2. Hi, thanks for stopping by and reading this blog… I'm
Jeremy…full-time IONM traveler I fly around the country and do
neuromonitoring or intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring We
call it IONM, don't worry about the tongue breaker You're probably
wondering how I can afford to live in Manhattan Well…two things
make it possible: rent control and my roommate ;-) Phone rings…
Ah, I should probably get that Could be work calling As an IONM
traveler, I am married to the phone, so-to-speak (looking at phone
display) Yep, it's work alright (answers phone) "Hello?" "Good
morning, Jeremy
3. Lisa here from the scheduling office How are you?" "Hi, Lisa! I am
doing fine How are you?" "I am doing good, thanks… I'm calling
because we have sort of an emergency case add-on in Denver…"
"Let me guess, it's Felix " "How'd you know?" "That snowboarding
maniac was bound to break his legs sooner or later " "Actually, it's
his collar bone We need you to cover his cases until further notice
His first case tomorrow morning is an ACDF, so you will need to fly
out ASAP Can you make a three o'clock?" Cascade"Sure, no
problem You know me, my bag is already packed and my Cadwell
ready to go " "OK, great
4. Check your messages for surgery details and we'll be in touch " "I
know the drill, Lisa Talk to you soon " "Thanks, Jeremy! Have a
good flight!" (hangs up phone) Good flight? Now there's a misnomer
for you During my time in the Air Force, I learned just about
everything there is to know about flying, but no matter how prepared
I am, longer flights always seem to leave me feeling
less-than-optimal due to jetlag Did you know that jetlag can diminish
athletic performances and cause many physical stresses and, in
some cases, even wars? It's a fact: in '56, John Foster Dulles,
Secretary of State under Eisenhower, felt especially
discombobulated following his long return flight from Egypt… upon
home-coming, he learned that the Egyptians had entered into a
weapons-deal with the Russians Not thinking clearly due to jet lag,
Dulles immediately and undiplomatically reneged on the agreement
to fund the Aswan Dam Project The Suez Canal Crisis emerged and
the rest is history The Cold War was on It's true: virtually all
passengers are affected by jetlag, which rears its ugly head in many
forms
5. From diarrhea to constipation, dehydration, disorientation, nausea;
even a modified reaction to drugs, fear, euphoria… headache,
impaired vision; hypoxia and increased susceptibility to illnesses and
muscle pain Really, just about any physical discomfort could be
blamed on jetlag! Medically speaking, jetlag is desynchronosis, the
disruption of our circadian rhythm In narrowest terms, we
experience jetlag during air travel across time-zones from east to
west and from west to east, however, traveling across hemispheres
also has its perils for travelers Other nuisances not related to
directional travel can leave you feeling jetlagged, too, for example,
loud engine noises, thin air, lack of ventilation in the aircraft, and
decreased blood circulation, just to name a few Jetlag is a serious
problem and in order to maximize work productivity it needs to be
countered systematically before the trip begins, in mid-air, as well as
after landing Jet Lag Don't lose your competitive edge to jetlag! But
what to do, you ask? First and foremost, the body must be hydrated
to keep the trillions of cells functioning properly The air moisture
content in commercial passenger planes is on par with levels found
in our southwestern deserts: about 10-20%, with most of the
humidity being supplied by fellow passengers exhaling, perspiring,
6. sneezing and coughing That's right So, by all means, keep drinking
plenty of fluids and keep visiting the lav! Did you know that as little as
a 2% decrease in fluid level can leave your body feeling itchy,
lethargic and constipated? Remember, dehydration also adversely
affects the brain and our ability to think! Needless to say, alcoholic
beverages are a no-no
7. Per jetiquette - the unofficial good-manners guide for flight
passengers - it is perfectly OK to walk up to the flight attendants'
service station to help yourself for beverages Flight attendants work
very hard and will not mind if you pour yourself a glass of water…or
two or three during the flight At the same time, you will have an
opportunity to stretch and visit the lav Retaining moisture can be
very time-consuming if you set out to do it right: drink at least a glass
of water per hour when flying At 6'2", I actually have to drink twice
that amount And apply plenty of lotion to your skin, especially
around the eyes Remove contacts and use moisturizing eye drops
in addition to coating the inside of your nose with oil to prevent
viruses entering through cracks caused by dryness Sesame oil and
coconut oil are my favorites As all our colleagues in IONM and
neurophysiology know, our intervertebral discs, the shock absorbers
between our vertebrae, consist mostly of H20 Discs consist of an
outer annulus fibrosus, which surrounds the inner nucleus pulposus,
distributing pressure evenly across the disk
8.
9. The nucleus of the disk acts as a shock absorber, absorbing the
impact of the body's daily activities and keeping the two vertebrae
separated Make sure you always drink plenty of water to keep the
discs' nucleus pulposus hydrated- especially if you already have
aches and pains Dehydration is one of the common causes of
"pinched nerves" of the spine and so-called slipped disk The
"slipped" disk will actually rupture, herniate or split, rather than "slip"
under abnormal conditions, such as injury and disease When the
disk impinges on nerve tissue, the result can be back pain and leg
pain Proper hydration can help counteract nerve root irritation Don't
laugh, but a large, clean handkerchief moistened with water can
serve as a refreshing cooling mask and as a barrier to viruses when
applied to the face, mouth and nose The hanky also wards off
unpleasant odors High altitudes cause the bodily gases to expand,
creating pressure and the need to escape Only two ways out!
(winks) Unfortunately, swelling body tissue is one of the side effects
we experience when flying
10.
11. Remember to wear shoes that are easy on the feet, loosely-fitting
clothes and finger jewelry should not be too tight either Jet LagIf you
are drinking plenty of water before and during the flight, your
digestive juices should be diluted, so hold off on meals, unless you
desire to cause swelling of the abdomen! Try skipping the unhealthy
sweet, salty and fatty foods offered by airport eateries and airlines in
lieu of purely liquid forms of nutrition I like milk, water, V-8 and OJ
myself Jet LagAnother thing to consider is that exposure to
electromagnetic (EM) fields can leave you feeling fatigued and, well,
jetlagged Your usual suspects include radar from the ground as well
as the plane and other planes, the jet engine, cockpit computers,
electrical wiring throughout the cabin, high levels of static electricity
generated in the fuselage and radiation from the commercial
transport of radioactive materials All the more reason to drink plenty
of water! Cold water has disinfectant and cleansing properties to help
12. clear the body of EM pollution, so keep on drinking! The behavioral
changes by EM fields have been researched and experimented with
for many years… Adjusting to the local time table ASAP is key to
getting body and mind up to top speed Resetting the body clock
begins in the air and this may mean sleeping right away or forcing
yourself to stay awake - whatever the time change requires
Noise-canceling headphones or ear plugs will reduce most ambient
noise caused by the engines, allowing for a more peaceful nap or
work session Some travelers resort to sleeping pills and alcohol to
drown out the tedium of being compacted into a narrow seat with
barely enough air to breathe, but be warned: the escape into
inebriating substances is only a temporary solution with harsh
repercussions Intoxicating oneself will, in the end, not only intensify
the unpleasant side effects of flying (dehydration, disorientation et
cetera), but it is also unsafe in case of an emergency
13. If you would like to know about the subject of jetlag, I can
recommend a little book called Jet Smart by Travel Genie, Diana
Fairchild Well, I have to check my messages and then I am off to the
airport Thanks, again, for stopping in… and remember: Travel
smarter, not harder Happy monitoring, my Colleagues!
DISCLAIMER: The authors of this article do not dispense medical
advice This paper has been written and published solely for
informative and entertainment purposes It is made available with the
understanding that the authors and publishers are not engaged in
rendering medical and health advice The information should not be
considered complete and does not reduce game lag cover all
diseases, ailments, physical conditions or their treatment relating to
jet lag It should not be used in place of a call or visit to a competent
medical professional, who should be consulted before adopting any
of the suggestions in this site or drawing inferences from it
