'National Cake Day'



“"Qu’ils mangent de la brioche!” or, “Let them eat cake!” Perhaps the most famous quote about cake ever were the words of a great French princess.

Typically attributed to Marie Antoinette herself upon being informed that the peasants were so poor that they had no bread to eat during one of the famines that occurred in France during the reign of her husband, Louis XVI.

Needless to say, the ignorance and arrogance of that disdainful statement did not win either Marie Antoinette or her husband any respect or sympathy from their people, who then proceeded to behead both of them during the French Revolution!

However, none of this changes the fact that cake is arguably one of the most delicious baked goods that humans have ever made to eat, and its numerous varieties continue to astound every cake fan. For that reason, it is obvious that cake is more than deserving of its own little holiday.

Read more here. . . .



November 26, 2023

LOTS OF COVID IN THE VALLEY OVER THIS THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.  ALL DOING WELL BUT BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION.

• LITTLE FLU SO FAR IN THE VALLEY
•  VERY LITTLE RSV IN THE VALLEY

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION RIGHT NOW…. YOU MOST LIKELY HAVE COVID. PLEASE DO A COVID TEST TO CHECK.  AVOID GOING TO HOLIDAY PARTIES IF YOU ARE SICK AND HAVE NOT CHECKED FOR COVID.

ALMOST ALL DOING WELL, BUT WE ARE SEEING A FEW PEOPLE NEED THE HOSPITAL TO RECOVER. 

THE NEW COVID VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.

  IT IS A VERY GOOD MATCH FOR THE CURRENT VARIANTS IN CIRCULATION. THIS IS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM HAVING A MORE DIFFICULT TIME WITH INFECTION AND KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

I RECOMMEND THE COVID BOOSTER GENERALLY FOR THOSE OVER 65. BUT.......

•  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A BOOSTER FOR THOSE 80 & OLDER.

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BOOSTER FOR THOSE OVER 65 WITH HEART FAILURE, SIGNIFICANT LUNG CONDITIONS, AND DIABETES.

TOP PODCAST DONE WEEKLY

BY DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM

(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)  

He is a world-renowned epidemiologist who was credited with first elucidating TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME in the 1980’s.

He provides comprehensive and understandable/actionable ideas related to COVID.

Dr. Osterholm Update: COVID-19

November 16, 2023

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/episode-144-slow-motion-tsunami

(Same as last week's.... New podcast next week!)

'A Slow Motion Tsunami'

In "A Slow Motion Tsunami," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the state of the pandemic in the US and around the world, the latest data on influenza and RSV, and potential funding cuts to a federal HIV program. Dr. Osterholm also answers two ID Queries and shares his thoughts on the importance of antimicrobial resistance awareness.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

• GET YOUR 5th BOOSTER (7th SHOT) IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID OR IT’S BEEN LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS SINCE YOU HAD COVID YOURSELF
• A GOOD MASK, N95 OF KN95, DOES HELP REDUCE TRANSMISSION…. USE IT AT HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS
• GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION
• VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION.  ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT THE J&J VACCINE IS PICKING UP STEAM AND GIVES SOLID LONG-TERM PROTECTION.
• BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.
• ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON IT…BUT USE IT.

Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection.  Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

After you received your COVID vaccinations, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



BUT FIRST.......

PLEASE COMPLETE THE INFORMATION ON THE CARD BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO US!

What we need:

1. Your name
2. Date vaccination received
3. Brand name
4. Lot number if available
5. Which dose you have received

**Email your COVID vaccine completed info HERE

Each U.S. household can now order four more free Covid tests, to be sent out by the federal government starting the week of Nov. 27.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the new round of test shipments Monday as the holiday season begins — a time when public health experts typically expect cases of Covid, flu, colds and respiratory syncytial virus to surge.

As with the previous five rounds of government-issued Covid tests, orders can be placed online at Covid.gov. People who didn’t take advantage of the last offer in September can still order the four rapid antigen tests made available then, for a total of eight tests. The only information required is a name and a home address — no health insurance information needed. 

The order page warns that although tests may arrive with expiration dates that have passed, the Food and Drug Administration has extended the dates for most approved tests. So users can check the true expiration dates of their Covid tests on the FDA’s regularly updated list.

Read more here. . . .

At our office, we are continuing to follow CDC guidelines and will strive for ways to keep our patients and staff safe.



We recommend that all unvaccinated and vaccinated patients and visitors entering our office cover their nose and mouth at all times.

To prevent further spread of the Delta & Omicron variants, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask guidance on March 21, 2022, to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks when in areas with “substantial” and “high” transmission of Covid-19.

We have a limited supply of paper masks and will make these available to patients while they last, however, we encourage you to bring your own facial covering.

With holiday season underway, you may be realizing that you forgot to get your Covid-19 and flu vaccines, and now you’ll be sitting across the table from your elderly relatives.

The good news is that it’s not too late to get your shots, but what about knocking them both out at the same time? The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this is an option, but should you?

A recent study of Medicare claims data found a slightly increased — but still very rare— risk of stroke for seniors who get a high-dose influenza vaccine and Covid-19 shot at the same time. The risk was about 3 strokes for every 100,000 doses of Pfizer’s bivalent Covid vaccine and about 3 transient ischemic attacks for every 100,000 doses of Moderna’s bivalent Covid vaccine.

Other studies have not found the same risk, leading the CDC and US Food and Drug Administration to say there’s no change to their vaccine recommendations at this time. Covid-19 vaccines were updated this year to target one strain of the coronavirus rather than two.

Read more here. . . .

We Are Here to Take Care of Your Healthcare Needs.

We Are Here to Serve!

Our office is using all techniques to reduce exposure to a minimum during your visit. These include: 

·       Temperature checks of all patients and staff.

·       Masks for all people in the office.

·       Cleansing of hands and surfaces repeatedly.

·       Multiple Super-HEPA filters to filter out potential virus and particles in the office.

·       High Level UV light air cleansing in the office to eliminate bacteria and viruses in the air.

OUR OFFICE SCHEDULE

DOORS OPEN     

7AM - 4PM Monday through Thursday

7AM - 11AM Friday

IN OFFICE

APPOINTMENTS: MONDAY – THURSDAY

7AM – 11:15AM & 1PM – 3:30PM

APPOINTMENTS: FRIDAY

7AM – 10:30 AM

DR. LAKIN WILL CONTINUE ‘TELEHEALTH’ VISITS WITH FaceTime, WhatsApp or ZOOM WHEN NEEDED.

SUMMARY OF A COVID KIT & CHECK LIST:

This is what you should have at home to prepare for possible COVID, to monitor yourself if you were to get infected:

DIGITAL ORAL THERMOMETER: MANY BRANDS ARE FINE…HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Thermometer-Reading-Waterproof-Indicator/dp/B087T3S4TR/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=THERMOMETER&qid=1597159324&sr=8-6

PULSE OXIMETER:  TO CHECK OXYGEN LEVELS. MANY BRANDS ARE FINE...HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

https://www.amazon.com/Innovo-Fingertip-Oximeter-Plethysmograph-Perfusion/dp/B07YVGZPRZ/ref=sr_1_20?dchild=1&keywords=PULSE+OXI&qid=1597159388&sr=8-20

OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOME MEDICAL KIT:

·       TYLENOL, ADVIL, OR ALEVE

·       Sudafed 30mg tablets

·       Chlorpheniramine 4mg tablets

·       Robitussin DM syrup

·       Imodium AD

'Let Them Eat Cake'

An Austrian teenager (Kirsten Dunst) marries Dauphin (Jason Schwartzman) of France and becomes that country's queen following the death of King Louis XV in 1774.

Louis XVI decides to keep funding the American Revolution even though the people of France are starving.

Years later, after a life of luxury and privilege, Marie Antoinette loses her head during the French Revolution.

Be careful out there & enjoy a piece of cake with your left-over turkey today!