Beaufort Memorial Hosptial Living Well - Summer 2015

Living WellSUMMER 2015

Living WellSUMMER 2015

MindHealthy

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�A look at mental health and its��impact on your overall well-being�

David Beckham became a soccer superstar in spite of obsessive-compulsive disorder+

RECOGNIZING STROKE SIGNS BENEFITS PATIENT

HOW TO STAY POSITIVE UNDER PRESSURE

BOY, OH, BOY! NEW MOM HAPPY TO DELIVER BABY CLOSE TO HOME

Living WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellLiving WellBEAUFORTMEMORIAL.ORG

Get to Know Our Doctors … Out of the White Coat

Your time trumps downtime.

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Beaufort Memorial Hospital is the only medical facility in the area to offer these unique procedures, with several surgeons trained in them:

HysterectomyChristopher Benson, M.D.Gregory Miller, M.D.Patricia Thompson, M.D.Claude Tolbert, Jr., M.D.

Gall BladderPerry Burrus, M.D.Deanna Mansker, M.D.Stephen Sisco, M.D.

ContentsSUMMER 2015

FEATURES

8Ask the ExpertNeurologist Paul Mazzeo, MD, tells us how to reduce our risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Ways to enjoy a summer bounty of tomatoes PAGE 46Decoding the

mind: normal feelings or a sign to seek help?PAGE 16 IN EVERY ISSUE

COVER PHOTO BY MICHELE EVE SANDBERG/CORBIS

THE BIG STORY

8

Can supplements boost your brain?PAGE 28

52 Mommy & MeAllison Coppage of Lady’s Island

delivered her baby at BMH’s Birthing Center and couldn’t be happier with her decision.

9 Mental Illness: More Common Than You Think

You might be surprised by the prevalence of mental ill-ness in the United States.

10 Bending PerceptionsSoccer star

David Beckham achieves stellar success in spite of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

14 A Healthy MindThe mind is a pow-erful thing, and

that’s not all in your head.

22 The Stroke HandbookA complete guide

to understanding stroke risks, symptoms and what it takes for a successful recovery.

28 Boosting the BrainSupplements

are said to fi ght dementia, improve memory and more. But can a pill really help your brain?

49 A Stroke of LuckBeaufort

resident Sherline Holmes dodged long-term disability thanks to the quick medical treatment at BMH.

2 Opening Thoughts 3 Introductions 4 Collected Wisdom 6 Out of the White Coat 33 This Just In 38 The Truth About Germs 40 How To: Stop a Headache 42 Quiz: Freak Out or

Chill Out? 44 At a Glance: Sizing Up MIS 46 In the Market: Tomatoes 48 Health by the Numbers:

Heartbreaking Statistics 54 Foundation-Building

SUMMER 2015 1

Opening ThOughTs

As healthcare continues to evolve at a fast pace, our goal as your community

hospital is to stay ahead of the curve to provide the best care and access to care close to home.

To that end, we are continually evalu-ating areas in which our services can be strengthened or broadened. In some cases that means working with national companies with proven expertise in building state-of-the-art facilities or services; while in other cases it involves affiliations with academic medical cen-ters whose clinical expertise in specific areas may help us to better meet the needs of the community.

Earlier this year we announced a clinical affiliation agreement with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). And while the terms of the agreement are still being defined, we are excited to look at new ways to expand access to care throughout the Lowcountry by creating a stronger relationship with the state’s only aca-demic medical center.

We as an organization—and a num-ber of our physicians—have had very strong relationships with the leadership and many of the specialists at MUSC Health for years. We consider this affilia-tion to be a more formal agreement that both encompasses and expands upon the work we have been doing together for a long time. The agreement focuses on developing clinical, community and informational services and does not have any management, governance or owner-ship associated with it.

MUSC Health, the clinical enterprise of MUSC, is the state’s most nationally recognized health system; serves as the Lowcountry’s only Level 1 trauma center and children’s hospital; and is one of only 68 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the country.

In collaboration with local care pro-viders, MUSC Health develops and implements innovative models of care delivery with the common goal of enhancing the health of all South Carolinians. Annually, many Beaufort County residents benefit from innova-tive, integrated care provided by our local caregivers and MUSC Health.

Some of the areas of interest to us include improving population health management; considering additional telehealth programs to expand access to our local residents; and working together to recruit physicians in hard-to-fill specialties.

Ultimately, our goal is to provide the best care to our patients and our com-munity in our local setting, and I assure you all that you will be among the first to know when we have a clearer vision of how that goal will continue to be met.

Rick ToomeyPresident & CEO

bringing better healthcare to OUR cOmmUnity

Living Well, a subtitle of Vim & Vigor™, Summer 2015, Volume 31, Number 2, is published quarterly by McMURRy/TMG, LLC, 1010 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602-395-5850. Vim & Vigor™ is published for the purpose of disseminating health-related informa-tion for the well-being of the general public and its subscribers. The information contained in Vim & Vigor™ is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. Please consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment and/or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. Vim & Vigor™ does not accept advertising promoting the consumption of alcohol or tobacco. Copyright © 2015 by McMURRy/TMG, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscriptions in U.S.: $4 for one year (4 issues). Single copies: $2.95. For subscriptions, write: Circulation Manager, Vim & Vigor™, 1010 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85014.

Beaufort MeMorial Hospital

president & CeoRichard K. Toomey, DHA, FACHE

BMH Board of trustees Terry Murray, ChairPat Thompson, MD, Vice ChairDavid Tedder, Secretary/TreasurerAndrea Allen, MS, LMSWKathleen CooperDavid HouseWilliam “Bill” HimmelsbachFaith Polkey, MDJames Simmons, MD

ex-offiCio MeMBersJ. Chadwick Tober, MD, Chief of StaffWilliam “Bill” Harvey, Foundation ChairmanBill McBride, Beaufort County Council Representative

BMH editorialCourtney McDermott, Director, Marketing & CommunicationsSallie Stone, Editor and Marketing & Communications Content

ManagerPaul Nurnberg, Photographer

produCtionEditorialeditor-in-CHief: Amy Saunders editors: Erin Feeney, Meghan Krein, Matt Morgan, Tom Weede Copy editor: C.J. Hutchinson

dEsignCHief art direCtor: Tami Rodgers art direCtor: Rod Karmenzind

Productionsenior produCtion Manager: Laura MarlowespeCial projeCts & priCing Manager: Jenny BabichiMaging speCialist: Dane NordineproduCtion teCHnology speCialists: Julie Chan,

Sonia Fitzgerald

circulationsenior direCtor, Business intelligenCe group:

Tracey Lenzpostal affairs & logistiCs Manager: Janet Bracco

Client serviCesCHief Client offiCer: Beth Tomkiw Client strategy and serviCes Managers: Mark Kats,

Lauren Keeton, Gerry Kubek, Barbara Mohr, Katie Murphy

adMinistration CHief exeCutive offiCer: Matthew J. Petersensvp, Business developMent – HealtHCare:

Gregg Radzely, 212-574-4380exeCutive art direCtor: Adele MulfordVim & Vigor founder: J. Barry JohnsonCHairMan eMeritus: Preston V. McMurry, Jr.

Beaufort Memorial Hospital955 Ribaut Road

Beaufort, SC 29902843-522-5200

843-522-5585 – Doctor Referral Service

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SUMMER 20152

IntroductIons

New INItIatIves Help eNsure patIeNt safety at BMH

From reducing staph infections to helping to halt the spread of flu, Beaufort Memorial is continuously looking

for ways to improve the quality and safety of the care it provides to patients, says Beaufort Memorial’s infection prevention coordinator, Vicki Allen, RN

Q What does BMH do to keep its patients safe?First and foremost, we follow

evidence-based practices to guide all our healthcare decisions. In recent years, we have focused on the front end of care to prevent hospital-acquired conditions and the spread of infections and viruses.

As an example, patients coming in for an elective joint replacement procedure are given Hibiclens, a skin cleanser that removes transient bacteria, because we

know surgical-site infections are pri-marily skin-based organisms. We recom-mend patients use it to bathe starting five days prior to their surgery.

Every point of entry in the hospital now has a respiratory-etiquette station stocked with tissues, face masks and antimicrobial hand soap for visitors or patients who come into the hospital sneezing or coughing. Last winter, dur-ing a particularly bad flu season, we took the precautionary measure of imposing

Vicki Allen,

RN

visitation restrictions to control the spread of the virus.

Most recently, we expanded our anti-microbial stewardship program to try to get a handle on the proliferation of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. We’re working with area physicians and venturing into the com-munity to educate the public on appro-priate use of antibiotics.

Q How successful have you been with the safety mea-sures you’ve taken?

By implementing new protocols, we were able to meet a federal goal of reducing hospital-acquired conditions by 40 percent over a three-year period. In a number of areas, we far exceeded the 40 percent target. Our biggest suc-cess was with central line-associated bloodstream infections, which dropped to zero in 2014.

We’ve also decreased C.difficile coli-tis by 27.9 percent by implementing the practice recommendations of a multi-disciplinary team we created to combat the highly contagious infection.

Q In the wake of the Ebola and measles outbreaks, what new safety initiatives have

you implemented?As part of our admission process, we now ask patients whether they have traveled outside of the U.S. in the last 21 days. If they answer yes, we follow up with a series of questions to determine whether they could have been exposed to Ebola or other contagious diseases. n

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SUMMER 2015 3

COLLECTED WISDOM

Despite emotionally challenging jobs, these Beaufort Memorial staff ers have found a way to stay centered and maintain a positive attitude.

GO ONLINE

Tips to De-StressIt’s not your imagination. Stress can play havoc with your health. To learn what you can do to relieve the pressure, go to bmhsc.org/itsnotjustinyourhead.

A WALK IN THE PARK

After 16 years as an occupational therapist with Beaufort Memorial’s Adult Mental Health Services, Chris Nietert has learned to handle agitated and disorganized patients. But the stress of keeping things under con-trol can take a toll.

“When you have one or two patients who have been off their medications and are unpre-dictable, it can get tense,” the therapist says.

“There’s a lot going on that you have to keep an eye on.”To maintain her mental health, Nietert makes a point not to take

her patients’ problems home with her.“When I go to my car at the end of the day, I walk through the

park,” she says. “That’s where I leave my work.”Exercise also helps relieve her stress. At least three times a

week, she takes a class at the LifeFit Wellness Center.“The classes are fun,” Nietert says. “Loud music and move-

ment do a lot to clear the mind.”For a more serious fi x, she heads to Hunting Island to walk on

the beach, take a bike ride or search for shells along the shore.“It’s the perfect sensory environment,” she says. “It restores

me so I can enjoy my family and interests outside of work.”

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CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!To reduce the anxiety that comes with his job, BMH Director of Security Doug Rhodin relies on two tried-and-true relax-ation techniques—deep breathing and meditation.

“My form of meditation is prayer,” says the former corrections offi cer at New York’s Rikers Island. “Putting things in God’s hands takes the pressure off me.”

Prayer helped him get through the grief of losing his wife to cancer six years ago.

“I had to believe God had a plan for me,” Rhodin recalls. “Who would have thought I’d turn around, get married and have twins?”

His toddlers are now part of his at-home relaxation routine.

“After a long day at work, I run a hot bath, throw in some Calgon beads and soak,” Rhodin says. “Then I spend time playing with the twins. They really help me put things in perspective.”

SUMMER 20154

BLOWING OFF STEAM IN THE KITCHENDespite having an extraordinarily busy work schedule, pulmonologist and critical care specialist Peter Manos, MD, doesn’t mind fi xing dinner for his family (on the occasional night he gets home in time).

“Cooking is one of my outlets,” Manos says. “When time allows, I enjoy coming home and cooking for my family.”

His strong Christian faith also helps him maintain a posi-tive attitude.

“I’ve been very blessed,” says the father of three. “My job is stressful, but I love what I do. And I can walk out of the hospi-tal and go home to my family.”

Throughout his career, Manos has relied on his wife and children to help keep him grounded. He enjoys family activities like the occasional cook-off with his teenage son.

“It’s a silly family thing,” he says, “but it means a lot to me.”

GET HELP

Contact Your Local NAMIThe National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) helps individuals and families aff ected by mental illness. Visit namibeaufortcounty.org or call 843-681-2200 to learn more about the Beaufort County affi liate and the com-munity programs it off ers.

GO FISHWorking with cancer patients at the Women’s Imaging Center can be emotionally draining for Beaufort Memorial Breast Nurse Navigator Amy Hane.

“You have to keep an element of humor in your day,” says Hane, a registered nurse with more than 10 years’ experience. “It’s humor that only someone else in the fi eld would understand.”

But sometimes, even that’s not enough. Talking with patients about their diagno-sis and the battle they will face can beat you down.

“By the end of the day, I’m ready to go to the gym and sweat it out,” Hane says. “When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, those natural chemicals that make you feel good.”

On particularly bad days, she goes fi shing off a local dock.

“It’s a great stress reliever,” Hane says. “It doesn’t mat-ter if I catch anything. It’s so quiet, I can just let go and let nature recharge me.”

BY THE NUMBERS

9

32

60

33

Percent of American

adults suff ering from

depression

Average age for a person to be diagnosed with

depression

Percent of illnesses and

diseases caused by

stress

Percent of people who feel they are

living with extreme

stress

LEARN TO SAY NOMost every other weekend, Kurt Gambla, DO, slips into his running shoes, pops in his earbuds and hits the road for a 26-mile run.

“It clears the cobwebs,” says Beaufort Memorial’s chief medical offi cer. “By the time I get back home fi ve hours later, my mind is a clean slate. It’s like shaking an Etch-a-Sketch.”

But you don’t have to run a marathon to stay mentally healthy, Gambla says. Just set your priorities.

“Most of the pressure we have in our lives we put on ourselves,” says the internist. “Take control

of your schedule and learn to say no. You don’t have to rationalize it. No is a complete sentence.”Bad lifestyle choices also can con-

tribute to an unhealthy state of mind. Too much alcohol or caff eine and not enough sleep

and exercise can leave you feeling run down and weary.“High-fat and high-carb diets zap energy,” says Gambla,

who has been a practicing vegan for the last fi ve years. “If you start eating right, your body will naturally start craving things that are good for you.”

SUMMER 2015 5

Play TimeIn all seasons, two Beaufort Memorial doctors enjoy spending off-hours outdoors

Leland Stoddard, MD

Leland Stoddard, MD, was just a kid when he took up running with his dad in their

hometown of Greenwood.“My father was the first jogger in

South Carolina,” says Stoddard, an ortho-pedic surgeon with Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group. “People would see him running along the side of the road and offer him a ride. They didn’t know what jogging was back then.”

His attire didn’t help. Running shorts weren’t available in the 1960s, so his dad would jog in swim trunks and a white T-shirt.

“I ran in a bathing suit, too,” Stoddard recalls. “I had gym shorts for school, but they only let us take them home once a year to wash them.”

Although he has long since switched to more modern running apparel, Stoddard continues to enjoy recreational running.

But these days, his recreational pref-erence is to spend the day on the golf course with his 25-year-old son, Leland, the oldest of his four children, or cruise

the coastal waters with his wife, Karen, and kids.

“We like to fish in the creeks and off-shore,” he says. “Or we’ll go waterskiing. Most of the time I just drive the boat, but they’ll get me on the skis once or twice a year.”

Skiing in the Stoddard family is not lim-ited to the water. Every winter, the family makes a trip to Colorado to hit the slopes. They also enjoy vacationing in Florida and have made several trips to Europe.

Their in-state travels are mostly reserved for soccer games. All four of Stoddard’s children have played for their high schools as well as on travel-ing teams. His son Andrew, 16, currently plays for Beaufort High; his 18-year-old daughter, Austen, is on a club team at Clemson.

“We’ve made a lot of road trips to soccer games,” he says. “The families of the players are all pretty tight. Over the years, we’ve become good friends.”

Out Of the White COat

CALL

Dr. Leland Stoddard is a board-certified orthope-dic surgeon with Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group. He can be reached at 843-770-0404.

SUMMER 20156

David Harshman, MD

Once a week, David Harshman, MD, goes to battle, armed with nothing

but a bag of clubs and a little white dimpled ball.

“Golf is a game you can never com-pletely master,” the Beaufort Memorial cardiologist says. “It’s you against the golf course.”

Since moving to the Lowcountry four years ago, Harshman has played virtually every golf course in the area. Most often, though, he’s teeing off on Ocean Point or Ocean Creek—the two golf courses on Fripp Island, where he lives.

“Even if you play the same course, the conditions are always different,” Harshman says. “It’s never boring.”

While he has developed a solid swing, putting is the strongest part of his game. But it’s never a given he’ll drive the ball straight or sink it into the hole. “It’s rare that everything works in the same week,” he quips.

Harshman was in high school when he began playing golf. He put up his clubs for 20 years while earning his medical degree at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and building his private practice in Missouri.

It was in his travels to resorts in the Caribbean that he rediscovered his love for the game.

“I noticed the prettiest part of the resort is the golf course—it has the best views,” says Harshman.

“We’ve also spent a lot of time on the beach through the years,” he says.

At home on Fripp Island, Harshman

and his wife, Mickie, enjoy walking their German shorthaired pointer, Fredericka, along the shore.

“We love living on Fripp,” the car-diologist says. “The people are very welcoming, there is a strong sense of community, and there are wonderful activities and opportunities for philan-thropic work.” n

CALL

Dr. David Harshman is a board-certified inter-ventional cardiologist with Beaufort Memorial Cardiology. He can be reached at 843-522-7110.

SUMMER 2015 7

Ask the expert

MeMory Matters

Q Is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary?Yes. But even if both your par-

ents had Alzheimer’s, it doesn’t mean you will. Alzheimer’s is a genetic disease with highly variable manifestations. Your family history also won’t help you predict when you will get it or that it will behave in the same way it did with your parents.

Regardless of genetics, your odds of becoming symptomatic increase as you

get older. Between 40 and 50 percent of all Americans will develop the brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s by the time they reach 85.

Q How can I reduce my risk of developing Alzheimer’s?Diet and exercise are the primary

interventions you can take to ward off this debilitating disease. A recent study out of Columbia University demonstrated

Paul Mazzeo, MD

that you can lower your risk by as much as two-thirds by eating a Mediterranean diet and exercising regularly.

We think of our genetic code as fixed. We don’t account for the fact that dif-ferent genes can be modified by lifestyle changes. It’s never too late to make adjustments that can help you improve and maintain your health.

Q Is there a cure for Alzheimer’s?No, but there are five FDA-

approved medications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Although they don’t slow the progression of the dis-ease, they can help preserve your ability to perform the activities of daily living. People taking the medications do better for longer than people not on the drugs.

And the research continues. Beaufort Memorial’s Memory Center is currently participating in several clinical trials studying new medications. One of the drugs being tested on patients with mild Alzheimer’s or cognitive impairment targets amyloid plaque in the brain. If it is proved to be effective, it could truly slow the progression of the disease. ■

Get Help

The Memory CenterDoes someone you love have memory problems? Contact the Beaufort Memorial Memory Center to schedule an assessment and gain access to a network of services and organizations that can help. Call 843-707-8833 or visit beaufortmemorial.org/memorycenter to learn more.

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More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. While the No. 1 cause of developing this progressive brain disease is advancing age, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk, says BMH neurologist paul Mazzeo, MD

CAll

Board-certified neurolo-gist Dr. Paul Mazzeo is the medical director of Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Memory Center. He can be reached at 843-522-1422.

SUMMER 20158

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MentalHealth

Issue

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Mental Illness: More CoMMon than You thInk

1 40 million american adults are affected by anxiety disorders.

2 more than 29 million americans have diabetes.

3 Depression is a struggle for more than 20 million americans.

4 Nearly 3 million americans are being treated or have completed treatment for breast cancer.

5 Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects more than 2 million american adults.

6 Nearly 400,000 americans are living with lung cancer.

mental illness surrounds us, but social stigma and a lack of aware-ness can make it seem invisible—and prevent those who need help from seeking it. Read on to better understand depression, anxiety and other conditions, and learn what you can do to support loved ones who are struggling.

you likely know someone who has a disease like breast cancer

or diabetes. What may be surprising is that you also probably have a friend, co-worker or neighbor who suffers from a mental illness. rank the health conditions below from most to least prevalent, then take a look at the statistics to the right.

3Breast cancer3Depression3Lung cancer3Anxiety disorders3Diabetes3Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Mental illness affects nearly one in five American adults.

SUMMER 2015 9

F ew would argue that inter-national soccer superstar David Beckham has led a charmed life. In addition to

a sensational 21-year soccer career (he retired in 2013), his iconic good looks have earned him a modeling career and endorsements from companies like Adidas, Samsung and H&M to the tune of $44 million in 2012 alone.

And he’s been equally successful in his personal life. “Becks” has been married to former Spice Girl Victoria “Posh” Adams since 1999. Together, the couple, who have three sons and a daughter, enjoy a level of worldwide celebrity usually reserved for royalty.

But while his life in front of the cameras may seem perfect, Beckham in 2006 revealed that behind the scenes, he struggles with obsessive-compulsive

Soccer star David Beckham achieved international success in spite of obsessive-compulsive disorder by AlissA M. EdwArds

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Bending disorder (OCD). OCD is a mental ill-ness characterized by obsessions—intrusive and distressing thoughts—or compulsions to perform repetitive or ritualized behaviors.

“I’m just very obsessive with certain things, everything has to be in order,” Beckham told Esquire in 2013. “[I] walk into a hotel room and before I can get settled I have to unpack, everything has to be perfect: the magazines the right way, the drawers the right way ... it’s tir-ing. But it’s more tiring if it’s not done the right way.”

No Laughing Matter Over the years, even those closest to Beckham have treated his disorder as fodder for pranks and jokes. His former Manchester United teammates would strategically rearrange things in his hotel room to upset him.

Beckham’s wife also has teased him about his compulsive organizing, which includes keeping a separate refrigerator for drinks and storing them front-facing and in pairs.

“[If] there’s an extra can, I’ll take it out and hide it in another cupboard,” Beckham said on the British talk show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in 2010.

PErcEPtions

Summer 201510

Summer 2015 11

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“Victoria will go in and just tweak it a little bit … to annoy me.”

Rebecca Woolis, a family therapist and the author of When Someone You Love Has a Mental Illness, says that what may seem like good-natured fun can be damaging. “When you’re struggling with symptoms, it makes life even more dif-ficult,” she says, “and may discourage some people from seeking treatment.”

The Stigma of Mental IllnessMore than 43 million Americans experienced a mental illness in 2012, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Yet only 39 percent are receiving proper treatment, studies suggest. Beckham hasn’t been forthcoming about whether he’s sought professional help.

Lloyd I. Sederer, MD, a psychiatrist and the author of The Family Guide to Mental Health Care, says myths can make people hesitate to seek treatment. “They may see their illness as some-thing to be ashamed of and they don’t want to be judged,” he says.

But by learning the truth, you can make it easier for people struggling with mental illness to seek treatment. Here, our experts debunk five common myths.

MYTH#1

Mental illness doesn’t affect anyone I know.

About one in five Americans suffers from a mental illness, according to the NIMH. “It’s likely that you know some-one who is affected; you just may not know that they have a mental illness,” Sederer says.

Keep in mind this number encom-passes the entire spectrum of mental ill-nesses. The incidence of serious mental illness—defined by NIMH as causing “serious functional impairment which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities”—affects about one in 25 people.

7 Things You (ProbablY) Don’T Know abouT DaviD becKham 1 Before his retirement, he was the highest-earning soccer player in the

world. he earned $50.6 million in 2012 from his salary, bonuses and endorse-ment deals, according to Forbes.

2 There’s a movie named after him. Bend It Like Beckham (2003) refers to his famous ability to kick the ball in a way that seems to bend it around his opponents.

3 Fame doesn’t run in the family. his mother was a hairdresser; his father, an appliance repairman.

4 He’s totally taken. beckham celebrated his 15-year anniversary with former spice Girl Victoria “posh” adams in July 2014. they met in 1997 after a charity soccer match.

5 He’s a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. he has worked for UNIcEF’s sport for Development program since 2005.

6 He’s got great legs. so great, in fact, that he insured them for about $195 million in 2006. the policy reportedly covered his legs, feet, toes and good looks.

7 He has 32 tattoos, including his wife’s and four children’s names. “I don’t regret any of them,” he told cNN in 2013. “they all have a meaning.”

Summer 201512

MYTH#2

Mental illnesses happen to people who are weak or

flawed in character.“The premise that people are to blame for their mental illness stems from the false idea that these are not real illnesses,” Sederer says. “You would never say that a person with diabetes or cancer was weak, selfish or at fault for their disease.”

Experts believe that several factors cause mental illnesses. “Genetic pre-disposition, illnesses, injuries and brain chemistry appear to play a primary role, but environmental exposure to toxins or trauma, such as physical or emotional abuse, can also be catalysts,” Sederer explains.

“Mental illness isn’t something you can will away,” Woolis adds. “To suggest that a stronger individual could over-come it is hurtful and incorrect.”

MYTH#3

Individuals with severe mental illnesses can’t hold

a job or have successful relationships.“With proper treatment, many people are able to function very well, both in their families and careers,” Woolis says.

Job placement and support programs have helped many individuals with men-tal illnesses find and succeed at work.

“It’s often assumed that people with mental illnesses are fated to be fail-ures at life, but that is patently false,” Sederer says. “Unfortunately, since most people don’t broadcast their illness, it can be hard to see how many of them are leading full lives of contribution.”

MYTH#4

People with mental illnesses are violent and

dangerous.While individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are slightly more likely

to exhibit violent behavior, recent stud-ies found that most people with mental illness were no more likely to commit violent acts than others.

MYTH#5

There’s nothing you can do to help someone with a

mental illness.“Individuals who have loving, support-ive families who are educated about their mental illness are more likely to seek treatment, and function at higher levels and have a better quality of life than those who don’t,” Woolis says.

Sometimes a kind word and a little compassion—such as asking someone whether he or she is OK—are all it takes to nudge someone to seek treatment.

“It seems like such a simple thing,” Sederer says, “but asking that question can be like CPR for someone struggling with a mental illness.” n

Summer 2015 13

website

You’re Not AloneThe Beaufort County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) offers support groups for caregivers. For more information, visit namibeaufortcounty.org or call 843-681-2200.

Dos anD Don’ts of talking about Mental illnessIf a friend or family member told you she was struggling with mental illness, would you know what to say? Beaufort Memorial Director of Mental Health Susan South offers tips for being supportive.3DO your research. “Educate yourself about their condition and ask questions

about their experience rather than assuming,” South says.3DON’T tell others. “In non-urgent situations, respect their wishes regarding

sharing information about their condition,” she says.3DO treat them with respect. “People are more than their illness,” South says.

“They deserve to be treated with kindness and compassion like everyone else.”3DON’T joke or tease them about it. “It can be painful, even if they laugh at

it,” she says. “On the other hand, if they joke about it, it’s OK to laugh with them.”3DO show you care. Offer your support in whatever way you can. “Just being

there to listen when they need to talk is huge,” South says.3DON’T let myths go unchecked. “When we correct false information, we

help combat the stigma of mental illness and make it easier for people to get the help they need,” she says.

The mind is a powerful thing, and that’s not all in your head. We take a

look at mental health today—and its impact on your total well-being by stephanie r. conner

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THE BIG STORY

HealtHya

Mind

Summer 201514

Summer 2015 15

Determining when stress and sadness are normal feelings

and when help is needed

“My grandfather died last week, and I’m very sad.”LikeLy diagnosis: Understandable sadness.When to seek heLp: When sadness is accompanied by additional factors that interfere with everyday living.

“Sadness is part of the human condition,” says Harry Croft, MD, a psychiatrist and

distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. “But clinical depression is an illness—a disorder with certain signs and symptoms that is far more impairing.”

Clinical depression gets in the way of a person’s ability to function or enjoy life.

“Normal, everyday ups and downs go away by themselves. They don’t typi-cally need intervention,” adds Shoshana Bennett, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the author of Children of the Depressed. “We throw around the term ‘depression’ in a cavalier fashion in our everyday

Life is full of highs and lows. The death of a loved one can cause profound sadness. An overfilled calendar can lead to stress. And who’s not afraid of spiders?

Sadness, stress and fear are part of life. But when those feelings become more than you can bear, it may be time to reach out for help. Here’s how to recognize the difference.

DecoDing the MinD

highs and lows are part of life, but persistent and exaggerated feelings might warrant help.

Summer 201516

speak, and it gets people confused. … This isn’t about being a little down.”

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that more than 20 million Americans have depression, a condition affected by genetic, environmental, psychological or bio-chemical causes.

“It’s not due to a weakness of will or character flaw,” Croft says. “There are actual changes in the way the brain functions.”

Symptoms of depression include persistent sadness, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, feeling worthless, loss of interest in once-enjoyed activi-ties and thoughts of death or suicide.

“I’m stressed about a big work presentation. I barely slept last night.”LikeLy diagnosis: Normal stress.When to seek heLp: If stress is constant or you worry excessively for no reason.

Have you felt stressed in the past week? Of course. But if your stress is persistent and

exaggerated, it could be anxiety.“Let’s say you are running late for

work. That’s a stressful moment for anybody,” says Tamar Chansky, PhD, a clinical psychologist and the author of Freeing Yourself from Anxiety. But some-one with anxiety might say his whole day is ruined as a result.

Anxiety, Chansky says, is “taking that moment and changing the narrative about what’s going on.”

People with anxiety lack the perspec-tive that the stress will pass, Bennett notes. They may even opt out of activi-ties because they worry something bad could happen.

Physical symptoms like feeling sick to your stomach, muscle tension and high blood pressure can also accompany anx-iety. “People can wake up feeling this way—maybe even without a stressor,” Chansky says.

“I hate heights and refuse to get too close to the edge of a cliff.”LikeLy diagnosis: Fear of heights.When to seek heLp: If that fear prevents you from performing nor-mal activities.

Jumping at a spider or getting uncomfortable in a packed elevator is under-

standable. But when fear hinders a person’s ability to function, it becomes a phobia.

Some common phobias include fly-ing, heights and public speaking. A type of anxiety disorder, a phobia can cause a person to go to great lengths to avoid the situation they fear. For example, people with acrophobia—a fear of heights—may refuse to attend a meeting on an upper floor of an office building.

Help Is AvailableFor most people, a combination of talk therapy, medication and lifestyle changes makes a big difference. If you’re uncer-tain where to turn, start by consulting your primary care physician, who can help connect you with the resources you need.

“Never, ever feel you need to suffer in silence,” Bennett says. “There is great help out there, and you deserve to be happy. … Keep searching until you find what works for you.” n

Summer 2015 17

Shouldn’t I Be happy?The birth of a baby is a beauti-ful event. But for 20 percent of new mothers, it also can trigger postpartum depression, says BMH Ob-Gyn Claude Tolbert, MD.

“It’s caused by a neuro-chemical imbalance,” Tolbert explains. “Symptoms can include depressed mood, difficulty sleep-ing or sleeping all the time, a change in appetite, feelings of worthlessness, lack of interest in performing daily activities and even suicidal thoughts.”

Support groups or cognitive ther-apy can help. In some instances, antidepressant medication may be prescribed.

“Postpartum depression should be taken seriously because of the concern for the mother hurt-ing herself or the baby, and the effects it can have on maternal-infant bonding,” Tolbert says.

Postpartum blues, on the other hand, are usually resolved with a little encouragement. This form of depression typically occurs in the first seven to 10 days following delivery and is short-lived.

“You shouldn’t feel guilty if you experience the blues,” Tolbert says. “It doesn’t mean you’re a bad mom. It’s triggered by a hor-monal shift.”

CALL

Help for Breastfeeding MothersHaving trouble breastfeeding your baby? Don’t get stressed. Call Beaufort Memorial’s “warm line” at 843-441-4586. Lactation consultant Pam Ehret is available 24/7 to answer questions, offer tips and provide all the support you need to keep you happily nursing your baby.

“It’s not just a response to a sad situation,” says Harry Croft, MD, a psychiatrist and co-author of I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall, a book about post-traumatic stress disorder. “It’s a disorder with signs and symp-toms and changes in the brain that aff ect a person’s ability to function in their day-to-day lives.

“The good news is that with proper treatment, people can get better,” Croft says.

These three celebrities are just a few of those who have undergone treatment to battle their depression.

BROOKE SHIELDSBrooke Shields, known for her Calvin Klein modeling work and for acting roles in The Blue Lagoon and Suddenly Susan, was one of the fi rst celebrities to speak publicly about postpartum depression.

After a diffi cult childbirth experience in 2003, Shields felt herself sliding into a dark period. She cried. She was angry. She was unable to bond with her baby. And she considered suicide.

“I had no desire to even pretend to care about her. And it absolutely

It’s hard to imagine that people who seem to have everything—beauty, brains, talent, money—might also suff er from depression.

But world leaders (Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill), writers (J.K. Rowling, Mark Twain) and performers (Sheryl Crow, Jon Hamm) alike have struggled with the disorder. Depression can aff ect all people, regardless of their success.

FAMOUSLY DEPRESSED

Depression knows no bounds—just ask these

celebrities who have publicly battled the disease

SUMMER 201518

terrifi ed me,” she told Oprah Winfrey after publishing her 2005 memoir, Down Came the Rain, about her struggles with postpartum depression.

After speaking with her doctor and taking medications, she began to see change and wanted to be around her baby.

And, in 2006, when she had her sec-ond child, Shields enjoyed a completely diff erent postpartum experience—happy and depression-free.

SHERYL CROWThe Grammy Award-winning singer knows that depression is a part of who she is. “At its worst,” she said in a 2008 interview, “there was a six-month period in my 20s when I couldn’t dress, days when I couldn’t leave the house.”

She found therapy and medications benefi cial. “But depression is a chemical thing that some people go through,” she said. “It’s always been part of my life.”

Today, Crow fi nds ways to keep her life in balance. After a public split from cyclist Lance Armstrong in 2006, fol-lowed by a breast cancer diagnosis just weeks later, Crow saw an opportunity to refocus on herself.

“I think one of the reasons I got ill is that I ran my business and everything

else in my life with the concept that everybody had to be happy, and every-body’s needs came before mine,” she told Prevention in 2011. “I really learned my lesson. ... Just the act of saying no is showing yourself respect.”

JON HAMMMad Men’s leading man said he struggled greatly when his father died. Hamm was 20 at the time.

“I was ... unmoored by that,” he told the British newspaper The Observer. “I was in bad shape.”

He found help with medication as well as therapy, of which he said: “It gives you another perspective when you are so lost in your own spiral.”

Hamm also said work helped him recover. “I knew I had to get back in school and back in some kind of struc-tured environment and ... continue.” �

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Warning SignS of SuicideWhen comedian Robin Williams committed suicide last year, it served as a reminder that you can’t always tell when someone is in pain.

“Left untreated, severe depression can make it difficult for people to get through life, to have relationships, to sleep well and to be physically healthy,” says psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner James Benn of Beaufort Memorial’s Sea Island Psychiatry. “It can even lead to suicide.”

Benn recommends watching for these warning signs:3 Greater use of drugs or

alcohol3 Seeking a way to complete

suicide (like online research on the subject or buying a gun)3 Reckless behavior3 Withdrawal from activities3 Changes in sleep 3 Calling people to say good-

bye or giving away possessions3 Panic attacksIf you notice these warning

signs in a loved one, encourage him or her to call 800-273-TALK (8255).

website

Cheer Up!Feel like a black cloud is looming over you? Check out Beaufort Memorial’s Be Well Video “Gimme a Boost” to learn four healthy ways to reduce your stress and improve your mood. Go to bmhsc.org/gimmeaboost to watch.

The more experts learn about mental illness, the more eff ectively conditions like depression and anxiety disorders can be treated. While we can continue to improve, take a look at how far treatment has come.

A MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY

Our understanding of mental illness is a relatively

recent development

1600s–1700sIn 1600s Europe, mentally ill people were often isolated. Those who were considered insane were sometimes kept in dungeons. By the late 1700s, reforms started to take place, allowing patients to have access to sunlight and fresh air.

1840sWhen Dorothea Dix investigated treatment of mentally ill patients in Massachusetts, she found widespread abuse in unregulated facilities. Over the next 40 years, she fought to establish 32 state hospitals for the mentally ill.

Late 1800sReporter Nellie Bly went undercover as an inmate in an asylum to expose the cruel treatment of the mentally ill. Thanks to her work, state men-tal hospitals received funding to improve conditions.

1930sSome patients with serious mental ill-nesses were treated with a lobotomy, a surgery that removed sections of the brain. This decade also saw the beginning of electroshock therapy—using an elec-tric current to induce convulsions—to treat depression and schizophrenia.

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1950sAntipsychotic drugs were introduced. As a group, they’re known as “tricyclics” because of their three-ring chemical struc-ture. While eff ective at treating depression, they are of little use in cases of schizophrenia.

Late 1980s and 1990sThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Prozac, the fi rst selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Zoloft and Paxil, also SSRIs, were introduced several years later. The medications are now widely used to treat depression, obsessive-

compulsive disorder and other conditions.

2013President Barack Obama announced the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, a $100 million scientifi c endeavor to better understand the brain and fi nd new ways to treat a wide range of brain-related disorders.

SUMMER 2015 21

Hope for tHe futureAlthough the history of mental health treatment has plenty of dark moments, there’s cause for optimism, too.

“There was a time when people thought people were possessed,” says BMH psychi-atric mental health nurse prac-titioner James Benn. “We’ve come a long way from that.”

Research has brought about improved medication and a better understanding of the benefits of psychotherapy (mental health counseling).

Still, many people worry about the stigma associated with mental health disorders. Benn notes that our culture struggles with differences—viewing them as something to be ashamed of. This can make it difficult for people to speak up and get treatment.

“Where I see stigma play out most as a therapist … is how hard people are on them-selves about symptoms that are not their fault,” he adds.

He suggests looking for opportunities to empathize.

“We all know somebody who’s important to us who has one of these disorders,” Benn says, noting that we should ask ourselves, How would I want this person I care about to be able to receive services?

When we do that, he says, we can be more optimistic about the future of treatment.

VIDEO

See How the Brain WorksThe National Institute for Mental Health offers Brain Basics, which explains how the brain works and the impact of men-tal illness. Watch the Brain Basics video at nimh.nih.gov/brainbasics/index.html.

A complete guide to

understanding stroke risks,

symptoms and what it takes

for a successful recovery

BY CONNIE MIDEY

StrokeTHE

HANDBOOK

SUMMER 201522

STROKE IS STEALTHY AND FAST, and it plays no favorites. • Older people are its most common casualties, but stroke also strikes children, fi t young adults and the middle-aged, totaling 795,000 incidences a year in the United States. • In its fi rst minute alone, a stroke destroys 1.9 million brain cells, says neurologist and researcher Jeff rey L. Saver, MD. • Damage spreads by the minute and may aff ect parts of the brain that control memory, speech, movement, vision or behavior—attributes that defi ne you.

SUMMER 2015 23

A Ticking ClockIn a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, Saver documented the urgency of modifying behaviors that contribute to stroke and seeking immedi-ate treatment.

Findings confi rm what Saver already knew but hoped would motivate the slow-to-act: “That time lost is brain lost,” he says.

Left untreated for even one hour, a stroke causes impair-ment to the brain equivalent to 3.6 years of normal aging, Saver says.

“Stroke is a highly treat-able brain emergency now, but only if patients recognize the symptoms, call 911 and get to the hospital in an early enough time frame for doctors to be able to intervene,” he says.

His study focused on ischemic strokes, the most common type, accounting for 87 percent of all cases. For these clot-caused strokes, doctors have about a three-hour time window to

administer tPA (tissue plas-minogen activator), a clot-busting drug.

Yet much can be done to avoid such an emergency, or to lessen its impact if it occurs despite your best eff orts. If you’re among the more than half of Americans who don’t know they’re at risk, the fi rst step is learning the common contributors to stroke and act-ing on those you can change.

What You Can’t ChangeThese risks make you suscep-tible to stroke:3Your age. Seventy-fi ve

percent of strokes occur in people older than 65.3Your gender. Women have

more strokes, some for reasons specifi c to their gender and some explained by their longer life span.3Your race. African-

Americans’ risk of death from stroke is greater than that of Caucasians, in part because of their higher rates of hyperten-sion, diabetes and obesity.3Your family medical his-

tory. If a grandparent, parent or sibling had a stroke, you may, too.3Your medical history.

If you have had a stroke, a tran-sient ischemic attack (TIA) or a heart attack, stroke likelihood grows—by as much as tenfold after a TIA, which doctors call a warning stroke.

What You Can ChangeRisks, often overlapping, and steps to minimize them:

HIGH BLOODPRESSURE Try: Ask your doctor

about blood pressure medicine, a heart-healthy diet and exer-cise. Practice meditation, yoga or tai chi to manage stress. Hypertension is the leading contributor to strokes, making it worth your best eff ort.

SMOKINGTry: Many health organizations off er

nicotine replacement therapy and smoking-cessation pro-grams. Contact your state’s “quitline” at 800-QUIT-NOW (800-784-8669) or get tips at smokefree.gov.

DIABETESTry: Follow your doc-tor’s advice to prevent

diabetes, or if you already have the disease, about tightly con-trolling your glucose levels and taking medicine if prescribed. Aim to manage your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol and to increase physical activity.

ARTERY DISEASES, ATRIAL FIBRILLA-TION AND OTHER

HEART DISORDERSTry: Work to achieve a heart-healthy diet and increase

SUMMER 201524

physical activity to 30 min-utes a session. Adhere to your doctor’s treatment plan if you’re already dealing with heart disease.

POOR DIETTry: Keep a food diary and cut 250

calories a day from your diet. Avoid cholesterol and saturated and trans fats. Limit salt, sug-ary foods and red meat. Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet or the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, fat-free or low-fat dairy prod-ucts, olive oil, whole grains, fi sh, poultry, beans and nuts. Bonus: Such steps also help keep cholesterol and blood pressure levels in check.

INACTIVITY AND OBESITYTry: Walk, take the

stairs, dance, garden, play with the kids or grandkids. Aim for at least 30 minutes at least fi ve days a week of any activity you enjoy. Inactivity and obesity also elevate your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease.

Spot the Symptoms“Stroke is not a painful condi-tion in most cases,” says inter-nist Joel Stein, MD, a specialist in rehabilitation of neurological

disorders and the author of Stroke and the Family.

“The symptoms often don’t seem that alarming to people. They think, ‘Hmm, my arm feels a little weak. Maybe I need a nap.’ And they will literally lie down and wait to see if they feel better when they wake up,” he says.

Waiting to seek treatment is the biggest mistake stroke patients make, Stein says, and it’s a common one. About 44 percent of stroke patients don’t arrive at the hospital until 4.5 hours after the onset of symptoms, accord-ing to an analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The acronym FAST can help you remember the signs of a stroke in yourself or others.

F Face drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it

numb? Ask the person to smile.

A Arm weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask

the person to raise both arms.

S Speech diffi culty. Is speech slurred? Is the per-

son unable to speak or hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, such as “The sky is blue.”

T Time to call 911 for a ride to the hospital if you

observe or experience any of these signs, even if they go away. Check the time so you can tell doctors when the fi rst symptoms appeared. �

STROKEBY THE

NUMBERS

795KNumber of strokes per year in the

U.S.

80Percentage of strokes

that could be prevented

NO. 1Ranking of stroke in

preventable causes of disability

NO. 4Cause of death for

Americans, resulting

in 129,000 deaths

annually

STROKE, DEFINED3Stroke: Occurs when blood fl ow to the brain is disrupted. Deprived of oxygen and other nutri-ents, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs, often aff ecting movement, speech, mem-ory, vision or behavior.

3 Ischemic stroke: Caused by a clot obstruct-ing the fl ow of blood within a vessel that supplies blood to the brain. This is the most common type.

3Hemorrhagic stroke: Caused by a weakened blood vessel rupturing and bleeding into the surrounding brain.

3Transient ischemic attack (TIA): Caused by a temporary clot, it resembles a stroke but usually lasts less than fi ve minutes. Sometimes dismissed as a “mini-stroke,” it is more accu-rately a warning stroke that requires immediate medical attention.

SUMMER 2015 25

A CAREGIVER’S GUIDE TO STROKEFor stroke survivors, a supportive partner can make the diff erence on the path to recovery

W hen brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor was recovering from a severe hemorrhagic stroke at age 37, few

people understood her needs. They spoke loudly and fast and expected quick responses to questions.

“They talked to me incessantly,” she says today, “and what I needed was to sleep and preserve my energy.”

On Day 3, her mother arrived from out of town and silently wrapped Taylor in her arms. She allowed her daughter to sleep and to take as long as needed to respond to questions. But over time she challenged Taylor’s brain further with questions that required more than a sim-ple “yes” or “no.”

Taylor, the author of My Stroke of Insight and the presenter of the second-most-watched TED Talk, calls her mother

“a brilliant teacher” who knew exactly what her daughter needed.

Joel Stein, MD, an internist special-izing in stroke rehabilitation and the author of Stroke and the Family, fi nds much to commend in Taylor’s mother’s approach. He often sees patients and their families focusing too much on lim-itations and not enough on possibilities.

“Scarring on the brain will never heal,” he says, “but what the brain can do to a surprising degree is rewire itself, so undamaged parts of the brain take over some of the lost function.”

“It’s really important—and this goes for patients and their families—that they know life goes on after a stroke,” he says.

For stroke survivors, caregivers are a vital source of support, information and inspiration. Here, Stein off ers advice about the caregiver’s role in recovery. 3

A CAREGIVER’S A CAREGIVER’S A CAREGIVER’S A CAREGIVER’S

SUMMER 201526

3APPOINT ONE FAMILY MEMBEROR FRIEND AS SPOKESPERSON. Having a primary contact and note-taker reduces disruptions and confu-sion, Stein says. The spokesperson, in daily contact with the doctor and the case manager, allows everyone to focus on her or his role in the patient’s treat-ment and recovery.

3EDUCATE YOURSELF. You’ll be a better caregiver if you learn about the eff ects of stroke and steps to recovery. Join a support group and gather infor-mation from hospitals and organizations such as the American Stroke Association and National Stroke Association.

3ENCOURAGE THE STROKE SURVIVOR. The simple act of hold-ing the patient’s hand helps. Celebrate accomplishments, no matter how small, as Taylor’s mother did. Encourage your loved one to walk, socialize, engage in favorite activities and seek treatment for depression, if needed.

Social isolation is common, Stein says. “It’s partly a mobility issue, partly being self-conscious. But there’s a therapeutic value in staying socially engaged.”

3EXPECT RECOVERY TO TAKE TIMEAND HARD WORK. Doctors once told patients that improvements would stop after six months. Taylor’s continued for eight years, and for some, recovery occurs over a lifetime. Physical, occupa-tional and speech therapy may be part of the process, occurring in locations from an acute-care hospital to home care to outpatient settings.

3TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Physical and emotional exhaustion will limit your ability to help. Rest, eat healthy foods, exercise and see friends. Schedule help-ers to give you a break. Keep a journal. �

SUMMER 2015 27

Stroke riSkS UniqUe to WomenOdds that a man or woman will experience a stroke double after age 55 for each additional decade lived.

American women live longer than men: on average, 81 years versus 76.

But these two facts only partly explain why women are more likely than men to experience a stroke—and to die from it.

The first guidelines for prevent-ing stroke in women, published in 2014 by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, address women’s unique risks.

“The big (risks) are things that only affect women,” Beaufort Memorial Hospital Stroke Coordinator Sheri O’Brien says. “One of those is pregnancy. But there also are things more com-mon in women than in men.”

Smoking is a stroke risk for both sexes, “but if you’re a woman who smokes and uses birth con-trol, that’s like waving a red flag,” O’Brien says.

Prevention is especially crucial because women are one-third more likely to require nursing home care after a stroke.

“A lot of that is age, because they’re having strokes five years later than men,” O’Brien explains. “Some also may be widowed and not have anybody to go home to, so even if they have minimal disabilities, they end up in nurs-ing homes.”

Women should be aware of these stroke risks:

Stroke risks unique to women:3Pregnancy, preeclampsia, gesta-tional diabetes3Oral contraceptive use, post-menopausal hormone use

Stroke risks stronger or more prevalent in women:3Migraine headache with aura3Atrial fibrillation3Diabetes3Hypertension3Depression3Psychosocial stress

CALL

Living Well After StrokeBMH offers a monthly program that addresses the needs of stroke survivors and their caregivers. For information on upcoming sessions, call 843-522-5593.

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BOOSTINGTHE

BRAINSupplements are said to fi ght dementia, improve memory and more. But can a pill really help your brain? BY COLLEEN RINGER

SUMMER 2015 29

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Omega-3sWHAT THEY ARE: You’ve heard about these fatty acids in conjunction with heart health, but they are gaining trac-tion in mental health, too. Some types of omega-3s are found in fi sh and shell-fi sh; others, in vegetable oils. They are essential to the body, playing a role in brain development and function, but we can’t produce them ourselves—we need to consume them.

HOW THEY MIGHT WORK: First, you need to know that your brain is 60 percent fat. “The fat insulates the nerve tracks and helps information move rap-idly,” Nussbaum says. “Omega-3s help to bathe the cells in the right fat that propels communication.”

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: Many studies have shown that eating omega-3-rich seafood is healthy. Omega-3s are being explored as a treatment option for people with depression, attention-defi cit hyperactivity disorder, autism, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. What can’t be said for certain is whether the sup-plements actually work.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW: Pregnant women are especially encouraged to get their omega-3s, which play a role in infant brain development. Doctors rec-ommend a weekly intake of 8 ounces of seafood (excluding sushi and fi sh high in mercury, like swordfi sh). Because omega-3s increase blood fl ow, supple-ments are not recommended for people taking blood thinners or who have bleeding disorders.

The supplement market is fl ooded with claims that we can save ourselves from Alzheimer’s disease, depres-sion and more if we just take the right vitamin or herb. Is it true?

The jury’s out, says Paul Nussbaum, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist and the author of a number of brain

health books, including Save Your Brain. “We’ve learned that what we put in our bodies does have an impact on the brain in terms of energy, thought and emotion,” he says.

That considered, it makes sense that studies show promise for sup-plements such as ginkgo biloba and omega-3s. There is also research, however, that paints a less rosy picture.

“A supplement isn’t the be-all and end-all of a healthy mind,” says Rita Singer, a registered dietitian and corporate wellness consultant. “We always recommend a healthy diet fi rst. Then if you can’t get the right amount of a certain nutrient, maybe turn to a supplement.”

We take a closer look at three potential brain-boosting supplements and examine why they may hold promise.

OMEGA-3s BRAIN POWER:

May treat depression, autism, bipolar disorder

and more

SUMMER 201530

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PROBIOTICSBRAIN POWER:

May balance bacteria levels to improve

brain function

Ginkgo BilobaWHAT IT IS: The ginkgo tree is one of the oldest around. While the seeds have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries, the leaves are used to make supplements. Some believe that ginkgo biloba can help boost memory and pre-vent Alzheimer’s disease.

HOW IT MIGHT WORK: “Ginkgo is an herb that is believed to increase blood fl ow throughout the body and brain,” Nussbaum says. “As such, the body is receiving increased oxygen and nutri-ents in the blood that spurs cellular function.” Translation: More blood fl ow equals a boosted brain.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: While smaller studies have shown a glimmer of promise for the ability of ginkgo biloba to improve memory, a larger study by the National Institute on Aging found that it had no memory-boosting eff ects on adults 60-plus who took the supple-ment for six weeks. One clinical trial showed that people who took it daily for six years did not experience slowed cognitive decline.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW: As with omega-3s, ginkgo supplements increase blood fl ow, so serious interactions (like hemorrhaging) are possible.

ProbioticsWHAT THEY ARE: Your body is full of bacteria. Some of it is bad, but some of it is good and necessary to keep you healthy. Probiotics, which you can obtain through supplements or foods like yogurt, are similar to the healthy bacteria found naturally in the body. The digestive system, in particular, needs the good microbes. An upset in the balance can lead to problems.

HOW THEY MIGHT WORK: If we’re talking about mental health, why do we care what happens in the stomach? There appears to be a connection between the brain and the gut. “We’re recog-nizing the truth to what Hippocrates said: ‘All disease begins in the gut,’ ” Singer says. “Poor brain function can compromise gut health, and vice versa.”

Probiotics can help maintain that deli-cate balance, which can be eroded by an unhealthy diet.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: Most larger studies are focused on whether probiotics can help digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Smaller studies, however, show a link between probiotics and better brain function, indicating that the communication highway is fl owing both ways—from brain to stomach and vice versa.

WHAT ELSE TO KNOW: Because probiotics are live bacteria, they can be risky for people with weakened immune systems. �

SUMMER 2015 31

Get Your Brain in the GameWouldn’t it be great if simply figuring out “13 across” could protect you from dementia? “Studies have shown doing crossword puzzles and playing board games and even video games like Tetris can help you maintain cognitive skills and improve reasoning, critical thinking and how fast you process information,” says neurologist Paul Mazzeo, MD, the medical director of Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Memory Center. “But there is very sparse evidence that once you develop dementia, those brain exercises will help. While there are a lot of claims being made by online brain-training sites, we don’t have the science on that yet.”

website

Better RecallOccasional memory lapses aren’t cause for alarm, but there are steps you can take to reduce your forgetfulness. For tips to build memory, visit bmhsc.org/betterrecall.

2 You probably know some-one with a mental illness, which aff ects one in

fi ve Americans.

6 Mental illnesses are treat-

able, yet only 39 percent of those who suff er from them are receiving proper treatment.

5 Everyone feels stressed

sometimes. But if you wake up feeling that way, you might need to seek help for anxiety.

3 Success is no measure of mental

health. Abraham Lincoln, J.K. Rowling and Sheryl Crow are a few of the many famous people who have suff ered from depression.

7Mental illnesses like anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder are no laughing mat-ter. Jokes can cause those who are suff er-ing to feel shame and

embarrassment, preventing them from seeking treatment.

8 Up to 16 percent of women experience postpartum depres-

sion. If the baby blues last for more than a few weeks, talk to your doctor.

Every minute counts when someone is experiencing a stroke. For the brain, one hour without treatment equals 3.6 years of normal aging.

Recent decades have seen tremendous advances in mental health treatment. Lobotomies were common as recently as the 1940s.94 Depression involves

changes in brain function, not emo-

tions you can control.

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10 MENTAL HEALTH TAKEAWAYS TO THINK ABOUT

THE QUICK LIST

2

10 MENTAL HEALTH TAKEAWAYS TO THINK ABOUT

1 Probiotics may improve function-ing of the diges-

tive system—and the brain. Researchers are studying the eff ects of the supplements.

WANT MORE HEALTHY IDEAS? Check out our fall issue, focusing on making changes to your health.

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THIS JUST INGood-for-you news, cues and reviews

Big gulpswater does more than quench your thirst. It lubricates joints, rids waste and helps keep body tem-perature at an even keel.

here are a few tips for splashing water into your diet this summer:3Keep water chilled.

water tastes better when it’s cold.3Fill up on “Freggies.”

water-rich fruits and vegetables can help you stay hydrated. try lettuce, citrus fruits, watermelon, celery and tomatoes.3Beat the “Blahs.” If your

palate craves flavor, infuse water with fruit. Cover sliced fruit with ice in a pitcher and add water to let flavors infuse overnight.

Summer 2015 33

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There’s no sugarcoaTing The TruTh: Neither sugar nor sweeteners really help our health. but which is the lesser of two evils?

artificial sweeteners help limit calories and don’t cause cavities. “this is a pro for artificial sweeteners. When you drink sugary soda and sweet tea or chew gum—that sugar just sits on your teeth,” says sarah Krieger, a registered dietitian and a spokeswoman for the academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

an academy paper on the topic also concludes that aspartame can help with weight loss and main-tenance. on the downside, recent research suggests that artificial sweeteners disrupt healthy microbes in the gut, leading to higher blood sugar levels. the experiments mostly involved mice, and the study’s leaders noted that no definitive conclusions could be drawn yet.

so while the sweet spot is limiting both sugar and sweeteners, the latter appears to be kinder to our waistlines and our teeth.

Sugar artificial

SweetenerSWhich is better for your health?

Summer 201534

StrategieSfor Summer

ZZZsParents who let their kids slide on bedtime this summer may be in for some rough mornings come fall.

“It’s important to set a time for your chil-dren to go to bed during the school year, as well as the summer, so it becomes a habit,” BMH pediatrician Anca Dumitriu, MD, says. “If they don’t get eight to 10 hours of sleep, it can impact their performance and behav-ior the next day.”

A special word on teenagers: Watch out for the electronic gizmos.

“They get into bed and stay up late work-ing on their computers or texting their friends on their cellphones,” Dumitriu says. “Then they complain they’re getting head-aches, are having trouble concentrating and are tired all the time.”

website

Show Me Some Skin!Beaufort Memorial’s LifeFit mobile wellness van offers free skin cancer screenings. For a schedule of upcoming visits, go to bmhsc.org.

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FIREWORKS FACTS

98%

2,000

11.4K

The percentage of fi reworks-

related injuries that occur in

settings other than public, professional

displays

The temperature,

in degrees Fahrenheit, that a sparkler can burn—making it as hot as a blowtorch

The number of fi reworks-

related injuries in 2013, an increase of

31 percent from the previous

year

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAINKing Tut didn’t have Pizza Hut, but he might have had clogged arteries.

By using CT scans on mum-mies, researchers have found evidence of atherosclerosis among ancient Egyptians and other groups from Peru, the Aleutian Islands and the American Southwest.

In fact, the researchers, whose study was published in the jour-nal Global Heart, found that more than a third of 76 Egyptian mummies had clogged arteries, with similar percentages across the other ancient cultures.

And all this without fast food and desk jobs. So does this mean the modern-day man can trade the treadmill for TV? Not so fast.

Genes account for some of our heart disease risk, but envi-ronmental and lifestyle factors are also at play. To take care of your ticker, modern-day advice about eating right and exercising still holds true.

31 percent from the previous

year

BAD BREWAs if hot fl ashes, night sweats and funky moods aren’t punishing enough, a recent study suggests that meno-pausal women might be wise to give up coff ee and soda.

The study, published in the journal Menopause, found that caff eine intake appears to aggravate hot fl ashes and night sweats.

Other top tips for easing or coping with meno-pausal symptoms:3Maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly.3Limit spicy foods and alcohol, and eliminate smoking.3Try meditative techniques.3Sleep with moisture-control bedding.3 Talk with your physician about hormone therapy and

natural remedies, such as black cohosh or ginseng.

If you’re experi-encing menopause, you may want to go light on the coff ee.

TRUE OR FALSE Car windows can allow sun damage to your skin.

TRUE. While sunburns are uncommon (most car windows block UVB rays, the cause of sunburns), UVA rays can pen-etrate glass and harm your skin.

Researchers at the St. Louis University School of Medicine found that more-frequent drivers were more likely to have skin cancer on the left side of their bod-ies and faces. In patients with malignant melanoma, 74 percent of tumors were on the left side com-pared with 26 percent on the right. Yet another reason to wear sunscreen every day.

SUMMER 2015 35

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Workouts that Work: Swimmingpeople report enjoying water-based exercise more than workouts on land. but is swimming a good workout? you bet.

swimming helps:3The joinTs. swimming improves joint use and decreases pain

from osteoarthritis.3The bones. a water-based exercise program can improve or

maintain bone health, a study of postmenopausal women shows.3The mind. in fibromyalgia patients, swimming has been shown

to decrease anxiety.

website

Swimming on Dry Landno access to water? no problem. find swimming-inspired workouts that simulate water-based movements with sta-bility balls and exercises. visit acefitness.org and search “workout Library.”

Get a Leg Upsummer vacations often mean long plane rides or road trips. and some-times, our bodies just won’t stand for all that sitting.

in fact, travelers older than 40 who also have other risk factors—such as obesity, a recent surgery, or use of contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy—are at higher risk for travel-associated blood clots. a clot can be deadly if it travels to the lungs.

to protect yourself during a trip, move your legs frequently and exercise your calf muscles. recognize symptoms such as swell-ing, pain and redness. if a clot is causing a blockage in the lungs, you may have difficulty breathing, an irregular heartbeat, chest pain and lightheadedness.

Another reason to take a dip this summer:

Swimming benefits the body and mind.

Summer 201536

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REFRIGERATOR RESCUEWhen a storm knocks out the juice to your refrigerator, how long will the food keep?

Four hours for the fridge (and 48 hours for a full freezer) during a power outage is the rule of thumb, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Remember these other tips:3Keep the refrigerator door closed.3 Never taste food to determine

its safety.3 Trash any meat, poultry, fi sh, eggs or

leftovers that have been stored above 40 degrees for more than two hours.3 If a big storm is coming, freeze containers of

water to help keep food cold in the freezer, group food together in the freezer, and have ice-fi lled coolers on standby.

COMORBIDITY sounds so, well, morbid—like a horror fl ick co-starring Freddy and Jason. In reality, this term simply refers to two or more chronic diseases that occur together.

JARGON WATCH

New estimates show that two in fi ve Americans

will develop type 2 diabetes. People who

are overweight and inactive are more likely

to get type 2 diabetes. In fact, doctors have coined

the term “diabesity” to refl ect the link between

the diabetes and obesity epidemics.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS

of developing diabetes?

ASPIRIN’S DOUBLE DUTYIf your doctor has recommended daily low-dose aspirin, you already know that aspirin may protect the heart by prevent-ing the formation of blood clots.

A recent study suggests that everyday aspirin use may also protect against colon, stomach and esophageal cancers. Aspirin is known to reduce platelets in the blood, which are believed to distribute cancer cells in the body.

But don’t pop the pills without consulting your doctor. Daily aspirin use has side eff ects including increased risk for stomach bleeding, especially if used in conjunction with alcohol.

SUMMER 2015 37

The TruTh By Jennifer Smith richardS

The TruTh AbouT

GermsCan we avoid getting sick?

Are all germs bad? The (sometimes icky) low-down

We explain the facts about our germy, germy world.

You are covered in germs. That pen? Germy. The door-knob? Eww. Everything’s

covered in germs, tiny organisms we can’t see that can (and will) make us sick. It’s tempting to give in to this advice: Don’t touch anything. That’s not practical, of course. Best to brush up on your germ IQ instead.

True or false:Hand sanitizer is just as good as washing with soap and water.

False (For tHe most part). “Good old-fashioned soap and water is better” as long as you’re not a wimpy washer, says Stanley Maloy, PhD, a fellow of the American Society for Microbiology. “Sometimes when people wash, they do it for five seconds.”

That’s not good enough. What makes soap-and-water washing effective is that it’s a mechanical process—you’re actu-ally rubbing germs off of your hands. So spend a little time on your scrub to make sure you’re getting clean.

In the absence of soap and water, experts say an alcohol-based hand sani-tizer is better than nothing.

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Summer 201538

True or false:You get more viruses in the winter.

True, maYbe. While it’s a myth that you’ll catch a cold if you forget your hat (sorry, Mom), it’s true that viruses survive better in colder weather.

We help them spread because we spend more time inside together, sharing space. Indoor heat wicks moisture from our noses, making us more susceptible. “The circumstances are better to trans-mit the infection,” says Philip M. Tierno, PhD, a microbiologist and the author of The Secret Life of Germs.

True or false:Germs and viruses thrive in people, not on objects.

False. The viruses that cause colds and other illnesses can survive for hours on a doorknob or an elevator button.

“If somebody coughs into their hand and gets mucus on their hands, that pro-tects the virus,” Tierno explains.

That person touches an elevator but-ton, which becomes the recipient of a rhinovirus (common cold) or coronavi-rus (respiratory illness). Then you come along and touch it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza can live on hard surfaces—books, coffee pots, ATMs—from two to eight hours. And it takes chemical germicides that include chlorine, iodine or alcohol to wipe them out.

“It’s very important to wash your hands—you’ve touched an awful lot. And you should not touch your eyes, mouth or nose,” Tierno says. Those direct portals to your body are the way most viruses enter.

True or false:a dog’s mouth is cleaner than his owner’s.

False. Of course, it depends on the person and the dog. But dogs are willing to eat gross things that humans are not, like feces.

That generally makes your pooch’s mouth dirtier than yours, though Maloy offers a caveat: If someone has gum dis-ease, his or her mouth might be harbor-ing just as much problematic bacteria. Bottom line, though: No need to share mutt-to-mouth kisses.

True or false:all germs are bad.

False. “They are really important. Without bacteria, we would be very, very sick,” Maloy says.

Our bodies need exposure to germs and bacteria to build strong immune sys-tems. In the absence of everyday germs, our bodies wouldn’t be trained to fight when they need to. n

Summer 2015 39

The GermiesT PlacesYou walk into a restaurant and head straight to the bathroom to wash your hands. Think you’ve got germs beat?

Even if you were careful not to touch the door handle, you’re about to pick up a menu that may have been handled by hundreds of people before you.

“If you took a culture of the menu, you’d find it loaded with germs,” says Vicki Allen, Beaufort Memorial’s infection control coordinator. “It’s best to wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer right before you eat.”

Allen says she carries hand sanitizer in her purse and always has some read-ily available in her car.

“I use it every time I get back in my car after pumping gas,” she says. “The handles of car pumps are one of the nastiest things out there.”

You’ll want to squirt and rub after going through a drive-thru, too. Handling money also exposes you to a world of germs.

“You can’t go crazy,” Allen says. “You just need to be prepared when you’re in public places.”

VIDEO

Rub-a-Dub-DubKeeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick. Go to youtube.com/watch?v=wJ9pP0x4J8o to watch a video on how to properly wash your hands.

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HOW TO

STOP A HEADACHEFive steps to get your head back in the game

HOW TO BY SHELLEY FLANNERY

STEP 1:Take meds.This is the fi rst step, because medication takes about 30 min-utes to start working.

“Start medication early, before the headache gets too bad,” says Jennifer L. Frost, MD, the medical director of the Health of the Public and Science division for the American Academy of Family Physicians. “Try acetaminophen or ibupro-fen. You can even take them together [while noting the dos-ages] for really bad headaches.”

But don’t rely too heavily on painkillers, Golden says. “Some people actually get headaches from the overuse of certain medications, particularly those that contain caff eine.”

STEP 2:Drink water.Dehydration is a common cause of headaches. And while drinking a glass of water won’t relieve your current head-ache, it will help shorten its life span and stop other eff ects of dehydration, such as dizziness and constipation.

“It’s not while you have your headache that you should start drinking water,” Golden says. “You should be drinking it routinely.”

STEP 3:Apply a cool compress.During a headache, blood vessels in your head dilate. Applying a cool compress to your forehead can help them contract, and therefore stop the throbbing.

There’s also something to be said for applying heat.

“A hot compress on the neck and a cold compress on the forehead can do wonders,” Golden says. “Something else to try is putting your feet in warm water, which redistrib-utes blood from the head and stops the headache.”

Headaches always seem to strike at the worst possible moments—when you had a tough day at work, you’re running late to pick up the kids and you need to get dinner on the table. They’re like the

dried icing on a bad cake that is your day. And almost all of us get them.Nearly 90 percent of Americans get headaches from time to time, says

Angela Golden, a family nurse practitioner and the immediate past president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. “The good news is that the vast majority are nothing to worry about.”

Of course, that doesn’t make you feel any better when your head is pounding. But these fi ve steps can.

SUMMER 201540

Most headaches resolve on their own and are nothing to worry about. Call your doctor if your headache worsens or does not improve with treatment.

“If you notice anything like weakness, nausea or slurred speech, or it’s the worst head-ache of your life, you should defi nitely see a physician right away,” Frost says. Don’t take any chances; call 911. �

STEP 4:Lie down.Rest in a cool, dark, quiet room.

“If you have any kind of light sensitivity—and it’s not just migraine headaches that cause light sensitivity—lying in a dark room can help,” Golden says.

If you’re able to nod off , all the better. Some head-aches are brought on by sleep deprivation.

“If you don’t get good, restful sleep, that can very easily cause a headache,” Golden says.

STEP 5: Breathe deeply.The majority of headaches are tension headaches, and the most common cause is stress. So the key to ridding yourself of the pounding is reducing your stress.

Try a simple relaxation exercise, such as deep breathing. Take a deep breath in, hold for a count of four, release and hold for another count of four. Repeat as many times as necessary.

SUMMER 2015 41

Prevent Future HeadacHesYou now know how to stop a head-ache, but how can you prevent future ones? Charles Shissias, MD, a Beaufort Memorial neurologist specializing in headaches, offers these tips:3Slow Down. “People are living

at a faster pace than ever,” he says. “They’re doing too much and running themselves into the ground.”3Get Your ZZZs. “You may not

be getting good-quality sleep because of obstructive sleep apnea caused by weight gain,” Shissias says. “If you have mechanical problems with how you sleep, your sleep won’t be refreshing.”3 IDentIfY Your

envIronmental trIGGerS. “Certain foods, like chocolate or pea-nuts, can set you off,” he says. “Or it could be perfumes or scented candles. For some people, cheap Champagne or red wine can cause them to have headaches.”

website

Stress RelieverStress is the most common headache trigger. While you may not be able to get rid of the source of your tension, there are things you can do to combat stress. Go to bmhsc.org/stresstalking and learn a three-step approach to reducing stress.

Did you apply sunscreen? Good! Do it again in a couple of hours.

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QUIZ by EllEn Ranta OlsOn

summer is a time for taking it easy. but warm-weather activities can leave you vulnerable to unique ailments,

and it’s especially hard to chill out when you’re freaking out about your health. We asked Jack chou, MD, a member of the board of directors at the american academy of Family physicians, to help us navigate some of the most common seasonal health concerns. summertime sadness? No way. More like summertime radness.

Freak Out Or Chill Out?Test your health knowledge with these five summer situations

Summer 201542

Q after a day at the beach, your skin is red, itchy and blistering. you applied sunblock before head-

ing outside and spent time under an umbrella, so what gives?IS IT: A sunburn or solar urticaria?

SUNBURN. the signs of solar urticaria (an allergy to the sun) can be similar to a sunburn, but you’d notice them imme-diately upon sun exposure, chou says. “While a sunburn can result in blistering of the skin, an allergic reaction would look more like a rash—raised, itchy bumps that appear when you’re out in the sun.” Vigilance is key when it comes to preventing sunburns. Remember to reapply sunscreen every couple of hours and spend as much time in the shade as possible.

Q you go off the beaten path for a relaxing walk in the woods, only to spend the evening scratching your

calf, where you now have a line of itchy, red welts.IS IT: Bug bites or poison ivy?

POISON IVY. poison ivy (also known as poison oak) is caused by an allergic reaction to the resin of the plant, so the welts tend to appear in a linear pat-tern. “chances are, if you have that one line of resin on your skin, you have it on your clothes too, so be sure to wash anything you were wearing in hot, soapy water, or you’ll just spread the problem,” chou says.

Q after months of planning, saving and daydreaming, you finally get to take that tropical vacation but end

up spending the first three days in the bathroom instead of on the beach.IS IT: Norovirus or food poisoning?

NOROVIRUS. More commonly known as the stomach flu, norovirus is an extremely contagious virus that can cause quick-onset diarrhea and vomit-ing that lasts about three days, chou says. It’s more common while traveling because you tend to come in contact with more people (and their germs). “Food poisoning has similar symp-toms but is shorter in duration,” chou says. “to avoid both, always practice proper hand-washing as well as food safety practices.”

Q you’ve set out on a high-elevation mountain hike, but halfway up, you begin to feel dizzy, tired and as if

you can’t catch your breath, even when you take a break.IS IT: Altitude sickness or being out of shape?

ALTITUDE SICKNESS. “the best way to tell if you’re dealing with altitude sick-ness is to sit down for a few minutes,”

chou says. “If you still feel like you can’t catch your breath, it’s probably the altitude.” other telltale signs include headaches, anxiety and nausea. “the only way to feel better is to head down toward sea level,” he says. to avoid alti-tude sickness, acclimate to the higher elevation for a day or two before exer-cising, and stay well hydrated.

Q the midday temps are creeping up into the 90s, but you decide to go for a lunchtime run anyway. While

pounding the pavement, you begin to feel thirsty, weak and dizzy, and you’re sweating like a madman.IS IT: Heatstroke or dehydration?

DEHYDRATION. When you first notice these symptoms of dehydration, it’s time to head home. “heat exhaustion is really another layer on top of dehydra-tion, so if you notice the first, you need to take action to avoid the next,” chou says. try to get out of the heat, or at least into some shade, and drink plenty of fluids. and next time, think of taking a morning run. n

website

Stay Safe This SummerThe National Safety Council has a variety of tips to help you and your family have a safe and fun summer. Visit bit.ly/1vZJsGQ for tips about water safety, fireworks and more.

Summer 2015 43

AT A GLANCE

WEBSITE

A Sooner Surgical RecoveryThe Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons off ers a website for patients considering minimally invasive surgery. For information about procedures including bariatric surgery, hernia repair, gallbladder removal and more, visit getwellsooner.org.

1

2

3

4

SIZING UP MISWith minimally invasive surgery, incisions that used to span several inches are now as small as a dime. The techniques have

revolutionized dozens of surgeries, reducing scars and hospital stays by as much as half and leading to a faster, less painful recovery.

More than 20 million Americans have had minimally invasive surgery (MIS), which involves using miniature tools and cameras. Although MIS is not suitable for all patients, here’s a look at what it can off er to many people.

1Spine surgery

What it is: Procedures include discectomy (removal of the dam-aged portion of a herniated disk) and lumbar fusion, which involves the fusing of painful vertebrae to relieve back conditions.

MIS benefi ts: “Open” surgery involves mov-ing muscles to see the spine, which can result in pain and tissue dam-age. With MIS, the sur-geon uses X-ray images and a microscope to maneuver a tool that serves as a passageway to the spinal column.

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2Heart bypass

surgeryWhat it is: Used when a coronary artery is blocked, the surgery creates a new path for blood and oxygen to reach the heart.MIS benefi ts: In tradi-tional coronary bypass surgery, the heart is stopped while a heart-lung machine keeps blood circulating dur-ing surgery. The heart keeps beating during the minimally inva-sive procedure, which allows for less pain, bleeding and potential for infection.

3Radical prostatectomyWhat it is: The prostate gland and surrounding tissues are removed to treat prostate cancer.MIS benefi ts: With the minimally invasive approach, patients expe-rience fewer complica-tions and less need for a blood transfusion dur-ing surgery.

4Total hip replacementWhat it is: The hip joint is replaced with an implant to improve mobility and relieve pain.MIS benefi ts: Fewer muscles are cut when the damaged bone is removed, leading to less pain and a faster recovery. �

DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL For most surgeries, minimally invasive procedures reduce the time spent recovering in a hospital.

SPINE SURGERY (LUMBAR FUSION): 2–3 vs. 5–7 days

HEART BYPASS SURGERY: 3 vs. 5–6 days

RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY: 2 vs. 3 days

TOTAL HIP REPLACEMENT: 1–4 days either way

1 2 3 4SPINE

SURGERYHEARTBYPASS

SURGERY

RADICALPROSTATE-

CTOMY

TOTALHIP

REPLACE-MENT

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2

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4

INCISION LENGTHSScar lengths are reduced by as much as half with minimally invasive surgery.

1 Spine surgery: Can be less than 2.5 cm for MIS discectomy compared with 12.7 to 15.2 cm for traditional surgery.

2 Heart bypass surgery: 7.6 cm compared with 15.2 to 20.3 cm for traditional surgery.

3 Radical prostatectomy: MIS involves multiple incisions the size of a dime compared with a 20.3- to 25.4-cm incision for traditional surgery.

4 Total hip replacement: 7.6 to 15.2 cm (or two smaller incisions) com-pared with 25.4 to 30.4 cm for traditional surgery.

SUMMER 2015 45

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THREE WAYS TO PREPARE

TOMATOESWith these suggestions for serving tomatoes, you’ll never be stumped on what to do with a bumper crop of summer beauties

IN THE MARKET BY LEXI DWYER

You could say the lush, lovely tomato has a bit of an identity crisis: Though it acts like a vegetable in soups and salads, botanists say its seed-fi lled interior makes it undoubtedly a fruit. What’s not debatable is the tomato’s numerous health benefi ts.

“Tomatoes are rich in vitamins A and C as well as potassium and the antioxidant lycopene, which is thought to lower your risk of prostate, lung and stomach cancers,” says registered dietitian Alissa Rumsey, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

At the supermarket, be sure to get the freshest tomatoes possible by avoiding ones with crispy vines and stems, pale pink coloring or bruising. Then give a squeeze—the fruit should be fi rm or yield to touch only slightly. Finally, do the stroke test: Run your fi nger along the skin and if it wrinkles, move on. Once you’ve stocked up, try these three tasty tomato preparations:

1TURN THEM INTO SALSA

Jarred salsas are often loaded with sodium and other additives. Making your own from scratch is so easy that you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff . The basic technique: Roughly chop tomatoes and red onion and toss with salt, pepper, cilantro and lime juice. For a creamy, guacamole-like texture, stir in diced avocado.

2ROAST THEMPreheat the oven

to 350 F and line a bak-ing sheet with parchment paper. Place halved, seeded tomatoes cut side up on the sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about an hour or until slightly charred and tender. Freeze extra portions for soups, stews and pasta dishes.

3QUICK-PICKLE THEMThis method works

especially well for cherry tomatoes. First, you’ll need a brine recipe, which entails boiling water, vin-egar, sugar, salt and sea-sonings. While the brine cooks, fi ll a mason jar with tomatoes (poke holes in each to let liquid in) and top with fresh dill. After the brine cools, transfer it to the jar and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. �

SUMMER 201546

APP

Tomato TroubleshooterWith nearly 500 photos, Purdue University’s Tomato Doctor app, available through iTunes and Google Play, helps garden-ers figure out what’s (literally) bugging their plants. You can search by plant part or suspected causes such as diseases, insects and environmental factors.

TomaTo Types:

A Buying guideGlobeAlso called beefsteak or slicing tomatoes, these large, round red varieties can weigh as much as 2 pounds. Since they’re sturdy and have a meaty texture, they work well in sandwiches.

PlumAlso known as Romas, these hearty types have the most flesh and the fewest seeds, so they’ll make fresh pasta sauces thicken up beautifully.

GraPeThese sturdy little poppers are smaller versions of plum tomatoes and are a pop-ular choice for salads. Because they have a fairly long shelf life, supermarkets tend to import them during the cooler months.

CherrySome shoppers confuse the similarly sized cherry and grape tomato. But the more delicate cherry tomatoes are usu-ally sweeter with a more distinctive flavor. They’re ideal for dishes in which you want the tomato to shine (like in a simple salad or on a crudité platter).

Summer 2015 47

HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS

Sources: American Heart Association, The Heart Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Heart Federation, American College of Cardiology

83.6 MILLION The number of Americans who have one or more types of heart disease.

1 in 3About 33% of

American adults have high blood pressure,

a major risk factor for heart disease. 31%

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HEARTBREAKING FIGURES

90 SECONDSEvery 1½ minutes,

someone in the U.S. dies from heart

disease.

49%Nearly half of

African-American women have some form of cardiovas-

cular disease, as do 44% of African-

American men.

More than one-third of Americans are obese,

a top risk factor for heart disease. Additionally, a third of Americans are overweight but not obese.

47%Nearly half of

Americans have at least one of these three risk factors for cardiovascu-lar disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol

or smoking.

RISK FACTORS

20% of deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are related to cigarette smoking.

A diet high in saturated fat is to blame for almost a third of coronary heart disease cases.

SUMMER 201548

Why Aren’t Women Wising Up to Heart Disease?More women than men have died from heart disease every year since 1984. Yet only one woman in five believes it to be her greatest health threat. So why do women continue to overlook heart disease?

“In the past, all the research was done on older men,” says BMH cardiologist Stuart Smalheiser, MD. “But it’s not just a man’s disease; more women die of heart disease than anything else.”

While women typically are faster to visit a doctor than men if they have an ailment, data shows they are slower to seek medi-cal attention when they experience heart attack symptoms.

“They arrive at the ER later in the pro-cess than men,” Smalheiser says. “It could

be that they don’t pick up the warning signs when they have an event because they have more atypical symptoms.”

Rather than severe chest pain, women are more likely to experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and nausea.

On the plus side, women are more aggressive about preventive care.

“Whether you’re a man or a woman, you have to do the same things to reduce your risk of heart disease,” Smalheiser says. “That includes controlling your diet, exercising, reducing stress and working on risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Once you have heart disease, those lifestyle changes are even more important to prevent a recurrent event.”

CALL

Check It OutVascular disease causes almost as much disabil-ity and death as heart disease. Want to know if you’re at risk? Beaufort Memorial’s LifeFit Wellness Services offers a $60 pack-age of three simple tests that check for blocked or narrowed arteries. To schedule a screening, call 843-522-5635.

Recognizing the symptoms of stroke and getting quick medical attention at Beaufort Memorial Hospital saved Sherline Holmes from serious, long-term disability

S herline Holmes didn’t think much of it when she developed a headache driv-ing along SC 170 with her

husband last fall. Then her eyesight became blurry. Not one to worry, she chalked it up to being tired.

It wasn’t until both her hands turned numb that she realized something was wrong.

“My fingers didn’t look good,” the 61-year-old Beaufort resident recalls. “They were stiff and curled up. I couldn’t grip anything.”

Holmes was suddenly overcome with a feeling of déjà vu. She had experienced the same symptoms two years earlier when she had her first stroke. >

LuckofA Stroke

SUMMER 2015 49

“My husband turned the car around and we went straight to the hospi-tal,” Holmes says. “They told me I was really lucky that I had gotten there so quickly.”

Most strokes are caused by a blood clot in the brain. If blood flow is blocked for longer than a few seconds, brain cells can die, causing lasting damage.

“Time is so important with a stroke,” Beaufort Memorial Hospital Stroke Coordinator Sheri O’Brien says. “The faster you can get diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome.”

According to treatment guidelines, clot-busting medication needs to be started within three to four and a half hours of the onset of symptoms to be effective. A study published last year in the journal Stroke showed that for every

minute earlier stroke survivors received medication, they gained on average nearly two more days of healthy life.

Rapid Response Saves LivesAs soon as Holmes arrived at the BMH Emergency Department, she was hooked up to a telemedicine cart that allows Beaufort physicians to consult with neu-rologists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston.

BMH has partnered with MUSC to provide rapid evaluation and treat-ment to stroke patients through a Web-based initiative called REACH, or Remote Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke. The telemedicine program offers participating hos-pitals immediate, round-the-clock access to MUSC stroke care experts who can provide urgent consultations by virtually examining patients and brain-imaging studies.

By the time Holmes was discharged from the hospital

five days later, she had virtually no deficits. To remain

healthy, she now takes a number of medications,

including blood pressure-lowering drugs and a statin.

Fast friends, Sherline Holmes and her 3-year-old granddaughter, Maggie, love spending time together.

SUMMER 201550

The 411 on STrokeEach year, nearly 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke. The good news: 80 percent of strokes are preventable.

The key to avoiding a stroke is managing your risk factors, including high blood pressure, cigarette smok-ing, atrial fibrillation and physical inactivity. Of all the risks, hyperten-sion is the one most important to control, according to the American Stroke Association. More than half of strokes are caused by uncon-trolled high blood pressure.

1 Stop smoking. Lighting up makes just about all your other stroke risks worse.

2 Lose weight. Your doc-tor can tell you your healthy weight.

3 Drink less alcohol. Consume no more than two drinks a day for a man, one for a woman.

4 Eat less salt. Limit sodium to 2,300 mg per day, and no more than 1,500 mg if you’re

52 or older, are African-American or have diabetes or kidney disease.

5 Improve your diet. Eat less sugar and red meat and more vegetables, fruits, whole

grains, fish, poultry, beans, seeds and nuts.

6 Exercise. Walk every day or find some kind of physical activity you enjoy.

CALL

Get a Vascular CheckupBeaufort Memorial Hospital offers inexpensive testing that can alert you to potential problems with your arteries, reducing your chances of having a stroke. The vascular screening package includes Ankle Brachial Index, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Ultrasound and Carotid Ultrasound. Cost for the screening is $60. For more information, call 843-522-5635.

“We have three great neurologists in Beaufort, but it’s difficult for them to be available immediately in our Emergency Department 24/7,” O’Brien says. “With the telemedicine cart, we can reach a MUSC neurologist in 10 minutes.”

Beaufort Memorial’s ER typically han-dles 200 to 250 stroke cases a year. In the first four months of the program, emer-gency room physicians used the telemed-icine cart 24 times.

After evaluating her condition, a MUSC physician confirmed Holmes was having an ischemic stroke. About 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic, caused when a blood vessel to the brain is blocked by a clot.

Holmes was immediately given tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) through an IV in her arm. The only FDA-approved treatment for ischemic strokes, tPA works by dissolving the clot and improv-ing blood flow to the brain.

By the time Holmes was discharged from the hospital five days later, she had virtually no deficits. To remain healthy, she now takes a number of medications, including blood pressure-lowering drugs and a statin.

“Of modifiable stroke risk factors, the most prominent is hypertension,” says BMH neurologist Paul Mazzeo, MD, who treated Holmes after her second stroke. “By controlling that one risk factor, you can have a major effect on the likelihood of having an initial or recurrent stroke.”

Chronic CompanionsStroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. For African-Americans in South Carolina, it weighs in at No. 3, just behind heart disease.

“The two often go hand in hand, because the risk factors are the same,” O’Brien says. “High cholesterol, hyper-tension, diabetes, obesity, poor diet, inac-tivity and family history can cause both heart disease and stroke.”

Holmes is a perfect case in point. In July 2012, she had stents placed in her arteries to treat her coronary heart

disease. Four months later, she had a stroke.The pattern was repeated in 2014. She

had a second percutaneous coronary inter-vention in July after a heart attack. In October, she had another stroke.

“The second time it was worse,” Holmes says. “I was afraid I would have permanent damage. I know so many people who have had strokes who did not recover completely.”

Since her last stroke, Holmes has taken steps to improve her health. She is eat-ing more fruit, salads and fish, and has cut lunch meats from her diet. She swapped fried chicken for baked chicken and ice cream for yogurt.

“I don’t eat a lot of rice and pork anymore and I don’t use salt,” Holmes says. “I made some changes after my first stroke, but after my second, I got really serious about it.”

She also started exercising regularly. Every morning after breakfast, she goes through a series of exercises she learned at physical therapy to strengthen her muscles. Twice a week, she walks with her cane about a quarter-mile.

“There’s been a lot of improvement in the way I feel,” Holmes says. “I don’t get lightheaded and I feel stronger. I’ve even dropped a few pounds.” n

SUMMER 2015 51

Lady’s Island resident Allison Coppage couldn’t be happier with Beaufort Memorial’s OB-GYN practice and her birthing experience at the hospital

Switching physicians midway through pregnancy is a move most women would dread. But Allison Coppage wanted to consider it.

At 20 weeks, Coppage learned Beaufort Memorial Hospital had opened a new OB-GYN practice, offering her the opportunity to deliver her firstborn closer to home than originally planned.

“I wanted to have my child in Beaufort,” says the Lady’s Island resi-dent. “It was important to my hus-band, Ben, and me to be close to home, family and friends. We loved the idea of our baby starting his life in the com-munity that he is going to grow up in

and that will hopefully support him his whole life.”

Never mind that she has a senti-mental connection to BMH. The hos-pital’s Birthing Center is named after her grandfather Earnest Collins, MD, Beaufort County’s first gynecologist. Her father, pathologist Brad Collins, MD, also happens to be the medical director of the hospital’s laboratory.

So when Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists opened its doors last year at Beaufort Medical Plaza, Coppage booked the first appointment for a “meet and greet” with Berniece Redmond, MD, the first physician to join the practice.

“She was so kind, I didn’t hesitate to make the change,” Coppage says.

Within a few months, Drs. Christopher Benson, Gregory Miller and Claude Tolbert were on board. Coppage saw all four doctors during her pregnancy.

“I really liked them,” she says. “They took the time to answer all of the crazy new-mom questions I had. I never felt rushed.”

State-of-the-Art CareThe office staff was equally obliging.

“They did a great job working appoint-ments into my schedule,” says Coppage, who serves as assistant Beaufort County

MoMMy Me&

Allison and Ben Coppage prepped for the arrival of baby Benjamin by enrolling in LifeFit Baby University’s Gift of Motherhood.

SUMMER 201552

attorney. “The appointments never took more than an hour. Having a very busy schedule, that was huge to me.”

During her pregnancy, Coppage needed multiple ultrasounds to monitor the development of her baby. The ultra-sound equipment at the OB-GYN office is capable of creating 3-D images and live video of the baby in the womb.

“It was fun watching the baby in real time,” Coppage recalls. “Ben and I loved having the opportunity to see our baby grow and develop, and we were also reassured that all was well because of the extra precautions the doctors took.”

As the due date approached, the cou-ple took advantage of some of the hos-pital’s other obstetrics services. They took a free tour of the Birthing Center and enrolled in LifeFit Baby University’s Gift of Motherhood, a series of classes covering labor and delivery, newborn care and nursing.

“You concentrate so much on the pregnancy, you forget about what comes afterwards,” Coppage says. “I had no idea what I was getting ready to do. The more I learned, the less scary it became.”

CALL

Baby on the WayTo make an appointment with one of the four physicians at Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists, call 843-522-7820.

Helping new MoMs nurseTo help prepare expectant mothers for nursing, Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists offers two prenatal breastfeeding classes in the final weeks of pregnancy. The classes are taught by BMH International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Pam Ehret, who brings to her new position at the hospital more than 40 years of breastfeeding education experience.

“In the first class, you’ll learn why it’s important to breastfeed your baby,” Ehret says. “The second class will cover how to do it.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby’s life, followed by breastfeeding in combination with solid food until at least 12 months of age.

In addition to teaching the classes, Ehret visits breastfeeding moms during their hospital stay to help with any issues that may arise. She also is available 24/7 on a “warm line.”

“We don’t call it a ‘hot line’ because it doesn’t need to be an emergency to call,” she says. “No question is too small.”

The Birthing Center’s warm line is 843-441-4586.

A Labor of LoveIn the final two weeks of her son’s ges-tation, Coppage began having Braxton Hicks contractions. Miller, who had become her primary OB-GYN, exam-ined Coppage on July 19 and decided to induce labor two days later. Although he wasn’t on call and was performing sur-gery that morning, Miller offered to stay and deliver the baby.

“We checked in first thing in the morning,” Coppage recalls. “The nurses got me settled in, and they couldn’t have been kinder.

“Things moved along slowly at first, but our son decided he was ready to make his entrance into the world more quickly than initially anticipated. However, I was never concerned, because the doc-tor and staff were right there with me the whole time.”

Benjamin Harris arrived at 3 p.m., a healthy 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Eager to get to know their son, the young parents chose room-in care.

“The nurses coached me along through the first couple of feedings,” says Coppage, who opted to nurse her baby for the first six months. “I really appreciated how much support they gave me.”

The new mom raved so much about the care she received, several of her pregnant friends made the switch, too.

“I had such a good experience,” Coppage quips, “I might even do it again.” n

SUMMER 2015 53

MEET PAUL MANNHEIMSteady golfer, steady advocate

You never know what you’re going to fi nd on the golf course. In Paul Mannheim’s

case, it was a nomination to the board of his community hospital in Northampton, Mass.

He confesses that until that “golf course” moment in 1988, he hadn’t thought much about healthcare and not a bit about what goes into running a nonprofi t hospital.

But he accepted the nomination and embarked on a steep learning curve. During his 12 years on the board, he served on so many committees that his wife, Sue, nicknamed him “Mr. Meetings.” He developed a real commitment to the hospital and found satisfying his eff orts on its behalf.

A Continued CallingWhen the couple retired to Dataw in 2000, Mannheim found an outlet for his commitment in his new community hospital: Beaufort Memorial. One of the fi rst things he did after relocating was volunteer to help at the front desk. For 13 years now, he’s spent his Mondays providing hospital visitors with direc-tions, answering phones and wheeling discharged patients from their rooms to waiting cars. Mannheim really enjoys chatting with everyone who comes and goes, helping out wherever he can.

Early on, so devoted was Mannheim in his service to the hospital that he caught

the eye of its CEO, who asked him to help out in other ways. He started with a Valentine Ball Committee, and it wasn’t long before he joined the Foundation Board and was elected its treasurer. He represents the Foundation on the hos-pital’s Strategic Planning Committee as well. “Mr. Meetings” is back in force!

Setting an ExampleThe Mannheims have found other ways to serve and support the hos pital, too. They are members of Beaufort Memorial’s Kate Gleason (legacy) Society, and they’ve long been gener-ous contributors.

“Paul truly ‘walks the walk,’��” according to Foundation Executive Director Alice Moss. “With 15 years of volunteering and 10 years on the Foundation Board to his credit, he has become an important face of Beaufort Memorial. You can feel his passion for doing all he can to help the hospital.”

From his unique vantage point, Mannheim sees many parallels between the two hospitals on whose boards he’s served. Both provide an impressive array of services. Both are nonprofi ts, receiving no state or local support, and both rely heavily on donations from the community to carry out their mission. In addition, both have recently affi li-ated with strong neighboring teaching hospitals in an eff ort to further secure their future (Mannheim was happy to see BMH follow this trend in healthcare by partnering with Charleston’s Medical University of South Carolina).

He constantly seeks opportunities to spread the word about all that Beaufort Memorial is doing and achieving for its community, hoping to inspire others to join him and his wife in supporting the hospital. Mannheim remembers how he himself once took his community hos-pital for granted. It took that chance meeting on the golf course 25 years ago to open his eyes to all that was being accomplished, and especially to all the help that was needed.

Golf, anyone? �

FOUNDATION-BUILDING

“Hospitals are so

important to the

community, so

I like to help out

wherever I can,”

says the dedicated

Foundation Board

member.

SUMMER 201554

MORE ABOUT PAUL

Beaufort County resident since 2000 (part-time resi-dent from 1987 to 2000)

Former high school math-ematics teacher

Retired owner of N&B Express Inc., a trucking company based in South Deerfi eld, Mass.

Avid golfer

Organization and fi nance wizard

Husband to Sue Mannheim for 48 years and counting

Father of two children and grandfather of fi ve

Committed volunteer at St. John’s Lutheran Church (currently fi nan-cial secretary)

Committed volunteer at BMH: “As a retiree, I have to do something besides play golf. Hospitals are so impor-tant to the community, so I like to help out wherever I can.”Paul and Sue Mannheim

SUMMER 2015 55

It’s more common than cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Mental illness

affects one in four people, and two-thirds of those affected will not receive treatment.

In South Carolina, it’s estimated close to 170,000 adults live with serious men-tal illness. Yet the state has reduced the number of inpatient psychiatric beds to 807—down from 5,811 in 1971.

In the last decade, a number of com-munity hospitals all over the state have also closed their mental health units, making it nearly impossible for patients to find the treatment they need.

“We’re very fortunate the hospital board understands the mental health care crisis and has been so supportive of our unit,” says Beaufort Memorial Mental Health Director Susan South.

A Need in the CommunityIn 2005, the BMH Foundation stepped in as well, designating the center as the beneficiary of its annual Valentine Ball. The $247,000 raised from the event was used to upgrade furnishings in the 14-bed facility and to pay for other needed resources. More recently, the Foundation provided the center with a grant to repair the deck of its thera-peutic rooftop garden overlooking the Beaufort River.

But BMH can’t do it alone. Community residential care facilities are needed to provide a continuum of care to those unable to live independently.

“The Beaufort community has a tre-mendous need for local support services that would allow our patients to step down into less intensive care,” South

says. “Homeless shelters or outpatient treatment facilities for people who need help but don’t need institutional care would be vastly better than the street or jail, which unfortunately is where many of these patients end up.”

Address It TogetherDepression is an all-too-common men-tal illness and the greatest risk factor for suicide. But 80 percent of those who seek treatment for depression are treated successfully.

“If we continue to address this issue and coordinate available resources, we can make a positive difference in many lives,” says Karen Carroll, vice president for patient care at Beaufort Memorial.

“Mental illness is a disease like any other,” South says. “It’s a brain dysfunc-tion that needs to be treated.” n

Foundation-Building

An Illness lIke Any OtherAs the rate of mental illness continues to rise, Beaufort Memorial’s mental health center is more important than ever

PHO

TO BY TH

InKSTO

CK

SUMMER 201556

The BMH Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following tribute gifts received from Oct. 16, 2014, to Jan. 15, 2015. To make a tribute gift, please call 843-522-5774 or go to beaufortmemorial.org and click on “Make a Gift.”

TRIBUTESIN HONOR OFMrs. Dana Alderman

Ms. Marianne Mikell

Ms. Sharon AndersonMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Beall

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Patterson

Mrs. Rosemary BlankenMr. and Mrs. Morton

Rollnik

Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group

Mrs. Johnsie A. Nabors

Beaufort Memorial Nursing Staff

Ms. Ginnie Kozak

Beaufort Memorial Rehab Unit

Mr. and Mrs. Jay Goodman

Mrs. Rita BrownMs. Marianne Mikell

Dr. “Skeet” Burris and Family

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Mock

Dr. Karen CarrollMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. Majd ChahinMr. and Mrs. Norman E.

Green

Ms. Carrie ConfareMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. John M. CrisologoMrs. Johnsie A. Nabors

Dr. Mark DeanMr. and Mrs. William C.

Stetson

Dr. F. Carl DerrickMrs. Johnsie A. Nabors

Mr. Sam C. Derrick, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Ms. Norma EdwardsTech Systems, Inc.

Mrs. Barbara FarriorMs. Marianne Mikell

Dr. Kurt M. GamblaMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Ms. Estella Brown GastonMr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

Ms. Alice GastonMr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

Mrs. Tricia HenriksonMs. Marianne Mikell

Mr. David A. HomykMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. Andrea HucksMr. and Mrs. Norman E.

GreenMrs. Helen M. Olesak

Dr. Steven R. Kessel and Staff

Mr. and Mrs. Larry H. Goldman

Keyserling Cancer CenterMr. and Mrs. Joseph

McDermott

Mr. Arthur F. LevinMr. and Mrs. William R.

Carpenter, III

Mrs. Laurie MartinMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Mrs. Ann MecherleMr. and Mrs. James A.

FoulgerMs. Marianne Mikell

Mr. Daniel MockMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Mr. Marion MoodyMr. and Mrs. J. Steven

Phifer

Ms. Alice B. MossMr. and Mrs. James A.

FoulgerMr. and Mrs. Jeff rey L.

White

Mr. Edward RicksMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. Ralph SalzerMr. and Mrs. William C.

Stetson

Mrs. Sharon SandersMs. Marianne Mikell

Mrs. Nancy SchaafMs. Marianne Mikell

Dr. Charles ShissiasMrs. Johnsie A. Nabors

Ms. Trimmell SimmonsMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. Stuart SmalheiserMrs. Johnsie A. Nabors

Dr. Scott StrohmeyerMr. and Mrs. William C.

Stetson

Mrs. Leslie SudaMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Mrs. Melba ThomasMs. Marianne Mikell

Dr. J. Chadwick ToberMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Rick ToomeyMr. and Mrs. James A.

FoulgerMr. and Mrs. J. Steven

Phifer

Mr. Jeff rey L. WhiteMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Dr. Ann Widener GribbMs. Marianne Mikell

Mrs. Carol ZurakowskiMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

IN MEMORY OFColonel Capers Andrews, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Ramond P. Mecherle, Jr.

Mrs. Ruth AtchisonMs. Judy Coxen

Ms. Elinore BarnwellMr. and Mrs. Daniel Mock

Mr. David BrownMr. and Mrs. James A.

Foulger

Ms. Martha BrownMs. Ruthene JamisonMs. Kathy Seeser

Mr. Ronald S. CameronMr. and Mrs. Thomas H.

BrasherMrs. Joyce FoleyMr. and Mrs. Ramond P.

Mecherle, Jr.

Mr. Raymond E. FoleyMrs. Joyce Foley

Mr. William H. FosterMr. and Mrs. Ramond P.

Mecherle, Jr.

Ms. Doris GastonMr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

Ms. Eliza GastonMr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

Mrs. Emily Brown GastonMr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

Mr. August H. GorseMrs. Kay Gorse

Mr. Robert C. GundersonMr. Christopher

Gunderson

Mr. Russell A. HarleyMr. and Mrs. Ramond P.

Mecherle, Jr.

Mr. Cliff ord HarriganMrs. Joyce Foley

Mrs. Sally LeeMr. Charles Lee

Mr. Frank R. McCoy, Jr.Ms. Deborah McCoy

Mr. Frank MirielloMr. and Mrs. Mark

BainbridgeMr. David M. BergMs. Joyce CantisanoMr. and Mrs. Ronald E.

ConverseMr. and Mrs. James A.

FoulgerMr. Peter GeorgeMr. and Mrs. Robert G.

HammerMr. and Mrs. David HirshMr. and Mrs. David KassMs. Shelly LewisMr. and Mrs. Ramond P.

Mecherle, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Jason MeyerMs. Alice B. MossMs. Vera G. MusacchioMr. and Mrs. Robert

PawlishynMs. Karen RiemanMr. and Mrs. Robert A.

SelbyWalgreensMr. and Mrs. Jeff rey L.

WhiteMr. and Mrs. David Yoder

Ms. Riley PearsonMr. and Mrs. Arthur F.

Levin

Mr. Edwin PikeMrs. Mary Jane Pike

Mr. Rodney RohrbaughMr. and Mrs. Monte

Huebsch, Jr.

Mr. Jesse P. SchaudiesMrs. Adele Schaudies

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Beaufort Memorial Hosptial Living Well - Summer 2015