Did you know that Today is World Kidney Day in Michigan?

Here is Governor Rick Snyder's proclamation:

WHEREAS, more than 900,000 Michigan citizens over the age of 20 have chronic kidney disease, and an even greater number are at risk for developing the disease; and, WHEREAS, healthy kidneys are essential for regulating our bodies by removing fluids, waste, and toxins; kidneys release hormones that help regulate blood pressure, produce red blood cells and strengthen our bones; and, WHEREAS, the precise cause of kidney cancer is unknown, however the two main causes of kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure; diabetes and high blood pressure are responsible for more than 70 percent of all kidney failure cases, showing that kidney failure and disease can often be delayed or prevented; and, WHEREAS, advances in diagnosis and procedures such as radiation and chemotherapy create opportunity for kidney cancer patients to live longer; more than 200,000 kidney cancer survivors live in the United States today; and, WHEREAS, during Kidney Cancer Awareness Month and on World Kidney Day, I ask the citizens of Michigan to raise awareness and I encourage regular screenings of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for chronic kidney disease-if detected early, treatment is likely more effective; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Rick Snyder, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim March 2013 as Kidney Cancer Awareness Month and Thursday, March 14, 2013 as World Kidney Day in Michigan.   We applaude Governor Snyder's proclamation and invite you to use our searches below to seek screening for kidney cancer.   To find nephrologists (a doctor who specializes in the kidney) near you, click here.  To find oncologists near you, click here. To find a dialysis center near you, click here.

Wayne County Mobile Health Unit-March 2013

The Wayne County Health Department, along with local health providers, is offer a Mobile Health Unit Program on March 13th and 17th.  The program offers Free Flu Shots and Free Screenings such as Dental Exams, HIV/AIDS, body mass index calculations, blood pressure screening, and cancer,cholesterol, and stroke risk assessments. Services do vary from location to location so call 313-224-0810 to inquire if the specific screening is offered on the date you can visit.

Walk ins are welcome.

Weds March 13
12pm to 4pm
Community Living Services, Inc
35425 Michigan Ave
Wayne, MI 48184


Sunday, March 17
1pm to 5pm
Marvin Miles, Pastor
International Gospel Center
375 Salliotte
Ecorse, MI 48229

Sponsors of the Wayne County Health on Wheels Program are:

• Detroit Department of Health and Wellness
• Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
• University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry
• DMC-Detroit Medical Center
• Garden City Hospital
• Wayne County Health and Human Services
• City of Detroit
• Oakwood Healthcare System

Free Colonoscopies offered by Southgate Surgery Center

14050 Dix Toledo Southgate, MI
734-281-0100

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Southgate Surgery Center is again offering their free colonoscopy program to support financially distressed, uninsured people, aged 50 or over, who are at high risk, experiencing symptoms or just need their regular colonoscopy screening.  Apply early as availability is limited. Applications may also be picked-up in-person at Southgate Surgery Center.The candidate application package link can be found here.

About Southgate Surgery Center:
Located in Southeastern, Michigan, they are accredited by the AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Centers, Medicare, and Licensed by the State of Michigan.

Patients rate highly the care at Southgate Surgery Center giving them an average score of 96.39 on a scale of 1 to 100, with 1 being the lowest and 100 being the highest.  You can read more from their patients about the exceptional care provided by Southgate Surgery Center's staff and physicians.

Please feel free to share this message with others in the Michigan community. And be sure to thank Southgate Surgery Center for their efforts in providing care to those that are uninsured.

Know of a free service being offered by a physician or health center in your area? Contact us so we can help spread the word.

Sheri's diet

Are you wondering what type of diet Sheri followed to lose the 104 lbs over the past year? After working with a nutritionist, she followed a 1500 calorie a day diet.

Here is an example of her daily menu.

Beverages: She only drinks water and lemon throughout the day. She gave up diet pop the day of the stroke.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1 cup skim milk and a banana.

Morning snack: Apple or Greek yogurt.

Lunch: Sliced lean turkey, tomato and Avocado on xtreme wellness tortilla wrap. Apple.

Mid day snack: handful of almonds or carrot sticks and humus.

Dinner: grilled salmon, 1 cup steamed mixed veggies and salad with balsamic dressing.

P.M. Snack: I always have a bowl of whole grain cereal and skim milk

She also stated that she does not eat anything white: Bread, pasta, or rice.  No trigger foods so no cravings.

What are your questions for Sheri about her experience, diet, or exercise programs?

 

Haven't read Sheri's amazing story? See this blog post to learn the whole story.

I don't have time for this..Sheri's story.

Have you ever ignored your doctor's advice? Hopefully you will reconsider after you read about my friend Sheri and her experience in ignoring her physician's advice.

As a busy mom of two active boys, my life completely revolved around taking care of them, their activities and needs along with those of my husband Rob and our sweet rescue puppy Maverick. Over the years our lives revolved around the boys activities. I loved being a hockey and football mom, traveling to many hockey rinks, football games and enjoying seeing each boy grow into wonderful young men.

However along the way I stopped taking care of me. I always made sure they were taken care of first. I love being a mom but along the way I lost myself. Last February it hit me that with one boy off to college and another graduating high school in a year, my life was going to change in a big way. We were going to be empty nesters and what would we do then? I had let myself go. Like my father I was an insulin dependent Diabetic, had high blood pressure and was overweight. He died at the age of 59, and I was fully aware of what could happen to me. God was listening and answered me in a huge way.

Eleven months ago on February 20,2012 , as I stood in the dining room preparing pictures for Andrews hockey banquet I could feel my blood pressure rising. I realized something was wrong with the vision in my left eye and knew I was in trouble. I kept thinking at the time that I didn’t have time for this and needed to finish the pictures. At the hospital the doctor confirmed that I had a stroke. I lost the vision in my left eye and my left side was compromised so much that it felt like I was being squeezed up and down my side. It was hard to catch my breath and I developed a droopy eye and a slight limp. The next day I went to see Dr. Switch ,an Opthamoligist and as he held my hand, he told me if I didn’t make a change now I would not be here to see the most important people in my life grow up. I have been told that for years from other Doctors , but today I listened. That day my life forever changed.

On February 24th 2012 my journey began. I joined the Trenton Athletic Club and day one as I sat on the bike, only being able to see out of one eye and limited feeling in my leg I peddled and peddled. I saw a wonderful nutritionist Kathy Wilkins from Wyandotte hospital, She gave me the tools to begin and stick to a healthy diet. I incorporated my new favorite food oatmeal into my diet as well as lean meats and fruits. I spent two months on that bike and after my vision came back I started taking classes. The instructors have been amazing. They saw me from day one and I would not be as successful as I am without them. I am taking kickboxing, pilates, piloxing, TRX training and many toning classes. I found it only takes one hour a day and with a healthy diet, it all came together. Diet and exercise, who knew it would work!! Of course I have been told this for years, but it took a stroke to finally sink in.

My boys have been the support I needed. After taking care of them for so long, they in turn have given me support, showing me different weight training and nutritional support as well as lots of hugs an encouragement. During Andrews senior football speech, he spoke of my journey and what an inspiration I am to him. There were lots of tears in that room. I felt so proud of him.

My life has changed so much in the past year. I had many test, including Cat scans, MRI’s and ultrasounds to make sure I would be fine. Watching my body change and regaining the strength I lost to the stroke has been an emotional but exciting adventure. When I tell my story to people I don’t want them to feel sorry for me, I look as having the stroke as a gift. If I would not have had it, I would not be the woman I am today. Each and every day I take time for me. The reaction from the community has been wonderful as well as heartwarming. Many do not recognize me at first, but all reach out for a huge hug as well as sometimes tears.

As of today I have lost 104 pounds. I look and feel so much younger! I have made so many new friends at the gym and have mentored many woman by sharing my story and giving them the support they need. Every day I look in the mirror and see a beautiful and self confident woman. I am nearing the 1 year anniversary of the stroke and feel truly blessed to be where I am.

Our son Robbie is 21 and has been appointed to the 124th Michigan State Police academy. Our youngest Andrew is 18 and will attend Ferris State University this fall to study criminal justice. He has chosen to follow in his brothers footsteps and aspires to become a Michigan State Trooper. He wore his brothers football number 44 and they both played hockey for Trenton High school. We could not be more proud of them both.

The song I love to work out to is Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger. It has helped me get through many hard days and I treasure it! I turned 50 last month and embrace it with everything I am. I am a strong, beautiful, empowered woman and cannot wait for my next adventure. I am amazed and grateful to the people who are interested in my journey and it has been an honor to share it. Thank you for your time.

I was encouraged to share my story with you. I am from a small town, and with the amazing support and love from so many, I am able to share my story and hopefully inspire others with my journey. I feel that I represent many mothers out there who love their families but over time start putting themselves last. I would like for my experience to be a tribute to all moms. I learned that in order to be best for my family, I needed to take time for me each and every day. It took a stroke for me to turn my life around. I just want to tell my story and if I touch just one person, it will have been worth it.

Sheri Lindsay

Interested in learning about the diet plan Sheri followed. Check out this blog post.

1 in 10 not getting sleep at night in the hospital

8th grade word skills lesson

Have you ever visited a loved one in the hospital and thought, wow - this place is noisy? Or heard someone say they can't wait to get home from the hospital so they can get some rest? Well, if you have, you are not alone.

Medicare is interested in learning more about how patients view the noise level as an inpatient. They have included a question in required the satisfaction survey addressing the noise level at night.. The question is:"During this hospital stay, how often was the area around your room quiet at night?"

The national averages are:
60% responded "always", 29% said "usually", and 11% said "sometimes or never". 
It is important to note that this question specifically asks for the patients perception of noise at night, and not during the day when rest is needed as well.

I'm sure there is no adjustment for patients who are given medication to sleep at night, so this statistic is more than likely to be higher in actuality than what is being measured. 

During my most recent encounter at a local hospital, I noticed a lot of noise coming from linen carts, nurses talking with other nurses, and portable xray/scanner machines being transported down the hall.
I did notice we could not hear any street noise, noise from the floor above us, or from the next room.

What are your experiences with noise in the hospital?
Do you think patients are getting enough rest while in the hospital or are they better off at home to get rest and sleep?

Heading to the tanning booth? Think again

A few of my family members mentioned going to the tanning booth to get a pre-vacation tan.  But after seeing this video, I'm thinking it's probably not a healthy idea. While I don't want them to burn on their tropical vacation. There has to be a better way to prepare for their upcoming sunny days.

According to the video, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified the tanning booths to be in the highest cancer risk category they have and labeled them as Carcinogenic (toxic) to humans. With 68,000 new cases of melanoma (skin cancer) in the United States every year and the fatality rate at 1 in 8, you may want to consider using tanning booths. They have listed several behaviors - like using too high of a setting (or too long) for your skin type and burning your skin and not using the appropriate goggles to shield your eyes.

Do you go to a tanning booth? What precautions do you take to keep safe?

Obamacare requires physician samples requests be tracked

Did you know that Section 6004 of the Affordable Care Act has created a new requirement that all drug manufacturers must follow? They need to track orders of pharmaceutical samples by physician and submit specific information such as trade name dosage, package size request, package orders requested versus received, and more, to the FDA annually. The timeline to submit was pushed back to 10-1-2012 due to changing of format required for the data submission.

According to the FDA The Affordable Care Act explicitly states that manufacturers and authorized distributors must submit the following information concerning drug sample distribution to FDA: (1) the identity and quantity of drug samples requested; (2) the identity and quantity of drug samples distributed; (3) the name, address, professional designation, and signature of any person who makes or signs for the request, and (4) any other category of information determined appropriate by the Secretary.


Have you received a RX sample from your physician?

Do you think physicians will start tracking who they give samples out to? Do you think they will tell the patients they are being tracked?

Does anyone know what this information is going to be used for?

If free samples are going to be a thing of the past, there will definitely be an increase in the cost of care, especially when trying a new pharmaceutical that may have a negative affect.

Here is more info:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/default.htm

Flu shot campaign to benefit USO

CVS pharmacy will donate $3 to the USO for every flu shot given at CVS pharmacy and MinuteClinic during the week of Veterans Day, November 11 to November 17, up to $100,000. 

The Company has pledged a minimum donation of $50,000. The USO is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to lift the spirits of America's troops and their families through its many morale-boosting programs and services. Last year, CVS/pharmacy donated $50,000 to the USO through its flu shot donation program.  

Find your CVS on WhereToFindCare.com - enter your zip code and then CVS in the field beneath to get a list near you. Remember to come back and share your experience about getting your flu shot on WhereToFindCare.com.

http://www.wheretofindcare.com/

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/07/4967622/cvspharmacy-to-launch-flu-shot.html#storylink=cpy

Bethel Assembly in Lincoln Park, MI hosts Free Medical Clinic

Downriver Care & Wellness is hosting a free medical clinic for for individuals without medical coverage tomorrow, Saturday, October 13, 2012, 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM at the Bethel Assembly of God in Lincoln Park, Michigan. The church is located at 2984 Fort Street.

 

Hours are 9:30 AM – 2:00 PM.

Services to be offered:

 Diabetes, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Information

On-site Screengins for Medical, Disability, and Additional Benefits

Vision and Glaucoma Screenings

Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP)

 

Heart Health Screenings - Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Glucose Testing *

* Services for Adults Only

This event is sponsored by Karmanos Cancer Institute, Lincoln Park Ministerial Association, Oakwood Healthcare System, The Information Center, Fairlane Investment Advisors, and KSP Insurance

 

For more information please contact: Pastor John Peck Bethel Assembly of God (313) 381-6090

 

Downriver Care and Wellness Clinic, is a Christian organization dedicated to meeting the medical needs of those without medical coverage or resources in the Downriver and Southwest Detroit area. Seeking to demonstrate God’s love by offering primary care, health education and connection with other services. (James 5:16)

 

(James 5:16: Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Source: http://www.biblestudytools.com/james/5-16.html)
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