Tag: veterans

Noteworthy in November

In November, the United States not only celebrates Thanksgiving, but also observes the end of Daylight Saving Time, Armistice Day (Veterans’ Day), and Native American Heritage Month. Dr. Hans Duvefelt shares his experiences of his first Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the Tradition of Giving Tuesday encourages acts of generosity and shared humanity, aiming to bridge societal gaps in wealth.

There is a new version of this post at November Dates and Days.

Say “November”, and we in the United States think of Thanksgiving. Yes, for the abundant and delicious food we consume, but mostly because it’s a time spent with family, often ones we don’t see every day.

But for some, it’s a new experience in a new country. Or it’s a lonely day, or a day to grieve for what’s lost.

Dr. Hans Duvevelt immigrated to the United States from Sweden and writes a blog, “A Country Doctor Writes”. One year he wrote about his first Thanksgiving in Maine and I invite you to read it, just click on the title.

Another Thanksgiving Reflection

Daylight Saving Time ends

If you don’t like changing from standard time to daylight saving time in the spring, you will welcome the change back in the fall. We used to change in October but a few years ago it was extended to the first Sunday in November, which in 2023 is November 5.

Will we ever quit changing to DLST? Or will we ever change and just leave it that way? Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, if the change messes with your sleep, this post offers help to adjust quickly.

Sleep Practices for Restful Nights

In this post I review options to improve our sleep. Daylight Saving Time can disrupt sleep, akin to jet lag. Chronic insomnia involves difficulty sleeping regularly, potentially linked to medical conditions. Treatment begins with addressing underlying issues and adopting sleep hygiene practices, such as exercise and routine. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is effective…

Keep reading

Armistice Day

Maybe you’ve never heard of this day. It’s become more of a historical term for the end of World War I, said to have ended “at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month” in 1918. Many countries observe it in various ways. In the United Kingdom it’s called Remembrance Day. In the United States, we mark it as Veterans’ Day, where we honor those who have served in the military in all wars and peacetime.

Honoring Our Veterans 

Veterans Day on November 11 honors those who served in the U.S. armed forces. The Veterans Administration supports veterans through health care, education, and research. Personal stories highlight the ongoing impact of veterans, including therapeutic relationships with pets and reflections from veterans of past conflicts, emphasizing resilience and community connection.

Keep reading

Native American Heritage Month

The Thanksgiving holiday mostly celebrates the immigration of Europeans to the North American continent. Native American Heritage Month, and day, November 24, recognizes the people who were already here.

It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation….we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation.

We celebrate Indian Country with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation.

U.S. Department of the InteriorIndian Affairs

The Rich History of Watercress in Native American Culture

In 1889, the Locvpokv Muscogee Creeks established the village of Talasi near the Arkansas River, later called Tulsa. The Council Oak remains a cultural landmark, where Native Americans hold ceremonies. This article explores watercress and its culinary uses, highlighting its significance to local indigenous communities and the environment.

Keep reading

Giving Tuesday

It started with Black Friday. Then Small Business Saturday was added, as well as Cyber Monday. All for the purpose of consumers spending money so retailers can be profitable.

And that’s good, we need a strong economy. But some parts of our society can fall through the cracks of that economy. While some of us may be doing well financially, not everyone is. And that’s where Giving Tuesday bridges the gap.

Everyone has something to give and every act of generosity counts.

Join the GivingTuesday movement and reimagine a world built upon shared humanity and radical generosity.

GIVING TUESDAY

In 2023, Giving Tuesday is November 28, but you don’t have to wait or limit giving to that day. Generosity is a habit worth cultivating year-round.

Exploring the HEART of health in November

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a world globe with two crossed bandaids

Doctor Aletha

What Republicans propose about medical research, healthcare workers, the FDA, and veterans

Modern miracles involving genetics, the immune system, cures for deadly diseases, and more are in the research pipeline. This is the consequence of marrying significant investment, both public and private, with the world’s best talent, a formula that has for a century given the American people the world’s best healthcare.

In this post, I present sections of the 2016 Republican Party platform dealing with healthcare workers, medical research, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and veterans’ healthcare.

I have included a few links to other sites to provide context; they are not necessarily endorced by the party.

Protecting Individual Conscience in Healthcare

America’s healthcare professionals should not be forced to choose between following their faith and practicing their profession.

We respect the rights of conscience of healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and organizations, especially the faith-based groups which provide a major portion of care for the nation and the needy.

a physician extending a stethoscope toward a patient who is not visible

Advancing Research and Development in Healthcare

Modern miracles involving genetics, the immune system, cures for deadly diseases, and more are in the research pipeline. This is the consequence of marrying significant investment, both public and private, with the world’s best talent, a formula that has for a century given the American people the world’s best healthcare.

We are determined that it should continue to do so, especially as we confront new dangers like Ebola, Zika, Chikungunya, and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

To continue our headway against breast and prostate cancer, diabetes, and other killers, research must consider the needs of formerly neglected demographic groups.

a drawing representing CRISPR
CRISPR-Cas9 is a customizable tool that lets scientists cut and insert small pieces of DNA at precise areas along a DNA strand. This lets scientists study our genes in a specific, targeted way. Credit: Ernesto del Aguila III, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH

Republicans

call for expanded support for the stem cell research that now offers the greatest hope for many afflictions — through adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood, and cells reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells — without the destruction of embryonic human life

urge a ban on human cloning for research or reproduction, and a ban on the creation of, or experimentation on, human embryos for research

believe the FDA’s approval of Mifeprex, a dangerous abortifacient formerly known as RU-486, threatens women’s health, as does the agency’s endorsement of over-the-counter sales of powerful contraceptives without a physician’s recommendation.

Putting Patients First: Reforming the FDA

The United States has led life sciences and medical innovation for decades, bringing millions of high-paying jobs to our country and helping Americans and people around the world live longer, healthier lives. Unfortunately, the continuously increasing burden of governmental regulation and red tape is taking its toll on our innovative companies, and their pipeline of new life-saving devices and drugs to our nation’s patients is slowing and diminishing.

Collage of Various Types and Colors of Medication
Collage of Various Types and Colors of Medication

The FDA-Food and Drug Administration– has slowly but relentlessly changed into an agency that more and more puts the public health at risk by delaying, chilling, and killing the development of new devices, drugs and biologics that can promote our lives and our health.

The FDA needs leadership that can reform the agency for our century and fix the lack of predictability, consistency, transparency and efficiency at the agency.

The FDA needs to return to its traditional emphasis on hard science and approving new breakthrough medicines, rather than divert its attention and consume its resources trying to overregulate electronic health records or vaping.

We pledge

to restore the FDA to its position as the premier scientific health agency, focused on both promoting and protecting the public health in equal measure, so we can ensure that Americans live longer, healthier lives,

that the United States remains the world leader in life sciences and medical innovation,

that millions of high-paying, cutting-edge device and drug jobs stay in the United States,

that U.S. patients benefit first and most from new devices and drugs, and

that the FDA no longer wastes U.S. taxpayer and innovators’ resources through bureaucratic red tape and legal uncertainty.

We commend those states that have passed Right to Try legislation, allowing terminally ill patients the right to try investigational medicines not yet approved by the FDA. We urge Congress to pass federal legislation to give all Americans with terminal illnesses the right to try.

Honoring and Supporting Our Veterans: A Sacred Obligation

Our wounded warriors, whether still in service or discharged, deserve the best medical care the country can provide. We must make military and veterans’ medicine the gold standard for mental health, traumatic brain injury, multiple traumas, loss of limbs, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Those injuries require a new commitment of targeted resources and personnel for treatment and care to advance recovery.

disabled veteran patch
Photo by Dr Aletha

The VA- Veterans Administration

That includes allowing veterans to choose to access care in the community and not just in VA facilities, because the best care in the world is not effective if it is not accessible.

We will seek to consolidate the VA’s existing community care authorities to make a single program that will be easily understood by both veterans and VA healthcare providers.

Like the rest of American medicine, the VA faces a critical shortage of primary care and mental health physicians. That’s why there are long waiting times to see a doctor and why doctors are often frustrated by the limited time they have with their patients.

This is especially the case with mental health care, which often amounts to prescribing drugs because there are not enough psychologists and psychiatrists to do anything else. Inadequate treatment of PTSD drives other problems like suicide, homelessness, and unemployment.

This situation may not be quickly reversed, but a Republican administration will begin, on day one, to undertake the job.

Over-prescription of opioids has become a nationwide problem hindering the treatment of veterans suffering from mental health issues. We therefore support the need to explore new and broader ranges of options, including faithbased programs, that will better serve the veteran and reduce the need to rely on drugs as the sole

exploring the HEART of healthcare policy

Medical stethoscope and heart on a textured background

Dr Aletha

Here is another post in this series you’ll want to read also.