By Huntsman Cancer Institute
What are your concerns about your medical treatment if you could not speak for yourself? Who could speak for you? Which treatments fit best with your values?These are hard questions to ask, but sharing specific answers to these questions with loved ones can give them a great deal of comfort at difficult times. You can share your wishes through a document called an advance health care directive.Advance directives share your wishes about treatment with your family and health care team when you aren’t able to speak for yourself.The process starts when you begin thinking about your values and the treatments doctors might use at the end of your life. You can get information about these treatments from your cancer care team or the Cancer Learning Center. You choose which treatments fit your values. Finally, you complete a document and share your wishes about treatment with your family and cancer care team.Even if you have completed directives in the past, it is good to update your health care team and loved ones every year.For more information about starting or updating your health care directive, contact the Cancer Learning Center by calling 1-888-424-2100 toll free.Listen to an interview with Dr. Anna Beck from the Huntsman Cancer Institute about advance directives at TheScope, University of Utah’s Health Sciences Radio.
Walking around campus:
RecommendationsAn 8-year study of 13,000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes per day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised.Regular walking can help:• Reduce blood cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase cardiovascular endurance
• Boost bone strength
• Burn calories and keep weight down
Pointers
• Bring a change of shoes to work/school.
• Carry a backpack or swing your arms to increase
aerobic benefits.
• Park your car at the far end of the parking lot to
increase walking.
• You can break up the recommended 30 min of walking into 10 minute
increments and still get the same health benefits.
• Keep track of your daily steps with a pedometer. Try to get at least 10,000 steps
per day.
• Walk across campus instead of driving to meetings, lunch and classes.
• Plan a walking meeting.
• Walk to your office colleagues when you need to communicate instead of
calling or emailing them.
Biking around campus
• Save time between classes
• Don’t waste time looking for a parking spot
• Bike to lunch, meetings and classes
• Bring your bike on TRAX and the bus for free
WHAT YOUR SHOES BRING HOME
As parents, we do our best to protect our kids against the spread of germs and disease. But when family members or friends wear their shoes indoors, they may be tracking in more than dirt.
“Bacteria, including E. coli, are found on the majority of shoes,” says Cindy Gellner, M.D., a pediatrician at University of Utah Health Care.
Click here to read the full story.
PACK ESSENTIALS FOR DAY HIKERS
Hundreds of hikes are within a short drive from Salt Lake City. “Even if you’re close to home, the adventure could take an unexpected turn, so it’s important to be prepared,” says Scott McIntosh, M.D., an emergency room physician at University of Utah Health Care.
For the full article, click here.
For more expert health news and information, visit healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed.