Pneumonia

WASHINGTON COUNTY Family members say Anita Lynne Tebbs' bond with her father, Richard Tebbs Sr., was so strong that it was evident to anyone who knew them. "They were just inseparable," said Anita's sister, Felecia Skidmore. Audrey Tebbs said she was not surprised when her daughter and husband died within two days of each other this week. "I always said that if anything happened to her, I hoped that he'd go too, because he positively couldn't live without her," she said.

With the number of World War II veterans dying at the rate of more than 600 per day, it was a rare occasion to have two veterans of the conflict together in Chambersburg on Thursday. World War II veteran and best-selling author of “Hell's Guest,” Col. Glenn Frazier, 89, was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club meeting at The Orchards Restaurant. He shared his experiences of fighting a losing effort to save the Philippine Island of Luzon from the Japanese to the infamous six-day Bataan Death March and three years of torture in Japanese prisoner of war camps.

From 1988 to 1995, Washington County's death rate from influenza and pneumonia for people ages 65 and older was 36 percent higher than Maryland's, according to Washington County Health Department. Each year in the U.S., pneumoccal disease accounts for an estimated half million cases and up to 40,000 deaths from pneumonia. The current pneumonia vaccine provides protection against one of the most common causes of bacterial pneumonia, pneumococcus. Despite that, there are more cases of pneumoccal disease than any other vaccine-prevented diseases, says Linda Humbert, director of nursing for Washington County Health Department.

Do you need a pneumonia shot? By KATE COLEMAN katec@herald-mail.com Risk Factors The streptococcus pneumonia bacteria can cause potentially life-threatening illness including pneumonia - inflammation or infection of the lungs. Pneumococcal disease kills more people in the United States each year than all other diseases preventable by vaccine. Some people are at greater risk of getting the disease. Risk factors include: HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> 65 years of age or older HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> chronic illness - heart, lung, kidney and liver disease, diabetes HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> cancer HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> HIV/AIDS HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> alcoholism HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> sickle-cell anemia HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> damaged spleen or no spleen HEIGHT="6" ALT=" "> Long-term steroid treatment, certain cancer treatments and radiation therapy.

Washington County Health Department influenza and pneumonia vaccine clinics will be offered at these locations: Elks Club Lodge No. 378, 11063 Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 3 to 7 p.m., and Thursday, Oct. 7, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Brownsville Church of the Brethren, 1911 Rohrersville Road (Md. 67), Brownsville, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 3 to 7 p.m. Williamsport American Legion, 400 S. Conococheague St., Williamsport, Thursday, Oct. 14, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Morris Frock American Legion, 405 Northern Ave., Hagerstown, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sumans Community Center, Sumans Avenue, Hagerstown, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 3 to 7 p.m. St. John's United Church of Christ, Cumberland Street, Clear Spring, Thursday, Oct. 21, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Smithsburg Fire Hall, 22 N. Main St., Smithsburg, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 3 to 7 p.m. Eagle's Club, 18 N. Locust St., Hagerstown, Thursday, Oct. 28, 3 to 7 p.m. Hancock Community Center, 126 W. High St., Hancock, Thursday, Nov. 4, 3 to 6 p.m. Boonsboro American Legion, 710 N. Main St., Boonsboro, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The vaccines are for adults only, ages 18 years and older.

For Sonny Lemon, the annual wagon train ride is more than just an opportunity to trace the famous route that opened Washington County to the west - it's a family tradition that goes back more than 20 years. Lemon, a Boonsboro native, first began riding in the National Pike Festival and Wagon Train in 1989 with his friend and fellow horseman, Robert Shank. The National Pike Festival celebrates the historic, 19th-century road that helped extend the Baltimore-National Pike to Cumberland, Md., allowing for the development of roadways that would eventually lead to national westward expansion, according to the event's website.

The carnage that was caused by weapons introduced during the American Civil War forced doctors to make advances in medicine that might have taken another 25 years to develop had the conflict not been fought. "In many ways, the battlefield was the birthplace of modern emergency medicine," said George Wunderlich, executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md., who also oversees the Pry House Field Hospital Museum on Antietam National Battlefield.

What is cystic fibrosis? Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that causes the body to produce a thick, sticky mucus due to poor transport of salt in cells that line organs such as the lungs and pancreas. The mucus clogs the lungs, which can lead to infections. It also obstructs the pancreas, which prevents enzymes from reaching the intestines to digest food. Symptoms include salty-tasting skin, persistent coughing or pneumonia, excessive appetite but poor weight gain, and bulky stools.

'Tis the cold season - Achoo! By MARLO BARNHART / Staff Writer Winter is normally the season for colds at area hospitals and this year's is no exception. "The biggest problem we're seeing is pneumonia, affecting all ages," said Jenny Divelbliss, a nursing supervisor at Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown. Divelbliss estimated that 25 percent of the hospital's 250 or so patients Saturday are suffering from ailments relating to pneumonia or respiratory illnesses.

As a busy mother of three children under the age of 4, Alice Chamberlin was thrilled when a walk-in clinic opened in Greencastle. "It's so convenient. You don't have to make an appointment, and the longest I've had to wait was 10-15 minutes before being seen," said Chamberlin, of Greencastle. Antrim Family and Walk-In Care at 50 Eastern Ave. is an extension of Summit Health's family medicine practice at the same location. The facility is staffed with medical personnel to treat minor illnesses and injuries including cuts, sprains, bee strings, fevers, sore throats and more.