Health

Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH), along with other national, state and community organizations, is highlighting the importance of advance healthcare decision-making - an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). As a participating organization, Veterans Memorial Hospital always has information available to help individuals talk about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will).

Organ and tis­sue dona­tion is a gift that saves and heals hun­dreds of thou­sands of lives each year. It can pro­vide com­fort and solace to donor fam­i­lies as their loved ones leave a last­ing lega­cy of hope and heal­ing. For trans­plant recip­i­ents and patients on the trans­plant wait­ing list, the gift of dona­tion offers a sec­ond chance at life; a chance to move for­ward and ful­fill the lega­cy left behind by their gra­cious donor.

Trans­plan­ta­tion is seen as one of the great­est achieve­ments of mod­ern med­i­cine. Organ and tis­sue dona­tion saves and enhances lives. It gives indi­vid­u­als the abil­i­ty to return to pro­duc­tive, ful­fill­ing lives.

April is Foot Health Month. The feet are a part of the body that is often ignored, but are truly one of the most important parts, supporting the rest of the body in most every move it makes. Podiatrists are medical professionals who specialize in foot and ankle care. A podiatrist diagnoses and treats health issues concerning not only the feet, but the ankle as well.

Podiatrist Dr. Kristina Thompson of Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) in Waukon is available every Monday and Wednesday in Waukon consulting and treating patients, and even providing minor surgical procedures.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 17, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.     

This month’s topic will be a continuation from last month, discussing specifically how food affects blood sugars. The group will be looking into Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Data and seeing how certain foods truly affect blood sugars. Angie Mettille, Diabetes Educator, has many varieties of foods to show which should be very interesting to all attending.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, call Angie Mettille, RN, Diabetes Educator, at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.
 

For the third year, Bandmates, Brothers and Friends (BBF) will reunite in Waukon for another night of outstanding musical entertainment to benefit the Veterans Memorial Health Care Foundation. This year they will be joined by the JayR Brink Band as part of the musical line-up, all to be held Friday evening May 9, from 6-11 p.m. at the Allamakee County Fairgrounds Pavilion in Waukon.

The first set of Bandmates, Brothers and Friends members will take the stage to begin the night, offering a variety of older country music, with a second set of BBF  members performing a variety of hits from the 1950s through the 1990s. The JayR Brink Band will close out the evening’s musical entertainment.

by Tami Gebel, OTR/L

Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Kathy Bates, Rita Wilson, Hoda Kotb, Wanda Sykes, and Julia-Louis Dreyfus. What do these ladies have in common, besides being famous, beautiful, and strong? They are all breast cancer survivors.

According to the American Cancer Society, the average risk of a woman developing breast cancer is 13%, meaning that there is a 1 in 8 chance for a female to develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women (Cancer.org). However, over the years the death rate has decreased, possibly due to increased awareness, early detection, and better treatments.

by VMH Community and Home Care and the Iowa Department of Public Health
 
Public health plays an important role in Iowa’s high standard of living. The goal of public health is helping to create an environment where people can live in good health. Public health helps make good health happen in Iowa’s homes, neighborhoods, schools and workplaces.

Public health is more than just state and local government agencies. The public health community works together to fight disease and promote healthy lifestyles through the use of nutrition education, physical activity, immunization clinics, disease surveillance and home nursing and home care aide visits.

The Veterans Memorial Hospital (VMH) Diabetes Support Group will hold its next meeting Thursday, April 17, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at Veterans Memorial Hospital in the Large Conference Room, located on the lower level of the hospital.

This diabetes class is open to everyone who has diabetes or has a friend or loved one with diabetes. For more information on the Diabetes Support Group, feel free to call  Angie Mettille, RN, Certified Diabetes Educator at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411.

The next LifeServe Blood Center community blood drive will be held Monday, April 7, from 12-5 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in south Waukon.

by Tami Gebel, OTR/L
 
Have you been experiencing pain in your hip or knee? Are you having difficulty completing daily tasks, such as dressing, bathing, and making a meal? Is it becoming more difficult to walk around your house, through the grocery store, or attend special events where there are stairs?

These are some important questions to consider before talking with your doctor about having a hip or knee replacement surgery.  The surgery, and the expected pain and inconvenience, can seem overwhelming, however the after effects can be life changing. The therapy department at Veterans Memorial Hospital is here to help you through the transition from a painful, limiting joint to returning to a fulfilling productive life.