Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
B5
SENIOR LIVING
Some medical symptoms you should not ignore
Senior
Living
Scott
McKay
O
KAY, I ADMIT IT. I
have hypochondri-
ac tendencies. I’m
always asking myself if this
dark lesion or sharp pain or
tiredness is a sign of some-
thing serious and whether
I should make an appoint-
ment with my primary care
provider?
And then when I do, they
relieve my immediate con-
cern for the visit but during
the exam, I’m asked if I have
experienced a variety of
other symptoms. Now I have
more things to worry about!
It’s not easy dealing with
your ailments — both real
and imaginary.
So, what medical symp-
toms should you not ignore?
In an article for UC San
Diego Health, an academic
medical center in San Diego,
Scott LaFee identifies 10.
1. Chest pain: Extreme
discomfort that feels like
squeezing, pressure or
tightness. May be accompa-
nied by pain radiating down
an arm, nausea, vomiting,
sweating, or difficulty
breathing.
2. Shortness of breath: A
sudden feeling that you’re
breathing faster than usual,
without obvious expla-
nation, and without good
effect. Worsens when you
lie flat or exert yourself.
Wheezing or gasping.
3. Sudden intense head-
ache: This is head pain,
unlike anything you’ve felt
before, peaking in seconds
or minutes.
4. Unexplained weight
loss: Losing more than 5% of
your body weight with-
out trying in less than six
months.
5. Unusual bleeding: For
example, rectal bleeding
or black or tarry stools. Or
bloody vomit.
6. High or persistent
fever: Anything 103 de-
grees Fahrenheit or higher
warrants an immediate
trip to the doctor, without
exception. A low-grade fever
(somewhere around 100
degrees) for several weeks
with no obvious cause
should also be checked out.
7. Sudden confusion: Or
inexplicable changes in per-
sonality, aggression, or an
inability to concentrate.
8. Swelling in the legs:
Persistent, accumulat-
ed fluid (edema) in the
extremities.
9. Sudden or severe
abdominal pain: Centralized
around the belly button.
Sharp and unexpected.
10. Flashes of light: Bright
spots, flashes, or other visual
disturbances.
Most of my concerns are
not serious: That dark lesion
is not melanoma, feeling
off-balance is not the result
of a brain tumor, and faint-
ing in the bathroom during
the night is not because
of a heart problem. Okay,
that last one was a heart
problem!
Knowing the difference
between when to wait and
when to see a provider
is important. But I often
remind myself there is more
to life than unnecessarily
worrying about the next
medical problem. Instead, I
can worry about something
important: Whether my fa-
vorite football team will win!
To learn more, the article by
LaFee is posted at www.mid-
columbiaseniorcenter.com
under the HEALTH tab.
•••
I periodically mention fall
prevention because each
year, three million older peo-
ple are treated in emergency
departments for fall injuries.
I’ve done that, been there,
and don’t want you to enjoy
the same experience. (I now
make sure I ALWAYS hold on
to the handrail.)
To prevent falls, the
CAPECO Area Agency
on Aging and Providence
Health & Services are part-
nering to offer a free fall pre-
vention webinar on Monday,
Dec. 6 from 1-3 p.m. During
the webinar, you will learn
how medications, footwear,
and home environment
can keep you safe and on
your feet. You can register
by calling 541-506-3512 or
by emailing Information@
capeco-works.org.
•••
This singer, piano player,
and songwriter famous for
his over-the-top stage cos-
tumes was Reginald Dwight
better known as Elton John.
I received correct answers
from Jeannie Pesicka, Doug
Nelson, Gary Van Orman,
Steven Woolpert, Emmett
Sampson, Gene Uczen, Dave
Lutgens, Rhonda Spies,
Keith Clymer, Susan Ellis,
and Kim Birge, this week’s
winner of a quilt raffle ticket.
This week’s “Remember
When” question comes from
the category “Classic TV
Commercials.” What men’s
hair care product used the
jingle “. . . a little dab’ll do ya/
Use more, only if you dare/
But watch out/The gals will
all pursue ya/They’ll love
to put their fingers through
your hair.” E-mail your
answer to mcseniorcenter@
gmail.com, call 541-296-
4788 or leave it with a comb
used by Edd Byrnes.
•••
Well, it has been another
week, enjoying the rain.
Until we meet again, bad
always looks better after it
gets worse.
•••
“To know what you want
to draw, you have to begin
drawing it.”
— Pablo Picasso
•••
Nutritious home-deliv-
ered meals and pick-ups are
available for anyone over 60.
For more information, you
can call the meal site in your
area.
Seniors of Mosier Valley
— In-person dining now
at noon Mondays and
Wednesdays. On Nov. 24,
live music at 11a.m. and
Thanksgiving dinner at
noon. For more informa-
tion call 541-980-1157;
Hood River Valley Adult
Center at 541-386-2060 —
open for in-person dining;
Sherman County Senior
and Community Center
at 541-565-3191 — open
for in-person dining; The
Dalles Meals-on-Wheels
at 541-298-8333 — open
for in-person dining
Tuesday through Thursday;
Klickitat County Senior
Services — Goldendale
office at 509-773-3757 or
the White Salmon office at
509-493-3068; Skamania
County Senior Services at
509-427-3990.
Student growth, achievement outlined
Trisha Walker
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
Hood River County School
District held its virtual board
meeting Nov. 10. District per-
sonnel and board members
made the switch from in per-
son to virtual meetings due to
safety concerns starting with
the Oct. 27 meeting.
Last Wednesday’s meeting
included an update from
Hood River Valley High
School ASB President and
the board’s student envoy,
Cassandra Moreno, who gave
a recap of October’s home-
coming events. “I think it’s
something that kids really
needed after everything that
we’ve been through,” she said
of the more than 700 tickets
sold for the Homecoming
Social.
A new member was also
appointed to the district’s
Budget Committee, as
presented by Chief Financial
Officer Doug Holmes.
Melissa Tokstad, Hood River,
was appointed to Position
7, one of two applicants (no
one applied for the Position
6 slot); board members Barb
Hosford, Corinda Hankins
Elliot, Tom Scully, Brandi
Sheppard and Reitz voted
“aye,” and Jen Kelly “nay.”
Board Vice Chair Julia
Garcia-Ramirez was absent.
Student Learning
and Growth
Student Services and
Special Education Director
Anne Carloss, Curriculum
and Instruction Director
Bill Newton and Human
Resources Director Catherine
Dalbey shared an overview of
the work the district plans to
do in the next five years in re-
lation to three Strategic Plan
goals listed under “Student
Learning and Growth.”
Carloss gave an overview of
the three goals, with Dalbey
and Newton going into great-
er depth.
Dalbey discussed ways
the district is developing
a highly qualified, diverse
and culturally proficient
workforce, saying that 86%
of the district’s budget is
dedicated to personnel and
related costs. “We know that
students do well if they have
role models to look up to and
if they have role models who
look like them, even better,”
she said, noting the district
has made gains in “represen-
tation amongst our educators
in both our classified ranks
and licensed ranks.” She also
outlined recruitment and
hiring practices that elimi-
nate bias.
“We do want a diverse
workforce, not only in eth-
nicity but also in skill areas
and different talents that they
bring,” she said.
Newton touched on es-
tablishing high expectations
for academic and personal
growth for every student.
“The last couple of months,
our teachers have been
working to review baseline
data from the beginning of
the school year in order to
develop learning and profes-
sional development goals,”
something the district does
annually at the beginning
of the school year — rooted
“in where our students are at
and where we want them to
be at the end of the year, and
what actions we are going
to take in order to be able
to get them there,” he said.
Follow up happens in the fall,
winter and spring to monitor
progress.
This year, instruction-
al coaches are providing
support to licensed staff to
review baseline data and
develop student learning and
professional development
goals, he said.
He also shared steps the
district is taking to meet its
goal of students graduating
from high school ready for
college, career and commu-
nity success, which includes
expanding the AVID program
to all district schools. At the
Wy’east Middle School Principal Sarah Braman-Smith gives an overview of student achievement during the HRCSD board meeting Nov. 10.
Trisha Walker screenshot
high school, the goal is that
“next year, students will have
the opportunity to receive
their associate (degree) if
they follow the pathway
that is developed at the high
school. Right now, the work
that is being done has to do
with adjusting from a semes-
ter schedule to a trimester
schedule, and ensuring the
courses match up with what
an associates will require …
It’s pretty impressive that a
student can go through the
high school and walk away
with an associate degree.”
Other reports
Wy’east Middle School
Principal Sarah Braman-
Smith gave an overview of
work happening this fall,
but started by recognizing
students, parents and com-
munity for supporting the
school’s efforts during the
ongoing pandemic. She also
gave special thanks to staff.
“This year, like no other
year that I’ve been in educa-
tion, staff have a lot of chal-
lenges — the pandemic was
hard last year, being in CDL
(Comprehensive Distance
Learning), but being onsite
is almost more difficult at
times, and I couldn’t have
been more impressed with
how they came together at
the start of the school year …
The way they came together
to support our learners was
very impressive,” she told the
board.
She touched on achieve-
ment — how students are
coming into school this fall
as compared with other years
— in the areas of reading and
math. “We’re not looking at
a huge amount of loss, she
said. “Do we have a lot of op-
portunity? Yes. We still have a
lot of opportunity, but we are
at a place where we can pick
up where we left off.”
HRVHS Principal Columba
Jones provided an overview
of Ninth Grade On-Track
data, which is used to predict
graduation. “It really is tied
to that being the year that,
above anything else, makes
the biggest difference for
them,” she said.
The pandemic presented
challenges, and last year’s
ninth graders did see a dip in
indicators predicting gradu-
ation, but she expects that to
go back up with the return of
in person classes.
“We’re just really excited to
have kids here; kids are glad
to be back onsite. When I talk
to the majority of the ninth
graders, it’s just how they
learn better. It’s better to be
here …”
Freshman take a skills
success class called SOAR
(Success, Organization and
Academic Readiness), where
they learn organization, time
management and motiva-
tion, and how to stay on track
with classes. The course was
funded through Measure 98
dollars, Jones said.
“It really is a lot of teaching
self-monitoring and some
of those routines,” she said.
“In addition to that, there’s
also a ninth grade core team
of teachers that meets that
helps to intervene when kids
are not finding success, to
really drill down and figure
out what it is that’s getting in
the way of that learning.”
Next meeting
In a press release, district
staff said administrators and
board members will regularly
re-evaluate the need for the
virtual meeting format. In the
meantime, those interested
in attending may watch the
meetings, live or anytime, at
www.hoodriver.k12.or.us/
boardmeetings. The next
board meeting will be held
on Dec. 8 beginning at 6:30
p.m. Board members can be
reached via email at hrcsd.
board@hoodriver.k12.or.us.
HONOR ROLL
Trout Lake
School announces
honor roll
Term one honor roll at Trout
Lake School is as follows (an aster-
isk * indicates a 4.0):
Seniors: *Nevaeh Anderson,
*Wynsome Painter, *Joshua Keller,
*Lilly Schmid, *Ahmira Elyard, Em
Lopez-Caudillo, Kai Briola, Carme
Brown, Cynthia Juarez Mandujano,
Alex Van Laar, Alyssa Padilla,
Destiny Powell
Juniors: *Trevor Collins, *Brenna
Koester, Malyssa Padilla, Thomas
Goodson, Landon Heberling,
Marik Klampe, Kennady Wurzer,
Ronan Day
Sophomores: Klayton Schmid,
Gabriella Basch, Evelyn Huff,
Laurel Wickwire, Zandra Bakken,
Naomi Lauterbach, Jon Kendrick,
Alex Lopez-Caudillo, Elias
VanDeHey, Kayla True, Ryder
Glines, Ava Altig, Josue Rico
Freshman: *Violette Anderson,
*Chiron Crockett, *Grace
Wiltermood, Kinsley Lanz, Basil
Nelson, Gael Fuentes, Nancy
Painter, Jasper Flitcraft, Rowan
Shuman, Noa Maccabee, Meera
Basch, Anna Rubesh, Sawyer Dean,
Ximena Uvalle, Hannah Schmid,
Elliot Briola, Shelby Knight
Eighth Grade: *Rowen Huff,
*Claire Zimmerman, Quinn
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Candela, Ori Maccabee, Finnegan
Carlin, Payton Leis, Ellie Rubesh,
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Fifth Grade: Ella Shuman, Louie
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