 What is that growing on me -- could it be skin cancer? Have you asked yourself this question? During the pandemic I ignored a couple of what I thought were pimples because I was terrified to go inside a building. According to Wikipedia... Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is usually not life-threatening, though it can be aggressive. Although the nonmelanoma skin cancer basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is rarely life-threatening, it can be troublesome, especially because 80 percent of BCCs develop on highly visible areas of the head and neck. Mayo Clinic Apparently I have, or had, both. After a few biopsies, a topic chemotherapy treatment, and now Mohs surgery, I hope this closes a chapter. Yet it seems nearly inevitable that there will be a recurrence. And thus my education on this topic is in its genesis. A few takeaways from this experience -- don't leave the house without sunscreen protection and learn more to successfully advocate for myself. Here's an entry from a chronic illness blogger about her ordeal with skin cancer. 

Glass Half Full with Leslie Krongold, Ed.D.

Skin Cancer or Adult Acne?

 Falls don't always happen when you're standing. Although balance and fall prevention classes help increase your odds of preventing a near fall, some falls are just unusual accidents. Like sitting in a chair where the seat gives way and your derriere hits the ground. That's one unusual fall. Fortunately, movement and flexibility classes improve your chances of diminishing the impact of the fall. For more information on Balance and Fall Prevention, listen to this podcast episode with UCSF Physical Therapy Professor, Erica Pitsch. The Mat Pilates class offered by BORP is described as: Designed by and for people with spinal cord injuries but open and beneficial to all, the Adaptive Pilates Mat Class is a unique class essential for those that sit in a chair all day and are able to get  up and down off of the floor or have access to a raised mat.  Liz Ann will lead the class through the basic principles of Pilates, helping you to get stronger, more flexible and even to have improved coordination. Pilates also uses specific sequential breathing methods combined with intense concentration on a specific body part to create an effective exercise routine. To find out about other adaptive/accessible online movement classes, join the Facebook group: Movement Challenge. 

An Unusual Fall

 Christina Leffmann, or Roma as she prefers to be called, is passionate about indoor and outdoor rock climbing as well as the Acquired Disability Peer Support Group she started. In June Roma traveled to Salt Lake City to participate in Paraclimbing National Championships (you can see Roma climbing at 12:30 in the video). In her early 20s Roma experienced a series of strokes and identifies as having an acquired disability which is different than being born with a disability or aging into a disability. Currently she works for the Center for Independent Living and has an active life with a daily stretch routine, swimming, and weekly cycling. And rock climbing, of course. Earlier this year Roma shared her movement practice at one of the weekly Zoom meetings as part of the May Movement Challenge. 

Rock Climbing & Acquired Disability Peer Support Group

 The Pandemic has brought many changes; for me, it's ushered in the next chapter of my life. Perhaps the final chapter? With mobility challenges, it was one of two choices: home modifications or move to a new house. I chose the latter. The transition could be bittersweet but I think I've gained more than I've lost. I am closer to Nature and getting more than my usual Vitamin N dose. Shortly after I moved from the East Coast to California in 1989, I had the opportunity to visit Mendocino when I was producing a documentary about women rabbis. Ever since that experience I've visited this beautiful coastal town. This past May was filled with online accessible movement classes for the May Movement Challenge. Once the month of activity ended, all I did was organize, pack, organize, and pack. The move occured in mid-August and here I am...ready to continue podcasting. 

Transitioning: Mobility Challenges + Nature = Next Chapter

 It's the May Movement Challenge! This episode explains all you need to know about the #MayMovementChallenge2021 featuring Stanford University's Research Physical Therapist, Tina Duong. Tina's worked with both children and adults with spinal cord injury, stroke rehab, and neuromuscular disease. She talks about stretching, diaphragmatic breathing, and how to take care of yourself when starting a movement practice. Learn about the FITT Principle (Frequency, Intensity, Type, and Time) as it applies to movement and exercise. Once you've listened to this episode, don't waste any time in registering for any of the five information sessions on Saturdays during the month of May. Take a look at the Events Calendar for May with over 75 movement classes -- all free, online, and most with accessible accommodations. Each Saturday in May will feature movement instructors leading a stretch, discussing a different aspect of movement as well as motivating us to select attainable movement goals. 

Movement is Medicine: Get Your Daily Dose

 Telling a patient story can be a highly emotional task for anyone. Thankfully, there are people who can help. Emily Newberry - author, speaker, coach - at the Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, is one of those people. Emily was a natural story teller having spent part of her youth helping others tell their stories through song. Over the years she's perfected the craft and simplified the process. It's not rocket science, she says, just remember two facts and a feeling. As part of Kaiser's Person & Family Centered Care, high impact storytelling is important for patients as well as healthcare professionals. A patient story can create a call for action. 

Two Facts & A Feeling: Telling a Patient Story

 Self-Care, or radical Self-Care, is the theme for the 5-year anniversary of the Glass Half Full podcast. This short episode features my brand of self-care -- daily routines that are my sustenance, not just an end-of-the-week treat. Whether it's nutrition, movement, or attitude my waking hours are spent minimizing symptoms associated with a progressive neuromuscular disease and maximizing a limited supply of energy. As part of the anniversary celebration, join me in a streaming Facebook Live event on Sunday, March 21st at 11:30 a.m. Pacific. I'll be joined in a lively discussion on Self-Care with previous podcast guests. On Friday, March 26th at 11:00 a.m. you can participate in an interactive presentation, A Journey With Movement & Exercise at the Virtual Abilities Expo. Registration is free. 

Five Years of Self-Care

 A contemplative practice includes meditation, prayer, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi or qigong, journaling or anything that helps ground you. Some people uses affirmations while others use music to help them ease into a more tranquil state. Shameka Andrews (pictured above) shares her meditation experience with individuals and organizations and even at a local farmer's market in upstate New York. Positive affirmations and mirror work have helped Shameka move through feelings of depression and isolation associated with having a physical disability, Gareth Walker talks about finding mindfulness meditation and how it's helped him cope with Multiple Sclerosis. Mary Holt, RN, went through a mindfulness meditation training that changed how she works with patients and families dealing with neurological conditions like muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease. Melissa Felsenstein used sound meditation to help her move through depression and anxiety. Molly Lannon Kenny, a yoga therapist and graduate of a program in Christian mysticism, discusses similarities between prayer and meditation. Author Toni Bernhard offers her Buddhist perspective on meditation and how it has helped her deal with a chronic illness. 

Starting a Contemplative Practice

 Do you see images of yourself reflected in popular media? As a person with a chronic health condition and/or disability, is your life reflected in movies, television, print, or social media? In this themed podcast episode you'll hear from Christophe Zajac-Denek -- an actor, musician, surfer, skateboarder, and little person -- whose podcast, I'm Kind of a Big Deal, explores the unique lives of people with dwarfism. Christophe has worked in Hollywood movies for 11 years but rarely do you see his face. Lindsey Kizer, recently diagnosed with narcolepsy, appeared in an earlier podcast episode. Her experience of narcolepsy reflected in media has often been as a joke with the character falling asleep mid-sentence. John Poehler is a published author and award-winning blogger in Colorado. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1999, John's memory of mainstream media's representation of people with bipolar disorder was far from accurate. Daniel G. Garza, an HIV/AIDS patient leader, advocate, and educator talks about the first movie where he saw characters portrayed with HIV/AIDS. Daniel has a blog/podcast and YouTube channel. Ania Flatau, an avid dancer born with spina bifida, was featured in a previous podcast episode, Ania has never seen spina bifida represented in popular movies or television but she is quite proud of a certain wheelchair skater, Aaron Fotheringham. For those with myotonic dystrophy, like myself, all we have is this documentary, Extremis. 

Media Representation: Do you see your life reflected in popular media?

If Emma Goldman were alive and experimenting with the virtual life, she may have said something like this. Why not dance through the pandemic? It's good physical exercise, ignites oxytocin, and can bond you with a community. Several accessible dance organizations have brought their talents online and thus expanded their reach nationally and internationally. One organization, Dance for All Bodies, co-founded by two recent UC-Berkeley grads -- Yagmur Halezeroglu and Tess Hanson -- feature a variety of professional dance instructors teaching accessible dance in a variety of styles from salsa to urban jazz and even chair tap. Another group, Wheelchair Dancers Organization, pairs wheelers with walkers, and offers online classes in Island Fusion, Hip Hop, Latin Jazz, and Bollywood. One of their wheeler instructors, Ania Flatau, also offers dance classes on YouTube Live through her Facebook group, Cat Daddy's n Krew Virtual Fitness with Ania. 

If I can't dance to it, it's not my pandemic

 Loneliness is a public health issue. It was before the COVID-19 epidemic forced us into social isolation. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called loneliness a “growing health epidemic,” and even wrote a book about it - Together: Why Social Connection Holds the Key to Better Health, Higher Performance, and Greater Happiness. In the United Kingdom they take this issue very seriously and now have a Minister of Loneliness. Sophie Andrews started an organization called The Silver Line which is a helpline for lonely and isolated seniors. Does loneliness impact those with chronic illness and/or disability more than the general population? Curious to know how you rate on the Loneliness Scale or maybe you'd like to take a quick quiz for a less robust assessment. In this podcast episode we explore that question as well as the antidotes for loneliness. In this presentation for the University of Utah's Program for Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders, I discuss how I've handled social isolation during the pandemic. My friend, David, talks about the Big & Mini online program he's become involved with as well as Quarantine Chat. Although geared toward an older audience, Humana has a toolkit full of ideas on how to combat loneliness. 

Loneliness: How lonely am I and What can I do about it?

Are you ready for three days of workshops, adaptive activities, and discovering resources and services to enhance your quality of life? Peruse the agenda, make plans for November 20-22, and register for the free Virtual Abilities Expo. President and CEO David Korse shares the 40+ year history of the annual event in this podcast episode as well as whets our appetite with the impressive lineup of Expo activities. There's something for everyone -- whether your interest is in disability rights, adaptive movement, or how to make your home more accessible. 

A Virtual Abilities Expo

Believe it or not, this episode has nothing to do with the recent U.S. election. We're celebrating the 100th podcast episode of the Glass Half Full. But feel free to celebrate our right to vote in a democracy. All good! If you're a recent Glass Half Full listener, you can now peruse the archives of evergreen content that fall into these categories: Advocacy Alternative Healing Modalities Autoimmune Disorders Cancer Cardiovascular Disease Caregiving Coping Disability Rights and Accessibility General Health Laughter Mental Health Movement Music and the Arts Nature Neurological Conditions Nutrition Relaxation Research Social Support Spirituality Technology If you're running out of ideas on how to cope with COVID, check out this list of 50 different ways to spend your time in a safe and sane manner. If you're in need of online accessible exercise and relaxation opportunities, check out this page. To learn more about Judith Nangekhe Nk, the health service worker and caregiver in Kenya, here's a video. Please visit the Glass Half Full store. You can buy t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and even face masks with the Glass Half Full logo. 

Celebration!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Meet Susan Jeremy -- Comic, Actress, Playwright, and Teacher -- and breast cancer survivor. She's also an old friend from my college days. We reminisce about way back when...as well as hear about Susan's unfortunate experience at a New York medical clinic where she was told, "You’re over 40, it’s a cyst. Take aspirin." The tumor grew. Susan's diagnosis and treatment led her to make life changes. She became one of the 48 teachers in Manhattan working directly with medically-challenged students; 80% of them undergoing chemotherapy. Eventually, she wrote and starred in her one-woman show, Teacher in the House. While her performance schedule is impacted due to COVID, you can enjoy her dancing and character sketches on Tik Tok. For additional podcast episodes with breast cancer survivors, visit this page. 

Put a Pink Ribbon on this Comic, Actress, Playwright, and Teacher

This is part 2 of a conversation with Dalia Kinsey, RD, LD, SNS. We talk about becoming our authentic selves, how trauma impacts our physical and emotional health, and the need for inclusivity and intersectionality in public health messages. This is the most stressful year of our lives. We've got the pandemic going. We already knew about police brutality, but never have we been to a point where every time you turn on the television, every time you open Facebook, every time you look anywhere, you're seeing another black or brown body being abused. The trauma is massive and I don't see anyone really addressing it. And I feel like racism is what I know, that racism and all kinds of systemic abuse, these are public health crises. ~ Dalia Kinsey You can find out more about Dalia on her website. To learn more about Black Joy, check out this article or video series.

When the personal is political and the political is personal: Stress on our Health

This podcast features people with chronic health conditions as they share their positive coping tools and practitioners of mind-body and/or alternative health who have helped people with a chronic health condition.

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Glass Half Full with Leslie Krongold, Ed.D.

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