Mom's home, and I have a new appreciation for good health insurance. She's needed a bit of care, and a visiting nurse is dropping by every other day or so to check the incision and assess Mom's progress. So far so good. Really, what do the elderly do without close relatives or decent insurance to ensure a standard of care?
And I have to say that I'm seeing a marked difference in care between either 1) the hospitalized elderly and hospitalized children, or 2)between small community hospitals and major medical centers. I'm not sure where the difference lies, but (and I hope I don't get flamed for this) it seems to me that the nurses are younger and sharper and quicker in the major hospitals. In all DD18's twelve hospitalizations, I almost always felt the medical staff was on their game. Not so at the smaller community hospitals, where my parents tend to go. Or perhaps the difference was that I never left DD18's side. I was her advocate and I felt I was on watch for medical errors. This was partly because of several well-publicized incidents in the last few years at various medical meccas around here...I questioned everything (politely) and felt part of the "team," which was encouraged at her hospital.
It feels differently at the smaller hospitals. Maybe around here they suffer from an inferiority complex, which I can understand. I really do try to be respectful, but I get impatient with vagueness and the constant paperwork (some of this stuff should be computerized, if only to minimize medication errors).
And maybe I'm biased (OK, I definitely am) because DD18 had symptoms that, while not exactly misdiagnosed, were dismissed or minimized by this small hospital six years ago. (I still remember the triage nurse insisting DD18 might have a urinary tract infection while she sat clutching her head in pain.)
---------
DS16 ended up with strep throat, so now he's on antibiotics and feels much better. I think this bug went through the other two in a milder form earlier this month. At least, it never occurred to me to get them checked for strep. Regardless, they are fine now, and before antibiotics, strep frequently ran its course (with some casualties, I'm sure).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Exercising While Sick
For the high school athlete, late winter means tournaments, playoffs and state or national meets. For my son, unfortunately, this year it means illness. DS16 is suffering from a high fever, sore throat, and chest congestion. While I don't think it's serious, it does mean he has to skip a spot he's earned in a regional meet.
He's been under some pressure from other kids to just show up and run anyway. His coach agrees with me that it's not a good idea in general, and I would never let him try it. He most likely wouldn't do well, probably infect lots of other kids, and more importantly, prolong his illness.
But it does pose an interesting question: should you exercise when you're sick? Well, it depends.
Experts generally agree that with a mild illness, exercise might help you feel better. And some people swear that they "sweat out" the start of a cold by working out. (I think getting some outdoor exercise can help, especially this time of year. Even a brisk walk helps me clear my head, literally and figuratively.)
But is it safe? Turns out there is something called the "neck rule" that you should go by: if symptoms are above the neck (sniffles, sore throat), you can exercise if you feel up to it. But if symptoms are below the neck (aches and chills from a fever, chest congestion), you should skip the workout.
And this is scary: exercising with a fever can worsen your illness and perhaps lead to more serious conditions like pneumonia or even respiratory failure.
As disappointing as it is to miss an event you've trained months for, DS16 is taking a few days off, at least, and using that time to catch up on the schoolwork he's missed while he's been home sick. He'll be well-rested for the start of spring sports, and there will always be more races. Nothing is more important to me than keeping him healthy. And I think he gets it...he has the big picture in his mind.
Now I just hope I don't catch this thing....
He's been under some pressure from other kids to just show up and run anyway. His coach agrees with me that it's not a good idea in general, and I would never let him try it. He most likely wouldn't do well, probably infect lots of other kids, and more importantly, prolong his illness.
But it does pose an interesting question: should you exercise when you're sick? Well, it depends.
Experts generally agree that with a mild illness, exercise might help you feel better. And some people swear that they "sweat out" the start of a cold by working out. (I think getting some outdoor exercise can help, especially this time of year. Even a brisk walk helps me clear my head, literally and figuratively.)
But is it safe? Turns out there is something called the "neck rule" that you should go by: if symptoms are above the neck (sniffles, sore throat), you can exercise if you feel up to it. But if symptoms are below the neck (aches and chills from a fever, chest congestion), you should skip the workout.
And this is scary: exercising with a fever can worsen your illness and perhaps lead to more serious conditions like pneumonia or even respiratory failure.
As disappointing as it is to miss an event you've trained months for, DS16 is taking a few days off, at least, and using that time to catch up on the schoolwork he's missed while he's been home sick. He'll be well-rested for the start of spring sports, and there will always be more races. Nothing is more important to me than keeping him healthy. And I think he gets it...he has the big picture in his mind.
Now I just hope I don't catch this thing....
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
What a Week
Trying to take care of older parents while one of them is hospitalized has been all-encompassing. My worry-meter was working overtime as I unwillingly stepped into my role in the "sandwich generation." (Who ever thinks their parents will get old?) Mom was in for back surgery while Dad needed to be supervised even though he'd deny it. But I think it's almost over. Mom should be home tomorrow and will likely recuperate just fine.
Back pain is tricky. I almost didn't quite believe how much pain she was in, and I should know better. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there. She developed a synovial cyst in the spine, and the pressure on the nerve was tremendous. Hope I never go through something like that. I *have* had back pain, quite often, and of course it's never due to anything glamorous (tennis match, triathalon--yeah, right). It's usually because I bent down too quickly to pick up a stray sock.
On the home front, everything went well so at least that part of my life was calm.
Back pain is tricky. I almost didn't quite believe how much pain she was in, and I should know better. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there. She developed a synovial cyst in the spine, and the pressure on the nerve was tremendous. Hope I never go through something like that. I *have* had back pain, quite often, and of course it's never due to anything glamorous (tennis match, triathalon--yeah, right). It's usually because I bent down too quickly to pick up a stray sock.
On the home front, everything went well so at least that part of my life was calm.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Choices
For various reasons, some serious, some not, both my parents spend a lot of time in hospitals and at doctors' offices. Maybe it's like that for the majority of older people, but it's become glaringly obvious to me that choices earlier in life have a huge impact on our later years. And yes, I *know* nothing's guaranteed in life. You could do everything right and still face devastating health issues. I grapple with that every day when I look at my daughter.
But I do know that, given two paths, why wouldn't you choose the one that's more likely to tip the odds in your favor down the road? Nothing appeals to me as much as having good health. I hate illness and hospitals. DD18's illness took its toll on me, and motivated me to make drastic changes in my lifestyle, as well as our family's. Sure, we all indulgence in things not-so-good for us, but I think at this point we come back rapidly to what is good. I think it's taken root in the kids. The challenge now is to make sure good habits stay ingrained, so that when they leave the house they will recognize they have choices, and hopefully choose the better ones most of the time.
We will all spend some time in the hospital at some point. But wouldn't it be great if that time were for things like knee replacements from overuse (exercise) rather than the results of a lifetime of bad choices.
But I do know that, given two paths, why wouldn't you choose the one that's more likely to tip the odds in your favor down the road? Nothing appeals to me as much as having good health. I hate illness and hospitals. DD18's illness took its toll on me, and motivated me to make drastic changes in my lifestyle, as well as our family's. Sure, we all indulgence in things not-so-good for us, but I think at this point we come back rapidly to what is good. I think it's taken root in the kids. The challenge now is to make sure good habits stay ingrained, so that when they leave the house they will recognize they have choices, and hopefully choose the better ones most of the time.
We will all spend some time in the hospital at some point. But wouldn't it be great if that time were for things like knee replacements from overuse (exercise) rather than the results of a lifetime of bad choices.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Finishing the Challenge
My self-imposed challenge went well, I think. Thursday night I made chili, and added two bunches of fresh kale as in this recipe. I had ground beef (90% lean) in the freezer, as well as canned pinto beans in the cupboard, and served it over brown rice. The kids prefer cornbread with chili, but I was out of cornmeal.
Last night I made Baked Shells Casserole, which is pretty good. (I made a much simpler tomato sauce, but followed the recipe in spirit.) I'm not a huge fan of Rachael Ray...her cooking always seems "mutt-like" to me, as opposed to being purely ethnic, but then again we are a nation of mutts, so to speak.
I consider my challenge finished, although I still have to get through the weekend. Not sure yet how the meals will go, as we are very busy and will likely be out of the house for long stretches. So I may indeed have to run to the store at some point, or we'll settle for some sort of egg dish. I liked my challenge...it was good to clean out some items, and stick to guidelines. We have so many supermarkets within a short drive that it's easy to get distracted and buy more than I need or change a week's worth of menus on a whim. And I was successful in that I used all whole food products, nothing overly processed....the week felt sparse in a Lent-like way, but we were not deprived at all.
DS16 is in a state meet this weekend, and all our plans center around his activity. It's a drive to get to the big indoor venues that can hold so many kids, so I anticipate we'll be busy and tired by Sunday night, and vacation's end. I'm glad we had a low-key week at home, and the kids got lots of rest before returning back to school and the fresh batch of germs from vacationing classmates! In my experience, the end of winter usually results in several colds and other upper respiratory infections, due to our tired immune systems.
We've been watching the Olympics, and DD17 noted all the McDonald's and Coca-Cola commercials, and said she doubted the athletes really consumed those products. Well, I don't know about that...I personally can't believe all the junk high school athletes eat. Eventually it will catch up to them, but then a lifetime of bad habits may be ingrained. I really think youth sports should have a nutrition component, and I'm not talking about sports drinks or energy bars. Given the budget cuts all public schools have experienced in the past few years, I am not holding my breath.
Last night I made Baked Shells Casserole, which is pretty good. (I made a much simpler tomato sauce, but followed the recipe in spirit.) I'm not a huge fan of Rachael Ray...her cooking always seems "mutt-like" to me, as opposed to being purely ethnic, but then again we are a nation of mutts, so to speak.
I consider my challenge finished, although I still have to get through the weekend. Not sure yet how the meals will go, as we are very busy and will likely be out of the house for long stretches. So I may indeed have to run to the store at some point, or we'll settle for some sort of egg dish. I liked my challenge...it was good to clean out some items, and stick to guidelines. We have so many supermarkets within a short drive that it's easy to get distracted and buy more than I need or change a week's worth of menus on a whim. And I was successful in that I used all whole food products, nothing overly processed....the week felt sparse in a Lent-like way, but we were not deprived at all.
DS16 is in a state meet this weekend, and all our plans center around his activity. It's a drive to get to the big indoor venues that can hold so many kids, so I anticipate we'll be busy and tired by Sunday night, and vacation's end. I'm glad we had a low-key week at home, and the kids got lots of rest before returning back to school and the fresh batch of germs from vacationing classmates! In my experience, the end of winter usually results in several colds and other upper respiratory infections, due to our tired immune systems.
We've been watching the Olympics, and DD17 noted all the McDonald's and Coca-Cola commercials, and said she doubted the athletes really consumed those products. Well, I don't know about that...I personally can't believe all the junk high school athletes eat. Eventually it will catch up to them, but then a lifetime of bad habits may be ingrained. I really think youth sports should have a nutrition component, and I'm not talking about sports drinks or energy bars. Given the budget cuts all public schools have experienced in the past few years, I am not holding my breath.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 3 Food Challenge
We broke fast last night (Ash Wednesday) with a white bean soup, roasted potatoes and beets, and boiled beet greens. All soup ingredients were on hand, while the beets were purchased yesterday, along with other vegetables and fruits.
The soup was easy and very good, even without the pancetta the recipe called for. The recipe used canned white beans, but I had dried beans so used those instead. It wasn't really much additional work...a "quick boil" softened them up nicely for use in the soup. I had received a Williams-Sonoma catalog before the holidays, and it contained a few recipes, including this one, which is a pretty standard bean soup. In a stockpot, saute chopped onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in a little olive oil until softened. Add the beans and about 5 cups of chicken broth* as well as fresh thyme. Cook until beans are soft and then puree the soup with a hand blender (a great invention). Add grated Parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper. Yummy!
*Apparently chicken broth is "allowed" during meat-free days of Lent. Who knew? I Googled it on a whim, thinking I'd have to use vegetable broth instead, and was very surprised to note that animal "products" like broth or even bacon fat are OK'd by the church powers. You learn something new every day. And, I hasten to add, I don't really think Lent is all about the "rules." It's bigger than that, obviously.
I saved the beet greens and boiled them as suggested by The World's Healthiest Foods, my encyclopedic food bible. And you know, the kids actually like beet greens. You never know until you try it!
The soup was easy and very good, even without the pancetta the recipe called for. The recipe used canned white beans, but I had dried beans so used those instead. It wasn't really much additional work...a "quick boil" softened them up nicely for use in the soup. I had received a Williams-Sonoma catalog before the holidays, and it contained a few recipes, including this one, which is a pretty standard bean soup. In a stockpot, saute chopped onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in a little olive oil until softened. Add the beans and about 5 cups of chicken broth* as well as fresh thyme. Cook until beans are soft and then puree the soup with a hand blender (a great invention). Add grated Parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper. Yummy!
*Apparently chicken broth is "allowed" during meat-free days of Lent. Who knew? I Googled it on a whim, thinking I'd have to use vegetable broth instead, and was very surprised to note that animal "products" like broth or even bacon fat are OK'd by the church powers. You learn something new every day. And, I hasten to add, I don't really think Lent is all about the "rules." It's bigger than that, obviously.
I saved the beet greens and boiled them as suggested by The World's Healthiest Foods, my encyclopedic food bible. And you know, the kids actually like beet greens. You never know until you try it!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Pasta Con Tonno
Last night's challenge was easy: Pasta con Tonno, or Pasta with Tuna. This is a classic southern Italian pasta dish, originally using fresh tuna. It's very simple, like most Italian dishes...just pasta, tuna, garlic, olive oil, white wine, and fresh parsley. Other variations add some chopped tomato or even a bit of anchovy. Amounts vary according to taste and what you have on hand...I never measure and generally have to triple everything to create the heaping mounds of food that will satisfy three hungry kids. It's important to add a generous amount of the pasta cooking water, so the dish is not too dry, as well as plenty of salt and black pepper.Tonight's meal will consist of the several packages of dried beans I found in my freezer, supplemented by some just-purchased beets and beet greens. I will probably roast the beets along with some potatoes I already had on hand.
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