I recently had the opportunity to talk with Leighann Calentine, author of Kids First, Diabetes Second: Tips for Parenting a Child with Type 1 Diabetes, which we released earlier this summer. Leighann is a mother of two who dedicates much of her time to writing, whether that is on her blog, d-mom.com, or working on Kids First, Diabetes Second. Many people are familiar with Leighann’s writing, but we wanted to talk to her a bit about who she is offline and find out more about her motivation for putting the pen to the paper.
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What do you do when you are not writing?
We have an incredibly busy family life with two active children. Our family enjoys camping, but unfortunately this summer has been too busy to camp as often as we like. We traveled quite a bit this summer, both for fun and for diabetes-related events. I’m active in the kids’ schools, including being a room parent in Q’s class. I just finished a five-year term as a board member for the preschool. I work as an archaeologist, which sounds more glamorous than it really is.
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Why did you feel you had to tell this story?
I’m always torn because I wonder if it’s my story to tell. But the reality is that even though my daughter is the one with diabetes, it affects every single family member. I feel like we have struck a good balance of dealing with diabetes, yet putting it in the background. I often hear other parents’ frustrations and I wanted to help show them that it doesn’t have to dominate their lives.
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When did you first start writing your blog?
I actually began writing a “mommy blog” in 2006, while I was pregnant with our son. When Quinn was diagnosed, I sat in the hospital and wrote about her diagnosis, but I didn’t hit publish. Once the storm had passed and things settled down, I published the post and was surprised at the reaction and support I received. Because diabetes was such a big part of this new life and because I saw that I was making a difference for other families also affect by type 1 diabetes, I transitioned from being a mommy blogger to focusing primarily on diabetes. This is when D-Mom Blog was born.
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What was your favorite chapter to write and why?
Oddly enough, I think the diagnosis story is my favorite section. It was the most difficult to write and the hardest to read. (I still cry EVERY time I reread it!) But I think that other families who are dealing with the recent diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in their own child will read it and realize that their feelings are validated and normal.
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If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your book or getting it published that you would change?
I was a little nervous as I took on what seemed like a daunting task. I remember saying with confidence that I could absolutely balance family life, work, and writing and still meet my deadline, even if I wasn’t 100% sure I could pull it off. As a family, we decided that Sundays would be my day to write and often my husband shoved me out the door. Every Sunday, my Facebook friends saw me update either, “This book isn’t going to write itself!” or, “If it’s Sunday, I’m writing.”
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Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
There is always a way. If you are motivated to write a book or a blog, you will find the time and energy to complete the task.
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Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I appreciate the incredible amount of support that I have been shown over the years, whether it is another parent commiserating with me at 2:00 am over horrible blood sugars and lack of sleep or the virtual high fives when I get it right. Many of my online friends and readers were great cheerleaders as I put the book together and it definitely made the process more fun.
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How does Kids First, Diabetes Second differ from your blog?
While there are definitely some of the same themes and topics in both the book and on my blog, I think the book delves into more detail in some areas. It also includes a lot of topics that I don’t normally write about. I think the most exciting difference is the contributions of many other parents of kids with diabetes and adults who have been living with diabetes since childhood. Each brought in his or her own expertise, which rounds it out as a great resource.
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Leighann Calentine is the parent of Q, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 3. She writes the blog D-mom.com where she shares a variety of useful tips on diabetes and anecdotes from her life as a d-mom.
There is a long history of subdivisions or medical specialties in medicine. In my previous article we discussed Imhotep the magician-physician, minister of state, architect, chief priest, sage, scribe, and astronomer. Imhotep was the vizier to the Pharaoh Zoser. When Imohotep died, the sick flocked to the temple over his grave and after a millennium or two, Imhotep became a major deity himself (ca. 525 BC). Physicians were accorded great status in ancient cultures.
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During that ancient period another physician became prominent. This physician was Iri. Iri was known as the Shepherd of the Anus (or the Keeper of the Bottom). Thus, the specialty of proctology was born. As “Keeper of the Royal Rectum,” he became the first recorded enema-maker.
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The ancient Egyptians believed that the various parts of the body were governed by specific gods. During Iri’s time it was thought that the enema was ordained by the god Thot.
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Since every part of the body had its own god, it is easy to see how physicians then started to specialize in a particular organ and became devotees to the god of whichever body part they treated. Priest-physicians thus specialized in the specific god as well as the specific organ. The priest-physicians performed specialized examinations and used specific incantations, “holy water,” therapeutic dreams, enemas, bleedings, organ readings, and various food or fasting regimens.
John Zettelmaier, MD is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, an American Board of Family Practice Diplomate, an American Academy of Family Physicians Life Member and Fellow, and a Life Member of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians.
My little sister frowned as she leaned over her laptop. “That’s weird. Jenn doesn’t usually talk like that.”
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I leaned over to see a chat message quickly filling up with profanity and insults. “Text her and see what’s up,” I suggested.
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A few moments later, Jenn called my sister in a panic. “My account must have been hacked. What’s happening? I hope not everyone can see this!” Fortunately for Jenn, her problem was quickly resolved–several boys from school had wanted to pull a prank. Many other teens are bullied in much more hurtful and damaging ways than Jenn, however.
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Cyber bullying comes in a variety of forms, many of which are similar to physical bullying, and others are only possible because of the internet and cell phones. People who are cyber bullied could receive threats of all kinds, inappropriate or threatening sexual remarks, derogatory labels, or be ganged up on in a public space such as a chat room or a Facebook wall. A teen may also be impersonated in ways that could be humiliating.
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Twenty percent of teens from 12-17 feel that people are “mostly unkind” on social networks. Between 32 and 43 percent of teens report being bullied online. Thirteen percent of teens have reported having an experience online that made them nervous to go to school the next day.
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Interestingly, when teens see someone being unkind online, 55% of the time they report that other users just ignore what is going on, 27% of the time they report seeing someone defending the victim, 20% of the time they see someone telling the offender to stop, and 19% of the time people join in the bullying.
Just because teens don’t speak up to bullies directly doesn’t mean that they aren’t concerned by what they see on social websites. Thirty-six percent of all teens who have witnessed online bullying have gone to another resource to get help about what to do. Teens that have a history of being bullied are more likely to seek advice about how to handle a cyber bullying situation than teens who have not been bullied.
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Parents and caregivers should be ready to respond to cyber bullying as online social networking becomes increasingly popular. OnGuardOnline.gov has some tips for parents on how to advise their children to use the internet safely and wisely. The site recommends reminding teens that once something is posted or sent, it cannot be taken back.
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Keep communication open with your children about how they spend their time on the internet and encourage them to respond responsibly to bullying situations that they may experience. With a little more education and awareness, it may be possible to reduce the number of children hurt by bullying each year and to equip students to intervene sooner when it does happen.
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Has your child ever experienced cyber bullying? How did they react?
Jessica Snyder joined the Spry Wellness Blog as a contributor in 2012. She is currently working to obtain an undergraduate degree in English and Communications at the University of Michigan.
I’m 65 years old. Do I still need immunizations? I read that there is a whooping cough epidemic in the State of Washington. Isn’t that shot just for babies?
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Yes, you still need to think about immunizations.
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Whooping cough is a disease that attacks all ages. It is diminished in severity when you are immunized against it. If you are a caregiver or a grandparent or are frequently around youngsters, you should consider the whooping cough (pertussis) immunization.
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In 2010 there were 27,000 cases of whooping cough reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and that included 27 deaths. Whooping cough is a cyclic disease. Vaccines are not perfect and it may be that over a period of time there is a waning of immunization protection. Booster shots for adults are now included on recommended immunization schedules.
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After 65 years of age, it is generally recommended that you get a flu shot every year. If you haven’t received your 2 doses of varicella (chicken pox), your doctor may suggest it, as well as a dose of pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine—only one dose of that. Additionally, a single dose of zoster (shingles) vaccine may be recommended.
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Oh, while your sleeve is rolled up, you might look into the tetanus and diphtheria boosters as well!
Some high-risk adult groups need the measles, mumps, and rubella shots, while others may need the meningococcal, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B vaccines. Ask your doctor whether you are in any of these risk categories.
What are the immunization complications and precautions?
No drugs or vaccines (immunizations/shots) are completely free of side effects. However, vaccines are generally considered very safe. Local side effects may include a sore arm at the shot site. Rarely there are high fevers and even more rarely seizures are complications. You and your doctor may wish to discuss your individual risks and benefits to the particular immunization you are receiving. Also be sure to inform your doctor of any allergies you may have.
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So, just because you’re officially a senior citizen doesn’t mean you’re done with immunizations. But congratulations anyway: you have Social Security checks to look forward to.
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John Zettelmaier, MD is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, an American Board of Family Practice Diplomate, an American Academy of Family Physicians Life Member and Fellow, and a Life Member of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians.
Here at Spry Publishing we are usually concerned with your physical health and well-being, but in this piece we are going to look at maintaining a peace of mind by keeping your information safe on the internet.
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Let’s face it, the internet is everywhere. It’s in your pocket, on your desk, in your purse, in your child’s room, waiting at your office. Sound a little creepy? The internet is used by nearly two billion people, and while most of them are kind, there are others who have one goal in mind–scamming you.
Many online scams are created in order to take your personal information or money, which is called phishing. The FBI’s internet crime complaint center estimates that 560 million dollars have been scammed from innocent, trusting people.
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While there are thousands of online scams, many fall into the same categories. These scams may come in the form of emails, pop-ups, advertisements on a sidebar of a website, or through entire fake websites. Many of these scams advertise offers to work from home, diet pills for incredibly low prices, international lottery winnings, mystery shopper jobs, fake apartment rentals, debt relief, and of course, the “Nigerian” individual asking for your help.
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While many people are becoming more aware of internet scams, the number of people getting scammed is still increasing. This is because scammers are getting better at looking like legitimate companies and profiting off of the victim’s altruism, hope for a healthier lifestyle, or desire to leave financial insecurity behind. OnGuardOnline cautions:
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1. Delete email and text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information (credit card and bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, etc.). Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via email or text. Email is not a secure method of transmitting personal information.
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2. The messages may appear to be from organizations you do business with–banks, for example. Don’t reply, and don’t click on links or call phone numbers provided in the message. These messages direct you to spoof sites–sites that look real but whose purpose is to steal your information so a scammer can run up bills or commit crimes in your name.
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3. Only provide personal or financial information through an organization’s website if you typed in the web address yourself and you see signals that the site is secure, like a URL that begins “https.” The “s” stands for secure.
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4. Area codes can be misleading too. Some scammers ask you to call a phone number to update your account or access a “refund.” But a local area code doesn’t guarantee that the caller is local.
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5. If you’re concerned about your account or need to reach an organization that you do business with, call the number on your financial statements or on the back of your credit card.
Be aware of what is legal in your country. Always verify the website and remember not to give out personal information via email, no matter who the sender appears to be.
Jessica Snyder joined the Spry Wellness Blog as a contributor in 2012. She is currently working to obtain an undergraduate degree in English and Communications at the University of Michigan.
I don’t know about you, but I was completely enthralled by the 2012 Olympic Games. The level of athleticism, discipline, and skill needed to make it to such a platform is truly mind-boggling. When I look at each athlete, I cannot help but think of the sheer number of practices and competitions each of their parents had to get them to. How many lunches and dinners and early morning breakfasts those parents must have prepared for them in order to reach such heights. While most of us are not fueling the next Michael Phelps, there still exists a tremendous responsibility on all of us as parents to fuel our children properly, and this responsibility is never greater than when our kids are at school.
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The lunch you provide for your kids is potentially the most important parenting move you will make each day. Creativity and planning can make this process fun and effective. In order to create a balanced meal that will satisfy your school-aged child, three main things must be present. These are: 4 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein and 8 ounces of water. Sure, it sounds awfully scientific, but this magical combination provides the minimum amount of nutrition most kids will need to succeed in feeling satisfied and focused for the afternoon at school. In real life, these numbers are easily convertible into real food that kids will like.
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Fiber naturally occurs in whole grain bread, pasta, cereal and crackers, fruits, vegetables, beans, and popcorn. By choosing something from this grouping, you are ensuring that your child’s blood sugar will stay nice and steady for roughly 3–4 hours after eating. A steady blood sugar equals an attentive, well-behaved, and happy child.
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Ten grams of protein is the equivalent of 1.5 ounces of protein, or one yogurt, 2 slices of low fat cheese, 2 slices of turkey, or 2 egg whites.
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Hydrating your student is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of packing lunches. When kids become dehydrated their coordination, attention span, and ability to make healthful food choices is negatively impacted.
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Once you have chosen the basic ingredients, orchestrating a school lunch worthy of an Olympic gold medal is not that challenging. I find an interesting presentation makes even the most mundane food fun to eat. A popular item in our lunch boxes is mock-sushi. Simply take a whole grain tortilla (fiber), spread something sticky onto it (hummus, peanut butter, guacamole, refried beans), include some protein down the middle of the tortilla (1 string cheese, 2 slices of turkey rolled up, tuna salad), add in any other tasty toppings (salsa, mustard, lite sour cream, banana slices, cut up vegetables), and roll. Once the tortilla is rolled, slice it into 1-inch pieces and lay them flat so that they resemble a sushi roll. These keep surprisingly well in a shallow Tupperware containers, and most importantly, kids love to eat them. I also love to use coffee stirrers as kabob skewers to encourage my kids to eat fruit. Cubes of cheese, pieces of fruit, individual whole grain penne noodles, lean deli meat, cubed chicken, and cooked vegetables make great kabob ingredients. Lastly, use the rim of a shot glass or champagne flute to carve out mini sliders from a regular sandwich. These bite-size treats always receive a standing ovation.
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Olympic athletes don’t just end up standing on the podium without a tremendous amount of hard work, preparation, and planning. As parents we owe it to our kids to prioritize their nutrition. Providing them with balanced, colorful, tasty, and nourishing meals can make you feel as though your parenting performance is gold-medal worthy too.
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Julie Feldman, MPH, RD, works in her own private practice based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where she provides counseling and consulting services to individuals, families, teams, and corporations. She thoroughly enjoys spreading the message of sound nutrition, appearing frequently on television and in print as a nutrition expert.
WHO: Imhotep – Egyptian physician, high priest and architect
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Imhotep first used the word “brain.” It was described in the Edwin Smith Papyrus. It was written in an Egyptian cursive form of hieroglyph. The papyrus detailed eight magic spells as well as a description of 48 cases of injury. The patients were provided by the many wars during Imhotep’s life, during which soldiers were hit in the head with weapons.
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Thus the study of MEDICINE began for mankind. Along with the Magical-Sacral beliefs, the patient case studies included description of the injury, examination of the patient, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.
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Treatments included: spells, incantations, suturing, bandaging, splinting, and the application of poultices. Imhotep’s observations recorded descriptions of the brain, and other cranial structures, meninges (coverings of the brain) and cerebrospinal fluid. Even though magical and prayer modes of healing were present, some modern methods of medical practice of today were emerging, as exemplified by patient observation and examination, simple treatment forms, and the recording of the findings (the first medical records). Maybe that’s why doctors still write in hieroglyphics!
John Zettelmaier, MD is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, an American Board of Family Practice Diplomate, an American Academy of Family Physicians Life Member and Fellow, and a Life Member of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians.
In my previous article I discussed the caffeine content of energy drinks, and also the standard serving sizes that they are sold in. While many energy drinks have the same amount of caffeine as their competitors, and less caffeine than coffee, they do have a blend of sugar and herbal supplements which reputedly also supply energy.
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Soda and high-sugar energy drinks can present an addictive jolt of energy for children. Center for Science in the Public Interest Executive Director Michael Jacobson has confirmed caffeine’s addictive properties. “Twenty years ago, teens drank twice as much milk as soda pop. Now they drink twice as much soda pop as milk.”
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In addition to high quantities of sugar and caffeine, many energy drinks contain herbal supplements often labeled on the nutrition facts as a mysterious “Energy Blend.” The most common of these supplements are Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng and Vitamin B.
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Taurine is an amino acid which is found naturally in the human body. Tests have indicated that it may enhance endurance performance and help keep lactic acid build-up at a minimum after exercise. While energy drinks often contain a very high concentration of synthetic Taurine (an average of 753 mg/8 ounces), studies have not yet found it to have any severe adverse side effects.
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Guarana is a seed from South America that contains caffeine. This can be misleading, since energy drink nutrition labels often to not include this extra dose of caffeine (up to 40 mg) in their listed values. Though there are some claims that Guarana is metabolized more slowly than pure caffeine, thereby prolonging the effects of the caffeine, studies have not shown any significant difference between how Guarana and pure caffeine are absorbed. Guarana is suggested to improve cognitive performance, mental fatigue, and mood. Studies have not yet shown any severe adverse effects when Guarana is consumed in brief high doses or chronic low doses.
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Ginseng is a root from Asia that is popular for its many health benefits. However, it is inconclusive whether it truly affects physical performance, psychomotor performance, or cognitive function. One study found that Ginseng has no beneficial effects on mood or memory, but another study showed reductions in mental fatigue if over 200 mg were taken. Ginseng is considered “generally safe,” as high doses can result in hypertension, diarrhea, and sleep disturbance.
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B vitamins are often advertised on energy drink labels. Many drinks far exceed the recommended daily value of vitamin B; 5 Hour Energy has more than 8000%, for example. Vitamin B is a water-soluble vitamin. When the body receives any extra vitamin B beyond the 100% that it needs to function normally, it is secreted from the body as waste. This makes the logic behind including such extreme doses of it in energy drinks a little difficult to grasp.
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So when you’re perusing the different varieties of energy drinks available, check the sugar content and the herbal supplements. You may be surprised how much energy you’re actually getting.
Jessica Snyder joined the Spry Wellness Blog as a contributor in 2012. She is currently working to obtain an undergraduate degree in English and Communications at the University of Michigan.
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Dr. Moyad’s Men’s Health Newsletter – August 2012
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Do certain foods or diets actually help your sex drive, or is that a myth? Dr. Moyad gives us a look on what actually works when it comes to eating yourself to romance in the August issue of Dr. Moyad’s Men’s Health Newsletter.
Mark A. Moyad, MD, MPH, is the primary author of over a hundred medical articles and numerous books. He maintains a consulting practice on complementary medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center, Department of Urology.
School administration can be a tremendous partner with you as a parent, or can seem more like a political minefield, depending on your past experiences. When your child has a medical condition that requires frequent supervision and assistance, you need to have school officials on your team to help your child navigate his or her day as safely as possible. In this excerpt from Leighann Calentine’s book, Kids First, Diabetes Second, fellow blogger and diabetes advocate Scott Benner writes about his experiences with his daughter Arden’s school.
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“Depending on the age of your child at diagnosis, you could be looking at 13 years of schooling to navigate, and we want those years to be smooth ones. I’ve taken a long-term view of my relationship with my daughter Arden’s school officials, nurses, and teachers. Even though we had a rough start, I kept my head, swallowed my pride a time or two, and focused on the more important long-term goal.
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When I stopped in to chat with the principal at the end of the year prior to Arden starting kindergarten, I knew we were starting down a bumpy road. This visit went well except for one almost innocuous moment: The principal laughed at me for showing up so many months before Arden would begin school. I realized the principal didn’t have the first idea of how challenging it would be to manage Arden’s type 1 diabetes. I gently expressed that I looked forward to speaking with her over the summer about Arden’s 504 plan.
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I spent the next few months creating Arden’s 504 plan, which is comprehensive and strives to be fair minded, while covering all of Arden’s needs. At our meeting, the school presented their own 504 plan—one page and five vague bullet points. When I saw it I said, “I dare you to keep her alive for a week with that.” During the negotiation over Arden’s 504 plan there have been many opportunities for me to become angry, but I never did. You want the sight of your child to evoke caring and empathy, not the memory of you losing your cool in the principal’s office.
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A school aide once told Arden not to worry because “her OmniPod could be Photoshopped out” of her school portrait. Instead of entering into a situation that would have only served to dismantle the relationship that I’ve built, I called the school and explained why it wasn’t optimal to give Arden the impression that she should be ashamed of the device that keeps her alive. The staff was properly sorry for what had transpired and the person that said she wasn’t being nasty, she just wasn’t thinking.
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In the end, this isn’t about being right. It’s about the players in the situation feeling empowered to help my daughter live her life as normally and as healthy as possible. Today, there is probably nothing I could ask for that wouldn’t be handled with a smile, because I have developed a personal relationship with each person I deal with at the school—relationships that were grown one seed at a time.”
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Have you ever experienced conflict with school faculty while working through a 504 plan? How did you resolve the problem?
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Scott Benner has been a stay-at- home father since 2000. As a diabetes advocate and social media author Scott shares his daughter’s life with type 1 diabetes from his perspective on his website, Arden’s Day. Scott’s writing is honest, transparent, and a great resource for parents of, as well as people with, type 1 diabetes.
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of planning a winter retreat at a camp for middle school students in northern Michigan. As a tragically overcommitted high school senior, for weeks before the retreat I was dreaming about that sacred, quiet hour after ‘lights out’ when I could do my homework, write college application essays, work on the script I was writing, and plan the team meetings for my varsity basketball team.
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As I stood waiting to load onto the bus to go to the retreat, I slowly realized that all around me were swarms of middle school students, already giddy with excitement and hormones, the majority of whom were clutching energy drinks in each hand. “Are those energy drinks?” the school nurse gasped, pointing to one seventh grader who had a six pack in one hand and was graciously distributing more supplies from his backpack to those around him. The question of how much caffeine is acceptable for kids has been widely contested, but do some products may receive more of a bad rap than they deserve?
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Here are how energy drinks stack up to other caffeinated drinks:
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While the US FDA has not developed any guidelines for children’s consumption of caffeine, our neighbors to the north in Canada have ruled that preschoolers should have no more than 45 mg of caffeine per day and 10-12 year olds should have no more than 85 mg, or approximately an 8-ounce energy drink or two Diet Cokes.
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Something to consider is portion size. Many nutrition labels show the information for one serving. While drinks like Red Bull are often sold in 8-ounce, single-serving cans, Monster is notorious for its larger cans. Many studies indicate that energy drinks show few or no detrimental health effects if they are consumed in the recommended amounts (usually, one serving per day). The problem is that many people who drink these beverages far exceed that recommendation.
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Interestingly Mountain Dew and Diet Coke were much lower in caffeine content than I expected, relative to coffee and energy drinks. It seems that energy drinks lose out to coffee when it comes to caffeine, but may offer extra energy via sugar and the herbal energy blends. This sugar provides empty calories that are especially unhealthy for young adults who require fewer daily calories than adults.
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Throughout my winter retreat, I ended up doing my homework huddled in a bathroom stall at approximately 3:30 am, and several other members of my team reported getting less than 1 hour of sleep each night, as they supervised a dozen highly-caffeinated campers all night long.
Jessica Snyder joined the Spry Wellness Blog as a contributor in 2012. She is currently working to obtain an undergraduate degree in English and Communications at the University of Michigan.
Are you running out of patience with your migraines? Have you tried everything and the headaches still keep coming?
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Dr. Gary Ruoff understands the pain of a migraine. In his upcoming book, Knock Out Headaches, he details many tips and strategies to help with migraine management. In the following excerpt, Dr. Ruoff discusses headache management and what triggers to look out for.
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Two of the most important concepts in headache management are thresholds and triggers. Each headache patient has a threshold for particular triggers, and when that threshold is exceeded a headache will occur. Let’s use the example of a glass of water—the threshold is the top of the glass and the water represents potential migraine triggers. If you keep pouring “water” into the glass, you will eventually reach the point of overflowing, causing a headache.
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What are those triggers? Just as the symptoms, duration, and severity of headaches are different for everyone, so are the triggers or combination of triggers. Potential migraine triggers come in many forms, including:
• Environmental factors, such as changes in weather or altitude
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Sensory stimuli, such as perfume, tobacco smoke, flickering lights, and loud noises
• Changes in habits, such as sleep patterns and work schedule
• Stress or other emotional crisis
• Some medications, including painkillers
• Certain foods and drinks
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However, the most common triggers are dietary. The four main dietary triggers I see in migraine patients are caffeine, chocolate, MSG, and certain artificial sweeteners.
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Now, you may be saying, I don’t get a headache every time I eat chocolate or drink coffee. On any given day, you may have a glass of water that is already half full due to unavoidable factors such as rising heat and humidity, the lack of sleep, or increased stress over a big project at work. Then, you add more “water” to that glass in the form of a soda with caffeine, or a diet soda loaded with artificial sweetener. This combination of triggers cause the water to reach the top of the glass and spill over the sides, and you end up with a headache.
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The whole idea here, and I can’t stress this point enough, is that you must decrease the number of triggers or risk factors in order to successfully manage migraines. A patient who identifies and decreases his or her potential triggers can often manage migraines without medication, or with minimal use of medication. There are many triggers that are unavoidable or difficult to avoid, so the trick becomes steering clear of the triggers you can control. You don’t want to indulge in your favorite chocolate treat or a large latte on a day when there is a thunderstorm, because the change in barometric pressure is already a potential trigger. You can’t control the weather, but you can control what you eat or drink.
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If you can’t escape the situation, make sure you don’t make it worse.
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What headache management techniques have worked for you? Would you be able to give up caffeine if it meant your headaches would improve?
Jessica Snyder joined the Spry Wellness Blog as a contributor in 2012. She is currently working to obtain an undergraduate degree in English and Communications at the University of Michigan.
Medical treatments change because medical concepts change. The concepts of the causes and treatments of illnesses have changed continually throughout mankind’s existence. In my next few posts, I’ll share a few pivotal eras in medical history and the individuals whose innovations helped to bring us to where we are today.
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Early in medicine’s history was what I call the “Magical-Sacral Theory.” People believed that the gods could be summoned or sacrificed to for a cure to their ailments. The physician-priests were the mediators to the gods. Doctors in that time did not know what caused the disease or illness and the unknown was the realm of magic, superstition, gods, and demons. Often disease was considered a punishment.
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The treatments given under the Magical-Sacral Theory were offerings to the gods. These included animal as well as human sacrifices, votive statuary, prayers, foods, and other items considered precious at the time.
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Early physicians started the practice of diagnosis and treatment based on these “medical concepts,” and even though the treatments of the time are laughed at today, the progress of medicine had started.
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John Zettelmaier, MD is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, an American Board of Family Practice Diplomate, an American Academy of Family Physicians Life Member and Fellow, and a Life Member of the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians.
Under any circumstances, the heart of family-centered care lies in caregivers’ commitment to providing it and families’ willingness to effectively communicate their needs. Still, there are institutional/service structures that facilitate and support family-centered care. In this last installment on the topic, I’ll describe a few.
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Maternal, newborn, and pediatric services that are structured for family-centered care have accommodations for parents, partners, and family members to stay with whoever is a patient … which also means that it’s up to the family to decide who needs to be close by.
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Many maternal and newborn services have rooms in which a mom can labor, deliver, and recover in the same space, and her baby can be cared for and stay with her as much as she wants. Additionally, there should be a bed for dad or other significant family member to stay with mom and infant. There is also now a trend to provide spaces for parents to stay with sick babies in newborn intensive care units (NICUs). For sure such places should provide at least a minimum of space for parents to be with their babies during flexible visiting hours. When babies can be at least touched, if not held, by parents, the benefits for the babies’ physical stabilization (temperature, heart rate, breathing function) have been well-documented. Certainly there are exceptions, at least for very small or micro-preemies, but even then parental contact is important. It’s amazing, for instance, how the sound of a parent’s voice can have a calming effect on the smallest of preemies.
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As for the presence of siblings with newborns (sick or well) or older sick children, my experience has been that it’s a matter of negotiation. As long as a sibling is free of infection, I think parents know their children best and are in the best position to determine the amount and quality of contact a child has with a hospitalized sibling. I’ve also discovered that most kids self-regulate: if the situation is more than a child can handle, they tend to want to remove themselves. Thus it’s important that an extra adult is available to the visiting child for supervision and safety, and that there are visitor areas to accommodate family members.
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Pediatric services can frequently provide space and furnishings for parents (or sometimes grandparents) to stay with sick children in their rooms. Many also provide close-by access to light snacks and beverages for visiting family members. Again, nearby visitor spaces, or the availability of places such as Ronald McDonald Houses, keep family members in touch with each other.
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Let’s move now to family-centered care of adults. More and more, hospitals are providing private rooms for their patients so that it’s possible to maintain family contact and cohesion at critical times. Additionally, flexible visiting hours and policies support variations in family schedules, and family-friendly waiting rooms (read comfortable and close by) make the waiting process more manageable.
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An aspect of family-centered care that’s easily overlooked is the availability of private consultation space. Sometimes it’s very hard for families to process complex and/or difficult information at the bedside of a loved one, and the more difficult the information, the more important it is to understand it. Sometimes, too, family members simply need time and space to debrief, decompress, or otherwise step back from critical or highly charged situations. Enter consultation rooms, and the caregivers and social workers who are willing to use them.
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In discussing processes and structures that support family-centered care, I would be remiss if I didn’t also reference home care and/or hospice care. In many ways this is the ultimate in family-centered care, since it can be provided in a setting patients and families usually consider most comfortable, safe, and secure. Many hospitals and healthcare systems now include such programs, which provide necessary equipment for care and include specially trained staff (nurses, physicians, therapists, pastors) who knows how to provide care on the family’s turf and in view of the impact of illness on an entire family. As hospitals move away from the provision of chronic or extended care, there is increasingly greater development of programs of home care.
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I’ve discussed family-centered care from the perspectives of concept, process, and structure and hope that I’ve communicated its dynamic and flexible character. Caregivers and care recipients are always partners, and the conversation between the two should never end.
Mary Ann Zettelmaier, MSN specializes in maternal-infant communication, with a comprehensive clinical focus on developing programs of family-centered care.
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