Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010 - (Page 54)

Spotlight on St. Mary Medical center Fatigue, Stress and Weight Gain? Integrative medicine gives Women’s Care a makeover W hile in her late 30s, Linda Stubblefield became troubled with her excessive weight gain and decided to do something about it. She watched her food intake, exercised regularly and was thrilled to have lost nearly 30 pounds. But one year later she gained it all back after she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her weight soared because of the steroid drugs she was taking to combat inflammation and pain. After nine months, her doctors prescribed NSAIDs, a common pain reliever. She finally thought she would regain control of her weight. But as it continued to rise, she exasperatedly asked her doctor if NSAIDs also caused weight gain. According to Stubblefield, “He shook his head sympathetically and said, ‘I’m sorry, they do.’ I walked out of his office resigned to being short and fat for the rest of my life.” When her arthritis flared up again 10 years later, thoughts of her earlier struggles invaded her mind. She didn’t want to go through all of that again and made an appointment to see nurse practitioner Kelly Oney, FNP-BC, who works with Douglas Dedelow, D.O., FA-COOG, and Colleen Sahy, R.N., CNM, M.S., at Innovative Women’s Health of St. Mary Medical Center. “I told her [Oney], ‘I’m 51 years old, my blood pressure is high and I feel terrible. I’m ready to do whatever you tell me to do,’ ” says Stubblefield. During their visit, Oney listened to Stubblefield recount all her issues and medical history. “I told her she could continue down the road she was on and continue to be miserable,” says Oney. “But she would be increasingly dependent upon medications to make her life bearable and I knew she dreaded that. I offered her a plan that could provide an alternative to her taking more medications.” More Than JuST horMoneS The alternative was an approach to treatment that has been around for ages but is increasingly becoming a standardized and more viable option in conjunction with traditional medicine. Functional and regenerative medicine uses an individual’s own biochemical and lifestyle characteristics to address the body’s ability to perform proper metabolism of both food and toxins, while optimizing the body’s natural mechanisms for self-repair. Combining that approach with conventional medicine is referred to as the emergent field of integrative medicine. “Women especially tend to blame their changing hormones for how they feel or how they look,” says Oney. “In fact, there is a much simpler answer available that requires a little testing, and some dedication to lifestyle and diet changes, but can really have a major impact on how you look and feel.” Linda Stubblefield has found a path to better health and wellness with a combination of conservative, functional and regenerative medicine. 54 Vim & Vigor • Fa ll 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010

Vim &_Vigor - Fall 2010
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
Good Health Is Good Business
Quality Care to Count On
Healthy Habits start in Homeroom
What’s in Your Medicine Cabinet?
See the Future
The Female Factor
Take a Bite Out of Stress
Starring Role
Shouldering the Pain
Train Your Brain
What Now?
Choose Your Own Adventure
Gold Medal Workouts
Spotlight on Community Hospital
Spotlight on St. Catherine Hospital
Spotlight on St. Mary Medical Center
Seeing Safety

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2010

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