Activity During Pregnancy? Absolutely!

Not only is physical activity safe during pregnancy, it’s helpful to the pregnancy itself.  

First things first: if you smoke, stop right now. Not smoking is the single most important step you can take for a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and baby. If you need help quitting, please speak with your healthcare provider or call 1-800-quit now.
 

Next, get active. The old notion of taking it easy during pregnancy is simply not true. If you already have an exercise regime, stick with it. If you’ve haven’t been exercising, now is the time to start with a mild activity like brisk walking.
 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. And according to a study reported by ABC News, women who follow an exercise regimen recommended by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have a shorter labor time, are less likely to need an epidural, and were at a decreased risk of gestational diabetes and cesarean delivery.
 

According to the CDC, “If you begin physical activity during your pregnancy, start slowly and increase your amount gradually over time. While pregnant, you should avoid doing any activity that involves lying on your back or that puts you at risk of falling or abdominal injury, such as horseback riding, soccer, or basketball.”  On the other hand, yoga is very therapeutic, and short times on your back are not harmful.

 

If you are fairly athletic, you can proceed with your routine for as long as it’s comfortable. I’ve had triathlete patients who had to reduce their intensity levels only at the third trimester. Bicycling became a problem because of balance, and running caused discomfort.
 

Know when to back off. If you are doing a more intense activity than walking, learn how to listen to your body. Often women grow up with the message to ignore their bodies. “It’s just a menstrual cramp, go back to work.” When you’re pregnant, you need to pay closer attention your body’s signals. They will tell you if you’re overdoing it.
 

Let’s talk about sex. An activity you should not avoid is sex (unless your doctor specifically tells you not to have sex). I encourage my patients to continue sex with their partners, especially during the last month of pregnancy. Women who have sex during their last month are less likely to need an induction of labor because semen contains hormones that soften the cervix and trigger contractions. 
 

Above all, talk to your doctor. No matter your physical health and activity level, your physician is the best person to recommend your course of action and monitor your individual health requirements. So while activity is important and beneficial, please consult with your physician first and continue to keep him or her in the loop. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have. 
 

_____

 

Author of this article

 

Jon Hathaway, MD, PhD, specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. He is a guest columnist and located at University Obstetricians – Gynecologists Coleman Center, 550 N. University Boulevard, Suite 2041, in Indianapolis. He can be reached by calling the office at 317.944.8231.

 

 

Activity During Pregnancy? Absolutely!

Not only is physical activity safe during pregnancy, it’s helpful to the pregnancy itself.  

First things first: if you smoke, stop right now. Not smoking is the single most important step you can take for a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and baby. If you need help quitting, please speak with your healthcare provider or call 1-800-quit now.
 

Next, get active. The old notion of taking it easy during pregnancy is simply not true. If you already have an exercise regime, stick with it. If you’ve haven’t been exercising, now is the time to start with a mild activity like brisk walking.
 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week. And according to a study reported by ABC News, women who follow an exercise regimen recommended by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have a shorter labor time, are less likely to need an epidural, and were at a decreased risk of gestational diabetes and cesarean delivery.
 

According to the CDC, “If you begin physical activity during your pregnancy, start slowly and increase your amount gradually over time. While pregnant, you should avoid doing any activity that involves lying on your back or that puts you at risk of falling or abdominal injury, such as horseback riding, soccer, or basketball.”  On the other hand, yoga is very therapeutic, and short times on your back are not harmful.

 

If you are fairly athletic, you can proceed with your routine for as long as it’s comfortable. I’ve had triathlete patients who had to reduce their intensity levels only at the third trimester. Bicycling became a problem because of balance, and running caused discomfort.
 

Know when to back off. If you are doing a more intense activity than walking, learn how to listen to your body. Often women grow up with the message to ignore their bodies. “It’s just a menstrual cramp, go back to work.” When you’re pregnant, you need to pay closer attention your body’s signals. They will tell you if you’re overdoing it.
 

Let’s talk about sex. An activity you should not avoid is sex (unless your doctor specifically tells you not to have sex). I encourage my patients to continue sex with their partners, especially during the last month of pregnancy. Women who have sex during their last month are less likely to need an induction of labor because semen contains hormones that soften the cervix and trigger contractions. 
 

Above all, talk to your doctor. No matter your physical health and activity level, your physician is the best person to recommend your course of action and monitor your individual health requirements. So while activity is important and beneficial, please consult with your physician first and continue to keep him or her in the loop. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have. 
 

_____

 

Author of this article

 

Jon Hathaway, MD, PhD, specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. He is a guest columnist and located at University Obstetricians – Gynecologists Coleman Center, 550 N. University Boulevard, Suite 2041, in Indianapolis. He can be reached by calling the office at 317.944.8231.

 

 

Foundation Funds Prep Kits for Arnett GI Patients

Tracy Smith, a gastrointestinal patient navigator at Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, was alarmed to learn that some of her patients couldn’t afford the prep kits for their GI procedures. The kits, which contain the necessary prep medications to clean the bowel out, cost just $20 or $25. For some patients, especially seniors on a fixed income, that cost was prohibitive. This meant that patients were unable to have the procedure performed.

“I paid for kits for a while myself to try to find something to fill that gap,” says Smith.

What she found was a grant from the Indiana University Health Foundation, which began funding the prep kits in August 2017. Since then the Foundation has paid for about 60 prep kits, from the Arnett Area of Greatest Need fund.

Smith says a burden has been lifted for many patients because of this funding. “When I tell them I want to help you, they state their gratitude,” said Smith.

“You can’t compare the importance of having these procedures completed,” said Smith. “These tests could save lives, and they do.”

To support patients’ needs or contribute to other areas important to you, visit iuhealthfoundation.org.

Rare Disease: The Eyes Didn’t Hide

At 29, Joey Martin had never been ill. But when his eyes started drooping and his speech became slurred, he was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis Disease. Dr. Riley Snook and Dr. Patrick Loehrer Sr. are treating him at IU Health Simon Cancer Center.

His bride wore a knee-length white lace dress, with capped sleeves. She carried a bouquet of red roses and white lilies. Joey Martin stood by her side, exchanging vows. He wore gray slacks and a white shirt. His brown eyes were covered with sunglasses.

Those photos taken on the wedding day of Joey and Alicia Martin, Oct. 11, 2016 portray not only the start of their marriage but the beginning of Joey Martin’s journey to treatment for a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by weak muscles, including those that control the eye and eyelid movement and facial expressions.

Martin’s symptoms began Labor Day Weekend 2016. The guy who stands at 6’3” typically weighs 235 pounds, and regularly works his muscles by lifting weights, had rarely been sick a day during his 29 years. He met Alicia at the gym and the two of them had enjoyed a get-away to Las Vegas. During the get-away, his eyes began to droop and his vision was blurred. They initially visited a walk-in clinic but were sent to a hospital fearing he had suffered a stroke. At the hospital a doctor suspected Myasthenia Gravis Disease.

They returned to Indiana and made an appointment with IU Health neurologist Dr. Riley Snook. Two weeks later, blood work confirmed that Martin had Myasthenia Gravis Disease.

“When they told me what it was, I didn’t even know enough to ask about it. Then when I learned more I just wondered if I’d have it the rest of my life. There is no cure,” said Martin, the youngest of five children in the family of Bud and Andrea Martin.  At his worst, his speech was slurred, he had difficulty swallowing and was too tired to work out – something he had been doing since he was 16.

“There were times when my speech was so bad, I’d be talking to my parents and they couldn’t understand what I was saying,” said Martin. “Can you imagine I’d never been sick in my life and then I can’t even talk to my parents?”

***

Martin received Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) at IU Health North for six hours every two weeks. Alicia Martin remembers one occasion when the pharmacy didn’t have the medication in stock and Randall Yust, COO/CFO of IU Health North transported a pharmacy tech to another IU Health location to restock the supply.

“This is just how things have been with IU Health,” said Joey Martin. “I’ve been treated great. I feel like every person I’ve met is a specialist or has a great reputation and wants to do their best.”

The IVIg treatments are intended to fight diseases in people with weakened immune systems. Eventually Martin was told he needed a thymectomy, an operation to remove his thymus. With the help of steroids, it has been known to result in remission of Myasthenia Gravis Disease. The surgery was scheduled for Nov. 3, 2016. In preparation for the procedure, Martin was undergoing CT scans and x-rays. During the process, his radiologist discovered a nodule on his thymus gland. A biopsy revealed it was cancerous.

With surgery on the calendar, Martin had one more thing on his mind. He wanted to marry the woman who had become his workout companion, the one he had taken on a first date to eat sushi, the woman he loved. They flew to California where they were married in a private ceremony in a small chapel in Palm Springs.

“His family has been going to Palm Springs since he was a kid, I’d gone with them and we’d always walk past this little wedding chapel,” said Alicia Martin. “We knew that was where it would be.”

So a month before Joey’s scheduled surgery, they exchanged vows and returned to Indiana to face the unknown.

“When we first met, we were friends and it blossomed from there. We pretty much became inseparable,” said Alicia Martin.  “When he was diagnosed it was scary for me and we knew it would be a rough road ahead but we were in it forever.  We knew the surgery was quite invasive as they had to cut through his rib cage to get to the thymus that’s close to the heart,” said Alicia Martin. “Dr. Kenneth Kesler was our amazing cardiac surgeon who did the procedure.” The nodule margins were too close to the heart to be removed. Joey Martin spent seven days in the hospital and three additional months recovering. Soon after, the IVIg stopped working and the couple received the devastating news – the nodule was cancerous. Under the care of Dr. Patrick Loehrer Sr. Joey began radiation treatments at IU Health Simon Cancer Center along with plasma exchange treatments to help with the symptoms of the Myasthenia Gravis Disease.

***

More complications followed. His catheter became infected, had to be removed and was replaced by two ports beneath his skin. Those ports also became infected. In October of 2017, Martin was admitted to Methodist Hospital for five days to be treated for an illness. At that point, Dr. Snook prescribed a medication called Rituxan, with treatments once a week for two weeks every six months.

Martin says the medication along with 14 other prescriptions seems to be working.

On a recent check up, his brown eyes were no longer covered with sunglasses. Martin was back to his average weight and his muscles showed that he had been back to the gym. He still worries about the future but is also optimistic. He enjoys spending time with his friends and Sunday dinners with his family members – most live within five minutes of his Greenwood home.

“My wife and my family have really rallied around me,” said Martin. “Some days it’s hard to think about where I’ve been and where I’ll be but as of now, I hope I will eventually cut back on how often I have the cancer scans, stay on the medicine and hope for no more setbacks.”

— By T.J. Banes, Associate Senior Journalist at IU Health.
   Reach Banes via email at
 T.J. Banes or on Twitter @tjbanes.

Foundation Grants to Benefit Cancer, Transplant and Diabetes Programs

The Indianapolis Academic Health Center Philanthropy Council, which assists the Indiana University Health Foundation in its grantsmaking work, has announced three recipients of grants from the Area of Greatest Need fund. They are:

CompleteLife Music Therapy: Resources for a Growing Program. The number of patients participating in music therapy at Indiana University Health Simon Cancer Center and University Hospital is expected to double over last year’s total. The $20,000 grant will buy new musical instruments and technologies to allow the program to grow. Team members who collaborated on the winning grant application include Chad Stearns, administrative director of radiation oncology; Lindsay Syswerda, coordinator of the CompleteLife Program and Cancer Resource Center; Emily Caudill, MT-BC, music therapist, and Adam Perry, MA, MT-BC, music therapist.

Expansion of the Center of Life for Thoracic Transplant (COLTT). Founded to serve lung transplant patients, this rehab center now also serves heart transplant and ventricular services patients. The $54,000 grant will allow the center to expand from half-day to full-day programs, change the center’s current footprint, and convert from a provider-based unit to a hospital-based unit for purposes of billing. The project team includes David Roe, MD, FACP, FCCP, medical director, lung transplant; Chadi Hage, MD, medical director of COLTT Center; and Pauline Flesch PT, MPS, executive director, Rehabilitation and Fitness Services.

IU Health Physicians Diabetes Centers Diabetes Prevention Program Pilot. This $56,701.90 grant will place the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)-approved Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) at two IU Health Physicians Diabetes Center locations for at least two years and offer its services for free. The grant also covers training for 15 Diabetes Center nurses and dietitians to become lifestyle coaches, and funds a program coordinator to collect and analyze data. After two years, DPP will submit its data to the CDC and likely be approved to be a Medicare provider. Tonya Somers, MS, RD, CDE, manager, IUHP Diabetes Centers, submitted the grant application.

To contribute to programs you care about, or learn more about the IU Health Foundation, visit iuhealthfoundation.org.

Veteran Provides Social Support To Transplant Patients

Army Veteran Joshua Sumner is a social worker dedicated to transplant patients at IU Health University Hospital and Riley Hospital.  

Joshua Sumner doesn’t need to do anything special to stand out. At first glance there’s one thing that catches the eye. He wears a green tag under his IU Health name badge that reads: “Veteran.”

“I meet patients, visitors, and co-workers every day who can relate. It’s sort of an icebreaker, a way to make a connection,” said Sumner, who served with the 55th Medical Company Combat Stress Unit in the US Army providing treatment for soldiers. The tour of duty included two deployments to Iraq.

A graduate of Crown Point High School, Sumner had just completed his undergraduate degree in psychology from Purdue when he found himself at a crossroads deciding what was next – graduate school or starting a career. Twenty days later he joined the Army.

He returned home in 2010 bringing with him experiences he said have helped him in his role as a social worker. He wears another symbol of that experience on his right wrist – a memorial bracelet honoring two members of his unit killed in combat.

“That experience colors everything I do. The military was a big part of my life for a long time so those are experiences I carry with me,” said Sumner. “One thing I find globally as a good asset is I have a high tolerance for stress. There are times social work can be very stressful and I find I can stay calm.”

When he returned to the States he completed his masters degree in social work and then began work at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center working in the genetic research department. Specifically, he was assisting with a project identifying genetic links with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and functional disabilities. After acquiring his license to practice, Sumner’s next role was helping recently returning vets adjust to civilian life. He also worked to help homeless veterans secure housing.

“I really enjoyed working with veterans,” said Sumner. “I connected well with them. There are lots of social work roles at the VA so it’s nice to change roles every few years.”

In January he transitioned to IU Health where he provides social support in the transplant units of both University Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children.

“What I find the most interesting is I don’t find myself to be a social worker for the hospital, I don’t find myself to be a social worker for the client. I find myself to be a social worker for the donated organ – to find a spot where our recipients have what they need to take care of that donated organ,” said Sumner.

His role involves working with patients pre-transplant specifically those awaiting liver and multivisceral transplants. He spends time with patients evaluating their support network, insurance and any conditions that might cause damage to a transplanted organ – such as a history of drugs or alcohol. A lot of his time is spent talking about the emotional aspect of the transplant. He helps connect the patient with necessary resources and then follows up with them on the day of their scheduled transplant and before they are discharged after surgery.

“One of the most rewarding parts of this job is sitting down with them to talk about how transplant fits into their lives. I see a lot of anxiety and fear and I want to make sure before they leave they have a better understanding of the transplant process,” said Sumner.

He also helps patients, who desire, to write letters to their donor families.  “There’s an awful lot of emotion in this process but it can also help the recipient express appreciation,” said Sumner. It’s suggested that the recipients tell a little bit about themselves, their work, hobbies, and family, about their transplant experience and how the transplant affected their life. The letters are then submitted to the Indiana Donor Network to distribute to the families.

More about Sumner:

  • He is the oldest of four boys. His mother was a school nurse and his father was a sixth grade teacher.
  •  He was somewhat of an introvert in high school and became involved in theater as an extracurricular activity. He focused on lighting design but was also on stage in the chorus of “Oklahoma.”
  • In college he continued to focus his interest on the technical aspect of theater but appeared on stage in Sophocles’ play “Antigone” and met his future wife, Kelly, who was also performing in the production.
  • He and his wife have been married for 12 years and are the parents of Jacob, 18, Claire, 11, and Charles 6. His oldest son and his wife perform with the Hendricks Symphony Orchestra and his two youngest children participate in dance, baseball and softball.

— By T.J. Banes, Associate Senior Journalist at IU Health.
   Reach Banes via email at
 T.J. Banes or on Twitter @tjbanes.

One Woman’s Losing Battle With Cilantro

The seemingly innocent, fresh, green garnish called cilantro has split a nation. Some people say it tastes delightful. Others say it tastes just like soap. Believe it or not, neither group is crazy. Both cilantro and soap have something very important in common.

Leslie Bailey was 9 years old when she saw a bunch of parsley sitting on the kitchen counter. She loved parsley.

“So I grabbed a handful and shoved it in my mouth only to taste the most awful soap taste I could imagine,” says Bailey. “Yes, I have sadly had a very long battle with cilantro.”

Jared Cross just celebrated his 39th birthday. His dish of choice – pulled chicken tacos doused with cilantro.  

“Love cilantro,” says Cross, who considers himself a pretty good chef. “No soap here.”

Much like the phenomenon of Yanny or Laurel – that viral audio clip that divided the ears of the nation —  the planet’s taste buds are also split on the taste of cilantro.

And it’s a l0ve-hate split with, seemingly, no middle ground.

Love equals a fresh, green perfect accent to dishes like stir fry, salad dressings, smothered chicken, rice and grilled halibut.

Hate means food ruined by the shavings of something that tastes like a bar of cleanser.

So, how can the exact same flavorful garnish taste so completely different to two people?  

Turns out similar components, called aldehydes, are found in both cilantro and soaps, says Jonathan Ting, M.D., chief of otolaryngology at IU Health Methodist Hospital. 

And for some people, their genetic makeup allows them to pick up that taste in cilantro. For others, it’s like it doesn’t even exist.

“Cilantro tastes like soap to some people because of a variation in some genes that are involved with smell and taste,” Dr. Ting says, adding with a smile “cilantro tastes pretty good to me.”

As for Bailey, after that childhood kitchen encounter, she could detect the smallest traces of cilantro no matter what the dish – even in a bit of salsa.

She was so adamant about her distaste that a server at an Indian restaurant would tease Bailey that he had put extra cilantro in her meal.

Of late, though, Bailey’s cilantro hatred has softened, ever so slightly. She has been able to eat food that has a tiny bit of the flavor.  

Still, when people who love cilantro describe it, Bailey said she imagines it tastes to them what parsley tastes like to her.

“Nice and fresh,” she says. “I truly wish I liked it because it is in all of my favorite foods.”

— By Dana Benbow, Senior Journalist at IU Health.
   Reach Benbow via email dbenbow@iuhealth.org or on Twitter @danabenbow.

OR Nurse – The “Grandma” Of Transplant

Nurse Lisa Jennings has worked in transplant OR at University Hospital for 19 years and has been with IU Health for 24 years. She’s known among her peers as the “Grandma” of transplant OR. 

Looking at her track record as an operating room nurse in transplant, it would be hard to believe that at one time Lisa Jennings thought she might want to be a school bus driver. And after 24 years with IU Health it might also be hard to believe that at one point her high school guidance counselor didn’t think Jennings was suitable college material.

But looking back at the path that brought her to nursing makes all the sense in the world.

An only child, Jennings was raised by her mother Ruby Grosdidier, who worked in public relations at the former Wishard Hospital. “When mom was working and I didn’t have anything to do, she’d say, ‘come to work with me,” said Jennings. But instead of hanging out in her mom’s office, Jennings headed to the hospital where she eventually became a volunteer in the outpatient surgery clinic. She was just 16.   

She grew up on Indy’s west side, graduated from Ben Davis High School and completed her ASN at Marian University and her BSN at IU.  She started her career with IU Health working in ICU at Riley Hospital for Children.

“I always knew I wanted to be an OR nurse from the time I was in clinicals. I was just drawn to OR. When I was at Riley I saw there was an opening in transplant and after a six-month orientation I walked in and knew that was my home, where I was meant to be,” said Jennings. Married to Chris Jennings, who serves as the state chief warrant officer and served a tour in Kuwait, Jennings is the mother to two boys 34 and 30 and twin girls, age 15. She is also a grandma to two girls.

“As a mom and a transplant OR nurse, I was working a lot of strange hours. I’d get the call and leave and I could be in line at the grocery store,” said Jennings. So for a time, she thought she wanted a more predictable schedule and left OR to work as a transplant coordinator.   

“It was rewarding to see the patients at their worst and then see them through recovery. I still see some of my patients and keep in touch through Facebook,” said Jennings. But she missed the OR and eventually returned to surgery.

She has worked alongside the transplant team and surgeons for so long that her role has become second nature.  During surgery, she is either responsible for prepping and bringing the patient to the operating room, or she is scrubbing in – handing instruments to the attending surgeon.

“I remember when I first time I started in OR, I felt like the most stupid nurse in the world. It’s totally different than bedside nursing and what you learn in clinicals. You have to know all the instruments and what the surgeons preferences are,” said Jennings. “That’s the nice thing about having a dedicated transplant team. The surgeons just hold out their hands and we know what instrument they want. We do so many transplant cases at IU Health that it’s like a well-oiled machine.”

— By T.J. Banes, Associate Senior Journalist at IU Health.
   Reach Banes via email at
 T.J. Banes or on Twitter @tjbanes.

Code Blue: Ellettsville Chief of Police Rescued by Uniformed Sons

The doors were locked, the windows were up and the car was running. Inside was State Trooper Jimmie Durnil – unconscious and in trouble. That’s how Todd Durnil discovered his father.

Todd sensed something was awry when his dad called just minutes earlier. “I don’t feel very good,” Jimmie had told his son. “I need you to meet me at the hospital.”

“I’m coming to you,” Todd replied.

Seeing his dad in the car, Todd grabbed what he had on hand – his service shotgun – and started breaking windows. “I hit the window a third time. That’s when it broke.”

“That’s when I woke up,” says Jimmie. “I remember coming to and seeing broken glass all over.”

Jimmie, with Todd at his side, was transported by ambulance to IU Health Bloomington Hospital. When they arrived at the emergency department, a heart attack team was ready. Jimmie was semi-conscious upon arrival, then dramatically “coded.” His heart stopped. For the next 17 minutes, Jimmie received six shocks from a defibrillator as the emergency heart team fought to revive him with adrenaline and chest compressions.

Todd was at his father’s side during the Code Blue, even helping protect his head as he went in and out of consciousness. “I watched it happen to him. The bad part, the painful part.” says Todd. “At one point, I saw my brother, Curt through a window, and I shook my head ‘no,’” as their dad failed to respond to lifesaving efforts.

Jimmie recalls bits and pieces of the massive effort. “I remember someone hitting my chest and I was yelling ‘Stop! You’re hurting me!’ Then I was out again. When I would come to, I can remember seeing Lindsey Hill’s face – she was the one hurting me!” says Jimmie with a smile. “She was actually saving my life and we’re still in touch to this day.”

“Jimmie had what we call a ‘widow-maker’ heart attack,” says Hill, a registered nurse at IU Health Bloomington Hospital. “But there was something that told me not to quit on Jimmie … I kept going.” Jimmie finally stabilized.

“I remember waking up to people cheering and then I was whisked off to the catheterization lab with Lindsey still at my side,” says Jimmie.

“I remember Dr. Zawacki telling me that he’d take care of me,” says Jimmie. He received two medicated stents. “I still see Dr. Zawacki today. He’s excellent and we’re both Navy Veterans.”

These medical procedures are not foreign to Jimmie. In 2013, with 41 years of service in the State Police, Jimmie had his firstheart attack and stent placed. “After that heart attack, I lost 40 pounds thanks to Exercise Specialist Amber McKenzie and the IU Health Cardiac Rehabilitation team. I was watching my sugar levels, exercising routinely and even had a mostly vegetarian diet,” says Jimmie. “There was the occasional Stromboli treat from Baldy’s, but I was healthy.”

He tried to retire after that attack, but failed. The Indiana State Police was launching a new regional dispatch center and wanted the veteran law man to take the lead. “I’m not too good at retirement,” says Jimmie with a grin. “You learn to live with stress.”

The second attack in 2015 gave him pause, once again, to consider retirement. He decided against it.

“My friends say I’m the only one they know who has flunked retirement twice.” Jimmie was offered “a dream job” as Marshal and Chief of Police for Ellettsville. “That decision required a family conference on Curt’s front porch,” says Jimmie, his family laughing.

“Jimmie’s a ‘type-A-PLUS’ personality,” says Doretta, Jimmie’s wife of 49 years. “There’s a reason he’s not gone yet – God’s not done with him.”

His son, Curt, concurs: “He’s here to serve.”

Featured IU Health Southern Indiana Physicians provider seeing patients for Cardiology:
Kevin Zawacki, MD, FACC
812.353.DOCS (3627)

Voice of Indy 500: “Hip Surgery Relieved My Pain”

Long-time Indy 500 announcer Bob Jenkins is recovering from hip replacement surgery performed by Doctor R. Michael Meneghini, Director, Indiana University Health Hip and Knee Center and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Indiana University School of Medicine.

He went to his first Indianapolis 500 qualification in 1957 and three years later attended his first race with his dad. Since then Bob Jenkins has been hooked on the Indianapolis 500. In fact, he’s been to every race since 1966.

For years, his voice has been heard throughout the month of May. He worked for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network from 1979 to 1980 and also for ABC-TV for several years and now works for the public address system.

“Everything in my life revolves around the race,” said Jenkins, 70.

So it made sense that when he decided to have a hip replacement, he planned the surgery for the month following the Indy 500. First the pain in his left hip was somewhat tolerable. But as time went on the discomfort grew worse – especially after he had been sitting for long periods of time. He visited several doctors and x-rays confirmed that he had arthritis in his left hip. A friend recommended Jenkins visit IU Health surgeon Dr. R. Michael Meneghini.

“It was to a point where I was limping and people would ask what was wrong. At times the pain would take my breath away,” said Jenkins. Surgery was scheduled for June 4 at IU Health Saxony.

***

“The best candidate for hip replacement is someone with end-stage debilitating osteoarthritis, who remains active and has failed non-operative measures such as medications or sometimes injections,” said Dr. Meneghini. Up to the point of surgery, Jenkins had used over-the-counter medication to try to mitigate pain.

His surgery involved removing the diseased femoral head (the ball of the joint) and the socket joint and replacing it with a stem down the femoral bone (thigh bone) with a new ball attached to the top. The procedure then involved placing an implant into the pelvis that has a polyethylene liner (the socket) that accepts the ball and acts as the new hip joint.

Between 100-120 total hip and knee replacement procedures are performed monthly at IU Health Saxony. Dr. Meneghini estimates 95 percent of the hip replacements last about 20 years.

Working with a team in the operating room, Dr. Meneghini performs six to eight surgeries a day.

“I decided to go into hip and knee replacement because I am good with my hands,” said Dr. Meneghini, who was an engineer before becoming a physician. “I wanted to help people who had painful and debilitating hip and knee disease walk and stay active. I am truly blessed that I love and have a passion for hip and knee replacement, and that I can provide a good life for my wife and five children, doing something that I look forward to each and every day.”

And he especially looks forward to seeing his patients continue with their typical lifestyles. In many cases, patients are up walking the same day and are generally walking with minimal pain in three to four weeks.

***

Two weeks following surgery, Jenkins was walking around his Crawfordsville home without assistance.

“I’d tell anyone who is considering the surgery, don’t hesitate. It’s everything everyone told me it would be,” said Jenkins. “They said you’ll be up walking the day of the surgery and I was.”

Jenkins said he doesn’t like to be singled out for his work with the Indy 500, giving credit to a crew of talented individuals. And he adds he’s no different than any other patient when it comes to surgeries. He’s had several in his life including a colon resection resulting from a cancer diagnosis in 1983. Nearly 30 years later the disease again struck his family when his high school sweetheart and wife of 43 years, Pam, was diagnosed with brain cancer.  She died in 2012 and the same year, during a practice session at the Indy 500, Jenkins announced his retirement from network television. He continues his work as an announcer for the Speedway.

A room in his home serves as a sort of museum illustrating his years of dedication, service, and just love for motor sports. He talks about that first race in 1960 where he sat in Grandstand C and stood up every lap to see who was leading in turn four. He fell in love with the sport and hoped to attend every year. But there were other things on the horizon for the 12-year-old Jenkins that sometimes got in the way of race day – like his high school senior trip to Washington, DC. that happened to fall during race weekend.

“Everyone else was touring the Capitol and I stayed on the bus with my ear to a transistor because I didn’t want to miss the race,” said Jenkins. Aside from the racing he’s a self-proclaimed music guru. Over the years he has collected about 7,000 vintage 45 records – all catalogued in their cases and displayed in a custom-made storage bin. A framed poster of “The Teddy Bears,” a pop music group from the late 1950s; and a newspaper article recounting the Feb. 3, 1959 plane crash that claimed the life of Buddy Holly are displayed on the wall.

Racing memorabilia surrounds the musical treasures. Shelves on one wall are lined with his collection of 33 die-cast roadsters. There is a sign from his boyhood home of Liberty that reads: “Home of Bob Jenkins – Radio voice of the Indy 500;” original prints of the pagoda; a tire signed by two-time Indy 500 winner the late Dan Wheldon, and a racing helmet signed by all the drivers in the starting field. The helmet was given to Jenkins for his final TV broadcast of 2012 the year Ed Carpenter won the Indy 500. Also in his collection is the green flag he waved to signal the start of practice on the day he announced his retirement from network television.

There’s one treasure that is not part of the motorcar collection. It’s too big to fit in Jenkins’ home and it symbolizes yet another new hobby.

Last year, he purchased a yellow 1960 Thunderbird and named it “Big Bird.”

“Now that I can get around better, I’m looking forward to cleaning and polishing it and taking it to cruise-ins,” said Jenkins. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and now I have the time.”

— By T.J. Banes, Associate Senior Journalist at IU Health.
   Reach Banes via email at
 T.J. Banes or on Twitter @tjbanes.