Stay S T RO N G ! V E T E R A N S ’ W E L L N E S S 2 0 1 7 C A L E N D A R A guide to healthy living for Veterans www.visn2.va.gov Veterans Wellness EDITORIAL BOARD Need an Easier Joan E. McInerney, MD, MBA, MA, FACEP, Way to Refill Network Director A MESSAGE VA Prescriptions? Darlene A. DeLancey, M.S., Deputy Network Director Kathleen Hider, Network 2 Public Affairs and FROM THE NETWORK DIRECTOR Web Content Manager Ruth Harvie, Network 2 Public Affairs Specialist Greetings, VA Health Upstate New York ADVISORY BOARD Bob Balick, Veteran We hope you enjoy the 2017 Veterans’ Mary Ann Blake, VISN 2 Health System Specialist Wellness calendar. Use it as a reminder to “stay My HealtheVet makes it easier to strong” this coming year by taking care of your manage your medicines. Members Tim Cleveland, VSO Tioga County health using your VA health care benefits. registered in My HealtheVet can: Derek M. Davey, VSO Lewis County • Refill VA prescriptions (Rx) online. Ron Fairbanks, Veteran Last year, the upstate VA health care network You may also view a list of your James A. Haggerty, Veteran merged with the VA health care network past VA prescribed medications. Dawn Smith, Network 2 Lead for Transition and downstate as part of the VA Secretary’s Care Management To use Rx Refill, you need a reorganization to enhance customer service. Jennie A. Lynch, Pharm.D., Network 2 We are now the NY/NJ VA Health Care prescription written by a VA doctor Pharmacoeconomist that has previously been filled at a Network. Our upstate and downstate clinical Maureen Martin, M.S., R.N., V.H.A.-C.M., VA pharmacy. and administrative staff are working together Network 2 Lead for Women’s Health, Geriatrics and Extended Care and Palliative Care to apply best practices from across the Dr. Joan McInerney, • Track delivery of VA prescriptions. Adam McMahon, Veterans Benefits Network. Our goal is to improve access and Network Director You can track any VA prescription Administration, Buffalo Regional Office provide a consistent high-quality level of health care. mailed in the last 30 days and Denis E. Oliver, VSO Steuben County check when it should arrive. View On behalf of the VA staff, I want to thank you for your Stacy Papachrisanthou, Director of Marketing, details about tracking information Veterans Canteen Service service to our country and for your continued confidence for each prescription. Betty Perkins-Carpenter, Ph.D., Veteran in us to provide you the very best in health care services. • Get VA prescription shipment Jonathan P. Pollack, L.C.S.W.-R., M.P.A., Sincerely, notifications to your email. Behavioral Health Care Line Joan E. McInerney, MD, MBA, MA, FACEP Nithin K. Rao, D.D.S., Dental Service, VA Western • Create medication lists. Keep track VISN 2 Network Director New York Healthcare System of all your medications, including Norbert J. Rappl, Veteran over-the-counter medicines and Tammy Roman, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, St. John herbals/supplements. Fisher College Malaria Pills May Cause Health Problems John Strachan, Veteran Some military personnel have reported serious side effects after taking Need help? Call the Help Desk William Wilkinson, Veterans’ Advocate mefloquine for protection against malaria. These include anxiety, paranoia, directly at (877) 327-0022 or Peter Ziarnowski, Ph.D., Team Leader, Rochester depression, mood changes, hallucinations, agitation, and unusual behavior. Vet Center (800) 877-8339 (TTY), Some symptoms may mimic PTSD symptoms. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ON THE COVER: If you are concerned about any long-term side effects from taking mefloquine, Or, visit Myhealth.va.gov Veteran Adam Buchner kayaks during a special talk to your VA health care provider or local VA Environmental Health Coordinator. Army Corps of Engineers trip to Cowanesque Learn more at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/mefloquine-lariam.asp. Lake, Pennsylvania. Photo by Adam Lyon, Visual Information Specialist, Bath VA Medical Center Keep Away from Convenience Foods When you’re on the go, it can be easy to choose foods that are fast and tasty, but hardly healthy. More than that, these foods may contain ingredients that are actually harmful to your health. Do you know what you’re eating? Burgers French Fries Ketchup Donuts Soda Fast food hamburger often Although fries really only Ketchup has 4 grams of Like many fried foods, Dyes and food coloring are contains sodium nitrite. It’s a need three ingredients – sugar per tablespoon donuts are cooked in oil among the many dangers coloring agent used to make potatoes, oil and salt – most – more than in a at very high temperatures. in today’s fountain drinks. old meat look red and fresh. fast food restaurants list typical chocolate-chip When food is cooked Caramel coloring, found in Studies have found sodium more than 15 ingredients. cookie! In fact, excess this way, it causes most colas, has been linked nitrite may increase risks for One unknown, but relatively sugar is found in most carcinogenic substances, to thyroid, liver and lung pancreatic cancer. common, ingredient is processed foods, and like acrylamide, to form. cancer as well as leukemia. TBHQ. This petroleum- especially fast food. This common chemical Common food dyes like red The breads used in fast food derived chemical increases byproduct of frying may 40, yellow 5 and yellow 6, often contain an amino acid food’s shelf life. It may cause cause cancer and have are linked to issues ranging called l-cysteine that makes vision problems. other toxic effects on from hyperactivity in the dough more pliable. It nerve tissue. children to brain cancer. may be toxic to humans if eaten too much. Desserts Fast Food Packaging Fast food restaurants often include carrageenan in their Much of today’s fast food packaging contains desserts. This thickening agent is made from red seaweed. phthalates. These chemicals may cause birth Eating too much of this may lead to rheumatoid arthritis, defects, childhood behavioral problems and arteriosclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. childhood chronic illnesses, such as asthma. It’s Never Too Late to Do Great Things Today’s technology is helping people of all ages and skill levels achieve their health goals. • Fitness trackers, social media and mobile apps all make it easy today to plan out your healthy living goals and achieve them. • Researchers have found that sharing your goals and successes with other people, either in person or online, greatly increases your chances for success. • A research study, published in Translational Behavioral Medicine, found that people who shared their weight loss progress on Twitter lost more weight than those who kept their progress to themselves. Time for a career change? Visit www.vets.gov/ employment/job-seekers! It’s easy to use and puts you in touch with employers committed to hiring Veterans and military spouses. Get where you want to go faster! January SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 MANAGE YOUR HEALTH WITH New Year’s Day My HealtheVet 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 My HealtheVet, the one- stop-shop for managing your VA health information, appointments, secure messaging, and more, has just gotten better. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Updates include: • Popular features, like Appointments, are more front and center • Easier to read and use Martin Luther King, Jr. Day • Better for using on your phone or tablet 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 DECEMBER 2016 FEBRUARY 2017 Be Strong! S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S It’s Cervical Health 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 Awareness Month! 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Learn how to fight it 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 at nccc-online.org 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 26 27 28 Cherish The Ones Who Make Life Good Want to let someone know you care? Send a text! • On average, people send 32 messages a day – that includes people from every generation. • Research shows that nearly half of mobile phone users in the U.S. have sent “I love you” text messages. • Those who text positive, affirming messages throughout the day often have greater satisfaction in their relationships. This is truer for those who send the texts than those who receive them. Attention Women Veterans! You deserve the best health care from a provider trained in women’s health. Visit www.visn2.va.gov/visn2/vet/women/ index.asp to learn about primary, reproductive, mental health and other health care services available to you. February FITNESS SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 KING JANUARY 2017 MARCH 2017 S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 MEET 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 FITNESS KING 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 31 National Freedom Day Groundhog Day HERMAN 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 HOLLSTEIN 90-year-old Army Veteran Herman Hollstein is fit and sharp. He added jogging and bicycling to his exercise routine 12 years ago after a heart 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 issue. Thanks to the support he receives from his health care team at the cardiopulmonary Valentine’s Day rehabilitation center at the National Donor Buffalo VA Medical Center, Lincoln’s Birthday Day he’s going strong today! 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Washington’s Presidents Day Birthday 26 27 28 Beat for You! It’s American Heart Month. Learn how to love your heart at heart.org. Find Joy in Life’s Little Pleasures It’s often the little things in life that cost us nothing that end up bringing us the most pleasure. Here are simple things that bring joy to life: • Giving a hug to a close friend or family member. • Your first cup of coffee of the day. • Finding a moment of peace and quiet after a hectic day. • A good laugh over something funny. • Getting a good night’s sleep. • Waking up to a beautiful sunrise. Take care! Go to www.caregiver.va.gov to find self-care tips and support on a variety of topics for caregivers. March SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 17 APR IL 2017 1 2 3 4 HELP A S M T W Th F S S M T W Th F S FELLOW VET! 1 2 3 4 1 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Make a difference in the 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Read Across life of another Veteran! 30 America Day Consider volunteering or making a monetary or gift 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 in kind donation to your local VA medical center. For more ideas visit www.visn2.va.gov/VISN2/ giving/index.asp to find your local VA medical center’s voluntary services 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 web page. Daylight Saving Time Begins St. Patrick’s Day 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 First day of spring 26 27 28 29 30 31 Protect Yourself. Adults over 50 need to get screened for colorectal cancer. Visit preventcancer.org. Look Forward to that Next Candle on Your Birthday Cake Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean it’s all downhill from here. • People in their 40s and 50s often have better vocabulary, spatial orientation, verbal memory, and problem-solving skills than they did in their 20s. • People over 60 report greater sexual satisfaction than when they were in their 40s. • Having an “experienced” immune system means people over 50 usually get fewer colds than those in their 20s. • A 2016 study found that some people in their 60s and 70s, considered “super-agers,” could remember as well as people in their 20s. Studying people like this might help doctors find future treatments for memory loss. Root for Your Fellow Vets! Plan to attend the next Golden Age Games, May 7-11, in Biloxi, Mississippi. Visit www.va.gov/opa/ speceven/gag to learn more!