Inspired Living - November - December 2021

November/December 2021

FLU

Season MAKING A

Toast

CANCER DOESN’T

Define You

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FARM TO

Recipe

CAJUNRice WITH SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE

By Mary Hoisington

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp butter 4-5 Tbsp avocado oil 1-12 oz package frozen riced cauliflower ½ cup coarse chopped onion ¼ cup coarse chopped colored bell pepper 6 Tbsp Cajun seasoning mix (more if you prefer it spicier) 1 lb raw ring sausage cut into bite-sized pieces (can use precooked sausage such as Andouille) 1-12 oz peeled and deveined shrimp (tailless)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat butter and avocado oil in large skillet until hot. Add cauliflower, onion, bell pepper and sausage (if you chose a precooked sausage such as a kielbasa, wait to add sausage until you add shrimp) and about 4 Tbsp of seasoning mix. Cook until sausage is done and most of the liquid has been released and evaporated from the vegetables. Add shrimp and additional 2 Tbsp seasoning mix (more if desired).

Cook until shrimp are done. Serve immediately

CAJUN SEASONING MIX:

3 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp pink salt 2 tsp granulated garlic 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper 1 tsp fine ground black pepper 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp Italian seasoning or thyme Mix together and store in shaker of your choosing or in an air-tight container.

If you have a delicious family recipe or just a family favorite you’d like to share, send it to InspiredLiving@ gbtribune.com. Feel free to include a short history, unique story or humorous tale with your contribution.

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20

November - December

CONTENTS

2 RECIPE 6 PREVENTION 8 EXERCISE 9 KETO 10 MIXOLOGY 11 PET CARE 12 FEATURE 14 SEASONAL CONCERNS 15 HEALTHY HABITS 17 TAKE IN NATURE 18 DO YOUR RESEARCH

Cajun rice with sausage

Boost your immune system

Work out from home

Boosted Coquito

FR

M

Making a toast

FARM TO

All about pet adoption

Cancer doesn’t define you

Flu season

Sleep matters

Go star gazing

BOOST your Mental Health

Family health history

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5

Prevention

Boost your

Immune System

The immune system uses antibodies, cells and other things to help your body fight off harmful germs and infections that enter your body.

Wearing protective equipment can protect yourself from some harmful

germs and viruses but they might still find their way to you.

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Infections and germs spread from person to person via droplets sneezed or coughed in the air, or by mucus that gets onto your hands and surfaces. Germs and infections getting into your body may be inevitable, but there are precautions you can take to boost your immune system.

Live a Healthy Lifestyle Many products claim they can boost your immunity but that makes little sense scientifically. Your immune system is made up of many cells that respond to a variety of different germs and microbes in your body. The body is constantly creating immune cells and producing too many may be harmful for the good bacteria and cells in your body. The immune system requires balance and harmony to function properly. Living a healthy lifestyle can help to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

Healthy Choices As we said before there are no remedies or over the counter products that

can provenly increase your immune system. Your immune system requires balance and healthy lifestyle choices to function properly. If you wish to boost or maintain your immune health then you should choose healthier lifestyle choices such as not smoking, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, wash hands frequently and exercising regularly.

Facts of Immune Health Ginseng and echinacea may actually be one of the few remedies that may help to improve immune health. People try other products such as probiotics to boost immune health and supplementing the friendly bacteria in your body may be helpful, but scientists are still learning what may truly be effective in increasing your immune health. Sometimes taking too much vitamin C, probiotics or immune products can be harmful to your body. Scientists have seen that maintaining a healthy lifestyle will get you the right amount of vitamins you need in your body.

Beat the Blues

BOOST your Mental Health

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons.

energy for your workout or songs that relax you and help you focus on reading.

Create Goals Creating goals for yourself to accomplish can help build morale and confidence in yourself when you are at your low points. If you don’t workout often start out with simple goals such as running half a mile or wake up every morning at 8 a.m.Your goals can even be something as simple as portioning your food better, losing five pounds or doing 10 push-ups every morning. Use your goals to slowly build your confidence and mental toughness.

Often it starts in the late fall and early winter and goes away during the spring and summer. For most, mental health can be even tougher during the winter months but there are ways you can help build your confidence and beat the blues.

Run in the Cold Your motivation and drive to workout drop with the temperature during the winter and fall months. Running during the winter can help boost your confidence and help you realize you are much stronger than you think you are. Keeping up with a normal schedule can help you fight off the winter blues. Most people stop and hibernate during

the winter months which can create some symptoms of depression. Keep yourself moving with workouts, setting goals and challenges for yourself.

Find an Inspiring Quote or a Song Words can be powerful and very motivating if you find

the right words to motivate you. Find an inspiring quote or mantra that you can repeat to yourself when days or workouts get difficult.

Find a song to empower you through the tough days.

Create various playlists for yourself during different situations. For example, create a playlist of songs that give you

Don’t make Excuses Winter and fall depression can get to you at times and even motivate you to make excuses to keep you from working out. Discipline yourself and maintain that discipline.

The best way to maintain your discipline is to just get up and do it. Create your goals, find your inspiration and stop making excuses for yourself.

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Exercise

Workfrom out

HOME If you are looking to get your workout and cardio in but the chilled and possibly unsafe weather of the fall and winter months is stopping you, invest in workout equipment that can be used indoors.

You can get equipment such as rubber weights, resistance bands and a stationary bike.

The colder weather of fall and winter can be too dangerous for you to travel to a gym and may be too cold for you to workout outside or in your backyard. You don’t need a lot of space to workout from home; clear a coffee table in your living room and place a mat on the floor. Start your home gym simple with a yoga mat, a couple of small dumbbells and a step stool.

Stationary Bike Cardio workouts such as stationary bikes are a good

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home workout for both beginners and experienced gym heads. You can find stationary bikes at any of your local sports and outdoors stores. Stationary bikes can help your body in a variety of ways such as improving memory and brain functioning, lower blood pressure and help you get better sleep. Stationary bikes can aid in weight loss and are an excellent workout for burning calories and body fat.

Dumbbell Weights If you are looking to get a little more from your workout than to just burn calories then investing in dumbbells would be a good option for you.

Dumbbells can be stored easily and basically anywhere if you have enough space to fit them under a bed or in your closet. You can workout various muscle groups in your body with dumbbells. If you are new to working out then start with light weight dumbbells and work your way up with more weight as you progress and become stronger.

Resistance Bands Resistance bands are an excellent option for you if you live in a small or studio apartment and don’t have space

to store dumbbells or a stationary bike. Like the dumbbells, resistance bands can be used to workout multiple muscle groups. Resistance bands

are used primarily for leg workouts but can be used to workout your arms and even your chest.

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Your Health, Our Priority

Keto

BOOSTED

C oquito

DESCRIPTION

A ketofied update on this festive Puerto Rican classic.

Mandy Pagano is a recovering food addict and long-time ketogenic practitioner, dedicated to creating simplistic and delicious ketogenic meals. As a no-nonsense wife, and home-educating mother of two, Mandy’s passions in life are reading, music, and teaching her children. She has a life-long love of cooking, and is a self-taught home chef.

Coquito is quite possibly my favorite holiday drink.

In Spanish, it translates to “little coconut,” and is most commonly referred to in the U.S. as Puerto Rican Eggnog.

Which is funny because in all of the family recipes I’ve collected from Puerto Rican friends over the years, I’ve never actually seen eggs as an ingredient. It’s an understandable moniker, though, because Coquito is a thick, rich, and creamy drink spiced with white rum, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and so the flavor profile is very reminiscent of Eggnog.

Traditionally, Coquito is made with evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and either canned coconut milk or coconut cream. And when I say coconut cream, I mean that Coco Lopez stuff you find in the drink mixer section of your grocery store that’s a lot of sugar mixed with cream from the coconut.

INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 c (12 fl oz/ 355 ml) heavy cream 1 (13.5 fl oz/ 399 ml) can unsweetened coconut milk 1 (13.66 fl oz/ 404 ml) can unsweetened coconut cream 1 c (8 fl oz/ 237 ml) white rum 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 cup (approx. 1 oz/ 28 g) Swerve or granulated erythritol 5-10 drops vanilla flavored liquid stevia, if desired BOOST YOUR COQUITO BY ADDING: 3 scoops caramel flavored MCT powder, OR plain MCT powder + 1/2-1 tsp, to taste, caramel extract

You can find Mandy at www.myketogenickitchen.com

INSTRUCTIONS 1

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

About 30 seconds to a minute.

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Taste it, and if it’s not sweet enough add a few drops liquid stevia, as desired, and pulse a few times to incorporate.

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Pour into a half gallon container and store in the fridge. This will keep for some time, as the alcohol acts as a preservative. When ready to serve, give the jug a little shake to break up any coconut fat that may have risen to the top (this is normal).

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Mixology

Making aking

A TOAST Sometimes, part of enjoying a great bottle of wine with friends is giving a great toast.

Here’s some advice for making your toast one they’ll never forget.

of health or goodwill in honor or celebration of a person.

The glasses are then clinked together and sipped or pounded, depending on the drinker.The reason to add toast to the drink was to make it more palatable by soaking up acid and any bitterness in the wine.The bread was then usually discarded.

and hold a silence long enough to be noticed. Do not, the institute says, bang on your glassware or clear your throat repeatedly.Then, speak from

the heart and keep it short.

Also, keep eye contact with your audience and make it personal, but be gracious and not overly witty.

Toastmasters History

Toastmasters International (we think they’d know) says toasting was common among ancient Hebrews, Persians and Egyptians.The Romans also toasted, as did the Huns and Greeks. In the sixth century B.C., poison was a concern and toasting was a way to prove a drink was safe to drink.

In Europe and England, the clinking of glasses accompanied the ritual, which may have been a way to mix the drinks and, again, lessen the danger of poisoning.

Origins of the Word

According to the wordsmiths at MerriamWebster, toast comes from actual toast, like the browned bread.The shared term comes from the practice of immersing browned spiced bread in a drink after wishes

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Toastmasters became popular as toasting became more popular.Toastmasters International says toastmasters presided over events. In Georgia, where wine has its roots, the tamada is a toastmaster who presides over the meal with skilled oratory.

A proper Georgian toast, Wine Folly says, begins when a tamada proposes a toast and drinks his entire glass of wine.

The next guest then proposes a toast and then drains his glass.Toasters hold their glasses up and drink after each toast.

However, it’s considered disgraceful for the tamada to get drunk.

Keep It Simple

A toast is a gracious means of calling attention to shared gifts, the Emily Post Institute says. Start by filling your glass, then stand up, raise your glass

New 2021

Pet Care

All About

Pet Adoption You’ve no doubt heard the slogan “adopt, don’t shop.” If you’re considering a new pet, take a look at adopting.

Many shelters offer more than just dogs and cats. You can also find small animals like ferrets, hamsters and rabbits in a shelter, as well as larger livestock like pigs, goats and horses. Here’s all you need to know about adopting a pet.

Do Your Research Before heading to the shelter, carefully research the pets you’re considering adopting. Look at lifespan — dogs can live 10-15 years, cats up to 20 and horses up to 40. Are you and your family willing to make a commitment for that long? Also consider your personality and lifestyle. Are you gone a lot? Maybe a dog isn’t right for you. Also look into breeds and space restrictions. If you have any questions, ask shelter staff.

Most of them are adept at matching animals with the perfect family.

Make a Plan When you’re adding an animal to your family, you need to have plans for health care, boarding when you travel or go on vacation, and for training. You also need to plan for extra costs, like fees for adoption, food, spaying and neutering, licensing according to local regulations,

collars and leashes, toys, permanent identification such as microchips, crates and carriers, and a bed. You should also plan for unexpected expenses like accidents, illnesses and any specialized training the pet may need.

your home. This will give you a taste of life with an animal is like. You can even foster-to-adopt the pet you’re considering so that you can see how that particular animal will fit in with your family.

Visit a Shelter Make a visit to one or more local animal shelters. If you don’t see a pet for you right away, consider volunteering so that you can learn about the animals they have. You can also foster, which means you take care of an animal in

After You’ve Adopted Once you’ve got your new friend home, visit the local pet store and stock up on things you’ll need to give it a safe, happy life. The shelter can give you a checklist, or the experts at your pet store can help.

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Feature

Cancer Doesn’t DefineYou As a breast and liver cancer fighter, 73-year-old Vicki McDowell is the epitome of positivity. “I am surviving.

You see, there’s this one thing – cancer doesn’t define who you truly are.”

It all started in 2004. Vicki had a mammogram where her doctor discovered a lump and diagnosed her with breast cancer. She had it removed and began radiation treatment, but in 2006, her doctor found another lump in her breast. This time, she had a mastectomy and for six years, Vicki was cancer-free.

That was until 2012, when she noticed pains along her mastectomy incision. She got a CAT scan which showed multiple spots in her liver, and was referred to see Dr. Mark Fesen at Central Care Cancer Center in Great Bend, who diagnosed her with Stage 4 liver cancer. For the first few months, Dr. Fesen had Vicki on the chemotherapy medication Taxol while he investigated the source of her liver cancer.

“Dr. Fesen, being the way that he is, wasn’t satisfied with the answers,” Vicki explains, “He kept sending out biopsies and blood work, everything to various colleagues. Finally, a lab in California found it. I was HER2-Positive.”

HER2 is a protein that promotes growth on the outside of all breast cells.

Breast cancer cells with higher than normal levels of HER2 are called HER2postive. These cancers tend to grow and spread faster than other breast cancers, but are more likely to respond to treatment with drugs that target the HER2 protein.

At the time she found out about

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her liver cancer, Vicki’s husband of 51 years, Jim, was living in Oklahoma City waiting for a heart transplant. The couple was only able to see each other on weekends for lunch in Wichita, and with the impending heart surgery, Vicki was nervous to tell Jim about her liver.

“At first I didn’t tell him because I knew,” Vicki says, “I knew that he would quit and he was already pretty high up on the list for a new heart.” Jim did successfully receive his heart transplant in December of 2012.

Vicki continued with the Taxol regimen, but Dr. Fesen noticed that her progress was starting to plateau and wanted to try something else. He

explored the options and suggested she participate in a clinical study involving the chemotherapy drug Capecitabine, to which Vicki agreed.

“I have huge respect for Dr. Fesen,” Jim explains, “Because with my heart issues that I’ve been through, I’ve met a lot of doctors. What I really admired about him, and still do, is his determination to find an answer like he did for Vicki.”

While she was on Capecitabine, she had a few side effects, but handled it pretty well for four years. However, Vicki’s tumor markers started rising again, so Dr. Fesen suggested another clinical study that involved the chemotherapy drug Kadcyla. This clinical trial required a trip to Overland Park every three weeks, which Vicki and Jim did not feel up to, so they opted out.

This did not satisfy Dr. Fesen, so he found a way for Vicki to get the trial drug Kadcyla at Central Care in Great Bend, which was closer to Vicki’s home in Lucas.

Not only did Dr. Fesen become a pillar of Vicki’s cancer care, but so did Central Care as a whole.

“They’re very accommodating,” says Vicki.

“It’s like family when you go there.”

Vicki is also a huge advocate for clinical trials.

“There’s a very good chance that I wouldn’t be here if there weren’t clinical studies and programs,” she adds. “I’m just so thankful that there have been. The first one I did, I was just thrilled to be able to do it because whatever happened to me could maybe benefit someone else.”

It is important to be aware of all cancer treatment

options. That includes considering taking part in a cancer clinical trial. By being a part of a clinical trial, a patient may not only receive benefits from participating, but help

advance cancer research, treatment and prevention, and possibly assist in finding a cure as well as helping out future generations.

After several months of

taking Kadcyla, Vicki started developing some worrying side effects. She is now going to try Letrozole, an immunotherapy drug, along with Herceptin, a chemotherapy drug. Switching regimens for the fourth time and round three with cancer hasn’t lowered her spirit at all.

“We always like to look at the positive side of it,” Vicki explains, “You have to keep yourself positive in your thinking to help fight this.”

Faith and positivity have been significant anchors for both Jim and Vicki. “You find out, when you step into these shoes that we both walk in, that you aren’t in control of your life,” Jim says. “I read a book and it said, ‘At the end of myself, there’s Jesus.’ And so that’s what you have to do. Trust Him to see you through.”

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Seasonal Concerns

FLUSeason eason With winter fast approaching, there are steps and precautions you and your family will need to take to fight the flu. Here is some advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on fighting the flu this fall and winter season.

Get Vaccinated According to the CDC, the best step you can take to prevent influenza and its potentially serious complications is getting a yearly flu vaccine. It is true the flu vaccines vary in how well they work, most having about a 65% success rate.

Still, flu vaccines prevent millions of illnesses, tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths every season. Vaccination can help protect women during pregnancy and can also help to protect the infant during the first several months after birth. Vaccinations can also help to protect others around you, especially those who are vulnerable and have compromised immune systems such as babies, young children and older people.

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Preventative Actions Other than the flu shot, there are preventative actions that you can take to reduce the spread of flu and stop the spread of germs. The CDC recommends avoiding close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw away the tissue after you use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water. If you are unable to wash your hands, use an alcoholbased hand rub. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Germs spread this way.

BLACK STAINLESS

Morton

High Risk The CDC says children younger than 5, especially those younger than 2, have a high risk of flu complications.

People with chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, chronic lung disease and neurodevelopmental conditions are the most high risk of flu complications. Getting your vaccine shot can help to protect them from contracting the flu. Other high risk groups are adults 65 years and older, as changes in the immune system due to increasing age create more problems. The CDC says people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease.

Between 70% and 85% of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older, and between 50% and 70% of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group.

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Healthy Habits

Sleep Matters When it comes to your immune health, sleep can play an important role in how your immune system performs.

Getting too much sleep doesn’t seem like it will prevent you from getting sick, but too little sleep has shown to negatively affect a person’s immune system. Making sure you get good quality sleep during the winter months can help give you a better fighting chance against the cold or flu.

Cytokine Production and Sleep The Sleepfoundation.org says that, without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response. Cytokines are produced and released during sleep; if you aren’t sleeping you’re losing out.

The Sleep Foundation recommends getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep to avoid getting sick and staying healthy. Sleeping seven to eight hours a night will also help avoid other health issues including heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Naps are the Best If you are a health-care worker or work in a profession that works nights, long hours or odd shifts and you feel you aren’t getting adequate sleep,

then naps are the best next thing for you. The Sleep Foundation says taking two naps that are no longer than 30 minutes each – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – has been shown to help decrease stress and offset the negative effects that sleep deprivation has on the immune system.

If you are unable to sleep for a halfhour during the workday, sleep for 20 minutes during your lunch break and another right before you eat dinner.

What Makes you Sleep Good sleep is important to your health and immune health. If you find

yourself having a hard time falling asleep, there are some tricks and things you can do to help.

Lowering the temperature in your bedroom can help you fall asleep. Your body temperature changes and cools when you lie down. Setting your room temperature between 60-67 degrees could help.

Another way to help you fall asleep is by making your room completely dark and turning on some relaxing music.

Research has shown that darkness boosts the production of melatonin, the hormone essential for sleep.

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Take in Nature

Stargazing While being outside on a cold night may not seem like the most excellent idea, stargazing throughout the winter can open your eyes to extraordinary views.

Plan a trip to a public forest or rural area with a clear perspective of the sky. Be sure to grab your friends and loved ones along with extra blankets and hot chocolate for a unique experience.

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), specific constellations are at their peaks during Northern Hemisphere’s winters. Some gorgeous sights to take in include: • Orion • Taurus • Andromeda Galaxy

area, you may find yourself traveling through snow.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, feet, hands, lips and ears are most prone to developing frostbite.

• Double Cluster in Perseus Since these are only a few of the famous views you can expect, grab a stargazing map before your trip to know what to look for based on your location.

Take into account these tips from NASA to enjoy your time outdoors, even while the temperatures are less than comfortable.

Dress Warm While a heavy winter coat will be a welcome

companion during your outdoor adventure, experts suggest dressing in layers beneath the jacket.

Be sure to include an insulated sweatshirt, windresistant items and protect your feet and hands. If available, buy heating packets that provide instant warmth if your attire isn’t suitable for the actual temperatures.

It’s also necessary to equip your feet with waterproof boots and warm wool socks.

Depending on how far you plan to navigate to a cleared

Clear the Ground Try to pack equipment that you can use to clear the ground of snow or leaves and branches. A shovel or rake are efficient tools that will come in handy. Before laying blankets or mats on the ground, ensure it is free from moisture or obstructions that may damage your photography devices and ground coverings.

Heat-Insulating Thermos Don’t forget a quality thermos to keep your favorite hot beverage warm for the duration of your visit. Look for drink containers that advertise as heat insulated so each sip will maintain a temperature that provides your body with warmth.

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Do Your Research

Health History

It is important to know your family health history to a keep record of disease and health conditions passed down in your genes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares tips to help you collect your family history.

How to Collect my Family Health History Collecting your family health history may seem like a difficult task to complete but it can be as easy as asking family at family gatherings.

Collect information from all of the family members that you can about health conditions or diseases that they or past family members have had. You’ll want to include information on major conditions, causes of death, age at diagnosis and ethnic background.

Talk to your doctor about

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all the information you have acquired about your family.

Even if you don’t have the whole history, at least you have a starting point for tests to screen.

Why is it Important?

Family health history is important because most families have history of at least one chronic disease such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes. If you have a family member with a disease, then more than likely you or your children can possibly have the disease.

Having your family health history can help you adjust your life and health habits early so that you can lead the healthiest life you can.

The CDC says that healthy living habits can reduce your risk for diseases that run in your family. Screening tests, such as blood sugar testing, mammograms and colorectal cancer screening, help identify early signs of disease.

Planning Pregnancy If you or your partner are planning pregnancy, knowing both of your family’s health

histories would be beneficial to you and your partner. Check with your family to know ahead of time if there is any history of complications in pregnancy such as birth defects, developmental disability, or new born screening disorder. If those diseases do run in your family there is a high chance that you could have a baby with these diseases. Screen tests for both potential parents and not just the mom. Talk to your doctor about your health history to find out what tests and treatment options you have before getting pregnant.

Cover Story

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FARM TO

Jim Schneweis finds the formula for success

by Susan Thacker sthacker@gbtribune.com

Photography by Hugo Gonzalez hgonzalez@gbtribune.com

etired pharmacist Jim Schneweis has found the formula for a successful life and, as you might expect, it has nothing to do with chemistry. Schneweis, the former owner of the Cardinal Pharmacy in Hoisington, was getting ready to celebrate his 90th birthday in October when he met with Inspired Living to share his story.

“You’ve got to have something to do.

You’ve got to keep busy,” he said.

Jim starts his day five mornings a week with a one-mile walk at the Hoisington Activity Center. He also enjoys working in his garden and keeps his mind active by doing crossword puzzles, among other things.

Church and family are central to his life.

Lorraine Maneth and Jim Schneweis were united in marriage on April 7, 1959, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in LaCrosse. They are members of St. John’s Catholic Church in Hoisington. Their five children, Walter Schneweis, Patty and Doug Francis, Michelle and Richard Laurinec, Becky and Francis Demel, and Chuck and Krysty Schneweis, all live in Kansas.

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“Dad continues to be a wonderful role model and lives out his Catholic faith,” his daughter Becky Demel said.

“He continues to take an active part at Mass by lectoring and leading the rosary. He taught us to follow our faith — but he wasn’t afraid to give us a necessary swat to keep us on track!”

Patty Francis tells a similar story.

Growing up, the children all kept busy working at the pharmacy and making deliveries. They also had newspaper routes delivering the Great Bend Tribune. Their father would always tell them to “get yourself to church.”

“Dad loves family get-togethers and loves to visit with family and friends,” Becky said. He was looking forward to a big celebration for his 90th on Oct. 16, 2021. “But due to COVID our family had to get really creative to help Dad fulfill his 90th birthday wish.

He had five new great-grand-babies within nine months and he wanted to get together and celebrate. (He has 13 grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren.)”

As the day approached, she said, “We decided to have a small family meal and rent a party bus for him. His friends won’t be able to come to him, so we are going to go around town,

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There was never a day when I didn’t like to go to work. Whenever people came into my store, I smiled and welcomed them – and that’s amazing in a lot of stores today. I enjoyed serving the public and the public has been good to me.

Jim Schneweis

visit family and friends, and deliver treats to people that are home.

“Dad loves music and we are going to listen to some of his favorites – polkas, Alan Jackson and George Strait,” she added.

From farm to pharmacy Jim Schneweis was born in Barton County on a farm between Claflin

and Odin on Oct. 16, 1931. He attended grade school and high school at Odin. There were three older brothers, Bernard, Raymond and Tom, and two sisters, Mary Agnes and Dorothy.

“My senior year, I took chemistry and I made straight A’s in it,” he recalled. “So, the principal and superintendent called me into his office and said, ‘After you get out of high school, what are you going to do?’

I was from the farm but I had three older brothers.”

Realizing he wouldn’t be running the farm, he asked the superintendent for advice. Based on his grades, they looked at a list of occupations that used chemistry. “Then he mentioned pharmacist or druggist and I thought to myself, ‘that sounds pretty good.’

So I talked to our druggist in Claflin, Mr. Woolford, and began to warm to the idea. So then I had to break the news to my dad that I wanted to go to college.”

At first his father was hesitant because of the expense, but after talking it over with relatives he relented. Jim applied and was accepted into the Creighton University School of Pharmacy in Nebraska.

He was the only one in his family to go to college, but four of his five children continued their education. Becky is a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School in Great Bend. Patty, Michelle and Charles are nurses. Oldest child Walter stayed in Hoisington and

worked at Essex.

After Jim’s graduation from the School of Pharmacy in June of 1953, he went to work for Jake Bisenious at ABC Drugs in Great Bend. Six months later he was drafted into the U.S. Army.

“I finished my basic training

at Fort Ord, California, and then the Army decided to put me in Signal Corps, so they shipped me up to Camp Gordon, Georgia.” During his training, his company commander learned that Schneweis was a pharmacist in his civilian life and suggested he transfer to somewhere his skills could be better utilized. Soon he was shipped to a medical training camp in San Antonio, Texas.

“They had me down as a corpsman, and I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to be carrying bedpans all my career,’ so I went up to personnel and I asked if there were any openings for pharmacists. They

said only overseas, and they mentioned Korea and they mentioned Okinawa. I said, ‘I’ll take Okinawa.’ I landed there June the 4th, my brother Bernie’s birthday, and it was just towards the end of the Korean War.” He set to work as a corpsman in the emergency room of the U.S. Army hospital in Okinawa. A short time later, they put him to work in pediatrics, weighing and measuring babies.

“Then there was an opening in the dermatology clinic, so I worked there assisting a doctor, and finally I got into the pharmacy,” he said. “It was good duty; it was like a civilian job.

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“I worked eight to five and if I was on call, then you’d have to stay at the pharmacy to fill emergency prescriptions in case people came in during the night.

But then the next day, you had all day off and you got a three-day pass,” he said.

He came back to the states in November of 1955.

Back in Great Bend, Jake Bisenious had built a second store on Main Street, called Triangle Drug.

In 1959, there was an opening for a pharmacist at Carper Drug in LaCrosse, owned by Jim and Mildred Carper. After he took that position, Jim met his future wife, Lorraine Maneth.

She worked as a nurse’s aide at the LaCrosse hospital. Lorraine and her friends would come into the drug store for coffee after they got off work.

“I finally got enough courage to ask her out. We had our first date in June of 1958 and then we just started going steady and we got married April 7th, 1959.”

Their first children were born in LaCrosse, and then Jim heard about an opening in Quinter. “It paid a better

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You’ve got to have something to do. You’ve got to keep busy.

Jim Schneweis

salary, plus they would give me a percentage of the pharmacy’s income,” he said.

“I worked there, and then the Cardinal Pharmacy in Hoisington was for sale. I bought it and we moved to Hoisington in August, 1967.”

Family members recall the late days and early morning call-outs Schneweis would respond to as the local pharmacist.

“I remember when I was growing up, his getting called in at three o’clock in the morning or on the weekend,” Patty said.

“Well, I always enjoyed my work,” Schneweis said.

“There was never a day when I didn’t like to go to work. Whenever people came into my store, I smiled and welcomed them – and

that’s amazing in a lot of stores today. I enjoyed serving the public and the public has been good to me.”

Schneweis owned the Cardinal Pharmacy from 1967 until April 21, 2001, when an F4 tornado hit Hoisington and destroyed the pharmacy. The Schneweis family rode out the storm in their basement and were unharmed.

Shortly after, he

occasionally worked as relief pharmacist for the Hoisington Hospital. He retired in 2018.

In 2021, he was nominated for the Hoisington Chamber of Commerce’s “Hoisington Citizen of the Year” for 2020. Although the award went to Wayne Kaiser, the chamber noted the genuine dedication that Jim Schneweis has shown to his job and to the community.

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DR. ROXANNE STILES TO SURGICAL T EAM GET TO KNOW

Roxanne Stiles, MD GENERAL SURGERY HOMETOWN: Claflin, KS BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Missouri State University

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Doctorate:: University of Kansas School of Medicine Residency: University of Kansas School of MedicineWichita General Surgery Residency

HOBBIES Reading, road/gravel biking, mountain biking, hiking, and traveling

WHY CLARA BARTON? This is the absolute ideal job for me. I get to come back home to the very hospital I was born and serve the community that helped shape the person I am today. With staff that is dedicated to providing great surgical care and advanced technology like the daVinci Robot, Clara Barton is truly a special place.

ADVICE FOR PATIENTS Try to do something active everyday but make it something you actually enjoy.