Please do not turn on A/C on immediately as soon as you enter the car.
Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the air-
conditioning after a couple of minutes.

Here's why: According to a research, the car dashboard, sofa, air
freshener emit Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take
time to observe the smell of heated plastic in your car). In addition
to causing cancer, Benzene poisons your bones, causes anemia and
reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia,
increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage. Acceptable
Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. Ft. A car parked indoors with
windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If parked outdoors
under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F., the Benzene level
goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... People who
get into the car, keeping Windows closed will inevitably inhale, in
quick succession excessive amounts of the toxin. Benzene is a toxin
that affects your kidney and liver. What's worse, it is extremely difficult
for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

So friends, please open the windows and door of your car -
give time for interior to air out -dispel the deadly stuff -
before you enter.

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A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'

' That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.

'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.

Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.' Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3 Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less

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Depression is a very serious condition that affects millions of Americans every year. With all of the problems and issues facing our communities today, rates of depression in our families is increasing at an alarming rate. To help avoid depression, here are some tips to keep you upbeat and in good spirits.
• Discuss your situation and problems with a family member or a friend whom you can trust.
• Set specific times aside to recuperate and dedicate that time to nothing but simply relaxation. This can be as simple as reading a book or taking a walk around the block.
• Take some time to exercise, even if just briefly, at least once a day.
• Although many may turn to alcohol or smoking to get their minds off their problems, the long-run consequences far outweigh any short-term benefits that they may provide. Make every attempt to avoid these two things as much as possible.
• Take up a personal hobby and set no deadlines in order to help you unwind and consume unused time with a useful or enjoyable activity.
Keeping a positive outlook on life is important to us all. So by keeping these tips on hand, you can help keep your mind clear, your body healthy, and your life a little bit brighter.
As always, I appreciate the opportunity to be of service to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns. Our district office number is (561) 470-6593.
All the best,

Kelly Skidmore
State Representative, District 90

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The risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke rises along with the temperature and humidity. Heat illnesses occur when the body's cooling mechanism becomes overloaded. When the heat starts to rise - slow down. Regardless of your activity level, drink more fluids - your body needs water to prevent dehydration during warm summer days.

Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop well after dehydration occurs. Those most prone to heat exhaustion include the elderly, those with high blood pressure, and children. Some symptoms of heat exhaustion include: cool, moist, pale or flushed skin; muscle cramps; heavy perspiring; nausea and sometimes vomiting; weakness; dizziness; dry mouth; and a headache. If you feel you are suffering from heat exhaustion, it is important to get out of the sun and into a cool place; loosen clothing; drink water/fluids (be sure to avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages); take a cool shower, bath or sponge bath; and rest.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation. It occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. Heat stroke can occur within 10-15 minutes of the first symptoms. Signs of heat stroke include: very high body temperature (above 103 degrees); hot, dry, red skin; no sweating; nausea; dizziness; confusion, disorientation, hallucinations; or loss of consciousness. Heat Stroke is a medical emergency - have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim.  Get the person to a shaded area; cool him/her rapidly using whatever methods you can (immerse in a tub of cool water, place in a cold shower, spray with cool water from a garden hose); do not give fluids; if convulsions occur, keep the victim from injuring himself; call the hospital emergency room for further instructions if medical assistance is delayed in responding.

(Information Courtesy of State Representative Kelly Skidmore)

Lumosity Brain Games. Try it today. Click here: http://www.lumosity.com - Brain Games

Now available throughout the Hurricane Season a direct link to the National Hurricane Center on the Alliance of Delray Website:

Go to www.allianceofdelray.com and click on "Hurricane Tracking" in the very center of the home page...you will immediately be connected to the National Hurricane Center of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Try it now and check it out often for approaching storms.

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When my wife and I moved to West Delray in 1987, a neighbor recommended Dr. Schwartzfarb. The Doctor graduated from Tufts University in Medford, MA. with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, then earned his medical degree at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, N. Y. He did two years of medical residency at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx and three years of Opthalmology residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N. Y. He also served two years as a Lt. in the U. S. Navy at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

Dr. Schwartzfarb has been in private practice in Delray Beach since January 1, 1979. He is currently on staff at Delray Medical Center and Pinecrest Hospital. He performs surgery at the Delray Ambulatory Surgical and Laser Center. He is Board Certified by the board of Ophthalmology since 1977 and a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. His office is at 5162 Linton Blvd., Suite 203. Phone: 495-9500.

Two decades, four cataract operations, two laser treatments and forty annual check-ups later we are grateful for the care this soft-spoken eye specialist has given us who treats his patients as he would some one in his own family. He and his staff try to make an office visit as helpful and stress free as possible.

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Memorial Day May 26, 2008
Remember The Fallen

Mohs Micrographic Surgery is a specialized in-office surgical procedure that effectively removes and cures many skin cancers while sparing healthy tissue and minimizing scarring. Mohs offers the highest potential for surgical removal, even for those areas in which the skin cancer has been previously treated.

Named after Dr. Frederic E. Mohs, MD, who developed the technique while still a medical student at the University of Wisconsin in the 1930’s, the Mohs procedure minimizes the chance of the cancer returning and lessens the potential for scarring or disfigurement.

Specifically designed to remove skin caner by tracking and removing the cancerous roots, Mohs allows specially trained dermatologists to see beyond the visible disease and precisely identify and remove the entire tumor, leaving healthy tissue unharmed. The procedure is most often used in treating two of the most common forms of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Dr. Nancy L. Marchell is the Mohs surgeon specialist at the Palm Beach Dermatology Group. We have met on several occasions in her office when deeper digging was necessary, twice on my right leg, once on my nose and recently on my forehead. Not only did she have to work on me, but two spots necessitated leaving from her office and hustling over to plastic surgeon Dr. Raphael Cabrerra in Boca Raton for further cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Marchell operates in degrees. She takes a slice from the offending location and hands it to a lab technician who works side by side with her in the West Delray office. The slice is processed by horizontal frozen section which gives a more complete view of the tumor margins. The piece of skin containing the tumor is mapped, inked and processed by the technician. The patient is told to return to the waiting room for 30 to 45 minutes while the lab tech analyzes the specimen. That’s why Dr. Marchell always advises “Bring something to read.”

When the lab tech reports results to Dr. Marchell the patient is then called back into the examining room. The patient is told one of two things:

“We have to go deeper,” or “We got all the bad cells out and you can go home.”

If Dr. Marchell has to go deeper, she takes another slice for analysis and you are told to wait another half hour and you get to read some more—until the results she is seeking are obtained—the removal of the offending cells.

As with all forms of surgery, a scar will remain after the skin cancer is removed and the surgical area is completely healed. A Mohs-trained physician will, by definition, leave the smallest possible resultant scar on the skin of the afflicted area. They may also repair the area or, if extensive, consult with a plastic surgeon to ensure the best possible cosmetic result.

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There I was in the Palm Beach Dermatology Group office in West Delray for my quarterly visit to "zap city" last week in a frigid examining room without my shirt or pants—just underwear, protected against prying eyes and cold air by a large white paper sheet handed to me by the nurse.

Dr. Adam S. Plotkin enters and examines me carefully limb by limb, front and back torso, face and scalp using a magnifying glass.

“Give me the liquid nitrogen container,” he orders the nurse, as he spots several minute, sun afflicted spots. "Zap," "zap" the liquid nitrogen spray freezes and burns away offending small lesions.

“These things didn’t appear over the past few months,” he explains. “This is the result of severe sunburns when you were a child and a teen.”

My joyous youth at Coney Island has grown to haunt me as a post-teen senior.

He rubs a finger over a brown spot on my left temple. “We’ll have to take a biopsy of this,” he mutters. “I’ll be right back,” and exits the icy room. Who can blame him? I’m shivering. He wants to warm up in the hallway. The nurse realizes his exit is her signal to inject the site with Novocain. Five minutes later he returns, takes a double edged razor blade and slices off the brown spot, dropping it into a specimen bottle for laboratory testing. He picks up an electric cauterizing tool and seals the wound to the odor of burning flesh—mine. “You can get dressed now,” he says. “I’ll see you in three months,” shakes my hand and is off to an office full of waiting patients.

The nurse puts a small bandage on the wound and gives me a sheet of instructions which reads: “You can remove the bandage tomorrow before you shower. Wash the area well with soap and water and pat dry. Cleanse the wound with a mixture of half peroxide and half water with Q tips. Pat dry gently. Apply Polysporin ointment. Do this twice a day. When you see a dry scab, discontinue treatment. Avoid swimming in chlorinated and ocean water until healed.”

Now I have to wait two weeks to phone the lab and obtain test results on the specimen. In two weeks this wound will have healed beautifully, however if they have found cancer cells, I will have to return to Dr. Plotkin’s associate, Dr. Nancy L. Marchell, the Mohs Surgery specialist for deeper surgery. More about this lady’s technique in a future post.

There are basic steps we can all take—especially for our children and grandchildren—to lower the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer:
Limit or avoid intense sunlight and practice safe sun tips, i.e.
…Avoid sun between 10 AM and 4 PM.
…Look for shade, especially mid-day when sun’s rays are strongest.
…Apply the “shadow rule” and teach it to your children and grandchildren: if your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at their strongest. Seek shade.
…Cover up with protective clothing to protect as much skin as possible when you’re in the sun. Select comfortable clothing with tightly woven fabrics.
…Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Apply generously and reapply after swimming, toweling dry of perspiring. Use sunscreen even on hazy or overcast days.
…Cover your head with a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears and neck. If you wear a baseball cap, protect your ears and neck with sunscreen.
…Wear sunglasses with 99% to 100% UV absorption giving the best possible protection for your eyes.

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