East Texas Medical Center (ETMC) at Tyler and Be The Match Registry are hosting a marrow registration drive from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Thurs., July 28 in the front lobby of the hospital.
The drive is open to the public.
To join the Be the Match Registry, you must be between the ages of 18 and 60, in good general health, and willing to offer help and hope to any patient in need.
The registration process entails completing a consent form and undergoing a simple cheek swab.
For thousands of people battling leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease and other life-limiting diseases, a marrow transplant offers the best and, in some cases, the only hope for a cure. Seventy percent of these patients don’t have a matching donor in their families, so they depend on the Be The Match Registry, the world’s largest and most diverse listing of potential marrow donors, to find a life-saving match.
You may be the only one out of 9 million registered donors to be the match who can save someone’s life, so join the Be The Match Registry today.
The East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System is East Texas’ largest healthcare system. ETMC facilities include hospitals in Athens, Carthage, Clarksville, Crockett, Fairfield, Gilmer, Henderson, Jacksonville, Mount Vernon, Pittsburg, Quitman, Trinity and Tyler.  ETMC is a not-for-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life in communities throughout East Texas. For more information, go to www.etmc.org.

For more information on the Be The Match program, visit www.bethematch.org or call the local offices at 214-820-4279.

Retired Tyler police officer Allan Crosby and his sister, Audrey Crosby Spies, a retired Bowling Green, Ky., and former Tyler police officer, plan to walk across Texas this spring in memory of their sister and to raise money to help East Texas cancer patients.
They plan to start their walk on April 1 on the Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas state line near Atlanta, Texas and walk 857 miles during April and part of May to El Paso.
The walk called “Cops Crushing Cancer,” is in memory of the Crosbys’ sister, Jacqueline Crosby Mazzola, a retired Dallas police officer, who died in 2010 of colon cancer. Mazzola told her family to look for change on the street as a sign that she was dropping pennies from heaven for them to help cancer patients. Crosby says they are asking walkers to get pledges of one penny per mile.
All money raised from the walk will go to ETMC’s Cancer Institute Remembrance Fund. The fund, which is coordinated through the East Texas Medical Center Foundation, assists cancer patients and the community through patient support programs, such as retreats and support groups, cancer screenings, advancement of cancer programs and services and assistance to patients with special needs.
Crosby hopes retired and active law enforcement officers as well as cancer survivors will join them as they pass through their county and walk with them.
They plan to use their Facebook page under Cops Crushing Cancer, to update walkers as to when they will be in their area.

The walk will begin in Cass County on State Highway 155 and turn onto U.S. Highway 80 to travel to Dallas. Walkers will travel through Dallas-Ft. Worth and take routes north of Midland to reach El Paso. They are staying off main interstates so the trip will be safer for the walkers.

To make a donation by check, please send your tax-deductible gift to the ETMC Foundation, Cancer Institute Remembrance Fund, P. O. Box 6400, Tyler, TX 75711. For more information on the walk please contact Crosby at 903-245-9004.

East Texans who have survived cancer are invited to go on the East Texas Medical Center (ETMC) Cancer Institute’s “Great Getaway” retreat scheduled for April 26-28 at Lake Palestine’s Pine Cove.
This event will enable those who have overcome cancer to take it easy with others of their calling, meet and become acquainted with local cancer survivors, refocus and help learn to cope with the challenges of their post-cancer lives.  Any adult diagnosed now or in the past is urged to attend.
“This is a chance to get away from the stress of day-to-day life and enjoy the company of those who have been through similar experiences,” said ETMC Cancer Institute Vice-President Todd Sigmon.  “Heathcare professionals as well as cancer survivors will be on hand to assist with retreat activities.”
Those in attendance will stay in Pine Cove’s comfortable motel-style rooms complete with private baths.  For a $50 registration fee attendees will receive not only lodging, but meals and snacks.  Arrival time will be 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, and departure will be 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Registration forms and fees must be received by April 8.  Because of limited space priority will be given to first-time guests, and in case financial assistance is needed there are scholarships available.   For more prescription drugs online information call (903) 595-5550 or (800) 541-0592.

Edna Campbell is passionate about life.  The 5’8 former guard and star player for the Sacramento Monarchs womens’ basketball team has a mission to share her story in order to inspire and hearten other women.  She has faced and overcome the life-and-death challenge of breast cancer.  She points out that breast cancer will never go completely away, so women need to get accustomed to guarding against it. Campbell keynoted the recent Pink Ribbon Getaway at East Texas Medical Center’s pavilion.
She tells survivors there are also other health threats to be faced.  Apart from breast cancer it can be heart trouble or diabetes.  There are precautions that insure against all of them.
“Our best defense is to eat well, reduce stress, exercise regularly, get enough rest and build good relationships with family and friends,” she said.
Still, it is breast cancer that gets the lion’s share of her attention.
“Breast cancer does not discriminate.  It does not know if you have a risk factor or not,” she said.  “I was only thirty-two when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and no one on either side of my family had [ever] had breast cancer.  I had no risk factors whatsoever,” she said.  “I was in the best shape of my life, and never thought this would happen to me.”
Campbell played for European teams, and was in Italy playing when a teammate elbowed her.  Despite her applying ice to the injury, the pain would not stop.
“I have played with a broken nose, broken finger and other injuries, but this pain in my breast would not go away,” she said.  “I had that nagging feeling that something was wrong, and told the Italian coach that I was going home.”
She made one point very clear to her audience.
“If you feel it and cannot explain it, go to the doctor acomplia rimonabant without prescription immediately,” she said.  “If you are not satisfied, get two other opinions.  It is your body and your life at stake.”
A doctor confirmed she had breast cancer.
“I was shocked and numb, to say the least,” she said.  “This was a situation that had me stomped.”
Yet, her faith, career and experiences gave her a beautiful life to fight for.
Campbell explained how her basketball career helped her overcome her cancer.  In sports there is always a game plan to find out all there is to know about opponents so that their strengths can be defeated en route to victory.  With the help of her family, friends, teammates and doctors she devised a winning game plan.  As with any good game plan well executed–it won for her.
Amazingly, she continued to live a normal life throughout her treatment.  She played basketball when she could, and rested when she needed it.  She outlined for her listeners the various stages of her treatment so that they could identify with it.
“You must be conscious of your health at all times,” she said.  “Always prepare yourself for your best life every day.  There are bad days for everybody with or without breast cancer, but be prepared to live your best life every day.”
The ETMC Pink Ribbon Getaway started at 7:30 a.m. with registration and breakfast.  The hospital provided a full day of useful workshops for survivors, their families and friends.  There were cosmetics and skin care for survivors, exercise and nutrition counseling, door prizes, physician panel, special recognitions, lunch, pin-a-sister, and finally everyone got a small rose to plant in remembrance of the day.
Campbell’s college athletic career began at the University of Maryland, but she achieved her most notable success with the University of Texas women’s team where, as a Lady Longhorn, she was named the Southwest Conference’s Newcomer of the Year for 1990.  She graduated in 1991 after a college career that saw her team compile a record of 48-14.  The Phoenix Mercury made her the 10th overall pick in the Women’s National Basketball Association’s (WNBA) 1999 draft.  When she was left unprotected in the following season’s expansion draft she was taken by the Seattle Storm.  Although she was a standout, her new team finished in the cellar with a 6-26 record.
After the Storm drafted superstar Lauren Jackson a year later, Campbell was traded to the Sacramento Monarchs, where she spent the next four seasons.  In the second of those years she received her breast cancer diagnosis.  Following treatment she was welcomed back by the fans of her two most recent teams in the Monarchs’ final game for the 2002 season.  It was against Seattle.
Campbell continued to play in spite of the cancer, becoming an inspiring symbol to many survivors.  She became the WNBA’s national spokesman in its anti-cancer efforts with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, receiving the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award for 2003.  After playing as a free agent for the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2005, she announced her retirement from the WNBA on February 28, 2006.
During the 2006 WNBA season, its ninth, fans nominated Campbell’s victory over breast cancer as “most inspirational and one of the top four WNBA Decade Anniversary moments”.  Shortly after her retirement the Silver Spurs hired her as a television commentator for the 2006 season.  She now continues to inspire women with the story of her life during and after breast cancer.

prescription drugs online without prescription style=”text-align: center;”>Supporters can donate food, money or volunteer as workers. No donation is too small.

The East Texas Food Bank has many supporters, such as the world’s largest telecommunications provider (AT&T) which recently donated $25,000 to East Texas Medical Center (ETMC) in order to spread healthcare not just comprar rimonabant through medical treatment, but by making sure no East Texan goes to bed hungry. In this vein ETMC recently said nuts to hunger by carrying out a peanut butter drive.

Still, fighting hunger is a game not reserved exclusively for the larger and medium sized companies. Any caring person can help. Tyler’s Robert E. Lee and John Tyler High Schools are ardent supporters. Over the past 19 years these schools’ students have collected more than 862,000 pounds of food for the bank. John Tyler took up the most, and earned the traveling trophy.

According to Feeding America, Texas is home to the country’s highest number of hungry children, and the aim of the East Texas Food Bank is therefore crucial in this area. Furthermore, Texas ranks fifth in the nation for food insecurity among children under five years of age. The government defines food insecurity as “a lack of access to sufficient and nutritious food.”

The East Texas Food Bank crusades to stamp out hunger, and everyone can help. Supporters can donate food, money or volunteer as workers. No donation is too small. For more information please call 903-597-3663 or visit www.easttexasfoodbank.org.

John Tyler High School students gather at a local grocery store on a Saturday to collect canned food items for the annual Pantry Raid.

The Center for Disease Control reports that diabetes has become one of the most common chronic health problems for American children and adolescents.  Approximately 151,000 patients under age 20 have the disease.

Traditionally when the illness has afflicted children it has been Type One, or juvenile onset diabetes.  Yet over the past 20 years there has been a steadily increasing incidence of Type Two (adult onset) Diabetes among American children and adolescents.  Studies in Europe have also revealed a growing frequency of Type One Diabetes in young children.

East generic cialis canadian Texas phentermine without prescription Medical Center (ETMC) sponsored a camp for more than 40 diabetes at-risk children.  Called the East Texas Medical Center Growing Together Day Camp the event provided children with hiking, fishing, swimming, archery, rope courses, arts and crafts and, especially, diabetes education.  The campers ranged from age 6 to 15 and already suffer from both Type One or Type Two diabetes, or are overweight, and other campers who are at risk because of genetic factors.

Thirteen-year-old Taylor Betts is from Lindale, and attended because she became diabetic following an illness.  The camp taught her that having the disease is not a cause for shame, and that talking about it can help.  She found the camp an empowering experience and taught her she can do the same things as a non-diabetic child.  Siblings Nathan and Terianna Mbariket, and Laura Floyd, meanwhile, attended because of their families’ history of diabetes.

One of the most fascinating campers was Illissa Vandergriff from Chandler, who developed diabetes at the tender age of 23 months.  She learned the importance of exercise.  Armed with this new realization she aims to start participating in scholastic sports programs.  She discussed how she has become comfortable with and adept at using her second insulin pump.  She got her first one at age six.  She explained how the pump administers small amounts of insulin without her having to take injections.  Outgoing and confident she spoke of how eager she is to commence serious athletics and exercise because this will help regulate her insulin naturally.

“I do not feel embarrassed,” she said.  “I just want people around me to know that I have a pump and what it does so if I need help they will be able to render it fast.”

Although she has not yet decided on a career, she is certain of one thing:

“I will do something where I can give advice to people about diabetes,” she said.  “I am going to be someone who helps others.”

Camp Director Anjani Upponi is an instructor for the ETMC Diabetes University.  She said the camp helps children learn about diabetes if they can enjoy themselves during the education process.  She described children as being more accepting of unwanted facts than are adults.  When it is time to take their blood sugar they simply do it, although this may change when they are older.

“They see themselves as being in charge, and it won’t be cool to wear a diabetic pump,” she said.

Still, she is very positive about what faces diabetic patients.

“We know more now.  We have more choices.  We have made great advances,” she said.  “We have more physiological experience, and we encourage updates in education.”

She herself has a family history of diabetes, and she daily fights to avoid contracting the disease with exercise and good nutrition.

“Exercise is absolutely crucial,” she said.  “Exercise is the sole way to make sure the body wakes up…wakes up the insulin that opens the door to the body.”

She also spelled out the four pillars of diabetic management–food, medication, exercise and emotional health.

“Exercise is a type of medicine,” she said.  “Just get up and do something.  Just get moving.”

She described how the whole world is partaking of “easy food.”  Easy food is fast food, not  cooking your own good nutritious food -  this leads to obesity.

“Exercise and nutrition must become one of the core courses right from elementary school if the world is to survive the disease onslaught that comes with easy food,” she said.  “No matter what you do, eat right and lose weight.  Period.”

For further information on ETMC and its diabetic camp or diabetes education please call (903) 596-3763.