Finding Help for My 50-Year-Old Forgetful Friend

Question: I have a friend that is in her early 50s. She has been diagnosed as having a mental illness in the past. Recently, she has become very forgetful. She can't remember the birthdays of her children; she vaguely remembers giving birth to them. It's hard for her to remember from week to week. I told her that she needs to see a neurologist, to see if she has a brain tumor. Her doctor doesn't want her to work, and she has no health insurance, even though she has other serious illnesses such as a thyroid [issue], high blood pressure and a rapidly beating heart. I was wondering if you could help me find her a doctor or a free clinic that could help her. She is very suicidal.--Tammy

The first and foremost issue is addressing the mental health issue for your friend. If she is suicidal, she needs to be seen by the nearest hospital with an emergency department in which there is access to a psychiatrist.

She will be evaluated to determine if she is at harm to herself or others. If it is found that she is at risk of harming herself, she would be admitted to an in-patient facility. In most of our emergency departments, she can also access social workers who should be able to help her with issues of disability benefits and qualifying for public insurance.

Please communicate to your friend, that not having insurance should not be a factor in her decision on whether she is going to be seen. The fact that her doctor doesn't want her to work because of her mental state lets us know that she does have access to a physician. This is a good start.

If she doesn't want to go directly to the emergency department, I would recommend her going to her doctor's office, which may be able to facilitate a direct admission to a psychiatric in-patient unit, refer her to a specialist and/or obtain the additional testing needed to workup her signs and symptoms of mental health decline.

Thanks for the inquiry.

Dr. Rhonique Harris

Waiting Room Blues

Question: Every time I go to the doctor, I have to wait forever to get in to see him. What can I do?--John

Going to the doctor can be frustrating, particularly if you're waiting longer to see the doctor than the actual time it takes to meet with the doctor. Unfortunately, there is no magical answer to decreasing the waiting time. However, here are some suggestions on how you can help take some time off the wait to see your doctor:

• Arrive on time for scheduled visits. Sometimes it helps to get to the doctor’s office 15 minutes before the scheduled visit if you know paperwork is to be filled out.
  
  
• Try to schedule your visit for the first appointment in the morning or the first appointment in the afternoon (after lunch). You have less of a chance of arriving in the middle of a crisis in the doctor’s office.
  
  
• Be prepared. If you are going to see a specialist, make sure all your paperwork or authorizations are completed before the visit.
  
  
• Make an appointment. Try to never walk in as this will usually guarantee you a longer wait.

I hope this helps!

In good health,

Dr. Rhonique Harris

High Blood Pressure--Help!

Question: My doctor told me I have high blood pressure and that I need to eat less salt. How do I cut back?--Mary K

When you're diagnosed with high blood pressure (or "pressure," as some people call it), it means your heart (which is a muscle) is working harder than usual to pump blood to various parts of your body. As with any muscle, if the heart works hard for a longer period of time, it may tire out and the body may not get all the blood it needs. That may lead to heart attacks and strokes.

One simple way to lighten the load on your heart is to limit the amount of salt you eat. The more salt we take in, the more water the body stores and the harder the heart has to work to supply blood to the body.

Limiting the amount of salt intake means reading labels and looking at the sodium (Na) content. Salt content of foods is related to the amount of Na in the foods. Many frozen foods and canned foods have high salt content because salt helps keep food fresh. One quick and easy way to cut back on salt is to decrease the amount of frozen and canned foods you eat. That means eating more fresh foods (fruits and vegetables).

Plus, if you need to season your food with salt, you can use salt substitutes. They taste like salt but don't have as much sodium in them.

In good health,

Dr. Rhonique Harris

Easy Ways to Get Moving!

Question: I know I need to exercise to stay healthy, but I have never been very active before. What can I do that doesn't require me to go to a gym?--Dionne

You don't need to have a gym membership to stay healthy. Any time you move, there is an opportunity to exercise! There are many ways that you can exercise during your daily routine so that you are burning calories and maintaining a healthy weight. Here are a few ideas:

• When you wake up in the morning, stretching is a great way of increasing blood flow throughout your body. So, take 15 minutes to stretch every part of your body from head to toe. It's a great way to start off the day.
  
  
• If you live in an apartment building or work in a building with more than two floors, taking the steps rather than the elevator/escalator is a great way to exercise during your daily routines.
  
  
• If you have a car, park a bit further away from your destination so you are walking a bit. Every extra minute of walking helps. Also, if you ride public transportation, you can get off a few stops earlier and walk to your destination.
  
  
• Walking during your lunch break is an excellent way to make sure you get 15-20 minutes of exercise a day.
  
  
• For those of you who like to watch TV in the evenings, jumping jacks or running in place during the commercials are quick and easy ways of burning a few calories.

I hope this helps!

In good health,

Dr. Rhonique Harris