Methodist Healthcare System | Keeping Well | Summer 2021

2 SAHealth.com KEEPINGWELL — SUMMER 2021 Practicingmindfulness tomanage stress This past year has brought many of us to a new level of stress in anxiety as we navigated through so many changes in our lives. Those situations raised stress levels dramatically. Sometimes those moments cause people to feel anxious, scared or, even angry. We often think there’s something wrong if we have these feel- ings, but you know what? It’s OK to feel those feelings. Our feelings are natural reactions to life situations. It’s also important to be able to recognize while the situa- tion needs to be dealt with in the moment, it’s going to change in the next few minutes, the next hour. Our feel- ings and emotions are also going to change. When we are not being mindful, being present in the moment, we can get caught up worrying about the outcome. Anxiety, stress and depression can take a toll on each of us and affect those around us. One of the most effec- tive tools for treating anxiety and depression is mindful- ness. Mindfulness is simply the intentional act of paying attention to what is occurring in the present moment with acceptance and without judgement. Practicing mindfulness can help you feel more grounded, reduce anxiety and help you pay attention to what is going on. Mindfulness: Tips to get started » Put down your phone. » Do not multitask. Do one thing at a time. » Smile. » Ask yourself what you need. » Practice paying attention. One way to do this is to drive a new way to work. It forces you to pay attention. Making that change from autopilot mode can help you get comfortable making changes. Methodist Hospital offers revolutionized treatment for prostate cancer, reducing side effects and damage to quality of life Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Until recently, treatment involved surgery and radia- tion therapy, often presenting significant side effects and major impacts on a patient’s quality of life. Now, Methodist Hospital offers a revolutionized incision-free and customizable solution for men diagnosed with low- to intermediate-risk prostate disease. Methodist Hospital is the first in South Texas, and second in the state, to perform the TULSA procedure, an MRI-guided transurethral ultrasound ablation used to treat prostate disease. Naveen Kella, MD, urologist, performed the first procedure on a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer. “Treating prostate cancer effectively and keeping side effects for my patients as minimal as possible has always been my goal,” commented Dr. Kella. “We now have an exciting option that can treat prostate cancer without requiring a hospital stay, surgery, or repeated visits for treatment.” This procedure combines real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with robotically-driven thermal ultrasound and closed-loop temperature feedback control software to deliver transurethral prostate tissue ablation. The system is connected to the MRI machine, which allows the physician to use high-precision MR imaging to determine the areas that will be ablated. A temperature algorithm helps control and provide constant feedback during the procedure to minimize damage to surrounding tissue and organs. The MR images enable the physician to draw out boundary lines while avoiding important nerve bundles and critical structures around the prostate; this reduces the risk of side effects and pre- serves the patient’s natural functions. Patients no longer have to commit to several visits to treat their cancer. This outpatient treatment is performed in a single session and takes a few hours. “Methodist Hospital has more surgical robots than any other hospital in the country,” said Dr. Kella. “Investing in a promising new treat- ment such as this will provide one place for patients to receive the spectrum of prostate cancer and enlarged prostate treatment. That makes Methodist different from any other facility in South Texas.” To learn more, visit SAHealth.com . For more information about behavioral health services at Methodist Hospital | Specialty and Transplant, visit SAHealth.com/mentalwellness . Square breathing Stop what you are doing. Breathe deeply. Square breathing is a technique of breathing in for four seconds, holding it for four seconds, and then breathing out for four seconds. Repeating that for several minutes will help relax the nervous system. Use your breath to help take control over the situation. breathe in for 4 seconds hold it for 4 seconds hold it for 4 seconds Square breathing breathe out for 4 seconds