Former football star's journey profiled on ESPN

Check out this inspiring story of a former high school football star who was treated at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford several years ago. The emergency room physician, Dr. Jeffrey Peebles, who treated Andre was interviewed for the ESPN E:60 program.

Healing power of a laugh

We’ve all heard the cliché “laughter can be the best medicine,” but in my case it’s more than that. As director of the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB I know a lot more goes into health and wellness than having a good belly laugh each day.

But all things considered, laughter can help in so many ways. Those that know me recognize I’m a bit of a jokester and like nothing better than to get people laughing. When we laugh we connect with others, let out distressing emotions and increase our infection-fighting antibodies. It lowers stress hormones, decreases pain, relaxes muscles and even helps to prevent heart disease.

Bottom line it feels good to laugh. And it feels even better to connect with others who are also laughing. Our brains are even wired to laugh more when the internal “detector” in our brains notices laughter and triggers circuits in the brain to keep laughing.

That’s why it is important to create opportunities to laugh. Host a game night with friends, let out your inner kid and goof around with the children in your life, make time for fun activities. The great thing about laughter is it’s free. And in this economy that’s a bonus to relieving stress in itself.

If you’re one of those people who needs a checklist to have fun, consider these questions when debating to approach life with a frown or a smile:
• Is it worth getting upset over?
• Is it worth upsetting others?
• Is it that important?
• Is it that bad?
• Can the situation be fixed?
• Is it even my problem?

If the answers are yes, you should obviously work towards a solution then take a break for some fun you deserve it.

If the answers are no, then relax and find a friend to share a laugh with. Better yet, remember what Patch Adams said: “Laughter can be hazardous to your illness.”

Mike Lofland
Director, Texas Health Fitness Center HEB

Not just another day

James Day woke up and began to mow the lawn just like any other day one Thursday. But unlike usual, he began feeling strange and having pain.

At first the 71-year-old thought he was just hot, not an unreasonable thought while working outside during these summer days. But after a shower to cool off he still felt pain. With no history of heart trouble and no real medical problems he waited a bit, but soon decided to seek medical attention.

The Euless resident lives less than a mile from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford so he decided to drive over to get the pain checked out. And that was a good decision because it turned out he was having a heart attack. He arrived at 10:10 a.m. and the emergency department quickly snapped into action. “The team downstairs in the Emergency Department was all over me,” he said.

By 10:38 a.m. he’d been whisked upstairs to the cath lab and by 12:02 p.m. he was resting in a recovery room.

Only a couple of hours later he was sharing how happy he was with how the process worked. Texas Health HEB recently earned Cycle III Chest Pain Center accreditation – the highest accreditation from the Society of Chest Pain Centers. Part of that recognition is for the procedures that are in place to quickly treat patients with heart attacks.

Reflecting back on the experience, Day said he was happy to have come into the hospital and pleased with the outcome. “It’s just been perfect,” he said.

Jennifer Erickson
Sr. Public Relations Specialist
Texas Health HEB

Small offers of support can help avert tragedies

When cases hit the news like that of the Irving mother who allegedly strangled her two children this week, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed at the sense of tragedy.

We can’t know how many lives are impacted by events like this. Family and friends are left wondering what they could have done and what impact the children could have made on this world. Others are left saddened that this could happen to any child or family. And as a week like this strings along where more than one case is reported, such as the one in Waco, it makes me wonder what can be done.

Texas Health Springwood Hospital clinical manager and licensed clinical social worker Ross Teemant says that many simple steps can be taken if you fear for a loved one’s condition.

First, watch for warning signs that someone is experiencing difficulties. This could include, but not be limited to, withdrawing from social situations, acting down or depressed, changes in behavior, or changes in eating patterns and sleep patterns.

If the symptoms appear to be minor, try to engage the person, Teemant says. Offer to go out to lunch or dinner. Ask if you can babysit. Offer to research local avenues for support, such as church groups, support groups for parents of special needs, and other such venues. The offers may seem insignificant to you, but it could be the lifeline the person needs.

If the symptoms are more severe, or seem to be getting worse, contact a health provider or in dire situations 911. Organizations like Texas Health Springwood offer free assessments to determine if a person needs treatment. To schedule an assessment, call 817-355-7771. For more information about treatment options, click here.

Many times individuals think that they’ll be overstepping their bounds, but it’s important to remember that if someone is experiencing depression or other mental health conditions they may not be able to reach out for help themselves.

Jennifer Erickson
Sr. Public Relations Specialist
Texas Health HEB and Texas Health Springwood

Hospital president works to avoid needing cardiac care

About a year ago I got news that many people hear all too often, but what many frequently ignore.

My triglyceride numbers had doubled in a year. I’d always been one to diet off and on and placed a premium on exercise, but the scare with my lab numbers moved me into high gear. I cut carbs and sugar from my diet and within 30 days my numbers drastically decreased. In the process I’ve managed to lose about 25 pounds, which as a side benefit has made shopping all the more fun.

It’s important to know your numbers because that is one predictor of future heart disease. As a hospital president I’ve always placed a personal priority on offering high quality cardiac care to our communities. Having quality heart care close to home is essential in preserving heart muscle, which dies every second when someone is having a heart attack.

This point is so important that I’m going to repeat it. Heart muscle dies every second when someone is having a heart attack. Knowing that makes it all the more important to have a hospital close by that puts a high premium on providing fast cardiac care following nationally recognized guidelines for excellence. I am proud that Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford is such a hospital.

Employees and physicians on the medical staff have been working diligently to earn Cycle III Chest Pain Center. This is the highest accreditation possible by the Society of Chest Pain Centers for treatment of our patients with chest pain.
The designation means we rank among the best in the world for the rapid recognition and collaborative treatment of acute coronary syndrome or heart attacks. When heart muscle is on the line, this is a vital distinction.

To patients, the designation means that Texas Health HEB has met stringent national standards for rapid recognition and collaborative treatment of heart attack. Nationally, accreditation by the Society of Chest Pain Centers is linked to better patient outcomes and more lives saved, according to an Emory University School of Medicine study published in the American Journal of Cardiology in July 2008.

Collaboration between emergency medical providers and the hospital’s emergency department, cardiac catheterization lab, cardiac intensive care unit, telemetry and cardiac rehabilitation unit is critical to the success of chest pain centers. This accreditation is the result of a team effort that requires the skills and expertise of employees across the hospital and the physicians on our medical staff.

Because time is crucial in stopping damage to the heart muscle, the Society of Chest Pain Centers recommends that individuals call 9-1-1 if they experience chest pain or other heart attack symptoms such as:

• Chest discomfort including squeezing or fullness in addition to pressure and pain;
• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, arms, back, neck or stomach;
• Shortness of breath; and
• Other symptoms such as cold sweat, nausea, fatigue or dizziness.

As we’ve sought this designation, I realize I’ve been lucky not to have had any close relatives touched by a heart attack. But I’ve known too many people in our community who have dealt with devastating blows one can cause. I hope that you won’t need our cardiac cath lab or cardiac intensive care unit, but I for one rest easier knowing that they are staffed with caring professionals who have been recognized for excellence by organizations such as the Society of Chest Pain Centers.

Deborah Paganelli, FACHE
Hospital President
Texas Health HEB

Bed rest made fun; one mom looks back on her journey

Local mom Missy Cheatham reminisces on the events of her pregnancy with twin girls and her 72-day stay on bed rest at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford last year:

“One year ago today, I went in for my normal appointment with the perinatologist for my pregnancy with Cooper and Conley. I was 23 weeks and 5 days along in my pregnancy. To my surprise, I was admitted the hospital with absolutely no notice. The doctor sent the nurse to get me a wheelchair, and I was wheeled down the hall to be admitted into Labor and Delivery where I would stay as long as I could avoid delivery. That turned out to be a 72-day stay, which resulted in wonderful friendships that I still have with many of my nurses, and most importantly resulted in two healthy babies that made it until 35 weeks and 5 days not spending even one minute in the NICU.

Every day in the hospital was absolutely worth it.

When I look at Cooper and Conley today (Conley is trying to crawl in my lap as I type this), I don't even remember the unique journey we took to get them here safely. When anyone asks me about staying in the hospital, I have to remind myself that I was really there for 10 weeks. Wow! It never seemed like 72 days. That was mostly because of my FABULOUS nurses (who really just became my friends that had to wait on me hand and foot...that's not so bad!) and the great program that Texas Health HEB has for mommies on hospital bed rest. I mean, I had craft time, movie night, free massages and educational classes.

Texas Health HEB Women's Center is definitely the place to be if you have to be on bed rest long-term!

It was a very surreal experience to learn....you can't go home for a very long time....you have to sleep away from your husband and daughter for a very long time....you can't even go home to pack a bag or straighten things up...you have to leave work unexpectedly for some unknown time....BUT in hindsight, it was all worth it and I had a lot of fun too!”

For more information on Texas Health HEB’s women’s services, visit www.TexasHealth.org/HEBwomen.

Photos of Cheatham and the Texas Health HEB women’s services nurses courtesy of Cheatham.

Need another reason to be active?

It seems nearly everywhere you look there is a good reason to be active. But yet half of Americans still have trouble lacing up the tennis shoes or hitting the yoga mats, myself included.

Well, if short term benefits we all know about (controlling weight, reducing risk of heart disease and diabetes etc.) aren’t giving you that extra push to burn some calories perhaps looking long-term will.

A study released yesterday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that women who were physically active showed a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment. The greatest benefits seemed to come from physical activity as a teen, but even getting active at ages 30 and 50 helped to boost the likelihood of less impairment.

Not much scares me more than the thought of having my mind go first so I called Kim Williams, a personal trainer at the Texas Health Fitness Center HEB, for some advice.

She recommends that walking is the easiest and cheapest thing that anybody can do and it has just as many benefits as running. Even breaking that up into 10 minute segments three times a day can show health benefits akin to scheduling a 30-minute block. Regardless of how you break up the time on any given day, it’s recommend that individuals exercise three to five times a week, Williams said.

Williams said that a consistent response she sees from individuals working out at the Fitness Center regularly is that they’re glad to be working out now and achieving the related health benefits rather than looking back wistfully on lost time.

Guess the old adage no time like the present holds true when it comes to fitness.

Jennifer Erickson
Sr. Public Relations Specialist
Texas Health HEB