Having ‘been there, done that’ – taking care of my dad full-time at home, this particular topic is not only quite a sensitive subject, but tends to bring up some memories (both happy and not) of a number of trials and issues related to caring for Dad, and this topic can’t end without thoughts running through your mind like, “I’m glad I did it that way; wish I’d done it this way…” as Laurie noted.

Caring for your parent doesn’t always mean you’re caring for an “ailing” parent. Sometimes, you’ll just see some ‘fraying’ around the edges and will want to jump in and help. There are some people who see caring for parents as a role-reversal. That’s not the case at all! It’s not like caring for your child. You will always be your parents’ child and they will always be your parent! Some duties might be the same, like changing diapers or cleaning up spills, but the roles are still what they were.

“I’m the one in control”, “I’m the one taking care of you”, doesn’t work! Your parents are adults, and you must keep that in mind always making sure you’re treating them as such, ensuring they are living with a level of respect and dignity. Caring for a parent, especially with dementia, is constantly challenging the care giving child.

It’s a huge decision to make – taking a parent to a skilled nursing home because you aren’t able to do it yourself anymore. Laurie said it’s actually a sign of love and respect when that time comes. When your care adversely affects your health, it’s not a bad decision! Taking care of yourself is vital, as is planning…Plans for alternative care if something happens to you and you can’t do it anymore or for an extended time. Laurie used the metaphor of when you’re in an airplane and the oxygen mask comes down. Your instructions are to place the mask over your mouth first, then place the mask on the person next to you. Same concept applies here… Sometimes you don’t see the ‘burnout’ coming, it just happens and you must have a plan to deal with it. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either, because you will need it at some point!!! Even if it’s someone coming over for just a couple hours a week to help with cleaning, or medical issues, whatever.  It ALL helps!

There’s a huge difference between the developmental levels of a child versus an adult. The child doesn’t yet know the rules but will learn; the adult (with dementia) will never re-learn!

Laurie announced an upcoming workshop being held at the Senior Center on Saturday, April 28th from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. by Yvonne Spears. The subject is on ‘Dealing with Dementia’ and will answer many questions about caring for an adult with this condition. More details will be available at a later date.

Suggestions & Alternatives for adult children not able to care for their parent(s) 24/7: People can hire private care givers. There are three ways to accomplish this…

1. For very low-income (of the parent, not the adult child): IHSS, or, InHome Support Services available through the county. Limited to up to 6 hours per week of in-home health care, paid by the county.

2. In-home Care Provisions with long-term care insurance previously purchased. United Home Care, Care at Home and In-Home Quality Care are the three agencies that provide private care, all except certain long-term care insurances can be paid for that way.

3. (covering the ‘great gap’ in the middle for households that don’t qualify for the other two): Common Ground (through the Amador Senior Center) takes information from you as to your needs and prepares a list of 6 to 8 people for you to contact. You are also given a packet with guidelines of how to interview and select prospective care givers who best fit your needs.

Laurie mentioned a book she’s been reading by Virginia Morris on how to care for your aging parent. We’ll save that discussion for the next segment!

In the meantime, stay well!

Laura.

The Second Half Show is heard weekend mornings at 7:30 on KVGC Radio, 1340 AM, or on the web at http:www.kvgcradio.com. You can also go to my website to listen to the ‘Archives’ of every show aired up to this one! http:www.thesecondhalfshow.com Be sure to “Like” and refer your friends and family, too! (Show sponsorships are available)

Beth explained the events leading to the opening of her aerobic walking classes: It started as an in-home exercise program by the now Nationally-known fitness expert, Leslie Sansone, in her Pennsylvania church basement. Her program went to video format after one of her students left for vacation and wanted to continue her workouts while away, and it’s been going strong for 27 years! There are a number of DVD programs now available to lower blood pressure, decrease the risk of heart disease, senior-based programs as well as teens in 1, 2 and 5 mile variations.

Two years ago, Leslie ‘went live’, going back into the communities and certified 220 “walk leaders” in the U.S. and U.K. Beth is the only Certified Walk Leader for this program in Northern California. Her classes are held in Pine Grove at Ko Sutemi Karate Studio where she holds ten classes per week.

The current average age of Beth’s clientele ranges from age 40 to 80, all women at the moment! She added that her six year-old granddaughter loves this program, and will probably teach it one day! … A selling feature of this 50-minute program is there is no memorization of moves -just watch and follow Beth lead the class using basic steps personalized to your level of ability. You can burn-off on average, 200 calories during the 5k program, but that number will vary depending upon your weight and level of energy you exert with the music…. Oh, the music! If you like The Beach Boys, Temptations, The Trammps, Louis Armstrong and a host of other very popular selections, you’ll really enjoy burning off your calories in this class! I’ve attended a couple of them and find myself concentrating on keeping with the beat rather than the effort it takes to get through the class (my choice to challenge myself at the highest level I can go!). The tunes are calculated with a precise playlist with the distance predetermined in order to achieve the workouts. One thing you’ll need to do is keep your feet moving – the premise of the class. Beth stresses proper form during the entire program to make sure that no injury occurs. She currently has clients who are recovering from hip replacement, knee replacement, etc… and finds that anyone who can walk can have a successful workout, burning off those unwanted calories and pounds.

So, how did Beth come to the point of being a business owner, teaching this program? She explained that due to her own physical condition – suffering from scoliosis and other spine conditions, she found that this particular program was one of the few, if not the only one she could get through her own limitations and feel like she’s actually accomplishing her fitness goals. Her business goal is to provide others with the ability to participate in physical activity – with adaptions if necessary.

A challenge here for MEN – Give this program a try and see if you can do it! This is NOT a “sissy” program (there’s a sign on the wall stating that!).

Here are the particulars: Class days/times are M, Tu, Th, 9:00 a.m. (5k) & 10:30 a.m. (2 mi.); Tu, Th; 4:45 p.m.)5k) & 5:45 p.m.(2 mi.) at  Ko Sutemi Karate, 20200 Highway 88, Pine Grove, CA. Contact Beth at 209-471-8792, her email- walkleaderbeth@yahoo.com or on the web at http://www.walklivewithfitnessmadefun.com 

Until next time,

Laura.

The Second Half Show can be heard weekend mornings at 7:30 on KVGC Radio, 1340 AM, on the web at http://www.kvgcradio.com or on the Show Archives page on my website at http://www.thesecondhalfshow.com

Specifically, Lynn described projects that have been funded by the Mental Health Services Act (Proposition 63) about four years ago, and what Amador County is doing to put those funds to the best use possible. The County Health people looked at the needs and gaps of the community in order to use these funds for new programs such as prevention of mental illnesses, children’s issues, any new trails not yet tried in this area.

Innovations Project - Helps people with programs that haven’t yet been tried, better programs to help mental health patients. The ‘County’ looked at “self-management techniques” and tools for people who are just beginning with an illness, someone whose suffered a long time, or families with children. Part of the program deals with no-insurance-based treatment through organized groups of volunteers in the community working together. Unfortunately, Lynn stressed, what often happens is people who are in need of services weren’t or aren’t coming through the doors to get the help they need until their condition is beyond the ‘necessary’ level (a ‘stigma’ that she addresses a little later).

One example Lynn used is a new program they are going to try – ‘meditation’. For instance, walking and paying attention to your feet landing on the ground rather than thinking about your worries.

Where do volunteer groups come into play? Volunteer groups and organizations are filled with people of all backgrounds and levels of experience. The groups can be introduced within the community and implement various services, allowing people who need the services to be less intimidated than walking through the mental health facility!

Mental Health First Aid – A program that is currently underway at the Sierra Winds facility.

Back to the existing volunteer organizations and groups, and anyone else interested: All volunteers in the Mental Health First Aid or Innovations projects receive several weeks of training and learn how to identify when someone is in need. Lynn explained the WRAP program – Wellness Recovery Action Plan. Basically, it helps answer the question of, “What do I do now that I’m feeling pretty good?” She has found that many people stop doing the things that work once they are feeling better. The WRAP plan helps individuals and families learn to use the tools and take them home, which seems to work very well in sustaining mental health. There’s a lower level of an intimidation factor which means a higher innovation.

Anyone recovering from a condition is a better teacher than someone seen as a professional, Lynn stated. The most powerful intervention is a group setting such as the 12-step programs that most are familiar with – the basis for the innovation programs she’s been describing, using personal experience in helping others.

Meridian Tapping – Lynn described this as an Eastern philosophic way of centering yourself, focusing on calming the fear down in a realistic way. Demonstrations on this form of therapy has recently been done for focus groups.

There is training that begins next Monday for those interested. The Behavioral Health Department is recruiting volunteers for anyone wishing to learn about the information relayed here. Lynn mentioned that so far, there has been a large interest especially from the senior community. She continued to say that the Behavioral Health Department normally receives a lot of volunteer assistance from the Senior Counseling Program and from Hospice volunteers. These volunteers have been coming to learn the process, helping to choose which programs and techniques to start with.

I asked Lynn a specific question relating to our community: With the aging demographics of the county, do you see an increased rate of the ‘aging’ population coming in for help? Her response: She doesn’t necessarily see a lot of seniors now as far as formal mental health, but as the percentages increase in the ‘baby-boomer’ set, she expects more will be asking for help, and especially with this group as they are less afraid of that stigma of being identified as needing help as earlier generations have traditionally been. She also mentioned that working with the Amador Senior Center has been quite helpful!

Grandparents Parenting Program-  is becoming more popular as more grandparents are becoming “parents” again, but with that, they are also experiencing some ‘isolation’ issues with their peers. The ‘Resource Connection’ is the agency to contact for more information on this program.

Lynn revealed that there will be a community meeting coming up on March 5th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the county health building. There will be a workshop and round table discussions on the “Stigma of Mental Health”- What’s working well now, what needs improvement.

For more information on mental health issues of our aging community or for any of the workshops coming up, contact Lynn Thomas at her direct line: 209-223-6814. Lynn is also the Community Services Manager, so she is very accessible to discuss your questions/concerns.

Until next time, Stay Healthy! And don’t forget to visit my website, http://www.thesecondhalfshow.com  and my Facebook page (‘search’ for the show name!)

Laura.

“The Second Half Show” is heard weekend mornings at 7:30 on KVGC Radio – 1340 AM or on the web at http://www.kvgcradio.com .

This week’s segment was on ‘fitness management’. Some of the discussion was a refresher from last time, but enough new material that it made for an interesting show:

Alyshia described the main point in fitness management is that of ‘motivation’. Your motivation to exercise will change as you age because as in her example, we just aren’t as interested in being a ‘size 6 again’ in order to fit in that Prom dress! As we age, our bodies change and we really can’t stop it, but there are things that can be done to slow the process and stay as physically healthy as possible. The natural deterioration of our bones, joints and muscle tissue – as just mentioned – doesn’t stop, but as you exercise (physical impact exercise like running, not cycling or other non-impact exertion) you stimulate growth as you move. If you’re careful how you do it, it’s actually a positive!

“Running” is not necessarily a fast-paced activity. Just putting one foot in front of the other at whatever speed you can go is a benefit. How your feet are landing on the ground, ‘pulling’ your tendons just enough for a good stretching without causing damage, actually can help build stronger joints. Alyshia commented on how ‘running’ versus ‘walking’ is obviously not the same benefit, but if you are physically unable to run, then walking at a good pace (for you) is ideal.

We discussed heart rate, in that Alyshia mentioned that it’s actually easier for an older person to get their heart rate up more quickly than a younger person during exercise or any work activity; for example, a heart rate between 80 to 90 beats per minute is sufficient to burn calories as opposed to 120-130 bpm for younger people to burn the same amount. In any case, there are almost no conditions to prevent you from increasing your heart rate and getting some sort of exercise!

Know the difference between ‘lapse’ and ‘relapse’: A lapse is when something happens in your life – a medical condition, personal or physical setback… that prevents you from exercising maybe a week or so. Alyshia gave the example of how she took a couple weeks off from running during her wedding/honeymoon. Just do something  (walk, or whatever) rather than laying in bed, sitting and watching TV. While taking care of your diet at the same time, you can easily recover from a ‘lapse’, but will probably have to start back a little slower to build back up where you were. You may be a little ‘winded’, but you’ll build back up relatively quickly.

Alyshia shared some information from a book she’s reading that has to do with ‘ultra-marathoning’. It has to do with the “stagnant human” that we’ve become over the centuries, where ‘man’ used to run and walk exclusively in order to get somewhere. Running has become such a ‘non-event’ over the generations as technologies have created ways for us to physically have to do less.    “Your human capacity is what you allow yourself to do!”

As we were running out of time (again!), Alyshia didn’t get a chance to talk about “relapse”. Maybe she’ll be able to touch on that next time. I did happen to discuss a letter received by a listener, where Alyshia gave some advice. The letter had to do with a woman who wanted to lose another 5 to 7 pounds but can’t find the time to exercise properly. Alyshia’s advice was for her to create a ‘calorie deficit’ – burning off more calories than what you consume. A leaner person actually has a more difficult time creating that calorie deficit than does a heavier person, but keeping at it even 10 minutes at a time, 60 minutes per day will likely do the trick! She offered the option of while you’re at work, use your 10-minute breaks to do jumping jacks, or do what she used to do – disco dance at your desk Just be creative. There’s no mystery – just … do it!

If you have any questions on this topic, you can contact Alyshia at New York Fitness, 209-223-3236, or 740-7898.

Until next time -

Laura.

The Second Half Show is heard only on KVGC radio, 1340 AM or on the web at http://www.kvgcradio.com weekend mornings at 7:30. Be sure to visit my website, http://www.thesecondhalfshow.com and leave a comment or question.

Once you’ve been referred to the sleep lab by your physician and waiting in the lab office, you will be given a questionnaire to fill out. You’ll also meet your P-Tech (Registered Polysomnigraphic Technician). There is a computer connected to the room you’ll spend the night in – the hours from 7 or 8 p.m. to about 5 a.m. A number of monitoring devices (EEG and the like) are hooked up to you, basically from head to toe! There’s a 12-point cardiac monitor, chest band to monitor thoracic breathing, an abdominal band for abdominal breathing, leg monitors and some special equipment to monitor REM (Rapid Eye Movement). There’s more wires attached to your legs to monitor any leg movement while you sleep. It takes about an hour to set up all the monitoring devices, but for a great night’s sleep if you haven’t had one for some time, I think the time is well worth the effort!

The question of ‘how can anyone sleep with all this equipment hooked up to you? Tim explained that most sleep apnea patients fall asleep pretty quickly, so it’s not a problem.

Once Obstructive Sleep Apnea (see last week’s info if you don’t know this term) tests are confirmed, a patient will likely be set up for a CPAP machine. There are many varieties, sizes and configurations, all designed to address specific problems as best as possible. The turn-around time from test results to actually receiving a CPAP is very short due to the number of vendors in the area. Typically, a patient would be able to get their machine in about 24 hours. Tim noted that after someone is diagnosed with S.A. and treatment begins, a patient tends to learn to sleep with their mouth closed; it’s when the mouth is open during sleep that creates snoring, then the closing of the airway process.

We briefly discussed expense- Is the sleep lab inexpensive enough that someone without medical insurance or very limited coverage able to go in for testing? Tim explained that yes, it is affordable for many, and their office does take MediCare patients.

Currently, Sutter Amador Hospital’s Sleep Lab has two beds with a third coming soon. They are using hospital beds for the time being, but expect to have some non-hospital type beds (I asked if they would be the ‘Tempur-pedic’ kind!) for patients in the near future.

So, what should you bring with you for the night? Tim recommends bringing your own pillow, jammies, slippers…whatever makes you comfortable!

Now that we all have a much clearer picture of our local Sleep Lab, if you find yourself in need of their services, it won’t be such a mystery. Call Tim (or speak to Janet, the facility coordinator) at 209-223-7581 if you have more questions on sleeping disorders or the Sleep Lab.

Until Next Time, Stay Healthy!

Laura.

“The Second Half Show” is heard weekend mornings at 7:30 on KVGC Radio 1340 AM, or on the web at http://www.kvgcradio.com

Also visit my website at http://www.thesecondhalfshow.com  or on my Facebook page, The Second Half Show.

To start off, Tim is the Director of Cardiopulmonary, Sleep Disorders and Rehab Services at Sutter Amador Hospital as I mentioned. I then asked Tim to explain all the letters printed after his name: RRT, CRTT, RCP.  Registered Respiratory Therapist; Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician; Respiratory Care Practitioner. So there you go; if you ever see his business card or get an email from him, you know what he is!

OK, now that that is clear, you know he’s more than qualified to do what he does – and he’s been in the business for 40 years now, so I think he’s more than qualified to discuss our topic!! Did I mention much of his training was at Stanford Medical Center? (Go Stanford! But sorry they lost in the Bowl game this year.)

Sleep Apnea- A condition that actually is divided into two categories.

1) Obstructive: This is the most common. The profile of someone who suffers from this condition is overweight (creates a larger neck girth that crowds the airway which causes snoring). Tim revealed that he considers himself the ‘poster child’ for obstructive S.A. He shares a story  a little later in the interview (keep reading!).

2) Central : Central nervous system issues that causes S.A. Such conditions would be seizure-related. This is not associated with ‘obstructive’ S.A.

Tim spent some time talking about Sutter Amador’s Sleep Lab which now has 2 beds, but they are soon to have a third one coming soon. This is a good-thing/bad-thing scenario in my opinion, in that yes, it’s great to have another bed for patients to be evaluated; the bad part is, there are so many people out there to fill these beds!

There is a questionnaire available at the sleep lab which Tim spent some time discussing. It has to do with answering the acronym: STOP BANG. He explained the STOP portion of the questions: S= Do you Snore? T= Are you Tired? O= Observed Sleep Apnea. Has anyone ever told you you’ve stopped breathing during sleep? P= Pressure. Are you hypertensive (have high blood pressure?) If you answered “Yes” to 3 or 4 of these questions, you may very well be a good candidate for a sleep disorder evaluation.

Sutter Amador Hospital/Sleep Lab has a tri-fold brochure filled with information. I asked Tim to discuss some of the points that I found interesting or wanted clarification. Did you know that there are more than 50 million Americans experiencing some sort of sleep disorder most nights of the week? In addition to emotional strain, lack of sleep affects the aging process and contributes to heart disease, diabetes and mental health concerns such as depression.

Tim explained other dimensions of sleep medicine, although the majority is from obstructive sleep apnea. He mentioned that sleep research has only been around for about 25 years, but there are some exciting new things coming – especially in the area of dream analysis!

Parasomnias = ‘many’ sleep issues; Restless Leg Syndrome= You’ve likely seen ads on TV about this; Rhythmic movement disorder= This could be a neurological disorder, manifested by disruptive sleep; Disruptive sleep pattern= basically, not sleeping through the night or an abnormal pattern.

Tim shared his particular disruptive sleep pattern by telling the story of how he got himself into the sleep lab. His symptoms: He was tired all the time, all day at meetings, experienced morning headaches (which is caused from a build-up of carbon dioxide from not breathing regularly during sleep and can be very toxic. It can also be a strain on the heart!). Tim’s ‘incident’ happened when he was driving his car, stopped for a moment for stopped traffic in front of him and fell asleep at the wheel! His wife sitting next to him woke him up with a comment, not necessarily realizing he fell asleep. Two days later he was in the sleep lab and has been using a CPAP machine ever since, having the best night’s sleep ever!

Sleep Savings Account. People can’t/don’t sleep during the work week and try to make up the lost hours over the weekend. That doesn’t work! Especially for the 30 and over group, if you’re not getting 6 or more hours of good sleep per night, you’re going to be tired.

To get into the Sleep Lab, you must be referred by your physician. Next week’s segment, Tim will explain exactly what to expect once you’re there.

For more information on sleep disorders, you can call Tim Sammons at 209-223-7581.

Until next time, stay healthy!

Laura.

‘The Second Half Show’ is heard only on KVGC Radio 1340 AM weekend mornings at 7:30, or on the web at http://www.kvgcradio.com

Be sure to ‘Like’ “The Second Half Show” on Facebook and check out the website at http://www.thesecondhalfshow.com

This weekend, Dr. Richard Van Buskirk returned as my guest on the topic of diabetes and how it effects your eyesight. Having had second-hand experience with this issue while care giving for my dad, it’s a topic of great interest to me.

Dr. Van Buskirk explained that diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to process sugars you eat. High sugars in your system damage blood vessel walls. These vessels are very fragile, especially in the retina. When damage occurs, blood leaks into the eye. It can be a devastating condition, where studies show an increased number of people – about 20 thousand a year – are affected by this.

Cataracts and Diabetes. Cataracts occur when fluid leaks in the eye’s lens, causing swelling. A patient may experience dry eyes, and find that a change in prescription is necessary. I shared with the audience, my experience of watching my dad’s progression of loss of his vision after being diagnosed with diabetes, and the various equipment and procedures used to look into his eyeball and find the problems associated with his level of diabetes.

Signs of diabetes in eyes. Strict blood sugar control is extremely important! Follow your doctor’s orders. If your doctor sees a progression of blood vessels breaking down, you may very well have some of this ‘high-tech’ procedures used on you, such as a ‘Diabetic Retinopathy’; a laser procedure used to cauterize blood vessels and limits bleeding. Dr. Van Buskirk commented that he hopes you don’t get to that point! He also mentioned an ophthalmic instrument that is used which shows an image of the back of the eye to actually see where the blood vessels have ruptured. He stressed that early detection is the key here in slowing down the process!

Diet. This is a key issue in eye health and slowing down degeneration. Less carbohydrates (which break down to sugars) should be a major part of a diet plan for those with diabetic issues.

Dr. Van Buskirk stressed how important it is to have annual checkups. Most vision loss is directly associated with diabetes. There’s a  higher risk of developing glaucoma if diabetes is part of your life. Monitor your sugars by checking them regularly.

A topic not directly related to diabetes but worth mentioning to close out the show was that of ‘Floaters’. The doctor explained how it’s the vitreous (jelly) material that deteriorates as you age and detaches from the retina. If you see dark spots or patches ‘floating’ in front of you – go get checked! A couple little spots can be normal, so don’t panic if you do happen to see some, but if it gets annoying or obvious, have it checked out by a doctor. There are no treatments available right now for floaters, but you can be treated to slow the process.

If you have more questions about eye health, contact any of the professionals at Sierra Eye Care in Jackson. Their phone number is easy to remember: 223-2020!

Until next time -stay healthy!

Laura.

The Second Half Show can be heard weekend mornings at 7:30 on KVGC-1340 AM or on their website at http://www.kvgcradio.com

(Audio disclaimer is available at time of airing of each program)

Melanie Trowbridge is a Medical Doctor from Sutter Creek who specializes in psychiatry. Our discussion today revolved around dealing with loss and grief as we go through this time of year. Dr. Trowbridge expressed how grief and loss is pertinent to any time of the year, but seems to be most pertinent to the holiday season. It’s difficult to deal with emotions – shock, anger, guilt – and it can be overwhelming. It’s also hard to deny or avoid, but is important to experience them; that’s how we heal – by embracing our emotions!

Signs & Symptoms: Understand that nos thing is ‘normal’, there is no ‘normality’. We all experience grief in our own way, based on our life experiences. Some things are common:

Sadness. Emptiness, lonely, crying is difficult to control.

Shock. Disbelief, denial. It takes quite a long time sometimes to get past this.

Guilt. Things you did/didn’t do or say. You start asking yourself if something could have been done differently (by you, or a doctor, etc…)

Anger. Angry toward others or angry at the person who left you.

Fear. How to exist without the person who passed. Fear of how to go on with everyday tasks.

The process of grief brings on physical issues. Fatigue, nausea, aches and pains, loss of appetite, anxiety, loss of sleep which would enhance all the other issues.

When you’re experiencing those physical signs of grief, you’re experiencing them with those who care about you.

Unhealthy feelings. depression. If you find that depression is lasting more than two weeks or if loved ones say something about it, that may indicate a problem.

Here’s a tip: Grief is a ‘roller coaster’. Emotions are “across the board”, but with depression, that feeling tends to be consistent rather than up and down. Seek help! Get feedback from professionals and from our loved ones.

Grief Counselors: Hospice of Amador is highly recommended; they’re well-trained and very available. There are many other groups and resources available – don’t be afraid to seek counseling!

The holiday season provides a special need-set:  Do take care of yourself. There’s only a certain amount of emotional amounts of energy you have! Be sure you recognize when it’s been enough!

Know that it will never be exactly how it was before your loved one has passed. Use, especially the first year of loss, as a healing time, Each year will get a little easier to get through. Be sure to listen to the people around you who care about you, and spend time to take care of yourself!

If you’d like more information and would like to contact Dr. Trowbridge, give her a call at 209-257-0177.

Until next time, stay healthy and have a very Merry Christmas!

Laura.

You may have noticed a repeat interview recently, that’s OK! It’s not everyone, every weekend, who is able to get up and turn on the radio at 7:30 in the morning!  Listening to an interview a second – or even a third time, can reveal some interesting information that you may very well have missed the first time around.

With that, be sure to listen to the new Christmas Eve show Saturday morning (no show on Christmas Day due to special music programming) as I interview a local psychiatrist on how to cope with the loss of a loved one during the holidays. I’m taking New Year’s weekend off (so many football games to watch!!), but be sure to tune-in as a very popular show from several months ago will be replayed.

I have hyper-linked a web address for you below that, if you’re like me and have to manage your cholesterol levels, I’ve found some very useful tips on this site:

http://www.realage.com/health-guides/all-about-cholesterol-gallery?eid=1010654127&memberid=51377124

So until next time…. from my family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah!

Laura

I’m adding a special entry on my blog site today because, well, it’s my birthday and – it’s my blog

For those of you who have been following my radio show and take a peek at each week’s entries here, I just want you to know that even though I don’t always go and have the various check-ups that are discussed on my show, and I don’t always eat right or get all the exercise I know I should, there are days like today…

This morning, I woke up (well the last time I woke up this morning!) with the intention of burning off at least 600 calories on the home treadmill – ambitious for a new 52 year-old, but totally ‘doable’. Hey, I will do what is necessary to keep that persistent “middle-aged-spread” from winning, and avoid at all costs that dreadful event of having to buy the next size up in clothing! I am happy to report that even though I didn’t  get to the 600-calorie mark during that activity (made it to just over 400 before my hamstrings chimed in), I certainly hit it later in the day as I helped take down a dozen or so Christmas trees at a local school gymnasium – just two of us girls doing it all… Yeah, it was a great workout, but boy, am I tired! Not exactly what I had envisioned spending my birthday doing, but it needed to get done, so I did.

So, the remainder of the evening is set aside for rest, relaxation, football…. and of course my husband’s fabulous Tri-tip meal he is preparing for me.

Sounds like tomorrow I’ll be working off at least another 600 or so calories, eh!?

Keep listening and keep healthy, OK!?

Laura.