WellWellLiving

PLUS Sofia Vergara survived thyroid cancer and became a TV star

�ways to feel healthier��each and every day66

Loving Life

NO MORE BELLY BUBBLES: HERNIAS CAN BE FIXED

Enjoying Life After Shoulder Pain

TIPS FOR A HAPPY, HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON

LivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingLivingBEAUFORTMEMORIAL.ORGWINTER 2016

MEET TWO LOWCOUNTRY-LOVING ONCOLOGISTS…OUT OF THE WHITE COAT See page 6.

ROBOTIC SURGERY

BMHDAVINCI.COM

Gynecological SurgeryGeneral Surgery

Patricia Thompson, MD Glenn Werner, MDDeanna Mansker, MD Stephen Sisco, MD Christopher Benson, MD Gregory Miller, MD

The da Vinci robot puts surgeons in the driver’s seat, allowing them to steer a robotic arm that moves with greater range and precision than the human wrist. This dexterity enables minimally invasive procedures that reduce scarring and speed recovery. And in our area, no one has more experience putting the robot to work than Beaufort Memorial’s leading team of da Vinci trained physicians.

Our drivers know how to handle a tight corner.

FEATURES

WINTER 2016 1

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 Opening Thoughts 3 Introductions 4 Collected Wisdom 6 Out of the White Coat 8 Ask the Expert 32 The Quick List 33 This Just In 38 The Truth About

Depression 40 How To: Share a Diagnosis 42 Quiz: Freak Out

or Chill Out? 44 At a Glance:

Inside a Stroke 46 In the Market: Kale 48 Health by the Numbers:

Medication Mishaps 54 Foundation-Building

Hit the treadmill or the weights? PAGE 349 Long Live Us

We’re living longer than ever. How about

living better, too?

10 A Strong Voice TV star and can-cer survivor Sofi a

Vergara is one of many Americans who deal with a thyroid condition.

14 Making the Best of Every Day Simple strategies

for eating better, exercis-ing more and coping with chronic diseases.

22 When Cancer Hits Home A cancer diag-

nosis has a major impact on the whole family, and everybody needs support.

28 Take a Look Inside You know the

abbreviations, from CT to MRI. But what do these scans actually do?

49 Back in the Groove From shots to

surgery, there are many options for patients suff er-ing from shoulder pain.

8 Ask the Expert Certifi ed registered nurse practitioner Maggie Bisceglia answers questions about the treatment of urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control.

ContentsWINTER 2016

COVER PHOTO BY MARK DAVIS/GETTY IMAGES | RUNNER BY SVETIKD/GETTY IMAGES | KALE SALAD BY JENNIFER BOGGS/AMY PALIWODA/GLOW IMAGES | DUMBBELL BY FSTOP/GLOW IMAGES

Take it easy: You can improve your health in small, manageable steps. PAGE 14

THE BIG STORY

52 Banished Bubble Hernias are

uncomfortable, unsightly—and fi xable with minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery.

OPENING THOUGHTS

GREETINGS FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you and to provide you with exciting information about your community hospital.

My name is Russell Baxley, and I am the new president and chief executive officer for Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

It has been just about 60 days since I assumed my new post, and I am so impressed with the employees, providers and community members who support—and are supported by—this great organization.

Community hospitals play a critical role in the health and well-being of the patients they serve, and my goal is to support the people who deliver care to you. By ensuring you have access to the resources you need to live well, we will con-tinue to fulfill our mission to provide superior healthcare services to our patients and to improve the health of our community.

How will we do it? By focusing on quality, safety, stability and good steward-ship of an organization that has served this community for nearly 75 years. Whether offering new services, recruiting much-needed specialists, or expanding and improving our facilities, the incredible leaders, board members and staff of Beaufort Memorial are committed to you and your good health.

As evidence of our constant focus on becoming a highly reliable organization through patient safety and quality outcomes, we recently were awarded three “Zero Harm” awards by the South Carolina Hospital Association. The awards are given to organizations that create and sustain dependable, safe and high-quality care over a long period of time.

Our hospital was recognized for reporting zero central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) for 42 months; zero surgical site infections for colon surgery patients for 42 months; and zero surgical site infections for abdominal hysterectomy patients for 24 months. You can learn more about this and other quality and safety topics by visiting beaufortmemorial.org.

You can also learn about the rebirth of our Collins Birthing Center, which will be transformed through a 19-month renovation and expansion to enhance our longstanding tradition of caring for Lowcountry newborns and their families.

I look forward to meeting you and sharing great news about your community hospital and the people who stand ready to care for you. In the meantime, thank you for welcoming my wife, Stephanie, and me to the Lowcountry.

With best regards,

Russell Baxley, MHA President and CEO

Living Well, a subtitle of Vim & Vigor™, Winter 2016, Volume 32, Number 4, is published quarterly by MANIFEST LLC, 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 315, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, 602-395-5850. Vim & Vigor™ is published for the purpose of disseminating health-related information for the well-being of the general public and its subscribers. The information contained in Vim & Vigor™ is not intended for the purpose of diagnosing or prescribing. Please consult your physician before undertaking any form of medical treatment and/or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. Vim & Vigor™ does not accept advertising promoting the consumption of alcohol or tobacco. Copyright © 2016 by MANIFEST LLC. All rights reserved. Subscriptions in U.S.: $4 for one year (4 issues). Single copies: $2.95. For subscriptions, write: Circulation Manager, Vim & Vigor™, 4110 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 315, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.

BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

PRESIDENT & CEORussell Baxley, MHA

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

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

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

ManagerPaul Nurnberg, Photographer

PRODUCTIONEDITORIALASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Matt Morgan EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Meredith Heagney COPY DIRECTOR: C.J. Hutchinson

DESIGNASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Chris McLaughlinART DIRECTORS: Cameron Anhalt, Molly Meisenzahl

PRODUCTIONSENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER: Laura MarloweDIRECTOR OF PREMEDIA: Dane NordinePRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALISTS: Julie Chan,

Sonia Fitzgerald

CIRCULATIONSENIOR DIRECTOR, LOGISTICS: Tracey LenzPOSTAL AFFAIRS & LOGISTICS MANAGER: Janet Bracco

CLIENT SERVICESSENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTORS: Dawn Barnes, Mark KatsACCOUNT MANAGERS: Connie McCollom, Katie Murphy,

Marisa Mucci

ADMINISTRATION CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Jason BenedictSVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – HEALTHCARE:

Gregg Radzely, 212-574-4380CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER: Beth Tomkiw

Beaufort Memorial Hospital955 Ribaut Road

Beaufort, SC 29902843-522-5200

843-522-5585 – Doctor Referral Service

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

WINTER 20162

Brandon McElroy, MDBoard-eligible internist Brandon McElroy, MD, has joined Philip Cusumano, MD, and Robert Vyge, MD, at Beaufort Memorial Lady’s Island Internal Medicine. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Tennessee, McElroy earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the university’s Health Science Center in 2013. During his

four years in medical school, he volunteered at a free clinic for uninsured adult patients and mentored fellow medical students. He completed his medical residency this spring at the Medical University of South Carolina.

INTRODUCING… The newest members of the BMH team

INTRODUCTIONS

Melanie Mooney, MDBeaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care has added Melanie Mooney, MD, to its medical staff. A board-certified family medicine specialist with 12 years’ experience, Mooney worked most recently for a family medicine practice in Columbia, Kentucky. She started her career in 2004 at a primary care practice owned by Westlake

Regional Hospital in Columbia. She later accepted a position with KentuckyOne Primary Care of Hodgenville. A graduate of the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Mooney completed her internship and residency at the school’s Glasgow/Barren County Family Medicine. During her training, she worked on the medical staff of Rivendell Behavioral Health Services and in the emergency department at T.J. Samson Community Hospital.

Brad Kelly, DO To meet the growing demand for healthcare services in Hampton County, Beaufort Memorial has added another board-certified family medicine specialist to the staff at its Harrison Peeples Health Care Center. Brad Kelly, DO, com-pleted his residency at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky, where he served as house physician

for a 500-bed hospital and led the Code Blue team. Prior to graduating from the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kelly worked as a nursing care tech-nician for three years at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center.

William Schreffler, NP-CAfter earning a master’s degree and certification as a nurse prac-titioner, William Schreffler has returned to Beaufort Memorial Hospital, where he served for five years as a perioperative nurse. In his new role as an advanced practice provider, he will be work-ing with orthopaedic surgeon Kevin

Jones, MD, at Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists. A graduate of East Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, Schreffler brings 10 years of operating room experience to the job. He worked for three years as a periop-erative nurse at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina, before joining the staff at BMH. He left the hospital in 2014 to pursue nurse practitioner studies at Frontier Nursing University in Kentucky.

WINTER 2016 3

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HEALTHY HOLIDAYS Keep the happy in your holidays with these helpful tips

on how to enjoy a stress-free, healthful season

Fitting inFITNESS With all the Christmas parties, gift shopping and holiday baking to do, you may find it dif-ficult to fit in your usual workout at the gym. But that doesn’t mean you can’t meet your exercise goals.

Any moderate- or vigorous-intensity activ-ity performed for at least 10 minutes counts toward the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week. Here are a few options to keep you moving:

3Brisk walking3Biking slowly3Canoeing3Dancing3Gardening3Water aerobics3Playing kickball with the kidsIf you can’t spare 30 minutes for a walk, jog

for 15 minutes instead. In general, 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise provides the same benefits as 30 minutes of moderate activity.

COLLECTED WISDOM

WEBSITE

Calorie Counter The number of calories you burn during exercise depends on your weight, the type of activ-ity and how long you do it. You’ll find a Calorie Burner Calculator at beaufortmemorial.org. Click the “Health Resources” tab, then “Health Library” and “Wellness Tools.”

STUFFED BABY PUMPKINSLooking for a holiday meal that’s festive and healthy? Try this delicious recipe from Beaufort Memorial Executive Chef Michael Ramey.

INGREDIENTS6 teaspoons canola oil, divided1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded

and diced into ½-inch pieces 4 ounces andouille sausage, diced into

¼-inch pieces ½ cup chopped yellow onion½ cup peeled pear, diced into ¼-inch

pieces 2 teaspoons brown sugar

¼ cup dry sherry1 cup cooked wild rice/long grain blend¼ cup dried cranberries1 teaspoon fresh thyme1 teaspoon dry sage1 teaspoon salt½ cup 99% fat-free chicken stock 4 sugar or pie pumpkins hollowed,

tops removed and reserved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat and add the squash, stirring occasionally for two to three minutes to brown evenly. Turn the heat to medium and cook squash another three to four minutes until just tender. Add the andouille and onion and cook until the onion just begins to color. Add the pear and cook for three minutes, then add the sugar and sherry and cook for two minutes. Remove from the heat.

Season inside of each pumpkin with salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, combine the rice, cranberries, thyme, sage, salt and stock. Stir in the sausage mixture and divide evenly among the pumpkins, lightly packing. Cover with the reserved tops. Rub each of the pumpkins with 1 teaspoon of oil. Place in a shallow baking dish and cover with foil. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Chef’s Note: Omit the andouille and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock for a tasty holiday vegan entrée.

WINTER 20164

KEEP IT SIMPLE and STRESS-FREE You don’t need to be Martha Stewart to create holiday traditions your family will remember. Rather than trying to check off everything on your to-do list and driving yourself crazy in the process, focus on a few simple things that will make the season special.

Maybe this year you don’t send out holiday cards. Instead, spend an evening baking cookies with the kids. Skip the store-bought knick-knacks and use natural decorations, like branches, berries and acorns from your backyard, to give your house a warm, welcoming feel. A naturally scented cinnamon candle will add to the ambiance.

Sit by a crackling fire. Warm up with hot cocoa. Take a moonlight walk with your sweetie. The idea is to reduce your stress and enjoy the holidays. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a breather. Spend 15 minutes doing something that clears your mind and relaxes you, like reading a book or listening to soothing music.

It’s not just about keeping your sanity. Stress can weaken your immune system, making you more suscepti-ble to a host of ailments, from insomnia to heart disease.

Holiday Health TipsThe holidays are no fun if you’re laid up in bed with a cold or flu. Here are six things you can do to stay healthy this winter:

1 Wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based sanitizer.

The germs on your hands are the single biggest threat to your health.

2 If you’re traveling in an airplane, bus or train, use disinfecting

wipes to clean the armrests, tray table, air vent and seat-belt buckle.

3Stay hydrated to ensure your mucous membranes are moist

so they can better keep bugs out of your system.

4 A holiday cookie or two is OK, but avoid overindulging in

high-fat, salty or sugary foods.

5 Drink in moderation. Alternate between alcoholic and nonalco-

holic drinks, such as sparkling water with lime.

6Get your zzzs. A study found people who snoozed at least eight

hours nightly were about three times less likely to catch a cold than those who slept less than seven hours.

BY THE NUMBERS

344 Calories in a cup

of eggnog

50–60Percentage an influenza vaccination will reduce

your risk of getting the flu

5–20Percentage of the U.S. population that will get

the flu, on average, each year

90 Number of minutes you

need to walk to burn off those calories

1 Average weight gain, in pounds, of adults over

the holidays, according to several studies; common wisdom has often placed the figure much higher

Sources: beaufortmemorial.org, CalorieKing, CDC, Public Library

of Science, WebMD

WINTER 2016 5

OUT OF THE WHITE COAT

search for the Caribbean beach villa was featured in a 2007 episode of HGTV’s House Hunters International.

“I try to get out there four or five times a year,” Chahin says. “It’s a great place for scuba diving. You can put on your gear, walk into the water and swim right to the reefs.”

When it’s too cold in the Lowcountry to swim, Chahin is happy just sitting with friends on his cruiser, “Knot on Call,” enjoying the ambience of the Historic District from Beaufort’s down-town marina.

Boating isn’t the only recreational activity from his adolescence Chahin has revisited. He’s also taken up motor-cycle riding again. Most of the time, he stays close to home, riding his Harley-Davidson Road King to Charleston or Savannah.

On occasion, he makes a vacation out of it.

“I’ve done some pretty cool rides with friends,” he says. “One of my favor-ite trips was riding from Vegas to Death Valley in California.”

CALL

Majd Chahin, MD, is a board-certified specialist in medical oncology and hematology at Beaufort Memorial Medical Oncology in the Keyserling Cancer Center. He can be reached at 843-521-9879.

Medical oncologist Majd Chahin takes advantage of the Lowcountry weather by riding his motorcycle and boating.

Majd Chahin, MD

Growing up on the Syrian coast, Majd Chahin, MD, has always had an affinity

for the water. “It’s in my blood,” says the Beaufort

Memorial medical oncologist. “As a kid, going to the beach was part of my everyday life.”

As soon as he completed his medical oncology training at Emory University, Chahin returned to his aquatic roots, set-tling in Beaufort to open the community’s first full-time medical oncology practice.

“I wanted to live in a small town, close to the water with weather similar to where I grew up,” he says.

Beaufort filled the bill. Living on the river on Coosaw Island has allowed him to enjoy the pleasures of his youth—and pass on his love of the water to his three children, now grown and off at school.

“When they were young, my kids loved playing on the sandbars,” Chahin recalls. “They used to cover them-selves with mud. That was their life in the summer.”

Chahin’s vacation home is also on the water—in Curacao’s Blue Bay. His

ONCOLOGISTS, OFF-DUTYCoastal lifestyle draws Beaufort Memorial oncologists to the Lowcountry

WINTER 20166

Radiation oncologist Jonathan Briggs is a longtime competitive swimmer who loves Beaufort’s pools and beaches.

Jonathan Briggs, MD

Despite living for years near the Jersey Shore, Jonathan Briggs, MD, couldn’t pass up

the opportunity to try a different kind of coastal lifestyle. So after accepting a position with Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center this past spring, the radiation oncologist moved his expectant wife, Michele, and three children to the Lowcountry.

“I knew my kids would enjoy living on the coast and all the water activities we can do here,” Briggs says. “We started

going to the beach this summer and have really loved it.”

As the father of a growing family, Briggs, 50, sees additional appeal in Beaufort.

“With four kids, I’m never going to retire,” he quips. “I thought it would be nice to live in a place where at least on the weekends I can pretend I’m retired.”

Briggs also is enjoying swimming again after injuring his knee two years ago. With the Beaufort YMCA just a half-mile from his cancer center office, he can

break away at lunchtime three or four times a week and get in 100 laps at the fitness center’s pool.

“It’s helping me get back into shape,” Briggs says. “After I injured my knee, I was eating all kinds of comfort food and gained 30 pounds.”

To swim eight laps in the 25-yard pool takes him three minutes. In a typical one-hour session, Briggs will complete four or five eight-lap sets before taking a break. Then he’ll start over, trying to improve his time as he goes.

“It’s a sport that’s about power, but also technique,” he says. “I coach myself because there’s always something you can do to get better.”

A competitive swimmer at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, Briggs special-ized in the backstroke and distance events. In later years he went on to compete in the U.S. Masters Swimming program. Next year, he hopes to partici-pate in the 11th Annual Beaufort River Swim, a 3-mile open-water race along the downtown shoreline.

“When I’m submerged in the water, I have no other distractions,” Briggs says. “It’s very soothing.” n

CALL

Jonathan Briggs, MD, is a board-certified radiation oncologist with Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center. He can be reached at 843-522-7800.

WINTER 2016 7

ASK THE EXPERT

A FIX FOR LEAKY PIPESLoss of bladder control plagues millions of women, especially as they get older. But you don’t have to suffer

in silence. New treatments can put a stop to the embarrassing problem of stress urinary incontinence, says BMH certified registered nurse practitioner Maggie Bisceglia.

Q What is stress urinary incontinence?SUI is an involuntary leakage

of urine that occurs when a physical activity or movement, like coughing, sneezing, laughing, running or lifting something heavy, puts pressure on your bladder.

Q What causes it? Anything that weakens your pel-vic floor muscles—the muscles

that support your bladder—can cause stress incontinence. Childbirth, meno-pause, obesity or physical changes asso-ciated with aging are common culprits.

Q Can SUI be treated? Yes. You can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles by

performing Kegel exercises. Your doctor may recommend supervised pelvic floor therapy with a specially trained physical therapist to ensure you do the exercises correctly. How well it works will depend on whether you perform them regularly.

One of the latest advancements in bladder control treatment is a prescrip-tion medical device that does the Kegels for you, only much more strongly than you could do them yourself. Sold under the name Apex or Intone, the device strengthens the pelvic floor muscle using intravaginal electrical stimulation. The treatment requires that you use the device five to 10 minutes a day, six days a week for 14 weeks, then twice a week for maintenance. Many women prefer this option because it can be done in the privacy of their home.

For women with a prolapsed bladder, another treatment option is a vaginal pessary, a mechanical device that helps support your bladder base to prevent urine leakage during activity.

Q Is stress incontinence a normal part of the aging process?

No, it is not normal, although a lot of women accept it as such. They manage the urinary leakage by using incontinence pads, which can be effective, though wearing pads all the time can cause other problems, including a skin rash or yeast infection. (If you use the pads and are embarrassed to purchase them at your local grocery store or pharmacy, be aware that they can be ordered online.) When their incontinence is severe, some women will get to the point that they’re afraid to leave the house. n

CALL

Make an Appointment Maggie Bisceglia is a certified registered nurse practitio-ner with Beaufort Memorial Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists. She can be reached at 843-522-7820.

Maggie Bisceglia, CRNP, offers

treatment and advice for people

facing bladder-control issues.

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WINTER 20168

In America, the average life expectancy is 78.8 and going up. In fact, we’ve gained a couple of years in the past two decades—the life expectancy in 1996 was 76.1.

The seven leading causes of death are: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. A healthy diet, not smoking, staying active, managing stress and taking basic safety precautions can lower our risk of premature death.

The bad news? More than one-third (34.9 percent) of U.S. adults are obese, a major risk factor for disease.

The good news? Fewer people are smoking. Just less than 17 percent of U.S. adults smoke; in 1965, it was 42 percent.

And while 39.6 percent of men and women in the U.S. will have cancer in their lifetimes, the overall cancer death rate has declined since the early 1990s.

As the average life span increases, we have more opportunities than ever to improve our health. So what are we waiting for? You have the

power to improve your health and prevent or manage disease, maximiz- ing the years you have—both in length and quality.

Read on to find out how.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Cancer Institute

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You don’t have to meditate on a mountaintop to live your best life.

Issue

The

Health Day-to-Day

LONG LIVE US

WINTER 2016 9

Being diagnosed with cancer was no laughing matter for Sofi a Vergara, but it gave the comedic actress a powerful new platformBY KEVIN JOY

VOVOVIOIOCICI ECECSTRONG

A

A double threat of acting chops and stunning looks have made Sofi a Vergara

a leading lady in Hollywood. Try not to be charmed by her charisma; it’s impossible.

The Colombian-born actress and model can be serious, however: One of her public roles involves speaking out about a disease whose aftereff ects she manages every day.

In 2000, Vergara—almost a decade before landing her laugh-out-loud role as spitfi re Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family—was given a serious, real-life diagnosis: thyroid cancer.

The butterfl y-shaped gland at the base of her neck would have to be removed.

Vergara, now 44, couldn’t believe the news. “I was in shock,” she recalled to The New York Times. “I was 28 and I wasn’t smoking. I wasn’t doing many things that are unhealthy.”

Such a scenario isn’t unusual. R. Michael Tuttle, MD, a medical

adviser for the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, says little is known about what causes cancer (and other disorders) of the thyroid, a vital endocrine gland. Its job is to secrete hormones necessary for regulating temperature, heart rate, mood and metabolism, among other things.

It is, as Tuttle explains, “your body’s speedometer.”

Fortunately, for the 20 million Americans believed to have some form of thyroid disease, most issues are highly treatable with medication and, where cancer is concerned, surgery.

Consider the vivacious Emmy-nominated bombshell as proof.

“If you know what to do and fi nd the right care,” Vergara told Parade magazine, “you can live a normal life.”

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Sofi a Vergara married husband Joe Manganiello, of Magic Mike fame, in 2015.

A SOMETIMES-SILENT CANCER Like Vergara, many people in the early stages of thyroid cancer have no symp-toms. In fact, Tuttle says, the cancer is often detected unexpectedly when testing for other health conditions.

Those with more advanced cases may experience clearer signs of poten-tial trouble: hoarseness, diffi culty swallowing or the emergence of nod-ules (solid or fl uid-fi lled lumps that, although common, are cancerous less than 10 percent of the time).

In either scenario, a doctor will feel around your neck for abnormali-ties before deciding whether to order diagnostic tests such as blood work or an ultrasound.

That’s how an otherwise healthy Vergara was fi rst diagnosed. She took her son to an endocrinologist, con-cerned about a family history of dia-betes. The doctor checked her son and then examined Vergara, too; he found a lump in her neck.

“It’s not like colon cancer or breast cancer, where there are certain screen-ings,” says Tuttle, who has treated more than 2,000 patients with thyroid cancer.

The most common and often slow-growing forms are known as papillary and follicular thyroid cancer; combined, they account for about 90 percent of cases. Other variations, including

medullary and anaplastic, are much rarer but typically more aggressive and tougher to treat.

Total or partial surgical removal of the thyroid is usually quick. Most folks, Tuttle says, are back to work within a few days. Some, including Vergara, have to ingest radioactive iodine via tablets to fully eradicate the cancer. Others with more aggressive tumors may need chemotherapy.

LIFE WITHOUT A THYROIDThe complete loss of one’s thy-roid, meanwhile, leaves a person hypothyroid—in other words, unable to make enough thyroid hormone for the

body to work properly. That requires a lifetime of daily medicine to simulate the absent function.

“We give the body the same hor-mone that the thyroid was producing,” says Antonio Bianco, MD, president of the American Thyroid Association. “The body, in fact, does not know the diff erence.”

Finding the proper dosage may require some tweaks, though. Vergara, for one, says she “religiously” sees her doctor and has her thyroid levels checked every three to six months.

This explains why, when she became a paid spokeswoman for a thyroid medi-cation in 2013, Vergara stressed the

2 She has enjoyed a four-year streak of being the highest-earning TV actress; in 2015, she shared the honor with The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco. Each made $28.5 million.

3 She used to watch Spanish-dubbed episodes of the sitcom Married… with Children, which starred her future Modern Family “husband” Jay Pritchett (Ed O’Neill).

4 She relies on custom couture to off er extra support for her voluptuous frame and says she might one day seek breast-reduction surgery.

5 She loves to read. Vergara plows through several books each month, often reading for hours at a time.

6 She’s good friends with another famous Colombian: pop star Shakira.

7 She became a U.S. citizen in 2014. Vergara earned a perfect score on the 100-question test and called the process “very emotional.”

1 She got her start in a Pepsi commercial at age 17 and soon after made her mark as a television host on the Univision network.

7 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SOFIA VERGARA

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importance of routine.“The last thing I do at night is get my

pill ready, and the fi rst thing I do in the morning is take the pill before I jump in the shower,” she told the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión. “I don’t think about it anymore.”

Also helping Vergara and plenty of others take the diagnosis off their minds: The fi ve-year survival rate of papillary and follicular thyroid cancers, when caught early, is nearly 100 percent.

OTHER THYROID ISSUES Cancer isn’t the only factor that can aff ect thyroid function.

The hypothyroidism that Vergara developed as a result of physically los-ing her thyroid can also be triggered by autoimmune disorders—that’s when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys cells—such as Hashimoto’s disease.

Left untreated, “it really creates emo-tional problems, decreasing the quality of life,” Bianco says.

Hypothyroidism aff ects nearly 1 in 20 Americans ages 12 and older. Symptoms may include fatigue, dry skin, feel-ing cold, heavy menstrual periods and weight gain. It can be treated with thy-roid hormone replacement therapy.

But feeling exhausted or bloated doesn’t always mean the thyroid is to blame. Doctors can confi rm thyroid problems with blood tests that gauge whether levels of the thyroid-stimulating hormone, or TSH, are out of whack.

Aff ecting about 1 in 100, a far less common condition—hyperthyroidism, sometimes called “overactive thyroid”—is the opposite scenario. That’s when, often prompted by an autoimmune disorder called Graves’ disease or an infl ammation known as thyroiditis, the thyroid gland produces more hormones than the body needs.

Among the side eff ects: heavy sweating or excessive warmth, vision problems, sudden weight loss and constipation.

“You feel like you’re sitting waiting for the roller coaster to take off ; your heart’s running at 90 miles an hour,” Tuttle says.

In this case, hormone-blocking medi-cation is a fi rst line of defense, although radioactive iodine ultimately may be required to disable the thyroid (or sur-gery to remove it).

Thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism all can cause an enlarged thyroid gland, called a goiter. But a goiter does not always mean there is a thyroid problem.

Where noncancerous nodules are concerned, your doctor may choose to monitor growth over time before taking further action.

GREATER AWARENESSThyroid cancer is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the U.S. Although still rare, it was expected to include about 62,450 new cases in 2015, accord-ing to the American Cancer Society.

That, experts say, doesn’t signal an epidemic but instead means greater awareness and detection of thyroid disease, thanks to public advocates like Vergara and to more advanced diagnostic methods.

Recurrence, though, is a risk—even years after surgery—which means con-tinuing a dialogue with one’s doctor and living healthfully are key.

By working with a personal trainer to develop an exercise plan and maintain a balanced diet, Vergara is doing her part.

With a bit of wiggle room, of course. The ever-feisty Gloria of Modern Family, after all, wouldn’t stand for cutting out all the fun.

“You have to live your life and be happy,” Vergara told the Huffi ngton Post, noting that she continues to enjoy des-sert and the occasional cocktail. “But it’s important to go to the doctor, to have your checkups, to work out, eat healthy, everything. Do everything that you can.” �

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FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUR THYROID:Although the root causes of thyroid prob-lems and cancer are mostly unclear, there are ways to gauge your risk.

3GENDER: “Women are much more likely to develop hypothyroidism than men, by a ratio of 10-to-1,” says board-certified family medicine specialist Neal Shealy, MD, of Beaufort Memorial Harrison Peeples Health Care Center.3AGE: The risk of hypothyroidism—the second most common endocrine health problem behind diabetes—increases as you age. “About 2 to 3 percent of older women will develop an underactive thy-roid,” Shealy says. 3AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE OF THE THYROID: “The radiation, radioactive iodine or surgery used to treat Graves’ disease can lead to hypothyroidism,” Shealy says. “You start out with an over-active thyroid and end up with an under-active thyroid.”3GENETICS: Find out whether your fam-ily has a history of thyroid disorders. Genes, in some circumstances, can play a role.

EVENT

Find Support The Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association offers a host of local meetup groups—as well as phone and email support networks—throughout the United States and in other countries for survivors and their families. Visit thyca.org.

MAKINGTHE BIG STORY

WINTER 201614

Most of us think about our health every day, whether we’re trying to eat right or living with

chronic disease. With a little patience and a plan, we can take small steps to reach our goals and feel better. BY STEPHANIE CONNER

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OF EVERY DAYTHE BEST

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You can feel better

in just 30 days, without a major life overhaul

HEALTHIER DIETIf we are what we eat, most Americans are in

trouble. Big time.

And it can feel like an insurmountable feat to

go from drive-thru cheeseburgers and processed

snacks to salads and nutrient-dense foods.

But it might be easier than you think. “You

don’t start off by running a marathon,” says

Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian nutritionist

and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition

and Dietetics. “You start by running that first mile.”

Or maybe even walking that first mile.

ONE MONTH TO A

SMALL CHANGES

No need to reinvent the wheel. Little tweaks to your food and exercise routine can pay off.

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So let’s take it slow, making one sim-ple change every day or two for a total of 19 small changes over 30 days. We started on a Sunday; you, of course, can start whenever you feel the time is right.

DAY 1 (SUNDAY): Prepare for the workweek by packing snacks you can keep in your desk drawer, like a healthy trail mix or dried fruit, advises Marjorie Nolan Cohn, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

DAY 2 (MONDAY): “Make breakfast a priority,” Crandall says. “It sets the tone for the rest of the day.” Consider a hard-boiled egg and low-fat cottage cheese for a high-protein meal that will leave you satisfied.

…DAY 4 (WEDNESDAY): Pass on soda

at lunchtime and sip on water instead. …DAY 6 (FRIDAY): Don’t want to miss

happy hour? Go ahead and participate, but opt for a wine spritzer, which waters down the vino, cutting the alcohol, sugar and calories.

DAY 7 (SATURDAY): Date night! Skip the pasta and choose a fish or grilled chicken dish instead.

DAY 8 (SUNDAY): For brunch, get in the habit of forgoing high-carb pancakes and French toast. “I encourage my cli-ents to do an omelet—something that has a more solid protein,” Cohn says.

DAY 9 (MONDAY): Replace the mayo on your sandwich with mustard to cut calories but retain flavor.

DAY 10 (TUESDAY): Go to bed early. “It’s been proven that … sleep plays a major role in weight loss—and in keeping weight off,” Cohn says. Sleeping about eight hours a night can regulate hormone levels and help minimize cravings. “Plus, if you go to bed before 11 p.m., you won’t have that midnight snack.”

…DAY 12 (THURSDAY): Read the

menus of your favorite restaurants and choose a few nutritious go-tos. “You can get perfectly healthy takeout,” Cohn says. Look for meals with lean proteins and plenty of veggies.

DAY 13 (FRIDAY): Get rid of all the chips in your pantry. If you feel you need to snack on something crunchy, Crandall suggests almonds.

DAY 14 (SATURDAY): Hit the farmers market for fresh fruits and vegetables—in as many colors as you can find.

…DAY 17 (TUESDAY): Progress check!

And no, not the number on the scale. People often have unrealistic expec-tations of how quickly they’ll lose weight once they start a healthy eating plan, Cohn says. “Are you feeling bet-ter? Is your skin clearer? Are you able to concentrate at work better?” she says. “What other positive things are you feeling?”

…DAY 20 (FRIDAY): Try another

change to happy hour. “Drink a glass of water before each glass of alcohol,” Crandall says, to decrease liquid calories.

…DAY 22 (SUNDAY): Get ready for

the workweek. If your office has a freezer, Cohn suggests bringing pre-cooked chicken, veggie burgers and vegetables to microwave for lunch.

DAY 23 (MONDAY): Start ordering your burger without the bun to cut out calories and waistline-expanding carbs.

…DAY 26 (THURSDAY): Make it a

habit to ask your waiter about replacing french fries with a fresh veggie.

DAY 27 (FRIDAY): Having a hard time passing on luscious desserts? “Fruit is always a great option,” Crandall says. You can even drizzle some melted dark chocolate over it.

…DAY 29 (SUNDAY): Change up your

morning java. Swap out full-fat milk for a low-fat version or milk substitute, and lay off the sugar. Try cinnamon or nut-meg to flavor coffee instead.

DAY 30 (MONDAY): Make a commit-ment to build on your successes. Small changes, Cohn says, lead to a healthier lifestyle that you’ll be able to maintain over time. So keep going! n

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GET MOVING Whether you’re on Day One or Day 30, you’ll always help your health by adding exercise to your routine.

“You achieve the maximum benefit combining exercise with a healthy diet,” says Kristen Clark, a wellness coach at the Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center.

Here are a few simple ways to get exercise:

3MOVE MORE. “Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther away in the parking lot or walk the dog an extra 10 minutes,” Clark suggests.

3 INCORPORATE STRENGTH-BUILDING EXERCISES INTO YOUR ROUTINE. “You don’t need special equipment,” Clark says. “You can do squats using a chair or plank on the floor or against a counter.” A trainer can help you learn the proper form, or you can pick up an exercise DVD at the library.

3GAUGE HOW YOU FEEL. “Look for things outside of the scale that show improvement,” Clark says. “You may find your clothes fit better or you have more energy.”

CALL

Pump It UpLifeFit Wellness Center is now offering the internationally rec-ognized Les Mills BODYPUMP, a 60-minute barbell workout designed to tone your body in the fastest way possible. Call 843-522-5635 to learn more.

LIFE WITH DIABETES

What to expect the first week,

month and year after a diagnosis

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Diabetes. You heard the word—but things are hazy

after that. So now what?

The diagnosis is life-changing for sure, but with

realistic expectations and a commitment to making

healthy decisions, you’ll be in control.

And you’re far from alone. About 1.4 million

Americans receive a diabetes diagnosis annually,

according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

That’s roughly 27,000 per week or 3,800 per day.

The ADA also estimates that while there are

21 million Americans who have been diagnosed with

diabetes, about 8.1 million people have diabetes but

don’t know it. The good news is that when you have a

diagnosis, you can take action.

It seems hard to believe at first, but you will adjust to life with diabetes.

DIAGNOSIS: DIABETES

WINTER 201618

THE FIRST WEEKFirst, the basics: Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps your body use the glucose (sugar) you take in through food. When you have Type 2 diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it well. When your body’s cells aren’t able to use the glucose for energy, it stays in the blood, raising blood glu-cose levels, which can cause serious complications. What to do?

EDUCATE YOURSELF. The fi rst step is to seek out diabetes education, says Andrew Rhinehart, MD, author of I Have Diabetes!! Now What? (2009).

Diabetes is diff erent from a lot of con-ditions. It’s not as simple as taking a pill every day, Rhinehart says. “With diabe-tes, you have to worry about what to eat, exercise, medications, injections ... It goes on and on. It’s incredibly complex.”

The ADA and the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) are helpful resources.

“If people walk into a recognized or accredited program, they are going to learn everything they need to learn about diabetes,” AADE spokeswoman Joanne Rinker says.

BUILD A CARE TEAM. Rhinehart advises surrounding yourself with a team that includes a diabetes educator, a primary care doctor, a dietitian and a pharmacist. At some point, you may also need an eye doctor, an endocrinologist, a podiatrist or other specialists, in case you face any complications.

FIND SUPPORT. It’s hugely helpful to have supportive loved ones, but going beyond your personal network can be benefi cial, too. Look into community support groups, where you can continue your education and build relationships with other people who have diabetes.

THE FIRST MONTHYou’ve started to build your team, and you’re more knowledgeable about the disease. What’s next?

SET GOALS. When you receive your diabetes diagnosis, your doctor will talk to you about your blood sugar levels. Working with your doctor or educator, you’ll probably set some long-term and short-term goals for how you’ll bring these numbers into a healthy range.

START AN EXERCISE PROGRAM. “Exercise is free medicine,” Rinker says. “Every time you do it, you are work-ing to decrease your blood sugar at that moment—as well as for hours after you’ve completed the exercise.”

Your diabetes educator can help you establish a plan that works for you. But rest assured, you don’t need to become a gym rat. Regular walking is a great start.

GET YOUR FAMILY ON BOARD. Most likely, your daily meal plan will change. Talk to your family about those changes and why they matter. What’s helpful is that a diabetes diet is simply eating healthy foods, Rhinehart says. So the whole family can eat your diet—and everyone benefi ts.

THE FIRST YEARYou’ll start to adapt to your health changes and—if all goes to plan—feel better.

CHECK IN REGULARLY. Experts recommend getting your blood sugar levels checked and seeing your doctor every three months in the fi rst year. As you do, your doctor may modify your medication regimen.

“If you’re working hard with your team … there’s no reason you can’t reach the majority of your goals within a year,” Rhinehart says.

ESTABLISH CALM AND CONTROL. The good news? “You’ll likely feel better—and more in control—by the end of the fi rst year,” Rhinehart says.

“The sense of being overwhelmed will go away,” he says. “You will be able to manage this.” �

WINTER 2016 19

HOW TO SUPPORT A LOVED ONE WHO HAS DIABETESA diabetes diagnosis affects the whole family. Here are some things you can do to help your loved one feel better:

3CHANGE YOUR DIET, TOO. “The diabetic meal plan is what everyone should be eating, so make it a family affair,” says Jenny Craft, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with the Beaufort Memorial LifeFit Wellness Center.

3JOIN IN ON EXERCISE. “We all need a good daily dose of exercise,” Craft says. “Find something that you both enjoy doing, like danc-ing, swimming or taking a walk on the beach.”

3GO TO CLASS. Support your partner by attending diabetes edu-cation classes and learning every-thing you can about the disease.

3OFFER ENCOURAGEMENT. “People with diabetes, especially those who have been newly diag-nosed, need lots of support and praise to keep them motivated,” Craft says. “Support them as they work to make good choices.”

CALL

Getting ControlAt the Beaufort Memorial Diabetes Care Center, diabetes experts can help you develop a plan to control the disease. For more information, call 843-522-5635.

Breathing is easy to take for granted. Awake or asleep, sitting

or running, it just happens.

But if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD), breathing isn’t so automatic. An umbrella term that

includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis (and sometimes

asthma), COPD is a lung disease that can cause wheezing,

shortness of breath and tightness in the chest, as well as a

cough that produces a lot of mucus.

A person with COPD must cope with the condition every

day, and it is progressive, meaning it will worsen over time.

But although there’s no cure, there is good news for the

11 million people in the U.S. who have COPD: With the

right steps, it’s possible to improve lung health and increase

quality of life. Start here.

Get the most out

of life when you have chronic lung disease

BREATHE BETTER

Lung disease doesn’t need to sideline you.

COPING WITH COPD

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UNDERSTAND YOUR CONDITION Education about what COPD is can be very helpful, says Dawn Lesley Fielding, respiratory therapist, educator and author of The COPD Solution. Sometimes people know their doctors have put them on medication or oxygen, but they don’t understand why, she says.

“The first thing we always do is talk about the disease itself,” she says. “Once they understand what’s going on and why they need the medication or oxygen, it relieves a ton of anxiety.”

So what is happening? The airways in the lungs become inflamed, and less air flows in and out of the lungs, says Albert A. Rizzo, MD, senior medical advisor for the American Lung Association.

As the flow of air decreases, there is less oxygen going to the cells in the body and expelling carbon dioxide gets harder and harder.

COPD is a broad term, and depending on your particular illness, you may have different symptoms from someone else.

STAY ACTIVE “When you have any lung condition that affects your breathing, the tendency is to do fewer things that cause you to be out of breath,” Rizzo says. “But get-ting deconditioned actually makes your breathing worse.”

Participating in a pulmonary reha- bilitation program with a clinical professional can help you learn how to exercise safely, Fielding says.

Ultimately, when you’re in better physical condition, flare-ups won’t be as severe as they otherwise could be, Rizzo says. And if you’re able to find ways to continue to do the things you love, you’ll have greater quality of life and be less susceptible to depression.

QUIT SMOKING Smoking very often causes COPD, and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to prevent COPD is to not smoke (or to quit

if you already do). Smoking is to blame for upward of 80 percent of COPD-related deaths. (Other causes include genetics, exposure to irritants, including secondhand smoke and air pollution, and workplace exposure to dust and fumes.)

But knowing all of that doesn’t dimin-ish the task at hand.

“There are ways to quit,” Rizzo says. “But it’s not easy by any means.”

Your doctor can provide you with resources for quitting—be sure to ask. Seek out support groups and a quit counselor. And talk to your friends and family, too, says Rizzo: “People need to understand they can’t smoke around someone with COPD.”

MIND YOUR MEDICATIONS Working with a respiratory therapist or a physician, walk through your pre-scribed medications. Understand which ones are for emergencies and which are for regular use.

Most important, learn how to take them correctly. Some inhalers require one quick breath, while others call for a long, slow one, Fielding says. To allow the medication to work properly, you need to follow instructions.

TRY BREATHING EXERCISESTake the time to learn techniques that will help you breathe better in the long run. Knowing how to bring breathing under control when you’re out of breath, for example, could prevent a hospital stay. Other exercises are designed to help strengthen your diaphragm—the main muscle involved in breathing.

Ultimately, Fielding says, every person with COPD is different.

“They have to listen to their body and what their body is telling them they need,” she says. n

WINTER 2016 21

STAY HEALTHY THIS FLU SEASONInfluenza can be rough on anyone, but if you have a respiratory illness like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), peak season can be especially dangerous. Here are a few things to keep in mind this year.

1. GET YOUR FLU SHOT EARLY—AND MAKE SURE IT’S THE APPROPRIATE VACCINE. Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, which contains four times the amount of antigen in regular flu shots, is recommended for patients 65 and older, says certified adult nurse practitioner Jenny Martin of Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group.

2. WASH YOUR HANDS REGULARLY. Simple hand-washing is one of the best things you can do to keep germs at bay.

3. AVOID LARGE CROWDS DURING FLU SEASON.

4. IF YOU’VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE FLU, SEE YOUR PROVIDER. “You should be tested,” Martin says, “since the protocol for treatment is different for exposure than for a confirmed case of the flu.”

CALL

A Bridge to HomeTo ensure COPD patients don’t end up back in the hospital, Beaufort Memorial’s Bridge to Home team provides patients with the follow-up care they need to stay well. Call 843-694-1722 to learn more.

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HITS HOME

A diagnosis strikes the whole family. Information and communication can help parents and kids copeBY STEPHANIE THURROTT

Lisa Perrier of Natick, Massachusetts, was 41 when she was blind-

sided by a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008. And while the surgeries,

chemotherapy and radiation brought challenges, dealing with the

“new normal” of life with cancer was possibly even more diffi cult for her

and her family, which included a toddler son.

WINTER 2016 23

“I felt like I needed to run my house, but there were times when I didn’t have enough energy for that. There were times when I couldn’t even change a diaper,” Perrier says.

Feeling overwhelmed during such a trying time is typical. After a cancer diagnosis, “there are so many day-to-day changes from what life has always been like,” says Rachel Cannady, stra-tegic director of cancer caregiver sup-port for the American Cancer Society. She notes that roles in the family often change with a cancer diagnosis. In Perrier’s case, she had to rely on her husband, Bill, to take on some of the parenting and household responsibili-ties she had normally handled.

But those role changes are just the start of dealing with cancer as a family; read on for what to expect.

Anxiety Affects EveryoneOne of the biggest challenges of a can-cer diagnosis—for all members of the family—is dealing with the unknown. That was the case for the Perriers.

“From the day we got the diagnosis, there was still so much uncertainty. What was it? What was it going to mean? It was scary,” Perrier says.

“When you’re newly diagnosed, not knowing the treatment plan or how things are going to change can be over-whelming. Everything gets disrupted,” says Katie Binda, a Massachusetts-based licensed independent clinical social worker and therapist who specializes in coping with cancer.

Binda recommends fi nding a men-tal health professional to talk to and stresses the importance of taking care of yourself—and that goes for everyone in the family. Gentle exercising such as yoga or walking, getting lots of sleep and managing stress with massage, meditation, mindfulness or other prac-tices can help. Sharing your fears, anxi-eties and concerns with each other may also ease worry.

Perrier found that her anxiety decreased once treatment started. Then she could focus on just getting through the next surgery, chemotherapy

treatment or radiation session and not worry about what would come after that.

Genevieve Stonebridge, a clinical counselor at InspireHealth, a non-profi t supportive cancer care center in Victoria, British Columbia, points out the importance of balance. “Make sure your life is not dedicated to cancer, and you have other things going on,” she says.

Anxiety can come at any point, and the end of treatment can be a particu-larly stressful time. “People rarely focus on what to do when treatment ends, but for most people that’s when the emotional experience hits really hard,” Binda says.

Perrier agrees. “When I wasn’t being monitored on a weekly basis and I didn’t have appointments every week, I stopped having something to focus on. The hardest part was fi guring out how to get back to a normal life when normal was no longer what I thought it should be,” she says. Talking to a therapist or a counselor can be helpful at this stage.

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Accept a Helping HandOne common problem for people with cancer and their families? Not knowing what help might be needed. Stonebridge suggests making a list—maybe you need your laundry done, or your kids need a ride to soccer, or your caregiving part-ner needs a night off . And if someone off ers help and you don’t know what you need off hand, ask them to text you once a week to ask, or to stop by with coff ee or breakfast on a specifi c day.

The eff ects of chemotherapy were a big unknown for Perrier. “I knew I was going to get sick, but would it be in fi ve minutes or would it take a day?” Well-timed off ers of help could dovetail with the days when she didn’t feel well.

Perrier appreciated off ers of playdates for her young son. “After a lot of treat-ments, I either couldn’t leave the house, or I could drive but not go into someone else’s house. There were a handful of people who reached out and off ered to pick James up for a playdate. That made me feel like he was being taken care of,” she says.

When seeking help, think beyond con-crete needs and include emotional sup-port, too. “You can ask someone, ‘Take care of my husband. He’s suff ering,’” Stonebridge says.

That’s a technique that helped Perrier. “Bill was afraid to talk to me because he thought it would make me more upset. So when his family said, ‘What can we do for you?’ I said, ‘Take care of Bill.’ I needed his family to talk to him and make sure he was OK.”

Caregivers, in particular, need to feel comfortable asking for help. “Recognize that this has a great impact on you. You’re not getting treatment, but you’re living and breathing all aspects of the experience,” Binda says. “You can be just as afraid and just as overwhelmed as the person with cancer.”

And while it may be hard, understand that you and your family can’t control the way other people react to the cancer diagnosis. Some people may be over-bearing with off ers of help, while others run the other way.

“I felt like I needed

to run my house, but

there were times when

I didn’t have enough

energy for that.

There were times

when I couldn’t even

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Are the Kids All Right?Parents are often unsure about what to tell children regarding a cancer diagnosis in the family, or how best to communicate.

Keep your information age-appropriate, but don’t shy away from the word “cancer.” Your kids will overhear it somewhere—from a friend’s parent, from neighbors, when you think they are out of earshot—so it’s better that they hear it from you fi rst. Try to fi nd out what they know and encourage them to come to you with their questions and concerns.

Don’t forget to talk to your children about their lives outside of the cancer experience. “When children have a parent going through serious treatment, they may not feel as though they can come home and share the normal struggles of childhood,” Cannady says.

On the other hand, giving children age-appropriate responsibilities can help them feel included. Ask your kids to do their own laundry or to sit with the family member who has cancer while you run errands, for example.

From the beginning, be sure to tell your child’s school what’s going on. “Teachers are with your kids all day long,” Binda says. “They will see if there are changes or if kids are acting out.”

The Silver LiningTwo years after her diagnosis, Perrier fi nished her sur-geries and treatments. Follow-up exams every two years since have not shown any signs of cancer; she is now 49. She points to her husband’s support as a key factor in cop-ing. “I never felt alone,” she says. And friends and family also made a lasting diff erence. “Some people reached out because they wanted to help but couldn’t think of a good way to help. But that counted,” she says.

While battling cancer can be overwhelming, survivors and their families often point to positive outcomes like better relationships and a new attitude toward life.

“A cancer diagnosis brings into perspective your role within the family and as a partner,” Cannady says. While stressful, she says, “it’s also an opportunity to re-evaluate your relationships and fi nd ways to grow and bond. A lot of times people reprioritize, and the illness experience can be very benefi cial for the relationship quality and for a perspective on life in general.” � PH

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WHAT ABOUT ME?A child with cancer has unique needs that can demand a lot from families. Healthy siblings may feel sidelined as energy and attention focus on the one who has the disease.

Genevieve Stonebridge, a clinical counselor at InspireHealth, a nonprofi t supportive cancer care center in Victoria, British Columbia, says siblings of children with cancer have seven needs:

1  Acknowledgment and attention. Siblings need to know they matter, even when a brother or a sister is battling cancer.

Stonebridge says, “Ask a sibling how they are doing, not just, ‘How’s your sister?’”

2  Family communication. It’s important to talk to siblings—in an age-appropriate way—about the cancer diagnosis, treatment and

side eff ects. Parents may think they are protecting children by staying silent, but without information children often imagine the worst.

3  Inclusion in the family. It’s hard for siblings to watch someone they love suff er, and they want to help. They can play games or

watch videos with their sibling. Skype chats, text messages and letters can keep them connected if treatment requires travel.

4  To know that it’s normal to have diffi cult emotions and uncomfortable thoughts. Siblings may feel anger, confusion,

frustration, jealousy, hatred or guilt. Parents can help by giving the sibling a safe space to work through emotions.

5  Their own support. Siblings need help from family members, teachers and coaches, and professionals like social workers and

counselors. It can also be good for siblings to talk to siblings of other children with cancer.

6  To be a kid. Children need to play and keep up their extracurricular activities. They can be responsible for their chores

and homework, but they shouldn’t feel the burden of caring for their parents emotionally.

7  Humor, laughter and lightheartedness. “It’s a hard time, but we can laugh, play and have a good time,” Stonebridge says. “It’s

important to have balance. Just because you’re dealing with a crisis doesn’t mean there can’t be wholehearted living.”

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CALL IF YOU NEED ME... When a cancer diagnosis strikes, well-meaning friends and family will want to help. But they may not know what you need.

“Here in the South, everyone wants to bring over pound cake,” says Katy Jones, an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner at the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center. “Assess what you need and be honest about it. If you don’t want a truckload of food, tell them.”

Be willing to give up control and ask for help with daily chores on the days during your chemo treatment that you feel sick or drained. “Your friends want to help, so let them pick up the kids from school or do the dishes,” Jones says. “It makes them feel good.”

Jones also suggests setting up an account at a local restaurant where friends can contribute. “That way, you can order the amount of food you need when you need it,” she says.

CALL

Cancer CareThe Keyserling Cancer Center offers a full range of support services, including breast care coordinators, support groups and nutrition coun-seling. For more information, call 843-522-7800.

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A PRIMER ON IMAGING EXAMS LETS YOU KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT BY SHELLEY FLANNERY

TAKE A LOOK INSIDEX

-RAY, CT, MRI.

To most people, medical imaging is just a bunch of abbreviations

that mean basically the same thing: lying on a table while a

technician takes pictures of your insides. And that’s essentially

correct. But it’s also much more nuanced than that. Diff erent imaging tests are

used to check for diff erent issues, and each has its own procedure for getting the

best image. If you’ve ever wondered what exactly these tests do and what you can

expect from your next imaging appointment, read on.

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WHY IMAGING? Imaging tests are generally performed for one of three reasons: to screen for a common disease, to diagnose a condition or to determine the extent of a disease. They assist in assessing a wide range of issues from torn muscles and broken bones to aneurysms and cancer. They’re invaluable tools of modern medicine that allow patients to avoid exploratory surgery and unnecessary treatments. But patients should be familiar with what exactly is being ordered and why.

“It’s important for patients to know why they’re getting a test and ask ques-tions,” says Elliot K. Fishman, MD, a radiologist, an author and a member of the Radiological Society of North America. “Physicians shouldn’t order a test just because we can. Ask your physi-cian why one test is being ordered over another, and what exactly they’re trying to fi nd with the study.”

Next ask what you can expect during the imaging appointment and how you should prepare. Here are some basics to get you started:

X-RAYHow it works: Using a small amount of radiation, the X-ray unit takes pictures of the dense structures inside the body.

What it’s used for: Diagnosing bro-ken bones, pneumonia and dental prob-lems. Standard mammography uses X-ray to look at breast tissue.

What to expect: You’ll need to lie still on a table or stand in front of an imaging plate for a few seconds while the technician captures the image.

“For classic, simple things, X-ray is very good and very low-cost,” Fishman says. “It’s good for certain things, like if you’re worried about a fractured hip, a fractured wrist—a fractured anything—or pneumonia. The limitations are you can only see things that are dense, and it’s a fl at, 2-D image, so subtleties are very hard to see.”

CT SCANHow it works: Computed tomography (CT) scans use focused X-rays to create cross-section images of the body, allow-ing for clearer images as compared with simple X-rays.

What it’s used for: Diagnosing such issues as abdominal pain, blood clots, cancer, congenital heart defects, herni-ated disks, infl ammatory bowel disease and internal bleeding.

What to expect: You’ll lie still on a table that will pass through a large circu-lar machine that looks like a doughnut. It’s not confi ning. You may need to hold your breath for a few seconds while the machine takes an image. Some tests require a contrast dye be consumed or injected beforehand to make parts of the body show up better on the images.

“CTs are the big workhorses of medicine today,” Fishman says. “You

can look at it and accentuate a tissue, whether it’s air, lungs, soft tissue, nose, muscle or bone, and also you can make 3-D imaging. It’s very good for picking up abnormalities, especially pneumonia, tumors, cancer and aneurysms.”

ULTRASOUNDHow it works: Ultrasound uses sound waves to create an image. No radiation is involved.

What it’s used for: In addition to its most notable use of looking at babies in utero, ultrasound also helps doc-tors diagnose conditions of the organs, including the heart, kidneys, liver, ova-ries and thyroid.

What to expect: This one is easy—you don’t even need to worry about holding still. You’ll lie on a table and, after applying some cold gel, a techni-cian will run a wand over the area of the body being looked at to create mul-tiple images.

“Ultrasound uses sound waves, which allows you to look at fl uid and soft tis-sue,” Fishman says. “It doesn’t have the detail of CT, but it’s good for fl uid den-sity or when an area is surrounded by fat. It’s most often used on the uterus, ovaries, gallbladder and thyroid gland, because they’re close to the surface of the body.”

WINTER 201630

MRIHow it works: Like CT scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) creates cross-section images of the body, but it uses strong magnets and radio waves rather than radiation to create the images.

What it’s used for: Examining organs and diagnosing torn ligaments, tumors, metastatic cancer, and brain and spinal cord conditions.

What to expect: You’ll lie on a table, and markers will be placed on your body with tape to indicate where the images should focus. You’ll be given earplugs, as the machine is quite loud dur-ing testing. The table will then

slide into the machine’s long, cylindrical opening. The test can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the images being captured. If you have any issues with claustro-phobia or an inability to lie still for long periods, tell your doctor. He or she may prescribe a medi-cation to help you relax or even order sedation.

“MRI is a good problem-solving tool,” Fishman says. “There’s no radiation involved, and it’s very good for looking at soft-tissue changes—meniscus tears, ligamentous injuries, spine and disk disease—as well as car-diac function, vascular issues, and the brain and spine.” �

WINTER 2016 31

WHAT ABOUT THE RADIATION?Many people are wary of radiation exposure from X-rays and CT scans, but the benefits of imaging tests far outweigh any radiation-associated cancer risks, says Beaufort Memorial Chief of Radiology Phillip Blalock, MD.

One of the great developments of modern medicine, medical imaging has revolutionized diagnosis and treatment, almost eliminating the need for once-common exploratory surgeries and other potentially risky procedures.

“The radiation dose from a chest X-ray is the equivalent of what you get just living on the planet over the course of a month,” Blalock says. “The human body is engineered to heal itself from low levels of radiation.”

In recent years, advances in the technology have reduced the amount of radiation expo-sure needed to create an image. “If you are concerned about a test, talk to your doctor,” Blalock advises. “There may be an alternative, such as an ultrasound or MRI, that does not expose you to radiation.”

WEBSITE

Imaging Tests, DecodedDon’t know the difference between a CT scan and an MRI? Go to bit.ly/2brm7eY for an explanation of how different imaging tests work.

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Make changes one at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a healthy lifestyle.

2 Pay attention to how you feel when you exercise and eat

healthy foods. Note positive changes other than the number on the scale.

6 Quit smoking. It’s easy to say and hard to do, but it’s so important.

5Want to improve your diet? Enlist your family’s help. You need the support, and every-

one will benefi t from your example of better nutrition.

4Do you know a family that’s facing cancer? Off er to help by doing something concrete, like picking up dinner or taking the kids to soccer practice.

1

Listen to your body. If you’ve been feeling off lately—extra tired, fl uctuat-ing weight—see your doctor.

Make swaps: mustard for mayo, almonds for chips, water for soda. 7 9 If you have a chronic

disease, look for a local or online support

group. Meeting other people with similar challenges will give you strength.

8Go to bed! Sleep is imperative for good health and can assist in weight loss.

10 Make sure you’re informed about imaging tests your doctor orders.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

3WANT MORE HEALTHY IDEAS? Check out our spring issue, all about understanding your body.

10 THINGS TO REMEMBER FOR AN ACTIVE LIFE

4

body. If you’ve

off lately—extra tired, fl uctuat-ing weight—see

chips, water for soda. 7 9 local or online support group. Meeting other people with similar challenges will give you strength.

10Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

WANT MORE HEALTHY IDEAS? Check out our spring issue, all about understanding your body.

8Go to bed! Sleep

WINTER 201632

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ANTIANXIETY MEDICATION RISKSFatal overdoses from antianxiety medications spiked considerably from 1996 to 2013. Statistics show that fatal overdoses involving antianxiety drugs—benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax—reached 3.07 per 100,000 adults in 2013, up from 0.58 per 100,000 in 1996.

When these drugs are taken with other drugs or alcohol, the results can be deadly. And research suggests that special caution be exercised with the elderly because of side effects that may be more pronounced in this population, such as sedation.

Bottom line: If you suffer from anxiety, panic disorders or insomnia, talk to a doctor or a behavioral health specialist about the risks and benefits of treatment options.

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

WINTER 2016 33

IT’S NOT FISHY If you haven’t been pulled in hook, line and sinker, it’s time to get on the fi sh band-wagon. The health benefi ts are plentiful.

Research continues to show that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fi sh can reduce the risks of heart attack, stroke, mental decline and prostate cancer. In fact, researchers have found that eating about two weekly servings of fatty fi sh—salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies or sardines—reduces the risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent.

There is a catch. Pollutants make their way into water and can be absorbed into fi sh. Research shows, however, that the heart-protective benefi ts of fi sh drastically outweigh risk of harm from contaminants. One notable exception is for pregnant women, who should avoid certain fi sh because of the risk of birth defects from some pollutants.

Which one is better for burning calories?

CARDIO STRENGTH

TRAINING

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Great Catch Reel in a few new seafood recipes by visiting heart.org/recipes. Doesn’t warm, wintry fi sh stew with tomatoes and spinach-stuff ed baked salmon sound good?

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

ANSWER: CARDIO, BUT DO BOTH.

Toe to toe, cardio wins a calorie-clobbering fi ght. Strength training, however, increases muscle mass, which ups your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories). And because muscles also burn more calories per hour than fat does, strength training plays an important role in calorie burning.

So forgive the trick question—but you need to do both.

The American College of Sports Medicine recom-mends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exer-cise per week and strength training two or three days a week.

WINTER 201634

ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID LATE-NIGHT SNACKS The midnight munchies may be bad for more than your waistline—especially if you’re a breast cancer survivor.

New analysis out of the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living study conducted between 1995 and 2007 suggests that breast cancer patients who go less than 13 hours between dinner and breakfast had a 36 percent chance of breast cancer recurrence.

While the fi ndings do not establish a cause-and-eff ect link between late-night snacking and cancer, previous animal-based studies have found that prolonged nighttime fasting does fi ght off high blood sugar, infl ammation and weight gain—all of which can lead to poor outcomes for cancer.

TRUE OR FALSE The stomach fl u causes vomiting and diarrhea.

FALSE. The stomach “fl u” isn’t the fl u at all. It’s gastro-enteritis, which is infl ammation of the stomach and intes-tines that can lead to vomiting, diarrhea and cramping.

Norovirus is the most common cause of gastroenteri-tis, and stats show it’s as sinister as its name sounds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the virus causes 19 million to 21 million illnesses each year. Peak time is November to April. Protect yourself by washing your hands frequently and not sharing bites of food or eating utensils with others.

1.9 MILLION

In the 2014–15 fl u season, fl u

vaccinations prevented an estimated

1.9 million illnesses—that’s greater than

the population of Philadelphia.

966,000Nearly 1 million

fl u-associated doctor offi ce visits were prevented (the

number of people who fi t in Manhattan’s

Times Square).

67,000The fl u vaccine prevented an

estimated 67,000 fl u hospitalizations, equal to the number of seats in the Seattle Seahawks’ stadium.

It’s not too late to get your fl u shot.

Flu activity peaks in January or later. Just

remember that it takes about

two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop—so do

it ASAP!

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014–15 fl u season)

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ENDOMETRIOSIS MAY TRIGGER HEART RISKSWomen with endometriosis, listen up. A new study suggests your risk for heart dis-ease may be 60 percent higher than that of women without the disease. Those younger than 40 are especially hard hit, with a three-times-greater risk for heart disease than women without the health condition.

The abnormal growth of uterine tissue outside the uterus, endometriosis affects about 10 percent of women of reproduc-tive age in the U.S. While the reasons for the link are speculative, higher levels of inflammation or poor cholesterol numbers could be at play. So could the treatments for endometriosis, which can involve the removal of the uterus and ovaries.

“Women with endometriosis need to be vigilant about cardiac risk factors, given their potentially increased risk of coronary artery disease,” says Beaufort Memorial car-diologist Stuart Smalheiser, MD. “Diets low in saturated fats, daily exercise, and blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring and control may be necessary.”

WEBSITE

Know Your Numbers People with prediabetes and diabetes are at higher risk of heart disease. Keeping blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol in healthy ranges is critical. To find out what those are, visit bit.ly/2ayoQ6w.

WORKOUTS THAT WORK:CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING For a sport that reduces pressure on joints while burning big-time calories, con-sider cross-country skiing. Glide your way to these head-to-toe health benefits. 3YOUR EYES: Cross-country skiing improves visual acuity (clarity or sharp-ness of vision). 3YOUR HEART: The activity gets your blood pumping and carries oxygen and nutrients to the body’s organs.3YOUR MUSCLES: Cross-country skiing’s diagonal stride works your major muscle groups, which is better than just working arms or legs alone.3YOUR BALANCE: Shifting your body’s weight as you glide over uneven surfaces can increase your balance, which is important for fall prevention as we age.

Want to try before you buy? Rent a pair of skis from a sporting goods store or recreation center.

WHEN LOSS IS MOREIf you are among the 1 in 3 Americans struggling with obesity, National Institutes of Health research suggests you don’t have to shed tons of weight to see real health gains.

Losing just 5 percent of weight—an average of 12 pounds—resulted in metabolic changes that lowered risk for diabetes and heart disease in study participants.

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

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TOOL

Dear Diary Writing down what you eat daily can help you see the good, the bad and the ugly. Download the American Heart Association’s food diary by visiting heart.org and searching “food diary.”

WINTER 201636

An ARRHYTHMIA is an abnormal heart rhythm.Sometimes that means a quick fl uttering, or a feeling as though your

heart “skipped a beat.” But in severe or long-lasting cases, it can trigger fatigue, fainting, chest pain, heart attack or death.

Your doctor can order tests to track your heart’s electrical impulses, and there are medicines and treatments to control arrhythmia.

JARGON WATCH

BACK ON YOUR FEETWith total knee replacement becoming increasingly common—more than half of Americans older than 60 live with arthritis of the knee and could benefi t from a new joint—greater gains are being made in pain management after surgery.

A report from the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons outlines newer pain management strategies that are

reducing medication side eff ects and returning people to active lives more quickly.

If you’re headed for knee replace-ment surgery, talk to your doctor about pain control methods such as pre-surgery nerve blocks and intraoperative pain injections. These can reduce unwanted side eff ects and the overall amount of narcotic medication required.

WHAT ARE THE ODDSof someone older than

65 falling in a given year?

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You might want to sit down for this one. If you’re older than 65, your odds of falling are a whopping 33 percent.

Falls are serious. In fact, 1 of every 5 falls results in a broken bone or a head injury. If you fall, it’s important to tell your doctor and get checked out.

WEBSITE

Stay on Your Feet Learn more about what you can do to prevent falls. Visit cdc.gov and search “falls.”

WINTER 2016 37

THE TRUTH BY ALLISON MANNING

Mental illness is not something you “power through.”

TRUE OR FALSE:Depression is always about something specific.

FALSE. Depression is an illness that looks for problems, Winston says. The brain roots around for issues in life that inspire worthless-ness, hopelessness or guilt. A sufferer might feel like a loser, a bad parent or an ineffective worker. “That wasn’t the cause of why you’re depressed,” Winston says. “You’re depressed because you have the illness.”

Depression is much more than simply being in a funk. It’s a persistent feeling of sadness and a loss of inter-est in things that used to be pleasurable; the physical

symptoms include fatigue and irritability. But even with an esti-mated 350 million people worldwide suffering from depression, a lot of myths persist. Sally Winston, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who is a founding clinical fellow of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, helps us parse some of them.

THE TRUTH ABOUT

DEPRESSIONThe invisible illness is more complicated than just feeling down in the dumps

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WINTER 201638

TRUE OR FALSE:More women than men are diagnosed with depression.

TRUE. This may be related to bio-logical factors, such as hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, motherhood and menopause. It may also be related to the cultural and social pressures put on women. For Winston, how men and women deal with the ill-ness makes a difference. Women are more likely to talk about and accept the fact that they’re depressed, she says, while men may mask depression with drinking or other substances.

TRUE OR FALSE:Depression can be fatal.

TRUE. Left untreated, the feelings of hopelessness, sadness and guilt can overwhelm a person to the point where they don’t want to live any longer. In that case, sufferers should seek immediate medical help. Worldwide, more than 800,000 people die because of suicide every year, and it is the second-leading cause of death in people ages 15 to 29.

TRUE OR FALSE:Depression has no real treat-ment. Depressed people will always be depressed.

FALSE. Depression is a highly treat-able condition, Winston says, provided the person gets help. “Hopelessness in depression is a feeling, not a fact,” Winston says. “And people who feel hopeless when they’re depressed, they believe they’re in a hopeless situation. But it’s actually just a feeling, and there’s nothing hopeless whatsoever about depression.”

TRUE OR FALSE:Treating depression is as simple as taking an antidepressant.

FALSE. “The number of people who just take a medication and are fixed is relatively small,” Winston says. Many more people need a combination of therapy and medication. And it can take some time to figure out the right type of medication—or combination of medications—to feel well. n

WINTER 2016 39

DEPRESSION DICTIONARY This mental illness can manifest itself in diverse ways. “The diag-nosis is based on the intensity and duration of the depression,” says licensed professional coun-selor Richard Archer of Sea Island Psychiatry. Categories include:

Major depression: (also called clinical depression): The person suffers from symptoms most of the day, nearly every day.

Adjustment disorder: Any life change—retirement, going away to school, illness—can cause this stress-related mental illness.

Persistent depressive disorder: This is a chronic depression that lasts at least two years, though symptoms may be less severe than in major depression.

Postpartum depression: Some women feel extreme sadness and anxiety after giving birth. “A role change adjustment can cause men to suffer postpartum depression, too,” Archer says.

Seasonal affective disorder: Some people feel depressive symptoms in the winter, when there is less natural sunlight.

Bipolar disorder: This condi-tion is different from depres-sion, but someone with bipolar disorder experiences low moods like depression, coupled with extreme highs.

CALL

Finding Help The Anxiety and Depression Association of America (adaa.org) has tools to find a therapist, support groups and other resources. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

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Getting an upsetting diagnosis from the doctor is hard enough. But you can’t bear the news alone. Eventually, you’ll have to

share with loved ones that you’re going to be facing a tough time.

Going into the conversation with a supportive mentality can make a world of difference, says Mary Kelleher, a licensed marriage and family therapist and a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She specializes in dealing with chronic illnesses.

“You have to make it clear that what you’re going through, you’re going to face it as a team,” Kelleher says.

Here are her tips for talking your family through difficult news.

Take a deep breath.Your demeanor when you break the news will have a huge impact on how people take it, Kelleher says, so finding as much calm as you can before you begin the conversation will help. “If you present it as a crisis, peo-ple will feed off your fear,” she says. Even if the news is indeed crisis level, you can breed a more supportive

HOW TO

SHARE A DIAGNOSISWhen you’ve received difficult health news, you need support. Here’s how to tell your loved ones

Don’t bear the burden of an illness alone.

WINTER 201640

environment by trying to settle your-self down first. Go into the talk only after you’ve asked yourself: What are my needs? How will this affect the person I’m telling?

Know your audience.This is particularly important if there are children you’ll need to speak to about your diagnosis. Different age groups will have different kinds of concerns: Preschoolers may worry you’ll go away and won’t come back (so give them a talk that’s light on details of your condition but heavy on details of how you or a trusted family member will support them); school-age kids stress about how your diagnosis will directly affect them (have answers to questions like, “Will we need to move? Will I have to quit my after-school soccer league?”); and teens may get thrown into a bit of existential despair (be ready to listen and help them talk through big questions like, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”). Pay attention in the days and weeks after you’ve shared your diagnosis for signs your child is with-drawing or acting out. “You need to be really aware and look for indica-tions they may be struggling with it,” Kelleher says.

Understand they may not take the news well.It’s natural to withdraw in the face of potentially devastating news. “People have all sorts of hidden beliefs about illness,” Kelleher says. You have no idea whether, say, your diabetes diagnosis triggers memories of the suffering a cher-ished aunt may have gone through with the same condition.

Allow them to react, and reassure them it’s OK with you that they’re upset about the news. Then, when they’re ready to learn more, offer to set up an appointment with your primary care physician for the two of you so your doctor can explain what your diagnosis really means. “The reality is, the more support a patient has, the better the outcome tends to be,” Kelleher says.

Emphasize that you’ll get through it together.Make it clear to friends and fam-ily that while you’re the one who is dealing with the physical effects of illness, you understand that your diagnosis will take a toll on them, too. Just telling someone that you’re in this together can be remarkably helpful for the cop-ing process. “It’s the difference between it being a tragedy and a difficult moment in your life,” Kelleher says.

Consider outside help.If you’re particularly worried about sharing the news with your loved ones, talk to your doctor about bringing in a family therapist whose practice focuses on dealing with medical issues (your physician may have referrals). A therapist is a great resource to call upon the moment you start feeling overwhelmed, because he or she will understand the toll that illnesses can take on both you and your loved ones. “When you’re sick, it doesn’t just affect your body, it affects your emotions and relationships as well,” Kelleher says. “Struggling alone can make the journey a lot more difficult.” n

WINTER 2016 41

A CHRONIC CONVERSATION Sharing difficult news with people one time is hard enough, but what if you’ve been diagnosed with a condition for which you must enlist friends, family members or co-workers in your con-tinued care?

Start by developing step-by-step instructions if you have a medical event. Clearly denote what steps should be taken and in what order.

“You’ll also want to prepare an advance directive, a written state-ment of your wishes regarding medical treatment,” says Beaufort Memorial Oncology Services clinical coun-selor Jennifer Codding. “In addition, you should have a medical power of attorney that allows you to appoint a person you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf, including the decision not to resuscitate.”

Distribute the care “cheat sheet” and legal directives to those closest to you in case of emergency. Keep this document in your common spaces, too, like near your desk at work or on the fridge at home.

WEBSITE

End-of-Life WishesMake it easier on your loved ones and spell out the life-prolonging treatments you would want should you be unable to speak for yourself. To learn more about advance direc-tives, go to bit.ly/2bsQRLP.

QUIZ BY JENNIFER RICHARDS

caption

Sometimes all you need is Dr. Dad.

Bumps, burns, sprains and strains don’t scare you. With your first-aid kit of ice packs, bandages and aspirin, you’re prepared for life’s injuries

and ailments.But some symptoms should send you straight to the near-

est emergency department, says Jay Kaplan, MD, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

How do you know when to treat minor issues at home and when it’s time to hurry in for medical help? Kaplan walks us through some warning signs:

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FREAK OUT OR CHILL OUT?You can handle everyday scrapes and bruises. But do you know when it’s time to stop treating at home and head to the emergency department for professional help?

WINTER 201642

VIDEO

Heart Attack in Women Learn about the symptoms you might not expect by watching a short video starring actress Elizabeth Banks at bit.ly/1bdKZ49.

Q In a mad rush to get dinner on the table, you grab the handle of a hot pan. Ouch! Your skin immediately

gets red and starts to blister a little.Is it: A minor burn or a third-degree burn?

MINOR BURN. Yes, it hurts. But if you grabbed the pan and put it down right away, you’re probably safe to treat it with cold water, cold compresses and acetamin-ophen or ibuprofen for pain, Kaplan says. Even if the skin starts to blister, you’re probably still in the clear to treat it with antibiotic ointment. Don’t pop that blister, though. The broken skin invites bacteria that could lead to infection, Kaplan warns. And if red streaks move up your arm, you’ve splashed yourself with hot oil, or the skin looks doughy but isn’t painful, get to the emergency department. These are signs of a more significant burn.

Q Your son took a tumble down the stairs and hit his head against the wall as he tried to break his fall.

You check him all over and nothing seems broken, but a knot is popping up on his head. Is it: A bump or a concussion?

BUMP. He didn’t lose consciousness. He seems like his normal, albeit clumsy, self. And he’s not repeating the same questions without seeming to hear the answer, something called perseveration.

Such behavior would indicate concus-sion, Kaplan says. Nausea and vomit-ing would be other worrisome signs, perhaps caused by increased pressure inside the skull. If those symptoms sur-face, seek care, Kaplan says.

For now, it’s best to keep a close eye on him over the next 24 to 48 hours to

make sure he’s with it and not feeling nauseated or overly sleepy.

Q Dashing to an afternoon meeting, you round the corner of your office and turn your ankle. Aside from

wishing you’d worn sneakers, you’re in pain and wondering whether something is broken as you hobble to the confer-ence room. Is it: A break or a sprain?

SPRAIN. Look, you’re still walking on it without too much trouble, right? That’s a good sign of a sprain rather than a fracture. You’ll want to stay off the ankle, elevate it and apply cold com-presses for 20 to 30 minutes at a time for about four hours, Kaplan says.

“The more you keep it elevated, the less swollen it’s going to be. The less swollen it is, the more quickly it will heal,” he says.

Q After an evening of too many chips and some really spicy Mexican food with friends, you’re feeling

nagging discomfort in the lower part of your chest.Is it: Indigestion or a heart problem?

PROBABLY INDIGESTION. But, as Kaplan notes, you don’t mess around

with chest pain. If you’re having pain that you can’t explain from say, catching a football against your chest or having tried to eat your weight in habanero-laden salsa, you’re best served getting medical attention. This is particularly true for someone who has a family his-tory of heart problems, is overweight, has high blood pressure or cholesterol, or smokes cigarettes, Kaplan says.

Q You’re really sick and have been running a fever that won’t come down. You’re bedbound and sore

all over, particularly around your neck.Is it: A run-of-the-mill virus or meningitis?

COULD BE MENINGITIS. Many people consider a fever high when it reaches 102 and might head to the emergency department, though the fever is prob-ably treatable with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, Kaplan says. But the addition of neck stiffness and headaches might signal something serious such as men-ingitis, an infection that causes swelling of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

Get to the emergency department “if there’s a stiff neck or alteration in consciousness, they’re not taking in flu-ids or not acting themselves,” he says. n

WINTER 2016 43

AT A GLANCE BY SHELLEY FLANNERY

ISCHEMIC STROKE

HEMORRHAGIC STROKEBlood leaks into the brain

through a burst blood vessel

Blood unable to pass clot

INSIDE A STROKE Knowing what happens before, during and after a brain attack could help save your life

Time is of the essence when it comes to stroke. But that doesn’t mean these so-called “brain attacks” come out of nowhere. The disease

process leading up to a stroke takes months, years or sometimes even decades to transpire.

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get to the emergency room in less than three hours from

symptom onset are less likely to have stroke-related dis-

ability three months later, compared with patients who waited to seek treatment. Call 911 right away.

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WINTER 201644

DOWNLOAD

Free Caregiving GuideThe National Stroke Association put together a helpful resource for caregivers called the “Careliving Guide.” Go to stroke.org and search “careliving guide.”

STROKE SYMPTOMS

SUDDEN NUMBNESS OR

WEAKNESS in the face, arm or leg, especially

on one side of the body.

Sudden

CONFUSION or diffi culty speaking

or understanding.

SUDDEN DIFFICULTY

SEEING IN ONE OR BOTH EYES.

SUDDEN DIFFICULTY WALKING

OR DIZZINESS, loss of balance or lack

of coordination.

Sudden SEVERE

HEADACHE with no

known cause.

First, some defi nitions: Ischemic strokes occur when a blood clot obstructs a ves-sel that supplies blood to the brain. They account for 87 percent of all strokes. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a weak-ened section of blood vessel bursts and leaks blood into the brain. They account for 13 percent of all strokes but 40 per-cent of all stroke deaths.

Some people will get a warning, called a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or ministroke, before having a full stroke. A TIA is a stroke that spontaneously resolves itself. Approximately 40 percent of people who have a TIA will go on to have a full stroke, often within fi ve days.

Strokes are the fi fth-leading cause of death and the No. 1 cause of disability in the U.S. But the good news is that up to 80 percent of all strokes can be prevented through proper nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation and the treat-ment of underlying risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. See what’s going on inside the blood ves-sels before, during and after a stroke so you can learn how to protect yourself.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: ISCHEMIC STROKEBEFORE: Blood vessel in the brain becomes narrow because of plaque buildup.

DURING: Blood clot forms at the site of the plaque buildup or in the heart and travels to the site of the buildup in the brain and gets stuck. Blood supply is reduced or cut off beyond the blockage. Without adequate blood (and oxygen), brain cells begin to die.AFTER: Depending on how long blood fl ow was suspended, the parts of the body controlled by the areas of the brain where oxygen was deprived may be disabled. Function may return with time and rehabilitation.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: HEMORRHAGIC STROKEBEFORE: A section of blood vessel in the brain becomes weak or balloons out (aneurysm) because of age, high blood pressure or congenital defect.DURING: The weakened section of blood vessel bursts and blood leaks into the brain, causing swelling and pressure, which leads to cell and tissue death. AFTER: Depending on how long the pressure persisted, the parts of the body controlled by the areas of the brain where cell and tissue death occurred may be disabled. Function may return with time and rehabilitation.

WINTER 2016 45

IN THE MARKET BY LEXI DWYER

In the past few years, kale has morphed from a trendy-restaurant staple (with celeb-

rity fans like Gwyneth Paltrow) into an ingredient so mainstream that McDonald’s now uses it in salads. And that’s a good thing, because 1 cup of raw kale packs a serious nutritional punch. “Kale is awe-some and can’t be overestimated,” says registered dietitian Libby Mills, a spokes-woman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Not only does that cup of kale offer more than 100 percent of the A, C and K vitamins you need each day, but it’s also rich in phytonutrients called flavo-noids. These naturally occurring plant chemicals are thought to help lower cholesterol and also fight heart disease and cancer. And people on dairy-free diets will be happy to learn that 2 cups of raw kale have almost 20 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for calcium, as well as magnesium to help the body absorb it.

When shopping for kale, look for crisp leaves that are free of holes and discolor-ation. Before cooking, remove the tough rib in the center and either discard it or chop it up well for a crunchy boost of fiber. (Mills saves them to make smooth-ies later.) Here are her three favorite ways to prepare kale:

1 STEAM IT Not only is this method simple, but it

also preserves many valuable nutrients. Place chopped kale leaves into a steamer pot set over boiling water. Cover and steam 5 to 10 minutes, removing when kale is bright green. Top with a simply prepared dressing like soy sauce blended with sesame oil, or lemon juice mixed with olive oil.

3BAKE CHIPS Remove ribs and tear kale leaves into

bite-size pieces. Place kale on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350 F and garnish with cayenne pepper, Parmesan cheese or lemon zest.

THREE WAYS TO

COOK KALEIt’s hearty, nutritious and flavorful: If this leafy winter vegetable had a résumé, it would be packed with accomplishments

2MAKE A SALAD If you’re not using baby kale, remove

ribs and slice leaves into thin strips. Place kale in a bowl with lemon juice and tenderize it by massaging it for a few minutes with your fingertips; the leaves should soften and turn a brighter shade of green. Add olive oil and other salad ingredients and toss well.

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LOW

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WEBSITE

All Hail the Kale For recipes (mango kale smoothies!), trivia (Thomas Jefferson grew kale) and information about fun, free “kaleabrations” across the country, visit nationalkaleday.org.

LEAF LOWDOWN:A KALE SHOPPING GUIDECURLYAlso called common or Scotch kale, these frilly leaves are the kind usually found in supermarkets. They might be light green, deep green or purple and have a complex, peppery flavor.

LACINATOThis Italian variety can also go by names like dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale or cavolo nero (Italian for “black cabbage”). Its distinctive dark green leaves are long and narrow with a wrinkled, slightly bumpy texture. Lacinato kale is often praised for its earthy flavor that many find sweeter than its common cousin.

RED RUSSIANThese flat leaves resemble oversized salad greens and have a thick red rib running through the center. They’re tender and usually mild-tasting.

BABYPerfect for the busy home cook, these soft, sweet leaves are often sold prewashed and can be used as a base for salads or added by the handful to omelets, smoothies or soups.

Don’t choke it down! When you know how to prepare it, kale is delicious.

WINTER 2016 47

HEALTH BY THE NUMBERS BY MISTI CRANE ILLU

STRATION

BY THIN

KSTOCK

MEDICATION MISHAPS

WINTER 201648

82% of American adults

take at least one medication and 29 percent take

five or more. Unfortunately,

they’re not always taken safely.

Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; American Association of Poison

Control Centers

Nearly 272,000 calls were received by U.S. poison control centers in 2014 for medication errors, usually because someone inadvertently took a medicine, or took it twice.

$3.5 BILLION is spent on medical costs

related to prescription drug errors each year.

700,000 emergency department

visits arise from medication problems each year in the

United States.

2X Older Americans are twice as likely to go to the emergency department because of an adverse drug event.

The same medications we take to tamp down our high blood pressure, soothe our arthritic joints and alleviate or prevent all manner of health problems can themselves do us harm. And as we age and take more pills, the oppor-tunities mount for dangerous medication inter-actions and overdoses.

“Your healthcare provider needs to know all the medications you take on a daily basis, including over-the-counter products and supplements,” says Mary Beth Donovan, a board-certified nurse practitioner at Beaufort Memorial Coastal Care MD. “We ask our patients to bring their pill bottles to every appointment. That way, we know exactly what they’re taking, the dosage and when they need to be refilled.”

Donovan suggests patients use the same pharmacy for all medications, so that if they forget to bring their meds, their healthcare provider can call and get a complete list. Your pharmacist is often in the best position to quickly spot potential adverse interactions of prescriptions written by two or more doctors, Donovan says.

At home, managing medications can be particularly problematic for those with faltering memory or dementia. Pill organizers can help you remember if you’ve taken the day’s dosage.

If you miss a pill or realize you’ve taken an extra one, call your pharmacist or doctor and ask for advice. “Most of the time, you’ll be told to resume your normal dosage,” Donovan says, “but it’s best to check to be sure.”

TAKE CARE WHEN TAKING MULTIPLE PRESCRIPTIONS

WEBSITE

Track Your Health InformationMyBMH, Beaufort Memorial’s patient por-tal, allows you to access key parts of your hospital medical records online. To register for this secure service, go to mybmh.org.

Don’t let shoulder issues keep you on the sidelines. Advancements in treatment can get you loving life again, as these patients have shown

BACKin the GROOVE

E ver since she was a teenager, Beverly Melvin dreamed of owning a yellow convertible. She finally got her wish on her 75th birthday, when her husband bought her a sporty little

Porsche Boxster. “I love it,” the 78-year-old says. “Every chance I get,

I put the top down.”But with a bad right shoulder, shifting gears on the

manual transmission roadster was becoming increas-ingly difficult.

A former teacher, Melvin attributes her shoulder problems to the heavy load of books she had to carry in her briefcase. For nearly 50 years, she managed

Shifting gears in her beloved convertible was causing Beverly Melvin serious pain, but physical therapy and cortisone shots have kept her on the move.

WINTER 2016 49

the pain with physical therapy. But about the time she got the Boxster, the pain intensified.

“If I did a lot of shifting I would really feel it,” the Callawassie resident says. “I think it aggravated my shoulder, but I wasn’t going to give up the car.”

Her orthopaedic surgeon, Edward Blocker, MD, of Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists, recommended a cortisone shot. Between the injection and her physical therapy, Melvin was pain-free for more than two years.

Then this spring, the shoulder started acting up again, causing a deep, aching pain and reducing the range of motion in her right arm.

“We were getting ready to go to Ireland and I didn’t want to set off on the trip as badly as it was hurting,” Melvin says.

Another round of cortisone relieved her pain and allowed her to return to the physical therapy that has kept it in check.

Common COMPLAINT With a joint as complex and frequently used as the shoulder, many people will experience issues at some point.

“The complaints I hear most from patients is that it hurts to sleep on their side or reach overhead or behind their back,” Blocker says. “They don’t always have a history of injury. Sometimes it’s just gradual onset of pain.”

Unless it’s an acute injury, shoul-der pain is initially treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.

“Over time, the rotator cuff can get frayed and inflamed,” Blocker says. “It gets pinched between the bones, causing pain. It’s called impingement syndrome.”

If the pain is severe, the patient may need a cortisone shot to be able to per-form the physical therapy exercises.

Surgical REMEDYFor retired painter Raymond Carter, even the cortisone shots weren’t helping anymore. After 25 years of lifting heavy paint cans and ladders, the rotator cuff in his right shoulder was torn.

“Lifting my arm to comb my hair was very painful,” the 68-year-old Beaufort resident says. “It got to where I couldn’t lift my arm at all.”

Three years ago, Leland Stoddard, MD, also of Beaufort Memorial Orthopaedic Specialists, performed surgery on Carter’s right shoulder to repair the torn tendon.

This past spring, Carter went back to see Stoddard, complaining that now his left shoulder was causing him trouble. The pain was so bad, he wasn’t able to enjoy his two favorite recreational activities—hunting and fishing.

“Casting was out,” Carter says. “It hurt too much. And I couldn’t hold a rifle, let alone climb a tree stand.”

Stoddard explains: “A rotator cuff does not heal spontaneously. It will get larger over time and lead to arthritis later on. At that point, you may need a total shoulder replacement.”

Carter had rotator cuff surgery in June and went home the same day. After sev-eral weeks of physical therapy, he had full use of his arm.

“I’m so happy to have my life back,” he says. “Dr. Stoddard did a great job.”

“I’m so happy to have my life back. Dr. Stoddard did a great job.” — Raymond Carter, who has had

surgeries on both shoulders at Beaufort Memorial

For retired painter Raymond Carter, two shoulder surgeries ensured he’d

be able to enjoy his favorite leisure activities, hunting and fishing.

WINTER 201650

USE IT or LOSE IT Whether you’re recovering from shoul-der surgery or treating impingement syndrome, you’re going to need physical therapy to get you back in the swing of things.

“A physical therapist will teach you what you need to do to maximize the functional outcome of your treat-ment,” says Diane Haigler, manager of Beaufort Memorial Adult Outpatient Rehabilitation. “If you don’t do the proper exercises at home, you won’t be successful.”

The exercises are designed to help you stretch the front of your shoulder and strengthen the back. Impingement syndrome typically requires physical therapy two to three times a week for four to six weeks. Following surgery, you may need physical therapy for as long as three months.

To make it convenient for patients, Beaufort Memorial offers physical and occupational therapy in Beaufort and Bluffton and at a new Lady’s Island clinic scheduled to open this fall. Services also include pre- and post-surgical rehab and a Bridge to Therapy program that provides surgical patients with in-home rehabilitation before beginning outpa-tient therapy.

To learn more about Beaufort Memorial’s outpatient rehabilitation services, call 843-522-5630.

CALL

Time to Visit an Orthopaedist?If your shoulder pain is waking you up at night or keeping you from doing the things you love, it may be time to see a physician. You can reach board-certified orthopaedic special-ists Edward Blocker, MD, and Leland Stoddard, MD, at 843-522-7100 and Mark Dean, MD, at 843-525-0045.

Longtime athlete Ronnie Beth Rump

had her left shoulder replaced and is back on

the softball diamond.

Total Shoulder REPLACEMENTFor Ronnie Beth Rump, it was soft-ball that drove her to see a doctor. An athlete all her life, the 69-year-old had rediscovered her love of the game after moving to Sun City and joining the senior women’s team, Golden Gals.

In addition to playing fast-pitch softball in her 20s and 30s, Rump also played tennis and was a competitive swimmer. In her early 40s, she started competing in triathlons.

“I’ve put a lot of wear and tear on my body over the years,” she recalls. “During one triathlon, I had a serious bike accident that totally trashed my left shoulder.”

After playing a full season with the Golden Gals, she realized she would need to get her shoulder repaired.

“I couldn’t snag a ball in the air or swing the bat all the way through,” she says. “It was messing up my game and my life.”

In March 2014, she went to see Beaufort Memorial orthopaedic sur-geon Mark Dean, MD.

“There was no cartilage left in the joint,” Dean says. “It was bone on bone. The only choice she had was to live with the pain or have a total shoulder replacement.”

In this procedure, called arthro-plasty, the bone and socket are replaced with an artificial joint, or prosthesis, made of titanium and polyethylene.

“If you’re good about doing your physical therapy, you’ll get most of your mobility back,” Dean says.

Rump proved him right at the Senior World Cup Women’s Softball Championships last summer in Roanoke, Virginia. Not only did her team clinch the division title, but Rump also had the highest batting average in her division, earning her one of four “All Tournament” awards.

“I couldn’t have done it without the surgery,” Rump says. n

WINTER 2016 51

A ventral hernia can limit activity and cause discomfort. Beaufort Memorial general surgeon Stephen Sisco, MD, repairs tears in abdominal muscles using minimally invasive robotic technology

an opening in the abdominal wall. Also known as an incisional hernia, it occurs in approximately 10 percent of open abdominal procedures, most often at the site of a surgical scar.

The Weak LinkWith a ventral hernia, the inner lining of the abdomen pushes through the weak-ened area of the abdominal wall to form a small, balloonlike sac, much like an inner tube pushes through a hole in a tire. Coughing or straining can cause a portion of the intestine to push into the sac, cre-ating a noticeable bulge under the skin.

Hernias can appear weeks, months or even years after surgery and can vary in size from small to very large and com-plex. Some patients feel no symptoms, while others can have significant pain.

BUBBLEBANISHED

Four open surgeries in 15 years left Regina Proby with an abdomen full of scar

tissue. When a bulge appeared in her belly, she cringed at the thought of undergoing another operation.

Proby had her first surgery in 2001 when she donated a kidney to her father. It was followed by two cesarean sec-tions and a hysterectomy. Just when she

thought she was done being cut open, she developed a hernia in her abdomen.

“My belly button popped out like it did when I was pregnant,” the 45-year-old mother of three says. “It got bigger and bigger and made me feel bloated and uncomfortable. I thought, here we go again.”

A CT scan confirmed she had a ven-tral hernia, a bulge of tissue through

PHO

TO (TO

P LEFT) BY THIN

KSTOCK

WINTER 201652

“I wasn’t in pain, so much as I was uncomfortable,” Proby says. “But the hernia slowed me down. I couldn’t go to the park or beach with my kids. It would become very uncomfortable if I sat for too long.”

The Minimalist MovementTo spare Proby from another open surgi-cal procedure, her OB-GYN referred her to general surgeon Stephen Sisco, MD, of Beaufort Memorial Surgical Specialists, an expert in laparoscopic robot-assisted hernia repair. This minimally invasive operation is one of a growing number of robotic surgeries being performed at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Recognizing the vast benefits of mini-mally invasive surgery, BMH invested in the latest generation of the da Vinci Surgical System, allowing surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control. The cutting-edge technology features 3-D, high-definition optics and instruments capable of bend-ing and rotating 365 degrees.

“With better instrumentation and visualization, we can perform more com-plex procedures with better outcomes,” says Sisco, the first surgeon in the area to

offer robot-assisted single-site gallblad-der surgery. “For the patient, it means a quicker recovery, less pain, reduced risk of infection and little scarring.”

Surgical StarUsing the da Vinci robot, Sisco was able to repair Proby’s hernia through several small incisions in the abdomen, getting her back to her normal activi-ties in days rather than weeks.

“The surgery went very well,” Proby says. “The recovery was much easier than what I experienced with open surgery.”

Rather than having to stay in the hospital four or five days as she did with previous surgeries, she went home after just two nights.

“I love Dr. Sisco,” she says. “He’s very personable and explained every-thing to me. I felt confident it would be done correctly.”

Now fully recovered, Proby is once again enjoying outings with her 5- and 10-year-old boys and 4-year-old granddaughter.

“After all of my health problems, I didn’t have a lot of energy,” she says. “I’m looking forward to getting back to my old life.” n

HERNIA PRIMERHernia repair is one of the most com-mon operations performed by general surgeons in the United States. More than 1 million patients a year undergo surgery for some kind of hernia.

While men are most at risk of developing a hernia, they can occur in women, children and even infants. Hernias are most common in the abdomen, but also can appear in the upper thigh, belly button and groin areas.

Types of hernia include: 3Ventral: It is most common in

elderly or overweight people who are inactive after abdominal surgery. The intestine pushes through a scar in the belly.

3 Inguinal: The most common of all hernias, it occurs when the intes-tines or bladder protrude through the abdominal wall into the inguinal canal in the groin.

3Hiatal: With this kind of hernia, the upper stomach squeezes through an opening in the diaphragm into the chest, causing acid reflux. It is most common in patients older than 50.

CALL

Robot-Assisted Surgeries Stephen Sisco, MD, is one of several Beaufort Memorial physicians performing mini-mally invasive procedures using the da Vinci Surgical System. To schedule an appointment with any of the hospital’s general surgeons, call 843-524-8171.

General surgeon Stephen Sisco, MD

WINTER 2016 53

A PEARL OF A GIRLAnn Munger Hendricks believes in Beaufort—and its community hospital

FOUNDATION-BUILDING

Ann Munger Hendricks in her antique shop in Habersham, Pearls Before Noon.

Ann Munger Hendricks got her first glimpse of Habersham 10 years ago when she and her family were vacationing with friends on Fripp Island.

“An ad in a magazine caught my eye, so a friend and I decided to take a quick little drive over to see the develop-ment,” she says with a smile. “I just fell in love with the com-munity, and the next day my husband, Lance, and I came to see it together. He loved it, too. Then we brought our three teenagers, and when we saw that they were each as smitten as we were, we bought a lot right then and there. It was just so rare that we all agreed on anything!”

WINTER 201654

Beaufort was a long way from their home in Omaha, Nebraska, but her hus-band was due to retire from his account-ing firm in a couple of years, and the relocation felt like the right next step.

As it turned out, it was one Ann took alone. Just as the couple had finished drawing up their house plans, Lance was diagnosed with leukemia and told he likely wouldn’t survive more than two years.

Nevertheless, he insisted they press on with building their house and plan-ning for the antique shop they’d dreamed of opening together after the move. Ann knew that in helping her develop a vision for the future, he’d given her a loving and generous gift.

Ultimately the family was able to have one visit together in the new house before Lance died. Ann remained in Omaha for another two years to see their youngest child off to college before moving full time to Habersham to start anew.

Although she didn’t know a soul, Ann felt embraced by her new community and quickly found wonderful friends. And though she had never owned a shop—having been a self-described soccer mom as her children were grow-ing up—she found a charming nook on Habersham’s main square and opened Pearls Before Noon to nearly instant acclaim. Readers of The Island News and The Beaufort Gazette have voted it “favorite” or “best” antique shop four of the past five years.

“The store has been a great way to meet new people,” Ann says. “In fact, I met my husband when he walked through its door two years ago!”

Ann married Rob Hendricks in 2015, and the couple couldn’t be happier. Though they’ve begun to travel the world, “we can’t think of a place we’d

rather be—we just love the Lowcountry,” Ann says.

“I believe in Beaufort,” she adds. “I see good things happening here, and I want to be a part of that. I’m also a firm believer in continuing the Munger fam-ily’s legacy of giving back and supporting your local community, helping it become the very best it can be. After all, the more you give, the more you get back.”

A committed advocate for the hospital and a member of the BMH Foundation’s Vista Society, Ann is quick to point out that “the hospital really is the mainstay of this town,” and says that Beaufort Memorial has grown by leaps and bounds since she first fell in love with Habersham a decade ago. “The hospital has done a wonderful job of attracting good doc-tors and greatly expanding its services,” she says. “We can be proud of our com-munity hospital and take comfort in knowing that it will be there for us when we need it.”

“I met Ann when she attended a recep-tion hosted by Chad and Tei Tober,” says Foundation Executive Director Alice Moss. “That was the beginning of a valued friendship for me personally and for Beaufort Memorial. We are so very grateful for Ann’s generous support and her participation in the Valentine Ball and other events. She is truly one of the reasons Beaufort just keeps get-ting better!” n

WEBSITE

You Can Help!Learn more about how our community supports Beaufort Memorial. Visit beaufortmemorial.org or call 843-522-5774.

WINTER 2016 55

TWO AFFAIRS TO REMEMBERThe 28th annual Valentine Ball will include a preview event

Partygoers, take note: There’s a new twist to the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation’s 2017 Ball on

Feb. 11. The night before the Ball will be A Cocktail Affair, to be held from 6 to 8:30 at Tabby Place. The event will feature live jazz, bourbon and wine tastings, hors d’oeuvres and silent auc-tion bidding. Joyce and Richard Gray will chair what is sure to be a gala affair in its own right.

Tabby Place is a new location for the Valentine Ball weekend. The glamorous space is just one block off Bay Street in downtown Beaufort. Keeping to Valentine Ball tradition, guests at Saturday evening’s black-tie fundraiser will attend privately hosted pre-Ball dinner parties and then progress to the Ball for an evening of dancing, the silent auction and a lavish array of desserts. Chairing the Ball are Andrea Hucks, MD, and Dan Ripley, MD, and Amy and Chris Geier.

Since its inception in 1990, the Valentine Ball has raised nearly $4.4 million, enabling our not-for-profit hospital to provide patients with a wide range of service and equipment enhancements. All proceeds from both the 2017 events will ben-efit the hospital’s cancer services.

Individual tickets to the Cocktail Affair start at $75 per person. Tickets to the Valentine Ball and private dinner parties start at $150 per person. The weekend package, which includes tickets to both evenings, starts at $200 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit valentineball.org or call 843-522-5774. n

FOUNDATION-BUILDING

WEBSITE

Support Cancer Services The Valentine Ball weekend supports excellent cancer services close to home. Visit beaufortmemorial.org and click on "BMH Foundation" or call 843-522-5774.

Dan Ripley, MD, and Andrea Hucks, MD, join Amy and Chris Geier as co-chairs of the 2017 Valentine Ball.

Richard and Joyce Gray are honorary chairs of A Cocktail Affair on Feb. 10.

WINTER 201656

The BMH Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following tribute gifts received June 1 to Sept. 15, 2016. To make a tribute gift, please call 843-522-5774 or visit the BMH Foundation page at beaufortmemorial.org.

TRIBUTESIN HONOR OFMr. Seth Altman

Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Humber

BMH Emergency Room Team Mr. and Mrs. John Tuckwiller Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

BMH Staff Ms. Jessie V. Doctor Mr. Oliver Jarrell

BMH Third-Floor Nurses Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

Mr. Raymond A. Brown Ms. Shirley E. Parsons

Mrs. Carol Converse Mr. Charles J. Karmendy

Dr. John M. Crisologo Mr. Henry P. Capdepon III Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Pollitzer, Jr.

Dr. Philip Cusumano Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

Mr. Buck Drummond Aff ordable Pet Day Clinic, LLC

Ms. Nancy Drummond Aff ordable Pet Day Clinic, LLC

Mr. Robert Drummond Aff ordable Pet Day Clinic, LLC

Mr. Walter Drummond Aff ordable Pet Day Clinic, LLC

Dr. John Fontana Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Pollitzer, Jr. Ms. Christi Trumps

Mrs. Patricia M. Foulger The Family of David E. Brown,

BMH CEO 1996-2007 Coastal Neurology, P.A. Dr. and Mrs. Kurt M. Gambla

Ms. Alice Gaston Mr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

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

Mrs. Becky Jones Mr. Robert Neumann

Dr. H. Kevin Jones Mr. Robert Neumann

Dr. Steven R. Kessel Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Pollitzer, Jr.

Dr. Gordon Krueger Mrs. Lee M. Stockell

Dr. Stephen Larson Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

Dr. Deanna Mansker Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Humber

Dr. Peter N. Manos Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

Mr. Daniel Mock Dr. and Mrs. A.G. Burris

Dr. Jorge Rosello Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

Dr. Marshall S. Shook Mrs. Gladys E. Sutton

Ms. Cammy Standifer Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Humber

Dr. Scott Strohmeyer Mr. and Mrs. John Kenney

Mrs. Kimberly Thorpe Mr. Henry P. Capdepon III

Mr. Rick Toomey Andrea Allen Karen Carroll Coastal Neurology, P.A. Dr. Mark Dean Doug Douglas Dr. Kurt Gambla Hugh Gouldthorpe Bill Himmelsbach David House Alice Moss Terry Murray Dr. Faith Polkey Ed Ricks Jerry Schulze Jeff White

Ms. Lloydra Jane Travlos Aff ordable Pet Day Clinic, LLC

Dr. Christopher Walker Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Ogle

Dr. Richard Woerndle Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Humber

Ms. Erica Yurcaba Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Humber

IN MEMORY OFMrs. Ruth Atchison

Ms. Judy Coxen

Mrs. Millie Barnhart Mr. Edwin Barnhart Ms. Coralie Hoff man

Mr. Ronald Cheesman Mr. Ronald Miller

Ms. Alice Davis Ms. Susan M. Combes Ms. Geraldine A. Donn Ms. Kathleen M. Elliott Ms. Andrea M. Hodge

Mr. Fred Fuerst Mr. and Mrs. Dana M. Dudley

Ms. Doris Gaston Mr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

Ms. Eliza Gaston Mr. Howard A. Green, Jr.

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

Mr. Ed Gay Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Lubkin, Jr.

Mr. Randolph A. Gregory Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Jones

Mr. Tom Hawes Rick Toomey and Dr. Linda Hawes

Mrs. Frances Leinster Mrs. Olive Warrenfeltz

Mr. Marvin D. McCarthy Mrs. Allison McCarthy

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

Dr. Bruce Pratt Ashdale Homeowners & Landowners

Association, Inc. Mrs. Dorothy Crapse Mrs. Norma Duncan Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Mix Mr. and Mrs. John R. Perrill Ms. Alice B. Moss Robinson Grant & Co., PA

R.E. Toomey Rick Toomey and Dr. Linda Hawes

WE’VE EARNED AFEW EXTRA LETTERSAFTER OUR NAME.

Our MUSC Health-affi liated Keyserling Cancer Center runs the area’s only treatment program accredited by the ACS (American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer). In other words, we’ve attained national recognition for doing what we do best: providing exceptional, multidisciplinary care right here at home.

BEAUFORTMEMORIAL.ORG