TEEN SUICIDE FORUM | Orland Park
Join PCS Charity at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 for "Mythbusters: Trading Myth for Fact about Depression and Suicide" at Outback Steakhouse, 15608 S. Harlem Ave. A buffet of chicken, steak and vegetarian options will be served, and an open forum will separate the facts from the fictions about depression and suicide. Sitting at intimate tables, participants will be prompted by question and answer, truths and myths, to engage in conversations guided by therapists. Survivors are encouraged to share their experience and stories.
This program will help parents separate normal behavior from dangerous warning signs, help teens recognize signs of depression in themselves and in others, give participants a greater understanding of this sometimes-fatal mental illness and offer information on how to get help. A $20 donation per person is suggested.
PCS Charity also will be hosting raffles to benefit their mission of providing counseling and therapy for uninsured or underinsured children, families and adults in the Southland. If you or your business would like to make a donation for the raffle, contact Tammie Hannigan at the phone number below.
There is limited seating, so please make your reservations and specify menu option by e-mailing info@psccharity.org.
FYI: (877) 563-3379, ext. 4
FREE HRT SEMINAR | Valparaiso
Feeling tired? Depressed? Hot flashes? Attend a Custom Dosing Pharmacy presentation on bio-identical hormone replacement therapy at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Aberdeen Manor Ballroom and Event Center, 216 Ballantrae St. (enter off Ind. 2 near Family Express gas station). The benefits of bio-identical vs. synthetic hormones will be discussed. Register.
FYI: (219) 840-1722
AEROBIC EXERCISE | Highland
A morning aerobic exercise program began at 9 a.m. Oct. 25 and continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays for six weeks through Highland Parks and Recreation. This is low impact using hand weights and floor mats. The fee is $27 residents, $30 nonresidents. Register.
FYI: (219) 838-0114
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY WIG BANK | Lake County
The American Cancer Society wig program is available for local cancer patients at Magic Curl Hair Salon in Hobart. This program is a service of the American Cancer Society and is offered free of charge to all cancer patients in the local community. To receive a free wig, patients can call Lynn Rentz at (219) 588-6396 or visit Magic Curl Hair Salon, 154 S. Illinois St., to set an appointment for a wig-fitting consultation. All wigs provided are either new or gently used and may be returned to the American Cancer Society after use. Donations of new wigs for cancer patients are always appreciated. For more information about the wig bank program or questions about cancer, please call your American Cancer Society.
FYI: (800) ACS-2345
SENIOR WHEELS USA | Nation
Program providing power wheelchairs for seniors and the disabled at no cost to the recipient if they qualify. The goal of the program is to make those individuals independent in their own homes.
FYI: (800) 246-6010
FLU SHOT SITES | Porter County
The Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County will offer flu shots throughout the county.
Flu shots cost $30 cash or check, or participants can present their Medicare Part B cards. The Visiting Nurse Association cannot accept Medicaid, Medicare Part D supplements or Medicare Advantage.
Flu shots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Numbers are passed out to those waiting to reserve their places in line.
Upcoming flu shot clinics include the following:
From 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Fagen Pharmacy Hobart, 7760 E. 37th Ave., Hobart.
From 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday at Kouts Christian Church, 208 Poland Ave., Kouts.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Centier Bank, 150 Lincolnway, Valparaiso.
From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Wheeler High School, 587 W. County Road 300 North, Wheeler.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Ingram Manor Community Building, 3801 County Line Road, Portage.
From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Fagen Pharmacy Valparaiso, 2708 N. Calumet, Valparaiso.
Influenza is a contagious virus that spreads through the nose, throat and lungs and can lead to pneumonia. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, body aches, chills, fatigue and cough. Each year, about 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people die nationwide from flu.
Seasonal influenza usually begins in November and continues into April. The past few years the peak level of influenza has occurred late December through early March. Influenza vaccine administered in November and December provides beneficial coverage during the peak flu season because immunity develops within two weeks of receiving the vaccine.
The Center for Disease Control has eased the "high-risk" restrictions put in place during vaccine shortages in recent years. Children ages 9 to 17 years must have parental consent to receive the vaccine. Children younger than 9 years require a different dose of vaccine, which is not available from the Visiting Nurse Association. Contact the Porter County Health Department and local physicians to obtain flu vaccines for children by appointment.
FYI: (219) 531-8088 or www.vnaportercounty.org
NUTRITION TALK | Gary, Merrillville
A free Nutrition During Cancer Therapy group meets at 10 a.m.the first and third Tuesday of each month in Radiation Oncology Department, Methodist Hospitals, Northlake Campus, 600 Grant St., Gary. and at 9:30 a.m. the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Center for Advanced Clinical Studies (CACS), Methodist Hospitals, Southlake Campus, 200 E. 89th Drive, Merrillville. Dieticians specialized in the care of cancer patients discuss the importance of good nutrition and strategies for managing potential side effect of therapy.
FYI: (219) 757-7212
