Fox 12-Oregon
KPTV
By Pamela Appea
Gossip Blog on American Idol Column
And Then There Were Four (Who is Going Home.)
Originally Published April 30, 2003
I was really shocked when Ruben ended up in the bottom two on Wednesday night. What happened?
To quote Simon (who along with Randy and Paula was utterly shocked), ‘This is a singing competition people.’
It’s hard to eliminate people, and Joshua, however cute he may be, is not as strong as a singer as Ruben. Anyone can tell you that. So Trenyce was the one to go. She took it well. Someone said Ruben was taking his audience for granted. I disagree. I think he isn’t and he is a great, an amazing singer. He looked really worried before Ryan pulled him out of the general group.
**
I just watched American Idol and I am still thinking—wow!
Everyone Ruben, Clay, Trenyce, Kimberley and Joshua were truly good, better than good in a mostly 10 out of 10 kind of way. Still I get a feeling, a strong feeling, that this season’s winner will be a man (a Southern man, sorry Josh!)
So, on Tuesday night, we all got to hear the American Idol finalists sing not just one—but two—songs. I suppose the show producers wanted to start off with a bank, which is why the producers chose the lively 60s songs to go on first, and the quieter, gentler crooning tunes of Neil Sadaka came second. And of course, all of the singers needed a rest break. I would have arranged it so that the Sadaka songs came on first, and the more energetic 1960s came on second, so we could have ended with a bank, but Nigel and his crew didn’t call and consult me.
Do I mention the guest judge was the one, and only Neil Sadaka.
And I suppose the fact that I haven’t heard of him before shows that I need to do some serious music and entertainment cramming. (I do know the 1970s song they played during the introductory clip. As for all the other songs, blame it on a generation gap.) Neil Sadaka is a gentlemen, and I like his positive spirit. He wasn’t quite a Paula, but almost.
Now, let’s get the bad news out the way! All of the judges are ganging up on my Joshua—and that is so unfair! It seems totally unrelated, but Joshua is the only non-Southerner left, like I said already in a previous column.
Simon came right out and said Joshua wasn’t good enough. It was what the other judges didn’t say that was telling. And poor Joshua’s wife looked kind of sad at times too. Was it just me or did they keep on zooming in on Josh’s wife—more than usual?
To his credit, Joshua did do a good job at being a crooner (parts 1950s, part county, part Josh) when he sang the “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” song and then the more upbeat “Bad Blood.” (It’s hard for Joshua to look truly pissed off when he’s singing, as he seems like a pretty low-key guy.) I’ll give my Joshua an 8 or 9 out of 10 (as I am as bad as, if not worse than, Paula) for both songs, but that just wasn’t good enough for the majority of the judges.
Ruben started out with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” Simon was quick to say that the outfit was kind of interesting in a shiny way. Well, actually, I thought the outfit was interesting in a shiny kind of way. Simon didn’t think the outfit was shiny or interesting. He said he gave the outfit a 2 (although he also became the show’s resident expert in drag show apparel when evaluating Trenyce.)
Moving on, Randy thought Ruben was great saying, “You sound like a winner.” Neil said, “I don’t ever get nervous” when Ruben comes on. I am like Neil. Sometimes I do worry whether an American Idol contestant will sing well (like Trenyce or Joshua) although Neil was too much of a gentleman to name names.) Then Ruben picked up the Neil Sadaka song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” Paula said “stellar,” and Simon said, “absolutely sensational.”
Kimberley Locke sang “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and the Neil Sadaka song “Where the Boys Are.” Randy said “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” was “Good” and Neil said she was “ear delicious.” For the second song, Neil told Kimberley “You did me proud.” And Simon, of all people, told Kimberley, “You’ve raised the bar.” Kimberley looked and sounded great to me and her look is becoming almost diva-ish.
Clay’s songs got a lot of praise—from everyone. For the first song, Clay picked the right song for his voice, “Build me Up, Butter Cup.” (You should probably remember this song from the Something about Mary movie.) Clay danced! (Didn’t you see that Paula?) And he seemed to be having fun in a way that almost approximated Ruben. All in all, Clay did an amazing job. Clay got his highest praise from Neil who told him, “I would kill to produce your first CD.”
But for the second song, “Solitaire,” Clay looked a little sleepy. Did Clay take a nap between the other singers? Or maybe he didn’t have Trenyce’s olive oil to wake him up? Who knows? Anyway, Paula said Clay showed a “vulnerable” side during his “Solitaire” performance (the second song), while Simon said, “You lost some of the facial things.” (Trust Simon to focus on something when he can’t think of anything else to say.
So, let’s sum up. Clay and Ruben are still on top. They were both in top form on Tuesday night and didn’t waver.
If the show is going to continue to rate the bottom three, I guess Joshua, Trenyce and Kimberley Locke will end up there. Not to Ryan: at this point, you guys really shouldn’t call it bottom three. But, that’s just me.
As for other fun and quirky things about Tuesday’s show …
Rickey was happily part of the audience, wearing sunglasses because?
Trenyce looks like a toothpick in the second outfit she wore. You need a little more meat on your bones Trenyce! I’m surprised the olive oil shots aren’t packing on the pounds.
Tia and Tamara (from the show Sister Sister) are definite American Idol groupies these days.
What else?
Ryan had jokes up his sleeve all night, calling Ruben “Big Boy,” changing the music when introducing Simon and picking that bright lime green (I think that was the color. All I know is that my eyes were overcome by the brightness) shirt for Tuesday’s show. Ryan you can’t blame the fashion stylist for everything. I am sure you must own some of these interesting shirts you like to wear!
Tune in on Wednesday night to see who’a going to get voted off!
Originally Published April 30, 2003
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Gossip Blog on American Idol Column, And Then There Were Four (Who is Going Home.)-- Fox 12-Oregon KPTV
Fox 12-Oregon
KPTV
By Pamela Appea
Gossip Blog on American Idol Column
And Then There Were Four (Who is Going Home.)
Originally Published April 30, 2003
I was really shocked when Ruben ended up in the bottom two on Wednesday night. What happened?
To quote Simon (who along with Randy and Paula was utterly shocked), ‘This is a singing competition people.’
It’s hard to eliminate people, and Joshua, however cute he may be, is not as strong as a singer as Ruben. Anyone can tell you that. So Trenyce was the one to go. She took it well. Someone said Ruben was taking his audience for granted. I disagree. I think he isn’t and he is a great, an amazing singer. He looked really worried before Ryan pulled him out of the general group.
**
I just watched American Idol and I am still thinking—wow!
Everyone Ruben, Clay, Trenyce, Kimberley and Joshua were truly good, better than good in a mostly 10 out of 10 kind of way. Still I get a feeling, a strong feeling, that this season’s winner will be a man (a Southern man, sorry Josh!)
So, on Tuesday night, we all got to hear the American Idol finalists sing not just one—but two—songs. I suppose the show producers wanted to start off with a bank, which is why the producers chose the lively 60s songs to go on first, and the quieter, gentler crooning tunes of Neil Sadaka came second. And of course, all of the singers needed a rest break. I would have arranged it so that the Sadaka songs came on first, and the more energetic 1960s came on second, so we could have ended with a bank, but Nigel and his crew didn’t call and consult me.
Do I mention the guest judge was the one, and only Neil Sadaka.
And I suppose the fact that I haven’t heard of him before shows that I need to do some serious music and entertainment cramming. (I do know the 1970s song they played during the introductory clip. As for all the other songs, blame it on a generation gap.) Neil Sadaka is a gentlemen, and I like his positive spirit. He wasn’t quite a Paula, but almost.
Now, let’s get the bad news out the way! All of the judges are ganging up on my Joshua—and that is so unfair! It seems totally unrelated, but Joshua is the only non-Southerner left, like I said already in a previous column.
Simon came right out and said Joshua wasn’t good enough. It was what the other judges didn’t say that was telling. And poor Joshua’s wife looked kind of sad at times too. Was it just me or did they keep on zooming in on Josh’s wife—more than usual?
To his credit, Joshua did do a good job at being a crooner (parts 1950s, part county, part Josh) when he sang the “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” song and then the more upbeat “Bad Blood.” (It’s hard for Joshua to look truly pissed off when he’s singing, as he seems like a pretty low-key guy.) I’ll give my Joshua an 8 or 9 out of 10 (as I am as bad as, if not worse than, Paula) for both songs, but that just wasn’t good enough for the majority of the judges.
Ruben started out with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” Simon was quick to say that the outfit was kind of interesting in a shiny way. Well, actually, I thought the outfit was interesting in a shiny kind of way. Simon didn’t think the outfit was shiny or interesting. He said he gave the outfit a 2 (although he also became the show’s resident expert in drag show apparel when evaluating Trenyce.)
Moving on, Randy thought Ruben was great saying, “You sound like a winner.” Neil said, “I don’t ever get nervous” when Ruben comes on. I am like Neil. Sometimes I do worry whether an American Idol contestant will sing well (like Trenyce or Joshua) although Neil was too much of a gentleman to name names.) Then Ruben picked up the Neil Sadaka song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” Paula said “stellar,” and Simon said, “absolutely sensational.”
Kimberley Locke sang “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and the Neil Sadaka song “Where the Boys Are.” Randy said “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” was “Good” and Neil said she was “ear delicious.” For the second song, Neil told Kimberley “You did me proud.” And Simon, of all people, told Kimberley, “You’ve raised the bar.” Kimberley looked and sounded great to me and her look is becoming almost diva-ish.
Clay’s songs got a lot of praise—from everyone. For the first song, Clay picked the right song for his voice, “Build me Up, Butter Cup.” (You should probably remember this song from the Something about Mary movie.) Clay danced! (Didn’t you see that Paula?) And he seemed to be having fun in a way that almost approximated Ruben. All in all, Clay did an amazing job. Clay got his highest praise from Neil who told him, “I would kill to produce your first CD.”
But for the second song, “Solitaire,” Clay looked a little sleepy. Did Clay take a nap between the other singers? Or maybe he didn’t have Trenyce’s olive oil to wake him up? Who knows? Anyway, Paula said Clay showed a “vulnerable” side during his “Solitaire” performance (the second song), while Simon said, “You lost some of the facial things.” (Trust Simon to focus on something when he can’t think of anything else to say.
So, let’s sum up. Clay and Ruben are still on top. They were both in top form on Tuesday night and didn’t waver.
If the show is going to continue to rate the bottom three, I guess Joshua, Trenyce and Kimberley Locke will end up there. Not to Ryan: at this point, you guys really shouldn’t call it bottom three. But, that’s just me.
As for other fun and quirky things about Tuesday’s show …
Rickey was happily part of the audience, wearing sunglasses because?
Trenyce looks like a toothpick in the second outfit she wore. You need a little more meat on your bones Trenyce! I’m surprised the olive oil shots aren’t packing on the pounds.
Tia and Tamara (from the show Sister Sister) are definite American Idol groupies these days.
What else?
Ryan had jokes up his sleeve all night, calling Ruben “Big Boy,” changing the music when introducing Simon and picking that bright lime green (I think that was the color. All I know is that my eyes were overcome by the brightness) shirt for Tuesday’s show. Ryan you can’t blame the fashion stylist for everything. I am sure you must own some of these interesting shirts you like to wear!
Tune in on Wednesday night to see who’a going to get voted off!
Originally Published April 30, 2003
KPTV
By Pamela Appea
Gossip Blog on American Idol Column
And Then There Were Four (Who is Going Home.)
Originally Published April 30, 2003
I was really shocked when Ruben ended up in the bottom two on Wednesday night. What happened?
To quote Simon (who along with Randy and Paula was utterly shocked), ‘This is a singing competition people.’
It’s hard to eliminate people, and Joshua, however cute he may be, is not as strong as a singer as Ruben. Anyone can tell you that. So Trenyce was the one to go. She took it well. Someone said Ruben was taking his audience for granted. I disagree. I think he isn’t and he is a great, an amazing singer. He looked really worried before Ryan pulled him out of the general group.
**
I just watched American Idol and I am still thinking—wow!
Everyone Ruben, Clay, Trenyce, Kimberley and Joshua were truly good, better than good in a mostly 10 out of 10 kind of way. Still I get a feeling, a strong feeling, that this season’s winner will be a man (a Southern man, sorry Josh!)
So, on Tuesday night, we all got to hear the American Idol finalists sing not just one—but two—songs. I suppose the show producers wanted to start off with a bank, which is why the producers chose the lively 60s songs to go on first, and the quieter, gentler crooning tunes of Neil Sadaka came second. And of course, all of the singers needed a rest break. I would have arranged it so that the Sadaka songs came on first, and the more energetic 1960s came on second, so we could have ended with a bank, but Nigel and his crew didn’t call and consult me.
Do I mention the guest judge was the one, and only Neil Sadaka.
And I suppose the fact that I haven’t heard of him before shows that I need to do some serious music and entertainment cramming. (I do know the 1970s song they played during the introductory clip. As for all the other songs, blame it on a generation gap.) Neil Sadaka is a gentlemen, and I like his positive spirit. He wasn’t quite a Paula, but almost.
Now, let’s get the bad news out the way! All of the judges are ganging up on my Joshua—and that is so unfair! It seems totally unrelated, but Joshua is the only non-Southerner left, like I said already in a previous column.
Simon came right out and said Joshua wasn’t good enough. It was what the other judges didn’t say that was telling. And poor Joshua’s wife looked kind of sad at times too. Was it just me or did they keep on zooming in on Josh’s wife—more than usual?
To his credit, Joshua did do a good job at being a crooner (parts 1950s, part county, part Josh) when he sang the “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” song and then the more upbeat “Bad Blood.” (It’s hard for Joshua to look truly pissed off when he’s singing, as he seems like a pretty low-key guy.) I’ll give my Joshua an 8 or 9 out of 10 (as I am as bad as, if not worse than, Paula) for both songs, but that just wasn’t good enough for the majority of the judges.
Ruben started out with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” Simon was quick to say that the outfit was kind of interesting in a shiny way. Well, actually, I thought the outfit was interesting in a shiny kind of way. Simon didn’t think the outfit was shiny or interesting. He said he gave the outfit a 2 (although he also became the show’s resident expert in drag show apparel when evaluating Trenyce.)
Moving on, Randy thought Ruben was great saying, “You sound like a winner.” Neil said, “I don’t ever get nervous” when Ruben comes on. I am like Neil. Sometimes I do worry whether an American Idol contestant will sing well (like Trenyce or Joshua) although Neil was too much of a gentleman to name names.) Then Ruben picked up the Neil Sadaka song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” Paula said “stellar,” and Simon said, “absolutely sensational.”
Kimberley Locke sang “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and the Neil Sadaka song “Where the Boys Are.” Randy said “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” was “Good” and Neil said she was “ear delicious.” For the second song, Neil told Kimberley “You did me proud.” And Simon, of all people, told Kimberley, “You’ve raised the bar.” Kimberley looked and sounded great to me and her look is becoming almost diva-ish.
Clay’s songs got a lot of praise—from everyone. For the first song, Clay picked the right song for his voice, “Build me Up, Butter Cup.” (You should probably remember this song from the Something about Mary movie.) Clay danced! (Didn’t you see that Paula?) And he seemed to be having fun in a way that almost approximated Ruben. All in all, Clay did an amazing job. Clay got his highest praise from Neil who told him, “I would kill to produce your first CD.”
But for the second song, “Solitaire,” Clay looked a little sleepy. Did Clay take a nap between the other singers? Or maybe he didn’t have Trenyce’s olive oil to wake him up? Who knows? Anyway, Paula said Clay showed a “vulnerable” side during his “Solitaire” performance (the second song), while Simon said, “You lost some of the facial things.” (Trust Simon to focus on something when he can’t think of anything else to say.
So, let’s sum up. Clay and Ruben are still on top. They were both in top form on Tuesday night and didn’t waver.
If the show is going to continue to rate the bottom three, I guess Joshua, Trenyce and Kimberley Locke will end up there. Not to Ryan: at this point, you guys really shouldn’t call it bottom three. But, that’s just me.
As for other fun and quirky things about Tuesday’s show …
Rickey was happily part of the audience, wearing sunglasses because?
Trenyce looks like a toothpick in the second outfit she wore. You need a little more meat on your bones Trenyce! I’m surprised the olive oil shots aren’t packing on the pounds.
Tia and Tamara (from the show Sister Sister) are definite American Idol groupies these days.
What else?
Ryan had jokes up his sleeve all night, calling Ruben “Big Boy,” changing the music when introducing Simon and picking that bright lime green (I think that was the color. All I know is that my eyes were overcome by the brightness) shirt for Tuesday’s show. Ryan you can’t blame the fashion stylist for everything. I am sure you must own some of these interesting shirts you like to wear!
Tune in on Wednesday night to see who’a going to get voted off!
Originally Published April 30, 2003
Friday, April 18, 2003
Are There Secrets on Your Hard Drive?
Are There Secrets on Your Hard Drive?
Content written by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted April 18, 2003
You may have heard recent warnings about protecting your private information when either selling or dumping your computer. It could be as risky as throwing away your wallet, with all your credit cards and personal IDs inside.
Is there a foolproof way to make sure that data disappears? Your may have wanted to do this to your computer at one time or another. But it may actually be a good idea if you’re about to replace it with a bigger, better model.
“Your personal data is at risk when somebody resells a machine,” said Mark McLaughlin, an expert with Computer Forensics International.
Just ask Todd Baitsholts. He has an old computer he wants to give away to charity. First, he reformats the hard drive, and then he reinstalls Windows. “We hope to erase all the data. And not have it accessible to anyone,” Todd says.
That should do it, right?
To find out, Todd agrees to let computer expert Kevin Kranz take a look at the machine. Here’s what Kevin found.
“These are all the directories; I was able to get information from,” said Kevin. “These are old invoices, financial data, a treasure trove for someone who might have identity theft on their mind.
It took me about 35 to 40 minutes to get this data,” said Kranz. The list of recovered files takes up pages and pages.
“It is suprising that they were able to get this much information off of there,” said Todd. And Mark McLaughlin says, “Well, a file is never really deleted until it’s overwritten. And that’s a very fundamental issue in computer forensics.
Todd wasn’t the only one at risk.
McLaughlin tested eight hard drives purchased at a second hand store about the country, “We found some unbelievable things. Credit card numbers. Social security numbers of celebrities, of Oscar-winning actors,” said McLaughlin.
But, there is a way to give yourself peace of mind. One person to call is Jitendra Suthar. Suthar’s business takes in hundreds of old computers every month around Omaha. His technicians will get rid of all of your sensitive information for you. But he knows not all computer re-sellers will take time to do this, unless you’ve specifically told them to.
Suthar owns Computer Renaissance in Omaha. “Whoever you are giving it to, either take an agreement from them that they will do it, or like a lot of companies do, they will do it before they hand it off. And on an individual basis, like you know, my home computer or anything like that, I would do it myself before I let it go,” Suthar said.
Even as this graveyard for government computers, KPTM selected three discarded hard drives at random and had them tested. Guess what? There’s undeleted data galore. So how can you protect your data? Reformatting it doesn’t do it? It makes the file inactive. But the file contents are still there,” said Mark McLaughlin. And while erasing data magnetically helps scramble the files, even it is not foolproof.
“What they should do first, is wipe the drive,” said McLaughlin. You can buy software that scans the disc and bit by bit overwrites the old data. In other words, the program replaces the important stuff with frivolous numbers.
But, this process takes time, in fact it can take anywhere from three to 20 passes. “And when you overwrite it so many times, it’s unrecoverable,” said Mark. The software costs about $40. But the best method for making that data disappear, according to McLaughlin, is both free and easy.
“What I recommend is taking the drive out of the machine and taking a drill and running a drill through it several times,” said Mark. “You can use a drill or a hammer—whatever it takes to physically destroy the drive.”
Content written by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted April 18, 2003
You may have heard recent warnings about protecting your private information when either selling or dumping your computer. It could be as risky as throwing away your wallet, with all your credit cards and personal IDs inside.
Is there a foolproof way to make sure that data disappears? Your may have wanted to do this to your computer at one time or another. But it may actually be a good idea if you’re about to replace it with a bigger, better model.
“Your personal data is at risk when somebody resells a machine,” said Mark McLaughlin, an expert with Computer Forensics International.
Just ask Todd Baitsholts. He has an old computer he wants to give away to charity. First, he reformats the hard drive, and then he reinstalls Windows. “We hope to erase all the data. And not have it accessible to anyone,” Todd says.
That should do it, right?
To find out, Todd agrees to let computer expert Kevin Kranz take a look at the machine. Here’s what Kevin found.
“These are all the directories; I was able to get information from,” said Kevin. “These are old invoices, financial data, a treasure trove for someone who might have identity theft on their mind.
It took me about 35 to 40 minutes to get this data,” said Kranz. The list of recovered files takes up pages and pages.
“It is suprising that they were able to get this much information off of there,” said Todd. And Mark McLaughlin says, “Well, a file is never really deleted until it’s overwritten. And that’s a very fundamental issue in computer forensics.
Todd wasn’t the only one at risk.
McLaughlin tested eight hard drives purchased at a second hand store about the country, “We found some unbelievable things. Credit card numbers. Social security numbers of celebrities, of Oscar-winning actors,” said McLaughlin.
But, there is a way to give yourself peace of mind. One person to call is Jitendra Suthar. Suthar’s business takes in hundreds of old computers every month around Omaha. His technicians will get rid of all of your sensitive information for you. But he knows not all computer re-sellers will take time to do this, unless you’ve specifically told them to.
Suthar owns Computer Renaissance in Omaha. “Whoever you are giving it to, either take an agreement from them that they will do it, or like a lot of companies do, they will do it before they hand it off. And on an individual basis, like you know, my home computer or anything like that, I would do it myself before I let it go,” Suthar said.
Even as this graveyard for government computers, KPTM selected three discarded hard drives at random and had them tested. Guess what? There’s undeleted data galore. So how can you protect your data? Reformatting it doesn’t do it? It makes the file inactive. But the file contents are still there,” said Mark McLaughlin. And while erasing data magnetically helps scramble the files, even it is not foolproof.
“What they should do first, is wipe the drive,” said McLaughlin. You can buy software that scans the disc and bit by bit overwrites the old data. In other words, the program replaces the important stuff with frivolous numbers.
But, this process takes time, in fact it can take anywhere from three to 20 passes. “And when you overwrite it so many times, it’s unrecoverable,” said Mark. The software costs about $40. But the best method for making that data disappear, according to McLaughlin, is both free and easy.
“What I recommend is taking the drive out of the machine and taking a drill and running a drill through it several times,” said Mark. “You can use a drill or a hammer—whatever it takes to physically destroy the drive.”
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Internet Helps Kids Keep in Touch with Parents Overseas
Internet Helps Kids Keep in Touch with Parents Overseas
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
March 25, 2003
Sending letters and packages to our troops overseas used to be the only way [to] stay in touch.
And it could often take weeks to reach to the other side.
But now, thanks for the Internet, military families can write and send messages almost instantaneously.
For military children, this helps with the waiting and praying of a parent’s safe return. Having a parent in the military is the norm here at St. Matthew’s.
Third-grader Jaimie Malone has both her father and her stepfather based overseas. And Jaimie’s mother is on active duty.
“We’re trying to keep up, but we can’t. That’s why my grandma is coming to help us,” said Jaimie Malone, a military kid.
Seventh grader Amy Holdcroft is also in a similar situation. Her sister has been on a Navy ship for 2 months now. “We sent her a care package and she didn’t get it until three weeks later,” Amy said.
Keeping in touch isn’t each, but military kids deal with this almost every day, even though it still is hard, sometimes.
“We never get used to us,” said Susan Simmons, another student at St. Matthews.
Amy’s family used e-mail almost every day so they write her sister.
“At dinner time we talk about what she wrote. She writes different letters for each of us, and we always talk about how we miss her,” Amy says.
Amy and Jaimie, and many, many other military kids will continue to wait and pray for their family member’s safe return.
But until then, Jaimie Malone sends this message: “Be safe and we love you guys.”
Content from TV Broadcast originally posted on KPTM’s Website www.kptm.com on March 25, 2003
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
March 25, 2003
Sending letters and packages to our troops overseas used to be the only way [to] stay in touch.
And it could often take weeks to reach to the other side.
But now, thanks for the Internet, military families can write and send messages almost instantaneously.
For military children, this helps with the waiting and praying of a parent’s safe return. Having a parent in the military is the norm here at St. Matthew’s.
Third-grader Jaimie Malone has both her father and her stepfather based overseas. And Jaimie’s mother is on active duty.
“We’re trying to keep up, but we can’t. That’s why my grandma is coming to help us,” said Jaimie Malone, a military kid.
Seventh grader Amy Holdcroft is also in a similar situation. Her sister has been on a Navy ship for 2 months now. “We sent her a care package and she didn’t get it until three weeks later,” Amy said.
Keeping in touch isn’t each, but military kids deal with this almost every day, even though it still is hard, sometimes.
“We never get used to us,” said Susan Simmons, another student at St. Matthews.
Amy’s family used e-mail almost every day so they write her sister.
“At dinner time we talk about what she wrote. She writes different letters for each of us, and we always talk about how we miss her,” Amy says.
Amy and Jaimie, and many, many other military kids will continue to wait and pray for their family member’s safe return.
But until then, Jaimie Malone sends this message: “Be safe and we love you guys.”
Content from TV Broadcast originally posted on KPTM’s Website www.kptm.com on March 25, 2003
Can Stress Make You Sick?
Can Stress Make You Sick?
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
Being stressed out is no fun, as most will agree.
But stress can also be unhealthy.
Growing scientific evidence shows too much negative stress in our lives can actually lead to a cold—or event the flu.
And with more than 50 % of American adults saying they’re highly stressed out most all the time. That’s a lot of tissues.
Whether managing her own company, rushing her daughter to piano lessons or whipping up a family meal at home, Donna Abood faces mountains of stress.
“It’s amazing, it really is, how many balls you juggle,” Abood said. “It’s a juggling act doctors say has taken a toll on Diana Abood’s health, at one point even triggering pneumonia. “The doctor took that real seriously and says, you know Donna, you’re just going too fast, too far. And you’ve broken your immune system down,” said Abood.
Mounting scientific evidence now points to a real connection between stress and catching colds, flus and other infections.
“People under high levels of stress are generally over twice as likely to get sick when they’re exposed to a cold virus,” said Dr. Sheldon Cohen, of Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Cohen has pioneered research into stress and sickness, and has found chronic stress can be especially devastating to your immune system.
One key trigger is troubled relationships.
People with enduring problems with their friends or with their family were more likely to develop a cold, reported Dr. Cohen.
But the biggest cold producer is workplace stress. Studies show it can actually make you five times more likely to get sick.
Why is that?
People that have high levels of job stress have lower levels of certain antibodies that are associated with effectively fighting off colds and the flu and other types of infections, said Dr. John Schaubroeck of Drexel University.
Dr. Schaubroeck led a recent survey of over 200 working men and women.
He found stress caused by things like low confidence and lack of control can knock you out. So what do you do if you’re all stressed out from dealing with your job, fighting with traffic or family concerns? Well, experts say one of the best things you can possible do to make yourself feel better is to have a simple attitude adjustment.
Sometimes it’s just about really refocusing and saying again, look at the big picture here. Is this worth my time and energy?
“We spend too much time dwelling on the past, things that we can’t change. Too much time worrying about the future, things that haven’t happened yet, and not enough time focusing on the here and now,” said Sarah Moeller Swan, an education consultant for Best Care.
Strategies by which he we can counteract the harmful effects of stress strategies like relaxation response perfected by renowed researchers at the Mind & Body Medical Institute.
“When one sits quietly, focuses on their breathing, repeats a word, a sound, a prayer, a phrase. These steps are quite useful in dealing with stress,” said Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind & Body Medical Institute.
John Goddard sought relief for his stress, which he says got so bad, it landed him in the hospital.
“I was under stress all the time. So I was sick all the time,” said John Goddard of the constant stress that he faced.
Goddard said practicing the relaxation response helped turn things around.
“Through these wonderful techniques that that I’ve learned, I’ve stopped being sick.”
In Donna Abood’s case, she says taking vitamins every day and working out three times a week has helped keep her colds at bay.
“That little bit makes a world of difference in my life and how I feel today,” said Abood.
Research has also been done on the affects of stress on more serious illnesses.
The results have shown a connection to things like depression, high blood pressure, heart problems. And, ongoing stress could even possibly lead to some types of cancers.
Content from TV Broadcast originally posted on KPTM’s Website www.kptm.com on March 25, 2003
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
Being stressed out is no fun, as most will agree.
But stress can also be unhealthy.
Growing scientific evidence shows too much negative stress in our lives can actually lead to a cold—or event the flu.
And with more than 50 % of American adults saying they’re highly stressed out most all the time. That’s a lot of tissues.
Whether managing her own company, rushing her daughter to piano lessons or whipping up a family meal at home, Donna Abood faces mountains of stress.
“It’s amazing, it really is, how many balls you juggle,” Abood said. “It’s a juggling act doctors say has taken a toll on Diana Abood’s health, at one point even triggering pneumonia. “The doctor took that real seriously and says, you know Donna, you’re just going too fast, too far. And you’ve broken your immune system down,” said Abood.
Mounting scientific evidence now points to a real connection between stress and catching colds, flus and other infections.
“People under high levels of stress are generally over twice as likely to get sick when they’re exposed to a cold virus,” said Dr. Sheldon Cohen, of Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Cohen has pioneered research into stress and sickness, and has found chronic stress can be especially devastating to your immune system.
One key trigger is troubled relationships.
People with enduring problems with their friends or with their family were more likely to develop a cold, reported Dr. Cohen.
But the biggest cold producer is workplace stress. Studies show it can actually make you five times more likely to get sick.
Why is that?
People that have high levels of job stress have lower levels of certain antibodies that are associated with effectively fighting off colds and the flu and other types of infections, said Dr. John Schaubroeck of Drexel University.
Dr. Schaubroeck led a recent survey of over 200 working men and women.
He found stress caused by things like low confidence and lack of control can knock you out. So what do you do if you’re all stressed out from dealing with your job, fighting with traffic or family concerns? Well, experts say one of the best things you can possible do to make yourself feel better is to have a simple attitude adjustment.
Sometimes it’s just about really refocusing and saying again, look at the big picture here. Is this worth my time and energy?
“We spend too much time dwelling on the past, things that we can’t change. Too much time worrying about the future, things that haven’t happened yet, and not enough time focusing on the here and now,” said Sarah Moeller Swan, an education consultant for Best Care.
Strategies by which he we can counteract the harmful effects of stress strategies like relaxation response perfected by renowed researchers at the Mind & Body Medical Institute.
“When one sits quietly, focuses on their breathing, repeats a word, a sound, a prayer, a phrase. These steps are quite useful in dealing with stress,” said Dr. Herbert Benson of the Mind & Body Medical Institute.
John Goddard sought relief for his stress, which he says got so bad, it landed him in the hospital.
“I was under stress all the time. So I was sick all the time,” said John Goddard of the constant stress that he faced.
Goddard said practicing the relaxation response helped turn things around.
“Through these wonderful techniques that that I’ve learned, I’ve stopped being sick.”
In Donna Abood’s case, she says taking vitamins every day and working out three times a week has helped keep her colds at bay.
“That little bit makes a world of difference in my life and how I feel today,” said Abood.
Research has also been done on the affects of stress on more serious illnesses.
The results have shown a connection to things like depression, high blood pressure, heart problems. And, ongoing stress could even possibly lead to some types of cancers.
Content from TV Broadcast originally posted on KPTM’s Website www.kptm.com on March 25, 2003
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Gulf War Vet Talks about Life Near Iraq
Gulf War Vet Talks about Life Near Iraq
Website Content edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42’s Website
Originally posted March 19, 2003
Twelve years ago, this week, a Nebraska soldier arrived home from serving on the front lines in Iraq. Felipe Sanchez talked to KPTM about what he saw then and what many of our soldiers can expect to see now.
“When they show the soldiers training, in the wind storms, I feel that I know what they’re going through as far as missing home and missing their loves ones,” said Felipe Sanchez, a Gulf War Veteran.
“I can imagine how it was when I went through. Those tense hours of waiting, then hearing we’re finally going on,” Felipe Sanchez recalls.
Felipe was near Baghdad at the height of Operation Desert Storm. He lived in tents and traveled by tanks. Every morning, he would wake up to the sound of U.S. helicopters flying training missions overhead.
Felipe said he never once had to fire on the enemy. Surprisingly, Felipe says Iraqi soldiers were usually eager to surrender. The fact was, that most of these soldiers were no older than 16.
“It was so sad to see them coming out of the woodwork. Skinny kids with no shoes on even. You never think that’s what we’re going after.”
But perhaps Felipe remembers finding leaflets in Iraq. U.S. planes today drop similar propaganda urging Iraqi soldiers to surrender. “They would drop them on Iraq. They said, ‘soldiers,’ we’re going to be in your area. We want you to surrender, think of your family. We’re not here to battle, we’re here to surrender.”
Felipe also encountered many civilians, who were not overtly unfriendly to U.S. soldiers.
“They were really nice to us. It surprised us. We thought they’d be hateful, but there also many tense moments as a soldier,” Felipe remembers.
On more than one occasion, Felipe wrote his last will and testament, after receiving so-called “suicide orders.’
“We were given, I think, a total of four orders that we’d be dropping in on Iraqi positions on the Iraqi Republican Army. And they had heavy artillery at the time. We were told one in four of us would probably survive if we went in. But, lucky for us, orders were changed, Felipe said.
Felipe survived eight months in and around Iraq. On the day he learned the war was over, he inscribed “road to Baghdad” in the hard Iraqi sand.
Felipe envisions a similar ending for soldiers this time around, “I have so much confidence in the guys, in their equipment. It’s so much better than what we had, and we went through fairly quickly and easily.”
Felipe also had some interesting personal advice for military families who are looking to send care packages to soldiers near and around Iraq.
Felipe said what we and other soldiers wanted and appreciated weren’t the boxes of chocolates—which mostly arrived melted. Instead, he says to send more practical items like baby wipes, surgical masks and Q-Tips to help keep off the desert dust.
Website Content edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42’s Website
Originally posted March 19, 2003
Twelve years ago, this week, a Nebraska soldier arrived home from serving on the front lines in Iraq. Felipe Sanchez talked to KPTM about what he saw then and what many of our soldiers can expect to see now.
“When they show the soldiers training, in the wind storms, I feel that I know what they’re going through as far as missing home and missing their loves ones,” said Felipe Sanchez, a Gulf War Veteran.
“I can imagine how it was when I went through. Those tense hours of waiting, then hearing we’re finally going on,” Felipe Sanchez recalls.
Felipe was near Baghdad at the height of Operation Desert Storm. He lived in tents and traveled by tanks. Every morning, he would wake up to the sound of U.S. helicopters flying training missions overhead.
Felipe said he never once had to fire on the enemy. Surprisingly, Felipe says Iraqi soldiers were usually eager to surrender. The fact was, that most of these soldiers were no older than 16.
“It was so sad to see them coming out of the woodwork. Skinny kids with no shoes on even. You never think that’s what we’re going after.”
But perhaps Felipe remembers finding leaflets in Iraq. U.S. planes today drop similar propaganda urging Iraqi soldiers to surrender. “They would drop them on Iraq. They said, ‘soldiers,’ we’re going to be in your area. We want you to surrender, think of your family. We’re not here to battle, we’re here to surrender.”
Felipe also encountered many civilians, who were not overtly unfriendly to U.S. soldiers.
“They were really nice to us. It surprised us. We thought they’d be hateful, but there also many tense moments as a soldier,” Felipe remembers.
On more than one occasion, Felipe wrote his last will and testament, after receiving so-called “suicide orders.’
“We were given, I think, a total of four orders that we’d be dropping in on Iraqi positions on the Iraqi Republican Army. And they had heavy artillery at the time. We were told one in four of us would probably survive if we went in. But, lucky for us, orders were changed, Felipe said.
Felipe survived eight months in and around Iraq. On the day he learned the war was over, he inscribed “road to Baghdad” in the hard Iraqi sand.
Felipe envisions a similar ending for soldiers this time around, “I have so much confidence in the guys, in their equipment. It’s so much better than what we had, and we went through fairly quickly and easily.”
Felipe also had some interesting personal advice for military families who are looking to send care packages to soldiers near and around Iraq.
Felipe said what we and other soldiers wanted and appreciated weren’t the boxes of chocolates—which mostly arrived melted. Instead, he says to send more practical items like baby wipes, surgical masks and Q-Tips to help keep off the desert dust.
Fighting Mold, Allergies in Your Home-Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Fighting Mold, Allergies in Your Home
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted March 19, 2003
With spring right around the corner, allergy sufferers are bracing for a tolerable season.
But now, there could be another culprit right under your nose—mold in your home.
Even if your house looks clean, as long as your home comes in contact with moisture, it’s a candidate for mold.
And sometimes, those levels could be high enough to trigger allergies and even asthma attacks.
“I know that when I’m around it, it really bothers me and I try to stay away from it,” said Rhonda Dryden, an allergy sufferer.
That ‘it’ – is mold.
According to a study out of the University of Arizona, mold can be found in places you never really think of—like front doors and window sills.
In a number of tested homes, refrigerator seals were problematic. But how much is too much?
“Usually when it becomes a health concern is when it’s widespread, greater than 100 square feet of mold growth. I mean, significant mold growth where you walk in and where the normal person could walk in and say, wow there’s a problem here,” said Bob Arritt, an industrial hygiene director.
When specialists inspect homes for mold, this air test takes an actual sample from the room. The spores collect on the dish and then in about a week, you know exactly what you’re dealing with.
“Mold is opportunistic. I mean there are certain types of mold that can basically live anywhere,” Arrit emphasized.
Arrit adds, “The longer you ignore the problem, the better chance you’ll have a mold issue.
Mold has become such a liability that some insurance companies have stated they’ll only cover it if you ask for it. Experts say it is normal to have mold issues in your home. But instead of taking the news personally, much more rides on the structural integrity of your home.
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted March 19, 2003
With spring right around the corner, allergy sufferers are bracing for a tolerable season.
But now, there could be another culprit right under your nose—mold in your home.
Even if your house looks clean, as long as your home comes in contact with moisture, it’s a candidate for mold.
And sometimes, those levels could be high enough to trigger allergies and even asthma attacks.
“I know that when I’m around it, it really bothers me and I try to stay away from it,” said Rhonda Dryden, an allergy sufferer.
That ‘it’ – is mold.
According to a study out of the University of Arizona, mold can be found in places you never really think of—like front doors and window sills.
In a number of tested homes, refrigerator seals were problematic. But how much is too much?
“Usually when it becomes a health concern is when it’s widespread, greater than 100 square feet of mold growth. I mean, significant mold growth where you walk in and where the normal person could walk in and say, wow there’s a problem here,” said Bob Arritt, an industrial hygiene director.
When specialists inspect homes for mold, this air test takes an actual sample from the room. The spores collect on the dish and then in about a week, you know exactly what you’re dealing with.
“Mold is opportunistic. I mean there are certain types of mold that can basically live anywhere,” Arrit emphasized.
Arrit adds, “The longer you ignore the problem, the better chance you’ll have a mold issue.
Mold has become such a liability that some insurance companies have stated they’ll only cover it if you ask for it. Experts say it is normal to have mold issues in your home. But instead of taking the news personally, much more rides on the structural integrity of your home.
Countdown to War
Countdown to War
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted March 19, 2003
The nation is on the brink of war with Iraq, and the Bush administration is getting ready for the final showdown with Saddam.
White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer says Saddam still has the chance to leave Iraq, even though he has rejected the President’s ultimatum to pack his bags.
Fleischer said the coalition of the willing will move into Iraq regardless of Saddam’s decision, but he cautions the “Butch of Baghdad” to think carefully about his choices.
“Saddam Hussein has led Iraq to many mistakes in the past, principally by developing weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein, if he doesn’t leave the country, will make his final mistake. The President continues to hope he will.”
As military action comes even closer, there’s a lot of talk about the possible scenarios that may unfold once coalition forces move into Iraq. Reports that some Iraqi generals are planning to lay down arms and surrender for Saddam.
But the White House cautions it may not be that easy, and Saddam has the ability to wreak havoc.
If the United States uses military force, the President is, of course, very comfortable and confident that we will be successful in achieving our objectives. He made no prediction about the length of time. I’ve seen many people say that this could be relatively quick. We make no such assumptions. But the President is confident in the outcome,” Fleischer, White House spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the news from Iraq is that Saddam Hussein has refused to accept President Bush’s ultimatum.
A statement from Baghdad says Iraq is ready to confront a U.S.-led attack. Images from Iraq on Tuesday show organized government demonstrations, showing support for Saddam.
“We came here to say to Bush, ‘all Iraqi people want peace and are against war,” one Iraqi citizen said. Gun-toting civilians, captured in images shown on both U.S. and Iraqi television stations, imply defiance of every Iraqi household, should U.S. troops arrive there.
Saddam Hussein appears firmly in control. Meeting top politicians early on Tuesday, the Iraqi leader was seen in military uniform for the first time in two years. He denounced President Bush’s ultimatum as debased and flawed.
His elder son Uday in a statement on [Saddam Hussein’s own] television station, said it was President Bush who’d have to leave office. These defiant words were also echoed by Iraq’s foreign minister, who called Bush an “idiot” and said that Iraq had done all it can [could] to avoid war.
“The solution is for those two despots in Washington and London to leave office. Once they leave office they can often … open the window of diplomacy all over the world, solve all disputes away from the cowboy policy,” said Naji Sabri, Iraq’s foreign minister.
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted March 19, 2003
The nation is on the brink of war with Iraq, and the Bush administration is getting ready for the final showdown with Saddam.
White House spokesperson Ari Fleischer says Saddam still has the chance to leave Iraq, even though he has rejected the President’s ultimatum to pack his bags.
Fleischer said the coalition of the willing will move into Iraq regardless of Saddam’s decision, but he cautions the “Butch of Baghdad” to think carefully about his choices.
“Saddam Hussein has led Iraq to many mistakes in the past, principally by developing weapons of mass destruction. Saddam Hussein, if he doesn’t leave the country, will make his final mistake. The President continues to hope he will.”
As military action comes even closer, there’s a lot of talk about the possible scenarios that may unfold once coalition forces move into Iraq. Reports that some Iraqi generals are planning to lay down arms and surrender for Saddam.
But the White House cautions it may not be that easy, and Saddam has the ability to wreak havoc.
If the United States uses military force, the President is, of course, very comfortable and confident that we will be successful in achieving our objectives. He made no prediction about the length of time. I’ve seen many people say that this could be relatively quick. We make no such assumptions. But the President is confident in the outcome,” Fleischer, White House spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the news from Iraq is that Saddam Hussein has refused to accept President Bush’s ultimatum.
A statement from Baghdad says Iraq is ready to confront a U.S.-led attack. Images from Iraq on Tuesday show organized government demonstrations, showing support for Saddam.
“We came here to say to Bush, ‘all Iraqi people want peace and are against war,” one Iraqi citizen said. Gun-toting civilians, captured in images shown on both U.S. and Iraqi television stations, imply defiance of every Iraqi household, should U.S. troops arrive there.
Saddam Hussein appears firmly in control. Meeting top politicians early on Tuesday, the Iraqi leader was seen in military uniform for the first time in two years. He denounced President Bush’s ultimatum as debased and flawed.
His elder son Uday in a statement on [Saddam Hussein’s own] television station, said it was President Bush who’d have to leave office. These defiant words were also echoed by Iraq’s foreign minister, who called Bush an “idiot” and said that Iraq had done all it can [could] to avoid war.
“The solution is for those two despots in Washington and London to leave office. Once they leave office they can often … open the window of diplomacy all over the world, solve all disputes away from the cowboy policy,” said Naji Sabri, Iraq’s foreign minister.
President to Hussein: Leave Iraq or Face War, KPTM-Fox 42
President to Hussein: Leave Iraq or Face War
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
Saddam Hussein has 48 hours to get out – or the U.S. will invade Iraq.
The warning came Monday evening in a speech to the nation by President Bush.
Bush warned if Saddam and his sons don’t leave, the U.S. and allies will wage war. He wouldn’t say when that would happen, mentioning only that it would be “at a time of our choosing.”
Bush says America does not stand alone in the efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein. He says there’s a “broad coalition” ready to enforce the “demands” of the world.
The President says the U.N. Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities in disarming the Iraqi leader. So he says, America “will rise to ours.”
Bush says no one can believe that Iraq has disarmed. He believes the country will never rid itself of weapons of mass destruction, as long as Saddam Hussein is in power.
Read the transcripts from Bush’s Address to the Nation.
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
Originally posted March 19, 2003
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
Saddam Hussein has 48 hours to get out – or the U.S. will invade Iraq.
The warning came Monday evening in a speech to the nation by President Bush.
Bush warned if Saddam and his sons don’t leave, the U.S. and allies will wage war. He wouldn’t say when that would happen, mentioning only that it would be “at a time of our choosing.”
Bush says America does not stand alone in the efforts to disarm Saddam Hussein. He says there’s a “broad coalition” ready to enforce the “demands” of the world.
The President says the U.N. Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities in disarming the Iraqi leader. So he says, America “will rise to ours.”
Bush says no one can believe that Iraq has disarmed. He believes the country will never rid itself of weapons of mass destruction, as long as Saddam Hussein is in power.
Read the transcripts from Bush’s Address to the Nation.
KPTM-Fox 42
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-FOX 42’s Website.
Originally posted March 19, 2003
Monday, March 17, 2003
Shaving Face-Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Shaving Face
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted March 17, 2003
From face lifts to face creams, it seems people will do just about anything to look younger. But what if there was a way to literally shave the years off your look?
“My skin looks pretty darn good for a 56-year-old woman and it did not look this good at 30,” said Jeanne Donnelly, a cosmetic patient.
Jeanne Donnelly is party of a growing group of women who can’t seem to get enough of a skincare procedure that’s technically called dermaplaning.
Supporters tout the procedure as the secret to soft skin on your face or anywhere else. And they claim the procedure can remove deep acne scars, brown spots, and signs of aging.
“It will make the fine lines appear better, softer,” said Donna Messenger, an aesthetician. Donna Messenger is considered by many to be the demi-god of dermaplaning. She’s trained hundreds of doctors and people are lining up nationwide.
“I see approximately twenty to 25 patients a day in my clinic and I stay busy. I could stay busy every day,” said Donna Messenger, an aesthetician.
Here’s how it works: Donna uses a scalpel to scrape off layers of skin. She said that basically tricks the body into thinking it needs to heal itself. The body knows I’ve taken off a protective coating of the skin, the body will immediately produce healthier, plump cells,” said Messenger.
But despite scores of devoted fans, not everyone is convinced. “If they do it the way dermaplaning is typically described, it’s not in my mind, a good procedure to do,” said Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a dermatologist.
Schlessinger said dermaplaning can cause facial scarring. And besides, there are other, safer treatments out there that he says are just as effective. “The field is almost limitless right now of what we can do with non-invasive techniques, so why go to an invasive technique that potentially, frankly, puts a scalpel at your face where one slip and you’re gone,” said Schlessinger.
But Donna Messenger, aesthetician, said, “It’s the lesser of all the evils.”
Messenger said there’s no pain involved and no real recovery time like with other procedures. “You’re not going to leave with redness or irritation after dermaplaning.”
And Jeanne Donnelly said she’s sold on shaving and will never go without it again. “It’s done so much for me and it’s just made me feel better about myself,” said Donnelly.
In case you’re wondering, Dermaplane treatments cost about $200 per visit.
Content Edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42
Originally posted March 17, 2003
From face lifts to face creams, it seems people will do just about anything to look younger. But what if there was a way to literally shave the years off your look?
“My skin looks pretty darn good for a 56-year-old woman and it did not look this good at 30,” said Jeanne Donnelly, a cosmetic patient.
Jeanne Donnelly is party of a growing group of women who can’t seem to get enough of a skincare procedure that’s technically called dermaplaning.
Supporters tout the procedure as the secret to soft skin on your face or anywhere else. And they claim the procedure can remove deep acne scars, brown spots, and signs of aging.
“It will make the fine lines appear better, softer,” said Donna Messenger, an aesthetician. Donna Messenger is considered by many to be the demi-god of dermaplaning. She’s trained hundreds of doctors and people are lining up nationwide.
“I see approximately twenty to 25 patients a day in my clinic and I stay busy. I could stay busy every day,” said Donna Messenger, an aesthetician.
Here’s how it works: Donna uses a scalpel to scrape off layers of skin. She said that basically tricks the body into thinking it needs to heal itself. The body knows I’ve taken off a protective coating of the skin, the body will immediately produce healthier, plump cells,” said Messenger.
But despite scores of devoted fans, not everyone is convinced. “If they do it the way dermaplaning is typically described, it’s not in my mind, a good procedure to do,” said Dr. Joel Schlessinger, a dermatologist.
Schlessinger said dermaplaning can cause facial scarring. And besides, there are other, safer treatments out there that he says are just as effective. “The field is almost limitless right now of what we can do with non-invasive techniques, so why go to an invasive technique that potentially, frankly, puts a scalpel at your face where one slip and you’re gone,” said Schlessinger.
But Donna Messenger, aesthetician, said, “It’s the lesser of all the evils.”
Messenger said there’s no pain involved and no real recovery time like with other procedures. “You’re not going to leave with redness or irritation after dermaplaning.”
And Jeanne Donnelly said she’s sold on shaving and will never go without it again. “It’s done so much for me and it’s just made me feel better about myself,” said Donnelly.
In case you’re wondering, Dermaplane treatments cost about $200 per visit.
Saturday, March 01, 2003
Does your Man have the Blahs?
Does your Man have the Blahs?
What you should know about irritable male syndrome
Content edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42’s Website
Posted March 2003
Are you suffering from irritability, depression, and bloating caused by hormones? Think we’re describing PMS? Nope.
These symptoms also describe a condition that may affect millions of men.
A few years ago, Michael and Connie Hillegrass hit a snag in their marriage. Something was different about Michael, like a switch had been turned off.
“There was no lust, no desire,” said Michael Hillegrass.
Scott Simmons also noticed changes when he hit the middle age years.
“[I was] tired, lethargic. I didn’t have a zest for work anymore and I started gaining weight,” recalled Simmons.
Both men went for professional help. The diagnosis? IMS or Irritable Male Syndrome.
Dr. Christopher Steidle, a urologist, treated Scott.
“IMS is incredibly common, up to 30 percent of men. This is a male version of PMS or premenstrual syndrome,” Steidle said.
When a man’s testosterone level dips, it can result in depression, weight gain, or loss of energy and a diminished sex drive in men as young as 30. Many of the symptoms are indistinguishable from old age, and for years many have thought the problem was just grumpy old man syndrome. Now we know the grumpy old man probably has IMS.
When the affection disappears, depression appears. It can be confusing for the woman behind the man.
Connie Hillegrass blamed herself. “Is he interested in someone else? What’s going on? There’s got to be a reason,” Hillegrass remembered.
The impact of IMS on family is incredible. However, while the effect on men is clear, the cause is not. Some experts believe that IMS could be caused by diet. Other experts argue that the role of diet in triggering this syndrome is minimal.
But Dr. Larrian Gillespie disagrees. Gillespie, a veteran urologist, believes two things trigger IMS.
“Under the circumstances of stress and then particular dietary changes, men exhibit these symptoms of male syndrome, much like women do with PMS,” said Gillespie.
She believes men can fight back by eating right. Gillespie’s book, “The Gladiator Diet,” looks at what “he-men of olde” used to eat before battle.
“People can’t get a chariot through a drive-in, so there wasn’t fast food,” quipped Gillespie.
“Fats and carbs block the body’s ability to use testosterone,” Gillespie added.
Proteins and unprocessed fats can help. “Consuming a diet of around 300-350 calories about five times a day will keep testosterone and insulin levels smooth,” Gillespie said.
Physicians like Dr. Stiedle can diagnose IMS by asking a few questions. Still, the condition carries a stigma with most men.
“I think men should come out of their shells. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Steidle said.
Scott Simmmons found dramatic improvements thanks to hormone therapy.
“My belly went away!” Simmons added, “I’m more interested in just getting out and doing things.”
And it wasn’t just Scott who noticed positive results after he received the hormone therapy treatment.
“It’s like, wow, yes, this is a different guy, ya know? A whole different personality,” said Hillegass.
Patients say there’s no reason for anyone to go through life unhappy. Men should know there is help. Another reason not to ignore the problem? Irritable male syndrome is also linked with osteoporosis and weakened or fragile bones.
What you should know about irritable male syndrome
Content edited by Pamela Appea for KPTM-Fox 42’s Website
Posted March 2003
Are you suffering from irritability, depression, and bloating caused by hormones? Think we’re describing PMS? Nope.
These symptoms also describe a condition that may affect millions of men.
A few years ago, Michael and Connie Hillegrass hit a snag in their marriage. Something was different about Michael, like a switch had been turned off.
“There was no lust, no desire,” said Michael Hillegrass.
Scott Simmons also noticed changes when he hit the middle age years.
“[I was] tired, lethargic. I didn’t have a zest for work anymore and I started gaining weight,” recalled Simmons.
Both men went for professional help. The diagnosis? IMS or Irritable Male Syndrome.
Dr. Christopher Steidle, a urologist, treated Scott.
“IMS is incredibly common, up to 30 percent of men. This is a male version of PMS or premenstrual syndrome,” Steidle said.
When a man’s testosterone level dips, it can result in depression, weight gain, or loss of energy and a diminished sex drive in men as young as 30. Many of the symptoms are indistinguishable from old age, and for years many have thought the problem was just grumpy old man syndrome. Now we know the grumpy old man probably has IMS.
When the affection disappears, depression appears. It can be confusing for the woman behind the man.
Connie Hillegrass blamed herself. “Is he interested in someone else? What’s going on? There’s got to be a reason,” Hillegrass remembered.
The impact of IMS on family is incredible. However, while the effect on men is clear, the cause is not. Some experts believe that IMS could be caused by diet. Other experts argue that the role of diet in triggering this syndrome is minimal.
But Dr. Larrian Gillespie disagrees. Gillespie, a veteran urologist, believes two things trigger IMS.
“Under the circumstances of stress and then particular dietary changes, men exhibit these symptoms of male syndrome, much like women do with PMS,” said Gillespie.
She believes men can fight back by eating right. Gillespie’s book, “The Gladiator Diet,” looks at what “he-men of olde” used to eat before battle.
“People can’t get a chariot through a drive-in, so there wasn’t fast food,” quipped Gillespie.
“Fats and carbs block the body’s ability to use testosterone,” Gillespie added.
Proteins and unprocessed fats can help. “Consuming a diet of around 300-350 calories about five times a day will keep testosterone and insulin levels smooth,” Gillespie said.
Physicians like Dr. Stiedle can diagnose IMS by asking a few questions. Still, the condition carries a stigma with most men.
“I think men should come out of their shells. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Steidle said.
Scott Simmmons found dramatic improvements thanks to hormone therapy.
“My belly went away!” Simmons added, “I’m more interested in just getting out and doing things.”
And it wasn’t just Scott who noticed positive results after he received the hormone therapy treatment.
“It’s like, wow, yes, this is a different guy, ya know? A whole different personality,” said Hillegass.
Patients say there’s no reason for anyone to go through life unhappy. Men should know there is help. Another reason not to ignore the problem? Irritable male syndrome is also linked with osteoporosis and weakened or fragile bones.
Thursday, May 23, 2002
The Real Baby Mama Drama
The Real Baby Mama Drama
Africana.com
By Pamela Appea
As a newlywed back in 1994, Sandra Taylor decided to try and have a child right away. After all, she was already in her early forties, and had some concern about whether she could get pregnant again at her age (she already had one grown son). Looking back, Taylor said she was optimistic at first.
If she’d read Sylvia Hewlett’s Creating a Life, this year’s contender for scariest book aimed at women who want to “have it all,” she’d have kept her enthusiasm in check. Describing a biological clock more ruthlessly fast than most American women had previously worried about, Hewlett’s controversial book cautions that women who put off motherhood until their forties—or even thirties—may find themselves too late to conceive without costly intervention (and even then, she writes, it’s a crapshoot.)
True to form, Taylor and her husband ran into a wall of infertility problems on both her end and his. Taylor discovered that the abdominal pain she’d suffered for years was courtesy of fibroid tumors in her uterus, and her husband found he had a lower sperm count. It seemed unlikely that the two would conceive a child of their own.
Taylor began looking into in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which a fertilized egg—the women’s or a donor’s—is implanted into the prospective mother’s womb.
“I was told infertility treatments would be expensive,” Taylor recalls. “They told me the costs would be $4,000 and up. And automatically, I just said, forget it.”
It’s a story known to many in the black community, yet seldom discussed. Worse, infertility among black women is often underdiagnosed, undertreated or ignored by a medical establishment that tenders unequal care to patients of different backgrounds.
The first damaging stereotype is that women of color are naturally fertile, sometimes too much so—either earth mothers or baby mamas.
“How many times have you heard someone say, ‘If I just look at a man too hard, I’ll get pregnant?” asks Lori-Burns Simms, a 36-year-old non-profit administrator living in Philadelphia who experienced four ectopic pregnancies and gave up trying to have a biological child a few years ago. “There are the inappropriate comments that may seem unassuming but cut to the core of our issues.”
While the comment may seem funny to most, for black women who cannot conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term, it can feel like a slap in the face. “We start wondering what’s wrong with us,” she says.
Social stereotypes of black women have minimized the significance of what Tina Pilgrim of the Ferre Institute of Color initiative, calls the “hidden problem of infertility” in the African American community. Black women are seen as “fertile Myrtles,” according to a recent paper issued the Institute, a non-profit organization working to promote awareness of fertility issues.
Infertility is not uncommon among black women, though. About 10.5% of black women are infertile, according to data from a 1995 US Department of Health and Human Services survey. An additional 13.6% of women who identify as multi-racial or who are Latinas of African descent push the numbers up significantly. In the US, about 6.2 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 are diagnosed as being infertile and unable to bear a child to term.
While some forms of infertility can be treated, Pilgrim says, “only one-third of women of African descent who face the issue seek treatment.”
One reason is that healthcare practitioners may bring their own racial issues to the treatment of black infertility. Adding to the problem, many women don’t even tell their friends or family, fearing stigma within the community.
“No one comes out and says I’m infertile,” says Burns-Simms, who adds that only recently has she realized how many other black women are in the same situation.
My problem is that I had four ectopic pregnancies,” said Burns-Simms. “I didn’t think of it as infertility, but whether it’s ectopic pregnancies, multiple miscarriages or black male sterility, the issue is not talked about.”
Shame can also come into play, especially if the reason for infertility is a sexually transmitted disease. One of the main causes of infertility among African American women is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which can invade the fallopian tubes when left untreated and can cause significant scarring there, enough to block the normal passage of eggs into the uterus. Untreated STDs are one of the main causes of PID (another is the practice of douching, which is more common among black women than other population groups.)
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, PID has been classified as the leading cause of pregnancy loss among black women.
The painful fibroid tumors Taylor had removed are also one of the more common complications affecting black women, especially as they grow older. Pilgrim cites a 1995 Essence article that claims 50% to 75% of all African American women are affected by fibroid tumors.
Dr. Jennifer Thie, MD, program director for the Bethesda Center for Reproductive Health and Fertility in Cincinnati, said that she has worked with several black women in her practice who have experienced infertility.
“Infertility for black women is often complicated by a higher rate of uterine fibroids that require surgery because of size or heavy bleeding,” Thie said.
Some black women battling infertility fight racism at the same time. At the first clinic she sought treatment at Burns-Simms felt that, while the staff was professional, they may have looked at her and her husband differently because of race.
Even those black women who seek treatment, and find it, often don’t benefit from it as much as other women.
In a University of Maryland study published in the trade journal Fertility and Sterility, researchers reported African American women were less likely to become pregnant from IVF than white women.
“For two years, I was on a baby-making mission, complete with hormonal medications, hypodermic needles … and disappointments,” Burns-Simms wrote in an online essay. Despite their adequate health insurance, Burns-Simms and her husband spent a significant amount of time, money and energy on getting complicated infertility treatments. “I guess I would tell another women going through the same thing that the process is very costly. We sort of embarked on the project blindly—it was emotionally driven.”
In 1997, Burns-Simms and her husband decided to adopt a baby boy, whom they named Austin. “We took stock of our blessings we had and turned my infertility into an opportunity to provide a home for a loving little boy.”
Burns-Simms says that the issue of infertility—among herself and other black women—is still on her mind, even though her days and nights are full with Austin, who will turn five in July.
Originally published May 23, 2002
Africana.com
By Pamela Appea
As a newlywed back in 1994, Sandra Taylor decided to try and have a child right away. After all, she was already in her early forties, and had some concern about whether she could get pregnant again at her age (she already had one grown son). Looking back, Taylor said she was optimistic at first.
If she’d read Sylvia Hewlett’s Creating a Life, this year’s contender for scariest book aimed at women who want to “have it all,” she’d have kept her enthusiasm in check. Describing a biological clock more ruthlessly fast than most American women had previously worried about, Hewlett’s controversial book cautions that women who put off motherhood until their forties—or even thirties—may find themselves too late to conceive without costly intervention (and even then, she writes, it’s a crapshoot.)
True to form, Taylor and her husband ran into a wall of infertility problems on both her end and his. Taylor discovered that the abdominal pain she’d suffered for years was courtesy of fibroid tumors in her uterus, and her husband found he had a lower sperm count. It seemed unlikely that the two would conceive a child of their own.
Taylor began looking into in vitro fertilization (IVF), in which a fertilized egg—the women’s or a donor’s—is implanted into the prospective mother’s womb.
“I was told infertility treatments would be expensive,” Taylor recalls. “They told me the costs would be $4,000 and up. And automatically, I just said, forget it.”
It’s a story known to many in the black community, yet seldom discussed. Worse, infertility among black women is often underdiagnosed, undertreated or ignored by a medical establishment that tenders unequal care to patients of different backgrounds.
The first damaging stereotype is that women of color are naturally fertile, sometimes too much so—either earth mothers or baby mamas.
“How many times have you heard someone say, ‘If I just look at a man too hard, I’ll get pregnant?” asks Lori-Burns Simms, a 36-year-old non-profit administrator living in Philadelphia who experienced four ectopic pregnancies and gave up trying to have a biological child a few years ago. “There are the inappropriate comments that may seem unassuming but cut to the core of our issues.”
While the comment may seem funny to most, for black women who cannot conceive or carry a pregnancy to full term, it can feel like a slap in the face. “We start wondering what’s wrong with us,” she says.
Social stereotypes of black women have minimized the significance of what Tina Pilgrim of the Ferre Institute of Color initiative, calls the “hidden problem of infertility” in the African American community. Black women are seen as “fertile Myrtles,” according to a recent paper issued the Institute, a non-profit organization working to promote awareness of fertility issues.
Infertility is not uncommon among black women, though. About 10.5% of black women are infertile, according to data from a 1995 US Department of Health and Human Services survey. An additional 13.6% of women who identify as multi-racial or who are Latinas of African descent push the numbers up significantly. In the US, about 6.2 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 are diagnosed as being infertile and unable to bear a child to term.
While some forms of infertility can be treated, Pilgrim says, “only one-third of women of African descent who face the issue seek treatment.”
One reason is that healthcare practitioners may bring their own racial issues to the treatment of black infertility. Adding to the problem, many women don’t even tell their friends or family, fearing stigma within the community.
“No one comes out and says I’m infertile,” says Burns-Simms, who adds that only recently has she realized how many other black women are in the same situation.
My problem is that I had four ectopic pregnancies,” said Burns-Simms. “I didn’t think of it as infertility, but whether it’s ectopic pregnancies, multiple miscarriages or black male sterility, the issue is not talked about.”
Shame can also come into play, especially if the reason for infertility is a sexually transmitted disease. One of the main causes of infertility among African American women is Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which can invade the fallopian tubes when left untreated and can cause significant scarring there, enough to block the normal passage of eggs into the uterus. Untreated STDs are one of the main causes of PID (another is the practice of douching, which is more common among black women than other population groups.)
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, PID has been classified as the leading cause of pregnancy loss among black women.
The painful fibroid tumors Taylor had removed are also one of the more common complications affecting black women, especially as they grow older. Pilgrim cites a 1995 Essence article that claims 50% to 75% of all African American women are affected by fibroid tumors.
Dr. Jennifer Thie, MD, program director for the Bethesda Center for Reproductive Health and Fertility in Cincinnati, said that she has worked with several black women in her practice who have experienced infertility.
“Infertility for black women is often complicated by a higher rate of uterine fibroids that require surgery because of size or heavy bleeding,” Thie said.
Some black women battling infertility fight racism at the same time. At the first clinic she sought treatment at Burns-Simms felt that, while the staff was professional, they may have looked at her and her husband differently because of race.
Even those black women who seek treatment, and find it, often don’t benefit from it as much as other women.
In a University of Maryland study published in the trade journal Fertility and Sterility, researchers reported African American women were less likely to become pregnant from IVF than white women.
“For two years, I was on a baby-making mission, complete with hormonal medications, hypodermic needles … and disappointments,” Burns-Simms wrote in an online essay. Despite their adequate health insurance, Burns-Simms and her husband spent a significant amount of time, money and energy on getting complicated infertility treatments. “I guess I would tell another women going through the same thing that the process is very costly. We sort of embarked on the project blindly—it was emotionally driven.”
In 1997, Burns-Simms and her husband decided to adopt a baby boy, whom they named Austin. “We took stock of our blessings we had and turned my infertility into an opportunity to provide a home for a loving little boy.”
Burns-Simms says that the issue of infertility—among herself and other black women—is still on her mind, even though her days and nights are full with Austin, who will turn five in July.
Originally published May 23, 2002
Thursday, May 02, 2002
A Bitter Pill? Black Boys and Ritalin
A Bitter Pill? Black Boys and Ritalin
By Pamela Appea
It’s a common September scenario. A child refuses to stay in his seat or won’t stop acting out in class. He’s restless and fidgety and he likes to talk and talk…and talk. Frustrated teachers quickly think of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and equally frustrated parents quickly acquiesce to requests that their child be evaluated and possibly medicated.
It’s a difficult decision to make, especially amid growing concern that children are being overdiagnosed and overmedicated, especially with the ADD/ADHD miracle drug, Ritalin. A study from the Journal of the American Medical Association found the use of drugs like Ritalin among children aged two to fourteen tripled in the 1990s.
When this problem child is black, the complications only increase. While many in the black community have decried a rush to medicate minority children, especially boys, with Ritalin and other drugs, others have argued that black boys, while disproportionately diagnosed with learning difficulties, in fact receive far less treatment than other students.
“There are a lot of children suffering,” says Dr. Marilyn Benoit, a child psychiatry expert at George Washington University “Many don’t get the treatment they need.”
What they do often get, Benoit and others agree, is a stigmatizing label, and sometimes a one-way ticket to special education classes. The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University found in a 2001 study that black public school students in the US are three times more likely than whites to be identified as mentally retarded or in need of special education services. In addition, the study said, black students with learning disabilities are often misdiagnosed as being “emotionally disturbed.”
Beyond ADD and ADHD, kids now are tested for a veritable alphabet soup of disorders, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). But with symptoms for ODD like “often argues with adults,” “often loses temper” and “often deliberately annoys people,” many parents – and teachers – wonder how to tell the difference between a bona fide medical condition and the behavior of a grumpy, spoiled or bratty child.
Such broad definitions, when combined with studies like Harvard’s that suggest how quickly black children are seen as “trouble,” make for a combustible combination.
“I know that a lot of black boys are labeled as having behavior problems and are placed in Special Ed. Classrooms,” says Xoli Dyasi, a fifth-grade teacher in the New York public schools.
The National Medical Association, a DC-based group promoting the interests of black doctors and patients, has spoken out against the disproportionate placement of African American children into special education programs.
Still, Dyasi says, some children do have learning disabilities and benefit from the diagnosis, when followed by proper treatment. She says she leaves the diagnosing to the school psychiatrist. Therein lies the problem, some minority child advocates say. Most teachers are not like Dyasi — a rush to Ritalin is common, with teachers sending notes home to parents demanding that their children be medicated.
What children do need medication? ADHD experts like Dr. Laurence Greenhill, at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, say some tell-tale signs of ADHD among young children are an “insatiable” curiosity or “excessive” temper tantrums. “A child with ADHD may appear restless, aggressive, demanding, argumentative, or noisy,” Greenhill says. Evelyn Polk Green, president of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), a Landover, Maryland-based advocacy group, lists some real life examples – the child who has no friends or playmates, who has been expelled from day care centers, who is no longer welcome at larger family functions – that indicate the potential need for medication.
Polk Green, a Chicago resident, early childhood educator and parent of an ADHD teenager, says she struggled with the idea of medicated her child. “His temper tantrums were long and uncontrollable, yet he could be the sweetest, most loving child in the world,” she said.
And it wasn’t the amount of discipline her son received, she says, recalling how she and her husband tried every trick in the book. “None of the standard behavior modification techniques seemed to work,” she says. “Eventually, my husband and I realized that we could not do this alone.”
She says she initially worried ADHD medications would transform her smart, creative son into a zombie. But the decision paid off. Polk Green said her son is doing well today — still on medication but an active, college-bound high school student.Success stories like Polk Greens combine many factors – concerned, committed parents being the main one – that many kids diagnosed with ADD/ADHD lack. When parents lack health insurance, or the school system is uncooperative or even hostile, the results can be disastrous.
Despite laws like Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA, an amendment that advocates blended classrooms, (in conjunction with the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975), children diagnosed with learning disabilities are often placed in special ed classrooms, taught a watered-down curriculum, or tracked into nonacademic programs.
And even when an ADHD-diagnosed student stays in a regular class, he or she faces counseling sessions, special group times, break times for medication, and other specialized parent-teacher meetings. The stigma can spread to a student’s peers. It’s not a secret who has ADHD, especially among urban school districts. Just ask the kids who takes medication and who doesn’t – they always know.
“I am actually torn with this topic,” said Dyasi. “I think that some medications do more harm than good for the child who is diagnosed as having ADHD. It may work for some kids and it may not. I think it really depends on the seriousness of the symptoms. It's really up to, I think, the experts – the doctors whose interest are really the children and not the doctors who are willing to only test out medications on children that may not need it.”At the same time, she says, all disruptive children should be evaluated immediately once they get into school—at age five or six – rather than letting problems fester.The topic of black children and medication is so controversial that one staff member at Florida A & M university in Tallahassee asked not to be identified when she said she feels more kids and adolescents within the African American community probably should be on medication. While not a popular opinion, her argument is echoed by recent findings in one Virginia school district that, while 17 percent of white boys are on Ritalin, only 9 percent of black boys are. All agree that parents and teachers must communicate better about ADHD and other learning disabilities, and that parents should inform themselves of their children’s rights and the medical and non-medical options for treatment.
After that, says Polk Green, you just make the best decision for your child. “Taking meds is a huge decision and should not be taken lightly,” Polk Green said, but adds, “if my child needed glasses or a hearing aide, or insulin or even chemotherapy, I wouldn’t hesitate to give him the treatment he needed.”
(Article prepared for www.africana.com in 2002)
Do not repost or redistribute without permission. E-mail me at pjappea@hotmail.com.
Monday, December 17, 2001
Osteoporosis Answers
Osteoporosis Answers
New York Resident
By Pamela Appea
Everyone knows a friend, a neighbor or a loved one who has broken a hip due to osteoporosis, declined rapidly and perhaps even died. A chronic and degenerative disease, osteoporosis is a public health crisis in the U.S. that received some much needed attention by the American Medical Association last week in Manhattan. More than 28 million Americans are either at risk for osteoporosis or have the disease. Some 80 percent of sufferers are women.
Middle-aged people and senior citizens clock in 600,000 fracture-related emergency room visits annually. An additional 35,000 mature adults experience painful hip fractures and emergency room visits each year.
At the AMA conference, Dr. Sheryl Sherman, director of Maryland’s National Institute on Aging’s Clinical Endocrinology and Osteoporosis Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, reported that osteoporosis Medicare costs are well over $14 billion, according to a 1995 survey.
The negative impact of a fall can be reduced when frail patients are given cushioned hip protectors, according to one nursing home study. Sherman said this and other simple, commonsense measures can prevent or minimize long-term hospitalization, loss of mobility and extreme pain in senior citizens. In perimenopausal women, weight-bearing exercises and increased intake of calcium and vitamin D can optimize bone health.
Dr. Ethel Siris, director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, said it is crucial that bone density tests be given regularly to all women over the age of 65. Bone mineral density tests should be given to women over 50 who show the following risk factors: being thin, being a smoker, experiencing a broken bone or having a family history of osteoporosis.
“You don’t know you have high blood pressure until you get a reading,” Siris said. “People should approach osteoporosis in the same way” and get bone-mineral density tests at least once every two years.
“And if you are diagnosed with osteoporosis or low-bone density, you can be much more proactive about preventing further bone loss and getting effective treatment.”
Osteoporosis sufferers in the past had only two treatment choices: to take or not take estrogen. At present, osteoporosis sufferers have a variety of more effective therapies to choose from. Siris noted that estrogen is certainly an effective treatment.
“You get more bang for your buck,” Siris said, noting estrogen is a bone-plus drug. But at the same time, Siris cautioned that estrogen treatments can cause side effects such as bleeding, bloating and deep-vein thrombosis.
With new classes of drugs, including selective estrogen receptor modules, the medications act like estrogen in some parts of the body and block the negative effects of estrogen in other parts of the body, Siris said.
Other drugs, including Raloxifene, bisphosphonates, Cacitonin and teriparatide, may work better for some. Raloxifene reduces the risk of breast cancer and has no risky or harmful effects on the heart, unlike estrogen.
The bottom line is if you have osteoporosis, you should get the tailored pharmacological treatment you need. And now, with more osteoporosis knowledge in the medical community, those with osteoporosis can expect an overall high quality of life instead of a painful decline.
“As our society ages, a greater percentage of people will be at risk for preventable bone fractures,” Siris said. “If we do not gain control of this situation, there will be a log of broken hips and a lot of broken lives.”
Originally published December 17, 2001
New York Resident
By Pamela Appea
Everyone knows a friend, a neighbor or a loved one who has broken a hip due to osteoporosis, declined rapidly and perhaps even died. A chronic and degenerative disease, osteoporosis is a public health crisis in the U.S. that received some much needed attention by the American Medical Association last week in Manhattan. More than 28 million Americans are either at risk for osteoporosis or have the disease. Some 80 percent of sufferers are women.
Middle-aged people and senior citizens clock in 600,000 fracture-related emergency room visits annually. An additional 35,000 mature adults experience painful hip fractures and emergency room visits each year.
At the AMA conference, Dr. Sheryl Sherman, director of Maryland’s National Institute on Aging’s Clinical Endocrinology and Osteoporosis Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, reported that osteoporosis Medicare costs are well over $14 billion, according to a 1995 survey.
The negative impact of a fall can be reduced when frail patients are given cushioned hip protectors, according to one nursing home study. Sherman said this and other simple, commonsense measures can prevent or minimize long-term hospitalization, loss of mobility and extreme pain in senior citizens. In perimenopausal women, weight-bearing exercises and increased intake of calcium and vitamin D can optimize bone health.
Dr. Ethel Siris, director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, said it is crucial that bone density tests be given regularly to all women over the age of 65. Bone mineral density tests should be given to women over 50 who show the following risk factors: being thin, being a smoker, experiencing a broken bone or having a family history of osteoporosis.
“You don’t know you have high blood pressure until you get a reading,” Siris said. “People should approach osteoporosis in the same way” and get bone-mineral density tests at least once every two years.
“And if you are diagnosed with osteoporosis or low-bone density, you can be much more proactive about preventing further bone loss and getting effective treatment.”
Osteoporosis sufferers in the past had only two treatment choices: to take or not take estrogen. At present, osteoporosis sufferers have a variety of more effective therapies to choose from. Siris noted that estrogen is certainly an effective treatment.
“You get more bang for your buck,” Siris said, noting estrogen is a bone-plus drug. But at the same time, Siris cautioned that estrogen treatments can cause side effects such as bleeding, bloating and deep-vein thrombosis.
With new classes of drugs, including selective estrogen receptor modules, the medications act like estrogen in some parts of the body and block the negative effects of estrogen in other parts of the body, Siris said.
Other drugs, including Raloxifene, bisphosphonates, Cacitonin and teriparatide, may work better for some. Raloxifene reduces the risk of breast cancer and has no risky or harmful effects on the heart, unlike estrogen.
The bottom line is if you have osteoporosis, you should get the tailored pharmacological treatment you need. And now, with more osteoporosis knowledge in the medical community, those with osteoporosis can expect an overall high quality of life instead of a painful decline.
“As our society ages, a greater percentage of people will be at risk for preventable bone fractures,” Siris said. “If we do not gain control of this situation, there will be a log of broken hips and a lot of broken lives.”
Originally published December 17, 2001
Thursday, November 01, 2001
When Asthma Doesn’t Play Fair: The Overwhelming Problem Among Disadvantaged Children
When Asthma Doesn’t Play Fair: The Overwhelming Problem Among Disadvantaged Children
Asthma Magazine
November/December 2001
Asthma can be a difficult disease to manage, particularly for young children. Asthma has been affecting more and more children during the past 20 years, particularly low-income and minority kids. Although minority and disadvantaged children are at the highest risk of developing asthma, they are the least likely to get diagnosed or treated, according to an American Lung Association report presented at the World Asthma Meeting in May 2001.
Why are so many minority and low-income kids developing asthma now? The overall stress of poverty may partially explain why so many of these children suffer from serious asthmatic episodes. For example, almost 40% of all homeless children nationwide have asthma. A Thomas Jefferson University study found asthma hospitalization rates increased directly in association with rates of poverty among blacks and whites in Philadelphia. In the same vein, asthma-related deaths in Arizona rose 11% statewide between 1980-1983, exceeding the national average, particularly among Latinos and other minorities. The state’s hospitalization rates for blacks is four times higher than for whites, the Arizona Asthma Coalition reports.
In disadvantaged urban areas like South Bronx, New York 15% of all children have asthma. Although a recent report found pediatric hospitalization rates had dropped in New York City, thanks largely [due to] a program called the Childhood Asthma Initiative, it is still a city full of asthma sufferers. Triggers such as crowded and unventilated homes, roaches, mouse and rat droppings, and animal dander are some reasons for high hospitalization rates among disadvantaged youth. Urban pollution certainly doesn’t help either, but experts don’t know exactly why asthma has exploded and become such a major health problem among these groups.
It’s a challenge that Shawn Bowen, MD, a pediatric asthma specialist for the Childhood Asthma Initiative, a partner of the Children’s Health Fun and the Montefiore Medical Center, faces every day. In practice with minority and disadvantaged populations for the past 5 years, Bowen says getting his patients’ families to embrace a proactive, preventative approach to managing their children’s asthma can be difficult. “Minority populations are high emergency room users,” Bowen says. And it’s useless to write a prescription for a newly diagnosed asthmatic child if the family doesn’t have the money to purchase the medicine. Bowen finds that he must work closely with families to make sure they follow up with the proper asthma treatment.
To successfully manage pediatric asthma, physicians say early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Many patients of newly diagnosed asthmatics believe their child will outgrow the disease, a common myth. The reality is that untreated asthma can lead to decreased lung function and long-term lung disease later in life. Constant exposure to smoking, roaches, animal dander, and inadequate medical care will translate to missed school, emergency department visits, and overall poor health for asthmatic children. Asthma is the chronic condition responsible for the greatest number of school absences nationwide.
Asthma is a truly a disease that affects the entire family. Newly diagnosed asthma can meant a pet must be given away or other significant adjustments must be made. At the same time, when a low-income family is experiencing crisis, a child’s asthma may not be a priority, Bowen says. Recalling one situation, he says a single mother stopped bringing her child for follow-up appointments after her public assistance ended. When the organization’s nurse practitioner visited the home, she realized the loss of public assistance was a serious problem for the family’s health: not only was the child not able to get his medications, but the mother was not able to get her prescription filled for a serious psychiatric disorder. Once the situation was resolved, Bowen was able to check on his patient and make sure his asthma was controlled. “It’s a fragile situation. It requires constant monitoring,” he says.
Bowen finds that many of his patients typically don’t come for their follow-up appointments unless urged. “When people are feeling better, they don’t come for their appointments,” he says. Asthma is a chronic illness that needs to be monitored and controlled with consistent and ongoing medical care; otherwise it can flare out of control quickly.
In the case of homeless asthmatic children moving from shelter to shelter, it’s almost impossible to control risky environmental triggers like smoke, moldy carpets, pollution and stress. When faced with an asthma episode, many disadvantaged kids (and their parents) often don’t have access to the basic tools, such as a quick-relief inhaler, to help control them. “These are people who have been through a lot,” Bowen explains. Many of his patients are adjusting to a myriad of issues, including surviving welfare, leaving a domestic violence, or recovering from drug addiction or alcoholism. He and his staff try to help his patients’ families access the social services and medical resources they need.
According to experts, every aspect of a family’s lifestyle must be examined to properly manage asthma. Seasonal changes can mean renewed flare-ups, with seasons allergens, summer smog, or colr and flue season each presenting potent asthma triggers. Although a family may try to shield their child from cigarette smoke or make an effort to control his or her exposure to dust mites, the home may never be trigger-free. One study recently published in the journal Pediatrics (2001; 107:505-11) associated childhood asthma attacks with the use of a gas stove or oven for heating a common practice in the Southeast among low-income families. Keeping the oven on for heat could serve as a constant trigger, although the parents might not make the connection between their child’s repeated asthma attacks and the fact the oven is on. The high level of nitrogen dioxide and other emissions can be triggers for asthma, the report suggests.
Bowen finds a home visit and follow-up office visits are key in successfully treating his asthma patients. A Childhood Asthma Initiative nurse practitioner follows up with home or shelter visits, taking notes of potential visits. “She takes note of [such things as] the dust on the windows and the cigarette ash in the ashtray and then sits down with the family to talk about how they can cut down on triggers,” he says.
Bowen also explains how he tries to work with his patients and their families. “In my 5 years, I have not been able to get [some parents] to stop smoking,” he admits. But in other ways, he works to educate his patients as to the importance of removing carpeting, changing bedding, giving pets away, and dusting or vacuuming more often. He also tries to find a way to accommodate his patients’ alternative medicine treatments for asthma, making sure they understand the importance of taking prescribed anti-inflammatories and bronchodilators at the same time. “People swear up and down by different herbal remedies,” he says, mentioning herbal tea, Echinacea, and similar treatments. “As long as the remedies are not harmful, I try to be respectful,” he says.
Stabilizing family situations, building trust between doctor and patient, teaching and re-teaching doctor and children and parents about asthma management measures are the most important approaches to help low-income children with asthma live successful and healthy lives. The end results of these efforts is the empowerment of asthmatic kids and their families to know how they can control asthma instead of being controlled by it. Ending the viscous cycle of ER visits and hospitalizations among young patients is essential. “We have to provide asthma information in any way we can to get people to start understanding the disease,” Bowen explains.
Asthma Magazine
November/December 2001
Asthma can be a difficult disease to manage, particularly for young children. Asthma has been affecting more and more children during the past 20 years, particularly low-income and minority kids. Although minority and disadvantaged children are at the highest risk of developing asthma, they are the least likely to get diagnosed or treated, according to an American Lung Association report presented at the World Asthma Meeting in May 2001.
Why are so many minority and low-income kids developing asthma now? The overall stress of poverty may partially explain why so many of these children suffer from serious asthmatic episodes. For example, almost 40% of all homeless children nationwide have asthma. A Thomas Jefferson University study found asthma hospitalization rates increased directly in association with rates of poverty among blacks and whites in Philadelphia. In the same vein, asthma-related deaths in Arizona rose 11% statewide between 1980-1983, exceeding the national average, particularly among Latinos and other minorities. The state’s hospitalization rates for blacks is four times higher than for whites, the Arizona Asthma Coalition reports.
In disadvantaged urban areas like South Bronx, New York 15% of all children have asthma. Although a recent report found pediatric hospitalization rates had dropped in New York City, thanks largely [due to] a program called the Childhood Asthma Initiative, it is still a city full of asthma sufferers. Triggers such as crowded and unventilated homes, roaches, mouse and rat droppings, and animal dander are some reasons for high hospitalization rates among disadvantaged youth. Urban pollution certainly doesn’t help either, but experts don’t know exactly why asthma has exploded and become such a major health problem among these groups.
It’s a challenge that Shawn Bowen, MD, a pediatric asthma specialist for the Childhood Asthma Initiative, a partner of the Children’s Health Fun and the Montefiore Medical Center, faces every day. In practice with minority and disadvantaged populations for the past 5 years, Bowen says getting his patients’ families to embrace a proactive, preventative approach to managing their children’s asthma can be difficult. “Minority populations are high emergency room users,” Bowen says. And it’s useless to write a prescription for a newly diagnosed asthmatic child if the family doesn’t have the money to purchase the medicine. Bowen finds that he must work closely with families to make sure they follow up with the proper asthma treatment.
To successfully manage pediatric asthma, physicians say early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Many patients of newly diagnosed asthmatics believe their child will outgrow the disease, a common myth. The reality is that untreated asthma can lead to decreased lung function and long-term lung disease later in life. Constant exposure to smoking, roaches, animal dander, and inadequate medical care will translate to missed school, emergency department visits, and overall poor health for asthmatic children. Asthma is the chronic condition responsible for the greatest number of school absences nationwide.
Asthma is a truly a disease that affects the entire family. Newly diagnosed asthma can meant a pet must be given away or other significant adjustments must be made. At the same time, when a low-income family is experiencing crisis, a child’s asthma may not be a priority, Bowen says. Recalling one situation, he says a single mother stopped bringing her child for follow-up appointments after her public assistance ended. When the organization’s nurse practitioner visited the home, she realized the loss of public assistance was a serious problem for the family’s health: not only was the child not able to get his medications, but the mother was not able to get her prescription filled for a serious psychiatric disorder. Once the situation was resolved, Bowen was able to check on his patient and make sure his asthma was controlled. “It’s a fragile situation. It requires constant monitoring,” he says.
Bowen finds that many of his patients typically don’t come for their follow-up appointments unless urged. “When people are feeling better, they don’t come for their appointments,” he says. Asthma is a chronic illness that needs to be monitored and controlled with consistent and ongoing medical care; otherwise it can flare out of control quickly.
In the case of homeless asthmatic children moving from shelter to shelter, it’s almost impossible to control risky environmental triggers like smoke, moldy carpets, pollution and stress. When faced with an asthma episode, many disadvantaged kids (and their parents) often don’t have access to the basic tools, such as a quick-relief inhaler, to help control them. “These are people who have been through a lot,” Bowen explains. Many of his patients are adjusting to a myriad of issues, including surviving welfare, leaving a domestic violence, or recovering from drug addiction or alcoholism. He and his staff try to help his patients’ families access the social services and medical resources they need.
According to experts, every aspect of a family’s lifestyle must be examined to properly manage asthma. Seasonal changes can mean renewed flare-ups, with seasons allergens, summer smog, or colr and flue season each presenting potent asthma triggers. Although a family may try to shield their child from cigarette smoke or make an effort to control his or her exposure to dust mites, the home may never be trigger-free. One study recently published in the journal Pediatrics (2001; 107:505-11) associated childhood asthma attacks with the use of a gas stove or oven for heating a common practice in the Southeast among low-income families. Keeping the oven on for heat could serve as a constant trigger, although the parents might not make the connection between their child’s repeated asthma attacks and the fact the oven is on. The high level of nitrogen dioxide and other emissions can be triggers for asthma, the report suggests.
Bowen finds a home visit and follow-up office visits are key in successfully treating his asthma patients. A Childhood Asthma Initiative nurse practitioner follows up with home or shelter visits, taking notes of potential visits. “She takes note of [such things as] the dust on the windows and the cigarette ash in the ashtray and then sits down with the family to talk about how they can cut down on triggers,” he says.
Bowen also explains how he tries to work with his patients and their families. “In my 5 years, I have not been able to get [some parents] to stop smoking,” he admits. But in other ways, he works to educate his patients as to the importance of removing carpeting, changing bedding, giving pets away, and dusting or vacuuming more often. He also tries to find a way to accommodate his patients’ alternative medicine treatments for asthma, making sure they understand the importance of taking prescribed anti-inflammatories and bronchodilators at the same time. “People swear up and down by different herbal remedies,” he says, mentioning herbal tea, Echinacea, and similar treatments. “As long as the remedies are not harmful, I try to be respectful,” he says.
Stabilizing family situations, building trust between doctor and patient, teaching and re-teaching doctor and children and parents about asthma management measures are the most important approaches to help low-income children with asthma live successful and healthy lives. The end results of these efforts is the empowerment of asthmatic kids and their families to know how they can control asthma instead of being controlled by it. Ending the viscous cycle of ER visits and hospitalizations among young patients is essential. “We have to provide asthma information in any way we can to get people to start understanding the disease,” Bowen explains.
Monday, October 22, 2001
Disrespecting Our Elders
Disrespecting Our Elders
Africana.com
Pamela Appea
Originally published October 22, 2001
Senora Russell never thought her father would be neglected or treated badly at the Bethany Nursing Home in Nashville, Tennessee. But Willie Russell, 83, who had lost his power of speech after a stroke, became increasingly withdrawn after moving into the assisted living facility in January 1999.
The Russell family began to see small, disturbing signs that Willie Russell was not receiving proper care. Senora arrived once at the home late in the day and it seemed as if her father had not been washed, toileted or recently fed. When she asked a caregiver for an explanation, the nursing home employee said, “I didn’t know we could get him up.”
Russell, herself a teacher and a caretaker for children and the Tennessee School for the Blind, vowed to visit her family more often so that she could take care of his daily needs herself. But during another visit, Senora Russell’s daughter found her grandfather had soiled his bed with feces, and that no one had come to help, or even to wash his hands. Her father was visibly distraught, Russell said.
Situations like these are becoming more and more common as the US population ages. While it’s difficult to determine how many seniors—and African American seniors—are the victims of abuse and neglect, the numbers have increased. Between 1986 and 1996, Adult Protective Services agencies nationwide found elder abuse and neglect claims increased by 150 percent. And a National Elder Abuse Incidence Study estimated that for each reported case of elder abuse, about five go unreported. A 1996 study found that 551,000 people aged 60 and over had experienced abuse and neglect, while advocacy groups like the American Association of Retired Persons report that as many as 25 percent of senior citizens may experience some form of abuse or neglect.
Carol Downs of the National Center on Elder Abuse in Washington, DC says African Americans are more likely than whites to live in extended family households than include multiple generations and both kin and non-kin. But while this fact may lead many to assume that in the African American community elder abuse and neglect is lower than the national average, experts warn this may not be the case.
“Studies have shown that African American parents over age 50 are most at risk to be victimized by their children, and are also more likely to be victimized by a partner,” Downs said. “Multigenerational families may live together due to stressful life circumstances such as divorce and drug problems, which have been shown to be risk factors for elder abuse.” And these socioeconomic and other factors may predispose African American seniors to elder abuse and neglect, which, besides physical mistreatment, can also involve financial and emotional exploitation.
Other groups like the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community, headed by Oliver Williams, have begun to delve into research on elder abuse and maltreatment. But the issue is shrouded in secrecy. No one—especially in the African American community, which is often purported to place exceptional value on the status of elders—is going to admit they exploit an older relative, spouse or other person they care for on a regular basis.
While most research groups and advocacy organizations for senior citizens do not address ethnic-specific concerns, in one rare instance, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a 1998 Brown University study charging nursing homes with neglecting African Americans and other minorities with terminal illnesses such as cancer. The study found African Americans were 50 percent less likely than whites to receive analgesics, like aspirin, to help relieve pain. But while some state justice programs are equipped to shut down an extremely negligent home when multiple cases of severe neglect are found, it is still hard for African American seniors to receive a high standard of care in both nursing homes and private homes.
Downs said it’s important to get awareness out through informal means, from beauty shops to cafeterias to churches. She acknowledges some in the African American community may distrust outreach programs because they “reinforce stereotypes” but says the effort must be made in a sensitive and culture-specific way. It all comes down to educating the public about what can happen behind closed doors, Downs said.
In Willie Russell’s case, things went from bad to worse at the Tennessee nursing home. Senora Russell said the staff began to put bandages on her father for what they explained to the family was a sensitive skin problem. After a downturn in Willie Russell’s health, Senora insisted on taking her father to the hospital—and the nursing home resisted, suggesting he should be left to die peacefully at the nursing home.
Once father and daughter did finally make it to the Nashville hospital, the nurses and doctors were horrified at Willie Russell’s condition, Senora recalled. His body was covered with infected sores, including his back, his genital area and his chest. “At the hospital, they said he would be treated like a burn patient,” Senora said. The infected sores smelled so bad that a nurse became physically ill.
Sores can originate from a myriad of factors, including unclean sheets, poor personal hygiene, poor diet and if the senior is not moved from the bed. Left untreated, the sores become infected, as they did in Willie Russell’s case. His foot was gangrenous and was amputated at the hospital, Senora said. He died a few days later at the hospital.
“I think it is terrible that people have to die like a dog,” Senora Russell said, noting that since her father’s death she has come into contact with others who have had similar experiences with their loved ones.
Russell has attended frequent conferences across the country to speak about her experiences, and says if she could do it all over again, she would have taken care of her father in her home. She chose Bethany Nursing Home because she believed it was a skilled facility that could give him the care he needed.
Russell filed a state complaint against the home, but it did not get far. And while local lawyers were sympathetic in listening to her case, she said they wanted “up front” money to begin an sort of lawsuit.
Russell said she never heard anything form Bethany Nursing Home, not even a formal apology. “I took them at their word,” she said of the nursing home, which is still operating. “I thought this was the best place for him.”
Her father’s only daughter, Russell, 57, said she was always close to her father, who worked for decades as a Coca-Cola Bottling Co. stocker and later as a truck driver to support a family of five children.
“If you had known my father … he was so strong, he helped people,” Russell said, remembering that even at age 80, before his decline, Willie Russell had driven his friends to the laundromat and grocery store because they could not.
It’s difficult for Senora Russell to accept that her father’s death may have resulted from the tragic negligence of people she was paying to take care if him.
“It’s just murder in another tone,” she said.
Africana.com
Pamela Appea
Originally published October 22, 2001
Senora Russell never thought her father would be neglected or treated badly at the Bethany Nursing Home in Nashville, Tennessee. But Willie Russell, 83, who had lost his power of speech after a stroke, became increasingly withdrawn after moving into the assisted living facility in January 1999.
The Russell family began to see small, disturbing signs that Willie Russell was not receiving proper care. Senora arrived once at the home late in the day and it seemed as if her father had not been washed, toileted or recently fed. When she asked a caregiver for an explanation, the nursing home employee said, “I didn’t know we could get him up.”
Russell, herself a teacher and a caretaker for children and the Tennessee School for the Blind, vowed to visit her family more often so that she could take care of his daily needs herself. But during another visit, Senora Russell’s daughter found her grandfather had soiled his bed with feces, and that no one had come to help, or even to wash his hands. Her father was visibly distraught, Russell said.
Situations like these are becoming more and more common as the US population ages. While it’s difficult to determine how many seniors—and African American seniors—are the victims of abuse and neglect, the numbers have increased. Between 1986 and 1996, Adult Protective Services agencies nationwide found elder abuse and neglect claims increased by 150 percent. And a National Elder Abuse Incidence Study estimated that for each reported case of elder abuse, about five go unreported. A 1996 study found that 551,000 people aged 60 and over had experienced abuse and neglect, while advocacy groups like the American Association of Retired Persons report that as many as 25 percent of senior citizens may experience some form of abuse or neglect.
Carol Downs of the National Center on Elder Abuse in Washington, DC says African Americans are more likely than whites to live in extended family households than include multiple generations and both kin and non-kin. But while this fact may lead many to assume that in the African American community elder abuse and neglect is lower than the national average, experts warn this may not be the case.
“Studies have shown that African American parents over age 50 are most at risk to be victimized by their children, and are also more likely to be victimized by a partner,” Downs said. “Multigenerational families may live together due to stressful life circumstances such as divorce and drug problems, which have been shown to be risk factors for elder abuse.” And these socioeconomic and other factors may predispose African American seniors to elder abuse and neglect, which, besides physical mistreatment, can also involve financial and emotional exploitation.
Other groups like the St. Paul, Minnesota-based Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community, headed by Oliver Williams, have begun to delve into research on elder abuse and maltreatment. But the issue is shrouded in secrecy. No one—especially in the African American community, which is often purported to place exceptional value on the status of elders—is going to admit they exploit an older relative, spouse or other person they care for on a regular basis.
While most research groups and advocacy organizations for senior citizens do not address ethnic-specific concerns, in one rare instance, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a 1998 Brown University study charging nursing homes with neglecting African Americans and other minorities with terminal illnesses such as cancer. The study found African Americans were 50 percent less likely than whites to receive analgesics, like aspirin, to help relieve pain. But while some state justice programs are equipped to shut down an extremely negligent home when multiple cases of severe neglect are found, it is still hard for African American seniors to receive a high standard of care in both nursing homes and private homes.
Downs said it’s important to get awareness out through informal means, from beauty shops to cafeterias to churches. She acknowledges some in the African American community may distrust outreach programs because they “reinforce stereotypes” but says the effort must be made in a sensitive and culture-specific way. It all comes down to educating the public about what can happen behind closed doors, Downs said.
In Willie Russell’s case, things went from bad to worse at the Tennessee nursing home. Senora Russell said the staff began to put bandages on her father for what they explained to the family was a sensitive skin problem. After a downturn in Willie Russell’s health, Senora insisted on taking her father to the hospital—and the nursing home resisted, suggesting he should be left to die peacefully at the nursing home.
Once father and daughter did finally make it to the Nashville hospital, the nurses and doctors were horrified at Willie Russell’s condition, Senora recalled. His body was covered with infected sores, including his back, his genital area and his chest. “At the hospital, they said he would be treated like a burn patient,” Senora said. The infected sores smelled so bad that a nurse became physically ill.
Sores can originate from a myriad of factors, including unclean sheets, poor personal hygiene, poor diet and if the senior is not moved from the bed. Left untreated, the sores become infected, as they did in Willie Russell’s case. His foot was gangrenous and was amputated at the hospital, Senora said. He died a few days later at the hospital.
“I think it is terrible that people have to die like a dog,” Senora Russell said, noting that since her father’s death she has come into contact with others who have had similar experiences with their loved ones.
Russell has attended frequent conferences across the country to speak about her experiences, and says if she could do it all over again, she would have taken care of her father in her home. She chose Bethany Nursing Home because she believed it was a skilled facility that could give him the care he needed.
Russell filed a state complaint against the home, but it did not get far. And while local lawyers were sympathetic in listening to her case, she said they wanted “up front” money to begin an sort of lawsuit.
Russell said she never heard anything form Bethany Nursing Home, not even a formal apology. “I took them at their word,” she said of the nursing home, which is still operating. “I thought this was the best place for him.”
Her father’s only daughter, Russell, 57, said she was always close to her father, who worked for decades as a Coca-Cola Bottling Co. stocker and later as a truck driver to support a family of five children.
“If you had known my father … he was so strong, he helped people,” Russell said, remembering that even at age 80, before his decline, Willie Russell had driven his friends to the laundromat and grocery store because they could not.
It’s difficult for Senora Russell to accept that her father’s death may have resulted from the tragic negligence of people she was paying to take care if him.
“It’s just murder in another tone,” she said.
Thursday, September 13, 2001
Food Stamp Applications Down, But Hunger Continues, Relief Group Says, Family Services Report
Food Stamp Applications Down, But Hunger Continues, Relief Group Says
By Pamela Appea
Family Services Report, Nutrition
September 13, 2000
Copyright 2000 by Community Development Publications
Hundreds of thousands of eligible recipients are passing up food stamps so they can avoid missing work, waiting on long lines at the county welfare office and filling out lengthy and intrusive applications, a report finds.
Over the past four years, food stamp applications across the U.S. have decreased by more than 33% to a participation rate of only 17 million people in the first quarter of 2000, says America’s Second Harvest, a hunger relief organization based in Chicago.
Marcus Fruchter, senior policy associate, at America’s Second Harvest, says the demand for food remains constant, with 31 million people in the U.S. “food insecure”—hungry or at risk of going hungry.
Fruchter says he’s hopeful low food stamp participation rates won’t affect the program’s funding. He says aggressive outreach to vulnerable populations will help make food stamps work better before its reauthorization in 2002.
“The obstacles the poor and the hungry face to become self-sufficient are often daunting enough for most people,” the report says. “Federal rules and state administration should not be creating a red tape divide for needy and hungry people.”
Second Harvest recommends federal policy makers simplify and shorten food stamp applications so more eligible people will apply.
While the strong economy accounts for some of the decline in food stamp applications, one-third of people potentially eligible for the food stamp program don’t participate the report says.
People who are eligible for food stamps feel discouraged by red tape and the stringent application process, the report says. To compensate, more are relying on help from charity groups and food banks like Second Harvest.
The survey finds 29 states and the District of Columbia have food stamp applications 10-36 pages long. And some applications ask for detailed information on children’s income and bank accounts; income from baby-sitting; charity and gifts from churches and synagogues and income from panhandling; bingo winnings, plasma donation and garage sales, the report says.
Info: 800/771-2303; For a copy of the report, www.secondhavest.org. USDA, 202/770-3631.
By Pamela Appea
Family Services Report, Nutrition
September 13, 2000
Copyright 2000 by Community Development Publications
Hundreds of thousands of eligible recipients are passing up food stamps so they can avoid missing work, waiting on long lines at the county welfare office and filling out lengthy and intrusive applications, a report finds.
Over the past four years, food stamp applications across the U.S. have decreased by more than 33% to a participation rate of only 17 million people in the first quarter of 2000, says America’s Second Harvest, a hunger relief organization based in Chicago.
Marcus Fruchter, senior policy associate, at America’s Second Harvest, says the demand for food remains constant, with 31 million people in the U.S. “food insecure”—hungry or at risk of going hungry.
Fruchter says he’s hopeful low food stamp participation rates won’t affect the program’s funding. He says aggressive outreach to vulnerable populations will help make food stamps work better before its reauthorization in 2002.
“The obstacles the poor and the hungry face to become self-sufficient are often daunting enough for most people,” the report says. “Federal rules and state administration should not be creating a red tape divide for needy and hungry people.”
Second Harvest recommends federal policy makers simplify and shorten food stamp applications so more eligible people will apply.
While the strong economy accounts for some of the decline in food stamp applications, one-third of people potentially eligible for the food stamp program don’t participate the report says.
People who are eligible for food stamps feel discouraged by red tape and the stringent application process, the report says. To compensate, more are relying on help from charity groups and food banks like Second Harvest.
The survey finds 29 states and the District of Columbia have food stamp applications 10-36 pages long. And some applications ask for detailed information on children’s income and bank accounts; income from baby-sitting; charity and gifts from churches and synagogues and income from panhandling; bingo winnings, plasma donation and garage sales, the report says.
Info: 800/771-2303; For a copy of the report, www.secondhavest.org. USDA, 202/770-3631.
Wednesday, April 18, 2001
Kids Learn to Break Cycle of Addiction, Children & Youth Funding Report
Kids Learn to Break Cycle of Addiction
By Pamela Appea
Children & Youth Funding Report, Model Programs
April 18, 2001
Copyright 2001 by Community Development Publications
New York—Many children end up homeless because of parental substance abuse; studies show these kids are themselves at high risk of drug or alcohol dependency.
The Dallas-based nonprofit Rainbow Days works to break this cycle by giving homeless and nonhomeless kids individualized life-skills training and support in their schools, communities and homes, Cathy Brown, Rainbow Days executive director, tells attendees at an Institute for Children & Poverty conference.
Rainbow Days’ Family Connections program works with kids in small groups to help them deal with decision-making, family, friends and school. Each group gives kids age-appropriate ways to deal with substance abuse issues. Program participants also enroll in short-term university camps, summer camps and art groups where they develop life skills and a strong conviction against using drugs or alcohol. Parents and guardians can participate.
Part of Rainbow Days’ strategy is giving children community-service obligations. Brown says people come to her, asking incredulously, “You have homeless children doing community service?” Brown’s reply: “You bet.”
Over 32,000 children and youth have enrolled in Rainbow Days-sponsored programs since its inception, Sandi McFarland, a training administrative specialist tells CYF.
How Rainbow Days got started
After coming to terms with her own alcoholism 19 years ago, Brown realized her young daughter was also at risk. Using her own experience as a teacher and a counselor, Brown started working with a small group of children, including her daughter, affected by parental addiction. Rainbow Days became incorporated in 1982.
Soon after, Brown began working with children at a Dallas shelter. Since then, Rainbow Days has spread to homeless shelters across the city.
The program has been honored by the federal Housing and Urban Development Dept.
Some 80% of Rainbow Days’ $2.5 million operating budget comes from federal grants; the rest comes from sources such as the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drugs. The Texas Criminal Div. and the United Way.
Info: Brown, 214/887-0726’ www.rdikids.org.
By Pamela Appea
Children & Youth Funding Report, Model Programs
April 18, 2001
Copyright 2001 by Community Development Publications
New York—Many children end up homeless because of parental substance abuse; studies show these kids are themselves at high risk of drug or alcohol dependency.
The Dallas-based nonprofit Rainbow Days works to break this cycle by giving homeless and nonhomeless kids individualized life-skills training and support in their schools, communities and homes, Cathy Brown, Rainbow Days executive director, tells attendees at an Institute for Children & Poverty conference.
Rainbow Days’ Family Connections program works with kids in small groups to help them deal with decision-making, family, friends and school. Each group gives kids age-appropriate ways to deal with substance abuse issues. Program participants also enroll in short-term university camps, summer camps and art groups where they develop life skills and a strong conviction against using drugs or alcohol. Parents and guardians can participate.
Part of Rainbow Days’ strategy is giving children community-service obligations. Brown says people come to her, asking incredulously, “You have homeless children doing community service?” Brown’s reply: “You bet.”
Over 32,000 children and youth have enrolled in Rainbow Days-sponsored programs since its inception, Sandi McFarland, a training administrative specialist tells CYF.
How Rainbow Days got started
After coming to terms with her own alcoholism 19 years ago, Brown realized her young daughter was also at risk. Using her own experience as a teacher and a counselor, Brown started working with a small group of children, including her daughter, affected by parental addiction. Rainbow Days became incorporated in 1982.
Soon after, Brown began working with children at a Dallas shelter. Since then, Rainbow Days has spread to homeless shelters across the city.
The program has been honored by the federal Housing and Urban Development Dept.
Some 80% of Rainbow Days’ $2.5 million operating budget comes from federal grants; the rest comes from sources such as the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drugs. The Texas Criminal Div. and the United Way.
Info: Brown, 214/887-0726’ www.rdikids.org.
Tuesday, April 03, 2001
Deaf and Black in America
Deaf and Black in America
By Pamela Appea
Africana.comwww.africana.com
Wednesday, April 3, 2001
Fred Beam says white people see him as black first, deaf second. On the flip side, "In the eyes of Black hearing people, I am deaf first." The life of a black deaf person can seem like a separate, foreign world – isolated from both other deaf folks because of race, and from hearing African Americans.
"It was lonely being a Deaf student attending a mainstream school, while growing up," writes Beam, a graduate student at Gallaudet, the nation's premier Deaf university, and president of the Washington, DC chapter of the National Black Deaf Advocates. (Beam and other deaf people quoted in this article mostly communicated with me via email, a technology increasingly embraced by more and more deaf people.) "I remember the feeling of not finding someone like myself in school."
To deaf blacks, their isolation from hearing blacks can be painfully apparent every day. Fighting for equal access on two fronts makes life a double struggle; worse, most deaf black people say hearing blacks are oblivious to the needs and concerns of the deaf.
Glenn Anderson, a professor at University of Arkansas and a Gallaudet alumnus, points out that while most television networks have improved their efforts at captioning programs following the Federal Communication Center's Telecommunications Act of 1996, one notable exception is Black Entertainment Television.
"Representatives of the National Black Deaf Advocates have for the past several years made contact with BET and encouraged them to caption their programs," Anderson says. Only recently, after years of complaints, has BET begun to show even a small number of captioned programs.
Part of the problem, Anderson believes, is that BET executives don't see the black deaf community as being a broad enough (read important) part of their audience. While no reliable statistics exist, several deaf blacks estimate that they account for roughly 10-13% of the 25 to 26 million total deaf and hard of hearing population. That's a large community – more than 2 million people – and one deaf black advocates say is doubly disadvantaged.
Rates of unemployment and underemployment for deaf blacks are disproportionately high. Anderson, who sits on the Gallaudet board of directors and also serves on the Arkansas chapter of National Black Deaf Advocates, notes that the number of deaf blacks who continue their education beyond high school is "dismal." Every year, he says, when he sits on the stage at Gallaudet commencement, he notices the visibly low number of black graduates as compared with whites.
African Americans comprise 11% of the school's student body of 2,300, says Lindsay Moeletsi Dunn, a special assistant for diversity and community relations at Gallaudet. However, as at other universities with high deaf populations, including the University of California at Northridge and the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, matriculation rates are lower than enrollment rates, particularly for black students.
If black students find themselves in the minority at deaf schools, deaf children are often isolated in black families. Irene, a white teacher of deaf children of all races, says her black students often sign to her about beatings they get at home from their hearing parents, many of whom, Irene notes, do not take the time to learn sign language, or to come in for parent-teacher conferences.
In addition, black deaf students are poorly served by the public school system. "Black deaf high school students are not given many opportunities," Irene says. "They are almost always placed in vocational classes. They are not given the opportunity to take pre-college classes." Many black deaf children are incorrectly identified as learning disabled, Irene adds, and further hampered by low expectations.
But things are getting better for many young black deaf people, especially those fortunate enough to go to college. While the black deaf community is diverse in itself, and while black graduates of Gallaudet often have a wide range of career opportunities, the older generations of deaf blacks aren't so lucky. Joyce Cobbs, an interpreter and member of the Nashville Chapter of Black Deaf Advocates, says the life of a low-income older deaf black person can be scary, confusing and lonely. Educated in substandard Jim Crow schools, often growing up in a world that didn't understand deafness, or equated it with stupidity, many never reached literacy, dooming them to lives on the fringes, marginalized and often ignored.
Cobbs, who has worked as an interpreter for 40 years, says that she's heard countless tales of police harassment, sexual abuse and rape of deaf black individuals. Most go unreported.
Early experiences of isolation and humiliation can set a pattern for life, Cobbs says. The challenge, as she sees it, is to make deaf black seniors aware of how much has changed, how many opportunities now exist for the deaf in America. She adds a caveat: "A deaf person can do whatever they want today – if they have the money." Few older deaf blacks do.
For the younger generation, the challenge is not so much about survival as identity – developing relationships and friendships with hearing blacks, and feeling a part of the larger black community. Teresa Pegram, a computer programmer who lives in Virginia, complains that hearing black men don't want to date deaf black women. A Gallaudet graduate and divorced mother of two, Pegram says that during her school years she began to see how hard it was to find an educated black deaf man. She turned to hearing black men, but most were unreceptive.
"I learned the hard way when communicating with hearing black guys via online messages," Pegram says. "They wanted to know why I couldn't talk on the phone, and once they found out I was deaf, they weren't interested anymore."
There are, however, some marriages that have flourished between deaf black and hearing black individuals. Dunn, the Gallaudet administrator and a native of South Africa, talks of his strong relationship with his black, hearing wife of 11 years, Pauline Heard-Dunn.
"Pauline was able to sign when I met her so courting was not a problem at all. However, her family and friends were another story," Dunn says, adding that his wife's relations warmed up to him once they met him. "Hearing people will be surprised that once the communication barrier is no longer a barrier, they both get to enjoy each others cultures." The couple's three hearing children, Thandi, Jamillah and Mandla, are the epitome of a deaf-hearing partnership: all three began to sign before they started talking, and are, naturally, bilingual.
"Hearing people need to stop the paternalistic attitude towards disabled people and to learn about us," Dunn says. "Deafness to me is the least restrictive disability, especially since it is easier for a hearing person to learn sign that it is for an African American to learn Japanese or even German. Change attitudes and we can break down walls."
Pamela Appea is a freelance writer living in New York.
By Pamela Appea
Africana.comwww.africana.com
Wednesday, April 3, 2001
Fred Beam says white people see him as black first, deaf second. On the flip side, "In the eyes of Black hearing people, I am deaf first." The life of a black deaf person can seem like a separate, foreign world – isolated from both other deaf folks because of race, and from hearing African Americans.
"It was lonely being a Deaf student attending a mainstream school, while growing up," writes Beam, a graduate student at Gallaudet, the nation's premier Deaf university, and president of the Washington, DC chapter of the National Black Deaf Advocates. (Beam and other deaf people quoted in this article mostly communicated with me via email, a technology increasingly embraced by more and more deaf people.) "I remember the feeling of not finding someone like myself in school."
To deaf blacks, their isolation from hearing blacks can be painfully apparent every day. Fighting for equal access on two fronts makes life a double struggle; worse, most deaf black people say hearing blacks are oblivious to the needs and concerns of the deaf.
Glenn Anderson, a professor at University of Arkansas and a Gallaudet alumnus, points out that while most television networks have improved their efforts at captioning programs following the Federal Communication Center's Telecommunications Act of 1996, one notable exception is Black Entertainment Television.
"Representatives of the National Black Deaf Advocates have for the past several years made contact with BET and encouraged them to caption their programs," Anderson says. Only recently, after years of complaints, has BET begun to show even a small number of captioned programs.
Part of the problem, Anderson believes, is that BET executives don't see the black deaf community as being a broad enough (read important) part of their audience. While no reliable statistics exist, several deaf blacks estimate that they account for roughly 10-13% of the 25 to 26 million total deaf and hard of hearing population. That's a large community – more than 2 million people – and one deaf black advocates say is doubly disadvantaged.
Rates of unemployment and underemployment for deaf blacks are disproportionately high. Anderson, who sits on the Gallaudet board of directors and also serves on the Arkansas chapter of National Black Deaf Advocates, notes that the number of deaf blacks who continue their education beyond high school is "dismal." Every year, he says, when he sits on the stage at Gallaudet commencement, he notices the visibly low number of black graduates as compared with whites.
African Americans comprise 11% of the school's student body of 2,300, says Lindsay Moeletsi Dunn, a special assistant for diversity and community relations at Gallaudet. However, as at other universities with high deaf populations, including the University of California at Northridge and the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, matriculation rates are lower than enrollment rates, particularly for black students.
If black students find themselves in the minority at deaf schools, deaf children are often isolated in black families. Irene, a white teacher of deaf children of all races, says her black students often sign to her about beatings they get at home from their hearing parents, many of whom, Irene notes, do not take the time to learn sign language, or to come in for parent-teacher conferences.
In addition, black deaf students are poorly served by the public school system. "Black deaf high school students are not given many opportunities," Irene says. "They are almost always placed in vocational classes. They are not given the opportunity to take pre-college classes." Many black deaf children are incorrectly identified as learning disabled, Irene adds, and further hampered by low expectations.
But things are getting better for many young black deaf people, especially those fortunate enough to go to college. While the black deaf community is diverse in itself, and while black graduates of Gallaudet often have a wide range of career opportunities, the older generations of deaf blacks aren't so lucky. Joyce Cobbs, an interpreter and member of the Nashville Chapter of Black Deaf Advocates, says the life of a low-income older deaf black person can be scary, confusing and lonely. Educated in substandard Jim Crow schools, often growing up in a world that didn't understand deafness, or equated it with stupidity, many never reached literacy, dooming them to lives on the fringes, marginalized and often ignored.
Cobbs, who has worked as an interpreter for 40 years, says that she's heard countless tales of police harassment, sexual abuse and rape of deaf black individuals. Most go unreported.
Early experiences of isolation and humiliation can set a pattern for life, Cobbs says. The challenge, as she sees it, is to make deaf black seniors aware of how much has changed, how many opportunities now exist for the deaf in America. She adds a caveat: "A deaf person can do whatever they want today – if they have the money." Few older deaf blacks do.
For the younger generation, the challenge is not so much about survival as identity – developing relationships and friendships with hearing blacks, and feeling a part of the larger black community. Teresa Pegram, a computer programmer who lives in Virginia, complains that hearing black men don't want to date deaf black women. A Gallaudet graduate and divorced mother of two, Pegram says that during her school years she began to see how hard it was to find an educated black deaf man. She turned to hearing black men, but most were unreceptive.
"I learned the hard way when communicating with hearing black guys via online messages," Pegram says. "They wanted to know why I couldn't talk on the phone, and once they found out I was deaf, they weren't interested anymore."
There are, however, some marriages that have flourished between deaf black and hearing black individuals. Dunn, the Gallaudet administrator and a native of South Africa, talks of his strong relationship with his black, hearing wife of 11 years, Pauline Heard-Dunn.
"Pauline was able to sign when I met her so courting was not a problem at all. However, her family and friends were another story," Dunn says, adding that his wife's relations warmed up to him once they met him. "Hearing people will be surprised that once the communication barrier is no longer a barrier, they both get to enjoy each others cultures." The couple's three hearing children, Thandi, Jamillah and Mandla, are the epitome of a deaf-hearing partnership: all three began to sign before they started talking, and are, naturally, bilingual.
"Hearing people need to stop the paternalistic attitude towards disabled people and to learn about us," Dunn says. "Deafness to me is the least restrictive disability, especially since it is easier for a hearing person to learn sign that it is for an African American to learn Japanese or even German. Change attitudes and we can break down walls."
Pamela Appea is a freelance writer living in New York.
Wednesday, March 21, 2001
Bone Marrow Donations: More Blacks Need Apply
Bone Marrow Donations: More Blacks Need Apply
Africana.com
By Pamela Appea
Walter Chism says he used to think leukemia wasn’t a disease blacks had to think too much about. But after Chism’s five-year-old granddaughter, Bria, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in the fall of 1998, the reality of leukemia’s relevance to the African American community hit home.
The Chisms, who live in the Kansas City, Missouri area, learned that Bria’s one shot at survival hinged on a bone marrow transplant. As none of her family members were able to provide a good match for Bria, their hopes turned to donor matches. Three months later, Bria and her family learned of a woman in England whose marrow was a good match, though not a perfect one, for Bria’s.
While the bone marrow transplantation procedure went well, Bria succumbed to the disease a few months after her sixth birthday. She died in my arms,” says Walter Chism, who, along with his wife LaGail, had raised Bria since birth.
Bria’s death changed a lot of things for the Chisms. They started going to church more and became more involved in their community. And in December 1999, the Chisms launched the Bria T. Chism Foundation, a Raytown, Missouri-based organization devoted to raising awareness about bone marrow donation in the African American community. By going to churches, universities, community centers and other groups, the non-profit foundation, which also provides financial and economic support to people with leukemia and other blood diseases, has signed up almost 200 African Americans in Missouri.
Bone marrow, the spongy tissue found inside the bone, is typically extracted from a donor’s hip or pelvic area. Beginning in the late 1960s, doctors have used bone marrow transplants to treat leukemia, sickle cell anemia, lymphoma and other blood-related diseases. A related procedure, stem cell transplantation, uses immature blood cells in battling some of the same illnesses.
The best donors for such procedures are usually found within one’s own biological family. But, according to experts, more than 70 percent of patients cannot find a match within their families and must seek a match from an unrelated donor.
Because some characteristics of tissue type vary among ethnic groups, it is most likely a person will find a match with someone of their own race according to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a Minneapolis-based organization that matches patients with anonymous donors nationwide through a vast volunteer registry.
But because fewer African Americans are listed on the registry, black patients in need of bone marrow transplants have even lower odds of finding a potential match--and because of this, mortality rates for blacks with leukemia are higher than for whites. Despite some Recent high-profile cases, such as the publicity surrounding the death of baseball start Rod Carew’s daughter, or Charles Dutton’s televised plea for donors to help his niece, registered donors in the African American community lag behind other populations.
African-Americans Uniting for Life” is the NMDP’s campaign to recruit more minorities to join the national bone marrow registry. Since its inception in 1995, says Helen Ng, spokeswoman for the National Marrow Donor Program, the organization has seen the numbers of African Americans in the registry more than triple.
The numbers are still discouraging. Founded in 1987, the NMDP has seen 339,000 African Americans register as donors, compared to nearly 2.5 million whites. Because the change of finding a match increases exponentially with the size of the donor pool, that means that only 490 African Americans have received transplants based on NMDP matches, while some 9,5000 whites have in the same time period. Another initiative focusing on bone marrow donation, the Judie Davis Morrow Donor Program, is named for an African American woman who died awaiting a donor; it estimates that African Americans receive transplants only 3.3% of the time, as compared to a rate of 85% to 88% for whites.
Why are there fewer black donors? According to a survey conducted by Clive Callendar, director of the Transplant Center for Howard University and founder of the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), the five main reasons African Americans are less likely to donate organs or tissues are: lack of information, religious beliefs, fear, mistrust of the medical community and doubts that donated organs are fairly distributed. MOTTEP and other groups have had significant success in the past decade increasing the number of blacks registered as organ donors, but the demand still far outweighs the supply.
Walter Chism says people are hesitant to donate marrow because there is still a lack of knowledge about the process and how it benefits others. He also noted that racist treatment by the medical establishment, in incidents such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment as well as day-to-day inequities, still linger in the minds of African Americans.
“We have to get past those old stereotypes,” Chism says, adding that diversity among registry staff itself is important. “When somebody comes to you with a request and they look like you,” he say,” he says, “Perhaps people will be willing to donate.”
Isaac Fordjour, NMDP’s Northeast manager for outreach and recruitment, says the lack the lack of African American representation in the bone marrow registry pool is regrettable.
“It’s not that African Americans are not getting sick,” Fordjour says, noting that when he goes on NMDP bone marrow drives in white communities, “the lines can be out the door,” and he has sometimes had to turn people away when the supplies ran out. On the other hand, Fordjour says, he has experienced more than one less-than-successful church-based bone marrow drive targeted at the African American: “It was basically the minister and I looking at each other,” Fordjour bluntly recalls.
“People think donating is a very painful, intrusive procedure,” Fordjour says. “It couldn’t be further from the truth.” Fordjour saw a fraternity brother die of leukemia about six years ago because the University of Memphis junior could not find a match. He joined the organization as a volunteer during that time, but he quickly found his vocation has worked on the national level since 1997: it’s more than just a job for him.
Joining the registry takes only a few minutes, bone marrow donor advocates say, including filling out a name and address form and giving a blood sample. If and when a potential donor matches with a potential recipient, the donor, the donor is asked to undergo an outpatient procedure lasting about 45 to 90 minutes—potential donors are never forced to donate. Generally a bone marrow donor spends less than a full day at the hospital. Bone marrow, like blood, is naturally regenerated by the body.
“Leukemia is a life-threatening disease. You need to make a diagnosis quickly, you need to make treatment quickly,” said Chatchada Larames, M.D., medical director of the National Marrow Donor Program, Karanes, who worked at Wayne State’s medical school in their bone marrow division for 20 years, says receiving a bone marrow donation is crucial if a patient is going to survive.
Because African Americans are often multiracial, with Native Americans, white and other ethnic groups in their ancestral heritage, Karanes says finding a bone marrow match becomes every harder. The more African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and white who join, she adds, the better the chances for a match for everyone.
Anyone can donate bone marrow, if they are in good health, and between the ages of 18 and 60, Karanes says. Even people with mild arthritis, mild asthma and diet-controlled diabetes are typically eligible to donate their bone marrow.
Gloria Shelton, a 39-year-old real estate appraiser, says she was called a year after she signed up for the bone marrow registry at a music festival in South Carolina. “It really doesn’t hurt,” says Shelton, who received general anesthesia during the procedure. “I was a little stuff for the first two days,” she says, but adds that she would do it again in a heartbeat.
Bob Tolden is glad she did. Tolden, a mining engineer from Tuscon, Arizona, found out that he had leukemia on March 4, 1998. A single father, Tolden was afraid he wouldn’t be around to take care of his daughter. He found a match within a few months: Gloria Shelton.
Donors and recipients are kept anonymous from each other for about a year. But in gratitude, Tolden wrote to his donor. The two began to write to each other, and eventually met. “She saved my life,” Tolden says simply. Like Bria Chism, Tolden developed graft-versus-host-disease, a post-operative risk to bone marrow transplants in which the donor’s T-cells recognize they are in a new body and actually attack the body, causing severe problems. But Tolden overcome active in bone marrow donation drives. He says he stays in regular email and telephone contact with Shleton, who is now godmother to his daughter.
The bottom line, all agree, is getting the word out: black leukemia deaths can be prevented by increased bone marrow donation. “The biggest problem was lack of knowledge.”
“I don’t care where you are,” adds Fordjour. “You can host a donor drive, or at least tell another person. You can do something about it today.”
Originally published March 21, 2001
Africana.com
By Pamela Appea
Walter Chism says he used to think leukemia wasn’t a disease blacks had to think too much about. But after Chism’s five-year-old granddaughter, Bria, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in the fall of 1998, the reality of leukemia’s relevance to the African American community hit home.
The Chisms, who live in the Kansas City, Missouri area, learned that Bria’s one shot at survival hinged on a bone marrow transplant. As none of her family members were able to provide a good match for Bria, their hopes turned to donor matches. Three months later, Bria and her family learned of a woman in England whose marrow was a good match, though not a perfect one, for Bria’s.
While the bone marrow transplantation procedure went well, Bria succumbed to the disease a few months after her sixth birthday. She died in my arms,” says Walter Chism, who, along with his wife LaGail, had raised Bria since birth.
Bria’s death changed a lot of things for the Chisms. They started going to church more and became more involved in their community. And in December 1999, the Chisms launched the Bria T. Chism Foundation, a Raytown, Missouri-based organization devoted to raising awareness about bone marrow donation in the African American community. By going to churches, universities, community centers and other groups, the non-profit foundation, which also provides financial and economic support to people with leukemia and other blood diseases, has signed up almost 200 African Americans in Missouri.
Bone marrow, the spongy tissue found inside the bone, is typically extracted from a donor’s hip or pelvic area. Beginning in the late 1960s, doctors have used bone marrow transplants to treat leukemia, sickle cell anemia, lymphoma and other blood-related diseases. A related procedure, stem cell transplantation, uses immature blood cells in battling some of the same illnesses.
The best donors for such procedures are usually found within one’s own biological family. But, according to experts, more than 70 percent of patients cannot find a match within their families and must seek a match from an unrelated donor.
Because some characteristics of tissue type vary among ethnic groups, it is most likely a person will find a match with someone of their own race according to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a Minneapolis-based organization that matches patients with anonymous donors nationwide through a vast volunteer registry.
But because fewer African Americans are listed on the registry, black patients in need of bone marrow transplants have even lower odds of finding a potential match--and because of this, mortality rates for blacks with leukemia are higher than for whites. Despite some Recent high-profile cases, such as the publicity surrounding the death of baseball start Rod Carew’s daughter, or Charles Dutton’s televised plea for donors to help his niece, registered donors in the African American community lag behind other populations.
African-Americans Uniting for Life” is the NMDP’s campaign to recruit more minorities to join the national bone marrow registry. Since its inception in 1995, says Helen Ng, spokeswoman for the National Marrow Donor Program, the organization has seen the numbers of African Americans in the registry more than triple.
The numbers are still discouraging. Founded in 1987, the NMDP has seen 339,000 African Americans register as donors, compared to nearly 2.5 million whites. Because the change of finding a match increases exponentially with the size of the donor pool, that means that only 490 African Americans have received transplants based on NMDP matches, while some 9,5000 whites have in the same time period. Another initiative focusing on bone marrow donation, the Judie Davis Morrow Donor Program, is named for an African American woman who died awaiting a donor; it estimates that African Americans receive transplants only 3.3% of the time, as compared to a rate of 85% to 88% for whites.
Why are there fewer black donors? According to a survey conducted by Clive Callendar, director of the Transplant Center for Howard University and founder of the National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), the five main reasons African Americans are less likely to donate organs or tissues are: lack of information, religious beliefs, fear, mistrust of the medical community and doubts that donated organs are fairly distributed. MOTTEP and other groups have had significant success in the past decade increasing the number of blacks registered as organ donors, but the demand still far outweighs the supply.
Walter Chism says people are hesitant to donate marrow because there is still a lack of knowledge about the process and how it benefits others. He also noted that racist treatment by the medical establishment, in incidents such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment as well as day-to-day inequities, still linger in the minds of African Americans.
“We have to get past those old stereotypes,” Chism says, adding that diversity among registry staff itself is important. “When somebody comes to you with a request and they look like you,” he say,” he says, “Perhaps people will be willing to donate.”
Isaac Fordjour, NMDP’s Northeast manager for outreach and recruitment, says the lack the lack of African American representation in the bone marrow registry pool is regrettable.
“It’s not that African Americans are not getting sick,” Fordjour says, noting that when he goes on NMDP bone marrow drives in white communities, “the lines can be out the door,” and he has sometimes had to turn people away when the supplies ran out. On the other hand, Fordjour says, he has experienced more than one less-than-successful church-based bone marrow drive targeted at the African American: “It was basically the minister and I looking at each other,” Fordjour bluntly recalls.
“People think donating is a very painful, intrusive procedure,” Fordjour says. “It couldn’t be further from the truth.” Fordjour saw a fraternity brother die of leukemia about six years ago because the University of Memphis junior could not find a match. He joined the organization as a volunteer during that time, but he quickly found his vocation has worked on the national level since 1997: it’s more than just a job for him.
Joining the registry takes only a few minutes, bone marrow donor advocates say, including filling out a name and address form and giving a blood sample. If and when a potential donor matches with a potential recipient, the donor, the donor is asked to undergo an outpatient procedure lasting about 45 to 90 minutes—potential donors are never forced to donate. Generally a bone marrow donor spends less than a full day at the hospital. Bone marrow, like blood, is naturally regenerated by the body.
“Leukemia is a life-threatening disease. You need to make a diagnosis quickly, you need to make treatment quickly,” said Chatchada Larames, M.D., medical director of the National Marrow Donor Program, Karanes, who worked at Wayne State’s medical school in their bone marrow division for 20 years, says receiving a bone marrow donation is crucial if a patient is going to survive.
Because African Americans are often multiracial, with Native Americans, white and other ethnic groups in their ancestral heritage, Karanes says finding a bone marrow match becomes every harder. The more African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and white who join, she adds, the better the chances for a match for everyone.
Anyone can donate bone marrow, if they are in good health, and between the ages of 18 and 60, Karanes says. Even people with mild arthritis, mild asthma and diet-controlled diabetes are typically eligible to donate their bone marrow.
Gloria Shelton, a 39-year-old real estate appraiser, says she was called a year after she signed up for the bone marrow registry at a music festival in South Carolina. “It really doesn’t hurt,” says Shelton, who received general anesthesia during the procedure. “I was a little stuff for the first two days,” she says, but adds that she would do it again in a heartbeat.
Bob Tolden is glad she did. Tolden, a mining engineer from Tuscon, Arizona, found out that he had leukemia on March 4, 1998. A single father, Tolden was afraid he wouldn’t be around to take care of his daughter. He found a match within a few months: Gloria Shelton.
Donors and recipients are kept anonymous from each other for about a year. But in gratitude, Tolden wrote to his donor. The two began to write to each other, and eventually met. “She saved my life,” Tolden says simply. Like Bria Chism, Tolden developed graft-versus-host-disease, a post-operative risk to bone marrow transplants in which the donor’s T-cells recognize they are in a new body and actually attack the body, causing severe problems. But Tolden overcome active in bone marrow donation drives. He says he stays in regular email and telephone contact with Shleton, who is now godmother to his daughter.
The bottom line, all agree, is getting the word out: black leukemia deaths can be prevented by increased bone marrow donation. “The biggest problem was lack of knowledge.”
“I don’t care where you are,” adds Fordjour. “You can host a donor drive, or at least tell another person. You can do something about it today.”
Originally published March 21, 2001
Thursday, March 01, 2001
Salomon Smith Barney Prime Brokerage Profile, Alternative Investment News
Prime Brokerage Profile, Alternative Investment News
By Pamela Appea
Salomon Smith Barney, a member of Citigroup
Barry Weiss, managing director of equity finance
Sal Campo, managing director, equity finance division
Thomas Tesauro, managing director, co head of global equity finance
By Pamela Appea
Salomon Smith Barney’s prime brokerage division is launching an international prime brokerage effort. At the same time, it is looking to aggressively attract assets from institutional investors by introducing new services, for example, in the area of risk management, said Sal Campo, managing director of the equity finance division, under which falls prime brokerage.
Prime Brokerage Services/Structure
SSB’s prime brokerage division was started five years ago, and it now aims to become a full-service global firm, to take its place in line with older more-established prime brokerage units. SSB services medium to large-sized hedge funds, said Campo, noting the group’s largest hedge fund clients boasts about $4 billion to $5 billion in assets and its smallest hedge fund weighs in at $50 million.
SSB offers services including securities lending, operations, technology and customer service. It has gained additional support services through the Citigroup merger, including insurance, research and banking, which SSB hopes will strengthen relations with institutional investors, such as pension funds, said Campo. In addition, Citigroup has a capital introductions group, which is beneficial to SSB’s prime brokerage clients. A Citi staffer can introduce pension funds to the prime brokerage group’s clients, Campo explained.
Institutions seen gaining in Importance
As more institutional investors—pension funds, endowments and foundations—commit dollars to hedge funds and other alternative investments, SSB’s prime brokerage division is looking for ways to better accommodate institutional investors served by the division’s hedge fund clients, said Thomas Tesauro, managing director.
Pension funds, many of which have established relationships with Citi, are still somewhat skittish, however. To attract these investors to its hedge fund clients, SSB is currently planning on expanding or developing transparency and risk management services. The group is putting a formal risk management system in place, Campo said, noting pensions want in-depth reporting.
“What we’re seeing in the market place is that pension funds are looking for independent transparency,” Campo said.
Pension funds are starting to request information from independent parties such as prime brokerage, instead of going to the hedge funds for the data.
Growth Plans
SSB is widening its reach in addition to its services and has launched an international prime brokerage effort. The effort will be run out of its headquarters in London and is slated to pen within the year. Gary Link, who recently joined from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., will serve as managing director and head of the office. He will oversee a staff of about 12 people, five of whom have already been hired.
SSB’s prime brokerage division is opening in London to capitalize on rising demand for hedge funds from European investors. “The piece we’re missing is the global prime brokerage component,” Tesauro said. “It’s just a matter of time.” Tesauro and Campo said they expect it will take time to develop the international prime brokerage division, noting that its major competitors have the short-term advantage of being a bit more established.
On the domestic front, SSB’s prime brokerage division is also expanding, and the division will soon name a managing director for a planned San Francisco office this month. At the same time, the group has hired John Bell for its San Francisco office, who hails from Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Bell joins as a director, responsible for marketing prime brokerage services to prospective clients, in addition to providing services to existing clients.
By Pamela Appea
Salomon Smith Barney, a member of Citigroup
Barry Weiss, managing director of equity finance
Sal Campo, managing director, equity finance division
Thomas Tesauro, managing director, co head of global equity finance
By Pamela Appea
Salomon Smith Barney’s prime brokerage division is launching an international prime brokerage effort. At the same time, it is looking to aggressively attract assets from institutional investors by introducing new services, for example, in the area of risk management, said Sal Campo, managing director of the equity finance division, under which falls prime brokerage.
Prime Brokerage Services/Structure
SSB’s prime brokerage division was started five years ago, and it now aims to become a full-service global firm, to take its place in line with older more-established prime brokerage units. SSB services medium to large-sized hedge funds, said Campo, noting the group’s largest hedge fund clients boasts about $4 billion to $5 billion in assets and its smallest hedge fund weighs in at $50 million.
SSB offers services including securities lending, operations, technology and customer service. It has gained additional support services through the Citigroup merger, including insurance, research and banking, which SSB hopes will strengthen relations with institutional investors, such as pension funds, said Campo. In addition, Citigroup has a capital introductions group, which is beneficial to SSB’s prime brokerage clients. A Citi staffer can introduce pension funds to the prime brokerage group’s clients, Campo explained.
Institutions seen gaining in Importance
As more institutional investors—pension funds, endowments and foundations—commit dollars to hedge funds and other alternative investments, SSB’s prime brokerage division is looking for ways to better accommodate institutional investors served by the division’s hedge fund clients, said Thomas Tesauro, managing director.
Pension funds, many of which have established relationships with Citi, are still somewhat skittish, however. To attract these investors to its hedge fund clients, SSB is currently planning on expanding or developing transparency and risk management services. The group is putting a formal risk management system in place, Campo said, noting pensions want in-depth reporting.
“What we’re seeing in the market place is that pension funds are looking for independent transparency,” Campo said.
Pension funds are starting to request information from independent parties such as prime brokerage, instead of going to the hedge funds for the data.
Growth Plans
SSB is widening its reach in addition to its services and has launched an international prime brokerage effort. The effort will be run out of its headquarters in London and is slated to pen within the year. Gary Link, who recently joined from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., will serve as managing director and head of the office. He will oversee a staff of about 12 people, five of whom have already been hired.
SSB’s prime brokerage division is opening in London to capitalize on rising demand for hedge funds from European investors. “The piece we’re missing is the global prime brokerage component,” Tesauro said. “It’s just a matter of time.” Tesauro and Campo said they expect it will take time to develop the international prime brokerage division, noting that its major competitors have the short-term advantage of being a bit more established.
On the domestic front, SSB’s prime brokerage division is also expanding, and the division will soon name a managing director for a planned San Francisco office this month. At the same time, the group has hired John Bell for its San Francisco office, who hails from Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Bell joins as a director, responsible for marketing prime brokerage services to prospective clients, in addition to providing services to existing clients.
Gregoire Expands Analyst Team
Gregoire Expands Analyst Team
Alternative Investment News
By Pamela Appea
February 2001
John Levitt, a former hedge fund manager and convertible arbitrage specialist, has joined Gregoire Advisory Services, a hedge fund consulting firm, as an alternative investment analyst. Levitt was previously managing director of the Harvest Fund Group LLC, a convertible arbitrage hedge fund.
Prior to that, Levitt was v.p. in charge of convertible arbitrage for Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, now a division of Goldman Sachs. Based in Millburn, N.J., the firm provides hedge fund consulting services to banks and fund of funds managers as well as institutional investors.
Jim Gregoire, president of Gregoire Advisory, said essentially Gregoire allows institutional investors to create and manage their personalized fund of funds strategy.
The firm has almost $500 million of hedge fund portfolio under management or consultation.
Alternative Investment News
By Pamela Appea
February 2001
John Levitt, a former hedge fund manager and convertible arbitrage specialist, has joined Gregoire Advisory Services, a hedge fund consulting firm, as an alternative investment analyst. Levitt was previously managing director of the Harvest Fund Group LLC, a convertible arbitrage hedge fund.
Prior to that, Levitt was v.p. in charge of convertible arbitrage for Spear, Leeds & Kellogg, now a division of Goldman Sachs. Based in Millburn, N.J., the firm provides hedge fund consulting services to banks and fund of funds managers as well as institutional investors.
Jim Gregoire, president of Gregoire Advisory, said essentially Gregoire allows institutional investors to create and manage their personalized fund of funds strategy.
The firm has almost $500 million of hedge fund portfolio under management or consultation.
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