Health

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation’s Christmas Fantasy 2024 will be held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 15, 16, 17 and 18, at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion. The theme will be “Gnome for the Holidays!”

Numerous decorated Christmas trees will be on display and this years’ event will again offer over 100 shopping opportunities on the silent auction.

The Flu and COVID vaccines will be offered at three more walk-in clinics at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health, October 30, November 6 and November 13, from 9-11:30 a.m. each day.  Anyone is welcome to walk-in without an appointment to receive either or both of these vaccines. Appointments can also be made for any Wednesday afternoon by calling 563-568-5660.

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Speech-Language Pathologist Steven Mazzafield offers a Stroke Support Group for individuals who have experienced a stroke, as well as caregivers and family members affected by stroke.

Monthly meetings are held the first Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. The next Stroke Support Group meeting will be held Thursday, November 7, at 2 p.m. in the Large Conference Room.  

The Stoke Support Group provides opportunities to share tips, tricks, or trials among participants, offer support for caregivers, and provide an opportunity for socialization.

While strokes can happen at any age, risk of stroke is greatest as people get older with the majority of strokes occurring after the age of 70. Risk factors for stroke include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, binge drinking, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, November 4, from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon. The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with their blood and blood products.

Here are some interesting blood facts from the Blood Center of Iowa:

by Renee Stokman, Mammographer, Veterans Memorial Hospital

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Here are some recent breast cancer statistics:
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers.
• It is estimated that in 2024, approximately 30% of all new female cancer diagnoses will be breast cancer.
• On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.
• Approximately 66% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, before cancer has spread outside of the breast, when it is easiest to treat.
• The 5-year relative survival rate for cancer diagnosed at the localized stage is 99%.
• Approximately 15% of women diagnosed have a family history of breast cancer. Those with a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) with breast cancer are nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer themselves.

The local Grief Support Group will be holding its monthly meeting at Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon Tuesday, November 12, at 4 p.m. in the Meditation Healing Center, located just inside the main entrance of the hospital. Be sure to make note of the 4 p.m. start time. This start time will continue for the November, December, January and February Grief Support Group meetings and will return to 5 p.m. in the spring.

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.
 

The Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation Christmas Fantasy returns this year with a new event, “Brunch with Santa” Sunday morning. Reservations are being taken now for the Foundation’s 33rd annual event which will be held Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, November 15, 16, 17, and 18, at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon. The theme is “Gnome for the Holidays!”

Reservations are available for the Saturday evening Wine, Cheese and Dessert event held from 7-9 p.m. Saturday evening, November 16. This year the event will be sponsored by the Eagle’s Landing Winery of Marquette, the Empty Nest Winery of Waukon and Madigan’s Winery of Lansing. They will all be serving a variety of their finest wines and entertainment will be provided that evening.

Flu Shots continue to be offered throughout the county by Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Community and Home Care/Allamakee Public Health.  The walk-in schedule for flu shots at Veterans Memorial Hospital will continue all Wednesdays including October 23 and 30, as well as the first two Wednesdays of November, including November 6 and 13. Walk-in clinics are held from 9-11:30 a.m. plus appointments can be made for Wednesday afternoons by calling 563-568-5660.

Medicare does cover the cost of the flu shot. Billing for vaccinations will be completed by the Community and Home Care staff, but participants will need to bring their Medicare number or private insurance card with them. If insurance does not cover these immunizations, they can be purchased instead.

The demand for blood is very high and everyone can help. The next LifeServe Blood Center blood drive will be held Monday, November 4, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

The LifeServe Blood Center supplies Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) with blood and blood products. Here are some interesting blood facts:

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. In 2024, an estimated 310,720 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

Advances in early detection and treatment methods have significantly increased breast cancer survival rates in recent years. When caught in its earliest stages, the five-year relative survival rate is 99%. In the United States, there are currently over four million breast cancer survivors.