, the checkups continue, but she, with a huge smile, says she is cancer free.

The road, as anyone can imagine, left her lessons, humor, and a “one hundred eighty degree” change on her outlook on life. Even with the amazing life changing events going

on around her, Hamrick still tried to maintain a “normal” life. One of her proudest moments came on the slopes of Winterplace.

With one more surgery to go, and the advice from her doctor, “Don’t fall forward,” she hit the slopes. Going from lying in bed, with no strength to move to skiing was truly an amazing time. “I was so proud of myself.”

Humor was another thing that kept Hamrick together. She recalled a wedding during the summer of chemo, when she was wearing her wig. As she danced, her partner decided on a big dip…well, you can imagine what happened…sure enough, she felt the wig giving way, and she caught it just before it left her head. Finding humor in those little moments were thing things that she used to get her through.

It was her faith, family, and friends that helped her every moment. When she spent hours alone in the MRI, God was all she had.

When the chemo had her at her lowest, she would turn to her faith, and pray that God would help her through it.

photos by Clark Berry Photography

36

Kim being escorted by White Knoll High baseball players

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Hamrick also found support in the Young Survival Coalition, a group of young women all over the world, who were all going through various stages of cancer. “There was always someone on,” she said. If she had a question, there was someone who had just gone through it, and could support her. If she was having a rough day, there was some-

Celebrating the

Survivor in You!

The Ta-tinis Foundation Presents A Breast Cancer Fundraiser for SCOA Cares and Palmetto Health Breast Center

photo by Clark Berry Photography

(left to right) Brittany Barfield, Kim Hamrick, Amy Kinard, and Mandy Bowden one who knew exactly what she was feeling that she could turn to.

“Those girls got me through,” says Hamrick. She even has reunions with the friends she met on the site.

Hamrick also found that through the cancer, every relationship became precious. Her friends went from just hanging out now and then to being by her side every minute. “It’s hard to be thankful for cancer, but it made my life amazing.” She doesn’t complain about drama and “nonsense” in her life. She never takes for granted anything. Hair, sleeping at night, good days. She packs “as much in twenty-four hours as possible.”

You may have heard of the Ta-Tini’s. The group of five breast cancer survivors all met as part of a bigger group of Columbia area survivors, and they “just clicked.” The girls would sit and talk for hours about everything. They were all in different stages, and would provide support to each other. Why Ta-Tini’s? “I don’t even know who said it, but we took it and ran with it.” The Ta-Tini is even a drink you can find on the menu at Travina Italian Restaurant in Lexington.

The Ta-Tini’s have taken an active role in the community to serve as inspiration, and bring awareness to breast cancer. On April 30, the ladies are hosting a black tie event,

called “Fight Like A Girl” at 701 Whaley Street in Columbia. They are inviting survivors, friends, supporters, and the community to join them for a night of jazz, Vegas fun, drinks, food, and “hot girls.” Tickets for the event are available at Palmetto Health’s breast center, the Blue Marlin, and SCOA. You can also find information on Facebook.

Kim Hamrick, now four years cancer free, looks back, and finds it almost surreal. “Your hair grows back. Your scars heal…but never rule anything out. Be aware. Go to your doctor. If I had waited, it would have been a death sentence,” she says.

Before we ended our time together, I asked if her she had any words for her family and friends. She simply said, “Thank you.”

Oh, and she did point out that now, with a full head of her own hair, she said “I dip all I want.”

Friday, April 30th at 7:00pm 701 Whaley • Columbia

A Breast Cancer Benefit Featuring: Vegas-style Entertainment and Prizes Emcee Tyler Ryan Live Music provided by Elliot and the Untouchables Food & Beverage provided by Dukes Brothers Catering, Blue Marlin Formal Attire (Black Tie Optional) Early Bird Ticket Special Until March 31st: $55/person or $90/couple Tickets After April 1st: $60/person or $100/couple Tickets and info: Palmetto Health Breast Center, SC Oncology Associates The Blue Marlin

Donate Online: www.firstgiving.com/tatinis Connect with us: www.facebook/tatinis

Tyler Ryan Group • WXRY 99.3 Blue Marlin Signature Catering • Shear Expectations Lexington Woman • SCOA Cares Foundation

This article is brought to you by Dems Fine Jewelers. Visit www.demsjewelers. com, call (803) 407-5290, or see their ad on page 33.

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

37

Surviving the Holidays Fashion Show, November 2008 Learn more and see other photos at www.chemowithstyle.com

“Chemo with Style” was founded in November, 2005 by Paulette Criscione and Terry Vann-Schon and through all the heart felt volunteers who have dedicated their time and belief in this class to help others. It's a class that invites all types of cancer survivors to participate in a fun evening to learn about different headwear fashions and other personal appearance tips. It helps to retore their sense of worth, which is crucial to help with their fight against cancer. The class meets every other month, and since its beginning, it has helped many people. This class is no cost to the survivor. Visit www.chemowithstyle.com for our class schedule.

The “Chemo With Style” events have been made possible by the donations of many caring, loving people.

Sponsors: South Carolina Oncology Associates Hospice Care of Tri-County “Chemo With Style” Volunteers

Paulette Criscione and Terry Vann-Schon

Graciously accepting Donations Please call Terry Vann-Schon

Contact Terry Vann-Schon for more information 803.400.1177 | 166 Stoneridge Drive, Suite 100 | Columbia, SC 29210 | www.chemowithstyle.com 38

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real isWomen “Chemo with Style” a © copyrighted program with Hospice Care of Tri-County.

Business & Web Directory Adult Care Services

Hospice

Geri-Advocates................................................................22 www.geriadvocates.com

Hospice Care Of Tri-County..........................................17 www.medicalservicesofamerica.com

Animal Hospital

Hospital

Grace Pets Animal Hospital...........................................29 www.gracepets.com

Lexington Medical Center..............................Back Cover www.lexmed.com

Arts & Entertainment

Insurance

Art Imitating Life...............................................................7 www.art-imitating-life.com

State Farm............................................. Back Inside Cover www.sfyourstyle.com

The Studio.........................................................................13 www.thestudiolexington.com

Jewelry

After-school and Summer Programs

Dems.................................................................................33 www.demsjewelers.com

Kid City.............................................................................12 www.kidcityonline.com

The Chapman Company...................................................6 www.thechapmancompany.com

Costmetics and Skincare

Marketing Services

Aloette...............................................................................19

Dentist

Palmetto Comprehensive Dentistry..............................26 White Knoll Dentistry....................................................23 www.whiteknolldentistry.com

The Tyler Ryan Group.......................................................4 www.tylerryangroup.com

Nutrition Consultant

Carolina Nutrition Consultants, Inc.............................25 www.CNConWeb.com

OB/GYN

Education

fastFORWARD at Newberry College............................28 www.newberryfastforward.com

Columbia Women’s Healthcare......................................21 www.columbiawhc.com

Pediatrics

Green Services and Products

Tomato Palms...................................................................15 www.tomatopalms.com

Lexington Pediatric Practice..........................................14 www.lexpediatricpractice.com

Photography

Health Services

Chemo with Style.............................................................38 www.chemowithstyle.com Vital Energy Wellness and Rehab Center.....................16 www.vitalenergytherapy.com

Clark Berry Photography..................Inside Front Cover www.clarkberry.com

Salon

Palmetto Styles...................................................................5

Therapy

Creative Therapy..............................................................28 www.mytherapycentercolumbia.com

Travel and Entertainment

Colonial Life Arena.....................................................9, 30 www.coloniallifearena.com

We would like to challenge all of our readers to make simple, to prevent heart disease and to reduce risk factors for heart attacks.

Encourage others in your life to do the same!

lifestyle changes

heart-healthy

www.lexingtonwoman.sc

39

A Personal Note

T

his January 6th marked the five year anniversary of my precious father’s death. I cannot express

in words the grief that began to overtake me at his passing. I could write pages filled with imagery and metaphors and still you would read them without comprehending the depth of my pain, unless you have lost a parent. I felt as if I were drowning in a sea of sorrow, consumed by the pain, and unable to understand how people were still smiling around me. Simply put, I was lost…

Shortly after his death, another close friend of his passed unexpectedly, and I attended the funeral out of a sense of loyalty for my father, though it was very difficult. The minister spoke eloquently of the man we had called friend for many years. Then he made a statement that even through my tears I knew would change my life. “When someone dies, you can become bitter, or you can become better.”

Truth is, I have no idea what the minister said afterwards, because I recognized myself in the bitter part of that sentence. In that moment, I began to reflect upon the legacy my father had left with me, one that included an inherent love of life and family. And it suddenly occurred to me that I had allowed the death of this amazing man to plant a seed of bitterness in me. How disappointed would my daddy be if he knew that I had chosen bitter over better?

Make no mistake: my father was not perfect, for he was human. Kind and gentle, he was everything a father was supposed to be. He did not take lightly his responsibilities toward his family, as provider, teacher, mentor, example, protector and patriarch of our very large family. Hour after hour, in the scorching Georgia sun, he would tend to the soil, nurture the plants, and sit on the bucket at the end of the row, water hose in hand, literally watching his garden grow, providing fresh fruits and vegetables for his family and for so many others in the community. I daresay his vegetable soup was famous in those parts and there was hardly a Sunday to go by that dozens of people didn’t stop by for Sunday dinner, some invited, others just dropping in “to see what Lonzo had cooking.”

Saturday nights meant singing and playing the guitar with the family from grandmother on down. He would sing those songs of his childhood, even change the words to include “Lori” so I would know he was singing for me. Sure not to exclude anyone, he would go down the line until every little name (brothers, sisters, cousins) was used in his lyrics, eliciting a smile on each face. An animated storyteller, we’d laugh as Daddy told us funny stories about fishing, hunting and even turtle “grabbling”…

An avid outdoorsman, I remember one particular camping trip where he wrapped a snake around my arm, almost sending my dear mother into cardiac arrest. Just a little girl, I thought it was super cool—it was just a little water moccasin. And besides, my father was right there—nothing could harm me with Daddy near, for he was my ultimate defender and protector. I still smile when I think of my mother screaming his name and his responding laughter booming across the water as he took the snake away and placed it back into the water.

For page after page, I could share with you my memories of him, each one of which would be filled with childlike admiration and unwavering love, but I would like to close with this thought: my father taught me to believe in God’s love.

It isn’t that he said to me, “Lori, God loves you with unconditional love,” but more that he demonstrated to me the way in which fathers are supposed to love their children—with a patient, steady love that remains constant and strong, no matter what storm is passing. I never felt judgment from him, even when I was wrong. I never had to feel ashamed to him, because I knew he was able to look past the moment and still be proud of who I was. My father loved me in spite of my failures, much the way my heavenly father loves me. During the 32 years that I was blessed to have him, this was the greatest gift my father gave me.

My earthly father did an incredible job of fathering. When his life here was over, my heavenly father stepped in. With His help, I was able to use the most painful time of my life for inspiration to become better. As a result, Woman 2 Woman was born. I know that my daddy is proud of me. He always was. This magazine, and every other one I create like it, is his legacy—his legacy of love.

Thank you for allowing me to continue his legacy. God Bless each and every one of you.

Your friend,

Lori Samples Duncan

ld@woman2woman.sc (Look us up on Facebook!)

40

Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

3 John 1:4

I have no greater joy than this, than to hear of my children walking in truth.

www.lexingtonwoman.sc 61

“

Let Me Introduce you to the State Farm® Agency Opportunity

“

Julie McDowell Agency Recruiter

www.sfyourstyle.com

Call 803.935.3725 today and ask Julie about becoming a State Farm agent!

7 Technology Circle | Suite 400 | Columbia, SC 29203 | julie.mcdowell.jfqi@statefarm.com

LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR,

STATE FARM IS THERE.®

We wouldn’t have been voted best hospital ten straight years without people like Donna For ten consecutive years, readers of The State newspaper have voted us the area’s best hospital. But a hospital is only bricks and mortar; it’s the people working here who have earned us that honor, dedicated people such as Donna, office manager at Internal Medicine Associates.

Thanks, Donna, and thanks to more than 5,000 of our Lexington Medical Center employees, each committed to serving the people in our community with the highest degree of excellence.

www.lexmed.com