December 8th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Medblogger Shout Outs, True Stories
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There’s nothing sadder than the death of a child. Young hopes and aspirations are snuffed out long before they can ignite their potential. That’s why the Make-A-Wish Foundation is doing their part to make sick childrens’ dreams a reality – to bring a sense of joy and fulfillment to kids whose days are cut short by illness.
I had the chance to participate in making a child’s wish come true earlier this year. I blogged about it here. It was a really moving experience for me and all involved – we helped a young terminally ill boy fulfill his dream of being President of the United States for a day. Amazingly, the White House even provided a real motorcade to shuttle him around. I got to play the role of paparazzi.
An EMT student blogged about another Make-A-Wish recipient whose dream it was to become a fireman. This story is also very touching. Here’s an excerpt:
There he stood, a father watching his son’s fantasy come to life. Sometimes, the deepest pain brings the greatest happiness.
William is usually outgoing and exuberant. Not Saturday. Saturday, he was awestruck.
Powers gave William a badge and the firefighters lined up to shake his hand. As they finished introducing themselves, William lifted the badge a few inches off his lap.
“He’s showing you to let y’all know he’s a fireman now,” said his mother, Marion Bussey.
Powers reached into a bag, pulled out a hat, and gave it to William. Then he gave the boy a shirt and yellow helmet as the rest of the firefighters looked on.
William leaned toward his mother and smiled. “Mom, I like this,” he whispered.
Tears formed in Bussey’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks.
“William is our hero and you guys are his hero,” she said to the firefighters. “He doesn’t have to say he wants to be a fireman anymore.”
What happened next wasn’t scripted. Maybe it was coincidence. Maybe no explanation exists.
William’s parents and the dozen firefighters looked at William and said the same words at the same time: “You are a fireman.”
William lifted his right hand and placed it on his forehead.
“I am William McKay,” he said, “and I’m an official fireman. Thank you.”
Then he saluted.
The firefighters looked at each other, tears welling in their eyes. They began crying. Some left the room. Others dabbed their eyes with tissues. William’s family began crying. Hospital staff began crying. Almost everyone began crying.
But not William. He had no reason to cry. He was the happiest boy in the world.
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
November 26th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Expert Interviews
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Dr. Cliff Bassett is an allergy specialist in New York City. We recently discussed the differences between men and women when it comes to allergies. You can listen to our conversation or read on for a synopsis of the discussion.
**Listen To The Podcast**
Seasonal Allergies & Women
Women don’t always realize that nasal stuffiness may be a sign of an underlying medical condition or a side effect of medications. Low thyroid (hypothyroidism), taking oral contraceptive pills, or frequent use of aspirin or NSAIDs (such as Motrin), can actually increase the risk for nasal stuffiness. Some studies also suggest that hormone fluctuations can increase nasal congestion and allergy sensitivity. So women in particular need to be aware of their unique allergy triggers and get treatment from an allergy specialist when necessary.
Food Allergies & Women
A recent study suggested that women are twice as likely to have seafood allergies than men (4% versus 2%). The reason for this difference is unclear, and it may be related to increased vigilance on the part of women to get tested and diagnosed. However, food allergies are certainly on the rise in this country. I suspect it might have to do with the increasing use of stomach acid blockers. The medicines change the pH (or acidity) of the stomach environment and may influence the way that proteins are being broken down and absorbed by the body. Another theory is that dieting can lead to increasing food allergies – as women eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates, they become exposed to more protein allergens and develop intolerances to them. Ultimately we don’t know for sure what’s contributing to the increase of food allergies in this country, but the good news is that you can easily get tested and treated for them.
Drug Allergies & Women
Some studies suggest that penicillin allergies are more common in women than men. Anyone who has an allergic parent is at higher risk for having an allergic condition. If both parents are affected, your chances are 50-75% that you’ll have a similar allergic profile.
Moms: Be a Label DetectiveA law was passed in 2006 that requires all food products to be carefully labeled regarding whether or not they contain any of the 8 most common food allergens. Moms need to become familiar with all the possible names of ingredients that are related to their (or their child’s) food allergen. So for example “casein” is a form of milk protein, and should be avoided if the allergic individual has milk sensitivities. Also, be very wary of hidden sources of allergens – the glaze on pastries may contain egg proteins and traces of nuts may be hidden in cakes and breads. When dining out it’s always good to carry an allergy card for the chef so he/she can make sure that the food you order doesn’t contain any offending ingredients. The website foodallergy.org has a great list of tips for avoiding exposure to food allergens. I highly recommend it as a resource for women taking care of food allergic children.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
October 18th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News, Opinion
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You might have seen the recent news about the middle school in Maine – King Middle School, in the Portland school district – that is planning to provide birth control to pre-teens, without requiring explicit parental consent. School officials argue that this will help to prevent pre-teen pregnancies, and estimate that at least 5 out of 135 of their 11- to 13-year-old female students are sexually active already.
While I absolutely sympathize with the desire to avoid pre-teen pregnancies, and I do understand that there is a reality here that some very young children will become sexually active at the tender age of 11, I personally do not support giving pre-pubescent girls hormone-altering tablets. We do not have good studies demonstrating the safety of such therapies in children, and until we do it’s just not medically sound to be offering this treatment. (For example, we don’t know what extra estrogen does to early breast buds, or whether there’s an increased risk for developing breast cancer later on.)
I also think that 11 year olds are not physically and emotionally prepared for sexual intimacy – and the prematurity of this event could be quite harmful for their psyche. We know that 11- and 12-year-old brains are not fully developed to think the way adults do, so there’s really no telling what impact it could have or what long term psychological effects might result.
Apparently sex before the age of 14 is illegal in Maine, so (although there’s no doubt that it may happen prior to that age) it seems that the state’s legal system is not in step with their school system, and that needs to be looked at. It is inconsistent to claim that an activity is illegal for children and then enable it with tax dollars.
I suppose that education about the use of condoms and access to them (without aggressive promotion of them) may be acceptable at this age. After all, condoms can prevent STDs and don’t have medical effects on the body as a whole. But my plea is that parents take the lead here – and educate your children about the risks of STDs, pregnancy, and the emotional damage that premature sex can have on a young person. Advocate for abstinence as a first choice, explain that condoms are non-negotiable, and try to help them turn their focus away from sex and towards more age-appropriate endeavors.
A new Dove advertising campaign asks parents to talk to their kids before the beauty industry does, and I think the same goes for sex and the media. Today’s parent must launch a preemptive strike against the over-sexualization of children, or risk having their 11 year olds taking estrogen patches from a school nurse without their consent.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
October 10th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Humor
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Those of you who enjoyed “Let’s Pick On Anesthesiologists” will really like this video as well. Many thanks to Dinah at Shrink Rap for pointing this one out. It’s a YouTube video of a comedian/mom singing all the things she tells her children in the course of a day, but condensed into 2 minutes. Any mom (or child of a mom) will relate. This woman must be channeling Mindy Roberts. Please click here: The Ultimate Mom Song.
Addition:Thank you, Mindy, for typing out the lyrics! Here you go ladies (and gentlemen?) if you’d like to sing along… And here’s a link to the woman who got this started: Anita Renfroe
Get up now
Get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepy head
Here’s your clothes
And your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now
Get up and make your bed
Are you hot?
Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and your gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget you got to feed the cat
Eat your breakfast
The experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at three today?
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon
So you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside
Don’t play rough
Would you just play fair?
Be polite
Make a friend
Don’t forget to share
Work it out
Wait your turn
Never take a dare
Get along
Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room
Fold your clothes
Put your stuff away
Make your bed
Do it now
Do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn?
Would you like some hay
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone
Get Off the phone
Don’t sit so close
Turn it down
No texting at the table
No more computer time tonight
Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up
Where you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me
Makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom
Someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait ’til you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now
I thank you NOT to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew
Would appreciate
Take a bite
Maybe two
Of the stuff you hate
Use your fork
Do not you burp
Or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an egg A, Get the door
Don’t get smart with me
Get a Grip
Get?in here I’ll count to 3
Get a job
Get a life
Get a PhD
Get a dose of reality
I don’t care who started it
You’re grounded until your 36
Get your story straight
And tell the truth for once for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff
Would you jump too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before that
You’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straight when you walk
A place for everything
And everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth
Wash your face
Get your PJs on
Get in bed
Get a hug
Say a prayer with Mom
Don’t forget
I love you
**KISS**
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because
Because
Because
Because
I said so
I said so
I said so
I said so
I’m the Mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
The mom
Ta-daThis post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
October 7th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in Book Reviews
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I’ve been reading Mindy Roberts’ hilarious book: Mommy Confidential: Adventures From The Wonderbelly of Motherhood. I particularly enjoy the moments she captures about her son, Will. I thought I’d share some excerpts with you to give you a good chuckle:
***
Today at Jake’s 6th birthday party, Will rushed up to me saying, “Mommy! There’s a dead squirrel over there! Hurry mommy, before he goes to heaven!”
***
Will is obsessed with size differentials among animals and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each as they relate to other predators. He wants to know exactly how big everything is so that he can determine how many predators it takes to bring down each type of prey. Among the factors are: height, weight, speed, habitat, how far it can jump, whether it can rear up, whether it can swim, and how sharp the teeth are. Usually he wants to know if, say, 20 wolves can take on 10 tigers, but this morning’s question took the cake. “Daddy, can 10 monkeys take down a zebra?”
You can find Mindy’s book at her website.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
