Halloween is in a few days. Think about this for a moment. Because, it means that exactly 12 hours after your porch light is off for the night, and your little monsters are tucked into bed, and all parents have thoughtfully consumed all the "Poisoned" chocolate in their kids' treat bags: The holiday season will have officially started.
This year, I am so not ready. Usually I have a layaway started and odds n ends tucked away already. Nada. The other day, I DID leave work a few hours early, so I could drive for 2 hours and pick up a large box of Legos that someone was selling on an online garage sale site for a ridiculously small amount. So. We have Lego's for Christmas so far. I figure I have a few more weeks before the panic needs to officially set in. Honestly: I have not had the time. Every weekend seems so jam packed full of something or other. Once hunting season begins, I will have even less time to get it all done and figure out all the Sunday school schedules, as well. It'll happen somehow. It always does. Mostly, this just means I will probably get not a little snappy with anyone who announces they are pretty much done with their shopping for now.
Last week was Spirit Week at my children's school. My kids seemed to throw themselves into it more wholeheartedly than usual. Ending with this conversation:
"Mom. I have a problem."
"What's up, Joe?"
"I traded spirits with Seth."
"WHAT? Can you repeat that, please?"
"Seth and I traded spirits. It's not good."
Honestly. At this point, I began laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.
"I don't understand why you're laughing, Mom. I miss my spirit."
HOWLING at this point.
"I think it is making me sad, to have to deal with someone Else's spirit."
Tears.
"I don't think we are trading our spirits back for at least another week."
"STOP!!!" I begged, laughing so hard I could barely talk.
"I wonder how my spirit is doing? If it LIKES Seth, or if I should try to get it back early."
This conversation went on for another few minutes. It came out of nowhere, and my immediate reaction of laughter harder than I have laughed in months, was probably inappropriate. I mentally wondered if I should look into an exorcist for my poor spirit-less kid. It was determined during an assembly sometime during Spirit Week, by Joe and Seth, that Joe had more school spirit than Seth, which is highly unusual for both of them, so, somehow their spirits must have gotten switched around.
Even now, as I type this, I am laughing so hard. Joe was planning to go to school and request from Seth that they switch back their spirits today.
I never know what is going to come out of that child's mouth. Recently, Kaila saw me putting my shoes on, and asked if we were going somewhere. I said we were, and Joe proceeded to growl: "She knows too much. Now she must be eliminated."
The other day, when leaving the store, one of the kids asked if we were going home now. I said we were. Only to hear Joe announce "The mission has been completed."
I just never know. I hope all the time, that he never ever changes. Ever.
I had a flash back to Joe at the age of 4 the other day, when George mussed softly that the clouds must probably be soft to the touch. At the same age, Joe was demanding to know everything I knew about clouds, and everything I DIDN'T know about clouds. At no point did he ever look at them dreamily and think they were soft. It's amazing, how different every single kid can be.
I think I'm going to leave it at this today. Mostly because I am completely out of time to write much more. Also because, I needed a smile today, and just writing about Joe gave me one, and I don't want to mess with it. Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Putting It Into Perspective
My thoughts on Ebola.
Yesterday, I had a patient in my office, who was worried almost to the point of panic about Ebola. He had just had a flu vaccine, and then freaked out, pointing out that flu and Ebola symptoms mimic each other at first. He had a lot of questions. To the point that, he actually came back, and wanted to discuss it further. I told him that I had patients and friends who had traveled to the other side of Africa on vacation, and they were fine. I had patients and friends that had traveled to Europe, Texas, Ohio, Atlanta, and all sorts of places, and they were fine. I told him he did not have Ebola, would not get Ebola, and that he was going to be okay. I gave him the example of: Living in New York and being afraid of catching a cold, because he knew someone in Oregon with a cold. I told him he would be fine.
Today, I was spoken to. I had offended a co worker who had recently travelled to one of the places I had mentioned. (As had 3 other people I knew.) Once again, I was in trouble at work. I didn't even bother to explain myself. Where I work, lots of people get offended over seemingly pointless things regularly. It wasn't worth the aggravation or energy. I was told not to talk about traveling patients anymore, because this co worker was seriously offended, and the patient had been upset. (It should be noted, the patient was upset about this before I spoke to him...)
This worries me. In educating a patient, I offended someone.
This is how we get mass panic. This is how we remain uneducated. This is how things get out of control in a moment.
I would hold the exact same conversation all over again in a moment, and get in trouble all over again, too.
This patient I had yesterday made me think. He was worried that he had just had a flu shot, and would have a mild flu-like reaction, and how was he supposed to know the difference? If we had patients who had been all over the place, could we already be exposed? I assured him, he had not. He was fine. I had him sit with me, and we went over everything I could find regarding Ebola. Which, in case anyone was wondering, was precious little. We aren't even completely certain how it is transmitted. Or if we should be worried. Or if this could end up a non issue.
If flu symptoms mimic early Ebola, what could this mean for our Emergency Rooms, once flu season hits, as masses of people who are not sure what's going on, and who listen to daily changing news reports regarding the transmission and treatment and precautions against this virus, panic and flood our health care system?
If we need to worry about offending someone, while trying to reassure our patients, where on earth does this leave our ability to educate, reassure and try to hold back the panic?
I think I worry more about the possibility of an entire health care system getting so overwhelmed with worried patients, and not having the ability to keep up with the flood, as we try to decide who is fine and who is not. As the nursing profession watches CDC staff wear special suits to see the people who have Ebola, while assuring us that a gown and gloves and face shield will work fine to protect us. And our families. As we watch the nursing profession take the fall for every possible wrong action.
I watch the panic on social media. I watch the rolled eyes derision on social media. I listen to concerned patients, neighbors, friends. The discussion is everywhere. There are opinions, conspiracy theories, head in the sand people, and over reacting people.
Mostly because it's something we know nothing about, but which could spread.
I think though, that we have an advantage. Crisis and mass panic aside, we seem to be able to handle it better here in the US of A better than the third world areas that cannot. We know to control the exposure to the best of our ability. We know to quarantine immediately, if we do think we have a problem. Here in America, it is not family members and neighbors who are not adequately protected caring for these patients with bare hands and poor access to nutrition and medical needs. We have highly trained medical staff, with proper equipment, medicines, and around the clock access to everything we can possibly throw at this, to slow it down, prevent the spread and help get these people better.
I only hope that someplace, the nursing profession that will largely deal with this, gets half the accolades deserved; as they enter into the unknown of this virus, putting themselves on the line, as they have criticism for not handling things properly. Doing so with very little knowledge to work with, as things progressed of late.
So. My point to my patient yesterday was: people have travelled. People have been fine. We are pretty on top of and aware, thus far, of the extremely small exposure Americans have had as of yet. Just because someone travels to Texas, does not mean they were exposed to Ebola, because Texas had an Ebola patient. Or Africa. Or Atlanta, Ohio, Spain or anywhere else. My patient was as soothed as he was going to get, considering he had come in already in a panic about this. He was given educational materials, reassured, and sent on his way. Putting it into perspective seemed to help. Discussing things in comparison, such as the cold in Oregon not being contagious in New York, seemed to help.
As a nurse, and a human being, I can only think that, we are doing the best we all can, with very little education regarding this, and the expectation that we will know what to say, how to deal with it all, how to keep everyone safe. And we had better have a 100% success rate, or be raked over the coals on every news and social media site on the planet.
Offending people, is the least of my worries.
Yesterday, I had a patient in my office, who was worried almost to the point of panic about Ebola. He had just had a flu vaccine, and then freaked out, pointing out that flu and Ebola symptoms mimic each other at first. He had a lot of questions. To the point that, he actually came back, and wanted to discuss it further. I told him that I had patients and friends who had traveled to the other side of Africa on vacation, and they were fine. I had patients and friends that had traveled to Europe, Texas, Ohio, Atlanta, and all sorts of places, and they were fine. I told him he did not have Ebola, would not get Ebola, and that he was going to be okay. I gave him the example of: Living in New York and being afraid of catching a cold, because he knew someone in Oregon with a cold. I told him he would be fine.
Today, I was spoken to. I had offended a co worker who had recently travelled to one of the places I had mentioned. (As had 3 other people I knew.) Once again, I was in trouble at work. I didn't even bother to explain myself. Where I work, lots of people get offended over seemingly pointless things regularly. It wasn't worth the aggravation or energy. I was told not to talk about traveling patients anymore, because this co worker was seriously offended, and the patient had been upset. (It should be noted, the patient was upset about this before I spoke to him...)
This worries me. In educating a patient, I offended someone.
This is how we get mass panic. This is how we remain uneducated. This is how things get out of control in a moment.
I would hold the exact same conversation all over again in a moment, and get in trouble all over again, too.
This patient I had yesterday made me think. He was worried that he had just had a flu shot, and would have a mild flu-like reaction, and how was he supposed to know the difference? If we had patients who had been all over the place, could we already be exposed? I assured him, he had not. He was fine. I had him sit with me, and we went over everything I could find regarding Ebola. Which, in case anyone was wondering, was precious little. We aren't even completely certain how it is transmitted. Or if we should be worried. Or if this could end up a non issue.
If flu symptoms mimic early Ebola, what could this mean for our Emergency Rooms, once flu season hits, as masses of people who are not sure what's going on, and who listen to daily changing news reports regarding the transmission and treatment and precautions against this virus, panic and flood our health care system?
If we need to worry about offending someone, while trying to reassure our patients, where on earth does this leave our ability to educate, reassure and try to hold back the panic?
I think I worry more about the possibility of an entire health care system getting so overwhelmed with worried patients, and not having the ability to keep up with the flood, as we try to decide who is fine and who is not. As the nursing profession watches CDC staff wear special suits to see the people who have Ebola, while assuring us that a gown and gloves and face shield will work fine to protect us. And our families. As we watch the nursing profession take the fall for every possible wrong action.
I watch the panic on social media. I watch the rolled eyes derision on social media. I listen to concerned patients, neighbors, friends. The discussion is everywhere. There are opinions, conspiracy theories, head in the sand people, and over reacting people.
Mostly because it's something we know nothing about, but which could spread.
I think though, that we have an advantage. Crisis and mass panic aside, we seem to be able to handle it better here in the US of A better than the third world areas that cannot. We know to control the exposure to the best of our ability. We know to quarantine immediately, if we do think we have a problem. Here in America, it is not family members and neighbors who are not adequately protected caring for these patients with bare hands and poor access to nutrition and medical needs. We have highly trained medical staff, with proper equipment, medicines, and around the clock access to everything we can possibly throw at this, to slow it down, prevent the spread and help get these people better.
I only hope that someplace, the nursing profession that will largely deal with this, gets half the accolades deserved; as they enter into the unknown of this virus, putting themselves on the line, as they have criticism for not handling things properly. Doing so with very little knowledge to work with, as things progressed of late.
So. My point to my patient yesterday was: people have travelled. People have been fine. We are pretty on top of and aware, thus far, of the extremely small exposure Americans have had as of yet. Just because someone travels to Texas, does not mean they were exposed to Ebola, because Texas had an Ebola patient. Or Africa. Or Atlanta, Ohio, Spain or anywhere else. My patient was as soothed as he was going to get, considering he had come in already in a panic about this. He was given educational materials, reassured, and sent on his way. Putting it into perspective seemed to help. Discussing things in comparison, such as the cold in Oregon not being contagious in New York, seemed to help.
As a nurse, and a human being, I can only think that, we are doing the best we all can, with very little education regarding this, and the expectation that we will know what to say, how to deal with it all, how to keep everyone safe. And we had better have a 100% success rate, or be raked over the coals on every news and social media site on the planet.
Offending people, is the least of my worries.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
WHAT IF...????
Just a quick lunch break post. Brought on by a horrifying Email I just read.
Some Super Mom, who I, at some point, subscribed to receive emails about healthy foods for kids or something like that, sent an Email that had something along the lines of: Pack at home healthy lunches, and, a recent school project in which her child had to keep a food diary.
O.M.G. This was panic inducing for me. WHAT IF MY kids had that project??!!!
I would probably have the authorities on my doorstep. I would have to keep my own diary of what the kids were actually OFFERED, and send it in with my child's food diary. It would look something like this, I imagine:
Joe:
Breakfast: Cereal with no milk.
Me:
Breakfast: Offered: Yogurt, fruit cups, apples, grapes, bananas, eggs, toast with homemade preserves, milk and OJ. Refuses to eat cereal with milk.
Joe:
Lunch: 2 graham crackers, an apple, a granola bar.
Me:
Lunch: Offered yogurt, apple sauce, assorted fresh fruits, baby carrots, raisins, hard boiled eggs, veggie salad, celery with peanut butter, PB&J with homemade fruit preserves, cheese, baloney, nuts, bottled water, water in special BPA free bottles, fruit cups, egg salad.
Joe:
Dinner: Nothing.
Me:
Dinner: Offered: Chili, (or) chicken, (or) steak, (or) beef roast, (or) pork chops, fresh steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, brown rice, apple sauce, fresh bread and butter, milk and/or water. Child burst into tears, announced I hated him, and stomped to bedroom complete with slamming door. Further, should we decided to do a personal hygiene journal next: Said child has decided he probably does not need a shower, as he will starve to death soon anyway. Heads up.
Kaila: Breakfast: Nothing
Me: Breakfast: See above entries.
Kaila: Lunch: 2 apples, granola bar
Me: See above entries
Kaila: Dinner: 2 pork chops. Nothing to drink
Me: See above entries.
Teacher, please note that once again, in reference to the personal hygiene module that is happening next: Showers were unavailable as it was this child's night to do the dishes, which took 2 hours, all the hot water, several breaks, threatening the life of her brother, tears, and a furious personal diary entry. Thank you.
Dear Franklinville School District,
Please do not ever EVER do a food journal project.
Thank you,
Moriah Dick
Some Super Mom, who I, at some point, subscribed to receive emails about healthy foods for kids or something like that, sent an Email that had something along the lines of: Pack at home healthy lunches, and, a recent school project in which her child had to keep a food diary.
O.M.G. This was panic inducing for me. WHAT IF MY kids had that project??!!!
I would probably have the authorities on my doorstep. I would have to keep my own diary of what the kids were actually OFFERED, and send it in with my child's food diary. It would look something like this, I imagine:
Joe:
Breakfast: Cereal with no milk.
Me:
Breakfast: Offered: Yogurt, fruit cups, apples, grapes, bananas, eggs, toast with homemade preserves, milk and OJ. Refuses to eat cereal with milk.
Joe:
Lunch: 2 graham crackers, an apple, a granola bar.
Me:
Lunch: Offered yogurt, apple sauce, assorted fresh fruits, baby carrots, raisins, hard boiled eggs, veggie salad, celery with peanut butter, PB&J with homemade fruit preserves, cheese, baloney, nuts, bottled water, water in special BPA free bottles, fruit cups, egg salad.
Joe:
Dinner: Nothing.
Me:
Dinner: Offered: Chili, (or) chicken, (or) steak, (or) beef roast, (or) pork chops, fresh steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, brown rice, apple sauce, fresh bread and butter, milk and/or water. Child burst into tears, announced I hated him, and stomped to bedroom complete with slamming door. Further, should we decided to do a personal hygiene journal next: Said child has decided he probably does not need a shower, as he will starve to death soon anyway. Heads up.
Kaila: Breakfast: Nothing
Me: Breakfast: See above entries.
Kaila: Lunch: 2 apples, granola bar
Me: See above entries
Kaila: Dinner: 2 pork chops. Nothing to drink
Me: See above entries.
Teacher, please note that once again, in reference to the personal hygiene module that is happening next: Showers were unavailable as it was this child's night to do the dishes, which took 2 hours, all the hot water, several breaks, threatening the life of her brother, tears, and a furious personal diary entry. Thank you.
Dear Franklinville School District,
Please do not ever EVER do a food journal project.
Thank you,
Moriah Dick
Monday, October 6, 2014
But Have They Starved?
Evidently, someone alerted my Mother in Law about my last Blog. Because, within a few hours of posting it: she called Bearded Man from her hospital bed, to tell him she has a recipe for spaghetti sauce that uses 28 ingredients. Bless you, Mole.
While listening to Bearded Man's excitement over more of his Mama's unbeatable cooking, all I could think was: Joe's wife will never ever have this issue. Ever. She will be delighted to be regaled with his tales of childhood near starvation, due to my cooking.
I am not a gourmet cook, by any means, but, I'm pretty good, I think, by normal standards. Nobody HAS died, even after years of threatening to.
To date: I have finished canning grape jam, and ended up with 20 pints of it. (the math here includes that this homemade goodness consists of exactly 42 cups of sugar and 28 cups of grapes. Eat up, kids.) Unfortunately, my kids only like Smucker's strawberry preserves. Nothing more, nothing less. I now have shelves of apple, peach and grape preserves and jam, and not a strawberry among them. So, now, I will have no chemicals, no preservatives, and no cavities, because no one will eat any of it. Problem solved.
The household has been pretty intense lately. Poor George has caught every single bug that being exposed to the public school system during surgery recovery can throw at him. As I type this, he is at home from school - again - with yet another fever/headache/vomiting/lethargy bug. Which is probably something of a relief to the people at school who have to deal with his morning hysterics. I spent most of the weekend with him in my lap, sleeping. Also at home, are Kaila and Joe with a less horrible version of the bug.
The fact that the household in general seems to hate everything that isn't ordered on the other end of the phone, (which is rare) alleviates the guilt that I plan to make chili for dinner tonight. The ill of the household may eat the oyster crackers. They wouldn't have eaten it even if they were all healthy.
This past weekend, I decided to look at upgrading my vehicle. It still GOES, but, it has issues. As in: the ABS system does not work, the 4X4 doesn't work, the left side back door doesn't work, the speedometer doesn't work... anyhow, I thought I would just look, to see what's out there. I test drove a few things, looked at another few things, went to a few different dealerships, and decided there wasn't anything out there that I like better than my current vehicle, right now. Bearded Man is convinced I need a minivan. The dealers are convinced I need a minivan. Bearded Man has convinced the kids, that I need a minivan. Pretty much, I am the only person unconvinced that I need (want) a minivan. So, I decided to wait till spring.
This past weekend, the kids and I took the dogs to our church for the blessing of the animals. I figure our little dears need as much as they can get. And if the Good Lord could just bless Buster the dog with permanent laryngitis, that would be great. Anyhow, we, and lots of other people, took the dogs to church. Which Turbo thought was the most amazing fun awesome thing EVER, as every person and dog in the whole wide world is a best friend, until proven otherwise. Buster is not so easily convinced, and as far as he's concerned, everyone is a mortal enemy, until proven otherwise. Blessing/Exorcism, potato/potahtoe. Anyhow, there is this really nice lady at our church, who LOVES to take pictures, and hang them up on a special board, as you walk in. Every single month, without fail, this person manages to take the most dreadful pictures of me that I ever thought possible, and posts them on her board. The DMV and their (probably specialty training in "DREADFUL PICTURES 101") have NOTHING on this nice lady at my church.
Sure enough. In less than 24 hours, my kids, my dogs, and myself, were once again, posted on the church picture board. Every time I walk past it, all I can think is "It's a sin to be vain. This is a test. I will not care...... *whimper* OMG, it's even worse this month than LAST month!" Anyhow. The dogs are blessed, and I continue to be vain enough to shudder every time I walk past the church picture board. Honestly, this lady is the nicest person in the entire world, too. I am so going to hell.
Before I go: Heads up to anyone living in or around Franklinville. Joe needs to sell popcorn for Cub Scouts. His goal is to sell $4,000. in popcorn, so he can earn himself a Tablet. You have been warned.
While listening to Bearded Man's excitement over more of his Mama's unbeatable cooking, all I could think was: Joe's wife will never ever have this issue. Ever. She will be delighted to be regaled with his tales of childhood near starvation, due to my cooking.
I am not a gourmet cook, by any means, but, I'm pretty good, I think, by normal standards. Nobody HAS died, even after years of threatening to.
To date: I have finished canning grape jam, and ended up with 20 pints of it. (the math here includes that this homemade goodness consists of exactly 42 cups of sugar and 28 cups of grapes. Eat up, kids.) Unfortunately, my kids only like Smucker's strawberry preserves. Nothing more, nothing less. I now have shelves of apple, peach and grape preserves and jam, and not a strawberry among them. So, now, I will have no chemicals, no preservatives, and no cavities, because no one will eat any of it. Problem solved.
The household has been pretty intense lately. Poor George has caught every single bug that being exposed to the public school system during surgery recovery can throw at him. As I type this, he is at home from school - again - with yet another fever/headache/vomiting/lethargy bug. Which is probably something of a relief to the people at school who have to deal with his morning hysterics. I spent most of the weekend with him in my lap, sleeping. Also at home, are Kaila and Joe with a less horrible version of the bug.
The fact that the household in general seems to hate everything that isn't ordered on the other end of the phone, (which is rare) alleviates the guilt that I plan to make chili for dinner tonight. The ill of the household may eat the oyster crackers. They wouldn't have eaten it even if they were all healthy.
This past weekend, I decided to look at upgrading my vehicle. It still GOES, but, it has issues. As in: the ABS system does not work, the 4X4 doesn't work, the left side back door doesn't work, the speedometer doesn't work... anyhow, I thought I would just look, to see what's out there. I test drove a few things, looked at another few things, went to a few different dealerships, and decided there wasn't anything out there that I like better than my current vehicle, right now. Bearded Man is convinced I need a minivan. The dealers are convinced I need a minivan. Bearded Man has convinced the kids, that I need a minivan. Pretty much, I am the only person unconvinced that I need (want) a minivan. So, I decided to wait till spring.
This past weekend, the kids and I took the dogs to our church for the blessing of the animals. I figure our little dears need as much as they can get. And if the Good Lord could just bless Buster the dog with permanent laryngitis, that would be great. Anyhow, we, and lots of other people, took the dogs to church. Which Turbo thought was the most amazing fun awesome thing EVER, as every person and dog in the whole wide world is a best friend, until proven otherwise. Buster is not so easily convinced, and as far as he's concerned, everyone is a mortal enemy, until proven otherwise. Blessing/Exorcism, potato/potahtoe. Anyhow, there is this really nice lady at our church, who LOVES to take pictures, and hang them up on a special board, as you walk in. Every single month, without fail, this person manages to take the most dreadful pictures of me that I ever thought possible, and posts them on her board. The DMV and their (probably specialty training in "DREADFUL PICTURES 101") have NOTHING on this nice lady at my church.
Sure enough. In less than 24 hours, my kids, my dogs, and myself, were once again, posted on the church picture board. Every time I walk past it, all I can think is "It's a sin to be vain. This is a test. I will not care...... *whimper* OMG, it's even worse this month than LAST month!" Anyhow. The dogs are blessed, and I continue to be vain enough to shudder every time I walk past the church picture board. Honestly, this lady is the nicest person in the entire world, too. I am so going to hell.
Before I go: Heads up to anyone living in or around Franklinville. Joe needs to sell popcorn for Cub Scouts. His goal is to sell $4,000. in popcorn, so he can earn himself a Tablet. You have been warned.
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