7 Exercises You Should Not Do After Age 50!

December 31, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / 1 Comment

Happy Fitness Friday, and Happy New Year’s Eve! I will be at work all this weekend, so no fun festivities for me tonight!

I talk a lot about exercise and fitness on this blog. That would make sense since it is a Health and Wellness blog. I tell people all the time you should not just jump into exercises that you have never done before without some kind of practice and guidance first. But, did you know there are actually exercises that you should not do after age 50? Now if you are an athlete, no walking around the block every day does not make you an athlete, or you are doing these exercises under the guidance of a Physical Therapist, then that may be OK for you. But, for the average every day 50 years old the 7 exercises listed below should be not done. I will try to find a video for each one, and or a picture description, since reading it doesn’t always make sense. There are several reasons for this including changes in joints, muscle strength, and it takes much longer to heal from an injury after age 50.

Leg extensions on a machine
Back extension on a Roman chair
Pull downs or pull ups behind the head. OK, these are hard enough when you are not 50, just saying.
Plyometric exercises. That one is a bummer, lol.
Overhead presses. OK, I will admit I do these. That might explain my shoulder pain aggravating me. I think if you do one arm at a time rather than both, as long as you have no pain, it may be OK.
Heavy weights. If you can’t do 10 reps without dying it is too heavy.
Sprinting. According to the article I read some people over age 50 can do a 7 minute mile, but not most without injury. That bummed me out because I have been working on a 10 minute mile and couldn’t get to it. I can do a 15 minute mile fairly easy as long as I don’t talk, lol. Oh well I guess I have to give up the 10 minute mile goal.

I am not an athlete. I don’t even really like high-intensity exercise. I am age 52 and getting injured is not a goal of mine. But, I do want to continue to avoid muscle wasting, and issues with bone disorders especially since I have CKD. Exercise is a vital part of that goal.

Having good muscle tone, balance, and bone density are super important after age 50. You do need to exercise, just choose wisely in what you do. Weight training is an important part of that. Lightweights should keep your muscles strong as well as your bones. Walking is a great exercise and almost anyone can walk. Ask me about my Walking Buddy plan. Before anyone asks me that is not me in the image below.

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My Top 10 Posts For 2021!

December 30, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Well, the year is almost over. Another year is gone and a new one is set to begin. How was your 2021?

2021 was a stressful year for me. I had so much family drama, work drama, and just plain society drama. I hate drama. It drains me. That doesn’t mean I don’t deal with it. I am not a stick my head in the sand kind of lady. But, that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I had good times too, with lots of laughs, and fun. I was able to get back to stage 2 CKD, maintain a 20-pound weight loss for over a year, met some awesome fitness goals, and I have started some new classes to start my profession in a different direction. I have been an LPN for my whole life since I was 17, which is almost 36 years. I love bedside nursing, with a passion. But, I am almost 53 years old and with about 10 more years to retirement my body is tired. Lifting, pulling, pushing, standing on my feet 12 hours a day, and that is just the physical stress of being a nurse. My body is tired, and I had a shoulder injury over the summer that took 7 months to fully heal, and now I have strained a neck muscle in that same arm from pulling on a very heavy patient. I just am not going to continue to do this to my body. So, two weeks ago I started a medical billing and coding certification class. Yes, this will be a desk job which I am not sure I will really enjoy, but I do know it is what I need to do to stay in the health care field. Once I am certified, which I hope won’t take more than 3 months, I will actively search for work in that field. So, things may change here on the blog. They may not, either. Just stay tuned. I also sit on the Board of Directors of a local dog rescue and will become the Secretary in the new year. This is a new adventure for me, as I have never been a secretary of anything, lol. I am learning to write grants for them. My last child will graduate high school in 2022 which means my homeschooling career will end. I am not sure how I feel about that. But, I do know change is good, and it is necessary. I am ready for whatever 2022 brings, I hope, lol! I still will be offering my coaching plans, so be sure and ask about them if you are interested in some Health Coaching.

I think I am going to stick with the monthly topic themes. They keep me on a good blogging path. Also, starting in the new year I will be sharing the slides from the Kidney Coach program that I have not been able to do live since Covid. I will do one to two slides a week. Each slide will have a written explanation with links to the topic with further information. I am an American Kidney Fund Kidney Coach and I have been given permission to do this here on the blog to reach and educate as many people as possible. A lot of these topics I have already discussed on this blog, but not from the AKF program. I hope people will find this helpful. I really would like to do these in video or voice-over form to be uploaded to Youtube. We will see if I can figure that out, lol. I also would like to do some basic cooking videos and how I adapt them to CKD. That probably won’t happen until my husband no longer works from home sometime in 2022. So, for now, you will just have to read about it. One topic that has really intrigued me over the past month is a pantry or shelf-stable cooking. I think this would be near to impossible on a long-term basis for someone with CKD, but I will be doing some food posts about this. I generally avoid these types of foods and feel that is why I have had such good success with improving my kidney function. But, maybe there are some better options.

So, back to the topic at hand. What were my top 10 blog posts for 2021? Be sure and check out the very end where I share the most popular post of all time on this blog. They are not in any particular order.

The number one post on this blog since I wrote the post, is this one about which cheese is best for CKD. It actually should be a top 10, but I didn’t write it in 2021 so I didn’t include it. This tells me that people are searching for info on food and CKD.

That is my year in review! Here’s to 2022 and hopefully no more Covid! I am so over Covid and everything that goes with it. Leave me a comment wishing me a Happy New Year and I will reciprocate.

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Is It Good News Or Bad News?

December 29, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome to another Humpday post. If you read here often then you already know a few things about me. One is that I have CKD and get lab work every 6 months, but I have been stage 2 for two cycles now. I had my lab work for both doctors done on Monday. Lipid panel for my GP and a renal panel for my Nephrologist. I have been feeling kind of yucky since I got the Covid booster and was thinking maybe I was slightly anemic. However, I am under a great deal of stress right now with my nursing job. I am thinking that is some of the reasons I am so tired. Anybody who has CKD knows stress is not a good thing. Anyway, I have a plan for that, it just will take some time.

My Lipid Panel has come down significantly. I have been fluctuating quite drastically. Whenever I try to lose more weight, by decreasing carbs, it shoots up super high. Then I modify my diet and increase my fiber intake, and it comes back down. This time was no different. I increased my carb and fiber intake and decreased fat and meat sources, and it came down, though not to normal. So, I still have to tweak my diet some. Statins will kill my kidneys for sure and I do not have any intentions of taking one if I can avoid it. So far my GP has been really good about monitoring the labs and not nagging about a statin. I have no symptoms of any heart disease so that is why she is probably not pressing the issue.

My renal panel I was slightly disappointed, but only slightly. Before January of last year’s first set of labs for 2021, I was hovering around 47-49 with my eGFR. So for 4 years that was my baseline after I recovered from the left kidney failing. I worked very hard in 2020 to lose weight, modify my diet, even more, deal with stress, and manage my CKD. The results were that in 2021 I was able to get my eGFR to 60 and 61, putting me at stage 2 for two cycles, or 12 months. I just had it done Monday, which would count for January 2022 and my eGFR had slipped to 57 and my creatinine was only very slightly above normal. Even though I had hoped it obviously was still above 60 I can live with 57 because that means that is my new baseline, 57-60 which means I still have room to improve. One very important correlation I have noticed is that when my urine Albumin is below normal is when my eGFR improves. Even though my urine Albumin was in the normal range this time, the last two times it was below normal, my eGFR decreased. This tells me having Albumin in my urine, even at normal levels is harmful to kidney function. The way to solve this is to decrease my protein intake, especially from meat sources, and processed foods, back down to 10-15% of my daily intake. I have been talking about this for some time how these foods are detrimental to the kidneys, possibly. I think the correlation is very strong in my case. Over the holiday week, I ate things I would not normally eat, prime rib, donuts, bakery bagels, chocolate, cookies, etc. My fiber intake decreased and my intake of beef and processed foods went up. Now, I am not saying I will never eat these things, but my moderation was not moderate enough. Plus, these foods are high in Phosphorus and Sodium. I think I have narrowed down the correlation between too much Phosphorus intake and how my body responds, my eyesight is worse, and my tastebuds are affected. I do not drink enough either, this time of year because it is not hot and I am not as thirsty. I have to work on this more. These types of foods are also generally void of potassium. I typically eat a lot of potassium. Typically at least a banana or potatoes every day. I have not been doing that for the last two weeks due to trying to follow a lower-carb diet. How do I know when I am not getting enough potassium? I get leg cramps, terrible annoying leg cramps. I had no bananas or potatoes in the house, but I did have mandarins. One of those relieved the leg cramps in a matter of minutes. Learn to know your body signals that something is amiss.

So, all in all, I am pleased with my labs, but I realize it could have been better if I had eaten better, exercised more, drank more water, and dealt with my stress levels better. I am sure my kidney doctor will want to repeat them in 6 months, so there is that.

Please note I am stage 3A to 2, not on dialysis, not a diabetic, controlled blood pressure without medication, take only Vitamin D and Sodium Bicarb. How I eat and manage my CKD may not be what you need. We are all different, however learning to manage your CKD, is vital to your wellbeing. If you would like to learn about how a health coach can help you, please use the contact form at the end of this post to send me an email, or you can just email me at melissa@healthbuddymelissa.coach or you can simply click on one of my available plans below to learn more.

Tomorrow, I will share my top posts for 2021, things I will be doing with this blog in 2022, changes to my life I will be making, and so much more for the new year. Be sure to come back and read all about it. If you like this content please like and share to help increase my views and search engine ranking. I will also be discussing topics for monthly posts. Next week I have a super packed week, so I am unsure how much blogging I will get done.

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Do Processed Foods Cause Kidney Disease?

December 23, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / 1 Comment

Welcome to another Thinking on Thursday topic and it is the day before the Night Before Christmas. How exciting!

There are lots of thoughts about what causes kidney disease and how to prevent, and treat it once you have it. There are lots of different reasons someone may get kidney disease. What about processed foods? When I talk about processed foods I am talking about highly processed foods, though processed foods have their own issues as well. Highly processed foods are processed foods that don’t just have added fat, salt, and sugar, but also have other chemical additives, colors, preservatives, etc. There are studies that show that the body does not know how to break down these chemicals in these foods and that it caused the kidneys to work harder and can even damage them. If you read here often then you know I have been able to get back to stage 2 CKD after being diagnosed almost 5 years ago. I do attribute a lot of this to allowing my kidneys to heal from the damage of years of eating processed and highly processed foods. I mostly consume organic, home-cooked meals now. I do indulge in unhealthier options, it is a given in this world these days, but before diagnosis and a stressful job with kids at home, we were consuming these types of meals daily. Below you will see links to articles, studies, and videos that explain this topic and how increasing both fiber and resistant starch can actually help to start to heal at the very least the metabolic issues of CKD and at best the damage that has been done to the kidneys. If you don’t like to read research studies, like I do, just read the conclusion. That is the only part that really matters, lol. You can buy resistant starch right off of Amazon, and make your own baked goods using it. The video is short, but she explains the idea of brown food, or baked diet, as the concept to ultra-processed fiber deprived foods and CKD.

If you would like to learn how to cook your own meals and reduce eating processed meals, plus how to meal plan for when you work, use the contact form at the end of the post to message me and I will talk to you about my health coaching options.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7547583/

https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/090112p22.shtml This article does not reference CKD but does talk about weight and metabolic issues.

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Meatless Meal #3

December 22, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome to another Humpday! I hope this Christmas week 2021 is seeing you healthy and merry! I had shared a couple of weeks ago that I was skeptical about getting the Covid booster shot. I got Moderna, and my daughter got Pfizer the first two shots. I listed why I was skeptical, but on a spur of the moment yesterday, I had to go to Walmart anyway so I decided to see if they could do them. They got us right in and we are both now boosted. I knew I was going to spike a high temp, I always do, my immune system is hyper-responsive apparently. But, I knew some of my friends who don’t usually get high temps did with the booster. So, I was prepared for it. It took about 8 hours but at bedtime, my temp was 103. With CKD you aren’t supposed to take Ibuprofen, and Tylenol is pretty useless against a fever that high. So, instead, I took a baby Aspirin and 2 Extra Strength Tylenol and went to bed. I kept water by my bedside for hydration, which is important with a fever. I woke up once to use the restroom and my temp was still 102 so it didn’t do much. I put a cool cloth in my armpits and went back to bed. This is an old trick we old nurses know. You can put them in the groin area as well and on the forehead. I still had a low-grade temp when I got up this morning, but it is now gone. I had little nausea and a lack of appetite for lunch and dinner yesterday. Interestingly I did not get a sore arm this time. All in all one day of feeling cruddy for extra protection against the scourge of society was worth it.

One of our Christmas week traditions is we drive around and look at Christmas lights. I hope my husband will still want to do this once our last child leaves the nest. We go out to dinner first, and if you have CKD like me, that is always a challenge. This year I am going to eat salad, a meat source, and veggie. I will steer away from potatoes and bread, I hope, lol.

If you were here last week then you know that I am trying to encourage my family to eat two meatless dinners a week. My husband is less than enthused, and my daughter is OK depending on what the nonmeat is. For example, she isn’t going to eat beans plain and simple. So, today I decided to do a meatless lunch. Yes, I am the only one that ate it, but oh well, hopefully, they will come around. I am trying to eat beans at least a few times a week. Lunch is a meal I can make and they can have it or make their own, so they had their own, lol.

My lunch consisted of beans on toast. This is something that a lot of people in England enjoy for breakfast. I always thought what a strange breakfast and for people to actually want it seemed strange to me.

My lunch consisted of 1/2 cup of pork and beans with a sprinkle of brown sugar, Dave’s 22 seed thinly sliced bread, 10 red grapes, 1 cutie mandarin, and a tablespoon of Cool Whip topping. I warmed the beans with the brown sugar then I kind of mashed most of them down like a refried bean consistency. I then spread some of the bean mixture onto the two slices of bread and put them together like a sandwich sliced in half. You can see I sampled it before I took the picture. I have to admit this was very good. I was totally surprised. The rest of the beans I just ate on the plate. I cut all the grapes in half and put the mandarin in the bowl. I sprinkled one sprinkle of salt on them and then the Cool Whip. There is nothing better than sweet and salty. It is a very light salty taste as it is just one shake of the shaker. The bread and cuties were both organic. The grapes are really not that good, probably because they are out of season, but I won’t waste them. This was very filling and should hold me until dinner. If it doesn’t I will have one of my favorite snacks salt and vinegar almonds. If you are a potato chip lover give them a try.

Nutrition info for the above meatless meal: Calories 351, total fat 5 grams, saturated fat 0.5 grams, sodium 641 mg, total carbs 65 grams, fiber 11 grams, net carbs 54 grams, protein 14 grams, vitamin a 10%, vitamin c 33%, calcium 18%, iron 17%

As you can see this is a higher sodium meal if you have CKD try and buy beans with no sodium added. Organic beans should be lower in sodium than non-organic varieties. Or, you could make your own from scratch. Beans and whole-grain slices of bread are higher in phosphorus, so if that is a concern for you be sure and take your phosphorus binders or consult with your doctor about eating these foods first.

I am going to try to avoid any more carbs for today. We will see how that goes. Some days are better than others. I am not Diabetic but I do have a goal to lose baby belly fat that I have been carrying around for many years. Reducing sugar and carbs is the best way to do that.

Let me know what you think. Do you do meatless meals to try to cut down on meat consumption and or your grocery bill? Maybe for better health or environmental reasons.

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Everything In Moderation, Even Moderation. CKD And Christmas Dinner!

December 21, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Welcome to another Healthy Tip on Tuesday. With Christmas coming up in just a few days I thought today’s tip would center around Christmas dinner and CKD. Of course, all the other goodies that go with Christmas day too.

While I was browsing around looking for specific information about Christmas dinner I found this Youtube video posted by the American Kidney Fund. It is a webinar on this very topic. It is kind of dry and boring, but the information is super. There are questions and answers after the halfway point so be sure to listen to them as well.

There are three websites mentioned in the video for good kidney holiday recipes. The 3rd link does not work and apparently, that website no longer exists. Below you will find the other two links. Remember to try and cook as much of the dinner, and treats from scratch. This will automatically help with sodium, and phosphorus control. I find a lot of recipes lean towards people on Dialysis, but not all kidney patients need Dialysis. If your doctor has given you recommendations and you are not on dialysis, be sure and manage your food choices around those guidelines. There is tons of information on this blog about CKD and other websites with recipes as well. Just browse through the archives if you are interested. If you would like to learn more about how my health coaching can help you live a better life with CKD, send me a message below.

The quote, everything in moderation, even moderation is from Oscar Wilde, and it brings up a good point. You still need to enjoy the holiday, enjoy the food you eat, feel like yourself etc. So, even when you are practicing moderation even that should be done in moderation.

https://www.satellitehealthcare.com/living-with-dialysis/eating-smart/recipes

Recipes

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Welcome To Christmas Week!

December 20, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Welcome to Christmas week, 2021!

This week I will focus on a lot of topics related to CKD and Christmas cooking, and other various holiday topics. I am quite tired today, but I have things I need to finish up for the holiday. I do have to work Christmas weekend so we will be doing Christmas on Christmas Eve this year. I have also started some new classes and I am working on getting through them. Be Mindful during this week to not overdo it and make yourself sick and worn out for the new year. Take time to relax and be present in the moments of the holiday season.

We don’t get snow here in Florida, thank goodness, but it is nice to look at snow in pictures or videos. So, I chose a couple of lovely videos I found on Youtube to share with my readers. The first one is a Christmas tree, fireplace, and snow falling outside with lovely classic Christmas music. It is quite lovely. If you have a smart TV put it on while you wrap gifts, or bake Christmas cookies.

The second video is different snow scenes with lovely piano music. The third video is a scene of snow falling live with wind, and the sound of the snow falling.

Let me know which one you like the best!

May you find peace and joy in these scenes and sounds of the season!

Meatless Meal #2!

December 17, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / 1 Comment

If you read here earlier this week then you know that I am trying to get my family to eat two meatless meals a week. These are not Vegan, just meatless.

Why? Because plant-based proteins are generally more affordable and I want to expand the food items we consume in our diet. It can also help the environment.

The first meal in this week no one really objected to. It was an egg, cheese, and bagel sandwich. Everybody loved it. My husband was less enthused with the second meal, which you can see in the photo below. That was what I ate and everyone had the choice to eat that. That didn’t happen, lol. My husband and daughter refused to eat the pork and beans. My husband prefers the sugar-laden Bush’s baked beans of which I had none on hand. He did eat the salad which had cheese on it. I think he ate a Clementine as his fruit, instead of banana and grapes.

For me, with CKD, I had 1/2 cup of pork and beans. Sometimes I only have 1/4 cup depending on what else I have eaten that day. I had 8 red grapes with 1/4 of a medium banana. On top of that was 1 tbsp of whipped topping. Then I had a huge salad with Romaine lettuce, orange bell pepper, onion, tomato, and 1 ounce of sharp cheddar cheese. I believe all of these were organic. I used 1 tbsp of Country French dressing, which is my favorite. Also, on the plate are two small slices of deli bread you can buy at Walmart for 1 dollar. This was delicious and super filling. I could totally eat this every day as a meal and be content.

I have not thought about what two meatless meals I will create next week, but now I feel better if they eat crappy over the weekend when I am at work. Plus they are baking Christmas cookies. Watch for a sugar-free cookie recipe next week and why I am making them.

Have an amazing weekend!

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Is This A Healthy Food?

December 15, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Happy Humpday! My life is insanely crazy right now. I have some new projects on my plate, but more about all that in a future post.

If you read here, ever, then you know I have CKD, now stage 2 and hopefully still stage 2. Beans are a great source of protein that does not have the same Nitrogen load as meat does. This type of protein may help the kidneys not have to work as hard as an animal protein may. However, beans are high in Phosphorus and Potassium both of which may be an issue for someone with CKD. Sticking to serving sizes of `1/4 of a cup to 1/2 of a cup should be the limit. You can always ask your doctor or dietitian to be sure. I generally eat only 1/4 a cup at a time, and not usually more than once a day. However, beans are super affordable and have other health benefits besides just protein. We are starting an eating plan where we will eat 2 no meat dinners a week. This is for everyone’s health, not just mine. These meals will not be Vegan, as we will use cheese or eggs in the meals. Meat is already super expensive and with inflation, it is even worse, especially if you don’t want to eat cheap meat like me. I prefer organic, grass-fed meats. This strategy will help us to afford those more expensive meats that I prefer.

So, what about the pork and beans shown in the image, are they healthy? When you buy canned beans they are very convenient and easy to use. That particular can I must have gotten at Sam’s because it is 7 pounds of beans. I am a label reader, so I would have read the label before purchasing. I do try to buy organic canned items because they generally do not contain High Fructose Corn Syrup, but you do have to read labels if you want to avoid it. I do add a pinch of brown sugar to my beans, but they really don’t need to still be delicious.

According to the label, 1/2 cup of these beans contains 130 calories, 1 gram of fat, no saturated fat, 500 mg of Sodium, 24grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of sugars. There are 4 grams of added sugars, which really is not that bad at all. The sodium is a little high so be sure and be mindful of that. Protein is 7 grams, Iron 10% of RDA, Calcium 4% of RDA, and Potassium 8% of RDA.

The ingredient list is pretty clean with only natural flavors being a possible concern. But, it is the last item on the ingredient list so really not that concerning at all. You can see the full label in the image below.

Plant-based foods may not have as high of bioavailability for Iron, read more about that here.

So, are these pork and beans healthy food? I would say yes! Buy some Health Buddy Melissa art! Check out the travel mug below. There is emerging evidence every day of the health benefits of eating more beans. They improve your gut biome, are low in fat, can lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar, etc.

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Temperature Checks!

December 9, 2021 / healthbuddymelissa / Leave a comment

Hello, and welcome to another Thinking on Thursday topic. Today, I am going to talk about Covid, boo, and some of the new hot topics surrounding it. If you like this post please like it and share it.

Unless you live under a rock then you know we are going into our 2nd year of this dastardly pandemic. The new Omicron variant is all the rage of topics of late. But, Delta is still the variant that is dominant in the USA and still causing sickness, and death. Here in Florida, our cases are ticking up slightly, and I noticed hospitalizations are on the rise. In one local county, the cases are low but the positivity is going up. I have noticed a few things in my local area. Mask wearing has never been a big thing in rural areas, but now I am noticing health care facilities not requiring staff to wear masks if they are vaccinated. This is particularly dangerous, and reckless in my opinion, especially when caring for elderly or immunocompromised people. The Florida govt only recommends mask-wearing, it does not require, it. However, why is this? With waning immunity from natural infection and vaccine protection, people’s lives are being put at risk for other people’s silly reasons to not wear one. I have even seen first responders going into facilities without face coverings on. This is completely reckless IMO.

This morning I read an article about temperature checks being an easy way to possibly catch Covid fairly early. The article showed the order that Covid symptoms most likely will appear, and fever is the first symptom. For Covid symptoms appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, and for Flu 1 to 2 days after exposure. The other symptoms in order after fever are cough and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. Now, this does not mean everyone will have symptoms in that order, some people have no symptoms at all as we know. But, with Flu season in full swing, it may help distinguish patients in hospital or clinical settings faster as the dry cough is the typical first symptom when someone has the Flu, and start treatment quicker. I have seen job postings in Florida for businesses that are still doing temperature checks on all visitors entering the business. I used to check my family’s temp every day before we all got vaccinated. Now, I just do it if I think there has been exposure, or we are near someone with symptoms. This is a fairly easy way to screen people. Just be sure you are using your thermometer correctly. I will give an example. If your forehead thermometer says the temp is 95 degrees or lower, or even 96 change the batteries or get a new thermometer. This is not accurate!

Boosters are another hot topic right now. I have noticed some skepticism with people about boosters, and I am not going to lie I am one of them. My husband was boosted, but my daughter and I have not been yet. I don’t think she is even able to yet due to age. For me, I am still considering it, but I don’t want a booster and then in 6 months, I have to get another shot for another variant. I don’t like to put all that stuff into my body and I have been exposed at least twice that I know of. To me, it would make more sense to do an antibody test to see how strong my immunity is first. I know that is probably expensive and I don’t know if my insurance will cover it, but I need to find out. In the meantime, I will do what I need to keep myself and others safe. I will wear my mask in crowded places, be socially distant when I can, keep air moving indoors or in the car, wash my hands often, and disinfect frequently. I am not telling you to not get boosted, or get a vaccine. I am telling you to consider your options and take the safest route for you.

If you are not vaccinated I do urge you to consider it. At least one dose will give you some protection against severe illness and possible death.

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