Stay Home, Limit Travel, Save Lives

As I was traveling over the mountains yesterday, “Stay Home, Limit Travel, Save Lives” was the message displayed on the highway reader boards. By the time I reached my home in Leavenworth Washington, our govenor had issued a “Stay Home, Stay Healthy”  order. His order essentially closes all business except for essential businesses for the […]
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Monday

It is the start of a new week of social distancing. According to Nancy Lublin who co-founded Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit text-messaging organization, the volume of messages has surged during the coronavirus pandemic.  In her words, “What we need right now is physical distance and social connection.” Anxiety is high and we all have […]
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Spend Time Outside Everyday, Especially Now

What a difference a week makes. Last Friday was March 13th, and many would not have predicted where we are today, one week later!  In Washington State, we are social distancing in an attempt to flatten the curve of additional exposure to the coronavirus. Immersing yourself in nature is restorative and studies have found that […]
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Boosting Your Immune System

The arrival in Seattle and the United States, of Covid-19 has been an eye-opening experience.  It landed on our shores and is altering our daily lives in ways we never really could have imagined. There have been those trying to educate us to become prepared, only apparently we were not listening.  It seems to be […]
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Working From Home/Sick Time

Governor Jay Inslee said Monday that a statewide closure of restaurants, bars, entertainment and recreational facilities will last two weeks and may be extended as Washington state uses social distancing to try to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Inslee also included entertainment, leisure and non-essential services in the emergency proclamation.  All schools in […]
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Children’s Risk from the Coronavirus/The Way to Wash Hands

On Friday, March 13th, the Wall Street Journal published an excellent special report on Navigating the Coronavirus.  Today is Tuesday, March 17th and in just 4 days a number of the articles seem to be irrelevant due to new recommendations to address this highly contagious virus. Yesterday morning the top article on page one of […]
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Most at Risk/Coronavirus vs. Flu

Last Monday I was blogging about the coronavirus crisis in Seattle.  One week later, the news along with the actions taken to reduce the serious health impacts of this virus, have changed our world.  Each day brings dramatic changes to our daily lives that will affect all of us and our families, friends and co-workers […]
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Coping with Anxiety Over the Coronavirus

Early this week I got outside for a short walk at Volunteer Park in Seattle.  I was early enough that a thick fog had not yet lifted and I spotted this mallard pair resting in the dewey grass. You could barely see the massive big trees in the park. Even though it was chilly and […]
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At the Epicenter of the Coronavirus in the United States

Last week it became clear that Seattle had become the epicenter for the coronavirus in the United States. The medical team at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, Washington, across Lake Washington from Seattle, found the virus because they were looking for it! The team took “a long shot” and sent in the samples of two critical patients they […]
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Age-Related Hearing Loss

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) most often occurs in both ears, affecting them equally. Because the loss is gradual, you may not realize that you’ve lost some of your ability to hear. Having trouble hearing can make it hard to understand and follow a doctor’s advice, respond to warnings, and hear phones, doorbells, and smoke alarms. […]
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