Texan ENT Specialists - September 2021

Texan ENT Specialists - September 2021

TexanENT.com

512.550.0321

SEPTEMBER 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’

WHO ARE BOO AND BEANS?

Fun Facts You May Not Know About Izzy and Emma

Sometimes I wonder if my dogs are more popular than me.

Now, Emma’s nickname origin story is even weirder — if you can believe it! When most dogs grow, their entire body grows with them. Not Emma. Her legs grew and she became taller, but she kept her small puppy body. So, she has these beanstalk legs, and it became inevitable that she would come to be known as Emma Bean. Not long after she earned her name, Renee and I were watching “Impractical Jokers.” This TruTV show has four lifelong friends daring each other to do outrageous acts in public, completely

Regular readers of this newsletter know our family’s beloved canines, Izzy and Emma, from their monthly spotlight on Page 4. Their little anecdotes and stories are often the most popular story in the newsletter! It’s understandable — they’re hard not to love. But this month, I want to share a few “unknowns” about Izzy and Emma. Readers may feel they know our pets from their monthly spotlight articles, but we have a few family secrets about Izzy and Emma.

embarrassing themselves for fun and humor. In one episode, they dared one of the stars to call himself special agent Randy Beans. There was no way we were going to let a name like Randy Beans pass by and not call our own Beans by that name! If anyone were to walk into our home, we might sound a little crazy calling for Randy Beans and Boo Boo, but Boo and Beans help make our house a home — each with their own distinct personalities, too.

For starters, we rarely actually call them Izzy and Emma! Izzy is commonly called Boo, Boo-Boo, or Boo Bear, and Emma is frequently referred to as Beanie, The Beans, or Beanstalk. Like many pet nicknames, these goofy names have a great story behind them. When I first met Renee, she already had Izzy. She was just a pup then at 1 1/2 years old, but she was still known as Izzy. However, Renee and I are big fans of the “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” movies, and there’s a line in that movie where Jim Carrey’s character — Ace Ventura — picks up a dog and says, “Boo boo, doo doo,” in a way only Jim Carrey can perfectly emulate. It's such a ridiculous movie, but it cracks us up every time! Meanwhile, we discovered that Izzy is a sucker for sweet talk. She loves when people baby talk to her or give her all kinds of attention and love. Naturally, we started reciting Jim Carrey’s “Boo boo, doo doo” line to her, and the name stuck. Izzy has been Boo ever since!

For instance, we like to call Izzy a cat-dog. She can be a little stand-offish, and she’s fine with having her own space. If she sees a stranger, she’s rarely interested in interacting with them! Meanwhile, Emma is the opposite. She is a total cuddle bear and will snuggle behind your neck on the couch if you let her. As soon as you look at Emma, she rolls on her back and expects belly pets.

I’d venture to say few pets are as famous locally as Izzy and Emma, so this might be “insider information.” But for our family, no matter how popular they get, our dogs will always be our little Boo Boo and Beanie.

–Dr. Seth Evans

FROM A SCATTERBRAINED SUMMER TO AN ORDERLY SCHOOL YEAR PAGE 2 512.550.0321 TexanENT.com HACKS TO GET YOUR KIDS ORGANIZED

Summer break (especially for young kiddos) is a lawless time with little meaning that’s punctuated by a vacation or trips to the park and pool. Transitioning children back to the calm, orderly world of the school year can be challenging for both teachers and parents. How can you make sure your kids trade in their summer hats for their school brains? Well, luckily, you can use a few hacks to make that transition brighter, seamless, and even fun.

Color code different sections of the clock for different parts of the day to help them remember what they’re supposed to be doing, whether it’s blue for breakfast time, orange for homework hour, or purple for their bedtime routine. Make school supply cubbies. If your child tends to throw their backpack and jackets all over the house, then school supply cubbies could be a game-changer. You could even just label different hooks in your mudroom or hallway if that’s all you have to work with. Whatever the case, when your kids have an established place to put their school stuff, it’s that much easier for them to find as they head out the door in the morning. Organize your school lunch supplies. Making your kids’ lunches each morning can be exhausting, but if you put different lunch items (e.g., bags of chips, apples, juice pouches, etc.) in different, easy-to-reach containers, you can turn making school lunches into an assembly line process where your kids do most of the work themselves, teaching them responsibility and taking a load off of your shoulders every school morning. You can even consider making the lunches the night before to lighten up the morning routine! Plan your kids’ outfits for the next day … or the next week. If they had their way, you know your kiddos would wear the same Spider Man or Elsa T-shirt every day of the week. So, if you want to make sure they look respectable and ready to learn every day, plan out their outfits for the entire school week. This is especially easy if they have a set of hanging cubbies in their closets. Allow them to help choose outfits on a Saturday or Sunday before the new week; it will also help them learn how to dress themselves later in life.

Create a fun checklist for school to-do’s. Spelling out all the tasks your kids have to do before and after school will help them ease back into the routines of going to bed each night and getting up early for school. Plus, it will

introduce them to the satisfaction of checking items off a list after completing them. When your kids know what to do and when to do it, it makes your day a little easier!

Make a color- coded clock.

Lots of kids are visual learners, which means an analog

clock will be their best friend when it comes to keeping track of time.

Back-to-school season shouldn’t be hectic — and with a few of these hacks in mind, it won’t be!

TexanENT.com

512.550.0321

PAGE 3

SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE AT RISK SLEEP APNEA

How is sleep apnea diagnosed? Sleep apnea is scary and often disruptive to a patient’s sleep and quality of life. More than that, it can lead to a host of serious medical problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. In the worst cases, sleep apnea can be deadly if breathing stops for too long. Luckily, sleep apnea is treatable. If you recognize any of the above warning signs, Dr. Evans can help by performing tests and monitoring your breathing. Once the cause of your sleep disruption is determined, we can explore the best treatment options. Make an appointment today to get your sleep (and life) back on track! HAVE A LAUGH

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that affects at least 25 million people in the U.S. People with sleep apnea stop breathing for short intervals while they’re asleep, and this can affect both their sleep and daytime functioning. The good news is that sleep apnea is treatable. Who is at risk? The three biggest risk factors for sleep apnea are age, sex, and weight. While sleep apnea can affect anyone, it’s most likely to occur in overweight men over age 50. Higher weight or a larger neck size can decrease the upper airway, making it difficult to breathe while sleeping. Nasal obstruction, enlarged tonsils, or a small jaw can also play a role.

A person of any age, weight, or gender should talk with a physician if they are showing symptoms.

What are the signs? People with sleep apnea commonly don’t realize their breathing stops during the night. Partners or spouses are often the first to let them know they’ve been snoring or gasping in their sleep. The most common signs of potential sleep apnea include: • Loud, disruptive snoring • Sudden awakening during the night, especially if accompanied by gasping or choking • Excessive night sweating • Daytime fatigue, depression,

or trouble concentrating • Dry mouth upon waking

Women are less likely to experience sleep apnea, but they certainly aren’t immune to the disorder.

ONE-PAN APPLE CIDER CHICKEN

Inspired by WellPlated.com

Bring the taste of fall into your kitchen with this sizzling skillet meal.

Ingredients

• • • • •

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• • •

4 tsp olive oil, divided

1 tsp salt, divided

3 sweet apples, cut into 1/2-inch slices 2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more for garnish

1/2 tsp black pepper, divided

1/2 cup apple cider 2 tsp Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside. 2. In a small bowl, combine apple cider and mustard. Set aside. 3. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tsp olive oil. When shimmering, add chicken thighs top-side down. Cook for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 4 more minutes.

Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Wipe the skillet clean. 4. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, then add sliced apples, remaining salt and pepper, and rosemary. Cook for 5 minutes. 5. Return the chicken to the skillet and add apple cider-mustard mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, then serve sprinkled with rosemary!

PAGE 4

512.550.0321

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1180 SETON PARKWAY, SUITE 330 KYLE, TX 78640

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 1 Dr. Evans Reveals Izzy and Emma’s Nicknames! Page 2 Hacks to Get Your Kids Organized for the School Year

Page 3 Are You at Risk for Sleep Apnea?

One-Pan Apple Cider Chicken

Page 4 A Word From the Westies: Train Your Pup!

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

AWORD FROMTHEWESTIES: TRAINYOUR PUP!

And Be a Canine Good Citizen!

Did you read about us on the cover this month?! We were thrilled — no, honored — to be the main focus of our human dad’s cover story, but we cannot believe how many embarrassing stories he shared about us! We love our nicknames, but only our humans can call us Beans and Boo, got it? Now that we have that out of the way, we want to use the back-to-school season as inspiration to share a few details about the American Kennel Association’s Canine Good Citizen training. Believe it or not, dogs like to be trained! It makes us feel safe, and it keeps our environment positive and happy. Plus, all the treats we get during training are extra fun! If you have ever considered making your beloved best friend a therapy dog or just want to ensure they don’t act up at the park or when a stranger walks by, Canine Good Citizen training is just the way to do it! To achieve this certification, your pup has to pass 10 tests, which means you have a lot of studying to do!

• Walking calmly on a loose leash • Walking carefully in a crowd • Sitting and lying down on command • Responding when called

• Reacting appropriately and nicely to other dogs • Not responding to distractions (not even squirrels!) • Being alone with someone other than our owners without anxiety

If your pup can pass all of these tests in a certified test, they can become recognized by the American Kennel Association as a Canine Good Citizen! Afterward, you can begin taking your pup to training classes to become a therapy dog or brag about them to your neighbors! (You know the neighborhood dogs will all be jealous!) And if you have ever considered making your dog an athlete for agility and trick competitions, Canine Good Citizen is often a requirement as well. This September, inquire at your local dog training center for obedience tips and advice on beginning your journey to Canine Good Citizen. Good luck!

These tests include: • Accepting a friendly stranger without going wild

• Sitting politely while receiving pets • Looking good and well-groomed