Members get a daily Covid-19 topic focused on Covid in Tennessee.
Supporters are part of a self-improvement sub-group where value is dispensed daily on personal growth in all aspects of life, informed by many sources. New members welcome!
Tennessee Covid numbers today:
New confirmed SARS-CoV2 infections: 5,013
New covid deaths: 64
Hospitalizations: 3,589
Positivity: 19.94%
The statewide hospitalizations are declining. Northeast Tennessee appears to be plateauing.
After yesterday, my attitude has crystalized. I copy below what I wrote on my personal wall today. You can stop reading here if you already read it there. I
It is my moral duty as a physician to give you the best advice I have, and I do that. I do not wish to fight. I don't have the energy. I will tell you the truth as best I can determine it. I am not being paid by drug companies.
The vaccine is the best tool in our tool box to keep you from going on a ventilator or dying. There are very few individuals who should not receive it. Discuss with your doctor if you have any concerns.
There is nothing that can make up for a massive dose of initial virus in some individuals.
Even if vaccinated, if you have high risk for severe disease (obese, over 65 years old, hypertension, diabetes, immune suppression, and some other things), talk with your physician immediately upon exposure if you know, or diagnosis if you didn't, about getting monoclonal antibodies. Their effectiveness declines as time passes from your point of exposure.
The unmentionable drugs (you know, the ones I could get banned for discussing) are not going to save you. And they certainly are not a substitute for vaccination. I don't care if you use them. They will wipe out your worms or your malaria. The rest is an argument you can have with someone else, not me.
Don't have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. Get sunlight. Take a good multivitamin daily. Exercise. Lose excess weight.
We can talk about risk factors all day long, and they are real, but not having risk factors is only part of the story. Limiting your initial dose of virus is also important, and you cannot predict that.
I believe there is a special place in Hell for those who manufacture disinformation about vaccines. I'm more sympathetic to those who believe the BS, but I'm starting to lose that sympathy.
This is not a rant about forcing you to be vaccinated. That is a separate topic, and no, I do not support any mandate.
Guard your mental health.
This matters more than you may realize.
People are on the edge of their sanity, and you might not know it until they lose it. Don't be the last straw.
I'll be using the block button if anyone starts arguing in the comments. My patience is gone.
Stay healthy!
I'm on a weekend night call schedule this weekend, which always leaves me feeling under-rested and generally icky.
But I wanted to remind you that outdoor exercise without screens is really good for your mental health.
Go outdoors, preferably into the woods.
Get in tune with those surroundings, the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the movement of air and the varying temperatures as you walk.
We were made to be outdoors.
We were definitely not made to work in cubicles.
One Degree!
What you want from your body will dictate what you need to set as goals, and the goals will determine what you'll end up having to change to attain them.
I've spoken many times about systems being better than goals, and my position has not changed.
But goals are easier to discuss and to understand, so for this week, we'll be very specific about goals.
Do you want more muscle mass?
Do you want to be stronger?
Do you want to run faster?
Do you want to gain weight?
Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to improve general fitness?
Do you want longevity?
Do you want strong bones?
Do you want to earn a Black Belt?
Understanding the benefits and costs of each particular goal may help you decide what you want.
For example, if you want to compete in body-building competitions, you'll not be doing the same thing as if you were focused on longevity. Same with strength competitions.
But general fitness and longevity go fairly well together.
Running is great but will increase the likelihood of needing knee or hip ...
I'll make this one short and to the point.
Spring time change is hard on all of us. Having to get up an hour early doesn't make going to bed an hour earlier much easier.
Yes, it's nice to have more productive time in the evening.
But it's at the cost of forcing us out of be an hour earlier, as we all know.
Our challenge is to adjust our circadian rhythm to match the world's expectations around us.
My main strategy is supplementing with a dose of melatonin about a half hour before I need to be asleep. It helps most people fall asleep more readily.
If you need a nap during your day, take it between mid-morning and early afternoon. Limit it to 20 minutes.
Taking a longer or later nap may make it even harder to get off to sleep in time.
All of the other normal advice applies even moreso:
- Take a 20-minute walk after supper.
- No screen time for the last hour before bed.
- Listen to calm music after supper.
- Don't eat for 2 hours before bed.
- Don't have conflict-laden conversations ...
