By DR. LARRY MOSES
No one asked me but… For the first time in fifteen years I have taken a six week break from writing an opinion column for The Progress. Vernon, the owner and editor of the paper, has been kind enough to reach into the archives and cover for my absence by running past columns. I have promised to try to get back into the routine of producing a column a week again.
No one asked me but… In the way of introducing the community to ASPIRE The Center for Adults and Adolescents, I asked my friends Marylee and Greg Winzenried to describe the organization and explain the early development of the group. Below is their reply to that request.
“There’s a new booth at the Clark County Fair this year! The new nonprofit, Aspire Center for Adults and Adolescents, will have a booth full of activities, custom-made dog treats, colorful greeting cards and a fabulous raffle. Volunteers and clients have been busy getting ready for the fair. Our booth will be located right inside the Nevada Tent. You won’t be able to miss us.
“We already have recognition from the state of Nevada as a nonprofit corporation and are now seeking federal status as a charitable organization (501c3). Federal status will allow your donations to be counted in tax statements.
“We are currently looking for employers that would like to partner with us as we provide job training for our clients. We would like to work with you as vocational supports are extended for this most precious population.
“Currently our office is in the old bishop’s storehouse and our client meetings are in the Overton Community Center. Our dream is to have a home of our own. We are seeking little plot of land we could build on or an older home that would be handicapped accessible. Want to donate land to us? Not only would it be a tax write off for you, but it would be a dream come true for so many.
“In the meantime, we will be seeking to expand our services in the Overton Community Center. We want to thank County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick for her moral support.
“If you would like to get involved, we are looking for volunteers to work with us and our clients. Come rub shoulders with the angels of the valley!
“We know that we have potential clients in the valley that we aren’t aware of yet. If you, or a loved one, is over 18 and have had an IEP/504 plan in school, come find us at the fair! We need you!
“We are starting out on a small scale with late afternoon and weekend classes and social activities. We already have about 70 families interested in our supports. We will be offering services such as recreation (Special Olympics), vocational training, social events, respite care, counseling, and legal supports.
“To find out more about us, look up our web page www.acaamv.org.”
No one asked me but… For those of you have been wondering where I have been, I have been here at home recovering from triple bypass heart surgery. The physical recovery has been good due to the efforts of family and friends. Many shared prayers have been answered and the Lord has been gracious to me.
I want to thank all who kept me in their prayers and I want to testify that those prayers have been answered. All the glory of my recovery goes to a merciful Heavenly Father who has provided for me and my family.
Let me suggest to those who live in area. if you have a choice between St. George Interregional Hospital and a hospital in Las Vegas, choose St. George. The health care is a world apart.
I entered the hospital with a rather low opinion of the American medical profession due to the last ten years or so of contact with the primary health care provider required by my insurance company. In fact, I have refused to return to that provider who will remain nameless.
Over the last few years, I have concluded that the health provider recommended by my insurance company was really merely an organization designed to deal with fairly healthy old people. Originally, I was required a yearly wellness check; it soon became every six months, and then every three months. I began to notice that there were only old people in the waiting room and it appeared that all were on a three-month wellness check rotation. We were like cows being milked every three months.
The one time I was sick and felt I needed to see my doctor, I was told it would be a three week wait and that I should go to a quick care. I did so and met our local Physician Assistant Andy Rose for the first time. It was a great experience and I received the care I needed. I have now transferred my primary care over to P.A. Rose who actually knows me and takes a personal interest in my welfare.
When I described my symptoms to P.A. Rose and explained I would like to know why, after walking a short distance, I would have a pain in my left wrist, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations – and that indeed, it was getting worse – he immediately recommended I see a cardiologist.
Years before I was given the same advice and a cardiologist was arranged by my provider. He did an ultra-sound of my heart. He pronounced it sound and he could see no reason for my heart issues. I was told when my symptoms came about I should sit down and rest until they stopped. I explained to the cardiologist that my doctorate was in business administration, not medicine, but I had figured that out.
The cardiologist recommended by P.A. Rose, Dr. Zachary George also did an ultra-sound of my heart and pronounced it sound. However, he did not stop there; he suggested that we do an angiogram rather than just advising me to sit down when my symptoms appeared.
During the angiogram he found major blockage to the blood flow to my heart. He called in Dr. Kory Woodbury, a heart surgeon, and the two of them recommended that I have a bypass to solve the problem.
So here I am today, a month after my triple bypass and I am walking two miles a day without symptoms.
But, also, as important; thanks to the experience with the doctors, nurses, and house-keepers at the St. George Interregional Hospital I have a whole new outlook on the American medical profession. It is with a heartfelt thank you that I commend all who had a hand in my surgery and recovery.
A special thought goes to my oldest son who took a week off work to transport his mother to the hospital each day while I was confined to the hospital in St. George.
Our dear ‘friemily,’ friends who over the years have become family, from Utah, transported me to St. George nine times in less than a month. This was a total of over 1,800 miles and each trip was an adventure as we had to maneuver around the road work on I-15 between here and St. George. We often took the Bunkerville turn off and State Highway 91 to avoided the stoppage on I-15. I am sure the chocolate eclairs from the French Bakery may also have been an incentive for the trips.
Once again, our neighbors also rallied to help. It is very special to have a neighborhood like the one we live in.
Thought of the week… “Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice?”
― George Carlin
