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Six Diabetes Myths to Never Wonder About Again

While there are 30 million people in the United States living with diabetes, but one in four don’t even know they are living with the condition. In addition, another 84 million adults, teenagers and children have prediabetes, but 90% are unaware of it. These numbers show the need to bring awareness to diabetes and to clear up any myths the surround this condition.


Discover the truth about diabetes below and be sure to share with your friends and family.

 

Dr. Richard Roche on How He Forms Meaningful Patient Relationships

Patient-centered care is the top priority at Lovelace Health System, because focusing on providing quality care to each patient that comes through the doors is vital to successfully treating patients. Over the years, Dr. Richard Roche, internal medicine physician, has made it his mission to develop his approach to patient visits, ensuring that patients not only get the best treatment, but that they also have an experience where they feel listened to and treated with the utmost respect and care.

Life-threatening Pancreatitis Leads Las Vegas Woman to Lovelace Medical Center

In March 2018, Alexis Duran, 41, visited an emergency room close to her home in Las Vegas, New Mexico for severe stomach pain. The diagnosis? Acid reflux.

“It was the worst stomach ache I have ever had,” said Duran, who was at her niece’s gymnastics meet when she began experiencing excruciating abdominal pain. “I didn’t know where the pain came from. I thought I caught the stomach flu a week earlier, so I thought it was that still.”

25-year-old woman pleased with Lovelace Medical Center surgeon, staff: ‘It was just another day for them’

Twenty surgeries.

At age 25, Lacey Hensley has undergone 20 surgeries following a ruptured appendix in April 2017.

“I tell people I’ve had 20 surgeries before 25 and their jaws drop open,” Hensley explained.

A misdiagnosis of appendicitis at a hospital near her home in Bloomfield, New Mexico led the 22-year-old down a path of life-threatening health conditions. Hensley was hospitalized for seven months and treated at two facilities outside of Lovelace Health System.

Breast Health Awareness

 
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and can serve both a reminder and an opportunity to take care of YOU! 
 
Breast health begins with a sense of what is normal for your breasts, also known as breast awareness. To promote breast health, consider doing regular breast self-exams. With practice, you will discover how your breasts vary in sensitivity and texture at different times during your menstrual cycle. 
 

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Not every pregnancy ends with happy outcomes. Pregnancy and infant loss is a harsh reality faced by many. After the loss, you might feel stunned or shocked. You may be asking, "Why me?" You may feel guilty that you did or didn't do something to cause your pregnancy to end. You may feel cheated and angry. Or you may feel extremely sad as you come to terms with the baby that will never be. These emotions are all normal reactions to loss. With time, you will heal. You may grow your family in the future. You will never forget your baby.

Why should you choose physical therapy?

It’s possible to treat pain and combat chronic pain with physical therapy, a safe and effective alternative to pain medication.

Physical therapy can help people of all ages with a range of conditions such as lymphedema, arthritis, stroke and more. Anyone from Individuals with health problems that limit their abilities to move and perform daily activities, to as athletes, to older adults and cancer survivors, can all benefit from physical therapy.

The Lovely and Unique Labor of Love

  • "Thank you! I feel so much better!"
  • "I wish I had Lovelace Labor of Love with my other deliveries."
  • "Labor of Love has so many great resources."
  • "Thank you. I was really stressed, and Labor of Love has been very helpful."

A Typical Day for an Atypical Nurse: Inside Patient Connections at Lovelace Women’s Hospital

I will admit, when I first started working as a nurse, I really had little idea there was so much more I could do in nursing than dispensing medications and confirming doctors’ orders. Through the years, my desire to provide education to patients became a passion as I realized patients needed a little one-on-one teaching. Being in the Emergency Department (ED) can be a difficult time, due to why people are there. Often patients can get home exhausted and realize they don’t remember all of the care instructions given them at the hospital.

Food Safety Tips to Keep Top-of-Mind as an Expectant Mother

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated one in six Americans gets sick from foodborne illness every year. Nationally, September is recognized as Food Safety Education Month to spread awareness about the seriousness of foodborne illness. When you’re expecting, food safety should be top-of-mind to ensure the healthy development of your baby.

Supplements vs Diet: Are There Magic Pills or Magic Recipes?

Supplements and multivitamins are taken by over 100 million Americans. Despite the popularity of these pills, studies have found that getting essential vitamins and nutrients are best when they come from foods.


Most people that maintain a healthy diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish and lean meat are getting the nutrients they need. However, there are some circumstances in which increased levels of some vitamins and minerals are needed. The first step in determining what supplements are right for you is to speak to your physician.

Screenings 101: Your Whole-Body Checklist

Sometimes making checkup appointments and getting blood drawn doesn’t feel all that important. Health screenings get pushed to the next year or worse, are forgotten entirely. However, getting screenings is one the most essential things both men and women can do for their health because even being active every day and eating a balanced meal aren’t enough to know that you are healthy.
Check the lists below to see which screenings at what time you should discuss with your physician so you can be proactive about your health.

• Blood Pressure

72-year-old man battling chronic health issues finds success with lifestyle changes

Twenty years ago, Wesley Jones, Ph.D., was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Jones was told at the time that it was not reversible.

As the years passed, Wesley’s health plummeted.

“I had chronic internal inflammation, significant kidney damage, two heart attacks with multiple stents and a bowel resection because of a blood flow blockage,” Jones explained. He was also suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic inflammatory lung disease.

Preventing sports-related injuries

And just like that, we are just about to enter the fall sports season. All parents feel the need to protect their children— even more so while watching their child compete from the stands or sidelines. We all know sports-related injuries happen, but is there a way parents can intervene? According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control, more than half of all sports injuries in children are preventable. Below are tips and steps parents can take to reduce the risk of injury:

Treatment Options for Alzheimer's & Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are becoming more prevalent by the day. It is estimated that there are approximately 5.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of dementia.

The medical team at Lovelace Neuroscience Center is committed to providing New Mexicans with the most advanced options available to help manage symptoms and extend life expectancy.

When to seek help

Breastfeeding Highs and Hurdles

Breastfeeding can be a great experience for both mom and baby, but that doesn’t mean it’s not hard work that comes with a set of big difficulties. Every mom is bombarded with articles that explain the benefits of breastfeeding and, while they are largely correct, it can put more pressure on a very personal situation. We want all mothers and families to feel they are supported and that they can come to us with any questions or concerns.

When to Call Your Child's Healthcare Provider

Back to school germs, injuries and illnesses are on the horizon and it may be hard to determine when you should give your pediatrician a call. Susan Myzer, CPNP- PC, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner with Lovelace Medical Group, outlines the general guidelines of when to consult your pediatrician.

Fever

If you are concerned or worried about your child’s fever, always call your pediatrician or seek medical attention.

Healthy Back-to-School Tips

It’s that time of year again! Schools will soon be back in session. Lovelace would like to remind parents that encouraging healthy habits is a great way to support your child’s health in preparation for the new school year. Susan Myzer, CPNP- PC is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner with Lovelace Medical Group. She has over 27 years of experience, and shares her top back-to-school tips for parents to help prepare children:

Stay or Go? When to Keep Your Child Home from School

It’s a decision every parent faces regularly: whether or not to keep a sick child home from school. It can be a complicated decision, especially if you are not sure what qualifies as “too sick for school.” If your child is not feeling well, your physician is the best person to consult about whether he or she can go to school. In general, parents should keep children home if they have any of the following symptoms or illnesses:

Lifesaving Habits for Child Car Safety

Every year children around the country are put in dangerous situations when they are left inside a vehicle. An average of 38 children die from heat related illnesses after being left inside a vehicle every year. This is usually due to adults forgetting their child, children finding their own way into a car or children being intentionally left in the car.

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