The holiday season is upon us, and for many the holidays are a joyous time, but there are just as many people for whom the holiday is one of mixed emotions or outright sadness.
I’m here to remind people, it’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to have a moment, and if that moment is all day, that’s okay too.
People are sad about the holidays for all sorts of reasons, but if you get to the root of it, a lot of the sadness has to do with loss. That could be loss of a friend, pet, or family member. Loss of a dream, child, job, financial stability, etc. The loss does not matter, but what does matter, is that people respect how a person is feeling about the holidays.
Grief is not linear, there will be good days and bad days. Did you know that grief is not considered complicated until one year has passed, since the griever’s loved one has passed away?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-V) added prolonged grief disorder to the DSM-V this year. Prolonged Grief Disorder is defined as:
PGD can be diagnosed no sooner than one year after the death of a loved one, and it is defined by a daily, intense yearning for the deceased or a preoccupation with thoughts or memories of them. Additional symptoms — three of which are required for a diagnosis — are identity confusion, disbelief, avoidance of reminders of the loss, intense emotional pain, difficulty engaging with others and with life, emotional numbness, feeling that life is meaningless, and intense loneliness.
See this Washington Post article on the new addition.
Regardless, of official definitions, it costs nothing to show people who are hurting some grace and patience as they navigate life without a beloved lost one.
Some tips and encouragement for the bereaved during the holidays.
Tips for people interacting with the bereaved, especially, if it’s the first holiday season without a loved one.
If you or a loved one, find yourself grieving to the point of neglecting yourself or other responsibilities, consider seeking medical or psychological help. Complicated and prolonged grief is a very real thing, and nothing to be ashamed of.
Peace and blessings to all. Stay safe.
Crafty
]]>I’d been meaning to write this post for a while, as the doctor’s make adjustment to my high blood pressure (hypertension aka HBP aka HTN) medication, and then I saw it was World Heart Day, September 29th, so I thought, I am going to write it today.
If you were to look at a current picture, I doubt most people would like at it as face value, and think “She has high blood pressure.” If you thought that, you would be wrong. I have had blood pressure for 14 years. Just the other day I was talking to my uncle, and he said, “I didn’t know you had a high blood pressure.”
As I mentioned, I was diagnosed with HBP 14 years ago. It was a very stressful time for me. I was planning a wedding in hometown, and virtually every weekend I spent either going to my hometown or going to see my husband-to-be. That meant either a 2.5 hour drive to my hometown, or a 2.5 drive plus an hour plane ride to see now husband. This is on top of regular life stressors and being in an intensive leadership program for work.
I vividly recall the first time I had an issue with my HBP. I had a horrible headache, and the right side of my face tingled, and I assumed it was my sinuses, as I could get severe sinus headaches and infections. Something about it did not seem right, so I went to urgent care. The wait was long, as it was cold and flu season, and when they examined me, my BP was 150/110. Immediately, the doctors told me I needed to go to the emergency room (ER), especially, since I was having what I now know were neurological symptoms. I drove myself to the ER, and they assess me there, and by this time, by BP is even higher. Did I mention I was living in a place few friends and no family, so of course, being nervous and scared, my BP went even higher.
While in the ER, the doctors and nurses asked me about my family history. Boy, do I have some goodies in my family. For me, it really should be a question of “What don’t you have vs. What do you have?”. All of the adults on my mother’s side and most of the adults on my father’s side have/had HBP, so you would think I would not be surprised to be experiencing BP issues at 27. Well, I was surprised and scared.
The doctor gave me some medication to bring my BP down and sent me home with a BP prescription. Now, normally a person would not get a BP prescription the first time it’s high but over a period of weeks and multiple readings. However, multiple readings typically apply to a gradual increase in an office setting, not an extremely high reading or emergency. I followed-up two weeks later, after diligently taking the new BP meds, and my BP did not improve, not even by a little bit.
The first BP medication failure was my first experience with the difficulties of HBP. It was the first time that I learned that sometimes Black people do not respond to blood pressure medication the way the other races and ethnicities do. Later on in my BP journey, I also learned that some medications in certain medication classes, like lisinopril (ace inhibitor) can cause serious facial and lip swelling (angioedema). Several people in my family on both sides have experienced angioedema, so when doctors try to suggest that for me, I’m like “No, thank you.” The doctor tried another medication, and soon I would move to a new state.
In that new state, and literally every new doctor I saw over the next 8 – 10 years, almost always said the same thing “You’re so young, and at times “You’re a good weight”, I’m surprised you have hypertension. Well, I do, so please give me the same attention and thought you would give to a middle-age man.
A few years into the journey and multiple doctors due to moves, a new issue crops up. I’m seeing my internist for something unrelated, and the nurse goes and gets the doctor after taking my vitals. The doctor comes in and asks me to lay on my left side. He asked “You don’t feel funny, what with your heart rate 130”. I said not really at this moment, but I had been having some issues with being tired and overheated easily. The doctor said, um, yeah, you’re going to the cardiologist. One, because he thought he heard a mitral valve prolapse, and two, for the heart rate. A normal adult at-rest adult heart rate should be between 60 - 100, and at that time, I was consistently over 100.
I went to my first cardiologist, and he did a stress test and had me wear a monitor for 21 days. Let me tell you, the monitor was not fun. I kept forgetting to bring the monitoring phone with me to the bathroom or even just to go to a coworker’s office. I get through the 21 days, and go to the office for a follow-up. The following conversation happened after all pleasantries were exchanged:
Cardiologist: You need to take your medication at night.
Me: Why the switch?
Cardiologist: That’s when the monitor showed you were having the most events and your medication does not last you through the night.
Me: I never received a call from the monitoring company.
Cardiologist: Well, they said they called you.
Me: I’m telling you, in three weeks, not one person called my phone to alert me of an issue. (In my head, shouldn’t the monitoring company reach out to the office, to make sure they have the right contact information). I asked a few more questions I can’t remember.
Cardiologist: Just take the medicine at night.
Me: Okay. (Making a mental note, that this doctor/patient relationship was not going to work).
I immediately asked my internist for a referral to a new cardiologist after the exchange with the first cardiologist. I did not like the fact that I tried to speak up, and was essentially hushed.
Throughout the years, my weight has fluctuated. When I was diagnosed with HBP, I was 27yo, and had a normal BMI, certainly not someone you would expect to be diagnosed with hard-to-control BP. By the end of nursing school and the three years following, I was at my highest weight, probably 165lbs or so. I carry it well, and most people would not think I weighed that. At my highest, my weight put me in the overweight category and probably sometimes, into the obese category. During all of these 14 years of BP issues, very few of my doctors said anything to me about my weight. If anything was said, it was more in the context of watch you eat related to cholesterol, HBP or diabetes. Why didn’t the doctors say anything? Was it because of my health background? Was it because of my age and gender? Was it it because they didn’t want to offend me by mentioning my weight?
I truly do not think doctor’s not mentioning my weight had any real bearing on my current health, because I have the knowledge needed to make change, even if I don’t always practice what I preach. However, what about people who need information about weight and problems that can come from it. More than just saying “You need to lose weight.” I can probably count on one hand doctor’s who gave me actual health information vs. a blanket lose weight.
For nursing school we had to do a community health project and I went to a senior rec center, that primarily served African Americans. Most of the participants had a least one chronic illness, and some did not take their medication at all or take it correctly. Many of the participants said when they were diagnosed with diabetes or HP, that they were not given any information and when they asked about it, doctors and nurses told them to look it up. Those same participants said they were disappointed in the experience and it discouraged them to “do better”. They knew they needed to “do better”, but what is better.
During my presentations, I brought healthy snacks, usually roasted chickpeas, fruit, fresh raw vegetables, and a healthy-ish dessert like sweet potato or black bean brownies. We washed all that healthy goodness down with sparkling or regular water. In addition to snacks, I provided participants with a copy of Leanne Brown’s Eat Well on $4 a Day ($4 is about what someone who receives food gets per day). I also provide stand alone images of the Blood Pressure chart, Stroke Signs, and Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms. If participants are able, we do a Leslie Sansone five-minute booster walk. Some of the participants liked the presentation so much that they asked me to go to their church and do the same presentation. I was happy to do so, and really enjoy doing presentations like that. The participants said they learned how to eat more healthy meals on a budget, how to walk for exercise, and were excited to learn it. It does not mean participants went out and made immediate change or lasting change, but at least they have the knowledge to do so if and, hopefully, when they are ready to do so.
Currently, I am adjusting my medication again. Adjusting my BP medication can be a frustrating experience, from too high to too low, but I am thankful that I have good health insurance, the means to pay for medication, healthier food, and extensive health knowledge. Even 14 years later, I still have trouble sometimes with people listening and like “high blood pressure”. Yes, I do, and please listen, especially, since women can present differently with heart attack symptoms.
Overall, I’m fairly healthy. Lots of small nuisance things, but healthy-ish, nonetheless. I don't always make the best heart-healthy choices, but that is a part of being human. The difference between me and and a lot of other people, is that I'm fortunate to know how to, but as the saying goes "knowing is half the battle." What about the people who do not have insurance or are underinsured, or don’t have easy access to healthy food (food deserts)?I
Advocate, advocate, advocate. If one doctor does not listen, go to another one. We know our bodies.
Stay Safe. Mask Up. Wash Your Hands.
Crafty
]]>
Unfortunately, for me, COVID-19 is not background noise. I have the unique perspective of having worked in public health with a focus on communicable and infectious diseases before becoming a nurse. Now that I am a nurse, I work in infection prevention. I started my new job in infection prevention, the same week that COVID-19 got real where I am. Talk about trial by fire. I am still just treading water.
All this to say, not only do I see the COVID-19 numbers daily as part of my job, I understand the numbers. I understand what many laypeople may not. I cannot ignore COVID-19 and its effects on this country, and its impact on healthcare. I am saddened by the number of cases we're now seeing, after seeing a decline. I am doubly saddened by the number of I see.
COVID-19 is a tricky virus that seems like it is always one step ahead of the curve. However, we do have some tools to use to try to get ahead of it: social distancing, wearing a mask and practicing good hand hygiene. When it was cooler outside, people were somewhat more inclined to practice socially distancing, but that was by default, not necessarily because people wanted to do it. Now that it's warmed up, it seems like people think social distancing is a thing of the past. Masks, well apparently, they are a topic of great debate, which is utterly baffling to me. Masks help to stop COVID from spreading.
Yes, I know early on, we were told cloth masks did little to prevent COVID. However, the science has changed, and we know more now. That is not a conspiracy, that is just how science works. Science rarely happens all neatly and wrapped in a bow.
I am not going to spend this post talking about the benefits of wearing a mask or shaming people into wearing masks. Shaming as a way to get someone to do something, doesn't work. Instead, I'm going to tell you what I see daily.
Due to social distancing requirements, I had to move out of the office I shared with a coworker. I'm now in a corner cubicle with lots of sunlight. I can see the ER entrance from my office, and at least once a day, see a helicopter land on the helipad. Pretty cool, huh.
You know what's not cool, seeing families wait in the blazing sun for word on their loved ones in the ER. Daily, it pains me to see families waiting outside of the ER. I have even seen families bring coolers because they know it is going to be a long day. Waiting outside of the hospital is how people have to wait for their loved ones these days. Sure, people can sit in their cars, however, it can still get hot in the car even with the air conditioning going and who wants to burn up gas in this fragile economy. Most families will see their loved ones come out of the ER that day, their problem fixed or not deemed emergent enough for hospitalization. What about the patient who does need hospitalization, when their loved one dropped them off, may be the last time they see the patient alive or at least in the previous state they dropped them off to the ER.
COVID-19 put a stop to most visitation at hospitals. Some hospitals have limited visitation: end-of-life, labor and delivery, pediatric, and exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Many hospitals are not allowing ANY visitation. As a substitute to visitation, a lot of hospitals are using FaceTime to connect patients with family members, including when death is near. Saying goodbye via FaceTime is the new normal, but it doesn't have to be.
In case you weren't aware, people who have COVID-19 should have the door to their hospital room closed, pretty much at all times. The only people they see are the healthcare providers who come to their room to treat them. Can you imagine being in the hospital and not even being able to see what's going on in the hallway and the world around you?
Having someone being able to visit you and advocate for you is an important part of healing. Yes, sometimes you can have too many visitors that interfere with healing. Still, nothing can replace having a second set of ears to hear what the healthcare provider has to say, to notice a change that they can notify a healthcare provider about, to help provide some assistance getting settled in bed or going to the bathroom. This says nothing of the emotional importance of having someone visiting you and providing human interaction outside of a healthcare provider.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has taken all of the above away from most patients.
Next, let's talk about our patients in skilled nursing facilities, group homes, or any type of communal health setting. Patients in group settings also cannot have visitors. For a brief period, in some areas, visitor restrictions were lifted, but they're back in place due to increasing numbers. Visitation is integral for patients in these communal settings; visits give these patients something to live for and look forward to. I mean that quite literally, patients can withdraw into themselves when they do not get visits and end up failing to thrive. Some residents, unfortunately, do not get visitors, but they do benefit from the many volunteers that come to the facilities. Alas, even volunteers cannot visit due to COVID-19.
Bringing a baby into this world is a beautiful and magical experience. However, it is one that can be stressful and does not always go as planned. Many expectant parents, especially mom, find comfort in having more than their partner there at birth. Perhaps the laboring mom's mother, a best friend, or even a doula. Doulas have been shown to have a positive effect on birth outcome. With COVID-19, a mom can only have one person with her for labor and delivery. Some may say, what's the big deal, but for many moms, it is a big deal and they were really wanting, and in some cases needing an additional support person. COVID-19 has taken the choice of multiple people present at birth away.
Even outpatient visits are different. Can you be sure grandma or grandpa is going to remember all that the doctor says? Better hope so, because the most you can do for most visits is drop them off. Loved ones can try to call in when their family is seen, but again, there’s no substitute for in-person support.
What of the bereaved? I have friends who have been unable to be at the funerals of their immediate family members because countries have banned the US from entering their country, so even if they can get to the US for the funeral, they cannot get back to their respective countries. Even within the US, friends and myself included, have to make decisions about traveling to funerals because attending the funeral could possibly mean have to quarantine in the state you're traveling to or having to quarantine when you get back from the state you traveled to for the funeral. Questions you have to ask yourself in the day of COVID-19: Is the area you're going to overwrought with COVID-19 and no real plan to for reduction? Being with family during bereavement is a natural and expected part of the grieving process, but COVID-19 has made it anything but natural. Many outbreaks have started with funerals, and a family starts off burying one person, and then several family members get sick and may even die. Then the cycle starts all over again.
Reducing COVID-19 numbers is not just about stores opening, churches opening, schools opening, large gatherings like festivals being allowed, economics, etc. There are people in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, group homes, and more, who are hurting physically and emotionally because they cannot get the support they need and deserve because COVID-19 is running rampant.
Whether you believe COVID-19 is real or not, and if you're reading this, I hope you do think COVID-19 is real, at this point in dealing with it, I cannot imagine that there is an adult in the US who has not been touched by COVID-19 in some way. Have you not been able to see Nana and Grandpa like you normally would? A new grandbaby who's been born you can't see at the hospital? A friend in the hospital? A family member in the hospital? Lost a loved one?
If you haven't had to deal with any of the above, count yourself lucky. Social distancing, proper hand hygiene, and wearing masks works. If we want any sense of normalcy, we have to do at a minimum, those three things.
Remember the sick, shut-in, laboring, and bereaved, who could use some normalcy in the form of visits from loved ones and cannot get it. They don't have a choice, but you do.
]]>In an ACUTE situation like a fire, active shooter, or some other type of accident, instinct kicks in and you try to save as many patients and coworkers as possible, even while putting yourself at risk. Daily work work without proper PPE is not an acute situation, and it is not one HCWs should be encouraged to participate in.
If an HCW worker feels compelled to work with patients who have COVID-19 with or without the proper PPE, because they feel led to or called to, that is your right and choice. I wish you nothing but good health while you care for those patients.
When nurses say, "I signed up for this," in my opinion, that statement allows hospitals and other healthcare facilities to continue to provide minimal PPE and to continue to perpetuate the "nurse martyr" rhetoric. I did not subscribe to the "nurse martyr" rhetoric before COVID-19 and certainly do not subscribe to it now. When management says, "You signed up for this," it shows me who they are, and that is not the kind of person I want to work for. Those types of managers tend to be all talk and no action and will find every excuse not to work the floor, even when staff is drowning.
These days you cannot scroll through your social media feed, read a newspaper, watch a tv channel, or news broadcast without seeing some variation of nurses/HCWs/essential workers are heroes. You see things like working on the front line, warzone, battle, etc., when describing essential workers. You see all these war terms, but many HCWs do not have the proper equipment to fight the COVID-19 war.
Police officers, military personnel, firefighters, and paramedics are given the proper equipment to do their job. At times, yes, it may not be the latest equipment, but nonetheless, they are given equipment and protection intended to minimize the risk of injury or death . A police department would not send their officers out onto the street without weapons. A fire department would not send their firefighters out without proper heat-resistant uniforms and masks, nor send their paramedics out without the adequate supplies they needed to save lives. The military would not send their military personnel out to war without the proper gear. No one would ever say to a grieving family of one of the above professions, "Well, you know Johnny/Sue signed up for this life." NEVER. So why is it okay for someone to think it, let alone say to a nurse, "You signed up for this."
Police officers, military personnel, firefighters, and even paramedics know when they join the ranks of their respective fields that they can and will encounter dangerous situations, some that may even result in serious injury or death. Those risks are well known when you sign your onboarding papers. With those onboarding papers, there is life insurance, death benefits, beneficiary designees, etc. There may be unions, benevolent funds, and more to help a decedent's employees, should a worker from the above categories die in the line of duty. I am happy those systems are in place, and they should be in place, as the above put their life on the line every time they step out of the door to report to work.
Now contrast the above to nurses, other HCWs, and essential workers. Those same kinds of systems to make sure the decedent's families are okay after a nurse dies in the line of duty are not in place. At best, you might have a small life insurance policy that the hospital or employer provides as a matter of course that has nothing to do with being killed in the line of duty. It is just a regular life insurance policy. The hospital or employer may say something at report, send some flowers and a small monetary donation collected from fellow employees, and keep it moving.
You know why people feel like they can say "You signed up for this.", because they, too, have been deceived by the narrative that's been pushed since the beginning of nursing as a profession, that nurses are altruistic, selfless to the point of neglecting their own self-care. While nurses may be altruistic, often to their own detriment, nowhere does it say, nurses should be self-deprecating to the point of being okay working without the proper PPE. As a nurse, you are always taught safety first. It is not safe for you, as the provider to be unsafe, because you endanger your patient's lives.
Most nurses do not mind caring for patients who have COVID-19, provided they have the right PPE. It is when nurses do not have PPE, improper PPE, or single-use PPE becomes multi-use PPE, that nurses draw the line. Why is it okay for a nurse to sacrifice themselves because they do not have the proper PPE? I will tell you for this nurse, and countless more, it is not okay.
When hospitals and healthcare facilities say they have the proper PPE to the media, the next question should be, "What does having the proper PPE mean?" Having PPE, while telling your staff that they have to wear the same surgical mask for a week, is not proper PPE. Having your staff use the same gloves between patients is not proper PPE. Having staff save their masks N95 or surgical masks in a paper bag is not proper PPE. Giving your staff a mask made of fabric so thin, you could see through it when the sun shined on it, is not proper PPE. Telling staff to spray their disposable gowns down with disinfectant is not the proper PPE. All of the above examples are statements I have seen in various nursing groups.
Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made some infection control changes due to the lack of PPE, including some recommendations on conserving PPE and reuse, prolonged use, etc. That said, I think some hospitals and healthcare facilities are taking advantage of that and twisting the guidelines and recommendations to suit their needs and their pockets if we are honest. No facility should aspire to have the bare minimum when it comes to infection prevention. If a facility gets to a point where conservation guidelines must be implemented, the facility should use those conservation guidelines while still furiously looking for new PPE.
If one looks at the flip side of the situation from a patient or patient's families' perspective, how do you think that patient or their family would feel if they found out staff was doing the bare minimum to prevent infection? It would not make them feel good, and it would have them questioning the care they or their family received.
Many facilities lack the proper PPE, and many of the HCWs working without proper PPE contracted COVID-10, and worse, some have died. To be fair, some people will get COVID-19 even with the proper PPE. Regardless of how a HCW contracted COVID-19, you have lost people on the frontline, temporarily while they recover or permanently. Per this NPR article, over 9,000 HCWs contracted COVID, and 27 have died. Would you say to the loved ones of those who got ill or died from COVID "It's okay, they signed up for this." Most people would NEVER do that, but in the abstract, some people think it is okay to say that, as if by being a nurse or HCW, they forgo all rights to protect themselves and their families.
Do you think all of these employers are showing their employees grace and telling them to stay home and recover from COVID-19? You would be wrong. I have seen and heard far too many times, of healthcare facilities harassing their employees to come off of quarantine early, questioning their illness, threatening staff with disciplinary action for not coming in. When you force staff or make them feel bad (a common occurrence, only worsened by COVID-19) for not coming in when they are sick, especially in skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, and long-term care facilities, it is the patients who suffer the most. There are numerous outbreaks with many associated deaths in the facilities mentioned above. Many of the HCW coming in sick may not have the PTO necessary to stay home, and for those that do have PTO, are made to feel bad or facilities try to twist the CDC guidelines to their advantage.
If the general public at large, media, etc., want to make HCWs heroes, then provide HCWs with the things they need to do, to be that hero: PPE. PPE is what most nurses and HCWs want. HCWs want to be able to do their job with the proper protection. Free food, first responder parades, etc. are all well and good, but unfortunately, that is not enough to soothe the incredible wounds that have opened up during this pandemic.
The American Nurses Association and the World Health Organization declared 2020 as "The Year of the Nurse." I do not think this is the year they envisioned. Nurses are upset and tired of being martyred, and a revolution is rising. This revolution WILL BE televised.
If not subscribing to "I signed up for this." is wrong, then I do not want to be right. To my fellow nurses, HCWs, and essential workers, please be safe and keep fighting the good fight.
P.S. I recently left direct patient care as a psychiatric nurse and work in infection prevention now. I am passionate about nurse's rights. One does not have to give direct patient care to patients with COVID-19 to fight for those who are giving direct care to patients with COVID-19. All nurses and HCWs, in some way, play a role in the COVID-19 response.
I normally have several days before I start a new work week, but not this week. I was not looking forward to this new week, without a longer stretch, but I was going to go in with a positive attitude and put the last few weeks behind me. I had to practice what I preach. I tell my patients sometimes, “It’s a new day to make new choices and have a good day.” If the patient is a voluntary patient, I add “You should be proud that you’re making a choice to get help.” Side note: I believe I in meeting people where they are and not what we want them to be. It works out better for all involved.
Anyway, as the time approached to go to work, I realized I just didn’t want to go if I didn’t have to. I saw the schedule, knew we had “extra” coverage, and a low census. I asked to be put on call if the above criteria stayed the same. I rarely do that, but I knew I needed to do it, and more importantly, my potential patients needed that.
Without low census, I was still likely to call out. You can’t pour from an empty well. As a nurse or any healthcare professional, you have to know when to take a break. I am not naive enough to think that people can just take off, as people may not have enough PTO, there’s individual money and staffing issues. That said, you have to put yourself first. Pick up a hobby, meditate for a few minutes, read a few chapters, etc., do something for yourself
I did a lot of crafting yesterday, as crafting truly does soothe my soul. I spent quality time with my family. We ate out and took a long two-mile walk. Even doing all of that self-care, it still wasn’t enough to get me ready for my next shift. And you know what, that’s okay. Knowing is half the battle.
I am fortunate to work in an environment that does not give you grief if you call in sick, get sick or have some type of family emergency during your shift . Not every healthcare professional is that fortunate. Some of the stories I’ve seen nurses post as it relates to calling out and being berated for it are shameful. Unless there is a disciplinary issue prior to the callout, people should be able to call out without issue. Employees should not be questioned or made to feel bad with lines like “We’re short, can’t you just XYZ.” if they call out. No, management, they cannot come in after telling you no, because if an employee does it once, there will always be an excuse on management’s part as to why they should sacrifice their time and health to come in for the greater good of patients and their fellow employees.
Nurses and healthcare professionals are human and have lives outside of work. Sometimes that means we can’t come to work, and that is okay, even if it’s a mental health day. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
Some facilities should stop giving lip service about self-care and how it’s important, if the facility is going to attempt to make staff feel bad for performing self-care. Employers start small. Employees are entitled to two breaks and a 30-minute lunch. Make sure staff is getting those breaks. Even just a few minutes away from the unit is enough to rejuvenate you to get you through the rest of a shift.
Does it suck for managers and supervisors when people call out, absolutely, but that’s a reality of any job, it just so happens as healthcare providers there is more at stake when someone calls out. But you know what would be even worse, employees providing care when they’re not their physical or mental best.
My ultimate goal as a nurse is to provide the best care I care I know how to, and sometimes, not giving any care is the best thing I can do for me and the patient.
Sincerely,
Crafty
]]>
Ultimately, I went to an HBCU because they offered me the most scholarship money. I would not say my final selection was my first choice in schools, but, in the end, it was the best choice for me. I may not have seen it then, but I most certainly see it as a mature adult. I applied to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore because they had a graduate program I could apply for in my junior year and start my senior year. I was fortunate enough to get into and start the program but realized the program was not for me and finished my undergraduate degree in biology.
I remember agonizing over this decision in my favorite professor's office, and that professor coaching me along to next steps since departure from the graduate program was definitely unplanned. I hurriedly applied to graduate programs in public health and was accepted into some really great master's programs. I remember being so excited to tell my favorite professor, who is about seven to ten years older than her students, that I got into one of the more competitive programs. You know what this favorite professor of mine did when I told her, she scolded me in the middle of the hallway, asking why I applied for a master's program and not a doctorate program.
You see, those are the kinds of professors you may encounter at an HBCU. I am not saying Black students or other students of color (SOC) do not experience that at PWIs, but I can tell you that is what other HBCU graduates and I experienced. I took a winter session over winter break, and watched my professor's house, the only thing required was to make sure the house was safe and dogs fe. That same professor let me stay there for the summer when they were there.
I say all of the above to say, my HBCU helped mold me into the woman I am today. When I thought I wouldn't be able to compete with my ivy-league classmates in graduate schools, or classmates who had gone to bigger schools with more resources, I could not have been more wrong. Not only was I prepared, but I was also better in some cases. I do not say that as a braggart. HBCUs make you prepared for the world ahead. Prepare you for the knowledge that you may have to work twice as hard for half as much.
Lately, I have been dismayed at the dismissive nature of some of my fellow Black professionals as it relates to HBCUs. I wholeheartedly agree that HBCUs may not be for everyone, and everyone is entitled to guide their educational journey as they see fit. However, to diminish the role of HBCUs in the lives we live today is shortsighted. Black students would not be able to attend the integrated public schools they do today without the foundation laid by HBCU. The middle and upper-middle-class neighborhoods and schools that many Black students live in would not be possible without Thurgood Marshall (Howard University) trying the Brown vs. Board of Education. Martin Luther King (Morehouse College) changed history as a civil rights leader. Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen (Howard University) showed the world that Black people are college-educated and family-oriented. The list of HBCU greats could go on and on.
Do HBCUs have some work to do? Of course, no university is perfect, not even the Ivies that people are always bestowing honors and virtues upon. However, without HBCUs, Black people would be far worse off than we are. Some may say how much worse can they be, well think about life without the progress that civil rights leaders born from HBCUs made. That is how much worse it can be.
You do not have to like HBCUs, think that they are party schools focused on the band, Greek life, and football, but you do have put some RESPECT on HBCUs as venerable institutions, because as sure as the day is long, I can assure you, you wouldn't be able to go to that PWI, and by default go to an HBCUs.
As a full-on adult, not that newly minted graduate of almost twenty years ago, I can genuinely say, attending my HBCU was one of the best things I have done in life. Attending an HBCU allowed me to go to a well-respected graduate program with no debt from undergraduate school. Attending an HBCU allowed me to blossom and become a leader at said graduate school.
I have not always given back to the HBCU that gave so much to me, but going forward, giving back to my alma mater will become a priority because I see how important it is, to not only give back to our HBCUs but also how important it is to encourage our young people to research and consider HBCUs for higher education. Even if a young Black student attends a PWI, that is perfectly fine, but those same students should know the history that allowed them to attend that PWI, without putting down HBCUs significant contributions to history.
Crafty Mixtress
]]>You know when someone says, they or a family had XYZ symptom, suspect test result, or a combination thereof, and you as a health professional, think, ”This is not good.”, but don't feel comfortable saying so. So in this case your knowledge of the subject, is making you want to blurt out to them, ”Run to the doctors or run to the altar for the altar call and get your affairs in order.”
Or what about having access to one’s lab reports 24/7 with a few keyboard strokes. Does knowing that your white blood cells are .10 higher than your last set of bloodwork really make a difference, or is it causing you more angst. Now, don't get me wrong I appreciate having electronic access to my medical records, but for some, and maybe even for me sometimes, is the access worth the angst?
Sometimes, maybe it's not a change in lab values, but a new concern. So now, you're armed with this knowledge, consult Dr. Google, and scare yourself with all of the information you see.
What if you're the person at an appointment and you know from experience in healthcare, the ”This appointment is about to go sideways.” look, and you're on the receiving end and the person you brought to the appointment has no idea what's about to go down. Or you get a call from the doctor’s office after hours that you're not expecting.
Knowledge being a curse and a blessing, doesn't even have to be about healthcare, maybe you've had many rotations around the sun, and you see a younger friend or family member about to make some poor choices. The same poor choices you've made in the past. Do you steer that family member or friend in the right direction, or let them falter so they can learn from their mistakes.
Maybe it's street smart knowledge vs. country knowledge. Regardless of the type of expert knowledge you have, sometimes knowing isn't as great as it seems and that knowledge is powerful, and should be used wisely.
]]>Why does it feel like such a big task? Most likely the people you’re separating from, won't miss you if you stop coming to them? But every time, it's like, do I just stop going, do I tell them why I'm not coming? Especially, for healthcare providers, and it’s a staffing problem, or response time issue, do you let management or the provide know, why you're unhappy? Many times the provider has no idea of the actual problems patients may be having with staff and would address the issue if they knew there was an issue.
What if it's your longterm hairstylist do you just stop going and then your stylist sees you out and about with your hair all done up. Do you awkwardly disk and hide so they don't see you, or stop and speak and say ”Hi, nice to see you.” and stumble over why you haven't been coming. To be fair, when I did get my hair done more regularly I did have the main stylist and a backup stylist, but that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about straight-up ghosting your stylist.
Do I think saying something to a business owner is helpful? It can be, but not everyone is willing to listen, which is a shame because it is often a simple fix for the business. Do I think it has to be you or me that tells a business why you are leaving? No, and your indecisiveness about whether to say something should not be the deciding factor on whether you stay. As sure as the day is long someone else is having the same thoughts as you and the business will know why they are losing people, either by your words or someone else’s.
The bottom line is, if you're thinking about no longer patronizing a business, it's probably time to go. The seed has been planted in your head, and you should probably listen to that seed, especially it's related to a healthcare provider. We have to be our own advocates.
Have you struggled with breaking up with a business?
Crafty Mixtress
]]>To start talking about a day with eczema, I need to start with the nighttime routine. The nighttime routine sets the tone for the day.
So it's finally time to get ready for bed, or at the very least wind down for the day. I begin to slather on whatever I think will work for my skin, even it won't even last half the night. More on that later. Lately, it's been a mixture of oils (coconut, almond, jojoba, tea tree, lavender, etc.). All the good stuff, right? You'd think that'd be enough, but oh no, I must put something on top of that oil to seal the moisture in. I've tried it all, and in the last few weeks, even started making some homemade salves. As of late, the one that works is Waxelene, a non-petroleum jelly (Vaseline) alternative.
The scene is set, I am so greasy, you could probably use me to fry chicken I put on some loungewear or pajamas. However, what kind. If my skin is too exposed during the night, I wake up looking like Frosty the Snowman. If I'm too covered up, I run the risk of getting hot and waking up ferociously clawing at my sweating skin. Oh, you didn't know, sweat and eczema don't mix. That said, I think I may have solved this dilemma. I noticed when I put long-sleeve cotton shirts on, my skin really likes that. I just bought a pair of cotton thermals/pajamas. They feel pretty comfy, so I'll see how I fare in the morning.
Okay, so I'm in bed on my lightweight sheets. I don't know if it's turning 40 or what, but me and warm sheets are just not friends anymore, and anyone who knows me, knows I love a good pair of t-shirt or flannel sheets. My cousin turned me on to Costco's Charisma microfiber sheets. I was a little skeptical at first, because the microfiber sheets I already own, are uncomfortably hot. The Charisma sheets are fantastic, especially at only $15. I start the night out with socks on because I'm trying to keep all that moisture via the oils and salves I've put on. Uh oh, at about 0200 I wake up feeling hot. Hmm, what should I do? I take my socks off, hoping that will work. It works for a little bit, but then I get hotter and struggle with exposing my skin to more air or removing some of the covers. If I remove some of the covers, I'm cold and it will be harder to fall asleep. If I expose my skin to more air, who knows what I may way up to, and I still may wake up scratching because the air dried my skin out. Kind of a lose/lose situation.
As far as this air thing, let me explain that a little more. Me and central heating/air just don't mix. All that forced air does is dry my skin out. I bought a manual humidity monitor, and it says my house is at the appropriate level. LIES. Well, probably not, but it's a lie for me. Apparently, my body must require like 100% humidity or something, because I could apply moisturizer to my body, and my skin is dry in what seems like minutes. I have multiple humidifiers throughout the house, but keeping it real, I don't always use them. I don't know why, but I have always felt like maintaining and running the humidifier is just one more chore for the day, that I don't feel like doing, even though I know my skin is marginally better when I do use it.
Alright, so it's morning time, "God willing and the creek don't rise." as my father says. I look in the mirror, and Frosty the Snowman is looking back at me. Mostly my face and arms, because that's what's most exposed. I'm a side sleeper, so normally the cheek that's pressed against my pillow has a little bit of moisture left. Everything else, dry, dry, dry.
It's time to take a shower. Now lots of people think the more water the better. WRONG. At least for me anyway. Water is not my friend. Dries my skin out. I steel myself to get in the shower. Steel, you say? Yes, steel myself. I feel pretty confident in saying someone with severe eczema, ALWAYS has some type of scratch or cut on them, that frankly, doesn't feel good when it gets wet. You get in, and if it's an especially bad day, you might hold back a scream. Baths are preferable when it's like that, but who has time for that in the morning. Speaking of baths, apple cider vinegar baths do tend to help for a bit.
The torturous shower is over, so now I attempt to moisturize. I say attempt, because I know I'll have to replenish the moisturizer 5011 times today. Time to get dressed. It's summertime when the living is easy. So they say. Anyway, I don't want to be hot, but I know when I go out to run errands, I'll end up in some freezing cold air-conditioned building. Remember what I said about air conditioning, it's not my friend. I compromise, maybe jeans and a short-sleeve top, so only part of me is exposed.
I finally go out and get the day started. My uncovered arms are a magnet to central air, and I rub them a little bit. Okay, let's be honest, I may scratch them. Bad Crafty Mixtress. All that moisturizer I just put on, makes my fingernails look dirty, so I am constantly inspecting and cleaning them.
Well-meaning people may say something about my eczema. I'm like "yeah, eczema sucks." I generally have a strong constitution and am pretty self-assured, so I’m alright, but I’ve noticed more and more people saying something to me about the eczema they can see on me.
I come in from running errands and such and start thinking about dinner. But first, let me use the restroom. Seems innocent enough, but then my skin is unexpectedly exposed to air. DISLIKE. Need to do a mid-day moisturizing session. I finish the mid-day session and proceed to cook dinner, using gloves for as much as the process as possible to protect my hands from too much water.
Dinner's done, my husband is home, so now it's time to go walk the dog on a local trail we like. We like it, because despite it being hot as Hades outside, because the trail has so many trees, it's actually fairly cool. Fairly cool, doesn't mean it's not still hot, and that you don't sweat. Sweat for the average person is no big deal. Sweat for someone with eczema can be a problem. Sweat irritates my skin.
We come home from the walk, I do a quick wash-up, and then we eat dinner. After dinner, I watch tv, do crafts, look on the internet, etc., until it's time to start this process all over again, hoping for a decent night's sleep and tolerable skin in the morning.
This, my friends, is my life with eczema. Again, no pity is wanted or needed. Just sharing. Hopefully, some diet and medicine changes will provide some relief.
Crafty!
]]>
Both original posts referenced recent mentions of the Black maternal and infant morbidity problem. One article referenced Senator Elizabeth Warren speaking on the topic at a panel. In that case, I think posters took more issue with the messenger, Senator Warren, than the actual message itself: Black maternal and infant morbidity and mortality is a very real and dangerous problem. The second post was about a young woman whose first child passed away due to being born too prematurely. The headline stated, "A black mother told not to scream in labor asks: Can California fix racism in maternity care?" Instead of focusing on the article, some posters hyper-focused on the headline with responses of "well screaming during labor isn't effective.", "I was told not to scream and I'm white.", "This is not a racial thing, but an efficiency thing.", "I take exception to this, articles like this are only mean to divide us more.", and so on and so on.
I and many other posters responded with "better" examples, though this one in this story should have been enough. People did not bother to read those examples, and just went right back to their same spiel. What more does one need to do to show that racism and implicit bias in healthcare exists? How bad does it make one feel, when Black nurses and other nurses of color are responding with their own stories of inadequate or questionable care, and their peers are ignoring it, or worse coming up with excuses and saying that wasn't racism. There is one thing we should know as nurses, is that we not only have to acknowledge but also accept a patient's answer to a question. If a patient states their pain is a 10/10, but from your observations, you feel it's more like a 5/10, you must report the ten. So if a fellow nurse is telling you they felt discriminated against, you do not get to tell them no, they weren't. Now THAT is dismissive and divisive.
There may be people that read this post and feel the example above is good enough either, so I present to you several examples where implicit bias caused severe injury or death to mother or child.
Aside from these examples, I have more highly-educated professional Black friends who have had premature births, and unfortunately, some deaths, than I do Black friends who have delivered term babies. The reason I bring up class is that even accounting for SES, age, education and more, the Black maternal and infant mortality rates are still leaps and bounds higher than that of their White counterparts.
How do you fix a problem if you do not believe a problem exists? I was a public health epidemiologist before going to nursing school, so I know numbers. Numbers do not lie. The Black maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates are so high that it is considered a public health emergency. Read that again, in 2019, the Black maternal morbidity and mortality rates is a public health emergency. To be fair, the state of maternal and morbidity rate for the United States is abysmal compared to other developed countries, but it is far worse for Black Mothers and babies. The Black Maternal Health Caucus would not exist if it was not warranted or needed.
Here are some statistics from an Evidence-Based Research (EBR) paper I did on the effect of community care (centered) vs. traditional care on Black infant mortality and morbidity rates.
Eighty-six percent of countries that participated in a World Health Organization (WHO) study reported significant decreases in maternal mortality from 2000 – 2014, while the United States saw and continues to see increased maternal mortality (Lu, 2018). To put in perspective, the United States ranked next to last with maternal mortality data reported to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and reports rates three times higher than similar countries like the United Kingdom and Canada (Lu, 2018).
African American women and other people of color (POC) experience negative outcomes three to four times higher than Caucasian women. Caucasian women, women of other races, and African Americans experience the following maternal mortality ratio (MMR), 12.4 deaths/100,000 live births, 17.8 deaths/100,000 live births, and 40.0 deaths/100,000 live births, respectively (Centers for Disease Control, 2018). Infant mortality rates are higher in African American infants. African American infants die at a rate of 11.4/100,000 live births, compared to non-Hispanic White infants at a rate of 4.9/100,000 (CDC, 2018).
Now that we have the stats out of the way, let's look at this thing called implicit bias. You do not have to be a racist to say or do things that racially insensitive. I think that is where nurses and other healthcare professionals get caught up when trying to talk about race in healthcare. Many may feel as though they are being personally attacked, or their character questioned, and immediately go on the defense. However, you cannot learn from a defensive position.
To say that you treat ALL patients the same regardless of race, gender, creed, SES, sexual orientation is simply not true. If for no other reason, then we know as nurses there are very few absolutes. How many times throughout our nursing education, have we been taught to not choose an answer for a test question that has an absolute like, always, never, every, etc.? But yet, we get offended when someone says, just maybe, implicit bias and racism may play a role in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates. I score very high on cultural competency assessments, I believe in part, due to me being a minority, but does that mean I do not have room to learn, or that I may have unconsciously displayed a bias towards a patient.
Implicit bias could be the following:
1. Expressing surprise that a Black patient has a supportive husband at delivery.
2. Rolling your eyes in report when you hear your patient's name and making assumptions based off of that name.
3. Making comments like "they" always have a lot of people in their rooms and are so demanding.
4. I'd have a lot of kids too if the government was paying for them.
5. Shortening a person's name without their permission, because you deem it to hard to pronounce.
6. Expressing surprise at a patient's education level
7. Not responding to call lights or rounding on that patient like you should
8. Discounting a patient's pain or believing the old stereotype that Black patients feel pain differently. Study shows it is still a common belief amongst doctors.
So you see, you do not have to call a patient a derogatory name or give an attitude to do things that are racist or perpetuate implicit bias.
As a person and as a nurse, I was taught to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. I would be remiss if I did not offer to you an opportunity to see if you have trouble with implicit bias and are culturally competent. Use this link to take a cultural assessment. The first step of the nursing process is to assess the situation. Self-assessment is no different. Be honest with yourself when you take the assessment and learn from it.
To see there is a problem, hear from your peers that they have experienced said problem and still say the problem does not exist is to be willfully ignorant. Not only that, it is is the height of privilege. There are fewer things that are more hurtful and ignorant than to dismiss a person's pain, especially because acknowledging it makes you uncomfortable. Black women, myself included, and other people of color do not have the luxury of being ignorant or privilege, we are too busy advocating for ourselves, against the people who do not think we need advocating from. The truth hurts sometimes, but without acceptance of it, change cannot come.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/index.html. Accessed January 30, 2019.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infant Mortality. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality.htm. Accessed January 30, 2019.
Lu M.C. Reducing Maternal Mortality in the United States. (2018). JAMA. 320(12), 1237–1238. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.11652
Lu, M. C., Highsmith, K., de la Cruz, D & Atrash, H. K. (2015). Putting the "M" back in the maternal and child health bureau: Reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 19(7), 1435-1439. doi:10.1007/s10995-015-1665-6
Crafty Mixtress
]]>Unfortunately, when patients with a mental illness do find care, they are often met with disdain from the very people who are charged with caring for them.
I have witnessed healthcare professionals stigmatize patients with mental illness. Maybe not to the patient’s face, but in their refusal to do what they’re tasked to do. Having security present when it’s not necessary or hospital policy to do something as simple as a blood draw. Sending patients back to the psych unit when they’re not really ready, because they can’t deal with the psych part of their illness only for us to turn around and send them back to a medical floor again. Or when you’re in social media groups and people posts videos of a patient suffering an acute episode attacking hospital employees and the first thing someone says is “those psych patients are dangerous.”
Actually, most patients with mental illness are not violent, but the media and others would have you believe that they are violent. It does not help that healers sometimes internalize that and carry out biases towards patients with mental illness.
Working with patients with a mental illness on a daily basis is not for everyone, but all healthcare professionals will encounter patients with mental illnesses, and it costs nothing to use therapeutic communication and not be a part of the mental health stigma patients face in the outside world.
I am sure I have acted biased towards a patient, even when I did not intend to, but as a lifelong learner, as nurses and other healthcare professionals are tasked to be, I hope I can learn from that unintended bias to give better care to my patients.
Crafty Mixtress
]]>For those that say, how can I/we be outraged at what R. Kelly is doing, when the country is in turmoil with the shutdown, I say, people can be outraged at and passionate about more than one thing at a time. In fact, I think advocating for more than one thing is healthy, because to be passionate about just one issue leaves one blind to the faults of that issue, and allows you to become extremist in your views, and no matter how noble a cause or issue is, there are fissures and faults within that issue.
Sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse in all its forms (verbal, physical, emotional, financial) is NEVER okay. Abuse is ALWAYS the fault of the perpetrator or abuser.
For those people, especially men, who have said "Couldn't have been my mother, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, etc...cause said perpetrator knows I would mess them up. Or those who say, "I know 'insert loved child or woman' would have told me someone abused me." Or "I would know if someone happened to 'insert loved child or woman." THINK AGAIN. According to RAINN, 1 out of 6 women has survived an attempted or completed rape. Almost every 1.5 minutes, someone is sexually assaulted. About 75% of rapes are reported and ~ 5% of rapists are incarcerated.
Now, do you feel like you would have known? In nursing school, we were taught not to choose answers with absolutes like, always, every and never, because there is almost always an exception to the rule and you have to use your critical thinking and assessment skills, before deciding blindly accepting a lab result or sign or symptom. That said, I will take a gamble, and say that everyone reading this knows someone has experienced an act of sexual violence or domestic violence or knows someone who has experienced sexual or domestic violence, or both. You just don't know you know someone who has experienced the trauma of being assaulted.
You see, victims of violence don't want to share their assault for many reasons, but many of those reasons are the jokes people make when documentaries like R. Kelly come out. The inability to fathom someone staying through abuse. The notion that a victim just needs to get over. The shame the victims are made to feel like it was somehow their fault. The court system trying to disparage their name, when it is the perpetrator who should be on trial. Those are but just a few of the reasons.
I have been fortunate to have never been sexually assaulted, but I do know people who have been sexually assaulted and abused, and my heart weeps for them. Based off what I've seen people posts in the aftermath of the R. Kelly documentary, I can read between the lines and see I know even more people who have been abused, and my heart weeps for them too.
For those who think abuse is funny, I challenge you to think about it this way. You DO know someone close to you who has been abused. You may not know it, but you know someone. Are you really okay with joking about such a serious matter, when you look at in terms of someone you know? Maybe someone you know has experienced abuse, and they have not told anyone, but they most certainly cannot tell you now, as you make light of a very serious situation.
While you cannot avenge a past assault, you can help a person know they can come to you and not be ridiculed. It costs nothing to be empathetic, sympathetic or caring. It could cost you everything when you are not empathetic, sympathetic or caring.
It does not make you weak if a victim of assault shares their assault, and you say:
"I'm sorry that happened to you. How can I help you now?"
"I'm sorry you did not feel comfortable to report your assault." "I am here for you now."
"I'm sorry that happened to you" (and just let them take the lead).
While there are statutes of limitations on some crimes, there is no statute of limitations on how long it takes for a victim of sexual assault to heal, if they do. The fact of the matter is, there is life pre-assault and life post-assault. Life pre-assault will never be the same. Every.single.day, I see people whose lives have changed for the worse due to abusive situations they endured and many continue to endure.
I write all of this to say, you don't know what someone has gone through to get where they are, and the odds of you knowing someone who has been a victim of sexual or domestic violence is greater than knowing someone who has not, and I would hope you wouldn't be so callous toward someone you love.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can visit the Sexual Assault Hotline or call 866.656.4673.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224.
]]>Hope everyone had a good weekend.
Monday’s are a day for new beginnings. It’s a day you can use as a reset button. There’s even a public health campaign, The Monday Campaigns, that is dedicated to making healthy choices on Monday. One of their biggest Monday Campaigns is Meatless Monday. I usually post about that on Monday's, but today, I’m going to talk about what you can do to look forward to Monday’s vs. dreading Monday’s.
1. Do your prep work on Sunday. For me that means, putting all of my medicine in a pill container. I’m not very consistent with it, but a few months ago, I had an issue at work, and my coworkers were frantically searching through my big ziplock bag of medicine for my inhaler. Scary for them and me, so I’m turning over a new leaf and putting everything together on Sunday’s.
2. Shake off the problems of last week and go on with a new attitude. Even if the same person or same issue is still a problem, I try to think positively, and say “Today is a new day.”, just like I tell my patients.
3. Those are a few of my tips, but this article gives some great tips to start your Monday off right.
I hope you have a fantastic week!
Crafty
]]>Europe currently is reporting an unprecedented 41,000 cases of measles. Thus far, 37 people have passed away due to measles complications in Europe.
Measles is not just a cold. Measles is not just a rash. Measles is highly, highly contagious. There can be long-term consequences to contracting measles. Vaccination at high levels to the point of herd immunity is necessary to prevent outbreaks like this from happening. Here is an infographic on measles. 25% of people infected with measles will be hospitalized. That sounds like more than a cold to me.
It's national immunization awareness month, and it's no coincidence that it's in August as kids head back to school. Getting vaccinated is not just about you or your child as the individual, it is about protecting those around you, especially those who have compromised immune systems and/or those who cannot receive certain vaccines.
I feel it it is my duty to be vaccinated against communicable diseases, not only as a healthcare professional but also as a citizen of this country. I'm protecting more than just me. There are people who cannot get the vaccine for medical and religious reasons, and it is up to those of us who can be vaccinated to protect vulnerable populations (infants, elderly and immunocompromised).
If you're reading this, I hope you feel the same way. If not, I hope I've given you some information and some things to think about.
Photo Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Crafty.
]]>]]>
To find out if there are NHCW events in your area, go here.
Everyone deserves quality health care, and lack of funds should not be a hindrance to getting it. Nor should people have to choose between getting their medication and paying for their housing.
Have a great day.
Crafty!
]]>Most Monday’s I post a healthy vegetarian and vegan recipes for Meatless Monday but did you know there’s a whole public health initiative called The Monday Campaigns.
Some of the Monday Campaigns include The Kids Cook Monday, Move it Monday, Caregiver Monday and more.
Today, I’m going to focus on Caregiver Monday. Caregivers need to recharge for themselves and the person they are caring for, even though I know that’s easier said than done. Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) offers some great caregiving tips, especially on avoiding caregiver burnout and finding caregiver support groups.
It’s okay to ask for help You are a priority.
Have a great day!
Crafty
.
]]>Do you know how to prepare for flooding? What to do after a flood? During a flood? No?
This link from ready.gov, will help you prepare.
Be safe out there and remember just six inches of water can cause you to lose control of your car.
Crafty
]]>
CDC says to use insect repellent, cover up and keep mosquitoes out. Find out more here.
Have a great day!
Crafty
]]>What better way to reset, than with this Lemony Lentil Soup from Gimme Some Oven. I love lemons, and I love red lentils, so this should be quite a treat.
Enjoy!
Crafty
]]>If the above sounds appealing to you, then try nice cream. The basic recipe is taking two frozen bananas and blending them until smooth. You can do all kinds of variations. Easy and relatively healthy.
Here’s a link to some really interesting recipes I saw on PopSugar, https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Nice-Cream-Recipes-41392863
Enjoy!
Crafty
]]>
If the above sounds appealing to you, then try nice cream. The basic recipe is taking two frozen bananas and blending them until smooth. You can do all kinds of variations. Easy and relatively healthy.
Here’s a link to some really interesting recipes I saw on PopSugar, https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Nice-Cream-Recipes-41392863
Enjoy!
Crafty
]]>
https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-every-week/healthy-tips/12-ways-to-make-water-the-most-delicious-thing-ever
Enjoy!
Crafty
]]>https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html.
Better yet, let's learn how to avoid ticks.
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/index.html
Have a great day!
Crafty
]]>It's Meatless Monday and the start of cookout season. Think you have to forgo tasty grilled food when you eat a more plant-based diet? Nope, here's some yummy Meatless Monday recipes. http://www.meatlessmonday.com/…/meatless-monday-bloggers-t…/
Have a fantastic Memorial Day!
]]>Do you find it helps you?
I'm haphazard with it, but am going to try to do better after a week of forgetting things or almost running late, because I had to do something I could have done earlier by prepping for the week.
Cooking Light puts out a weekly menu and even includes a grocery list for you. Here's this week's menu, http://www.cookinglight.com/…/week-of-healthy-meal-prep-may…. Looks tasty!