What a week of stress! I have always thought of myself as being able to handle a lot of stress and have thrived with a little stress in my life. Wrestling with my expectations and setting deadlines while keeping life at a high pace often creates and magnifies my stress. My career goals, educational endeavors, family obligations, community volunteering, committees, friends, and the continuous news coverage of every pothole, celebrity burp, and political view have become more stressful than I have been able to simply shrug off. What has happened over the past few months? Have I gotten older and less able to adapt? Is it the political climate and our economy, or are the stressors in my life creating all the chaos?
The phenomenon of chaos has become something I enjoy studying and exploring. I think it is important to realize that each of us reacts or responds to chaos and stress in different ways. What is stressful or chaotic for one person might be a walk in the park for someone else. Also, it’s important to be sensitive to those around us who are experiencing stress. Give support to those closest to you when they are experiencing high levels of stress. Sometimes all it takes to bring calm to the chaos is caring enough to give a different perspective and share experiences.
We have all heard the proverb: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” During times of stress, there are no truer words. Learning to identify the triggers of stress and avoid them is the first line of defense against becoming overloaded, overextended, and frustrated. Sometimes learning to say “no” to one more committee, church project, extra shift at work, or family obligation and taking the time to relax would be enough to keep stress at bay. However, sometimes even with the best intentions of avoiding stress, we still find ourselves stressed and out of control.
Few things in life are free, but relaxation is free and full of benefits to those who master the techniques. Relaxation techniques are kind of like fire prevention—it’s too late to prevent the fire once the house is ablaze; you may also find the techniques frustrating and difficult to master if you wait until you are in a crisis to learn them. Practice makes perfect, so set aside 30 minutes to an hour of your day to experiment with different techniques to find the one that works best for you.
Progressive muscle relaxation: In this technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you to focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You become more aware of physical sensations. One method is to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, then repeat.
Guided meditation: In this technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. During visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, including smell, sight, sound, and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, think about the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves, and the warmth of the sun on your body.
I have only mentioned two examples of relaxation techniques but there are many techniques available, including but not limited to yoga, laughter, music, exercise, and Tai Chi. There are several resources on the Internet: the Mayo Clinic at www.mayoclinic.com; The Anxiety Community at www.anxietyhelp.org; and the Preston Medical Library at library@utmck.edu or call 865-305-9525. These are free community resources available to you no matter where you live. I encourage you to take advantage of them whenever possible.
Don’t let stress get the best of you; laugh a little more and relax. Stress can affect your health in many ways— if you find that stress is overwhelming you, talk with your healthcare provider; don’t go it alone!
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please e-mail me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Power of Storytelling
Storytelling has been an intricate part of my personality for as long as I can remember. As a nurse I often interweave stories and patient education in an effort to bring awareness to a topic in a different and refreshing way. Last February I wrote a column promoting pacemaker donations from humans to dogs. Recently, the power of those words reached far beyond my expectations when I received two donated pacemakers for animal use.
As a nurse I am a strong proponent of organ donation, and I am an organ donor myself. When you see organ recipients and their families, you are able to conceptualize the magnitude that organ donation has for both the donor and the recipient. From a donor’s viewpoint, you know that someday you will make someone else’s life better, and that you have offered the ultimate humanitarian gift—life. Often, the recipient is given new freedom and is better able to enjoy things that most of us take for granted.
If we stop and think about our health and the health of our pets, we realize that the two are interrelated. Our pets become part of our family. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pets can help decrease blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. Dogs, cats, and horses can suffer cardiac abnormalities similar to those in humans, and they exhibit identical symptoms, such as fainting episodes and exercise intolerance.
When the idea of pacemaker donations from humans to dogs was first discussed with me, my mind reeled with ethical and moral questions on a professional and a personal level. As an animal lover, I have a lot of difficulty thinking about animals suffering needlessly or at the hands of neglect. Because I am a proponent of organ donation, it didn’t take long to wrap my head around the concept. I started thinking about all the people I knew and the patients I have cared for who have pacemakers. Because you cannot donate pacemakers from human to human, the benefits of donation from human to animal became clear. So why not keep the beat going in a beloved pet? It became easy to see that a lot of pacemakers out there could benefit another life and keep joy in the hearts of many.
It has been estimated that pacemakers can prolong a dog’s life for five years. Pacemakers cost around $6,000, making them cost prohibitive for most pet owners. Also, it has been estimated that 90% of dogs needing pacemakers do not get them. Manufacturers will donate pacemakers when their expiration dates are near; however, these devices are too few to serve all the needs.
Think about all of the ways that animals enrich our lives; they put smiles on faces, old and young alike. Why not will your pacemaker or donate a loved one’s pacemaker to extend the life of a beloved pet or service animal? Donating or willing a pacemaker is simple; ask the funeral home staff to remove the pacemaker and give it to you or a loved one. If a body is being cremated, the pacemaker has to be removed anyway; therefore, funeral homes have staff members who are experienced in the removal.
One of my most humbling experiences was holding a donated pacemaker from someone I never knew who gave unselfishly of himself to benefit an animal’s life. In those moments I realized that the human–animal bond is a gift, serving as a smaller part of a bigger love. I understood the power of a story to move someone to help another.
Donated pacemakers can benefit horses, cats, dogs, and those who love them. People can make a difference in animals’ lives and in the lives they touch.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
As a nurse I am a strong proponent of organ donation, and I am an organ donor myself. When you see organ recipients and their families, you are able to conceptualize the magnitude that organ donation has for both the donor and the recipient. From a donor’s viewpoint, you know that someday you will make someone else’s life better, and that you have offered the ultimate humanitarian gift—life. Often, the recipient is given new freedom and is better able to enjoy things that most of us take for granted.
If we stop and think about our health and the health of our pets, we realize that the two are interrelated. Our pets become part of our family. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pets can help decrease blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. Dogs, cats, and horses can suffer cardiac abnormalities similar to those in humans, and they exhibit identical symptoms, such as fainting episodes and exercise intolerance.
When the idea of pacemaker donations from humans to dogs was first discussed with me, my mind reeled with ethical and moral questions on a professional and a personal level. As an animal lover, I have a lot of difficulty thinking about animals suffering needlessly or at the hands of neglect. Because I am a proponent of organ donation, it didn’t take long to wrap my head around the concept. I started thinking about all the people I knew and the patients I have cared for who have pacemakers. Because you cannot donate pacemakers from human to human, the benefits of donation from human to animal became clear. So why not keep the beat going in a beloved pet? It became easy to see that a lot of pacemakers out there could benefit another life and keep joy in the hearts of many.
It has been estimated that pacemakers can prolong a dog’s life for five years. Pacemakers cost around $6,000, making them cost prohibitive for most pet owners. Also, it has been estimated that 90% of dogs needing pacemakers do not get them. Manufacturers will donate pacemakers when their expiration dates are near; however, these devices are too few to serve all the needs.
Think about all of the ways that animals enrich our lives; they put smiles on faces, old and young alike. Why not will your pacemaker or donate a loved one’s pacemaker to extend the life of a beloved pet or service animal? Donating or willing a pacemaker is simple; ask the funeral home staff to remove the pacemaker and give it to you or a loved one. If a body is being cremated, the pacemaker has to be removed anyway; therefore, funeral homes have staff members who are experienced in the removal.
One of my most humbling experiences was holding a donated pacemaker from someone I never knew who gave unselfishly of himself to benefit an animal’s life. In those moments I realized that the human–animal bond is a gift, serving as a smaller part of a bigger love. I understood the power of a story to move someone to help another.
Donated pacemakers can benefit horses, cats, dogs, and those who love them. People can make a difference in animals’ lives and in the lives they touch.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wisdom of a Wannabe "Town Girl"
Some of my richest childhood memories are of my grandmother. Our relationship continued to grow stronger throughout the years of our lives. She was always lighthearted with a smile and a joke for anyone who would sit and listen to her spin a tale full of humor and chuckles. My grandmother never met a stranger and with the blink of her eye and the crack of her smile, the room would erupt in laughter, and a friendship was born. The circus that seemed to always be in my grandmother’s midst was colorful, filled with smiles, and lots of laughter. Growing up, I thought she was the ringmaster, cracking her wit at every turn. Later in life I realized the many valuable lessons I learned from my grandmother during our laughter and lighthearted conversations.
One of my favorite pictures of my grandmother is of her in her twenties in a bathing suit at the water’s edge. I always thought she was so beautiful in that picture, and although I never saw my grandmother smoke a cigarette, it was known that she was a smoker during that era of her life. I never knew my grandmother without emphysema, caused by cigarette smoking in her younger years. Even though never spoken, the most important health lesson that my grandmother taught me was this one: Do not smoke. I knew that smoking robbed us of many walks, swims, and our ability to enjoy life on a whim. My grandmother always said that if she wasn’t sick, she would be a real “town girl.”
During my nursing career I have witnessed countless patients trying to mentally and emotionally work through a serious medical diagnosis. However, few things in medicine bring about more anxiety for patients than difficulty with breathing. Is it any wonder that people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also have a high incidence of anxiety and depression? Those who suffer from COPD are faced with loss of function, social isolation, and constant worry of being able to bring moments of breathlessness under control.
According to one study, about 80% of people with COPD suffer from depression, anxiety, or both. Studies also indicate that women are at a higher risk of suffering from the emotional effects of COPD. I think it is important for caregivers and loved ones to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and if needed, seek medical treatment from a healthcare provider. The good news is that these conditions are treatable, and early medical intervention may improve results and save the whole family a lot of stress and anxiety.
It is important to understand that many medications used to treat COPD can also lead to depression and emotional anxiety. Adding anxiety and depression to an episode of shortness of breath only compounds the problem, making symptoms worse while decreasing the ability to participate in daily living. Recognizing and understanding the benefits of early treatment for the emotional aspects of COPD will improve overall quality of life.
The unspoken words from a wannabe “town girl” if you smoke: Stop! There is nothing sexy or glamorous about not being able to breathe or oxygen tubing. I often look back on my childhood experiences and reflect on how they have affected me in adulthood. I am sure that my grandmother missed out on things with me that she would have liked to have experienced. As for me, I know I missed out on a whole circus of experiences, smiles, and laughter that I will never know.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
One of my favorite pictures of my grandmother is of her in her twenties in a bathing suit at the water’s edge. I always thought she was so beautiful in that picture, and although I never saw my grandmother smoke a cigarette, it was known that she was a smoker during that era of her life. I never knew my grandmother without emphysema, caused by cigarette smoking in her younger years. Even though never spoken, the most important health lesson that my grandmother taught me was this one: Do not smoke. I knew that smoking robbed us of many walks, swims, and our ability to enjoy life on a whim. My grandmother always said that if she wasn’t sick, she would be a real “town girl.”
During my nursing career I have witnessed countless patients trying to mentally and emotionally work through a serious medical diagnosis. However, few things in medicine bring about more anxiety for patients than difficulty with breathing. Is it any wonder that people who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also have a high incidence of anxiety and depression? Those who suffer from COPD are faced with loss of function, social isolation, and constant worry of being able to bring moments of breathlessness under control.
According to one study, about 80% of people with COPD suffer from depression, anxiety, or both. Studies also indicate that women are at a higher risk of suffering from the emotional effects of COPD. I think it is important for caregivers and loved ones to be on the lookout for the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and if needed, seek medical treatment from a healthcare provider. The good news is that these conditions are treatable, and early medical intervention may improve results and save the whole family a lot of stress and anxiety.
It is important to understand that many medications used to treat COPD can also lead to depression and emotional anxiety. Adding anxiety and depression to an episode of shortness of breath only compounds the problem, making symptoms worse while decreasing the ability to participate in daily living. Recognizing and understanding the benefits of early treatment for the emotional aspects of COPD will improve overall quality of life.
The unspoken words from a wannabe “town girl” if you smoke: Stop! There is nothing sexy or glamorous about not being able to breathe or oxygen tubing. I often look back on my childhood experiences and reflect on how they have affected me in adulthood. I am sure that my grandmother missed out on things with me that she would have liked to have experienced. As for me, I know I missed out on a whole circus of experiences, smiles, and laughter that I will never know.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
An Old Man's Elixir
This past week just about everyone I know was suffering with some kind of head and chest congestion accompanied with fits of coughing and sneezing, leaving the strongest person feeling tired and defeated. I was not immune to this wicked cold, finding myself reaching for over-the-counter medications and homemade remedies such as grandpa’s secret cough syrup. I can remember growing up and faking a cough in hopes of getting a good swig of my grandpa’s secret concoction of peppermint candy and moonshine mixed with just the right amount of honey and an unknown ingredient. One thing was for sure, if you had a cough, by the time one good swig of grandpa’s magic anti-coughing elixir hit your stomach, you didn’t have enough air left in your lungs to cough, speak, breathe, or do anything else for that matter. I was never sure if his concoction fixed the cough, or if we simply passed out from the lack of oxygen. My grandpa was a welder/electrician who made his living in the coal mines of southeastern Kentucky. He was a simple, hard-working man with a love for God, country, and family. He made his anti-coughing elixir for medicinal purposes only.
This past week as I coughed and coughed, I found myself searching for anything that would calm my coughing, which seemed to incorporate every muscle and cell of my being as I tried to expel whatever demon had taken over my body. I stood in my local drugstore searching for the magic pill, liquid, or combination that would calm the storm within and allow me to sleep. I realized that I was not alone in my search, and as I listened to those around me talk about what they had tried or what had worked for them or a family member, that’s when it hit me. YIKES! What other drugs and combinations of drugs are they taking and do they understand the risks of taking over-the-counter medications?
It is important, especially when we are not feeling our best, that we use a little common sense as we reach for an over-the-counter medication. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) Educational Foundation suggests these tips to ensure safe use of over-the-counter medicines:
Tip 1: Always read and follow the Drug Facts label.
Tip 2: Never take more than one medicine with the same active ingredient unless specifically told to do so by your healthcare provider.
Tip 3: Choose products that treat only the symptoms you have, so you take only the active ingredients you need.
Tip 4: Talk to your doctor if taking an over-the-counter medicine becomes more than a temporary practice or if your symptoms do not go away.
Tip 5: Create a list of all the medicines you take and share it with your healthcare professional(s).
Tip 6: Tell your healthcare professional(s) about your full medical history and eating habits.
Tip 7: Bring any questions you have to a healthcare professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
We have come a long way since the days of grandpa’s anti-coughing elixir as we have moved toward more modern conveniences. But none will ever take the place of the love and knowledge of an old man’s elixir. In these tough economic times, many of us are faced with loss of jobs and health insurance. At the very least, make it a point to discuss any over-the-counter medications or home remedies with your pharmacist. Follow the instructions completely and remember—just because a medicine is over-the-counter, doesn’t mean it is safe. Visit www.OTCsafety.org for other educational tips on keeping you and your family safe when you self medicate.
Howard Baker, RN BSN
For questions, comments, or suggestions on topics you want to read about please email me at: howard@howardsbaker.com
This past week as I coughed and coughed, I found myself searching for anything that would calm my coughing, which seemed to incorporate every muscle and cell of my being as I tried to expel whatever demon had taken over my body. I stood in my local drugstore searching for the magic pill, liquid, or combination that would calm the storm within and allow me to sleep. I realized that I was not alone in my search, and as I listened to those around me talk about what they had tried or what had worked for them or a family member, that’s when it hit me. YIKES! What other drugs and combinations of drugs are they taking and do they understand the risks of taking over-the-counter medications?
It is important, especially when we are not feeling our best, that we use a little common sense as we reach for an over-the-counter medication. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) Educational Foundation suggests these tips to ensure safe use of over-the-counter medicines:
Tip 1: Always read and follow the Drug Facts label.
Tip 2: Never take more than one medicine with the same active ingredient unless specifically told to do so by your healthcare provider.
Tip 3: Choose products that treat only the symptoms you have, so you take only the active ingredients you need.
Tip 4: Talk to your doctor if taking an over-the-counter medicine becomes more than a temporary practice or if your symptoms do not go away.
Tip 5: Create a list of all the medicines you take and share it with your healthcare professional(s).
Tip 6: Tell your healthcare professional(s) about your full medical history and eating habits.
Tip 7: Bring any questions you have to a healthcare professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
We have come a long way since the days of grandpa’s anti-coughing elixir as we have moved toward more modern conveniences. But none will ever take the place of the love and knowledge of an old man’s elixir. In these tough economic times, many of us are faced with loss of jobs and health insurance. At the very least, make it a point to discuss any over-the-counter medications or home remedies with your pharmacist. Follow the instructions completely and remember—just because a medicine is over-the-counter, doesn’t mean it is safe. Visit www.OTCsafety.org for other educational tips on keeping you and your family safe when you self medicate.
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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