Mick's Up With the Numbers

Life has a very strange "normal" right now.  A lot of things have changed in the past couple of weeks.  There are good things coming out of it, though.  For instance, our daughter has lots of thyme on her hands (see image). 

Great hibernation = thyme on our hands

We've enjoyed cooking together, walks together, chilling together.  Although we are still keeping busy with full days of working from home, and our daughter is keeping productive with school work and hobbies and helping with housework, we are doing well at using face-to-face time more than we would be able to otherwise.  We are not interrupted by other responsibilities, since most things have shut down for a time. 

There are great reminders out there about personal hygiene (as if we didn't already wash our hands a ton) and distancing ourselves from others, in order to stop the spread of a virus that is constantly mutating.  My favorite reminder, especially in a time when money is tighter:  "I will not touch my face.  I will not touch my 401k.  I will not touch my face.  I will not touch my 401k."

I heard it put well recently:  The face is the door for the virus to enter your body.  So, touch your face less, and when you are tempted to touch your face, make sure your hands have been washed since the last time you touched something else.

Our chiropractor has a healthy outlook, one which we all should have:  It's not about killing the germ/virus, as much as it is about strengthening the host.  If we have this mentality, we can fear less.

Moreover, if you are a Christian, you should have no fear.  God is bigger than anything.  A church in our hometown shared a good reminder through Scripture (as all Bible preaching churches do): "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2)

Now that I shared some funnies, reminders, and encouragement, here are some numbers.

Making the graph accurate

Don't let the hype of the media lead you.  Look into things yourself.  One social media post I saw clears up a comparison.  The media wants us to believe the spread of the virus is as bad here in the USA as it is in Italy.  However, putting the numbers in a more accurate graph, we see that population/size of the country plays a big role.  Check out this comparison.


You can be informed by visiting the CDC website yourself.  There, you will find all kinds of information, but be aware that this all started out with fewer tests being done (1000 tests) versus an increase of tests available (10,000 or so).  That alone can sway the numbers!  Also, weed through the scary stuff to find the positive things, such as the fact that the number of new cases has started decreasing per day... (meaning we hit the peak already)... and use the numbers to see for yourself that the fatality rate is .01% in the USA. Granted, some states seem worse off than others, but you can check out your state's stats on the CDC website... and, overall, we will weather this storm. 

Want more numbers?  A study shows cases involving 10,000 flu patients under medical care versus the same number under chiropractic care.  Under medical care, .095% died versus .0025% under chiropractic care.  When comparing 10,000 pneumonia cases each, .64% died under medical care versus .01% under chiropractic care.  That's a huge difference.  I would certainly rather be under chiropractic care and wellness coaching, in order to be strong, in case I end up being host to a virus.

Please be wise, be safe, be healthy, and be empowered.  Also, please pray for the families being negatively impacted by disease, whether this virus scare or any other illness.  Especially pray for those dealing with loss and hurt and heartbreak.  Call, text, email, or snail mail your family and neighbors.  Be kind, and check in on someone today.  Maybe we will develop some really cool habits from this hibernation.   

"I know that you can do all things; 
no purpose of yours can be thwarted."  

Job 42:2

Mick's Up on the Hype

Weirdness.  That is what I call all that has happened this month over germs.  I wish I could just yell out to the insanity and hype, "Stop!"  Then I'd see the craziness finally die down, and we all go back to our normal lives.  

Seriously.  Canceling the SAT, which students (including my daughter) have been preparing for, changing their schedules for, and anxiously awaiting, so they can finally get it over with?  That is just plain cruel!  I might just add, "dumb," too. 

Yes, my family came down with some sort of sickness that includes respiratory discomfort, coughing, symptoms of fever, fatigue, etc.  We are still recovering, but that's just it:  We're recovering. 

Did I have myself following a healthy lifestyle?  Yes, I did.  Unfortunately, my chiropractor is terrible at neck adjustments, which would have certainly helped my immune system (and a great neck adjustment is something I could really go for, after days of coughing and laying in terrible positions in an attempt at being comfortable).  

So, that is one strike against me. 

Another strike is that we got a sweet (literally) surprise from our parents.  I went against my better judgement, and ate some of the sugary items in the package.  That little bit led to a little more somewhere else, and even though I didn't go overboard, it was sugar being added to my body, giving fuel to the germs that were trying to attack. 

Granted, I probably would have had to mindfully fight the germs at some point, but my defenses could have been better prepared. 

Instead, I had a few days of feeling a bit on the lousy side, and a couple of sick days from work, so my cough wouldn't scare people.

Overall, though, while recovering, I've succeeded at avoiding sugar, getting rest, keeping hydrated, and eating even more fruits and veggies.  This has allowed me to keep the germs at bay, for the most part.  My symptoms were not nearly what they could have been, and my recovery time is much shorter than expected.  (Hubby, on the other hand, can't keep from putting sugary things into his body, and is having more of a struggle with recovery.)

I am truly saddened at what our country has shown itself to be, during the hype.  We look frightened, easily swayed, cowardly, and panicked.  

Hearing how our U.S. of A. is viewed by an acquaintance of ours, who is from another country, I can hesitantly say that maybe there is need for panic.  Apparently, from this different perspective, it seems there is sugar in the air.  Everywhere you turn, there is something sweet.  It is so true.  That is why I have tried to convince people for the past nearly 10 years that we need to back off from the sugar.  This obsession (and might I say, "addiction") is killing us Americans.  

What do we do to make ourselves feel better in this confusion and chaos caused by the hype?  We comfort ourselves with sugar, like doughnuts or soda or sweet coffee concoctions. 

So, how about you join me and say, "Enough is enough!"  Let's make a promise to be good to ourselves.  Let's take the best care of our bodies we know how to.  Let's be strong for those around us who are unable to be.

Oh, and I almost forgot:  Remember, God's got this!  There is no reason to panic.  Let your faith be in God, not in the media.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, 

for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9