OCR Text |
Show Q Landers D1 Arts D4 0 Movies D6 13 The Daily Herald Friday, September 20, 1996 Think about prevention of breast cancer Next month is Breast Cancer Control Month. Are we doing what we can to make sure our mothers, our grandmothers, our wives and sisters are being checked regularly for this common and deadly disease? about 45,000 Nationally, women die from the disease each year. There has not been much improvement in this death rate over the past 30 years. Almost 200,000 new cases of breast cancer occur each year. American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute data also Public Healthline reveal one out of every nine women will develop the disease. Breast cancer is a close second to lung cancer as the most common cause of cancer death among women. In Utah where cigarette smoking is much less, it is the most common cause of cancer death in women. Little is known about the cause of breast cancer, so primary preventive measures to decrease risk or exposure which lead to the disease are difficult if not impossible. The main risk factors are: over age 50, a personal or family history of breast cancer, never having children and first childbirth after age 30. Obviously, there is little we can do about these risk factors. Therefore, breast cancer deaths have to be prevented through secondary prevention which is early detection of the disease long before there are any symptoms. Regular self breast examination is an extremely important thing all women over age 20 can do to monitor for breast changes that persist such as a lump, thickening, swelling, dimpling, skin irritation, distortion, retraction, scaliness, pain or tenderness. Since breasts are glandular tis- sue, it is very common for them to have temporary changes and to normally have a nodular or lumpy texture. For this reason, only the individual herself is able to keep track of these changes and know what has been normal for her. in addition to monthly self breast examination, all women should have an annual breast examination done by a trained health professional with whom she can consult regarding how a good self examination is done and what are considered normal or abnormal findings. is another Mammography extremely important breast examination. A first-tim- e mammogram is recommended before age 40 and should be repeated about every two years until age 50. All women age 50 and older should receive a mammogram every year. The small size detectable with mammography not only significantly increases the survival rate, but also increases the chances of successful treatment with lumpectomy rather than with total removal of the breast. Since mammography will not detect all cancers of the breast, it is still vitally important that self and be professional examinations done. The cost of professional examination and mammography should never discourage women from receiving these regular screening tests. To eliminate this concern, the Utah County Health Department provides women's cancer screening, including mammography and pap smears, at no cost to women age 50 and above whose income for a household of two is under $30,000. That income level goes up about $7,600 for each additional ' household member. Women under age 50 and those in higher income levels are also welcome to receive cancer screening for a sliding fee based on family size and income. To make an appointment call 370-S738 or 370-873- director County Health Dr. Miner is executive of the Utah Department I lL.l.l Hll,!!!..!! I Ill II 1.1 I M H ., .!. IHWIIIII SALT LAKE CITY Hundreds of questions pounded Doris Isabel Gonzales Quiroz' mind when she delivered conjoined twins by Caesarean section Sept. 23 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The most pressing question for ' ; 1 , . t7.' the housewife was whether the girls could survive living in a supine position for the rest of their lives. She knew nothing ' i about craniopagus twins babies t until she saw joined at the head her infants for the first time. Her humble family from Camayageuela. Honduras, became a curiosity to the national media. High government officials in the small Central American country visited her, including the Honduran first lady. The Spanish-languag- e media was also after her story. Dr. Lee Finney, a neurosurgeon from Great Falls, Mont., who was in Honduras volunteering his medical services for the Georgetown, Texas-base- d humanitarian organization M.E.D.I.C.O., learned about the case. Physicians in Honduras thought a separation was possible, but had never performed the complicated procedure. Murray dentist Kimel P. Fisher, aiso working for M.E.D.I.C.O., began working on the case. When Finney returned to the United States, he contacted pediatric neurosurgeons around the country who had worked with conjoined twins. One of them was Primary Children's Medical Center's Marion "Jack" Walker. The hospiDaily Herald Photo Sheila Sanchez tal and the pediatric neurosurgeon staff in a nurse ical Wallin, the works with to treat the under Doris and its Marilyn who Center, has pediatric been involved in the sepa agreed girls Bessy Everyone intensive care unit at Primary Children's Med- - before they were separated on Sept. 13. ration process feels a bond with the twins, i charity care program. "Cadena de Amor" (Chain of The imbalance was caused The biggest risk for malfunction "The neurosurgeons I've spoken to ' by a craniofacial team composed of Love), a Honduran charity group, large venus connection between pediatric plastic surgeons Louis of a shunt is during the first two in Honduras are concerned about obtained a visa and a passport for the two. Morales, Maria Montag and Sergio years of life. Bessy has a 25 percent them and are caring but they're ; Gonzales. M.E.D.I.C.O. sponsored From the time the girls were Zamora closed the opening in chance of having the shunt blocked limited by what they have avail- -; the young mother, who left four embryos, Doris' heart pumped their heads with extra skin grown during the next three months. able. It's difficult for them to have" : other children and husband, Jose most of the blood through the bodwith the help of implanted Tin optimistic that they're intravenous antibiotics on a regular Adail Trujillo Pavon, behind. , ies. The condition continued after expanders. Morales will recongoing to have a reasonably good basis and that could be a problem On Feb. 20, the birth. Doris also did the majority struct the girls' (skulls using trans- existence in terms of neurological if they need that." ; . infants were admitted at the Salt of the drinking, while Bessy elimiWalker has been involved with , planted bones from the ribs and function. I would be very surprised Lake City children's hospital Neu- nated the majority of the urine. , other ossicle grafts. They will have if they didn't have some learning die medical treatment of two othe ; Over time, Doris' heart was to wear helmets in the meantime. rosurgeons began tests to deterproblem and cognitive deficits as sets of craniopagus twins. He saict '. The girls are slowly waking up they get older. Those things are not the mine the extent of snared tissue techniques used to separate the; -- : from sedatives. On testable now, but based on experiand vessels. On March 5, the first infants are the same as those used; ; Saturday, Walker said (hey were in ence and how other brains look, in the late 1970s when the first ; operation to separate them began. critical but stable condition after their problems will be mild, maybe Four more followed. Gonzales twins were split under; an "an easy, smooth night" He modest, but not severe. They will conjoined stayed with the Fishers, who have the direction of neurosurgeon Ted; -- ; added scans of ihe twins' brains not have mental retardation. 1 susfive children. who works at the Chil-;- " reveal minimal amounts of brain pect each of them will end up with Roberts, Walker gradually removed die in Seattle. New; I dren's Hospital a mild weakness on one side of the main vessel swelling and no bleeding. sagittal sinus reso-- ; ' ; Walker said he's concerned their bodies because of the many tools, however, like magnetic draining blood from both hemi; nance are physi-imaging, helping about the risk of infection and surgeries they've gone through," from Bessy, spheres of the brain I cians with better of the pictures the smaller twin. The girl suffered buildup of cerebral spinal fluid in Walker said. brain. ; each of them, Bessy has a shunt a seizure after one operation. Doris Walker, a professor of neuro"It's been a wonderful experi-- ; a small tube inserted through the surgery at the University of Utah, kept the vessel and Bessy began ence. It's fascinating anatomy to brain other cerebral veins that carto prevent hydrocephaly. using expects the twins to be hospitalthe connections and try to; ; see the infant lower Since have doesn't a amounts of ized for about He a can but month. said blood, ry handle more, if needed. sagittal sinus, she can't absorb they will need physical therapy to solve the puzzle on how to discon- - ; nect them. It's been stimulating. ; on a learn to crawl, sit and eat, indepen13, Finally, Sept. spinal fluid. The shunt is connectmedical team headed by the ed to a small valve under the scalp. dently. They have never developed It's been challenging because ; Walker separated the Or. Marion "Jack" Walker motor skills. Emotionally, Walker we've dealt with issues that are! , Usually it drains into the abdomitwins' remaining vessels and connal cavity. The fluid is absorbed said the twins will also have to rare like treating low blood pres-- r ; nective tissue during a sure in one twin by actually treat- beginning to fail from the excess back into the bloodstream. In adjust to the separation. "We're able to provide a more ing the other twin. We have all operation necessitated when their load she was carrying. Her heart Bessy's case, the shunt will drain blood pressure changed. Bessy's became slow and its echo changed. into the heart because she's not tolsophisticated level of care here bonded to these kids," said the ' in it the abdominal erated the than in Honduras,' Walker said. brain surgeon. increased, while Doris' decreased. a cavity. separation, Following ,v X non-pro- IL Flfesi y By SHEILA SANCHEZ The Daily Herald ' V fit -'- post-operati- ve . -'- . ; , ; 13-ho- ur Free preschool immunization day helps parents, kids Parents, mark Wednesday on your calendars! It's Free Immunization Day for preschool children! On that day, Utah County Health Department will have free clinics for all required childhood immunizations. Vaccines included are as follows: DPT (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) Polio MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) Hib (haemophilus influenzae type b) Although not a required immunization, hepatitis B vaccine may be free, depending on the child's age. Chicken pox and hepatitis A vaccine will not be offered free. Clinic hours are 8 a.m.-- 7 p.m. on Wednesday at 589 South State Street, Provo, Utah. This event is being promoted by the Every Child By Two statewide task force and by local health departments. "Our goal is to make the transin tion from the Immunization to a greater awareness of the role and convenience of Utah's Care-A-Va- local health departments in providing immunization services," says Rick Crankshaw, immunization program manager, Utah Department of Health. This is another opportunity to help parents get their preschool children current on immunizations and to establish local health departments as a permanent source for immunizations. Woman who faked pregnancy needs help Dear Ann lenders: Last year, a friend of my sister announced that she was pregnant. Because "Jane" was unmarried, she decided to allow my brother and his wife to adopt her unborn child. My brother completed all the necessary legal requirements for the adoption, not to mention helping out financially. Jane maintained close contact with other members of our family. She even sent photographs of herself in various stages of her pregnancy. We felt the more contact she had with us, the more certain she would feel that her child would have a loving home. We were overjoyed when Jane announced in her fourth month that she was having twins! As her due date drew closer, she seemed more and more remote. In her ninth month, she "disappeared" for several days. We finally found her hiding in a closet in her apartment. She was upset and asked that we leave her alone. After being forced to get medical attention, we learned that Jane was never pregnant and that she had been stuffing pillows under her clothes. Later, we found out she had had a hysterectomy 10 years ago. i r jJ? I Landsrs Advice Columnist The emotional damage she has caused is indescribable. Although this has not soured my brother and his wife on adoption, I feel something needs to be done about the adoption laws so this type of fraud can be avoided. Perhaps the adoptive parents or the adoption agency should have direct contact with Jhe obstetrician. What do you say, Faked Out in El Paso Ann? Dear EI Paso: I agree with you put that needle WHERE???" But especially in cases where the my desire to make love to my wife is emotionunwed mother-to-b- e again overcame any fear of the was which needle. We have used that method unstable, surely ally for many years without a single the case with Jane. Don't overlook the possibility failure. Recently, I've added the that Jane might have wanted a pump, sometimes using both at the child so badly that she convinced same time. After 40 years of marriage, I herself she was indeed pregnant and the "game" got out of hand. can honestly say our sex life has Let's hope the poor woman gets never been better. It all depends on how determined a man is. And professional help. Dear Ann Landers: I'm writ- having a supportive wife can make Grand ing in response to "Feeling a world of difference. Deprived, Frustrated and Fed Up in Texas." She was unhappy because her husband was impotent and unwilling to work at a solution. He was afraid of penile injections, and the pump turned her off. I, too, suffer from impotence for medical reasons. This started about 12 years ago when 1 was in my late 40s. Many nights, I was totally frustrated because of my inability to express sexually my love for my wife. t; When I first went to see my urologist and was told about penile injections, I said, "I'm going to ' Rapids, Mich. Dear Grand: Three cheers for you and a couple for your wife. Your determination not to be cheated by Mother Nature's low blow has paid off handsomely. I'm happy for you. Dear Readers: Remember the woman who asked for help with motion sickness? More than 200 elastic readers suggested "bracelets" (popular in the British Navy). They are called SeaBands and are available in drugstores. They also help ease nausea during pregnancy. Prostate cancer screenings A prostate cancer screening clinic will be offered at University of Utah Health Sciences Center on Thursday in conjunction with Prostate Cancer Awareness Week. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among males and the second leading cause of cancer death among men over 55. More treatment options are available, however, if the cancer is detected early. Most men are unaware they have the disease because it usually causes no significant symptoms. Men who have never been screened for prostate cancer may schedule an appointment by calling Elizabeth with the Division of Urology, A $25 fee is payable at the time of the screening. Scheduled from p.m. in Clinic 5, University Hospital. :0 North Medical Drive, &e screenings include a digital rectal examination and the specific antigen prostate (PSA) blood test. 581-373- -3 9. |