THE LAST 4 or 5 pounds The bottom line

My sheet on my eating plan takes up a whole typed page single spaced on the fridge

It's hard to remember all at once.   But these are the poles holding up the tent.


Eat every 3 hours or our body will start piling up fat for emergency

Get calm before we eat even our snacks, or our digestion may revolt

Check to see: Are we really hungry or just thirsty?

Eat every vegetable we can find

Put protein in every meal

THE LAST 4 or 5 lbs... Eat every 3 hours...sort of

While loading up her sharp tools, my phlebotomist friend gave me quite a surprise.  We'd been talking about hydrating every few hours in last month's ugly heat.  When I said I  also watch the hours on my eating, she said:  "Of course!  That's been folk wisdom for .... "

Well, I'd never heard it until this year. (My dad, determined farmer despite important job, would never schedule a snack.  Sneak one, maybe..)

Anyway, that same 103 degree day at blood lab, the car was sizzling when I got in.  Way too hot to eat the emergency secret cheese stick on the drive home. No place in the doctor's to eat after three hours...

The weather now may make a purse or briefcase cheese stick safe, if you get the privacy to eat it. Or,  a last-minute Lara bar is a possibility, but can be hard on a white shirt  And, maybe too much fructose for more than one meal a day. 

You may have some situations when three hours is just not the time to eat. 

Whatever the weather, when I wake (not early), my thyroid pill has to do whatever it does for a half hour or more while I do eye drops and other med trivia.  It's a long time between bedtime and getting all the med stuff done.  Too long?

By the time I do all those morning health chores, breakfast is on time for a mid-morning snack , and a  snack becomes lunch.  So five meals don't always happen.  BUT would I be less hungry between meals if I got breakfast on time, and so  got the other four meals on time?

In a really crowded day, one of my dishes of microwave veggies and a bite of meat may be the whole\afternoon snack meal.. You can work out a never-fail snack meal for your emergencies.s

HINT If you, like me, can't eat a lot of salt or spices, some markets have onion powder, which may be easier on my digestion than raw onion for seasoning.

Also, we have to remember Marilyn Glenville's encouragement to put protein in every meal (including the 2 snack meals.)  When I'm home, I can make a minuscule sandwich with some uncured ham. Then a small apple.

All I can do is what I can do.  (And that includes not grazing until I'm sure I'm hungry and NOT just thirsty.

I wish you health.

THE LAST 4 or 5 pounds Good moves.

 I had a great  Physical Therapist twice a week for a few weeks.   My doctor says he'd be more than happy to get me another course of it any time. 

But there are other moves we work on alone, and those moves make the difference for us.  Some are harder than others for me.
 

1.   Put the spoon or fork down between bites.  Makes me more aware of eating slowly. 

2.  Chew food slowly and politely even if you're late for work.  

3. Whatever I'm mixing up or serving up in the kitchen, I try to put it on a plate and sit down to eat in  the dining area. 
  (If I had a kitchen window counter with stools, I hope I'd still sit on a stool, not eat standing up.  Eating standing up is okay at a formal reception, but a person like me can wander around grazing and eventually forget having eaten.  (Except for being forgetful, I have nothing against grazing.) 
 
4. Other mindless eating:  If I bring a whole cheese stick to the laptop, you know I'll eat it all instead of the half I planned on.  And I may have to go back to cutting off one piece of Lara bar in the kitchen and bringing it to the table.

Yes, I do eat my breakfast oatmeal and berries in front of the screen once in awhile, especially when I can't wait to see the thunderstorm forecast.   But I know I'll eat the oatmeal every day.  It's the remembering to chew slowly and pay attention to the good food... Okay, I admit I may also read at breakfast. 

(Next weekend I'm going to talk about timing: the rule to eat every three  hours. That can need a lot of adjusting in bad weather when there are doctor appointments, and other places where it's awkward to eat.)  Send me your suggestions!

I wish you health. 

LAST 4 or 5 POUNDS Cool room myth?

 When I lived in northern Indiana, my father's idea of healthy cuisine helped me put on more weight than I needed.

In winter, once in awhile someone would  say, 'You want to lose weight?  Just go out the front door, stand in the snow, and breathe that icy air."

I don't remember doing that often.  I felt like an idiot standing in the front yard, and besides,  my grandmother's mantra followed me out there: "You'll catch your death.!" 

Fast forward: one day recently, I saw a line on line about sleeping in "a cold room"  for our weight.  They gave a simple reason:  Our bodies have to work harder to warm cold air to a temperature we can use.

This week I dug around on line  to find that original quote.  Instead were notes and articles from various formal  studies. 

But we're not in a scientific experiment.  As it gets chilly out, I can have an extra blanket ready.  Or two.  And find out what my lungs might do with "cool-room" air on the last 4 or 5 pounds.

THE LAST 4 or 5 pounds: The Plateau versus The Ego

It crept up on me.  I've always gone up and down a pound or two with my new eating regime.  (And since I do retain water, there will be some higher numbers at times. )

But the last week or so,   the  same couple numbers keep bouncing  up and down..

And I hate it.  Especially because my doctor isn't delighted that these few pounds are at a lower level than months ago.

I want to go in there in two weeks and show him Progress! But he's a doctor, not a guy who will take my picture for a yearbook or something.    

I want to see the best of my numbers every day on the scale.  

Yes, it's ego.   

And I'm embarrassed to write about it because I know a plateau, a time to rest at the same weight before going on can be good for us.

  (Remember I was the one who lost too many pounds too fast two years ago, and watched them come stubbornly back.)


I know that if I keep up my eating plan, and stabilize here,  (okay, and remember to check if I'm thirsty when I think I'm hungry) the next three or four pounds will go in good time..  

I wish you health.

ENERGY - EATING TO LOSE THAT TIREDNESS

My PTh doesn't say much when I mention how tired I get.  I'm wide awake when we're working on my strength, balance, and endurance.

But other days, I may be  just plain tired, or have leg fatigue or allover fatigue.  Even in a few-minute nap, I fall asleep. (Good for my dry eye, at least.)

But  what if there's more to the tiredness?  So of course I went shopping on line for answers--this time to Harvard.edu. Healthbeat in my email. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/tired-4-simple-ways-to-

Harvard had a lot to say about something called ATP, which I had to look up:

"ATP is a high-energy molecule found in every cell. Its job is to store and supply the cell with needed energy. " from study.com

Then back to Harvard.  "Tired-4-simple-ways-to...help your body produce more ATP and replenish dwindling energy levels. The most common strategies revolve around three basic concepts: diet, exercise, and sleep. "         

Let's talk about food.  And some of their suggestions you already know I do:

"Diet. Boost your ATP with fatty acids and protein from lean meats like chicken and turkey, fatty fish like salmon and tuna, and nuts. "  But too many nuts and too much meat..they say my body has to work harder and uses up my ATP.

Then they mention what I do!

 "When lack of energy is an issue, it’s better to eat small meals and snacks every few hours than three large meals a day," according to Dr. Komaroff..."Your brain has very few energy reserves of its own and needs a steady supply of nutrients,” he says.

 “Also, large meals cause insulin levels to spike, which then drops your blood sugar rapidly, causing the sensation of fatigue.”  my bold

Then: something many of us need work on:  enough water.  A slim, energetic , older friend of mine told me recently she is required to drink 7 of those grocery store 6 pack bottles of water.  I know I"m still not drinking that much.  But Harvard stresses the amount:

"If your body is short on fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue. ...Although individual needs vary, the Institute of Medicine recommends men should aim for about 15 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids per day, and women about 12 cups (2.7 liters). " They offer some foods with high water content, but you can figure it out.  It is watermelon season, after all.!

 There are so many ways I need to pay attention to this water amount.  Do you?

I wish you health.

THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE POUNDS vs Sherlock

Today I have to throw away four small slices of cheese. For a cheese addict, this is like throwing away a car.

It seems I need to watch the salt intake (due to retaining water.)  Along with drinking enough water.

So, I have to check labels for more  than just sugar - the sodium content can be staggering, as can the fat content.  Less fat = more salt too often. Gotcha!

Day before yesterday I ignored reality and bought a package of a cheese I really, really like.  Now, the label  keeps jumping out at me, shouting FAT and SALT!   And those ankles are a bit...puffy.  No, I won't say "stay tuned for the big cheese sacrifice."

What I will say is: if you suspect that salt and fat may play a part in your weight (or whatever part of your health) you might try reading labels on your next trip to the store for fun and excitement.

If your spouse buys all the food, do your label recon at home, say "No, thank you" to danger, and go feed the cat to avoid a discussion.

THE LAST 4 OR 5 POUNDS - True confessions..

I was serious on the 5th about that fact:

The more you bring home of something to eat, the more you eat!

A week or so ago, my daughter was going to the store, asked for my list.  I included "2 or 3 Lara bars."

When she brought my food, she said:  "There are so many bars in here because they had the sale to end all sales."  Yikes.

NO, I don't throw them away, they are healthy food.
Carry one to stay away from Biggie Burger after hours in the doctor's office....
They don't freeze hard enough to make me stop and think.
It's not Halloween, so I don't feel required to give them away.

 Before the end of the day, I had eaten 1 1/4 already.  And the rest of the week, and now... trying to watch myself about them.  Eating more bread and butter is not the solution.

One fact that keeps me from  overdoing is:

When we think we're hungry, we may really be thirsty.  So I check on whether I'm drinking enough water.  Or decaf.  (Or, we may just want another bar.)


I wish you health.

THE LAST 4 or 5 POUNDS - Great Expectations

Yesterday the scales hit a new number that I haven't seen for far too long.  It was only a difference of ounces, but felt like a victory.

This morning I woke feeling no better than I did pounds ago. I had expected to feel healthy,  wealthy,and wise.  And all that other stuff.  Instead, stiff and sore. I need to face what doctors I respect say on line almost every day: 

A sedentary lifestyle is a problem at any weight.   

I'm older, as well as a few pounds lighter. I've been in the chair too often with a mystery or a modem in hand.  This lighter body needs exercise as much as ever, and no Hollywood hills here to climb, no beach for easy jogging. 

So, I was delighted to see my Physical Therapist today for some hard work on leg muscles.  

I wish you health.

  

THE LAST POUNDS...P.S.

The doctor isn't impressed with the amount I've lost, but I like my slowly earned numbers!

One FACT that can help:

The more of something you bring home, the more you eat!

(So my freezer has six packs of plain veggies- one serving to start a meal.)

I avoid the full container of chopped peanuts, and
Avoid the delicious variety of cheese sticks, and stick to one pack.
And only one container of Tzatziki- which I love
I buy several Lara Bars but rush them into the freezer!

The other thing I stock up on a bit is apples.  (Peeling them slows me down, so I don't eat too many.)

Bottom line: Put away your crisis food,
Then don't stock up unless the market is more than a long day's journey away.

(Or you have a tough trainer to rush things into the freezer.)

I wish you health.

THE LAST Four or Five POUNDS

I NEEDED HELP

 I wanted to feel healthier - acid reflux was bothering me, and I'd had a goal weight posted on the refrigerator door for a year...unsuccessfully. 
 Every article about reflux mentioned losing weight if you need to.   


Then suddenly I read:

"Stress is the main cause of weight gain around our middles..." 

 Hmm.


The writer is a dietitian and author.  www.marilyn glenville.com/womens-health-issues/fat-around-the-middle

 For once, I decided to trust a dietitian. I read more and decided I could handle enough of the suggestions to make myself a plan. 

 And the idea probably grabbed me because it lets me make the daily decisions.  Now on the fridge is a full page, closely spaced list of ideas, many hers - including my new eating plan. 

 WHAT I DO NOW

  Trying to eat every three hours 

BREAKFAST   

 1-minute cooked oatmeal and half a cup frozen blueberries

  2/3 of a TEASPOON of  unprocessed sugar. 

 a little cheese chaser, for the  acid in  blueberries. 

MID MORNING
Fruit and bit of bread w yogurt,  bite of cheese for me

LUNCH

frozen veggies, Half sandwich, 10-grain sandwich bread
or tuna pouch from grocery, and maybe part of a Lara peanut/date bar

AFTERNOON SNACK
tiny sandwich, veggies, maybe apple

 SUPPER 

 (ENDS THREE HOURS BEFORE BED)

Frozen veg microwaved

Precooked chicken from local grocery, deli, or fish

Salad with dressing  Bite of Lara Bar

ALTERNATE SUPPER
Same veggies
little salad

Scrambled eggs, bits of uncured smoked ham

One bite of Lara bar

Dr. Glenville's secrets include eating every three hours.  Makes my schedule tricky at times.
If I'm in a place like doctor's wait room and 3 hours are up, I need to graze on something healthy.  If it weren't 98+ degrees here, I could just eat a cheese stick in the car.


Other suggestions from her and others

  "Try to put protein in every meal." .
  Eat every veg you can find,  (in morning snack I may use an apple instead of the veg)
 Small meals. No big meal  Your usual schedule may take a few hits
 Try not to eat carbs after 6 pm.
 Sit quietly at the table,   (stress makes us grab something, then  rush to make that call or...)
      ( I'm learning that I sit quietly but still chew as if I were late to put out a fire.)

THE RESULTS

Although my weight tends to jump around, it's now at least 4 or 5pounds below where I had been for years.  (I still eat too much cheese.)

I loved seeing a new number on the doctor's scales last week!

You can Google Dr. Glenville.



My plan, as you see, is  extracted from the work above, altho  my notes also mention EXPRESS online.

HEARTBURN versus the bra Women Only A RANT

All my post-grade-school life I have just put on a bra, fastened up tight, and marched off to meet the day.

Now my acid reflux seems to be back with a vengeance, but my youthful bust is not.

I need a really humane, really understanding, SAVVY, probably female Gastro doctor who is not procedure-happy, who can help me FIND A (healthy) BRA. 

A bra that does not squeeze  my hiatal hernia, nor my stomach opening
A bra that stays in place if I have to reach the top shelf in the market
A bra that does not make me buy my tops from BIG & Tall Man, to hide bra problems.
A bra that lets my shoulders, not my stomach, do the heavy lifting.

If you know such a person, throw her into the car at once, and call me. 

This is an emergency.

MEDICINE BOTTLES - Danger in Plastic for Seniors and You... A Rant

I just saw an article in the AARP magazine by Christina Ianzito that really upset me.  I'm guessing the interviewed person did not speak to a senior drugstore user, or senior RX patient on the new RX bottles. But I don't know.  Wisconsin Health Literacy is a non-profit, not apparently connected with a university. The article says they have "worked with patients to design new labels, which are being "rolled out" in many pharmacies..."

I've been taught that what looks cool in the interview room 

can bring us grief in the middle of the night, in pain, grabbing for our meds.

Also, the article says CVS is "in the process of introducing its new ScriptPath prescription labels..."

Who uses medicine bottles?  I'm guessing the typical patient or prescription user at my age or younger is:

A person:
 who needs glasses to read -may have two  post cataract implants for distance
 who sometimes takes medicine at night
 with arthritic fingers
 who is (and may have been for years) taking four or five medicines or more

For me, the best thing about the article was the easy-off cap on the new bottle.  Lately I've had to double check for that easy tab container.  Yet CVS is supposedly on board with the article.

At night, in a dark room, in pain, in a hurry... We may reach for our old familiar fat orange gabapentin bottle and shake out a capsule.  And then our old familiar fat bottle of acetaminophen and grab a couple capsules.  If gaba no longer comes in the bottle we're used to, life gets way too complicated for 2 am.  Did I already take it?  More important - what's this big bottle?  That must be the gaba - it's always in the big bottle.  (But is it this time?)

Now the gaba comes in a much smaller orange plastic than I"m used to, and it's THE SAME SIZE ORANGE PLASTIC AS THE THYROID. 

This gets worse if the drug store (as mine once did)  has put the wrong labels on the wrong bottles.  If there's no regular bottle size for reassurance, things can get confusing.  Luckily I've taken thyroid since I was 15.  I went back to the store,showed them the two bottles and asked them if they saw anything wrong.

Now for the A word  or is it the O word.  Someone my age or older, tired and in pain, with a new RX, and with the pills labeled wrong could make a mistake.  So could you. Maybe a fatal mistake.

I realize the drug stores do have bottle supply needs, but this is our life.

New, assorted color does not help.  If we have four or five meds, we have way too much on our minds to do color association exercises.  And NOT at night.  We need clues we have learned to expect.  Like container sizes and shapes.  And more.

Now about reading the label:
 No matter what a label designer has seen on the web and in school, SansSerif print  (see the photo in the AARP article) is NOT easy to read.  A famous ad man said he round-filed any submissions in sans serif  type.  Famous mysteries by Michael Connolly and James Patterson are in serif type for a reason.  Why?  It is easy to read!  Alas, when I view this on line IT WILL BE Sans Serif.  If you know what I can do about it, please contact me.

By the way, some drugs now come in dose packs, and not bottled in store.  Never mind my attitude on that...but give us a way to keep track of the funny little boxes, since we paid you for them.

And there are pretty standard places we look for in what goes where on the label, so don't mess with that.  We are sick, remember.   We don't need to read it over and over at 3 am.

And do not, do not ask me to memorize and remember what tiny  color  symbol is for lunch time, and what symbol is for mid afternoon  Just Don't.  Write down 3 pm NICE and BIG.

(The article does mention important laws and also some interesting things Walgreens does for vision concerned customers.)

What do you think?  Let me know.

PROTECT YOUR PURSE BEFORE THE DOCTOR BILL

HOW TO MITIGATE YOUR HEALTH CARE COSTS

from Forbes.com via TW

by Carolyn McClanahan April 29

@Carolyn McC

Sad to admit that I never knew the definition of these words that impact my health money;

"An out-of-network provider is one which has not contracted with your insurancecompany for reimbursement at a negotiated rate. Some health plans, like HMOs, donot reimburse out-of-network providers at all, which means that as the patient, you would be responsible for the full amount charged by your doctor"   13, 2018

What is an Out-of-Network Provider? - Verywell

 This fine, clear article gives me places to guard against costs from such out-of-network providers.

For instance:  I've been asking "Do you take my insurance?"  Instead I need to find out if the doctor or doctors, and what's may be done or suggested is "in my network???"

Turns out we should be asking if anything out of network is going to be done to us,  if so, we have to insist on particulars, and WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN.

Then we have to do something I've tried in the past, that I always thought was ignored:

We have to write everywhere in advance that nothing is to be done by and no one is allowed to participate that's out of network."

She also wants us to stand guard against unknown doctors participating and ordering before we meet them, and to insist on all the pros and cons on unknown medicines and how long they might be in out lives.  And much, much more.

If you get a chance, get a copy of Forbes and cut out this article.  Maybe frame it?  

STRESS AND AGE: Two comforting sentences

Friends in senior housing often say:  Why do people always ask me what I do all day!  I do what I did before! (And from the looks of my file drawer, I do that PLUS endless, sometimes infuriating, health/med paper work. And other stresses like that eye doctor who disappeared.) Too often families, friends, and even nurses or doctors may think we have it easier as we age...until they age themselves.

 So, although I didn't agree with all of a recent e-mail "teaser'' from Harvard Health, I salute them - I thank them for  these two sentences admitting the possibilities for our increased stress;

 "Your stress may also be caused by different factors, which 

could be more complicated than the issues you faced in your younger years. ...

Signs of stress may mimic symptoms of memory loss or dementia  or include 

appetite changes, headaches, anxiety, irritability, or trouble concentrating. ''

This second sentence gives me such relief from popular talk and dangerous magazine articles that love to label stress symptoms as signs of "she's losing it, she probably has..."  etc.

We need the medical world to publish more reminders that too many problems including paper work (and missing med persons) might make us seem "like like she's finally lost it" now and then.


I wish for us that kind of admission and reassurance from the medical world more often.


quote from Harvard Medical School HEALTHbeat

PHYSICAL THERAPY WE NEED & DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD GET - COFFEE BREAK

Judy Graham has done a helpful article on available physical therapy  through Medicare.   It's a Kaiser Health News article.

I may be able to get the phys ther I want for move work on balance, since I haven't mastered all I should yet - can't stand on one foot, can't walk a straight line, and think twice before I step up on the curb when I'm carrying too many groceries.

And okay, I confess I don't dare the two-flights-without- stopping test since allergies got  bad.  Used to do two flights whenever I pleased.

If you can't find the article on FB, try googling Kaiser Health News or Judith Graham..

SWOLLEN FEET AND... part 2 Midnight special

My primary doctor seemed confused when I said No to a referral to another foot doctor. 
He also seemed to feel that elevating my feet was odd (I had forgotten by then that I got the suggestion from Mayo Clinic and some other places.)

Now I think the first podiatrist I saw in TX was the best, and after searching, I think he's still in the same office. Let's call him Dr. X for the moment.

He had some cream made up for me, which did not help. (I now sometimes use an over the counter one, but not too often.  But, more important, he left me with some important words:  

"Many foot problems start in the legs. " 

I was diagnosed once with peripheral neuropathy.  And let's face it - the more my feet hurt, the less I walk, (and forget the pollen season for walking outside)

Dr. X knew without a demonstration that I couldn't stand on one leg, even standing right by the counter, nor could I walk a straight line.

 He mentioned that the sneakers I was wearing were noticeably more narrow in the toe area than my feet.  Now that I remember his words, I've wasted hours looking for the right shoes and please, not Birkenstocks.  Yes, older women do care how we look.

Also  I will beg my family doctor fore more physical therapy for more balance and gait training.  And any exercises that are good for this osteo arthritis.

 I will still elevate my legs higher than my heart.  (I do my bed-cercises at the same time.)

But it's harder to break the sit-read-sit habit when the world is full of pollen. (When there's no pollen, there's still a mystery novel to encourage sitting') 

One confession - if I get some shoes that don't hurt, I'll have to take one daughter's advice:

 Go to the mall and walk as much as you're supposed to!

I wish you health.

SWOLLEN FEET - IDEAS (not boot camp)

https://healthfinder.gov/healthtopics/category/health-conditions-and-diseases/obesity/stay-active-as-you-get-older-quick-tips:

Do balance activities 3 or more days a week.

• Practice standing on one foot (hold onto a chair if you need to at first).THE GOOD FOOT DOCTOR CHALLENGED ME TO STAND ON ONE FOOT AND ALSO MENTIONED WALKING A STRAIGHT LINE (I SHOULD BE ABLE TO BECAUSE I DRIVE AND YOU NEVER KNOW)
• Stand up from a sitting position without using your hands.

When I lived at the beach, I could jog four miles on the hardpack.  Then, bout 4 years ago I was diagnosed with peripheral myopathy.  I passed the arteries-to-my-feet exam with flying colors. Two weeks ago someone who had seen me walking asked if my feet hurt.

Uh, Definitely:  My feet are swollen when I wake and much of the day. I'm overweight, on Prolia, and still on Tamoxifen.  

Then about a week ago I got two very strong reminders about drinking plenty (that's plenty) of water.   Must remember that coffee is not water.  Darn. (Oh, and we're supposed to follow a cup of ethyl with water. Like a whole glass full.  

 I hit the web, and got more hints.  
The swelling may be worse because I'm overweight, and 
Trying to pump fluid from feet back to my heart may be hard on my heart! 

 ( Notation on TW made it hard to tell if this next is from Cleveland Clinic (?)

"You can make small changes to your everyday life to help reduce swelling:

1. Take a short walk every hour.  
2. Drink eight to 10 glasses of water daily. Drinking less actually promotes swelling. (First time I ever heard that.)
3. Limit your salt intake. .

Mayo Clinic said:  

"Mild edema usually goes away on its own, particularly if you help things along by raising the affected limb higher than your heart."  

In my case,GERD, must elevate feet when stomach is empty.  

SO FAR:

For four days, I refused to sit anywhere that I could not prop up my feet.  (Okay, not while driving to the grocery store.)

Before I ate today, I lay down on my back and put a giant old sofa pillow under my feet for ten minutes.  Boring, but, YOU CAN READ WHILE YOU DO THIS (INSERT SMILE) OR:  Do your bed-xer-cizes.

I made sure my water glass was full before taking my thyroid and right beside my coffee mug.

I got a short  water bottle that goes in my car and in my purse.

 I write down my weight every morning first thing;

I write on the fridge chart every time I FILL my water glass.

I try not to stand so long when doing the grocery, library, etc., all at once.

I WILL remember that when I'm at Starbucks, I'm NOT eating!

I will remember that sometimes we think we're hungry when we're really thirsty

And (just between us) I seem to  eat less if I eat what I like  as long as it doesn't have sugar and white flour!

 DID I MENTION ALWAYS ASK YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE DOING WHAT I WRITE?   

Raise your glasses (WATER) to taking care of you!  

Coming soon : SHOE HATRED!

FREE BUS PASS re Reuters article ref'd on TW MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

 

Cheryl Platzman Weinstock

5 MIN READ

 Just saw that article ref'd on TW w many theories on free bus pass benefits.

I say: Doesn't matter whom I would visit, talk to, and it's not primarily about avoiding isolation.

A free bus pass (esp one better than the mess I got into in L.A.) is the difference between:

a)  I am in charge of my day and where I choose to go, or:

b)  I am not in charge of my day, and must beg rides even to go to the doctor, much less where to have fun or be refreshed

(Yes, I know, the bus has to be going places I want to go.)

Any other theories?  All I can say is I remember every moment of not driving before and after the lumbar fusion. I had to lend my car to a friend in exchange for being driven to grocery shopping, and HIRE someone to drive and go with me to the doctor, get food..  As a way to spend the rest of my life?  Try it.

 You may find the article by googling Reuters....

Stand against over-action and ...

Here I am again against over-test;  This from TW

 Lisa M Guzzardi, RN Retweeted

Siddhartha Mukherjee‏Verified account @DrSidMukherjee 12h12 hours ago

Are liquid biopsies the future of cancer ? http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/liquid-biopsy-promises-early-detection-cancer … Maybe yes, but then what about "cancers" that may never take hold ? https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/09/11/cancers-invasion-equation/amp … Confused ? We all are. This field of early detection badly needs real human trials.

CANCER - LOOKING FOR TROUBLE makes trouble in all the wrong places?

No, I don't subscribe to the ANNALS OF INTERNAL MED.
but I remember 20 years ago at work when doctors were doing test/don't test for prostate cancer.

http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2667696/scrutiny-dependent-cancer-self-fulfilling-risk-factors#.WmqoLPsPE-w.twitter

If you only get to read the first paras:  DO!

Scrutiny-Dependent Cancer and Self-fulfilling Risk Factors

Brought to my attention from Ken Covinsky on TW  @jeri_doc