Good morning! I’ve kind of let January get away from us (only 33 days until March!) but we want to review our WWAD Official Snow Shoveling Recommendations. There were TOO many people in the ER last week with heart attacks suffered by snow shoveling. One is too many.
If you are one of our family members at WWAD – Miami, Brazil, Chile, or any Walk site beginning with San or Santa something – please use this opportunity to put on more lotion and have the pool staff get you
another drink.
WWAD’s Official Snow Shoveling Thoughts
We don’t want to see any snow shovelers in the ER this winter. Every year it seems like there are more and more – and they don’t come in with stubbed toes, if you get our drift.Thoughts:
1. If you have been relatively sedentary, don’t do it – don’t shovel. There are plenty of kids around that want the cash. You will enable them to buy Call of Duty: WW2 and them protect the Pentagon from zombies. Therefore, safely consider your money an investment in the future of the United States. Plus you will be the “cool” neighbor. Look, no one has ever come into the ER flat on the back, shirt ripped open and purple-faced with a 280 pound ex-Marine EMT doing compressions on their chest (breaking ribs along the way) because they paid the neighbor kid.
2. Want to do it yourself? Buy a snowblower
Talk about making the neighbors happy? Much less stress on the ticker. In and out of that cold weather in a hurry.
3. “Doc, I’m dying to get out and shovel. I LIVE for it.” Ok, I get it – I like it too. If you need to do this and you have not been taking part in strenuous exercise – talk to your doctor about whether or not you need a stress test. Oh, I get it – this is the catch. This is how you get paid, right doc? At WWAD, we don’t care where you get your stress test – as long as you get one if it’s necessary.
4. Keep your face (and everything else) well covered. Let the scarf warm the air coming into your lungs. Where else is it going to go? Hats are crucial. Studies from Brazil have shown up to 107% of our body heat is lost through our head. Careful – some of the air stays trapped up in there, right Jessica?
Kidding – she’s brilliant. We are so fortunate to have such a gift in the form of our Program Manager.
5. Repect the wind and snow – they steal your body heat. Wind is very concerning because it removes the layer of heated air surrounding your body.
6. No alcohol before going outside or while outside. Feels warm I know – it isn’t. It causes vasodilatation of skin’s vessels making us feel warm. But then the warmth goes away and we are left outside freezing our rear end off.
7. If all this fails, you are outside lifting wet snow, and chest pain or an anginal equivalent (shoulder, arm, jaw, etc.) hits – STOP, DROP, and ROLL. Wait a minute. I’m sorry it’s not stop, drop, and roll. It’s 9-1-1. That’s right – get inside, chew 4 baby aspirin and call 9-1-1. We will meet you in the ER. I will take over compressions from Sven.
Walk with a Doc wants you to enjoy the great outdoors this winter, but please be careful. Also, if you feel there is someone you love who may benefit from these reminders – please forward to them.
