Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2015)
News Blue 0ountain (agle Wednesday, October 1, 2015 A3 Highway 395 to close for 10 days in November Plans in place to keep 16 Road open By Kyle Spurr Blue 0ountain (agle MALHEUR NAT. FOR. 26 John Day STRAWBERRY MTN. WILDERNESS Unity MONUMENT ROCK WILDERNESS MALHEUR N. F. Road 1 6 Silvies HARNEY Proposed alternate winter route ve r MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST 395 MALHEUR NATIONAL FOREST i ur R he Seneca N 10 miles Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group insufficient for water flow.´ If the culverts are not replaced, Strandberg said, Continued from Page A1 Contributed photo Ruthie and Chuck Moore celebrate the last day of Ruthie’s radiation treatments at St. Charles Cancer Center. in other aspects on life. For her, it was life changing – even Must sitting in the oncol- ogist’s of¿ ce the ¿ rst time was a “surreal´ experience, she said. +er Mournal entry that day: “As I wait my turn, I hear a woman crying in the bacN, I watch as a patient is concerned storms and À oods could pos- sibly close +ighway 35 S for much longer than 10 days. for his health and the health of others because he has a com- mon cold, and I watch a lady – a wonderful, exuberant, beau- tiful bald lady as she MoNes with everyone, maNing others smile and bringing such a light into that small room, and I TuicNly determine that this is not your ordinary doctor’s of¿ ce.´ “In this of¿ ce everyone is facing death right square in the face´ the entry concludes. According to 0oore, it was right then and there she decided she would more fully enMoy each and every day of her life, and maNe it a goal to approach life with a new sense of wonderment and delight. It was also important to 0oore, from the start, to “pay it forward.´ She is a “support sister´ for St. Charles Cancer Center, where she is teamed up with a newly diagnosed breast cancer patient. “This has been so rewarding; I would love to get something liNe this started here in *rant “It’s unfortunate, but the bigger concern is if we don’t taNe care of this now, it could be closed for a month or more,´ he said. ODOT officials will dis- cuss the closure plan with residents at the *rant Coun- ty Court meeting Wednes- day. *rant County and state transportation officials are worNing on an agreement that would Neep the county’s 16 Road open through the winter in case +ighway 35 South is closed. The 16 Road is a low pri- ority road for the county and is often closed during the winter due to high snowfall. *rant County Road De- partment Supervisor Alan +icNerson is worNing with ODOT officials on an agree- ment that would allow the state to ensure 16 Road re- mains open if +ighway 35 is closed this winter for any reason. “We are planning on try- ing to Neep 16 open Must in case a mudslide or some- thing liNe that happens and 35 south is closed,´ +icN- erson said. “It was the state’s idea and I thinN it’s a great idea.´ The agreement would call for ODOT to main- tain 16 Road from Sen- eca to Summit Prairie Road until +ighway 35 is reopened, which would al- low motorists to use the county’s 62 Road to reach Prairie City and John Day. Reporter Sean Ellis con- tributed to this report. County,´ she said. “It helps to be able to talN to others who have been there, done that.´ 0oore said the medical people at the Cancer Center became liNe family to her – closer in some ways. “0ere words cannot even begin to describe how at- tached I became to them, and to this day, I love going to the Cancer Treatment Center and seeing these people,´ she said. While 0oore remembers vividly that “dreaded phone call,´ she also feels as if breast cancer has been part of her life forever. “Because of this cancer Mourney I’ve been on, I am a much better person than I was ¿ ve years ago,´ she said. “I have come to accept the fact that I will deal with cancer for the rest of my life, and that I will never feel completely safe from it again.´ She said she can live with that because it renews her faith, Neeps her spirit humble, reminds her to be vigilant in the ¿ ght, and Neeps her fo- cused on what really matters in life. “I am now, and forev- er will be, grateful for my dance with cancer,´ 0oore said. Grant County Your Rural Fa mily Health Clinic HEALTH Department 528 E. Main, St. E, John Day Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm Karen Triplett, FNP Services Provided: her “daily dose of inspiration.´ 0oore surmises her family is no different from what most others go through when hear- ing a loved one has cancer. +er family members’ reactions varied from choNing up to be- ing positive and strong – “at least while on the phone with me,´ she said – to not being able to contain their fear and sadness at all. 0oore’s daughter, Kalli, wrote a letter to her mother’s cancer, which reveals some of her reactions. An excerpt: “I tooN it personal that you had the nerve to mess with some- one that I care so much about,´ and later, “I want to thanN you for bringing my family closer together ... Because of you, I am stronger. Because of you I cherish each day. You made me realize that the person most dear to me in my life, can be taNen from me in the blinN of an eye.´ )rom the beginning, 0oore chose to be open about her cancer, and for that, she is glad. “It was the support and love that I received from so many that helped me deal with my entire cancer Mourney, along with the Nnowledge that I could “trust in the Lord with all my heart, and Nnow that he would direct my path,´ 0oore said. “0y faith provided me with such peace, courage, and hope throughout my Mourney,´ she added. 0oore said she doesn’t believe a person could go through such a serious health ordeal, with themselves or a loved one, and not be affected 26 ver John Day Ri RUTHIE Although she had no symp- toms alerting her anything might be wrong – and in fact said she had never felt better, healthwise – she felt she was prepared mentally for such a diagnosis. Still, the doctor’s words left her numb – a word she says “best describes my state of being that ¿ rst weeN.´ “It was a matter of going through each day, trying to act normal, yet Nnowing that my life was about to become any- thing but normal,´ 0oore said. There were a few melt- downs, but 0oore said for the most part, “I had things to do and some cancer butt to NicN, so that’s what I set out to do´ 2ne of the most dif¿ cult de- cisions she said she’s ever had to maNe was choosing between a mastectomy or lumpectomy and radiation. She researched and sought out information from others who’ve been in the same situation. And she prayed. She opted for the lumpec- tomy, which was done under the care of Dr. Keith Thomas at %lue 0ountain +ospital. That was followed by 33 radi- ation treatments at St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, and hormone therapy, which she is still undergoing. 0oore Nept a Mournal, log- ging appointments and mile- stones, thoughts and emotions. +er denial rings loudly in the early Mournal entries. When she went in for her ¿ rst radiation treatment, she Tuestioned the techs to maNe sure it was indeed her they were supposed to be treating. After their assurance they had the correct patient, she wrote in her Mournal that evening, “2Nay, it’s a done deal – I had breast cancer´ +er initial strength waned the following year as anniver- sary days neared. She became emotional, and said that’s when everything really hit. Through it all, she had the love and support of many fam- ily members, including her “ama]ing co-survivor´ hus- band, ChucN, and her children and grandchildren who were OREGON Prairie City GRANT Mount Vernon Bates 26 395 62 wy. Co. H -2+1 DAY ² +ighway 3 South will close in 1o- vember for about 10 days while crews worN to improve two culverts at Sheep *ulch and 9ance CreeN. The closure ² beginning 1ov. until 1ov. 1 ² will span between milepost 2.5 and 17, near where the two culverts are located. 1o local detours will be made available. The Oregon Department of Transporta- tion will worN to accommo- date nearby property owners and emergency services. Travelers will need to use alternative routes during the closure, and are advised to stay on main highways due to potential winter weather. ODOT spoNesman Tom Strandberg said crews will replace the existing culverts with larger and wider box culverts that will more easily handle a À ooding event. Be- cause of the widespread dam- age caused by the 110,000- acre Canyon CreeN Complex ¿ re, there is concern that a mudslide or À ooding could result in +ighway 35 being closed temporarily. “The Forest Service is ex- pecting some potential maMor flooding issues because of the erosion due to the fires and all of the trees and brush that were burned out there,´ Strandberg said. “The cul- verts are considered to be Area in detail • Primary Care • Acute Care • Women’s Health Exams • Men and Children Exams • Immunizations • Family Planning • Contraception • Pregnancy Testing & Referrals • HIV Testing & Referrals • Cacoon • WIC • High Risk Infants • Maternity Case Management Grant County Health Department does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activitie s, or in employment. Appointments available Call and schedule your appointment today! TOLL FREE 888-443-9104 or 541-575-0429 Meet our latest commitment to your health. Heather Hansen, MD St. Charles Rheumatology St. Charles Medical Group is pleased to welcome Heather Hansen, MD, to our team of providers. Board certified in both rheumatology and internal medicine, Dr. Hansen attended medical school at Wake Forest University and the University of New Mexico. She completed her residency at the University of New Mexico and her rheumatology fellowship at the University of Arizona. In addition to general rheumatology, Dr Hansen’s interests include rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome and lupus. Dr. Hansen and her active family love to ski, cycle, play soccer and paddle board with their dog, Summit. She is also fluent in Spanish. The St. Charles Rheumatology clinic offers comprehensive services for patients with a variety of rheumatology-related diagnoses. To schedule an appointment, call 541-706-7735. 2830 10th St., Baker City, OR 541-524-0122 EVERY OTHER TUESDAY 2965 NE CONNERS AVE, SUITE 127 IN BEND | StCharlesHealthCare.org
