More Helpful Information about Seasonal and H1N1 Flu

Severe disease with pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death is possible with any flu infection. Certain people are at increased risk to develop severe illness from H1N1, such as pregnant women, young children and persons with chronic medical conditions.

H1N1 influenza is now widespread in our community. Testing specifically for H1N1 is not necessary because, at this time, most flu cases are H1N1. The majority of flu cases are relatively mild and can be treated at home, but if you experience severe symptoms including difficulty breathing, chest pain, signs of dehydration or confusion you need immediate medical attention.

Prescription anti-viral medications are being used for patients who have severe symptoms, are hospitalized with flu-like symptoms and/or are in the following risk groups:

Children under two

Pregnant women

Adults 65 years+ with chronic conditions

People with certain chronic conditions or compromised immune systems; including those with cancer, blood disorders, chronic lung diseases, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders, liver disorders, AIDS, muscular dystrophy or multiple sclerosis.

Children under 19 who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

If you or someone in your household has flu-like symptoms stay hydrated by drinking plenty of clear fluids, rest as much as possible and use over-the counter fever reducers or cold and flu medications as needed. Stay home and avoid contact with other people.

Do not go to work or school for at least 24 hours after fever is gone.

More Holiday Healthy Tips!

Don’t try to diet during the holidays. A more realistic goal is to maintain weight rather than to lose it. Simply switching to this approach may take the pressure off of you.

Offer to host. Having more control over the menu will be worth the extra effort for many individuals.

If you aren’t the host/hostess, offer to bring a healthy item, such as a veggie tray with low fat dip or a fresh fruit salad.

Don’t approach holiday feasts after fasting all day. A light healthy snack will keep you from gorging.

Wear snug clothes instead of your loosest-fitting sweats! Your waistband will help you set limits.

Increase the fiber in your diet by eating more fruit, veggies and whole grains. More fiber means you will feel full longer, and may have an easier time saying “no” to seconds.

Never stand at a buffet or hors d’oeuvre table; take one or two items and move across the room to chat with someone. Food isn’t as tempting when you are across the room.

Keep something in your hands, which makes it more difficult to pick up additional food items.

Chew gum, especially if it’s sugarless.

Drink a glass of water or non-caloric drink before you eat; this will help make your stomach feel fuller.

Take your first trip through the buffet line without a plate. “Window shopping” allows you to decide which items you want most, and which items you can live without. If you decide that you would like a little of each item, than commit to taking a smaller portion of each.

Have you ever quickly polished off a large meal, only to realize later how miserable you are and that you would have been satisfied with far less? Try eating more slowly to allow your stomach to catch up with your mouth.

Tricks to slow you down include setting your fork down between each bite, chewing each bite 20 times, or eating with your non-dominant hand or even with chopsticks!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday! Don't make it Miserable by eating too much!

Happy Holidays!

The First Blog of Healthy Tips for the Holidays!

Food is an important part of holiday celebrations. With each holiday, food traditions are formed. In planning for holiday meals and entertaining, keep in mind the health and well being of your family and guests, as well as yourself. The following tips may help you survive the holidays with your waistline intact!

Here's some Healthy Tips!

Remember that the holidays are first and foremost about people. Focus on your loved ones rather than food.

Plan ahead. Eating healthfully will not just happen, particularly if this has not been your usual holiday practice!

Set health goals for your daily routine, but particularly over the holidays. Post them where you will see them often. Don’t forget to reward yourself if you stick to your goals, but don’t use food as a reward! Instead, buy yourself a holiday gift, or promise yourself some “me” time to spend any way you choose.

Step up physical activity during the holidays. Adding just 15 minutes of walking per day adds up to almost an additional 2 hours per week. Park in the farthest parking place when holiday shopping. Use hand weights when watching the news, or walk with friends while waiting on your kids during their activities.

Wearing a pedometer can help you track your steps!

Don’t try to diet during the holidays. A more realistic goal is to maintain weight rather than to lose it. Simply switching to this approach may take the pressure off of you.

Holiday Greetings!

Take Five

When you’re ready, try the following exercises. “As you do them, try not to become attached to achieving a specific outcome,” Dr. Brantley advises.

• Wind down. Try to reorganize your end-of-the-day workload to reflect a slower pace and help you slow down before quitting time. Saving simple and pleasurable tasks for the end of the day can help.

• Write it out. If you arrive home strung out by the events of the day, take five minutes to jot down the thoughts or feelings distressing you. “You’re writing only for yourself, so take this opportunity to be truthful and uncensored,” says Dr. Brantley. “Write with the intention to set free any worrisome and upsetting thoughts.”

• Feel gratitude. Restful sleep is promoted by feelings of well-being and ease. Unfortunately, your mind may habitually dwell on negative or worrisome topics just when it’s time to go to bed. A simple practice of gratitude can shift your experience from worry to ease. Begin by breathing mindfully. Then recall and reflect on one good thing that happened or came your way that day. Feel the support and security you received.

• Take a mental holiday. On nights when stress and worries creep into bed with you, take five minutes to visualize a perfect vacation. Imagine a getaway that brings you limitless serenity and calm, such as spending time on a beach or in a forest. Notice what it is about this environment that makes it relaxing. Carry this calming imagery with you as you drift off to sleep.

“Practicing these exercises in the evening can help you connect with your life and your loved ones honestly, fully, and directly,” says Dr. Brantley. “A richer inner life, a more satisfying life outside of work, and the hope of deep, peaceful sleep can be the result.”

Exercise for Home Bodies

The experts who tell us we need more exercise agree on one thing. Doing something, they say, is better than doing nothing. And that's true even if you can't get out of the house to do it.


"Being active is about making sure you can keep doing the things you want to do," says Phyllis Croisant, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist in Charleston, Ill.

"You don't have to be sweaty or out of breath," she says. "If you're watching TV, just standing up and sitting back down three times while a commercial is on will strengthen your legs." That, in turn, she says, can help protect you against falls. It can also help ensure you'll be able to keep getting up from chairs without assistance.

"Any kind of physical activity is good," adds Tyson Bain. "It might be doing chores or just walking through the house from the front door to the back door a few times each day." Bain, a research associate in applied gerontology with the Cooper Institute in Dallas, specializes in exercise for older adults. "The guidelines are to try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. But you don't have to start there. Do what feels comfortable, even if that's only five or 10 minutes."

Prayer for Strength

My world has just turned up-side; Please, help me,
Everything I thought was true is not; Please, help me,
I’m shocked and feel numb; Please, help me.

All of the control I thought I had is gone; Please, help me,
Guide me through this turmoil; Please, help me,
Hold me close to your heart, Please, help me.

Have me find my strength through You, Please, help me,
Make me strong for my family, Please, help me,
Guide me not to ask, Why? Please, help me.

Be with me through my pain and trial, Please, help me,
Have me find the good, Please, help me,
I know You are still there, Please, help me.

For I know, that when I am with You, I can overcome anything life brings. Please, help me.

Please, help me Lord Jesus. I am but a weary lost sole lost in the wind. Please, grab hold of me and fill me with Your Love, Help me stand tall with Your Strength. Use me as a tool to find the good, and always honor Your Name. I’m Forever Yours, Amen

Inspirational Commentary of a Father and Daughter

One rainy afternoon I was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, my daughter spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Dad, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. I was eager to hear.

"What are you thinking?" I asked. "The rain," she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away." After the chill bumps raced up my arms I was able to respond. "That's really good, Aspen."

Then my curiosity broke in. How far would this little girl take this revelation? So I asked.. "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?" Aspen didn't hesitate one moment with her answer:

"We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
(In order to see the rainbow, you must first endure the rain!!!)

Gobbling Wisely on Turkey Day!

Staying healthy and on track on Thanksgiving isn't impossible. Just exercise some restraint, learn a few cooking tricks and build activity into your holiday rituals, suggested Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian and a spokesperson for the American Dietician Association.

On the day of the feast, always eat breakfast, she said. Otherwise, you'll be famished by the time the dinner hour arrives. Faced with the feast, pace yourself. "Start with something light, like vegetables," she said. They'll tend to fill you up and reduce the risk of overeating."

If you're the cook, or you contribute to a potluck, you can control the calories and fat, Moore said. Take stuffing, for example. "One of the best ways to reduce the calories is to add things such as cranberries and celery," Moore said. You've upped the nutritional value and fiber and reduced the calories without compromising the taste. Instead of using gobs of butter for veggie dishes, substitute spices.

Make activity part of your holiday ritual. "Organize a game of touch football before dessert," Moore suggested. "Plan it ahead of time and get everyone excited about it."

To learn more about healthy eating, visit the American Dietician Association. Their web-site is located below in My Links.

Warning Signs

How can you tell if someone is “Diabulimic”?


• They have type 1 diabetes

• A change in eating habits, a new diet or an obsession with food

• Trips to the bathroom after meals to purge

• Low energy and high blood-sugar levels

• Frequent urination, as the kidneys work overtime to filter excess glucose

• A refusal to take insulin at the appropriate times

• Chest pain, heart palpitations

• Muscle cramps, lower back pain

• Frequent bacterial infections

If any combination of these symptoms exist, please contact your
Primary Doctor or Endocrinologist.
 

"Diabulimia" – The Combination of Diabetes and Bulimia

Although the term “Diabulimia” isn’t recognized as a medical condition, the American Diabetes Association has known about the behavior for years.

“Diabulimics” have the same fear of insulin as the anorexic has of food. They know they must inject/eat in order to survive, but the terror or gaining weight overpowers all rational judgement.

To skip or decrease insulin without a Doctor’s approval can result in falling into a coma or death. The consequences are serious and the need to lose weight can heighten the eating disorder behavior.

In the long term, there are a myriad of complications that can arise: blindness, the need for an amputation, and kidney failure are the most critical.

Diabetic Weight Loss in Teen Girls and Women

Girls in teen diabetes camps are being found out to participate in this disorder, giving themselves just enough insulin to survive as they try to lose weight. For some, no amount of counselor intervention could stop them from harming themselves in this way. They realize that they could die if they skip insulin altogether, but it doesn’t stop them from the dangerous game they play.

It is estimated that 450,000 American women with type 1 diabetes have either skipped or reduced their insulin in order to lose weight. This is one third of the total number of women with diabetes.

A few studies have shown that people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop an eating disorder, which can be deadly. There is a thin line between watching your blood sugar levels, carbohydrates and diet in general, to an unhealthy relationship with food.

Eating Disorders & Diabetes

While an Eating Disorder alone can be extremely dangerous, when combined with Diabetes, that danger can become a reality much more quickly.

For some, there seems to be a common thread between Diabetes and Eating Disorders, increasing their risks for serious adverse and long term effects. A hard to control blood sugar level in a patient with Diabetes may be an indication to doctors that the person also suffers an Eating Disorder. It was recently reported that Diabetics with Eating Disorders are at an increased risk for developing Diabetic Retinopathy (an eye disorder that causes broken blood vessels in the back of the eye) that can lead to blindness.

Anorexia: Refusal to maintain weight at or above the minimal normal weight for height, body frame and age; Lowering or skipping Insulin doses in order to lose weight or maintain weight; Overwhelming fear of becoming fat; Distorted body image; Unusual eating patterns such as fasting, new diet or refusing to eat with others; Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle); preoccupation with food, weight and body image; feelings of isolation, irritability and depression.

Bulimia: Repeated episodes of binging and purging (vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse, excessive exercise); the appearance of being a "normal" eater around others; extreme concerns over body weight and shape; denial of high blood glucose due to binging; feelings of isolation, irritability and depression.

In conclusion, both having Diabetes or an Eating Disorder can potentially be life threatening and cause life-long complications and ailments. If left untreated, Diabetes can lead to heart failure, kidney failure, blindness or death, while having an Eating Disorder increases the risks for heart attack, stroke, kidney failure (and many other things), including death. The obvious assumption can be drawn that the combination of both and Eating Disorder and Diabetes is particularly dangerous and life-threatening.

The Merck Prescription Discount Program

This program offers "Discounts on many Merck Medicines"; including:

Cosopt
Cozaar
Emend
Hyzaar
Janumet
Januvia
Maxalt
Maxalt – MLT
Singulair
Trusopt

Call # 1-800-506-3725.

This is for a Discount; not for Patient Assistance for Free Medicine. That information is listed in one of my Prior Blogs stating "Patient Assistance for Merck".

Support Groups

By sharing with others, many people can better cope with chronic illness or even the loss of a loved one. Through Hendricks Hospital, located in Danville Indiana, these Support Groups are available.



Alzheimer’s Support              # 966-0507

Cancer Support                     # 745-3417

Diabetes Support                   # 745-3683

Fibromyalgia Support             # 745-3553

Grief Support                         # 745-3417

Lung Disease Support            # 745-3486

Multiple Sclerosis Support      # 745-3553

Suicide Survivor Support         # 745-3417

All of these Phone Numbers have the (317) Area Code.

Merck Medications

If you are taking the following medications, contact phone # 1-800-727-5400 or www.merck.com – and look for their Patient Assistance Program on-line for more information on assistance.


Cosopt
Cozaar
Hyzaar
Janumet
Januvia
Maxalt
Maxalt – MLT
Singulair
Trusopt

All of the above medications are listed on their Patient Assistance Program.