Category: Wellness
Pre-planning your affairs with attorney Michelle Reed of Legacy legal planning
Attorney Michelle Reed on the benefits of preplanning. Times of uncertainty highlight opportunities that we may have otherwise not thought about.
A team members perspective: Paramedic Nick Mutter
Whether it’s suddenly losing a coworker or feeling the weight of stressful situations during this prolonged event, dealing with painful emotions is an inherent part of being a provider here at Boston EMS. Our academy aims to prepare us for difficult calls, MCIs; but this is one like nothing we could’ve prepared for. In this line of work; unfortunately, death becomes familiar. EMTs and Paramedics are exposed to death so often in the field that it truly becomes ordinary; until the pandemic began.
Then the call comes in for a fellow public safety member, gravely ill after a possible exposure; you are the one dispatched to take care of one of our own. We as EMTs and Paramedics are facing an identity crisis: the “E” in EMS has effectively been removed. What I mean by that is every decision, every action, and every treatment we perform (or don’t) needs to be carefully thought through to minimize risk and keep us in the fight. The emergency begins with a delay in accessing the patient because you need to protect yourself and your partner. Time seems to drag on, you can’t tie the knot on your gown, the boot cover rips… you know there’s someone who actually needs our help inside. You finally make patient contact and realize the patient fits COVID19 criteria; low sats, tachypneic, anxious, and febrile. The reality sets in, this person was dressed like me just days ago, responding alongside me to the same calls, doing the same things.
The reality that we are not invincible to this disease sets in, our uniform which has been a shield from some trauma suddenly weakens, but you’ve got a job to do. You do your best to take care of your patient, discussing the inevitable with your partner. Do I tell them they’ll end up on a ventilator? Possibly never come off? They’re one of our brothers, I’d want to know… So, the discussion ensues: listen… your breathing isn’t getting any better you’re going to have a breathing tube put in and be placed on a ventilator. The discussion hits home, you begin to understand your morality in all this. Is everything of mine in order? What if I end up like this?
Days later you find out the inevitable: your patient, your fellow first responder passed away. No matter how close we were to the deceased, the simple concept of losing a brother or sister in public safety still has a deep impact on all of us. Grieving is difficult for everyone and should be done at one’s own pace. Everyone develops their own way of coping with loss, we need to honor our feelings during this process, both good and bad. Grieving is completely healthy, but if not handled properly, can lead to other problems such as depression or social isolation. More than ever, during this time we need to remember that social distancing is not social isolation and often just talking to someone is therapeutic. For the foreseeable future we’ll remain in a state of hyper-arousal during which the grieving process can manifest itself in different ways: fear, anger, irritability, or sleeplessness. Moving forward, working to maintain normalcy by setting schedules, sticking to routines, and ensuring you have time to yourself where you are disconnected from the current events including social media to decompress is beneficial in the healing process.
I pray this is the first and last time this topic arises; but in reality, we are all vulnerable, so I pose this question as closing: Are you prepared to have the difficult conversations? Have you taken the time to organize your personal matters? Have you thought about what has allowed you to be resilient in the past during traumatic events and how will those practices work given our current situations?
Wellness, coping and healthy lifestyles during a time of social isolation with Boston EMT Chrissy Snyder
Wellness, coping and living a healthy lifestyle with Boston EMS EMT Chrissy Snyder
Do’s and Don’ts to Maintain Your Immunity- O2X
Written by Maria Urso, PhD, O2X Specialist
The country is facing something that we have never had to deal with before as COVID-19 impacts every aspect of our lives. We have been inundated with information from the media, news outlets, retail stores, fitness centers, etc. regarding how we should move through space and time these next few weeks. Many of you started on your 1% journey with us recently, while others have been following along for months or years. Regardless of the amount of time you have been focusing on your goals, everyone is going to be forced to pivot as we adapt to our new cadence. Now, more than ever, it is critical to continue to nurture our mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
While we will dive deeper into topics as the days and weeks go on, today we wanted to share some initial pointers as you establish a new routine within the parameters of “flattening the curve.” There is already a lot of misinformation out there, and O2X continues to stand by its science-backed methodology during this time. Each day, it’s important to focus on some easy “Do’s” and “Don’ts” to maintain your immunity.
What you should definitely DO:
– Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• If you are stocking up, hit the frozen foods aisle and select vegetables and fruits that you enjoy. They are just as nutritious as fresh counterparts.
• Rice, beans, and other dry whole grains are easy to store and do not seem to be flying off the shelves with the same frequency as frozen pizzas and snack chips. Select foods that are minimally processed (fewer ingredients) that contain higher values of protein and fiber.
– Prepare more food at home
• It is not yet clear if the virus can be spread by an infected person through food they have handled or prepared. If they have not washed their hands, you will be exposed to the virus.
– Take a multivitamin if you suspect that you may not be (or will not be) getting all the nutrients you need through your diet. You do not need to order expensive immune-boosting powders with supraphysiological values of Vitamin C (e.g. 6-8 times the daily amount). Those products can cause GI distress and diarrhea (cue the real reason for more TP!).
– Take a probiotic and increase your consumption of immune-boosting foods such as yogurt, ginger, turmeric and garlic.
– Continue to exercise regularly. Exercise boosts the immune system. Exercising outdoors will expose you to sunshine (Vitamin D synthesis) and fresh air, both components that will help to keep pathogen exposure lower. Aim for 30 – 60 minutes per day.
– If you are unable to exercise outside, try online videos or exercises in the O2X app or textbook. Bodyweight exercises build core strength and will continue to induce a training effect if you do not have access to weights in a gym.
– Do what you can to control your stress level. It is difficult to maintain a sense of calm when there is consistent exposure to anxious energy. Find time to be alone, take a walk, meditate, and remove yourself from the buzz of your surroundings. Simply taking 10 minutes in complete silence will help to maintain stress levels. Reduced stress will enhance your ability to fight illness.
What you should definitely NOT do:
– Do Not: Stock your freezer/pantry with nutrient poor food choices. Someone will have to eat them, and it will likely be you.
– Do Not: Spend the day drinking since you do not have work or school. Alcohol will lower your immunity and wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels (likely causing you to raid your stash of chips or ice cream)
– Do Not: Go for an IV infusion of any vitamin, mineral, or other purported supplement.
• While vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients will help your immune system, super high levels will not protect you, and they may actually hurt you.
– Do Not: Share food or drink with others
• We know that the virus can spread through upper respiratory secretions.
– Do Not: Frequent the grocery store salad bar
• The virus is likely killed by cooking so warm foods should be ok (just be wary of the serving utensils that have been handled by others). It is not clear how long the virus can live on uncooked foods like salads or sandwiches.
– Do Not: Go to certain classes at fitness centers where it is difficult to maintain a reasonable distance (e.g. 6 feet). Certain gyms have decided to close for the next 2-3 weeks due to the higher risk associated with their programming (e.g. Boxing classes, circuit training with multiple shared stations, cycling studios etc).
– Do Not: Smoke or vape. Anything that puts a stress on your lungs will increase their vulnerability, especially to viruses that target the respiratory system.
– Do Not: Stop taking your usual prescribed medications. There is a rumor circulating that you should stop taking anti-inflammatories (NSAID: Alleve, ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, etc.) if you are diagnosed since you may become sicker. This has not been validated. If you do not need to take these medications and just take them habitually (for normal aches and pains), you may consider stopping right now since we do not know how they impact your immune system’s ability to fight this virus. However, if they are prescribed and needed, please continue to take them.
As we navigate these uncharted waters with you, we will do what we’ve always done and focus on providing you with science-backed ways to stay healthy, maintain the safety of your family and communities, and get 1% better every day.
A message from O2X co-founder Adam Le Reau
Below are some tips and strategies you can use at work and at home to help navigate these uncharted waters, stay resilient, and keep working towards your goals…it’s still a matter of getting 1% better every day. Attachments are available in department email
1. Navigating Changes.
If you have children you may want to read this articleby our resilience specialist, Maria Trozzi. The letter talks about coping while in isolation. In it, she outlines the possibility that once we settle into this new “normal” of distancing and coping with crisis, we will likely hit a “wall of exhaustion.” However, if we plan and prepare and create structure and balance early – we will be ready to sustain the changes we face and make it through the marathon. I would highly recommend reading Maria’s letter, especially if you have kids or grandkids, nieces, or nephews. Here’s a link to it: Coping Together In Isolation. (bold text is link)
Controlling the Controllables during COVID-19 with O2X Specialists (bold text is link)
2. Do’s and Don’ts to maintain immunity.
A question we’ve been hearing from first responders is, “if I didn’t do the healthy things before this, will it even help me if I start trying to make healthy choices now?” The short answer is, “Yes!” It’s never too late to start making healthy choices, and there are some things that will not only lead to long term improvements but will also help you maintain immunity in the face of the CoronaVirus. Read the tips that Dr. Maria Urso shared with us here: Do’s And Don’ts To Maintain Immunity. (bold text is link)
3. Get your SWEAT on.
Stay moving and use exercise as a stress reliever. One of the best things we can do is create some structure and routine to an otherwise unpredictable schedule. Not only will it get you moving, but it can also give you a few minutes’ time to clear your mind and relieve some stress.
I enclosed a 30-day bodyweight exercise plan as well as general tips for your Go Bag. These are ideal to put up at the department or at home on the refrigerator. We are also pushing out daily workouts on our Instagram (O2X). Our experience living and training in austere locations have taught us all we need is gravity to get a great SWEAT session.
Adam La ReauCO-FOUNDER
O2X Human Performance