Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor.  I am only sharing my own experience, and also some information that I found while researching elevated white blood cell counts.  

Once a year, many people go to the doctor’s office for a physical.  Usually, when the physical is set up, the patient is told not to eat before the appointment because the doctor will order blood work that requires fasting.

But has anyone ever told you not to exercise?

I know I haven’t been told, and but I found out on my own that you should not.

Did You Know Exercise Can Affect Blood Counts?

My physical was scheduled for 11:00 a.m.  I had physical therapy that day, but didn’t think twice about going to PT before my doctor’s appointment.  My typical physical therapy session involves at least 60 minutes of pretty heavy exercising, including the elliptical, light jogging, a lot of strength training, and some other cardio exercises.  In other words, it isn’t like a stroll in the park.  I went straight from therapy to my appointment, and proceeded to have my exam and blood work done.

The next day, I picked up my blood test results, and two variables were high that have never been elevated before- my white blood cell count (WBC) was 11.8  and my neutrophil count was 9.6.  The doctor’s office called and said it was probably just a transient event, but the doctor wanted me retested in two weeks.

Great, now I had to worry about what raised my WBC count.  I didn’t feel sick at all, so I didn’t know what caused the increase.

So, I turned to the internet, which can make your head spin, but also provide some good information.

In my reading, I came across study after study that showed the affects of exercise on white blood cell counts, specifically neutrophils.  Ironically, exercise can also skew results of cholesterol and  glucose tests.  I know my doctor is  adamant the patient does not eat at least 12 hours before a cholesterol test, but I know I personally had never been warned not to exercise.  It makes total sense though, but I had never thought about it before.

Results From the Retest:

After two weeks, I had my blood test redone.  I made sure I did not do any exercise the previous 24 hours.  My results came back with a WBC of 8.6 and Neutrophils of 5.2, both completely normal.   Of course, I will never know if the reason the counts were elevated in the first place was solely attributed to exercise.  However, in the future, I think I will just be on the safe side and make sure I take it easy before I have any blood work done.  As a matter of fact, it is recommended that to get the most accurate blood test results, patients should not exercise for 24 hours before a blood draw.   So, take that advice as an excuse to take a day off and relax before your next physical appointment.

Well, this year is turning out to be an expensive one, and we still have a long way to go.

Here is a list of some of my expenses for the year that I will be forced to pay soon, or have recently paid:

ACL surgery:  $5,000 (that is our family’s health insurance deductible for the year)

Ice machine rental for knee recovery:  $300

Physical Therapy co-pay:  $480 (estimate)

Miscellaneous surgery related purchases:  $200

Braces for my youngest son:  $4200

College deposit for oldest son:  $200

Grand Total:  $10,380.

Ten grand is a lot of money to come up with all at once!

How I Plan To Pay For My Expenses

Well, the max we could save in our Health Savings Account (HSA) is around $6,000.  However, that will not accumulate in time for me to pay my bills.  The plan was to use that money for braces, but since I ended up having ACL surgery, we won’t have enough in our account to cover all the expenses.  However, we did have $2700 in our Health Savings Account that rolled over from 2010.  So, overall we will have $8700 to put toward our expenses this year.  But, we will have to pay some up front and get reimbursed throughout the year as the balance in our HSA accumulates.

In addition, I have spoken with our orthodontist, who will give us a 7 percent discount on the my son’s braces if we pay with a check, but they are going to allow us to pay half this year and half next year, which is actually what brought our bill down to $4200.

So, in the next month, I estimate I will have to pay about $8200 in medical expenses, and I will have about $3200 total in the HSA to help cover the bills.  So, I will have to pay $5000 from our ‘general fund’ to pay the balance. Ironically, that is about how much I will have accumulated in the HSA at the end of the year.  That means that all the rest of our medical and dental expenses for the year will have to be paid outside the HSA.

The Lesson?

I have said this a million times, but this is yet another example of why it is so important to have an emergency fund in place.  (Or savings, whatever you want to call it.)  When medical expenses come up, the last thing you want to worry about is how you are going to pay for it.  It is much better when the financial aspect is more of a nuisance than a stressor and you can just focus on recovery instead.

Also, if you are able to participate in a Health Savings Account, really think about how much money you want to put into it each year.  When in doubt, err on the side of over ‘investing’, since the money can roll over each year.  (This is NOT true for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), you must spend the balance during the same year it is saved.)  I am so glad I had some money left over from the previous year that can be used for our expenses this year!

So readers, have you been happy with your Health Savings Accounts?

It has been a week since I had my ACL surgery, and thought I would share some how recovery has been going, and some tips I learned along the way:

Now, for those that don’t know what takes place during ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) reconstruction, the surgery is mostly done arthroscopically.  (The ACL is a ligament that starts in the thigh bone, threads through the knee, and connects to the shin.  It is part of a system of ligaments and muscles that keeps the knee stable.)  The first thing done is the surgeon creates an incision below the knee and goes through that incision to harvest a piece of the hamstring tendon.  (Assuming the patient is using their own hamstring to create a new ACL.  Otherwise, that step would just be cruel!)  Then, holes are drilled in the tibia and femur, the new ACL is strung through the knee and screwed into place into each of the bones mentioned, and you now have a stable knee again.  One interesting ‘technology’ that was done was called ‘platelet rich therapy’.  Right before I went in to surgery, a nurse removed a vial of blood from my hand.  This blood was then put in a centrifuge, where the plasma was removed.  During surgery, this plasma was injected into the surgery site with the hopes of speeding up the healing process.

Anyway, since I had this done once before on my other leg, I somewhat knew what to expect.  (Which is why I dreaded the surgery and really had to think about if I wanted it done or not.)

My First Week Post ACL Surgery:

I rock when it comes to anesthesia, which is a good thing because they plied me with tons of extra drugs after surgery because the anesthetist kind of forget to do a nerve block in the back of my leg.  I woke up in excrutiating pain, so the answer apparently was to just try drugging me up more.  A different anesthetist did finally showed up and gave me the block in the hamstring area.  At that point, my whole leg went numb.  A numb leg is a very strange thing.  I kept challenging myself to try and move my toes, which I could not do no matter how hard I tried.   I realized I much prefer a numb leg over an in-pain leg.  It just made it super hard to get around on the crutches when one leg just kind of hung there.   I heartily give femoral nerve blocks a thumbs up!

After surgery, I was sent home with enough prescription pain pills that could probably earn me a small fortune in street value.  We filled the prescription on the way home at my least favorite pharmacy, Walgreens.  (Tip number 1:  NEVER get your prescription filled near a hospital.  You will wait two times longer than what the pharmacist promises, and they will not apoligize for the delay either.)

At home, I ate a good dinner (anesthesia kind of makes me hungry) and dug into the Percocet, as I was told to do.  Well, as I remembered, Percocet really doesn’t do much for me, so I only took it the first 24 hours or so after I got home.  I found I was also running to the bathroom literally every 50 minutes or so, 24 hours a day.  That is a royal pain when you have to put an ankle-to-upper thigh brace on every time you get up, and your leg is numb to boot.  One thing I found is that I didn’t have to use the bathroom as much once I stopped the Percocet.  Could be coincidence, or maybe the nerve block wore off, who knows, but I was glad to be done with the Percocet.  After the first day, I just took Advil every 4-6 hours or so, and that managed the pain just fine.

On the second day home, my leg had most of its feeling back, and I was able to put quite a bit of weight on the bad leg.  (However, there is numbness starting at the incision site and traveling down my leg somewhat.)  I walked constantly around the house using crutches for extra support.  I did a lot of ankle pumps too just to keep the blood flowing and had my leg in an ice machine to get the swelling down.  The pain really wasn’t that bad.

I was able to drive 5 days after surgery.  I was lucky in that it was my left leg that I hurt this time, as that made driving much easier.  However, do not drive if you are still on prescription pain meds!

By the end of the week following surgery, I was able to walk without crutches SOME, but still in the brace.  I walk with the crutches just to be safe, but I am pleased with how much weight I can put on my leg and that I can walk some.  I am not ready to abandon the crutches yet, but it is funny how happy it can make you to just be able to walk a few steps in the kitchen and such.

My Second Week Post ACL Surgery

My leg has been doing fantastic.  By the end of the second week, I had full flexion (with the help of my therapist) at 135 degrees and almost full extension (was at -6 degrees).  I was able to ride my home exercise bike to help build up the quad muscles and walked on the treadmill at physical therapy.  (That started at about 11 days post surgery.)  I still wear the full leg brace and walk around the house without crutches.  I do use crutches outside for safety reasons though, as the weather has gotten snowy here.  I would also say that by two weeks, 85 percent of my swelling was gone, and my surgery scar looks great so far.  Overall, very happy with my progress, and just as a side note, I don’t think it is very common to have so much range of motion so early.  Keep in mind that my leg is incredibly stiff most of the time and it takes work to get to the full flexion and extension.

My Third Week Post ACL Surgery

Leg is still doing great.  I have no problem getting full flexion and extension on my own.  I walk around the house without a brace or crutches, and am regaining quad and hamstring strength.   (I am not advocating that anyone stop using their brace or crutches at that point in the recovery process.  That is a very individual decision that needs to be made with your physical therapist and/or doctor.) My knee is still quite stiff, especially in the morning.  After three weeks, I was able to walk a mile on the treadmill, but did a lot of icing afterward.  There are times that I don’t even think about my knee!  You can barely tell a difference between my two knees in terms of swelling.  Still can’t sleep on my stomach though, which I miss so much!!  Down to 3 ibuprofen a day, which I take at bedtime.

My Fourth Week Post ACL Surgery

The brace and crutches are completely gone.  Since I ditched the brace, the leg is a little more sore than before, but it is totally tolerable.  Stiffness is still there, but not as bad.  I still have numbness near the incision and down my leg somewhat.  Not sure when that will go away.  Most of the time, I walk with no gait deviation whatsoever.  I only walk though, I don’t even think about jogging or doing anything strenuous.  Still going to physical therapy three times a week and I love it.  It feels great to improve each day!

The Worst Part So Far of My Recovery

The third night in, my leg started to itch.  The doctor made me keep the entire leg wrapped in Ace bandages the first week after surgery, so scratching was not very rewarding.  As each day passed, this mysterious rash spread on my leg, and I was up most of the night of days 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.  I was exhausted.  The rash was (is) limited to where the wrap was on my leg, so when I got my stitches out after a week, it was suspected I either reacted to something in the bandages, or I was having some strange heat rash.   All I knew was that it needed to stop.  The doctor prescripted me a steroid pack and some anti-itch pills.  I am midway through the first day of treatment for that, and it is feeling slightly better.  Update:  I completed the entire steroid pack and the rash is completely gone and my leg feels great!

Physical Therapy

I started PT 6 days after surgery.  My knee looked pretty darn good actually, the swelling had really gone down.  My cankle was fading and my kneecap was reappearing again, just like how life should be.  I was pretty surprised at how much extension and flexion I actually had.  (Tip Number 2:  Consider taking some pain meds either before or right after therapy.  However, don’t take so much that it will totally mask pain during therapy to the point where you might overdo physical therapy and end up in agony later.)

Am I Glad I Did the Surgery?

Most ACL surgery is considered elective, basically because a lack of ACL will not kill you.  However, my knee was so lax that I was afraid that I would really screw up my knee if I did not get it fixed.  Plus, I would have to give up most activities other than walking and swimming if I chose to not have the surgery.  I did  read the post-surgery report that described how truly loose my knee was when the doctor tested it while I was under anesthesia, so I would have been at risk of further damage over time.

At the moment, my biggest issue is this darn itching leg- the knee itself  is doing quite good.  So, once the rash fades, I think I will be thrilled that I went ahead and did the surgery.  It is just a little harder to appreciate when you are tired and itchy.  However, when I am free to play tennis again or do other activities that my leg was too lax for before, I will be very happy I did it.

Post Operative Tips:

I shared a couple tips already within this post, but here are a few more:

1. Remember that each person’s recovery is very individual, as is the injury.  Do the best you can and don’t worry about what everyone else is able to do.
2. Take physical therapy seriously.  Therapy is not only done at the PT location, but also at home.  Do not neglect the home exercises, unless you want to really extend your recovery time.
3. If you are offered the option of an ice machine, do it.  Insurance did not cover my ice machine, so I had to pay $300 to rent it for a month.  I have to say that I think the ice plus the compression the machine provides has really helped bring the swelling down, and it also helps relieve the pain.  A standard ice pack cannot compare to what an ice machince can do.
4. If you have any questions or issues after surgery, do not hestitate to call your doctor.   Don’t worry about bothering them or anything.  You are a paying patient, and you deserve help if you need it.  Especially considering you may not remember what the doctor said post-op, you may have a lot of questions.
5. If you will be having physical therapy or post-operative treatment, make sure you decide where to go before you head in to surgery.  The last thing you will feel like doing after you come home is making a bunch of phone calls and figuring out logistics and such.  Word of mouth is very important when it comes to physical therapists, so do some work up front and decide where you want to go ahead of time.
6. Listen to your body.  The standard guidelines said I would need ‘controlled’ pain meds for about 5 days afterward.  Well, I ditched them after one day and was so glad I did.  On the flipside, if you are in a lot of pain, act accordingly and don’t overly push yourself (and call your doctor).
7. Forget perfection.    Life can be hard, and sometimes, commitments cannot be met.  In the big scheme of things, who cares?   Let go of perfection when healing and focus on getting better.  Accept all offers of help too.
8. Prepare your home ahead of time (if you can).  If you will be on crutches or in a wheelchair, have the house set up ahead of time so you have clear pathways after you come home.  Make sure the refrigerator is stocked and maybe even have some meals waiting for you in the freezer.  Do whatever you can to make your post-surgery life easier.
9. Prepare your body ahead of time.  Be in the best shape you can possibly be in prior to the surgery if you can.  I am convinced that this knee is recovering so well because I had full flexibility with it going in to the surgery and had decent muscle tone.

So, overall, so far so good.  I am quite pleased with my post-surgery knee, and hope things only get better from here.

If you have any additional tips to share that helped you get through the post-surgery time period, please add it in the comments section!

A few weeks ago, we had issues with our sink and we had to hire a plumber.  The plumber was in the kitchen chatting with me when I glanced over at the wall and saw one of my pictures on the wall was crooked.  Being the polite person I am, I kept looking forward to chat with the plumber while oddly leaning against the couch to adjust the picture.  As I leaned over the couch with my feet planted, I heard several popping sounds.  The pain was excruciating, but since the plumber was there, I couldn’t yell expletives and cry like I wanted to.  I just calmly sat down and thought I might implode.  After the plumber left, I tested my leg and was able to walk around.  However, my leg was giving out on me, and I knew I was in trouble.  (I blew out my right knee playing soccer years ago and had 3 surgeries on that knee.)  I got an MRI the next day, and of course, my ACL was completely torn.

I discussed my options with a sports medicine doctor and an orthopedist, both who suggested surgery if I planned on doing any more than walking completely straight the rest of my life.  (And hope I never slip on ice or trip on a pine cone.)  Given how much the leg was getting on my nerves, and the fact I don’t want this knee to limit my activities the rest of my life, I decided to have ACL reconstruction done.  The surgery is actually today (January 12th, 2012).

I must say this is probably the dumbest injury I have ever had.  The doctor theorizes that my ACL was partially torn previously, and this little twist just tore it the rest of the way.  Whatever, I just know that I am incredibly mad at myself.  I am mad at the plumber too, but not sure why.

So, I will be taking a little break.  If you find you miss me, please feel free to dig through my old posts (with your Alexa bar on, of course) and poke around.  I may be bored out of my mind during recovery and end up online constantly, who knows.  Maybe if I get some good painkillers I will end up writing the post of my life, so make sure you don’t stray too far!

See you soon!

At one point or another in life, everyone will end up in physical pain.  If you are lucky, you will take some Advil, the pain will subside, and you will go about your day.  If you are unlucky, the pain becomes chronic, and affects you physically and emotionally.

Major Tip To Live By When In Pain:  Don’t Go Making Major Decisions!

Here is a perfect example of how pain can cloud your thinking:  (Disclaimer, I am not telling readers NOT to get a flu shot. There is no scientific proof my pain and the shot were 100 percent correlated.)

About a week ago, I got my flu shot.  At first the pain was localized to where I was given the shot, no big deal.   As time passed, something seemed amiss and I ended up with pain up and down my arm, through my neck and shoulder blade, and down my back.  The worst part is that nothing even came close to taking the pain away.  I took 3-4 ibuprofen every 6 hours and nothing changed.  Icy Hot felt nice and distracted me from the pain somewhat, but it always roared right back shortly afterward.

During this time span, I had a major decision to make regarding my employment.  Without going into details, the situation was not perfect, but definitely palatable under normal circumstances.  However, since I felt horrible, I was ready to just say “forget it” and chuck my job to the wind.  I was hurting and sleep deprived and I just didn’t want to deal with anything.  So, I wanted to take the easy way out and just walk away (bent over, with a cane, and very slowly).

I also wanted to take a break from writing.  I am not just saying “I think I will take a day off from writing” type of break.  I am saying months-long break.  I had just switched my theme to Thesis, made modifications, and I was willing to just move on! I didn’t feel a creative thought in my head, and writing didn’t sound fun anymore.  I probably would have sold my site for fifty cents if asked at the right time.

Actually, nothing sounded fun, except maybe sleeping, which was nearly impossible.

It became obvious that time was the only thing that was going to help my situation, and thankfully, it resolved itself in about 7-8 days.  However, there are millions of people out there that deal with chronic pain daily, and there may be no end in sight.  How do those individuals get through each day?   People still need to work, pay bills, make decisions, etc, and pain just makes life so much harder (in my opinion).

During this past week, I did spend a lot of time laying on the couch, and I thought a lot about how I could possibly use my experience to help others.  The following is what I came up with:  (Reminder, I am not a doctor!)

Additional Advice For Pain-Sufferers

1.  Don’t go it alone.  If you do have any major decisions to make when you are miserable, make sure you involve a third-party.  Another perspective might be necessary, as yours might not be very accurate.
2.  Be willing to accept help, and ask for help.  You will want to feel better as quickly as possible, and there is no need to be a martyr.  People do like to help others, so reach out when you need to.
3. Try to sleep.  I know it is hard to get comfortable, but try to rest.  So much healing occurs when the body is taking a break, so make sure you give your body a lengthy period of rejuvenation.  In addition, take a look at your pillow and see if it or the mattress need to be replaced.  Neither item has an endless lifespan, and maybe your body needs to move on to a different ‘sleeping arrangement’.
4. Avoid stress if you can.  Bad events are magnified when you are in pain, so try to minimize negativity in your life.
5. Consider alternative healing methods.  Many people find pain relief through acupuncture, joint manipulation/adjustments, meditation, etc.   Keep an open mind and you might just find something that works for you.
6. Eat and drink right.  It is easy to want to just grab a burger and just ‘be done’ with dinner.  However, your body needs healthy foods, and so does your mind.  Think about how bad you can feel on a good day if you eat terribly.  Then magnify that by ten when you don’t feel well.  Even if you eat out, there are still healthy alternatives.  Also make sure you drink plenty of non-caffeinated liquids because pain can be caused by simple dehydration.
7. Evaluate how you sit at work and at home.  Is your desk ergonomically correct?  Sitting at a desk all day can cause a surprising amount of discomfort.  If you do have a desk job, make sure you get up and move around frequently, even if your chair and desk are perfectly set up.
8. Think about your pain, and take note of anything that provides relief.  Maybe long baths provide some relief, or a ten minute walk in the sun.  Just focus on cause and effect.  Know what makes you hurt and know what makes you feel better.  Write it all down so you have something to reference if and when you see a doctor.   Keeping a pain diary may also help you detect patterns and recognize ways to avoid pain in the future.
9. Consult your doctor.  Some pain is commonplace- your lower back aches after working in the yard all day for instance.  However, some pain can also indicate illness.   For example, pain was the first symptom I had when I had Shingles and when I had Lyme Disease.  Seeking immediate treatment most likely lessened the severity of both illnesses for me, so do not hesitate to see a doctor if something unusual seems to be going on.
10. Step on the scale.  Have you gained some weight?  Extra pounds can put an incredible amount of stress on the body.  I know it is hard to get out and exercise when you feel like you can hardly move, but try to make lifestyle changes where you can.  Instead of reaching for comfort food to feel better, try to eat something tasty yet healthy.   Try not to give in to your pain, try to move around as much as possible.

This post is from when my site was just 2 weeks old. I think about two people read it, so I thought I would post it again!

People try many different things to lose weight.  Some people will choose to go with a fad diet that involves eating a lot of grapefruit, or take some ‘magical’ weight-loss pills.  However, that type of weight loss is usually short-term, and very difficult to maintain.

What you really want to do is make some changes in your life that will help you lose some weight, and improve your overall health.

The trick to weight loss in simple – expend more calories than you take in.  Here are just a few small changes that can make big payoffs, and I promise to not mention taking the stairs or parking your car as far away as possible.

5 Small Changes You Can Make To Help You Lose Weight

1.  Drop all soda – diet and regular.  The calorie reduction from not drinking Coke or Pepsi is obvious.  Many people have switched to drinking diet soda thinking that is a great thing.  Well, if you are like me, I would eat chips or other unhealthy things when I drank pop.  Plus, there are some studies that show that artificial sweeteners may actually make it harder to lose weight.  Regardless, all soda contains phosphorus and sodium.  We all know that a diet high in sodium is very bad for the body, but phosphorus is also bad for your bones, especially if you do not get enough calcium.  Enjoy a nice glass of water instead.  I am not saying you have to drink 64 ounces of water a day, but even if you replace your soda with water, you are making a difference.

2.  Go for that walk!  Studies have shown that one of the best ways to lose weight is to get a dog.  That’s because you HAVE to walk your dog.  We take great care of our pets, but won’t always take care of ourselves.  The weather is getting nicer, so get off the couch and take a 30 minutes stroll.  If you are stuck at a soccer practice, walk around the neighborhood instead of sitting in the car.  If you choose to walk on a treadmill, throw some punches into the mix to increase your heart rate.  Of course you can do excessive arm movements while walking outside, but you might be endlessly mocked.

3.  Keep a food diary.   The thought here is that you will make healthier food choices if you are accountable to someone, or something.  Maybe you won’t have those 2 Twinkies with lunch if you know you are going to actually write it down.   Better yet, share your food diary with a friend or an online community.

4.  Take 30 minutes to cut up fruits and vegetables and keep them easily accessible in the fridge.  That way, it will be just as easy to grab a bag of celery/carrots as it would be to open that can of Pringles.  The crunch of fruit/vegetables is quite satisfying, and you also are not putting a bunch of processed garbage into your system.

5.  Eat a healthy cereal/oatmeal for breakfast.  It is true that breakfast sets the tone for your entire day.  So start your day in the best possible way and have a vitamin-filled, filling breakfast.  You will be less tempted to snack at work, and it is great for your metabolism.

Now, for those of you who have a sweet tooth that cannot be ignored, I am posting a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies that are actually ok for you.  Don’t hate me for including a recipe for a cookie.  Just because you are watching your weight doesn’t mean you  have to totally deprive yourself everyday of your life.   This post is more about making healthier choices that an extreme weight loss regimen.  If you find you have a eat a cookie, this is a good alternative to many cookies.  Actually, my family prefers these over the Nestle Tollhouse cookies.

Good For You Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (I usually reduce this to just under a cup)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 stick margarine

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 egg whites (I usually use the whole egg because I am lazy)

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (yes, 1 tablespoon)

2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I don’t add these, but the recipe states they are optional)

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small bowl.  Beat brown sugar, granulated sugar, margarine and applesauce in large mixer bowl until smooth.  Beat in egg whites and vanilla; gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by rounded teaspoon on greased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 9 – 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 12 – 13 for crip cookies.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Per serving:  120 calories, 4.5 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 19 g carb, 1 g fiber, 12 g sugar, 1 g protein.

Enjoy!

When I was growing up, nobody in my neighborhood had air conditioning.  Most houses relied on a box fan in the window to cool off.  My problem was, and still is, I hate fans.  They are so noisy, they keep me awake, and I just don’t like the feel of wind on me.  I remember trying to go to sleep with the fan on, and then I would get up and turn it off, then turn it on again… The bottom line is, it was hot, humid, and we had no way to cool off.

The funny thing is, I don’t remember complaining TOO much about it.  Sure I whined when I couldn’t fall asleep, but still, each day I got up and played outside until the street lights came on.  Not going outside wasn’t an option for me or any of the kids in the neighborhood.

I look at the parks and neighborhoods in the summer today and no kids are playing outside. At first I just figured all the kids were hooked on Xbox.  However, I think another big part of it is kids don’t want to play in the heat. When I was a kid, we didn’t have a choice. Now days, kids are much more comfortable inside than outdoors, and even my own family is inside a lot more than I was.  I even wait to do my gardening until the evening when it has cooled off a little.  Basically, I think people don’t want to deal with the heat, because they just don’t have to.

However, I look back so fondly on the days of my childhood of playing outside with everyone else.  I was reminded of those days when I recently drove through an older neighborhood that did not seem to have many homes with central air. In this neighborhood, I saw people barbecuing, sitting on the porch socializing, and kids were riding their bikes all over the place.  These kids were all skinny too, and were having a fantastic time.

I correlate part of the modern world’s obesity problem to the popularity of air conditioning.  It is just too easy for kids to be comfortable inside and sitting around the house all day.  It seems now like it is almost child cruelty if you have your kid play outside between noon and three on a hot day.

What do you think?  Do you see many kids outside playing as much in the summer as you did when you were a child?  Do you think air conditioning has anything to do with obesity rates?

(Ironically, the person in the car sitting next to me as I type this has her windows rolled up, and the car has been running for literally the last hour.  I have my windows open, so I get to enjoy the heat from her car pouring through my window and also get to listen to her engine run endlessly.)

According to CNN, the Food and Drug Administration will be forcing cigarette makers to place graphic labels on their products which will depict the negative effects of cigarette smoking.  Examples of such labels are organs that have been ravaged by the effects of cigarettes, a corpse of a smoker, a mother holding her child with cigarette smoke swirling around them, and others.

I saw some of the proposed labels, and I must say, the images were disturbing.   It is expected that these new labels will hopefully get twenty percent of smokers to at least seriously consider kicking the habit.  Although I don’t know how much a scary label will make people want to quit smoking, I do have a lot of other reasons that people should not smoke as well…

My Top 15 Reasons To Quit Smoking (Or Never Start)

1. You will (most likely) lengthen your life span
2. You (may) increase the life span of those around you
3. You will have more energy, as your vital organs won’t be working overtime trying to stay oxygenated.
4. Besides reducing your chances of getting life-threatening illnesses, you will also suffer from less nuisance illnesses, like upper respiratory infections.  (This according to a study published by the Annals of Internal Medicine.  Not to mention it is pretty much common sense.)
5. You won’t have to stand outside in inclement weather or leave the dinner table to go smoke outside.
6. There will be less chance you will burn your house down (or damage your furniture).
7. You won’t have to freeze driving around in the winter with your hand out the window to deposit your ashes and cigarette butts.
8. Your teeth and fingernails won’t get further stained from all the nicotine
9. You will have improved fertiliity (smoking affects the lining of the uterus and also can affect the potency of sperm)
10. You will improve your sense of taste and smell
11. You, your clothes, and your home won’t smell like a bar.  (Side note:  mints do not fool people into thinking you don’t smoke.  All it does is create a mint-smoke-combination smell.)
12. People will want to visit your home more often, as many people are turned off by the smell of cigarette smoke (I am one of those people).
13. People won’t stare at you when you are smoking at the park or the beach because you are smelling up the environment
14. You will spend less on health care for yourself and your family.  (Less illnesses, plus possibly cheaper insurance premiums)
15. You can save a lot of money!  Lets say you smoke one pack of cigarettes a day at a cost of 5 dollars per pack, resulting in a cost of $150 per month.  Lets also assume you smoked for 40 years.  If you instead invested that money each month instead of smoking it, you would have amassed almost $384,000 at the end of those 40 years.  That doesn’t even count all the money wasted on smoking related costs, like increased medical and life insurance (and other) costs.  In addition to having a nice sum of money, you would have pinker lungs, nicer teeth, and a whole host of other great things in your life.

Once you evaluate all the sacrifices you make in order to smoke, next think about the great things you gain from smoking. Have you come up with any yet?  The ONLY thing I can think of is you might weigh a little less than a non-smoker.  It is surprising that anyone lights up at all when you really sit and think about what people go through and give up in order to smoke.

Free Smoking Cessation Programs Are Available

If you have been wanting to stop smoking and don’t know where to start, contact your doctor today.   Or, if you would rather start by getting more information on smoking cessation, you can visit smokefree.gov.  Smokefree.gov is a government funded program designed to assist those that wish to stop smoking.  It seems to be a very helpful site, which can help you find local resources to help you quit smoking, and they also provide a ‘Quitline’ that is staffed with trained smoking cessation counselors Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.   I do not have any personal experience with this website, but it can’t hurt to check it out!

(There are also other free programs available to help you stop smoking.  Just Google “free smoking cessation programs” to get more information.)

So I am curious, if you smoke or did smoke, why did you start?  (I am directing this more toward people that knew it was unhealthy to smoke in the first place, not those that were hooked before the medical community realized it was a dangerous habit.)  Going back to my original point, would graphic images on a pack of cigarettes showing someone smoking through a hole in their neck get you to quit?  I know many people that smoke think that they won’t be one of those people that get sick from smoking, or that they will be able to quit whenever they want.  Those people better think again though.  I have watched someone die from emphysema, and it was nothing short of horrifying.   Please don’t let this happen to you, and don’t put your family through such an awful ordeal.  The dangers of smoking are very real, and addressing your addiction is not something you should ignore and say you will deal with tomorrow. Think about what you are doing to your body and your wallet by smoking, and try to make a plan to quit today.

Picture this:  You wake up on a Saturday morning with a strange rash, a fever of 103 and you just started a new medication.  You want to see your doctor, but of course, it is the weekend so you won’t be able to get an appointment until at least Monday.  You consider Urgent Care, but the physician there doesn’t know you like your doctor of 15 years does.

So, what do you do?

Do you sweat it out until Monday, unsure if you should take your medicine or not?  Or, do you call the doctor’s answering service and have him paged?

Hopefully, you chose to have your doctor paged.

My Bad Doctor

For some reason, we seem to be afraid to ‘bother’ our doctors.  Yes, doctors are generally well educated and highly respected individuals.  That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be expected to do their job though.

Part of the problem may be that some doctors may make you feel bad for calling them.  This actually happened to me when I was in labor with my first child.  I was told to call the doctor when my contractions were occurring 5 minutes apart, so I did.  Unfortunately, the doctor’s wife had just had a baby also, and when I called at 6:30 a.m., he was less than chipper.  He basically scolded me for calling and told me how tired HE was, and then told me I should have just gone to the hospital.

At first I felt bad, but that lasted about 1 minute.  Then I wanted to smack his sleepy face.

Thankfully, another doctor in the practice delivered my son that day, and I never did make an appointment with that doctor again. The whole interaction with that OB/GYN made me really realize that I am a PAYING CUSTOMER in the whole doctor/patient relationship.  If  I am not satisfied with their services, then I have every right to walk away.

The fact that I am the customer is why I don’t mind paging the doctor on call when I have an issue.  As a matter of fact, I called a specialist after hours  just last week without thinking twice about it, and am really glad I did.

The Moral Of The Story

Remember, if you are paying someone for their services, then you should expect good service.  If your doctor makes you feel bad for asking questions or requesting a second opinion, then you need to take action.  You can either tell them that you don’t like how you are being treated and see if things change, or you can ask for your file and walk out the door.  Just because someone is well educated or is possibly well respected in the community does not mean they are above you and therefore are allowed to be condescending to you.

On the other hand, if the problem is YOU and you are just intimidated easily, then you need to get over it.   You are in charge of your own health, and it is up to you to get the best care for your body.  Would you rather get early treatment for an illness and maybe feel a little stress over calling the answering service?  Or, would you rather suffer because you are afraid you will sound stupid, and then end up with a more severe illness?  Those questions may sound silly, but I don’t know how many times I have heard people say they just didn’t want to go to the doctor in case it was ‘nothing’.  I think the opposite- I would rather go to the doctor and find out it was nothing!

So, are you uncomfortable calling your doctor after hours?  Do you have a story to share about either a good or bad experience with your doctor?

When you get up in the morning, what is the first thing you do?  Do you have a lot of structure to your day where you have activities planned out?  Or, do you go with the flow, and get things done on an as-needed basis?

Many people out there have a lot of great ideas.  Ideas about exercising, eating right, volunteering, etc.  However, how often do those ideas actually get realized?  So often, an unexpected event occurs, and the first thing that goes out the door are the very things we should be doing each and every day.

Think about it, what is the one thing that everyone needs?  It isn’t necessarily money, or hobbies, or whatever.  It is health.  Without health, life can be pretty darn miserable.  Without health, it can be hard to enjoy other things like travel, socializing, etc.

So why does something so vitally important get put on the back burner so easily?  Probably because people feel like they can always start practicing healthy habits tomorrow.   Or, maybe there just isn’t enough time in the day (because you made too many plans and over-committed yourself).  Think about all the times you were late coming home from work (or wherever), and so you hit the drive thru  because it is so darn convenient.  Often times there is no thought given to the amount of money the quick meal will cost, or the effect the fries will have on the heart.  People just want to be done with their meal so they can move on to the next thing.  What gets lost in the shuffle?   Your well-being.

I have been thinking about this for myself.  My goal has been to exercise at least five days a week.  It doesn’t even have to be structured exercise.  It can be going for a walk with the family, playing a long game of frisbee, hitting the tennis ball around for awhile, etc.  I just want to do something active most days so my metabolism doesn’t slow to a crawl before I hit 50.  However, I don’t always get those 5 days of exercise in.  One of my biggest excuses is I will be up all night if I exercise after 8 p.m.

So, while evaluating my own personal roadblocks, I came up with some tips to help people succeed in accomplishing their short-term goals and getting the right things done:

1. Make a list of priorities each week (or whatever time frame you prefer).  List out things you MUST get done, things you would like to get done, and things that would be ‘nice to have’ done.
2. Make a list of things you do NOT want to do, and place reminders for yourself in places you see frequently.  Perhaps you are trying to stop drinking soda in the afternoon.  Maybe place a note in your wallet saying “do I really want to spend money on this item?”.  Hopefully having the visual reminder will persuade you to just put your wallet away and move on to something else.
3. Dedicate a few minutes each morning to help accomplish your goals.  If one of your goals is to eat healthier, then prepare some healthy snacks ahead of time that will be readily available when you feel hungry.  If you want to exercise more, think through your day to see when you could fit the exercise in.  (This activity could also be done the night before, maybe just before bedtime.)
4. Periodically throughout the day, review your list of goals and see what you have accomplished.  If your ‘must’  items are not getting done, you might have to alter other plans during the day to make sure you get your top priorities accomplished.
5. Before you commit to anything, see if that activity is in line with your goals.  If your calendar is already packed and someone asks you to come to a Pampered Chef party, say ‘NO’.  Don’t make more problems for yourself by trying to make everyone else happy.
6. Avoid distractions.  Just about everyone lets their mind wander, and that is fine.  However, what isn’t fine is if a lot of the day is taken up with non-productive tasks.  For instance, If you find you are spending too much time looking at coupon sites, then set a pre-determined about of time that you feel is reasonable to devote to internet surfing.  You must stick to your self-imposed limits and turn the computer off when the time you have alloted is up.
7. Consider involving a friend you could report your progress to.  Being accountable to others is a great way to alter habits and get things done.  If there isn’t anyone that you feel will support you with your goals, then write your progress in a journal and review your results regularly.

Remember, there is a difference between things that MUST be done to meet commitments (like paying bills), and things that MUST be done for you personally.  Both are equally important, and just because some things are easier to push aside doesn’t mean they should be.  Everybody seems pressed for time these days, but that is no excuse for not taking care of yourself.  If people used to be able to spend hours each day baking bread and hand-washing laundry, you can find time to wash an apple or go for a little bike ride.

Do you have any trouble keeping your priorities straight?  What method do you use to make sure you get the right things done?