Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/582726
Do you have a comment about an article you read in thrive? We welcome your feedback! Email AskThrive@nym.org and let us know if we can print your name and submission. COMMUNITY FORUM I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE VACCINES AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS IN THRIVE [SPRING/SUMMER 2015, PAGE 21]. AS AN ACTIVE 65-YEAR-OLD, I TRY TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO STAY IN GOOD HEALTH. HOWEVER, I DID NOT KNOW THAT I COULD BENEFIT FROM MORE VACCINES, ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M EXPECTING A NEW GRANDCHILD IN THE FALL. AFTER TALKING WITH MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE, I'M GOING TO HAVE THE SHINGLES VACCINE AND A PNEUMONIA VACCINE, AS WELL AS A BOOSTER SHOT FOR DPT [DIPHTHERIA, PERTUSSIS AND TETANUS]. THANKS FOR PUTTING THIS INFORMATION INTO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP KEEP US AND OUR LOVED ONES SAFE. ANDREA S. G E T T I N G O L D E R , G E T T I N G VA C C I N A T E D AFTER SHARING THE TEEN SLEEP ARTICLE IN THE LAST ISSUE OF THRIVE [SPRING/ SUMMER 2015, PAGE 16] WITH MY 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, WE AGREED THAT HER ENERGY LEVELS AND ACNE MIGHT IMPROVE IF SHE WERE TO GET MORE SLEEP. HOWEVER, SHE SEEMS TO THINK THAT SHE CAN GET LESS SLEEP DURING THE WEEK AS LONG AS SHE HAS A "CATCH-UP DAY" ON THE WEEKEND. ON A WEEKLY BASIS, SHE'S GETTING THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF SLEEP, BUT IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR HER TO GET ONLY THREE TO FOUR HOURS OF SLEEP ONE WEEKNIGHT—USUALLY BECAUSE SHE'S PREPARING FOR A TEST OR SOME EXTRACURRICULAR EVENT—AND THEN SLEEP FOR 12 HOURS OR MORE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. MY GUT TELLS ME THIS CANNOT BE HEALTHY, BUT I WANT TO KNOW FOR SURE. CAMERON M. Cameron, Your instinct is right. Catching up on sleep on the weekend does not reduce the effects of sleep deprivation during the week. One of the best ways to get enough sleep is to set a schedule—and when you stay up or sleep in significantly later on the weekend, that can make it harder to return to a reasonable schedule dur- ing the week. Studies have shown that work performance and tiredness do not improve when people try to catch up on sleep. An hour-long nap on the weekend can be refreshing, but much longer than that and your daughter is likely to start to feel groggy and more tired. When possible, encourage her to prepare for an hour or two each night a few days before she is due to take tests or participate in other activities. This practice will allow her to get the recommended eight to ten hours of sleep per night and skip the weekend sleep binge. — Jeremy Weingarten, M.D., chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine S T E A D Y I N G S L E E P R O U T I N E S I'M WRITING ABOUT YOUR ARTICLE ON MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS [SPRING/ SUMMER 2015, PAGE 29]. MY FRIEND AND MENTOR—A PROFESSOR AT THE COLLEGE I ATTENDED—HAD MS, AND SHE WAS WHEELCHAIR BOUND. I NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD A LOT ABOUT THE DISEASE BACK THEN, BUT I WATCHED MY FRIEND DETERIORATE AND EVENTUALLY PASS AWAY. THAT WAS 19 YEARS AGO. IT IS GOOD TO KNOW THAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AND THAT PEOPLE WITH THIS DIAGNOSIS TODAY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF MAINTAINING THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND SURVIVING. THANKS TO DR. BABINSKI [KRISTEN BABINSKI, M.D., A NEUROLOGIST AT NEW YORK METHODIST HOSPITAL] AND OTHER DOCTORS AND RESEARCHERS FOR THE WORK THEY DO TO HELP MS PATIENTS LIVE LONGER, HAPPIER LIVES. RENEA R. M U LT I P L E S C L E R O S I S P H Y S I C I A N RE F E R R A L / / 718 . 49 9. C A RE thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive thrive 31 R E A D E R L E T T E R S