Field Notes: Health at Any Size tips, talking with kids about alcohol, red light therapy, a beautiful essay by Ann Patchett + more

Plus, a personal update about the Hudson Valley deluge. What would you put in a to-go bag?

Hello, dear friends. It’s been an wild time here since I wrote to you last. On Sunday, storms dumped 8 inches of rain (NYT story, gift link) where we live in the Hudson Valley — a month’s worth of rain in a single day. The flooding has wiped out roadways, destroyed houses, and damaged bridges. One woman died, swept into a ravine. The northern stretch of the Palisades Parkway, a major route from the lower Hudson Valley to New York City, is closed. The local Metro North train line, which connects to Grand Central, is shut down. It will take weeks or months — some speculate years for beautiful scenic Route 218 along Storm King Mountain, which lost a huge chunk of road — to repair. I’ve read that this was a 1,000-year event, but my heart doubts that.

We were lucky; our home wasn’t flooded. And we were miles away from home on Sunday, celebrating a family member’s 85th birthday. That evening, when we began driving back home — knowing it had rained, but having no idea yet of the severity — we ended up on harrowing detours. We managed to turn around, stayed with family that night, and made it home the next day. I’m having all sorts of thoughts and emotions, but one of them is the need to have a to-go bag in the car with water, medications for a few days, and the like. For years, I’ve read recommendations about having such a bag already packed, but well, like many other sensible things we should do, I hadn’t gotten around to it. Do you have such a bag? What would you put in such a bag?

I’m happy to get back to something more routine. Here are this week’s Field Notes, 6 interesting things I’ve run across lately related to illness, wellness, and the medical system:

1} Health at Any Size’s Health Sheet Library (website, PDFs) — I’ve been reading more about fat bias in the medical system and our culture, and ran across this fantastic resource from Health at Any Size: Health Sheets, which provide a summary of specific health conditions and what to know if you live in a larger body or truly any body at all. For example, the Health Sheet on High Blood Pressure notes the importance of the correct blood pressure cuff size: “A blood pressure cuff that is too small will always give a reading that is too high. Far too often, HCPs use too small a cuff, mistakenly thinking that if it can fit around your arm then it’s the correct size—this is absolutely incorrect. … If your arm is more than 17 inches around, then your choices are to use what is known as a ‘thigh cuff’ on your upper arm, or to have it taken on your wrist. … If your HCP doesn’t have the correct cuff size, you are allowed to refuse, and ask them to note in your chat that they did not have the appropriate equipment for you.” Health Sheets are an important resource for clinicians, too!

2} Malaria in the States: A sign of climate change? Yes and no. It’s a little complicated. Here’s why. (Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter) — I appreciated this clear summary of what the recent U.S. non-travel-related malaria cases might mean — and not mean. Epidiemlogists Katelyn Jetelina and Colin Carlson write: “Are we about to have a massive malaria outbreak? Very unlikely. Teams in Florida and Texas are already spraying insecticides in the areas where cases were reported. This isn’t our first rodeo. If you are in those specific areas, here’s what you’re supposed to do. Outside of those neighborhoods, the risk to the public today is very, very low.”

3} Helping Kids Develop a Healthy Relationship with Alcohol — Melinda Wenner Moyer talks with Dr. Danielle Dick, a neuroscientist and Director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center, about common questions parents have around alcohol, what the research says, and guidance for talking with your kids about alcohol. For example, Dr. Dick says. “Conversations surrounding alcohol should be things that you start having with your kids when they're little — because they're inevitably going to say, ‘Hey, can I have a sip of that?’ And you can say, ‘No, because there's alcohol in it, and alcohol is something only adults drink.’ They might say, “Why?” And you might say, ‘It affects your brain, and it affects the brains of little kids differently than it does adults. That's why you have to be an adult.’ There's growing evidence that alcohol isn't good for any of us. But because kids’ brains are still developing, and they're developing so rapidly in adolescence, we know that alcohol has much stronger adverse effects on kids’ brain development.”

4} Red Light and Infrared Therapies for Physical Healing. Part 1: Self-Experiments and Personal Experiences Hair Regrowth, Wound Healing, Anti-Fungal and Anti-Allergenic and Red Light and Infrared Therapies for Physical Healing. Part 2: How it Works and Other Insights The Research Supporting Low Level Red Light Therapy (Gary Sharpe’s Articles newsletter) — This fascinating read from Gary Sharpe, a scientist and engineer who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's Disease in 2009, describes his own “show and tell” experiences using low level red light therapy (or photobiomodulation), as well as the science behind this therapy. He emphasizes that less is more here, and that the therapy doesn’t seem to help very healthy people, but he has experienced dramatic results in very limited doses. (Standard disclaimer: Nothing in this newsletter is medical advice, and I am not a doctor. Please talk with your doctor if you have health concerns or are thinking of trying a new treatment.)

5} In the US, patient data privacy is an illusion — (The BMJ medical journal) In this opinion piece, Yale professor Dr. Harlan Krumholz outlines how the U.S. law allows organizations who have any relationship to your care to access your records and then share it with their business partners. In the past, because records were paper and difficult to access, that loophole might have been limiting. But today, that opens a huge array of possibilities, especially as digital technology gets more advanced. He writes: “Today, the price of receiving healthcare is losing control of your private information. Medical privacy today is only an illusion.” He explains: “For example, the pop-up covid testing service you may have used can claim to be an entity involved in your care and gain access to your data. This access can be bought through many for-profit companies.” He adds: “And importantly, with all the advances in data science, effectively de-identifying detailed health information is almost impossible.” Sobering and discouraging.

6} These Precious Days (Harper’s Magazine) — This is one of my very favorite essays ever, a gorgeous story of friendship, illness, meaning, and more, written by Ann Patchett. I won’t spoil it for you by telling you anything. Let it surprise you. Save it for a day when you have time and want something exquisite to disappear into. I just reread it and it surprised me and moved me all over again.

I hope you found something helpful for you here, and I hope you have a beautiful weekend ahead.

To our journeys,
Brianne