SPRING 2013

The always perky—and quirky— DIANE KEATON doesn’t let asthma slow her down

Breath of Fresh Air

MEET OUR DOCTORS ...

OUT OF THE WHITE COAT

page 54

New Emergency Center Offers Patients Private and Comfortable Care

JOINT REPLACEMENT SURGERY—DON’T GO IT ALONE

Ladies: Assess Your Risk for Breast Cancer with Our Online Tool

is the wave of the future, and it is now available at Beaufort Memorial. Our minimally invasive surgery program offers single-site gall bladder surgery using the da Vinci robot.

Single-site Surgery

Learn more about single-site surgery

through one of our da Vinci-trained

surgeons:

Dr. Stephen Sisco Board-certified, general surgery

Dr. Deanna ManskerBoard-certified, general surgery

There are benefits to being single, including:

ONE SMall

inciSion in the navel

QuickEr recoVery

time

VirtuaLLy no ViSible

scar

Beaufort MeMorial Surgical SpecialiStS • BEaufOrt • BLufftONcaLL (843) 524-8171 tO LEarN MOrE

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56DEPARTMENTS2 Opening Thoughts Welcome to Living Well!

3 Health Connect Check out our consumer health portal for recipes, videos and articles.

46 Virtual Health A video for dizziness, a stress-reducing app, and much more!

49 News from the Foundation Donate to the Beaufort Memorial Foundation by leaving a gift through your IRA.

50 Beaufort Memorial Highlights A recap of recent events.

52 The New Minimalists When it comes to surgery, BMH takes the less-is-more approach.

54 Out of the White Coat A window into the lives of our doctors ... out of the white coat.

FEATURES 4 Pratt Emergency Center

The new facility offers emergency ser-vices in an inviting environment.

6 A Joint Adventure Patients undergoing joint replacement surgery now have an advocate to get them through the process.

8 Women’s Health A new online tool is now available to help identify and manage women who are high risk for breast cancer.

10 You’re the Star Find out how you can take the lead role in your own healthcare.

14 Heart-to-Heart Four women share their harrowing stories of heart disease, along with lifesaving advice.

18 Lighten Up! Get the skinny on how losing a little weight can make a big difference in your health.

20 Have No Fear Don’t let concerns about joint replacement keep you from living.

25 Work It! This easy office makeover can help you stay fit and reduce stress on the job.

34 What Are the Chances? Which behaviors are risky when it comes to cancer and which are just hype? We clear up the confusion.

38 9 Symptoms Never to Ignore When do those minor aches and pains indicate something more? Here are nine reasons to call your doctor.

42 When Allergies Attack Do you know fact from fiction when it comes to allergies?

ON THE COVERBecause she has such an effervescent personality, you probably never would have guessed that Diane Keaton has asthma. But she is breathing easier now and living a full, joyful life even with the condition. And so can you!

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SPECIALHealthy InsightsA Beaufort Memorial health expert shares his take on living well.

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W elcome to our fi rst issue of Living Wellmagazine! We are excited about its focus on health and wellness, and hope you’ll enjoy it.

We have a lot of news about Beaufort Memorial Hospital in this issue as well, including the recent opening of the new Pratt Emergency Center. Soon we’ll be opening the new med ical and administrative center across the street from the hospital. Our LifeFit Wellness Center on the main fl oor of the building will almost double in size, offering more services to the community. Look forward to the opening later this year.

We have been working with our orthopedic and surgical staff on improving and refi ning our Total Joint program, and are excited with the results we’re see-ing already. What this means to you as a patient is a more effi cient and effective experience. We had all the ingredients for success with our orthopedic program—great doctors and professional staff—but, now we have coupled that with well-thought-out processes and procedures to make the experience better for everyone. We fully expect this project to spill over into other surgical areas for improvement in our operating rooms, as well.

We are very fortunate to have an outstanding medical staff at BMH. All of our doctors are board-certifi ed or board-eligible in their fi eld of practice, as required by our Board bylaws. Always looking for the best way to treat our patients, our physicians are very innovative in the way they approach each case. That’s why BMH is the only hospital between Savannah and Charleston to use the da Vinci surgical robot to minimize surgical intervention. As a result, patients are going home much sooner and are back to their lives faster than ever before. Two of our surgeons have begun performing single-site surgery with da Vinci, which results in little to no visible scarring.

None of this could happen without tremendous community support for our hospital. As the only not-for-profi t hospital between Savannah and Charleston, we rely heavily on the people who live here to help us improve. Thank you for all your support!

Richard K. ToomeyPresident & CEO

A Fresh Start in Spring

OPENING THOUGHTS

BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

President & CEO

Richard K. Toomey, DHA, FACHE

The BMH Board of Trustees

Gerald “Jerry” Schulze, Chair

Terry Murray, Vice Chair

David Tedder, Secretary/Treasurer

Andrea Allen, MS, LMSW

David House

Steve Kessel, MD

Terry Murray

James Simmons, MD

David Tedder

Patricia Thompson, MD

Susan Williams, RN, PhD

Ex-officio members

J. Chadwick Tober, MD, Chief of Staff

Bill Nettles, Chairman, BMH Foundation

Bill McBride, Beaufort County Council representative

BMH Editorial

Courtney McDermott, Director, Marketing & Communications

PRODUCTIONEditorial

Executive VP/Chief Creative Officer: Beth Tomkiw

Editor-in-Chief: Shelley Flannery

Editors: Erin Feeney, Sam Mittelsteadt, Matt Morgan, Ellen Olson,

Tom Weede

Copy Editor: C.J. Hutchinson

Design

Managing Art Director: Adele Mulford

Art Directors: Rod Karmenzind, Monya Mollohan, Kay Morrow

Production

Senior Production Manager: Laura Marlowe

Special Projects Coordinator: Jenny Babich

Imaging Specialist: Dane Nordine

Production Technology Specialists: Julie Chan, Sonia Washington

Circulation

V.P./Business Intelligence Group: Patrick Kehoe

Postal Affairs & Logistics Director: Joseph Abeyta

CLIENT SERVICES Executive VP/Sales: Chad Rose, 888-626-8779

VP/Client Services & Strategy: Andrea Parsons

Account Managers: Carey Ballard, Kirsten Markson, Barbara Mohr,

Paul Peterson, Ryan Smeets

ADMINISTRATION Vim & Vigor Founder: J. Barry Johnson

Chairman: Preston V. McMurry Jr.

Chief Executive Officer: Christopher McMurry

Chief Financial Officer: Clarke Rea

President: Fred Petrovsky

Vim & Vigor,TM Spring 2013, Volume 29, Number 1, is published quarterly by McMurry, McMurry Campus Center, 1010 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85014, 602-395-5850. Vim & VigorTM 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 & VigorTM is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. Please consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment and/or adopt-ing any exercise program or dietary guidelines. Vim & VigorTM does not accept advertising promoting the consumption of alcohol or tobacco. Copyright ©

2013 by McMurry. All rights reserved. Subscriptions in U.S.: $4 for one year (4 issues). Single copies: $2.95. For subscriptions and address changes, write: Circulation Manager, Vim & Vigor,TM McMurry Campus Center, 1010 E. Missouri Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85014.

Beaufort Memorial Hospital955 Ribaut Road

Beaufort, SC 29902843-522-5200

843-522-5585 – Doctor Referral Service

2 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Living Well Is Just a Click Away!

HealtH ConneCt

Visit Beaufort Memorial Hospital’s consumer health portal 24/7

for access to must-have healthy recipes, informative videos and

advice on living well. While you’re there, you can read our spring

issue and take advantage of additional features:

QUICK, INFORMATIVE VIDEOS

Our videos tackle health topics from head to toe, including

our “5 Easy Ways” series of quick tips to improve your mind

and body.

FREE RECIPE BOOK

Download a FREE recipe book, full of healthy and delicious

meal ideas.

ARTICLE ARCHIVE

Hundreds of articles about the issues that concern you most.

Browse by topic, category or keyword.

INTERACTIVE ISSUE

This version of Living Well is hands-on. Scroll through the issue

online; embedded links direct you right to the websites dis-

cussed. Want to send an article to a friend or a relative? Hit the

“envelope” icon and email it—it’s easy and free!

YOUR LINK TO BMH

A single click takes you right to

where you need to be to find

the right doctor, locate the

nearest clinic or medical office,

or view our community report.

FREE HEALTHY RECIPES

Looking for something new for lunch or dinner, or even a sweet

treat? From soups and salads to salsa and smoothies, we’ve got

the right dish.

A DAILY DOSE OF WELLNESS

Each morning, visit the site for a new Health Tip of the Day. And

if you’re just getting started, “View All” lets you look back at

past ones for even better living.

SHARE YOUR OPINIONMonthly polls let you weigh in on topics—make your voice heard!

Spirit of Women is now the Beaufort Memorial LiveWell Women’s Network, and we want you to join us in pursuit of health, wellness and a life, lived better!

If you’ve been a longtime member of our program, there’s no need to take action—you’ll continue to receive the benefits of membership, including special invitations to our popular Girls’ Night Out and Dance for Your Health events.

Ready to join?It’s easy and, best of all, it’s FREE! To become a member of the LiveWell Women’s Network sim-ply visit www.bmhsc.org/livewell.

Benefits of joining include:• Discounted membership and services at our

LifeFit Wellness Center

• First notice of special events and programs

• Monthly women’s health e-news

• A subscription to Living Well magazine

Calling All Women!Join the LiveWell Women’s Network

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Get in the KnowTo learn more, visit

www.bmhsc.org or call 843-522-5171 .

Make a choice now to live well !

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When you step into the new Pratt Emergency Center at Beaufort Memorial Hospital you’re likely to feel as if you’re in a hotel

lobby rather than an ER reception area. That’s because every detail of the new 20,500-square-

foot center, all the way down to the calming color palette and the boardwalk-like entryway, was designed to pro-mote comfort and a familiarity that reflect the personality and scenery so commonly found in the Lowcountry.

From the spacious 45-seat lobby area to the auto-mated check-in kiosks, it is clear that creating a comfort-able environment with modern conveniences was a top priority. But it’s what you’ll find inside the center that underscores the primary goal of the project: to create a state-of-the-art emergency center that provides superior care to our community.

Private careThe new center is designed to meet the growing com-munity’s need for emergency services with thoughtful features centered on care—both the ability for providers to offer care safely and conveniently, and for patients to receive care in a private and comfortable environment.

Workstations for nurses and physicians are centrally located with open views of patient rooms for visual moni-toring and quick access. And trauma rooms are equipped with overhead “booms”—movable consoles that house all the tools and equipment needed to treat patients. They can be easily moved across the rooms to treat multiple patients simultaneously, if necessary.

Greater comfortTreatment rooms feature large doors that can be retracted to allow wide access in and out of the room, providing greater comfort to the patient. Dimming LED sconces promote a more soothing environment—of particular importance to patients with migraines or head injuries. Even the rooms’ linen closets have outside access so housekeeping can provide patients with needed supplies without entering the room and disturbing them.

“Emergencies cause a great deal of stress and fear,” says Director Kevin Kremer, MD. “We designed the cen-ter to provide as much comfort as possible to patients and their family members, while also meeting the needs of the physicians and staff who require ready access to equipment and tools to provide the safest, highest qual-ity care possible.”

The Pratt Emergency Center offers emergency services to the community

in an inviting environment

Care

At the new Pratt Emergency Center, patients are treated in private rooms, making their time here a quiet and comfortable stay.

CenteredOn

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making their time here a quiet and comfortable stay.

Every patient entering the Pratt Emergency Center is greeted by a nurse.

Mobile booms in the trauma rooms provide easy access to treatment tools.

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Round-the-Clock Care

The Pratt Emergency Center provides emergency care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To view photos of the Pratt Emergency Center,

visit www.bmhsc.org.

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The Pratt Emergency CenterBy the Numbers

• 45-seat lobby

• 2 triage rooms for patient assessments

• 9-seat area for patients awaiting discharge

• 5 private minor treatment areas

• 1 private Family Consultation Room to discuss sensi-

tive information Funded by BMH employees

• Dedicated driveway for ambulances accommodates

up to 5 ambulances

• 3 outdoor decontamination showers for nontoxic

exposures

• 2 enclosed decontamination areas for patients

exposed to toxins

• 2 isolation rooms with negative pressure for patients

with communicable diseases

• 2 trauma rooms with mobile booms to allow easy

access to treatment tools

• 3 centrally located nurses’ stations

Total Treatment Areas:

• 26 private rooms

• 14 discharge and minor treatment areas

• 2 trauma rooms (can accommodate 2 patients each,

if needed)

• 2 triage rooms

Patients undergoing total joint replacement surgery at Beaufort Memorial Hospital now have a medical advocate to help them through the process of treat-

ment from presurgery tests to postsurgery therapy.The orthopedic care coordinator is part of a new

streamlined joint replacement program being developed by BMH to promote rapid recovery and improve the patient experience.

“It’s intimidating to think about having hip or knee replacement surgery,” says orthopedic surgeon Kevin Jones, MD. “The orthopedic care coordinator will serve as the patient’s personal navigator through the whole pro-cess. She’ll educate them on what’s involved and serve as a liaison between the patient and their physician, nurse, physical therapist and other hospital staff.”

POINT PERSONAndrea Sadler, a physical therapist with 20 years’ expe-rience, is the hospital’s new orthopedic care coordinator. She will work with patients from the time their surgery is scheduled until they return home from the hospital.

“I’m their point person,” Sadler says. “There are so many people involved in total joint replacement, it helps to have one person the patient can call with questions before and after their surgery.”

The process begins with preadmission testing and a total joint education class about three to fi ve weeks before surgery. In the class session, Sadler will provide

Going in for joint replacement surgery doesn’t have to be a solo mission, BMH is here to help guide you through the process

AdventureAJoint

Drs. Kevin Jones and Ned Blocker of Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists are two of the Total Joint program’s board-certified surgeons.

When the pain in a knee or a hip becomes so severe that

it limits your daily activities, it may be time to speak with

an orthopedist. Your doctor can tell you whether you

are a candidate for joint replacement surgery based on a

number of factors, including your age and general health

and the condition of your joint.

Disabling pain plus severe arthritis may be reason to

consider joint replacement surgery.

ARE YOUR JOINTS TALKING TO YOU?

6 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

patients with detailed information on the surgical pro-cedure, hospital care after the surgery, and the physical and occupational therapy that will be required to restore their mobility.

“We don’t want people to come into surgery blind,” Sadler says. “It’s important for them to know what to expect and what their recovery will entail so they can have a plan in place when they return home.”

After the instruction session, they will meet with a nurse to go over their health history and medications and have the pre-op tests ordered by their physician.

“It’s a one-stop shop,” Sadler says. “We make it conve-nient so they can have everything done at one time and in one location.”

The pre-op testing and education classes are offered once a week in both Beaufort and at Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Medical Services in Westbury Park.

Postsurgery PlanWhile patients are in the hospital, Sadler will visit them daily and coordinate their care with team members. Prior to discharge, she’ll arrange for their pain medications, in-home therapy and the follow-up visit with their physician.

In addition to providing an orthopedic care coordi-nator, BMH is working behind the scenes to improve efficiency in every stage of the joint replacement process.

“We’re taking what we already do well and polishing it up a bit,” says orthopedic surgeon Ned Blocker, MD. “In the end, we will have a coordinated plan of care from the time the patient is scheduled for surgery to the time they go home.”

Consultants have been hired to look at every aspect of operations, from the way instruments are set up in the operating room and how the patient is positioned for surgery to how dressings are applied and how patients are mobilized after surgery.

embracing change for better careBy streamlining the flow of care and establishing proto-cols for treatment, the orthopedic team hopes to reduce patients’ length of stay in the hospital.

“We’re already in a good range, but we’d like to see more patients going home in two days rather than three or four,” Dr. Jones says. “Patients do better in their own surroundings.”

For years now, Beaufort Memorial Hospital has been nationally recognized for its orthopedic services, includ-ing total knee and joint replacements. “The reason our program has been so successful is that we’re constantly reevaluating ourselves and embracing changes that will improve outcomes,” Dr. Jones says. “Our goal is to cre-ate a comprehensive center of excellence so patients will know when they come here that every aspect of care will be closely monitored and taken care of.”

Looking for a Top Joint Replacement Program?

Blue Cross Blue Shield has named Beaufort Memorial a Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replace-

ments—a demonstration of our commitment to quality care and better outcomes for our patients.

Visit www.bmhsc.org to learn more.

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B eaufort Memorial Hospital is developing tools and programs to help women identify their risk for breast cancer so that they can be managed and treated locally.

“Understanding your risk is the first step, but main-taining a relationship with trained specialists who can monitor your breast health over time is the key to detecting potential cancers early and starting treatment quickly, if needed,” says BMH Breast Program Leader Perry Burrus, MD, FACS.

Dr. Burrus and his partners at Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists have spent years managing breast surgery patients after surgery. Working with the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center and Women’s Imaging Services, the hospital plans to expand that service eventually to include women who have not been diagnosed or treated, but who have been identified as being at high risk of developing breast cancer.

Early DEtEction toolsClinical breast exams and regular mammograms are important, but identifying true risk requires a deeper dive into a patient’s family and medical history and overall lifestyle.

Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center recently launched a free online risk assessment tool to encourage women to answer questions that will evaluate and rate

their risk level. The online assessment offers opportuni-ties for women to manage or evaluate their risk proac-tively based on their assessed level.

“If a woman completes an assessment and learns she has an increased level of risk, we want to encourage her to take the next step for her health,” says Beaufort Memorial Breast Care Coordinator Jackie Brown, RN.

aFtEr assEssmEntNext steps can include discussing results with a pri-mary care physician or scheduling an appointment with a breast care coordinator for further evaluation. High-risk women will be contacted directly by a specialist and offered a follow-up evaluation.

High-risk patients will be monitored more closely than the general population to try to detect cancer at an early stage when it’s much easier to treat. That could involve more frequent mammograms and clinical breast exams, as well as MRIs.

Any woman who is identified through the online assessment as being at high risk will be encouraged to complete further follow-up.

A multidisciplinary team of leaders, physicians and nurses is developing plans for the comprehensive high-risk program. In the meantime, women who are identi-fied as high risk can rest assured that Beaufort Memorial already has the resources and experts in place to develop a care plan that meets their specific needs.

New assessment tool aims to identify and help women who are at high risk for breast cancer

What’s the Risk?

Perry Burrus, MD, FACS, and Jackie Brown, RN, work with patients to determine their level of risk for breast cancer.

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Minimize Your UncertaintyTake our Breast CancerAware Risk Assessment, a free

online evaluation designed to help you assess and identify potential risk for breast cancer. To take the interactive

test, go to www.bmhsc.org/healthaware.

8 S p R i n g 2 0 1 3

She walks like you, talks like you—wants to be you. Give her a positive example to emulate, and you’ll set her up for a lifetime of good health..

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Living with

Are you playing a supporting role in your own healthcare? Find out how to take the lead

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When it comes to

TV medical dramas, the

lives of the doctors are often

more entertaining than the plight

of the patient. After all, who wouldn’t

want to keep tabs on the ups and downs

of the love affairs on Grey’s Anatomy? But in

your own life, it’s important to make sure you’re

focused on getting the best care, and that means you

need to be the leading lady (or gentleman) of your own

medical drama. It may not win you an Emmy or score you a

date with Patrick Dempsey, but becoming your own healthcare

advocate can put you on the path to improved wellness.

BY ELLEN OLSONSTAR

11S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

“Do not be afraid to talk to your doctor about your health,” says Erin Moaratty, chief of mission delivery at the Patient Advocate Foundation. “Many times patients may feel like their visits are too short, leaving you with only a few min-utes to talk, but taking some time to prepare before your visit can ensure you use your time wisely. Ultimately, your doc-tor wants to hear from you—don’t let a rushed or grumpy demeanor prevent you from an open discussion.”

If you are bashful about discussing certain issues like weight, depression, libido or incontinence, keep in mind that doctors have heard and seen it all.

“Be honest and forthright with your symptoms, medical history, current and previous medications, past hospitaliza-tions, any herbal or alternative therapies you have used, work, home or personal stress that may be affecting you, any other doctors you have seen and been treated by, etc.,” Moaratty says. “You should also include the parts that are perhaps embarrassing, like not following through with advice previ-ously recommended by your doctor or altering the dosage of medications to save costs.”

Your honesty about your own health can help your doctor determine a course of action, and can ultimately affect the quality of care you receive.

“Patients should never feel embarrassed in front of their doctor,” Cutler says. “We’ve been trained to deal with all types of medical issues, and if you’re not telling us what’s really going on, we can’t help you as well as we’d like.”

HAVE A CASTING CALLOnce you are comfortable talking to your doctors, it’s time to evaluate their performance. If your doctor doesn’t give you time to talk, doesn’t take your concerns seriously or acts annoyed when you ask questions, it’s time to search for a new physician.

“Sometimes choosing a healthcare provider comes down to a feeling,” Cutler says. “We often recommend that poten-tial patients actually do a bit of an interview process before

REHEARSE FOR THE ROLE Have you ever left an appointment with your doctor and realized you forgot to ask about the one thing that has been bothering you the most? According to Charles Cutler, M.D., an internal medicine specialist and a member of the American College of Physicians’ board of regents, you’re not alone.

“Many people come to appointments without mapping out what they want to talk about and often end up forgetting why they’re there in the fi rst place,” Cutler says.

So what’s the best way to combat this brief stint of memory loss? Come prepared by making a list ahead of time of the things you want to discuss with your doctor.

“Almost no idea is better than coming armed with a list,” Cutler says. “It helps keep the conversation focused, and it can help your physician get a more in-depth sense of what the issues are.”

But be realistic when making the list. If you have a lot of issues to talk about, prioritize—put the most important ones at the top.

If you do happen to forget one or two specifi c questions, Cutler suggests following up through email if possible. “Email can be hugely convenient for everyone. It avoids the back-and-forth of trying to connect on the phone, and it lets patients really sit down and explain what the question they have is,” he says.

Just don’t rely on technology too much. “Nothing can replace an in-person visit. But if you have a follow-up ques-tion or feel confused about something your doctor said, email is quick and can help you avoid an unnecessary return visit.”

SAY GOODBYE TO STAGE FRIGHTWant to give a fi ve-star performance? Then it’s time to stop being shy. Your doctor isn’t there to criticize or judge, so don’t be nervous about letting it all hang out. Being honest will help your physician provide you with the right diagno-sis, the right medicine and the right advice for preventing or treating illness.

to a feeling,” Cutler says. “We often recommend that poten-tial patients actually do a bit of an interview process before

sis, the right medicine and the right advice for preventing or

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selecting a new doctor—come in and see how things work, see if you like the practice and the staff.”

Cutler recommends keeping a few things in mind when evaluating a practice:

• Is the office convenient to your home and work?

• Do patients regularly have to wait a long time to see the doctor? Will that work for your schedule?

• How is the parking and accessibility of the office? Will getting there be a hassle?

But more than anything, Moaratty says, it is most impor-tant to find a doctor you are comfortable with.

“With the right doctor, patients feel more engaged in their own health, more comfortable discussing concerns, and are more likely to follow their doctor’s advice,” she says. “Patients should not only connect with their doctor in terms of person-ality, demeanor and mood; for many patients it is important that they feel like their doctor is listening and committed to their health. Other patients will sacrifice likability for the preference of their doctor participating in cutting-edge research. Finding the right doctor for you is a crucial element in your overall health journey.”

If you do receive a diagnosis from your doctor, don’t hesitate to get a second opinion. “The importance of second opinions is huge. Any doctor that is insulted by a second opinion really isn’t worth sticking with as a doctor,” Cutler says. “Always get a second opinion if you get the notion that you should. Trust your instincts.”

Find Your Supporting CaStEvery great actor needs a solid cast and crew to produce an award-winning show. In addition to second opinions, when dealing with a diagnosis you likely will turn to a loved one to act as your caregiver during the treatment process.

“With a new diagnosis, the caregiver evolves into de facto manager,” says John Schall, CEO of the National Family Caregivers Association. “They’ll want to make sure the health-care provider recognizes their role as a caregiver and includes them in appointments and discussions. It is often a good idea to have it noted in the patient’s chart who the caregiver is.”

Even if you don’t choose one specific person to be your caregiver, it helps to have a second person accompany you to appointments.

“When dealing with illness, two people hearing the advice of the doctor is better than one,” Schall says. “Instructions are often forgotten or misunderstood, so having the two of you there listening, and hopefully taking notes, can help ensure that you get it right.”

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FdVVSP1300_10-13_responsibility.indd 13 10/17/12 3:21 PM

Do You Need a Doctor?Find a doctor who meets your needs through our

FREE doctor referral service. Call 843-522-5585 or visit www.bmhsc.org for our online directory.

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Supporting Role?Are you a caregiver? Do you regularly accompany a

friend or a family member to doctor visits? Or are you

planning on visiting a loved one in the hospital? No

matter what your supporting role may be, it helps to

have a little guidance. “When it comes to caregiving,

people often have to learn what to do and how to do it

in quite a hurry,” says John Schall, CEO of the National

Family Caregivers Association.

Follow these tips to make sure you’re a help, not

a hindrance:

• Ask your loved one what kind of involvement

he or she wants from you. Try to be involved, but

not overbearing.

• Be ready to learn a few new things. “It is important

to be educated about the illness and it helps to know

how to speak with medical pros,” Schall says.

• Don’t try to be the doctor. “You want to be con-

fident and assertive, but in a positive way,” Schall says.

“Speak up and ask questions, but also be respectful of

the medical team.” Try to remember that the doctor is

the expert on medicine, and you’re the expert on your

friend or family member.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 314

Four women share their stories of heart disease

Heart-to-HeartBY COLLEEN RINGER

Sometimes a tête-à-tête with a close girlfriend is all it takes for you to move on from that unhealthy relationship, to get to the bottom of your blind-date bashfulness, to decide that, no, your mother-in-law doesn’t

have a right to comment on your cleaning habits.If each of the following women could sit you

down for chat, they’d discuss protecting your heart, too, but from a different threat—heart disease. That’s because they know fi rsthand the dangers of the leading cause of death for women.

“The majority of women still don’t think that they personally are at risk,” says Tracy Stevens, M.D., a physician spokeswoman for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement.

But as these four women will tell you, if it can happen to them, it can happen to you. So pull up a seat, read their stories and then pass on the mes-sage to your girlfriends.

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Heart-to-Heart

Name: DianneAGE AT TIME OF EVENT: 52HER STORY: A fi tness instructor and run-ner, Dianne went to the doctor every year, and every year she got a clean bill of health. So when she experienced numbness in her forearm and a little refl ux, she attributed it to the rigorous training she’d been doing. One morning, she couldn’t explain it away. “I grabbed my chest and went down to my knees just like you see in the movies.” Her husband, a police offi cer, insisted on a trip to the emer-gency room. Off they went, jammies and all.

As the seconds ticked by, her chest pain got worse; she was sweating and vomiting. The EKG, however, didn’t show anything. The ER staff dismissed it as a panic attack,

until Dianne grabbed a nurse and said,

“I am going to die.” A second EKG showed that she had suffered a massive heart attack called a widow maker. One stent later, the rhinoceros had been taken off her chest.

Dianne soon learned that six other peo-ple in her family had experienced the same thing—and died. “Growing up, I wasn’t aware that I had such a strong family history of it,” she says. “I don’t know why my family never talked about it.”

LEARN FROM HER: Dianne’s biggest mes-sage to women is to know your family history. “You need to ask questions,” says Dianne, a national volunteer and spokeswoman for the Go Red for Women movement. “This is not a disease that only overweight or sedentary people get.”

Thanks to Dianne’s heart attack, her fi ve sisters, including her twin, Denise, and Dianne’s two daughters are keeping a close eye on their risk factors, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Dianne remains active, exercising fi ve days a week. “I never want to go through that again.”

THE DOCTOR SAYS: While it’s helpful to know a little about your grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ health histories, it’s not essential. “It’s best to know primary family members—mom, dad, siblings,” Stevens says.

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Name: MarlaAGE AT TIME OF EVENT: 53HER STORY: Marla was fi t and played tennis regularly. But there was more happening on the court than a rousing doubles game. It was the only time in her day when she experienced chest pain. Of course, there was always a rea-sonable explanation: She’d had orange juice or coffee or both; she didn’t wait long enough after eating to play; maybe she wasn’t as in shape as she thought.

Finally, a cardiologist friend suggested she get a stress test. And even though Marla passed her stress test, the doctor told her to call if it happened again. It did. A few tests, three stents and fi ve prescriptions later, Marla was immersed in the world of coronary artery disease. “My life turned upside down.”

Not only was the diagnosis distressing, but the medications made Marla “feel like a zombie.” Her usual morning-person self was gone, so she told the doctor something had to change. “We started cutting back, adjusting and changing,” she says. “It was a struggle to get the right combination of med-ications for me.”

A year and a half later, Marla felt a pinch-ing in her left arm. This time she knew better. As a co-leader of three support groups for WomenHeart, a national coalition for women who have heart disease, she is all too familiar with the symptoms of a heart attack. “Because I knew what to do, there was no damage to my heart.”

LEARN FROM HER: “You need to put yourself before the dog,” says the mother of three. “Women are busy with children, fam-ily, friends, parents. Our health comes down somewhere after taking care of the plants.” And it’s not only that, she says. Women’s heart attack symptoms can be easy to miss. “It’s not always a Hollywood heart attack with the clutching of the chest. Women are subtle—it could be neck, jaw or arm pain.”

THE DOCTOR SAYS: It’s important to understand your diagnosis. “Coronary artery disease can range from ‘I’ve got a

little plaque in my heart’ to ‘I’ve had bypass surgery,’ ” Stevens says. Ask your doctor to clarify anything you’re unsure of.

Name: DinaAGE AT TIME OF EVENT: 41HER STORY: Dina just thought she had a really bad headache. She was home for the holidays, so she put on a brave face. On New Year’s Eve, the ex-athlete decided to head to the emergency room. Her blood pressure was elevated, but the staff chalked it up to holiday stress. Two days later, she was back at the ER. “I’ll never forget the look on the nurse’s face when she took my blood pressure. It was off the charts,” she says. “She looked at me as if I was going to die right there.” After an EKG, a CT scan and a chest X-ray, the doctor came in with the verdict: She had suffered a transient ischemic attack, or a ministroke.

Dina was shocked. She ran track in col-lege and had worked part time as a personal trainer—hardly the picture of heart disease. But genetics weren’t on her side. Many of her family members took medication for high blood pressure. “I was walking around thinking I was healthy, but I wasn’t. That’s why they call it the silent killer.”

Today, Dina’s daily routine includes tak-ing her blood pressure medication and work-ing out for 30 minutes. She eats a lot of fi sh and green, leafy vegetables, shuns fast food and tries to keep her stress level in check.

LEARN FROM HER: As a national spokes-woman for WomenHeart, Dina advises women to focus on the ABCs of heart dis-ease and stroke: aspirin therapy, blood

“It’s not always a

Hollywood heart attack

with the clutching of

the chest. Women are

subtle—it could be neck,

jaw or arm pain.”

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 17

pressure numbers, cholesterol control and smoking cessation.

THE DOCTOR SAYS: Exercise is one of the most powerful ways to lower your blood pres-sure level, Stevens says. In fact, she encour-ages patients to check theirs before and after physical activity to see the difference. “It comes crashing down after exercise,” she says.

Name: TamaraAGE AT TIME OF EVENT: 16HER STORY: Tamara doesn’t have and has never had heart disease. Still, it has touched her life deeply. The fi rst day of her senior year of high school, she lost her mother, Anita, to a heart attack.

Tamara had just fi nished her homework when she heard her mother calling her—her voice sounded odd. “I saw her hunched over on the carpet,” Tamara remembers. “She wanted me to take her to the doctor.” They never got that far. Tamara called 911, and the paramed-ics rushed her mother to the hospital, but she couldn’t be revived. She was only 46.

“Having her die was totally unexpected,” says Tamara, now 34. “She was always walk-ing around the neighborhood, doing calisthen-ics. She was very active.” Because her mother kept a detailed diary, Tamara knows that her mother woke up with cold sweats and felt nauseated the day she died. She didn’t real-ize how serious her symptoms were. “I hear her story from so many other women,” says Tamara, a national volunteer and spokes-woman for the Go Red for Women movement.

LEARN FROM HER: “I’ve gone through an evolution of what it means to be heart healthy,” she says. “After my mom died, I went to extremes—everything was clogging my arteries, I needed to be super in shape. I was vigilant in a way that was unhealthy.”

Now, Tamara takes a more holistic approach. The mother of three does yoga and takes long walks. “Being healthy is a journey, not a destination.”

THE DOCTOR SAYS: Stevens recommends leading an anti-infl ammatory lifestyle, which is a succinct way of saying eat plenty of veg-etables (especially the really colorful ones), exercise and don’t smoke. “There’s no magic diet,” she says.

“I’ve gone through an

evolution of what it means to be heart healthy.”

FdVVSP1300_14-17_heart.indd 17 10/17/12 4:04 PM

Dance for Your Health! Make your feet—and your heart—happy. Brought to you by Beaufort

Memorial’s LiveWell Women’s Network, “Dance for Your Health! ”

is a free community wellness event designed to get you dancing for

good health.

Held in celebration of American Heart Month, the party

takes place from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 23, at Sun City’s

Pinckney Hall.

Featured specialties include:

• Heart Health

• Bone Health

• da Vinci Surgery

• Vein Health

The event will include dance demonstrations, health screenings, light

refreshments and mini-classes, including Zumba, a Latin-inspired,

calorie-burning fitness dance that’s all the rage.

To register, visit www.bmhsc.org or call 843-522-5585.

QU

IZ

Are You HeartAware? Take our free online evaluation designed to help you assess

and identify your potential risk for heart disease. To take the interactive test, visit www.bmhsc.org/healthaware.

The Ups and downs of weighT LossLosing weight does more than shrink your jeans size. Even a 5 percent weight loss can:

• Reduce diabetes risk

• �Decrease LDL (“bad”)

cholesterol

• Lower blood pressure

• Cut stroke risk

• �Reduce pressure on joints

and osteoarthritis risk

• Reduce sleep apnea risk

Down with the BaD • Increase energy levels

• �Potentially increase HDL

(“good”) cholesterol

• �Make movement

(and thus exercise) easier

• Improve mood

• Boost confidence

• Enhance sleep quality

Up with the GooD

Obesity by the Numbers

2/3��of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.

1/3 are obese.In 2011, 12 states had an obesity prevalence of

30�percent�or�more.By comparison, a decade earlier NO states were at 30 percent or more.

(That’s�nearly�three�times�as�many�as�in�1960,�when�13.4�percent�were�obese.)

Lighten

upby AllisON thOmAs

Losing even a little weight

can make a HUGE difference

in your health

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Do the Biggest Losers ReaLLy Win?One reason maintaining weight loss is so challenging is that when you lose a lot, your metabolism adapts to become more efficient, and you need fewer calories to maintain your new weight. Translation?

You must eat less. And losing a lot of weight fast may actually make it even harder to keep it off. Case in point: When researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center studied contestants from the TV show The Biggest Loser, they found that by the end of the competi-tion, participants’ metabolisms had adapted to the point where they needed 504 fewer calories per day—or the equivalent of a meal—than a person of their age, weight and general body com-position who always had weighed that amount.

What Happens When You ...

Experts recommend losing no more than

25 PERCEnT Of lEAn musClEduring the first weeks of weight loss,and around 10 percent as weight loss continues. Besides boost-ing your metabolism and burning calories, exercise can help maintain lean muscle mass and keep your bones strong. strength training is the most beneficial for building muscle and includes any exercise in which resistance—either from weights or your own body weight—is used.

Lose the Fat, Keep the MuscLe

You gain mostly fat: 60–80 per-cent fat versus 20–40 percent lean body mass.

You lose a combin- ation of lean body

mass, fat and water—one more reason proper hydration

is important during weight loss.

Gain Weight?

LoseWeight?

vs.

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FdVVSP1300_18-19_weight3.indd 19 11/7/12 11:15 AM

7 Winning Habits to Adopt TodayDo you want to ensure those pounds stay lost? Follow

in the footsteps of successful weight-loss maintainers.

J. Graham Thomas, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the

National Weight Control Registry at Brown University

Medical School study the habits of 6,000 adults who

have lost 30 pounds or more and maintained the loss

for at least one year. Here’s how they do it:

1. They exercise 200 minutes week at a moderate

pace. “Exercise gives you a little more flexibility with

your eating, and there’s also some indication that regu-

lar activity helps you make healthy eating choices and

avoid temptation,” Thomas says.

2. They limit their TV time to less than 10 hours

per week.

3. They stick with a low-fat, low-calorie diet :

about 1,380 calories per day, with less than 30 percent

from fat.

4. They tend to eat the same foods—even on

weekends, holidays and other special occasions.

5. They eat breakfast , which may keep them

satisfied and prevent overeating.

6. They focus on controlling their eating habits,

rarely giving in to emotional eating or tempting foods.

7. They weigh themselves at least weekly and keep

a daily food diary. “We know self-monitoring is one of

the most powerful approaches to losing weight. And

it appears to be an important strategy for maintaining

weight loss as well.”

CA

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Get in Shape Now! The Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness

Center can help you get in shape. Ours is the only medically supervised fitness center

in the area, staffed with exercise physiolo-gists and other health professionals. Call

843-522-5635 to learn more.

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Does the thought of joint replacement surgery scare you? We put six common fears surrounding the procedure to rest

Fear

Have BY CHEYENNE HART

Kathy McFarland knows a thing or two about joint replacement. She should. A rare form of arthritis called calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease has led her to have six of them in the past 12 years. Although she says the first surgery scared her, they don’t anymore. “Now I’m totally fearless,” McFarland says.

If you’re facing joint replacement for the first time, you’re probably apprehensive, too. And that’s natu-ral. But arming yourself with knowledge can help put your fears to rest.

Fear: It wIll hurt.It’s true that there will be pain. It is surgery, after all.

“Joint replacement is a surgical procedure, and a considerable one at that,” says Christy Oakes, R.N., president of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses. “Patients who think they won’t have pain need additional preoperative education.”

But McFarland and others who have had joint replacement insist it’s worth it. “The pain you’re in now is so much worse than what you’ll have after surgery,” she says. The pain from arthritis is constant and will only get worse, whereas the pain associated with surgery is temporary and will go away in time.

“We’ve made great strides in pain management,” says Douglas Dennis, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hip and knee replacements and a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “We try to attack pain from many differ-ent angles, and doing so allows us to pretty much eliminate the intense pain when a patient wakes up from surgery.”

Oakes echoes Dennis’ philosophy. “Having sur-gery be pain-free is unrealistic, but having pain that is well-controlled is the goal. The goal of every hos-pital, doctor and nurse is to mitigate and minimize that pain.”

Fear: I wIll need to be off my feet for a long tIme after surgery.The idea that joint replacement surgery means weeks or months of bed rest is more than outdated. In fact, as your orthopedic surgeon will tell you, using your new joint soon after surgery is the best possible medicine.

“It’s not one of those surgeries where you go home and just sit in the easy chair,” Oakes says. “You need to maintain your mobility.”

After a hip or a knee replacement, that generally means you will be encouraged to get up and walk the day after your surgery, if not the same day. Most patients are able to leave the hospital in three to five days. Physical therapy starts immediately.

“Patients rehabilitate at different rates,” Dennis says. “Some at the four- to six-week interval are back to performing their normal activities of daily living. Others, it might take longer than that.”

Fear:rehabIlItatIon wIll be too hard or tIme-consumIng.Yes, rehabilitation is hard work. “Joint replacement is not a surgery you can just have and do nothing. There needs to be a personal commitment on the part of the patient, too, to be successful,” Oakes says. “But when you look at the outcome and the fact that you will be able to go grocery shopping without pain, I would hope that patients would think there is a return on that investment and commit to rehab.”

Dennis agrees. “My recommendation is that when patients decide to proceed with joint replacement, they need to make the commitment to work on rehab after,” he says. “The surgical procedure is impor-tant, but rehab is critical to the long-term function of the joint. If they don’t work on rehab programs, they’ll end up with joints that are stiffer and have less strength.”

McFarland is a big supporter of rehabilitation, having seen firsthand what a difference it makes.

“It’s pretty minimal what you have to do,” she says. “Do the basics and keep active, and you’ll have a lot better result. You have to keep up your end; your doc-tor can’t do everything for you.”

If you’re facing joint replacement for the first time, you’re probably apprehensive, too. But arming yourself with knowledge can help put your fears to rest.

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S p r i n g 2 0 1 3 23

FdVVSP1300_20-24_joint4.indd 23 10/17/12 3:38 PM

PreP for SurgeryJoint replacement isn’t a surgery you

decide to have overnight. It takes a

lot of thought and planning. Here

are some steps you will need to take

before having replacement surgery,

according to the American Academy

of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Study up. Learn everything you can

about what to expect before, during

and after surgery. Consult with your

doctor, do your own research, talk to

others who have had joint replacement

and attend a class on the subject if your

hospital offers it.

Build strength. Ask your doctor

about exercises to do before surgery

to strengthen your upper body so you

will be better able to use crutches or a

walker and exercise after surgery.

Consider your living arrange-

ments. Getting around your home

by yourself after surgery will be dif-

ficult. Make necessary changes before

surgery. For instance, you may need to

move your bedroom to the first floor

until you’re able to climb stairs easily.

And since most joint replacements

mean you won’t be able to drive for

several weeks, you’ll need to arrange

for transportation to and from physical

therapy appointments.

QU

IZ

Are Your Joints Causing Pain?

Our JointAware Risk Assessment is designed to help you assess and identify your potential risk for joint

pain, joint disorders and other health concerns. Visit www.bmhsc.org/healthaware to take the quiz.

Fear:I won’t be able to do the thIngs I lIke to do.There may be some limitations in the activities you can do with your replacement joint. But if pain is keeping you from doing those things now, what will you be missing?

“I often tell my patients it’s not about what your joint replacement won’t allow you to do. It’s about what it will allow you to do,” Dennis says. “No, we don’t recommend impact-loading activities like running, basketball or racket sports. But we do encourage other activities—like swimming, golf and biking—with no limitations at all.”

McFarland recommends being realistic about your new joint and being open to adapting your activities to it. “These are metal [and polyethylene] parts that don’t regenerate like your body does, and they do wear. So you probably shouldn’t do extreme sports or things with impact,” she says. “I go to the pool almost every day. Aqua jogging works for me. It may not be what you did before, but there’s always something you can do.”

Fear: the joInt prosthesIs wIll need to be replaced agaIn In 10 years.Joint prostheses have come a long way since the first replacement surgeries in the U.S. were performed in the 1960s and are much more durable. Implants are made of varying materials, depending on the joint

being replaced and the condition of the surround-ing bone. Common materials include metal, such as stainless steel or titanium, and polyethylene, a dura-ble plastic.

Some newer implants, particularly knees and hips, are made out of a special type of ceramic material or oxidized zirconium, which are both smooth and durable. These new implants can last 20 to 25 years as opposed to older implants that had a 10- to 15-year life span, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

“With the newer polyethylene joints, which we began implanting in 2000, the wear has been dra-matically reduced at the 10-year mark,” Dennis says. “They could end up being 30-year implants, but we just don’t have that data yet. It’s very exciting and will certainly lead to a reduction in revision hip or knee surgery in their lifetime.”

Again, patients play a large role in the joint’s suc-cess. “A lot of the ability as to how long they last has to do with the patient and his or her care of the joint,” Oakes stresses.

Fear:I need to waIt as long as possIble before havIng joInt replacement. Because in years past joint prostheses didn’t last as long, people used to wait until the last possible moment to have the surgery. Today, that philosophy has changed. Because the implants are lasting lon-ger and because we know that the healthier you are when you have the surgery, the more successful it will likely be, people aren’t waiting as long in pain.

McFarland advocates talking to your doctor sooner than later. “There’s a concept out there that joint replacements are the treatments of last resort,” she says. “I know tons of people who wait until they’re in total agony, and I always tell them you don’t have to wait. My advice is that when it starts affecting your quality of life, go get it done. If you don’t wait until it’s so bad, you’ll have a better outcome.”

“I often tell my patients it’s not about what your joint replacement won’t allow you to do. It’s about what it will allow you to do.

S p r i n g 2 0 1 324

By AmAndA myersWorkIt!

Four steps

to having a healthier, less stressful workspace

If you’re reading this at your desk, take a moment and look around. I’ll wait.

Do you see clutter and chaos? Are stress-inducing to-do lists tacked up all

over, reminding you in no uncertain terms that you have many things to do … ASAP?! Are your desk drawers hiding an emergency chocolate stash? (Yeah, mine, too.)

When you think about how the average American spends 8.6 hours a day at work, you have to wonder why many of us aren’t treating our desks more like the Zen zones that they should be. Instead, we’re sitting down each day at a spot not necessarily designed to keep our minds and bodies in a healthy state—the kind of state that allows us to be productive and calm.

Perhaps, then, it’s time for an office make-over. By creating a space that promotes health and serenity, you may find it’s a little easier to face the daily grind.

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STEP 1: Give Germs the Pink Slip

You don’t even want to know how many germs are living on your desk. Just know that there are plenty—and on everything from your phone to your keyboard to that pen you sometimes put in your mouth and chew on anxiously. Germs from coughs and sneezes can live on surfaces for up to three days, so to avoid colds and the fl u, make antibacterial wipes your friends. “Wipe off surfaces that are shared, like phones, a computer mouse and shared workstations,” says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., a cardiologist and the author of Dr. Nieca Goldberg’s Complete Guide to Women’s Health.

And, though it seems common sense, Goldberg stresses, “people should stay home if they’re sick.” You may think you’re noble to trudge to work despite a nagging cough, but what you’re really doing is not so nicely sharing those germs.

Finally, nix superfl uous routes of cross-contamination. “If you have a bowl of jelly beans and everybody puts their hands in it, you’re going to get their germs,” Goldberg says. And, speaking of jelly beans …

STEP 2:Close the Candy Shop

Snacks are important to keep your energy up, but having them within arm’s reach at all times makes it all too easy to graze the whole day long. This can add up to far more calories per day than your body requires. Instead, bring only the snacks you need for that day with you each morning. Prepacked 100-calorie snacks can help you stay on track with a healthy diet, so can bag-gies of fresh fruit slices or low-sugar cereal.

Then there’s the offi ce staple: the candy bowl. There’s one in every offi ce and if it’s on your desk, give it the boot. “If you want to lose weight, keep the candy away,” Goldberg says. Consider that just three tiny, bite-sized candy bars can load you up with as many as 225 calories, but an apple and a piece of string cheese are just under 140 calo-ries. Plus, sugary snacks will cause a spike in your blood sugar, meaning you’re more likely to crash soon after. Sustaining your energy with healthy fi ber, vitamins, minerals and protein will keep you alert until closing time.

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STEP 3:Check Your Posture

Back problems can plague people who spend the majority of their workday in an offi ce chair. The reason: Many of us sit forward in our chairs, leaning toward the computer in front of us. “When you’re not sitting properly—straight up, abs in and with a good, strong core—there’s a lot of back strain,” Goldberg says. There shouldn’t be a space between your back and the back of the chair. Also, the doctor adds, keep your feet fl at on the fl oor. Making these small changes can prevent orthopedic issues such as chronic back pain and pinched nerves. The benefi ts include improved fl exibility, which helps prevent back injuries down the road.

Additionally, check to make sure you haven’t glued yourself to your chair. “You should get up every hour, walk around the offi ce, drop off a paper at someone’s desk,” Goldberg advises. These moments of movement will stretch your spine and the muscles of your back and legs, pre-venting stiffness and cramping.

STEP 4: Find Your Happy Place

Keeping a positive mental attitude can have real, tangible effects on your physical health. According to research from the Harvard School of Public Health, happy people were less likely to have risk factors for high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels and obesity. Make your workspace a happy space by surrounding yourself not with end-less to-do lists, but instead, photographs or other trinkets that elicit positive memories, says Goldberg. “I have a letter from a friend of mine and I keep that in every desk I have. She was a nurse I worked with many years ago. It’s a very supportive note.”

Put fresh fl owers on your desk, which can be instant mood-lifters. If you can, incorporate natural light into your work area. You’ll be feeling sunny in no time.

Do you want to actually strengthen your core or burn calories while you work? Ask your offi ce to supply you with an exercise ball chair or a standing workstation, or invest in one yourself.

FdVVSP1300_25-27_fitness.indd 27 10/17/12 3:41 PM

Learn to UnplugA recent study showed that women with highly stressful jobs were

38 percent more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart

attack or a stroke, than women with less stressful jobs. “Earlier stud-

ies looked at the issue in men, and the men also have an increased

risk of heart attack,” says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., a cardiologist and

author. “But when they go home, their heart rate decreases more

than women.”

If you can’t make a job switch to, say, a professional napper, then

disconnecting from your stressful job is paramount to good health.

This can be a challenge for both sexes, especially since work follows

us home on our cellphones and computers.

To lower your stress level and, subsequently, your risk for heart

attack and stroke, keep this point in mind: Work will still be there

tomorrow. Turn off your computer and silence your phone at the end

of the day. “Because people are spending a longer time on their com-

puter, they have less time for social interaction, and that contributes

to stress,” Goldberg says. “It’s very important that you have a support-

ive network of friends or a family member you can connect with.”

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Start aWorkout Routine

The Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center is the only medically supervised fitness center in the area,

staffed with exercise physiologists and other health professionals.

Call 843-522-5635 to learn more.

BY STEPHANIE PATERIK

How Diane Keaton controls her asthma and

lives life to the fullest

FreshFreshOFFreshA

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n the movieThe Lemon Sisters, Diane Keaton plays a lovably kooky character with

asthma who refuses to give up her menagerie of cats, even though

they aggravate her condition. She puffs away on an inhaler as her

furry companions strut around the house. It gets so bad she winds

up in an emergency room, zipped inside an oxygen tent.

At 67, the Oscar-winning actress has starred in nearly 50 fi lms. But the

role of an asthma sufferer is one she knows especially well.

Keaton was plagued with asthma and related breathing problems as a

young girl growing up in Los Angeles. In her 2011 memoir, Then Again, she recalls a life-threatening bout with whooping cough.

“I thought I was dying. I couldn’t breathe,” Keaton writes. “Asthma was bad enough, but this whooping-cough thing was way worse.”

Treatment options were limited in the 1950s, so Keaton’s dad held her upside down to help her catch a breath.

“When dad turned me upside down, I got my breath back almost instantaneously. It was like a miracle,” she writes. “Mom was so worried, she kept me out of school for two months of my fourth-grade year. Every day she spread Vicks VapoRub

on my chest, and she gave me 7UP with ice hourly. Sometimes she’d even let me watch TV.”

The star is breathing easier now—if her active lifestyle is any indication. She’s nabbing major movie roles, publishing books, fl ipping historic California homes and raising two kids, whom she adopted when she was 50, no less.

Keaton is proof positive that people who have asthma can live full, joyful lives. The trick is fi nding the right medication, exercising wisely and keeping stress in check.

FIND THE RIGHT MEDICATIONucky for Keaton—and the other 25 mil-

lion Americans who live with asthma—treatments have come a long way since the

days of VapoRub and bed rest, says Francis Adams, M.D., a pulmonary

specialist and author of The Asthma Sourcebook. “The way we treat asthma has changed tremen-dously,” he says.

When Keaton was a kid, people raced to the ER for a shot of adrenalin under the arm during a severe attack. Since the advent of inhalers, peo-ple can treat the condition at home and vaporize attacks before they begin.

There’s no cure for asthma, so the goal is to control it—that means staying out of the hospi-tal and needing an inhaler no more than twice a week.

Start by pinpointing the type of asthma you have and what triggers it, Adams says. Is it stoked by allergies, exercise or your workplace? Does it strike in the winter or hang around all year?

Next, your doctor can tailor a treatment plan. That might include a preventive inhaler, a rescue inhaler, or anti-leukotriene medicine called mon-telukast (Singulair) that reduces infl ammation in the lungs. Your doctor may even prescribe a com-bination drug to streamline your medications, not to mention your medicine cabinet!

Newer treatments include omalizumab (Xolair), the so-called “asthma vaccine,” a monthly injection that eliminates breathing problems for many people who have allergy-related asthma. And for the most severe cases, surgeons can per-form a bronchial thermoplasty, which uses heat to reduce constriction in the bronchial tubes.

Of course, the most important part of any treatment plan is to follow it. “No one likes to take medicine,” Adams says. “I’m a patient, too. I don’t

Allergy-Proof Your HomeDiane Keaton’s home is her sanctuary. She’s known for lovingly reno-

vating and decorating every house she owns. Asthmatic patients

who suffer from allergies can make home a haven, too, by removing

dust mites, mold and smoke. Follow this checklist from The Asthma

Sourcebook by Francis Adams, M.D., to allergy-proof your home and

breathe easier.

TO REDUCE DUST MITES:

• Remove carpets, rugs and

upholstered furniture.

• Cover mattresses, pillows

and box springs with zip-

pered covers.

• Wash bedding in hot water

once a week.

• Wash stuffed animals.

• Use a HEPA air filter.

TO REDUCE MOLD:

• Keep humidity levels at 30 to

50 percent with a dehumidifier.

• Use a mold-remover spray on

bathroom walls, window sills,

air conditioners, humidifiers

and plant soil.

TO REDUCE

INDOOR POLLUTION:

• Ban smoking from your home.

• Avoid gas and wood stoves

and fireplaces.

like to take medicine, but you really have to com-mit to it when you have a chronic illness.”

EXERCISE WISELYor many with asthma, “exercise” is a scary word. After all, physical activ-

ity taxes your lungs. But Keaton seems to know that in the long run it helps her

breathe easier.Photographers have spotted the actress

stretching, running laps and doing yoga on a Santa Monica track. And, being just as quirky in real life as she is on-screen, Keaton rehearses lines while jogging through her neighborhood.

“I don’t think I can keep trying to memorize my speech while jogging on the streets of Beverly Hills,” she confesses in her memoir. “The Starline Bus Tours unfailingly drive by while I’m in the middle of rehearsing the fi nal section … when I sing a bit of ‘Seems Like Old Times.’ It’s awful. I feel like an idiot.”

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Embarrassment aside, she’s doing an excellent job of conditioning her lungs. And she’s pushing past the fi rst eight minutes—the hardest part for someone with asthma.

“She’s doing everything right,” Adams says. “That longer warm-up gets you through that initial tightness that comes to everyone with asthma when they start exercising. Then that second wind comes. In the long run, exercise is going to make you healthier and even decrease your asthma.”

Take a cue from Keaton and warm up with stretches or a light jog. Incorporate yoga to regu-late breathing. And most importantly, exercise for 20 minutes three times a week to condition your body.

“Studies actually have shown that if you’re in top shape, you have less need for medicine if you’re asthmatic, and you have fewer attacks,” Adams says. “This is defi nitely related to conditioning.”

Some patients are sensitive to outdoor pollut-ants, allergens and cold air. If that’s your case, exercise indoors or wrap a scarf around your mouth to warm the air as you breathe.

STRESS LESS, BREATHE MOREn The Lemon Sisters, cats weren’t the only trigger for Keaton’s character. Stress

pushed her over the edge. It’s a common sce-nario, Adams says.

“Asthma at some points was looked upon as a hysterical reaction, and

people were often dismissed that way, and obviously that was dead wrong,” he says. “But we do know stress can be as much of an asthma trigger as walking into a room with a cat if you’re allergic to cat dander.”

Why are stress and asthma entwined? Picture the rich network of nerves running through your lungs and bronchial tubes. When you are stressed, nerve impulses can trigger an asthma attack, much like a muscle twitch or cramp.

Keaton is remarkably open about the stresses in her own life, from struggling with bulimia as a fl edgling actress in New York to losing her mother to Alzheimer’s disease fi ve years ago. Watching her mom fi ght to breathe at the end of her life struck a chord.

“Having had asthma, I knew how hard it was to work for so little air,” Keaton writes.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 33

return from school. The Pacifi c Ocean, Sonoran Desert and Manhattan streets delight her equally.

“The best part is that I’m still here and, because the end is in sight, I treasure it all more,” she told AARP The Magazine in March 2012. “You have to live life all the way, you know? Take risks. Do things you can’t imagine. ’Cause, hey, why not, right?”

Asthma reminds us to appreciate the little things, and that can drive us to greatness, Adams notes. “Martin Scorsese was asthmatic, and he attributes that to a lot of his interest in fi lm, because he was always indoors and watching whatever medium he could watch.”

Hollywood once portrayed asthma sufferers as weak-willed inhaler-toters, doomed to the side-lines of life. Then along came Keaton with her bolero hats and “la-de-da” charm, determined to defy every stereotype.

“Inhale, hold for thirty. Exhale. Inhale, hold for forty. Exhale.”

Keaton turned to “talk therapy” in her 20s, a suggestion from then-boyfriend Woody Allen. Therapy helped the Annie Hall star overcome bulimia, and it has been a cornerstone of her healthy lifestyle ever since.

“All those disjointed words and half sentences, all those complaining, awkward phrases shaping incomplete monologues blurted out to a 65-year-old woman smoking a cigarette for fi fty min-utes fi ve times a week, made the difference,” she writes. “It was the talking cure.”

Adams encourages his patients to manage stress, anxiety and depression with talk therapy, incorporating breathing exercises to calm the body. Meditation and biofeedback help, too.

“Stress is a tremendously important source of asthma, and it’s the hardest thing to treat,” he says. “I can prescribe lots of drugs to relax the bronchial tubes and reduce infl ammation, but it’s not easy to say to someone, ‘You need to take care of your stress.’

“And we’re all stressed out,” he adds. “I will not hesitate to tell people that at a stressful time in my life, I went to see a psychiatrist, and I would recommend not trying to fi ght anxiety and depression without professional help.”

READY TO INHALEeaton breathes in life wherever she can fi nd it. With a longtime pas-

sion for photography, architecture and performing, she is always immersed in

a creative project. She enjoys shut-tling her kids to swim practice in her bare feet, and peppering them with questions when they

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The Asthma DietWhile there isn’t significant evidence about the relationship between

food and asthma, many experts believe diet is an important part

of treatment.

“I often talk about diet,” says Francis Adams, M.D., a pulmonary

specialist and author of The Asthma Sourcebook. “The Mediterranean-

type diet with lots of fruit and vegetables clearly is helpful.”

Adams suggests eating a diet rich in magnesium. Research sug-

gests this element might boost lung function and curb bronchial

irritability and wheezing. Find it in cereal, nuts, green vegetables and

dairy products.

On the flip side, some food preservatives and dyes can trigger

asthma attacks.

“Not all asthmatics are sensitive to sulfites,” Adams points out

in his book. “As a rule, however, it is best for all asthmatics to avoid

sulfites, especially if they have had asthmatic reactions while dining

in restaurants.”

That means saying “no” to processed potatoes, baked products,

fresh shrimp, fruit drinks, dried fruits, beer and wine. And if you are

sensitive to tartrazine, also known as Yellow No. 5 under the Food,

Drug and Cosmetic Act, avoid foods like margarine.

CA

LL Learn to Breathe Our cardiac and pulmonary reha-

bilitation programs offer education, guidance and encouragement with a

focus on support and disease man-agement. For more information call

843-522-5635.

It seems as though everywhere you turn, you hear about another thing in your life that might cause you cancer. Deodorant. Cellphones. Plastic food containers. It all

sounds a little ridiculous, doesn’t it? Believe it or not, the researchers behind the

claims aren’t trying to scare you—or annoy you—to death. They’re trying to help you understand the risks so you can adequately protect yourself.

But before you can go about protecting your-self, it’s important to understand exactly which objects and behaviors are actually harmful and which aren’t. Let’s explore some common behav-iors, and determine which ones are most closely tied to cancer, with level 5 being highest risk.

BY J I LL SCH I LDHOUSE

Smoking, tanning, grilling your food—fi nd out just

how risky these behaviors are when it comes to cancer

What Are the

CHANCES?

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3 More to ConsiderArtificial sweetener:

Researchers have

been studying artificial

sweeteners since before

the Food and Drug

Administration banned

cyclamate in 1969 after

a study linked it to blad-

der cancer. While still a

banned substance, no

studies have replicated

the outcome since. And

research has shown

there is no link between

saccharin and aspartame

and cancer.

Fluoridated water:

After analyzing several

research studies on

drinking fluoridated

water and cancer, the

Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention

said they found “no

credible evidence”

of a connection.

Cellphones: The

jury is out on this one.

Researchers have not

found a consistent

link to cancer, but

studies continue as

cellphone technology,

and therefore radio-

frequency exposure,

is changing rapidly.

Source: National Cancer

Institute

S p r i n g 2 0 1 3 35

EATING GRILLED FOODRISK LEVEL: 2REASON: “While grilling meats at high temperatures creates com-

pounds that have been shown to increase cancer risk in animals, it’s not clear the extent to which they do in humans,” says Colleen Doyle, M.S., R.D., director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society. “Some stud-ies do suggest that people who eat a lot of grilled meats have higher rates of stomach, pancreatic, colorectal and breast cancer.”

RECOMMENDATION: While the American Cancer Society doesn’t discourage grilling, it does offer the following tips:

• Clean your grill often to remove charred debris.

• Don’t burn meats. If you do, don’t eat those areas.

• Precook meats in the microwave or oven so they don’t need to be on the grill as long.

Doyle also suggests cutting back on red meats in favor of seafood and poultry, as eating red meat has been shown to increase the risk of pros-tate and colon cancers.

SMOKINGRISK LEVEL: 5REASON: “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death world-

wide,” says Ted Gansler, M.D., director of medi-cal content for the American Cancer Society. “It’s responsible for one in fi ve deaths in the U.S., 30 percent of all cancer deaths and 87 percent of all lung cancer deaths.”

But you’re not necessarily in the clear if you aren’t a smoker. “Each year, about 3,000

nonsmoking adults die of lung cancer due to the effects of secondhand smoke,” Gansler warns.

RECOMMENDATION: If you’re a smoker, now is the time to quit. There are many tools to help you succeed. “Ask your physician for help,” Gansler suggests. “Get medication and support. Only a small percentage of people are successful in quitting on their fi rst attempt. So be persistent; it may take several attempts.”

If you live with a smoker, ask him or her to smoke outside and never near children. And when choosing hotels and restaurants, select smoke-free options.

USING TANNING BEDSRISK LEVEL: 4REASON: Studies show that people who use indoor tanning beds have

a 17 percent increase in developing melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) than those who don’t, Gansler says. “And if you start using tanning beds before age 35, you face a 75 percent increased risk of melanoma.”

RECOMMENDATION: “Whatever color you are, that’s the color you’re supposed to be,” Gansler says. “Don’t do something dangerous to change your appearance.” He suggests avoid-ing indoor tanning facilities. “And when outside, wear sunscreen [with an SPF of 15 or greater], sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to avoid exposure to the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays.”

USING ANTIPERSPIRANTRISK LEVEL: 1REASON: There are no strong studies reporting a statistical link

between cancer risk and antiperspirant use, according to the American Cancer Society.

“This myth began because people thought deodorant blocked the body’s ability to eliminate toxins via perspiration … and the toxins backed up into the armpit and caused cancer,” Gansler says. “This is not true. In fact, a study that com-pared 813 women with breast cancer and 793 women without the disease found no relationship between breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, deodorant use or underarm shaving.”

RECOMMENDATION: Gansler maintains that the risk, if any, for the average person is low. But if you have specifi c concerns, many health food stores sell natural alternatives.

If you don’t smoke, weight is the next most important

risk factor for cancer.

pounds that have been shown to increase cancer

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Being overweightRISK LEVEL: 5REASON: “If you don’t smoke, weight is the next most important risk factor

for cancer,” Doyle says. “But you can eat healthy and exercise and still be overweight.”

Doyle explains that a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher increases your risk for a variety of cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer. “Current patterns of overweight and obe-sity in the United States could account for up to 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 per-cent in women, and contribute to 90,000 cancer deaths each year,” she says.

RECOMMENDATION: Doyle suggests calculat-ing your BMI (visit nhlbisupport.com/bmi), and taking action if it’s 25 or higher. “Reducing your weight by just 5 to 10 percent equates to good health benefits,” she says. “You can do this by watching your portion sizes, getting 30 minutes of exercise five or more days per week and eating more fruits and vegetables to help fill you up.”

S p r i n g 2 0 1 3 37

FdVVSP1300_34-37_cancer2.indd 37 10/17/12 3:47 PM

Source: American Cancer Society

One of the riskiest behaviors for cancer is skip-

ping screenings, says Ted Gansler, M.D., director

of medical content for the American Cancer

Society. “It’s extremely important to find cancer

early enough for it to be easily treatable.”

Use this guide to make sure you’re up-to-date

on your cancer screenings. Be sure to discuss

your health and family history with your doctor,

as this may affect the frequency of your screen-

ings and the age at which you start.

Testing 1, 2, 3 Screening FreQUencY

Pap testAnnually, three years after having intercourse or by age 21

Clinical breast examEvery three years during 20s and 30s, annually after 40

Mammogram Annually, after age 40

ColonoscopyBeginning at age 50 and then every 10 years for average-risk individuals

Prostate examStarting at age 50 (45 for men at high risk), discuss with your doctor what is best for you based on health and family history

Get Screened!Have you had your annual mammogram? Beaufort Memorial’s Women’s Imaging services offers mammog-raphy in Beaufort and Bluffton with same-day results. Call 843-522-5015 to schedule an appointment.

CA

LL

S P R I N G 2 0 1 338

NECK LUMP

FAINTING

UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS

IgnoreSymptoms

Never to

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 39

From incessant fatigue to unexplained weight

loss, here are reasons to call your doctor—now

BY LORI K. BAKER

SEEING SPOTS

LOWER LEG PAIN

BLOOD IN URINE

BACK PAIN

NUMBNESS AND WEAKNESS IN HAND OR ARM

FATIGUE

UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS

I simply don’t have time to get sick,” you mutter to yourself as you bolt out the door at 7 a.m. to head to work. Maybe you’ve been exhausted for weeks. Or you’ve had a constant, nagging backache. Or that swollen gland on your neck hasn’t gone away. Whatever it is, you say it’s nothing and convince yourself it will go away on its own.

It’s easy to play the wait-and-see game when you’re preoccupied with so many other things. But when are simple aches and pains, lumps and bumps indicative of something more? Here are nine seemingly minor symptoms you should never ignore.

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FATIGUEWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : “It’s easy to pass off fatigue as due to stress, not sleeping or burning the candle at both ends,” says Sandra Fryhofer, M.D., past president of the American College of Physicians. “But it could be due to a medical condition—anemia, an underactive thyroid, heart disease, depression or hepatitis.”

WHAT TO DO: If you’ve suffered from fatigue for more than two weeks, Fryhofer recommends that you make an appointment with your primary care physician to fi nd out its cause and how to treat it.

A NECK LUMPWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : It might be something as simple as a sore throat. “But it also might mean a hidden malignancy or the fi rst signs of Hodgkin disease,” Birge says.

WHAT TO DO: Make an appointment to see your physician if the lump is larger than 1-inch wide or has lasted more than two weeks, Birge advises. Your physician will determine whether the lump is a discrete mass and may order a biopsy.

SEEING SPOTSWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : If you’re seeing specks or “fl oaters,” they may be more than annoying. They could be symptoms of retinal detach-ment, and you should see an eye-care profes-sional immediately.

WHAT CAN BE DONE: Small tears can be treated with laser surgery, during which tiny burns are made around the hole to “weld” the retina back into place. Another option is cryo-pexy, which freezes the area around the hole and helps reattach the retina. These procedures are usually performed in the doctor’s offi ce. More complicated cases may require a hospital stay.

FAINTINGWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : If you’ve fainted or felt extremely dizzy after quickly standing up, you may suffer from more than embar-rassment. Called syncopy, it can be a symp-tom of internal hemorrhaging from an ulcer, high blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes, severe dehydration, anemia or serious heart irregularities such as arrhyth-mias, Birge says.

WHAT CAN BE DONE: Your primary care physician may order tests to check your blood sugar level and blood count and to monitor your heart.

UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSSWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : Stepping on the scale to discover you’ve lost 10 pounds without even trying only sounds like a dream come true. If you haven’t changed your eating habits and you’ve lost a noticeable amount of weight, it can be a seri-ous red fl ag. The list of suspects includes diabetes, an overactive thy-roid gland and cancer, according to Neil Shulman, M.D., and Jack Birge, M.D., co-authors of Your Body’s Red Light Warning Signals: Medical Tips That May Save Your Life.

WHAT TO DO: “Go to your doc-tor,” Birge says. “This calls for a prompt investigation.”

BLOOD IN URINEWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : There are many causes of bleeding into the urinary tract, such as blad-der infection, but “one of them is cancer, which may be in the kidney, ureter, bladder or prostate,” Shulman says. “At the time when they are still curable, these cancers often do not cause pain.”

WHAT CAN BE DONE: In addition to a uri-nalysis, your physician may order an ultrasound of your kidneys or a cystoscopy to see the inte-rior lining of the bladder. If a suspicious mass is found, a biopsy usually will be performed.

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BACK PAINWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : Everyday back sprains from heaving heavy boxes or picking up squirm-ing toddlers don’t pose a big worry. But be on the lookout for back pain that’s constant and doesn’t change with movement, which can be a symptom of kidney disease, blood-borne infec-tion or an aortic aneurysm, Birge says.

WHAT TO DO: To help your doctor make the diagnosis, be sure to describe other symptoms you might be experiencing, such as paleness, a rapid pulse, chills, fever or fl u-like signs.

LOWER LEG PAINWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : If you suffer pain in the back of your calf after a long car trip, an airplane ride or a period of bed rest, it might be a symptom of a blood clot. It’s possible that a piece of the clot could break free and end up in your lungs, which can be fatal. If the pain occurs with walking and then is alleviated by rest, it could be peripheral vascular disease, a marker for heart disease.

WHAT CAN BE DONE: Your doctor may order a venous ultra-sound to detect a blood clot. Birge says blood clots can be treated with the prescription drugs heparin or warfarin. Peripheral vas-cular disease usually can be remedied with lifestyle changes—eating a heart-healthy diet and exercising at least 30 minutes a day three or more days per week. More severe cases may require medication, angioplasty, stent placement or bypass surgery.

NUMBNESS AND WEAKNESS IN HAND OR ARMWHAT IT MIGHT MEAN : You might pass it off as carpal tunnel syndrome. But it could be a transient isch-emic attack, “a red light warning signal of a stroke,” Shulman says. Other warning signs include numbness on one side of your face, slurred speech and vertigo.

WHAT TO DO: “Go to the emergency room,” Birge says. “We can now use a drug called tissue plasminogen activator to dissolve clots and restore blood fl ow to the brain.” But the drug must be given within three hours of the onset of symptoms to allow a chance for full recovery. And that doesn’t mean you can wait two hours and 45 minutes to get to the hospital. Given drive time and prep time, every minute counts. The best solution is to call 911 so the emergency response team can begin treating you in the ambulance and coordinate with the hospital for your arrival.

FdVVSP1300_38-41_symptoms.indd 41 10/17/12 3:56 PM

Doctor Referral Service

Establishing a relation-ship with a primary

care doctor is critical to maintaining good health.

If you need a doctor, visit our online directory

at www.bmhsc.org or call our FREE doctor

referral service at 843-522-

5585.

online

5 to Let SlideYou don’t necessarily need to rush to the doctor’s office with these five symptoms,

according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Of course, if they persist or

become severe, a trip to the doctor is in order.

1. Diarrhea, with a headache, fever, chills and weakness. You may have food poisoning,

which probably will clear up within 12 to 48 hours. Avoid solid foods until symptoms pass.

2. A cough. If your cough produces clear or pale yellow mucus, get plenty of rest, drink

lots of fluids and try over-the-counter medicines for minimizing symptoms.

3. Abdominal pain. If you have pain or a burning sensation in the upper abdomen that

is either relieved or gets worse when you eat, try taking an over-the-counter antacid.

4. Canker sores. These small, painful sores can be found on the inner lips or cheek,

gums or tongue. They usually heal on their own, but you can relieve the discomfort by

rinsing with salt water or applying over-the-counter oral gel.

5. Tension headaches. Use over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen or acetamin-

ophen, to relieve pain. Resting, taking a hot shower and applying ice may also help.

Know the facts and myths about allergies and fight back

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Achoo! Sniffle. Blow. Achoo! Ah, the sounds of allergy season. • if you’re an allergy sufferer, you know the signs well—sneezing, runny nose, congestion and watery eyes are common symptoms.

By Stephanie R. ConneR

When Allergies Attack

And if you’re an allergy sufferer, you’re far from alone. Nearly one in five Americans suffers from some sort of allergy, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. About 40 million of us have an indoor/outdoor allergy, such as pollen, mold, dust mites or pet dander, as our primary allergy.

People who are allergic to pollen from particu-lar plants, such as grass, trees or weeds, experi-ence seasonal allergic rhinitis (or hay fever). In the U.S., that’s about 7.8 percent of adults age 18 and older, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reports.

Indoor allergens like dust and pet dander can also trigger allergic rhinitis. Of course, if you’re allergic to these things, your allergy “season” is year-round.

Allergies explAinedSo, what’s happening when you have an allergy?

An allergy is essentially a miscue in the body’s immune system, where it senses a substance—such as pollen or mold—as a harmful invader, and causes the body to produce immunoglobulin E antibodies. An initial allergy screening will often include a blood test for these antibodies, which travel to cells that release chemicals that cause an allergic reaction.

There are steps you can take to minimize the symptoms of allergies, but perhaps the most impor-tant step is to first educate yourself.

Here are a few common myths about allergies and what you should know.

S p r i n g 2 0 1 3 43

Myth: To manage your allergies, stay away from brightly colored flowers.

Plants are pollinated in one of two ways—by wind or by bees.

“Brightly colored flowers produce pollen that is too large and heavy to be spread by the wind,” Kao explains. “The bright colors and nectar attract bees, who fly from flower to flower and so pollinate flow-ers. Pollen from trees, grasses and weeds are smaller and spread by the wind.”

The small, wind-blown pollen particles from grass and weeds are to blame for allergies, rather than the heavy pollen in flowers like roses and tulips.

Myth: To cure seasonal allergies, eat the local honey.

If only it were so simple. “There have been studies that have shown that local honey is not medicinal for reducing an allergic predisposition,” Fineman says. “It’s not going to hurt you, but it’s not medicinal.”

Still, it’s easy to understand why people might think that. Karen Calhoun, M.D., an otolaryngic allergist and the president of the American Society of Geriatric Otolaryngology, explains it as a kind of purported immunotherapy, a therapy that is designed to stimu-late the immune system—but not enough to cause an allergic reaction. The goal of immunotherapy (as in allergy shots) is to slowly build up a tolerance.

For this theory to work, however, the pollen that the bees take back for the honey would have to be the very pollen you’re allergic to, and that’s not likely, she says, because the pollens that cause allergies are typically carried in the wind, rather than by bees.

Myth: Short-haired pets don’t cause allergies.

Sorry, Fido. “Short-haired pets can cause allergic reactions, contrary to what many people say,” Kao says. The issue is not the hair itself, but the dander—or flakes of skin—that hide out in fur or feathers. The amount of dander may be less in a small and short-haired pet than a large, long-haired one, but if pet dander is your kryptonite, you’re still likely to have a reaction around even the smallest pooch.

Myth: If you didn’t have allergies as a child, you don’t have to worry about them as an adult.

“You can develop an allergy at any age,” says Stanley Fineman, M.D., president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. If that “cold” just won’t go away, it might be an adult-onset allergy, so talk to your doctor.

Allergies tend to run in families, Fineman notes, so if your parents have allergies, that might be more indica-tive of your risk than whether you had them as a child.

Myth: Moving to a dry climate will cure your allergies.

“That’s what was thought years ago,” Fineman says. “That was really before we knew a lot about the immune reaction.”

You can’t escape allergies, but you might be able to minimize their effects.

“Allergies occur in every state in the U.S.,” says Neil L. Kao, M.D., a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. “However, aller-gies from pollen and mold occur more frequently in warmer or wetter climates. The Southwest has a drier climate, so generally, the pollen and mold counts are lower there.”

But remember, Fineman notes, as people have populated the Southwestern states over the years, they’ve brought plants with them, meaning a lot of dry climates have more than simple desert plants. In the end, you may simply find yourself trading one allergy for another.

Seasonal allergies (hay fever) lead to nearly

4 MIllIon MiSSed or loSt workdayS annually, which accounts for more than

$700 MIllIonin loSt productivity.

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Dander is found in mammals and birds, Kao says. If you happen to have a pet lizard or snake, you’re in the clear.

Myth: Allergies are not life-threatening.

Unfortunately, allergies are more than just a nui-sance. “Allergies can be life-threatening if the allergic reaction [causes] the airway or lungs or heart to func-tion very poorly,” Kao says. Called anaphylaxis, these severe reactions require emergency care and are typically caused by food allergies or bee sting venom.

Myth:

There’s nothing that can be done.

“It’s amazing the way people just put up with aller-gies,” Calhoun says. “There’s a whole spectrum of things to help them with those symptoms.”

She recommends seeing an allergist to get tested.“Allergies are not easy to diagnose,” Fineman adds.

“And it does take experience, specialized training and the proper tools to really make an accurate diagnosis.”

In addition to avoidance strategies, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter or prescription medication designed to alleviate symptoms.

Another option for some patients, Fineman says, is allergy shots, which are typically recommended for people who have symptoms more than three months out of the year or have severe allergies. It’s not a cure, but rather a way to reduce your sensitiv-ity to allergens.

“Allergy shots are a very effective way of helping patients build tolerance,” he explains. “It’s really the only disease-modifying treatment we have.”

S p r i n g 2 0 1 3 45

Stay Away from AllergensPerhaps the simplest way to avoid an allergic reaction is to

avoid the allergen. While that’s not always possible (unless

you live in a bubble), there are a few strategies that may help.

For pet allergies, Karen Calhoun, M.D., president of the

American Society of Geriatric Otolaryngology, a pet lover

herself, has learned an important lesson. “Never tell patients

to get rid of their pets,” she says. “They’ll get rid of the aller-

gist first.”

She suggests always washing your hands after petting or

playing with your pet and keeping pets out of the bedroom.

If pets are allowed in the bedroom, she says, “put your pillow

up in a closet, so when you go to bed, you don’t have a pillow

full of cat hair.”

For dust allergies, she says, first get a dust-mite-proof

mattress and pillow. Second, install high-efficiency particu-

late air (HEPA) filters in your home. If getting rid of carpet

isn’t an option, clean regularly with a vacuum that has a

HEPA filter.

If your kids have allergies, put their stuffed animals in the

freezer. “That will kill off the dust mites,” she says.

qu

Iz

Test Your Allergy Risk

Are you curious about your risk for allergies? Check out the American

College of Allergy, Asthma & immunology online and take its quiz. Visit acaai.org/

allergist/tools, and click “Allergy and Asthma Symptom Test.”

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VIRTUAL HEALTHBY CAREY ROSSI

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S P R I N G 2 0 1 346

to Follow for FOOD SAFETY

@foodsafety.gov WHAT THEY DO: A one-stop shop for news, tips,

recalls and other food safety information.

@foodsafeguru WHAT THEY DO: Send out food alerts, recalls

and information on safe food handling.

@michaelpollan WHAT HE DOES: This author of In Defense of Food

tweets about the food industry—the good, the bad

and the ugly aspects of the business and landscape.

@foodsafetymag WHAT THEY DO: This science-based publication

lets you get your geek on in the world of food safety

and quality assurance.

@barfblog WHAT HE DOES: This Twitter handle belongs to

Doug Powell, a professor of diagnostic medicine

and pathobiology at Kansas State University. He

is passionate about reducing the burden of food-

borne illness and compels others in the farm-to-

fork food safety system to adopt best practices.

@eartheats WHAT THEY DO: Tweet about food, food safety,

policy, sustainable agriculture, international news

and recipes to make the world a tastier place.

@fight_BAC WHAT THEY DO: The Partnership for Food

Safety Education tweets about safe food handling

and what consumers can do to fight bacteria.

Food-borne illness is easily prevented, if you know

whom to follow. Check out these seven Twitter

feeds to keep noshing without the nausea.

FdVVSP1300_46-47_virtualb.indd 46 10/17/12 4:12 PM

Can a TweeT Change Behavior?That is the question the soon-to-be-released documentary The Social Cure hopes to answer. By looking at the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa, the film-makers hope to see how social media networks can affect the rate of people being tested for the disease. UNAIDS estimated that in 2009, 5.6 million peo-ple in the country, or 11 percent of the total population, were living with HIV.

If you’re interested about how this experiment turns out, like The Social Cure on Facebook or take a peek at the trailer on YouTube: tinyurl.com/ck9s7cp.

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Seven Minutes Can Change

Your LifeVisit our “HealthAware” early

detection center to take one of five online health risk assessments.

Visit www.bmhsc.org/healthaware to take a quiz.

VIRTUAL HEALTH

Breathe2Relax, a free app created by the National Center for Telehealth & Technology and available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices, provides a guided way to diminish your response to a hairy situation. It shows you the effects of stress on the body and instructs you on how to do diaphragmatic breathing—a proven technique to lessen pressure and anxiety—to manage your stress.

What’s more, Breathe2Relax was recently the subject of research at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing examining whether apps help people deal with stress. The small preliminary study found par-ticipants’ cortisol levels—a biologi-cal marker—decreased signifi cantly after using the app for two weeks.

Stress. Download. Relax.

MisguidedMULTITASKING MisguidedDoing more than one thing at a time may seem like the norm, but,

according to research published in Computers in Human Behavior, the type

of tasks done together might dictate the outcome. Specifically, doing

two visual tasks at once, such as texting and driving, hurt performance

much more than doing visual and audio tasks, such as talking on the

phone and driving. (Of course, both these examples have proved to be

highly dangerous and should not be done at the same time.)

What seems most alarming is that the researchers found that the

multitaskers’ perception of their performance when engaging in two

visual tasks simultaneously was overconfident—meaning the participants

thought they nailed each task even though their performance was poor.

In other words, even if you think you’re doing a great job of keeping your

eyes on the road, make that your only job at the moment.

FEELING DIZZY? Watch YouTube

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3 47

There’s no doubt YouTube can provide hours upon hours

of mindless stimulation. But a do-it-yourself cure for diz-

ziness? It may well do that, too!

Research examining the social

media site’s video selection about

benign paroxysmal positional

vertigo (BPPV) —an inner ear

disorder that is a common

cause of dizziness—suggests

that watching a how-to clip

and then com-

pleting an

at-home

treatment for the disorder, the Epley maneuver, may

be effective.

A report in the journal Neurolog y found that health-

care providers are using the videos, such as the one at

tinyurl.com/d687ysz, to help patients learn about the

procedure. The researchers’ only complaint was that

there wasn’t complementary information to explain what

BPPV was (Editor’s note: BPPV is likely caused by loose

calcium carbonate crystals that move in the sensing tubes

of the inner ear. The Epley maneuver moves these crys-

tals out and into another inner chamber of the ear, which

does not cause dizziness). If watching a four-minute video

helps ease your fear of treatment, why not check it out?

STROKES ARE THE NUMBER THREE KILLER

IN THIS COUNTRY, YET MANY PEOPLE DON’T EVEN KNOW

WHAT THEY ARE. THEY DON’T KNOW THAT MORE OF THE BRAIN CAN BE

SAVED IF A STROKE IS DETECTED AND TREATMENT IS RECEIVED IMMEDIATELY.

IF NOT TREATED QUICKLY, ABILITIES AND PRODUCTIVE LIFE CAN BE LOST.

YOUR BRAIN IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION.

GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE.

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you suddenly experience:

Call 9-1-1. Learn more at StrokeAssociation.org/kc

WITH A STROKE, TIME LOST IS BRAIN LOST.

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding • Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes

• Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

• Severe headache with no known cause

©2010 American Heart Association 7/10DS3945

National Stroke Association is a collaborator in the American Stroke Association’s Warning Signs Campaign.

Genentech is a supporter of the Warnings Signs Campaign.

DS-3945 StrokeBrain Poster_KC.indd 1 8/26/10 9:49 AM

Dear Friends,It has been my privilege to serve on the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Board of Trustees for eight years and to currently serve as Chairman. It has been a privilege for many reasons, but most importantly it has given my wife, Carolyn, and me a unique insight into the needs of our fine hospital, and the opportunity to observe firsthand how important the financial involvement and generosity of individual contributors is to the success of our hospital.

Believe me when I say that EVERY gift to BMH is very special and neces-sary to continue improving the high quality of care. Through the generos-ity of folks like you, the BMH Foundation is able to grant over a million dollars annually to the hospital for equipment and programs that are important to have in our community. Due to the impact we see, Carolyn and I have even decided to make a legacy gift to the BMH Foundation. That means we are in the Kate Gleason Society, and upon the dissolution of our estate, a gift will be given to the hospital.

Just as with gifts today, legacy gifts of all sizes are also appreciated. Since the gifts support the Endowment Fund, which pays out 4.5 percent to the hospital every year, legacy gifts are a great way to continue your support long into the future. Another positive note about legacy gifts is the variety of financial planning tools available to best suit your situation while ful-filling your desire to make a special gift. Carolyn and I chose to designate a portion of our IRA, but I suggest finding a way that is best for you—even if it is simply naming the hospital in your will.

As Chairman, it has become very clear how important it is to build a strong endowment that will support the hospital for many, many years to come. Through our annual gifts and as members of the Kate Gleason Society, Carolyn and I feel that we are putting something back into the community that has been so good to us. Please consider joining us on this journey—we need you now more than ever.

Sincerely,

Bill and Carolyn Nettles

Continuing a Legacy Through the Kate Gleason Society Bill and Carolyn Nettles want you to know how you can make a difference in our community

News from the foundation

Carolyn and Bill Nettles are proud supporters of BMH and members of the Kate Gleason Society.

www.KateGleasonSociety.org

Alice Moss, Executive Director, 843-522-5774

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Honoring EmployEEs wHo givE back The employees of Beaufort Memorial Hospital have a passion for caring and touching lives. Through the MyBMH Employee campaign, they have raised more than $900,000 for the new Pratt Emergency Center. Their goal is $1 million and they are well on their way to achieving this goal.

Employees see firsthand how their dollars really can make a difference in the lives of so many in our community. To honor and recognize the generosity and support of the employees, the BMH Board took note last year when families did not have a peaceful place to go when their loved one passed away. The Emergency Center Staff asked the BMH Foundation for funds to renovate their break room to be used as a “quiet” space for families. This gesture by the staff was so heartfelt, board members and the senior leadership team decided to dedicate the family consulta-tion room to the employees. This special room will be a private, peaceful setting with a garden view and a private exit to allow families the space and quiet to deal with difficult situations or decisions concerning a loved one.

Touching livesBMH is grateful to the tremendous employees, volunteers and Board members who always go out of their way to make a difference and stay dedicated to our mission

Beaufort MeMorial HigHligHts

Rick Toomey, BMH president, unveils the Family Consultation Room’s mission statement.

Connie and Chuck Duke receive the annual Spirit of Giving Award for their generous support of the hospital and the foundation.

a rEmarkablE TEamConnie and Chuck Duke were honored by the BMH Foundation Board of Trustees with the annual Spirit of Giving Award. Connie is director of the Keyserling Cancer Center and Chuck is an active BMH volun-teer. “They are generous supporters and both are always willing to say yes when we need them, whether to lead a tour, participate in our fundraisers or work an event,” says Alice Moss, BMH Foundation executive director. Connie often speaks to community groups and makes a point of sharing the signifi-cance of the community support that made the cancer center possible. Chuck drives a courtesy shuttle golf cart on the BMH cam-pus weekly, and was an indispensible volun-teer during a huge estate sale the Foundation conducted last year. Congratulations to this remarkable husband-wife team!

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Audrey Bittner has served Beaufort Memorial Hospital and the Foundation for almost 20 years and was named Trustee Emeritus by the BMH Foundation.

A LegAcy continued Richard Pingree was elected to join the Foundation Board of Trustees in November. A native of Beaufort, Richard says he looks forward to continuing the advocacy for our community hospital that his father, Sumner Pingree, has been so dedi-cated to for many years. A developer/builder, Richard and his wife Leigh Ann have three children.

Ron Rossetti was elected to the Foundation Board in January. A native of the Boston area, Ron and his wife Lynn have resided in Beaufort for 12 years. His background is investing in and operating emerging growth companies. He also serves as a Trustee of Northeastern University in Boston and Imagine Schools, a major charter school system.

Audrey McBrAtney Bittner honoredAt the annual meeting in November, the BMH Foundation Board of Trustees recognized Audrey Bittner as her final term of service concluded by naming her as Trustee Emeritus of the Board.

Audrey served on the Foundation Board in the 1990’s and held the position of Board Chair. She was appointed to the Hospital Board of Trustees, where she also served as chair. In 2003, she accepted the Foundation’s bid to re-join the Foundation Board. “Audrey has been instrumental in shaping the hospital and the foundation,” stated Foundation Chair Bill Nettles. “Her wisdom and deep love of BMH are inspiring and provide a stream of insight and knowledge for all of us.”

Audrey joins former Foundation Chair Sumner Pingree in this special designation as Trustee Emeritus, which invites her on-going participation in discussions of the Foundation Board.

The Board members receive a tour of the new Pratt Emergency Center.

Hospital and Foundation Board members enjoy dinner in the Emergency Center exam rooms.

Support the BMH Foundation

Interested in supporting the Foundation? Visit www.bmhfoundationsc.org , where you’ll find

information about the BMH programs and equip-ment funded by gifts from community members.

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2012 AnnuAl Meeting

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When it comes to surgery, less is best.At Beaufort Memorial Hospital,

surgeons are using minimally inva-sive procedures to perform a grow-

ing range of operations from hysterectomies to knee replacements. By adopting new approaches and advanced technology, they are staying at the forefront of the minimalist movement.

Last year, BMH purchased the next generation of the da Vinci surgical system featuring enhanced HD and 3-D optics and wristed instrumentation with a range of motion far greater than the human hand.

“It’s almost as if I’m inside the patient’s body,” says Ardra Davis-Tolbert, MD, one of seven BMH gyne-cologists trained and certified to use the robotic tech-nology. “I can pick my way through and get much closer to organs like blood vessels.”

The da Vinci Si’s optics offer 10 times the mag-nification and better visualization of the operative field, expanding the scope of surgeries that can now be performed with the high-tech system, including organ-sparing procedures for kidney cancer patients.

With the robot’s advanced capabilities, urolo-gist John Adams, MD, is now able to get to hard-to-reach areas of the kidney to identify and remove small tumors.

“The goal is to remove the cancerous tumors with minimal impact to the rest of the kidney,” Dr. Adams says. “The increased mobility and 3-D visualization offered with the robot allows me to do that.”

Precise PlanningThis fall, Stephen Sisco, MD, took the technology a step further using the robot to perform the first sin-gle-port surgery in the area. Rather than four inci-sions, he made just one small opening in the belly button to remove a patient’s gallbladder.

“It’s the least invasive way to remove a gallbladder with the best cosmetic outcome possible,” Dr. Sisco says. “Because it’s hidden in the belly button, you probably won’t be able to see the scar.”

Da Vinci surgery is just one of the many advanced options now available in the OR. Orthopedic sur-geons Ned Blocker, MD, and Kevin Jones, MD, are using innovative technology to custom fit prosthetic knees to an individual’s anatomy.

The personalized knee replacement system uses 3-D MRI images of the knee to create a custom posi-tioning guide the surgeon can use to place and align the implant more precisely.

The new MinimalistsSurgery scars are becoming a thing of the past with help from the latest technology offered to surgical patients at BMH

Technology

Beaufort resident genene aiken suffered from unbearable pain from fibroid tumors. the busy mom dreaded the prospect of surgery with a long recovery until she learned about the da vinci minimally invasive surgery program at Beaufort Memorial hospital. the ultra-small incisions meant an easier and faster recovery, and an end to genene’s pain.

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“When I go in to do the surgery, there is no guess-ing,” Dr. Blocker says. “The patient’s knee has been mapped out and measured digitally. I have a surgi-cal plan and know what size implant the patient will need even before reaching the operating room.”

TREATMENT OF CHOICEVascular surgeon Chad Tober, MD, recently began offering a new minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins. With VenaCure EVLT, he uses a laser fi ber inserted through a tiny puncture site to close off the affected vein. The patient receives only local anesthetic and experiences little to no discomfort during the 45-minute procedure.

“The traditional treatment for this condition—surgical vein stripping and ligation—tends to be a painful procedure with a lengthy recovery time,” Tober says. “It’s very rewarding when advancements in medical technology enable us to provide an alter-native that’s far superior to older treatments—and is now replacing them as the treatment of choice.”

A new, nonsurgical procedure also is being used to treat patients with Barrett’s disease, a precancer-ous condition of the esophagus. Endoscopic radio-frequency ablation therapy requires no incisions and can be performed in an outpatient setting in less than 30 minutes on average.

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Less Is BestTo learn more about the da Vinci surgical

system or other minimally invasive tech-niques offered at BMH, visit

www.bmhsc.org/minimally-invasive.

“The main purpose of the ablation procedure is to remove the abnormal lining of the esophagus,” says gastroenterologist John Crisologo, MD. “The tissue then regenerates and normal tissue grows back. This eliminates or markedly reduces the chance of can-cer developing.”

Today, more than half of surgeries performed at BMH use a minimally invasive approach. Patients get in and out of the hospital quicker, reducing medi-cal costs. More important, they heal faster and better.

“With open surgery, patients are looking at a four- or fi ve-day hospital stay,” says Marylee Riggio, Beaufort Memorial’s director of surgical services. “Patients undergoing many minimally invasive sur-geries usually go home the same day. That’s huge.”

Da Vinci Single Site SurgeryBeaufort Memorial is the first hospital in the region to offer

the robotic single-site surgical approach to gallbladder surgery

using the da Vinci surgical system. The less invasive approach

requires one small incision in the navel and results in minimal or

no visible scarring.

If you’re interested in learning more about the da Vinci robot,

please join our board-certified surgeons at Dance for Your

Health on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon. Registration

is required. Visit www.bmhsc.org or call 843-522-5585

to learn more.

MEET OUR DOCTORS

Deanna Mansker, MD, board-certified general surgeonBeaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists843-524-8171

Stephen Sisco, MD, board-certified general surgeonBeaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists843-524-8171

53S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

The da Vinci surgical system offers surgeons a wide range of motion, allowing them to access hard-to-reach areas of a patient’s anatomy.

ERIK BAKER, MDAs an internist, Dr. Erik Baker spends much of his day dispensing advice to patients on how to improve their health. But this primary care physician doesn’t just lay out the rules, he lives by them.

Four or fi ve days a week he hops on his bike and cycles 20 to 30 miles. He eats nutritious meals, load-ing up on fruits and vegetables. And he gets plenty of ZZZs.

“All those things you hear over and over again really do make a difference,” Dr. Baker says. “If I go a couple of days in a row not eating well or exercising, I start getting irritable and stressed.”

An avid cyclist, Dr. Baker gets in his exercise rid-ing with an amateur road biking team that competes

in criterium, circuit and road races. He also mountain bikes and participates in cyclocross biking events.

“I started riding when I was in medical school at the University of Pittsburgh,” Dr. Baker recalls. “I was getting out of shape and feeling blah, so I bought a bike to commute to school.”

During the 12 years Dr. Baker was in private practice in Jamestown, N.Y., he also enjoyed cross-country skiing. When he moved to the Lowcountry to join Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care, he switched to roller skiing, a road version of the traditional snow sport.

“It’s important to fi nd some healthy way to relieve stress as opposed to going down to the bar,” Dr. Baker says. “A long ride does it for me.”

Just What the Doctor OrderedFrom cycling to international travel, doctors need to get out just as much as we do. Learn how two MDs use their time out of the white coat

OUT OF THE WHITE COAT

Dr. Erik Baker values his time away from the office. From cycling to eating healthfully, the father of two knows the art of practice what you preach.

Erik Baker, MD

54 S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

As for mealtime, the doctor generally eats a bal-anced diet. But he’s not a purist.

“I’m susceptible to all the usual temptations,” says the father of 9- and 12-year-old girls. “I don’t have a Doritos addiction or hide cheese balls in the closet, but I enjoy the occasional pizza. It’s OK to cheat a bit as long as you’re not doing it every day.”

Dr. Erik Baker is an internal medicine specialist at Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care. He can be reached at 843-706-8690.

ROGER ULRICH, MDFor most of his youth, Dr. Roger Ulrich bounced around from country to country soaking up cultures and customs from Europe to the Middle East. The son of medical missionaries, he was born in Jordan, went to boarding school in Germany and returned to the States to become a doctor.

While studying at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and completing his residency at Self Regional Healthcare Family Medicine in Greenwood, S.C., Dr. Ulrich traveled to places like Egypt, Uganda, Niger and Peru, volunteering at a number of medi-cal missions.

“I’ve lived in so many places, I was never rooted anywhere,” Dr. Ulrich says. “Now that I’ve settled down in Bluffton, I have no intention of living any-where else.”

A family medicine specialist, Dr. Ulrich moved to the Lowcountry with his wife last summer after com-pleting his residency.

“I’ve wanted to be a physician since I was in the eighth grade,” Dr. Ulrich says. “At that point I envi-sioned myself doing the same kind of missionary work that my parents did.”

His father, a biomedical engineer, served as the medical director of a 50-bed tuberculosis sanatorium in Jordan. His mother was a nurse and midwife.

But after spending seven weeks in Africa during his residency, he decided it was not his calling.

“The poverty was eye-opening,” he recounts. “We were treating everything from malaria to typhoid. These people were really, really sick. I came to the conclusion that it would not be the right place to settle down and raise a family.”

During his years living overseas, Dr. Ulrich learned to speak Arabic and German. At medical school, he encountered a large number of Hispanic patients and decided to learn Spanish. He spent a month in Costa Rica to immerse himself in the language.

“I love diversity,” Dr. Ulrich says. “It’s one of the things I love about Bluffton. It seems everyone here is from somewhere else.”

Dr. Roger Ulrich is a family medicine specialist at Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care. He can be reached at 843-706-8690.

Roger Ulrich, MD

“I’ve lived in so many places, I was never rooted anywhere. Now that I’ve settled down in Blu� ton, I have no intention of living anywhere else.”

55S P R I N G 2 0 1 3

Dr. Roger Ulrich traveled the world helping those in need, but after moving to Bluffton, this family medicine doctor is ready to start planting his roots.

L iving well begins with you.As I prepared for this column and

reflected on the words living well, my mind was flooded with the health statistics we

monitor as medical professionals, the varying defi-nitions and beliefs about what it means to live well, and the small changes many of us could make today that would result in a greater overall quality of life.

For centuries we’ve functioned under the belief that wellness is the absence of sickness. If you have an infection you are “sick,” and when an antibiotic wipes out that infection you are “well.”

But, what about everything else that is at work in a “well” person’s life? Does the absence of that infec-tion really indicate anything about that person’s overall health and well-being?

When I think about living well, I think about health and wellness, and also about the benefits it provides. There are many things we as health profes-sionals prescribe every day to help people live well and reap the benefits of doing so.

Regular physical activity alone has tremendous benefits, including increased stamina, weight loss, lower blood pressure, improved lipid profile and blood glucose control, decreased stress and improved sleep. Other behaviors we can control include nutri-tional choices, how we respond to stress and whether or not we establish and maintain a relationship with a primary care physician. In short, living well has a cumulative impact that, over time, results in being well.

Living well does not begin in the doctor’s office—it begins with a personal commitment to oneself. By taking responsibility for making appropriate choices every single day, you achieve a lifestyle that allows you to do all of the truly important and meaningful things in life, whether it’s pursuing a favorite hobby, traveling to far-off places or trekking through Disney World with the grandkids.

Do you want to live well? I know I do. And while I don’t claim to be perfect, I will say I make important, conscious decisions every day regarding my health. I do this because I want to enjoy my life—and the people in it—as well as possible.

Being WellMark Senn, PhD, gives his take on the benefits of living well

HealtHy InsIghts

Mark Senn, PhD, senior director of Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Services, believes living well begins with making a personal commitment to oneself.

In each edition, we will share the unique insights of a local health expert on the topic of “Living Well.”

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The BMH Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following tribute gifts received August 17, 2012 to December 7, 2012. To make a tribute gift, please call 843-522-5774 or go to www.bmhsc.org and click on ‘donate now.’

TRIBUTES

IN HONOR OF4th Floor Caregivers Mr. and Mrs. Gene HowardDr. and Mrs. John B. Adams II Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. BrownDr. and Mrs. Edward Blocker Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. BrownBMH ICU Staff Mrs. Nelle M. SmithBMH Staff Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. DiamondMrs. Karen Carroll BMH Administration Team Dr. Majd Chahin Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. BrownMr. Scott Corley and Family Mr. and Mrs. Gale TiederMs. Ruth Finch Mr. and Mrs. Stuart W. KinzieMs. Alice Gaston Mr. Howard A. Green, Jr.Ms. Estella Gaston Mr. Howard A. Green, Jr.Dr. Mary Wynn Hill Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Hodges, Jr.Dr. Andrea Hucks Ms. Jacqueline KatzMs. Frances Jeter Mr. and Mrs. Shannon Lindsay, Jr.Dr. Kevin Jones Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Cosky Mr. and Mrs. Willard M. DavidsonDr. Steve Kessel Mr. and Mrs. Willard M. Davidson Mr. and Mrs. Harry William

GorgasMr. John T. Mahoney Mr. Sean MahoneyMr. and Mrs. Jan M. Malinowski Ms. Ann MalinowskiMrs. Lisa Nelson Mr. Jeremiah MayDr. Tim Pearce Mr. and Mrs. Gene HowardMs. Beth Ann Pellum Mr. and Mrs. Eugene C. Mowry, Jr.Dr. Louis Plzak Ms. Janet L. KeanMr. and Mrs. Rouch and Family Mr. and Mrs. Gale TiederMs. Lynn Sammons Colonel and Mrs. Fred KrummMs. Jennifer Thibault Mr. and Mrs. Jason MeyerDr. J. Chadwick Tober Mr. and Mrs. Gene HowardMr. and Mrs. Robert E. Toomey’s Anniversary Dr. Rick Toomey and Dr. Linda

Hawes

IN MEMORY OFMr. and Mrs. Charles S. Aimar Dr. and Mrs. Eugene W. Grace Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth HoffmanMs. Lillian Bailey Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Copeland The Honorable and Mrs. Ken Fulp Dr. and Mrs. William L. Spearman

Ms. Patricia A. Baltjes Mr. and Mrs. Ronald M. LewisMr. Robert Banfield Ms. Ashleigh Anderson Ms. Kirstey Ball Mr. Paul Ballenger Ballenger Realty Ms. Deborah Banfield Beaufort Emergency Medicine,

P.A. Ms. Alina Bell Mr. Larry Berning Mr. Matthew Bodiford Ms. Charlotte Brantley Mr. Joseph Budde Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Burks Ms. Ellen Burnette Mr. Shane Burroughs Carolina Wings & Rib House Mr. Daniel Cates Ms. Arlene Cespino Ms. Betty Cespino Ms. Mary Chappuis Cheap Seats Enterprises, LLC Mr. and Mrs. Rob Coleman Ms. Marie Collett Larsen Mr. Sean Conklin and Family Mr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Cook Mr. Robert Coppola Ms. Cherimie Crane Ms. Cheree Curtis Mr. Gerald Davis Mr. Daniel Del Puerto Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dixon Mr. Craig Driggers Ms. Kathleen East Mr. Brandon Evans Mr. William Farrell Ms. Amanda Feighner Mr. Robert Ferriol Mr. Dan Friedrich Dr. and Mrs. Kurt M. Gambla Ms. Kathryn Gonzales Ms. Rene Gonzalez Ms. Jill Grabowski-Kersey Ms. Bethany Hair Ms. Beverly Hildreth Mr. Bruce Hildreth Mr. Martin Hildreth Ms. Kelsey Hogue Mr. Anthony Horton Ms. Brandy Horton Ms. Julie Huggins Mr. and Mrs. Chip Hyle Mr. Joshual Jamison Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Jones Ms. Peggy Kersey Mr. Bradley Ketchel Mr. Dustin Kim Ms. Sherry Kocher Mr. and Mrs. Liston Lewis Mr. Rafael Londono Mr. and Mrs. Jason Mickel Mr. Robert Moon Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Morton Mr. James Munsey Ms. Delaine Peris Ms. Angel Pifer REA Contracting Company, LLC

Ms. Amber Roschewski Ms. Cathy Roschewski Ms. Francesca Roschewski Mr. Justin Roy Seacoast Document Systems,

LLC Mr. Michael Seggel Ms. Amee Shermann Ms. Patricia Sims Mr. Ben Skidmore Ms. Sandra Smith Ms. Aileen Stevens Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Torrey United States Military VETS

M C Inc. Ms. Sharon Vaeth Mr. and Mrs. Roger Werthmann Mr. Shane White Mr. Charles Williams Mr. and Mrs. Danny Williams Ms. Kaye Wint Mr. David Wurtzel Mr. David Yerly Ms. Geraldine Yerly-Gillan Mr. and Mrs. Steve ZilkoMr. Robert Buddenhagen Mrs. Joyce FoleyMr. Donald L. Carver Ms. Anne W. CarverMs. Virginia Ann Carver Ms. Anne W. CarverMr. Trigg Combs Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Delli-Gatti, Jr.Mr. Edward E. Conway Mr. and Mrs. James W. CrookMr. John R. Corbett Mrs. Ellen S. CorbettMs. Ann Dot Mr. and Mrs. William

GanschinietzColonel and Mrs. James H. Dyson Lt. Gen. and Mrs. John L.

Ballantyne (ret) Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Mix Mr. and Mrs. Raymond D.

Molony, Jr. Ms. Alice B. Moss Mr. and Mrs. Todd a. Pitts Mr. and Mrs. William C. Robinson Mrs. Edie Rodgers Mr. and Mrs. James A. Shuford III Colonel and Mrs. Charles W.

Stockwell Colonel and Mrs. Carter P.

Swenson (ret) Ms. Mackey Tarrant Dr. Rick Toomey and Dr. Linda

HawesMr. Raymond Foley Mrs. Joyce FoleyMr. Allan Wesley Foutz Mr. and Mrs. Roger A. Comes Mrs. Joy Foutz Mr. and Mrs. Raymond D.

Molony, Jr.Mr. Fred F. Fuerst Mrs. Barbara FuerstMr. Richard Galgano Mr. and Mrs. Jason Meyer

Mr. Dwight Garrett Dr. and Mrs. Philip Cusumano Mr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Pingree, Jr. Mr. Edgar Pund Mr. and Mrs. James B. Rothnie Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sturgis Mr. and Mrs. William H. WilkersonMrs. Emily Brown Gaston Mr. Howard A. GreenMr. William D. Geros Mrs. Mary Lou GerosMr. August H. Gorse Mrs. Kay GorseMs. Becky Gray Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth HoffmanMr. and Mrs. John B. Henderson Ms. Amanda FeighnerMr. Guy R. Hollister Mrs. Jean HollisterMr. Joe D. Horne Mrs. Eleanor T. HorneDr. B. Herbert Keyserling Mrs. Etta MannMs. Judith Keyserling Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth HoffmanMr. Gary W. Klein Mrs. Barbara M. KleinMr. Jim Kolb Mr. and Mrs. Eugene D. MonjeMs. Eleanor Luster Ms. Deirdre YerlyCourtney A. Marshall Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Copeland Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Logan

Crowther The Honorable and Mrs. Ken Fulp Mr. and Mrs. Bob Irvine Dr. and Mrs. William L. SpearmanMrs. Marina F. Materazo Mr. Michael Materazo Mr. and Mrs. Thomas MaterazoMs. Mary Ann Maxalt Dr. and Mrs. William L. SpearmanMr. Frank McCoy Ms. Deborah McCoyMrs. Patricia Morris Mr. Paul MorrisMr. Nathan A. Parks Mrs. Theda H. ParksMr. Andrew Paulik Mrs. Kathy PaulikMs. Patricia McFee Penna Commander and Mrs. Charles A.

McFeeMr. Edwin Pike Mrs. Mary Jane PikeMr. William E. Raber Mr. Arthur Bellis Ms. Jane Brown Ms. Karen Chappell Captain and Mrs. W.D. Chavers

(USMC Ret) Mr. and Mrs. John Crouse Ms. Peggy Horton Mr. Thomas Inman Mr. and Mrs. Pinckney Malphrus Ms. Margie Mears Mr. and Mrs. Edward Moor, Jr.

Mrs. Johnsie A. Nabors Mr. and Mrs. Bucky Odom Colonel and Mrs. Charles W.

Schreiner, Jr. Mr. Thomas Stahl and

Dr. Melinda Stahl Ms. Sarah M. WoodsMs. Lysa Rowe Ms. Marguerite E. Plagge Mr. and Mrs. Ernest

SchlichtemeierMr. Lester Royalty Mrs. Mary K. RoyaltyMr. Heyward Smith Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. CopelandMr. George V. Snell Mr. and Mrs. Charles Byers The Honorable and Mrs. Donald

Fanning, Sr. Ms. Jane W. Herring Mr. and Mrs. Terry Hitchcox Mr. and Mrs. Raymond D.

Molony, Jr. Ms. Alice B. Moss Dr. and Mrs. William L. SpearmanMr. John E. Spearman Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Logan

Crowther Ms. Brenda G. Leming Dr. Marc VigueraMr. W. Eugene Spears Mrs. Lillian A. SpearsMr. and Mrs. Gerhard Spieler Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth HoffmanMr. Scott Stowe Mr. Stephen OlssonMrs. Maxine Swinehart Mr. Keith Swinehart IIMs. Mary Tabor Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Patty, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert WhiteMrs. Clifton S. Thomas Mr. and Mrs. James W. CrookR. E. Toomey Rick Toomey and Linda HawesMr. and Mrs. John R. Turner Mr. John M. TurnerMr. Walter “Tom” Van Etten Mr. and Mrs. Noel G. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. John Buley Mr. and Mrs. A. Clyde Crimmel Earl and Joan Dietz Mr. and Mrs. James W. Goas Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Harris Dr. and Mrs. Jon M. Igelman Mr. and Mrs. Lance E.

Longnecker Mrs. Barbara Norris Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. John A. Terricciano The University of Cincinnati

Foundation Mrs. Mary Louise WilliamsMs. Ruth Weakly Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Logan

CrowtherMs. Phyllis Wurtzel Mr. David Wurtzel

We invite women and men to join together for a fun-filled day of music and dance designed to improve heart health and overall wellness.

9 a.m. – NoonPinckney Hall, 114 Sun City Lane • Sun City

Attendees can register by visiting www.bmhsc.org or by calling (843) 522-5585.

Heart Health

Bone Health

da Vinci Surgery

Vein Health

FEATURED SPECIALTIES:

Beaufort Memorial Hospital presents