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1-800-4BAYLOR
His
Story
Learn how your family health
history can affect your risk for
certain diseases page 6
Conquering
chronic digestive
disorders
page 2
A how-to guide
for interpreting
lab test results
page 3
6 steps to getting
diabetes under
control
page 4
Working toward a
cure for diabetes
page 5
Visit BaylorHealth.com
for informative videos,
interactive quizzes,
online event registration,
and much more.
May 2010
Gut Check
Chronic digestive diseases are on the increase, but new treatments
and better understanding can help keep them under control
I
f you find yourself battling unexplained weight loss and diarrhea, you
might want to talk to your doctor
about celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which your body has
trouble digesting gluten. It’s important
to treat celiac disease because diarrhea
can lead to malnutrition. “If you have
diarrhea, you don’t absorb fat very well,
so you can become deficient in fatsoluble vitamins such as vitamins A,
D and K,” says John Abdulian, M.D.,
a gastroenterologist on the
medical staff at Baylor Medical
Center at Waxahachie. “Iron
deficiencies are also common.”
If your doctor suspects
celiac disease, he or she can
biopsy your small bowel. In
cases of celiac disease, the
villi—the tiny projections that
increase the surface area of
your bowel—are atrophied, so
they can’t absorb the nutrients
in your food.
To treat celiac disease, eliminate wheat from your diet. “It’s
important to check labels on
all foods,” says Dr. Abdulian.
“A lot of things do contain
wheat, so you have to be very
selective about what you eat.”
Health food stores and even
traditional grocery stores often
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2 carry gluten-free products. If a glutenfree diet doesn’t help, your doctor may
recommend corticosteroids.
Autoimmune diseases such as celiac
disease tend to cluster, so people with
celiac disease might find they’re also
facing diabetes, thyroid disease or rheumatoid arthritis. irritable bowel
disease (IBD) also is associated with
celiac disease. “Irritable bowel disease is
one of the most common gastrointestinal conditions,” says Dr. Abdulian.
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Baylor Health Care System exists to serve
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Visit BaylorHealth.com or call
1-800-4BAYLOR for information about
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BaylorHealth is published six times a year
for friends and supporters of Baylor Medical
Center at Waxahachie.
BaylorHealth May 2010 l For a physician referral, visit BaylorHealth.com
In Digestive
Distress?
If you need a referral to a gastroenterologist on the Baylor Waxahachie
medical staff, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or
visit FindDrRight.com.
IBD typically affects women in their
teens or 20s. “It’s a hypersensitivity of
the digestive system to multiple things,”
Dr. Abdulian says. People notice abdominal pain or bloating that’s
either relieved or set off by a
bowel movement. While IBD is
a lifelong problem, its severity
can vary, and it may improve or
worsen over time. Treatment
includes eliminating foods that
trigger problems; examples
include refined grain products,
dairy, coffee, carbonated drinks,
alcohol and large fatty meals.
Adding probiotics to your diet
also can be helpful. Probiotics,
microorganisms that benefit
your health, are found in
yogurt, other fermented foods
and supplements. Peppermint
oil works for some people, and
severe cases may respond to
antidepressants. l By Stephanie Thurrott
BaylorHealth is published by McMurry. © 2010
Baylor Health Care System.
The material in BaylorHealth is not intended
for diagnosing or prescribing. Consult your
­physician before undertaking any form of
medical treatment or adopting any exercise
program or dietary guidelines.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at
one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary,
community or affiliated medical centers and
are neither employees nor agents of those
medical centers, Baylor Medical Center at
Waxahachie or Baylor Health Care System.
Photographs may include models or actors
and may not represent actual patients.
If you are receiving multiple copies, need
to change your mailing address or do not
wish to receive this publication, please
send your mailing label(s) and the updated
information to Robin Vogel, Baylor Health Care
System, 2001 Bryan St., Suite 750, Marketing
Department, Dallas, TX 75201, or e-mail the
information to robinv@baylorhealth.edu.
Cover photograph by Tadd Myers; styling by Dane Nelson. Stomach ©Photoshot
By the Numbers
A helpful guide for
interpreting lab results
You’re in your doctor’s office for a
physical, and your doctor has a page full
of numbers—your labwork results—
to review with you. Here, James L.
Thomison II, M.D., a family practice
physician on the medical staff at Baylor
Medical Center at Waxahachie, offers a
guide to sorting through the numbers
and jargon. l By Stephanie Thurrott
Time for Tests?
If it’s been awhile since you had a
checkup, now is the time to schedule
one. If you need a doctor, get a referral
to a physician on the Baylor Waxahachie
medical staff at 1-800-4BAYLOR or
visit FindDrRight.com.
What’s measured?
What do the results mean?
What happens next?
White blood cells (WBC),
sometimes called leukocytes
High levels might be a sign of infection.
Unless the reading is significantly high, your
doctor will likely recommend a retest in
three months.
Hemoglobin (Hgb) and
hematocrit (Ht or Hct)
Low levels might indicate anemia or another
disease.
Your doctor will likely want to run additional
blood tests to gather more information.
Platelets (Pt or Plt)
Low levels could indicate possible bone
marrow or spleen problems.
Your doctor will likely want to run additional
tests to gather more information.
Sodium (Na)
and potassium (K)
Certain medications can cause electrolyte levels
to be high or low, as can vomiting, diarrhea or
drinking too much water.
If your levels are abnormal, your doctor might
adjust medications, do additional tests or
recommend a potassium supplement.
Creatinine (Cr)
Elevated levels could point to kidney problems.
Your doctor will likely repeat the test or order
additional tests.
Transaminases
(AST, SGOT, ALT or SGPT)
Elevated levels might signal liver problems.
A fatty diet can raise levels of transaminases
or cause other liver problems, so your doctor
might recommend a lower-fat diet and additional tests if the elevation persists.
Blood sugar (Glc)
Fasting levels above 126 indicate possible
diabetes.
Your doctor might recommend repeating
the test or doing additional labs pertaining
to diabetes.
Prostate specific antigen
(PSA), in men starting at age
40 to 50 depending on risk
PSA elevation or an increase in PSA from prior
results might point to prostate cancer, infection
or prostate enlargement.
Your doctor may recommend antibiotics,
a repeat test or a biopsy if prostate cancer
is suspected.
Cholesterol panel levels
LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels are closely
linked to your risk of heart disease.
Your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes
and possibly prescribe medication to bring your
levels closer to normal.
Blood or protein
in the urine
Blood could be a sign of kidney stones,
infection, bladder lesions or cancer. Protein
could signal kidney problems.
Your doctor will likely order additional tests,
including urine culture, repeat urinalysis,
24-hour urine collection, or do a CT scan or
sonogram of the kidneys.
©Photoshot
To make a donation, visit BaylorHealth.com l May 2010 BaylorHealth 3
Small
Changes,
Big Results
Taking slow, steady steps can help you get
your diabetes under control
N
ancy Carter, 54, of Italy, Texas, took diabetes education classes at Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie a
few years ago. But she found that over time she started
to backtrack, giving up the good habits she had developed.
Recently, she committed to improving her health and re-enrolled
in the program. By making slow, steady changes, she has dropped
25 pounds, weighing less than she has in 15 years, and gained better control over her blood sugar levels. Here’s how she did it.
Track what you eat. “I track every morsel,”
Carter says. Logging your food intake
can help you identify places you can cut
back or ways you can tweak your intake.
Have a plan B. At family gatherings,
Carter may choose smaller portions of
what’s offered, or she may bring along
something else to eat if she anticipates a
lot of unhealthy options.
Drink plenty of water. Carter
had fallen out of the habit of drinking
water, and restarted when she recognized how important it was
to her health. She gave up drinking soda of any kind.
Exercise. Carter started with just five minutes a day,
and now walks 30 to 60 minutes at up to 3.7 mph six or seven
days a week. She also tones with hand weights. “I see myself
as stronger and more motivated, and I think other people do,
too,” she says.
Monitor your blood sugar. “I would go
seven days without checking my blood sugar because I
knew it was out of kilter,” Carter says. “I keep a good
check on it now—I check it at least twice a day.”
Go easy on yourself. Change your lifestyle
one day at a time. “I used to be an all-or-nothing
person, but I had to rethink. I don’t have to be
that anymore,” Carter says. “Even if you exercise
50 percent of the time and eat right 50 percent of
the time you’re going to improve your health.”
Christie Windsor, a diabetes educator at Baylor Waxahachie,
applauds Carter’s efforts and points out that small changes are
key to success. “If you’re not exercising, aim for three days a
week at first, for example. By setting short-term goals that are
attainable, you can reward yourself at the end of a week with a
new book, a massage or a trip to the movies—something that
helps you feel successful.” l By Stephanie Thurrott
4 BaylorHealth May 2010 l For the career of a lifetime, go to BaylorHealth.com
Get with the Program
For information on the diabetes education program
at Baylor Waxahachie, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit
BaylorHealth.com/Waxahachie.
All in the
Family
Men, do you know what’s in your
family’s health history? You should—
especially if it’s prostate cancer By Shelley Flannery
H
He always knew he had his father’s height and his mother’s metabolism. But
there’s one thing Marty Mitcham, 52, wishes he would’ve asked his family
about sooner: its history of prostate cancer.
“It wasn’t until after my diagnosis that I found out prostate cancer had
been in my family,” he says. “My uncle and my grandfather on my mother’s
side had it.”
Fortunately, Mitcham had a routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test at 50
as recommended by his doctor. “I didn’t have any symptoms. Prostate cancer
is a very silent disease. But I guess a lot of cancers are that way,” Mitcham
says. “If I had waited much longer, who knows what would’ve happened.”
Get in the Habit
George Haynes, 62, says he also believes in the importance of knowing
your family history and regular prostate screenings. Since he found
out he had prostate cancer 13 years ago, both his brother and cousin
have received diagnoses, too.
“In so many instances, prostate cancer has no symptoms. I was the classic
example,” Haynes says. “To any man
who has any family member who had
Find out how family history
it, get checked on a regular basis.”
affects women’s health at
That “regular basis” is once a year,
BaylorHealth.com/HealthCast.
says Carlos Bazaldua, M.D., an internal
To find a physician on the
medicine physician on the medical
Baylor medical staff, visit
staff at Baylor Regional Medical
FindDrRight.com.
Center at Grapevine. “Prostate
cancer is not a hereditary type of cancer, but it does tend to run
in families,” he says. “In other words, if your father had prostate
cancer, you have a higher likelihood, but that doesn’t mean
you’ll necessarily get it.”
Dr. Bazaldua recommends men start PSA testing at 50, or 40
if a family history is present.
On the Flip Side
Surgical Solutions
Fortunately for Mitcham and Haynes, both were diagnosed
early enough for treatment to be successful.
6 BaylorHealth May 2010 l Sick? Click. Visit BaylorHealth.com
Family history was
a risk factor for
cancer survivor
Marty Mitcham.
“The death rate for prostate cancer has
decreased nearly 25 percent in the past decade,”
says Michael Wierschem, M.D., a urologist on the
medical staff at Baylor Regional Medical Center
at Plano. “And that’s because of earlier detection
and better treatment.”
Four weeks after he learned of the cancer, Haynes
George Haynes
had a radical prostatectomy via open surgery at
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.
“There were no other options at that point,” he says. “There weren’t
enough long-term statistics at that time to do robotic surgery.”
But robotic surgery had a high success rate by the time Mitcham needed
surgery two years ago. His procedure was performed at Baylor Plano with
the da Vinci® S Surgical System, which uses micro instruments and a minimally invasive technique to reduce pain, scarring and blood loss and to
shorten recovery time.
Mitcham benefited from all of those. “The pain was minimal,” he says.
“The mental part was 99 percent of it.”
Watch This!
The Sooner, the Better
Today, both men are doing well and have
clean bills of health. And they’re spreading
the word about PSA testing.
“As you grow older, you get more
and more likely to get prostate cancer,”
Mitcham says. “The PSA test is a very inexpensive blood test. It
only takes five minutes. There’s no reason not to do it.”
“Many men are afraid of the outcome of the test, because
the false assumption is that if you’re treated for prostate
cancer, you’re left impotent,” Haynes says. “But if you’re
diagnosed early, you have more options with treatment.
And there are nerve-sparing procedures that leave your
potency intact.”
“The treatments we have available today are very
good,” Dr. Wierschem says. “We can cater the treatment
to the patient’s age, disease state and desires. Side
effects have decreased because of new technology.”
For the rest of the story about
Marty Mitcham’s diagnosis and
recovery, watch his video at
BaylorHealth.com/MyStory.
Living Legacy
Early detection is the key to effective treatment
with every condition, not only prostate cancer.
Knowing your family history and getting
screened for heart disease, diabetes and colon
cancer, too, can help keep you healthy for the
long haul.
Talk to your doctor about which screening tests are right for you and when. If you
haven’t researched your family history,
now’s the time.
“It doesn’t have to be all that extensive,”
Dr. Bazaldua says. “We’re primarily looking at
first-degree relatives—father and brothers—
maybe grandparents and uncles.”
Ask each family member about his health
history, noting the age at diagnosis for any chronic
diseases. Share the information you collect with your
doctor—and save it to share with your kids one day. l
Portrait by Tadd Myers; styling by Dane Nelson
5 easy steps to
better health
Men don’t always make their health
a priority. These five steps can help:
1. Know your personal health
history. Make sure your doctor
has accurate records of your surgeries, illnesses and conditions.
If you change doctors, have your
records forwarded.
2. Know your family history.
Your doctor needs to know if you’re
at higher-than-normal risk for
health conditions that run in families. You don’t have to track your
relatives back through the ages.
Just know what problems your
parents, grandparents and siblings
have faced.
3. Don’t ignore symptoms.
Some men tend to disregard
symptoms that don’t cause pain.
But your high blood pressure, that
mole that looks different, or your
elevated PSA readings aren’t going
to take care of themselves. Visit
your doctor regularly for preventive checkups and to address any
concerns you’re aware of.
4. Follow your doctor’s
advice. Once you visit your doctor,
listen to his or her recommendations. If you run into problems,
talk to your doctor about what to
do. For example, if your doctor
prescribes medication to lower
your blood pressure and you’re
noticing side effects, find out if
you can try a different dosage or
medication. Don’t simply stop taking the pills.
5. Make time for your health.
You know you should be exercising
and making healthy food choices.
Carve out time in your day for a
walk or a workout, and for small,
balanced meals.
It’s a Guy Thing
To register for It’s a Guy Thing at
Baylor Waxahachie on Saturday,
June 19, call 1-800-4BAYLOR
or visit BaylorHealth.com/
Waxahachie.
Find Dr. Right. Visit BaylorHealth.com l May 2010 BaylorHealth 7
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