2024 August InMaricopa Magazine

COMMUNITY

“Since September, I’ve been in the hospital four times and I’ve lost an additional 45 pounds,” Enriquez said. The sudden health issues rendered Enriquez incapable of working to support herself. Her boss had to take her off the schedule due to the constant hospitalizations and told her he would put her back on once she was back on track again. It never worked out. “That man was really nice,” Enriquez said. “He was running a small business and I knew that the accommodations I needed and still need were going to be too much for him to handle.” In late June, Enriquez and her son were evicted from their Mesa apartment and she had to briefly live with Derik Melton, a family friend in Show Low, before she returned to Bulgaria to live with her mother. That didn’t work out, either. In her first few days of living in Bulgaria, Enriquez’s father- in-law, a goat herder, accidentally introduced a massive goat flea infestation into the house and Enriquez had a horrible physical reaction to the bites. Enriquez returned stateside to live with Stothart, who resides in Naples, Fla., while applying for disability. Being such an independent soul has made it difficult mentally and emotionally for Enriquez to ask for help. “She thinks when and if she asks for help people will hate her,” Stothart said of her sister. “She needs help, sadly, an immense amount of it.” Enriquez, who recently renewed her green card, has lived in the U.S. for more than three decades while paying into Social Security and Medicare. Her friends constantly tell her because she has paid into the system, regardless of whether she is a citizen, she should have no problems applying for disability. But no luck yet, and the whole thing still makes Enriquez uncomfortable. “I’m not an American citizen,” she said. “I’m never going to feel right accepting tax dollars from this country’s citizens.” The options are limited. Enriquez has tried to find a work-from-home job but encountered more problems. “Many of these companies have monitors on the computer where they can tell if you’ve walked away,” she said. “Every time I go to the bathroom, it’s a 20- or 30-minute visit. I need to be near the toilet at all times.” Stothart said Enriquez will always have a soft place to land in her home. “She’s been there for everybody,” Stothart said. “For my whole life, I remember her going over and above for everybody but herself.”

Seeing the unseen How Observ 520x enhances skin diagnosis

BY DR. KRISTINA DONNAY DNP, FNP-C H ERE AT MARICOPA WELLNESS Center, we pride ourselves on our visual diagnosis of skin concerns. But we can do even better than that. Observ 520x is a state-of-the-art skin analyzing machine equipped with nine comprehensive observation modes to show us what’s happening below the skin’s surface, giving us a complete look at the health of your skin. These nine modes are: 1. Daylight shows the skin in a controlled, natural environment. This is the baseline for an aesthetic skin consultation. 2. Surface texture reveals the skin’s textural topography. Illustrates rough and bumpy skin, blackheads, whiteheads and dry lines. Early signs of ageing like fine lines, wrinkles, visible pore structures and rough patches become more apparent in this mode.

3. Pigmentation illustrates common skin tone irregularities like sun damage, melasma, freckles, dark circles, post inflammatory pigmentation and general color variations. 4. Vascularity illustrates the network of microvascular structures in the skin that lead to redness and visible facial flushing. Images tear trough visibility, inflammation, broken capillaries and spider veins. 5. Parallel polarized provides an enhanced view of the skin’s surface, fine lines, micro- relief, wrinkles, texture, pores, depressed scars, blackheads and whiteheads. 6. Cross polarized suppresses surface shine for an unobstructed view of dermal structures, vascular conditions, inflammations and pigmentation. 7. True UV exposes skin abnormalities on the surface and in deeper skin layers, creating distinguishable fluorescence patterns. Showcases melasma, sun damage, acne prone skin and active acne. 8. Simulated woods light adjusts the spectrum of light to reveal diagnostic dimensions, such as skin dehydration, hypopigmentation and hydrolipid (oily) skin. 9. 360 light illustrates areas of volume on the face, showcasing results for anti-age management treatments.

EXCELLENT CARE. EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS.

Observ 520x was developed on the principle of skin fluorescence to optically examine skin health at a deeper level. Skin cells emit visible light in a special way. Using the Observ 520x,

level of skin consultations to correct underlying concerns. It helps to make more informed decisions when choosing treatment plans or options for your face. We can also treat your underlying conditions before they become visible problems. Give our office a call to schedule a limited time free consultation with our esthetician using Observ 520x and get a personalized treatment plan or skin care routine.

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we can easily identify skin conditions by the unique colors and patterns that become visible when exposed to true UV light. The exclusive fluorescence technology of the Observ 520x points out an array of surface and sub-surface skin conditions with clarity and contrast. Observ 520x is a completely non-invasive, pain-free approach to analyze the skin unlike traditional skin biopsy techniques. Using the system also allows us to show treatment progress with side-by-side comparisons. Observ 520x makes the “invisible” VISIBLE with unparalleled clarity. Using Observ 520x as a tool allows us to see deeper levels of your skin and reach the next

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