Falls Church Spring Health Guide 2022

Covid-19 Vaccine Recived Totals

Stas, MD

Hou, MD

Tran, MD

Kusic, MD

H.ibshman, MD

Put on Your Oxygen Mask First!

by Michael Repie, Ph.D. Dominion Hospital Senior Director of Clinical Services

Have you ever thought “I don’t have time to put myself first, It’s all my fault, I don’t have anyone I can count on or ask for help, or I am ashamed that I can’t get it all together?” Let me ask you another more personal question. Are you living or just existing? Existing is a rut that we can easily fall into.

Moore, MD Brittariy Jackson, MD Sharon Kim, MD Pranavi Vemuri, MD Jan Master, CRNP

Unfortunately, existing is a long survival of doing what you have to do in order to get through the day or week. Living, on the other hand, is taking life as it comes— embracing it and doing as much as possible to feel satisfied. This Mental Health Month of May is the perfect time to commit to change and consistent application of self-care, or “putting on your oxygen mask first.” Self-care is critical in moving beyond merely existing to really living.

Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” Ask yourself this— when was the last time that you did something for just yourself? If you cannot remember, or it’s been longer than a week, you need to change some things. Self-care doesn’t mean “me

first,” it means “me too.” If you run out of oxygen, you can’t help anyone else with their oxygen masks anyway. You have to have the mindset of loving yourself first. When you practice self-care, you may feel calmer, more grounded and more energetic. You may sleep better, eat better and feel more equipped to cope with challenges, just to name a few. Self-care is an important part of building resilience or bouncing back from stress, trauma and burnout. Self-care can help you recognize your emotional responses to stress, and develop skills to manage them.

But what is self-care? As the term became mainstream, we have drifted from its actual meaning. Self-care is not selfindulgence, rather it is self-preservation. Self-care is listening and tending to the needs of our minds and our bodies, and is the key to living a balanced life. Indulgence merely provides short-term escape, while self-care shifts your relationship with yourself and with others for the long-term. Self-care is something that refuels us, rather than takes from us. Selfcare is any activity that we deliberately do in order to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health. Each of us have different parts of ourselves that

Make Sure You Are Putting the Self Back in Self-Care

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we need to take care of and different methods of carrying out this care. Self-care ensures that you are being cared for by you. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated, “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.”

If you search “self-care” on Amazon, you will receive over 80,000 results from books, to affirmation cards, to kimonos, to treadmills. Self-care, however, is about what we need to practice, not what we need to purchase. Self-care is certainly not one size fits all. What works for you, may not work for your friend. It is what it does for you that is important. Self-care takes time and requires real commitment.

Remember, research has shown that it takes at least two months to make a behavior a habit. Keep at it too, because that same research shows that if you miss a day, it will not alter making self-care a habit.

“Paying yourself first” is one of the pillars of personal finance, and considered a golden rule by

many financial planners. Selfcare is an investment in you. When you prioritize you, you’re telling yourself that your future is the most important thing to you. Remember, people with large emergency funds tend to have fewer “emergencies” than those with low or zero balances. Self-care works exactly the same way. Paying yourself first means we need to schedule self care. It needs to be something that you plan rather than something that just happens. How do I do this, you ask? Add activities to your calendar. Announce your plans in order to increase your commitment. Wake up a few minutes earlier than normal. Pick one or two activities or areas that are most important to you and focus on those. Plan for big activities such as camping, dates, travel, cooking, etc., or whatever works for you. No time, you say? Look at how you spend your time and see where you waste time doing something that doesn’t benefit your mental, physical or spiritual health and break this habit. When should I seek help? It’s

never too early. Lots of people still have the misconception that therapy is only needed when it’s truly a psychopathology. However, more and more people are willing to take a more active approach by incorporating this into their self-care routine. When paying yourself first has reached its practical limits, it may be time to recognize warning signs. Irritability, anger, catastrophizing, sleep difficulties, change in appetite, addiction issues, poor performance in work or school and increased family conflict are just a few things to be on the lookout for which say it’s time to seek help. Common treatment modalities include individual, group or family/couples psychotherapy, medication and combined therapy plus medication. If you’re already utilizing these, and it’s still not sufficient, Intensive Outpatient Programs (typically 3 hours/day), Partial Hospitalization Programs (typically 6 hours/day), and Inpatient Hospitalization (24/7 care) may be required. Not sure what you might need? Talk to your primary

care provider. After reading this, be honestly reflective. Mental health month is the perfect time to challenge yourself to commit to making some changes in your life. I hate to disappoint you but none of this is rocket science. Most of you know what you should be doing, but you may need to commit to change and consistent application

of these concepts. You need to commit to putting your oxygen mask on first! And if you cannot, help is just a phone call away.

To learn more about Dominion Hospital and direct admission to any of our Intensive Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization, or Inpatient programs, please call (703) 538-2872 for a free, confidential consultation.

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW is experiencing feelings of sadness or depression, reaching out and talking with someone is always encouraged. (Courtesy Photo.)

Top Ten Ways to Support Your Family Through Tough Times

by Amanda Sovik-Johnston, Ph.D. owner and CEO of Virginia Family Therapy Services

We all know the last few years have been exceptionally hard. Parents are burnt out, kids are struggling with mental health and we have all experienced more grief and loss than we feel we can bear. Although we can feel alone in our challenges, therapists realize that most folks are struggling with similar themes. Here are our top ten ways to support your family’s mental health at this critical time:

1. Pay attention to how the adults are doing. Adults are the cornerstones of families. We know you all have dealt with a lot over the past few years and that you will continue to work to make sure your children have what they need. This is your reminder to check in with you every now and then make sure you are giving some energy and kindness to yourself. Even five minutes a day will help you stay balanced— and that will help the

whole family.

2. Keep the routine where you can.

We know it’s tough when it seems like something new is thrown at you everyday, especially if you are solo parenting. You and your children will be able to manage the hurdles more easily if you have a routine that you can fall back on. Try focusing on meals and bedtime first

3. Maintain realistic expectations for yourself. Given the challenges you have already faced, it is okay to make mistakes and struggle with parts of family life right now.

4. Prioritize where you put your energy. Identify what parts of your life are most important to you. Is it your children, job, friendships? Put your energy into those spaces and feel okay walking away from areas that are not as fulfilling.

5. Maintain realistic expectations for your children.

Your kids have had a hard few years, as well. We have noticed that they are all about one year behind academically, socially and emotionally. While we can-

not predict the future, we expect that most children will catch up developmentally over the next few years.

6. Talk to the school.

If school has been particularly difficult, you are not alone. If you can, identify someone you trust at the school and talk to them about your child’s experience. Most teachers are overwhelmed with administrative demands right now but welcome opportunities for thoughtful and personal conversations around helping students.

7. Sleep and exercise. Both significantly improve mental health for adults and children. When life gets stressful, increasing both by just twenty minutes a day can offer just enough of an emotional lift to get you all through.

8. Connect with each other. Sometimes it feels like we are always with our children, yet we are never really with them. Spending just five minutes of focused, uninterrupted time with each child can prevent behavior problems down the line. Moreover, making sure we prioritize safe connections with people outside

of our home can boost everyone’s mood and sense of well being.

9. Count your blessings.

Identifying moments of happiness and joy is restorative and healthy for adults and children. Model being thankful for little moments, help your children identify small successes and talk about times they felt happy throughout the day. The more everyone practices, the more it will come naturally.

10. Honor your losses.

We have experienced insurmountable loss over the last few years and it is important to give

you and your family time and space to grieve. Most of us are experiencing loss on multiple levels, including the death of loved ones, missed time with friends and family and drastic changes in the way we thought our lives would look. Increased sadness, anger, and fear are to be expected and allowing space for these feelings may help you move through or alongside these emotions. We are thinking of you and your family and hope you know you are not alone.

Learn more at www.virginiafamilytherapy.com

A FAMILY SHARING quality time (Courtesy Photo)

Mind and Body Health Two Sides of the Same Wellness Coin

by Alex Russell Falls Church News-Press

A person’s physical and mental health are often thought of as being two separate realms of human wellness, but in actuality the two are inextricably linked. Maintaining both at the same time may seem like a challenge, especially in an ever-demanding and fast-paced world, but there are small steps everyone can take to support both their physical self and their emotional well-being.

Speaking with a variety of health care providers in the Falls Church area, from physical therapists to yoga practitioners, it becomes apparent how both the mind and body are sometimes in need of nurture and support for a person to feel all-around better and in control — and this self-care itself can begin in small, sometimes unexpected ways.

Britta Gilbert, a Board Certified Orthopedic Physical Therapist with Focus Physical Therapy and Wellness explained that “it doesn’t have to be super specific as far as movement, but just move: get up,

move around, do some stretches.” When a person gets their joints and muscles moving, “it’s great for our endorphins.”

Gilbert also underscored the significance of being outdoors, as there is a “huge healing benefit to human beings just being outside, just sitting outside in the sun can be really helpful.”

René Willems, owner and operator of Rembrandt Assisted Living is a Residential Assisted Living Specialist with over 30 years’ worth of experience in physical therapy. He has seen first-hand the impact of physical injury on an individual’s general sense of self.

“What is very common to see, when people come to you with an injury — something that is big enough to stop their daily, weekly routine — slowly, they get anxious about getting back. It’s very easy for anxiety to turn into depression.”

Helping a patient through the healing process, however, means establishing a consistent pace and setting realistic goals. “Break it down in little steps. For example, before you start jogging, you

have to achieve a whole range of motion, smaller, achievable goals make recovery more feasible.” And one’s mentality plays a big role throughout.

Willems says that patients often need to “shift their mindset,” as “unrealistic goals” can induce a person to give up early on in their recovery process.

Aside from a manageable path forward, the social aspect is important, too. Doing something together, — for example, an early morning walk — makes it easier to get up at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. and getting the planned activity accomplished. Being with others in a group provides motivation for all and at its core, being with others even for an hour fulfills a person’s natural need for communication, socializing, and the exchange and flow of energy.

Essentially, Willems concludes that mental and physical wellbeing are at the same level of importance. Once “everything settles in” and recovery is underway, a person begins to regain control of their life, returning to one’s usual activities.

Amanda Sovik-Johnston, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with Virginia Family Therapy ties in physical exercise together with emotional and mental health by outlining how improving one’s “exercise, nutrition, and sleep is the number one strategy towards helping” a person who struggles with depression or anxiety.

“Our bodies are designed to exercise regularly, eat nutritiously every three – four hours and get around eight hours of sleep. The challenge is prioritizing our physical needs when there are so many

other demands for our attention or expectations for how we should be living our lives.” She acknowledges the everyday rush of work and school schedules, as well as the effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on everyone, including families.

“It is nearly impossible to get an hour of exercise every day when our kids are at home during a pandemic or we have to work a nine-hour workday. It is almost impossible for our kids

A UNICYCLIST OUT enjoying the WO&D (photo: Sue Johnson)

Wellness A Matter of Total Mind & Body Health

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to eat when their bodies are hungry when they are operating on a school schedule. The answer is to look for small improvements in sleep, nutrition and exercise where you can and that will pay you back emotionally.”

Sovik-Johnston underscores that small changes can have big results. “Fifteen minutes of hard exercise may be just enough to improve your attention, which will make you happier at work. An extra half hour of sleep may allow you to be more patient with your family, which will then improve your relationships all around.”

Dr. Gordon Theisz, of Family Medicine in Falls Church supports this with his own suggested regiment. “20 – 30 minutes a day or 40 minutes every other day of cardiovascular exercise,” like walking, running, jogging, cycling, or even swimming “is really important to improve physical and mental health. There is good evidence that this type of effort can prolong life and improve quality of life.”

Mindfulness — the state of being present and aware of one’s surroundings and inner needs — is just as key to mental and emotional health as counseling or physical exercise. It can provide a person with a sense of calm and even optimism, if practiced on a continuous basis.

Olivia Jeffers, a yoga instructor with over a decade of experience and owner of Karma Yoga, agrees that “mindfulness can often feel

like a daunting task,” and so suggests taking it “ten percent” at a time. “A little bit goes a long way. Don’t underestimate the value of a small, consistent effort.” She adds that taking a quick “gap in your day to pause in the present” allows for a longer pause next time, thereby building up one’s inner capacity for mindfulness.

This methodology, stemming from Hinduism and Buddhism, is also wellsuited to coping with stressful situations. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed by thoughts or feelings,” Jeffers suggests tuning into “your body senses by noticing five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.” This “5, 4, 3, 2, 1” approach helps a person regain a sense of control and feel more grounded in day-to-day life.

One unexpected tool for mental and emotional health turns out to be boredom.

“A super advanced meditation technique is boredom. If you’re feeling up to the challenge…try being in flow with boredom.” For example, she says a person can try going on a “walk without any podcasts” or doing “the laundry without watching Netflix.” This in turn helps “declutter” one’s mind, too.

For those looking to try out some of these practices outside of the house, the City has a variety of local parks and trails

perfect for jogs, walks, yoga, or even just some outdoor meditation under a tree.

Cavalier Trail Park (600 S Maple Ave, Falls Church), Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave, Falls Church), Howard E. Herman Stream Valley Park (601 W Broad St, Falls Church), and Berman Park (236 Irving St, Falls Church) are some great options for outdoor activity, with a friend or on your own.

For something more in line with physical fitness, Providence Rec Center (7525 Marc Dr, Falls Church) has a fitness room that includes treadmills,

elliptical trainers, and bikes, as well as free weight equipment, a variety of strength training machines, and an indoor pool. The Falls Church City Community Center (the Kenneth R. Burnett Building at 223 Little Falls St, Falls Church) includes a full-size gymnasium with a basketball, volleyball, and shuffleboard court.

To learn more about the City’s parks, visit fallschurchva.gov/511/parks. To find out more about Providence Rec Center, visit fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/reccenter/ providence. To learn more about the Falls Church Community Center, visit fallschurchva. gov/508/community-center.

Mental Health Disorders Are Surging in the Adolescent Age Bracket

by Matt Richtel New York Times

On a rainy Thursday evening last spring, a 15-year-old girl was rushed by her parents to the emergency department at Boston Children’s Hospital. She had marks on both wrists from self-harm and a recent suicide attempt, and earlier that day she confided to her pediatrician that she planned to try again.

At the ER, a doctor examined her and explained to her parents that she was not safe to go home.

“But I need to be honest with you about what’s likely to unfold,” the doctor added. The best place for adolescents in distress was not a hospital but an inpatient treatment center, where individual and group therapy would be provided in a calmer, communal setting, to stabilize the teens and ease them back to real life. But there were no openings in any of the treatment centers in the region, the doctor said.

Indeed, 15 other adolescents — all in precarious mental condition — were already housed in the hospital’s emergency department, sleeping in exam rooms night after night, wait-

ing for an opening. The average wait for a spot in a treatment program was 10 days.

The girl and her family resigned themselves to a stay in the emergency room while she waited. But nearly a month went by before an inpatient bed opened up.

The girl, being identified by her middle initial, G, to protect her privacy, spent the first week of her wait in a “psych-safe” room in the emergency department. Any equipment that might be used for harm had been removed. Her door was kept open night and day so she could be monitored.

It was “padded, insane-asylumlike,” she recalled recently. “Just walls — all you see is walls.”

She grew “catatonic,” her mother recalled. “In this process of boarding we broke her worse than ever.”

Mental health disorders are surging among adolescents: In 2019, 13 percent of adolescents reported having a major depressive episode, a 60 percent increase from 2007. Suicide rates, stable from 2000 to 2007, leaped nearly 60 percent by 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Across the country, hospital emergency departments have become boarding wards for teenagers who pose too great a risk to themselves or others to go home. They have nowhere else to go; even as the crisis has intensified, the medical system has failed to keep up, and options for inpatient and intensive outpatient psychiatric treatment have eroded sharply.

Nationally, the number of residential treatment facilities for people under age 18 fell to 592 in 2020 from 848 in 2012, a 30 percent decline, according to the most recent federal government survey. The decline is partly a result of well-intentioned policy changes that did not foresee a surge in mental-health cases. Socialdistancing rules and labor shortages during the pandemic have eliminated additional treatment centers and beds, experts say.

Absent that option, emergency rooms have taken up the slack. A recent study of 88 pediatric hospitals around the country found that 87 of them regularly board children and adolescents overnight in the ER. On average, any given hospital saw four boarders per day, with an average

stay of 48 hours.

“There is a pediatric pandemic of mental health boarding,” said Dr. JoAnna K. Leyenaar, a pediatrician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the study’s lead author. She extrapolated from her research and other data to estimate that at least 1,000 young people, and perhaps as many as 5,000, board each night in the nation’s 4,000 emergency departments.

“We have a national crisis,” Leyenaar said.

This trend runs far afoul of the recommended best practices estab-

lished by the Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that helps set national health care policy. According to the standard, adolescents who come to the ER for mental health reasons should stay there no longer than four hours, as an extended stay can risk patient safety, delay treatment and divert resources from other emergencies.

Yet in 2021, the average adolescent boarding in the ER at Boston Children’s Hospital spent nine days waiting for an inpatient bed, up

Before & After

As a dentist and prosthodontist my specialty is in the esthetic and functional rehabilitation of the entire mouth. Whether from decay, accidents, or cancer, I can correct those issues through the use of dental implants, surgical procedures, dentures and orthodontics. I correct problems with the jaw and align the teeth to create an even bite. When needed I will coordinate a treatment plan involving a team of highly specialized dental/medical practitioners from the greater Metro Area. I also care for your entire family’s oral needs, from cleanings to llings and look forward to having you join our dental family.

DR PETERSON HUANG, DMD, MS, FACP

Dr. Peterson Huang is a Dual Board Certi ed Prosthodonitst, dedicating 11 years to honing his craft.  He grew up in Vancouver, Canada. After obtaining his dental degree from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, he received his Certi cate of Specialist in Prosthodontics and a Master of Science from the University of Maryland, where he is a Clinical Assistant Professor on the Dean’s Faculty. Dr. Huang is also a sta member in the Department of Surgery, INOVA Fairfax Hospital and is a member of the Tumor Board as well. Dr. Huang lives in Falls Church, where he also has established his dental practice.

313 Park Ave., #306, Falls Church, VA 22046 novapremierdental.com

AN ADOLESCENT DEALING with school stress. (Courtesy Photo)

Drs. Christopher & Favagehi

Falls Church Periodontics & Dental Implant Surgery

What is a periodontist and when should you see a periodontist?

A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases and in the surgical placement of dental implants. Periodontists go to school for a minimum of 11 years after high school: 4 years of college + 4 years of dental school + 3 years of specialty training. To qualify for the heavily science based curricula, many periodontal residency programs require additional science based education and research as part of a Master of Science or PhD degree. Patients are typically referred by their dentists to see periodontists for treatment of problems due to periodontal diseases (for regeneration of bone around teeth), receding gums (gum grafts), missing teeth (implants), or for surgical procedures that allow for proper tooth restoration or issues related to orthodontics. Periodontics is a surgical specialty with non-surgical and minimally invasive components.

Do I need a referral to see a periodontist?

Periodontists encourage a team-work approach for your dental care and most patients are referred by their dentists. However, a referral is not required to see a periodontist.

About our practice

Our practice was established in Falls Church city over 20 years ago by Drs. Christopher and Favagehi. Over the years, we have renovated and modernized our practice 3 times, and purchased the Falls Church periodontal practices of Dr. John J. Armstrong, and Dr. Charles M. Deutsch. We have been voted as the “BEST” or “TOP” Periodontists in surveys of local dental colleagues conducted by the Washingtonian, Northern Virginia Magazine, Virginia Living and also patient surveys by Angie’s List. Dr. Christopher and Favagehi have been involved in dental education as part time faculty at VCU and University of Maryland. Both doctors have been invited to make presentations at many regional, national and international conferences including many annual meetings of the American Academy of Periodontology. Both Dr. Christopher and Favagehi have received certification in periodontology and implant surgery by the American Board of Periodontology.

Dr. Lourdes Ann Christopher

Dr. Christopher is board certified in periodontology and implant surgery by the American Board of Periodontology. Originally from Chicago, Dr. Christopher received her undergraduate and dental education at Wellesley College and University of IllinoisChicago. She received her Periodontics specialty training and MS degree at Ohio State University. Her research involved PCR (DNA finger printing) of bacteria and dental inflammation around implants. Her professional experiences include serving in the US Public Health Service as a commissioned officer and teaching at 4 different dental schools. She's regarded as a gum graft guru by many periodontists and has presented her work at many dental conferences including 4 of the last 10 annual meetings of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Dr. Mehrdad Favagehi

Like his partner, and wife, Dr. Christopher, Dr. Favagehi is also board certified in periodontology and implant surgery by the American Board of Periodontology. Dr. Favagehi grew up in Iran, Switzerland and California. He received his BS in Biology at George Mason University and DDS from the Medical College of Virginia (VCU Dental School) in 1994. He completed his periodontics specialty training and earned an MS degree in Oral Biology at Ohio State University. He has been a faculty member at VCU school of Dentistry since 1998 and has received a Teaching and Mentorship award from the American Academy of Periodontology. He is a director of the Osseointegration Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the Academy of Osseointegration newsletter. The osseointegration foundation is a philanthropic arm of the Academy of Osseointegration, the world’s premier dental implant organization. 313 Park Avenue, Suite 103, Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 237-3700 • www.DrPerio.com

Services Shrink As Needs Are Growing For Adolesents

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from three and a half days in 2019; at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora in 2021, the average wait was eight days, and at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, it was six.

Doctors and hospital officials emphasize that adolescents should absolutely continue to come to the ER in a psychiatric emergency. Still, many emergency room doctors and nurses, trained to treat broken bones, pneumonia and other corporeal challenges, said the ideal solution was more preventive care and community treatment programs.

“Frankly speaking, the ER is one of the worst places for a kid in mental health crisis to be,” said Dr. Kevin Carney, a pediatric emergency room doctor at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “I feel at a loss for how to help these kids.”

The challenge was evident one day in late February when Carney arrived for his shift at 3 p.m. The children’s hospital has 50 exam rooms in its emergency department, which fill with patients who have gone through an initial screening

and need further evaluation. By midafternoon, 43 of the rooms were full, 17 of them with mental health cases.

“It’s breathtaking,” Carney said as he stood in the hallway. “Forty percent.”

On clocking in, Carney had inherited a block of 10 exam rooms from a doctor who was clocking out.

“Seven are mental health issues,” Carney said. “Six are suicidal. Three of them made attempts.”

Throughout the day, staff members at the hospital had called eight inpatient facilities in the region, looking for available slots in treatment centers where the 10 young boarders, as well as 17 other adolescents boarding at three smaller Colorado Children’s Hospital campuses around the state, could be placed.

Colorado is struggling with the same shortage of services that has hit hospitals nationwide. The state has lost 1,000 residential beds serving various adolescent populations since 2012, according to Heidi Baskfield, vice president of population health and advocacy for Children’s Hospital Colorado.

The emergency department “is just a collection of rooms where patients are expected to stay in their rooms and comply with rules,” said Lyndsay Gaffey, director of patient care services at Children’s Hospital Colorado. In the inpatient ward, she said, the aim instead was to stabilize patients by having them work through trauma, receive therapy and interact with peers.

For adolescents like G, who stayed in the emergency room of Boston Children’s Hospital last spring, the experience can be wrenching.

G lives in a Boston suburb with a teenage brother, father and mother. The family has a history of anxiety and depression, the mother said, but G had been a happy and adventurous child. In middle school she started talking back and acting somewhat obsessively, behavior that her mother figured was typical for a teenager.

What G’s mother did not know was that her daughter had been cutting herself for two years, since seventh grade, before the pandemic began.

As the pandemic set in, G with-

drew, and her grades fell. “Then came April 29,” her mother said. “We had a life before April 29 and a life after April 29.”

That day, she picked up G at school for a routine visit to the pediatrician. As G got into the car, her mother saw the marks on her wrists.

At the emergency room, G told the medical team she had tried to overdose a few weeks earlier and had regretted the next morning that she was still alive.

Admitting to her pain and selfharm provided her “with kind of a little bit of relief,” she said. “After two years of cutting and trying to kill myself, I was finally going to get some help. But I didn’t really get help.”

Dr. Patricia Ibeziako, a child psychiatrist at Boston Children’s Hospital, said that adolescents do, in fact, receive some treatment while boarding in the emergency department, including basic counsel aimed at “crisis stabilization” that is “all geared to safety.”

“Boarding is not a great thing, but it’s still care,” Ibeziako said. “We’re not just putting a kid in a bed.”

Finally, 29 days after G arrived, a bed was located for her at an inpatient facility in an outlying suburb. She spent a week there but did not find the experience all that helpful.

“We learned the same coping skills over and over,” she said.

In the fall, she told a counselor at school that she planned to kill herself; she was quickly readmitted to the same inpatient unit, given priority as a former patient, and spent two weeks there. When her stay ended, G went into an intensive outpatient program. But a counselor there told her mother that G needed more intensive care because she had described a plan to kill herself.

“They told me, ‘This kid is on fire; she’s too acute to be here,’” G’s mother recalled. This time, the family went to the emergency room at a different Boston-area hospital, Salem Hospital, where G boarded only one night and, this time, was lucky to get a bed in that hospital’s inpatient unit, where she spent three weeks, until mid-October.

G’s mood these days is “better than it was, but it still sucks,” she said recently. And, she added, “I’m better at covering things up more.”

Drs. Love and Miller provide a family practice with special emphasis on healthy and beautiful smiles for adults and children. We have created a warm, caring environment that allows our patients to feel comfortable and safe. We take time to listen to our patients so that we can truly understand their individual needs and goals for their dental health.

Both doctors graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and have been practicing together in Falls Church for over 25 years. We are proud to have served the community in ways beyond dental care.

New patients are warmly welcomed in our practice. Dr. Love and Dr. Miller along with our amazing staff are grateful for the trust and support shown by the Falls Church community.

We are appreciative of our patients’ continued con dence in our ability to maintain proper safety measures, allowing us to care for their dental health.

Skin Cancer Awareness: How to Practice Sun Safety this Summer

by Matti Ben-Lev

It’s May and summer is nearly upon us. I can already feel the sand beneath my feet, hear the waves crashing and smell the fresh saltwater in the air. If you’re anything like myself, you spend all year waiting for summer. But unfortunately, with the summer sun comes some potential hazards.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness

Month and what better time to discuss skin cancer than heading into what is expected to be our hottest summer yet. We hear a lot about different types of cancer, but did you know that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States? According to the CDC, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. While skin cancer is not often thought to be as fatal as other cancers, it can still be quite harmful and certain types can be fatal when not addressed quickly enough.

Part of what makes skin cancer so alarming is that anyone can get it, although some people are more predisposed than others. People that have light skin, freckle easily, have blonde or red hair, and have a large

number of moles are at a greater risk for developing skin cancer. Those who have a family or personal history with skin cancer are also at a greater risk. So if that describes you, it might be wise to take some precautions this summer.

The reason that just about anyone can develop skin cancer is because it is caused by the ultraviolet (UV) rays emitted by the sun. Other common UV ray sources include tanning beds and sun lamps. Overexposure to UV rays causes damage to our skin cells (which produces sunburns). Repeated damage to skin cells can lead to premature skin aging and cancer.

That all being said, there is no need to panic— there are some easy ways to practice sun safety and have fun this summer. Using broad spectrum sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher is one of the most effective ways to prevent damage to skin cells, as it blocks UVA and UVB rays, which are both emitted by the sun and can both be harmful. So make sure that the sunscreen you use this summer has the words “broad spectrum” on the label. Another easy way to prevent skin cell damage is

to check the UV index if you plan to be outside for an extended period of time that day. You can easily find access to the UV index each day on the EPA website (epa.gov). If the UV index is 3 or higher, make sure to cover up, stay in the shade and use lots of sunscreen. Additionally, you may want to consider limiting your tanning, especially using indoor tanning beds. Remember that what is commonly called a “base tan” is usually a sign of skin damage!

It is also wise to regularly check yourself for any new moles, bumps or skin irritation that seems irregular. If you see any of those signs on yourself, or if you are in doubt, you should make sure to address it with your doctor. While the most common type of skin cancer, non-melanoma, can usually be cured, it can be very expensive to address and can leave you with some ugly scars. If treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers is delayed, it can spread and become much more dangerous. Some signs of non-melanoma include bumps, sores, raised growths, warts and tough skin. Melanoma, on the other hand, can advance very fast and can even spread to other organs. Most

of the skin cancer deaths that occur result from melanoma. The most common sign of melanoma is an irregularly shaped or colored mole. If in doubt about a suspicious mole, the smart move is to get yourself checked.

If this is a topic of importance to you, there are some easy ways to get involved. You can access the Skin Cancer foundation by going to skincancer.org. On their website you can make donations and find opportunities to volunteer. The Skin Cancer Foundation is also hosting the #SkinCheckChallenge this month, which implores you to check your skin from head to toe, create a

social media post with the hashtag “#SkinCheckChallenge,” and tag 2 friends. Their mission is to raise awareness about skin cancer and motivate others to perform these checks themselves.

To wrap up: when you’re outside enjoying the sun this summer, make sure to take the necessary precautions. Check the UV index if you plan to spend the day outside and practice sun safety accordingly. Ensure that you use a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Report any unusual skin marks to your doctor. Let’s have our best summer yet! For more information on skin cancer, you can visit cdc.gov.

May is Stroke Awareness Month in F.C. and Everywhere

by Suzanne Coyle Executive Director, Stroke Comeback Center

Falls Church City Council recently issued a proclamation in support of Virginia’s Stroke Smart City campaign. This important state-wide initiative strives to improve awareness of the signs and symptoms of strokes, the recognition of strokes as medical emergencies, and the importance of immediately calling 911 when a symptom of stroke occurs.

Someone in the United States experiences a stroke every 40 seconds. It is a leading cause of death and long-term disability. Despite the high rate of stroke, many Americans know little about this medical emergency.

You can learn to recognize the warning signs and symptoms of stroke with the acronym FAST: F - FACE - drooping on one side of the face or an uneven smile,

A - ARMS - sudden weakness or numbness in one arm, S - SPEECH - slurred speech or difficulty using the correct word or thinking of words,

T - TIME - if you notice any of these symptoms, immediately call 911.

Additional warning signs and symptoms include severe headache, confusion, or a sudden change in balance or vision. If a person experiences even one symptom of a stroke, it is important to immediately call 911. Do not wait. Calling 911 allows first responders to begin life-saving treatment before arriving at the hospital.

Immediate medical treatment is essential to minimize the longterm effects of stroke and potentially prevent death. Patients who arrive at the emergency room within three to four hours of the onset of symptoms have the best access to life-saving treatments and better long-term outcomes.

What exactly is a Stroke?

A stroke is an interruption to the blood supply in the brain for any period of time. Ischemic strokes occur when a blood vessel becomes blocked, stopping the flow of blood to the brain. This is the most common type of stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel ruptures, causing

We can see patients within 24-48 hours and we accept most insurance, including Medicaid, Medicare at most clinics.

STROKE SURVIVOR holding her chest in pain. (Courtesy Photo)

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May is Stroke Awareness Month, Learn Key Signs

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a blood vessel ruptures, causing bleeding in the brain.

A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA or “mini-stroke”) is a temporary blockage of a blood vessel in the brain. Since it does not cause permanent damage they are often ignored. A TIA is a serious medical emergency. Someone who experiences a TIA is ten times more likely to have a major stroke. It is a warning sign that should be carefully addressed by survivors and their physicians.

While stroke risk increases with age, strokes can — and do — happen at any age. Strokes occur in both men and women and all race/ethnic groups. While some risk factors are out of our control, 80 percent of strokes are preventable.

Stroke Prevention

Stroke prevention begins with a healthy lifestyle. You can minimize your risk of stroke by not smoking or using tobacco products, maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol,

and controlling diabetes. Nearly one in four strokes occur in individuals who have had a previous stroke. It is essential for stroke survivors to work closely with their physicians to minimize the risk of future strokes.

Stroke Recovery Recovery from a stroke is possible and can continue for as long as the survivor has

access to meaningful, therapeutic services. Rehabilitation with physical, occupational, and speech therapy may begin in the hospital and continue once a survivor returns home with outpatient therapy at a local hospital or clinic. However, the potential for continued recovery often extends far beyond what is covered by traditional health

insurance.

For survivors in the greater Washington, DC area, the nonprofit organization Stroke Comeback Center provides affordable, ongoing services for stroke survivors and their families throughout their recoveries. Programs are offered at centers in Vienna, Virginia and Rockville, Maryland as well as

the Virtual Stroke Comeback Center. Small group classes address communication, cognitive, and physical changes that can occur as the result of stroke or other brain trauma. Survivors are able to join these programs at any point in their recovery and, most importantly, regardless of their ability to pay for these services.

STROKE COMEBACK CENTER members and families celebrate every birthday, including stroke survivor Herb Moss’s 90TH!

(photo: Suzanne Coyle)

FALLS CHURCH CITY RESIDENT Nancy Rizzo enjoys her weekly art class led by fellow stroke survivor, Kim Dyer.

(photo: Suzanne Coyle)

May is Stroke Awareness Month

therapeutic programs that allow them to live active, healthy, and productive lives. To not only survive — but to thrive.

As many as one-third of stroke survivors have aphasia — a disorder that can impact all aspects of language but does not impact intelligence. Stroke Comeback Center’s core programs address language skills and strategies to improve communication and the survivor’s ability to actively participate in life.

Stroke Comeback Center’s program participants, families, and professionals know that recovery can continue indefinitely with support and determination. They believe that all survivors should have access to the ongoing

Stroke Comeback Center is proudly hosting Thriving with Aphasia, a celebration of the many ways survivors thrive. This celebration will be held at the State Theatre in Falls Church City on Thursday, June 30, 2022. You can learn more about Stroke Comeback Center’s programs and Thriving with Aphasia on their website, strokecomebackcenter.org.

Suzanne Coyle, Executive Director, Stroke Comeback Center. info@strokecomebackcenter.org. 703-255-5221. strokecomebackcenter.org

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If your child is entering 7th grade they must have the Meningitis, HPV, and Tdap vaccines in order to enroll. Talk to your doctor and vaccinate them now!