w
]
Opposite page: Sleep Technologist Kristina St. Peter-Weaver, RPSGT fits a CPAP mask on a patient in the Parrish Sleep Disorders Center at Port St. John.
SLEEPING THROUGH LIFE Shawn Cassidy was just 39 years old when he
took the SleepAware online risk assessment during the Parrish Healthcare Center’s Sleep Center open house in Port St. John two years ago. Shawn felt tired all the time, so he decided to do
Knowing the score is important in anything we do,
so we’re going to start this article with a quiz. Raise your hand if you know who played in the championship game of this year’s NCAA “March Madness” College Basketball Tournament (extra points if you know the final score). Now, how many of the “Sweet 16” tournament teams can you name? For you reality TV fans out there, do you just
know in your heart which celebrity will win this year’s “Dancing With The Stars” television show…based on their scores thus far? Now, raise your hand if you know what your cholesterol is. Do you know the score for your good cholesterol (high density lipoproteins or HDL)? What about your bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins or LDL)? The same goes for your blood pressure. Do you
know what yours is? What do your high (systolic) and low (diastolic) numbers mean? We have lots of numbers to remember when it comes to our health – some are high and some are low. But the important thing is that each of us “Know The Score!” Parrish Medical Center offers a quick, easy
way to know your health score with its suite of online HealthAware risk assessments. They are available for sleep; diabetes; heart disease; and breast, colon and prostrate cancer. It takes only minutes. If your score is high, you may choose a free consultation with a Parrish Medical Center health advisor to develop an action plan toward better health. It’s that simple.
the assessment just for kicks. Based on his final score, Shawn was at extremely high risk for sleep apnea. He agreed to see a sleep specialist who ordered a sleep study. “I never snored,” says Shawn with a laugh.
“Everyone around me just heard semi trucks drive by and blamed it on me.”
FAMILY HISTORY SPURS ACTION
Alden Knight was also 39 years old when his mother recommended he take the HeartAware online risk assessment. Heart disease and diabetes ran in the family. Alden had started a dietitian-guided weight-loss
program prior to his first assessment, but after taking it a second time, his scores were still high, so he made an appointment with the heart health advisor. The advisor did further tests and measured Alden’s BMI (body mass index), along with his cholesterol and blood pressure. BMI and its correlation to good (and bad) health was thoroughly explained to him, along with the importance of raising his HDL (good cholesterol) score.
THE BIG C Parrish Medical Center also offers three
different CancerAware risk assessments for breast, colon and prostrate cancers. Sally Jones (not her real name) took the
BreastCancerAware online risk assessment and her final score showed that she was at very high risk for breast cancer. In fact, three generations of her family had a history of breast cancer, which immediately gave her a high-risk score.
“I would highly recommend
taking any of the HealthAware risk assessments. If you start early enough to counteract controllable risk factors, we can all lead healthier lives.”
– Alden Knight, patient of Parrish Medical Center
AND NOW, FOR THE REST OF THE STORY… Shawn’s overnight sleep study showed he wasn’t
receiving his deep stage restorative sleep. So, no matter how many hours Shawn slept he would still not feel refreshed when he woke up. The sleep specialist ordered a CPAP
(continuous positive airway pressure) machine for Shawn, which is used to treat sleep apnea. It is smaller than a shoebox and a small mask is worn while sleeping. When Shawn returned to the sleep center
a month later, he jokingly told the sleep technologist, “Since I’ve been on my CPAP machine I’ve caused my mom to spend a lot of money.” Puzzled, the sleep technologist asked him why. “Well,” Shawn said, “I have redone her kitchen,
put in a new fence, fixed her roof and installed a new toilet. I’m a new person. I feel more awake than I’ve felt in years.” Shawn didn’t realize how tired he was until he started using his CPAP machine and finally got a restful sleep. Now he was wide awake and had energy to spare. By Alden’s second visit with the heart health
advisor, he had lost 80 pounds and his good cholesterol score had increased dramatically (which is good). He was eating better and working out four times a week at a fitness center. “You should see my lab scores,” says Alden. “It’s amazing to see how the numbers have changed for the better. Keeping track of my cholesterol and watching it closely as I made changes in fitness and eating has been very exciting.” As for Sally, Parrish Medical Center’s breast health navigator was able to offer a free screening mammogram through a grant from the Susan G. Komen Community Fund, as well as follow-up for other health care needs through local resources. Luckily for Sally, no cancer was found, but because of her family history she was referred for genetic testing. “I would highly recommend taking any of the HealthAware risk assessments,” says Alden. “If you start early enough to counteract controllable risk factors, we can all lead healthier lives.” So, if you don’t already, you should get to
know your scores. Caring for your health is the most important game you’ll ever play. Go to
www.parrishmed.com/score and choose the online risk assessments you want to take.
HeartAware risk assessment screen shot
SPACECOASTLIVINGHEALTH.COM | 33 |
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68