Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 53

JERSEY UFE OMLIf IE ii 1 1 1 1 7. IllCinc rn roe MAuirc i cwtriM! imm cut 9 uckitu phi tmnn rnMirc tri rtioinu a muiu urrnurcnv. i i i iiitfiuk VLLLUJ4 muiiLdt LniuuirtimtiLin iii.nL i ii wnLLtiunjbuiiiiwo iLLLiiofUii 3 bummu ncunuuHi. UHtr UAVIU BUKnt RETURNS TO THE SHORE ASBURY PARK PRESS I APRIL25.2006 i i wriTn 1 iJJ i i PEOPL1 Older-; MQTfefftiant. 3 "''I J' A i 7'." f- -i 1 'Mikey Mania' fund-raiser for ailing boy By SHANNON MULLEN STAFF WRITER As a 2-year-old who can't walk, sit up, chew his food or talk due to cerebral palsy, Michael Angelo Fiore is carrying a heavy load.

-So are his parents, who are providing him with an intensive form of physical therapy that costs them as much as $50,000 a year. But a lot of people are lending their hands. "The generosity from the community is just overwhelming," says his mother, Tara Fiore, 37, of Ocean Township. "He's lucky to have the support he has." Relatives and friends have es- tablished the Michael Angelo -Fund to raise money to help pay for the family's steep medical expenses. The group's next "Mikey Mania" fund-raising event is a bar night and gift auc- tion Thursday night at the Headliner in Neptune.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the cover charge is $10. Chik-a-Boom and Hollander are providing musical entertainment Among items that will auctioned will be a Dell laptop computer, a flat screen -television, -sports memorabilia and tickets to sporting events. The Fiores' medical expenses include the cost of periodic trips to Budapest, Hungary, where Michael Angelo spends weeks at a time at the Peto Institute. The institute is renowned for an ag- gressive type of physical therapy known as conductive educa- tion that has helped many neurologically impaired children and adults maximize their mobility.

Michael Angelo, who will turn 3 in June, spends hours a helping him develop control over his body. "He's making progress, but it's very slow," his mother says. "Nobody is really sure of his potential. He's had problems with seizures, which is new. He may have epilepsy, which is another challenge for him, but we're trying to take it one day at a time." For more information about The Michael Angelo Fund, call (732) 577-0598.

Donations, which are not tax deductible, may be sent to The Michael Angelo Fund, 450 Shrewsbury Plaza, No. 185, Shrewsbury, N.J. i U-i kii ri in March. Walters gave birth to a I i 4 risks, but screenings PHARMl Byjfoe Graedon Teresa Graedon Diet-pill hard to kick Q. Iam addicted to the diet pill phentermine.

I have been abusing this medication for 10 years, usually taking 10 pills a day. I have called a couple of clinics to try to get help, but the people I've spoken to act like this is not a real drug addiction. Is there any place that specializes in this kind of problem? A. Phentermine (Adipex-P, Ionamin) is a weight-loss medicine similar to amphetamine. It was the "phen" in the now infamous fen-phen diet-pill combination.

According to the official label information: "Amphetamines and related stimulant drugs have been extensively abused. Abuse of amphetamines and related drugs may be associated with intense psychological dependence and severe social dysfunction." For some people, kicking this kind of drug habit can be as difficult as stopping cocaine. You need drug-abuse counseling from an expert team and possibly even a residential rehab treatment program. Q. Last winter, my doctor prescribed Lipitor to lower my cholesterol and triglycerides.

Now -that it is spring, I have been out in the sun a few days. I developed a red blush, especially on my arms, feet and legs. I wasn 't out long enough to burn, and one day I had worn sunscreen. My doctor is not concerned about this. The burning and itching make me uncomfortable, though.

What can you tell me about this? A. You are describing a photosensitivity reaction. Although uncommon, this reaction can occur with statin-type drugs such as Crestor, Lipitor and -Zocor. Try better protection when you go outside. Use clothing that will cover you, along with a sunblock that uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

This helps keep the ultraviolet rays away from the skin. Q. My doctor has prescribed six different antidepressants, but the effects eventually wear off. Do you have any suggestions? A. Ask your doctor about the EMSAM patch (selegiline).

It is a new approach for depression and should become available soon. Write to pharmacobgist Joe Graedon and medical anthropologist Teresa Graedon in care of the Asbury Park Press or visit www.app.com and click on Jersey Life for a link to the Grae-dons' Web site. can Expectant mom Lorene Walters, 44, of Keyport show the baby's crib at her home baby girl on April 3. (staff photos: michael sypniewskj) More women 35-plus are having babies. can make a difference.

women's obstetricians referred to the Monmouth Medical in Long Branch, perinatologists affiliated with Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch. The specializes in high-risk obstetrics and maternal-fetal medicine and sees 4,000 to 5,000 patients year, says Dr. David M. Wallace, of four doctors in the group. "Older women" are defined medically as age 35 and up, he says, and older the age, the greater the of problems.

See Pregnant, Page E6 DON'T DRINK OR SMOKE SMOKING: "This increases the risk preterm birth, premature rupture of the membranes, and there's increase in sudden infant death syndrome cases if the mom smokes pregnancy, or there's secondhand smoke in the house when baby comes home." ALCOHOL: "The safe dose of alcohol in pregnancy is zero." David M. Wallace, Monmouth Medical Group, Long Branch our Web site, www.app.com, Doctors say there are By BOBBI SEIDEL STAFF WRITER On April 3, Lorene Walters gave birth to Brooklynn Marie 6 pounds, 13 ounces of beauty at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold. Walters did something else that day, too. At 44, she joined the ranks of a growing number of older women who are having babies. The baby, whom they call Brooke, was a surprise addition to the family, says the Keyport woman, who has a 21-year-old son, Greg.

Her fiance, Steve Rinck, has daughters Tiffany, 12, and Stephanie, 15. She and Rinck are thrilled with Brooke's arrival, she says. "But I do sometimes think at this point in my life, I should be a grandmother, not starting over," Walters says, laughing. Like Walters, Kelly Rainford, 37, is an "older woman" when it comes to pregnancies. John Luke, her son with husband, John, 39, is 5 months old.

McKenzie, 3, completes the Ocean Township family. Because of their ages, both sv. Dr. David M. Wallace, a perinatologist at the Monmouth Medical Group in Long Branch.

and them Group group a one the chance for an during the Dr. Visit jersey for for -Si liiiMTIiflil' MMII Ill iii i 1 Mistakes led writer to College Tips' By DEIRDRE DONAHUE USA TODAY Famous for her no-nonsense writing, best-selling novelist and single mom Terry McMillan now plays guidance counselor in a book for freshly hatched high-school grads. In "It's OK if You're Clueless and 23 More Tips for the College Bound" (Viking, tip No. 3 is: "Don't listen to your parents. If for any reason they See Tips', Page E6 click on this story in the uie secuon jrJF, links to: WM, Kelly Rainford, 37, of Ocean Township recently had a baby boy.

She sits with new family addition John Luke, 5-months-old, and daughter McKenzie, 3, at home. Health Statistics March of Dimes Monmouth Medical Center. When it is time for acute rehab, it is time for Riverview Rehabilitation Center. This fully accredited 30-bed inpatient facility offers individualized and goal-oriented treatment programs. And our unique hospital-based location allows surgeons to follow-up on their patients' progress.

The dedication of our staff is evident: board-certified physicians available 24-7, Magnet award-winning nurses, and outstanding relationships with referring physicians. With consistently superior patient satisfaction, Riverview Rehabilitation Center is the place for great comebacks after falls, strokes, accidents, and surgery. Riverview Rehabilitation Center For more information, call 1-800-560-9990 or visit meridianhealth.com. 1.