Kathy Shaw of Oklahoma City was less than six months out from treatment for breast cancer when she learned that she had nodule on a lobe of her lungs that was cancerous.
It was more than she could bear to think about. She had just undergone a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, and the idea of undergoing another major surgery was disheartening. She was told that lung cancer surgery would involve a large incision, the spreading of her ribs to access the lungs and a lengthy hospital stay and recovery.
“I went ahead and made the appointment for the surgery, but in my heart, I didn’t feel like I would go through with it,” she said.
Instead, she began looking for another option. That search led her to J. Matthew Reinersman, M.D., a thoracic surgeon at Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Medicine. Reinersman and his colleague Subrato J. Deb, M.D., are the only two surgeons in Oklahoma who specialize in a minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer called VATS – Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery. The surgery, which requires only three small incisions, removes the cancer while giving patients a much shorter hospital stay, less risk for complications and faster recovery.
“I had the VATS surgery, and I went home after two days,” Shaw said. “I think I took one or two pain pills, but I didn’t experience what I would call real pain. Because of the procedure and Dr. Reinersman, my recovery has been pretty remarkable.”
Reinersman has been performing VATS for patients with lung cancer since he arrived at Stephenson Cancer Center four years ago. Studies have shown VATS to result in outcomes that are just as good as those in a traditional, open surgery, but with all the benefits of a minimally invasive procedure.
In the traditional procedure for removing cancers of the lung, surgeons make a large incision on the patient’s side and push apart the ribs to reach the lungs. This results in significant pain for the patient and a hospital stay of at least five to seven days, which then leads to greater risk of pneumonia, blood clots and infections.
During VATS, Reinersman makes three small incisions to insert a tiny camera and his surgical instruments. The camera transmits images of the lungs onto a video screen to guide the surgery. Depending on the location of the cancer, he may remove a small part of the lobe, the entire lobe or more of the lung. Nearby lymph nodes also are dissected to ensure the cancer has not spread.
“The advantage is that we can get patients out of the hospital as soon as one to three days after the procedure,” Reinersman said. “They have less pain, fewer side effects and can return to their normal activities faster.”
The reduction of pain is a significant advantage of VATS. Patients having open surgery for lung cancer usually receive an epidural catheter in their backs for pain control. Pain must be managed because patients need to be able to take deep breaths and cough to lower their risk of getting pneumonia – something they won’t do as well if they are hurting. Because VATS is minimally invasive, no epidural catheter is needed and pain is greatly minimized. Surgeons also use nerve blocks to provide long-acting pain control in the nerves that run along the ribs.
“When I see my patients back in the clinic a couple of weeks after surgery, they’re usually taking little to no pain medicine and they’ve resumed doing most of the things they want to do. It’s really gratifying,” Reinersman said.
Reinersman considers VATS for any patient with lung cancer, but the best candidates are those with Stage 1 or 2 cancer, he said. VATS is also preferable for patients who have borderline lung function because the procedure is easier for them to tolerate than an open surgery.
In Shaw’s case, she has never been a smoker. About 20 percent of people diagnosed with lung cancer are non-smokers, Reinersman said.
“That shows the importance of lung cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment,” he said. “It’s not a death sentence. If we can catch it early, we can get them through it. We’ve done hundreds of VATS surgeries here.”
Many surgeons will use VATS for simple surgical procedures in the chest, but Reinersman and Deb are experts in its use for removing lung cancer, a more technically complicated surgery. The surgeons also are unique because they focus solely on surgeries of the chest and esophagus, whereas many cardiothoracic surgeons focus mostly on the heart.
OU Medicine is also the only institution in Oklahoma that submits its lung cancer surgery data to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database, where it can be viewed by the public. OU Medicine’s two-star rating is equivalent to that of larger institutions like Mayo Clinic and M.D. Anderson.

Over the last 25 years, we’ve witnessed amazing advances in science and medicine. What was once thought impossible is now being accomplished. Genetic testing is one example. With a small sample of saliva, your risk for certain diseases can be predicted. Unfortunately, just as technology has evolved with these tests, so have the opportunities for scammers.
This month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General sent out an alert about fraud schemes involving genetic or DNA testing. These scams have been targeting Medicare beneficiaries through phone calls, booths at public events, health fairs and door-to-door visits.
A typical scheme might go something like this: A scammer offers free ice cream or gift cards at a retirement community, senior nutrition center or Medicare expo for anyone who listens to a pitch about free DNA testing. It’s important to know: Medicare will pay for genetic testing for patients with advanced cancer or a family history of certain types of cancer if the test is medically necessary and is ordered by a treating physician. The fraudster will usually downplay or even ignore the medical necessity criteria and the need for a doctor’s order.
The scammer may swab a person’s cheek right there to collect saliva and gather identifying information, such as a person’s name, date of birth and Medicare number. Medicare beneficiaries have also been sent genetic testing kits and asked to return the completed kit with their insurance information. This is so the scammer can bill Medicare thousands of dollars of expensive and medically unnecessary genetic testing.
How do you tell the difference between a genuine, medically-necessary genetic test and these fraud schemes? Talk to YOUR doctor about it. This is the person with whom you’ve placed your trust regarding your healthcare.
Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from this scheme:
*If a genetic testing kit is mailed to you, don’t accept it unless it was ordered by your doctor. Refuse the delivery or return it to the sender. Keep a record of the sender’s name and the date you returned the items.
*Be suspicious of anyone who offers free genetic testing and requests your Medicare number. If your personal information is compromised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
*Look for charges on your Medicare Summary Notice statements for unnecessary tests or screenings that you did not want or were not ordered by your doctor.
If you suspect that you’ve been a victim of this scam or any Medicare fraud, report it. Call the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Medicare Assistance Program at 800-763-2828.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault

Retired and just now decompressing from a 39-year career teaching high school art in the Greater Tulsa area, Osage Nation member Clancy Gray says creating his own Native American art is truly rewarding at age 70.
Making that transition to full-time fine art modern master translated into more sales of his jewelry, paintings and sculptures the first weekend in June at the 33rd Red Earth Festival.
At the three-day event in downtown Oklahoma City at the Cox Convention Center Gray sold several of his important works and had his best show ever. Gray said the extra attention lavished upon his art by the board of directors of Red Earth naming him 2019 ‘Red Earth Honored One’ sparked a successful sales weekend.
“Being the Honored One this year afforded me so many privileges that it just seemed natural that more people wanted to buy my work,” Gray said. “We set it up with the t, who is also an Osage Nation member, mayor to stop by the booth after he and his family were a part of the parade Saturday morning. I showed his family around the booth and we talked for about 10 minutes. I was excited when he came back by my booth after looking around for an hour and bought a painting of a bison his son really liked.”
That Honored One status, after Gray has exhibited at the Festival for 32 of its 33 years, put his art out front, in an expanded double-size booth nearest to the entrance to the juried art show.
Gray said that even though he was halfway across the state from his Broken Arrow home, his two sons, his brother and sister and many friends coming by or helping made him feel more at home than ever at Red Earth. The Honored One recognition is for a Native master visual artist whose support of Indian art has been substantial throughout his life.
Gray entered four items in the juried art portion of the show and collected two ribbons for top three placings. And again, in the truly rewarding vein, one of his first-place sculptures from three Red Earths back sold on Saturday.
Owners of one of Oklahoma City’s prominent CPA firms, T.C. Burgin, stopped by the booth and purchased Scout, a heroic size bronze horned toad, for the new office building they will open in the fall.
Osage Nation member and bronze casting legend John Free Jr. cast several of the horned toads at his Bronze Horse Foundry in Pawhuska, Okla. Free is famous for capturing the artist’s real goal in their work by applying some of the most skilled patinas in the crucible industry.
Gray said Free’s ability to create a life-like patina to the bronze sculpture brings his horned toad Scout to life. He explains Scout’s name in that the horned toad represents what Native Americans would often use to help locate their game while hunting. During a hunt, if they were not finding their prey, they would pick up a horned toad and say a prayer. When the hunter put the horned toad down, and it scurried off, that was the direction they would start in to continue their hunt.
“It is a privilege to get to work with John Free and his group at the Bronze Horse Foundry.” Gray said. “I always say that sculpting success is a two-part process, the artist who first creates it in clay and the foundry master who duplicates it in bronze for them.”
Gray’s traditional and contemporary influenced jewelry reflects Gray’s fondness for vivid color, texture, and asymmetrical design. The silver jewelry is often the most collected of his work, and leads to the most commissions. This nationally collected master silversmith has won many awards in exhibitions and museum shows.
Gray’s paintings sold well at Red Earth as well. His building up depth from the canvas in the impasto style has elevated his status in the Native American art world. He uses a palette knife to apply vivid acrylics, giving the paintings intensity that allows light to animate the focus of his work. This signature style allows Gray to create a modern ruggedness. He says he works to celebrate the light’s colorful and reflective sparkle built up in focused areas.
By creating a ceramic glaze depth with skillful repetitious palette strokes of the water-based acrylic paint, his paintings are dynamic and unique. Those high-gloss highlights have a richness of color that captures the eye, whether portrait or figures, still life, or landscape.
In retirement Gray says he now has more time to reflect on the achievements of his art students. He taught in Tulsa at McLain High School for 17 years and East Central High School for 18 years. He finished his teaching career at Edison High School after three years.
The insightful artist and teacher insisted his students master the basics of composition and design. He then encouraged them to create original works, rather than just copying ideas or pictures they saw. Gray has guided the beginnings of many art careers. More than 5,000 students graduated from his 39-year influence at those three schools.

“I tried to model strong basic skills, so as they learned those skills it would take them anywhere they wanted to go as artists.” Gray said. “Our schools supported them so the best and brightest could go on to win many art competitions in the state and nationally.”
Gray also made the students’ academic progress an important part of their art educations. The result was a highly productive teacher who helped many students receive college scholarships and awards
“We had student artists earn important scholarships, and become award-winners in art competitions and students whose work is now shown in galleries,” Gray said. “We had high expectations, we really wanted them to grow as much as possible as artists along the way.”
Gray says his passion for teaching and creating a nurturing educational setting for all his students was a given. After his double major in art and physical education, Gray went on to earn a master’s degree in education at the University of Central Oklahoma.
During his long career he also coached boys and girls soccer, boys baseball, girls softball, boys and girls cross-country and boys and girls swimming.
Gray says that one of the best features of retirement is the satisfaction of seeing how his many students’ talents evolve. He enjoys following his former students’ progress as they adapt to create great art in their growing careers.
He says that spark of excellence often stimulates him to keep up with his own art career. No longer constrained to a teacher’s schedule, he has found that requests to put on exhibits have come more often now.
“Being named 2019 Honored One at Red Earth has been one of the highlights of my recent retirement,” Gray said. “I had not danced in 35 years and was proud to dance in step as part of the procession at the beginning of the dance contests in my role as this year’s Honored One.”

Free program offers help for those recovering from loss of loved ones

If you have experienced the death of a loved one, grief is the normal and natural response to loss. INTEGRIS Hospice provides on-going grief support.
Conducted by certified grief specialist, Marla Mercer Cole, MS, LPC, the six-week free evening program provides a step-by-step approach for those who wish to resolve their loss issues and move beyond their grief toward a richer quality of life.
Program Dates: June 17 – July 22 (Monday evenings) from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. at INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, 5911 W. Memorial Road in Oklahoma City in Conference rooms D and E, southwest entrance.
To enroll for the session: Call 405-603-1708. Programs are free of charge; space is limited.
Marla Cole is a licensed professional counselor specializing in the field of grief and loss. As current vice president of Mercer Adams Funeral Service in Bethany, she also directs the aftercare program for families they serve and oversees community relations.
Normal grief responses include appetite loss, difficulty sleeping, feelings of guilt or regret, lack of concentration, mood changes, numbness or crying.

Anybody else think of the 90’s space jam theme song when you read the subject line? … no? Just me? OOOkkkaaay 🙂
Anywhoo— I came to remind you that Whodunit is a PERFECT reason to gather up a group of guys & gals from work, church, hobbies, sports or… research?
(what?!–I was trying to rhyme with Church! plus.. I mean, people research sooo still fits.) LOL
YO HO HO- check it out below!!
Who is YOUR group? Car club? Sunday school sistaaas? good ole Frat House bro’s? Bridesmaids? It’s been too long. Get. Them. Together! Send a group text, facebook thread or… do it the old fashioned way- call them! Better yet- show up unannounced and knock on their door (GASP Nobody does THAT anymore!) Get your people, your tribe and bring them to the show!…Yo!
Get your tickets at whodunit.net or by calling 405-420-3222
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse – FRIDAY, June 21st, July 19th, August 16th
Teds Escondido – FRIDAY, June 28th, July 26th
whodunit.net 405-420-3222
FAQ- When we have a group coming to Whodunit-how do we make sure we sit together?
Whodunit- easy peasy! No need to show up early to ‘save seats’. Whodunit’s host team ensures that your group sits together. Just be sure to include your group name when you purchase your tickets! We prompt you with the question “If you’d like to be seated with another party, please enter the group name here” Badda-bing! badda boom- put your group name in the box and you are ready to rock!
Ask about our private corporate events & house parties, book us for your church or school fundraiser.

Dear Savvy Senior,

I need to locate a good in-home caregiver for my 83-year-old mother. What’s the best way to find and hire one? Looking for Care

Dear Looking,
Finding a good in-home caregiver for an elderly parent can be challenging. How can you find one that’s reliable and trustworthy, as well as someone your parent likes and is comfortable with? Here are some tips that can help.
Know Your Needs
Before you start the task of looking for an in-home caregiver, your first step is to determine the level of care your mom needs. This can pinpoint the type of help she’ll need. For example, if she only needs help with daily living tasks like shopping, cooking, doing laundry, bathing or dressing, a “homemaker” or “personal care aide” will do.
But, if she needs health care services, there are “home health aides” that may do all the things a homemaker does, plus they also have training in administering medications, changing wound dressings and other medically related duties. Home health aides often work under a nurse’s supervision.
Once you settle on a level of care, you then need to decide how many hours of assistance she’ll need. For example, does your mom need someone to come in just a few mornings a week to help her cook, clean, run errands or perhaps bathe? Or does she need more continuous care that requires daily visits or a full-time aide?
After you determine her needs, there are two ways in which you can go about hiring someone. Either through an agency, or you can hire someone directly on your own.
Hiring Through an Agency
Hiring a personal care or home health aide through an agency is the safest and easiest option, but it’s more expensive. Costs typically run anywhere between $14 and $25 an hour depending on where you live and the qualification of the aide.
How it works is you pay the agency, and they handle everything including an assessment of your mom’s needs, assigning appropriately trained and pre-screened staff to care for her, and finding a fill-in on days her aide cannot come.
Some of the drawbacks, however, are that you may not have much input into the selection of the caregiver, and the caregivers may change or alternate, which can cause a disruption.
To find a home-care agency in your mom’s area ask for referrals through friends, family or doctor’s offices, or use the Area Agency on Aging’s home-care locator service at PayingForSeniorCare.com – click on “Find Quality, Affordable Care.” In addition, Medicare offers a home health compare tool at Medicare.gov/HomeHealthCompare to help you find and compare home health care agencies.
You also need to be aware that original Medicare does not cover in-home caregiving services unless your mom is receiving doctor’s ordered skilled nursing or therapy services at home too. But, if your mom is in a certain Medicare Advantage plan, or is low-income and qualifies for Medicaid, she may be eligible for some coverage.
Hiring Directly
Hiring an independent caregiver on your own is the other option, and it’s less expensive. Costs typically range between $12 and $20 per hour. Hiring directly also gives you more control over who you hire so you can choose someone who you feel is right for your mom.
But, be aware that if you do hire someone on your own, you become the employer so there’s no agency support to fall back on if a problem occurs or if the aide doesn’t show up. You’re also responsible for paying payroll taxes and any worker-related injuries that may happen. If you choose this option make sure you check the aide’s references thoroughly, and do a criminal background check, which you can do sites like eNannySource.com.
To find someone, ask for referrals or try eldercare-matching services like Care.com or CareLinx.com. Or, for a fee, an aging life care expert (see AgingLifeCare.org) can help you find someone.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

It is the distinct pleasure of the Troy and Dollie Smith Wellness Center at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute to invite you to our 25th annual art exhibit dedicated to the curative powers of creativity and to all whose lives have been affected by cancer.
The exhibit showcases all forms of art including fiber, graphics, oil, watercolor, mixed media, photography, pottery, sculpture, writing and poetry. Register art by Monday, July 8, 2019. Deliver art by Friday, July 19. Pieces will be displayed from July 25 through Sept. 6, 2019.
Artists of all ages wishing to express how their lives have been affected by cancer will have their work on display. The pieces may be by individuals or collaborative, done by professionals as well as first-time artists.
In lieu of a 10 percent sales commission, there will be a nominal $10 registration fee for each piece submitted (limited to two entries only) per artist. Registration proceeds will benefit the INTEGRIS Foundation’s Art Therapy fund to help continue the exhibit dedicated to all affected by cancer.
The registration fee will be due from the artist on the art drop-off day, Friday, July 19, 2019 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Registration fees will be accepted in cash or a check made payable to INTEGRIS. Registration of art is available at integrisok.com/celebration-of-life or by calling 405-773-6600.
OPENING RECEPTION
Artists, cancer survivors, families and friends will be recognized at the 25th annual Celebration of Life Art Show and Opening Reception on Thursday, July 25, 2019, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the INTEGRIS Cancer Institute, 5911 W. Memorial Road, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. To RSVP for the event, please call 405-951-2277.

by Bobby Anderson,
Staff Writer

Most at Norman Regional Health System know Eugene Brown. The Engineering Services employee usually shows up shortly after getting a call that a piece of equipment isn’t working quite right.
But few at NRH know his mother, 91-year-old Felicidad S. Jones. That didn’t stop them from coming to her aid during the family’s time of need.
Twenty-two people gave blood in honor of Jones during the hospital’s most recent blood drive.
At the blood drive, donors had the choice to dedicate their donation to Jose, who was in need of platelets.
On May 14, Jose wasn’t feeling well and had some chest pain so she was taken to Norman Regional HealthPlex’s Emergency Department. They found her platelets to be dangerously low, somewhere near the 5,000s when normal range starts at 150,000.
She was transferred to Norman Regional Hospital to be admitted and begin receiving platelets.
Brown, who is also a member of the health system’s Blood Drive Committee, contacted Trish Crow, co-chair of the committee, before the blood drive on May 22 to ask if they could tell donors of his mom’s story and ask if they’d like to give in her honor. Crow was happy to oblige.
“Norman Regional Blood Drive Committee is always happy to help our healers. The May blood drive was no exception,” Crow said. “Norman Regional healers know the significance of their donations; however, it was even more heartfelt to have a family member as a designee. Supporting each other and saving lives one donation at a time.”
Brown said his mother is completing follow up blood tests, but she’s home now and is doing well.
“She’s a very sweet lady and she has so much love to give. We’re trying to just enjoy our time with her,” he said. “I’m really thankful for Trish Crow and the Oklahoma Blood Institute. My family is blessed to have Norman Regional and all the people who work here. They are all truly caring and professional.”
Brown not only volunteers his time to the Blood Drive Committee, but gives blood as often as he can. He has been donating since February 1996 and has given 65 times. Through his donations, he has donated 23 gallons and saved 186 lives. He often gives double, which means he donates double the red cells than a regular whole blood donation. While giving the red blood cells, he receives back his plasma, white blood cells and platelets. Double donations take longer than regular donations, and someone who donates double is not eligible to donate for 112 days rather than 56 days. There are height and weight requirements to donate double.
“I know people need blood and I always try to give because I think, ‘you never know, one day you or your family may need it.’ Sure enough, my mom needs it now. I want to help people, and I know by donating at Norman Regional the blood will go directly to those in our health system who need it,” Brown said. “Giving blood and giving back to the health system and this community is my obligation. I love Norman Regional, I love this community, and I know they are always there for my family and me.” “I’m blessed to be here and my family is grateful for Norman Regional helping my mom.”
According to the Oklahoma Blood Institute, every two seconds, someone needs blood, yet less than 10 percent of those eligible donate.
Blood donors with Oklahoma Blood Institute know they are, literally, saving the lives of their friends, family and co-workers, some who may have no idea they will need blood in an urgent situation. One blood donation can save up to three peoples’ lives.
“Summer is a particularly challenging time for the blood supply,” said John Armitage, M.D., Oklahoma Blood Institute president and CEO. “People go out of town, and are busy with activities, and get out of their normal routine of giving blood. We encourage healthy adults to spare just an hour of their time to save the lives of their neighbors.”
Only ten percent of people in the United States who are eligible to give blood actually do. Blood donation takes just about an hour, and each donation can save the lives of up to three patients. Whole blood can be donated every 56 days. Platelet donations can be made as often as every 7 days, up to 24 times a year.