303-651-5111 LUHCARES.ORG / 7
"IN 2010, MY FAMILY experienced a medical emergency and
received truly amazing care at Longmont United Hospital," Trevor
says. "Volunteering felt like a natural way to give back, so I went
for it."
During the past several years, Trevor honored his commitment
by lending his time and talents to LUH on a weekly basis. His hours
of service are spent at the front desk in the main lobby, where he
directs visitors to family members' rooms and offers an attentive
ear to anyone who needs to talk.
"I often meet people who are going through some pretty rough
experiences," Trevor says. "They may just need someone to vent to.
I'm here to listen."
Trevor counts the relationships he has built as the greatest
rewards of his volunteering experience and encourages others to
reap the same benefits by getting involved with LUH—medical
experience not required.
"A lot of people get discouraged at the thought of volunteering at
a hospital because they don't consider themselves to be 'medical'
people," Trevor says. "But there are so many ways to get involved,
and there's so much to learn. I've met people who I might not have
otherwise encountered in my average high school life. It's been an
incredible experience."
Trevor is a member of the National Honor Society and will be
attending Oberlin College in the fall.
Interested in volunteering at Longmont United Hospital?
Visit luhcares.org/About-Us/Volunteers.
Ev er Exp erience
Difficulty
Swallowing?
IF YOU HAVE, IT MAY BE TIME TO SEE A
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.
Treasuring
the Gifts
of Giving Back
AS A JUNIOR VOLUNTEER WITH LONGMONT
UNITED HOSPITAL, INCOMING COLLEGE
FRESHMAN TREVOR BANE REFLECTS ON
NEARLY FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE.
SWALLOWING PROBLEMS ARE more common than you think,
and they can be caused by a myriad of problems—including weakness
or structural changes that can result from deconditioning, disease,
strokes, cancer or injuries. In fact, sometimes just the natural process
of aging can change the function of the swallow.
If you're suffering from a swallowing issue, a speech-language
pathologist—also known as a speech therapist—can help with
evaluation and treatment.
HELP IS HERE
Speech-language pathologists evaluate swallowing by listening as
you explain your symptoms and then examining the function of
your mouth and throat as you swallow a variety of food textures. If
additional testing is necessary, the speech-language pathologist and a
radiologist can together perform an X-ray test called a modified barium
swallow study.
During this test, the radiologist and speech pathologist watch in real
time as you swallow special foods and drinks and evaluate how well
your swallowing structures work, if food or liquid is at risk of entering
your windpipe, and why you're having a problem.
In many cases, speech-language pathologists can use the
information they've gathered to teach you strategies to manage
swallowing difficulty, reduce the risk of adverse effects, and teach you
how to strengthen the muscles in your mouth and throat to help keep
food and drink out of your windpipe.
If you feel you are having swallowing difficulty, talk with
your doctor. He or she might feel a referral to a speech-
language pathologist is needed.
