The Longevity Project 2022: Peaks, valleys of High Country cancer
Presented by the Summit Daily News
The Longevity Project: Peaks, valleys of High Country cancer
Peaks, valleys of High Country cancer: Doctors say a mountain lifestyle has its benefits, but living at elevation also comes with risks and challenges.
Cancer at elevation: How does living at high elevations impact someone’s chances of developing cancer? Summit County experts weigh in
Joel Wexler has made quite a few friends during his 14 years as a full-time Keystone resident, but it’s his black Labrador retriever, Gussie, of whom he’s most fond.She’s been by his side for a majority of his 13-year journey of frequent cancer screenings. In 2009, doctors were concerned about elevated levels of prostate-specific antigens, so they watched his health closely until he was ultimately diagnosed with cancer in 2021.
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Preventing poor outcomes: Early cancer detection is vital, doctors say, but barriers — both financial and mental — often get in the way
Kathy Jones says a simple suggestion by a physician’s assistant saved her life.He didn’t think anything was wrong with her health, but knowing she had a history of smoking, he encouraged her to get a CT scan just to make sure something wasn’t awry.
She and her husband, Tony, initially debated whether to take his advice. Tony worried about a false positive. She worried about what the scan might reveal.
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Lessen the stress: A comprehensive, holistic approach to care helps improve cancer outcomes, doctors say
It can be easy to have a poor perception of law enforcement.Ira Bornstein has two mantras he lives by: never stop moving and have no regrets.
Even before his diagnosis, Ira and his wife Sandra prioritized exercise and were active skiers and hikers, but it became all that more important after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare cancer that affects the brain and spinal cord, in 2020.
Despite doctors telling the Bornsteins that his case is incurable and terminal, they go about their lives living in the present moment, not ruminating on the past or what is yet to come. They take each day fresh, and they enjoy each moment they share.
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Access to Care: Though Summit County’s oncology services have evolved over the years, barriers and limitations remain
Here’s how local health systems are trying to create equitable access to servicesWhen Joel Wexler learned he would have to travel to Edwards to receive his radiation therapy treatments, he was just relieved that the drive would be made in the fall and not on icy winter roads.
The commute is just over an hour away from his home in Keystone. For five weeks, he made the journey five days each week.
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Scott Lindgren didn’t set out to make a documentary about himself.
Though the world-class kayaker is no stranger to being in front of and behind the camera, having produced numerous kayaking films and winning an Emmy for cinematography, this time he wanted to make a broader film about the history of the sport.
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What we know about nutrition is constantly evolving, but one thing is clear: Summit County bucks the national trend of obesity with its 2017 title as the healthiest county in the U.S. The Summit Daily is asking readers to share their nutrition struggle and success stories.
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