- Behavioral HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMany of us developed less-than-healthy habits in 2020. And even though last year is now in our rearview (whew!), we’ve likely brought some stress and anxiety into the new year that we’d like to leave behind. A great way to welcome 2021 is with a commitment to wellness and making choices that lead you toward a healthy and fulfilling life. Sound overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be. Remember, even small steps move you forward. Make mindfulness your first step Practicing mindfulness is a great start to boosting wellness. But what is mindfulness? Think of it as being aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the present moment, without passing judgment. Because mindfulness is about paying attention to experiences with curiosity and openness, it offers an objective way to notice habits and determine which ones you want to change and maintain. Studies link mindfulness to a host of benefits, reducing: Anxiety Depression High blood pressure (hypertension) Insomnia Pain Stress You can practice mindfulness in everyday life using these tips: Meditate Mindfulness and meditation are often used interchangeably. Meditation is actually a formal way to practice mindfulness. Meditation trains your mind to focus on a single task and stay aware of the present moment. Meditation doesn’t require special equipment or in-depth training. It’s simple, but not necessarily easy, thanks to the 6,000 thoughts that researchers estimate vie for your attention every day. But carving out as little as five minutes a day to practice will train your mind to focus. Try this simple approach: Take a seat – a chair, on the floor, at your desk – wherever you’re comfortable. With eyes closed or gazing downward, focus on one specific thing. Make it simple – a phrase, your hands resting on your legs, your breath coming in your nose and out your mouth, or how your belly rises and falls as you breathe. Notice when your mind wanders (because it will, repeatedly). When it does, make no judgment about your thoughts, let them go and return to your focus. That’s it. Eat slowly and make it the good stuff Be mindful about what and how you eat. Nourish yourself with fresh, whole foods, locally sourced when possible. Go for colorful fruits and vegetables packed with nutrients. Sit down for each meal, putting your fork down after every bite. Savor the smell, taste and texture of your food and take a moment to appreciate the effort that went into making it. Give single tasks your full attention Multitasking feels like a necessity to keep up in a busy world. Catching up on email while you’re on a Zoom call. Folding laundry while drilling your daughter on spelling words. Scrolling through Facebook during dinner. You may feel like you’re accomplishing more by combining tasks, but research reveals we lose the ability to focus as we multitask. Dividing attention between multiple tasks actually reduces productivity. Practice mindfulness throughout the day, giving your full awareness to one task at a time, even everyday tasks like brushing your teeth, making the bed and driving home from work. Listen Give people and conversations the courtesy of your full attention and you’ll both benefit. Who doesn’t like knowing they’re heard? Mindfulness impacts how you interact. Eye contact, nodding, smiling and asking questions signal your focus is on them. Mindfulness helps build relationships, an important component of wellness. Pay attention to your environment Sprinkle mindful moments throughout the day and take in your surroundings, wherever you are. Think about the warmth of the sun on your arm. Feel the chill of the early morning air as it hits your nostrils. Listen to your heels hit the wooden floor as you walk down the hallway. Every mindful moment is time for your body to relax. Practice gratitude Take the opportunity to say “thanks” when you can. Notice what you’re really grateful for and how that gratitude feels. Make a practice of beginning or ending (or both!) each day by writing down five things you’re thankful for. Research shows that feeling and expressing gratitude not only boosts your physical and mental health, but it also strengthens relationships, too. Mindfulness puts you in control Mindfulness takes back control from thoughts that we too often let run the show: Those that lead us to worry about things we can’t control. Like most habits that are good for us, mindfulness reaps more benefits the more you practice it. Whether you incorporate the practice throughout your day or take a five-minute break to focus on your breath, you’ll find yourself in better control of emotions and less reactive to stressful situations. Author Cindy Radovic, MA, BSN-BC, is clinical director of Emergency and Inpatient Mental Health Services at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center.0
- Infectious DiseaseGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMore than a year and a half after going into lockdown, we’re all anxious to put COVID-19 in our rearview mirror. But if you had coronavirus, and continue to experience its after-effects, you know first-hand that life is far from “back to normal.” With the goal of helping you manage lingering symptoms, the team at Luminis Health has created a COVID Recovery Service. Here, you’ll find a team approach to helping our community recover from COVID-19. When symptoms persist COVID-19 is a new illness. As a result, there’s a lot we’re still learning about it. One thing that we’ve learned is that not everyone gets over the virus in the same way. While some people seem to recover quickly, others continue to have problems weeks or months after they’re diagnosed. If you have had COVID-19 and are still suffering from any of the following symptoms, our providers can help. Dizziness on standing Shortness of breath Anxiety/depression Fatigue Swallowing issues Difficulty with memory Voice dysfunction Weakness These symptoms may be bothersome and frustrating. They can also make everyday living challenging. At Luminis Health, our COVID Recovery Service includes a team of providers from different specialties assisting patients in their recovery after a COVID-19 infection. Our team offers personalized care including: Telehealth visits with our providers, including a full medical evaluation. In-person visits with our lung specialists, including a physical and cognitive evaluation by a physical therapist. Referrals to additional specialties to allow for timely management of symptoms, including cardiology and neurology. Outpatient rehabilitation such as physical therapy and occupational therapy: Occupational therapy can help if you’re having trouble with activities of daily living, like driving. It can also help with everyday tasks as some find their symptoms worsen after mental activity as well as physical activity. Our physical therapists will assess your strength, balance and physical abilities. We will design a program to help you get stronger and make it easier for you to do things you want and need to do. As we work with you, we track your blood oxygen levels and symptoms to make sure you stay safe. Speech therapy can help with voice changes, swallowing or memory issues that may occur. Our programs assists with organizing and processing your thoughts along with projecting your voice so you can communicate effectively with others. It’s okay to reach out for help If you’re struggling after a COVID diagnosis, we’re here for you. While Post-COVID symptoms aren’t uncommon, you don’t have to live with them. Contact the COVID Recovery Service team for more information or to schedule an appointment at 443-951-4286.0
- Weight LossGeneral Page Tier 3BlogRecently, I celebrated the four-year anniversary of my weight loss surgery at AAMC. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been four years since that important day! The recovery of the surgery feels like yesterday, but in other ways it feels like a long time since I was obese. Someone recently suggested that I compare and contrast how life was before weight loss surgery, and how it improved after. I think this was a great suggestion, so I have dedicated this post to highlighting the improvements to my quality of life. It’s also fun to remember how much more difficult life was four years ago, and see how much better it is now. It’s easier to get in and out of my car. Before the surgery, I would struggle to get in and out of my car, particularly getting out. I would have to have both hands free and grip the frame of the door and car in order to provide the leverage needed to lift myself. Now, because I am much lighter and have stronger legs due to squats, getting in and out of vehicles is easy. It’s easier to tie my shoes. This is something most people do not think about until they’re morbidly obese. When there is a large belly in the way, bending over and tying shoes, putting socks on your feet, and anything involving interacting with your feet becomes nearly impossible. Four years later, I don’t even think about how easy it is to do these tasks. I am seldom out of breath, and sweat far less.I distinctly recall walking at a normal pace outside of my work with a friend. He commented that he was concerned that I was breathing extremely hard. Anything and everything physical would cause me to sweat profusely and breathe quickly and deeply. The most trivial tasks would turn into a terrible workout. I would have to change my clothes constantly. Now, I must perform some serious cardio to break into a sweat. It’s refreshing to easily do tasks and have the stamina to perform them. Bathing is now the easy task it should be. I discovered that when my body was covered in fat, it was very hard to bend over and twist my body in the necessary way to adequately shower myself. To a normal person, this sounds almost silly. To someone surrounded in extreme body mass, this becomes a serious issue and I would strain to contort my body in such a way where I adequately bathed. Even though I was in the shower, I would be drenched in sweat. Everything is back to normal in this department, courtesy of the substantially less body weight. I am far stronger than I used to be. This has less to do regarding body fat and more to do with increased muscle mass and strength training. In the past, I never went to the gym and I struggled to lift items, or perform basic physical tasks. Now I can easily carry heavy items, chop wood, lift my children, pick up objects, and support my body weight. Before surgery, I never in my life did a push up, crunch, chin up, or pull up. Now, I can do all of these with relative ease. I work every muscle group on my body at least weekly and while I’m far from being Arnold Schwarzenegger, I’m far stronger than I ever have been in my life, including my teenage years. I eat way healthier than before. Before surgery, I ate whatever I craved with no care in the world. I would drink multiple 2-liter bottles of Mountain Dew every day, directly from the bottle. I would snack on sweets, chips, processed food, fast food; whatever I could get my hands on, all the time. Now, I make a serious decision about everything I eat. I try to avoid processed foods entirely. I also try to eat organic food whenever possible. I try to eat food with the most basic ingredients, such as meats, nuts, beans, vegetables and greens, fruits and berries. All of these things would have been at the bottom of my list of food cravings prior to surgery. Surgery by itself did not improve my eating habits. I was able to lose my addiction to processed foods and carbohydrates as my diet evolved after surgery recovery. I no longer take any medication. Before surgery, I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol; both caused me to take five forms of medication each day. Now, both of those symptoms are gone (as well as my sleep apnea) and I instead take a wide array of vitamins and supplements to improve my overall health. I shall list all of these in a future post, but for now I will reveal that they keep me feeling great. Medication had negative side effects I do not miss. They gave me brain fog, fatigue, and swollen feet and ankles. Furthermore, I’m not convinced I was less at risk of a heart attack or stroke than had I not taken them. My brain is functioning much better. In the past, I had brain fog (from the medication, I believe), fatigue, low self-esteem, and trouble concentrating and thinking. I was poisoning my brain with medication and poor food choices, so it’s not surprising in retrospect that these symptoms existed. Now, there are no longer any cognitive issues. If I ever feel tired now, I know to eat kale chips or some form of vegetable. I eat healthy throughout the day, and I feel great and as mentally sharp as I always have been. I used to routinely fall asleep any time I was sitting down, which was often. I would fall asleep in meetings, in my computer chair, and even begin to nod off while driving, which was terrifying. I attributed that to the sleep apnea, because I would wake up exhausted and would feel tired all day long. I fit in regularly sized clothes. I can now easily walk into a store and buy a pair of pants and a shirt. I currently wear a medium or large shirt and 36″ pants, all of which are easy to find and do not require a special store or department to locate. I used to wear 3XL shirts and 52″ pants prior to surgery. Those sizes were tricky to find, were more expensive than normal sizes, and were a real drain on my self-esteem. I can hold my breath longer. This became especially apparent because of snorkeling. In the past, I could not dive beneath the surface, because I couldn’t hold my breath. When there is a lot of internal fat surrounding your organs and especially your lungs, your lungs cannot expand to their full size. As such, you take fast, short breaths and cannot hold your breath for long. Furthermore, because I was out of shape, simply diving down would case my heart rate to elevate, which would cause me to require more oxygen. Now, I can easily dive down 15 feet or more with no issue, and remain underwater for a respectable amount of time. I easily fit into airplane seats now. I was on the verge of requiring a second seat, and the seatbelt extension, on airplanes prior to my surgery. I would have to suck in my belly to buckle the seatbelt on the loosest setting, and I would quickly unbuckle it when the flight attendant was not looking. Now, I have plenty of slack on my airplane seat-belts, and plenty of room within my seat. No longer do I have indentations from the arm rests in my legs and belly. I no longer have to worry about things breaking because of my weight. Tree stands, ladders, hammocks, chairs, and countless other things are rated less than 300 pounds of support. I would break things and otherwise worry about my safety when I would put my weight on objects that were not rated for my weight. One time I was installing a light above my kitchen island, and broke the granite counter top with my weight. I don’t have to worry about that any longer! My doctor visits are significantly more pleasant. Gone are the days when I would go to my doctor and he would lecture me about my weight, and caution me that I was on the highway to a premature death. I used to dread my doctor appointments so much that I would delay them entirely. Now, I look forward to seeing how good my blood levels are, how my weight is, and to be in a healthy range of all medical parameters that he checks. I’ll continue to add to this list as I think of more, but the first 13 improvements immediately came to mind without giving it any amount of thought. To say that my quality of life has greatly improved because of the weight loss and muscle gains would be an immense understatement. Register today for a free weight loss surgery seminar. Author Mark Goss is president and principal software engineer for the Annapolis-based Wyetech. Mark had a sleeve gastrectomy with AAMC's Weight Loss and Metabolic Surgery Program in February 2014. We’ve reprinted this post, with permission, from his Bariatric Betterment blog.0
- Cancer CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMay is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, making it a good time to brush up on skin cancer facts. So, before you put dibs on your lounge chair for the pool season, learn more about how to spot — and prevent — skin cancer, using these tips from Dr. Walid El Ayass, medical oncologist at the Luminis Health Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. After months of doing more hiding than shining, the sun’s finally coming out to play. Sunshine in the right doses is good for us—it increases serotonin, the brain’s mood-boosting hormone that helps us feel calm and focused. It also boosts vitamin D, which helps keep bones strong. But heavy doses of sunshine? It turns out that “too much of a good thing” can cause skin cancer. What are the Types of Skin Cancer? There are several types of skin cancer. The most common ones are melanoma and basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, known as nonmelanoma skin cancer. These cancers develop in the top layer of skin (the epidermis), in areas that get the most sun exposure, like the face, ears, neck, arms and hands. Basal Cell Carcinoma About 80% of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas. They start in the deeper part of the epidermis in those sun-exposed areas. They’re usually raised, pearly bumps that grow slowly. They rarely spread to other parts of the body, but without treatment, basal cell carcinoma can spread deeper into the skin to the bone. Squamous Cell Carcinoma These cancers start in the upper layer of the epidermis. Along with sun-exposed areas, squamous cell cancers can develop in scars or chronic skin sores. They often look like a rough, scaly, reddish patch. They’re more likely to grow faster and spread than basal cell cancer but can usually be removed or treated and cured. Melanoma Melanoma is less common than other cancers, and it’s more dangerous. If not caught early and treated, it’s more likely to spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma starts in the cells that give skin its tan or brown color, so time in the sun plays a big role. What Are the Risks of Developing Skin Cancer? Most people don’t realize that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they’re 70. Anyone can get skin cancer, but some factors put you at greater risk: A family history of melanoma A history of blistering sunburns as a child or teen Blond or red hair Blue or green eyes Certain types of moles Exposure to UV rays from sunlight or indoor tanning over a long period A light complexion What are the Signs of Skin Cancer? Skin cancer is the only type of cancer you can see. That means you can and should be on the lookout for it. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends doing head-to-toe self-exams every month. When it comes to looking for skin cancer, remember these three words as your guide: New: Look for new growths, moles or blemishes (especially if you’re over age 21). Changing: Check if growths are changing in size, color, shape or texture. Unusual: Keep an eye out for growths or moles with an unusual outline that itch, hurt, crust or bleed for more than three weeks. If you see something, do something – talk with your primary care provider. Remember, skin cancer is curable if found early. How can I Reduce my Risk of Skin Cancer? It’s no secret sun that exposure is the main culprit when it comes to pegging a cause of skin cancer. About 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers and 86% of melanomas are linked to UV light exposure from the sun. The good news? Reducing your risk of skin cancer doesn’t mean giving up the great outdoors. You can reduce your risk with some simple habits: Don’t use tanning beds, booths or sunlamps. Enjoy the sun from under an umbrella, especially between 10:00 am – 2 pm when the sun is strongest. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher every day. (You get damaging UV rays even on cloudy days.) When you’re in the sun or water, reapply it every two hours. Wear sun-protective clothing, UVA- and UVB-blocking sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats. Authors Dr. Walid El Ayass is a medical oncologist at the Luminis Health Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. He specializes in treating breast and gastrointestinal malignancies. To make an appointment with Dr. El Ayass, please call 443-481-4884.0
- Community, Men's Health, Heart Care, Patient StoriesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogJeff Shields had been thinking and worrying about his heart for a long time. He knew he was a prime candidate for a heart attack. After all, he’s a type 2 diabetic, and his own father had died at 53 of a heart attack. “I’ve been trying to do the right things ever since I was 50 and I’m 62 now,” Jeff says. Still, despite his vigilance, when the heart attack arrived, Jeff barely recognized it. It was the first day of summer, and Jeff had come inside to rest after working outdoors. Heart Attack Symptoms Aren’t Always What You Think “I had an odd feeling, like a baby bib was under my neck. I had just a little tingling in my right arm, but not painfully, and I had this tightness in the back of my upper jaw.” These weren’t the symptoms for which Jeff had been on the lookout. They weren’t the symptoms he associated with a heart attack like arm and chest pain. Luckily, he’s married to a retired nurse who’d worked at AAMC for 25 years. “It was just so odd, so vague,” remembers Cathy Shields. “A lot of people would have ignored Jeff’s symptoms, and I could’ve maybe ignored them too, but because I’d been a nurse and well, the jaw pain, that was the deal breaker for me.” Cathy called 911. It was a life-saving decision. The ambulance paramedic confirmed that Jeff was having a heart attack and raced him to the emergency room at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Moments later, Jeff went into cardiac arrest. He received immediate defibrillation. Then he was rushed to the catheterization lab for an angioplasty. Marco Mejia, MD, an interventional cardiologist, used a balloon-tipped tube and wire-mesh stents to open Jeff’s blocked arteries. “Dr. Mejia literally saved my life,” says Jeff. “I’m pretty grateful to him and the whole team as well.” A Decade of Saving Lives Dr. Mejia helped create AAMC’s Emergency Heart Attack Program more than a decade ago. He’s immensely proud of what they’ve achieved. “Everyone knows their job, our team is set up and ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This program at AAMC is truly one of the best programs around.” In addition to saving more than a thousand lives, the program has dramatically reduced coronary intervention response time, even beyond national guidelines. The American Heart Association recommends that it take no more than 90 minutes from the time a heart attack patient arrives at a hospital until a blocked artery is opened. At AAMC, 90% of all patients have their arteries opened in less than 60 minutes. “The process is very refined now,” says Dr. Mejia. Jeff Shields considers himself incredibly lucky for the life-saving care he received at AAMC and for having a wife that recognized his vague symptoms as those of a heart attack. Dr. Mejia says it’s a story worth heeding. “We always want the community to know when you suspect heart attack you need to call ambulance right away.” Cardiac Rehab Helps with Lifestyle Changes As for Jeff Shields, his partnership with AAMC is still going strong. Following his emergency angioplasty, Jeff underwent successful quadruple bypass surgery. Once home, he enrolled in AAMC’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. It provides medically-supervised exercise, nutritional and behavioral counseling. Jeff also continues to see Dr. Mejia. “He’s very stern, he tells me exactly what I’ve got to do. I just love him.” As for Cathy, she offers this advice: “Pay attention to the vague stuff, don’t overlook it, and be alert.”0
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