WellLiving

PLUS Amy Schumer makes ’em laugh—especially her dad, who has multiple sclerosis

ways to take good care of yourself and others 68

LoveSHARING THE

BEAUFORTMEMORIAL.ORGSUMMER 2017

NEW KNEES HELP THREE FRIENDS GET BACK IN THE GAME

CHOOSING CANCER CARE CLOSE TO HOME

TIPS TO HELP YOU STOP SMOKING FOR GOOD

MEET TWO OF OUR HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS…OUT OF THE WHITE COAT See page 6.

Beaufort Memorial is the only areahospital to receive the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for hip and knee replacement. We’ve been recognized for our exceptional outcomes and high patient satisfaction. To us, there’s no better feeling than helping our patients get back to the lives they love.

BEAUFORTMEMORIAL.ORG

ANOTHER GOLD STAR.

ContentsSUMMER 2017

52 Home Sweet Home Richard Whitney

found top-notch cancer care close to home at the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center.

FEATURES9 A Labor of Love

Unpaid caregivers play a major role in health-

care in the United States.

10 Laughing for Dad Amy

Schumer’s career as a comedian was shaped by her father’s multiple sclerosis.

14 Giving Care What you need to know to care for

the most important people in your life.

22 An Ounce of Prevention, Just for Her

A guide to the screenings girls and women need, and when to get them.

28 Timing is Everything Know what

steps to take in case of stroke, whether it happened six minutes or six months ago.

49 Joint Venture Three friends undergo total

joint replacement surgery and get back to living it up.

8 Ask the Expert BMH personal trainer David Purser discusses the difference between individual and group training.

Zucchini crackers ... yum! PAGE 46Whether you

have babies in your life or great-grandparents, you’re a caregiver.PAGE 14

COVER PHOTO BY MIKE COPPOLA/GETTY IMAGES; FROZEN YOGURT BY THINKSTOCK

THE BIG STORY

SUMMER 2017 1

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 Opening Thoughts 3 Introductions 4 Collected Wisdom 6 Out of the White Coat 32 The Quick List 33 This Just In 38 The Truth About

Pregnancy After 35 40 How To: Stop Prediabetes 42 Quiz: Freak Out or

Chill Out? 44 At a Glance: Heart Tests 46 In the Market: Zucchini 48 Health by the Numbers:

Mental Health 54 Foundation-Building

Is frozen yogurt healthier than ice cream?PAGE 34

When I arrived at Beaufort Memorial, one of the first and most important tasks the hospital’s board of trustees assigned to me

was the setting of a strategic plan and vision. Strategic planning is something I have developed a true passion for over my career, and something I take great pride in as I work with an organization to craft a vision for itself. It creates an opportunity to work with a team of board members, physicians, community members and staff to chart the organization’s future direction.

Throughout this process at Beaufort Memorial, I could tell that everyone involved was as passionate about the hospital’s future as I am. And it is this passion that I want to focus on here.

Passion is what drives us, motivating us to become our best selves. Passion can also drive an organization to become its best self, and a community to grow and thrive. It is with this passion that we will present our newly developed strategic plan—Vision 20/20—to the community and the people we serve, in hopes that all will share our passion for Beaufort Memorial and for improving community health.

We as healthcare providers cannot do it alone. So now, as we reach out to you, our community stakeholders, and share our plans with you, we ask that you find something you are passionate about and get involved.

Whether it is by donating to the BMH Foundation, by volunteering or by coming to the table with us to hammer out our goals, we look forward to working with you for a better hospital and a better Beaufort.

With best regards,

Russell Baxley, MHAPresident and CEO

OPENING THOUGHTS

A PASSION FOR HEALTHCAREBeaufort Memorial’s strategic plan aims for a better hospital and a better community

Living Well, a subtitle of Vim & Vigor™, Summer 2017, Volume 33, Number 2, is published quarterly by MANIFEST LLC, 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 315, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, 602-395-5850. Vim & Vigor™ is published for the purpose of disseminating health-related information 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 © 2017 by MANIFEST 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™, 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 315, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.

BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

PRESIDENT & CEORussell Baxley, MHA

BMH BOARD OF TRUSTEES Terry Murray, ChairWilliam “Bill” Himmelsbach, Vice ChairDavid Tedder, Secretary/TreasurerAndrea Allen, MS, LMSWKathleen CooperMark Dean, MD David HouseFaith Polkey, MDJames Simmons, MD

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERSNorman Bettle, MD, Chief of StaffHugh Gouldthorpe, Foundation ChairmanBill McBride, Beaufort County Council Representative

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

ManagerPaul Nurnberg, Photographer

PRODUCTIONEDITORIALASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Matt Morgan EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Meredith Heagney SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Gillian ScottASSOCIATE CONTENT EDITOR: Daniel MuellerCOPY DIRECTOR: C.J. Hutchinson

DESIGNASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Tami RodgersART DIRECTORS: Cameron Anhalt, Andrea Heser, Molly

Meisenzahl

PRODUCTIONDIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION: Laura MarloweDIRECTOR OF PREMEDIA: Dane NordineSENIOR PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST:

Sonia Fitzgerald

CIRCULATIONDIRECTOR OF LOGISTICS: Kalifa Konate

CLIENT SERVICESSENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTORS: Dawn Barnes, Mark KatsACCOUNT MANAGERS: Connie McCollom, Marisa Mucci

ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT: Eric GoodstadtSVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – HEALTHCARE:

Gregg Radzely, 212-574-4380CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER: Beth TomkiwVP/CREATIVE: Alejandro Santandrea

Beaufort Memorial Hospital955 Ribaut Road

Beaufort, SC 29902843-522-5200

843-522-5585 – Doctor Referral Service

For address changes or to be removed from the mailing list, please visit mcmurrytmg.com/circulation.

SUMMER 20172

Ken Miller, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerKen Miller brings 20 years of expe-rience as a financial executive in the healthcare field to his new position at Beaufort Memorial. Most recently, he served as CFO for CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial, a Texas network of four facilities with 381 beds and net revenue of $188 million a year.

Earlier in his career, Miller was CFO for a division of RegionalCare Hospital, Paris Regional Medical Center in Texas and the Medical Center of Mesquite in Texas. At Beaufort Memorial, he is respon-sible for managing the finances of the 197-bed hospital with operating revenues of more than $220 million a year.

He earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Tyler and an MHA/MBA from the University of Houston.

Christopher Ketchie, Vice President of Physician Services As head of Beaufort Memorial Physician Partners, Christopher Ketchie oversees 14 medical prac-tices with 45 doctors and more than two dozen advanced practice providers. He held a similar posi-tion with Lancaster Medical Group/Community Health Systems in Pennsylvania prior to taking the VP post at Beaufort Memorial.

Ketchie, who holds a bach-elor’s degree from Appalachian State University and a master’s in healthcare administration from the University of South Carolina, began his 10-year career as a medical ser-vice corps officer in the U.S. Navy. Stationed at the Naval Health Clinic in Great Lakes, Illinois, and later Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he served in var-ious positions, including as assis-tant director for administration for Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and commander/executive officer for the 2D Medical Battalion Charlie Surgical Company.

INTRODUCTIONS

Brian Hoffman, Vice President of Human ResourcesA human resources professional with 20 years’ experience, Brian Hoffman was hired to manage all personnel matters for Beaufort Memorial’s 1,800 employees, including developing plans to meet the growing employee population’s healthcare needs.

Before joining the BMH team, Hoffman served for 11 years as human resources director for Lancaster Regional Medical Center and Heart of Lancaster Medical Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a network of two acute care hospitals and multiple physi-cian practices. Early in his career, he served as a local director of human resources for Manor Care, a long-term care and rehabilita-tion company.

He graduated with a bach-elor’s degree from Shippensburg University and with an MBA from Western Governors University.

INTRODUCING…The newest members of the BMH team

SUMMER 2017 3

COLLECTED WISDOM

Roy Darby keeps his weight down by exercising at LifeFit Wellness Center.

Butt OutReady to put out your last cigarette? Don’t go it alone. Sign up for the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking pro-gram offered by Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Services.

Ranked as one of the most effective pro-grams in the country, the eight-session course has helped hundreds of thousands of smok-ers become smoke-free. With the help of a trained facilitator, you’ll learn how to gain control over your behavior using a step-by-step plan.

In the first three classes, you’ll examine your own patterns of smoking, learn how to handle triggers and urges, and receive train-ing on stress management techniques that can help you get through the quitting process and life after cigarettes.

Along with group support, the program provides you with educational materials and a relaxation CD.

CALL

Do Your Body Good Your body begins to heal within 20 minutes after you have your last cigarette. Don’t delay. Call LifeFit Wellness Services at 843-522-5570 to sign up for the next Freedom From Smoking class.

KEEPING POUNDS OFF After 56 years of smoking, Roy Darby couldn’t wait to toss out his ciga-rettes and finally get rid of the nagging wheeze and cough caused by years of smoking a pack and a half a day.

But he dreaded one of the side effects that often comes with smoking cessation—packing on the pounds. According to the American Cancer Society, people who quit smoking gain about 10 pounds on average.

“I had just lost 15 pounds and didn’t want to gain it all back,” says the retired clinical psychologist and University of South Carolina professor. “I thought if I started exercis-ing more and made some dietary changes, I could maintain my weight.”

Darby took advantage of the free two-month LifeFit Wellness Center membership offered to him as a partici-pant in the Freedom From Smoking program held at Beaufort Memorial.

“It was a real help,” the 71-year-old Grays Hill resident says. “At the end of the two months, I joined LifeFit and now go to the gym five days a week. I feel better now than at any time in my life.”

QUIT FOR GOOD It’s one of the most important things you can do to improve your health—

stop smoking. Kicking the habit isn’t easy, but it could save your life.

SUMMER 20174

TARGET NUMBERS

Sources: CDC and American Lung

Association

PATCH OR PILL?No single smoking cessation pro-gram is right for everyone. But some quit-smoking options are better than others. Here are the most effective aids according to the National Cancer Institute:

COUNSELING PLUS MEDICATION. Combining the two has been shown to offer the best chance of quitting for good.

VARENICLINE (CHANTIX). By blocking nicotine receptors in the brain, this drug can more than double your chances of quitting successfully.

NICOTINE PATCH (NICODERM CQ). Worn on the skin, the patch slowly releases nico-tine, helping to reduce withdrawal symptoms, including cravings, irri-tability and difficulty concentrating.

NICOTINE GUM OR LOZ-ENGE (NICORETTE). Both of these oral options are used as an aid in nicotine replacement therapy. They work by providing low levels of nicotine, lessening the physical symptoms of withdrawal.

NICOTINE INHALER (NICOTROL INHALER). This provides the smoker with adequate amounts of nicotine to reduce the urge to smoke.

THE NASTY EFFECTS OF NICOTINEOne cigarette a day. That’s all it takes to constrict your blood vessels. The culprit is the nicotine contained in cigarettes.

If you already have block-ages in your arteries, smok-ing will worsen the condition and increase your chances of having a stroke, says Beaufort Memorial vascular surgeon Chad Tober, MD.

“Smoking is the No. 1 worst thing you can do when

it comes to vascular disease,” Tober says.

The American Heart Association warns that sig-nificant levels of nicotine can stay in a smoker’s blood for six to eight hours. As the blood vessels narrow, blood pressure rises. Undetected and uncontrolled hyperten-sion or high blood pressure is a risk factor for suffering a heart attack, stroke or premature death.

APPOINTMENTS

The Blood Vessel Expert Smoking harms your heart and blood vessels. Chad Tober, MD, of Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists, treats a broad array of vascular issues. To make an appointment with him in Beaufort or Bluffton, call 843-524-8171.

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16MILLION Number of

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$5.58 Average price of a pack of cigarettes in South Carolina

7,000Chemicals in

cigarette smoke

Getting Over a Love/Hate Relationship with Cigarettes Sandra Eve was 16 when she took her first drag of a cigarette. And that’s all it took. She was hooked.

Over the next 40-plus years, she bounced back and forth between loving the way cigarettes helped her relax and hating what they were doing to her health. She tried everything, including hypnosis, to get over her 10-cigarette-a-day habit, but nothing ever stuck.

“You get caught up in the illusion that you can have just one cigarette and not start smoking again,” says Eve, 67, a local real estate agent. “I once quit for 10 years and in a vulnerable moment, it was over.”

At the urging of a friend, she signed up for the Freedom From Smoking program. In the first few weeks, she used nicotine gum and mints to help ease her cravings.

“I thought I had to quit cold turkey, but the program doesn’t require you to stop smoking on the first day,” she says. “I learned skills to distract myself from taking a cigarette break. And I used prayer to get through it.”

It has been two years since she took the class, and she’s still smoke-free.

Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s Freedom From Smoking program helped Sandra Eve quit a 40-year

smoking habit.

SUMMER 2017 5

Amy Wagner, ANP-BC

It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Amy Wagner a rescue-dog

expert. Over the course of two years, the adult nurse practitioner and her hus-band, Brian, served as foster dog par-ents to 13 Labrador retrievers rescued in the Baltimore-Washington-Northern

Virginia area where they lived. They gave up their labor of love in

2014 for an even more rewarding pur-suit: parenting their own child. Just months after moving back to Beaufort, Wagner became pregnant. She was 43 years old when she delivered Samuel.

“It’s been a real blessing,” Wagner says. “I love being a mom.”

But the pregnancy came with a cost. Wagner, who had battled to lose 60 pounds at the age of 41, gained it all back after giving birth.

“I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life,” she says. “After trying every-thing from fad diets in high school and college to Weight Watchers, I know that if I don’t change my lifestyle, it’s not going to stick.”

This time around, she’s tackling the weight loss 10 pounds at a time. Working full time at Beaufort Memorial Primary Care and being mother to a 3-year-old don’t leave her time to get to the gym, so her husband bought her an Apple Watch.

“It tracks all my movements during the day,” she says. “My goal is to get in 10,000 steps.”

She logs about half of that walking Amber, a Lab-mix rescue dog the couple adopted for their son’s second birthday.

“We take Amber out every night,” Wagner says. “Sometimes Samuel will hold the leash, but it’s more like the dog is walking him.”

When they can get away, the Wagners like to head to the Smoky Mountains for hiking and wine-tasting.

“The dog always travels with us,” Wagner says. “We’re teaching our son to love animals.”

OUT OF THE WHITE COAT

CALL

Amy Wagner is a board-certified adult nurse practitio-ner with Beaufort Memorial Primary Care. She can be reached at 843-522-7600.

Amy Wagner walks her dog, Amber.

THE NEXT CHAPTERHealthcare practitioners welcome life’s changes while working to stay healthy and fit

SUMMER 20176

Brandon McElroy, MD

As the head cook and chief menu planner in his household,

Brandon McElroy, MD, ends most of his evenings browsing the internet for recipes.

“Before I go to bed, I go online to find something I can make for dinner,” says McElroy, an internist at Beaufort Memorial Lady’s Island Internal Medicine. “The next day after work, I’ll stop by the Publix around the corner from the clinic and pick up what I need to cook it. I like buying fresh vegetables the night I’m going to use them.”

While he enjoys trying new recipes, every so often he’ll plan the night’s fare on the fly, falling back on go-to favorites like roast chicken.

“I have several variations I like to make,” he says. “I start out following a recipe and then tinker with it.”

The beneficiaries of his culinary talents are his fiancé, Matt, a Marine stationed in Beaufort, and Matt’s 15-year-old brother, James. The family unit also includes two cats—Chester and Boots—and Tristan, a four-year-old mutt with an affinity for car rides.

Originally from Tennessee, McElroy moved to Bluffton last summer after completing his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. These days, he and Matt are busy planning their fall wedding at the Mackey House at Redgate Plantation in Savannah.

“My sister is helping us, but she’s in Atlanta, so Matt and I are doing most of the work,” McElroy says.

Arranging all the details of their nup-tials has been tough to squeeze into his busy schedule. A 90-minute round-trip

commute to Lady’s Island, work at the primary care practice and exercis-ing at the gym consume most of his weekday hours.

“When I get home, I like to play video games,” McElroy says. “It’s a relaxing thing to do at the end of the day.”

On weekends, he enjoys spending time in the pool, walking Tristan on a greenway near his house and competing in the occasional mud run.

“I hate running,” he says, “but I enjoy the event and the party afterward.” n

CALL

Brandon McElroy, MD, is a board-certified internist with Beaufort Memorial Lady’s Island Internal Medicine in Beaufort. He can be reached at 843-522-7240.

Brandon McElroy, MD, in training for a mud run.

SUMMER 2017 7

ASK THE EXPERT

Personal trainer David Purser

Q I want to get in shape. Am I better off working with a personal trainer or joining a

group fitness program like Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center’s Body Makeover?It depends on what you’re looking to accomplish. Body Makeover is designed to improve your overall wellness by developing lifelong healthy habits that include exercise and nutrition. If you have a specific goal, like preparing for a race or recovering from an injury, a personal trainer can help you develop an exercise strategy to achieve it.

Q What kind of training do personal and group trainers receive?

The wellness coaches at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center have

at least a bachelor’s degree in a fitness- or health-related field. They are quali-fied to teach you effective, scientifically proven exercises to burn fat and build lean, strong muscles. Learning proper form is important to prevent injuries and maximize your training sessions.

Q I can’t seem to stick to an exercise routine. Will it be easier for me to stay

on track if I work with a training professional? Motivation is the most common reason people join Body Makeover or enlist the help of a personal trainer. Studies have shown 90 percent of people who start exercising to lose weight or get fit burn out within six months. Personal and group training offers accountability, improving your chance of success.

With Body Makeover, you work out with the same group of four or five people under the direction of a well-ness coach. To make it fun, participants compete individually and as a group for prizes that are awarded at the end of the 12-week program.

A personal trainer keeps you engaged and challenged by varying your workouts and encouraging you to push harder to get the most out of your fitness routine.

Q Can I arrange my workouts to suit my schedule?Body Makeover exercise ses-

sions are set at the start of the 12-week program so everyone in the group knows what day and time the group will meet each week. A personal trainer is more flexible and can adjust your workout schedule should you need to change it. n

CALL

Get StartedDavid Purser is a personal trainer and Body Makeover wellness coach at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center. He can be reached at 843-522-5635.

ONE-ON-ONE OR ALL FOR ONEWhether you enjoy the camaraderie of working out with a group or the individual attention of a personal trainer, you’re more likely to meet your fitness goals with the help of a professional, says personal trainer David Purser.

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Caregivers: What would we do

without them?

Issue

TheCaregiving

A LABOR OF LOVEA look at caregiving in the United States

About 43.5 million people provide unpaid care to an adult or a child each year.

Caregivers spend an average of 24.4 hours a week providing care, though nearly 1 in 4 caregivers reports spending 41 hours or more each week providing care.

Caregiving most often takes place between women. At least 60 percent of caregivers are women, and 65 percent of care recipients are women.

About 15.9 million people cared for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia in 2015. The estimated economic value of that care is $221.3 billion.

The average age of a care recipient is 69.4, and the average age of a caregiver is 49.2. Nearly 1 in 10 caregivers is 75 or older.

Sources: Caregiving in the U.S. (2015), AARP Public Policy Institute and the National Alliance for Caregiving; Alzheimer’s Association

Whether you’re helping someone manage an illness or just trying to keep your family healthy, turn the page to learn more about taking care of others—and yourself.

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When Amy Schumer stands on stage, cracking jokes about her love life or party-girl

past, she has an unlikely source of inspiration: her father.

Gordon Schumer was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was just 12, and the onset of the neuro-logical disease changed the course of the young Schumer’s life. But it also gave her a resiliency that’s led the now 35-year-old to go deep and dark with her comedy, both on stage and on her Peabody Award-winning television

show, Inside Amy Schumer. She’s also the star, alongside Goldie Hawn, of the new mother-daughter comedy Snatched.

Comedy is a coping device, for both Schumer and her dad, who now lives in an assisted living facility.

“It’s the most painful thing in the world to just watch this person that you love ultimately just digress and kind of decompose,” she told NPR’s Morning Edition. “And it’s too heavy. And you have to find a way to laugh at it.”

WHAT IS MS? Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the immune system in which the body

Caring for a parent with multiple sclerosis helped Amy Schumer become the funnywoman she is today BY ALLISON MANNING

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1 Her second cousin once removed is U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York. The pair have worked together to call for stronger background checks for gun buyers.

2 Schumer’s sister, Kim Caramele, works as a writer and producer on Inside Amy Schumer.

3 Her brother, Jason Stein, is a jazz musician who has opened for her on the road.

4 She has a lower back tattoo, hence the name of her mem-oir, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.

5 She first tried stand-up on a whim in 2004.

6 She came in fourth place on the fifth season of the NBC show Last Comic Standing.

7 Last year, she bought her fam-ily’s farm back that they had lost in bankruptcy years before.

Sources: NPR, Washington Post, Vogue, GQ, IMDB, ET Online

7 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DON’T KNOW

ABOUT AMY SCHUMER

“Living with that unpredictability and variability from month to month and year to year is probably among the most challenging parts of living with MS,” Kalb says.

MS is not curable, and it’s not fatal. People with MS live about seven years less than people without it, but few cases are aggressive from the disease’s onset, Kalb says.

MANAGING A CHRONIC DISEASE More than 12 disease-modifying medications can treat relapsing MS, reducing the frequency of the attacks, lessening the lesions that can form on nerve endings and slowing the progress of the disease.

The attacks themselves can be treated with steroids or other medi-cations. Occupational, physical and speech therapists can help people get back on track after a flare-up.

Often more difficult to manage are the mental and emotional effects of MS. Most people diagnosed with MS are ages 20 to 50, a time when the diagnosis can feel especially devastating, Kalb says. People are often just getting into the swing of their careers, forming lifelong relationships and thinking about starting families.

Kalb tries to help people with MS plan and make the best decisions for a future with the disease.

“I usually encourage people to think about what their priorities are and how they can set themselves up in the best possible way to be prepared for what-ever MS throws at them,” she says.

For years, Jen Holt tried to ignore her symptoms. A busy intensive care nurse and mom of three kids in New Hampshire, she always attributed her issues to something else. She blamed her sore feet on a new floor at work. Her fatigue was caused by running after her kids. Her depression—well, she wasn’t quite sure about that.

mistakenly attacks myelin—the fatty substance around nerve fibers in the central nervous system—and the fibers themselves. This damage inter-rupts nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain and spinal cord, caus-ing a variety of often unpredictable symptoms. That means a patient can go to sleep with one symptom and wake up the next day with a com-pletely new one. These can include pain, tremor, vision troubles, numb-ness, paralysis, weakness, stiffness, walking problems, difficulty thinking and severe fatigue.

An attack of new symptoms is a characteristic of relapsing-remitting MS, the most common disease course. After a new symptom rears its head, it can just as quickly lessen or disappear. Relapsing-remitting stands in contrast to primary progressive MS, in which symptoms and neurologic function get worse with no remission.

Some people may exhibit just one or two symptoms in their lives, says Rosalind Kalb, vice president of the Professional Resource Center at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. But most people, over their lifetimes, experience several symptoms for vary-ing durations and intensities. That makes it difficult, if not impossible, for caregivers to know what to expect.

Amy Schumer and her dad, Gordon, on the set of a photo shoot.

SUMMER 201712

Even after her diagnosis at age 38, Holt was still trying to outrun the disease. She didn’t have time for a chronic illness, she thought. She hoped her kids wouldn’t notice the changes in their mom.

But things had to adjust for the whole family, Holt soon found. She had to stop working, she walks with the help of a cane or a walker, and her hearing is diminishing. Because MS always changes, sometimes she has to crawl out of bed and sometimes she can stand without issue in the morning.

She’s learned that “just because you’re in a bad stage or funk right now, doesn’t mean that it’s forever,” she says.

A WHOLE-FAMILY CONDITIONFamilies are on the front lines of MS, and spouses and children have to make big adjustments, just like the person diag-nosed. Kalb compares it to a stranger showing up in your home, spreading his stuff everywhere and never leaving.

“When one person is diagnosed with MS, the whole family is,” Kalb says. “Everyone is living with this disease.”

In her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Schumer writes about her father still trying to be a dad through his

MS symptoms. He once drove her to the airport but couldn’t pull her suitcase out of the trunk.

“This must have looked strange to other people, seeing this strapping man watch his 18-year-old daughter lift and tote her giant suitcase all by herself, but they didn’t know he was sick,” she writes. “I didn’t really understand the symptoms of the disease, but I did know that it slowed him down, that even if he looked normal he could still be in a lot of pain, unable to do the small physical acts he used to do with ease.”

Her dad walked her into the airport, where he had a bowel accident, she writes. He had to switch into a pair of her shorts, but he still wanted to walk her to the gate as he had promised. He pushed through, not wanting her to see him break down.

THE CHALLENGE OF CAREGIVING Caregiving can be tricky, as Schumer showed in her 2015 movie Trainwreck. In it, Colin Quinn plays her acerbic dad who has MS, uses a wheelchair and recently had to be moved into an assisted living facility—just like Schumer’s real-life dad.

One scene shows Schumer’s dad struggling and failing to zip up his sweatshirt. Schumer’s character fi nally just says, “Can I do this, please?”

That’s a common interaction in MS households across the country, Kalb says. Kids, partners and families need to fi gure out when to help and when to step back in the midst of an ever-changing disease.

“No matter how much you love someone, you can’t read their mind. Is this a day they want help or a day that they’re going to bite my head off and say, ‘Leave me alone’?” Kalb says.

Schumer said her dad’s disease has given her a perspective that helps her laugh more, and make other people laugh, too.

“I seek laughter all the time,” she told CBS Sunday Morning. “I think that’s something that also comes with having a sick parent is you don’t know what’s going to happen, and so I’ll be like, ‘I’m psyched my legs still work.’ And I want to experience all I can and make as many memories as I can.” �

SUMMER 2017 13

TREATMENT FOR THE MANY SYMPTOMS OF MS Someone suffering from multiple sclerosis could have a variety of symptoms that mani-fest themselves for a day or for years. These include fatigue, walking difficulties, numb-ness and tingling, spasticity, vision problems, dizziness and vertigo, bladder and bowel problems, pain and cognitive changes.

Fortunately, treatments are available. To date, the FDA has approved 13 medi-cations to treat MS, with several more in late-stage development.

“Amantadine, for example, is a drug approved in 1966 to treat influenza, yet

has widespread use in helping MS fatigue,” says Beaufort Memorial board-certified neurologist Paul Mazzeo, MD. “Impaired cognition—often a consequence of long-term MS—may respond to medications used for Alzheimer’s dementia.”

Muscle spasticity may be treated with muscle relaxants, physical therapy and even Botox, he says. Ampyra enhances walking speed in some of the 75 percent of MS people who struggle with ambulation. It is believed to work by improving communica-tion between nerve cells.

“While treatments have allowed people to live longer with less disability,” Mazzeo says, “symptoms may persist even amongst those in the midst of a ‘remission.’ ”

Regular neurological evaluations are important, not only during flare-ups of the disease, but also to identify the associated symptoms of MS so that a comprehensive treatment regimen can be developed.

CALL

Road to RecoveryBeaufort Memorial’s occupational therapists help patients regain skills needed for everyday activi-ties. To learn about outpatient rehabilitation, call 843-522-5630.

Nurturing our families—from the newborns to the 90-year-olds—is a

(second) full-time job for many women. Here’s a closer look at caregiving BY STEPHANIE R. CONNER

THE BIG STORY

Giving

CARE

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Women are often the captains of Team Family

Health. Are you winning?

THE FAMILY HEALTH PLAYBOOK

Jimmy needs his flu shot. Mom needs a ride to her doctor appointment. Did my husband ever get the results of his colonoscopy back? When was my last annual exam? Oh, and we’re out of cough syrup ...

It’s no secret that women keep a lot of balls in the air. In between packing lunches, organizing family events and working, a lot of women also function

FAMILY HEALTH

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Moms are great at multitasking, but it's OK to ask for help, too.

SUMMER 201716

as the family health captain, scheduling appointments and making sure everyone stays well.

In fact, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 85 percent of mothers choose their kids’ doctors, 84 percent take them to their appointments, and 79 percent ensure they get the care they need.

The RISKAs moms and natural caregivers, women might feel it’s their responsibility to take on the family’s health. But there’s a risk to taking on everything.

“Women today are trying to do too much and move too fast, and we’re often under the false assumption that by controlling everything we can cre-ate less stress for ourselves and others, when in fact the opposite is true," says Renee Peterson Trudeau, a work-life bal-ance coach and speaker and author of The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal and Nurturing the Soul of Your Family. “Our overdoing is putting us in a constant fight-or-flight mode, which leads to high stress levels, burnout, anxiety, depression and even disease.”

When you’re experiencing stress, your body releases hormones that drive up blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar levels. With smaller bursts of stress, these aren’t a big deal and return to normal.

But long term, chronic stress can increase risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, menstrual problems and obesity.

The Importance of SELF-CAREBefore they can adequately take care of others, women must remember their own needs, Trudeau says.

“Women have to realize taking care of themselves isn’t selfish,” she says.

“It’s like oxygen; it’s their birthright. And when they feel more alive, whole and resourced, everyone—especially their family—benefits.”

That means taking the time to exer-cise, making sure you get enough sleep and pressing pause on stress, whether that’s through deep breathing, doing yoga, meditating or keeping a journal, for example.

And when planning everyone else’s appointments, women shouldn’t forget their own health maintenance—well visits, mammograms, skin checks, colonoscopies and dental cleanings. It’s important for women to take care of themselves just as well as they do their families.

Delegate and LET IT GOSo how can you possibly take care of yourself and your family on top of everything else? Start by realizing when good is good enough, Trudeau says.

“We’re trying to do too many things perfectly,” she says. “We need to pick and choose what truly needs our atten-tion, what we can delegate and what can be postponed or fall off the to-do list altogether.”

Maybe your partner, for example, can pick up prescriptions for the kids and schedule his own doctor appointments. Maybe a neighbor or friend can drive a family member to the eye doctor.

Although it’s not easy to delegate, it can be worth the effort.

“Learning to ask for help can be a life-changer,” Trudeau says. “But it’s typically something we have to learn, and it takes practice.”

Remember, you’re the captain of this team. Organize a huddle and call the plays (and pass some of the time!), and you’ll be on your way to a win. n

SUMMER 2017 17

HEALTH CAPTAIN HACKSHere are a few ideas for making the job of managing your family’s health a little easier.

1. Put your calendar to work for you. With a digital calendar, you can set reminders so you don’t forget to schedule those important appointments for yourself or your family. (And you won’t have to keep it all in your head, either.)

2. Look for electronic medical records. When you see providers who work on the same or compatible EMR systems, you’ll spend less time shuffling papers around because they can electronically share records.

3. Explore shared lists. Using your smartphone or computer, explore apps (like Google Keep and Wunderlist) that allow you to manage to-do lists and shopping lists, for example. Keep the family health tasks organized in one place and share with your partner or other helpers, enabling them to assist more easily.

4. Consider paid services. If your budget allows, hire a virtual assistant (a per-sonal assistant who works remotely) to help schedule appointments on your behalf or a transportation service to help get family members to appointments.

WEBSITE

Manage Your Team Like a ProLooking for more resources to help you manage your family’s healthcare? Check out familydoctor.org and click “Healthcare Management” on the top right.

KIDS

KIDS FROM A to Z

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Parenting is a hard job. You

knew you’d be responsible

for your child’s health and

well-being, but no one told

you you’d have to know so

much! Here are 26 things to

keep in mind to help keep

kids as healthy and happy

as possible.

D IARRHEA. See a doctor if your child has diarrhea and has signs

of dehydration, appears ill, has bloody stool or abdominal pain, or if the loose stools persist for several days.

EAR INFECTIONS. Five out of 6 chil-dren get at least one ear infection by

the time they’re 3 years old, according to the National Institutes of Health.

F EVERS. If a baby younger than 2 months has a rectal temperature

of 100.4 degrees or higher, call your doc-tor or go to the emergency department.

G RUMPINESS. Is your tween grumpy? Adolescence and puberty

can be trying for both boys and girls. Let your children know you’re there for them, and if you have concerns, talk to their doctor.

26 facts and tips to help you raise healthy children

A LLERGIES. Food allergies among children went up about 50 percent

from 1997 through 2011. If you’re con-cerned, talk to your doctor.

BULLYING. Kids who are bullied often experience depression and

anxiety. They might also have lower grades and test scores. Keeping the lines of communication open at home can help, and so can talking to your child’s school about its approach to bullying.

CONCUSSIONS. A concussion is a serious brain injury, and it can

happen on playgrounds, during sports (not just football) and as a result of falls or accidents. If your child suffers a head injury, make sure he or she sees a doctor and eases back into academic, social and athletic activities.

There's no manual to raising kids, but here are a few things to know.

SUMMER 201718

H YPERACTIVITY. If your child is persistently hyperactive, par-

ticularly aggressive or is experiencing academic or social challenges, talk to your family’s pediatrician.

INFECTIONS. Viral infections (like the flu) can’t be cured with antibiot-

ics, so don’t be surprised if you leave the doctor’s office without a prescrip-tion. The illness should run its course in about seven to 10 days.

JUICE. “Juice is just childhood soda,” says Natasha Burgert, MD,

a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Stick to water.

K ISSING. Adolescence is often a time of sexual exploration. Learn

what’s happening with your children’s bodies and hormones and what they’re experiencing emotionally so you can best help them navigate this time.

L IFESTYLE HABITS. Your own choices—like eating healthy foods,

exercising and not smoking—have an impact on your child’s choices.

M EDIA. The AAP advises limiting entertainment-based media to

two hours a day. “There are changes that happen—specifically, an increase in aggression, an increase in obesity, an increase in sleep disorders—when recreational screen time [regularly] exceeds that,” Burgert says.

NURSING. The AAP recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the

first six months of a baby’s life, then breastfeeding combined with intro-ducing foods until at least a year. Breastfeeding can continue for as long as both baby and mom are on board.

OBESITY. Childhood obesity in the U.S. has tripled over the past

30 years. About one-third of kids are overweight or obese. A healthy diet and exercise are the keys to preven-tion, of course, and your child’s doctor might be able to help.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. A good rule of thumb, Burgert says, is 60 min-

utes a day of physical activity.

QUESTIONS. Kids have lots of questions. Answer what you

can—truthfully. And don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. Take the time to research the right answer.

R ELATIONSHIPS. Help kids under-stand the importance of good com-

munication, respect and give-and-take in a relationship. You can direct teens to loveisrespect.org.

SUGAR. “Americans in general con-sume too much,” Burgert says. And

research shows that excess sugar intake can increase your risk of dying of heart disease even if you aren’t overweight. Start kids on a healthy path now.

TODDLER TANTRUMS. Young children can have temper tantrums

for lots of reasons—hunger, sleepiness, frustration. Try to stay as calm as pos-sible so you can be a soothing influence.

UV RAYS. Kids’ skin is sensi-tive and should be protected,

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises. Shade is best, and don’t forget about sunscreen (for babies younger than 6 months, talk to your doctor), hats, sunglasses and protective clothing.

VACCINES. “Science and research has never presented vaccination as

controversial or dangerous in any way," Burgert says.

W ELL VISITS. Even when vac-cines are done, well visits remain

important. “If we catch a small issue on a physical exam, we’re able to poten-tially prevent really big problems later,” Burgert says.

X -RAYS. Many parents worry about X-rays and kids. If your child needs

an imaging test, you can seek out facili-ties that offer lower-dose options.

Y EAH! Positive reinforcement can be a powerful tool in your parent-

ing toolkit. Let your child know you’re behind him or her as much as possible.

Z ZZS. With more and better sleep, kids have stronger immune sys-

tems, greater focus and better perfor-mance in school. They should aim for eight to 10 hours a night for teens, and even more sleep for younger children. n

SUMMER 2017 19

THE MIGHTY SCREENHealthcare experts recommend limiting children’s screen time to two hours a day, but that’s easier said than done. Toddlers have their own iPads. School-age kids are doing homework on tablets. Teenagers are texting and social networking. And TVs are still everywhere.

What is a parent to do?Pam Moore, a pediatric nurse practitioner at Beaufort Memorial Harrison Peeples

Health Care Center, offers these tips:1. No TV, tablets or computers in the bedroom. It makes it difficult to super-

vise what they’re watching. 2. Nix the mealtime viewing. “If they’re eating dinner or snacking in front of

the TV, it won’t be long before they become couch potatoes,” Moore says. 3. Keep a screen time chart. “You’ll be more conscious of how much screen

time they’re getting if you track it,” Moore says.4. Balance it out. “If they watch TV for two hours a day,” Moore says, “they

should spend an equal amount of time being active.”5. Model the lifestyle you want to encourage. That might mean no phones at

the dinner table, for example.

WEBSITE

Indoor FunKeeping kids active can be a challenge on rainy days. Go to bmhsc.org/activekids for tips on indoor activities that will get them off the couch.

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1 Take time TO GRIEVE.“When you’re caregiving for

someone with dementia, there’s this idea of ambiguous loss,” explains Amanda Hartrey, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a family consultant with the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA). “You might have known them as your spouse or parent. And they look the same. But they’re not the same person.”

And that can lead to intense grief—almost as if the person had died.

“You’re grieving the loss of your mom, dad, husband or wife, but they’re sit-ting in front of you,” she says. “There’s

AGING

DEMENTIA: A CAREGIVER’S GUIDE

5 tips for coping with this challenging role

He doesn’t know who you are. She can’t dress herself. He leaves the stove on while making his tea and wanders off. Where is the parent or spouse you knew?

Dementia is an umbrella term that describes various conditions that result in a decline in memory and other cognitive abilities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It’s an incredibly hard thing to witness in a loved one, and it can be challenging to care for someone with dementia. You can take a few steps that might help lighten the load.

You can care for a loved one with dementia, as well as yourself.

SUMMER 201720

a really big emotional component in watching that decline.”

Beyond the loss of the person’s mind, you might be grieving lost future experi-ences. That’s normal, Hartrey says. Let yourself go through that process.

2 Recognize it’s THE DISEASE AT WORK.

In a class she teaches on dealing with dementia-related behaviors, Hartrey shows pictures of imaging scans of two brains from autopsies: One is a normal brain, the other from a person with Alzheimer’s.

“Every single time I show those slides, people gasp,” she says. “The Alzheimer’s brain looks like it’s been eaten away. There’s so little brain left.”

When a loved one’s behavior is non-sensical to you, it can be frustrating. But remember: “They’re not doing this on purpose,” Hartrey says. “This is not the same person. This is not the same brain.”

3 Seek to ACCOMMODATE BEHAVIORS.

People with dementia might wan-der off and not know where they are. They might resist care, even becoming volatile. They can become increasingly agitated, paranoid or delusional.

You can’t control their behaviors. But you can adjust your own behavior or change the physical environment. For example, if your loved one insists on sleeping on the floor, put a mattress down. And stay calm, using a soothing tone during stressful episodes, the FCA advises. It’s not easy, but it can help.

4 Look for HELP.Caregiving for a loved one with dementia is stressful.

When your loved one’s dementia is to a point where he or she might do

something like turn on the stove and forget about it, “they need constant monitoring,” Hartrey says. “So caregiv-ers feel like they can’t turn their eye for a minute. It’s hard to leave the house.”

In addition to your own network of friends and family, you can seek out professional assistance.

One place to start, Hartrey says, is your local Area Agency on Aging. “There is one in every county,” she says. “They can direct you to local resources.”

Eldercare.gov and the Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) are great resources. You can also research respite programs that offer in-home care or adult day care centers.

And, Hartrey adds, if your loved one is a veteran, he or she might qualify for services. Your local Veterans Affairs office can offer guidance.

5 Don’t NEGLECT YOURSELF.On an airplane, you’re advised

to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others. The same is true for caregivers, Hartrey says. Taking care of your own health is essential.

Caregivers often put off doctor appointments, even surgery, she says. And they don’t always manage their

grief and stress, which contributes to poor health.

“Caregivers get sick and die sooner than non-caregivers, even five to 10 years after they stop caregiving,” Hartrey says.

“Self-care,” she adds, means different things to different people.

“What I encourage my clients to do is to schedule it,” she says. “It doesn’t mean you need an hour a day. If you can get that, wonderful. But it can mean five minutes to yourself for a cup of tea and some deep breathing.” n

SUMMER 2017 21

EARLY STEPS YOU CAN TAKE When you are just beginning your caregiving journey with a loved one who has dementia, your focus may be on helping him or her live as independently as possible.

Jennifer Massey, patient navigator at the Beaufort Memorial Memory Center, offers a few tips.

• Tap into their long-term memory. “Find things they can do to connect them to an earlier part of their life,” Massey says. “It can be as simple as folding towels or matching socks.”

• Stick to a routine. They will feel more in control if they know what to expect each day.

• Keep them busy. “If they have activities to do, they are less likely to fall asleep during the day and will develop better sleeping habits,” Massey says.

• Establish an open-door policy. Keep doors to rooms open so they can easily identify bathrooms and bedrooms.

CALL

Don’t DelayBeaufort Memorial Memory Center offers comprehensive assessment, treatment and care coordination for memory dis-orders. If someone you love is showing signs of memory loss, don’t delay. Get help early when dementia is most treatable. Call the center at 843-707-8833.

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Just for

A woman’s guide to health screenings by age and stage of life

BY STEPHANIE THURROTT

An Ounce ofPREVENTION,

HE RI t’s easy to skip your regular visit to a gynecologist or an

internal medicine physician. But doctors who specialize

in women’s health say preventive measures are key to early

detection and treatment of issues that could turn serious. These

are the recommended screenings and immunizations women—

and their daughters—need as they mature.

SUMMER 2017 23

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Parents can

limit screen time

to help adolescentsget adequate exercise,

sleep and in-person social activity.

is very low for teens, Stager teaches her patients how to perform a breast self-exam when they are 18 or 19.

3Stress-related illness and sleep. The teenage years can be stressful, especially for modern kids who feel pulled in a million directions. The ubiquity of cellphones, with their con-stant buzz of notifi cations, doesn’t help them get a good night’s sleep, which is a critical component of mental health. “They are staying up later and not get-ting good-quality sleep, and the parents aren’t aware this is going on,” Stager says. She points out that bad sleep hab-its correlate with weight gain and poor school performance.

3Online safety. Stager also checks in with teenage girls—and their parents—about their lives on the internet. “I talk about parents monitoring social media,” she says. “Most girls are not fully aware of the great risks associated with com-municating with someone they really don’t know.”

Preteen and Teen YearsA lot changes in the adolescent years, requiring a comprehensive approach to whole-body health.

3Immunizations. Most teenagers should see a doctor once a year for an annual exam and any needed shots. “Not all parents are aware, but teens might need a tetanus booster, meningitis booster and MMR [measles, mumps and rubella] booster,” says Margaret Stager, MD, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). And girls age 9 and older should receive the HPV vaccine, which can help stop certain cancers from developing.

3Well-woman care and sexual education. As girls transition through puberty and begin to menstruate, their doctors have new information and concerns related to their reproduc-tive health. “That’s all part of wellness and safety and making good, healthy decisions during the teen years. We have to talk about stuff that’s uncomfortable,” Stager says. Though breast cancer risk

SUMMER 201724

HPV VACCINE: WHY WAIT?Every year in the U.S., human pap-illomavirus (HPV) causes 30,700 cases of cancer in men and women. The HPV vaccine, recommended for preteens, can prevent most of them.

Still, some parents are reluctant to have their children vaccinated because HPV is transmitted sexually.

“It’s hard for parents to think about their 12-year-old child being sexually active,” says Erin Scott, a certified adult nurse practitioner specializing in family medicine at Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group. “But there are impor-tant reasons for administering the vaccine early.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vac-cine be administered to both boys and girls at age 11 or 12 so they have time to develop an immune response before they begin sexual activity with another person. The vaccine is administered as a series of two or three shots. Getting the vaccines as recommended could mean better protection for your child.

WEBSITE

Sign Up for MyBMHBeaufort Memorial’s patient portal gives you access to key parts of your hospital medical records anytime, anywhere via the internet. Go to bmhsc.org or call 843-522-7001 to enroll today.

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The 20s and 30s3Cervical cancer. Ideally, women should have had the HPV vaccine as girls, but young women who are not yet sexually active may want to get the vaccine to help prevent HPV infection and cervical cancer.

An annual Pap exam used to be rec-ommended, but that’s no longer the case. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now says women at normal risk should have a Pap exam at age 21 with a repeat test every three years, or beginning at age 30, women can have a Pap test along with an HPV test every five years.

3Infectious diseases. Women should have a tetanus booster every 10 years. “That’s a big one, especially for people who travel,” says Lynne M. Lillie, MD, a family physician and a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. College-age women, especially those living in dorms, should have the meningitis vac-cine. You should check your records to see whether you’ve been vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, particularly if you travel a lot or are exposed to blood or bodily fluids in your line of work. And everyone should get a flu shot every year.

3Sexually transmitted diseases. You should be screened for gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV regularly once you’re sexually active, depending on your risk factors.

3Skin cancer. While there are no specific screening recommendations, Lillie points out that skin cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers in the United States. “I do think it’s important for women to be paying attention to their skin, watching for changing lesions or moles and seeing their family physi-cian once a year or as needed,” she says.

It’s a great idea towear sunscreen

every single day,not just when you’re going to the beach.

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The 40s 3Diabetes. You should have your blood glucose levels checked every three years beginning at age 40 if you are overweight or obese.

3Breast cancer. Women at average risk should consider adding regular mammograms to their screening routines in their 40s. Recommendations vary, so

talk to your doctor about the best time to start and how often to repeat the test.

3Heart disease. There’s no recom-mended age for screening women’s cho-lesterol levels for those at normal risk. Lillie recommends having your levels checked at age 40 if they haven’t been checked earlier. Women should have their blood pressure checked every three to five years beginning at age 18 and annually after 40.

DUE FOR A MAMMOGRAM? The recommendations for breast cancer screening used to be simple: a monthly breast self-exam, an annual clinical exam, and a baseline mammogram at age 35 with annual mammograms starting at age 40.

But the recommendations are no longer so clear. Researchers studying detection haven’t found strong evi-dence in favor of breast self-exams or clinical breast exams, and medical organizations have varying recom-mendations on when women should begin regular mammograms.

So what’s a woman to do?First off, it’s still important to

pay attention to any changes in the breast, such as dimpling, puckering, a sore that doesn’t go away, new or growing lumps, or anything that seems unusual.

Also, talk to your doctor, says Lynne M. Lillie, MD, a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

“I do physicals all day long, and I say, ‘Let’s talk about your personal history, your family history and what feels comfortable to you—age 40, 45 or 50 and every year or every two,’” she says. “It’s an individual deci-sion made between a woman and her physician.”

Moving into middle age means your risk for certain

diseases goes up.Make a screening plan

with your doctor.

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The 50s, 60s and Beyond 3Colorectal cancer. Starting at age 50, women at normal risk should have a colonoscopy. “There are some new tests on the horizon, and more advances may be coming in the future,” Lillie says. “But for now, colonoscopy is the gold standard.”

3Osteoporosis. Women should have their bone density measured between ages 55 and 65, depending on risk factors such as family history and smoking. Kecia Gaither, MD, a member of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, says bone density screening is especially important for African-American women, who often don’t get enough vitamin D because the pigmentation in their skin reduces vitamin D production.

3Infectious diseases. People older than 60 should have the shingles vac-cine, and those older than 65 should get the pneumococcal vaccine.

Prioritize You No matter your age, Gaither reminds women to see their dentists and eye care professionals regularly.

And don’t forget to talk to your doc-tor about your mental health, personal health and safety. “My plea would be: Please be open and talk about your con-cerns,” Lillie says. “Your physician is there to help you.” n

Staying active can

help keepbones strong.

Getting outside for a walk is a great way

to exercise.

SUMMER 2017 27

Timing IsEverything

What you do in the minutes to months after a stroke makes all the differenceBY SHELLEY FLANNERY

ILLUSTRATIO

N BY M

CKIBILLO

SUMMER 201728

Y ou’ve probably heard the saying “time lost is brain lost” in reference to stroke. And it’s not just a pithy slogan.

“Stroke is an interruption of blood flow in the brain,” says Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, a spokesman for the

American Stroke Association. “Once that interruption takes place, you’re basically on the clock, because the brain will start to die in the absence of having blood flow. There’s really no more time-sensitive condition in medicine.”

And the time sensitivity doesn’t end when you get to the hos-pital. What happens in the hours, days, weeks and months after a stroke is critical to your well-being.

MINUTESThe first step to getting timely treatment is recognizing stroke sooner.

“If you think you’re hav-ing a stroke, you need to call 911 immediately,” says Nieca Goldberg, MD, national spokes-woman for the American Heart Association and author of Dr. Nieca Goldberg’s Complete Guide to Women’s Health. “It’s impor-tant for people to know what the symptoms of stroke are. Remember ‘FAST’: If there’s facial drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty, it’s time to call 911.”

If you observe symptoms of stroke in someone else, don’t let that person talk you out of calling 911.

“The main challenge you’re going to deal with is the stricken person doesn’t have insight into their own deficits,” Khalessi says. “They feel like they’re fine. It’s really important for a friend or loved one to trust their gut to get them to the ER.”

911

SUMMER 2017 29

ILLUSTRATIO

N BY M

CKIBILLO

HOURSStroke care can begin as soon as emergency medical services arrive, which is why calling 911 is preferable to driving a stroke sufferer to the hospital. Technicians and paramedics initiate lifesaving treatment in the ambulance and alert the hospital they’re on their way. That sets the hospital’s stroke team into action, preparing to receive the patient.

At the hospital, your care team will evaluate your symp-toms to confirm a stroke diagnosis. Once confirmed, you’ll have a CT scan or MRI to help doctors decipher where in the brain the stroke is and whether it’s the result of a blockage (ischemic stroke) or tear (hemorrhagic stroke) in a blood vessel. Then the care team goes to work.

Ischemic strokes are treated with tPA (tissue plasmino-gen activator), a clot-busting

DAYSOnce your stroke has passed and doctors have assessed the amount and type of function-ality that may have been lost, rehabilitation will begin in the hospital. From there, you may require continued rehabilitation in an around-the-clock facility or on an outpatient basis.

“Different people have differ-ent levels of disability, depend-ing on what part of their brain was affected,” Goldberg says.

Your rehabilitation thera-pist will help you improve function of the affected body parts with the goal of being as independent as possible. That may include relearning basic skills such as bathing, dressing, eating and walking.

drug that’s injected into a vein and travels to the block-age to break it up. Or doctors may use a newer procedure in which they thread a thin wire into a blood vessel to the site of the blockage to remove the clot. Hemorrhagic (bleeding) strokes are treated with drugs or surgery aimed at reducing pressure on the brain.

The tPA must be delivered within three hours of stroke onset, which includes the time it takes to get to the hospital, confirm a diagnosis and com-plete imaging, so you can’t wait at home for hours before deciding to seek treatment.

“The three-hour window was determined because that was found to be the peak time to be able to restore to nor-mal functioning,” Goldberg says. “The longer you wait, the less function, if any, can be restored.”

SUMMER 201730

WEEKSBack at home, safety is your main concern. Depending on your level of functional-ity, you may need adjustments in your home to make it more accessible. It’s best to consult an occupational therapist, who can conduct an in-home assess-ment to advise you on what modifi cations are needed.

Common modifi cations include installing grab bars and nonslip mats in the bathroom, installing a light switch near the bed or motion-activated night lights in the bedroom and reorganizing the kitchen for easier access.

MONTHSOnce your immediate needs are met, you’ll want to shift your atten-tion to preventing future strokes, which account for approximately a quarter of all strokes, according to the National Stroke Association.

“The most important thing for the long term is to seek care from a stroke neurolo-gist or neurovascular surgeon,” Khalessi says. “Strokes don’t just happen. You’re being given a window to intervene. You need to understand why you had the stroke event in the fi rst place.”

When you know what caused your fi rst stroke, you can then

take steps to protect yourself against another one. Quitting smoking is paramount. But your doctor will also probably suggest ways to manage high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes and recommend eating a healthy diet, slowly increasing physical activity and reducing alcohol intake. �

SUMMER 2017 31

A WORD ON PARALYSISParalysis is the most common side effect of stroke, affecting about nine out of 10 survivors to some degree, according to the National Stroke Association.

“Different body functions can be affected, depending on where the stroke occurs in the brain and the extent of brain tissue affected,” says Tiffany Schweitzer, Beaufort Memorial stroke quality coordinator. “The dis-ability can range from temporary weakness of an arm or leg to the per-manent paralysis of one entire side of the body.”

The association defines the different types of paralysis as:

Hemiparesis: Weakness on one side of the body.

Spasticity: Muscle cramps or spasms that limit coordination and movement.

Dysphagia: Paralysis of the throat muscles, which makes it difficult to swallow.

Drop foot: Inability to lift the front part of the foot

when walking.

CALL

On-Demand DiagnosisThrough telemedicine, BMH physicians can consult with stroke experts from MUSC Health in Charleston day or night. To learn more, call 843-522-5020.

THE QUICK LIST

Prioritize yourself. When you’re managing stress, eating well and getting enough sleep, the whole family benefits.

Delegate! Your spouse can help schedule health appointments or drive your child to the doctor, but you might have to ask.

4 Your kids will ask you tough questions. Be honest, and don’t be

afraid to say you don’t know.

If someone you love has dementia, remember that it’s the disease at work. Try not to blame your loved one or yourself for setbacks.

3 Make sure your children are up to date on vaccines.

8 Always pack—and apply!—sunscreen.

Know the symptoms of stroke and call 911 immediately if someone you’re with may be having one.

WANT MORE HEALTHY IDEAS? Check out our fall issue, all about being resilient in the face of challenges.

10 TIPS FOR TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE

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6 Monitor your kids’ social media time, and model good behavior

by putting down your phone.

Adequate sleep makes every-thing better, for everyone.

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7 Create a screenings schedule for mammograms,

colonoscopies and anything else the doctor orders, then stick to it.

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You’d never put a blowtorch in your child’s hand. And yet sparklers can soar to temperatures that are nearly as high—about 2,000 degrees.

If you choose to let your kids use sparklers, teach them these safety basics:

• Hold the sparkler at arm’s length.• Hold only one sparkler at a time.• Stand 6 feet apart from others.• Wear closed-toe shoes.• Don’t hand a lit sparkler to

someone else.

SPARKLER SAFETY

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THIS JUST INGOOD-FOR-YOU NEWS, CUES AND REVIEWS

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SOAP OPERAIf plain-old soap is good, the antibacterial kind is better, right? Not according to the Food and Drug Administration, which ruled in September that most liquid, foam and gel hand soaps, bar soaps and body washes that contain antibacterial ingredients can no longer be sold.

At issue is the safety of certain chemicals, including tri-closan, which has been shown in animal studies to alter the way certain hormones work in the body. Lab studies have also raised red flags that the chemi-cal might contribute to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

So, while stores will soon wash their hands clean of antibacterial soaps, consum-ers can feel safe with a bit of old-school wisdom: To prevent getting sick and spreading germs, just wash, rinse and repeat with standard soap and water.

FROZEN YOGURT SOFT SERVE ICE CREAMWhich is healthier?

ANSWER: THAT DEPENDS. With probiotics that promote good bacteria in your gut and fewer grams of fat, froyo seems to tip the scales. However, soft serve often beats out frozen yogurt with less sugar and sodium. Here’s the cold, hard truth: You need to be a sleuth. Low-fat, fat-free and sugar-free versions of both are available, so it depends on which frozen yogurt you com-pare with which soft serve ice cream. And, of course, toppings pile on sneaky calories.

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TRUE OR FALSE Men have a biological clock.

TRUE. It looks like Father Time affects fathers, too. While men may get to hit the snooze button on the consequences a bit longer than women do, research shows they can’t outrun the ticktock of their biological clocks. A European study showed that couples’ risk of miscarriage was highest if the woman was 35 or older and her male partner was 40 or older. Another study shows that a couple’s TTP (time to pregnancy, or how long it takes to become pregnant) increased fivefold for men older than 45 compared with men younger than 25—even if they had younger female partners.

WEBSITE

Pregnancy Primer for PartnersFrom sex during pregnancy to supporting a woman facing postpartum depression, partners have a lot of questions, too. Visit acog.org and search “A Partner’s Guide to Pregnancy.”

Already a debilitating fact of life for more than

14MILLION

Americans, severe joint pain continues to rise.

Projections that the number of arthritis cases could

burgeon from

52.5 MILLION

in 2012 to

78.4 MILLION

by 2040 are triggering better

efforts to reduce barriers to pain care and

to increase education

about treatment options.

PAINFUL STATISTICS

LUNG DISEASE:MIDLIFECRISIS The rate of COPD-related deaths is hitting midlifers hard—even while the overall rate of deaths is dropping.

COPD, or chronic obstructive pul-monary disease, has two main forms: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Most people with the illness have a combination of both conditions.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COPD-related death rates dropped 22.5 percent for men and 3.8 percent for women 25 and older from 2000 through 2014. The death rate, how-ever, spiked nearly 13 percent for men ages 45 to 64 and a whopping 24 percent for women in the same age range.

THE BEST TEMPS FOR MOMS-TO-BE As if mothers didn’t have enough to worry about: It appears temperature extremes can affect whether they carry their pregnancies full term.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that moms who are exposed to extreme cold or heat during the first seven weeks of preg-nancy are more likely to deliver early.

They also found that women exposed to extreme heat for the majority of the pregnancy were also more likely to deliver early.

Exposure to extreme heat during weeks 15 to 21 increased risk of delivery from 34 to 36 weeks (four to six weeks early) by 18 percent. While not everyone has access to air conditioning, the study suggests that minimizing exposure to extreme tem-peratures would be prudent for pregnant women.

SUMMER 2017 35

WORKOUTS THAT WORK:KAYAKING Kayaking can offer a great workout for the back, arms, abs, shoul-ders and neck. But if you’re not careful, the activity can also leave you stiff and sore.

The American Council on Exercise recommends finding your spine’s neutral position. In other words, sit in the position where it takes the least effort to sit up straight, with your head also aligned directly over your spine. If you start kayaking from this position and maintain it as much as possible, you’ll get a great upper-body workout—without all of the kinks and cricks.

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RECONDITIONING YOUR HEARTSo, you’ve had a heart attack. Now what?

A Mayo Clinic study found patients who participate in cardiac rehab after having heart interventions have a 45 per-cent lower mortality rate.

Beaufort Memorial offers a 12-week program that encompasses exercise, nutrition counseling and education.

“By developing a safe and effective exercise program and making positive lifestyle changes, you can strengthen your cardiovascular system and help prevent another potentially dangerous cardiac event from occurring,” says Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Services’ cardiac rehab nurse Kim Raines. “Our goal is to help patients return to their normal activity.”

CALL

Help for Your JointsTired of pain in your knees or hips? Learn about avail-able treatment options—from in-home exercises to total joint replacement—at one of Beaufort Memorial’s free joint pain seminars. For more information, call Andrea Sadler, BMH ortho-paedic care coordinator, at 843-522-7435.

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ANEURYSM is a scary-sounding word for good reason—it can be fatal. But what exactly does the term mean?

An aneurysm is a balloonlike bulge against a weakened or injured artery wall. Most occur in the aorta, the major artery that carries blood from the heart. The good news? Aneurysms can be repaired if detected early. It’s important to see your doctor regularly; some-times an aneurysm can be heard through a simple stethoscope. In other cases, doctors may order tests such as an ultrasound, an echocardiogram or a CT scan.

JARGON WATCH

WHAT ARE THE ODDS… of getting melanoma?

While melanoma accounts for only about

1 in 100 skin cancers, it is the deadliest. A number of factors—

including age, sun exposure and skin

tone—come into play. The average risk of

developing melanoma is:

1 in 40 for whites

1 in 200 for Hispanics

1 in 1,000 for blacks

WORK FAMILY FEELINGSIf you consider your co-workers friends, you might be in better health. New research suggests that social connections formed at work—and a strong group identification with that workplace—can help lower stress and improve overall sense of well-being.

Researchers examined 58 studies involving nearly 20,000 people in 15 countries. Psychological health benefits were greater than physical health benefits.

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THE TRUTH BY STEPHANIE R. CONNERPH

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THE TRUTH ABOUT

PREGNANCY AFTER 35Are there really more risks? Do you need different care and a bunch of additional tests? Let’s separate fact from fiction

For a lot of women, the biological clock feels more like a bomb counting

down to 35—a time when women are told pregnancy is less likely and more dangerous.

But don’t panic just yet. Many women have healthy pregnancies after 35. Here’s the truth about being a more mature mommy.

Advanced maternal age? Don't be fearful; just

focus on health.

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TRUE OR FALSE:Something happens to wom-en’s bodies at 35 that makes pregnancy more challenging and risky.

FALSE. There is nothing magical about age 35, says Siobhan Dolan, MD, medical adviser for the March of Dimes, an organization that seeks to prevent birth defects and fi ght premature births.

There is history to 35, though. The age used to mark the time when the risk of having a baby with a serious genetic condition was about the same as having a miscarriage as a result of amniocentesis, an invasive procedure that tests for genetic conditions and is more commonly done after age 35.

These days, the miscarriage risk is much lower, and doctors recognize that what matters is an individual woman’s age and health history. Still, the number persists in our culture.

TRUE OR FALSE:If you’re younger than 35, an amniocentesis simply isn’t done.

FALSE. Amniocentesis is a test that looks for problems in the develop-ing baby, including birth defects and genetic disorders. It can reveal Down syndrome, the risk of which rises with the mother’s age.

While amniocentesis is not typically done in younger women, the test is a choice. Younger women may opt for it because they have had a previous baby with a birth defect or a family history of genetic disorders.

“If you want to know for sure, you should have the test,” Dolan says. “Today, we’re more focused on what we call a personalized risk assessment.”

Whatever her age, it’s up to each woman to work with her doctor to understand her options and risks.

TRUE OR FALSE:It’s harder to conceive after age 35.

TRUE. “The facts are that as you get older, it can take longer” to become pregnant, Dolan says.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a woman has about 300,000 eggs at puberty, and she will ovulate about 300 times dur-ing her reproductive years. The eggs that don’t ovulate go through a natural degenerative process. As the number of available eggs in her ovaries decreases, a woman’s fertility declines.

While a healthy, fertile woman who is trying to conceive has a 20 percent chance of getting pregnant each month when she’s 30, her chances are approxi-mately 5 percent by age 40.

TRUE OR FALSE:As a woman ages, there are more health risks during pregnancy.

TRUE, BUT ... Yes, as a woman ages, certain pregnancy risks increase. For example, premature birth, low birth weight, miscarriage and other issues are more common in older women than in younger women.

Some of these problems can be attributed to conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. As Dolan points out, your personal circumstances play a huge role.

“If you come to me and you’re 32 and morbidly obese, with diabetes and hypertension, you’re at a higher risk than if you’re 38 and healthy,” she says. �

SUMMER 2017 39

PRE-PREGNANCY HEALTH CHECKLIST Whether you’re 25 or 40, there are things you can do before you conceive to help ensure you have a healthy pregnancy. The first step is schedul-ing a pre-conception visit with your healthcare provider, says certified nurse midwife Janna Jones Kersh of Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists. During the visit, your practitioner may:

• Suggest a nutrition plan that includes lots of fruits, veggies, protein and foods containing folic acid, like whole grain bread

• Recommend you start taking a daily prenatal vitamin

• Check your weight to be sure you’re within the normal range

• Review any medications you are taking that could affect the pregnancy

• Check your immunity for diseases like mumps, measles and rubella

• Encourage you to exercise 30 min-utes at least five days a week

• Tell you to avoid heavy alcohol use

WEBSITE

Sign Up for Baby University Before you bring your new baby home, sign up for one of Beaufort Memorial’s child-birth and baby care education classes. You can learn about breastfeeding, attachment and more. Visit bmhsc.org for a full schedule.

HOW TO BY JEANNIE NUSS

HOW TO

STOP PREDIABETES You can beat this condition before it becomes diabetes and causes serious health problems

One in 3 American adults has prediabetes—that’s about 86 million of us. And having

prediabetes, which means that your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to merit a diabetes diagnosis, comes with serious health risks.

“People with prediabetes have a risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” says Pamela Allweiss, MD, an endocrinologist with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Diabetes Translation.

Moving—even a little—can help ward off diabetes.

SUMMER 201740

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Unlike diabetes, which can be managed but not cured, prediabetes often can be reversed completely with lifestyle changes that will help you lose weight.

Here are five steps you can take to get started.

1 Get tested.Nine out of 10 Americans with pre-

diabetes don’t know they have it. And if you have certain risk factors—if you

are overweight, are 45 or older, or have a sibling or parent with type 2 diabetes, for example—you may be at a higher risk of

having prediabetes. Head to your doctor to have your blood sugar tested.

2 Move it. Staying active is

key to beating back prediabetes. Aim to log 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week, for a total of 150 minutes a week. But you don’t have to run a marathon to get your exercise in. Brisk walking works just fine, Allweiss says. And it doesn’t have to be all at once, either. “If you do 10 minutes three times a day,” Allweiss says, “that’s good, too.”

3 Track what you eat.It’s hard to change your eating

habits if you don’t know what you’re eating. That’s where food diaries come in. By keeping a daily food log, you’ll learn what you’re PH

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eating—and how much—so you can see where to make improvements. Apps like MyFitnessPal and MyNetDiary make it easy to log your food on the go.

4 Opt for healthier foods.

Once you see what you’re eating, you can start to make changes. Cut back on sugar-sweetened drinks, choose lean proteins like chicken, turkey or fish, and use spices instead of fats and oils to add flavor, Allweiss says. Plan meals with the goal of having more fresh vegetables on your plate than starches or fatty meats, and make a shopping list before you head to the grocery store so you can avoid impulse purchases. (Check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s choosemyplate.gov for inspiration.) And when you’re out to eat, “be a proactive eater,” Allweiss says. Ask how foods are prepared and seek out options that are grilled or broiled instead of fried.

5 Don’t let stress derail you.

Stress is a major cause of abandoning weight-loss plans. Before the stress hits, take time to think about what your stressors are—and how you can handle them. “Sometimes when people are under stress, they might say, ‘Why should I go walk? Why should I eat my healthy diet?’” Allweiss says. Come up with a plan to deal with stress, whether that means doing a simple series of yoga moves or taking a short walk. n

SUMMER 2017 41

GET WITH THEDIABETES PREVENTIONPROGRAMEating healthy, getting active and losing weight can be a challenge. But you don’t need to do it all at once.

“Start by simply increasing your physical activity, even if you’re just walking 10 or 15 min-utes a day,” says Jenny Craft of Beaufort Memorial Diabetes Care Center.

A registered dietitian and certi-fied diabetes educator, Craft also suggests cutting soda, sweet tea and juice from your diet.

“It’s one of the easiest ways to cut calories,” Craft says. “A 20-ounce bottle of soda contains 240 calories. If you eliminate two bottles a day, you can potentially lose about a pound a week.”

Instead of a sugar-packed drink, try sparkling water or plain H20 infused with a slice of fruit.

WEBSITE

Eat HealthyFor a selection of good and good-for-you reci-pes, go to bmhsc.org/guiltfreerecipes.

QUIZ BY JENNIFER SMITH

Kids: They’re not always easy to figure out.

We’re all familiar with the “terrible twos,” evidenced by the thrashing, wailing toddler in the grocery store. And what about when puberty hits, and your once-

sweet baby is suddenly slamming doors and telling you to leave him alone?

Take a deep breath. Those behaviors are normal—just part of testing boundaries, grappling with hormones and growing up.

But some sudden behavioral changes go beyond what’s consid-ered typical growth and should prompt a check-in with a medical professional, says Stephanie Hartselle, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and a member expert with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She helps us understand the difference.

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FREAK OUT OR CHILL OUT?Children go through emotional ups and downs. But how do you know if behavioral changes are typical or cause for concern?

Q Your third-grader has slept like a champ his whole life—until now. Suddenly, he started waking up

several times a night and is snoring like a monster truck when he does sleep. He’s so tired he’s like a little zombie, and so are you.IS IT: Anxiety or a sleep disorder?

SLEEP DISORDER. “If a kid’s sleep habits change, the first thing I would do as a parent is go watch them sleep. If they are snoring, that is a sign that something is off with their airway, and they should go to a pediatrician. Allergies can make kids snore, and so can sickness,” Hartselle says.

If your child is moving his legs or twitching a lot, that can make him tired, and, in turn, increase anxiety the next day.

SUMMER 201742

WEBSITE

Giving Relief to an Anxious KidIf you’re concerned your child might have a problem with anxiety, check out the Anxiety and Depression Association of America’s screening form. Visit adaa.org and search for “screening children.”

Q Your toddler is becoming that kid on the playground. He throws sand, bites when he doesn’t

get his way and has hit children. He seems angry, but he can’t tell you why.IS IT: Stress or a developmental disorder?

LIKELY STRESS. Little kids don’t have a complex vocabulary, so acting out is one way of expressing emotions, Hartselle says.

“If the child isn’t responding the same way that the other kids are or is becoming incredibly enraged when other kids are handling things, you should check with a pediatrician,” Hartselle says. “In toddlers, anxiety can come out as anger.”

Q Your otherwise happy-go-lucky kiddo has been having major melt-downs at day care. She sobs and has

become unusually clingy when it’s time to go your separate ways for the day but seems fine when you pick her up later.IS IT: Separation anxiety or a sign of mistreatment at day care?

PROBABLY SEPARATION ANXIETY. Separation anxiety waxes and wanes from as early as age 6 months all the way through the elementary school years, Hartselle says. Talk to the day care provider to see what’s happening once you leave your daughter behind: Is she joining the other kids? Is she playing? If so, those are good signs that the earlier meltdown was a typical bout of anxiety.

Of course, it’s natural to worry about your children when you entrust them to someone else’s care. Cases of mis-treatment or abuse of children at day care do happen. It’s important to pay close attention to our children’s emo-tional well-being.

“The real warning signs [of something more serious] are if the child also at home is having outbursts or is not sleep-ing well, having many more nightmares or having general behavior changes,” she says. See your child’s pediatrician right away—and take a break from day care until you know what’s going on.

Q You and your teenage daughter have had a standing Saturday morning pancake date since she

was old enough to say “short stack.” But all of a sudden she wants to ditch the tradition. In fact, she flatly refuses to spend time with you and instead retreats to her room.IS IT: Normal teenage behavior or depression?

PERHAPS DEPRESSION. It’s normal for teens to push for space and prefer being with friends over parents. But if your teen is spending vast amounts of time alone, and not with friends, and having frequent (very) angry outbursts, take note.

“This can happen, but it shouldn’t be often, and it shouldn’t be extreme. Teenagers shouldn’t be talking about ‘I wish I wasn’t here,’ ‘I wish I wasn’t alive’ or saying ‘I could be dead,’” Hartselle says.

She recommends checking in with teachers to gauge how your teen is behaving at school (is she social?) and

connecting with a pediatrician or mental health provider for guidance.

Q It came out of nowhere—your child abruptly started behaving strangely. In addition to major changes in her

behavior, she began making odd body movements, such as repeatedly blinking, and strange noises, such as grunts or repeating words. IS IT: Mental illness or a complication of strep throat?

IT MIGHT BE STREP. This one is rare, but it happens. There’s a known tie between streptococcal infections and something called PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infec-tions). Symptoms include obsessive behaviors, odd movements or tics, and an overall alarming departure from a kid who doesn’t have anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder issues to one who appears to have them.

“Does it mean every time your kid gets strep throat and is grumpy, you need to bring her into the pediatrician? No. But if it’s a really amazing, abrupt change, bring them in right away and ask if we can do a strep test,” Hartselle says. If a strep test is positive and PANDAS seems likely, doctors typically will use antibiotics to treat the strep infection and the PANDAS symptoms subside. n

SUMMER 2017 43

AT A GLANCE BY MISTI CRANE

CHEST X-RAY Heart and lung

disease can be intertwined, and this test provides a glimpse at both. X-ray images allow cardiologists to look at the size of your heart and can reveal problems such as a cracked rib, the pain from which might mimic heart disease.

PUT YOUR TICKER TO THE TEST A guide to the tools doctors use to determine your heart health

Chest pain. Shortness of breath. Dizziness. Sweating. Fatigue. All sorts of symp-

toms can leave our doctors wondering whether poor heart health is to blame. Fortunately, cardiologists have at their disposal a bevy of tests that help them discover the source of trouble and set us on the path to wellness, says Martha Gulati, MD, editor-in-chief of the American College of Cardiology’s CardioSmart.org.

WEBSITE

Be Prepared for Your Doc If you have heart failure, good communication with your doctor is critical. For a list of questions to ask about your condition, visit heart.org and search “heart failure questions.”

ELECTROCARDIOGRAM In this test, often called

an ECG or EKG, leads attached to your chest with adhesive measure your heart’s electrical activity, recording its rhythm and detecting skipped beats. It can help doctors determine whether you’re having a heart attack and give them insight into damage in the heart. You might be asked to take this test while walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike so your cardiologist can observe your heartbeat under stress.

NUCLEAR STRESS TEST To show blood

flow to the heart, a radioactive liquid is injected into your vein. A special camera detects the radiation, producing computer images of your heart. Combined with exercise, the test can determine whether enough blood is reaching your heart during activity and rest.

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CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION Sometimes called a coronary

angiogram, this involves a cardiologist threading a tube into a vein or an artery in your leg or arm. With the help of X-ray, your doctor guides the catheter through your vessel until it reaches your heart, where dye can be injected to help him or her see blood flow and check for abnormalities. Your cardiologist also can open up a blockage with a balloon and stent during the procedure.

ECHOCARDIOGRAM This ultrasound of the

chest shows detailed images of the heart’s structure and function and can reveal whether you’ve had a heart attack.

It gives your doctor a view of how the heart muscle is squeezing and how the valves are working. Leaky or narrowed valves can show up, as can blood clots. Sometimes cardiologists perform an echocardiogram by inserting a device down the throat to look at your heart from behind. This is called a transesophageal echocardiogram.

CT SCAN Short for computerized tomography,

this noninvasive method of looking at the coronary arteries is used to spot blockages as an alternative to catheterization.

MRI Used increasingly in cardiology, magnetic

resonance imaging involves a patient lying on a table inside a tubelike machine that produces a magnetic field. It takes detailed pictures and is considered the gold standard for assessing heart function.

HOLTER MONITORING For this test, you

typically wear a heart monitor for 24 hours to give your cardiologist insight into your heart activity over time. Some people need longer-term monitoring and might wear a monitor for a month. Others who have rhythm abnormalities that emerge infrequently might have an implanted monitor. ■

SUMMER 2017 45

IN THE MARKET BY LEXI DWYER

Turns out all those paleo types pinning recipes for “zoodles” (zucchini spiral-

ized spaghetti-style and served in place of pasta) are on to something. Low in calories but still filling enough to satisfy, this elongated squash is the perfect health food. Jen Bruning, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explains that zucchini’s sizable weight is one of its strengths. “We talk a lot about volume-based eating, meaning that if you eat foods that contain a lot of fiber and water, you end up feeling full without having so many calories, and zucchini is a great example of this,” she says.

Zucchini is also sizeable in nutrients. Its standout perks include vitamin B6, potassium and manganese, a min-eral thought to help promote healthy bone structure. And although zucchini is a great vitamin C source—one cup raw provides 35 percent of the rec-ommended daily allowance—Bruning cautions that some of this nutrient can be lost in the cooking process, so it’s best to eat zucchini raw in salad (try slicing it into pretty ribbons) or sautéed lightly if you’re trying to maxi-mize vitamin C intake. Besides making zoodles, here are three great ways to get your squash on.

1 STUFF ITCut the ends off a zucchini and slice it

lengthwise. Scrape out enough of the flesh (which can be diced and reserved) so you’re able to use the vegetable as a bowl with room for filling. Add the reserved zucchini to a mix-ture of your choice, such as sautéed ground beef or crumbled sausage. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the zucchini is tender and can be easily poked with a fork, about 20 to 30 minutes.

3SNEAK IT INTO BAKED GOODS Trying to get your kids to eat more veg-

etables? Zucchini’s high water content and neu-tral flavor make it a great (and sneaky!) addition to breads, cookies, cupcakes, brownies and even pancakes. Be sure to grate it finely and blot off excess moisture with a paper towel before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.

THREE WAYS TO COOK

ZUCCHINIProlific, versatile and tasty, this popular squash deserves top billing on your summertime menus

2  MAKE CRACKERS  Slice zucchini into ¼-inch–thick rounds

and toss them in a bowl with olive oil. Dip each piece into a mixture of equal parts Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake in a 450-degree oven on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray until topping is crispy and slightly browned, about 25 minutes. Serve as passed hors d’oeuvres or as part of a crudité platter.

SUMMER 201746

APP

Homegrown HelpIf you love growing veggies, check out Burpee’s Garden Time app, available on Google Play and iTunes. It offers custom-ized planting recommendations based on your location, time-lines to help you stay organized and weather alerts for conditions that could affect your garden.

THE SKINNY ONZUCCHINI

How do I choose a good one?Look for vegetables that are firm, brightly colored and still have at least part of the stem attached, which indicates freshness.

Is bigger necessarily better?No—although those massive homegrown specimens are fun for photo ops and state fairs, they tend to be less flavorful and more pulpy than their smaller counterparts. Instead, aim for a zucchini that’s no more than 6 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, or about the size of a standard flashlight.

Can I eat the skin?Yes, unless it’s been coated with wax, which is sometimes done to preserve shelf life. Check by running your finger slowly over the vegetable to feel for a coating. If there’s wax, either wash it off or use a peeler to remove the skin.

Can I eat the flowers?Absolutely. Although deep-frying the blossoms is a classic preparation, they’re also delicious added to soups, stuffed with cheese and baked, or used to make squash-blossom quesadillas, which are popular in Mexico.

Just as tasty as potato chips—really!

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HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS BY ALLISON MANNING ILLU

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MENTAL HEALTH

Sources: National Institute of Mental Health, The American Journal of Psychiatry, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Archives of General Psychiatry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Alliance on Mental Illness

1 in 5Approximate number of adults

in the U.S. who experience mental illness each year.

$193.2 BILLION Lost earnings annually because of serious mental illness in the U.S.

NEARLY 60%of adults in the U.S. with a mental health condition did not receive mental health services in the past year.

Depression ranks #1on the list of most prevalent men-tal illnesses. It aff ects more than 26 percent of adults in the U.S.

25%of adults with mental

health symptoms think people are caring and

sympathetic toward those with mental illness.

75%of mental health conditions begin

by age 24.

SUMMER 201748

App stores are loaded with downloads promising mental health fixes, from mood trackers to insomnia cures. But do they work? And are they safe? One study of 82 mental health apps found that fewer than a quarter included a privacy policy.

For apps that clear the privacy barrier, the next step is efficacy. A study in the U.K. revealed that 85 percent of apps for depres-sion didn’t have evidence that they work.

“You want to be sure they’re provid-ing treatment that has been proven to be effective,” says Richard Archer, a licensed social worker at Beaufort Memorial Sea Island Psychiatry.

He also suggested choosing an app developed by professionals. IntelliCare, for instance, was created by Northwestern University’s Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Next, consider usability—is the app easy to use? Also, look for apps that can securely share your information with your doctor so you can integrate the app with your overall mental health treatment plan.

“Apps should be used in conjunc-tion with therapy,” Archer says. “In areas where psychiatric care is sparse, they’re wonderful.”

NEED MENTAL HEALTH HELP? THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

WEBSITE

Take Time to Mellow OutNeed to wind down but aren’t sure how? Go to bmhsc.org/chillout to get 10 strategies from Mental Health America for controlling your stress.

JOINTAfter suffering from knee pain for years, three longtime friends undergo total joint replacement surgery and get back to living it up in the Lowcountry

Troy Shaver traces his knee troubles back 50 years to when he broke his kneecap in a mountain-climbing

accident. Running hundreds of races over the next two decades only made matters worse.

Jimmy Taylor blames his bad knees on the pounding he inflicted on his joints while run-ning high hurdles in high school and college.

For Malcolm Goodridge, it was his days playing high school football and jumping out

Three friends—Malcolm Goodridge, Jimmy Taylor and Troy Shaver—enjoy coffee and a chat.

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of airplanes with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

No matter how they got there, the end result was the same for each of the three men. About the time they hit their 60s and 70s, their knees were shot and it was cramping their style.

Unwilling to give up the recre-ational pursuits they were enjoy-ing in the later years of their lives, all three decided to have total knee replacement surgery and get back in the game.

“We used to tell people to wait until they can’t stand it anymore,” says Kevin Jones, MD, of Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists. “But we’ve learned that a patient’s preoperative range of motion predicts their postoperative range of motion. We don’t want them coming into the OR with a stiff joint.”

Jimmy Leads the WayTaylor, 70, was the first of the group to have knee surgery with Dr. Jones, an expert in minimally invasive joint replacement. He first began experi-encing pain in his right knee in 2005. When it got so bad it was affecting the quality of his life, he went to see Jones, a longtime friend.

The board-certified orthopaedic surgeon performed a partial knee replacement in 2009. Three years later, Taylor was back, looking for relief for his left knee.

“It got to the point where it hurt just standing around,” the St. Helena Island resident says. “The pain was killing me.”

An avid outdoorsman who enjoys boating, fishing and hunting, Taylor had stayed fit through the years and was prepared for the rehab that came after his surgery.

“I was very conscientious about doing what the doctor told me to do,” he says.

That included elevating his leg. “Controlling edema after surgery

makes a big difference in the outcome,” Jones says. “The swelling can be mini-mized by keeping your leg elevated above your heart level.”

A banker at the time, Taylor felt uncomfortable putting his foot on his desk, so his wife, Lea, made him a long beanbag pillow he could use in the office to prop up his leg.

He loaned it to his friend Malcolm Goodridge when the retired American Express executive had his first knee replacement surgery in 2013. After years of playing tennis and golf, Goodridge’s knees were giving out and it was slowing him down.

Malcolm’s Training Pays Off“I was 77 at the time and Dr. Jones told me to get it done before I was too old,” recalls Goodridge, now 80. “Even though I was in pretty good shape, I started exercising even more to prepare for the surgery.”

He worked just as hard during his post-op rehab—and it paid off. Goodridge was able to regain a range of motion from 0 to 135 degrees.

CALL

PT Can Prepare You for SurgeryBeaufort Memorial Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic specializes in total joint replacement therapy. Referral from a physician is required for treatment. To make an appointment with a physical therapist, call 843-522-5850.

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The time came last summer.“My knee would swell up, and it was

painful even walking,” the 70-year-old registered investment adviser says. “When I complained about it to Jimmy and Malcolm, they told me I needed to meet Dr. Jones.”

Goodridge arranged for the four of them and their wives to have brunch at Secession Golf Club in Beaufort. Days later, Shaver made an appointment with Dr. Jones, and his knee replace-ment surgery was scheduled for June.

Like Taylor and Goodridge, Shaver followed doctor’s orders, was consis-tent with his rehab exercises and used the “recovery” pillow that had been passed from friend to friend.

“Six months after the surgery, I had all my mobility back,” he says. “You don’t realize how good it is to be able to walk up a flight of stairs.”

Today, Shaver is riding his bicycle again on the trails near his Spring Island home. He walks several miles a day, keeps bees and goes fly-fishing every chance he gets.

“I would recommend Dr. Jones and Beaufort Memorial Hospital to anyone I know,” Shaver says. “It was an excel-lent experience all the way around, from the nursing staff to the rehab team. I don’t think people realize we have this world-class facility right here in Beaufort.” n

FROM PREHAB TO REHAB Physical therapy. It’s not just post-op protocol anymore.

To speed recovery and improve outcomes, more and more patients are getting help from a physical therapist before they have joint replacement surgery.

“If you’re in better shape going in, you’ll be in better shape com-ing out,” says physical therapist Steve Giammona, clinical manager of Beaufort Memorial Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinic. “Patients who have prehab usually recover about a week earlier and end up with a better range of motion.”

As part of the prehab, the physi-cal therapist will teach you exercises designed to build muscle tone around the joint and increase your range of motion. The exercises also will boost your aerobic capacity so you’ll have the endurance to tolerate the surgery and the rehab that follows.

Giammona recommends that you begin prehabilitation two weeks to a month in advance of your surgery. Depending on your ability and level of function, you should perform your regimen of exercises two to three days a week.

“Working with a physical thera-pist before you have your knee replacement also eliminates a lot of the fear of what’s going to happen after the surgery,” he says. “A lot of people come in thinking PT stands for ‘pain and torture.’ I say it stands for ‘pretty tough.’ ”

“Only 5 percent of people do better,” Goodridge says proudly. “I attribute it to the exercise I did before and after the surgery.”

A year and a half later, the Hilton Head Island resident went back to Dr. Jones for surgery to replace his left knee.

“I’m glad I did it,” he says. “It allowed me to get back my life. I’m playing golf and tennis again and I feel great.”

He continues to exercise at Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center five days a week, only now he works out with a personal trainer.

“She keeps me from cheating,” he quips.

Troy Gets Back in ActionTroy Shaver started having serious pain in his right knee three years ago, forcing him to give up running, cycling and horseback riding. A sports medicine practitioner told him it was only a mat-ter of time before he would need to have his knee replaced. PH

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HOMESWEET

HOMEAfter starting chemotherapy in Florida,

Richard Whitney returned home to be treated at Beaufort Memorial

Keyserling Cancer Center

T en years into his retirement, Richard Whitney of Okatie was having the time of his life. He rode his beach cruiser to

the gym three days a week, played golf with his buddies and was tearing it up on the tennis courts.

Equally gratifying, the former finan-cial planner was a volunteer day manager at The Church of the Cross thrift shop. And with two of his three children living in Charleston, he had plenty of opportu-nity to spend time with the grandkids.

Life was good for Whitney. And then one day he noticed blood in his urine. A CT scan revealed a spot on his bladder no bigger than a thumbnail. After fur-ther testing, his urologist confirmed it was bladder cancer.

Surgery to remove the tumor was scheduled for Dec. 21, 2015. Three days after Christmas, the doctor called with the pathology results. Whitney had small cell carcinoma, an aggressive

tumor that accounts for less than 1 percent of bladder malignancies.

“I was in total shock,” Whitney recalls. “For 72 years I never had any health issues and then all of a sudden this comes along.”

Advanced Care Close to HomeAlarmed by the diagnosis, Whitney called his niece, a radiation oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. She arranged to have him seen by another urologist to confirm the diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. Days later, Whitney and his wife, Mary, made the eight-hour drive to Florida.

The first course of action was a cys-toscopy, a procedure that allows the physician to examine the lining of the bladder. Test results confirmed the bad news. Whitney would need six rounds of chemotherapy, followed by 33 days of radiation therapy.

“I had the first round of chemo in Tampa and decided to go home,” Whitney says. “Moffitt was overwhelm-ing. They did so many infusions every day, there would be 50 people lined up in the waiting room.”

Upon returning to his home in Okatie, Whitney made an appointment with Majd Chahin, MD, the board-certified medical oncologist at Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center.

“I had a lot of confidence in him and his staff,” Whitney says. “The infusion nurses were terrific. They’re very com-passionate people.”

Round Two: RadiationOn the last day of his chemo treatments, Whitney started radiation therapy with Keyserling’s board-certified radiation oncologist, Jonathan Briggs, MD.

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Using PET scans and Moffitt’s radiologic studies, Briggs was able to pinpoint the spot to be treated and the lymph node chains through which the cancer could spread.

“We put little tattoo marks on his skin to allow us to line up the laser lights,” Briggs explains. “Then we did a scan to be sure the organs hadn’t shifted and were aligned correctly.”

With Beaufort Memorial’s image-guided radiation technology, Briggs knew precisely where to target the beam, delivering the right amount of radiation to the lesion and minimizing exposure to nearby organs.

“The chance of the cancer recurring in the bladder is extremely low,” Briggs says. “But it could pop up somewhere else in the body.”

Whitney will need to undergo PET

scans every three to six months to make sure he remains cancer-free.

“I feel great,” he says. “I’m back exer-cising at the gym three times a week and walking a couple of miles on the days in between. My wife says I look better now than before.”

Besides first-rate medical care, Whitney credits “the best support in the world” for his recovery. “It was amaz-ing to me the way my family, church and friends rallied around me during this whole ordeal,” he says. His son and daughter made videos set to music and bought T-shirts for everyone in the fam-ily imprinted with “Team Papa Whit” and a biblical verse. Friends sent stacks of encouraging cards and added him to prayer lists.

“I had a team rooting for me,” says Whitney with a smile. n

ADJUSTING TO YOUR NEWNORMALYou survived cancer treatment and are finally starting to feel like your old self. While your prognosis is good, you can’t shake the fear of a cancer recurrence, though.

Whether you’re living with the anxiety of not knowing what comes next or celebrating every day you wake up well, this is part of the new normal that comes with being a cancer survivor.

Joining a support group with people undergoing the same kind of experience can help you feel better and realize you’re not alone. You may even pick up tips on coping with physical chal-lenges, depression and stress.

And by sharing your feel-ings, you could help someone else get through the process of cancer recovery.

CALL

Get SupportBeaufort Memorial offers a free support group for cancer patients and their caregivers at 4 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Keyserling Cancer Center. For more information, call 843-522-7807.

With his treatment at Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer

Center complete, oncology patient Richard Whitney is

back to exercising at the gym three times a week.

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Chad Tober doesn’t need to be reminded of the extraordinary contributions

his favorite charity has made to the Lowcountry community. He sees it every day as he walks the halls of Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Since joining the BMH medical staff in 2004, Tober has watched the hospital improve and expand facilities, upgrade

FOUNDATION-BUILDING

ALL INRecognizing how much the BMH Foundation has done for the hospital, Chad and Tei Tober have donated their time, treasure and talent to support the not-for-profit organization.

The couple enjoy cooking together

at home.

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its technology and enhance services to provide the best possible healthcare to area residents. His charity of choice, the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation, has provided millions of dollars toward that effort.

“A lot of people don’t realize what the Foundation has done for the hospital,” says Tober, a board-certified vascu-lar surgeon. “The money it has raised over the years has touched every part of the hospital, from the Emergency Department to the Intensive Care Unit to the Keyserling Cancer Center. Support from the Foundation has been key to their development.”

Most recently, the Foundation con-tributed half the funds to purchase a new breast tomosynthesis machine for the Women’s Imaging Center. The state-of-the-art 3-D mammogram enables radiologists to detect 40 percent more invasive cancers while reducing the number of false positives.

The organization’s next major priority is the renovation of the operating suite.

“We have some very talented sur-geons who do incredibly good work in there,” says Tober, who formerly served as the hospital’s chief of staff. “But sur-gical medicine has changed so much, a renovation of the OR is long overdue. Improving the unit will allow us to opti-mize what we can deliver and help us attract top physicians.”

Recognizing the significant role the Foundation has played in transforming Beaufort Memorial from a community hospital into a high-quality regional healthcare provider, Tober and his wife, Tei, have done everything they can to support the not-for-profit organization.

They have served as Sweetheart spon-sors of the Foundation’s annual Valentine

Ball, and in 2012 co-chaired the fundrais-ing event. Over the years, Tei Tober has worked on a number of the committees that help to organize the ball.

The couple love to cook and have hosted elegant pre-ball dinners at home, as well as cocktail parties to introduce members of the community to hospital administrators, staff and members of the Foundation.

“A lot of people don’t realize what the Foundation has done for the hospital. The money it has raised over the years has touched every part of the hospital.”

“The only way to make the hospital better is to pool our resources,” Tei Tober says. “It’s really important for people in the community to support the hospital to ensure it’s able to provide high-quality care when they need it.”

Tei Tober first became involved with the Foundation in 2007 after marry-ing Tober and moving to Beaufort. She brought with her years of experience as director of development at Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community on James Island and as a teacher at the Medical University of South Carolina Institute of Psychiatry.

“The hospital has been very good to us,” Tei Tober says. “It was a way to give something back. With my background in development, I understand the benefit of fundraising. It was a natural fit.”

She started out stuffing envelopes and helping plan the Valentine Ball. In later years, she got involved with the annual appeal, helping draft letters to donors. In 2011, she was appointed to the Foundation’s board of directors. She currently serves on the allocation committee, charged with making recom-mendations for projects the Foundation should fund each year.

“It’s not just a question of opening up your pocketbook,” Tei Tober says. “You can donate your time as well. They always need volunteers to help in a million different ways.”

An artist, master gardener and floral designer—as well as a chef extraordi-naire—Tei Tober often volunteers to create flower arrangements for hospital parties and fundraising events.

“I enjoy helping in any way I can,” she says. “It’s wonderful to know you’re a part of something that’s so important to the community.” n

WEBSITE

A Multitude of Ways To GiveTo make a donation or vol-unteer to help, contact the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation at bmhsc.org/bmh-foundation or call 843-522-5774.

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FOUNDATION

The first “Valentine Ball Weekend” doubled the fun of the BMH Foundation’s signature event. Some guests opted for Friday evening’s

Cocktail Affair. Others chose Saturday evening’s tradi-tional Valentine Ball gala, preceded by privately hosted dinner parties. And some joined in both nights! The new electronic auction provided added time and flexibility to everyone who participated in the four-day bidding period. All in all, the weekend was a cause for celebration, as new and old friends of BMH came together and raised nearly $170,000 for the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center.

IT WAS A…BALL!

Annie Powell, Amy Lesesne and Vivi Verity

Dr. Faith Polkey and Raynard Polkey

Chris and Amy Geier, Richard and Joyce Gray, Dr. Andrea Hucks and Dr. Dan Ripley

John C. Troutman, Jr. and Danielle Troutman

Dr. Luke Baxley, Geneva Baxley, Pam Vyge and Dr. Rob Vyge

Katie Cunningham and John Tashjihan Chase Cuppia, Patrick and Abby Mitchell and Emily Cuppia

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The BMH Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following tribute gifts received from November 1, 2016, to February 23, 2017. To make a tribute gift, please call 843-522-5774 or

visit the BMH Foundation page at beaufortmemorial.org.

TRIBUTESIN HONOR OF Mr. Dennis Bailey

Dr. Karen Carroll Mrs. Valerie Benn

Ms. Deborah SlazykDr. Edward Blocker

Mr. and Mrs. Robert PenticoBMH C-Suite

Dr. Karen CarrollBMH Fourth Floor Staff

Ms. Evelyn GlidewellBMH Nursing Staff

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph HardenBMH Staff

Ms. Karen Garneau Ms. Ginnie Kozak

Ms. Janice Bristow Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Dusti Camp Ms. Deborah Slazyk

Dr. Nicholas Dardes Mr. and Mrs. Cole Proctor

Mrs. Trish Deems Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Megan DeLuca Dr. Karen Carroll

Mrs. Connie Duke Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Dawn Erwin Mr. and Mrs. J. Steven Phifer

Ms. Nancy Fu Dr. Karen Carroll

Dr. Kurt Gambla Mr. and Mrs. Dexter Thomas, Jr.

Ms. Alice Gaston Mr. Howard Green, Jr.

Ms. Estella Brown Gaston Mr. Howard Green, Jr.

Mr. Hugh Gouldthorpe Ms. Lolita Watson

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Gray Mr. Raymond Ambrose

Dr. Mary Wynn Hill Mrs. Joyce Foley

Dr. Steven Kessel Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Mark Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Merrill, Jr.

Mrs. Angie Keyserling Mrs. Ann Bulock Ms. Angie Calhoun Mr. and Mrs. William Greene Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Hancock Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Heaton Ms. Sally Hendricks Colonel and Mrs. Fred Krumm Mrs. Katherine McCormick Mr. and Mrs. Normandus M.

Polk III Mr. Emory Rushton Ms. Lynn Sammons Ms. Marsha Spears Mr. and Mrs. Robert Upton

Mr. Kevin Kremer Dr. Karen Carroll

Mr. Alex Marsh Mrs. Carla Marsh

Mrs. Betty Patterson Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Beall

Mrs. Karen Peluso Ms. Karen Bonislawski

Dr. Khang Pham Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Diane Razo Dr. Karen Carroll

Mrs. Susan Roos Dr. Karen Carroll

Mrs. Julie Schott Dr. Karen Carroll

Mrs. Marla Slock Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Susan South Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Patricia Valentini Dr. Karen Carroll

Ms. Kristin Varnes Dr. Karen Carroll

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Webb III Mr. and Mrs. Norris Laffitte

IN MEMORY OFBig Joe and Jo Jo

Ms. Patricia DowlingMr. James Bomar

Mrs. Alexis Bomar

Mr. Calvin Campbell Mrs. Joyce Foley

Mr. William Cochrane Mrs. Lois Cochrane

Mr. John Copley Mrs. Joyce Foley

Ms. Nina Corley Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pringle

Ms. Amy Cullison Captain Chester Cullison

Ms. Mildred Cullison Captain Chester Cullison

Ms. Edna Dehncke Colonel and Mrs. Robert

Graebener Mr. and Mrs. David Hodgson

Dr. Adolphus Dunn Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus Dunn III

Mr. Raymond Foley Mrs. Joyce Foley

Mr. Tom Garrett Mrs. Priscilla Dukes The BHS Class of 1958

Ms. Doris Gaston Mr. Howard Green, Jr.

Ms. Eliza Gaston Mr. Howard Green, Jr.

Mrs. Emily Brown Gaston Mr. Howard Green, Jr.

Mr. August Gorse Mrs. Katrina Gorse

Mrs. Doris Gray Mrs. Priscilla Dukes

Mr. Robert Gunderson Mr. Christopher Gunderson

Dr. Arthur Jenkins Dr. and Mrs. Charles Bush Mrs. Priscilla Dukes Mr. and Mrs. Jack Duncan Frances and Russell Jeter Mr. and Mrs. John Perrill

Ms. Serena Johnson Mrs. Olive Warrenfeltz

Ms. Jane Johnston Ms. Karen Bonislawski

Dr. B. Herbert Keyserling Mrs. Madeleine Kalb

Mrs. Allison Marshall Mrs. Priscilla Dukes

Mr. Frank McCoy, Jr. Ms. Deborah McCoy

Mrs. Faye McGowan Mr. and Mrs. Jack Duncan

Mr. Thomas Melvin Ms. Margie Mears

Mr. Frank Miriello Mrs. Rosa Miriello

Ms. Willie Mae Mitchell Mr. Howard Green, Jr.

Mr. Don Morris Mrs. Priscilla Dukes

Mr. Clint Campbell Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bourgeois Mr. Stanley Boyd Ms. Constance Bridges Mrs. Lynn Davis Mr. and Mrs. Russ Dimke Mr. and Mrs. L. David Easton Ms. Betty Grebenschikoff Mr. and Mrs. Keith Hanley Ms. Elizabeth Harper Ms. Lucinda Hathaway Mr. Randall Lafferty Lockheed Martin Corporation Ms. Nancy Lowden-Norman Mr. Michael McFee Mr. and Mrs. Raymond

Molony, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Monihan Ms. Alice Beddingfield Moss Mr. and Mrs. James Peluso Mr. Gary Raider Mr. Mark Soifer Mr. and Mrs. Neil Trask

Dr. Bruce Pratt Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stevens

Dr. Louis Roempke Mr. Thomas Smyth

Mr. Douglas Van Slyke Mrs. Joyce Foley

Mr. John Wasson Mrs. Jeanne Wasson

Mr. Taylor Weeman Mrs. Joyce Foley

Mrs. Terese Wood Mr. Richard Wood and

Mrs. Deborah Garnick

PLAY OFFENSE.A breakthrough in breast cancer diagnosis, breast tomosynthesis, or 3-D mammography, delivers a clearer view of the breast tissue than traditional mammography alone, allowing radiologists to detect small tumors at their earliest and most treatable stages. This powerful tool is just one of the ways Beaufort Memorial is helping patients take control of their health and better their odds in the fi ght against breast cancer.

BEAUFORTMEMORIAL.ORG