Health

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Below is a listing of various statistics concerning breast cancer from the American Cancer Society and Veterans Memorial Hospital.

Risk Factors
Women are at a higher risk for breast cancer when they:
• Are over age 50.
• Have a history of breast cancer in their close family.
• Have their first child after age 30.
• Have never had any children.
• Weigh 40% more than their ideal body weight.

Breast cancer is the leading cancer diagnosed in women in America. This year, more than 220,000 women will learn for the first time that they have this disease and more than 40,000 women will lose their lives. However, when breast cancer is detected early and treated promptly, suffering and ultimately the loss of life can be significantly reduced.
Women are encouraged to ask their doctors and other health care providers about mammography screening. Mammography (an x-ray picture of the breast) is the single most effective method to detect breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms can be seen or felt. Early detection, followed by up-to-date treatment, provides women with better chances for long-term freedom from the disease. But mammography screening must be done routinely.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital and Elliott Jewelers of Waukon hosted a successful Women’s Health Day Luncheon Tuesday, September 30, at the Waukon Banquet Center. Over 200 ladies attended the salad luncheon hosted by the Auxiliary members. Many free health and wellness tests were also available.
The theme for this year’s event was “Purse-oo” Good Health. Featured speakers included Dr. Ben Ross of the Mayo Health System Waukon Clinic, who spoke on exercise and arthritis, and Jill Fleming, Registered and Licensed Dietitian with Veterans Memorial Hospital and well known author and national speaker, who taught many cancer prevention strategies to the large crowd.
Marilyn Mathews of Waukon was the lucky winner of the ladies’ 14 karat white gold circle pendant containing a ¾ CT black diamond surrounded by 1/10 CT total weight of white diamonds on an 18” 14 karat white gold round cable chain (retail value $850), compliments of Elliott Jewelers of Waukon.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Thursday, October 2 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in  Waukon (614 Rossville Road).
Regular blood donors may donate blood as often as every 56 days. First-time donors will find that donating blood is a safe and easy way to save lives and make a difference in the community.  A single blood donation can save the lives of up to three sick or injured hospital patients.
 The donation process is simple:
1. Eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of fluids within four hours of donating.
2. Bring proper identification, such as a donor card or a driver’s license.
3. Complete a health history questionnaire and screening interview.
4. Receive a brief health check by trained staff. This includes a check of blood pressure, pulse, temperature and blood iron levels.

Veterans Memorial Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program will again be offering a free educational program on “Diabetes Prevention.”  The hospital’s diabetes staff will be hosting a program in Monona Monday, September 29 at the Monona Community Center from 6-7:30 p.m.  Teresa Myers, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator, and Shelby Byrnes, RD/LD, Dietitian, will be teaching all those attending how to reduce the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes is a condition that comes before Type-2 diabetes when blood glucose (sugar) levels are higher than normal but aren’t high enough to be called diabetes. It is a silent disease, meaning someone can have it without even knowing it. Cutting back on calories and fat, being physically active and losing weight can reverse pre-diabetes and therefore delay or prevent Type-2 diabetes.

The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital  and Elliott Jewelers of Waukon will be hosting the tenth annual Women’s Health Day wellness event and luncheon  Tuesday, September 30 at the Waukon Banquet Center. Women of all ages are invited to attend any part of this educational event, which begins at 11 a.m. with a wellness fair offering a variety of free health tests and information, and a salad luncheon and program held from Noon to 1 p.m. Those able to take a longer lunch break may enjoy the free health testing and vendors available from 11 a.m. to 12 noon and again following the luncheon program.  To honor one-hour lunch breaks, participants are also invited to attend just the program and luncheon, which will be held to one hour.

Christmas Fantasy decorators are needed to decorate trees, miniature trees, doors, gift baskets, centerpieces and tables at the 2014 Christmas Fantasy to be held  Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 14, 15, 16 and 17 at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. This year’s theme is “Let It Be Christmas.”
Christmas tree decorators are needed to decorate artificial trees for display during the Fantasy. These tree decorators may set up prior to the event and will then take all of their decorations and display home again following the event.
Miniature tree, door, gift basket and centerpiece decorators are also needed who are willing to decorate an item that will be donated and sold by silent auction during the Fantasy. Quilters and crafters are also asked to display their talents in any variety of quilted or crafted items that can be offered for sale at the event.

Veterans Memorial Hospital, in cooperation with Northeast Iowa Community College, will be offering an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course in Waukon. This 160-hour course will begin in mid-October at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
The class will meet at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room two nights per week, Mondays and Thursdays, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. each night. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to volunteer on their own community’s ambulance service or rescue squad, as well as respond to their own emergency situations and provide quality emergency care.

Veterans Memorial Hospital will be sponsoring the 21st annual 5K Cardiac Classic Run/Walk in conjunction with Waukon’s Corn Day Celebration again this year. The event will be held in Waukon Saturday, August 16 at 8 a.m. with registration beginning at 7 a.m. at the south east entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital. “Walk ins” are welcome to attend the event that day, even if they have not pre-registered.
The event will be broken down into two categories, a run and a walk. The distance of both events is 5K (3.1 miles) and will begin at the southeast entrance to Veterans Memorial Hospital, tour the northeast and southeast side of Waukon and return to the hospital  (refer to route map at right),

 The Auxiliary of Veterans Memorial Hospital has announced that it will be offering two full scholarships for individuals from the community to attend the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course to beheld this fall at Veterans Memorial Hospital.
There is a need for more EMTs in the area so the hospital Auxiliary, in an effort to help recruit, will pay the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) college credit fee for two individuals this upcoming school year. The course will be taught in Waukon at Veterans Memorial Hospital two evenings per week. Some classes are held at NICC, plus, as part of the training, some hours are required at other medical facilities outside of Veterans Memorial Hospital. The course will begin in mid-September and conclude in April. A written and practical exam are then required, with licenses being awarded to all those with passing grades in both categories.