Walk with a Doc - Dallas, TX

08/29/2025

Hi everyone! 😊

Due for the weather concerns tomorrow morning, we are rescheduling!

It is rescheduled for Saturday, September 27th at 8:30 am ☀️

RSVP to the event below! 👩🏾‍⚕️

03/01/2025

03/01/2025

Kicked off March on the right foot with an awesome walk today! 👩🏾‍⚕️

🚨 Topic: Importance of Vaccination- Highlighting MMR

Importance of Measles Vaccination 💉

▪️Measles vaccination is a highly effective way to prevent a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine provides long-lasting immunity, reducing the risk of severe complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and even death. High vaccination rates also contribute to herd immunity, protecting vulnerable populations like infants, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals who cannot receive the vaccine.

Risks of Not Being Vaccinated

▪️Without vaccination, measles can spread rapidly, leading to outbreaks that strain healthcare systems and put lives at risk. Unvaccinated individuals are at higher risk of severe illness, complications, and long-term consequences, including neurological damage. Measles can also cause immunosuppression, making individuals more susceptible to other infections for months to years after recovery. Additionally, low vaccination rates can lead to the resurgence of measles, reversing decades of progress in disease control.

Join for my next walk on Saturday, April 19th at 9:30 am ☀️

11/24/2024

Great walk today! 👩🏾‍⚕️ 🌞
We had some new walkers join us today which is always fun!

📣Topic: Lupus

Quick Facts About Lupus

• What Is It?
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks healthy tissues, causing inflammation and damage in organs like the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, and lungs.

• Who Is Affected?
It affects about 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people worldwide, with women (especially women of color) being 9 times more likely to develop it than men.

• Common Symptoms:
▪️Fatigue
▪️Joint pain and swelling
▪️Skin rashes (e.g., butterfly rash on the face)
▪️Fever
▪️Sensitivity to sunlight

• Diagnosis:
No single test can diagnose lupus. Doctors rely on a combination of blood tests (e.g., ANA), physical exams, symptom history, and sometimes biopsies.

• Treatment:
There is no cure, but treatments like anti-inflammatory drugs, antimalarials (e.g., hydroxychloroquine), corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants help manage symptoms and prevent complications.

• Key Fact:
Lupus symptoms can mimic other diseases, making diagnosis challenging, but early detection and treatment improve outcomes.

Join us for our last walk of the year - Saturday, December 14th at 9:30 am ♥️

10/28/2024

Saturday’s Walk with a Doc 👩🏾‍⚕️
▪️10/26/2024

Topic: Heart Failure ♥️

1. What it is: Heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump blood efficiently, leading to insufficient oxygen and nutrients reaching the body’s cells.

2. Types: Two main types are left-sided (affecting the heart’s main pumping chamber) and right-sided heart failure (often caused by left-sided failure).

3. Causes: High blood pressure, coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, and lifestyle factors can all contribute to heart failure.

4. Symptoms: Shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the legs, ankles, or abdomen, rapid or irregular heartbeat, and persistent cough or wheezing.

5. Treatment: Includes lifestyle changes, medications, devices like pacemakers, and, in severe cases, surgery or heart transplants.

6. Prevention: Healthy diet, regular exercise, managing blood pressure and blood sugar, quitting smoking, and regular check-ups can reduce risk.

7. Prevalence: It affects millions worldwide and is a leading cause of hospitalizations among those over 65.

8. Prognosis: While there’s no cure, early diagnosis and treatment can improve quality of life and longevity.

08/31/2024

Great time at Walk with a Doc today! 👩🏾‍⚕️💙

The topic today was on Sleep Apnea.

Quick Facts About Sleep Apnea

1. Prevalence: Sleep apnea affects over 22 million Americans, with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) being the most common type. It often goes undiagnosed, particularly in older adults.

2. Risk Factors: Common risk factors include obesity, large neck circumference, and being male. However, sleep apnea can affect anyone, including children and people of average weight.

3. Health Risks: Untreated sleep apnea is linked to serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to daytime fatigue and reduced quality of life.

4. Symptoms: Common symptoms include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and morning headaches. However, not everyone with sleep apnea snores.

5. Treatment: The most effective treatment for OSA is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which keeps airways open during sleep. Other treatments include lifestyle changes, dental devices, and surgery in severe cases.

Top 5 Myths About Sleep Apnea:

1. Myth: Only overweight people get sleep apnea.
-Fact: While obesity is a significant risk factor, sleep apnea can affect people of any weight, including children and those with a normal BMI.

2. Myth: Snoring always means you have sleep apnea.
-Fact: Not all snorers have sleep apnea. However, loud and frequent snoring is a common symptom and should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

3. Myth: Sleep apnea is just loud snoring.
-Fact: Sleep apnea involves repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep, which can lead to serious health problems. It’s more than just a nuisance; it’s a medical condition that requires treatment.

4. Myth: CPAP machines are bulky and uncomfortable.
-Fact: CPAP technology has improved significantly, with smaller, quieter machines and more comfortable masks. Many patients find relief and improved sleep quality with CPAP therapy.

5. Myth: Sleep apnea only affects older men.
-Fact: While more common in older adults and men, sleep apnea can occur in women and younger people as well. Women’s symptoms are often different and may include insomnia, depression, or fatigue, leading to underdiagnosis.

🔈Join us for our next Walk with a Doc - Saturday, October 26th at 9:30 am!

07/23/2024

July Walk with a Doc ♥️👩🏾‍⚕️

06/23/2024

November- Walk with a Doc 2023

06/23/2024

It was a hot Saturday morning at White Rock Lake to jump start summer walks but we had a great time with Holli from Fleet Feet Dallas! We spoke about the importance of having properly fitted shoes! Plantar Fasciitis was our topic today.

Key points:

-About 10% of the population will have plantar fasciitis in their lifetime!

-90% of cases involving plantar fasciitis are self-limiting, which means that with only 6 months of conservative treatment (like stretching, icing, and the use of orthotic inserts) the condition could greatly improve or even be fully healed!

-During an average day, the total impact your feet absorb is equal to the weight borne by a fully loaded cement truck!

-A full quarter of the bones in your body are located in your feet - 52 to be exact! When those bones are out of alignment, that’s when things get messy and create the conditions for plantar fasciitis to start.

Moral of the story- shoes are important! Make sure you have a pair that properly fit and provide support. If you have foot related pain be sure to consult your P*P.

Learn more about Fleet Feet Dallas here:
https://www.fleetfeet.com/s/dallas

Our next Walk with a Doc 👩🏾‍⚕️will be Saturday, July 20th at 8:30 am

03/23/2024

Great walk today! 👩🏾‍⚕️

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Thank you to everyone for coming out for another wonderful Walk with a Doc! 👩🏾‍⚕️

Today’s topic was on HIV/AIDS. We discussed the history of HIV/AIDS, the stigma surrounding the disease, how the illness can progress from HIV to AIDS, what the term “undetectable means” and discussed the prevalence based on gender, ethnicity and regional disparities.

A few highlights:

-Get tested! I didn’t get a chance to mention this during our talk today but we start the age of testing at 15 years old until roughly 65 years old but this is not a hard fast rule; depending on the risk of the individual you may be tested earlier or later in life as well as more frequently + other STIs.

-Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV. About 13 percent of them don’t know it and need testing. HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on certain populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities and gay, bis*xual, and other men who have s*x with men (MSM).

-HIV is not spread by: Air or water. Mosquitoes, ticks, or other insects. Saliva, tears, sweat, f***s, or urine that is not mixed with the blood of a person with HIV.

Join us for our next walk on Saturday, April 27th at 9:30am 👩🏾‍⚕️