By Antoinette Grajeda
People have surgery to change their appearance all the time. They’re not happy with the size or shape of something, but that’s not the reason Mattie Watson of Bella Vista had gastric bypass surgery. She liked herself as she was, but she also loved herself enough to be mindful of her health.
“I’ve always been a big child,” she said. “I was always taller than anybody else in my class or weight-wise bigger than anyone else in my class, so I’ve always been big and it never really bothered me. But then as I got older in high school and in college it just got to be a little out of control.”
On April 5, Mattie celebrated the three-month anniversary of her surgery and the loss of 54 pounds.
Her journey to this new life began a few years ago and was born out of tragedy. Her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the July 4, 2000, weekend. He passed away a little over two weeks later on July 19.
“It happened that fast,” Mattie said.
The loss of her father inspired Mattie to visit the doctor and have everything checked out. When she was diagnosed with diabetes, she began taking medication, but she didn’t change her eating habits.
“After being diagnosed diabetic, I was a little bit more concerned, but not really,” she said.
In 2007, it hit home how problematic her weight could be during a family vacation to Cancun, Mexico.
“There was one thing I wanted to do — I wanted to swim with the dolphins,” she said. “I saved and saved and saved so I could have enough money to do that and I was just miserable.”
Her experience with the dolphins was not enjoyable because Mattie was uncomfortable in a life jacket that didn’t fit properly, she was suffering from leg cramps and her weight pushing down on a metal grate was painful on her feet.
Mattie’s weight had become an issue in her daily life. Walking to and from the mailbox caused her to be out of breath, she couldn’t ride the rides when she took her friends’ children to the county fair and sitting in restaurant booths was uncomfortable.
“I’m so tired of not being able to do the things I want to do because I’m so overweight,” she said.
Mattie had dieted on her own in the past and used diet medication prescribed by doctors, but never quite got the results she wanted.
“I would really try for like three or four months, but I’d hit that 30-pound mark and there’d be nothing else,” she said.
Mattie’s diabetic medication was increased for the first time two years ago and she was also prescribed medication for high cholesterol. It was then that she decided to look at surgery more seriously.
“I said I got to do something; I have to do something now. I mean, I’m only 35 years old,” she said. “I want to be around to be an old woman, to be around my nieces.”
She had tossed the idea of surgery around before, especially after seeing a former co-worker go through the process. The stars seemed to be aligning when Mattie’s work offered a new “awesome” insurance program that would cover the cost of the surgery. In addition to paying for the procedures, the plan paid for Mattie and a companion to fly to the hospital (she had to use one of the plan’s approved doctors and hospitals), stay in a hotel, have transportation and receive a $2,000 recovery check.
To qualify, she also had to have six months of doctor-supervised diet and exercise, as well as a psychological evaluation to let her know the surgery is a tool to help her and not a miracle cure.
Mattie was excited about the procedure, but her mother, a registered nurse, “was not real thrilled.” She is of the “you can do it on your own” mindset, but she was also concerned about the risks that come with surgery, Mattie said.
“She’s your mom; she doesn’t want you to do anything that might could kill you,” Mattie said.
Mattie reassured her mom she would be alright because she didn’t have any other health complications and because she was young. While her mother was scared, Mattie didn’t focus on the possible negative outcomes.
“I just never really was scared about that,” she said. “I always figured that if it was my time to go then it was my time to go no matter what, so I never allowed myself to really think about it.”
The surgery Mattie had was the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The procedure can be done laparoscopically, meaning small incisions were made, explained her surgeon Cliff Thomas. Surgical instruments are passed through tubes in the incisions, as well as a camera that allows surgeons to see the area they’re working on.
“There’s very few failures, but it’s a complex operation,” Thomas said.
Complex operation means complications, and he said those can include bleeding, leakage of intestinal fluid and bowel obstruction.
At 7:30 a.m. Jan. 5, a 328-pound Mattie was wheeled into a surgery that lasted an hour and a half. By 6 p.m. that evening, Mattie was up and walking around to the surprise of the nurses.
Her recovery went smoothly. She felt some tugging from the stitches, but she never had to use her pain-killing drugs. By 3 p.m. the following day, she was discharged from University General Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Since the surgery, Mattie has experienced several changes to her lifestyle. For one, she no longer has to take diabetic medication. She has made alterations to her schedule, including attending a weight-loss support group once a month and exercising much more frequently.
“God bless the iPod,” she enthused. “I’m telling you I would not be able to walk outside as much as I do if I didn’t have my songs to jam to.”
And then, of course, there’s the weight loss. During the first month alone, the weight “came off really fast,” resulting in a loss of nearly 30 pounds. She was nervous about being stuck at the dreaded 30-pound mark, but she has long surpassed that and “it’s really exciting.”
Mattie is becoming thinner, which means finding clothes has been an issue. She has lost 10 jean sizes, and, although her friend Tammy teases her about being a pack rat, Mattie is thankful to have kept the smaller clothes she collected during her previous weight-loss attempts.
“That’s the only saving grace I’ve had,” she said. “I mean, I’ve been pulling out pants and shirts that I haven’t worn in years.”
Before the surgery, Mattie enjoyed watching television and movies, reading and the occasional walk, but now she’s “just in the mood to get out and do stuff” and has much more energy to do so.
Her diet has changed as well. She must take a variety of vitamins every day because her smaller stomach doesn’t absorb all of the necessary nutrition, but she said that’s a much better option than paying for expensive diabetic medications.
Mattie has a book to guide her through the process of incorporating exercise into her daily routine as well as what foods she can eat. For example, she must eat plenty of protein. She’s been instructed to eat three meals a day and said the tough part isn’t eating the proper foods, but simply remembering to eat.
“The eating has been real easy for me because I don’t have that hunger feeling anymore and they say eventually that comes back, but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it didn’t,” she said.
Mattie is excited to see the weight come off and has even set a weight loss goal for herself.
“I’m not going to be greedy,” she said. “I’m not going to try to be like Kate Moss or anything or Cindy Crawford, you know? If I can just get under 200 pounds, 175 pounds, that would rock!”

Writer’s Note: Check back every issue as we follow Mattie’s journey.

Weight Loss Support
The Northwest Arkansas Weight Loss Surgery Support Group meets at 2 p.m. the second Sunday of every month at the Rogers Activity Center. For more information, contact Wyona Yaffe at wyaffe@yahoo.com or call (479) 644-1999.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion revealed a new type of pyramid on its interactive Web site, (MyPyramid.gov) for preschoolers that may help parents deal with picky eating problems, especially as they are introduced to new kinds of foods.
Among the MyPyramid for Preschoolers tips to help parents deal with finicky eaters are:

• Set limits for the start and end of a meal. When you see your child is no longer interested in the meal, excuse the child from the table.

• Encourage your child to try new foods, but don’t lecture or force your child to eat.

• Talk about fun and happy things as part of an overall effort to make mealtimes stress-free.

• Cook together. Encourage preschoolers to help you prepare meals and snacks.

Obese have aged neck arteries
The neck arteries of obese children and teens look more like those of 45-year-olds, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting.
“There’s a saying that ‘you’reries,’ meaning that the state of your arteries is more important than your actual age in the evolution of heart disease and stroke,” Dr. Geetha Raghuveer noted in a written statement. “We found that the state of the arteries in these children is more typical of a 45-year-old than of someone their own age.”
In 70 children ages 6 to 19, Raghuveer of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., and colleagues used ultrasound to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the neck (carotid) arteries that supply blood to the brain.
Increasing carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) indicates the fatty buildup of plaque within arteries feeding the heart muscle and the brain, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
The investigators found that the children’s “vascular age” — the age at which the level of thickening would be normal for their gender and race — was about 30 years older than their actual age.
Further studies are needed to determine whether artery build-up will decrease if children lose weight, exercise or are treated for abnormal lipids.

Fruit juice: Is it good or bad?
Recent studies at the Mayo Clinic have confirmed that drinking moderate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice does not have an effect on children’s weight. However, fruit juice is high in calories, and — just like any other high-calorie food or drink — too much fruit juice can contribute to weight gain.
If you do give your children fruit juice, choose 100 percent fruit juice instead of sweetened juice or fruit-juice cocktail drinks. While 100 percent juice and sweetened fruit drinks may have about the same number of calories, your children will get more vitamins and nutrients from 100 percent juice.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following:

• Not giving fruit juice to infants less than 6 months old while infants ages 6 to 12 months can have up to four ounces a day and should not be given in a bottle to avoid tooth decay.

• Children up to 6 years old can have up to 6 ounces a day, and children ages 6 to 12 can have up to 12 ounces a day.

• Four ounces of juice equals one serving of fruit, but keep in mind that juice lacks the fiber of whole fruit. Although a little fruit juice each day is fine for most children, whole fruit is preferred.

Fan in Baby’s Room May Lower SIDS Risk
Young infants who sleep in bedrooms with fans have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome than babies who sleep in less well-ventilated rooms, new research by the National Institute of Health shows.
Investigators concluded that sleeping with a fan lowers SIDS risk by more than 70 percent.
Sleeping in a room with an open window was also found to lower risk.
The intriguing findings must be confirmed, and researchers say fan use is no substitute for interventions known to lower SIDS risk, such as placing babies to sleep on their backs, avoiding soft bedding in cribs, and putting babies to sleep with pacifiers.
SIDS deaths have dropped by more than half in the United States since 1992, when parents were first told to put babies to sleep on their backs.
SIDS, is the leading cause of death in babies 1 month to 1 year old and is most likely to occur when babies are between 2 and 4 months old.

New condom would allow women to take charge in protection against HIV/AIDS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider approving a second-generation female condom sometime in the next six months.
Dr. David Holtgrave, the chairman of the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that distributing 16.6 million female condoms in South Africa could prevent 10,000 HIV infections. Female condoms allow women to take the lead in protecting themselves against the infection.
On Dec. 11 the FDA advisory panel unanimously recommended the product in a vote, so it appears likely they will approve the new condom, the FC2.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2005 HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report, black women in the U.S. suffered from the disease 23 times more often than white women. Seventy-four percent of those infections were caused by high-risk sexual contact, the study found.
The FC2 will be roughly 30 percent cheaper than its predecessors, although it will still be more expensive than male condoms.

New study suggests autistic traits may be linked to high levels of testosterone in the womb
A groundbreaking study published in the British Journal of Psychology found a link between high levels of testosterone in the womb of pregnant women and autistic traits, such as a lack of sociability and verbal skills, in their children.
The study was prompted by statistics that autism is four times more common in boys than in girls. It is also linked with other traits found more often in boys, such as left-handedness.
Over eight years, the study observed and tested 235 children whose mothers had an amniocentesis during pregnancy. The procedure involves drawing fluid that surrounds the baby in the womb using a fine needle. The procedure is offered to women over ages 35 or 37 to test for Down syndrome. The age and circumstances of the women tested was taken into account.
Not all of the children are autistic, but many have traits that are more pronounced, often described as consequences of an extreme male brain. Autistic children do not empathize easily with other people, cannot guess what others are thinking or feeling, have a stronger drive toward analysis and constructing systems, and have a great ability to focus on something that absorbs them.
The researchers plan to continue studying the children they have been following and will now look for a link between high levels of testosterone in the womb and children who have been diagnosed with autism by studying banks of amniotic fluid that have been collected since 1990 in Denmark.
This research opens the way for screening pregnant women, which could potentially use amniocentesis to draw fluid from the womb and measure testosterone levels.
More than half a million people are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, including Asperger’s syndrome, in Britain. A study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention found that about 1 in 150 children in the United States has autism. Autism is not usually diagnosed until the child is 3 to 4 years old.
Autism runs in families, but environmental factors can play a part. It is a complex developmental disability involving a biological abnormality in the functioning of the brain. It is not a learning disability or mental health problem, although people with autism may be affected by those conditions.

Study finds that women who use hormone therapy for at least five years double their risk of developing breast cancer
A follow-up to the landmark Women’s Health Initiative report of 2002 has found that postmenopausal women who take combined estrogen plus progestin menopausal hormone therapy for at least five years double their annual risk of developing breast cancer.
The same study found a clear link between hormone use and breast cancer and also found that women can quickly reduce their risks of cancer by simply stopping hormone therapy.
The initiative found that postmenopausal women taking estrogen plus progestin were at a far greater risk of developing breast cancer and other serious conditions than women who took a placebo. Hormone use plummeted in the United States after the study was published, from 60 million prescriptions in 2001 to 20 million prescriptions in 2005. In the same time, breast cancer rates also declined significantly, suggesting a strong link between hormone use and cancer risk. Some scientists claim the connection is from a higher pattern of mammogram use.
The results do not apply to women who are only taking estrogen. The WHI trial did not find an increase in breast cancer in women who used estrogen alone. Women who took estrogen without progestin, even for more than five years, were not at a higher risk for developing breast cancer. Only women who have had a hysterectomy can safely take estrogen by itself because it can over stimulate the uterine lining, leading to endometrial cancer.
This trial did not assign women to take placebos or hormone therapy, but rather followed women who made their own decisions about whether or not to undergo therapy. This study found similar results to the WHI study, which assigned participants to categories, but advised all the women involved in the study to stop taking hormones when the results were found in 2002. Women who were not taking hormones were just as likely to get a mammogram as women who were taking hormones, the study found.
Another separate study conducted by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals found that a women’s risk for breast cancer did not increase during the first two years of use.
The study found that women’s breast cancer risk rose around three years into hormone therapy but returned to normal within two years of quitting estrogen-progestin therapy.
Estrogen-progestin supplements are believed to fuel rather than initiate the growth of cancerous cells within the breasts.
Without taking any hormones, women have a 12 percent chance of getting the disease, and the odds increase with age.
The WHI study also found that estrogen-progestin increased women’s risks of having a stroke, heart attack and dangerous blood clots as well as cancer and decreased the number of fractures the women received as well as cases of colon-cancer.

One-third of women will suffer from complications due to a weak pelvic floor in their lifetime
A study by Kaiser Permanente has found that one in three women will suffer from complications of a weak pelvic floor during her lifetime.
Women can develop a weak pelvic floor despite their activity level, hormonal health and even if she has never given birth.
The pelvic floor keeps all of women’s reproductive organs, levels, layers, folds of skin and openings intact. As the muscles weaken over time, the more the organs and folds shift downward, creating pressure on the bowels and back. This can cause anal and urinary incontinence, overactive bladder activity or a complete drop of the pelvic organs, causing pain or difficulty during sexual activity, including dryness.
Factors such as obesity, smoking, high caffeine intake, chronic constipation or even sitting at desk all day can contribute to a weakened pelvic floor. Women with pelvic problems may also have hip and lower back problems which can aggravate the issue.
Women can fix the problem by undergoing surgery, which has its own complications, or by being fitted for a pessary, which is a conical, ring or square shaped device that helps support the pelvic organs and reduce the stress of incontinence.
The pelvic muscles can be strengthened through kegel exercises to prevent or delay the potential for these problems if done regularly. Tai chi, yoga and Pilates can also help strengthen the body’s core and pelvic floor.

Certain breeds more prone to Cushing’s Syndrome.
Cushing’s Syndrome is a disease affecting dogs when an overactive adrenal system produces too much cortisone. Cortisone is an essential hormone, but it causes serious illness when produced in excessive amounts.
Canine Cushing’s Syndrome usually occurs in pets age 9 and older. It is a little more common in females than males and is especially prevalent in poodles, dachshunds, miniature schnauzers and German shepherds. Boxers and Boston terriers are also more commonly affected.
About 80 to 85 percent of Cushing’s Syndrome in dogs is caused by a small tumor in the pituitary gland located at the base of the brain. The tumor produces a chemical that causes the adrenal glands to enlarge and produce too much cortisone. Other canines with Cushing’s Syndrome have a tumor of the adrenal glands, small organs located near the kidneys.
Occasionally a dog is diagnosed with Cushing’s disease due to the long-term administration of steroids given to treat other diseases.
Because the disease has a gradual onset, some owners mistakenly believe the symptoms are part of the aging process. Changes to watch for include increased water consumption, increased urination, increased appetite, a pot-bellied appearance and loss of hair on the trunk of the body.
Other symptoms include chronic skin or urinary tract infections, excessive panting, lethargy, muscle weakness and calcium deposits in the skin.
If your dog has been displaying these symptoms, a full work up with a veterinarian is recommended. Diagnostic tools include measuring blood pressure, X-rays of the chest and abdomen, urine and blood tests. The vet may also want to use more advanced diagnostic measures like ultrasound or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to help evaluate adrenal gland enlargement.
Depending on the type of Cushing’s disease your dog has, the treatment will probably involve medication to block the excess hormone or treat the tumor. In some cases, surgery may be recommended.
Other diseases that produced symptoms similar to Cushing’s disease include diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney and liver disease. It’s important to take your older dog to the vet on a more frequent basis so that regular blood tests can catch problems in their early stages.

Does your cat need help with hairballs?
As any cat owner knows, hairballs are a common but not particularly appealing part of loving a feline. Long-haired cats are especially prone to hair or fur balls that develop when cats swallow hair as they groom themselves. The hair forms into a mat and can even cause problems by blocking the path of food into the stomach. Further into the gastrointestinal tract, hairballs can cause constipation.
Cats commonly vomit the hairball out, sometimes with other food or liquid. They may make a dry hacking noise, sounding like something is stuck in the back of the throat.
How can you help reduce your cat’s experience with hairballs?

• Frequent grooming. The more you groom your feline, the less hair the cat will ingest.

• Feed your cat one of the commonly used petroleum-based hairball products that act as a laxative to help your cat pass a hairball.

• Give your cat special treats manufactured to help with hairballs. These treats generally contain mineral oil that help break up the mats of hair.

• Ask your veterinarian for recommendations such as pet food that is designed for felines with recurrent hairball problems.

Bred for problems?
The British Kennel Club has announced plans to review breed standards for bulldogs due to some of the respiratory problems the dogs’ suffer. Bulldogs and other breeds with similarly short faces, like pugs, can have trouble getting enough air into their lungs due to the shape of their respiratory tracts.
The dogs often suffer from noisy breathing, snoring and restricted mobility. During very hot weather, swelling in the dogs’ throat, nose or larynx can restrict air even more.
A recent documentary televised on the BBC explored some of the illnesses the breed is prone to, and the British network announced it would no longer televise a premiere dog show where dogs are judged against the traditional breed standards.
The documentary also noted that bulldog puppies frequently must be delivered by Cesarean section due to the breed’s narrow hips and large heads.
The bulldog is not the only dog whose breeding standards are currently under review in Britain. The BKC is reviewing breed standards for 78 breeds to make sure the dogs are being bred to promote good health, good temperament and fitness for “their original function.”

Study says women can use sense of smell to tell what’s on guys’ minds
Women can smell what’s on your mind, a recent study suggests. Researchers at Rice University say that women can tell the difference between a sexual smell and a regular smell. To come to this conclusion, researchers rounded up a group of 20 women and 20 men. They collected sweat samples from the men and had the women smell them. To do this, they asked the men not to wear anything scented for a couple of days. That included deodorant and cologne. The men then placed a pad under their armpits that collected their sweat. The men wore one pad while doing sexual things, such as watching pornography.
Then, they switched it out for a dry pad when they were not doing sexual things. This way, researchers had a “sexual” sweat and a “nonsexual” sweat. Then, the women smelled the pads, while hooked up to a machine that recorded their brain waves. Depending on which pads they were sniffing, researchers found the women’s brains responded very differently. The sexual smell activated a certain part of their brains that the nonsexual smell did not activate. The sexual smell triggered the right fusiform cortex and the right orbitofrontal cortex. These areas relate to emotion, smell and social response. The nonsexual smells did not activate these portions of the brain, though, researchers found. The study, which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that the findings indicate humans can interact on chemical signals.

Sexual activity increases likelihood of prostate cancer, study suggests
If you’re young and sexually active, there may be greater things to worry about than STDs. A recent survey found that young men who are very sexually active are much more likely to develop prostate cancer than men who aren’t as active sexually. The UK study surveyed more than 800 men about their sexual history. They found that the more men who were in their 20s and 30s masturbated and had sex, the greater their chance for prostate cancer was.
Researchers said that this phenomenon only occurred in younger men. By the time men reach their 40s, sexual activity doesn’t heavily influence men’s chances of developing prostate cancer, they said. The University of Nottingham looked at about 840 men, about half of whom had prostate cancer before they turned 60. The others were used as controls in the experiment and did not have prostate cancer. Researchers took into account the participants complete sexual history from their 20s on. They were asked how many sexual partners they had, how often they masturbated, how often they engaged in sexual activities and if they had any STDs.
The study’s authors noted that hormones played heavily into the development of prostate cancer, so they wanted to examine hormonal upbringing. Their results broke ground in a rather untraversed area of study regarding prostate cancer. Having at least six female partners, for example, increased men’s risk of prostate cancer by about 8 percent. There was also about an 8 percent increased risk for prostate cancer in men who were the most sexually active compared to those who were not. However, the differences started to wane with age. By their 40s, researchers found few sexual links to prostate cancer.

More men doing yoga than ever before, survey says.
Usually when men and yoga are mentioned in the same sentence, there is something about “watching” and “women” in that sentence. However, a new study may suggest otherwise. A study by the Yoga Journal suggests that men are starting to do more and more yoga. The study says that about 16.5 million men now practice yoga, about 700,000 more than last year. That total represents a roughly 300 percent increase since 2004, the study said.

Men in stressful jobs have more strokes than women do in similar jobs
If work’s got you stressed out, you might want to chill out. A recent study drew a link between stressful work situations and strokes in Japanese men. Researchers at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health in Japan looked at more than 6,500 Japanese people and looked at their stress levels and work conditions. All of the participants were under the age of 65. The study is a long-ranging one. It started with a series of interviews and physical exams from 1992 and 1995. Then, for the next dozen years, the participants were contacted through interviews for checkups on their status.
Results showed men had the highest risk of job-related stroke. An equal number of men and women participated in the study. However, about 90 men had a stroke during the study’s lifetime and only about 55 women had a stroke. Researchers divided the participants into groups depending on the stressfulness of their jobs. In high-stress jobs, 28 men and 15 women had strokes. In low stress job, 23 men and 15 women suffered strokes. The authors took into consideration the participants over general health history, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, and compensated for these things. Even after doing so, researchers weren’t exactly sure why men suffered more strokes than women in stressful jobs. One of the suggestive explanations is men’s inability to adapt to stressful situations.

Back when Dr. Joel Brenner, a national committee member on sports medicine and fitness for the American Academy of Pediatrics, played youth baseball, he was out on the field four times a week for three months out of the year. Now, Brenner said those same kinds of seasons routinely run six days a week for six months out of the year.
With increased pressure to combat childhood obesity and work toward athletic greatness, more children are turning up with sports-related injuries than ever before.
“There are more activities and more organized sports,” said Brenner, the Medical Director of Sports Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk, Va. “They’re going six to seven days a week. (Children) aren’t giving their bodies a chance to heal.”
This increase in activity has caused lasting damage in many children. An injury to an adult may end their sports season. An injury to a child could wash away their entire career and stunt their growth.
According to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, more than 30 million children in the United States participate in sports every year. Of those, more than 3.5 million injuries are reported each year.
Many are left with overuse injuries, or injuries that happen because they are using the same repetitive motions during sports too often. An overuse injury is basically one that affects a bone, joint or tendon because of repetitive motions with little recovery time, Brenner said. They were once unknown but are now prevalent in many youngsters.
Some overuse injuries are becoming so common that they are even uniquely named, like Little League elbow, which is damage to growth cartilage in the elbow from so much throwing. Some of the most common overuse injuries are knee pain, shin splints, Little League elbow and swimmer’s shoulder.
There are, however, some protective measures that can be taken, said Jennifer Byrd, the Director of Athletic Training at the National Center for Sports Safety. Things such as proper equipment, pitch counts and weight classes can combat overuse injuries. But the sprains, strains and pains will still happen.
“Guidelines can be followed for each sport, but the incident of injury is always there because of the normal wear and tear on the body,” Byrd said.
But the average wear and tear can be detrimental. Many children are playing
sports nonstop throughout the entire calendar year.
Parents and coaches want children to succeed and earn that college scholarship. They want to see children become Olympians one day. Brenner said that’s a remote possibility as less than 1 percent of high school athletes turn professional. Even fewer will make it to the Olympics.
That’s why Brenner doesn’t see the point of juggling multiple sports for the majority of the year.
“When children play sports, they don’t need to do so for six or seven days a week, 12 months out of the year,” Brenner said.
Preventing Overuse Injuries
Any child on any court or field is susceptible to overuse injuries. A few too many pitches or one too many strokes could end their young athletic careers.
Luckily, there are some preventive steps to take to combat and help avoid these types of injuries.
The first is education, Byrd said.
“All parties involved from the athlete to coaches and parents should be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of overuse injuries and to take proper steps of rehab for the injury,” Byrd said.
When children are growing, they are more likely to sustain an injury. That’s why children going through puberty should pay particular attention to the signs of injury.
Overuse injuries are tough to detect. Nothing triggers an overuse injury, like a sudden break or tear. Rather, these develop gradually over time as kids go through the same practices and drills countless times.
Oftentimes, children won’t recognize these injuries because there is no sudden time of injury. If untreated, they can lead to permanent damage or could even lead to long-lasting complications such as arthritis.
It’s not a trip or a fall that will trigger such an injury. Rather, overtraining is the chief cause in overuse injuries.
Naturally, parents and coaches will look for a way to avoid overtraining. But the demands to succeed both as a team and individually still exist.
So how much is too much? That’s a question Brenner routinely fields. There isn’t a magical number, but a resting period is crucial, Brenner said. Children should take at least one or two days off per week to avoid overtraining. In the long run, Brenner said children should take at least two or three months away from sports every year.
“People are putting more time in,” he said. “They feel pressured to train more.”
Enrolling children in the right sports can also help ease the burden. Sports that are organized through recreations areas, schools and clubs usually field certified athletic trainers. A trainer will not only know how to treat injuries, but also how to prevent them.
Protective gear is another basic step that shouldn’t be overlooked. Many sports have common injuries that can easily be avoided. Mouth guards and eye protection should be used in any contact sports, while appropriate padding for other sports such as football and soccer are needed.
A simple acronym — R.I.C.E. — can help treat many common overuse injuries if a doctor or trainer is not immediately available. The steps are: R: Reduce or rest the injured area. I: Ice the injured area for 20 minutes at a time. C: Compress the injury with bandages, splints, boots or an appropriate wrap. E: Elevate the injury above the heart.
The body needs time to heal, but Jamie Croley of Trinity Rehabilitation said finding that time is the biggest challenge he faces.
“As an athletic trainer all I try to do is I try to find a way to break a repetitive cycle of inflammation,” he said.
In addition to ice, Croley also uses electrical stimulation, stretching techniques, ibuprofen and a type of ultrasound to get deep heat into tissue to treat an overuse injury.
To prevent the injuries, Croley suggested athletes work on their form and stretch. With baseball season underway, he suggests pitchers work on rotator cuff exercises or take a break from the mound by playing a different position.
Time off can often be the best antidote.
Playing sports year-round will likely result in injuries, regardless of steps taken before or after the activity.
But an overuse injury can’t occur if muscles, joints and bones are routinely rested.
“Even professional athletes have an off-season,” Brenner said.

Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this report.

By Jordan Wilson
As soon as you lie down to rest or go to bed, that’s when it hits. What starts as a sometimes creepy and irritating pain in your legs can keep you awake for hours. You may think the only relief is to stand up and walk the pain off. The aforementioned condition isn’t insects crawling around in your legs, although that may be what it feels like. This condition is called Restless Legs Syndrome.
The medical community is still searching for a safe and effective way to treat the condition, as the current method isn’t as effective as it could be. However, knowing you have RLS can at least prepare you to seek proper medication and maybe even provide a little peace of mind knowing what keeps you up at night.
Merrill Mitler describes RLS as a creepy, crawling feeling running through your legs. Mitler is the program director for systems and cognitive neuroscience at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Mitler said it’s important not to try to self-diagnose RLS.
Restless Legs Syndrome doesn’t always have the same symptoms, as people perceive pain in different ways. However, the condition can usually be identified if you have uncomfortable and odd feelings in your legs that make you want to move in order to stop the sensations. Sometimes the tugging feelings are severely painful while other times they are simply uncomfortable, Mitler said.
Putting the sensation of RLS into words is difficult, but the bottom line is it’s an uncomfortable feeling, said Dr. Dimitry Fornin, a neurologist with Mercy Medical Specialties in Rogers.
“RLS is truly no laughing matter,” he said. “It could be very severe and it could make a person’s life just total misery, a living hell.”
What makes RLS unique is that the symptoms are triggered at rest or during sleep. Sleeping usually brings relief to many conditions or diseases, but not RLS. People with this condition may go an entire day without experiencing any of the crawling sensations, only to be haunted by the feelings when trying to fall asleep. As a result, people with RLS often find themselves exhausted throughout the day because they lack quality sleep.
Difficulty sleeping and uncomfortable legs isn’t necessarily RLS, Mitler said. Instead, you need to approach your doctor and tell him or her the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. Unfortunately, Mitler said many doctors aren’t well-versed in treating RLS.
“There’s no set protocol,” Mitler said. “It depends on what the physician knows.”
Mitler said the best route to take is to write down detailed descriptions of the pains in your legs, how long they lasted and the amount of pain associated with them. Then, you can better describe the pains and inquire with your doctor if you have RLS.
There are two forms of this syndrome. Secondary RLS means there is an underlying condition causing the RLS symptoms. For example, a pregnant woman might develop secondary RLS because of an iron deficiency, Fomin said. If a physician examines a patient and can find no other reason for the crawling sensation, then they will be diagnosed with primary RLS.
The main type of drug used to treat RLS is dopamine agonists, which are best known as drugs that are used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
Eric Farbman, a neurologist at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas and University of Nevada School of medicine, specializes in movement disorders. Farbman said the dopamine agonists are very effective in treating RLS.
“Agonists are the first-line treatment,” he said. “In my experience, most people do respond to some degree. Oftentimes, on the first or second day.” Farbman added that dopamine agonists are safe and easy to take.
Farbman said many internists are now aware of and prescribing dopamine agonists, relieving many patients of the need to see a neurologist.
Narcotics such as OxyContin and codeine are sometimes prescribed for patients who can’t tolerate the agonists, Farbman said.
The Mayo Clinic suggests avoiding alcohol and tobacco, as those products can worsen symptoms. Mayo also suggests that taking pain relievers may provide relief of mild symptoms. Aside from that, relaxation is key. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are to sleep and avoid the crawling pains. Yoga, massages, applying heat and warm baths are all techniques that can only help your chances of living a better life with RLS.
And ,of course, there are the drugs. Because the same type of drug is used to treat both RLS and Parkinson’s disease, many people believe the two conditions go hand-in-hand. In fact, many people who have RLS go on to develop Parkinson’s. However, not everyone with the crawly feeling in the legs or torso will develop Parkinson’s, despite popular belief.
“It’s very true that the medications used in RLS are also used in Parkinson’s disease,” Mitler said. “But they’re very common.”
In severe cases, patients will have to take a variety of medications. Fomin said the body sometimes becomes used to one type of drug and he will have to cycle the medications, in which case, there is no set protocol.
“It’s very much flying by the seat of your pants and trying different approaches,” he said. “The goal is to make sure we relieve the symptoms, at the same time not causing any problems from treatment.”
Mitler said there is no known cause of the syndrome, although research has indicated genetics definitely plays into the equation. Iron deficiency also plays a role in the development of RLS, Mitler said.
According to the Mayo Clinic, stress and pregnancy can also contribute. And although the condition is often seen in older people and worsens with age, even younger people can develop the syndrome.

Fomin noted the condition can also be called Restless Limbs Syndrome because some patients experience the restlessness in their arms as well.

Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this report.

Breakout:

Restless Legs Syndrome
Cause Unknown
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, no cause can be identified in most cases of RLS. There may be a genetic form of the disorder, however; in about 50 percent of cases there is a family history of the condition. Researchers have identified some related conditions and factors, but still don’t know if any of them actually cause RLS.
Low iron levels: Anemia and low levels of iron may increase the likelihood of developing RLS, and restoring iron to normal blood levels may reduce RLS symptoms.
Pregnancy: Some women develop symptoms during pregnancy, especially during the last trimester. Symptoms usually disappear within four weeks after delivery.
Some drugs: Anti-nausea drugs such as prochlorperazine or metoclopramide, anti-seizure drugs such as phenytoin and droperidol, anti-psychotic drugs such as haloperidol or phenothiazine derivatives may aggravate symptoms. Some cold and allergy medications may also aggravate symptoms.

More Information
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
www.ninds.nih.gov
(800) 352-9424
Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
www.rls.org
rlsfoundation@rls.org
(507) 287-6465
National Sleep Foundation
www.sleepfoundation.org
nsf@sleepfoundation.org
(202) 347-3472
WE MOVE (Worldwide Education and Awareness for Movement Disorders)
www.wemove.org
wemove@wemove.org
(212) 875-8312
National Organization for Rare Disorders
www.rarediseases.org
orphan@rarediseases.org

By Doug Eaton
Anyone who has spent time recently as a patient in a hospital is likely aware of a serious issue that promises only to become more profound before a solution can be found and implemented.
The national nursing shortage is resulting in a widespread lack of skilled nurses who are needed to care for individual patients and the population as a whole. At present, registered nurses (RNs) are the largest health care occupation in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there are about 2.3 million employed RNs in the U.S.
A number of national studies lend credence to the existence of this shortage and the urgent need to increase the numbers entering the nursing profession.
According to the November 2007 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Labor Review, more than 1 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2016.
Lack Of Funding And Resources
One of the biggest contributing factors to the nursing shortage is a decreased number of graduates from qualified nursing programs. Caren Lyne, chief nursing officer at Northwest Medical Center Springdale, said there are plenty of people who want to become nurses, but they are having trouble getting accepted into programs because “the admission criteria is pretty strict.”
These nursing programs are necessary in order to produce RNs to provide quality patient care in hospitals and clinics. However, a lack of funding and resources to these programs means nurse training has become a sticky issue.
Many experts cite this serious lack of funding in the nation’s nursing programs that result in thousands of qualified applicants being rejected from nursing programs each year as the prime root of the problem.
Despite the fact that interest in nursing careers remains strong, many individuals seeking to enter the nursing profession cannot be accommodated in applicable programs because of lack of available resources; namely faculty and classroom constraints.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing explains the extent of the problem on its Web site:
“According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing report on 2007-08 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in Nursing, U.S. nursing schools turned away 40,285 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2007 due to insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors and budget constraints. Almost three-quarters (71.4 percent) of the nursing schools responding to the 2007 survey pointed to faculty shortages as a reason for not accepting all qualified applicants into entry-level nursing programs.”
This observation is also shared by those in the education arena.
Geraldine C. Ellison, Ph.D., RN, who is an associate professor and director of  the Institute for Community Partnerships at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing, provides a possible explanation for the lack of faculty.
“We are finding that many people who may be a candidate to become a faculty member often go into the private sector due to the prospects for a better-paying salary.”
Job Burnout
Another major reason contributing to the nursing shortage is a factor perhaps not as quantifiable — job burnout.
“Health care is 24/7 and I think it’s been hard to find folks that are willing to work weekends and the nightshift,” Lyne said. “I think they do it for a while and they get burned out on it.”
Another reason why nurses experience job burnout is the nursing shortage itself, which therefore becomes the Catch-22. As fewer nurses enter the work force, doctors’ offices, hospitals and clinics are forced to keep their existing nurses on the floor for longer periods.
Spanish-Speakers Becoming Priority
Changes in patient demographics are compounding the problem brought on by the nursing shortage.
Not only is the overall patient population aging, but the rapid growth of Spanish-speaking patients is creating a new dynamic.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics are the largest and fastest-growing racial/ethnic minority in the United States.
When Spanish-speaking patients need medical care, many health care providers rely on telephone-based interpretation services or use Spanish-speaking volunteers and other staff to help translate, but must proceed with caution to ensure they do not violate federal patient-privacy laws.
One program addressing the shortage is at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing.
The nursing school was awarded a three-year, $601,000 federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Some of the grant is specifically earmarked to hire a person to recruit Hispanic and Spanish-speaking students to a weekend nursing program.
Local Perspective
According to an article by published April 5 in The Washington Post, jobs are scarce for nurses because the economic downturn has “some nurses postponing retirement and others resuming their careers for financial reasons.”
That’s not the case in Northwest Arkansas. Among Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville and Springdale, and Willow Creek Women’s Hospital there are 100 nursing positions open.
“We haven’t quite seen the drastic change that there may have been in other urban areas, so I think we’ve been fortunate,” Lyne said.
While the recession may slow the growth of the shortage, the report states it won’t resolve the problem. Lyne said one key to fixing the nursing shortage is offering more flexible scheduling.
“I think it’s just really being a little bit more creative and trying to adapt to some of the folks’ lifestyles so that there’s a better balance between work and personal life,” she said.

Antoinette Grajeda contributed to this report.

Yoga’s Popularity Continues To Rise
Usually when men and yoga are mentioned in the same sentence, there is something about “watching” and “women” in that sentence. However, a new study may suggest otherwise. A study by the Yoga Journal suggests that men are starting to do more and more yoga. The study says that about 16.5 million men now practice yoga, about 700,000 more than last year. That total represents a roughly 300 percent increase since 2004, the study said.

Encourage Children To Eat Healthy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion revealed a new type of pyramid on its interactive Web site, (MyPyramid.gov) for preschoolers that may help parents deal with picky eating problems, especially as they are introduced to new kinds of foods.
Among the MyPyramid for Preschoolers tips to help parents deal with finicky eaters are:
Set limits for the start and end of a meal. When you see your child is no longer interested in the meal, excuse the child from the table.
Encourage your child to try new foods, but don’t lecture or force your child to eat.
Talk about fun and happy things as part of an overall effort to make mealtimes stress-free.
Cook together. Encourage preschoolers to help you prepare meals and snacks.

Fruit Juice: Good Or Bad?
Recent studies at the Mayo Clinic have confirmed that drinking moderate amounts of 100 percent fruit juice does not have an effect on children’s weight.
However, fruit juice is high in calories, and — just like any other high-calorie food or drink — too much fruit juice can contribute to weight gain.
If you do give your children fruit juice, choose 100 percent fruit juice instead of sweetened juice or fruit-juice cocktail drinks.
While 100 percent juice and sweetened fruit drinks may have about the same number of calories, your children will get more vitamins and nutrients from 100 percent juice.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that four ounces of juice equals one serving of fruit, but keep in mind that juice lacks the fiber of whole fruit.
Although a little fruit juice each day is fine for most children, whole fruit is preferred.

By Antoinette Grajeda
A visit to the doctor can be scary to begin with, but for patients without medical insurance, these trips can be even scarier. One way to help make the experience less complicated is through the assistance of health care clinics for low-income patients. One example of this type of health center in Northwest Arkansas is the Community Clinic.
Director of development Cambre Horne-Brooks said explaining the office is “a little bit complicated.” They are known as a federally qualified health center (FQHC), which means they “provide services regardless of ability to pay,” she said.
Medical care is made affordable by offering a sliding-fee discount based on a patient’s household size and income level. The clinic does ask for proof of income, so a patient must present a check stub or signed statement from an employer verifying earnings, or a previous year’s income tax return.
While government funding accounts for 18 percent of the budget and grants account for another part, the majority of the clinic’s income is from patient revenue. This self-sustaining organization offers a variety of medical services.
The clinics are staffed with about 100 employees, including full-time doctors and nurse practitioners.
“We’re a pretty large community health center,” Horne-Brooks said.
It may already be large, but the center is growing, too. There are already locations in Rogers and Springdale and a new clinic is scheduled to open in Siloam Springs by early summer.
Another option for Northwest Arkansas residents seeking health care is the Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center in Fayetteville. At this clinic, patients are only charged an administrative fee.
“We provide services free of charge,” executive director Monika Fischer-Massie said. “We ask patients to pay an administrative fee based on their household income, but it’s very minimal.”
Patients needing to provide proof of income at this clinic are selected at random and those with an income below poverty level pay nothing. At poverty level, the fee increases to $2.50 and from there it continues to $15 as long as a patient’s income is not more than 200 percent above the federal income poverty level.
“However, if they say, ‘Oh, we don’t have the money,’ We’ll say, ‘Well, that’s alright, just pay us next time,’” Fischer-Massie said.
The NWA Health Center does have a paid staff, but a large portion of its members are volunteers.
These workers provide dental care, diabetes education, physical therapy, gynecology and dermatology.
This health care center is not funded by grants, but through donations from individuals, corporations, civic organizations and foundations.
“Right now we know that there are about 80,000 people in the Northwest Arkansas area that are uninsured,” Horne-Brooks said.
Lack of insurance can have several negative results in addition to putting a dent in a person’s wallet.
“People without insurance are more likely to delay seeking care, more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage in their disease, more likely for them to have higher cost health care and more likely to die at a younger age,” Horne-Brooks said.
Northwest Arkansas residents’ concerns about health care began years ago. In 2002, The Northwest Arkansas Hometown Health Improvement Project initiated an effort to assess the health care needs of local residents. The Hometown Health Improvement Project joined in coalition with the Hometown Health Organizations in Benton, Carroll and Madison Counties to conduct the Four County Health Needs Assessment.
According to the assessment’s findings, Benton and Washington County survey respondents identified medical care costs, the availability of affordable health care insurance and money needed for prescriptions as the three main health care concerns which impact their community.

Breakout:

LOW-INCOME & FREE HEALTH CLINICS

Community Clinic (Rogers)
Location: 3710 Southern Hills Blvd.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Information: 936-8600 or www.communityclinicnwa.org

Community Clinic (Springdale)
Location: 614 E. Emma Ave., Suite 300
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Information: 751-7417 or www.communityclinicnwa.org

Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center
Location: 10 S. College Ave., Fayetteville
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays;
8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays
Information: 444-7548, www.nwafreehealthcenter.org or e-mail the director at mfischer@arkansasusa.com
FREE SCREENINGS

Arkansas Mission of Mercy
Location: Northwest Arkansas Convention Center, 1508 S. 48th St., Springdale
What: This two-day, free dental clinic is an Arkansas State Dental Association project. The clinic provides fillings and extractions to low-income and uninsured Arkansans.
Hours: Doors open at 7 a.m. May 8-9.
Information: 751-8300 or www.dental-asda.org

Free Asthma Screening
Location: Hedburg Allergy & Asthma Center, 700 S. 52nd St., Rogers
Hours: Noon to 2 p.m. May 16
Information: 464-8887 or www.hedburgallergy.com