U Magazine - April Edition

Coping With

Empty Nest

On a Stick Does the Trick Keys to Learning

The Bulletin, U Magazine & Robberson Ford Present

OF THE YEAR

n u F y Famil

How do you and your family have fun? Send us a family photo taken in Central Oregon and you and your family could be on your way to the Northwest’s largest indoor waterpark resort GREAT WOLF LODGE in Centralia, Washington.

It’s easy to enter and easy to win! Just send us a photo of your family having fun in Central Oregon. Kids, no kids, pets?

Show us how you define family and Central Oregon fun!

TO ENTER just upload your photo at:

bendbulletin.com/familyphotocontest and you are automatically entered to win!

PHOTO CONTEST

WINNERS will be announced in The Bulletin’s U MAGAZINE along with some of our favorite photo pics. Look for your next edition of U MAGAZINE publishing in The Bulletin on Saturday, June 7. New prizes will be awarded in upcoming editions of U Magazine, so enter as often as you like!

Enter today for your chance to

WIN THIS GRAND PRIZE

• A $500 GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE GREAT WOLF LODGE IN CENTRALIA, WASHINGTON • USE OF A 2014 FORD ESCAPE FOR 3 DAYS • A $100 GAS CARD

A $1,400 value. Courtesy of ROBBERSON FORD. $500 gift certificate equals the expense of two nights lodging and water park passes for four.

Winner is responsible for any additional taxes or fees. Prize has no cash value. Must be 21 or older to win. Visit www.bendbulletin.com/familyphotocontest for complete rules.

... or you can win one of ten $25 Passports Cards to SUN MOUNTAIN FUN CENTER in Bend.

The Year Of Family Fun Photo Contest is brought to you by: BEND

PRINEVILLE

2100 NE 3rd St 541-382-4521 robberson.com

2289 NE 3rd St. 541-447-6820

Start a two-month subscription to The Bulletin for $34 and receive a FREE $20 Passport Card to SUN MOUNTAIN FUN CENTER CALL: 541-385-5800 (mention code: U MAGAZINE) Offer valid in The Bulletin home delivery area only. Two month subscription commitment must be fulfilled or the full price of the $20 Passport Card will be deducted from the subscribers credit card. Not valid with any other offer.

2 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

Magazine Editor’s Note

Table of Contents Contributors......................................................................................................4

Body Copy

In The Spotlight Making Beautiful Music with Kids...................................................5

Body Copy

Three Rivers School music teacher has provided her students with more than just music education.

Keys to Learning................................................................................12 Learning the piano is a discipline that, for children, can translate into improved creativity, learning and understanding.

On a Stick Does the Trick.................................................................16 Using some creativity, virtually any food can be put on a stick, offering bite-sized portability for kids.

Offering a Healing Hand .................................................................25 Being injured in an auto accident while pregnant led to Dr. Reichert’s specialty in alternative injury and pain treatments.

Knowledge & Advice

What We’re Reading .........................................................................................9 Saving Digital ..................................................................................................10 A Shot of Good Health...................................................................................15 Copy with Empty Nest ..................................................................................19 Locked and Loaded: Car Seats ......................................................................22 Smile Innovations ......................................................................................28= At the Workplace: The Bounds of Humor...................................................31

U Magazine

is a product of The Bulletin’s

Special Projects Division, P.O. Box 6020, Bend, OR 97708.

All content is the property of The Bulletin/Western Communications Inc., and maynot be reproduced without written permission. Printed

by Northwest Web Press, www.northwestwebpress.com Story ideas may be submitted to editor Ben Montgomery for consideration. Contact him at 541-383-0379 or bmontgomery@ bendbulletin.com Published: Saturday, Feb.15, 2014

by Ben Montgomery, U Magazine Editor

Staff members for The Bulletin’s special projects division include: Martha Tiller, Special Projects Manager; Ben Montgomery, Special Projects Editor; Stacie Oberson, Special Projects Coordinator; Kevin Prieto, Special Projects Imaging Coordistor, and Kari Mauser, Special Projects Editorial Assistant.

Cover photo by Kevin Prieto / Model: Debbie Coehlo

U Magazine is on Facebook!

Visit us a www.facebook.com/u.magazine.oregon

To subscribe or learn more about all our publications, call 541-385-5800 or visit us at www.bendbulletin.com

U Magazine CONTRIBUTERS

ANNISSA ANDERSON, a freelance writer and public relations consultant, also studied culinary arts and worked as a pastry chef in another life. Though she’s lived in the Northwest for the past 20 years, she spent her childhood living abroad.

GREGG MORRIS is a local freelance writer and musician.

You can find him around town finishing articles at the local tea shop, performing with his band Organic Music Farm or homeschooling his six year old daughter. Supposed free time is spent in the woods with his wife and daughter.

An avid crocheter and origamist, JOHN CAL worked as a baker, head chef, ukuleleist and Sno-Cat driver before settling into writing. He enjoys filling his time with yoga, postcard writing and collecting bowties. John also collects candy from around the world — he has a 100-plus specimen collection (and counting) — and lives in Sisters with his dog, Hank.

A former public affairs TV producer, for the ABC and NBC affiliates in Portland, KATHY OXBORROW is a writer and consultant who helps nonprofits tell compelling stories about their work. Kathy assists organizations with marketing, facilitation, planning and grant writing. She grew up on a Nevada cattle ranch.

Former Bulletin business reporter turned international teacher, JEFF MCDONALD, has returned to Oregon following a three-year sojourn in the Middle East. When he’s not traversing the globe, he enjoys the seasons, the laid-back culture, and the people of Central Oregon.

NATE PEDERSEN is a Community Librarian with Deschutes Public Library. He also moonlights as a freelance journalist. He lives in Bend with his author wife, April Tucholke, and their dogs. His website is natepedersen.com.

Enthusiastic and outgoing, BRIDGET MCGINN enjoys meeting new people and sharing their stories. She spends her days working as a marketing and advertising professional, making photos or documentary films and spending time with her family. She may also be seen being dragged along the end of the leash of her adopted beagle

BUNNY THOMPSON is an internationally published writer living in Sisters. She cruised on a sailboat for six years and 40,000 miles where she wrote a novel and published travel and adventure articles in national and international magazines such as Sail, Cruising World, Southern Boating and Island Scene.

4 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

Making Beautiful Music WITH KIDS.

by Nate Pedersen, for The Bulletin Special Projects Photos by Kari Mauser & Kevin Prieto

Three River School music teacher has provided her students with more than just music education.

A quiet little revolution is happening at a rural school in southern Deschutes County.

It is a revolution in music education, and its leader, music teacher Rebekka Nores, inspires overwhelming love and devotion in her students and colleagues.

Call up anyone at Sunriver’s Three Rivers School and ask them about music teacher Rebekka Nores. Words like “incredible,” “outstanding” and “awesome” are peppered

throughout their statements. The same thing happens if you speak with the parents of students who have taken her music classes.

“She is an incredible advocate for students,” said parent Rayne Cedergreen, whose two daughters have taken music classes with Nores. “There is nothing she wouldn’t do — or any time she wouldn’t sacrifice — on behalf of her students.”

“Rebekka Nores is a treasure,” said Gayle

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 5

Serving Your Medical Imaging Needs Since 1948

6 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

Vidal, principal of Three Rivers School. “She puts her heart and soul into helping students shine in their music programs and in their relationships with each other.”

Nores is now in her ninth year as the music education teacher at Three Rivers School.

With 350 students including kindergarteners through eighth graders, her days are packed, with nearly back-to-back classes all day long. From drum circles and silly songs with the little kids to music theory and instrument instruction with the older kids, teaching such a wide range of ages takes a lot of creative planning and dedication.

But for Nores, it doesn’t end there. She also conducts a middle school choir, a middle school band, and a beginner’s band for sixth graders. Her dedication to the music and to the kids has no boundaries. When the school eliminated guitar as an elective last year, Nores offered free afterschool lessons. Because of those lessons, her students were able to pick up right where they left off when the class was added back into the curriculum this year.

While music has always been a part of Nores’ life, teaching wasn’t always her plan.

After growing up in Washington, Nores arrived in Oregon to study musical performance at the University of Oregon on her way toward a bright career as a professional trumpet player. But then an accident happened in her senior year, just two months shy of graduation.

“I shattered both of my wrists,” said Nores, laughing at the rollerblading accident. “I was trying to show off. I went down a parking garage and didn’t really know how to stop. Pretty smooth, right?”

The accident also shattered her dreams of becoming a professional trumpet player. She stuck around for another year at the University of Oregon and switched her major to music

education.

“I’m so glad I did because I love it so much more,” said Nores. “I’d spend eight hours a day practicing trumpet in a room by myself, but now I get to spend eight hours a day hanging out with kids and teaching music.”

After graduation, Nores gave private lessons for about a year and half before deciding to enroll in a master’s program in music education so she could meet and interact with more kids. After completing her degree, she was hired by Three Rivers School.

Because of the school’s location just outside of Sunriver, Nores was unsure what to expect and initially thought she might be teaching a community of privileged students. However, the school’s student body is largely drawn from lower-income homes, with about 65-percent qualifying for the federal free lunch program.

From the start, Nores wanted to make her classroom a welcoming place where kids could come to be creative and let go of all their troubles, whatever they might be.

“Music — playing the guitar and singing — really helped me get through those awkward stages in love and life,” said Nores. “It’s the same kind of release for a lot of these kids.”

Nores inspires love and devotion in her students because she maintains that type of open classroom, a place where kids can drop by anytime to practice an instrument, play music with friends, or even ask Nores for advice in their personal lives.

Nores is more than a music teacher to these kids; she’s also a counselor and a surrogate mother.

“They all call me ‘mom,’” said Nores. “Many of the students come to my room before school begins, even though they don’t have me 1st period. They come to check in, let me know how their night was and play a little music to start their day. During my lunches, students

always come down to my room as well. The kids that really need an outlet come and play songs with me in a less structured, non -classroom setting, giving us a chance to talk about how things are going with them.

“It is the same after school as well. Most kids come and give me a hug to say goodbye and kind of check out with me. I think these times are where the “mom” part of my job really comes into play. I love being their ‘home” room.’”

Nores’ role, which has become so much more than merely teaching kids to read notes, sing or play guitar, also involves a lot of creative outreach in search of support for the school’s music program. ”When I first got here, we had four instruments,” said Nores, who has been so successful in finding funding and soliciting instrument donations that she now has enough instruments for all 70 kids in her band program.

Nores was quick to acknowledge the support of Sunriver Music Festival (“who helped us out immensely”) and Breedlove Guitars, who gave five guitars to the school.

Nores also quickly increased

the enrollment in band and choir programs at Three Rivers, which now enjoys an impressive 85 percent participation rate.

Unlike most choirs in secondary education, Nores’ is all-inclusive.

“I don’t kick you out even if you’re tone deaf,” said Nores, laughing.

Despite this inclusiveness, Nores’ choir still managed to win the All Bend Choir Festival in 2013, competing against schools from all over the district with much more stringent participation

requirements.

Nores also won an All Gold award from the Oregon chapter of the American Choral Directors for scoring an impressively high figure in the competition. They received a score of 97 out of 100 in a competition where Nores would have been happy with a 75.

“It was unbelievable,” she said.

All of this begs the question: How does Nores do it? How does she find the energy to mother all of these children and inspire them to such great musical heights?

“I love it,” said Nores. “When I get to school, I just feel it … It always seems like on days where I don’t want to do it anymore, some kid comes back from college and says ‘I’m still playing flute’ or ‘I’m still playing guitar and I remember that one thing you said to me that helped me get through a hard time.’

“Honestly, the kids’ energy makes me feel young and full of life; my happiness is a direct reflection of the kindness I soak up from them every day.”

Nores also said she could not do it without the love and support of her family — her husband Greg and their two children, Carter (7) and Reid (4) — and the “heartfelt, hard-working” staff at Three Rivers who “aren’t like any other.”

“She is magic with kids,” Vidal said. “She has built an outstanding music program at Three Rivers from K through 8. The children learn to appreciate, compose and perform music and become a part of something bigger than themselves. We think of the world of her here.”

“She will go the extra mile on any occasion,” added Cedergreen.

“And she does it with an open and generous heart.”

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 7

We have the perfect mattress for every member of the family ...

We’re proud to carry quality mattresses from:

... at M.Jacobs Fine Furniture we are pleased to offer you today’s leading name brand mattresses at affordable prices. From twins to kings, we have over 70 mattresses in stock to choose from.

INCREDIBLE DISCOUNTS and 24 MONTHS of EQUAL PAYMENTS with NO INTEREST UNTIL 2016** See store for details.

PLUS, FREE STATE-WIDE DELIVERY IN OREGON** In The Bend River promenade 541-382-5900 • Toll Free 1-800-275-7214 www.mjacobsfamilyofstores.com • Mon-Fri 10 am-7pm, Sat & Sun 10 am-6pm • **$999 or more • *icomfort & iseries beds excluded 8 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

What We’re Reading

by Bunny Thompson, for The Bulletin Special Projects

Brief reviews of recent selections made by Central Oregon book clubs.

“The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven”

by Sherman Alexie Deschutes County Library This book, first published in 1993, started Sherman Alexie on his illustrious career. It is a collection of interconnected short stories and one of those stories, “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona,” provided the basis of Alexie’s screenplay for the film Smoke Signals. Vividly weaving memory, fantasy, and stark reality to paint a portrait of life in and around the Spokane Indian reservation, this book introduces some of Alexie’s most beloved characters, including Thomas Builds-the-Fire, the storyteller who no one seems to listen to, and his compatriot, Victor, the sports hero who turned into a recovering alcoholic. TLBC reviewers characterized the stories as humorous, but agreed the stories were basically dark. “We were struck by how often Alexie’s prose read like poetry,” said one reviewer. The group discussed how Alexie has been criticized for perpetuating cultural stereotypes and if that criticism is valid when the problem is not exaggerated.

“Reading and discussing this book shone light on prejudices we weren’t aware we harbored,” said a reviewer.

“The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel James Brown

Read, Wine and Bleu Book Group This book seems to be on everyone’s “To Read” list (if you haven’t already read it) and it was unanimously and enthusiastically enjoyed this Prineville book group. The book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal.The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936. “We fell in love with those rowing boys who came from hard-scrabble and harsh Depression Era backgrounds, to finally form a team that could work together and trust one another,” said one member. “We now want to take a field trip to the University of Washington and see that winning shell, the Husky Clipper. Are we allowed to fondle it?”

“The Girl You Left Behind” by JoJo Moyes Bend Book Worms Moyes, author of the 2012 NYT Bestseller “Me before You,” the beguiling story surrounds a 100-year-old painting given to Liv by her late husband, David, in celebration of their wedding. But, who has the right to claim the portrait? The artist’s heirs sue to reclaim what they call ill-gotten goods, seemingly misappropriated by German soldiers during WWI. Did the artist’s wife, Sophie and the subject of the portrait, give or sell it? This book group read “The Girl Left Behind” because they had also enjoyed Moyes first novel, Me Before You, and the group agreed it was a well-written book that sparked some great book club discussion. This group meets

at Dudley’s Bookstore in downtown Bend. “It is very nice to have a discussion while sitting among books,” says one member. “And the staff is friendly and helpful and they have yummy treats for sale.”

“The Paris Wife” by Paula McClain “A Moveable Feast”

by Ernest Hemingway Paulina Springs Books Redmond Book Group “The Paris Wife” is a fictionalized story based on the letters and journals of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife, Hadley Richardson, a woman Hemingway once described as his “first and only love.” The book chronicles their life in Paris with the famous “Lost Generation,” a group that included Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald. This book group read “The Paris Wife” followed by Hemingway’s book, “A Moveable Feast,” which was published posthumously. The book was about the same period. “I’m glad we read McClain’s book first as it made Hemingway’s book easier to follow. There is a reason Hemingway’s book is a classic and will remain on shelves for years to come, where as McClain’s book is a book that will last for maybe another year or two,” said one member. “I certainly enjoyed reading McClain’s book, but the language will not stay with me as Hemingway’s will.”

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 9

Saving

DIGITAL

In today’s digital world, what’s the best way to save and secure our digital photos and videos?

by Gregg Morris,, for The Bulletin Special Projects

Digital technology is the greatest advancement in photography since Joseph Nicéphore Niépce snapped the first photo in 1826. Gone are the days of staged photos developed in darkrooms and expensive photography labs. Today, we snap hundreds — sometimes thousands — of pictures with the hope of getting that perfect shot.

With the change in technology comes a change in storage processes as well as in the meaning of the phrase, “lost photos.”

Misplaced photo albums have been replaced with crashed computers.

Fortunately, there are many digital photo and video storage options for the professional and amateur photographers alike.

“For the average user, I recommend finding the software that’s simplest for them to actually use and to understand where their images get placed,” said local professional photographer, Kim Teichrow “Always have a backup system in place. And, if you need help, find someone to help you.”

The first thing to understand is the lifespan of storage devices. CD-Rs, or writeable compact disks, are estimated to have a 10year lifespan, while expensive, high-end optical discs will not make it to 100 years old.

External Hard Drives

With the uncertainty of compact disks, photographers look to external hard drives,

10 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

online storage sites, and sometimes both.

External hard drives, or hard drives that are not located within the framework of your computer, have managed to get better and come down in price over the years.

Teichrow likes to use well-known and well-reviewed name-brand external hard drives, such as Western Digital or Lacie Rugged.

Because they, like computers, have moving parts and may stop working, it is important to have more than one external hard drive — a backup to your backup, so to speak.

In computer tech circles, they call this layered approach “redundancy.” It’s best to keep external hard drives used for backup purposes in an off-site location, such as a safety deposit box or at the office.

To ‘The Cloud’

As costs and file transfer times decrease, an increasing number of photographers are using online services, or “the cloud,” to archive their photos.

Storing photos on the cloud not only provides you with additional levels of security and redundancy not necessarily offered by external hard drives, but many cloud-based options also make it simpler to share you photos and videos with friends, associates and on your smartphone.

The greatest advantage of using online storage is that it’s nearly 100-percent safe from floods, fires, physical theft and other problem that may arise.

Your computer or external hard drive may get a virus or malware, while online storage companies employ teams of experts to guard the extensive networks for problems.

The use of strong password add an additional layer of security, protecting your files against hackers and online thieves.

There are many online digital storage and design websites from which to choose.

Teichrow uses Smugmug. com, which also hosts her professional website Carol Sternkopf, another local professional photographer, uses Adobe’s Lightroom.com, which pairs with Photoshop.

Other websites include Flickr. com and Snapfish.com. Several years ago, Ofoto.com, which was Kodak’s site, was bought by Shutterfly.com. All of the photos kept on Ofoto were transferred automatically to Shutterfly.

Obviously, these websites are established to make money, charging fees for various design or developing services. They can print your photos on any number of items, ranging from typical snapshot photos to coffee mugs to computer mousepads.

Each website specializes in a different set of photographer’s needs.

The ‘No Frills’ Cloud

For those only looking for online storage and transfer capabilities, minus the frills frills of other “value-added” services, several options are available.

And they all work the same way, to varying degrees: you upload your photos or other files to the website, and they store them for you.

Sternkopf uses the popular Dropbox.com. Other options include CX.com, Google Drive, Microsoft Skydrive and SugarSync.com.

Mosaicarchive. com specifically targets photographers by working in conjunction with Adobe’s photo manipulating software, Lightroom.

Organize Your Pics

Whether you store your photos on an external hard drive or online, a proper organizational structure can shave hours of time spent searching for the an old photo. Most professional photographers organize by their clients’ names, with dated sub-folders of shoots.

For their personal photos, organizing by date is the preferred method.

“I also create metadata tags (keywords) for all of my images,” said pro photographer, Erica Swantek, “so that if I’m searching for something in particular, I can easily find it.”

The best advice for proper digital photo care is to follow three simple rules.

First, always keep an untouched set of photos, or “negatives.” Edit copies of the photos, never the originals.

Second, at any given time, make sure there are two separate sets of your photos. Initially, when you copy the photos to your computer, the memory card is the second set. But, when you erase your memory card, make a backup copy to another storage device.

Lastly, keep a backup copy of your photos located at an offsite location to prevent a disaster, such as fire or theft, from wiping out all of your copies.

Ensuring the safety of your photos is one of the most important things you can do to pass down memories of your family.

Baby photos, graduation pictures and wedding videos all tell the story of your life. Like all of your valuable posses-sions, they need to be kept safe and secure.

It’s better to not spend any time worrying about old pictures when there’s many more photos to take.

“I never look back too far at old images,” says Sternkopf. “I’m more interested in creating new ones.”

BEND, OREGON

The Ultimate in Skin Care

FREE

HIMALAYAN BATH SALTS WITH EVERY PURCHASE

Sherry has been nominated for Woman of the Year in the Cosmetic Industry by the NAPW (National Association of Professional Women, membership 600,000).

Her push for promoting the green and sustainable organic skin care alternative to chemical cosmetics has placed her as one of the 100 nominees.

BUY ONLINE OR BY PHONE www.Sher-ray.com . 541-389-2228

ALSO AVAILABLE AT Formula 4

• Oregon Body & Bath (Downtown) • Alliance Supply Co. (Bend)

All-In-One Beauty Balm with Evening Primrose

or at Our Wholesale Shoppe at 19883 8th St.

20 ML $49.98

*The Red Building at Tumalo Mall (off Hwy 20, in Tumalo)

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 11

Keys to

Learning

by John Cal, for The Bulletin Special Projects Photos by Kevin Prieto

Learning the piano is a discipline that, for children, can translate into improved creativity, learning and understanding.

12 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

My friend Alex is perpetually late, and so when picking her up last week to go to the movies, I was forced (per usual) to while away a few minutes in her living room while she finished getting ready.

After a quick amble through her coffee table literature, I walked over and sat myself down at the piano in the corner of her living room.

The tune came easily and the sound of “Animals on Parade,” a song I played for a recital when I was 6 years old, wafted into the room. It’s been more than 20 years since I even thought of that song — the sustained whole notes, the playful cadence — and while I gave up the piano in high school and don’t consider myself a pianist, the lessons remain, both those learned about and from the piano.

“Discipline is discipline,” said Kathy Gault, president of the Central Oregon District of the Oregon Music Teacher’s Association. “When a child dedicates themselves to learning piano, it translates to other areas

of their life.”

One student currently on the road to dedication with Kathy is Stella Gault.

“I started taking group lessons with my friends when I was younger, which was really fun,” said Stella. “It was probably around the 3rd grade when we learned the basic notes and how to read music.”

And Stella, who just turned 13, is now getting ready for a solo

recital in April.

Many studies show that those who play musical instruments use both sides of their brains more often than those who don’t. This regular use of both the left and the right sides of the frontal cortex, often called divergent thinking, has been linked not only to creative and interpretive problem solving, but

also to more eff iciently accessing any learned information, music related or otherwise.

“She has to be ready for her lesson every week,” said Lynn Gault, Stella’s mother. “Even if she just practices 30 minutes a day, that’s 30 minutes she’s committed to piano.”

Before Stella took lessons from Kathy, her older sister Emily took piano lessons, as well. And while Lynn’s goal wasn’t necessarily to make master pianists, it was to help her girls find their own passions.

“Emily stopped taking piano a few years ago when she fell in love with nordic skiing,” Lynn said. “She wanted more time to focus on sports, but for both [Stella and Emily], piano is giving them a basis for other things in their lives.”

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 13

“A lot of what kids learn from taking piano is motivation,” said Helen Jones, piano teacher and member of the Oregon Music Teacher’s Association. “You create a really tangible goal, and it gives kids incentive. It’s important to dangle that carrot.”

In many other areas of the arts, so much of what’s created is subjective. But in music, the correct note is hit … or not. The boundaries can give students clear objectives for which to strive.

“That’s one of the reasons we chose piano is that Joan didn’t have to worry about pitch and tuning, like with other instruments,” said Eunhwa Lee, whose daughter, Joan, has been taking piano since age 5.

Now 12, Joan is practicing to reach Level 10 in the Royal Conservatory’s Music Development Program, the organization’s highest student level.

Besides finding the right instrument, it was also important to find the right balance of personalities between her daughter and the piano teacher, Eunhwa said.

“When she was 5, it was harder to control Joan,” Helen said.

At the young age most children start taking piano lessons, it’s often part of the piano teacher’s role to manage their student’s energy.

“There’s a three-way triangle that’s so important between teacher, student and parent,” Helen continued. “All three of you have to work together on a student’s concentrated goal.

You’re not just teaching kids how to study the piano, but they’re at that age when they’re learning how to study anything for the first time.”

“Nowadays, I’m better at controlling myself and managing my own practice,

14 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

but when I was younger, I didn’t have that self control,” Joan said, reflecting on her earlier years.

“Now I know what I have to do, but everything is harder when you’re just starting.”

Even with her advanced achievements in piano, Joan remembers not loving to play at first.

music is hard. Learning a new piece is hard,” Eunhwa added.

“It’s a metaphor for life. After years of struggling, after you put the effort to make something happen, you get to create something beautiful. There’s joy in that.”

Joan says she’ll eventually stop taking lessons, as well, though

“My mom and I used to argue a lot and end up yelling at each other when she would make me practice,” she said. “It was really frustrating. . . but now that I’ve learned the basics, it’s more enjoyable to have an actual motive or goal I’m going toward.”

“She understands now that

even at her young age she’s beginning to master Schubert and has the ability to sight read.

“The way I see it, I probably won’t be taking music in college, but I’m

sure I’ll always play the piano for fun,” she said.

And that’s the point, isn’t it?

Even with all the tangibles, it’s supposed to be fun. We wouldn’t do it otherwise. The carrot being dangled isn’t necessarily music or higher cognitive thinking, but joy and enjoyment.

“I just wanted to teach my kids to appreciate music,” Lynn said. “ I wanted them to be able to have that love and understanding.

That was the point, whether or not they play piano later in life, they’ll always have that.”

With the progression and all the hours of clear and palpable lessons, it’s still the other — the immeasurable thing — that makes piano so beneficial.

Music, like love and excitement and adventure — all things that really matter and give meaning to our lives — become exceedingly difficult to describe.

“I’m not sure why it’s so important to me, but it is really important,” said Joan. “It’s part of my everyday life. I really love it, and my life would be so different without it. I’d be missing out on the joy that comes with creating a piece of music.”

FAMILY HEALTH:

A

by Jeff McDonald, for The Bulletin Special Projects

SHOT of Good Health?

What you need to know about immunications and guidelines for opting out.

Many parents are opting out of staterequired immunizations, but that could potentially lead to the spread of more diseases, local health care providers say.

Those opting out must meet stricter guidelines since a new state law took effect March 1.

The new law, passed last year in SB 132, means that parents can no longer just sign for a non-medical exemption to state vaccination requirements. Now, parents have to meet with their provider and learn the risks and benefits of not vaccinating. Or, they would need to take an online module before they can get the exemption, said Heather Kaisner, immunizations coordinator for Deschutes County.

“The reason we have this scheduling law is to protect kids and our community from communicable diseases,” Kaisner said.

If a child gets behind on shots, parents have to file for an exemption for admission into school, Kaisner said. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sets out a catch-up schedule for children who have not followed the recommended schedule, that is not a course recommended by clinicians, Kaisner said.

“We do not recommend delaying vaccines or spacing them out because it leaves babies susceptible to disease,” she said.

For a child whose vaccinations are overdue or missing, the CDC recommends getting caught up as soon as possible.

If a child does not complete a series of vaccinations on time, he or she would only need to take the remainder of the vaccinations in the series, according to the CDC. There is no need to start over.

Among the state-required vaccines are DTaP, Polio, Varicella (for chickenpox), Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Hepatitis B and A, and Hib (for the prevention of invasive disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria).

Photo by Kari Mauser

While school law is not as stringent as what is recommended by clinicians, Kaisner said some vaccinations are highly recommended by clinicians, including PCV13, or Pneumococcal conjugate, RV Rotavirus, HPV/Human papillomavirus for adolescents and MCV4/Meningococcal conjugate, which prevents meningitis, she said.

Kaisner cited a recent teen death in Portland from meningitis as well as five cases in Prineville that caused one death as evidence for the need of the MCV4 vaccine.

“MCV4 is not required, but is definitely recommended,” she said.

Six reported cases of pertussis, or whooping

cough, this year in Deschutes County also served as a reminder that while vaccines have severely limited infectious diseases, many are still around, said Dr. John Chunn, local pediatrician and Central Oregon consultant for infectious diseases.

“Some parents are not particularly worried because you don’t see them anymore,” he said. “We should give a pat on the back for vaccines.”

The new legislation shifts responsibility back on parents for opting out, Chunn said.

In the past many parents who had opted out later blamed providers for not warning of the consequences of not getting vaccinated.

“Now, they can watch the video,” he said.

Chunn recommends parents seek out an established health care provider who utilizes federal guidelines set out by the CDC.The CDC uses guidelines established by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is a division of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Those guidelines outline the vaccinations that children and teens need from birth through 18 years of age.

They include all of the state requirements, including four doses of DTaP, the vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, spread over the first 18 months of a child’s life.Whooping cough cases have increased nationally in children, teens and adults over the last few years. Some infants have died who are too young to be fully protected by the vaccination.

Also, keep good records, Chunn said.

“I have my immunization records in my wallet and I’m an old man,” Chunn said.

For more information about both required and recommended vaccination schedules, visit: www.deschutes.org/immunizations and http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/ Recommended-Immunization-Schedules. aspx.

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 15

On a STICK does the

TRICK

by Annissa Anderson, for The Bulletin Special Projects | Photos by Kevin Prieto

16 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

Using some creativity, virtually any food can be put on a stick, offering bite-sized portability for kids.

Put a Pie on a Stick

Who says lollipop sticks have only one use? They also make playful holders for a number of other mini desserts, like pie for one. To assemble a pie pop, simply cut two pieces of rolled pie dough with a biscuit or cookie cutter. Place a lollipop stick halfway up the center of the dough, and press gently into the dough. Place a spoonful of desired pie filling on top, and top with a similarly cut piece of dough. Using a fork, gently crimp the edges to seal. Brush the pie pop with beaten egg, and sprinkle with raw sugar (for sweet filling) or kosher salt (for savory filling). Bake in a 375°F oven until golden brown. Cool completely before indulging.

Once you’ve created your prototype pie, go ahead and get creative with shapes and fillings. After all, the pie’s the limit!

TOP TEN

Kid-Friendly Stick Foods

There is no limit to foods you can put on a stick. But some foods are certainly more appealing to kids’ tastes.

Here are 10 to try making first.

Pie Pops Cake Pops Pizza Pops Chocolate Covered Banana Frozen Pops Frozen Yogurt & Fruit Puree Pops Fresh Fruit Kebabs Donut Hole Kebabs French Toast Kebabs Grilled Cheese Kebabs Grilled Veggie Kebabs To make any stick foods healthier, add fresh fruit or vegetables wherever possible.

French Toast & Blackberry Skewers When making French toast for the family, try cutting some in cubes to skewer with fresh berries for the children. Even kids normally reluctant to eat breakfast can’t resist these tasty kebabs! NOTE: French toast must be from thickly — 3/4 to 1-inch thick — sliced bread that can hold up on a skewer.

Ingredients:

Prepared French toast made from thick-sliced artisan bread, then cut into cubes or small shapes Fresh blackberries Maple syrup, for brushing or dipping

Special equipment:

Short skewers, with sharp tips clipped for younger children

Method:

Skewer toast cubes and blackberries on end in alternating pattern until tip of skewer is covered.

Repeat until desired amount is achieved. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush toast cubes with maple syrup for portable skewers, or serve with individual dipping bowls of syrup.

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 17

CARING FOR OTHERS

The Balancing Act: Work and Caregiving It is estimated that half of all Americans are caring for an older loved one while continuing to work outside of the home. Trying to manage a job while simultaneously caregiving for an elderly loved one can be both mentally and physically exhausting, as well as a significant burden to the family providing care. As our population ages, the occurrence of family members caring for an older adult is becoming increasingly frequent, if not moving to the norm. Given current demographic and healthcare trends, several issues are of significance: women who have traditionally been the caregivers of children and the elderly are in the workforce and less available to provide care; hospital stays are becoming shorter, meaning more care is needed at home; men are increasingly assuming caregiving roles.

Generally, caregivers employed outside the home often experience time lost from work, lower productivity, and possibly giving up a job or lost career opportunities, lost employer benefits including diminished Social Security and private pensions. According to some statistics, at least 6 out of 10 caregivers have reported they had to make some work-related adjustments resulting from caregiving responsibilities.

Caregiving responsibilities may also have a dramatic impact on employers. As an employer, it is apparent the rising trend of balancing work and caregiving definitely

needs to be supported in the workplace. Not only are working caregivers struggling to balance caregiving and the workplace, but employers are as well. Employers need to begin to consider what measures we can do to reduce caregiver stress and improve productivity.

The more understanding a workplace becomes about

Working caregivers are a vital aspect of our society and familywork balance is a real issue that employers must contend with and create their own balance of sorts. elder care, the more likely employers are to get the best productivity/job performance and loyalty from caregiver employees.

What measures can caregivers take to manage workplace responsibilities with caregiving?

• Communicate with your employer about your eldercare responsibilities. Be honest about your needs. Make realistic suggestions that will allow you to continue your responsibilities as a caregiver and an employee. Suggestions might include: flexible hours,

Nancy Webre, BS, MS CEO/Owner, Geriatric Care Manager

Locally Owned & Operated Since 1982. State Licensed & RN Supervised

18 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

working part-time, job sharing or telecommuting. Some employers offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as a benefit.

• Assess your options. Determine how you can best utilize the time and energy you have available to meet the demands of your job and family responsibilities.

1. Determine what your loved one can afford to pay for outside assistance.

2. Evaluate your loved one’s care needs. Consider delegating some of your caregiving tasks to other family members or friends.

3. Explore care options in-home and outside of the home. Consider hiring a caregiver to provide in-home care. Options outside the home may include adult day care or a facility placement.

4. Familiarize yourself with your FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) rights, bereavement, PTO, sick time, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits.

A brief leave may be an option for dealing with a caregiving crisis.

5. Find out about local community resources and support that are available. Seek professional advice.

Working while caregiving can present challenging issues often beyond what an employer may be able to accommodate. Working caregivers are a vital aspect of our society and family-work balance is a real issue that employers must contend with and create their own balance of sorts.

Coping with

EMPTY

NEST

by Bridget McGinn, for The Bulletin Special Projects Photos by Kevin Prieto

When people ask me how I’m doing on my own since my son, Ian, went off to college, my usual response is, “Oh, I’m doing fine.” But that’s not 100 percent true.

The truth is that the grief and sense of loss I feel is immense. I have come to realize that I seriously underestimated the impact that this life transition was going to have on me.

My friend, Debbie Coehlo, a development and behavioral specialist with Juniper Pediatrics and Author Bridget McGinn the mother of two grown with her son, Ian daughters, reassured me that this is quite common.

“Our societal expectation is that, yeah, you will be probably be a little lonely, but you will find things to do,” Debbie said. “When the reality is that you will need to hold space within for a huge transition.”

Recognizing and honoring that this is a major transition period in your life can be important.

“Give yourself permission to grieve,” said my friend Kathy Nagel, a counselor based out of Hawthorn Healing Arts Center and the mother of four. “And know that your timeline is your timeline. Many people may inject their opinions into your process, and it is important to find friends who have gone through similar experiences and even professional resources to support you, if needed.”

For the first two weeks after Ian left, I wore an oversized hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with the name of his school almost every day.

It became a sort of security blanket that helped me to feel comforted and closer to my son.

Debbie shared with me that her daughter left behind a coat that she often wears, especially when she is really missing her. Kathy confessed that when her youngest child left home, she cried at the drop of a hat for two years.

“I’ll admit that to people, and they will say that they did the same thing,” Kathy said.

She found that there were certain times when she felt especially vulnerable, such as around 3 p.m., the time when her children would normally come home from school. Sunday evenings around dinnertime were also difficult.

Being aware of these times and working to establish new traditions and connections with your children can help, said Kathy.

For Debbie, the evening hours are particularly challenging, as that is when she normally spent time helping her daughter edit her homework papers. She deeply felt the loss of connection and communication that the shared activity held.

“I really wondered how I was going to spend those hours,” said Debbie.

Debbie was pleased when her daughter began emailing her assignments and papers, asking for editing advice and input. Together, they found a new way to communicate, stay connected and support one another.

When Ian first left for college, we made an agreement that we would speak on the phone every Sunday, which was comforting to me. I have found that we actually text each other during the week quite often — little messages or snapshots go a long way toward maintaining a feeling of closeness.

As time has passed, I have learned that being physically apart hasn’t impacted our ability to be connected.

“The first two years are the hardest,” said

“I really wondered how I was going to spend those hours.”

Kathy Nagel / Photo by Kevin Prieto

20 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

Kathy. “It does get progressively easier to let go. It is important to trust your child plus trust your parenting and all the hard work you’ve put in raising your child.

Your job was teaching them skills, but now your job is to be a safety net for your child.”

This can be an exciting and also scary opportunity for parents to learn about themselves, Kathy said. She went back to graduate school to further her education.

Debbie found that she now has time to rediscover her love of cross-country skiing, an activity that neither of her daughters particularly enjoyed.

Personally, I have been exploring different cultures and languages through a newly developed obsession with Asian television dramas. Having more time to pursue or discover your own interests and passions can be a beneficial thing.

“Kids give you a sense of

identity,” Kathy said. “I hear people say all the time that they have spent many years hiding behind their kids and that now they need to face themselves. It is all about letting go of the life that was and moving into the life that is.”

The conflict between the grief of deeply missing your child and the joy in watching them learn to spread their own wings can be confusing.

Selfishly, I would love to have my son here with me because I truly love him and enjoy his company. At the same time, I am delighted to see him learning and growing, and I am filled with pride to see the fine young man he is becoming.

That probably wouldn’t be possible if he never left the nest of our home.

Debbie sums it up perfectly when she said, “I often think, ‘Would I choose anything else?’”

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 21

LOCKED & LOADED

Photo by Kari Mauser

Proper car seat installation and fitting are essential to the mobile safety of your child.

by Gregg Morris, for The Bulletin Special Projects Correctly choosing and fitting a child’s car seat can be one of the most intimidating and challenging processes new parents face. But, it is also one of the most important safety tools in a youngster’s life, beginning with their very first ride car ride. A properly installed and fitted car seat increases the safety of the child and offers parents peace-of-mind. It can save a child’s life in the event of a collision.

22 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

“Child passenger safety has dramatically evolved over the past decade,” stated American Academy of Pediatrics’ Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE. “However, motor vehicle crashes continue to be the leading cause of death of children 4 years and older.”

Furthermore, according to the AAP, more than 5,000 children under the age of 21 are killed in motor vehicle crashes each year. For each of those fatalities roughly 18 more children are hospitalized and another 400 are injured significantly enough to require medical treatment.

Despite laws requiring children be restrained in car seats, the majority of children are not properly restrained.

The AAP reports misuse rates ranging from 63 to nearly 89 percent, and links improper car seat use with a number of injuries in children.

Engineers work hard to design car seats that keep kids as safe as possible, but it’s up to every parent to ensure the seats are installed and used correctly.

Most vehicles manufactured after 2002 are equipped with a Lower Anchors and Tethers for

Children system to make car seat installation easier and more uniform, but it is still important to consult the instruction manuals whether using the vehicle’s seat belt or LATCH system with a car seat.

Bend Fire Department Paramedic and Car Seat Technician Kathy Alexander explained, “The most common mistake parents make is not reading the car seat and car manuals. They tend to want to wing it.”

When it comes to car seat safety, Alexander emphasized,

nobody should be winging it.

There are five basic things to address when doing a car seat checkup:

1. Pick the Right Seat.

When choosing a car seat, it is important to remember that the best one is not necessarily the most expensive one. The best car seat is the one that not only fits your child’s weight, height and age, but also is a good match for your vehicle.

Not all car seats fit in all vehicles.

Always choose a seat that meets or exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 213. It’s also important to recognize that car seats can fail if they aren’t taken care of, have experienced too much wear, are missing parts or pieces, have been involved in a crash, or have reached their expiration date. Therefore buying a second-hand car seat is not recommended unless you can be absolutely certain of its history and its safety.

Most car seats expire between five to nine years after they were manufactured.

The date of expiration can be found molded in the car seat or printed on the shell, as well as in the user’s guide. Also, be aware of any recalls that may have occurred by checking manufacturer websites.

2. Seat Placement

While there is no law in Oregon prohibiting children from riding in the front seat, there are basic rules to follow.

For example, rear-facing infant and toddler car seats should never be placed in the front seat of a car with airbags, as it violates the Oregon law requiring “proper use” of a

child car seat. There is also a national “best practice recommendation” for all children to ride in the back seat until they are 13. While a vehicle’s front airbags prevent many injuries and deaths, they are designed with adults in mind.

3. Seat Direction

The AAP recommends that children ride in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, ideally around age 2.

Infant-only seats fit newborns and infants best, from birth to 22-35 pounds, and are always installed facing the rear of the car. These seats are built to cradle the baby’s head, neck and torso in the event of a crash.

Most babies outgrow their infant seat around their first birthday, but they are still safest facing the rear of the car.

Convertible seats are designed to adjust to different positions according to your child’s age and size. They begin as a rearfacing seat and then move to a forward-facing position when your child is ready.

Because these seats have higher weight limits than infant seats, often up to 40 pounds, they are an ideal way to keep your child settled safely in the rear facing position for as long as possible.

“Many parents want to turn their baby around too quickly,” Alexander declared.

Once kids have outgrown their rear-facing car seats, and are at least 1 year old and 20 pounds, they should use a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness for as long as possible. Weight and height limits vary with each model, but many new car seats are being designed with increased limits, allowing kids to be

safely harnessed up to 60-80 pounds.

Booster seats are for kids who have outgrown convertible or forward-facing seats but are still too small to be properly restrained by a vehicle’s seat belts. Oregon law requires: “Children over 40 pounds or who have reached the upper weight limit for their forward-facing car seat must use boosters to 4’9” tall or age 8 and the adult belt fits correctly.”

Kids are big enough to correctly use a vehicle’s seat belt system without a booster when while sitting with their back against the seat and their knees are bent over the seat, the lap belt rests on top of the thighs and the shoulder harness lies comfortably across the middle of the chest.

4. & 5. The Inch and Pinch Tests

According to Alexander, the fourth and fifth car seat checks are often the most overlooked: the inch and pinch tests.

The inch test states that if you can move your car seat more than an inch from side to side or from front to back when giving it a good shake at the base, it isn’t secure enough and needs to be re-installed.

The pinch test aims to be sure the harness is tightened properly around the child.

After making sure the buckles are secure and the chest clip is at armpit level, pinch the straps at the child’s shoulder.

There shouldn’t be any excess webbing, if you can pinch the webbing between your fingers, it needs to be tightened.

Car Seat Resources & Clinics Because of its importance, child passenger safety clinics are given throughout the U.S., and several websites outline proper car seat installation and usage. For more information, visit www.seatcheck. org, www.aap.org or www. healthychildren.org.

If you have even the slightest trouble, question or concern, drop into a free car seat clinic at your local fire station, where a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician will double check your car seat’s installation and help you reinstall if necessary. Be sure to bring your vehicle and car seat manuals.

The City of Bend Fire Department hosts clinics on the last Wednesday of each month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the West Fire Station located at 1212 SW Simpson in Bend, (541) 322-6300.

Redmond Fire and Rescue hosts clinics on the first Thursday of each month from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. and on the third Wednesday of each month from 2 - 4 p.m. at 341 NW Dogwood Ave. in Redmond, (541) 504-5016.

Car seat checks can also be done by appointment at other local stations: Crook County Fire in Prineville: 541-447-5011 Jefferson County Fire in Madras: 541-475-7274 La Pine Rural Fire Protection: 541-536-2935 Sunriver Fire Department: 541-593-8622

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 23

TO YOUR HEALTH

Painful Desert Rocks

Weather in the High Desert is usually pretty terrific and, of course, dry. Very dry. It is a desert after all. These dry conditions can lead people to become dehydrated easily. Unfortunately this dehydration is a leading risk factor for kidney stones. When the urine is concentrated, small crystals can accumulate and create a kidney stone. When a kidney stone is large enough (usually larger than 3 millimeters in size), it can cause significant pain when it tries to pass out of the kidney. When the stone enters the ureter (the narrow tube that naturally connects the kidney to the bladder), it can block the flow of urine from the kidney and can lead to severe pain in the flank or the abdomen. Some people will experience nausea, vomiting, and blood in the urine.

24 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

On occasion, people become extremely ill with stones, and death is even possible.

In order to diagnose a kidney stone, a doctor will often perform an x-ray evaluation, CT scan, or ultrasound.

Once the stone has been diagnosed, pain control is the first step. Many

stones will pass by themselves often with the help of medications and good fluid intake. For larger stones, surgery is often necessary. Sometimes a small temporary tube must be placed in the ureter called a stent that bypasses the obstructing stone to reduce the sharp pain caused by

the backed up urine. Stones can be broken up into small fragments with shock waves and then the smaller pieces may be passed more easily. Special doctors called urologists can also drive a small camera up to a stone and break the stone with a laser while the patient is under anesthesia.

Once a person has passed a stone, they are usually highly motivated to do whatever is necessary to prevent more stones in the future. Drinking more water every day is crucial. Reducing animal protein intake is also helpful in lowering the risk of stones.

Consuming sodas, energy drinks, and black tea increases the risk of stones especially in young people.

If you think you might have a kidney stone, call your doctor or the urologists at Bend Urology and they can help you manage this potentially dangerous and painful condition.

Offering a

Healing

Hand

Being injured in an auto accident while pregnant led to Dr. Reichert’s specialty in alternative injury and pain treatments.

by Kathy Oxborrow, for The Bulletin Special Projects Photos by Kevin Prieto Dr. Susan Reichert’s medical practice was forever changed one fateful day.

Reichert, a MD and practicing pediatrician, was pregnant when she was injured in a car accident. She didn’t want to take medication or have invasive procedures while she was pregnant, so she looked for other ways to deal with her injury and pain.

That search led her to more alternative treatments.

“I made my way to osteopathy and craniosacral therapy,” she said. “It helped me immensely.”

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 25

“I grew up in Western medicine and I discovered the osteopathic approach and I find that they marry very well together.”

Until Reichert’s car accident she was a traditional pediatrician. She is board certified in pediatrics and has a sub specialty fellowship in child abuse and neglect. She received her MD from the University of Cincinnati and practiced in Denver and Oakland, California.

Reichert came to Bend to take a position at the KIDS Center, a child abuse intervention center, where she spent six years as the medical director.

Reichert’s experience as a patient receiving hands-on therapies changed the way she began treating her own patients.

It didn’t happen immediately, but over time she sought training in various alternative modalities including those that had helped her through her own injury.

One of those trainings, taught in part by Janice Blumer, DO, was a rigorous course in cranial osteopathy. Blumer is an assistant professor and vicechair at Western University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine

26 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

of the Pacific – Northwest located in Lebanon, Oregon where Reichert recently assisted teaching a cranial course.

This therapy is based on the integration of the whole body.

The head, brain and entire spine and sacrum are considered related and operating as one connected whole.

Gentle manipulations of the head and spine are used to encourage the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and to release restrictions in the body.

“Susan is trying to bridge the gap between allopathic and osteopathic and is doing a great job of it,” Blumer said.

Allopathic describes Western medicine, which focuses on disease management through medication while osteopathic medicine emphasizes prevention and looks at the patient more holistically.

Blumer said Reichert also brings a variety of techniques to the table that are not osteopathic but that are complementary.

“Osteopathy is a kind of

medicine that uses more manual therapies to encourage the body to use its own selfhealing ability and it gives an alternative to medication and invasive procedures,” Reichert said. “It’s more like mind, body, spirit medicine.”

Reichert feels she brings the best of both fields to her practice.

“I grew up in Western medicine and I discovered the osteopathic approach and I find that they marry very well together.”

She considers MDs and DOs as being part of the same team, and believes there are some things that osteopathy treatment is better for and some things for which you need traditional medicine.

“You still need to take antibiotics for serious infections, you still need to have surgery when your appendix bursts, or your knee blows out,” she added.

Reichert found that she loved using her hands to help people heal.

“It allowed me to bring all that

I am and all that I know as a Western medicine physician, but it gave my hands something to do to treat those people.”

She sees children and adults in her practice now, and treats patients who are in pain or who experience a wide variety of physical, emotional and behavioral problems. Many do not want to take drugs.

Lactation consultants at St. Charles Health Systems may refer mothers to Reichert when their babies are not nursing very well.

Reichert said sometimes babies have had their necks turned in

one position in utero and they can’t move their neck around well enough to feed successfully.

Sometimes there are also issues with their tongue or jaw that interfere with nursing.

“I can do a couple of very gentle treatments that can release the restrictions and allow them to feed better,” she explained.

Reichert said she loves supporting new mothers and offering them ways they can use gentle techniques to soothe, comfort and connect with their babies.

She believes that our bodies have a tremendous ability to heal themselves and sees her role as helping patients access that ability.

“Susan continues to challenge herself and push the boundaries of helping patients find health — of searching for ways to bring somebody to health, which is a very osteopathic way of

thinking,” said Blumer.

Reichert is part of a trend in medicine that is moving toward integrative practices.

A major change in that direction occurred recently. A February press release titled, “Allopathic and Osteopathic Medical Communities Commit to a Single Graduate Medical Education Accreditation System,” announced that both MDs and DOs would have the same residency training.

“Up until now residency training for MDs and DOs has been a separate track, but beginning next year, MDs now have the opportunity to learn osteopathic manipulations in their residency training program,” said Blumer. “This change will likely have more people looking for osteopathic philosophy as well as techniques.”

Sylvan Summer Camps: $199!

Hosted at our NWX Location: 2863 Northwest Crossing Drive, Suite 110 Bend, OR 97701 Write On! (Grades 4-6); Camp Sum Fun! (Grades 1-3); Advanced Speed Reading (Grades 9-13); Multiply&Divide (Grades 3-5); Read Ahead! (Grades PreK-K); SAT/ACT Crash Course (Grades 9-12); Middle School Math Prep (Grades 6-8) (Camp dates also available on our website)

Main Center 2150 NE Studio Rd Suite 10 Bend, OR 97701

NWX 2863 Northwest Crossing Drive Suite 110 Bend, OR 97701

541-389-9252

sylvan@bendbroadband.com U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 27

Smile Innovations Local orthodontists anwser parents questions on getting children braces

by Jeff McDonald for The Bulletin Special Projects Photos by Kevin Prieto

Getting braces has always been a headache for kids — and their parents too.

But things are getting easier for detecting when a child needs braces, and new technologies are making it a more comfortable process, local orthodontists say.

We asked three local orthodontists — Dr. Cate Quas of Bluefish Dental & Orthodontics, Dr. Casey O’Neill of O’Neill Orthodontics and David Gobeille of Gobeille Orthodontics — about issues that cause parents confusion when it comes to braces. Their responses tell us one thing is clear: orthodontics has changed a lot since we were kids.

What constitutes a need for braces?

Pediatric dentists can determine a child’s eventual need for braces as early as age 1 or 2, Quas said. An early indication is the overcrowding of baby teeth in a toddler.

“If it looks like you can drive a truck in there, that’s what you want,” she said. “You can see ahead of those teeth coming in.”

Some other possible signs that a kid needs braces include: one or more of the front teeth sticking out, teeth turned

28 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

sideways, under- or over-bites, excessive spacing, fangs and two rows of teeth, or “my kid looks like a shark,” Quas said.

When can your child’s dentist determine if they will need braces?

Quas recommends parents ask their kids’ dentist or orthodontist for a panoramic x-ray at age 7, which gives a clear picture of the teeth, roots and jaw, she said. The x-ray will reveal whether or not all of the permanent teeth are growing in and if they are in the correct position or orientation, she explained.

Gobeille also believes assessing kids at about age 7 gives orthodontists a more complete picture of the situation, which gives them more options and an ability to track kids over time.

“We really believe in seeing kids early, when they have lots of growth potential,” he said. “This helps avoid removing permanent teeth so they look better later on.”

Gobeille studies how a child’s teeth fit into his or her face, looks for signs of crowding, and assesses how the bite works — how the teeth work together.

At what age should you consider braces for your child?

There’s no question that kids are

getting braces at a younger age than we’ve seen in the past. These days, it’s not unusual to see kids in elementary school with big metal grins accented with colorful rubber bands.

The reason for this, Gobeille explained, is that orthodontists have realized the benefit of early treatment in certain situations.

“We can change skeletal components when they’re still growing rapidly, rather than waiting until they’ve stopped growing,” he said. “If we treat a jaw issue at age 7 or 8, when 50 percent of their growth remains, well that gives us a wing and a prayer to really correct the problem.”

The two most predominant jaw issues that call for early orthodontic intervention include front to back problems - overbite and underbite, and crossbite — where one jaw is narrower than the other.

While most kids have all of their adult teeth by about age 12, the skeleton continues to grow — for girls until about age 14, and boys about age 16. Treating issues before the growth is complete not only means a shorter time period in the braces, but also tends to create more stable results, Gobeille explained.

It doesn’t mean that kids with significant problems will be done with orthodontics before they hit their teens. As many as 90 percent of early patients will have to have a second round of braces, Gobeille said.

“Early treatment gives us way better results ultimately, with almost no relapse after the second phase,” he said. “Early treatment simplifies later treatment.”

Two-phase treatment has become quite common. The first phase essentially focuses on realigning the child’s jaw, whereas the second phase is the actual straightening of the teeth.

Crowding is another issue that has a significantly better outcome when treated early.

“We can unravel that crowding and make

room for teeth while the jaw is still growing,” Gobeille said. “That way we are treating without taking teeth out, which we’ve learned over the years gives us a much better smile and better profile.”

O’Neill said he is a big believer in early orthodontic treatment and finds the need for a second phase of braces is actually decreasing, and when opted for is generally more of a cosmetic fine tuning.

“Simply put, when kids are younger, the jaw bone is very flexible and isn’t fully fused in the head and neck, so there’s a much better opportunity to redirect growth,” he said. “At the stage when bone is still movable and adaptable, that redirection is much quicker and more biological. When the body thinks it did the job itself, it’s more natural and we can fix a major problem in eight months or less, and with far less relapse.”

Even kids without jaw issues can benefit from early orthodontics.

“If a front tooth is sticking out, it’s at a massive risk for traumatic injury,” O’Neill said. “The consequences for that are really big because these are the kid’s adult teeth, they’ll be with him forever.”

Alternatively, local orthodontists agree that it is not always worth getting early treatment. Each child’s case is unique and has to be assessed before a treatment plan can be outlined.

Assuming there are no crowding or skeletal problems, Gobeille waits to apply braces until around age 12 when all the permanent teeth have filled in, opting for the most efficient approach to correction. However, between the ages of 7 and 12, checking in with the orthodontist every six months is advisable.

“We like to keep the child on observation, making sure nothing goes haywire before all their teeth come in,” Gobeille said.

What’s new in the world of orthodontics?

Orthodontics has come a long way in the last five years, O’Neill said.

New imaging techniques have changed how orthodontists diagnose the need for braces, he said. Better materials also have played a huge role in the changing patient experience.

Some kids are getting the Invisalign braces, which are clear and removable. Other styles include traditional brackets, lingual brackets (on the inside of the teeth), clear brackets, ceramic brackets and a wide range of metal brackets.

There are many new trends and different styles of braces that excite parents and kids, O’Neill said. These days, braces just aren’t causing as many headaches.

For more information, visit the American Association of Orthodontists’ website at www.braces.org.

We believe people deserve the highest quality care with dignity, respect and compassion.

Do you have a concern about a loved one?

Call Paul Battle Associates first to discuss how we can help your family get the best care for them.

877-867-1437 www.paulbattle.com ■ info@paulbattle.com The only Certified Geriatric Care Management firm in Central Oregon.

We fill the gap between your doctor and your caregiver.

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 29

WELCOME HOME

Designer Tips To Make Your Space Look Amazing The decisions you make with regard to how you design your interior should not be made based simply on aesthetics or what is in style. Discover what feels good in terms of the energy the choices bring to a space and what appeals to you emotionally. Then uncover what will be practical and functionally best for you and your family as you will live day-to-day within the space.

Once you have made a decision based on good information, don’t

Take One Step at a Time: If you want to make your home look more attractive, but you are a little unsure of yourself when it comes to decorating, the solution is to begin by taking on a smaller task.

Rather than take on a whole room at once, try creating little areas of interest. For example, you could put together a small seating area in a master bedroom with upholstered chairs and a center ottoman. Then you may move on to the artwork on the walls or lighting.

Bring Indoors

Comfort Through

Olga Adler

fall into the trap of second guessing yourself and prolonging your projects unnecessarily. Consider your options, make a choice, be confident in each choice you make, and move on to the next task.

Here are a few of our tips, that may help you in the process.

30 | U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014

Reflections of the Outdoors: Nature has a way of making us feel calm, serene, and happy. Bringing reflections of nature into the home or office can enhance a space and add to its peaceful energy. There are so many fabulous home accents and accessories on the market that

reflect natural textures and that are made from materials that are found in or that mimic nature.

Resist the Urge to be “Trendy”: While it is a very important part of our job to stay up on trends, it is not always the best way to reflect your personal design sense. Colors and textures or specific genres of style are often implemented in design.

Think timeless. Am I going to love this for the next five or ten years? It is also possible that pieces of current Olga Adler trends will work in your home. I personally like to pull a color from one trend, a texture from another trend, and a style from yet another trend. Mix them together and you have your own trend!

Vary the Scale: When starting from scratch or working with what you have, scale plays a huge role in the overall feel of your space. Start with Lush Home the essential items. What do you need in the space? Then I suggest taking all of your accessories and organize them into piles based on scale. Tall items vs short items. Heavy looking pieces vs light and airy. Pillows in varied sizes. Artwork that wraps the edges vs smaller prints with more white space. You should have a variety of shapes and sizes in

Olga Adler

Lush H

Lush Home

Benjamin Moore

your piles. With the essential items already in place, you will be able to see where spots need to be filled and by what kind of scale. Always keep in mind, less is more.

Need a little extra help in your home?

Visit our showroom to see what we have been up to. We would love to help you with your next project.

At the Workplace

by Connie Worrell-Druliner, for The Bulletin

The Bounds of Humor

Can a general sense of humor in the workplace help your place of business?

Humor is one of those things in life that is wonderful when it works and awkward when it doesn’t. Just think of a time when a joke you told got a laugh from everyone in the room.

Then compare it to another time when your wit was met with blank stares and offended looks.

In the workplace, especially, humor has been blamed for some pretty big upsets, causing it to become a sensitive subject around the office.

But research indicates that workplace laughter has its benefits.

Chris Robert, a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, published his findings about workplace humor in the Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management journal. In a Business Week article, Robert explained that “the link between humor and positive emotions seems strong, which is intuitive, and there’s also a strong correlation between positive emotions and workplace performance.”

So it might be time to consider how humor could actually help your business. It can help you build your relationships, but can also go a long way with your internal team.

Look for It In Your Top Talent

There are many qualities to look for in potential employees, and many characteristics depend on the position you’re attempting to fill.

But, if you’re looking to add an intelligent or creative person to your team, you may also want to take notice of their humorous side.

According to Robert, the ability to be humorous is “associated with intelligence and creativity, two things highly valued in workplaces.” The reason for that is because of what humor is.

“We find jokes or comments funny because

job can actually have a positive effect on productivity and employee retention.”

The Wall Street Journal highlighted a Pennsylvania State University study which found that “a good laugh activates the same regions of the brain that light up over a fat bonus check.” And that makes sense if you think about it. As Robert said, “If you have positive emotions about your job, you’re less likely to quit.”

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

they are linking two things together—perhaps through a punch line—that you wouldn’t normally link together,” Robert explained. “That’s what creativity is, too: Putting things together in a unique way.”

For those in high-stress jobs or leadership roles, laughter and banter with co-workers can be a great relief. At the same time, having an enjoyable work environment can appeal to top talent. The Wall Street Journal published that “mixing laughter and fun into a company culture can attract skilled workers.”

Use It to Cut Down on Turnover

Embracing humor within your company can also help to reduce your employee turnover.

Business Week reported “joking around on the

Obviously, creating a workplace that employees enjoy is going to improve the work environment. But leaders can use a specific type of humor to improve their reputation among, and relationships with, their employees.

“One trait that consistently ranks highly among the most admired leaders is they’re confident enough to poke fun at themselves,” reported Forbes. “Smart leaders have long recognized the best punchline — themselves.”

The Leadership & Organization Development Journal found that “executives and managers who use self-deprecating humor appear more approachable and human to subordinates.”

Like anything, humor should be used in moderation, tastefully and in accordance to your business culture. But when an expectation is set that a business or department isn’t fun to be a part of, productivity, turnover and recruiting will all be impacted.

Why not see if a little bit of joking and laughter could help your business and employees’ performance? You might even enjoy work a little more yourself.

Connie Worrell-Druliner is the founder of a locally owned business, Express Employment Professionals, of-

fering human resource solutions. Express can help your organization by finding qualified workers, solving your retention needs, and providing knowledge-based training to your workforce.

U MAGAZINE • Spring 2014 | 31