They're Your Kids Too

We almost all have young people in our lives; whether they are our children, people who wait on us in restaurants, kids sitting in the same movie theater as we are, or working out in the gym with us. They are all around us, and each one of them is precious in their own way whether they know it or not. You may moan as you observe them with their odd piercings, or yell at them when they skateboard on the street. Or you may feel a beam of pride when you pick up the sports section of the paper and see that the team has scored another victory, even though you don't know a single player. They are all our kids. Our kids. We are all responsible for them.

That's why I'm writing today. Some of our kids are getting into things they shouldn't. Back in my day, it was marijuana and LSD. I don't remember anybody dying from either one; I know some lives were messed up, but I can still look on Facebook and see those kids grown up into functional adults. This is something much more dangerous, and from what I'm hearing, all to easy to obtain: I'm talking about prescription painkillers.

The rate of death from prescription painkillers has grown from 11,000 in 1999 to 20,000 in 2004. Researchers believe that the increasing misuse of prescription drugs among those 15-24 years of age accounts for the majority of the statistic. This problem is rooted in rural areas rather than the inner cities: West Virginia has the highest death rate from drug overdoses than any other state and it is now the number one cause of accidental deaths for our young people in West Virginia. 

Why are kids taking these dangerous drugs? Like some of their illegal counterparts, painkillers can create a feeling of euphoria and calm. And if one can make you feel calm, I suppose a young person might think that two or three will make you feel even better. They might not even realize they're doing anything wrong: look at all the commercials and ads for drugs. Most of them feature happy butterflies, sunny skies, smiling people. Nobody ever reads the small print on those ads, or listens to the whispered disclaimer. Maybe their parents take the prescriptions legitimately; maybe they've even seen their parents share their prescription with a friend themselves.  (There are reasons that you should never take someone else's prescription. You might have an adverse reaction to it.)  Unfortunately, some kids are not only taking pills that aren't prescribed for them, they're taking them in combination with others, or intentionally overdosing on them.

I have a very good friend who commited suicide by taking an overdose of prescription drugs. That was sad enough. But when I think about all the young people who will die this year accidentally from a drug, it's beyond sad. I think of their mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, who will forever have that hole in their lives, always asking whether they could've done something different. There must be so many questions.

What can we do? I have two kids, one of whom is a teenager. We have had all the discussions about drugs that parents should have with their kids, and more. I like to use "teaching moments" so when something comes up, we use it (Heath Ledger, ie.) to drive home a point. We try to set a good example by not over-using pain medication: actually we never take anything stronger than Tylenol.  We take care of ourselves, and we take care of each other.

Kids need to know how important they are. I myself plan on making sure the young people in my life know how precious they are to me. I'll be sure to smile when I see them, and ask them how their day is going. If they look sad, I'll ask them if everything is OK. Sure, they probably won't tell me, but maybe they'll feel better knowing someone cared enough to ask.

What else can we do?

• Set good examples. Don't share your prescription drugs with others if you take them. Don't suggest that pills are the only answer to your problems -- if you have pain, are you also seeking out physical therapy and other solutions? How do you handle your own depression? Do you drink more, or do you try to talk about your problems, or seek professional help when needed? 
• Get involved in your community, especially where there are young people involved. Teenagers are full of ideas and energy! They will keep you young. The schools in Morgan County always need PASS volunteers to mentor young people. 
• If you're a business owner, give those young people a chance. Maybe you could offer one or two the chance to "shadow" your employees for a few weeks in the summer, as an opportunity to discover whether your industry might be a choice for them someday. Sometimes they can earn community service points doing this type of work, if it's required by their school district.
• Know your kids' friends. My daughter has grown up and had the same friends for 10 years. Now she's going to a different school in a city an hour away, so it's hard to get to know who she's hanging out with. But it's important. Always insist upon talking to the adult in charge of group activities, whether it's at their home, or in a public place.
• If it turns out a friend of your child's is having a problem, what do you do? I've had to confront this myself. I'm interested in hearing how other parents have handled it. In my case, I let the parent know that there might be a problem. And in another case, another parent let me know that my child might be having difficulty handling something, and I was very grateful. This can be very touchy, especially living in a small town.

Let me know your thoughts. How can we help our kids avoid making a dangerous mistake with prescription drugs?

Working in Working Out

Everybody is either busy, or worn out from being busy. When, oh when, do we have time to exercise? But we must. Exercise is good for your heart, your muscles, your flexibility, and for maintaining a healthy weight. It's also great for your mood, especially important during these gray, cold days. Try exercising to music; the beat can't help but make you feel better.

Make a commitment to exercise, and then find time to do it. Signing up for a class, or joining a gym may make it easier to commit; once you've paid for a class, it's more of a motivation to stick to it. And exercising with friends makes it fun!
Even in our small community of Berkeley Springs, you should be able to find a class to suit your exercise level. Here are some that I've taken and can personally recommend; and by the way, music is used in all three classes to help you move and groove and improve your mood!

• Zumba, taught by Rene Garcia Kesecker, is a high-to-medium impact aerobics class with a Latin beat. You'll need a good pair of training shoes, some loose clothing, and an attitude! Zumba is fun and will bring out your sassy streak. Rene teaches Zumba at the Ice House on Monday nights at 5:30 and Wednesday nights at 6:00. Call her at 304.258.6747 for more information. 
• Bellysima, taught by Angela Petry, uses the technique of bellydancing isolations to strengthen your core, improve flexibility, and burn calories. Shimmying is good for the soul! Since beginning Bellysima this summer, my back feels stronger and I feel more balanced. You'll need some comfortable clothing to start out, and a yoga mat for the warm-up and cool-down; you'll probably also want to buy a jingly hip scarf and a veil to dance with. Beginners are welcome, especially to her new Tuesday class at 6:30 at the Ice House. Call (304)995-5832 for more information.

The Ice House hosts several other exercise classes (I haven't taken these myself):
Gentle Yoga with Joyce Morningstar, Saturdays at 9:00. Call 304.258.6247 for more information
Tai Chi with Michael Pushkin, Thursdays 11am & 5:30pm. Call 304.258.4653

• Marcy Fleeharty, through Morgan County Adult and Community Education, is once again offering her awesome Yoga classes. Both classes are at Widmyer Elementary School in Berkeley Springs. You'll need comfortable clothing and a yoga mat. Yoga Basic begins on January 4 for 10 weeks at 4:30. Yoga Fusion, an intense workout that combines Pilates and Yoga, begins on the 4th at 6:00.  I can personally attest that the Yoga Fusion class will kick your butt! Call 304-258-2430, ext 19 or 20, to register.

Do you have a favorite exercise class in the area? Please let me know. We're happy to put flyers advertising exercise or wellness classes on our office bulletin board. Post your favorite exercise class on our Facebook page. If you're reading this on Blogger and you don't belong to Facebook, feel free to comment here.

Coming up next: Favorite workout videos. What's yours?

Happy Holidays to Everyone! And a Healthy New Year to All

Coming next... exercise opportunities to burn off that Christmas surplus!

Just in Time for Open Enrollment: Navigating the Medicare Website

Open enrollment for Medicare recipients began November 31 and ends on December 31. During this time, people with Medicare can add, drop or change their prescription drug coverage. They can also select a health plan for their 2010 coverage.

Whether you are new to Medicare, and feeling bewildered by the choices you have, or if you’ve had the same plan for years but are curious about what else is out there, the Medicare.gov website is a great tool. Using customized searches, Medicare recipients can search for a health and drug plan that’s right for them.

Pam Mann of the Morgan County Library and Bibi Hahn of Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine will conduct a workshop at the Library on December 9 from 1-3 pm on using the Medicare website. This workshop is meant to raise the comfort level of using the website so that participants can make an informed decision on their own. In order to use the personalized searches, participants will need to bring a list of their prescriptions, their Medicare number, and the name of their preferred pharmacy.

Please call the Library at (304)258-3350 to register for the workshop. The workshop is free of charge and will be limited to 10 participants.

A Bitter Pill or a Better Choice? Is a Concierge Practice Right for You?

There has been a lot of news about a new type of primary care practice, sometimes called a "concierge" practice. In this type of practice, a patient pays somewhere in the neighborhood of $1000 a year for access to a primary care provider. The patient in turn, is guaranteed coverage of all primary care routine visits, with no co-pay. I have to disagree with the link's headline that it has to be a "bitter" choice. For a relatively healthy person, paying $1200 a year for personalized basic healthcare dictated by that patient and his/her doctor vs paying thousands of dollars to an insurance company that really, only cares about the bottom line, might make sense. For $1200 a year, I can go to my primary care doctor for routine blood pressure checks, occassional colds or allergy shots, and not have to face an office co-pay. Nor will there be any unpleasant surprises in the mail if my insurance company decides it shouldn't have to pay for something like a a flu vaccine.

The physician, with the assurance of a steady income rather than being bogged down by the fits the insurance claim process can cause, can take the time that a primary care provider should devote to every visit. Most patients don't understand how long it actually takes to bill for that $88 office visit. To them, they may be with the doctor for 20 minutes. But behind the scenes, the work starts even before the patient arrives in the office. Does the patient still have insurance eligibility? Once the patient gets into the office, the provider then has to spend time trying to decide how to "code" the visit so the claim gets paid. Should that wart removal be a surgery, or something else? Will we get paid for the EKG by this insurance company, or should we just bill for a more comprehensive visit? If the claim is rejected, someone has to figure out what went wrong. This often means countless time on the phone with a claim representative. The claim is resubmitted, hopefully, to get paid this time. Patients often don't realize that it's not just their insurance company the provider is dealing with; it's often 20 or 30, many of them with different rules and nuances.

Time and other resources should be spent on the treating the patient, not worrying about how to get paid. Time spent with a patient is especially important in the Family Practice, where the emphasis is on treating the whole patient rather than specific body systems as in a specialized practice.

So, would a concierge practice, perhaps backed by a lower-cost catastrophic insurance policy, be right for you? One of our friends, Dr. Shawn Moyer, offers his Pinchot Plan to his patients. It's also a great idea for small businesses. What do you think? Would this be right for you and  your family? In this age of rising premiums, and minimal healthcare reform in the future, maybe it's time to think of alternatives.

Coming Soon: Navigating the Medicare Website Workshop

Just in time for Open Season! The Morgan County Library and Hahn and Nelson Family Medicine will conduct workshops for seniors interested in learning how to navigate the Medicare website, especially during Open Enrollment season. Stay tuned to this blog for times and places. Call (301)678-7007 or email if you're interested in attending.

Medicare Open Enrollment Begins

Beginning November 15, our patients eligible for Medicare coverage can review their plan and update it according to their needs. For many, this can be bewildering. However, if you're able to read this blog, you're already on your way to some helpful information.

I went straight to the Medicare website and found some helpful links. First of all, if you want a primer on using the page itself, the Help link on the upper right hand side of the page will get you started. On the right side of the page, you can find general topics such as "Original Medicare" and "Medigap Policies." This is great information especially to those new to Medicare. Be aware that if you choose to "Learn More," your browser will want to open a pop-up window so be sure you have your pop-up blocker off. Note that the pop-up window is divided into tabs, so you can look at a Glossary, learn how a plan works, or even learn more about how to choose a plan.

One very useful tool is found on the left side of the page. Find the section headed Learn More about Health Plans and Medigap Policies in Your Area. You can open the listbox within, choose your state and click View Plans. A chart displays showing you all the plans available in your state, and you can easily see how much the premiums are, and what is covered. You can also see how it's rated. There are links to plan websites, and phone numbers for further contact.

Take your time, ask questions, and talk to friends before choosing your plan. Consider cost, convenience (can you use your local pharmacy and physician?), quality and performance, and benefits. You have until December 31st.

earn More About Health Plans and Medigap Policies in Your Area