“Health Briefs” column for Oct. 7, 2012

Breast Cancer

The Ladies of WOW and Hair Divinity and Accessories of Port Allen will hold “Let’s Spread the Pink,” a breast cancer awareness and health initiative, at 3 p.m. Sunday at Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church, 5247 Ford St. For more information, call (225) 381-3090.

Woman’s Hospital

Woman’s Hospital, 100 Woman’s Way (Airline Highway and Pecue), will hold the following events:

• Baby & You Orientation Tour will be from 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Sunday at the hospital, Conference Room 2. Tours will also be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Oct. 15. Call (225) 231-5475.
• “Prenatal Yoga” will be from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Saturday at Destination Maternity, 5921 Bluebonnet Blvd. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Great Expectations” will be from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at the hospital, Conference Room 1. Call (225) 231-5475.
• “Baby Steps,” a light exercise class for mothers to do with their babies, will be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Thursday at Destination Maternity. Cost is $12 per class. Call (225) 231-5475.
• “Finding Your Core I,” a class on the basics of abdominal exercises, will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Woman’s Center for Wellness, 9637 Jefferson Highway. Cost is $30. Call (225) 924-8709.
• “Strong Mamas,” an exercise class to prepare for pregnancy body changes, will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Destination Maternity. Cost is $12 per class.
• “Basics of Breastfeeding and Pump Pointers” will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday at Woman’s Center for Wellness. Cost is $20 per person. Call (225) 231-5475.
• “Tyke Hyke” will be from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the hospital, Conference rooms 1 and 2. Cost is $25 per child. Call (225) 231-5475.
• “Pink on the Plaza” will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, 201 Lafayette St. Wine and dine on some of the city's best culinary delights, dance to live music, and help local women battle breast cancer. Cost is $50. Call (225) 924-8749.

Huntington’s

The Huntington’s Disease Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the East Baton Rouge Parish Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.

Scleroderma

The Baton Rouge Chapter Scleroderma Support Group will meet at 5 p.m. Monday at Latte E Miele Gelateria and Coffeehouse in The Settlement shopping center, 7809 Jefferson Highway. Call (225) 756-2452.

Cancer Services

Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, 550 Lobdell Ave., will hold the following free events this week:

• “YogaThrive: Yoga for Cancer Survivors” will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at The Red Shoes, 2303 Government St. Registration is required.
• Brain Cancer Support Group will meet at noon Monday at the office.
• “Fit & Fearless,” an exercise program for cancer survivors, will be at 5:15 p.m. Monday at BREC Independence Park, 7500 Independence Blvd. Registration is required.
• “Fit & Fearless: Total Body Workout,” an exercise program for cancer survivors, will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and 5:15 p.m. Thursday at BREC Independence Park. Registration is required.
• Multiple Myeloma Support Group will meet at noon Wednesday at the office.
• After Hours Cancer Support Group will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the office.
• “Zumba Gold” will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the office. Registration is required.
• Breast Cancer Survivorship Luncheon will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at Woman’s Hospital. Preregistration is required.
• Caregiver Support Group will meet at noon Friday at the office.

Call (225) 927-2273.

Alzheimer’s Services

Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area, 3772 North Blvd., will hold the following events this week:

• Caregiver network groups for caregivers and family members of people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia will meet from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday at Iberville Parish Library, 24605 J. Gerald Berret Blvd., Plaquemine; 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday at Denham Springs/Walker Library, 8101 U.S. 190, Denham Springs; 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at the office; and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church, 10915 Florida Blvd.
• “Sharing the Journey: Resources 101 in Ascension,” a free program designed to educate caregivers and individuals with early stage dementia on how to navigate the library and Internet for resources, will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Sister Linda Conference Room, 1125 West La. 30, Gonzales. Call (225) 334-7494.
• “The Faces of Alzheimer’s Traveling Photo Exhibit” will be Thursday through Saturday at the Louisiana Geriatric Society Conference at the Astor Crowne Plaza, second floor, 739 Canal St., New Orleans.
• “A Cause to Remember” will be from noon to 1 p.m. Friday at the office. The free one-hour informational session is designed to increase awareness of the programs and services provided by Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area.

For more information, call (225) 334-7494.

BR General

Baton Rouge General will hold the following events this week:

• Smoking Cessation Program will meet from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Bluebonnet location, 8585 Picardy Ave., Pennington Cancer Center Conference Room. The program consists of small group sessions that take place over a seven-week period. Registration is required. Call (225) 763-4452.
• Weight Loss Surgery Support Group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday at the Bluebonnet location, Conference rooms 1 and 2. Registration is required. Call (225) 763-4242.
• CPR for Family and Friends will meet from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Bluebonnet location. Registration is required. Fee is $30 per couple. Register at http://www.BRGeneral.org.
• Healthy Steps: Lebed Exercise Program, healing through dance and movement, will be from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Baton Rouge General, Mid City location, 3600 Florida Blvd., and at the same time Thursday at the Bluebonnet location. Call (225) 763-4050 to register.
• Weight Loss Surgery Seminar will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bluebonnet location, Conference rooms 1 and 2. Register at (225) 763-4242.

Family Service

Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, 4727 Revere Ave., will offer counseling services for children, individuals and families who need help with a wide range of emotional, behavioral and relationship problems from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

Fee is based on a sliding scale. Private insurance and Medicaid are accepted. Call (225) 924-0123.

HIV services

The following HIV services will be offered this week:

• Free, confidential HIV testing and counseling will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the office. No needles and no blood are necessary, and results are ready in 20 minutes. For more information, call (225) 927-9810 or visit http://www.fsgbr.org.
• Metro Health, 950 East Washington St., will offer free, confidential HIV testing from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Dr. Leo S. Butler Community Center, 950 East Washington St. Syphilis testing will be conducted from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the center. Metro Health will also offer testing from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 4000 Gus Young Ave.; and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Earl K. Long Mid-City, North Foster at Gus Young Avenue. For more information, call (225) 338-9333.

Grief support

The Community Grief Support Group, in partnership with several other local agencies, will meet at noon Tuesday at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, 550 Lobdell Ave. The group is open to anyone coping with the loss of a loved one. Call (225) 927-2273.

NAMI

National Alliance on Mental Illness will hold the following events this week:

• Family to Family Support Group for family members/caregivers of people with a mental illness will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at University Presbyterian Church, 3240 Dalrymple Drive. For more information, call (225) 273-6061.
• Connection Recovery Support Group for those whose lives are affected by mental illness will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at University Presbyterian Church. For more information, call (225) 273-6061.

OLOL

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, 7777 Hennessy Blvd., will hold a Diabetes Education & Awareness Group meeting from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the center’s auditorium, first floor. Topic will be “Standards of Care in Diabetes — 2012.” For more information, (225) 765-8020.

DBSA

Depression and Bi-Polar Support Alliance will meet from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at La Madeleine Café, 7615 Jefferson Highway.

The free meeting is open to those diagnosed with depression and bi-polar disorder as well as family and friends. For more information, call (225) 275-2778.

Survivors of Suicide

Survivors of Suicide, a free support group for people whose lives have been impacted by the loss of a loved one, neighbor, co-worker or friend to suicide, will meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center, 4837 Revere Ave. For more information, call (225) 924-1431.

The Hospice of BR

The Hospice of Baton Rouge, 9063 Siegen Lane, will offer the following events and opportunity this week:

• Grief support group sessions will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Sunrise Assisted Living, 9351 Siegen Lane, and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 3552 Morning Glory Ave., and Ochsner Medical Center, 17000 Medical Center Drive.
• The Hospice of Baton Rouge is seeking volunteers for patient/caregiver support, health fairs and office assistance.

For more information, call (225) 767-4673.

Red Cross

The Louisiana Capital Area Chapter American Red Cross, 4655 Sherwood Common Blvd., will hold the following classes this week:

• “Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED” will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the office. Cost is $110. Another class is offered Saturday.
• “Adult CPR” will be from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday at the office. Cost is $70.
• “Adult First Aid/CPR/AED” will be from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the office. Cost is $90.

Call (225) 291-4533 or visit http://www.batonrouge.redcross.org.

Mary Bird Perkins

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center will hold the following free screenings this week:

• Breast cancer screening will be from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at LSU Mid City Clinic, 1401 North Foster Drive.
• Breast cancer screening will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at BREC Administrative Office, 6201 Florida Blvd.

For more information or to make an appointment, call (225) 215-1234.

Life Source Services

Life Source Services Hospice, 3049 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., will offer the following events and opportunity this week:

• A grief support group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Resthaven, Swan Room, 11817 Jefferson Highway.
• A grief support group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the office.
• A grief support group will meet from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at La Plantation Retirement Community, 26635 La. 16 (Pete’s Highway) in Denham Springs.
• LSS is seeking volunteers for many of its projects. Call (225) 291-9421.

Peoples Health

Peoples Health will hold the following free events this week:

• Cardio Line Dancing will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Spectrum Central, 11424 Sullivan Road. Registration is at 9 a.m., and the reservation deadline is Monday.
• “Think Pink: An Overview of Breast Cancer,” a talk by Dr. Charles Edward Geno, will be held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Family Health Center, second floor Conference rooms A and B, 3801 North Blvd. Registration is at 11:30 a.m., and the reservation deadline is Monday.
• The Works will be held at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Cortana Mall, 9401 Cortana Place. Registration is at 9 a.m., and the reservation deadline is Wednesday.

Visit http://myhealth.peopleshealth.com or call (866) 220-0418.

Co-Dependency

Co-Dependency Anonymous 12 step meeting — including step 11 — will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at University United Methodist Church, 3350 Dalrymple Drive, Room 204 of the Trice Building. Call (225) 922-9543 for more information, or visit http://www.coda.org for literature.

CASA

Capital Area Court Appointed Special Advocates Association, 848 Louisiana Ave., will hold an informational session for those interested in becoming CASA advocates at noon Wednesday.

Court Appointed Special Advocates help neglected and abused children in the foster care system find a safe and permanent home.

Call (225) 379-8598.

St. Joseph Hospice

The St. Joseph Hospice and its inpatient facility, The Carpenter House, will hold a bereavement support group meeting from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at Jefferson United Methodist Church, 10328 Jefferson Highway. For more information or to RSVP, call (225) 769-4810.

Legacy Donor

The Legacy Donor Foundation’s 1st annual Soul Revival Baton Rouge will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Governor’s Mansion, 1001 Capitol Access Road. Tickets are $125.

There will be food by Chef KD and music by Better Than Nobody. For more information, visit http://www.SoulRevivalOnline.com or call Legacy at (800) 404-0708.

Audubon

Audubon Home Health will hold a presentation on “Understanding Dementia” by Dr. Mohammed Saeed for anyone with a loved one living with dementia at 6 p.m. Thursday at Azalea Estates Assisted Living, 2305 South Purpera Ave., Gonzales. RSVP to (225) 247-8299.

Ochsner

Ochsner Medical Center, 17000 Medical Center Drive, will hold the following events this week:

• Movie Review: “Won’t Back Down” will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Grand Cinema Theatre, 15365 George O’Neal Road. Admission is $6.50 per person and includes a small drink and small popcorn. This is a Golden Opportunity Program for adults 50 and older. For more information, call (225) 755-4984.
• Breakfast Bunch: Peoples Health Network 2013 Updates will be presented by PHN representative Nick Karl from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday at the medical center. This is a GO Program event. For more information, call (225) 755-4984.
• A Childbirth Class Series will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the medical center. Cost is $25 for mom and a partner and includes registration, materials and refreshments. For more information, call (225) 755-4854.

MBP-OLOL Cancer

Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center will hold the following events:

• “CancerFit,” a comprehensive wellness program from Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center designed to help cancer patients stay active and mentally fit, will hold a class from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, 4950 Essen Lane.

Call (225) 938-9629.

• Bone marrow registration will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at BREC Administrative Offices, 6201 Florida Blvd., for those who want to be placed on the match list. It will also be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at Woman’s Hospital, 100 Woman’s Way, and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 17 at Wal-Mart, 904 S. Range Ave., Denham Springs. Call (225) 215-1234.
• National Cancer Clinical Trials for breast, pancreatic and brain cancers are now available in Baton Rouge, along with many other clinical trials opportunities.

For more information, call (225) 215-1353 or email clinicalresearch@marybird.com.

Neuropathy pain

The Diabetic Foot Institute, 5428 O’Donovan Drive, Suite D, will offer complimentary diabetic foot screenings on Friday.

Screening will include thermal imaging, blood flow study, gait analysis and neuropathy screening. Call (225) 761-0025 to schedule.

Epilepsy

The Epilepsy Foundation of Louisiana will hold its third annual gala, “Seats for Seizures,” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at Price LeBlanc Lexus, 13200 Airline Highway. Cost is $100 per person.

To purchase tickets, call (800) 960-0587.

There will be live music, a silent auction, valet parking and a raffle for two tickets and a parking pass for the LSU vs. Alabama football game Saturday, Nov. 3.

To purchase tickets for the raffle, call (225) 298-5499. The drawing will be held at the gala and the winner does not need to be present.

Autism

The Baton Rouge Speech & Hearing Foundation and Robinson Brothers will hold the third annual Battle Against Autism Car Raffle for a 2013 Lincoln MKZ, valued at $38,000, provided by Robinson Brothers.

Tickets are available for $100 per person and will be sold until the drawing at 6 p.m. Feb. 28, 2013, at 11455 Airline Highway. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.BattleAgainstAutism.com or by calling (225) 362-9049.

Only 1,500 tickets will be sold.

Southern Care

Southern Care Inc. Hospice, 17316 Airline Highway, Suite P, Prairieville, is holding a school supply drive for St. John Parish schools through the end of October. For more information, call (225) 673-9949.

Alcoholics help

Alcoholics Anonymous, a fellowship of men and women who help each other recover from alcoholism, meets daily.

Call (225) 930-0026 or visit http://www.aa-batonrouge.org.

Overeating help

Overeaters Anonymous, a 12-step program without dues, fees or diets, holds meetings seven days a week in the greater Baton Rouge area. Call (225) 751-0259 or visit http://www.oabatonrouge.org.

Al-Anon/Alateen

Al-Anon Family Groups, a 12-step program to help those affected by someone’s problem drinking, holds meetings daily in the Baton Rouge area. There are no fees. Meetings are confidential.

Call (225) 924-0029 or visit http://www.batonrougealanon.org.

Gambling help

Gamblers Anonymous, a support group for people with gambling problems, holds multiple meetings every week in Baton Rouge, Baker, St. Francisville, Gonzales and Hammond.

For dates, times and locations, call (877) 770-STOP or (800) 203-8785.

Narcotics Anon.

Need help with a drug problem? Narcotics Anonymous holds daily meetings.

Call the helpline at (225) 381-9609.