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I grew up in a family that plays games. My father's family played Rook and Dominos. My mother's mother and her husband loved to play Uno and Skip-Bo with me. My childhood friend and I could then and now beat anybody anywhere in Spades (name the date and time, we will be there). In my first marriage, we hosted game nights pretty regularly since we did not have children and we actually had some free time on weekends. Since moving to Georgia, I have hosted several Girls Nights involving games and a ton of laughter. I can quote some of the crazy things my friends have said from those nights, and I will never regret playing a game with people I love. Playing games makes us feel connected, engaged, and let's face it - COMPETITIVE. In 2021, our kids don't know a ton about winning and losing. Participation trophies are the norm and handling a loss is not a daily challenge. I even work in a county where a ZERO cannot be given by a teacher even if the child doesn't write a single stroke of pencil on the page. A SIXTY is the lowest grade that can be given. WHAT are we teaching our next generation? I am the first to admit that not only am I competitive, but I can get carried away. This has improved with each life decade, and I'm now teaching my kids how to win and lose. We love to play the board game Aggravation and now that they are old enough, we have introduced Taboo, The Five Second Rule, Charades, Mafia, Pictionary, Scrabble, Monopoly, and many more. Along the way, I have created games that we can play at the table during family meals OR on a roadtrip. I have no idea if I am the only one on the planet who created these, so I am not calling copyright and you are more than welcome to use them. I think I made them up, but I am certain I did not. I encourage you to try these with your family. Make sure devices are far away and HAVE FUN!
Anyway, now that you have 5 tried-and-true "invisible" (no prop) games you can play with your family or friends while on a roadtrip or sharing a meal, I encourage you to try it!
Start today! Let me know which ones you loved or hated and leave a comment with any "invisible" games you might play with your family.
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Have you ever woken up feeling icky? Or perhaps you felt great, but a certain conversation, text message, social media post, or group of thoughts evaded your mind and body and the icky took over? How do you know you're feeling icky? For some people it is a very physical response in the body:
For others, it is a very mental or emotional response in the mind. These might be thoughts associated with your icky:
So, now that I have been in regular therapy for almost 2 years, I asked my therapist about feeling icky: Me: what do I do when I'm feeling icky? Therapist: describe icky- what does icky mean to you? Me: I describe the first scenario since my icky comes out more physically than mentally Therapist: okay, then we have to focus on your body and reclaiming your body in that moment. If the adrenaline and cortisol have already dumped into your bloodstream from a fight or flight response to a "threat" you have received, then we try to calm that trauma response. Me: but does it matter what triggered it? what if I don't know what triggered it? don't I have to fix what is wrong in my life or situation to fix my icky? Therapist: Nope. And that's the beautiful thing. What caused it doesn't matter. I don't even care what caused it. We just need to reclaim your body at that moment. So, that changed my life. I repeat. THAT CHANGED MY LIFE. And I believe it can change yours too! See below for some helpful links on how to reclaim your body from a state of panic or unrest. Turns out, we CAN'T fix it with our thoughts. We literally have to MOVE our bodies out of it. What a relief! No wonder my brain is so tried from all these years of over-analyzing and overthinking, ruminating, and self-loathing. I wasn't even on the right road getting this *%#@ trauma out of my body! But now I am, and you can be too. Find a trauma-informed or trauma-certified therapist. Your life will change forever. When a patient presents with hair loss, I obtain a thorough history:
I then perform a thorough physical exam and order the following tests:
That may not “answer” your question but I hope it helps you know what a clinician will be looking for with this presentation of hair loss. 🩺👩⚕️ Personally, I have dealt with hair loss from taking Methotrexate for my sarcoidosis.
It started coming out in clumps in the shower and then in my brush. I soon had very patchy areas of hair loss all over my scalp. My hairdresser advised me to stop applying heat to my hair when possible, to wash my hair less frequently, to avoid ponytail holders when possible, and to avoid any hair color or harsh chemicals. I usually got some blonde highlights in the spring put in my naturally red hair, but I went without those for 4 years while I was on Methotrexate. My rheumatologist increased my Folic Acid dose from 1 mg to 2 mg daily, and I ordered Biotin off Amazon Subscribe and Save. I took the Biotin daily to help with hair growth. I am finally off Methotrexate and on Humira and am seeing hair growth again. Losing my hair was very emotional for me. My bright red hair has defined me for so long. I now knew what all of my patients struggling with hair loss from chemo or other medical reasons were feeling, and boy was it a wake up call. My heart goes out to anyone struggling with hair loss. Much love to you and I hope this helps. I was surprised 🧐 when the vaccine came out for frontline HCW (healthcare workers) in December 2020 and the general public started claiming it caused sterility. Let’s use common sense. 🧠 It takes 1–24 months 📆 to conceive before most providers start to investigate infertility. It takes 40 weeks to carry a baby 🍼 to term. Let’s average conception time to 12 months and add the gestation time of 9 months🤰 to = 21 months. Covid REALLY started to hit the US hard about 18–19 months ago. The vaccine was available to some of us 9–10 months ago but MOST of the women of childbearing age could not receive it until 5 months ago. How can anyone claim infertility at this point in time? 🤔 I never say never because I am constantly learning in medicine. Every day I see something I never thought I would witness. I have had pregnant women🤰contract Covid and pregnant women🤰receive the Covid vaccine. I have also seen pregnant unvaccinated women with Covid whose babies had to be delivered while mom was on the ventilator. My community just lost a 28 year-old mother of 3 who never got to know her newborn. 🥲 The American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine issued a joint statement encouraging the vaccine for all pregnant women🤰 in July 2021. I recognize that I have the benefit of being "done" having my babies as I navigate this pandemic. That fact is NOT lost on me. I know young adults are faced with a very hard decision with such a new vaccine and their entire lives in front of them. Early in the pandemic, I even advised some of my young, healthy patients to wait until we had more long-term data... that I saw no serious health risk if they were to contract covid. 2021 changed that. I have had YOUNG, healthy patients on the ventilator and near death. I still believe it is a personal decision, but please be sure you are getting your information from reputable sources and people you trust. Much love...
Those are the 3 phrases that come to mind when I think of intention. And boy do I try to live intentionally. I even chose a name for my blog / business/ alter ego etc with the word INTENT. So why do I feel ill-equipped to write about intention?!? I have all the planners, techniques, vision, and skills to live a life well-planned. I have mastered and honed the Home CEO, Working Mom, and Grown Adult roles so much so that I even write blog posts dedicated to living with intention, being more productive, and living your best life. And then I consider the best days and moments I have experienced. They weren’t planned or perfect. Most of them were a result of unforeseen circumstance. I’m living in a state that never crossed my mind prior to my dad losing his job in 1994 when I was a freshman in college. I’m a mother to a child I never knew existed until he was six. I have AMAZING friends, patients, and coworkers I never would have met had my first marriage not ended. And I’m married to a man who gave me 2 gorgeous, smart, funny, loving boys that never would have known my name if all my plans had worked out. Those that know us would agree we would probably have never been in the same room if it weren’t for someone somewhere creating the internet. So I will continue to plan, manifest, set goals, and make to-do lists. It makes me happy and I like to think I’m in control. Then I will watch some of it unfold, unravel, get messy, hurt, and burn - I will be better, wiser, and more compassionate in the aftermath of my intention. ❤️ I have a thorough “fatigue” work-up I have developed and honed over my 17 years of NP practice. A thorough history is key to guiding my differential diagnosis but there are a set of labs I run on every patient complaining of fatigue. if your PCP is not good at taking a history, have the answers to these questions ready and offer them if he/she does not ask:
I order CBC, CMP, TSH, Vit D, Vit B12 on all fatigue patients and add other labs and/or sleep study as indicated. Hope that helps! 🩺👩⚕️ Fatigue, sleep apnea, and poor sleep quality are linked to a plethora of medical conditions. If you are experiencing extreme fatigue or prolonged fatigue, please consult your PCP. If you do not feel rested after a full night's sleep, please see your PCP. Fatigue can be a sign or an underlying problem - please listen to your body! These are a few of my favorite things... (insert Sound of Music Julia Andrews here)
Safety 1st AutoSensor Nightlight ($13 for a 2-pack on Amazon)- these stay dark when the lights are on and automatically light up when the room goes dark- they never get hot! These were in a condo we rented last year and I researched to buy them for my own home! I LOVE THEM! Erin Condren Sticker Album- $10 on Amazon, or you can use my EC Affiliate Link to shop more of her products. This album is 24 pages and holds 48 pages (or more) of stickers. I place my most-used planner stickers on there so I can throw this album in a bag for the coffee shop or the ball field.
Singing my wake up song 🎵 to 2 sleepy-eyed, bed-head boys.
Rocking a baby in a soft onesie wrapped snugly and tenderly in a blanket. Seeing my parents’ puppies run towards me with wild abandon as I beckon “hey, Littttttttle Boys!!!!” A brand new journal tight at the spine, crisp at each paper edge, blank as a fresh-fallen snow. A mug full of barely-used dual-tip markers with a coffee-infused brain and 20 minutes to doodle. That bass drum, the high hat, a sexy snare, a rumble from a bass guitar, melody from those 🎹 keys, and a voice belting out pain or ecstasy in an outdoor venue. Yes 🙌🏻 I will and I want more! 100k of us squeezed together, sweating, smiling, ❤️ racing, waving shakers, roaring as a collective animal as one 20-something runs up and launches that 🏈 into a fall Saturday reunion of college powerhouse rivals. Inching into my ✈️ seat and opening a magazine I will never read on my way to something new. And this. Writing. Typing. Dreaming. Reflecting. Lamenting. Laughing. Crying. Smiling. Feeling. This gives me hope. Meeting you and considering one of my words might tug at your ❤️ or muster a grin. That gives me hope. As I sit outside to write, I hear birds around me, the gentle breeze in the trees, and squirrels rustling through the leaves. It is a gorgeous late summer afternoon, and I can feel the energy of fall from my toes up through my body and into my smile. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year, only one tiny degree above Christmas. I see a blue-tailed lizard shuffle along my patio and I notice a few dry leaves dancing from the treetops to the creek bed.
God didn't make me to live inside. He didn't make me to sit still or stay in one place either. I have lived in 4 states, multiple homes, and I think I'm on my third lifetime (or so it feels most days). Sometimes, when I'm quiet... when IT is quiet.. I reflect on all I have seen, witnessed, felt, loved, lost, and won. Certain flashes in time come to me, waves of emotions, smells, sounds, and FEELINGS. When I'm quiet. When my day is quiet. When I'm not moving or doing or thinking...
Cool mornings and crisp evenings. Nice breeze in the air. Green grass, fall multi-colored leaves in the southern oak trees, and the smell of beer, bourbon, burgers, and barbecue surrounds us. Young collegiates in love (or at least like), families with little boys in tiny replica jerseys and little girls in tiny replica cheerleading uniforms, and everyone who likes a good time is invited. Grown men with radio broadcasts on headsets (because watching it live and in person isn't quite enough), decorated RVs with big screen TVs streaming games all day, and the occasional first-timer... jaw agape, taking it all in. I was one of the lucky ones. I got to to witness this glory every other weekend (or so) for four fall seasons in a row as a student, with a cheap ticket in an amazing seat. Those were the days. If you are a grown adult with a family or at least a job that offers a 401k, this is what you need to know (if you're an SEC football tailgate first-timer about to witness the good stuff):
Let's take a deeper dive into each one of these tips:
Now that you know what to bring and have some idea of what to expect, please remember to inhale a few deep breaths of that bourbon-infused fresh air and take in the atmosphere.
Look at all the young couples in love, families having fun, and older college friends reuniting for a Saturday tradition. Listen to the drumline of the band, watch the dance team and cheerleaders shake their hips, and feel the excitement in the thousands of people walking the same direction at the same time to witness a good old-fashioned football game. There are a few other ways I like to spend my Saturdays, but this may be #1. Enjoy, my friend. Reflection is a beautiful thing. It is often overlooked, but when we slow down and DO IT, we can learn and grow. Now that I'm in my forties, I sometimes look back at times in my teens and twenties and try to "hold on" to that feeling. We really can't do that, though, can we? Frequent reflection allows us to "hold on" right now. To really "feel it" right now... before it passes. Reflection gives us room to take note, consider future improvements, and relish in current joy. I'm hoping to start reflecting every quarter here. A public diary entry of sorts. A record of the good and the bad. A glimpse in time.
This is what I'm learning right now, September 2021:
Bonus question: what can I do to help? I feel so helpless!
***as always, consult your PCP for your healthcare. I’m trying to raise awareness. Let’s not bicker and judge over vaccine status. Let’s educate ourselves and let’s come together to get out of this public health crisis!!!***
When to test after known exposure (kid, adult, masked, unmasked, vax, unvax, PLEASE READ):
⁃ are the CDC recs confusing? Yes ⁃ Is your school or work throwing out different recs? Yes ⁃ I say this is when our common sense 🧠 MUST play a role ⁃ This is Sally 🙋🏼♀️ and she was around 🤒Bobby who tested + for 🦠Covid ⁃ I don’t care about Bobby’s 🤒 vax status but I do want to know Sally’s 🙋🏼♀️ ⁃ I want to know if 🙋🏼♀️ & 🤒 were unmasked and close to each other for longer than 15 minutes or if something “crazy” happened like 🤒 sneezed or they 🤝 or they were 🍷🍽 together. Maybe they LOL’d next to each other or hugged. How close were they? Maybe they cried together at a funeral? ⁃ Next I want to know if 🙋🏼♀️ has any fever, cough, chills, body aches, sinus congestion, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, joint or muscle aches, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, confusion, or dizziness when standing and if/when she does, I’m testing her regardless of vax status. If neg, I’m testing her again in 2 days. Meanwhile I’m keeping her home because she is symptomatic. ⁃ The only reason I’m testing 🙋🏼♀️ if she never shows symptoms would be: ⁃ the exposure was risky based on above mentioned factors, or 🙋🏼♀️ has someone who is immunocompromised, elderly, young, or unhealthy that she sees regularly ⁃ Work / school requires it ⁃ Peace of mind ⁃ I would test at day 3 or 5 or both ⁃ I’m seeing exposed folks (symptomatic and asymptomatic) test too soon. Then test + a few days later. This burdens the testing sites. So wait until day 3-5 if you can! ***as always, consult your PCP for your healthcare. I’m trying to raise awareness. Let’s not bicker and judge over vaccine status. Let’s educate ourselves and let’s come together to get out of this public health crisis!!!*** This is a great question and one I have seen asked many times on many platforms.
I have 2 autoimmune diseases (sarcoidosis and psoriasis) and take Humira. Prior to Humira, I was on Methotrexate. I took my first Pfizer dose in December 2020, second in January 2021, and I received my third in Aug 2021 since I qualify for the third dose now. I read the pfizer trial and the data is phenomenal. I had zero side effects all 3x other than a sore arm. That is my patient experience. As a primary care provider, I manage a panel of about 1800–2k patients. I’ve had ZERO deaths or serious side effects from the vaccine in my panel. I have had 2 deaths (age 78 with lung disease, age 49 and healthy), over 225 infections, countless hospitalizations - some requiring ventilation, and I am seeing long-term effects from COVID: stroke, pulmonary embolus, neuropathy, still haven’t regained taste / smell, palpitations & arrhythmias, chronic fatigue, chronic brain fog, and lung damage. I think the vaccine is being “pushed” because I know I can’t keep up with the volume of sick patients I’ve seen in the past 18 months. I know every ICU in my state is now on diversion. I know we as healthcare workers are leaving the field due to burnout. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been a nurse 23 years, an NP for 17 of those. ***Always consult your PCP for your healthcare. I trust and believe in the vaccine, but I do not think it should be mandatory. Let us not bicker over vaccine choices, but let us come together and try to get out of this public health crisis!*** |