Balanced Living

October 2006

Get the Most out of Your Mammogram

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

There are lots of reasons for putting off a mammogram: You're nervous. You're shy. You're busy. Or, you just don't like it. There's also one great reason for not putting it off: Mammograms save lives.

Regular mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early, when tumors are smaller and treatments can be less invasive. Every woman should know how to make the most of this important tool. Mammograms aren't fun, but they're not something to be feared, either. If there's discomfort, it usually lasts no more than a few seconds, and that's a very small price to pay for peace of mind.

Instead of avoiding the test, take charge of the process. Learn how to make the experience of getting a mammogram a positive one, so you'll make the effort to do it regularly and do it right.

Give yourself an edge
All mammography equipment must be certified and inspected annually by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Yet, because a mammogram can give only a picture of how your breasts appear at a certain point in time, you must provide the context, so the radiologist and your doctor can note and track any changes that occur.

For the best results:

• Get regular mammograms, as recommended by your health plan, your doctor, or a national health organization. Regular clinical breast exams and self-exams also provide important information about any changes in your breasts.
• Schedule for comfort. Ask for an appointment the week after your period, when your breasts are less tender.
• Dress for success. Wear a two-piece outfit with a top you can slip out of easily.
• Make sure the radiologist has your previous films. If you change facilities, have your old X-rays sent to you and bring them to your next mammogram.
• Tell your doctor and the radiologist about any concerns you have about your breast health — particularly if you have noticed something unusual.
• Make sure your doctor and radiologist know about any issues in your health history that can aid in interpreting results.

After your screening, it's also important you follow up. The FDA requires results to be mailed to you, and many facilities will also phone you with them. If you don't hear within 10 days, call the facility yourself.

Sometimes, the radiologist will ask you to schedule another appointment, so additional pictures can be taken. Usually, this is to clarify an indistinct image and shouldn't be cause for alarm. To keep delays and stress to a minimum, make the appointment promptly and keep it.

If the radiologist identifies something in your mammogram that needs additional evaluation, you'll be referred to a specialist. Your primary-care physician or OB/GYN will make the referral, but, once again, it will be up to you to make and keep the appointment.

At any point, feel free to ask questions about what's happening and why. It's your life and your health. Empower yourself.

For more info:
http://www.nbcam.org
https://fhahelps.personaladvantage.com/cancer

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Got Your Shot?

The Cold and Flu Campaign
happens this month

Would you choose to be sick with the flu if you didn't have to be? Many people do, just by ignoring the steps that would otherwise help them avoid this insidious bug.

Influenza is preventable, but because many people think getting a flu shot is too much trouble, costs too much or they have an aversion to needle injections, they convince themselves they won't get the flu and refuse to get a vaccination.

Flu Shot Facts
Don't believe the rumor that a flu shot can give you even a mild case of influenza. It is impossible. The vaccine is made from particles of dead flu virus cells. Because it does not contain a living virus, the vaccine can't infect you with the flu.

When you are injected with the flu vaccine, your body reacts as if it has been infected with the actual living virus and makes antibodies that provide immunity against the real virus. These antibodies remain effective for only six to nine months, which is why you need to be revaccinated each year.

Another reason you should be revaccinated yearly is that the flu virus is constantly changing and evolving into new strains. Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts which flu strain will be predominant. The CDC works with vaccine manufacturers to produce the specific vaccine that will combat the predicted strain.

Methods of Prevention
Your first line of defense in avoiding the flu is to get a flu shot. Vaccinations are most important for people age 50 and older, anyone with a chronic disease, health care workers, and people who are in frequent contact with the elderly or chronically ill. Anyone who wants to avoid the flu, however, is a candidate for the flu vaccine.

It takes approximately two weeks after being inoculated for a healthy individual to create antibodies. Because flu outbreaks typically occur as early as November, you should get your flu shot in October, if possible.

The other effective means of flu prevention is humidity. The flu bug exists in higher quantities in dry nasal and oral passages, which is one reason why flu epidemics occur in dry winter months. By raising the humidity in your workplace and at home to keep your nasal passages and mouth moist, your body will be better able to flush out the flu bug.

Self-Treating the Flu
When you are exposed to the flu, the virus incubates for three to five days, during which time you are contagious. Unfortunately, you still feel healthy and don't know you're spreading the virus to everyone around you each time you sneeze or cough. This is why flu tends to occur in epidemic proportions.

You probably have the flu if you come down with fever, a sore throat, muscle aches, and a cough. Flu is self-treatable, but has to run its course. You can treat symptoms by getting bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids, taking acetaminophen for aches and pains, and using a humidifier to keep nasal passages moist.

Expect the flu to last about five days, which is the time it takes your body to produce the antibodies that finally beat the infection. After that, you will be protected from that strain of influenza for the rest of the season.

For more info:
http://www.lungusa.org
https://fhahelps.personaladvantage.com/content?sub=10000229/

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Relieving Depression

October is Mental Illness Awareness Week

Depression might be the temporary sadness that follows a loss, or it might be a more disruptive illness that interferes with the ability to enjoy school and family life. Often the depressed person is overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness and inaction, which make it difficult for the person to reach out to others. However, depression can be treated with a combination of support, medical intervention, and self-help.

Get Support
Talk to a trusted loved one or friend. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Talking out the feelings of hopelessness and loneliness is the first step to recovery.

See a Doctor
Seeing a doctor helps determine the cause of depression. If you're not sure of the cause, start with your family doctor. If you know that your depression is brought on by a life situation, ask your family doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist. If a referral is not available, call your community mental health organization for a referral or for treatment.

Therapy Can Help
Talking out problems with a mental health professional can be helpful in treating depression. No matter how trivial you consider your problems to be, or how hopeless you feel in doing anything about them, a mental health professional will take your problems seriously and give you undivided attention and direction. It will take time for the depression to lift, but the experience of safety and understanding from a mental health professional can be a positive step on the road to recovery.

Medication Is Available
Some types of depression respond well to medication. This must be decided by a doctor, usually a psychiatrist. Treatment of depression with medication, if used, is almost always in conjunction with therapy.

Begin Self-Help
Sometimes depression, especially one caused by a life situation, can be helped by following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, especially aerobic exercise such as walking, bicycling or swimming. Scientists theorize that such exercise releases "feel-good" hormones in the brain that can help lift your spirits and make you feel more optimistic and in control. This approach can be useful, especially when taken with another form of therapy.

Toward Recovery
Almost everyone who experiences depression recovers and feels good again. It's a step-by-step process, but the first small step leads to the next one and, with help, you'll be able to cope with life again. Seeing a doctor helps determine the cause of depression.

For more info:
http://www.nami.org
https://fhahelps.personaladvantage.com/depression

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Ticket to Ride

How much do you know about buying a new car?

A new vehicle is second only to a home as the most expensive purchase many consumers make. That's why it's important to know how to make a smart deal.

Preparing To Buy Your New Vehicle
Think about what car model and options you want and how much you're willing to spend. Do some research and you'll be less likely to feel pressured into making a hasty or expensive decision at the showroom and more likely to get a better deal.

Consider:

• Checking publications at a library or bookstore, or on the Internet, which discuss new car features and prices. These may provide information on the dealer's costs for specific models and options.
• Shopping around to get the best possible price by comparing models and prices in ads and at dealer showrooms. You also may want to contact car — buying services and broker — buying services to make comparisons.
• Planning to negotiate on price. Dealers may be willing to bargain on their profit margin, often between 10 and 20 percent. Usually, this is the difference between the manufacturer's suggested retail price ("MSRP") and the invoice price.

Because the price is a factor in the dealer's calculations regardless of whether you pay cash or finance your car — and also affects your monthly payments — negotiating the price can save you money.

Consider ordering your new car if you don't see what you want on the dealer's lot. This may involve a delay, but cars on the lot may have options you don't want — and that can raise the price. However, dealers often want to sell their current inventory quickly, so you may be able to negotiate a good deal if an in-stock car meets your needs.

Learning the Terms
Negotiations often have a vocabulary of their own. Here are some terms you may hear when you're talking price:

• Invoice Price is the manufacturer's initial charge to the dealer. This usually is higher than the dealer's final cost because dealers receive rebates, allowances, discounts, and incentive awards.
• Base Price is the cost of the car without options, but includes standard equipment and factory warranty.
• Monroney Sticker Price shows the base price, the manufacturer's installed options with the manufacturer's suggested retail price, the manufacturer's transportation charge, and the fuel economy (mileage). This label is stuck to the car window, required by federal law and may be removed only by the purchaser.
• Dealer Sticker Price, usually on a supplemental sticker, is the Monroney sticker price plus the suggested retail price of dealer-installed options, such as additional dealer markup ("ADM") or additional dealer profit ("ADP"), dealer preparation and undercoating.

Financing Your New Vehicle
If you decide to finance your car, be aware that the financing obtained by the dealer, even if the dealer contacts lenders on your behalf, may not be the best deal you can get. Contact lenders directly. Compare the financing they offer you with the financing the dealer offers you. Because offers vary, shop around for the best deal, comparing the annual percentage rate ("APR") and the length of the loan.

Sometimes dealers offer very low financing rates for specific cars or models, but may not be willing to negotiate on the price of these cars. To qualify for the special rates, you may be required to make a large down payment. With these conditions, you may find that it's sometimes more affordable to pay higher financing charges on a car that is lower in price or to buy a car that requires a smaller down payment.

Before you drive off the lot, be sure to have a copy of the contract that both you and the dealer have signed and be sure that all blanks are filled in.

Trading in Your Old Vehicle
Discuss the possibility of a trade-in only after you've negotiated the best possible price for your new car and after you've researched the value of your old car. Check the library for reference books or magazines that can tell you how much it's worth. This information may help you get a better price from the dealer. Though it may take longer to sell your car yourself, you generally will get more money than if you trade it in.

Considering a Service Contract
Service contracts that you buy with a new car provide for the repair of certain parts or problems. These contracts are offered by manufacturers, dealers or independent companies and may or may not provide coverage beyond the manufacturer's warranty. Remember that a warranty is included in the price of the car, while a service contract costs extra.

Before deciding to purchase a service contract, read it carefully and consider these questions:

• What's the difference between the coverage under the warranty and the coverage under the service contract?
• What repairs are covered?
• Is routine maintenance covered?
• Who pays for the labor? The parts?
• Who performs the repairs? Can repairs be made elsewhere?
• How long does the service contract last?
• What are the cancellation and refund policies?

For more info:
https://fhahelps.personaladvantage.com/buying_a_car