by Dan | Sep 16, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Sarah and I have been Family Physicians in Watertown since 1994. We have gone through many transitions during that time, clinic changes, family changes, countless patients. When you look back at all of it, you start to realize how fast things go. At the pace of how things go each week, it is no wonder things go by fast. This week had started out in SF with the two of us doing the Half Marathon in SF, along with many of our running friends from Watertown. I have lost count how many Half Marathons I have done, but have counted the marathons, which is at 16. The number for all of them really does not matter. The reason we run is what is important. We spend each day, day after day, trying to tell patients that they need to do more to help take care of themselves. I am a firm believer is living by example. If I am going to tell my patients they need to watch their diet, and be more active, then I better be doing it myself.
I hear many times how “crazy” we are with all of the exercise that we do. For me, it is not only about being healthy and taking care of myself, but also about having some time to myself. Time to think, time to unwind. Time to decompress from all of the issues from the day. This week was no different. We spend all day in the clinic seeing patients, handling one crisis after another. You go from one room where you are seeing an infant who is 5 days old, to the next person who is 98 years old. Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart disease, anxiety, depression, insomnia, fractures, lacerations, or someone who acutely needs to be set up for emergency surgery. I had to tell one patient, who I have taken care of for years, that it is time for him to be in the Nursing Home. Tears flow from everybody. I have to help be there for the next patient whose wife passed away a month ago, and he does not know how he can go on. I get to break the news to someone that they now have terminal cancer, and the battle ahead is not going to be easy. I do my best to try to stay on time, but some patients just need more time to figure out what is going on with them. Then I have to try and calm down the next patient who is angry because they had to wait while I was dealing with someone else’s emergency. Some days I wonder why I do this. All of the medical record documentation, the quality measures for insurance and Medicare, not to mention all of the requirements just for Medicare. Some days there is not enough time in the day to get it all done. But I became a Family Physician because I care about Family. Family is the core of everything. When we take care of a patient, we are also taking care of the Family, or helping this patient attempt to be able to spend more time with their Family. That is why I/We do this! That to me is also what defines whether someone is a good physician or not.
Take care of the patient who has the problem/disease, not just the disease! We are all individuals, and we all handle illnesses differently. A big part of our practice to teach…to teach not only our patients, but also other health care professionals. So this week we started off with a new group in our Strive to Survive program, attempting to teach them how to help take care of themselves. This, of course, after teaching this to my patients 20+ times a day. Thursday morning Sarah and spent teaching Pediatric Advanced Life Support to health care professionals to help take care of pediatric patients. Then Thursday night I spent on live TV with the TV Program “On Call”, answering any questions that were asked by patients calling in for an hour! Much of this education also revolved around taking care of yourself, and helping with your diet and increasing exercise. The more you can do on your own, the less medications you may be on later, and the healthier you can be. Of course, sports also come into play, and was on the sideline Friday night for the football game to help out in any way possible to ensure safety.
I don’t have an answer to everything. Some things cannot be fixed. But that does not mean you don’t do anything about it. You have to help your patient come to terms with their issues. To help them figure out how to cope with it, adapt to it…live with it…or how to cope with the fact that they are going to die from it.
The more you can keep working on it yourself, the better things can be. You keep going, just like I keep telling my patients. “Don’t quit”. “Dig deep”.
These are the reasons I run. I practice what I tell my patients to do. It helps keep me organized. It gives me the energy to put in these longs days to help with my patients…to help “keep me going”.
Life as a Family Physician is a lot like running an endurance event. Put my head down, concentrate, push through, come up with a plan, and then finish! Then onto the next. Each day is different. That is what makes Family Medicine enjoyable. No two days are alike. Some things are more predictable because we see it a lot, but many times you have no idea what you may encounter when you walk into a room.
Spending time exercising makes it easier for me to concentrate and focus…and to spend time with my Family. Those moments go by quickly, so don’t waste them! There is nothing that makes a Family Physician happier than seeing our patients work on things to help themselves. We can help instruct, coach, sympathize, empathize with you, but we cannot do the activity for you. I had a physician teacher when I was in medical school who was a smoker, and weighed over 300#. The cigarette pack would be in his shirt pocket hanging out, and he would tell his patients that they needed to lose weight, and quit smoking. How many patients do you think actually listened to him? I often times wonder how many times my patients listen to me! I keep trying, showing, and living it. This interaction is also a “team effort”. I can’t do it alone, and neither can you. Together, we have a much better chance of success!
Sarah and I finished another Half Marathon. We worked at it together, and with the help of training with our run club members. We all work together, but we all have to make the individual effort as well. You need both aspects. We as Family Physicians want to help you spend more time with your Family. Meet us half way, and make the effort to work on what you can, and we can help guide through the rest. The combination can create a very productive “A Team”! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3994
by Dan | Sep 9, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Success means a lot of different things to different people. What does it mean for you? Did you accomplish a goal you set out to do? Did you lose weight? Did your cholesterol improve? Did you help someone else achieve a goal they were striving for? It may all mean something different to people, but it still means something was achieved. What makes it even more special is when it truly means something to you. That was this weekend for the Watertown Area Run Club. Many of us went down to do the Sioux Falls Half Marathon this morning, but one of us in this group was running their first marathon…26.2 miles. That person was Patricia Roth. She has been working incredibly hard this entire Summer to achieve her goal. We all saw it. We all wanted her to get it. Today, we all helped her get across the finish line! Her emotions afterwards holding up her medal, and knowing that she had just achieved something she did not think was possible for her. Our goals and our achievements are limited more by what is between our ears, than our physical abilities. She proved that over and over, and it was something special for the rest of us as well to see her achieve this goal.
Many of us started out Saturday night by going out to eat, and loading up on carbs. Spaghetti and pasta was the main course choices before hand. We were all getting ready for the next morning.
Patricia had to start first. The marathoners started 30 minutes before the half marathoners. We were there to get her fired up and to show our support. “This is it Patricia! This is what you have been working for. Go for it!”.
We got done with our race, showered, and headed out on the course to cheer Patricia on. We found her coming to mile 24.
A few of us started running with her to keep her going. Then, Owen and Amanda, after running their Half Marathon earlier, ran with her the entire last 2 miles of the marathon to keep her going. She did not stop! Smiling, and going strong. This is what she was working for! She wanted this!
The rest of us headed back to the finish line to cheer her for the last 100 meters coming in. Coming in strong, smiling, waving…grinning ear to ear!
This is Patricia coming into the final 100 meters, with Amanda and Owen on each side of her. She was giving us the “thumbs up”!
We were cheering so loud, yelling, screaming. Look at the smile on her face. She was about to accomplish her goal! She did it! She is now a marathoner!
Success again means different things to different people. Many of us had a good race today. We feel good about what we individually accomplished. But believe me, nothing felt better than how we all were cheering her on, helping her these last months achieve her goal! Seeing the look on her face, the tears flowing with joy afterwards. This is what running does for you. More importantly, this is what running friends do for you! We are a close knit group. We are there for each other. Now I call that a successful weekend. A success not only by the runners, but the spouses who help make it possible for all of us to run. They show support, they are out there cheering, taking pictures, driving back and forth. A special thank you to all of them as well. What does success mean to you? Keep moving everybody…you too will be successful!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3987
by Dan | Sep 2, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Holidays, Motivation, Wellness/Health
It has been a busy Labor Day weekend! We went down to Huron to stay with Sarah’s parents, and of course, there was a 5k race on Saturday morning that we ran in. We have done this race many times in the past. Andy’s Annual Road Race. My daughter Molly and her fiancée Tanner also joined us. Then we spent rest of the time at the SD State Fair, and went to the Night Ranger/Foreigner concert Saturday night. Wow! All the music from our days growing up. Great time. The running has become part of the tradition for this family. Whenever we go somewhere for a vacation, or a break, we have to see what running races may be going on.
Andy’s is a race Sarah grew up with when she lived in Huron. It is also the first race I did with her when we first starting going out, with the first one being after we started dating for a month. It brought back a lot of memories. This time one of our kids was able to run it with us. Great job Molly and Tanner! Tanner, you are starting to figure out first hand what it will be like to be a part of this family!
Tanner is wearing the shirt from the race. Very nice colors, and will be great for running! Tanner took 3rd place for his age group, and Sarah and I each won our age group divisions for the 5K. Bringing home more medals is just icing on the cake! Later that morning Tanner, Molly, and I went to the Fair. Sarah stayed home with her mom and spent the rest of the weekend quilting. Nothing is going to get in the way of quilting!
Then Saturday night came for the concert. Night Ranger was good, but nothing like Foreigner! All of the songs were hits when we were growing up, and they did not miss anything that night. Incredible concert! We loved every minute of it!
Every song was great listening, but the last one hit it home once again. It was a good way of summing of everything in life so far. “I gotta take a little time, A little time to think things over. I better read between the lines, In case I need it when I get older. In my life, there’s been heartache and pain. I don’t know if I can face it again. Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far, to change this lonely life.” And then of from there. We all face adversities. We all face challenges. But we need to take the time to spend with our family and friends. That is the only thing that matters. The relationships you make. The people you meet. We all need to learn how we have “gotta to take a little time” to be with those that are important to us, doing things that are important to do! Stay active, stay healthy, live life, with all of it ups and downs, with no regrets when we look back in time. Just keep looking forward, and enjoy the scenery, the adventures, and the ride! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3980
by Dan | Aug 26, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We are all busy. We all have commitments in our life; job responsibilities; family responsibilities. But, we need to make time for our friends. Our Watertown Area Run Club–WARC–has been a great avenue for this. We are just a group of people who meet weekly, sometimes twice a week, and just go for a run. But it is not just a run. It is a time to be social, unwind, do some “venting”, and be there for each other. We support each other, cheer each other on, and we also worry about each other when some of us may be having some personal issues going on, or injuries that we have to deal with, or just issues with life in general. There are always challenges we face.
Helping each other overcome those challenges is what is truly meaningful. Knowing that you can help somebody out when they may need make you feel good too. After all, we don’t know when we may be the one who needs support and encouragement from them either.
Often times in life you have to step out of your comfort zone, “go out on a limb”, or “step out to the edge of the dock”. You take chances. When you take chances, it is so much more helpful to know you have other people around you to “catch you”, and be there when you need them. The importance and benefit of this really does not have words to describe this. We all need a support system. This comes even more into play when we have upcoming our annual Suicide Awareness Run on Wednesday Sept 5. People who have committed suicide did not feel they had any kind of support system to fall back on, or be there to “catch them”, or they would not have done that.
We show strength in numbers! Here are a bunch of us getting ready this Summer for the Kampeska triathlon. We were each competing individually, but we were there for each other as well.
Close friendships get made. Here are Erika, Amanda, Jill, Sarah, and Jenn when they went up to Fargo for the All Women’s Half Marathon. It was an all girls run, but that was not really the point for going. They could have run a Half Marathon together around the lake here one day. They got to get away, have some quality time together, and just get away from all of the other stresses of life we all encounter every day. Quality time! Quality people! Quality memories!
Our friend Paticia Roth is getting ready to run her first marathon coming up in 2 weeks in SF. A bunch of us will be doing the half, but she is doing the full. We will be there to cheer her on to the finish. Many of us have been helping her to get through some of her long runs, or having water out for her, supporting her, helping her get a ride in when she was going to be going too far. That is what we do. We support each other, care for each other, and learn from each other. Nobody knows everything, and we all have something different to offer, whether about running, or just life in general. Support your friends!
How true, how true! Sometimes, it can mean the difference of not only participating in a race, or event, but finishing it. And not just a “race”, but life’s ups and downs!
2012 was the beginning of the Watertown Area Run Club. It started off as the Dan and Sarah club, and has built up to dozens of people, all with a common interest of running. I will be the first to admit, I don’t keep coming just because we are running. That may be the common denominator, but I find I am truly missing something if I am not there on Sundays. I will plan my schedule as much as possible not to miss these runs, especially the Sunday runs. I look forward to this every weekend!
So feel free to join us. It is not a race. It is a social time. It is a time to make new friends, and often times, lifelong friends. Come join us sometime. You don’t know what you are missing. Watertown Area Run Club rocks! The bigger our group is when we start, the bigger the smile I have on my face. Support your friends, and the favor will be returned! Guaranteed! Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3973
by kelsey | Aug 23, 2018 | Diet, Exercise, Family, Food, Goals, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
School is starting this week and that means homework, studying, and activities! We often forget about the importance of our health due to the fact we get consumed by our studies. Making health a priority during school is important and can be much easier than most would think. Whether you’re in elementary, high school, or college, here are some healthy tips to keep a healthy balance between nutrition and school:
•Pack healthy snacks/lunches: One main reason students establish unhealthy eating habits is because of how busy their schedules are. Packing healthy snacks to bring to class or to your study spot makes it easy to skip the junk food and extra caffeine.
•Hit the gym/use recess: Elementary students should use their recess period to add some extra physical activity to their day. Many universities have wellness/rec centers that are free for students to use. Take advantage! Working out for as little as 30 minutes a day can make a big difference.
•Get a good night’s sleep: Sleep puts our bodies into an anabolic state, meaning that our muscles grow and recover from break down. Getting enough sleep each night is vital for our body to reach its peak potential and function properly.
•Eat breakfast: Skipping breakfast is very common for students of all ages. Eating breakfast helps keep you fuller throughout the day, making it easier to lay off the junk food. Eating in the morning also gives students more energy and makes them more attentive during class.
•Walk/bike to school: Walking or biking to school instead of driving is an easy way to burn a couple extra calories during the day.
There are multiple ways we can stay healthy during the school year. Make sure to stay health conscious and you will have no problem keeping a healthy lifestyle.
-Kelsey
by Dan | Aug 19, 2018 | Exercise, Family, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
What drives us? What inspires us? What are we trying to accomplish? Those answers are different for all of us, and the secret to it all: Knowing who YOU are! Who are you, and what are you about? What are your interests? What is your passion? What motivates you? Do you motivate anybody else? Those are some questions to answer for yourself. For me, what motivates me is my wife Sarah, and of course our kids, but I also find motivation from the people who we run with in our run club. We all have our stories. We all have different goals for ourselves. Yet we all have that same common factor: we like to run! This is the central point that drives us all. We may all get there by a different route, but we all help each other along the way. Motivation though is truly an inside job. We may have help along the way to keep us going, but if we did not have that driving force inside of each of us, we would not make it. That is what you need to help you be successful in your goals, whatever those goals may be. You have to be able to dig deep inside of yourself to truly find the secret, and then utilize all of the other outside help you get from your family, and also your friends. Never pass up help! Besides, they are looking to you for help and encouragement as well.
Often times how we feel when we exercise can be like the weather. There are some days when it is foggy, dreary looking out, and you feel tired, and not particularly excited to go workout. Your particular mood sets the tone for how that workout experience is going to go. Not every day is “magical”.
This picture is the same part of the bike trail as the one with all of the fog. Some days everything is crystal clear, everything is clicking right along. You feel smooth, strong, can see “for miles”, and actually the miles can go fast when you can also let your mind go and just have time to think. These are the days that make up for the bad ones. This is why I keep going at it. It is a lot like golf for me. I don’t play much now, but before what kept me trying was I would hit that one great shot, and it would fire you up to keep going, despite all of the other “crappy” shots you may have had prior. It was enough motivation to keep you going. It is no different with working out. Find out that motivation drive within you, and hang onto it.
This is the whole point of exercise. You are trying to reap the benefits of all of this, and you can, you just have to keep going. Some days may be tougher than others, but keep going.
You have to learn to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep reminding yourself of what it is you are trying to accomplish. It is also a great way to learn about other people around you, but it is even a better way of truly trying to find out about yourself. What is it about you that makes you different? What makes you unique? What do you have to offer? We all can learn from each other. We all have our life experiences, good and bad. We have to learn to take risks, and to take on challenges. You have no idea what you are capable of until you try. So…
If you keep this in mind, you can’t go wrong. Follow your heart, and do something healthy for your heart. Be there for others, but be there for yourself as well. It would be hard to be motivating to others, or to make them happy, if you are not happy, and can’t motivate yourself! There is only one you, so be the best you that you can be!
Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 3966
