Category: Uncategorized

• Hand washing, clean surfaces, and social distancing!
  • These are the single most important tools you have at protecting yourself and preventing the spread of this virus.
  • remember, 30 seconds of hand washing or sanitize your hands with alcohol based sanitizer, before and after eating, any time you’ve entered your home from outside, after touching any packages from outside, after interacting with others at work (if you are still working), after touching items in a wallet or purse, etc.
  • Wipe down surfaces that are touched frequently on a regular basis: door handles, steering wheel, refrigerator door, computer, cell phone, etc.
  • Remove shoes (leave them outside or in a mudroom), change, and shower when you get home.
  • Continue to remain distant, even as our business begin to open. THIS IS IMPORTANT. We have seen the curve flatten, but we are far from out of the woods, and we will absolutely see a worse second spike if we do not do this. Do not go back to hugging, kissing, shaking hands, sitting in groups. I’ll include an image (that isn’t mine, but I’m not sure of it’s origin) to help drive this point home:

• Masks:
  • what we have seen is that wearing masks in public does seem to prevent the spread of illness.
  • It is imperative that you wear them correctly, and DO NOT TOUCH THEM while you are out and about.
  • You should also know how to appropriately take it off so that you don’t accidentally infect yourself while taking it off: wash or sanitize your hands, remove it from the point furthest from your face (from the ear loop or from behind your head, not grabbing the portion covering your mouth), and then dispose of it or immediately prepare it for sanitizing (if reusable or cloth) and wash your hands. Removing protective equipment is one of the times you are most likely to infect yourself, and part of the reason it wasn’t initially advised for the general public.
• NOT GLOVES:
  • Most people do not know how not to cause cross contamination when wearing gloves.
  • Have you ever noticed how many times you see your doctor change gloves if they are performing a long procedure? Or do you notice that they don’t glove until they intend to touch the things they want to touch while clean and then immediately re-glove if they have touched something outside of that field? That’s because there is nothing about gloves that makes them inherently germ free.
  • Gloves are only clean as long as they haven’t touched a dirty surface. The minute they’ve touched a dirty surface, they are the dirty surface, and they are spreading germs, just like dirty hands.
  • Don’t wear gloves, and wash your hands frequently. You are less likely to feel a false sense of security, more likely to do what is correct and prevent the spread of illness.
  • *don’t forget to click the hyperlink*
• Healthy diet
  • A healthy diet is essential to a healthy immune system. Supplements are wonderful, but our body REALLY likes to see things naturally, from foods. That’s how we were meant to get our nutrients. Not from pills. So it’s best to eat a diet that is rich in plants and varied in color to ensure you’re getting the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants your body is craving.
• Exercise
  • If you know me at all, you know I say EXERCISE FOR EVERYTHING!! From diabetes and hypertension to weight management to anxiety and depression to dementia…exercise can be my non-pharmacologic prescription for all of it. And guess what–there’s some evidence it can help boost your immune system and help protect against deadly complications in COVID-19 infection. So you know I had to include it in the list, right?!. Click the hyperlink on the main bullet for the main article and click here for my previous post on staying healthy during the pandemic.
• Vitamin c? Zinc? Other supplements?
  • In the medical community, you’re seeing mixed feelings about using these things to try to help prevent and treat the viral illness. You guys know how I feel about them from previous posts. I also discussed elderberry, specifically in COVID-19 here.

What we now know about COVID-19 is that it has many different faces, much like the other illnesses caused by coronaviruses. This is why it is extremely important to stay home if you feel ill at all, and to move around as if you have the illness regardless. We have tested people who seemed relatively asymptomatic (meaning without symptoms) and found them to be positive. However symptoms include:

• Headache
• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Chills/Rigors
• Muscle Aches
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Loss of smell or change in smell
• Loss of taste or change in taste

It is a new Coronavirus that is believed to have originated in a bat in Wuhan, China. It causes the illness COVID-19. It has mutated at least 2 times (honestly, evidence shows many, many more) and is now causing a pandemic. It is believed to have a mortality of between 1-3%, but this could be lower, because we aren’t testing enough mild cases. Either way, it is causing lots and lots of people to die and will cause people to die unnecessarily if we don’t do our parts to continue to slow the spread.

Covid-19 is the illness caused by Sars-CoV-2, as discussed above.

Video explaining Infection

Kid-Friendly Video

I’m going to risk something by telling you this, this COVID-19 thing…it’s getting to me. Some of it may be the typical stuff…but, this experience for me is so deep. My heading on my website…wife/mom/physician/woman. This virus makes me vulnerable in every aspect. It has shaken every piece. So I realized, I’m going to take a risk, like I did with starting the blog in the first place, and write it out. (Scroll through the pictures below for each point of view.)

PHYSICIAN

WIFE/MOM

WOMAN

Soulful Sunday 4/5/2020

I am so happy for everyone else that they are finding this quarantine time a time to slow down and be more productive. Focus on themselves. Focus on their goals. Whatever. Yep, you heard it. While I’m happy, I’m also, a little…irritated..that it hasn’t worked out that way for me.

Yeah, I know. I signed up for this. It also doesn’t make it easy to see everyone posting about lounging in pajamas, having no where to go, getting fat on snacks, being bored, while I’m literally more tired than I’ve been in a while trying to give my children more time because they have more time while mommy has less time, because now she has to clean, make sure they have 3 meals instead of 1, learn constantly about a brand new illness, attend (virtually) no less than 3-4 meetings weekly about said illness, while continuing my previous workload.

So while y’all are complaining—I kinda want y’all to—stop. Practice some gratitude 😘. Because I would do something strange for a week—or 4—in pajama pants unable to leave my house. If I could be bored just once (I actually don’t think I’ve ever been bored left to my own devices). I’m an introvert, y’all. That sounds positively glorious!! (Minus the kids of course…but even with them, we could make this thang work😂). But I’m trying to check myself…I am. I signed up for this. I did this to myself. And…gratitude, right.

So, I’m grateful to be employed. There are so many who have lost their jobs and are struggling. I don’t get to be upset when I can support my family. I have responsibilities at home because I am not quarantined alone, and don’t have to worry about getting lonely. I am able to feed my children. I am able to help others rather than being completely helpless during this time. I am cleaning this beautiful house I for which I prayed so long. And I said I don’t get to be upset. That’s wrong. I get to have feelings. I don’t get to wallow in them. Because I have a lot to be grateful for.

Wife/Mom

So as I’ve said, the numbers aren’t surprising to me. And because I understand that most people do well with this illness, I’m not overly concerned about my family catching the illness. I’m concerned about me catching the illness, not doing well due to my asthma, or because I’ve been called to work in the hospital and overly exposed to the virus, and leaving them. I’m concerned that I’ll expose them and then they’ll expose more vulnerable extended family…so I’ve been pretty strict about in-laws and no visitation—which is hard.

This is the first Easter in his entire life, that my 7 year-old won’t see his 8 year-old cousin. It’s become something of a tradition…now there are 4 of them…well 5, counting my sister-cousin and her son who would really be offended if he weren’t counted. His grandmother here wants to come hide eggs, and he doesn’t understand why he can’t at least give her a hug—I still go into work everyday, and there’s no way they can socially isolate from me, so they don’t need to expose their 70 year old grandmother—just in case. Do you know how I would feel?! But that’s also hard, telling my loving, touch as love language, 7 year-old he can’t touch.

And we haven’t even talked about the fact that there are no cleaning ladies, babysitters, date nights…guys. I’m tired. My husband is tired. These people talking about all this extra time they have…God bless them. Can they use all that extra energy to keep my kids for me when this is all over? My husband and I need a vacation to sleep. And then to have some fun. And then to sleep again. Yes? Thank you!

Gratitude? I’m so thankful that my babies are being able to slow down. They normally have to wake up at 6:30 and are gone until 7pm most nights. It’s quite the schedule. I’m so grateful for this slower pace for them, to be…kids. There’s a lot more screen time…I’m trying to be okay with it. It’s beautiful, actually.

I’m a physician. But I’m also a math brain who really gets the numbers. For instance, at the risk of alienating you, I’ll divulge that I was the kid in high school calculus who didn’t pay attention but still managed to make 103—as an average. I majored in psychology so I had to take a stupid number of statistics courses, and for my honors thesis, because I was too cheap to purchase the software, I did my ANOVA calculations by hand (to be fair, I had a small sample size). I’m that kid. So I visualize most of this stuff in my head as these guys talk. It just makes sense to me. At first when I was posting that we should be more worried about influenza…guys, I really thought our freaking government would get control of this thing before we had to worry about it. Like they did with Ebola, swine flu, and all the things before. I gave this administration too much credit. So once it was obvious they were completely irresponsible, none of this, I repeat, NONE OF THESE NUMBERS, have surprised me.

What has surprised me is watching my colleagues be told that they can’t use PPE by people who never took an oath to heal, serve, and protect patients. I’ve been surprised to watch entities that are supposed to protect us do so little to ensure our safety. I’ve been truly saddened to see how little value physicians’ lives hold, how some hospitals are falling right in line with devaluing their lives, and families are losing their fathers, mothers, and children. Resident physicians—physicians who never got to see the rewards to all their hard work—are dead because our leaders chose not to protect them, and agencies chose to weaken the requirements for PPE to things that have been shown to be inferior rather than push back and insist that the health care workers at the front lines be protected. And physicians—physicians are being asked to do this for FREE in some instances. And many are choosing to. Because we took an oath. After YEARS of people believing we are the reason that their bills are higher, not taking our directives, blaming us for everything from autism to cancer to make a quick buck, my colleagues are going and dying FOR FREE to save a life! Think on that.

I’m heartbroken. I’m disgusted. I’m scared at times. I feel extremely vulnerable. I love my profession. All I’ve ever wanted to do in my entire life is help people in this way. I would never watch someone in distress and not help them simply because I didn’t have protective equipment. I couldn’t. I’m also not sure I want to endanger my family, and/or leave them sacrificially, though. Someone mentioned a physician draft…I don’t know how plausible that really is. But what if I didn’t have a choice? I forget often, but I have asthma.

I like to end in gratitude, because that’s what keeps me grounded. I am so grateful to work for the employer I do! They have done an amazing job in all this. No one is perfect, but they have done everything they can to keep their front line workers and patients safe. They have been remarkably transparent. They have been leaders in the community. I don’t give kudos lightly, but they’ve earned it. I’m also grateful to be able to serve my patients, my friends, my church family with my knowledge during this uncertain time. I’m grateful that things that seem scary to others aren’t as scary to me, and that my knowledge has equipped me to be prepared throughout this entire process. I’m grateful for all the people who are expressing their gratitude for the sacrifice of those in the front line! They are such a light!!! I’m thankful for those who are praying for us. And I’m thankful for those who have read this without judgment.

Being healthy is of utmost importance to a healthy immune system! Remember, it’s not just about weight, it’s about overall health. You want to make sure you’re getting enough rest, eating the right foods, and staying active.

If you’re trying to lose weight, remember, weight loss is 80% diet. Don’t eat just because you’re at home. Remember to follow your hunger cues. Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re satisfied.

When buying foods to eat, remember to try to get fruits and vegetables to balance the carbohydrates. You may want to get some frozen vegetables and fruits–they will keep longer, and you can at least make a smoothie out of the fruit. (Remember, frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of freshness, and retain many of their nutrients). Don’t be tempted to simply fill your cart with unhealthy snacks and processed foods–this will pack the weight on, and it is not good for your immune system.

Activity/Exercise

There are lots of options for exercise. You can go for a walk/run/bike ride if the weather is nice. Sunlight (UV) is good for killing germs, as long as you’re 6 feet away from others, you’re okay. Additionally find some online resources for free streaming services to stay active while remaining responsibly socially distant. (*As any disclaimer, consult you personal primary care physician before beginning any exercise program*)

YMCA

Temporary COVID-19 site from Les Mills On Demand

So many options on this page

Work out with your kids

Dance Classes

More Dance Classes

Moves you can use by Chariesse Turner

This again is a topic that’s difficult to give a hard answer at this time. Best practice? Honestly, stay in your own home. Why? Well, there is some thought that asymptomatic people are driving the spread of this disease. Also, remember, our testing has not caught up to the burden of disease in the United States, and many of us believe that it’s pretty much everywhere. That means that you may have caught it on that trip to the grocery store, not know it, and take it to your family member, even though there are only 3-4 of you in the house.

You absolutely should not go if you feel even remotely ill–headache, fatigue, sore throat, diarrhea–right now, we are still learning how it presents, and it has presented in all these ways. Err on the side of caution. If you are a young person wondering if you should visit your older mom or dad, and you’re going to work every day–you shouldn’t. If anyone in the house is unable to fully socially distance for whatever reason–healthcare worker, airline worker, grocery worker, etc., they really shouldn’t be taking in home visitors. They are at higher risk than others.

However, this may go on for longer than we anticipate. And reality is that we are going to want to see our loved ones. The current recommendation is to maintain gatherings of fewer than 10 people, and if we can maintain social distancing (6 feet away) most of the time, and make sure to wash our hands frequently and not touch our faces, you will significantly reduce the risk of spreading the illness among your family members. This article may explain why even small gatherings can propagate spread of the virus.

Also, you’ll need to drive, not fly. And along the way, make as few stops as possible, and wash your hands and wipe down the surfaces in the car with a cleaner that is shown to kill SARS-COV-2. You should also change your clothes and shower once you arrive, if you made stops along the way.

This is not going to be easy for a while. But we want to protect each other–particularly our loved ones. So hang in there!