Greetings!
Good morning!! How are you feeling this morning. If you feel half as good as you look, you are in for an incredible day. How do I know how good you look? Oh trust me, I know - you look fantastic.
What did you have for breakfast this morning? Egg whites with some veggies and maybe just a little prosciutto? You're kidding me?! Me too. I love that breakfast - tons of protein that tastes so good and keeps me out of the fridge late at night. Good call. Egg whites for breakfast are huge.
We have lots to go over today. Cool stuff. Hope you have something fun and memorable planned for your holiday.
First, let's address the most important item. We don't want to see any snow shovelers in the ER this winter. Every year it seems like there are more and more - and they don't come in with stubbed toes.
Here are my thoughts:
1. If you have been relatively sedentary, don't do it - don't shovel. There are plenty of kids around that want the cash. You will enable them to buy Call of Duty: Black Ops and protect the Pentagon from zombies. Therefore, you can safely consider your money an investment in the future of the United States. Plus you will be the "cool" neighbor. Look, no one has ever come into the ER flat on the back, shirt ripped open and purple-faced with a 280 lb ex-Marine EMT doing compressions on their chest because they paid the neighbor kid.
2. Want to do it yourself? Buy a snowblower. Talk about making the neighbors happy? Much less stress on the ticker. In and out of that cold weather in a hurry.
3. "Doc, I'm dying to get out and shovel. I LIVE for it." Ok, I get it - I like it too. If you need to do this and you have not been taking part in strenous exercise - get a stress test. Oh, I get it - this is the catch. This is how you get paid, right doc? We don't care where you get your stress test - as long as you get one if it's necessary.
4. Keep your face (and everything else) well covered. Let the scarf warm the air coming into your lungs.
Where else is it going to go? Hats are crucial
. Studies from Brazil have shown up to 107% of our body heat is lost through our head. Careful - some of the air stays trapped up in there, right Kathryn? Kidding - she's brilliant. We are so fortunate to have such a gift in the form of our Executive Director.
5. Repect the wind and snow - they steal your body heat. Wind is very concerning because it removes the layer of heated air surrounding your body.
6. No alcohol before going outside or while outside. Feels warm I know - it isn't. It causes vasodilatation of skin's vessels making us feel warm. But then the warmth goes bye-bye and we are left outside freezing our rear end off.
7. If all this fails, you are outside lifting wet snow, and chest pain or an anginal eviquivalent (shoulder, arm, jaw, etc.) hits - STOP, DROP, and ROLL. Wait a minute. I'm sorry it's not stop, drop, and roll. It's 9-1-1. That's right - get inside, chew 4 baby aspirin and call 9-1-1. We will meet you in the ER.
Walk with a Doc wants you to enjoy the great outdoors this winter, but please be careful! Also, if you feel there is someone you love who may benefit from these reminders - please forward to them.
