October 2012 Your Health by Tallahassee Democrat

October 2012

A stylish survivor TEST JITTERS

Advice on dealing with the wait

AFTER THE LUMP What to expect

TANGO-CISE

Who says exercise has to be routine?

TREAT YOU

9 under-$100 spa wonders

Salon owner Mary Fannin shares her cancer story

this Issue

October On the cover

In the ‘club’ Mary Fannin, the owner of Chelsea Salon and Spa, talks about becoming a member of the breast-cancer “club,” her later diagnosis with Parkinson’s and what has helped her keep going.

Plus…

Found a lump? Here’s a look at what might happen after you find a lump or get a suspicious mammogram result.

Also inside... 06 YOUR TIME For a little time and less than $100, take a fast spa getaway.

About the cover October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Mary Fannin’s business, Chelsea Salon and Spa, has helped raise more than $25,000 for the fight against the disease.

08 ESSENTIAL NUTRITION Questions remain about how to best get all the calcium we need.

Photos by Long’s Photography 702 West Tharpe Street, Tallahassee 339-5799 www.longsphotography.com

10 Mind | Body | Soul Breast-cancer survivor Sharon Kant-Rauch writes about finding spiritual solace in the face of illness.

22 ALTERNATIVE HEALTH While there are natural alternatives for dealing with menopause, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, an expert explains.

26 SMART FITNESS Salsa and tango are sure to shake up any exercise routine.

24 MIND MATTERS These tips can help you face the psychological side of medical tests – both during the wait and after the result.

28 BEST BODY Tinsel, chalk, gloss – flirt with fun without making a long-term hair commitment. IN EVERY ISSUE 4 First word 30 AROUND TOWN

Tallahassee.com/Health October 2012 YOUR HEALTH

First word

Giving goes both ways

hile it’s wonderful to give to others, sometimes a person also needs to let herself be helped

“You don’t have to be a well person to be a happy person,” says Mary Fannin, our cover girl for this Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue of Your Health.

She speaks with the voice of experience. Having successfully navigated treatment for breast cancer a decade ago, she is now living with Parkinson’s disease. Fannin – the bubbly, stylish proprietor of Chelsea Salon and Spa – shares her story and her insights and continues to help those who are also “in the club” with advice on how to look their best when dealing with hair loss from cancer treatment.

277 N. Magnolia Drive Tallahassee, FL 32301 Call 850.599.2255 Fax 850.942.0185

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER

Patrick Dorsey 850.599.2124 tlh-publisher@tallahassee.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Joni Branch Marina Brown Anne Marie Cummings

Mary has found that giving of herself is good therapy, and Sharon Kant-Rauch, our Mind/Body/Soul columnist this month, discovered that receiving is just as good for you when she and her life partner were dealing with their own struggles with late-stage cancers.

Sharon Kant-Rauch

“Cancer has been a spiritual motivator. It’s given me more focus, opened me up to new practices and softened my heart,” Sharon says.

Designer

Be inspired by Mary and Sharon this month to share your own story, or to reach out to someone who is on a similar journey. You will also find inspiration in the pages of the Tallahassee Democrat throughout the month of October. The paper will “Go pink!” for October, featuring the stories of local breast cancer survivors daily. Elsewhere in this issue of Your Health, you’ll learn about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy and other ways of dealing with “the change,” how to snazz up your hair with flirty and fun highlights and adornments, and how you can find fitness on the dance floor gliding through the tango or shimmying to a salsa beat. And if you want to reward yourself for all your hard work, there’s a story on quick spa treats for under $100. May your October be healthy, happy and rewarding!

Kenya McCullum Kathy Radford Kati Schardl

April Miller

Joni Branch 850.599.2255 jbranch@tallahassee.com ADVERTISING

Lisa Lazarus.Brown 850.599.2333

ONLINE

Find a digital copy of the magazine and all this month’s articles, along with stories from past issues, online at Tallahassee.com/health.

Your Health Magazine is published 12 times a year by the Tallahassee Democrat at 277 N. Magnolia Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301. No part of this magazine may

Kati Schardl Features Editor 4

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. Your Health Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork.

www.carecredit.com

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Making Tallahassee Smile

08-31-2012

Your Time

9 fast, under- 100 $

spa wonders

Take a quick but luxurious break from the daily grind

By KATHY RADFORD

e all have times in our lives when we feel the need to recline and relax with a little pampering, whether it is at the end of a long, stressful week or as a special treat before a sure-to-be-hectic time in our lives. Whatever the reason, a refreshing salon experience can be a real boost to the body and spirit and can be just the impetus needed to get out there and go, go, go. With that in mind, here’s a sampling of some fast, under-$100 wonders – local spa and salon treatments that don’t require a large investment of either time or money. Rosemary Mint Awakening Body Wrap This treatment is intended to leave you feeling amazingly nurtured and stimulated, as your body is exfoliated, smoothed, softened and wrapped while you inhale the essences of peppermint and rosemary. And for the tip and toes, there’s a scalp and foot massage. About $60. Athena Salon and Spa, 1350 Mahan Drive, Unit 17, 671-3005. 6

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

Hair Spa (Botanical Hair and Scalp Therapy) Get to the root of stress with a renewing scalp treatment that is applied via massaging hands and followed by a treatment masque for your hair. Wrap it all up with a blow-dry and style. About $75. Green Peridot Salon, 1122 Thomasville Road, Suite 6, 224-1814.

Chocolate Fondue Body Wrap

Swedish Massage Combined with Express Facial A 30-minute Swedish massage – still the most popular type because of its light to medium pressure – can take away stress and boost circulation. Combine that with cleansing, light exfoliation, facial massage and sunscreen for serious pampering in one convenient package. About $90. Millennium Nail and Day Spa, 2915 Kerry Forest Parkway, Suite 606, 894-4772.

Pick-Me-Up Special

Love chocolate? Get yourself enveloped in mud infused with the essence of cocoa and then escape to your own little chocolate world as you are wrapped in warm blankets. About $65. Better Living Day Spa, 727 N. Calhoun St., 222-7588.

Oxygenation Facial Act like a movie star and get the power of oxygen behind you to help you feel and look amazing. Oxygen facials are touted as making skin feel softer and glow as if from the inside out. Oxygen also has been known to do battle with those pesky line-producing free radicals. About $70. Styles of Elegance, 2410 Mahan Drive, 222-1300. v

Here’s a tried and true combination that’s sure to please – a 20-minute facial and a 20-minute massage. Why not leave your office behind for a bit and treat yourself to a feel-good experience? You could fit this special into a lunch hour! About $50. Body Wisdom of Tallahassee, 820 E. Park Ave., Suite C , 822-2639

Rejuvenation Mani-Pedi Sit back and kick your shoes off. Sip a daily cocktail special while you get your fingers and toes pampered with refreshing spearmint and peppermint. About $80. The Nail Bar, 1486 Apalachee Parkway, 270-9344.

Sea Salt Body Polish Who says only nails deserve polish? This whole-body treat uses a personalized body polish formula to make you one smooth operator. About $75. Chelsea Salon and Spa, 1629 Mahan Center Blvd., 878-8282.

B Luminous C and Sea Facial With a combination of vitamin C and freeze-dried seaweed, this facial promises to rebalance and revitalize your skin to leave you glowing. If you spent your youth basking in the sun, this one is especially recommended. About $90. Millennium Nail and Day Spa, 2915 Kerry Forest Parkway, Suite 606, 894-4772. October 2012 YOUR HEALTH

Essential NUTRITION

Calcium,

the mighty mineral

Questions remain on how to best get all the calcium we need

BY Marina Brown

ou may remember a vaguely creepy childhood science experiment involving a chicken bone suspended in a glass filled with vinegar (or cola). After waiting several days for the calcium to dissolve, the resulting bendable “Gumby” bone was a surefire way to impress wide-eyed children with why calcium is so important to bone health and strength — and why too much cola, or glasses of vinegar, aren’t good. Indeed, calcium is important to every aspect of a functioning body, not only for strong bones well into old age, but for muscle contraction, blood vessel dilation, neurological response and hormone secretion. It is the most abundant mineral in the human body and to attend to all of its many tasks, needs a fairly narrow range of concentration within the blood stream. And therein lies the newest in calcium controversies: how to maintain optimal levels without negatively affecting the rest of calcium’s jobs.

Dowager’s Hump and Kale vs. A Pill Ninety-nine percent of the body’s calcium is stored in bone. For years, doctors and nutritionists have advised that to prevent osteoporosis — the disease that causes calcium loss in bones and turns them to brittle Swiss cheese — it is advisable to increase the amount of calcium available to the body. We can get it from foods. Milk contains calcium. Some other super-calcium-charged edibles include spinach, okra, kale, beets, sardines, soy, salmon, yogurt and chocolate. But most people’s 8

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

— especially women’s — daily diets are short on the likes of sardines and kale, and over time, the effects of a reduced calcium intake show in the “dowager’s hump” of a sagging spine and the heightened risk of spontaneous fractures. Enter the convenient calcium supplement. With ranges between 1,000 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium, combined with Vitamin D to help with its absorption from the intestines, physicians and women have eagerly embraced this pill alternative to obtaining calcium from foods that were, like kale, less than mainstream.

Our Chemical Stew Yet in the chemical lab that is the human body, there are more players. Oxalates are acids that naturally appear in plants and animals. When these acids combine with calcium they form non-soluble crystals that are normally excreted through the kidneys. But sometimes, that conduit has a build-up. The result is a painful kidney stone, the most common of which is made up of calcium and oxalate crystals. Wait a minute! Our chemistry lab book says that to keep too much calcium from being excreted and our bones going all soft, we need the help of those oxalates. Now they’re causing kidney stones? And kidney stones are

only the beginning. Welcome to the world of confusing calcium science.

Calcium and the Numbers A 2010 British Medical Journal study found 12,000 people taking calcium supplement pills were 30 percent more likely to have a heart attack over those taking a placebo. By adding Vitamin D the risk was reduced to a still whopping 20 percent. An earlier New England Journal of Medicine study showed that nurses eating a diet containing highcalcium foods had a tiny 0.1 percent incidence of developing kidney stones, while those taking pill-supplements had an increased 20 percent incidence. There have been hundreds of studies examining strokes, cancer, weight gain and pregnancy. Though most showed no concrete correlation between supplemental calcium and disease, suspicions remain.

So is there any consensus on calcium and health? Perhaps only these knowables: • Too much or too little calcium can be bad for us. • Dietary calcium, that is, calcium found in the food we eat, seems to be preferable to supplements — if we get enough. • Above all, drink water. Up to 2.5 quarts a day allows the body to regulate its levels of calcium, oxalates and many other blood chemicals and hormones. • And check with your physician for your own health status and updates on calcium research. v

No dairy? Licensed Tallahassee dietician and nutritionist Heather Fisher points out that vegans and others following strict vegetarian diets have particular challenges in obtaining enough calcium. “Green leafy vegetables in a vegetarian’s diet also contain oxalates and phytates that in higher quantities have been implicated in poor absorption of calcium,” she says. “Another inhibitor is drinking large quantities of soda pop.” However, for those consuming nondairy sources of calcium there is hope. “Regular milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium per cup. Yogurt has 250 milligrams. But fortified rice, almond and soy milk contain upwards of 450 milligrams per cup,” Fisher says. “What is important is to shake up the milk before use, as the ‘fortified’ minerals tend to pool at the bottom.” Will too much soy milk lead to kidney stones? Fisher isn’t aware of such an issue. “Though genetics may play a part, drinking adequate amounts of water will enable the healthy kidney to do its job.”

October 2012 YOUR HEALTH

Mind | Body | Soul

Facing cancer, finding grace From the struggle with cancer comes a sharpened sense of focus and a softer heart Within the space of four years, Sharon, left, and Terry both faced late-stage cancers. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARON KANT-RAUCH

n 2005 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Four years later, my life partner Terry tested positive for nonHodgkin’s lymphoma. Both cancers were late stage. We thought we were goners. But so far we’ve survived. I’d like to say that facing these life-threatening illnesses have shown me “what’s important” in life. But in reality, I lose sight of that higher truth all the time. One minute I’m determined to make the most of every day, to be kind to all I meet, to avoid silly arguments because, well, who knows how much time I have left? The next moment my good intentions are suddenly zapped because Terry put six (six!) snacks into our 10-year-old daughter’s lunch box instead of my usual two. But despite my on-going imperfections, cancer has been a spiritual motivator. It’s given me more focus, opened me up to new practices and softened my heart. Here’s what helped me the most.

PRAYER The best thing about praying during cancer was that I could be honest with God. With other people I often felt I had to conform to the “cancer narrative.” You’ve heard it. “He didn’t miss a single day of work during chemo!” “She never let the cancer get her down!” 10

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

By Sharon Kant-Rauch “He’s so positive!” I didn’t fit that narrative very well. I stopped working for six months. I got cranky. Some days I just stared glumly at the wall for hours. With God I didn’t have to hold anything back. The days I was drowning in fear, I could talk about it. The days I was glad to just get out of bed, I could express gratitude. Good, bad or indifferent, I had a safe place to be myself

YOGA I started taking yoga at the end of my chemotherapy. I was still bald and exhausted. I would close my eyes during most of the class and just follow the instructions of the teacher. The biggest benefit was that it got me back in touch with my body. When I first got cancer I felt like my body had betrayed me. I lived a healthy lifestyle and was hardly ever sick, and then whomp! I was struck with an aggressive cancer. Over and over the teacher reminded us to accept ourselves just where we were. Can’t touch your toes? No problem. Just observe how far you can go without judgment. But she would also encourage us to go a little bit beyond our edge. Do that faithfully, she promised, and our bodies would eventually become more relaxed and limber.

Acceptance of what is combined with effort to change was a great lesson, both on and off the mat.

with cancer are private about our illness. We don’t want to seem needy, especially if treatment goes on for a long time.

Today, I still can’t touch my toes. But I’m close

But receiving is as much a spiritual discipline as giving.

HELPING OTHERS

When I first got cancer, people did everything from cooking us meals to organizing our medical papers. We needed the help and accepted it with gratitude.

I found that whatever side of the cancer line I was on, doing something for somebody else gave me a spiritual lift. I first found that out in August of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit. I had just finished chemo and was about to start radiation. Night after night as I struggled with my own pain, I watched TV footage of suffering people in New Orleans. I wanted to do something.

But when Terry got cancer, we were more reluctant. Hadn’t we already burnt out our family and friends? How could we possibly ask for more? Then we’d remember the times we tried to help others who were ill or having problems. Some let us, some didn’t.

So Terry and I, through our synagogue, coordinated getting a truck load of supplies shipped to one of the hardest hit areas. Not much work was involved, mostly a bunch of telephone calls. But it changed the focus from my own troubles to those of other people – and I felt my heart expand.

We were always grateful to the ones who let us in. It made us feel useful. It allowed us to channel our empathy into something concrete.

Ever since, whenever I get too caught up in my own woes, I force myself to do something for somebody else.

It was a lesson in vulnerability. But it also opened wider the gates of love.

And I don’t feel so alone.

– Sharon Kant-Rauch was a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat for 21 years. She is now a real estate agent for Kant Realty of North Florida. She can be reached at rauchsh@aol.com. v

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cover story

Surviving with style The owner of Chelsea Salon and Spa shares her story

By JONI BRANCH

ary Fannin is in the “club.” The 55-year-old owner of Chelsea Salon and Spa never signed up for breast cancer, but that’s the way it worked out. As she notes, the National Cancer Institute estimates that one in eight American women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.

when she herself had no hair, Mary successfully made it through cancer treatment more than 10 years ago and now deals with Parkinson’s disease. Despite all that, she runs a bustling salon and reaches out to help others dealing with breast cancer through benefit events and pure personal contact.

She flashes a smile. “It’s kind of like having a gang. You have a distinction.” Petite and always stylish, even

To those undergoing chemotherapy who seek her out for “non-hair” advice, this survivor offers calm compassion

PHOTO BY LONG’S PHOTOGRAPHY

Mary Fannin loves to escape her second-floor office to be out and about among clients and staff at Chelsea Salon and Spa.

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

and a light touch. “So,” she sometimes says with gentle humor, “you’re in the club.” At the time she joined that group, she was in the full prime of life, a resolutely healthy business woman raising three nearly grown kids with husband Steve, an award-winning high-school chemistry teacher.

Busy in business Mary was brought up in Melbourne and came to Tallahassee as a newlywed in 1977 so that Steve could attend Florida State. “He brought us here and I kept us here.” Fresh out of beauty school, she joined Vicki Rand’s Hairsmith that year, first working for Vicki, then becoming a partner as the business grew and a second Hairsmith was opened. Mary bought out Vicki in the 1980s and the business grew to three locations, adding a salon called Chelsea. Managing that many places “was crazy.” Fast forward to 2012 and Mary has consolidated the business into one big, glamorous salon. The current location, in operation for six years, is actually the business’ fourth. The name Hairsmith was retired in favor of Chelsea, “an Aveda lifestyle salon and spa.” About 20 stylists work along with numerous nail, spa and support staff in a two-story brick office building

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY FANNIN

Mary lost her hair quickly after an initial chemotherapy session, but didn’t let the treatment’s effects keep her from a holiday celebration with friends and employees. She sported a blond wig, on the friend at left, to the party and cheerfully let people pass it around. In general, she bypassed wigs in favor of artfully tied scarves.

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She also would undergo weeks-long courses of radiation and chemotherapy. A woman who had spent her entire career working with hair lost hers in 36 hours.

The power of hair “It’s a weird thing,” Mary recalls with quiet understatement, “to have your hair fall out.” She coped with the loss, choosing to bypass wigs. “I was either bald or I had a wrap on.” For special occasions, there was “a beaded head thing like Cleopatra” found at a shop in Apalachicola. She grins. “Boy, it looked great on a bald head.” (That headdress has since been passed along to temporarily bald acquaintances and friends.)

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY FANNIN

Mary, the dark-haired woman at center, and the crew pose during the early Hairsmith days, sometime around 1980. She joined Hairsmith as a stylist, then became a partner and then owner.

that was elegantly renovated for Mary with an emphasis on durability. She picked floors that look like hardwood but are a tough imitation. Throughout the space, “everything’s trimmed in black,” Mary notes, which means pigment-smudged fingerprints won’t show. Mary no longer regularly cuts and styles hair. She’s the boss, and takes the responsibility very seriously, spending much of her time circulating among clients and stylists. In the small office she keeps on the second floor, she’s posted sayings “to remind me how to be a good boss.” The reminders include: “Help people reach their full potential – catch them doing something right,” and, “The best minute I spend is one I invest in people.”

Her experience Mary’s cancer struck in 2001, when she was 44. She remembers the year because “9/11 was the day after my first chemo treatment.” Before that, there was a lump. Its discovery sent Mary, who up to that point had been so healthy that she considered giving up traditional health insurance to self-insure, to the doctor. She was hustled off for a mammogram during that visit and, by the time the mammogram was finished, was scheduled to see a surgeon the next day. She remembers hearing from him: “I can just tell this isn’t good.” The surgeon skipped an initial biopsy in favor of removing the mass, which upon biopsy showed clear margins, indicating that her malignant, non-hormonal cancer had not become invasive. Heeding doctors’ advice, she had a second surgery to remove 13 lymph nodes. 14

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

“I had some beautiful scarves,” she adds, that she learned to wrap artfully around her head. “I still teach people how to do the scarves.” Mary also teaches new “members of the club” how to take control of what can be a disorienting and traumatic experience. “I encourage people to shave their heads themselves before it all falls out. … That makes you free. Like, this is my decision.”

What helped her Mary returned to work a few months after treatment. Her hair came back in, she says, within five or six months. She was helped through the whole experience simply by “having a life – something I want to live for,” she says. “I’ve got a lot of people who depend on me.” And looking ahead: “I wanted to see my grandchildren, and I don’t have any grandchildren.” She and Steve have a 25-year-old son and two daughters, 27 and 30 years old. She credits the support of family with helping her through treatment. Husband Steve and middle daughter Sarah acted as primary caregivers during her most difficult days. To anyone else facing such an ordeal, Mary strongly recommends having an advocate. Her best friend accompanied her to doctor visits and took copious notes while Mary dealt with the conversation at hand. “Any of my big visits, she was with me.” During a trip to Jacksonville for a second opinion before a second surgery, “we ended up walking on the beach, having lunch. It was a great day.”

Helping yourself “I don’t remember any medicine that made me feel better than taking care of myself,” Mary says now. Getting sick “made me serious about my health.” Though she has since loosened up, she adopted a very strict vegetarian diet for a time. “I miss that.” She

PHOTO BY LONG’S PHOTOGRAPHY

Before her cancer treatment, Mary tried to cut, style and run a busy salon business. These days, she only works occasionally with hair hands-on.

Joining the fight against breast cancer For a time after her breast-cancer treatment, Mary Fannin says she just wanted to “live in la-la land.” When she popped out, she began helping out. Over the years Mary has thrown her business’ support behind numerous good causes, and in the past decade the Chelsea Salon and Spa has helped raise more than $25,000 for the fight against breast cancer. Last year Chelsea held its 10th annual fall fashion show to benefit Making Strides Against Cancer, a program of the American Cancer Society. This year Mary plans another benefit fashion show in October, with proceeds going to the Joanna

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

Francis Living Well Foundation, www.joannafrancislivingwell.org a “compounding relief fund” meant to provide financial assistance to women living with breast cancer. This local foundation arose from Tallahassee resident Joanna Francis’ struggle with the disease. While plans for this year’s fashion show weren’t final at press time, Mary said the models will be mostly caregivers. Tickets will be in the $35 to $50 range. For the latest on the show, which is scheduled for Oct. 27, visit https://chelseasalon.com. To learn more about the Joanna Francis Living Well Foundation, go to www.joannafrancislivingwell.org.

About breast cancer If you’d like to find more information about this disease online, a good place to start is the American Cancer Society, www.

cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/ index. where you’ll find a detailed breast cancer guide along with information on numerous resources and services.

Go pink! For an updated list of breastcancer awareness events in the area, go to Tallahassee.com or check the daily Tallahassee Democrat, which is honoring the fight against breast cancer throughout October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The newspaper’s “Go pink!” campaign includes a series of daily profiles on local people who have faced the disease.

Change Your Life Today

also began doing acupuncture and trying out exercise routines, finally settling on yoga as her favorite. She has stuck with the yoga, which gives her a physical outlet that never seems routine. She also exercises every morning and walks for an hour and a half once a week.

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Keeping moving has become acutely important for Mary, who after her successful cancer treatment was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about eight years ago. The most noticeable initial symptom was freezing, as when she tried to wave goodbye to someone and found her hand wouldn’t turn side to side.

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Between exercise and medication, she has the disease under control and is philosophical about her experiences. “I think it was a real awakening that you can live with stuff like that,” she says of cancer and Parkinson’s. “You don’t have to be a well person to be a happy person.” .

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feature

After the lump What happens when a self-exam or mammogram finds something suspicious?

by Anne Marie Cummings

f you feel a lump in your breast, don’t despair, and don’t ignore it.

“Not all lumps are bad lumps and many times they can be benign,” says Dr. Marie Amanze of Hematology Oncology Solutions of Tallahassee. “There are different points in your cycle when estrogen levels rise and many times cysts form in the breast as a result.” However, red flags should wave if your lump persists after your menstrual cycle. Call your primary care physician and ask him or her to take a look. After that? Here are steps you may have to take. 18

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

Step One: MAMMOGRAPHY & ULTRASOUND A radiological technologist will ask you questions about your lump and with a marker will “mark” your breast where the lump is. Next, the technologist will position and compress the breast in order to take images of it. The radiologist analyzes the X-rays and if a lump is found, an ultrasound is conducted for further investigation. “The technologist will take the patient to another room for the ultrasound, a non-radiation exam that uses sound waves to makes images of the tissues inside

the breast,” says Dr. Maribel Lockwood of Women’s Imaging Center at Radiology Associates in Tallahassee. “This defines whether the lump is a solid tumor or a cyst.” The radiologist interprets the ultrasound and if he sees that it’s rather solid and not benign-looking, he will recommend the next step.

Step Two: BIOPSY AND PATHOLOGY REPORT Two common types of biopsies are ultrasound and mammotome. Both involve local anesthesia and a needle. According to Lockwood, an ultrasound biopsy (a 15-minute procedure) is more comfortable for the patient and is quicker than a mammotome biopsy (a 30-minute procedure). In both cases, a hollow needle, which cuts a small piece of tissue from the lump, is inserted into the breast. A pathologist exams the tissue under a microscope to determine if the lump is benign, precancerous or cancerous. At Lockwood’s office, patients are contacted with results 24 hours following their biopsy. Keep in mind, if the lump is benign, a phone

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Steps Four and/or Five: Even more debatable than the MRI is whether a patient should next see a surgeon or an oncologist. The simple fact of the matter is that patients can meet with an oncologist and a surgeon in order to help them make an informed decision that is going to work for them.

SURGEON Schwartz put it simply, stating that tailored with a multidisciplinary approach, if a patient is leaning towards breast preservation, he sends them to a radiation oncologist. If a patient is leaning towards a mastectomy with the consideration of reconstruction, he sends them to a plastic surgeon. Dr. Jeffrey Crooms, a general surgeon at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, added that if someone has a large lump, five centimeters or greater, many times she is offered pre-operative chemotherapy to shrink the lump. “If it’s less than five centimers, the option of a lumpectomy with a sentinel lymph node biopsy is followed by radiation therapy,” he says. conversation follows. If the lump is cancerous, you’ll be asked to visit with your general surgeon or radiologist (often depending on who conducted your biopsy).

Step Three: MRI Lockwood stated that she always recommends an MRI as a next step for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. “An MRI helps a patient get as much information as they can before making any decisions,” she says. But not all doctors suggest the MRI route. “If the pathology report is relatively straightforward, I don’t suggest an MRI for the patient unless there were more complex issues with that patient, such as mammograms that suggest other areas are questionable, or if there is a strong family history of breast cancer,” says Dr. Roy Schwartz, a general surgeon with Capital Regional Medical Center and Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

ONCOLOGIST An oncologist like Amanze feels strongly about meeting with patients directly after they’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer. “Too often I provide patients with chemotherapy eight months following surgery. That’s too long a wait,” she says. “Surgery can happen within two weeks following chemotherapy and/or radiation.” Amanze will conduct a thorough physical and a sentinel lymph node biopsy before determining options. She will recommend chemotherapy before surgery if a patient has a number of positive lymph nodes, or if the tumor is large along with positive lymph nodes. Following chemotherapy is six weeks of radiation, if needed. “First we do systemic treatment then we do localized treatment,” says Amanze, who also offers patients hormone therapy in the form of letrozole, anastrozole or tamoxifen to help block the growth of estrogen in the body. v

A breast cancer navigator Judy Welch has been a breast cancer navigator at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare since 2004. As soon as she’s aware of a patient diagnosed with breast cancer, she begins a dialogue with them. “When people are first diagnosed they want to do something about it immediately,” she says. “What patients need to know is that there are different avenues to take that are all right answers.” With input from surgeons and oncologists, breast cancer navigators like Welch let patients know all their options. Here are three common scenarios Welch has seen women take: Women who don’t want to worry typically choose a mastectomy (removal of the entire breast); women who love their breasts often opt for a lumpectomy (removing the lump from the breast) followed by chemotherapy and radiation, if necessary; and some women with large tumors choose to have chemotherapy to shrink the tumor so surgery is less invasive.

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ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

Menopause, naturally ‘There is no one-size-fits-all alternative program for menopause,’ an expert says, but options are available

by Anne Marie Cummings

id you know that your mother and her mother, and so on down the line, probably dealt with menopause the not-so-good old-fashioned way – by taking synthetic hormones, that is, estrogen derived from horse urine? Synthetic hormones can be uncomfortably foreign to a woman’s body, which is why so many women today are looking for natural ways to ease menopausal symptoms and restore hormonal balance. Says Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, renowned nutritionist and author of “Hot Times: How to Eat Well, Live Healthy, Feel Sexy During the Change,” “There is no one-size-fits-all alternative program for menopause. Even if the hormones you’re taking are natural, you still have to be tested and monitored regularly. The key is figuring out what works for you.”

NATURAL HORMONES Across the globe, laboratories make natural hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone derived from the plants of yams and soybeans. These natural hormones are known to make women feel younger, sexier, even more energetic. Stewart Pharmacy, a compounding pharmacy in Tallahassee, purchases their natural hormones from a US wholesaler called Professional Compounding Centers of America. Danny Jackson, owner and pharmacist at Stewart Pharmacy, says, “Laboratories convert these plant compounds into chemical molecules identical to those made in the human body and send them to us as bulk powders.” What makes compounding pharmacies unique is that they prepare individualized prescriptions for women in the forms of tablets, creams, drops, gels and troches (gelatin squares). Elizabeth Markovich, a certified nurse practitioner at Tallahassee’s Integrative Healthcare, works with Stewart 22

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

Pharmacy and prescribes natural hormones to her patients. “It’s expected for women to experience hormonal changes,” she says, “Some women tough it out, but others have so many menopausal symptoms that they need hormone replacement therapy.”

THE SALIVA TEST The best way to know if your symptoms are related to a hormone imbalance is to take the saliva test. According to Dr. David Zava, founder and CEO of ZRT Laboratory, in Beaverton, Ore., “Saliva testing is the best way to measure estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and cortisol levels because the hormones present in saliva are thought to be the level of hormones that leaves the bloodstream and enters tissues.” To take the saliva test, your primary care physician or gynecologist will give you a take-home kit. Before eating in the morning, you will spit into a tube. Then you will send the tube to the specified lab for testing. Finally, you will receive a call from your physician providing test results and a prescription. If you are taking hormones at the time of testing, Zava recommends that you not take them 12 to 24 hours prior to testing, and in order to continue monitoring your hormone levels, he suggests a second test three to six months following your first.

SIDE EFFECTS According to Jackson, the misconception about taking natural hormones is that they’re safe. “Any hormone, even the hormones our own bodies create, can be linked to cancer,” he said, adding that if you have cancer, or a history of cancer in your family, you aren’t a candidate for natural hormone replacement therapy. Zava says when women’s bodies are outside a reasonable physiological range – when the body isn’t making enough, or is making too little, estrogen, progesterone or testosterone – the aging process is accelerated. “We know what the levels need to be and what we are trying to achieve is bringing them back to the premenopausal level where they’re healthy,” says Zava. v

Dr. Ann Louise’s ‘hot time’ boosters There are supplements that can help treat common menopausal symptoms. Two of Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman’s favorites are flaxseeds and black currant seed oil. But remember, start little by little. “So many women are dealing with hormone havoc,” she says “so by taking one supplement at a time you’ll know what your system is responding to.”

Flaxseeds Gittleman recommends two to three tablespoons of ground flaxseeds a day. Mix them in your muffin batter, blend in a smoothie or add to steamed vegetables. These hormone modulators with anti-cancer properties are a fibrous compound that not only combats excess estrogen but balances the amount of estrogen necessary in the system for good health.

Black Currant Seed Oil Derived from the seeds of black currants, this oil contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. The doctor likes gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) components of this daily supplement which acts as a natural estrogen and is sure to offer relief from hormone-related symptoms given their antiinflammatory benefits. October 2012 YOUR HEALTH

mind matters

The psychological side of medical tests The days or weeks spent waiting for a result can be harrowing, and then there’s the result itself

By Kenya McCullum

hen you’re waiting for the results of a medical

those long hours for that call from your doctor.

test, it can be a stressful time filled with fear,

anxiety and uncertainty about the future. It’s not

Get the information you need. Information is power, and when you find out information about the condition you’re being tested for, it can go a long way to making you feel better because a lot of anxiety that you feel can be rooted in your fears.

uncommon to become overwhelmed by what you’re feeling, but you don’t have to let your fears get the better of you. These tips can help you stay calm as you wait

“It is inevitable that when information is readily available we will seek it out,” said Mental Health Counselor Angela Durant Turner. “Finding out about your condition through medical websites or blogs can be helpful because it helps the patient to feel they have some level of control over what is happening to them and allows them to read about others in similar situations.” When you’re seeking out this information, it’s important to keep in mind that not everything you read will actually apply to you since everyone’s case is different.

Try not to dwell on it. Although getting information about an illness can help you become more informed, it’s important not to invest too much mental and emotional energy in thinking about the illness. “Don’t ruminate on it,” said Alannah Arnold of Insight Out Therapy. “If you catch yourself having gone through the same information more than three times, then you ruminate and that’s not helpful. That’s just going to exacerbate the situation.”

When the news is bad There’s no doubt that when you find out you actually have the illness you feared, it can be devastating. People who receive this kind of news can become deeply depressed and feel like their life is over. But just as you 24

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

can work to get through the physical challenges, you can also find ways to cope with your diagnosis emotionally.

Get the support you need. If you have a strong support system of good friends and family, don’t shut them out of this process. Allow them to be there for you and help you work through the emotions you’re feeling. If you don’t have a strong support system of people you can trust with your delicate feelings, you may be able to find illness-specific support groups at local medical centers, or even on the Internet. Also, you may want to consult a therapist who specializes in counseling people with medical challenges.

Focus on the positive. Even though you’re having health challenges, there are still positive things going on in your life that you can be happy about. By focusing on those things, it can help you lift your spirits as you cope with your diagnosis.

Good news may cause bad feelings

Work closely with your doctor. People often feel better when they are a proactive participant in their medical treatments. By working closely with your doctor—and always voicing your questions and concerns—you can be an active participant in coming up with a plan that works for you. In addition to trusting your doctor, you can also take solace in the fact that medicine is always advancing and improving. “It is important to realize that medicine in 2012 is not the same as it was even five years ago,” said Turner. “Medicine today uses the latest techniques, technologies and the most well-trained medical personnel in history. This should be comforting to any patient.”

Be kind to yourself. You’re going to feel a lot of different emotions as you integrate your diagnosis into your identity. Give yourself permission to process your emotions and thoughts, and give yourself the time you need to find peace with what’s going on. Also, be sure to pamper yourself during this time and do the things that you enjoy to make yourself feel better. v

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Although it seems counterintuitive, sometimes when people receive good news about their health, they initially experience some of the same depression that they would from a bad result. According to Robin McDougall of The Healing Center, this is often because people have spent so much time preparing themselves for the worst that they don’t know how to process the good news they’ve received. “They’ve prepped themselves up so much for the negative that they actually feel almost a little let down about the fact that it’s positive,” she said. “It can be a really bizarre feeling and they’re sometimes not quite ready to let go of the alarm they have been feeling. It’s almost too good to be true, so they don’t shift quickly into celebrating.” If you’re experiencing these kinds of feelings, McDougall suggests that you be gentle with yourself and allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling until you’re ready to let the relief set in.

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smart fitness

Salsa and tango versus sit-ups Add a little oomph to an exercise routine

BY Marina Brown

hen asked in her last days what she would have done differently, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, founder of the Hospice movement, said, “I would have danced more.” There you are, slogging toward the gym, tense from the kids or the office and resenting the machines, the weights and the disobedient exercise ball that will never stay under your bum. You’re bored with your repetitive routine and pining for physical activity where you won’t A) be stretched like a pretzel, B) on a permanent regimen of Aleve, or C) screamed at by a muscular drill sergeant in an exercise bra. What you might need is a little dance in your life. And though the gym may remain the “meat and potatoes” of your physical program, the addition of dance, either for its exuberant aerobic attributes or for the mental and emotional calm it can bring, could be the spice in your meal.

salsa: One, Two, Three, Wiggle! Take salsa. And take away those calories! Dancing to the pulsing 1-2-3 of the Latin beat for one hour burns between 500 and 600 calories; ballroom dance comes in at 265 and Zumba at 520. Salsa involves coordination between small steps below and a looseness in the torso and shoulders. It calls for adjustments in balance and directional change and enhances the ability to respond quickly to cues from a partner. Niki Kyriacou, past president of the Corazon Dancers of Tallahassee, a group of young and older salsa dancers, is an aficionado.

TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT FILE PHOTOS

A member of the Corazon Dancers, a nonprofit student organization devoted to promoting salsa, performs at Florida State University’s 2011 PowWow. The Corazon Dancers offer lessons each week at Margo’s Dance Studio, and La Fiesta Restaurant holds Latin Dance Nights most Saturdays.

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

“Unlike other kinds of dance, salsa is seen as kind of … macho,” she says. “With many Latinos from the Miami area here, men are used to dancing salsa. Though the rhythm may be a bit tricky at first, it’s really not hard to learn.” Kyriacou, who is a former competitive athlete, says that a half hour of dancing salsa feels equivalent to half hour

of volleyball, “but much more fun.” And nobody discounts the positive effects of feeling slightly sexy on the dance floor. Think Zumba in high heels, a short skirt and a partner who can make you twirl.

TANGO: Mental and Sensual But on the sexy scale, there’s really nothing that compares with the smooth enchantment that is Argentine tango. The Argentine variety is not ballroom style a la Rudolf Valentino. Rather, Argentine tango was born in the crowded tango salons of Buenos Aires just after the turn of the last century. The music that propels the intensely involved couples is by turns nostalgic, romantic and heartbreaking. Wrapped in each other’s arms, a couple appears almost in a trance as the man leads his partner in a series of intricate maneuvers. She seems surrendered to his movements, listening with her body to his, occasionally expressing herself with a flash of knee or subtly placed ankle. Hilda Gilchrist and Dubravko Kakarigi, members of the Tallahassee Argentine Tango Society, speak of the special calm and passion that arises when dancing tango. “I know that I can do this dance for as long as I live,” says Gilchrist. “It is a journey … with no end.” Kakarigi speaks of each dance with a new partner as a chance to create something beautiful, tell a little story to each other, dream, if just for a moment, together. “It’s like a silent therapy session,” he laughs, provoking a rush of immediate intimacy that finishes as the music ends. Whether salsa with its high energy demands or Argentine tango and its endorphin-provoking calm, the benefits for enhanced memory, focus, mood, coordination and social interaction have never been more fun to acquire. v

TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT FILE PHOTO

Teo and Marsha Bartek, a Gainesville couple, periodically teach tango in Tallahassee or take an unscheduled turn on a dance floor here. The Tallahassee Argentine Tango Society, meanwhile, meets at the Fifth Avenue Tap Room on Tuesdays. October 2012 YOUR HEALTH

The value of dance • A study by the Albert Einstein University College of Medicine showed that of 11 physical activities, only dancing lowered the risk of dementia. • Other studies positively compared the EEG brain activity of meditation with those during Argentine tango. Parkinson’s patients appeared to move more smoothly during tango practice.

Join in! • The Corazon Dancers of Tallahassee meet Fridays at Margo’s Dance Studio, 451 W. Gaines St., for two hour-long lessons from 8 to 9 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m. Open dance is from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. La Fiesta restaurant holds Latin Dance Nights most Saturdays with lessons starting at 8 p.m. Online, go to http://corazondancers.webs.com/. • The Tallahassee Argentine Tango Society meets at the Fifth Avenue Tap Room at the Manor at Midtown, 1122 Thomasville Road, on Tuesdays from 8:30 until 11 p.m. To learn more, contact Hilda.Gilchrist@talgov.com or visit www.tangotallahassee.com.

Best Body

re you getting a bit bored with the same old look eyeballing you back from the mirror? We all tend to have some times – like when we are invited to a party or some other public event – when we want to add a little pizzazz to our style, but it can be a bit daunting to take a leap when confronted with permanent changes. Sometimes, when my hair is looking particularly flat or mousy brown, I contemplate a big change but then cringe when I remember my mom’s afro-tight perm or orange hair that was supposed to be blonde. We all have memories like that, and sometimes they may hold us back and keep us from enjoying the boost we can get from trying something new. Well, today there are lots of non-permanent options out there to add just the right spring to your step – or shine to your hair, as the case may be. Adding a touch of shine or playing with a dab of color are great ways to look snazzy for an event, and today’s temporary options don’t require the commitment of a constant routine. With all the great local spas and salons in Tallahassee, it should be easy to find just what you want on a day when you have the time and inclination to experiment. Athena Salon and Spa, Haute Headz, Toppers Salon and Chelsea Salon and Spa are just a few of the establishments that have been helping Tallahassee stay beautiful for years. In our quest for expert advice, we talked to Alberta Foerst, a manager at Millennium Nail and Day Spa on Kerry Forest in Killearn, and took a few tips from beauty website Sephora.com for quickly transforming lackluster locks.

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Get a lock on fun Give your tresses a special touch without making a long-term commitment

By KATHY RADFORD 28

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

To increase shine, Foerst suggests “a hair glossing treatment with a blow out.” A hair gloss is a type of transparent hair dye that adds a dramatic shine to your hair without changing its color – kind of like the protective clear coat you get to protect the paint on your car. If your hair is colored already, the gloss treatment may just help that color last a bit longer. And getting the blowout on top of that can make you the envy of all.

Spray-on Shine There are dozens of spray-on products, many formulated with super-shine-producing silicone, that you can apply at home. Got brown hair? Try Bed Head Brunette Goddess Shine Spray. Have fine hair? Maybe Giovanni’s Shine of the Times is the way to go.

FeatherS Have you seen pictures of Hollywood stars sporting feather-like attachments in their hair? Well, guess what? They just might be actual feathers. Although there are imitations out there, most women who are going for

this look have the real thing courtesy of brands such as Featherlocks and Hair Flairs. The feathers come in thin or wide sizes and a multitude of colors and are applied using a little bead. They can be washed, dried, curled and flat ironed. Got a pup in your life? Featherlocks can be ordered for your pooch as well. Salon feather extensions for people generally run around $15 each in our area. If you are adventurous, you can try the feather look on your own. The brand known as Inkahoots is available at beauty supply stores such as Sally Beauty for about $5 each.

COLOR EXTENSIONS If you are in the mood to add a bit of color along with your shine, Foerst recommends trying Simplicity hair extensions, which are available in a variety of colors. “You can add just one or a few for a pop of edgy color.” For a tailgating party this football season, why not show your Seminoles spirit with a couple of strands of garnet and gold shimmer or cheer on the Rattlers with orange and green? For do-it-yourselfers, clip-on extensions are available online and in stores.

Reflective Highlights Reflective highlights – metallic strands that are tied into the hair – are another option Foerst recommends for

adding a fun, youthful look. The metallic strands, also called hair tinsel, tend to cost a bit less than feathers, and the shine looks great by candlelight or out on the dance floor. To get a look at hair tinsel online, check out Hair Flairs, www.hairflairs.com, or go to www. conditionculture.com. For the very budget-conscious, lots of artistic styles can be found at the Aveda Institute here in town.

HAIR MASCARA This mascara isn’t for eyes, but offers a fast, temporary way to add a swath of bright color to your own hair. Editors at Sephora.com give a special nod to Sultra Hair Mascara, available in pink, blue, coral and purple for $24 per 1-oz. tube. Sultra says its hair mascara stays up to two days and washes out easily with shampoo.

MORE HAIR MAKEUP Looking for even more color, and maybe a wild one? Think chalk – hair chalk meant to be rubbed on hair, set with hairspray and sealed with a curling or flat iron. After the party, it simply washes out. Brands such as Hair Flairs’ Color Rub and Condition Culture’s Colorsmash “hair shadow” come in a vivid assortment of shades that never grew on anyone’s head. v

October 2012 YOUR HEALTH

AROUND TOWN

Oct. 21, noon

MAKING STRIDES AGAINST CANCER The organizers of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Leon hope to get 10,000 walkers out to turn SouthWood pink during the local 5K to benefit the American Cancer Society’s annual breast cancer campaign. Registration is at noon, with the 5K walk at 3 p.m. Walkers can participate as teams or as individuals. Cost: This is a fundraising event, and walkers are encouraged to raise at least $100, but no minimum amount required. Event location: SouthWood Town Center, 3196 Merchants Row Blvd. To register or for more information: Go to www.putonyourpinkbra.com/leon. TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT FILE PHOTO

Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

BLESSING OF ANIMALS

Pet owners, animal lovers, and furry, feathered or other friends are invited to the eighth annual Blessing of Animals at Mission San Luis. The event will feature individual pet blessings, activities for children and animal organization exhibits. Photos of blessings will be available for purchase. Event location: Mission San Luis, 2100 W.Tennessee St. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for 65+, $2 for children 6-17 years old, free for Friends of Mission San Luis members and active military with ID. More information: 245-6406, www.missionsanlui. org, info@missionsanluis.org Oct. 6, beginning at 6:30 a.m.

SPAGHETTI 100

The Capital City Cyclists’ 29th Annual Spaghetti 100 provides multiple options for cyclists of all backgrounds and levels. Road riders will have the choice of a 100-mile, 100-kilometer or 35-mile route. Those partial to dirt will have the choice of the off-road Metric Century Epic (65 miles) and Dirt Epicette (42 miles). All rides include rest stops, route marking and support. The Spaghetti 100 leaves from the Miccosukee Community Center and rides north through scenic North Florida and South Georgia . The road routes take riders through historic Thomasville and Boston in Georgia and then through Monticello in Florida. The dirt routes are nontechnical, following beautiful canopied clay roads through the heart of classic Red Hills plantation country. Riders will find spaghetti dinners waiting as they return from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Note: Participants should register to ride by Oct. 3. Event location: Miccosukee

YOUR HEALTH October 2012

Community Center, 13887 Moccasin Gap Road. Cost: $35 for Capital City Cyclists members; $45, nonmembers; $55 to ride and help support CCC bicycle advocacy; $20, youth; $5, extra lunch ticket; $10, extra event T-shirt. Registration and more information: Go to www. cccyclists.org or contact Jack Tomassetti, (904) 415-3833, jack@cccyclists.org. Oct. 6-7

ANTIQUES SHOW AND SALE

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 6 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 7, Killearn Antiques turns the second floor of the Senior Center into a wondrous antique mart. Proceeds benefit the Tallahassee Senior Foundation. Event location: Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 North Monroe St. More information: 891-4003. Oct. 18-21, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

GHOST WALKING TOURS

Take a startling yet lighthearted tour through the streets of historic downtown Tallahassee. With costumed guides leading the way, groups will make stops at buildings where ghostly activities are said to occur. Prepare to be chilled by retellings of unfortunate actual events that transpired at each spot, and to be visited by characters from the past demanding to tell their tales of woe. Seven guided, 45-minute walking tours (slight hills) will take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. nightly Oct. 18-21. Exquisitely carved pumpkins from LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts will light the route. Reservations are strongly recommended. Event location: Tours depart from the Governor’s Inn, 209 S. Adams St., and end at Old City Cemetery (groups do not enter the cemetery). Cost: $15 per person, $5

for children 5 years old and younger (one adult per two children required). Special group rates offered. Tickets can be purchased at the start of each tour at the Governor’s Inn with cash or a check made payable to Historic Florida Consulting, LLC. Ghost Tour. Gratuities for the ghost guides and actors are appreciated. Reservations: Call 212-2063 or email booking@toursintallahassee. com. More information: www. toursintallahassee.com. Oct. 20, 8 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: CREATIVE REPLIES Conductor Yaniv Dinur will lead the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra in this evening of brilliant and creative replies. The pieces on the program were each written in response to a request or challenge: Shostakovich orchestrated the famous song “Tea for Two” (or “Tahiti Trot”) in just 45 minutes after being dared by a colleague; Copland’s lyric and jazz- influenced “Clarinet Concerto” was commissioned by the legendary swing musician Benny Goodman; and Shostakovich’s dramatic “Fifth Symphony” was written after Stalin had denounced the composer’s work, causing him to subtitle the symphony “A Soviet Artist’s Practical Creative Reply to Just Criticism.” Event location: Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, 502 S. Copeland St. Cost: $34-$55; discounts available for seniors and students. Tickets: http:// tickets.fsu.edu. More information: www. tallahasseesymphony.org, 224-0461, patronservices@tallahasseesymphony.

~ Physician Profiles MICHELLE HOGGATT, MD

Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery Dr. Hoggatt received her undergraduate degree in genetics from the Univ. of California at Berkeley and she received her Doctor of Medicine from the Medical Univ. of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. After completing her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Tulane Univ. Medical Center, Dr. Hoggatt began practicing obstetrics and gynecological medicine in Sacramento, CA. She relocated to Tallahassee and has been in a group practice specializing in gynecology and gynecological surgery. Dr. Hoggatt is a member of the AMA, Capital Medical Society and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Hoggatt uses her specialized skills in gynecological medicine to help educate her patients about the importance of managing the challenges of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health issues. Contact: 2009 Miccosukee Road., Tallahassee, 850.656.2128

BEN J. KIRBO, MD

Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Kirbo is a board certified plastic surgeon who has been practicing in the N. Florida and S. Georgia area for more than 15 years. Dr. Kirbo completed his medical degree at the University of Miami. Dr. Kirbo completed general surgery residency at the University of Kentucky and plastic surgery residency at Vanderbilt University. His particular interests are cosmetic, breast, post-bariatric weight loss surgery, correcting undesirable plastic surgery results and body contouring. He was recently recognized as a recipient of The Tally Awards top surgeon in Tallahassee. Contact: Southeastern Plastic Surgery, 2030 Fleischmann Rd., Tallahassee, 850.219.2000, se-plasticsurgery.com

RONALD G. WILLIS, DMD

General and Cosmetic Dentistry Dr. Ronald G. Willis Graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Willis specializes in Cosmetic Dentistry, TMJ/TMD Neuromuscular Dentistry, Neuromuscular Orthodontics, and Veneers. Dr. Willis has treated missing and discolored teeth. Many treatment options exist for his patients as well as finishing the frame around the teeth and face with Botox and Derma Fillers. Dr. Willis received an award for Best Dentist in 2003 & 2005 and Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies Clinical Instructor of the year. Contact: Centre Point Dental Group, 2470 Care Dr., Tallahassee, 850.877.5151 or rwillisdmd@yahoo.com

Jana Bures-ForsthoeFel, MD

Gynecology and Obstetrics Dr. Jana Bures-Forsthoefel has been practicing in our community for 25+ years and is now delivering the next generation. Dr. Bures -Forsthoefel received her doctorate in from the University Of Louisville School Of Medicine and did her residency at Emory University Grady Hospital in Atlanta Georgia. She is Board Certified in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Contact: Gynecology & Obstetrics Associates, PA Professional Office Building, 1405 Centerville Rd. Suite 4200, 850.877.3549, obgyntallahassee.com

LAURENCE Z. ROSENBERG, MD

Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Dr. Rosenberg attended Emory University for college and medical school. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and Plastic Surgery. He has written articles on facelifts, breast reduction and reconstruction, abdominoplasty, melanoma and non-melanoma reconstruction. He has a many specializations; eyelid surgery, breast reconstruction, augmentation and reduction, abdominoplasty, hand surgery, treatments of skin disorders and body contouring for massive weight loss patients. Dr. Rosenberg is the only board certified physician in N. Florida and S. Georgia to perform a hair restoration procedure of transplanting individual follicular units. Contact: Southeastern Plastic Surgery, 2030 Fleischmann Rd., Tallahassee, 850.219.2000, se-plasticsurgery.com

ROBERT FRABLE, DO

Family Medicine Dr. Robert Frable is a board certified family practice physician established in Wakulla County for 24 years. Originally from Pennsylvania, he attended undergraduate school at Northeast Missouri State University and graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. Family Pratice Residency was completed at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Hospital in Kirksville, Missouri. Contact: Capital Regional Medical Group, 2832 Crawfordville Hwy., Crawfordville, 850.926.6363

AFOLABI SANGOSANyA, MD

Cadiology/Internal Medicine Dr. Sangosanya has joined Capital Regional Cardiology Associates. He earned his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and completed his cardiovascular disease training at the University of MiamiJackson Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Sangosanya is board certified in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine. He is also board eligible in clinical cardiac electrophysiology. Dr. Sangosanya is committed to providing accessible care to the Big Bend and provides same day appointments to patients. Contact: Capital Regional Cardiology Associates, 2770 Capital Medical Blvd, Ste 109, Tallahassee, 850.877.0216, CapitalRegionalMedicalGroup.com

SHAWN RAMSEy, DO

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Dr. Shawn Ramsey specializes in minimally invasive surgery, female pelvic reconstructive surgery, and aesthetic procedures. He is certified in the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System. Dr. Ramsey received his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania and he did his residency at the Henry Ford Health System in Michigan. Contact: Gynecology & Obstetrics Associates, PA Professional Office Building, 1405 Centerville Rd. Suite 4200, 850.877.3549, obgyntallahassee.com

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