Thankful Sunday, January 10, 2021

 I am thankful for Frog and Toad.

Many of you are probably familiar with the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel.  These beginning readers were first published in the 70's but remain timeless as many classics do. Frog and Toad are good friends who have different adventures together throughout the books. Their problem in the story, The Cookies, in the Frog and Toad Together book is especially relatable to me.

I will paraphrase the story for you. Toad bakes cookies and Frog and Toad decide they are best cookies they have ever eaten. However, they decide that they should stop eating before they get sick. So they have one last cookie and another very last cookie before they realize that they can't stop. Frog explains to Toad that they need will power which is trying very hard to not do something you really want to do. 

So they put them in a box to keep them out of sight, but figure out they can always open the box, Then they tie a string around the box, but they realize that they can just cut the string. Next they put the box on a high shelf before they decide that they can just get a ladder to get the box of cookies down. 

Finally Frog gets a ladder, takes the box down, cuts the string, opens the box and scatters the cookies for the birds. Toad is sad that he has no more cookies, but Frog says, "But we have lots of will power." Toad says, "You can keep it all because I'm going home to bake a cake."

This simple story makes me smile every time because I, too, have tried to stop eating cookies because I don't have lots of will power. I usually start with a box in the freezer, but then...

So for Frog and Toad and the smile they bring to my face, I am thankful 

This and That, January 9, 2021

From the files*

I am feeling unsettled these days. That comes with all of the unsettling world and national news around me. And when I'm unsettled, I'm more restless, and when I'm more restless, I tend to spend more time focusing on my own problems whether they are big or small.  To help with this, I've cut myself off from the news and am going to take a Facebook break for a while--both of which are easier said than done. 

So what else does all this mean? It means that here I am going to try to focus on the mundane and silly hoping that will be good be a settling influence on me. But wait, you say. Don't you already just focus on the mundane? Well, yeah, but I'm going to pretend this is different.  Also, I'm going to try to post everyday for a couple of weeks to see how that goes. I'm a little skeptical about success with this since my class and work are getting busy.  But I have to set the goal first, before I can reach it. So as my mind is swirling with concerns, big and small, here's the humdrum for the today.

Yesterday, I harvested the rest of the turnips and radishes. Theoretically, they should have been able to stay in the ground until we need them, but they had been frost heaved up so they were mostly exposed where creatures big and small could nibble on them. The bonus of leaving them outside until now is that cold weather only makes them sweeter. On the menu today is a stew featuring turnips, cabbage, carrots and ground beef. A nice hearty stew for a cold winter's day. 

The tree is coming down
 this weekend,too.

However, it's not too cold to take down the Christmas lights. Thank you, thank you to Ward for willingly doing this. The outdoor lights this year have been very frustrating because we never knew which part of them would be lit and which part would be out. And it varied. Previously dark parts would suddenly light up again. Not sure what to do about that. But to paraphrase Scarlet O'Hara, we'll worry about that next year.

And lastly, in case you didn't know, today is National Static Electricity Day. Time to go find a balloon and have a hair-raising time. :)

Until next time...

*From the files will feature pictures I've taken in the past. For months now, I've been slowly going through the pictures on my computer culling many of them, but I also find ones that I like. BTW, birds and flowers always get special consideration in my book. The above picture was taken January 2015.

A Personal Vaccine Experience

Our friend, Kris, received her first coronavirus vaccine this week and she has been kind enough to tell us about her experiences. 

Kris, how did you get on the list to get a shot?

I am an occupational therapist in a health care system in west Michigan.  My job is at a large inpatient hospital where patients with covid 19 have been seen since March.  All staff are given the option to receive the shot.

Where did you have to go and who gave you your shot?

All staff received a survey via our work email asking whether or not we were willing to be vaccinated.  At this time, it is not mandatory for our facility.  I responded in the affirmative and was contacted by phone Wednesday evening to set up an appointment.  They had an opening on Thursday (12/31/20) and that's when I went.  The hospital system is very large and they have multiple sites for receiving the vaccination.  Mine was on-site at the auditorium and they had a very organized setup to check in staff, send us to get our shots, and then had a socially distanced area in the auditorium seats where we were instructed to wait for 15 minutes to ensure we were doing well before we left.  A nurse administered the shot.

Which version of the vaccine did you receive?

Pfizer

Both approved vaccines have to be stored at very low temperatures. Did they warm it up before they administered it?

I'm not sure what they did--there were men dressed in fatigues who would wheel crates of the vaccine in (which I'm assuming had been stored at the low temperatures).  It didn't feel cold when they administered it to me. I'm not sure whether or not the men were from the National Guard, but it was interesting to me to see people not dressed in typical hospital gear.

Where did they give the shot? In your arm?

Yes, my dominant (right) arm

Compare it to a flu shot? How did it feel? Does it have to go into the muscle? 

It was very similar to a flu shot.  I barely felt it when it went in to the muscle but as the afternoon progressed my arm became sore.

Did you do anything extra before or after the shot such as taking ibuprofen?

I took a couple of Tylenol about 6 or 7 hours after receiving the vaccine.

How many days has it been since you had the shot? Have you had any reaction to it?

It's been one day and so far, my only reaction has been pain.  It has felt very similar to receiving the flu shot.  

How will you be scheduled for the follow-up shot?

I am already scheduled for my 3 week follow up shot.  I was given a vaccine history card which I am to take with me at that time.

Did you have any hesitations before you took the vaccine? What did you consider when 
you were making your decision to take it?

Oh, I definitely had reservations about taking the vaccine.  I was concerned about the speed at which the vaccine(s) have been developed and the overall safety.  I spent some time reading up on my concerns, which included some information given to us at our health care system.  

On a professional level, the impacts have been severe.  I haven't worked with many covid patients but having the strict protocols for visitors has been hugely detrimental both for our patient's emotional mindset as well as for my ability to do my job well.  One of the main things I do is to assess a patient's overall function (physical, cognitive, sensory, visual, and so on) and see if they are safe to return home or if they need to go to an inpatient rehab setting.  I gain a lot of information from family as well as the patient when I evaluate them and it's very hard to make an informed, safe discharge decision for them when family can't be physically present (and calling on the phone is not the same--it's so helpful for family to see how their family member is functioning in real time).  

I did work with a patient who had covid but was taken off the super strict restrictions (we still had to wear an N95 mask with her but didn't have to suit up like a space monster) earlier this week.  She was in her 60s (which is NOT OLD!), had been in the hospital for 2 weeks, and it took 2 of us to help her sit at the edge of the bed.  She was still too weak to support herself and the staff person had to support her from behind.   I had her comb her hair and she was so weak, she could only reach the front part of her hair.  She was only able to sit up for about 15 minutes. I think this is the part that the general public doesn't understand about the disease.  You can survive it but the road to recovery is achingly long and so frustrating for everyone.  It will be months, if ever, before this woman is at her pre-covid baseline.  In answer to your question, June, I want to be part of the solution to prevent this kind of thing ripping people's lives apart.

The other side of my motivation is personal.  I have an elderly mother who is in an assisted living facility. Even though she is under hospice care, family still isn't allowed to see her in person unless she is "actively dying".  I am hoping that if the residents are vaccinated, and I am vaccinated, that I can see her in person and give her hugs.  

I wanted to add, in addition to your questions, that we staff were given the option of signing up with a CDC program called V-Safe.  We could sign up for it via our smartphone's browser.  It's a tool that uses text messaging and surveys to provide health check-ins after getting your vaccine and it is also supposed to give you reminders of your second dose of the vaccine.  I'm not sure if everyone will be given the option to do this but it was interesting to me.  I decided to go ahead with it in the hopes that the information is helpful for the general public.  I've completed 2 surveys now and they are quick and easy to do.  

I hope my responses were helpful!  I'm by no means an expert, but I would be happy to try to answer any questions about my experience.

This was very informative, Kris, and I know it helped me to understand the whole process better. Thank you. 

Also, I am so thankful for the job that you do. It's such an important one and I appreciate extra sacrifices you make in these days of COVID-19.

 

And So It Begins

 Welcome 2021!

In the new year, may you find the peace
of a cat sleeping in a sunbeam.

I know that a new year always brings new hopes and dreams - especially this year. Hopes of not living in constant fear of the coronavirus. Hopes of being rid of the vigilance it takes to be safe. Hopes of not hearing upsetting statistics every day. And dreams of talking to someone face to face. Dreams of being able to hug family members and friends. Dreams of taking a trip. Dreams of sitting in a restaurant.

While there is no doubt that everyone wants this pandemic that started in 2020 over, it has been remarkable in some ways. It has unified people around the entire globe. We have been united in trying to figure out the best procedures, treatments, and vaccines for the disease. Sometimes there have been disagreements on what those are, but there has been a common goal--to be rid of the devastating effects of the coronavirus. That blows my mind. Around the world everyone is thinking about the same thing and feeling empathy for each other.  I guess you might call that the silver lining to the storm cloud of 2020.

So I'll just summarize and say, "Goodbye, 2020 and thank you for all that you taught us, and Welcome 2021, we have high hopes for you."

A Little Something

Sometimes we give gifts to each other during the holidays at work.  Here is what I put together for my coworkers this year. Not much, just a little something. 

I went with a peppermint theme.

And included a few things that could provide
a pick-me-up on a long day.

I already had the bags and the ribbon.
I printed out the cards on my printer.