Amanda works on some exercises with her father that will help him with movement.

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   Physical Therapist Amanda Curtis has joined Speech Language Pathologist Erica James in looking to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease—the second most prevalent neurological disease nationwide, behind Alzheimer’s.

   Erica was certified in 2006 to work with Parkinson’s patients on their speech.

   And this June, Amanda became certified to work with Parkinson’s patients on improving their motor skills.

   Helping someone fight the ravages of Parkinson’s disease is personal for Amanda. She’s been working with her father, Randy, on exercises to combat the stiffness often associated with the disease for the past eight years.

Randy and Amanda Curtis

But now, she will share what she learned from LSVT BIG with patients at the PT/OT department at Waldo County General Hospital. LSVT BIG is a program for improving motor skills for individuals with Parkinson’s disease and some other neurological conditions. The method was developed following more than 20 years of research funded by the National Institutes of Health.

LSVT BIG, which Amanda also recently started with her father, involves 16 individual sessions, four consecutive days a week for four weeks. Participants are also asked to do daily homework and to continue with the exercises after the sessions end.

LSVT BIG involves a set of exercises that help the patient move “big.” They involve stretching, twisting, and big steps, which help the patient with speed of movement, balance, and ultimately his or her quality of life.

Amanda has two slogans for her patients in the LSVT BIG program: “Use it and improve it” and “Think Big.”

“It’s a mindset we’re trying to change…The world tends to get small for people with Parkinson’s and we’re trying to open it up again,” she explains. “We want them to take big steps through a doorway.”

While Randy Curtis is just starting the LSVT BIG program, he has been following an exercise regime put together by his daughter when he was diagnosed eight years ago. He said doctors at the Lahey Clinic are convinced that exercise is what has kept him moving without the telltale signs of Parkinson’s Disease—a slow gait, rigidity of the upper body and decreased balance.

Randy also takes medication which has stopped the tremors. He swims and bikes almost daily to combat the stiffness he wakes to each morning.

Amanda learned during her certification training that the best results come with patients who are highly motivated and take the program soon after being diagnosed, although she is quick to add that there are gains to be made whenever a person with Parkinson’s takes the program.

For more than six years, Erica has been working with patients through LSVT LOUD to improve their speech. Parkinson’s can result in reduced volume, understandability and facial expressions and often the person talks in a monotone.

Much like LSVT BIG, LSVT LOUD is an intensive 4-week therapy, which is scientifically designed for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Like its exercise counterpart, it also depends on patients doing homework and keeping up the exercises after finishing the training.

LSVT LOUD is a bit easier for patients who live a distance from Belfast since the program can be done in person once a week and over the computer with a webcam. Charlie Bradford of Southwest Harbor, who took the training, says at first he was a bit intimidated by the computer sessions but quickly forgot he was even on it. “I could hear Erica well,” says Charlie. “It was very pleasant. I was comfortable and more relaxed at home and I could talk louder without bothering anyone. After one session, I forgot it was telemedicine. I was just talking to Erica.”

“I can’t wait to start working with more patients with Parkinson’s disease,” says Amanda. “I’m very excited about it. I think there is a big need in our community. These are life-long exercises that people can do every day in order to keep moving and I know it works.”

Amanda and Erica are also hoping to get a Parkinson’s disease support group going.

If you have Parkinson’s disease or have had a stroke or have multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, or Downs syndrome, talk to your doctor about whether LSVT BIG and LOUD might help you.

The seventh annual Baby Fair selling new and used items for infants and young children will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Troy Howard Middle School, 175 Lincolnville Ave., Belfast.

This is a great opportunity to clean out your closets and sell baby and children’s items no longer needed in your home. Items can include clothes – up to size 12, toys, books, furniture, etc. No recalled furniture or car seats that have an expired use date can be sold.

Crafts people who make baby items may also want to join the Fair.

Tables for exhibitors are available to rent at $25. Large clothes racks or displays may be charged an additional fee as space is limited. The fee is non-refundable and must be paid prior to the fair to guarantee a spot. Proceeds from table rental fees benefit the Belfast Public Health Nursing Association. All profit from your sales is yours to keep.

Set-up will be from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and clean-up will be immediately following the event. Last year about 250 people attended the fair. There is an admission fee of $1 for adults, which also benefits the Belfast Public Health Nursing Association.

To book a table or for more information, call Lois Dutch of Waldo County General Hospital’s Education Department at 930-6713.

Kristin Aldus, left, of the imaging department at Waldo County General Hospital made the posters with the large ribbons while Sheldon Mitchell of the maintenance department built the easels that the posters rest on. Attendees at the Waldo County Ride for Oncology will have the opportunity to purchase a smaller ribbon, put the name of a loved one on it, and then pin it to one of the posters to ride in honor of, or in memory of, a family member or friend who did or is fighting cancer.

On Sunday, Sept. 22, motorcyclists will gather at the Waldo County Shrine Club for the 2013 Waldo County Ride for Oncology. It’s a fun event and all proceeds benefit the Oncology Patient Assistance Fund at Waldo County General Hospital.

There will be a little extra twist this year as participants will have an opportunity to purchase a ribbon and ride in honor of a family member who is fighting cancer currently or in honor or memory of a loved one who fought it in the past.

There will be different color ribbons to represent different types of cancer, including pink for breast cancer, dark blue for colon cancer, orange for leukemia, yellow for bladder cancer, white for lung cancer, teal for ovarian cancer, light blue for prostate cancer, purple for pancreatic cancer, or lavender for all cancers.

Ann Hooper, manager for the imaging department at Waldo County General Hospital, and Gary Collins, organizer of the motorcycle ride, came up with the idea after hearing from participants that they wanted a way of honoring their family members who they are riding for.

Sheldon Mitchell of the hospital’s maintenance department constructed the easels that the large posters will sit on, while Kristin Aldus of the imaging department made the large ribbons on the posters. The small ribbons will be pinned on the larger ones after the names of those people who are being honored are written on them.

It’s frightening when a health professional diagnoses you with heart failure. For most people, the words “heart failure” bring on fears of an imminent death. But once you realize the diagnosis doesn’t mean your heart to going to stop beating immediately, you need to learn skills to better manage your condition and you may also want to connect with others who have the same problem.

If so, a series of five free classes known as “The Beat Goes On” will be offered by Waldo County General Hospital on Thursdays, except for one Wednesday, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Oct. 3. These classes will be held in the second floor conference room at 125 Northport Ave. (the new building across from the hospital).

The five classes and the instructors are:

•  Thursday, Oct. 3: You can do this: Self-Management Skills for    Living Well with Heart Failure by Lisa Sirois RN;

•  Thursday, Oct. 10: Ahhh: Managing the Stress of Heart Failure by   Jo-Ann Whiting RN, the hospital’s case manager;

•  Wednesday, Oct. 16, Pump it Up: Exercising with Heart Failure by Teri Mace, physical therapy aid;

• Thursday, Oct. 24:  Eating Well with Heart Failure: Get the Low  Down on Salt by Brooke Reed, Registered Dietician; and

•  Thursday, Oct. 31:  Pills and Me: Understanding the World of Heart Failure by Nancy Nystrom, a pharmacist at the hospital;

While the course is free, space is limited so register early by calling Barbara Crowley at 930-2650 or emailing her at bcrowley@wcgh.org.

Camp Koda goes to the Belfast Farmer’s Market from Waldo County General Hospital on Vimeo.

Fall 2013 Journey to Health Classes from Waldo County General Hospital on Vimeo.

Prescription Drug Abuse – how it is effecting our community and what we can do to prevent it from Waldo County General Hospital on Vimeo.

Learning about Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 doesn’t really sound like something fun to do in the afternoon enrichment portion of the Searsport Elementary School (SES) summer school program. But playing “Swim Fishies Swim,” cutting up the ingredients for a salad, or making an art project to put on your refrigerator at home—well, those do sound like fun. And the children in the SES summer school found those activities along with some others made for two interesting afternoons.

Health educator Sarah O’Blenes shows the children some different colored carrots from Village Farm and Bahner Farm. They were purchased through the hospital’s Community Transformation Grant and the children got to take cucumbers home.

Waldo County General Hospital’s Barbara Crowley and Sarah O’Blenes, both health educators, spent one afternoon with the children playing games, both inside and outside, and another teaching them about some of the fun things to do with fruits and vegetables.

On the first afternoon, the women asked the children what 5-2-1-0 stood for. After one child thought it was the phone number for the hospital, they narrowed the question down to what the “5” stood for. “Five hours of exercise,” said one boy. “Five servings of fruits and veggies a day,” correctly answered another child.

How about the “2”? “Two hours of exercise,” said the same little boy who had answered five hours of exercise earlier. “Two hours or less of screen time,” was the correct response from another child.
What about the “1”? “One hour of exercise,” was the correct answer from the same little boy this time.
And the “0” stands for no sugary drinks, the children replied.

Cole finishes up the magnet he plans to put on his home refrigerator while Kevin checks it out.

“Let’s play now,” suggested Sarah as she had the children get into a circle. She threw the first colored ball to one of the children, saying the child’s name at the same time. Then that child threw it to another, also saying the child’s name. After everyone had received the ball once, she threw the ball to the same child she threw it to the first time. Then as that child tossed the ball to the same child he had thrown it to before, she introduced more balls and the children were supposed to throw them in the same order as before. Soon there were balls going in every direction and names being yelled out.
“That was a fun game,” said one child. “Let’s play it again,” added others. Little did they realize they were working toward getting their one hour of physical exercise.

The children loved cutting up veggies for a salad and getting to taste them, too.

Next came a game of “Swim Fishies Swim.” One child was designated as the shark and was placed in the middle between two lines. The shark would say, “Come little fishies, come to my sea,” and the children would try to run to the other side without being tagged. If the child was tagged, he or she became a sea ameba, who couldn’t move in the center.

After having fun with that game, the children moved inside and played “See Ya.” There were hula hoops on the floor, which represented a safety zone but only one child at a time could be inside the hoop and had to move when “see ya” was yelled. If you got tagged outside the hula hoop by a shark, you had to do five jumping jacks. Again the children were having so much fun that they didn’t realize they were exercising.
After playing that game several times, the children were each given a water bottle, which they filled with cold water and then added an orange or lemon slice to flavor it, instead of having a sugary drink.
A couple of weeks later, Sarah and Barbara returned. This time, Sarah brought lots of colorful vegetables for the children to use to create a salad they would later eat. The children were delighted to be able to cut and chop the veggies with plastic knives and to sample whatever they wanted.

After a while, the children ended up chasing colored balls and having fun.

“I don’t like any of this,” said one girl as they cooking segment started and Sarah pulled lots of vegetables out of a bag. Later, that same girl was raving about the taste of a slice of fresh green pepper dipped in some humus, while another child decided he really liked fresh scallions.
By the time the salad was ready, all of the children were ready to taste some—well on their way to five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Meanwhile, Barbara was doing an arts and crafts project with another group. The children were given scissors, paste and lots of pictures of fruits and vegetables to put on a paper plate and then were given a magnet to put keep their creation on their home refrigerator to remind them to eat healthy foods.
Many made their creations in the shape of a heart and added phrases such as, “Fruits and veggies are good for your heart.”

Cole tries to get by shark Aden .

And so is learning how to meet the 5-2-1-0 guidelines while having fun.

A fall yard sale will be sponsored by the Waldo County General Hospital Aid on Saturday, October 12th, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, rain or shine, at the hospital’s education center, 118 Northport Avenue, Belfast.

This indoor sale offers a full room of bargains on holiday decorations, jewelry, books, puzzles, toys, clothing, craft items, furniture, dishes and ‘white elephant’ items. Donations of good quality items will be accepted the day before, on Friday, October 11th, at the education center from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Volunteers will check if items are usable for the sale. No computers, televisions or large appliances, please, and only good quality clothing.

Call Phyllis Gaul at 548-0232 or Geary Tibbetts at 338-2564 for more information or to arrange pickup of donations.

   A fall yard sale will be sponsored by the Waldo County General Hospital Aid on Saturday, October 12th, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, rain or shine, at the hospital’s education center.

  This indoor sale offers a full room of bargains on holiday decorations, jewelry, books, puzzles, toys, clothing, craft items, furniture, dishes and ‘white elephant’ items.

Call Phyllis Gaul at 548-0232 or Geary Tibbetts at 338-2564 for more information.

David Tassoni, left, the manager of athenahealth locally, presents Belfast Public Health Nurse Shannon Robbins, RN, with a check for $10,000 to help with the services of Waldo County Dental Care. Also on hand for the presentation were Dan Bennett, Director of Operations at Waldo County General Hospital, and Michelle Gallant, the hygienist at Waldo County Dental Care.

   Waldo County Dental Care has been awarded a $10,000 grant from athenahealth. Employees in all athenahealth campuses nominate groups for grants under a given category for each quarter. All athenahealth employees vote and the top three are awarded funds. The category for this past quarter was “health clinics.”

   Athenahealth employee Donna Berry from the Belfast office nominated Waldo County Dental Care to be on the ballot for the campaign. The Dental Clinic was the only group in Maine to be selected to receive funds for the second quarter 2013 campaign.

   According to the nomination sheet, “Waldo County adults who lack dental insurance and have low incomes have difficulty accessing oral health services due to insurmountable cost barriers.  Many of them live with severely rotted, infected teeth and gums which cause them to miss work and/or have difficulty obtaining jobs.”

   In response, Waldo County Healthcare has opened Waldo County Dental Care and hired a part-time hygienist to provide cleaning and oral health screening for a small co-payment. Four local dentists have volunteered to provide dental care at vastly reduced rates for those with high priority needs.  The goal of the program is to prevent dental crises from occurring by making affordable preventive and restorative care available in Waldo County by offering a dental “safety net.”

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and a perfect reminder that early detection can save lives. Most doctors feel that early detection tests for breast cancer save thousands of lives each year, and that many more lives could be saved if more women and their health care providers took advantage of these tests.

Get in touch with your doctor today to set up a mammogram. It’s especially important because these screenings may find tumors too small to feel.

Waldo County General Hospital is offering free screening mammograms for women who are uninsured or underinsured on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 8 a.m. to noon. Call 930-2594 or 930-2553 for more information or to schedule your appointment.

Kimberly Lenfestey, the hospital’s breast navigator, will meet with those receiving the free screening mammograms to try to aid the women in finding a program to help pay for their mammograms.

Would you like to enjoy Maine-grown organic fruits and vegetables all year long? Learn how you can with “kitchen shares.”

Based on the Community Supported Agriculture model, with kitchen shares you receive a share each month that includes an assortment of nine items from Cheryl Wixson’s Kitchen. She purchases farm-fresh fruits and vegetables from more than 40 Certified Organic Maine Farmers during the harvest season and then creates small batches of pasta and pizza sauces, condiments, jams, pickled vegetables, marinades, dressings and dry mixes.

There are currently pick-up locations in Bangor, Belfast, Blue Hill, Deer Isle, Ellsworth, Freeport, Portland, Rockport, Unity, Waterville and Yarmouth. And others can be added with a minimum of five shares per location.

The cost of the November to April kitchen share is $300 if you pick up and $390 for mail orders in Maine only.
To learn more about getting more Maine food on your plate, attend an informational meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Waldo County YMCA, 157 Lincolnville Ave., Belfast.

The Waldo County General Hospital Aid will sponsor its annual blood drive on Friday, Oct. 25, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge Hall (behind the Shrine Club) on the corner of Northport Avenue and Wight Street, Belfast.

All donors will be entered into a raffle for a $200 Visa gift card, courtesy of Suburban Propane.

To donate, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good health, and show a valid I.D. You must also provide a list of any medications you are taking.

After donating, you will be provided with free snacks and a place to rest for about 15 minutes. The complete process from registration to relaxing at the canteen usually takes about an hour.

To make an appointment for the Oct. 25 blood drive or for more information, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

Looking for some healthier options for holiday meals? Waldo County General Hospital’s Journey to Health is offering free hands-on cooking classes from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Home Economics Room at the Troy Howard Middle School, 173 Lincolnville Ave., Belfast.

On Thursday, Nov. 7, the topic will be ‘Healthy Thanksgiving Sides” and on Thursday, Nov. 14, it will be “Healthy Thanksgiving Desserts.”

Space is limited so please register for one or both classes by Nov. 4. You may email: hkohl@wcgh.org or call 930-2514.

Do you or someone you care about have trouble controlling blood sugar levels? It is estimated that 40 percent of those diagnosed with diabetes do not achieve the blood sugar control target of an A1C less than 7 percent recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m., Kirk Kenyon, will put on a free educational program in the Education Center at Waldo County General Hospital. He will be talking from his personal experience of living with diabetes and will share diabetes self-management and lifestyle strategies that have worked for him.

Controlling your blood sugar may help reduce your risk of diabetes-related complications.

Among the topics Kenyon will cover are:

• achieving good glucose control;
• learning about effective self-management;
• developing a balanced, healthy lifestyle;
• planning and prioritizing diabetes management;
• overcoming fears surrounding diabetes; and
• finding resources for diabetes support.

Kenyon is a member of the A1C Champions© Program, which is a patient-led approach to diabetes education. The goal is to make sure people with diabetes know they are not alone and there are people like Kenyon who can help them along their journey with diabetes.

This is a free presentation, including a buffet dinner, but space is limited so pre-register by calling Barbara Crowley at 930-2650 or email: bcrowley@wcgh.org.

The sixteenth annual Holiday Fair sponsored by Waldo County General Hospital will be held on Friday, Nov. 15, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Hospital’s Education Center located at 118 Northport Avenue, Belfast.

The public is invited to shop for holiday gifts or personal treats. Items for sale will include handmade soaps and lotions, toys, jewelry, textiles, wickless candles, books, white elephant items and baked goods. Some of the artists represented are hospital staff members while others are area craftspeople.

The fair offers unique gifts in a relaxed shopping atmosphere in all price ranges. Come join the fun. This is a fundraiser for the hospital’s community wellness program. For more information, call the hospital’s education department at 930-6713.