Tri-City Herald Health and Home June/July 2011

June/July 2011

in the Mid-Columbia

From the Mouths of Survivors: cancer survivors tell their stories

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FEATURES From the Mouths of Survivors

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BPA-Free!

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Stories from celebrities and local man Steve Compton who have battled cancer

Concern surrounding the presence of a harmful chemical in plastics, metals waned when laws restricted its use in baby products in 2008. Now, attention is turning to everyday products, and how BPA might affect adults

no more fooling with mother nature

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Go for the Grill

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Just Another Day at the Office

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Eat to Prevent Cancer

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hit the deck

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blunder busters

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Celebrity Health: Eva LaRue

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Pain, Pain … Go Away

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DIY Network’s Ahmed Hassan talks through the basics of organic landscaping and gardening

With more people firing up the flames, this barbecue season is heating up to be the biggest one yet Working while undergoing cancer treatments is a harsh reality.

Here’s how to be at your best on-the-job when you’re not at your physical best

You are what you eat when it comes to warding off cancer, especially when what you’re eating is processed foods and deli meat New composite, plastic decks offer good looks with less work Mother Nature is forgiving – to a point. Here are six tips to avoid common landscape goofs ‘CSI: Miami” star gives back to cancer patients in honor of the cancer victims in her personal life Coping with pain is one of the biggest hurdles for cancer patients.

Here’s how to find relief

BRIEFS

The New Black Pg 24, Lourdes is on the Cutting Edge of Technology Pg 25, Early Detection is Key 26, Healing Moves Pg 27, Wanted: Tobacco Users Wishing to “Kick the Habit” Pg 30

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H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

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Scott Hamilton

By Lisa Iannucci

“You feel more in touch, focused and courageous than you ever would have dreamed you could be. You want to face this and beat it back no matter what.”

From the Mouths of

Scott Hamilton

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n the world of sports, no one exudes such positivity and strength as figure skater Scott Hamilton.

After his 1997 diagnosis and treatment for testicular cancer he learned that he had a benign brain tumor, called craniopharyngioma, and had it removed in 2004. Last year, a reoccurrence forced another surgery, yet Hamilton keeps going, inspiring others through his experiences and as a spokesperson for the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute. He is also the founder of the Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative, the Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship.

“Going through any cancer treatment is frightening and takes everything you have,” Hamilton says. “Doing it in the public eye changes things quite a bit.

Where many feel a level of isolation and feelings of having to face something alone, people of ‘familiarity’ receive a lot of attention, prayers and support from not only friends and family, but countless people they have never met.”

When Hamilton was diagnosed, he had an idea of how he wanted to approach his treatment and journey back to life. “I never expected the amount of support I got from skating fans and other cancer survivors who knew who I was,” he says.

“I chose to think of that as an advantage.

I wanted to be in people’s minds, hearts and, most importantly, their prayers, but the one thing that I had in common with everyone facing chemotherapy and a large surgery, famous or not, was the journey.”

He explains that the first thing to come with diagnosis is fear. “No, this only happens to other people,” he says. “'Will I die? Will I suffer?”

Next, he explains, is the wave of courage and determination that changes you forever. “You feel more in touch, focused, and courageous than you ever would have dreamed you could be,” he explains.

“You want to face this and beat it back no matter what.”

Survivors 4

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

Colleen Zenk Pinter

But it’s not without its emotions.

“There are rough days when the side effects shake your confidence. Those times when you feel that quitting would be best, but a second later you may feel a rush of determination that makes you feel more powerful than ever,” he says.

“There are times when you can’t believe the blessing that is your life and in the same breath you wonder how you could be so cursed. Ultimately the positive emotions win out.”

To others going through the same thing, he suggests surrounding yourself with love, laughter and light. “Cancer doesn’t like positivity; it thrives on negativity,” he says. “The main thing to embrace is the knowledge that the day you are diagnosed, you are a survivor! Life is precious! We are here for what seems like minutes. Take advantage of those minutes. The human body is so fragile and so resilient. The human spirit is pure power. We decide the quality of our lives, so decide to love every moment. That is the one thing you completely control.”

was HPV, or the human papillomavirus.

“The first thing they said after my diagnosis was ‘don’t go home and get on the Internet,’ so I went home and got on the Internet,” she says. Zenk Pinter discovered the Oral Cancer Foundation website (oralcancerfoundation.org) where she learned that close to 37,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year and it will cause more than 8,000 deaths. Her first treatment was removal and restoration of part of her tongue, radiation and the implantation of multiple tiny radioactive rods into her tongue.

She not only stayed positive, but she was already willing to help others in the same situation. “When I went to the ‘people’ on the website, there were only two women listed and I knew that was a problem because if I can get it there had to be other women who had it, but weren’t talking about it.”

After reaching out to the foundation, its founder Brian Hill urged Zenk Pinter to get well and then come back and help others. So she did. After treatment, she started doing interviews and PSAs about oral cancer and her character was even diagnosed with the same condition. She wasn’t without her struggles though. “I

was OK during the scenes of the PSA, but after I got the words out I fell apart,” she says. “After that I pulled myself together and I talk about it as much as I can to anyone who can listen. Whether people saw my story or my character’s story, I feel like I’ve helped.”

Through difficult times, Zenk Pinter says that her saving grace is not thinking about herself. “I concentrate on someone else whose needs outweigh what I’m going through at a time,” she says. “There’s so much on my plate to deal with, that I also only allow a certain amount of time to worry.” She is still acting and is committed to her charity work.

Marissa Jaret Winokur

When you see Marissa Jaret Winokur on a screen, you can’t help but feel happy.

Her incredible smile, bubbly personality and positive attitude have carried her through a successful career as an actress, Broadway star and recent cohost of “The Talk.” Most importantly, it’s carried her through since her diagnosis and treatment for cervical cancer. While others might feel sorry for themselves, Jaret Winokur looks at the last decade as ‘extraordinary.” “I have no complaints about how my life has See Survivors | Page 6

Colleen Zenk Pinter

On any given day, the soap opera world is filled with drama, intrigue and suspense. Unfortunately, Colleen Zenk Pinter, who portrayed Barbara Ryan on “As the World Turns” from 1978 until its cancelation in September 2010, has experienced quite a bit of that in her personal life over the last few years. Yet she’s come out a survivor and an inspiration.

In 2007, the actress was diagnosed with stage two oral cancer, a shock to someone who never smoked or chewed tobacco, and her only possible risk factor

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Big Hearts/Big Numbers

By Gale Metcalf Steve Compton knew he had friends and, a supportive family. He just may not have known the depth of affection they all have for him.

He knows now as he undergoes cancer treatment at the University of Washington Medical Center in an experimental program that hopefully will hasten remission for leukemia.

His family and friends have raised thousands of dollars to help offset costs not covered by insurance.

It helps pay for traveling to and from Seattle, lodging and food for those visiting Steve and serving as caregivers during times he has outpatient hiatus from the hospital.

Their caring stems from the kind of man this married father of two small boys is.

“Steve is a very positive, strong and upbeat person,” says his mother, Sue Pyle. In March, when Steve arrived by ambulance at the University of Washington Medical Center, weak and very sick with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) costs began accumulating almost immediately.

His family was quick to reach his side.

Due to rising fuel prices, expenses and costs at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance House where Sue stays as Steve’s caregiver, it became necessary for funds to be raised to help defray quickly mounting expenses. Friends, and even strangers, did not disappoint.

His fellow plumbers, pipefitters, and other union craftsmen were among the first.

“They raised $5,000 for Steve,” Sue said.

His siblings reached out to friends, acquaintances, and businesses for donated items to be used in a silent auction managed by Carol Allenbaugh. It was held in conjunction with a spaghetti-feed fund-raiser at Willingham’s Restaurant on Columbia Drive in Kennewick where Steve’s youngest sister Natalie works.

“We were having no success on where to have the fund-raiser,” said Steve’s other sister, Rachelle. That’s when Maigh and Will Willingham stepped in at their restaurant.

Steve’s immediate and extended family arrived by the numbers. Co-workers and their families came in a strong outpouring.

Strangers showed up, alerted by the 400 fliers distributed. “We raised $12,000 that night.”

It was caring by big hearts in big numbers.

If you wish to help, donations can be made at HAPO Credit Union under Steven Compton’s name.

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Survivors From page 5

Marissa Jaret Winokur

gone,” she says. “It would be ungrateful to say that. I have a great career, the love of my husband and now a baby and I don’t want to put any negative energy out there.”

Jaret Winokur decided to go public about her cancer once she was in remission because, she says, keeping a secret made it seem worse than what it was.

She also wanted to become more proactive and encourage other women to get a pap smear. “I knew that my career wasn’t at risk and I wanted others to see what happened in my life and how it’s the vision of health and happiness now.”

Of course she admits that there were days that were “close to impossible to maintain a positive attitude while it was going on,” but she said that she stayed proactive with the doctors and made sure to get opinions and not waste time. “The doctors were talking about waiting and trying to save my uterus, but I just wanted the cancer out of me. I had those moments where it totally sucks, but I focused on what I was doing to do to combat that.”

Today, her biggest challenge is managing her work and being mom to her two-and-a-half year old son. “I don’t keep it together physically too much right now,” she says. “I just try to get as much sleep as possible, because no matter how much you diet or exercise, it’s sleep deprivation that will get you.”

Reality Shows

Reality television might show us the ugly side of competitions, backstabbing and gossip, but its stars also have faced the realities of cancer in a big way.

“When my husband, Bobby, was diagnosed with cancer our family came together to support him,” says Jill Zarin of The Real Housewives of New York, whose husband has fought both thyroid and prostate cancers.

“When he was first diagnosed we wanted to offer him as much encouragement as possible by staying strong and focusing on treatment. There are so many medical breakthroughs in treatment today that helped my husband survive and we focused on curing the disease rather than allowing the diagnosis to take control.

Other reality show personalities, such as Survivor’s Ethan Zohn, have become an inspirational face in a fight against

cancer. Zohn, now in remission, went public with his battle against Hodgkin ‘s disease, even videotaping his treatment and daily medicines.

American Idol winner David Cook’s brother, Adam, lost his battle with brain cancer and since then Cook has been involved in Race for Hope, which supports brain tumor research

Steve compton

By Gale Metcalf It was something Steve Compton carried with him always.

The awareness that the cancer that had ravaged his teen-age years with decimating pain and nauseating discomfort for three long years, could come back.

“It’s always in the back of your mind,” said Steve, a 39-year-old Hanford worker, and the married father of two small sons, Owen, 5, and Evan, 20 months.

It came back; 21 years after Steve took his last chemotherapy treatment as a teenager. He is now undergoing a new level of chemotherapy as an adult in an experimental program at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle.

He was 18 years old and approaching graduation from Kennewick High in 1990 when the promise of a long, cancer free life lay ahead. It appeared, after three years of treatments for his juvenile leukemia, ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), that it was gone.

But, nobody said he was cured.

“The doctors never used the word ‘cured’” said Steve’s mother, Sue Pyle of H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

Steve Compton

Kennewick. It was always that Steve was “in remission.”

Still, after more than two decades of healthy living, and continuous monitoring, Steve didn’t expect the return of an adult form of leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).

But, this March, Steve began experiencing symptoms similar to those he had at age 15 when he received his first diagnosis of leukemia.

As a teen, he was so tired that his older brother, Keith Compton, now a pediatric physician in Kentucky brought Steve home from school, telling their mother that Steve was “not feeling well.”

Soon after, he came home early a second time. “The second time, he was in a lot of pain, and really tired,” said Sue. An initial local diagnosis on the then Kennewick High School sophomore, suggested he had a virus that was causing his increasing discomfort that included leg, hip and joint pain. But, within two weeks he lost 20 pounds. Children’s Hospital in Seattle was called. There was no hesitation. The description by phone alone told doctors that something was more amiss with Steve’s body than just a virus. They wanted him at the hospital that very night. The diagnosis soon came.

He had the children’s form of leukemia.

What followed was three years of painful treatments which made Steve violently sick. He fought to maintain his school ties, and classmates were supportive emotionally and financially with fundraisers.

“It’s amazing how he got through that,” Steve’s mother said. “He went to high school and even had a part-time job in a body shop.

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“He never complained and always did what he was supposed to,” she added.

When remission came and treatments stopped, an 18-year-old Steve Compton started on a life that he hoped would be cancer free. He attended culinary school and trained to become a skilled professional as a pipefitter and plumber.

He married Michelle, and after becoming confident in the passage of years that his cancer was not returning, he and Michelle became the parents of Owen and Evan.

Then, this winter, he began to feel it again. He was tired.

“I just seemed to be a little rundown,” Steve said. He was having trouble breathing, and the first suspicion was that he was suffering from pneumonia.

Then came the tell-tale blood test results. He had adult leukemia.

“It was pretty shocking,” Steve said.

Even with the possibility of cancer’s return in the back of his mind, it was still a staggering blow to receive the news.

He went to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance combining the efforts of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the University of Washington, and Children’s Hospital.

Because his bone marrow showed an odd combination of good and bad cells, he was offered a chance to participate in an experimental treatment program at the University of Washington. It includes the use of two standard chemotherapies and the drug clofarabine.

“It’s been used the last 10 years on children, and now for adults in a higher dose,” Steve said.

The program hopes for success in six months, rather than the three years Steve endured as a teen.

Advances over 21 years have made treatments far less discomforting than what he endured before, and for that he is very grateful. There is less nausea and the painkillers are responsive to his needs.

He has just returned home to Kennewick after a first-round stay of nearly 50 days, but will return to the University of Washington Medical Center for continued treatment under the experimental program, confident of its success and a triumphant return to a healthy life with the family he loves.

“The place has been really good to me,” he said of the University of Washington, “Everybody is really top-notch.” F

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By Angie Jaime

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BPA-Free!

Concern surrounding the presence of a harmful chemical in plastics, metals waned when laws restricted its use in baby products in 2008. Now, attention is turning to everyday products, and how BPA might affect adults

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hough the chemical is the object of much public outcry and caused many retailers to remove products containing BPA from their shelves, for many, questions surrounding the chemical remain unanswered. What exactly is BPA? What, if any, are its potential dangers for adults?

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the plastic known as bisphenol A, has been used in many consumer products including reusable drinking bottles and baby bottles as well as in the lining of metal cans. According to the Professor Carlos Sonnenschein, Tufts University, Boston, fetal and neonatal exposure to the chemical increases the likelihood of development of malignant tumors later in life. Other studies have connected it to both breast and prostate cancers.

In January of 2010, the FDA issued a statement regarding its current position on BPA, recognizing that research interpretation is at best, uncertain. “These uncertainties relate to issues such as… differences in the metabolism (and detoxification) of and responses to BPA both at different ages and in different species, and limited or absent dose response information for some studies,” it read.

Six months later, in July of 2010, the Environmental Working Group issued a study that found high levels of what they call the “endocrine-disrupting” chemical in 40 percent of receipts sampled from such outlets as McDonalds, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart and the U.S. Postal Service.

“A typical employee at any large retailer who runs the register could handle hundreds of the contaminated receipts in a single day at work,” said Jane Houlihan, EWG Senior Vice-President for Research. “While we do not know exactly what this means for people’s health, it’s just one more path of exposure to this chemical that seems to bombard every single person.”

Though other major retailers such as Target, Starbucks and Bank of America ATMs appear to not be using BPA to coat their receipts, determining whether a receipt has BPA can be difficult.

As of November 8, 2010, Appleton Inc., the nation’s largest and only producer of BPA-free, thermal paper announced the introduction of “easy-to-see red fibers” to its products. Appleton had dropped the use of BPA in its papers in 2006, but H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

now adds the red fibers as a way to give consumers a way to detect the chemical.

In 2008, the National Toxicology Program and the NTP Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction warned of “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children at current human expo­sures to bisphenol A.” Dr. John Butcher, Associate director of the of the NTP says that “some concern” is a point along a five-level gradient of concern ranging from “negligible” to “serious.”

Tests run on animals do not, as of yet, provide conclusive evidence as to how they will translate to human effects and risks, he says. However, “the fact that we’re seeing these at levels of bisphenol A exposures that are not particularly far different from those that are experienced by humans, would indicate to us that these effects can not be completely dismissed at this point.”

For now, BPA bans are in effect in Japan and Canada, as well as a growing number of American states. Whether or not a Federal ban on BPA in food and beverage containers or in paper products will be in enacted is unclear. F

The Family of Steve Compton Would Like to Thank Maigh & Will Willingham for their generosity in hosting the spaghetti-feed fund-raiser.

Please support Willingham’s Grill with your business.

335 W Columbia Drive Kennewick, WA 509-947-1096 A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

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No more fooling

Mother Nature

DiY Network. Used with permission.

DIY Network’s Ahmed Hassan talks through the basics of organic landscaping and gardening

Ahmed Hassan says he liked working in the dirt with his dad so much, he ultimately decided to get educated in horticulture, “so I could charge more.”

By Deborah Douglas

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hmed Hassan is certainly not afraid to push around Mother Nature.

It’s no big deal to take an ordinary yard and make it into a giant chessboard or introduce a water feature in what he calls “blitz-style makeovers,” as he does on the DIY Network’s “Turf War” 10

and “Yard Crashers.” Talking organic lawns and gardens, though, takes more restraint, not only in discussion but also in practice.

“Typically, when I think of eco-friendly gardening, I tune in with nature, rather than exerting my will,” says Ahmed, 37, a certified landscape technician based in the San Francisco Bay area. “It’s all about minimizing your carbon footprint.

You can’t bring in a bunch of gas-driven

tractors and call that eco-friendly. Rototillers are not ecofriendly.”

Increasingly, however, more gardeners have taken their traditional gardens and lawns and gone organic, according to the National Gardening Association (NGA), eschewing chemicals altogether or using them very reluctantly.

Even traditional gardeners are concerned about the environmental impact of chemicals and tools used to coax their soil. Only 21 percent of those surveyed

by NGA gave their lawn maintenance practices a “green” grade.

No one should beat themselves up over this, says Hassan, one of six kids who started working outside at age 10 with his dad, something he loved because “it felt very masculine to me. I smelled like dirt.” Being truly organic in lawn and gardening is more than a notion, one that individuals should think long and hard about.

“Eco-friendly takes a whole new level of awareness people may not already have,” Hassan says. “It’s like saying ‘oldfashioned’ because you don’t impact the earth as much.”

However, Hassan offers some advice for those who want to move in this direction: Start by avoiding walking on wet soil, Hassan says. Mashing down the soil squishes the air out of it and harms natural drainage, making it difficult for microorganisms, which are “always eating and pooping,” to thrive.

Consider growing grass from seed instead of laying sod, Hassan says. And of course, organic lawncare requires homeowners to resist the urge to mow their lawns into submission. Just take off a top layer of grass, no shorter than 2 ½ H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

inches, with a mulching mower and let the cuttings feed the lawn. In summer, opt for a weekly water soak instead of daily watering, organic gardening experts suggest.

Chemically speaking, only use products when really necessary, Hassan says, not out of our habit or a misplaced urge to eradicate every weed in sight. More organic tips from Hassan: Start from scratch: When it’s possible, propagate existing plants by dividing the mother plant and grow new plants from seed. Ground cover from the front yard can be divided and used in the backyard.

Use the classifieds: Check local sources to pick up rock or other landscaping items someone is getting rid of.

Rethink composting: “Think about building a compost pile using wood that would come off trees and shrubs and use that in your garden,” Hassan says.

Bring soil to life: Use a low-impact mulching mower in warmer seasons to recycle grass and encourage an environment where microorganisms and earthworms can thrive, which helps the soil hold water and thwart disease.

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Reuse nature’s waste: Hassan suggests repurposing wood, such as old furniture, to build structures for a garden. Soft woods are great for decorative trellises, he says. “I did a twig wall structure,” Hassan says. “Instead of taking them to the dump, I built a 10-by-12 partial decorative panel that covered a shed.

Be realistic: Telling a landscaper to turn a traditional lawn into an organic one is a difficult proposition because the results aren’t guaranteed. An organic

lawn, for example, may be kinder to the earth and the animals that nibble at the grass, but it is not entirely weed-free.

Organic land management “takes a little more work, and is great for do-ityourselfers,” Hassan says. “Eco-friendly means more work. If you enjoy it, that’s the route you will go through.” F

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Go

For the Grill

2011 Weber-Stephen Products. Used with permission.

With more and more people firing up the flames and investing in the latest grilling gadgetry, this barbecue season is heating up to be the biggest one yet

What’s Cookin’?

What do Americans like to eat – and cook – on the grill? Here are the top five foods grilled most often during the last year, according to the 2011 Weber GrillWatch Survey: 1. Hamburgers (69 percent) 2. Steak (46 percent) 3. Chicken pieces (42 percent) 4. Hot dogs (39 percent) 5. Ribs (17 percent)

Grills can cook just about anything, but what do flamers find most challenging to prepare?

Weber’s survey also found the five mostchallenging-to-grill foods: 1. Desserts (34 percent) 2. Tie: Fish and pizza (both at 27 percent) 4. Shellfish (25 percent) 5. Fruits (22 percent)

Bruschetta, anyone? New outdoor grill accessories help inspired chefs reach new heights

By Jessica Royer Ocken

“

It’s more fun to cook outside than inside,” says Leslie Wheeler, director of communication for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, Arlington, Va. “Cooking outdoors and entertaining outdoors is more casual, and lifestyles are more casual these days.

“Shorts and flip flops outside are more appealing than being in kitchen.”

Continuing a steady expansion that can be traced back at least six years, about 12

half of U.S. grill owners report cooking outdoors year-round, according to the 22nd Annual Weber GrillWatch Survey.

That includes 37 percent of grillers who cook outside when the thermometer dips below freezing. Grillers are getting more sophisticated, too. U.S. gas grill owners report these top features on their current grill: 52 percent have a side burner; 27 percent have a rotisserie; and 19 percent have a “sear zone” of some kind.

Even in the blogosphere, this idea is catching on: “Instead of the ‘fire + ribeye = dinner’ why not use this year to

Poultry roaster: beer can chicken, without the can H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

2011 Weber-Stephen Products. Used with permission.

What’s Not Cookin’?

take what you already have (a grill) and do some innovative twists?” suggests blogger Eric Yang, editor and founder of gearpatrol.com.

Grilling accessories are, well, hot.

Wheeler attributes this to the broader range of foods backyard chefs are preparing. “People are cooking more than just burgers and hot dogs,” she says. “Cooks are more creative now. They’re doing fish, vegetables and there’s even a pizza stone for the grill.”

So, the plan for this season? Fabulous, flavorful meals, made right out back, all summer long. Need some inspiration?

Read on.

Authentic Italian brick-oven baked pizza is a hot item on many a menu these days, and grill-ready pizza stones converts your grill into a fire-fueled oven.

Look for one with a stainless steel base that also includes a thermometer for careful monitoring. Measure your grill before you buy to make sure the pizza stone fits.

For those with a budget to burn, the new outdoor artisan pizza oven by Kalamazoo, ($6,495) a high-powered countertop gas burner, boasts an open front, so diners can watch the dancing flames.

Besides taste, another benefit to cooking on the grill is reducing oil or fat.

“People seem to feel comfortable that food cooked outside is healthy and good for you,” says HPBA director research Don Johnson. Meatball grill baskets are a popular new option, allowing grillers to cook 10-12 meatballs in a stainlesssteel basket that drains away grease for healthy results.

Grilling menu options for skewers run the gamut from lamb, pork and chicken to a deluxe veggie medley. Flexible grilling skewers made from stainless steel,bend easily without breaking, which makes marinating in a bowl possible.

Good news for the hungry, too: they hold nearly twice as much food as the traditional skewer.

To take your show on the road, invest in one of the new options in portable grilling. Available as electric, charcoal or gas units, they are perfectly sized to ride in the car and still provide ample room for a whole fish or a bevy of brats – and kids. Most models offer 250-300 inches of grill space. F

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Beyond BBQ Basics Take backyard barbequing to the next level with whiz-bang options Today’s gas barbeque grills offer more features than ever. Here’s a short list of some of the options you’re likely to find burning up the showroom floors this season.

Infrared Burners

These burners entered the mid-priced grill market in the last year or so, when a key patent on their technology expired. Propane (or natural gas) heats a ceramic tile designed to emit infrared heat – the same kind of heat the sun emits. These burners can reach 900 degrees F. to sear meat on contact. Watch that timer, though. Those steaks will be done in half the time it takes a standard gas grill to do the job.

Rotisserie Units

These gadgets let you make your own rotisserie-style chicken or duck outdoors, without smoking up your kitchen. Higherend models may offer baskets instead of forks, so you don’t have to worry about

By Chuck Ross

fragile foods falling off the tines. Smaller models may be powered by a battery, but larger units will require an electrical connection, so you’ll need to have access to a nearby outdoor plug if you’re keen on creating your own outdoor deli.

Smoker Boxes

Sometimes removable, these stainless steel containers can hold wood chips or chunks to add that delicious smoky flavor that comes from cooking over an open fire.

Removable models can be taken off the grill to create more room for quantity cooking.

Side Burners

With side burners, a grill is transformed into a complete outdoor appliance, eliminating the hassle of minding both indoor and outdoor cooking devices at the same time. However, these burners often take the place of one or both side shelves, so you may need to consider other options for resting food and utensils when creating your own outdoor kitchen.

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Just Another Day at the Office Working while undergoing cancer treatments is a harsh reality. Here’s how to be at your best on-the-job when you’re not at your physical best

By Anna Sachse

W

hether the motivation is maintaining health insurance, personal finances, a family or simply a beloved career, at some point most people battling or recovering from cancer will have to go back to work. But when your future also includes myriad medical appointments and unknown treatment side-effects, the prospect of returning to your 9-to-5 can make your anxiety levels work overtime.

In order to make the process of easing back into your job a whole lot easier, it’s important to know what to expect, understand your rights and research the resources available to you. Here’s your welcome back starter kit.

Shaping a Smooth Transition Most cancer survivors are eager to return to work as soon as possible, not only

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to retain income and benefits, but also to maintain a sense of identity unrelated to their illness, says Barbara Hoffman, JD, a professor at the Rutgers – Newark School of Law and founding chair of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (CancerAdvocacy.org).

That said, while some people may find it easy to transition back into working full-time, for others it may take some adjustment. “You may find that you tire easily or have trouble focusing at first,” says Kimberly Stump-Sutliff, RN, associate medical editor for the American Cancer Society (Cancer.org). Talk with your doctor honestly about the realities of your job and any problems you have that could potentially affect your productivity.

You also might decide that it would be helpful to share your situation with your employer and discuss possible options like flextime, job sharing, working from home, starting with shorter workdays or working fewer days a week,

says Stump-Sutliff. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) may help make your case for these alternatives.

Once you’re on the job, take time during work to relax for a few minutes, says Michael Feuerstein, PhD, a professor at the Biometrics Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Md, and editor of the compilation “Work and Cancer Survivors,” (Springer, 2010).

He suggests going for a walk, taking a break to get some water or visiting with a coworker. Getting exercise or utilizing alternative medicines like acupuncture during non-work hours can also help with energy levels and pain.

Sharing the News

Deciding to share your diagnosis with your boss and coworkers is an entirely personal decision. “Your boss is entitled to know only enough information (if any) to assure that you can perform your job safely, and must keep any medical information private,” Hoffman says.

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

Kate Sweeney, executive director of Cancer and Careers (CancerAndCareers. org), recommends that you first meet with your healthcare team and get the specifics on your treatment schedule. If the time involved or likely side effects (e.g. fatigue or hair loss) will have an impact on your performance or be impossible to miss, it’s a good idea to inform your supervisor so he or she knows what to expect, Sweeney says. And be sure to provide a list of potential solutions, adds Feuerstein. For example, if you think it will be difficult to multi task, propose alternating between focusing on a necessary task for an hour and then taking 15 minutes to make or return calls.

If you opt to share your experience with coworkers, it’s a good idea to be prepared for a variety of reactions, Stump-Sutliff says. While some people may respond with understanding and offers of help, others may react awkwardly out of a vague uneasiness about cancer, resent that they had to take on extra duties because of your absence, ask inappropriate questions, or avoid you because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.

If faced with an intrusive response, Stump-Sutliff suggests politely but firmly setting boundaries by preparing a response that changes the topic or cuts off the conversation if it goes too far. If the problem is an uncomfortable coworker, suggest that they learn more about the realities of the illness at Cancer.org.

Asking for Special Accommodations Under Title I of the ADA, a reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions, Sweeney says. (Acceptable accommodations vary depending on the individual and job, but to qualify, your place of work must have 15 or more employees.) Before invoking any legal protection, Sweeney recommends speaking with an expert such as the Cancer Legal Resource Center (DisabilityRightsLegalCenter.org), which provides free legal advice.

The next step is to request the specific accommodation – such as permission to telecommute, flextime to accommodate medical care, change in job hours or duties and workplace modifications – in writing, Hoffman says. You will have to disclose your disability, but you may ask for accommodations at any time before A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

and other possible options, such as shortterm and long-term disability insurance.

Don’t wait until your work performance is already suffering. “If doing a poor job gets you fired, you’ll also lose your health insurance and you can’t collect disability benefits,” Stump-Sutliff says. “If you need time off to focus on getting well, take it.”

Rethinking Career Goals

or after you start working and employers are required to engage in an interactive process to determine the best fit for the individual.

Managing Continuing Care

If you’ll need more than your allotted sick/vacation time for continuing treatment and/or follow-up appointments, talk to your employer about your needs, Stump-Sutliff says. Under federal and state laws, some employers may be required to allow you to work a flexible schedule.

“For example, if your company has 50 or more employees, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows many people with serious illnesses to have up to 12 weeks total of unpaid leave per year, while retaining health benefits and job protection,” Sweeney says.

Check with your human resources department to learn more about FMLA

If, after returning to work, you discover that your old job is too difficult to maintain at the present time or you simply find that your priorities have changed, it’s time to start thinking about a new career. Sweeney suggests determining what types of work you might enjoy, your financial needs (including benefits), whether you’d prefer to work from home or part-time, and what you can physically handle. Then, make a list of positions that fulfill those priorities and reach out to your network of friends, family, former colleagues, etc.

“It can also be helpful to talk to an expert,” Sweeney says. “Cancer and Careers offers free career coaching provided by a roster of professionals, some of whom are cancer survivors themselves.”

Other Resources CancerCare (CancerCare.org), Job Accommodation Network (AskJAN. org), Lance Armstrong Foundation (LiveStrong.org), National Cancer Institute (Cancer.gov), Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults (UlmanFund.org), and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC.gov/ facts/cancer.html). F

Getting a new job while you’re still undergoing treatment or recovering Rights: A fundamental principle of the ADA is that people with disabilities who are qualified to work must have an equal opportunity to work, Stump-Sutliff says. But you still have to meet the employer’s job requirements e.g. education, experience, skills or licenses. “Employers are not required to lower their job standards to accommodate someone with cancer.”

Work History Gaps: If your gap is less than a year, list years instead of months of employment on your resume to mask the missing time, Sweeney says.

You’ll also want to be prepared with a short, clear response for work history questions in the early rounds of interviews; however, an upside to the current economy is that numerous candidates now have job gaps for a variety of reasons, so employers may not even ask about them.

Timing: Per the ADA, a potential employer cannot ask about your health status and you are not required to disclose it, notes Feuerstein, so it may be in your best interest to get the job first, and then determine any necessary accommodations, without mentioning your illness until your value to the organization is clear.

15

Eat You are what you eat when it comes to warding off cancer, especially when what you’re eating is processed foods and deli meat

By Bev Bennett

A

typical brown bag lunch, such as a ham sandwich, salted chips and a soft drink could put you at greater risk for cancer, according to a recent scientific report looking at food, nutrition, lifestyle and cancer prevention.

16

to Prevent Cancer

Processed meats, including lunch meats, bacon and sausage, are linked to colorectal cancer. If you add a bag of salted chips, you’re getting sodium, which is associated with stomach cancer. Caloric soft drinks can pack on the pounds, another red flag in the cancer war.

No wonder the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund recommend you change your menu.

But if your lunch-making skills haven’t evolved from tucking a couple of slices of bologna between bread, you may be at a loss for fast and healthy alternatives.

The good news is that you have a wide variety of options, including deli fare, if you select meat products that are free of preservatives and added sodium, according to Dee Sandquist, MS, registered dietitian.

However, you can also improve on your usual menu.

“For most Americans who are eating a lot of convenience foods, creating a home deli will help a lot,” Sandquist, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Washington D.C., says.

“Roast a turkey breast, slice and freeze in single portions,” she says.

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

On a positive note, eating more fruits, vegetables and beans may be beneficial. You’ll get the dietary fiber and antioxidant vitamins in plant foods and you’ll probably be consuming fewer calories.

How about hummus instead of meat in a sandwich?

Spread the bean paste on whole wheat bread or a whole-grain tortilla.

“If you’re ready to abandon the sandwich, it’s easy to pack a soup. You can experiment with different kinds of soup, lentil or black bean, for example,” says Sandquist, a dietitian in Vancouver, Wash.

Don’t forget to add fruits and vegetables to the lunch bag. Pack an apple or orange or a carton of salsa for dipping with raw cauliflower or mushrooms. F

Preventative Meals

Here are three healthy and easy lunch menus 1. Hummus wrap: Spread 1/4-cup hummus on a multi-grain

tortilla. Cover hummus with baby spinach leaves.Thinly slice 1 plum tomato and arrange over spinach. Roll up and wrap in plastic wrap.

Add 3 fresh or dried figs and a small bag of baby carrots. Add tea or water for a beverage.

2. Chicken pockets: Buy or cook skinless, boneless chicken breast. Cut into strips. Pack into 2 or 3 mini whole-wheat pita breads. Add a small carton of tomato salsa and top the chicken pockets just before eating. Add a bunch of grapes.

3.Tuna lunch: Buy a small bag of baked, unsalted pita chips.

Pack with a small pouch of tuna fish or salmon and a small bag filled with grape tomatoes. Add a small carton of low-fat plain yogurt for dipping.

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17

H t the

deck

New composite, plastic decks offer good looks with less work

By Elizabeth Brewster

A

New deck tech

The first composite decks in the 1980s were more susceptible to mold and fading, and sometimes acquired a bad reputation, says Michael Rudh, deck designer for Decks.com, Alpharetta, Ga. But new composite products introduced during the past few years use different technologies to guard against those problems. The newer products are generally

Courtesy of Trex Company

backyard deck is supposed to be a relaxing retreat.

But there’s nothing relaxing about the drudgery of cleaning, sanding and staining a wood deck over the years.

A growing number of homeowners are looking beyond wood to higher-priced but lower-maintenance alternatives such

as composite (ground-up wood mixed with new or recycled plastic) and allplastic decks.

“A wood deck is going to need some annual protection from the elements,” says Shawn Miller, president, North American Deck and Railing Association. “A composite deck is only going to need to be hosed off every now and then.”

At ease: a composite deck by Trex with the company’s new outdoor furniture made of recycled plastic 18

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

Color and texture: a composite deck in contrasting rustic birch and forest green priced higher than earlier-generation composite materials but offer much better protection against the elements, says Miller.

Some newer composites encapsulate the deck material in vinyl for added resistance to stains and scratches.

Composite products use a mixture of recycled woods and man-made materials that help prevent mold, including bamboo, straw and even rice hulls, which are more water-resistant than wood.

Composite boards come in a range of white, gray and brown shades and realistic wood textures, says Rudh, with railings to match.

“A lot of people are using gray,” he says, “and the light-brown cedar color and the dark brownish redwood color are probably the most popular.”

Let’s get ‘real’ “There are some very realistic-looking materials now; you really have to look at it to tell if it’s composite or not,” Miller says.

A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

All-plastic deck materials made from PVC (vinyl) offer many of the same benefits as composites but tend to be pricier.

They have the added advantage of being impervious to moisture, so mold and decay don’t enter into the picture.

“PVC options are a little lighter in color than composite decking, and they’re a little cooler underfoot (in hot weather) because PVC doesn’t retain heat the way plastic does,” Miller says.

The newest breed of vinyl decks are made of cellular PVC formed into solid planks, with a much wider variety of wood colors and textures than more traditional hollow vinyl decks.

Both composite and vinyl deck materials will likely stand the test of time better than wood, says Miller, president of Classic Designs Inc. in the Denver metro area.

“They protect themselves, and they’re not susceptible to cracking and splintering,” he says.

19

Blund r Busters Mother Nature is forgiving – to a point. Here are six tips to avoid common landscape goofs

In the beginning, gaps are good. Yet overcrowding tends to occur because “someone wants to fill in space quickly,” Staddon says. Knowing, for example, how pretty a bed of petunias looks when the blooms fill out and blanket the ground, they don’t have the patience to wait, he says: “They want to leap in and have the best landscaping on the block. So they plant too close together, and pretty soon it becomes a tangled mass that needs to be thinned out.”

[

Image courtesy Monrovia

A

landscaping project or renovation turns the yard, or part of the yard, into a blank canvas. Too bad it’s not paint-by-numbers because it’s common to get so caught up in choosing a palette and envisioning the glorious end results we lose patience and perspective. Landscaping basics are ignored, and mistakes are made in our rush to create a masterpiece.

“It’s the hurrying process that causes the most blunders,” from poor planning and misguided plant selection to improper placement and care, says Nicholas Staddon, director of new plants at Monrovia garden plant producers, headquartered in Azusa, Calif.

He and other experts share common gardening gaffes committed by overeager homeowners.

1. Assuming every plant has it made in the shade. “Know how much sun or shade your planting area gets throughout the day. Trust me, plants care about this,” says Ashburn, Va.-based gardening consultant Starla J. King.

Even if they take the time to figure this out, people still have a tendency to put sun-loving plants in shady areas, or vice versa, and hope for the best.

“They will probably still grow but will be spindly and pathetic-looking,” King says. “Likewise, a shade-loving plant will burn to a crisp in a full-sun area.”

2. Thinking all soil is created equal. It’s important to know whether the soil is sandy or clay-like, and choose plantings accordingly. A soil test will show whether it’s necessary to amend the dirt to make up for nutrients it lacks.

“New garden beds may need some added topsoil or soil conditioner mixed with the original soil,” King says.

3. Setting the scene for growing pains.

“Plants will try to grow to their intended size even if you don’t give them enough space,” King says. “Be kind to them and buy plants whose mature size matches your available space.”

Image courtesy Monrovia

By Dawn Klingensmith

Flower Carpet Rose They come in many colors and make beautiful flowering ground cover.

Keep in mind that roses have thorns, so this wouldn’t be a good choice for areas where children or pets would be playing.

20

Hosta This plant needs shade and lots of water. If you plant it in the sun or a dry spot, it will suffer .

Image courtesy Monrovia

Honeysuckle This shrub attracts bees, which are important pollinators. If you have someone in your home who is allergic to bee stings, you might avoid this plant or place it at the back of the garden.

Image courtesy Monrovia

Image courtesy Monrovia

Spotted dead nettle This popular perennial grows quickly and tolerates tough conditions – code words for invasive tendencies. Be prepared to trim it aggressively.

Chinese Elm A fast growing tree that will reach 50 feet and 35 feet wide. Don’t plant it too close to the house or the street.

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

4. Letting water run where it may.

Homebuilders are supposed to grade the yard so surface water is directed away from the foundation. If homeowners and landscaping companies change the lay of the land, they need to pay attention to water flow and drainage or they may flood the basement or crawl space or weaken the foundation, says Reggie Marston, president, Residential Equity Management Home Inspections, Springfield, Va. “I have inspected houses where vegetable gardens were installed up against the foundation and every time the owner watered the garden, water poured into the basement, he says.

5. Attracting the wrong element. As pollinators, bees are usually welcome garden guests. But plants that attract bees should not be placed too closely to children’s play areas, Staddon says. And toxic plants have no place in areas where kids and pets are free to explore.

6. Setting off a flower bomb. After the gloom of winter, folks are so eager for spring that they put on a spectacular show of early bloomers. Tulips, daffodils and lilacs come on strong, but make an early exit and leave behind something of a wasteland where nothing is blooming. Staddon calls this the “summer doldrums,” when everything is unrelentingly green until the leaves start changing color for fall. A well-planned garden has color and something blooming all the time.

With planning and patience, most landscaping blunders could be avoided.

Staddon urges folks to let go of the idea of creating a masterpiece and embrace the fact that a landscape is always a work-in-progress. Gardening “is not about the end result,” he says. “It’s about the journey.” F [

[

Image courtesy Monrovia

[

Bird of Paradise This tropical plant cannot stand freezing temperatures. Tropicals are sold in garden centers even in colder climates, but are made to be overwintered indoors. Read the label before you buy.

A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

21

Celebrity Health:

Eva LaRue

By Lisa Iannucci

I

t was Christmas and “CSI: Miami” star, Eva LaRue, had one final stop to make before she left on vacation to see her family. It was an important stop, one that even the bumper-tobumper freeway traffic wouldn’t stop her from making. Like a skilled pro, she conducted the interview for this article on her cell phone, while pausing occasionally to navigate her driver to a quicker exit. Her excitement was brewing and she didn’t want to miss any time with this special family that she had adopted for Christmas.

“The family lost their house because their six-year-old boy has leukemia and they fought as hard as they could to pay everything,” she says. “When I spoke to the mother, she was just about to sit down with her children and tell them 22

there wasn’t going to be a Christmas. It was breaking my heart.”

Nothing short of a Christmas miracle, LaRue had recently decided to volunteer with the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation, an organization that concentrates on an equally important part of the cancer fight that is commonly overlooked: providing immediate financial assistance to the patient and his or her family. Thanks to the generosity of the foundation, LaRue gave the family a Christmas to remember.

While stuck in freeway traffic, LaRue explained how many times cancer has touched her life, taking family members and wrecking financial havoc on their lives. Three years ago, she watched as her good friend lost her battle with breast cancer, leaving three young girls behind. “She was a beautiful and vibrant woman and a phenomenal wife and mother,” LaRue says.

“What I didn’t realize when Donna was fighting was how much medical insurance didn’t cover,” she said. “Once you’re out of insurance, you’re trying experimental treatments, fighting for your life, fighting to stay in your house and to keep up with the mortgage. Because you’re sick, you may only have one income instead of two and now you’re kicked when you’re down. Cancer is emotionally and physically devastating but it’s also financially obliterating.”

Every month, LaRue says that the neighborhood held a fundraiser, such as meals and car washes – anything that could help.

This wasn’t the first time that she had lost someone close to her to cancer. When she was a little girl her great-grandmother died from ovarian cancer and when she was a teenager, her grandmother died from the same disease. “My grandmother was so weak H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

and frail and she couldn’t go to the bathroom by herself, but she hung on for as long as she could,” LaRue says. “She did wonder though, at times, why she was still alive.”

After hearing her grandmother question her mortality, LaRue said that she had a moment where she realized that you are taken exactly when it’s your time to be taken. “I’m a spiritual person,” she says.

She’s also a very motivated and determined person, as was evident during the car trip to deliver presents. It’s this very motivation and determination that can be attributed to LaRue’s successful acting career. She currently stars as DNA Lab Specialist Natalia Boa Vista on “CSI: Miami” and she earned an Emmy nomination and NAACP nomination for her portrayal of Dr. Maria Santos on “All My Children.”

Today, she not only balances this successful acting career, but she is also is proud of her position as national spokesperson for the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation (www.Beckstrand.org). She previously served for two years as the spokesperson for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

“Unfortunately there isn’t a whole lot more they can do from when my grandmother and great grandmother had the disease,” she says. “There is still no prescreening pap smear or cervical test they can do to detect it,” she says.

According to the Coalition, most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease (Stage III).

In most cases, ovarian cancer is not detected during routine pelvic exams, unless the doctor notes that the ovary is enlarged. The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better a woman's chance for recovery. A pelvic exam, transvaginal sonography (an ultrasound performed with a small instrument placed in the vagina) and a CA-125 Test, a blood test that important, but not always accurate, are the current methods to detect ovarian cancer. A womans risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is also greatly increased if she inherits a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation and although LaRue is concerned about her potential risk for ovarian cancer, she openly admits she’s a little scared and hasn’t taken the test yet. “I know that’s what I have to do though,” she says.

“Sadly cancer is so prevalent that everybody seems to have been touched by it at some point in their lives.” F A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

23

The new

black

Black and near-black plants take center stage in outdoor landscapes

By Dawn Klingensmith

H

aving a “black thumb” takes on a whole new meaning this gardening season.

That’s because black and near-black plants are gaining in popularity – so much so that the new Black Velvet petunia, unveiled last spring, has been dubbed the most talked-about plant in 2011.

Ball Horticultural Co. claims its Black Velvet is the first all-black petunia, and has been aggressively promoting the fashionable novelty. “Everybody wants to be the first on their block with a hot new plant,” says Ball’s Bill Calkins. “Like a little black dress or a black leather jacket, black goes with everything,” he enthuses on a YouTube video, talking up the merits of the petunia as “part of a fun, awesome mixed basket.”

A few years ago, chartreuse plants that seemed to glow from within enjoyed their star turn as the must-have color among serious gardeners. This season’s darlings happen to be black. Novelty is just one of the virtues this color offers gardeners.

24

why black is beautiful

In nature, the color black does not recede into the background.

“Black plants are popular in our area because they give good color and are used by landscape designers for impact,” says Pat Gillette, senior manager, Wheat’s Landscape, Vienna, Va. Yet black is not a show-stealer. An excellent color for contrast, “black can really help another color, like orange or pale pink, pop out in the landscape,” says Amy Stewart, a contributing editor to Fine Gardening and author of “Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities” (Algonquin Books, 2009).

Stewart’s book covers deadly botanicals.“But as I was researching, I did find that people are really interested in black plants, even if the only thing that’s ‘wicked’ about them is the color,” she says.

“These plants do not have to look like the Addams Family garden – not that there’s anything wrong with that!” Stewart adds.

In fact, black looks modern and sophisticated, especially in urban and balcony gardens, Stewart says.

Some dark-as-night flowers – like black pansies, Black Barlow columbines, Black

Gamecock irises and Queen of the Night tulips – actually blossom a deep, dark purple or wine color.

Other black beauties include shrubs and trees, like the Black Lace elderberry, which “looks a little bit like a Japanese Maple with its fine, lacy foliage,” Stewart says. “It produces beautiful sprays of pink flowers in spring, and the combination of the pink against the black leaves is really extraordinary.”

Equally striking is the Tropicanna Black canna, an exotic-looking spiked plant that produces bright scarlet or orange flowers.

Black Mondo Grass is “low-growing clump grass used as ground cover, in rock gardens or as a border, or just for added interest because of its unique color,” Gillette says.

Plant it around the edges of containers or beds to frame and accent your other plants, Stewart suggests.

Just because a plant is black does not mean it shuns the sun like a vampire, Stewart warns: “Some of them need full sun in order to really turn black. Be sure to read the plant labels, and give them a spot that will really allow their darkness to come through.” F

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

Lourdes is on the Cutting Edge of Technology Minimally invasive procedure to treat early to mid-stage osteoarthritis can provide quicker rehabilitation and more natural knee motion post surgery

L

ourdes Medical Center is the first hospital in all of Eastern Washington to perform MAKOplasty®, a new, minimally invasive partial knee resurfacing procedure used to treat early to mid-stage osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. MAKOplasty®, powered by the RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic system, offers a more precise and consistent result for partial knee resurfacing.

MAKOplasty® patients may experience a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery and a smaller incision as compared to total knee replacement. In addition, many return to an active lifestyle within weeks of the procedure. MAKOplasty® can be performed on either the inner, top, or outer compartment of the knee. It can also be performed as a bicompartmental procedure on both the inner and top portions of the knee.

“MAKOplasty® allows us to treat patients with knee osteoarthritis at earlier stages and with greater precision.

Because it is less invasive and more of the patient’s natural knee remains, the goal is for patients to have more natural knee motion post-operatively,” said John Serle, President and CEO of Lourdes.

The opportunity for early intervention is important as OA is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Through its innovative use of technology, MAKOplasty® takes partial knee resurfacing to a new level of precision. When performing MAKOplasty®, surgeons at Lourdes utilize the RIO®, developed by MAKO Surgical Corp., which features a tactile robotic arm and a 3-D virtual patient specific visualization system.

This system provides the surgeon a A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

pre-surgical plan that details the technique for bone preparation and customized implant positioning using a CT scan of the patient’s knee. During the procedure, the system creates a threedimensional live-action, virtual view of the patient’s bone surface and correlates the image to the pre-programmed surgical plan. As the surgeon uses the robotic arm, its tactile, acoustic and visual feedback limits the bone preparation to the diseased areas and provides for more

optimal implant positioning and placement for each individual patient.

“Precision is key in planning and performing partial knee surgeries, Serle said. “For a good outcome you must align and position the implants just right. Precision in surgery and in the pre-operative planning process is what RIO® and MAKOplasty® can deliver for our patients. We’re proud to be the first hospital to offer this technology in all of Eastern Washington. We were the first in the Tri-Cities area to provide orthopedic navigation and with the MAKOplasty® have created a true Orthopedic Institute.” F For more information about MAKOplasty®, Lourdes Orthopedic Institute, or our surgeons, call toll free 1-877-764-9990 or visit www.lourdeshelath.net.

25

Early Detection is Key By: James A. Clark, II, MD, Tri-City Radiology

B

reast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today (after lung cancer) and is the most common cancer among women, excluding simple skin cancers. According to the American Cancer Society, about 1.3 million women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually worldwide and about 465,000 will die from the disease.

Breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the various tissues of the breast. There are many types, but the most common is ductal carcinoma, which starts in the tubes (ducts) that move milk from the breast to the nipple.

Prognosis and survival rate varies greatly depending on the specific cancer cellular properties and how advanced the cancer is (its size and the degree of tumor spread).

Surgical removal of the tumor provides the single largest benefit, with surgery alone being capable of producing a cure in many cases. To somewhat increase the likelihood of long-term disease-free survival, several chemotherapy regimens are commonly given in addition to surgery. Most forms of chemotherapy kill cells that are dividing rapidly anywhere in the body, and as a result cause temporary hair loss and digestive disturbances. Radiation may be added to kill any cancer cells in the breast that were missed by the surgery, which usually extends survival somewhat. Some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and/or progesterone, which make it possible to treat them by blocking the effects of these hormones.

The key to surviving breast cancer is early detection and treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is close to 100%. The early detection of breast cancer helps reduce the need for therapeutic treatment and minimizes pain and suffering, allowing women to continue leading happy, productive lives.

Early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. As the cancer grows, symptoms may include: 26

• Breast lump or lump in the armpit that is hard, has uneven edges, and usually does not hurt • Change in the size, shape, or feel of the breast or nipple – for example, you may have redness, dimpling, or puckering that looks like the skin of an orange • Fluid coming from the nipple – may be bloody, clear to yellow, green, and look like pus

Beginning at the age of 40, all women should have annual screening mammograms, receive clinical breast exams each year, and practice breast self-exams every month. Women who are at high risk for breast cancer may benefit from yearly breast MRI, particularly if they have an abundance of retained glands on their mammogram (which reduces mammographic sensitivity). F

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(509) 374-4030 7221 W. Deschutes, Kennewick H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

Exercise aids in breast cancer recovery

Healing Moves

By Taniesha Robinson

T

reatment for breast cancer often leaves survivors with stiffness and pain in their arms and shoulders, restricting movement.

A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

Fortunately, there’s an everyday solution to this common problem: exercise.

Physicians have long prescribed arm and shoulder exercises after surgery to prevent pain in the areas surrounding the cancer, but a new review of 24

research studies comprising 2,132 breast cancer patients finds that exercise programs can also help patients recover shoulder and arm movement.

Today, a team comprised of a wide range of health professionals including surgeons and oncologists work together to provide optimal care after breast cancer treatment.

“This review demonstrates that early involvement of a new team member who manages exercise or physical therapy is also useful for the best outcome,” says Douglas Blayney, M.D., medical director at the University of Michigan’s Comprehensive Cancer Center.

According to the review, starting exercise within the first to third day after surgery might result in better shoulder movement in the early weeks following surgery. However, “starting exercise that soon after surgery may cause more wound drainage and require drains to remain in place longer than if exercise is delayed by about one week,” says lead review author McNeely, an assistant professor of physical therapy at the University of Alberta and clinical researcher at the Cross Cancer Institute, Canada.

Wounds healed, on average, a day later with early exercise.

Fourteen of the reviewed studies compared improvements in shoulder and arm movements of post-treatment groups of women that received an exercise pamphlet with those who did not.

Those who followed structured programs including physical therapy regimens in the early postoperative period showed a significant improvement in shoulder range of motion.

Blayney said that he finds few things as disheartening as witnessing breast cancer survivors in long-term followup who are burdened with a “frozen” shoulder or daily use of a lymphedema sleeve, an elastic compression garment worn over the arm to help move fluid and reduce swelling. “Implementation of modern primary treatment strategies – including early intervention with suitable exercises – should reduce the incidence of these heartbreaking complications,” Blayney says.

The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research, published this review, which drew evidence-based conclusions considering the content and quality of existing medical trials on the topic. F

27

Pain, Pain…

Go

Coping with pain is one of the biggest hurdles for cancer patients. Here’s how to find relief

By Jeff Schnaufer

A

fter 56-year-old Daphne Groos was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in May 2009, she underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments. But the pain was just beginning.

“My doctor offers no concrete remedies for what has at times been debilitating pain in my joints, muscles and bones, especially while I was taking an aromatase inhibitor,” says Groos, who lives in Manhattan.

She turned to acupuncture in June 2010.

“The acupuncture treatments have relaxed muscles and boosted my energy, thereby increasing my ability to function physically,” says Groos, who receives the treatment once a week. “The effects of the treatments are subtle, but consistent, and apparently cumulative.

My acupuncturist uses a combination of needle and massage techniques. The massage relieves pain and stiffness in the short term. These ‘alternative’ therapies have been the best aftercare treatments for my pain and for that of many of my peers.”

Indeed, more and more patients like Groos are turning to complementary and alternative medicine and treatments for cancer-related pain.

“One reason cancer patients seek out acupuncture for pain rather than traditional painkillers is that it does not create 28

dependence, there are no side effects to contend with and with regular application, the effects last longer than the short term effects of medication,” says MaryJo Johnson, a licensed acupuncturist who treats cancer survivors and others in her Manhattan acupuncture, herbology and massage practice.

Some cancer patients are also attracted to the increasing number of medical studies illustrating the impact of these treatments. Even the prestigious National Cancer Institute and other NIH institutes and centers are supporting research in the efficacy of other alternative treatments for cancer pain, such as soy rich diets for chronic post breast cancer pain, impact of Chinese herbal formulas and the effects of acupuncture on chemotherapy induced pain, says Dr. Ann O’Mara, head of pallative care research in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md. Meanwhile, doctors like Carol L. Roberts in Tampa, Fla., have been finding success with a variety of alternative treatments and medicines for cancer pain.

“I recommend acupuncture a lot.

Yoga, conscious breathing and meditation, by improving body awareness and relaxation, allow the mind to soften and relax around the pain. This diminishes the contribution of fear and resistance to the pain signal,” says Roberts, medical director of Holistic Medical Associates.

“Much of what we interpret as pain is muscle tension due to fear. If a muscle is tight it can cut off its own blood supply.

Then it will hurt just from the accumulation of toxins and the need for oxygen.

When those muscles relax we find the underlying pain is much less intense than we thought.”

Experts say the pain varies with the type of cancer. Cancer causes pressure symptoms in almost any tissue, especially when the capsule of an organ is being eroded or stretched, Roberts says.

It also invades all kinds of tissues, most notably bone and nerve tissue. Bone pain is especially painful, since bones do not expand or “give” as a soft tissue would.

Nerve pain can be the most excruciating pain, since it affects the sensory system directly. Shooting pains, burning pains and numbness can coexist, Roberts says.

One of Roberts’ favorite treatments is called D-phenylalanine, a protein derivative which, when concentrated in capsule form, increases the activity of the body’s H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

own “endorphins”, which act like opiates and can reduce the need for pain medication. For nerve pain, Roberts says the homeopathic remedy “hypericum perforatum” can be very helpful in reducing pain, is safe to use with other medicines and can be bought in most health food stores.

“Homeopathic remedies act in a way that is very different from the drugs and medicines we are used to,” she says.

“They are energy modalities and work more like music to energize the body and address specific problems. For cancer pain they may not do the whole job, but if it cuts down on the pain by 50 percent, well, that’s a good thing.”

Roberts has even used high dose Vitamin C IV’s as a complementary cancer pain treatment for a 64-year-old man with prostrate cancer.

“He probably had three months to live at the time,” Roberts recalls. “He took hormone blocking meds from his urologist and high dose Vitamin C IV’s from us. Unlike chemotherapy, which is destructive to all rapidly growing cells, it targets cancer cells, while supporting normal cells. His pain level went from 10 (out of 10) to 2. He remained in remission for about 20 months, and has recently suffered a recurrence. He continues to outlive his prognosis by many relatively pain free months.”

And for those who think pain is all in the mind, there is hypnosis.

“Hypnosis has been used successfully in many areas of oncology,” says Dr. Ellyn Gamberg, a licensed psychotherapist and certified hypnotherapist in New York City. “The largest body of research concludes that patients with metastatic breast cancer benefitted from self-hypnosis and from participation in group support. As a result of pre and post-hypnotic suggestions, women benefitted with significantly less pain and an increased duration of survival.”

Which form of complementary or alternative treatment for cancer pain is best? That depends in part on the type of cancer, experts say.

“The best candidates for alternative treatment are the bone related cancers and with metastatic spread in the bones,” says Dr. Neil B. Kirschen, director of the Pain Management Center of Long Island in Rockville Centre, N.Y., which uses acupuncture, herbal remedies, homeopathy and exercise modalities. “There is less success with blood borne cancer pain.

Somatic pain types also respond well A suppl e men t of th e Tr i- C ity He ra l d

to acupuncture – like ovarian, stomach, pancreas, lung, breast.”

The first step to relieving cancer pain, holistic health experts say, is for patients to be willing to explore the alternatives.

“My patients tend to be more involved in their own treatment choices than

most,” Roberts says. “They come to me because they want to know what other choices for pain management and treatment they have.” F

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wanted:

tobacco users WISHING TO “kick the habit”

By: Cindy Miller, R.N., Community Educator

W

e hear it all the time, smoking and the use of tobacco products have a significant, negative impact on one’s health. From the warnings noted on a package of cigarettes to the graphic billboard ads displayed in our communities, it is apparent that using tobacco is a bad idea. Quitting, on the other hand, is no easy task. Users often feel hooked, from both the physical rush of nicotine as well as the emotional effects surrounding the act of smoking or other tobacco use. For these reasons, quitting may be the hardest thing most users ever do. The good news, there are still free community resources available to help users quit.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center offers no-cost tobacco cessation classes each month. In the class, participants first identify if they are really ready to quit.

Then, they will identify triggers and explore ways to beat them. One stumbling block for many who want to quit is the fear of withdrawal symptoms, so participants will learn more about ways to minimize them, including the use of nicotine replacement therapy. For those interested, information and demonstrations are available on the new “e-cigarette” as part of this class. Nicotine replacement patches are also available, while supplies last, at no cost to participants.

“The tobacco habit is an extremely difficult addiction to break. Attending a class can really set tobacco users up for success. Learning how to battle cravings and address the emotional side of smoking is crucial to quitting for good,” explains Cindy Miller, Community Educator for the Cancer Center.

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The class is offered free to community members with a reservation. This is a unique offering given recent cuts in funding that resulted in the elimination of other state sponsored cessation programs. The Cancer Center is able to fill this need in the community thanks in large part to Washington River Protec-

tion Solutions (WRPS) who recently donated $25,000 specifically to fund free, ongoing tobacco cessation classes at the Center. F For more information on quitting or to reserve a seat at the next class please call the Tri-Cities Cancer Center at (509) 737-3427 or visit them online at www.tccancer.org.

Smoking Facts: At an average of $7.74 a pack in Washington, a 2-pack per day smoker will spend approximately $5500 a year. A smokeless tobacco user with a one can a day habit (average $5.29) will spend nearly $2000 a year. What could you do with all of that extra money?

Below are some of the lesser know health problems tobacco users are at risk for: • Obesity • Miscarriages and premature birth • Impotence • Wrinkled skin • Weakened immune system • Chronic cough • Peripheral vascular disease (circulatory problems) • Aortic aneurysm

• High cholesterol (LDL) • Cancer of the mouth, throat and voice box • Cancer of the pancreas • Cancer of the kidney, and urinary bladder • Chronic bronchitis • Pneumonia • Influenza • The common cold • Peptic ulcers

• Chronic bowel disease (Crohn’s disease) • Osteoporosis • Sleep problems • Cataracts • Macular Degeneration • Thyroid disease (Grave’s Disease) • Lower Back Pain • Arthritis

Smoking-related diseases remain the world’s most preventable cause of death.

Half of all those who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases. In the US, tobacco use is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths.

Smoking is associated with an increased risk of at least 15 types of cancer; nasopharynx, nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, lip, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, lung, esophagus, pancreas, uterine cervix, kidney, bladder, stomach and acute myeloid leukemia.

Smokers who quit before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years in half, compared to those who continue to smoke. *Facts from the American Cancer Society,ncer Facts & Figures, 2010

H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011

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H e a lt h & H o me June/July 2011