FAST - Face, Arms, Speech, Time

Today the news contained a story about Beau Biden being hospitalized for another possible stroke.  His Vice President father we all remember had an embolism.  Thank fully, BB (Beau Biden) recognized his symptoms and sought medical treatment.  While BB is young his father created a higher risk factor and one that obviously was not ignored.

My mother had a slight stroke or a TIA, Transient Ischemic Attack.  TIA’s are strokes that resolve by themselves within a couple of hours.  They can also be indicative of future strokes.  In my mother’s case she was an undiagnosed diabetic.  After a TIA the risk for a future stroke increases dramatically however, a TIA offers a chance for medical treatments to avoid a future stroke or minimize the damage.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply is cut off to the brain.  This lack of blood or oxygen can cause brain damage when the brain cells die resulting in affected speech, cognitive abilities and movements. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in America and a leading cause of adult disability.  Eighty percent of strokes are preventable according to stroke.org. 

The leading causes of stroke that are within our control are:  high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, tobacco use, alcohol use, mental health and obesity.  Things not in our control: age: while people of all ages can have a stroke you are more likely the older you are, gender: women suffer more strokes than men, race: African Americans have the highest incidents of stroke, genetics: once one family member has a stroke the risk increases for all family members, a hole in your heart and previous stroke or TIA. 

The most surprising factor for having a stroke is depression.  Middle age women with no other risk factors are two times more likely to have a stroke if they suffer from depression.   Wellness programs that are incorporated with President Obama’s health care reform not only address physical health such as healthy eating, exercise and smoking cessation but also mental health issues.  The mind/body connection has been implicated in our immune system.  Feeling stressed, anxious or depressed can weaken our immune system. 

Practicing healthy eating habits, exercise habits, getting plenty of sleep, stress reduction through exercise and meditation, and learning to express our feelings appropriately can help minimize our stroke factors.  Strong family friendships also reduce stress; as humans we are social beings and need that connection with one another.  Religion is also important in our mental health as it teaches faith, optimism, love and feelings of belonging.

Preventing strokes is very serious.  The work to prevent a stroke is not always easy.  The outcome for you and your loved ones outweighs the hard work like exercising or finding the gumption to quit smoking.  If you are looking for help with healthy habits check with the local hospitals many have programs or they can direct you.  Your healthcare provider can also get you in contact with many programs.   Good Luck to all of us and God Speed, BB.

Enjoy Where You Are

I like living in a coastal state.  I was born in NC, grew up in NY, went to college and stayed in CA then moved to PA.  PA is not a coastal state, it is land locked.  I have looked at moving to a coastal state if not on the beach at least closer to the shore.  Recently however I have decided PA is really a great place to live.

It takes roughly 3 hours with traffic to get to an Atlantic beach.  NEPA has great skiing or a trip to Vermont is about a 6 hour trip.   I know our roads are voted #1 worse roads yet the turnpike is still a decent road even though I pay for its use.  As a jumping point PA is a fine place to start.

Allow me to list some of PA’s great qualities:

Agriculture:  I grow almost everything I need.  I cannot grow citrus fruits however most everything else is good to grow.  If you cannot grow it yourself there are numerous produce stands and farmer markets.  I love the honor stands.  Do they exist in other areas?  I do not grow my own corn but my neighbor grows corn, does not use pesticides and has an honor’s stand; I drive up, buy what I need, stick the money in a can and off I go.

Water:  I kayak on the lakes, creeks, river and in state parks.  I have a non-motorized permit and away I paddle.  Many of the lakes have public access via the Fish & Game Commission.  If you enter at a Fish & Game entry you MUST have a boating permit.  Where I “dump” in on the Tunkhannock creek I do not need a permit.  The lake I kayak on is Lake Winola they have a no wake timeframe and an area around the perimeter that is always no wake. 

Rails to Trails:  I love to bike ride.  Many of our roads that are considered bike trails are really just signs indicating to a car driver you may come across a cyclist.  The roads are not true bike roads with separate areas for safe cycling.  We do have many rails to trails to take your bile and your young cyclist to ride safely on these trails.  I know many people walk and run on the trails; asthma prohibits running on the trails yet walking and biking is acceptable.

Mountains:  PA has beautiful mountains.  There are many state parks to explore and hike into the mountains along with camping.  Rickets Glen has beautiful waterfalls along with a swimming lake, Worlds End State park has a creek that runs through it and a covered bridge; Lackawanna State park has boat rentals, a pool, a lake, trails and in the winter the lake freezes for ice skating.  These are local state parks.  State wide there is Gettysburg and the Great Lake access in the western part of the state along with many parks in the Philadelphia area.  I do not want to leave this topic without mentioning the Leigh Valley Gorge a beautiful area along with the beautiful town of Jim Thorpe and the Delaware Water Gap.

Small Towns with Main Street: I live in a town that has a Main Street so I tend to take for granted all that a Main Street has to offer.  You can park your car and walk from shop to shop.  There is a local pharmacy that knows me and knew my mother.  There are small shops and restaurants that have unique products.  My neighbors work there.  Main Street was replaced by strip malls, though the idea to buy locally is bringing some Main Streets & towns back to life. 

Weather & Air:  I have all four seasons in NEPA.  The summer does seem to disappear before I am ready for its departure.  I use the air conditioner for 3 to 4 weeks out of the year.  We use fans and now the nights are cool once again nature is cooling my home.  Spring with all the new growth, autumn brings PA some of the best color nature has to offer and of course winter brings cold weather activities.  While we do have high pollen we do not have code orange for people with asthma.  Our air quality is good. 

I like where I live.   The cost of living is not as low as some states but it is not as high as our New Jersey & New York neighbors.  The graduation rate in NEPA is higher than the state’s average and there are many four and 2 year colleges in the area.  Locally there are parks and libraries in most towns.  I am fortunate to live in PA not having chosen the state myself it turned out good.  I may just stay. 

In the words of the late Manny Gordon, “Enjoy, Enjoy!”