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Marie Nemec, left, and Charlotte Reicks, middle, are known as the Bicycling Grandmas for Huntington’s disease. They and Sherri Kole, right, bicycled over 500 miles to the 2012 HD convention in Las Vegas.

Use it, don’t lose it Is a personal trainer right for you?page 6

Your Guide to a Healthy Mind & Body

Health &Wellnesssummer 2013

2 HealtH & wellness www.BeaconSeniorNews.com May 2013

By Will Snowdon

The story of the impact of Hun-

tington’s disease on a family is tragic, as it attacks in the prime of life. All ages are vulnerable but a young mother or father with young children is most common. This is how it was in our family.

HD is a degenerative brain disor-der caused by a defective gene that slowly destroys brain cells, resulting in uncontrolled movements, loss of balance, changes in personality, loss of communication and loss of intel-lectual capabilities. This ugly disease is devastating to both the victim and family, which becomes the primary caregiver. Depression is common, as it becomes progressively difficult to swallow, walk and talk.

My first memory of HD was of my grandmother. Grandpa had built a three-story house. He would carry Grandma up a flight of stairs from the tuck-under garage to the main living area and up another flight of stairs to the top-floor bedroom. We all thought she had Parkinson’s dis-ease and my only memory was of her being bedridden.

My father and his sister both inherited the defective gene of HD. My aunt died in an accident before showing signs of HD, but her only daughter fell victim to the disease as a mother in her 40s.

My father graduated from the University of Colorado and joined the U.S. Army during World War II. He returned from duty to start his career and provide for his family with five children. He built our home just west of Denver. He was an outdoorsman. He taught us all how to ice skate and we’d go skiing in the winter. Every summer, he took the family on a week-long fishing trip in the Colo-rado mountains. He also loved riding

motorcycles. My favor-ite image is of my dad on a motorcycle and my mom in the sidecar holding me while preg-nant with my brother.

Our summer fish-ing trips fit a tighter window as my broth-ers and I consumed summer vacation with baseball, which he

helped coach several seasons. Our family was tight, active and proud when signs of HD started showing in Dad’s early 40s.

It took about four years for the symptoms to develop. The spastic movements of chorea were incom-patible with his job as an electrical engineer. Our over-achieving father was degraded to a family embarrass-ment when he attended high school basketball games. Kids laughed and called him a drunk.

Our mom found work as a ward re-ceptionist in a hospital. Dad became depressed. He tried to stay active by walking our dog to the local Dairy Queen for a daily ice cream cone. Gradually, that walk became unman-ageable.

One day, Mom came home from work and found Dad laying cross-ways in a bathtub of cold water. He had lost his balance, fallen into the tub, knocked on the cold water in the fall and couldn’t get up. At that point, Mom realized he could not be home alone and she could not take care of him at home. So he went to an assisted living facility and died of pneumonia at the age of 52.

I am the oldest of five kids: four boys, with our sister being in the middle. Our sister had two daughters before Dad started showing signs of HD. We all thought Grandma had Parkinson’s disease, which was not hereditary, but learning that Dad had HD made my brothers and me think twice about having children.

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One brother was a great baseball player and was drafted by the Min-nesota Twins as a pitcher. He met a girl and they were engaged to be married until he brought her home to meet Mom and Dad. She couldn’t handle the possibility of HD and broke off the engagement. He was brokenhearted but he soon met his soulmate—a single mother with a daughter. Later, he learned of the blood test that was developed to verify the heredity of the defective gene and found that he was HD-free. He and his wife then had two daugh-ters. Another brother and his wife chose to adopt a child.

My wife and I talked with Mark, my youngest brother, and his wife about having children to avoid the possibil-ity of extending HD to the next gen-eration. We decided to take the risk. We would make the most of the years we had been given with children as part of our families. It was easy to say that as naive youths.

Both of us had two children, a boy and a girl. Mark became a high school art teacher in Woodland Park. He loved teaching the thrill of creation and he became a quality artist in the process. His niche was in painting and clay sculpture that

honored the American Indian culture of the Southwest. His pieces were dis-played in art galleries in Taos, Santa Fe, Vail and Colorado Springs.

Like Dad, he was an outdoorsman who loved skiing, hiking, biking and camping with his family. The first signs of HD began in his late 30s and the chorea movements became so dominant that the school released him at age 45. He substituted as a teacher’s aide in his daughter’s sec-ond grade class where the 8-year-old kids accepted the jerky movements as a sickness and not being drunk.

He continued being active and was hiking with his dog on a mountain trail when he slipped on a patch of ice and fell down a 20-foot slope. HD had zapped him of enough strength to get up. His dog stayed with him for several hours until another hiker discovered them. He was not dressed for the drop in temperature that oc-curred and was taken to the hospital with uncontrollable shaking. He was in and out of intensive care for weeks before dying of pneumonia at age 48.

That was 10 years ago. Our prayers now include his son and daughter. We pray they have not inherited the defective HD gene.

My brother wrote a prayer for his

2012 Bike for the Cure. From left to right: Marie Nemec, Charlotte Reicks, Heather Chynoweth and Gary Heiman. Chynoweth biked the first leg of the trip, but will ride the entire trip this year.

4 HealtH & wellness www.BeaconSeniorNews.com May 2013

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son and daughter. (A copy hangs on the wall in my office in Cedar-edge.) It reads:

“Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be strong men and women. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your tasks shall be no miracle, but you shall be the miracle.”

Substantial progress has been made in understanding HD in the past 20 years. Folksinger Woody Guthrie died of HD. His wife, Marjorie, invited a few friends to her kitchen table in 1967 as a support group and began

to inform others about the disease. That gathering has evolved into the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. For more information, call 800-345-HDSA (4372) or visit www.hdsa.org. ■

Marie Nemec, 69, and Charlotte Reicks, 77, are planning their 15th bicycle trip to raise funds for HD families and research.

This year, the bicycling grandmas are bicycling almost 1,000 miles from Galves-ton, Texas to Jacksonville, Florida, for the HD National Convention on June 21-23.

The public is invited to a send-off break-fast from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. on Saturday, June 1 at Sherwood Park’s North Pavilion. In exchange for your support, delicious food is promised courtesy of Home Style Bakery, City Market and Safeway.

Six bicyclists are joining Nemec and Reicks this year. Sherri Kole of Idaho and Gary Heiman of Ohio rode with them last year from Grand Junction to Las Vegas. Kole’s son has HD and Heiman’s wife is a social worker for HD families.

For the first time, two local bicyclists are committed to the ride: Heather and Hope Chynoweth of Fruita.

Ohio kindergarten teacher Devon Walker is bicycling for the first time for her grandmother, aunts and uncles who have HD. Mary Ann Taylor from California is bicycling for her nephew with HD. This year’s ride is dedicated to Debby Martin of Madison, Wisconsin, who passed away March 2 from HD. Nemec and Reicks met her in 2006 on their ride from Kearney, Nebraska to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The local HD support group meets the last Tuesday of every month at the First United Methodist Church, 522 White Ave. Nemec and Reicks would like to thank the com-

munity for its sup-port in research for HD with the hope of eventually finding a cure. For details visit www.bikeforthecure.org.

Grandmas bicycle for Huntington’s disease

Sherri Kole on the ride to Las Vegas for the 2012 Huntington’s Disease Society of America’s annual convention. All photos courtesy of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America.

Devon WalkerGary Heiman

May 2013 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com HealtH & wellness 5

The Healthy GeezerBy Fred Cicetti

Q. I remember having lots of fevers as a kid. But now that I’m older, I don’t get them like I used to. What gives?

The immune system doesn’t func-tion as efficiently in older adults as it does in younger people. A fever is the body’s response to infection and it is not always automatic in elderly people. More than 20 percent of adults over the age of 65 who have serious bacterial infections do not have fevers.

This brings us to germs, which are defined as microbes that cause disease. Infectious diseases caused by microbes are the leading cause of death.

Microbes are microscopic organ-isms that are everywhere. Some microbes cause disease. Others are essential for health. Most microbes belong to one of four major groups: bacteria, viruses, fungi or protozoa.

Bacteria are made up of only one cell. Less than 1 percent cause disease in humans. Harmless bacte-ria live in human intestines, where they help digest food. Foods such as yogurt and cheese are made using bacteria.

Some bacteria produce danger-ous poisons. Toxins from bacteria cause botulism, a severe form of food poisoning. However, several vaccines are made from bacterial toxins.

Viruses are among the smallest mi-crobes. They consist of one or more molecules that contain the virus’ genes surrounded by a protein coat. Most viruses cause disease. They invade normal cells then multiply.

There are millions of types of fungi. The most familiar ones are mushrooms, yeast, mold and mildew. Some live in the human body, usually without causing illness. In fact, only about half of all types of fungi cause disease in humans. Penicillin and other antibiotics, which kill harmful bacteria in our bodies, are made from fungi.

Protozoa is a group of microscopic, one-celled animals. In humans, protozoa usually cause disease. Some protozoa, like plankton, are food for marine animals. Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite.

You can get infected by germs from other people in many different ways, including transmission through the air from coughing or sneezing, direct contact such as kissing or sexual intercourse, and touching infectious material on a doorknob, telephone, automated teller machine or a diaper.

A variety of germs come from household pets. Dog and cat saliva can contain more than 100 different germs that can make you sick.

Mosquitoes may be the most com-mon insect carriers of disease. Fleas that pick up bacteria from rodents can transmit plague to humans. The tiny deer tick can infect humans with Lyme disease.

We become immune to germs natu-rally and artificially. Before birth, we received natural immunity from our mothers. Once we are exposed to a germ, we develop natural immunity to it from special cells in our immune system. Artificial immunity can come from vaccines.

Most infections caused by microbes fall into three major groups: acute infections, chronic infections and latent infections. The common cold is an acute infection. Hepatitis C, which affects the liver, is a chronic viral infection. Chickenpox is an example of a latent infection that can emerge many years later, causing shingles.

Hand washing is a simple and ef-fective way to stop the transmission of germs. It is especially important to wash your hands before touching food, after coughing or sneezing, af-ter changing a diaper, and after using the toilet. ■

If you would like to read more columns, you can order a copy of “How to be a Healthy Geezer” at www.healthygeezer.com. If you have a question, write to fred@healthygeezer.com.

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6 HealtH & wellness www.BeaconSeniorNews.com May 2013

By Cheryl Currier

As people age, their health goals change. Tiffany Chapman, 34, a

personal trainer at the Grand Valley Recreation Center, said a growing number of her clients are seniors looking to implement positive chang-es in their health to improve their quality of life.

Chapman said it is important for people to remain active, especially as they age.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” she said. “The flexibility goes and you’re more prone to injury, hip problems and back problems. The more weight you gain causes more issues on every joint you have.”

When Ava Lanes turned 60, she realized she was losing the flexibility and endurance she enjoyed when she was younger.

“I woke up one day and realized I needed to take some preventive mea-sures,” she said.

She also took her family health his-

tory into account and decided she needed to imple-ment sustain-able change that would benefit her the rest of her life.

Working with a trainer allows Lanes to follow a customized plan with exercises that are enjoyable and modified to her abilities. Lanes meets Chapman twice a week at the Grand Valley Recreation Center and does an additional workout at home once or twice a week.

During the late spring and summer months, Lanes’ outdoor activities increase, so she doesn’t plan to head to the gym as often. Lanes works with Chapman primarily during the winter months.

“That’s when I get lazy, just like a lot of people,” Lanes said.

Use it, don’t lose it: Trainers keep seniors accountable at the gymChapman helps

her clients build strength through resistance train-ing.

“Strength training is not about killing you,” Chapman said. “It’s about making your life easier. It’s about

using the resistance of your body against your muscles. We use resis-tance bands, balls, and small hand weights instead of heavy dumbbells.”

Lanes said she makes sure to exer-cise the parts of her body like her abs and arms that do not get a good work out when she walks or bikes.

One of the greatest benefits of working with a trainer is the level of accountability.

“I might exercise for 15 minutes at home, but when I get with Tiffany, I’ll do an hour,” Lanes said.

Lanes uses a Fitbit, a wireless activ-ity tracker that syncs to her phone. It makes recording steps, distance and calories burned almost effortless and allows her to see the progress she has made toward her fitness goals.

“They put your activity in perspec-tive of what you are actually doing instead of what you think you might be doing,” Chapman stated.

For more information, visit www.fitbit.com. Fitbits start at about $60.

Grand Valley Recreation Center is located at 398 Arroyo Drive in Battle-ment Mesa and offers a full schedule of fitness classes taught by Chap-man and other qualified instructors. Chapman can modify exercises for her participants’ level of strength and flexibility.

Chapman charges $38 per hour for personal training sessions. Contact her directly at 234-6867 or stop by the Grand Valley Recreation Center to pick up a schedule of current classes. Call 285-9480 for details. ■

May 2013 www.BeaconSeniorNews.com HealtH & wellness 7

By Tait Trussell

They call it Project Joints. It’s a procedure now in hospitals in 10

states (Colorado included) that has been successful in reducing costly infections in hip and knee replace-ments, which are procedures that take place at least 1 million times a year.

At least 50,000 people a year die from hospital-acquired infections. To reduce mortality and expenses, Project Joints involves a multi-step process.

Surgical-site infections can come from operating room staff doctors or nurses, from contamination of the prosthetic joint during the surgical procedure, or from pathogens in the patient’s body. The patient may have pathogens on his or her skin or mu-cous membrane.

If infection occurs during the operation, it calls for more surgery. It also means severe pain, extended use of antibiotics and in some cases, even amputation.

As our population ages, we can ex-pect a huge increase in hip and knee replacements. Project Joints grew out of new financial penalties from Medicare for preventable hospital infections and concern about hospital

Stopping surgical infections during joint replacement procedures

infections shared by medical person-nel. The government pays for the safety procedures.

When infection does occur in a hip replacement, for example, it can add $100,000 to the hospital bill, medical experts say. Not to mention the pos-sibility of malpractice suits.

Project Joints uses many means of reducing possible infection. Instead of shaving hair in the location to be operated on, it uses clippers. Shaving could cut the skin, opening the door to bacteria, which could get into the blood stream. The skin is prepared with an alcohol antiseptic.

But that’s only the beginning. The patient, several days before surgery, must have a nasal swab to be tested for bacteria, take a class about pre-venting infection, shower for three days with a special soap, and sleep on clean sheets before the operation.

As part of the Project Joints prepa-ration for patients, they are asked to view a video showing a patient who had knee surgery and contracted an infection. It required 16 follow-up surgeries before doctors told her there was nothing else they could do but amputate her leg above the knee. Project Joints has gone a long way to remove this drastic step. ■

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“This procedure flattens your abdomen by removing extra fat and skin, and tightening muscles in your abdominal wall,” Dr. Rebecca Glasser of Canyon Creek Plastic Surgery in Fruita said. “Depending on your situ-ation, this surgery can take anywhere from three to four hours.”

There are two options for a tummy tuck. You and your surgeon will discuss your desired results, and he or she will determine the appropriate procedure during your consultation.

Complete abdominoplasty. The abdomen is cut from hip bone

to hip bone in this procedure, and is for those patients who require the most correction. The incision

is made low and the scar will hide behind your underwear or bikini. Your surgeon then manipulates and contours the skin, tissue and muscle as needed. The belly button will have a new opening because it’s necessary to free the navel from surrounding tissue. Drainage tubes will be placed and removed in one to two weeks.

Partial or mini abdominoplasty. Mini-abdominoplasties are often

performed on patients whose fat deposits are located below the navel and require shorter incisions. During this procedure, the belly button most likely will not be moved. The skin will be separated between the line of incision and the belly button and the muscle tightened.

Glasser likes patients, both men and women, to be within 10 or 15 pounds of their goal weight. For more information, visit www.can yoncreekplasticsurgery.com or call 858-2595. ■

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