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Your physician just told you that you have pre-diabetes, and you’re wondering how – or even if – you can reverse that diagnosis.First of all, you need to understand the pre-diabetes. That term means your blood glucose (sugar) is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. But if it is left untreated, it will develop into Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) disease that affects how a body turns food into energy. The three main types of diabetes are: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes (or developing diabetes while pregnant).

LVMC is pleased to announce that it is participating in the DAISY Award recognition program. The DAISY Foundation was created by the family of Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at the age of 33 from complications related to Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. Patrick spent the final 8 weeks of his life in the hospital and his family vividly recalled the “skillful and compassionate care” he received from his nurses. 

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history?

1941 - After nearly 15 years of work, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota was completed. The colossal sculpture features the heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
1974 – Muhammad Ali regained the heavyweight title by knocking out George Foreman in the eighth round during the fight billed as the "Rumble in the Jungle.” (It would be ironic if he knocked out George Foreman by punching him in the “grill.”)
2003 – basketball player LeBron James, who was drafted directly out of high school, made his NBA debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

We're sorry to announce the passing of hospital volunteer June Schwartz, who died Monday afternoon at the age of 98. June volunteered countless hours to the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation, the Lompoc Hospital Women’s Auxiliary, and the LVMC “Blue Coat” program. She was still volunteering in the final months of her life until the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to stay close to home.

She was a volunteer for the hospital for more than 50 years. June spent decades delivering magazines and freshly cut flowers to patients at LVMC and residents of the Comprehensive Care Center, “trying to make people happy,” as she said. 

She will be missed. 

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history?
1925 – Johnny Carson was born. Before retiring in 1992, he hosted the Tonight Show for 30 years. Johnny Carson died in 2005, at the age of 80.
2001 – Apple introduced the iPod, a portable media player that became one of the most successful and revolutionary products of the early 2000s.
2007 - Space Shuttle Discovery began a 14-day mission to the International Space Station to deliver the Harmony module for future Space Station assembly missions.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history? 1928 - A patent was awarded for the first practical light bulb frosted on the inside. As a practical joke, new employees at General Electric's National Electric Lamp Company were assigned the task of making a practical light bulb frosted on the inside, as it was believed impossible to do. Until new employee, Marvin Pipkin (not to be confused with “Popkin”),was assigned this task - and did it. 1964 – America meets the Beatles for the first time, before 728 exuberant fans (out of 50,000 who requested tickets) on the Ed Sullivan Show. 1987 – Jessica McClure (“Baby Jessica”) the 18-month-old baby is rescued from a 22-foot-deep shaft she had fallen into 58½ hours earlier.

Lompoc Valley Medical Center is following the guidelines put forth by the California Department of Public Health and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department regarding restrictions on visitors to the hospital. The restrictions are in place and updated as needed, to slow the spread of community transmission of COVID-19.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history?

1701 - Yale University (originally named Collegiate School of Connecticut), chartered in New Haven. 1888 - Built-in 1848 and dedicated in 1885, the Washington Monument, honoring the first president, George Washington, opened to the public in Washington, D.C. 1940 - John Lennon was born, in Liverpool, England. (He would have turned 80 today!

As a mail carrier, Meghan Paine is used to a lot of physical activity, and needing plenty of energy and good health to get her job completed every day. The long work hours and physical duties are rough, she says.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history? 1950 – Charles Schulz’s comic strip, “Peanuts” was printed for the first time in nine newspapers around the United States. 1967 - Thurgood Marshall took the oath of office to become the first African-American member of the United States Supreme Court. 2016 – Veteran broadcaster Vin Scully calls his final Los Angeles Dodgers game after a record 67 Major League Baseball seasons.

When it comes to taking ownership of your sexual health, selecting an effective birth control method should be one of your most important considerations. Aside from abstinence, which means refraining from sexual intercourse entirely, vasectomies are considered to be the most effective birth control method. Few birth control options for couples are as effective or convenient as a vasectomy. Yet, when it comes to having an operation "down there," many men are naturally concerned.

Those who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may know all too well the challenges this condition presents to the learning process. When adding in the unique nature of the remote learning environment that has been imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, these challenges can feel particularly overwhelming.

Dear Lompoc Valley Community:

What happened on this date in history?

1956- The first underwater telephone service from the United States to Europe began using two 2,250 mile cables under the Atlantic Ocean to provide the clearest all wire voice link between the two continents. 1965- Willie Mays, at the age of 34, became the oldest man to hit 50 home runs in a single season. He had also set the record for the youngest to hit 50 ten years earlier. 1981- Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female justice of the Supreme Court when she was sworn in as the 102nd justice. She had been nominated the previous July by President Ronald Reagan.

Using the first day of the Fall season to promote awareness of National Falls Prevention Awareness Week (Sept. 21-25) is a clever and important concept. While past advertising campaigns have turned the plaintive plea of “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” into a bit of a joke, falls remain the leading cause of injury for people age 65 and older. An estimated 1-in-4 older adults fall every year in the U.S. – that’s about 36 million calls.