Lexington Woman Vol 10 issue 6

VOL 10, NO 6

COMPLIMENTARY

TM

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING, AND EDUCATING WOMEN

Real

OUR 10TH

ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! Celebrating the

Survivor in You!

Cayce, Chapin, Lexington, Irmo, Lake Murray, West Columbia, & White Knoll

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in this issue...

TM

www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lori Samples Duncan loriduncan86@gmail.com

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

Cathy Williams cw@woman2womanonline.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lori Samples Duncan Carol Ryall Tracey Lease Ashby Jones Tim Loonam, DVM Cindy Johnson Hima Dalal Lydia Ramsey

From the Editor 2

Our Commitment to You

Events 6

The Day that Changes Everything

Pet Health 10 Holiday Pet Safety

18 Diane Conyers 20 Martha Shealy

Health & Wellness 25 Stopping the Madness 26 Lexington Medical Center Offers Dissolvable Heart Stents for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Celebrating the Survivor in You

Business & Web Directory

14 Paulette Criscione

29 Contact our Advertisers

16 Amy Kinard

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Reid Price reid.futuresgraphics.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Clark Berry Photography Timeless Expressions Photography K Blackwell Photography JMB Photography

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INFORMATION

info@lexingtonwomanonline.com

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Woman 2 Woman Media, LLC (803) 785-4475 104 Pine Tree Drive Lexington, SC 29073

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. © 2017

www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

1

From The Editor

2016 was by far the hardest I have faced personally in business in the eleven years that I have been publishing, However as I looked back at our first edition (which you will read about four survivors from ten years ago who are still thriving and surviving today) I came to realize that we have come a long way, baby! These women’s stories are being reprinted in this edition exactly as they were ten years ago in our first issue. We will update you on where they are now in upcoming issues.

Ten years ago when I asked these women to be featured in a brand new magazine some of them did not even want to participate, because they felt uncertain of their future. Today they are all still amazing members of our community. I am so proud to know each of them. Ten years ago no one was telling the story of survivors today it is everywhere. I know I for one am a better person because these women shared their lived with us. To every survivor who has allowed us to tell their story, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

In the upcoming issues of the New Year we will be updating you on these women and where they are in their lives now. I wanted to take a moment to personally thank you the reader for helping us accomplish all that we have in the last ten years. I also wanted to say a special “thank you� to three advertisers that without their support we would have never been able to bring you the stories of inspiration and education that we have. Those would be Grace Animal Pets , Lexington Medical Center, & Vital Energy Therapy- for ten years they have appeared in every single issue. There are a host of other advertisers who have been supportive but none so faithful as these in their commitment to inspire and educate our community.Thank you for that.

I know this has been a tough year for all of us watching the changes in our nation and some look to the future with uncertainty. I am so thankful my economy and my peace of mind does not come from who our politicians are but rather the fact that my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and it is his good pleasure to take care of his children. As long as he is still on the throne I will endeavor to do the work he has set before me and he will supply the need.

Thank you for ten years of sharing my heart and more importantly so many wonderful women and men with you. It is my immense pleasure.

God Bless you,

Lori Samples Duncan

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Real Women

Events Events

Happening

WHAT’S IN LEXINGTON? NOVEMBER Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo Experience Columbia’s longest running holiday tradition—the annual Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. The Zoo will light up each evening with more than one million twinkling lights and countless animated images representing some of Riverbanks’ most loveable residents. Guests can roast marshmallows at the jingle bell bonfire, visit with Santa and enjoy the festive sounds of the Music in Motion lights spectacular. Riverbanks is also the only place in town where it snows every night! Runs through December 30th.

Adult’s Night Out with a formal dance to include food and libations. Sunday is jammed packed with a cell phone walking tour of historic downtown Lexington, the annual Christmas Parade and concludes with a concert and tree lighting at the new Lexington Square.

West Metro Holiday Parade of Lights The West Metro Holiday Parade of Lights is one of the highlight of the holiday season in the Midlands. Held the first Sunday in December this night time parade begins at 5:30 pm at the corner of Hwy. 1 & 12th Street in West Columbia and proceeds down 12th Street ending in front of the Cayce Municipal Complex. Come out and come early as crowds have been estimated over 20,000!

Bleacher seating available in front of the chamber office.

Holiday Lights on the River – Saluda Shoals Park

Christmas Traditions, Cayce Historical Museum

The holiday season has finally arrived and what better way to enjoy the spirit of the season than taking a magical ride through a winter wonderland of light displays and beautifully animated scenes during Holiday Lights on the River. From the end of November through December 31st, Saluda Shoals Park comes alive in a blaze of more than a million sparkling lights. Holiday Lights on the River fea-

The Cayce Historical Museum, built to resemble a 1700’s trading post, is decorated for the Yuletide. Costumed docents greet and guide guests through the museum and grounds.

803.796.9020

DECEMBER Town of Lexington Snowball Festival Held the first weekend in December, The Town of Lexington’s Snowball Festival is the kick-off to the holiday season in Lexington. The two-day event kick’s-off with a 5K race benefiting Patty Packs, a 501C3 dedicated to assisting individuals and families faced with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD). Saturday evening, is

Christmas Sampler, Lexington Leisure Center Second Saturday in December, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Artisans from the Southeast show and sell their handmade items at the Lexington Leisure Center, 108 Park Road. Entry fee for artists; free for visitors; canned donation suggested.

Christmas Peddler, Tri-City Leisure Center Second Saturday in December, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Artisans from the Southeast show and sell their handmade items at the Tri-City Leisure Center, 485 Brooks Avenue, West Columbia.

UPCOMING E VENTS

Holiday Open House, Lexington County Museum Second Sunday in December, 2-5 p.m.

The John Fox House is decorated in the period of the mid-19th Century; guests can stroll around the grounds and visit other buildings. The free event includes hot apple cider, gingerbread, and the famous German stollen bread.

Holiday Open House, Lorick Plantation House Second weekend in December at the historic location of the Capital City Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Office. Local garden clubs decorate the home in 1840’s period style, with greenery and handmade decorations.

Free; light refreshments served.

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The Day that Changes Everything

By Cindy Johnson, MA, CSA

A

s a senior advisor, I have seen many placement situations, some good, some challenging and some very sad. I have assisted those needing placement quickly after a fall, bad diagnosis or death of a spouse. Their plans may now be out the window or either there were no plans at all. Thinking and hoping that Medicare will be the answer to their medical needs is not wise or correct in most situations.

A crisis is not the best time to decide where you will spend the next part of your life. Even before a stressful event, many say, “I’m not ready.” Some think they will not have to make a plan or someone else will make it for them. Most don’t want to live with their children, but would like to be close to them. It appears that circumstances work best when the potential resident is part of the planning. When he/she becomes part of the decision making process, he/she will most likely be happier, as they express their most important wants and needs, and get them met.

Some seniors want to stay in their homes. Many times the house may be their enemy and not their friend. Some may stay isolated in a home with many hazards, such as stairs, rugs, and maintenance issues. Medication management may be an issue, as well.

Home alone, they will not eat as much as if they were eating with friends. Certainly, even if they have close neighbors and relatives, staying active is a challenge. Quality of life is an important consideration for those living at home.

A good planner looks at several communities as well as home placement. They look at the rates, the amenities, the staff, resident satisfaction, etc. Many look at CCRCs- Continuing Care Retirement Communities- all levels of care are included in the community. This would include: independent living, assisted living, memory support, skilled care and rehab. A CCRC would prevent multiple moves, as their health needs increase. Many accept Medicare in the skilled/rehab areas.

Families may want to get information and rates of several home care agencies. There are medical and nonmedical home care agencies. Some families have had success with independent care givers, who may be less expensive. Words of caution here- have a background check, ask for several references and check them.

These are big decisions to let someone else make, even a loved one. It may be good to keep a file, look at websites, and ask friends and medical professionals to give recommendations for agencies as well as communities. Why take a chance? Don’t’ have regrets about not planning sooner. Don’t wait to have the day that changes everything. Get informed. Start planning!

Cindy Johnson, MA, CSA Director of Marketing and Sales, The Columbia Presbyterian Community

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

Real Women

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Professional

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Holiday Pet Safety

by Tim Loonam DVM, Clinical Director, Grace Animal Hospital December abounds with holiday celebrations, but nothing can spoil good cheer like an emergency trip to the veterinary clinic.

These tips can help keep your winter holiday season from becoming not-so-happy – for your pet and for you.

Plan in Advance Make sure you know how to get to an emergency veterinary clinic before there’s an emergency. Talk with your veterinarian in advance to find out where you would need to take your pet should an emergency occur after their normal business hours. Here in the Midlands, 24/7 emergency care is available at the South Carolina Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care located at 3924 Fernandina Road, (803) 561-0015 (www.scvsec. com) , and extended hours are available on weekday and weekends at Well Pets Veterinary Clinic located at 7400 Carlisle Street in Irmo, (803) 732-3883 (wellpetssc.com). Always keep your veterinarian’s number as well as these emergency clinics’ numbers posted in an easy-to-find location in case of emergencies.

Food Although we love to share the holiday spirit, its best to keep people food away from pets. If you want to share holiday treats with your pets, make or buy treats formulated just for them. The following people foods are especially hazardous for pets: • Chocolate is an essential part of the holidays for many people, but it is toxic to dogs and cats. Although the toxicity can vary based on the type of chocolate, the size of your pet, and the amount they ate, it’s safer to consider all chocolate off limits for pets.

• Other sweets and baked goods also should be kept out of reach. Not only are they often too rich for pets; an artificial sweetener often found in baked goods, candy and chewing gum, xylitol, has been linked to liver failure and death in dogs.

• Table scraps – including gravy, poultry skin, and meat fat –

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

Real Women

•

also should be kept away from pets. Many foods that are healthy for people are poisonous to pets, including onions, raisins and grapes. During the holidays, when our own diets tend toward extra-rich foods, table scraps can be especially fattening and hard for animals to digest and can cause pancreatitis.

Yeast dough can cause problems for pets, including painful gas and potentially dangerous bloating.

Quick action can save lives. If you believe your pet has been poisoned or eaten something it shouldn’t have, call your vet or one of the emergency clinics listed above immediately. Instead of Google searching for sketchy home veterinary remedies, you may want to call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline: 888-426-4435 (small fee may apply) Signs of pet illness include: sudden changes in behavior, lethargy, pain restlessness, vomiting or diarrhea.

Decorating Greenery, lights and Christmas trees can make the holidays festive, but they also pose risky temptations for our pets.

• Christmas trees can tip over if pets climb on them or try to play with the lights and ornaments. Consider tying your tree to the ceiling or a doorframe using fishing line to secure it.

• Water additives for Christmas trees can be hazardous to your pets. Do not add aspirin, sugar, or anything to the water for your tree if you have pets in the house.

• Ornaments can cause hazards for pets. Broken ornaments can cause injuries, and ingested ornaments can cause intestinal blockage or even toxicity. Keep any homemade ornaments, particularly those made from salt-dough or other food-based materials, out of reach of pets.

• Tinsel and other holiday decorations also can be tempting for pets to eat. Consuming them can cause intestinal blockages, sometimes requiring surgery. Breakable ornaments or decorations can cause injuries.

• Electric lights can cause burns when a curious pet chews the cords.

Pet Health •

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Flowers and festive plants can result in an emergency veterinary visit if your pet gets hold of them. Amaryllis, mistletoe, poinsettia, peace lilly, and holly are among the common holiday plants that can be dangerous and even poisonous to pets if eaten.. The ASPCA offers lists of plants toxic to dogs and cats (www.aspca.org).

Candles are attractive to pets as well as people. Never leave a pet alone in an area with a lit candle; it could result in a fire.

Potpourris should be kept out of reach of inquisitive pets. Liquid potpourris pose risks because they contain essential oils and cationic detergents that can severely damage your pet’s mouth, eyes and skin. Solid potpourris could cause problems if eaten.

When you leave the house unplug decorations while you’re not around. Cats, dogs and other pets are often tempted to chew electrical cords.

Hosting Parties and Visitors Visitors can upset pets, as can the noise and excitement of holiday parties. Even pets that aren’t normally shy may become nervous in the hubbub of a holiday gathering. The following tips will reduce emotional stress on your pet and protect your guests from possible injury.

• All pets should have access to a comfortable, quiet place inside if they want to retreat. Make sure your pet has a room or crate somewhere away from the commotion, where it can go to anytime it wants to get away.

• Inform your guests ahead of time that you have pets or if other guests may be bringing pets to your house. Guests with allergies or compromised immune systems (due to pregnancy, disease, or medications/ treatments that suppress the immune system) need to be aware of the pets (especially exotic pets) in your home so they can take any needed precautions to protect themselves.

•

•

•

uests with pets? If guests ask to bring their own pets and you G don’t know how the pets will get along, you should either politely decline their request or plan to spend some time introducting the pets to each other, supervising their interactions, monitoring for signs of a problem, and taking action to avoid injuries to pets or people.

Pets that are nervous around visitors should be put it in another room or a crate with a favorite toy. If your pet is particularly upset by houseguests, talk to your veterinarian about possible solutions to this common problem.

Exotic pets make some people uncomfortable and may themselves be more easily stressed by gatherings. Keep exotic pets safely away from the hubbub of the holidays.

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atch the exits. Even if your pets are comfortable around W guests, make sure you watch them closely, especially when people are entering or leaving your home. While you’re welcoming hungry guests and collecting coats, a four-legged family member may make a break for it out the door and become lost.

Identification tags and microchips reunite families. Make sure your pet has proper identification with your current contact information – particularly a microchip with up-to-date, registered information. That way, if they do sneak out, they’re more likely to be returned to you. If your pet isn’t already microchipped, talk to your veterinarian about the benefits of this simple procedure.

Clear the food from your table, counters and serving areas when you are done using them – and make sure the trash gets put where your pet can’t reach it. A turkey carcass or other large quantities of meat sitting out on the carving table or left in an open trash container could be deadly to your family pet.

Dispose of carcasses and bones – and anything used to wrap or tie the meat, such as strings, bags and packaging – in a covered, tightly secured trash bag placed in a closed trash container outdoors (or behind a closed, locked door).

Trash also should be cleared away where pets can’t reach it – especially sparkly ribbon and other packaging or decorative items that could be tempting for your pet to play with or consume.

Holiday Travel Whether you take your pets with you or leave them behind, take these precautions to safeguard them whenever you’re traveling.

Interstate and international travel regulations require any pet you bring with you to have a health certificate from your veterinarian – even if you are traveling by car. Learn the travel requirement for any states/countries you will visit or pass through at www.aphis.usda.gov, and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to get the necessary certificate within the timeframes required. Even Santa’s reindeer need a health certificate for their annual international flight around the world!

Pets in vehicles should always be safely restrained and should never be left alone in the car in any weather. Safe restraint means using a secure harness or a carrier placed in a location clear of airbags. Never transport your pet in the bed of a truck.

If you’re traveling by air and considering bringing your pet with you, talk with your veterinarian first. Air travel can put some pets at risk, especially short-nosed dogs such as Pugs and Bulldogs. Your veterinarian is the best person to advise you regarding your own pet’s ability to travel.

Pack for your pet as well as yourself if you’re going to travel together. In addition to your pet’s food and medications, bring along copies of their medical records, information to help identify your pet if it becomes lost, first aid supplies, and other items.

Boarding your dog while you travel? Talk with your veterinarian to find out how best to protect your pet from contagious diseases, and to make sure your pet is up-to-date on vaccines.

Grace Animal Hospital wishes everyone and ‘their other families’ Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year!

www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

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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

Photograph by Clark Berry Photography

The Survivor Photo Shoot October 2007

T

he ladies in the picture above are all Survivors, each of them at a different place in that process, some of them having faced similar cancers, and others not so well known forms of this menacing disease. They come from all different economic backgrounds. They are all different heights and sizes. I would venture to say if we asked about their heritage we would find a wide variety of family trees in this group of lovely women. The one thing that drew each of them to this moment in time, captured beautifully by Mr. Clark Berry is the fact that each of them has survived some form of cancer! Here are a few of the strong, resilient, beautiful women who faced a life threatening disease with courage and strength and decided to live another day.

Photograph by Clark Berry Photography

This photo started out as just an idea about one special lady that touched my own life with her faith and determination. You will read about Mrs. Diane Conyers in one of the next few pages. The Survivor photo shoot began to change after my aunt Peggy Harrison of Buford, Georgia was diagnosed with breast cancer in January of 2007. I wanted to share with women all over Lexington County that Cancer isn’t a death sentence. With early detection, state of the art treatment facilities and advancements made every day in research all over this magnificent world that we live in, people survive!

I shared this idea with a few ladies and the Survivor Photo Shoot began to take on a life of its own. Women who I had no idea had ever battled cancer began to contact us and say, I am a survivor! I hope that reading about the four Survivors we chose to feature in this edition will inspire the survivor in you. Maybe it isn’t cancer you are facing, maybe it is another disease that has the odds stacked against you; perhaps it is a circumstance or a situation that has you wondering if you can get through. If so I encourage you to educate yourself and as Paulette Criscione would say, “Wrap your arms around faith,” and don’t give up!

www.Cancer.sc www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

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Let’s Talk

Paulette Criscione

Director of Sports Marketing for the Lexington County Recreation and Aging Commission

S

itting across from a perfectly put together Paulette Criscione, it was hard to imagine just days before she was a voice on the telephone to me. Engaging, kind, thoughtful and a woman of such innate grace, I smiled as I asked some tough questions. She answered honest and forthright, and I am certain it was the first of many lunches to come as I laid my black digital voice recorder on the table and clicked record. I smiled and got ready to celebrate the Survivor in one of the ladies who helped to create “Chemo with Style.”

W2W: How does it feel to be a survivor, Paulette?

Paulette: Great, I feel like everyday that I get up I am blessed. Just being a breast cancer survivor feels wonderful. Being a survivor

“If I could say one thing, that would be take one day at a time, just focus on that day. The other days will get there.” gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of other good folks with all different types of cancer. Again, I feel so blessed.

W2W: What has been the most difficult part of this journey?

Paulette: I think that the most difficult part would be the chemo.

Trying to get through that, I call it a chemo cocktail. Just to keep moving, getting up everyday, and I pushed myself to go to work,

even when I didn’t feel like it. Luckily, I was surrounded by great people who just let me crash if I needed to. I can say the more chemo you take….the more accumulative that you take, the worse that it gets.

I just wrapped my arms around faith and decided that I was going to let people be in my life, people who are friends and people who could take certain journeys with me. When I buzzed my hair, I pretended for a moment that I was GI Jane, and of course, after my hair was buzzed, I didn’t know what I was going to do with my head.

W2W: You were GI Jane?

Paulette: (laughing) Demi Moore had nothing on me, except her body.

W2W: I bet she had a lot more surgery than you to get it too.

Paulette: Laughing with me, then her tone changing to one of a more serious nature as she continued on…I had an angel come into my life and I truly believe that, and I just took one day at a time.

The side effects of chemo were the most difficult part of my journey. Not everyone experiences side effects from chemo, but it’s good to know what they are.

W2W: What three things do you think were detrimental to your survival?

Paulette: Again, I go back to faith. You have to wrap your arms around faith, whatever faith that is, and you have to believe. Now that the cards are dealt, there isn’t anything that you can do but move forward with your life and believe that things will truly work out the way it’s supposed to. We all have a purpose in life.

Secondly, my family and friends, the people who play a huge part in my life and some who have become friends since I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer. You want friends, who are positive, to take the journey with you, because you have to find humor in this fight. It is so important.

Thirdly, just believing and being able to give back to others is important. That is why I do some of the things that I do now, and it helps me, to help other folks. Everybody has a story and listening to others stories are just as important as my story is to me. There are so many good people out there that want to help other folks. It only takes a minute to give someone encouragement for the day.

Being a survivor is a true testament to who you are. Chemo doesn’t define you. Cancer doesn’t define you. Bi-lateral mastectomy or whether you finish your reconstruction doesn’t define you. But its who you are and what’s in your heart that defines who you are.

W2W: What has this journey taught you?

Paulette: I was so busy before that life passed me by and before you

Photograph by Clark Berry Photography

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

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Feature know it, a lot of time has passed. Life is sweeter now. It has helped me to slow down and enjoy my friends and family. It has given me the opportunity to make new friends. I go more places and enjoy volunteering for causes. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it still took a while for me to slow down, until I finally said, wow, maybe I can make a difference and help others. I helped to create a class called “Chemo with Style.” It was a fluke, because after I buzzed my hair I didn’t know what to do with my head. I started wearing turbans, scarves and pins during my treatments until my hair came back. Since there wasn’t a network of people to help me through this journey, along the way I met my friend Terry VannSchon. She and I founded “Chemo with Style,” a class that helps others with headwear. Truthfully, if I had not been diagnosed with breast cancer, I probably would have just kept up the fast pace. So yes, being diagnosed with cancer does make life sweeter.

W2W: What would you say to someone who just got the same diagnosis, and what do you wish someone would have said to you?

Paulette: If I could say one thing, that would be take one day at a time, just focus on that day. The other days will get there. I do believe the unknown is so scary, but the cards are dealt, and you just have to play it. If you start creating the “what ifs?” in your mind it doesn’t help you mentally or physically get through that day, and today is really all you are promised… Just one day and the one day that you get up. The next day after you are diagnosed, you wake up as a survivor, not five years after or ten years or two years. That next day—you are a survivor.

W2W: What do you want people to know about Paulette?

Paulette: That I made a difference and that I always “paid it forward” in hopes that others will too. For some of us, this is not the end of our lives, but the beginning of it!

I think those are words to live by, and before we finished lunch Paulette said those words and I thought them worth including for each of us. No matter what you have survived, don’t let it be your end. Let it be your beginning of a sweeter life!

All Survivor Photographs by Clark Berry Photography

W2W: What has been your best day?

Paulette: My first “Chemo with Style” class had to be the best day for me. Because a lot of the women who attended the class are young—seventeen to eighteen years old all the way up to seventy years old. Most of the ladies didn’t know what to do with their head without hair. They came to a class, felt the support, felt like they weren’t all alone and left with an idea on how to cover their head with style. Again, not having hair doesn’t define who you are, but it is important to most of those ladies. That one class was so

important to me, that it generated another class, and another, and to watch as people start to laugh and start talking and sharing...

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” — Bill Cosby www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

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Professional

Amy Kinard

Mother Baby Nurse, Wife and Mother

A

my Kinard is a beautiful young woman, a nurse at Lexington Medical Center on the Mother baby floor, and a survivor. She is an avid runner and unlike some of us, health conscious.

Yet, as we have seen so often, cancer is not a respecter of persons.

I liked Amy the moment I met her, even more so after the Survivor shoot when she tossed a baseball cap she had been wearing and flashed the camera a smile bright enough to compete with the professional lighting in the best studios, and I knew then that Amy Kinard was someone I could be friends with.

Over breakfast as I interviewed Amy, we laughed about motherhood and being busy women. She spoke of family and faith with a quiet dignity resounding in every word. A wonderful mother of three, Harrison (10), Bryce (9), and Ellie (5), inviting over neighbors to a “shaving party” as she started to loose her hair during chemotherapy, letting the children do the honors of buzzing it away instead.

W2W: Amy how do you feel about being a survivor?

Amy: I still don’t categorize myself as a survivor. When does being a survivor start? Does it start after chemo? Do you call yourself a survivor after the surgery? I know I am (a survivor) but it is hard to pin point the exact day you become a survivor.

W2W: I think the minute you wake up, the next morning after diagnosis and put your feet on the floor and decide that you are going to fight—that’s when you are a survivor. I don’t believe there’s a magic number, like you have to be cancer free for three years, or five years.

The reality is that some women choose not to fight, but because you chose to face it head on and scrap—that makes you a survivor.

Amy: In those terms, I decided from the beginning there wasn’t anything I could do to change this, so from then on I started trying to make it as easy as possible to get through it. I have small children and I have a life to live, and I certainly wasn’t going to let this cancer interfere with my life … I wasn’t going to stop going to baseball games, football games or cheerleading events. I wanted my kids to know that I was there—sick or not. I just didn’t let it get in the way.

W2W: Tell me how you told your children.

Amy: We waited a couple of weeks, but I think they sensed something was wrong. We were having a lot of hushed conversations and I didn’t want them to hear it from someone else at church or anywhere else; and we chose to speak with each of our children individually so that the needs of each individual child were met. Kids do see (cancer) as a death sentence. That is what they see on TV and that is how the media portrays it, so that was a big fear, one they wanted to know. Could they catch it, can they still touch me, kiss me, was it contagious? They were sad because they knew I was going to feel bad.

We bought books and we talked about it and made it as light and as

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

Real Women

Photograph by Clark Berry Photography

fun as cancer can be. We just let them know that we were going to be fine. I think this has truly been a life lesson for them, to see me. I knew that the way I reacted and how I responded was going to affect how they responded. I couldn’t lie on the sofa and cry … because I knew they were watching everything I did. I knew I had to be strong for them… we’ve cried together, and they know that there are times when mommy is sad, and when mommy doesn’t feel good. But for the most part they have seen how strong my faith has been, how people have come in from church and helped out and brought food, and they would ask, “Why are they doing that?” And I would say because they care about us. So I think it has been a lesson for all of us. We attend Lexington Baptist Church, and the support has been amazing. We are in a big Sunday school class and all of it has been overwhelming.

W2W: What are three things, Amy, that you feel were crucial to you understanding that you would and will continue to survive?

Amy: That’s a hard question…The biggest thing was my faith- Faith in God. That he was taking me down this path for a reason, I didn’t understand it and I didn’t like it but there wasn’t anything I could do to change it. And that strength made me realize that I was going to fight this and I wasn’t going to let it win.

Having the knowledge being a nurse, one, I could process all this stuff, I knew how to decipher this information, and it was still new information. It wasn’t always stuff I knew about but I knew enough

to process it and to educate myself, hearing what the doctors had to say, Dr. Jones would say, “Amy, take it day by day, week by week, month by month, and we’ll just step by step make it through it.” He was a big eye opener in helping me understand I am not the only one going through this. That’s two. I will have to think on the third one.

W2W: Were you giving yourself exams, or did you go for a mammogram.

Amy: I went for my regular OBGYN appointment in January, and he said, “You are 34. You have to get your baseline mammogram at 35.” I said, “35? I thought baseline mammograms were supposed to be done at 40.” He said, “No, now its 35. So call me in July and I will write you a prescription to have it done.” So I said okay.

My girlfriend had been diagnosed in May and she works at the hospital. She was also 34. I thought why her? She had young children—a two year old and a four year old—and that prompted me to start doing self breast exams. I found a lump and I thought it was

“You can get mad, you can cry, you can kick, you can scream, you can not love God, you can love God, but there is nothing you can do to change it.” a sympathy lump. I thought, “That is not what this is,” so I waited and did another self breast exam. When I found it was there, I still thought it was nothing. I called the doctor and said I found a lump… I thought I could talk myself out of having it. It was the size of my thumb.

W2W: During this interview process, I have learned that most of the survivors I have spoken with found it themselves, not a mammogram.

Amy: The most important thing I feel is being aware of your body.

I think a lot of people just don’t want to know. I have so many girlfriends who have said they have never had a mammogram, because they just don’t want to know. They just don’t want to go through it, and I tell them it’s not that bad, it’s not that bad.

Amy: No family history, no risk factors but I still tested positive for breast cancer. Cancer is blind. It is so random and sporadic. The American Cancer society has a whole list of risk factors: being over weight, over thirty five. I didn’t have any of the risk factors, but I still had breast cancer. My family has a history of heart disease. I am a runner. I ran because I knew I wanted my heart to be healthy. At 34, I was the healthiest I had been in my life. Yet, I still had breast cancer.

W2W: Can you share something, Amy, that would help make this journey easier for some one else who has received your same diagnosis?

Amy: You can’t change it. You can get mad, you can cry, you can kick, you can scream, you can not love God, you can love God, but there is nothing you can do to change it. If you get a lump and you find out it is cancer, you can’t change it … you can’t wish it away, you can’t make it go away, and so what are you going to do about it? Are you going to sit there and cry and feel sorry for yourself, or are you going to pick yourself up and go on with your life? That is what you have to do. You have to make that decision. I was not going to be a sick person, I was not going to have a pity party. And there were days when I had a pity party, and there were days when I was mad, but I never questioned why did this happen to me. I knew God had a plan for me. Did I like it? No. I just knew I couldn’t change it. It is what it is. And Dr. Jones did say to take it day by day, week by week.

Each week my strength is coming back little by little.

W2W: Years from now, if someone picked this up who didn’t know you, what would you want them to say about Amy Kinard? (We knew being modest as she is, this was another tough one for Amy.) Amy: That I am a great mom. That I love my kids and I put family first.

All Survivor Photographs by Clark Berry Photography

W2W: And now women live. Sixty years ago they didn’t, but today

they do. This might be another hard one. What is the most valuable thing you have taken from this experience?

Amy: My own self strength, and I don’t like to look at myself that way. I am a modest person and I don’t like for a big deal to be made about it. I have just really found out exactly who I am. I feel like I have grown up. Even though I have had small children, I’m a grown up now, I’m old. I’m 35, and I knew 35 was going to be a tough year—I just didn’t know it was going to be this tough. I feel like an adult. I feel like I have grown up. I am a stronger person and nothing can stop me now!

www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

17

Diane Conyers Wife and Mother

D

iane is the kind of woman that glows from the inside out, much like our other survivors; I knew the day that I met her that there was something special about this woman. When I first saw Diane I had no idea that she was in the middle of treatment. I attributed her short red locks to “a hip hair style.” Chemotherapy never entered my mind. She never frowned, and always seemed to be surrounded by people who were smiling and laughing so naturally I had no reason to suspect that this lovely lady with a sweet disposition was going through the most difficult trial of her life.

Diane has been married for 34 years to the same man, and has two children and four precious grandchildren.

We wanted to know how Diane feels about surviving cancer.

“It feels wonderful to be a survivor. When I first heard the words breast cancer, I thought I would die. I thought that would be the end of my life. Before I was diagnosed, it was not something I ever thought of, it was as if I had never heard the words before. Shocking to say the least, now I feel as if I am a different person than I used to be.”

I asked Diane what the most difficult part of her journey was, her quiet spoken words even now forming tears in the soft glow of her amber colored eyes. “Giving my husband the news was the hardest part for me. We cried together. Losing my hair was as bad as losing my breasts, because a woman’s hair is her glory. After the bilateral

I felt a terrible sense of loss, initially. However my appearance became the most unimportant thing. Living takes precedence, much more than the physical, and (facing cancer) you get your priorities straight very quickly.”

W2W: “What do you feel was crucial to your understanding that you would and will continue to survive cancer?”

Diane: “I think the most important thing was quick action. The doctors acted very promptly with my course of treatment. Once it was determined that a lumpectomy would not be sufficient, that I had to have a double mastectomy, I never had a second thought. I knew that moving forward with that would farther my chances of survival. I believe going to my treatments and being dedicated to doing exactly what the doctor instructed me to do, not missing the chemo or the radiation, all those things worked together to make me a survivor.

The most important thing was knowing God had a hand in this, more than anything else. My faith has had a tremendous impact on me being where I am today. I have been told by so many people that I had a glow about me, in the midst of all this tragedy.

I have a relationship with the Lord that even grew deeper because all I had to rely on was my faith in God. God was and remains in control in my life.

Even though I felt that everything was going to be fine and the doctors said everything is going to be fine, there was still something in the back of my mind that said “you could die.” I prayed, ‘I don’t wanna die; I don’t wanna leave my family,’ and I prepared myself for that next step if I had to take that journey.”

W2W: What have you taken from this experience?

Diane: “We are all so busy in our everyday life, we take little things for granted, and you learn to slow down and things that might have seemed important before are not important any more. You look at the big picture in life. I believe I am a different person, a much stronger person, a happier person, something has been taken away from me, but I’ve have been given an opportunity to appreciate life again, I have a heart of sympathy and love for other people, I may see a stranger walking down the street and my heart will just go out to that person, before I may not have given that stranger a second thought. After cancer your priorities change.”

W2W: Diane, do you have a best day that you would like to share.

Diane: “The day I was told I was cancer free for the first time, was my best day. It was like you get up the next morning and the sun is shining and the world is new and different than yesterday when you woke up and were unsure about your future. Today is the day you know everything is going to be okay.”

Photograph by Clark Berry Photography

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

Real Women

“I would like to say one more thing, I want to tell other ladies there are survivors, there are treatments, don’t determine before you have

“We are all so busy in our everyday life, we take little things for granted, and you learn to slow down and things that might have seemed important before are not important any more.” educated yourself that you are going to die, just because you are diagnosed with cancer, it doesn’t mean this is the end of the world.

You can survive.

All Survivor Photographs by Clark Berry Photography

Find a support group where other women have experienced the same things you have, or may be experiencing them currently. In this setting these women aren’t afraid to discuss things you may be

going through, to discuss the things you may not want to discuss with your family. So many people showed their love and concern through cards, letters, kindness, and such a humbling outpouring of support from family and friends in the community meant a great deal to me.”

Diane left us with this nugget, “Have your mammogram once a year yes, but please check yourself. I had had mammograms six months apart for two years prior to finding my lump. I was never told of any irregularities, and in July, I found a lump through a self breast exam.

If I had not found that lump myself, how much longer would I have went without having it rechecked? Don’t rely on a once a year mammogram. Self Breast Exams are so important and it takes only a few minutes once a month. The earlier cancer is detected the greater the chance of survival.”

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”

— Maya Angelou

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.’” — Eleanor Roosevelt

www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

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Health & Wellness

Martha Shealy

Carolina Springs Middle, 6th grade English Language Arts Teacher

“I

met with Mrs. Martha Shealy during her planning period at Carolina Springs Middle School. With an infectious smile and a very real concern for women of all ages, it was a pleasure to sit and chat with her. I have been hearing all year about what a great teacher, Mrs. Shealy is (she is my son’s English teacher). When I found out she was a survivor, that was a perfect reason to visit with this lady whom my son speaks so well about and who is very obviously affecting my own family in a positive light. I asked Trey for a quote about Mrs. Martha Shealy, this is what he had to say, “Mrs. Shealy is the kind of teacher who really cares about learning from us (her students) and making sure we learn from her. She has a way of making the things I don’t really like, interesting.” Here is what she had to say about being a Survivor.

W2W: How does it feel to be a survivor?

Martha: Like I can conquer the world! If I have pulled through… this menacing disease, that most of us are experiencing in our lives, at some point or another, either ourselves or through friends and relatives, and I can conquer it, I feel like I can take on the world.

I can’t… but I do feel like I can. I do feel like nothing can keep me down for having gone through this.

Diagnosis: Feb 2005 W2W: When did you tell your children about the diagnosis?

Martha: My husband and I sat them down and told them together, and we told them I would be fine. Because I knew I would be. It would require surgery and Chemotherapy, but in the long run ev-

erything would be great. I needed this medical procedure and prescriptive chemotherapy in order to be healthy.

W2W: What are three things that you feel were crucial to your understanding that you would and will continue to be a Survivor?

Martha: Prayer foremost—prayer and my faith. Secondly, my attitude, my husband, family and friends. I’m not sure if I have these out of order or not—I guess my husband would have to be second.

My husband allowed me to have a good attitude. He was right there helping me—my partner—he was there through all of it, the doctor visits and the treatment. He was the best one to do that because he

“This has been a good thing for me and for all the women in my life.” was my partner. For anyone else to take me to all the places that he did, for all my visits and my follow-ups and my chemo therapy.….

But he was there for all my initial visits, oncologists, plastic surgeon, gastro endocrinologists. He was right there, so I have to give him credit for helping me form my attitude about getting through it.

W2W: Was it devastating?

Martha: Yes, absolutely devastating, but I looked around and so many other people had worse situations than mine, and mine was going to be just fine. I knew that. So why get bogged down?

When I was diagnosed with not just one but with two cancers, my knowledge was, “Okay, this is beatable.” I didn’t even consider the fact that I was not going to pull through. After two or three visits with my surgeon, I thought, well I better ask. So I did say, “This is not going to take my life is it?” And he just kind of laughed and said “oh no, no.”…. I had no fear of losing my life. I thought that is something I need to clear up.

W2W: Was it your faith? Or what made you feel like this was something you could beat?

Martha: I honestly think it was because I had done those things that women should do. I was having regular mammograms, and I knew that something so devastating as to take my life would not have appeared over night. The facts that I knew them to be were clearly in my favor, and of course knowing I had the support and prayers of family and friends all over the country and possibly all over the world. My niece’s father-in-law is bishop in the United Methodist Church, and he had contacted the bishops and of course people all over Lexington. I heard about it through word of mouth from teachers with whom I was teaching. So, I had no doubt—no doubt at all.

I do know that I have two daughters, and I need to be sure and make them aware that at every age, nowadays a young woman can be vulnerable. You can turn something like this into a positive thing by

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Celebrating, Motivating and Educating

Real Women

Health & Wellness knowing you can become a healthier person by being familiar with symptoms and what to look for; and I have to look at it in that way.

This has been a good thing for me and for all the women in my life.

W2W: What is the most valuable thing you have taken from this experience?

Martha:I have to say that I have come to know God’s healing hands.

I can get teary. I turn to scripture. Even when you know things are going to be okay, you still need a little motivation—a little encouragement and a nudge from your Father. You need more knowledge of scripture and how God’s healing hands are there—not just for myself and my family—but for others as well.

Also, (realizing) a sense of (my own) perseverance to continue to go on. I have accomplished a lot since my diagnosis, in terms of graduate credit, graduate courses, things that I had to do that I had already committed to before my diagnosis. I was looking at some of the things that I have done in professional development since I’ve been teaching, and a majority of them have been done since my diagnosis. I don’t know if I was just trying to prove something—I don’t think so. For my children, sometimes, when they are facing things, I have them look around ... and try to see things as they could be in spite of what is in our lives. We can keep the attitude, faith and perseverance to continue forward and not let things get us down.

Throughout my diagnosis and chemo and so forth, I would just tell my friends who called and asked about me, “Oh this is really just a bump in the road,” and it really is. It is just a bump in the road, but we grow from our hardships. We become stronger, more resilient, yet remain that compassionate person because we have been there; and we can understand, and we can give ourselves in a way that maybe we could not have before.

(I would also want them to know) that there is so much hope. There is so much going into research and that things are different today in 2007 than they were in 2005. There is so much more in terms of medical knowledge, so there is no reason not to have hope if you have taken care of yourselves all along and done your monthly breast exams. There is no reason not to believe everything will be fine and it will be!

I am strong, not all by myself. I am a strong woman, and I do have my faith, and I do have my Lord who I call on fifty times a day. It is through Him that I can be so strong, and that does not mean that I do things right all the time; but I am strong, and I can help others by having been at a place in my life where I’ve had to pull myself up.

All Survivor Photographs by Clark Berry Photography

W2W: What is something you could share with a woman who just received the diagnosis?

Martha: Continue to put your best foot forward, every step of every day. If you are used to dressing a certain way, then you have to continue to dress that way, no matter how tired or depressed you might feel. You have to always be your best, look your best and you will feel your best. Get your hair done. Get your nails done. Continue to do those things. When I chose my wig, I went with a sassy red one.

Just keep on being your best. Your better attitude will evolve from all that.

www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

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“Stopping The Madness!”

By Carol A. Ryall

W

omen…we do it all, often to the point of exhaustion. It’s enough to drive us mad. Sometimes it does. Burned-out, stressed-out, depressed, tired, we soldier on.

Tina Wilkerson, owner of Elite Personal Training Studio, regularly deals with women who feel this way. After 10 years as a personal trainer, she says,“ Many women are overworked and overwhelmed.

We take care of everyone else except ourselves…then we hit mid-life and suffer the emotional and physical consequences.”

Wilkerson says, “Most women initially come to me because they have gained weight. When I dig deeper I find that some are also depressed, on several medications and near the raggedy edge. I know I will have to consider more than just calories or exercise in order to help this woman reach her goals.”

While exercise and dietary changes are addressed by most fitness professionals, Wilkerson encourages her clients to go beyond those basics. “I have identified 10 issues that directly affect a woman’s ability to move better, look better, feel better and be better.”

To address those issues, her “Elite Wellness Program” provides three customized plans for each client. She provides a personalized exercise plan, a guided system for optimal eating and a lifestyle plan. The lifestyle component addresses the other factors that she has found to be crucial to a woman’s overall wellness, such as sufficient sleep, recreation and sun exposure, as well as exposure to food-allergens, environmental toxins and female hormone disruptors.

“Look at everything women manage…it’s no surprise we are tired, overweight, and sometimes depressed or anxious. Unfortunately, we often overlook the most humble and obvious solutions. We may even be led to think we have a “chemical imbalance” or need some kind of pill to help us. But, it’s my opinion that we need to consider other solutions, especially since the most commonly prescribed antidepressants and forms of hormone therapy might actually increase a woman’s risks for depression and weight gain.”

Wilkerson encourages clients to consider tools that support the body’s natural ability to heal and keep a healthy balance. “Eating right and exercise have known benefits, but most women do not realize the profound effect that things like blood-sugar, inflammation, gut health, sun exposure or pH levels have on your mood and your ability to be happy and manage stress.”

Dr. Jessica Floyd, M.D., a board-certified neurologist in West Columbia, says “We live in a culture that tells us to look outside of ourselves for the solutions to our problems, and for most people that looks like a visit to the doctor. But, the body does have a natural ability to heal itself, and oftentimes we simply need to support those mechanisms for relief. There are many tools found in nature and in lifestyle approaches that have well-documented benefits and should be considered for optimal results. I encourage my patients to also use those tools.”

Those same tools have been used by clients at Elite Personal Training, and with life-changing results.

Client Steffanie Gonzales, states: “When I first came to Tina, I was struggling with physical and emotional issues. I was worn down and depressed from years of not feeling good. Tina helped me zero in on the root of many of my problems and helped me address them. I have been able to get off of some medications, get rid of my back pain, gain energy and come into a great place in life, only because of her ability to address both emotional and physical problems and the link between them.”

Client Heather Mattingly, says: “I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and a host of other issues.

Every day was debilitating fatigue and joint pain. It’s now been over a year and a half with Tina and I am stronger, tougher and able to push myself more each day. I do things I never dreamed I could ever do. I have to say, I am finally living life like it should be lived. I could not have done this without her!”

Wilkerson says, “I want to help women grow bolder, not older. I see the evidence of supporting the body’s natural ability to move better, look better, feel better and be better. Being tired, depressed and on medications to manage symptoms is not how we were made to live. Let’s stop the madness. We were made to have emotional health and physical wellness, and we can have it!”

Contact Tina to learn more about her services by calling 803-749-4279 or by visiting www.elitepersonaltrainingstudio.com.

She wishes that doctors would more often address these issues.

But she is encouraged to see glimpses of more comprehensive approaches in the medical community. Earlier this year, she had the privilege to speak alongside a local physician who is committed to identifying underlying causes and encouraging comprehensive forms of therapy. www.lexingtonwomanonline.com

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Health & Wellness

Lexington Medical Center Offers Dissolvable Heart Stents for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Standing L to R: Joseph Lawton III, MD, FACC, FSCAI; Michael Roberts, MD, FACC; Robert Malanuk, MD, FACC; Amy Epps, MD, FACC; Mitchell Jacocks, MD; Brandon Drafts, MD, FACC; William Brabham, MD, FHRS; Robert Leonardi, MD, FACC, FSCAI Seated L to R: Taylor Williams, MD, FACC; Stanley Juk Jr., MD, FACC; William Brearley Jr., MD, FACC; Stephen Van Horn Jr., MD, FACC

Lexington Medical Center has become the first hospital in the Midlands to offer patients with coronary artery disease a first-of-its-kind fully dissolving heart stent. Called the most significant advancement in cardiology since stenting began decades ago, these new stents repair clogged arteries until they heal and then gradually dissolve into the body.

Lexington Medical Center implanted its first dissolvable stent in a patient this fall – and the hospital is

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one of only about 50 facilities across the nation using this technology.

While heart stents are traditionally metal, this new type of stent is made of naturally dissolving material, similar to dissolving sutures. Described as a vascular scaffolding system, it fully restores the artery and dissolves completely, after it has done its job of keeping a clogged artery open and promoting healing of the treated artery segment.

Studies show arteries remain open and healthy for long periods of time after the stents dissolve. By contrast, metal stents are permanent implants.

Similar to a cast on a broken bone, a clogged artery that’s been cleared only needs support for several months until it can heal and can stay open on its own. After that, a metal stent serves no additional purpose. In fact, a metal stent can hinder future cardiac interventions.

prevent the artery from narrowing again. The third option is now dissolvable stents; like drug-eluting stents, dissolvable stents also have medicine to halt the growth of plaque in the artery.

Lexington Medical Center is committed to offering comprehensive cardiovascular care. Heart disease is an epidemic in South Carolina.

One out of every three people in our state dies from cardiovascular disease. In fact, more people die from heart disease than all forms of cancer combined.

For more information on cardiovascular care at Lexington Medical Center, visit LexMed.com/Heart.

“We are pleased to be able to offer the next generation of stent technology to our patients at Lexington Medical Center,” said Robert Malanuk, MD, FACC, cardiologist with Lexington Cardiology, a Lexington Medical Center physician practice. “Composed of naturally dissolving material, these stents will dissolve fully in three years. They offer clear advantages for many heart patients.”

The cardiologists at Lexington Cardiology have received special training to implant these devices.

The hospital is using the Absorb GTI™ bioresorbable vascular scaffold system made by Abbott, the world’s first FDA-approved dissolving heart stent.

Patients must meet specific criteria to be eligible for a dissolvable stent. Factors include anatomy, the makeup of the lesion, size of the artery and degree of calcification.

Coronary artery disease affects 15 million people in the United States and remains a leading cause of death around the world. It occurs when fat, cholesterol and other things in the blood build up in arteries, causing the heart to not get enough blood and oxygen.

There are three stent options for blocked arteries. The first is bare metal stents, developed in the 1980’s. The second is drug-eluting stents, developed in the early 2000’s, which are coated with medicine that helps to

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From bathing to backgammon, this is home care.

We are caregivers.

And more.

At FirstLight™ the care we provide goes beyond the basics of bathing, house cleaning and medication reminders. If you or your loved one want to work in the garden or play a game of backgammon, we’re there. We provide care for seniors, people with disabilities, and those recovering from surgery. Call us to learn the many ways we can help.

Schedule a complimentary consultation today.

803-356-0916 Columbia.FirstLightHomeCare.com 28

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Art and Entertainment

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Mitchell House and Gardens.................5 mitchellhouseandgardens.com

Theresa Miley - State Farm...................12 theresamiley.com

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Jean Perrin Derrick...............................23

Gateway Supply Co..................................8 gatewaysupply.net

Dental Services Dr. Carol French .....................................9 drcarolfrench.com

S&S Landscape Services..........................8

Midlands Pediatric Dentistry ..............12

Grace Animal Hospital...........................8

Whitehead Orthodontics ....................22 whiteheadortho.com

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millcreekanimalhospital.com

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beehealthyclinics.com

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Dynamic Health and Fitness.................28 dynamichealthclub.com Elite Personal Training..........................22

Millcreek Animal Hospital...................23

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elitepersonaltrainingstudio.com Graphic Design

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McDonalds...............................................9

Carolina Women’s Physicians................7 carolinawomensphysicians.com

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Envision Family EyeCare......................28 eyecarelexingtonsc.com

Columbia Presbyterian Community ...........................29 preshomessc.org

lexmed.com Vital Energy Rehab Center...................24 vitalenergytherapy.com Hotels Comfort Suites......................................12 comfortsuiteslexington.com Wingate by Wyndham..........................23 comfortsuiteslexington.com Homecare FirstLight Home Care............................28 firstlighthomecare.com Home Services

Standing the Test of Time

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Retirement Community

Wellmore..................................................3 Well-more.com Therapists Carolina Behavior & Beyond................24 carolinabehaviorandbeyond.com Jill Smith...................................................9 jillsmiththerapy.com

With compassion and a dedication to enriching the quality of life for seniors, The Columbia Presbyterian Community has reliably served the Midlands area since 1986. Longevity, innovation, accountability … those are the marks of a trusted retirement lifestyle that will stand the test of time.

Come discover an active, maintenancefree lifestyle in a community where residents enjoy: ✤ Spacious and well-planned patio homes and apartments ✤ Affordable entrance and monthly service fees ✤ Life enrichment opportunities for travel, new friends, social and cultural events, and volunteering ✤ Security for today … peace of mind for tomorrow

Call to schedule a visit – we’ll even treat you to lunch!

Winery Mercer House Estate................................9 mercerhouseestatewinery.com

700 DaVega Drive Lexington, SC 29073

Pool Rx....................................................24 poolrxsc.com

(803) 796-8700

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29

Vivian West, cancer survivor since 2012, with Paula Cox, nurse practitioner

It’s Our Fight, Too.

No one should face cancer alone. At Lexington Medical Cancer Center, our team of medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, radiologists and pathologists takes a comprehensive approach to cancer care. We work together every day to achieve the best possible outcomes.

At Lexington Medical Cancer Center, cancer isn’t just the fight of your life. It’s our fight, too.

LexMedCancer.com