Best Practices First Quarter 2015

Medical Community News and Information

First Quarter 2015 www.BestPracticesMD.com

UTMB’S EBOLA FIGHTER DR. TOM GEISBERT THE WARNING SIGNS OF DIABETES SHUTTING THE DOOR ON POLIO FOREVER

How the food industry exploits your need for sugar

THE RISKS OF DIET TIPS FOR SODA KICKING YOUR COLA HABIT

CONTENTS

First Quarter 2015

16 PUBLISHER/CHAIRMAN Rick Clapp President Santiago Mendoza Jr.

EDITORIAL Editor Mary Alys Cherry

11

Medical Director Victor Kumar-Misir, M.D. Contributing Writers Dr. Nadir Mir Ali Mary Alys Cherry Kelly Groce Dr. Sonya Khan Victor Kumar-Misir, M.D.

13

ART Creative Director Brandon A. Rowan Graphic Designer Kelly Groce Photography/Editing Mary Alys Cherry Patty Kane Brian Stewart

ADVERTISING

20

Director of Advertising Patty Kane

Letter From the Medical Director 7 The Pale Horse: Mutant Microbe Spillover

Account Executives Shannon Alexander Santiago Mendoza Jr. Debbie Salisbury Lisa Waxman

Features 10 How the food industry exploits the common weakness

12 14 16 18 20

in capuchin monkeys and humans

Diet soda and cancer: tips to kick your soda habit for good Diabetic warning signs UTMB’s Ebola fighter Dr. Tom Geisbert Breakfast kicks off 2015 CCEF campaign Shutting the door on polio forever

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PHONE: 281.474.5875 FAX: 281.474.1443 www.BestPracticesMD.com Best Practices Quarterly is trademarked and produced by Medical Best Practices Group, LLC. Best Practices Quarterly is not responsible for facts as presented by authors and advertisers. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced in part or whole by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher. Advertising rates are available upon request.

Best Practices Quarterly P.O. Box 1032 Seabrook, TX 77586 R.Clapp@Baygroupmedia.com

From the Medical Director

By Victor Kumar-Misir, M.D. | imeddrs.vm@gmail.com

THE PALE HORSE

LETTER

APOCALYPSE

FAMILY, CONTACTS, CO-WORKERS

M

UTANT MICROBE SPILLOVER from

control via Microbial Early Detection and Collected, digitized, real-time, location and animals to humans has intermittently Assisted Medical Isolation (MEDAMI). clinical presentation data, distributed among devastated humanity and altered geoTo be successful, Vanguard levels must the vanguard levels then enables mentoring political history. match the Victim, Vector and Vulnerable and standardized database-driven decisionRecently, in 2002, a DARS virus spillover levels, and be equipped with co-operative, making: from a civet cat to a single guest in a Hong coordinated data-driven responses.

Case-specific clinical meducation, medication Kong hotel, led to a global pandemic. collection Rowan must be- all-inclusive, and medical isolation.

GraphicsData

by Brandon rowangraphics@gmail.com Similarly, the 2013 MERS virus originated from regardless of literacy, language, location Community-specific strategic deployment of camels in the Middle East. In 2014, a mutant or level of income, by utilizing available scarce physician, physical and fiscal resources.

Ebola virus spillover from bats in a hollow tree information-gathering, and dispensing Country-specific personal and public infecting a playful toddler, led to worldwide technology. This varies, from on-site protected preventive and curative health policies, panic, and illustrated the lack of preparedness. personnel to contact-free interactive computer protocols and procedures, as well as research Fortunately, their low infectivity spared telephony, websites, mobile applications and to ensure best practices in therapy, protection, mankind this time, but not so for the dreaded video conferencing. de-contamination, waste management and and inevitable, highly-infectious, killer H1N1 Database development must be proactive, cross-cultural communication. flu virus, which killed 10 million people in including surveillance of “cured” cases and close There is no doubt that modern medicine 1918. contacts, surveys of contaminated communities integrated with today’s telecommunication The only quick, cost-efficient and clinically and screening of the general population in attechnology, can be innovatively organized at effective way to combat, contain and control risk locations, e.g., borders. every level to: “stop the viral spiral.” the spread of a mutant spillover is by vector First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

7

Memorial Hermann Southeast welcomes emergency physicians Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital recently welcomed 12 new physicians to work at its emergency center and the emergency center at Memorial Hermann Convenient Care Center in Pearland. The physicians are (from left, back row,)Husam Athamneh, M.D., Ripal Patel, M.D., John Kavanaugh, M.D., Neal Madhani, M.D., Adam Bartsoff, M.D., Samar Yusuf, D.O., Cat Nguyen, D.O., Chris Wang, M.D., (front row) Nurse Practitioner Dawn Saunders, Christopher Mann, M.D., Richard Nguyen, D.O., Maya Phadtare, M.D., and Amarachi Akujobi, D.O. Memorial Hermann Southeast has a Level III Emergency Center ready to handle any health crisis - from minor to critical. Both facilities offer Memorial Hermann Life FlightŽ helicopter access to Memorial HermannTexas Medical Center and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

M E D I C A L

1. How many times a day does the average person blink?

A. 44,000 B. 70,000 C. 28,000 D. 17,000

2. What causes Lyme disease?

A. Deer Tick B. Flea C. Mosquito D. None of the above

T R I V I A

3. Like fingerprints, what part of the body also has a unique print?

A. Elbow B. Tongue C. Heel D. Lips

5. What is the number one cause of blindness for working age adults?

A. Glaucoma B. Diabetes C. Cataracts D. None of the above

4. How much blood does your heart pump every minute?

A. 1.5 gallons B. 3 pints C. 3 gallons D. None of the above

6. How often do humans get a new stomach lining?

A. Once a month B. Once a year C. Every 2 weeks D. Every 3-4 Days ANSWERS: 1=C, 2=A, 3=B, 4=A, 5=B, 6=D

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Clear Lake Regional Medical Center Performs the Area’s First SingleSite™ Robotic-Assisted Hysterectomy

S

OUTHEAST HOUSTON WOMEN

now have the opportunity to undergo a Single-Site™ roboticassisted hysterectomy, a less invasive procedure, without having to travel outside the comfort of the Clear Lake area.

Using the most advanced technology available, the da Vinci® Si Robotic Surgical System can perform the delicate and complex operation through one tiny incision in the navel and remove the uterus.

The surgery can be performed in about one hour with a typical hospital stay of 24 hours or less.

arms and camera. The surgeon is 100% in control of the da Vinci® Si Robotic Surgical System during the procedure. In real-time, the system translates the surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements into more precise movements of the miniaturized instruments inside the patient. The special wristed instruments bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist. As a result, the robotic-assisted approach enables surgeons to operate with enhanced vision, precision, dexterity and control.

DOCTORAL

DIGITS 480,000 Cigarette smoking is responsible for causing the death of 480,000 Americans each year. Combined, smoking kills more people than HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, and fire-arm related incidents.

First Single-Site Robotic Hysterectomy Tranee Martin is the first Clear Lake Regional Medical Center patient to have the SingleSite™ robotic-assisted hysterectomy. “As a nursing student, I only had a two week break to get my procedure done and be externally healed before having to return back to my fall nursing school schedule. With only having a single incision, the pain was very minimal, unlike what it would have been had it been a six site or open procedure.”

Clear Lake Regional Medical Center CEO, Stephen K. Jones says, “Because the single-site procedure is less invasive, our patients experience less discomfort. The technology to surgically enter through the bellybutton allows for minimal scarring.

Clear Lake Regional Medical Center is excited to offer its patients this option resulting in a shorter hospital stay and high patient satisfaction.”

How It Works During the procedure, the surgeon sits at a console and uses controls to operate the high-definition viewer to move the instrument

41,000 Every day more than 41,000 blood donations are needed. Donating blood is simple and takes four steps. The effect it can have on someone else’s life is huge.

Clear Lake Regional Medical Center offers a variety of roboticallyassisted surgeries in addition to single-site hysterectomy, including colon and rectal, general surgery, gynecological oncology, gynecology, obstetrics and gynecology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility and urologic surgery.

To learn more about robotic surgical procedures or to schedule an appointment with a robotic-trained physician, please call 888-842-DOCS (3627) or visit www.clearlakermc.com/ Services and click on “Surgery.”

2,200,000

2.2 million Americans have glaucoma but only half of those know they have it. Since January is glaucoma awareness month, make an appointment with your optometrist for an eye exam.

First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

9

How the food industry exploits the common weakness in capuchin monkeys and humans

By Dr. Nadir Mir Ali

I

F ONE IS DRIVING EAST on Marina

Bay Drive toward Kemah, there is a Bohemian coffee shop just before the intersection of this drive with South Shore Boulevard called Mrs. Monkeys Emporium.

If you happen to drop in for a delightful cup of Java, you will notice two Capuchin Monkeys housed in a glass cage. Their diet is carefully controlled by the owner, Robert, who recognizes the weakness of these primates towards sugar.

If left to their own volition, they are

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capable of consuming sugary food in quantities equaling their body weight.

We as humans share this primal instinct; we and

our brains crave

sugar. In fact, our brains are not capable of using any other fuel other than sugar to function. My goal is to connect this craving for sugar we have as humans with the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that has afflicted us as Americans and also becoming a worldwide phenomenon as the rest of the world adopts our lifestyle.

In the middle of the 20th century, health officials in the U.S. started noticing an increase in the incidence of heart disease. Amongst the many likely culprits for this malady was the American diet, which at that time contained a generous percentage of animal fat and cholesterol. On the basis of observational data, saturated fat and cholesterol found in red meats and eggs was labeled as the culprit in increasing heart disease in Americans.

Even though this information was not scientifically robust, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), The American Heart Association (AHA) and other leading experts in the 1970s recommended a large scale change in the American diet to consume less red meat and eggs. Such a statement was not acceptable to the meat industry, which succeeded through its lobbying efforts to get this recommendation changed to the statement, “avoid foods that are high is saturated fats and cholesterol.”

This way food choices were termed in

nutrient terms and thus the industry could then sell meats that were low in saturation fat, i.e. “lean white meat.”

The food industry in the United States by some estimates has an annual turnover of over $30 billion.

When the dietary recommendation first came out, there was a significant degree of opposition by the influential food lobby. However, they soon recognized that foods could easily be engineered to reflect the low saturated fat and cholesterol dogma being proposed by the so called experts.

Fat, as we all know, contains twice the number of calories compared to sugar and proteins. Thus it made intuitive sense that a low fat diet would also promote weight loss.

Neither the experts nor the industry could foresee at that time that this radical change in the American diet would start the obesity epidemic.

“We as humans share this primal instinct; we and our brains crave sugar.”

The nutritional experts failed to take into account that the low fat food the industry was churning out would replace the fats with carbohydrates. In addition, the food industry soon recognized the human weakness, like that of the Capuchin Monkeys for sugar. Hence, processed and engineered foods containing generous quantities of sugar, sugar like substances, and simple carbohydrate that are treated by the body as sugar became common place.

The food industry even succeeded in getting the endorsement of USDA and AHA, the associations that are charged with protecting and promoting our health for this

“health promoting low fat food” (filled with sugar). The American Heart Association has no trouble in endorsing any processed food as long it is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, giving it the symbolic check of heart healthy for a simple fee that the industry is more than willing to pay. Thus, the supermarket isles are filled with cereals that are high in sugar or sugar like substance and refined carbohydrate carrying the seal of approval of the AHA. Of course, there have been dissenters and skeptics even when these dietary guidelines were first proposed. Initially they were unable to get an audience, but with the wide scale adoption of this low fat diet by Americans, aided by the recognition by the food industry that the human body can be easily addicted to sugar (like the Capuchins) led to the obesity epidemic. One can easily show initiation of the obesity trend starting with these dietary guidelines of low fat diet.

Alternatives to the recommendations of low fat diet over the last 50 years have been the Atkins diet, The South Beach Diet and the Paleo Diet, to just name a few. While each of these diets have their merits, they have failed to gain a universal following because they lack essential elements for long term sustainability and health promotion.

My goal through this column and over the next few issues is to examine each of these to start a discussion in the Clear Lake and Bay Area community about so fundamental a subject as “food” that is not only necessary for health but also a key component of socializing and pleasure.

The later part of the 20th century has seen an industrialization of our food sources. However, only recently the increasing incidence of obesity and diabetes have fueled a small but vocal group of consumers, scientists and journalists to question the dogma we have been given about health promoting nutritional policy. There are nutritional heroes of our time like Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, and Michael Mosely to start the conversation. Their work is worth examining to modulate our behavior of buying, consuming and enjoying food.

First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

11

DIET SODA AND CANCER

what you should know MD Anderson expert shares truths on artificial sweeteners and cancer

D

IET SODA HAS FEW, if any, calories. So it

may seem like a healthier, waist-shrinking alternative to regular soda. But, nutrition experts tell a different story.

“People who drink diet sodas daily have a higher rate of obesity than those who don’t,” said Stephanie Maxson, senior clinical dietitian in MD Anderson’s Integrative Medicine Center.

And being obese increases the risk for breast (after menopause), colon, endometrial, kidney and pancreatic cancers.

How could a drink with so few calories contribute to weight gain? Research shows that diet beverage drinkers consume significantly more calories from food than regular soda drinkers. These extra food calories can add up to a higher number on the bathroom scale.

In addition, some studies indicate sugar substitutes like aspartame, sucralose and saccharin, which are commonly found in diet drinks, can throw off the body’s natural metabolic processes. Disrupting these processes could cause the body to store fat instead of burning it, and may increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

And, that’s not all.

“Some artificial sweeteners are several hundred times sweeter than sugar,” explained Clare McKindley, a clinical dietitian at MD Anderson’s Lyda Hill Cancer Prevention Center. “These ultra-sweet additives may create changes in your body and brain that increase the appeal of other similarly sweet foods.”

Indulging those cravings may seem justifiable if someone has cut calories by drinking a diet soda. “Plus, some preliminary evidence suggests artificial sweeteners may increase your risk for certain cancers, such as urinary and bladder cancers,” Maxson said. “That’s not to say regular soda is better for you.” Both types of soda contain artificial ingredients and chemicals, and Maxson says that these substances might be affecting general health or cancer risks in ways we don’t yet know about.

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Here are tips to kick the soda habit for good:

Don’t keep sodas in the house “Having a soda close at hand, such as in your home refrigerator, is just too big a temptation,” Maxson said.

Instead, stock your home fridge or pantry with healthier options or opt for water. In addition, be sure not to have singles or change for the office vending machine.

“The more effort it takes to indulge your soda habit, the easier it will be to resist,” Maxson said.

“People who drink diet sodas daily have a higher rate of obesity than those who don’t.”

Need more flavor? Infuse the water with fruits or vegetables.

“Put berries or cucumber into a pitcher of water and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight,” Maxson said.

“That will give your water flavor without any unnatural additives.”

Other healthy alternatives to diet beverages and soda include unsweetened coffee and unsweetened tea.

•

Take a walk.

•

Choose a healthier drink option.

•

Grab a sweet, guilt-free snack, like carrot sticks or apple slices.

•

Call a friend or ask a coworker for support.

“Changing when and how you drink sodas can make them easier to resist and help curb your cravings,” McKindley said.

Plus, physical activity can provide the energy soda may provide.

Avoid other sweetened beverages

Drink more water Instead of reaching for a soda, pour a glass of water or sparkling water. Fluid helps the body get rid of toxins that put one at risk for diseases like cancer.

And water has zero calories – meaning it’s one of the healthiest ways to stay hydrated. It is recommended that an individual drink 64 ounces, which is about eight to 10 glasses, of water each day.

Change drinking habits The brain develops cravings based on habits. The brain will want a soda the most during the times it is usually consumed such as during lunch or in the afternoon. Here are some alternatives for drinking a soda:

“Flavored coffee drinks, sweetened teas or fruit juices, energy drinks, and most bottled beverages contain a lot of the same unhealthy additives that are in soda,” Maxson said.

So, drinking other sweetened beverages isn’t a healthier option. The bottom line: Try to drink the smallest amount possible when consuming any kind of soda. And remember, avoiding soda altogether is the healthiest move.

For additional tips on food and exercise, visit www.mdanderson.org/focused.

To learn more about the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Bay Area, visit www.mdanderson.org/bayarea.

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Diabetic Warnings Signs Diabetes is often dubbed the silent killer. What does that even mean?

D

IABETES is an

often times an underdiagnosed disease due to its silent symptoms. It is essentially the inability of one’s body to use glucose effectively.

Fortunately, the human body is resilient, and is able to use the excess sugar by over producing insulin, it will try to store it by creating fat, and also try to release it through the kidneys, but when supply exceeds demand, it starts to damage the body. The damage is slow and steady and can be very debilitating if left untreated. How does one realize they need to go see a specialist? Initially, patients may not have symptoms.

Many times we wait for our

bodies to “signal” us before we even present to our doctors.

This “signal” unfortunately may not be as clear as one may think.

What types of signals would your body give you?

The traditional signs and symptoms include an increase in thirst and an increase in urination. However, more often than not, the typical diabetic patient does not have such clear symptoms.

Other types of signals may be an infection. Initially this may present silently as a skin infection, a urinary tract infection, or even a yeast infection. Those infections will increase in frequency, and slowly the body starts to show that its defenses are down, and diabetes is diagnosed.

Even more silent than that, the body may manifest these high sugars with fatigue. Patients will attribute this fatigue to many other things-their

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busy life, their demanding job, and the social stresses at home. However, this fatigue is actually that “signal” that the body is fighting to try and establish some sort of homeostasis.

Even though this may be your first time to be told you have diabetes, the elevated sugars may have been wreaking havoc on your body over many months or even years. Since you can feel well for a long time while sugars are mildly elevated, patients may go a long period of time before they schedule an appointment with their doctor.

If they are lucky enough to avoid any other illness and/ or hospitalization, diabetes may go undiagnosed. Many patients are confused because they have felt “generally well,” but I always tell them, diabetes is a silent killer. Diabetes elevates your blood sugars, which then affects your entire body. It can also increase your risk for other health problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and problems with your eyes and skin. Studies show that every time your sugar reaches beyond 200 mg/dl, there is damage extending from your eyes to your kidneys and even down to the nerves in your feet. In fact, the risk of a diabetic having a heart attack is similar to a patient who has already suffered one.

Diabetes affects about 24 million people in the United States, but the interesting statistic is that only 18 million people know they have diabetes. That leaves about 6 million people who are suffering from diabetes without any treatment. About 90% of these patients have Type 2 diabetes, the most common type. This is also the type of diabetes that can be prevented and controlled by diet. Knowing that you are at a high risk for diabetes allows you to change your lifestyle before suffering any

complications of the disease.

By having your weight, body mass index (BMI) and family history evaluated by your doctor, you can know what your risk is. Your fasting sugar and a hemoglobin A1C will often times be checked.

The hemoglobin A1C is an average of what your sugar is during the last 3 months.

Based on the these lab tests, if you are told that you have a high risk for diabetes or that you are a “borderline diabetic,” you need to start changing your diet as if you already have diabetes. This will prevent any need for those “signals” we talked about earlier.

The most important reason why you need to have regular physicals with your doctor is because many types of diabetes are preventable and can be better controlled if diagnosed in its earlier stages.

Prevention is key in terms of outcome and having regular follow ups with your doctor is essential. Ask your doctor about your risk for diabetes and what your fasting sugar is to assess your risk.

Dr. Sonya Khan is an Endocrinologist in the Clear Lake Area and specializes in diabetes and other endocrine disorders such as thyroid disease, polycystic ovarian disease, metabolic disorder, and osteoporosis.

First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

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Time magazine spotlights UTMB’s Dr. Tom Geisbert Time magazine’s 2014 Person of the Year is not one but many – the Ebola fighters.

A

ND AMONG THOSE spotlighted

is Thomas Geisbert, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, who is currently testing potential vaccines and treatments at the Galveston National Laboratory.

“We’re extremely proud of Dr. Geisbert and his work, as well as the cutting edge research that so many of our scientists are conducting,” said UTMB President Dr. David L. Callender. “We’re extremely pleased that the hard work of our scientists is being recognized. Congratulations to Dr. Geisbert.”

Geisbert, who has been studying the Ebola virus for three decades, told Time that “When I do this work, I take

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it personally.” He notes that patients survived who had received one of the experimental drugs he’s worked on (TKM-Ebola). He added that “there are so many confounding variables, so how can you say any one thing made the difference? But it’s a great feeling knowing I was involved in the development of something that hopefully saved somebody. And if it saved one person, it matters.”

Callender said that “Geisbert exemplifies UTMB’s commitment to fighting infectious diseases” and noted that UTMB continues to play role in the fight against Ebola. Earlier this year, UTMB stepped up to offer its unparalleled experience and facilities with regard to the virus. In addition to being the first site in Texas designated as a treatment center for Ebola patients, UTMB also safely disposed of the medical waste from the first case in Dallas.

Dr. James Le Duc, director of the GNL, the first and largest fully

operational biosafety level four laboratory on an academic campus in the United States, is a member of the Texas Governor’s Task Force on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. Without the high containment facilities in the GNL, there would be no way for scientists to safely develop and test vaccines and therapeutics for deadly pathogens.

Dr. Thomas Ksiazek, director of high-containment operations at the GNL, also is a member of the task force. As former head of the Special Pathogens Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he was asked by the agency to go to Sierra Leone earlier this year, where he spent more than six weeks in that country leading efforts on the ground.

Callender said that he was “pleased that UTMB scientists are among the leaders waging war on deadly diseases around the world — not only Ebola but all the pathogens that have such a tremendous impact on people.”

First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

17

Breakfast kicks off 2015 CCEF campaign

By Mary Alys Cherry

C

LEAR CREEK EDUCATION

Foundation Board members and community leaders got an update on education when CCEF hosted its annual 2015 Community Partnership Breakfast at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook.

Texas State Sen. Larry Taylor delivered the keynote address after CCEF Executive Director Kaci Hanson welcomed the crowd and Clear Creek ISD

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Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith provided an update on the strides the local district has made in recent months.

Clear View High Principal Michael Houston offered a “Principal’s Point of ‘View’” – much to the crowd’s enjoyment, after which board member Deanna Wilke discussed the “I love CCISD Video Contest.”

Community partners recognized included $25,000 donor Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, and $10,000 donors Marathon Petroleum, LyondellBasell and

Education Foundation President Kaci Hanson, third from left, thanks board member Deanna Wilke, Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith and Clear View high School Principal Michael Houston, from left, for their roles in the program at CCEF’s annual Community Partnership Breakfast.

Chemical Process and Production.

The $5,000 donors included Balfour of Houston, Bay IBI Architects, Bay Area Regional Medical Center, BP Texas City Chemicals, Durotech, Gulf Coast Educators Federal Credit Union, Gulf Coast Pipeline Services, Hometown Bank of League City, Joiner Architects, Scott and Kim Krist, Luke 10:37, Maxim Group, PBK Architects, Primrose School of Clear Lake, South Shore Grille and VLK Architects.

Several dozen more were cited for donations ranging from $1,000 to $2,500.

Photos by Mary Alys Cherry

CCEF Chairman Mike Huss, left, welcomes State Sen. Larry Taylor to annual Community Partnership Breakfast at Lakewood Yacht Club. Taylor gave the keynote address.

Retired CCISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sandra Mossman and her husband, Gary, join the crowd at the Clear Creek Education Foundation Community Partnership Breakfast.

Their daughter, Courtney Monk, and granddaughter, Alexis Monk, joined them at the annual event.

Nassau Bay City Manager Chris Reed, left, stops to say hello to former Clear Creek Education Foundation Chairman Harv Hartman during breakfast at Lakewood Yacht Club.

Clear Springs High School Principal Gail Love, center, is happy to see former Clear Creek Education Foundation Chairman Scott Rainey and his wife, Martha, at the Community Partnership Breakfast.

First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

19

Shutting the door on polio forever

By Mary Alys Cherry

I

T’S BEEN MORE than three decades

since the last polio case was reported in the United States.

For the most part, it has been erased from the world, yet it still lurks in three countries.

“We are tantalizingly close to ending polio,” says Diana Schoberg, associate editor of the Rotary International magazine, explaining that “all the polio

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cases in the world now stem from only three countries: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“If we can end polio in these three nations, we will shut the door on the disease forever.”

Doing just that is a major goal of Rotary clubs around the world, Space Center Rotary President Scott Rainey is quick to explain. To Rotary, which has been fighting to eradicate polio all

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - SEPTEMBER 26: Fawad Rahmani, 11, makes his way home using his crutches and special braces fitted from the ICRC Orthopedic clinic on September 26, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Fawad has had polio since he was two years old. Afghanistan is still fighting to eradicate polio to which they are one of the few countries still dealing with the disease.

(Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

over the world since 1979 through its PolioPlus program, polio eradication is not an option, it’s an obligation. All Rotarians annually make donations to the PolioPlus program and solicit donations from businesses, churches and families around the globe.

Nigeria is the closest endemic country to stopping polio. Near the end of 2014, it had only recorded five cases all year, compared with 42 the

previous year. But violence in northern Nigeria -- where the Boko Haram militants have killed thousands, including polio vaccinators, and kidnapped 200 school girls -- threatens to impede the nation’s progress.

In Pakistan, more than half of its cases are in a Taliban-controlled area where militants banned all health workers in 2012, “resulting in an explosion of cases. . . from 58 in 2012 when eradication appeared within reach to 93 in 2013 and more than 100 by August 2014,” Rotary said.

However, the Pakistani military launched a huge operation to flush out the Taliban and have since been able to vaccinate 350,000 children they were previously unable to reach.

Afghanistan has only reported one case of polio endemic to that country in the past 18 months with several reported this year -- at least eight -- genetically related to polio in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban have cooperated with Rotary and its partners to eradicate polio and guaranteed safe passage to vaccination teams, resulting in a drop from 37 cases in 2012 to 14 in 2013 to almost zero this past year.

All in all, the world total is down to slightly more than a hundred – a far cry from 1952’s terrible outbreak when 58,000 cases were reported, leaving 3,145 dead and 21,269 paralyzed, or in 1977 when it was reported that 254,000 U.S. residents had been paralyzed by polio. At its peak in the 1940s and 1950s, polio would paralyze or kill over half a million people worldwide every year.

Until vaccines were developed and introduced by first Jonas Salk in 1955 and then Albert Sabin in 1957, polio was the world’s most feared disease.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt, totally and permanently paralyzed from the waist down after being stricken in 1921, tried a wide range of therapies, including hydrotherapy in Warm Springs, Ga. In 1938, he helped found the March of Dimes that funded the development of those polio vaccines.

The March of Dimes changed the way it approached fund-raising. Rather than soliciting large contributions from a few wealthy individuals, it sought small donations from millions of individuals. Its hugely successful fund-raising campaigns collected hundreds of millions of dollars -- more than all of the U.S. charities at the time combined (with the exception of the Red Cross).

By 1955, the March of Dimes reportedly had spent $25.5 million in research, funding the development of both vaccines, the vaccine field trials and supplies of free vaccine for thousands of children.

Seven decades later, she’s still dealing with dreaded disease

By Mary Alys Cherry

H

ALF A MILLION PEOPLE around the

world have known the ravages of polio – including Lynn Rice of Manvel. She’s spent most of her life dealing with it and took members of Space Center Rotary in Clear Lake on her life’s journey during a recent club meeting.

She became a victim April 24, 1944 when she was a 10-year-old fifth grader living in Avon Park, Fla., and suddenly lost the use of her legs. Fortunately, her family was able to get her to Warm Springs, Ga., to the polio treatment center set up by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also a polio victim, and partially funded by the March of Dimes.

She spent eight months receiving therapy at Warm Springs before returning home and continued treatment under the watchful eye of its doctors for a number of years, including surgery on her leg and foot to correct wayward muscles and help her walk correctly, and wearing a special jacket and a special corset to alleviate back and stomach muscle problems.

While her days were not always easy, she was able to have a half-way normal life.

By the time she graduated from high school, she was able to walk quite well and as

valedictorian lead her class in for the commencement exercises. She went on to earn a degree in music education at Florida State University, and become an elementary school music teacher.

But that’s not the end of the story. She married a college professor, Dr. Joe Rice, who taught at the University of Houston and Houston Baptist University, had children and grandchildren.

After a somewhat normal life, polio has reared its ugly head again She has developed Post-Polio Syndrome, which affects her legs and ability to walk normally and has been undergoing treatment at Memorial Hermann Texas Institute for Research and Rehabilitation (TIRR).

She walks with a cane and a rolling walker to get around. She also has a scooter for shopping days.

“Don’t try to keep up with me and my red scooter when I’m shopping at a giant store such as Macy’s or Dillard’s or Target!” she laughs.

She’s also quite thankful the terrible disease has just about been eradicated from the world.

First Quarter 2015 | www.BestPracticesMD.com|

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