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 By Nancy Lund
AGING IN PLACE
Aging in place is a beautiful concept– and for many of us, aging here in Plumas and Lassen counties is our choice. We are enthralled by the air, the water, the relaxed pace. This is where we plan our retirement; we weatherize the cottage where we have spent so many happy summers, or we find the ideal spot to build our retirement dream home.
We are all set, living in these mountain valleys — and then the unexpected happens. One of us suffers a stroke, or comes down with a debilitating illness. Have we a plan that covers that eventuality? Perhaps we are not the ones facing this crisis but it is our elderly parents, or other family members. While they may be living independently today, we wonder if they are prepared for the time when one of the couple may require more care than the other can provide.
Twenty years ago a doctor would advise a couple to get a divorce! The cost of nursing home care would eat up all the couple’s assets, even their home. That was because then – and still true today – Medicare does not pay for long-term nursing home care. It is classified as “custodial” not “medical” care.
Today, under California and Federal Medicaid law, there is a way for the ailing spouse to get the care he (or she) needs, while the spouse at home is protected from losing everything. But it is not automatic. It is accomplished by legally dividing the couple’s assets. The ailing spouse becomes eligible for MediCal, which does cover nursing home care, while the spouse at home keeps the house, one car, a monthly stipend of up to $2739 and savings in the amount of $109, 560.
This protection is neither automatic nor simple. Even for a couple with minimum assets and income based on Social Security and a pension, it is a time-consuming process. For them, the county’s Social Services Department can provide the necessary forms, and in most cases, guidance through the process. If there are obstacles, help may be available for PLUMAS COUNTY seniors through Legal Services of California (1-800-822-0109 ) and in LASSEN COUNTY through Legal Services of Northern California (1-800-822-9687).
For couples with more complicated finances, an appointment with a lawyer, trained in “elder law” is advisable. A word of warning : “estate planning services” – coming from highly publicized, out-of-town outfits that offer seminars followed by individual consultations – are of doubtful value. For example, couples have been told that setting up a “trust” will protect them from a MediCal claim on their home. Not true. Far better to schedule an appointment with a local lawyer, trained in estate planning/elder law issues, who will be there later if issues arise.
What about alternatives to nursing home placement? For my next column I will discuss what is currently available and what to look for in the future, Happy retirement!
Nancy Lund is Chair of the Plumas County Commission on Aging. She is a former California State Senior Senator and served on the California State AARP Legislative Committee. Nedlund5@frontiernet.net. Plumas County Senior Adviser : 283-0809
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 By Grayson Sorrels
“Everybody needs beauty as well as
bread, places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength
to body and soul.” John Muir
Michael Muir, great grandson of John Muir has lived with multiple sclerosis since he was 15 years old. Refusing to be daunted by the relentless course of his disease, Muir believes in challenging the limits of disability. In 2001, he led an international team of people with disabilities, driving wheelchair accessible, horse drawn carriages on a 3,000 mile, ten-month journey across America to Washington DC. The extraordinary experiences of that journey have led to the founding of the non profit group ACCESS ADVENTURE.
The group enriches the lives of people with disabilities and under-served youth by providing outdoor recreation, environmental education and open space access, using unique wheelchair accessible, horse drawn carriages.
Muir brought his group with volunteers to Lassen county in June. The clip clop of horse’s hooves blended with laughter as 45 campers from Camp Ronald McDonald were taken on wagon rides through the pine scented forest near Eagle Lake. Two carriages, one an Amish built Thorn lea carriage with a solar/battery powered lift accommodated wheel chairs and seated riders. One part of the group’s program is to offer such multi-day accessible camping trips to remote, scenic locations throughout California.
While in Lassen County, Access Adventure volunteers enjoyed camping near Papoose Meadow for two days. Local author and historian Richard Surrill informed and entertained the group with stories and songs around the camp fire. They also enjoyed Goumaz Campground and two days of driving on the Bizz Johnson Trail. Negotiating the steep, narrow section of trail beneath the Highway 36 bridge provided a scene right out of the old west, as the able bodied riders walked up the hill to save the horses.
Michael Muir drives the team and provides inspiration for all. In 2001 he spent ten months on a carriage ride that took him to Washington D.C. His message, “Just because you are disabled your life doesn’t have to be over.” He is fond of saying, ” The worst disability is a bad attitude.” He shares his passion for horses and the outdoors with the disabled community and others fortunate enough to know him.
Other components of his program involve youth and disabled carriage driving training, a horse breeding program to supply stock for Access Adventure and raise funds for the non profit organization and outdoor education. Access Adventure has teamed with Solano Land Trust and has its headquarters on Grizzly Island Road near the Suisun Marsh at an historic stock and grain ranch.
Access Adventure events are free to people with disabilities or mobility challenges. Volunteers are welcome as are donations to the program. See the website’s special events calendar for 2009 for upcoming events and additional information at www.access-adventure.org.
  Photos By Grayson Sorrels
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What Can I do to keep my kids safe this summer?
Submitted by Michelle Williams,
Banner Lassen Medical Center
What’s that stuff about lazy summer days? Summer is all about having fun in the sun. You can keep it the best time ever by making it the safest time ever. Here are some tips to help your family have a fun and safe summer.
• Keep Hydrated. Playing or exercising outdoors in the summer can lead to heat stress or even to heat stroke, which can be fatal. You can reduce the intensity of activities that last 15 minutes or more when the temperature and humidity are high.
• Talk to coaches of organized competitions and practice to ensure proper hydration and activity levels are understood and strictly enforced.
• Before prolonged activity, be sure you and your children are well-hydrated. Drink water every 20 minutes during activity. Wear light-colored, lightweight clothing.
• Know the Rules of the Road. Serious injuries from bicycles, skateboards, in-line skates and scooters are one of the main reasons for emergency department visits. Insist that your child wear a helmet and set a good example by always wearing one yourself. Insist on properly fitting wrist, elbow and kneepads. Use proper hand signals when turning or stopping.
BE SAFE IN THE WATER!
• Always supervise children in or near water.
• Learn to swim and be sure your children know how to swim.
• Inflatable swim aids should not be substituted for approved life vests.
• Stay within arm’s length of infants or toddlers in water.
• Children should always wear well-fitting life vests on boats or near water.
• Children should know how to put on a life vest.
• Always extinguish cigarettes and shut down motors, fans and heating devices before fueling a boat.
BE SAFE AROUND FIRE!
Like a Boy Scout, Be Prepared.
• Always use a flame-retardant tent and set up away from campfires.
• Use only flashlights or battery powered lanterns inside tents.
• Build campfires downwind of tents. Clear vegetation and dig a pit surrounded by stones for campfires.
• Use liquid fire starter, not gasoline, to start campfires. Store starter away from fire and tenet.
Teach your children these summer safety tips and enjoy the months of sunshine. If you do need Emergency Services, Banner Lassen Medical Center’s Emergency department is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Susanville.
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By Melissa Wynn
As the baby boomers are entering their golden years, the number of households including both grandparents and teenagers is on the rise. Those of us in the middle of these two generations often find ourselves worried that the kids spend too much time with their video games and that our parents aren’t getting enough physical and mental stimulation. It turns out that the Nintendo Wii can broaden our horizons. Senior communities across the country are buying these interactive video games to host bowling, tennis and other tournaments, and they are having amazing turnouts. Even if your at home seniors are wheelchair bound, as long as they can work the t.v. remote sized paddle, they can bowl, play tennis, be in a boxing match, play golf or participate in a wide variety of other activities. It’s much more fun than routine physical therapy exercises and incorporating your teenager to help them get familiar with the new-fangled thing is a great way link the two generations on common ground. Nintendo Wii also has puzzles and fishing games that are great for mental stimulation and give the grandparents a forum where they can still participate in a favorite sport and really have some fun with teenagers and other family members.
There is such a wide spectrum of game choices it is very easy to select a game for everyone that will keep each individual interested and give everyone a chance to be the champ and shine. We have all heard that if you don’t use it you will lose it, and I can’t think of a better way to keep all the generations using their bodies and minds than to get together for some great fun everyone can enjoy. The game box costs around $250 and games run $35-$50. Both are available at most department stores and online. The family that plays together stays together so encourage your teenagers to teach their grandparents to Wii. Let’s fish with Grandpa in the living room and get Grandma bowling like she used to, while engaging our teens in their kind of play.
Source: www.aarp.org
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By Eileen Majors
I sat in the waiting room at University of Washington Medical Center, absorbing long awaited rays of sunshine being warmly welcomed by Seattle’s normally sun-deprived residents. Several patients gathered for a pulmonary exercise class while others arrived for one on one care. One patient, Zachery Lysedt, strolled by in sort of a hanging apparatus, accompanied by two therapists, one before him and one behind him. He is doing his best to learn to walk again. As the therapist behind him guides his foot into a step, the one in front receives the foot enabling the whole process to begin again. He is slowly making his way around the waiting room and down the hall. It is easy to tell he is eager to try, and determined to become his old self again. He is already talking again, though his slow speech and heavy concentration shows his limited ability in that area.
His spirits are great and according to his mom; he has the drive and will to get better and he knows he can do it as these are simple feats he has performed all his life. It is now a matter of his brain not communicating with the rest of his body. His young age is an asset in his healing, his mom told me. Zachery is 16 years old.
He is what some may call the poster child for safer school sports and his message warns how vital it is for the schools to provide adequate medical staff at school sporting events, staff that can properly identify a concussion. It was just a few months into Zak’s eighth grade year and his first year (which would be his last) on the football team.
It was an ‘away game’ and his dad sat proudly in the stands. He soon made a tackle which would send his own head slamming to the ground. He was immediately pulled to the sidelines and examined by coaches and other school staff. He would sit out of the game for a short while until his offense and defense capabilities were needed by his team. He willingly sailed back into the game, soon taking more of the regular slams associated with the game of football. By the end of the game, it was evident that Zackery was more severely injured than had previously been noticed in the coaching staff’s earlier examination. Zackery’s brain had began bleeding but no one noticed until Zackery started losing his balance near the end of the game. When Zackery told his dad he was unable see him, the paramedics were called in.
Within hours Zackery would undergo brain surgery on one side of his brain to relieve the pressure of the blood which was filling his head. When the surgery was done, Zackery’s parents were notified that the surgery would now need to be performed on the other side of this brain too, as the swelling was increasing there. During that surgery, his brain moved over two centimeters, resulting in chaos when Zackery’s brain tried to communicate with the rest of his body. He was in a coma for 30 days. He was just 13 years old. The past three years has carried him across several hurdles of healing, with many more still before him.
The lesson for young athletes, parents and coaches: you don’t need to be “unconscious” for a concussion to be serious. Any of these symptoms – headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, memory loss, inability to concentrate – require a trip to the doctor before getting back in the game.
One of the biggest accomplishments since his traumatic accident is the introduction of a bill into the Washington State Senate which requires adequate medical services on site at all sporting events. His mom told me they were awaiting the governor’s signature on the bill. The bill is being backed by various sporting institutions including the Seattle Seahawks.
The brain is like a master computer for your child’s body. It controls thinking, learning, language and memory. A child’s ability to move, breathe, see, speak, hear and feel is also controlled by the brain because it sends signals to other parts of the body. It even affects a child’s emotions and personality. Protecting your child’s brain from an injury may be the most important thing that you can do as a parent. Brain injury is the leading cause of death in bicycle crashes; It is the leading cause of disability among those who survive. Brain injury is the most frequent cause of disability and death among children and adolescents in the United States. It also is vital that kids wear properly fitted helmets when riding bikes, scooters and skateboards.
Sources: Brain Injury Association of America, Zackery’s mom.
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A very important meeting was held this past Monday, June 1, and all went very well for the Greenville Wellness Center project (GWC). The local healthcare district board responsible for the old Indian valley hospital (IVH) that we hope to use for the GWC is now solidly behind the project. Getting this support from the board is a huge step forward. We now begin the next phases of the project, which are analyzing the IVH facility, completing the business plan, and beginning to seek funding for remodeling. We are forming a business alliance with Plumas Rural Services (PRS), a local non-profit agency that provides many health & wellness service to local residents. PRS is very interested to conduct some of their programs at the GWC, and brings many resources to the project. In particular, they have an excellent grant writer on staff, and are very skilled with the process of obtaining both public and private funding for community services. GWC and PRS are hoping to obtain federal stimulus and/or healthcare funding to remodel the IVH and create community based healthcare programs. It will be a perfect marriage of non-profit and private enterprises that both serve local the local community, in addition to drawing out of area “health tourists” to improve the overall local economy. Judy and KD are also plan 2 or more trips to Washington DC in the near future to follow up on funding the GWC through stimulus $$. Meeting the right people and taking them to lunch can sometimes make all the difference when fed $$ is in play.
We are feeling a growing mission in this process. We have come to realize that the ultimate goal of the GWC is no less than reform of the American healthcare system. We see the GWC as a model for many other American communities, both rural & urban. Ours is a bottom-up process, not one that is top-down. We hope to be part of a growing movement where all of us work to reclaim control of our individual healthcare with simple, low tech, and low cost processes that focus as much on prevention as treatment. In doing so, we will relieve some of the current stress on the mainstream healthcare system, and this relief may be sufficient for “the system” to initiate it’s own reforms. The best news, is that this is a process we can initiate by ourselves, wherever we are, and regardless of our age, wealth, or current health. While co-operation from the powers that be would be helpful, we do not need permission from these powers to initiate this process. it is a true grass roots movement that can begin one person and one group of persons at a time.
Good Health, simply done!TM
The Greenville Wellness Center will provide health and wellness services to local residents and regional ‘health tourists’. The immediate target clients will be local residents who desperately need more affordable healthcare options, including fitness services, alternative therapies, health education, and thermal baths. The long term target clients will be regional health tourists who want to receive these same wellness services in such a quiet and peaceful location as the Indian Valley. Regional marketing will focus on the Baby Boomer generation, whose enormous purchasing power will bring great financial rewards to any enterprise that offers effective relief from the aches and pains of aging. The GWC may eventually serve as a model for cost effective community health services in rural regions, representing an ideal interface between non-profit public services, and for-profit private enterprise.
The Greenville Wellness Center (GWC) will provide community health and wellness services, attract regional health tourists, serve as a sustainable healthcare model for other rural communities, and offer health education services to create jobs & stimulate the local economy.
Summary of business development
The GWC development goal is to achieve “occupancy” on or before the time schedules of this business plan. The term “occupancy” includes both overnight and day use of the facilities and services offered by the GWC. GWC will have two separate areas of development:
1. Health & Wellness Center – Will include services that:
a. create and maintain a healthy lifestyle,
b. address physical pain or illness through low cost non-medical, non-invasive “alternative” therapies (both in house and via a outreach program)
c. help educate local residents about healthy lifestyles, and
d. attract regional health tourists who use the GWC facilities and services
e. attract local and out of area students who will study “alternative and preventative” healthcare towards becoming professionals in the field.
The Health & Wellness Center will provide important health services to the local community, which also represents the “low hanging fruit” for initial occupancy and revenue. Regional marketing of Health & Wellness services will focus on attracting health tourists who are seeking pain relief. These health tourists will be traveling from Chico or Reno (2 hours), Sacramento (3.5 hours), and the Bay Area (5 hours). Special events will be an important tool to attract regional clients of all ages and achieve maximum occupancy. As the GWC will be a fully ADA accessible facility, the prime regional target health tourist is a retired, mildly disabled, Baby Boomer who has free time, a reasonable disposable income, and perceives a pain free lifestyle as a high priority.
Health & Wellness services can be developed incrementally, and with minimal capital costs. Operations will begin with basic services, including private hot water soaking, and increase with demand and revenues.
Adding a Recreation Hot Springs to the GWC will require significant capital investment, and will require development within a short timeline to achieve sufficient revenues for a reasonable ROI. Development of a Recreational Hot Springs should occur only after the GWC has its Health & Wellness services operating smoothly, and with a positive cash flow.
Historical
Many cultures, including traditional Native Americans, place a high value on using thermal water to achieve health benefits. The most significant use of thermal water for therapy was the Roman culture, where public thermal baths were a standard urban fixture. Most baths were also attached to gymnasiums for healthy exercise, with massage available on-site. The word “spa” is an acronym for the Latin/Italian words “Salud per Aqua”. In this sense, The Greenville Wellness Center is adopting an historical model for community health services that functioned for over a 1,500 years for the Roman Empire (including the Eastern Empire of Constantine). It is thus a time tested model for sustainable, low technology driven, community healthcare.
Using hot thermal waters for health and recreation continued to be a popular public activity through the early 20th century. “Taking the waters” was a phrase of common usage until the post WWII period of American history. But there has been a recent resurgence in “Hot springing” which is now a substantial, and growing sub-culture in North America (described later in the Marketing sub-section: Recreational Hot Springs – page 7)
IVH Facility:
Background – The Greenville Wellness Center will be located on the grounds of the now vacant Indian Valley Hospital (IVH) that rests on the outskirts of Greenville, CA. The hospital facility consists of an 11,000 sq ft. single story main building, plus one attached, and two detached separate service buildings that collectively total approximately 2,000 sq. ft. The facility will include approximately 2.75 total acres of land including undeveloped lawns and paved parking areas. It is accessed through Hot Springs Road, and is only ½ mile from state Highway 89 that passes through central Greenville The facility is serviced by PG&E for electricity, and for local water and sewer by the Indian Valley Community Services District.
The IVH is a concrete block structure constructed in 1954 having a flat roof and heated with baseboard electrical space heaters. A geothermal well was drilled in 1982 and a geothermal heating system was installed in 1983. Summer cooling is provided by individual window mounted room air conditioners. The IVH was designed with significant disabled access infrastructure. This includes wide hallways with handrails, and wide 42″ doors to many rooms. There is not one stair or ramp in the facility. ADA regulations did not exist when the IVH was constructed. Some infrastructure does not conform to ADA standards and must be upgraded.
Current condition – The IVH facility has receive no regular maintenance during the past 2 years, and maintenance during the final two years of the hospital’s operation (2005 & 2006) was sporadic. In particular, most of the kitchen infrastructure has been removed, with the exception of the range hood and grease trap. The geothermal heating system is reported to have significant problems, and was not functional during the late stages of the IVH operation. Also, the Geothermal heating system was designed as a centrally driven hot water – air exchange, with ducting placed on and entering the facility through the roof. This has created problems with leakage and water damage. Thus, a thorough facility analysis is required to determine what systems are fully operational, what infrastructure can be operational on a cost effective basis once repairs or remodeling is completed, and what infrastructure must removed and/or replaced. The current status of the facility cannot be fully stated until a complete assessment has been made by specialists.
Geothermal Waters – While the geothermal water has previously been used only in a closed loop heat exchange system for heating the facility, chemical analysis of the water indicates a low salinity sodium chloride type composition that is similar to the nearby Indian Valley Hot Springs. This indicates that the waters of the IVH geothermal well should be suitable for theraputic and recreational use. Such applications of these geothermal waters will require a new disposal permit from the CA State Water Control Board, and a rigorous system of testing by GWC staff to monitor pool water quality and discharge water quality to insure safety for GWC clients and compliance with discharge regulations.
Community information:
Greenville is located approximately 90 miles dues east of Chico CA, and 100 miles north-northwest of Lake Tahoe. Greenville, with a population of 1,500, is the largest town in the Indian Valley (total population – 3,500). The Indian Valley is 3,500 ft. above sea level, and is surrounded by mountains in the 6-7,000 ft. range. Mt. Lassen (10,500 ft.), is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Range is 60 miles north-northwest of Greenville, and is the source for the geothermal waters of the Indian Valley. Greenville is an unincorporated city in Plumas County (total population – 25,000). Quincy, the county seat (pop-5,000), is 23 miles south, and the resort town of Chester (pop-2,500) near Lake Almanor, is 25 miles to the north. Greenville is a two hour drive from Chico and Reno, 3-1/2 hours from Sacramento, and 4-1/2 hours from the Bay Area. There are no elevations higher than Greenville (3500 ft.) when traveling from Chico, Sacramento, or the Bay Area. From Reno, only the 5000 ft. Beckworth pass must be crossed, but this is seldom impacted by winter snow storms (compared to the 7,200 ft. Donner pass on interstate 80, which is frequently closed by storms in winter)
Greenville experiences four distinct seasons. Summers are mild with daytime temperatures seldom reaching 100 degrees F, followed by cool nights in the 50′s. Winter high temperatures average in the low 40′s, with lows averaging in the high 20′s. Winter rain and snow is frequent, but snow accumulations are moderate due to the good solar exposure of Greenville , and the Indian Valley elevation being lower that the surrounding mountains. (significant snow accumulations usually begin at the 4 – 4500 ft. elevation).
Local industries are timber, watershed management, agriculture (mostly ranching), and tourism. Lake Almanor, located 9 miles from Greenville, is the largest recreational and tourist attraction in Plumas county. Lassen National park, 60 miles away, is the largest regional tourist attraction.
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 As technology has launched us into the industrial age, fewer families care for the elderly and disabled in their homes and more opt for professional long term care in a skilled nursing facility. As a result, many of these aging and challenged members of society have spent much of the last few decades out of the public eye. I provide in home care for two elderly women and have noticed that many people seem uncomfortable in their presence, especially children. It has occurred to me that many children have never spent the day with someone who is in a wheelchair or has speech trouble from a stroke or dementia.  The Generation Gap between the elderly and the very young is growing wider.
Even adults and old friends avoid and ignore these sweet ladies, seemingly embarrassed to stop and say hello. So many of us choose to believe that illness and old age are good reasons to leave folks alone to enjoy “the quiet life.” On the contrary, if Grandma enjoyed a house full of children and loud music before her stroke or 90th birthday, chances are she still does. No one wants to feel like they have disappeared. I know my little ladies light up like Christmas when any small child says hello or flirts from behind a chair in the Dr. office. I also notice their sadness when someone they know passes by like they were invisible.
As the baby boomers enter their senior years, more families are choosing in-home care. Therefore the elderly will once again be a large part of the public crowds that we and our children encounter every day. Let’s help them bridge that generation gap. Talk to your children about the effects of aging, dementia and stroke. Encourage them to say hello and get their cheeks pinched by that little old lady in the Dr. office. They will learn that she is not to be feared and she will have a brighter day. If you have a family member in long term care, take the kids along for your next visit. The smiles they bring may be contagious to the entire facility. Also remember that the elderly are a fountain of knowledge and many have plenty of time to spin a tale for the youngsters. Let’s reunite our babies with our elders. Bridge the Generation Gap and everybody wins!
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By Eileen Majors
Wow! A little over a year and a half ago, this mom left the corporate world to fight for the lives of her twin girls when they were diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Type C (NP-C, known as Childhood Alzheimer) in Oct., 2007.
Chris Hempel’s persistence in the medical arena has brought new hope for her daughters Addi and Cassi and for victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Recently the family was featured in the Wall Street Journal for the strides this mom has made.
Since the beginning, Hempel has been researching every thing she could find on her daughters’ disease and even solicited the help of scientists and even winners of the Nobel prize have taken the time to assist this woman in her cause. From private research to pleading with drug companies and trying to buck the system, one mom has proven that the medical world has some serious set backs. The major problem for this mom was the bureaucratic nonsense that follows research teams. She found no balance and check system in place for research surrounding new drugs being tested by scientists for separate causes. It seems one hand never knew what the other was doing. She made an amazing discovery.
Her research has led her to a sugar based compound, Cyclodextrin, which has extended the lives of mice affected by NP-C, the very disease that was stealing her children away. These findings sent her searching even harder until her search led her to the work of Dr. James Hildreth, a noted HIV/AIDS researcher who was also working with Cyclodextrin. Hildreth believes that the protein responsible for NP-C disease also plays an important role in HIV/AIDS. His previously published work showed the compound appeared to inactivate the HIV virus and prevent it from replicating. He wants to distribute a vaginal cream (at about 10 cents a dose) that could be used during labor and delivery. He believes this process could wipe out the spread of AIDS in Africa.
After meeting with Hildreth, Hempel contacted the National Institute of Health’s AIDS research department to tell them about Hildreth’s findings, a call Hildreth said a scientist would not have made. A mom, however, did make that ever so important phone call. Who would have ever thought a low cost, non toxic, stunningly simple sugar compound made from starch may hold answers for those with (NP-C). This compound, found in toothpaste, salad dressing and butter, is really beginning to look like it could even hold answers to a cure for HIV/AIDS.
Hempel also arranged a meeting for Hildreth with two Nobel prize winning scientists interested in NP-C. With shared findings on Cyclodextrin, they presented their case to the FDA for the approval needed to inject the girls with the compound. In the end,, they were granted the approval needed to administer the drug on an experimental basis.
This mom is credited with the persistence, the common sense and the drive to bring scientific findings from different areas of research (uncommonly together) for a common cause. It is obvious to many that without her coordination, such findings may have never have been shared.
It was sadness in the eyes of two little local girls who happen to be the cousins of Addi and Cassi Hempel, that prompted a a story for the March, 2008 edition of Mountain Valley Living, one of the first in the media to publish the girls’ story. The writer added this note, evidently worth repeating:
- This writer notes that miracles really do happen. Experts studying when and how they happen, see genuine concern, compassion and true faith, from common people, not necessarily just from those sitting in pews and behind pulpits. What if every Dad and Mom, Grandma and Grandpa who read this, tough and strong, weak and weary, every laborer, every executive, young and old, rich and poor, wise and foolish, all understanding and bearing the same compassion for this family; what if we all said that prayer with true faith, remembering of course, that Miracles Happen Every Day! ….thanks
Since MVL ran the initial story last March on this rare diagnosis, the family has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America, several news programs and The Doctors, a division of Dr. Phil’s nationally aired programs. They made the cover of The Scientist magazine and have been featured in other national media who seem to be keeping an eye on this mom’s moves. We asked for your prayers and good wishes then and thank you now as we have to believe your thousands of prayers have helped move the cause. Again, more that ever, these girls can use some more prayers and this time with thanks for what has taken place so far.
When we checked back with Mom’s blog after only a few injections, she felt she had seen improvement, as the girls were once again putting sets of words together to form statements, a feat they had not been able to perform for some time.
You can find out more about this research and leave wishes for the twins at addiandcassi.com.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, KTVU Channel 2 SF/Oakland,
addiandcassi.com, photo by Dad, Hugh Hempel
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Here’s something to contemplate over your morning fruit juice. A few years back, doctors discovered the “grapefruit effect”—the fact that drinking grapefruit juice affects the way certain blood pressure medications work. Doctors have since found that more than 40 different medications can have their effects magnified by grapefruit juice.
Now, the story has gotten a bit more complicated. Orange juice and apple juice could also interfere with some medications. And depending on the drug you’re taking, the effects of your treatment could be either be blocked or boosted. This could stop the drug from helping you, or put you at risk of an overdose.
In a new study, researchers looked at healthy volunteers who took a drug called fexofenadine. It’s an antihistamine, used to treat allergies.
Some people took the allergy pills with water, and others drank grapefruit, apple or orange juice. The juices stopped people absorbing the drug properly, meaning they got about half the dose they should have done. Grapefruit juice seemed to have the strongest effect.
Drugs that can react with orange, apple or grapefruit juice include some antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs and beta-blockers. According to the researchers, if you’re taking medications and want to drink these juices, you need to leave a gap of four hours either side of taking your pills. So if you take your pills first thing in the morning, you might want to save your breakfast glass of orange juice for lunchtime.
Here are some other things to watch for if you’re taking prescription medications.
1) Cranberry juice can increase the effects of a blood thinner called warfarin (brand name Coumadin). This could cause dangerous bleeding.
2) A group of drugs for weak bones, called bisphosphonates, need to be taken with plenty of water while standing or sitting upright. You can’t eat anything for half an hour after taking the pills.
3) Some drugs have pretty complicated instructions. People taking MAOIs, a type of antidepressant, need to avoid several foods, including cheese, processed meats and soy products.
If you’re ever unsure about how to take medications safely, consult your doctor or pharmacist .
Compliments of Consumer Reports Health.org and Philip Wilson, patient editor, BMJ Group
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By Jan Cox
On some occasions, living in the mountains makes things a bit more difficult than living in the big city. One of these occasions may be getting to specialist appointments when someone discovers they have cancer. Another is finding a support system, both medical and psychosocial, that will help bring about healing. It is often much easier to find what we need in larger population areas.
Having spent time in Chico receiving cancer treatments, I found that there were many opportunities for support close by. I was able to attend a writer’s group that dealt with cancer concerns, an acupuncture clinic just for cancer patients, and a meeting that helped me deal with skin concerns due to medications. I also noted that there were active support group meetings for cancer patients. All of these activities took place at the Enloe Cancer Center. If you are in need of support and have plans to stay in Chico for any length of time, you might search these out on the internet at www.enloe.org. Or you may call the Cancer Support Center, 265 Cohasset Road, Chico, CA (530)332-3808. Information on housing is also available through Cancer Connections.
In the Almanor Basin, there is a cancer support group available in Chester sponsored by Sierra Hospice. It meets in the Educational Building Conference room near Seneca Healthcare District, 150 Brentwood Dr. Chester, on the second and fourth Thursdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Participants often bring their lunches and eat during the latter part of the meeting.
There are similar support groups in many areas and research evidence shows that survival rates increase in those who attend support groups. A cancer support group also offers a setting where the newly diagnosed, those being currently treated, and those who are in remission can meet together and talk about their experiences, struggles, joys, and healing. It offers a place where everyone present understands each other’s situation. It offers a place where cancer patients and survivors can learn more about their healing and return to wellness or where others receive support in their dying process.
The Chester group begins each meeting with a check in. New members, who can join the group at any time, are introduced and given time to share their stories. We all check in by letting others know what life has been like since the last meeting. If there is a new member, the rest of us quickly re-share our diagnosis in order to help the new member become an immediate part of the group.
Then we create a sharing circle and discuss a specific topic that relates to all of us. Such topics include how cancer has affected each of our lives and the lives of our family members, our coping techniques, and our various support systems that are part of our healing, including family, friends, medical and spiritual support systems. We explore complementary and alternative medical techniques, and we take a close look at emotions that can arise in this cancer journey and how to deal with them.
During circle time, each member has a chance to talk uninterrupted. Afterwards, we talk with each other as we eat lunch, have some coffee or tea, and relax. Books and other informational items are sometimes shared and discussed. Access to the Hospice library of books is available to participants.
Members come and go depending on their family plans, health, and work agendas. Newly diagnosed members will find support for the weeks ahead. Survivors have so much to give to others going through their therapies. All are welcome.
This group recently received a note from one of its members who left for the winter. It reads: “I am a recent cancer survivor and still have some side effects that I am dealing with. I joined this group with the idea that I could encourage others. To my surprise, I have found so much support and information on emotional feelings that I didn’t even know I had. So if you want: (1) mental and physical support, (2) to learn more about cancer, treatment and side effects, (3) find what you can do to help yourself, and (4) make new friends, come join us. You will love it!”
For more information call: Jan Cox 256-2119 or Janis Davies 310-1956 (facilitators). You may also receive information from www.sierrahospice.com.
Hospice is a nationwide organization with chapters throughout many locations. Check your local phone directory for Hospice care near you. On line, find them at www.HospiceCare.com.
You can also stop by Banner Lassen Medical Center in Susanville or your local hospital for literature and information on cancer support services in your area.
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TELEMARKETERS….Don’t Call Me Anymore!!!
By Eileen Majors
About three years ago, I followed the lead of Montel Williams along with the rest of the watching country and registered. I was promised two years of privacy from telemarketers and it proved to be a wise move. A year ago, things changed even more for telemarketers. due to the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, which became law in February 2008. Now your registration will not expire. Federal law provides privacy from telemarketers in the National Do Not Call Registry provided by the California Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission. Telephone numbers placed on the National Do Not Call Registry will remain on it permanently and you can register (or unregister if you change your mind) for free on line or on the phone, easily.
You can register by phone at 1-888-382-1222 or on line at https://www.donotcall.gov.
Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at the same website or phone number used to register. This process looked about as simple as registration was. If it comes down to filing a complaint, you will need the date the company called you (which must be at least 31 days after you completed your registration). You will also need the name or phone number of the company. (I can’t wait to use this on a particular company offering warranties that calls me every day on 2 out of 3 phone lines!)
The registration process on line allows you to enter up to three phone numbers and your email address. You then simply click Submit, check for errors and click Register. All that’s left then is to check your email for a message from Register@donotcall.gov. Open the email and click on the link to complete your registration.
I was able to register my cell phone, and two land lines very quickly. If you register any telephone numbers that you share with others, they will remind you that you are registering for everyone who uses these lines. For more information, visit https://www.donotcall.gov.
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By Louise Biggs
Upward Bound Coordinator
Feather River College
Here in the Sierras wind blows in the month of December causing the tree tops to sway and dance. The sting of cold air chills the hands and face; however, it is the lights of the season that warm my heart and soul. December is also the month of three major celebrations. Perhaps it is also the perfect time to introduce your children to celebrations from other cultures.
Only you will be able to balance instruction about other cultures and faiths with why your family has chosen to keep certain traditions in your home, including your family’s faith. One simple way to introduce your children to other cultures is to begin with different celebrations. As a parent, one could focus, first, on how another culture’s celebration may be similar to one your family celebrates. One similarity in these celebrations is the use of candles.
Hanukkah (also spelled-Chanukkah) is the first celebration of light in December. It is a holiday which is based on a lunar calendar and therefore moves. This year it begins during the evening of Sunday, December 21. One book I like, which can be used with elementary aged children, is A Hanukkah Treasury edited, by Eric Kimmel and illustrated by Emily Lisker.
While Hanukkah is probably the best known Jewish holiday, it is not one of their holiest days. It honors a revolution led in part by Judah Maccabee and the rededication of the Temple, which in turn led to the miracle of one night’s oil lasting for eight nights. The religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles.
The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah, or sometimes called a chanukkia. It holds nine candles; one for each night plus a shammus (servant) at a different height. On the first night one candle is placed at the far right. The shammus candle is lit and three berakhot (blessings) are recited: l’hadlik neir, a general prayer over candles; she-asah nisim, a prayer thanking God for performing miracles for our ancestors at this time; and she-hekhianu, a general prayer thanking God for allowing us to reach this time of year. (www.jewfaq.com) This website also has other information to begin a discussion with more mature students. There are more traditions to this holiday, including fried food, my favorite are latkes, small gifts of coin called gelt, and a game of chance played with the driedel.
The next celebration of light is December 25, Christmas. While reading The Book of Christmas Folklore, by Tristram Coffin, I found useful definitions for the three types of Christmas I tend to see: Christ-mass, which is spiritual and festive; Christ-tide, which is simply spiritual; and Yuletide, which is merry and unconcerned with the religious aspects of the season. As much as I love Christmas, I learned a lot of history of the season and would highly recommend this book for any high school student.
December 25 was the date fixed “circa 320 A.D.” as the birth of Jesus Christ, known to Christians as the Son of God. Among the pagan cultures Rome conquered, the days around the winter solstice often held special significance. Local customs were used by Catholic fathers to help convert locals to Christianity.
One of the oldest customs of Christmas is the Yule log, yet few families I know of practice this custom. The log had to come from one’s own land or your neighbor’s for luck. While it burned the family would retell tales of olden times. More recently city dwelling families adopted a tree decorated with lights and sparkles. Legend says St. Boniface had dedicated a fir tree to the Christ child in an effort to counter Odin’s sacred oak. Candles and lights have been associated with “the Light of the World” since the medieval church. People carry candles to midnight mass, fires are still burned on the mountains slopes of the Alps and their smoke take ‘flight for heaven,” and in Ireland a candle was placed in the window in hopes a priest could visit them during the times of persecution to perform mass. Some of my favorite books of the season include Littlest Angel, and Christmas in the Barn, A book with a moral for the season is An Orange for Frankie.
Kwanzaa is the third and newest celebration of light in December. It is an American cultural festival, inspired by African traditions. According to Seven Candles for Kwanzaa, by Andrea Pinkey with pictures by Brian Pinkey it is not intended to be a religious holiday, nor a substitute for one. It was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga Ph.D. of Black Studies at CSU Long Beach.
The festival begins on December 26 and ends on January 1. Kwanza is a Swahili word which means “first.” The extra ‘a’ was intentionally added to give it seven letters representing the seven principles celebrated during the week.
On the first day the African- American family decorates their home. The mkeka represents tradition and is placed upon the table; it looks a bit like an elaborate straw placemat. For each child in the family muhindi (an ear of corn) is place on the mat along with apples, nuts, and yams to remember the earth’s abundance. Zawadi are hand made gifts that are exchanged. The kinara (wooden candle holder) is placed on the mkeka and is set with seven candles. One black candle is placed in the center representing the richness of their skin color, three red candles on one side represent past struggles, and three green candles on the other side represent a prosperous future. www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org Each day a family centered activity takes place to emphasize the principle of the day.
On the first day of Kwanzaa the black center candle is lit to celebrate the principle of umoja (unity). The red candle next to it is lit the second day to represent the principle of kujichaguli (self determination). The first green candle is lit the third day for ujima (collective work and responsibility). Another red candle is lit for ujamaa on the fourth day for cooperative economics, balanced on the fifth day by a green candle being lit for nia (purpose). The final red candle is lit on the sixth day for kuumba (creativity). Finally on the last day, the green candle is lit and the principal of imani (faith) is celebrated with a feast including yams and other traditional foods.
Celebrations such as these are a simple way to begin a wonderful conversation of the importance of your own family traditions. It is also a place to find common ground as your family expands to include others who grew up celebrating differently than you. May the light and blessings of the season be with all of you and your family.
Louise Biggs
Upward Bound Director
Feather River College
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Do What You Love
LISA
In today’s tough economy, it may not be the time to quit your day job and begin launching a new career, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do what you love for fun. It may even bring you some extra good fortune, using your talents like that. I couldn’t help but snap up picture of these two, who obviously enjoy using their talents.
Lisa Weaver, a long time wheel thrower just loves throwing clay. She is passionate about what she does and it shows in the beautiful pieces of work she has been preparing for holiday sales. Recently, Lisa has been enjoying getting into her craft more than ever! She can be found at Busy Bee Ceramics at 22nd and Park Streets in Chico where she offers several class options. You can come with the kids and just enjoy a family fun day with instruction on the wheel, or you can come for a few dates to complete your own masterpieces in time for the holidays. It’s really fun to bring a few friends and make a night of it. The shop offers a giant selection of already made ceramic items for painting and firing too. There are many great projects for kids, which serve as inexpensive, yet thoughtful gifts that will stir up their artistic abilities. Many of the items are very reasonable to make. I encourage you to try your hands at the wheel. It is really fun to create something from a blob of clay. Lisa is a great teacher and great fun to work with. The shop offers all the paints and materials you will need and the cost of firing projects there is quite reasonable. So go make some fun… and maybe some gifts. Nothing is nicer than receiving something handmade, especially something as practical as a nice dish or vase you made yourself on the wheel. Visit them at 2145 Park Avenue in Chico. Call 530-892-2233 of visit them online at busybeesceramics.com.
MARLENE
You will find this friendly lady, Marlene Kien, outside Sierra Tile, her son’s tile shop in Chester. She has come up with a beautiful use of small tiles. She makes outdoor stepping stones, bird baths and other garden decor using her favorites of all the beautiful tiles available from the shop. When I spoke with her recently, she was waiting for her assortment of glow in the dark tiles which was in a ship yard somewhere, just in from Italy. She will be happy to show you how beautifully they glow in the dark. Many of the stepping stones coordinate with each other in colors as do the bird baths and other items, although each piece is a different design and an original piece of art. Also displayed on stands for the garden, are beautiful globes made of tiles and some with mirrors. She will make virtually any color scheme, with an amazing array available including a magnificent iridescent white tile. If you stop and speak with her, I think you will appreciate her art all the more. This lady is fun, friendly and it too, is obvious in the talent she displays, that she loves what she does.
We hope you will get out your crafty ideas and share your talents with others this holiday season. With particularly tough times being experienced by many right now, it is an excellent time for everyone to get back to basics, and send beautiful, thoughtful gifts, without all the big price tags. Involve the kids if you can and bring new meaning and memories to the holiday. Your family might enjoy making the Photo Memory Boxes on our kidzview page in this edition.
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By Louise Biggs
Upward Bound Coordinator
Feather River College
VETERANS DAY
November…It’s the huge family feast, football on T.V., school stadiums and in backyards everywhere. Here in the Sierra’s there will be families gathering pine cones, evergreens and cutting down Christmas trees. However, I’d like to take a moment to remember the first holiday of November and urge families to celebrate it with your children; Veteran’s Day.
If you look up Veteran’s Day you will find it dates back to the Great War. The armistice to end the war between Germany and the Allies was signed on the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, in 1918. Armistice Day, as it was known officially, became a holiday on November 11, 1926. Then to honor all U. S. Veterans on June 1, 1954 the name was changed to Veteran’s Day. I refreshed my memory at www.infoplease.com, it has also information on the Tomb of the Unknowns where our President lays a wreath every Veteran’s Day.
There are resources in abundance on the web. For younger children, www.theteacherscorner.net has puzzles, crosswords and coloring pages about Veteran’s Day. One of my favorite sites lists different activities by topic and age appropriateness. www.educationworld.com uses a scavenger hunt http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/hunt/hunt011.shtml. to teach about the topic and is suitable for middle school and older students. One of the most wonderful war poems ever written is “ In Flanders’ Field”(Google the title) It provides a place to begin a discussion of what a veteran’s sacrifice means for all of us with high school aged children. I also found something new this year. History.com is sponsoring Take a Veteran to School Day. You may go to www.veterans.com ; click on the videos and teacher’s resources to learn more. If you would like to be even more proactive, contact your child’s school to see if they are participating. Don’t forget, there is more than just web based learning, check out your local library too.
I found an activity credited to Dear Abby. After discussing Veteran’s Day, make large stars (about 6″ by 6″) made out of construction paper in colors of red, white and blue. Your children are to interview (if possible) their veteran, a relative or neighbor and write down on the star: Name of veteran, Branch of service, Location of service and any other pertinent information ( awards, maybe their relationship to the vet) If they cannot interview the veteran because they are now serving or have passed on, they can interview a family member who can tell them about that person’s service to our country, then write it on the back of the star. Then hang the stars on a “Veteran Wall” in your home, or maybe your front window to show your support of veterans in your town.Veteran’s sponsor essay contests, scholarships and keep on giving more even after serving their country. Be sure they are on your student’s list to volunteer for cemetery clean up, hall refurbishing and other arduous duties. I hope you take advantage of some of the activities during the Veteran’s Day Weekend, and don’t forget to attend the local Veteran’s Day Parade!
Louise Biggs
Upwards Bound Director
Feather River College
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Family Memories at the Pumpkin Patch.
Milford, CA
It was quite a day as I remember, as we piled up in the car filled with passengers to pick out pumpkins. More cousins, aunts and uncles followed in their own cars and we all met up at Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch. The two grandmas on scene disappeared into the quaint country store, returning with a treat for everyone and plenty of other fun stuff for themselves. Moms soon discovered the treasures of the Wemple’s Country Store too as dads took over outside. Scents of the season filled the air as cousins soon piled up in the red wagons provided to search for the perfect pumpkins. Moms, dads, grandmas and grandpa followed along as excited children ran from one pumpkin to another. When everyone had their choice in hand, we returned for more fun.
Everyone ran through the hay maze before enjoying lunch from the snack shop. Little ones lingered near the animals while the boys made good use of time pretending and riding on tractor seats. We soon all boarded the wagon lined with hay and rode around the property. Stunning country scenes laid the backdrop for our fun filled day. We all came home with pumpkins, gourds and even cornstalks. That just made for more fun the next day as we decorated for fall.
Wemple’s Pumpkin Patch in Milford is open everyday in October. It is a great family outing. You can
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Living in the Sierra’s valleys and mountains enriches our daily lives. We are surrounded by natural beauty and are often far from the staggering crime statistics of the big city. Our children are blessed to be able to play in lakes and rivers running with clean water, ride bicycles through the streets near their homes and hike the forests surrounding those homes. However, raising a student in the Sierra also means they are less likely to visit museums, aquariums or experience live performances of visiting symphonies and theater troupes as part of their educational experience at school. Due to educational budget cuts there are less career and college counseling services available. Hopefully this column will be beneficial to all parents trying to find resources to enrich their student’s learning opportunities. The first and most important teacher is the parent.
The computer offers virtual field trips of museums, aquariums and even far away places to explore. Simply conduct a search on an engine like Google or Yahoo using the key words “virtual field trip” include another key word, for example, museum or aquarium in your search for better results. In less than 2 seconds, parents will have a page full of results; be sure to check out the links before showing it to your student. Some sites may be off the web, others too advanced for him /her. http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/play/leonardo/index.html teaches about art and science through time travel. Colonial Williamsburg offers several CSI type reenactments of historical events. This one focuses on finding the cure for small pox. http://www.history.org/History/teaching/potions/smallpox/smallpox.html
A tip for a middle school parents; now is the time to begin thinking about possible career paths for your student. Talk with him/her student about what they are dreaming of doing when they grow up… at the dinner table, in the car. If the answer seems to always be, “I don’t know”, a great resource is the September issue of U.S. News & World Report, available online too. 2008 Best Careers includes becoming an audiologist, a member of the clergy, a ghostwriter, a fundraiser, a systems analyst or an urban planner. If none of those careers are your student’s cup of tea take a peek at the jobs forecast section. If your student is always on the computer, and begging for the latest techno –gadget? Perhaps computational biology, behavioral genetics or data mining are careers you could begin discussing. On the other hand if you have a student who is always looking out for everyone else in the family or even the world, a career as a patient advocate, wellness coach or green collar consultant may be in their future. Is your student already selling lemonade on the corner, has a babysitting job and saves every birthday dollar? Foreign business development may be a niche for him/her. Most importantly now is the time to encourage your student’s “wonder quotient”; encourage them to ask why and how things work.
If your student is in high school now is the time to begin thinking of which colleges they may wish to attend. Again, U.S. News & World Report is a great parental resource. Yearly it ranks the best colleges by type, program, location and size of the college. It is a great place to begin searching for which “type” of college will best suit your family, because colleges are truly a family fit. Think about planning possible future family vacations around the college towns you may want to be spending four to six years visiting. As always stay involved in your student’s education, even if he/she protests! Be the parent that helps select the correct classes needed to get to college. Make sure your student completes their homework and help them stay on top of project and essay deadlines. Take time to read the end of a few questions from their homework to them, or offer to host study groups at your home.
Finally, if you have a college bound senior the final deadline for the November 1 SAT test is Oct. 10. You will have to pay a late fee if your senior has not yet registered. Anyone planning to attend a four year institution on the West coast typically will need their SAT scores for college applications. Go to www.collegeboard.com to sign up. College Board is also the place to go to study for the SAT. Seniors should also be working on their applications for the CSU system and preparing for the UC application. Don’t put them off and ruin everyone’s Thanksgiving break trying to rush around to complete them. Life in the Sierras with a week off is meant for tramping through the woods…
Louise Biggs
Upward Bound Director
Feather River College
lbiggs@frc.edu
Mountain Valley Living October 2008
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October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This month, health professionals are working extra hard to increase awareness of breast cancer issues, especially the importance of early detection of breast cancer. The highlight of the month is October 18—the third Friday in October—which was set aside as National Mammography Day by President Clinton in 1993. Of course, mammograms and other forms of breast cancer screening are important throughout the year. But why not use this month to get yourself up-to-date with your own breast health? Senior women especially need to check in with their primary care physician or OB/GYN. If you’ve let your mammograms slide, you’re asking for trouble. The risk of breast cancer death among women age 65 and older is three times that of younger women. More than 75 percent of breast cancers are found in women 50 or older. That’s why screenings like mammography are so important. When caught early, breast cancer responds well to treatment. Left untreated, it’s a killer. Don’t wait any longer. Ask your doctor if it’s time for your next mammogram.
All women are at risk for breast cancer. This is a deadly disease. Luckily, it often can be cured if it’s caught early. It’s up to all women to keep an eye out for breast cancer. There are three ways to do that: breast self-exam, doctor’s exam, and mammogram. • Breast self-exam. Every month, all women age 20 and older should examine their breasts. The best time is about a week after menstruation ends. Breasts are less tender then. Look for a lump or thickening in or near the breast. Check for changes in the size or shape of your breasts, or dimples or redness of the skin. If you find any changes, see your primary care physician (PCP) right away. • Doctor’s exam. Between ages 20 and 39, your doctor will examine your breasts every two or three years. From age 40 on, you will be checked every year. • Mammogram. This is the best way to check for breast cancer. This X-ray of the breast can find cancer up to two years before you or your doctor can feel it. All women age 40 and older should get a mammogram every year.
When and Where to Have a Mammogram The majority of health organizations recommend that, starting at age 40, women who are at average risk of breast cancer should get a mammogram every one or two years, and most health plans support that schedule. The American Cancer Society, for example, recommends a mammogram every year. Women whose family history or other factors put them at increased risk for breast cancer should consult with their physicians about the screening schedule best for them. There is no age at which mammograms cease being an important tool for early detection. In fact, since the risk of breast cancer increases with age, women should be sure to schedule regular mammograms throughout their lives. To find a certified mammography facility, ask your doctor or call the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service toll-free at (800) 4-CANCER. When making an appointment, be prepared to answer questions about breast biopsies, surgeries, or other treatments and health problems you have had. Be sure to mention if you have breast implants. Women who have had mammograms taken at another facility should have them sent to their current radiologist in time for their new examination. Ask your doctor for more tips on self-exams. And be sure you are up-to-date with your doctor’s exam and mammogram. For more information, or to schedule an appointment for your mammogram, call Banner Lassen Medical Center’s Imaging Department at 530-252-2120.
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Contributed By Michelle Williams
Banner Lassen Medical Center
Whether we love to spend the day outdoors or just want that summer glow, many of us take skin-damaging risks every day—even when we think we’re being safe. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year, which accounts for nearly half of all cancers. But you can reduce your risk by learning the truth behind these common sun-related myths and their healthy alternatives.
Continue reading The Realities of Skin Cancer
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 What is Mountain Circle?
Mountain Circle is a private nonprofit corporation, 501(c)(3), incorporated in July 1985 for fostering healthy family relationships. Mainly Mountain Circle is a foster family agency, meaning that we recruit families to be foster families. We then contract with surrounding counties to place foster children in these homes.
Mountain Circle is also a licensed adoption agency. We received our license in February 2001. This means that when foster children are freed for adoption, Mountain Circle does the adoption home study, files all the legal paperwork and finalizes the adoption.
Continue reading Mountain Circle
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As my husband and I watched our youngest boy drive away that 4th of July morning, the Jeep Wrangler loaded to capacity, it was a bitter sweet feeling. It was exciting, but at the same time fear and worry took over my thoughts as I struggled to hold back tears. Soon the jeep was out of sight, with my little boy at the wheel, driving himself to college in Colorado.
Continue reading EMPTY NEST SYNDROME
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ADDI AND CASSI UPDATE
Twins Appear on Good Morning America
It has been eight months since Addi and Cassi Hempel were diagnosed with Neimann Pick Type C (NP-C), often referred to as ‘Childhood Alzheimer’. Their parents, Hugh and Chris Hempel have taken amazing strides since the October, 2007 diagnosis for a disease which causes progressive loss of brain function and for which there are virtually no treatments.
From the moment the family learned of the diagnosis, Chris and Hugh decided to commit themselves to finding near term drug therapies and to work toward a long term cure. On their quest for a cure, they have spoken with families around the world who are affected by the disease. Most families, the Hempels said, have no access to medication and these people are hopelessly watching their children lose their ability to walk, talk, and eat. The only experimental drug available for NP-C children costs $80,000 per year. They desperately want to change that. Within four short months of learning the devastating news, the new non profit foundation they created was already gearing up for an unprecedented clinical study at the Mayo Clinic. These parents have taken amazing strides. They are changing things for kids everywhere. The family recently appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America show. It appears the parents are getting all the right information into all the right hands. They are also doing an amazing job of raising the kind of money it takes to tackle a job this big.
Money collected for ‘The Addi and Cassi Fund’ goes directly to research projects that are amazing in themselves. Funds raised are being used in building one of the first “virtual pharmaceutical” models in the US, which is focused on creating a drug therapy pipeline for NP-C afflicted children around the world.
Of 7,000 diseases that affect humankind, treatments for only 200 of these diseases are being actively pursued by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. With the cost of bringing a new drug to market now exceeding $1 billion and taking up to 15 years to test and develop, global pharmaceutical companies are focused on return on investment. Meanwhile, millions of people suffering from all types of diseases will never see new drugs reach them or their loved ones in their lifetime. The “virtual pharmaceutical” model and highly personalized healthcare program being built by the Addi and Cassi Fund will become the model for the future and will directly help hundreds of children with no access to healthcare services or medicine.
The Addi and Cassi Fund is working in conjunction with our nation’s National Chemical Genomics Center (NCGC) and leading doctors, scientists and research institutions around the world on an unprecedented project to test thousands of available drugs and compounds that could be repurposed and used to treat NP-C children. Tests that would take an entire lifetime to conduct by hand can now be completed in a matter of days by robots. Their goal is to complete this project in 2008 and discover a known drug that can be administered to children immediately or find focused leads that with further research can turn into treatments.
Many researchers believe that neurological diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s to to NP-C to Parkinson’s involve brain inflammation. An Indian spice used in curry dishes called Tumeric contains a compound know as Curcumin that is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. Researchers are in early pilot studies using Curcumin to treat disease. Through the support of The Mayo Clinic’s leading pediatric genetic neurologist, Dr. Marc Patterson, a group of NP-C children are being studied on the compound. The goal of this program is to get an inexpensive and free of secondary effects treatment into NP-C children around the world.
The Hempels have certainly done the research and are putting their life saving energy, time and money into several projects including The Stem Cell Neuron Project at UC San Diego. Dr Larry Goldstein, a national leader in stem cell research and policy and director of the stem cell program at UCSD.
THE MOONLIGHT GALA
A Catered Affair Serves 1000 Elegantly
The new Downtown Reno Ballroom was the stage for the ‘Addi and Cassi Fund’ fundraiser held on Saturday, May 10th. I was privileged to attend this grand event and see how really amazing the entire force behind this new non profit venture is. Hundreds of volunteers had turned out to present an enchanted evening; one beyond anything I could have imagined. I suppose there are people who attend such elaborate benefits regularly. I am certain many of them were there. I was blessed to see the outpouring of support at this event and the benevolent spirit of so many. It was apparent to me that even amidst the giant strides through medical research and finding new ways to do things, The Addi and Cassi Fund and the group of volunteers already on board and helping this family, were capable of anything.
One enchanted evening said it all as an amazing collection of donated items were auctioned off. From ‘a guaranteed spot as extras on Ron Howard’s upcoming feature film’ for an entire family, to several luxury vacations, bids of several thousand dollars each were flying across a room of 1000 guests. Over $15,000 in merchandise was donated by Williams Furs, including a gorgeous, full length mink coat I really thought I might win. Doctors, dignitaries and hundreds more came in support of the cause.
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L ocals have regularly welcomed in the thousands of tourists who flock in to this ‘vacation paradise’ we call home. Each year visitors find mare and more recreational opportunities in our area to enjoy. This year with the price of gas, local businesses are hopeful that the vacation home use will be on the rise. With air travel down, road trips are apt to be popular, one would have to think.
Now, visitors to the area, and locals alike, can enjoy the services of two concierge companies operating in Plumas County. Alpine Concierge Services owned by Debbie Fairbanks and Mason Parizo is in Eastern Plumas County. The Caring Concierge, Donyale Logan serves the Chester and Lake Almanor Basin.
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A concierge service is basically a service set up to save you time and make your life, or your stay here go a little more smoothly. From raking pine needles and picking up your groceries to having the fire going and the wine chilling when you arrive at your vacation home, these businesses have got you covered. The list of tasks include pet services, running errands and a multitude of other available services.
The Caring Concierge offers services in the Lake Almanor and Chester and Westwood areas and can be reached by calling 530-258-9146. Donyale Logan’s motto for her business is “Consider it taken care of.” Her desire is to assist client with their ‘endless to-do lists’.
Alpine Concierge Services delivers up their great service in Eastern Plumas County, including Graeagle, Portola, Loyalton and all of the communities surrounding. Having recently expanded their business Fairbanks Landscape & Design to offer Alpine Concierge Services, they also feature landscapes and design in their list of available services. Their phone number is 530-836-1935.
It appears that either of these two bonded concierge services will be able to hook you up with pretty much whatever services are available around here.
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