“A Circle of Promise”

When you are blessed, bless someone else. Sharing a blessing is how all great movements get started. One person shares what they have and others do the same. The idea of sharing blessings is behind Health Watch’s tagline, “When we know better, we do better. So pass it on!” We are blessed to be a blessing.

In the spirit of blessing, we invited Crystal King of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to be a guest on Health Watch a few weeks ago. Phoning in from Dallas, Texas, Crystal talked to Health Watch about a Komen for the Cure effort, Circle of Promise.

Circle of Promise is a movement to provide African Americans with tools to improve their health and empower communities with information about breast cancer. Circle of Promise members serve as ambassadors in their local communities. They advocate for greater access to breast cancer screening, mobilize friends and family to reclaim health, and separate facts from myths about breast cancer. They also inspire others to spread these messages of hope to those they know and love. Since starting, thousands have become Circle of Promise ambassadors. Susan G. Komen for the Cure is looking to recruit even more.

Supporting Circle of Promise are national ambassadors, including: singers Pattie LaBelle and Lalah Hathaway; Tom Joyner Morning Show co-host, Sybil Wilkes; artist Synthia SAINT JAMES, and many, many more. Crystal, herself a breast cancer survivor, has been featured as a Circle of Promise ambassador on corporate partner products. Circle of Promise includes people from all walks of life. Both the international celebrity and the faithful community member have a sphere of influence. That sphere can be a circle of promise to end breast cancer.

If you have been blessed and want to bless others, then Circle of Promise might be your opportunity. For more information about Circle of Promise and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, check out this website: http://www.circleofpromise.org/default.aspx

Health Watch has joined the Circle of Promise. Hope you will, too. Until next time, remember “When we know better, we do better. So pass it on!”

“Feel Good About Being You”

Confidence -some people seem to have an over abundance of it, while others do not have enough. Being confident is something it seems like either you are either born with or struggle to develop. Unfortunately, too many find themselves in the latter category. Self-doubt can cause us to be anxious, stressed out and fearful. Yet, having the right amount of confidence can make the world seem like a place full of opportunities and possibilities, all with our names written on them. Confidence – how to achieve and maintain it – was the focus of last evening’s Health Watch.

Health Watch talked to two licensed psychologists, Dr. Leslie Sokol and Dr. Marci Fox, who work with clients in Philadelphia and Florida to boost their self-esteem and confidence. They had a lot to tell us about confidence and why too many of us are plagued by self-doubt. It was a Health Watch episode worth hearing.

For starters, they shared that there is a difference between self-doubt and realistic concern. Realistic concern is anxiety which manifests when you know you do not have the skills, training or experience to accomplish a particular goal. Realistic concern is reasonable because it alerts you to a need that you can work to address. However, self-doubt is different. Self-doubt says you cannot accomplish or achieve when all of your training, skills and experience say differently. Self-doubt is being concerned when there is really no need to be alarmed. Drs. Fox and Sokol shared a lot more about how doubt can wreak havoc on our confidence.

Doubts, whether they stem from our need to feel competent or to be accepted, can affect the way we see the world. When put in situations that cause us stress, one of those needs – either to be viewed as competent or be accepted – will fire up our doubts. As a result, we will “see” or “read into” situations things that are probably not true at all. Doubt can sabotage us before we even get started. Yet, thankfully Drs. Sokol and Fox shared there is a way to overcome doubt and regain the confidence that is rightfully ours. It begins first with acknowledgement.

Drs. Sokol and Fox advocate that we acknowledge each of us is a complete package and not a single item. What that means is that any one failure or set-back is not the sum total of who we are. Instead, it is one event. It does not define all of who we are. Therefore, we should not give it power over us. We define who we are, not a single event!

Another strategy they suggest is going on a fact finding mission to discover our assets- the unique and wonderful things that make us who we are. If we are not sure what those assets are, then ask people you know and trust to help identify them. Writing these assets down can help us see facts that support believing in and feeling good about ourselves. There were many more bits of wisdom our Health Watch guests had to share.

If you are in need of a confidence boost, then Drs. Sokol and Fox may have exactly the resource you are looking for. They have outlined their approach to confidence building in a book aptly titled, Think Confident, Be Confident: A Four-Step Program to Eliminate Doubt and Achieve Lifelong Self-Esteem. It is easy to read and provides quizzes and worksheets to help you with identifying your doubts and building your confidence.

To find out more about Drs. Sokol and Fox as well as the book, be sure to check out this link: http://www.thinkconfidentbeconfident.com/

We each have a right to feel good about who we are and our accomplishments. Both can be the fuel to propel us to higher and higher heights. As we grow in confidence, we can help others to do the same. Health Watch will keep doing its part to lead us on a path to confidence and health. Until next time remember, “When we know better, we should do better. Then pass it on!”

“You are not alone.”

You have seemingly done all the right things. You went to school to prepare yourself for a successful career, which you have. You are in a stable relationship. You are reasonably healthy. It seems like everything is in place. Now you are ready to start your family. Yet, things are not panning out the way you would like. You see other couples getting pregnant. However, you are not one of them. Why won’t the stork stop by your house?

Infertility- its causes, what is available to help, and how to cope—those were just some of the issues last week’s Health Watch dealt with. Helping us to better understand infertility and options available to those trying to get pregnant was Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, an infertility specialist from Meharry Medical College.

Dr. Richard-Davis told us that infertility is much more common than we perhaps first thought. So common in fact, Dr. Richard-Davis and her colleagues have written a book on the subject. The book entitled, Planning Parenthood: Strategies for Success in Fertility Assistance, Adoption, and Surrogacy covers many of the issues our Health Watch listeners wanted to know more about. Things like why it is more difficult to conceive the older a woman gets; costs associated with fertility treatment; and whether it is necessary for a woman to have an orgasm in order to conceive. (In case you were wondering about that last one, the answer is, “No.”) It was a Health Watch program you would not have wanted to miss.

If you are dealing with infertility, be encouraged. You are not alone. There are others in the same position and those with expertise to help. Health Watch wants to do our part to connect you to them. If you want to learn more about Dr. Richard-Davis’ book, please check out the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/Planning-Parenthood-Strategies-Fertility-Assistance/dp/0801891124

This is Health Watch singing off. Until next time remember, “When we know better, we do better. So pass it on.”

“You Can Do This”

You are sick and tired of the muffin top around your waist. It seems like the more you try to cut calories and exercise, the less weight you loose. You figure being the size you are is inevitable. Better to just learn how to deal with it. Accentuate the positives and minimize the negatives. If that sounds like you, then hold up for a minute.

Maybe it is not more willpower you need, but instead to listen to your body. I mean really listen to your body and start from there. Maybe that is where the secret to permanent weight loss can be found. You have tried everything else why not try something that might actually work for you. That is what Marcelle Pick, MSN, OB/GYN NP, co-founder of Women for Women Clinic and author of The Core Balance Diet challenged Health Watch listeners to believe. Believe you can, put that belief into action and achieve permanent weight loss and regain your health. It all starts with understanding how your body functions.

Marcelle told our Health Watch listeners that our bodies are made up of several systems, which all function to keep our minds, bodies and spirits in balance. When these systems are not functioning properly, systems like the adrenal, hormonal, digestive, inflammatory, neurotransmitter or detoxification, our “core” malfunctions and as a consequence we gain and retain weight. If we can listen to which system(s) is out of balance, provide what it needs to recalibrate, then health is restored and excess weight comes off. The Core Balance Diet provides a way to get in touch with these systems. By the response for our Health Watch listeners, Marcelle’s ideas about balance and weight loss definitely struck a chord with them.

Listeners wanted to know more about Marcelle’s approach as well as information about diet sodas, artificial sweeteners, and much, much more. Marcelle responded to each based on her years of experience working with women, as well as her genuine commitment to helping people live healthfully.

If you are finally ready to be rid of the weight, then The Core Balance Diet might be worth considering. Want to read more about Marcelle and her approach then check out the following link:

http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/corebalancediet.aspx

The weight can finally be over. Start by taking the first step on the path to balance and know that Health Watch will be with you all the way. Until next time remember, “When we know better, we do better. So pass it on.”

“Being Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired”

The noted Civil Rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer coined the phrase, “Being sick and tired of being sick and tired.” She used it to describe what it felt like to be black, poor, left out and disenfranchised under Jim Crow. Sickening and tiring. Not just a chronic situation people were living with, Hamer also meant it as a rally cry. When you are “sick and tired of being sick and tired” you do something about it. Being “sick and tired” can be the starting point for getting well. People with chronic fatigue syndrome know all about this.

Health Watch wanted to find out more about chronic fatigue syndrome and what it means to be “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” We also wanted to know what is being done to help people with CFS and what people with CFS are doing to educate others about the condition. To answer some of our questions about CFS we had Dr. Charles Stratton, associate professor, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine on last night’s Health Watch.

Dr. Stratton told us that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is not the same as being tired from being overworked or stressed out. Nor are CFS and its debilitating effects something just in people’s heads. Instead CFS is a medical condition that causes people to be significantly fatigued. Common symptoms associated with CFS include: difficulties with memory and concentration; joint pain and inflammation; tender lymph nodes; on-going muscle pain; feeling tired and exhausted even after resting; and problems with sleep. Because the symptoms of CFS resemble those associated with other medical conditions, it is not always easy for healthcare providers to determine if a person has CFS.

Yet, as Dr. Stratton shared more and more research is linking CFS to specific pathogens, which invade the body and cause wasting associated with CFS. If the associated pathogen can be identified and treated, it is possible for those with CFS to return to their normal, active lives. Dr. Stratton talked about one survivor who as a child with CFS once treated went from wasting away to becoming an active and healthy adult.

Dr. Stratton also shared that CFS is less common in children and more often seen in adults between 40-50yrs. Although it appears to happen more in women, Dr. Stratton pointed out this may only be because CFS can be easily misdiagnosed and that there are many people who may have symptoms, yet do not know they have CFS. That is why public awareness about CFS is so important.

To raise our awareness about CFS, the Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) Association of America in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sponsoring a national photo exhibit called, The Faces of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The photo exhibit features the stories of people living with CFS, along with information, local experts and actual people touched by CFS. The exhibit is touring the Nashville area at Cool Spring Galleria, 1800 Galleria Boulevard in Franklin, TN from September 21-27, 2009. To find out more about the exhibit and The CFIDS Association of America, please check out these links:

http://www.cfids.org/sparkcfs/default.asp

http://www.cfids.org/

“Being sick and tired of being sick and tired” is something those with CFS understand all too well. Yet, those with CFS are not taking it lying down. Instead they are rallying and educating others about it. By getting educated about CFS we too can join the cause. Until next time remember, “When we know better, we should do better. So pass it on.”

“Die with Dignity”

If you keep living, there will come a day when you will have to deal with dying. We don’t like to talk about it much, but death is a natural part of life. Many of us fear death. So we try and avoid it at all costs. When it happens to someone we love, we are usually unprepared. Because we have not given much thought to dying, it ends up being even more stressful because we have to process how we feel while making major decisions about handling what needs to be done.

Planning for death sounds morbid, but it is not. Instead it is a healthy way of thinking about living. The same dignity you have in life should be the same dignity you keep in death, maybe even better. Having a “good” death (Yes, its possible.) requires thinking about what you want and knowing what is available so your wishes are respected. Planning for death can be a celebration of living.

To change the way we think about death and dying, Health Watch decided to find out more about both. We wanted find out what scares us about dying and how to avoid this when it’s our time or somebody else’s that we love. We also wanted to know how to better cope when someone we love dies. To help us think about these issues we had Dr. David Tribble, chief medical officer for Alive Hospice on to talk about death, dying and grief. Not only did Dr. Tribble share factual information we all need to know, he shared his heart. It was a Health Watch show not to be missed.

We uncovered that most of us fear the same things about death – dying alone, dying in pain, what happens after death, and leaving others behind. Although death is not easy, there are some things we can do make the situation better. This is where hospice becomes so important. We found out that hospices operate separate facilities as well as offer services in hospitals, to help patients and love ones transition through the dying process. Dr. Tribble shared that as much as dying is a medical issue it is even more a spiritual and emotional one. Hospices are equipped to serve all of these needs.

We also learned that to have our wishes honored, we can create an advance directive, which is an umbrella term for documents created before a person becomes seriously ill. Advance directives include living wills, a document which says how you want to be cared for if you become terminally ill; medical power of attorney, a document which gives a person you name the right to make medical decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself; and DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders, which tell the hospital whether or not you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops beating. The Tennessee Department of Health has even more information about advance directives at this link: http://health.state.tn.us/AdvanceDirectives/index.htm

These are documents you can prepare long before you ever might need them. Although they indicate your wishes about your care, as Dr. Tribble told us, if while receiving care you change your mind, then your advance directives can be changed. Advance directives are to give you, your loved ones and healthcare providers directions about how to best care for you.

During our conversation with Dr. Tribble we also talked about grief. Grief is an important part of healing, especially when someone you love passes. Dr. Tribble shared that we do not all grieve the same way. Our age, relationship to the person and other experiences will all affect the way we grieve. Although the hole left when someone dies can never be filled, through grieving we learn how to better cope with that hole. Again hospice centers, like Alive Hospice, can be particularly helpful. These centers have people trained to help those left behind dealing with loss. If you want to find out more about Alive Hospice and the services they offer, please check out this link: http://www.alivehospice.org/

Death and dying are not something we like to talk about, but they are something we need to discuss with our families. When we do, it makes both less scary for everyone. Health Watch will keep doing its part to make it a little easier. We encourage you to do yours. To live and die well, those are the markers of a life well spent! Until next time remember, “When we know better, we should do better. So pass it on!”

“Rest for the Weary”

With everything going on, it is getting harder and harder to cope. There are more bad days than good days, and it seems as if the cloud over your head will never lift. Maybe you find comfort in “happy hour” after work with friends. But, now it seems that even the occasional cocktail is not enough. “Happy hour” is all day long. Guilt, shame and your little secret are starting to take a toll on you and those around you.

Or maybe life has dealt you some particularly hard blows. Death, divorce, abuse- you name it, you have been through it. Even though you are alive, you are dead inside. You are going through life on autopilot. You do not remember how to actually “feel” anymore. You are numb and disconnected. You don’t know when it happened you just know you are there. You are stuck.

Women, particularly those dealing with emotional trauma, substance abuse, and other addictive behaviors can feel like that. For many it feels as if they are facing these challenges alone. When they reach out for help, the help they receive is not always enough. Traditional treatment deals with the behavior, but not the emotional issues that underlie abuse. Dealing with one without addressing the other can feel like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. Fortunately, there is a better way and Health Watch is on a quest to find it.

More and more behavioral health providers are now talking about dual diagnosis, which is a fancy way of referring to addiction and emotional issues. Not only are they talking about it, they are also developing treatments to deal with both. Brookhaven Retreat, a residential treatment facility for women in East Tennessee, is one such facility. Jacqueline Dawes, owner and founder of Brookhaven, talked to Health Watch last Thursday about Brookhaven and its unique approach to helping women heal.

Jacqueline talked about her own experience of losing a child, divorce, and how those experiences prompted her to start Brookhaven. We discussed the kind of comprehensive health/behavioral health services Brookhaven offers. We explored reasons why women are reluctant to seek care, signs to look for in yourself or a loved one dealing with depression, and how Brookhaven has transformed the lives of women throughout the United States. It was an hour you would not have wanted to miss!

However, in case you did miss last week’s Health Watch, you can find out more about Jacqueline and Brookhaven Retreat at the following link: http://www.brookhavenretreat.com/

Recovery is possible. That’s the take-home message from last week’s Health Watch. If you are broken, healing and restoration are available. When you take the first step, others will be there to take the journey with you, including Health Watch. Until next time, remember, “When we know better, we do better. So pass it on!”