SOME THINGS WE ARE LEARNING

  Several responses to the recent post regarding Alpha Gal allergy confirmed that there is widespread lack of awareness about it. Even many medical professionals have slight or no knowledge of causes or treatment. The learning curve is steep but essential given the potentially lethal outcome of an  episode.

  Being bitten by a Texas Lone Star tick is the usual route for infection. Numerous "causes"...most of them mammal-related, even dog hair and food fumes... can trigger an episode. Reactions include anaphylaxis (swelling or closure of the throat which can stop breathing; drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, and dizziness or passing out), nausea or vomiting, heartburn, cough, shortness of breath and severe stomach pain.  To date there is no cure, so precautions, avoidance of triggers and use of  epinephrine  (EpiPen) as first line treatment are essential.

   Matters such as diet, medications, medical and dental care rank high among considerations: Some anesthetics produce reactions and should be reviewed pre surgery; some OTC drugs such  as NASIDs, lisinopril, clonidine and hydrocodine are to be avoided as are pig valves for cardiac surgery; reading labels before purchases has become routine.

   In recent weeks we have expanded our knowledge and resources for contending with AG and thought these might be useful to some readers, their families or friends. Helpful discoveries include: an internet search of AG can produce useful data as can books pictured here, and a  couple  of sites on Facebook... The Alpha Gal Kitchen and Alpha Gal Support.

           

          Arm and leg repellent gear for wearing while gardening or yard work is available from Lymeez.

We just purchased these and await arrival. (This is not an endorsement; rather, another precaution as further tick bites can elevate allergic reactions.) A bracelet giving emergency medical information is available.

      If you know other sources for helpful information, please indicate that in the "Comments" section below.

      

       Satchel

    

    

OCTOGENARIAN CLUB

 

                Surrounded by Edna and Dick   May 5, 2023

 "How old is OLD ? I asked my colleague, 

Dr. Dick Horn, a spry, 'sharp as a tack' therapist with 88 birthdays.  His wise reply noted that "it depends".

He, along with Edna and me, constitute 'the Octogenarian Club' of our Counseling Center. At 85, I am the young one  of our 'Club'.  He and  I continue to  carry full case loads and Edna oversees the Center in evenings. For me his answer echoed Satchel Paige's famous aphorism, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" (You probably noticed that his question is the subtitle of this blog and my nom de plume honors Satchel.

   We are part of a diverse group that met together yesterday for the first time in over three years---the onset of Covid.  After months of staff meetings via Zoom, Barbara, our Regional Director, hosted a gathering of staff and therapists. It was good meeting several of the under-30 year old Residents who have joined the practice in the interim.

  "When are you going to retire?" is the question  frequently posed to the three of us. "Why retire when what we do provides us such a sense of satisfaction and purpose?" is the gist of our replies.

    Just this past week a client nearing the magic '65' for retiring from his faculty position affirmed his need for something to do thereafter that would afford him a better alternative to sitting in the rocking chair and possibly being  part of the statistic of men who die within a couple of years of retirement.

    Ageism is real; if you want documentation, do a search of 'ageism and health care'. My body no  longer can do the 'first baseman's stretch' that I did as a high school athlete; and Dick can no longer pitch like his 12 year old self did in the first ever Little League World Series.  But the  all too easy assumption that chronological age means cognitive decline is, frankly, insulting. Apparently, a would-be contemporary politician with Presidential aspirations has suggested  a  cognitive exam for political candidates 75 and older.

   In an April 2023 article in Atlantic magazine, Jennifer Senior cites research that differentiates between how old  one is chronologically and how old  someone feels attitudinally.  Feeling younger is not a kind of dysfunctional denial; it can indicate a form of   optimism and gratitude that one is still useful.

    How 'old' are you?  

         Satchel