By Lisa Copen

Rest Ministries, specifically the Sunroom, was recently featured as “one of the organizations doing it right” by Jenny Prokopy who spoke a the SXSWinteractive technology conference. Her presentation was called, “Health Communities: Superheroes Who Need a Justice League.”

Many of you may know Jenny, the founder of chronicbabe.com, who has worked with us during Invisible Illness Week and other events. I was honored when she called to interview me the week before. I applaud her for including a faith-based organization in her presentation and examples!

You can listen to her entire presentation online here. She speaks on health forums and social networks such as the Sunroom. She interviewed me the week previously, excited to explain how necessary social networks for those with illness are, especially those that are faith-based such as Rest Ministries Sunroom.As many of you know who have participated in an illness online community, there are hurdles we sometimes must jump over and it’s not always crystal clear how to make decisions.

For example, is someone suicidal and if so, are we equipped to help them? Can we legally help them? What do we do when people sign up for a group and then leave because they are not getting the support they needed (and they expected it to be available 24 hours a day).

She purposes a resource that helps founders of some of the largest, to the smallest, health and illness-related social networks make these tough choices, support one another, and create guidelines we can follow.

When I asked her how it went (she’d been feeling poorly and then had to work on her presentation, travel, and give the speech) she said, “It went smashingly, and people loved hearing all about your site . . . I think you’ll get a ton of people interested in what you’re doing.”

Jenny herself has had a difficult few months coping with her illness, so I ask you to continue to keep her in prayer. I know her presentation will inspire you.

http://www.flu.gov/widgets/vaccinelocator.html

Should I get the flu vaccine?

Most likely, yes, but check with not only your general practioner, but also any medical specialists you may see. You can usually just call the office and leave a message asking “should I get the flu vaccine?” An appointment usually is not necessary.

According to the CDC the following people should get a flu shot.
1. Pregnant women
2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
a. Health care workers
b. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
c. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

Where can I get flu shots?

Flu shots have never been easier to get. Your pharmacies, health clinics, grocery store, or even your work place all may offer flu shots. One of the best tools is the Flu Vaccine Finder, which is powered by Google. It provides locations that are offering flu vaccinations including dates, times, addresses and phone numbers for clinics offering flu shots near the zip codes provided. Google mapping will also show where each clinic is located. See the widget on this page where you just enter your zipcode.

What is in the flu shot and it it different than what is in the flu vaccine?

According to the CDC, the “flu shot” — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

The nasal-spray flu vaccine is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Check with your physician to see which one is best for you.

I hear about people getting the flu after the flu shot. Is this true?

According to medical professionals, those people whp are getting flue after the flu shot contracted the flu germs a day or so before getting the vaccinne and just didn’t realize it.

What are the symptoms of the flu in adults?

Flu symptoms in adults include: The flu usually comes on suddenly, while a cold may not. People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

* Fever or feeling feverish/chills (note however, that not everyone with flu will have a fever.)
* Cough
* Sore throat
* Runny or stuffy nose
* Muscle or body aches
* Headaches
* Fatigue (tiredness)
* Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

What are regular flu symptoms compared to mild flu symptoms?

Most people who get the flu will have a recovery time of a few days to less than 2 weeks, so it it last longer than that the odds are that one is having complications, such as pneumonia. These can be life-threatening and even result in death, especially if you have a compromised immune symptom. See your doctor immediately. You may also be suffering from pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections.

Explain the H1N1 symptoms vs flu vaccinnes

The CDC says while there are many different flu viruses in our society, the flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against an influenza A H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the 2009 H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season. Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the 2010-2011 season vaccine is available.

I want to put myself in the best place of avoiding colds and flu. Any suggestions?

Carry hand sanitizer with you and use it, even avoiding washing your hands in public restrooms, and using the sanitizer once you have left the restroom. Avoid putting your hands in your eyes, mouth, ears, nose, etc. Even grocery shopping you can pick up many germs on cans of soup. Make it a habit to wipe down the grocery cart with a sanitizer wipe (which many stores offer now) and then wipe down your hands before getting back into the car. You can find more tips at the CDC web site, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm .

Knowing how to prevent flu is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick.

Remember, we are not doctors and are not offering any medical advice. Check with a medical professional before making any medical choices.

Related articles

• Universal Flu Vaccine on the Horizon? (fitsugar.com)
• Is getting a flu shot every year bad for you? (greenanswers.com)

TIP: It’s always nice to pass along resources to your medical team like this that you think may be helpful & it looks like you are really on top of things! – Which is nice for them to recognize, because there may be days when you can’t even remember your own phone number.

The magazine offers a combination of information to help save time & reduce costs in long-term care facilities, as well as tips & encouragement for caregivers to also care for their own needs.

Each issue includes five sections:

1. Spotlight
2. Keeping Compliant
3. Improving Care
4. Time for You
5. Tools of the Trade

It is published by Professional Medical Inc, a supplier of products & services to long term healthcare businesses. Subscriptions to Embrace are free, & signing up for one is a snap! Simply visit their “Subscribe” page, fill out the simple form & a copy of Embrace will soon be on its way to your facility.

When should I have surgery?
As early as possible in the morning. When you live with an illness I know it can be hard to get up & get there to a surgical center or hospital. But let’s be realistic. . . are you really sleeping anyway? And most often you are unable to eat, drink or take your medications in the morning, so the sooner in the day you can get in, the better off you will be physically. Plus, studies have shown that patients have fewer anesthesia “complications” than those who have surgery at 4 pm or later. This may be due to the fatigue of doctors or other health-care workers by late afternoon, changes in shift changes, & higher case loads later in the day. If you are uncomfortable ask for heated blankets. Sometimes they can also provide ice chips or moderated medication.

When should I pick up medications from the pharmacy?
Monday & Tuesday evenings after work are said to be the busy time because people call in refills over the weekend. I’ve also found Monday mornings to be busy (kids that were sick have now been to the doctor) & Friday afternoons, as people are getting what they need before going out of town for the weekend. If you can get there before 3 PM you will beat the “after school & work” rush & there will likely be a pharmacist there who may be able to spend a bit more time explaining a medication to you. There is less room for error during calmer times too!

When should I go to the doctor?
We read in as magazine that the best time of day to go to the doctor is 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., or 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. If you are not a morning person, just make it later in the day, & bring something to read. I also found that nurses & receptionist have encouraged chronically ill patients to wait outside or in their cars where they are exposed to fewer germs. just give them your phone number & ask them to give you a quick call when an exam room is waiting.

When should I have lab tests done?
Since many lab tests require fasting you may want to go as early as you can get there so you won’t be hungry or have to wait to take your medication. At the same time, if you don’t work outside the home, you don’t want to end up there at 7:30 & be stuck in the middle of a busy time with lots of people getting lab work done before going to work.

When is the best time to call the doctor to see if they can squeeze me in?
One woman who works in a family practice recommends, “I would call about every 2-3 days. Try calling around 1PM. Most [patients] take lunch between 12pm-1:00pm & use that time to make their phone calls [to cancel doctor's appointments]. Ask to be placed on a cancellation list also, if they have one.”

As with any schedule there is always room for error. Doctors get caught at the hospital or in surgery. A patient takes longer than usual. The best option is to just ask, “when it the quietest or slowest time that I should come?” Chances are the personal helping you would be glad to have you there when he or she is not swamped with people & dem&s too!

-ljc

Nelvin C. Cepeda / UNION-TRIBUNE, Nurse Rod Salaysay serenades a patient, Harry W. Crocker, at Scripps Memorial Hospital

If you have spent time in the hospital you know just how quickly the thrill of being in charge of the remote control can dry up. If family members or friends visit, you feel torn between the feelings of gratefulness that someone cares, & yet being exhausted by a simple conversation.

Nurses, however, can hold so much influence however, in how our hospital stay really feels. When I was stuck in the hospital for 8 days with the flesh eating bacteria I didn’t have a whole lot of visitors. (Can’t imagine why, huh?) It was a nurse on her Sunday shift who sat & talked to me about her kids, the Fireproof movie, & other day to day stuff that made a couple hours quickly pass. Even nicer, when another nurse arrived for the next shift she said the previous nurse had said, “I don’t even feel like I am working today! I had such a nice conversation with that woman in room 20.”

So when I saw this story, Healing serenade; Nurse comforts patients & families with original songs published in the San Diego Union Tribune I wanted to share it with you. I can’t reprint the article here, but if you feel like reading an encouraging story I invite you to click on the link above & read more about Rod Salaysay.

Rod has been a nurse for over 24 years. He worked in the trauma unit at La Jolla’s Scripps Memorial Hospital caring for people who were on the brink of death. . . & he wanted to offer them something more than his average  nursing duties offered.  So he got out his guitar, & started write original songs for his patients. Sometimes the patients can  , Salaysay wanted to offer his patients something more. So, he puts his feelings of hope, love & support into original songs that he sings to them, even if they may not always hear him.

And if the patients can’t hear him? Well, their loved ones can, & sometimes that makes all the difference. . . to see someone still offering hope.

-Lisa

>Read more here

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• Nurses are key to good patient experience (actionforbetterhealthcare.com)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOrjcLJ2IE0

The video above is a funny slip about anesthesiology but anesthesiology can also be a very serious matter. The American Society of Anesthesiologists has a wide variety of patient information on their web site. Some of these include:

• Anesthesiologists Role in the Operating Room
• Tracking & Improving Patient Safety During Anesthesia
• How Safe is Anesthesia? What are the Risks?
• Anesthesia & Me © Checklist
• Anesthesia & You
• Anesthesia for Ambulatory Surgery
• Be Smoke-Free for Surgery
• Know Your Anesthesiologist
• They also have many of the same resources in Spanish