Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Care

Muscatine, Iowa (November 2014) - Gilda's Club and Susan G. Komen are partnering to offer Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Care. This free educational workshop is designed for people living with cancer and their loved ones. Participants will gain practical advice on how to navigate the numerous and complex challenges of managing the cost of cancer care. Our featured speaker will be Ruth Laabs-Wilcox, LMSW This workshop will take place on Tuesday November 18th at 6:00 PM at 1st Presbyterian Church 401 Iowa Avenue
(Gathering Room 2nd Floor.)

Advanced registration is preferred as dinner is included. For more details and registration call Gilda's Club at (877) 926-7504

Salt is Good for You, Calcium Supplements are Bad, and the Lab Test Everyone Should Get
4 Tips for Getting Seriously Healthy from One of the 'Best Doctors in America'*

There's a reason - well, several - why so many diseases are increasing in frequency in the United States, making some that were almost unheard of 100 years ago commonplace today, says Robert Thompson, M.D., an OB/GYN and integrative medicine specialist deemed by his peers to be in the top 5 percent of U.S. physicians.

"The United States is now 46th in men's mortality and the absolute worst country in the industrialized world for first-day infant mortality," says Thompson, author of "The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn't Know," (calciumliebook.com), a new book that details the roles minerals play in overall health and how to identify and correct deficiencies and imbalances.

"Based on the current rate of autism diagnoses, there will be no 'normal' male babies born in the U.S. by 2030," he says. "The current rate of diabetes suggests 95 percent of our adult population will be diabetic by 2030. The number of children with life-threatening allergies has increased more than 1,000 percent since 1995."

A perfect storm of corporate power, profits and public misinformation has succeeded in overwhelming the basic biochemical and physiological tenets of good health, says Thompson, who published his first book, "The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know Could Kill You," in 2008.

"Mineral deficiencies are responsible for a host of health problems, which are incorrectly treated by drugs," Thompson says. "We're told by the government and the medical community that we should be ingesting certain amounts of vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent disease, like osteoporosis, when in reality, the recommendations lead to other very serious health problems."

Thompson offers these suggestions for Americans to take charge of their health:

•  Get a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) to determine your mineral status.
This may be the most important health test that exists, Thompson says. Only when you and your doctor know for sure your mineral status and important ratios can you adapt your diet, minerals and supplements to work toward proper balance.

Thompson recommends using Trace Elements, Inc. clinical lab in Addison, Texas, because it adheres to the highest standards. The lab accepts only samples submitted by health-care providers, including physicians, nutritionists, and others, so you need to find one who does HTMA and uses that lab. (Individuals who can't find a provider can call the lab for help in locating one; HTMA is prohibited in New York state.)

•  Do not take calcium supplements unless tests indicate a deficiency. We've all been told that we must ingest lots of calcium to ensure strong bones. In fact, calcium is just one of at least 12 minerals in our bones, all of which must be present in the right balance for good bone health. Calcium has been added to so much of our food, it's unlikely most of us are deficient. And yet, people are told to take calcium supplements. Excess calcium can cause kidney and gallstones, arterial plaque, bone spurs, calcium deposits in tissues other than bone, and brain cell dysfunction, brain shrinkage and dementia. Instead of calcium, Thompson instructs all his patients and readers to take a minimum of 3 grams of trace minerals derived from sea salt every day.

•  Salt - sodium - is necessary for digestion, nutrient absorption, cell function and metabolism.
Limiting salt intake is not only the wrong advice for 90 percent of the people at risk for high blood pressure, it also contributes to the lack of minerals in our bodies. Many of us are actually deficient in sodium.

Salt is a mineral, and unrefined sea salt and rock salt is the best source of sodium and ionic minerals. If you are sodium deficient, add harvested pure sea salt liberally to your foods. It is important to use pure sea salt, and not the common table salt, as processing has stripped common table salt of its mineral value.

•  Use only vitamin supplements made from 100 percent organic whole foods that have been vine-ripened.
Almost all of us need supplements because contemporary food supplies lack adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, thanks to soil depletion. Most store-bought vitamins include just one component of the many complex molecular elements contained in the naturally occurring vitamin source. You need all of the nutrient components to get the full benefits.

The best natural sources of readily available vitamins include raw seeds, stabilized rice bran powder, vine-ripened fresh fruit and berries (vitamin C).

*Robert Thompson, M.D., was added to the peer-reviewed directory, "Best Doctors in America," in 1996.

About Robert Thompson, M.D.

Dr. Robert Thompson is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, and a nutrition specialist who helps patients get long-term relief from chronic disease, including obesity, diabetes, hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. His newest book, "The Calcium Lie II," is available for free at calciumliebook.com. Dr. Thompson received his medical training at the University of Kentucky and has been a leader in medical advances for more than 30 years.

Can Trauma Spur Creativity?
After His Devastating Loss, a Man Finds Healing
Through Writing

Can an emotional trauma flip a switch in the creative brain? Does profound loss offer a new perspective from which to peer into one's soul?

For LeRoy Flemming, author of the "Timelightenment" series (www.timelightenment.biz/) and volume one of "Soulsplitting," the answer is a resounding yes! And, there's psychological research supporting this idea.

In role-playing, veterans who've endured trauma resulting in PTSD "were better able to represent the boundary between reality and the role-playing, to immerse themselves in the scene, to enact identifiable characters consistent with their setting, and produce complex and interactive scenes that told a coherent story," compared to non-PTSD vets, according to researchers Robert Miller and David Johnson.

The non-PTSD group created more stereotyped, and unimaginative scenes, despite a higher education level and greater role-playing experience, the two wrote.

"I was never diagnosed with PTSD, but I know profound emotional trauma can trip all kinds of coping mechanisms in the brain and soul, including creativity," Flemming says. "When I suddenly lost my mother, it was a profound, life-altering shock. She was fine when I saw her last - Dec. 25, 1999 and she died on Jan. 1. That's what started me writing."

His mother was, by far, the most stabilizing and inspiring person in his life, he says, and losing her rocked him to his core. Rather than seeming abstract, the larger questions in life became the most important, and that's when he knew he had to write.

"I didn't have much of a background in writing," he says. "But since her passing, I've been in close contact with a part of my soul that has spawned several books, all of which have helped me heal."

The creativity caused by pain is a cycle, "because the creative process has significantly healed me," he says. "I'm not surprised that creativity increases within those who've suffered; it makes sense."

How does a grieving individual make something good out of a heart-wrenching loss? Flemming offers perspective.

•  Don't force it. One of the last things a grieving person needs is an assignment they don't want. Grief is a process that entails a host of negative emotions: denial, confusion, anger and more. Prescribing creative therapy to oneself or another before one is ready for it can backfire.

•  Let it flow naturally. We are all unique individuals and, though we know in the backs of our minds that we'll someday face the loss of a loved one, we can't predict how we'll handle it.

"Grieving and creativity actually share some traits," Flemming says. "Both are processes, and both prompt individuals to express feelings in their own terms. When creativity can be used in conjunction with the grieving process, the catharsis can be profound."

•  You have many options. When a person is desperate for an outlet, he or she will often gravitate toward what he knows. A onetime aspiring painter, for instance, may return to that familiar and comforting form of self-expression.

"But the mind can be unpredictable; it may be that gardening is the process that is most therapeutic for a grieving person, even though she never pulled a weed or planted a seed in her life," Flemming says. "In other words, be open to where your intuition guides you. As most grieving people understand, life doesn't always work out as planned. Be open to helpful new possibilities."

About LeRoy Flemming

Leroy Flemming is a graduate of Alabama State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Montgomery, Ala. He always wanted to show people that with spiritual guidance you can make things happen. Through his determination and inspiration from his Creator, he completed his five-part series of novels, "Timelightenment," (www.timelightenment.biz/), in hopes of demonstrating to the children of this world that they can dream big, and accomplish those dreams. Though inspired by many people, his biggest influence comes from his mother, who said shortly before she passed away, "Son, I may give out, but I never give up!" Flemming recently completed volume one of his new series, "Soulsplitting."

For people with atrial fibrillation (Afib), the fear of having a stroke is very real. Afib raises a person's risk for stroke five times, according to the National Stroke Association. It's a scary statistic, especially as Afib prevalence continues to rise. Understanding the connection between Afib and stroke can help patients better manage their condition and recognize other factors that could put them at even greater risk.

"A stroke prevention strategy of some kind is required for anyone with Afib, no matter how many symptoms you have or how many risk factors you have," said J. David Burkhardt, MD, electrophysiologist at the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center in Austin.

Afib occurs when the heart's upper chambers (atria), which push blood to the lower chambers (ventricles), beat irregularly. "Instead of the blood being pushed forward by the heart pumping, it's just swirling around in the heart and can clot easily," said Marcie Berger, MD, FACC, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Clots can travel and cut off blood flow to the brain, causing a stroke.

Besides an irregular heartbeat, a person with Afib "can have additional risk factors making a stroke even more likely," said Dr. Berger.

Most doctors use a tool known as the CHADS2 score to evaluate patients' stroke risk based on the following criteria:

• Congestive heart failure. Heart failure occurs when blood isn't being pumped efficiently to the rest of the body, resulting in fluid retention and congestion. If the heart isn't pumping at full capacity, the risk of clotting increases. "Diminished heart function is a risk factor for Afib itself as well as stroke, and it's more common in older patients," said Dr. Burkhardt.
• High blood pressure. When the force of blood against the arteries is too high, it can cause damage to the arteries over time. "It becomes a double whammy, where you have high blood pressure as well as atrial fibrillation increasing your stroke risk," said Ralph L. Sacco, MD, professor and chairman of neurology at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami.
• Age: 75 or older. The median age among people with Afib is 67 years old in men and 75 years old in women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "In older adults, a new Afib diagnosis is usually due to age-related changes in the electrical system of the heart," said Dr. Berger. Changes in the heart and blood vessels are common with age, and reduced circulation increases the risk of blood clots forming.
• Diabetes. People with diabetes are nearly four times more likely to have a stroke, according to the National Stroke Association. People with uncontrolled diabetes are more prone to have high cholesterol, and plaque build-up in the arteries can block blood flow to the brain.
• Stroke or transient ischemic attack. Someone who's had a stroke is many times more likely to have another than someone who's never had one. According to the American Heart Association, a person who's had one or more TIAs, or "mini-strokes," is 10 times more likely to suffer a stroke.

The American Academy of Neurology recently issued an updated guideline recommending oral anticoagulants, or blood thinners, to prevent stroke in Afib patients. Guideline lead author Antonio Culebras, MD, of SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, noted, however, that "doctors will need to consider the individual patient's situation in making a decision whether or not to use anticoagulants, and which one to use, as the risks and benefits can vary for each person."

Some stroke risk factors, such as age and family history, can't be controlled. But, "if we can address those controllable factors earlier in the disease process, hopefully we can work to reverse this growing trend," said J. Brian DeVille, MD, FACC, FHRS, medical director of electrophysiology at Baylor Health Care System in Dallas.

Many of the same lifestyle changes that help manage Afib can also reduce stroke risk, such as maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and quitting smoking. The key is coming up with a prevention plan that a patient can commit to for the long run.

As Burkhardt points out, "once you're diagnosed with Afib, stroke prevention is a consideration forever."