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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2018)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2018 | 9A Siuslaw News Community Voices Natural Perspective — In a Jam By Emily J. Uhrig, Ph.D Special to Siuslaw News F or Oregon, the latter half of summer is berry season. Be- sides cultivated varieties, our area abounds with native species like thimbleberries, salal berries and huckleberries growing wild. All are tasty in their own right, but not quite as well-known as the blackberry, which many folks par- ticularly treasure. Reaching among thorns to pluck berries is not the easiest task, but, for the persistent picker, the reward of a juicy pie or sweet batch of blackberry jam is worth the effort. While picking wild berries may seem like a back-to-nature expe- rience, the most prominent wild blackberry in our area, the Hima- layan blackberry, is actually an in- vasive introduced species. These berries were brought to the Pacific Northwest from Eurasia over 100 years ago for agriculture, but have since spread well beyond the con- fines of farms. Himalayan blackberries sport thick canes that can extend over 20 feet and are covered in large, sharp thorns. Some locations have over 400 canes per square yard. These are the berries commonly seen along edges of roads and fields and, with many large berries dangling near eye-level, they are popular for picking. However, the successful Himalayan blackberries often out- compete native plants — thereby reducing biodiversity. Riverbanks covered in shallow-rooted Hima- layan blackberries may be more prone to erosion than banks en- twined with the deep roots of na- tive trees, and a particularly timely concern is the fact that dense thick- ets of dry canes pose fire hazards. The negative qualities of the Hi- malayan blackberry led the Oregon Department of Agriculture to list it as a noxious weed that must be controlled or eradicated. However, anyone who has tried to get rid of these berries knows how resilient Us TOO Florence — they are. Roots can reach nearly 3 feet in depth and over 30 feet in length, and plants can regrow from small pieces of roots or stems, mak- ing complete eradication unlikely. Although we may be in a jam with invasive Himalayan black- berries, native berry seekers take heart: Oregon does have a native blackberry. Called the trailing blackberry, its thinner canes creep along the ground and its berries are much smaller than those of the Hi- malayan, making the native berry more challenging to pick. However, persistent pickers will find sweeter, more flavorful berries. So, if you’re up for a bit of ber- ry picking, try applying the adage of “bigger isn’t always better” and look for the more understated — but more rewarding — trailing blackberry. 0LUDFOH(DU+HDULQJ&HQWHUV DUHORRNLQJ IRUTXDOLILHGSHRSOHWRWHVWWKHLUODWHVWSURGXFW * 7KH0LUDFOH(DU 0LUDJH5,6.)5((! +HUH¶VWKHFDWFK<RXPXVWKDYHGLIILFXOW\KHDULQJ DQGXQGHUVWDQGLQJLQEDFNJURXQGQRLVHDQG\RXU KHDULQJPXVWIDOOLQWKHUDQJHRIWKHKHDULQJDLG 3HRSOHWKDWDUHVHOHFWHGZLOOHYDOXDWH0LUDFOH (DU¶VODWHVWDGYDQFHGGLJLWDOKHDULQJVROXWLRQ² WKH0LUDFOH(DU2SHQ <RXZLOOEHDEOHWRZDONLQWRRXURIILFHDQGZDON RXWNQRZLQJKRZPXFKKHOSWKHUHLVIRU\RX &DQGLGDWHVZLOOEHDVNHGWRHYDOXDWHRXU LQVWUXPHQWVIRUGD\VULVNIUHH $WWKHHQGRI WKHGD\VLI\RXDUHVDWLVILHGZLWKWKH LPSURYHPHQWLQ\RXUKHDULQJDQGZLVKWRNHHS WKHLQVWUXPHQW\RXPD\GRVRDWWUHPHQGRXV VDYLQJV%XWWKLVLVRQO\IRUDOLPLWHGWLPH 6FKHGXOH\RXU$SSRLQWPHQW1RZ'RQ¶WZDLWXQWLO LW VWRODWH 620()('(5$/:25.(56$1' 5(7,5((60$<%((/,*,%/()25 +($5,1*$,'6$712&267 7KDW¶V5LJKW1R&R3D\1R([DP)HH 1R$GMXVWPHQW)HH %&%6IHGHUDOLQVXUDQFHSD\VWKHWRWDOFRVWRI0LUDFOH(DU$XGLRWRQH3URDLGV 0RVWIHGHUDOJRYHUQPHQWHPSOR\HHVDQGUHWLUHHVDUHHOLJLEOH<RXPD\HYHQEH FRYHUHGLI\RXKDYHRWKHUQRQIHGHUDOLQVXUDQFHFRYHUDJH6SHFLDOIDFWRU\ SULFLQJLVDYDLODEOHIRUQRQTXDOLILHUV6HHVWRUHIRUGHWDLOV DFFXUDWHFRYHUDJH 6DYHRQRQHRIRXU VPDOOHVWFXVWRP GLJLWDOKHDULQJDLGV $QRWKHU*UHDW:D\WR6DYH 0DNH\RXUDSSRLQWPHQWWRGD\ %8<*(7 2)) 1RZ%X\ 2QH*HW2QH )UHH Save on our full line of digital hearing solutions. 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Suite D Newport, OR 97365 541-423-3142 541-236-2628 541-435-2753 +HUH 2775 Hwy 101 Suite B • Florence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ehind the headlines F irst, an update from last month’s Behind the Headlines. You may recall that I spent about six hours on June 23 viewing an Us TOO International webinar conference from Kirkland, Wash., titled, “Pros- tate Cancer Pathways for Patients and Caregivers.” Well, the good news is the same top-notch infor- mation is now available to you. Going to youtu.be/O3wu-Va38FE takes you to the video from the en- tire day’s events, thanks to Us TOO International. Each speaker’s presentation has been broken into their individual topics with exact times. Once the link opens, you will see the introduction by Chuck Strand, CEO Us TOO International at 0.01 and, at 6:12, the introduction to Dr. Brian W. Lawenda. Below that you will see “SHOW MORE.” Click on that and you will get the entire day’s speakers/topics/times. There is no way I could begin to report all the information pre- sented at the conference and now I don’t need to try. You can watch it at your own pace and “attend” the entire conference at home. It will be very informational for all who view it. Now, I want to turn your atten- tion to something I just learned. Many of you are aware that in the quest for more accurate biopsies of the prostate, the MRI has come into play. It is being recommended by some for use in determining “if ” a biopsy is necessary and, if so, to guide the urologist to those cancer- ous locations on the prostate gland identified by the MRI. Currently, most biopsies of the prostate are ultrasound guided. We do know that prostate cancer is more likely to occur in certain areas of the prostate, so those will get biopsied. However, some areas of the prostate are simply out of reach of the urologist’s needle. This is where the MRI comes in handy, because it can scan the entire pros- tate gland. Now the concerns: On July 16, I received the Summer 2018 Prostate Digest published by the Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PRCI). Inside was an article, “Gadolini- um Contrast Agents and the New FDA Warning,” by Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, Director of Alternative Medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center. The “contrast” to which Moyad is referring is the dye used with MRI scans that help healthcare professionals see internal organs, blood vessels and other tissues By Bob Horney Special to Siuslaw News more clearly, thus improving the diagnostic accuracy of the scan. He pointed out something that I had never given thought to — potential kidney problems with the contrast we receive with many MRI scans. As he states, “For the most part, contrast agents are incredibly nec- essary. One of the most utilized contrast agents is Gadolinium. The FDA came out at the end of 2017 and said that all (not some) gado- linium contrast agents used in MRI must now carry a warning about how they could be retained in the body and potentially cause kidney injury.” Moyad shares that it appears gadolinium contrast agents have not been linked to anything truly concerning for those individuals with “NORMAL KIDNEY FUNC- TION.” (His emphasis). Unfortu- nately, for most of us older adults, our “normal” kidney function is about 50 percent of what it used to be. Reading what Moyad said con- cerned me, so I picked up the phone and called Dan Goldblatt, Supervisor of Peace Harbor Im- aging. What he told me was very reassuring. Out of eight gadolinium agents, only three are listed as “less con- cern,” meaning easier for the kid- neys to flush from the body. They are the ones he uses at Peace Har- bor: Gadavist, Prohance and Dot- arem, in that order. He would not use one of the high-risk agents unless it was the only one suitable for the MRI scan AND the patient’s kidneys could handle it. Additionally, he uses only one- half of the recommended dose, even of the low-risk agents. Prior to receiving the MRI, and to as- sure that our kidney function is adequate, everyone over the age of 50 and every diabetic (regardless of age) gets their kidney function checked (simple finger-prick). Patient safety first — I like that.