From WILL - Focus - May 17, 2013

Next Week on Focus

Next week on Focus, we’ll talk with an Urbana man who has survived two bouts of cancer thanks in part to a bone marrow transplant, a University of Illinois grad who is pushing himself across the country in his racing wheelchair and much more.

Monday May 20 – Women’s Heath
We welcome your women’s health questions this hour on Focus!

Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she had a preventative double mastectomy because of her high risk for developing breast cancer has been all over the news, but when is the testing she went through appropriate? This hour on Focus, guest host Kimberlie Kranich talks with Suzanne Trupin, a board certified and obstetrician and gynecologist, about the BRCA1 gene that led Jolie to make her decision. We’ll also talk about everything from menses to menopause and how and when to talk about sex with you doctor and with your children and family.

Tuesday, May 21 – Bone Marrow Transplants

Brendan Harley was first diagnosed with cancer when he was in high school. At the age of 17 he underwent a bone marrow transplant to save his life. This hour on Focus, we’ll talk with Harley about how the experience and how it propelled him to pursue a career in cancer research. We’ll also hear from a representative with the Be the Match National Marrow Donor Program Registry and talk about bone marrow transplants and the need for donors here in Illinois.

Wednesday, May 22 – Digital Privacy and the Workplace
Illinois law currently bans employers from asking employees and prospective employees for their social media passwords, but there is a bill in the Illinois House that would change that. This hour on Focus, we’ll talk about why your boss wants access to your social media accounts and if they should have it.

Bill 1047, currently under consideration in the Illinois House of Representatives, would make it legal for employers to ask employees for the personal social media passwords. According to some, it’s a severe violation of privacy for employers to be able to ask for social media account information, but State Representative Jim Durkin defends the bill saying that employers need to have agency to protect themselves against threats and theft. This hour on Focus, we’ll talk with Representative Durkin and Law Professor Lori Andrews. She’s written a social media constitution and is author of the book “I Know Who You Are, I Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death of Privacy.” Statehouse Reporter Amanda Vinicky will give us an update about the status of the legislation.

Thursday, May 23 – Ryan Chalmers: Push Across America

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign grad, PADI divemaster and US Paralympian Ryan Chalmers has pushed himself more than 2,000 miles in the last few weeks, journeying the length of three to four full length marathons every day. He’s trying to cross the US in his racing wheelchair in 71 days, a distance of nearly 3,000 miles. This hour on Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with Chalmers about his trek and what inspired him to do it. We’ll also talk with him about his career as a wheelchair athlete - at the UIUC, in marathons around the country and the 2012 Paralympic games in London.

Friday, May 25  – Preventing Aggressive Pet Behavior
Are you a dog or a cat person? Maybe you’re neither? Both? This hour on Focus, we welcome your pet questions!

Each year in the US, more than 4 million people are bitten by a dog, and one in five of those people require medical attention. This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and this hour on Focus, we’ll talk with Sally Foote, a small animal vet from Tuscola who specializes in dog and cat behavior about aggressive pets and how to prevent children from getting bit on accident. We’ll also talk about ticks and fleas as the heat of summer is almost here. We welcome your questions!