Category Healthy Stuff

Emergency Room Enlightenment

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Emergency Room Enlightenment

er-enlightenment

Labor Day 2016 – I was grading papers. My husband was watching baseball and surfing the internet. My kids were jumping off my daughter’s bed onto a pallet of pillows and blankets. All was right in the world…

My youngest son was too excited to wait for his turn; he pushed my older son. My older son rolled into my daughter. My daughter fell off the bed and whacked her knee cap on the bed rail.

Her knee swelled immediately and she cried and screamed for quite some time. Ice and ibuprofen did not seem to help. At 6:00 p.m. on Labor Day, I took my daughter to the emergency room.

We waited a long time after being check-in. The Emergency Room is busy on Labor Day.

My daughter was in pain, but her curiosity kept her busy with worry for every person who came through the ER doors. Eventually we were taken back to an exam room and she was evaluated by a Nurse Practitioner name Dana. Everyone treated my little girl with kindness and comfort. She was taken back for x-rays and handled with great concern. Fortunately, the x-ray revealed that her knee cap was not broken. The swelling was probably the result of a ligament strain.

A doctor joined Nurse Practitioner Dana and confirmed these results. Maggie was to have her leg splinted for a few days and then keep weight off of it until we could follow up with our pediatrician.

The nurses who cared for my daughter were busy and working hard, but took exceptional care to check on Maggie’s comfort. They even gave her lessons on how to use her new crutches. Finally, at 2:00 a.m. we were ready to be discharged. Before we left, Nurse Practitioner Dana stopped in to see if we needed anything else. She kindly provided an absence excuse and physical activity excuse for Maggie. But,she gave me the best gift I could have hoped for that night. Continue reading “Emergency Room Enlightenment” →

Providing Feedback – Do you do it?

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Providing Feedback – Do you do it?

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Surveys, questionnaires, feedback forms are all ways that stores, doctors, businesses, and schools try to get your opinion on their services. Do you respond to these?

I personally get a kick out of completing surveys.

Yes, some ask the same question over and over. Yes, I complete some surveys because I was unhappy with service I received. Yes, I know giving feedback is a way for businesses and advertisers to “track” me so that they can send me more emails and ads, but I’m ok with it.

Giving feedback is a terrific tool for sharing your voice. It is a way to help businesses provide better service for their clients. It is a way to get free stuff (sometimes).

When I worked in retail, I LOVED getting a nice comment card. It really made my day to hear that I helped someone in some way. It frustrated me (probably more than most), when we received a negative card. It was like a personal hit to my work ethic and efforts, even thought I probably could not have done anything to stop or improve the situation, I always took their words to heart.

Keeping my own experience in mind, I do take the time to complete surveys for customer service associates who help or provide great service. I also take time to complete surveys when service is poor. That negative associate may be costing the company money or alienating people who need the services provided by that business.

Let me give you an example. Continue reading “Providing Feedback – Do you do it?” →

No Open Doors for Old Ways – Wise Words Wednesday

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No Open Doors for Old Ways – Wise Words Wednesday

Old Ways and New Doors.png

While change is the only constant thing in our lives, we often find changing ourselves to be one of the hardest.

Consider what aspect or element of your life could use a new approach. Open your heart and mind to the possibilities change could bring.

If a problem area for you is spending too much, slow down your cash flow and open a new savings plan.

If gossip is your go-to vice, find ways to redirect your focus. Find pleasure in the gifts of daily life in place of the downfall or tragedy of others. Open your conversation to positive and insightful messages instead of rumors or “he said/she said.”

If you need to find a healthier lifestyle, start small and work your way to a new you. Maybe just drink more water and less soda or save the change that you would normally put into a vending machine and deposit it into a savings account or the basket at church on Sunday every week.

Find a way to become the you that you are glad to have come through the door.

By: Melanie A. Peters

 

Labels That Tell Us What To Do

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Labels That Tell Us What To Do

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I am shocked at what labels have to tell consumers to do.

Have we forgotten how to think for ourselves? Is problem-solving a skill that has gone by the wayside? Are candy wrappers really that difficult to open?

I guess the answer to all of these questions is, “Yes.”

I don’t think it is “Yes” because we can’t problem solve but because we are so over-stimulated that we can’t slow down long enough to open the darn candy bar.

Earlier this summer I wrote about my son’s inability to see a simple solution to spilling his milk because he was too concerned about getting in trouble. (Just Get a Towel) We all suffer from those moments when we know we should have the answer but it just won’t come to us.

Everyday tasks, like opening candy bars, become wrestling matches between our brains and our hands. It takes a whole lot of energy to get our brain to pin our hands down onto what needs to be done. It is exhausting, because the entire time you just want that yummy, chocolatey snack, your brain is being tag-teamed by all the other decisions and problems of your day.  Continue reading “Labels That Tell Us What To Do” →

Recharge

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via Daily Prompt: Recharge

Recharge

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While we all seem to be connected through technology, we are also connected to our own energy source. I have found that all too often I am more apt to charge my phone’s battery than my own.

I really want to be better at recharging.

Recently a friend of mine was diagnosed with Mononucleosis. It was a welcome diagnosis because she has been feeling very run down and her doctor told her there were some potentially scary causes for her condition. She was relieved but frustrated all at once. “How does a respectable, grown woman get mono?” She texted me. I reminded her that Kevin Siegrist, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, has battled mono this season too and he is in prime physical condition. It just happens.

I told her to rest and recharge and she would be better in no time.

At almost the exact same time, someone else that I love texted to tell me that she had cracked two ribs. (We knew they were probably cracked, but she was too stubborn to go to the doctor.) I offered to make dinner and help her around her house so that she could rest. Her response was that she was just going to keep working and they were only a little sore. How are we ever going to get the soreness to go away if she doesn’t rest and recharge???!!!??? Continue reading “Recharge” →

Be Someone – Wise Words Wednesday

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Be Someone – Wise Words Wednesday

Be someone.png

Being the person who makes others feel special is a wonderful way to live your life. Finding ways to make each person you encounter feel like they matter is what makes life worth living.

Greeting strangers, holding doors, carrying groceries, and giving compliments are all free and easy ways to make someone feel like they are somebody.

Going out of your way to help someone makes that effort much more valuable in your heart and theirs. Do good for others. Show them they are worth care and consideration. They are somebody to someone.

When my children arrive home each afternoon, I ask them a personalized question about their day. “What was the grossest thing that happened today?” “What did you see that was funny today?” “Who did you play with? What did you play?” Continue reading “Be Someone – Wise Words Wednesday” →

I’m OK With Being a Bench Warmer

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I’m OK With Being a Bench Warmer

Bench Warmer

This student bench is my newest antique find. (Thank you, Craigslist and Nancy!)

A small bench was just what I was looking for to add to our home. Something I could set flowers, crocks, or books on. Something to add just a little more coziness. The fact that it is a bench from an antique student desk makes it perfect (me being a teacher and all).

I have big plans for warming this bench.

Since making the decision to take a step away from full-time teaching last spring, I have struggled with my role in the lives of so many people I love. I feel strongly for my former students and their families. I want to be there to help them succeed, but since school started this fall I have had a few more minutes to myself and I am realizing that it was a very healthy decision. I’m OK with being a bench warmer. Continue reading “I’m OK With Being a Bench Warmer” →

HUMAN kind – Wise Words Wednesday

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HUMAN kind – Wise Words Wednesday

Human kind

“We are only human.” – A saying that is often spoken, but too often forgotten.

We all make mistakes. We are all different. We are all human.

Today be kind because we are all human. Be human. Be kind.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Pop Up Showers

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Pop Up Showers

Behind the Clouds.jpg

As I drove home today, it was obvious that rain was making its way to us. When the rain came, it fell hard and fast, making it difficult to drive. I slowed down, turned up the wiper speed, turned down the radio, and kept moving forward.

As my garage door closed behind me, I gave thanks for safety and shelter. After carrying in all my bags from the car, I noticed the rain had stopped and the sun was peaking through. I love the weather!

That pop up shower was a lot like our daily encounters. Sometimes a storm of trouble will come out of nowhere, but we hunker down and work through it. Other times we see it coming and can do nothing until is rains down on us. Those downpours strengthen us and actually refresh us for what life has in store.

Today I hope you do not experience too many unexpected whirlwinds or dampened plans. If you do find yourself facing a storm of sorrow or tribulation, stay strong. Slow down. Focus on moving forward. Turn down the distractions. Turn up the decision-making tools that will allow you to see clearly. Listen for the peace that follows the thunder and rain and know that you are a survivor.

By: Melanie A. Peters

The Adhesive Power of Guilt

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The Adhesive Power of Guilt

Guilt Glue

Guilt is sticky. Guilt is a sin. It is a nagging, draining, power-sucking sin. We are not intended to feel guilt by nature, but our human condition allows us to attach guilt to our hearts and minds.

I am the worst when it comes to feeling guilty. I will let the slightest mishap or slip of the tongue weigh me down like a 2-ton anchor. I am not sure why I am so attractive to guilt, other than the fact that I am so desperate to always do the best job possible. The realization is starting to sink in that my definition of “best job possible” sometimes equates to a job that is “not really possible.” I need to get better at letting go. We are all a work-in-progress.

I’ve been working hard to wash away the residue left from past guilt and have found that it makes living a lot easier. My desire to avoid the attraction to guilt has made it easier to notice the way it clings to others. It hurts me to see when those I love let guilt hold them back in their relationships. Guilt stinks!

Guilt is a real drag. Like a ball and chain kind of drag. That is why I say guilt has adhesive powers. Once you feel guilt for one thing, all the other possibilities come rushing in and stick to you, like a piece of old toilet paper on the back of your shoe. Sometimes you don’t even know it’s there. The worst part is that guilt has an especially power grip on those who fall prey to its burden. Continue reading “The Adhesive Power of Guilt” →