Sudden Death - Young Athletes Dying!

Sean Fisher was only 13 years old; Max Gilpin was 15 years old; Douglas Morales a 17 year old high school student; Ereck Plancher a college freshman. These students have all died as a result of participating in football training. Curious? What's going on here?

• Who is responsible for this?


• Are students who are physically cleared appropriately tested?


• Are we listening to their concerns/complaints?


• Are they being pushed too far during training?

Students who are athletically inclined look forward to participating in their favorite sport. In fact, they prepare and practice hoping to make the team. However, in order to participate in any form of physical activity, most schools require a clearance from a physician. The fact that the students are cleared for physical activities/sports is no longer a reason to feel confident that they are going to be safe while playing their sport.

Keep in mind that your child may feel strongly about being a part of the team, the school pride/spirit, the coaches, trainers, teammates as well as some parents are enthusiastically counting on them to perform. Therefore, they may not be forth coming with any complaints/health concerns. They want to make their school, parents, friends, team mates, classmates - all proud of their ability to play the game.

As the coaches/trainers prepare the team to play the game, they focus on intense drilling. The goal of the coach/trainer is to build endurance mentally and physically. Students may experience shortness of breathing, exhaustion, dizziness and other signs of fatigue – but the coaches/trainers often ignore the complaints as they are focused on building endurance and physical stamina – perhaps it is more in the form of thinking mind over matter – work through the challenges because you most likely wont be able to stop for a drink of water/Gatorade/etc. during an actual game.

There are some things that parents can do:

• Have your child thoroughly tested - including an EKG that may be able to detect any heart abnormalities during physical activities. If you feel uncertain, go ahead and ask for a stress test/heart ultrasound.


• Tell your doctors as much information as you can about your family history (has anyone had a sudden cardiac arrest at a young/early age?)


• Talk to your child - ask him/her about their physical response during activities? Be specific in asking if they have experienced any shortness of breath, chest pains, feeling faint or weak?


• Do not take anything for granted - a heart murmur is serious.


• Speak to your school's coach, ask him/her if they have the necessary equipment to assist the students in the event someone collapses on the field/during practice? Have they received the training to operate the equipment?
  

While the physicians may not be too keen on the idea of the thorough physical testing, keep in mind that this is your child. If your car broke down, you would take it to the mechanic and have it repaired or you may even decide to purchase a new one. On the other hand, if your child collapses, you may not be able to have him/her fixed and there is definitely no replacement for the loss. If the physician is unable to perform the tests due to insurance restrictions then by all means pay for it yourself. You may find that it is actually affordable or perhaps you can ask your physician to work out a payment plan. It's less than the cost of a funeral and the lifelong emotional pain that may cost you in therapy fees.

In getting a thorough examination and in support of your child's team, you have done your best. Now it's time to cheer them on - Go team go!

HEALTH ALERTS!

Have you ever received an email that warns you or serves as an alert that there is a recall on a medicine? These emails are usually forwarded from a family, friend or colleague who is sharing the information to make you aware of potential danger. What do you do with that information? Do you read quickly through it and then forward it on to others? Do you talk about it with others? Do you even remember?

While you may be concerned for your health, you may find yourself relying on the emails as a guide to what you should avoid. However, it is more important that you get the facts for yourself. You need to know if the information you received through your trusted sources is factually sound. There are those emails that are not necessary true - even though it mentions CNN, Good Morning America, Today Show and the various notable morning news programs.

Here are some solutions:

• The Food and Drug Administration has the important facts regarding the health alerts, warnings, reports, etc. www.fda.gov
• Your state has a Department of Health it may serve as place to know what is really good with the alerts. For example www.health.state.ny.us/ (New York) www.dhs.ca.gov/ California
  
• The Public Health Administration of your state for example www.mass.gov/dph/dphhome.htm (Massachusetts) or www.msdh.state.ms.us/ (Mississippi)
• Go directly to the source of concern - if it is a product that is made by Johnson and Johnson, www.jnj.com or Pfizer www.pfizer.com
  

You may have to go to the specific site search box and type in medical recalls, medical alerts or medical warnings. An example will be on the Johnson and Johnson website there is no visible link to alerts. However, if you use their search box, a list of products that were recalled or had alerts/warnings will appear.

Go ahead - do it - it's for your own knowledge and most importantly - your health.

Children Facing Adult Diseases – Who is Responsible?

The reports and statistics are out. The percentage of children who are overweight has doubled over the past 30 years. It is neither a surprise nor a secret – we see it with our own eyes. As our society has made great progress over the years in many areas of health, our children now face a major set back as they are diagnosed with diseases. These diseases once reserved for adults have moved into the younger generation. This means that our children and their children may lead unhealthy lives – living with diseases.

As a result, new chronic diseases have emerged while others will be prevalent through adulthood:

• Type 2 diabetes
  

• Hypertension

• Hyperlipidemia

• Coronary Diseases

• Stroke

• Sleep related breathing disruptions

Who is Responsible?

We all are – parents, educators, physicians, nutritionists, family members and friends. The responsibility is upon the adults who play a role in a child’s life. The consumption of junk food, high caloric drinks, chips, cookies, and other snacks at large portions.We are responsible for teaching and leading by example. Do you have any fruits on your table/refrigerator? Are your cupboards filled with potato chips, cookies, candies, popcorn, etc.? Are you giving in to your child's request for fast food/takeout rather than cooking a nutritious meal?

I can recall as a child when we would go out shopping with my parents, we would ask to go to McDonalds, Burger King or Kentucky Fried Chicken. My parents would tell us to wait until we get home where they would then prepare a tuna sandwich or a peanut butter with jelly sandwich and we would enjoy it with a glass of milk. Our snacks would include an apple, pear, peach, plum orange, banana or some other fruit - and we really enjoyed it. Of course we enjoyed a slice of cake, cookies, ice cream or jello from time to time - it was our dessert. We especially looked forward to our Sunday dinners as it would be the treat after our meal.

The key to our intake was that our parents monitored our consumption. We also burned a lot of energy while playing with our family and friends. We would jump rope, play hop scotch, dodge ball, base ball, soft ball, roller skate, tag etc. Our children have computers (my space, facebook, twitter) video games that are also hand held (sitting and playing) hundreds of cable channels (VH1, MTV, BET) just in one position occupied for hours. While they sit around, they snack on chips, soda, cookies, ice cream, etc. As a result, the combination of sitting around and eating creates quite a problem.

Get your child actively involved in some form of physical activity. Do not depend only on the physical educational courses within their schools - get them involved in sports, dancing, jogging, etc.

Their future depends heavily on their present - you want the best for them - including their health. Can we blame the fast food restaurants? I would say no. The businesses are taking care of what they do - business. It's time for us as parents to take care of what we do - parenting - our business.

What's More Important?

Having your own business requires consistent review. Ideas are continuously flowing and ways to improve are being flushed through your mind. Taking it up to the next level is the main goal - not wanting to miss out on being able to provide the services that your competitors are able to deliver. In fact, you want your business to be even better - stand out - completely unique in delivering services that others really need and you can give it to them.

Well, I have a list of questions that I often ask myself

• How am I doing?
• What can I do to improve?
• Am I offering my clients an invaluable service?
• What about my internal clients? Are they feeling appreciated?
• Are my external clients referring me to others?
• How effective is my networking?
• Am I investing enough time into my business?

More questions can be added to the list. However, most important in keeping your business report, be sure to take an honest look at yourself. Your well being - your physical, emotional/mental health are vital in doing business. Your purpose in doing business is not only to be your own boss, be in control but to also enjoy life on your terms. You want to live a prosperous life - well, you also need to live a healthy life. Be sure to take care of the business of your own health.

• Stay hydrated (drink water, 100% fruit juices)
• Make time to get pampered (spa, massage, body rub/scrub)
• Exercise (enjoy a yoga class)
• Meditate (quiet time to center yourself)
• Make healthy eating choices (salad, fruits, vegetables, vitamins, etc.)
• Visit your doctor and follow the standard health screenings
• Travel (plan a vacation - go see other places)
• Spend quality time with your family
• Donate your time, clothes, other items or money to a worthy cause
• Go out for a night on the town (concert, dinner, Broadway show, museum)
• Make time for a social gathering (group of folks who share common interests, friends)
• Play golf, tennis, chess, dominos, basketball, softball, base ball, etc.
• Go to a book store pick up that book you've been meaning to read
• Relax and begin to read your book - even just a chapter or two - then be sure to make some time to continue reading it again - even if you have to take it to the mandatory room (the place we all have to sit for a while).

You are in business with the goal of enjoying life. It's hard to step away especially when you are constantly working on something new or something that requires your attention, or just having to put that time in to see the business grow. It will grow but you will be surprised at the growth you can achieve by taking care of yourself. It builds your confidence - you will feel like a billion bucks, and most of all your business will improve.