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BIRTHDAYS ANNIVERSARIES |
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VOL 20, NO 41, APRIL 29, 2008
IN THIS ISSUE:
FRIDAY’S PROGRAM: "Cardiovascular Prevention," Jeffrey Probstfield, MD. Jeffrey L. Probstfield, MD | Opening Bell | Student of the Month: Robin Doellefeld | Sergeant at Arms Corner | Web Fun
THIS FRIDAY
Major Forrest Poole, Marine Corps Recruiting Station
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“In love, somehow, a man’s heart is always Either Exceeding the speed limit, or getting parked in the wrong place.” ~ Helen Rowland
SECOND THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
A BBRCer, heading up the stairs from the badge box to a fellow member: "So, how can we grow six inches to get this waist-to-height ratio under control?”
The opening bell rang loud and clear as President Phil called the meeting to order. Phil remembered to thank everyone for their strong support over the past week after his temporary loss of memory. He reported that he had no memory, could not write and could not dial a phone. He has now fully recovered and remembers that he is suppose to turn the little crank on the side of the phone box prior to placing the call.
A Ray of Hope: Jeanne Thorsen followed with some thoughts on Spring from one of her favorite TV show, Northern Exposure, and led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Visiting Rotarians and guests were introduced by Scott Sadler. Kemper Freeman and Frank Young represented the Bellevue Noon Club, while Bob Parker and Sandra Brink did the same for the Santa Fe, New Mexico Rotary Club. Guests of members were also introduced.
Jan Kuechle called upon the awesome weather powers of Dick Brown to calm the storm and bring a ray of hope to the huddled masses under the eves waiting with trepidation for the spring day that will open its bright light for the Second Annual BBRC Hike For Healthy Kids. Dick assured as that it will be partly cloudy and “to bring your sunscreen!” So, how did he do?
^
Student of the Month: Robin Doellefeld
The April Student of the Month, Robin Doellefeld from Eastside Christian School, was introduced by Larry May. Robin, a senior and 4.0 student, related how important the lessons were that she learned from her experience with working with small children. They taught her that it is okay to run and skip with joy, smile, cry and love easily. She commented that these lessons are as important as any she experienced in the lecture halls on campus.
Robin's university of choice is Trinity Western, where she is on the wait list for the nursing program. Robin’s mother, Tracy, was with us to celebrate the moment as Larry presented Robin with her Student of the Month plaque.
^
Tom Harrelson appeared on cue and, with a confused look on his face, mumbled something about Charter Member John Smolke having paid for ads in some thinly read publication that on, uh, at, uh, least two instances, published likenesses of said Charter Member without any display of a Rotary pin, or even a mention of Rotary. This cost John $20.00.
(Editors’ Note: If my nose for news is correct, I do believe that John is in line for additional abuse at the hands of the SAA for not keeping his directory page on BBRC website current. How can a guy be in the club since 1985 and not have a classification?)
Round Two: Manfred Markevitch unsuccessfully used his daughter as a shield to deflect a $20.00 fine just because his uncle met the Pope and Manfred happened to “brag” about a “Papal Connection.”
(Editor’s Note: To understand how strong this connection truly is, please refer to Volume 20, Issue #38 of the Reveille where it is noted that Manfred was the recipient of the Lady’s Longest Drive of the Day Award at the Retreat golf outing. For details and clarification, contact Tom Smith.)
Round Three: Chuck Barnes was without any cash when he talked his way into a fifth grade girls basketball playoff game without paying or even pretending to send a check for the admission fee. Chuck felt it wasn’t worth the price of admission since his team of interest failed to score a point. This reprehensible behavior was costly in the view of the Sergeant, and Chuck laid $20.00 on the table.
Round Four: Whatever Tom Miller is doing in West Seattle is pretty swell in the mind of Seattle Magazine, since it published his picture twice. Tom escaped a fine by inviting the entire club over for dinner. The Sergeant ran out of time before a date could be set for this dinner extravaganza, so please stand by with your calendars and your appetites.
^
FRIDAY'S PROGRAM:
"Doctor Walks His Talk,” Jeffrey Probstfield, MD
Dr. Jeffrey (Jeff) Probstfield was introduced to the club by his neighbor, Bob Holert, who confirmed that Jeff was not only a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, but also an early riser who rolls out of bed at 5:00 AM and goes for a five mile walk in one hour and six minutes. The good Doctor then proceeded with a very graphically oriented PowerPoint presentation that convinced the BBRC members in attendance that paying attention to the nine risk factors of CVD, or Cardio Vascular Disease, would allow them an additional 22 years on the planet. This applies to women, as well as men. CVD accounts for 40% of women’s deaths and for over one million American deaths a year.
The problem is compounded by a person’s BMI, or Body Mass Index. A normal BMI is considered to be between 18.5 and 24.9. Between 25.0 and 29.9, you are overweight. If over 30.0, you are considered obese. It is disturbing to Dr. Jeff that American’s have been gaining weight over the past 20 years to the point that now 11 states have at least 25% of their population with BMI’s that exceed 30. Associated with this trend are increased levels of chronic heart disease, chronic vascular disease and diabetes.
So, how can we improve our survival rates? By paying attention to the Nine Risk Factors. “And what might these be?”
Smoking, Diet, Exercise, Alcohol, Hypertension,
Diabetes, Obesity, Annual Physical,
ApoB/ApoA-1 (Lipids)
Tobacco use is the number one factor. If you smoke, quit. If you don’t smoke, avoid places where others do, for second hand smoke can be just as injurious.
Diet (See Dietary Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle)
Exercise: Nike got it right: Just DO IT! Dr Jeff recommends 60 minutes 6 times a week.
Alcohol: One drink per day (Days are not accumulative and you cannot "drink ahead.")
Get your BMI under 30. If you feel that muscle mass is inflating your BMI, just remember to keep your waist line to half your height. (Waist line is measured around the greatest mass and not to be confused with the belt line.)
Diabetes: Diet and Exercise have proven to be the best course of action based upon clinical trials with medication.
Dr. Jeff presented a graphic showing the results for a middle aged male that went from 208 pounds to 182 pounds in one year and three months and has managed to maintain the weight around 180 pounds for the past six years. He went on to say that he has a vested interest in this individual since, “It’s Me!” He went on, “How could I walk in and tell my patients to follow a healthy regimen if I did not present that image to them?”
The good news is that you must keep up the exercise to keep off the weight. A cartoon is now showing a doctor counseling a patient:” So, what fits your busy schedule better, one hour of exercise or being dead 24 hours?”
President Phil presented Dr. Jeff with a certificate indicating that 750 pounds of fresh produce have been donated on his behalf to Rotary First Harvest.
Thought for the day: Helen Rowland, “In Love, somehow, a Man’s Heart is Always Either Exceeding the Speed Limit, or Getting Parked in the Wrong Place.”
Dietary Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle:
1. Choose high-fiber, low glycemic index carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits
2. Eat lean protein at all three meals
3. Consume nuts on a daily basis, about one handful (with a closed fist). Eat with vegetables, berries, other fruits or grains.
4. Eat a salad of leafy greens dressed with vinegar and virgin olive oil on a daily basis
5. Avoid highly processed foods and drinks, especially those containing sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, white flour or trans-fats.
6. Keep serving size modest.
7. Avoid being overweight or obese. Maintain a waist circumference less than one-half of your height.
8. Engage in 30 minutes or more of daily physical activity of at least moderate intensity.
9. Consider consuming one alcoholic drink before, or with, the evening meal (for those without a history of substance .)
^
Let's hear it for Costco!
Steve Wilson, Investigative Reporter
Channel 7 News, Detroit
Steve Wilson, an investigative reporter for Channel 7 News in Detroit, did a story on generic drug price gouging by pharmacies. He found in his investigation, that some of these generic drugs were marked up as much as 3,000% or more. No, that's not a typo ... three thousand percent!
Mr. Wilson did a thorough research, and checked out all the major drugstore chains, discount chains, independent pharmacies, and even checked on some Canadian pharmacies. So often, we blame the drug companies for the high cost of drugs, and usually rightfully so. But in this case, the fault clearly lies with the pharmacies themselves.
For example, if you had to buy a prescription drug and bought the name brand, you might pay $100 for 100 pills. The pharmacist might tell you that if you get the generic equivalent, they would only cost $80, making you think you are "saving" $20. What the pharmacist is not telling you is that those 100 genericpills may have only cost him $10!
At the end of the report, one of the anchors asked Mr. Wilson whether or not there were any pharmacies that did not adhere to this practice, and he said that Costco consistently charged little over their cost for the generic drugs. They gave the link to Costco, and you can go online and check prices for yourself.
I went to the Costco site, where you can look up any drug and get it's online price. It says that the in-store prices are consistent with the online prices. I was appalled. Just to give you one example from my own experience, I had to use the drug, Compazine, which helps prevent nausea in chemo patients. I used the generic equivalent, which cost $54.99 for 60 pills at CVS. I checked the price at Costco, and I could have bought 100 pills for $19.89. For 145 of my pain pills, I paid $72.57. I could have got 150 at Costco for $28.08.
I would like to mention, that although Costco is a "membership" type store, you do NOT have to be a member to buy prescriptions there, as it is a federally regulated substance. You just tell them at the door that you wish to use the pharmacy, and they will let you in.
Celebrex: 100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
Percent markup: 21,712%
Claritin: 10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%
Keflex: 250 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
Percent markup: 8,372%
Lipitor:20 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
Percent markup: 4,696%
Norvasc:10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
Percent markup: 1 34,493%
Paxil: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
Percent markup: 2,898%
Prevacid:30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%
Prilosec: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
Percent markup: 69,417%
Prozac:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%
Tenormin:50 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $104.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.13
Percent markup: 80,362%
Vasotec: 10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
Percent markup: 51,185%
Xanax: 1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
Percent markup: 569,958%
Zestril:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) $89.89
Cost of general active ingredients $3.20
Percent markup: 2,809
Zithromax:600 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $1,482.19
Cost of general active ingredients: $18.78
Percent markup: 7,892%
Zocor:40 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $350.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $8.63
Percent markup: 4,059%
Zoloft: 50 mg
Consumer price: $206.87
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
Percent markup: 11,821%
APRIL
