Dr. Deb

Took a moment this snow day to edit a little movie with my family from the holidays!

Enjoy!

Can you seen the left tilt? This photo was taken between the 4th & 5th Fall

Many couples have their biggest fights over holiday decorations. Whose fault was it that the tree kept falling? (We are at a record 8 falls this year but no divorce yet!) Are you all white lights and red bows or a conglomerate of color? (I lost the Classy Christmas Battle when my husband bought a blow up Santa on a Harley. Now our front yard looks like something out of Christmas Vacation.)

One thing we both agree on is no rooftop decorations! My husband is a foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon and has treated too many injures from falls to ever get on a roof again.

The holidays bring many things but injures are not welcomed.

Here are my Top Holiday Hazards to keep you safe this season.

Dr. Deb’s Top Holiday Hazards

While Decking the Halls Don’t Fa La La La FALL!

(more…)

Last week a parent told me that her son knew me as not just Dr. Deb, but the Diarrhea Doctor. No surprise to me because I taught his class how they get diarrhea and that is something they won’t soon forget.  I usually give a germ talk to first graders at the start of cold season.  We discuss germs and how to fight infection, but they always remember one point in particular. You see, I ask them, “Have you ever had diarrhea?” When most raise their hands I tell them, “Well, that means that you have probably eaten someone else’s poop!” Sure it may be a crude way to explain oral-fecal contamination, but it sure gets them washing their hands!

We are in an Indian summer now but colds and infections abound so here are:
Dr. Deb’s Tips on how NOT to get Sick!

1. Wash your Hands in Zones

(more…)

Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers talented freshman, is one of 3 teenagers that committed suicide in the month of September after a Cyberbullying incident. Tyler’s roommate filmed him having sex with a man and broadcast it on the internet, not once but twice.  His roommate and another female student are being charged with invasion of privacy and may face manslaughter charges. My initial reaction was throw the book at them. Make an example of them! What givens anyone the right to videotape someone privately especially in a sexual act whether  that person be homosexual or heterosexual.

Who we really need to throw the book at is ourselves. In my lifetime we have seen grocery store tabloids jump from the paper, to the Internet and into our own “reality” worlds. Outrageous, cruel, salacious behavior has become the norm for attention and ratings. We have created a society that is more involved with “Hits”, “Likes” and “Friends” than building relationships and doing what is right.

Bullying has always been around but the consequences of cyberbullying goes far beyond a playground black eye.   The bully never has to see the actual pain they have inflicted. The Internet is forever, yet teens use it to broadcast their every impulse. 25-50% of all teens will be cyberbullyed. Parents need to wake up and get involved. “I don’t have time to learn about it,” or “What I can do?” is no longer excusable.

Screens have always been a babysitter and Lord knows I used television plenty with my 4 but at least I was in charge of the content that they saw. The technology is everywhere and you can’t keep it away,  therefore you must teach your child how to navigate it.  We must have a standard of behavior online that is free of bullying and prejudice and promotes responsibility. Behavior not tolerated in the Real World should not be allowed online. Allowing your kids to have 24/7 access to media without supervision and communication is the one of main reason why those students and the students that watched did not have the clarity to see the horror of their actions.

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying involves sending mean, threatening messages, photos or videos that can be sensitive or private to the other person. It may involve stealing identities or spreading lies via emails, Instant Message, texting, blogging, webpages, chat rooms or other social networking sites.

(more…)

Vitamins make me sick. I really don’t like the way they hurt my stomach, burp up later and certainly the color and smell in the bathroom. So the question is do I really need to take them and if I do, which ones?

I do take daily vitamins and give them to my kids even if there is not overwhelming data to support the practice. Ideally everyone should get all their nutrition from a diet rich in fruits, vegetable, fiber and lean protein. We do better than most in getting the fruits, vegetables and fish down but there are still too many drive through dinners in our life.  There is also enough evidence to the benefit of certain supplements that makes me think it worthwhile.

You can spend a fortune on vitamins but my motto is to take the simplest formulation that you are most likely to stick with. If you can’t afford it, tolerate it or fit it into your life then find something else that works. Vitamins sitting on the shelf are certainly of no benefit.

Here are Dr Deb’s recommendations for supplements

(more…)