The merriest of all

Dahey brought home some caramels his coworker's wife made for us. They melt in your mouth and are simply smooth and scrumptious.

Since I didn't get my sparkling wine last night (due to a spill), I'm having it now with these caramels.

It is a wonderful dessert. I hope the rest of 2015 is this smooth and sweet.

More later...

Give life

I've been thinking more about organ donation this week because Rexie lost her son in an accident.  While they couldn't donate all his organs, Rexie made sure his family donated the ones they could.

So many things are done now for organ donation that were not even possible a few years ago. Today the HOPE Act was signed into law (HIV Organ Policy Equity), so research can begin so HIV positive patients can receive viable organs from other HIV patients.

Hep C patients can also receive organs from Hep C positive donors as UC Davis advises patients in this article.

Don't wait. Let your family know that you want to donate. Give the gift of life.

Sure seemed like Monday

Except it was Tuesday. Surprise! Ah, the fun you can have at work when you forget what day it is because you were sick the day before.

At least I didn't need the seasickness pills.

The relative with the oddball unknown disease called today. Turns out it may be an even more oddball family thing. They will find out soon and let me know. (What a plus to being a nurse...knowing about every medically related thing). I get asked about just about everything: bowels, bladder, forgetfulness.

Sometimes I think I'm back at work!

Nevertheless, I am so happy I don't have to tell EVERYONE about this at the Christmas party this year. Hallmark just doesn't make a good card for it.

More later...

The gift

Recently, I was talking to a friend while I was tooling around for my birthday. I had not seen her in a long time. I found out a physician I worked with (a friend of her family's due to a hereditary neurological disease) had asked her mother to donate tissue upon her death.

D. is  from a large family (over 10 children) in a rural middle of the country state. Mom is still doing her own thing at nearly 90. She does, however, have several of her children as her healthcare POAs. D. was unsure about Mom and the donation.

Since I know D. has the same disease as Mom, we talked about Dr. S. and the research in her lab and the family dynamic. D's elder sister (who is one of only two children who live near her mom) is absolutely against any donation for scientific purposes.

I listened and D. asked what she should do. I simply told her, "D, you need to talk to mom and if necessary, have Dr. S. do the same. She has already put a name and a face on this disorder you have through her cooperation with the global research team Dr. S. works with. It is her choice, but she needs to know that when she dies she can leave you and the rest of your family a gift. The gift of material for researchers to work with in their labs. Someday, your grandchildren may one day get a vaccine that would assure the great-grandchildren and their children never suffer what you do because of Mom."

I know it is hard, but I hope she will understand. It is a gift that no one else can possibly give in the near future.

Unfortunately, for D., one sibling thinks this will delay the funeral, cause them to not have an open casket and be upsetting to the other children. This sibling also "thinks doctors are all quacks." To add insult to injury, D's sibling did not inherit the disorder she and four of her other siblings have.

I'm just hoping this holiday season, Mom comes to realize, through my friend, Dr. S., or through one of her other children and grandchildren the potential of the gift.

'Tis the season part 2

Yes, it's the holiday season here at the Hotel, and no one is afraid to say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Hannukah," "Happy Kwanzaa," or "Festivus Maximus", 'cause we have people who say, "Damn it, I'm gonna say whatever I want and who's gonna stop me?"

"No, Mr. Old Marine," I say. "You've fought for your right to wish people merry in the jungles of Vietnam. I most certainly will not stop you from spreading the joy, sir! BTW here's another cookie." (as he covets the lovely plate I had in my hand from one of our volunteers.)

And when I'm not entertaining all the folks awaiting their rides and the volunteers singing Christmas carols in the lobby, I decided to go to the Madison Christmas party, which the bigwigs decided to hold in the psych dining room. What fun!

Thankfully, Nurse Bobby, our resource nurse of the day and I didn't get stuck listening to much of the new assistant director's "happy holidays, let's take care of patients and be excellent" speech. The cake and punch line was long, and everyone was all excited about the prizes. It's actually not a bad deal. Each employee's name is put in for a gift and our unit actually won some (usually the psych people always  win...lucky stiffs!) Bobby and I ended up carrying the loot back for our a few of our coworkers.

So what did they win, Pat. Let me tell you...you could tell we work at a hospital with caffeine deprived people. They had not one, not two, not three but six coffee pots as prizes. The dietitians obviously won't be doing a "Healthy Choices" seminar with the staff anytime soon, because they also gave  away three home-sized deep-fryers, one of which went to one of our unit's nurses.

More fun as the week goes on, with even more parties next week. I'd better get those scrubs out now just to be ready.

Stay tuned...

Nuggets for December 30

The last version of Nuggets for 2009 (aka the Golden Nugget version). I'm always mining for the best of the rest of the blogosphere and beyond.

If you're on a break and will be toasting with non-alcoholic sparkly stuff because you're working New Year's Eve, this version's for you! I'll be doing the same thing at the Hotel Rehab, looking for the Blue Moon. (Yes, this once in a blue moon--full moon twice in a month-- is New Year's Eve).

Hope you enjoy!

The gifts that keep on giving
Christmas is over, but the spirit lives, before and after in this story of giving in Philadelphia. (from www.nbcphiladelphia.com)

The fmylife.com folks have stories of woe all the time. Another site, using the same script (sorry, the nerd in me comes out occasionally...), is called Gives Me Hope. Check out the equally interesting stories there, when you need a lift and proof there really are good folks out there.

Science non-fiction

A Dissection Project in California Aims to Create A Search Engine of the Brain (from www.nytimes.com) Henry Molaison, known worldwide as H. M., an amnesic who collaborated on hundreds of studies of memory died last year at age 82. His brain will be used for this project.

Resolutions

Yes, the New Year is upon us, so make a difference. Check out this article from Dr. Oz at www.nytimes.com called Realistic Resolutions, about resolutions to get healthy.

The Goals Guy, Gary Ryan Blair has a whole section of his website devoted to New Year's Resolutions. Check it out!

Happy Anniversary

Oh, a few years ago, I was fretting away getting my hair and nails done right about now, just before the wedding.

A few lost in-laws and nine wild years later, here we are...and we're celebrating with the modern anniversary gifts this year! Woo hoo!

Happy Anniversary Dahey!