Hi. I am Danielle. 51 years young, labor and delivery nurse and OB clinical instructor. I have been married for 27 years to my best friend. We have 2 sons who are 22 and 20. They live at home, work and attend college.
Working as a nurse through the pandemic did a number on me. Lexapro has helped with my anxiety and depression. Also perimenopausal which comes with lots of other fun symptoms. In February I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep disorder and I started using CPAP. CPAP and my new sleep number bed have helped with a lot of the symptoms I thought were related to perimenopause. Turns out if you are not getting good oxygenation, headaches and brain fog are a ever present.
I'm all about evidence based health information. There is so much mis/dis information out there. I have to go into spaces where I know that I don't have to argue about evidence based recommendations. My patients come in refusing everything that helps us provide them and their baby with safe care. Then I have to educate them away from that TikTok influencer that has no education or credentials to be giving health information. It is exhausting!
Hi Danielle! I am so glad you are here. We have a lot in common! I’m 51, too, married to my best friend and have two sons who are 22 and 20 (also a daughter, 18)!! Small world. :)
I hear you about the misinformation stuff. It’s exhausting and scary. Thanks for being here with me. I’ve got your back. ❤️
Hi Kri! Hello from DC to India! I am happy to write more about mental perception and clarity of thought. Thanks for letting me know what you are most interested in. And thanks for being here, Kri! ❤️
Hi! I'm Jeannie Fino, Bronx native, now living in Yorktown Heights, NY-a suburb of NYC. I am a former early childhood professional who returned to graduate school when my one and only daughter finished college to get my NYS Marriage and Family Therapist licensure. I've been in private practice for 7 years and, needless to say, mental health and all things parenting are my passions. I found Dr McBride during the pandemic when I was searching desperately for common sense guidance and a break from all the awful fear mongering and lack of hope out there at the time. I am in the process of finding a new doctor to get my wellness check ups and much overdue preventative tests off of my to-do list. I must admit that I am very, very guarded but I am also much more insightful and determined than I had been before. I can go on and on....lol.....so glad to be here and look forward to more!
Hi Jennie! Thanks for the kind word and for reading.. and for being here. You are not alone in feeling guarded and insightful at the same time... in fact I think the more aware we become can make us more fearful, too. I look forward to hearing more from you!
I'm JoAnne, 60 y.o. woman living in the east SF Bay Area. I work in finance, but work from home. I eat super clean (whole foods, no sugar, gluten, processed foods, etc.), am an avid road cyclist and also do some weights, yoga, meditation. I've been focused recently on circadian rhythms, reducing toxins and breathing. I've had low bone density that I've been able to improve with diet and lifestyle. I am always open to new, science-based health information and appreciate your delivery style. Thank you for all you do for so many! 🙏🏼🤗😘
Hi Joanne! Welcome and hello from across the country. Love your focus on natural living, breathing, and reducing your exposure to toxins. Openness is a gift. I’m always open to learning new things, too, and it’s fun to be around people who are on the same path. Thank you for being here. ❤️
Hi Lucy, and thanks for your blog. My name is Karin. I am a retired Georgetown professor, 81 years old, with leukemia (CML). I live in McLean, VA. I have had a hard time with side effects of chemotherapy drugs, in addition to just getting older & creakier. So many things are going wrong: skin, digestion, hormones, brain fog, headaches, weight loss, bone pain. Sigh. I am currently taking Scemblix and it is working for the leukemia, but I am so weary I spend most of my days in bed. I am anxious & worry about everything. But no energy. Sorry to be so down.
Hi Karin! Lovely to meet you. We are neighbors :) I am so sorry about your CML and anxiety - an exhausting combination indeed. I hope to help you in some way, even if it’s being here as an empathetic ear. ❤️
Good morning! I’m Tamara from California. I’m on the cusp of middle age and probably on the more anxious side when it comes to health 😊 — I just want to make sure I’m taking good care of myself, because if I don’t, who will? Found this newsletter after reading your op-ed about Covid and the serenity prayer, which was a perspective I really needed. Top of mind for me is mental/emotional well-being (prioritizing joy, overcoming childhood trauma, managing stress), building a life where healthy choices are easy, and perimenopause. Thank you for this space!
Hi Tamara! Anxiety is a pain in the ass, isn’t it? 😆😫 The serenity prayer is IT! Mental wellbeing is so crucial - good for you for focusing on it. I’m here for you. Thanks for being here with me. ❤️
I'm the ZEBRA, the medical enigma that every doc wants UNTIL they actually get a patient who is not afraid to call BULLSHIT on useless expensive and unnecessary treatments.
20 years post heart attack - 4 stents - I cook all of our food and run 2 miles a day on a treadmill. That's down from 5 miles a day for 16 years b/c my knees are starting to tingle.
Funny thing about the heart attack, there were 9 of us in cardiac ICU 20 years ago, and I'm the only one still alive. Fired the first two cardiologists, stayed with the third for 13 years until we moved from NC to Virginia...haven't found anyone I like yet. Everyone - cardiologists and primaries seem to think statins are the answer to whatever ails, but don't get me started on that!
Married to the same woman for 45 years, ( we still have an incredible sex life!!!) three children, the oldest is retired, middle is in Forestry, and the youngest is a doctor teaching at a local university. BTW, the youngest is a published author, with 9 books, and an expert on corsets, robots and robot sex.
Retired twice, once on a medical in 2002, the last on my desire to step off the fast past world of being an artist - now my time is taken by being a political activist and putting a spark in the world's ass as I walk through.
On being a Zebra; A true Synesthete - my taste, vision and hearing are interwired, that makes reactions to medicines unpredictable, I woke up in the OR while being stented and tried to get up from the table not once, but twice.
At 76, I'm glad to still be here and can't wait to see what the next few decades bring!
Hi John! Wow, what a story! I love the gratitude you express here - and to hear how you are so excited about the future and what it holds. Thanks for being here! ❤️
>>"an expert on corsets, robots and robot sex."<< :-)
Great to hear your story, John. My mam and dad are the same age as you, and have been through their health challenges (dad = Parkinson's and stents in; mam = bladder cancer) and still going strong. Not sure about their sex lives though!!!
Thank you for your response. At least I know I'm not shouting into the wind. I'm no sure fences can be mended. My kids have done this before and it lasted more than two years. I missed my son's wedding, because he wasn't speaking to me. Frankly, I have no energy to even try reconciliation. It just adds to the stress. I tried reconciliation with my oldest daughter. The counselors working with us were shocked at what my daughter was saying. My daughter stopped going to the mediation when issues got too close to home for her. My therapist is telling me to forgive my children. I would, but as I unpack things from our move, I discover more and more things my oldest daughter has stolen from me, so forgiveness keeps getting sidetracked. I have very few heirlooms left, because she has stolen them. I have had to purchase even basic kitchen items (mixing bowls, plates, silverware, pots and pans, etc.), because my daughter stole the rest.
What I could really benefit from is respite care a few hours every other week, but I can't find that. It doesn't exist. I know as our population ages, there are more and more of us. I am lucky I am retired, but I might have to get a job (remote, if I can do that) to have enough money to buy food. How do others do this? What do we need to do to create a way to get the resources we need to be a caregiver? After my mother is gone, I will see how I can get involved with some group to create these options. In the meantime, I need two knee replacements, wrist surgery in both wrists, and back surgery to relieve the pain. It is a struggle everyday.
But, thanks again for your response. I appreciate that someone out there cares.
I'm Joan, 68,married to #3 almost 11 yrs. Retired Medical Hosp Lab Tech. (Last job ended very poorly.) Always very healthy- spent my life exercising and eating low fat to stay that way. My mom was using insulin in her 50's. New hubs has hypertension and now ckd. I spend tons of my time, like a hobby, studying proper medical care and have learned how broken our system is. We've moved 3 times. The quality of medical providers varies widely, mostly they follow an algorithm and write Rx. It's made me highly suspicious. My FBG has hovered in the high 90s for a few years. The quest for solutions continues. Also over the past 3 yrs we've tried mostly vegetarian, then more Mediterranean mixed with Blue Zones. Meanwhile I've had a macular pucker and cataract surgery. We gained weight and habitually quelled hunger snacking on nuts. In April I had an A1c of 6.1- pre-diabetic. Finally we are eating carnivore for 90 days. What a relief. Losing weight. A1c now 5.7. Feeling great. Keto diet will follow. The best solution for both of us! Thank you.
Becca, 32, pediatric nurse in Nashville, TN. My biggest concern is hormones - what is normal? If they’re not normal what do you do about it? I was on birth control for ~10 years and since coming off almost a year ago things (acne, periods) seem very out of whack. My PCP retired so I’ll get to see a new one in February, and I have an upcoming appt with obgyn but it seems like there should be more general info for women about this kind of health? Appreciate all the information you share about health, diet, strength training. Found you through Shannon watts Substack.
Hi Becca! Hormones - yes! And oh, how I love Shannon Watts. Yes, you should have a doctor who can explain hormonal health and get you what you need. I hope that happens for you soon with your OBGYN. Sometimes I recommend patients in their 30s take the birth control continuously - ie skipping the placebo packs - in order to avoid the cycling but of course that should be discussed with your doctor. Good luck and thanks for joining here! ❤️
Hi, Dr. McBride! I am always so honored to be a fellow Substack creator with you. I love your newsletter! A little about me—I am a registered nurse with a doctorate in integrative health. Like you, I strive to view healthcare through a whole-person approach, utilizing evidence-backed methods from both natural remedies and allopathic medicine to help people find a holistic balance to health. I strive to bring "real life approved" ideas to wellbeing!
Hi Kate! I LOVE your Substack and everyone should subscribe to it! You have a wonderful way of relating to people on a real and human level. I am so glad you are here and thrilled you posted here! ❤️
Hello! I'm Pat. An almost 65 year old from Wisconsin. It will be 21 years ago next month that I was diagnosed with polymiositis with interstitial lung disease. Added pulmonary hypertension to the mix a few years later. I am on 02 24/7. Has it changed my life? Yes. I have had my ups and downs. But things have been stable for awhile now. I have had to change my activities. It's hard to play tennis with an air tank on your back.🙂 I do Sit and Be Fit on PBS. Hikes aren't as long but I still walk my dog every day.
Hi Pat! I am so impressed you are doing Sit and Be Fit!! Walking your dog is great, too. Every little bit helps. Thank you for being here with me- and us as a community. ❤️
I'm Diane, a 70 year-old from Kansas City, Missouri. My immediate health concern is the damage being done to my health from the stress of being a sole caregiver to my 98 year-old mother. She is still mobile (with a walker) and coherent, but the stress of always needing to be alert to her needs (and she has a way of interrupting me when I am in the middle of something) is causing health issues. I have a therapist who has helped me a great deal, but she can only do so much. My adult children have chosen to "never talk to me again," because of a decision I made regarding my will. My siblings are mad at me (I have no idea why) and refuse to help with Mom. We can't afford to hire help to give me a break. I'm afraid that, at this rate, I will die before she does. Exercise is difficult--going for a walk requires using me the wheelchair for Mom, and there are no sidewalks in my neighborhood. Finances are strained, and I am limited to shopping where we can do pick-up for groceries or order other things from Amazon. I have exhausted resources for help--most are out of reach of our finances. Mostly, what i need just doesn't exist. I can't even find an adult daycare around here, and I have spent hours on the phone tracking down possible resources. I can't be the only one in this situation! How do other sole caregivers like me do what they need to do without burn-out? I can't even attend support group meetings, because I can't leave Mom by herself.
Hi Diane! Stress, particularly caregiver stress, can be so debilitating. I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I hope your therapist can help you with your relationships with your siblings and kids because those relationships are so precious- of course only if it’s in your best interest. I wonder if there would be strength in the process of mending fences. Forgiveness is so powerful. Sometimes it’s not possible of course. Thank you for being here ❤️
Good morning. I have no idea how you came to my inbox, but the group sounds interesting. I am 55, a mom, wife, grandma, and children's fitness instructor. The older I get, the more I worry, even though I know all the holistic antidotes. It's like I am always waiting for the "other shoe to drop." I feel unheard and undervalued in my family. Also, deal with some arthritis, I try and manage it with low inflammatory food and supplements. It lovely to meet you all here in this space.
My college classmate, Debbie Weil recommended your substack. I am a 71 (soon to be 72) y.o. psychiatrist. I am still working, but am cutting back on direct patient care, which has been more complicated and delayed than I hoped. I have always been a part-time occupational and organizational psychiatrist. Now I am transitioning between 80% direct patient care and 20% occupational and organizational work to ultimately doing 80% occupational and organizational work and 20% direct patient care. Although life-span is never a guarantee, I have 4 generations of grandmothers, great aunts and cousins who have been active and alert past 100. Last month my 95 y.o. mother moved out of her house to assisted living, mostly to have easier access to peers.
Because of this I didn't want to fully retire too soon. So far I am in good health and only take antihistamines, vitamin D (have chronically low D unsupplemented and religiously sunblock--at my derm's recommendation after a large basal cell carcinoma on my scalp), and a few supplements---no prescription drugs other than occasional Albuterol inhaler for seasonal allergies.
I have a terrific internist, but he is older than I am, so it remains to be seen how long he will be in practice.
I try to keep up with general medicine, but am always happy to hear recommendations from other physicians. I live in NYC. Since the beginning of the pandemic I have begun to walk more (initially to avoid public transportation, but now because with the current traffic, I can walk somewhere in about the time a taxi would take, and get exercise while saving money.)
I would like to lose some weight, but am just doing it slowly by being more mindful about eating and through exercise. Also as overweight as I am, I am also the thinnest in my family over the past 4 generations of women--all of whom stayed active until their late 90's and beyond while being very overweight. Most were on no medication and had no chronic illnesses. So I am not going to do anything extreme in order to be thinner.
Hi. I’m Patricia, 66 year old, mother of 4, grandmother of 2, planning to retire from Higher Ed at the end of the year. I have exercised my entire adult life and love to eat in a healthful manner. Despite my healthy lifestyle, I am a two time breast cancer survivor (at age 42 and 59). I still love to exercise and feel more like 46 than 66. My biggest struggle is with sleep, finding myself wide awake at 2am, and accepting the changes in the appearance of my skin. Crepy and sagging skin on my arms has me feeling and looking old…yet I feel so young at heart. Am I missing key nutrients?
As for nutrients you may be missing, you should talk with your doctor about your diet and lab tests and what you may or may not need. In general, eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins (eggs, fish, lean meats, beans), whole grains, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oils) is the best place to get the nutrients you need. I hope that helps!
Hi. I am Danielle. 51 years young, labor and delivery nurse and OB clinical instructor. I have been married for 27 years to my best friend. We have 2 sons who are 22 and 20. They live at home, work and attend college.
Working as a nurse through the pandemic did a number on me. Lexapro has helped with my anxiety and depression. Also perimenopausal which comes with lots of other fun symptoms. In February I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep disorder and I started using CPAP. CPAP and my new sleep number bed have helped with a lot of the symptoms I thought were related to perimenopause. Turns out if you are not getting good oxygenation, headaches and brain fog are a ever present.
I'm all about evidence based health information. There is so much mis/dis information out there. I have to go into spaces where I know that I don't have to argue about evidence based recommendations. My patients come in refusing everything that helps us provide them and their baby with safe care. Then I have to educate them away from that TikTok influencer that has no education or credentials to be giving health information. It is exhausting!
Hi Danielle! I am so glad you are here. We have a lot in common! I’m 51, too, married to my best friend and have two sons who are 22 and 20 (also a daughter, 18)!! Small world. :)
I hear you about the misinformation stuff. It’s exhausting and scary. Thanks for being here with me. I’ve got your back. ❤️
Hi! I’m a 28 year old woman working as a data scientist from India.
So one of the first things that comes to mind regarding my health is mental perception and subsequent clarity/lack of clarity in thinking.
Hi Kri! Hello from DC to India! I am happy to write more about mental perception and clarity of thought. Thanks for letting me know what you are most interested in. And thanks for being here, Kri! ❤️
Hi! I'm Jeannie Fino, Bronx native, now living in Yorktown Heights, NY-a suburb of NYC. I am a former early childhood professional who returned to graduate school when my one and only daughter finished college to get my NYS Marriage and Family Therapist licensure. I've been in private practice for 7 years and, needless to say, mental health and all things parenting are my passions. I found Dr McBride during the pandemic when I was searching desperately for common sense guidance and a break from all the awful fear mongering and lack of hope out there at the time. I am in the process of finding a new doctor to get my wellness check ups and much overdue preventative tests off of my to-do list. I must admit that I am very, very guarded but I am also much more insightful and determined than I had been before. I can go on and on....lol.....so glad to be here and look forward to more!
Hi Jennie! Thanks for the kind word and for reading.. and for being here. You are not alone in feeling guarded and insightful at the same time... in fact I think the more aware we become can make us more fearful, too. I look forward to hearing more from you!
I'm JoAnne, 60 y.o. woman living in the east SF Bay Area. I work in finance, but work from home. I eat super clean (whole foods, no sugar, gluten, processed foods, etc.), am an avid road cyclist and also do some weights, yoga, meditation. I've been focused recently on circadian rhythms, reducing toxins and breathing. I've had low bone density that I've been able to improve with diet and lifestyle. I am always open to new, science-based health information and appreciate your delivery style. Thank you for all you do for so many! 🙏🏼🤗😘
Hi Joanne! Welcome and hello from across the country. Love your focus on natural living, breathing, and reducing your exposure to toxins. Openness is a gift. I’m always open to learning new things, too, and it’s fun to be around people who are on the same path. Thank you for being here. ❤️
Hi Lucy, and thanks for your blog. My name is Karin. I am a retired Georgetown professor, 81 years old, with leukemia (CML). I live in McLean, VA. I have had a hard time with side effects of chemotherapy drugs, in addition to just getting older & creakier. So many things are going wrong: skin, digestion, hormones, brain fog, headaches, weight loss, bone pain. Sigh. I am currently taking Scemblix and it is working for the leukemia, but I am so weary I spend most of my days in bed. I am anxious & worry about everything. But no energy. Sorry to be so down.
Hi Karin! Lovely to meet you. We are neighbors :) I am so sorry about your CML and anxiety - an exhausting combination indeed. I hope to help you in some way, even if it’s being here as an empathetic ear. ❤️
Thanks so much, Lucy. It's nice to meet you & I look forward to being part of this group.
Good morning! I’m Tamara from California. I’m on the cusp of middle age and probably on the more anxious side when it comes to health 😊 — I just want to make sure I’m taking good care of myself, because if I don’t, who will? Found this newsletter after reading your op-ed about Covid and the serenity prayer, which was a perspective I really needed. Top of mind for me is mental/emotional well-being (prioritizing joy, overcoming childhood trauma, managing stress), building a life where healthy choices are easy, and perimenopause. Thank you for this space!
Hi Tamara! Anxiety is a pain in the ass, isn’t it? 😆😫 The serenity prayer is IT! Mental wellbeing is so crucial - good for you for focusing on it. I’m here for you. Thanks for being here with me. ❤️
I'm the ZEBRA, the medical enigma that every doc wants UNTIL they actually get a patient who is not afraid to call BULLSHIT on useless expensive and unnecessary treatments.
20 years post heart attack - 4 stents - I cook all of our food and run 2 miles a day on a treadmill. That's down from 5 miles a day for 16 years b/c my knees are starting to tingle.
Funny thing about the heart attack, there were 9 of us in cardiac ICU 20 years ago, and I'm the only one still alive. Fired the first two cardiologists, stayed with the third for 13 years until we moved from NC to Virginia...haven't found anyone I like yet. Everyone - cardiologists and primaries seem to think statins are the answer to whatever ails, but don't get me started on that!
Married to the same woman for 45 years, ( we still have an incredible sex life!!!) three children, the oldest is retired, middle is in Forestry, and the youngest is a doctor teaching at a local university. BTW, the youngest is a published author, with 9 books, and an expert on corsets, robots and robot sex.
Retired twice, once on a medical in 2002, the last on my desire to step off the fast past world of being an artist - now my time is taken by being a political activist and putting a spark in the world's ass as I walk through.
On being a Zebra; A true Synesthete - my taste, vision and hearing are interwired, that makes reactions to medicines unpredictable, I woke up in the OR while being stented and tried to get up from the table not once, but twice.
At 76, I'm glad to still be here and can't wait to see what the next few decades bring!
Hi John! Wow, what a story! I love the gratitude you express here - and to hear how you are so excited about the future and what it holds. Thanks for being here! ❤️
thank YOU for the platform ~ I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to know someone who is truly interested in health!
Here for this:
>>"an expert on corsets, robots and robot sex."<< :-)
Great to hear your story, John. My mam and dad are the same age as you, and have been through their health challenges (dad = Parkinson's and stents in; mam = bladder cancer) and still going strong. Not sure about their sex lives though!!!
Shane
God bless your parents! Enjoy them for as long as you can.
Thank you sir. I will. 🙏
Thank you for your response. At least I know I'm not shouting into the wind. I'm no sure fences can be mended. My kids have done this before and it lasted more than two years. I missed my son's wedding, because he wasn't speaking to me. Frankly, I have no energy to even try reconciliation. It just adds to the stress. I tried reconciliation with my oldest daughter. The counselors working with us were shocked at what my daughter was saying. My daughter stopped going to the mediation when issues got too close to home for her. My therapist is telling me to forgive my children. I would, but as I unpack things from our move, I discover more and more things my oldest daughter has stolen from me, so forgiveness keeps getting sidetracked. I have very few heirlooms left, because she has stolen them. I have had to purchase even basic kitchen items (mixing bowls, plates, silverware, pots and pans, etc.), because my daughter stole the rest.
What I could really benefit from is respite care a few hours every other week, but I can't find that. It doesn't exist. I know as our population ages, there are more and more of us. I am lucky I am retired, but I might have to get a job (remote, if I can do that) to have enough money to buy food. How do others do this? What do we need to do to create a way to get the resources we need to be a caregiver? After my mother is gone, I will see how I can get involved with some group to create these options. In the meantime, I need two knee replacements, wrist surgery in both wrists, and back surgery to relieve the pain. It is a struggle everyday.
But, thanks again for your response. I appreciate that someone out there cares.
I'm Joan, 68,married to #3 almost 11 yrs. Retired Medical Hosp Lab Tech. (Last job ended very poorly.) Always very healthy- spent my life exercising and eating low fat to stay that way. My mom was using insulin in her 50's. New hubs has hypertension and now ckd. I spend tons of my time, like a hobby, studying proper medical care and have learned how broken our system is. We've moved 3 times. The quality of medical providers varies widely, mostly they follow an algorithm and write Rx. It's made me highly suspicious. My FBG has hovered in the high 90s for a few years. The quest for solutions continues. Also over the past 3 yrs we've tried mostly vegetarian, then more Mediterranean mixed with Blue Zones. Meanwhile I've had a macular pucker and cataract surgery. We gained weight and habitually quelled hunger snacking on nuts. In April I had an A1c of 6.1- pre-diabetic. Finally we are eating carnivore for 90 days. What a relief. Losing weight. A1c now 5.7. Feeling great. Keto diet will follow. The best solution for both of us! Thank you.
Hi Joan! You are on the path to better health for sure!! It’s a process, right? Good for you. Keep going! Thanks for being here. ❤️
Becca, 32, pediatric nurse in Nashville, TN. My biggest concern is hormones - what is normal? If they’re not normal what do you do about it? I was on birth control for ~10 years and since coming off almost a year ago things (acne, periods) seem very out of whack. My PCP retired so I’ll get to see a new one in February, and I have an upcoming appt with obgyn but it seems like there should be more general info for women about this kind of health? Appreciate all the information you share about health, diet, strength training. Found you through Shannon watts Substack.
Hi Becca! Hormones - yes! And oh, how I love Shannon Watts. Yes, you should have a doctor who can explain hormonal health and get you what you need. I hope that happens for you soon with your OBGYN. Sometimes I recommend patients in their 30s take the birth control continuously - ie skipping the placebo packs - in order to avoid the cycling but of course that should be discussed with your doctor. Good luck and thanks for joining here! ❤️
Hi, Dr. McBride! I am always so honored to be a fellow Substack creator with you. I love your newsletter! A little about me—I am a registered nurse with a doctorate in integrative health. Like you, I strive to view healthcare through a whole-person approach, utilizing evidence-backed methods from both natural remedies and allopathic medicine to help people find a holistic balance to health. I strive to bring "real life approved" ideas to wellbeing!
Hi Kate! I LOVE your Substack and everyone should subscribe to it! You have a wonderful way of relating to people on a real and human level. I am so glad you are here and thrilled you posted here! ❤️
Hello! I'm Pat. An almost 65 year old from Wisconsin. It will be 21 years ago next month that I was diagnosed with polymiositis with interstitial lung disease. Added pulmonary hypertension to the mix a few years later. I am on 02 24/7. Has it changed my life? Yes. I have had my ups and downs. But things have been stable for awhile now. I have had to change my activities. It's hard to play tennis with an air tank on your back.🙂 I do Sit and Be Fit on PBS. Hikes aren't as long but I still walk my dog every day.
I have learned a lot reading this newsletter.
Hi Pat! I am so impressed you are doing Sit and Be Fit!! Walking your dog is great, too. Every little bit helps. Thank you for being here with me- and us as a community. ❤️
I'm Diane, a 70 year-old from Kansas City, Missouri. My immediate health concern is the damage being done to my health from the stress of being a sole caregiver to my 98 year-old mother. She is still mobile (with a walker) and coherent, but the stress of always needing to be alert to her needs (and she has a way of interrupting me when I am in the middle of something) is causing health issues. I have a therapist who has helped me a great deal, but she can only do so much. My adult children have chosen to "never talk to me again," because of a decision I made regarding my will. My siblings are mad at me (I have no idea why) and refuse to help with Mom. We can't afford to hire help to give me a break. I'm afraid that, at this rate, I will die before she does. Exercise is difficult--going for a walk requires using me the wheelchair for Mom, and there are no sidewalks in my neighborhood. Finances are strained, and I am limited to shopping where we can do pick-up for groceries or order other things from Amazon. I have exhausted resources for help--most are out of reach of our finances. Mostly, what i need just doesn't exist. I can't even find an adult daycare around here, and I have spent hours on the phone tracking down possible resources. I can't be the only one in this situation! How do other sole caregivers like me do what they need to do without burn-out? I can't even attend support group meetings, because I can't leave Mom by herself.
Hi Diane! Stress, particularly caregiver stress, can be so debilitating. I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I hope your therapist can help you with your relationships with your siblings and kids because those relationships are so precious- of course only if it’s in your best interest. I wonder if there would be strength in the process of mending fences. Forgiveness is so powerful. Sometimes it’s not possible of course. Thank you for being here ❤️
Good morning. I have no idea how you came to my inbox, but the group sounds interesting. I am 55, a mom, wife, grandma, and children's fitness instructor. The older I get, the more I worry, even though I know all the holistic antidotes. It's like I am always waiting for the "other shoe to drop." I feel unheard and undervalued in my family. Also, deal with some arthritis, I try and manage it with low inflammatory food and supplements. It lovely to meet you all here in this space.
My college classmate, Debbie Weil recommended your substack. I am a 71 (soon to be 72) y.o. psychiatrist. I am still working, but am cutting back on direct patient care, which has been more complicated and delayed than I hoped. I have always been a part-time occupational and organizational psychiatrist. Now I am transitioning between 80% direct patient care and 20% occupational and organizational work to ultimately doing 80% occupational and organizational work and 20% direct patient care. Although life-span is never a guarantee, I have 4 generations of grandmothers, great aunts and cousins who have been active and alert past 100. Last month my 95 y.o. mother moved out of her house to assisted living, mostly to have easier access to peers.
Because of this I didn't want to fully retire too soon. So far I am in good health and only take antihistamines, vitamin D (have chronically low D unsupplemented and religiously sunblock--at my derm's recommendation after a large basal cell carcinoma on my scalp), and a few supplements---no prescription drugs other than occasional Albuterol inhaler for seasonal allergies.
I have a terrific internist, but he is older than I am, so it remains to be seen how long he will be in practice.
I try to keep up with general medicine, but am always happy to hear recommendations from other physicians. I live in NYC. Since the beginning of the pandemic I have begun to walk more (initially to avoid public transportation, but now because with the current traffic, I can walk somewhere in about the time a taxi would take, and get exercise while saving money.)
I would like to lose some weight, but am just doing it slowly by being more mindful about eating and through exercise. Also as overweight as I am, I am also the thinnest in my family over the past 4 generations of women--all of whom stayed active until their late 90's and beyond while being very overweight. Most were on no medication and had no chronic illnesses. So I am not going to do anything extreme in order to be thinner.
Looking forward to reading your blog.
Thank you for sharing your story, Sandy, and for being here! I’m glad to know you! Lucy
Hi. I’m Patricia, 66 year old, mother of 4, grandmother of 2, planning to retire from Higher Ed at the end of the year. I have exercised my entire adult life and love to eat in a healthful manner. Despite my healthy lifestyle, I am a two time breast cancer survivor (at age 42 and 59). I still love to exercise and feel more like 46 than 66. My biggest struggle is with sleep, finding myself wide awake at 2am, and accepting the changes in the appearance of my skin. Crepy and sagging skin on my arms has me feeling and looking old…yet I feel so young at heart. Am I missing key nutrients?
Thanks for listening Dr Lucy!
Hi Patricia! So glad you are here. I’m impressed with your outlook and perspective on health. 👏 Sleep is so elusive sometimes.. right? Here is a piece I wrote about sleep. https://open.substack.com/pub/lucymcbride/p/are-you-getting-enough-rest?r=1p5bs4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
As for nutrients you may be missing, you should talk with your doctor about your diet and lab tests and what you may or may not need. In general, eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins (eggs, fish, lean meats, beans), whole grains, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, oils) is the best place to get the nutrients you need. I hope that helps!