Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
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My son is one of the many Americans with cleft lip and palate. The specifics of each affected individual’s situation vary, but one thing they have in common is that they will be having surgery. Lots of surgery. Although most individuals with orofacial clefts, including my son, are otherwise healthy and lead normal lives, the process of restoring a normal smile, normal speech, normal chewing, involves many steps from birth into adulthood. Most of his surgeries have blurred together in my mind, h...
Christmas can be many colors and styles. There is traditional red and green, then comes gold and silver. There’s a plethora of color schemes to decorate your tree. I change mine out every now and then and this year is red and gold with traditional ornaments. Ninety-five percent of the ornaments have been gifts. I recently had surgery and knew I wouldn’t be able to decorate the Christmas tree as easily. One of my daughters and a granddaughter helped me with the project three years ago and off...
This year, nearly 250,000 patients will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 130,000 will die from it. In South Dakota, 660 people will be diagnosed, and over 400 will die, from the disease. Lung cancer accounts for the most cancer deaths in both the US and in South Dakota. Smoking is the most important risk factor for lung cancer and accounts for 80% of lung cancer deaths. Although smoking rates continue to decline in the US, in South Dakota there are many rural and tribal communities where the sm...
DANIEL G. PETEREIT MD, FABS, FASTRO Over my 30-year career as a cancer physician I have witnessed the tremendous progress in treating cancer patients. There continues to be controversy in the screening and treatment of prostate cancer, for which I am grateful to have the opportunity to share with you more information. Screening consists of obtaining a prostate-specific antigen test and rectal exam, followed by a biopsy, if indicated. In 2012, the United States Preventive Task Force recommended...
Nick Herringer claps along with a metronome. He draws lines on a big screen, repeating patterns drawn by the computer. He identifies icons of cars when they flash before his eyes. This is the 22-year-old's speech and cognitive therapy, which he has been doing at least twice a week. Every week. For three years. Nick's thick brown hair hides a massive, ear-to-ear scar from his four brain surgeries for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer he has battled since he was a teenager. His mom, Tammy Herringer, drives Nick to therapy and back. She...
When Dr. Dana Suskind takes a child from the arms of their worried parents and heads into the operating room, she knows the great responsibility of performing surgery on the delicate structure of the ear won't fall on her alone. To conduct cochlear implant surgeries, the pediatric surgeon relies on a team. Nurses. An anesthesiologist. Everyone pitches in and has a critical role to play, checking instruments or monitoring vital signs. All work together for the good of their tiny patient. So why,...
As a practicing urologist who is double board certified in urology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, I see a lot of patients with urinary incontinence. And while it is extremely common, many myths surround the topic. Sadly, even though more patients in the U.S. suffer from overactive bladder than diabetes, there is very little education surrounding incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders. One common misconception I hear is "you have to drink eight glasses of water."...
As a physician with 45 years of practice, I've seen my share of diseases. I have usually been on the physician side of the diagnosis- treatment paradigm. However, knowing the rationale for diagnostic screening tests, I fortunately did not shirk my own. Testing too much or too frequently leads to insignificant findings that may have no long-term consequences, yet create worry and further testing. Too often, this can lead to surgery that does not save lives but carries pain, disability,...
After reading this week’s Prairie Doc column, penned by Dr. Kelly Evans-Hullinger, I thought about the women in my family and the thyroid gland struggles they have experienced. My grandmother took and at least one of my aunts takes Synthroid, a presciption medication that “restores thyroid levels by replacing the amount of thyroxine (thyroid hormone) that your body is missing,” according to the manufacturer’s website. Mom was also required to take the drug after part of her thyroid was removed i...
WARSAW, Poland – The 3-year-old was too sick to leave his hotel room. He has had congenital heart disease since he was born. A second surgery was already planned for when he turned three. Then the war started. Now, as the young Ukrainian lay in his hotel bed 500 miles from home, his oxygen levels dipped dangerously low. His pulse raced. He'd spent the night feverish and throwing up. His lips and fingertips had turned purple. Downstairs, a volunteer doctor hustled from patient to patient in the h...
From Babe Ruth to John Wayne, Americans have seen chewing tobacco in popular culture for over a century. Spitting chew has been a trademark of cowboys and professional athletes alike and chewing tobacco use continues at high rates in the United States. In 2018, a survey showed 2.4% of American adults used smokeless tobacco, with snuff or snus pouch use on the rise and chewing tobacco on the decline. Though smokeless tobacco use is not associated with lung cancer like smoking is, it has its own...
LINCOLN - Doctors may have a legal way to deny services based on their personal views, under a bill considered by the Nebraska Health and Human Services Committee, March 2. Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil introduced LB963, the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act, which would legally state medical practitioners and healthcare institutions cannot be forced to perform procedures that go against their ethical, moral or religious beliefs. This is also commonly known as a right of conscience. Medical practitioners include doctors, physicians assistants,...
HASTINGS – With two nurses out sick in early December, charge nurse Osa Brooks found herself scrambling to care for 28 patients. With only one floor nurse available, employees from other units were called in to work the floor or give medications. “It was really scary because I had 10 patients that I was responsible for, and I had another nurse giving medications for me,” Brooks said. Brooks said the chaos scared her because of the chance that she could have missed something, causing her patie...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Eyesight is often taken for granted and living without it can be a challenge for many. More than three million Americans and more than 60 million people worldwide have glaucoma, which is often referred to as "the sneak thief of sight" because there are often no symptoms of its presence. However, once vision is lost, it's permanent; as much as 40% of vision can be lost without a person noticing, which experts estimate is the case...
As a family physician living on the upper Great Plains, I have many patients of Norwegian and German descent. Thus, I am familiar with some diseases that are prone to affect people of northern European ancestry. One such example is Dupuytren’s contracture. Dupuytren’s contracture is a gradual thickening of the connective tissue of the palm of the hand. It may begin innocently as a nodule in the palm or joint stiffness, which are common for anyone. However, with Dupuytren’s contracture, over...
In the last couple years, I have developed a renewed awe and appreciation of our scientists around the world who work for entire careers to advance science and medicine in their laboratories and beyond. One such scientist is Dr. Barry Marshall. Marshall is an Australian physician scientist, who, in the early 1980’s along with his cohort Dr. Robin Warren, initiated a paradigm shift in the world’s understanding of gastrointestinal disease when they discovered the bacterium Helicobacter pyl...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE In addition to occupational therapy services, Sheleene Charf, OTR/L, CLT of MSM Enterprises, also offers specialized lymphedema services at Antelope Memorial Hospital. Lymphedema is the stagnation of lymph fluid in a portion of the body, usually the arms and legs. "Lymphedema is associated with some type of malfunction of the lymphatic system, resulting in an obstruction of venous and lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes," said Charf. "Common causes of lymphedema are surgery,...
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. After surviving cancer, Bill Kruger decided to squeeze a lifelong dream into reality. "I've always wanted a muscle car," Kruger said. The Clearwater resident's sweet indulgence: a yellow 1964 Chevrolet Malibu. Sometimes, though, life turns sour. Last August, Kruger was diagnosed with cancer. Surgery followed on Sept. 11. "What a day," he said. "There was just a dinky, dinky spot on my liver." Kruger asked the surgeon if he needed surgery for such a...
SUBMITTED ARTICLE - AMH This winter, Sheleene Charf, OTR/L, CLT, certified lymphedema therapist, began providing contracted occupational therapy services at Antelope Memorial Hospital. She joins Dorian Morrison, MS, OTR/L, Amy Scott, OTD, OTR/L, and Sydney Schlenger, certified OT assistant, of MSM Enterprises. Her services include helping individuals achieve independence in all areas of their lives by restoring function and/or helping them to compensate for impairments or deficits. "I became an...
Andy Hoffman, of Atkinson, co-founder of the Team Jack Foundation for pediatric brain cancer research, lost his own battle with brain cancer Monday. He was 42. Team Jack Foundation released a statement about Hoffman's death via Twitter, Monday afternoon. "We are deeply saddened to share that our co-founder, @andrewjhoffman, passed away this morning from glioblastoma. Andy was our fearless leader who loved his family with all his heart. Andy, we love you & we promise to honor your legacy by...
Dr. Brandon Borer, doctor of podiatric medicine at Columbus Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic, has gained an additional certification in rearfoot and ankle surgery from the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. ABFAS board certification is the highest standard in foot and ankle surgery. It signifies that surgeons have demonstrated to their peers and to the public that they have the clinical judgment, surgical skills and ability to provide excellent patient care. "I am pleased to offer my...
Misty Nilson is of the opinion that women should take their breast cancer screenings seriously, especially if they have a family history of the disease. The 54-year-old Ewing woman has been free of breast cancer for four years as of this October, which also happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Because breast cancer runs in her family, Nilson began to undergo yearly screenings for the disease during her late 30s. The American Cancer Society and other similar organizations recommend women...
Cancer cannot keep Barb Roland out of the classroom. The K-6 Title I teacher and literacy coordinator for Summerland Public School in Ewing has been battling various oral cancers for the past 11 years. However, that has not stopped the Oakdale woman from teaching and working with students, which is her passion. "I enjoy helping children grow and learn," Roland said. "My doctor told me to do what I love, and this is it. I am taking precautions with COVID, as we all are doing." Her battle with...
UPDATED: APRIL 1, 2020 @ 8:04 P.M. North Central District Health Department, in communication with state officials, have signed the NCDHD counties, including Antelope, Boyd, Brown, Cherry, Holt, Keya Paha, Knox, Pierce and Rock, into the Directed Health Measures, effective April 1, at 10 p.m., through May 11, unless the order is extended. Please read the Directed Health Measures in full carefully, they can be found on the Department of Health and Human Services website at htt...
Antelope Memorial Hospital will sponsor a health fair, Saturday, Feb. 29, from 7:30 to 11 a.m., at Neligh's American Legion. Discounted lab specials offered include: PSAs for men, $25; hemoglobin A1C, $15 and CBC, TSH, chemistry and lipid panels, $40. Individuals having blood drawn are asked to fast for 12 hours prior to testing. The following AMH stations will also be on-site: cardiac rehab, diabetes education offering on-site glucose and blood pressure checks, farm safety, weight loss,...
