Tetanus Shots

People get tetanus shots to avoid tetanus, an infectious disease that can cause severe spasms in the area of the neck and jaw. 

People can become infected with tetanus when they get a puncture wound.

I think Husband and I should own stock in pharmaceutical companies that produce tetanus shots.

I’m remembering  what happened last week and the wound on Husband’s left hand. That’s where he jabbed a screwdriver as he attempted to open a can of paint.

“Look here,” he calmly said as the weapon stood embedded in his flesh.

Oldest Daughter came running as she yelled over her shoulder, “Good night, Dad! I can see muscle and tendons. Mom! Grab some bandages and antibacterial ointment.”

After we bandaged it, we insisted on taking him to Minor Emergency. As I drove, he admitted, “This hurts.”

The Doctor agreed Husband needed stitches and a tetanus shot.

So what’s the big deal, you might ask.

This is his second tetanus shot in the past three years or less.

This time it was the screwdriver. The one before that was a power tool he sliced through an index finger.

Back in his office days he often came home with deep cuts I would see the masking tape on his finger. “What did you do this time?”

“Sliced my finger with an Exacto Knife.”

“Do the nurses ever give you tetanus shot?” I once asked.

“No,” was all he said as he gazed back with a blank expression.

I know he is not really accident-prone; he just doesn’t pay close attention. He goes about certain tasks with a part of his mind in other places.

It’s a lifelong practice.  Once he told me, “Dad had these boards in the backyard with two-inch nails jutting out.  I stepped on one and drove the nail up into my foot.”

“Did you have on shoes?”

“Yep, tennis shoes.”

“Thank goodness for that. What did your mom do?” I asked, thinking how I would panic if that happened with one of my kids.

“I already pulled my foot off the nail. She bandaged it and said ‘Get in the car’ with a commanding voice. Off we went to the doctor’s office. Mom was a person of the moment. She seldom panicked.”

“How old were you?”

“Seven. That’s the first time I remember getting a tetanus shot.”

“The first time?”  My mind filled with pictures of monthly visits for shots.

“The next time I was about 10 and taking apart a dog house. I smacked the wood, and a piece of nail landed in my arm just above this artery.  Blood spurted straight up. I put my finger on it to keep it from bleeding.

Mom was at the store.”

“What? “ I raised my voice. “You mean she wasn’t home?”

“No, I sat down with my elbow bent and my finger on the hole. When she came in, I said, ‘Hey, mom look at this.” I took my finger off the hole, and there was the geyser effect again. ‘Get in the car,’ she commanded, and off we went to Doctor Morgan’s. He was impressed that I knew what to do at such a young age.”

“You seem to think that is the most notable part of the story.”

“Well, it is. Here, you can still see the scar.”

“Don’t you ever think you are dangerous to yourself?”

“Don’t bind me with your words,”  he admonished me.

“What do you mean? You know all these cuts and shots frighten me. I am sincerely concerned. Was that the last tetanus you got until we married?”

“When I was 14, my brother, sister, and I were in a car wreck,”  he said pointing to a scar on his forehead.  “I don’t remember if I got a shot then.”

“I do know that was one time when mom panicked.”

I merely looked at him, thinking how fortunate it was he had not been killed in the accident, but I still worry the fatal blow will someday be related to the way he injures himself with a tool.

Mindfulness in Action

In my quest to learn as much as possible about the world of ADHD, I am prone to buy the newest and more applicable books I can find. The latest has been The Mindfulness Prescription for ADHD: An 8-Step Program for Strengthening Attention, Managing Emotions, and Achieving Your Goals.

Lidia Zylowska, a psychiatrist, is the writer, and she also created programs for adults and children with ADHD through her work at UCLA.

In simple terms, Mindfulness Theory, says individuals can become more aware of the present moment while being caught up in it through meditation. By meditation, she means the individual concentrates  on  the present or a focal point rather than internal and external stimuli that can cause such reactions as depression and conduct disorder.

I am excited about what Mindfulness can do for Husband, so I rushed into an explanation of the book. I started with the concept of neuroplasticity.  It means the brain changes structure throughout the course of life. Evidence-based research shows that significant changes occur in specific areas of the brain which can truly alter how the brain works in response to experience.  We’ve always thought that to be true of children, but research shows it is true for adults, no matter how old they are.

Think of how pliable certain plastics can be.

Research suggests that experience can actually change both the brain's structure and the way it perform. Mindfulness helps persons with ADHD train themselves to become more aware of attention and other possibly other ADHD symptoms.

Husband got a quirky expression on his face when I mentioned plasticity and the brain. He put his hands to his head as if manipulating Silly Putty.

“Dr. Zylowska proposes different steps in her program beginning with the five senses. In one of her exercises she challenges individuals to be aware of eating during meals. Concentrate on chewing, tasting, the sensation on the tongue, and those types of experiences.”

“And that is supposed to help me control the symptoms of ADHD?”

“No, but the entire program of eight steps can help areas of your brain or silly putty change, thicken, and even become stronger as they function. It’s learning.”

“Oh,” he said with that blank expression on his face. It’s the one where he is politely listening just before his eyes glaze over.

“Zylowska begins by having her patients attend closely to their five senses. It is like concentrating on how the feet feel as they sit flat to the floor. Every time the concentration or thoughts flit away, the person makes a conscious decision to bring them back to the feet.

“She even has exercises on how to bring the wandering mind back to attention, how to listen to body sensations, how to be mindful of thoughts in general, and how to be mindful of emotions.”

“It sounds too simple,” he said. Ah- ha, he was listening!

“It does, but it really isn’t. Like any skill it requires practice and the D-word you hate to hear: discipline. It reminds me of when I have quiet time with God or even better, when I wake up in the middle of the night to pray. My mind wanders between words or phrases; I begin to think of other things. I have to make a conscious effort to bring my thoughts back to the prayer.”

“That’s about the time you fall asleep.”

“Well, yes. Zylowska says mindfulness practices reduce stress and help people relax. She goes on to imply that when persons become aware of their attention, they learn how to direct it.”

I asked him, “What do you think about the example of using Mindfulness during a meal?”

“It takes away the joy of eating. Instead of chewing or tasting, you have to concentrate on the goosh.  Most of the time, I concentrate on the taste. If it is really disgusting like this Diet Dr. Pepper you put in front of me just now, I don’t finish it. I also concentrate on what the food does to me. I used to eat liver and onions, but I don’t now mostly because of what I’ve heard is wrong with doing so.

“I am more interested in how the taste is applied; it is not whether it is taste-worthy.”

I could tell it was time to close the book. “How about if we talk about this later, and maybe go through it chapter by chapter. The science in it is fascinating.”

I think we are going to get somewhere with this new information.

Weight Loss

Via Christi Health,  part of Via Christi Hospitals, sponsors a fantastic lunch of Wichita women each month where at least 200 of us keet to hear about solutions for healthy lifestyles.

One incentive is that the lunch is always free, delicious, and of course, healthy.

Today’s line up featured the Program for Weight Management: how to lose it and keep it off.

I played Free Cell on my phone all the way through the speech.

However, I gained much from it because it was practical, informative, and encouraging.

I met Husband at my offices afterwards where I set a Veggie Wrap sandwich in front of him and placed a Diet Coke next to it.

In response to his what’s this, I answered: “I heard the most practical discussion on weight loss today. Dr. Moore is the Medical Director and physician for the Program, and he is a perfect speaker for this type of thing.”

As Husband suspiciously eyed the Diet Coke, he asked: “I suppose he’s against regular Coke, huh?”

“Oh, yes, sugary drinks of any type can be a no-no, including sugary fruit drinks. But he didn’t say never to drink them; he merely said that even one 300 calorie-per-day soda quickly piles pounds on us.”

“Humpf”, Husband replied before he opened the wrap. “And what is this?”

“It’s my Veggie Wrap that I brought to share with you. I’ve had one before; it’s really delicious.”

“Yeah, it’s not bad,” he said with his mouth full.

“I’m really stoked about the presentation. First, Dr. said he believes people when they say they try to lose weight and fail. He said much of our food environment and culture causes us to be overweight due to the sizes of proportions and the content of our foods.

“He said we should move ‘through the air’ at least 30 minutes per day to burn calories, eliminate sugary drinks, and have one meal replacement per day.”

“What does he mean by meal replacement?”

“I’m thinking he meant a weight-loss shake or something along that line which is low in fat and rich in protein and calcium.”

“Tell you what,” Husband said, “Next time we go to breakfast, I’ll just order hot chocolate with my meal.”

“Yeah, funny and cute,” I retorted. “Via Christi offers this weight management program for people and you and me who have tried many ways to lose weight. It sounds far less complicated that the old Weight Watchers program we tried 40 years ago. It seems doable and culturally responsible.”

He flinched at my last comment.

“They described their program as more than a diet. They offer evidence-based plans that are medically safe, supervision, educational classes, and support from a weight-loss coach. They say their nutritious low-calorie foods taste good, but all programs make that claim.

“But here the thing that related most to me. He said that people must have more than five or six hours of sleep per night. If we don’t get it, we can gain up to 12 pounds per year because we lack sleep. That means you are right, I have to get more sleep.”

Husband looked a bit pained, “ Does that mean I can only get eight hours sleep each night?”

“No, I think it means you should sleep the nine or so hours you crave.”

I got his attention with that. He read the pamphlet I showed him. I noticed he didn’t ask about moving through air which I guess is self-explanatory, but it is neat Dr. Moore said we just need to do several little extra things daily to move our bodies. No expensive gym memberships needed.

I didn’t go into the part where the fat in the cavity surrounding our organs is the deadliest part of being overweight. I can save that for the next discussion. Besides, I rather guess that he already knows those knows those types of things. He knows much more about many things.