Morgantown toddler progresses in battle with spina bifida

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/22/2011

Zoe Lovell happily banged two plastic cups together as Julie Thornton, an occupational therapist at The Medical Center, clapped her own hands and said, “Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.”

The year-old Morgantown toddler later cried in frustration when Thornton held toy keys slightly out of her grasp in hopes that Zoe would reach further to grab them.

“Yay for Zoe!” Thornton cheered whenever Zoe got the keys. “Good girl!”

Zoe was receiving occupational therapy Wednesday for visual motor and fine motor skill delays she has because of spina bifida.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov, spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect that affects the spine and is usually apparent at birth. The condition can happen anywhere along the spine if the neural tube doesn’t close all the way. It can cause physical and mental disabilities that range from mild to severe, depending on the size and location of the opening in the spine and whether part of the spinal cord and nerves are affected.

Thornton, who has been working with Zoe for about 10 months, said she was helping Zoe with a variety of things, such as grasping objects with her thumb and index finger and crossing her midsection from one hand to the other instead of reaching out for things with both hands.

“She’s progressing well,” Thornton said. “I was seeing her once a week. Now I’m seeing her every other week.”

John and Hillary Lovell, Zoe’s parents, tried for a long time to get pregnant with their first child, Faith, now 2.

“It was a very uneventful pregnancy,” she said.

The couple didn’t expect a second pregnancy to happen quickly. They were surprised when one month after they started trying for a second child, Hillary Lovell was pregnant. This pregnancy wasn’t uneventful, though. When she was 17 weeks pregnant, the couple went in for a routine ultrasound.

“I thought we would find out if we were having a little boy or a little girl,” John Lovell said.

Instead, the couple were referred to a specialist, who told them their baby had spina bifida. “We were heartbroken, but we’re thankful we got to be prepared for that,” John Lovell said. “We got more comfortable with it over time.”

The couple started going to see a specialist in Nashville every month to check on Zoe’s progress. Toward the end of the pregnancy, Hillary Lovell was being seen three times each week. She went to the hospital for a scheduled cesarean section. Zoe had surgery the day after her birth, Hillary Lovell said.

“We were in the (neonatal intensive care unit) after her birth,” she said. “There was an opening in her back. They had to go in and close that.”

Zoe has a shunt because of hydrocephalus, a buildup of fluid in the skull that could lead to brain swelling. The hydrocephalus may have caused Zoe to be farsighted, Hillary Lovell said. On Wednesday, she peered at the world through pink glasses.

“We have baby glasses all over the house,” Hillary Lovell said, laughing.

The couple wanted Zoe to have the best life possible. Her name even expresses that desire.

“We chose to name her ‘Zoe’ because it’s the Greek word for ‘life’ – abundant life,” John Lovell said. “We want her not to just have a life, but an abundant life, that this world would not hinder her.”

Zoe has physical therapy each week and occupational therapy every two weeks at The Medical Center. First Steps, a statewide early intervention system that helps children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays, helps Zoe at the family’s home. Zoe also visits the Spina Bifida Clinic at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, where she sees a neurosurgeon, orthopedist, urologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist and dietitian.

“All the doctors you need come to you,” John Lovell said. “I counted six doctors on one visit. We go once every three months.”

Zoe’s opening was low on her back. She can move everything down to her toes, Hillary Lovell said.

“She’s just weaker,” she said. “She has gross motor delays. They’re on their own timetable.”

She may also have bowel and bladder issues to some degree, John Lovell said.

“How that plays out is such a wide range,” he said.

Zoe has been a joy for the couple. They laughed as Zoe smiled and babbled.

“She has a personality,” Hillary Lovell said.

The Lovells want people to know about spina bifida and encourage women of childbearing age to take a daily multivitamin with folic acid, because it may reduce the risk of spina bifida. They also want people to know that having a child with spina bifida is “not the end of the world.”

“The doctor will try to tell you you won’t have a good life, but you definitely do,” said Hillary Lovell, gazing at her smiling daughter sitting in her lap. “You manage it and move on. It’s not nearly as scary as I anticipated. You educate yourself.”

“And be patient,” John Lovell added.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Strong finish takes victory in 10K

by Zach Greenwell, The Daily News, originally published on 10/16/2011

Former Western Kentucky runner Patrick Cheptoek set the pace for most of The Medical Center 10K Classic on Saturday.

But it was that other fraction of a second that made the difference.

Cheptoek was edged at the finish line by winner Reuben Mwei in the 32nd annual running of the event, creating the closest finish in the race’s history.

“The race was great, and the weather was just perfect conditions for running,” Cheptoek said. “I ran well and led the whole race from the start until the very end, but the only bit of disappointment was that I was kicked at the finish line. But overall, I’m happy.”

Mwei, a Kenya native, officially finished with a time of 29:13, while Cheptoek finished with a 29:14. But the more precise results showed that Mwei’s burst past Cheptoek at the finish line gave him the win by 19 tenths of a second.

“I caught up with a pack and decided to not push it and stay with them and see how it goes,” Mwei said. “But then on the last mile, I decided to just go for it. (Cheptoek) was pushing it really hard, and I thought, ‘I need to make a move now.’ ”

Cheptoek, from Kapchorusa, Uganda, graduated from WKU in August and decided to turn professional. He ran two races in Illinois and Ohio prior to Saturday, setting personal bests in the 5K and 10K.

“I’ve put my effort into it, and I’ve been really happy with my running so far,” Cheptoek said.

Ngatuny Emmanuel finished third in the men’s division with a time of 29:35.

Bonita Paul, also a WKU graduate, won the women’s division with a time of 35:34.

The victory had been a long time coming for Paul, who finished between second and fifth in her first four entrances in the race.

Paul was a member of the WKU track and cross-country teams until her graduation in 2005, but she still lives in Bowling Green and continues to train.

“It was great, with all of the local people,” Paul said. “They’ve seen me running around town every day, and they were cheering me on, yelling my name and number.”

Paul finished ahead of Sonja Friend-Uhl and Maria Busienei, who recorded times of 36:09 and 37:51, respectively.

Other division winners were Darlene Hoagland, senior grand masters female; Gary Romesser, senior grand masters male; Lilly Wheet, grand masters female; Barry Ross, grand masters male; Yvonne Petkus, masters female; and Chad Newton, masters male.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Amputee overcomes major obstacles to reach race

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/13/2011

An accident on Sept. 15, 2001, set Cameron Clapp’s life on a different course than he had planned.

The San Luis Obispo, Calif., man, then 15, was struck by a freight train after a night of underage drinking with his identical twin brother, Jesse.

“I grew up next to railroad tracks. I never thought it would happen,” he said by phone Wednesday during an interview with the Daily News. “I did not hear it coming.”

Clapp lost both legs and his right arm in the accident.

“They cut off my legs to above the knees and my right arm to above the elbow. I have a little bit of my shoulder. I call it my nub,” he said. “I can move my legs and arm around.”

Doctors told Clapp he wouldn’t walk again, but five months after the accident he was walking independently with prosthetic legs.

“Today I move around very well. I’m a high-functioning amputee. I use two prosthetic legs to walk. They’re C-Legs – that stands for ‘computer legs,’ with microprocessors in them,” he said. “I can trust them to be there for me for every step. I use them to drive my car, too.”

He also travels to do athletic events.

“I’m really independent. I do everything I want to do,” he said. “I also have running legs and swimming legs. I compete in athletic events and triathlons.”

Clapp plans to run The Medical Center 10K Classic on Saturday. He will also be at the 10K Classic starting line at the W.R. McNeill Elementary School parking lot at 6:30 a.m. and post-race at Houchens-Smith Stadium from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The 10K Classic has several events. The 5K will start at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 1.5-mile Fun Walk at 7:50 a.m., the 10K Wheelchair Race at 8:25 a.m., the 10K Classic at 8:30 a.m. and the Children’s Classic at 10:15 a.m. For a list of entry fees or the route, visit www.themedicalcenter10kclassic.com.

Online registration closes at midnight tonight, but people can register at the Southern Foods Pasta Party and The Medical Center Health and Fitness Expo, which will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at the Sloan Convention Center, or from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday before the race.

“We have close to 1,500 signed up so far for all three events combined,” said Andrea Norris, community wellness manager at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center and a coordinator of the event. “We usually have close to 1,800 to 1,900 participants total. We will have 100 sign up at the expo.”

The 10K Classic has been a tradition in the community, Norris said.

“It not only supports The Medical Center, but also Western (Kentucky University) and all the sponsors who want to be a part of it. It’s not just the runners taking part,” she said. “It’s a good atmosphere for the community. It encourages a healthy lifestyle and support.”

Clapp said he and his brother, who died of a drug overdose in January 2008, were extremely active before the accident.

“We always excelled in sports. We were the fastest kids in school,” he remembered. “We grew up next to the beach surfing.”

He does many athletic events annually. His next event after the 10K Classic will be the 18th annual Aspen Medical Products San Diego Triathlon Challenge on Oct. 23.

“I train really hard and get excited about them,” he said. “I really love these events I’m involved in every year.”

This is his first time running the 10K Classic. In fact, Clapp has never run a 10K.

“I’m more of a sprinter. I did a 5K in Indiana about four years ago. I’m gonna try to do the entire 10K. I haven’t had a lot of time to train for it. I’m excited. I know I can do it if I’m really prepared to do it,” he said. “I think if I complete the 10K, I will be the first triple amputee in the whole world to complete a 10K. There are other people doing athletic events, but there is nobody with my level of amputation.”

The 10K won’t be Clapp’s only activity in Warren County. A motivational and youth speaker, he’s also scheduled to speak at South Warren High School this weekend.

“It’s my passion in life right now. I almost died. It had negative consequences,” he said. “I love speaking to young people. I admire them. They’re our future generation.”

Clapp also visits other patients, amputees and people in the medical field to show them that recovery is possible.

“I didn’t know if I could do it. Over time, I worked hard at it,” he said. “It was a struggle. I never thought I’d be able to run a 10K.”

Clapp said he couldn’t have recovered without a good support system, which includes Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, which has more than 670 locations nationwide, including Bowling Green, and provides his prosthetic care. He will be at the Hanger Prosthetics booth during the Health Expo.

“Hanger Prosthetics have helped me live my life to the fullest. I’m very grateful for what they’ve done for me,” he said. “You can show the world you can do anything. ‘Impossible’ is an opinion, not a fact.”

— For more information about The Medical Center 10K Classic, visit www.themedicalcenter10kclassic.com. For more information about Cameron Clapp, visit www.cameronclapp.com.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Asthma program to assist sufferers

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 9/12/2011

Learning to control asthma can be overwhelming, whether one is newly diagnosed or has been dealing with it for a while.

“People who have asthma are the least educated about their disease,” said Denise Houchins, a certified asthma educator at the Barren River District Health Department.

The health department is working to change that with the new Asthma Management Program, which will help people learn how to manage the disease. The first class will be at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Warren County Health Department. The 11⁄2- to 2-hour class will meet the fourth Wednesday of each month and will help participants understand the effects of asthma on their lungs, know how medications work and when they should be taken, correctly use devices including peak-flow meters, nebulizers and holding chambers, and understand triggers and how the environment plays a part in asthma.

“It’s not a support group,” Houchins said. “It’s an opportunity for you to get educated on your disease or your child’s disease and how to manage it at home.”

The Kentucky Respiratory Disease Program got a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address asthma at eight sites across the state. One of those sites is the Barren River district. The program will also provide home assessments with a written referral from a school nurse or physician to help identify triggers and allergens in the home as well as training workshops for various facilities.

“Our goals are to have asthma education for school and day care staff and businesses and industries,” Houchins said.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, said Justin Srygler, respiratory director at The Medical Center. There are various types, including exercise-induced asthma, which is often seen in athletes, and occupational asthma, which is seen in industries.

“It’s most commonly going to have symptoms of airway obstruction – wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath,” he said. “Some people have mild to moderate asthma and never have been diagnosed with it.”

Asthma is a dangerous disease that shouldn’t be taken lightly, Srygler said.

“There are 250,000 deaths from asthma globally,” he said. “It’s devastating. People need to really understand the dangers.”

There isn’t a really precise method for diagnosing asthma, Srygler said. Medical professionals measure pulmonary function and check a patient’s response to a short acting bronchodilator or inhaled corticosteroids.

“We make it based on a monitored pattern of symptoms and a response to therapies, something that will dilate the airway so they can breathe better,” he said. “The big thing is using (inhalers) correctly.”

Patients should also try to avoid allergens and irritants that can trigger an acute asthma attack, Srygler said.

“They’re going to be more at risk for asthma after they have a lot of positive allergy attacks,” he said. “You want to try to find out what (the allergens and irritants) are and try to avoid that.”

For more information about the class, call Denise Houchins at 781-8039, ext. 154, or visit www.barrenriverhealth.org/asthma.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Honoring the fallen: City firefighters, officers, emergency personnel pay tribute to first responders who died in attacks

by Justin Story, The Daily News, originally published on 9/12/2011

In a solemn ceremony on a rainy morning, city firefighters gathered Sunday with police officers and emergency personnel at the Bowling Green Fire Department’s central station to remember the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in a 10th anniversary memorial ceremony.

A steady rain that fell through much of the event moved the ceremony into the Moltenberry Headquarters Fire Station on East Seventh Avenue, though the stage from which the speakers addressed the crowd remained outdoors.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania after terrorists hijacked commercial airlines, two of which crashed into the World Trade Center towers and another that slammed into the Pentagon. A fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers took control of the aircraft.

Sunday’s ceremony paid tribute to the first responders who died in the attacks.

“Never in American history has our nation’s public infrastructure suffered such a tragic loss,” BGFD Chief Greg Johnson said.

In all, 343 firefighters, 60 law enforcement officers and eight emergency medical providers lost their lives responding to the attacks.

Several BGFD firefighters, Bowling Green Police Department officers and Emergency Medical Services personnel from The Medical Center took turns reading the names of the first responders killed that day.

The remembrance was punctuated by a bell-ringing ceremony saluting the firefighters who died 10 years ago.

Traditionally, three rings of a bell would signify the end of a shift. BGFD firefighter Keith Potts gave the bell three sets of three rings in honor of the firefighters who died, denoting that their duties have been completed.

Following the bell-ringing ceremony, Sgt. Jeff Manning of the Glasgow Fire Department played a mournful rendition of “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes.

Randy Fathbruckner, EMS director for The Medical Center, put into stark terms the toll that first responders took fighting the fires and tending to the dead and injured in the aftermath of the attacks.

Fires continued to smolder in New York for nearly 100 days and an estimated 14,000 to 19,000 people at the scene began suffering from chronic respiratory ailments afterward.

“One in five Americans knew someone that was either killed or hurt in the attacks,” Fathbruckner said.

Retired BGPD Assistant Chief Marieca Brown sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” near the beginning of the ceremony and Marty O’Callaghan, wife of BGFD Assistant Chief Brian O’Callaghan, sang “America the Beautiful” shortly before the closing.

The ceremony was one of several held throughout the area. Members of the local Rolling Thunder chapter planned to clean headstones belonging to veterans at Fairview Cemetery on Sunday afternoon.

Stephen Racz of Bowling Green Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 said the group’s vice president, Daren Bowen, noticed the condition of veterans’ headstones at another cemetery, which led to Bowen suggesting cleaning headstones at Fairview as a service project.

“We thought it was appropriate that our service project entail something with the veterans, and our chapter decided we would take this upon ourselves as a service project,” Racz said.

In Barren County, Glasgow joined several other communities by sounding outdoor warning sirens for one minute at noon on Sunday as part of a National Moment of Remembrance. Several churches also rang their bells during that time.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Fighting heart disease: Warren County Heart Walk raises money to help save lives

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 9/10/2011

Tracey Stuart wants people to remember one thing if they think they might be having symptoms of a heart attack.

“Seek medical attention. Don’t wait. Don’t assume it’s nothing,” she said.

She knows from experience. Two years ago, at age 40, she had just run a mile and was walking when she experienced a burning sensation.

“I had huge pressure on my chest area from my chin to my chest,” she said. “I wasn’t in a great deal of pain, but it was enough to catch my attention.”

Stuart went to an emergency room and was treated for a heart attack. She later found out that she had a sudden coronary artery dissection, which can be related to female hormone levels. She had 99.9 percent blockage in her left main artery.

“It’s prone to women,” she said. “The hormones associated with pregnancy can affect the lining of the artery, then it ruptures.”

Stuart believes research funded by the American Heart Association helped save her life.

“They were able to do enough research to determine what could happen to me,” she said. “They are making so many advances and affect so many people. It’s just astounding. You can have heart disease and have a very healthy life.”

Stuart is chairwoman of the American Heart Association’s Warren County Heart Walk, which begins at 9 a.m. today on The Medical Center’s front lawn. Activities will include a Kids Zone, health fair, refreshments for walkers and blood screenings. A VIP area for walkers who raised more than $150 will include a masseuse, breakfast and drawings for gift cards. Nearly 400 people are expected to participate.

“It raises money to continue the fight against heart disease and research, for research, education, awareness and advocacy,” said Michelle Alloway, division director of the American Heart Association Great Rivers Affiliate. “I think it’s going to be a great event. Every year we grow and raise more money.”

The event also helps raise awareness, Stuart said.

“If my story touches someone so that they go to the ER instead of waiting ...,” she said, pausing. “People need to be educated about their health and their hearts.”

Last year’s walk raised $69,500, Alloway said.

“Hopefully we’re saving lives,” she said. “Heart disease continues to claim more American lives each year. It needs to be something on our list of priorities to think about.”

Stuart continues to take charge of her health in an effort to prevent another heart attack. In addition to taking preventative medication, she tries to eat right and exercise.

“I went right back to running and haven’t had one problem,” she said. “I think it was a definite eye opener.”

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Interstitial cystitis sufferers have support

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 9/10/2011

April Lee used to have a full life.

“I used to have a career. I have a master’s degree in counseling,” she said. “I used to help people with disabilities get back to work.”

About six years ago, the Bowling Green woman had a severe case of endometriosis that was really debilitating.

“I had multiple surgeries for it, but I had a hard time getting well. I tried everything to get well. I’d been to more than 40 doctors,” she said. “I had pelvic pain, pressure, urgency (to urinate) and frequency. I had to get up at nighttime all the time. It got so bad I couldn’t even hold a teacup. You’re really fatigued. It takes a lot out of your body.”

Lee eventually found out she had interstitial cystitis which, according to the Interstitial Cystitis Network website at www.ic-network.com, is also known as bladder pain syndrome, painful bladder syndrome or hypersensitive bladder syndrome. Because patients often think they’re suffering from repeated bladder infections, it may take months or years to be diagnosed.

“It’s like having shards of glass in your bladder,” Lee said. “There’s not a lot they can do for the pain.”

As many as one in five women in the U.S. may be infected, local gynecologist Dr. Mark Yurchisin said.

“It’s a chronic pelvic pain syndrome due to inappropriate stimulation to the nerves in the bladder or urethra,” he said.

Symptoms include urinary frequency, urgency and pelvic pain, Yurchisin said. Patients often experience burning when urinating, wake up at night to urinate and have painful intercourse. The cause is unknown.

“It’s prevalent in both sexes, but it’s more common in women,” he said. “Men show the same types of symptoms as women. They may have pain in the testicles and scrotum. They usually see a urologist.”

Lee said she didn’t know anybody with the condition and wanted support.

“I would sit in (Yurchisin’s) lobby, and he had all these patients that I’d end up talking to,” she said. “I’m meeting people younger and younger who are coming down with IC.”

She gave Yurchisin a list of products that had helped her with interstitial cystitis and talked to him about staring a support group. The result is the Interstitial Cystitis Support Group, which will have its second meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Medical Center. Lee has also started a blog for the group at icsupportbg.blogspot.com.

“We want to get these women together and have a speaker and educate them on things that can really help,” she said. “A lot of doctors don’t know what to do with them. They get put on pain medicines that they can become addicted to.”

There is no cure for IC, but it can be controlled, Yurchisin said.

“We can restore patients’ lives in terms of their bladder and sexual function and reduce their pain so they’re just not suffering so much,” he said.

The condition is treated with dietary restrictions to prevent irritation to the bladder, Yurchisin said.

“What I find in my population is the need to eliminate acidic foods, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and tomato-based products,” he said.

There are three drugs that are most commonly used – Elmiron, which helps the bladder heal, Elavil, which helps reduce pain and urgency, and Hydroxyzine, an anti-inflammatory, Yurchisin said.

“These therapies take a long time to work. The medications are slow-working,” he said. “The results may not be seen for three to six months. Substantial improvements may take a year or more.”

IC is very elusive, Lee said.

“It’s not always that you can follow the diet and things will be all right,” she said. “Sometimes it flares up. I go to the chiropractor and that seems to help.”

Watching her diet, reducing stress and having physical therapy can help, Lee said.

“Drink a lot of water and rest,” she said. “You have to listen to your body.”

Although it has been mentally hard to adjust to making the necessary changes to keep herself healthy, Lee said she plans to keep talking to people about IC so she can find others who may need help.

“Even though it’s your bladder and it’s not something people want to hear about, I try to talk about it,” she said.

Lee hopes the support group helps a lot of people.

“It is a very painful disease that’s not understood,” she said. “It means a lot to have support.”

Upcoming support group meetings will be at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 14 at The Medical Center.

— For more information, email aprilslee@windstream.net.

Copyright 2011 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)