Community Magazine
We are excited to welcome you to Adventist HealthCare & You, a quarterly magazine featuring the health stories of real people in our community that connects you with health care resources at our hospitals and beyond.
Current Issue – Summer 2013
Radio talk show host George Wilson, 65, of Hyattsville, relies on his ability to speak more than most. Yet a sudden stroke put his ability to speak and his life at risk. That story, upcoming community health classes & events, and more in the Summer 2013 issue of Adventist HealthCare & You magazine. To read, launch the interactive edition of the magazine or browse the articles below.
How Heart Surgery Transformed a Frederick Mom’s Life
Today, Suzanne Rizkallah, a 35-year-old mother of two, is an avid jogger. Before last February, she had never exercised in her life. But after back pain turned out to be a symptom of heart disease, she adopted a healthy lifestyle that includes daily activity. When a CT (computed tomography) scan did not identify the source of the back pain, she was referred to a cardiologist. She sought out Dennis Friedman, M.D., medical director of cardiovascular services at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. “A woman may present with unusual symptoms such as...
read moreA Lesson On Early Detection
Donna Beatrice, 63, ignored the bleeding for about four months. “I kind of stalled,” she says. But after her gynecologist, Stephen Lakner, M.D., noticed the spotting at her yearly exam, things starting moving very quickly for the Gaithersburg resident. “I was concerned because postmenopausal bleeding can be a sign of cancer of the uterus,” Dr. Lakner says. “A biopsy showed endometrial cancer, which is cancer in the lining of the uterus.” Dr. Lakner brought in one of the gynecologic oncology experts at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in...
read moreThe Best Course of Action for Heart Care
LIKE MANY PARENTS, 37-year old Guillaume Marçais of Boyds was awakened in the middle of the night by his son. “I jumped out of bed to check on him,” Marçais says. “When I went back to bed, I noticed my heart was beating really hard and fast.” Past experience told him it was atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, a common problem where “unorganized” electrical activity makes the upper part of the heart beat faster than the rest, causing an irregular heart rhythm. “I had a-fib 10 years ago. I had it treated but it never completely went away,” he says....
read moreConquering ‘The Big C’
The words “you have cancer” alter the lives of more than 1.5 million people each year in the U.S. These words bring feelings of fear, stress, determination and hope—all aimed at finding the best treatments and a potential cure for “the big C.” At Shady Grove Adventist and Washington Adventist Hospitals, our broad and comprehensive cancer team recognizes the impact that “the big C” has on those in our community who are diagnosed with cancer or support a loved one in this fight. That is why our team combines expert...
read moreThe ABZzzzs of Good Sleep
Snoring is not normal! Snoring occurs when a person’s air passage is too narrow. When the tongue and muscles around the air passage relax during sleep, there may not be enough room for quiet flow of air. The problem usually gets worse as a person ages or gains weight. “People who snore usually have to work harder to breathe during sleep,” explains Marc Raphaelson, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Washington Adventist Hospital. “When breathing is difficult, often we are not fully refreshed in the morning, and we are sleepy or...
read moreLearning How To Live With Diabetes
The Outpatient Diabetes Education Program Shows You How People who are living with diabetes are benefiting from new medication, advanced technology and research, which help them to better manage their disease. The Outpatient Diabetes Education Program at Washington Adventist and Shady Grove Adventist Hospitals helps patients with all stages of diabetes and their family members learn how to live with the disease. The comprehensive program provides one hour of one-on-one counseling in addition to nine hours of diabetes education taught by...
read moreA Clear Outlook On Life
Innovative Eye Surgery Helps Patients Step Out From Behind the Lens “When you wear glasses, you always feel like you’re inside something, like you’re looking out a window all the time,” says Cindy Cromwell, 59, of Clarksburg, who had been wearing glasses nearly all her life. In her 40s, Cromwell began to develop cataracts. “I had to turn on all the lights in the house because everything looked dark, colors weren’t vibrant,” she says. “As people age, the eye’s natural lens begins to cloud,” explains Natasha Herz, M.D., ophthalmologist...
read moreBreathing a Sigh of Relief
Expert Care for a Dangerous Blood Clot in the Lung Forty-eight-year-old mother of two Annie Foster Ahmed was playing tennis with her 10-year-old son when she ruptured her Achilles tendon. At the time, she had no way of knowing that this common injury would soon lead to a life-threatening condition. A little more than a week after her injury, Foster Ahmed, of Derwood, began feeling unwell. “I walked upstairs and I couldn’t breathe,” she says. “I was crawling up the steps and dizzy.” Days later, she lost consciousness in her home and fell to...
read moreBreast Cancer Programs In The Community
Expanding Access to Breast Cancer Screenings Since 1993, the Breast Cancer Screening Program at Shady Grove Adventist and Washington Adventist Hospitals has made screening, diagnostic and treatment services accessible to all eligible women to reduce the number of deaths related to breast cancer. The program is funded by the Montgomery County Health Department’s Women’s Cancer Control Program, the state of Maryland’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Program, the Shady Grove Adventist and Washington Adventist Hospital...
read moreA First In Comprehensive Care
The Aquilino Cancer Center will bring a wide range of coordinated services under one roof The Aquilino Cancer Center, opening next year on the campus of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, will lead the way in bringing integrated, comprehensive cancer care to our community. As the first community-based, comprehensive cancer center in Montgomery County, the Aquilino Cancer Center will offer personalized, coordinated care and a unique environmental experience. Adventist HealthCare officials broke ground on the facility in June. “We are...
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