Health

By Teresa Myers RN/CDE
Diabetes Educator
Veterans Memorial Hospital

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Are you aware that the rate of diabetes has nearly doubled in the past ten years? Are you aware that type 2 diabetes has even started showing up in teenagers? That 40% of those aged 40 to 70 have pre-diabetes? Most importantly, are you aware that diabetes and its complications can be almost totally avoidable?

A study released in September 2008 by the Center For Disease Control and the American Diabetes Association shows that about 90% of the newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes are related to lifestyle and eating habits.

The Surgery Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) has seen some changes over the last few months. Long-time orthopedic provider Dr. Val Lyons is currently on medical leave from Veterans Memorial Hospital, with his return anticipated sometime in January. Dr. Lyons has arranged for coverage during his absence, so orthopedic services continue to be available at VMH provided by Dr. Lee Merritt and Dr. Thomas Distefano.

Winneshiek Medical Center and the Decorah Mayo surgeons have decided they will no longer have a presence at Veterans Memorial Hospital. Gundersen surgeons, who have served VMH since 1992, continue their strong support covering both scheduled procedures and emergency cases.

By Teresa Myers RN/CDE
Veterans Memorial Hospital

Diabetes mellitus affects over 24 million individuals in the United States alone. Diabetes is considered the leading cause of heart disease, kidney failure, lower limb amputations and blindness among adults with diabetes. Persons with diabetes must learn to manage their diabetes, which includes dietary and food restrictions, physical activity goals, monitoring blood sugar levels with finger sticks and medication management (for some this may include injections of medicines) to lower their blood sugar levels. Living with this structured lifestyle on a day-to-day basis can be very stressful for the person with diabetes.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care is still offering flu shots every Wednesday afternoon during its regular immunization clinics. The next flu shot clinics will be held Wednesday, November 15 from 1-6 p.m. and again Wednesday, November 22 from 1-4 p.m. The Community and Home Care Immunization Clinic is located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital.  

Immunization clinics are held from 1-6 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of the month, and from 1-4 p.m. all other Wednesdays. Flu vaccine, pneumonia vaccine, and a combination of flu and pneumonia vaccine will all be available. Tetanus shots will be offered as well.

Medicare does cover the costs of a flu shot. Billing for Medicare will be completed by the Community and Home Care staff, but participants will need to bring their physician’s name and their Medicare number with them. Pneumonia and Tdap shots are also available.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, November 16 at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or who has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Teresa Myers, RN, C.D.E., Diabetes Educator, or Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon at 563-568-3411.
 

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital will be holding its monthly Euchre Marathon for all individuals of the community interested Thursday, November 16.  Men and women are welcome to attend, even if not an Auxiliary member. The Euchre marathons are held the third Thursday of each month at the Senior Citizens Room at the Waukon Wellness Center.

The Auxiliary’s Euchre Marathons begin at 11:30 a.m. with dinner, if chosen.  Call Northland Agency on Aging at 877-838-8077 if choosing to eat dinner. Card playing will follow at 12:30 p.m. until approximately 2:30 p.m. Anyone wishing to stay and play cards following the Senior Citizens meal is more than welcome to do so. All proceeds go towards the Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Prizes will be awarded.

Anyone interested in attending, but preferring to play Bridge is also welcome to join in. It is asked that they come with their own table of four players, however.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Radiology staff recently received a donation toward its new 3D Mammography machine by the Postville High School volleyball team, which hosted a “pink out” night October 5 at its home volleyball match. The money raised was presented by Lakken Cox, Captain of the Postville Pirates volleyball team. Pictured above during the check presentation, left to right, are Rachel Wagner, Ultrasonographer; Lakken Cox; Renee Stokman, X-ray Technician and Kelly Baxter, X-ray Technician. The new 3D mammography machine pictured with the group above is the first of its kind in northeast Iowa. Submitted photo.
 

By Teresa Myers RN/CDE
Veterans Memorial Hospital

We all feel stress at various times in our lives. The stress you experience may include worrying about paying bills and/or having money to buy essential items such as food, clothing and medications. It may be feeling anxious or emotional as a result of a new job, a new home or the birth of a child. Stress has many forms and comes from multiple contributing factors; it can be defined as sad stress or happy stress. Regardless of the source of the stress - stress is stress.

Learning you have diabetes can be hard, and living with diabetes is not simple. Emotions have a profound effect on managing blood sugar levels and following a diabetes treatment plan. Our bodies make and release “stress hormones” when we are “feeling stress”. The release of these hormones into our body system can make your blood sugars levels go up or even go down.

For parents, it can be hard to tell whether your child’s illness requires antibiotics or if there are other ways to effectively treat their symptoms. In order to prevent over-use of these drugs, it’s important to know which situations can use home remedies instead of antibiotics.

“If your child has an ear infection, consider using over-the-counter pain relievers in place of antibiotics,” says Steven Perkins, D.O., family physician at Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare in Waukon. Children’s ear infections usually improve within two to three days, especially for kids who are two years or older. If your child’s health does not improve within a few days, it would be wise to take them in to see their provider.

Congratulations to the numerous students who completed the recent Veterans Memorial Hospital Baby-sitting class. The class, which was held Saturday, October 21, consisted of teaching the qualities of being a good baby-sitter including basic child care, accident prevention and first aid. These new baby-sitters learned CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and the Heimlach Maneuver, to be used in the case of a choking infant or child, and also learned about fire safety.

The students who completed the Veterans Memorial Hospital Baby-sitting seminar included Ava Johnson, Jayden Knox, Mallory Mohn, Kaylee Hawes, Ethan Palmer, Blake Bresnahan, Dylan Christensen, Caleb Helgerson, Bethany Colsch, Max Howe, Mason Howe, Taylor Kiel, Alyssa Connelly, Mallory Berns, Molly Peake, Elle Wilkins, Faith Cooper, Madilyn McNamara, Caydence Lloyd, Mariana Hager, Logan Troendle, Ryland Egan, John Blake, Lauryn Howard, Brianna Bedore, Aleandra Koozer and Millie Koozer.