A friend of mine once used the analogy when I was feeling a little lost and frustrated about a friendship gone south; that a leopard never changes its spots. He said to me, your friend has shown you who he is so why don’t you believe them? That analogy has stuck with me every since and I use it every time I question why I keep going back to the same disappointment. A leopard never changes its spots.
It is interesting how things unfold in life and in politics it is very interesting. I have tried to stay clear of politics in my writings because I feel our health is far more important than politics. However, I have had many requests for me to weigh in with my views about the proposed healthcare bill.
HR3200: America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 is a mountainous task to read let alone understand. Add to the mountain of information, this bill is changing just about as fast you can read it. Making this whole process of trying to understand what is purposed extremely frustrating . I took time to email my Congressman, a couple of State Representatives and a County Commissioner requesting their thoughts on the healthcare bill. After my effort to email and call these elected officials it was interesting only two of them replied. I was disappointed to hear my State Representative say “Since HR3200 is Federal Legislation and I am a state representative, I am not familiar with the particulars”. But the County Commissioner was not only familiar with it, he has been to Washington twice with the American Medical Association’s advocacy group on healthcare.
I also contacted the American and Tennessee Nursing Associations to inquire about their views on the healthcare bill. I must really like disappointment, the American Nursing Association didn’t reply and the Tennessee Nursing Association offered nothing of any substance for conversation. However, the Oncology Nursing Society did offer dialog and suggested a web site I found helpful : The Kaiser Family Foundation http://www.kff.org/healthreform/sidebyside.cfm . This lets you compare the different proposals in a side by side document that is constantly being updating. My point in all of this is we need to engage our elected officials to be involved and informed. But most importantly we need to be informed.
Obviously, there is change coming our way in how healthcare will be delivered and it will affect all of us. I urge you to get involved, be informed and use your voice to talk about the things of importance to you. Do not be intimidated or discouraged to raise your voice, get informed and speak up for what you want. This isn’t the Presidents healthcare plan, this is your healthcare plan. There will be good and bad, so we have to decide how much of the good we can afford and how much bad we are willing to accept.
Medicare has been around for about 43 years, and has been managed by both political parties. Our government has shown us their ability to manage Medicare, a government run healthcare plan. Medicare is projected to be bankrupt within the next 9 to 10 years. Politicians have failed to effectively manage Medicare and now want us to trust them with more responsibility. I think politicians have proven their ability to manage and have shown us who they are. One thing that is certain is there will be change. Now is the time to get informed, be heard and stand up for what you think is right for you. Speak up speak out for what you want, and lets change with knowledge and understanding. Remember, a leopard never changes its spots!
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Breast Milk, Breakfast of Champions!
Although I do not recall whether I was ever breastfed as an infant, my brother tells me that he was but I was not. My brother often toots that he is better looking and smarter than I and he bases all this “scientific” knowledge on his breastfeeding days. In our family circles, there is also a story of a cousin who is also a very talented, handsome film maker. He was breastfeed until he asked his mother one day if she couldn’t chill the milk. Now, I have no concrete evidence that this actually happened but he is smart, handsome and talented.
I find it interesting that there are “milk banks” that distribute breast milk to both infants and adults. I am not advocating that adults should drink breast milk. However, there are some who say that cancer and immune disorders have been helped by consuming breast milk. I would want to see some strong evidence to support the claim that breast milk is beneficial in adults.
There is much research in which few dispute the benefits of breastfeeding babies. It is important to point out that breastfeeding isn’t just beneficial for the baby. Mothers who breastfeed also benefit with reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancers, postpartum depression and returning to their pre-pregnancy weight. There is also evidence that breastfeeding also releases the hormone oxytocin helping to reduce bleeding after delivery. But that’s not all; breastfeeding mothers reap the benefits of burning calories, cost savings and creating a special bond with their child.
Infants who breastfeed have a reduced risk of ear infections, stomach upset, respiratory infections, skin rashes, childhood asthma, obesity, diabetes (type 1 and type 2), childhood leukemia and sudden infant death syndrome. If these advantages are not enough to stress the benefits of breastfeeding, what about the economic impact of breast milk- it’s free, always available, and at just the right temperature.
Breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of satisfying the needs of the baby, while offering a superior infant food. It is important that the mother eat a well-balanced diet. The mother will need to consume about 500 extra calories a day than she did prior to pregnancy. Mother’s breastfeeding need about 1,000 mg of calcium and adequate vitamin D throughout breastfeeding. Mothers should talk to their healthcare provider about calcium and vitamin D needs beyond breastfeeding. Make sure to avoid foods that may cause the baby to act fussy or cause a rash, diarrhea, or constipation after nursing, and make sure to notify your pediatrician as these symptoms may signal a food allergy for your baby.
Your baby might not be smarter or better looking from breastfeeding. But, the two of you will enjoy a special gift of love and bonding and a lifetime of better health. Breastfeeding takes practice but once mastered the benefits are lifelong.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
I find it interesting that there are “milk banks” that distribute breast milk to both infants and adults. I am not advocating that adults should drink breast milk. However, there are some who say that cancer and immune disorders have been helped by consuming breast milk. I would want to see some strong evidence to support the claim that breast milk is beneficial in adults.
There is much research in which few dispute the benefits of breastfeeding babies. It is important to point out that breastfeeding isn’t just beneficial for the baby. Mothers who breastfeed also benefit with reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancers, postpartum depression and returning to their pre-pregnancy weight. There is also evidence that breastfeeding also releases the hormone oxytocin helping to reduce bleeding after delivery. But that’s not all; breastfeeding mothers reap the benefits of burning calories, cost savings and creating a special bond with their child.
Infants who breastfeed have a reduced risk of ear infections, stomach upset, respiratory infections, skin rashes, childhood asthma, obesity, diabetes (type 1 and type 2), childhood leukemia and sudden infant death syndrome. If these advantages are not enough to stress the benefits of breastfeeding, what about the economic impact of breast milk- it’s free, always available, and at just the right temperature.
Breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of satisfying the needs of the baby, while offering a superior infant food. It is important that the mother eat a well-balanced diet. The mother will need to consume about 500 extra calories a day than she did prior to pregnancy. Mother’s breastfeeding need about 1,000 mg of calcium and adequate vitamin D throughout breastfeeding. Mothers should talk to their healthcare provider about calcium and vitamin D needs beyond breastfeeding. Make sure to avoid foods that may cause the baby to act fussy or cause a rash, diarrhea, or constipation after nursing, and make sure to notify your pediatrician as these symptoms may signal a food allergy for your baby.
Your baby might not be smarter or better looking from breastfeeding. But, the two of you will enjoy a special gift of love and bonding and a lifetime of better health. Breastfeeding takes practice but once mastered the benefits are lifelong.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Monday, July 13, 2009
Shop, Save and Be Healthy
Ordering things through the mail is nothing new and in fact has been around for well over 100 years. I still have a vivid memory of my first mail order item from a Boy’s Life magazine. It was advertised as a bat that would fly effortlessly around the room at your command as if by remote control. Every day I ran to the mail box with great anticipation that today would be the day I would watch my new bat fly effortlessly at my command around the room. After many disappointing trips to the mail box my wonder bat finally arrived. I was so excited I could hardly get the box open for the anticipation of the wonderment waiting inside. What a surprise -it was a rubber bat on a string, boy was I disappointed. To my dismay I had bought a four inch rubber bat on a three inch rubber string, its flight path was about four inches from my hand.
Over the years I have purchased many things through the mail, Sea Monkey’s, rubber bats and trick chewing gum. However, there is nothing more important than items that affect our health. I will admit my selection of online purchases has become more refined over the years, and I am a little more selective with where I shop. We all have seen and heard the rhetoric of some online pharmacies offering medications without a prescription and daunting huge savings.
Many national pharmacy chains now offer online prescription services as well as their walk in counter service. This type of service comes in handy if you are admitted to the hospital and your healthcare team needs to verify your medications. This type of pharmacy allows you to utilize online savings while still allowing you to build a personal relationship with your pharmacist. It’s important to use only one pharmacy when possible, so they are able to monitor your drug list for contraindications and keep you safe.
Some of the better online pharmacies do offer 24 hour access to a licensed pharmacist and they do a good job keeping track of your medications and notifying you of any potential problems. However, it is difficult to verify your medication list if you are admitted to the hospital.
Selecting a pharmacy is just as important as choosing a healthcare provider, make sure to use only licensed pharmacies. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy can verify if a pharmacy is licensed and in good standing, contact them at: www.nabp.net or by calling 847-391-4406.
Insist on reputable pharmacies that offer toll free access to a pharmacist 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Make sure to read your pharmacy’s privacy and security policies before placing an order to assure your credit card and personal health information is kept secure and confidential.
Compare prices, you may find great deals online that could save you money. But don’t forget your neighborhood pharmacy, many offer competitive pricing with personalized service and attention online pharmacies cannot. If an online pharmacy makes promises that sound too good to be true, you should question if the site is legitimate. Beware, there are counterfeit drugs being sold online that do not contain any active ingredient or in some cases contain the wrong medication.
Be careful and do not get lured into online pharmacies that dispense medications without a valid prescription. It is also illegal to import unapproved medications into the United States that do not have FDA approval, and these medications can have life-threatening consequences. If an online company states claims that sound too good to be true with “miracle cures”, there is a good chance their claims are false. Be sure to report any online pharmacy to the FDA www.fda.gov if your order does not arrive, you find suspicious charges on your credit card or any problems with an online pharmacy.
I know in these hard economic times it is wise to shop smart and save every penny you can. Do your research, don’t forget your neighborhood pharmacist and make them compete for your business. After all it’s your money, but most importantly it’s your health.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Over the years I have purchased many things through the mail, Sea Monkey’s, rubber bats and trick chewing gum. However, there is nothing more important than items that affect our health. I will admit my selection of online purchases has become more refined over the years, and I am a little more selective with where I shop. We all have seen and heard the rhetoric of some online pharmacies offering medications without a prescription and daunting huge savings.
Many national pharmacy chains now offer online prescription services as well as their walk in counter service. This type of service comes in handy if you are admitted to the hospital and your healthcare team needs to verify your medications. This type of pharmacy allows you to utilize online savings while still allowing you to build a personal relationship with your pharmacist. It’s important to use only one pharmacy when possible, so they are able to monitor your drug list for contraindications and keep you safe.
Some of the better online pharmacies do offer 24 hour access to a licensed pharmacist and they do a good job keeping track of your medications and notifying you of any potential problems. However, it is difficult to verify your medication list if you are admitted to the hospital.
Selecting a pharmacy is just as important as choosing a healthcare provider, make sure to use only licensed pharmacies. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy can verify if a pharmacy is licensed and in good standing, contact them at: www.nabp.net or by calling 847-391-4406.
Insist on reputable pharmacies that offer toll free access to a pharmacist 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Make sure to read your pharmacy’s privacy and security policies before placing an order to assure your credit card and personal health information is kept secure and confidential.
Compare prices, you may find great deals online that could save you money. But don’t forget your neighborhood pharmacy, many offer competitive pricing with personalized service and attention online pharmacies cannot. If an online pharmacy makes promises that sound too good to be true, you should question if the site is legitimate. Beware, there are counterfeit drugs being sold online that do not contain any active ingredient or in some cases contain the wrong medication.
Be careful and do not get lured into online pharmacies that dispense medications without a valid prescription. It is also illegal to import unapproved medications into the United States that do not have FDA approval, and these medications can have life-threatening consequences. If an online company states claims that sound too good to be true with “miracle cures”, there is a good chance their claims are false. Be sure to report any online pharmacy to the FDA www.fda.gov if your order does not arrive, you find suspicious charges on your credit card or any problems with an online pharmacy.
I know in these hard economic times it is wise to shop smart and save every penny you can. Do your research, don’t forget your neighborhood pharmacist and make them compete for your business. After all it’s your money, but most importantly it’s your health.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sleeping Yourself Thin
A few weeks ago I set a personal goal to get one extra hour of sleep per night. When I first undertook this well intended goal I thought it would be simple. Nothing could be further from the truth-in fact, I think these little bitty sixty minutes of sleep is like trying to pack a whole movie into a 60 second movie trailer. Between work, school and life the last couple of weeks have been tremendously difficult for me to do anything well. I have found myself chasing one deadline after another and it seems the harder I try to get ahead the further behind I become. I lack the vocabulary to adequately describe the amount of stress chasing assignments and deadlines produces for me on a daily bases, which in turn robs me of my precious sleep.
When I was younger I would think nothing of getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep and heading out on an adventure or two. As I have aged, I have discovered I do not do so well on 3 hours of sleep. The truth of the matter is that no one can perform to their potential on 3 or 4 hours of sleep for any period of time. This lack of sleep robs us of humor, health and the joys of life that gives us the ability to see things from an advantageous perspective or at least to be able to enjoy our waking hours.
If just feeling better isn’t motivation enough to get more sleep, maybe the University of Chicago research study on sleep will be. The researchers found that just 3 days of poor sleep made their young healthy test subjects 25 percent less sensitive to insulin. The study concluded that this level of insulin resistance is equivalent to carrying 20 to 30 extra pounds of weight; which slows your body’s metabolism down even further. Poor sleep habits have also been associated with high carbohydrate treat and snack consumption. I could write a whole series of columns on the stages of sleep and how they affect your hormones which help the body burn stored fat. But, the bottom line of getting at least 7 hours of sleep is you increase your body’s ability to burn and utilize fat more efficiently.
So, what about my goal for an extra hour of sleep per night? Well, I have a few more weeks of school this semester so I’ll do the best I can. But after that I will make some real life changes with more time built in for life- and the proverbial smelling of the roses. By the sounds of the research we might be able to sleep ourselves thin. Now, I like the sound of that!!!!
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
When I was younger I would think nothing of getting 2 or 3 hours of sleep and heading out on an adventure or two. As I have aged, I have discovered I do not do so well on 3 hours of sleep. The truth of the matter is that no one can perform to their potential on 3 or 4 hours of sleep for any period of time. This lack of sleep robs us of humor, health and the joys of life that gives us the ability to see things from an advantageous perspective or at least to be able to enjoy our waking hours.
If just feeling better isn’t motivation enough to get more sleep, maybe the University of Chicago research study on sleep will be. The researchers found that just 3 days of poor sleep made their young healthy test subjects 25 percent less sensitive to insulin. The study concluded that this level of insulin resistance is equivalent to carrying 20 to 30 extra pounds of weight; which slows your body’s metabolism down even further. Poor sleep habits have also been associated with high carbohydrate treat and snack consumption. I could write a whole series of columns on the stages of sleep and how they affect your hormones which help the body burn stored fat. But, the bottom line of getting at least 7 hours of sleep is you increase your body’s ability to burn and utilize fat more efficiently.
So, what about my goal for an extra hour of sleep per night? Well, I have a few more weeks of school this semester so I’ll do the best I can. But after that I will make some real life changes with more time built in for life- and the proverbial smelling of the roses. By the sounds of the research we might be able to sleep ourselves thin. Now, I like the sound of that!!!!
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
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