Health Journal 20130108

Shadows of themselves Three Northeast Mississippians trim 100+ pounds

ALSO: Be a Quitter - Kick tobacco out of your life Have a Healthy New Year - Eat well as you slim down

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2 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

The North Mississippi Health Journal is a publication of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

◆

INSIDE

◆

Kicking tobacco – 4 Dealing with stress – 6

Winter 2013

Finding your fitness bliss – 8 Editor

Leslie Criss

Reporters

Shadows of themselves – 11

Michaela Gibson Morris M. Scott Morris Ginna Parsons

Skinny on weight loss – 18

C. Todd Sherman Thomas Wells

Healthy New Year – 20

Photography

Layout Design Crissy Bland

Advertising Director

Preventative screenings – 22

Special Section Advertising Project Leader

What’s in an image? – 24

Richard Crenshaw

Amy Speck

Support groups/resources – 28

To subscribe to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, call (662) 678-1617. To advertise in this or other supplements of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, call Amy Speck at (662) 678-1611 or email her at amy.speck@journalinc.com.

ON THE COVER AND AT RIGHT: Tawana Dearing combined weight loss surgery with nutrition and exercise changes to lose more than 100. Learn more on page 14.

COVER AND TABLE OF CONTENTS IMAGES BY C. TODD SHERMAN | DAILY JOURNAL

NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 3

THOMAS WELLS | DAILY JOURNAL

Be a quitter

Kick tobacco out of your life DAILY JOURNAL

Breaking up with tobacco is no easy thing.

You’ve known for years it’s poisoning your body and making your clothes, house and car stink. But like a no-good boyfriend or girlfriend, tobacco can dig its claws so deeply under your skin that it’s hard to kick it out of your life for good.

“Most people don’t think in terms of the nicotine being addictive - just that they have the ‘habit’ of smoking or dipping,” said Pamela Luckett, director of the Tobacco QuitLine. “Actually, nicotine is one of the most highly addictive substances around and takes very few seconds to reach the brain.”

Smokers and dippers don’t have to go through the tobacco break-up alone. Mississippi 4 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

has a host of free resources for people who want to leave cigarettes, snuff and other forms of tobacco behind.

The ACT Center Tobacco Treatment program has satellite sites around the state and provides an initial visit, six treatment sessions, medications and follow-up appointments at no cost to participants. The Mississippi Quitline offers free counseling online or by phone and six weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy. Both programs have a follow-up component to help keep people from relapsing.

“A combination of counseling and medication and/or nicotine replacement therapy has the best rates of success,” said Connie Stuart, a tobacco treatment specialist with North Mississippi Medical Center Community Health, one of two

ACT Treatment Center satellite programs in the region.

Medications that can ease physical withdrawal symptoms have to be prescribed through a physician, but the ACT treatment program covers the cost of the medication. Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patches or nicotine gum, are provided free of charge through both the Quitline and ACT Center.

The counseling sessions help soon-to-be-ex tobacco users create a plan to step back from tobacco, prepare for withdrawal symptoms and common pitfalls, and find healthy habits.

“Cold turkey might work for some people,” Stuart said. “But for most people, it does not.”

A quit plan starts with deeply examining the reasons for kicking the tobacco habit.

For some folks, it’s the cost.

▼

BY MICHAELA GIBSON MORRIS

GETTING THROUGH THE CRAVINGS The Tobacco Quitline suggests these four strategies for getting through nicotine cravings: • Deep breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out slowly through your mouth.

• Drink a glass of water slowly, sip by sip.

• Do something else. Some activities trigger cravings. Get up and move around.

• Delay for 10 minutes. Repeat if needed.

Cravings may last only five to 10 minutes, although they can go longer.

RESOURCES

• Mississippi Tobacco Quitline (800) QUITNOW or www.quitlinems.com • ACT Center Tobacco Treatment Sites • NMMC-Iuka - (662) 423-4675 • NMMC-Tupelo - (662) 377-5787

For others, it’s the health consequences for themselves and their children.

“There’s no one reason why people smoke,” Stuart said. “There’s no one reason why people quit.”

Usually, Stuart has people step down, cutting the number of cigarettes they smoke in a day.

“We generally avoid dropping more than 10 cigarettes a day,” Stuart said. “It’s too much to handle.”

Quitting has to address the habits around smoking, too. For many people, their day is organized around tobacco, Luckett said. Get up, have a cigarette with a cup of coffee. Start up the car, have a dip. Finish a meal, go out for a smoke. Get home from work, unwind with a cigarette.

“If you were to suddenly take that behavior out of the day, and not be prepared to replace it with something – the first thing a person is likely to do is start smoking again,” Luckett said.

The cessation counselors can walk quitters through some tried and true strategies like removing ashtrays, moving tobacco out of easy reach and help them individualize a plan of attack.

Make no mistake. Quitting is hard work.

“Most people do not like change – and there is no magic bullet,” Luckett said.

“It will be a huge lifestyle change. People don’t like to be uncomfortable, but there are not many ways to change your lifestyle that won’t be uncomfortable for a period of time.”

Perseverance is key. It takes many people six to eight tries to quit for good.

“They learn a lot about themselves with each attempt, and we try to help them realize how far they have come each time,” Luckett said.

In the end, quitters see gains in their health, their wallets and their surroundings.

“Quitting is important to your quality of life,” Stuart said.

michaela.morris@journalinc.com

TIME WILL TELL Smoke your last cigarette at noon on Jan. 1 and reap the benefits faster than you think:

Better Living Through Better Allergy Care

After 20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse rate improve to healthier levels.

After 8 hours: Carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in blood return to normal.

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After 2 weeks: Circulation improves and lung function increases.

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After 1-9 months: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.

After 5 years: Stroke risk is reduced to the same levels as a non-smoker.

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After 1 year: Chance of heart attack is cut in half.

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After a day: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.

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After 10 years: Risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a current smoker.

After 15 years: Risk of coronary heart disease and death is about the same as it is for those who have never smoked.

Source: Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi

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NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 5

One size does not fit all People find their own ways to deal with stress

BY M. SCOTT MORRIS In every life a little stress must fall, and that’s not always a bad thing.

“I try to help people understand there is overload and under-load.

Either one of them can bring about stress,” said Sandra Holmes, a licensed professional counselor with North Mississippi Medical Center Behavior Health Center.

Stress only becomes a problem when it gets out of hand, but there are steps people can take to improve their well-being.

There’s one important rule: Find what works best for you.

“Some of the things I love might make my friends miserable,” Holmes said. “Everybody is different. It’s about finding your own way.”

Edwin Crenshaw is a fitness supervisor at NMMC Wellness Center, so he’s a firm believer in exercise’s ability to help the body deal with stress.

“But exercise isn’t for everyone,” Crenshaw said.

A rigorous game of basketball might be just the prescription for one person, while a quiet half hour spent listening to music could be someone else’s main release.

SWEAT CAN BE GOOD

Of course, Crenshaw doesn’t want anyone to discount exercise because it has many benefits to offer.

“It can decrease stress hormones, which is cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body’s feel-good chemicals that give you a natural boost, the ‘runner’s high.’”

There are a variety of exercises that might work for you, including lifting weights, taking a hike, dancing, yoga, pilates and running.

Dana Hobby works at the NMMC Women’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which has its share of stressful days.

6 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

C. TODD SHERMAN | DAILY JOURNAL

DAILY JOURNAL

You can tell by the look on Dana Hobby’s face that exercise increases her stress level, but her workouts also increase her body’s ability to handle more harmful forms of stress.

She noticed her clothes weren’t fitting as well as they should and started going to the Wellness Center to tone up. Regular exercise provided the physical benefits she wanted, as well as unexpected emotional and mental benefits.

“I’m in a better frame of mind, and I feel better, too,” Hobby said.

“I’m learning to leave work at work and come here, then leave here and go home.”

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Hobby works out on exercise machines, jumps rope, runs and more during 45-minute sessions, but that might not be your route to stress relief.

Cooking a big family meal could by your release. Then again,

just thinking about the work involved with such a task could send you running to hide under the covers.

As the ancients said, “Know thyself.”

To do that properly, Holmes advised disconnecting from day-today life on a regular basis.

“You need to give yourself time to take a break and relax,” she said. “That’s time to learn to listen to your physical, mental and emotional voices.”

Physical cues include exhaustion and high blood pressure; negative self-talk and inability to focus provide mental cues; and feelings of sadness or irritation can serve as emotional cues.

Stress can be a contributing

factor to numerous health problems, including headaches, stroke, diabetes, digestive issues, obesity, alcoholism, insomnia, heart disease, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction and more.

If left unchecked, stress can lead to anxiety and depression. If you’ve noticed changes in eating and sleep patterns and reduced performance at school or work, it could signal a need for professional help.

But things don’t have to get that far.

“You can de-stress yourself,” Crenshaw said. “Find what works for you.”

scott.morris@journalinc.com

Winter (or summer) blues can get you down

D

FAST FACTS

oes this scenario sound familiar?

The weather is cold, you would rather be in bed, you have lost interest in your favorite things, you are easily irritated and you just do not understand what is going on.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly called SAD, is a type of depression that occurs in cycles and is linked to changes in seasons typically in the fall and spring.

Fall onset SAD is thought to occur because of the decrease in daylight with fall and winter months. No studies have been conducted to confirm this theory; however, this is a condition that is seen annually and the further north you live, the higher the incidence of SAD. Other studies have also demonstrated that light therapy improves serotonin activity, thereby improving symptoms.

Symptoms can include depression, increased sleep, irritability and feelings of heaviness, weight

DELALI BLAVO

ANTHONY McRAVEN

gain, and increased appetite. The incidence of SAD is higher in women than in men.

Spring onset SAD, again not well understood, has some similar and some opposite symptoms.

Symptoms can include depression, decreased sleep, weight loss, and poor appetite.

As with any medical problem, the symptoms above are only some of the symptoms that an individual may have. There can be other symptoms including some or all of the ones listed.

One easy method of managing fall onset SAD is light therapy. We

• Three out of four Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD sufferers are women.

• The main age of onset of SAD is between 18 and 30 years of age.

• SAD occurs in both the northern and southern hemispheres, but is extremely rare in those living within 30 degrees latitude of the equator.

• The severity of SAD depends on a person’s vulnerability to the disorder and his or her geographical location.

Source: Mental Health America

are not talking about buying a light bulb and staring at it for 30 minutes a day; but rather, there are lights made specifically for improving the symptoms associated with SAD. Another inexpensive method is to increase sunlight exposure and to increase the amount of sunlight streaming into your home.

Prescription medications are also available that can be prescribed

by your physician to improve symptoms of SAD. Other forms of therapy are available as well.

The key is to seek the advice of a physician if you are having symptoms of either type of SAD. DR. ANTHONY McRAVEN is a secondyear internal medicine resident in Corinth and emergency room physician.

DR. DELALI BLAVO is a second-year internal medicine resident in Corinth.

NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 7

Find your fitness bliss

BY MICHAELA GIBSON MORRIS DAILY JOURNAL

Fitness can be a big commitment.

It takes time, space and dedication to move from intention to habit.

Around Northeast Mississippi, fitness centers come in different shapes, sizes and configurations to help people shift gears toward a healthier lifestyle.

Almost all fitness centers offer access to cardiovascular and strength training machines. Beyond that, the services and equipment run a broad gamut from no-frills traditional gyms to indoor pools, racquetball courts and day spas. It all depends on what you want.

“Leave your mind open to the options,” said Emily Wadkins, director of the IukaWellness Center, a medical fitness facility that is part of the North Mississippi Health Services system. “They can expand your horizons ... variety keeps everybody coming back.”

For people with unconventional schedules that don’t mesh well with the hours of operation for a fullservice fitness center, a facility with 24-hour access may be the answer.

“Convenience is key,” said Susan Presley, co-owner of Anytime Fitness, a 24-hour access fitness center with locations across the region.

For people who have a specific interest area, dedicated centers focus in on just one

discipline. For example, interest in yoga has blossomed in the region.

Currently there are three dedicated yoga centers in Tupelo and Oxford that offer a wide range of classes in different styles and mastery levels.

A first visit to a fitness center can be overwhelming, with rows of unfamiliar equipment. Most centers offer some kind of trial membership or period so people can put a toe in the water or cancel their membership without being on the hook for a whole year’s dues.

As exercisers are getting a feel for the gym, it is also important to get a feel for the people there. Guidance can be especially important for those with health conditions or those recovering from physical injuries. Different centers offer varying levels of orientation, personal training services, nutrition counseling and day-to-day guidance.

“You may not be getting all you could be,” Wadkins said.

Wadkins counsels folks not to make a decision strictly on cost alone. Expert assistance can make a big difference in your long-term fitness success. A center’s fitness staff can be invaluable resources for tailoring exercise plans around your personal goals and problems. Ask questions.

“Consider the knowledge field of the staff,” Wadkins said.

michaela.morris@journalinc.com

TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED • Start slow and build up. An injury will set you back.

• Keep expectations realistic. Healthy weight loss targets usually range from 1 to 2 pounds a week.

• Balance your workout regimen, incorporating cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training elements.

• Get good advice. Talk to your health care provider. Search out a qualified fitness trainer.

• Find a buddy to exercise with. The accountability will keep you going.

• Find something you enjoy; you’re more likely to keep going.

8 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

Here’s a brief rundown of fitness facilities around the region.

All the fitness centers offer staff guidance, and personal training sessions are available at most.

Hospital-affiliated centers often offer nutrition counseling and health-related classes in addition

to fitness facilities. Several in the area also have indoor pools and offer water aerobics and swim lessons.

Other fitness centers around the area offer a mix of services, giving members access to fitness equipment, classes and other amenities.

Tupelo/Lee County • ATC Fitness, Tupelo, (662) 269-3969, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

• Anytime Fitness (662) 844-1235, Tupelo; 844-1236, East Tupelo 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights, classes.

• NMMC Wellness Center, (662) 3774141, Madison Street, Tupelo, hospitalaffiliated center, indoor pool, racquetball, basketball and day spa.

• Premiere Lady, (662) 842-5239, 24hour access, women-only, fitness machines, free weights, classes.

• SNAP Fitness, (662) 844-7627, Tupelo, 869-3181, Saltillo, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

• Shanti Yoga Studio, (662) 321-1285, Tupelo, offers more than a dozen weekly classes, ranging from Gentle Yoga to Hot Yoga in an inviting, peaceful space.

• The Yoga Center, (662) 372-3233, Tupelo, offers beginner and advanced yoga classes in quiet, meditative atmosphere.

• Power Zone, (662) 862-7523, 24-hour access, fitness equipment, free weights, classes.

Aberdeen • Pioneer Wellness Center, 369-8480, hospital-affiliated center.

Amory • Anytime Fitness, (662) 257-6330, Amory, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights, classes.

• Curves, (662) 256-4002, womenonly, 30-minute strength and cardio circuit training program.

• Gilmore Sports and Wellness Center, (662) 256-6127, hospital-affiliated center, indoor pool.

Baldwyn • NMMC Wellness Center, (662) 3657873, hospital-affiliated center.

Booneville • Zone Fitness, (662) 720-1065, 24-hour access, cardio and strength machines, free weights.

Corinth • Corinth Sportsplex, 287-4417, cityowned center, fitness machines, free weights, classes, indoor pool.

• Corinth Wellness Center, (662) 2875556, fitness machines, free weights, classes, indoor pool.

• Zone Fitness, (662) 286-0060, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights and classes.

Fulton • Anytime Fitness, (662) 862-7737, 24hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

Iuka • NMMC Wellness Center, (662) 4231980, hospital-affiliated center.

New Albany • Anytime Fitness, (662) 534-4009, 24hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

• Baptist Healthplex, (662) 538-4194, hospital-affiliated center, indoor pool, raquetball courts, basketball.

Oxford • Anytime Fitness, (662) 259-2296, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

• Ice Core Fitness, (662) 816-2673 offers group classes and private sessions including cardio, pilates, Gyrotonic exercise method, which strengthens muscles and improves range of motion; and BarreAmped, a precision-oriented technique that uses the ballet barre.

• Baptist Healthplex, (662) 232-8788, hospital-affiliated center.

• SNAP Fitness, (662) 259-2296, 24hour access, fitness machines, free weights and classes.

• Southern Star Yoga Center, (662) 513-0001, offers a range of yoga classes.

Pontotoc • NMMC Wellness Center, (662) 4891335, hospital-affiliated center.

Ripley • Tippah County Wellness Center , 837-7656, hospital-affiliated center, indoor pool.

• Total Body Gym, (662) 512-6060, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights, Tae Bo, mixed martial arts classes.

Starkville • Anytime Fitness, (662) 546-4299, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

• Starkville Athletic Club, (662) 3234455, fitness machines, free weights.

• Wellness Connection of OCH, (662) 323-9355, hospital-affiliated center, indoor pool.

West Point • Anytime Fitness, (662) 546-4299, 24-hour access, fitness machines, free weights.

• NMMC-West Point, 495-9355, hospital-affiliated center, raquetball court.

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10 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

cover story

It’s daunting to face down the scale when you have more than 100 pounds to lose.

Step by step, three Northeast Mississippians did just that.

Tawana Dearing of Tupelo, Neil Murphy of Baldwyn and Randall Godwin of Saltillo each have shed more than 100 pounds.

Along the way, they’ve discovered the rewards of a healthy lifestyle go far beyond the scale.

NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 11

cover story

starting small,

FINISHING BIG

Saltillo man drops more than 100 pounds in less than a year

BY MICHAELA GIBSON MORRIS DAILY JOURNAL

R

andall Godwin’s road to better health has been anything but smooth, steady and straight.

▼

But over the past 21⁄2 years, something clicked for the Saltillo man. And even though he’s had some tremendous setbacks, he’s lost 130 pounds in the past 12 months.

“Sometimes in order to succeed, you must fail,” Godwin said.

In the course of 13 years, Godwin went from 220 pounds – “I’ve always been a large guy” – to 375 pounds in 2010. He had sleep apnea that wasn’t well controlled even though he was using the highest settings on his breathing machine at night. He had high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

In August 2010, he was inspired to take the first steps – walking on a track close to his Birmingham Ridge Road home.

“At first, I did two miles,” Godwin said. “It took me around 45 minutes or so, and my ankles would hurt.”

He worked his way up to four miles, then six.

“I was just determined to do something,” Godwin said, who dropped 35 pounds in three months.

But when winter came, so did colds and infections, which interfered with his exercise regimen.

He stopped walking, didn’t adjust his eating habits and ended up gaining back all but five pounds.

In August 2011, a trip to the beach and indulgence in shrimp and cocktails brought on a nasty bout of gout. His chest hurt. His foot was inflamed. And they found chronic arthritis in his back.

“I couldn’t stand up out of a chair,” Godwin said. “That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

I was too young to be in a wheelchair.”

In January 2012, Godwin recommitted himself to fitness.

12 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

COURTESY | PREVIOUS PAGE THOMAS WELLS DAILY JOURNAL

BEFORE

Opposite page, Randall Godwin shifted his nutrition and picked up walking and cycling to leave nearly 125 pounds behind. Left, Before he began his weight loss journey, Godwin had grown to 375 pounds.

RANDALL GODWIN

AGE: 49 HOME: Saltillo LOST: 130 pounds since January 2012 GOAL: Reach a healthy weight around 200 pounds in 2013 ROUTINE: Walks, jogs and bikes every day. Logs every bite with MyFitness Pal, a free smart phone app FOOD: Focuses on whole foods, especially lean meat, fruits, vegetables, whole grains.

Avoids processed foods.

ADVICE: Just put on your exercise gear, and promise yourself that you’ll do a short distance. The hardest part is just getting out the door.

This time, he also straightened up his nutrition.

“I decided to do something, not as a resolution, but as a solution to my problems,” Godwin said. “I was armed with a little more knowledge this time.”

He cut way back on red meat and processed foods and focused on whole foods including lean meats, eggs, whole grains, fruits and vegetables with help from wife Polly.

“It’s amazing what you get used to,” Godwin said.

He renewed his walking program, starting again with two miles a day. He used ice packs to battle the inflammation in his ankles and knees, and a smart phone app to track his calories.

“After a few months, I was back up to walking six miles a day and down to 340 pounds,” Godwin said. “The ankle pain and back pain went away.”

Through his weight loss journey, Godwin was able to reclaim a favorite activity from his childhood – biking. The Godwins had bought “town” bikes in August 2010, and had started riding some.

On a lark, the Godwins decided to try the 46-mile ride at the Bikes, Blues & Bayous event in Greenwood. They had so much fun they

purchased road bikes this fall.

“We started riding longer and longer,” said Polly Godwin. On a nice weekend, they often put in more than 100 miles on the bikes.

These days, Godwin walks and jogs six to eight miles every morning and gets at least 30 minutes of biking or some other aerobic activity every evening. They’ve been getting in regular rides with the Tupelo Cycling Club, too.

Now the guy who was wearing 4X shirts and size 54 pants is down to XL shirts and size 40 pants.

His doctor has cut his blood pressure medicine in half, and weaned him off the sleep apnea machine. His gout symptoms are long gone. He surpassed his goal of losing 125 pounds in a year.

His long-term goal is to get down to about 200 pounds.

“That’s in the healthy zone for me. I’ll be faster on the bike,” Godwin said.

It all began with little steps on a walking track close to their Birmingham Ridge home.

“Fitness has become my new life,” Godwin said. “I’ll be 49 in January and am in the best shape of my life. I thank God every night.”

michaela.morris@journalinc.com

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NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 13

cover story

Finding the

RIGHT TOOL FOR SUCCESS

Tawana Dearing dropped more than 100 pounds with help from NMMC Bariatric Clinic

BY MICHAELA GIBSON MORRIS DAILY JOURNAL

I

14 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

“I knew I was overweight,” said Dearing, who works at North Mississippi Medical Center. “As a dietitian, a lot of people expect you not to be.”

In addition to carrying the extra weight, her blood pressure and cholesterol levels were high.

“Ishouldn’thavebeendealingwith those things at age 36,” Dearing said.

But more, she knew she wasn’t being the example she wanted to be for her daughter, Elana, who is now 9. Following her divorce, she was prepared to make some changes.

“I was ready to show her a healthy lifestyle,” Dearing said.

Dearing struggled with her weight nearly all her life.

“I was always heavy as a kid,” Dearing said. “In fifth and sixth grade, I was 110 pounds.”

She learned to brush it off, telling herself she was big boned.

After yo-yoing up and down the scale through the years, Dearing decided to seriously consider bariatric surgery.

“I had tried dieting. I had tried cutting back,” Dearing said. “It wasn’t working for me.”

Dearing did a lot of research before deciding on weight loss surgery, checking out support groups and considering success rates. The NMMC Bariatric Center requires a thorough process of counseling and medical testing before patients go through surgery.

“It’s not a decision I made lightly,” Dearing said. “They don’t let you make it lightly.”

She went through six months of supervised weight loss ahead of her surgery and dropped to 225 pounds before Lap Band surgery in 2009.

“I started with baby steps,” Dearing said. “There was no way I could do a spin class or a full Zumba class when I began.”

After the surgery, she went

▼

Above, Tawana Dearing picked up running and Zumba as part of dropping more than 110 pounds with the help of Lapband surgery. Opposite page, Dearing’s daughter Elana was a source of inspiration for her weight loss journey.

n 2009, Tawana Dearing felt the weight of 257 pounds personally and professionally.

BEFORE

COURTESY | PREVIOUS PAGE C. TODD SHERMAN DAILY JOURNAL

It’s never too early to get started on a great smile.

TAWANA DEARING

AGE: 39 HOME: Tupelo LOST: More than 110 pounds over two years, primarily after Lap Band surgery MAINTAINED: 1 year ROUTINE: At least 30 minutes of walking or running six days a week. At least an hour of intense exercise three or four days a week. She mixes up her walking and running with Zumba, spin and boot camp classes. back to baby steps both in exercise and eating. Immediately before and after surgery, patients require a liquid diet. Then it slowly advances to more solid food, although very small portions.

“A saucer of food is plenty,” Dearing said, and protein is the top priority nutritionally.

Friends, family and the staff at the NMMC Bariatric Clinic were there when she needed help and encouragement.

“It’s good to have that support,” Dearing said.

With dedication to the right nutrition and exercise, it took her most of two years to drop below 150 pounds.

“It’s a tool; it’s not a quick fix,” Dearing said. “I could overeat this if I wanted to.”

Now she gets in at least 30 minutes of exercise five or six days a week, with more intense hour-long workouts three or four days a week. Depending on her schedule, she usually gives herself Friday or Sunday off.

“I’m at a healthy weight,” Dearing said. “I’m content.”

During a boot camp exercise class in 2011, she was exposed to running.

“Before I started my weight loss I had never run,” Dearing

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SMOOTHIE

Dearing finds a smoothie is a great post exercise snack that combines fruit and protein.

1 ⁄2 cup strawberries 1 ⁄2 cup pineapple 1 medium banana 1 cup of sugar-free ice cream or frozen yogurt 1 cup skim milk Cut up the fruit. Load all the ingredients in a blender. Mix and enjoy. Makes two servings. said. “Now I love to run.”

Her body is still changing, giving her lots of reasons to go shopping.

“The last couple of months, I’ve gone down another size,” Dearing said. “That’s a fun challenge, to stay dressed.”

Her cholesterol is back in healthy ranges. Her blood pressure is much lower, although still slightly elevated, and doesn’t require medication.

Most importantly, she’s created the healthy active lifestyle for herself and her family that she aimed for in the beginning.

“My daughter is such an inspiration,” Dearing said. “She exercises with me. We cook together.”

michaela.morris@journalinc.com NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 15

cover story

From dieter to athlete

Baldwyn minister finds the inspiration for a healthy life

BY MICHAELA GIBSON MORRIS DAILY JOURNAL

T

ough love sparked Neil Murphy’s weight loss journey.

▼

In Dec. 2003, the Baptist minister who lives in Baldwyn, weighed in at 307 pounds. His triglycerides were over 900; normal is below 150. His physician had counseled him for years about his weight, but at this visit, he gave Murphy a serious reality check.

“You’re telling people to have self-control, and you obviously have none,” Murphy remembers his doctor telling him. Then the doctor really hit Murphy where he lived: “I will assure you, you will not live to see your grandchildren grown.”

Murphy was motivated, but he was daunted by the task in front of him.

“Over the years, I’ve yo-yoed,” said Murphy, who was a lean runner as a young man, but saw his weight nearly double over 18 years.

“I felt hopeless and helpless” to lose the weight and keep it off.

After that doctor’s visit, Murphy talked to his wife, Ann, and prayed simply: “Lord help me to have the desire to go through this, to make a meaningful change.”

Murphy started to take baby steps back to good health by joining the Baldwyn Wellness Center.

The first time on an elliptical machine at BaldwynWellness Center, Murphy couldn’t go five minutes.

But he set small goals starting with five minutes, and eventually worked his way up to an hour.

He cut back his food drastically, eating only 1,000 calories a day.

“It’s not what I’d recommend now,” Murphy said. “It’s not the healthy way, but it’s all I knew then.”

The first 25 pounds came off fast and fueled his motivation.

“I felt so encouraged, I was moved to do more,” Murphy said.

The wellness center became a regular routine. Murphy eventually became a volunteer and then part-time employee and certi-

16 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

Opposite page, Exercise and smart eating habits continue to fuel Neil Murphy’s life six years after he dropped 127 pounds.

Left, When he first started his weight loss journey, Murphy could barely handle five minutes on the cardiovascular exercise machine. Below, Now he leads a high intensity interval class at the Baldwyn Wellness Center.

COURTESY

BEFORE

NEIL MURPHY

AGE: 56 HOME: Baldwyn LOST: 127 pounds over two years MAINTAINED: 6 years ROUTINE: Bikes at least an hour six days a week; leads group exercises classes, strength training.

FOOD: Focuses on balanced diet that delivers energy to bike and run. Avoids sweets, but allows small treats.

ADVICE: Find a physical activity you love.

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fied group fitness instructor at the wellness center.

“I never would have imagined doing that,” Murphy said. “I have enjoyed the opportunity to learn and to share.”

As he got lighter, he added weight training. He learned more about nutrition and balanced what he was eating. The Grace Baptist Church family has learned he’s probably going to pass on homemade goodies and junk food, and they support him.

“I stay off sweets,” Murphy said.

“If I’m eating sweets, I don’t want fruit.”

In May 2004, he was inspired by his son-in-law Aaron Parker to get a mountain bike, and they started riding with Parker’s dad on trails off the Natchez Trace.

The bike riding was a revelation for Murphy. He got an entry level

road bike and started riding with the Tupelo Bicycle Club.

“I changed from being a dieter to an athlete,” Murphy said. “Since 2004, I’ve ridden at least 3,000 miles on the bike every year.”

The doctor who read him the riot act was able to watch Murphy’s triglycerides go to normal, along with his blood sugar readings.

“Every health issue I had went away,” Murphy said.

Murphy’s weight loss journey hasn’t been easy, but he’s never wanted to quit.

“I point to God first,” Murphy said. “I tried so many times and failed.” But this time he was able to hold on to the desire and the passion to be fit. “I feel like God granted my prayer.”

michaela.morris@journalinc.com NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 17

Get the skinny on weight loss Here’s a breakdown on some of the most popular weight loss programs with help from registered dietitian April Morgan, who works with people at the NMMC Wellness Center in West Point.

It’s not necessary to use an organized program to successfully lose weight, Morgan said.

But they can be very helpful in providing guidance and support through the journey.

“If you have encouragement,” formally through a weight loss counselor or support group or informally from friends, Morgan said, “you’re more likely to stick with your goals.”

Weight Watchers, which has locations around Northeast Mississippi, uses a points system to focus on nutritionally dense foods, encourage portion control and reward exercise to achieve a 1 to 2 pound-a-week loss. Participants can choose between traditional meetings, online tools or a mix of both. Although Weight Watchers has branded foods and accessories, no purchases are required.

Cost: Approximately $480 a year Morgan’s take: The program is nutritionally sound, promotes healthy lifestyles and includes a maintenance phase.

PhysiciansWeight Loss Centers, including a location in Tupelo, offer a range of six medically supervised weight loss programs. They range from a very low-calorie diet with 800 calories a day to a low-fat, high-energy diet that includes 1,500 calories. The programs use a mix of the center’s nutritional supplements and grocery store food to fill specially designed menus.

Cost: Approximately $100 to $800 annually, depending on individualized program.

Morgan’s take: The plans seem to focus on high-protein, low-carb nutrition. With the lowcalorie options, the medical supervision is very important. Maintenance component is not detailed on the PHysicians Weight Loss Centers’ website.

18 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

FIND YOUR WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS

Nutrisystem primarily uses pre-packaged foods to help participants clearly control their portion sizes. Nutrisystem focuses on high protein, high-fiber foods with carbs that have a low impact on blood sugar levels. They have programs specifically for people with diabetes that gives them access to certified diabetes educators.

Includes a transition/maintenance program to help participants transition after weight loss. No local centers or meeting locations.

Cost: Approximately $3,000 annually Morgan’s take: The clear portion control can be very helpful. She would recommend choosing a trial to determine if you like the food. Nutrisystem is probably most attractive for singles or couples who don’t have to prepare meals for other members of the family.

The successful weight loss program is the one you can live with long term, says registered dietitian April Morgan. Here’s some keys to success no matter what kind of program you chose: • Set realistic short-term goals you can meet. Losing 10 percent of your weight is a good place for most people to start • Create a balanced approach, increasing physical activity and decreasing calories.

• If you aren’t already exercising, start with short walks.

• Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water.

“You want to make sure you’re staying hydrated,” Morgan said.

• Write down what you eat. It forces you to be mindful of what you eat.

• Have a plan when you eat out.

• Find non-food rewards for meeting small mini-goals.

• Create a buddy system. “We all need encouragement,” Morgan said. “If you have encouragement, you’re more likely to stick with your goals.”

WATCH OUT FOR SHORT CUTS

TOPS, a non-profit organization, offers weekly weight loss support group meetings across the country. Locally, there are meetings in Tupelo, Corinth and Aberdeen. The groups focus on healthy eating and regular exercise. The group doesn’t sell a specific diet or food plan, but it does strongly advocate a food exchange system developed by the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes Association and choosemyplate.gov.

Cost: $28 annually Morgan’s take: By using publicly available healthy nutrition programs, TOPS keeps costs low and accessible. They encourage an initial weight loss of 5 to 7 percent of initial body weight. Group meetings offer accountability and encouragement.

Short cuts with weight loss almost always backfire.

Promises of fast weight loss are another sign that a weight loss program is too good to be true, Morgan said. Slow, steady weight loss is more likely to be sustained.

“Averaging two pounds a week is safe,” Morgan said. “Anything above two pounds, you’re losing water weight.”

One sure sign of a fad diet is they eliminate whole food groups, she said.

That cheats the body of essential nutrients, and it’s unsustainable for the long run.

It’s important to focus on lifestyle changes with a balanced nutrition and regular physical activity.

“Diets are short lived,” Morgan said.

Maintenance is just as important as losing the weight.

“Your health benefit is going to come when you keep the weight off for three to five years,” she said.

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Healthy New Year!

Eating better comes easier when you make small goals, hold yourself accountable and watch your portions

BY GINNA PARSONS

Salmon Burger

DAILY JOURNAL

TUPELO – The party’s over.

And your bad holiday eating habits should be, too.

If you haven’t already resolved to be kinder to your body this year, it’s not too late to make that commitment.

“The thing about New Year’s resolutions is you don’t want to make them too high,” said Alice Ann Lee, a registered dietitian with the North Mississippi Medical CenterWellness Center. “You need to set small, manageable goals that are realistic. If you set a goal to lose 50 pounds by March, that’s just impossible. And then when you don’t reach that goal, you feel like a failure.”

For instance, Lee said, you might resolve to lose one to two pounds a week, or work out for at least 30 minutes three times a week, or limit your snacks to one or two a day.

“During the holiday season, everybody is going to parties or bringing food to the office,” she said. “When the first of the year comes around, you need to cut back.”

Lee said when you do snack, you need to focus on protein and fiber.

“Those two things will keep you fuller longer,” she said.

Some good 200-calorie snacks are: • Half a whole-wheat English muffin with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter • 1 cup of Greek yogurt plus 10 raw almonds • 1 medium apple with one ounce of string cheese • 1 cup of baby carrots with two tablespoons of low-fat ranch dressing “Don’t go longer than two to four hours without eating something,” she said. “Typically, when you’ve gone too long without food and your stomach starts growling, you’re not going to reach for something healthy.You’re going to want comfort food.”

20 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

WRITE IT DOWN

If you have decided to eat better and exercise more this year, Lee said, you might want to consider keeping a food diary.

“A food diary or food log is one way to make you accountable for everything you eat in a day. It forces you to face up to your actions,” she said. “And you have to record and count beverages, too.

Sweet tea isn’t a food, but it does have a lot of calories.”

Writing your goals down can also be a motivator.

“Keep them where you can see them,” she said. “Put them on the fridge or somewhere in the kitchen since that’s where the food is kept.”

Lee warns that people shouldn’t get too hung up on the number on the scale.

“Especially if you’re doing weight training and building muscle, you have to remember that muscle weighs more than fat,” she said. “You may have lost only five pounds but you may have

dropped two clothes sizes.”

Lee said it’s important to be realistic about food choices.

“We’re all going to eat too much pizza or too much cake,” she said.

“But the next day, we just have to start fresh again. When you overeat, acknowledge that and make better choices the next day.

“Calories are like depositing money in the bank. Once you deposit it, it’s in there. Once you eat something, you can’t take the calories back. But what you can do is burn them off with exercise.”

WATCH YOUR PORTIONS

“Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just eating healthy, you have to be mindful of portions,” Lee said. “Use a divided plate so you can see how much you’re actually eating, or use a salad plate rather than a large dinner plate so there will be less room for food.”

Portions can become really distorted in restaurants.

“People want the biggest bang for the buck – the largest portion for the smallest price,” Lee said.

“When you go out, split an entree with someone else. Or ask for a togo box when your entree arrives and box half of it up right away to take home for another meal. You can also order an appetizer instead of an entree.”

Lee said keeping some visuals in your head is one way to remember what appropriate portions are.

• Three ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards.

• A tablespoon is the size of a 9volt battery.

• A cup is the size of a tennis ball. A serving of a starchy vegetable is a half-cup; a serving of all other vegetables is one cup.

• One ounce of cheese is the size of three dice.

“You can pretty much have anything you want to,” Lee said. “It’s all about a balancing act.You have to burn off what you eat. And remember, you didn’t put on extra weight all at once, so you can’t take it off all at once.”

ginna.parsons@journalinc.com

COURTESY PHOTOS

Apple Spice Bread APPLE SPICE BREAD

2 medium Granny Smith apples 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole-wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 11⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 ⁄2 teaspoon allspice 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt Pinch of nutmeg (optional) 3 ⁄4 cup packed light brown sugar 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Peel and grate apples and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt and nutmeg (if using).

In a medium bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just blended.

Pour batter into a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Makes 10 servings.

Per serving: 206 calories, 38g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g fat, 4g protein, 170 mg sodium.

WHITE CHILI

1 tablespoon canola or olive oil 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 3 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 ⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the beans, broth, chicken, cumin, cloves and oregano. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until it melts.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 373 calories, 30g carbs,

White Chili 6g fiber, 13g fat, 34g protein, 227mg sodium.

SALMON BURGERS

1 (6-ounce) can salmon 2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs 1 egg 1 ⁄2 tablespoon diced shallots 2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper 1 teaspoon dried dill 2 teaspoons canola oil 2 whole-grain sandwich buns Lettuce, tomato, purple onion slices (optional) Place salmon in a medium bowl and break it up with a fork. Add bread crumbs, egg, shallots, bell pepper and dill; combine well. Form into 2 burgers.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook burgers about 4 minutes on each side. Serve on the sandwich buns with lettuce, tomato and onion, if desired.

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Per serving: 503 calories, 41g carbs, 6g fiber, 20g fat, 35g protein, 625mg sodium.

ALMOND-TOPPED ZUCCHINI

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 ⁄4 teaspoon salt 1 ⁄8 teaspoon pepper 1 ⁄4 cup smoked almonds, chopped In a large skillet, sauté zucchini and garlic in oil and butter until tender. Stir in salt and pepper; sprinkle with almonds.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 139 calories, 7g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g fat, 4g protein, 216mg sodium.

634 Spicer Drive • Suite B Tupelo, MS (662) 842-8514 NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 21

Watch for warnings

Preventive health screenings provide early alerts for health risks Preventive health screenings give you the opportunity to act before life-threatening problems arise.

General screening guidelines are developed for people who have no known risk factors. People with risk factors or family history may need to be screened more often.

Catching problems early when they are in the most treatable stages can prevent or delay the onset of disease.

WOMEN

20s and 30s • Blood pressure should be checked at every doctors visit or at least once every two years. Untreated high blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, vascular disease and kidney disease.

• Cholesterol should be checked every five years or more frequently if you have certain risk factors like being overweight or smoking. Untreated high cholesterol raises the risk of heart disease.

• Diabetes screening: Blood sugar should be checked every three years or more frequently depending on risk factors.

• Cervical cancer screening*: starting at age 21. US Preventive Services Task Force recommends every three years. Women 30 and older without other risk factors can go every five years for pap test and HPV test. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends every two years starting at age 21.

Women over 30 who have had three normal results and have no risk factors can extend to every three years.

40s • Breast cancer screening*: Annual mammograms starting at age 40.

• Continue screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and cervical cancer.

50s • Colorectal cancer screening: Starting at age 50, colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years. Other tests can be used, but they require more frequent screening.

• Mammograms continue*. (US Preventive Service Task Force recommends mammograms every two years after age 50) • Continue screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, cervical cancer and diabetes.

60s • Osteoporosis screening: Start routine screening at age 60.

• Age 65: Welcome to Medicare: Annual wellness exams start.

• Continue screening for blood pressure, cholesterol, cervical cancer, breast cancer and diabetes.

70s and beyond • About age 75, most people can stop many preventive screening tests. Physicians can individualize recommendations based on medical history and life expectancy. *Conflicting recommendations 22 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

MEN

20s and 30s • Blood pressure should be checked at every doctors visit or at least once every two years. Untreated high blood pressure raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, vascular disease and kidney disease.

• Cholesterol should be checked every five years or more frequently if you have certain risk factors like being overweight or smoking. Untreated high cholesterol raises the risk of heart disease.

• Diabetes screening: Blood sugar should be checked every three years or more frequently depending on risk factors.

40s • Prostate cancer *: Some guidelines suggest African-American men who are at higher risk should get blood tests and physical exams annually starting at 40.

• Continue screening for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

50s • Prostate cancer screening *: Some guidelines suggest all men should have annual blood test and physical exam. Others suggest men make an informed decision on screening after a discussion with their doctor.

• Colorectal cancer screening: Starting at age 50, colonoscopies are recommended every 10 years.

Other tests can be used, but they require more frequent screening.

• Continue screening for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

60s • Age 65: Welcome to Medicare: Annual wellness exams start.

• Continue screening for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

70 and Beyond • About age 75, most people can stop many preventive screening tests. Physicians can individualize recommendations based on medical history and life expectancy.

Get personalized advice

Screening guidelines are a good place to start a conversation with your physician.

They can help you tailor preventive screenings to your individual needs.

“You want to have a good, open relationship with your primary care doctor,” said Dr. Brad Crosswhite, a Saltillo family medicine physician.

Based on an individual’s health status – like smoking and obesity – or their family history, they may need to be screened more or less often than the general guidelines suggest. People with a parent or sibling who has been diagnosed with a disease usually need to be screened earlier and more often than others without risk factors, Crosswhite said.

A trusted physician’s guidance is especially important these days as there are differing recommendations on certain screenings.

Patients need to talk to their health care providers about what the tests are looking for and what happens if a test is abnormal, Crosswhite said.

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What’s in a medical image?

BY MICHAELA MORRIS DAILY JOURNAL

Medical imaging gives us a window into the body without a scalpel.

What started with just the Xray more than a century ago, has exploded over the past two decades as technology gave radiologists new ways to explore the body and measure metabolic processes.

Two Tupelo-based radiologists, Dr. Albert Chang of Premier Radiology and Dr. Mike Currie of the

Imaging Center, shared insights into medical imaging.

The different kinds of imaging tests all have their own benefits and limitations.

“No test is finally conclusive for everything,” Chang said.

It’s important to be a savvy medical consumer. Talk to your doctor about what the medical imaging study is looking for and how the results will impact treatment options.

“It’s reasonable to ask, ‘Help me understand why I need this scan,’” Currie said.

Usually the technologists who conduct the imaging studies and the radiologists who evaluate them leave the discussion of the findings to the physician who ordered the scans.

“I don’t know the patient’s history,” Chang said, and putting the imaging study into proper perspective often requires information from other diagnostic tests and a physical exam.

Patients shouldn’t be nervous just because the radiologist wants more images. It usually means an area was a little vague and they

X-RAY

The grandfather of medical imaging still remains a work horse today. They are inexpensive and widely available in clinics. X-rays, like the one at left at Medical Imaging at Barnes Crossing, use a small amount of radiation to make the images, and the impact on cancer risks is considered negligible or minimal.

X-rays are particularly good for examining bones and joints, because bones show up so clearly on the images. Generally, soft tissues do not show up as well, but it is used to look for breast cancer, certain lung issues like pneumonia and cancer and kidney stones. It takes just a few seconds to gather each image.

“In an acute setting, if something’s wrong, it’s often the best place to start,” Chang said.

MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency pulses to gather information about the molecular chemical environment in the body. The MRI machine, like the one at left at the Imaging Center, can be adjusted to look for different things like water or fat. MRI can find internal bruising inside the brain and joints.

It can pick up some cancers, but will miss others.

“MRI is more sensitive,” Currie said. “There are more variables” in the way the scans are done. “It gives us more ways to characterize.”

Because of the strong magnetic field, it’s important to leave metal objects and electronics at the door. Likewise, the technologists need to know about any implanted devices like pacemakers, replaced joints or permanent repairs.

Most surgical materials are now MRI compatible, Currie said.

There is no radiation risk from MRI, however the long tunnel can be uncomfortable for people who don’t like tight spaces. It is also one of the most expensive imaging studies.

24 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

want a closer look.

“When I ask for additional imaging, it’s not automatically cancer, and statistically, it almost never is,” Chang said.

Especially when the medical imaging study requires a contrast agent, technologists conducting the exam will want to know about any allergies. Some people are allergic to the iodine-based contrast used in some CT scans.

“It’s a lot rarer now than it used to be,” Currie said.

michaela.morris@journalinc.com

ULTRASOUND

The ultrasound, like this one at Medical Imaging at Barnes Crossing, uses high frequency sound waves to view the body’s structures. In addition to checking up on unborn babies, ultrasound can be used to check the blood flow around the body, In some cases, it is used in breast cancer screening, especially in women with dense breasts.

Because it doesn’t use radiation, it is considered a benign test.

“It’s good for soft tissues,” Currie said.

MACHINES AND SONOGRAM IMAGE BY THOMAS WELLS DAILY JOURNAL | X-RAY AND CT IMAGES COURTESY MEDICAL IMAGING AT BARNES CROSSING | MRI AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE IMAGES COURTESY IMAGING CENTER

CT

Computed topography uses X-rays to take a series of rapid cross-section images of the body.

A computer then assembles the slices to show the body’s anatomy.

CT scanners, like this one at Medical Imaging at Barnes Crossing, can provide more detailed images that can uncover subtle fractures, brain injuries and blocked blood vessels.

“You can get really exquisite pictures of arteries and the veins in the legs,” Currie said. “But it has limits in its ability to characterize lesions.”

CT uses the most radiation of any medical imaging method. The additional cancer risk is very small, and patients should feel no hesitation, especially when there are clear benefits to the scan, like identifying traumatic injuries or planning for surgery. But radiologists carefully weigh even the tiny risks against the benefits, especially for people who have already had multiple CT scans.

“We are very cautious with radiation in children and women of reproductive age,” Chang said.

NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Several different kinds of scans use nuclear medicine to see the molecular activity in the body using small amounts of a radioactive tracer.

It’s used to evaluate thyroids, gall bladders and cancer activity. Eventually, one kind of nuclear medicine, PET or positron emission tomography, may be used to screen for Alzheimer’s disease in people at high risk.

“PET scans are very useful, but they have to be used cautiously,” Chang said. “Anything inflamed will show up.”

After the scan, the small amount of radiotracer will lose its radioactivity over time.

“The radiation usually stays in the body for about 24 hours,” Currie said. “You don’t want to be around small kids during that time.”

Nuclear medicine scanners, like this one at the Imaging Center in Tupelo, give doctors a look at the body’s metabolic processes. The more active areas, show up brighter, as in the full body scan on the right. The bright spot on the wrist shows unusual activity and may indicate a healing injury.

NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 25

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26 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

Varicose veins are common, treatable

D

iseases of varicose veins affect a large portion of the population, particularly women; unfortunately, this serious issue does not get as much press or concern from health care providers as other diseases.

Varicose veins are often thought of as a nagging consequence of the aging process. This disease is often overlooked by patients and physicians because it is thought not much can be done. It is a serious health risk that can lead to chronic wounds and debility that accounts for a huge loss of work and cost.

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted and sometimes painful veins that have filled with an abnormal collection of blood. Varicose veins can be caused by defective valves from birth, pregnancy, thrombophlebitis and prolonged standing. Symptoms of varicose veins include fullness

in the legs, aching in the legs, visible veins, swelling, discoloration of the skin at the ankle, and even skin ulcers at the RAYMOND ankle.

The diagnoORGLER sis of varicose veins is made by the appearance of the leg veins while standing and by ultrasound of the legs. The ultrasound is used to look at blood flow in the veins, particularly the valves in the lower leg. These valves become incompetent in the leg, leading to pooling of blood, which gives the varicose veins their classic appearance of unsightly engorged or “ropey” veins on the leg. The ultrasound is also used to rule out blood clots in the legs known as a Deep

Venous Thrombosis.

Most varicose veins are relatively benign, but varicosities can lead to major complications and lost work time. Complications include severe bleeding from minor trauma, loss of work from pain and heaviness in the leg, superficial thrombophlebitis, skin dermatitis, and even skin ulcers which are very costly and hard to treat.

Treatment includes decreasing gravity’s effect on the veins in the lower legs by avoiding standing for too long, raising the legs while resting or sleeping, and wearing compression stockings. Further treatment by a surgeon includes sclerotherapy, vein stripping, ambulatory phlebectomy, or endovenous thermal ablation with laser or radiofrequency ablation of the vein.

Sclerotherapy is a non-surgical treatment for varicose veins in which medicine is directly injected into the varicose veins to

Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare C. K. White, M.D. Johnny F. Miles, M.D. Mark A. Ray, M.D. Clay B. Hudson, M.D. Kristen Y. Turner, M.D. Cassie B. Hill, M.D. J. Bennett McGehee, M.D.

DR. RAYMOND ORGLER is a general surgeon on the medical staff of North Mississippi Medical Center and NMMC’s new Vein Center.

Rebecca H. Butler, CFNP

Acute Care and Family Practice as well as • Occupational Medicine • DOT Physicals • Drug Screens - Urine and Hair, Breath Alcohol • Sports Physicals

• Gynecology • Routine & High Risk Obstetrics • Infertility • 3D & 4D Sonograms • Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgery

Office Hours By Appointment

• Women’s Health • Wellness Exams • Minor suturing and xrays.

Mon. - Thurs. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Fri. 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Lunch: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. • No Appointment Necessary!

662-844-8754

662-269-2230

AFTER HOURS:

662-377-3798 or 662-377-3000

1041 South Madison • Tupelo

cause them to sclerose or scar.

Phlebectomy is a procedure performed in the operating room or office in which small incisions are made to remove the varicose veins. Vein stripping is a procedure in which the saphenous vein is removed in the operating room with two incisions. Endovenous thermal ablation is an office-based procedure which does not require a trip to the operating room. The vein is treated with small catheters and an energy device to seal the vein, causing the treated vein to thrombose, which effectively closes this pathologic pathway.

If varicose veins are becoming a problem in your life, talk to your health care provider. He or she may feel a consultation with a vein specialist may be in order.

© JPC - 2011

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NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 27

Support Groups/Resources ACTS – ALCOHOL CHEMICAL TREATMENT SERIES – is a self-help, recovery program. It meets at 6 p.m.

Tuesdays at Cedar Grove United Pentecostal Church in Tupelo. Free. Call (662) 844-9637.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS is a fellowship of men and women working to solve their common problem of alcoholism. There are no dues or fees.

• Tupelo: 31 meetings. Call (662) 844-0374 or visit www.aa-mississippi.org for listings.

• There are also meetings in Aberdeen, Ackerman, Amory, Belmont, Booneville, Bruce, Calhoun City, Corinth, Fulton, Holly Springs, Houlka, Houston, New Albany, Oxford, Pontotoc, Starkville and West Point. Call (800) 344-2666.

• For a listing of addiction support groups around Northeast Mississippi, call the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency at (662) 8410403 or check www.msncadd.net.

ADDICTION HELP – NARCONON, an international organization of treatment centers, drug education and prevention services, provides free consultations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week for those with drug addictions. Call (800) 556-8885.

AL-ANON is a fellowship of friends and relatives of alcoholics. The group has meetings at several locations: • American Legion Building, Fairground Circle, New Albany, 8 p.m.

Mondays.

• Cornerstone Methodist Church, Tupelo, 5:30 p.m. Mondays. Call (662) 871-687-1811 or (662) 871-8068.

• First Presbyterian Church, Tupelo 8 p.m. Tuesdays.

• Easy Does It Group, noon Thursdays at Brooks Center at Fulton Methodist Church. Call Bob W. (662) 401-8094.

• Peace Seekers Family Group, noon Wednesday and Friday at Calvary Baptist Church, Tupelo. Call (662) 401-8094 or (847) 902-6267.

• Saltillo Family Group, 10:30 a.m.

Saturdays, 385 Mobile St., Saltillo, (662) 871-7646.

• Solution Seekers – Adult Children of Alcoholics meets at noon Mondays at Calvary Baptist Church fellowship hall, Tupelo. Call Nancy P. at (847) 902-6267.

Groups also meet in Belmont, Corinth and Oxford.

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUPS for family members and friends of those with the disease meet in: • West Point: meets quarterly at NMMC-West Point. Call Brenda Johnson at (662) 495-2339 or (800) 8433375.

• Tupelo: 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Cedars Health Center Activity Room. Call Terri at 28 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

(662) 844-1441.

ARTHRITIS SUPPORT GROUP meets at 9:15 a.m. the second Monday of the month at Oktibbeha County Hospital Wellness Connection, in Starkville.

Call (662) 323-9355.

THE AUTISM SUPPORT GROUP meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at All Saints Episcopal Church in Tupelo. Childcare provided.

Call Melissa Caldwell at (662) 8322039 or Cheryl Bailey at (662) 3153388.

AWAKE, a support group for people with sleep apnea and their families, meets quarterly at NMMC. Call (800) 8433375.

BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUP meets at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month in the cafeteria conference room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, Oxford. Call Becky Wilson at (662) 513-9671.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP meets each month at Darlington Oaks on Skeet Drive in Verona. Call Community Hospice at (662) 566-4011.

CANCER SURVIVOR 101 SUPPORT GROUP for newly diagnosed patients actively undergoing treatment will meet at 2 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the NMMC Cancer Center in Tupelo. Call Cindy Edwards at (662) 377-4049 or (800) 843-3375.

CELEBRATE RECOVERY is a Bible-based group open to those struggling with addiction, anger issues, grief, guilt, shame, financial loss, abuse, eating disorders or compulsive behaviors.

• West Jackson Street Baptist Church, Tupelo, meets at 7 p.m. Fridays in Building B. Contact Neil Naron at (662) 891-1773 or Susan Naron at (662) 871-3872.

• NorthStar Baptist Church, Saltillo, meets at 6 p.m. Saturdays. Call (662) 869-7778 or email cr@northstarchurch.com.

THE COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS, a support group for families who have suffered the death of a child of any age.

Parents, step-parents, grandparents and siblings are invited to attend the meetings in: • Tupelo: 6:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at NMMC Wellness Center. Call Dave Jensen at (662) 842-1327 or (662) 231-1305 or Jamie Seale at (662) 213-2776 or (662) 842-3174.

• West Point: 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at NMMC-West Point. Call Michele Rowe at (662) 4952337.

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUPS meet in: • Booneville: 6 p.m. the third Thursday of the month at the George E. Allen Library. Call Kitti Parman at (662) 377-2500 or (800) 843-3375.

• Iuka: 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month except June, July and August, at NMMC-Iuka.

• Oxford: Noon the second Thursday of the month in the Magnolia Auditorium at Baptist Memorial HospitalNorth Mississippi. Lunch available for $3. Call (662) 513-1506.

• Starkville: 5:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at Oktibbeha County Hospital educational facility.

Call Nicky Yeatman at (662) 615-2668.

• Tupelo: 11 a.m. the second Thursday of the month at the NMMC Wellness Center in Tupelo. Sponsored by the NMMC Diabetes Treatment Center. Call (662) 377-2500 or (800) 843-3375.

• West Point: meets quarterly at NMMC-West Point. Remaining 2012 meetings: 6 p.m. . Contact Ginger Carver at (662) 495-2213.

THE DISABILITY SUPPORT GROUP meets at 2 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at LIFE office, Cliff Gookin Boulevard, Tupelo. People with all kinds of physical and mental disabilities are welcome. Call Wayne Lauderdale or Emily Word at (662) 844-6633.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUPPORT GROUPS meet in Tupelo: • 6 p.m. every Thursday. Child care is provided. Call (800) 527-7233 for location.

• 3:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month at the Lee County Family Resource Center. Child care available.

Call (662) 844-0013.

FACE IT FOOD ALLERGY SUPPORT GROUP meets the first Friday and third Monday of the month. Focused on parents of children with food allergies, but open to others with medical conditions that require food avoidance. Contact Amelia at (662) 3227434 or faceittupelo@live.com for locations and times.

FIBROMYALGIA SUPPORT GROUP meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month at the Women First Resource Center. Call (662) 842-5725.

GRAY MATTERS SUPPORT GROUP for anyone diagnosed with a brain tumor and their caregivers meets at 6 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at the NMMC Cancer Center in Tupelo. Call Cindy Edwards at (662) 377-4049 or (800) 843-3375.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUPS meet in: • Fulton: 2 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of the month at MSU Extension Office in Fulton. Free and open to anyone in need. Call the Rev. Danny Rushing of Gentiva Hospice at (662) 620-1050.

• New Albany: 1 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the First United Methodist Church. Call the Rev. Danny Rushing of Gentiva Hospice at (662) 620-1050.

• Oxford: 6 p.m. the second Tuesday and at noon the fourth Wednesday of the month at Azalea Gardens in Oxford. Sponsored by North Mississippi Hospice of Oxford. Call Olevia Partlow at (662) 234-0140.

• Tupelo: 7 p.m. the first and third

Tuesdays of the month at Gentiva Hospice in Spanish Village, Suite 105, Thomas Street. Free and open to anyone in need. Call the Rev. Danny Rushing at (662) 620-1050.

I CAN COPE CANCER SUPPORT GROUP meets at noon the second Friday of the month at Bridgepoint on South Gloster Street. Guest speakers. Lunch provided for cancer survivors and caregivers. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Call coordinator Donna Kingsley at (662) 213-8478.

LA LECHE LEAGUE OF LEE COUNTY offers breastfeeding support to moms.

The group meets at 11 a.m. the first Thursday of the month from February to May and September to December at NMMC Women’s Hospital, Classroom C. Group meets off site June and August. No meetings in January or July. All pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are invited to attend. Call Toni Hill at (662) 255-8283 or email whozyourdoula@yahoo.com.

LUPUS SUPPORT is available in Tupelo.

Sponsored by the Lupus Foundation of America. Open to anyone interested in lupus. Contact Michelle Harris at (662) 640-2407 or (662) 256-2604.

MAN-TO-MAN, a prostate cancer support group, meets at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month in the NMMC East Tower ed center, Room 21, Tupelo. Call (662) 377-3985 or (800) 843-3375.

MENDED HEARTS, a support group for people who have had heart-bypass surgery, heart disease or other physical ailments of the heart, meet in: • Corinth: 6 p.m. the second Monday of the month in the basement conference center at Magnolia Regional Health Center in Corinth. Next meetings in September. Contact Barbara Williams at (662) 293-1086.

• Oxford: Noon the the second Wednesday of the month at in the Magnolia room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford.

Call Marian Leggett at (662) 259-2856 • Tupelo: 5:45 p.m. the last Thursday of each month at Room 21 of the NMMC East Tower Education Center.

Dinner available for $11; RSVP required for dinner. Call Frances Cobb at (662) 840-4335 to register.

MENTAL HEALTH FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP will meet at 10 a.m. the second and fourth Saturday of the month at North Mississippi RC on Highway 7 in Oxford. The group is designed for family members of people with serious mental illness. Call (800) 3570388 or visit www.nami.org.

MISSISSIPPI CHAPTER OF PARENTS OF BLIND CHILDREN will meet at 9 a.m. the last Saturday of the month at the Harden House office on North Gloster Street in Tupelo. Contact Pat Sartain at (662) 871-8262.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUPPORT

Resources/Support Groups AWARENESS GROUP meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month, except for June, at McAlister’s Deli, Tupelo. Call Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency, Tupelo office (662) 841-1960.

A SEXUAL ASSAULT SUPPORT GROUP meets at 11 a.m. every Wednesday.

Call (800) 527-7233 for location.

SISTERS NETWORK, Tupelo chapter of the African-American breast cancer survivor’s support group, meets at 530 p.m. the first Monday of the month at the Link Centre in Tupelo.

Call Norma Derring at (662) 8423440.

STROKE SUPPORT GROUPS meet in: • Tupelo at 5 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month in NMMC East Tower Room 21. Call Stacy Scruggs at (662) 377-4058.

• Starkville 10 a.m. to noon March 14, May 16 and July 11 in the OCH Regional education room. Light lunch provided. Call speech language pathology department (662) 615-3020.

T.A.A.P. (TEEN ADDICTION AWARENESS PROGRAM) is a free 10-week program offered by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence building, 200 N. Spring St., Tupelo.

Call NCADD at (662) 841-0403 or www.ncadd.net.

TOPS, a weight loss support group, has four chapters meeting in Northeast Mississippi. Fees are $28 for annual membership; $14 for spouses and teens. Call area captain Tina Evans at (662) 369-7151, state coordinator Pat Harris at (662) 386-0249 or (800) 932-8677 or visit www.tops.org.

• Tupelo: 4:30 p.m. Thursdays at Salvation Army Building at 527 Carnation St. Call Ann Ivy at (662) 566-2816 or (662) 397-4998.

• Aberdeen: 5 p.m. Tuesdays at Southside Baptist Church on Meridian Street. Call Grace Guin at (662) 3694431.

• Corinth: 4:45 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Crossroads on U.S. Highway 72 East Annex. Call Betty Jones at (662) 286-3020.

• Corinth: 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Waldron Street Christian Church on East Waldron Street. Call Heather Johnson at (662) 415-2517.

TUPELO LOST CHORDS CLUB meets at noon the fourth Thursday of each month at the Longtown Medical Park conference room, Tupelo. Open to all laryngectomees, spouses of laryngectomees and interested professionals.

Call Lisa Renfroe at (662) 377-3248.

WEIGHT LOSS SUPPORT GROUP will meet at noon and 6 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at NMMC Wellness Center in Tupelo. The group provides education and emotional support for those considering or have gone through bariatric surgery. Contact registered nurse Cherri Cox at

377-7546 or (866) 908-9465. Registration requested.

WOMEN WITH CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS are sponsored by Women First Resource Center. Groups meet in: • Amory: Call (662) 325-0721.

• Tupelo: 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month at Women First Resource Center. Call (662) 842-5725.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS AMERICAN RED CROSS offers CPR/AED/First Aid classes at its Westside Drive office in Tupelo. Call (662) 842-6101.

ANGER MANAGEMENT CLASSES are offered 6 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Cedar Grove United Pentecostal Church on North Veterans Boulevard in Tupelo. Call (662) 844-9637.

AUTISM CENTER OF TUPELO provides free assessments and early intervention for children with autism. The nonprofit agency is located at Regional Rehabilitation Center in Tupelo. Call (662) 840-0974.

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG DEPENDENCY provides free confidential information, assessments and treatment referrals for people struggling with addiction.

Maintains listings of area support group meetings. Call (662) 841-0403 or visit www.mscadd.net.

NURSE LINK, a free health care information service provided by NMMC, connects callers with a registered nurse from 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to midnight weekends and holidays. Call (800) 882-6274.

Ongoing

FITNESS

BEGINNER YOGA is offered at 9:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Tuesdays at the Yoga Center in Tupelo. All classes are based on donation. Pay what you can afford to pay. Call (662) 372-3233.

JAZZERCISE is offered at 9 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, at the Tupelo Furniture Market Mississippi Building on Coley Road. Cost is $32 a month. Contact Sherry Reppert at (662) 205-4585, (662) 255-2696 or jazzreppert@yahoo.com.

SWIMMING AND WATER ACTIVITIES at the Rob Leake City Pool. For more information, call (662) 841-6440.

LOW-IMPACT WATER AEROBICS at 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost is $10 a month.

SENIOR AQUATICS at 10:30 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cost is $10 a month.

LAP SWIM TRAINING at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Cost is $5 a visit or $35 a month.

SHOCKWAVE AQUATIC TEAM meets Monday through Friday.

U.S. MASTERS SWIMMING meets 5 to 6:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. National organization provides structured workouts with a coach offering training, stroke and technical assistance. Programs open to all adult swimmers. Contact Barbara Aguirre at (662) 842-2358.

T’AI CHI CHIH is offered at 10:15 a.m.

Mondays at the NMMC Wellness Center. Described as a moving meditation, the series of 19 movements improve balance, physical fitness, flexibility and stamina. Cost is $99.

Call (662) 690-6220.

ZUMBA FITNESS CLASSES are offered at two public locations in Tupelo: 5 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Dance Studio on Spring Street in Tupelo. All classes $5. Call Liz Martin at (662) 542-9900.

FREE CLINICS

ANTONE TANNEHILL GOOD SAMARITAN FREE CLINIC provides health care to working or temporarily unemployed Lee County residents who cannot afford insurance but are not eligible for government programs.

Medications are provided through the clinic pharmacy. Clinics are offered Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Wednesday morning and afternoon.

Call (662) 844-3733.

CATCH KIDS offers school-based and community clinics where children 18 and under can be seen free of charge in Lee, Chickasaw and Pontotoc counties. Medications are provided without cost to patients through arrangements with local pharmacies. Call (662) 3772194. Community clinics are: • 5 to 7 p.m. Mondays at 1616 N. Green St., Tupelo and GW Gilliam Building in Pontotoc.

• 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Morning Star Baptist Church in Tupelo.

• 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays at 1616 N. Green St., Tupelo and 203 Main St., Okolona.

IMMUNIZATION CLINIC provides free childhood immunizations from 5 to 6:30 p.m.Thursdays at the Good Samaritan Free Clinic in Tupelo. Families whose insurance does not cover immunizations are eligible; they do not have to meet other clinic requirements. Limited number of children can be seen at each clinic. Call (662) 844-3733.

OXFORD MEDICAL MINISTRIES provides free health care to workers living in Lafayette and Yalobusha counties who can’t afford or don’t have access to health insurance, but make too much for public assistance.

Call (662) 234-1374.

REGIONAL REHABILITATION CENTER provides long-term outpatient, therapeutic rehabilitation services free of charge to individuals with disabilities.

Call (662) 842-1891. ▼

GROUPS meet in: • Corinth: 11:30 a.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the MSU Extension Office behind Crossroads Arena in Corinth. Sponsored by the MS Foundation. Contact Joy Forsyth (662) 462-7325 or joycforsyth@frontiernet.net.

• Oxford: 6:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of the month in the Magnolia Auditorium at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford.

Call Robert Allen, (662) 234-3515.

• Tupelo: 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at NMMC Wellness Center. Contact Allison Holloway at (662) 231-5829, Karan Woods at (662) 231-9160 or (800) 843-3375.

NAMI CONNECTION, a weekly recovery group for people living with mental illness, meets Sundays at 3:30 p.m. at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford. Call (800) 3570388 or visit www.nami.org.

NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS, a community-based association of recovering drug addicts, meets in Amory, Booneville, Corinth, Ecru, Oxford, Ripley, Tupelo, West Point and Starkville.

Call 841-9998 or toll-free (866) 8419998 for more information.

NEW MOMS SUPPORT GROUP meets at 10:30 a.m. Fridays at the Breast Feeding Resource Center at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Open to all new moms. Call (662) 513-1602.

THE NORTH MS PEDIATRIC CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (PECANS) meets at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at the food court of the Mall of Barnes Crossing in Tupelo. Call Teresa Farris at (662) 791-1228.

NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY offers support and information resources for families of children with Down Syndrome. The group hosts the Buddy Walk in October. Call (662) 871-2387 or (662) 869-3211, email nemdss@bellsouth.net or visit www.nemdss.org.

OXFORD REACH TO RECOVERY BREAST CANCER SUPPPORT GROUP meets at 6 p.m. the first Monday of February, April, June, August, November and December at Azalea Gardens in Oxford. In October, there will be a reception for breast cancer survivors hosted by Baptist Memorial at the Cancer and Diagnostic Center.

Sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Call Mary Chrestman (662) 234-7507.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP MEET at 11:30 a.m. the first Monday of the month at NMMC Wellness Center in Tupelo. Open to people with Parkinson’s and their families.

Call Ginger Gore or Amanda Allen at (662) 377-3729.

SECOND CHANCE TRANSPLANT

NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL | 29

Support Groups/Calendar TREE OF LIFE offers free medical services to anyone without Medicaid, Medicare or private health insurance at 4:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month and 9 a.m. the third Saturday of the month at its 541 W. Main St. building in Tupelo. The clinic also offers dental extractions; patients identified through medical clinic. Call (662) 841-8777.

• NMMC-Tupelo, (800) 843-3375.

PREGNANCY/PARENTING

HEALTHY EDUCATION

BARIATRIC EDUCATION SEMINARS are held each month at the NMMC Bariatric Clinic and the NMMC Wellness Center, both in Tupelo. Covers issues involved in morbid obesity and bariatric surgery. Speaker is surgeon Dr. Terry Pinson. Call (662) 377-7546 or (866) 908-9465.

BONE AND JOINT HEALTH SEMINARS are offered quarterly by the NMMC Joint Replacement Center at the NMMC Wellness Center in Tupelo. The fall quarter class will begin at noon Oct. 3. Call (662) 377-3550 or (800) 843-3375.

DIABETES EDUCATION CLASSES are offered through area hospital to aid people with managing their blood sugar and reducing the risk for complications from diabetes.

• Baptist Memorial-Union County in New Albany, (662) 538-2184 or (662) 538-2297.

• NMMC Diabetes Treatment Center in Tupelo, (662) 377-2500.

HEALTHWORKS! CHILDREN’S EDUCATION CENTER is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Located at the corner of Robert E. Lee and Industrial drives in Tupelo. General admission is $5.

Ongoing events include HipHoppers for toddlers and preschoolers and their parents, Scouting days and summer day camps. Call (662) 377-5437 or www.healthworkskidsms.org.

TOBACCO CESSATION CLASSES are available free through area hospitals: • Baptist Memorial-North Mississippi in Oxford, (662) 513-1506 • Baptist Memorial-Union County in New Albany, (662) 538-2613.

FREE CAR SEAT INSPECTIONS will be offered by certified safety specialists at Oktibbeha County Hospital in Starkville. For more information, call (662) 615-3364.

INFANT CPR CLASSES are offered at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at North Mississippi Medical Center Women’s Hospital in Tupelo. Call 3774934 or (800) 843-3375.

IMMUNIZATION CLINIC provides free childhood immunizations 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Good Samaritan Free Clinic in Tupelo. Families whose insurance does not cover immunizations are eligible; they do not have to meet other clinic eligibility requirements. Limited number of children can be seen. Call (662) 844-3733.

HOSPITALS WITH MATERNITY SERVICES offer a number of classes on pregnancy, newborn care, breastfeeding and preparing siblings and grandparents for a new baby.

• Baptist Memorial-North Mississippi, Oxford - (662) 513-1602 • Baptist Memorial-Union County, New Albany - (662) 538-2397 • Gilmore Memorial Hospital, Amory - (662) 256-6204 • Magnolia Regional Health Center, Corinth - (662) 293-2265.

• NMMC Women’s Hospital, Tupelo - (662) 377-4956 • NMMC-West Point - (662) 495-2292 • Oktibbeha County Hospital, Starkville - Call (662) 615-3364 NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BIRTHING PROJECT offers support pregnant women by pairing them with volunteer mentors and offering pregnancy and life-management related classes. Call (662) 255-8283 or email tonihill@birthingprojectusa.org.

PARENTING CLASSES will be offered at 7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at the Family Resource Center of Northeast Mississippi on Magazine Street in Tupelo. Classes in Spanish offered at 6 p.m. Thursdays. Free. Childcare provided. Marriage education, fa-

HealthJournal NORTH MISSISSIPPI

Helping North Mississippians lead healthier lives.

Next issue publishes July 2013 Advertising deadline Friday, May 31, 2013 To reserve advertising space in the next issue of Health Journal, contact your Journal Publishing Co. representative at 842-2614 or ads@journalinc.com.

30 | NORTH MISSISSIPPI HEALTH JOURNAL

thers-only parenting and parenting during divorce classes also available.

Call (662) 844-0013.

PARENTING CLASSES are offered from 6 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday at Cedar Grove United Pentecostal Church on North Veterans Boulevard in Tupelo.

Call (662) 844-9637.

FREE WEEKLY PARENTING AND FATHERHOOD CLASSES for ages 16 to 21 at Families First Building behind the Mantachie Clinic. Call (662) 282-4661.

HEALTH HELP offers free assistance for parents with Medicaid and CHIPS. Trained counselors at Mississippi Health Advocacy Partnership offer help and guidance in determining eligibility and other issues. The program also offers assistance for adults who may qualify for federal programs or insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Call (877) 314-3843.

$70 and $40. Visit oxfordrunforhope. racesonline.com to register.

April 6

FESTIVAL OF HOPE, a team-based fundraising event that benefits local cancer, diabetes and heart disease patients, will be April 6 at the Tupelo Furniture Market in Tupelo. Free admission; dinner will be available for purchase. Call (662) 377-3867 or visit www.projecthopems.com

April 20

TUPELO MARCH FOR BABIES will begin at 9 a.m. April 20 at Fair Park in downtown Tupelo. Annual event benefits the March of Dimes. Call (601) 933-1071 or visit www.modimes.org.

April-June

WOMEN’S HEALTH CONFERENCE will be Feb. 15 at Crossroads Arena in Corinth. Free event sponsored by Magnolia Regional Health Center.

Reservations. Call (662) 293-1000 or visit www.mrhc.org.

RELAY FOR LIFE EVENTS benefiting the American Cancer Society are scheduled throughout Northeast Mississippi in April and May. Teams raise money for the cancer society and celebrate their success with their communities.

Call (662) 844-8544 or visit cancer.org for more information.

• April 19: Itawamba County, Fulton Square; • April 26: Union County, county sportsplex, New Albany • May 3: Chickasaw County, Joe Brigance Park, Houston • May 10: Pontotoc County, Pontotoc Square; • May 17: Tishomingo County, Mineral Springs Park; • May 24: Lee County, Tupelo Fairpark; • May 31: Baldwyn, Latimer Park; Alcorn County, Corinth High School • June 7: Prentiss County: NEMCC football field, Booneville; • June 14: Tippah County, Ripley Square.

Feb. 23

June 4-7

UPCOMING EVENTS

Jan. 24

SPIRIT OF WOMEN’S “EASY DOES IT: Recipes, Decor, Hospitality and More to Simplify Your Life” will begin at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Summit Center in Tupelo. Mississippi Magazine editorial director and author Patty Roper will be the speaker. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for exhibits and shopping. Tickets are $20 and include dinner. Spirit of Women members will receive a free copy of Roper’s “At the Table” cookbook. Call (800) 843-3375 or visit www.nmhs.net/spirit_of_women.

Feb. 15

OXFORD RUN FOR HOPE half marathon and 5K benefiting Camp Hopewell youth diabetes programs will be Feb.23 Before Jan. 30, fees are $50 for half marathon and $30 for 5K; Jan. 31 to Feb. 21, $60 and $35; race day

CAMP BREATHE EZZZZZE for children 6 to 12 with asthma will be held June 47 at Tishomingo State Park. Medically supervised camp sponsored by NMMC. Partial scholarships available. Call (662) 377-4706 or (800) 843-3375.

TUPELO PLASTIC SURGERY CLINIC ROBERT C. BUCKLEY, M.D. (662) 377-6630

Abdominoplasty Breast Augmentation Breast Reduction Liposuction Facelift Skin Care Botox/Juvederm Latisse Introducing the latest anti-aging weapon…

Intraceuticals Oxygen Treatments

Haley Russell has joined our staff as our new esthetician www.tupelocosmeticsurgery.com Financing Available with Care Credit

CERTIFIED AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Jayant Dey, M.D. and Nancy Hooks, CNP TUPELO (662) 841-5907 CORINTH (662) 665-9185 ABERDEEN (662) 369-5770 1-800-HOSPICE

www.HospiceAdvantage.com

Accepting new patients for specialized care of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders.

For appointments call: 662-377-6275

910 Mary Vance Drive • Tupelo (beside Tupelo Medical Group)

©JPC-13

Longtown Medical Park, Ste. 101, 4381 South Eason Blvd., Tupelo