So eloquently said

While I haven't posted a RehabRN reading list lately, I'm still reading. Right now, I'm really getting into Atul Gawande's Being Mortal. It's a story about living, moving on, assisted living, aging and dying.

The stories are really vivid and I can just about picture the folks they are discussing in front of me.

There are so many things we need to learn about aging, death, and dying.

Stay tuned.

New Year's resolutions

Raise your hand if you hate them. (raising hand)

If we can't get them to stick in January, will they ever? Probably not. Experts claim habits form in about three weeks.

Anyway, here goes. I'm going to try to hit the ones on this BuzzFeed list and my own.

1. Exercise more. Yes, I do need to get up and move around more, even when I don't feel like it.

2. Eat less sugar. Those candies and cupcakes really messed me up on the scale.

3. Drink more water.

4. Keep a gratitude log. I even found one for my phone: Gratitude365.

5. Develop a career resolution list for 2016. I have to work on goals for my review at work, so I might just start early.

Hope you enjoy your year wherever you are.

Stay tuned...

Dear Parent Scheduler

It's really nice to see that you can send and read e-mail. I've noticed something lately,though, of which you should be aware. If you notify the guy who MAKES the schedule two weeks beforehand, he won't schedule your kids to participate in the service on the weeks you are busy.

I know it works because I've told him each time we go on vacation, and Bubba isn't scheduled that weekend. Problem solved.

I know that means all of us on the mailing list won't know EXACTLY where C and J and your family are going on vacation, or dance competitions, or band recitals, but we will just have to live with seeing you every so often on the weekends, so we can ask about you in person.

Hope you enjoy trying it out.

Pleasant journeys (and you don't need to tell me about them, if you don't want).

Sincerely,

RehabRN

Summer reading club

Yes, raise your hand, if you're one of those people who makes a New Year's resolution to read more? That's me, too. In my day-to-day work, I'm always reading. Most of the things I read are guidelines, policies, procedures or official-type documents.

As a kid, I was a veteran of the Summer Reading Club here in RehabLand. I have many fond memories of going to my local library, doing the program and getting my name put up on the wall with those of the other kids in my school in the children's section. I loved getting the certificate of completion and the FREE book. Although I loved to read, my free book was always a Peanuts paperback book. It was something they didn't loan out much in the library, and it was my reward for finishing. Snoopy was the subject of my first book.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry anymore about losing my summer reading club book list. Our new library has a reading club online and they give prizes to adults, too! It may not be Snoopy books, but it's fun.

Here's what I've read or am reading right now. Hope you'll enjoy them, or head on over to your local library and find one of your own.

1.Thoughts are things: Turning your ideas into realities by Bob Proctor & Greg S. Reid. I enjoyed this book about ideas and using them in life.Based on the ideas of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.

2. Small Batch: Pickles, cheese, chocolate, spirits and the return of artisanal foods, by Suzanne Cope. If you love food and love stories, you'll like this book, which talks about history, food and the new companies that have grown up doing what our ancestors did all the time.

3. Simple Lessons for a Better Life by Charles E. Dodgen. I'm still reading this, and I'm loving it. A couple of stories hit home for me, and really look a lot like what has happened occasionally at the Hotel. If you want a different view of nursing homes and older people from a the perspective of a psychologist., this is it.

In the news

It's a little early, but there were a few interesting things in the news lately.

Makes you wonder...
Can diabetic crises be related to running out of food at the end of the month for poor families? Some researchers say it just might be. 

Brain death in the news
While we've been hearing about brain death in the news lately, I ran into this interesting article (from August 2013) recently about The Conundrum of Organ Donation.

It makes you consider more than just brain death, but how things happen on that road.

From the Genetic files
I ran into this interesting article on spinal muscular atrophy in the genetic diseases section at NIH. 

Snow days
We have had our share of winter weather lately. Here's a list I'll have to use on Bubba for the next snow day.

All I want for Christmas...

Is a new boss...again this year. So here's the letter I'd write if I could.

Dear Santa:

This request is getting really old, not just for me, but for everyone else. It's so bad that people are quitting or retiring in the interim.

If a new boss is too much, I'd be happy to take a new job or department reorganization for the new year.

Whatever fits in the bag easier for you.

Sincerely, your favorite nurse ('cause I'd fix Rudolph's shiny nose if you asked),

RehabRN

Friends don't let friends...

• Name their children after yeast infections. (courtesy of FML)
• Throw temper tantrums at work. (thank you WSJ)
• Suffer from foodborne illnesses. (courtesy of the University of Minnesota)
• Drink while doing homework (after yes, but during, no.)

Inquiring minds...

Want to know if their US Congressman(woman) or Senator is taking their paycheck during the government shutdown.

I do, so I found this list.

Here they are...

Seven senators say they plan to keep their salary. 
Those senators are:
Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma;
Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut;
Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa;
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa;
Roy Blunt, R-Missouri;
Patty Murray, D-Washington.

Nine House members, however, say they're keeping their salary: 
Mike Thompson, D-California;
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida;
Rep. Danny Davis, D-Illinois;
Rep. Todd Rokita, R-Indiana;
Rep. William 'Lacy' Clay, Jr., D-Missouri;
Rep. Howard Coble, R-North Carolina;
Rep. Susan Brooks, R-North Carolina;
Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-North Carolina;
James Clyburn, D-South Carolina.


Some people aren't going to be too happy come the next election. I only have one vote, but I urge all of you out there to use yours, too.

Send these bozos packing. Every.single.one.

If we can't pay research scientists who work on cancer cures, people who take care of little kids, and other "non-essential people" who help veterans get compensation, small businesses run or students like me study (PubMed, my favorite resource, is also under shutdown), then why pay a do-nothing politician.

Remember: nurses (and many other medical personnel) are "essential" and get to show up for work in military and VA hospitals for no pay until legislation is enacted.

Just my $0.02.

More to come...

The latest

U.S. News Best Hospitals list of rehab hospitals is out there on the internet.

Unfortunately, the Hotel did not make it to the top 10.

Maybe we'll have better luck next year.

More later...

Now, time for a PSA*

*Public Service Announcement

I found a really good infographic that discusses organ transplantation recently.

It's become a bigger deal around our house, because one of Dahey's relatives is now on the transplant list. He/she fits the profile noted on this infographic.

One thing I learned: maybe the US needs to go to an opt-out system versus opt-in, if it will increase the numbers of organ donors.

Transplantation waiting and aftercare is not always the easiest, but neither are the alternatives.

Please consider organ donation. It really is the gift of life for someone.

More to come...

Reading list

Heroic Living by Chris Lowney. I loved Heroic Leadership, which I read on my vacation, thanks to my pal Pattie.

Living with Stroke by Richard C. Senelick. Got this for my friend who recently had a stroke and one for myself.

And finally, I'm living this title today, Don't let the turkeys get you down.

More to come...stay tuned.

A rainy Thursday

I'm looking out the window and it's gray and rainy. The wind is also cool, too. Fall is definitely here in our neck of the woods. There is some fall color, but most of the leaves have been blowing away and not really turning too well.

I need to clean my house before my in-laws come over this weekend, and I don't want to do it. The dog looks outside and sees the damp concrete and looks at me as if to say, "You want me to wait out HERE while you vacuum? No way!" This will make things very interesting (since he tends to chase the vacuum cleaner.)

To start today, I got Bubba to school and then I went to get Bubba some stuff and some Halloween makeup. I'm actually planning on wearing a costume this year. I have enough makeup for me, Dahey and Bubba to get made up a couple of times. Rest assured, all of the makeup I bought is water soluble, made in the good ol' US of A, and supposedly hypoallergenic. (We'll test it out and see...) No idea what the boys will be this year. Bubba keeps vacillating back and forth on what he wants to be. We have costumes galore Dahey has collected since the summer and of course, Bubba doesn't want to wear any of them.

After the trip to the store, I got out my carry-on and started packing some of my stuff for the conference coming up in early November. It's in the Pacific Northwest, so I'm expecting more of the cold, rainy stuff. I won't pack everything yet, but it's easier to inventory and get stuff when you have to look at the bag every day. I just throw something in once I think of it, then I reassess when doing the final packing and checking off the list (yes, I have a list for everything I pack). I do this in an effort not to forget the important stuff, like underwear and socks (I have done this several times on trips).

I'm still working on my CRRN review. I really like the Datachem software, since it has a lot of questions and answers (about 750 in the database). If you buy it at www.rehabnurse.org (in the Bookstore section) and you're a ARN member, you get $10 off the list price. I got the Certification Review software, too, and it's a little more flashy, with a lot of sounds and feedback when you answer questions.

Well, since I'm back to work this evening, I'll stop for now and start cleaning. Hopefully, the dog will stay out of trouble! More later...