Our theme, “Get a Plan,” seemed like a tidy, ambitious topic to kick off 2020 when we hammered out our editorial lineup for the year.
Plans are good. Plans are necessary. I like plans in theory. Execution is another matter. Plans are fine for other people but my failure rate is too high to embrace much planning.
Privilege and Plans
Clutter is a first-world problem. I’ve read about people in other parts of the world who collect cigarette butts, separate the pieces, and sell the bundles by the pound — you read that right, by the pound, to earn a bare-bones living. I’m assuming that’s a clutter-generating enterprise.
I’ve got first-world clutter; too many shoes and coats and casserole dishes and — I’m just realizing — a significant collection of drinking glasses. I planned to clear things out after reading Marie Kondo’s, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” I skimmed the book (too busy), fast-forwarded the show on Netflix (too impatient, ) and dove in (too hopeful).
I ruthlessly bagged up my castoffs and dropped them at donation bins. I rolled sweaters, sorted clothing by colors, and rethought my casserole dish collection. The dogs thought they were the next to go.
The minimalist lifestyle suited me, but only for a minimal amount of time. I soon was back to my old habits, cruising consignment shops and hitting estate sales. I was a junkie who craved actual junk. My decluttering plans sputtered and then died in a heap on the closet floor.
That’s just one example of failed plans. Each January, I plan to carefully pack away my Christmas lights so I never have to untangle them again. Eleven months later, I’m untangling Christmas lights.
Here’s another: I plan to watch higher-quality TV — more PBS less Bravo, but deep down I’m drawn to the Kardashians and “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.”
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Christian Bernadotte isn’t a worrier. Until his heart transplant at Cleveland Clinic two years ago, he wasn’t much of a planner, either.
For years, Bernadotte, now 70, was busy raising a family and building a career. He traveled extensively for work. He didn’t eat properly. He smoked. He never went to a doctor. Eventually, his lifestyle caught up with him; the Shaker Heights resident had his first heart attack at 49.
Bernadotte lost weight and kept up with his medical appointments and heart medications. “I lived with a bad heart for 18 years and made the most of it. I sailed. I golfed but I paced myself,” Bernadotte says, sitting in the Shaker Heights home he shares with his wife, Marianne.
Bernadotte carried on with his busy life, all while living with a weakened heart. He became short of breath and had a tough time walking uphill. On Thanksgiving 2017, Bernadotte collapsed at dinner with friends. Two of them were Cleveland Clinic heart surgeons, Per Wierup and Gosta Pettersson.
A device that had been implanted in his heart jolted Bernadotte back to life. Recovering at the Clinic, he was placed on the Status 2 heart transplant list.
The following February, Bernadotte was at home and started feeling ill. His wife called Dr. Pettersson, who lived nearby. By the time he got there, Bernadotte was on the floor and wasn’t breathing. Dr. Pettersson started CPR and revived him.
The incident bumped Bernadotte up to the highest priority status for a heart transplant. A week later, he had a new heart.
Soon, Bernadotte was back to his active life — this time without having to make accommodations for a weak heart. His plan today includes a much healthier lifestyle. He feels and looks great. His wife, Marianne, also has had to make adjustments.
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In the New Year, many of us make resolutions. For some of us, it may have an emotional component, like “spending more time with our family.” For others, it may be of a physical nature, like trying to lose weight. But there may be other physical needs, like fixing your teeth.
When you get your teeth taken care of, it can improve your overall health, chewing function, oral musculature, nutrition, and appearance. The goals of losing weight are similar. Walking and exercise are easier, medical issues like high blood pressure and diabetes are better controlled and you look better as well. But while weight loss can be achieved by limiting your food/caloric intake, dental improvements often require the help of a dental professional – like a dental hygienist or general dentist.
What Happens at the Checkup
When you are in the chair getting your teeth cleaned, the hygienist removes hard deposits (tartar) as well as soft ones (plaque). Though the hard deposits are mostly annoying, the plaque involves bacteria which can be detrimental to your teeth and overall health.
It’s the bacteria that feed off many of our foods causing acid to attack our teeth and gums, causing cavities and tissue problems. You can resolve to do a better job at home brushing and flossing to remove debris, but a trip to the hygienist two or three times a year can ensure that you are doing it effectively, as well as eliminating the “hard to find” tartar and plaque.
Digital radiographs ( x-rays) and photos can be used to look for decay, bone abnormalities and periodontal diseases. The hygienist will also look for possible tissue problems or growths that may – or may not – be cancer-related.
And at your visit, the dentist plays a similar role, in both diagnosing and treating problems.
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