by Dr. C.V Ramana

Understanding diabetes and the long-term problems associated with uncontrolled blood sugar is the first step in preventing more serious complications of the disease.
Diabetes is a disease that involves problems with the hormone insulin. To understand why insulin is important, it is useful to know how the body uses food for energy. The body is made up of millions of cells and these cells need food in a simple form to function appropriately. Much of what we eat and drink is broken down into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is food for the cells. The pancreas releases insulin to help your body use and store the glucose (sugar) and fat from consumed food. Insulin regulates the amount of glucose that is in the blood stream by conducting the transfer of glucose from the blood stream to the muscle and fat tissues to use be used for fuel or to the liver for storage. Diabetes can occur when 1) The pancreas does not produce any insulin. 2) The pancreas produces very little insulin or 3) the body does not respond to insulin also called insulin resistance. The most common form of diabetes is type II. Ninety-five percent of diabetics are classified as type II. This form of diabetes occurs when cells are resistant to insulin. The pancreas releases more and more insulin, but eventually it gives out.
Too much glucose (sugar) in the blood stream for long periods of time has serious health consequences. Some of the long-term affects of diabetes are increased risk for heart disease or heart attack, increased risk for stroke, plaque build-up in the arteries, kidney damage, nerve damage, changes in vision, skin problems and wounds that won’t heal. These negative long-term effects can be prevented by proper management of blood sugar. Damage to the arteries can lead to vascular disease. Some of the symptoms and side effects of vascular disease include pain in the legs or calves when walking, numbness or tingling in the feet, cold feet, and discoloration or sores that will not heal. There are a number of treatment options available for those affected by vascular disease.
The most important blood test for diabetes is called the A1c. Your doctor may call it glycosylated hemoglobin. It is a simple blood test that gives the average of blood sugar level over the past three months. The value is determined as a percentage ranging from 4%-15%. A normal value is around 4%. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends an aggressive approach to the prevention of diabetes and the current guidelines call for an oral diabetic medication such as Metformin with an A1c of 5.8% or greater. A value of 7% or higher can require tighter control with the use of injectable insulin. Studies by the ADA report prevention of complications related to diabetes when the A1c value is under 7%. A person with normal blood sugar levels should have their A1c tested every 6 months and those already diagnosed with diabetes should have their A1c tested every 3 months. Decreasing the A1c value as little as one percent may decrease the risk of irreversible effects of nerve damage, kidney damage and changes to vision.
The early signs of high blood sugar are increased thirst, headaches, trouble concentrating, blurred vision, frequent urination, fatigue and weight loss. Often the signs and symptoms of high blood sugar are discrete and go unnoticed. If you are not currently under the care of a primary provider, then establish one and ask to be screened for diabetes. If you are currently diagnosed as a diabetic, consistency is key to long-term prevention. Have your A1c level checked every three months and work closely with your primary care provider to establish a care plan and a medication regimen that works for you.
If you feel that you may be at risk for diabetes, any of its complications, vascular disease, or have some of the symptoms, you should consult your primary healthcare professional to screen for it, and to discuss treatment options.
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

www.naadihealthcare.com

by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

Far too many people are living with a pulse but not a purpose.
It’s something that drives Marilyn Olson and the idea behind VillagesOKC.org.
“What we do is connect people who want to be active and live with a purpose,” the executive director of VillagesOKC.org said.
Olson’s background is extensive, helping open 10 retirement communities in multiple states.
“Each of use in VillagesOKC.org has learned a few things in the decades of our life and together we share what we’ve learned,” she said. “One day I said to my husband ‘it would be a real shame to wake up dead one morning and not having shared some of these things.”
A PLAN, NOT A PLACE
“What we’re learning is 100 is the new reality. More and more people are living until 100,” Olson explained. “And most people are only planning til 80 so what are you going to do with those other 20 years that God gives you?”
“Our plan is to live long and die short, not live and then slowly die. And you can have some control over that.”
Mounting research is showing that you can improve your risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 60 percent by simply making lifestyle changes.
“The problem is doing that is very difficult,” Olson said. “Villages gather people together and says ‘Let’s do this together.’”
“It’s peer pressure with love.”
That’s where Villages come in.
First of all, this Village is not an actual village. It is not a real estate development or a retirement community. It is a group of like-minded people in a geographic area who come together and develop the resources they will need to age comfortably in their own homes.
Villages bring services to people rather than moving people to services – neighbors helping neighbors create networks of support and reduced-cost professional services.
WHAT IS THE VILLAGE MOVEMENT?
Across the nation the village movement is an innovative grassroots organization which has emerged in the last decade providing support services for community-dwelling older adults.
The village movement is one of the most viable options to let our society cope with the upcoming “Revolution Aging.”
The revolution is due to the unprecedented number of seniors in America over 55. This number is growing by 10,000 per day. This number is many times greater than the number of available retirement communities or assisted living communities available or even planned. Thus has developed another option – aging in place in one’s own home.
Beacon Hill, the first village, came to birth in Boston, Massachusetts. Others have cropped up all over the nation.
Now it’s Oklahoma City’s turn.
“There are villages all over the nation,” Olson said. “It just depends on what the people want. This is not my idea. I just agreed to initiate it because that’s what I’m supposed to do. This is my calling right now.
“The end result is really up the people and what God orchestrates.”
Locally, the group celebrated its one year “Village-versary” and launch of VillagesOKC.org Pickleball as a new way for Village members to stay active and participate in one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S.
Being active and productive is a way of life.
That’s why Olson helped with the recent Christian Women of Oklahoma City Bazaar. Her involvement began last year.
“Powerful testimonies of God’s goodness, encouragement and new friends,” Olson said of her first experience.
Seventy-seven years ago, a group of Oklahoma City Christian women gathered in a home for a few hours of fellowship.
Little did they know that first coffee klatch would spark lifelong friendships for several generations of Christian women in Oklahoma City and change the lives of countless others.
Those meetings are still going on, although the increased numbers have moved the meetings outside of members’ homes and into the Quail Creek Country Club.
And the centerpiece has become a bazaar that raises thousands of dollars for needy Oklahoma charities.
This October event was one of the group’s best ever.

www.arborhouseliving.com

You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s weekly humor columns in Senior Living News.  But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at www.gregschwem.com

story and photo by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well.
At least it is when Jerry Chrisope steps into a room.
Chrisope is a member of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.
He’s one of thousands of individuals across the country dedicated to bringing the magic of Santa Claus to young and old.
“Even adults light up,” Chrisope said. “I used to travel a lot before I retired. I could walk through an airport and turn around the corner and see people’s faces light up. It takes them back.”
“It’s not just children.”
Chrisope went to his first Santa School in 2009.
“You cover costuming, makeup, voice, entrances, exits, all kinds of things,” he said.
SANTA ALL YEAR
Noshave November lasts for Chrisope through December before he takes off about half his beard and then starts growing it out in July.
Chrisope has mastered the look so much he’s routinely identified as St. Nick while he’s out and about – especially at the Oklahoma CIty Zoo where he works.
When kids question him he always points to “Jerry” on his nametag and brings a finger to his lips.
“I tell them it’s a great place to see who’s being naughty or nice,” he said with a chuckle. “I have a card I give them that says ‘I met Santa’ on one side with my picture.”
His card also has instructions for kids to follow about how to stay on the “nice” list including always looking for the best in people and always keeping Christmas in your heart.
CRUNCH TIME
Chrisope’s Santa season starts in the middle of November. The recent Santa Market at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds was his first event this year.
Chrisope says he’s the atypical Santa when it comes to working – typically doing between 30 and 40 events per year.
He will be at the airport the week before Christmas this year so Santa can greet travelers coming and going.
Do you have much home time in December?
“Mrs. Claus is shaking her head ‘No,’” Chrisope said with a laugh and his wife of 56 years, Sharon, looking on behind him. “She likes it. She has her own persona.”
The two team up for home events for larger families. Songs are song, stories are told and photos posed for along with the traditional giving of gifts.
The job can be grueling.
“Take your typical mall Santa,” Chrisope began. “Let’s say on a conservative effort he only sees 400 children in a day – but he can see three times that. Let’s say each child weighs 10 pounds so that’s 4,000 pounds he’s lifted onto his lap and off again.”
“Many of the santas can’t do that so they use workarounds – chairs, have the parents do it – because nobody can do that day in and day out for an entire season.”
He maintains three formal suits – one used for events that includes pets so he can prevent a reaction from children with allergies.
There’s travel, setup, and being constantly aware that all eyes are on him whether he’s in the suit or not. That means no drinking, no smoking, no foul language and always looking for the best in others especially when he puts on the crushed, red velvet suit
“There’s a lot more to it than putting on a red suit, sitting down and saying ‘What do you want?’” he said.
MARCH 15, 270 AD
Chrisope’s Oklahoma Driver’s license shows he’s passed his 78th birthday. But his St. Nicholas of Myra driver’s license dates him a bit more.
Christian Bishop St. Nicholas, who used his inheritance from his deceased parents to help the sick and poor, is widely believed to be the foundation for the modern day Santa Claus.
Maintaining the energy level is the hardest part of Chrisope’s role. Nobody wants a “flat” Santa.
“Learning how to keep children happy without destroying the magic,” he says as the hardest part of Santa to master.
Chrisope’s business card includes ways to reach Santa when he’s on his sleigh and when he’s home at the North Pole.
This time of year you’ll find members of his organization busy on their Facebook pages trying to cover all the requests for Santa to appear at an event in person.
And just like good ole’ St. Nick that’s how Santa makes it everywhere seemingly all at once.

http://www.crawfordcares.com

Mercy has again expanded services in Edmond with the addition of a new emergency department and primary care clinic. The new facility is now open just south of the original facility on Mercy’s Edmond I-35 campus.
Mercy broke ground on the $30 million, 49,000-square-foot building in January 2018. The facility is two levels. The first level ER is an extension of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City’s emergency department and features 11 exam rooms, ultrasound, imaging services, full laboratory services, an infectious disease isolation room and a generator that allows the facility to run on full power in the event of an outage.
Fifteen emergency medicine physicians, 20 nurses and several support staff will take shifts serving patients around-the-clock. Patient care will be streamlined thanks to the ER’s modern design and dedicated, in-house lab and imaging services.
On the second floor, Mercy Clinic will have 16 primary care providers including family medicine and pediatrics.
Dr. Jesse Campbell serves as chief administrative officer for Mercy Clinic and has seen patients as a primary care physician at Edmond I-35 since the first building opened in 2014.
“We have had multiple patients come into our I-35 facility looking for an emergency room,” said Dr. Campbell. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to call an ambulance to take those patients to an emergency department, ultimately delaying their care. Now, we’ll be able to take those patients downstairs from the primary care clinic or across the parking lot from the specialty care clinic building for the appropriate, convenient care they need.”
Through Mercy’s comprehensive electronic health record, care team members at the new Mercy Edmond I-35 facility will have immediate access to patient records, electronically creating a seamless experience for current Mercy patients.
“Over the last two years, we know most Edmond residents have visited a Mercy hospital or clinic,” said Jim Gebhart, president of Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and regional strategy officer. “By expanding our Edmond I-35 campus, we are now able to serve even more people and make a significant impact in our growing community.”
The original Edmond I-35 facility features an outpatient surgery center, imaging, laboratory, specialty physician offices, a first-of-its-kind wellness center and Mercy Sports Performance powered by EXOS.
The new Mercy Edmond I-35 facility is located at 2301 W. I-35 Frontage Road in Edmond.

by Greg Schwem

I’m normally a big fan of people who challenge large corporations or establishments over what they see as violations of their personal rights. Many of those people have appeared in this column and I have delighted in their stories that end with them, to use an impolite term, “sticking it to the man.”
Which brings us to the case of Nick and Claudia Simonis.
As widely reported by various news organizations, the San Antonio couple recently received a warning from their homeowner’s association after placing Christmas decorations in their front yard on Nov. 1. The association insisted that was too early and the couple should Santa-ize their home, according to the letter, “closer to the holiday season” without specifically defining what that day was.
To which I reply, I wholeheartedly agree with the homeowner’s association.
I’m sorry Simonis family, but I can’t help you on this one. Had you just installed flickering lights on your bushes and your home’s exterior, you and the association probably could have peacefully co-existed. But it was the large, inflatable snowman in your front yard that drew the association’s ire. That’s kind of hard to miss if you’re a rules enforcer. You may as well just speed past a stopped school bus driven by an off-duty police officer.
The Simonises had a plausible explanation for their decorative hastiness; Claudia is expecting a baby on Christmas Day. Should that due date come early, tasks like home decoration would certainly take a back seat to other priorities. Sleep, for example.
Every year my wife and I rehash the “when should we decorate?” discussion. I insist that no decorating should occur pre-Thanksgiving. My wife insists I should watch not the calendar, but the weather forecast, taking advantage of whatever warm day Mother Nature throws Chicago’s way. Considering my hometown has already been the victim of snowfall, an ice storm and single digit wind chills, I may have missed that opportunity.
But temperatures are forecast for the mid-50s on Thursday, a week before Thanksgiving. Do I break my rule for the privilege of decorating my house wearing just a light jacket? I recently returned from a business trip to find some of my neighbors were better weather prognosticators than I, as they had stealthily decorated prior to the cold snap. I hate them all equally.
What the Simonises failed to realize is that there is a difference between putting up decorations and actually turning them on. An inflatable snowman could easily be deflated, correct? Why not just leave Frosty in a melted state on your front lawn and then, whenever your association deems to be the appropriate time, flip a switch and watch it roar to life?
Heck, I have a neighbor who does this on a daily basis with an inflatable Santa and his reindeer. True, during the day, it looks like Blitzen and company had a horrific encounter with an 18-wheeler, but the savings in electricity far outweighs any trauma suffered by neighborhood children.
My wife and I once discussed installing lights on a giant spruce in our back yard and leaving the strands on the branches year-round. Every Thanksgiving night we would plug in an extension cord and, Merry Christmas! How easy would that be?
Plenty easy, and also plenty fatal to our tree, according to our landscaper, once we ran the idea past him.
Each year I vow to tone down the decorating at my house, as my fear of ladders, along with my aching back, intensifies. And yet, with every strand of lights I string on the outdoor trees, I find myself saying, “As long as I’m out here, I can do one more.”
So Simonises, I agree that a festively decorated house is a great way to embrace the holiday spirit. But for now, channel your energies towards that new baby. You’re responsible for teaching it everything.
Including the art of compromise with a Scrooge-like homeowner’s association.
Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at Amazon.com. Visit Greg on the web at www.gregschwem.com.)

www.comfortkeepers.com

Fred Millard, Jr., of Holdenville, has been featured by National Geographic and the Smithsonian Magazine for his extensive contributions to the freshwater turtle industry. But this time, he is in the spotlight for a vastly different record: his 25-pound, 2-ounce sweet potato.
Millard, who is turning 80 in December, has been gardening all his life. For more than 40 years now, he has aimed to grow his sweet potatoes bigger than the year before, and he even issued a steep dare for friends and family members.
“I’ll challenge anyone to a catfish supper if they can grow a bigger sweet potato than me,” said Millard. “Otherwise, they have to buy me one!”
However, that is a tough challenge to step into—Millard has only been beaten twice in more than forty years.
When asked if he aims to beat state and world records with his sweet potatoes, he said his only goal is to be a tad bigger than his competition for that year.
The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, which records not only record-breaking pumpkins but also other vegetables, has been contacted to see if Millard’s sweet potato breaks Oklahoma records and we are awaiting confirmation.
“A sweet potato this big doesn’t require much peeling and you get quadruple the ‘good stuff’,” Millard said.
Millard and his wife, Caroline, plan to cut this sweet potato and can it—just like they do all of their sweet potatoes.
But with this one, there will be plenty to share. He said they will have to cut it with a saw and will save some for Caroline’s famous sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving and Christmas and share the rest with Hughes County neighbors.

Story by Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer

EXCELL’s mission is to provide the highest quality of genuine care for our clients and their families. Through personalized service and coordinated assistance, Excell Home Care, Hospice and Personal Care are committed to helping individuals maintain their comfort, independence and dignity.
Excell provides exceptional, comprehensive assistance to ensure the well-being of each patient we serve. As an established, reputable and highly-diversified service provider, Excell offers a wide array of skilled nursing and rehabilitation services, hospice care, personal care, Geriatric Care Management and the ADvantage Program.
Excell’s commitment to excellence, integrity, honesty, caring, compassion, attentiveness, creativity and innovation means that all of our customer’s needs, both expressed and unspoken, are met with the highest level of attention. –Excell Private Care Services-
Carol Mulligan, LPN is the backup case manager supervisor at Excell Private Care Services. “I started out as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home in 1990. I really enjoyed working with the elderly and I worked in several nursing facilities over the years. It was around 1995 that I found that it was hard for me to continue as a nurse due to being on my feet for eight hours a day. I still wanted to continue my career in nursing, yet I wanted to find something a little less strenuous. That is when I found out about Excell Private Care Services. I can still be a nurse and help the patients with the ADvantage program, finding them a place to live that suits them, along with a place that makes them feel comfortable and at home. There are some apartments and assisted living facilities in Oklahoma that are contracted with the state. That means that there are a certain number of rooms that might be available if they are an ADvantage member,” Carol commented.
“On an average, we have about eight case managers and each one of them usually carries forty to fifty members throughout Oklahoma. I worked with elderly people for numerous years while being a nurse. Working with the ADvantage program, I feel like I am on the other side of the spectrum now; helping the people get to a place that they enjoy as much as they can without putting them in nursing homes,” Carol said.
What qualities do you feel like make a good nurse? “I think one of the most important qualities to have is to be a good listener. It makes such a difference to both the nurse and the patient. Also, a nurse needs to be able to get along with others, no matter what the setting, whether it is in a hospital, home health or hospice. Teamwork always plays a big part in any job, no matter what the situation might be,” Carol replied.
Asking Carol how she can relate to patients in a positive way, she replied, “I realize how some people feel a little awkward about meeting a nurse or case worker for the first time and discussing their medical issues. When I meet a patient or a family member that may have someone that qualifies for one of our programs, I try to show kindness and compassion. They are more likely to relax and open up and know that I am there to help them. They just need someone to listen to them.”
Carol is married to her wonderful husband and they enjoy spending time with their three children, thirteen grandchildren and three great grandchildren. That makes for a fun time when they all get together! Adding to the fun are their four Boxers; Gus, Molly, Jojo and Bess. What motivates Carol? “My motivation comes from my family and spending time with them. They keep me going,” Carol smiled.
What advice would you give to someone going into the medical field? “I would tell them to start off as a nurse’s aide first. You need to go into nursing with a genuine love and compassion for it. If you don’t feel that from the beginning, nursing is not the right job for you. Move forward and don’t look back,” she said. “You will find out that it can be the most rewarding job that you have ever had. Working for Excell has shown me how much it means to help others, getting them to their comfort place that they can call HOME. I love being a nurse, helping others and making them happy,” Carol added.
Asking Carol how she would sum up her life in one word, she replied, “FULL.”

www.excellcares.com

For many of us, lack of sleep, elevated stress and increased travel are as much a part of the holidays as turkey and stuffing or hanging stockings over the fireplace. So how can you set yourself—and your loved ones—up for a healthy holiday season?
1. Get your flu shot
Flu season has arrived, but it’s not too late to get your vaccination.
“The U.S. flu season doesn’t fully hit its stride until December,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “But the sooner you vaccinate, the more time your body has to build immunity so you are primed and ready.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that last year’s flu outbreak affected up to 43 million Americans and resulted in, or contributed to, between 36,000 and 61,200 deaths. “Even though the flu shot isn’t perfect, it’s still your best chance to avoid this potentially deadly virus,” said OMRF immunologist Eliza Chakravarty, M.D.
2. Count sheep
Studies show that people who get eight hours of sleep are three times less likely to catch colds than those who average fewer than seven hours.
Sleep deprivation also causes stress hormones like cortisol to rise, signaling the body to go into fat-storage mode by slowing your metabolism. And when you’re sleepy, you eat more, which can put you on a slippery slope with all the extra treats around this time of year.
3. Hand-y advice
Think of all the hands will you shake at holiday parties and how many surfaces you will touch at the airport. Touch your mouth, nose, food or face, and you’re susceptible to the bacteria and viruses you just picked up.
“The more germs you come in contact with, the greater the risk of catching a cold, the flu or other illnesses,” said Prescott. “But there’s a simple defense: Wash your hands often.”
Good old soap and water work best, but hand sanitizer helps in a pinch.
4. Fit in fitness
A great way to neutralize the some negative holiday effects is to stay active.
“Too often, taking a little time off is the start of falling away from your exercise program entirely,” said Prescott.
Exercise does more than help avoid weight gain. “Even light exercise can lower blood pressure, strengthen bones and improve your mood,” he said. “It also decreases the risk of catching a cold or the flu. And who wants to be sick during the holidays?”

www.legendseniorliving.com

If you could give the world a present this Christmas what would it be? Tealridge Retirement Community

Peace on Earth. Linda Lee

That’s hard. I guess to just love one another. Karen O’Neill

Compassion for all. Lola Coons

For everyone to just get along. Diann Estrada

integris.com/seniorlifewellness.com