Tag: Wellness

Who’s On The Team? (Wellness Edition)

1 Comment

Who is on the team?

I’m going to be real and honest this week.  Well, I’m always real and honest, but I am going to talk about things that are a little uncomfortable to talk about because… well… sometimes we need to do the uncomfortable things.

Because they’re the right things to do, even if they’re uncomfortable.

Before we go too far today, I want to start with the end in mind:

  • We need to de-mystify medical issues, wellness and prevention, and we need to talk about stuff.
  • I’m fine. 
  • I am very appreciative of my team, of knowing that I am not alone and that I have very smart people I can call.
  • We need to pursue prevention and wellness in positive terms.
  • I am encouraging all of us this week to map out our plan and make our appointments for 2024.

I am happy to say, I took care of all the recommended wellness screenings and vaccinations for my age group in 2023.  Before you think I’m bragging, trust me – I’m not.  In full transparency, I received my results from the test I took instead of having a colonoscopy on December 28.  So to say I took care of them in 2023… well, I just squeaked that last test into 2023.

The question I want to ask us today is “Who is On The Team?” And let’s think of them as a team, as people who are smarter than us in certain areas and who are here to help us.

This week, that is in health care terms. Here’s the story:

It’s Spring, 2020. I had created a great team, I thought, over the last 20 years with a gynecological practice and primary care practice in the same clinical building.  And then… just as I really needed them in 2020, my gynecologist who delivered all three children retired, the clinical building closed and all the doctors left with no follow up for over 3 months.

Because of that experience, I realize just how important it is to have A Team. And to think of wellness and prevention in positive terms.

I’m always on track with my annual gynecological exams and my mammogram. I struggled with medical issues starting in the summer of 2020 that culminated with a major gynecological surgery in February of 2021, so staying on top of those issues is more important to me than ever and I never miss a year.

However, because I had done so much medical stuff in the 6 months leading up to that surgery, I did not get an annual general physical exam or lab work, etc., in 2022. 

But, I understand the importance of regular screenings and preventive medicine.  I encourage all of us to understand that and to make time NOW to take care of ourselves to save time and heartache later.  So in 2023 I re-committed to prevention and re-examined my team.

I made the calls that needed to be made, I made the appointments, I did the work.  Did I like all of it?  No.  Did I do it anyway?  Yes.  Because, like in organizing, maintenance in wellness is where is the secret and foundation to success.

In 2023, I had not yet had a colonoscopy, even though recent changes to the recommendations tell us that we should start getting those at 45 years old, and let’s face it, I am more than 45 years old. And as my otherwise totally chill and relaxed gynecologist said very strongly at my appointment with her in July, there are worse things than getting a colonoscopy – Like GETTING COLON CANCER. 

In truth, I wasn’t actually worried about getting a colonoscopy.  My hurdles were navigating our insurance, setting aside 2 days to schedule the prep and exam, not wanting to bother anyone with needing to drive me, etc. So, at my annual physical in November, my primary care doctor mentioned Cologuard, a test I could do at home and then send in, and I thought that sounded like a great idea.  (And it still took me a few weeks to do it, after I got the kit!) The “everything looks good, you have 3 years until you have to do it again” were the results I received on December 28.

I am taking a while to get around to what I really want to talk about today.  I added another member to the team recently.  For much of 2023, I had a spot on the right side of my nose that just wouldn’t heal.  It would almost heal, and then I would wake up and it would be bleeding again. 

I am a fair-skinned Irish girl. I have worn SPF 35 or more every day for 23 years. I have two colors – white and red.  There is not much in-between for me.  I have family members who have had skin cancer.  I knew I needed to make the call.  I hesitated for a while because my son was getting married in late September, and I didn’t want to have surgery before that.  It isn’t reasonable, of course, to think this way, but it is what I thought.

So, right after the wedding, I made the appointment for a skin screening, and that screen occurred the first week of November.  They completed a thorough skin screening and took a biopsy of the spot on my nose.  This may sound strange, but even though the dermatologist was also concerned about the spot on my nose, I left the office that day feeling so relieved, knowing that except for that spot, the rest of my skin looked good and healthy. 

I received the results the week after Thanksgiving, that I have a basal cell carcinoma on my nose and it needs to be removed. Let me assure you, this is the blandest, least concerning type of skin cancer there is and I am perfectly fine.  You can google it, if you’d like, goodness knows I did.  And now, I have a Mohs procedure (you can google that, as well) scheduled in two weeks to remove the spot.

Did I want to have the dermatologist appointment?  No.  Did I want to have the screening? No, because I was worried about what they would find. Again, not logical thinking, I know, but that was my thinking nonetheless. And because I was worried, it was EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

What’s really interesting is that now that I have to take a few weeks off around the procedure for recovery and have spoken to clients, friends and peers about scheduling, I have heard just how common this procedure is. Thirty percent of fair skinned people will have it in their life time. As soon as I mentioned that I have to do this, I learned that many people I know have already had this procedure. Which goes back to the the statement – we need to de-mystify medical conditions and talk about stuff more openly.

Which is what I am doing today.

So, back to the original question.

Who’s on the team?

  • My chiropractor, my massage therapist and my nutrition response testing provider (all at the same office), and I probably see them the most often;
  • dermatology practice;
  • gynecologist practice;
  • eye doctor (just had my 6 month check-up this past week);
  • my primary care doctor; and
  • my dentist.
  • I’ve also worked with and can call on them again – a nutritionist, a healer, a physical therapist, an oriental medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, and a therapist.
  • More importantly, who needs to be on your team? What are the recommended tests and screening for people your age? If you haven’t already scheduled those for 2024, may I gently suggest you give those some thought this week?

So, let’s review.

  • We need to de-mystify medical and wellness and prevention, and we need to talk about stuff.
  • We need to examine the excuses we tell ourselves, because sometimes those stories are wrong.
  • I’m fine. 
  • I am very appreciative of my team, of knowing that I am not alone, of knowing I have very smart people I can call, and of thinking about prevention and wellness in positive terms.
  • And I am encouraging all of us this week to map out our plan and make our appointments for 2024.

What does that look like for you?

Using the terminology from last week’s podcast and article, start with the easy and the obvious.

Schedule your dentist appointments, your eye doctor appointment, your annual physical. You don’t have to complete them right now, but please, get them on the calendar for some time in 2024. And if doing that all at once feels overwhelming, place a reminder on the first day of each month to call one office and make one appointment. Or, make that note for your birthday of the month – meaning, for me, the 7th of every month could be wellness day. I always use my birthday in the Fall as a reminder to get my flu shot.

If you don’t know what the recommended screenings are for your age group, ask your primary care provider or google it. Have the uncomfortable conversations, make the tough phone calls. Be the leader of your wellness team and make your plan!

To paraphrase the words of my doctor last summer, what’s worse than the screenings and vaccines to prevent illness? Actually having the illness! Mobilize that team!

My Morning Line-Up, In the Kitchen!

I have been adding new healthy components to my morning routine, and I want to share my process with you!  Then you can see how to re-work your routines when you consider new challenges and solutions.  lemon water

Here are a few truths I have discovered, perhaps you can learn from them:

  1. Stressing out about healthy habits defeats the purpose of healthy habits. I’m adding these habits for wellness.  How about you?  Stressed out about being less stressed?
  2. To feel good all day and defeat temptation, I need to start strong so that I can stay strong.  Do you agree, for yourself?  For example… last weekend, I had a slice of cold deep dish pizza for breakfast.  And it was GOOD!  However…. blowing off my routine made it easier to blow off good habits for the rest of the day.  Maybe it was because it was Saturday and routines are meant to be blown off once in a while, but I think the pizza was a delicious but unwise choice.
  3. Decision making slows me down in the morning. Maybe this is just me.  But now is the time to think things through, put the healthy habits in the right order, and make them routine.  So I can think about other things.

 Here are my challenges, and what I am doing about it:

  • I’m avoiding a few food ingredients that happen to be in most breakfast foods. So I need a healthy, substantial and easy solution that I don’t have to think about.
  • I’ve gotten very consistent about taking my vitamins daily, now I need to be consistent about taking them in the morning.

I work with a “morning line-up” when I get ready in the morning (go to the original blog article here). I line up what I need – face lotion, contacts, toothbrush and paste, etc. – on the bathroom counter, and put each item away after I use it.  The goal is a Ready Me and a clean counter.  Knowing the line-up works, I decided to try the same idea with my morning nutrition – lining up all the items I need to consume in the morning and throughout the day on the counter and putting the items away when I am done.  Here’s how:

  • Attach the new habits to a habit that already works.  I will never forget my coffee.  So, my kitchen line-up starts when I make my first cup of coffee, even if I don’t drink it right away!
  • Choose the location for the routine: The counter with the coffee maker is where the kitchen line-up will live.
  • Choose a few specific steps and put them in a efficient, time-saving order. I can start my first cup of coffee brewing; then standing at the same counter, pour the lemon water, mix up my vitamin shake, start my oatmeal, and fill my reusable water bottle and set it by the door and my briefcase.
  • Have a back-up plan.  I programmed my phone to remind me to take everything before 8:15 when we leave the house for school and work.
  • Some tasks can remain flexible.  I’ve been aiming for a banana-orange smoothie (3 servings of fruit) every day, but it makes a great afternoon snack, and doesn’t need to happen in the morning.
  • The goal is a Ready-and Fortified Me and a clean counter.

So, what’s it going to be?  Do you have health and wellness goals you need to cultivate?  Try the steps above and add healthy habits to your morning routine!

4 Basic Tips for Fighting Holiday Overwhelm

I love the holidays, but they can be overwhelming.  We’re busy enough on a regular day, but when we add the joy and pressure of the holidays, many of us leap straight to overwhelmed!  And I say “We”, because I’m there sometimes, too!

Sure, this time of year, even the mundane and day-to-day business of life can be elevated to something more meaningful if we put some thought into it.  On the other hand, completing big and impressive holiday prep tasks feels great, but not when we neglect ourselves and our lives to complete them.  “Hey kids, I finished your Christmas shopping on-line today, but I was so busy doing that, we have nothing to eat for dinner.”

So when we are feeling overwhelmed, at the holidays and any other time of year, we can benefit from taking a deep breath and returning to the basics.

Take Care of Yourself

Maintaining routines and taking care of our health is important any time of year.  But it becomes both more vital and more difficult around the holidays.  It’s more vital because more is asked of us, and who wants to get sick for Christmas?  It’s more difficult because there are so many conflicting demands on our time and efforts.

We traveled for Thanksgiving, and had a lovely time with family out-of-state.  And even though I know better than to neglect my routines, I….. over-ate, under-slept, didn’t exercise, and forgot to take my vitamins.  Not surprisingly, I hit the proverbial wall some time Saturday night, feeling blah but overwhelmed.

Today was a return to routines, with regular bedtimes, mealtimes and schedules, and I feel better already.  I also spent some time in the kitchen, making healthy meals and snacks for the next couple of days.

Make time for the daily habits that will maintain your health and wellness.

Take Care of Each Other.  We can get so caught up in the stress of the holidays that we lash out at the people who we are celebrating for, like our friends and family.  Remember Why we celebrate this time of year.

Take Care of your Home:

Even in the face of the busy holidays, we still have to do things like get dressed and go to work and take care of our families.  Just because I spent 2 hours on-line purchasing Christmas gifts last night instead of doing laundry doesn’t make the laundry any less important.  It just means I have more folding to do this morning, to make sure we have clothes for the week, uniforms for the high-schoolers, work clothes for me, etc. We still need to wash dishes, take out the garbage, sweep the floors, etc.  These few simple maintenance steps become even more important during this hectic time of year.

Take Care of your Business:

A radio commercial this morning called December a “wasted month”, professionally speaking.  Yikes!  Most of us can’t “phone it in” for an entire month, so remember to maintain your professional efforts this month, even though it’s so tempting to cut back and goof off, when all the world is a distraction.  My 11 years owning my own business have taught me is that my marketing efforts this month directly influence my success next month.  Stay the course this month, finish this year strong and start 2015 ahead of the game!

Start With “Of Course I Can” and Go From There

2 Comments

Start with “Of course I can” and go from there.  Are you thinking “Ok, ‘Of course I can … What’?”  Well, my friend, that is up to you.  But you can do it, whatever it is you focus your mind and heart and efforts on to accomplish.

Let me start with this week’s conclusions:

  • The power of positive thought is remarkable. And if we pay attention, we see obstacles disappearing.
  • We can make time for the things that are important to us.
  • The Holidays are a busy and wonderful time, and they can also be an opportunity for positive change.

I spent 10 hours alone in the car last week, on a brief but important road trip to Ohio for my uncle’s funeral.  He was a good man.

At first, I did not know if I would be able to attend since life is busy with family, work and the holidays.  I was able to attend, though, because of my awesome family and because God cleared the obstacles.  It really was amazing.

If I had focused on all the reasons why I should not go, well, then, I would not have gone.  Instead, I focused on how to make the trip happen, and it happened.  Try it.  Start with “Of course I can                “ instead of “No way, I can’t                              , not in December or today or at this age”.  And see how differently you feel.

We make time for the things that are important to us.  What is important to you?  My niece took an honors placement exam very early this past Saturday at her (hopefully) future university, then drove 2 hours home in time for a Choir performance.  Because both were important enough to make time for.  My son was double-booked last week with a volleyball tournament and dress rehearsals for a play, but he handled it all, with help, because it is all important.

What is important to you?  Really important?  Now figure out how to make time for it.

As often happens with lone road trips, I sing loudly, say a rosary, listen to a book on tape, then I let my brain mull over challenges I am facing.

  • Holiday party planning?  Check
  • Christmas Dinner menu?  Done.
  • To-Do List?  Check, check.
  • Idea for presentation next week?  Yep, check.
  • New promotional ideas.  Done.
  • Other projects for December – get through my professional and personal reading back-log… ummm….
  • Stratetgy to get back on track with weight and wellness?  Ummmm…….

Screeching halt (thoughts, not car).  I am driving through Northern Indiana, eating Mike and Ikes, watching the sunset. Professional Reading Project?  Healthy eating?  In December?  All the reasons why these would not work zipped through my brain.

Who has the time?  For work or health?  What about all the parties?  And the holiday foods?  And it’s cold outside!   I should eat more salads, but I don’t like eating salads or exercising outside (as preferred) in the winter.

However, I get frustrated with clients and friends who take the whole month of December off from making positive progress. So, learning from recent experience, I looked at the situation though the lenses of “Of Course I Can” and “removing the obstacles”.

Reading project?  in December?  Why not?  Nothing new on TV, might as well read!

And healthy eating?  Why not?  I make the menus, I can certainly add healthier items.  The parties we’re attending?  I can eat lighter through the day, or be more selective at the parties.

Who has the time?  Well, we could walk to school and to run errands, instead of driving.  And it’s not that cold yet!  Obviously I can find the time when something is important enough.

I started positive change that moment, last week, on that very drive home.  I put away the Mike & Ikes, and ate my apple instead.  And I did NOT stop for fast food for dinner, but waited 2 hours to eat healthy at home.  And today, I made a crock pot of minestrone soup minus the pasta, to replace salads for lunches this week.

So my challenge to you this week is to fill in the blank for yourself:  “Of course I Can                              “.  And see how far a positive outlook can take you.  Remember:

  • The power of positive thought is remarkable. And if we pay attention, we see obstacles disappearing.
  • We can make time for the things that are important to us.
  • The Holidays are a busy and wonderful time, but they can also be a time for positive change.

Organize Your Wellness! Love Yourself!

     Hearts are everywhere this time of year!  Love and Valentine’s day, of course, but also Go Red for The American Heart Association, and health and wellness in general.  Spend some time this week organizing your schedule and home around your Health and Wellness, and take care of you and the ones you love.   

  1. Make wellness part of your routine, making time for exercise, healthy eating, medications and supplements.  Attach something that needs to happen to something that already works.  For example, perhaps you pick your kids up from school every day.  Attach a 30 minute walk on the way to pick-up, to ensure your exercise will happen.  Or if you check your email every morning, like me, leave your vitamins and supplements next to your computer as a reminder!
  2. Save yourself some time and stress, and assign a home to important things.  For example, put your car keys and cell phone the same place every time you come in the door.  Then stick with it.  Every time. 
  3. Plan time – actually make a note in your calendar – every week for exercise and self-care.   Writing things down make them more likely to occur.  I always respect my standing appointment for my tennis lesson!
  4. Make and keep those health care appointments!  Group appointments on one or two days off, and take care of them all at once.  Set aside a day to set all your appointments, too.  Maybe Valentine’s Day or your birthday, or the first day of the month?  And of course, keep a portable folder for notes on health care issues and questions to ask your providers.  I also sweetened my recent appointment day with a massage in the morning, Rita at A Relaxed You in Mt. Greenwood is my favorite!
  5. Use down-time, like waiting for an appointment or for the kids to finish soccer practice for some deep breathing exercises, relaxing visualizations or a brisk walk around the park.  I have some great apps for my smart phone like “Long Deep Breathing”, “Relax Sleep Well” and “White Noise”.  Of course, I also have Sudoku and Word Jumble Apps, so I can relax and distract when I have a minute! 
  6. Make family time wellness time, with family hikes or biking, ice-skating, snowball fights – use your imagination!
  7. Occasionally take the day off from routine tasks.  Try a non-laundry day or a guest chef (my kids!) day, to make things more fun and less stressful.
  8. Remind yourself that you do not have to fix every problem every day.  Focus on just a few tasks, and do them well.
  9. Have a back-up plan for everything – babysitter, outfit, transportation options, backdoor key
    (hidden but accessible), quick and easy dinner plan.  Save yourself the scramble when your schedule changes or you are feeling under the weather!
  10. Save Your Back (or in my case, my shoulder.  Did I mention a massage?!?):  Only carry what you need.  Keep your backpacks handbags and briefcases filled with essentials for today, and don’t lug around stuff you don’t need.

Focus on wellness this week, and love yourself and those who count on you!  Happy Valentines Day!