Cure for Type II Diabetes ?

The diabetic educator was talking about this research at work and I am surprised we don't hear more, because it seems relevant and another statement about our dietary habits. An English study points out that when people are put on a strict diet for eight weeks that included low calories and mostly non-starchy vegetables, many could actually reverse their diabetes. This is not the first study suggesting these findings and that  by eating this way you can purge the pancreas of a lot of its’ built up fat. In simple terms, this gives the beta cells and pancreas enough of a break from the fat that they produce sufficient amount of insulin again.

Not saying this works for all Type 2 diabetics, or for the 10% of the people who have Type 1 diabetes. Although research has shown for years that most type 2 diabetes is obesity and lifestyle related.

Here is the problem. Most people should decrease the amount of fat built up in our livers, pancreas and bodies in general. However, as Americans and really most of the industrialized world, we cannot change our fat ass lifestyles. We have no will power to the marketing of cheap foods that are laden with salt, saturated fat, sugar, chemicals and preservatives that are thrust in our faces daily in order that food companies can make billions in profits. 

Just my opinion, now off to Costco because I’m sure I need some mega bag of something they are pushing today.

You're So Vain *

Information is starting to arrive for the graduate program and I am excited and scared at the same time. Even though tuition and books are relatively expensive, it does not register as a negative because it is part of my end goal. It also looks like there will be no rest as clinicals start right away in the first quarter. Among this information, there was a list of 10 names, along with that of an instructor; these are the people will form my clinical group.

As NP students, I know we will be practicing in many forms including sim labs, the real world and on each other. However, for some reason as I read that we will be practicing full physical exams on each other (Minus genital, breast and rectal exams), I felt a little self-conscious. Reading over the names in my clinical group, I notice that I am the only male listed. Now call me crazy because one of the reasons I like nursing is getting to work with mostly women, but that was not the issue.

The issue was the vain thought that crossed my mind of needing to lose 5-10 lbs by the time my peers started poking and prodding me in September. Maybe I have been working around women too long, because my mechanic would never think that.


*Thanks Carly Simon for the post title.

Don't try this at Home

This past Sunday night a wife called 911 worried about her husband who decided to do a little surgery, on himself.

It appears a 63-year-old man was tired of having his hernia protruding from his abdomen, so with a butter knife in hand he went outside and lay in his lawn chair and started to operate on himself. That is when his wife called 911. Police arrived to find the man with a butter knife sticking from his gut. As they watched, he pulled the knife out and put a lit cigarette in the wound.

As I heard this story on the radio like many I thought drugs or alcohol would be involved, but he was sober. Although, no surprise that they put him under a 5150, which is California’s 72 hour psychiatric hold and observe law. In the end, he was admitted to the hospital and will be having his hernia fixed.

Personally, I will clean and dress big nasty wounds and do most things for patients without a second thought, but for some reason trach care and hernias make me uneasy.

Stop Making Excuses

So tired of some people and their excuses, including some patients and even one of my family members.

In reality, we all make half-assed excuses for things like not eating well or exercising enough. However, some people just seem to have excuses for everything.

Look at these two women who have been in the news lately and should be role models for people living their lives without excuses.

Jaycee Dugard, was kidnapped, mentally tortured and sexually assaulted for 18 years from the time she was 11 years old.

Elizabeth Smart, was kidnapped and mentally tortured for 9 months, when she was 14 years old.

When their ordeals ended these two amazing women did not make excuses and say “poor me” my life is ruined because of someone else’s actions. They moved forward and are living life to its fullest and not letting past circumstances dictate how they live in their future.

Most of us know individuals who blame family, friends, the government and history for all their problems. Instead of spending energy moving forward in life and bettering themselves, they make excuses as to why it is everybody else's fault. So blame or make excuses if it makes you feel better, but chances are until you realize it is you have control, things will not change.

Hurry up and wait.

Like everyone else I hate pulling that tab at the DMV and getting a number like 73, when they just called 42.
However, I'll try to remember this line I saw while walking near the campus yesterday, and not stress so much about my wait times. Because, these poor people were just trying to get into the building and get a number.

Is this a "Just Culture"

This story was sent to employees email accounts a few days ago with a link to read it. It has since bothered me on so many levels.

First, this is Kimberly Hiatt and she worked at a hospital that  followed a so-called “Just Culture” model, "which recognizes the need to use errors to identify and correct systemic problems, rather than focusing on penalizing individuals”. Many hospitals around the country follow this model today, especially when it comes to medication and surgical procedures.

Kim Hiatt, made her career at this particular hospital for the past 24 years. Last year she made a medical error and gave an infant 10 times the ordered dose of calcium chloride. The infant was not doing well before this incident and did pass away 5 days later, but it is not clear whether this contributed to the baby death. Also, the parents of this baby understood that it was an accident and did not want anyone to take the fall for the mistake.

So here is the kicker. In this so-called “Just Culture” hospital, this nurse was immediately escorted off the hospital property and subsequently fired. She gave 24 years to this hospital and never had a serious mistake prior to this. This happened at Seattle's Children's Hospital, but the truth is it could have happened at any hospital.

Kim committed suicide.

Reading the whole story it appears that there were other contributing factors as to why the hospital was so quick to fire her. Because, even though her co-workers loved her and say she was a good nurse, the hospital appeared to have a problem with her lesbian lifestyle. I am sure there were other contributing personal and professional factors, but that does not excuse how the hospital went above and beyond to penalize her.

Nurses are scared to report errors the way it is, and that should not be the case. However, nurses also have to remember that hospitals are going to look after themselves first. That is one of the big reasons for so much paperwork, hospitals are trying to cover their asses. This makes nurses and doctors do the same thing and try to cover their asses as well.  

This story is wrong on so many different levels

Circumcisions. Just a little off the top please

The Jewish and Muslim people have teamed up to fight an evil enemy. An enemy they call racists. An enemy they call anti-Semitic to both the Muslims and Jews. However, this fight is not taking place in the Middle East, but in the city of San Francisco, and over a little piece of skin.

A group has successfully collected enough signatures for a measure to be added to the November elections. So if passed it would make San Francisco the first city in the US to ban male circumcisions.

Maybe it's a health issue, as studies have suggested and that circumcisions prevent future health problems like STDs, HIV and UTIs. On the other hand, maybe it is only a personal choice or a religious preference.Are we infringing on the rights of parents?

The ancient Egyptians performed circumcisions, and if done in infancy is it really traumatizing? Personally, I do not remember having it done and I have never talked to a guy who remembers it happening. I am sure by now some lawyer would have used a traumatized circumcision defense if possible. The only problem is, if it was removed as a baby no guy remembers it happening.

I guess we will let the people decide in November.

How to Blog

A friend will be starting nursing school this fall and after reading about so many other people's journeys back into school. I thought she should document hers as well. So what kind of advice would you give a new blogger, or an old blogger for that matter?

Let’s face it school, work and life can be stressful. Some bloggers including myself believe blogging is beneficial to relieving some of that stress and providing a way to process all of the positive and negative emotions. Reading other people’s experiences and insight may also help because they have been through it.

Personally, I would say there is no right or wrong way to blog, just start writing and your style will develop. Everyone is different in what they like to read, so at first write for yourself and not what you think other people want to read. You are not writing an academic paper to be graded, so enjoy yourself. Although, I have noticed that bloggers seem to have better writing skills than most. ( Maybe not mine)

Some people want others to read their blog, while others do not care because they are writing for themselves. There is a follower’s widget and by following someone, they may follow you. However, the best advice I can give to gain followers is not my own, you have to click here and read this older post by Red Means Go. She is a fun read and does not take herself too seriously. With over 2200 followers, she understands that followers do not equal readers.


The blog roll is something I’m indecisive about and always changing mine and playing around. However, it is good to look at other people’s blog links and click on them, because you might find other blogs that you really like.

People can be very creative with their blog templates, while others like mine are somewhat boring. I really need a change. So play around with the backgrounds and layouts.

Then she needs to decide whether to be anonymous or use her real name. Privacy is a big thing in health care and if you make accusations, bitch or say something negative about a patient, staff member or the facility, it can come back to bite you.

Any other ideas or advice?

Put it on a stick and deep fry it. It's done.

Downloaded and handed in a hard copy of my final paper, which ended up being 33 pages. Funny, how the minute you hand in that final paper and complete that final exam, you forget how awful the last 11 weeks have been. Nevertheless, it is over now.

Twelve weeks with nothing to study and no assignments due until at least September. (Look a fragmented sentence and I don’t care). I can read something for pleasure and not because it is required. If I had crappy cable TV, I would be watching it. Note to self don’t get cable. Should pick up some extra shifts at the hospital, but probably no more than required to pay the bills. I’m sick of working too.

Heading to Minneapolis in August to visit family and friends. Might need to get some Sweet Martha’s Cookies too, along with some other various edible things on a stick. The MN State Fair is a uniquely gross, and yet tantalizing event. So many future overweight cardiac cath patients in one place, eating and eating and eating. However, that's the tradition. They started eating and doing this fair thing before the Civil war, so who's to argue with tradition. I wonder what they deep fried back then?



Pull the Plug Already

I'm to the point where I'm sick of school and burnt out, at least for this quarter.

I've been in universities that use the semester system and ones that use the quarter system and really, I don't think it makes a big difference. Because, like a slow death the closer you get to the end of the semester or quarter you just want it to end. Pull the effing plug already.Talking to another student who was also a travel nurse in her past and I compared school to a travel assignment. When you travel nurse you sign 13 week contracts with the hospital and it is exciting, at least in the beginning.

The first couple of weeks you are in a new city, learning a new floor, a new system and meeting new people.

Then next few weeks you still ask many questions and start falling into a routine. You get to know your co-workers and who to trust and who to avoid. The same with the new city your living in, you learn where to go and what to avoid.

Then for the next four or five weeks, you can coast a little, being sure to cover your ass and not be blamed for anything. You know what doctors to call when there's a problem and who to bother to get a patient discharged, that should have been gone days before. In town, you have learned the good places to eat and the parks and tourist areas to explore.

Then that last week or two you relax and stop giving a shit. Not about the patients, but the politics of the floor and hospital where you are working. It really is sad that it only takes a few weeks to get involved in the politics; the regular staff is always looking for a new person to listen to their complaints, and take their side.

Well, I am into the last week of school and the I don’t give a shit phase. I really need a break.