PINELLAS PARK - They say the first year of marriage is always the hardest. Just ask Dudley Davis, of Clearwater, and his wife Allie.
The 89-year-old groom and his 82-year-old bride faced a scary reality just months after saying their vows.
“I had a mole that one day changed suddenly. The doctors said it was melanoma,” Mr. Davis explains.
The American Cancer Society estimates about 120,000 people each year are diagnosed with this form of skin cancer. Because of the position of his cancer, Davis wasn't a good surgical candidate and he was referred immediately to WellSpring Oncology for radiation.
Fortunately for Davis, his wife Allie was by his side during his 30 sessions with Zucel Solc, M.D., Board-Certified radiation oncologist at WellSpring Oncology.
“We'd take turns driving the 15 miles from our retirement community in Clearwater for treatments in Pinellas Park,” he explained.
Davis also had the unconditional support of Allie.
“It makes all the difference when you have someone there at your side,” he said.
CLEARWATER - The Board of Directors of Suncoast Hospice, the organization’s leadership, staff and volunteers are deeply saddened to share that Mary J. Labyak, president and CEO of Suncoast Hospice, died Sat. Feb. 4.
Mary died peacefully in the loving care of a Suncoast Hospice patient and family care team, her devoted family and dear friends.
She was a guiding force in end-of-life care and will be greatly missed.
CLEARWATER - Morton Plant Hospital recently performed the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery in the Tampa Bay area.
A treatment for severe aortic stenosis, the TAVR procedure is used for patients who were previously considered inoperable. The first two TAVR procedures were performed at Morton Plant Hospital on Feb. 2.
“The TAVR procedure is a breakthrough in the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis,” said Joshua Rovin, M.D., in a press release. Rovin is a cardiothoracic surgeon and member of the Morton Plant Hospital Valve Clinic Team. “It brings a treatment option to patients where one previously did not exist.”
Aortic stenosis is a disease process that affects the aortic valve. In late stages of the disease, the valve does not properly open and close. This causes the heart to work harder to push blood through the calcified aortic valve and eventually the heart’s muscles weaken, increasing the patient’s risk of heart failure.
ST. PETERSBURG -The merger of three of Florida’s independent, not-for-profit blood centers, Community Blood Centers of Florida Inc., Florida’s Blood Centers Inc. and Florida Blood Services, Inc. is complete and they are now one organization.
The merged organization will operate as OneBlood Inc.
CLEARWATER - As local health departments nationwide strive to protect the public from infectious diseases, bioterrorism, natural disasters, and other public health threats, the National Association of County and City Health Officials has recognized the Pinellas County Health Department for its ability to respond to public health emergencies.
PCHD met the comprehensive preparedness benchmarks required by Project Public Health Ready, a unique partnership between NACCHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We are proud to have been recognized by Project Public Health Ready for our high level of preparedness," said Claude M. Dharamraj, MD, MPH, FAAP, the health department's director. "We will continue to improve our ability to quickly and effectively respond to any public health crisis in Pinellas."
"NACCHO commends the Pinellas County Health Department for being a model of public health emergency preparedness," said Robert Pestronk, executive director of NACCHO. "The public health system is making great strides thanks to the good work of leaders in local public health preparedness such as this one."
Thousands of dental emergencies - from injuries, to a painful, abscessed tooth - take place every day. Would you know what to do if your child broke a tooth or had a tooth knocked out while playing outdoors? What if you had a bad toothache in the middle of the night and couldn’t get to the dentist until the next day? Knowing what to do can lessen the pain and save a tooth that might otherwise be lost.
Keep your dental office phone number and an emergency phone number where the dentist can be reached after hours with other emergency numbers, such as your family doctor and fire and police departments. Some families post these numbers on the refrigerator door or inside a kitchen cabinet door near the phone. Call the dentist immediately for instructions on how to handle a dental emergency.
Toothache: Rinse the mouth with warm water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss or an interdental cleaner to remove any food or other debris that may be caught between the teeth. Never put aspirin or any other painkiller against the gums near the aching tooth. This could burn gum tissue. If the toothache persists, try to see the dentist. Don’t rely on painkillers. They may temporarily relieve pain, but your dentist should evaluate the condition.
Knocked-out (avulsed) tooth: Try to find the tooth! This may not be as easy as you think if the injury took place on a playground, basketball court or while skateboarding, so try to stay calm. Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse the root in water if the tooth is dirty. Don’t scrub it or remove any attached tissue fragments. If it’s possible, gently insert and hold the tooth in its socket while you head to the dentist. Time is critical for successful reimplantation, so try to get to your dentist immediately.
Strawberry celebration CLEARWATER - The Clearwater East Branch Library, 2251 Drew St., will host a celebration in honor of the Florida Strawberry Festival on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2 p.m. The free event is for all ages and will feature strawberry-themed crafts and strawberry treats to sample. KeeLee Tolminson from the Florida Strawberry Festival will share the history of Florida’s strawberries with attendees.
Call 562-4970 or visit www.myclearwater.com/cpl.
Dunedin's Green Market DUNEDIN - Green Market is open Saturdays through the end of July from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Main Street and Douglas Avenue in Dunedin. Vendors offer a wide variety of items including: produce, cheeses, plants and herbs, local honey, all natural pet treats, organic products, nuts, olive salad, pastries and orchids. Free entertainment and parking is available at the Dunedin Green Market. For information, contact the Market Manager, Richard Kendler, at 692-5353 or email GreenMarketManager@verizon.net
Elks of Largo flea market LARGO - The Elks of Largo flea market is Saturday, Feb. 18, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 810 16th Ave. SE.
The market will consist of old and new items, along with arts and crafts and will be open to Elks’ members as well as outside vendors.
The club will set up the market outside in the shady park area. There will be a table space rental fee of $20. Participants are welcome to bring additional tables or a tent.
The lodge will accept donations for Elks’ tables for the reselling of items. Please do not bring clothing, and make sure that all items are clean and in good working order. There will be a rain date of Feb. 25.
Call Debbie at 559-0035 to reserve space, volunteer to help or to advise of a donation.
Roaring Twenties Night LARGO - The Knights of Columbus celebrates its second annual Roaring Twenties Night Saturday, Feb. 18, 6 to 11 p.m., at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 2121 16th Ave. SW.
Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m.; dinner at 7. Each dinner includes a salad, garlic bread and sausage. The music of the 1920s will be provided. For tickets, call Ron Klemm at 804-4804 or John Scozzafva at 422-3753.
Lady in Red sweatheart dance LARGO - The “Lady in Red” sweatheart dance will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, at Largo Community Center, 400 Alt. Keene Road.
The dance is a fundraiser for the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund, a 501c3 charity providing healthcare grants to women throughout the Tampa Bay community for 14 years.
Tickets are $25 before Feb. 12 and $30 at the door if any are available.
The dress is business casual to formal. Professional photographer, jewelry sales, DJ and a nice buffet are offered. All proceeds benefit the health fund.
Call 518-3416.
Energy efficiency workshop PALM HARBOR - In conjunction with the Pinellas County Extension Office, Palm Harbor Library will offer a free energy efficiency workshop on Saturday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to noon, at 2330 Nebraska Ave.
James Stevenson will discuss money saving, energy lowering tips for the home and demonstrate a new Kill-A-Watt monitor. This simple tool, which is available for check-out at all Pinellas County libraries, shows the amount of energy different home electronics use, when in use or even when turned off.
All participants will leave with a Kill-A-Watt monitor that they can borrow for up to 14 days.
To register for the program, go to pinellascountyextension.org, click on Feb. 18, 2012 and then on “Kill-A-Watt Campaign.”
Call 724-3332, ext. 3006.
Saddle Up Riding Club open house PINELLAS PARK - Saddle Up Riding Club will host an open house for its “Saddle Up for Heroes” equine program for veterans on Saturday, Feb. 18, 1:30 to 3 p.m., at 6080 94th Ave.
The event is free and will feature refreshments, a chance to meet the horses and hear from the staff about opportunities available for veterans.
The club was one of 95 nationwide community organizations awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in support of Paralympic sport and physical activity programs for disabled veterans. The grant awards, which range from $2,500 to $500,000, were announced Dec. 22.
For more information about “Saddle Up for Heroes,” call program liaison Angel Watson at 637-1067. Visit www.saddleupridingclub.org.
Super Greek Festival ST. PETERSBURG - The St. Stefanos annual Super Greek Festival will run Feb. 17-19 at St. Stefanos Greek Orthodox Church, 3600 76th St. N.
The festival is a nonreligious event and is open to the public. The festival will celebrate Greek food, Greek culture and the coming together of the St. Petersburg and greater Tampa Bay communities as a whole.
There will be food, music, dancing, raffle and bake sale.
Call 345-8235 or visit www.ststefanos.org.
Fresh Market on Corey Avenue Corey Area Business Association's Fresh Market on Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach, Sundays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 16 through May 2012. The market will feature vendors of fresh and/or organic produce, plants and flowers, spices, foods, handcrafted items, arts and crafts. For vendor information, call Kathi at 727-498-8778. Corey Avenue is just off Gulf Boulevard in downtown St. Pete Beach. Parking is free.
Four Chaplains celebration MADEIRA BEACH - American Legion Post 273 plans a Four Chaplains Day celebration Sunday, Feb. 19, 1 p.m., at the post, 600 American Legion Drive.
The Four Chaplains, also referred to as the “Immortal Chaplains,” were four U.S. Army chaplains who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel during the sinking of the troop ship USAT Dorchester on Feb. 3, 1943 during World War II.
The chaplains helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. The chaplains later joined arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship. The public is invited.
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