For You, For the Women in Your Life

FB_Strive_851x315 (5)

 

 

 

 

 

Today is an exciting day for us! Today marks the start of our new women’s health campaign!

At Brown Clinic, we understand women – at every stage of your lives. We know you’re probably making the health care decisions for your family. Whether you’re just starting a family, looking for a doctor for yourself or for an aging parent or growing child, we go out of our way to get to know you and where you’re at in your life.

We want to encourage you to take care of yourself. Schedule your regular exams and screenings. For yourself. For your friends and family.

We’re proud to provide personalized care in a friendly environment. The quality care we provide is second to none and we’re here when you need us, taking the time to listen to your concerns and answer your questions. All of them. Thoroughly.

From OB/GYN and pediatric services, to family and internal medicine, Brown Clinic Women’s is for you. Be sure to contact us today to get your routine screenings, annual checkups, and other health care needs scheduled!

Also- be sure to check out these pretty cool videos on YouTube. I’m sure you’ll recognize some friendly faces!

https://youtu.be/OpWdoX6iqm8

https://youtu.be/3-E-1kTvab4

In It For the Long Run—College/Medical School/Residency Days

Things change a lot over time, but my running really took off after high school.  I started Cross Country at Augustana College my freshman year, just to see if I liked it enough to keep going.  Well, I guess I did.  I ran indoor and outdoor track that first year as well, and then continued with all of it the duration of my college days.  This also continued when I went on to medical school.  For both college and med school, the running was a great escape, and a great stress reliever.  No matter how hectic things got, or how busy I was, there was always time to go for a run!   This helped immensely to help clear my head and get ready to take on the next day, and project.  You can only study for so long, and then you need a break, mentally, just to gear up and go at it again.  This also carried over to residency.  The hours could be grueling at times, but that run time was my time to unwind, and gear up for the next day.  There were lots of road races going on then as well, and Sarah and I would join in for a lot of them.  Some of the ones that stood out the most were the ones we would dress up in costumes for the Halloween run they would have every year.  We had many costumes we had gone through!  It was another way to make the running even more fun.  The running is also how I started dating Sarah, as we started going out our second year of medical school.  Sarah noticed me running by her house a lot (this was on purpose!), and she was a runner as well.  This was a great way to strike up a conversation at that time.  We eventually started running together, and one thing led to another, and we were destined to be together.  Running brought us together…and has continued to help keep us together as well.  Many fun days with this back then.  Below are some of our costumes from different events/races we did back then.  Also, some pictures of some of the material we had to know when we took our first set of Boards after our second year of medical school.  The volume was incredible, and overwhelming, and the running helped keep my sanity.  Also is one picture of my Augustana days competing.  All great memories, and all kept the fire going to continue running.  It has been fun looking back on all these.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2879

 

Fall STRIVE Starts September 8th!

FB_Strive_851x315 (5)

 

 

 

 

 

In about a month, our 12 week wellness program “STRIVE 2 Survive” starts! The first lecture will be held September 8th (the Tuesday after Labor Day) and we will meet in person on the dates listed below (Tuesdays) at the County Fair Banquet Hall from 5:30-6:30pm. The weeks we do not meet, you will be given a take home lesson mailed or emailed to you, thus every week you will be given education, tips, etc on nutrition and activity. In addition, we include lab work (total lipid panel and glucose) and body composition testing (weight, height, BMI, blood pressure, fat%, and muscle mass) at the beginning and end of the program. The total cost is $130, which includes all lessons, lab work, and body composition testing.

Our main goal is to help you learn how to live a healthier lifestyle that promotes disease prevention, longevity, and quality of life. Weight loss, improved lipids, improved glucose, improved blood pressure, and improved overall health are all results of our program.

Enrollment is underway, thus if you are interested or know of someone who is, please contact us to learn more and get signed up! You can call me directly at 884-4226 or email strive2survive@brownclinic.org. We are looking forward to another great session!

September 8: “Healthy Eating Made Easy” Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN

September 29: “Exercise for the Health of It” Dr. Dan Reiffenberger & Dr.Torness

October 13: “Your Equation to Success” Dr. Jon McAreavey

October 27: “A Walk thru the Wellness Wheel” Dr. Clark Likness

November 10: “Medications…to do or not to do” Deidra VanGilder, PharmD

November 24: “Making Health a Way of Life” STRIVE Team

-Kelsey

In It For the Long Run!

It has been many years since I started running…dating back to middle school.  I ran on my own at that time, and then went out for Cross Country my senior year of High School, and then ran competitively all 4 years of college at Augustana.  It was a great experience, and truly set the foundation for a lifetime of running.  It has now been 29 years since I graduated from college, and am still running.  I think it is safe to say I am definitely in it for the long run!  I guess that is why I run marathons too…for the long run!  Running has taught me so much over the years, and has taken me more places than I could have ever thought possible.  I love running, and it is now a part of me forever.  Throughout the years, it has helped me meet new people, make new friends, but more importantly, it has helped me be a better husband, Dad, and doctor.  I can relate to a lot of the same issues other people have experienced, or are experiencing at the time.  There have been memorable things that have occurred over the years, and I think it may be time to start writing about them as well.  So I have a plan outlined that could cover the next several months of what running/exercise has done for me.  It will include my family, both with my wife Sarah and my kids, but also my extended family, and the times we have spent growing up, and time we spend now.  I have had many training partners over the years, all of which have a special place in my heart, and all who have provided different insight into not only running, but also life!  Where do I start with all the friends I have made as a result of running?  I will write about exercise has challenged me as a doctor, and how I try to promote exercise to all of my patients, and how I have had many success stories, not only with my patients, but even my staff.  It has been an adventure all along the way, and hope that it continues for many years to come.  I still have a lot to learn yet…and must always remember, nobody knows everything.  We are all continuing to learn and grow from our experiences, and we all need to pass that knowledge on.  Stay tuned as I share my experiences from all of this, and hope that it can do the same for you!  After all, this is about how we need to STRIVE to SURVIVE, and as a result, THRIVE!  My life so far has been a definite Thumbs Up, as you will see with the picture below.  Following this are a few pictures that include me running, followed by some very important people in my life…my wife Sarah, and very good friends Carletta and Steve Hauck, and great training partners, Tom Beaudry and Steve Hauck.  This is just to get things started, as I will expand on more of these issues, and people, in the upcoming months…I just don’t have enough room to put them all in here yet!  They will show up later!  In this fast pace we call life, sometimes things have to slow down just to reflect back and appreciate everything we have, and have done.  By the time I wrap all of this up, you will see that we all need to take the time to smell the roses along the way!  Enjoy your life, and the things/people in your life.  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2865

Life is Too Short…

How many times have we heard how fast time goes, or “Life is too short”, and I don’t have “enough time” to do all the things I want to.  This week really brought everything to light again.  One on our physician colleagues was killed in a motor vehicle accident…gone at age 58.  There are many things all of us want to accomplish yet in our lifetime, yet we don’t know if we are going to be here tomorrow or not.  We need to live each day to its fullest.  Take on the challenges that we all face head on, and never give up.  The last thing any of us wants to have any regrets in our life.  No matter what, we will all have certain regrets in regards to things that we want to do, or would have liked to do.  All we can do is keep trying.  Live life to the fullest.  Take care of ourselves the best we can, and control the factors in life that we can.  The other things are truly out of our control.  We can’t be afraid to take on those new challenges.  That is what life is about…it is an adventure for us to experience and take advantage of, and live to the fullest.  Keep in mind those things in your life that is important to you, and then keep working on trying to make it better.  Take care of ourselves by watching things in our diet, and doing exercise, so that we can increase our odds of being around to be involved in those things important in our lives.  Below are the things important to me, and I have said this numerous times…Sarah, Nick, Molly and Megan.  The last picture is one to make you think, and I will quote Zig Ziglar:  “No matter how good or bad your life is, wake up each morning and be thankful you still have one.”  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2858

Why Am I a Runner?

I have been running for many years, since middle school, and the amount of things that running has taught me is extraordinary.  Yes, there are days when things get too busy, hectic, and I could think of many other things that need to be done, but running has taught me how to help prioritize.  Running has taught me patience, compassion, fortitude, independence, desire, will power, determination, adventure, passion…just to name a few.  No matter what, it has been a great way to start the day, and to get my mind cleared to take on the day.  Sometimes the morning does not work, and I will go in the evening, and it has been a great way to clear my mind from the day.  Anybody out there who runs knows what I mean.  The biggest part of it all is it does not matter how fast you go…6 min or 15 min…a mile is a mile.  For those of you who do not run, but may walk, or ride bike, or other activity…you still know what I mean.  The feelings and experiences can be the same.  Running equals time for me!  Sometimes it is great to go out and run by myself…especially when I need to think.  Other times, it is great to go with a partner, or group of people, and talk about things going on.  Everybody has different opinions and ideas, and have definitely have experienced different things, so it is always interesting to hear how other people handle things.  This is what is nice about the run club…it is a social event.  You get to hear what other people are doing, how they are handling it, and sometimes that individual just needs to vent things to help them help themselves.  I would not trade it for anything.  I plan on running as long as I can, and then when I can’t do this, I will walk, or find some other activity.  I will keep moving as long as I can.  The adventures involved with this are too good, too unique, too special, to give up.  It has been many years already, and looking forward to many more.  Below are some pictures of me running with training partners recently…me with Steve, Sarah with are Carissa, who is like another daughter for us, and then just me…alone, taking things on head on!  No feeling like it in the world!  Keep moving everybody!

Dr. Dan

Consecutive Exercise Day #:  2851