Memorial Day

I thank those who have gone before, leaving families, friends, babes in arms, children who would never know them except through photographs or home movies or stories told from the grieved spouses, siblings, brothers, sisters, parents and friends.

That sting of a lost loved one in the war was a pained expression I saw every year in my family. My grandmother next door wore it, some days with bearing and dignity, other days, with much distress.

These are a few of  the quotes that sum up what this day means to me.

I remember those brave men and women who answered America's call today and every day. I hope you will, too.

Until next time...

An inspiration: RIP Joe Garagiola

In another life, I graduated from college, and this baseball player/broadcaster/general good guy came and spoke at our university at commencement.

It was a time when unemployment for new college graduates was high. How high? High enough that employers were picky and paid you a pittance unless your degree was in demand.

I remember things from that day that don't seem important: goofing off, taking a picture with my favorite professor, watching pigeons fly into the arena (unplanned!), hanging out with my husband and my best friend. My dad couldn't make it to the graduation--he attended one of the other graduation events earlier that week--because he nearly died the month before.

To me, graduation was a victory, even though the reward--a full-time job in my specialty--was still more than a year away, after five years of undergrad work.

When Joe spoke, he told stories, of his life, baseball and left us with many words of wisdom. The ones I'll never forget were these:

"Don't take a 'no' from someone who can give you a 'yes'."

As I finally got a job, and made a career, I learned that maxim, and many other things he mentioned, were absolutely correct.

I never saw Joe in person after that day, but many years later, I got to thank him when I called into a radio show. I had been driving down the road, heard it, and called the question line.

He was kind, appreciative, and thanked me for paying attention. The radio host, too, was surprised. However, for a guy like him, it was just taking care of the folks coming up. Because that's what you do. You share the gifts you are given. Joe did that wherever he went.

And you never forget where you came from, where you were just a regular kid down the block.

RIP Joe. Godspeed and say hello to the rest of the folks you and I know for me.

Timeless truth

You can observe a lot by just watching. ~ Yogi Berra

We got an e-mail recently saying the Hotel (and Washington and Madison) was becoming a "smoke free campus".

Supposedly, there was a campaign (not run by our crack public affairs officials) about this big news. I found out about it in a meeting earlier this month, and the nurse executive said, "This shouldn't be the first time you are hearing about this."

Sadly, it was. While I don't smoke myself, it does make things challenging for our patients that do.

Miraculously, someone got Ye Old (stress on old and clueless) Public Affairs person(s) to post this information for patients on our website and social media. It starts January 1.

The grumblings are loud and rowdy at the Hotel because our patients did not get a designated smoking area, nor did our employees. The nearest one is in the building next door, which is a long walk.

The best quote on social media, however, was truth.

"The last time I checked, no one could smoke inside Washington or Madison, so how is it that you weren't a 'smoke free campus' already?'

I'll just keep watching...stay tuned.

If it's Sunday...

It's time for Sunday Stealing again. Hope you enjoy the latest one called For old times' sake. My answers are below.

Cheers!

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When was the last time you swam in a pool? Months ago.

 Do you like to party? Sure.

Describe the shirt you're wearing? Green.

What is one feature film that you don't like? Most action films.

Would people describe you as happy? Yes.

Sleep with or without clothes on? On.

Does it bother you if people swear around you? No.

Do you prefer Wednesdays or Thursdays? Right now, Wednesdays.

Like to travel? Yes.

Think you're attractive? Sure.

Are or were you a good student? Yes.

Are you currently happy? Yes.

Colored or black-and-white photo? I like black and white.

Do you consider yourself the life of the party? No.

Do you drink? Yes.

Do you make fun of people? Only if they pick on me.

Do you think dreams eventually come true? Some do.

Favorite fictional character? George Bailey.

Go to the movies or rent? Both.

Have you ever moved? Yes.

How's the weather right now? Pretty sunny.

Last time you cut your hair? About a month ago.

Last person you talked to on the phone? Husband.

Last time you showered? Last night.

Loud or soft music? All depends.

McDonalds or Burger King? Burger King.

Night or day? Day.

Number of pillows?  One.

Piano or guitar? Guitar.

Current annoyance? Allergies.

Last thing you ate? Cupcakes

Last thing you bought? Groceries

Pick a lyric, any lyric or a song...Because I'm happy...

Pick a movie quote...Here's looking at you, kid.

Happy Mother's Day

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving


Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there wherever you are, especially those of you working on the floors today.

Mom, I love you and miss you always.

Life is like a box of chocolates? Maybe...

If any man has drunk a little too deeply from the cup of physical pleasure; if he has spent too much time at his desk that should have been spent asleep; if his fine spirits have become temporarily dulled; if he finds the air too damp, the minutes too slow, and the atmosphere too heavy to withstand; if he is obsessed by a fixed idea which bars him from any freedom of thought:  if he is any of these poor creatures, we say, let him be given a good pint of amber-flavored chocolate... and marvels will be performed.  ~Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin


And if ice cream's your thing, especially as the temps go up in the RehabRN household when Bubba plays more outside and comes in a sweaty mess:

Ice cream is happiness condensed.  ~Jessi Lane Adams

RIP Leslie Nielsen

Lt. Frank Drebin (from the Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear)
Go ahead, threaten me like you have the American people for so long! You're part of a dying breed, Hapsburg, like people who can name all fifty states! The truth hurts, doesn't it, Hapsburg? Oh sure, maybe not as much as landing on a bicycle with the seat missing, but it hurts!

Oh, it was a crazy sort of day today. Frank Drebin, we could have used your logic to figure out why our unit had no electric all day when our neighboring unit across the way had lights for all those meetings I could see from the window.

And finally...
Lt. Frank Drebin:  Looks like the cows have come home to roost. 

More to come...stay tuned.

It's raining here, too

It's a story that's sappy but worthwhile nevertheless. I just think the parting line is priceless, and you don't even need to appreciate basketball to enjoy it.

Dwight Howard makes a lady's day...(from Yahoo!Sports Ball Don't Lie blog)

Ah, weekend!

Without labor nothing prospers.  ~Sophocles

Just a thought for this weekend...will be prospering at a few gatherings. Hope you labor at something fun for a bit, too.

Maybe they get it...

That I try to read my homework whenever possible, so I can get ahead. Yep, that's why. Every page read leads to one more assignment and to one more class to that graduate degree.

The journey of a thousand miles, truly, does begin with a single step.

Happy Labor Day weekend

As one of the few, the proud, the folks who are off this Labor Day weekend, I celebrate by doing my homework for class and all sort of other stuff I wouldn't normally do while working.

I found this Labor Day quote below by H.L. Mencken here:

The only liberty an inferior man really cherishes is the liberty to quit work, stretch out in the sun, and scratch himself. ~H.L. Mencken

Enjoy your weekend wherever you are, whatever you choose to do!

And so it goes...

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
--T.S. Eliot

See you next year!

Nuggets for October 9

Yes, I was off yesterday. I found quite a variety of goodies out there I hope you all enjoy! Here's the fall harvest this week...

In the "you'll never look the same way at this again" category

Remember all that debate over embryonic stem cells? Well, scientists may be able to use cells found elsewhere on the body to do the same job. Head on over to the WSJ Health blog and this article to find out the latest stem cell generation location.

Last week, I pointed you in the direction of impactED's helminth therapy article. Yes, indeed, according to my allergist (a top researcher at PrivateU), people with worms tend to have less allergies. If you really want to get your own set of worms, you can't get it from him, you'll have to head to http://www.wormtherapy.com/ and figure that out on your own! I think I'll pass on that, thank you!

Health promotion articles

Like dark chocolate? Your heart may like it, too, if you eat small amounts every day according to this Reuters article.

More infection control guidelines courtesy of our friends at the AHA and JCAHO. (from http://www.nytimes.com/)

Another reason for a healthy economy and plenty of jobs: Family income impacts children's health (from Yahoo! News Health)

Quote

"I'm beginning to understand myself. But it would have been great to be able to understand myself when I was 20 rather than when I was 82." Dave Brubeck, jazz pianist

Heard on the unit...

Today's installment, actually from yesterday, is mostly patient quotes. I would have had them up sooner but I was just too tired.

One of my patients is a retired high school math teacher. Fr. V. is also hard of hearing, so this makes conversations really interesting.

Me: "Father, I heard you were a teacher, what did you teach?"
Fr. V. "Idiots."
Me: "Weren't you a math teacher, Father."
Fr. V.: "Yes, I was. I only taught the idiots. The smart ones learned all by themselves."

Even funnier thing...one of his likely students (Mr. G.--he left on Tuesday) was about two doors away. Now I'll never know if Mr. G. fell into the smart ones or the idiots on his initial high school math classes.

Fr. V. also had some spiritual distress, once I got him thinking about tests. Neuropsych had sent one of their students to do an assessment on him and he could not hear her well. As a result, I had to call the neuropsychologist on his behalf to see if they'd let him retake his exam. It should be interesting.

"That night nurse really doesn't like her job, does she?"

Mr. R. mentioned this to me as I was assessing him. He told me this nurse makes him feel very much like an inconvenience and that he's just trouble. Sure, Mr. R. gets up at 0500 to watch the news and drink his coffee, so it's not as convenient as staying in bed. Now, I make sure he has his coffee in his room whenever I get on the unit. If he doesn't, I make him some. He's fallen twice since he came to us, and he's staying until he can get his new cervical decompression next week, so we have to keep him out of trouble.

This is a sore subject for me. I hate dissing my coworkers, but some patients are very observant, and now I know why some of them actually ask their docs if I can be their nurse while they are on our unit. I never actually say anything about the coworkers, so I just let the patients vent and get their feedback. Most are very positive.

More later...gotta warm up the car and go to work. Mr. R. probably needs his coffee by now!