From the Inside Out

Music has an uncanny way of lifting my mood. When I’m stressed, I can escape into another world filled with melodic sounds. It doesn’t matter whether it’s gospel, jazz, rock, or soulful tunes, the music creates a feeling of well being and calms my stressed mind.

I’ve always thought this effect was simply because I love music. There’s something about it that soothes my soul and makes me happy. I love to sing, and I love to play the piano. And, most of all, I love to praise God with my music and songs. From my earliest days, I remember singing with my family, singing in church, and later singing competitively in school. I have always felt a connection to music.

It turns out that this connection may not be limited to my mind. According to Mike Miller from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, playing or listening to music actually affects the cardiovascular system. When people listen to music, the inner lining of their blood vessels relaxes, allows blood to circulate more freely, and produces chemicals that protect the heart. Miller goes on to say that “music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening” to it.

In fact, during a recent Stanford University study, elderly patients battling depression improved their mood and self-esteem after visits with a music therapist. The Mayo Clinic also uses music as part of its cardiovascular surgery healing program to “promote relaxation and reduce tension, stress and anxiety.” The music helps patients relax which can help decrease pain, lift moods, and improve sleep, especially during recovery.

There is a catch, however. It must be music that you like. When Miller’s study participants listened to music they didn’t particularly enjoy, the vessels began to close. That’s the same thing that tension — or stress — does to your cardiovascular system.

Apparently, our systems also like variety. Listening repeatedly to the same tune diminishes the positive effects. Miller recommends varying songs so “when you hear the song fresh, it brings back the sense of joy and opens up the system.”

So, the next time you’re feeling stressed, just grab that iPod and put it on shuffle. Your heart will thank you.

Do you love donuts, but hate the calories that come with them? Well, now there may be a way to have one without the other. The average donut has up to 20 grams of fat and as many as 480 calories. Whew, it takes a full hour of high impact kickboxing to burn off that one little donut!

Enter Holey Donuts, the holy grail for donut lovers. These low fat, low calorie donuts only have 3-4 grams of fat and 150-200 calories! What’s even better is that the reviews and testimonials state that these treats actually taste good — unlike many low fat alternatives. Holey Donuts attributes this to a revolutionary cooking process that avoids the deep fryer.

A wide variety of yummy selections are available including coconut cream pie, blueberry crumb cake, Boston cream, velvet strawberry frosted, and more. Traditional favorites like glazed donuts and donut holes are also available. It’s like a smorgasboard of low fat snacks.

I can’t endorse them personally since I haven’t eaten any yet, but I will order a few and report if they live up to the media hype. Stay tuned for my review in a future blog post. In the mean time, you can check ‘em out and order your own here.

I’m pleased to report that I made it through my second colonoscopy today.

The day started early. After about four hours of sleep, the alarm went off at 6:30 am. Normally, I would be dragging myself out of bed, but it was easy to get up this morning. It’s strange how anxiety strips away your tiredness.

The morning was rough. My body was complaining fiercely due to my forced liquid diet — consuming no real food in the last 31 hours. I was weak, unfocused and shaky. I was also dying for some water, but I wouldn’t be able to eat or drink until after the procedure.

Gary drove me to the endoscopy center in Plano where the colonoscopy would be conducted. I filled out paperwork and soon was ushered into a small room with a single bed and a privacy curtain. It was at this point that I started to get extremely anxious about the IV. For me, it is always the most dreaded part of any medical procedure.

The nurses were nice and tried to help calm my nerves. After letting them take my vitals, I explained that they would need to wait to put in the IV until the anesthesiologist was ready to administer the medication. That was a lesson I learned from my last colonoscopy. I don’t do well with an IV in my arm and no medication to calm me.

Gary came in to sit with me until the anesthesiologist came. It helped keep my mind off of what was about to come — the dreaded needle stuck into my vein. Finally, she showed up and did her thing. I endured it until I felt the sweet relief of the anesthesia flow through my body. At that point, my worries were over. I was wheeled into another room, and the rest of the procedure is lost in oblivion.

I slept most of the day and slowly started eating again. One thing’s for certain, I would never last long on a show like Survivor. Even though I don’t like food that much, I don’t do well without it either.

Anyway, it’s nice to have the procedure completed. Now I can quit obsessing about it and move on. It looks like my colitis is back, but that’s not a big surprise. It always flares up when I’m stressed. I’m sure with some medication, it’ll be under control again and I can get back to normal.

Thanks for the prayers!

Aside from kidney stones, the worst medical experience I can remember happened 6 1/2 years ago. It started out with a forced liquid diet and progressed to drinking the worst concoction known to man. The grand finale was at the hospital where the procedure took place. The nurse put the needle for the IV in my arm way too early — before the doctor was even at the hospital. I had to wait for him to arrive before they would administer the sedative. Since I have an unnatural, irrational phobia about needles being in my veins, that was not a good thing. I think I was close to having a panic attack…my heart raced, my blood pressure went up, and I broke out in a sweat. The staff tried to calm me down, but I knew that wouldn’t happen unless (1) I got drugs or (2) they removed the needle. I don’t know why, but they didn’t want to remove the needle so I suffered until they finally found someone to administer the drugs and put me out of my misery. That was my first colonoscopy.

I have since learned to never allow anyone except the anesthesiologist to touch me. That has reduced my discomfort when having procedures, but it’s still nerve wracking. Most people are scared of the procedure itself — that’s where the real danger is — but not me. I’m not worried about the pain or complications. I’m only scared of that dang little needle. It’s ridiculous, but it’s something I have not been able to overcome no matter how hard I try.

Since my first colonoscopy, I have dreaded the day when I would have to undergo the procedure again. I knew it would happen, but I was hoping it would be later — much, much later.

My doctor informed me today it was sooner rather than later. It’s scheduled for May 5th. The bad news is that it means I have to face the needle again. The good news is that it’ll provide lots of fodder for my blog. Okay, the good doesn’t outweigh the bad, but I’m trying to be positive.

Wish me luck!

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 40 years, you probably know the lyrics to the famous Beatles song. Hum it with me now:

“I get by with with a little help from my friends.”

Yes, it’s catchy, but also true according to an Australian study conducted over a 10-year period. Having friends can help you get by, but it does more than that, it can help you live longer. The study found that people with a large circle of friends are less likely to die — 22 percent less likely — than those with fewer friends. Other studies show that friendships can aid in promoting brain health, fighting illness and depression, and reducing the risk of heart attack.

“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”

Nearly 3,000 nurses with breast cancer participated in a 2006 study that found women without close friends were four times as likely to die from the disease as women with 10 or more friends. And surprisingly, having a spouse wasn’t associated with survival.

Researchers aren’t certain why friendship has such a profound psychological effect. Maybe it’s because strong friendship networks give people someone to turn to in times of need, thereby lowering stress. Maybe it’s the unwavering support and love they provide — or physical help (i.e. helping them run errands or pick up medicine). Regardless of the reason why, it’s clear that friends make your life better.

So, if you want to live a longer, healthier life, nurture your relationships. Not only will you reap the benefits, but they will too!