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Earth day celebrations

Multiple local events mark the 50th year of Earth Day celebrations.

Just to be clear, the first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970. That means the 50th Earth Day was April 22, 2020. But this April 22, 2021 marks the 50th year of observations.

It’s like those folks who thought the 21st century began in 2000, when, in fact, that was the last year of the 20th century. Get it?

According to earthday.org, “Senator Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin, had long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States. Then in January 1969, he and many others witnessed the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.

“Senator Nelson announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to the national media, and persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair.”

They chose to choose April 22, a “weekday falling between spring break and final exams, to maximize the greatest student participation.”

By 1990 Earth Day became a global event. But, sticking
close to home, here are Earth Day events in South Florida.

April 22
Coconut Creek: Earth Day Arts and Crafts Fair
3:00 to 5 p.m. Recreation Complex, 4455 Sol Press Boulevard. $15 for Coconut Creek residents, $20, non-residents.

Participants will learn about the origin of Earth Day, read a related story and create fun recyclable green crafts. All activities are structured, safe, and meet the CDC guidelines.

Broward Lotus Sangha (Virtual) Earth Day 2021: Participate from wherever you are in easy steps. Details at https://www.meetup.com/fr FR/LotusSangha/events/270198561/

Lotus Institute for Mindful Living (Virtual)
Details at https://www.meetup.com/ru-RU/MindfulLiving/events/270197490/

April 25
Heal the Planet Day
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Esplanade Park, 400 SW 2nd St., Fort Lauderdale Heal the Planet Day celebrates Earth Day by bringing together the South Florida community for a day of fun, family-friendly activities. The focus is on small, local acts that have a global impact. Heal The Planet Day offers an array of activities. (Free admission)

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Dietitians View: Bitter is better

When asked about flavor profiles it is rare for folks to respond enthusiastically that they “love bitter.” Bitter is one of the basic tastes that our taste buds identify along with sweet, salty, and sour. An affi nity for bitter is infl uenced by several factors including taste experiences, culture, and environment.

Bitter plays two roles—it can signal toxins and something that is dangerous to consume and it can also serve as a stimulant for the appetite and as an aid in digestion. Bitter foods can protect against illness and contribute to good health.

Vegetables that you’ll fi nd on the bitter list include Arugula, Brussels sprouts, and Kale. Arugula has a peppery, somewhat mustardy flavor that has long been popular with Italians. It has become increasingly popular in the United States.

Most often it is served raw, however, arugula can be sautéed to serve as a cooked vegetable. It is low calorie and a good source of Vitamins A, C, K and folate. It also contains iron and calcium and is a good choice to provide plant-based iron in your diet.

This green is high in glucosinolates which de-toxify the body and fight cancer. It is also high in antioxidants which strengthen the immune system and can prevent damage to the body’s cells.

Brussels sprouts are a member of the cabbage family. They’re now trendy and are often prepared roasted, which brings out a sweeter somewhat nutty flavor. Roasting reduces the sulfurous odor and bitter taste which many people dislike. They are good for you. They are low in calories, provide protein and are high in Vitamins C and K. They also contain Vitamin A, B-vitamins, folate, potassium, and fiber. This vegetable also contains glucosinolates and antioxidants, and can aid in reducing cholesterol.

Kale fans love this popular bitter green. It appears throughout the supermarket from the fresh produce aisle, to deli-counter prepared salads, to the snack aisle as kale chips. Kale is low calorie, contains protein and fiber along with Vitamins A, C, and K. It also contains folate, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Kale contains a small amount of good fat—an omega-3 fatty acid.

Kale, however, can interfere with blood thinners due to the amount of Vitamin K it contains. It also can suppress thyroid function in some people.

Although we’ve focused on bitter, I also wanted to share info about a food we typically see at the end of the meal: Chocolate. Chocolate is produced from cocoa beans which are naturally bitter and astringent. The more cocoa solids the chocolate contains, the more bitter and astringent the chocolate flavor with higher antioxidant content. Cocoa beans are rich in plant nutrients called flavonoids.

The amount of cacao beans and flavanols can vary. Bittersweet or dark chocolate contains the most generous amounts from higher cacao content chocolate. Dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and maintain healthy arteries that are relaxed and flexible, thus increasing blood flow.

This bitter sweet can have a positive effect on heart health, reduce insulin insensitivity and lower the risk of diabetes. Dark chocolate can also increase the feeling of fullness which can reduce cravings for sweet and salty foods.

I’ve just touched on a few bitter choices, remember it’s important to eat a variety of foods and be mindful of all things in moderation.

Take Away: Include bitter foods in your diet; they stimulate appetite and digestion, can protect against illness and are an aid to good health.

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Springtime fishing in the Everglades

By Steve Waters

When water levels drop in Everglades canals in the spring, the fishing is as good as it gets.

How good? So good that Capt. Alan Zaremba says there’s no such thing as a bad cast. Just get your lure somewhere on the water and chances are excellent that you’ll get a bite.

The reason is that as water levels fall in the marshy interior of the Everglades, bass and other species are forced into the canals that crisscross the River of Grass.

“You can catch bass here year-round, but this is the time of year when you can catch a lot of bass. They’re concentrated, coming out of the marsh areas,” said Zaremba, of Hollywood, who specializes in guiding anglers for peacock bass in South Florida’s urban canals, but focuses on the Everglades this time of year.

“This year we’ve got optimal conditions. So depending on when the rainy season kicks in, which I figure is usually the third or fourth week in May, get out now while you can and enjoy it.”

On a typical day, Zaremba might have two anglers catch and release well over 200 largemouth and peacock bass in an eight-hour trip. In addition, his charters catch bluegills, spotted sunfish, shellcrackers, speckled perch, chain pickerel, mudfish and non-native species such as oscars, Mayan cichlids and jaguar guapotes.

On a recent two-hour trip late in the afternoon, Zaremba and I caught about
40 largemouth and peacock bass, as well as some Mayans and oscars, using a 5-inch Bagley Minnow B floating jerkbait on 6- to 7-foot medium action spinning rods with 15-pound braided line and 20-pound monofilament leaders.

Sometimes the bites would come as soon as the lure landed on the water.
Other times bass would hit after we’d reeled back the lure almost to Zaremba’s flats boat. And several times we got bites when the lures were simply sitting on the surface while we were deep into conversations about fishing, family or current events.

“Anybody can throw it and catch fish,” said Zaremba of his favorite lure,
which he sells on his website www.worldwidesportsfishing.com. “It will catch all different species, so they don’t have to be a Joe Pro, and I think that’s important. You can drag it out the back of the boat and something’s going to hit it. You could be talking to your partner and something comes up and hits it. Sometimes we catch two bass at a time on those lures.”

Other lures that Zaremba likes when Everglades water levels are low include topwater plugs such as Baby Torpedoes, Chug Bugs and Pop-Rs, and his fly-fishing customers have great success throwing poppers and woolly buggers. Zaremba also likes seven-inch Gambler ribbontail worms, which can be reeled on the surface through the lily pads, hyacinths and other vegetation that lines most canals to imitate a small snake.

Zaremba said live worms such as nightcrawlers will catch oscars, Mayan
cichlids, spotted sunfish and bluegills. He added that live shiners are not necessary or as effective as lures.

“You’ll catch more fish on the artificials right now than you will on live bait,”
Zaremba said. “And how many dozen live baits would you have to bring out here to catch 200 bass? You’re going to need a lot of shiners.”

The other attraction of the Bagley Minnow B is that it can be fished a variety of ways and it holds up well even after catching hundreds of fish in the Everglades, which run from Tamiami Trail to the Broward Palm Beach county line west of U.S. Highway 27 and from Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge to Sawgrass
Recreation Park east of 27.

“They last a long time,” said Zaremba of the jerkbaits, which he upgrades with Daiichi blood-red treble hooks. “And I can use it twitching on the surface. I can use it as a jerkbait down below. And I can troll with it. Anytime you can work something a bunch of ways, you can target different things.

“If you find the bass are out on a deeper ledge, they’ll come up and hit that
jerkbait, which might be going down only three feet. But it’s giving off enough flash and it also has a rattle in it, so it makes a little more noise.”

Good spots to fish include the canals along Interstate 75, which is more
commonly known as Alligator Alley. Lots of smaller bass bite in the finger canals north of the Alley on the west side of U.S. 27. As water levels continue to drop, the fishing will only get better everywhere.

That makes this a great time to introduce youngsters to fishing. Growing
up in Miami, Zaremba said he and neighborhood kids would fish in local
canals. Given the residential and commercial development in South Florida
over the past few decades, kids no longer have that type of access to fishing.
Bringing them out to the Everglades for a few hours of catching fish can hook them on the sport.

It helps to use what Zaremba calls his three-stop rule for kids:
“Stop and fish for a while and when they start getting antsy, you go for a little boat ride.

Start fishing again. They start getting antsy, go for a little boat ride. That gets them back in the groove again. Start fishing again and when they get antsy for the third time, it’s time to go to the house, whether that’s two hours, three hours, four hours, five hours. Every kid’s different.”

But they’ll all love catching lots of fish.

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Road Tripping in Florida

By Amy Martin

If you’ve ever had dreams of swinging high beneath the big top, or if
you’ve ever been bemused by circus-themed-historical-Americana,
look no further than our own backyard.

In 1884, five Ringling brothers launched their first circus in Baraboo,
Wisconsin. They traveled town to town, like many other small circuses,
using animal-drawn caravans. The circus grew, and shortly after their
debut, they were soon able to transport their circus by train, bringing
“oohs” and “ahhs” far and wide across the entire country.

The Ringling Bros. purchased the Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show
on Earth in 1907 and operated the circuses separately until 1919.
Combined in the 1930s, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
became the largest and most renowned circus in the world.

The Ringling Estate in Sarasota is an homage to our American culture
— and to our adoration of thrill-seeking entertainment and amusement.

The property includes multiple sites of interest: The John and Mable
Ringling Museum of Art (the official state art museum of Florida),
Ringling’s mansion Ca’ d’Zan (Venetian for “House of John”), the
Circus Museum, the historic Asolo Theater, the Tibbals Learning
Center, the Ringling Art Library, Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden, the
Secret Garden, the Dwarf Garden, Bayfront Garden Tours, the FSU
Center for the Performing Arts, and the gravesites of John and Mable
Ringling.

The Ringling Estate encourages artists to use the grounds as an
inspirational space to make art, asking only that posted guidelines are
respected.

Just a hop, skip, and swing away from Parkland, you’ll be there in 3.25
hours.

While you’re visiting Sarasota, you may want to check out these
other electrifying acts:
Take a class and fly trapeze at the school of circus arts, and/or see a
show. https://circusarts.org/flyingtrapeze/
Drive one hour north of Sarasota to Gibsonton to visit the community
of retired circus and carnival performers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibsonton,_Florida

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Archery and the awakened self… really!

By Amy Martin

When we think of meditation, we typically think of sitting still, perhaps in a candlelit space, with an abundance of silence, while quieting the mind. When we think of activities and sports that elicit a similar mental focus and meditative effect, we tend to think of more popular sports such as golfing or fishing, or even the more fashionable East Asian influences of t’ai chi and yoga.

Infrequently do we think about archery. Archery has a long history, practiced for thousands of years. We know that ancient Egyptians were among the first to regularly utilize archery in 3000 B.C.E. for hunting and warfare.

However, the oldest remnants of bone and stone arrowheads have been located in South Africa dating back 60,000-70,000 years. Originally devised across cultures as a tool for survival, upon the discovery of gunpowder in 9th-century China and the creation of fi rearms in 10th-century China, archery had become relatively dispensable and obsolete.

Luckily, by the late 18th-century, archery found an enthusiastic revival among the aristocracy and nobility as recreation and sport. In 1879, the National Archery Association of the United States was founded. Today we know this organization as USA Archery, and it is recognized by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

While archery has evolved and taken many forms throughout the centuries, with many varying intentions — we rarely think about archery as an art form — let alone a meditative practice.

However, dismissing archery as anything but, does a great disservice to this masterful skill, and to the archer, or the artist, herself. There is a great gift to be found in this centuries-old art form, and you may discover that gift within yourself.

My first experiences with archery began as a child with my father and brother. We would travel all over Northern New Jersey in search of outdoor wooded ranges, with our brown bag lunches and moderately-worn gear in tow.

I’ll never forget receiving my first bow (a Bear compound bow, which I still have), feverishly running down the street of my suburban hometown with the bow string drawn, perhaps alarming the neighborhood, thrilled to show my friends. I knew I loved archery from the very beginning.

But as the years went by, I had forgotten about my beloved pastime.

Much later, while in college studying for my philosophy degree, I stumbled upon “Zen in the Art of Archery,” by Eugen Herrigel, a German philosopher who traveled to Japan to study the art, and the practice, of attaining a state of zen through archery.

Much like the revitalization in the 18th-century, for me, archery was discovered once again. I had already been practicing meditation and yoga for years, and I found that my love of archery was still very ever-present.

This simple and profound text had suddenly awakened my spirit, reinvigorated my passion, and taught me valuable lessons about the significance of an awakened self, focused breathwork, achieving a meditative state where all else disappears, and performing complex movements with unconscious control from the mind.

Great archery masters know that where you place your feet, how you maintain your posture, where you hold the bow, and how you breathe when you release the arrow are all determining factors of your end result. The bow itself is a limb, an extension of the archer herself. The breathwork is the lifeforce behind each action.

Nowadays, when I feel particularly stressed, or otherwise not myself, I find myself at the range. Yes, I would say, on those days, I literally find myself there.

If you would like to learn more about attaining your state of zen through the art of archery, visit these websites for local information:

Fort Lauderdale Archers, a private membership club – BYOBow
https://www.fortlauderdalearchers.com/

Go Archery, mobile archery lessons – https://goarchery.net/

Markham Park, outdoor range – BYOBow https://www.broward.org/

Parks/ThingsToDo/Pages/MarkhamParkArcheryRange.aspx

Bass Pro Shops, indoor range – BYOBow https://basspro.com

For my Dad. Thank you.

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April Gardening

What to plant

Annuals/Bedding plants: Plant heat-tolerant annuals, such as coleus, vinca, and portulaca.

Bulbs: Cannas thrive in the heat of summer. New varieties have colorful leaves as well as flowers. See Bulbs for Florida:

Herbs: Some to start now include basil, coriander, cumin, and mint.

Vegetables: Beans, Chinese cabbage, Southern peas, and sweet potatoes can still be planted. Mulch beds well and monitor irrigation if the weather is dry.

What to do

Plant for butterflies: Plant flowers of different colors, shapes, sizes, and blooming seasons to provide nectar for adult butterflies and provide host plants for their caterpillars.

Pests: Monitor insect activity and learn which bugs damage plants and which do not.

Beneficials: Identify and conserve beneficial insects. Some insects should be encouraged in your yard!

Tomatoes: Watch for pests, disease, and nutritional disorders on developing tomato plants.

Palms: Identify and treat environmental and nutritional disorders in palms.

Oleanders: Inspect chewed or ragged leaves for oleander caterpillars at work.

Fruits: Propagate fruit crops by air layering and grafting.

Perennials and bulbs: Divide clumps of bulbs, ornamental grasses, or herbaceous perennials to expand or rejuvenate garden beds or to pass along to friends.

Shrubs: Choose from a wide variety of shrubs to add to the landscape now. Remember Right Plant/Right Place and match the mature size with the location.

Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension

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Parkland Life: Home sweet home

By Jill

It was one year and one month since I last saw my daughter, son-in-law and my three natural grandchildren. It has been the same amount of time since I saw my stepchildren, their spouses and my other seven grandchildren. This was the hardest part of the pandemic for me. I had this irrational fear that I might get the virus and never see them again. Well, the light at the end of the tunnel was finally here. In January, I received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, waited three weeks after my second dose to make sure the maximum immunity kicked in, and booked a trip to New York. I was lucky, my daughter and son-in-law, and one of my stepdaughters and her husband were also fully vaccinated – so they felt safe about my visit. Neil stayed home with Mickey.

Of course New York’s quarantining rules did not make this trip easy. In order to go to NY from almost anywhere, you have to quarantine and take two COVID tests, one 72 hours before arriving and one 72 hours after quarantining. Of course both have to be negative. Even though I had received both vaccines and the CDC doesn’t feel quarantining is necessary, NY still does. I was quarantined at my daughter’s and did not plan to go anywhere until after the second negative test so it was all fine.

The day to travel finally arrived. While I was sad to leave Neil and Mickey, I was beyond excited. My 8:00 AM flight was totally full. It felt strange and I was a little nervous as I had not been around that many people in such close proximity for an entire year. After the 3 hour plane trip, I was glad to disembark into the cold, snowy landscape of NY. I arrived at my daughter’s to a huge welcome sign made by my grandchildren and that began 5 days of sheer bliss. We played games, built snowmen, went sledding, cooked and baked. We watched movies and read books, did art projects and in short, spent all waking hours enjoying each other’s company. The kids were tolerant of my too often hugs and kisses and my insistence that we all cuddle on the couch including the two family dogs. I was also lucky and got to see my stepdaughter, her husband and my three grandchildren from them. We met them for sledding, hugging after each trip down the hill, and a second evening for a ladies dessert party. The entire trip was teary, joyful and a slice of heaven. I never appreciated
the importance of the hugs, kisses, and simply being together. Before COVID, I
always took these things for granted. The year of separation made me realize how lucky we are to have one another and how important it is to treasure our time together.

I had been so caught up in my excitement to finally see my family that I also did not realize that after an ENTIRE year spent alone with Neil and never leaving Mickey before, how much I would miss them. While I was away, Neil and I spoke often. He told me endless Mickey stories on the phone and thankfully they both had a blast without me.

Six days proved to be the perfect amount of time away. I was missing Neil and Mickey more each day and had collected tons of hugs and kisses from my grandchildren, daughter, son-in-law, stepdaughter and stepson-in-law to tide me over for a while. It also helped that my daughter’s family is coming to see us in three weeks. As anxious as I was to leave, I couldn’t wait to get home.

I think I have always idolized New York since moving here, longing for more time to visit. I have also taken Florida and my beautiful Parkland community for granted. While my visit was magic, my return was magic as well. I went from the snowy New York gray tundra to the beauty of green palm trees and warm sunny weather. I also went from the hugs of children and grandchildren to the hugs and kisses of Neil and the non-stop licking of Mickey. I feel blessed that I get to enjoy both and will try to never take either for granted again.

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Wine Watch: Don’t judge a wine by its price

By Bennet Bodenstein

You don’t judge a book by its cover, nor do you judge a wine by its price. In over thirty years of writing about wine, I have sampled some monumental stinkers that sold for over $100 and some absolutely wonderful wines that were under $20.

As an example, I once tasted an Edna Valley Vineyards pinot noir that sold for under $15 that could only be described as ethereal, and a cabernet sauvignon with a price tag of $128 that I poured down the drain.

Keeping that in mind, I approach all wines by tasting them before paying attention to the price or the name of the producer. I recently had the pleasure of tasting some South American wines that, in my opinion, are well above the average.

Trivento 2019 Argentinian Reserve Malbec ($10.99). Please do not let this wine’s very affordable price tag scare you off , this is a showcase malbec that radiates all of the flavors and aromas that have made the variety so popular. This big, bold, and solid wine is very dark in color and displays the aromas of strawberry, plum, and red cherries with a hint of spice in the background. Cherries, plums, cinnamon, and coffee are the dominant flavors along with the added complexity provided by a hint of oak. This is truly a regal wine with the charm and bearing of a modern classic. It is ready to drink now or can be set down for as long as five years to soften, mellow, and take on the glow of a great classical wine. This wine will prove why malbec is becoming a favorite among many red wine drinkers.

Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon ($6.99). In the quality for your dollar category, this cabernet sauvignon from the Central Valley of Chile achieves the impossible; it is a very nice wine at an even nicer price. This deep ruby, medium bodied wine presents a clean and open aroma of spice, black currants, vanilla, and soft oak. There are no harsh tannins in this wine so it is ready to be enjoyed right now without any further aging. Another quality point is the finish, which is moderately long and very fruity. While the raised pinky connoisseur might scoff at this wine, my suggestion is “don’t knock it until you have tried it” and when you have tried it you will be very glad you did.

Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot ($6.99). The classical French Bordeaux blend of 85 percent cabernet sauvignon and 15 percent merlot is presented in its Chilean incarnation. This is not an attempt to pass off Chilean wine as a Bordeaux but rather an homage to the blend. The color of this wine is dark, very dark and the aroma reflects plum, cherry, red berries, and chocolate which carry over to the flavor and then on to a delightful finish. I found this wine to be very enjoyable and very easy to drink; however, I do have one complaint. Why can’t there be more wines this good and this affordable in today’s marketplace?

Frontera 2020 Sauvignon Blanc ($12.99). Hey, wait, a sauvignon blanc that sells for more than a cabernet sauvignon? Something here is topsy turvy or very special. It appears that the sauvignon blanc grapes were at a premium in Chile which resulted in a higher cost per bottle. Is it worth it? I must answer with a resounding “yes.” Most sauvignon blanc wines are flimsy little things that smell more of grass than the aroma of fruit. This wine’s full fruit aroma is presented right up front, exhibiting pear, peach, and citrus. These carry over to the flavor and then to the finish. Do not let this one slip past you either; it is, to say it in one word, gigantic.

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Motherhood on the autism spectrum

By Amy Martin

Carly Fulgham is recognized for quite the impressive life and career. She is a mother, wife, and Vice President of Document Services Strategy for a major worldwide bank. She is also the first autistic President of the Board of Directors of the Autism Society of Ventura County, VP of the Autism Society of California, and is on the Board of The Art of Autism.

She was recently a guest on “Spectrumly Speaking,” A Different Brains® podcast, with hosts Haley Moss and Dr. Lori Butts.  Carly explains that for the first twenty years of her life she didn’t realize that she had autism. She had been using workarounds until she experienced burnout and needed Social Security disability.

One day, she found an article about a boy with autism and suddenly her own
disability became clear. She was finally diagnosed at 28 years old. Becoming
involved in the Autism Society shortly thereafter was a no-brainer.

Navigating her disability on her own was one thing, but doing so with children
was another. She knew that she had a complicated medical history and that she (and her medical team) would need to be prepared for her specific needs, and communication was key.

Carly had prepared a very long birth plan, including a huge section about
her sensory issues, and how she might respond to pain and other experiences. She discusses how certain types of touch can trigger her issues, how variations of feather-light touches and knife-sharp pain may cause different reactions.

When she noticed that one nurse during her labor communicated differently than her, she politely requested a different nurse, and possible miscommunications were averted. She even prepared for the
sounds and the chaos in the operating room by wearing noise-canceling
headphones.

Carly stresses that many women don’t even fi nd out that they have autism
until their own children are diagnosed, meaning that maternity nurses have likely cared for plenty of undiagnosed autistic patients. She says the nurses are, “Used to all kinds of sensory things like, ‘I have to have low music playing,’ or ‘I have to have this lavender scent’ or ‘I have to have it scent-free.’”

Haley Moss adds that there already exists a bias in medicine for women,
and for autistic people in particular, where pain is often not taken seriously
or believed. She shares her own fears on becoming an autistic mother in the future, asking, “What if I’m in pain and someone doesn’t believe me because they think autism impairs my sense of judgment?”

Carly explains hospitals in general have a poor system for pain scales, replying
that often only a diagram with facial expressions and numbers is available to
measure pain. For the autistic patient, this vague representation may be difficult to understand. Someone’s level four pain may be someone else’s eight. Carly stresses that you have to be really descriptive, giving
examples like “It feels like someone’s stabbing me with a knife”, or “It feels like ants are crawling on me.”

Carly notes that through her non-profit work, her autism, and the awareness of
the developmental stages have helped her become a better mother.

She recounts a story about her son from before he could talk, where they were
sitting at the breakfast table and he started screaming. Carly says she took
a moment and thought, ‘Okay, there’s something that’s upsetting him’. So she
followed his eyeline and he was staring outside in the backyard at a blue ball.
She asked her son, “Do you want me to put the blue ball away?” and he nodded
his head in the middle of his wailing. So Carly went out, put the ball in the box it’s normally kept in, and he instantaneously stopped screaming.

For more of this conversation you can listen to the entire podcast, or read the transcript, here:

https://www.differentbrains.org/motherhood-on-the-autism-spectrum-with-carly-fulgham-spectrumly-speaking-ep-107/.

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One year anniversary of COVID-19

Believe it or not, March marks a year since our lives changed drastically. At the beginning of March 2020, COVID-19 spread throughout the world, requiring individuals to forgo their usual routines and adapt to a new lifestyle. Now, a year later, we are living our lives very differently.

Not only are we more conscious of our surroundings, but we are more hygienic. For example, if you go to a store or a gym, you will see employees or trainers sanitizing equipment and merchandise every few minutes. We spend more time washing our hands and taking care of ourselves than we ever did before.

“I forgot my mask!” is a common phrase you catch yourself saying, and traveling out of the country or state is an all-too-real distant dream. With all the isolated time we have been given during the pandemic, we have learned how to slow down, organize our homes and closets way too  many times, bake banana bread, and enjoy the outdoors.

With all these new hobbies we have acquired, all we want to do is to continue living our lives the way we did a year ago, but it is not that simple.

University of Michigan senior, Donna Neuman, longs for an in person graduation ceremony more than anything. “I really just want a graduation and nothing else right now is important to me. My friends and I have turned a lot of negatives into positives; for example, instead of going out with friends we hang in together. Those things are replaceable, but graduating is not.”

Our lives have changed in many more ways than one. As we sit and reflect on the one-year anniversary of COVID-19, it is hard to believe that it has only been a year.

When I think about the timeline it almost feels like a century. Masks are a part of our uniform and getting tested for COVID is the new trend.

Since it is risky for older adults with health restrictions to spend time with their younger loved ones, we have utilized FaceTime or Zoom to still get our personal family time.

Fortunately, the vaccine has been distributed to many essential workers, and soon to the rest of the world.

With the new year, all we can hope for is to say goodbye to COVID-19 and hello to living. By March 2022, I hope for good health, love, and for our lives to be more adventurous and spent with the ones we love most.

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Almost time to appreciate the manatee

Wednesday, March 31, is National Manatee Appreciation Day, aimed at bringing the world’s attention to an herbivore with no known natural enemies – in the water, at least.

Also known as sea cows, manatees are a vulnerable species due to their contact with humans. Boating and pollution are their greatest threats.

Florida, contrarian that it is, designated November Manatee Awareness Month. But we’re going to put that aside because, hey, it’s National Manatee Appreciation Day and our publisher made us.

And, besides, Manatee Lagoon, north of Palm Beach, held its ManateeFest at the beginning of February, a five-day, free, and virtual manateeorama. So, technically they did it first.

“I don’t care who did it first. One more time and I’m turning this car around.”

As you all know, of course, manatees are of the scientific order, Sirenia, of which the well-known dugong is also a member. The two main differences between them are that dugongs are smaller than manatees and have a sillier name.

If you insist on going into more detail, any third grader can tell you that manatees have horizontal, paddle-shaped tails with only one lobe to move up and down when the animal swims. Dugongs, on the other hand, have a fluked tail, meaning it is made up of two separate lobes joined together in the middle.

Manatees also are distantly related to elephants, and I mean distantly. There may be some common DNA, chromosomes, genes, or whatever between the two species, but manatees are a distant enough cousin to the elephant that they’re not being invited to the annual pachyderm family picnic anymore.

The last time that happened one of the manatees embarrassed himself at the punch bowl. You can guess the rest.

I have my own theory about the whole elephant-manatee connection. Please pay attention. It will be on the test.

Millions of years ago, an elephant, or mammoth, or mastodon, or whatever, enjoyed being in the water, like modern-day elephants do. He or she gradually started walking out to deeper and deeper water and started using its trunk as a breathing tube.

As time evolved, it learned to hold its breath longer, its trunk got progressively shorter, and its legs shriveled up into flippers. Voila, the manatee!

But seriously, despite manatees having no natural enemies, except perhaps crocodiles preying on their young, the species is in danger.

According to a 2012 article on Web Ecology the main causes of death “are human-related issues, such as habitat destruction and human objects.”

“Their slow-moving, curious nature has led to violent collisions with propeller-driven boats and ships. Some manatees have been found with over 50 scars on them from propeller blades.”

“The best way to protect manatees is for the public to learn about their plight and how protecting them is in all our best interests if we care about healthy aquatic ecosystems,” says Patrick Rose, Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club.

“Whether passively observing the beauty of our waterways or actively engaged in water-related activities such as boating, fishing, or diving, we should understand our role as responsible stewards of manatees and their habitat and how we can help protect those things we hold dear.”

Manatee Lagoon (www.visitmanateelagoon.com) in Riviera Beach is a great place to see manatees. The lagoon is closed now because of the pandemic, but you can still access its live manatee cam at www.visitmanateelagoon.com/manatee-cam.

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Virtual care becomes new standard in era of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has forced a reshaping of the landscape of healthcare, requiring the medical community to look for new, safer approaches to patient care.

To keep patients and team members safe, virtual visits are now conducted via remote communication technology, such as Telehealth and Telemedicine. This is the new normal of patient doctor interaction, and represents a new era of healthcare delivery, and one that will continue into the foreseeable future.

As the pandemic continues, frontline workers at doctors’ offices and hospitals have been put to the ultimate test. In response, new and better programs of communications via Internet technology were enhanced, and audio check-ins restructured. Through telehealth and telemedicine, doctors and nurses can now engage patients via digital devices to meet basic healthcare needs.

During the height of the pandemic, most elective procedures at hospitals and doctors’ clinics were cancelled. With new variants of the virus threatening the country, a new challenge has been created. With elective procedures canceled, questions arose on how to safely care for emergency and non-emergency patients in a safe environment.

The solution was a broadening of virtual care to interact with patients, maintain safe environments, and adhere to mandated social distancing guidelines. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) increased access to Medicare telehealth services so beneficiaries could receive a wider range of care from their doctors without them having to travel to a healthcare facility.

“To protect both staff and patients, some medical practices closed their doors to in-person visits because of concerns over the risk of transmission,” said Randall M. Taubman, M.D., CPE, regional medical director at ClareMedica Health Partners LLC, Miami Lakes. “We remained open; our staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) and each patient was thoroughly screened. Anyone screened as a possible COVID candidate was seen remotely.”

According to Dr. Taubman, video-based visits are preferred and more effective. “The doctor and the patient can see each other and it’s a more natural interaction,” he said. “Plus, if there are any physical changes, doctors can analyze the problem, and that’s a big benefit over an audio virtual visit.” Differences also exist between the way medical codes are applied and how video-based visits are billed.

Scheduling a remote health visit
Telehealth visits can be Web-based or done through a phone call to the office, but prior to the online interaction, most practices require verification of identity and insurance information. “Patients must consent to this form of care, and when they ‘meet’ with their doctor, the visit is conducted in much the same way as an in-person visit,” said Dr. Taubman. “The one exception is that doctors may ask additional questions about a patient’s general health and well-being.”

Before opting for a telehealth or telemedicine visit, patients should make a list of questions. They should also be prepared to explain any symptoms and list medications, dosages, and times they are taken daily.

“The best way to prepare for a virtual health visit is to find a quiet, private room where there are no distractions,” Dr. Taubman said. “Patients need to download any applications needed for the two-way communications and decide beforehand if the visit will be done on a computer, tablet, or phone. The doctor’s office needs to be aware of the patient’s choice. When prescribing medications, doctors still use electronic prescribing to send the script to a pharmacy — a routine practice even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

A new revenue stream
Reaching out to patients and serving them remotely is now a necessity to sustain physician practices. It is even a benefit to hospitals where there has been a revenue decline in long-standing money-making units such as operating rooms, interventional radiology, and outpatient services. Virtual care is now a proven means of caring for patients safely while tapping into a revenue source that helps offset the decline of in-person visits.

Over the months, regulatory and reimbursement barriers that hindered the widespread use of telehealth were relaxed, allowing providers more freedom to use virtual care for their patients. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that during the first quarter of 2020, the number of telehealth visits increased by 50 percent. This allowed providers to scale their technology, learn more about various platforms, and reshape strategies that would be the most benefit to patients.

The difference between Telehealth and Telemedicine
The words “telehealth” and “telemedicine” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they don’t mean the same thing. The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) says telehealth is the “use of electronic information and telecommunications technologies to support long-distance clinical health services, patient and professional health-related education, public health, and health administration.” These technologies include videoconferencing, the Internet, store-and-forward imaging, streaming media, and wireless communications. Telemedicine, however, refers to “specific remote clinical services.”

Both play a critical role in the new era of patient care. Virtual care allows doctors to communicate with patients at a variety of locations that include their residence, a nursing home, an emergency room, or specific divisions within hospitals such as wards, special care units, and even psychiatric units. In addition, access to remote care greatly reduces the potential of exposure to the virus and lowers demands on frontline workers.

Types of remote visits
The three basic types of access routinely used are: Medicare Telehealth (MTH) visits, Virtual Check-ins (VCI); and E-Visits (EV). MTH utilizes telecommunication systems between the provider and patient and may include office visits, out-patient visits, or consultations. The VCI is a brief phone check-in with a practitioner to discuss whether an in-office visit is required, or a remote evaluation can be conducted where a patient can submit images (as in the case of dermatology) to his or herdoctor for  evaluation. The EVs are a format to communicate between patient and provider via an online patient portal.

Telehealth popularity
According to the CDC, the number of telehealth visits in the U.S. increased by 50 percent during the first quarter of 2020 and providers reshaped their strategies to engage with patients. “The use of telehealth is a trend that I don’t foresee diminishing even if COVID improves,” commented Dr. Taubman. “It can help with physician shortage and travel issues in the medical industry, so I believe it’s here to stay.”

According to a Telehealth Impact Claims Analysis conducted by the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition Telehealth Impact Study Work Group, the latest numbers on telehealth claims in Florida peaked at around 700,000 in April of 2020, and the primary diagnosis of circulatory issues exceeded 200,000. Claims nationwide for circulatory issues in the country exceeded five million in February of last year, and total claims exceeded 12 million.

New advances in digital health technology have transformed patient treatment models internationally. Greater access and more efficiency are the keys to serving patients in the era of COVID-19.

 

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