Health

The local Grief Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital Tuesday, March 12 at 5 p.m. in the Education Conference Room.

This informal meeting is open to anyone suffering from any type of loss whether it be death, divorce, illness or some other grief.

Feel free to attend and bring a friend. This grief support group meets the second Tuesday of each month at Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Did you know how much blood is needed by certain patients? Here are some facts from the LifeServe Blood Center.

• Cancer patients can use up to eight units of blood a month.
• Bone Marrow Transplant patients can use up to two units a day.
• Cardiovascular Surgery patients can use between two and 25 units.
• Liver Transplant patients can use up to 100 units.
• Auto/Trauma Accident patients can use up  between five and 100 units.
• Premature infants can use up to between one and four units.
• Burn victims case use up to 20 units of platelets.
• Heart surgery patients can use up to three to eight units of red cells and one to 10 units of platelets.
• Organ transplant patients can use 10-30 units of blood.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, March 7 from 12:30-5 p.m. The blood drive will be held at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

Memorials were received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Dr. Alden Wiley by Marcella Selberg, Kyle Selberg, Dave and Laurie Martin, Pat Pettingill, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Carl and Betty Christianson, Dr. Bill & Libby Withers, Charlotte Reeder and Gayle Larkin.

Memorials were also received in memory of Marcella Quillin by Richard and Sue Schulte and Dave and Laurie Martin. In addition, memorials were received by the Gordon Gilbertson Family in memory of Robert “Bud” Nenovich.

Memorials and donations are greatly appreciated by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. The Foundation is a 501C3 organization. All donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. Memorials and donations can be sent to the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation, 40 First Street SE, Waukon, IA  52172.
 

by Diane Butikofer, RN, ER Supervisor at Veterans Memorial Hospital

Individuals who experience any type of chest pain need to take that pain very seriously and seek medical assistance. There is always the possibility that pain may be caused by a heart attack or some other form of heart disease and must not be ignored. Immediate medical attention is the only way to stop or decrease the damage to the heart.

The common signs and symptoms of a heart attack include the following:

1. Any type of chest pain. It may be a crushing pain, a feeling of heaviness such as an elephant standing on one’s chest, or even a squeezing of the chest.
2. Pain that radiates down the arm, or other areas of the body such as the neck, jaw or shoulders.
3. Weakness or shortness of breath, nausea, light headedness and/or possible sweating.

These “CHAD” labels, as pictured above, are available for labeling of infant and child car seats. These complimentary labels can be found at the front desk of Veterans Memorial Hospital for anyone to take to label their car seats. This safety seat identification program was developed as a result of a traffic crash involving a 13-month old boy named Chad. The babysitter who was driving in this accident was killed. Chad was injured, but no one at the scene could identify him. So to ensure rapid identification of a child in the case of an emergency, the Travelers Protective Association is encouraging all infant and child car seats to be identified with one of these labels. Drop by the front entrance of Veterans Memorial Hospital between the hours of 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to pick up one of these complimentary labels. Submitted image.
 

Did you know that one pint of whole blood can save up to three lives? The next local LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, March 7 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.   Blood drives are held every month in Waukon, allowing for more donors to give.  LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

Anyone who lives to the age of 72 will have a 95% probability of needing blood or blood products at some time in their life, so blood donors are greatly needed.

The Beat the Blues Winter Marathon is a free wellness opportunity being made available to northeast Iowa residents by Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness Initiative and WalkNEIowa.org. Participants can complete one or more marathons between now and March 1 for a chance to win a $50 gift card to a local sports/health business or recreation center of their choice.

Marathon activities that can be part of the event include running, walking, skiing, snowshoeing or biking 26 miles outdoors at the individual’s own pace, or play outside (create forts, build a snowman, sled) for 30 minutes to equal one mile. Participants can then record their mileage on the Mileage Log which can be submitted via email, mail or online. Both online and downloadable Mileage Logs can be found at WalkingNEIowa.org.

Northeast Iowa National Alliance on Mental Illness (NEIA NAMI) offers a weekly free, peer-led support group for adults living with mental illness. The group will meet Thursday evenings from 6:30-8 p.m. at St. Benedict’s Church, located at 307 West Main Street, Decorah.

Attendees will gain insight from hearing the challenges and success of others, and the groups are led by NAMI-trained facilitators. NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure those in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get the assistance they may need. For more information call 563-293-6264 or email namineiowa@gmail.com.
 

Memorials were recently received by the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation in memory of Dr. Jim Rixen by Dave and Rita Newton, Marv and Marge Strike, Rich and Jane Strike, Jim and Deb Strike, Neal and Nancy Daley, Bill and Sue Blagsvedt, Wendy Bucheit, Roger and Jeanette Ruegnitz, Randy and Patty Nordheim, Andy and Emily Moore, Kay Sewick, Pat Pettingill, Dr. Steve and Judy Kurth, Dr. Elizabeth Van Dyke, Dave and Laurie Martin, Jim and Linda Ryan, Jerry and Linda Siegrist, Dr. Ken and Sharon Olson, Les and Ada Marie Kerndt, Don and Connie Nagel, Carrie Blake, the Purkart Family-Sarah, Frank and Alan, Jim Garrett and Kathy Hannum, Jeff and Linda Obrecht, Steve and Kim Rixen, Margaret Norden, Dr. Bill and Sheila Clair, Dr. Don and Claudia Koeber, Dr. Marshall and Susan Walker, Dennis and Linda DeBuhr, Richard Hermeier and Lee Mc Govern, Joe and Mary Cunningham, Dr. Bill and Libby Withers, Mike and  Teresa Myers, Hacker Nelson & Co, Dr.

Veterans Memorial Hospital began its own Cardiac Rehabilitation unit nearly two decades ago to help fulfill a need in the community - a need that has been and continues to be well utilized.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Half a million people die each year due to this disease. Many people develop symptoms of heart disease when they are in their 40s or 50s, interrupting a most productive time of life. Cardiac Rehabilitation is an important tool in the fight against heart disease. Rehabilitation involves monitored exercise, nutritional counseling, emotional support and education about lifestyle changes to reduce risks of heart problems.