OurHealth Roanoke & New River Valleys Apr/May 2012 Edition

Southwest Virginia edition • Volume VI • Issue III 2012

Celebrating Caregivers in Our Communities Also inside: Swimming Pools, Splash Parks, and Summer Camps, Oh My! Dental Veneers Keep Roanokers Smiling Bluetooth® Technology Benefits Hearing Devices

H E A L T H Y

L I V I N G

L I F E S T Y L E S

McClintic Media, Inc. PUBLISHER

Stephen C. McClintic, Jr.

PRESIDENT AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Angela Holmes ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Josh M. Holmes

VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

Jenny Hungate

PRODUCTION MANAGER EDITORIAL

Rod Belcher

John Buyer, DDS James Chandler, MD Rich Ellis, Jr.

Vote for your favorite senior services in the

WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS Sheila Ellis-Draper Tricia Foley, RD, MS Dennis Garvin, MD David Killeen, DO

Cameron May Laura Neff-Henderson Gregory Zachmann, MD

ART

ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHY

AND EDITING

GRAPHIC DESIGN

WEB

McClintic Media, Inc. Kevin Hurley Photography Idea Garden, Inc. Idea Garden, Inc. Ryan Dohrn SALES

Fourth Annual

Blue Ridge Best of:

Retirement Living Awards To vote, visit

www.ourhealthvirginia.com

Polls are open June 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012!

Winners will be announced in the October/November 2012 edition

Kim Wood 540.798.2504 kimwood@mcclinticmedia.com

@ourhealthmag COMMENTS/FEEDBACK/QUESTIONS Our Health Magazine, Inc. welcomes your feedback. Please send your comments and/or questions to: “Letters,” Our Health magazine, Inc. 305 Colorado Street • Salem, VA 24153, 540.387.6482 or you may send via email to steve@ourhealthvirginia.com.

Information in this magazine is for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to replace medical or health advice of an individual’s physician or healthcare provider as it relates to individual situations. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ALTER ANY MEDICAL TREATMENT WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF YOUR DOCTOR. All matters concerning physical and mental health should be supervised by a health practitioner knowledgeable in treating that particular condition. The publisher does not directly or indirectly dispense medical advice and does not assume any responsibility for those who choose to treat themselves. The publisher has taken reasonable precaution in preparing this publication, however, the publisher does not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.

Copyright © 2012 by Our Health magazine, Inc. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Our Health is published bimonthly by Our Health magazine, Inc. 305 Colorado Street, Salem, VA 24153, P: 540.387.6482 F: 540.387.6483. www.ourhealthvirginia.com. Advertising rates upon request.

contents cover feature

Caregivers in Our Communities 23

Celebrating

ongoing departments 12

Medi • cabu • lary + Just Ask!

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The Latest

local healthcare questions answered and medical terms explained

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new physicians, providers, locations and upcoming events 19

Happy Face, Happy Mouth

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Leading Edge

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Health and Fitness

45

Living with Allergies

51

Kid’s Care

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The Science of Sleep

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Financial Health

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Senior Health and Living

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dental veneers keep patients smiling rebuilding people’s lives

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nutrition for outdoor activities spring weather brings early onset of allergies for many swimming pools, splash parks, and summer camps. oh my! an eye-opening (and closed) look at my personal sleep study experience small business benefits adapt to the new “normal” for the economy bluetooth® technology benefits hearing devices

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medi•cabu•lary + just ask!

medi•cabu•lary the language of healthcare explained

What is Gum Grafting?

just ask!

Gum grafting is the common term for correcting gingival defects. The gums are a special type of soft tissue that is high in collagen. Collagen fibers add strength and resilience to the tissues that surround and protect teeth. When the collagen-rich tissue is absent, there is no protective barrier around the teeth and they become predisposed to recession.

Recession of the gums exposes the root surfaces. The roots are more susceptible to decay, sensitivity, can alter smiles and can result in permanent tooth attachment loss and tooth mobility. Correcting gingival defects is a predictable periodontal plastic surgery procedure. In some cases, the gingival graft can correct the recession by covering the roots. In other cases, the procedure augments the gums to prevent recession.

There are many techniques and materials to correct gingival defects. The most exciting advances in gingival grafting are the growth factor mediated gingival augmentation procedures. We can now add cell signaling products to promote and/or accelerate gingival attachment to root surfaces. The periodontist is the specialist that is trained in correcting

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gingival recession. This is a case where there was no protection around the teeth and the tissues are receding. It was corrected with a soft tissue graft.

John Buyer, DDS New River Periodontics Blacksburg 540.951.4848

What is the difference between a high and low ankle sprain?

A low ankle sprain is very common, involves the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle, and usually resolves in a few months.

A high ankle sprain is less common, and potentially more serious, as it involves the ligaments joining the two leg bones together. It takes much longer to resolve, and occasionally requires surgery. Any injury where bearing weight is too painful should be evaluated.

James Chandler, MD Carilion Clinic Orthopaedics Roanoke 540.224.5170

What is the uvula and what purpose does it serve?

The uvula is the structure seen hanging down from the soft palate in the middle of the throat at the back of the mouth.

It gets blamed for causing snoring, and is sometimes removed to treat snoring.

Unfortunately, other structures can often contribute to snoring or more severe conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea, can fail to respond to removing the uvula. It is also painful to remove. Why is it there in the first place? The palate and uvula serve to help direct airflow through the nose down to the voicebox and lungs.

These structures serve as a valve to close off the nasal airway when speaking or swallowing, so that things do not go up the nose. My kids can still have this happen if they laugh too hard while drinking.

While we do not use the uvula much with speaking English, other languages, such as Spanish, French and Hebrew, use ”uvular consonants”. “Drilling your r’s” in Spanish is a typical use. The uvula is also active in yodeling. The uvula can occasionally swell up, most commonly from being sucked down the throat while snoring, or stretched during upper endoscopies.

Gregory C. Zachmann, MD, F.A.C.S. Jefferson Surgical Clinic Roanoke 540.283.6013

Why does fluid on the lungs commonly cause pneumonia?

Are you more likely to get kidney stones in one or both kidneys?

Fluid in or around the lungs occupies space that would normally be occupied by normal lung tissue. The effect is a compression of the lung tissue which prevents the routine secretion clearance. When secretions pool in the lungs, this becomes a great place for bacteria to collect and grow. Once bacteria starts to grow in the lungs, this results in pneumonia.

Most people who suffer from symptomatic kidney stones have stones in both kidneys. This is because most causes for kidney stones will affect both kidneys equally. However, there are some people who will only have stones on one side or the other. Much of the time this is because there is some structural issue with the affected kidney, such as scar tissue which slows the flow of urine out of that kidney.

Rarely, we will see people who only have stones in one kidney, or they have stones in both kidneys but have only passed stones out of one of the kidneys.

David J. Killeen, DO LewisGale Physicians Salem 540.772.3540

www.ourhealthvirginia.com

Dennis Garvin, MD Urologic Surgery, PC Salem 540.444.4670

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the latest

the latest

new physicians, providers, locations and upcoming events

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Jose M. Rivero, MD Carilion Clinic Cardiology 540.382.6711 Christiansburg

Richard Weiss, MD Carilion Clinic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Randall Ruppel, MD Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital Pediatric Critical Care 540.266.6345 Roanoke

Joseph Brandon Coates, MD Carilion Clinic VelocityCare 540.772.8670 Roanoke

John Sedovy, MD Carilion Clinic General Surgery 540.463.7108 Lexington

Joseph M. Ferrara, MD Carilion Clinic Neurology 540.224.5170 Roanoke

Jason R. Foerst, MD Carilion Clinic Cardiology 540.982.8204 Roanoke

Janine Talty, DO PCA Lee-Hi Medical Center Family Medicine 540.776.5656 Salem

Tim Glebus Optima Health Regional Sales Manager 540.562.8222 Roanoke

Ashley Austin Optima Health Account Executive 540.562.8222 Roanoke

Mark A. Rowley, MD LewisGale Physicians Orthopaedic Surgery 540.772.3530 Salem

Edward S. Stanton, MD LewisGale Physicians General Surgery 540.862.7181 Low Moor

Gregory W. Evers, D.O. Physician Associates of Virginia Internal Medicine 540.345.4946 Roanoke

Michelle Bushnell O’Neil, PA-C LewisGale Physicians Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine 540.951.6000 Blacksburg

William Blaylock, MD LewisGale Physicians Rheumatology 540.772.3707 Westlake

Tammy S. Terry, FNP LewisGale Physicians Primary Care & Walk-in Clinic 540.443.3980 Blacksburg

Misti Williams, MS, LCGC LewisGale Regional Health System Genetic Counselor 540.776.4963 Salem

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the latest

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the latest

Blacksburg resident Kathleen Werner appointed to national survivor coalition board of directors There are more than a quarter of a million young women living in the U.S. today who were diagnosed with breast cancer before their 41st birthday. To strengthen its ability to reach more of these young women, Young Survival Coalition (YSC) has added Blacksburg resident Kathleen “Kat” Werner to its Board of Directors.

Werner serves as a full-time advocate and consultant working with various organizations, including YSC, the National Institute of Health (NIH), Cochrane Collaboration, American Cancer Society, Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation, Research Advocacy Network, the National Cancer Institute and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to bring awareness to the unique issues being faced by young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Kat uses her advanced training and knowledge to help organizations develop public policy regarding cancer research for young women. She is a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD Institute, Research Advocacy Network Focus on Research, American Association for Cancer Research’s Scientist – Survivor program, and the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation. A six-year breast cancer survivor and patient navigator, Kat brings a determined approach to her work as a consumer advocate in conducting grant reviews, as a research consultant and as a member of several ethics review boards. In addition to her role as a tireless advocate, Kat has served on several symposiums and often speaks publically about issues

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facing the breast cancer community. Kat earned her B.A. from William and Mary College.

“A well-respected figure in the breast cancer community, Kat’s advocacy background is an asset to both YSC and the young women we serve,” says Lisa J. Frank, Board President, YSC Founding Member, three-time breast cancer survivor and Cofounder of YSC Tour de Pink. “Kat’s accomplishments will help us achieve our mission of generating public support for a community that people are often not aware exists: young women diagnosed with breast cancer.”

About Young Survival Coalition (YSC) Established in 1998, Young Survival Coalition (YSC) was the first nonprofit organization to focus exclusively on the unique needs of young women affected by breast cancer. Founded by young survivors for young survivors, YSC began as a grassroots organization to advocate on behalf of all young women diagnosed with breast cancer to increase their quality and quantity of life. Based in New York City, with 23 affiliates nationwide, YSC today provides comprehensive resources, support and education to address every phase of a young woman’s breast cancer experience. YSC is well known for its four national Tour de Pink® rides for breast cancer; regional In Living Pink events; ResourceLink program; as well as educational materials such as its Newly Diagnosed Resource Kit (NDRK), Metastatic Navigator and its Factor Series on topics such as fertility, genetics and breast reconstruction. It also co-presents the C4YW — Annual Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer. For more information or to make a donation, please visit: www.youngsurvival.org.

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happy mouth, happy face

Dental Veneers Keep Patients Smiling Words [ Rod Belcher ] Photo [ Kevin Hurley Photography ]

Vicki Lionberger is smiling more these days than she has in a long, long time. Lionberger’s career is in medical sales, and like many sales people, she makes a living through networking and face to face contacts. One thing she wanted for a long time was a brighter, clearer smile.

“I always wished my teeth were whiter,” she says, “but you could always tell where the accident had occurred.”

When Lionberger was younger, an accident sheered off two-thirds of her front four teeth. At that time, the dentist she was seeing was only able to use a dental compound to replace the missing parts of her front teeth.

“I called it bondo,” she laughs. “It was what they could do at the time.”

However, the process, while repairing her teeth, didn’t conceal the difference between the remaining teeth and the added material. There were issues of discoloration between the two. Fortunately, another

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avenue of treatment became available to Lionberger, a process called dental veneers.

“Veneers are ideal for patients that are looking to make slight changes to the shape, size, or color of their teeth,” Dr. Mills says.

Veneers are a thin layer of restorative material placed over the surface of a tooth. They are designed to improve or alter the appearance of a tooth or to protect the damaged surface of a tooth. They were first invented to allow for cosmetic changes in the appearance of an actor’s mouth and were held on by denture adhesive; they were not intended to remain on longer than an actor’s performance. Today, veneers provide another cosmetic option for dental patients looking to feel less self-conscious about the appearance of their teeth.

The differences between a veneer procedure and getting a tooth crowned are in the coverage and preparation of the teeth, says Dr. Michele M. Mills, a partner in Mills & Shannon Dentistry.

“A dental veneer requires very little reduction of the natural tooth on the front surface,” Mills explains. “A crown covers the entire tooth and requires more reduction. Veneers are more brittle than crowns because they are much thinner.”

Mills and her partner and husband, Dr. Travis M. Shannon, are general dentists who have had their own private practice in Salem since January 2008. Both doctors have training and experience with prosthodontics, such as crowns, bridges, implants, partials and veneers, as well as with cosmetic dentistry.

“Veneers are ideal for patients that are looking to make slight changes to the shape, size, or color of their teeth,” Dr. Mills says. “Some teeth do not respond well to tooth whitening and veneers would be a great option for these patients.”

For Lionberger, this was a very positive new option to her dental problem. The old use of dental compound had created a discoloring effect that was noticeable.

The complete veneer procedure takes several visits to the dentist’s office, according to Dr. Mills.

“It takes 3-4 visits,” she says. “First, we like to do a smile analysis with photos and models.

Next, you would meet with your dentist to look at the mock up done on the model.

We are sometimes able to “try on’ the veneers to simulate how the permanent ones would

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“Veneers may give patients some added confidence in their smile,” Mills says. “Many people are self conscious of gaps or discolorations that can easily be fixed with veneers.”

look. The third step is the preparation appointment and placement of temporary veneers. Teeth are prepared for traditional veneers by removing a thin layer of enamel off the front surface of the tooth using a dental handpiece. The fourth appointment is the final try-in and cementation of the porcelain veneers.”

Veneers are an important tool for cosmetic dentistry. A dentist can use a veneer to restore a single tooth that may have been fractured or discolored or multiple teeth, like in Lionberger’s case, to create a more unified and blended appearance for the patient.

There are numerous cosmetic effects that can be achieved, depending on the need of the patient. Veneers can close spaces, lengthen teeth that have been shortened by wear, fill the black triangles between teeth caused by gum recession, provide a uniform color, shape, and symmetry, and make the teeth appear straight.

“Veneers are very lifelike,” Mills continues. “New materials are allowing us to make veneers more lifelike than in the past. We prefer to use IPS Empress Esthetic Lucite reinforced pressed glass ceramic. It is the standard for highly esthetic veneer cases. Crowns and veneers last 10 years on average; however, if you take good care of the veneers they will last much longer.”

Mills adds that the veneers only require regular brushing and flossing and cautions that the patient should avoid nail biting, ice chewing and other habits that may chip or break the veneer.

Dr. Mills says that while she and Dr. Shannon perform the veneer procedure in their practice, they do so less frequently than they do crown procedures.

“Many patients are not candidates for veneers, but they would be great candidates for crowns,” she explains. “A veneer is generally placed on a healthy tooth without a lot of old restorative material.”

However, for Vicki Lionberger, the veneer procedure was exactly what she was looking for.

“I had my teeth whitened and then we matched my veneers to the white teeth,” Lionberger says. “The results were great. The veneers helped cosmetically with my teeth and my smile. I get complemented by my friends all the time. They can’t believe it. I am very happy I had the procedure done.”

“Veneers may give patients some added confidence in their smile,” Mills says.

“Many people are self conscious of gaps or discolorations that can easily be fixed with veneers.”

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Celebrating Caregivers in Our Communities Words [ Sheila Ellis-Glasper ]

Here in Southwest Virginia, our healthcare services are among the finest in the country because of the wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to serving others. Our Health is proud to share with you stories of several local individuals who continue to find reward, wisdom and happiness from helping make a difference in the health of our communities.

Pat Woltanski, Assistant Lab Director, Lewis Gale Medical Center Pat Woltanski knows first-hand what quality and compassionate healthcare can do for people.

“We save lives,” says the assistant lab director at LewisGale Medical Center. “It’s our job to make sure people are taken care of and that we can do everything possible for them.”

Woltanski is a 16-year leukemia survivor and has worked behind-the-scenes at LGMC for more than 25 years. She started in the hospital before they even had computers and now almost everything is done electronically.

Her co-workers admire her for her compassion. She’s been known to sacrifice vacation time to help staff in

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celebrating caregivers in our communities

her department and give money to assist a co-worker on the brink of losing her home, she serves on more than six committees at the hospital, and donates to eight different charity organizations.

Woltanski grew up in Kent City, Michigan and graduated from Grand Valley State University with

a degree in medical technology.

She says she went into the medical field because she viewed it as a challenge.

As the assistant lab director, she is in charge of personnel, technology requests and payroll, among other job duties. She loves

interacting with patients when she has a chance.

“I always try to have a smile on my face,” she says. “Whether it is greeting patients, showing them to their lab or helping co-workers, I try to be compassionate and upbeat. It’s just part of me.”

Debbie Sinclair, Director of Information, LewisGale Hospital at Montgomery Debbie Sinclair has a passion for serving the public. “They depend on us,” she says.

Sinclair is in charge of the medical records department at Lewis Gale Hospital at Montgomery.

She began her career there in 1989 as the assistant director of medical records and was promoted to director in 1997.

The most challenging time for Sinclair was during the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007. Sinclair and other staffers set up a make shift call center answering phone calls from parents looking for their children.

“It was gut-wrenching,” Sinclair explains. “They were desperate for information.”

The truth is, in the first hours after the shooting, Sinclair and her staff were still piecing together information. They were still trying to identify some of the students they had.

“It was very real when it was happening,” she says.

As soon as Sinclair and other staffers had confirmed information, they were on the phone calling parents back.

The fifth year anniversary hit home for Sinclair as her daughter is now a sophomore at Virginia Tech.

The medical records department also serves as a reference point for patients calling with billing and privacy rights questions, she notes.

The department and its staff of five, including Sinclair, contributed to continuity of patient care with a switch to electronic records. According to Sinclair, the medical records department isn’t in the forefront of patient care, but it is important at the very end of the patient’s visit to make sure their records will be accessible and accurate.

“We are here to serve the customer to the fullest degree possible,” she says. “We want to be here for the folks that need us.”

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One of her favorite things about her job is “coming into a new thing each day, it’s always different.”

She says her residents teach her life lessons when they share their stories with her.

“It’s like you become part of their family,” she says.

Tammy Orange, Director of Nurses, Salem Terrace Assisted Living A glass ladybug house sits atop Tammy Orange’s desk at Salem Terrace Assisted Living. It’s a gift from the family of a resident who passed away – she loved ladybugs.

“It reminds me of their loved one,” she says. “Their loved one loved me too.”

Orange has a passion for caring for the residents at Salem Terrace and also for their families.

“A lot of them might have a guilty feeling for putting their loved one here,” she explains. “I try my best to ease their minds by giving them the best care.”

Orange has been interested in being a nurse since she was a child. She volunteered at her local hospital and took care of her grandmother through four stages of Alzheimer’s.

“I wanted my grandmother well taken care,” she says, “so I tell each one of our nurses to treat their patients like they would want their family treated.”

It’s the little things that mean so much, she explains.

“Its the smile you get by telling them they look pretty,” she says. “Seeing them happy makes me happy.”

She takes care of 43 residents so she is not able to spend a lot of time with all of them, but she makes it a point to spend a little time with each of them everyday.

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Lisa Retasky, Physician Assistant, Murray Joiner and Associates Lisa Retasky spent more than 400 hours as a candy striper at her hometown hospital when she was a teen.

“I liked knowing even the small things can make a difference in patients’ lives,” she says.

Years later, Retasky is still doing the small things to make a difference in her own patients’ lives at Murray Joiner and Associates where she is a

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Physician Assistant. As a physician assistant, she provides healthcare by offering an extension of their supervising physician’s services.

“I knew I wanted to pursue a meaningful career and helping to improve the quality of people’s lives seemed like a good way to make that happen,” she says.

Retasky has been at Murray Joiner and Associates for 14 years and says her extended time there has

helped her establish long term relationships with her patients.

and is an active member at First United Methodist Church in Salem.

“I love taking care of people,” she explains. “I love making people feel better. Knowing I have made a difference in some way to a person is an incredible feeling.”

“Although I may only be a small piece in patients’ healthcare needs, what I do during a single office visit can impact them in more ways than imaginable,” she says. “Knowing that I made a difference to someone by improving their quality of life, no matter how big or small, is what drives me to keep practicing medicine.”

Retasky worked part time between 1998 and 2003 with Jefferson College as a Clinical Instructor for the Physician Assistant Program.

She’s married with three children

Pam Price, RN, Asthma and Allergy Center of Roanoke Pam Price remembers the tenderness her mother showed while she cared for her grandmother who was dying of cancer.

“I knew from that point I wanted to be a nurse,” she says.

She strives to provide that same tenderness and compassion to her patients each day.

Price has been a registered nurse since 1985 and has been at the Asthma and Allergy Center of Roanoke for a little over a year.

She considers her job a privilege. “When people trust you enough to take care of them, that is a privilege,” she says. “It takes a tremendous amount of trust to allow someone to do that.”

One of her favorite parts of her job is the broad area of medicine. “There’s always more to learn,” she notes.

Price gets satisfaction seeing a care plan work for a patient. She likes helping patients control asthma symptoms and allergies, particularly with immunotherapy which is a “treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response.”

She’s married with two children and is also involved in outreach ministries at her church Bethel Baptist.

Her philosophy is treating the patients like family.

“That’s what I would want someone to do for me,” she concludes.

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something life saving or not,” she says.

She learns lessons each day from her patients.

“They teach you a lot of humility because you are constantly learning,” she says. “They make you feel very grateful for what you have.”

Her short-term goal is to finish bachelor’s in nursing.

Her long term goal is “to never forget the reason I wanted to be a nurse, which is to help people.”

Erin Semler, Clinical Information Specialist, Jefferson Surgical Clinic Nursing is a job that encompasses everything you do even when you are not at work, according to Jefferson Surgical Clinic nurse Erin Semlar.

“I am constantly watching people, doing assessments on people, in case they need something or need assistance with something,” she says.

Semler is a floating nurse at Jefferson Surgical Clinic and is also working to complete her bachelor of science in nursing from the Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

She says the profession of nursing appealed to her because she was able to help people and share special moments with them.

She takes pride in being sensitive to each patient’s needs.

“I never want to be the nurse that is insensitive to someone’s need,” she explains. “A lot of times in healthcare we see things all the time, but even though I see this day to day, I have to keep reminding myself that this is new to my patient.”

She says nurses can’t have a comfort zone. She was pushed out of her comfort zone many times as her parents moved to other countries to teach communities Bible scripture and how to build sustainable business. She’s lived in Papua, New Guinea, Manila, Hong Kong, and El Salvador.

“You’ve got to be whatever they [the patient] need you to be at that moment, whether you are doing 28

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Erica Foote, Manager, Vistar Eye Center Erica Foote enjoys helping people see better.

Foote is an Ophthalmic Assistant for Dr. Jon Brisley at Vistar Eye Center. She started there in 1995 in the records department and worked her way up to her current position.

She particularly enjoys working with elderly patients.

“They are there and need help,” she says. “Knowing I can come to work each day and take care of patients is a joy.”

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Foote is particularly proud of the compassionate care program Dr. Brisley participates in at Vistar Eye Center. Funds are available for those who don’t qualify for health insurance to help with getting a pair of glasses, cardiac surgery, or other services.

Foote lives in Glenvar with her husband and two children and is also a participant in Relay for Life.

“Vision is a major part of daily life,” she says. “Being able to help people see better is so rewarding.”

“It inspires me,” she says. “If someone comes in without insurance, we will work out a way to see them.”

Cindy Huffman, Dental Assistant, Kyle Fitzgerald, DDS Cindy Huffman has been a dental assistant for Dr. Kyle Fitzgerald, DDS for 32 years.

She took an apprenticeship under Dr. Fitzgerald and has watched the practice grow since then.

When she first started, she did all the paperwork, insurance filing, sterilizing instruments, answering phones and assisting Dr. Fitzgerald.

Now she has seen the practice move into another building and the number of patients quadruple.

Huffman went into dentistry because she thought it would be a good way to help people, she explains.

She especially enjoys helping with cosmetic dentistry.

“It can really improve people’s looks,” she says. “Someone can come in with a front tooth chipped and with a little bonding their tooth can be fixed.”

She also enjoys seeing patients grow up and bring their own children in.

She says she has a passion for helping people.

“If you have a passion, you are more involved and enjoy what you do,” she finishes.

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Mary Kirk, Hospice Aid, Good Samaritan Hospice When most people think of the word “hospice” they think of death. Mary Kirk, a hospice aid at Good Samaritan Hospice, has a totally different view.

“It’s not all about death,” she says. “You are helping them live the last part of their life.”

Kirk has been a hospice aid for the last five years, and she says she wouldn’t trade her job with anyone else.

She has fond memories of her patients. For example, one lady in her 50s wanted to get married before she died, so Kirk and other workers helped her have a wedding.

“She was smiling from ear-to-ear,” Kirk says. “That’s what it is all about.”

Kirk worked at a nursing home before coming to hospice, but she likes being able to spend more time with her patients now.

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She has learned many life lessons from patients such as learning not to take the little things in life for granted.

She says there has not been a day she has dreaded coming to work.

“It is an honor and privilege that they allow us to come into their homes and life.”

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Chuck Saul, Mechanic III, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center

Co-workers call Chuck Saul a “jack of all trades.”

He’s a mechanic at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center. For the past 28 years, he has fixed broken circuit boards, repaired hospital beds and wheelchairs, changed locks or unlocked doors, and much more.

“I just like taking care of people,” Saul says. “If they have a problem or if something is broken, I like to get it fixed and hopefully make their lives a little easier.”

Before coming to Carilion, Saul was in the United States Army where he served a tour in Vietnam and another in Germany. He left the army to come back to the New River Valley and worked in construction for several years. Then he took a position at the hospital as a painter. He learned something new each day and added to his skills.

He does it all just to see a smile on people’s faces.

“If I do my job right, then they can do their jobs,” he says.

Constance Finney, CNA, Our Lady of the Valley When her grandmother was sick and in the nursing home, she would make sure she had baths, her hair was combed, and she looked presentable each day.

That’s the same thing Constance Finney, Certified Nursing Assistant at Our Lady of the Valley, now does for her patients.

She’s been working as a CNA at Our Lady of the Valley for the last 23 years of her 27 year career.

“Taking care of the elderly is just something I always liked to do,” she notes.

Her job takes a lot of patience, she says.

One patient in particular that she worked with had dementia and didn’t want to come out of

her room. Finney got her up and dressed each day and asked her to come to the lobby with her or go take a walk with her.

Finally she came out of her room.

“That’s why I get up each morning,”

Finney says. “To go see my residents.”

She tries each day to lift the spirits of her residents.

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Russell “Rusty” Rich Russell “Rusty” Rich was in a fix.

He was struggling to pay for college and living expenses when his sister helped him out. She paid for that year of college for him and in return he worked for her on the weekends and during the summer.

His sister worked with children with disabilities, and Rich helped her make braces.

“I really loved working with kids and getting them walking again,” he says.

Rich had found his calling and decided to go to school to be a certified prosthetics orthotist. He has been working for Virginia Prosthetics 16 years.

“A lot of people have different occupations where they interact with the public, but I’m overly blessed to be able to help them to get better and achieve their goals of daily living,” he says.

He loves watching patients who thought they would be wheelchair bound try on their prosthetics for the first time.

“When they walk for the first time and realize, ‘hey I’m going to be able to walk,’ tears are in their eyes and mine too,” he says.

Rich spends most of his time working at Carilion Roanoke Memorial hospital.

He says a lot of his patients are at one of the lowest points of their life after a traumatic event.

“They have never been in a hospital bed before,” he explains. “Getting them to the point where they can get out of the hospital and live their daily lives and complete their daily tasks is what brings me joy.”

Sue Switzer, Medical Assistant, LewisGale Physicians Sue Switzer has a deep love for children.

Switzer, a medical assistant for Luthur Beazley, MD, a pediatrician for LewisGale Physicians, is known for sending mothers home with plenty of formula sample packs, coupons, and vouchers for medication and personally calling insurance companies of patients who had been denied coverage.

Switzer was a certified dental assistant before coming to LewisGale, but she decided she wanted to work in the pediatrics department so she could be around children all the time.

“I couldn’t have kids, so this is the closest I could get to having them,” she explains.

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celebrating caregivers in our communities

She’s enjoyed watching babies grow into adults who now bring their own babies in for doctor’s visits.

“These kids see me at the mall and they will call out, ‘Nurse sue!’” she says. “That makes my day.”

She has a special connection with her patients.

Switzer is 61 years old and says she will continue to work as a nurse until she can’t anymore.

She says working in a pediatrics office is a lot busier than some other doctor’s offices but she enjoys every minute of it.

“I love my job,” she concludes. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Samira Nassif, Registered Nurse, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital Being a nurse is not a job, it’s a mission, says Samira Nassif, nurse at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Nassif arrived in America from Lebanon in 1975 not able to speak any English. Soon she began vocational school where she learned English and received her Certified Nurse Assistant certificate. She worked to get her Licensed Practical Nurse certificate and finally she became a Registered Nurse.

She has been working at CRMH since 1983. She became a nurse because she loves the contact with her patients.

“Nursing is a mission,” she says.

“You are helping them, and they put their lives in your hand. Their lives can depend on how you do your job.”

Nassif doesn’t take her job lightly.

“When I go to work, I leave everything behind me,” she explains. “All I do is think about my patients and how I can help them.”

Nassif often draws from her experience working as a CNA at a nursing home.

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As a CNA, she learned the importance of making people feel comfortable.

“Once they are comfortable with you they hold on to you, they trust you, they tell you their problems,” she says. “Just by simply touching their hand you can make a big difference.”

Ann Sheehan, Nurse, Jefferson Surgical Clinic Ann Sheehan has always been good at solving people’s problems. She also has a passion for good health and helping people lead healthy lifestyles. Her job as a nurse suits her well.

She’s worked for more than 10 years at the Jefferson Surgical Clinic as an ear, nose, and throat nurse. Before that she held various positions with her other degree in recreational therapy, including a volunteer coordinator, housing coordinator and co-director of recreational therapy.

She enjoys helping patients who may come in nervous about a procedure and putting them at ease.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to take a patient who is agitated or upset and make them feel better,” she explains.

She makes a choice each day to care for each and every patient she has.

“There is something very sacred about taking care of someone,” she says.

She believes in spreading the blessings she’s received, including good health.

“I have good health and I have a comfortable life. These are all blessings I’ve received, so I want to make sure I help others lead good lives too,” she says.

In Sheehan’s spare time she volunteers with Manna Ministries, a food pantry in Vinton.

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leading edge

Rebuilding Peoples Lives Words [ Rich Ellis, Jr. ]

“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better...stronger... faster.”

With a bionic eye, arm and legs, Lee Majors, star of the 1970’s hit television show The Bionic Man, did indeed become better, faster, and stronger after surviving a horrific crash as an astronaut. He ran at speeds topping 60 mph, made giant leaps, had a crazy strong arm, and could see at a 20 to 1 ratio. And, of course, there were those really cool sound effects whenever he used the bionics.

Fast forward nearly 40 years later and what was once just entertaining science fiction beamed into living room TVs across the country has become a reality with bionic, artificial limbs that are changing lives.

The latest technology in prosthetic legs is enabling amputees to make great strides in performance and accomplish actions that weren’t previously possible with existing prosthetics technology. Amputees can now walk backwards, step over objects, ascend stairs leg in front of leg, get the leg wet, and make sudden changes in direction and speed.

James Philip Jarvis is one of them.

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leading edge

Jarvis was working for BARC (Bath, Alleghany, Rockbridge Counties) Electric Cooperative in September, 2008 when a workplace accident left him with severe burns on his shoulder, neck and left leg, necessitating the amputation of his left leg above the knee. For Jarvis, that’s where this story begins, instead of ends.

Since about November, he’s been sporting the Genium™ Bionic Prosthetic System after being outfitted with the prosthesis by Roanoke-based Virginia Prosthetics, Inc. He’s the first amputee in Southwest Virginia to be fitted with Genium, and one of only a few people nationwide using this new technology. Think of him as today’s bionic man, minus the $6 million price tag and jaw-dropping displays of strength and speed.

“I’m a construction supervisor for the Co-op and have a family farm with about 25 head of cattle in Rockbridge County, outside of Lexington,” Jarvis explains. “My kids are interested in farming and my dad still farms. One of the hardest things for me is the terrain I’m in. It’s hilly and rocky just about wherever I go. Genium now helps me negotiate it better, and it’s easier going downhill.”

Ottobock, a privately-held company that developed the Genium technology, explains on the company’s website how the system works. “A state-of-theart microprocessor-controlled knee joint utilizes a complex sensory system and sophisticated rule sets to mimic natural gait more closely than any other prosthetic knee.

With multiple environmental inputs (including a gyroscope and an accelerometer), the Genium delivers unmatched functionality, including special features to help step over obstacles and ascend stairs.”

Sidney Nicely is a certified prosthetist at Virginia Prosthetics and the practitioner who fit Jarvis with the Genium system.

“Philip was wearing a C-leg, which is a microprocessor-controlled knee that analyzes where the user is in their gait,” Nicely explains. “Genium, combined with a Triton foot, is a good combination that now allows him to do whatever he needs to do. Most importantly, it’s given him the 38

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leading edge

confidence to return to his normal activities. That’s when we feel success – when people can go back to work and back to resuming their normal activities.”

Sidney emphasized that Genium isn’t the right choice for every amputee, but it is for someone like Jarvis who maintains a very high activity level at both work and home.

“Philip not only still works at a full-time job, he also maintains his farm, hunts, and fishes. He does everything,” Nicely says. “Genium’s performance allows him to feel confident and safe in what he’s doing.”

Unlike previous prostheses, Genium gives amputees new-found freedom to: »» Ascend stairs step over step »» Cross obstacles more smoothly »» Walk backwards »» Stand or sit more easily and naturally

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leading edge

“From the first time I put it on, it just seemed like it was easier to walk,” Jarvis explains. “It feels like it’s more stable and puts a bounce in my step.”

“From the first time I put it on, it just seemed like it was easier to walk,” Jarvis explains. “It feels like it’s more stable and puts a bounce in my step. The fact that it’s waterproof is a big help to me. Working on the farm, I get caught in the rain, I have an outdoor woodstove with 250 gallons of water that’s always splashing on me when I work on it, and I can take the kids fishing and not have to worry about it.”

Ottobock says that the Genium “builds on the knowledge gained from the company’s experience with tens of thousands of C-Leg wearers and decades of development. The unique Genium technology is not a nextgeneration C-Leg, but it is a sophisticated new technology platform built to gather exponentially greater microprocessor inputs that result in very precise responses.”

While the technical descriptions around how Genium works, such as Optimized Physical Gait, PreFlex or Adaptive Yielding Control, are complex to the layperson, the result is easy to understand – intuitive, natural walking.

All Jarvis cares about is what Genium enables him to do. “It’s been several years now, and at this point, I do what I want to do and what I used to do. It might take me a little longer to do some stuff, but I can do what I want.”

And that type of freedom beats bionic vision or running 60 miles an hour any day.

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health and fitness

Nutrition for Outdoor Activities Words [ Tricia Foley, RD, MS ]

It’s time to dust off our tennis shoes and spring into action! With all the warm weather it should be no surprise that more people are physically active in the spring compared to any other season. South West Virginia in particular offers an array of things to do. Whether it’s hiking, biking, running, swimming, kayaking or any other outdoor activity one thing is for sure, you will be burning some major calories!

With that in mind, nutrition can make or break your workout. Here are some fueling options for all fitness levels and activities:

Nutrition for Endurance: Beginners: Defined as long distance (lasting at least 45 minutes to an hour) of less intense, leisurely exercise: walking, swimming, hiking, biking, etc.

Although you may be a novice, good nutrition is still important. Make an effort to plan your day. If your last meal was more than two hours before your activity make sure to grab a piece of fruit and a protein source (such as string cheese or nuts) on the way out the door. Pairing the fruit with the protein will help sustain your blood sugar for longer.

To stay hydrated water is just fine. Avoid sports drinks unless you know that you will be active for longer than 90 minutes on a very hot day.

Sports drinks tend to be high in sugar, there are several lower sugar options available so be sure to read the label.

If you plan to go for a long hike (taking several hours) you may want to pack a snack. Good snack ideas include apples, homemade trail

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health and fitness

mix with nuts and a serving of high fiber cereal or a homemade trail bar (see recipe).

Intermediate to Advanced: Defined as long distance, vigorous exercise lasting longer than 45 minutes. Examples include those training for marathons, triathlons, road bikers, kayakers, swimmers, etc.

Endurance athletes need a bit more fuel to get them through their workouts. More time prior to the event should be given for digestion. Meals should be eaten three to four hours before the workout and contain slower burning carbohydrates (baked potato (with the skin), brown rice or quinoa); a lean protein (skinless chicken, roast beef, turkey, or fish) and a well tolerated non-starchy vegetable (avoid cruciferous vegetables like broccoli since they are gas forming).

If you are short on time a lighter version of the same meal would be recommended two hours prior to the event. Fruit eaten alone about 30 minutes before is also beneficial. It is never recommended to try a new food close to the time of a workout; the last thing you want is gastro-intestinal distress.

During the workout more carbohydrate may be

needed. Additional carbohydrate is recommended for every hour after the first hour of exercise. This could mean eating a large banana or taking a sports gel along with you. Make sure this carbohydrate is easy to digest.

Hydration during prolonged activity should also be addressed. Coconut water is a wonderful electrolyte replacement drink to carry on workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes. Try to sip on it every 15 to 20 minutes to ensure adequate hydration.

After the workout, smaller more frequent meals are recommended to speed muscle recovery. Try to get the first mini meal in within 30 minutes of finishing your workout. Studies have shown that waiting to eat as little as two hours after the workout can significantly slow recovery. This meal should be low in fat and fiber and have adequate protein and carbohydrate to ease digestion. Examples include cottage cheese and berries or a small amount of dried fruit and low fat cheese.

Nutrition for Team Sports: Beginners: sports including: tennis, basketball, baseball, softball, etc done at a recreational level.

Balanced meals should be the focus. Ensuring that you are coloring your plate with lean proteins, fruits, whole grains and non-starchy vegetables throughout the day will give you a great base. Again, meals should be spaced accordingly, however they can be somewhat closer to the workout than endurance based exercise. At least 1 to 2 hours prior to the activity is recommended. For long games particularly in the heat, citrus fruit and a small amount of salted nuts work well to help keep your electrolytes in check. Water is recommended for hydration. Consuming a balanced meal within an hour after the game will also help promote recovery. (See recipes).

Intermediate to Advanced: Sports including: Sprints (swimming, running, and biking), tennis, weight training

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health and fitness

done at a vigorous level with elevated heart rate.

Balanced meals should always be your base. If it has been more than 2 hours since your last meal be sure to eat a fruit 30 minutes before the activity. Protein and fat this close to the workout is not recommended because high intensity exercise shuts down digestion so your blood can focus on your muscles instead. This is why you do not want to exercise vigorously on a full stomach!

During the event ensure that you drink water as needed, an electrolyte replacement should not be needed unless you are spending extended periods in the direct heat. As mentioned previously, citrus fruits and salted nuts or seeds work well during rest periods.

After the activity, a proper nutrition recovery meal should be incorporated. A lean protein and quick acting carbohydrate within 30 minutes of finishing is recommended.

Examples include: Whey protein shake with fruit, cottage cheese and fruit or Greek yogurt.

Recipes: Hiking Bar: Ingredients »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

½ cup almond butter ½ cup raw honey ¼ cup chopped walnuts ¼ cup raisins ¾ cup slow cooked oatmeal ¾ cup puffed rice ¼ cup sunflower seeds 1/6 cup quinoa flakes

Directions:

»» Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with canola oil. »» In a large saucepan, heat almond butter with honey over low heat

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until bubbles form. »» Combine dry ingredients. »» Quickly stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. »» Once cool, press the contents into a baking dish. »» Allow to cool completely, cut into 20 bars. »» Quinoa flakes can be found at most health food stores.

Refrigerate to store.

»» Salt and pepper to taste

Meals:

»» Makes 4 servings

Shrimp Kabobs

»» »» »» »» »»

»» Makes 2 servings

Ingredients: »» »» »» »»

½ cup pineapple 8 ounces shrimp 1 cup brown rice 1 pepper

Directions:

»» Cut pepper into squares and pineapple into chunks and set aside and place on skewer alternating with shrimp, four per skewer. »» Place on the grill and allow to cook about five minutes on each side. »» Cook brown rice according to package. To assemble, place 1/2 cup rice on each plate and two skewers over the rice. Enjoy!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa Salad »» Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

»» 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained »» 1 can corn, drained »» 1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped »» 3 green onions, finely chopped »» ½ bunch cilantro, chopped »» Dressing »» 1 tsp cumin »» 4 tbsp lime juice »» 3 tbsp red wine vinegar »» 3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

»» Mix the salad in a large bowl. Mix the dressing in a small bowl and toss into the salad. »» *You can also add cooked brown rice or quinoa to this; just increase the amount of dressing you use.

Pair with the turkey burger below.

Turkey Burger Ingredients: 16 oz lean ground turkey 1 egg 1 clove garlic, minced Lemon zest Salt and pepper

Directions:

»» Divide meat into four burger patties and combine egg, zest, garlic, and seasonings. »» You may cook these over medium heat on stove top in a coated pan or sear them in a pan coated with coconut oil and then bake them at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Quinoa with Vegetables Ingredients: »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »» »»

½ cup quinoa 1 stalk celery 1/2 pepper 3 tbsp diced onion (yellow) 1 clove garlic 1 cup chicken broth ¼ tsp cumin ¼ tsp chili powder Salt and pepper to taste Coconut oil (enough to coat bottom of pot)

Directions:

»» Coat pot with coconut oil and add onion, garlic, celery, and spices. »» Sauté until the veggies are tender. »» Then add chicken broth and quinoa bring to a boil. »» Allow to cook until germ appears (small spirals). Enjoy!

our health

living with allergies

Spring weather brings early onset of allergies for many Words [ Laura L. Neff-Henderson, APR ]

Most people love the spring weather but hate the allergies that come with it. For those living in central Virginia, that’s more true than ever this year. The lack of freezing temperatures this winter means the spring pollination season is in full swing, a few weeks earlier than normal.

An estimated 40 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), a non-profit organization founded in 1953. Also called allergic rhinitis, seasonal allergies cost Americans $10 billion annually and are the fifth leading chronic disease in the U.S. among all ages. They are the third most common chronic disease among children under 18 years old.

An allergy is a specific reaction of the body’s immune system to a substance that is harmless for most people. Seasonal allergies are reactions to allergens that are typically only present for part of the year, including trees, weeds, and grass. The symptoms of pollen allergies include a runny or congested nose, sneezing, and itchy, red or watery eyes. In children, allergies are often to blame for frequent ear infections and eczema, a skin condition. For adults, allergies often lead to chronic sinus infections and bronchitis.

Thomas Fame, MD, with the Asthma and Allergy Center of Roanoke believes the mild winter and “just enough” rainfall to stimulate the growth of plants and trees in the area are to blame for the early onset of spring allergies.

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Salem, VA 24153

540.343.7331

540.343.7331

www.asthmaandallergycenter.net

Spring allergies are often triggered when trees being to pollinate, which is most frequent in February through May. By the end of May, most tree pollen has subsided, but by then, grass pollens, which are typically in the air through late June, are in full force.

In the Roanoke Valley, seasonal allergies are particularly tough on many people because of the varying valley and mountain top elevations. The trees and grasses in the valley, explains Dr. Fame, begin to pollinate and when they’re done, that’s about the time that the trees and grasses further up the mountains begin to pollinate. The cycle continues up the mountains, leaving the pollens to float down into the valley – lengthening the suffering for many.

“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” says Dr. Fame.

April and May are traditionally the heaviest pollen months of the year in this part of the country because a number of trees and grasses are pollinating simultaneously.

By the time the grass pollens have receded, it’s usually

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living with allergies

very hot and dry outside, and the pollens rest on the ground until the wind stirs them up – sometimes lengthening the allergy season by several weeks.

You can’t blame just the weather though. Allergies are also believed to be hereditary and can develop at any age. Most people who have the allergic gene and develop seasonal allergies will at some point in their lives also develop allergic reactions to common year-round triggers, like mold, pet dander and dust mites, says Dr. Fame.

According to the AAFA, “If only one parent has allergies of any type, chances are 1 in 3 that each child will have an allergy. If both parents have allergies, it is much more likely (7 in 10) that their children will have allergies.”

The best way to manage allergies is through a combination of treatments including a reduction in the patient’s exposure to allergens, medications that minimize the effect of the allergens, and immunotherapy. It’s usually a combination of treatments that allow patients to find real relief.

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living with allergies

“Of course, with nice weather, we want to open the windows and let the air in, but that lets a lot of pollen into our homes, especially at night,” says Dr. Fame, explaining that the same is true of putting the car windows down.

Some common ways to reduce exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens include: • Stay indoors when the pollen count is reported to be high and on windy days when pollen may be present in higher amounts in the air.

• Minimize early morning activity when pollen levels are higher - between 5-10 a.m.

• Vacuum several times each week using an allergen filtration bag in your vacuum cleaner.

• Remove carpet from your home.

• Have home air ducts cleaned regularly.

• Have an air cleaner installed in your heat pump/furnace.

• Machine-dry all bedding, stuffed animals, and clothing on high heat for at least 30 minutes.

• Cover your bed mattress and pillows in zippered dust mite allergy proof covers.

• Avoid hanging outside to dry.

laundry

• Avoid mowing the lawn and freshly cut grass.

• For those suffering with pet dander allergies, Dr. Fame advises patients to keep pets out of the bedroom to minimize exposure all night long.

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Many individuals who suffer from allergies also find relief from over-the-counter antihistamines like Claritin, Zyrtec, and Benadryl and decongestants like Sudafed and topical nasal steroids.

Allergy testing can also help determine a patient’s exact triggers. Once identified, many patients choose allergen immunotherapy, either through shots or nasal drops, as a way to “cure” their allergies. Both forms of the treatment trick your body into building up a natural immunity to the allergen. In children, immunotherapy may help prevent the development of asthma.

Allergen immunotherapy requires the patient to commit to a three to five year series of shots that introduces increasing concentrations of the identified allergens into the body. The shots are given on a weekly, and then monthly, basis and should be administered by a licensed physician.

A new type of immunotherapy, which involves allergy drops that go under the tongue, is also available to patients. Called Sublingual Immunotherapy, this

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living with allergies

treatment option, which is popular in Europe, has not yet been approved by the FDA, which means most insurance companies will not cover the costs.

The drops are not believed to be as effective as the shots, but are a more practical alternative for patients who prefer the convenience of being able to administer the treatment at home.

“If your allergies are interfering with life or you’re just sick all the time, that’s when it is time to see a specialist,” Dr. Fame concludes.”

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kid’s care

Swimming Pools, Splash Parks and Summer Camps. Oh My! Words [ Cameron May ]

Green Ridge Recreation Center in Roanoke County offers a variety of fun and educational summer services designed with your children in mind.

The Green Ridge Recreation Center sneaks up on you. There are a few gravel driveways, a campground, and a small Baptist church. You certainly wouldn’t expect a vibrant, modern, state-of-the-art athletic and recreational center to be planted there. But it is, and its remote location hasn’t kept the center a secret. Kids bike along the trails nearby and the loud, playful screams of children that shoot down waterslides and splash in the enormous pool let you know that something exciting is going on. Inside, the building is modern, sophisticated, and efficiently packed with every sort of activity you could imagine. With its top-notch athletic club feel, one could easily conclude that it also has top-notch initiation and monthly fees. But its low daily entry fees, as well as monthly membership options, make its programs much more accessible.

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kid’s care

Judging by their website and their ever expanding catalogue of scheduled events and programs, there always seems to be something new and exciting going on at the Rec Center. This summer is certainly no exception, according to Scott Ramsburg, Marketing and Information Manager for Green Ridge Recreation Center. Ramsburg says that the Center

is focusing its sights on providing an extensive and varied selection of summer camps for the Roanoke Valley area.

These summer programs, Ramsburg hopes, will act as a more economically viable alternative for these trying economic times. “With the economy down and gas prices as high as they are, people like to recreate close to home. We provide that opportunity to not spend a fortune in sending your children to camp. We’ve had a steady increase in participation every year, I think, because we offer affordable programs, close to home, that the kids enjoy,” says Ramsburg. The schedule of summer camps offered

by Roanoke County is as varied as can be.

Variety is a big concern for the Rec Center because of its goal to offer programs for kids of all ages and interests. Ramsburg says, “We actually have camps for ages three to seventeen! The earlier camps for preschoolers only meet for a couple of hours a day to introduce them to the camp experience. As they get older, we have more extensive camps, including arts and crafts and athletic programs. We have full day programs intended for kids that need childcare for the full day. We also operate Camp Roanoke, a regional, outdoor co-ed camp program located in the southwestern part of the county that’s been operating since 1925.” These different age groups are all offered their own unique classes.

With the variety of age, however, comes a wide variety in interest. “For example, a camp for three to five year olds will be ‘I Love Bugs’ or ‘Dinosaur Stomp.’

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kid’s care

And as they get older we have a lot of pop culture influences. So we also offer some very popular Lego camps, a Survivor camp, and a school for wizards camp for the Harry Potter fans. Last year we even had a Justin Bieber camp that was very popular with the teenage group,” explains Ramsburg, “but the center doesn’t just offer pop culture entertainment classes.

The athletic programs are skills based and are geared towards preparing kids for playing a sport in the fall for either a recreational or school league.” Some of these classes have become so popular that they are already filling up before early-bird registration ends on April 30th.

Ramsburg says that these camps are about more than just having fun. They’re about growing and enforcing values. Ramsburg continues, “We adhere to the values of the community. Roanoke is a very family oriented community, and we strive to provide positive enrichment in family centered services.”

That can mean offering an education-geared program, like Camp Roanoke’s new Pioneer Program, a camp for fifth and sixth graders, which focuses

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kid’s care

on environmental science and education. It could also take the form of something like a cooking class, which Ramsburg notes has been “surprisingly popular with the youth.” But Green Ridge Recreational’s commitment to the family doesn’t just stop at their values.

Timing and convenience can always be a real concern for a parent whose child is attending a camp. Working out the logistics of picking up and dropping off their kids, particularly for camps that are only part day, can be frustrating and limiting to the programs they can attend.

“Many of our programs that are part day camps this year can be turned into a full day camp out of convenience for working parents. After the half-day camp ends, these kids have the option of being put into the Green Ridge Full Day camp. The parents can still drop them off at 7:30 and pick them up at 6:00,” says Ramsburg. This is just one more way the Center is hoping to make the camp experience more accessible and convenient.

Speaking of convenience, there are three easy ways to register your child. You can come to Green Ridge Recreation Center in person at 4715 Wood Haven Road, register over the phone by calling 540.387.6078 ext. 0, or register online at http://www.roanokecountyva.gov.

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our health

the science of sleep

An eye-opening (and closed) look at my personal sleep study experience Words [ Rich Ellis, Jr. ]

In the movie Limitless, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) is introduced to a drug that enables him to access 100 percent of his brain’s power, instead of the generally accepted 20 percent that most of us use. His mental acuity while on the drug is superhuman – finishing a book he’s been trying unsuccessfully to write in record time, making a killing in the stock market, analyzing complex scenarios in seconds and generally staying a dozen steps ahead of even his worthiest competitor.

I was hoping for similar results, albeit not on as grand a scale as Eddie’s, when I underwent a sleep study recently. I’d heard stories from acquaintances with sleep disorders about how the sky was bluer and they were so much more effective at everything once their sleep disorder was diagnosed and they began treatment.

Now that my sleep study is finished, the good news is I don’t have a sleep disorder (try telling that to my wife). The bad news is the exponential leap in effectiveness and success I was expecting is going to have to come from somewhere else.

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the science of sleep

The journey down the path that led me to a sleep study at Sleep EZ Diagnostic Center in Salem, VA began years ago, specifically 1988. I was a junior at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE. My roommate, Jeff Friedman, and still my best friend today, complained that he couldn’t sleep because I snored so loudly. That went on for a few weeks and then progressed to him moving his mattress into the living room. Problem solved.

He moved out and transferred to another school when the semester ended. I moved into a oneperson dorm room for the remaining semester. And slept very well.

My senior year at Delaware, Gard Krause was my next victim. Gard and I shared a room in Paper Mill Apartments with three other guys. Just a few days into the semester he said I snored so loud that the wooden loft holding my bed up vibrated and he feared it might collapse on him. Chad, in 56

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the next room, was an even lighter sleeper and took to sleeping on the couch in the living room because he could hear my snoring through the walls.

Complainers.

The years flew by and the stories from those affected by my snoring grew ever larger.

“Remember when your little brother ran out of the room crying because of the ‘loud monster under the bed?’ That was you snoring.” Mom. “You’re going for a sleep study because you snore? No kidding. The boys and I have camped with you and could hear you from across the campsite.” Dr. Paul Haskins.

“We heard daddy snoring last night and couldn’t fall back asleep.” Ethan, 9, and Sebastian, 6, Ellis.

But the worst story of all is the one I get from my wife Kim occasionally, and she doesn’t have to say a word. Instead, I get the message loud and clear,

High-Tech with the touches of home: Each room at Sleep EZ features a queen-size sleigh bed, private bath, TV, DVD and CD player.

through the superior non-verbal communication skills that women seem to possess – namely an elbow in my side or a swift kick to the leg. That’s all it takes to get me to turn over and stop snoring or wake up – at least temporarily.

Time for bed.

So that’s why I found myself driving to Sleep EZ Diagnostic Center in Salem, VA one evening after work earlier this spring. I’d been curious for a while whether I had a sleep disorder because of my snoring or whether I was just causing others to have a sleep disorder. I didn’t have any warning signs that might indicate a sleep disorder, such as excessive drowsiness throughout the day, waking up feeling exhausted, difficulty sleeping, awakening gasping for air, or long pauses in my breathing while sleeping. All the same, I did snore – loudly – and that is one of the warning signs of a potential sleep disorder.

Sleep EZ bills itself as being like a bed and breakfast, with a hightech hub. Each room features a queen-size sleigh bed, private bath, TV, DVD and CD player, and a patient lounge with a stocked refrigerator, ripe for late-night snacking. Tucked off Main Street in Salem, the modern building in an out-of-the-way, quiet location is at once calming upon entering and lives up to its reputation as being more B&B-like and less hospital-like.

Upon arriving at Sleep EZ, I was shown to my room by Dottie, one of the sleep technicians who’d be monitoring me throughout the night.

I got ready for bed and relaxed for about an hour by watching some TV until Dottie returned to hook up my monitors. She thoroughly

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that do have trouble, tend to be men.

Through no fault of the Sleep EZ staff, I’d be one of those people and wind up sleeping only about three hours. I pride myself on being able to sleep just about anywhere, and one of my favorite places is on a plane. I once fell asleep before takeoff, and about an hour into the flight, woke up groggy and asked the women sitting next to me if we had taken off yet. She just gave me a puzzled look and turned Body functions, such as eye movement, leg movement, heart rate, oxygen saturation away. I went back to sleep. At levels and breathing rate are monitored by a technician throughout the sleep study. home, I go to sleep quickly at night, stay asleep, and usually explained to me what she was doing as she wake up refreshed, with my optimal amount of sleep scrubbed small patches of skin where each of the being about seven hours. dozen or so circular monitoring patches would be attached. Dottie couldn’t have been nicer, and the Being tethered to the box was, for me, probably the love she professed for her occupation was readily biggest detriment to me sleeping. I tend to move evident in her thoroughness and friendliness. The from my side, to my back, to my stomach when I whole process took about 45 minutes and I couldn’t sleep and trying to do so without getting tangled in even feel the patches once they were on. There were the wires or pulling on them was nearly impossible. patches on my scalp, jaw, face, legs and I can’t even I think I was also just too jacked up about the sleep remember where else. There was another monitor study to actually sleep because I didn’t really think slipped over my index finger, two bands around my through the whole idea of a sleep study. I imagined I chest, and a small tube taped just under my nose. was going somewhere equivalent to a nice hotel room Each patch and monitor was measuring a specific body function – including eye movements, jaw clenching, leg movements, heart rate and rhythm, oxygen saturation levels, and breathing rate. Additionally, a microphone would transmit any sounds in the room, while a video camera helped monitor my sleep position. All the sensors affixed to my body were bundled together through a series of wires that ran to a box that was plugged into the wall and fed all my data to the technician throughout the night. Dottie said that only a small percentage of their patients have trouble falling asleep for the study, and those 58

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(it definitely was), realized that a trained professional would be monitoring me throughout the night (they did), and figured I might be hooked up to a monitor reporting my vitals (major understatement.) What I should have realized is that this was a “study.” No one, I don’t think, really expected me to sleep as well or better than I did in my own bed, although that’s what I was planning. Instead, they wanted to see how I slept and, specifically, what happened when I slept. Did I stop breathing? Was I waking myself up?

Did I have uncontrollable leg movements? Snore outlandishly? What were my vital signs doing as a result of my sleep?

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Almost an hour after trying to fall asleep, I did, and then promptly woke up. I wanted to sleep, and Sleep EZ’s environment was certainly conducive to sleep, but I couldn’t. I wondered if Dottie could tell I was awake (she could), and she soon came in to see why I couldn’t sleep. She suggested a fan for some white noise, and I readily agreed. It helped, but I still couldn’t fall into a deep sleep. She came back

in again around 3:30 a.m. informing me that going home was an option if I couldn’t sleep. I quickly realized that no, it wasn’t an option. If I didn’t fall asleep driving home then I’d surely receive a lessthan-warm welcome if I delivered a cheery, “Hi, honey, I’m home!” at four in the morning.

So I laid there a while longer, knowing I had to get up around 6 a.m. for work and finally managed to fall asleep. All told, I slept a grand total of three hours, one minute and four seconds. I even managed to get 24 minutes of REM sleep.

Surprisingly, I felt really good and had a very productive day, up until about eight o’clock that night. Then I went to bed.

Sleep is a big business.

Sleep, it turns out, is hard to come by for many Americans.

An estimated 40 million people suffer from a sleep disorder. Apnea, upper airway resistance syndrome, insomnia, narcolepsy, or restless leg syndrome are among the nearly 100 sleep disorders and can often be successfully treated or controlled, according to Sleep EZ literature.

The sleep industry encompasses a wide range of products and services and is estimated to be about a $20 billion dollar category.

Aside from the inconvenience of just feeling tired throughout the day, getting an adequate amount of sleep is important to one’s health. In addition to the increased danger of suffering an accident while working or driving while you’re tired, a lack of adequate, quality sleep can lead to an increased risk for a variety 60

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Using an application on her iPad, Raquel can remotely access a live or past sleep study from just about anywhere.

of health problems, including high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, diabetes, depression and heart disease.

Raquel Rothe is a Certified Respiratory Therapist and the owner and general manger of Sleep EZ Diagnostic Center Inc. in Salem.

She opened the center in 2005 to set a new standard in sleep diagnostic services, utilizing her knowledge and expertise gained through more than 17 years of experience in sleep medicine and the respiratory field, and to provide patients with a choice. She developed her passion for helping people sleep while working with patients with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, at the University of Texas.

“I’m the only independent sleep center locally,” explains Rothe. “I saw a niche for people who want to have their sleep study done in a place where they feel like they’re in their own home.” Owning an independent sleep center also gives Rothe flexibility when it comes to accommodating her patients’ needs. The night before my study, one of her patients had a normal bed time of one a.m.

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because of shift work. To accommodate these types of schedules, Sleep EZ will schedule appointments for sleep studies 24 hours a day, and family members can even stay overnight if necessary. (Kim chose not to exercise that option, as she was perfectly happy getting a good night’s sleep, at home, alone, and not really missing me or my snoring all that much.)

Sleep – natural and complex.

Sleep, surprisingly, is actually pretty complicated.

There’s a lot more going on after you close your eyes than you just getting a good night’s sleep.

There are four stages of sleep – one, two, three, and REM – and each represent a different type of sleep.

For example, stage one is somewhat of a foggy state in which you’re still aware but getting ready to fall asleep, according to Bari Snow-Treider, a clinical supervisor with Sleep EZ and a respiratory therapist and polysomnographic technologist. During REM

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sleep, the eyes move rapidly back and forth (Rapid Eye Movement), dreams can be intense, and the brain can enter a heightened state of excitement with heart rate and respiration increasing while body muscles are simultaneously immobilized. How much time one spends in the various stages of sleep is referred to as their sleep architecture. “For example, stage two usually represents about 45 to 50 percent of sleep time, stage three 20 to 25 percent, and REM should be 20 to 24 percent,” Snow-Treider explains.

Making the diagnosis.

Rothe and her sleep techs monitor patients throughout the course of their sleep and make notes about the patients every 10 to 15 minutes. Each tech monitors a maximum of two patients and is noting oxygen levels, brain waves, eye movement, cardiac patterns and audio and video feeds from the room. The data is broken down into chunks referred to as “epics.”

“The epic is the number of the study – a page of the study – which is every 30 seconds,” explains Robbie Russell, a sleep tech at Sleep EZ and a registered polysomnographic technologist. There are 900 pages in a study.

Russell’s been working with sleep study patients for about six and a half years. He says the best part about the work is patients’ gratitude. “Patients are so grateful that some have broken down and cried because they’re so happy to be getting help with their sleep problems.” Some patients, though, are not quite so happy because they’ve been forced there by an unhappy spouse, referred by their physician, or more recently, required to participate in a study for their job.

For example, Russell said he is seeing more truck drivers as patients because of a Department of Transportation requirement that truck drivers with a certain neck size and Body Mass Index (BMI)that could increase their odds of having a sleep disorder undergo a sleep study to identify any conditions that might impact their wakefulness and driving safety.

“Some nights are busier than others, but I like it a

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lot,” Russell explains as he works his usual 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. “The shift doesn’t bother me a whole lot.”

Russell understands that sleep can be very personal and private for people, particularly when they know someone is watching them all night, and that’s why he talks with patients to try and make them feel at home.

Patients can’t just call Sleep EZ and set up an appointment. In Virginia, they have to be referred by a physician, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant. The sleep study can then be scheduled, oftentimes within a few days, and the results studied by Sleep EZ’s medical director – Dr. Jeffrey Werchowski, a pulmonologist who’s Board Certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine, and practices at LewisGale Pulmonary Medicine.

Treating the disorder.

Depending on the diagnosis, a variety of treatment options are available for sleep disorders, including sleep therapy equipment installed in the home.

That’s where Thomas Rothe can come in. He’s married to Raquel and is the regional manager for Freedom Respiratory – a respiratory medical equipment provider headquartered in Roanoke, with additional locations in Danville, Waynesboro and Mechanicsville.

Thomas is quick to point out that despite him and Raquel being spouses, they keep their businesses separate, ensuring that patients always know they have a choice when it comes to selecting their provider.

“Oxygen, sleep therapy

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Additional information about Sleep EZ Diagnostic Center is available at www.sleepezcenter.com

equipment – such as BiPAP (bilevel positive air pressure) or CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines and nebulizers are the three primary areas of our business,” he explains.

He’s been a respiratory therapist since 1983 and says that service is what he thinks makes one medical equipment provider more attractive over another. As an example, Thomas says, “Every one of my locations has a licensed medical professional in it and that’s not the norm for medical equipment providers. We ensure they’re properly educated and know the right things to hone in on and communicate back to me or the practitioner or to reeducate the patient.”

A prime example of patient education would be one who lives in a house with smokers or one with a fireplace or candles that are frequently burning. They would need to be educated about the dangers of having oxygen too close to those open flames.

Education, however, isn’t just for patients diagnosed with a sleep disorder and using sleep therapy equipment. It extends to everyone. First and foremost, we should educate ourselves as to sleep’s importance in protecting our health and understand how much sleep we need. Second, we need to educate ourselves on the warning signs of a sleep disorder. If you or your sleeping partner think you might have a sleep disorder, or you exhibit some of these warning signs – such as snoring, excessive fatigue, waking up gasping for air, or periods where it sounds as though you stop breathing while sleeping – talk to your primary care physician and share your concerns. The proper diagnosis and treatment might help you wake up with improved physical health and a whole new outlook on life or at least cut down on the number of elbows to the side your partner delivers while you’re sleeping.

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financial health

Small Business Benefits Adapt to the New “Normal” for the Economy Words [ Rod Belcher ]

Anyone who pumps gas or has visited the grocery store lately knows that the economic recovery is traveling down a rough and often bumpy road. As challenging as it is for the individual person, small business owners have the added challenges of trying to make ends meet while taking care of their bottom line and their most valuable asset - their employees.

“My company is a service-based business,” says Art Nunn, the president and owner of Air Compliance Group (ACG), a Roanoke, VA based business.

ACG provides air quality and emissions testing services to a wide variety of industrial, commercial, and institutional clients, helps industries demonstrate compliance with emissions regulations, and offers assistance solving non-compliance issues.

“We don’t make a product,” Nunn says. “My assets walk out the door every night and go home to their families.”

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ACG has been in business for thirty years. Nunn has been at the helm of the company for the last seven and a half years.

He currently has 15 employees.

In the current economy, he has had to work very hard to keep matching his employees’ 401(K) plan and his healthcare costs have continued to balloon. In response to that he recently changed his employee healthcare provider.

“I’m a chemist,” he says. “I don’t have the time or the expertise to make decisions about our employee benefits.

I need to keep my eye on the bottom line.”

That is why Nunn, and other small business owners like him, turn to people like Eddie Hearp, CLU, ChFC, for advice on employee benefits.

Hearp is President of National Financial Services, Inc. in Roanoke, VA. The company has offered a range of trust and financial services to individuals and businesses since it was established in 1904. The company has satellite offices in Danville, VA, Marion, VA, and Kingsport, TN. Hearp’s business offers numerous products and services small businesses can take advantage of, including life insurance, annuities and investments, as well as safe retirement investing, asset management, disability investment, and group health, life and dental insurance.

“I’ve worked with small businesses of every size to help them develop a plan for their employees,” Hearp says. “I’ve worked with mom and pop businesses with two or three employees and companies that employ several hundred people or more.”

Hearp says that while each business has its own unique issues and challenges that need to be addressed, some things are universal whether you have two employees or two thousand.

“It is very important for you to choose the right broker to help you with your business needs,” Hearp stresses. “You need to interview them thoroughly so you are sure they have the qualifications to help your business and there is a good fit.”

Hearp says the most important factors are to make sure they are independent, that you feel comfortable with them and their business style, and that they understand your concerns, goals and priorities.

“Make sure your advisor or broker is representing you and not the insurance company,” he continues.

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“It’s important that they are independent and can shop your coverage and find the best deal for you and your business. Any reputable broker should be comfortable putting their recommendations and proposals into hard copy. I doubt you are going to find all these qualities through the internet alone.”

Hearp says that in the current economic climate, small business owners need to find a financial advisor they can trust and work with to review their employee benefits.

“There is a lot of anxiety with employers regarding the outcome of Obamacare,” Hearp says.

“Employers are waiting to see what the Supreme Court decides in regards to the mandate that people will be required to purchase health insurance.”

He adds that it is not just in the business owner’s best interest to have a financial planner help with benefit products, there are legal concerns as well in the ever-changing universe of regulation and litigation.

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“Life insurance premiums have gone down dramatically.” he notes, “The cost is down due to nontobacco discounts and new mortality tables.”

Another new and flexible benefit is life insurance that allows employees with chronic and terminal illnesses to access their death benefits while still alive to offset the often massive costs of treatment.

Right now, small businesses are watching their bottom-line while trying to take care of their employees and holding their breath to see what role federal legislation will have in their businesses in the years to come.

“Businesses are doing more audits to existing coverage to see if it’s cost-efficient,” Hearp says.

“Many employers are restructuring plans with higher deductibles and changing their benefit designs to try to bring their benefit costs down.”

“Often times the employer is out of touch, not only with products and features,” Hearp explains, “but with some of the legal ramifications - the rules and regulations regarding waiting periods for new employees and other regulated issues.”

Some new benefit products that many businesses are looking at these days, Hearp says, include a Tax-Free Retirement plan that offers a tax-free stream of revenue for individuals but requires the individual be able to fund the account at a high rate of compensation for 15 years. Hearp says many medical professionals are looking at this product as a way to supplement their retirement.

Other new products include Key Person Protection, a special benefit package designed to offer optimum coverage to valuable and irreplaceable employees. Life insurance products have also changed a great deal, Hearp says.

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senior living

Bluetooth® Technology Benefits Hearing Devices Words [ Cameron May ]

In the office of Joanne Dillon, M.S., CCC-A, FAAA, at New River Valley Hearing, there is a sign that sits next to her desk. It reads, “My hearing loss makes me feel…” and what follows is a list of about thirty or more words like aggravated, lonely, scared, frustrated, and similar negative emotions. What else would you expect? For people who experience hearing loss, what else could they feel? To lose a sense is to lose connection, physical and emotional, to the world around you.

The one that seems to stand out in the kaleidoscope of emotions is ‘isolated.’

In Dillon’s own words, “Most people don’t understand what a hearing loss does to them until they’re in those shoes. It does isolate them. It does cause a lot of anxiety and frustration. It makes them not want to go out anymore. Those are overwhelming issues.” That’s why Dillon thinks it’s so important to get the word out about the exciting new possibilities going on with hearing loss technology.

Technology can seem like an intimidating or scary word for a lot of people, but especially for those who have lost one of their senses.

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Someone with hearing loss can often struggle deeply with watching a film, listening to an iPod, or working on the computer. But Dillon says this technology is working for the good of the patient. She explains, “Hearing aids used to be analogue. Now they’ve almost all switched over to digital, which resulted in a huge improvement in sound and the way they process noise. That was the first big transition period that hearing aids went through. Then a few years ago, some of them became Bluetooth and wireless. That allows you to connect to things now that you couldn’t be a part of before. You can listen to your iPod at a level that is already synced to your ears. But the most important thing is that they’re user-friendly and work for real patients.”

Renee, a patient of Joanne’s, is living proof of this statement. She suffers from partial blindness and severe hearing loss. She came in to tell us about how this new wireless technology has affected her firsthand. Her ease and eloquence in conversation and reactions already speaks volumes. “It’s included me in social activities again. Before, from the hearing loss, I isolated myself because I didn’t feel included and couldn’t hear, but my hearing unit has allowed me to get involved in situations that are part of a hearing world again,” says Renee. Her wireless device sits in front of her on the desk, looking like any regular mp3 player.

The technology, although Bluetooth inspired and state-of-the-art, is very accessible according to Renee. “It’s very easy to use, very easy to get linked up. Even if I’m in a loud situation, like in a crowded restaurant, I’m able to hear past all the noise and pay attention to what the waiter is saying to me.”

Dillon also points out a recent case where an 88 year-old man was fitted with Bluetooth technology and took to it with great ease.

This new generation of wireless hearing aids really separates itself from the traditional ones we’ve always known. According to Renee and Dillon, the difference is night and day. “I had a hearing aid and it was a good

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one for the time. But since then my hearing has gotten worse. This new device has so many options and other devices that go along with it for the TV and the phone that were difficult situations before. It’s off the charts how much easier it is,” says Renee.

These new possibilities are due, Dillon notes, to the wireless technology.

Previously, a patient with a hearing aid could use it to listen to the speakers on a television set and make do with that. But now we’re in a totally different ballpark, streaming those devices directly into the hearing aid. Dillon says of Renee, “She recently got a TV box that also connects to computers and audio systems. It inputs the audio straight to the hearing aid, which acts as the speaker, greatly increasing the quality and clarity. She was one of our first patients to get this new technology.” However, this technology is not limited to a select few patients.

Wireless hearing technology has grown rapidly over the past few years and has a variety of options for people with different needs. Dillon says, “This is still fairly new, so you can’t get the technology in all hearing aids, but it’s available in enough of them that you have access to it with limited budget and entry-level hearing aids all the way up to the top-of-the-line devices. This technology should be available for everyone who needs it, which is why it’s so important that it’s been sweeping over into more and more circuits.” The availability of these new devices will, she hopes, allow other people to experience the kind of success and freedom that Renee now has.

If Renee has one message, she says, “Don’t be afraid of this technology because it opens up your whole world again, so much. It’s great and it’s allowed me a part of my life back.” The sign by Dillon’s desk will always be a relevant one to Renee’s life and others who suffer from hearing loss as well. That is a constant. But maybe now, thanks to these new advances in hearing loss technology, we can take ‘isolated’ and ‘helpless’ off the list.

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