About three years ago, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Network Analyst Tim Truax felt inundated by stories about children dealing with cancer. A couple of them hit really close to home. He saw the lives of a close friend — and then a family member — turned upside down when they learned of their children’s cancer diagnoses.

“I wanted to find a way to help, but quickly realized that all I could do was respond with the usual platitudes that we all say when we don’t know what else to say or do,” said Truax. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” “I’ll keep you and your family in my prayers.” “If you need anything, please let me know.”

All of these usually heartfelt responses seemed insufficient.

Be the match

For Truax, an answer came a couple of years later in a most unlikely place, Golf Digest. That’s when an article detailing former PGA Tour player Jarrod Lyle’s battle with acute myeloid leukemia caught his eye.

The article noted that the Australian golfer had undergone bone marrow transplants as he battled the disease. Highlighting a procedure whereby people can determine if they could be a match for anyone on a bone marrow waiting list, the article linked to the national marrow donor program, BeTheMatch.org.

Online, Truax learned that anyone who is between the ages of 18 and 44, is committed to donating to any patient in need and meets the health guidelines makes an ideal bone marrow donor candidate.

Truax decided to register with BeTheMatch.org. He created an account, answered some questions and requested a registry kit. It arrived about a week later.

The kit’s instructions involved touching the inside of his mouth with cotton swabs. Then he sent the cheek cell swab samples to BeTheMatch.org.

The Green Light

In a matter of weeks, Truax was matched to a 23-year-old male who was battling acute lymphocytic leukemia. He agreed to participate in additional testing to see if he’d be the best candidate.

Once Truax received the green light to move ahead in the donation process, he met with Upstate Medical University doctors, who conducted additional tests.

Preparing for stem cell donation

Soon after, Truax learned that the patient with whom he was matched needed a stem cell, rather than a bone marrow, donation. His preparation changed slightly given the change in donation.

For the actual donation, he was hooked up to what looked like a dialysis machine. As Truax described it, this machine took stem cells, along with red and white blood cells, from one arm. At the same time, it injected blood and some clotting factors into the other arm. The procedure took six hours. Then, he was able to go home for a couple of days of recovery.

In remission

Truax was relieved and happy to hear that thanks to his donation, the young man’s cancer was in remission. Truax, however, counts those feelings as secondary to his desire to spread the word regarding the relative ease of the stem cell donation process. He speculated that the process may have been a little more difficult if he had donated bone marrow.

Still, the process was far easier than anticipated.

“I honestly thought there would be more to it,” he said.

Photo of Tim Truax

Nearly 1 in 10 upstate New Yorkers has been told they have prediabetes. Pat Salzer, a Registered Dietitian and Workplace Wellness Support Coordinator with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, is one of those people.

Why all the Fuss?

Salzer was diagnosed with prediabetes 15 years ago.

She works to manage her prediabetes by applying what she preaches as a dietitian to what she practices in her own lifestyle. She acknowledges that it’s challenging to manage her prediabetes, especially when it comes to healthy eating, sleep and stress. But, she works hard to stay consistent with healthy habits. For example, she uses her own portion containers to take home leftovers from a restaurant and she sticks to a consistent bedtime. She also enjoys physical activity with friends to help keep her active and socially connected.

Why all the fuss? Though the “pre” may lead you to believe that it isn’t serious, prediabetes is a serious disease. People with prediabetes have up to a 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes over the next 5-10 years. It also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

90 percent don’t know they have it

Prediabetes means that your fasting blood sugar level is higher than normal but not yet high enough for you to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The rising of blood sugar levels associated with type 2 diabetes occurs when your body does not respond to the hormone insulin properly. This is known as insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to more glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream, raising the blood sugar levels to higher than normal. High blood sugar levels can be very damaging to your body.

While 1 in 3 U.S. adults has prediabetes, 90 percent of them don’t know they have it.

Prediabetes generally shows no signs or symptoms. Damage can be happening to your eyes and blood vessels over time even before the disease progresses to type 2 diabetes.

Know Your Risk for Prediabetes

There are many things that can put someone at risk for developing prediabetes.

Many of the risk factors for prediabetes are modifiable. That means that you can take steps to reduce your risk. You may be at risk for prediabetes if you:

• Are overweight
• Are physically active less than 3 times per week
• Eat a diet high in processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages
• Smoke (Smoking damages the organs and cells of the body. According to the CDC, people who smoke are 30-40 percent more likely to get type 2 diabetes than people who do not smoke)

Other risk factors are not modifiable. These include having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes, race, and previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes.

But First, Diagnosis

The first step is to talk with your doctor about your risk. Your doctor may suggest doing a fasting blood sugar test to find out if you have prediabetes.

A fasting blood sugar test is very common. The blood sample for this test is taken after you fast overnight or for at least eight hours. The results will show if your blood sugar levels are normal or indicative of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes.

• Normal: below 100 mg/dL
• Prediabetes: 100 mg/dL to 125 mg/dL
• Type 2 diabetes: 126 mg/dL or higher

Other blood sugar tests include an A1C blood test and an oral glucose tolerance test. A conversation with your doctor will help determine the right blood test for you.

Taking Steps to Manage Prediabetes

Prediabetes is serious, but it can be managed and is even reversible. Once Salzer became aware that she was prediabetic, she could take steps to manage it.

Making healthy lifestyle modifications can help you control your blood sugar levels. Lifestyle modifications include:

• Eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and lean meats and avoiding foods that are high in sugar or highly processed. Salzer recommends meal planning as they key to having a healthy pantry and refrigerator.
• Incorporating physical activity into daily life. Salzer suggests making exercise a social activity by walking with friends or taking a group fitness class.
• Quitting smoking. For help with quitting, visit SmokeFree.gov

For Salzer, it’s not always easy, but she finds the joy in caring for her body. “Grocery shopping and cooking can be therapeutic and fun,” said Salzer, Her routine is to practice healthy habits most of the time, with some room for dark chocolate. “It’s all about balance,” she adds.

A free, downloadable educational poster on prediabetes is available at ExcellusBCBS.com.

The average American commute is getting longer. Between construction, accidents and traffic, it seems there is always something stopping you from getting to work on time.

The daily grind of his commute is what led Scott Pudney, a Software Engineer with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to start biking to work. Pudney began by riding with a co-worker who lived nearby, which helped him get used to biking in traffic. He admits that biking to work has challenges, like showing up sweaty, storing his bike on site, and riding in the rain. Despite those challenges, Pudney says that having a bike that is capable, safe to ride and easily maintained made his new commute worth it.

This summer, you too can experience the benefits of biking to work.

it won’t burn a hole in your pocket

Cars are expensive. Just this year, the cost of owning a car has gone up to over$9,000 a year. On the other hand, it costs 30 times less to keep bikes in shape. So, if American drivers were to make just one four-mile bike round trip a week, they would save almost 2 billion gallons of gas a  year.

burn fat not fuel

On average, bicycle commuters lose  13 pounds in their first year of cycling alone. With biking, you can get your workout in before work, without all the hassle of paying for and finding time to hit the gym. Plus, because it’s low impact, biking is great for your bones and joints.

Stay Safe

Biking to work is only effective if you can stay safe on your bike. Pudney recommends finding the safest route, obeying traffic rules and making yourself seen.

Follow these tips to get the most out of your new commute. While many of them might seem simple, Pudney adds that “as a biker, you are much harder to see, therefore, you need to follow the rules and be twice as careful to make it to your destination.”

• Helmets.  You’ve heard this one since you were little; every bike ride should begin with putting on a helmet. But it’s equally important that your helmet fits you right. Follow these steps to ensure your helmet can protect you on your ride.
• Crash Prevention.  If you’re riding a bike, you should follow the same rules as people driving a car. For a reminder on the traffic laws, check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Pudney says that while you “might feel the urge to skip traffic by weaving in and out of cars…you should maintain a straight, predictable line so cars can see you from far away. Popping out of nowhere might not only scare drivers, but also increase your risk of an accident.” You can also avoid a potential crash by staying alert of the traffic around you. If you can anticipate what others may do, it can help you prevent a crash.
• Signal. Bicycles don’t come with turn signals and brake lights. But fortunately, there’s already a universal language for turns and stops on a bike.
• Be Seen. An avid cyclist, Eileen Mazzo,  Financial Analyst at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, suggests increasing your visibility, by adding a “flashing white front light, a flashing red rear light, and reflectors” to your bike.

How to Get Started

Ready to give biking to work a try? Here are some tips to get you started.

• Tune Up. Before you head out, make sure you are riding a bike that works and fits you. Check the brakes, tires and gears to prevent problems down the road.
• Plan Your Route. Depending on how you drive to work, you may need to find a new route that helps you avoid the highway on your bike. Choosing a route with less traffic and slower speeds can be a good option for new bikers. Your safest route may be one away from traffic altogether in a bike or on a bike path.
• Be Kind. A little kindness on the road goes a long way. Mazzo says that, it’s great to wave or even say thank you when cars are courteous. It makes them think of the cyclist in a more personal and respectable way.
• Try a Bike Share. If you don’t own a bike, a bike share program can help! Bike sharing is a rental system, whereby you can pick up, ride and drop off bicycles at numerous points across the cities – usually at automated stations close by. Rochester has an established bike share program called Pace, and Syracuse is starting to break into the bike share program with Gotcha.  For more information on bike sharing, check out 12 Things to Know Before Using a Bike Share.

“You’re too young to have a stroke!”

That’s what I’ve heard countless times since I had my first Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), or mini stroke, at 24 years old. After suffering a second stroke-like episode at age 28, I can say firsthand that strokes do not discriminate by age. In my family, many of the women have suffered a stroke when they were young. Because of that, when I was growing up, I was taught to be aware of the signs of stroke. That may have saved my life.

Every 40 seconds

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain stops or when a blood vessel bursts. When the brain doesn’t have oxygen, brain cells die, resulting in disability or death. According to the CDC, a person in the United States suffers a stroke every 40 seconds. Fortunately, timely treatment can lower the risk of disability and death from a stroke. That’s why you need to get help quickly when the sudden signs of stroke appear.

I knew I needed help

It was late February 2019 and I was 28 years-old. I suddenly felt the left side of my face begin to tingle. The sensation moved down my left side to my left arm, hand, leg and foot. My symptoms came on suddenly and got worse quickly. I do also suffer from hemiplegic migraines, which can mimic a stroke, but the symptoms develop slowly over the span of a few hours. This time, I knew something was different.

Within minutes, I had extreme weakness in my left arm and leg. My face started to droop on the left side and speech became difficult. I knew I needed help. This is where knowing the symptoms of a stroke and educating my family and friends became so important.

Sudden signs of stroke

The sudden symptoms I was experiencing were characteristic symptoms of a stroke. According to the CDC, the sudden signs of stroke include:

• Numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side
• Confusion or trouble speaking
• Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Difficulty with walking, balance, or dizziness
• Severe headache with no known cause

When every minute counts

I was fortunate that the people who were around me recognized that I was having a stroke. They knew I had to get to the hospital as soon as possible to ensure I received the “blood clot busting” drug – Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA). This drug works to dissolve any clots and helps regain blood flow to the brain. Furthermore, it helps reduce the risk of longer lasting residual effects from a stroke. However, there is only a short window of time that this powerful drug can be administered.

There are several other treatment options for stroke. The recommended treatment depends on the cause of the stroke. Some strokes are treated with a mechanical device that removes or breaks up the blood clot. Other options can include controlling high blood pressure and surgery.

With any treatment, time is crucial when a stroke is suspected. Every minute counts. You, and those surrounding you, should take quick action. That’s why it was important for the people around me to move fast and for me to note the time my symptoms started.

Act F.A.S.T.

If you think someone may be having a stroke, it’s important to remember to act F.A.S.T.:

• F = Face. Ask the individual to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
• A = Arm. Ask the individual to raise both arms. Is one arm drifting down or appearing weak?
• S = Speech. Ask the individual to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or confused?
• T = Time. Note what time the stroke symptoms first appeared. Call 9-1-1 right away.

Knowing the signs of stroke may someday save your life, or someone else’s life.

Risk factors and causes

I am lucky that I knew my family history of stroke and was taught from a young age about the signs and symptoms of stroke. It allowed me to be prepared for this situation, to educate others, and understand my risk for having a stroke. Aside from family history, your sex and race or ethnicity can also increase your risk for stroke. While a stroke can occur at any age, the risk for stroke does increase as you get older.

There are many causes of stroke. According to the CDC, the leading causes of stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and obesity. You can help prevent a stroke by making healthy lifestyle choices like eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and quitting smoking.

Walking down the aisle

Doctors are still working to formally diagnose the episode I had in February. Fortunately, the quick action of those around me and the administration of the tPA helped to lessen the severity of my side effects. After my stroke, I needed in-home physical and occupational therapy. Without the tPA, the residual side effects could have been much more severe.

Now, thanks to hard work and determination, I’m walking again without the assistance of a walker or cane. Some days when I get tired, I still notice weakness on my left side. But for the most part, I am proud to say that I have made a full recovery. I’m even going to achieve my goal of walking down the aisle on my upcoming wedding day without a cane.

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I’ve always loved the traditions of Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Now that I have my own family, I’ve adapted my own traditions in ways I didn’t expect but find exciting. Our new family traditions are on display the most at the family meal of Seder, which marks the first of the eight-day observance. (This year, the first night of Passover is April 19.)

Everything on a Seder plate carries symbolism and purpose. But then, my daughter became a vegetarian. She was bothered by the bone that is traditionally displayed on the Seder plate.

So we did what any family would do: improvise.

Shevah’s daughter helps set the table for the Seder.

We spoke with other vegetarians and discovered they replaced the bone with a beet. She’s not bothered by the egg on the Seder plate, but some replace it with an avocado pit. It carries similar symbolism, but without involving animals. There are even new additions to the Seder plate such as adding an orange to represent gender equality.

Then there’s the meal. There’s some debate in my household about what’s allowed. My husband’s family has Sephardic roots (mainly Southern European) and observe different food customs, allowing beans and corn, for example, whereas my Eastern European ancestors did not. Last year, we had a lively discussion about quinoa! The verdict? We ate it!

And I still enjoy some of the foods from my childhood, including gefilte fish and chicken soup with matzo balls. It’s fun to experiment with matzo over the week-long holiday. We also enjoy a visit to the Model Matzha Bakery at the Louis S. Wolk Jewish Community Center of Greater Rochester.

Shevah’s son at the Model Matzha Bakery.

The Old and the New

Although my husband and I have adopted new customs, some are nice to hang on to from our childhood, like:

• Find a hidden piece of matzo after the meal
• See who can eat horseradish without making a face
• Share the meal with friends and family
• Sing loudly and off key, of course

My fondest memories of Seder include reading aloud the story of the holiday. It was a three-hour affair, usually with my grandfather reading while the rest of us followed along or bustled about in the kitchen. We stretched it out by singing songs and lingering over the table after the meal. (We weren’t always singing in tune with each other!)

While many people my age remember the story being read from the Maxwell House version, my family prefers the New American Haggadah. Edited by Jonathan Safran Foer, it incorporates poetry, notable quotes and interesting stories in the telling of the Passover story. You can even make your own kid-friendly version with your children.

In telling the story of Passover, we ask why traditions during this observance differ from what we do most other nights. I particularly like highlighting this idea with my children: this holiday gives us the opportunity to talk about bigger ideas like fighting hunger. We eat matzo to remind ourselves that the Jewish people experienced hunger as they fled Egypt. But I also feel it’s important to take action, such as bringing leftover items to a local food bank.

There are even whole Seders revolving around women or the theme of freedom from slavery.

Family Matters

Passover traditions vary from family to family. Some Jewish families use only special dishes set aside for Passover, or remove all foods that won’t be eaten during the observance. I choose not to do those things because that’s not the tradition I’ve set with my family, but the reminders are always appreciated.

The most important thing, whether you stick with tradition or have incorporated new ideas into your Passover, is spending time with family, taking time to pause and reflect, and most of all, counting your blessings!

We’d love to learn more about other favorite Passover customs – new or old. Post your memories and recipes below.