Blog Update
January 15, 2013
The Solaris Blog will no longer be updated. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the most up to date information.
We always want to make sure you have convenient access to the latest news and updates about Solaris. Over the years, many avenues have opened for us to keep you informed; Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn allow us to communicate with you easily and instantly. Solaris started this blog in order to offer another way to reach you. However, as 2013 gets underway, we’ve reached the decision that the Solaris blog isn’t accomplishing that goal as well as others. As such, the Solaris blog will no longer be updated. Thank you for your readership in the past and continue to follow our latest events on our other pages:
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn YouTube
If you have any questions, please let us know. We can be reached by phone at 855-892-4140 and by email at info@solarismed.com.
Thanks for reading! See you on the other sites!
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off Happy Holidays!
December 24, 2012It’s hard to believe that 2012 is coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday we were ringing in the New Year! We want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support throughout this past year. You are what makes our seasons bright!
The Solaris team once again went shopping for children this year in lieu of a company party. Here are some pictures of everyone celebrating at our local Target:
After, Stephanie and Max delivered the presents to the Hmong American Friendship Association.
A safe and happy holiday season to everyone! Looking forward to 2013!
- The Solaris Team
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off The 2012 NLN Conference
September 17, 2012We had a great time down in Dallas at the 2012 NLN Conference. For everyone who had a chance to stop by our booth, thanks for coming out and it was great seeing you! If you didn’t get the chance to get over to the Solaris booth, or if you couldn’t make it to the conference, here are some pictures of the team and the booth, courtesy Ignacio Alvarez. Thanks!
Almost set-up!
Tom, Director of Product Development and Strategic Planning, and Dan, Director of Sales, help to set up the booth space
Bob, Southeast Product Representative, talks with a visitor
Paul, Northeast Product Representative, shows a visitor ReadyWrap in the new Beige color
Dave, Director of Marketing, and Brett, IT Coordinator, show how Solaris3D works
Jianne, Director of Design, shows a visitor a 3D scan on one of our tablets
The Solaris Team: (from left to right); Row 1: Brett, Cacee, Tom; Row 2: Dan, Liz, Kathy, and Steph; Row 3: Dave, Jianne, Paul, Amber, and Bob
The team strikes a pose! Can’t wait for the next NLN!
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Solaris and the 2012 Inc. 5000
August 24, 2012The Inc. 500 and 5000, lists of the fastest growing companies in America, is released every year and this year, Solaris is honored to announce our inclusion in the Inc. 5000!
This is a really exciting time for us and we wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone. The Solaris team would not be where we are today without you and your support. We’re looking forward to the rest of 2012 and beyond.
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off The MLD UK Conference
May 15, 2012Medasun, our international distributor in the UK, attended the MLD UK Conference this past weekend and shared with us a picture at the event. Thanks for the photo! We’re glad to hear you had a wonderful time.
MLD UK is ‘an association of Manual Lymphatic Drainage practitioners, from different professional backgrounds, that exists to promote the development of MLD within the United Kingdom.’ The MLD UK conference was held on May 12th and 13th at the Lane End Conference Centre in Land End, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.
Medasun Ltd. is ‘the distributor for post surgical garments in the UK. The company has over 30 years combined experience in International Healthcare markets.’
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off Tribute School Project
May 11, 2012Recently, a 13 year old Tribute user from South Africa reached out to us for help with her school project. She and a classmate wanted to present on her lower extremity lymphedema and the positive effect her Tribute had on her swelling. We provided her with literature as well as a sample arm that they used in their presentation. Just this week, she sent us her report, some pictures, and a video of their project, along with great news: They earned the highest mark in their exposition! Congratulations on all your hard work!
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk 2012
May 7, 2012
Solaris at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk 2012
Solaris had a great presence at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on May 5th, this past Saturday. Thank you to everyone who braved the cold to come out and walk the three miles around downtown Milwaukee and to those who donated! We’re already looking forward to next year.
Want to see more pictures? Check out the album on our Facebook page.
Posted in Charitable Events, Fun Stuff, Inside Solaris | Comments Off Kayden’s Fund
May 3, 2012Last post, we talked about the effects stress can have on the body and how a solid emotional and social support base can help curb those effects. One of the greatest things about the lymphedema community is how well this is understood. There is no shortage of compassionate people out there who are willing to help in any way they can.
Earlier this month, we found out about Kayden, a 2 1/2 year old boy who was diagnosed with congenital lymphedema that affects the entire left side of his body. His family has been advised to seek treatment for Kayden at the Foeldi clinic in Germany. Professor Ethel Foeldi, who saw Kayden in Colorado, is graciously assisting with the cost of treatment. In order to help further, Guenter Klose, Executive Director of Klose Training and Consulting, has started a fund in Kayden’s name to help pay for garments and other necessary medical supplies not covered by insurance that Kayden’s family will need as he gets older.
We were extremely moved by the outpouring of support for Kayden from the community and have pledged to provide him with whatever garments he’ll need from us in the future. If you’d like to learn how to make a donation, please see Klose Training’s webpage.
Posted in Charitable Events | Comments Off
A little support goes a long way
April 20, 2012Are you stressed? Are there moments when you’re more stressed than others? Do you feel more often than not stressed out beyond belief?
The American Psychological Association recently reported that 33% of Americans felt they were experiencing extreme amounts of stress. Half of those reported feeling that way at least 15 days a month. That number may not seem like a lot, but, upon looking at the list of side effects stress can cause, suddenly it becomes apparent that stress is a growing health concern. Stress can aggravate almost any organ, any bodily function, and any illness. The good news is there are multiple ways that we can work to destress and calm ourselves down.
Lately, we’ve been getting a lot of requests for support group listings on our Facebook page. Support groups are a great way to get the social and emotional support that many people struggling with an illness like lymphedema need. We all know how good it feels to connect with someone else. It helps to share stories and have stories shared with you. As time goes on, more and more research is found to support the belief that a strong source of social and emotional support can help improve our quality of life and help us live longer. According to the American Institute of Stress, being stressed can cause your blood pressure to spike, but receiving emotional support can reduce its rise. It can also boost the immune system by helping combat irregularities caused by stress.
This kind of interaction doesn’t just have to come from a support group, though many find it helps to be in the company of others who know what they’re going through. People can get a healthy dose of social and emotional support from pets, religious affiliation and beliefs, and supporting a cause that they believe in.
If you’re feeling stressed and looking for a support group in your area, here are a couple of resources to help you locate one:
National Lymphedema Network – You can search their support group database by zip code or state. They also have an international listing.
LymphNotes.com – This listing is categorized by state. You can also get your support group listed for free.
Lymphedema People – Support groups are grouped by state.
There are also a lot of online resources and forums that you can join which can connect you to people with lymphedema around the world. Here are a few:
Treatment Diaries - Posts are grouped by diagnosis and you can connect with people with multiple different conditions.
Daily Strength – Members can post anonymously in a forum-type environment.
MDJunction – Online support group.
Hippity hop!
April 6, 2012It seems like just a day or so ago we were talking about Christmas and New Year’s Resolutions. Now its time to put the winter coats and boots back in the closet. Spring is in the air! You’ve survived those silly April Fool’s Day pranks and are no doubt looking forward to filling up up on Reese’s peanut butter eggs (my favorite) and jelly beans.
That’s all well and good, but do you know why our baskets of delights are delivered by a bunny on Easter morning?
Allow me to correct myself firstly and fore mostly: The Easter bunny is actually not a bunny at all. It’s actually a hare.
Rabbits are usually smaller and tend to live in small groups. Hares tend to be bigger and longer and live independently.
Hares were a widely used church motif in medieval times because it was believed at that time that they could reproduce without losing their virginity. A lot of Roman historians and scientists believed that hares were hermaphrodites, meaning they had both male and female reproductive organs, and this belief carried on for quite some time, leading to their association with the Virgin Mary. They were also used in a circular motif appearing in various religious sites in Western Europe and a few places in the Middle East and Asia, like the one below, called Dreihasenfenster, or ‘Window of Three Hares’ in Paderborn Cathedral in Paderborn, Germany.
This motif represents the Trinity in Christianity, but there are a number of those mystical associations it symbolizes, including fertility and the lunar cycle.
Hares, and their rabbit brethren, have long been associated with spring and the birth of new life. Like birds, they are known to have large litters early in the season. This ancient association with the Vernal Equinox is why our Easter celebrations include a bunny that delivers eggs on Sunday morning.
Nobody knows why we started decorating eggs. Some traditions include dying the hard boiled egg red or green, symbolizing the blood of Jesus Christ or the blooming of new plant life. We do know that Catholics were not allowed to eat eggs during Lent, which explains their popularity during the holiday. Other sects of Christianity who didn’t want to participate in fasting still wanted to eat decorated eggs and so the tradition continued.
Have a safe and Happy Easter weekend!
Posted in Fun Stuff | Comments Off← Older posts