The History of the Jock Doc

I was asked a couple of times how long I had written this column.  I have to admit, I'm not exactly sure.

It's somewhere around 30 years.  It all started when The Daily Times Sports Editor Gary Turner asked me to write a piece for the newspaper addressing questions about sports medicine. 

I recruited Dr. Bob Haralson, the founder of Maryville Orthopedic Clinic, to join me and we took week about answering questions that we got from readers and some that we created ourselves.  It was called The Jock Doc.

We floated along like that for a couple of years and then Dr. Haralson turned it all over to me and it became a column.  For a long time, it appeared a couple of times a month.

In about 1990, it became a weekly feature and sometime in there was moved to Sundays.  It has remained focused on sports and athletic health care but the good folks at The Daily Times have given me the latitude to preach about a wide range of topics. 

I've generally avoided religion and politics but even those have been touched through the years.

What all that means is that I have produced a 900 word essay every week, 52 weeks a year, for 25 years or so.  From somebody who wasn't a particularly good English student in high school

Well...no...the truth is, I hated English.  And hated writing essays even more.  I've told the story here before about Dr. Barrett, the UT English professor that changed all that (although my senior English teacher in high school, Edward Headlee, planted that seed).

In a nutshell, Dr. Barrett brought me in to his office and asked me why I was such an underachieving student in his class.  He saw something in me that I didn't know I had.

And if you've followed my column through the years, you know that my high school football coach did pretty much the same thing.  He was the person that gave me the confidence to seek success that has served me so well since that day when he told a bystander to football practice "if he works at it, he can be a good one."

So here I sit, pondering 30+ years of writing a newspaper column.  Make no mistake, it is a labor of love.  And I have no plans to quit.

But I've reached the conclusion that we all have an overwhelming obligation to see the good in people, the skills they have, the traits they possess and then to tell them about it.

This is my place to do that.

My personal goal in this space is to be uplifting and positive.  Sure, I might occasionally speak out against injustices and I do have particularly strong feelings about smoking and other bad health practices, but I try to couch even those in positive ways.  I believe if that you are going to point out a problem that you should be ready to provide a solution.

Thinking about your own sports experiences, who were your favorite coaches?  Those that yelled all the time?  That never had a good thing to say?

Or maybe it was that coach that knew when you needed a boost.  Who might have been demanding but who saw things in you that you didn't even know you had.  Who were a positive influence on you.

Those are the best coaches out there, in my opinion. 

Be a positive influence in somebody's life.  Every day.  The world will be a better place.

Dealing with the Heat (for the umpteenth time)

Between bike rides, hiking, gardening, farming, and football practice, if I'm not at work (or asleep), I'm outside.  Because of that, I sport a pretty good tan year round

And it's not for lack of sunscreen.  Goodness knows, I slather it on heavy and often.

Still, it's never quite enough.

So I visit my dermatologist every year and depend on him to take good care of me. 

With football practice in full swing this week, it's time for me to offer my sort-of annual address on dealing with the heat.  I think this is the umpteenth time I've done so.

Yet, the basic message stays the same. 

Hydrate.  Early and often.  Pre-hydrate even.  If you know you're going to be out in the heat, start drinking fluids.

On the bicycle, you don't feel like you are sweating that much since the constantly moving air keeps most of the sweat evaporated away.  But that just means that your body's cooling system it is doing its job.

Proof of that is found when you get off the bike and find that you are crusty with salt.

Sports drinks are good.  Water is good.  Sodas are bad.  I find most sports drinks a little too sweet so I make my own or dilute it a bit.  Still, the electrolytes in most sports drinks mean that they are absorbed into your system more quickly.

And those electrolytes are essential.  They must be replaced. 

It's always good to check the color of your urine when you are exercising or working in hot weather.  

It should be a pale yellow.  Anything more and you didn't get enough fluids in your system. 

Wear clothing that is both reflective (lighter, brighter colors) and allows air to circulate.  Loose fitting clothing is usually the best but there are some great high tech products out there that fit tight but offer improved evaporation. 

If possible, avoid the hottest part of the day.  Yeah...I know...easy to say-hard to do.  Try your best.

Take breaks.  Wear a hat.  Stay wet. 

If you are exercising in the heat, it's best to have a buddy.  One important sign that you are having problems in dealing with the heat is confusion.  A buddy can see that in you and can intervene.

Heat illness is serious stuff.  It can kill you.

Excess sweating, red face, labored breathing, weakness, nausea--all those are signs that you are having serious problems in dealing with the heat.  Seek shelter, get wet, get cool however you can.  

Immersion in cold weather is your best path.

If you are confused, stop sweating, or have cool, clammy skin, you are in the middle of a medical emergency and need to get an ambulance as soon as possible.

You don't have to stay inside the rest of the summer.  You just need to be smart about it.

Be safe.  Have fun.

Pre-Participation Physicals

This week and next, pre-participation physicals will be provided to the student-athletes at our area high schools.

Under the direction of Maryville Orthopedic Clinic (thank you Drs. Bell, Morgan, Griffith, Thomas, Winn, and Asbury) whose doctors also serve as team physicians for our local schools, these would be impossible without the huge contributions from the physicians at Blount Memorial Hospital and East Tennessee Medical Group, as well as other local doctors, athletic trainers, physical therapists, physician assistants, and nurses.

This annual event is a valuable service to our local schools, giving a baseline of safety to sports participation.  Held en masse until just a few years ago, now each high school is done at their own school and coordinated by their team physician and head athletic trainer (and in case you're wondering, we were doing these in Blount County long before they were even thought about in Knoxville).

But it is not medical care.  It was never meant to be medical care.

It was meant to be a screening process to make sure that it is safe for your child to participate in inter-scholastic sports.

It was meant to identify health issues that need medical follow-up, maybe before they can participate in their sport.

Every (I repeat...EVERY) child of school age needs a pediatrician.  Yes, I know that is terribly self-serving since my daughter is a local pediatrician, but I've been preaching that same sermon since before she was twelve and wanted to be a veterinarian.

Every child needs a medical doctor who knows that child's medical and family history.  Who can call them by name when they walk in the door.

A doctor who can be honest and thorough because they know your child and his or her family.  And who doesn't have to worry that you're going to change doctors just because you disagree with them.

A doctor with whom your child can be honest and open because he or she trusts that doctor.  There are just some things that they might talk to a doctor about when they won't talk to you.

I ask that you help us take the best possible care of your child by establishing this relationship with a pediatrician.

You may think that you can't afford it but I suggest that you can't afford not to do it.  I would remind you that there are all sorts of resources out there to help you afford the care your child should have.

And as the parent of children that benefited from this service, I suggest that you join me in a big round of applause for our own medical community for making this happen.

The Heart of the Beast (Story of a Train Wreck)

I'll get back to sports in a minute (OK...next week) but I'd like to tell you about the train wreck.

Oh, you heard all about the train wreck?  About how our community really pulled together and how everybody is OK and all that?

Great.  There is all that.  But there's more.  There's the insider's perspective that maybe you hadn't heard yet.

Here's the scoop:  My son and his family live about 300 yards from the wreck site.  For whatever reason, they didn't get the evacuation notification. 

When they did find out, they headed for my house.  But that was only after several hours in the "hot zone."

So a bit later, when my 2 year old grandson developed a cough, it was decided that they should all head for the hospital.

For the record, let me state that I work for Blount Memorial Hospital. And I've worked in health care for almost 38 years. So if you sense bias here, so be it.   

Anyway, my wife and grandson were the first to arrive, meeting me at the bay to the Emergency Room, where staff had set up a triage center.  It was about noon and there was a steady stream of arrivals, some by ambulance, some by private vehicle.

They were quickly taken to the decontamination area.  My wife could have opted out but there was no way she was going to send her grandson through that without her.

Their clothes were taken, I sprayed them down with a soap mixture, and they went through a series of four showers.  They were then given scrubs to wear and taken to the Emergency Room.

Along the way, mom, dad, and sister all arrived so we were soon all together.  What followed were blood work (not fun for the little ones), x-rays, medical exams, and constant monitoring.

After four hours of observation and no symptoms, the adults were discharged.  The children, however, were transferred to East Tennessee Children's Hospital where they spent the night and went home the next day.  All OK.

I'm sure that over the next few weeks, we will hear stories of people going out of their way to help each other.  That's the kind of community we live in. 

But from my point of view--from someone who was inside the beast-- here's the bottom line:  Our hospital (my hospital) did awesome.  They were ready.  They were efficient.  They were compassionate. 

There's a nurse named Wayne there that my family will always be beholden to.

Children's Hospital did great too.  Though not at the epicenter of the disaster, they were also prepared and efficient and compassionate.

At the end of the day, we should all be glad to know that our health care system works.

Even in the face of a catastrophic event like this.

And that's a good feeling. 

Camp Blackberry 2015

Camp Blackberry is over. Unless you know my family really well, you probably didn't know.  More than likely, it wasn't on your radar.

Oh, what is Camp Blackberry?  It's a summer camp that my wife and I do for our grandchildren.  The name?  We raise blackberries and our last name is Black so...Camp Blackberry...get it?

Well, not all our grandchildren get to come.  The youngest (age 2) gets to stay home.  We did one with a 2 year old and declared then and there that 3 was the minimum age.  Since this one is the wild child, we may make an exception and change the minimum age to 4.  The jury is still out.

We get them for a week.  24/7.  Good times and bad.  Five of them this year, for the record.  We got the idea from Dr. Bob and Sue Ramger, who did the same for their grandkids.

The week is filled with art and crafts and field trips and lots of pool time.  Just like "real" camp.

We eat together, stay together, and laugh together (and once or twice cried together--well, at least the adults did).  We tried camping once a couple of years ago but it didn't work.

This week, we hiked up the Porter Creek Trail to the old Appalachian Hiking Club cabin.  The kids were particularly impressed with the spring house.  And that real water came out of it.

We visited the Knoxville Zoo and thanks to Phil Colclough, Director of Animal Collections and Conservation (and a Maryville resident), got a personal visit with Al, the giant tortoise.

We visited with Ms. Sherry at Liles Organic Farm where we got up close and personal with her llamas, goats, rabbits, and chickens.  If you don't know about Liles Farm, you've missed a gem that is found just outside the Maryville City limits on Tuckaleechee Pike.

We did the touristy thing in a visit to Dixie Stampede.  It's pretty amazing what those horses can do and the kids love it (even the part about eating everything with their hands).

Along the way, the youngest one went from a wall hugger to jumping into the deep end of the pool and swimming all the way across...by herself!

And I've got a photo of one grandchild standing alone on the top of a rock spire about eight feet off the ground.  I thought mama might be bothered but she was thrilled with the balance and bravery it took.   

So what's the point?  There are several, actually.

First, family is everything.  This time together builds bonds and memories that will last a lifetime.

Second, active children become active adults.  Swimming, hiking, swimming, disc golf, more swimming.  Climbing, running, jumping.  Something every day.

Third, children exposed to art and music do better in school, appreciate diversity, and become more well-rounded.

At the end of the day, there is a huge need to just have fun, sing silly songs, and be yourself with the acceptance that probably can only come from grandparents.

And when Blackberries (what we call the campers) tell their parents that they were sad that it was over, then it was a success.

HOPE

I know I usually write about sports.  But this has nothing to do with sports.  Not even remotely.

And if there is any comparison, any hint that this has anything to do with sports, that's a mistake.

By now everybody is aware of the tragedy in Charleston last week.  It was horrible.  Unthinkable really.

I won't rehash the particulars--you've heard about them all.

But what moved me...moved me to tears, actually...was what the family members of those slain had to say directly to the killer. 

"I forgive you."

"God loves you."

"You hurt a lot of people but God forgives you, and I forgive you."

Just days after he had gunned down their family members.  People that were in church on a Wednesday evening.  Senior citizens, mostly.

A state senator who also served as a pastor at the church. 

Good people all, I guarantee you.  You don't find many bad people worshipping on Wednesday night.

And then their families showed more love and grace and forgiveness than most of us can muster up in a lifetime.

I couldn't have done what they did.

Think about it.  Within days of this horrific event, the family members had already forgiven the young man.  Invited him back into their church.

Not me.

Not in 6 weeks.  Probably not in 6 months.   While the shock is still an open wound, to offer forgiveness without hesitation or reservation?

At that same moment, I'm wanting justice.  Demanding punishment.  Just let me get my hands on him!

Those people are so much better than me that I am humbled just to know they are part of the same human race that I am and thrilled because they offer hope for a stricken land.

Yes, there is hope.  Hope for a better day.  Hope for an end to racism and violence.  Hope that America can truly become a land where all men are treated as equals.  That no one is judged by the color of their skin.

Dealing with the Heat (for the Umpteenth Time)

I've been doing this stuff (physical therapy, athletic training) for almost 38 year now.  I've been an athlete for longer than that.  My introduction to organized sports was football, when I was in the 4th grade. 

It was actually pretty unheard of back then to start that young but I was determined to play so my dad signed me up.

All of a sudden I find myself on a team with 14 year-old 8th graders, some of whom were already shaving. 

Didn't stop me though.  I loved the game then and I love it now.

Football has given me a life and a career but that's another story, one I've told here a couple of times. 

I've loved it through the good times of Friday nights and Saturday championships.

I've loved it even through my son's injury on October 3rd, 2002, when he lay on the floor of the Florida State football field with a horribly broken right leg. 

Only once have I been even peripherally involved with a football injury that resulted in death.

It was 1980 and I was living in Bluefield, West Virginia, working with the local high school football team.  It was nothing like today, when we are there all the time.  It was more of an occasional check 

and then one of us was there on Friday nights.

A young man, rather overweight and getting over flu-like symptoms, collapsed at a hot preseason practice and died later at the hospital.

Yes, the heat likely killed him. 

Our athletic trainers work hard to prevent heat-related problems and I'd like to think that in today's world, in Blount County, Tennessee, this young man would have survived.

It wasn't really the game of football that killed him, although practicing in the hottest part of the day with pads and a helmet make for a dangerous situation.

It's hot right now.  As I write this, they're predicting the possibility of a record high today. 

But that doesn't mean you should stay inside in the air conditioned house all the time.  It's OK to get outside, you've just got to be smart about it.

Hydrate.  You gotta do it.  Drink more than you think you need.

Stay wet.  We sweat for a reason.  As the water evaporates from our skin, it cools us off.  Wet from a water bottle is OK too.

Wear bright clothing (to reflect the sun's rays) and a hat.  And clothing that allows air to circulate freely (see evaporation above).

Take breaks.  Maybe always have an exercise partner who can recognize if you are overheating.

And if you do overheat, consider it a medical emergency.  It is imperative that you get cooled off.  In a hurry.