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HealthyUMAGAZINE Oct-Dec 2010

nLIFESTYLE CHOICES CAN HELP REDUCE DIABETES RISKnMIRACLE MILE WALK CELEBRATES 10 YEARSnANNUAL PORTRAITS OF LIFE UNVEILED

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DIABETES AFFECTS MORE THAN 24 MILLION AMERICANS and costs our nation more than $175 billion a year in direct medical costs, disability and lost wages.

Of those people with diabetes, 90 to 95 percent are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and many of them may unknowingly go through a pre-diabetes phase called metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is essentially a group of risk factors that, when com-bined, create a condition that increases a person’s risk of heart and vascular disease and diabetes.

Patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome have a number of ways they can better their health and stave off the development of diabetes, said Ian Herskowitz, M.D., an endocrinologist and pro-gram director for University Hospital’s Diabetes Services, even when genetics are against them.

“Family history plays an important role since many people with diabetes have a family history of the disease,” said. “For some people, the body

doesn’t respond correctly to the way insulin works, and over time, that can cause the pancreas to be-come exhausted and unable to function correctly, which can lead to the development of diabetes.”

For Dr. Herskowitz, diagnosing metabolic syn-drome is like being a detective – it’s asking questions, looking at the evidence and arriving at a conclusion.

“We look at their lifestyle – what are their eating habits, are they inactive,” he said. “We want them to be eating properly; basically stay away from high-fat foods, try to stick with good choices like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats like fish, chicken and turkey, and not a lot of fried foods,

Lifestyle choicescan help reducediabetes risk

“Metabolic syndrome is a combi-nation of being overweight, not exercising and not trying to modify those risk factors that can eventu-ally lead to the development of diabetes.”Ian Herskowitz, M.D., Endocrinology

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which unfortunately can be a common problem in our Southern diet. We also want them to exercise on a daily basis. A minimum of 30 minutes a day is what I encourage people to do.”

It’s a combination of quality and quantity when it comes to exercise, Dr. Herskowitz said.

“The more they can do it, the more effective it will be,” he said. “It will keep their weight down, and if they’re overweight, it will help them lose weight.”

And there are also medications that can help. Dr. Herskowitz noted that the drug metformin, which has been around for 30-35 years, is regularly used for metabolic syndrome as a first-line treatment because of its low cost and few safety issues.

While metformin is an excellent weapon in the arsenal against diabetes, Dr. Herskowitz made sure to note that the drug benefit isn’t nearly as effec-tive as lifestyle modification.

“The Diabetes Prevention Trial, which was published a number of years back, showed that when people are given metformin, there’s about a 30 percent re-duction in the development of diabetes over about a 3- 5-year period,” he said. “It is not as effective as diet and exercise, which had the biggest impact in that study with about a 60 percent reduction.”

It’s important to make the effort early to avoid developing diabetes because of the disease’s ef-fect on the whole body.

“Once you develop diabetes, it has a whole host of complications on the entire body – the blood vessels, the heart, the kidneys, the nervous sys-tem, the eyes – that we want to avoid,” he said.

Patients who take control of their health before they develop diabetes can stop a potentially life-threatening condition and get their lives back on track for a healthier future.

“The key is that they understand the effect metabolic syndrome is having on their body,” Dr. Herskowitz said. “A lot of times they’re tired, they’re not able to do the things they’ve been able to do in the past and they’re just not up to their normal level of functioning.

“I try to approach it by getting them to make lifestyle modifications because they’ll feel better and by feeling better, they’ll eventually achieve better health.” v

For more information about metabolic syndrome, log on to www.universityhealth.org/health_library or call University Hospital’s ASK-A-NURSE at 706/737-8423 or toll free at 800/476-7378.

Health News

Metabolic syndrome occurs when a per-son has three or more of the following measurements:

• Abdominalobesity• Triglyceride level of 150milligrams per

deciliter of blood (mg/dL) or greater• HDLcholesterolof lessthan40mg/dL

in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women• Bloodpressure130/85orgreater• Fastingglucoseof100mg/dLorgreater• Insulinresistanceorglucoseintolerance

(the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar)

Source: American Heart Association

METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS

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Health News

DIANNE WALLER, 61North Augusta

Dianne Waller has rea-son to be diligent when it comes to getting her annu-al screening mammogram. She has a family history of breast cancer, and after a bout with ovarian cancer in

1992, she wasn’t about to take any chances.That’s why she was so shocked when she was

told in 2007 she had breast cancer after going in for her annual exam.

“I said, ‘Show it to me,’ because there was no lump; there was no thickened tissue,” she said. “There were three dots on the film – like flecks of pepper. That’s all it took.”

The North Augusta resident said she’s thankful for the expertise of her mammography team and noted that if it hadn’t been for the mammogram, she’s sure her story wouldn’t have ended so well.

“There was no lump, so that just goes to show that you can’t wait for symptoms or signs,” she said. “I literally had to have someone point it out for me.”

TONIA WELSH, 40GranitevilleAt38,ToniaWelshdidn’t

think she was at risk for breast cancer. She’d never had a mammogram and cancer was the last thing on her mind.

Tonia just happened to feel a lump in her breast in December 2007 and at the urging of her family, went to see her physician.

“I was floored when he came back and said it was breast cancer,” she said. “I always thought ‘That’s not going to happen to me; I’m not old enough to get breast cancer.’”

Although Tonia admits there was some denial, she knew she had a lot to live for, including her three children.

“It can happen to you and you’ve just got to keep a positive attitude; don’t let it get you down,” she said. “I’m an independent person and sometimes it’s hard to ask for help, but you’ll need it and you’ll be thankful for it.”

BARBARA LOWE, 59North Augusta

Surviving breast cancer is cause for a party. Surviving breast cancer twice calls for an out and out celebration.BarbaraLowe’sfirstbout

with breast cancer came in October 2000 after a

routinemammogram;hersecondinAugust2008came after she found the lump herself.

“I actually had an appointment scheduled with my doctor and mentioned it to him, so I got sent for another mammogram,” she said.Breast cancer doesn’t run in Barbara’s family,

although she lost her mother and two aunts to lung cancer.

“I’ll admit I was so scared because I’d never been sick; I’d never been in the hospital,” she said. After a double mastectomy and rounds of che-motherapy,Barbarahopesshe isfinally throughwith cancer for good.

“I was always Miss Independent, do everything myself, but you can’t do that,” she said. “You need your family; you need your friends, church mem-bers – and you should accept that.

“I certainly learned that I am stronger than I thought I was – a lot stronger.”

ANNA TURNER-SLAUGHTER, 34Atlanta

Mothers and daughters are often looking for new ways to bond, but for Anna and her mother BertieTurner, breast cancer be-came their connection.

“I didn’t want to bond like that,” Anna said with a laugh.“Butwebonded–wesuredid.”

It was her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis five years earlier that prompted Anna to faithfully perform a breast-self examination every month, which helped her discover a lump in one of her breasts. Thirty-three at the time of her diagnosis, Anna had undergone genetic testing to rule out a predisposition for breast cancer and had never received a mammogram.

Portraits of Life

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Health News

Anna, who lives in Atlanta, came to Augusta after her cancer diagnosis to be closer to her mother and to get the benefits of surgeons Randy Cooper,M.D.,andBillyLynn,M.D.,whopracticeatUniversity Hospital.

“I actually saw them late that evening, after ev-eryone had left for the day, and they just put me at ease,” Anna said. She eventually underwent a dou-ble mastectomy and is on Tamoxifen, a drug that reduces the risk of recurrence for some women.

Anna said younger women should look to her as an example of how breast cancer can strike even those who think they’re in the clear.

“I encourage women to do self-breast exams and not just in the shower, but lying down,” she said. “I only felt mine lying down.”

FELICIA THOMAS, 33Augusta

As a seventh-grade math teacher, Felicia Thomas is accustomed to educating her students. But now shealso takes time to educate others about breast cancer.

Felicia learned breast cancer doesn’t discriminate against the young whenshewasdiagnosedattheageof28inJuly2005. Even then, she was already well aware of how cancer could devastate a life having lost her grandmother to breast cancer. “I also had a first cousin who had breast cancer.”

And the hits kept coming. Soon after her diag-nosis, Felicia said her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which gave her the opportunity to learn more about the process and treatment of cancer in general.

“My father ended up having to go through radia-tion, but since I was going through cancer too, I was able to help guide him through the process,” she said.

Five years later, Felicia said she has a lot to be thankful for – including the birth of her son earlier this year. “God blessed me with a miracle,” she said with a smile.

When she talks about breast cancer with oth-ers, Felicia said she makes sure people understand that denial won’t save your life and that you have to fight cancer head-on.

“When the diagnosis hits you, it hits you hard andespeciallybeingattheageof28,Iwaslookingaheadatmywholelife,”shesaid.“ButifGodbringsyou to it, God’s going to bring you through it.”

ANGIE SANDERS, 44Graniteville

It only takes a moment for a person’s life to be turned upside down.

That’s what Angie Sanders discovered when she was di-agnosed with breast cancer in September 2009.

“At first they thought it was a very early can-cer, but it turned out to be far more advanced,” she said.

Angie went from thinking she’d just have a lumpectomy to ending up needing a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and five years of the drug Tamoxifen.

“I’ve tried to stay positive through the whole thing, and I want to help inspire other women so they know that it’s not a death sentence to hear that word ‘cancer’,” she said.

The past year has been a roller coaster ride for Angie, but she said her bout with cancer has helped her put life into perspective.

“I’ve learned that no one is promised tomorrow,” she said. “You can’t dwell on what’s down the road, because no matter what the outcome – everything is going to be fine. Life will go on.”

MELBA HOLLAND, 57Augusta

Change is inevitable. Times change … and people change.

For Melba Holland, breast cancer brought about an un-expected change in herself. It made her more outgoing.

“I was never the type of person to just go up to people and say ‘I’m so-and-so,’”shesaid. “But I’ve foundmyselfgoingup to people, especially in the hospital when I see someone who’s obviously going through cancer,” she said. “I talk to them and make sure to tell them about the different ways they can find support.”Melba, who was diagnosed in 2008, said the

PinkMagnoliasBreastCancerSupportGroupisagreat resource as well as a wellspring of comfort for those going through breast cancer.

“It’s like being a part of a family, and you feel like you’re kindred spirits,” she said. “It’s a shared journey between women with breast cancer.” >

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Health News

EUGENIA RYANS, 61AugustaBreast cancer is usu-

ally found through routine mammograms and breast self-exams – but sometimes it’s found by accident.

Eugenia Ryans had just taken a shower after her

morningexercisesinNovember1998whenshefeltsomething strange.

“I was drying off in an awkward position and felt something that was very hard and about the size of a pea,” she said.

She immediately made an appointment with her physician, who ordered a mammogram to com-pare with Eugenia’s previous films. The difference was apparent, and two weeks before she turned 48,Eugeniawasdiagnosedwithbreastcancer.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she said. “I didn’t have it in my family, I didn’t know anyone who had it – I’d never talked about cancer or breast cancer to anyone.”

Members of Eugenia’s church encouraged her to seek out Pam Anderson, program coordinator forUniversity’sBreastHealthCenter,tolearnmoreabout her disease.

“I needed to be educated,” she said. “I started going to the Pink Magnolias meetings and they re-ally gave me a better outlook.”

It was there that Eugenia said she learned the power of positive thinking.

“It was time that I really went the extra mile for me,” she said, “and getting involved with people – positive people like the University support group – really makes a difference.”

GAIL KELLY, 57Augusta

Sometimes, a woman just knows when something is not quite right.

That was the case for Gail Kelly, who knew something was wrong in 2005 when she got called back to have

a second mammogram.“I have a family history of breast cancer,” she

said. “I have three sisters who have had it.”Gail went on to have a lumpectomy, chemother-

apy and radiation, but she said it was her time with thePinkMagnoliasBreastCancerSupportGroup

that really made a difference.“Going there to hear everything other cancer

survivors are going through gives you hope, and I know that I have a lot of friends to stand by me,” she said.

Even though it’s been years since she finished her treatments, Gail said she still goes to Pink Magnolia meetings for that added support.

“I still go for myself, but I’m there for other peo-pletoo,”shesaid.“Becausesometimespeoplewillcome in and ask questions, ‘What do you do?’ and we’re able to support them and each other.”

LAVORIS CURRY, 48Graniteville

Women today are busier than ever, which for some, makes it difficult to make the time to get their annual mammograms.

LaVoris Curry began getting annual mam-

mogramswhen she turned 40, but after a fewyears, she discovered that it was getting more and more difficult to find the time to schedule the screening.

“I had them done four years in a row and then I skipped a couple of years,” she said. “It was in-convenient, or I made it seem inconvenient by not making an appointment at the hospital. I put it off and put it off because I’d have to take off from work and drive down to the hospital.”

LaVoris, who works at SRS, decided to take advantage of University Hospital’s Mobile Mammography Unit, which makes stops at a vari-ety of businesses across the region to offer mam-mograms to women who might not have the time to go to a physician’s office.

It was on the mobile unit where LaVoris’ breast cancerwasfirstdiscoveredinJune2009.

“Our schedules are hectic at work, so to have the mobile drive up and park right outside your door at work is a huge convenience,” she said. “This year it was right in the parking lot so all I had to do was walk out the door and right on to the bus.”

When LaVoris discusses her bout with breast cancer with others, she makes sure to emphasize the importance of regular screenings.

“When you know it’s that time of the year to get your mammogram, don’t put it off,” she said. “I’m a living witness to say that’s not smart, and I tell people that.”

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Health News

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY ASSOCIATES has be-come one of the first oncology practices in the nation to be recognized with a three-year cer-tification from the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The program is a new initiative to certify oncology practices that meet rigorous standards for high-quality cancer care.

“We are extremely proud to be among the first of the original 16 hematology-oncology practices in the United States to receive this certification. This achievement underscores our commitment to excellence for our patients,” said S. Michael Shlaer, M.D., a medical oncologist who practices at University Hospital. Medical Oncology Associates also includesDonaldC. Townsend Jr.,M.D., and SilvanaZ.Bucur,M.D.“Throughourrelationship-centered care model we strive to bring the best of evidence-based medicine and experience to can-cer management. The result is a comprehensive

treatment plan built for each patient that rede-fines traditional cancer care. We believe that our Quality Oncology Practice Initiative certification is a significant validation of these efforts.”

The Certification Program helps medical oncolo-gy practices determine whether they are providing the best treatment and care possible for their pa-tients, and demonstrates a commitment to excel-lence and ongoing quality improvement, explained DouglasW.Blayney,M.D.,thesociety’simmediatepast president. v

For more information on Medical Oncology Associates, visit www.moaaugusta.com.

Medical Oncology AssociatesReceives National Recognition

“We are extremely proud to be among the first of the original 16 hematology-oncology practices in the United States to receive this certification.”S. Michael Shlaer, M.D., Oncology

FYI

DEDICATION, TEAMWORK AND DEVOTION to the healing arts are some of the reasons University Hospital considers itself a leader in the healthcare field.But it’s nice to get outside confirmation that

we’re doing a great job.Earlier this year the American Nurses

Credentialing Center (ANCC) re-designated University Hospital as a Magnet facility after a rig-orous on-site review and survey.

The ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program® for excellence in nursing services is considered the highest honor that can be received for outstand-ing achievement in nursing.

“This award not only means that University has great nurses, but it means we have a great team – an entire hospital working together every day to provide the best care for our patients,” said Marilyn

Bowcutt,seniorvicepresidentandchiefoperatingo fficer at University Hospital.

According to the ANCC, the leading nursing cre-dentialing organization in the United States, Magnet designation is widely accepted as the gold standard of patient care. The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes excellence and professionalism in nurs-ing. Applicants undergo an extensive evaluation, and members who are awarded Magnet status must continue to maintain rigorous standards as part of their four-year designation. To reapply for and re-ceive Magnet status for an additional four years is confirmation of the hospital’s resolve to deliver the highest level of care in nursing every day.

University Hospital is the only Magnet Hospital in Augusta and one of only five in the state of Georgia and 372 world-wide. v

GREAT CARE. GREAT CAREERS.www.universityhealth.org/jobs

University’s Magnet Status a Testament to Staff

THE BATTLE AGAINST BREAST CANCER isn’t a sprint – it’s a long, ar-duous trek. It’s putting one foot in front of the other on a jour-ney that can often leave the disease be-hind on the way to a healthier future.

University Hospital’s 10th annual Miracle Mile Walk will help raise money to provide breast cancer care to underserved women in the CSRA, but it also is a powerful celebra-tion that honors those

women whose lives have been touched by breast cancer.Since 2001, more and more people have volun-

teered their time, money and effort to help increase breast cancer awareness in our area, specifically for women who might lack insurance or funds to get regular screening mammograms.

Starting with just 90 walkers in 2001, the annual event has continually broken its own records, with more than 3,000 walkers and more than $160,000 raised in 2009. Last year, at least 200 breast cancer survivors launched the three-mile walk as honorary starters.

Pamela Anderson, program coordinator for University Hospital’s Breast Health Center, notedthat 100 percent of the net proceeds from the Miracle Mile Walk stay in our area to help provide breastcancercarethroughtheBreastHealthCenterand Mobile Mammography Unit.

“It’s awe-inspiring what these people can ac-complish when they come together for such a great cause,” she said. v

Miracle Mile Walk Celebrates 10 Years of Hope

CONGRATULATIONS toMarionJanis,ofAiken,whowondinnerandmovieticketsinUniversity’srandomdrawing of the Healthy U Readership Survey participants.

10TH ANNUAL MIRACLE MILE WALK

Saturday, Oct. 168-9a.m.registration,9:30a.m.walkbeginsAugusta Common, Eighth and Reynolds streetsFor more information about the walk, or to register for the event, call 706/729-5656.

Anne Trotter, Chairwoman of the 10th annual Miracle Mile Walk.