Category: Medical

The Last Goodbye

  By , , , , ,

The Last Goodbye

By D.S. Mitchell

As we hurry through life, we meet many people. Some are just a touch on the sleeve, quickly forgotten, while others become part of the fabric of our lives. Becoming enmeshed in the life of another person can be a good thing, but just as often it can be a bad thing.

When a once healthy relationship sours, whether after five years or forty, we are often left confused about what happened. In other cases, we know exactly what happened and wonder why we let ourselves continue a relationship that was not only unhealthy, but harmful to us, for as long as we did.

With the holidays coming at us like Richard Petty heading into a straight away, I am cleaning out my relationship closet. Sometimes the holidays magnify everything that you know is wrong with that broken friendship.

But for a thousand reasons, you keep fussing with it, nurturing it, feeding it; hoping it will surge back to life. Sometimes it does fire back to life, but usually the relationship is on life support by this time and is sputtering toward extinction. The end-time; being the only unknown.

Let me explain. I am a rescuer,  I mean, a rescuer on steroids. The worse the situation; the bigger my cape. I have spent most of my life working as an RN. Most of my nurse buddies have the same affliction.

I guess when I think about it, it makes sense. Nurses want to make everything and everybody better.  We’ll fluff and buff, arranging everything just so. That personality quirk might be okay in the hospital, but when carried into life it can be painfully unsuccessful.

In my case, the end came last weekend. After knowing Dave for 35 years I am finally done.  I have severed all communication. I cannot and will not resume the relationship. His illness has reached a point that I can no longer be of any help. In fact, my involvement may be contributing to his worsening symptoms.

I finally recognize he is worse for me than pneumonia. No tears, no anger, just acceptance and relief. When the burden of another person’s mental illness becomes too heavy to drag another inch you have to put the burden down. There should be no guilt. At this point, your only goal should be to preserve your own mental well-being.

The only reason I am sharing this with the world is that I thought it might help someone else who is struggling with mental illness in a relationship.  I know you hear it repeated, but there is a great deal of truth in being able to put yourself first.

Maybe not always, but at some point if you can’t be number one, you won’t be able to help him, or you. No matter that it is Christmas, somethings can’t wait to end. Sometimes the last goodbye is the sweetest, the most honest, and the most necessary.

**I have no safety concerns with Dave. He is  a non-violent person. That is not always the case with those suffering from a mental disorder. The assumption in my article is that the person you are separating from is under the care of a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner and has made no recent suicide threats, or threatened your life.

If the person in question has made recent threatening statements, please let the person’s mental health providers know about the situation and involve them immediately. And, yes, in some extreme circumstances the police may become involved. Don’t under any circumstances put your safety at risk.* *

11 Easy Holiday Weight Loss Tricks

  By , ,
All the goodies at the holidays can challenge any weight loss program

All the goodies available at the holidays can challenge any weight loss program. Here are 11 easy tricks to  help you stay on your healthy eating program. The holidays don’t automatically spell weight gain.

11 Easy Holiday Weight Loss Tricks

By D.S. Mitchell

I’m standing in the grocery store check-out line reading the magazine headlines when the December 9, 2019, ‘Woman’s World’ catches my attention. Their busy cover page announces, “The #1 Keto Trick for Women (It helped Tina lose 341 lbs, without surgery)”.  I have toyed with trying the Keto diet, and I couldn’t resist the teaser, and found myself tossing the magazine on to the conveyor belt.

Lovin’ Woman’s World

I love ‘Woman’s World’, because it is cheap, it has an easy to read format with lots of pictures and almost always features a weight loss trick or two for the ‘always dieting’ crowd. Once home, with feet up on the ottoman, I search for the article on Tina’s dramatic 341 lb weight loss story. Before I get to Tina’s story I landed on, “Tiny tweaks that melt pounds”.

Tiny Tweaks

As I read the “Tiny Tweaks” article I thought the ideas were great and thought they were worth passing on to my blog readers, especially with the holidays upon us and the constant temptation of homemade cake, cookies, pies and candy.

  • Afternoon Snack: A recent study found that by shifting a morning snack of an apple or a handful of nuts to the afternoon could give dramatic weight loss results. The reason the study suggests is that there is a bigger time span  between lunch and dinner, than between breakfast and lunch. The snack gets us through the long afternoon and that healthy snack prevents overeating on those holiday treats.
  • Weigh Daily: Weighing in every morning is a good way to reverse sneaky weight gain trends. In fact, researchers in Finland found that people who weighed daily at the same time each morning shed more weight than other test subjects.
  • Pay With Cash: I loved this one. When you go grocery shopping, always plan to pay with cash. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that paying with cash actually reins in the impulse junk food purchases. Researchers explain that the “pain of paying with cash” makes people less likely to splurge on unhealthy extras. Awesome. I know this tip will work for me.
  • Add a sprinkle of salt:  This tip comes from British researchers who discovered that women who add a bit of salt to their vegetables will increase their intake of the green goodies by as much as 70%. It seems that using the flavor enhancer can actually cause us to start craving vegetables in as little as three days. Who knew?
  • Red Wine: A glass of red wine in the evening can help you lose weight. It seems the polyphenols in red wine “help the body process excess blood sugar before it can be turned into fat. Investigators discovered that women who sip one glass of red wine daily are “30% less likely to experience weight problems than teetotalers”.
  • Rearrange Pantry: If you must have high calorie indulgences in the pantry try rearranging their position on the shelves. Experts suggest storing high calorie treats on the right side of the shelf and good for you snacks, such as dried fruit and nuts on the left. In this case, researchers at University of South Florida, tell us that the reason is that the brain is wired to read numbers from left to right. Fascinating. When a person sees foods displayed this way we are subconsciously reminded that the foods on the left are healthier for us.
  • Turn On Soft Music: This one surprised me, but at the same time it made sense. Before you sit down to eat, find a soft music channel and let it play throughout the meal. You will find you eat less and enjoy it more. The best part is Psychological Reports found most people will eat 175 fewer calories per meal; which is an easy way to shed 15 pounds a year.
  • Seek Encouragement From A Friend: It seems if you feel you are at risk of diving face first into the office buffet you should take a minute and text, or call a friend or loved one, about your weight loss progress. Duke University scientists say that exchanging words of encouragement reminds and reinforces your goals. Such reinforcement doubles your odds of sticking to your healthy living plan and helps you lose up to six pounds a month.
  • Recall A Happy Moment: Happy thoughts help us stay on track. Researchers at Cornell, suggest that when cravings strike, recall a positive memory. Apparently, being in a positive frame of mind switches off the desire for instant gratification of a chocolate or calorie heavy treat and encourages healthier choices.
  • Chop It Up: Before gobbling down that Hersey’s bar, take a minute and break it up into small pieces. Scientists at Arizona State University say cutting sweets into “bite-size bits tricks your brain into thinking your eating more than you are, triggering the release of appetite-taming signals”.
  • Count To 10: Remember the old saying, “count to 10 before you speak”. In this case, it is “count 10 before you eat”.  Harvard researchers discovered that people who are able to count to ten (or any simple ritual) before eating that piece of cake or chocolate bar are able to consume much fewer calories than those who just dive in. Why? Repeating familiar behaviors or “rituals,” stimulates the part of the brain that controls self-discipline.

Now that you are armed with these dietary tricks, hopefully you can get through the holidays without feeling either deprived, or guilty. Happy holidays.

THE VETERAN AND PTSD

  By , , , ,

THE VETERAN AND PTSD

By Anna Hessel

Is It Enough?

We often see flags waving on porches across our country and special social media posts of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, or one of the National Cemeteries, with prayers or poems on Veterans and Memorial Day in honor of those who have served our nation. There are many restaurants that offer free meals, movie theaters offering complimentary admissions, and other giveaways to vets on November 11th, and a national hair care chain offers free haircuts as a thank you for veterans; often our former and current servicemen and women are asked to stand for a round of applause at sporting and concert events, but are these accolades enough?

The Tragedy of PTSD

How are we really taking care of those service women and men who suffer from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)? Many of our veterans return home to find they have no home. More than 40,000 of those who have served our country are homeless. And PTSD is a major factor in causing homelessness.  It is estimated that as many as 33% of veterans, suffer from this debilitating illness. Mental illness is a significant factor in homelessness among veterans.

Recognizing Symptoms

There are 3 main symptoms of this disorder. First, “arousal”: anger, difficulties with sleeping, or concentrating. Second, “reliving”: nightmares and flashbacks which can impede daily activities, and can lead to loss of employment income. Third, “avoidance”: a feeling of utter detachment from life and those around them, often leading to depression so severe it is not possible for the sufferer to function well enough to keep, a job or take care of a home.

What We Can Do

There are multiple ways that PTSD can cause homelessness; but this does not have to be the sad reality for countless veterans suffering with this illness. The actual events leading up to becoming homeless, and the realization that you no longer have a roof over your head, can add further stress and worsen the already debilitating condition. A traumatic event such as homeless can exacerbate mental illness symptoms significantly.

Reduce Triggers

We as friends, neighbors, relatives and community members must recognize that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very real condition.  Our veterans served us. They need us now. We must help them.  Now, is never too soon to help our veterans afflicted with PTSD. To do that we must offer non-judgmental support – simply listening and allowing a person to verbalize what they are remembering. Talking is not always easy. Understanding and accepting that a veteran may not be able to talk ‘about it’ and not press them to do so.

Mental Health

Avoiding loud noises such as fireworks, or high action violent films can help reduce triggers. An emotional support animal can be very helpful for those that are coping with PTSD. Making sure our veterans have strong support systems against this illness will lessen the number who are homeless or suicidal. Providing strong mental health care is key in assisting those living with this ailment. There is hope – for more information please visit the following websites:

http://nchv.org/
https://www.va.gov/homeless/

Veteran Homelessness

What You Don’t Know About U.S. Health Care

  By , , , , ,

“I think the health care market is functioning perfectly.  The problem is that the market is producing profits, not health.”  Unknown

Understanding U.S. Health Care                         

By D. S. Mitchell

Around The World

Things you don’t know about U.S. health care starts with understanding how other world governments look at health care. Government leaders in other developed countries have defined two basic tenets: 1.) health care is a right AND as such, is different than typical free market arenas.  2.) when the ‘invisible hand’ of Adam Smith’s free market philosophy controls a nation’s health care system the result is higher costs and sicker citizens.

In 2011, Jason Adkins commented in a Catholic Spirit article, “slavish adherence to ideology in politics can and does inflict harm to the very people public officials claim to serve.”

Failure Of Competition

One basic element rarely discussed is failure of competition.  The hospital industry is highly concentrated in areas with higher populations while under serving the rural populations of the U.S.; often leaving rural hospitals subject to failure.  As with hospitals, “health care services don’t really compete with one another as equal goods,” The Health Care Congressional Committee (2011).

Each Individual

My doctor’s care is different from the care provided by my neighbor’s physician.  The neighbor’s medications are different from mine.  My response to care is different from my cousin.  These variables make sure that no case can ever be the same.  Thus, in health care; there is no such thing as “equal goods”.

Don’t Expect Better Results

An unknown source made this insightful comment, “I think the health care market is functioning perfectly.  The problem is that the market is producing profits, NOT health.”  Hmmm.  Patients most likely would call this failure.  However, for all facets of the health care industry, profits are spectacularly high, so it can be claimed that the market is a success and doing what it is intended to do, make money. To expect better health care results would be unrealistic in this environment.

An Obvious Dilemma

A very obvious dilemma exposes itself.  Two separate and divergent end desires.  The free market wants profit.  The citizenry wants good, inexpensive health care.   The ideology of profit and successful health care delivery do not coincide.  Since the primary goal of the free market is profit, “Any diversion from this goal is inefficient and against the interests of the holders of capital,” Mark Sokr concluded in congressional testimony in 2011.

Selling Health, One Tablet At A Time

It is not just hospitals. The advertising gurus have taken Big Pharma to the masses. Through near constant media indoctrination the public has been brain washed into believing that there is a prescription (solution) for everything. Isn’t modern medicine wonderful? Unfortunately, the picture is false. Yes, modern medicine is great, and we can do truly amazing things. Unimagined a century ago. But the goals of Big Pharma are not the same as the consumer. Big Pharma wants to sell you a product, over and over, day after day, year after year. You want to heal. So you can stop taking medication. Those goals are not compatible.

Defining Factors

Non-Modifiable:  unchangeable circumstances, such as age, gender, race, genetics.

Modifiable:  changeable circumstances, such as life style choices. Things that can change.  Most particularly, cigarette smoking, poor diet, inactivity, alcohol abuse (or overuse), and chronic stress.  The link between lifestyle choices and chronic illness are undeniable.   Knowing that unhealthy behaviors leads to chronic disease, does not lead people to making better choices, but that needs to change.

You, Your Family, Your Community

“I’m going to die from something,” is the most common response people make when confronted with their poor life style behaviors.  That response is an easy, quick go to, not a thought out desired destination. That “I’m going to die from something” answer gives no regard to the overall effects of that attitude on yourself,  your family, your community or your country.

Predictors

Predictors of chronic illness: smoking, processed foods, fast foods, starchy carbs, bread & pasta, sugar drinks, excess alcohol, overeating, excessive salt use, sugar, high fat diets, and lack of exercise.  These behaviors will lead to obesity.  Obesity increases risks, particularly of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. We, as thinking creatures, are capable of health promoting decisions.

Smoking Dangers

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of chronic illness and death in the U.S.  One in five deaths is directly related to smoking.  Statistics show that 10 times as many Americans have died prematurely from cigarette smoking than have died in all American wars.  Smoking hardens arteries and causes the heart to work harder and causes emphysema and COPD.  Smoking causes 80% of all COPD deaths and 90% of lung cancer deaths.  Additionally, smoking is a major cause of throat, bladder cancer, voice box, liver, pancreas, stomach, kidney and colorectal cancers.

5 Lifestyle Killers

Lifestyle diseases kill more people than communicable diseases.

The top five killers are:
1.) Diabetes
2.) Cardiovascular disease (High Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, High Cholesterol)
3.) Stroke
4.) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
5.) and certain forms of cancer.

More than 70% of deaths in the United States are attributable to one of the 5 listed lifestyle diseases.  Even more alarming is that 75% of the U.S. Health Care dollar is spent on those same listed diseases.  Furthermore, the numbers do not reflect the personal and economic burden of chronic illness, lost work days, low productivity, disability, and poor quality of life.

Become Your Own Best Physician:

1.) Stop smoking 2.) Lose weight  3.) Switch to a plant-based diet 4.) Exercise at least 7 hours per week 5.) Reduce stress
6.) Practice good dental health 7.) Have fun, enjoy life

Conclusion

To slay the goblins in our health care closet it seems to me that we need to drop the ideology and look at the facts.

1.) Prevention must become the primary health care goal of this country.  Prevention is within our reach. Confronting life style disease can  cut the cost of health care by billions of dollars. 2.) Give up the idea that a pill will fix everything.  It is just well done marketing. This includes re-educating our Big Pharma brain-washed doctors.  Doctor’s need to direct their patients to a healthy lifestyle and stop handing out a pill for every complaint. Tough love, as the behavior mod guys say. 3.) Personal responsibility and self advocacy must become the center of each individual’s health care and ultimate well-being. I know we are all innately lazy and we all love our bad habits, but those bad habits are contributing to significantly shorter life spans and skyrocketing health care costs. 4.) Accept the proven fact that “free market” systems are by their very nature, inappropriate for health care and continuously fail both in delivery and results. 5.) A single payer system delivers the best and least expensive care.  As a massive consumer ‘the single payer system’ buying power can force down prices across the spectrum of health care.

About The Author

I am a retired RN. I worked nearly 40 years in hospitals in Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada as a travel nurse. Although I am retired, I am still passionate about health care. I am an advocate for universal health care. I never want to know of another patient denied health care services, because they lack insurance, or have poor coverage.  Because of my street level experience, I have strong opinions on the state of health care in America and how we can make it better. At the core of that vision is a society that encourages good health through good behaviors and a happier life style.

 

SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

  By , , , ,

D. S. Mitchell

Please Call #988 for help. 

Dangerous To Your Health

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you are between 15-35, suicide is the second leading cause of death for your age group.  For all age groups, suicide is responsible for more deaths than murder and natural disasters, combined.  Men take their own lives four times as often as women. Many men sadly would rather be dead than seem ‘weak.’

Not Rare, Or Isolated

As you can see, suicide is not a rare, or an isolated event. Twenty-two vets a day kill themselves. An alarming increase in suicide among law enforcement officers should be of national concern. Approximately 170 officers killed themselves last year. Suicide is permanent. No one comes back. It is very real and definitely a permanent end.

Continue reading

6 Lies About Single-Payer Health Care

  By , , ,

SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH CARE LIES

By D. S. Mitchell

Drop The Labels

Honest health care policy experts know that the solution to fix the American health care system is staring us in the face, and it is single-payer. Whether dubbed “Medicare-for-All” or an “expansion of Medicaid” through ObamaCare. The solution is easy when labels like “socialism” “liberalism” “progressivism” are ignored. Trump and his DOJ is in court at this very moment trying to invalidate the ACA (ObamaCare). It seems that the more resistance Republicans arouse over destroying ObamaCare the voices for Medicare-for-All grows louder.

Health Care As A Right

The evidence is clear, Americans believe that every person has a right to health care, irrespective of their ability to pay. We as a people, believe that we have an obligation to take care of each other. In fact, there is more momentum for the adoption of a single-payer health care system than at any time in our history.

Continue reading

My personal DNA Questions, Answers & Discovery

  By ,
DNA marketing has enticed 26 million people to get tested

More than 26 million people have completed DNA testing.

My DNA Test

By D. S. Mitchell

A Painful Cry

I have been on the internet this morning, searching for answers to my genetic history. It turns out that I am not alone in my curiosity. More than 26 million people have sought DNA information thru testing. A sign that many of us just want to understand our roots and our family story. In this age of disconnect, I believe the search for our history is a painful cry for validation of self.

Divorced

My folks divorced when I was 12. There was never much discussion about genealogy, or our family history, other than the most basic information. As in most things the story of my DNA tells a story I did not expect.

Mass Marketing

There has been a big time marketing push for DNA testing. TV and internet ads encourage testing and the marketing seems to be working. Basically, one of the DNA companies will have you spit in a tube and another will have you rub a swab on the inside of your cheek. Whichever format the company uses the results will be the same.

Mom’s Side

Like Elizabeth Warren, I believed I had significant native American blood. I mean, I tan deep mahogany and I have amazing cheekbones. In my case, I also thought I might have some black lineage. My mother was first generation American, born in Seattle, Washington. Her mother and her father were both born and raised in Liverpool, England. I believed there hadn’t been enough time for significant genetic mixing from those new immigrants who didn’t arrive in the U.S. until 1900.

Daddy’s Dad

On the other hand, my father’s father’s family has been in the United States for at least 15 generations. That’s over 300 years. That is before the United States was even a nation. It was from this group that I expected there would have been a mingling with other available genetic groups. My father’s mother was an immigrant, born in Ireland.

Spitting In A Vial

In February of 2018 I spit into a vial and sent off my saliva to find out who I really am. Six weeks later I had my answer and it was not what I had expected. It was however, exactly what my parents had told me years ago.

What?

I have no Native American ancestry. I have no persons of color in my genealogy. I am 49+% British Isles (mother). I am 49+% German/Dutch/Irish (father). That’s right 98+%. There was however, a mysterious less than 1% from my mother’s side, and another less than 1% from my father’s side of a mysterious contributor.  Strange. The DNA indicated that both of my parents have a tiny piece of genetic material from the Central Asia/Russian steppes region. What? How can this possibly be? I’m supposed to be an American Indian princess, not a Russian Cossack.

Less Than 2%

Interestingly, or maybe it is not, I dismissed the 98+% and focused on the less than 2%. If a conversation ever turned to ancestry or DNA testing I would always suggest it was strange that I had this central Asian connection. Sometimes I would start the genetic conversation, about my unique Central Asian mystery relative. But whether in conversation or just imaginings I wondered how that less than 2% figured in my family history.

YouTube

Life is weird and strange. This morning I’m on YouTube searching for a music video for the www.calamitypolitics.com blog, when my pointer lands on a video history of the Celts and their migration routes to England. I’m kind of nerdy. The video sounded intriguing. Curious, I tapped the video and watched, as a college type, describes the migration of the Celtic people from Central Asia around the Black Sea and the Russian Steppes thru Europe to the British Isles.

Following The Y

I watched three YouTube videos on the Celts. Each one told a similar, yet very different story of the migration of the Celtic people. What most agreed on was that the Celts were a ‘horse aristocracy’ that originally migrated from a place called Scythia on the Northeastern side of the Black Sea. They worked with iron and made beautiful jewelry and weaponry and at one time were spread throughout Europe. The most interesting to me, was the video that traced the 3 primary migratory routes taken by the Celts using “the Celtic male Y chromosome.” Wow, who knew.

Migration Routes

So, I am not an American Indian princes or an Afghani princess; I am a Celtic warrior! As I watched one of the video professors describe the routes of immigration I could see exactly what happened. I was less than 1% Celtic on both sides of my biological line. I guess my mysterious middle eastern relative is the Irish in me, or just maybe, it might be the Neanderthal (Neandertal) in me.

The test cost $59. I have been fascinated with the results. Don’t wait, check out your DNA, it is likely to surprise, amaze and possibly inspire you.

 

THE BENEFITS OF PORNOGRAPHY

  By ,

OPINION:

THE BENEFITS OF PORNOGRAPHY

By Trevor K. McNeil

Always With Us

Archeologists have long known that as long as there have been people there has been sex. And nearly as long as there has been human sexuality there have been representations of it.  Whatever medium was available at the time, cave wall, animal tusk, clay or papyrus pornography was available. Obviously, our forefathers understood the benefits of pornography.

Across Cultures

Through sculpting, painting, and pottery the ancients depicted the benefits of pornography.  Egyptian artisans depicted the beauty of human sexuality. This goes for the written word, there being some pretty racy entries in the Bible.  The Song of Solomon being a famous example. The Romans through sculpture glorified human sexuality.  Pre-Christian Viking sagas told of great adventures; and no great adventure would be worth telling if there wasn’t plenty of sex.

Today

The benefits of pornography have followed us through the ages; emerging today primarily in streaming videos on the internet.  Thanks to the vision of our forefathers we have reached for the stars and surpassed them.

Continue reading

SEARCHING FOR ALTERNATIVES TO OPIOIDS

  By , ,

Alternatives To Opioids

By D. S. Mitchell & Trevor K. McNeil

Definitions: *Opiate and opioid are often used interchangeably although that interchange of usage is not precisely accurate. The following would be more correct:

Opiate: A drug (such as morphine, codeine or heroin) containing or derived from opium or the opium poppy, used to alleviate pain, or induce sleep or euphoria.

Opioid: A synthetic or semi-synthetic drug producing an opium-like effect, often prescribed for the alleviation of moderate to severe pain; a prescription painkiller in the opiate class.

Balancing Act

With drugs, even those considered alternatives to opioids, there is always a risk. Even a “safe” drug such as caffeine.  Caffeine is regularly consumed by children, and has had documented negative effects. The same goes for nicotine, deemed for the most part “safe” except when smoked by children. Some of those effects include paranoia, muscle spasms and heart arrhythmia’s. The question becomes how much of a risk is there; and are the positive effects worth the negative risks?

Continue reading

60,800 Professionals Agree: The President of the U.S. is a Crazy Ass Criminal

  By , ,

26000 mental health professionals signed on to a letter warning the public about Trump's mental health.

A Crazy Ass Criminal

By D. S. Mitchell

Mental Health Professionals Agree

60,000 mental health professionals have signed on to a letter warning of Donald J. Trump’s mental instability. Now 800 former prosecutors claim if Trump were not president he would have been indicted for obstruction of justice. So, that is 60,800 people who point to the president of the U.S. as a crazy ass criminal. Hmm.

800 Former Prosecutors Sign On

Recently 800 former prosecutors signed on to a letter stating that if Donald J. Trump was not President of the United States he would be indicted for obstruction of justice. Sadly, Donald J. Trump is president of the United States. This is not the first time that Donald Trump has been identified as unfit to be president of the United States.

Continue reading