Month: December 2020

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VACCINE for COVID-19 #THISISOURSHOT

It’s here–the vaccine(s) that could eventually get us back to living relatively normal lives in time. But so many people don’t trust it.

I won’t lie. I’m one that was hoping that all the appropriate steps were taken. I’m very pro-vaccine, and I knew that we couldn’t take any missteps that would give the public a real reason to mistrust vaccinations. However, after more education, I understand that there is no reason to mistrust how quickly this vaccine came into being–it’s fabulous that we can stand on the shoulders of the scientists that came before us. And these scientists were able to jump a bunch of red tape and received lots of funding that made this incredibly fast timing possible. It’s not that they skipped the science–it’s that they skipped the bureaucracy. Great!!

I ultimately took the vaccine for one reason–because the only way we stop being ravaged by the craziness of this virus is that we reach herd immunity. That comes either by enough people being vaccinated, or enough people being naturally infected–which would mean a lot of death, and a lot of lives changed for the worse. I DO NOT want the latter, and IDSA spoke out against a campaign for this type of thing here. So vaccine it is.

Mistrust of Black America

So, with good reason, Black people don’t really trust the health care establishment. Okay. I get it. I know what they did to us. I know what they do to us. I have a front row seat on a daily basis. But folks. They really are really trying with this one. They tried hard to get us enrolled in the studies so they would know how it affected us. They are trying hard to make sure that it gets to our population when it gets rolled out. AND–in case you didn’t know:

This is Dr. Kizzmekia Shanta Corbett. She is the one of the people behind this vaccine, and look–she’s blackity black–like–her name couldn’t be more us–and I’m here for it! Her nickname is “Kizzy” y’all! And despite all this, Black people still really don’t trust this vaccine.

This is the thing: We are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19–you know why? Because of the very things that we are right about–the institutional racism that causes our populations to be disproportionately affected by obesity and diabetes which are risk factors for severe COVID, because of factors which cause us to have less access to healthcare, and factors that show that even once we have access, the establishment tends to treat us less effectively. All that is true.

So yeah. You know what’s going to happen if we don’t get vaccinated, all the REAL institutional racism that’s causing us to die disproportionately of COVID-19 is going to keep being a thing. I’m thinking it’s best to go with the solution to this problem, and fight to get the same therapy everyone else is getting.

More Questions?

Okay, so you want more answers? There’s an amazing woman on Facebook, Friendly Neighbor, Epidemiologist, who has broken down a lot of these concepts. In one of my favorite posts, she not only compares the two vaccines, but she also links explanations to many FAQs about the vaccines.

Wonder how these mRNA vaccines work?

Well there is an awesome post from a 9 year-old that is great at explaining how this works. Please click the image for the original Facebook post–because her mom totally deserves credit for raising such an amazing kid!

If you’re one of the lucky/blessed few who get to be vaccinated first, remember that you should continue to wear your masks and socially distance. We will not know if people who are vaccinated are able to unknowingly spread the virus for some time, so it’s important to continue safety measures to protect those who are unvaccinated until we are able to reach mass levels of vaccination.

There are very few contraindications to (or absolute reasons not to receive) the vaccine. Previous allergic responses to food, medications, etc. should be reported so that you can be observed differently. Previous allergic reactions to a vaccination should be discussed with your physician, and you may decide to wait until more vaccines have been given–but you may decide to proceed–that is up to you and your physician or the institution administering the vaccine, and I’ve seen people with previous allergic reactions to other vaccines do well with this vaccine.

Ultimately–regardless–it’s an intensely personal decision. However, this intensely personal decision does indeed affect public health, so don’t take it lightly. Do your research, from reputable sources. Don’t feed into the media that’s designed to scare you for no reason. For instance, I keep seeing this article saying some COVID-19 vaccines could increase the risk of HIV infections. No one bothers to point out that the ones in question are still in trial phase, and are neither of the two vaccines now approved for Emergency Use Authorization in the US. It’s important to read and read well my friends.

Have you seen this one about the physician who died a few weeks after receiving the vaccine? People keep posting as if it is definitely connected to the vaccine. First of all, it hasn’t been. Second of all, even if we connect it to the vaccine, it will be the first death connected to vaccination. That is literally 1 death in 5-6 million vaccinated people. Compared to a death rate of 1% in COVID, and a morbidity rate that is likely 30-50%–if not higher. (So that you understand what that looks like that would mean that 50,000-60,000 people would be dead from the vaccine for it to be equally deadly). Again, in medicine, we are discussing risk vs benefit. The vaccine is FAR SAFER than the disease.

Be safe. Wear your masks. Wash your hands. Socially distance. And yes, I’ll ask, if you can, please, be vaccinated.

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Wow–We’ve Come a Long Way!!

I figured I’d take some time to reflect on how I’m feeling…we’ve come a long way since the last time I did this. Click the pictures for each perspective.

Physician
Wife
Mom
Woman
Soul

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Wow, We’ve Come a Long Way–Faith

Faith.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Hebrews 11:1

That’s what I felt as I had the injection pushed into my arm on Friday. Faith.

For the first time medically, I was doing something that didn’t have years and years of evidence behind it. I was taking a leap.

But look at what God brought me through. The pandemic started and I was terrified because I wasn’t sure how this was going to pan out. Being a primary care physician, I am the gateway for so many illness. But God.

My institution immediately protected us—we didn’t have enough PPE, so we immediately went virtual. When we did begin to see patients in person, it was again a transition—were we going to be safe. Daily, doing my due diligence. Changing how I dressed. Changing my shoes. A different protocol for coming home each day. And with God’s help, my family and I have remained uninfected despite some exposure.

My prayer at the beginning of this—“God, get us to a treatment so we are less likely to die or have a bad outcome.” Friday, I sat down to receive the vaccine, because, faith, and science.

When God answers prayers, you don’t sit around and question what’s going to happen in 10 years if you do the thing He delivered. You do it. You leap. What if the Israelites had hesitated before walking across the dry ground of the Red Sea. Similarly, what did happen when they refused to believe God could deliver them the Promised Land? None of them entered it, except the two that gave the good report.

Faith. And overwhelming gratitude.

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Wow, We’ve Come a Long Way–Woman

I’m sick of all of it.

I’m sick of no alone time ever.

I’m sick of wearing a mask everywhere I go.

I’m sick of never getting to wear my cute clothes.

I’m sick of no vacations.

I’m sick of looking at other people go on vacation while I don’t get to go on vacation.

My resident asked me if I ever took days off…I was like why? So I can go sit and look at the same people I’ve been seeing for months and do the same thing I’ve been doing for months?

I’m so tired.

Okay, so my vent is over.

Because in the midst of it all, I’m amazed at how God has managed to grow me and bless me. I have been blessed to speak at more events than any year previous. I have cohosted a web-series. I gave my first scientific meeting talk—not on a scientific topic, but still. I am poised to go into this new year making a difference in ways I hadn’t foreseen, leading in ways I hadn’t foreseen. I am thankful.

So yes, I’m looking forward to being able to spend some more time with myself, and focus on some self-improvement, goals and boundary setting—or you know, just hear myself think, but I will also focus on the positive. I’ve managed to accomplish a great deal despite the craziness. And I appreciate you all for going on this ride with me.

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Wow, We’ve Come a Long Way–Mom

This has been a gift and a challenge. I’ve spent so much more time with my littles. They have grown so much. Our family unit has strengthened tremendously. Their bond has tightened. It has been amazing to see.

The toddler has become so talkative and bright and grown into his little personality. He’s learning sight words, using the potty, building with blocks, learning some Mandarin, and so much more. He’s super loving—not really something I expected. And I think the pandemic has affected him the least, likely because he’s the youngest, and has so little to compare to, and he has his big brother, who he adores.

The third grader—boy have we gone through some things. He’s fluent for his age in Mandarin, learning division, starting to have big boy feelings. And he has definitely let it be known a few times that he is sick of COVID—because he would have been able to meet his summer friends in person if it weren’t for COVID, he would have been able to spend holidays with his family if it weren’t for COVID—oh, he gets it. He wanted to go to school in person, but then realized he could catch COVID even with a mask, and decided that maybe he didn’t want to go. He’s struggling a little to pay attention with remote learning, and we’re struggling with how to help him meet his full potential.

Mostly, I worry about what my kids are missing—with the younger, I think about all the things the older was doing—swimming lessons, taekwondo, and the older is not getting to continue these lessons currently—well taekwondo, but virtually, and it’s really not nearly as stimulating that way.

I think about everything they are missing. I pray that we are doing the right things for them daily. I’m praying as they begin to assimilate a little more—or don’t.

There’s no way to know if you’re doing the right thing for your kids. My husband looks at me because I’m the doctor. But really, I know the medicine, but I’m just as clueless about what the right thing to do for my kids is. I’m human. This parenting thing is hard. I’m just praying.

Good thing God made them resilient. Good thing God’s in control more than I am.

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Wow, We’ve Come a Long Way–Wife

I miss my husband. I mean, he lives with me and all, but because I am a physician and I’ve been exposed to so many people, I don’t necessarily trust my exposures around our normal childcare. I would feel horrible if I exposed my mother or father in-law to COVID. And we don’t necessarily trust alternative childcare—you never can be sure if other people share your values when it comes to social distancing—I don’t want to expose my family any more than they are already exposed.

And so date night is…nonexistent. Because kids are around ALL. THE. TIME.

I miss my husband.

I miss feeling like a woman, getting dressed up for him, and being able to just sit and talk to him in a restaurant or ride in the car with him. And sure, we talked about the kids—but they weren’t there.

If there’s anything I’m hoping this vaccine brings, I’m hoping it brings some grown up play time. My marriage needs it.

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We’ve Come a Long Way–Physician

So many losses. So many still sick. So many recovered. So many still in denial. So many moving around like it doesn’t exist. Still. So many misinformed. So many giving the wrong information—even colleagues. It has been a roller-coaster of a year. And at the end of it—a light. A vaccine. A vaccine that so many don’t trust, but that I took because I am exposed to too many, and I expose too many vulnerable people. A vaccine I will ask many people to take because without herd immunity we will never be able to move around anywhere close to normal again, and herd immunity takes mass vaccination—or mass infection, which  means mass death, and that shouldn’t be an option. Yes, there is the absence of post-market research, but at this point, it seems benefits outweigh risks for most, and when you weigh the mental, emotional, economic turmoil this pandemic has caused, it seems worth the risk of a vaccine that is around 95% effective at preventing infection and thus far has no major side effects.

I’m excited about the prospect of having something to offer my patients when it comes to outpatient treatment. We have monoclonal antibodies to try to keep patients who are at high risk for poor outcomes out of the hospital. But I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit I want more. I want an oral therapy to be able to give patients. I want answers for the ongoing symptoms some of my patients are having. I want to be able to give my patients a hug.

Where are we moving into 2020? Many promising things on the horizon, but in the middle of numbers ballooning, national leadership that has completely ignored the pandemic for the past month, and those of us in health care—we are tired. Mentally, emotionally, physically—tired. But we keep giving ourselves pep talks and pressing forward, for our patients, for society. Despite being paid less, despite many of our colleagues having to close their practices or becoming unemployed—we continue to fight. We continue to educate; we continue to care for the patients we can. We fight.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There is. Hopefully everyone will help us walk into it.

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Moving in Faith

Soulful Sundays: Once a week I will have an installment that speaks to my spirituality, because, as I’ve said, to me, spiritual wellness, is essential to complete wellness. Because I am Christian, my spirituality is heavily based on my relationship with the Trinity and the Christian Bible. If reading about God, Jesus, or the Spirit will offend your sensibilities, these posts aren’t for you–be advised

It’s been a while, but it’s past time.

I’ve been reading and growing, just quietly. But I definitely want to get more active on the blog again, and what better way to start than with a Soulful Sunday?

Last year was migraines. This year? Well, I won’t go into the details–I think it would be embarrassing to people who aren’t me, and this blog isn’t about that. What I’ll say is that I have always found it so interesting how the strength you gain from one trial is definitely intended to carry you through the next one. This past year has been hard, humbling, disheartening–but full of growth and love. I have seen the worst in people and the best in people. I have learned to pray for people who have the worst intentions for me. I have remembered to forgive people who never asked for it. I have seen what true friendship means. And in the midst of going through this, I did a devotional on my Bible app call 41 will come with my brother. It wasn’t what I thought it would be, but it was exactly what it should be.

It reminded us of the significance of the number 40 in the Bible, 40 days of flood, Moses hid for 40 years after committing murder, 40 years the Israelites wondered in the wilderness, and 40 days Goliath bullied Israel. It’s the latter that the author chose to focus on to remind us of our personal responsibility in bringing our 41.

I think people should do the devotional, so I’m going to try not to steal the thunder, but this is what I want to say–I walked away from the 7 day plan with a renewed sense of walking into the purpose has for me, despite those that will try to derail me from that path. One thing I have seen in watching others with great purpose is that the devil will get very busy in trying to derail them. People will discourage you, he’ll let that inner voice of yours tell you that your mistakes are too big, and you could never be the person God is telling you you’re supposed to be. That book you are supposed to write, that business you are supposed to start, that presentation you are supposed to give, that promotion you want, the life you are supposed to touch just by being the best version of you possible–the devil is trying to convince you you’re too small. He’s allowing people to tell you that you are too something: too inexperienced, too old, too mean, too new, too cute, too ugly, too uneducated, too poor–and all of it is a lie.

Understand that if God means it for you, no one can take it from you. If God means it for you, there are people who will never be touched in the way they should be if you don’t live up to the purpose God intends for you. And understand that with God’s power behind you, if you believe, you can not fail if you are walking in your path. One of the verses that touched me most was Romans 8:11:

“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Y’all–the Holy Spirit dwells in me. That makes me powerful beyond my imagination–I just have to tap into it, I have to believe in it. I have to face whatever adversary is between me and my purpose knowing that the victory was won before the battle began, because I am meant to touch the lives I will touch by living to my greatest potential. I am doing no one any good by shrinking, by letting those voices, those naysayers, those agents of the enemy get in my head. I am a child of the Most High, He has given me the gift of His Spirit, and my purpose is to glorify Him by living to my greatest and fullest potential. I dare not shrink into the shadows. YOU dare not shrink into the shadows. Not because of people, not because of COVID, not because of anything.

It reminds me one of my favorite quotes–and on it I will end.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles“

I’m not sure about you, but I have to remind myself often–I don’t get to shrink. You don’t get to shrink. We’ve got work to do 🙂

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Healthcare as Selfcare: A Bold Plan for 2021

I have never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. Why? Because people tend to come up with these grand plans that they only stick to for 1-2 months and then gloriously fall off the wagon. However, what I do tend to notice is that at the end of each year, I naturally tend to reflect on the year, seeing if I’ve grown as person. Have I improved on the human I was the previous year. How do I want to improve in the next year? I think it’s a natural closing of a chapter.

This year has been like no other in most of our lifetimes–it has brought about a different kind of stress, a different kind of reset. And so, at the end of this year, it does bring about a different kind of reflection.

My friend has given me the honor of being a part of her wellness retreats and speaking on physical health. We began just trying to pick up the pieces that COVID had shattered. Next was a REFOCUS, as we shifted our vision back to those things that could keep us healthy in mind, body and spirit (I, of course, focus on body in my sessions, but fully agree in the whole approach). This time, we REBUILD, as we plan for how we will enter 2021, in a new head space.

I want to caution everyone from thinking that 2021 will be perfect–because we all entered 2020 thinking it had to get better than 2019, and look what we got…lol! So I think the first lesson is to be prepared for ANYTHING, and GRATEFUL in EVERYTHING!

As we prepare to rebuild in whatever 2021 has to offer I want to remind us that healthcare IS selfcare, and if we’re going to achieve it, we must plan for it. Here’s the first steps.

Get Your Mind Right

A few important principles:

Be realistic about your preferences and your lifestyle. If you don’t, you are setting yourself up for failure. If you already wake up at 4:30 for work, you likely aren’t going to get up earlier to do anything. If you don’t eat green foods, you likely aren’t jumping straight into plant-based. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Set small, realistic goals, and celebrate every small win.

You want a schedule, and not a to do list. A to do list tends to make you feel a little like you have a never-ending list of things you didn’t get done, and reinforces a failure mind set.

We have to start by believing that it can happen. “Fake it til you make it.” “Speak it into existance.” “Believe it and you can achieve it.” For me, it all came together when I read the book Psycho-cybernetics and was confronted with science and real world examples of the self-fulfilling prophecies and self-limiting beliefs that everything came together. It made the practice of affirmations make sense. So part of what I want everyone to do is assign an affirmation to each piece of what you plan to accomplish as you move through your plan of self improvement, because whether you believe you will or you won’t, you’re right!

Remember, imperfection is okay, giving up is not. Plan for imperfection. Know that you will not be perfect, and there will be moments you’re going to have to pick yourself up from falling off the proverbial wagon or horse or whatever. Plan to fall AND GET UP EVERY TIME.

Rest

I always start here because if you aren’t resting well, nothing else in your life will go well. You must get enough sleep (7-9 hours nightly for adults) in order for good mental clarity. However, it also regulates weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, appetite, cardiovascular health….you get it, it regulates a great deal. You need sleep. Additionally, you need other types of rest: meditation, mindfulness, and play. Don’t forget that we are not designed to be on all the times. Studies show that we are more productive and healthier when we incorporate the right types of rest into our lifestyle.

Rest Plan

Example: Set your reminder on your phone for when your evening ritual should begin. Commit to having this relaxing time and going to bed at a relatively regular time.

Exercise

Exercise is beneficial for so many things. It helps control weight, improve cardiovascular health, decrease joint pains, strengthen muscles, improve cognitive function, control depression and anxiety, strengthen our immune system–again, I can go on and on. I like to think of exercise as the fountain of youth. If you don’t have an exercise plan, this should be high on your priority list. Jogging as little as 7 minutes daily can make a difference in cardiovascular health, and 150 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise weekly is what is considered an active lifestyle (75 minutes of high intensity)–that’s just 30 minutes daily. Truly, being sedentary is one of the greatest risk factors for an early death, and we are all doing much more sitting with working from home, zoom meetings, etc.

Exercise Plan

Examples: 1. Commit to walking 30 minutes daily during a meeting that can be off camera. 2. Commit to waking 30 minutes earlier to zoom a zumba class. 3. Commit to walking 10 minutes on breaks three times a day. *Hint* You can multitask and watch videos for a class, watch taped shows, or be in a meeting while being on a treadmill, bike or elliptical

Feeding our Bodies Well

The old adage says “You are what you eat” and it’s proving more and more to be true. I like to say, “You get out what you put in,” and I think of food as the ultimate medicine. It’s so important to choose foods well, because our diet plays an important role in our over all health. Your choice of diet should really depend on your personal risk factors and natural tendencies, but generally sticking to a healthy plate won’t steer you wrong, and I like to teach this often. When you are picking which diet you’d like to go with, please remember that it’s important to consider your preferences, your lifestyle–be realistic, because consistence is key. The important think is that plants are your friend, whole foods are your friend, and it’s important to watch your portions. To learn more about the individual diets, select the links: Plant-based, Keto, Intermittent fasting, Mediterranean

Food Plan

Examples: 1. Have a grocery day and a cooking day *Hint* It only takes about 30 extra minutes to cook several sides and prep proteins for the week. 2. Commit and budget to purchase meal prep. 3. Consider grocery delivery if not already participating.

stay One Step Ahead

We have to stay one step ahead of our health by being on top of our screenings preventative health. This means going to our doctor’s visits, knowing what our numbers (cholesterol, blood sugars, blood pressures, BMIs) look like, and having a long term plan for our health. We need to make sure we are on top of screenings such as colon cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, osteoporosis screening, and cardiovascular screening, lung cancer screening and prostate cancer screening (age, gender, and risk specific). We also need to get our eye and dental exams. Don’t let these things fall to the back burner–prevention is care–I have saved lives through early detection.

Prevention Plan

Example: 1. Look at your schedule now to begin booking your healthcare appointments and scheduling that time. 2. Budget for the money you may have to spend on additional tests. Healthcare unfortunately does cost money in the United States.

Chronic Illness Control

This year has really thrown us for a loop, and it may be time to refocus on getting some chronic illnesses under control. The things above are important factors in controlling chronic illness, but if you have hypertension (high blood pressure), it’s also important that you be monitoring those numbers. If you have diabetes (high blood sugars), you need to be checking these numbers as well. It’s important that you have the supplies needed and that you make the time to monitor your health status. It’s also important that you take the time to make sure you are taking any prescribed medications that help keep your chronic illness in check. With my migraines, I have a few pharmaceuticals that help me manage my headaches–one is daily, one is monthly, and one I have to go in for quarterly to for injections. I will confess, I struggled for while with that daily medication–but I had to come up with some schedule to help me remember to get it in. I also have to make sure I make my quarterly appointments–and not just that–my weekly to biweekly physical therapy appointments, and as much as I hate working that into my schedule, it must be done. Make sure you are planning ahead and making the time to take care of your health.

Chronic Illness Control Plan

Example: 1. Attach taking your medications to an action that you do daily. Don’t do it until you’ve taken your medication. 2. Commit to taking your health measurements whatever prescribed frequency. Come up with a similar adherence plan.

US

Remember: this whole thing has been about us being on the schedule–us being a priority on our list. Don’t let the excuse for not accomplishing the above be because you were too busy doing something for the other people (husband, kids, employer) on your list. You are important. You matter. You are first on the list. Make it happen.

So remember, you need to book you me time. Sit with a work calendar and pick some days or afternoons off in advance–plan for those preventative care visits. Plan for your rest time. Plan for your exercise. You deserve it.

Example Affirmations

  1. My body is a temple and deserves proper maintenance and care.
  2. I prioritize rest and my health because I am important.
  3. I have presence of mind and choose my response to stress. I eat when I’m hungry–not emotional, and stop when I’m satisfied.

I invite you to share some of yours that you will use to help you on your journey to better health in the coming year!

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