Editorial
vancing Health Equity Together.”
Recently, my husband and I had a 60/40 Celebration representing 60 years of music ministry for him and 40 years of a beautiful marriage. In this picture, we are looking forward to many more years of happiness and staying healthy. One way of doing that is to continue on the road set by The GUT Patrol by living a healthier lifestyle and staying on top of medical situations. My GUT Patrol Associate, Amanda Mandy, and I appreciate all the support from the Duke entities and partners during our last grant, “Ad-
In this issue, our Social Media Strategist, Edith Berry, has a pictorial recap of 12 theatrical and music events that she has covered over the past year. If you’re into the Arts, you can follow Edith on Facebook for the latest and greatest. Our cover story highlights Dr. Julius Wilder, a young, energetic Duke physician who is an expert in Health Disparities, Health Equity and Social Drivers of Health in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He’s passionate about the health of the minority community and works tirelessly to provide education and resources. We have a couple more upcoming events before the end of the year. We will celebrate Pastors/Clergy Appreciation Month on Thursday, October 26, and our Christmas Gala on Friday, December 15, both at the Crabtree Marriott Hotel. Next year marks the 20th Anniversary of TCP Magazine. We will be doing “The Best Of” throughout the year. If you’re interested in celebrating with us, climb aboard. Follow us on social media at TCP Magazine, The GUT Patrol, and 27610 Events. Blessings to you, Peggy Tatum, Publisher TCP Magazine tcpmagazine@gmail.com 919-796-4724
Contributing Writers: Edith Berry Tragorian Sconiers Amanda Mandy Gabriel Brown Denver Wright, WIZPRO Imagineering www.WIZPRO.us Chuck Ruffin Photography Edith Berry Photography Epiphany Public Relations
Contents P5 Editorial P7 Taking Charge of Your Health P8 Unsung Heroes 30th Anniversary P10 When Tomorrow Comes P23 Supporting Businesses P26 The A.R.T.S.
The Connection Place, Inc. 181-104 Wind Chime Court Raleigh, NC 27615 www.tcpmagazine.com
TCP Magazine Fall, 2023 • Page 5
Taking Charge of Your Health: Colonoscopies, Diet, and Gardening for Wellness By Amanda Mandy
You are 45. Have you scheduled your Colonoscopy? Years ago, there used to be a PSA that came on at 10:00 p.m. It asked parents if they knew where their children were. I was working in my garden while map-minding about this article and praying that I provide the information God wants me to relay to you, my beautiful readers. Getting back to the critical question, have you scheduled your Colonoscopy, and if not, why not? Don’t allow fear to be a factor in you not getting this done. Congratulations to you if you have already had it done. While there are non-invasive ways of detecting colorectal cancer, Colonoscopies remain the Gold standard. It is a highly effective screening method that allows doctors to visually examine the inside of the colon and rectum for any signs of abnormal growths or polyps. If detected early, colorectal cancer is highly treatable. Even if you feel healthy and don’t have any symptoms, it is recommended that you get a colonoscopy starting at age 45 or earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer. And every ten years after that, if the first one was normal. Don’t put off getting a colonoscopy - it’s essential to taking care of your health. Eating healthy is the most essential part of maintaining overall health. Incorporating a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains into your diet can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as fatty liver disease or, as it is known now, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). I want to pause here because this is something that most people have never heard of unless they have been diagnosed with it. MASLD is excessive fat build-up in the liver without another clear cause, such as alcohol use. There are two types: non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH; formerly non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH). This causes the liver to become inflamed and could eventually lead to complications such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure, or cardiovascular disease. Contrary to widespread belief, cirrhosis of the liver is not always caused by excessive drinking. Overusing over-the-counter medications and even some prescription medications can cause liver diseases. Other risk factors include obesity and type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high serum triglycerides, and low serum HDL cholesterol, a diet high in sugar, and older age. It has been said countless times, “Most diseases start in the Gut.” If this is so, then food is our medicine. You can improve your overall health and well-being by making small changes to your diet. One great way to maintain a healthy diet is by growing your own fruits and vegetables. Not only does this ensure that you are eating fresh, organic produce, you have the peace of mind of knowing where your vegetables were grown and how they were grown. Last year, I started with vegetables grown in pots and other containers. This year, I created an inground garden and started raising my own chickens for egg production. Starting a garden can be done just about anywhere, even indoors. The main things your garden needs to grow are good, rich soil, water, and sunshine. Remember to always consult with your healthcare provider before making any significant changes to your diet or exercise routine.
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Congratulations to Benny Moore and wife Beverly on the 30th Anniversary of the Unsung Heroes Awards. What started with a ceremony in the St. Augustine College Student Union when Benny was a radio personality at WAUG in 1993 has flourished to a capacity crowd of 430 attendees at the Marriott Hotel. Benny has garnered the respect and attention of area churches and organizations as they partner to honor members and laborers in the kingdom who spend their time unselfishly to make this world a better place.
In 2010, I was the recipient of Business Person of the Year. It’s always a surprise, and honorees are not told in advance. Following is a list of this year’s honorees whose emotions ran from delight to surprise to tears. To learn more about this organization or to get involved, visit www. unsungheroesbanquet.com.
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Business Person of the Year Debra Jeffers-Evans Church Greeter of the Year Berthelia Satterwhite Wanda Watson Couple of the Year Reverend Corey & Annissa Little Deacon of the Year Anthony Barnett Education Administrator of the Year Amy Haigler Humanitarian of the Year Dr. Anthony Morrison · LaQuanda Ferguson · Rosylen Harris Glenda Thomas · Stan Jones · Michelle Page Bernadette Lipscomb and The Bell Yeager Free Will Baptist Church Community Food Bank Elmo Harris · Novella Denise Dowdy Hopkins Alphonso Owens Hopkins Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award Benny W. Moore Minister of the Year Reverend Cora Campbell · Minister Iva Moore Mother of the Year Eginora Akins · Richelean Powers Musician of the Year Nicholas McCullers · Zayvian McCullers · Zion McCullers Pastor of the Year Reverend Dr. Jacqueline Denise Dowdy Principal of the Year Chenetra Mangum Treasurer of the Year Patricia Gould Trustee of the Year John Tucker · Felton Malloy TCP Magazine Fall, 2023 • Page 9
When Tomorrow Comes: Putting My Life Back Together After COVID-19 By Tragorian Sconiers
By all accounts and metrics, the year 2020 will leave an indelible mark on our collective consciousness. From the untimely death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his young daughter in January to discussions about literally canceling Christmas, we were clutched with a crisis of global significance: COVID-19. Not since the AIDS pandemic had we been taken by sheer surprise and been so wholly unprepared to respond. Millions were affected by the pandemic, but none more so than the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives. Loved ones looked on helplessly as they said goodbye, often by video chat because they were not permitted to visit them in the hospital. Funeral and memorial services had to be held virtually. Even after the alarming rate of lives claimed by COVID-19, there were still deniers that the virus existed. Mask mandates, shutdowns, safe distancing, and vaccines became hotly debated topics. Unfortunately, those last examples became uniquely United States problems. Mask usage and vaccinations were all too often divided down political party lines. The entirety of 2020 saw us plunged into chaos, trying desperately to claw our way to what would be considered our “new normal.” At the onset of the year, things were progressing well for me. Having moved back to my hometown of Orlando after a few years in Austin, Texas, I was working at a daycare and was about to move into a new home. I, too, kept apprised of the news about a virus making its way to our shores. In May, I got the keys and was very excited to move in. I booked a flight back to Texas in order to retrieve my belongings and start a new chapter in my life. That is exactly what happened, but it was not the chapter I envisioned. A week before I was to board the plane, I developed a cough. The cough was innocuous enough at first but progressed rather quickly into a fever and body TCP Magazine Fall, 2023 • Page 10
When Tomorrow Comes: Putting My Life Back Together After COVID-19 (cont’d) aches. Not wanting to travel in this condition, I went to the hospital to take a coronavirus test. I did not believe I had COVID; I just wanted to rule it out so I could get on the plane. Not to give away the ending, but… it was COVID. To illustrate how quickly my life changed after that, say I found out on a Sunday. By Thursday of the same week, I was in the hospital ICU in critical condition, unresponsive, fighting for my life. The next few months became a deluge of medical interventions, loss, waning hope and increasing levels of despair. The first week of my hospitalization my heart stopped beating twice. A controversial decision was made to place me on a ventilator, and I remained on one for 20 days. A feeding and rectal tube soon followed, but the worst was yet to come. I had developed clots in my right leg, along with an aggressive infection. The doctors informed my mother that if they couldn’t stop the clots and get the infection under control, they would have to take my leg, but there was no guarantee that would save my life. Alas, all attempts failed, and my mother had to make the decision to let them remove my right leg above the knee. The life-saving efforts inadvertently damaged my left leg and right hand. It would take a lion’s share of emotional equity to prevent me from buckling under the weight of what happened to me, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I had it to give. I do not recall much of my hospitalization, at least in the beginning. I was unresponsive, in a drug-induced delirium, so although my condition was perilous, and I lived it, I don’t remember it. Sometimes I feel like I co-opt my own story from the people who lived it with me. By the Fall of the year, I made it to my mother’s house to convalesce, having one leg missing and the other in seriously dire straits. Having to focus on recovery and quality of life with an amputated leg is daunting enough, but it was compounded by the fact that I was worried about losing the other one. While doing physical rehab and preparing for prosthetic fittings, I was going to hyperbaric chamber treatments and wound care in a proactive attempt to save the left leg. However, six months after I lost my right leg in the hospital, I lost the TCP Magazine Fall 2023 • Page 11
When Tomorrow Comes: Putting My Life Back Together After COVID-19 (concluded) left one. The idea of losing a limb is a lot to wrap your head around, but to be a double amputee in a matter of six months was a weight that became unbearable at times. Amid this turmoil, an unexpected lifeline emerged: therapy. While I was in rehab, one of my patient advocates suggested therapy. The thought of therapy was never an adverse one to me; I just didn’t think I would need it. While my faith had always been a guiding light, there were some things that you do not see coming. You understand the macro: hard work, rehab, physical healing, but you discount the micro, those invisible blocks you stumble on. So, I made the decision to seek help, and at the time, I was less than effusive about therapy; I am downright evangelical about it now! Speaking to a professional reinforced the belief that I was okay, and it was fine at times to admit I wasn’t okay. Talking through my issues helps bolster my belief in Jesus Christ. Emboldened by the freedom I now felt and a suggestion from my therapist, in March 2021, I decided to launch String of Destiny podcast, a biweekly show that focuses on telling stories and having conversations with people who have overcome something in their lives. My guests express what they want us to know, so listeners will be better equipped to conquer the personal challenges they face. The show is such a catharsis for me and helpful to others that I am ecstatic to continue to share it. At the end of my shows, I allow my guests the opportunity to leave the audience with words of encouragement I affectionately call “Extend the String.” If I could be so bold, I would like to leave you with this: I lived a charmed life before COVID. Everything I thought I valued was taken away. I had to find the strength to press on despite not believing I could, but I did, and you can, too. You must first believe you can; the first battle is won in the mind. Then, you must continue, no matter how it looks. The next battle is won in the will. Celebrate victories whenever you can, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. We were not made to survive alone. As for me, I am mastering prosthetics, and God willing, I’ll get a new kidney by the end of the year. COVID-19 tore my house down, but I am rebuilding, brick by brick, stronger than ever. TCP Magazine Fall 2023 • Page 13
Dr. Julius M. Wilder:
Featured Speaker at The Gut Patrol Health Symposium By Gabriel Brown
Dr. Julius Wilder is the bridge between social justice and social science. The awardwinning physician leads studies that focus on diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and digestive system. His work also studies how societal factors affect a person’s health. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 100,000 people were diagnosed with Colorectal cancer in 2023. The disease is the 3rd most common cancer in the United States. Despite a decrease in diagnoses in older populations, young and minority people have been on a steady incline since the 1990s. The National Institute for Health reports that African Americans have the highest incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer of any ethnic group in the United States. Some of these disparities can be attributed to access to care, screenings, ethnic diets, and genetics. Dr. Wilder’s work as a physician, professor, and researcher aids in the national fight to close healthcare disparities. This work includes ensuring current and future research studies include populations most impacted by this deadly disease and improving health literacy interventions. At The Gut Patrol Health Symposium, presented by The Connection Place, Dr. Wilder discussed these disparities and what people can do right now to save their lives and the lives of their families. A healthy gut comes down to diet and exercise. Reducing sodium and processed foods in meals, as well as regular movement can slow down the deterioration of your gut. Dr. Wilder said, “We need to discuss colon cancer in communities of color because we are disproportionately impacted by colon cancer. We are more likely to have colon cancer. Similarly, we are diagnosed later, which means the cancer is more advanced and harder to treat. Screening is an effective way to identify potential polyps and eliminate the lesion that can become cancer before it happens. We know that screening works and reduces death from colon cancer.” He further stated, “Liver Cancer outcomes are worse in communities of color as well. This is complicated by the fact that many of the leading causes of liver cancer are more prevalent in communities of color. Especially hepatitis C. Communities of color need to make sure they have properly undergone screening for liver diseases such as hepatitis C. Furthermore, it is important that in the event that they have liver disease, people are seen by a specialist who can manage and monitor them for potential complications, including liver cancer.”
TCP Magazine Fall, 2023 • Page 14
Dr. Julius M. Wilder:
“Dispelling Mistrust in Healthcare” (concluded)
About Dr. Wilder: Julius Wilder, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. He has an appointment with the Duke Clinical Research Institute and a secondary appointment with the Department of Sociology at Duke University. Dr. Wilder graduated with honors as a Meyerhoff Scholar from the University of Maryland Baltimore County before matriculating to Duke University School of Medicine, where he received the first MD, PhD in Medical Sociology in the history of Duke University. He then completed an internal medicine residency, a Gastroenterology fellowship, and a fellowship in Advanced Hepatology and Transplantation from Duke School of Medicine. Dr. Wilder has a national reputation as an expert in Health Disparities, Health Equity, and Social Drivers of Health in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He has authored several peerreviewed articles in journals such as JAMA, Hepatology, and Liver Transplantation. He is Chair of the Duke Department of Medicine Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and AntiRacism Committee, Vice Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Duke Division of Gastroenterology, and is Co-Director for the Duke Community Engagement Research Initiative. He is a principal investigator on multiple clinical trials and has received research awards for his work on social drivers of disparities in gastroenterology and hepatology. Health Monitor Network announced the creation and funding of the first of its kind Health Equity Patient Education Longitudinal Study, led by Dr. Wilder. The threeyear study will examine how diverse populations respond to various patient-education tactics such as print, digital and video, with the goal of identifying the most effective methods and communication infrastructures for communicating relevant and important health information to diverse communities.
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The GUT Patrol 2023 Health Symposium Braggtown Baptist Church, Durham, NC
Thanks to all our partners who participated Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com reliable resources for care and prevention o blood pressure, COVID-19 and other chro
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The GUT Patrol 2023 Health Symposium Braggtown Baptist Church, Durham, NC
d in our Health Symposium. Please join our m/groups/thegutpatrol to get connected with of kidney diseases, colorectal cancer, high onic diseases that affect our community.
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