June 1st, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor
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Ok, I’ll admit it – I spend a lot of time on the Internet. Sometimes I ignore my husband while I’m blogging or emailing folks in the evenings or weekends. I know I need to find better “life balance” and give at least my immediate family (kitty and hubby) the right amount of attention.
Regular readers of my blog know that my husband is a funny guy. Lately he has really outdone himself. When I’m deep into a blog post or an email and he wants me to listen to him, he has taken to pulling on my “doctor-heart strings” by announcing that he has a certain disease or condition that needs attention. Of course, my husband is not a physician, so he isn’t sure how to use all the medical terminology that he hears here and there. This is what he said yesterday when I was on the Internet:
Hubby: Help!
Dr. Val: Mrpmph.
Hubby: Help! I need help!
Dr. Val: Hrmph, sigh.
Hubby: Help! I have antalgic encephalopathy!*
Dr. Val: (Cogs and wheels turning as I consider what that fake disease would actually look like). Ha, ha, ha! Ok, honey I get it – you need a hug and some attention.
—
*For non-doctors: “antalgic” is almost always used to describe a limp to alleviate pain when walking. “Encephalopathy” means degeneration of brain function. So I guess a person with antalgic encephalopathy would be walking funny due to some sort of brain infection/disorder.
How does your significant other get your attention?This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
May 27th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Uncategorized
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Faithful readers of my blog will recall my effusive praise of my family physician, Dr. Alan Dappen. He is boldly going where few physicians have gone before – offering affordable care to the masses with a transparent fee structure and access to him via phone and email. How is it possible? This is what a doctor can afford to do when he has almost no overhead – he doesn’t have to pay multiple staff to transcribe coding and billing or fill out reems of documentation to satisfy third party payers. He doesn’t have to see patients in person to fill a prescription or otherwise change their management (because payment is not contingent upon a physical exam). No, he gets paid for what the patient actually needs - whether that’s an in-person visit, an email, or a phone call. And the cost for the average person is far lower than a monthly insurance premium would be. A high deductible plan (for potential catastrophic events) and a pay-as-you-go relationship with Dr. Dappen is all that many people would need for good, affordable healthcare.
Well, Good Morning America has caught wind of Dr. Dappen and is featuring him tomorrow morning (Wednesday, May 28th) between 7:30-8:00am. I’m really pleased that he’ll receive more attention this way. Of course, I knew he was great before they did. Do I get credit for finding him first?
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
May 21st, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor
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A friend of mine sent me this fake advice column entry (“Dear Walter” instead of “Dear Abby”). I’m so sorry that I don’t know who the original author is, but I’ve seen it around on some blogs. Let me know if you think it rings true!
Dear Walter:
I hope you can help me here. The other day I set off for work leaving my husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn’t gone more than a mile down the road when my engine conked out, and the car shuddered to a halt. I walked back home to get my husband’s help.
When I got home I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbor lady. I am 32, my husband is 34, and we have been married for twelve years.
When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been having an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would leave him. He was let go from his job six months ago, and he says he has been feeling increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever since I gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. He won’t go to counseling and I’m afraid I can’t get through to him anymore. Can you please help?
Sincerely, Sheila
***
Dear Sheila:
A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and hoses on the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the carburetor float chamber.
I hope this helps.
-Walter
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
May 13th, 2008 by Dr. Val Jones in Patient Interviews
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Therese Borchard is a vibrant author, editor, and mother of two. She writes a critically aclaimed blog called “Beyond Blue” at beliefnet.com, which is devoted to supporting people who are living with bipolar disorder. Therese’s writing is engaging and humorous, as she normalizes the experience of mental illness through her own lens of motherhood. Revolution Health salutes Therese for her compassion, and I hope you enjoy getting to know her through this interview:
*Listen to Podcast*
Dr. Val: Tell me about the circumstances surrounding your diagnosis of bipolar disorder. What was it like when you received the diagnosis for the first time?
Therese: I’ve struggled with depression most of my life, though college was when I first started taking medication and came to terms with the diagnosis of major depression. However, I had a much harder time when I realized that what I had was actually bipolar disorder. This was really difficult for me because my aunt was the only person I knew with bipolar and she took her own life when I was 16. So I had a lot of resistance to that diagnosis.
In fact, I ended up seeing 7 different psychiatrists, went through 2 hospital stays, and tried a total of 23 different medications.
Dr. Val: What’s the story behind the 7 psychiatrists? Were you not connecting with them?
Therese: I strongly advise people with bipolar or anyone struggling with depression to find the right doctor. For me it was going to Johns Hopkins, an academic center that has the best research and an outstanding team of doctors. My bipolar symptoms were not clear cut or “textbook” so it took a team of specialists to really help me find the best treatment path.
Dr. Val: What have you found to be most helpful (therapeutically) to keep you feeling balanced and in control?
Therese: My three staples are diet, exercise, and sleep, because I think that with any illness you just have to make those a priority. Obviously, finding the right doctor and the right medication is important too. Another key component to my recovery was connecting with a greater mission – I see that as my blog. Reaching out to others gives back to me every day. When I read a biography of Abraham Lincoln (he struggled with major depression, but didn’t have meds back then) I was struck by the fact that he focused on the emancipation of slaves as a positive way to get through his depression.
Obviously, a good therapeutic relationship with your doctor is important, as well as finding the right medications for you when/if needed.
I’ve found Dr. David Burns’ book, “Ten Days To Self Esteem” to be really helpful. It’s a work book that you can use as a journal. He asks you to list all your distorted thoughts, how they’re distorted and then how you can think differently. For example, we sometimes engage in mind-guessing, like “Oh he hates what I just said…” when the person isn’t thinking that at all. This book is really good for people with mood disorders.
I also regularly engage in prayer, and as a Catholic it’s really important to me and my healing.
Dr. Val: What advice do you have for people living with bipolar disorder?
Therese: You have to surround yourself with people who understand your illness because it’s so easy to be hard on yourself and adopt an attitude of “I should be able to get over this problem” and then feel deflated when it doesn’t magically disappear. It is so much easier when you have friends around to remind you that bipolar disorder is an illness like arthritis or diabetes – that it can be disabling and it’s not your fault.
Bottom line: Work as hard as you can on your diet and exercise, use light therapy as needed to help elevate your mood, and educate yourself as best you can about your illness.
Dr. Val: You mention diet as an important factor. Do you follow a special diet or do you just mean ‘healthy eating’ in general?
Therese: Mostly I’m talking about a healthy diet with lots of fiber, fruits and veggies, lean protein and whole grains. Caffeine and sugar are dangerous and alcohol can really mess up psych meds. Everything nowadays seems to have high fructose corn syrup in it. I try to stay away from highly processed foods and white flour.
Dr. Val: Do you believe that there is a stigma associated with bipolar disorder? How can that be reduced/removed?
Therese: The stigma does exist. I read a recent article about celebrities basically saying that antidepressants sap your personality, creativity, and sex drive. They make it sound as if people with bipolar disorder are doomed to live a dull and mediocre life. Other articles, like those about Britney Spears, are so negative. They make you think, “Oh God, this woman is never going to be normal.” The media really does bipolar disorder a disservice. Why not say that 70-80% of people with bipolar recover completely and do beautifully? They live very fruitful and productive lives. I have a hard time with how the media presents mental illness in general.
I also find that when I tell people that I have a therapist appointment their eyes sort of bug out. But it shouldn’t be shameful, it’s no different than going to a doctor’s appointment. We have to continue to work on tolerance and acceptance for mental illness.
Dr. Val: What role can online communities play in the management of daily life with bipolar?
Therese: Online groups have proven to be beneficial to those suffering from depression. Sharing your story is therapeutic in itself. Also the anonymity offered by online groups can make sharing stories and struggles more comfortable. For people who live in remote areas or who don’t have access to transportation, online groups offer the best way to connect with others.
Dr. Val: How do your coping mechanisms change when you’re struggling with mania versus depression?
Therese: Some of them are the same, like getting good sleep, eating healthy foods and exercising. I have two little kids so I watch the movie Cars a lot with them. And I like what one of the characters says in response to a question about steering around curves. He says, “in order to go left, you need to turn right, and in order to go right, you need to turn left.” I always remember this when I’m manic or depressed because it’s counter-intuitive.
When you’re depressed, the last thing you want to do is to get yourself involved in life, and get up and get moving – but that’s exactly what you need to do. When you’re manic it’s so easy to say, “This is so great, I’m on a roll, let’s go all night!” It’s hard to shut down your computer and say, “No, I’ve worked enough, now it’s time for bed.” But that’s what you need to do.
Dr. Val: Is there any bipolar-related information or service that you’ve always wished you could get from the Internet but doesn’t exist yet?
Therese: I wish there were an Amazon.com type directory online where you could find therapists, doctors, partial stay hospital programs, and support groups in your zip code, and read reviews from others about them. A one stop resource center would be great!
Dr. Val: You work at Belief Net – tell me a little bit about what the spiritual side of the bipolar journey. How has spirituality played a role in your healing?
Therese: I grew up as a very religious kid and my “OCD” made itself manifest at a young age. I remember that when I was in fourth grade I wrote a book for my mom and her prayer group friends about how to get to heaven. I look back and laugh at that now because it probably listed things like looking at the sacred heart and praying the rosary 15 times.
But on a more serious note, when I was deeply depressed and feeling suicidal the thing that kept me from taking my life was the thread of hope that God was there. If I didn’t have that I don’t think I’d be here. I often asked God for signs of His presence during that horrible times, and believe it or not, I always received them.
*Full Interview Available Via Audio Podcast*This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
