Submitted by Anneliese Means, RN, BSN, Community Health Nurse
The flu viruses have arrived in Tulalip but it’s not too late to vaccinate – Get your flu vaccine today!
This week at the Tulalip Health Clinic we diagnosed and treated three children with the flu under the age of seven. Unfortunately it is our children, elders (over the age of 50), and our pregnant women who are at high risk of having flu related complications (like severe illness, hospitalization, and even death). The flu season could stretch all the way into May this year so it is not too late to vaccinate!
For millions of people every season, the flu can mean a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, fatigue, and miserable days spent in bed. However, you may not realize that each flu season, flu also causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and thousands or sometimes tens of thousands of deaths.
How dod I know if I have the flu?
If you have a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, or fatigue you might have the flu.
What can I do?
Prevent the flu by getting your flu vaccination, covering your cough, and regularly washing your hands (for 30 seconds or more).
When you are sick, wash your hands, cover your cough, stay away from loved ones, and go to the doctor quickly to be checked for the flu.
Studies show that flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. This is why CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older (including pregnant women). Flu vaccines are available at the Tulalip Health Clinic as a shot and as a nasal spray through a walk-in nurse visit for vaccination.
Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic (360-716-4511)
Nurse Visit/Vaccination Walk-In Days:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
Hours: 8am-11:30am and 1pm-3:30pm
Wednesday
Hours: 10am-11:30am and 1pm-4pm
To learn more about high risk conditions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm
Tulalip Pharmacist Jane Jacobson describes the contents and uses of a Narcan kit, which are available at the Tulalip Pharmacy. Photo/Niki Cleary
by Niki Cleary, Tulalip News
It’s the time of year that we gather together with our family, reminisce about favorite memories and create new ones. While the holidays are a time of love and generosity, for those down on their luck they can be a painful reminder of better times. Holidays can also bring the added stress of creating the perfect holiday experience (usually accompanied by consumer debt) and they can heighten emotions grief and loss. Many cope with the stress and pain by leaning on prescription drugs or opiates.
Too often deaths in our community are a result of drug overdose. According to a report released early this year, one out of every five heroin deaths in the State occurred in Snohomish County (you can view the report http://www.snohd.org/Records-Reports/Data-Reports). Combined with the fact that drug use spikes during the holidays, chances are someone you know may be in danger of opiate overdose this season.
Other than abstinence, there’s no surefire way to prevent overdose, and the stigma surrounding addiction often prevents people from being willing to even discuss the possibility of a family member’s use or potential overuse of drugs. Tulalip citizen Rico Madison lost his mother to an opiate overdose; the experience has made him passionate about changing the culture of hiding drug addiction.
“I do this because everybody has someone close to them,” he said. “Everyone has been in a situation where they rejected someone who asked for help, or someone they wish they could have helped.”
One of the primary tools to offset the harm of drug addiction is Narcan, also known as Naloxone.
“Narcan is a way to help without enabling,” Rico continued. “It’s like a fire extinguisher, it can’t hurt, it can only help.”
Rico campaigns constantly to encourage everyone to purchase a Narcan kit. Most insurances will cover at least part of the cost.
The simple explanation of a deadly opiate overdose is that the effects of opiates cause your brain to shut down the normally automatic impulse to breathe. Without oxygen to the body, the heart stops and brain damage and death follow. Narcan is a narcotic antagonist; it blocks opiate receptors, which can temporarily halt the effects of the opiate.
Tulalip Pharmacist Jane Jacobson explained, “This is not a fix, it’s a last resort. A dose will wear off in 30-90 minutes, so you still need to call 911, because when it wears off the patient will be back into overdose.”
She described the ‘look’ of an opiate overdose, “They may look like they’re sleeping. They may be breathing very slowly. They may breathe in a long, slow gasp, followed by a long pause. They may have blue or gray lips or may be unresponsive. When a person is only breathing 5-10 breaths a minute, you are looking at brain damage.
“If you even think someone may be overdosing on opiates administer Narcan immediately,” she instructed. “It only works on opiates, if someone is overdosing on something else, this won’t hurt them. There are two doses in your kit. If there’s no effect within two to three minutes, use the other syringe, start rescue breaths and call 911.”
Due to Rico’s activism, Tulalip enacted the Lois Luella Jones Good Samaritan Law, a law that offers limited exemption from prosecution if a person calls 911 for help with an overdose.
“With the Good Samaritan Law you will not be arrested for drug paraphernalia, underage drinking, or non-violent misdemeanors,” explained Jane. “Sometimes addicts want to help, but they don’t call 911 because they’re afraid they will be arrested.”
Narcan kits are available at the Tulalip Pharmacy. Tulalip employee insurance covers the cost with only $8.00 co-pay, and Washington’s Applecare covers the kits at 100%. For the uninsured, the kits cost $105 for non-Tulalips and $65 for Tulalip citizens.
Each kit comes with a pharmacist’s consultation and purchasers watch a video that explains how to use it. Photo/Niki Cleary
“We have a lot of kits in stock, made up and ready to go,” said Jane. She pointed out that the kits, while generally sought after by families and friends of those suffering addiction, are useful for many populations.
“We also recommend people on chronic pain management medications have kits on hand as well,” she said. “Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’s here if you do. It’s better to have a kit just in case than be in a situation where you could have used it and saw a friend or family member pass away when you could have gotten something to save them.”
If you have a kit and use one dose, replace it even though there’s another dose still in the kit.
“You always want the second dose,” said Jane, reminding that sometimes a single dose isn’t enough to halt the overdose. Each kit comes with a pharmacist’s consultation and purchasers watch a video to explain how to use it. Narcan is prescribed as a four-day supply, so a client can pick up a new kit every four days if they choose.
“If people want to come in and get kits as a family, we can do that too,” said Jane.
“I don’t want to go to another funeral because of overdose,” said Rico. “I want people to understand that it’s easy, it’s the difference between life and death and it only takes 20 minutes.”
A fire extinguisher, a life preserver, a first aid/CPR class; we don’t think twice about most tools designed to save lives. If you can learn something or buy something and save someone’s life, it’s a no-brainer, right? Narcan is no different. This holiday season, while you’re shopping and heading to and from dinners and holiday parties, please think about scheduling a trip to the Tulalip Pharmacy to pick up a Narcan kit. It may be that the greatest gift you give this year, is saving someone’s life.
Damen Bell-Holter is used to making headlines, as the first member of the Haida Nation to ever step on an NBA floor.
Now the 25-year-old, 6’9″ gentle giant, a former member of the Boston Celtics, is making headlines of a different kind. Bell-Holter, now playing professionally overseas in Finland, is speaking out about the issue of youth suicides, which have plagued First Nations communities.
I sat down with him to find out why the issue touches home for him — and how he is taking action.
CT: Why has youth suicide become a signature issue for you?
DBH: Growing up in Hydaburg, Alaska, it was a big problem. My home life wasn’t ideal, with alcoholism and abuse and all those things. I had cousins who committed suicide. When you’re in a town that small, with only around 300 people, almost everyone’s family has been through it. It seemed like there was a suicide every year.
CT: What’s going on, and why is this happening?
DBH: When you’re stuck in small communities, that’s all you can see. You don’t really have big hopes for the future. I was extremely fortunate because I had basketball as an outlet, which was huge for me. But if you don’t have an outlet like that, there’s a lot of negativity in these small towns. And all it takes is one moment of weakness and struggle.
CT: What have you decided to do about it?
DBH: Since my sophomore year in college, I’ve been holding basketball camps for kids every single year. My goal was to give back and work with kids, and since I started doing that, I discovered what a big issue youth suicide is in so many communities. It’s a real pattern.
As a result, about 60-70 per cent of the time in my camps doesn’t even involve basketball. I talk to kids about domestic violence, about alcohol abuse, about drugs. I’ve done over 40 of these camps over the last few years, all the way from Alaska, to Haida Gwaii, to mainland B.C., to reservations in lower 48 states like Washington, Oregon and Utah.
CT: Why is it so important for First Nations kids to hear from you?
DBH: Kids in these small communities are really stubborn. If someone from the lower 48 states is talking to them, they just think, ‘You don’t know what we go through.’ But when I come and talk to them about my home-life growing up, then they realize, ‘Hey, that’s my story too.’
CT: Losing young people in this way is particularly heartbreaking. What would you say to communities going through this?
DBH: The biggest thing is to keep kids involved. Demonstrate a lot of positivity, make sure kids are coming to the gym, keep them active, and show them that you care. Some communities, like Skidegate on Haida Gwaii, are really great at that.
CT: To kids who are in a dark place right now, what would you say to them?
DBH: Your home-life doesn’t have to dictate your future and how you feel about yourself. Suicide doesn’t have to be an option. Everyone has struggles: I had thoughts of suicide when I was a kid, too. I thought there was nothing better for me out there. But if I had taken my own life, I would have affected my family and my community for generations to come. I wouldn’t be here sharing my story right now.
CT: How has the response been to your youth camps?
DBH: The great thing about native communities is that when someone does something special, everyone really comes together to support them. I’ve had so much support from Haida Gwaii, and towns like Skidegate and Masset, with people telling me they’re proud of me. Hopefully I’ll have an effect on these kids, even just a few of them, because here I am — Haida from a small Alaska town of 300 — and I’ve seen the highest levels of basketball in the world, doing things I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do.
Young children are told not to fear the monsters under their beds and many families hang Native American dream-catchers to capture the dark spirits that haunt their children’s sleep. According to Lakota legend, the first dream-catcher was crafted as a lesson by Iktomi, a trickster and shape shifting spirit who had taken the form of a spider. Using a hoop made of willow, the spider wove his web as a filter that allowed good thoughts to pass through while trapping the evil forces determined to cause harm. Placed above the sleeping area, the dream-catcher served to reassure the child that their good dreams would travel down the feathers to reach them as they slept while the bad dreams and spirits would get caught up in the web and vanish when touched by the morning light.
Tragically, for those suffering from anxiety, depression and suicidal hopelessness, the demons that haunt them are rarely vanquished with the daylight, leaving their loved ones desperate to reach them with a message of reassurance and comfort.
When it comes to communication, Kay Feather, a licensed mental health counselor at the Behavioral Health and Family Services Center advocates for what she calls the “cup of hot cocoa” approach. Sometimes simply being present and “listening with your heart” can make a big difference. “Go for a drive, share a cup of cocoa, step-in and share your concern,” Feather suggests. A gentle, nurturing approach can serve as an effective place to begin a conversation. Even a “presence-filled silence” can serve to validate feelings and offer the “respect of the moment.”
Family and community traditions are the very foundation of holiday celebrations and sometimes serve as a painful reminder of loss and grief, especially for young tribal members who share an enduring connection to their ancestors and larger extended families. While the holidays can be a time for heavy reflection, they also offer an opportunity to positively connect with friends and family to check-in on their emotional well-being.
Being mindful and watching for warning signs of depression or suicidal ideation can help save a life and serve to help weave a web of safety and security for those struggling with the monsters under the bed and the monsters inside their heads.
Suicide warning signs from The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Talking about wanting to die or kill themselves.
Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online or buying a gun.
Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
Talking about being a burden to others.
Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
Sleeping too little or too much.
Withdrawing or isolating themselves.
Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
Displaying extreme mood swings.
For more information on depression and suicide contact Tulalip Tribes Behavioral Health Family Services at (360) 716-4400 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. For emergency intervention, dial 911.
Tulalip Tribes Family Services is excited to announce we are now offering evening class for Problem Gambling treatment. Our Evening class will be facilitated by Steve Gardner CDP, WSGCC-I. The class will be held on Thursdays starting on December 3rd, 2015 at 4:00-7:00pm. This intensive psycho-educational group will focus on basic knowledge of Gambling addiction, and learning coping strategies for relapse prevention, and developing financial management skills. To enroll in the class you would need to contact Tulalip Tribes Family Services at 360-716-4304. Our services are free and we are state certified, trained, experience, licensed counselors.
Our Problem Gambling mission statement ‘Our goal at Family Services Problem Gambling Program is to assist individuals, and family members through the recovery process; guiding them to resume their life with a renewed sense of balance, health, responsibility and purpose’. In addition, Tulalip Tribes Family Services P.G. program provides a variety of counseling services including; Family Counseling, Couples counseling, Consultation, Monthly Family Night, Referrals, Education/Outreach, Assessments and Women’s Healing Circle Relapse Prevention Group. Our services are culturally based, culturally responsive and client centered. Contact us if you would like more information or if you are interested in a presentation for your department or group. 360-716-4304 or Washington State Helpline at 1-800-547-6133
Early detection is key for the treatment of heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, and many other diseases that disproportionately affect men. However, men are less likely to seek preventative care than women. Despite growing awareness, men usually take a back seat approach to maintaining their health. We will shy away from seeking advice, delaying possible treatment and/or waiting until symptoms become so bad we have no other option but to seek medical attention. To make matters worse, we refuse to participate in the simple and harmless pursuit of undergoing annual screenings.
Enter the Annual Men’s Health Fair held at the Karen I. Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic on October 6. This year’s health fair provided us men the opportunity to become more aware of our own health. With various health screenings being offered for the low, low price of FREE we were able to get in the driver’s seat and take charge of our own health. Cholesterol, prostate, screening, and oral cancer screenings were among the options for men to participate in. Along with all the preventative health benefits of participating in these screenings, as if that was not reason enough, they gave out prizes and a complimentary lunch to every man who showed up.
At 16.1 percent, Native Americans have the highest age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes among all U.S. racial and ethnic groups. Also, Native Americans are 2.2 times more likelyto have diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites (per Diabetes.org). Clearly we are at a greater risk when it comes to diabetes, making it all more crucial to have glucose testing and diabetes screenings performed on an annual basis. For those men who attended the health fair, they were able to quickly have their glucose (blood sugar) tested with just a prick of the finger.
“The blood glucose test is a random check. Random is good, but doesn’t give you all the information which is why we do the A1C testing. It’s just nice to know if you are walking around with high blood sugar. This is a good way of saying ‘Hey, you need to go see your doctor.’ It’s not a definitive diagnosis,” said Nurse Anneliese Means of the blood sugar test.
Taking diabetes awareness one step further, an A1C test was available, by way of a blood draw that would also be used to test for high cholesterol.
“A1C is a diabetes screen. A1C is more of a long term indicator of glucose control as opposed to a regular blood glucose screening, which is here and now. A1C tells you what your blood glucose has been doing for the past 3 to 4 months,” states lab technician Brenda Norton.
How often should we have a diabetes screening performed? “Everyone should be checked once a year,” Norton said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the first and stroke the sixth leading cause of death among Native Americans. High blood pressure is a precursor to possible heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure is also very easily detected by having routine checks of your blood pressure taken periodically.
Attendees recieved a free posture analysis from Health First Chiropractic of Marysville.
Representatives from Health First Chiropractic, the Marysville branch, were on hand as well to offer a free posture analysis. Using a spinal analysis machine, the patient advocate conducted postural exams on a number of men and reviewed the results with each participant. Good posture can help you exercise more safely and achieve better general health. When you sit or stand correctly, your organs will be better aligned, which reduces indigestion and helps your lungs to function at full capacity. Your core muscles will be strengthened and your back and shoulders will feel more comfortable.
Jeff O’Larey, Meat Field Specialist for Haggen, offered a presentation to about 20 men and a few members of the Tulalip Wisdom Warriors program. Topics ranged from appropriate portion sizes especially in regards to meat, discussing the benefits of free-range food sources, sodium and nitrate counts in processed foods, and general food safety concerns. After the presentation, each participant was given a few quality, choice cuts of beef to enjoy later.
Along with the various health screenings being offered there were information booths available that ranged from alternative health care options in the local area, ways to have cleaner air in your home, and methods to change eating habits as to live a heathier lifestyle. There was a booth where we could have our grip tested, a method used for assessing joint and muscle fatigue. Another booth offered us the opportunity to have our BMI (body mass index) and body fat percentage measured. Wondered if you need to cut back on those weekend treats? Or if you need to start leading a more active lifestyle? Well if that BMI was too high and you didn’t like what your body fat percentage was, now you know the answer.
Face it, as we get older, we all need to become more aware of the inevitable health concerns that may one day affect us. The possibility of having to deal with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or the possibility of prostate cancer looms over us all. The only way to avoid such health concerns to heighten our awareness of these preventable conditions. Health educators empower us to be more proactive about our health by getting annual screenings, detecting issues early, as well as seeking medical treatment before a simple, treatable issue becomes life altering.
To all of the men who attended the Men’s Health Fair, Jennie Fryberg, Health Information Manager, issued the following statement, “First, I want to thank the Tulalip Tribes for sponsoring our Tulalip Health Fairs this year. Prevention, prevention, prevention. Also, I want to thank all the men that came out today for the annual men’s health fair. Way to come and take care of your health. I hope you all enjoyed today’s fair.”
Attendees at the Tobacco-Free Together Day not only received help to quit smoking, they also learned weaving and beading as a way to use cultural activities to cope with and get through nicotine cravings. Photo/Micheal Rios
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Smoke Salmon, Not Cigarettes. That was the theme at this year’s first ever Tobacco-Free Together Day, held on Wednesday, October 28 at Greg Williams Court from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Planned by the Adult and Youth Smoking Cessation programs, the event brought members of the Tulalip community together with the goal of getting as many people as possible to quit smoking for the day, begin thinking about quitting, and celebrating a journey to becoming smoke-free together.
Some quick, sobering facts. Although Native Americans make up approximately 1% of the United States population, we have the highest smoking rates of any racial/ethnic group in the United States. Two out of every five Native Americans will die from tobacco-related diseases if the current smoking rate of 40.8% persist. Currently, there is no proven, effective culturally-tailored smoking cessation program designed specifically for the Native American population.
Fortunately, there are dedicated folks within Tulalip’s Smoking Cessation programs who are committed to creating culturally-tailored stop-smoking events and strategies to help combat cigarette smoking, the number one cause of preventable death among Native Americans.
“Attendees shared a salmon lunch, learned some interesting facts about nicotine, and received a goodie bag including smoked salmon, facts about tobacco, and shirts sporting our motto for the event, ‘smoke salmon, not cigarettes’,” said Ashley Tiedman, Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator. “It was a very positive day full of good vibes! On top of the delicious lunch, we had the Rediscovery Program from Hibulb Cultural Center on hand teaching attendees cedar weaving. Also, Taylor Henry taught beading as a way to use cultural activities to cope with and get through nicotine cravings.
Photo/Micheal Rios
“It was a great start for an event we plan to have annually. A total of 120 people attended. Of those, about 30 people were thinking about quitting smoking, currently quitting, or committed to quit for the day.
“I really look forward to how this event will grow,” continued Ashley. “Tobacco-Free Together Day is a day for the whole community, whether you smoke or not, to come together and celebrate being smoke-free. The goal of this event was to help raise awareness on the dangers of smoking while also being a fun and relaxing environment where people wouldn’t feel pressured to quit, but be able to walk away with valuable resources rooted in culture, so when they’re ready to quit they’ll know what is available to help them on their journey to becoming smoke-free.”
Ready to quit smoking? Tulalip Tribes Stop Smoking Program can be reached at (360) 716-5719. Please call for supplies and support in your journey to become smoke-free.
Contact Micheal Rios at mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
There’s a new place in Marysville to heal the body and mind and nourish the soul: Sparks Hot Yoga.
Today, Tulalip Tribal members, Quil Ceda and Tulalip Elementary students and Marysville community members helped shop owner Jennifer Garner celebrate the grand opening. The ceremony included dancing, drumming and singing followed by the ribbon cutting.
Jennifer, a former teacher at Quil Ceda and Tulalip Elementary, was pleased to have some of her former students in attendance.
“I taught in the [Marysville School] district for fifteen years and it was such a rough year that I wanted to serve the community in a different way. And I think the adults need this to continue to help the kids. We give so much and the kids need so much right now with everything they’re going through, so the adults can come here for a hour and leave a little stronger,” said Jennifer about her focus and goals of the new yoga studio.
Jennifer Garner, Owner of Sparks Yoga Studio in Marysville, celebrates with her daughter.
While touring the facility, which includes a beautiful heated studio, attendees lined up for membership enrollment. Spark Hot Yoga of Marysville offers Hatha, Vinyasa flow, Sculpt, Yin and Kids Yoga classes.
Visit www.sparkhotyogastudio.com for information and new membership specials. Sparks Hot Yoga is located at 6608 64th St.NE, Suite , Marysville, WA 98271.
