PULSE AFTER CANCER CHILDRENS HOSPITAL NURSE HELPS YOUNG SURVIVORS MOVE ON.THIRTY YEARS ago, only 30 percent of the children diagnosed with cancer survived. Today, nearly 70 percent survive. Kathy Ruccione, nursing administrator at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , has made sure those survivors have the tools they need for life after cancer. Ruccione, a Burbank resident and registered nurse, is co-author of ``Childhood Cancer Survivors Cancer survivors are those individuals with cancer of any type, current or past, who are still living. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) pioneered the definition of survivor as from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life, a person diagnosed with : A Practical Guide to Your Future.'' She also developed the Long-term Information Follow-up and Evaluation (LIFE) program at Childrens Hospital. The LIFE program, which serves as a national model, provides recommendations for health care into adulthood, educational resources and support groups. ``It's been an exciting time to be in childhood cancer,'' said Ruccione, who joined Childrens Hospital in 1973. ``The progress has been phenomenal - and it's been in my lifetime.'' Ruccione wrote the book, published in 2000, with Nancy Keene, the parent of a child who survived leukemia, and Wendy Hobbie, a registered nurse in Philadelphia. Over the years, Ruccione found that children and their parents didn't want to burden doctors with their worries and concerns. They often turned to nurses with questions about long-term complications and care. The book serves as a resource and lets survivors know they're not alone, she said. ``The thing that keeps me going is seeing their progress,'' Ruccione said. ``Kids are so resilient. They will bounce back as best they can from almost anything.'' Ruccione also has led eight childhood cancer studies and is an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at USC's Keck School of Medicine. Her efforts will be recognized in November, when she is inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) generates, synthesizes, and disseminates nursing knowledge to contribute to health policy and practice for the benefit of the public and the nursing profession. . ``This is extraordinary recognition,'' said Mary Dee Hacker, a registered nurse and vice president of patient care services at Childrens Hospital. ``Kathy's career has been devoted to the care of children with cancer. Her commitment has been to their dignity and empowerment.'' - Mariko Thompson TENNIS, ANYONE? Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located within the city of Santa Monica, California, USA. The hospital was founded in 1926, and has 337 beds. The hospital is also known internationally for operating its Rape Treatment Center, and the adjoining is looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. tennis players to participate in the fifth annual Westside Challenge to Beat Breast Cancer event on Sept. 21 at UCLA's Los Angeles Tennis Center. More than 80 tennis players of all levels will play in the round-robin tournament A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a type of group tournament in which each participant plays every other participant an equal number of times. In a single round-robin schedule, each participant plays every other participant once. , with proceeds benefiting the low-cost mammography mammography, diagnostic procedure that uses low-dose X rays to detect abnormalities in the breasts. The early diagnosis of breast cancer made possible by the routine use of mammography for screening women increases a woman's treatment alternatives and improves her screening program at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. The event will feature family entertainment, a silent auction and awards ceremony. Massages and souvenir bags will be given to all players. For more information, call Rick Grant at (310) 573-1606. - M.T. HEALTH TO GO: Keeping up with the public's mobile throw-away lifestyle, a number of manufacturers have created disposable first aid. Among the healthy quickies are Q-tips Treat&Go, individually wrapped cotton swabs dipped in Bacitracin bacitracin (băs'ĭtrā`sĭn), antibiotic produced by a strain of the bacterial species Bacillus subtilis. It is widely used for topical therapy such as for skin and eye infections; it is effective against gram-positive bacteria, antibiotic ointment antibiotic ointment Any of a number of topical antibacterial ointments or creams for cuts and scrapes, plus two aimed at dental hygiene dental hygiene n. The practice of keeping the mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy to prevent disease. Also called oral hygiene. . Crest Whitestrips are clear, flexible strips that stick to your teeth and whiten them with an acceptable-tasting peroxide-based gel, and can be worn while driving to work, according to the instructions. For those times when you can't brush your teeth, Supersmile's new In-between Mouthrinse is ideal. It's a portable leak-free ``cup'' of dry mouthwash mouthwash /mouth·wash/ (mouth´wosh) a solution for rinsing the mouth. mouth·wash n. A medicated liquid for cleaning the mouth and treating diseased mucous membranes. crystals to whiten teeth while getting rid of cigarette, garlic or espresso odors and is designed to be filled with water. All you do is rip off the top, pour some of your favorite brand of bottled water (which you probably have in the car), swish and spit. It tastes a bit medicinal at first but leaves your teeth feeling surprisingly clean. The Supersmile packets are sold in boxes of 60 for $26 at www.supersmileusa.com, while the Crest Whitestrips are $40 for a 14-day supply at Target, Sav-on and markets. The Q-tips for minor injuries come in a box of 15 for $4.49 at grocery and drug stores. - Barbara De Witt CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1) ``Kids are so resilient. They will bounce back ... from almost anything,'' says Burbank resident Kathy Ruccione, the nursing administrator at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and co-author of ``Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future.'' John McCoy/Staff Photographer (2 -- 4) no caption (disposable first-aid and dental-care packets) |
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