Olympics and Mental Health

“The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.” This was the iconic tagline from the Wide World of Sports show when I was growing up back in the day. What’s so interesting to observe is the attitude of the press and the public during events like the Olympic Games. The hype and the expectation leading up to sporting events like this is incredibly high, that I don’t know how these athletes deal with this.

For example, the press coverage today will be focusing on Mikaela Shiffrin who did not finish her 2nd race in the last 2 days. She was heavily favored to win multiple gold medals, and now in an interview following the race she said she was “questioning a lot of things.” Even 2 days ago, the Washington Post had an article entitled. “Mikaela Shiffrin makes a surprising error, and the Olympic monster awakens.”

Of course, this Olympic pressure is not only on US athletes. Zhu Yi is an American-born ice skater who is on team China. She suffered a fall during her program earlier this week, and social media in China embarrassed her on social media. I point you to the CNN article entitled, “What to do about the social media shaming of skater Zhu Yi.”

Stories like these have been very common at the Olympic Games. That is, until the year 2020. At the summer games, gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from some olympic events sighting focusing on her mental health. A few weeks earlier, tennis star Naomi Osaka withdrew from major tennis tournaments sighting the same thing. It was the summer of 2020, where I saw press discussions and public discussions about the mental health of these elite athletes, some of whom are still teenagers or in their 20s.

So, it will be interesting to see public perception and press coverage of the Mikaela Shiffrin situation in the next few days. And of course, discussion of mental health in athletes will inevitably shift to discussions about mental health for all of us. Our own mental health is something that is not talked about that much, except when newsworthy items bubble up in the press. One of the few positive things out of this pandemic is discussion of our mental health. 

We need more discussions about mental health, especially how the pandemic has affected us. We definitely need more resources for mental health for the public in general, and for mental health professionals specifically. Hopefully this mental health conversation will continue beyond these olympics....

Olympics 2022

I don’t know what it is, but the Olympic games has always captured my imagination, even going back to when I was 11 years old, and watching Scott Hamilton ice skating in Sarajevo. Has it really been 38 years since that performance?

Whether it be the winter games, or the summer games, I always have tried to think about what has been like to be an Olympic athlete. You always hear the personal stories about how these athletes sometimes start their training as a young child, and all the sacrifices that they have made to try to achieve their dream. What happens when they succeed, or, even more interestingly, what happens if they fall short of their ultimate goal?

In addition to learning about sport and personal stories, the Olympics also started my interest in learning about current events, particularly world geo-politics. Now, I am no expert in world affairs, but through sport, I started to learn as a young man, that the world is a small place, and even though political events occur thousands of miles away, they can impact things locally. 

I know that there are many controversies with regard to China being the host country for the 2022 winter games, and those controversies should be talked about and explored. However, politics should not overshadow the athletes and their achievements. In a way, I’m still that 11 year old kid watching sport, and having eternal hope that the world will be a better place.

February Check-In

So, happy February. First of all, thanks to everyone who has reached out to me asking why I haven’t been in the office for the past couple of days. Just wanted to let everyone know that I am ok. I am not ill, and I do not have COVID. I had some planned time off at the beginning of February, and I’ll be back at work soon. I appreciate everyone’s concern.

It’s the first Monday in February just wanted to check in with everyone. For me, January started off well for me. I made some small changes for myself, both from a personal standpoint, and from a professional standpoint. For example, I’ve really enjoyed writing and posting essays again. Then, like usually happens, and things go backwards. With this brief time off, this is time for me to reset things, and to get back on track. 

How did your first month of the year go? If you’re like me and falling back into bad habits, don’t beat yourself up too much. This is a new month, a new week, and a new day. Today is the day to forget about the past, to start anew, and to set new goals - At least that is what I’m going to tell myself. 

One step forward at a time. That’s a kind of mantra that I try to tell myself every day. Even if it’s a baby step forward, it’s a step forward. Something that I have learned in this process is that there are a lot of people like me out there who are going through the same thing. Let’s stick together. Never think you’re alone out there. Check in. Say hello, and let’s move forward - Together. Thanks for reading this, and I wish you a great week!

MLK Day To Me

As an Asian-American man, I do not pretend to know what it’s like to be a Black man today. And, I do not pretend to know what it was like to be Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in the 1950s and 1960s. All I know about that time is what I have seen in television and on the internet.

So, on this national holiday, where we, as a nation, are asked to remember this man and his message. And, it’s so frustrating, because I feel that whatever I say, will be interpreted through a political lens. And, in the polarizing world, holidays like this is another opportunity for the political partisans to take verbal shots at each other. Do other people feel that way?

I guess each year, I try to read and learn a little bit more about MLK’s life other than the 1963 March on Washington and the iconic “I Have A Dream Speech.” I know that this man is so much more than this snapshot in time. But, the emotions generated when I read about those events, and placed in the context of the world at that time - just inspiring. 

So, I hope people think of MLK day a more of a day of work or a day of school. In today’s world of COVID, the message of MLK still resonates and gives me hope for the future. Thank you for reading this, and I hope you have good start of the week...

Remembering The Snow Day

It’s so interesting, because this photo was taking this very week in 2019, otherwise known as Pre-Pandemic times. I’ve been looking at the forecast over the past couple of days, and some people are saying that for around here, we may expect 12 inches of snow or more.

Monday is a holiday for a lot of people out there (not me). But, when snow is forecast like this, it really makes me think back to “back in the day” when I was hoping, as a little kid, for that snow day. The kids don’t know this, but we didn’t have the “all call” or the internet or any of that technology. We had to wait, and wait, and wait, around the AM radio (yes, an AM radio) or maybe on television for the  snow day announcement. Remember that?

Then, when it happened, there was an enormous amount of joy that went through my kid body. I tried to think about what kind of snowman I would make, and those snow angel things. What did you do on those snow days back in the day?

As, things were so much simpler back then, at least things seemed simpler back then. Sometimes, I wish I could go back to those Snow Days as kids. Thanks for reading this, and I wish you a great day!

Snowstorm Coming: Calm Down People

Yes, our weather friends are giving us the heads-up that we may be getting some snow going into early Monday morning. You know what that means? Yes, people just go nuts and crazy for the coming snowstorm or the cute name that they will call this on social media, whether it be “snowpocalypse” or “snowmageddon” or whatever.

I don’t want to be all snarky (but I know that’s why you love me) but let me be the first to say (again), “Hey people, it’s January and we live in Ohio. It’s gonna snow sometimes.” Why do people always buy all the bananas, toilet paper, and alcohol? Well, the last part I get. If you’re gonna be hold up at home, why not some booze. (Disclaimer: As a medical professional, I have to advise people to take EVERYTHING in moderation. Thank you and back to your blog post)

Anyway, it’s just interesting to me to watch the human reaction to episodes like this. For some reason, when any kind of weather even is forecast to happen, anxiety sets in, and a lot of people’s first reaction is to stock up on certain things for weeks, even though the weather event (sometimes) quickly moves through the area.

Finally, going into the weekend, I again want to thank everybody for the cool growth of followers of this Facebook page, and for all your comments, reactions, shares, etc. I feel a real online community growing here, and giving you some kind of connection to others, even though we have to “physically distance.” Thanks so much for reading this, and I hope all of you have a great weekend! Stay strong and stay safe....

Taking A Risk

I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. I’m going to ask you, the reader, to give me a review on Google. I have to tell you, this is a big risk, because I have no idea what is going to happen here.

Why now? Well, let me ask you, how many time have you read the reviews on Amazon before you make a purchase? How about this? How many times have you read the reviews of a doctor before you made a decision whether to pick a new doctor. I have to tell you, I’m seeing that more and more in the past few years. And, I’m having more and more new patients tell me that they found me from a (currently) favorable google review. So, I’m taking a chance and hoping that I get some honest reviews.

Just from my experience, I’ve had people and new patients tell me that they read the google review more than any other review (more than healthgrades, webmd, etc). Why? I don’t know, but that is what I’m hearing most frequently out there. From a business standpoint, the google review is something that can make or break a business. So, let’s see what happens. It’s up to you know. I’ll place the link at the bottom of this post. Thanks for rating me. Thanks for reading this, and I wish you a great day today!

https://g.page/r/CcyTRT8Cq_bYEAg/review

Appreciate The Sunrise

Just another day for a health care worker in America. I was driving to work this morning, and my mind was wandering all over the place thinking about work and life. And, then I turn the corner, and I see the sunrise, and I had to stop.

And, sometimes life does that to you. We’re knee deep every day in our usual day-to-day things, and then something happens to just stop you in your tracks. Of course, there are the life altering things that we all know about. However, there are the simple things in life, like a sunrise.

So, just a simple message today. Take some time to recognize and to appreciate the simple things in life. Take a quick break. Take a breath. Close your eyes, and appreciate a quick meditative moment before getting back to the grind and the stress. Thank you for reading this, and I wish you a great day!

Small Towns Against The World

“My cup runneth over with kindness” -- Dr. Mike Sevilla

I have to tell all of you that I have been overwhelmed (in a good way) with all the feedback that I have received about my essay last week about my hospital and my community. When I go into the hospital, I always have someone stop me, or give me a thumbs up as I’m looking down the hall. When I’m in the store (with my mask on), I have people turn their grocery cart all the way around to make sure that it’s me, and then they say so many kind things.

In addition, I’ve been receiving notes like the one pictured here. And, our office has been receiving offers of kind gestures like lunch and other treats for “All the great work your office is doing during this COVID pandemic.” It is with much appreciation, that I say, “Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!”

Small towns and small communities do come together when needed. It sometimes feels like Salem Ohio against the rest of the world. All this attention has really restored my faith in people, and has reminded me that there are only a few (loud) actors out there on social media. I’m still convinced that the majority of people out there are fair-minded and kind people. I love being a doc in this community! Thanks for reading this, and I wish you a great day!

New Year's Check-In

Today is January 10, 2022, and how are those New Years changes going for you. Full disclosure, not really going well for me. The New Year’s “R”-word is triggering for me, so I don’t mention it (resolutions) - Hehe.

Ever since my surgery 2 years ago (see this blog post for further explanation of what happened there), I’ve really been trying to make some small changes in my life when it comes to my own health. Early in 2020, I was really watching my weight go down, and I was really feeling good with myself.

Then, Ohio closed down in March 2020, and then it seemed like the world closed down after that. And, life has not been the same since then. Like most of you out there, I gained that “COVID 20” pounds back (and more), and my mental health was messed up for a long time. And, I’ve been through a lot in the past couple of years (journaled all over social media). But, now as 2022 has arrived, I’m ready to again to try to improve my life.

So, if you made big goals for yourself, and one week into the year, you think you are faltering, you’re not. Goals are lofty thoughts to have, but you’re not going to get there in one week. Quit beating yourself up, and don’t quit altogether.

One step forward at a time. That’s a kind of mantra that I try to tell myself every day. Even if it’s a baby step forward, it’s a step forward. Something that I have learned in the past week is that there are a lot of people like me out there who are going through the same thing. Let’s stick together. Never think you’re alone out there. Check in. Say hello, and let’s move forward - Together. Thanks for reading this, and I wish you a great week!