health notes
<lst>The following Bereavement Support Groups are offered free of charge on an ongoing basis by Haven of Northern Virginia, 4606 Ravensworth Road, Annandale. Call 703-941-7000 or visit www.havenofnova.org for more information.
* General Bereavement Group, for anyone grieving the death of a loved one. Meets the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month. Upcoming meetings: April 17 and May 1, 7:30-9 p.m.;
* Spousal Bereavement Group, for anyone grieving the death of a spouse. Two groups–1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, upcoming meetings, April 18 and May 2, 2-3:30 p.m.; and 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month, upcoming meetings, April 23 and May 14, 7:30-9 p.m.
* Suicide Survivors Bereavement Group, for anyone grieving the lost of a loved one to suicide. Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month. Next meeting: May 7, 7:30-9 p.m.
<lst>The National Exchange Club Foundation, along with hundreds of other child advocacy organizations, is observing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Last year, nearly 3.2 million children throughout the United States were reported to child protective agencies (CPS) as being abused or neglected, with many others going unreported. The foundation works to address the problem through public awareness projects such as Time Out Teddy, Sir Care-a-Lot, Blue Ribbon Campaign, and a network of more than 100 Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Centers. The centers train parent aides who work directly with families who are at-risk of abuse or where abuse has occurred. For more information, contact the National Exchange Club Foundation at 800-924-2643 or visit www.preventchildabuse.com.
The Inova health system and its cancer centers are offering the following programs and classes free of charge to those in the community. Call 703-698-2841 to register.
Life with Cancer Family Center, 2832 Juniper St., Merrifield:
* Teen’s Educational Support Program. Group forming; call Jenny Eckert at 703-208-5623.
This group, for teens ages 13-17, helps them express themselves and understand the changes that come when someone in the family has cancer.
* Advanced Relaxation and Imagery Techniques. Mondays, April 8 and 22, 1:15-2:45 p.m.
Alternative advanced class for those who have taken several relaxation and imagery series in the past.
* Spirituality Quest. Tuesday, April 9, 10:30-12 noon.
A monthly educational support group that explores spirituality throughout the cancer experience.
* Gyn Cancer Group. Wednesday, April 10, 5:30-7 p.m.
Monthly group for women diagnosed with ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers to share experiences, concerns and insights while learning coping skills.
* Leukemia Group. Thursday, April 11, 7:15-9 p.m.
For leukemia patients, family members and friends.
* Carcinoid Cancer Group. Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m.-12 noon.
For carcinoid cancer patients and their adult family and friends.
* Multiple Myeloma. Tuesday, April 16, 11:45-1:15 p.m.
Monthly discussion group for patients and families to share experiences and emotions around living with multiple myeloma.
* Young Adults with Cancer. Tuesday, April 16, 7:30-9 p.m.
Monthly group for “18-30 somethings.”
* Lung Cancer Group. Wednesday, April 17, 5:30-7 p.m.
Monthly group for lung cancer patients and families.
* Look Good, Feel Better. Tuesday, April 18, 7-9 p.m.
A professional cosmetologist will share skin, hair and cosmetic tips to help you look your best during treatment.
* Seminar for Survivors: Your Body – Friend or Foe?. Thursday, April 18, 7:15-9 p.m.
Learn how the body, while being the site of chronic illness, can also be an instrument for promoting physical and emotional healing.
* Good Grief. Thursday, April 18, 7:15-9 p.m.
Eight-week education, discussion and support group for adults who have lost a loved one during the past year. Registration required.
* Good Grief (children ages 5-12). Mondays, April 22-June 17, 6-7 p.m.
Children share thoughts and feelings through age appropriate group activity and art therapy.
* Good Grief (teens ages 13-18). Mondays, April 22-June 17, 7:15-8:15 p.m.
Teens share thoughts and feelings through age appropriate group activity and art therapy.
* Teens Living with Cancer.
Monthly social activity for 13-18-year-olds who have cancer. Call Jenny Eckert for details at 703-208-5623.
* Lymphedema Group. Wednesday, April 24, 7-8:30 p.m.
Educational support group for patients with hereditary or secondary lymphedema, resulting from surgery, radiation, or trauma to the lymphatic system.
* I Can Cope. Wednesdays, May 1-29, 7:15-9 p.m.
A 5-week series featuring a variety of health care professionals discussing cancer, treatments and side effects, complementary approaches, resources, and more. Family members welcomed. Registration required by April 26.
* Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Capital Area Workshop. Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Meet other survivors and families, hear presentation by physicians, and more. Call 1-877-588-7904.
* Writing to Wellness. Monday, April 29, 7:15-8:45 p.m.
A monthly facilitated session using writing and discussion to help manage and possibly grow through the challenges of living with cancer.
Inova Alexandria Hospital, 4320 Seminary Road:
* Prostate Cancer Support Group. Tuesday, April 16, 6-8 p.m.
Monthly meeting for men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their partners. Call 703-768-6001.
* Breast Cancer Support Group. Thursday, April 23, 5:30-7 p.m.
Monthly group for women newly diagnosed, currently receiving treatment, or in recovery.
* Nutrition for Cancer Risk Reduction. Thursday, April 25, 1-2 p.m.
Registered dietician will address nutrition issues to reduce the risk of cancer and its recurrence.
Inova Fairfax Hospital, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church:
* Breast Cancer Group. Wednesdays, April 17, 5:30-7 p.m. Women’s Center Radiation Oncology Conference Room, Blue parking garage.
Support group for women living with early-stage breast cancer.
* Caregivers Meeting. Wednesdays, April 3-24, 7-8:30 p.m. Women’s Center Radiation Oncology Conference Room, Blue parking garage.
Meetings for family members to discuss coping strategies, support, and information related to cancer, its treatment, and more.
* United Ostomy Association: Long Term Care. Sunday, April 7, 1:30-4 p.m. Conference rooms D, E, F. Gray parking lot.
Mutual aid, moral support and education for ostomates, their families and friends.
* Prostate Cancer Support Group. Tuesday, April 9, 7:30-9 p.m.
An update on brachytherapy. Family members welcomed.
* Heads Up! Wednesday, April 10, 5:30-7 p.m. Women’s Center Radiation Oncology Conference Room, Blue parking garage.
Educational support group for current and former head and neck cancer patients and their significant others.
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital, 3700 Joseph Siewick Drive, Fairfax
* Cancer Support Group. Tuesdays, April 9 and 23, 7-8:30 p.m. Medical Office Building (2nd building to the left of Fair Oaks Hospital), Conference Room A.
General support group for patients and family members.
* Meditation and Imagery for Healing. Tuesdays, April 16 and 30, 7-8:30 p.m. Medical Office Building (2nd building to the left of Fair Oaks Hospital)
Explore healing imagery and how it can be used during one’s cancer journey. Registration required.
<lst>Enjoy a day of golf with Washington media and sports luminaries at the American Cancer Society’s Celebrity Golf Classic. Held May 20 at the International Golf Club in Fairfax, registration begins at 10 a.m., and the tournament begins at noon. Activities include lunch, cocktail reception, silent auction and awards dinner. Proceeds benefit breast-cancer research, education and patient services programs of the American Cancer Society. For more information about sponsorship opportunities or to participate, call 703-753-1904.
<lst>CrisisLink, 5275 Lee Highway, Suite 301, Arlington, is sponsoring a healing and educational Suicide Survivors’ Support Group. Beginning April 11, the group will meet the second and fourth Thursday of each month, 7:30-9 p.m. Call 703-516-6771 for more information.
<lst>A new mutual-help support group for persons with depression or bipolar disorder and family members is forming in Oakton. The group will meet on the second Saturday of the month from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. beginning April 13. Admission is free. For location and more information, call Brenda at 703-431-7592.
<lst>A Depression and Bipolar Support Group, sponsored by DRADA (Depression and Related Affective Disorders Association), is held in Reston, 7-9 p.m., on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Call Paul at 703-981-2259 or Traci at 703-433-1448 for more information.
<lst>The Reach to Recovery Program of the American Cancer Society offers free services to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo recent surgery. A trained volunteer who has survived breast cancer is available to talk with patients confidentially, provide helpful information and offer emotional support. A Reach “kit” is given to each patient, which includes a leisure bra, a soft prosthesis for mastectomy patients, exercise items and literature. Call 703-938-5550.
The Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization provides free services including educational programs and lectures, brown-bag seminars, quarterly newsletters, and a 24-hour HOPEline. The HOPEline (703-461-9616 or 1-800-970-4411) is staffed by trained breast-cancer survivors who provide information and emotional support to callers. Call 703-461-9595 or visit www.y-menca.org for more information.
Anita Plotinsky, director of The Foundation Center Library in Washington, D.C., will demonstrate the database of 20,000 philanthropic contributors and describe other services provided by the Center in two workshops this spring. Bring a bag lunch, beverages will be provided. The new SPRINGboard Collection for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership will also be on display. The second workshop will be held on Thursday, April 11, 7:30-9 p.m., at City Hall, Room 2000, 301 King St., Alexandria. To register, complete the registration form, which can be found at
www.unitedwaynca.org/content/LocalOffices/Alexan.
Hospice of Northern Virginia is offering a drop-in Grief Support Group at Westwood Baptist Church, 8200 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield. The group will begin on April 18 and meet on an ongoing basis on Thursdays, noon-1 p.m. Call 703-538-2064.
To help Virginians make better-informed health-care purchasing decisions, Virginia Health Information (VHI), a nonprofit independent organization, has published information on its Web site, www.vhi.org, that reports on the inpatient cardiac care provided at all licensed hospitals in Virginia. The information compares their performance and mortality outcomes. VHI’s study is based on over 100,000 cardiac patient discharges submitted by Virginia hospitals for the year 2000.
The Naomi Project, a program providing high-risk pregnant women with help in becoming good mothers, needs volunteer mentors. One hour a week, fit to the volunteer’s schedule and the client’s availability, is required. Spring training begins March 14. For information call program coordinator Peggy Ferguson at 703-860-2633. Spanish-speaking volunteers are especially needed.
Shoplifters Anonymous offers a new 12-step meeting program for those who wish to stop compulsive shoplifting. The group meets every Thursday, 7-8 p.m., at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 7426 Idylwood Road. Call Sue at 703-759-0396 or Carol at 703-764-0347 to confirm the meeting date.
The Northern Virginia Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome/Dysautonomia (MVPS/D) and Delayed Orthostatic Intolerance Support Group has moved its meeting site to Centreville. It meets the second Tuesday of every month from noon-2 p.m. at a residence at 14404 Brookmere Drive, Centreville (Sully Station). The group, which formerly met at the Reston Hospital Medical Plaza, is facilitated by Eleanor Brosius. Call 703-968-9818 or e-mail EleanorBB@aol.com.
Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome does not deal with the heart-valve condition known as mitral valve prolapse but with an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system that can cause a myriad of symptoms, from very mild to severely disabling. Some common symptoms are feeling too hot or too cold or both, phantom chest pain, rapid heart beat or pounding heart beats, lightheadedness, heat intolerance, alcohol intolerance, anxiety or depression or both, and difficulty standing in lines.
Currently the local group has more than 200 members, but meeting size is usually fewer than 10 unless a speaker is invited. The group is predominantly women, but MVPS/D occurs in men and children as well. Treatments include medications, diet changes, lifestyle adjustments, nutritional supplements and fluid management. For more information:
*ww.ndrf.org (National Dysautonomia Research Foundation, 1-651-267-0525);
* www.mitralvalveprolapse.com (The Society for MVP Syndrome, 1-630-250-9327);
* www.mitral.com (Florida Institute for Cardiovascular Care, 1-877-964-3278).
Children’s Services of Virginia Inc. is seeking foster parents in the area. Call 703-331-0075 or visit www.childrensservicesofva.com for more information.
The Alzheimer’s Family Day Center has a support group for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their spouses. The couples participate in a potluck dinner along with discussion/support group. The dinner has educational as well as social benefits through speaking to and learning from others who are “going through the same thing.” The dinners are held at the Family Day Center, 2036 Westmoreland St., Falls Church, 6-8 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. Call Joan at 703-532-8899 to register or for information.
Mothers & More is a support group for mothers who have altered their career paths to care for their children at home. General meetings are held on the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center. Admission is free, and visitors are welcome. Call 703-234-3417.
Life with Cancer is sponsoring a Bowling Social for teens with cancer. Join other teens in treatment or in recovery for an afternoon of fun. Call Jenny Eckert at 703-208-5623 for more information.
The AARP Widowed Persons Service sponsors free weekly support groups to anyone widowed less than two years. Monthly educational meetings, travel and other activities are also offered. Call 301-949-7398 for more information.
A Smoke-Free Dining Guide for Fairfax, Oakton and Vienna is available from the Northern Virginia Alliance on Smoking or Health. The guide, which lists restaurants that are 100-percent smoke-free, is available free of charge by calling or visiting the American Cancer Society, 124 Park St. S.E., Vienna, 703-938-5550.
The American Heart Association offers many tools to improve nutrition and fitness. At the grocery store, shoppers can look for the heart-check mark on products, signifying foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Quick and tasty heart-healthy recipes as well as tips for grocery shopping and ingredient substitutions can be found at www.deliciousdecisions.org. Many cookbooks, such as the “American Heart Association Quick & Easy Cookbook,” can be found in area bookstores.
Online information and support can be found at www.MyHeartWatch.org, with such features as Ask an Expert, Personal Stories, and Health Planners, which include weight and nutrition calculators, exercise diaries and more.
Two lifestyle brochures, “Managing Your Weight” and “An Eating Plan for Healthy Americans,” are available free by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
A free, 12-week physical-activity program, sponsored by Bayer, “Choose to Move,” helps women make simple changes that result in increasing their activity level. Call 1-888-MY-HEART to receive a registration packet.
The Lifestyle Medical Program provides oxygen, medications and nebulizers at no cost to patients with severe breathing problems, such as asthma, emphysema and COPD. Patients must meet additional guidelines to qualify for the program. Call 800-519-4480 for more information.
The Cost Containment Research Institute in Washington, D.C., has published a 32-page booklet, “Free and Low Cost Prescription Drugs,” which contains a listing of all drugs available through patient-assistance programs free or at very low cost directly from the manufacturer. To receive the booklet, send $5 to cover printing, postage and handling, to Institute Fulfillment Center, Booklet #PD-55, PO Box 210, Dallas, PA 18612-0210. For more information, visit www.institutedc.org.
The American Institute for Cancer Research is offering a free brochure, “Reducing Your Risk of Breast Cancer,” which provides guidelines and tips on how to control dietary and other lifestyle factors that affect a woman’s risk for breast cancer. Also available is “Questions and Answers about Breast Health and Breast Cancer,” which provides detailed information on breast cancer risk, treatment and early detection, including how to do a self-examination. Call 800-843-8114, Ext. 25.
A growing number of senior citizens are using e-mail to import their prescription drugs by mail order. FDA statistics confirm that more than two million packages of prescription drugs were imported last year.
www.Medicines.MD is a consumer-focused Web site with updated price listings for more than 2,000 prescription drugs. Seniors can use the free price-quote feature on www.Medicines.MD to compare costs when their prescription medicine is imported by mail-order.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recently launched a major new heart-attack education campaign called “Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs.” The campaign is an effort to raise awareness among both the general public and physicians about the need for a fast response. Key messages encourage recognition of heart-attack symptoms, working with a physician to create a heart-attack survival plan, and calling 911 as soon as symptoms begin. Campaign partners, the American Red Cross and the National Council on Aging, will be offering “Act in Time” classes. Various educational materials, including a booklet and video, are available for health-care workers, heart-attack patients and the public through the NHLBI Web site at www.nhlbi.nih.gov. For more information, also visit www.americanheart.org, wwwnena.org, www.redcross.org, and www.ncoa.org.
Foster parents are desperately needed in our area. Call Children’s Services of Virginia at 703-331-0075 or visit www.childrensservicesofva.com for more information.
The Reach to Recovery Program of the American Cancer Society offers free services to women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have undergone recent surgery. A trained volunteer who has survived breast cancer is available to talk with patients confidentially, provide helpful information and offer emotional support. A Reach “kit” is given to each patient, which includes a leisure bra, a soft prosthesis for mastectomy patients, exercise items and literature. Call 703-938-5550.
If you or someone you love has a diagnosis of lymphoma, you can receive information, help and hope from a support group led by a social worker. Sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the group meets the fourth Wednesday of each month from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Cancer Center at Arlington Hospital, 1701 N. George Mason Drive. There is no charge, and reimbursement toward transportation expenses is available. Contact Kathy Dorner, L.C.S.W., at 703-558-5555 for more information.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society created its “First Connection” program to help those facing a diagnosis of cancer know that they’re not alone. The program matches patients newly diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s Disease or myeloma — and their families — with cancer survivors who have lived through a similar illness. Call 703-960-1100, Ext. 231, or 888-576-6878 for more information about the First Connection program.
The American Lung Association of Virginia is offering an e-mail service to residents in areas affected by smog-unhealthy levels of ozone pollution, which includes the Northern Virginia-Metropolitan D.C. area. Subscribers will receive smog alerts the day before ozone pollution levels are predicted to be unhealthy. Individuals with chronic lung or heart disease and sensitive populations, such as children and the elderly, can then take action to protect themselves by reducing or limiting outdoor activities. High concentrations of ozone can cause symptoms such as coughing, throat irritation and difficulty breathing, and also may increase susceptibility of the lungs to infections, allergens and other air pollutants. The daily forecast is provided to the American Lung Association from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. For more information on ozone pollution and to sign up for the Smog Alert, visit www.lungusa.org/virginia.
The Health Sciences Institute, an organization of doctors and researchers dedicated to exploring cutting-edge medical therapies, has just published a booklet, "Stronger than Steroids: New Solutions for Beating Arthritis." The booklet contains information on several causes of arthritis that the medical community is just discovering and outlines the effectiveness of several new medical solutions and treatments. To receive a copy, send $3 to cover the cost of printing, postage and handling, to Health Sciences Institute, Arthritis Booklet, 819 N. Charles St., Department 0601F, Baltimore, MD 21201.
A new package of publications on taking medications correctly and ordering them safely online is available from The Federal Consumer Information Center and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The package contains "FDA’s Tips for Taking Medicines," "Drug Interactions: What You Should Know" and "Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide." The materials are free. Call 888-878-3256 and request the "Your Medications" package, or send your name and address to Your Medications, Pueblo, CO 81009.
Fairfax County Juvenile Court is seeking volunteers to serve as court companions to help victims of domestic violence navigate the court system. Primary duties include contacting victims before the hearing date and accompanying these clients on their hearing day. A commitment to a weekly four-hour shift during business hours for at least six months is needed. Initial interviews must be held before training. For more information, contact Gwen Robinson at 703-246-2697.
The Asthma Auto program of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Maryland-Greater Washington, D.C., Chapter, is accepting donations of unwanted vehicles to raise money to fund educational programs, asthma care training, scholarships, research, and patient assistance for area residents. Call 800-727-9333.
Visit www.Pollen.com to subscribe to Allergy Alert, a free e-mail notification service, to be notified automatically when conditions in the area are expected to be near uncomfortable levels. The Allergy Alert forecast considers more than 1,470 biological and meteorological factors and is based on 20 years of historical pollen data gathered by a national network of professionally trained pollen counters.
CrisisLink is seeking new volunteers to train as telephone hot-line workers to respond immediately to people in crisis. Help is especially needed for daytime, late-night and weekend shifts. Call 703-527-6016 for more information.
The Lupus Foundation of Greater Washington Area sponsors several support groups designed to provide a safe setting where people with lupus and their families and friends can share their feelings, hopes and concerns. Call 703-684-2925 to confirm meeting dates and locations.
* Inova Fairfax Hospital, 3300 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Educational Conference Center, Room 4. Second Saturdays at 10 a.m.
* Reston Hospital Medical Plaza, 1830 Town Center Parkway, Reston. Second and fourth Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
The Birth Mothers Support Group is open to women who have ever placed a child for adoption and who would like to meet with others who have done the same. The group meets weekly and is led by a licensed clinical social worker. There is a modest fee based on income. For more information, call Pat Cunningham at Catholic Charities at 703-425-0100.
The National Institute on Aging has designed an at-home exercise program for older people. The program is based on medical research and emphasizes exercises for endurance, strength, flexibility and balance. To order the exercise book and 48-minute video, send a check or money order for $7 payable to the National Institute on Aging to NIAIC, Dept. BR, PO Box 8057, Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057. Call 1-800-222-2225 or visit www.maillist.org/exercise for more information.
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, formerly the Food Allergy Network, has launched an electronic newsletter for teens with food allergy. “Food Allergy News for Teens” is a bimonthly newsletter distributed free to teen-agers by e-mail. The newsletter covers topics such as dating, dining out, managing food allergy on the job, and tips on carrying medications. To sign up to receive the newsletter, log on to www.fanteen.org.
OAR of Fairfax County, a nonprofit agency that serves families of people in jail or prison, offers three support groups. The Family Support Group is an adult group that meets twice a month in Fairfax. A Family Support Group for Spanish-speaking families meets twice a month in Falls Church. The Saturdays Friends group is for children of offenders and their caregivers and meets on Saturdays in Alexandria. For further information or to participate in a group, call Jill Clark at 703-246-3033.
The Family Respite Center’s Mind and Body Spa Day Program will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Tuesday at The Washington House, 5100 Fillmore Ave., Alexandria. The program is aimed at helping people in the early stages of an Alzheimer’s-type illness with memory, problem solving and communication, through mental and physical exercises, a support group, and coping and humor therapy. Call Joni Oppasser at 703-532-8899 for more information or to register.
Bimonthly Workshop for grieving widows will be offered every second and fourth Monday of the month, 7-8:30 p.m., at the Washington Regional Transplant Consortium in Falls Church. The workshop is designed to help widows deal with the grief of the death of a spouse and with raising children alone. Admission is free. R.S.V.P. to Maxine Composto at 703-641-0100.
National Cancer Institute (NCI) announces the launch of its improved Web site, www.cancer.gov. Billed as “a one-stop resource for cancer information” the site reorganizes NCI’s acclaimed information sites cancer.net and cancer.trials within cancer.gov. Information in the site is arranged by topic. Where its logical design leaves off, an improved search engine aids site navigation.