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Ask the Midwife - Zika Virus Q:I planned a trip to a beachside resort in Mexico a few months ago and just now found out that I am pregnant.  My mom said it isn’t safe for me to go because of Zika virus, but I already paid for the trip. What should I do? A:Congratulations on your pregnancy!  Our primary goal is for you to have a healthy pregnancy as well as a safe and happy outcome for you and your baby.  Zika virus is a serious concern in pregnancy.   This disease is spread by the bite of 2 types infected mosquitoes, as well as through sexual contact.  The virus can cause severe birth defects of the brain in the developing fetus, as well as miscarriage, stillbirth and a disease of the nervous system called Guillain-Barre syndrome.  Unfortunately at this time, there is no vaccination against Zika.  The CDC recommends that all pregnant women avoid travel to areas of the world where Zika is being transmitted.  If travel is unavoidable, steps must be taken to minimize the risk of being infected with the virus.  If you travel to an area that is known for Zika transmission, your provider will arrange for testing for the virus one or more times during your pregnancy, and will advise you to refrain from sexual intercourse during your pregnancy. Areas of the world that are known to present a risk of Zika virus transmission include: Mexico; the Caribbean (including but not limited to [...]

Women’s Specialists had the distinction of celebrating one of our employees recently. Tammy was honored at the Go Red for Women luncheon sponsored by the American Heart Association.  Her story is important because many women ignore the symptoms.  See Tammy’s story below.   “I had my heart attack on the evening of July 31, 2016 at 47 years old. In hindsight, I started having symptoms 48 hours prior. I left work on a Friday evening with shoulder blade pain. I figured it was a knot and had my husband rub it that night. It continued intermittently through Saturday and was starting to make my fingers tingle. I took Tylenol and Advil and that relieved a little of the discomfort but I had a dull ache that felt like it was in the bone. I woke up on Sunday feeling so much better. I relaxed most of the day and decided early evening I was going to vacuum the pool. That was all it took. I went inside, sat on the couch and had the most excruciating chest pain, down my arm, up my neck into my jaw. I fell to the floor. I knew exactly what it had to be. I realized with my first grandbaby just 6 weeks away and my family witnessing this that I had to go to the Emergency Room. I did not want to be a statistic. The EKG was normal but my labs were not. I went to the cath lab with a 90% [...]