National Minority Health Month is just one of many health awareness topics designated for the month of April.  The goal is to continue the quest of empowering, educating and giving awareness to the still many health disparities that invade the minority community today.

The National Minority Health Month organization raises awareness to include all groups in healthcare education, awareness and programs.  According to the organization, Hispanics are greatly affected because they are the largest group without medical insurance.  I encourage you to check your local healthcare communities to see where you can get involved.

I invite you to share my free blog with others so they too can continue to learn about better health practices, how to empower you and make a difference!

As Valentine’s Day is traditionally a time to celebrate ‘love’ – mainly someone you’re romantically involved with or affectionately attracted to, not everyone shares the same, for various reasons.  So today, here at You Empower your Health, I want to love on you, celebrate you, bring out the love in you so you can gladly share with someone else!.   Times like these can undoubtedly affect your health.  It can affect your mood, your mental health and your physical health.

Instead of ‘despising’ Valentine’s or hating on others and their ‘love’ for each other, treat YOU!  Treat yourself to what YOU would love to do!  Love YOU!!  Do something you’ve never done before for YOUR body, YOUR self.  Once you love on you, then share that love with someone whose alone, whose broken, an elderly person, or a person who may be ill, and by the end of this Valentine’s Day, after doing all of that, you will be so surprised how you’ve given yourself….and someone else a longer life, a healthier heart, a healthier mind and an overall healthier physical well being.   I LOVE YOU!!

Now that we’re into the first full week of 2015, I’m hopeful that this will be a prosperous and healthy year!   With the major holidays behind us, let this be a time to now focus on better health……for ourselves and for others around us!  As I continue my job in the HIM field (health information management), there’s a tremendously large number of patients taking HUGE amounts of medications, people dying from the flu – even babies dying from it.  I hope that I can somehow help make a difference in someone’s life in my blogs so they can see the benefits of being healthy.  Of course we are not immune for dying, but we can do something about an early or unnecessary early demise if we just educate ourselves.

This is also the time of year, no matter what region of the country you live in, the weather is ever-changing and winters can be very brutal.   Let’s continue to be the eyes and ears of our elderly neighbors and others who may be less fortunate than us and help provide a heater, a blanket, a meal or a ride or whatever type of assistance you can give them – even if it’s calling 911 for them.  Those are just some of the many little things that we can do for others.

Though I am very fortunate to work at home, I DO remember the times of having to go out to work, spending many hours at work, going to and from work and shopping, etc. and spending more than 10 hours away from home.  When your body makes those different changes, going back and forth from heat to cold, being around very ill, coughing, sneezing people, our bodies tend to lose the resilience against fighting germs, diseases, etc.  That’s why it is important to take charge yourself by utilizing simple things such as vitamin C, drink lemon water, have honey and lemon mixed with cinnamon.  You’d be totally surprised at what those items will do for your body!) and of course bundle up from head to toe when out in the elements.

I’m looking forward to a great 2015 in many ways.  I hope that I can continue to be an encouragement and a useful tool by my blogs to help YOU be a healthier and happier YOU!

As the holidays are upon us, these are the times when a lot of us overindulge when it comes to eating and drinking.  There’s nothing wrong with celebrations in eating or drinking, but in complete moderation…….and healthy as best we can.  We don’t need to sit around and stuff our plates with food all day long, every day nor drink until you can’t even see anymore!!  You’re killing your insides like that.  As I still am in shock and pain from my friend I’ve mentioned on my Facebook, Mr. Mark ‘Elijah Israel’ Fant, who just recently passed and was only in his early 50s, one thing that still does not shock me is the manner in which he died.   Having too much cholesterol in his system.  No, there are no warning signs for the majority of us that we have ‘too much cholesterol’ in our arteries, but here is where we MUST be extremely careful in what we put into our bodies – especially after the age of 45.

Getting regular checkups with our primary care physicians is vitally important, ya’ll, even if we are NOT having signs or symptoms of illness.  Getting regular exercise is also important in keeping those arteries clear of plaque (fat/cholesterol) so that the plaque will not flow to the coronary (heart) arteries and stop the heart from beating, causing a myocardial infarction (heart attack).  Read your labels and see and compare ‘enriched’ or starchy items versus whole grain items and notice how much saturated fats and cholesterol and sodium are in the products you purchase.

I too am cooking the traditional Thanksgiving meal – vegetables being cooked fresh, not canned – but this year I am going to definitely eat in moderation.  Desserts, yes I’m cooking, but family and friends are definitely welcome to come by and take them as I truly do not need whole pies around here!  (lol).

Thanksgiving is the time to be grateful for the many blessings we have and to share what we have with someone who is less fortunate.  I want to wish you all a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving of 2014!

It’s been a while my friends, but I’m back!!  Busy trying to find my way in life….well, my stability in employment that is, and so I’m back on track.

Saw EMS come through my complex a couple of Sunday’s ago – came to the complex next to mines.  Didn’t think much of it, so a couple of days later, I talked to one of the residence’s who live in that building and he informed me that it was his mom that EMS came for!!  As he went on to tell me her prognosis (as best he could in nonmedical terms), I was absolutely floored by how WE still do not take care of ourselves health-wise.  She was so incredibly short of breath to the point of gagging!!  That is when the son finally called EMS.  Her lungs were so filled with fluid and had been short of breath for some time, until she has had damage to her lungs.  She cannot even come home until her lungs are at a better capacity and will not collapse.  She hadn’t been to a doctor since she was 14 years of age and is currently 60 years old.  NOT GOOD!

Folks, this is NOT normal!  It is NOT normal to be short of breath.  It is NOT normal to have ongoing swelling in your feet and legs!  It is NOT normal to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day and think you’re NOT going to be short of breath, have a ‘smoker’s cough’ and any other problems!

As I write this, I too am talking to myself as our health is a continual learning experience and I want to continue down the right path of a healthier me as well as my love for all of you to see a healthier you!  Again, I am not in perfect health, but I am doing fantastic considering where I’ve been in the last 4 years or so.  I too had to finally listen to someone who was positive, encouraging, knowledgeable, educate myself (in what my actual profession  is) and more importantly, learn from others who have been through serious health issues but have survived and changed their ways.  I too had to stop making excuses that I’m too busy.  We’re not too busy trying to earn more, pay our bills – we should never be too busy to care for own self!!  It’s about taking responsibility for your own health.   First, we have to change our mindset.  If we can gradually begin to change our mindset about ourselves and not think, ‘Oh it’s just a little headache’ it’ll go away’ or “honey, I’ve had this swelling for 3 or 4 months now, it will go away”, your life, your health WILL begin to improve.

Let us begin to educate ourselves, read more and as I’ve always said on this blog, let us learn our bodies and know when to get care from a healthcare professional.  If you’re worried about the big hospitals and thinking and worrying about payment after going to the hospital, we now have ever more increasing community clinics that have great medical staff.  They ARE interested and concerned about your health.  There’s so much at our disposal these days.  Educate yourself about the physicians/healthcare providers in your community.  Unfortunately, there are some who are not up to par as in any profession, but that is where YOU take responsibility in researching the best practices, best hospitals, physicians, healthcare workers by seeing their reviews, their malpractices, etc.   All of that and more information is available to you online.  They are not always about that mighty dollar or trying to profit from you.  As a matter of fact, these healthcare professionals in your community clinics are affiliated with the big-named hospitals in your town – this is why they are now in your community – to serve you, help you and begin a healthier you!

Here to wish ALL mother’s a Happy Mother’s Day!  Whether you’re a mom yourself or not, we obviously ALL have had a mother and no matter what the nature of that relationship with your mom, she deserves to be honored, loved and thought of!

As of this Mother’s Day in 2014, I know I am blessed beyond measure to still have my precious mom, Mrs. Mary Hughes, still alive and doing well at 92 years of age.  Although I am unable to spend time with her this year, it’s still even just an honor and a joy to hear her ever so young-sounding voice on that phone and to still have her wits about her.

I especially want to send shout outs to all those that have lost their mother and especially the mother’s that have lost a child.  I hear all the time from mother’s who have lost a child that there is no other pain equal to that of losing a child, but this Mother’s Day, take those thoughts and remember all the beautiful things about that child (whether a child or an adult) that put a smile on your face. They may not be here in the physical, but you are STILL, and always will be their mother.

A mother’s work is never done – whether a newborn or whether an adult, a mother is always thinking, wondering, worrying and praying for their child.  No matter if you’re the mother of one child or the mother of 19 or more, there’s nothing like the love of a mother whose taken the time to groom, teach, heal, feed, laugh, cry and discipline their ‘youngins’ as I like to say.

So this Mother’s Day, spend some time, call and speak or find some way to honor your mother – she spent many hours bringing you into this world giving you life – keeping you alive and nurturing you – at least love on her while she’s here!

80-90% of the time when I solely transcribed ER reports in the past and a doctor dictates “patient with right lower quadrant abdominal pain”, etc., I pretty much knew (in my mind) that the patient had an appendicitis.  Sure enough, when the doctor came to the end of the report and with a description of the diagnosis, he (or she) would dictate:  “DIAGNOSIS:  Appendicitis.”  This is the joy I still get from transcribing all types of reports now – putting my medical terminology knowledge, A&P knowledge together and figuring out what a particular patient may have before the doctor gives a final diagnoses.

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix.  The appendix is a small pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine.  It is commonly found in children and young adults, but obviously is not discriminatory to anyone of any age, gender, race, culture, etc.

The pain is predominantly on the right lower part of the abdomen, but some may suffer pain in different areas:  some on the left side, some on or underneath the belly button, but normally there are other symptoms that may occur.  Fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation and/or diarrhea, pain when coughing or sneezing and pain in the abdomen while riding over bumps are many other symptoms that can occur with appendicitis.

The cause of appendicitis is not fully understood and could be from various reasons such as the appendix may become blocked by stool or foreign body, or obstruction causing bacteria to invade the appendix, causing it to fill with pus and swell.  Bacteria invading your body is NOT cool and can cause a whole host of other problems.

Appendicitis is not to be taken likely as it can rupture and can cause potential life-threatening infections if not treated.  Never let that type of pain go on for days!  Medical professionals suggest that if you’re having especially severe abdominal pain and/or fever, nausea, vomiting and the symptoms continue to occur and/or worsen, please seek medical attention immediately.