Articles

HIV/AIDS Cases Down but Not Eliminated

By: Kathy Hubbard. In the mid-nineties, a friend of mine told me that he lost 30 friends and acquaintances to HIV/AIDS in just one week. It was a miracle that he was still alive. Although cases have decreased substantially since the height of the epidemic, HIV and AIDS remain a persistent problem in the U.S. As a matter of fact, in 2022 there were almost 33,000 new cases of HIV infections resulting in over 19,300 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 13 percent of people with HIV in the U.S. don’t know it.

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Inherent Gene Mutation Causes Lynch Syndrome

By: Kathy Hubbard. “I recently got genetic testing, and I tested positive for Lynch syndrome, which runs in the family,” said a young man named Zach, who posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. In his accompanying picture he looks to be somewhere in his early twenties, if that. “Do the math,” he said, “my great-grandfather had colon cancer, so did my grandfather and my father and uncle, so while that helped me to prepare for the news that I had Lynch syndrome, it’s still a very bit of an eye-opener.”

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Migraine Sufferers Should Avoid Pizza, Peanuts, and Chicken Livers

By: Kathy Hubbard. Although we tend to group migraines with everyday headaches, they’re actually not the same. Migraines are classified as chronic illnesses and Cleveland Clinic says that it’s important for us to know the difference. “Headaches are typically unpleasant and disruptive but aren’t severe enough to affect whether or not you can go about your usual routine or activities,” Cleveland explains. “The most common type is tension-type headache (TTH). The main symptom of TTH is pain that affects your head or face, but not your brain.

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How Occupational Therapy can help those with Dementia

By: Kathy Hubbard. When she was 78 years old, Mrs. Clark was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband of 52 years had noticed that she had lost interest in what had been her favorite hobbies, she began to find daily activities more difficult, and her friends noticed that she was becoming forgetful.

Mrs. Clark’s clinical case is detailed on the American Journal of Occupational Therapy’s website. I paraphrased their description, but the reason I’m telling you about her is because her primary care provider recommended that she see an occupational therapist. She did, and both she and her husband, who understandably had beginning signs of depression, showed remarkable

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Blood Inflammation Can Cause Several Rare Diseases

By: Kathy Hubbard. When I chose vasculitis as a subject for this space, little did I know that it is the overall term for roughly twenty relatively rare, autoimmune diseases. Hang on while I try to explain what it is, who is affected, and when one should seek medical attention. Simply stated, vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. Cleveland Clinic explains that “the swelling makes it hard for blood to flow through your affected vessels, which can cause organ and tissue damage.”

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The Power of Prevention: Sharon Bistodeau, RN, Educator and Advocate of Mock DUI for 21 Years.

If you’ve been in Sandpoint for any amount of time, you have likely seen this energetic healthcare worker manning a med tent at the Festival at Sandpoint, the CHAFE 150, any run, or fundraising event. She is also a long-time member of the nursing staff at Bonner General Health.
Sharon “Bisty” Bistodeau has also poured countless volunteer hours and some of her own dollars into the Mock DUI at Sandpoint High School.

T.I.A.s May Have Long Term Consequences if Ignored

By: Kathy Hubbard. T.I.A.s. Transient ischemic attacks. Should be called mini-strokes, and many physicians do. The word “ischemic” means that there’s a reduced blood flow to a part of the body. With a T.I.A. it’s the brain that’s affected most likely by a blood clot or by other particles in the blood vessel. “T.I.A. differs from a stroke because it’s temporary – with symptoms usually resolving within an hour but sometimes lasting anywhere from just a few minutes to 24 hours – and it does not cause lasting brain damage,” Yale Medicine’s website says.

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Hypochondria, Now Called Illness Anxiety Disorder

By: Kathy Hubbard. People with this disorder often have symptoms that include, “Avoiding people or places due to worry about catching an illness; constantly researching diseases and symptoms; exaggerating symptoms and their severity; high level of anxiety about personal health; obsession with usual body functions, like your heart rate; oversharing your symptoms and health status with others; repeatedly checking for signs of illness, like taking your blood pressure or temperature; seeking reassurance from loved ones about your symptoms or health; uneasiness with healthy body functions, like gas or sweating,” Cleveland says.

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Children’s Healing Garden & Celebration of Life

By: Kathy Hubbard. “The challenge for many people is to speak about their feelings after the death of a child,” Tami Feyen, RN, manager of Bonner Community Hospice said. “If you haven’t gone through it, you can’t imagine what it’s like.” We were talking about the “tree” with the heart-shaped “leaves” that “grows” in the Children’s Healing Garden. This memorial, designed by artist Betty Gardner was installed in 2019 with the idea that people who had lost a child would have a comforting place to come to remember their loved one(s).

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Let’s Celebrate Our Nurses!

By: Kathy Hubbard. I asked long-time BGH nurse, Sharon Bistodeau what the best part of nursing has been for her. She said that first of all she loves the profession. “Helping people is fulfilling,” she said. “You see life from beginning to the end. And nursing can take you anywhere you want to go. I’ve worked on an ambulance, and I’ve worked with ski patrol on the mountain. I’ve worked in just about every department in the hospital, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

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How to Know if it’s E. coli or Salmonella

By: Kathy Hubbard. “E. coli and salmonella are both bacteria that can cause food poisoning. If certain strains of either bacterium enter your body, you can become physically ill. Symptoms typically resolve themselves within a week, but if your symptoms persist you will need immediate medical attention.” So, what are they? E. coli (Escherichia coli) is a bacteria that lives in our intestines as well as the intestines of animals. Most E. coli is harmless, but certain strains cause illness through contaminated water or food, making it possible to catch it from infected animals or people.

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Talk to Your Teen About Testicular Cancer

By: Kathy Hubbard. “As a pediatrician, I find that the typical child begins talking at about one year of age and stops around age thirteen,” Dr. Naheed Alijilani, who practices in Riverside, California, said. “At least that’s what my patients’ parents tell me, when they complain how difficult it is to get teens to open up about anything that really matters.”

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HIV/AIDS Cases Down but Not Eliminated

Inherent Gene Mutation Causes Lynch Syndrome

Migraine Sufferers Should Avoid Pizza, Peanuts, and Chicken Livers

How Occupational Therapy can help those with Dementia

Blood Inflammation Can Cause Several Rare Diseases

The Power of Prevention: Sharon Bistodeau, RN, Educator and Advocate of Mock DUI for 21 Years.

T.I.A.s May Have Long Term Consequences if Ignored

Hypochondria, Now Called Illness Anxiety Disorder

Children’s Healing Garden & Celebration of Life

Let’s Celebrate Our Nurses!

How to Know if it’s E. coli or Salmonella

Talk to Your Teen About Testicular Cancer

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