Opinion

In February, we announced a new partnership with Hays Academy of Hair Design that will provide the hair academy students the opportunity to take four business courses while working toward a Business Essentials certificate from Fort Hays State University.

Dear Readers, In the past five days I logged over 600 miles traveling for both business and pleasure across eastern and southeastern Kansas with one excursion taking me as far as the Missouri Ozarks. Before the week is out, I’ll log another 600+ miles crisscrossing up to northwestern Kansas.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 68 and have osteoarthritis all over -- neck, spine, hips, knees, shoulders, hands -- and all are getting worse. One hip was replaced two years ago, and my shoulder was replaced four months ago. Four years ago, X-rays showed arthritis in my spine and severe stenosis in lower lumbar (L4-L5). I’m at the point now where I can’t walk right, and it is affecting my relatively new hip.

As part of our Prairie Doc volunteer work to spread science-based public health information, we have assembled a group of pre-professional college women and men to help us out. Almost every Thursday night at 7 PM (6 mountain time), these young “Prairie Doc Assistants”, or PDAs, answer telephone call-in questions for our TV show on PBS. This changing group, initiated by our friend and advisor Mr. Judge Kelley, has been helping us for more than four years.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 68 and have prostate cancer. I had PSAs, an MRI and a biopsy. My Gleason score was a high 7. No genetic testing as I can recall. My urologist said I had “upper moderate” cancer and that I could remove my prostate or do radiation therapy. I underwent three months of radiation treatment from September to November 2020. I’ve done three PSA tests since the radiation. All have been very low and, per my doc, good.