Welcome to the New Year and hopefully it will be a great one. For those of you trying to start/complete a family, I wish you all the best success this time around. For the other half, I wish you luck in keeping your new years' resolutions. I know I have some: to eat healthier, exercise more and lose weight (yes again); and Not to regain it per usual. I also want to travel more and see new sights and meet interesting people. But my biggest goal is to do a good job as the new President of the Portland OB/GYN Society. This is an honor to run our meetings and plan our venues. It will allow me to meet and get to know more of my local colleagues as well. Life can be very busy, and more and more of it is spent in front of computer screens and devices. Talking and connecting with other people is important to our sense of general wellbeing. I hope to do more of that this year and I hope all of you do so too.
All best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Friday, December 9, 2011
Controlling your weight gain this holiday season!!
The holidays are a great time. There are parties, friends and family reunions and lots of tasty goodies around every corner!
Is there a way to have your holiday treats and your health too?
1. Fruits and vegetables- If you're planning the party make sure to put out lots of these items. These are filling choices that satisfy your hunger but will still leave a little room for the cookies and eggnog.
2. Never say NEVER!! Don't stay away from all treats, it's not nescessary. Keep high calorie foods to a minimum.
3. Eat a snack before leaving the house- Don't starve yourself thinking that you can over indulge, it doesn't work! Calories add up, no matter what time of day you eat them.
4. Last but not least, the work place can be a "danger zone" with all those treats being home made and brought in by co-workers. Limit yourself to one or two small treats every day so you don't feel like you are missing out on them.
Remember this holiday, it's about friends and family coming together and having fun, taking time to talk and share memories of the past, and goals for the future.
We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Dr. Greenberg, Carrie MA, Tammy MA, and Judy Office Manager
Is there a way to have your holiday treats and your health too?
1. Fruits and vegetables- If you're planning the party make sure to put out lots of these items. These are filling choices that satisfy your hunger but will still leave a little room for the cookies and eggnog.
2. Never say NEVER!! Don't stay away from all treats, it's not nescessary. Keep high calorie foods to a minimum.
3. Eat a snack before leaving the house- Don't starve yourself thinking that you can over indulge, it doesn't work! Calories add up, no matter what time of day you eat them.
4. Last but not least, the work place can be a "danger zone" with all those treats being home made and brought in by co-workers. Limit yourself to one or two small treats every day so you don't feel like you are missing out on them.
Remember this holiday, it's about friends and family coming together and having fun, taking time to talk and share memories of the past, and goals for the future.
We wish you a safe and happy holiday season!
Dr. Greenberg, Carrie MA, Tammy MA, and Judy Office Manager
Friday, August 26, 2011
Pregnant Women and the Flu
As the end of summer is near, flu season is right behind. Here are a few "to know" things about pregnant women and the flu.
Signs and Symptoms : Fever(100F or higher), cough, or sore throat, runny nose, body aches, chills, headache, fatigue and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting.
The best way to prevent the flu is getting vaccinated for both H1N1 flu and seasonal flu. Both shots are safe and both protect your newborn from getting the flu. Babies younger than 6 months cannot get the flu shot.
If you think you have flu symptoms take it very seriously. Contact your pregnancy care provider immediately so that flu medications can be started and further instructions given by your provider. If you have a fever, you should begin taking acetaminophen(Tylenol) right away and follow instructions from your pregnancy care provider.
Go immediatley to the emeregeny room if you have any of these signs: difficulty breathing, pressure or pain in your chest, unable to keep liquids down, if you were recovering from the flu and are now sicker, and dizzy when standing.
If you come in close contact with someone who has the flu contact your pregnancy care provider right away. You may need medicine to reduce your chances of getting the flu.
To prevent from getting sick wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or sneeze into sleeve. Throw the tissue in the trash, Stay away from sick people. Have a plan for someone else to take care of a sick family member.
Some pregnant women are concerned about the safety of the H1N1 flu and seasonal flu vaccines. Both flu vaccines are safe. Vaccination is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself and your baby. Both shots protect your baby from getting the flu. Your baby cannot get the flu shot until 6 months of age. The seasonal flu vaccine has been given safely to millions of pregnant women over the past 45 years. Flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant women or their babies. The H1N1 flu vaccine is made the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine. The type of mercury used in some vaccines has not been shown to be harmful to a pregnant women or her unborn baby. Mercury has not been found to cause autism. However, of you are still concerned, there is an H1N1 shot without mercury (may or may not be available in your area). The risk for a pregnant woman and her unborn baby of getting sick with the flu is far greater than being vaccinated. If you did not get the flu vaccines during pregnancy you should still get them even if you are breastfeeding. This will help prevent you and your baby from getting the flu.
Who should not be vaccinated
a.) people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs
b.) people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination
c.) people who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
d.)children younger than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for t his age group)
e.) people who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated)
posted by Tammy Bekish, MA
Signs and Symptoms : Fever(100F or higher), cough, or sore throat, runny nose, body aches, chills, headache, fatigue and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting.
The best way to prevent the flu is getting vaccinated for both H1N1 flu and seasonal flu. Both shots are safe and both protect your newborn from getting the flu. Babies younger than 6 months cannot get the flu shot.
If you think you have flu symptoms take it very seriously. Contact your pregnancy care provider immediately so that flu medications can be started and further instructions given by your provider. If you have a fever, you should begin taking acetaminophen(Tylenol) right away and follow instructions from your pregnancy care provider.
Go immediatley to the emeregeny room if you have any of these signs: difficulty breathing, pressure or pain in your chest, unable to keep liquids down, if you were recovering from the flu and are now sicker, and dizzy when standing.
If you come in close contact with someone who has the flu contact your pregnancy care provider right away. You may need medicine to reduce your chances of getting the flu.
To prevent from getting sick wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand rub. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, or eyes. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or sneeze into sleeve. Throw the tissue in the trash, Stay away from sick people. Have a plan for someone else to take care of a sick family member.
Some pregnant women are concerned about the safety of the H1N1 flu and seasonal flu vaccines. Both flu vaccines are safe. Vaccination is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself and your baby. Both shots protect your baby from getting the flu. Your baby cannot get the flu shot until 6 months of age. The seasonal flu vaccine has been given safely to millions of pregnant women over the past 45 years. Flu shots have not been shown to cause harm to pregnant women or their babies. The H1N1 flu vaccine is made the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine. The type of mercury used in some vaccines has not been shown to be harmful to a pregnant women or her unborn baby. Mercury has not been found to cause autism. However, of you are still concerned, there is an H1N1 shot without mercury (may or may not be available in your area). The risk for a pregnant woman and her unborn baby of getting sick with the flu is far greater than being vaccinated. If you did not get the flu vaccines during pregnancy you should still get them even if you are breastfeeding. This will help prevent you and your baby from getting the flu.
Who should not be vaccinated
a.) people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs
b.) people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination
c.) people who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
d.)children younger than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for t his age group)
e.) people who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated)
posted by Tammy Bekish, MA
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
2011 already?
Thought I would let people know that I will be giving a talk about the general infertility workup and treatment to a local family practice clinic next month. If this goes well, I will offer to give it to other clinics. Family Docs have so much to stay up to date on, and most don't have the time and interest to follow the infertility literature when there are diabetes, heart disease and migraines to know about.
In other news, we are so excited about all the recent pregnancies in our practice (some of these patients have been trying several years and are finally successful). We love to have a hand in helping create desired children! It really is the icing on the cake for us.
Sunshine streaming in my office window and I have to sign off and go back to my real work.
In other news, we are so excited about all the recent pregnancies in our practice (some of these patients have been trying several years and are finally successful). We love to have a hand in helping create desired children! It really is the icing on the cake for us.
Sunshine streaming in my office window and I have to sign off and go back to my real work.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Optimism
We are happy to let our readers know that our new web page is a success and we are getting more business from it and the cyberworld. Of course word of mouth is always our best accomplishment and the fact that we get so many patients returning to have second and third babies, or undergo corrective surgery is heart warming. Most say they love the small intimate office and personnel and are usually sad to find that one or another of the staff have left to pursue higher education or moved away. Being small has many benefits, the biggest is the ability to get to know most of our patients after only a few appointments, and they know each of us as well. The staff love to be able to recognize someones' voice and know their name and story. We can be more flexible in scheduling appointments this way too. With only 7 weeks left until the new year, we find that we are getting quite booked with end of the year surgeries and procedures. This is good all around. We are proud of all our successes: helping create wanted pregnancies, alleviating painful periods and other issues. I am even performing hysterectomies on "a few success stories" from the 80's these days (returning infertility patients now near menopause with uteri issues). Of course, medical treatment is always a good first choice. In future posts, I can talk about the choices for heavy periods after childbearing is completed. For now, happy autumn, and don't forget to keep exercising.
Carry On.
Carry On.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Broken Leg
Well, strictly speaking I have a broken ankle. I broke the fibula (smaller leg bone) in my left leg and tore a ligament too, when using my foot as a brake on a hotel bicycle. Stupid. I forgot to pedal backwards to brake and tried to use the nonexistent hand ones. Fortunately, it was at the end of a gorgeous 2 1/2 hour ride up and down the coast of Santa Barbara, where I was attending an IVF conference. I missed the last day of the conference. I spent the night in the ER and then in surgery to fix the bone (screws and a plate). I was able to be discharged the next afternoon and go straight to the airport to get my 5PM flight home. Horizon Air was awesome, and provided me with wheelchairs and had a chair contraption to get me up the outside stairs. I was able to hop on one foot down the steps to get off. They also got me bulkhead seats so I could prop my foot up on the wall in front of me. It still swelled, but not as much as if I had a normal seat. Learning to use crutches has been humbling. It is hard work. I have been working half days since I came home, with the extra help of my staff, wheeling me around in a wheelchair, until today. Da da da dum....I now have a knee cruiser, so I can prop up my bad leg and use my good one to push me around. It made it easier in the office, plus I won't have to rely on someone to meet me with a wheelchair everyday. I just have to figure out how to balance all the stuff I want to carry with me (like the crutches in case I need them, maybe I won't?). At any rate, I am able to work and do most things, but slower than normal. I did cancel surgeries for a couple of weeks to be sure I will be able to do my best job for my patients. Luckily, I have a high pain threshold and can get by on plain tylenol and antioxidants. It has certainly made me slow down in my life and appreciate some of the things I took for granted. I look forward to walking, hiking and playing tennis again, but until that time, I will try to remember to do my situps.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Learning to Blog
I will admit it here and now, I am not really a blogger type. I am happy to answer questions but find it hard to come up with random thoughts of the day. So, I am asking any of you (if there are any followers yet) to come up with suggestions or questions I could answer. I know an awful lot about medical stuff, but don't know who wants to hear what. Today I will ramble on about what is on my mind for the business side of my practice. (The not so fun part). Part of the problem of this business model (mainly treating patients with infertilty), is that the better I am, the more patients I lose. Well, I don't really "lose" them, they just go away for a year or three, then tend to wander back in. The "success" rubs off, when they send in their friends and neighbors, sisters and cousins and their aunts..... but, I have been seeing less of that lately. This is probably due to the economy and insurance company changes, but it still is of a concern. This was part of the impetus to start a new website and blog. The other was that my website was being sold to a new website company that was not what I wanted to be part of. Now we have our new look, and I am reaching out to find those patients that would find my practice to be a good fit for them. Small, intimate, personal, with common sense and cost consciousness. I am looking into adding In-vitro Fertilization as well. That would be a big step. Any comments from the world out there? What else would patients like me to do?
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