COMPLIMENTARY CHARLESTON | DORCHESTER | BERKELEY UP S TAT E SEPT/OCT 2022 FEARLESSLY SURVIVING BREAST CANCER ABBEVILLE | ANDERSON | CHEROKEE | GREENVILLE | GREENWOOD | LAURENS | PICKENS | OCONEE | UNION | SPARTANBURG NATURAL BEAUTY IS IN HOW TO SAY ‘NO’ WITH EASE
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www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 5 11 | FEARLESS: THREE STORIES, ONE TRUTH ABOUT BREAST CANCER All three women live in the South Carolina Upstate and have known each other, or about each other, for years through church and town events, including Relay for Life. As breast cancer survivors, they recently gathered for a group interview. 15 | SCHOOL STRESS: AT THE EDGE OF A MENTAL BREAKDOWN “The current young adult population has seen a lot of instability in their lifetimes. The future feels uncertain to them and many of their parents – so they try to study their way to success.”— Dr. Sara Marcino 19 | WHEN CANCER IS A FAMILY EXPERIENCE Currently, 3.8 million women in the United States are battling breast cancer, and the numbers are increasing by about 0.5% each year. The importance of the support of family members cannot be underestimated. 23 | A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT JOURNEY A resident of Greer, Linda Burns has been fighting kidney failure for four years. It has been an up and down battle with incredible successes and disappointing setbacks. 27 | THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING BOUNDARIES … AND STICKING TO THEM Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others. 30 | A LEGACY OF LOVE – THE BARBARA MOWERY STORY The mother, wife and beloved school administrator witnessed her school community uplift her and her family as she fought ovarian cancer. 33 | TELEHEALTH FOR MENTAL HEALTH: A VITAL RESOURCE IN ACCESSING MENTAL WELLNESS CARE The rise in tele-mental health use is inextricably linked to COVID. The pandemic severely limited in-person services, creating the need for an alternative treatment delivery option. 38 | ONE-STOP SHOPPING The Bon Secours St. Francis Health System center allows patients to receive various, if not all, aspects of their individualized neurological care at one convenient location. 42 | ANSWERS STRAIGHT FROM A DENTIST’S MOUTH Read how Dr. Daniel Knause of Southern Laser Dentistry cares for his own teeth. 48 | IS 'GOING NATURAL' A NEW AND LASTING TREND? When the pandemic closed beauty salons, many people responded with an increased interest in natural do-it-yourself beauty care. 52 | KEEPING THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HEALTHY Dr. Gerald Harmon, who lives in Pawleys Island and is the immediate past president of the American Medical Association, has an eagle’s eye view of the overall health of the medical field. 54 | SLEEP SAFE Some ideas to keep your little ones secure while they snooze. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for babies. CONTENTS DIRECTORIES Oral Health............................................................................. 62 BY THE NUMBERS Kidney Transplants.............................................................. 25 Telehealth............................................................................ 35 Going Natural..................................................................... 50 Infant Sleep......................................................................... 55 IN EVERY ISSUE Publisher’s Note....................................................................... 6 About the Cover...................................................................... 7 Living Healthy Area Events...................................................... 8 The Lighter Side of Health Care. ........................................... 37 There's an App for That......................................................... 44 A Unique Case....................................................................... 56 The Facts on Food & Drink.................................................... 58 Upstate Area Nonprofits........................................................ 60 The Pulse on Upstate Nurses. ................................................ 64 ISSUE 5.5 SEPT/OCT 2022 UPSTATE SPONSORED MEDICAL CONTENT ADHD: Not Just a Kid Concern............................................. 47 FEATURES
6 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com Welcome to the September/October edition of HealthLinks! If you are an avid HealthLinks reader, you may notice a slight change in the paper weight with this publication. As in many industries and with many physical products, print publishers are facing 50%, 60% and even 70% increases in paper prices, with no cost reduction in sight. This situation is forcing many local and regional publications to reduce press runs, go online only or, in some cases, go out of business. I feel blessed that at HealthLinks we have a strong enough partner base and consistent audience that we are able to continue printing our magazine. We take great pride in the responsibility of producing quality local health information at no cost to our readers. However, to continue doing so, we must make some slight cutbacks – thus the reduction of our paper weight. I’ve always been told it’s about what's on the paper, not how much the paper weighs. On that note, we will continue to produce content-rich magazines for the communities we serve. I want to also take this opportunity to give a nod of appreciation to Managing Editor Theresa Stratford. Along with myself, Graphic Designer Kim Hall and a few other talented folks, she launched HealthLinks toward the magazine it is today. With Theresa as the engine behind the content, we created some amazing publications and connected people in need to quality providers. We continued to reach our mission of improving health literacy throughout the Palmetto State. The entire HealthLinks family will miss Theresa, and we wish her well as she immerses herself into another career opportunity after this issue. On a personal note: Best wishes to you and your family, Theresa. Thank you for helping make HealthLinks what it is today. Filling Theresa’s role as Managing Editor at HealthLinks will be Lisa Breslin. For more than 30 years, Lisa has worked as an editor and a writer. We met 15 years ago in the Writing Center at McDaniel College, and she has been a friend and mentor ever since. As she has for so many aspiring writers, Lisa pushed me to pursue a career in publishing. She has a unique understanding of the written word and excels in bringing the best out of writers. She is also passionate about facilitating captivating content and is one of the most creative individuals with whom I’ve worked. With the help of Assistant Editor Molly Sherman – a rock star in her own right – Lisa will seamlessly join our HealthLinks team and help us lift our magazine to greater heights. From one strong editor to another – a publisher’s dream. Enjoy this issue of HealthLinks and cheers to good health, Cul len Murray Kemp Cullen Murray-Kemp UPSTATE Publisher CULLEN MURRAY-KEMP [email protected] Managing Editor THERESA STRATFORD Assistant Editor MOLLY SHERMAN Copy Editor BRIAN SHERMAN Art Director KIM HALL Webmaster GEORGE CONKLIN Internet GENE PHAN Sales Manager MANDY WILLIS [email protected] Photography Partner CARIN SCATES www.carinscates.com Writers Media Consultant BRANDON CLARK [email protected] Distribution Manager Latrale Gunther – [email protected] Distribution: C&R Marketing Administration & Bookkeeping GINGER SOTTILE Distribution U.S. Post Office, Harris Teeter, Ingles, CVS, Food Lion, Medical Offices TO ADVERTISE IN HEALTHLINKS UPSTATE PLEASE CALL 864.612.7694 MEDICAL MARKETING GROUP HealthLinks Upstate reserves the right to refuse advertisements. Acceptance of advertisements does not imply the service or product is recommended or endorsed by HealthLinks Upstate. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Medical Marketing Group, LLC. Medical Marketing Group 4 Carriage Lane, Suite 107, Charleston, S.C. 29407 843-732-4110 • [email protected] Issue 5.5 SEPT/OCT 2022 JANET E. PERRIGO L.C. LEACH III HELEN MITTERNIGHT COLIN MCCANDLESS LAURA HAIGHT LEAH RHYNE ISABEL ALVAREZ ARATA JOHN TORSIELLO STACY DOMINGO LISA BRESLIN MOLLY SHERMAN EILEEN CASEY CHRISTINE STEELE BILL FARLEY DENISE K. JAMES PUBLISHER'S NOTE Scan to discover our other HealthLinks platforms!
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 7 ABOUT THE COVER... Welcome to fall! Seems like 2022 just began, but here we are planning for the upcoming holidays and adjusting to life with our kids back in school. This issue has a great variety of stories that touch on some personal breast cancer journeys and an inside look at the new neuroscience institute at Bon Secours, and we also spoke to a dentist about how he cares for his teeth. We even feature a story about a kidney transplant recipient. Follow along with us as we walk with her through the trials and tribulations of a live organ transplant. On the cover, we featured three “fearless” women who had a diagnosis of breast cancer and either fought it or are still fighting it. Lynne Pryor, Cathy McMillan and Caitlyn Harper spent some time with our writer, Lisa Breslin, to talk about their unique cancer journeys. The picture that adorns our cover was taken by our wonderful photographer, Carin Scates. We would like to thank her, as well as The Crepe Factory and the town of Inman for the setting. We hope you all are adjusting well with going back to school. Check out our story about school stressors and how to cope. And we hope you like our stories about setting boundaries and how “going gray” is the new trend. I want to take the time to thank our team – our editor, graphic designer and our wonderful writers. These magazines would not be what they are without their dedication. We also want to thank our sales team for their work on distribution and making sure the magazines are accessible to you – our loyal readers. And we appreciate the time that our expert sources gave in order to make sure every story was written in accurate detail. Thank you. We hope you enjoy this issue of HealthLinks. Please send any feedback to [email protected]. To health and happiness, Theresa Stratford, managing editor SEPT/OCT 2022 COMPLIMENTARY CHARLESTON | DORCHESTER | BERKELEY UP S TAT E SEPT/OCT 2022 FEARLESSLY SURVIVING BREAST CANCER ABBEVILLE | ANDERSON | CHEROKEE | GREENVILLE | GREENWOOD | LAURENS | PICKENS | OCONEE | UNION | SPARTANBURG NATURAL BEAUTY IS IN HOW TO SAY ‘NO’ WITH EASE UPSTATE HIGH-QUALITY, BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY See through a different lens!
8 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com HEALTHY AREA EVENTS l ving SEPTEMBER 17- 25 2022 Ride to Maine by Challenge to Conquer Cancer Greenville Celebrate the 15th year of the Challenge to Conquer Cancer by participating in our signature event, the 2022 Ride to Maine relay ride. Since its inaugural year, hundreds of participants and donors have donated more than $2 million to multiple beneficiaries, with the goal of eradicating cancer in the 21st century. c3ride.org SEPTEMBER 17 Doula Dating by Nourish Integrative Lactation & Wellness 10 a.m. Greenville Interested in hiring a doula for your upcoming birth? Come meet doulas who serve the upstate area and build your dream birth team. eventbrite.com SEPTEMBER 13 Devoted Health’s 2023 Kickoff 10 a.m. Panera Bread in Greenville The annual enrollment period is coming and Devoted Health wants to make this the best year ever. This informative training session is open to all health insurance brokers. eventbrite.com SEPTEMBER 15-18 Euphoria Varies Greenville Euphoria’s mission has always been to promote tourism in Greenville by creating a destination for food, wine and music lovers across the country. However, the event is also about the importance of investing in the community. All grants distributed by a local organization, Local Boys Do Good, must go toward initiatives that support sustenance to those in need. euphoriagreenville.com SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10 SpartOberfest Varies Spartanburg Spartanburg’s SpartOberfest has numerous events, vendors and a 5K and 10K Pretzel Run. Charities that benefit are St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, SafeHomes RapeCrisis Coalition and SPIHN. Family friendly fun featuring live music and entertainment, great food, drink and a Christmas market are planned for Friday night and all day Saturday. spartoberfest.com
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 9 OCTOBER 1 2022 Walk to End Alzheimer’s 8 a.m. Greenville Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest fundraiser for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. act.alz.org OCTOBER 11 Senior Expo by A Medicare Moment 10 a.m. Civic Center of Anderson Enjoy a day of fun at the A Medicare Moment Senior Expo, which offers 2023 Medicare plan information and door prizes. eventbrite.com OCTOBER 19 Palmetto Senior Expo 2022 1 p.m. Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium More than 75 vendors will be in one place to answer questions about senior needs. Medical, financial and insurance needs, as well as local senior activities and classes, will be featured at this event. srhelpsc.com OCTOBER 18-20 25th Annual Rural Health Conference 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Greenville The Rural Health Conference is an opportunity for educators and community leaders to learn from experts in rural topics and to network with each other. scorh.net cityofinman.org SEPT 24TH VENDORS, MUSIC, A 5K RACE, TACTOR SHOW, FOOD. ON MILL Oct 29th, 6-9pm MILL STREET FREE KIDS EVENT OVER 60 BOOTHS, RIDES, FOOD, COSTUME CONTEST AND MORE!
Meet the Expert KENNETH ORBECK, D.O., FAARM, ABAARM RMI.LIVE | (877) 573-3737 Dr. Orbeck dedicates his practice to helping men and women find relief from hormonal imbalances such as menopause, andropause (the male menopause), adrenal fatigue and thyroid disorders by using a personal functional approach to wellness; combining customized nutrition and fitness regimens with bioidentical hormonal therapy. Dr. Orbeck examines the interaction between each person’s genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors for an individualized and customized treatment plan for each patient. EMPOWERING YOU TO BE YOUR BEST Dr. Orbeck is motivated by empowering individuals to be their best in health, wellness, and vitality. Dr. Orbeck utilizes the power of metabolic and regenerative science to achieve internal wellness and external beauty one individual at a time. The Carolina's Leader in Integrative-Regenerative Medicine BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONE REPLACEMENT (Individualize & customized hormonal therapy) COMPREHENSIVE AESTHETIC CENTER (Advanced aesthetic care) INTIMATE WELLNESS CENTER (Sexual rejuvenation for men & women) IV NUTRITIONAL THERAPY CENTER (Intravenous application of nutrition & therapy for optimal wellness) Our Centers of Excellence
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 11 FEARLESS: THREE STORIES, ONE TRUTH ABOUT BREAST CANCER By Lisa Breslin
12 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com There is no single answer to the multitude of questions that come with the news that you have cancer. Each reaction, choice and outcome is as unique as a fingerprint. When Lynne Pryor, 58, learned that she had stage 1 invasive ductile carcinoma on Dec. 5, 2008. “How am I going to get through this?” “Will it ever come back?” “What would happen to my children?” were the questions that haunted her. “I was 31 years old with a newborn baby at home,” said Caitlyn Harper, 32, who was diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma on July 21, 2021. “After the words ‘you have cancer,’ I wanted to know if I was going to still be around for him – his first birthday, first day of school. Would he ever know his mama?” Harper added. “Then, of course, the why or the how. The why was the biggest question for me. Why is this happening? Why me?” Cathy McMillan, age 71, also remembers asking, “What is the purpose – God’s purpose? Why do I have this?” While their questions and each of their paths to remission differ, there is one resounding truth that McMillan, Harper and Pryor share: The flow of love and support that unfolds throughout a cancer journey is overwhelmingly beautiful. “People brought food, they came to sit with my kid, someone cut our grass from summer through fall,” said Harper. “They just showed up; this loving army of people showed up.” “We ate casseroles for years,” echoed McMillan, who first learned that she had a grade 3 tumor in 2006. “And the gorgeous flowers. Knowing people cared for me – some that I didn’t even know cared – was an overwhelming joy.” “Meals, flowers, gift cards and many personal ‘pick-me-up’ notes,” Pryor said as she inventoried the generosity and love she experienced. “Each Monday evening for over a month, a friend sent us Papa Johns pizza. That was the highlight of my children’s day. They would say, ‘Oh Mom, the delivery man comes tonight!’” All three women live in the South Carolina Upstate and have known each other, or about each other, for years through church and town events, including Relay for Life. As breast cancer survivors, they recently gathered for a group interview. They hope that by sharing their journeys and advice, they can help other cancer fighters face their own unique questions, choices and outcomes with less fear and more hope. LYNNE PRYOR CAITLYN HARPER CATHY McMILLAN
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 13 For more advice and a deeper read about each woman’s cancer journey, visit UpstatePhysiciansSC.com/BreastCancer. What advice would you offer women who are fighting cancer? • Always be persistent and do not wait for doctors to see you in a couple of months. You know your body and you must be your own advocate. Always hold your head high and “fight like a girl!” – Lynne • Have faith in your medical team and ask questions. Try to keep active and do as much physical activity as you feel that you can. I had a treadmill and I walked whenever I could and felt like it. – Cathy • Keep going. As hard as it is, as sick as you may be, as tired as you may be, keep going. Live your life as if you don’t have cancer, except on treatment days. My oncologist told me that at my very first appointment, and it has stuck with me to this day. – Caitlyn Best tip for women dreading hair loss. • Own it! Yes, it’s an extremely hard transition, and I had plenty of meltdowns over it. The best thing I did was just remind myself that this was just an unfortunate part of the process, and it would grow back. – Caitlyn • Take advantage of the Feel Good/Look Good program that the American Cancer Society has. It made me feel so much better about the hair loss. At work, I was bald and my co-workers were very supportive. When I visited a school, I wore cute hats because I didn’t want to scare the little kids. I’ve always loved to wear hats so it was not a hardship. – Cathy • Visit your local Cancer Association office and introduce yourself. Tell them what type of cancer you have and see what they have to offer. You can get wigs, bandanas, scarves and beanies. And believe me, with a bald head, you do get cold as you sleep. The beanie came in really handy. – Lynne Greenville’s family-owned source for compassionate care utilizing the latest dental technology. DANIEL J KNAUSE, DMD 2131 Woodruff Road, Suite 1100 , Greenville, SC 29607 At the corner of Hwy 14 and Woodruff Road ONE VISIT CROWNS CEREC Single Appointment Permanent Crowns. LASER DENTISTRY As one of fewer than 10 offices in the state with the groundbreaking Solea Laser, we have eliminated the drilling and need for numbing with most fillings. HOLISTIC OPTIONS At Southern Laser Dentistry, we respect the beliefs and needs of our patients who want the most natural and bio-compatible options. DR. K ALIGNERS In office design and manufacture of precision clear aligners at a great value. Brighten your BEAUTIFUL SMILE with FREE WHITENING after completion of Dr. K clear aligners. 864-288-8388 [email protected] www.southernlaserdentistry.com
14 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com FAMILY & LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1975 www.SPORTSCLUBSC.com Experience the SPORTSCLUB DIFFERENCE 864.770.8822 That’s seven years of missed laughs. Seven years of missed conversations. Seven years of missed moments. Greenville • 25 Woods Lake Rd, Ste 401 UpstateHearingAndBalance.com Schedule an appointment to hear what the next seven years hold for you. to get their hearing checked. SEVEN YEARS The average person waits HAILEY BRANYON, PHARMD DENNIS BURDETTE, RPH Let us be YOUR Pharmacy! Text refills to 864.256.0888 Proud to support our very own Lynne Pryor 864.457.2401 Photo by Carin Scates
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 15 SCHOOL STRESS: AT THE EDGE OF A MENTAL BREAKDOWN By L. C. Leach III
16 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com One afternoon in the fall of 1969 at Brook Glenn Elementary School in Taylors, 8-year-old Louie Lewis watched as the clock in his third-grade class ticked close to 2 p.m. He and his classmates had just experienced something they could not yet explain – but which they would now do everything in their power to overcome. “Our teacher, Miss Alice Harper, assigned us English and math homework – but gave us the last 30 minutes of class to start,” Lewis recalled. “And we raced like crazy to get it done before the bell rang so we could go home and play all afternoon.” It was Lewis’ earliest memory of school stress, “but something I barely noticed.” But over the next 50-plus years, school stress would build and form into mental health concerns that Lewis could never have imagined – including surpassing 4.0 grade point average standards; completing college courses in high school; the threat of gun violence; health epidemics such as COVID; lack of social privacy; and the challenge of handling increasing loads of homework. Now, with another school year underway in South Carolina, a looming question faces parents, teachers and educational leaders: How are we going to handle all of our school stresses before they permanently damage us? “Academic pressure has increased tremendously for all grade levels,” said Dr. Sara Marcino, psychiatrist and mental health professional with Still Point in Mount Pleasant. “And that pressure now comes with so many other stress factors.” PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Dr. Marcino pointed out that while factors such as physical bullying, body comparisons and body shaming have long been present in schools, others have evolved over decades into major components of school stress. For example, when advanced preparatory courses were introduced to South Carolina high schools in the 1970s, students could earn a few college credits in advance. Now a few AP credits might not be enough just to be considered for college. “Students also feel pressure to score well on the SAT and from universities who want to see many activities on their resumes, including sports, volunteer work and proficiency in a musical instrument,” Dr. Marcino said. “Our children are now told that their value is proportional to achievements and accomplishments. And I can’t think of a better message to destroy self-esteem.” And with cyber bullying, social media acceptance, COVID strains, environmental concerns and a sharp national political divide, “students are now desperate for some sense of security.” “The current young adult population has seen a lot of instability in their lifetimes,” she said. “The future feels uncertain to them and many of their parents – so they try to study their way to success.” PERSPECTIVE Uncertainty about the future has always led to carried stresses and changing perspectives. Daisy Nesmith of Sumter, walked two miles to school in the 1950s – after doing morning farm chores and helping her sharecropping family. They had no running water, no indoor plumbing and little money to buy school supplies. She worried constantly about “just being able to stay in school.” By the time Harold Moore entered Liberty High School in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in 1977, his contemporaries were stressing over their futures based on whether they were succeeding or failing in their present struggles. “Everything revolved around competition – summer jobs, car ownership, high school parking permit, letterman’s jacket and honor society,” said Moore, who now lives in Greenville. “During hunting season, people asked ‘Who killed the deer with the largest rack and how many squirrels did you harvest?’ The tails would be attached to your bicycle handlebars.” Greenville resident Frankie Felder, a 1989 graduate from Florence, chose to home-school all five of her children to prevent “unnecessary school stress that I believe would hurt them later.” “School now is not just about learning – it’s more about academic performance and how you measure up against “The current young adult population has seen a lot of instability in their lifetimes. The future feels uncertain to them and many of their parents – so they try to study their way to success.” — Dr. Sara Marcino, psychiatrist and mental health professional with Still Point in Mount Pleasant.
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 17 schools in other states,” Felder said. “Safety is now an alarming concern, and I think peer pressure also affects safe-school environments.” SAFETY MEASURES NEW AND OLD When he was in elementary school, Lewis said, school safety mostly amounted to teachers being with students and “janitors locking the building after we left.” But now, with more U.S. school shootings in the last 22 years than in the previous 160 years combined, safety measures include trained school resource officers and ever-improving electronic security to keep schools safe and stress levels low. “School safety is now everybody’s concern – from a first-day first-grader to a soon-to-graduate senior,” said Chuck Saylors, past president of the South Carolina School Boards Association and a Greenville County School District trustee since 2002. “And that safety is now everybody’s responsibility.” District spokesman Tim Waller added that a new $550,000 state-of-the-art portable weapons detection system, known as EVOLV, was implemented before the start of the current year. “A key advantage with EVOLV is the ability for students to flow through this system at a normal pace while providing accurate detection information,” he said. But while electronic security can lessen the stress of school safety, Mount Pleasant SRO Ransom Walters said it is no substitute for personal involvement. “We rely heavily on everyone from faculty and staff to the students and parents to do their part in reporting any safety concerns,” said Walters, an SRO at James B. Edwards Elementary since 2017. “If you see something unsafe, fix the issue. If it’s beyond your scope, report it so that it can be fixed.” SLOWER SPEEDS, BIGGER WINDOWS School safety is not the only fixable issue. Dr. Kelly Holes-Lewis, a psychiatrist with Modern Minds mental wellness clinic in Charleston, said it is imperative that “we encourage our students to share their worries openly with their parents, teachers, a trusted friend or loved one.” “Because if these fears are left unspoken, they can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety and even self-medicating with substances to numb the negative feelings they have,” she said, adding that the window for kids to just be kids keeps getting smaller. “Our children are growing up much faster than ever before,” Dr. Holes-Lewis pointed out. “We live in a very fast-moving world, which includes our education and our lives. But it is not a healthy pursuit.” Going forward, both Dr. Holes-Lewis and Dr. Marcino said that to keep school stresses from building even more and passing the proverbial point of “know” return, everyone in the state’s school systems must offer basic personal support such as: • School officials providing for students’ mental health as early as possible. • Parents instilling in children the importance of unwinding every day. • Students pursuing courses of study that are personally right for them rather than trying to please college entry boards. • Encouraging students of all ages to play after school. • Teachers revamping homework to manageable levels. “In grade 1, 10 minutes is ideal,” Dr. Marcino said. “In grade 4, 40 minutes. In grade 6, 60 minutes. Too much homework leads to burnout, poorer nutrition, lack of sleep and inadequate opportunities to connect with family and friends.” To echo both Saylors and Walters, the most potent weapon against any kind of school stress is everyone looking out for everyone else in any way they can. “With all the unprecedented stresses and challenges facing our students today, our teachers and students would tremendously benefit from a daily in-school practice of meditation and silence,” Dr. Holes-Lewis said. “This practice leads to greater levels of compassion, empathy and understanding, all of which we need more of in our world today.”
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WHEN CANCER IS A FAMILY EXPERIENCE By Janet E. Perrigo According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “The diagnosis of cancer is a family experience that changes the lives of all its members, bringing an immense amount of stress and many challenging situations.” Here are the stories of three families and their responses when breast cancer came calling.
20 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com For Harry McMillan, when his wife’s routine breast lump removal unexpectedly disclosed a tiny hidden cancerous tumor, he reacted with shock and disbelief – but feelings of helplessness were close behind. For more than 50 years, McMillan has taken seriously his role of family protector and provider. But back then, Cathy, the person he loved most in the whole world, was being attacked, and he could do nothing to stop the invasive onslaught. However, there were other things he could tackle, including personally notifying the couples’ two adult sons, who have always been very close to their mother. There were also the endless consultations and appointments. “I struggled with seeing her being stuck and prodded, and that was very emotional, but I never missed a one of them,” he reminisced. “Cathy says that I was also supportive by doing things around the house when she wasn’t able to and hiding her car keys so she couldn’t slip off and go to work when she needed to stay home.” Cathy McMillan is a strong woman who does not cry or give in to her emotions easily. For her husband, it felt like she truly did not need his support as much as some women might in this circumstance. Her refusal to lose hope, her faith and her perseverance kept despair at bay, even during the difficult times. When the thought of losing his beloved wife elbowed its way into his mind, McMillan responded by sending up prayers on her behalf. It's been 15 years, and Cathy is now well past the five-year and 10-year survivor anniversaries. For Harry McMillan, the experience has made him realize, “When you get wrapped up in daily living, you can forget what is important, and an experience like this brings you back to Earth real quick.” THE MCMILLANS Harmon Kerrison was only 14 when her carefree, self-absorbed teenage world suddenly crumbled. It was at a typical family dinner where she noticed the unusual sadness in the eyes of her parents as her mom announced to her and her older sister, Legare, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. However, their mom, Hunter Kerrison, was not one to wallow in self-pity or to let her family fall into that place. She quickly determined that getting an excellent medical team was the most important step. With her entire professional life devoted to health care, she knew exactly who to call upon for the very best treatment protocols. For Harmon, the Kerrison family dynamics suddenly changed. She remembers, “I disconnected from my personal, everyday activities – which no longer seemed as important – to spend time with my mom.” Some days seemed like being on an emotional roller coaster: “The days when Mom came home in severe pain and I could hear her crying, even though she tried to hide it, were the worst. Before, I always wanted to be out of the house with my friends doing my own thing, but now that felt selfish, and I wanted to be with my mom, doing things together with her instead.” THE KERRISONS
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 21 While the initial surgery was stressful, Harmon mistakenly assumed the worst was over. The beginning of chemotherapy, with the characteristic hair loss, nausea and other side effects was a second, unanticipated battle. Although her mother doggedly continued to work and tried to keep the family routines as normal as possible, the effects, of chemo challenged her self-sufficiency and her ability to maintain the professional attractiveness that her daughters were so accustomed to seeing. Observing her vulnerability was a new and painful experience. Harmon recently graduated from high school and is optimistically looking forward to majoring in architectural studies as a freshman at Tulane. “I am changed. I am much more mindful of life and of setting the right priorities,” she said. “I feel more mature. My mother and I did so many fun things together during her battle with cancer that our relationship is much stronger and more adultto-adult now, but I do sometimes worry about what if it comes back.” If she were to advise other teens dealing with a parent with cancer, she would encourage them to get deeply involved and go to appointments and treatments, even if that means pushing the boundaries a little. The times she devoted to her mom have enriched their relationship, and for this young woman, family is now a top priority. THE SIMONS Dennis Simon, a naval officer and then a submarine navigator, was deployed at sea when his commanding officer decrypted a life-changing, urgent message about his wife, Patricia. She was only 33, but she had been diagnosed with breast cancer – the same hideous disease that had killed her mother at 42. Simon remembered feeling overwhelmed. What if she did not survive? What if he had to raise their two young sons without her? What about his career with the Navy? He battled these fears as he flew home on the very next flight available from Andros Island and met her right before her surgery. All he could do was take one day at a time. Like Harry McMillan, Simon found his personal faith to be a comfort and trusted that God would help him handle this time of family crisis. A particularly difficult moment occurred when Patricia, typical of so many women with breast cancer, finally voiced her fears that her husband’s love for her would be diminished because of her breast surgery. Simon gifted her with the perfect answer when he said, “You know, I’ve always been a leg man, and your legs are perfect!” He and their sons, Scott and Christopher, became the bearers of hope and laughter, especially during those difficult days when it was hard for Patricia to find it for herself. The fear of returning cancer is very real for all cancer survivors and their families. While 90% of those with nonmetastatic invasive breast cancer remain cancer-free at the five-year mark and 84% are still free at the 10-year anniversary, Patricia Simon has been part of the minority who has had to face a rematch. It has been six years since she won her latest battle with uterine cancer. Throughout each rough spot, Dennis Simon has operated on the simple principle of: “Love your wife and support her. Life is a highway – there are many reasons to turn into the slower lanes or even stop at rest stops, but the important thing is to get to your destination.” With his ever-abundant supply of love, hope and laughter, he continues to help navigate the Simon family safely in their life journey together. Currently, 3.8 million women in the United States are battling breast cancer, and the numbers are increasing by about 0.5% each year. The importance of the support of family members cannot be underestimated. In sharing their stories, Harry McMillan, Harmon Kerrison and Dennis Simon illustrate how tough families can go through tough times and emerge even stronger than they were before cancer reared its ugly head.
22 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com GRRH.ERNESTHEALTH.COM 1530 Parkway Road • Greenwood, SC 29646 Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital provides nationally-recognized rehabilitative care close to home. At our 46-bed rehabilitation hospital, we offer specialized medical and rehabilitative care for individuals who have suffered from debilitating injuries, illnesses, and chronic medical conditions. For more information about our nationally-recognized services or to schedule a tour, please call us at 864.330.1800 or visit us online at GRRH.ernesthealth.com. PROUDLY RANKED IN THE TOP 10% STROKE CERTIFIED SRI.ERNESTHEALTH.COM 160 Harold Fleming Court • Spartanburg, SC 29303 864.594.9823 864.594.9600 Follow Us STROKE CERTIFIED | AMPUTEE CERTIFIED Memory and mood changes, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pain are just some of the issues experienced by many of those recovering from COVID-19. To help patients combat these problems and work toward recovery, we proudly offer a post-COVID rehabilitation program, featuring: • Physical, occupational, and speech therapy evaluations • Personalized plans of care led by rehab specialists • Strategies for managing energy, sleep, nutrition, and overall wellbeing • Transition programs for return to life at home or work • Instruction on at-home exercises and caregiver support To learn more about inpatient or outpatient post-COVID rehabilitation services at Spartanburg Rehabilitation Institute, please contact us today!
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 23 A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT JOURNEY By Laura Haight
24 | www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com July 26, 2022. It is 4:30 in the morning, and Linda Burns is packing a small bag: eyeglasses, tablet, two changes of clothes, six bottles of various medications, her living will and health care power of attorney. In three hours, her future – uncertain when she went to bed the night before – will have changed as she becomes the 10th kidney transplant patient in the new Prisma Health Transplant Center in Greenville and the fifth to have a living donor. A resident of Greer, Linda has been fighting kidney failure for four years. It has been an up and down battle with incredible successes and disappointing setbacks. Through a restrictive, complex and ever-evolving diet as well as lifestyle changes, she has held dialysis at bay, impressing her nephrologist, who believes she should have been on dialysis two years ago. While she is diminutive in size, she is indomitable in will. Unlike many South Carolinians struggling with kidney disease and kidney failure, Linda has neither hypertension nor diabetes. The exact cause of her kidney damage is unknown, though she believes it was a severe reaction to chemotherapy in 2017 following breast cancer surgery. Kidney disease is on the rise in South Carolina. Its seventh-in-the-country ranking should come as no surprise, since the Palmetto State is high on the list of the three biggest contributors to kidney failure: Diabetes is fifth, high blood pressure is seventh and obesity is tenth, according to American’s Health Rankings. The Prisma Health Transplant Center in Greenville is the fourth transplant program that Director and Chief Surgeon Dr. Todd Merchen has helped to develop or start. The Prisma program filled a void of accessible transplant surgery and care in the Upstate, where patients previously had to travel more than 100 miles for a transplant. The center, which opened in late 2021 and performed its first transplant in February of 2022, has already received more than 1,000 referrals. Kidney disease is not curable, but it is preventable. “I would love personally for patients to have more access to care earlier to diagnose hypertension and diabetes in younger people,” said Dr. Merchen. “These conditions are potentially something we can intervene on with earlier and better medical care. Transplant staff love what we do, but we would love to have less of it to do.” As soon as her oncologist identified her kidney disease, Linda tackled it head on. In 2018, she engaged nutritionist Denise Capicchino to design a diet focused wholly on the health of her kidneys. Favorite foods like tomatoes and cheese were replaced with homemade “kidney tea,” pea milk and nondairy cheese. After an unappetizing year, she had improved her kidney health and dropped from stage 2 to stage 1. Capicchino made it clear that the diet wasn’t a cure, Linda recalled, “but you can stave off having dialysis.” A native Australian, Capicchino was attracted to the South, Linda said, “because she thought she could do the most good in a place like this.” The diets are very specific and very strict. Realizing that her clients in the South were the most in need but also least likely to follow the regimen, Capicchino returned to Australia in 2019. Knowing that the progressive disease had not been permanently beaten back, Linda has stuck with the diet, and as bloodwork revealed changes such as high potassium and phosphorus, other foods were jettisoned, including nuts, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. “You get very little information about what to do with this kind of a diet,” she explained, noting that crafting an eating plan based on the disease stage and the results of countless blood tests required “a lot of research and educating myself. It was very hard. It would be hard for anyone.” But Linda is no stranger to facing challenges, mostly alone. Ever since childhood, she said “there was no one I could ever allow myself to count on for anything.” At 17, she was the caregiver for her mother. In 2011, she nursed her husband, Dave, through ALS, a progressive neurological disease that is physically and emotionally debilitating both for patients and their families. “I made a promise to him that he would die in his own home, but it almost killed me,” Linda recalled. And in 2017, with no family or support system in Greenville, she battled breast cancer. This story is part of a series of articles on kidney transplantation, kidney health and disease prevention that continues in the November/December edition. Linda, five days after her transplant.
www.Ups tatePhys i c i ansSC . com | www.Hea l thL i nksUps tate. com | 25 There’s a direct line from Linda’s cancer to her transplant. As she recovered from her surgery, she met and befriended several breast cancer survivors. Over the years, that’s evolved into a small group of very close friends who have stood by Linda through her journey. A pair of sisters both volunteered to donate a kidney. One matched, which put Linda in the relatively small group of transplant patients – 27% – who don't have to wait on the United Network for Organ Sharing list. “It is an amazing gift. I am in awe of these girls and incredibly grateful,” Linda said. As Cathy Self, a Greenville County special education teacher, found out, the path to becoming a living donor is challenging. Before she could be accepted to be Linda’s donor, she had to undergo a battery of tests from a nuclear stress test of her heart to a CAT scan to explore her body for as-yet-unseen illness or cancers – and countless vials of drawn blood. Living kidney donation is the one medical procedure that has the potential to run up against the Hippocratic oath of “first, do no harm.” Although removing a kidney is a low-risk procedure, there are a “broad base of challenges we have to think through,” Dr. Merchen explained, “that are mostly thought-provoking and inspiring.” Transplant staff must balance the risk not only of the surgery but of the donor’s long-term health. If the loss of a kidney puts donors at even potential risk of a major health complication later in life, they may be disqualified. “We know if we pick correctly and carefully, the vast majority of living donors do well and would do it again. We have to be extraordinarily careful to give them the opportunity to think through all those risks,” Dr. Merchen noted. Cathy sees her donation as both a gift to a well-loved friend and an affirmation of goodness in the world: “We can help this crisis of so many people needing a kidney. If we all work together, we can make a difference.” Linda was discharged three days after the transplant; Cathy left a day later. During their hospitalization, four more transplants were performed. The Upstate’s new transplant center is already feeling its growing pains and is planning to add two more nephrologists and another surgeon to its current roster that includes coordinators, pharmacists, nutritionists and other support staff. “It can be pretty daunting to go through anything as complex as a transplant,” Dr. Merchen explained. “We are trying to build a very patient-friendly, communicative and open process that puts patients at the center.” Visit donatelifesc.org for more information on becoming an organ donor. Cathy and Linda. KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS By the Numbers In 2020, 6.4% of patients died on the waiting list while another 20% were removed. 10,240 patients in the Southeast region are waiting for a kidney, 1,472 of them in South Carolina. SIXTEEN more people will be added to the waiting list each day. The average wait time for a kidney transplant in South Carolina is 42 MONTHS. From June 2021 to June 2022, there have been 433 TRANSPLANTS performed in South Carolina. Sources: insights.unos.org, optn.transplant.hrsa.gov, srtr.org, OPTN metrics.
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