Reflections of a Grady Doctor: A piece of Cake

     This blog really touched me! It identifies the small things that we do that mean so much to others. This posting brought back memories of when I was in nursing school. I had a very obese patient who weighed over 450 pounds. She had to have her hygiene cared for by her teenage children. She could not wipe herself nor properly bathe. Well, as a nursing student, you know that you are always given challenging conditions in caring for your assigned patient. When I walked into the room, I greeted her with a smile and asked her if she needed anything. She asked me if someone would assist her with a bath today because she could not fit in the bath tub. She dropped her head as she spoke. I told her that I would be delighted to assist her with a bath. I left the room to assemble my supplies and wondered what I could do to make this comforting for her. I collected three water basins , the hair shampoo, bath soap , several towels, etc. Before I began her total bath, that we had to do while she sat up in the chair, I filled two of the wash basins half- full with warm soapy water. I took her socks off and placed each foot in the their own basin. After washing her from head to toe , I lotioned her back , her feet , legs, etc. When I was done, she told me that it had been a very long time since she had a bath like that. She constantly thanked me. I told her , "You're welcome. I am glad that you enjoyed it". I departed after my shift was over. When I arrived the next day for my clinical assignment, my patient was still there. I asked the nursing staff , in our clinical report, if her morning care and vital signs had been completed. They said,  "She refused to let the nursing assistants give her a bath this morning. She praised her bedside care from yesterday and insisted that she would wait for you to come and care for her". This meant more to me than you would ever know. I often wondered what would would happen to her upon being discharged from the hospital. But, I had consolation in knowing that I made a difference in her life for those two days , even if it was only for that moment.
     The Grady Doctor knows all of the political and budgetary constraints that are behind the scenes in hospital administration that affect the quality of care that patients receive. It may seem simple to some that a "piece of cake" would be such a big deal. But, if you have ever provided care to patients in the hospitals, you would understand. To some, that is their final destination before they transition from this life to the next. Money and material things have no value there. They need companionship , a card, a phone call, and most definetly a "piece of cake" on their birthday. KUDOS to the Grady team!!!!!!

Reflections of a Grady Doctor: Jeremiah's Eyes

    Wow! This post was very touching. It exposed a young man's greatest fear of acknowledging that he was "gay" and potentially "HIV" positive. The "Grady Doctor" was the first one who he divulged his gender identity to. He admitted that he engaged in unprotected sex with strangers. Although this is a very touching story, we all know someone who have had such struggles. Homosexuality is not accepted in many families. This results in people hiding who they think they are. I am spiritual and I don't believe that same sex relationships are the way we were intended to be, but God loves us all. It is just hard to embrace this lifestyle when you don't understand it. We all know that God makes no mistakes, so how do we accept this mistake? The Bible, the word of God as we believe it, states that God made woman for man. I guess it is obvious that I don't understand these desires nor do I believe that this behavior will ever be truly accepted by many people. 
     I am glad that the "Grady Doctor" helped him to be truthful to himself. He obviously needs counseling. It appears that he was missing something very important in his life because he was not seeking companionship from his sexual partners. He was just going through the motions. He admitted to not even knowing his partners. He stated that he let them have their way with him. It seems that he did not love himself . This goes far beyond an "identity crisis".  At least now he can get the medical help that he needs. I hope someone has seen the need to refer him for psychological help as well.

Sleep Apnea / CPAP Machine Users

     Sleep Apnea is a respiratory condition that millions of people suffer from each night. This condition results in the person having episodes of  "no breathing" while they sleep. People who suffer from this condition have to wear CPAP masks that ofter appear and feel uncomfortable. The article eluded to patients who are non-compliant with this form of treatment because of its embarrasing appearance and uncomfortable design. I chose to comment on this blog because my father suffers from this condition. He has to wear this large face mask which provides the oxygen that he needs. When he first began this form of treatment, he would seldom wear the mask. He said that it was too bulky and it affected my parents ability to "cuddle". I thought that was cute, but I expressed to him that he has to be alive to cuddle (smile). The blogger wanted to stress that there are a variety of mask options for CPAP users. This knowledge is very useful because I can pass it on to my parents. My father is doing much better now with this equipment . My parents have learned to function around it and my father feels less embarrassed. I am sure there are many others who can benefit from knowing that they have design options that may fit their needs better than what they currently have.
   

Health Affairs Blog: Do Republicans have a mandate?

     Wow! This mid-term election has been a big upset for the Democrats. But, has it truly been a victory for the Republicans? The big strategy of the GOP has been to "Repeal and Replace" Obamacare. Many of Republicans believe that this is the message that the nation has sent by putting the Republicans back in charge of the House of Representatives. Surprisingly, the exit polls have a different story. 49% of the nation voted to repeal and replace healthcare while 48% wanted to keep and expand it. This does not appear to be a obvious objection to the new healthcare reform bill that passed earlier this year. However, we know that it is not perfect, but it has given us a great jump start. I don't believe many people will object to the great provisions in the bill like 1) no pre-existing condition clauses , 2) tax credits for small businesses, 3) extending coverage for dependents until the age of 26, etc. The blog that I read suggested that Republicans are not interested in compromising to modify the existing bill because it will still give credit to the Democrats for reforming 1/6 of our entire economy. 
     The GOP need to re-evaluate their interpretaion of the message sent by the nation. The "economy" is where the stress lies. People need relief and they need it now. Unemployment is running out and even the well-educated have found themselves settling for jobs that they would not have even considered 10 years ago. But, the unemployment rate was announced to be at a record low of 9.6% from the past several years. Recovery is happening! It seems to be too slow if you are the one who's hurting. The nation is calling out, but to some, it appears to be in a foreign  language.

Patient Privacy Breaches

      The blog that I read had in depth examples of patient confidentiality breaches that resulted in many healthcare workers being terminated from employment. There were several examples of patient information being disclosed on Facebook. The healthcare workers felt that it was okay to discuss patient information as long as they did not disclose the patient's names. Of course, this was the wrong understanding and a very costly one. It was also disclosed that there were pictures of a dying patient that was sold for money. Technology is great when it is used in a responsible manner. It is truly scary that your healthcare conditions are subject to the world to view if they fall into the wrong hands.
    Another portion of the blog talked about the improper disposal of healthcare records. There were some patient records discovered at a dumpster site. Well, a photographer was disposing of his garbage and discovered this data. This is truly scary to think that consumers depend on healthcare professionals to abide by confidentiality guidelines to ensure their privacy on healthcare matters. A person's reputation  & career are among the few things that could be affected by such negligence. I hope the exposure of these instances will cause all healthcare organizations to monitor their staff and contractors to ensure their patient's healthcare records are handled and disposed of professionally and properly.

LaWanda

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