120 East Heritage Drive Tyler, TX 75703-5120
(903) 561-5610 I have been getting my teeth cleaned at Dr. Hammonds dental office for a couple years now. I was referred to this Tyler dentist by my wife who had been going there for awhile. This dentist office is unique in that there are atleast two dental higenists that work here that have been there for 25 years.
At Dr. Hammonds office you will find that his staff and higenists are carefully chosen. His office does a great job with those that provide dental care to people like me that really pay attention to those who care. I have been to some dental offices where it almost seems like the employees are zoned out trying to push through another week of teeth grinding. You will not find this attitude at Dr. Hammonds dental office. The employees here genuinely enjoy their jobs and you see this in how they educate and care for you throughout your visit.
We have not been paid by Dr. Hammonds office to refer them to this directory and Tyler Texas residents. We genuinely love the care and work of the dental staff at Dr. Hammonds and want to give them their deserved online promotion.
At this dentist office you have your choice of picking Dr. Hammond Sr. Or his son. I use the more seasoned Dr. Hammond although I here they are both good dentists. If you have decided on Dr. Hammonds dental office in Tyler from reading our review please let them know you heard about them on Tylertxdirectory.com!
Such a romantic set of words! It was nearly 36 years ago that my wife and I recited that well-known phrase. We were in love, young and naive. At the ripe old ages of 18 and 20, we had all the wisdom, maturity and health needed to get us through the next 60 odd years. For the following 25 to 30 years (though the wisdom and maturity often lacked as we raised 3 kids) our health was invincible. We worked together on house building projects, played team sports, did long distance cycling and lifted weights, along with many other physical activities. (I often joked that I wanted to die while bench pressing 300 lbs. on my 100th birthday.) We had our health, a strong Christian faith and a rock solid marriage.
At the age of about 53 I was aware of some changes taking place in my body; then in June of 2007 I was diagnosed with Parkinsons’s. Though my health had begun to fail, my faith and marriage have remained firm, neither of which I will ever take for granted. When my wife vowed to stick with me though thick and thin, having a man with functional changes around the house was the farthest thing from her mind. Now that it seems to be happening, how is she handling it? That’s largely up to me. How is my attitude? Am I doing all that I am able in order to lighten the load while she works to make ends meet? (Disability pensions don’t pay that great.)
I refuse to be a complainer as it will only serve to alienate myself from others, including the one person I need most. For now, I do my best to keep the house clean and do most of the meal preparation, simple things which now take a lot longer to do than they used to.
Communication is absolutely essential and presumption is a huge no-no. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting there will never be trying times. Any debilitating condition will test the best of relationships, but testing does not have to weaken. Any weight lifter will tell you that in order to get stronger the muscles need to be pushed or stretched beyond their comfort. Though it is not uncommon for marriages to fall apart in the midst of sickness, it certainly does not have to be the case. Working together through the darkest times (especially during times of depression) can and will strengthen the union; but it takes team work. Never being presumptuous and always showing appreciation are on the top of the priority list.
Things happen in life that don’t seem fair; but fair or not, life goes on. Having Parkinson’s in our family was not my choice nor was it my wife’s; what we make of it is our choice. When she said “for better or for worse” in June of ’72, she meant it, and I will do all that is in my power and ability to make it “better”.
WIC stands for Women, Infants and Children and is a program designed to help pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children under 5 with nutrition. There is a daily clinic in Tyler and mobile clinics at other locations in our area once a week too.
To qualify for benefits, you have to live in Texas and have a low income for the number of people in your household. Benefits are given after a financial assessment has been made. There are details on the WIC website and you can phone the WIC hotline to find out if your family is eligible (details on www.dshs.state.tx.us/wic)
They have information in both English and all materials are also available in Spanish.
In my experience, the ladies who run the WIC program are really helpful. It would seem that this is not the easiest of programs to administer but they do it with a smile. We received help when I was pregnant and had a child under five. We were given a health assessment and nutritional advice as well as the food package. This came in the form of a ‘gift card’ which could be redeemed at most local superstores. Specific food types and in some cases, brands, are listed for you to purchase. You receive an information sheet and a video to watch to help you get started and in most supermarkets the products you can choose are labelled ‘WIC’ to help you as you shop.
At one of my WIC appointments the nutritionist identified that my daughter was iron deficient. I guess I wasn’t surprised as she is a terrible eater! But I was glad to have all sorts of ideas, suggestions and recipes to help. She was also given a children’s book on each visit which is I think is great. Any help with encouraging literacy has to be good for kids in East Texas.
We had milk, eggs, cereal, peanut butter, bread, rice, beans, fruit and veg. It was a real help to our family budget. I was also offered breast feeding support and even an electric pump to aid feeding. I have to say I am really impressed that they would spend the time and money to help Moms breastfeed. We all know it is the best start for a baby to have it’s mother’s milk but it is not always an easy choice to make and sustain. Any support is really valuable. It was also good to know that my baby was on target on the growth chart. I continued to receive a food package as I was nursing him and once I began to feed him solids, I was given formula and baby food and cereal on my card each month.
I think it is well worth applying for the WIC program if your income is low. You do need to prove your income twice a year and visit the clinic at least every three months but that is a small price to pay for the assistance you receive. And don’t worry, there is no stigma attached to receiving WIC as there are so many families in East Texas who receive it. It is not just for single parents or those out of work. A lot of families here are living on a single income because Moms bravely chose to stay at home with their children. In this community there are also a large proportion of families who have lots of children or extended family living with them and so are eligible for benefits even though their income is not low. I have always been treated with respect at the Lindale WIC office and have no hesitation in recommending their services to others.
417 S. Chilton Avenue
Tyler 75702
903-526-2600
www.laboroflovetyler.com
Would you like a hospital-free birth controlled by YOU?
Then Vicky at Labor of Love is the person you are looking for to help you.
Vicky is a licensed midwife with a childbirth center in central Tyler. She provides a full range of maternity care, delivery and post-partum care plus breast-feeding support for a fraction of the cost of a hospital delivery. You can chose to deliver at home or at her birth center (which by the way is just 5 minutes away from ETMC and TMF in case you have an anxious relative concerned that complications may arise). Vicky also does water births.
The Birth Center is a lovely old Tyler stately home with a clinical room downstairs and sonogram facilities next door. On the first floor is the delivery suite. It is just like a home – with a double bed, rocking chair and spa bath, plus additional facilities for housing members of the family that might want to be with you while you are in labor.
Vicky delivered my son at our home in Lindale. I chose midwife care because I didn’t want any unnecessary medical interventions and I feel that giving birth should be a nice relaxed ‘normal’ experience. I trust someone whose whole career revolves around normal childbirth rather than an surgeon who’s main job is to perform operations!
For me, not having to drive to into town was wonderful – Vicky has a clinic once a week in Lindale as well as her Tyler location. I saw no doctors at all during my pregnancy and delivery – Vicky did everything. She came to my house the week before I went into labor and on 3 subsequent visits after the birth to check on me and the baby. How nice it was not to have to get up and travel with a newborn to a doctor’s office whilst recovering from giving birth.
I opted for a waterbirth in the tub at home with candles and my music playing. Sure it was painful but Vicky had primed us well with techniques for getting through it and she was so encouraging and communicative that I felt I could get through anything. When the baby was born she checked him quickly then let us bathe together while she completed paperwork and tidied up. There was no rush or interference, I just had precious moments with my newborn that I will remember forever. My husband helped weigh and dress him and then we chilled out enjoying him together before our children woke up and disturbed the peace!
I have absolute confidence in Vicky’s abilities. As a nurse myself I had quizzed her a lot about what she would do if this or that happened. She is well equipped to deal with emergencies. I can truly say that I had a great childbirth experience and I wish that many more would ‘see the light’ and opt for midwife care too.
1003 S Baxter Ave
Tyler 75701
Open M-F
Call for opening times.
903 592 4495
You can think about nothing else. What if I’m pregnant?
Maybe you have even taken a home test … and another and another. Are they really accurate anyway? You might be thinking – what is going to happen to me if I really am expecting a baby?
Don’t be terrified. There are people waiting to help you. Call the Pregnancy Resource Center in Tyler before you do anything else. You need someone to be on your side and help you process what is happening to you.
The Pregnancy Resource Center is in a little house opposite Tyler Junior College. Don’t be put off by the homey atmosphere and the fact that they give their services for free – these guys are professionals. Firstly they have lab-accurate pregnancy tests and can give you proof of pregnancy, an expected date of delivery and later, a sonogram. They also have access to all sorts of information to help you decide what you are going to do next.
The ladies at the Pregnancy Center will listen to you and discuss your personal circumstances. They will talk about your choices and can refer you to a local maternity home (Fatherheart) and an adoption agency (Loving Alternatives) should you want more information about these options. In addition they can tell you about the methods of abortion used to end pregnancies.
At the center there is also information about other Tyler support agencies for women and children. They also offer post-abortion counseling and can refer you for help if you struggling with grief over the loss of a baby through SIDS. They have information on WIC and Medicaid and sexually transmitted diseases.
Finally, should you be struggling with finances, the center can help with maternity and baby clothes and equipment through their sister organisation ‘Building Blocks’ which is right next door.
One of the things I love about the Pregnancy Center is that they are loving and non-judgemental. Many of the volunteers have made mistakes in their lives and are helping because of their own experiences. Be sure that you will be treated with care and respect and that even if you are now feeling despair at your circumstances – there is hope.
I have been getting my teeth cleaned at Dr. Hammonds dental office for a couple years now. I was referred to this Tyler dentist by my wife who had been going there for awhile. This dentist office is unique in that there are atleast two dental higenists that work here that have been there for 25 years. 
