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  • Writer's pictureDrSwae

The B Side of Life - written 2020





Hi there. We had a great, beautiful but seriously chilly spring day. I am every day more buoyed by all the wonderful ways people are coming together, still apart- sewing masks, delivering food, supporting essential workers, volunteering for front lines. The list goes on and on. I choose to focus on those beautiful stories.


And I can't really help it when I hear of all these resourceful, generous folks who live and work in our communities, like a few of our dearly beloved, working to make hand sanitizer for their peeps.



And to fill our cups even more, the boys were happy to have Scott home for a weekend day. We are fortunate to be in good health right now, and we can only hope that sticks. Have you heard of plasma donation?

Hopeful...


It was such a beautiful day here. We made sun tea- our first of the year.



We played some games. (Sudoku is a great math game that can become addictive even to our 8 year old apparently.)



We worked on building our hurdy-gurdy. (Look at the focus on that big, sweet boy. I can't wait to hear the music! Fingers crossed!)



And we ate dinner outside before sunset. By then we were pushing it, weather-wise, but we were so eager to make it happen!


Our rule is simple: table manners can be overlooked when we are wearing down coats with seams held together by duct tape. We all make our exceptions...


All in all, it was a great day.


After I put the baby down I read some dermatology. Since it's a weekend, I didn't feel a huge push to work on school stuff with the kids and they were all pretty pooped after all that game theory and engineering (haha).


Even though a virus has all the world's hands on deck, people are still writing about all the things that made jobs rewarding and interesting prior to this era. Skin always has a story!


The newest article I just read in the American Academy blue journal spoke to me. DIY for the era!


Sodium hypochlorite (aka the active ingredient in bleach)!

Dermatologists been courtside, rooting for bleach for years. We know bleach baths work for eczema and other conditions where bacteria play a role on the skin.


However, now bleach has become a household hero because most of us already have it in our cupboards and pantries. And let's face it, you can't easily find many other cleaning products these days.


The CDC is now recommending dilute bleach to kill viruses and my dermatologist colleagues are showing how it's done.


Here's the rundown:


1. Dilute ⅓ cup of bleach per 1 gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per 1 quart of water.

2. LEAVE IT on the surface you're cleaning for 10 minutes. Then wipe off.

3. Pay attention to what surfaces you're using it on. I would have said that goes without saying but then I remembered my orange-white towels that were once blue.

4. Never mix it with anything but water.

5. NEVER put it directly on skin or let it come in contact with mucous membranes (i.e. nose, mouth, eyes, groin). That is just bad news.

6. Absolutely KEEP IT AWAY from kids.


I just love how nimble we are all becoming with this. I mean, personally my own joints are getting creaky, but our minds are bending like Beckham up here.


And since we are still on the subject of DIY, here is a fantastic recipe for pancakes because there are few better things than pancakes on a Sunday morning. Let me know how they turn out!



Sweet dreams all. Be well.

xo, Dr Swae


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