Health Briefs:

According to a press from Integrated Holistic Therapy, Fibromyalgia is the fibrous muscle tissues affected by pain and tenderness. It is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain in muscles and soft tissues with multiple tender points that occur in precise, localized areas, particularly in the neck, spine, hips and other areas where muscles attach to the joints.

Fibromyalgia is accompanied by fatigue, which may occur as a result of stress, muscle injury, or repetitious muscle overuse. All these factors may create tender areas in the muscles commonly called "knots" but in medical terminology called "trigger points." A person may experience muscle spasms and tightness due to the decrease in range of motion and flexibility as a result of the pain.

According to Blue, Fibromyalgia affects more women than men, with a ratio globally of 3-5:1. Fibromyalgia is seen in 3-10% of the general population, and it occurs in those between the ages of 20 and 60. It accounts for perhaps 15 percent to 20 percent of visits to rheumatologists. According to one estimate, 2 percent of Americans, or about 3.7 million people (including many older women), may have the syndrome, according to the U.S. News and World Reports 2006.

Blue is working to establish a meeting place where Fibromyalgia suffers can interact, share the latest research and experiences in living with this complex painful condition. There will also be allotted time for manual therapy sessions to help those in immediate pain. To RSVP call Don Blue at 207-6712, or The Moses Gamble House at 980-9598.

Gillespie is BMH’s October employee of the month
Mark Gillespie is Blount Memorial Hospital’s October employee of the month. Working in the hospital’s food and nutrition services department, Gillespie is a utility technician.

He has been with Blount Memorial for 20 years and not only delivers food to patient floors, but also works in the dish room and wherever else he may be needed.

Gillespie says his favorite part of the job is "helping out visitors any way that I can, holding the elevator for them and showing them the right direction when they are lost."

One of his most memorable experiences on the job has been when he was delivering lunch to his fourth floor colleagues and "saw first-hand how much they really appreciated what dietary was doing for them."

Outside of the workplace, Gillespie enjoys spending time with his granddaughter and watching Westerns or baseball games.
A Blount County native, Gillespie is a graduate of Everett High School. He currently resides in Alcoa.

Dr. Rodney Ferguson joins BMH active medical staff
Family medicine specialist Dr. Rodney Ferguson has joined Blount Memorial’s active medical staff. He will see patients at the East Tennessee Medical Group’s office located at 266 Joule St. in Alcoa.

Ferguson received a bachelor of arts degree in English literature and graduated with honors from the University of Florida in Gainesville in 1998. Also in 1998, he received his emergency medical technician-basic certification from Hillsborough
Community College in Tampa Bay, Fla. In 2003, Ferguson earned his medical degree from the University of Florida.

In June, Ferguson completed a family medicine residency with St. Mary’s Family Practice in Grand Junction, Colo. He also has served as a research assistant by way of a Medical Sciences Research Program Fellowship awarded by National
Institutes of Health.

Dr. Jennifer Lay joins BMH active medical staff
Internist Dr. Jennifer Lay has joined Blount Memorial’s active medical staff. She will see patients at the East Tennessee Medical Group’s office located at 266 Joule St. in Alcoa.

Lay received a bachelor of science degree in biology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1995. In 1998, she received her master of science degree in microbiology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and in 2003, Lay earned her medical degree from the James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University in Johnson
City.

In June, Lay completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Tennessee. Prior to her residency, Lay also did a one-year internship there.

Lay was a recipient of the McGraw-Hill/Appleton and Lange Medical Student Award and is a member of the American College of Physicians, Tennessee Medical Association and Knoxville Academy of Medicine. She also is a volunteer at Good Faith Clinic in Athens.

Dr. David Franklin joins BMH active medical staff
Podiatrist Dr. David Franklin has joined Blount Memorial’s active medical staff. He will see patients at Foothills Podiatry’s office located at 616 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Maryville.

Franklin received a bachelor of arts degree from Maryville College and earned a doctor of podiatric medicine degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine in Cleveland in 2002.

In 2005, Franklin completed a podiatric medicine and surgery residency at Baltimore/University of Maryland Medical Center and Veterans Affairs Maryland Healthcare System in Baltimore. Prior to his residency, Franklin also did a one-year internship.

Franklin, a native of Loudon County and a graduate of Greenback High School, is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Tennessee Podiatric Medical Association. He most recently worked at Tennessee Foot and Ankle Clinic in Lenoir City.

Cancer groups at Blount Memorial
The Blount Memorial Cancer Center offers free groups for cancer patients, cancer survivors, and family members and friends of cancer patients and survivors.

On Tuesdays at 10 a.m., a group for cancer patients and survivors meets in the Blount Memorial Cancer Center conference room one on the second floor.

Before attending, cancer patients and survivors are encouraged call 865-980-5025 to schedule an orientation appointment.
Meeting simultaneously in an adjacent room, also at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, the family members and friends of cancer patients and survivors meet in the center’s conference room two, also on the second floor.

For more information or to schedule an orientation appointment, call health education and social services coordinator Debbie Roberts at 865-980-5025.

Class in session for joint replacement patients
Blount Memorial Hospital’s "Joint School," an educational program for people scheduled to undergo total joint replacement surgery, is being offered at the hospital during November. Classes meet from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.

Sessions let participants know what to expect during their total joint replacement experience, and information covers all phases from pre-op to full recovery.

Reservations are required and must be made by calling Maryville Orthopedic Clinic at 865-984-0900.

Learn about the components of personality
Strategic Resources president Bob Lash will present "A Three-Dimensional Look at Ourselves: Temperament, Emotional Intelligence and Authentic Happiness" at the Blount Memorial Wellness Center at Springbrook in November.

The class will meet Wednesdays, Nov. 1, 8 and 15 from 6-8 p.m. Participants will learn about the three interrelated components of personality and the impact they can have on success and effectiveness in all aspects of life.

The program is $99 for center members and $149 for non-members. For more information or to register, call 865-980-7100.

Wellness Center offers kids programs to community
The Blount Memorial Wellness Center at Springbrook’s "Especially for Kids" program now is open to non-members’ children.

• The center’s program is filled with fitness-based classes for 6- to 12-year-olds. Members’ kids pay the WellKid rate per class, and for non-members’ kids, the cost of each class is $5.
  
• On Mondays, Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27, kids can participate in "Musical Monday," a movement-to-music program, at 6 p.m. and "Jr. Fittrek" at 5 p.m.
  
• "WellKid Swim" starts at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Nov. 7, 14, 21and 28. The class also meets on Thursdays, Nov. 2, 9, 16 and 30 at 7 p.m. Kids swim for one hour and accumulate mileage in the pool, which has one lane marked off in an effort to teach kids how to swim with others.
  
• Thursdays, Nov. 2, 9, 16 and 30 also bring with them a 7 p.m. "Storytelling" session.

For more information or to register your child for any of the programs, call 865-980-7100.

BMH offers classes for whole family
The Blount Memorial Family Birthing Center will offer a variety of programs and services for the whole family -- parents, parents-to-be, caregivers and siblings -- in November.

• Mothers less than six months pregnant along with their support partners are invited to participate in the "Early Pregnancy and Introduction to the Family Birthing Center Tour" on Thursday, Nov. 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Blount Memorial. There will be a question and answer session, and a light supper will be served. Participants should pre-register by 10 a.m. the day of the program.
  
• In addition, a free "Family Birthing Center Tour" will take place on Monday, Nov. 13 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Participants should meet in the Family Birthing Center waiting room.
  
• Expectant mothers and their support partners also are invited to attend the "Prepared Childbirth Series" (Lamaze), which will meet from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10 and from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 in the Family Birthing Center classroom at Blount Memorial. Cost is $65 per couple.
  
• A "Breastfeeding Class" takes place on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Blount Memorial Family Birthing Center classroom. Those moms-to-be considering breastfeeding are invited to attend, and the cost is $20 per person.
  
• For moms who have decided to breastfeed, the "Breastfeeding Friendship Network" will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from noon to 1 p.m. for conversation and lunch in the Family Birthing Center classroom at Blount Memorial. Cost is $5, and participants should pre-register by 10 a.m. the day of the luncheon.
  
• "Mother Goose," an interactive play group for caregivers and infants up to 3 years old, meets from 10-11 a.m. for kids ages 18 months to 3 years old, and from 11 a.m. to noon for babies who are 6 weeks to 18 months old, on Wednesdays, Nov. 8 and 22 in the Family Birthing Center classroom at Blount Memorial. The program uses rhymes, reading, music, finger plays and object exploration to strengthen the bond between caregiver and child, and to teach caregivers about infant brain development. Typical "Mother Goose" sessions also include one or more "brain facts" explaining how featured activities facilitate brain development.
  
• A "Siblings Class" will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 3-4 p.m. for children 2-1/2 to 3 years old and from 4:30-6 p.m. for children 4-8 years old. The class meets in the Family Birthing Center classroom at Blount Memorial and is intended to help prepare children for the birth and baby’s homecoming. Cost is $20 per child or $30 for two siblings.
  
• The Blount Memorial Wellness Center at Springbrook offers a "Prenatal/Postnatal Exercise Class" for new mothers, which includes group exercise and water aerobics. Participants can begin the program anytime, and should call 865-980-7110 to register. Cost is $8 per class or $48 per month, and these fees include access to the entire facility.
  
• All new parents and grandparents are invited to attend an infant and child safety and CPR program at Blount Memorial Hospital on Monday, Nov. 6 from 6:30-9:30 p.m in the Family Birthing Center classroom. The class teaches important skills on how to intervene in life-threatening situations and provides knowledge to help safeguard infants and young children from harm. Cost is $20 per person.
  
• An infant massage class will be offered on Thursday, Nov. 16 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Blount Memorial Wellness Center at Springbrook. Taught by a certified infant massage instructor, the class teaches one or both parents to give a complete massage to their infants starting at birth. Specific techniques will be given for colicky and fussy infants. Cost is $40 per couple.

For more information about the classes or to register, call 865-981-3983.

Health Calendar
Cancer support groups meet at Blount Memorial -- The Blount Memorial Cancer Center offers support groups for cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members of cancer patients and survivors. On Tuesdays at 10 a.m., a group for cancer patients and survivors meets in the Cancer Center conference room one. Before attending, call to schedule an orientation appointment. Also at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, family of cancer patients and survivors meet in conference room two. The conference rooms are the second floor of the center. For more information or to schedule an orientation appointment, call health educator Sarah Wimmer at 865-981-2322.

Weight loss surgery support group -- meets at 10 a.m., the second Saturday of each month, at Pellissippi State Community College Blount Campus. There will not be a June meeting. Group will next meet the second Saturday in July. Contact Susie Hamby at 865-742-6913 or Alberta Boring at 865-984-5937. Clothing exchange after meeting, spring or summer clothing.

Grief Support Group For Women Without Mothers -- "Moms Remembered," a Blount Memorial Hospital monthly grief support group for women whose mothers have died, meets on the first Monday of each month ending with a memorial event on the Saturday before Mother’s Day. Group meetings are held in the Blount Memorial Home Services and Hospice Building at 1095 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway adjacent to the hospital’s campus. Sessions are free. Call Michelle Evans at 865-981-2291 to register.

‘Hope for Today’ cancer support group -- monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Piney Grove Baptist Church, located at 536 Blockhouse Road, Maryville. Transportation provided from Broadway Towers, pick-up at 6 p.m. For more information, call Charlene Walker at 865-984-0388, Judy Goodson at 865-982-2627 or Connie Young at 865-983-3132.

Celebrate Recovery Blount County -- meets each Wednesday Evening, at 7 p.m., at Embassy Christian Center, located at 2505 Old Niles Ferry Road, Maryville. Support groups include addiction recovery, divorce recovery, abuse recovery, sexual addiction recovery and codependency recovery. For information, call 865-681-2300.

Support group for families of the mentally ill -- Looking for somewhere to go where you will find someone who understands
what you are going through? You are welcome to attend the monthly support group meeting which meets at 6:30 p.m., the third Monday of each month at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 314 W. Broadway, Maryville. If you need to talk to someone immediately, call 865-681-8160.

Two locations for Caregiver Support -- The Caregiver Support Group at Blount Memorial Hospital meets at two different locations each month. The group meets every Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m. on the hospital’s Three-East floor. The group also meets from 10 to 11 a.m. every first and third Tuesday at the Everett Senior Center at 702 Burchfield St. in Maryville.
The Caregiver Support Group is a free service for any adult who is caring for another adult. There are no membership requirements. For information, call 865-977-5744.

The Compassionate Friends Foothills Chapter -- is a support group for parents who have experienced the death of a child at any age and from any cause. The group meets on the fourth Monday of each month. For more information, call 865-980-4999.

The Caregiver Support Group -- at Blount Memorial Hospital meets at two different locations each month. The group meets every Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m. on the hospital’s Three-East floor. The group also meets from 10 to 11 a.m. every first and third Tuesday at the Everett Senior Center at 702 Burchfield St. in Maryville. The Caregiver Support Group is a free service for any adult who is caring for another adult. There are no membership requirements. For more information, call Blount Memorial Senior Services at 865-977-5744.

Mommy and Me at Wellness Center – The Wellness Center at Springbrook offers "Mommy and Me," a class for kids 18 months to 2 years old is offered from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays or from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. on Fridays. "Totnastics," a class for kids 3 to 4 years old, meets from 4:30-5:15 p.m. on Thursdays or from 10:30-11:15 a.m. on
Fridays. "Kidnastics," a class for kids 5 to 7 years old, is offered from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The classes will teach the stretch and strength exercises that are needed for successful gymnastics performance. The cost of the classes is $30 for members’ children and $45 for non-members’ children. For information or to register, call 865--980-7100.