Christina Sibley, EMT/RMA, Bachelor of Science- Health Studies

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been a subject of debate for decades, with both sides of the fence claiming harms and health/longevity benefits of taking or leaving it. That can leave women, in particular, at a loss when trying to make an informed decision. Why is it so difficult to get a definitive answer?
In short: hormones, and their effects on the body are complicated and studies tend to concentrate on one or two hormones at a time, usually synthetic, like estrogen and progesterone. Results vary across studies, or even in the same study, when data is analyzed using different variables.
The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study is an example of this. A report was sent out in 2002 by the WHI that HRT showed increased risk of certain cancers and cardiac events. Because of that release, prescription and use of HRT plummeted shortly after. Their final report in 2013, after reassessment of study data and addition of new data, showed risk results depended greatly on age and/or time HRT was started post menopause.
Many studies, including the WHI study, only look at estrogen alone or in combination with progesterone, usually synthetic or animal based. They generally don’t consider testosterone (T) at all, which women also produce and is widely available in the body prior to menopause, especially surgical. Additionally, there’s much debate over using synthetic HRT vs bio-identical (plant based) HRT, which is not currently FDA approved. The most effective method of delivery (oral, injectable, creams/gels, patches, or implanted pellets) is also debated, further complicating the issue.
Where does that leave us now? The general consensus, according to the WHI, and other studies, is that in otherwise healthy women, benefits outweigh risks, especially if started closer to the beginning of menopause (natural or surgical). The decision should be made on an individual basis, by the patient and their physician, considering the health history and risk factors of that person.
Christina Sibley, with Sibley Insures, is a licensed health insurance agent who specializes in Medicare plans, all types, and Medicare education. Call (405) 655-6098 or visit https://www.sibleyinsures.com/.

By Eddie Roach

As the new year begins, VillagesOKC reflects on a very rewarding 2022 and looks forward to an even bigger and better 2023.
VillagesOKC was established in 2018 as a plan founded on relationships rather than transactions. Like many small towns in Oklahoma, here like-minded members can trust the connections to valuable resources, education and programming. Membership allows for personal responsibility while Empowering Independence for mature adults to age well – in the way they choose.
The combination of internal leadership and external visibility has raised awareness and opportunities for VillagesOKC. Yet its three core values remain unchanged:
* LEARN (growing the brain at any age)
* PLAN (for the bumps in life)
* SERVE (helping others is life-giving)
Highlights of 2022 accomplishments:
LEARN:
* Offered monthly iPhone and iPad technology support
* Participated in monthly Town Hall Lectures
* Held six-week Brain Health Academy
* Continued 12-month Senior Living Truth Series as educational partners
PLAN:
* Updated the Gathering Information for Transitions (GIFT) workbook and expanded the number of facilitators
* Made GIFT registration, scheduling and payment available online
* Videoed GIFT testimonials for informational sharing
* Piloted one-hour workshops for Medical Power of Attorney and Advance Directive
SERVE:
* Launched the Veteran Initiative with pinning of 350 veterans at the Oklahoma History Center
* Expanded Caregiver Ambassadors to 18 faith communities
* Grew an exciting monthly women’s coffee
* Expanded partnership with NewView Oklahoma
* Established partnership with OKC Friday Newspaper, Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight and Force50 Foundation
In 2023, VillagesOKC will begin LifeSkills Academy, expand The GIFT and Power of Attorney Workshops, expand the Veterans Initiative, double the number of Church and Synagogue connections, and double the VillagesOKC Advisory Board.
VillagesOKC is becoming the magnet, the trusted one source for senior connections in greater Oklahoma City.
To learn more about VillagesOKC, go to their website: https://www.villagesokc.org/ or call (405) 990-6637.

story and photos by Van Mitchell, Staff Writer

The Oklahoma Territorial Museum and Carnegie Library in Guthrie on Nov. 10, honored veterans at a special event called “Flames of Memory.”
Veterans’ families were invited to place a luminaria to help light up the steps of the library. The luminaria display stayed in place for the Veterans Day parade and ceremony.
The event was sponsored by the Samuel King chapter of The Daughters of the American Revolution. The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other groups also took part.
“We write their names tonight and remember their spirit,” said Kristen Ferate, Regent, Samuel King chapter of the DAR. “Tonight, we gather to acknowledge those amongst us who have served and fought to preserve our freedom. Tonight, we light the flames in their memories.”
Ferate told audience members to always keep veteran’s memories and stories alive so the next generation can learn of their sacrifices for freedom.
“We have read stories of war, we have read books, and we have seen films, but how many of us know the pain and scars left by its ravages,” she said. “To those of us that have not served, nor privy to intimate conversations, we must embrace the importance of the freedoms that men and women have died to win. We must never take freedom for granted. I implore you to thank a veteran or seek out the history of ones that have passed. Remember them, and shine a light on their valor.”
Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on Nov. 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces (who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable).
It coincides with other holidays including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. At the urging of major US veteran organizations, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
The guest speaker at “Flames of Memory” was retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Gregory Slavonic, who previously served as acting undersecretary of the Navy and the assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs.
Slavonic talked about some of the sacred military cemeteries that he has visited around the globe that inter U.S. servicemen. He discussed his work on the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and recent conversations with veterans of the battle at Iwo Jima in World War II.
He said it was a stark reminder of the sacrifices military personnel made to ensure freedom.
“Many of them served beside us, and many of them perished,” he said. “This day (Veterans Day) allows us the opportunity to remember our friends, our shipmates who perished in one of the wars that we have been involved with. I was proud to wear the uniform. I am proud to be part of services like this on Veteran’s Day.”

by Van Mitchell, OKNT writer

Dr. Elizabeth Diener, PhD, RN, PNP, CNE, has taught in programs of nursing for the past 30 years in New York, Missouri, and Oklahoma City University’s Kramer School of Nursing.
She said her 13-year stint at OCU has been the most rewarding of her teaching career.
“I can say without a doubt this is the best teaching job that I have ever had,” she said. “They have always encouraged me to explore my own personal research interests, in addition to fulfilling my teaching duties.”
That reciprocation was returned to Diener by her fellow staff members as she was named the 2022 recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty.
An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died (at the age of 33) from complications of the auto-immune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP).
Barnes’s family was very touched by the remarkable compassion and clinical skill demonstrated by Patrick’s nurses during his illness, so they created DAISY to recognize exceptional nurses everywhere.  Diener said she was humbled by her award recognition.
“It would both serve as a validation of everything that I have done in my past 25 years as faculty,” she said. “It would also be quite humbling because I work with an incredible group of faculty that every day try to do their best to foster faculty and student relationships, and be experts in their field. I feel I am just a representative of all of our faculty.”
Diener currently serves as Professor of Nursing. She is trained as a Caritas Coach in Watson’s Caring Science Institute, holds a certificate as a Soul Collage Facilitator, completed a postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Arizona in Integrative Nursing Curriculum, and is a certified ANFT Nature and Forest Therapy Guide..
She is currently pursuing her teaching certification in MBSR at Brown University, School of Public Health. Her clinical practice areas have included, Pediatric AIDS Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, Pediatric Emergency Care, ECMO, Hospice and Palliative Care, and Nursing Leadership/Administration.
Diener said her parents encouraged her to pursue a career in healthcare. She said watching nurses care for some of her relatives growing up also influenced her to become a nurse.
“I was encouraged by my parents,” she said. “Women went into nursing or education. Either one would have been acceptable to my parents, but they really had a great respect for healthcare. I just have a real respect for the nurses that I saw and how they could comfort people, and assure them that things would turn out okay. It made me want to be a part of that.”
Diener said she learned early on in her clinical practice she had what it took to handle the stress and chaos that a nursing career can sometimes have.
“I got a really good look at what nursing would involve,” she said. “I knew then I had what it took to become a nurse.”
Diener said her approach to teaching has evolved as has the field of nursing with new technology, medicine, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had on nursing.
“I think at the beginning I was more concerned with delivering the materials that were required or requested for a particular course, and assessing student performance,” she said. “As it has evolved, it has become not only that, but education has become much more in-depth. We have technology now that wasn’t available back in the day. Our skills have expanded greatly.”
Diener said the pandemic hit the nursing field hard with more nurses leaving the field due to burnout and fatigue.
She said nursing schools like OCU have worked hard to help recruit more nursing students, as well as hospitals and healthcare agencies helping them better transition from student to full-time nurse.
“It’s the quick turnaround from being a student to a functionally-responsible nurse,” she said. “It can be pretty overwhelming at times. Hospitals are trying to address that with internships and transitioning into practice.”
Diener said one message she tells nursing students is to always remember to take care of themselves.
“I think a thing we struggle with is how do we get everything done in the time allotted because there are so many demands,” she said. “I think the challenges will always change as they always do,” she said. “We are fortunate enough to be able to educate larger numbers of nurses. Nurses will get the job done.”
Diener said nursing and teaching is not just her career, it is her passion to help others.
“It is a career I never considered leaving, and one of the reasons is because under the umbrella of being a nurse, there are so many places that you can practice and so many roles that you can fulfill that you can be a nurse and still find your place,” she said.
For more information about Oklahoma City University’s Kramer School of Nursing visit:
https://www.okcu.edu/nursing/home

Story by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Seniors 65 or older who like to walk or run can invest in a new experience, the Senior Marathon, on April 29th at the 23rd annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, akin to taking a vacation rather than buying themselves a new toy. Psychologists say it is much better for one’s well-being to invest in experiences rather than purchasing new things to own.
After 22 years of community service to help fund the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon now provides a new experience.
For the first time, seniors who walk or run before the event can support the downtown museum to help to honor the victims, survivors, rescuers, and those affected by the April 19, 1995 bombing. Mercy is the presenting sponsor of the inaugural event.
Beginning in January, Senior Marathoners who sign up will walk or run 25 miles before race weekend. They can walk as they typically walk or run in their local areas, recording their 1.5 miles weekly. They add up their mileage on a Senior Marathon Running Log available online 2023-Senior-Marathon-Running-Log.pdf (okcmarathon.com) to equal the first 25 miles of a marathon.

This mileage allows them to be a part of one of our nation’s most significant feel-good events for fitness in the lead-up to the “Run to Remember” event Sunday, April 30. The day before the marathon, Saturday, at 8.m., the Senior Marathoners complete their event between the 7 a.m. start to the 5K run and the Kid’s Marathon of a similar style at 9 a.m.
From the marathon starting line at the Oklahoma City National Memorial, seniors can run or walk the last 1.2 miles of their marathon distance directly south to the finish in Scissortail Park to be part of something much bigger than themselves. This allows seniors to feel like “elite” participants because of the on-course support from a massive outpouring of cheering from volunteering OKC residents.
These new Senior Marathoners can feel the camaraderie of attending, interacting, and supporting the Health and Fitness Expo that Saturday at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. The OKC Convention and Visitors Bureau and OU Health present the Expo adjacent to the finish line.
“There’s a generation of Oklahomans who were ever-present on April 19, 1995 … so we want to reconnect both the Memorial and race weekend with the generation that was so key on that day,” said Chris Fleming, Marathon trustee chairman. “The Memorial Marathon is America’s most meaningful marathon, and the new Senior Marathon will now be a part of it.”
Oklahoma City provides walking opportunities on its trail system, but walkers in groups along these trails are a rarity. This specific new goal in April reached with the logging of miles in January, February, and March has the potential to spark groups of seniors socializing as they use the trail system. Officials say the YMCA, senior centers and community agencies will offer senior walking events for those wanting to accumulate 25 miles in a group.
The two-day event some years hosts more than 25,000 runners and walkers from every state and several foreign countries. Aside from this inaugural inclusion of seniors, the event offers a marathon, half marathon, marathon relay (5 member teams), 5K, Kid’s marathon and a wheelchair division.
Costing $30, seniors will receive an event t-shirt, finishing medal and free entry to the Museum with their bib number as they share the experience with their friends and family. Achieving their fitness goal can energize many people to participate in an activity providing good health, a key to aging gracefully.
This is just one of the ways this new facet of the marathon can stimulate Oklahomans and those around the country to enhance their lives at the finish line in Oklahoma City. The marathon weekend is the largest fundraiser for the privately owned and operated Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.
The marathon has built a reputation as one of the best in America, praised in many running publications. It also attracts legends of marathoning to speak at the Expo and run at the event. This new form of inclusion has the potential to make the event even more significant as one of the premier marathons in the country. For more info, go online to: *NEW* Senior Marathon – Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon (https://okcmarathon.com/).

The Oklahoma Historical Society and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) are pleased to announce the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) designation for two properties in Oklahoma. The NRHP is our nation’s official list of properties significant in our past.
Oklahoma County, St. Ann’s Home for the Aged at 3825 NW 19th St., Oklahoma City. Designed by architect Charles Lester (C.L.) Monnot Sr. and constructed in 1950 by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City-Tulsa, St. Ann’s Home for the Aged met a growing need for senior housing within Oklahoma City. The property is significant for its association with the social history of Oklahoma City, as no formal housing for senior citizens existed at the time of St. Ann’s construction. Although a charity of the Catholic diocese, St. Ann’s Home welcomed seniors of all ages and faiths, who had few other options for decent housing. The facility offered dormitory-style accommodations with shared bathrooms, a communal dining hall, gathering spaces and a chapel. The facility also housed a small infirmary and provided basic nursing care for residents. St. Ann’s became a licensed nursing facility with the state in 1980 when Oklahoma enacted its first nursing home laws. State regulations required major interior alterations for the building to remain a licensed facility. Rather than update the building, the diocese opted to build a new nursing home and assisted living center. St. Ann’s Home closed in January 1991 when its last residents moved to the new facility.

Woods County, Alva Municipal Swimming Pool and Bathhouse, 1402 Flynn St., Alva
Once known as the “Little Ocean,” the Alva Municipal Swimming Pool and Bathhouse is an important landmark that symbolizes the importance of New Deal programs to Alva’s historic development. Completed by the Works Projects Administration (WPA) in 1940, the property served a dual purpose of alleviating economic hardship resulting from the Great Depression and providing Alva with a recreational facility. The swimming pool is 200 feet long with a capacity of over 500,000 gallons of water. A smaller, circular-shaped wading pool and concrete gazebo are also on the property. The one-story bathhouse is notable for its poured concrete construction and Art Moderne features that include fluted pilasters with beveled corners, horizontal fenestration, and low relief ornamentation around the main entrance. Together, the swimming pool and bathhouse are exemplary examples of the WPA’s efforts to utilize modern architectural designs in their construction of municipal structures for local communities in northwest Oklahoma. Listing in the National Register of Historic Places is an honorific designation that provides recognition, limited protection, and, in some cases, financial incentives for these important properties. The SHPO identifies, evaluates and nominates properties for this special designation.

For more information contact Dr. Matthew Pearce, National Register of Historic Places coordinator, at 405-522-4479 or matthew.pearce@history.ok.gov.

The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.

Hospitals Helping Patients Quit (HHPQ), an Oklahoma Hospital Association (OHA) initiative, recognized 11 hospitals and clinic partners at OHA’s recent Connect 22 annual conference that have achieved notable benchmarks in reducing tobacco use in Oklahoma. These visionary hospitals and clinics have implemented a permanent and standard best-practice protocol for identifying, counseling, and referring individuals to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline (OTH) for coaching support and nicotine replacement therapy.
OHA recognized these hospital leaders for achieving notable benchmarks in clinical tobacco treatment:

Helpline Referrals 100-499
Great Plains Regional Medical Center, Elk City – 100 referrals

McAlester Regional Health Center – 150 referrals
Cedar Ridge Behavioral Hospital, Oklahoma City– 275 referrals

Helpline Referrals 500-999

AllianceHealth Ponca City – 500 referrals

Stillwater Medical Center – 600 referrals
INTEGRIS Health Edmond – 600 referrals

Helpline Referrals 1000-1999
OU Health, Oklahoma City – 1,000 referrals

Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Lawton – 1,100 referrals

Helpline Referrals 2000 or more

SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Oklahoma City – 2,850 referrals

Chickasaw Nation Medical Center, Ada – 5,000 referrals

INTEGRIS Outpatient Clinics – 8,600 referrals
Through effective, health care provider-driven tobacco treatment services, HHPQ partner hospitals and clinics have referred 55,000 patients to the OTH, resulting in an estimated 39,000 years of life saved and $19.5 million dollars in reduced health care costs as well as personal spending on tobacco products.
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) supports OHA’s Hospitals Helping Patients Quit and the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline. For more information the HHPQ initiative, go to https://www.okoha.com/hhpq. For information on the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline,
http://okhelpline.com.

By Nick Thomas

With a new 400+ page autobiography recently published, Bill Mumy’s “Danger Will Robinson: The Full Mumy – A Memoir” is crammed with fascinating facts and stories recalling his long acting and musical career (see www.NCPBooks.com).
“‘Lost in Space’ is definitely covered and certainly Will Robinson is the character most people identify with me,” said Mumy from Los Angeles. But despite the book’s title, the author examines much more than just the galaxy-wandering Robinson family.
Riveted to his own family’s black and white television screen of the late 50s, 4-year-old Billy longed to emulate his favorite TV adventurers such as Superman, the Lone Ranger, and Zorro, even breaking a leg after leaping fearlessly off his bed in full crusader mode and landing hard unlike his more nimble black-capped hero. But he carried that enthusiasm into his youthful acting career that would soon flourish.
Ironically, Mumy ended up working alongside his Zorro idol – Guy Williams – who would play space dad to the adventurous boy astronaut who ‘saved the day’ on many occasions beginning with the first season of “Lost in Space” in 1965.
Riding high on the success of earlier roles in popular 60s series such as “The Twilight Zone” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” 1965 proved a particularly good year for little Billy, not yet a teenager, that included guest-starring roles in beloved TV classics such as “I Dream of Jeannie,” “Bewitched,” and “The Munsters.”
That year, the young actor also portrayed a key character in the Twentieth Century Fox film “Dear Brigitte” starring Jimmy Stewart.
“(He) was the best overall artist I ever worked with,” recalled Mumy. “He truly was a wonderful man and showed me how you strive to be a good actor and to treat your coworkers well. The vast majority of actors and directors I worked with as a child were very happy with me because I always knew my lines and got things done quickly.”
While he experienced few professional ‘horror stories’ during his career, an exception was Alfred Hitchcock who terrified 7-year-old Billy on the set of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” Mumy says the director apparently whispered in his ear during a scene to stop shuffling about or he would nail his feet to the floor!
Beyond acting, Mumy has worn many hats including those of musician, singer, songwriter, author, and voice actor (see www.billmumy.com), but still recognizes the nostalgic value “Lost in Space” has for fans who grew up in the 60s. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that Mumy included the name of his plucky young space adventurer in the new book’s title.
“Every child has a gift and mine from an early age was being able to easily memorize a script and deliver the dialogue believably,” he says. “I loved being little superhero Will Robinson. As a child actor, he was everything I ever wanted to be.”
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, Ala, and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See www.getnickt.org.

Her record may not equal the NCAA basketball coach of the same name, but Stillwater High School’s “Coach K” left an enduring legacy of her own.
In addition to the example she set for her former students and basketball players, Kendra Kilpatrick’s legacy includes helping fund research aimed at breast cancer – the disease that took her life on Nov. 26. She was 36.
Stillwater students last week presented the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation with a check for $13,489.52 in Kilpatrick’s honor, all raised during their bake sales, T-shirt sales and other fundraisers comprising the school’s annual “Pink Out” week. Every dollar will go directly to cancer research at OMRF.
“Coach K was beloved by everyone,” said her friend and fellow teacher, Jody Webber, who advises the student group that leads Pink Out efforts. “She was a lover of students – of all people, really – and you felt that love from her.”
Following the check presentation, students met with OMRF cancer researchers, including Jake Kirkland, Ph.D., who joined OMRF from Stanford University. Kirkland’s research focuses on a chemotherapy called doxorubicin, better known as the “red devil” for its toll on the patient’s body.
“About half of patients with breast cancer seem to respond to doxorubicin. My goal is to better determine who it will help and who it won’t,” Kirkland said. “If we know that, we can avoid putting women through unnecessary suffering caused by the drug.”
Stillwater senior Bess Glenn said the visit to OMRF was a valuable learning experience.
“I really enjoyed learning about all that OMRF does and how our Pink Out Week donations make a difference. The passion and knowledge the scientists shared was inspiring,” said Glenn.
Since designating OMRF as the beneficiary of their fundraising efforts in 2011, the Stillwater community has raised more than $114,000 for the foundation’s scientists.
“We are so grateful to Stillwater High School’s students, their families, and the teachers and staff who put in an incredible amount of work to raise these funds,” said Katherine Jackson, OMRF’s donor relations coordinator. “This kind of consistent support is critical for our researchers to continue their life-changing work on this terrible disease.”
Work at OMRF has led to an experimental drug called OKN-007, which is undergoing clinical trials at the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center and a dozen other sites around the U.S. to treat patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. The drug has also shown promise in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a fast-growing pediatric brain cancer.
Donations like those honoring Kilpatrick make such discoveries possible, and that, said Webber, is part of her legacy.
“This is part of what helps her to live on,” Webber said.