Dr. Deb

My Mom always tucked us in with, “Sleep Tight! Don’t let the bedbugs bite!” I remember asking her, “What is a bedbug?” No one even knew that they were real because they had not been around since WWII. Well, the bedbug is back and he is ready to party. Bedbugs have increased by 500% in the last few years due to increased travel, resistance to pesticides and restriction of certain pesticides.

What are bedbugs?

The bugs are the size of an apple seed after they fed on blood of animals or people. One meal can last them for several months, up to a year. Newborns are colorless and turn brown as they mature. Eggs are 1/32 of an inch and white so they are very hard to see.

Bedbugs are not poisonous and don’t cause harm but can be annoying if you have an allergic reaction to the saliva, which causes itching. Benadryl cream and pills can relieve the itch. Some people do not have an allergic reaction and may live with bedbugs for months without realizing it.  Most people are bit in the head, face, and neck, as the bedbug is attracted to the carbon dioxide of one’s breath. Psychologically, they can be devastating because they are so persistent and difficult to treat. I had nightmares just researching the topic. I can’t imagine the stress if your home becomes infested.

Dr. Deb’s 5 Steps of Bedbug Prevention

1. Inspect

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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.

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I have to be honest. I was never one to get the flu shot. We really never got sick nor had any health problems in my family. I did encourage my husband who has more patient contact but never thought about it for my 4 kids or me.  I knew that sometimes the vaccine was right on and protected against the flu that was going around. I also knew that sometimes it missed and wasn’t even effective in certain years. I just didn’t think it necessary and worth possible down time from the vaccine.

I am not alone. Less than 40% of all health care workers received the H1N1 vaccine last year when it was a pandemic.  It is actually the pandemic that has changed my mind about flu shots. We did all get the H1N1 vaccine in my family and none of us had any side effects. Now, it turns out the H1N1 was not as severe as they first thought but plenty of young healthy people died from it. In fact, it is the youngest and the oldest that are most at risk from the flu. It comes down to the fact that if my child died or was hospitalized over something that I could have prevented, I could never forgive myself. The flu vaccine has a very long safety record so I feel that I should give it to my whole family now.

October marks the official start of flu season, which lasts all the way until May.

5-20% of all people (15-62 million people) will get the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized each year for influenza-related complications. (more…)

We just returned from a weekend trip at The Wilds in the middle of nowhere Ohio. (It’s actually not far from Columbus) It is an outdoor safari-conservation center and it was awesome! We all loved seeing the animals up close in our open-air vehicle and it certainly rivaled the African safari that my husband and I went on years ago (except this time the animals were actually closer!) The 100 plus heat was not so awesome and we soon realized that not having access to water in high heat came with it’s own price. We were weak and dehydrated very quickly. This vacation hazard was easily remedied but many are not.

Vacations are riddled with hazards, many of them hidden so here are

Dr Deb’s Vacation Hazard Helper

Keep Cool & Wet (more…)

Once a year my husband takes an annual “male bonding trip” with our twins and their octogenarian grandfather to a small cottage by the lake. Grilling out over hot coals is part of this summer tradition as it is for many families, especially this holiday weekend.  Unfortunately, accidental fires are also too common as they discovered the next day. My son went to play ball outside and noticed some smoke beside the cottage. Suddenly, the coals from the cookout the night before burst into flames. Luckily Louie’s sports obsession put him in the exact location so that he could alert grandpa and put out the fire. Many are not so lucky when it comes to accidental fires, especially around a holiday.

More fires are reported on 4^th of July than any other single day with half of these caused from fireworks. In fact 7,000 people each year get treated for 4th of July related accidents.

Dr. Deb 4^th of July Safety Tips

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