March for Babies Saturday: Family shares story of how their child beneftted from March of Dimes

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 4/29/2011

Marissa Butler smiled as she watched her 7-month-old son, Ramsey, kick and coo while listening to music coming from his play mat Tuesday at their home in Alvaton.

“You’re so silly,” she told the baby as his face lit up with a big grin. “I see you.”

Butler picked up Ramsey, placed him on her lap and watched as he looked wide-eyed at everything in front of him.

“I love the wonder in their eyes,” she said.

It was a moment that Butler wasn’t always sure she would see. Ramsey was born at almost 26 weeks gestation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. That’s 14 weeks earlier than a full-term pregnancy, which lasts 40 weeks.

“He’s our first child. We didn’t know what to compare it to,” she said. “We got a crash course on how to take care of him. It’s kind of good we didn’t know all the risks, but at the same time to be able to share a positive story.”

The Butlers are sharing their story as the Bowling Green ambassador family for the March of Dimes, and the family will participate in the organization’s March for Babies. The walk, which helps raise money for research and programs for the March of Dimes, will begin with registration at 9 a.m. Saturday at Phil Moore Park followed by the walk at 10 a.m. The event will be held rain or shine.

“We want to do anything we can to spread awareness,” Butler said. “We want to give families a ray of hope.”

The family’s team, called Team Ramsey, has raised more than $3,000 so far, Butler said.

“We have family from here and Nashville coming,” she said. “He’ll be in his stroller.”

There are currently 300 people preregistered for this weekend’s March for Babies, but organizers are anticipating between 500 and 800 people, said Mandy Kucela, March of Dimes Barren River Division director.

“It’s our largest fundraising event. We’re looking at $60,000 brought in from the walk,” she said. “Company and family teams get together and raise money for the cause. We ask that walkers make a donation to support the cause. It all goes to the March of Dimes.”

The organization’s mission is to prevent premature birth, infant mortality and birth defects, Kucela said.

“In Kentucky, we have more premature births than the number of freshmen enrolled at (the University of Louisville) and (the University of Kentucky) combined,” she said.

The mission isn’t just about helping babies born too early, Kucela said.

“It’s about all babies,” she said. “We want to help all babies have a healthy chance at life.”

Butler had no indication that Ramsey would be born early.

“I was having a completely normal pregnancy,” she said. “I had no complications. He had strong heartbeat.”

One evening in September, Butler was preparing dinner when she felt that her water might have broken.

“By the time I got to The Medical Center to wait on my husband, Shane, to park the car, my water had definitely broken,” she said. “I didn’t lose all my fluid. I wanted to get to 34 weeks.”

Butler was sent to Vanderbilt, which would be better equipped to care for a micro-preemie. Butler’s labor was held off for a few more days, but on Sept. 20 she woke up with a fever and other flu-like symptoms.

“They hooked me up to a monitor,” she said. “By the middle of the morning, they could tell he was being affected by my illness.”

Ramsey was born by cesarean section and weighed in at 2 pounds, 2 ounces.

“It was the scariest but happiest moment of my life at the same time,” Butler said. “It was fear completely balanced by faith.”

When Butler marveled at how tiny her son was, the staff told her that they had seen smaller babies.

“The (neonatal intensive care unit) was constantly reassuring us. We could tell they were very experienced with this,” she said. “They didn’t sugarcoat anything. Yes, he had a struggle, but there were many others who struggled harder.”

Ramsey stayed at Vanderbilt’s NICU for nearly seven weeks before being transported back to The Medical Center, where he stayed for seven weeks. He was able to go home four days before Christmas – five days before his original due date. He is doing well, Butler said.

“I just got to meet him a little earlier,” she said. “I got to look into his eyes a little earlier.”

Some of the knowledge, technology and skill used in the NICU are results of March of Dimes research, Butler said.

“The more donations the March of Dimes gets now, they more they can help NICUs across the country,” she said.

— For more information about March for Babies, call 746-5111 or visit www.marchforbabies.org.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Changing diet often helps those with celiac disease

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 4/16/2011

Lynn Denton sometimes misses eating biscuits.

“That gets to be the hardest thing,” the Scottsville woman said.

Denton knows that taking a nibble on a piece of bread could make her very sick. She suffers from celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the body reacts to the protein gluten, which can be found in wheat, bran, rye and some oats.

“Gluten is in pretty much everything,” said Dr. James Curtiss, a gastroenterologist at Physicians Specialty Center at Greenview Regional Hospital. “One in 200 people are susceptible to it.”

It used to be that celiac disease would be diagnosed in pediatric situations in which an infant or child would have diarrhea, failure to thrive or dehydration, Curtiss said. Now more and more adults are being diagnosed with it.

“It’s mostly because people are aware of it, and there is better testing,” he said.

Celiac disease – which happens more often in people of northern European ancestry or who have a genetic predisposition for it – is more than just diarrhea, constipation and abdominal cramping, Curtiss said. Some other symptoms are joint pain, fatigue, certain rashes, low iron or anemia, low vitamin D, low calcium and mood irritability. Celiac disease can be associated with other autoimmune illnesses such as Type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease as well as Down syndrome and fertility issues.

“There are a number of things that you look at,” he said. “Not everybody has symptoms.”

Patients also have a small risk of intestinal malignancy, Curtiss said.

“Celiac can be fatal, but thankfully it’s not very often,” he said.

Denton said she had several symptoms when she was diagnosed about five years ago.

“I was having trouble with my stomach. I had chronic diarrhea and breaking out on my arms, knees and around my waist,” she said. “I went to other doctors about that, and they didn’t know what it was.”

The disease may be genetic in Denton’s case, she said.

“My mother died of colon cancer when I was 4 years old,” she said. “It could’ve been because of celiac disease. They didn’t test for stuff like this back then.”

There are some blood tests that can detect celiac disease. Curtiss also does a biopsy of the small intestine, a 10-minute procedure in which the patient is sedated. Once celiac disease is diagnosed, Curtiss talks to the patient about treatment, which can include a gluten-free diet or, for those whose disease doesn’t respond to dietary changes, steroids.

“Treatment is kind of tough. Ninety percent of people respond to dietary changes,” he said. “Some can make minor changes and receive benefit.”

Patients with celiac disease often need a dietitian to help them adjust to a new way of eating and get the nutrients that the small intestine cannot absorb as well. Linda Howsen, community dietitian at The Medical Center, said patients should read food and beverage labels as well as things that may come in contact with the mouth such as lipstick, medicine and toothpaste. They also should be careful about sharing utensils, such as a bread knife, that may have come in contact with a gluten product.

“It’s a cross contamination issue,” she said.

Because more stores carry gluten-free products, patients with celiac disease can have a lot more freedom than they used to, Howsen said.

“The big concern in some of the gluten-free products is the low level of nutrients, but some gluten-free products are fortified,” she said. “If they are not, you can take a multivitamin or buy enriched gluten-free products.”

Gluten-free products aren’t necessarily like those with gluten, though, Howsen said.

“They may have a different taste and texture,” she said. “You may have to do some manipulation to make it taste and have the texture the way you want it.”

Denton said she has changed her way of eating and takes extra vitamins, including calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12 shots. She has increased her intake of fruits and vegetables.

“I try to eat foods that are gluten free,” she said. “I can tell when I eat something I’m not supposed to.”

She encourages others who have celiac disease to do research so they know what they’re facing.

“I purchased books,” Denton said. “You really need to watch what you eat. It could lead to more serious complications.”

The following websites have information about celiac disease:

The National Center for Biotechnology Information

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Celiac Disease Foundation

www.celiac.org

Celiac.com

www.celiac.com

The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America

www.gluten.net

Celiac Sprue Association

www.csaceliacs.org

American Dietetic Association

www.eatright.org

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

123 pieces of art, 63 female artists: Most pieces on display at The Medical Center will be for sale to benefit Capitol Arts Center

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 4/14/2011

The Medical Center Auditorium will be transformed into a gallery this weekend with the 21st annual Women-in-the-Arts Exhibit.

The artwork – 123 pieces by 63 female artists – will be displayed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

“Women-in-the-Arts is an opportunity for women ages 18 and older throughout southcentral Kentucky to not only display artwork, but also to sell their artwork,” said Linda Rush, community wellness director for The Medical Center. “It’s also an opportunity for the community, patients who are able and visitors to enjoy outstanding outwork.”

It’s also an opportunity to give back. The majority of the artwork – which will include watercolors, paintings, photography, ceramic and fiber work – will be for sale, with 25 percent of each sale benefiting the Capitol Arts Center’s Visual Arts program.

“This is very much a partnership with (the Capitol),” Rush said.

“The Capitol Arts’ Visual Arts program involves everything done throughout the year to keep the gallery running,” said Lynn Robertson, Capitol Arts Alliance gallery director.

“We provide space, lighting, reception, graphics, public relations, postcards, everything that is involved in most of the exhibits here. We don’t sell enough to support the entire program,” she said. “It’s beautifully generous for The Medical Center and Women-in-the-Arts to support the Visual Arts program here by allowing us to have 25 percent commission. It helps the Capitol.”

The juried exhibit will be judged by an art professor from Belmont University, Rush said. The hospital does a special Purchase Award that will be displayed at The Medical Center. There will also be cash Merit Awards and five Honorable Mention Awards. The winning pieces will be displayed Wednesday through May 2 in the Capitol’s Houchens Gallery.

Robertson said Women-in-the-Arts is an exciting show.

“It brings some of the women artists out. It’s always a great show,” she said. “It gets an audience there that won’t necessarily come to a gallery and puts it there for them to easily peruse some original artwork.”

Rush encourages people to come out for the event.

“We have artists who enter each year, but we also have new artists – some who have just taken up art and some who are new to the community,” Rush said. “That’s exciting.”

— For more information, call 745-1010 or toll free at 800-624-2318.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Report: Warren 27th healthiest county in Ky. However, Warren ranks below national health benchmarks

by Justin Story, The Daily News, originally published on 4/5/2011

A national report on county health rankings shows Warren County to be the 27th healthiest county in Kentucky.

Released last week, the report assesses the health of each American county based on a number of benchmarks, with data that includes the percentage of uninsured adults in each county, the extent of adult obesity in each county and other statistics.

The report was compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, with the aim of calling attention to recognizing how factors outside medical care influence health, as well as getting more people involved in understanding the community’s health problems and improving community health.

Warren County ranked 27th out of Kentucky’s 120 counties overall. Much of the data shows Warren County performing at or slightly better than the average figures for Kentucky but worse than national benchmarks.

One in five adults surveyed in Warren County reported being in poor or fair health, compared with 10 percent nationwide and 22 percent in Kentucky. Also, 28 percent of the adult population in Warren County are smokers and 29 percent of Warren County adults are obese.

Figures for smoking and obesity in the county track nearly identically with state averages, but are higher than national benchmarks in both categories.

Warren County has one of the largest proportions of uninsured adults in the state, with 26 percent of adults younger than 65 who have no insurance. Only five other counties have the same or higher rates of uninsured.

“I think the numbers sort of confirm what we continue to know about Kentucky and the challenges as it relates to various aspects of health status,” said Dennis Chaney, director of the Barren River District Health Department. “The numbers affirm for us the barriers that we know exist.”

Chaney said economic barriers have a direct impact on a person’s ability to have good health and access to health care.

Despite the relatively high proportion of uninsured, Warren County ranks 19th in the state in access to primary care providers, with one provider available for every 896 people. The county outperforms the state average of one provider per 922 people, but lags behind the national benchmark of one primary care provider per 631 people.

“We have health resource richness in Warren County compared to some of our rural counties,” said Chaney, pointing out how rural counties without a community hospital, such as Metcalfe County, could be more susceptible to having barriers to good health. “In counties where physicians may not be as plentiful, there are access issues. If an individual needs to see a specialist in Warren County ... the travel expense could actually be a barrier to health.”

Chaney said the study highlights the importance of community leaders uniting to improve overall public health.

The health department is in discussion with Commonwealth Health Corp., which operates The Medical Center, and other entities to collaborate on a community health assessment project, according to Chaney.

The project would get under way in the fall, Chaney said, and may involve combining assessment of existing health data with going into communities in the eight counties served by the health district and seeking public input on the most important community health needs.

“We have met with Mr. Chaney to discuss this process and the public health departments have done this in the past, and so this time we hope to all work together to generate a very complete and thorough community needs assessment,” said CHC Vice President Doris Thomas.

The hospital, through its Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall and other outlets, has offered several wellness and disease prevention programs that average more than 1,000 patrons a month, Thomas said.

Those programs include free blood pressure checks and blood sugar screenings, smoking cessation classes and the Healthy Kids program, which focuses on pediatric health issues.

“The Medical Center has been involved in promoting wellness and disease prevention ... for many years and this will just be the next step,” Thomas said of the proposed community assessment.

— To see all the data for Warren County, go to www.countyhealthrankings.org/kentucky/warren.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)