Texan ENT Specialists - February 2021

Texan ENT Specialists - February 2021

TexanENT.com

512.550.0321

FEBRUARY 2021

Main Office:

Satellite Office:

1180 Seton Parkway, Suite 330 Kyle TX 78640

1009 W. San Antonio Street Lockhart, TX 78644 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month

‘EAR, NEWS, AND THROAT’

‘BUT WHY, DAD?’ AND OTHER ADVENTURES

An Evans Family Update

Whew! The last few months have been a whirlwind in the Evans household. We’ve celebrated two birthdays in addition to the holidays and continued to settle into our new house while doing a pretty extensive remodel, all while raising a toddler and a newborn. So, it's nice to take a moment to sit down and talk about all of this. I’ll start with Audrey, who turned 3 on Dec. 15. If you’d been in the house that day, you definitely would have known it was her birthday. She was happily singing “Happy Birthday” and really played it up for her big day. She’s really full of herself right now and loves to tell us what’s what. Like a lot of 3-year-olds, she also always has one important question on her mind: “Why?” Not to overstate the matter, but I’d say her birthday party was out of this world. That’s because Audrey is really into outer space right now. She loves all things space — rocket ships, planets, stars, the moon! So, Renee and I got her a cake featuring an intricate space scene printed right on the frosting: a rocket and Saturn alongside the traditional happy birthday message. Audrey loves to play with her birthday gifts from Renee, me, and her grandma. We got her a device that projects planets, moons, and all things space onto the ceiling so she can be a space traveler from the comfort of her own room! When she’s not exploring outer space, she’s using the tool kit Grandma gave her to pretend to fix and build things. Audrey especially loves the battery-operated drill.

She’s really into gadgets, so Grandma did a great job finding the perfect gift!

It’s so fun to watch both my girls grow up. It never ceases to amaze me how different they are in some ways. Claire will be 6 months old on Feb. 25, and she really started to come into her own back in December, grinning and laughing. She sleeps through the night now, and she’s growing like a champ. In fact, she’s in the 90th percentile for weight and height, which is much bigger than Audrey was at her age. Claire also has much more hair than Audrey did, and Claire’s is usually sticking straight up, too! Claire is also very cuddly and smiley, whereas Audrey has always been much more independent. It’s neat to see both of their personalities. Renee’s been at home with the girls supervising our home remodel, which is thankfully wrapping up. I’ve mentioned before that Renee trained and worked as a pharmacist. Now, she’s working from home as a mother and sort of a second contractor, helping to oversee the remodel, do the interior design, and wrangle all the different workers on-site. She’s really been a champ throughout this process, and I know she’s looking forward to recharging in these last weeks of winter. Her work has really paid off, too — the remodel of our new house is looking great. Renee’s design work is wonderful and the overall feel of the place has changed dramatically. We gutted the first floor, modernized the kitchen, repainted everything, and

redid the flooring. We also replaced the smaller windows with larger ones, which let in more light now and provide a vista view of the backyard. Our dog, Izzy, who turned 10 on Feb. 1, especially loves to watch for critters in the backyard. She’s a bit of a grouchy old lady these days, but she’s still got it. If she spots an animal on TV, she’ll run up and bark at it, and she still loves to chase squirrels outside. Our other dog, Emma, turned 4 in December, and she’s still a champion cuddler! Between her and baby Claire, we have no shortage of cuddles in the Evans household. As for me, I’m excited to really get into the new year. Well, excited might not be quite the right word. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind a boring 2021. With so much going on last year between the pandemic, us having a new baby while raising a toddler, buying a new house, and then starting the remodel, we’re ready for calm. So, if 2021 turns out

to be a more restful year, Renee and I are definitely okay with that.

–Dr. Seth Evans

PAGE 2

512.550.0321

TexanENT.com

This may be the first year in a long time that kids don’t pass out Valentine’s Day cards at school. Going in to the new year, the seasonal section of most stores is lined with cards featuring fun characters from superheroes to unicorns. Handing out cards is now a well-loved tradition, but have you ever wondered how Valentine’s Day became one of the biggest card-giving holidays of the year? Like many holiday traditions, the convention of handing out Valentine’s Day cards goes back centuries. During the 1700s, it became fashionable to trade Valentine’s Day cards with a short poem or verse. The popularity of swapping cards only increased throughout the 1800s. Sometimes, people would go as far as to paint or draw spring-like images on the cards. They were much more elaborate than what we typically see today, though they were still usually very small. But where did those folks get the idea? People of that era were likely inspired by stories that go back even further. There are legends that the originator of this holiday tradition was Saint Valentine himself. One story says that on the night before he was set to be executed, Valentine wrote a small letter to a jailer’s daughter. He ended the note with “Your Valentine.” It’s unknown whether that story is true, but to 18th century Europeans and Americans, it was inspiring! So inspiring, in fact, that the entire Valentine’s Day industry began to gain traction. A guidebook called “The Young Man’s Valentine” was published in 1797 to help suitors garner the attention of their love interests through the written word. Eventually, books aimed at women were also published, including “The Lady’s Own Valentine Writer,” which served much the same goal. These publications, along with young people writing notes to one another every February, have made Valentine’s Day cards an ingrained tradition, and now people can’t get enough of them!

For Better Home Insulation Are you feeling a draft, even when you’re nestled on the couch? Even though good home insulation is important every part of the year, chances are you notice its absence much more in the winter months. But before you call in a construction crew to tear down your walls and fix your insulation, try these simple, budget-friendly ways to keep heat inside your home. Weatherproof your doors. If you can feel chilly air coming through the crack between the bottom of your door and your hardwood floors, putting foam or rubber weatherstripping under your doors can stop the cold air from getting into your home and circulating through every room. Even if the crack between your floor and your door is extra large, you can double up on weatherstripping. Plus, it can be easily removed when necessary! Install thick curtains over your windows. If you have drafty windows, invest in some thick curtains. Light curtains are great when the weather is warmer, but a good set of heavy curtains will keep the heat from escaping. For added insulation, you can also find curtains with thermal backs. However, if saving money is more important than aesthetics for you, you can also insulate your windows by blow-drying some plastic wrap onto the windows to fill any holes. Keep up with your HVAC maintenance. Maintaining your HVAC system means changing out filters once a month, cleaning ducts regularly, and watching for leaks in the air duct system. (Some key indicators of leaks are higher energy bills during the summer or dust accumulating more in one room than in others.) You can also maintain your HVAC system by simply moving furniture out of the way of vents so it can disperse heat more equally throughout your home. The cold may be sticking around for a while longer. But with some proper insulation, you won’t have to be reminded of that when you’re indoors, all while saving a pretty penny. WarmUp toThese Small Projects

TexanENT.com

512.550.0321

PAGE 3

To UnderstandYour Cost of Care 5 Important Health Insurance Terms You Need to know

H ealth insurance is a complex topic, so if all the terminology confuses you, that’s understandable! But it’s important to know the details of your personal plan so you understand what you’ll be responsible for paying. Get started by familiarizing yourself with these five terms. Premium This is the monthly cost you pay to carry your insurance policy. Most people get insurance through their employer, and some even pay a portion (or all!) of their employees’ monthly premiums. In other cases, you are responsible to pay the full premium amount. Plans with higher premiums often have lower deductibles and vice versa, which we’ll touch on later. Copayment When you see a primary care physician (PCP) or specialist, you usually pay a copay at the time of your visit. This set amount, specified by your insurer, is often listed on your insurance card. Note that copays for specialists, like an ENT doctor, are often higher than those of your PCP. The copay covers your appointment and examination with the doctor, but it doesn’t always cover procedures or tests done while in the office.

Deductible This is the amount of money (set by your insurer) you’ll have to pay out of pocket for medical services each calendar year before your insurer starts to pay. For example, if you have a $1,000 deductible, once you pay that much out of pocket for services, you’re only responsible to pay coinsurance for any further services in that calendar year. The young and healthy often opt for a higher deductible plan because they don’t anticipate needing a lot of services. If you’re older, have a chronic condition, or know you’ll need to see the doctor a lot, it’s wise to choose a lower deductible plan. Coinsurance This is the percentage of costs you’re responsible for paying after the deductible is met. An 80–20 split is one of the most common. This means your insurer pays for 80% of covered services after the deductible is met, and you pay the remaining 20%. This holds unless and until you meet an out-of-pocket maximum. Out-of-Pocket Maximum This is the maximum amount, set by the insurer, you have to pay in a calendar year on in-network services. Once you’ve paid this amount in deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, your insurer will pay for 100% of covered services.

HAVE A LAUGH

ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH TURKEY BOLOGNESE

Inspired by JustATaste.com

Ingredients

• • • • • •

3 tbsp olive oil, divided 1 tbsp garlic, minced 1/2 cup onions, diced small

• • • • •

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp sugar

1 lb ground turkey

3 medium zucchini

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

2 tbsp tomato paste

Directions

1.

In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and onions and stir constantly until garlic is golden and onions are translucent.

5.

Using a spiralizer, mandolin, or vegetable peeler, cut the zucchini into noodles. In another large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add remaining olive oil and zucchini noodles, tossing constantly for 2 minutes until slightly wilted. Plate the zucchini noodles, top with the turkey Bolognese, and garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

2.

6.

3. Increase heat to medium and add ground turkey, break apart, and cook thoroughly. 4. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally.

7.

If you love spaghetti, you’ll love these zucchini noodles!

512.550.0321

PAGE 4

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1180 SETON PARKWAY, SUITE 330 KYLE, TX 78640

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Page 1 Evans Family Update

Page 2 What’s the Deal With Valentine’s Day Cards?

A Few Ideas to Better Insulate Your Home

Page 3 5 Important Health Insurance Terms to Know

Zucchini Noodles With Turkey Bolognese

Page 4 A Word From the Westies

Hours: Monday–Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

HowMany HumanYears Equal 1 DogYear? ANSWERING AN AGE-OLD QUESTION

Before I get started on this month’s very important topic, I want to say “Happy Birthday!” to my older sister Izzy who turns 10 of Feb. 1, my much older sister that is.

By Dr. Dodman’s calculation, Izzy is just 60 — not even old enough to retire from her job of

Not to steal her spotlight, but I also recently had a birthday. I turned 4 in December, the same month Audrey turned 3. You might have read about her awesome space-themed birthday party on this month’s cover! I might be the little sister to my dog sister, Izzy, but at least I get to be the big sister to my human sister, Audrey. But how much older am I than Audrey really? I know a lot of people think of just one formula to calculate a dog’s age in human years: dog age x 7 = dog’s age in human years. That would make Izzy 70 and me 28. But just like Izzy, that formula is old news. Ha! Little dogs like me and Izzy tend to live longer than bigger breeds, so a more accurate way to calculate our age in human years is to multiply our age by six. To calculate the age of bigger dogs, which tend to have shorter lifespans, multiply their age by eight. At least, that’s what I heard Dr. Nicholas Dodman say on the radio the other day. He’s a veterinarian — basically, he does what my dad, Dr. Evans, does but for pets — so you know he’s really smart.

barking at the animals on TV and chasing squirrels. I think that’s for the better because she really loves her work. At age 24, I’ve got a lot of years left in my line of work, too: cuddling the humans. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it! You might think these calculations are silly, but translating doggie ages into human years can be a helpful way to know where we are in our lifespan and what kind of care we need. As Dr. Dodson says, “Old age isn’t a disease,” but old gals like Izzy do start to have different needs in their later years, and their humans need to be aware of that.

It’s been so fun to write to you all this month! See ya in the spring!