Tyler Perrin Bellelo, M.D.

08/06/2025

First day of school for the Bellelo girls! New backpacks, big smiles, and lots of excitement. Wishing everyone a fabulous year full of fun, friends, and learning!

08/06/2025

🎗️ August is Appendix Cancer Awareness Month 🎗️

While appendix cancer remains rare, it shares symptoms and often treatment approaches with colorectal cancer — a disease that’s seeing a concerning rise in younger adults.

📈 The statistics are sobering:
• Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in men under 50 and second in women under 50 (American Cancer Society, 2024).
• New diagnoses in adults under age 55 have doubled since the 1990s — from 11% then to nearly 20% today.
• Many young patients are being diagnosed at later stages, when the disease is harder to treat.

⚠️ Symptoms to watch for — even if you’re under 50:
• Abdominal pain, bloating, or cramping
• Re**al bleeding or blood in stool
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue or iron deficiency anemia
• Changes in bowel habits that persist for weeks

🧬 Appendix cancer may be discovered during surgery or imaging for other concerns — and in some cases, it’s linked to neuroendocrine tumors or mucinous adenocarcinomas, which require specialized care.

💡 Early detection matters. If something feels off, don’t wait. Talk to your doctor. Advocate for screening if you have a family history, chronic symptoms, or just a gut feeling that something’s wrong.

07/31/2025

Weight is a complex, chronic condition—not a personal failure. 💬
Conversations about weight can be difficult, but they’re a vital part of compassionate care.

3 key tips for providers when talking to adults or families:
✅ Ask permission and build trust – Start with empathy and respect.
✅ Set realistic goals together – Focus on sustainable habits, not quick fixes.
✅ Be a coach, not a critic – Encourage, support, and guide.

👉 Remind patients that they are not to blame. Obesity is a chronic medical condition that often requires a team-based, long-term approach to treatment.

Starting the conversation with your patient or their family about weight can be tough, but it’s essential. 💬
Here are 3 key tips for providers:

✅ Ask permission & build trust
✅ Center the child with realistic behavior goals
✅ Stay positive and be a coach, not a critic

📥 Get the Greaux Healthy Childhood Obesity Toolkit for more guidance:
👉 https://greauxhealthy.org/baseline-survey

07/30/2025

💪 What is Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. It’s a natural part of aging—but the rate of loss isn’t the same for everyone.

📉 How much muscle do we lose?
Starting around age 30, we can lose 3–8% of our muscle mass each decade. 😮
That’s 4–6 pounds per decade if we don’t strength train! 🤯
By age 80, inactive individuals may lose up to 30%.

❓Why does it happen?
Several factors play a role:
• Less physical activity
• Hormonal changes (like lower testosterone/growth hormone)
• Nerve loss affecting muscle control
• Chronic inflammation
• Slower muscle repair
• Cellular changes in the muscle

⚠️ Why does it matter?
Sarcopenia increases risk for:
• Falls and fractures
• Decreased mobility
• Metabolic issues (like insulin resistance)
• Longer hospital stays and higher mortality

✅ What can you do?
• Do resistance training (weights, bands, bodyweight)
• Eat enough protein
• Stay active—walking counts!
• Prioritize a well-balanced diet
• Consider supplements if needed

💥 Aging is inevitable—muscle loss doesn’t have to be. Stay strong, stay active!

07/24/2025

Today's resource spotlight is the Early Detection Screen for Dementia (EDSD), a tool developed by the National Task Group on Intellectual Disabilities and Dementia Practices (NTG). The NTG-EDSD is a questionnaire that can be used to track behavioral, functional, and medical changes as a person with an intellectual disability ages. The NTG recommends that families and caregivers fill out the questionnaire annually, starting when an adult with Down syndrome turns 40. While symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are unlikely at age 40, beginning at this age helps to establish a baseline (a starting point that can be used for comparison moving forward). See the link below for additional information.
🔗 https://adscresources.advocatehealth.com/ntg---early-detection-and-screen-for-dementia

07/24/2025

Take a look at the speaker lineup.
Are there any familiar faces? 😉

October 2 – 3, 2025, Baton Rouge, LA

07/24/2025

Join us for the Be the Reason Childhood Obesity Conference where healthcare meets real change.

✨ Top 3 Reasons You Should Attend:
1️⃣ Expert-led sessions on integrating mental health into obesity care
2️⃣ Real-world strategies for supporting teen nutrition & treatment
3️⃣ Cutting-edge clinical & community approaches that make a lasting impact

🎟️ Don’t miss your chance to grow, connect, and be the reason a child’s health story changes.
Register Now - Early Bird Pricing Ends July 31st!
https://whova.com/web/6w6xbOyHWjz4fOufz-0SoJtSby8ajXndkGROvrLX0-I=/

07/15/2025

Join us for the Greaux Healthy Childhood Obesity Conference!

I am thrilled to participate in advancing the conversation around children’s health in Louisiana! Come see me on October 3rd at Pennington Biomedical Research Center! Ochsner Lafayette General

Kick off your experience with a Pre-Conference Motivational Interviewing Workshop on Thursday, October 2, 2025—a hands-on session designed to enhance your communication skills and effectiveness in behavior change counseling.

Join public health leaders, healthcare professionals, educators, community advocates, and changemakers from across the state at the 2025 Childhood Obesity Conference, hosted by LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

You’ll gain fresh insights, actionable tools, and powerful connections to help drive healthier outcomes for children and families in your community.

Earn up to 7.5 CMEs while gaining practical tools and insights to support healthier futures for Louisiana’s children.

Network with experts and peers across disciplines who are passionate about child health and wellness.

Engage in dynamic sessions that explore the latest research, community-based interventions, and clinical best practices.

Be the reason kids Greaux Healthy. Register today and be part of the solution.

Join us for the 2025 Be The Reason Annual Childhood Obesity Conference October 2nd-3rd at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center Conference Center!

Don’t miss this important opportunity to connect with experts, share strategies, and explore solutions to combat childhood obesity.
Register today to take part of the 🐦early bird special prices!🐦
https://whova.com/web/6w6xbOyHWjz4fOufz-0SoJtSby8ajXndkGROvrLX0-I=/

07/01/2025

Dear incoming interns,

July 1 marks the official start of your residency—and the beginning of a journey that will shape the rest of your life. I still remember those early days so vividly: a mix of nerves, excitement, and the realization that everything was about to change.

Residency was one of the most challenging and meaningful chapters of my life. I worked harder than I ever thought possible—placing midnight arterial lines, doing more paracenteses than I could even begin to count—but I also laughed harder, learned more, and built lifelong friendships along the way.

And let me just say… you all have no idea how good you have it with your current living conditions. The call trailer we lived in? Let’s just say it built character. You’re spoiled—and I say that with love.

So lean in. Embrace the long nights, the steep learning curves, and the incredible privilege of becoming a physician. This is the start of something unforgettable.

You’ve got this—and we’re all rooting for you.❤️

Ochsner Lafayette General

06/30/2025

Paul Buzhardt is the bomb 💣
Ochsner Lafayette General

06/27/2025

We’re so excited to welcome the amazing Courtney Mankin, NP, to our provider team! 💙

Courtney brings years of experience in inpatient cardiology, with the Cardiovascular Institute of the South. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is board-certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

She began her nursing career at Ochsner Lafayette General and now returns as a valued member of our team.

Outside of work, Courtney is a proud mom to two adorable kiddos, Elliot and Harper, and wife to her husband, Brandt. We’re so lucky to have her expertise—and her heart—on our team! 💪✨❤️

06/21/2025

What a wonderful day welcoming our community into Ochsner Lafayette General to discuss a condition that holds such deep personal meaning for me. Our neurodevelopmental symposium was an incredibly powerful experience—one that exceeded all expectations.

I’m so grateful to everyone who joined us, especially to my amazing colleagues. I truly could not—and would not—have done this without you. Dr. Jeannette Liu, Dr. Bryan Sibley, Dr. Allison Cragin, Dr. Claire Burns and Dr. Katherine Lantier.

And having my mother there to share in the moment made it all the more special. 💙💛
Ochsner Lafayette General
Ochsner Health
Down Syndrome Association of Acadiana
Bryan G. Sibley, MD, FAAP General Pediatrics
National Down Syndrome Society