doctorsejni

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𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙄𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙚 👩‍⚕️

Did you know that yesterday marked the last day of AMA's month❔

I'm so grateful to have connected with these incredible and inspiring boss women representing 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 from across the globe ❤🌍

Women are often misrepresented in all lines of work particularly in senior roles and medicine is no exception. GP/Family medicine is often misunderstood as the 'easy option' but believe me it's far from it!

I salute 𝐀𝐋𝐋 the amazing women doing their thing on social media and otherwise, representing female medics, whilst educating, keeping it real and showing that we can do it all! 🙌💕

𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒑 𝒂 💪𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘!!

𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧❓

So after a long delay (sorry for the IG silence) here it is! And where better to start than a question I’ve been asked many times

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫: 𝐍𝐨. There isn’t a single blood test that can absolutely diagnose if you have cancer – however blood tests can be very useful in giving us clues to lead us to further investigations:

🩸 𝙁𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩

• Measures levels of components in your blood including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets
• Can help to indicate certain haematological cancers e.g. raised white cells/lymphocytes in leukaemia

🩸 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙪𝙢 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨

• Measures specific proteins in the blood which can be raised to indicate potential diagnosis of multiple myeloma (a type of bone marrow cancer)

🩸 𝙏𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨

• Chemicals (usually proteins) produced by some cancers that can be measured in the blood. Can be tissue or circulating
• When raised they can alert us to do further tests, and can be used to monitor recurrence of known cancers
• Importantly, these can also be raised in other non-cancerous conditions and therefore aren't always reliable

Some examples include:

👉𝗣𝗦𝗔
-can be raised in prostate cancer
-can also be raised in BPH – Benign enlargement of the prostate
-NB PSA can be normal but still prostate cancer (ie false negative)

👉𝗖𝗮𝟭𝟮𝟱
-Raised in ovarian cancer
-Also can be raised in endometriosis, fibroids and even pregnancy
-As above be aware of false negatives

👉𝗕𝗥𝗖𝗔𝟭/ 𝗕𝗥𝗖𝗔𝟮
-these are tumour supressor genes (they stop cells growing too rapidly)
-changes or mutations in these genes mean and cells can grow out of control, which can lead to cancer

⚠️ Blood tests alone are not enough to diagnose cancer, but they can be helpful combined with other investigations

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐪𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 👇

𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 ⭐
If you see the world negatively from the inside out then you're going to experience it negatively from the outside in
𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 💕

𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 '𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘿𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙢𝙖?'

I watched this documentary on and I highly recommend it to everyone! Having been a lot less active on this page recently I found it a real eye opener to how much time I spent on my phone.

This documentary highlights the 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 addictive nature of social media and shows you how it’s purpose is to keep you online for as long as possible – unfortunately sometimes to the detriment of one’s mental health.

What's important to remember is your feed is unique to you. It is a highlight reel of things the algorithm thinks are of interest to you.

So how do they get this information? From YOUR actions. What that means is YOU can control what you see or don't see.

Even if I know the tricks of social media, I’m still susceptible to them. I can pick up my phone for a specific purpose and by the time I’ve finished scrolling I’ve forgotten the original reason.

On the flip side social media does have benefits. Since creating this page I have actually stopped using my personal instagram account which has changed my unique feed - From aimlessly scrolling and seeing other people’s lives to seeing positive messages and useful up to date information, medical or otherwise.

The irony of this all – that I couldn’t go through the full documentary without picking up my phone, and here I am posting about it on
 
Counterintuitive maybe, but I would love to 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀! Have you watched The Social Dilemma?

A worryingly accurate question from the documentary: "𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒆𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈❔” Because they are the only two options🤦‍♀️ 👇

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𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗦 💉
When you find out your blood tests are normal/abnormal do you always know 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 was tested and 𝘄𝗵𝘆❓
Some people prefer not to know details which is absolutely fine but for those who do I make a conscious effort to go through individual blood tests whether they are normal, borderline or significantly abnormal🩸
This knowledge often helps understand why certain lifestyle changes or treatment are necessary and means you are more likely to stick at it 💯
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨: I'll be explaining some of the blood tests that may be done by your GP and what they mean 👍⭐
⚠️ 𝗡𝗕: This is a general guide to some common blood tests. If you have 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 about your blood tests please speak to your own doctor⚠️
𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 😊👇

𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 ❤
Sometimes we are so keen to be "successful" and challenging ourselves is essential for growth BUT what is success? There is a fine line between feeling uncomfortable to grow and feeling constantly stressed to a point of misery.
𝐓𝐰𝐨 questions to ask yourself 👇
1. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀? - I.e. is it really for me or is it to placate someone else/society?
2. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲? - I.e. is the end goal worth it or am I investing my emotional energy in things that amount to nothing?
𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 principles to live by 👇

🌸𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮
🕊𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚
💆‍♀️𝘼𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨
𝐈'𝐦 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 💞👇

N A R C O L E P S Y
So following on from my last post about , there are other disorders that can also affect sleep:
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗽𝘀𝘆 - 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁?
👉A rare long-term brain condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep at inappropriate times.

👉Usually affects adolescents but often diagnosed between ages 20-40
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁?
💤 The exact cause can be unknown but genetics play a part.

💤 It is also often linked to a lack of '𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧'
- Hypocretin is a brain chemical which regulates wakefulness therefore a lack of this results in failure to control sleep and wakefulness
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
🔸️ 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 - this is usually the first sign and makes concentrating at work/school difficult.

🔸️ 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 - falling asleep suddenly without warning, the duration can vary.

🔸️ 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐲 - a sudden temporary loss of muscle tone, this can cause the person to fall - they are often triggered by emotion e.g. laughter, anger, surprise, which can have.

🔸️ 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 - generalised paralysis - an inability to move or speak which usually occurs on falling asleep or waking.

🔸️ 𝐕𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 - on falling asleep (hypnogogic) or waking up (hypnopompic)
𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁:
♦️ There is no specific cure, but 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 can help minimise the impact on daily life.

♦️ 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐡𝐲𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞 (as you can see this is so important in all sleep disorders).

♦️ 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 that promote wakefulness can also help:
- Central nervous system (CNS) stimulants
- Modafinil - a nootropic - licensed only for narcolepsy
- Sodium oxybutate (not often available on the NHS)
⚠️ If you think this affects you or someone you know please speak to your doctor 👍
Did you know about narcolepsy? What other sleep disorders would you like more info on? 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰👇

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I N S O M N I A
𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙩?
Regular difficulty with sleeping which results in non-restorative sleep
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨:
👉Diffficulty getting to sleep
👉Waking up multiple times during the night
👉Waking up early and not able to get back to sleep
👉Lying awake at night
👉Tired / Irritable / Poor concentration during the daytime
𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨:
💤 Stress
💤 Alcohol / Caffeine
💤 Ni****ne / Other substance use
💤 Mental health illness - e.g. depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, BPD
💤 Contributing medical illnesses e.g. Alzheimers, overactive thyroid, sleep apnoea
💤 Side effects of medications
💤 Room not at optimum environment - e.g. temperature, noise
💤 Shift work patterns / Jetlag
𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩:
😴𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀
- this is SO important and usually has notable benefits
- try and stick to a regular sleep routine and time even on weekends.
- click below to see my previous post on sleep hygiene for important tips:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1weP_aAoG3/?igshid=1vymteq5jh7ul.
👩‍⚕️𝗨𝗽-𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
- if taking prescription medicines or any new/ purchased over the counter medications
- rule out any medical causes
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💊𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗶𝗱𝘀
-discuss these with your pharmacist/doctor to ensure safe and do not interact with other medicines
🧠𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆
-works at eliminating negative thoughts or actions that are preventing you sleeping
-can be very effective long term
⚠️ 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 (e.g. zopiclone)
-rarely used
-can be habit forming/addictive
-not a long term solution
-high side effect profile including daytime drowsiness, increased falls risk
If you are struggling with sleep even after adapting your sleep habits see a medical professional❗
𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑?
𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘👇

https://assets.nhs.uk/tools/self-assessments/index.mob.html?variant=72

After a great discussion with Dr Kang about Grief on our last live we will be back this week 👇
Topic: 𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 & 𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚
Date: 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲
Time: 𝟔𝐩𝐦 𝐁𝐒𝐓
Any questions can be sent beforehand through my story 💞

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C O M E B A C K
If you've seen my stories today I'm feeling inspired by the 7 day I've just completed by 🙌
I don't know a single person who hasn't had a setback in their life. Whether it be a loss, a career goal, or a relationship. Especially in this pandemic where people's lives are on hold.
Setbacks can be overwhelming. They can turn our world upside down. They can even feel suffocating at times. But they are a part of 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝑹𝑶𝑾𝑻𝑯❗
So don't focus on the setbacks. Because without them we would be less capable of compassion, empathy and great success. My setbacks have certainly helped me to connect with my patients 🙏
Everytime you have a setback or 'fail' at something you are given an opportunity:
To 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧, to 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 and to 𝐫𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭 to your goals! 💪
Be kind to yourself and let your 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 shape your comeback story. The 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 is 𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 💞
Did you take part in the Comeback Challenge or have you experienced the work of Tony Robbins⁉️

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S L E E P .
SO WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP?😴
Because it affects just about 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠!👇
🦠 𝙄𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢.
• When you sleep '𝐜𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬' are produced and released -cytokines are a type of protein released by cells in the body + immune system to coordinate the body’s response against infection.
• They can be pro-inflammatory (increasing inflammation) or anti-inflammatory (reducing inflammation).
• Sleep deprivation and poor sleep can increase pro-inflammatory cytokines and dysregulate the balance of the two.
🍫 𝙊𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮. • Its believed that sleep deprived people have reduced levels of 𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧, the hormone that makes you feel full. Therefore shorter duration of sleep leads to increase food-seeking behaviours, overeating and weight gain.
🧁 𝘿𝙞𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙨. • Significant sleep deprivation (

Thank you to everyone who joined Dr Kang and I for our session yesterday on Overcoming Grief.

If you missed the live here's the full video 👇

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CB6kOe0FX8H/?igshid=ncjetft9oa2k

Joined by the amazing @drchetnakang for this session on Overcoming Grief - including recognising healthy grief reactions, prolonged grief and sharing my own personal journey.

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T H A N K Y O U
To everyone that joined and I on our live today on Overcoming Grief - its a topic really close to my heart so 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 so much 💛
Will be uploading the full video as soon as I figure out how to 🙈
(Now available on IGTV) 💞
P.s. Is anyone else sticking their head out of the door to cool down? 👀

T H E S L E E P C Y C L E
🔸️CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

So let's start with this term you may have heard of. Your circadian rhythm is essentially your body's '𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌.' It is controlled by a part of your brain called the hypothalamus. It's affected by external factors e.g. light and darkness
It works best when you have a regular sleep/wake routine, so it's important to sleep at the same time even on weekends
🔸️SO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN WE SLEEP.
There are TWO types of :

1️⃣ 𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - REM
2️⃣ 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐑𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐄𝐲𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 - Non-REM - (of which there are 3 stages)
♡ You cycle through all the stages of non-REM and then REM sleep several times during a typical night.
♡ Each full cycle can take 1-2 hours with increasingly longer, deeper REM periods each time you repeat the cycle towards the morning.
♡ The amount of sleep time spent in REM tends to decrease as we age.

𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗥𝗘𝗠 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽:
💤 Research suggests there are 3 stages of non-REM sleep rather than the 4 that was originally thought, because it has become difficult to distinguish physiologically between the last two stages
💤 Essentially the first non-REM stage is the changeover from wakefulness to sleep and lasts only a few minutes. After this you enter a light sleep stage, and then it gets deeper during each stage
💤 During this process your muscles progressively relax, your brain activity slows and your heart rate and breathing continue to slow down until you reach the REM stage.

𝗥𝗘𝗠 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽:
😴 REM sleep is usually first entered around 90 minutes after falling asleep and after all the non-REM stages
😴 During REM characteristically eyes move rapidly from side to side under closed eyelids
😴 Heart rate and breathing becomes faster.
😴 Muscles become so deeply relaxed they are almost immobile.
😴 Most dreaming and vivid imagery occurs in this stage.
😴 REM sleep is important for intensive learning and memory consolidation.
🔸️DID YOU KNOW
👶 Newborn babies have around 80% REM sleep when they are born compared to adults ~ 20%
🔸️WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP?

Next post coming soon 👀

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W H Y ?
I've always said when things get tough remember 𝘄𝗵𝘆 you started, but what if you don't know your why?
This photo was taken 7 years ago when I graduated as a doctor 🎓

I remember going to my medical school interviews knowing one of the first questions I'd be asked is:
𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓❓

To be honest I'm not sure I even knew myself. I wasn't one of those people who always wanted to do medicine. I wanted to be a dancer, and then a lawyer. I hated science at school and if you've seen me even try and cut a cake you'd know I was definitely not going to be a surgeon! 🔪

All I knew is I cared about the people around me and I was generally a curious person.

Around the time of med school applications I found out my uncle had a brain tumour. We were really close, he was an amazing man. I was in school and didn't know anything about what that meant. My curiousity became my strength as I would read and want to learn more.

However even knowing more didn't mean I could do anything to help him and sadly he passed away shortly after. The thought of that unknown feeling going forward with my family was uncomfortable and something in me made the decision to pursue medicine 🙏

As a doctor now sometimes I still can't help everyone, I'm not a miracle worker, but at least I know I'll have tried my damn hardest 💯

Sometimes the things you 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 want lead you to realise what you 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁. So if you haven't worked out your why yet, don't worry. When it comes you will know and 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 ❤️
#2013

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S L E E P.
I can't wait to share some more info with you about one of my favourite topics - 𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗣! 💤
We all know that adults should be getting 𝟕-𝟗 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 of sleep each night, but a lot of us still aren't doing this!
And some of us that are doing this - aren't getting the real quality sleep that we need to help us feel refreshed in the morning 😴
In this series I'll share with you a bit about the sleep cycle, how sleep directly affects our health, and as I've already shared some sleep hygiene tips previously I'll go over some sleep disorders + treatments!
⭐ For now here are five facts about sleep that you may not have known:
1️⃣ Humans are the only mammals that willingly delay sleep!.
2️⃣ 12-15% of people still dream in black & white - (this used to be a lot more before colour TV)
3️⃣ Ideal time taken to fall asleep is 10-15 minutes, if you fall asleep in under 5 minutes you're very likely sleep deprived.
4️⃣ A new baby typically accounts for 400-700 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year
5️⃣ Within 10 minutes of waking, around 90% of your dream is forgotten .
Look forward to sharing the rest of the series with you! As always if there's any specific things you want covered please comment below so I can include them!💞👇

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F U T U R E P L A N N I N G.
Continuing with series, this post focuses on some of the legal & practical matters people might need to get in order:
LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY (LPA)
🔸️ In the future if you were unable to make decisions for yourself (lose capacity) your LPA is the person/s that you legally appoint to make decisions on your behalf
🔸️ There are 2 main types; 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡/𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 & 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲/𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🔸️ You can appoint the same LPA for both 🔸️ You must be over 18 & have capacity at the time you appoint your LPA
🔸️ LPA's have a fee - usually around £82 without exemptions
🔸️ It can take up to 10 weeks to register your LPA
MAKING A WILL
🔹️ Your will allows you to decide what happens to your money and assets after your death
🔹️ If you don't have a will in place, the law decides for you
🔹️ For your will to be legally valid it must be 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 & 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝
🔹️ If you change your mind/ wish to update your will need to make a 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐥 (an official alteration) or write a new will
🔹️ You can write your will yourself but often people prefer to seek legal help
🔹️ You can appoint an 'executor' to ensure your will is carried out
🔹️ You should keep your will safe and ensure your executor knows where it is kept
ADVANCED DECISION
▪️ Allows you to 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 that you do not wish if a time comes when you lack capacity
▪️You must be over 18 & have capacity when it is made
▪️ It does 𝐧𝐨𝐭 allow you to demand specific treatment
▪️ If you wish to refuse treatment that is life-sustaining then it must be written, witnessed and signed to be legally binding
▪️ If you wish to refuse other treatments it does not neccesarily have to be written
⚠️NB: this is different from an ADVANCED STATEMENT which will be covered in the next post
ℹFor more info see www.ageuk.org.uk

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A P P R E C I A T E
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ♥️
Today I enjoyed a nice lie in, breakfast with my family and time for my skincare routine 🙏
What are you enjoying during lockdown? 🌸

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E N D O F L I F E
SOME COMMON TERMINOLOGY
🔸️𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆

This term often refers to people in their last weeks, months or year of life but it can vary
🔸️𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆

End of life care involves support for those approaching end of life ensuring the dying person's wishes are respected. This can include psychological, spiritual, practical future planning (which I will talk about in another post) and also palliative care
🔸️𝑷𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆

If you have an illness that is incurable, palliative care aims to maintain your quality of life by making you as comfortable as possible. This includes managing any distressing symptoms such as pain
TALKING ABOUT DYING
Talking about dying yourself or to a loved one can be really difficult. Here are some tips:
💑 Ask the person whether they want to talk about it. They may not be ready or may need some time. Either way you can respect their decision and may re-visit the idea later
💑 Starting the conversation can be difficult and can be received negatively if unexpected. You can be opportunistic with it.
💑 Try and talk where you will not be interrupted or distracted
💑 Follow the person's lead, this includes watching their body language. Is there something they are not saying or are they feeling uncomfortable. You don't have to talk about everything in one go.
💑 Ask questions if you feel they are holding back or need some encouragement. These can be open q's e.g. "Did you have any thoughts or worries about what might happen?"
💑 Alternatively respect silence. Really listening and allowing time to process these difficult conversations is important
💑 Remember this is a emotionally charged situation. It's natural to get upset or cry, don't be afraid to express your emotions
I will share lots of resources in a later post. As always please seek help if you would like emotional support💞

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B E T T E R Y O U R S E L F
Here are some tips to better yourself and progress towards your goal whatever it may be 🙌💪
1. Just 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽. This sounds obvious but is the hardest.
2. Start from the 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
3. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 from those more experienced
4. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 on the way, how you react and bounce back is what's important
5. 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 the small wins, every step forward is progress
Stay focused on your 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 and remember there are no shortcuts or quick fixes 💪♥️

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E N D O F L I F E C A R E S E R I E S
📞 Over the last few weeks I've been having some really difficult conversations with patients and their families over the phone about end of life (EOL) care
📞 Especially during this current pandemic I think its crucial for people to be more aware about their choices should they become very unwell
♥️ This is a topic that is really close to my heart having been on the receiving end as a relative of good standard of end of life care, and by contrast of significantly substandard care
❤ At the point when you or a relative are in this position, open discussions and compassion go a 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 way and I would not want any of you to be faced in a similar situation 🙏🏼
In this EOL care series my posts to come will hopefully answer some key questions people may have about end of life care such as:
🔹️What does "end of life" actually mean?
🔹️How do I talk to my loved ones about dying?
🔹️How can I plan ahead?
🔹️What does "Do not resuscitate" (DNAR) mean?
🔹️What happens in the last few days of life? .
All I ask of you today is that you take a few minutes to think about any questions, worries or topics you specifically would like covered and please 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 or send me a DM so I can make sure I include these in the posts 🙏🏼❤️
𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 💕

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G R I E F
Unfortunately in this current climate many people are experiencing grief. Having recently lost both of my grandparents in a short space of time I found having knowledge of the stages of grief helpful to understand my feelings. I hope this helps ❤️
RULES ABOUT GRIEF:
✍Grief does not only apply to bereavement - it can be the loss of a relationship, job or life change.
✍There is no right or wrong way to grieve - it is an individual experience
✍You cannot put a timeframe on grief.
✍You don't "get over" grief, you learn to live with it
✍You should never feel guilty for reaching acceptance and moving forward (below)
FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF
These can be experienced in any order (Swipe to see pic)
1. DENIAL
2. ANGER
3. BARGAINING
4. DEPRESSION
5. ACCEPTANCE.
DEALING WITH GRIEF TIPS:
👉Recognise the 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 of grief e.g. shock, sadness, frustration
👉𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 in with those who care about you for support
👉Try and look after your 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 - eating well, trying to keep active will all help your experience
👉Recognise the difference between a grief reaction and 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 - grief is a natural reaction to loss, depression is different - its important to seek medical help if you are unsure
👉When you feel ready - think about potential future "𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀" e.g. birthdays, events, that may bring up feelings and make plans on how you can help manage them e.g. being with family/friends
If you need support here are some useful resources below:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/coping-with-bereavement/
Cruse Bereavement 0808 808 1677
Child Bereavement UK 0800 028 8840
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As always if needed please speak to your doctor 🙏❤
@ United Kingdom