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

Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security, and Gail S. Ennis, the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, announce the launch of a dedicated online form at www.oig.ssa.gov to receive reports from the public of Social Security-related scams. These scams—in which fraudulent callers mislead victims into making cash or gift card payments to avoid arrest for purported Social Security number problems—skyrocketed over the past year to become the #1 type of fraud reported to the Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration.
To combat these scams, Social Security and the OIG will use the new online form to capture data that will be analyzed for trends and commonalities. The OIG will use the data to identify investigative leads, which could help identify criminal entities or individuals participating in or facilitating the scams. Ultimately, these efforts are expected to disrupt the scammers, help reduce this type of fraud, and reduce the number of victims.
“We are taking action to raise awareness and prevent scammers from harming Americans,” Commissioner Saul said. “I am deeply troubled that our country has not been able to stop these crooks from deceiving some of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
Commissioner Saul and Inspector General Ennis encourage the public to use the new online form to report Social Security phone scams including robocalls and live callers, as well as email, text, and in-person scams. The form allows people to create a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN), so if OIG contacts a person about their report, they will know the call is legitimate.
“Awareness is our best hope to thwart the scammers,” said Inspector General Ennis. “Tell your friends and family about them and report them to us when you receive them, but most importantly, just hang up and ignore the calls.”
Social Security employees do occasionally contact people–generally those who have ongoing business with the agency–by telephone for business purposes. However, Social Security employees will never threaten a person, or promise a Social Security benefit approval, or increase, in exchange for information or money. In those cases, the call is fraudulent and people should just hang up.
Generally, the agency mainly calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, someone who is already receiving payments and requires an update to their record, or a person who has requested a phone call from the agency. If a person is not in one of these situations, they normally would not receive a call from the agency.
Social Security will not:
* Tell you that your Social Security number has been suspended.
* Contact you to demand an immediate payment.
* Ask you for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
* Require a specific means of debt repayment, like a prepaid debit card, a retail gift card, or cash.
* Demand that you pay a Social Security debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
* Promise a Social Security benefit approval, or increase, in exchange for information or money.
If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, in most cases Social Security will mail a letter. If a person needs to submit payments to Social Security, the agency will send a letter with instructions and payment options. People should never provide information or payment over the phone or Internet unless they are certain of who is receiving it.
The Social Security OIG will also continue to take reports of fraud, waste, and abuse in Social Security’s programs and operations. A separate online form for those reports remains available at their website.

www.harborchase.com

Beginning December 1, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will be beautifully transformed for the holiday season with festive decorations that will remain on public view during the entire month of December. Visitors can view the decorations for free during normal hours of operation.
One great opportunity to experience the holidays at Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum comes on Saturday, December 14, with the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association meeting and the Holiday Open House. The Pawnee Bill Ranch Association will hold its annual meeting in the Big Barn beginning at 11:30 a.m., with a noon meal for members following the short business meeting. For more information or to join the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association, please call 918-762-2513.
Immediately following the Pawnee Bill Ranch Association meeting on December 14, Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum will host its annual Holiday Open House for the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Holiday Open House activities will include surrey rides and camel rides outside (weather permitting), a children’s craft area inside the museum, a silent auction fundraiser and hot cocoa and cookies. Money raised from the silent auction will help to fund exhibits at the museum.
As a special treat later that Saturday, the ranch will host a Santas of the World Tour from 5 to 7 p.m. in the mansion. The tour is free and open to the public. Come to the ranch for a visit and photographs with these historic Santas. They are dressed authentically from their particular time period and country of origin. Some of the gift-bringers that may be featured are:
Black Peter (Holland, 1550); Grandfather Frost (Russia, 1900) and his granddaughter Babushka (Russia, 1800); Le Befana (Italy, 1800); Ophelia Noel (France, 1800); Civil War Santa (United States, 1861); Sinter Claus (The Netherlands, 1808) and his wife; Weihnachtsmann (Germany, 1800); Tundra Santa (United States, 1840); Tartan Santa (Nova Scotia, 1850s); and St. Nicholas (Turkey, 1100).
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum is located at 1141 Pawnee Bill Road in Pawnee. Hours of operation for the months of November through March are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. For more information about these events, please call 918-762-2513 or email pawneebill@okhistory.org.
Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum 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.

www.mcmmedicare.com

by Darl Devault

A nurse practitioner with an entrepreneurial spirit recently started a mobile urgent care practice for homebound patients, on-the-go parents and families. Based in Edmond, with scheduling available online, by text or phone, this groundbreaking advanced practice registered nurse delivers convenient, urgent care to her patient’s home.
Research shows that as a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Kara De La Pena is the only individual advanced nurse providing this service, NP 2 Go, in the Metro area. Her certifications in advanced cardiac life support, basic life support, and pediatric advanced life support allow her to claim first-in-market status.
Several corporate entities are dispatching caregivers at this level to people’s homes. Those companies are not matching the direct-fee, comprehensive impact De La Pena delivers to her patients.
“NP 2 Go’s mobile urgent care or house call service was born from seeing so many patients who could benefit from a more convenient option to get healthcare,” De La Pena, APRN-CNP, said.
The nursing profession is in high demand in Oklahoma. She also serves as a registered nurse at OU Medical Center Edmond part time in perioperative services, as she launches her new community-wide service.
De La Pena provides in-home urgent care visits, migraine treatment, primary care (for homebound patients), weight loss consults, IV vitamins/hydration, and sports physicals. She also helps patients needing advanced directive planning counseling. To answer those questions she says she draws on her experience as an ICU nurse being with many patients during their end-of-life period.
She says several patient populations need intravenous fluids, but have no other options than going to an emergency room. She serves that need in patient’s homes. She stresses how her practice assists other practices and medical offices to help keep their patients out of ERs.
When the flu, food poisoning, or a stomach bug causes some mild dehydration a patient fills out a health history and assessment. She calls the patient if there are any questions. If an emergency room visit is indicated, she sends them on, instead of seeing them. If the ER is not indicated, she provides the hydration in their homes.
De La Pena says many migraine sufferers can have an acute or chronic migraine that can last for several days and be debilitating. She can give the same medications an ER provides, after assessing their condition. Another ER trip avoided.
De La Pena was born and raised in Enid, Okla. She earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Oklahoma City Community College in 2012, and her bachelors of science in nursing from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in 2014.
In 2019, she earned a master’s degree in nursing while graduating as a family nurse practitioner from Maryville University in St. Louis. The school, founded 150 years ago, provides a technology-driven, mentor-inspired education.
Along the way she has been a certified nurse’s aide and licensed practical nurse before becoming a registered nurse. She says her mother prompted much of this by being a mentor and role model.
“My mother is the best nurse that I have ever met, often teaching me things that are not in books. She taught me about the comfort provided by simply flipping over a pillow, or the skill of practicing compassion towards people with unknown struggles,” De La Pena said. Her mother, Karla Brock, an RN since 1991, has worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in Enid for 28 years.
De La Pena has a combined 15 years of experience helping patients throughout her years of basic patient care, nurse tech, CNA, LPN, RN, and now APRN-CNP status.
Her early caretaking skills were honed taking care of her great-grandmother who suffered a stroke when De La Pena was a teenager. She attended to her daily needs, as well as drove her to appointments.
Nurse practitioners in Oklahoma need only a supervising physician to oversee their prescriptive authority. They are prohibited from prescribing Scheduled 2 medications (Hydrocodone, Adderall, etc.).
Oklahoma Nurse practitioners are continuing to pursue legislation that allows for full practice of their license without a supervising physician. These nurses pushed legislation in 2018 seeking full practice authority. Their position then was that 22 states, most with better health outcomes than Oklahoma, allow this status.
De La Pena and her supervising physician have agreed on specific medication protocols for her new outpatient emphasis at NP 2 Go. They went over her business plan extensively before she started her private business ventures.
The company is private-pay only. When patients invite NP 2 Go to come to their homes, they get one bill. The NP 2 Go Website and Facebook cite the costs for the services provided.
De La Pena believes that patients deserve to have transparent billing and to know the costs of services before booking their appointments. NP 2 Go works with local companies to provide the most cost-effective labs, medications, or radiology. She says this provides a thorough solution to the patient’s needs.
De La Pena, 33, has lived in Edmond for more than 11 years, marrying Jason in June of 2014. They now have two daughters 8 and 4 years old. The family attends Victory Church in Warr Acres and enjoys boating at Lake Arcadia often. As soon as her new venture gives her more time, she plans to be more active in local government and volunteer in the community.
Visit www.thenp2go.com or call 405.696.7003.

www.meadowlakesretirementvillage.com

Conservation research aims to improve survival rates of threatened Texas horned lizards reintroduced to the wild

The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is partnering with the Sam Noble Museum at the University of Oklahoma to help save one of the state’s most iconic species: the horny toad. Formally known as the Texas horned lizard, this species – once a common sight across much of the state – has become increasingly rare as its habitat has been lost and fragmented due to urbanization and other factors. A National Science Foundation-funded study underway at the OKC Zoo’s Lizard Lab is exploring how to improve survival rates of lizards raised in human care when they are reintroduced into the wild. The research is also examining how the gut bacteria in populations in human care compares to that in wild populations.
Samuel Eliades, a third-year ecology and evolutionary biology Ph.D. student at the University of Oklahoma and researcher at the Sam Noble Museum, is leading the project. Eliades has been assisting in Texas horned lizard tracking and population monitoring at Tinker Air Force Base for two years. Inspired by this field research, he has received $40,000 in funding support from the National Science Foundation INTERN program to study the species with the assistance of his advisor and museum curator Dr. Cameron Siler.
“Horny toads in Oklahoma are in the midst of a silent extinction,” Eliades said. “This was a species so common that – until they started vanishing – no one bothered to study them. We are still playing catch up to try to understand this complex and interesting lizard.”
The goal of this research project is two-fold. First, to establish a head start program at the Lizard Lab raising Texas horned lizards and releasing them back into the wild so that they have a greater chance of survival. Second, Eliades will study their gut bacteria and compare those samples to bacteria from Texas horned lizards in the wild. This stool sample analysis will provide a better understanding of how being raised in human care influences these animals and, in turn, can better prepare the lizards for survival in the wild following release.
Eliades’ research at the Zoo’s Lizard Lab will be overseen by Rebecca Snyder, OKC Zoo curator of conservation and science, and Brad Lock, OKC Zoo curator of herpetology.
As a conservation organization, the OKC Zoo is committed to preserving wildlife and wild places,” Snyder said. “In addition to the study being done on-site at the Lizard Lab to help Texas horned lizards, Zoo staff regularly volunteer their time in the field assisting our conservation partners with research on wild populations of this species and others.”
This summer, Eliades oversaw the collection of a group of 35 Texas horned lizard eggs from Tinker. Once hatched, these will mature at the Zoo under his watchful eye for about a year before they are released. Once back in the wild, Zoo staff and researchers from the University of Oklahoma will continue to monitor the head start lizards as part of the Tinker population. In the immediate future, this research will bolster the Texas horned lizard population on Tinker Air Force Base. In the long term, the hope is to expand this program to assist wild Texas horned lizard populations across the state. Researchers also hope to better understand the beneficial and harmful bacteria that Texas horned lizards have in their guts and find ways to ensure the animals are as healthy as possible before released back into native habitats.
Although the OKC Zoo Lizard Lab is located behind-the-scenes and is not accessible to guests, visitors can support the Zoo’s conservation efforts by rounding up to the nearest dollar at any of point of sale. Guests can also show their support by purchasing colorful new conservation wristbands for $2. The entire amount goes to support the Zoo’s Round Up for Conservation. The Zoo will continue to share updates on the Lizard Lab through social media.

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

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.

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

Daily Living Centers of Oklahoma welcomes Bob Chamberlain to their board of directors. Chamberlain is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist.
“I can’t think of anything more important than helping care for and improve the quality of life of others,” said Chamberlain. “That’s why I’m honored to serve on the Daily Living Center’s board of directors.”
As President of Chamberlain & Sons LLC and owner/partner of Full Circle Home Technologies, Chamberlain brings with him an uncommon technology and construction background. He has held senior management positions in technology, building material distribution and new home construction. He is a current member of Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. The Daily Living Centers of Oklahoma is an adult day health non-profit organization offering affordable non-residential facilities that support the health, nutritional and social needs of disabled or elderly Oklahomans. For more information please visit, www.dailylivingcenters.org.