Don’t get medical advice from a meme: EpiPen Edition
EpiPen maker Mylan is in the middle of a firestorm from the media and general public for their recent and substantial price hike. As a medical professional, the crazy price for EpiPens is not news to me, and if you have a child with a severe allergy, it’s probably not new news to you, either. But price aside, I wanted to take a minute to address a related issue here on the Above Average blog. (While we don’t have life-threatening allergies in our family, you may: bigger families are statistically more likely to have a kiddo who has a health issue like a food allergy!) There are many ideas being tossed around for alternatives to the expensive EpiPen device, particularly one that suggests an ampule of epinephrine and a sub-q syringe is a cheaper, equivalent alternative. One way it’s going around is in this viral meme that has hit my Facebook wall numerous times: Beware! Here’s why all of this can be dangerously wrong, even if the creator of the image had good intentions. While this information is technically accurate, it’s very impractical for the average person when someone’s life is on the line. There’s simply too much that could go wrong. As a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with several years of pediatric acute care experience before my MSN, and also as a mother of five kids, I have given a lot of medication to children for many different reasons, including injections in emergency situations. Epinephrine is a drug you need in an emergent, anaphylactic event. It matters how fast the drug can be administered. Drawing up a medication like this in an emergent situation...Don’t use Natural Family Planning (NFP) without considering this
Spacing the births of children is a big deal most families will consider. If you use NFP, considering using these tools, gadgets, and apps to make things a little easier! Hello! I’m Sarah Osborne, a pediatric nurse practitioner, mother of 5, and the wife of Lance who hosts the Above Average podcast. Some people prefer close spacing between babies, allowing children to come however they come. But most parents or parents-to-be will want to consider a bigger gap to allow themselves a breather. Besides this, many parents will eventually feel their family size is “complete” and be ready to do something about it. There are a ton of different ways to avoid pregnancy temporarily or permanently, from oral birth control to IUDs to surgery. But what if you are looking for another way? What if you’re concerned about safety or health with these options? Or maybe you’ve decided that your personal or religious beliefs don’t mesh with artificial birth control or sterilization. Enter Natural Family Planning (NFP) or Fertility Awareness methods. (These names are sometimes considered interchangeable, sometimes not. See here for an argument on how one person feels they’re different.) In other words, these are natural ways to prevent pregnancy, whatever your reason may be. There are many different methods within these categories, but I’m going to tell you a little about a few of the most common devices that can help this method be as or more accurate than Artificial Birth Control and much safer! Natural methods of fertility awareness have come a long way over the years – it’s not just the “rhythm method” or the “calendar method” anymore. These can...3 Unique Tips for Making Sure You Hit Your Goals
Have you set a lofty goal lately? Have a big goal that’s been on your list for a while – months or even years? And now you’re ready to re-commit and make it happen this time? Take it to the next level and give yourself the best chance at achieving what you’ve set out to do. If you’ve already made your plans using the “5 musts” we talked about in Episode 33, use these three additional techniques we culled from a Daily Mail article for extra help. 1. Find your why Some reasons for setting goals are pretty basic. You want to lose weight so your clothes fit better. Or you want to spend your money more wisely so you can amp up your retirement fund. But sometimes there’s a deeper meaning behind your goals. What if your goal of losing weight is more tied to not feeling bad when you take your kids to the beach? Or what if your spending is out of control because you go shopping when you’re a little blue? A Harvard psychology professor, Dr. Ellen Langer, told the Daily Mail Online: “‘If you don’t know what leads to the behavior in the first place, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll break [your resolution] in the second place.” Whether it’s a simple resolution or a serious goa, ask yourself, “Why am I choosing these plans?” Then take some time to genuinely think through your rationale and understand your thinking. You may find some new inspiration in truly committing to your goal “no matter what,” or you may even discover that you’ve set a...8 tips for instilling the virtue of chastity in your children
Ways to prepare and protect your kids’ hearts, bodies, and souls. Taken from our Above Average podcast interview with chastity speaker & author Jason Evert.
We’re All in for Owen
We’re All in for Owen! Toddler Owen Torti was born with a condition called LCHAD that requires him to eat hourly. Here’s why we’re helping spread the word!