Chronic Wellness

Chronic Wellness

By Annette LeonardHealth & Fitness
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Chronic Wellness episodes

  • Episode 195: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 Safety vs Panic
    So much of what's happening with the spread of this disease is under our control -- yet, with the 24 hour news cycle and as fears creep in, it is easy to forget that.
    The suggestions put forward in this playlist can remind you what you can do to keep yourself and loved ones safe.
    Covering your nose and mouth and washing your hands regularly will eliminate much of your risk.
    Further precautions I'm taking right now include things like how I'm currently disinfecting deliveries that come to my house.
    Using extra care to limit potential risk factors to keep myself and my household safe is what I can control for.
    Panic isn't helpful, but care and good judgement is.
    I'm so thankful we haven't also lost other essential services at this time.
    5 min
  • Episode 194: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Handshake Pro Tip
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    Avoiding a handshake is difficult. If you want to insult someone -- don't shake her hand.
    Handshaking is a social expectation.
    Here's how I get out of it: I take on the responsibility by saying, "I don't want to shake your hand because I've been sick recently."
    It's true, I have been! That doesn't mean I'm contagious. Rather than go into the reasons it doesn't make sense for me to shake hands, I give this simple reason.
    Even when perhaps I should be more explicit...
    5 min
  • Episode 193: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Best Practices
    How do we keep ourselves safe?
    Given that this virus can live on hard surfaces for a week to 10 days, what are the best ways to protect ourselves?
    As a person who is immune-compromised, I track when I have to touch surfaces out in public -- sometimes it is unavoidable.
    Given that COVID-19 can live on soft surfaces, I'm not protected just by covering my hand with my sleeve.
    1) Wash and sanitize your hands frequently.
    2) Pay attention to the things you touch that may have been touched by others (then wash and sanitize your hands).
    3) Perhaps still use elbows, and sleeves to not use your hands -- but then launder the shirt immediately.
    4) If using gloves, use washable or disposable.
    Here are some of the considerations and things you may or may not have been thinking about.
    6 min
  • Episode 192: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Two Habits
    What's the saying simple but not easy?
    One way that we can protect ourselves is by cultivating a new habit.
    We have a sign at the door where people enter that says, "It's cold and flu season, please take off your shoes and wash your hands. Thanks, the management."
    This is a message we've been delivering verbally to a greater or lesser degree. The sign makes our request overt and for everyone.
    We can radically reduce the risk of infection by practicing these two simple things - removing our shoes and washing our hands first thing when we come in.
    5 min
  • Epidsode 191: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Phones Part 2
    We touch handles, doorknobs, elevator buttons, subway turnstiles, ATM machines, restroom stalls and then we touch our phones... Ick!
    How often do you wash your phone? Regardless of your answer it's likely not often enough.
    We put these up to our faces!
    One invention designed to help clean these disgusting devices we ubiquitously carry around with us is called Phone Soap.
    This one is smallish and will hold a phone, phone cover, wallet, your credit cards, keys, or chapstick, etc. and with the power of UV lights act like a small tanning bed and kills 99.9% of surface bacteria.
    Check online for promocodes.
    5 min
  • Episode 190: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Phones
    Is your awareness heightened because of COVID-19?
    Many of us have been protecting ourselves from all of you for a long time.
    One way I protect myself is I NEVER touch anyone else's phone. They are some of the dirtiest objects in our lives. They go pretty much everywhere with people and most folks never think about disinfecting them.
    While most phones are waterproof, I do not feel comfortable running mine under water to clean it. However, here are a couple of methods to get the germs off your devices.
    First, good old disinfecting wipes. These have been shown to be more than 80% effective against COVID-19.
    While you have a wet wipe, go ahead and wipe down other surfaces in your house that get lots of hand traffic like lights or doorknobs.
    4 min
  • Episode 189: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Face Protection
    If you want to screen out the virus, you need beefy protection.
    However, the majority of the protection we need is just from ourselves, a reminder to not touch our nose and mouth.
    What are alternatives to wearing a mask that could offer this protection?
    How can a scarf, bandanna, or turtleneck, serve the same purpose?
    Eyes are also a key way we get infections and viruses.
    Eye wear is also great protection against spreading disease to those delicate mucous membranes.
    What are the ways you are staying safe?
    5 min
  • Episode 188: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Masks?
    Coronavirus is now an pandemic.
    The CDC has said that healthy people do not need to wear masks.
    A) I don't fall under the category of "healthy people."
    B) They are trying to conserve supplies for folks who need them most.
    C) It's true that a standard surgical mask is not a tight enough weave to prevent the virus from penetrating it -- that would require an N95 mask.
    However, even if the mask doesn't screen the virus, a mask will prevent us from touching our mouth and nose and spreading infection.
    Are you wearing a mask?
    Do you wear one even when there hasn't been the specter of this virus?
    4 min
  • Episode 187: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: CDC Protocol
    The CDC's Protocol for Coronavirus somehow don't inspire confidence.
    Wash your hands thoroughly.
    If you cough or sneeze, do it in a kleenex and throw it away, then The CDC's Protocol for Coronavirus somehow don't inspire confidence.
    Wash your hands thoroughly.
    If you cough or sneeze, do it in a kleenex and throw it away, then wash your hands.
    Wipe down all hard surfaces that might have come into contact with the virus.
    If you have a respiratory infection, wear a mask.
    If healthy, do not wear a mask.
    That last one surprised me, I often wear a mask to avoid exposure to colds and flus in crowded areas.
    Not sure what I was expecting from the CDC, but I was wanting more somehow.
    I'm also not sure how these inform my decision about whether or not to go to Seattle.
    4 min
  • Episode 186: The Coronavirus/COVID - 19 How To Stay Safe: Avoid Exposure
    The Coronavirus: I'm learning about it alongside all of you.
    As we watch the news stories about cities in China being quarantined, as we've seen the virus travel from country to country, as we wait to see whether this outbreak will reach disastrous proportions and death tolls.
    Because I'm supposed to travel to Seattle this week and Washington is the epicenter of deaths in this country, this decision has numerous personal implications. I called the nurse at UW to talk about whether I should attend my appointment and this is what I learned.
    Do I make a decision out of self-protection and some amount of fear?
    Is it foolish to proceed?
    If I get exposed, I am at HIGH risk to contract the virus.
    Will I be in spaces where I'm likely to be exposed?
    Are you impacted by the coronavirus? How?
    What would you do?
    5 min

About Chronic Wellness

From the publisher's feed

Are you one of the millions living with a chronic illness or pain? Our diseases may be very different, but we have many of the same experiences, obstacles and frustrations. We are all working for a better quality of life knowing that pain and limitations will be our traveling companions. My name is Annette and I'm the host of Chronic Wellness, a brief, weekly, podcast where we talk about it all: sex, self-care, mental heath, loss of identity, anger, how to navigate health care and have less days that suck so hard.