The World 100522

Patient Choices Vermont Endorses
Residency Requirement Challenge
Patient Choices Vermont (PCV) applauds the work of Dr.
Diana Barnard, in collaboration with the national organization
Compassion & Choices, to challenge the residency requirement
contained in Vermont’s Act 39 in Federal Court.
Act 39, adopted in May 2013, enables terminally ill
Vermonters who are capable of making their own medical
decisions, the option to request and receive medication they
can use to bring about a peaceful death; if and when they so
choose. Act 39, like similar laws in other states across the
country, makes end-of-life choice available only to residents
of Vermont. PCV agrees with the plaintiffs in the lawsuit who
state that this restriction is unconstitutional, and that it
improperly restricts people from crossing state lines to receive
the medical services they seek. Medical aid in dying is the
only medical service that is subject to such a restriction.
A recent lawsuit settlement in Oregon created an important
precedent for deleting the residency requirement in Vermont.
The Oregon settlement requires officials there to 1) issue
directives halting enforcement of the unconstitutional residency
provision, and 2) initiate a legislative request to permanently
remove the residency language from the law.
PCV has worked since 2013 to educate and expand the
network of Vermont’s medical providers who support patients
throughout the Act 39 process. The PCV Helpline and website
resources will be augmented to assist out-of-state residents
once they can legally access medical aid in dying in Vermont.
Family history continued from previous page
STRONG RISK:
Women with strong risks have much higher chances of
developing breast cancer than the general population. Conditions
like having one or more first- or second-degree relatives
with breast cancer diagnosed at age 45 or younger, triple
negative breast cancer, primary cancer of both breasts, and
both breast and ovarian cancer in the same relative are warning
signs of increased risk.
It’s important for women with increased risk for breast
cancer due to family history to discuss options with their
doctors. More frequent mammograms and other screening
tests may be recommended, and screening at younger ages
than the standard age also may be considered. Women who
are at high risk may be urged to undergo genetic counseling
and testing for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer markers.
Breast cancer can be an especially scary prospect for
women with family histories of the disease. By familiarizing
themselves with their risks for breast cancer, women can take
the necessary steps to protect their long-term health.
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH | THE WORLD
Make Yourself Your Top Priority
From the moment a person gets diagnosed with breast cancer, they
are immediately surrounded with a care team.
Oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, nutritionists, oncology
social workers, genetic counselors and mental health professionals
work together to provide care.
However, that team can only do so much. Ultimately, a
cancer patient needs to be committed to self-care throughout
the treatment process and afterward to contribute to a successful
outcome.
TAKE INVENTORY
The University of California San Francisco Medical Center
is in the process of researching whether self-care and lifestyle
changes can improve survival rates and lessen some of the
side-effects experienced during treatment. While they don’t
yet have definitive results, they recommend
• Developing good self-care skills. Take care of yourself the
way you would your best friend, your spouse, your child.
• Eat well. Don’t jump from diet to diet and either deprive
yourself or binge. Find ways to eat that are healthy and make
you feel good about yourself.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Sleep well.
• Avoid cigarettes and excessive alcohol.
• Manage stress. What can you change? What do you need to
adapt to?
• Move your body. Discover what sort of movement feels
good and provides you with pleasure.
• Identify the things that make you feel bad and figure out
how you might eliminate those things or make them less of a
stressor.
• Discover your passions, those things which give your life
meaning and stir your creativity.
Flexibility is also important. They write, “Lifestyle
change is not a written prescription that never changes. It is
a dynamic process that is often in crisis and flux throughout
breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.”
BE A STUDENT
Breast Cancer Now is a British charity devoted to research
and care. They have put together a self-care toolkit of videos,
tips, phone apps to provide daily self-care tips, help lines
and interviews with other survivors. Do your homework and
find the resources that match with your lifestyle and learning
style.
Breast Cancer Now’s toolkit is divided into the following
self-care areas:
• Be kind to yourself.
• Manage diet and exercise.
• Look after your mental health.
• Uplift your body image and identity.
Survivors share several practical ways to do all of the
above. Ann Silberman wrote an article for Healthline where
she recommended doing such things as hiring a cleaning service,
taking care of your hair or letting a stylist do it once a
week, finding somewhere in nature where you can walk or sit
and find peace, learning your limitations and communicating
them to your loved ones, starting new hobbies or spending
time doing ones you already love, and helping others.
Another place that can be your partner in self-care is a spa.
Many massage therapists are trained in oncology massage,
using protocols that can lessen the intensity of side-effects
you experience. Consider finding a spa near you that o fers
oncology massage and set up regular appointments; you may
even be able to purchase a subscription.
Every self-care plan will be unique. Build yours around
your individual needs and the things that most brings you
contentment and joy.
Dr. Michael Adler, DDS
Full Service Filling, Extractions,
Root Canals, Crowns, Dental Hygiene
VERMONT’S
TRUCK
STORE
A Matter of Trust
OPEN
MON.-THURS.
PLUS MON. & WED.
EVENINGS
New, Used &
GM Certified Vehicles
Sales & Service
417 US Route 302 • Berlin, VT 05641
622-0801
MONDAY- FRIDAY 8-6
SATURDAY 8-5
BARRE-MONTPELIER ROAD • 802-223-6337
1-800-278-CODY
Expert Estate Planning You Can Trust
Who will inherit your assets? Who would handle
your financial affairs and medical decisions if you
were rendered unable to make them for yourself?
Make sure these important questions are answered according to
your wishes with a solid estate plan. As an experienced attorney,
I have the expertise to protect your assets and ensure they are
distributed according to your wishes, while helping your loved
ones minimize taxes and avoid probate.
Don’t wait another day to make sure your family and your final
wishes are protected. Schedule a consultation today, and get the
answers you need.
LAW OFFICE OF
.
Business Technology & Cyber-Security Services
Located in the historic Hangar Building
1970 Vermont Rt. 14 South 802.223.4448
East Montpelier, VT 05651
rbtechvt.com
103 Plainfield Brook Road, Barre, VT 05641
Phone: 802 476 3173 Email: info@lajinteriors.com
SHARON M. WINN, PLC
LAW OFFICE OF
SHARON M. WINN, PLC
Estate Planning • Estate Real Planning Estate • Real Estate
Sharon M. Winn, Esq.
(802) 595-5888
sharon@winnlawvermont.com
PO Box 10 | Adamant, VT 05640
7 Main Street, Ste. 301 | Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 595-5888
sharon@winnlawvermont.com
PO Box 10 | Adamant, VT 05640
7 Main Street, Ste 201 | Montpelier, VT 05602
October 5, 2022 The WORLD page 17