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Show Seeks master's degree of U of.U I : i Illness changed Richens goals in life i why I decided to become a high school health teacher. In this day and age it's so important that young people know about the dangers to their health by way of alcohol, drugs and irresponsible sexual behavior." f v University of Utah student and Bountiful piano teacher' Kay Richens knew something wasn't right with her health. Whenever a fever or cold brought about a rise in her body temperature, Richens experienced small seizures. Rushes of thoughts ran through her niind as if she were "thinking hundreds of things at once," Richens remembers. Her sense of smell became confused, con-fused, and she had difficulty concentrating. con-centrating. After an exam, her doctor doc-tor told Richens she had a tumor in the area of her brain located above her left ear. . Richens, a 1962 graduate of Bountiful High School, says it was after learning this that she made an important decision. "I asked myself, 'Am I going to use my illness as a way to manipulate manip-ulate others into feeling sorry for me? Or will I take a positive attitude at-titude and contribute to the world while I'm still well and able? " Richens says. Although it turned out the tumor was not malignant, it still had the potential to cause serious problems because of its rapid rate of growth, During an operation, the surgeon tried to remove all of the tumor but could not because it had grown around a major artery. All that could be removed were some outgrowths. Instead, Richens had to undergo the maximum allowable amount of radiation therapy in order to stop the rumor's growth. Although the radiation therapy put a halt to the rumor's growth for the time being, Richen's doctor, warned her of a chance that it could start to grow again. Today, nine years after her diagnosis diag-nosis and treatment, Richens says she has no time to worry about such a chance. She's too busy earning a master's degree in health education from the University of Utah. "I can't allow myself to worry," ' Richens says. "I'd rather put my energy into other activities." Her experience with a brain tumor helped give Richens a new respect for health issues. It also led to a career move. "I never planned on having something like that happen to me at the age of 38,' ' she says. "But I learned that no one can take good health for granted. That's memory impairment caused by her brain tumor when she returned in 1985. "I found I had to study two to three times longer than most students," Richens says. "I took a tape recorder with me to almost every class and took careful notes." Sometimes she had to ask for special help from professors, but only when the material dealt with difficult statistics and theories. Instead of giving in to frustration, Richens persisted until she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1989. In graduate school, Richens says she has learned to manage her memory impairment, "I'm getting better," she says. She is currently working as a teacher candidate under Larry Wilde, a teacher at Eisenhower Junior Ju-nior High School in Taylorsville. After Richens completes her training train-ing and graduates June 14, she hopes to teach health to Bountiful area teen-agers. Until then she will continue to study hard and teach piano to 22 Bountiful residents a week, a job that provides her with enough money for school. "Music is the most positive, soothing force I can think of," says Richens. "I also believe the mind has a tremendous capacity for positive or negative health. And I firmly believe you can will yourself to improved health." KAY RICHENS Nola Lodge, a clinical instructor in the Department of Educational Studies, believes Richen's experiences experi-ences sets her apart from other students. "Her concern for students is an outgrowth of dealing with her own illness' Lodge says. Richens attended the university for only two quarters after high school before quitting to raise her family, which includes five children. In addition to having been away from school for more than 20 years, Richens had to deal with a |
