Scott Ressmeyer and the 2011 Miracle Riders have hit the road and are asking for your support. Here is a list of ways that you can get involved. You can also follow along with them at www.rideformiracles.com

Purchase a Brick on The Medical Center’s Walk of Champions

For a $100 donation to Children’s Miracle Network at The Medical Center, you can customize a brick with a name or special inscription that will be placed in front of The Medical Center along the Children’s Miracle Network Walk of Champions. Complete the brick order form and return it along with payment to P.O. Box 790 Columbus, GA 31902. Contact 706-660-6559 with any questions.

There are many ways to get involved in this year’s Scott’s Ride for Miracles and show your support of Children’s Miracle Network at The Medical Center! Come attend one of these events, donate to CMN, and participate in the return ride along the Riverwalk!

Donate to Children’s Miracle Network at The Medical Center

P.O. Box 790
Columbus, GA 31901

Uptown Columbus Friday Night Concert Series

Friday, May 20

Broadway in Uptown Columbus

Come out and enjoy the amazing concerts each Friday night in May and hear more about the progress of our Miracle Riders!

Celebrate Scott’s Birthday!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Country’s in Main Street Village

Come help celebrate Scott’s birthday at Country’s! Scott and the Miracle Riders will be skyping in live from York Harbor, Maine where they will be having their own birthday party!

Miracle Riders Return

Friday, May 27, 2011

Uptown Columbus

As the Miracle Riders ride in to the final concert in Uptown, you have the opportunity to join them at the Infantry Museum! To ride along the Riverwalk with the Miracle Riders, just complete this form and return it to CMN! The cost per rider is $20 or $25 if you would also like a t-shirt.

As the Miracle Riders ride in to the final concert in Uptown, you have the opportunity to join them at the Infantry Museum! To ride along the Riverwalk with the Miracle Riders, just complete this form and return it to CMN! The cost per rider is $20 or $25 if you would also like a t-shirt.

We’ve all had nights where getting to sleep seems impossible. We toss and turn but just can’t seem to drift off. Sleep is important for the body. When you don’t get a good night’s rest, your body’s immune system is weaker, your risk for heart disease and obesity may even go up and you have trouble focusing during the day.

Here are some tips that can be done during the day to better prepare your body for rest. First, clean your bedroom. The decluttering of your space creates your own sanctuary. A messy atmosphere can distract your mind, making it more difficult to sleep.

Next, remember to lay off the caffiene. While this concept seems basic, many people do not realize how long caffiene can affect your body. Even caffiene in the afternoon could affect your sleep. Try and avoid caffiene at least 5 hours before bedtime (more if you can).

Even the foods you eat can impact your precious sleep. Some foods can give you heartburn or upset your stomach. Try eating something light, such as whole wheat crackers. They won’t upset your body while trying to rest.

Bright lights before bed can also stop your body from producing melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. Try diming the lights before bed. Your alarm clock may also produce bright lights, so be sure that isn’t keeping you awake!

Finally, try showering in the morning. While a shower or bath at night can seem relaxing, it raises your core body temperature, making it more difficult to drift off to sleep. If you are going to shower or take a bath, be sure to give your body time to cool off before you try and sleep.

For even more tips, try here or here.

Belinda Barron, a clinical nutrition specialist at Hughston Orthopedic Hospital, has been kind enough to talk a little bit about pre-diabetes. 

Most people have heard about diabetes. There’s a new term that’s gaining momentum in the medical world now that we know more about what leads to Type 2 diabetes. It’s called pre-diabetes, and I want you think about that word the next time you are picking out what to eat for lunch or dinner… because pre-diabetes is affecting 79 million Americans right now and you could be one of them.

Pre-diabetes is the condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for diagnosis of diabetes. Although, it’s important to note that the American Diabetes Association estimates that many people with pre-diabetes develop Type 2 diabetes in 10 years.

You may have heard of the elevated glucose condition previously called IGT/IFG… Impaired Glucose Tolerance or impaired Fasting Glucose. Those names were based on the type of test that was used to detect the condition. But now the word pre-diabetes is being attached to the condition. Pre-diabetes is a clearer way of explaining what it means to have higher than normal blood glucose levels. It also means you are likely to develop diabetes and may already be experiencing the adverse health effects of diabetes.

You might know the symptoms of diabetes… increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and blurred vision. However, pre-diabetes often has no symptoms. So what causes it then? The exact cause of pre-diabetes still isn’t known, but researchers have discovered some genes that are related to insulin resistance. Excess abdominal fat and a sedentary lifestyle also seem to play a role.

There are several factors that could put you at higher risk for pre-diabetes….

• Being Overweight

• Being inactive

• You’re age 45 or older

• You have a family history of type 2 diabetes

• You’re African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian-American or a Pacific Islander

• You developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant or gave birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds.

• You have polycystic ovary syndrome

• You have high blood pressure

• You only get about 5 ½ hours of sleep a night or less

If you have pre-diabetes, you are at a 50-percent increased risk for heart disease or stroke, so it’s important to get the situation under control. Your best defense is a healthy lifestyle. The American Diabetes Association recommends losing 5-10 percent of your body weight, exercising for 30 minutes a day five times a week, and limiting your carbohydrates and sweets. The ADA says those lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes by up to 58 percent.

Don’t become another statistic. If you think you may be at increased risk for pre-diabetes, talk to your doctor about whether or not you should get a glucose test

Take a moment to think back. How much sleep did you get last night? 5 hours? 6? Can you even remember? If you are getting under 7 hours, you are not alone. According to a recent study conducted by the CDC, more than a third of adults receive less than 7 hours of sleep each night.

Not getting enough sleep at night can have severe effects on your health. You may have trouble focusing on tasks, staying awake in the office or even staying awake while driving. You will have less energy, meaning you will feel less driven to work out and stay in shape. It has also been linked to obesity, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

In order to feel well rested, it is recommended that you get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night. This will recharge you for the day’s tasks and make you more alert and focused.

If you are having trouble resting at night, you may want to seek out a professional. Stress and anxiety may also be contributing to your sleepless nights.

On May 6th, Scott Ressmeyer and the miracle riders will begin another journey across America, seeing 48 states in under a month. They ride in order to increase awareness of Children’s Miracle Network, raise money for CMN and help their local community.

Yesterday’s press conference marked the beginning of this journey. Scott introduced the riders and again stated the importance of CMN for our community. The riders toured the NICU and the pediatrics floor to remind them of why they are going on this ride.

If you would like to read about their journey, send words of encouragement, donate to Children’s Miracle Network or follow the riders on their trip, please visit www.rideformiracles.com

Scott’s Miracle Riders

No one wants to take a trip to the emergency room, but there are times when it is necessary for your health and safety. Before you make that trip, it’s important to keep in mind that hospital emergency centers are designed to treat medical emergencies; they are not designed to focus on routine health care. It’s estimated that as many as 50% of all emergency room visits in the United States are unnecessary. Those non-emergency visits to the ER often end up costing you valuable time and extra out-of-pocket expenses. 

Here are some helpful guidelines for when you should head immediately to the ER: 

• Loss of consciousness
• Signs of a heart attack: pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest; chest pain with lightheadedness
• Signs of a stroke: sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg on one side of the body, blurred vision, loss of speech or trouble talking, sudden and severe headache with no known cause
• Significant shortness of breath
• Bleeding that doesn’t stop, even after applying pressure for 10 minutes
• Poisoning
• Allergic reaction to insect bite, sting or medication
• Serious traumatic injury
• Vomiting or coughing up blood
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Suicidal or homicidal feelings

 There has been a trend over the last decade where Americans choose the emergency room for routine care instead of seeing their regular doctor.  Common ailments often clog emergency waiting rooms and slow down treatment times.

Here are some conditions that, generally, do not necessitate a trip to the ER:

• Earaches
• Minor cuts in which bleeding has been stopped
• Any sprain, rash, sunburn, or minor burn
• Fever (Head to the ER if you are convulsive)
• Sexually-transmitted diseases
• Colds, coughs, sore throat, or flu symptoms
• Medication refills

 If your injury or condition does not warrant a trip to the emergency room, you will want to consider visiting your primary care physician, a local urgent care center or one of several community programs that are available to address your medical needs. As a general rule of thumb, if you have any doubts about an ailment and whether it constitutes an emergency, call your primary care physician first.

For more information, check out our Emergency Fact Sheet.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that 29% of adults in the South get no exercise in their free time. With all that Columbus has to offer, we thought we would compile a list of ideas, in hopes that you will get (or keep) active!

(1) Rent a bike and visit some trails. You can rent bikes at Ride On Bikes or Callaway Gardens
(2) Hike a Pine Mountain Trail
(3) Take a dance class, aerobic class offered by Columbus State
(4) Play a sport! Leagues exist for all sports and all ages
(5) Go swimming
(6) Visit one of the many gyms around town
(7) Walk/Bike the River Walk
(8) Go horseback riding
(9) Get together with some friends and plan a game
(10) Above all, get active!

There are many ways to get active and/or stay active around town. The important thing is that you get out there and try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. If you have any additional suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we will be bombarded with hearts. From those little candy hearts with the words on them to Valentine’s Day cards filled with kind words, hearts will be everywhere. What better time to start thinking about your heart’s well being? Here are some simple tips to help you stay healthy.

According to a recent article, you should try and get adequate sleep. A lack of sleep induces stress, raises blood pressure, increases your appetite, and lowers your metabolism. It can also make you a grumpy. Next, start exercising. Exercise can help put you in a better mood, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of premature death by more than half. Also, you should speak with a doctor about your blood pressure and other heart health tests. That way, you will know the best way to help yourself. Finally, remember to laugh. Laughing is great for heart health and improves your mood while lowering stress.

While not a complete list, these tips can help you on your way to a healthier heart. February is American Heart Month and can be a great starting point for healthier living.

The Super Bowl is rapidly approaching, bringing with it party trays and jumbo chip bags. According to the U.S. Calorie Control Council, an average American will consume a day’s worth of calories during the game. The Council even recommends a pre-game workout to counter this blitz of calories.

In order to help you avoid being sacked by fatty foods, we have looked around for some healthy recipes. The U.S. Calorie Control Council has their own list of recipes that are sure to please party goers with great food. Another website has healthy recipes for wings, Artichoke dip, chicken fingers, and more!

You can always enjoy what you love, with small substitutions, at lower calories. Some great substitution ideas are suggested here. The important thing is to eat healthier while still enjoying the game (and the party). Remember, you will be working these calories off!