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: 2,955 new confirmed SARS-CoV2 infections, 28 new deaths, hospitalizations up to 2,802 patients, and positivity of 19.59%.
All elective surgeries in my area's health system will be postponed starting on Thursday. This will be incredibly disruptive to many people's lives.
What is an elective surgery? One that you can pick a time to do, and that you won't die or lose function of a body part if you don't do it in a timely manner.
Hernias? Unless they are strangulated or incarcerated, you get to wait.
Same with screening colonoscopies, and many other procedures.
None of us in medicine want this to be happening. The beliefs that underly vaccine resistance in the current time are deeply engrained and appear impossible to satisfy.
I fully understand the loss-of-freedom concerns, and I share those. But it boils down to a much deeper distrust of the systems that provide us with the tools we use to save lives.
And, honestly, I share a lot of the mistrust that the system endures. Think about it: The average 50-year-old has a 75% chance of being on at least one daily prescription medication, and the average number of prescriptions filled by a 50-year-old in a year is 13.
But it's a chicken-and-egg question: are people on meds because pharma pushed them, or are they on meds because they take poor care of their health and expect a pill to fix their bad choices?
All medications have risks and side-effects. If we gave most any medication to 190 million people, the side-effects would add up and, I would offer, be more prevalent and maybe even more serious than any of the current vaccines.
Most people who get severe Covid are happy to take whatever treatment is provided them, and aren't likely to question what the risks are.
But the average severe Covid patient has rationalized away the thought of getting a vaccination because some random person on the internet said it was an experiment, or that it will change their DNA, etc.
I'm convinced at this point that delta will finish the job that alpha started, and those who have chosen not to vaccinate will help it along.
If you've had your elective surgery canceled, I'm sorry.
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 ...
