Tis the season my friends! So, do I start with a Christmas joke or a political one? Well, you all know that almost no one attended Trump’s tree lighting ceremony. They were terrified that there might be mistletoe there! One more? Yep! Republicans somehow found a way to give a grant and permanent tax cut to corporations like Apple, General Electric and Goldman Sachs, saving these big businesses tens of billions in $$$$. OK, now you are not laughing! Try this next one for a holiday LOL …

The Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed over 600 cases of mumps in Hawaii so far this year, 66 here on Hawaii Island. Both adults and children, vaccinated and unvaccinated have gotten the disease. A total of 16 people have had complications such as hearing loss and orchitis (swelling of the testicles).

Assuming you have cooked all the turkey leftovers and lived through Black Friday, you definitely need some laughter therapy! So let’s get movin’!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday … family, turkey and all the “difficult relationships.” LOL! LOL! I will never forget having a holiday with an obstetrician friend and his family. He came out of the kitchen in his scrubs and announced, “The turkey is dilated to four inches and the stuffing is crowning! Let’s eat!” Then his dietitian wife said, “Vegetables are a must when on a diet at Thanksgiving. I suggest pumpkin pie, zucchini bread and carrot cake!”

The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) will host their annual Winter Star Party directly following the Waimea Christmas Parade on Dec. 2. The Star Party, occurring at CFHT’s Waimea offices, will begin at 7 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m. CFHT staff and members of the West Hawaii astronomy club will set telescopes on the front lawn for community members to view the stars above.

Aloha and sorry about missing last week, but if you really, really need a good laugh (without my column) just look in the mirror! Ouch!

Aloha everyone, I wanted to give you a brief update of some happenings in our county.

Supportive family members often step in to help when an older adult needs family planning and coordination. Care recipients inevitably find themselves exposed through physical care, financial matters and oftentimes legal issues. Considering how personal these life aspects are to each of us, how would it go over if a well-intentioned loved one came into your life right now and started questioning when you last had a bowel movement, how much money you have in investments, or whether your home is the right place for you? Although these questions are often necessary, it can be difficult for someone to give full disclosure of their life without any discomfort or conflicts of interest.

Very early last Thursday morning I received a call from an unfamiliar number, but the area code was from where my parents live, so I picked up. The social worker on the other end of the line said my stepdad was in the ICU, needing lifesaving measures and my mother was missing. Having been made power of attorney if they were to become incapacitated, I approved dad to be put on a ventilator and contacted the sheriff to check on my mom at home, where they found her semi-conscious, and transported her to the hospital. They both had double pneumonia after a bout with the flu. Their oxygen levels were so low they were unable to realize how sick they were until it was dire.

Hope you are having a great day! If not, keep reading and I promise things will change!

Big news rocked the universe earlier this month when astronomers announced the detection and study of the collision of two neutron stars. Telescopes in Hawaii and the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy played key roles in the discovery. Let’s take a look at why the news excited astronomers.

Sometimes being a doctor is not only dangerous, but not fun! Let’s start with an experience I had last week. A neighbor called me and said, “Doc Shay, I have a serious question.” Of course I said, “How can I help you?” She then said with a bit of panic in her voice, “Well, remember a couple months ago I had a headache and you said it was OK to take a couple aspirin. Then about a month after that I call you with a backache and you said it would be OK to take a couple aspirin. Then I saw you after that awful tennis game and I had a stiff neck and shoulder pain. So, again you said I could take two aspirin. Well, listen now because I am so worried! This morning I almost ran over a kid crossing the street and I slammed on my brakes, sending my body against the steering wheel. Afterward I had a headache, back pain, stiff neck and shoulder pain. So, I took two aspirin for each symptom all at once, a total of eight. Was that OK?” I told her she would probably have an upset stomach and the best thing would be for her to empty her stomach. She then said, “Oh I forgot to tell you that I threw up all the aspirin about 15 minutes after I took them.” Yep folks, for some people the elevator does not go to the top floor!

October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence. I believe it matters to all of us to understand the impacts to individuals, families and communities. The psychological harm of abuse is costly and can be deadly to innocent victims.