Peggy Medina, 63, has suffered from bouts of pancreatitis for 12 years. When she began experiencing abdominal pain and nausea in February, Peggy reached for the pain medication to get her through a few days of rest and pain management – what had worked in the past. “The pain was so bad the meds didn’t impact it,” recalls Peggy. She quickly decided it was time to go to the Emergency Department at Hillcrest South.
News
Temperatures are rising, longer days are here and there are more opportunities to get out and be active. That is all great for our health, as long as we are staying hydrated as well. Some experts believe as many as 75 percent of adults in the U.S. are dehydrated at any given time. If you might be one of them, here are some reasons why it is important to make sure you are drinking enough water and tips to help you get and stay hydrated.
Health Benefits of Water
“I remember saying to the doctor, ‘Is she at that point?’” Judi Stout recalls of one of two pivotal moments of her daughter’s experience in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Hillcrest South. The second occurred when the off-duty nurse manager woke in the middle of the night concerned about Candace’s scheduled x-ray and told the nursing staff to wait until the next day.
One in three people are affected by the most common chronic gastrointestinal disorder in the U.S. – acid reflux disease, also commonly known as gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD). For those who suffer, pain and discomfort can impact quality of life, as many people are plagued with symptoms such as chest pain, regurgitation, swallowing troubles, chronic cough, hoarseness or sore throat. This is not a condition you should just live with or allow to get worse; as health care providers say it may lead to more serious conditions including Barrett’s esophagus or esophageal cancer.
“It happened for a reason and if this is the reason, I’m all about it,” Debbie Gann, 50 says of discovering her new passion to spread awareness for heart disease. “Even if you have family history of heart disease, you can overcome it through exercise, diet, lifestyle changes and being positive. Bypass surgery doesn’t have to stop you.”
When the weather is nice there is nothing Ronnie Duerkson, 70, loves more than to be outside – playing with his three grandchildren, gardening or going for a ride on his motorcycle. However, at the age of 69, Ronnie was diagnosed with bullous emphysema. The condition slowed him down, making it difficult to breathe. As part of his treatment, Ronnie’s doctor referred him to pulmonary rehab at Hillcrest South.
March is National Nutrition Month and this year the theme – Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right – is kicking off in the kitchen of the Hillcrest South Café. The dietary staff prepares 1400 meals from scratch every day for patients, visitors and hospital employees. Highlighting health and nutrition on the menu is the goal of Sonja Stolfa, RD/LD, Hillcrest South Dietary Department Manager and chefs Louis Rois and Terriann Latouche. “Our goal is to try to introduce them to something that looks really good, which is also healthy,” explains Sonja Stolfa, RD/LD.
The last day Terry Jenkins, 65, walks into cardiac rehab at Hillcrest South as a patient, he arrives with two poinsettias in hand - one for Tina Holloway, RN and another one for Jill Connor, MS. They are the two reasons Terry arrives each session to exercise and rebuild his heart following bypass surgery in June. “I had never worked out in my life,” he says of his physical activity, outside of golf, prior to the program.