Leader1109b

Page 1B • The Leader • November 9, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com

MHNW on Stress Management

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Don’t Stress Over the Holidaze by Cynthia Lescalleet For The Leader Take one holiday season. Add anticipation, expectations, gifting, work deadlines, budgeting concerns and school or child care demands. Flavor with visiting extended family. That’s a recipe for stress, said Naureen Ahmeduddin Brink, D.O., a family practice physician afﬁliated with Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital. Stress isn’t seasonal, but some of the triggers can be. “People put a lot of pressure on themselves this time of year,” she said. And, yes, it is possible to stress about being stressed. As the holidays loom, it’s tempting to work late into the night to catch up or get ahead. It’s common to skip lunch and do errands instead. Just don’t be surprised if that contributes to the stress rather than relieves it, Dr. Ahmeduddin Brink said.

RESPOND. RESET. REPEAT.

Stress can be acute or chronic. Acute stress is the classic “ﬁght-or-ﬂight” response to a situation. Among its signs are a higher pulse rate and a heightened awareness of surroundings; these symptoms tend to disappear when the trigger event is resolved. Acute stress can be the excitement of anticipation or the jolt that helps us avoid, say, a car wreck, the doctor explains. Without a break between acute stress triggers, however, there’s no chance for the body and mind to reset their response mechanisms. That’s when chronic stress results, potentially affecting all aspects of daily life, from the physical to the behavioral. “You almost don’t realize you’re in a constant state of stress,” said Dr. Ahmeduddin Brink. “It’s still possible to function at high levels of productivity.” But there is a toll. Some symptoms might include fatigue, muscle aches, anxiety, headaches, scattered thinking, irrita-

bility, weight gain or loss. Given such a range of symptoms, chronic stress is often diagnosed by a process of elimination, Dr. Ahmeduddin Brink said. Stress can be a cause, as well as a symptom. That’s another reason to seek a medical opinion if you think stress is interfering with everyday living. An annual physical that includes an open discussion of what’s going on in your life can help pinpoint the precise causes of stress, and the effects stress may be causing on your system. For more pressing symptoms, however, such as chest pains, severe headaches or high blood pressure, the doctor emphasizes the importance of seeking prompt medical attention.

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TRY THESE AT HOME

Stress-busters include the very things we ﬁnd hardest to do, Dr. Ahmeduddin Brink said, such as: • Maintain a healthy lifestyle – as in eating healthy food in correct amounts. • Sleep six to eight hours a day. • Unplug from the “tether” of technology and have some quiet time. • Make time for a relaxing activity. “Find something you love and make the time to do it,” she said. In fact, she often prescribes “rest and relaxation” as homework for many of her stressed-about-stress patients. Meanwhile, try to identify and eliminate the triggers for your stress. Learn to delegate. Ask family or friends to share in the many tasks and responsibilities involved in preparing for the busy holiday season. “If you try to do it all and do it all alone, you won’t be good at any of it,” she said. It might help to plan a little in advance. Write down what’s realistic, what’s expected, and what needs help. One trick is to ask for help early. It also helps to say “no.”

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Naureen Ahmeduddin Brink, D.O. oﬀers advice for holiday stress relief. (Submitted photo) If you are seeking a family physician, Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital can help. Call 713-222-CARE (2273).

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Faith combats disease by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com

North Houston resident Lorenzo Diaz lost 106 pounds in nine months and weighed 162 pounds in December 2012. (Submitted photos)

Diaz beat weight odds by Michael Sudhalter michael@theleadernews.com When North Houston resident Lorenzo Diaz was a sophomore in high school two years ago, he decided it was time to make some lifestyle changes. “I wanted my junior year, to be something I remembered positively,” said Diaz, now a senior at YES Prep North Central. “I started working out and getting more active. I knew I had to do something before it was too late.” Diaz, 17, stands 5-foot-11 and in April 2012, he weighed 268 pounds. Through a dedicated approach to diet, exercise, healthy choices and portion control, he slimmed down to 162 pounds by last December.

That allowed him to trade in his 44-and-42 sized pants for 32s. He’s since maintained his weight at 162 pounds and is working on building strength through workouts. “I feel a lot better,” Diaz said. “It’s easy for me to get up and do things now. It makes me feel a whole lot better. I don’t feel shortness of breath anymore.” Diaz, who plans on studying Journalism or Mass Communication at Texas State, said getting in shape has helped him socially as well. “Once I saw the (pounds) keep dropping, it was a conﬁdence booster for me,” Diaz said. “I’m easy to approach. Before, I was in my own shell.”

see Diaz • Page 2B

Candlelight Plaza resident Bill Scott has spent the past 30 years ensuring the financial health of his clients through Scott & Associates of Texas, which is located in The Preserve office park. He hosts a Saturday morning radio show, “Mature Money Matters” on News 92 FM. But after facing a serious health issue, Scott, 51, has come to understand the importance of spiritual health, through a weekly Men’s Scripture Group that’s held every Thursday morning at the Harriet and Joe Foster Family YMCA on W. 34th Street. “In order to grow your relationship with Christ, you have to grow your knowledge of Christ,” Scott said. “It’s helped my marriage, helped my faith and my knowledge of The Bible. I’m reading books of The Bible that I’ve never read in my life.” Scott grew up in Shepherd Park Plaza and graduated from Waltrip High in 1980. He met his wife of 31 years, Mary, in a sophomore Geometry class at Waltrip; she’s now the chief compliance officer of Scott & Associates, and they have three children -- Lauren, 27, Sarita, 22 and Jake, 12, -- all of whom attend or attended Houston ISD schools. “I like the fact that the neighborhood is being rejuvenated by young families,” Scott said. Five years ago, Scott was recovering from his second back surgery when he felt pain in his toes that eventually went up to his thigh. After a fifth opinion, Scott found out he had Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), an auto-immune disease that attacks covering of peripheral nerves. “It attacks it incorrectly thinking it’s the enemy,” Scott said. For four years, Scott received weekly infusions of Intravenous immunoglobin (IG). “I was chronically tired, but it reduced the pain,” Scott said.

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Bill Scott credits personal Bible study with remission of disease. (Photo by Michael Sudhalter) The IG infusions stopped becoming effective, so Scott began taking medically prescribed steroids. Scott gained a substantial amount of weight, lost staff members and almost got a divorce. “Roid Rage is real,” he said. A year and a half ago, Scott spoke to his father-in-law about attending a weekly Bible study and around that time, a friend called out of the blue to invite him to one. “It was a pretty strong sign to go there,” said Scott, who hasn’t received treatment, or steroids, for the CIDP in 18 months. Scott, a member of First Baptist Church who became a Christian in 1995, said the re-emphasis on his faith has helped him ﬁnd happiness and face a disease that’s now in remission -- although the pain persists. “Other people praying on my behalf increased God’s ability to hear,” Scott said. “Twenty people praying for the same thing is better than one. I do believe prayer works. A disease is in remission that normally doesn’t remiss.”

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Now you can book your time online. Scheduling your next appointment just got simpler. memorialhermann.org

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