Normal?

I am continually amazed (and entertained) by our younger patients. While we have a playroom located right next door to my office….more often than not, while the parent(s) are talking to the doctor...the kids (ranging in age from 3 years to 25 years) usually end up in my office talking to me about everything that is going on in their lives.

Yesterday, one of our patients (who is about 9 years old) was telling me how much he loved to draw. As we talked, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. His response was “I just want to be normal.” I smiled at him and said, “You know, I’m not sure that anyone really knows what “normal” is anymore. I believe that God created us all different for a reason – I mean, just think about it. If we were all the same…it would be a really boring world. Don’t you think?” He looked at me and said, “I never thought of it that way!”. We continued to talk for a little while and before he left I looked over at him and said, “Remember, be yourself….because everyone else is already taken!” His smiled melted my heart!

As I began to think about just want constitutes “normal” – words like “average, common, usual and run-of-the mill” popped into my head. I thought back to my conversation with this precious patient. I never really thought about what he was saying. I began to wonder if this child just wanted to “blend in” with the crowd. To live his life unnoticed. It was then that I had this “ah-ha” moment.

How many of us want desperately to just blend in with the crowds? To live our lives completely unnoticed by others? Never wanting to share our heartbreaks and/or disappointments with others for fear of being judged or criticized. Choosing, instead, to try and work through our “stuff” alone. I don’t think this is God’s plan for our lives. While I certainly believe there are times that it just needs to be you and God….I also believe that there are far too many times that we allow our pride to keep us from seeking Godly counsel. As we look forward to a new year, I want to encourage you to not only encourage those pepole God has placed in your life....but, seek encouragement from other Believers. Let's not be afraid to share our lives with others.

“Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person.” Proverbs 3:27 (MSG)

Being Aware of the Signs of Depression

This time of year there are a record number of people dealing with depression. When you add the economic crisis and record job losses that are occurring at this time of year....the number of people dealing with depression can skyrocket.

Many people are not aware that a friend or family member maybe suffering from depression. I thought I would take a moment to make you aware of some signs and symptoms...and some interesting facts about depression.

Of the estimated 17.5 million Americans who are affected by some form

of depression, 9.2 million have major or clinical depression.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

Two-thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek necessary treatment.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

80% of all people with clinical depression who have received treatment

significantly improve their lives.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

The economic cost of depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year

but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

Women experience depression about twice as often as men.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

By the year 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that

depression will be the number two cause of "lost years of healthy life" worldwide.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the ninth leading cause of death in the United States in 1996.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

Major Depression is 1.5-3.0 times more common among first-degree biological

relatives of those with the disorder than among the general population.

(Source: Washington University-St. Louis)

54% of all people believe that depression is a personal weakness.

(Source: National Mental Health Association (NMHA) study reported

in MSNBC Health Today, March 10, 2004.)

41% of depressed women are too embarrassed to seek help.

(Source: NHMA Survey, 1996)

80% of depressed people are not currently having any treatment.

(Source: National Healthcare Quality Report”, 2003)

Some of the signs and symptoms of depression are:

Changes in appetite that result in weight loss or weight gain unrelated to dieting.

Insomnia or oversleeping.

Loss of energy or increased fatigue.

Restlessness or irritability.

Feelings of worthlessness or feelings of inappropriate guilt.

Loss of interest in normal activities.

Crying spells or feeling "blue".

Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions.

Thoughts of death, suicide or attempts at suicide.

The American Psychiatric Association has a great fact sheet on depression (click here). The National Institute of Mental Health website also has some great information on depression and other mental illnesses.

Disclaimer: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on any website.

Hard Rock Cafe and Pink Floyd

One of the gifts I gave Richard (and Chase) this year was tickets to Pink Floyds Laser Spectacular. It was awesome! The show is a mix of the original Pink Floyd videos and lasers. They give you these incredible glasses that "enhance" the lasers. Let's just say it was so cool! Of course, AFTER we get there....we are told that it would have been perfectly fine for us to bring all our camera gear! Ugh! Well, looks like we will go again next year and bring all the gear. The crowd was an incredible mix of people.....old, young, normal, weird....people completely stuck in the 80's. Any talk show host seeking candidates for a makeover show...this was the place to be!

Sitting there, with my 17 year old son, listening to the music that was popular when Richard and I were his age was almost enough to make me feel old! LOL

Before the show, we ate at The Hard Rock Cafe! Being the HUGE Aerosmith fan that I am....I ordered Joe Perry's "Rock Your World" Chicken Quesadillas. OMG, people....these are amazing!

Basically, it's a quesadilla with grilled chicken, grilled pineapple....grilled in a chili dusted tortilla and served with Joe Perry's Mango Peach Tango Hot Sauce! Yummy! Of course, I get home and immediately search the internet for this recipe! Bingo! I even found a place to order this amazing sauce.....and I even discovered that Joe Perry has several other sauces! You can check out the website for more recipes that fans have submitted!

Wordy Wednesday

One of my favorite books is "Word Nerd" written by Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph.D. This book is full of some of the most interesting facts about words. I thought I would share a few of my favorites:

Filipendulous is another word for "hanging by a thread".

Garbology is the anthropological study of a society or culture by examining or analyzing its refuse.

Hebephrenic described the condition of adolescent silliness.

The finger next to the little finger is the leech-finger.

Malversation is corruption or misconduct in public office or plain old bad behavior.

A pantopragmatic is one who meddles in everybody's business.

Pogonophobia is a fear of beards.

To dwizzen is to shrink and dry up or look parched.

Illth is the opposite of wealth.

Lycanthropy is a type of insanity in which the patient imagines himself a beast.

A tittynope is a small quantity of anything left over.

A McWar is a military conflict that is fast and cheap.

Now, the fun part....can you write a paragraph using as many of these words as possible....and have it make "some" sense?

Ticker Tape Tuesday

This week I thought instead of interesting quotes and trivia....I'd list some of my favorite medical blog posts. Some of these stories are absolutely hysterical....and some unbelievable.

The Answer is Still "No"

Some Dude

The Christmas Fruitcakes

Are You Missing a Man in a Kimono?

I'm Not a Personal Shopper

Best Chief Complaint of the Night

Grand Rounds - The Seinfeld Edition

Christmas is About Grace

Socks Rock!

The people who know me best - know that I absolutely LOVE socks (and blankets)! I could not resist posting a few pictures of some socks that are on my "gotta have 'em" list!

Paul Frank socks.....aren't they cute?

One of the greatest places to buy socks is a store in Breckenridge called The Joy of Socks. Here are a few of my favorites:

Then, there are these socks from Little Mismatched:

So, I'm wondering...anyone else out there love socks like I love socks? Happy Holidays!