Midwife Moment
Special Life Story about
our Midwife, Jalana Lazar
Daughter from another Country
“I always wanted to go into the Peace Corps,” says
Jalana Lazar – one of four CNMs (Certified Nurse
Midwives) at Lifestages. “Since I was twelve-yearsold, I knew that was what I wanted to do.” After she
read Albert Schweitzer’s biography in high school,
Jalana knew she wanted to go into the Peace Corps
after graduating college and be stationed in Africa.
In 1999 after graduating from Tufts University in
Boston with a BA in Community Health and French,
she enrolled in the Peace Corps and was given an
assignment in Africa.
In the fall of 1999 she landed in Madagascar, the
world’s fourth largest island, off Africa’s southeast
coast in the Indian Ocean. “I went to Madagascar
to work with a midwife, Madame Denise,” Jalana
reminisces with pride, “This was Madame Denise’s
lifework and I wanted to learn everything – she offered medical services to a very large population in
Madagascar because healthcare providers were so
limited.” Jalana set up her home in the small village
of Nosiariana and worked tirelessly with Madame
Denise, helping with births and caring for those
who came from near and far for medical attention.
One day, Jalana noticed a small Malagasy girl trying to escape her bath in the Bemarivo River. The
word Bemarivo means the big and shallow – which
is why the River is so instrumental to daily life in
Madagascar. Bathing in the River was a standard
practice, even with the crocodiles that inhabit the
River. “Bli (the little girl) ran right through my yard
– she was wearing just her underwear – I thought
she was maybe three years old,” says Jalana. Stunting and wasting from inadequate protein and nutrition is common in Madagascar, so it was hard to
guess ages. When Jalana asked, “Hey kid, who are
you and how old are you?” she was a little shocked
to hear the little girl answer, “I’m eight and my
name is Bli.” She wasn’t really eight at the time,
but instead five years old. Little did Jalana know Bli
Toto would change her life forever – and vice versa.
During the days when she wasn’t working, Jalana
would have a pack of 15 kids at her house playing with things she received in care packages from
home -- crayons, socks and even Kraft macaroni
and cheese. “The kids loved that I had things they
had never seen before. I remember Bli put my socks
on her ears because she had never worn them before. Not many of them liked the Kraft macaroni
and cheese, but Bli was the most adventurous, she
was willing to try anything,” Jalana continues.
“After our initial meeting, Bli continued to come
into my yard at daybreak and peek into the side of
my “house” until I awoke,” said Jalana. Her house
was made of a palm stems, a material that had
many cracks which made it easy from Bli to peer
in. This continued for 2 1/2 years. Their relationship became stronger. Bli helped Jalana with the
culture and the Malagasy language,
which she said was difficult to learn.
Jalana helped open Bli’s eyes to the
world. Bli would ask her questions
like, “Where are you from?” Jalana
says, “Bli was so inquisitive and wanted to soak up as much information
as she could. By the time she was six
years old Bli was in third grade, she
was extremely ahead of her village in
school.”
Bli’s life was almost how you would
imagine it if you were watching a
special on developing nations on National Geographic. The River provided
accommodations for bathing and
drinking water, as well as entertainment for the children who played in
its murky water, along with crocodiles. Homes (they are really huts) are
made out of palm stems for the walls,
the floors are covered with leaves and
the roofs are thatched leaves as well.
The gutters are made from bamboo.
The village has no books. Bli didn’t have much future for a good education in the village where her
life began.
Jalana was facing the end of her time in Madagascar. By 2001, her assignment was coming to an end.
She had become very close to Bli and her family,
including Bli’s mother and grandmother. Jalana
went to speak with Bli’s mother about the possibility of putting Bli in a private school that was
25 miles away from the village, a place where she
would get an education unlike what she would
get at home. Jalana volunteered to pay for Bli’s
education because her mother was working at
least two jobs and could not afford private school.
Bli continued at the private school for five years,
while constantly asking Jalana, “When can I come
to America?” Jalana stayed in touch with Bli, Bli’s
mother and the head mistress at the private school,
checking in on Bli’s progress.
Bli’s progress was in a constant upswing. She
passed all of her required tests at every level and
soon was entering 9th grade. She had to pass a
huge test to continue onto 9th grade. Jalana, along
with her newly married husband, Naysan, told Bli
if she passed that test, “I will see what I can do to
bring you to America.” Bli passed with flying colors.
The politics began. Jalana and Naysan wrote letters
to Senators and assorted government officials asking for a Visa for Bli to come to the United States.
After much governmental communication, a large
sum of money and getting permission from Bli’s
mother, Jalana and Naysan were on their way to
bringing Bli to the U.S.
“We flew over to Antananarivo (Tana), the capital
city of Madagascar and flew Bli and her mother
in as well. Bli had an interview at the US Embassy
there. Bli spoke no English at the time, only French,
but had to answer questions from an Englishspeaking panel at the Embassy. We were terrified
for her,” says Jalana. No one could accompany Bli
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into her interview. When Bli appeared after the interview, they all
asked how it went. Bli replied, “I
don’t know, no one told me any
results. They just handed me this
slip of paper.” Jalana says the paper read, “Congratulations, your
Visa has been approved.” They all
screamed for joy.
Bli was on her way. “I unrolled a
map and showed Bli exactly where
we would travel to bring her to the
U.S.” says Jalana. “She really had
no idea where she was going or
what to expect.” When they arrived at the airport in Johannesburg, Jalana, Naysan and Bli came
upon a large escalator which Bli
had never seen before. “We were
running a little close on time and
Bli was terrified. She was willing
to try everything, but she would
not budge when we came to this
big escalator. Naysan and I ended
up lifting her and carrying her between us up the
escalator so we wouldn’t miss the flight,” continues
Jalana. “What a brave kid! She was traveling to a
land where she didn’t know a thing, that escalator
was about the only thing we’ve seen her apprehensive about.”
Jalana and Naysan became instant parents to a
teenager. Jalana admits, “It was a lot harder than
I thought it would be, having a teenager in the
house.” Bli picked up English about 3 months after being enrolled in public school. She attended
public school for one year and then won a scholarship to the Miami Valley School. Bli completed
her high school years at the Miami Valley School
here in Dayton. She created quite a reputation at
the school for being outgoing and willing to try
anything.
Upon graduation of high school Bli received a full
scholarship from Wooster College in Wooster, Ohio.
“Bli was so emotional when she found out she was
accepted and won a scholarship to Wooster,” said
Jalana. Bli will be 18 years old this November. She
continues to blossom and grow. “She is doing very,
very well in college and we couldn’t be any more
proud of her,” says Jalana. Bli has missed her family and her country throughout, but hopes to someday return to make a difference. She calls her family once a month and keeps in touch with some of
her friends from Madagascar through social media.
Bli studies economic development at Wooster College and hopes to return to her homeland one day
and use the skills and education she has received
thus far.
Thinking about this experience, Jalana says, “It’s
amazing how that one day, when that little girl ran
into my yard, changed my heart and my family
grew faster than I ever imagined. I’m in awe of the
human spirit and how as humans we owe it to ourselves to reach out and connect – you never know,
that connection could last a lifetime.”
March, 2013
In This
Issue
What’s
News?
-Lifestages
SweetBeats Bear
-National Women’s
Health Week
page 1
New Recipe
Macaroni With Goat
Cheese, Spinach and
Turkey Sausage
page 2
Doc Talk
TdaP Vaccination
page 2
It is almost spring – and I don’t know about you but I cannot wait to see flowers and green!
Spring is the time for cleaning and starting new. It’s also a great time for you to take care of
you. Step up your own physical, emotional and spiritual health. Women are so often caregivers
and don’t take time for themselves. What will you do for yourself this spring? March brings us
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month – if you are 50 or over, have you had your first
colonoscopy? April is National Humor Month – are you taking time to lighten up and smile,
even laugh daily? May 12-18 is National Women’s Health Week. You’ve got time to think about
this – what will you do to take better care of yourself? Maybe you’ll start limiting sugar in your
diet. Maybe you’ll start walking a little at lunchtime. Maybe you’ll schedule that mammogram
or pap smear you’ve been avoiding. The choices are yours. All I’m suggesting is that you take
the time you need to take care of yourself.
We hope you find helpful information in your LifeTimes publication. As always, remember, your input is important to us.
If there is something you would like to see us add or subtract in your LifeTimes publication, please feel free to email us at
[email protected]. We never forget the value of a strong person-to-person connection.
Enjoy!
Dr. Lloyd William Rettig, III, President & CEO
What’s News?
The Lifestages
SweetBeats Bear
Special to
LifeTimes
Patient Perspective:
Life is Not Meant to
be Lived
from the Sidelines
page 3
Midwife
Moment
Daughter From
Another Country
page 4
S a m a r i t a n C e n t e r s F o r Wo m e n
937-277-8988
www.lifestagescenters.com
We’d like you to meet the newest member of the Lifestages
team – our SweetBeats Bear.
We are now giving each of
these sweet bears to our new
OB patients. When a patient
comes in for an anatomy ultrasound during her pregnancy,
we use a small recorder and record the heartbeat of the baby.
We then insert the recorder into
the back of the bear – and the
patient is given this keepsake to
have forever!
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What’s Cooking?
Macaroni With Goat Cheese, Spinach and Turkey Sausage
Healthy Pregnancy Recipe from www.fitpregnancy.com
http://www.fitpregnancy.com/recipe-finder/dinner/macaroni-goat-cheese-spinach-and-optional-sausage
Special to LifeTimes – Patient Perspective
Katharine Hemmerick
Life is Not Meant to be Lived from the Sidelines
Here’s something for dinner that’s healthy for pregnant women or anyone
for that matter. It’s tasty and the best thing – takes about 15 minutes to
prepare.
“At age 52, I wasn’t that old -- I didn’t want to think I’d have to live in Depends® the rest of my life and just sit on the side lines. There had to be solutions.” Katharine Hemmerick
Macaroni With Goat Cheese, Spinach and Turkey Sausage
Ingredients
Salt
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 turkey sausages, casings removed
½ small red onion, diced
1 bunch spinach, washed well and chopped
¾ pound of whole wheat macaroni or other pasta
½ cup crumbled plain goat cheese
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a heavy skillet over mediumhigh heat, warm the oil (using the amount desired) over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage, if using, and cook, stirring a few times, for 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 more minutes. Stir in the spinach until wilted.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
3. Add the pasta to the skillet along with ½ cup of the cooking water. Stir over medium heat until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add the goat cheese, and stir
just until creamy, about 1 minute, pouring in a little more pasta cooking water if desired. Serve right away.
Kathy Hemmerick had an ordinary life, living in West Milton, Ohio. She was
working full time with two grown children. In her later 40s, she began noticing
changes in her ability to hold urine. “I was leading an on the go life enjoying
many physical activities. I began to notice I would leak when I lifted heavy
objects, laughed, got up quickly or ran,” said Kathy. She had been athletic all
of her life. “I would participate in half-marathons, triathlons, 5 and 10k runs. I
particularly enjoyed competing in the West Milton Triathlon with my daughter
for a number of years. I’ve always lived a very active lifestyle,” she stated with
pride.
Doc Talk
TdaP Vaccination By: Leesa Kaufman, MD
It’s an exciting week for women’s healthcare next week. From May 13-19, 2012, it’s National Women’s
Health Week. The weeklong celebration is coordinated by the US Department of Health and Human
Services, with a theme of, “It’s Your Time.” Each year, the focus of National Women’s Health Week is to
empower women to make their healthcare a top priority. Let’s make this focus a year-long project.
As time passed Kathy noticed her desire to participate dwindled. “I began
giving up activities one at a time because it just wasn’t worth it. I lost interest
in running because the jolt to my body would make me leak and I was embarrassed and frustrated. “I ran my last half-marathon in 2006. I stopped going
to Yoga because when you are in some of those positions, you can’t possibly
hold your urine, who wants to worry with pads and wet pants?” She soon
realized her leaking and incontinence issues were getting in the way of her
living her life to the fullest, the way she wanted to live. The final straw came
when she went on a backpacking trip with friends. She was self-conscious and
disheartened when the least exertion resulted in a soaked pad. “Previously I
hadn’t experienced problems with just walking, there had to be a sudden jerk
to my movement before. On that trip there were periods of time I could just
feel it leaking and that was when I was not willing to accept this any longer,”
she had had enough. Her daughter had always gone to the midwives at Lifestages, so she suggested to Kathy that she visit one of the Lifestages physicians to try to get some relief.
You might be asking yourself, “How can I start?” Life is often so busy, even for me as a women’s healthcare
provider, we need to make a plan and stick to it when it comes to our own healthcare. My first suggestion
is to take baby steps toward your day-to-day healthcare. Making an overwhelming list of things to accomplish oftentimes is just that, an overwhelming list of actions that don’t ever get started. Make an appointment you’ve been putting off and start slowly on the daily activities you’d like to incorporate into your life.
“I tried Kegel exercises with no success, unfortunately the only thing I knew to
do for my incontinence was to keep buying and using pads. I swear I would
have done well to have had stock in Depends®. I really did not think there
was anything that could be done for my leaky bladder. Then I went to see Dr.
Rush at Lifestages – he gave me hope.” Kathy first saw Dr. Rush in summer of
2011. In the early fall of 2011 Dr. Rush performed a minor procedure on her.
During the procedure Dr. Rush attached special material to strong tissues and
muscles within the pelvis and placed it underneath the urethra to provide
support and help it close properly.
Take the first step and make an appointment to visit a healthcare provider to receive a regular checkup
and preventive screenings. If you’ve been avoiding the doctor or have not seen your healthcare provider
within the last year, just make the call, make an appointment and be seen! The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends the following for Ob/Gyn visits and pap tests:
• Young women should have their first gynecologic visit between the ages of 13 and 15 years. Health
care provider will ask questions about family health history, menstrual cycle history and sexual
activity.
• Women should start having a Pap test (a simple test that can detect abnormal cells) at age 21. How
often you have a Pap test depends on your age and health history.
The following link offers general advice on guidelines about important screenings for women and when to
have them, broken out by age, (http://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/activity-planning/materials/screening-chart.pdf)
“The surgery was not bad. My hips were the most sore – it must have been
from my position in surgery, but the surgery part was minimal, I mean seriously I expected worse. I went home that same day,” said Kathy. She healed
quickly and said her recovery was good. She was ready to go back to work
right away, but Dr. Rush asked her to wait two weeks. “I felt good within the
first week.” She noticed a slight difference at first but then as time went on
her ability to hold her urine kept getting better. She kept all of her follow up
appointments and did her Kegel exercises religiously and noticed things getting better. When the weather broke that spring she decided to go out and
walk. She then began including a little jog -- once she started exercising it just
all got so much better. “I was thrilled and on top of the world!” she said. On
October 12, 2012 Kathy Hemmerick ran the Dayton River Corridor Classic Half
Marathon. She wrote in a thank you note to Dr. Rush:
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“In the time since you’ve performed my surgery last year I am now up and
running once again and could not be more thrilled about it! This fall I completed my first half marathon since 2006, something I didn’t think would ever
be possible again. Thank you so much for giving this part of my life back to
me! I very much appreciate your kindness and surgical expertise. With gratitude, Kathy Hemmerick”
Kathy has taken up all of the activities that have made her happy all of her life;
spinning, Yoga, hiking, skipping across the backyard and most importantly is
keeping up with her grandkids. “Everything I stopped doing I can do now with
confidence.”
When asked what advice she would offer other women in a similar situation
Kathy said, “I would tell her to get to the doctor to see what the causes are. Do
not lose hope and know that there are things that can be done. No one has to
sit on the side lines of life because of a leaky bladder.”
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