Health

The Veterans Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group will not hold a regular meeting in December. The group will begin holding its regular monthly meetings again in January.

For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Teresa Myers RN, Diabetes Educator, or Angie Mettille, RN, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

The 2017 Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy was held last weekend, November 10-13 at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon, and was a huge success thanks to all of the overwhelming community involvement.

A record number of auction items were donated to this year’s Fantasy by area businesses and individuals.  The 110 auction items were displayed and auctioned on a silent auction bid to the highest bidder Monday night.

Trees on display during this 26th annual Foundation Fantasy included 54 full-size Christmas Trees. Five items were also donated to the Foundation for their use in a raffle. A one-year membership to the new Waukon Wellness Center was donated by the Wellness Center Board, a beef meat bundle was donated by Fareway, a framed print was donated by the Foundation board, and two raffle prizes of a half hog each were donated by Welsh Family Organic Farms with  the processing donated by Jet’s Meats and Wayne and Joan Burk.

Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care will be continuing its community flu clinics this month during regular immunization clinic hours on the following dates: November 22 from 1-4 p.m. and November 29 from 1-4 p.m.

The Community and Home Care Immunization Clinic is located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. 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 these costs. 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.

Influenza, also called the flu, can cause fever, chills, headache, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches to people of any age, and can lead to pneumonia and even death. But most deaths caused by influenza are in elderly people.

The next LifeServe Blood Center Blood Drive will be held Monday, December 11 from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. Blood drives are held once per month. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital with its blood and blood products.

The LifeServe Blood Center is seeking donors to ensure a safe and plentiful blood supply in Iowa. Because there is no substitute for human blood, the need for donors is continuous.

Over half of the United States population is eligible to donate blood, yet less than four percent donate on a regular basis. A single donation of blood can be used to save up to three lives and help in treatment of cancer patients, accident victims, hemophiliacs and surgery patients.  The LifeServe Blood Center is committed to serving the needs of Iowans by saving lives through volunteer blood donation.

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.