Homecoming 2011: Daddy leaving hospital

Breaking news: My dad is leaving the rehab hospital today! It was five weeks ago today, right about now, as I type this, when he had emergency surgery at St. Francis Hospital. What a journey it's been.
From the beginning, there was great risk. Risk of infection and even death. I will never forget the surgeon telling me and my mom that he might not come off the table. But he did and he did well and he lost 30 pounds in the process. (Not the way to go, however.)
We are so pleased with his care, both at St. Francis and at Regional Rehab in Phenix City. The staff at both places could not have been more caring.
In addition, my mom deserves a medal for her great love and care for Daddy. She's been by his side the whole way.
Will post a photo later. Happy weekend, y'all.

AP: Surgeons and suicide

A sobering report was just released about the suicide rate among surgeons. In the report, 6 percent indicated they'd had recent suicidal thoughts, compared to 3 percent of the general population.
We tend to think of these people as gods (and goddesses). And I know I hold my dad's surgeon in very high esteem. But despite their rigorous and fine training, they still make mistakes--and sometimes those mistakes are deadly.
How do they, these gods among us, seek help?

Emergency, triage and Tucson shooting

TUCSON — The moment Tony Compagno stepped off his fire engine, frantic people spattered with blood began running up to direct him to gunshot victim.
Among the wounded was Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who had been shot in the head. Mr. Compagno was one of the first paramedics to reach the scene of the shooting rampage at a shopping center in Tucson last Saturday.
“Lots of people were laying on the ground,” said Mr. Compagno, from Fire Station 30 the in Northwest Fire/Rescue District of Tucson.
“The congresswoman, I could tell that she was still alive. People were giving a little girl CPR. My mind went away. I started counting, and then I thought, ‘What am I counting, injured or dead?’ ”
Read the rest of this compelling report here. How emergency workers dealt with the horrible scene.

Mayo Clinic: Exercising in the cold

I've written on this topic before but it bears repeating: Bundle up while you're exercising in the cold.
Common sense, you say. Perhaps. But layering is key. First, no cotton. Start with a polypropylene layer (the breathable material that doesn't stick to your skin) then fleece or wool, then a jacket. Second, the head and hands and feet are vitally important. With most of the heat going to your core, these body parts need concentrated heat and attention.
Here's an article from the Mayo Clinic.
Also, based on personal experience, the warmth of your house can fool you. I started out last night on a walk (layered, of course) but at the beginning I didn't think it was too bad. Within 10 minutes, I'd re-thought that position.
Stay warm, y'all.

Time ... is on my side.

"Time rules over us without mercy. Not caring if we're healthy or ill. Hungry or drunk. Russian, American, beings from Mars. It's like a fire, it could either destroy us or it could keep us warm. We live or we die by the clock. We never turn our back on it and we never ever allow ourselves the sin of losing track of time."
-- Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland, "Cast away"
Yesterday I bought a watch. No big deal except I haven't owned one in a very long time. Maybe a dozen or more years. I've lost track (of the time). Two reasons I haven't worn a watch lately: Like earrings and other pieces of jewelry, they tend not to fare well with me. I scratch them, lose them or bang them on things. Another reason is I'm a compulsive time-checker. I guess I'll become one again.
Since my dad's "episode" Dec. 18, time has interested me more. One, because the surgeon remarked they opened him up just in time. And two, that had Daddy not stopped his blood thinner when he did, he could have bled to death during surgery. Just a recent, though major, instance in which time was on his/our side. (Another "time" story related to surgery: Another surgeon, whose name I forget, once told students that they only have only one minute to accomplish a certain task in surgery. "So take your time," she said.
Time ... is it on your side, as the song goes?

The decade in food

The decade in food included the following trends: Concentration on carbs (good and bad), comfort food. Rachael Ray. Super-size me and Starbucks.
Here, delish.com dishes out the past 10 years in foodie trends.
What's your favorite?
Mine? Starbucks. We finally got a few in Columbus starting several years ago. Not sure it's great for my waistline but the products are tasty and the staff friendly.
Here's to 10 more years of making trends in food.

Diabetes and prevention

With adult-onset diabetes on the rise, here's a piece that lets you know how to prevent it. Pure and simple? Eat right and exercise. Consistently.
Type 2 is the type associated with obesity.
In a 10-year period, the number of people with diabetes more than doubled in this country. To read the full story, click here.

Alzheimer's Disease: The Beatitudes

It's the endless chocolate. Or bacon when you want it.
Or carrying around a doll if you like.
This year-end piece in the Times is about Beatitudes, a facility for Alzheimer's patients.
What a concept: work with them and don't leave them lying around nearly comatose and over-medicated. Granted, as yet, there's no magic bullet to Alzheimer's. But this philosophy of treating the person as a person--finding what makes him or her calm and able to cope--is a giant step.
"Blessed are those who mourn; they will be comforted."

The key to happiness

Money didn't make the list.
Neither did vacation homes or private jets. (Or body enhancements!)
Prevention.com has this list of things destined to make you--and me--happy. The things on the list make sense.
The one I especially like: Savor mystery.
We just can't know everything. That shouldn't make us intellectually lazy; but the world is a complex place and the more we appreciate that and revere mystery, the better off we are. In my humble opinion.
Also, today is the penultimate day of the year. I have waited 364 days to use that word. Cheers.

In praise of nurses

I can't seem to get off the medical/hospital subject. (Maybe one of these days!)
Here's the latest Well blog from the Times in which Dana Jennings writes about some of the nurses he's known.
I can't say enough good things about the nurses we've encountered over the past 11 days. One got my dad up out of bed today! A real step forward, so to speak, though my understanding is that he just stood up. I talked to him on the phone after the Big Event.
I have no qualms with his surgeons, either, who broke the stereotype of cold and robotic and terse. Both have spent time with us they probably didn't have. Three cheers for these folks, who know who they are.

Tips for the long haul

Did a search for "the long haul," as in, What do you do when a family member is in for the long haul in their healing? My dad has a long road ahead and today, three days into his awakened state, he's saying he needs to get out of bed and go home. Google came up with things like long flights (such as to Tokyo); or tips for long-distance truck drivers.
It breaks my heart to walk out of his room and leave him behind.
So, here are a few of my own, off the top of my head:
1) Be patient with the patient, and yourself. He (in this case) is struggling to take everything in. Even though you know more about the reality of the situation, you are taking in new realities as well.
2) He is slow to soak everything in, in part because of the post-drug fog; so don't hit him with all the information at once. Let him lead with questions and correct if necessary and when appropriate.
3) Get rest. Eat. Go about your normal routine as much as possible.
4) Pay attention to the visiting hours. They're in place not only for the staff but for the family. Get away as you can and should.

St. Francis Hospital: Of rhythms and rhymes and harmonies

My dad remains in the hospital. Rather a sucky time of year to be in the hospital--but then again, when is it ever good? Not sure what we'll do for Christmas but my main wish is he's alert and doing much better.
My mom and I, and my husband and many others, have been around the place since Saturday. For me, it's enough time to pick up on some more things. Here are more random observations, in no particular order: If you know you're going to St. Francis much later than 8 a.m., it's best to park across the street at Starbucks or Gold's Gym and walk. You'll save a lot of time circling up and down the parking deck.
We have found the staff to be professional and kind and honest and tender, not only with my daddy but with us.
As he's gained hours and days away from his surgery, the nurses and docs don't stay in the room as much. That's a good sign.
Hospital food remains high quality. I'm not that picky an eater but it helps to have decent food when you feel tied to the premises.
Take note: The gift shop is having a 75 percent off sale on Christmas items. This has come in handy.
Surgeries tend to happen in the morning, unless one has an emergency. More people in waiting rooms in the morning and early afternoon.
Just curious: Why is the hallway to the CCU area chilly? There's a noticeable difference between other hallways. Is it to ward off germs?

Advent graces

I've been out of the blog scene the past few days because my dad had emergency surgery Saturday morning.
It was (and still is, to some degree) pretty scary. He remains on a ventilator but is doing well, all things considered.
Basically he perforated a hole in his colon; there was also a mass at the end of his colon that they took out and as I understand it pretty much got the whole colon out too.
If all continues to go well, they'll reattach everything at a later date.
His doctors and nurses are excellent, and he's in great hands. I can't say enough good things about the medical team caring for him.
In addition to that, here are a few graces and observations:

--People are there for you. We have received so much care and love just in the past three days it's hard to articulate and give thanks adequately.

--The main nurse I see every day is a guy named Eric. He treats my dad so tenderly. When he's putting in a new drug or something, he'll say, "Here you go, my friend."

--When you are in a waiting room, that is not the time to jump into another group's conversation and interject your political venom. This happened to us Sunday. Someone in our crew brought up something about President Obama and this man, at least five feet away, yelled out something stupid and stomped out. Dude. Really?

--Hospital food is not as bad as some say.

Advent graces

I've been out of the blog scene the past few days because my dad had emergency surgery Saturday morning. It was (and still is, to some degree) pretty scary. Basically he perforated a hole in his colon; there was also a mass at the end of his colon that they took out and as I understand it pretty much got the whole colon out too. If all continues to go well, they'll reattach everything at a later date.
His doctors and nurses are excellent, and he's in great hands. I can't say enough good things about the medical team caring for him.
In addition to that, here are a few graces and observations:
--People are there for you. We have received so much care and love just in the past three days it's hard to articulate and give thanks adequately.
--The main nurse I see every day is a guy named Eric. He treats my dad so tenderly. When he's putting in a new drug or something, he'll say, "Here you go, my friend."
--When you are in a waiting room, that is not the time to jump into another group's conversation and interject your political venom. This happened to us Sunday. Someone in our crew brought up something about President Obama and this man, at least five feet away, yelled out something stupid and stomped out. Dude. Really?
--Hospital food is not as bad as some say.

Msn.com: Checkup can include little white lies

Great eight-piece advice column on your doctor visit.
You have to be up-front, even if it's awkward or you're afraid. Your doc can diagnose better that way. And, I can see how this would be a problem: Telling him/her what you think is wrong with you. Tell symptoms. Let him/her decide.
And try not to be too chatty when he's going over your chart. (I'm guilty of this one.) Let him concentrate on your health.

Alzheimer's Disease: Ten Thousand Joys, Ten Thousand Sorrows

When Harrison Hoblitzelle, or Hob as he was known, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 72, he and his wife, Olivia, decided to go through the disease as lovingly and consciously as possible. A tall order indeed.
In her memoir of living with Hob when he had Alzheimer's, Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle puts into practice her background in psychology, meditation and wisdom traditions to try to understand what Hob is going through and also keep their lives together as his mind slipped away.
"Ten Thousand Joys, Ten Thousand Sorrows: a Couple's Journey Through Alzheimer's" is a brutally honest yet graceful account of understanding the disease. Olivia, who helped to develop one of the first mind/body medicine programs in the country at Harvard Medical School, currently focuses on elder issues, spirituality and conscious aging.
Read the rest here. This is a great Q/A with someone who's walked the trail.


Read more: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/12/15/1387323/alzheimers-memoir-captures-journey.html#ixzz18EojcikG

New York Times: Should nightmares have happy endings?

Therapy may help people who suffer from chronic nightmares learn how to turn bad dreams into good ones. But now some experts wonder if changing your nightmares from scary to safe is always a good idea, reports Sarah Kershaw in Science Times.
Read the rest here.
I suffer from nightmares quite frequently. Or, part of the dream is a nightmare, and I'm working on a solution during another part of it. I had a DOOZY of a nightmare last week involving work. No real happy ending in the dream but I did confront the person in the dream, so that was good.
I tend to agree that nightmares should be taken as they are. We tend to be so focused on happy endings (and that dreaded word "closure") that we often miss the mystery and depth of what frightening things can teach.

Emory University: Symposium on prevention

The Sixth Annual National Symposium on Predictive Health, to be held Tuesday and Wednesday at Emory University, will focus on integrating biology, behavior and environment, and will emphasize maintaining health rather than treating disease. The theme of the symposium is "Human Health: Molecules to Mankind.”
Major topics will include environmental health, genomics, nutrition, toxicology, fetal nutrition, air pollution and ethics as they relate to predictive health.
The Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute symposium will be held at the Emory Conference Center, 1615 Clifton Road, Atlanta.
Read the rest here.
What a great idea. We're so good at treating disease and dealing with crisis/crises. But we "need improvement" on the front side.

Mayo Clinic: Exercising in the cold weather

Even the most hearty among us have to plan for days like this.
("Mama said there'd be days like this.")
I know my friends in the Twin Cities would laugh but it got kinda nippy here today. Highs in the 30s. (which is indeed chilly for these parts.) Up there, the roof of the Metrodome in Minneapolis collapsed due to heavy snow.
But I digress. If you venture out to run or walk or bike, you have to be prepared.
The Mayo Clinic has this piece on being prepared for cold-weather exercise. Careful out there, peeps.

Tobacco: Even a little bit does damage

This report released today is pretty sobering.
Even if you take one puff, there's immediate and lasting damage.
I don't smoke and never have (and that's not a sanctimonious statement; I've done other damaging things to myself, knowingly and unknowingly). But smokers can't get away with "it's just this once," or "I only smoked for a few years."
Also had read this story about a major lawsuit won by the family of a dead man, who dipped tobacco beginning at 13. I never understand the rationale for these huge winnings, because unless an employee of the tobacco manufacturer is putting the cigarettes (or smokeless tobacco) into your mouth without your knowledge, you have a responsibility to be, well, responsible.