Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
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Community HEALTH BEAT
Quality Healthcare Close To Home
170 Ford Road, John Day • 541-575-1311 • www.bluemountainhospital.org
Of course, good health is about more
than just diet and exercise. If you’re
going to set New Year’s resolutions,
how about setting goals to screen for
diseases such as cancer? Here are
some suggestions from the experts:
A letter from Dr. Hall
William Francis Eden was a hard-working rancher, a loving
husband and father of 8 children, and a well-respected
citizen who was active in his small, rural community. One
day, he noticed blood in his stool, and over time, the once
strong rancher grew ever more feeble.
On September 14, 1964, William died at the age of 70. He
was my grandfather, but I never knew him. He died of
colon cancer—5 years before the invention of the
colonoscopy. The colonoscopy didn’t become a standard
screening procedure until the 1980’s, but I wonder what
would have happened if my grandfather had had a
colonoscopy. Because of our family history of colon cancer,
my family gets early screening colonoscopies, and I had my
first colonoscopy on June 1, 2015.
As we look forward to the prospects of 2017, you may be
thinking of joining—as I am—the 130 million other
Americans who will set New Year’s resolutions this year.
And not surprisingly, according to a recent Nielsen survey,
the New Year’s resolutions we are most likely to set are:
1. Stay fit and healthy
2. Lose weight
Jan
Jan
Jan
Jan
Jan
Jan
2 - Dr. Rushton - Baker Podiatrist
4 - Dr. Takla - Bend Urology
11 - Dr. McLellan - Bend Cardio
16 - Dr. Rushton - Baker Podiatrist
25 - Dr. McLellan - Bend Cardio
30 - Dr. Rushton - Baker Podiatrist
1. Colon cancer: If you’re over 50 and have not been
screened for colon cancer, ask your health care
provider about screening options. Assuming
normal results, your options include a colonoscopy
every 10 years, a genetic stool test such as
Cologuard every 3 years, or other stool testing (e.g.
FIT or Hemoccult) every year.
2. Cervical cancer: If you’re a woman between the age
of 21 and 65, ask your health care provider if you
are due for a Pap smear.
3. Breast cancer: If you’re a woman over 40, ask your
health care provider if you need a screening
mammogram.
4. Hepatitis C: If you’re a baby boomer (born between
1945 and 1965), get screened for hepatitis C with a
simple blood test.
These are just some of the recommended screening tests
that are covered by your insurance plan.
Unfortunately, research also shows that only about 8% of
us will achieve our goals for the New Year. So, how can
you be one of those 8%? How can you increase your
chances of keeping your resolutions?
According to experts, New Year’s resolutions are more
likely to be achieved if they are simple and tangible. For
example, rather than a resolution to lose 50 pounds, set a
goal to cut out the soda and alcohol and lose 10 pounds in
3 months. Or rather than a goal to “exercise more”, how
about starting a routine of walking around the 7th Street
Complex twice every morning?
If you haven’t done so recently, schedule an appointment
with your health care provider to develop a
comprehensive health plan to make 2017 your healthiest
year yet! Happy New Year, Grant County!
Myrtha Fields
Myrtha was born January 22, 1921 on a farm/ranch in Imbler, Oregon.
She was one of eleven children.
Life during the depression era was difficult on everyone, but because her
family lived on a farm they did not go without something to eat. She
remembers men coming by the farm looking for work or some food and
her father always finding something for them. She was kept busy
working at home, baby sitting, and tending animals. One of the things
she enjoyed doing was playing outside and watching critters. Once she
watched a mouse family at play and said that it as like watching any
family take care of their home and children.
Myrtha graduated from Imbler High School, attended BYU for a year but
got homesick and returned to Imbler. She graduated from Eastern
Oregon Normal School, which is now known as Eastern Oregon
University. She taught school in Portland for a year and was informed by
Vern Fields that he was the one she was going to marry. It seems that there
were several young men that were vying for her attention. They were
married in her family home in Imbler. They made their home in several
towns as Vern had various jobs and finally they settled in John Day. They
had three children - Meredith, Bill and Stuart. After her older children
were in school, she resumed her teaching career. She taught third, fourth
and fifth grades. Her favorite position was teaching the fifth grade.
Myrtha has many different hobbies. She likes bowling, fishing and
shooting trap. But most of all she loves to work in her flower beds. She
especially likes roses and irises. When asked what flower she likes best, she
just says she likes them all.
Myrtha has never been one to be left behind in any adventure. There was
no way she was going to be left behind if Vern planned to head out on an
adventure.
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