When bad things happen to us, we tend to lose sight of all the good things in life. It’s hard to see the silver lining in the moment, but often times, there always is something positive that can be drawn from any situation. Opening up a solo practice this year has brought forth its own set of triumphs and challenges, but the silver lining is that I’m doing what I love to do; and that’s helping your child get back to health and providing counsel to help keep your child healthy and happy.
I look forward to the upcoming year, and plan to provide the same excellent patient service with renewed vigor and energy.
So this holiday season, I ask that every one take a moment to appreciate all that have in your life as well as your loved ones, and don’t forget that there is always a silver lining. Please have a safe and happy holiday season!
From Halloween candy to Turkey Day, it’s hard to keep the pounds off especially as the weather gets colder. Here’s some healthy eating tips for Thanksgiving.
Don’t go to the Thanksgiving dinner hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry – therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at dinner time.
Thanksgiving dinner is not an all-you-can-eat buffet: Fill your plate half with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat and the rest with a starch of your choice. Eat slowly and stop when you are full.
Turkey – go skinless: choose your 4-oz turkey portion skinless to slash away some fat and cholesterol. Save your appetite for the side dishes and desserts.
Side Dishes – watch your portion size: go for smaller portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.
Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried and creamy dishes as well as cheese-filled casseroles in a traditional Thanksgiving meal . For instance, mashed potatoes are usually made with butter and milk; green bean casseroles are often prepared with cream of mushroom soup, cheese and milk and topped with fried onions; candied yams are loaded with cream, sugar and marshmallows. If you cannot control the ingredients that go in to a dish, simply limit yourself to a smaller helping size. Again moderation is the key.
Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body. Drink calorie-free water to help fill up your stomach and keep you hydrated.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
After an action-packed and fun-filled summer vacation, your kids may not be looking forward to going back to school. A new school year brings new routines, new concepts, and new people. These uncertainties can cause stress to your kids. There’s always a bit of anxiety associated with this, but as a parent, keep an eye out for unusually high levels of stress. Signs of stress include trouble sleeping, vomiting, and frequent headaches. Talk to your child about the upcoming school year, and engage them in discussion about their feelings towards the upcoming year.
If you sense an abnormal level of stress in your child, work with him/her to put together a list of likes and dislikes about school. This list will provide some perspective that school isn’t all bad. Next, review the list of dislikes and try to proactively address them. Realize though that you likely will not be able to address every one of them, but that’s okay. For example, one of their dislikes might be that they hate doing homework. A potential way to address this would be to sit down with your kid and help him/her with difficult homework. You get to spend some quality time with your child while also helping him/her to learn. Both you and your child benefit.
I wish all of you all a happy and prosperous school year!
My mission is to provide affordable and high quality healthcare for the children of the Antelope Valley. As such, I am a proud participant of the Care1st Health Families Program. It’s a program that offers low cost health and vision coverage to children who do not have any insurance and who do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal.
To enroll, parents/rightful guardians must complete a Healthy Families application form. This is an important step in getting coverage for the child[ren].
Parents may request an application form by calling the Care1st Health Plan Member Services Department at 1-800-605-2556.
If assistance is needed to complete the application Care1st will also provide parents with the names of Certified Application Assistants in their area who will help at no cost.
Parents wishing to enroll their children with Care1st must write in plan code 1028 in Section A of the form.
Completed applications must include copies of all required documents and the first month’s premium and be mailed in the appropriate supplied envelope to the Healthy Families Program.
The Healthy Families Program will process the submitted application within 14 calendar days. Those determined to be eligible will receive a letter of notification outlining the effective date of coverage. A welcome phone call will also be made notifying parents of their child[ren]’s acceptance.
Once eligibility is established, the child[ren] will be covered for 12 months.
If you have further questions about enrolling in this program, you may also contact us at 661-951-7888.
Use Facebook to check-in when you come visit us, and post a pic with Dr. Gaw with your little cutie on our Facebook wall! We want to see pictures of Dr. Gaw with all his beautiful little patients!
We pride ourselves on providing the most efficient patient care without sacrificing high quality patient service. As the new school year approaches, many of your children will require back-to-school and/or school sports physical examinations. We are still at the mid-point of summer and there’s still a couple of months left, but don’t wait until the last minute.
Schedule an appointment with us today, and get your child’s physicals taken care of in an efficient and effective manner! Dr. Gaw will be happy to answer any and all questions regarding your child’s health as well. So come prepared with a list of questions as well!
Summer is in full effect, which means pool parties, trips to amusement parks and a nice long vacation for your children. It also means blistering desert heat in the Antelope Valley.
Here’s some tips to stay cool:
Clothing: Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing that doesn’t trap heat and allows your body to breathe. When choosing attire, choose clothing made of natural materials such as cotton and linen. Stay away from polyester, rayon, and artificial materials (with the exception of performance fabric meant to wick sweat away).
Indoors: Take a cold shower to cool you down! Jump in a bathtub full of cold water, or run your wrists under cold water for 10 seconds (each hand). It will reduce your body heat considerably. Also, if you live in a two-story home, hang out downstairs. Warm air is less dense than cooler air so it ends up layered on top of the downward moving cooler air.
If you want to keep the kids occupied, give them a hose and some water guns and let them run around outside. They’ll probably spend the whole day outside! Stay cool everyone!
We’ve managed to make it through a pretty harsh Winter (by CA standards), and Spring is now upon us. Along with the warmer temperatures and plentiful sunshine comes constant sniffling, sneezing, and itchy, water eyes–at least that’s what happens to me every Spring.
If you’re like me, you or your child may suffer from allergic rhinitis, or more commonly known as seasonal allergies. Pollen is usually a trigger of the aforementioned symptoms.
Pollen counts are highest during windy days and earliest in the morning, so it is advisable to keep your child indoors during those times, if possible. Engage your child with puzzles and games that can be played indoors.
Take measures to replace your indoor air filters every 3 months with HEPA filters that will help prevent pollen from your circulating in your home’s air supply.
There are also a number of over the counter drugs that you can take before going outdoors such as Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra that are pretty effective for treating seasonal allergies. Each of these anti-histamines comes in a “- D” version, which denotes an additional decongestant that will help with your child’s runny nose.
If you’re a frequent surfer on the Internet, you’ve probably heard the story or have actually seen the video clip of Casey Heynes. Well, for those of you who have not yet seen or heard about it yet, Casey, a 12-year old boy in Australia, is being bullied by a couple of classmates in the school yard. The alleged accomplice to the bully seen on the video clip records as Casey is punched repeatedly in the face and body. After a couple rounds of punches, Casey decides he’s not going to take it anymore and picks up the bully, who coincidentally happens to be smaller physically than him, and body slams him on the concrete. For additional video commentary story, play the embedded video above.
Bullying is a form of abuse that involves act of continually physically and/or mentally abusing another person over a long period of time in order to assert power over a certain individual or groups. Everyone has probably had their fair share of bullies in their youth, and some may even have acted as bullies in their youth. As a parent, you might be quick to conclude that it is harmless, but recent studies indicate that bullying is not to be treated lightly. Research suggests that this type of prolonged abuse can lead to severe psychological trauma in children.
First, how can you tell if your child is being bullied?
Be on the lookout for these warning signs:
Damaged or missing clothing or other personal belongings
Unexplained bruises or other injuries
Few friends or close contacts
Reluctance to go to school or ride the school bus
Poor school performance
Headaches, stomachaches or other physical complaints
Trouble sleeping or eating
What can you do to stop the bullying?
Encourage your child to share his or her concerns. Remain calm, listen in a loving manner and support your child’s feelings. Express understanding and concern. You might say, “I understand you’re having a rough time. Let’s work together to deal with this.” Remind your child that he or she isn’t to blame for being bullied.
Learn as much as you can about the situation. Ask your child to describe how and when the bullying occurs and who is involved. Ask if other children or adults have witnessed any bullying incidents. Find out what your child may have done to try to stop the bullying.
Teach your child how to respond to the bullying. Don’t promote retaliation or fighting back against a bully. Instead, encourage your child to maintain his or her composure. He or she might say, “I want you to stop now,” and then simply walk away. Suggest sticking with a friend or group of friends while on the bus, in the cafeteria or wherever the bullying seems to happen. Remind your child that he or she can ask teachers or other school officials for help.
Contact school officials. Talk to your child’s teacher, the school counselor and the school principal. If your child has been physically attacked or otherwise threatened with harm, talk to school officials immediately to determine if the police should be involved. Don’t contact the bully’s parents yourself. You might also want to encourage school officials to address bullying — including cyberbullying — as part of the curriculum.
Follow up. Keep in contact with school officials. If the bullying seems to continue, be persistent.
Boost your child’s self-confidence. Help your child get involved in activities that can raise self-esteem, such as sports, music or art. Encourage your child to build friendships and develop his or her social skills.
Know when to seek professional help. Consider professional or school counseling for your child if his or her fear or anxiety becomes overwhelming.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Address the bullying issue head on with your child and listen to his/her concerns. Next try to contact your child’s teacher and/or principal to discuss the issue, and if all else fails, seek professional help.
The recent disasters in Japan should serve as a loud reminder to Californians to be as prepared as you possibly can for the “Big One.” The city and county of Los Angeles sits on a multitude of different fault lines that could move at anytime, triggering a massive earthquake. Take a look at this Earthquake checklist to see what you need to prepare for an earthquake (courtesy of the American Red Cross). Stay safe everyone!
Brian K. Gaw, MD: Pediatrics + Adolescent Medicine 