8-31-11: What’s Going Around?

Full day in the office today brought many injuries.  From thumbs to ankles to knees, I saw just about every injury there could be.  Remember for any injury:

R = Rest, I = Ice, C = Compression, and E = Elevation.  RICE.  For the older kids, an aleve twice a day for seven days works great as well.

Some developmental issues came up.  Stuttering was a big discussion.  Stuttering is pretty common among children.  It is only concerning when it lasts for more than 6 weeks.  Be patient with your child;  don’t try to finish their words for them;  don’t tell them to relax.  Allow them to have their thoughts and contact your doctor if it goes on for more than 6 weeks.

Also with lots of calls from parents about various topics.  Remember that you, your child and your doctor are a team.  We need to communicate and discuss options and possibilities. 

Tomorrow I’m on WINK-TV’s CW 6 at 7:40 discussing two articles published today about brain development in children.  See you then.

Quotes of the Day!

If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.  ~Mark Twain

Who lies for you will lie against you.  ~Bosnian Proverb

No man has a good enough memory to make a successful liar.  ~Abraham Lincoln

A half truth is a whole lie.  ~Yiddish Proverb

A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses you when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie.  ~Charles Edward Montague, Disenchantment

Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind.  ~Austin O’Malley

A truth that’s told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent.  ~William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence,” Poems from the Pickering Manuscript

The most dangerous untruths are truths moderately distorted.  ~Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

Dare to be true:  nothing can need a lie:  A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby.  ~George Herbert

With lies you may get ahead in the world – but you can never go back.  ~Russian proverb

A lie has speed, but truth has endurance.  ~Edgar J. Mohn

When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback.  ~Bill Copeland

Positive Attitudes

The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so; but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and mosquitoes and silly people. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. ~Roald Dahl

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~Winston Churchill

Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day. ~Author Unknown

Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left. ~Hubert Humphrey

I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet. ~Ancient Persian Saying

If you don’t get everything you want, think of the things you don’t get that you don’t want. ~Oscar Wilde

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching? ~Dennis and Wendy Mannering

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright, quoted in Reader’s Digest, June 1995

Medical News Today

This is a great resource for the latest pediatrics and children’s health research from prestigious universities and journals throughout the world.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/pediatrics/

Another wonderful website!

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/Pages/default.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

8/30/11 A Day in the Office

I was lucky to only have worked this morning today! Today for illness, I am seeing some ear infections, sore throats, coughs, and some children with muscle and joint pains with lethargy. Most of these are viruses – meaning that they will get better on their own.

Ear infections are always treated with antibiotics but the remainder of the above will get better with symptomatic treatments. In other words, trying to make the symptoms better while the body fights off the viruses.

For my well check-ups, lots of discussion today about making sure that we, as parents, take enough ‘me’ time and be the best we can be. Discipline was also a topic that came up more than once. I am a big fan of Redirecting Children’s Behavior. Discipline means ‘to teach.’ Punishment is ‘punitive.’ Pick 2 or 3 behaviors to work on and once one is better, add another.

Education and thinking about the future rounded my day to an end. Be involved with your children’s school and educational goals. Always remember – you are never stuck in a situation. You can always make a change.

Today my facebook pages are focusing on positive attitudes!

Get plenty of sleep to start tomorrow fresh!

Sunday Morning Journal Review

Some great ideas and up to date news:

http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/index.html

http://www.aap.org/topics.html

http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/24479/36146/1409924.html?d=dmtContent

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/index.html

http://teenshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health-information/

http://www.healthanswers.com/?page=technology

http://www.gerber.com/public/default.aspx

Excessive TV Watching Linked to Diabetes and Heart Disease

Excessive TV watching linked to increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  Those who watch at least 2 – 3 hours of TV each day are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.  This finding is significant because Americans spend an average of 5 hours a day watching TV, according to some recent reports.

Look at the full article on line at:http://www.pediatricsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=85104

Pregnant Mother News

I was talking with a patient’s mom in the office today and she asked about the Pertussis Vaccine for herself.  In the past, it was recommended in the immediate post-partum period; that is, right after delivery.  However, the most recent research and recommendations have changed that.  It is now recommended after the 20th week of pregnancy.  This change is only for women who have not been previously immunized for pertussis.

Dr. Koul’s Blog

I have so many thoughts and hopes for this website and I love feedback – both good and bad!

I had a great weekend with all three of my kids together for the first time since Christmas break.  Those of you with young ones can’t appreciate how hard that is to do once they are away at school and with lives of their own.

I must confess, I was nervous at first but it all went so well and we even had fun!  It’s hard when everyone is busy, on different schedules, with different agendas …  But there were many times that we were all laughing out loud.

For those who don’t know, I have three wonderful young adults as my children.  Ginny, 24, is the oldest and is studying Sustainability at UF in Gainesville.  Go Gators!  She works as a nanny for two wonderful families who treat her like she is family.  I cannot believe I haven’t met them yet, but that is to come very soon.

Chris, 21, is in the Navy ROTC program at University of Rochester in New York studying Physics, Calculus and Chinese.  Go Yellow Jackets!  He works in a bakery, Vanilla Swirl, and is a wonderful chef as well as baker.  He’s training for a marathon/triathelon.  Hard to keep up with him.  He’s off today to start his diving certification.

Andrew, 18, is going to be a senior at Oasis Charter High School in Cape Coral, Florida.  Go Sharks!  His passion is Marine Biology and hope to pursue that after graduation.  He has his master dive certification and is like most teenagers, loving X-box and Nintendo.

I was fortunate to graduate Medical School from Tuft’s University and complete my residency at New England Medical Center’s Boston Floating Hospital.  There, I learned lots.  The day-to-day with my kids has taught me more than you can imagine.

I hope to share information and insight with you as the days progress.  I’m also open for questions and discussion as long as no personal names or information are exchanged for confidentiality reasons.