Download - Midlands Woman

VOL 1, NO 2COMPLIMENTARY

TM

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING, AND EDUCATING Real WOMEN

A THRIVING SURVIVOR Melissa Harvey shares her story

A PatrioticHEART Meet Cynthia Sebree-Richardson

THE WOMANBehind THE MAN

JERRISpurrier

It’s a higher level of care, for you and your baby. The hospitals of Palmetto Health have the most experienced physicians and specialists, including neonatologists and the area’s only maternal fetal specialists. On our Baptist campus, the new, all-private NICU rooms provide an option of rooming in, so mother and baby can immediately begin to bond. Along with Baptist, the Richland NICU staff cares for the state’s smallest, most critically ill babies, saving lives every day. Together, our hospitals are the safest, most experienced place to bring a life into the world.

rooms provide an option of rooming in, so mother and baby can immediately begin to bond. Along with Baptist, the Richland NICU staff cares for the state’s smallest, most critically ill babies, saving lives every day. Together, our hospitals are the safest, most experienced place to bring a life into the world.

That’s why women of the Midlands prefer the

critically ill babies, saving lives every day. Together, our hospitals are the safest, most experienced place to bring a life into the world.

That’s why women of the Midlands prefer the

for women’s and maternity care.

palhea_3469_01_ws_nicu_mw.indd 1 3/22/11 10:27 AM

�www.midlandswoman.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFLori Samples [email protected]

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVESTheresa Adams

Joy MabryCathy Williams

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSBrooks BartonRuth Chapman

Pastor Mark CrumptonLori Samples Duncan

Tammy FerrisMargaret GregorySusanne LiggettJoshua Ortegon

Dr. Bob Phillips, Ph.D.Mandy Rivers

Tyler RyanDr. Michelle Welch

Leslie Wilson

COVER PHOTOClark Berry Photography

DESIGN Melissa W. Morris

PHOTOGRAPHYClark Berry Photography

4

12

In this Issue

www.midlandswoman.com

Find us on facebook!

Celebrating the Survivor in You!10 Melissa Harvey: A Thriving Survivor

The Coach’s Wife12 The Woman Behind the Man: Jerri Spurrier

Professional14 Peace of Mind Can Flow with the Water in Your Pipes

16 Ginny Jones is Hitting Her Peak!

Health & Wellness19 Skin Talk with Dr. Welch

20 Double the Love, Double the Joy

23 Mother Child Bonding and Asthma

24 How will You Sleep Tonight?

26 Home Is Where the Heart Is!

Business & Web Directory27 Contact our advertisers

Personal Note28 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Motherhood

From the Editor 2 It’s all about Heart!

Events 3 What’s Happening in the Midlands?

Let’s Talk 4 A Patriotic Heart

5 Tips for Starting Healthy Habits in Your Children

6 Tony’s Hair Replacement System

8 Stop and Smell the Roses

9 Improving Lives…Improving Communities…Offering HOPE

10

Midlands Woman MagazineWoman 2 Woman Publishing

(803) 785-4475 711 East Main Street, Suite A-2

Lexington, SC 29072

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However, the publisher cannot assume respon-sibility for errors or omissions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. © 2011

� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

an you believe it’s Summer already? It seems like only a few days ago we were telling everyone Happy New Year! This time of year has so much to offer to us in

the Midlands. Beautiful Lake Murray will be filled with boats of all sizes and types and lots of swimming and skiing going on as well. Be careful on the water, Mother’s watch your babies! Not only does our community offer lots of water sports but we also have a summer packed full of great events. Check out our online calendar as well as our events page to find out what is coming up soon that you might want to take part in.

Our annual Culinary Cards for Cancer is coming up be sure to check the website at www.midlandswoman.com for the dates. This was a great event last year and we suspect this year will be twice as much fun. Midlands Woman is proud to be a partner with The Wingate of Lexington, Chemo with Style and Alala Cancer Society for this event, as well as a host of fantastic restaurants in our community! This is a great value for the cost of the ticket; I guarantee you will have as much fun as you want to while you are there.

We interviewed a very special lady for this issue of Midlands Woman. Her name is Cynthia Richardson, and I am so excited about telling you more about her and her children. She is the mother of five, four of which are currently serving our country through the Military. Happy Memorial Day and Fourth of July! I appreciate every man and woman who has ever been in the Military or is currently serving it is their sacrifice that allows us those freedoms we hold so dear. This country was founded by men and women who longed for the very liberties that we often take for granted!

Dems Fine Jewelers honored us this February with a bead called “Blessings”. We decided that a percentage of the sales from that bead will benefit Pets Inc. If you have a four legged friend you love, go by Dems and buy a bead, build a bracelet and make a difference.

I am so excited about the lady on the front cover, who is none other than a local coach’s wife, Mrs. Jerri Spurrier. As a woman who loves football, I am already excited about the upcoming season. We wanted to give you a glimpse of the woman behind the man on the field. I know this is Gamecock and Tiger country, so if you are a Tiger fan, I hope you can ignore the rivalry long enough to enjoy our article on Mrs. Spurrier.

As always we are bringing you the best of the best of local businesses. Every business in the following pages have made a commitment to us as consumers to offer quality products, services and customer service. Feel free to call us if you know a business we should feature!

Hope you had a Happy Mother’s Day or made it a happy day for your Mom if you’re not a mom yourself. Happy Father’s Day!

Lori Samples DuncanEditor-in-Chief

C


HappyMemorial Day and 4th of July!Don’t forget to thankall of our wonderful

service menand women.

Psalm 103Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.


Events

pop music - it’s compelling musical the-atre. Shows: Thursdays through Sundays only. (Please Note: there will not be a show on Sunday June 19th, Sunday June 26th or Sunday July 3rd.)www.trustus.org

Blythewood IPRARodeoJune 24 – 25, 8 p.m.Blythewood Community Center ParkCheck out the International Professional Rodeo Association Rodeo at the Bly-thewood Community Center Park on

June 24 and 25, 2011. Do not miss out on this amazing experience!www.iprarodeo.com

The Family Education Series (Lexington)June 27, July 25, August 29,5:30 – 7:00 p.m.1608 South Lake Drive, Lex.The Family Education Series is designed for families and friends of those who are dealing with alcohol and other drug is-sue. Contact LRADAC for more details.www.lradac.org

Your Ultimate Source for Corporate Gift Baskets

Grow... Retain... Nurture... your Clients. Appreciate... Motivate... Recognize... your Employees.

www.uggb.us | www.ultimategourmetgiftbaskets.com | Toll-free: 1.800.758.1714 x 1

Stay connected with Midlands Woman on facebook. Be the first to comment on our content, weigh in on upcoming story ideas, and even share topics you’d like to see us cover! Tell us what you want to see more of! Interact with our editors! Hear about ways to win goodies!

Look us up!

We want you to “Like” us!

What’s Happening in the Midlands?

Blooming ButterfliesMay 7 – October 8, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.EdVenture Children’s Museum Come explore the world of the butterfly! Visit EdVenture’s living exhibit, Bloom-ing Butterflies and explore the world of these fascinating insects! This 2,500 square foot enclosed structure was de-signed just for butterflies. It is filled with dozens of species of trees and plants that support hundreds of butterflies from more than 20 different species native to the Southeast United States. Be sure to check out the Bloom Room and observe chrysalises and emerging butterflies. Ad-mission is $3 per person in addition to museum admission.www.edventure.org

Rembrandt: FromSacred to ProfaneMay 17 – August 21Columbia Museum of ArtThe exhibition includes examples from traditional subjects, such as his famous Christ Healing the Sick (also known as the Hundred Guilder Print) and por-traits, to more mundane images, like the Beggar with a Stick, nude studies and the so-called “Man Making Water.” Ad-mission is $10 for adults, $5 for students, $8 for military, $8 for senior citizens,

free on Sundays, and free for museum members and children 5 and under.www.columbiamuseum.org

The Family Education Series (Richland)June 13, July 11, August 8,5:30 – 7:00 p.m.LRADAC, 2711 Colonial Drive, ColumbiaThe Family Education Series is designed for families and friends of those who are dealing with alcohol and other drug is-sue. Contact LRADAC for more details.www.lradac.org

“Smokey Joe’s Café”June 17 – July 23Trustus TheatreMusic and lyrics by Leiber and Stoller Directed and choreographed by Ter-rance Henderson. Music direction is by Walter Graham. Leiber and Stoller, as much as anyone, virtually invented rock ‘n’ roll, and now their songs provide the basis for an electrifying entertainment that illuminates a golden age of Ameri-can culture. In an idealized 50’s setting, the classic themes of love won, lost and imagined blend with hilarious set-pieces and slice-of-life emotions. Featuring nearly 40 of the greatest songs ever re-corded, Smokey Joe’s Café isn’t just great


od blessed Cynthia Sebree-Richardson with five children and nine grandchildren. Three handsome boys and two lovely young ladies. Cynthia sat with us and

told us a little about her family. I was intrigued with this mother who is a manager at Southlake Village. A woman with five children and four of them are currently enlisted. Four children who are currently serving our country I was in awe.

G

A PATRIOTIC

Sometimes we get a chance to interview a local or national celeb-rity, but sitting with Cynthia was like that for me. I wanted to know how this mother of five raised chil-dren who all entered the military.

Her oldest son is 35 year old Da-vis Sebree, who is a Navy recruiter in Miami. Jameries Sebree is a medic in the Army, and Corjamin Richardson, age 27, is a commu-nication specialist in the Army. Cynthia’s two daughters are Zykia Richardson-Smith, age 25, and Sa-koryah Richardson, age 26, who are also both in the Army. Sako-ryah was honorably discharged last year. Zykia is awaiting orders for deployment in Hawaii even as I write.

Davis, Jameries and Corjamin have served a combined total of 8 tours in Iraq. Cynthia says it’s hard to miss first birthdays or the birth of grandchildren while they are spread out serving our country. Her husband is also a military man,

Mr. Benjamin Richardson. Cynthia says he keeps her grounded. She believes that his experience in the military inspired their children to follow in their father’s footsteps.

Cynthia shared that she herself came from a military family. Her father was a veteran of World War II. She says growing up in a mili-tary world helped prepare her for the fact that her children are in harm’s way. She says you definitely carry it through the day with you. However she is careful to give all the credit to God for her inner strength and being able to focus on the positive and not the nega-tive. “Life is life. God has all power in his hands and he will see us through.” She also gives credit to her church family at Jerusalem Baptist Church and her Pastor Patrick Harvin of Hopkins South Carolina. They keep the children on their prayer list.

Cynthia said to me, “I am very proud of my children, that they

have taken it upon themselves to make a difference for our country and others. I strongly feel it was a choice they made. There have been many times they could have made the choice to leave the military; however they have continued to pursue their military careers.”

As far as those who would say they don’t believe in war or they don’t feel we should be at war. That isn’t what this article is about. No one wants war. I agree with Cynthia’s two cents worth, “You can’t preach to the choir if you’ve never been a member.” Cynthia isn’t talking about church she is speaking of the choirs of life.

I for one am very proud of all of our military men and women who serve this great country. We at Lex-ington Woman would like to offer you all a heartfelt Thank You! As for mothers like Southlake Village’s Cynthia Sebree Richardson, as we say in the south, “Bless your gener-ous heart!”

HeartLet’s Talk

by Lori Samples Duncanphotography by Clark Berry Photography


803.750.9036 • www.AthletesArena.com • 7575 B St. Andrews Road • Irmo, SC

• Sports Performance

• Personal Training

• Fitness Nutrition

• Massage Therapy

Tips for Starting Healthy Habits in Your Childrenby Joshua Ortegon, CSCS

AI consistently get questions from parents on how they can implement a healthy eating and exercise program for their teens and pre-teens. “All my kid will do is eat hotdogs and play vid-eo games,” I once had a parent tell me. I had a pretty simple question for the parent, “Why do you buy hotdogs and let your kid eat them first of all and why do you let them play video games 5 hours a day?” I felt like they were asking me to be the parent.

The previous example has happened many times since I have began working with youth athletes in college 10 years ago. One common concern is from parents of children who are not interested in playing sports yet the parents still see the importance of implementing healthy fit-ness and eating habits in their kids.

Here are some tips and recommendations for parents who want to start implementing an ac-tive lifestyle for the kids that can last into adult-hood:• Habits are caught not taught. This is actually

something I heard from a client at the gym

when discussing this article and I immedi-ately believed it should be the first tip. How active are you as a parent? Do you make fit-ness a priority? Do you sit in front of the TV every night and eat Dorritos and ice cream? How about those hot dogs you tell me about? Are you really mad because they are YOUR hot dogs and you don’t want you kid to eat them? If you eat healthy, your children will catch on. If you are enthusiastic about fitness and exercise, your kids will catch on.

• Make exercise a requirement to be reward-ed with privileges. I was talking to a parent about this a few years ago. She said she would require some kind of fitness for her children prior to being on the computer, playing video games or watching TV. The best thing about this is that she would offer to do it with her children. She played tennis with them, rode bikes or they did and exercise video together! I loved this idea!

• Introduce your kids to sports. Many times parents, themselves, were not involved in sports so they are not familiar with the pro-cess of introducing their own kids to sports.

Find out if your child has any interest in a cer-tain sport. What are his friends doing? Talk to other parents about sports organizations in your area like the YMCA or recreational sports leagues. There are plenty of options out there if your desire is for competitive sports organizations or those based on promoting active lifestyles in our youth.

• My last tip is about nutrition! Your kids can’t eat it if you don’t buy it. They can’t eat the fast food if you don’t go to the fast food res-taurant. They won’t eat the ice cream if you don’t allow them to or if you don’t have it in the freezer. Am I asking you to not allow you children to snack at times? Am I a “Nutrition Nazi”? No, I absolutely believe in moderation though. And I also believe in setting rules and boundaries when it comes to your child’s nu-trition and wellness.

Be a role model when it comes to your kid’s fit-ness and nutrition. If you want them to exercise, then you should exercise. They will have healthy eating habits if you have healthy eating habits. I hope these tips have been helpful!

s a performance coach who deals with training athletes of all levels, I feel the number one role of my training is to implement healthy habits into a kid’s life that will last into their adulthood. With that comes educating

parents on what “healthy habits” are.

Let’s Talk


M any years ago I first heard of the word Alopecia (pronounced Al–o-pee-sha) in the unlikeliest of places. It was a scene from my then favorite television show, Northern Exposure. In the scene a Grizzly Adams type

character was sitting in the town tavern having a beer and waxing about a woman who could have potentially been the love of his life, except that she had a condition called alopecia. He couldn’t get past it and let her slip out of his life. For some reason, that scene and that word has stayed with me for many years.

The term Alopecia is used to describe a condition in which someone’s hair falls out, accord-ing to my online dictionary. This condition occurs in both men and women in varying degrees from small areas (alopecia areata) to no hair on the scalp (alopecia totalus) to no body hair whatsoever (alope-cia universallus) and the reasons why this condition occurs, accord-ing to Tony Smith, owner of Tony’s Hair Replacement Systems can include a buildup of DHT, hered-ity, medication, poor diet, (high in fat), overprocessed or damaged hair. Tony and his team of techni-cians are highly skilled and adept at replacing lost hair through non-surgical means.

I don’t mean to say that they sell

wigs; wigs are temporary and not attached. On the contrary, Tony’s contracts with their clientele to provide actual hair replacement. Tony says that roughly 70% of his clientele is men, but the number

Tony’s Hair Replacement Systemby Ruth Chapman

of women seeking his services is growing.

Tony utilizes Virtual Reality prod-ucts which is a system of hair replacement. You can visit the Vir-

tual Reality website at www.VRhair.com. Tony also carries products that are not readily available in lo-cal salons that are specifically for thickening and strengthening the existing hair, such as Revivagen, a

Let’s Talk

(803) 799-1553 or (800) 849-42472719 Middleburg Drive, Suite 106 • Columbia

Serving the needs of men and women,including chemotherapy and alopecia patients

Removable and Non-removable Attachments • Full Service including Coloring, Repairs and Hair-adds • Comfortable private no-pressure atmosphere

Over 75 Years of Experience • Free consultations • Full Line of Products and Supplies Experience with ALL Types and Textures of Hair

www.hairreplacementsystems.com

Tony’s Hair Replacement System

Non-surgical Hair Replacement

The current Miss Nebraska, Teresa Scanlan and Miss Delaware, Kayla Martell both have alopecia and are spokespersons...


Let’s Talk

Southlake Village offers resort style living with no long term commitment. Whether you are looking for an apartment, garden home or patio home, we have a

floor plan to meet every need.

* Mention this ad and receive a$99 Move-In Special!

Call us at (803) 356-1158 to set up a complimentary

lunch and tour!

123 Gibson RoadLexington, SC

www.southlakevillage.net

serum, shampoo and conditioner. The serum is applied to the scalp with an eyedropper and mas-saged into the scalp daily. There is also a shampoo and conditioner that comes with the serum all for around $119.00. Tony says this product, specifically for women, blocks the buildup of DHT, the primary cause of pattern bald-ness. Sometimes this product takes care of the baldness and de-pending on the client, could be all they need.

In fact, Tony says that some peo-ple are not candidates for hair replacement, once they have been evaluated, because they are not losing hair from the follicle, but rather their hair is breaking off. An evaluation with Tony or one of his technicians is the best place to start.

As for the hair, Tony says it is ac-tual hair and is available in any style, texture, color or other op-tion imaginable. For total hair replacements the initial treat-ment, including the installation of the hair system takes roughly 1 hour, with extra time allotted for styling, if necessary. The hair is inserted into a nearly invisible second skin called derma lens, similar to a contact lens using an adhesive lotion. After the initial period of 4-6 weeks and thereafter, a maintenance visit is required. Maintenance includes dissolving the adhesive lotion and remov-ing the hair system; an exfoliation process to remove dead cells; then a derma mud “mask” is applied to the scalp, similar to a facial, to re-move any oils and to soothe the

skin; finally the hair system, after cleansing, is reapplied. The main-tenance step typically takes about 45 minutes. That’s pretty much the same schedule I’m on with my hair stylist – a cut and style every 4-6 weeks and I’m in the chair roughly 30-45 minutes. The cost for the total system runs about $300 per month and included in the maintenance is, shampoo, style and color.

Many women who use Tony Hair Replacement don’t require an en-tire system, but rather have a hair integration process which com-bines the Hair Replacement their own hair using a web mesh that allows their hair to pull through. The maintenance for that is a similar process. The hair is so real and well adhered that you can even swim and water ski in it!

In fact, the current Miss Nebraska, Teresa Scanlan and Miss Dela-ware, Kayla Martell both have alopecia and are spokespersons for the Virtual Reality products. Miss Nebraska even went on to be crowned Miss America. She was featured in the Spring 2011 issue of The National Hair Jour-nal and has been seen in Good Housekeeping magazine. People magazine featured an article on Kayla Martell, who has had se-vere alopecia since she was 11 years old. You can even see Miss Scanlan’s hair installation process on YouTube.

If it’s good enough for two Miss America contestants, one actually winning the crown, it must be good enough for us!

Want Midlands Woman delivered

to your inbox?

Subscribe to the online versionof Midlands Woman at

www.midlandswoman.com


Specializing inOn-Site Repair

and Custom Design

F I N E J E W E L E R S

www.thechapmancompany.com

803-996-5530903 North Lake Drive, Lexington

(look for the black awning)

THEHAPMAN

OMPANYCC

Let us helpwith gi�s for that special

someonethis Summer!

before his death where I would lead my 69 year old father to the lord. The “Dash” on his headstone may be small but the season of his eternal life with God shall never end because he actually stopped to smell the roses. He stopped to appreciate and accept the precious gift of salvation.

I would like to share with you the poem that I penned on the way to my father’s funeral real-izing that the season had come to an end for this precious rose in my life.

One More Day(In remembrance of my father Ernest Crumpton)

If I had one more dayOh, the things I would doAnd the things I would say

I would take him everyplaceHe ever dreamed of going

I would take him to eat At ALL of his favorite places

We would do all those thingsHe waited to do “someday”

If I had one more day

I would write down every word he spokeI would let him know how much he means to meI would tell him and show him How much I truly love him

I could get this ALL done…If I had one more day

Oh, the things I would doAnd the things I would say

If I had one more day

Life is here today and Gone tomorrowAnd a lifetime of joy will bring a day of sorrow

Cherish Every “ONE MORE DAY”

Pastor Mark Crumpton, Lexington Church of God1228 S. Lake Drive, Lexington, SC 29073www.LexCOG.org, (803) 957-6675

The problem is that moment carries into the next moment, and the next until we simply settle for an occasional passing sniff, because we are simply too busy to stop This is exactly why you must take time to stop and smell the roses. The Bible tells us to redeem the time. This means: Take it back; seize it; make the most of it.

What are the Roses? These are the precious gifts that God has blessed our lives with for a season and then they are gone.

I lost my father in September 2007. He had lost a lot of weight and we begged him to go to the doctor. Finally he did, and they discovered a mass in his lungs that we were told imme-diately would not be operable because of the size and location. Right away he was sent for a biopsy. A few days later the results came in as suspected. It was cancer, but the exact type was inconclusive. Our only hope would be to shrink the tumor so we would know what we were dealing with, and we had to act fast. He left from the oncologist’s office and was im-mediately admitted to the hospital to remove a lymph node for another biopsy. He never came home, and I was never to have anoth-er conversation with him again. One of the hardest things for me was the fact that the last few weeks of his life I became so consumed with the situation that I didn’t once stop to en-joy him. All I could talk about or think about was what the doctor said, and what our op-tions were. After all, once I knew that, I would know how long of a season we would have together.

Friends, just as we have no control over the date the season of life begins, we have no con-trol of the date the season ends, the “Dash” in between is the Time you have to redeem. I give praise to God that he gave me the strength to redeem a few minutes with my dad 6 months

S ounds familiar? Most likely, but do you recall actually doing it recently? In the chaos of life’s situations, circumstances, events, and

even the blessings in our lives, we are too often distracted and caught up in the “Moment” to actually stop and smell the roses.

Stop and Smell the Rosesby Pastor Mark Crumpton

Let’s Talk


HELP is Here – Recovery is Possible

Learn more at www.lradac.org

(803) 726-94001068 South Lake Drive

Lexington, SC

(803) 726-93002711 Colonial Drive

Columbia, SC

Offering a wide array of alcohol and otherdrug prevention, intervention and treatment

programs at two convenient locations

Improving Lives…Improving Communities…Offering HOPE

by Leslie Wilson

TOne in five families is affected by substance use and every socioeconomic group, ethnicity and gender is represented in treatment programs throughout the country. Too often families live in the state of “denial” and believe that things are not really as bad as they are. Often parents believe it’s “just a phase” for the teenager caught with alcohol at a weekend party with friends. Or, he just had “one too many” when stopped and charged with DUI.

In reality, these high risk situations often esca-late into larger problems when we ignore them. These early warning signs give the user and their family an opportunity to become more educated about the potential long term conse-quences of their actions while becoming more aware of the risks surrounding substance use. Effective programming for substance abuse and addiction will address risks, long term conse-quences, dynamics of addiction and most im-portantly strategies to cope and move forward without the substance. Often the individual must make difficult changes in lifestyle, family

relationships, and friendships in order to move forward. It is critical that families and commu-nities learn how to set boundaries that are ap-propriately supportive for the individual as they make these necessary changes to be healthy and substance free.

Fast Fact: The earlier the onset of use, the greater the likeliness that an individual will de-velop a problem later with alcohol or drugs. The adolescent brain continues its development until age 25. In particular, the substance use impedes the development of the decision mak-ing and “choice” center for young adults. There-fore, early intervention programs are critical in providing harm reduction messages that helps adolescents and teens make better choices and subsequently change future behavior.

LRADAC is the Substance Abuse Authority for Lexington and Richland Counties whose purpose is Improving Lives… Improving Com-munities. For over 35 years, this non-profit

agency has cared for the needs of the residents of Richland and Lexington Counties by pro-viding a wide array of prevention/education, intervention and treatment programs and ser-vices to address substance abuse. LRADAC serves over 4000 clients per year in its outpa-tient and detoxification programs. Through community coalitions and prevention pro-grams, LRADAC partners with schools and community organizations, governmental and non-governmental agencies to provide educa-tion and awareness of drug use trends in our community. If you or someone you know is facing a substance abuse problem or addiction and needs someone to talk to, LRADAC has two locations convenient to residents in Lex-ington and Richland Counties. You can come by or reach us by phone at 803.726.9400 in Lexington County and 803.726.9300 in Rich-land County. Hope is right around the corner.

Lexington County: 1068 South Lake Drive, Lex-ington, SC 29073; Richland County: 2711 Colonial Drive, Columbia, SC 29203

he impact of substance abuse in the lives of the individual and their family is often filled with pain, fear, shame, and guilt. The impact is financial, physical, emotional and spiritual. Living continuously in the “cycle

of addiction” can and will create a level of despair that depletes a person’s reservoir of hope and clouds their future.

Let’s Talk

10 Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

am an only child, having to tell my children who were young, and having to tell my husband were the hardest things about those first few hours of my diagnosis.” One major change Melissa says this whole journey has taught her is it “makes you appreciate the small things.” It is her goal to always stay in a normal routine if possible. This “normal routine” includes work, travel, spend-ing time with family and friends, soccer games, and working to help others. “Cancer will do its best to destroy your routine, and I have worked very hard to not let it destroy very much.” Hunter plays soccer with SC United Soccer Club. He is part of the U12 Boys Elite team this year and the entire team proudly displays the pink breast cancer ribbon on their jersey. Part of Melissa’s journey has helped educate these young men about cancer. This team, coach and parents have been very supportive to the Harvey family. These young boys will not be as frightened if a family member or future wife gets a diagnosis because they know Hunter and his mom. At Oak Pointe Elementary, where Ty-ler goes to school, cancer awareness and raising money for Relay for Life has been a big part of

By the second paragraph I realized this article wasn’t about the Melissa that I met. I realized I was about to write an article about cancer. I don’t want to give the “c” word that much atten-tion. I want this article to be about Melissa.

My mother used to say, “To have a friend, you have to be a friend.” I think that is Melissa’s legacy. This woman refuses to just take it easy and lay around feeling sorry for herself. She has rarely missed a day of work in all the treatments and surgeries she has endured. The big joke at her treatment center is, “who is going to show up with her this time?” Why? Because Melissa travels with a posse. A posse of friends. That tells me she is a friend. Recently at the Dems Bead It to Beat It presentation, Melissa received a beautiful bead in her honor and had 40 people there to support her.

She’s warm and open about her experience, and the funny thing is life’s path had her rais-ing money for cancer related events long before she thought she might have to fight this battle herself. She takes nothing for granted and has learned to not sweat the small stuff.

Melissa told me that she is “always sorry that I have cancer, but I look at the things that have happened because of it…the friends I’ve made, the experiences I’ve had, and the people I’ve been able to reach out to.” She says, “Cancer is not a journey anyone can make alone. I was always the one helping other people when they needed help. My friend Sandy said, ‘It is your turn to let people help you. That is what friends are for.’”

Melissa at first started her own support group made of women battling all kinds of cancer. Later, Melissa joined the Pink Posse Phillies and embraced the support of other survivors. “It’s what you learn, who you meet, the bridges you cross, and the roads you travel. I look at all of the experiences over the last two and a half years…both good and bad, I don’t enjoy being sick, but I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world.”

After the initial anger of the diagnosis and the feelings of why me? The most difficult part of her journey was Melissa’s concern for others. “Hav-ing to tell my parents was especially difficult as I


Midlands Woman ce lebr ates the sur v ivor in you

sat down to write the article about Melissa Harvey who is by definition a thriving survivor. This is how it started: “Melissa is an Instructional Coach at Wood Elementary school in Lexington District 2. In other words she is a

teacher for teachers. She is married to Gene Harvey and the mother of two boys Hunter twelve, and Tyler seven. This is Melissa’s third experience with cancer. The original diagnosis in December 2008 was breast cancer, in May 2010 they found a spot on the sternum, now her current diagnosis (January 2011) is cancer is on the femur and the hip.”

I

Melissa HarveyA Thriving Survivor


��www.midlandswoman.com

day to day happenings. “You do not want kids to be faced with a family member having cancer but helping them understand and learn how to give back and support others certainly does a lot to build character and empathy,” says Melissa.

I asked Melissa what words of wisdom she would like to impart to others. “Never give up. Fight until the end regardless of when that is. Find a support group or a community organi-zation that you can be a part of. Find an outlet so you don’t have to walk this alone. Do not let this encompass your everyday thoughts…and it will if you let it!! If you ask my friends, seldom have any of them not seen me put together with jewelry, lipstick, and my hair done (even if it is a wig now…and they all of have names and personalities too!!). The things you do to make yourself feel better everyday are so important.”

“Caringbridge has been one of the best things I ever did. I am not a writer, but I write and write and write when I post updates to the site. It lets

people keep up with what is going on and even see pictures that I post.” She manages things by being highly organized keeping everything from receipts of doctor visits to recent scan re-ports and blood work with her. Cards and notes from friends are kept too and often read and reread on days when she may be feeling down. She says, “anything I think someone might want to look at fifty years from now I save.”

I asked Melissa to share a few things with you in her own words… Here is what she wrote:Another funny thing...I NEVER go anywhere without my camera. We take pictures at EVERY chemo treatment with people who are there to visit with me. I often drag my chemo nurse, Beth Perry, or Dr. Ackerman into pictures with me which I know Beth hates!! But you know...pictures are a way to tell the story. No matter where I am or what we are doing the camera is there!! Those pictures will be around some day when I am not so my story and memory will never be lost!!

Many people don’t think they are a survivor un-til they have finished treatments and had clear scans. I am here to tell you that is NOT true. You become a survivor the day you are diagnosed. Being a survivor means you put yourself in fight mode and NEVER give up. Reach out to others and let people help you during your journey.

Cancer is not a journey I chose for myself. It was one given to me to test my strength and faith. I truly feel it was one given to me to help me put life into perspective. What do I mean by perspec-tive you may ask? Life is so hurried and crazy. Being given this journey has made me appreciate the little things and not sweat the small stuff. I enjoy the sunset, the sunrise, the moon, the stars and making memories to last a lifetime no matter what I am doing. I could never be making this journey without family. My husband Gene, my children Hunter and Tyler and my parents John and Ann Baber have been there every step of the way. Through three cancer diagnosis, several sur-geries, chemo treatments, and of course all of the pictures!! Thanks to my friend, Sandy Arnott who set up meals and helped with my children and was there when I just needed to cry or laugh...you are a true friend. Thanks to my “neighbor-hood Chemo nurse”, Fauni Lowe. She answers all of my questions morning, noon, and night. I am blessed to have great neighborhood friends and coworkers. Thanks for always being there for me and the Harvey boys!! Gene, Hunter, Tyler, mom, and dad...I love each of you with all of my heart. You are my world forever and always. You can visit her Caringbridge for updates at www.caringbridge.com/visit/melissaharvey.

This article is brought to you by Dems Fine Jewelers. Visit www.demsjewelers.com or call (803) 407-5290.

Celebrating the Survivor in You!

‘Fight until the endregardless of when that is.’

Melissa with her family

�� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

JERRISpurrier

Meet the womanbehind the man...


The Coach’s Wife



You know behind every good man is an even better woman and as my daddy used to say, “a woman can make you or break you.” If this is true, I think it’s fair to say that Mrs. Jerri Spur-rier has played a major role in her husband’s success. The mother of four grown children, Amy, Lisa, Steve, Jr., and Scott and grandmoth-er to a host of grandchildren, I asked Jerri what she loved most about being a grandmother. She was glowing as she said, “their parents. I am a mother first. I just love being a mother, I love taking care of my older children. It trickles down to the grandchildren.”

As we visited on a sunny day in April I had the opportunity to listen as she spoke of each of her children and how blessed she feels in her life. She talked about the importance of spend-ing time together and how she enjoys them as adults. I wanted to know if she had some words of wisdom for us parents who still have little ones. This was her response, “Every day, I try to teach them something different. It never stops. Every day we are as parents still teaching and guiding. Riding in the car with them sharing your days together.” Teaching them the impor-tance of, “honesty, looking people in the face and talking to them about what you need. Don’t text, or email. Sit down with someone so they understand where you are coming from.”

Mrs. Jerri Starr Spurrier met the old Ball Coach in college and dated during the time they were both Students at University of Florida. Jerri was a big sister for some of the fraternity brothers in Steve’s fraternity. She told me a story about their first date. She had saved some money and bought a nice dress which at the time you could do for fifty dollars. She laughed as she told me how the Florida players got in the drive-in for free. So where do you think a college football player took his girl on a date? Yes indeed, on their first date Steve took her to the drive-in. He was a college football player for heaven’s sake;

the future Heisman trophy winner didn’t have a paying job…yet. Mrs. Jerri said she was the best dressed girl at the drive-in! On September 14, 1966, she became his wife, and now almost forty five years later, she still blushes when she talks about him.

She is a huge support to the football program at the University of South Carolina. She is at practice every afternoon and on game day she can be found sitting in the stands with the families of players and the other coaches’ wives. They have family dinner every Wednes-day night. Mrs. Spurrier said, “It is a gratifying thing to watch a new family come in and how easily those children become part of the fam-ily.” She explains how close all the children are. How the older ones help take the younger ones under their wings and make bathroom trips or concession stand runs. Of being such an active part of the program she comments, “I go to the field to the practice; I have three of my men on the field at the same time, my husband and my two sons. I get to watch them do what they do. It is amazing how fortunate I am.”

She still cooks big family meals on Sunday nights and her immediate family has a standing invitation. She even cooks her grandson’s favor-ite just for him, “Nolan’s Noodles.”

Jerri doesn’t see herself as particularly benevo-lent. She played down the fact she is on the Children’s hospital board, “I am on the chil-dren’s hospital board but I really don’t spread myself too thin.” Her hobbies are cooking and running. She enjoys her classwork. She goes to

the Russell House where she says all the players hang out. She is definitely hands on, currently working on a degree in psychology at USC her-self. She actually goes to school with the players. She is modest. When she talks about the play-ers of the University of South Carolina football team it is obvious she cares deeply for them and the young men they will become.

Understanding how much she loved football I had to ask, “What do you love about being a coach’s wife?”

To which she replied, “My favorite thing about being a coach’s wife is the boys.” She went on to say, “All the wonderful different boys. Watch-ing them grow up, change and learn. Going with them to hospital when they have surgery or attending their weddings after they have graduated” and gone onto to their careers. She

and Coach Spurrier even visit former play-ers when their children are born. Watching the young lives they help to mold achieve their own successes are very grati-fying for them both.

I needed to know if this woman who had helped her husband ac-

complish so much had a bucket list and was not disappointed by her answer. “I have never been bored. Steve always has something fun and exciting and challenging going on.” She spoke briefly of what it might be like when they decid-ed to give it up for a life of retirement. Shaking her head as she wondered how she would enjoy slowing down and not being at the football field every Saturday, “But I know whatever he plans will be exciting. If he wants to go to New Zea-land and climb mountains or look at zebras, I know whatever he plans I will have fun.”

M rs. Jerri Spurrier is from Fort Lauderdale, but when I asked her where home is she

smiled in that Jerri Spurrier way and said, “Here (pause) in South Carolina.” The

consummate Team Mother, every season she inherits a new group of children. 103 boys become

family to the Spurriers and the other coaches at the University of South Carolina.

I have three of my men on the field at the same time, my husband and my two sons. I get to watch them do what they do.’

The Coach’s Wife


Have you ever gotten steamed because there was no hot water left when it was your turn to take a shower? Well, how does endless hot water sound? You can have it now with a tankless hot water heater. Take it from me, a master plumber and the owner of a tankless system, my utility bills went down roughly 30% now that I don’t have to keep a whole tank full of water heated all the time. It’s better for the environment too since all the parts are either replaceable or re-cyclable.

Conserving water is the idea behind the high-

efficiency and low-flush toilets. These newer toilets use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, whereas, some of the older ones use up to 7 gallons per flush. Upgrading to a more effi-cient toilet would reduce your water bill and help decrease the massive waste of water that experts estimate is up to 1.6 billion gallons a day.

Water is making its way into our homes in many different ways these days. The best option now is PEX Piping. It’s a thick wall plastic pipe that’s very strong and flexible and it’s virtually

seamless, so it’s rare that it would ever have to be replaced. It’s different from PVC pipes that are commonly used in water systems and sewer lines. PVC pipes have seams and joints that can eventually give way to the destructive power of water and to root growth. Roots clogging sewer lines is a problem we’re seeing quite often here in South Carolina – especially in older homes that still have Terra Cotta pipes. Those pipes es-sentially are made of the same material as the terra cotta planters you often see. They were only made to last 30 years and are no longer manufactured.

PEACE OF MINDCan Flow with the Water in Your Pipes New Technology Saves Your Wallet and Our World

by Tammy Ferris

F rom taking a shower to flushing the toilet to simply getting a drink from the tap, so much of what we do in our homes involves water. Our dependence on water and Americans’ quest to become more eco-friendly are

resulting in major innovation in the plumbing industry – innovation that can save you money and help preserve the environment too.

Professional


Many homeowners now are able to replace that old Terra Cotta pip-ing through a new process called “trenchless pipe bursting.” This technology has been available to businesses for some time, but it’s relatively new for residential cus-tomers. Trenchless pipe bursting is eco-friendly because sewer repair experts usually only have to dig a couple small holes in the yard to gain access to the deteriorat-ing pipe. Then they insert a cable which carries in the replacement pipe while it bursts the old one. This process takes half the time of traditional sewer replacement, and in many cases, it costs even less. The beauty of trenchless is that

homeowners don’t have to watch backhoes tear up their expensive landscaping or driveways when they need sewer repairs. Harriet Burns owns a home on Lake Mur-ray and she recently contracted with Gene Love to replace the pipes that go from her house to her septic tank. Ms. Burns said, “After Gene Love left, I couldn’t tell that they had been here. The big thing is that the process didn’t disturb our established yard, including my boxwood trees.”

Your home is the largest investment you’ll ever make, so make sure you hire a reputable service contractor. Ask these questions:Does this company have a master plumber and the appropriate licens-ing?Does it carry the appropriate work-ers’ comp and liability insurance?Does it guarantee its work?How long has it been in the com-munity?

Tammy Ferris is the owner of Gene Love Plumbing, Air and Electric, serv-ing the greater Columbia, South Caro-lina area for more than 30 years. Gene Love plumbers contain and control water and guarantee their work. Gene Love consistently earns “Best Plumb-ing Company” and other service in-dustry awards. It has a solid reputa-tion for keeping people comfortable in their homes and offering upfront pric-ing as well as prompt and respectful service. For more information on new technology and how it could work for you, go to www.genelove.com or call 803-719-5334.

Upgrading to a more efficient toilet would reduce your water bill and help decrease the massive waste of water that experts estimate is up to 1.6 billion gallons a day.

(803) 364-9353849 Marina Way • Prosperity, SC 29127

Boat Slips (Best Rates on Lake Murray)

Lakeside Cabin Rental

www.buffalocreekmarina.com

Mention this ad and receive a20% discount on cabin rental.

Design • Install • Cleanup • Maintenance • 24-Hr Repair

Pavers • Fencing • Arbors • Gazebos • Retaining Walls

Ponds • Waterfalls • Design • Clean-up and Repairs

We Help Design Your Dreams

NATURESCAPESAND AQUATICS

Landscaping

Irrigation

Hardscapes

Water Gardens

Design • Install • Clean-up • Maintenance and Repair

(803) 549-9086

Trenchless pipe bursting requires one access holeand doesn’t disturb landscaping


Ginny Jones and her business part-ner, Mike Frazier, have been in the employment profession for over twenty years each. After working for another organization together and honing in their talents over the years, they opened their own agency. Ginny told us, “Our goal was to establish an agency that would allow us to, in Mike’s words, ‘do the voodoo we do,’ while doing it for the mutual benefit of both our clients as well as for us.”

Vision, drive, creativity, tenacity, focus, and consistency are charac-teristics Ginny attributes to being a successful business woman. And she’s quick to point out the neces-sity of having a strong team, “A successful business woman or business person in general is only as successful as the team she aligns herself with.”

We asked Ginny if she felt she had accomplished all of those charac-teristics and she responded that on many levels she had, however, businesses are like plants… if you are not growing, you are dying.

About success Ginny said, “The major key to success in business is developing trusted relationships and having the ability to listen to

what the customer wants and needs then providing them with exactly that. You must be a progressive thinker yet never allow yourself to forget the tried and true simple philosophy of providing good old fashioned customer service.”

Ginny’s vision for her business is to create an organization on which her clients know they can rely and to provide them with any and all resources they require in order to grow and maximize their business potential. Whether it be in procur-ing and retaining talent, reducing client liabilities, risk management or any other employment related needs crucial to maintaining and growing their business, Peak Em-ployment Solutions is ready to customize their services to what works for their clients. Peak is con-sistently implementing new and innovative initiatives to ensure the goals of their valued clientele.

To reach her vision Ginny says, “We simply need to remain consis-tent in our philosophies, creative in our initiatives, and driven to the success of our organization as well as to the success of those we are committed to servicing.”

Ginny and her partner wanted to

expand their business (from their original location in Augusta) to Lexington years ago when they identified the Lexington area as a thriving area for all levels of busi-ness. They determined the time was right to establish themselves in the area in order to better service clientele in the Greater Columbia and surrounding areas.

We asked Ginny what differentiates Peak Employment Solutions from other agencies and she responded with, “What differentiates us is our proven ability to provide the level of customer service our clients de-serve and have come to expect. We offer full service and customized options to assist in everything from procuring and retaining necessary talent, administering payroll and benefits, risk management, per-sonnel training and development, and a host of additional employ-ment related resources to aid our clientele in accomplishing their mission. With Peak you have a true partner committed to the suc-cess of your organization! We have the ability to aid you in increasing your production while decreasing your liabilities resulting in maxi-mized potential and increased profits! We understand business and what it takes to be successful

and we are committed to treating your business as we treat our own. Our goal is to save your TIME, MONEY, and SANITY!!!”

Being a successful business woman doesn’t end at the office for Ginny. When asked about balancing her personal and professional success, she said, “My family and my busi-ness are of course my top priorities; however, each aspect has to feel they are the number one priority. Regardless of what has occurred or how tired I may be at the end of the business day, when I am home it is all about my family. At the same time my family understands that during business hours, my focus has to remain on the success of the business.” Running a successful business and family while being loyally devoted to both, Ginny Jones is hitting her peak!

Ginny Jones Is Hitting HER PEAK!

t is an easy enough statement to make about someone that she is a successful business woman. Some folks may characterize it simply

that if one can maintain her career that she, in fact, is successful. In an interview with Ginny Jones of Peak Employment Solutions, it became pretty clear that Ginny’s idea of success is defined with much higher expectations.

Iby Mandy Riversphotography by Clark Berry Photography

Being a successful business woman doesn’t end at the office for Ginny.

Professional


803.356.PEAK (7325)Lexington/Columbia

140 Gibson Road Suite ALexington, South Carolina 29072

Augusta: 706.228.PEAK (7325)211 Hudson Trace, Suite C/D

Augusta, Georgia 30907

Turn Help Wanted into Help is on The Way.

ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPERIOR STAFFINGAND FULL SERVICE EMPLOYMENTSOLUTIONS WITH A SINGLE CALL

www.mypeaksuccess.com

First Visit FREE!• Veterinarian Recommended• Lifetime Betterdog Warrantee• Any Age, Any Breed• Problem solving and obedience training

(803) 561-9090www.betterdog.com

www.blythewoodgloriosaflorist.com

Best Little FloristServing Richland, Lexington, Fairfield Counties

Quality Service and FreshnessAbsolutely Guaranteed

Wade and Carla Lomas

Happy Summer!Summertime has finally

arrived – enjoy every minute of it!


Spa Services • Facials • Massage Therapy • Microdermabrasion • Body Treatments • Pampering Spa Retreats

Salon Services • Manicure • Pedicure • Full Service Hair Salon • Bridal Services

Boutique • Exclusive Dermatology of Lexington Skin Care Line • GloMinerals Makeup • OPI Polish • Gift Baskets and More

Now located in the same beautiful 10,000 sq ft building as Dermatology of Lexington, LLC803.808.7747 • www.elantedayspa.com • 200 Caughman Farm Road • Lexington (Behind Lowes)

Spa Medical Director: Dr. Michelle D. Welch

Our Hours: Mon 9am–6pm • Tues – Thurs 9am–7pmFri 9am–6pm • Sat 9am–4pm • After Hours Private Parties Available

Gift Cards available online, in the spaboutique or at Dermatology of Lexington, LLC

SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase a body polishtreatment and receive a free bottle of

self tanning lotion ($24 value)(Expires July 30, 2011)

Like us on Facebook!

Dr. Michelle D. WelchBoard Certified Dermatologist

Monday – Friday 8:30am to 5:30pmSaturday by appointment only

www.dermatologyoflexington.com

Medical and Cosmetic DermatologySkin Cancer Screening

Acne, Eczema, Warts, PsoriasisBotox • Fillers • Chemical Peels

Laser Treatments

Exclusive medical grade skin care linenow available! Call for details.

803.951.1717200 Caughman Farm Road, Lexington (Behind Lowes)

Purchase $100 of our exclusive Dermatologyof Lexington skin care products

and receive 10 units of Botox free

(Expires July 30, 2011)Accepting New Patients!

Comprehensive Skin Carefor the Entire Family

SPEC

IAL

OFF

ER:


SkinTALKwith Dr. Michelle Welch

ore than two million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year.

Unfortunately, the number of skin cancer cases has been increasing in young women, instead of decreasing like other types of cancer.

M

Your risk of getting skin cancer is real, but you can reduce that risk with skin cancer awareness and prevention!

We live in sunny South Carolina and must protect ourselves daily from the suns dangerous ultra-violet rays (UVA and UVB). Our beautiful weather allows us the opportunity to be outside year-round for participation in sports (or to cheer on the USC or Clem-son football teams by tailgating and sitting in the stands!), garden-ing, boating, golfing, walking or even playing on the playground at the park. We can be outside and have fun in the sun, but we must protect our skin. It is never too late to start protecting your skin, even if you have already had a skin cancer.

The American Academy of Der-matology has launched many skin cancer awareness campaigns to educate the public…”See Spot. See a Dermatologist”…”Be Sun Smart”…”Ban the Tan”…

Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world. To make it easier for Australians to re-member how to protect their skin from the sun, The Cancer Coun-cil Victoria, launched this catchy phrase: “Slip! Slop! Slap!”…the es-sentials of sun protection:Slip! Slip on a shirt.Slop! Slop on sunscreen.Slap! Slap on a hat.

The American Academy of Derma-tology recommends that everyone protect their skin by following a few simple sun protection practic-es. Avoid deliberate tanning either outside or in a tanning bed as this exposure results in premature aging of the skin and increases the risk of developing skin cancer. If you like the look of a tan, please con-sider using a sunless self-tanning lotion or spray tan, but remem-ber these products do not protect you from the sun. Get vitamin D safely through a healthy diet that may include vitamin supplements as recommended by your primary care physician. Do not seek the sun for your vitamin D. Use sun block daily and apply it generously to all exposed skin. Choose a broad-spectrum sun screen with at least an SPF30 (a sun protection factor that protects from both UVA and UVB rays). Apply your sun screen at least 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapply at least every two hours. Do not forget to apply sun screen to your ears, nose, neck, scalp, hands, toes and even your lips. Wear sun protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt (or even an SPF shirt), pants, cover-ups, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses whenever possible. Seek shade when the rays are strongest between 10am and 4pm. The bad news is the risk of skin cancer is real, but the good news is that you can reduce your risk by protecting your family and

yourself. Implementing these sun safe practices will help protect you from the damaging effects of the sun and even help prevent skin cancer. But you must also learn to detect skin cancer. You should ex-amine your skin monthly at home with a simple, but yet thorough self skin exam checking for any new, changing, growing or bleed-ing spot on your skin. Skin cancer is treatable when detected early, so please learn to perform a self skin exam. You can access this infor-mation on the self skin exams via our website at www.dermatologyo-flexington.com or via our facebook page (Elante Day Spa and Salon) or the American Academy of Der-matology website at www.aad.org.

I also recommend an annual skin exam with a dermatologist. I vol-unteer at several free skin cancer screening events throughout the year and also offer free screenings on select days in my clinic. I am also available to speak at your local events or organizations to edu-cate your group about skin cancer awareness, protection, prevention and detection.

Dr. Michelle Welch

Dermatology of Lexington’sown skin care line

Your risk of getting skin cancer is real, but you can reduce that risk...

Dr. Michelle Welch, of Derma-tology of Lexington, is a medical and esthetic trained dermatolo-gist certified in treating all areas of health and beauty of the skin. She offers the latest technology and the most effective skin care products and services to deliver the best results.

Dr. Welch recently acquired the Elante Medical Day Spa & Sa-lon which brings her rigorous dermatology training to full circle with the complete medi-cal dermatology and cosmetic skin care practice.

Dr. Welch was voted the BEST dermatologist by the people of Lexington and with this amaz-ing success and phenomenal growth of her practice, she has opened a beautiful new facil-ity to expand the services she and her staff are able to offer. The Elante Day Spa & Salon was also voted the BEST day spa and salon by the people of Lexington.

Dr. Welch feels blessed and honored to serve our commu-nity and will continue to strive for excellence to provide the highest quality of care.

See current offers for Dermatology of Lexington and Elante Day Spa & Salon on page 18.

AboutDr. Michelle Welch

Health & Wellness

photos by Clark Berry Photography

�0 Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Five years later, Collin and I were married in Hartsville on July 15, 2006. Collin was teaching PE at Summit Parkway Middle School and was the assistant baseball coach at Spring Valley High School. (He still holds both positions.) I was working as an admissions counsel-or at Coker College and attending night classes to earn my teaching certificate; one year later, I began my career as an English teacher at Ridge View High School, where I remain today.

Collin and I were happy in our marriage and in our jobs. We sup-ported our students in their athlet-ic and artistic pursuits and helped them in any way we could. While we loved our students, we decided it was time for our own family.

Since we were both young and healthy, we’d anticipated an easy road to pregnancy and parent-hood. At my yearly check up with Dr. Mary Neuffer of Columbia Women’s Healthcare, I told her of our frustration at not yet having conceived a child. She assured me that it was not uncommon to take six months or more to conceive. She explained that if, after a year, we were still unsuccessful in our quest, there were tests and medi-cines that we could use to help us with the process. I left her office feeling much better.

Our magic number was twelve months. It was early July. I was working part-time at Coker Col-lege, and Collin was out of town for a baseball tournament in At-

lanta, GA. I took a home preg-nancy test, and it was positive. I was elated! I wanted to tell Collin our exciting news in person, but he wasn’t due back for three days. When he called me that morning, the first words out of my mouth were, “WE’RE PREGNANT!”

Collin and I were excited about

ollin and I met while at Coker College in Hartsville, SC, where he played baseball and got a degree in Physical Education, and where I socialized and received degrees in English and Communication. Collin and I still can’t

agree on when we first met. (He remembers meeting me earlier than I remember meeting him, but I’m nearly certain I fell in love first!)

C

by Susanne Liggettsubmitted by Shirley Keels,Columbia Women’s Healthcare

Olivia told us that everything looked great, and that she detected two heartbeats.

our pregnancy, but we know how critical those first 13 weeks are. We decided to wait to tell our news un-til after the first trimester. Just be-fore our eight-week appointment I experienced some minor difficulty. I was terrified. I called the nurse at Columbia Women’s Healthcare; she was kind and suggested an ul-trasound to make sure everything was ok. Olivia, our ultrasound technician, asked if we were ready to hear our news. Collin and I were nervously holding hands, preparing ourselves for the worst. Olivia told us that everything looked great, and that she detected two heartbeats. Collin and I were expecting twins!!! I’m nearly cer-tain that neither Collin nor I could

continued on next page

DOUBLE the love, DOUBLE the joyHudson Annabelle and Wylie GraceSusanne with her twins


Craving quality care?Take care of that craving and we’ll take care of you.

1301 Taylor Street, Suite 6-J, Columbia, SC 29201

803-254-3230columbiawhc.com

tending to the unique nature of women


breathe for the next few minutes. When Olivia said that she needed to check to see if she could find a third heartbeat, I thought Collin might fall out of his chair! For-tunately for Collin’s health, there were only two babies.

Expecting twins threw a kink in our plans to wait until we had made it through the first trimester to tell anyone. We just had to tell our families and closest friends. Collin’s parents live in Irmo, so we were able to tell them first. We wrapped up two bibs and gave it to them as a “thank-you” gift for all that they do for us. They knew immediately what the bibs represented, but it wasn’t until we stressed to them that they would need to use both that it sunk in that we were having twins. They were so excited!!

Mama and her husband Len have helped us with various projects at our house, so we asked if they could help us paint our office. We showed them two color swatches, one pink and one blue. They didn’t react immediately, although Mama knew those weren’t colors I would normally choose. Then we told them that we might have to stripe the room using both colors. That’s when we got a BIG reaction!

We chose to use our traditional Christmas list to tell my dad and his wife, Mrs. Bet. We told Daddy we were giving them the list early, so they could think about it. First on the list was an SUV. That got his attention right away because a vehicle is certainly not in the price range for a Christmas gift. Next on the list was a dual stroller. Again, Daddy stopped. He said, “A dual stroller? What in the world do you need that for?” That’s when Mrs. Bet caught on. She looked at me and Collin, and by this time Daddy had made it down to the bottom of the list where he read “lots of diapers and lots of wipes.” My dad was so excited that he insisted that we leave his house and go tell my brother. I said that we could wait until after dinner, but Daddy said that he couldn’t!

The school year began. Dr. Neuffer warned me against too much ex-ercise since I was carrying twins. When we went for our 25-week check up on December 20th, I was put on complete bed rest. I spent one night in the hospital, so the doctors could monitor me for contractions and other changes. Scared is an understatement of how I was feeling. Dr. Odom and Dr. K. Moore came by several times

to check on me. They were helpful and informative, alleviating some of the stress of the situation.

On December 21st, I was allowed to go home. I went to my weekly doctor’s appointments at Columbia Women’s Healthcare; otherwise, I was at home, lying or reclining on the couch, or lying in bed. While I would much rather be at work teaching my wonderful students (I miss them terribly), I was happy to do whatever it took to get my little girls here safely!

Bed rest was not fun, but it must be more tolerable today than it was a generation ago. I used a home monitoring system twice a day to monitor uterine contractions. I sent my monitoring strip to a nurse via a wireless connection, who read and reported the infor-mation. Medically, I felt safer be-

cause of the marvels of technology. I cannot imagine how dreadful bed rest must have been 20 years ago. It’s not exciting these days, but modern technology helped me get through it. I used a laptop comput-er to keep in touch with my school, my students, and my friends, and my cell phone allowed my family to get in touch with me regularly.

Our days leading up to the birth were exhilarating, exhausting, de-manding, frightening, and fulfill-ing. Collin and I eagerly awaited our baby girls, Hudson Annabelle and Wylie Grace. Life is good, and we are blessed.

Hudson and Wylie finally arrived on March 10, 2011. Collin and I are thrilled and grateful to Columbia Women’s Healthcare, our families and friends and especially to God for such a wonderful outcome.

This article is brought to you by Co-lumbia Women’s Healthcare. Visit co-lumbiawhc.com, call (803) 254-3230.

New patients who referto this ad will receive a

free exam andcomplimentary x-raysat their first hygiene

appointment.

• ROUTINE HYGIENE

• SCALING

• WHITENING

• RESTORATIONS

• BONDING

• VENEERS

• IMPLANTS

• CROWNS

• BRIDGES

• DENTURES

• LIMITED ORTHODONTICS

• ROOT CANAL THERAPY

• SOFT TISSUE CONTOURING

803.779.24271713 Devonshire Drive

Columbia, SC 29204

Stunning... Beautiful...Smiles!Stunning... Beautiful...Smiles!

Charles T. Hazelrigg, III, D.M.D.www.hazelriggdentistry.com

Bed rest was not fun, but it must be more tolerable today than it was a generation ago.

Health & Wellness


Mother ChildBonding and Asthma

by Dr. Bob Phillips, Ph.D.

TThey found that 80% of children with asthma were not bonded as compared to 25% of chil-dren without asthma. They found that mothers of asthmatic children suffered from at least two impediments to their bonding with their chil-dren. The third finding was that the two most prevalent problems that interfered with bond-ing were serious emotional traumas (i.e. grief, fear and rejection) and separation at birth for medical or other reasons. The bonding prob-lems are not usually the fault of the mother. They are usually the result of outside influences causing separation or very strong emotions that interfere with the bonding.

The three studies studied the effectiveness of a healing process called Bonding Therapy in reducing asthma symptoms in non-bonded children under the age of eight. The results in-dicated that 75% of the asthmatic children im-proved.

The following results were found. The therapy resulted in:• Less daytime and nighttime wheezing• Fewer missed school days• Improved general health• Improved ability to play without wheezing• Fewer asthma-related doctor visits• Reduction or elimination of medication

These preliminary findings suggest that creat-ing a better bonding experience can have a last-ing and healing effect on many children with asthma.

One mother’s story involved her five year old son Jonathan. He was a complex and puzzling case at first. He coughed and wheezed every day and every night. The asthma medication did not seem to work for him. He was checked out for several serious illnesses. The results were

negative. No one could pin point the cause of his breathing problems.

The mother had read about bonding therapy and set up an appointment in a nearby city. In her first session the causes of the failure to bond became evident. The mother had lost her job shortly after becoming pregnant with Jona-than. Then she and her husband separated and she moved in with her father and a very criti-cal step-mother. Latter in the first session she began to rebuild her strength during her preg-nancy. Then she cleaned up her resentment and hostility toward both her husband and the step-mother. She then proceeded to recreate a quick and comfortable birth.

At the next session the mother told her thera-pist that Jonathan had slept the night through, every single night, since the first session. He had also stopped wheezing and coughing. She reported that he had begun to feel more active and healthy.

The second session was used to work on further steps to build confidence and to re-experience the first year of Jonathan’s life. This allowed her to build an even strong bond between herself and her son. Jonathan had a relapse of symptoms when the mother went to visit her step-mother and father. Her son began to have symptoms and to have problems sleeping at night. In the next session the mother worked to no longer allow her parents to weaken the bond between herself and her child. She knew that she most protect that bond and keep it strong for both of them to be healthy. Now, after three years she is doing well and Jonathan is symptom free.

If you are interested in using Bonding Therapy or if you would like to participate in a research program involving Asthma and bonding please call Psycholo-gist Bob Phillips, Ph.D. at (803) 360-9698.

here is a surprising connection between childhood Asthma and incomplete or missing bonding between a mother and her child.

The Milton Erickson Institute in Santa Rosa, California has conducted three studies and found a relationship between asthma and nonbonding.

BONDING THERAPY.Repairing The Broken Bond.

A troubled relationships between a mother and her child is often the result of physical or emo-

tional distance and not the fault of the mother. This could be

during pregnancy, during birth or after. Once the reason is

unveiled, things can get better.

When the mother feels distant, less attached or less involved

with her child.

Were you or your baby sick? Were you emotionally drained or distant? Were you separated for

hours or even days?

CallPsychologist Bob Phillips, Ph.D.

at (803) 360-9698 in WestColumbia, SC or email him at

[email protected]

www.MyTherapyCenterColumbia.com

Health & Wellness

�� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women��

??

How Will You Sleep Tonight?by Margaret Gregory

HAs a woman, you’re twice as likely as men to have problems in falling asleep or even stay-ing asleep. There are a number of factors that may influence your sleep patterns. Hormonal changes, stress, lifestyle, and your sleep envi-ronment can play a significance role in reduc-ing the amount of sleep you get each night.

Even Mother Nature can have an impact– preg-nancy and menstruation. As women age, physi-cal and hormonal changes make sleep lighter and less sound. Sleep disturbances become more common during menopause. Women wake up more often at night and are more tired during the day. After menopause, women get less deep sleep and are more likely to awaken at night than during menopause.

The amount of sleep you need varies depending on your age – the typical adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Some women may do fine with as little as five hours or up to ten, so it’s important to know when your body

is telling you it’s not getting enough rest. Get-ting the right amount of sleep is just as impor-tant eating right and getting enough exercise. If you don’t get enough sleep over a long period of time, your body will eventually push you into ‘catching up.’

Getting less than the amount of sleep your body needs can have a significant impact on your health. Lack of sleep can result in memory problems, depression, and a weakened immune system. Over a period of time, sleep deprivation can lead to chronic illness such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease or even a heart attack. Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on your mental health, resulting in de-pression and other mood disorders. Too little sleep also has a direct correlation to alertness in

the workplace and on the highway, with judg-ment and reaction time affected. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-tion (NHTSA) estimates that drowsy driving contributes to at least 71,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities each year.

How do you know if you’re suffering from sleep deprivation? If you feel drowsy during the day and if you fall asleep relatively soon after going to bed, those are a couple of signs that you may not be getting enough sleep.

Find more information at www.providencehospitals.com or to schedule an appointment with a sleep medicine physician, call Providence Health Connect at 877-256-5381.

ow much sleep do you get each night? Did you know that not getting enough sleep can drastically impact your health? In our rush-about world, women spend time focused on our jobs, on taking care of our families

and volunteering in our communities, leaving little time for something that our bodies desperately need – sleep.

Getting less than the amount of sleep your body needs can have a significant impact on your health.


Health & Wellness


IS THIS A HEART ATTACK?

A Ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System

providencehospitals.com

WE a re SOUTH CAROLINA’S HEART HOSPITAL

IS THIS A HEART ATTACK?

These are women’s signs to

Call 9-1-1Just like men, women may experience:

• Sudden chest pain or pressure that worsens.

• Pain in the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Women are more likely to have:

• Unusual fatigue.

• Cold sweat and dizziness.

• Lightheadedness and faint feeling.

• Feelings of nausea and vomiting.

If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately.


go through and it has as much to do with the loss of the physical home as it does the per-ceived loss of independence. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

How far in advance should you plan for the possibility of moving out of your home? What areas need to be considered and investigated? What are your needs for your future home? How much will it cost?

These are all questions that need to be an-swered on an individual basis. There isn’t one

solution that will fit everyone’s situation. In my opinion, it’s never too early to start plan-ning. To emphasize this, it is not uncommon for us to receive a call at our community from someone who is merely “investigating” op-tions for the future. I love these calls because it means that this particular individual has a

We often have to make difficult decisions for ourselves and our loved ones. One of the toughest decisions we will ever face is whether it is time to move from the warmth and com-fort of our homes into an unfamiliar environ-ment. The reasons for needing to move can be for many and varied reasons: an inability to do for ourselves what we once could, living in a home that no longer meets our needs, show-ing signs of forgetfulness that may mean the early onset of dementia, or just the “normal” issues associated with growing older. What-ever the case, it is highly likely that we will all be faced with this decision, either for ourselves or a loved one, at some point in our lives.

As someone who has seen the pain and anxiety associated with this type of decision on numer-ous occasions, I have come to one fundamental conclusion – those who plan for this major event are the ones who ultimately em-brace it when the time comes as opposed to resisting it. I believe the reason for this is simple; we all want to stay in control of our lives and of our own destinies. There is nothing worse than being told that you have to move, especially when you have not psychologically prepared for it. Moving out of our beloved homes must surely be, for some, like the loss of a dear companion. There is a grieving process many

Home Is Where theHeart Is!Planning now can save heartache in the future.

“R egardless of the reasons, change can be tough. And there may be nothing more frightening than moving from the home we have

lived in for 30 years or more into a new and unfamiliar place. But change happens to us all. The only difference is whether or not we have planned for it. Planning can make all the difference in the world and ultimately leave us feeling like we’re in control of our own lives.

“I Wanted an Affordable Retirement Lifestyle...

Where I wouldn’t be bothered with responsibilities of home maintenance. I wanted a spacious

apartment where I could relax in solitude. I wanted a community where I could invite my family to

join me for meals and outings.”

“I found everything I wanted at �e Waterfordat Columbia. My family even celebrated my birthday in the private dining room.

Best of all, my pet is welcome here.”

Call 877.887.8963 todayfor more information

9370 Windsor Lake BlvdColumbia, SC 29223

877-887-8963www.waterfordatcolumbia.com

• Dynamic recreation with opportunities to take day trips to exciting destinations, lunch outings and much more.• Around-the-clock staffing• Personalized services available• Scheduled transportation• Emergency call system• Month-to-month rental community• Weekly housekeeping• Three meals per day• Close to medical offices and hospitals• Family atmosphere• Cable TV and WiFi service included• All utilities included (except telephone)

SPACE IS LIMITED!Call today for a tour.

A Capital Senior Living Community www.capitalsenior.com

Health & Wellness

One of the toughest decisions we will ever face is whether it is time to move from the warmth and comfort of our homes into an unfamiliar environment.

by BrooksBarton


Assisted LivingSouthlake Village .....................................................7www.southlakevillage.net

The Waterford at Columbia ..................................26www.waterfordatcolumbia.com

DentistHazelrigg Dentistry ...............................................22www.hazelriggdentistry.com

DermatologyDermatology of Lexington ...................................18www.dermatologyoflexington.com

FloristBlythewood Florist ................................................17www.blythewoodgloriosaflorist.com

Gift BasketsUltimate Gourmet Gift Baskets .............................3www.ultimategourmetgiftbaskets.com

Hair ReplacementTony’s Hair Replacment System ............................6www.hairreplacementsystems.com

Health ServicesMidlands Orthopaedics, P.A. ...............Back Cover www.midlandsortho.com

HospitalPalmetto Health ........................Inside Front Coverwww.palmettohealth.org

Providence Hospital ..............................................25www.providencehospitals.com

InsuranceAllstate ....................................................................17www.allstate.com

JewelryDems .......................................................................11 www.demsjewelers.com

The Chapman Company .........................................8www.thechapmancompany.com

Business & Web Directory

good attitude about what may need to happen, in the future. They will have time to absorb what we have told them, prac-tice due diligence and research their options, as well as psycho-logically prepare for the move when the time comes.

On the other hand, the hardest calls are the ones where people have had an “emergency” arise that they did not plan for or anticipate. In these situations we do all we can to help them, but at times we are no longer appropriate for their needs. In these cases, they may need to move into a higher care model where they can have 24/7 medi-cal or clinical care. The sad part is the “emergency” is often not an emergency at all. It is often a pre-existing and chronic con-dition that has finally reached a critical point that can no longer be ignored. In essence, the indi-vidual may be in a state of de-nial about their condition.

In other words, the best time to start planning is when you think it is. It’s when that little voice tells you that something isn’t quite right.

Contact us at (803) 699-1121 for more information about Retire-ment Living. We can help you navi-gate the myriad issues by offering a free consultation with you and your loved ones. We also offer commit-ment free “trial” stays at our com-munity at no cost. Apartments are pre-furnished and all meals will be provided for you. The Waterford at Columbia also offers walk in tours daily.

Starting June 21st and on every third Tuesday of the month, The Waterford will be hosting Care Giver Support Groups at 1:00 PM in our formal dining room. These sup-port groups are open to the public. Call us at (803) 699-1121 for more information.

LandscapingNaturescapes and Aquatics ..................................15

OB/GYNColumbia Women’s Healthcare ...........................21www.columbiawhc.com

Personal and Sports TrainingAthletes Arena .........................................................5www.athletesarena.com

Pet TrainingDog Training In Your Home ................................17 www.betterdog.com

PhotographyClark Berry Photography .........Inside Back Coverwww.clarkberry.com

Plumbing, Air & ElectricalGene Love Plumbing, Air & Electrical ...............14 www.genelove.com

PsychologistDr. Bob Phillips, Ph.D. ..........................................23 www.mytherapycenter.com

RecreationBuffalo Creek Marina ............................................15 www.buffalocreekmarina.com

Salon and SpaElante Day Spa and Salon .....................................18www.elantedayspa.com

Staffing AgencyPeak Employment Solutions ................................17 www.mypeaksuccess.com

Substance Abuse TreatmentLRADAC...................................................................9 www.lradac.org

Name:

Address:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

VOL 1, NO 1

COMPLIMENTARY

TM

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING,

AND EDUCATING Real WOMEN

An Extraordinary

LITTLE BOYMeet four year old Jayden Williams

HeartHEALTH

Women of the Midlands share

heart focused articles and tips

Dems GemsMeet theDems GemsMeet the

VOL 1, NO 2COMPLIMENTARY

TM

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING, AND EDUCATING Real WOMEN

A THRIVING SURVIVOR Melissa Harvey shares her story

A PatrioticHEART Meet Cynthia Sebree-Richardson

THE WOMANBehind THE MANJERRISpurrier

Don’t miss an issue – subscribe today!Have each issue of Midlands Woman

delivered to your home...

One year (5 issues) for $20

Complete the information, and mail it along withyour check or money

order of $20 to:

Midlands Woman711 East Main Street

Suite A-2Lexington, SC 29072


A Personal NoteA Personal Note

hen I first started Woman 2 Woman, my oldest son Trey was 8 years old. This past December he turned 15. He is becoming a man. A few weeks

ago something awful happened. Our pet, Tonka, a very large black lab who has been a member of our family for more than thirteen years died.

One of Trey’s responsibilities in our home is checking on our two animals before we go to bed. Trey went out to make sure their water was fresh and that they were tucked in safe. When he came back inside I knew that something was wrong. He said, “Mom, Tonka is dead.” It was already dark outside, and our hearts were broken. The other children were sleeping, so Trey and I wrapped Tonka for burial and stood in the dark while our sweet neighbors helped us dig a grave for our four legged friend. Trey would not go to bed until it was done. I watched him as he shoveled the dirt on the grave of his first pet. Pausing only to wipe away the sweat of the humid night mingled with his tears. I am proud of him for many things. He’s a straight “A” student and a talented young man in many ways. The tears I cried that night weren’t just for Tonka. I cried for another milestone passed in the life of my son. He was the first of our children to make me a mother. He was the first person I ever loved in my life more than I loved myself. I remember when they laid him in my arms and how my heart swelled. I literally thought I couldn’t hold all the love I had for him inside of me. I remember the tears of joy that Trent and I cried as we looked at ten perfect fingers and toes. I have prayed for each of my children every day of their lives, and I wonder if they will ever understand the depth of their parents love.

It hasnt been an easy month for me as a mother. My daughter was dealt a blow to her self-esteem this spring and I didn’t know how to help her deal with the disapointment. I wrapped her in my arms and cried with her– it was as if my own heart was breaking right along with hers. I was afraid she would give up on her dreams. I was so wrong. She wiped her tears (we went shopping), threw back her shoulders and held her head high. Children can be so cruel and I wanted to spare her the hurt – I couldn’t. She amazes me. Sometimes I am hard on her and I understand why. She is all the best parts of both her father and me. She is mine and a blessing to us. I want to help her capture the world. She makes me laugh, she’s tender and she is tough. (She does have three brothers). She reminds me of many of the women in my family.

My third child Colton had a heartbreak as well. He broke his arm at the beginning of baseball season and missed six weeks of his last year in Coach’s pitch. He was so disappointed to miss all those games. I took him last week to have his cast removed at Midlands Orthopedics, and as we waited on the doctor, we met a sweet man and his wife in the waiting room. Mr. Bobby as it turned out was recovering from a motorcycle accident, and his wife Iris was with him. He chatted with Colton while we waited, and after they had covered what happened to them both, he asked Colton if he had a girlfriend. Colton said, “I’ve had nine.” Mr. Bobby of course wanted to be certain Colton had not had them all at once. I never know what is going to come out of Colton’s mouth, so I waited to hear his response and tried to hide my smile as I heard him say, “Women are like a maze. Once you find your way in you can never find your way out!” Mr. Bobby laughed and nudged his wife, “Did you hear that, honey? He already has y’all figured out.”

My youngest son Ryan was at Colton’s last game. He was so sweet as he stood by the fence and watched Colton hit the first ball of the night. He began to scream, “Go Colton! Run fast!” Ryan is four, and everyone was laughing as he cheered his brother on. He looked around and smiled that great big smile and said to anyone who was listening, “Colton’s my brother.” His “th” sounds like a “d” so it sounded like “brotder” – it was so sweet.

Oh how I love them. Each one is different; each one needs different things from me. I pray for wisdom in all my decisions regarding them especially. I wish they came with manuals. I know that as parents we want to fix their problems – to make it all better, throw money at it, and put a Band-Aid on it. Sometimes all we can do is hold them when they cry. Happy late Mother’s Day to all of you ladies, to those who have given birth and to those who chose to be mothers because someone else couldn’t or wouldn’t. God Bless us all.

Lori Samples Duncan

W

Abby

Trey

Psalm 127:3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Colton

Ryan

Download - Midlands Woman

Top Related