H1N1 Influenza A

Come on, you knew I'd weigh in sooner or later.

Like everyone else I know, I'm tired of it. I'm going to devote 1 entry to it, say my piece, and move on. I suggest the rest of the world do the same.

I work in the healthcare field. I am constantly exposed to sick people, day in and day out. Perhaps I should be more concerned than I am, but... I'm just really not all that concerned. Remember when we were all worked up about bird flu a couple years ago? Remember how it was really not THAT BIG A DEAL in the end? Well folks, that's how I'm approaching swine flu.

Except we can't call it swine flu anymore, because that's causing people to get even more ridiculous. People are forgoing pork products, countries are banning import of pork products from areas affected by swine flu (don't worry, I'll stop using this term momentarily), and Egypt ordered all of its 300,000+ pigs to be slaughtered because ZOMG WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE... even though there has been NO LINK WHATSOEVER between eating pork and contracting swine flu. But since I can't call it swine flu anymore, and H1N1 Influenza A is such a mouthful (or a handful, when it comes to typing), the illness (which apparently causes fever, lack of appetite, coughing, and widespread hysteria, as well as a shortage of masks and hand sanitizer) shall henceforth be referred to as "bacon pox." (Oh, like that's any sillier than the "monkey pox" of 2003...)

Don't get me wrong, I think that awareness is a great thing. I also understand that it IS a serious concern for some - particularly people working in the healthcare field who are likely treating bacon pox patients, as well as individuals who may for whatever reason be immunocompromised. I don't (completely) intend to simply make light of the whole situation and suggest that we all run around licking each other's hands and faces. However, much of the panic is unnecessary if we all take some relatively minor precautions that we should all be taking on a regular basis anyway. Seriously folks. It's all the stuff we learned as children. Cover a cough. Wash your hands. Stay away from the general public when you're sick and contagious. Cook your food to the appropriate temperature. And stop seeking unnecessary pharmaceutical treatment. Yes, there are supplies of flu-fighting medications available. Leave them alone unless you legitimately have bacon pox (or some other form of the flu). Stop buying respirators from hardware stores - they aren't going to help. And most importantly, pull your head out of your rectum. It's full of germs.

Our little family is growing...

No, no, no... I'm not having babies. But we have added a new furbaby to our clan! For reference, this is Stanley. He's been part of the family longer than I have. Husband's rule was that if one of us "had to go," it was going to be me. Stanley stays regardless!



This is our newest addition, Nadia.



She's estimated to be about 10 months old, according to the good people of the SPCA. They rescued her from the pound, we adopted her from them. She already had a litter, none of which survived, and therefore is not likely to grow any bigger than she already is. For reference, she's approximately half the size of Stanley, who weighs something like 12 pounds. She was just spayed on Friday, so we've been struggling to keep her somewhat quiet. Easier said than done! She's queen of the guest bedroom right now, as we've been advised that keeping the two cats separated at first is the way to go. There is a big enough gap under the door that they can look at each other, Stanley can meow at her, and she can growl back...

Yesterday she was a little more mellow, but I slept in the guest room with her last night, and she woke me up MANY times. She's a head-butter: she'll bang her head right into you when she wants affection, which is ALL THE TIME. :) Stanley is a very lovable, friendly, affectionate cat, but Nadia is the ultimate cuddlebug. She fell asleep on my craft table next to the sewing machine, and is now curled up next to the bed. She seems to prefer the hard floor to the fleece blanket I put out for her. However, she must be feeling better today, because she was jumping repeatedly from the sewing table to the bed so I could pet her.

So that's what's new and exciting at the Flux Pavilion... what's new with everyone else?

Please take a moment to locate the exit nearest you...

I've been reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I'm very near the end now, and just read something that struck me.

"...some of the best caregiving advice we've ever heard comes from flight attendants: 'Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.'"

If I've been a bit absent lately, it's because I'm still trying to adjust my own mask. I'll return full force before long.

Is it acceptable to revise New Year's Resolutions?

I really didn't make that many resolutions... but somehow I'm still having trouble keeping them. The first was a repeat from last year - I want to read an average of one book each month this year. So far, I've given myself a bit of a cushion on that... I read The 12-Step Bush Recovery Program by Gene Stone (an excellent Christmas gift), and Lamb by Christopher Moore. I've started on my third book, The Stupidest Angel, also by Christopher Moore. If you haven't read any of his books, I HIGHLY recommend them.

The second resolution was to blog more frequently. Clearly, I haven't done as well with that one... so that's the one I'd like to revise. I intended to blog more frequently, but whether it's a case of the winter blahs, my bizarre schedule, or something else, I haven't had the motivation or the inspiration for blogging lately. SO instead, perhaps I'll blog with substance this year instead. I don't know exactly what that means yet... but I'm getting there.

In other news, I finally got out the sewing machine last night, and I'm almost done with my first project. Perhaps I'll post some pictures when I finish.

I have to say, I'm definitely excited about the start that the Obama presidency is off to. Closing Guantanamo, reversing the global gag rule, and tackling the economic crisis right off the bat are all great moves, and I'm excited to see what else happens in Washington in the next days and weeks.

Yes We Can!

I've been watching inauguration coverage on several channels throughout the day. Wow. I feel like there is hope again.

And seriously? HOW ADORABLE were the Obama girls? I want their coats. :)

I'd write more, but it's about time to take my husband to the doctor... so maybe I'll have more to say later. More than anything, just wanted everyone to know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

12 Days of AWESOME

Health Care, Schmealth Care...

So... I'm firing another doctor.

I hate doing it, but I 100% believe that you have to advocate for yourself and get the medical treatment that you need and that you deserve, and not just be your doctor's paycheck. So after a horrible doctor visit a week ago and a trip to the emergency room last night, I am meeting a new MD tomorrow. He was the gynecologist on-call last night, who the ER doc consulted with over the phone. I told the ER doctor that I really wanted to leave with a referral, because I wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing my pain and was unhappy with the doctor I had been seeing. So he shared that with the on-call gyno, who said he would be happy to take me as a patient.

This morning, I called his office. First impressions are everything, people. The woman I spoke to on the phone was marvelous. I told her why I was calling, and where I had been seen for the last 7 years, and that I was no longer happy there. She told me she was sorry I'd had that experience. She said that since I was in the ER last night, she was sure that Dr. New Guy would want to see me this week, so she got me a next-day appointment. She made sure that their office is a participating provider for my insurance. She told me to bring my discharge paperwork from the ER, and that we would worry about transferring records tomorrow when I arrived. She asked if there was anything else she could help me with, and told me they look forward to meeting me tomorrow. People, if I could give hugs through the phone, this woman would have gotten one. And the thing is... NONE OF WHAT SHE DID WAS ANYTHING MAMMOTH. She was polite, friendly, helpful, and gives people a damn good first impression of their practice. Hopefully everyone else there will measure up.

But all of this got me thinking a lot. I really wanted to do some research, possibly find a female doctor, find someone with a clinical interest in some of the medical issues I'm dealing with... but that's not easy to do. Once again, I randomly ended up with a doctor. I feel like, as a healthcare consumer, I'm hiring someone to perform a VERY important service. I don't choose a mechanic at random out of the Yellow Pages when I have car problems - I get estimates, I go to people I know and trust, or I get recommendations from people I know and trust. I wouldn't just randomly hire a carpenter to build me a house. But in the healthcare system, so much of the care we receive is determined by the insurance we have (or the insurance we don't have... I've been there too). The medications we take, the doctors we see, the treatments we receive. And so much of it is luck of the draw. In this case, I went to a hospital that my insurance will pay, and I have a follow-up appointment with the doctor who just happened to be on call that night. It certainly speeds up the process, but the last doctor I was randomly assigned to barely gave me the time of day at my last appointment, necessitating this emergency room visit in the first place.

I feel that we should demand more. Health care in the United States is not a right. Quality, affordable, competent, thorough health care needs to be a right, and it needs to be readily available. I want to have choices. I want my doctor to be able to determine what treatment is appropriate for me - not my insurance company. I want to be able to easily find a doctor who respects my decisions, my feelings, and my choices.

Hopefully I've randomly stumbled across one.