Bradstock And Bradstock's Blog

Although we are almost two months into 2011, I’ve finally decided to get started on my New Year’s Resolution and a  healthier new me.  First I’m starting the Countdown Hormone Diet with InShapeMD tomorrow with the goal of losing twenty to thirty pounds in the next month.   The diet will give me the ability to lose weight rapidly on a VLCD (very low calorie diet) without hunger or losing muscle mass.    During the next thirty days, I’ll be blogging about my experience, including the challenges.  My ultimate goal is to attend the Art of the Olympians Grand Opening with Roald looking and feeling my best.

To start off I did the InShapeMD lab panel, and I’m pleased that my cholesterol, thyroid and chemistry panel were all within range. With a total cholesterol number of 150, I am looking forward to seeing  how low it goes after giving up my beloved cheese and butter laden desserts.   (I guess I should stop watching Ace of Cakes too.)

I’ve also learned that my medication for acid reflux can cause a B12 deficiency, so the weekly B12 shots that are included in the Countdown program should increase my energy level.

After taking the Any Lab Test Now allergy screen, I found out that I’m actually allergic to cheese and other dairy products.  I must admit that my love of high fat dairy products seems to outweigh the discomfort, so I’m looking forward to seeing how life is without ingesting items that cause me so much discomfort. 

Finally, I’m going to celebrate Heart Health Month by getting a heart scan at Wellstar, as well as celebrate Valentine’s Day by giving Roald a heart scan too.

Are you on track with your New Year’s Resolutions?

It seems as if a day doesn’t go by in which I’m exposed to poor customer service.  How many times have you walked up to a retail clerk who doesn’t even acknowledge your presence and then when they finally engage with you, it’s clear that you are simply a nuisance?  What about the nurse at your doctor’s office that seems to be put out that you’re actually there to seek treatment when dealing with a serious issue? 

We all have examples of these terrible encounters that can be frustrating.  With that in mind, I’d like to contrast the customer service skills of the ANY LAB TEST NOW® Medical Assistant of the Year, Catie Heil.   At ANY LAB TEST NOW® Medical Assistants are responsible for understanding 1000’s of tests, as well as have the clinical skills to draw blood, the certification to do drug screens, and the list goes on and on. 

Catie was awarded the honor due to her excellent customer service skills.  When we asked Catie her thoughts on working with ANY LAB TEST NOW® , she said that she “ wants to make a difference for at least one person each and every day”.    To that end there are countless stories about her making a difference, including the time that a customer was very anxious about getting her lab results, but she was unable to pick them up.  Catie asked her if she could drop off the results on her way home.  The client was so appreciative that she now uses ANY LAB TEST NOW® for all of her testing needs.   

She is also fortunate to have a mentor, Jeri Seidel (Scottsdale/Glendale, AZ franchisee), who provides the leadership, mentoring, and support, as well as a collaborative environment for Catie to excel.

In this day of seemingly indifference to excellent customer service, it’s great to recognize Catie for providing customers with stellar service and literally going the extra mile.   

Clarissa Bradstock

After reading an article about a standup comedy class, I finally got up the courage to sign up for a six week class with Jeff Justice.   I had no illusion regarding my comedic skills, but I had heard that the class also helps folks hone their presentation skills.  As a single, middle aged mother on the dating scene, I knew that I plenty of material. 

The first class was the most intimidating because we had to learn how to take the microphone and introduce ourselves to the class.  Although taking a microphone off the stand and addressing a room full of fellow comedy students sounds easy, it’s actually quite challenging to accomplish when you’re nervous and in front of a bunch of strangers.    After five attempts, I was able to confidently get the microphone and introduce myself.  Jeff explained that if you fumble with the microphone and then nervously introduce yourself, you’ll immediately lose the audience.   Whew…the first night was rough, but I got through it.  Let’s face it, getting in front of any audience takes confidence. 

There were a few rules regarding our material.  First it had to be original, without profanity and last four minutes.   Once you start looking at the world from a perspective of humor, it’s easy to take a terrible situation and turn it into something that makes you smile.

We wrote and rewrote our material (yes, some words are funnier than others), and then we had to practice, practice, practice.  Most comedians memorize every aspect of their routine, so I practiced my routine over 100 times.   But you also have to be prepared for the occasional heckler. 

After six weeks of class, we were ready to graduate in front of over 200 guests at the Punch Line.  The most nerve wracking part was right before I  got on stage, but once I accomplished the microphone task successfully, it was easy.    Having an entire room of folks chuckling at your jokes about the highs and lows of middle aged dating is kind of addictive.  Hey – I am funny (or at least they were kind enough to laugh at my jokes).  

I had such a good time that I participated in a few open mic events at Eddie’s Attic and I was actually paid for one show.  (Okay – my “pay” only covered my $15 bar tab).   I also met some very talented folks including TJ Young and John Crow.

So what did I learn…

1)      It’s important to approach presentations with confidence

2)      Always use your own material and be authentic

3)      Practice, practice, practice

4)      Life is funnier when you’re trying to write jokes

5)      Take a chance and have fun

And oh yeah…..don’t forget to appreciate the funny folks around you. 

My standup experience is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done, and it has helped me with my presentation skills.  I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the funny side of public speaking.

Clarissa Bradstock

It seems like each day presents us with challenges and stresses that can prevent us from looking at the day from a perspective of joy and thankfulness.  How many of us had a great day at work only to arrive home with a child having a melt down over homework?  Then we end the day focusing on the recent stress, as opposed to all of the great things that happened throughout the day.

What if we changed our perspective to one of thanks?  Instead of thinking, “I wish my daughter wouldn’t have a melt down every time she has a homework challenge”, we could reframe with “I’m so glad that my daughter is in a school that gives her challenging homework – now what can I do to get her through this”?   It’s a slight change in perspective, but it can make all of the difference.  Once you start thinking from this perspective with all of life’s challenges, it can help you nurture your “thankfulness” perspective. 

I’d also encourage you to start each and every day with a list of “thanks”.  For example, I start my day with thanks for having a career in which I work with talented, engaged, and hardworking folks, including the Any Lab Test Now franchisees who get up each day making a difference in the world.   And the list just goes on from there…a great family, loving friends, my health…..with this perspective it changes my view of the stresses and challenges that we all face each day.  

According to Robert A. Emmons, and Michael E. McCullough, giving thanks is also good for your health, as noted in the following “Highlights from the Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness”.

*In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

*A related benefit was observed in the realm of personal goal attainment:  Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.

 * A daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others).  There was no difference in levels of unpleasant emotions reported in the three groups.

 * Participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another, relative to the hassles or social comparison condition.

* In a sample of adults with neuromuscular disease, a 21-day gratitude intervention resulted in greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality, relative to a control group.

* Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008).

So as we approach Thanksgiving, let’s practice giving thanks each and every day.  It’s good for our health!!!!

 Clarissa Bradstock

As noted in last week’s post, prostate cancer has personally affected me and my dear friend due to the loss of our loved ones.   With that in mind, how can men take the necessary precautions to minimize the chance of death due to prostate cancer?  The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screen requires a simple blood draw and results are available within just a day to two. However, there has been some conflicting information on the “value” of a PSA screen.

Last year Science Based Medicine posted a blog on PSA screening http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=443, and they commented that doing PSA screens “boils down to a value judgment. Is it worth screening 1068 men and treating 48 to save one life from prostate cancer when you don’t save lives overall? How do you weigh the costs and the suffering against the value of a life saved? There is no easy answer. Future research will try to assess things like quality of life and cost effectiveness, and we may come up with better recommendations about when to test and what level of PSA to use as a cut-off.”

On the other hand, Patrick C. Walsh, M.D., University Distinguished Service Professor of Urology, provides his thoughts….on the results of two long awaited trials published in the New England Journal of Medicine.^{1, 2} One said that screening with PSA reduced deaths from prostate cancer by up to 27% and the other claimed it didn’t work. What are we to believe?  Like many things “the devil is in the details” and understanding these details could save your life!  

…. the positive trial was a landmark study carried out in seven European countries that studied 162,000 men who were randomized to PSA screening every four years versus no screening.¹ With long-term follow up out to fourteen years, there was a 20% decrease in deaths from prostate cancer in the group of men assigned to screening.  However, since only 85% of these patients actually underwent screening, if one includes only the men who were actually tested, the decrease in prostate cancer deaths is 27%. This reduction in death from prostate cancer is similar to the 30% reduction in mortality from breast cancer in women who undergo mammography and the 33% reduction in prostate cancer mortality that occurred in the United States between 1994 and 2003 following the introduction of PSA screening. Thus, the results from the European study support other findings and unequivocally demonstrate that PSA testing can save lives.” For more information, please see  http://urology.jhu.edu/prostate/PSA_controversy2.php.

With all of this conflicting information, how does a man determine if he should or should not do a PSA screen?  Although the statisticians can crunch numbers all day long, I think that it’s a matter of empowerment and taking control of your health with a good understanding of the pros and cons of the screen.   With that in mind, Roald started his annual PSA screens at age 46, so we have a good baseline and we’ll definitely watch for any changes.  

Isn’t it all about a man becoming educated and making the best decision for his situation?  The Mayo Clinic has a great tool to help men understand the pros and cons of PSA screening http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/prostate-cancer/HQ01273.  If you decide to do a PSA screen, you may want to consider visiting ANY LAB TEST NOW®.  At ANY LAB TEST NOW® the doctor’s order is included and folks are typically in and out within 15 minutes.  It’s fast and affordable with friendly service.   Please see http://www.anylabtestnow.com for a location near you. 

Take control of your health.

Clarissa Bradstock

1. European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC):         Schroder FH, Hugosson J, Roobol MJ, et al.  Screening and prostate-cancer
mortality in a randomized European study. N Engl J Med 2009;360:1320-8.

2. Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO): Andriole GL, Grubb, III RL, Buys SS, et al.  Mortality results from a randomized
prostate-cancer screening trial.  N Engl J Med 2009;360:1310-9.

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I must admit that I’m a late adopter to the latest trend in purchasing music.  Although my daughters have been downloading music from iTunes for years, and I’ve been known to also download music, I still like to walk into a store and purchase a CD.  There’s just something about seeing the “cover artwork” and reading the lyrics.   

I also have the benefit of two daughters who expand my listening tastes beyond the usual mindless music played on the popular “top 40” radio stations, as well as the classics from the 60’s and 70’s.  A few weeks ago I went to Borders and Best Buy to purchase a new “Belle and Sebastian” album (notice that I still refer to it as an “album”),  and was shocked to see that what used to be rows and rows of CD’s is now just two aisles.   As an indication that this desire to touch and feel our music is just for folks over the age of 40, all the selections were circa 1970.  Then it hit me – things have moved from albums, then  CDs and now downloaded music.  According to the latest statistics (2008) from the Recording Industry Association of America, the digital downloads/internet purchases of music increased from 2.4% in 1999 to 28.1% in 2008 (latest statistics) and one can conclude that there has been a significant increase since 2008.  On the flip side (forgive the old reference to an album flip side), record store purchases have declined from 44.5% to 30%.  With this in mind, we can safely assume that within five years, the only way to purchase new music will be via the internet; however, there will still be young and old who will pay dearly for the collectible records and CDs. 

As I write this at a Barnes and Noble, I can only project that the iPad, Kindle and Nook devices will have the same impact on books.  As an avid reader who loves to meander through a bookstore for hours, I can’t fathom a world in which I can’t physically touch the books I read and then file them in my library with the thought that “I’m going to reread that book one day”.   I admit that more than once in my life, I’ve walked into a friend’s house and felt a gravitational pull to the bookcase to see if we have similar reading interests.   (At least don’t go through their medicine cabinet).  Perhaps one day I’ll see the benefits of using an electronic device to read a book. You know – less waste, more efficiency…and I’m sure that there are other reasons that I can’t currently fathom, but, for now I’m going to go buy a new book and enjoy the artwork, the typography and the story. 

Watch out…before you know it, the bookstore will just be an electronic kiosk of choices to download.  I just hope that they still have a coffee shop, so I can browse and get caffeinated at the same time.   

Clarissa Bradstock