Another VIC Facility Opening This Fall

Another VIC Facility Opening This Fall

New victories will soon be celebrated in North Georgia! amputations and educating the Ocoee Region on ways to

This fall, Vascular Institute of Chattanooga prevent a potential loss of a limb. (VIC) will be opening a newer, larger facility on A staggering 18 million Americans suffer from PAD, a Battlefield Parkway in Fort Oglethorpe. The new location potentially life-threatening disease where plaque, including will provide more exam rooms and ultrasound suites to better treat patients. Until the new VIC location opens, patients will still be seen at the current location at 101 Crye Leike Drive.

With new opportunities to treat issues in North Georgia, victories over amputation, varicose veins, and other vascular issues will be celebrated. Chris Lesar, MD; Dan Krcelic, MD; Will Harris, MD; and Elizabeth Hartmann will provide the best vascular care available.

Vascular care consists of techniques to correct blood vessels outside of the heart and brain that may be narrowed, blocked, or dilated. Innovative techniques produce shorter recovery times, less pain, and a quicker return to normal activities.

Each year, nearly 180,000 Americans undergo amputation of a limb, often as a result of complications associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD). VIC providers celebrate therapies preventing unnecessary

calcium, builds up along blood vessel walls, narrowing the arteries and reducing blood flow to the legs and feet, according to the Amputee Coalition, a national organization working to support people with limb loss. Of those suffering from PAD, up to 3.5 million have progressed to critical limb ischemia (CLI), the most severe form of PAD, where the blood vessels become dangerously narrow and can lead to pain when resting, ulcers or sores, and gangrene. If left untreated, PAD/CLI can lead to unnecessary amputation.

Limb loss is not uncommon, and sadly, the majority of amputations associated with PAD would be preventable with early detection and treatment. More than 2 million Americans live with limb loss, and that number grows by 185,000 each year. Our goals are to heighten public awareness about limb loss and increase people’s understanding of prevention—especially those most at risk.

Statistics

• The main causes of limb loss are vascular disease (54 percent), trauma (45 percent), and cancer (fewer than 2 percent). • 60 percent of vascular-related amputations are preventable. • Diabetes and vascular disease are the leading causes of limb loss. • There are 2.1 million people living with limb loss in the

US, and that number is expected to double by 2050. • More than 54 percent of patients were not assessed via diagnostic angiogram to determine if blood flow could be restored. • The estimated cost to American private and public insurance agencies is $12 billion annually.

The risk for developing PAD rises with age and is

highest for those over 50 years old. Smoking, the single greatest risk factor, increases the chance of developing PAD three to five times. But other common risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, and heart disease.

The most common symptoms of PAD are leg pain, leg muscle fatigue, coldness or numbness in the lower legs and feet or leg cramps. These are often overlooked because people think their PAD symptoms are a part of the aging process and do not realize they are suffering from the disease. Waiting to talk to a doctor to get the diagnosis and begin treatment may allow the disease to progress to a more severe state.

With the new North Georgia facility, VIC providers will be leading the charge in amputation prevention.

Gò0dNews forHealth & Fitness

Desire vs. Sacrifice

by Dominique Craigmiles

Everything starts in the mind: a thought or notion of how to obtain or achieve something greater than the current state. Whether it be financially, emotionally, mentally, or physically, everything begins in the infant stage of the thought process. Thoughts manifest over a duration of time, and for those thoughts to become tangible, DESIRE is awakened. I personally had a desire when I was 440 lb. to lose weight and become much healthier. My want/desire to lose the weight had all the ingredients it needed to begin my weight-loss journey. But there was one ingredient missing that I was not prepared for: SACRIFICE. This is the intangible that discourages most people who start a new journey to quit just a short time after they have started. That was me for many years because my mind had the desire to do something I’d never done, and it required a level of sacrifice that was not met in my heart. Sacrifice is a heart condition, and it requires daily action. Desire is a mental condition that is bred through multiple thoughts/ questions of what you want versus whether or not can you do it.

Sacrifice does not go against desire; sacrifice will define your desire. I was 440 lb., and in 15 months, I lost 243 lb. My desire was to do the unexpected, and my sacrifice for the unexpected showcased my desire. My heart wanted to keep my old nutritional habits, but in order to fully achieve my desire, I had to let go of my wants and establish my new needs. The fight is real when it comes to keeping the desire you initiated in your mind. It is a daily, uphill battle, but Vince Lombardi said it best: “The harder you work, the hard it is for you to surrender.”

People always say quitting isn’t an option when truthfully, it always is. But quitting is also a heart condition. Just like the story of the two wolves living inside of you, the one you feed is the one that will be dominant in your everyday life. Will you feed the heart that always leans toward quitting? Or will you feed the heart that sacrifices for its desire to become tangible? Quitting is easy and fast, with no accountability for you. Sacrifice requires long and slow suffering for a cause that started with a personal desire and evolves into something much bigger than you. It instills a fire in you that will never cease and a legacy to pass on to your children. As I fought every day in my journey, I realized that I wasn’t just fighting for me. I was fighting for

others who did not have the tools I developed during my journey and who one day I would help.

My faith in Jesus Christ is how I sustained my level of sacrifice: walking by faith and not by sight. Christ sacrificed Himself for all of us because God had a desire for His people. I did not know I would end up here; I just had faith that my daily sacrifices of habitual changes would lead me somewhere greater than I started. Remember, sacrifice does not go against desire; sacrifice will define your desire.

About The Author My name is Dominique Craigmiles and I was born and raised in Cleveland, Tennessee. I am currently entering my 2nd year as a police officer here at home and my 7th year as Personal Trainer for our local YMCA.

NOW HIRING AGENTS!

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

Have you ever considered a career in Real Estate? Why not work with a company who knows what they are doing and how to get the job done? No experience necessary. Now hiring agents for our office in Ringgold, Georgia. Call us today for more information.

105 RBC Drive Ringgold, GA 30736 706.935.6398

NEXTHOMEPLUS.COM

BENEFITS

• EXCELLENT IN HOUSE TRAINING

• TEAM BASED ATMOSPHERE

• FLEXIBLE WORK HOURS

• GREAT CLOSING TEAM

TRACE MASHBURN

REALTOR/BROKER trace@nexthomeplus.com