Cutting-edge, non-surgical treatment at OU Medicine targets chronic stuffy nose
An Oklahoma woman is one of the first patients outside of a clinical trial to experience the benefits of a new, non-surgical treatment for her chronic stuffy nose.
Most of us have experienced a head cold so bad that it leaves you so stuffed up you can no longer breathe through your nose. For Denise Crozier, 56, it wasn’t a cold causing her chronic stuffed up nose or the pain and pressure that accompanied it. The Oklahoma City woman suffered from nasal polyps, soft, non-cancerous growths on the lining of the nose or sinuses.
“When you get a lot of inflammation, the lining of the nose becomes very swollen and redundant, and it forms a round structure that basically fills the nasal cavity,” explained Dr. Kibwei McKinney, an ear, nose and throat specialist with OU Medicine.
Surgery had been the first line of defense for patients like Crozier for whom treatment with oral steroids has failed.
“I had four surgeries in Seattle before moving to Oklahoma, and then since I have been here, I’ve had three,” Crozier said.
Each time, the surgery would initially bring relief, but before she knew it, the polyps would be back.
“Each time, she got some temporary relief, but almost like clockwork, it would come back and she would have a return of her symptoms,” McKinney said.
This time, though, McKinney returned from a recent conference with a new treatment option for Crozier a newly-approved, non-surgical treatment. It utilizes a tiny sinus implant. He explained to her that it could be placed without pain during a visit to his office at OU Medicine.
The implant is a small teardrop-shaped device that when deployed appears a bit like a badminton birdie. It’s placed under the guidance of an endoscope.
“I actually have a camera and scope that I look through to see the anatomical structures and then I place the splint with minimal discomfort,” McKinney said. “It basically stints open the cavity and then over time it treats the surrounding tissue with steroids, which are very effective at controlling polyp growth. As the steroid is leached out, the polyps occupying the space begin to melt away and the pressure associated with them also goes away.”
As a nurse, Crozier did her homework and quickly realized that this treatment could offer relief and save her from another trip to the operating room.
“Anything to keep me out of the OR is fantastic,” she remarked.
The device was placed quickly and without pain during an office visit with McKinney.
“They numbed me up, so I really didn’t feel a thing,” Crozier said.
After several months, she returned to McKinney’s office to have the device removed; and just as it had gone into place under endoscopic guidance, it also was removed that way in just a matter of seconds.
Crozier’s eyes watered just a bit, but she said there was no pain and the relief she has experienced has been incredible.
“It’s wide open in there. There are no polyps or anything. It works. It’s great,” she exclaimed, adding that she would easily recommend the procedure to anyone else facing the same battle she has faced with nasal polyps.
Specialists at OU Medicine say the new treatment provides a valuable option for patients unable to take oral steroids, as well as for those who are not good candidates for surgery or for whom repeated surgeries have failed to bring relief.

David Kallenberger, M.D., and Crysten Cheatwood, D.O., are physician partners who practice obstetrics and gynecology at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. But what makes their partnership so extraordinary, is that they share a professional and personal bond very few will ever experience.
Cheatwood has known Kallenberger her entire life – literally. In fact, he was the one who physically brought her into this world, as the physician who delivered her as a newborn. “I could not have imagined 33 years ago when I delivered Crysten that she one day would be working with me,” admits Kallenberger. “This is indeed a full circle moment for me.”
“He was my grandmother’s OBGYN then he was my mother’s doctor, so I was familiar with his name and reputation very early on,” says Cheatwood. “I can remember being young enough that my mom would make me stay in the changing room during her exams.”
“I also saw Dr. Kallenberger at all of my mom’s prenatal visits when she was pregnant with my sister. He could tell I was curious so he was always asking me questions and volunteering information regarding my mom’s pregnancy. He made it a point to include me in all of the conversations.”
Kallenberger was equally impressed with young Cheatwood. “She made an impression on me at a very young age. She would ask questions that were very inquisitive and profound for a 12 year old. She was always probing for more information.”
Cheatwood remembers being fascinated by medicine and almost obsessed with her mother’s pregnancy. “I attended every doctor’s appointment. I even read the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” book with my mom. I was completely invested.”
The day her sister, Hannah, was born, Cheatwood was in the delivery room. That is when her fate was sealed. “I was standing with my dad at the head of the bed when Dr. K walked into the room. He said, ‘Crissy… do you want to deliver this baby?’ Wondering if he was actually serious, I nodded my head yes. He said, ‘go over to the sink and wash up to your elbows, we’ll help you with some gloves.’ He told me where to put my hands and then put his hands over mine. And then he talked me through the whole thing!”
From that moment on, Cheatwood knew exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up. She wanted to be an OBGYN just like her newfound idol, “Dr. K.”
“She was a natural,” says Kallenberger recalling her sister’s birth. “She was not shocked, she just jumped right in without question and working with my hands literally delivered her sister. It was an amazing experience. In a way, a doctor was also born that day.”
Cheatwood shadowed Kallenberger several times during high school, college and medical school. She did a couple rotations with him again during her residency training. Now, with her medical degree in hand, she is Kallenberger’s newest partner.
Cheatwood remembers the moment he made her the offer to come work with him. “I was speechless initially, again wondering if he was actually serious. And then I nodded my head yes. It was wildly similar to the reaction I had when he asked if I wanted to deliver my sister all those years ago.”
“I feel like I’ve been shadowing him for 22 years,” laughs Cheatwood. “He has afforded me a tremendous amount of encouragement and exposure. He is a phenomenal teacher and an exceptional physician. I hope to continue following in his footsteps.”
Kallenberger has no doubt that Cheatwood will tread her own path, and is beyond proud of the physician she has become. “It is somewhat surreal working with her but I have worked with her so many times over the years as a mentor or as faculty that it feels natural.”
“I don’t know that this is necessarily a passing of the torch,” continues Kallenberger. “But I do want to groom her to be able to take over my practice one day when I decide to retire. It is comforting to know that someone with her compassion and skill set will be available to take care of my patients in the same way that I have tried to do over the last 42 years.”
Kallenberger estimates that he has delivered more than 15,000 babies in his lifetime. While he says some of them have grown up to be doctors, he says Cheatwood is the first he’s ever had the privilege to call partner.
“The transition we’ve made from student/teacher to colleagues has been interesting and entertaining,” Cheatwood jokes. “A few days after I started here, he told me to call him David now. I still can’t do it without laughing a little bit. I’ve heard people talk about their “work wife” or “work husband.” We definitely have a “work father/daughter” relationship. I have so much respect for him. He’s been such an advocate for me as a new physician. Even though I’m working beside him now, I will always look up to him.”

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

High on my list of want-a-sees in the Finger Lakes Area of New York, was the Corning Museum of glass in Corning New York.
An enthusiastic and knowledgeable docent took me on a whirl wind tour down their educational history of glass exhibition with stops to glass blowing exhibitions in their hot glass shop, and a chance to participate in a glass blowing experience. While I did the blowing the crafts person spun the blow rod and formed the small pumpkin, which when cooled was mailed to me. This is a Finger Lakes road trip stop not to be missed.
Of course I was overwhelmed by their glass gift shop, where I found several pieces from my favorite glass artists. I also found tempting glass in Corning’s Market street galleries. Also downtown is the Rockwell (no relation to the artist) Museum of Western Art which houses the best of the west in the east.
More hands on glass blowing can be had at Corning’s Hands-on Glass: Hot Glass Studio (www.handsonglass.com) where classes are available as well as a small selection of glass for sale. Rodi Rovner and her team work hard to keep the tradition of glass on a personal level alive. My stay at Corning‘s Radisson hotel was convenient and professionally efficient.
If you want to be over fed and have a sensory dining experience, Spencer’s Restaurant should be your Corning dining choice. If you look closely you’ll see church pews accompanied by fireplaces and an inventive menu including eggplant fries!
On my way up to Aurora I just had to make a very brief detour to Elvira to see Mark Twain’s family cemetery plot and to see the near by little writing retreat, which is like a closed in gazebo. What’s a road trip adventure without an impromptu detour? Its this kind of flexibility that makes a road trip all worthwhile.
Of course it made me late for my lunch appointment at the Pumpkin Hill Bistro at 2051 route 90 near aurora. My delicious lunch was waiting for me, and promptly served amid a charming atmosphere of intimate dining.
I was in a bit of a rush as I had tickets for the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn. The professional theatre building was once a merry go round enclosure. Getting off the road, resting and being professionally entertained is a welcome counterpoint to a road tour.
After the theatre there was a brief visit to Auburn’s Willard Memorial chapel with its interior decorated totally with Luis Comfort Tiffany religious stain glass windows and accents.
Then it was off to the Belhurst Chateau to enjoy the grounds and public rooms of this restored and expanded Geneva mansion. An elegant dinner at Edgar’s, with view of the lake was a perfect ending to an adventurous touring agenda. The history of this wine related lodge is felt in every room. To emphasize this wine region, there is even a working wine spicket available to over night guests in the second floor lobby. Now that’s hospitality!
On your drive out of Geneva on your way back to Rochester airport, you can tank up your thirst with award winning 100% fruit juices at Red Jacket Orchards (www.redjacketorchards.com).
While I had a very full Finger Lakes itinerary there is much more to savor, and you may find other areas of interest when you request your Finger Lakes planning booklet. (www.fingerlakes.org) Summer and Autumn are perfect times to tour the lakes, hills and many attractions of this part of America, I call a perfect sampling of Americana.
In our fast moving modern culture it is wise to check details of your stops while planning your trip, as some venues may be closed or have issues with operating times. A road trip is always an adventure and if you have an adventurous spirit, touring the Finger Lakes may be perfect for you.

Mr. Terry Zinn – Travel Editor
Past President: International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association
http://realtraveladventures.com/author/zin

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

A cough. A sniffle.
You feel something coming on. But what next?
You can call your doctor and hopefully get an appointment sometime in the next couple weeks.
Or you can get in your car and head to the local urgent care clinic and wait with 20 or 30 others doing the same thing.
What if there was a better way?
That’s what Dr. Mark Prather thought in 2013 when he came up with a unique service model that would eventually become DispatchHealth.
“Really anything you can think of you would get in your car and go to urgent care for but more,” Dispatch Community Engagement Manager Tiffany Traxler said, explaining the service that has recently expanded into the metro.
DispatchHealth is bringing back the house call with a modern technology twist. DispatchHealth gives patients ways to access convenient, high-quality acute care in the comfort of their home at the time of need.
DispatchHealth is redefining the healthcare landscape as an extension of a patient’s healthcare team and offering solutions for simple to complex medical problems all from the comfort of your home.
The concept dates back to 2013 when Prather was running the emergency department in Denver for Centura Health.
“They asked Dr. Prather if he could come up with a system that could be delivered safely in the home for patients who go to the emergency room with urgent needs but not emergent,” Traxler explained. “He knew the need and he knew how to make things mobile.”
“He started going out on calls.”
Working with the ambulance service through the 911 system, Prather helped more than 400 patients in 18 months in the comfort of their own homes.
The total cost savings to the health system was more than $1 million.
But saving patients the time, expense and hassle of an ER visit was priceless.
The model has spread like wildfire to Colorado Springs, Richmond, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Tacoma, Dallas and Springfield.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield – one of Oklahoma’s largest insurers – quickly saw the value.
“Blue Cross and Blue Shield saw what we were doing and the impact we were making,” Traxler said. “For the 65-and-under patient if you have Blue Cross and Blue Shield it’s an urgent care co-pay. For 65 and up all Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans … we bill as an urgent care.”
For some that can mean an urgent care visit in their home for less than $50.
Services include testing such as: blood tests on-site, strep test, flu swab, urinalysis, urine cultures, stool culture, test for blood in stool, pregnancy test, lactate, 12-lead EKG, PT/INR, rapid infectious disease testing and more.
Dispatch also provides medications such as: anti-inflammatories, IV antibiotics, IV fluids, prednisone, lasix, antiemetics, flu medications, laxatives, stool softeners, heartburn prevention, glucose gel, anesthetics, migraine cocktail, antihistamines and more.
IVs can be placed and fluids begun all in your home.
Breathing treatments can also be administered.
AVOID THE BUG
Last year’s influenza outbreak was one of the worst in nearly a decade and the severity of the outbreak was extreme. In fact, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded over 20,000 positive flu tests per week at the height of the outbreak.
While most seek treatment at an emergency room (ER) or urgent care clinic, when leaving one’s home the virus can be immediately exposed to others and cause further spread of the flu. Also, ERs and clinics can easily become overwhelmed with a high number of sick patients during flu season, leading to overcrowding, lengthy wait times and even physician burnout.
Adults can infect others one day before their flu symptoms even develop and can pass on the virus up to a full week after becoming sick.
“Flu comes on very, very quickly. If it’s 2 p.m. and you realize you don’t feel well you’re not going to get into your (doctor’s office),” DispatchHealth Market Director Amy Evans said. “With flu if you can get those anti-virals within that first day or two it cuts down on the length of flu.”
“When you’re talking about the elderly population and people with compromised immune systems that 12 hours means something.” To request on-demand urgent care brought to you call 405-213-0190

What will be on your Thanksgiving plate? Norman Regional Hospital Auxiliary

Ham and dressing, gravy, green beans. Maybe a little turkey and hot rolls.

Derald Fendley

We’ll be eating off the same menu but my favorite is cornbread dressing.

Jan Fendley

The usual turkey and dressing but also rutabagas and red cabbage.

Jonnina Benson

Turkey and dressing with candied yams, and pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream.

Dixie Hurd

The holiday season is approaching, and the Oklahoma City Fire Department has a few safety tips for your family and friends. A small fire can double in size every 30-60 seconds. Following these safety messages will provide a safer winter and holiday season. The holiday season is approaching, and the Oklahoma City Fire Department has a few safety tips for your family and friends. A small fire can double in size every 30-60 seconds. Following these safety messages will provide a safer winter and holiday season. Smoke Alarms· Working smoke alarms should be placed inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area. Install smoke alarms on every level of the home including basements. The Oklahoma City Fire Department has a “Project Life” smoke alarm program. Firefighters will install smoke alarms at no charge for qualifying residents of Oklahoma City. Contact information 405-316-2337, www.smokealarmsokc.com or www.Gratisalarmasokc.com.  Residents outside of Oklahoma City can contact your local fire department or Red Cross. · Test smoke alarms once a month while practicing your escape plan. Practice your escape plan based on your mobility and always have a meeting place outside the home. · Replace batteries once a year. When replacing the 9-volt battery consider upgrading to a 10-year lithium battery smoke alarm.· Replace all smoke alarms after 10 years or before expiration date located on the backside. · People with hearing impairment can contact the Oklahoma Assistive Technology Foundation (OkAT), 888-885-5588 or email abletech@okstate.edu.     OkAT will install smoke alarms with strobe lights and bed shaker for qualifying Oklahoma residents. Apply at www.okabletech.okstate.edu. * According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), “3 out of 5 fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or the alarms are not working.”Heating Safety·Keep space heaters a minimum of 3-feet away from anything that can burn. The 3-foot clearance must include people and pets. Never use extension cords with space heaters. Plug them directly into the outlet and ensure the space heater is the only item plugged into the outlet. Turn off and unplug when not in use or going to bed. ·Heating systems and chimneys should be inspected and cleaned every year by a qualified professional. Schedule your inspection and cleaning before use.  ·Keep metal fireplace screens or heat-tempered glass secured and in the correct position when in use. Discard cool ashes from the fireplace into a metal container. Keep the metal container at least 10-feet from your home.  ·Never use ovens, stove top, or open burning to heat your home. Open flame heat sources should have a venting system. The use of alternative heating sources inside your home could have deadly consequences caused by carbon monoxide poisoning or fire. ·Always follow the manufacturer’s instruction. ·Install Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.      *According to NFPA, “Half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February.”Holiday Safety·Don’t block exits with decorations. ·Follow manufacturer’s instruction and do not overload extension cords. ·Keep candles away from children and pets. ·Ask smokers to smoke outside. Wet all cigarette butts before discarding. ·Never leave food cooking on the stovetop unattended. Make sure you are alert when cooking. ·Cut 2 inches off the base of a live Christmas tree before placing in the stand. Add water to your tree stand daily. Don’t put heating sources or candles near the Christmas tree. Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed. ·Immediately remove the Christmas tree from inside your home after the holidays or when it is dry.  *According to NFPA, “Two of every five home decoration fires are started by candles.”Additional fire safety information is available at www.nfpa.org/Public-Education.
This is the first of a series of safetey articles provided by  Oklahoma City Fire Department, Oklahoma County Sheriff Department and the Oklahoma City Police Department.

story and photos by Bryan Painter

GRANT – The cliche is that time flies.
Cattlewoman Brenda Schulz, who ranches near Grant in southeastern Oklahoma’s Choctaw County, won’t argue that point.
However, two 100-year floods in 25 years is more like time sprinting rather than just marching on.
“Some of our toughest times have come from floods,” Schulz said. “Along with the wonderful aspects of having your farm and ranch in the fertile ground of the Red River comes the possibility of flooding. Curt and I have survived not one, but two, of the so called ‘100 year floods.’”
Guess what Schulz thanks for making it through those two experiences? Her cows.
Thanks to the cows
The first of those two floods Schulz is referring to came in 1990.
The May Monthly Summary that year from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey reported that the agricultural-related floods losses exceeded $57 million.
“We had leased farm ground that completely flooded,” Schulz said. “We survived, mainly due to the diversification our cattle provided. Our cattle pastures were up on the prairies around Soper, Oklahoma at this time.”
Then came the floods of 2015.
Gary McManus, state climatologist with the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, said that after being really dry for the first four months of the year, 2015’s “Super El Nino” ended up inundating far southeastern Oklahoma in May and June, and then again in November and December.
“That area near Grant in Choctaw County ended with their wettest year on record, with most of that rain falling within a select few weeks during those four months,” McManus said. “In other words, it was way too much water, concentrated into very short time frames, for the local rivers and reservoirs to handle.”
Schulz said the Red River overflowed its banks and half of their ranch flooded in May. She’s lived in Oklahoma long enough to have seen droughts turn dreams to powder. So she doesn’t curse the rains, she just respects them.
“After the water receded enough to flow within its banks again, areas north and west of us received a lot more rain and the Red River overflowed its banks once again in June,” she said. “We were not able to grow grain crops on our farm ground that year, it was too late in the season and the cows needed it for pasture. The cows have helped us survive those trying times.”
A small world
Schulz witnessed/experienced agriculture from a lot of different geographical viewpoints before landing in Oklahoma in 1984.
Not only did she grow up in North Dakota, she studied animal science at the University of Minnesota and worked with a veterinarian in Colorado where she met her husband Curt. They married in 1983 and a year later moved to Choctaw County, where his parents Delvin and Delores Schulz farmed and ranched.
“We started a beef cow herd as soon as we could,” Brenda Schulz said. “I loved being back around cows and horses. Curtis was custom farming and spraying. We rented farm ground and raised corn and soybeans.”
That was the start.
Today, 34 years after settling down in Choctaw County, they raise Angus cattle, corn, small grains, hay and pecans on 1,500 acres along the banks and in the bottoms of the Red River, south of Grant.
Schulz believes it was meant for her to live here, farm here and ranch here. Why?
Even though she was raised in North Dakota, Choctaw County is within 45 miles of her father Tom Secrest’s birthplace. Her grandfather was a sharecropper cotton farmer around Deport, Texas.
“He decided to settle his young family in east Texas when my grandparents’ wagon broke down, crossing Red River slate shoals,” she said. “These shoals are within 10 miles to the east of Stoneybroke Ranch, which is Curtis’ and my farm and ranch. It’s really a small world. I believe I have come back to my roots.”
Those roots are extending as daughter Kylee and son-in-law Keith Edge (superintendent of Boswell Schools), along with grandsons Kollin, 16, Kamden, 14 and Kolson, 12, take care of their cow/calf operation. They also help out at Stoneybroke Ranch with projects ranging from laying water lines to checking cattle.
Listen close
Cattle and horses aren’t something Schulz just tends to, she cares for them. That was evident as a child when she was around her parents breeding operation of Paints and Quarter Horses. It was evident in what she studied in college and then in the job she took working for the veterinarian. It was evident in how she gives credit to cattle bringing their operation through the floods.
It’s still evident today, especially if you listen real close during certain times of the year.
“In the spring, the cows are calving and all the babies are testing their legs, running and playing,” she said, adding that they tag and vaccinate every calf within 24 hours of birth. “I get to talk to and check the cows for new calves.”
Yes, “talk to.” What do you say?
Schulz said she would softly say something like, “You sure had a pretty baby, didn’t you? Good Mama!”
It is an enjoyable experience like that, that makes time fly at a comfortable pace.

Just a few years ago Nancy Hughes could lift mountains of paperwork, rearrange office furniture and stand on her feet for hours at a time. As executive assistant at the Oklahoma Public Employees Association, the petite fiery redhead put in long hours at her job helping give state employees a voice in government.
Back in 2003, Nancy learned she had breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, rounds of chemotherapy and the cancer went into remission. In 2014, however, it came back with a vengeance.
“I first noticed something was wrong when I bent over to pick up something,” she said. “I felt something pull, and had trouble walking. After about a month I went to a chiropractor about my back. He took x-rays, and they showed either severe osteoporosis or the cancer was back and in my bones.”
A trip to her oncologist revealed the cancer had indeed spread.
“I had no idea breast cancer could come back like that,” Nancy said. “This time I was scared. During the time I was cancer-free, I had been participating in the Oklahoma American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, and the Relay For Life. I liked being a beacon of hope for others that this disease could be beat.”
So once again she began the treatments, hoping for a positive result.
“This time it was radiation to my hip, spine and right arm,” she said. “It helped with the pain I was having but I do not remember much about that time. I lost control of my body functions, could barely walk and did not eat much. My employer offered me six months of leave to keep my insurance and then social security kicked in, so I took it. I could no longer do my job and was actually a liability to them.”
More than four years after her cancer re-occurrence, the disease has been relentless.
“When it came back, it had spread throughout my bones,” Nancy said. “My right arm fractured, and I had to wear a brace for two years to keep it stable. The bone was almost clear and looked like Swiss cheese. I had the option of getting surgery to put a rod in to stabilize it, but there was a possibility I could lose all the use of that arm. Even having limited use was better than losing it all, so I chose to not have the surgery.”
Using the services offered at the Oklahoma American Cancer Society has been a godsend, Nancy says. The organization offers wigs, scarves, and turbans, all free of charge to cancer patients. They also provide free rides to and from treatment in the Road to Recovery Program.
“Helping people like Nancy is at the heart of what we do every day,” said Jennifer Redman, OKACS program manager. “Not only do we have an entire wig room, but transportation is consistently named as one of the top needs for cancer patients. Our volunteer driver program ensures patients complete their treatment and we can increase the number of cancer survivors. We always need more volunteer drivers and have our own fleet of vehicles. So if you have some time to volunteer, we can always use the help.”
While each day is a struggle, Nancy refuses to let the disease dampen the positive attitude that has carried her through life.
“When I wake up every morning, it is a gift of life,” she said. “I could choose to wallow in pity and feel sorry for myself, but what does that do? I choose to enjoy each day and hope a cure will be found in my lifetime. Sometimes the dark side will come through. Like a day or so ago I realized once my hair is gone this time, I will most likely be bald the rest of my life. That sucks. But I must play the cards I am dealt, so I will save a few bucks on shampoo and conditioner! It’s all about re-framing the negatives and finding the positives.”
Nancy says her family is her foundation. Her husband Mike, their two daughters and four grandsons all pitch in to make life as normal as possible. And throughout her journey, she continually finds new ways to reinvent herself and help others.
“Sharing my story with the Oklahoma American Cancer Society and others is so important,” Nancy said. “I want everyone to know the big ‘C’ word is not always a death sentence. It does not always return like it did for me. Stay hopeful, happy and enjoy what you can. Don’t dwell on the horrible parts, just try to look for the good in everything. Believe me, it is there.”