health care - contrasts

I work at a large inpatient psychiatric facility. As readers may surmise, of late, I've also been spending a lot of time at a large medical hospital. I can't help but find myself intrigued with the contrasts.

Attentiveness to care is one of the most glaring, as it were. At the medical facility, staff conducting routine checks on patients take time to speak with patients, they ask after their well-being, and respond to concerns about some fresh malady.

In contrast, where I work, there are many staff [not all] who seem to take umbrage about "being forced" to conduct a census, where all they do is fill in a check mark or an "X" on a pre-printed list to account for a patient on the unit. Forget about the niceties of taking a second to acknowledge the patient's presence.

I wonder how different my workplace might be if those who behave as if speaking to a patient is a demeaning imposition, actually took the time to show concern for the folks they are charged with taking care of.

Another contrast is the presence of numerous clinical specialists walking about and on the units ~ and on different work shifts ~ and speaking directly with patients about their current medical condition. In less than a week, I have been present on four separate occasions when different doctors actually came and spoke with my friend - at some length - about steps being taken in his care. One of the docs was a management level administrator in her discipline. I have observed this happening with other patients as well.

In contrast, unless the clinician is assigned to the unit, it is uncommon for specialists to speak with patients about their care or treatment. Even rarer for managerial personnel to show up on the patient wards at all.

Again, if they took they time, how might it affect the quality of care provided to the patients were I work? Just wondering.

friendships

Like lichens to rocks
friendships grow

slow and steady
deliberative and thoughtful

and at a certain point
they produce a beauty
that all can see

birthdays

A number of my friends are Leos. So here's a happy birthday tune for Nick, Dean, Bruce and Lorraine

fitful wanderings from the web

From Make magazine: How to design and create things without a computer. It is wonderful that we have the technology we do today, but it is a shame that the cost is losing the true craftsman.

Some advantages to having your own water source. Exposure to fluoride can be hazardous to your health. One health researcher refers to fluoride into public water supplies as "...forced medication for the masses."

Borderline Families. "Stories from Families Affected by Loved Ones with BPD." A site developed by a mother to "...share the story of how we struggled with [my daughter's] illness while searching for help. I found that borderline is not only treatment-resistant but often misdiagnosed. I was frustrated by the unreliable treatments offered and the lack of discussion." The objective is to share useful knowledge and information with others.
     My question: how many mental disorders discovered in the late 20th century are really a result of our race's tendency to spread toxins into ourselves and our environment?

Biodegradable gel being studied as treatment for esophageal cancer. The investigational drug, called OncoGel, is made of two major components, the ReGel drug delivery system, which is a gel made up of ingredients used in biodegradable stitches, and paxclitaxel, a well established, FDA-approved anti-cancer chemotherapy agent. Patients receive a one-time injection of OncoGel during an endoscopy.

From Addicting Info: Bills Republicans have blocked from passing into law:

 • Anti-Rape Amendment - Makes it so that women raped overseas while working for foreign contractors have the right to have their case heard in an American court instead of having their case mediated by the company they work for. Only Republican men voted against this.
 • Benefits for Homeless Veterans - Would have expanded benefits to homeless veterans and homeless veterans with children.
 • Health Care - Prevents insurance companies from discriminating against you on the basis of "pre-existing conditions".
 • Small business lending bill - would give LOCAL, community banks access to billions of dollars to loan to small businesses.
 • The Jobs Bill - Offsets the payroll tax for 1 year for companies that higher new employees, or people receiving unemployment insurance. Also gives other tax incentives to companies hiring new employees.
 • Financial reform - Puts stricter regulations on the banks, preventing them from becoming "too big to fail". Curbs reckless spending practices that caused the banking crisis.
 • Political Ad disclosure bill - Would have required all donors to political campaigns to reveal themselves.
...Wait! There's more!

Insightful reportage from a FOX News affiliate: Disturbing discovery of crabs filled with black substance.
     ACTUAL QUOTES:
     "A pair of fishermen in Mississippi made an alarming discovery that has many wondering what's happening below the surface in the Gulf of Mexico. They found several full-sized crabs filled with some sort of black substance."
     FOX 8 News reporter, Shelley Brown asked: "This is where the crabs live, on the bottom?" "Correct," answered Ladner and Mayne."
     Ladner said he couldn't sell shrimp even if they wanted too. He said some of the largest processing facilities in the country say they just can't buy from him right now because they say the sentiment around the country is that this oil and dispersant mix is at the bottom and in our seafood.
     "We've seen a lot of large fish since this has happened that are dead on the beach. We're seeing large bones like on days that are low tides like tonight.. mammals, turtle bones," Hancock County Hazardous Material lead liaison Jesse Fineran said.
     Emergency managers want to know what's causing this"

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IMAGE SOURCES: 1- Cancer cell being attacked by the immune system Alternative Cancer.net; 2- FOX Affiliate Newscaster Shelly Brown FOX 8 LIVE, New Orleans, LA.

living with cancer - Road less travelled

The directional signs remain unclear, though it is possible to guess their instruction.

The stress of a cancer diagnosis clearly rests on those close to the victim as well.

Not knowing what the next step might be, nor how to steer the vehicle to get to the desired site, makes one tired and unsure.

One man at the hospital, on the recovery end of surgery, soberly noted that he'd rather be in active combat than go through treatment again ~ the experience indescribable.

Nevertheless, he remained upbeat. Don't lose sight of the end goal, even if you cannot see it in the scope.

living with cancer - Going Haiku

""The price of freedom is visible here"

After four days into the admission with still no real communication from clinicians, Bill yelled out at the nurses. A diminutive, yet authoritative-acting foreign doctor gathers the troops around his bed to tell him he caused a freight by yelling [a behavioral anomaly readily addressed with anti-anxiety meds].

This group's "show of concern" at least provides him the chance to express his frustration's source. It seems the diminutive doctor, rather than having the courage to acknowledge she doesn't know the answers to his questions, instead responds to them by evasive language and seeming coy.

The man just learned he has cancer! Going haiku doesn't help.

When the doctor cannot answer a question ~ and instead avoids it ~ it is normal to assume the worst. On the other hand, a frank admission that you just don't know, while not providing satisfaction, is at least a lot more clear.

What is it about some doctors, so frail they interpret loudly stated verbal expressions of anguish, anger, frustration and loss as potential indicators of lack of control ...of mental illness !?!?!

The irony here is that the West Haven VA Hospital is riddled with posters offering help and assistance for combat veterans with PTSD. And while being diagnosed with cancer is not the same as combat stress, hearing you have cancer can be traumatic, it can be stressful. Is it too much to ask that all clinicians working there at least know this? I think not.

The coy doctor vaguely admitted she did not know what to tell him, and introduces the oncologist, who can, and who provides a clearer description of what the past two weeks of lab tests, procedures, poking and prodding have found. The answers aren't great, but the news is encouraging: that the state of esophageal cancer Bill has is treatable.

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UPDATE: In fairness, aside from the one glitch of a clinician being unclear about details, the care and attention Bill has been getting has been exemplary. Each of the people under Step Down's care have unique and difficult medical problems, yet the staff remain on top of their mission while remaining thoughtful to what the folks they are working with go through. I'm glad they are there.