The Nurse's Corner - Bladder Health Month

Each month I highlight a health topic in the news­letter. Feel free to suggest health con­cerns that you would like to see added in future months.

Blessings,
Carol Savoie R.N.

Bladder Health Month

Key Bladder Facts

· It's normal to go to the bathroom 4 to 8 times a day and no more than twice a night.

· The bladder is a hollow, balloon-shaped organ, and is made mostly of muscle.

· When the bladder is empty it looks like a deflated balloon. The shape of a bladder changes when it fills up.

· Urine is produced in the kidneys. It flows through tubes called ureters into the bladder.

· The bladder muscle helps you urinate by squeezing to force the urine out.

· Women have shorter urethras than men. Women are more likely to get a bladder infection as bacteria from outside the body can get into the urinary system easier.

· On average, the bladder holds about 2 cups of urine (about 16 ounces).

Bladder Health Tips

· Drink plenty of water. Strive to drink 6 to 8 cups of water each day.

· Cut down on the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink - these may upset your bladder. Limit your intake of coffee, tea or cola as these can heighten bladder activity and lead to leakage.

· Women should sit to go to the toilet - they should not hover over the toilet seat.

· Take your time when on the toilet so that your bladder can empty - if you rush, and do not empty your bladder fully, over time, you could get a bladder infection.

· Stay away from foods that bother the bladder. Some foods can worsen incontinence. Skip foods like chocolate (also a source of caffeine), as well as spicy or acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits.

· Keep your pelvic floor muscles strong with pelvic floor muscle training.

· Stop smoking. It is of great value to stop smoking for your bladder health - using tobacco is a major cause of bladder cancer.

What is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in Adults?

A UTI is when bacteria gets into your urine and travels up to your bladder. UTIs cause more than 8.1 million visits to health care providers each year. About 10 in 25 women and 3 in 25 men will have symptoms of at least 1 UTI during their lifetime.

How Does the Urinary Tract Work?

The urinary tract makes and stores urine, one of the waste products of your body. Urine is made in the kidneys and travels down the ureters to the bladder. The bladder stores the urine until it is emptied through the urethra, a tube that connects the bladder to the skin, when you urinate. The opening of the urethra is at the end of the penis in a male and in front of the vagina in a female.

The kidneys are a pair of fist-sized organs in the back that filter liquid waste from the blood and remove it from the body in the form of urine. Kidneys balance the levels of many chemicals in the body (sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and others) and check the blood's acidity. Certain hormones are also made in the kidneys. These hormones help control blood pressure, boost red blood cell production and help make strong bones. Normal urine has no bacteria in it, and the one-way flow helps prevent infections. Still, bacteria may get into the urine from the urethra and travel up into the bladder.

What is Bladder Cancer?

Cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the body. These extra cells grow together and form masses called tumors. In bladder cancer, these tumors form in the bladder. The bladder is where urine (liquid waste made by the kidneys) is stored in the body. In 2016, more than 77,000 Americans will be diagnosed with bladder cancer. Men are almost 4 times more likely than women to be diagnosed. About 16,000 Americans will die of bladder cancer this year. Over time, doctors have made progress with better treatments, and more people survive.

What is Neurogenic Bladder?

Millions of Americans have neurogenic bladder. Neurogenic bladder is the name given to a number of urinary conditions in people who lack bladder control due to a brain, spinal cord or nerve problem. This nerve damage can be the result of diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease or diabetes. It can also be caused by infection of the brain or spinal cord, heavy metal poisoning, stroke, spinal cord injury, or major pelvic surgery. People who are born with problems of the spinal cord, such as spina bifida, may also have this type of bladder problem. Nerves in the body control how the bladder stores or empties urine, and problems with these nerves cause overactive bladder (OAB), incontinence, and underactive bladder (UAB) or obstructive bladder, in which the flow of urine is blocked.

Information obtained from www.urologyhealth.org

from November 2016 newsletter 

From The Pugh...

This time of year we prepare for Reformation and Thanksgiving Worship. Times of reflecting on our Lutheran Heritage and all we are blessed with and thankful for, which for us at Bethlehem is a lot.

Reformation is a time we remember where we came from. This week I was reading the Trinity Seminary newsletter and Trinity President Rick Barger shared these words I wanted to pass on to you:

   The challenge we face together is a deeply missional one for the whole church. The question is, as one colleague puts it, “Are we collectively committed to having a robust Lutheran witness?” I want my grandchildren to be impacted by a robust Lutheran witness because:

• The primacy of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the Lutheran witness.  Christ alone brings about salvation by grace and faith alone.

• To be Lutheran is to be Jesus people. “Jesus is the messiah” is the content of our good news.  A Lutheran witness may engage in activism, but we do so as an outcome to the gospel.  “Jesus is the messiah” and the eschatology embedded in that claim is the only proclamation that can heal this deeply broken world.

• To be Lutheran means to honor the “priesthood” of all people. Everybody has a stake and is called into the church’s mission.

• To be Lutheran means that we do not exist for ourselves. We exist for the sake of the world. 

• The sacramental life of the church matters, not because Baptism and Eucharist are rituals, but because they embody the content of the gospel. 

• Finally, to be Lutheran is not about Lutheran as a noun. We get into trouble when we think of Lutheranism as a noun. Better to think of Lutheran as a verb, meaning that it is a way of living the gospel in the world.

 

Being Lutheran is who we are. It is how we think and how we act. The questions we have to wrestle with today are, “How do we continue to share being Lutheran with the world?” What are you willing to donate your time, you treasure and your talent towards?

November 13^th Pastor John Schaumburg will lead Bethlehem in a visioning process. What direction do we as members of Bethlehem see God calling us to follow in the next 3-5 years? The event will begin following worship at 10:30am. We will eat lunch together and continue into the afternoon. We will listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as we answer questions and dream dreams. The entire congregation of Bethlehem is encouraged to attend. This is your time to have your voice heard. If you choose not to come then we ask you to support the decisions made by the people who make this a priority.

In preparation for this time together I leave you with these questions to ponder that Pastor Bill Rindy shared during the last Rio Salado Conference meeting:

1. Why in God’s name does Bethlehem exist?
2. What is Bethlehem being called to do for Christ’s sake?
3. What gifts has the Holy Spirit resourced Bethlehem with?

Bethlehem is not our church. Bethlehem is God’s church. Bethlehem exists to worship and serve God. We are God’s hands and feet. Join me on November 13 as we map out together the next road Christ is leading us down. Let everyone know far and wide that Bethlehem “Is a Home to Share God’s Love and Grace.” And all God’s people say…AMEN!

from the November 2016 newsletter

Noah’s Ark Preschool & Kindergarten 3rd Annual Craft Fair

Calling All Crafters!

On Saturday, November 19th from  9:00 am - 1:00 pm, Noah’s Ark Preschool & Kindergarten will host their 3rd Annual Craft Fair.  Tables are only $40! Spaces are available inside the building and outside in the parking lot.

Contact:   Arlene Jacobson or  Jill Majestic.

Feed My Starving Children  

Youth Group Service Project

 

The Youth Group will be packing food for Feed My Starving Children in October.

The Youth need five financial sponsors of $50 each. The $50 pays for the food they will be packing. If you’d like to sponsor the Youth, please make your $50 donation out to BLC and designate it to the Youth Group/FMSC in the memo line of your check.

• Want to participate but cannot attend?   Please donate the $50 volunteer fee and we will match it up with someone who wants to attend but is unable to pay the fee.
• Want to participate and are able to pay the volunteer fee?
• Want to participate but are unable to pay the volunteer fee? 

 Contact Anna Duncan to sign up or for more information!

    

The date the Youth will be packing has not been finalized but it will be during the month of October. 

Thank you for supporting your BLC Youth!

Youth News

Shortly before Confirmation, the youth, their parents, and representatives from the Church Council met to discuss the future of our youth. The result of that meeting is that the youth would like to meet twice a month. On the Third Sunday of the month, they would like to have a Bible study and on the First Sunday of the month they would like to have a fun social activity.

Anna Duncan stepped forward to volunteer to organize the social activities for the youth on the First Sunday of each month.

Nicole Smith will lead a bible study/devotion with the youth on the Third Sunday of each month.

From the Pugh - June 2016 Newsletter

Visioning Forward…

What is God calling Bethlehem to do in the future?

Where is God calling Bethlehem to go in the future?

Who is God calling Bethlehem to serve in the future?

These are all exciting questions that need to be prayed on, thought about, and discussed as we vision Bethlehem’s mission into the future. Bethlehem is being offered a once in a ministry opportunity – the possibility to use all of the financial gifts of the people towards mission instead of using some to pay towards the mortgage.

So what can members of Bethlehem expect?

Bethlehem has signed a contract with Porchlight Homes to sell the property that once was the orchard. We are currently in escrow. The Grand Canyon Synod lawyer, Don Stevens, has looked over the purchase contract twice on behalf of Bethlehem. Porchlight Homes has 90 days, until the middle of August, to decide to go forward with the purchase or not. Provided all things go as planned the final purchase of the land signified by closing should be about this time next year. The land will be used for ½ home lots in what is called a “pocket neighborhood.”

Bethlehem members need to begin to ask themselves these questions:

   What ministries do we want Bethlehem to be remembered for?

   What ministries does our community need?

   What ministries do we currently have?

   What ministries do we want to expand on?

   What ministries do we have energy around that we want to create?

   Where is God leading Bethlehem outside our walls?

If you are interested in being part of this visioning mark your calendar right now for Sunday, November 13^th from 11:00am to 5:00pm. This meeting is strongly recommended for all council and staff members and open for all members to attend who want their voices heard in the visioning process. This meeting will decide the direction Bethlehem will take towards mission in the next five years. This vision will then be used to create a mission plan and thus direct the congregation towards the use of mission dollars in the future.

Bethlehem will be led through the visioning process by the Reverend John Schaumburg, who is blessing us with the wisdom and knowledge he has gained through his years of ministry and from serving the Grand Canyon Synod as the Director of Mission for the past several years.

Once a missional vision has been decided upon, the council will prepare a list of items they feel will further this new vision. This list will be made available to the congregation at the 2017 Annual Meeting in January. At this time additional items may be added to the list from the congregation. 

At a special congregational meeting in February or March of 2017 the congregation will vote for their top five ministry items to be funded by the proceeds of the selling of the property.  The overall top five ministry items voted on by the congregation will then be incorporated into the mission plan.

When the purchase of the land is finalized and all monies have been received, the distribution of items that will be funded by the selling of the property will have already been voted on by the congregation and the new five year mission plan can seamlessly be put into place.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this process please contact either Pastor Chon or Council President Bill Gappa as they will have the most current and up to date information.

It is an exciting time to be a member of Bethlehem!