1. Cartoon I love…
Here is a cartoon that we hang up in our office from time to time, and it always gets a laugh. It is funny, but also sad… as it is so true. I seldom see a new patient who isn’t taking at least one medication regularly, and most take multiple medications. Your goal should be to be truly and fully “Drug-Free!” I just found out that this cartoon was created by editorial cartoonist Signe Wilkinson.
2. Fundraiser concerns…
Years ago, a patient was raising money to help with diabetes awareness and diabetes research. She told me she was selling candy bars as a fundraiser and asked if I would buy one. Yes… you read that correctly… they were selling candy bars to raise money for diabetes. How crazy is that??? Selling something that is often directly responsible for the very disease/condition that you are so passionately trying to cure??? Since then, I have noticed that many fundraisers for health-related conditions involve junk food. People have to become aware of the fact that the foods we eat are very closely tied to the health conditions we all so strongly want to see eliminated. So when I am handed a piece of cake and a can of Coke when walking into a cancer fundraising event, encouraged to buy a candy bar or soda to help raise money for cancer research while visiting a patient at a major hospital’s cancer ward, or see trays or tables with candy bars, chips, cookies, and/or ice cream at the checkout of any store (like the one pictured below), it is unsettling for me. Candy, soda, and other sugary snacks are not the full blown cause of chronic illness in this country, but are a major contributor to them and have a major adverse impact on immune function. I have put off posting this thought because I know there are good intentions behind many of these fundraisers, and I commend people for taking action and working hard to raise money for health-related issues that they are passionate about. Just recognize the disconnect we have between the diseases/conditions that plague our country and the lifestyle choices that are part of the underlying causes of those conditions.
3. People really are awesome…
I have always been intrigued by human potential. As new records are set and amazing feats are accomplished, I am left wondering what the limit really is to what humans are able to do. Spend a little time watching People are Awesome videos on YouTube, and you’ll leave feeling motivated, excited, and better than you did before watching. People are Awesome videos contain clip after clip of people doing things that truly are awesome. There are many different segments that you can choose from. I absolutely love them! I’ve told my kids for years that I am going to come up with something to do to get on one of those videos… and I think I have something (stay tuned for that). Here is one of those People are Awesome clips for you get a taste… I picked a shorter one so you can check it out quickly…