If only...

A man loses 2/3 of his weight and needs necessary surgery to remove excess skin. This is the story of one of our Hotel patients.

Dressing this patient is a challenge. Even with a loss of half of his/her previous body weight, it's a challenge. Said patient needed a custom one of these to get up in a wheelchair (not to mention a bariatric chair). It was a challenge for staff to get it on him/her, but they figured it out.

Caring for bariatric patients is a necessary evil. Please be careful out there and use every piece of equipment and tool you have that is appropriate.

Your patient and the rest of the staff (and your back) will appreciate it.

More later...

In the news

Since I'm taking a break, I thought I'd have a look at the latest health news.

Here are a few that caught my eye. Hope you enjoy.

What not to say (from www.cnn.com)
Um, yes, some things really ARE important enough to not be busy for, Mr. Professional Basketball Player. Cancer doesn't give a rat's (fill in your favorite anatomical part) who you are.

A hypoglycemia dilemma (from www.nytimes.com)
This interested me, because I often feel hypoglycemic. Think you can figure out this dilemma? Check it out.

A different type of dilemma if you have back pain (from webmd.com)
Steroid injections may help some folks with back pain...or not. Read more here to learn more about a recent study.

Just another reason (also webmd.com)
Please be careful with supplements! Bee pollen for weight loss could cause other potentially life-threatening conditions, even if it sounds like a good solution for you.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Happy weekend all!