Photography and Text by Terry “Travels with Terry” Zinn t4z@aol.com

Any time of year is a good time to look toward the future while examining the past. Over my more than twenty-five years of professional travel writing and photography I find some of my most carefree experiences had been aboard a ship traveling to unknown destinations.
Over the years I have cruised aboard Regent, Royal Viking (twice), Holland American, MS Egypt, Sunline, Blount, Princess, Seabourn, The American Heritage Windjammer, and a Fantom ship to Cuba, among others. These personal experiences add credibility to my evaluations of the cruise experience. I often tell my friends that on the whole I find the cruise ship experience so good that I’d do it every week, if it weren’t for the single supplement penalty. Paying for two while I’m a single traveler is not appealing. Some cruise lines will try and pair you with a compatible stranger to negate the double charge, but that uncertainly is not for me.
There is a never-ending assortment of cruises ships, small to mega sized, all with advantages and disadvantages. Large mega ships offer a wider range of dining options, some with elite specialty pre reserved dinning rooms with up charges, but often worth the upscale food selections and air of luxury. Of course, when you share your leisure experiences with two or three thousand of your best strangers, with or without children and other walkers, can be a roadblock to carefree cruising. While the ships try their best not to have log jams during tour disembarkations, and final disembarkation, the wait is a challenger for impatient passengers. Larger ocean-going ships promise and offer a smoother sailing with the weather is not cooperating.
Smaller ships are more at prey to unwieldy seas, but most captains will steer away from such irritations if possible. The key is if possible, as the Captain is in charge of your safety as well as your enjoyment or frustrations, despite your wishes, as some planned on ports of call have to be substituted without notice. Other less offered options are historical lectures and smaller entertainment options as well as less shopping and casino. I can do without casinos, but some find it a must for evening entertainment.
You still have lots of options when exploring the ship your wish to book, including dining times, cabin locations, beverage packages, and optional upscale booking venues such as spas, relaxation areas, and on deck venues.
I find on cruises you get what you pay for. On an upcoming cruise with Celebrity I booked the aqua class ocean view cabin with concierge service and a beverage package and even room service which is so welcomed early in the morning. This is a regular size cabin with small veranda and is not the next class up a suite. The difference in price from a non Aqua class deck to a lower deck, same size room and veranda, was nominal. For the perks of the higher class, it made good sense to spend a little more and get a lot more luxury. I find this true on other cruise lines as well.
In our internet age, there are many cruise ship’s tours and reviews on line. Just put in the name of the cruise line or specified ship and you might be surprised at the honest and informative evaluations, some with cruise ship video tours.
Don’t let all these prepaid and prereserved options daunt you. It does take up your time and mental energies but that can be part of the cruise enjoyment. I have always found there are three levels of travel enjoyment. One is the pre-trip, planning and looking forward to an adventure. Two is the trip or destination itself. And three is reflecting, some time for years on your travel experience. All three levels amplify your benefits from travel.
It is well known that a prime advantage of a cruise is arrive, unpack once, and your basic needs, including food and entertainment, is taken care. Just as in any hotel, large or small, upscale or not, the noise irritation of door slamming from your “neighbors” is inevitable.
It this does not fit your disposition, maybe leisure travel is not for you. Travel is a risk, from a secure home base, but if you never challenge yourself to get out into the world, you become only an armchair traveler watching travel shows on TV. If health allows go as soon as you can as the world and its challenges are always increasing, and besides, I don’t think we are getting any younger or more mobile. But with an adventurous spirit and not expecting too much, travel can be a reward for your spirit and your pocketbook.

For your consideration: https://okveterannews.com/031215/travel-entertainment-reflections-on-a-visit-to-cuba-part-two-getting-there

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
3110 N.W. 15 Street – Oklahoma City, OK 73107
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by Dr. C.V Ramana

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These risk factors include high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, excess body fat (particularly around the waist), high triglyceride levels and low levels of good cholesterol. Having only one of these risk factors does not mean that you have metabolic syndrome, however, having one will increase the possibly of developing cardiovascular disease. Having three or more will likely result in a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. The two critical risk factors for diagnosing metabolic syndrome is excess central body fat and insulin resistance.
The American Heart Association reports that approximately 25 percent of the American population has metabolic syndrome. To diagnose metabolic syndrome your primary care provider will perform tests to look for signs of the disorder. These tests may include a baseline blood pressure measurement, waist circumference measurement, a fasting lipid panel, and a fasting glucose level. Complications of metabolic syndrome include hardening of the arteries, peripheral artery disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart attack, kidney disease and stroke.
If you think you are at risk for metabolic syndrome, see your primary care provider for an examination and screening. Metabolic syndrome is treatable and the poor outcomes related to living with the disorder for many years are avoidable. Your primary care provider can provide support and encouragement for decreasing your overall body fat by making lifestyle changes. He or she can prescribe medications to reduce high blood pressure, high blood sugar and even high cholesterol. Preventing poor outcomes from metabolic syndrome is certainly possible. Establishing a primary care provider and having regular check ups is the first step in taking control of your health and leading a healthier lifestyle.
You are also welcome to call our Vascular Center to schedule a prompt and free consultation. You can contact us at 405-608-8884. We are a specialized center staffed with highly experienced professionals, including a Vascular/Interventional physician, dedicated to treating vascular disease on an outpatient basis using the latest proven technology to combat this epidemic.
Dr. C.V Ramana is a vascular and interventional radiologist with more than 20 years of practice experience. He has expertise in all areas of vascular and interventional radiology. Dr. Ramana has a Ph.D from Yale University and MD from CWRU in Cleveland, Ohio where he subsequently completed his fellowship in Vascular and Interventional Radiology at the Cleveland Clinic.
Visit Naadi Health at 1 NW 64th Street in Oklahoma City or call (405)-608-8884. www.naadihealthcare.com

Laura Lynn’s Home Care Named as Provider and Employer of Choice

Laura Lynn’s Home Care announced today that it has received both the 2019 Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice and Employer of Choice Awards from Home Care Pulse. These awards are granted only to the top-ranking home care providers, based on client and caregiver satisfaction scores gathered by Home Care Pulse.
Laura Lynn’s Home Care is now ranked among a small handful of home care providers across the country who have proven their ability to provide an exceptional working experience to employees and the highest quality care to clients.
“We want to congratulate Laura Lynn’s Home Care on receiving both the Best of Home Care – Provider of Choice Award and the Best of Home Care – Employer of Choice Award,” says Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse.
“Since these awards are based on real, unfiltered feedback from clients and caregivers, Laura Lynn’s Home Care has proven their dedication to providing a great work environment and solid training to employees, while maintaining their focus on client satisfaction. We are pleased to recognize their dedication to quality professionalism and expertise in home care.”
Best of Home Care providers have contracted with Home Care Pulse to gather feedback from their clients and caregivers via live phone interviews each month. Because Home Care Pulse is an independent company, it is able to collect honest and unbiased feedback.
“These awards confirm what we have always believed. Our team of caregivers is the absolute best you can get. We’re so proud of their hard work, their compassion and the care they provide to the families we serve,” says Laura Hicks, CEO and founder of Laura Lynn’s Home Care.
“Our goal at Home Care Pulse is to empower home care businesses to deliver the best home care possible,” says Erik Madsen, CEO of Home Care Pulse. “We are happy to recognize Laura Lynn’s Home Care as a Best of Home Care award-winning provider and celebrate their accomplishments in building a team of happy, qualified caregivers who provide outstanding care for their clients.”
For more information about Laura Lynn’s Home Care, visit LauraLynnsHomeCare.com or call (405) 418-2961.
Established in 2002 by Laura Lynn Hicks, Laura Lynn’s Home Care is a licensed home care agency and has become Oklahoma’s premier provider of private-duty services. Laura Lynn’s Home Care provides in-home assistance delivered by a team of Certified Home Health Aides. Laura Lynn’s Home Care clients are able to remain in the comfort of their homes, while receiving long-term care or post-operative assistance.

Linda Rakett and her fellow Blue Star Mothers of Chapter 6 love supporting the military and veterans. Rakett is a volunteer with Blue Star Mothers through RSVP of Central Oklahoma. The national organization, made up of mothers who have children serving in the military or who have served and have been honorably discharged, started in 1942 during World War II.
“Our mission is to serve and help active duty military and veterans,” said Rakett, who became a Blue Star Mother when her son joined the Army right out of high school in 2003. “We send deployment boxes to the ones serving around the world, and we try to help the veterans who are at the Veterans Administration hospital or VA Centers.”
During the Christmas season, Linda and the other mothers contact nursing homes in the area and find out how many veterans are residents. They prepare gift bags that contain socks, candy, tissues, personal greeting cards, and snacks for each veteran to share with them for Christmas. They also participate in the Marines Toys for Tots drive, help out at the Military Welcome Center at Will Rogers World Airport, and participate in Veterans Day parades.
“We do whatever we can do to help,” Rakett said. “We love helping our military and our veterans.”
To learn more about Blue Star Mothers and volunteering with RSVP of Central Oklahoma, call Laura McPheeters at 405-605-3110 or email lmcpheeters@rsvpokc.org.
Since 1973, RSVP of Central Oklahoma has helped senior adults continue to live with purpose and meaning by connecting them with rewarding community volunteer opportunities, including RSVP’s Provide-A-Ride Senior Transportation Program. RSVP is a partner of Senior Corps and the United Way of Central Oklahoma. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, call Laura McPheeters at 405.605.3110 or visit rsvpokc.org. You can also follow RSVP on Facebook at facebook.com/RSVPokc.

Male, J.D., 7 months old, and female, Rukai, 8 months old, are now on public view

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is pleased to announce the arrival of two clouded leopard cubs: seven-month-old male, J.D., and eight-month-old female, Rukai. The duo were paired at the Pittsburgh Zoo, Rukai’s birthplace, in October and have spent the past two months bonding. J.D. was born at the Nashville Zoo in late April. The hope is that Rukai and J.D. will one day grow up to have their own cubs together and in clouded leopards, breeding is more successful when future mates grow up together. The method of introducing juvenile, genetically valuable male and female clouded leopards began about a decade ago when the clouded leopard population began to drastically decline.
“The Zoo is so excited to welcome these beautiful, gregarious clouded leopard cubs,” said Tyler Boyd, curator of carnivores. “In addition to serving as ambassadors for their species – educating Zoo guests about their plight in the wild and the need for wildlife conservation – J.D. and Rukai’s potential offspring will help ensure the species continues to thrive for generations.”
The cubs are located in the Cat Forest habitat between the Tiger and Small Cat Interpretive Centers. The carnivore and maintenance teams have added elevated perching opportunities to better suit the arboreal tendencies of this species and afford guests more opportunities for viewing. The Zoo is also home to 15-year-old male clouded leopard, Luke, who will not share a habitat with J.D. and Rukai.
Rukai and J.D.’s relocation to the OKC Zoo was a Species Survival Plan® (SSP) recommendation. The mission of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) cooperatively managed SSP Program is to oversee the population management of select species, including the clouded leopard, within AZA member institutions like the OKC Zoo and to enhance conservation of this species in the wild. Each SSP Program coordinates the individual activities of participating member institutions through a variety of species conservation, research, husbandry, management and educational initiatives.
Clouded leopards are native to Nepal and Bangladesh. They are the world’s strongest climbing cats, which gives them an advantage over the other big cats sharing their territory. The species is listed by the IUCN as vulnerable to extinction due to deforestation, poaching and the pet trade. Clouded leopards are protected in most range countries although enforcement in many areas is weak. Precise data on clouded leopard population numbers is not known (they are among the most elusive cat species) but researchers estimate there are around 10,000 clouded leopards in the wild.
Every cloud(ed) leopard has a silver lining – you can CAT-ch them at the OKC Zoo’s Cat Forest habitat! Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, Oklahoma City’s Adventure District and an Adventure Road partner. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Regular admission is $11 for adults and $8 for children ages 3-11 and seniors ages 65 and over. Children two and under are admitted free. Stay up-to-date with the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and by visiting Our Stories. Zoo fans can support the OKC Zoo by becoming Oklahoma Zoological Society members at ZOOfriends.org or in-person at the Zoo! To learn more about these and other happenings, call (405) 424-3344 or visit okczoo.org.

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

It’s a new year and June Brown is celebrating her new lease on life.
“They said there was really nothing they could do. It was just damaged muscle,” Brown said, recalling a July 2006 injury to her left leg that left her living in pain.
Over the next 13 years, that injury gave way to a vicious cycle of pain, redness and swelling followed by antibiotics.
And building oilfield equipment for a living, that meant Brown spent long days on her feet which just made problems worse.
She managed the best she could until she noticed a hole forming in her leg, about the size of a pencil eraser.
Her doctor put her on another round of antibiotics hoping it would curb the growing infection.
“The doctor was real nice but said he had never seen anything like this and wouldn’t touch it,” Brown remembers.
Finally deciding she had had enough, Brown pressed the issue and sought a second opinion.
Pathology samples showed dead tissue in her leg due to no blood flow.
“It was basically just dying,” she said.
She was horrified and in need of help.
GIFT OF HEALING
That’s when she found Dr. C.V. Ramana and Naadi Healthcare Vascular and Interventional Center.
Dr. Ramana was able to restore blood flow for the first time in more than a decade.
“Within two weeks I was released from wound care. You wouldn’t believe the difference,” Brown said. “It’s got a scar but it’s a totally different leg. I’m just so happy there’s no pain, no nothing.
“I can forget about it.”
Naadi specializes in peripheral vascular disease and venous insufficiency.
From pain in the calf while walking to non-healing wounds, Naadi works on getting people back to their former selves.
“Ultimately, the end goal is if somebody has a really bad wound we don’t want them to lose their limb. We want to save their limb, save their life. People who have amputations have a very high mortality rate,” said Shelby Dudley, a radiology technologist at Naadi.
Naadi Vascular and Interventional Center is the first outpatient center in Oklahoma City dedicated to vascular and interventional radiology.
Interventional radiology (also known as IR) is the minimally invasive, image-guided treatment of medical conditions that once required open surgery.
Breakthroughs in technology and imaging have created new treatment choices for patients. In this new era of medicine, there is no longer one “right way” to handle your condition.
Personalized medicine means doing the right thing for each individual patient. More than ever, it’s imperative for you to know and understand all of the available options to treat your condition or disease. In many cases, there is a minimally invasive approach that could dramatically reduce your pain, risk and recovery time.
“A lot of people have pain in their legs and they think it’s normal and it’s not,” Dudley said. “A lot of people have peripheral vascular disease and they don’t know. It’s a misdiagnosed disease. This can be treated and there are things that can be done to prevent it.”
Controlling diabetes and blood pressure, exercise and maintaining a healthy diet are some of the biggest modifiable risk factors that can help prevent peripheral artery disease.
After the injury, Brown resigned herself to her current condition. She didn’t know things could be better.
Not until she visited Naadi and Dr. Ramana.
“He was great. He was real sweet and real concerned,” Brown said of Dr. Ramana. “He was patient with me. He didn’t try to push. He let me go at my own pace. I appreciated that. He made it to where I would understand what was going on to help relieve some of my anxiety.”
“His staff is really sweet. You couldn’t ask for better, more concerned people that want to make sure you’re comfortable, relaxed and healthy.”
Patients are able to self-refer to Naadi. Taking her health into her own hands was the best gift Brown could have given herself.
“That’s something I hope we can make a change in the culture,” Ramana said. “People see all of that as a normal part of growing old and kind of accept that and don’t think there is anything they can do to impact that.”
“One of the nice things about being in a facility like this is you get to see those patients over and over and you get to see how you’ve impacted their lives,” Ramana said. “It’s very rewarding.”
And now Brown has a new lease on life.

Visit Naadi Health at 1 NW 64th Street in Oklahoma City or call (405)-608-8884. www.naadihealthcare.com

When you hear the word “malnutrition,” you probably think of people in impoverished countries, but the fact is, one in every two older adults is at risk of becoming malnourished.
An elderly Oklahoma City woman was that one in two. Sharon Gibson said she was wasting away. Doctors had given up hope and so had she.
“It was just all overwhelming and I was to the point where I didn’t care whether I lived or died,” the 74-year-old said.
Malnutrition in older adults is a hidden and growing epidemic and a costly one. The estimated price tag of the increased health care costs for disease-associated malnutrition in older U.S. adults tops $51 Billion a year. Hunger is not the sole cause. Sometimes it’s about eating the wrong foods and sometimes medical conditions like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s are to blame.
Gibson had been diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which left her constantly out of breath. She also had digestive issues that impacted her ability to eat, as well as trouble standing, which made it difficult to cook.
“I was very sick physically, emotionally. I couldn’t eat. My digestive system was shot. My lungs were shot – my whole bone structure. I couldn’t even stand up straight,” she explained. That was before Gibson found Valir Pace, a non-profit program that provides all-inclusive care to older adults.
“A lot of participants have come to me when I’m doing their initial assessment and they say, ‘you know, sometimes I have to pay my medicine, you know, pay for medicine and sometimes I have to decide if I want to eat or what I’m going to buy to eat and that’s so heartbreaking,” said Zella Classen, MA, RD/LD, director of Food and Nutrition at Valir Pace.
At Pace, Classen and the entire nutrition team spend their days preparing, serving and packing meals for delivery to participants. They know malnutrition in older adults can lead to a variety of health problems. These include:
• An increased risk of infection due to a weak immune system
• Poor wound healing
• Muscle weakness and decreased bone mass, which increases the risk of falls and fractures
• A higher risk of hospitalization and death
“A lot of times someone will come to me and they may not have been educated on an appropriate diet for them. And remember, as we are get older, we may develop a chronic disease like diabetes or heart disease, and things like that; and they may not have been educated on that. Or if they have been, they really struggle on getting the right foods for that diet because of their limited income. So, we try to work with them on educating and then trying to help solve that problem on getting them the appropriate foods,” Classen said.
Today thanks to Valir Pace, participants have access to two meals a day, as well as delivery of specially prepared meals and groceries to their homes. It’s not just providing food, though. Classen said it is about providing the right food and the right nutritional supplements to optimize health.
Today, Gibson has a very different outlook on life.
“Nutrition is the basis of everything. If you’re not eating, your body isn’t functioning. You can’t do anything else. So, Zella interviewed me and asked really good questions. They got to the root of my digestive problems and set up a plan with me and, slow but sure, I gathered strength,” she said.
Gibson pays nothing for the program – a program she says has literally saved her life.
“They’ve turned my life around. I’m living again. I’m not just existing. I’m not waiting to die. I’m living and enjoying each day,” she said.
To find out if you or a loved one qualifies for the program, visit www.valirpace.org

An experimental brain cancer compound developed at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation is being used in a new study that could considerably extend the lives of glioblastoma patients.
In a study at the University of Oklahoma’s Stephenson Cancer Center, the OMRF compound OKN-007 is being combined with Temodar, the current standard-of-care medication for glioblastoma. Researchers hope to learn if it can enhance Temodar’s effectiveness for a longer period of time.
Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer with no cure. Even with surgery and chemotherapy, patients typically live only 12-18 months after diagnosis. Only 1 in 20 glioblastoma patients will live five years.
Temodar has been proven to work, but in most cases, patients tend to become resistant to the drug after approximately three months.
In combination, OKN-007 allows Temodar to remain effective for longer with less resistance, thus extending treatment well beyond the three-month window, perhaps indefinitely, said OMRF Vice President of Technology Ventures Manu Nair.
“Several additional months of treatment with Temodar can dramatically prolong the lives of patients and keep them from enduring other grueling treatments that can compromise their immune systems,” said Nair.
OKN-007 had been in trials to determine safety and efficacy since 2013. The compound was developed by OMRF scientists Rheal Towner, Ph.D., and Robert Floyd, Ph.D., as a novel therapeutic that dramatically decreased cell proliferation (spread) and angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels), and it turned on the process of removing damaged cells so they can’t become cancerous.
“OKN-007 has been promising, but until now, it was only used in very late-stage cancer where patients are out of other options,” said Nair. “By combining it with Temodar, it offers a longer, more effective treatment regimen.”
The new study is led by James Battiste, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at the Stephenson Cancer Center.
An estimated 12,000 Americans are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year, according to the American Brain Tumor Foundation. The standard treatment regimen involves surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Still, the tumor almost always grows back.
“By combining Temodar and OKN-007 following initial surgery to have the brain tumor removed, we see potential for these patients to added benefit from an existing drug already proven to work, but for a much longer period of time,” said Nair.

The trauma center at OU Medicine has been re-verified as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons.
In 2001, the Trauma One Center, at both OU Medical Center and The Children’s Hospital, was designated as Oklahoma’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, the highest national ranking a trauma center can receive. The verification process by the American College of Surgeons validates that trauma centers have all resources necessary for any type of trauma care.
“Earning verification from the American College of Surgeons is gratifying because it reflects the commitment and hard work that our healthcare professionals deliver day in and day out,” said OU Medical Center President Kris Gose. “The process validates that we have all resources in place to provide optimal trauma care at any time.”
As a Level 1 Trauma Center, Trauma One offers comprehensive care that can handle the most critical emergencies. Trauma One provides 24-hour coverage by general surgeons, and quick availability of care in specialties such as orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, internal medicine, plastic surgery, oral and maxillofacial surgery and more.
Operating rooms and trauma surgeons are available 365 days a year, and the air ambulance Medi Flight can be dispatched in minutes to airlift patients to Trauma One. A multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, specialists and other health care professionals are always on site, using advanced technology to treat the most severe and critical injuries. Level 1 Trauma Centers provide total care for every aspect of injury, from prevention through rehabilitation.
In addition to serving people across Oklahoma, Trauma One, because of its location in the geographic center of the state, is ideally positioned for regional access as well. An injured person’s best chance for survival is when treatment occurs within an hour of the event. Paramedics, ambulance systems and other hospitals across the state play key roles in transporting patients to Trauma One within an hour.
“The Trauma One Center has been able to save countless lives in its nearly 20-year existence,” said Roxie Albrecht, M.D., medical director of Trauma One. “As part of a tertiary care center, it is important that we participate in continuous assessment of our program. Our aim is to always provide the highest level of care to people when they need it the most.”
The verification of Trauma One was conducted by the Verification Review Committee, a subcommittee of the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons. Verified trauma centers must meet the essential criteria that ensure trauma care capability and institutional performance, as outlined by the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma in its manual Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured Patient. There are five categories of verification in the program. In addition to submitting documentation, Trauma One had an on-site review by a team of experienced site reviewers.
Level 1 Trauma Centers like OU’s Trauma One also provide public education and prevention information to people across the state. OU’s primary areas of advocacy are: ATV Ride Safe Oklahoma, which provides classes to increase awareness of ATV safety guidelines; Stop the Bleed, a course that teaches how to save someone’s life by controlling bleeding; and concussion education for coaches, game officials, athletes and parents about the nature of concussion and head injury.