June 07 2018 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Living well with pain

We’ve all felt pain and we’ve all felt the relief of its passing. But for people living with chronic pain relief is often brief, if at all. In broad terms, pain is an unpleasant sensation in your body that makes you want to stop or change your behaviour. In the case of chronic pain, the jabs, throbbing and spasms can persist even after the initial injury heals. In some cases, the cause may not be known. The experience of pain is different for everyone, making it difficult to diagnose and

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June 05 2017 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Changing your life

Making a move to better health Grant Dyck remembers riding his bike about a year ago. “I started with maybe five kilometres, it was really casual,” he says. “I remember pushing my bike up hills at the beginning.” He bought his bike to help cope with a bad year. His marriage was falling apart, he lost a beloved pet, he was overweight and his anxiety disorder was getting worse. Dyck felt so hopeless that he attempted suicide three times. Dyck asked his doctor, Sanjeeve Sockanath

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May 15 2017 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Changing the course of prediabetes

Changing the course of prediabetes Improving your diet can improve your health When Dennis Christensen was diagnosed with prediabetes just over a year ago, he felt sluggish and tired all the time, and weighed 250 pounds. “It scared the heck out of me,” he says. “I know a lot of people with diabetes and I know what it can do to you.” Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates how much sugar is in your blood) or

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March 13 2017 Category: General, Tips & Tricks, Patient Stories

 

Eating your way to good health

Eating your way to good health By Jennifer Allford Getting the right advice about food Cheryl Aitkens was trying to choose healthy foods and leave less healthy foods on the grocery store shelf. But it was tougher than she expected—what to do about fat-free yogurt that’s loaded with sugar? And some advice she read was confusing. “You read so much and everybody has an opinion,” she says. “I want to take better care of myself and I wanted the truth and I wanted someone to point me i

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January 03 2017 Category: General, Tips & Tricks, Patient Stories

 

5 tips to a healthy pregnancy weight, and food cravings

Start thinking about healthy eating and your weight well before you decide to have a baby. A healthy weight and eating well makes it easier for you to conceive and sets you up for good eating habits during your pregnancy. The tips and tricks below show you how to consume the ideal amount of food in pregnancy to keep you and your baby healthy. Watch the video (3:08) to get started. 1.      Know Your BMI: The amount of weight you should gain during your pregnancy depends on

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November 29 2016 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

’Tis the season to be jolly?

’Tis the season to be jolly? By Anne Georg Avoiding disappointment during the holidays No matter how many times someone says “Have a happy holiday!”—many of us just can’t. Psychology Today says almost half of North Americans surveyed dread the season. “The biggest problem we see is that people build big expectations around Christmas, New Year’s and other holidays at this time of the year,” says Cheryl Henschel, social worker and health promotion facilitator at Southport Hea

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September 29 2016 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Who’s your Health Hero?

Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016 and to help mark a decade of care, we asked for your help to showcase the work of those who deliver it. We asked you to share your stories of a doctor, nurse or health professional who made a big difference in your life, and wow, did you deliver! We heard from dozens of doctors, patients and other health professionals who wanted to thank their Health Hero for improving the lives of their patients, coworke

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July 25 2016 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Thank your health hero!

Has a doctor, nurse or health professional made a big difference in your life? Here's your chance to thank your health hero and be entered into a free draw to win an iPod. Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network celebrates its 10th anniversary in the fall of 2016 and to help mark a decade of care, we're asking for your help to showcase the work of those who deliver it. We're celebrating health heroes who give excellent care and make a difference in the lives of their patients, coworkers and

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February 18 2016 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Supportive group setting offers healthy eating tips

How do I read a food label? Which foods have carbohydrates? How much weight should I lose? If you have similar questions, you’re not alone. As part of the Ask a Dietitian group nutrition appointments offered by Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network, you have the chance to ask a registered dietitian your own questions, and learn from others. You’ll learn about portion sizes, understanding food labels, and how to make good choices when grocery shopping. These free, small group appoint

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October 25 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Find a Doctor service: Patient finds success

Olena Badham’s growing baby bump added a sense of urgency to her search for a family doctor. But thanks to a new website that connects Calgary-area residents with doctors who are taking patients, the 27-year-old found one just in time—two months before her due date. “I wanted a doctor really close to where I live so that when the baby is born I can get there quickly,” says Olena, a first-time mom-to-be. Searching for a family doctor She spent months searching for a regular family docto

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October 07 2015 Category: Patient Stories

 

Health Teams offer patients ‘one-stop shop’

DR. Jaco Kruger’s first experience with health teams came when he moved to Alberta. Having worked in 3 countries without that in-clinic support, Dr. Kruger says health teams vastly improve patient care. “It is such an asset to how we can practice,” he says. “It really channels your treatment approach into an evidence-based practice and offers more comprehensive care.” 1. Health Teams = better health care Calgary Foothills Primary Care Network has 54 health team members, including cl

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September 16 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

How your doctor’s clinic is your ‘health home’

"(Patients) feel empowered and so much more aware of what is happening with their health because of the resources devoted to them." — Clinical Pharmacist Noorani Ramji TO say Robert Ward is happy with the care he receives at his health home—his doctor’s office in Capitol Hill—would be an understatement. In fact, the retired exhibition designer is thrilled with the changes he sees in the health system. “Identifying problems earlier and encouraging people to play a role in looking

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August 15 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Find a Doctor in Calgary

WHEN Linda Sayers began her search for a family doctor, her son’s pediatrician recommended she register on the Find a Doctor website. “I’ve never really had a family doctor,” says Linda. “I’ve just gone to walk-in clinics. It (has been hard) to find a family doctor in this city, so I was thankful for the website. It was easy to find and registering didn’t take long." The Find a Doctor Website The Find a Doctor registry is an online service that connects residents of Cal

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August 08 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Wellness role strives to educate, empower

FORMER Stampeder Fred James wanted to find out whether making lifestyle changes could help lower his cholesterol levels when they spiked last year. So family physician Dr. Lindsay Jantzie referred him to health management nurse Neelam Shah to discuss strategies that could make a significant difference. “I wanted to see if I could get my cholesterol levels down by consciously doing the things I needed to do—eating better and exercising,” Fred says. “I wasn’t ready to start taking [pre

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July 03 2015 Category: General, Patient Stories

 

Get happy: workshops show you how

Happiness Basics is a workshop offered by Primary Care Networks in the Calgary area to help people learn skills that make them happier Take a deep breath. Reflect on it. Do you feel happy? It’s easy to think happiness—and the swirl of emotions that help it grow—are beyond your personal control. Research, however, shows the way happy people behave links directly to the positive way they feel. Those behaviours are skills each of us can learn and use to feel happier and improve our he

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