Many years ago, when I interviewed for a job as a Physician Assistant in an oncology office, the doctor asked me "why” I wanted to work in a difficult field such as oncology. My response was something I had thought about for years. Everybody deserved a "good death," the truth, and the right to make decisions. This went back to my being 16 when my mother died after unsuccessful cardiac surgery to replace her aortic and mitral valves. My last memory of my mother was in the ICU, intubated (with a breathing tube), and more machines than I ever could have imagined hooked up to her. Thus my journey began. She died six hours later without being resuscitated. Nature, and my father, allowed her to die. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

Back in the early '70s, we did not discuss death. My mother died, and that was it. I was a motherless teenager, but nobody talked about it. She died, I returned to school, people whispered around me, and life continued. There was no therapy; everything was just swept under the rug.

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A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog about my getting hearing aids. It was a tough decision, but not just from a financial standpoint. It made me feel officially "old," however, that could not be farther from the truth. 

Hearing loss is typically insidious; it sneaks up on you. You realize that the television volume keeps creeping up, and you laugh because everyone else is, but you have missed half of the conversation. We get tired of saying, "pardon" or "can you repeat that"?   And while our hearing may worsen with aging, it is not the only reason. Loud noises over the years, genetics, but does it matter? The result is that you don't hear well anymore.

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Recently a client of mine was told by her physician to discontinue a medication that she had been on for quite some time as it wasn't helping her pain, and it wasn't worth risking the potential side effects. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't tell her that she would have to wean down, as stopping cold turkey could cause significant problems. Somewhere in her paperwork, when she started the medication months earlier, it was probably written not to stop suddenly. Still, the physician did not review this with her, and she didn't remember reading it. She stopped that day. So many medications fall into this category that they can't be listed. Some include antidepressants, antihypertensives, heart medications, steroids, anti-seizure medications, and ulcer medications. 

 Two days later, she got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, was very dizzy, fell, and hit her head. She suffered a black eye, broke her glasses, had a slight brain bleed (subdural hematoma), spent three days in the hospital, and underwent two preventable CAT scans of her brain. She is lucky; it could have been worse. 

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It’s almost three years, and counting since our world completely changed. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we must continue (or start) taking care of ourselves.

What is self-care, and why is it important? If we don't take care of ourselves, we will not be able to take care of anyone else, and while we suffer, so will the ones around us. Self-care is doing what is good for us: eating well, exercising, getting a good night's sleep, going out into nature, possibly meditating and taking care of our own health needs; making our doctor visits as scheduled, keeping up with any immunizations, going to the dentist and seeing our health care provider if we become ill. Our work-life balance has most likely been affected for those who have been working remotely. And not in a good way. Our computers are always on, we get emails at all hours and feel compelled to answer them, and since we are not commuting, we tend to sit at our desks more and snack during the day.

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We have all heard for years about meditation and its benefits on our well-being and overall health. There are many different programs that you can download, and so many people say it helps them, and others feel that they are "unable" to meditate. It is hard to still your mind and not think about anything for a while, especially if you are constantly moving and thinking. Many of us also struggle with mild insomnia; we find it more challenging than ever to go to bed, relax, and not worry. Our minds are constantly spinning about everything we need to do, and can’t seem to quiet the mind.

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Recently Katie Couric revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer; she underwent a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, and her prognosis is excellent. She also revealed that she was six months overdue for her annual mammogram. Many people had positive comments, wished her well, and said, “thanks for being so open,” but others admonished her for not being up to date. She is considered a role model for being so open with screening for colorectal cancer (her first husband died from this), and, according to the naysayers, should not have been late.

Katie also stated that she has “dense breasts.” She said that having an ultrasound for someone with dense breasts is important as mammograms may not be as accurate. I will not debate this, as it is a medical issue to be discussed with your provider. But if you have dense breasts, ask the ordering provider if more testing is required.

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I just received an email from the local “doc in the box,” as we commonly call Urgent Health Care Centers. When they first opened, most people used them for emergencies, when their health care provider was closed, on weekends, or as opposed to going to the emergency room. However, more and more, they are the primary provider for many people due to the changing healthcare system. It is difficult to find a primary care provider for many of us; most will not see us for the simplest problem, i.e., a bad cold, sore throat, or back pain, until we have had an initial physical, and often, that may take months to schedule. So, we turn to urgent care facilities.

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Sorry to report; that Covid isn’t going away; we need to continue to learn to live with this. And we are doing so. The numbers continue to go down; part of this is that many people probably get a mild case and are not even tested
(but can still pass it), that people are home testing and not reporting, and that people are getting vaccines and continue to be vigilant.

Some people believe that Covid is not real, that you can get Covid from the vaccine, and that wearing masks is an affront to their freedom. We all have choices, whether or not to mask, except in certain situations, i.e., in hospitals, doctor offices, etc. I have changed things in my life and choose not to associate in any close environment with any unvaccinated person; that is my choice. People have an option not to get the shot, and I have a choice not to have contact with them or to wear my mask.

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Help!!!! The cry comes from your child who has been playing on the swing set. Or from your husband who is slicing bagels. Or from your daughter who was playing on the deck and has a foot full of splinters.

Are you prepared? Do you have a first aid kit in your house? Do you have one in the car? Do you know where it is, and has it been checked recently?

If you don’t have one, it is easy (and necessary) to buy one ready-made (Amazon, REI, drugstore) or put your own together. And, if you use up an item, be sure to replace it. Check your first aid twice yearly when you change the batteries in your smoke alarm.

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