Northern Arizona Healthcare produced colorful, informative newsletters for various facilities in the region to educate the community.
Gail contracted consistently to Flagstaff Medical Center’s Public Relations, writing the bulk of stories for Health at Heart as well as press releases, Flagstaff Business News articles and Arizona Daily Sun features.
Using Monochord Therapy to Promote Healing
March 2011
Story & Photography by Gail G. Collins
Waves of sound float up as I lie on the monochord Soundwave bed. Thrumming bass notes resonate through my body. Sitting beside me, Kelly McCabe chants, his cascading vocals trailing into a breathy falsetto. A rushing in my head drowns out the world, and I am encouraged to let go, to join something greater. The lyrical grandeur builds, and in my mind’s eye, a ring of rocky ridges appears. Light lifts from these peaks to form immense balls of flame, and then, disintegrate. Continue reading “Good Vibrations”
How These Busy Mothers Balance
Family Life with Patient Care
Spring 2011
Every mother is a working mother whose job is never finished. With a career added to the already busy mix, these Cy-Fair mom doctors have learned a few things about straddling the double-duty roles of being a mother and physician. Their warm, candid thoughts on caretaking will help any woman make the most of her time both at work and at home. Continue reading “Cy-Fair’s Mommy MDs”
Guiding Cy-Fair’s Mothers-to-Be to a Safe Birth
Spring 2011
When people think of midwifery, antiquated notions of a granny in homespun might come to mind. The journey an infant takes to be born hasn’t changed since before cloth was woven on a loom, yet the ways a midwife attends to births today are both older than homespun and as updated as modern technology. As a practicing midwife, Ramona Colas assists Cy-Fair mothers-to-be as they eagerly await their new bundles of joy. Continue reading “Midwife Ramona Colas”
Discovering a Slice of Cy-Fair’s Heritage,
History, and Natural Habitat
Spring 2011
The son of German immigrants, Elmer “Lumpy” Kleb happily lived out his 92 years on his family’s farmland, in a farmhouse lacking in modern utilities but surrounded by the beauty and bounty of nature. Kleb felt a deep attachment to the land and chose to plant trees on it instead of farming cotton or corn like his neighbors. Over time, he produced a wooded retreat and often nursed injured birds. Continue reading “Kleb Woods NATURE PRESERVE”
The science of exercise can work for a healthier you
January 2011
When the scale creaks and so do your joints, don’t despair. With some new habits, that creak could become the soothing whir of a spinner bike and restful sleep. Most of us eat too much over the holidays, but even a month-long eating extravaganza won’t create stiff muscles and double-digit poundage. Aging, a sedentary existence and busy schedule, plus food on the go for eleven months might be the culprit though.
And within those eleven months lies the solution. Consider this: If it took eleven months or even eleven years to slowly morph from toned to tubby, give yourself at least a reasonable amount of time to build a better self. One of the biggest killers of a resolution to lose weight or shape up is overdoing it. So start slow, not gung-ho. Continue reading “New Regime in the New Year”
Posture Correction Can Lead to Less Pain and Better Health
January 2011
Posture misalignment can cause pain in your back or anything connected to it. After all, the hip bone’s connected to the back bone, the back bone’s connected to the neck bone, and on it goes. It’s not just a folk song, but the integrated reality of our body. The key to good posture is correct joint alignment, though the complete picture involves balance, nerves and muscular strength—strong abdominals avoid pulling on the lower back.
Posture is the position or bearing of the body whether characteristic or assumed. The functional problem with posture arises when we assume a pose to walk around. Robert E. Dahl of Dahl Chiropractic Clinics said, “The head is heavy—about 10 pounds—and we’ll hold it in whatever way necessary to keep pressure off the nerves. If there is difficulty, our musculo-skeletal system gives off pain signals, but the brain sends messages to realign for proper flow to keep vital organs functioning.” Continue reading “Holding a Body in Balance”
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – A sharp pain startled 67-year-old Tully Yellowman from his sleep. He sat up and clutched his chest. Like any loving wife, Susie sensed his stirring and woke up immediately. “It’s nothing,” Yellowman said. But one look told Susie it was definitely something. Continue reading “Kayenta man is 1,000th open heart surgery patient at FMC”
Tips from a Top Newborn Photographer in Cy-Fair
Winter 2010
Anne Geddes may have been the first to peddle the idea of a tot in a flower pot, but photographers like Tasha Schoen of Freckles Fotography find their own inspiration in every tiny newborn. For a Houston firefighter, she recently posed the family’s newest addition on dad’s helmet. “It was a difficult shot to get, but the parents loved that image,” she says. “I’m so honored by parents who trust me to photograph their precious children.” Continue reading “Baby’s First Photos”
Holocaust Survivor, Walter Kase, Shares His Inspirational
Story with Cy-Fair Students to Help Change Lives
Winter 2010
Do not forget me. Do not forget my story. At the age of 81, this is a reasonable concern for Walter Kase, who is still robust after all he has seen and been through. Born in 1929, Kase survived the Holocaust, and now, shares his story with the community in hopes of promoting love and ending hate. Kase focuses on reaching out to children, giving more than 50 speeches every year in schools and colleges throughout Texas. “I just tell my story,” he says. “Children’s minds are still open; you can make an impression.” In Cy-Fair, the impact of his message can be readily seen among students, and Hamilton Middle School has even dedicated the Walter Kase Commons to him. Continue reading “Sharing Love and Ending Hate”
