Happy 2023!

This is the first year that we let our kids stay up for the actual Ball Drop in Times Square. In years past, we would celebrate the countdown with countries in other time zones so that our kids can get to bed by a decent hour. Fussy kids are no fun... but neither are fussy adults. Being more disciplined with sleep is one of my goals for 2023.

Most are familiar with how sleep can benefit your mood and immune system. Did you know it can also help with preventing weight gain? Few theories out there but one thought is that ghrelin, a hormone that makes you hungry, is increased with less sleep. At the same time, leptin, a hormone that tells you that you are full, is decreased. There are also studies that suggest lack of sleep promotes prediabetes which can then lead to diabetes, as well as worsen sugar control for those who already have diabetes.

So the reasons are many... but I find it super hard to do. The wee hours before bedtime is the only "me time" I really get and unfortunately, as the kids get older this time has shrunk. They used to all be in bed by 8pm at the latest. Now, it is a real struggle to get my middle schooler in bed before 10p. My high schooler is on her own... sometimes she is up even later doing homework. I suppose I will have to brainstorm ways...

Well... happy new year, everyone!

Night Before Christmas 2022

It is that time of year again when we're getting a lot of sick calls... sinus infections... strep... flu... covid... you name it! And yes... they are all contagious. Stay healthy, everyone!

All's quiet in the Kim household...

our second daughter baked the cookies herself

we finally got a gas fireplace

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Merry Christmas!

KDramas

It has been a while since I posted. Covid hit my life like a cyclone spinning all the different components out of place and even now as things settle, it is just not the same. We are all adjusting to the "new normal"... whatever that means. I imagine work in particular has worn me down quite a bit and I am tired of thinking and talking... especially if it is about Covid. Compound that with the kids all growing a little older and our two girls reaching adolescence, my heart is lamenting how the parent-child relationship has changed. The challenge has made me emotionally exhausted.... but more on that in another post.

So what do I want to write about if not about Covid or parenting? I decided that I'll throw in a post about KDramas. It is the one piece that got thrown into my mix during Covid that has been a fun distraction and escape. With that said, it is only a temporary and fleeting reprieve. Scripture is still the only true sustainable fuel that fills my empty mental and emotional tanks. I need to remind myself of familiar passages such as:

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:3 New Living Translation)

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 

(Matthew 11:28 NIV)

Now a little about my momentary diversions...  here are a few dramas that stood out to me. For diversity, I'll pick from different genres.

Crash Landing on You

This is a lighthearted romantic comedy and since it is one of the first KDramas that drew me in, I have to mention it. The chemistry between the two main leads is cute and they ended up dating for real afterward, even getting married and expecting their first child. Furthermore, the soldier sidekicks were hilarious and added an important element. I ended up rewatching it with my kids, who also really got into it. The contrast of everyday life that was illustrated between North and South Korea was what made this drama unique.

Mr. Sunshine

The beautiful cinematography, superb acting, and gripping storyline all consumed me during this watch. The back story of the three male leads and their roles were so cleverly woven together, it left a lingering impression. The love story was subtle but pulled at the heart. This drama was engrossing and deep and caused me to think about it for days even after finishing. I even got my mom hooked to watch it. There are definitely more graphic violent scenes so I did not show this to my kids.

Hotel Del Luna

If you like a little bit of scary mixed in with humor and romance then this drama is a must-watch. I generally do not like horror movies but this drama has just enough humor in it for it to not be categorized as a true horror movie. It is more of a fantasy romance with a fascinating storyline that had me on the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to end. There was only one scene where I had to plug my ears and peek through my fingers to watch... (the closet scene!) Finally, I have to mention the music because the soundtrack for this drama is exceptionally moving.

Vincenzo

This drama is back to a bit more lighthearted and fun but throws in some kick-butt action and mafia scenes. I actually really like lawyer shows and this is one of several that I've enjoyed (maybe because I'm in the medical profession, I don't really like watching medical shows). What stood out to me was the humor and action. There is a bit of violence and gore in some of the scenes but just as how Hotel Del Luna was not an outright horror movie due to humor, I feel this is not just an action movie due to the humor. There is a tinge of romance but I feel it was not the main draw.

Kill Me Heal Me

This has become my new favorite KDrama and Ji Sung has become my favorite Korean actor. He plays a character with dissociative personality disorder and displays seven different personalities remarkably well. The storyline is captivating and this is a drama I will want to rewatch. However, it is not on Netflix. You can watch it on Viki if you get the Viki Plus Pass or on Kocowa which is free but has a lot of interruptions with advertisements. Hoping it will come to Netflix soon.

Well, that is it for now. I'll post something more useful later. Maybe...

So this will be FAREWELL and not GOODBYE....

My office manager of 17 years from work is retiring. This post is a tribute to all that she has done for the office, staff, patients, and myself...

Here are her answers to some common questions.

When did you start working at WFM?

1. Started WFM in 2005

I came along side Dr. Caracappa to fulfill and assist his passion and plan to begin the exciting inception of Wrightstown Family Medicine with our 1st patient on 12/15/2005.

What did you enjoy most about your time with WFM?

2. My greatest joy and pleasure while working at WFM was to see how God worked in and through the doctors, myself and our staff to assist in the healing of our patients physically, mentally as well as spiritually!

I was the audience of endless personal success stories over these 17 years.

What will you miss the most?

3. I WILL greatly miss being the "MOMANGER" (a name the staff gave me) of the

office to have the honor, privilege and pleasure to love on, unite & assist my staff in any way I could.

What will you not miss the most?

4. I will NOT miss being in a closed office setting moving forward with freedom to enjoy travel to enjoy outdoor nature and God's fingerprints all around us each day!

What are your plans now?

5. The next step and great passion with excitement of retirement for me will involve more time with our 2 adult married children and 6 grandchildren!

My husband and I purchased a Motor Home last November and sold our home in  December in preparation of this next step.

Our plan is to travel out West and around our amazing USA in our home on wheels!!!!

Any parting wisdom you want to leave to our staff and/or patients?

6. I'm known for my "Momanger isms" of which I will leave you with just one...

DO YOUR BEST

PRAY IT'S BLESSED

AND GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST......

So this will be FAREWELL and not GOODBYE....

===

You will truly be missed. Thank you for all that you have done and may God bless you and your family as you embark on your next journey!

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mothers out there... hope you feel loved, honored, and blessed... not just today but every day!

Our local community experienced a heart-wrenching tragedy recently that has hit me especially hard because it involves a mother. I am still sorting out my jumbled emotions and thoughts... I have no words...

but I will hang on to these words that offer me some peace and hope to hold on to... 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

"Let your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (Psalm 33:22)

So it has been way too long since I've last posted. So much has happened in the "Covid World" since... one of the best things is that we now have medication that we can prescribe in the outpatient setting. Make sure you contact your doctor if you test positive to see if is right for you. Also, if you haven't done so already, you can order free home tests here.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone! 

My baby is growing too fast...

CDC Covid Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines

Guidelines keep changing and can be confusing... so here I'll try to break down the most recent recommendations to the simplest form...

"I got exposed to someone with a positive Covid test... now what?"

• If no symptoms and up to date with vaccines or had confirmed covid in last 90 days
• no need to quarantine but wear mask for 10 days
• can test on Day 5
• watch for symptoms for 10 days
• If no symptoms but not up to date with vaccines
• quarantine 5 days at home (mask around family members)
• mask for 10 days while watching for symptoms
• can test on Day 5
• If yes symptoms regardless of vaccine status or previous exposure status
• test on Day 2-3
• isolate 5 days at home then wear mask for full 10 days
• If yes symptoms and very sick
• test on Day 2-3
• isolate 10 days and contact doctor before ending isolation

"I just tested positive... now what?"

Regardless of vaccine status:

• no symptoms
• isolate 5 days then wear mask for 
• yes symptoms
• isolate 5 days then wear mask for full 10 days
• yes severe symptoms
• isolate 10 days then contact doctor before ending isolation

Omicron Variant...

Hello 2022!

Wishing everyone good health for this new year as we are in the midst of another Covid surge...

So last time, I was writing about the Delta Variant... although there is probably still some Delta in our area, Omicron is becoming more dominant. The last week at work has been pretty crazy! Honestly, the last thing I feel like doing after work is to think about Covid... that is why it is taking me so long to write anything on this blog. Plus, the information pretty much changes almost daily so what I write today may not even be valid tomorrow. With that said, here are bullet points with a few of my personal observations:

• Omicron seems to be more contagious... I've noticed more so than ever before that if one family member is sick, almost everyone else in the household gets sick or tests positive
• side note - home tests do not catch covid as accurately as the pcr
• if positive - no need to retest
• if negative - may not necessarily mean no covid so talk to your doctor about it if symptoms persist etc.
• Severity of sickness varies but follows a fairly predictable pattern depending on vaccination status
• Vaccinated and Boostered - these folks, if they have symptoms at all, usually have a sore throat and maybe some mild congestion or runny nose... report very little fatigue and aches...
• Vaccinated but not yet Boostered - these folks can still get fatigue, fever, body aches in addition to the sore throat and congestion, but the worse of it usually only lasts a few days or less... and not weeks and weeks...
• Not Vaccinated - these folks seem to follow the pattern of Covid infected folks similar to back when this whole thing started and we didn't have vaccines yet. So in addition to sore throat, congestion etc the first week, folks may feel better as if getting over it but then feel worse again... I usually find myself checking up on these folks more often and ordering the IVIG treatment for them if they qualify...

Now, ofcourse based on one's underlying health and medical conditions, how fast and sick someone gets with Covid will still vary regardless of vaccination status. 

However, this is the analoigy I like to use. We are at war and Covid is the enemy. Whether you are a strong warrior or someone totally unskilled in fighting, you are fighting with your bare hands without the vaccine. Vaccinated folks are fighting with a shield, a sword, and maybe some bow and arrows. The boostered folks have more weapons at their disposal as their old weapons get damaged or lost in battle. 

What about folks who have had Covid already? I am not too sure, but maybe I see it like this. These folks beat their first battle against the enemy, but here comes more troops from a different enemy and although the experience from the first battle may help more so than if never fought in any battle... having more weapons at hand may still increase the chance of winning with less battle scars. 

Now even with weapons, one may get slashed, beat up, hurt, and even lose... but at least the chances are higher to win than fighting completely weaponless. Then there are those folks who really cannot get vaccinated for underlying health reasons. So going back to my battle analogy, maybe these folks can not pick up a sword or shield because say they only have one arm or something... their chance of survival then would increase if the folks immediately surrounding them are heavily armed and willing to fight the fight for them.

That is my two cents without getting into any details about the science, politics, or whatevers floating out there regarding the vaccine... and regardless of vaccine status, my practice and I will do our best to meet needs and direct care the best we know how with the limited and ever changing information at our disposal.

Truly hope you all stay well and safe in 2022. Happy New Year!