The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation held a Welcome Reception for delegates of the 67th  Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Annual Health Research Conference, at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.  On Thursday, April 27, 2023, the Royal Deck of the Royal Tower came alive with fire dancing, limbo dancing, rhythmic African sounds, a medley of soca hits performed by Higher Level Band, and a Junkanoo Rush-Out by Colours Entertainment & Junkanoo Organization.

Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, and Deputy Director of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Dr. Kenneth Romer welcomed the delegates to The Bahamas.  Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director of CARPHA, thanked The Bahamas for its warm hospitality in hosting the two-day conference.

 

The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation held a Welcome Reception for delegates of the 67th  Caribbean Public Health Agency’s (CARPHA) Annual Health Research Conference, at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.  On Thursday, April 27, 2023, the Royal Deck of the Royal Tower came alive with fire dancing, limbo dancing, rhythmic African sounds, a medley of soca hits performed by Higher Level Band, and a Junkanoo Rush-Out by Colours Entertainment & Junkanoo Organization. Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, and Deputy Director of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Dr. Kenneth Romer welcomed the delegates to The Bahamas.  Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director of CARPHA, thanked The Bahamas for its warm hospitality in hosting the two-day conference.

The Princess Margaret Hospital reminds our patients and members of the public that the hospital offers channels to address concerns or questions. All patients accessing care at the hospital or patients with queries may contact the PMH PatientRelations Department as follows for assistance:

▪ 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. (daily) at 242-826-3785, 242-825-3438, or at
▪ The 24 hour On-call contact 242-376-2361.Patients and their loved ones are also encouraged to contact the hospital’s ClientFeedback Line should they have any concerns or questions at 242-825-3438.

Every effort is made to address concerns or questions in the shortest time possible.

The public is reminded that abusive language or actions toward hospital staff,patients, or visitors will not be tolerated. At PMH we are working to deliver qualitycare to the patients and communities we serve, and we thank you for yourcooperation.

The Princess Margaret Hospital reminds our patients and members of the public that the hospital offers channels to address concerns or questions. All patients accessing care at the hospital or patients with queries may contact the PMH Patient Relations Department as follows for assistance: ▪ 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. (daily) at 242-826-3785, 242-825-3438, or at ▪ The 24 hour On-call contact 242-376-2361. Patients and their loved ones are also encouraged to contact the hospital’s Client Feedback Line should they have any concerns or questions at 242-825-3438. Every effort is made to address concerns or questions in the shortest time possible. The public is reminded that abusive language or actions toward hospital staff, patients, or visitors will not be tolerated. At PMH we are working to deliver quality care to the patients and communities we serve, and we thank you for your cooperation.

It is common for many Bahamians to consume alcohol and maybe drink alcohol to excess. What they don't know is that alcohol doesn't just affect your judgment – wine, beer and cocktails also have quite an effect on your feet and legs.

The following are some of the ways drinking alcohol affects your feet and lower limbs and why cutting back or stopping is better for your feet.

An alcoholic drink is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. This is a drug that has many adverse effects on the entire body.

How much is too much?

Since alcohol has little nutritional value, the is no amount required for life. Moderate drinking is defined as up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. But it is best not to drink alcohol at all. A standard drink contains approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is the amount typically found in 12 ounces (355 mL) of regular beer, five ounces (150 mL) of wine, or 1.5 ounces (45 mL) of distilled spirits. Research suggests that about two percent of those who drink within these suggested limits have an alcohol use disorder.

Here's how alcohol affects the feet

Alcohol makes your limbs feel heavy. Consuming alcoholic beverages can cause muscle weakness, tingling, numbness and a heavy feeling because it depletes the body of vitamins and minerals essential for muscle health. The side effect is temporary, however over time, heavy drinking can lead to permanent muscle degeneration that leaves the legs and arms weak and painful.

Alcohol causes foot and leg swelling

Drinking alcohol can cause lower limb swelling. When you drink alcohol, you are consuming water, ethanol as well as sugars and fats, depending on what's mixed in your drink. Your body stores sugar, fat, and water, but it has no way to deal with the alcohol. Alcohol is treated like poison and the body tries to filter it out as fast as possible. The kidneys don't function so well, especially when filtering the alcohol from the blood and handling electrolytes like potassium and sodium. The body works on getting the alcohol out first so water and sugar is stored. This leads to an increase of water in your body after drinking that can present itself as swollen feet and hands. After you stop drinking you may start to see the swelling go down.

Boozing can cause gout

Alcohol is also a diuretic, which means it causes your body to lose water through urine, and lead to dehydration. Gout is a type of arthritis that affects the big toe mostly, causing excruciating pain, redness and swelling. It occurs when high levels of uric acid in the blood goes in the joints as tiny, sharp, crystals. Drinking alcohol as well as eating meat and seafood are strongly associated with the development of the condition, which is why gout is sometimes called "the disease of kings" and "rich man's disease." The dehydration also leads to higher uric acid levels and gouty attacks.

Alcohol causes
osteoporosis

According to the Portman Group, research shows that people who drink excessively in their 20s have a much higher chance of developing the bone thinning disease called osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis can be very painful and lead to bones that can be broken easily. Because 25 percent of all the bones in your body are located in your feet, it's a disease that definitely affects foot and toe health.

Heavy drinking can lead to seriously dry, scaly feet

One side effect of heavy drinking is the development of psoriasis, which is a skin condition that leads to red, scaly patches of skin all over your body. When psoriasis affects a person's feet, simple things like walking can become extremely uncomfortable. Psoriasis can also cause unsightly pits in the toenails. Meanwhile, drinking dehydrates your entire body which can lead to heel fissures as well as flaky, cracked, skin on the foot.

Heavy drinking can cause alcoholic neuropathy (alcohol leg)

Alcohol can have a toxic effect on nerve tissue. One of the more serious ways alcohol can affect your feet and legs is a condition called alcoholic polyneuropathy or "alcohol leg" for short. Alcoholic neuropathy is a neurological disorder in which many of the peripheral nerves throughout the body are damaged by the alcohol and don't work well anymore. Common symptoms can last for weeks or years and include pain, numbness, tingling, weakness and burning in the legs and feet, but some people also experience muscle spasms, diarrhea, incontinence, impaired speech, impotence and sexual dysfunction. People with alcoholic neuropathy who stop drinking or get treatment for alcoholism may alleviate their current symptoms and prevent further nerve deterioration. Adding vitamins such as B1 (thiamine), B12, folate and vitamin E to your diet may also help. Damage to nerves caused by alcoholic neuropathy, however, is usually permanent.

Salty foods are often paired with alcoholic beverages, but they also contribute to swelling and inflammation in the legs and feet. High amounts of salt can make you retain water. This can also raise your blood pressure, and lead to heart disease. Excessive amounts of alcohol can also increase your blood pressure. A diet high in salt and alcohol raises your blood pressure even more by thickening the walls of your blood vessels to cope with the extra pressure. When you limit salt intake and stop drinking alcohol, your blood pressure will go down.

Researchers would like to say there is some good news, that alcohol isn't entirely bad for your feet. Studies have proven that a glass of red wine mid-flight can help prevent blood clots from forming during long air travel. However, this benefit is from the Resveratrol which is found in the skin of grapes. It may be better to drink grape juice rather than alcohol during your flight which will not act as a diuretic.

The best way to avoid these alcohol effects on the feet is to stop drinking and they will all gradually resolve except for the alcohol neuropathy. If you choose to drink the following are tips to help with the effects.

• Swelling after a night of drinking is usually temporary and may be gone within 24 to 48 hours.

• Drink lots of water to help flush the alcohol out of your system and avoid a hangover.

• Elevate your feet to help ease discomfort from swelling and inflammation.

• Soaking your feet in cold water can also provide some quick relief to swollen feet. Adding Epsom salt to the soak may also help.

• For more information, email foothealth242@gmail.com or visit www.footfiles.com or www.familyrecoveryspecialists.com/. To see a podiatrist, call 325-2996 for an appointment or visit Bahamas Foot Centre on Rosetta Street or telephone 603-1814/5/6 for an appointment or visit Bahamas Surgical Associates at Hilltop Medical Center, East Terrace, Centreville, or visit Lucayan Medical Center in Freeport Grand Bahama every first and third Thursday or call 373-7400 for an appointment.

During a typical day at work, Jennifer Davis received an unexpected call that changed her life. A nurse on the other end of the line delivered the news Jennifer had triple-negative breast cancer. The mother of three recalls feeling terrified. She didn’t know how she was going to tell her family. After receiving the diagnosis, Jennifer knew she wanted to take advantage of every treatment option available. Through her driven search for answers, she became the first person to participate in a novel study at Cleveland Clinic for a vaccine that aims to eventually prevent triple-negative breast cancer. 

“When I found out I was the first person to receive the vaccine, I was excited. I was thrilled. The trial has given me a lot of hope,” says Jennifer, a registered nurse from Lisbon, Ohio. 

Jennifer’s health journey started in February 2018 when she felt a lump in her breast. She went to a local hospital for follow-up, and her first biopsy showed no evidence of cancer. Months went by, and Jennifer says the lump grew. She listened to her body and continued to get it checked. Jennifer eventually received another biopsy after doctors detected abnormalities during an ultrasound. Her diagnosis was confirmed about one week later, and she sought a second opinion for her treatment. 

“I knew I wanted to go to Cleveland Clinic, so I had my first appointment there shortly after. I met my entire care team within my first few appointments and had a complete treatment plan. I was very happy with my team and was anxious to get started,” says Jennifer. 

As part of the plan, she underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. She also had a double mastectomy performed by breast surgeon Zahraa AlHilli, MD. 

“After the double mastectomy, I was adamant while in recovery about wanting to know what they found and whether the cancer had spread. Dr. AlHilli was able to get clear margins, and there were no signs the cancer had spread anywhere else,” says Jennifer. 

After undergoing treatment, it was during her follow-up appointments with breast medical oncologist Megan Kruse, MD, she learned about the breast cancer vaccine clinical trial. 

The vaccine is based on pre-clinical research led by the late Vincent Tuohy, PhD, who was the Mort and Iris November Distinguished Chair in Innovative Breast Cancer Research at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. The vaccine targets a lactation protein called α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found after lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in most triple-negative breast cancers. If breast cancer develops, the vaccine is designed to prompt the immune system to attack the tumor and keep it from growing. 

“Triple-negative breast cancer is the form of the disease for which we have the least effective treatments,” said G. Thomas Budd, MD, breast medical oncologist and principal investigator for the breast cancer vaccine trial. “Long term, we are hoping this can be a true preventive vaccine that would be administered to cancer-free individuals to prevent them from developing this highly aggressive disease.” 

The vaccine targets a lactation protein called α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found after lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in most triple-negative breast cancers. If breast cancer develops, the vaccine is designed to prompt the immune system to attack the tumor and keep it from growing. (Courtesy: Cleveland Clinic) 

Jennifer is involved in phase 1a of the study, which includes patients who completed treatment for early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer within the past three years and are currently tumor-free but at high risk for recurrence. 

“There is no medication I take to make sure there’s not a recurrence,” says Jennifer. “With every ache and pain, your mind goes to the worst-case scenario. So, I was very excited when I heard about the vaccine.” 

Research nurse coordinator Donna Lach administers the third dose of the breast cancer vaccine to Jennifer. (Courtesy: Cleveland Clinic) 

In October 2021, Jennifer became the first patient to enroll in the trial and receive the first dose of the vaccine. “I didn’t think twice about getting the vaccine and haven’t looked back since.” 

Dr. Kruse says, “For a long time with triple-negative breast cancer, the overarching theme patients talked about is how they’re going through all this treatment but still feeling like they’re destined to have the cancer return. I think having the hope of this vaccine study where we can potentially turn that around and have some optimism as we approach the future for these patients is the best part.” 

Over the course of the study, Jennifer and other participants received three doses of the vaccine. The vaccinations were each given two weeks apart, and the participants were closely monitored for side effects and immune response. She received her last dose in November 2021 and has not noted any major side effects. 

“My husband went with me for the first vaccine. Then my mom went with me for the second and third,” says Jennifer. “I don't know if I ever went to an appointment at Cleveland Clinic by myself, and that support has meant a lot to me.” 

In February 2023, Cleveland Clinic researchers launched the next step in their study of the vaccine. The phase 1b clinical trial, conducted in partnership with Anixa Biosciences, Inc., focuses on individuals who are cancer-free, at high risk for developing breast cancer and have decided to voluntarily undergo a prophylactic mastectomy to lower their risk. 

Meanwhile, Jennifer, now 46 years old, continues to follow up with Dr. Kruse as she nears her fifth year of being in remission. Although it will take years to fully understand the vaccine’s effectiveness, she’s eager for what’s to come and hopes her story can help others diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Jennifer is hopeful about the vaccine trial and encourages others to stay positive amid the ongoing research. (Courtesy: Cleveland Clinic)

“Even though you’re going to have days where you’re not positive, where you feel terrible – keep moving forward. If the vaccine works the way they want, it could prevent triple-negative breast cancer one day," says Jennifer. 

 

During a typical day at work, Jennifer Davis received an unexpected call that changed her life. A nurse on the other end of the line delivered the news Jennifer had triple-negative breast cancer. The mother of three recalls feeling terrified. She didn’t know how she was going to tell her family. After receiving the diagnosis, Jennifer knew she wanted to take advantage of every treatment option available. Through her driven search for answers, she became the first person to participate in a novel study at Cleveland Clinic for a vaccine that aims to eventually prevent triple-negative breast cancer.  “When I found out I was the first person to receive the vaccine, I was excited. I was thrilled. The trial has given me a lot of hope,” says Jennifer, a registered nurse from Lisbon, Ohio.  Jennifer’s health journey started in February 2018 when she felt a lump in her breast. She went to a local hospital for follow-up, and her first biopsy showed no evidence of cancer. Months went by, and Jennifer says the lump grew. She listened to her body and continued to get it checked. Jennifer eventually received another biopsy after doctors detected abnormalities during an ultrasound. Her diagnosis was confirmed about one week later, and she sought a second opinion for her treatment.  “I knew I wanted to go to Cleveland Clinic, so I had my first appointment there shortly after. I met my entire care team within my first few appointments and had a complete treatment plan. I was very happy with my team and was anxious to get started,” says Jennifer.  As part of the plan, she underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. She also had a double mastectomy performed by breast surgeon Zahraa AlHilli, MD.  “After the double mastectomy, I was adamant while in recovery about wanting to know what they found and whether the cancer had spread. Dr. AlHilli was able to get clear margins, and there were no signs the cancer had spread anywhere else,” says Jennifer.  After undergoing treatment, it was during her follow-up appointments with breast medical oncologist Megan Kruse, MD, she learned about the breast cancer vaccine clinical trial.  The vaccine is based on pre-clinical research led by the late Vincent Tuohy, PhD, who was the Mort and Iris November Distinguished Chair in Innovative Breast Cancer Research at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. The vaccine targets a lactation protein called α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found after lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in most triple-negative breast cancers. If breast cancer develops, the vaccine is designed to prompt the immune system to attack the tumor and keep it from growing.  “Triple-negative breast cancer is the form of the disease for which we have the least effective treatments,” said G. Thomas Budd, MD, breast medical oncologist and principal investigator for the breast cancer vaccine trial. “Long term, we are hoping this can be a true preventive vaccine that would be administered to cancer-free individuals to prevent them from developing this highly aggressive disease.”  The vaccine targets a lactation protein called α-lactalbumin, which is no longer found after lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in most triple-negative breast cancers. If breast cancer develops, the vaccine is designed to prompt the immune system to attack the tumor and keep it from growing. (Courtesy: Cleveland Clinic)  Jennifer is involved in phase 1a of the study, which includes patients who completed treatment for early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer within the past three years and are currently tumor-free but at high risk for recurrence.  “There is no medication I take to make sure there’s not a recurrence,” says Jennifer. “With every ache and pain, your mind goes to the worst-case scenario. So, I was very excited when I heard about the vaccine.”  Research nurse coordinator Donna Lach administers the third dose of the breast cancer vaccine to Jennifer. (Courtesy: Cleveland Clinic)  In October 2021, Jennifer became the first patient to enroll in the trial and receive the first dose of the vaccine. “I didn’t think twice about getting the vaccine and haven’t looked back since.”  Dr. Kruse says, “For a long time with triple-negative breast cancer, the overarching theme patients talked about is how they’re going through all this treatment but still feeling like they’re destined to have the cancer return. I think having the hope of this vaccine study where we can potentially turn that around and have some optimism as we approach the future for these patients is the best part.”  Over the course of the study, Jennifer and other participants received three doses of the vaccine. The vaccinations were each given two weeks apart, and the participants were closely monitored for side effects and immune response. She received her last dose in November 2021 and has not noted any major side effects.  “My husband went with me for the first vaccine. Then my mom went with me for the second and third,” says Jennifer. “I don't know if I ever went to an appointment at Cleveland Clinic by myself, and that support has meant a lot to me.”  In February 2023, Cleveland Clinic researchers launched the next step in their study of the vaccine. The phase 1b clinical trial, conducted in partnership with Anixa Biosciences, Inc., focuses on individuals who are cancer-free, at high risk for developing breast cancer and have decided to voluntarily undergo a prophylactic mastectomy to lower their risk.  Meanwhile, Jennifer, now 46 years old, continues to follow up with Dr. Kruse as she nears her fifth year of being in remission. Although it will take years to fully understand the vaccine’s effectiveness, she’s eager for what’s to come and hopes her story can help others diagnosed with breast cancer.  Jennifer is hopeful about the vaccine trial and encourages others to stay positive amid the ongoing research. (Courtesy: Cleveland Clinic)   “Even though you’re going to have days where you’re not positive, where you feel terrible – keep moving forward. If the vaccine works the way they want, it could prevent triple-negative breast cancer one day," says Jennifer.