Medical Soapbox

While I'm on my medical soapbox, I'll add one more somewhat rare but very tragic thing to be aware of. If you EVER have small children in you home, do you have lamp oil? Both of the recent children sickened by this found it at grandma's house.
Any hydrocarbon such as WD40, sewing machine oil, or even gasoline can be involved, but we have only seen lamp oil. It is used for tiki torches, the old fashioned hurricane lamps, or even found in antique decorative glass balls. Lamp oil is more attractive to toddlers because it is often colored, therefore it looks like koolaid.
I can't begin to tell you how critically ill these children get. 30 years ago we would not have been able to save them. We say the hydrocarbons eat lung tissue. Children don't even have to swallow it to have severe lung damage, just get it in their mouth.
Well not pleasant things to think about, but on my mind since I admitted a child with this over the weekend.
Now go enjoy the beautiful day, just lock up the lamp oil.
Shalom
Carol

Get Those Shots

Earlier Denise wondered about the changes in nursing in 30 years.
Its easy to think of all the technology, specialized scans, patient monitoring, and even nearly instant reporting of many lab results. Electronic medical records have their pros and cons. Then there is endoscopic surgeries, shorter stays, and other thing leading to the patients in the hospital being much sicker.
There are many good things such as improved relationships between doctors and other health care workers, as well as increased patient and family involvement in care and decisions. Even different hospital departments have more respect for each other and therefore work better together.

A conversation last night brought to mind a patient population we rarely see anymore. I remember numerous rooms with small children isolated due to meningitis. We also had many kids there for antibiotics for facial cellulitis. Both of these bacterial infections have pretty well disappeared because of the H-flu (or HIB) shot our kids got as infants. While H.Flu wasn't nearly as deadly as menningococcus that many of our young adults have been vaccinated for, it still caused some disabilities, and occasionally death. It is nice not to see these things anymore.

So the moral of the story is Get Those Shots

Strawberry Fields Forever

Well actually two strawberry plants.

My strawberries don't look as delicious as Jane's. They are minuscule. But they do taste great. Considering the plants were a gift from the kid this mother's day, they are really great.

By the way, the mystery plant (really a sunflower) is gone. Julie was doing some weeding and trimming and chopped it down. She said it was hideous and out of place. I just wanted to see it grow and bloom.

Happy weekend to all!

It is a beautiful day after all today.

Shalom

Carol

The old home place

When we moved Mark's mother to assisted living nearly three years ago we knew we would eventually have to do something with her house, as she could no longer live alone. Mark never seemed to want to deal with it, until this month when a neighbor wanted to rent it. So I have spent the past 2 days working on getting things sorted and stored. Mark has been over a few times in the past few weeks, including with me yesterday.
There are nearly 60 years of possessions in the house, so it is quite a challenge. At least Helen was quite neat and organized until the last months in her home. But sorting possessions can be very challenging, trying to contain the sentimentality without throwing away something the next generation might treasure. I found a few treasures I did not know about, and of course there are a few great antiques.
The other factor is the nearly 100 mile drive each way to work there. I have enjoyed the scenery, which doesn't really look like the picture. I have seen a number of deer.
Now I hope I stay inspired to minimize the clutter in my own house.

Shalom
Carol

Photographs and Memories

If I knew where a picture from my nursing school graduation was, and had means to get it onto my computer, you would find it here. But neither of the above apply so I just found an interesting picture for this space. I did some reminiscing last weekend with my old Blodgett friends, and had a little party at work, for my 30 year anniversary at Spectrum.

Today I have to go to Butterworth and get my picture taken, something they now do for all 5 year work anniversaries 20 years and above. I hate having my picture taken. Maybe I still want to believe I look more like I did 20 years ago, without all the excess pounds, etc. The photo appointments are only 5 minutes apart, so it is not much of a photo sitting. sound more like lining up for school pictures.

In the fall they have a celebration for all employees in the above category. The invitation says semi-formal attire. I don't think the skirts and blouses of sweaters I wear to church really qualify. I have to (or get to) find a new dress. Well, I have a while to deal with that.

In the meantime I am looking foreword to enjoying the beautiful summer days

Shalom

Carol

On the path

Recently I was meeting with several other women, and we discovered the four of us are all phone-phobic. We hate making phone calls that may interrupt the daily life of the person we are calling.

I got to thinking about this blogging, and how one of the great advantages is that it can be done whenever convenient. Over the past month I have gotten to know a lot of things about several of you I did not know before. I love readings the comments to each other. In some ways it is not as personal, but in other ways more personal than a phone conversation. So I look foreword to reading the little glimpses into your hearts and lives. We are all on our journey, and I sure appreciate the encouragement of my friends along the path

Shalom

Carol

Time Passages

This is a music box I have owned for about 20 years. The figurine has a mother holding a baby, with a daughter standing behind her holding a doll. It plays a song that was used in Kodak commercials in the 60's. It is about parents watching a daughter grow up.

Turn around and you're tiny

Turn around and you're grown

Turn around and you're a young wife

With babes of your own

I don't know all the words, and haven't been able to find them.

Saturday evening I spent with some old Blodgett friends, and we talked about what our young adult children are doing. I have several friends at a similar stage, so it seemed appropriate to remember this.

Blessings to you all in your time passages.

Carol

Caffeine

Hope this picture shows up. This is the chemical symbol for caffeine. Jarrad U. was over he other night with this, and only this, no words or caption, on his shirt. Today is not necessarily a caffeine day. Our family has a saying that the fifth essential food group is composed of caffeine and chocolate. Occasionally other items are added to the list in this group.

Steven is leaving Tuesday for a month at Cedar campus. Will miss him and his friends. They are fun to have around, and helpful too.

Happy Fathers Day to all husbands and fathers!

Hope you are able to enjoy the day with your family.

Peony

These are two of the flowers that were the on the peony before the weekend's wind and rain. There are a few buds left, so I hope to see more blossoms before it is done. At least we don't need to think about watering for a while.

Hope you all faired well in the storm.

This week I have both Titus II group and bookclub, so a great week for growth and fellowship

Shalom, Carol

Mystery plant

This plant appeared in our perennial garden this spring, at first we thought it was a vine, perhaps a pumpkin seed from the jack-o-lantern. Now it is about 2 feet tall. The buds remind me of hollyhocks, but the leaves are far to large and notched. So we are waiting to find out what it is. Another joy of gardening, sometimes there are surprises. It may be some variation of sunflower?






Tomorrow will be 30 years for me @spectrum health, so I think we will have a little party when I work Friday night. All the young girls that make fun of me about being old. They do it in a nice, kidding way. Should be fun.
Shalom
Carol

the mundane things of summer

I just signed Julie up to start drivers ed next week. Now that is a sobering new phase, even though I've been thru this twice before.

Steven will be leaving in about a week for cedar campus. and he is trying to get the things ready for the bike trip he is planning with his buddies for August

Mark is trying to get his mothers house cleared out so we can rent it, not the easiest thing to do since it is nearly 100 miles away. We have to figure out what to do with all the stuff in it, a whole household full of furniture, housewares, books and the other things of living. This is the house he was raised in, and his father built. so even if we aren't selling yet, there must be some sense of loss.

And then there is the usual work, meals, meetings and daily activities. Even though these are all very mundane things, I wonder often how one gets through it all without the strength of the Lord

helicopters and computers

Life has been a little disrupted lately.
Our computer has been messed up. We are back on line, temporarily using Linda's old computer (she has a laptop now). Its amazing how you rely on your settings, and favorite lists, etc.

Since the helicopter crash occurred just a couple floors above PICU, our patients were quickly evacuated Thursday morning to an outpatient/recovery area in the heart center. Such a blessing that our patient numbers were low, and also less critical,so more easily moved. We are all so pleased that there were no complications from the move. and that even the pilot is recovered. Working in a different area over the weekend was an adventure. Things are getting back to normal since we are now back on our own floor.
By the way- the PICU night staff was responsible for the signs as seen on the front of the region section of the Sunday G.R. Press