Breathing

shappell@herald-mail.com The Heise/Shockey family has reason to be optimistic for the first time in weeks as 5-year-old Shania Shockey, who was run over by a van last month, is breathing on her own again, less than a week after doctors nearly took her off life-support, according to her father Bill Heise. The family was pleased at how responsive the girl was during a visit Wednesday evening, but she has a long way to go to recover from severe injuries, Heise said. Heise said his daughter is in guarded care, with 24-hour nursing supervision, at the Children's Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Shania was in an induced coma until Monday, when doctors determined she could breathe on her own, according to Heise.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords no longer needs a respirator after doctors replaced her breathing tube with a different one. Hospital officials say that Giffords underwent surgery Saturday morning to have a tube inserted in her windpipe to protect her airways. She had been breathing on her own since she was shot in the head Jan. 8, but doctors had left the breathing tube in as a precaution. Doctors also inserted a feeding tube. These procedures are not out of the ordinary for brain-injured patients.

Special to The Herald-Mail It was 3 a.m. when Dad's breathing seemed to change.   I was not sure what awakened me, but I felt he needed my help. Throwing on my robe, I rushed to the sunroom where we had placed his hospital bed a few months ago, remembering how he preferred overlooking his garden rather than a sterile hospital room. When I entered his room, he seemed to be having a hard time catching his breath. I checked the oxygen tank supplied by the hospice team.

laurae@herald-mail.com Greenbrier State Park lifeguards, with the help of doctors and nurses who were visiting the park, revived a 3-year-old Baltimore girl after she nearly drowned in the lake Saturday. Sequoia Rantin was flown by helicopter to Children's Hospital in Washington, said Ranger Bob Haney. Lifeguard Miles Hawthorne, 27, of Shepherdstown, W.Va., said he saw a woman stand up out of the water and point down. The unidentified woman lifted the little girl out of the water.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. A holistic, body-based approach to meditation will be offered Saturday, April 1, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Zion Reformed United Church of Christ, 259 S. Main St., Liberty Street entrance. The workshop will involve easy-to-learn breathing, sound and movement practices to reduce tension, stress and anxiety; and promote wellness, peace and increased energy. No experience is needed. Wear comfortable clothing. Parking is available in the rear of the building. The cost is $5. Call 1-717-267-0413 or 1-717-264-2854; or send e-mail to whriv@earthlink.

A 17-year-old Falls Church, Va., girl who was pulled from the lake Sunday at Greenbrier State Park near Boonsboro was improving Tuesday in a critical care unit at Fairfax Hospital, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The girl was in one of two designated swimming areas in the lake at about 4:50 p.m., according to Tammy McCorkle, assistant park manager for the South Mountain Recreation Area. McCorkle said it is believed the girl, who was at the park with family members, might have suffered a seizure in about 2 to 3 feet of water.

Yoga taught me the art of breathing Over the last few months, I've noticed that my mother says, "Take care of yourself," as our long-distance phone conversations wind down to good-bye. Like asking, "How are you?" at the beginning of a call, saying, "Take care of yourself," is a fairly standard thing to say before hanging up. Maybe she says it now that she's 82 and has some health problems she doesn't want me to have. They haven't stopped her - just slowed her pace from the breakneck speed that is her trademark.

SMITHSBURG - Smithsburg Emergency Medical Services Inc. responded to 88 calls for service during the month of September, according to information from Capt. James Ulrich. The busiest day of the month was Sunday, Sept. 5, when personnel responded to nine emergency calls. Of the 88 calls for September, 13 were to Frederick County, Md., and one was to Franklin County, Pa. Nineteen calls were in the Smithsburg town limits and six were in the Hagerstown area, seven in the Cascade area and 13 in the Leitersburg area.

By MARLO BARNHART / Staff Writer photo: RICHARD T. MEAGHER / staff photographer Jessica Cosgrove is ordinarily a little shy with strangers, but when she and Justin Mayhue met for the first time Thursday, they seemed to connect right away. It's not surprising since the two were renewing a life-giving bond established during a 911 call back in 1990. Mayhue, 37, is a veteran dispatcher with Washington County Fire and Rescue Communications. He was on duty on Oct. 4, 1990, when Jessica's mom, Melanie Cosgrove, made a frantic call for help to 911. --cont.

By KATE COLEMAN / Staff Writer photo: RIC DUGAN / staff photographer [ enlarge ] "We've been married for 27 years, and for 27 years I haven't slept," says Maryann Fisher. She doesn't have insomnia. She has a husband, Bob Fisher, who snores. Snoring frequently has been an easy way for comics to get a laugh. "It's funny sometimes," says Dr. Shaheen Iqbal, a Hagerstown physician whose specialties include sleep medicine. But sometimes it's not so funny.

Motorists charged with driving under the influence are entitled to have the state provide downloadable data that shows the working history of the breath machine used on them, according to a West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals opinion filed Monday. “Any citizen arrested for DUI that submits to the breath machine shall now have meaningful access to their biggest accuser, the breath machine,” said defense attorney Harley O. Wagner, who successfully argued for the right to obtain the evidence.

Nostalgia is an interesting thing. It is defined as a longing for the past, often in idealized form. It is the idealized part that makes nostalgia interesting. Many of us are guilty of harkening back at least in our minds to a simpler time, especially during the frenzy of the Christmas season. What we forget is the reality of the situation. We cannot live in the past, but what we really need to do is take the good aspects of days gone by and apply them today. One of those aspects is the sense of community.

Nine years ago, a fire heavily damaged a building on the Borough of Mercersburg's square but revealed a log structure in the process. Now, after much discussion and planning, the Irwin House is remodeled with modern amenities and preserved relics. The late 18th-century building is now set up for retail, offices and a visitors center. Tenants include The Dressing Room and the Tuscarora Chamber of Commerce. A nearly 500-square-foot office remains available to lease on the second floor.

Emily Ward didn't have to be at her best to be the best. A nasty cold that kept the North Hagerstown sophomore out of school Wednesday couldn't keep her down Thursday at the MVAL Piedmont Conference Track & Field Championships at Century High School. Ward won the 1,600-meter run in 5:25.95. “My legs felt OK, but it was harder than usual to breathe,” said Ward, who took the lead for good at the end of the first lap. “It hurt, but it wasn't awful.”  While she was well off her season-best time of 5:09.87, she gave herself plenty of breathing room against Liberty's Sarah Rinehart, who outkicked Westminster's Natalie Eastwood to place second in 5:30.76.

Special to The Herald-Mail It was 3 a.m. when Dad's breathing seemed to change.   I was not sure what awakened me, but I felt he needed my help. Throwing on my robe, I rushed to the sunroom where we had placed his hospital bed a few months ago, remembering how he preferred overlooking his garden rather than a sterile hospital room. When I entered his room, he seemed to be having a hard time catching his breath. I checked the oxygen tank supplied by the hospice team.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords no longer needs a respirator after doctors replaced her breathing tube with a different one. Hospital officials say that Giffords underwent surgery Saturday morning to have a tube inserted in her windpipe to protect her airways. She had been breathing on her own since she was shot in the head Jan. 8, but doctors had left the breathing tube in as a precaution. Doctors also inserted a feeding tube. These procedures are not out of the ordinary for brain-injured patients.

MAUGANSVILLE - This is Mary Ann Allan's quiet time. Tucked away in a corner of her Maugansville home, she has removed herself from buzzing cell phones, distracting televisions and cyber civilization. It's a temporary escape. In a few hours, the 78-year-old woman will begin a busy day that includes errands and appointments. But for now, she's alone, reconnecting with her thoughts and gaining an inner calm. And she's doing it with a very old tool - meditation. Stretching back thousands of years to ancient spiritual traditions, meditation has found its place in a tumultuous modern world.

A 17-year-old Falls Church, Va., girl who was pulled from the lake Sunday at Greenbrier State Park near Boonsboro was improving Tuesday in a critical care unit at Fairfax Hospital, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The girl was in one of two designated swimming areas in the lake at about 4:50 p.m., according to Tammy McCorkle, assistant park manager for the South Mountain Recreation Area. McCorkle said it is believed the girl, who was at the park with family members, might have suffered a seizure in about 2 to 3 feet of water.

I'm disgusted by how acceptable it is for a pregnant woman to smoke. For me, there isn't any gray area when it comes to smoking during pregnancy. It's wrong, period. Any argument made to the contrary is designed merely to excuse a smoker's habit, regardless of its consequences to others. Study after study has proven that smoking is carcinogenic, both to the smoker and to anyone else forced to inhale the smoke. Not only that, but smoking is linked to a host of problems, including low birth weight, premature birth, placenta abruption, miscarriage, stillbirth and retarded fetal development.

When a pitcher is at his best, he's like a riddle with no answer. Sharpsburg couldn't solve West End pitcher Airin Martin on Monday, losing 13-3 at West End Little League in the Maryland District 1 11-12 Tournament winners' bracket semifinal. "Airin threw a fine game," said West End manager Bill Nutter. "He's very talented. " Sharpsburg opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Dalton Stewart scored on a single before Adam McDonald and Alex Wetzel scored on an infield error to give Sharpsburg a 3-0 lead.