Getting older

It is a sad day when a person finally comes to the conclusion that they aren't as young as they used to be.  I don't feel old by any stretch of the imagination but as I have taken on the extremes of the workout Insanity Asylum, I have been feeling it in ways I wouldn't have 10 years ago.  I know this happens to the best of us but it is a little bit of a hard pill to swallow.  I am the kind of guy who when it is time to get back in shape I go all out, I push myself hard, I over do it really.  I am starting to realize I can't just jump in with both feet anymore. 
A few years ago I got myself into a bit of trouble.  I went for a bike ride after several months of near inactivity.  I rode hard and really pushed myself.  I arrived at the top of a hill and felt very sick.  I think I was on the verge of having a serious health event.  But fortunately I was smart enough to turn around and coast down the hill, and back to my house to recover.
I am fine I even had an EKG to make sure my heart was ok, but I know that I came very close to having a very serious event.  So what is the moral of the story?  Take it easy and work up to the extremes of exercise especially if you are middle aged and you have been inactive for a while. 
I have no doubt in my mind that I can work up to the level of fitness required to do Insanity Asylum, but I need to make sure I do it in a safe and smart manner.

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This is going to be expensive

My patients who don't brush and floss regularly tend to get a lecture about how expensive it will be to fix their teeth down the road.  I usually save this lecture for kids and teenagers, because I've found that adults really don't care.  Yesterday I had a young patient sit in my chair.  He is in his early twenties and is attending university.  He is married and has dental insurance but as with all dental plans it only covers about $1500.00 a year.  He is in for a cleaning and exam.  I start to list off all the cavities he has and there are a bunch.  In fact if memory serves correct he had a cavity on almost every tooth.  I rattle off filling, filling, root canal and crown etc.  In other words cha ching, cha ching, cha ching.  I really did feel bad for this kid.  I can tell they don't have a lot of money, and he is at a major cross road with his teeth.  He either forks out almost $10,000.00, yes that's ten THOUSAND dollars, to fix his teeth or he will be in dentures in the near future.  End of options.  I'm not talking big cosmetic case with veneers, I'm talking fillings and where needed root canals and crowns. 
So as I tell my patients 1 minute a day can save you thousands of dollars, I am not exaggerating at all.  If he had flossed regularly he would be nearly cavity free.  How is that you ask?  Simple, almost every cavity he has is one that started between his teeth.  Flossing prevents those cavities.  It really is that easy.  So for what it is worth, take time to floss.  Or you can just plan on writing a big fat check to your dentist.

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Tim Tebow

I don't care if you are religious or not you gotta love Tim Tebow.  How many people in today's world are willing to stand up for what they believe?  We live in a society where the leaders of our country are swayed by the slightest breeze.  So many of the politicians out there only care about one thing, what you want them to say.  They don't really care about right or wrong they only care about getting votes.  Our country is full of people who wont take responsibility for their own actions.  It is a breath of fresh air to me that Tim Tebow is willing to say this is what I believe, and I am not ashamed.  In my own personal opinion, it is great to see someone willing to praise God and pray while in the public spotlight.  Tim you have my support.  Keep it up!!
 

My new years resolutions

New years resolutions can be a very good thing.  They are like any other goal we may set in life.  The key I think is to write the resolution or goal down, look at it often, and plan a way to achieve the goal.  I am setting a few goals for myself this year. 
The goal I would like to share with you is the goal to become healthier.  Notice I said become healthier and not just to lose weight.  Skinny people aren't always healthy.  As you may know a while ago I was using the work out DVDs called Insanity.  I really liked them but, as is typical for me, I had an obligation that interfered with my routine and it fell by the wayside.  My wife, whom I love more than I can even say, purchased the new Insanity work out DVDs, entitled Asylum for me for Christmas.  I was very excited and a little scared all at the same time.  Yesterday I did the first workout in the series.  It is a test to see how many of each exercise I could do.  I will use this test once a month to track my progress.  I am happy to say that I didn't die.  I think I am going to really like this new DVD series.
In addition to exercise I am trying to eat healthier.  I downloaded an app that tracks calories and exercise.  I like it because it helps me see just how much I am eating.  It is scary how many calories are in most fast food meals.  I suggest you get an app to see how much you are really eating.
Another trick is to keep track of your weight.  Studies show that people who weigh themselves every day tend to be thinner.  So I am breaking out the scale.  It did try to run away screaming when I approached it, but I forced it out from under my bed and hopped on.  Sad is all I have to say. 
Whatever you resolution is for this year I wish you the best, and hope you are very successful!!

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Modern Day Slavery

I am convinced that slavery is alive and well today.  I am convinced it is far more wide spread than it ever was during the early years of this country.  This slavery doesn't care if your male or female, it doesn't care what color your skin is, it doesn't care how old you are, it doesn't care what religion you are.  It is amazingly non-discriminant.  What is this form of modern day slavery?  DEBT.  I felt this was an appropriate topic having just passed through a very expensive season.  My main goal in life right now is to become debt free.  Only then are we truly free.  Only then do you have the freedom to say, I just don't want to work anymore.  Now I admit there are some things that almost universally require us to go into debt for.  A home, an education, and perhaps a car.  But that is it.  I hope and pray that for this new year we will all get a little closer to becoming debt free. 
I remember meeting a dentist in Cleveland on a golf course.  My friends and I were out golfing and he was playing as a single so he joined us.  Through the conversation we had with him we discovered that his father who was also a dentist was still working at 80 years of age because he couldn't retire.  I just about lost my lunch.  I felt so sorry for his dad.  Now if his father chose to work at 80 years of age more power to him, if however he had to work for financial reasons, that is very sad. 
Some people blame the banks for our current financial problems in this country.  If you do how can you get back at them?  Become debt free. 

On a happier note, I wish you and yours a happy new year and truly hope you had a merry Christmas.
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Do I need an antibiotic?

Hello from the land of the miserable colds.  I have been sick for over a week now, and boy do I love it.  I woke up on Sunday and felt like I was getting sick.  I chose to ignore it and get ready for church.  I went with my family to the first part of our church meetings.  At the end of that hour, I decided I should go home and get some rest.  My throat was on fire.  I don't remember having a sore throat hurt that bad in a long time.  Even my silver bullet halls blue ice cough drops had little effect on my throat.  I knew I was in for a fun one.  The next morning I was so miserable I actually called in sick.  I have never done that before.  I have gone home early from work on two separate occasions but never have I canceled my whole day.
I knew with the sore throat that it would lead to a cough.  Sure enough I have been coughing for all of last week and continuing into today.  It feels a little difficult to breathe and I wish I could just suck all the junk out of my lungs instead of having to cough it all up.  I have a good friend who is my physician.  I sent him a text, and asked if he thought I should have an antibiotic.  He asked me a few questions and said yes lets put you on one.  So hopefully I will start seeing some relief in the next 24-48 hours.
I have become a little gun shy about toughing things out ever since my younger healthy brother ended up on a ventilator in the ICU for over 10 weeks.  He caught the flu H1N1 and it progressed to pneumonia.  He almost died.  If a young guy who is in far better shape than me can get that sick that fast it makes me a little concerned.  Now I don't think that every little sniffle needs an antibiotic, but because I felt like it was hard to breathe I talked to my physician.  I could have just called a buddy and had him call in an antibiotic for me without consulting my physician, but I wanted to get his opinion on my situation.  If you are concerned that you need an antibiotic consult your doctor.  Being tough isn't worth several hundred thousand dollars in hospital bills or ten weeks in the ICU and several weeks in physical therapy.  Take care of yourself this cold and flu season.

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What do you do when you get a cold?

Sunday I woke up feeling a little odd.  I felt like I might be coming down with something but I got up and got dressed for church.  I made it to the first part of church but I knew I was getting sick.  I went home and started the "healing routine".  This cold is miserable.  I have been very blessed in that I think I have gone nearly 2 years with out a cold.  On Sunday my throat was on fire!!!  Literally on fire, ok maybe not literally but I wouldn't have even flinched if I had flames shoot out of my mouth.  I took some NyQuil and went to bed.  Monday I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a runaway freight train.  I canceled my patients and laid on the couch all day long.  I usually work through anything but this cold hit me hard.  Here is my I have a cold routine.  I love NyQuil and DayQuil.  They don't last that long but they work like a charm.  I also take insane amounts of vitamin C I just took 5000 mg.  I drink plenty of fluids and rest as much as possible.  I am not aware of much more I can do when hit with a cold.  If you have any tricks or tips please pass them on.

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