We Are Thankful for Your Trust
As 2020 comes to a close, it’s almost impossible to not reflect on everything we’ve all been through. COVID-19 and related events have been devastating on many fronts. On a positive note, we have all adjusted and adapted our normal into what was needed. From the bottom of our hearts, we are so thankful for our clients, who put their trust in our staff and the remote-monitoring services we offer. The fact that patients can stay safely at home, protecting them and their healthcare providers from the virus, and still have their cardiac devices read and interpreted by our doctors, makes us very proud, and feel like we are contributing to fighting the pandemic.
Speaking of our staff, when we rang in 2020, no one could’ve predicted what hard times, stress, and difficulties the year would bring, yet through it all, our employees and consulting physicians have continued to provide excellent customer service, as well as compassionate care and concern. IronRod Health continues to thrive and grow, offering more services and adding support for more devices.
All of us at IronRod Health wish you a safe, healthy, happy holiday season, and we look forward to working with even more patients and their medical teams in 2021.
From the heart,
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Control Hypertension
As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating effects of hypertension. Left uncontrolled, it leads to heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease, and cognitive decline in later life, and it can impact mother and baby during and after pregnancy. In addition, as evidenced by the global COVID-19 outbreak earlier in the year, we’ve seen the broad impact of preventable health conditions on worse outcomes.
Hypertension is unfortunately common, but there are interventions and programs that have been successful in improving control. Our country has many hypertension control champions—doctors, practices, communities, and health systems that have excelled at achieving high rates of hypertension control among their patients. We need to learn from their many years of “blood, sweat, and tears” and apply their principles in new settings.
Physician Finds New AFib Using Kardia Device
One of our consulting doctors was recently able to diagnose atrial fibrillation (AFib) using information obtained from the patient’s Kardia device. This potentially lifesaving find was made possible by the remote monitoring services we provide to cardiac patients all over the country.
The AliveCor KardiaMobile ECG utilized by IronRod is a 6-lead cardiac event recorder, consisting of a device and accompanying app. The component is connected to the patient’s phone, recording and reviewing electrocardiograms, and communicates with the Kardia app. The data is reviewed by our physicians and staff, and any abnormalities or concerns can be immediately addressed.
“AFib episodes consist of irregularities in the heart rate, can come and go, and bring an increased risk of stroke, blood clots leading to ischemia, and other serious heart-related complications,” explains the physician, “which is why it is so vital to know as soon as possible if a patient has the condition or presents the symptoms. The diagnosis I was able to make with the assistance of the Kardia system gave the patient and his medical team necessary knowledge for proper treatment.”
Three Ways to Cope with Holiday Stress
Even though we look forward to the holiday season, it’s easy to get stressed out planning, thinking about, and implementing your special celebration plans. Whether you’re a hostess-trying-to-do-the-mostest or someone who has difficulty feeling the spirit of the season, these tips will help lower your stress levels.
Perfectionism Can (Will) Kill the Fun
Ok, so that might be a wee bit harsh, but it’s totally true! Here’s a nugget of wisdom: If you expect perfection, imperfection is what you’ll always get. Nothing goes 100% right 100% of the time; if you require 100% perfection, then you’ll always fall short of that goal. What a mood ruiner! And you’ve all heard of bridezillas, right? How about a hostesszilla? Yep, it’s a thing. So, take some of the pressure off, and have fun! Wine may stain the carpet, the appetizers might get cold, your chocolate soufflé might ‘lay’ more than ‘souff’… Let it roll like water off a duck’s back, and so will everyone else.
The Check is in the Mail…And So is Your Gift
There are shipping delays up the wazoo this year. In a way, that’s good, because it means we’re staying home and shopping, out of the brick-and-mortar stores, and safe from COVID-19. However, if you’re waiting for deliveries, and see the days ticking away with no movement listed or updated on your tracking information, the stress levels are sure to climb. The USPS website wouldn’t even load its Click-N-Ship page when one of us needed it the other day, and some online retailers have been told by UPS and FedEx “Uncle! Mercy! No more for now!” (not those exact words, of course). Why are we adding insult to injury, you ask? It’s to let you know that you are not alone in this delayed delivery dilemma, and to suggest that you quell your stress with a backup plan! A few options include:
A cute holiday card with “Your gift is on the way!” written inside
An “appetizer gift” that is related to the actual gift, and could even be a clue as to what the delayed present is
A small gift (such as a gift card) so the recipient has something and doesn’t feel left out when others are opening gifts
Time Out
This is pretty much the holy grail of stress relief. No matter how much you have to do, we are giving you – right now – the permission you won’t give yourself to take a break! Just 10 minutes away from cooking, wrapping gifts, or writing holiday cards can really recharge your mind, body, and spirit. Use this time to take a walk, watch and listen to YouTube videos of fireplaces crackling and their flames dancing, enjoy a cup of tea or fancy hot chocolate, lie down and close your eyes, or whatever would take you away for a little bit from all you have to get done and the stress of it all.
Everyone at IronRod Health would like to wish you a wonderful holiday celebration, full of everything you hold near and dear, and empty of the stress that can creep in and try to sabotage the enjoyment!