Health tip

By Mary Ircink, parish nurse “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7 Many of us look forward to celebrating the holidays.  However, the holidays can also bring added stress to our already stressed lives as we carry out traditions, make a large meal, attend events, make travel arrangements, or find that “perfect” gift. There are some ways that might be helpful in relieving the stress that comes during this time of year.  Try to keep your basic life patterns as normal as possible during what can ...
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  By Mary Ircink, parish nurse October 4 through October 10, 2015 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. It is also a perfect time to take the “StigmaFree Pledge” launched by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) earlier this year. The pledge involves three basic steps that can be found at www.nami.org/stigmafree. Learn about mental health and educate others See the person not the illness—strive to listen and understand Take action, spread the word, raise awareness and make a difference Mental illness is a medical condition, but one that often is surrounded by sile...
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By Mary Ircink, parish nurse Annual Good Handwashing Reminder! In a recent scripture from the book of Mark (Mark 7: 1-2) the Pharisees and “some legal experts from Jerusalem” saw Jesus’ disciples eating food without washing their hands! Now, I know that there wasn’t any hospital professional in the community at that time but I have fun thinking if I was there (as an RN) I would have been very concerned about the importance of “hand washing” before eating. The weather is changing and there will be more activities bringing people together inside vs. outside. The incidence of colds an...
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By Mary Ircink, parish nurse “Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while.” Mark 6:31 UW Health psychologist, Dr. Shilagh Mirgain says, “Enjoying time in nature is critical to your mental, physical and emotional well-being.” According to Dr. Mirgain there are 3 reasons all age groups, need to spend more time in nature: Many of us have “Nature Deficit Disorder” Being outdoors benefits our well-being We can find inspiration, creativity and meaning in nature As your parish nurse, I would also add that being in nature is critical to ...
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By Mary Ircink, parish nurse “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers”  (3John 2) Prediabetes means that blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be called diabetes.  It is a serious health condition that increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes Heart Disease Stroke It is estimated that 1 of every 3 US adults has prediabetes and the vast majority of people living with prediabetes do not know they have it. Without lifestyle changes to improve health, a large percentage of people with prediabe...
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By Mary Ircink, parish nurse Are you ready for Summer Sun? While studies show that bright sunshine is important for vitamin D levels and our emotional health, we have to remember to stay safe in the sun. The time of day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. is the time the sun is the most dangerous. Skin damage begins as soon as you go outside whether you are in bright sunshine or cloudy and cold wintry days. It is recommended to use sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or more and liberally apply at least 30 minutes prior to sun exposure. Keeping sunscreen lotion or spray in your bathroom and apply...
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