Continue reading »]]> The Holistic Nurse took a bit of a mental health holiday as I wound down on school, but we should be getting back to our regularly scheduled programming. Except for one thing…

…We need more submissions! If you are a provider or a patient and you want to share a story from your world about what it means to be healthy, please send me a guest post. If you have an idea but you’re not sure if it would “fit” the Holistic Nurse, just contact me and we can chat about it. Chances are, we can make it fit.

I’m excited to be back in the swing of things this week with a second post by Kim Cottrell, our guest who posted about The Feldenkrais Method® last month. This time Kim is sharing brief case studies about the diverse group of clients who have benefited from Feldenkrais. Which reminds me…I need to go register for a class myself!

My last blog post described the Feldenkrais Method, but it’s often difficult to get a concrete sense of how it can help you, or what kind of goals to set when taking Feldenkrais classes. Here are a few descriptions of how Feldenkrais participants have benefited…

(Source)

• A psychiatrist suffered generalized pain in her neck, spine, legs, feet and hands, in addition to chronic migraines. After about a year of weekly sessions, she was able to hug her husband without back pain, take long walks in her neighborhood, and she returned to riding her bike.
• A non-fiction writer was working on a book with huge social implications. She spent three or more days a week at her computer for 5-6 hours each time and walked away from her desk feeling like a much older woman. She now has helpful strategies for resting her eyes and improving her posture.
•  A 38-year-old plumber with two small children was nearly unable to walk or work after years of extreme sports injuries. He has taken away new tools for resting and relaxing his back throughout his work day.
•  A yoga instructor had developed overuse injuries in her shoulders from repeated yoga poses in multiple weekly classes over 15 years. She is re-organizing her poses and learning to put less pressure on the injured areas.
•  A high school teacher commuted daily by bicycle 15 miles each way for 10 years. His family took a 2-month cross-country vacation by car, and when he returned to his bike-riding, he experienced serious low back pain. Despite x-rays that showed no physiological injuries and recommendations that he try a recumbent bike, the pain continued. We spent one session discussing his situation and the physical ramifications of being in a car for such long periods. After learning a few ideas about easing into new patterns, he excitedly returned to riding his regular bike without pain and with much enjoyment.
•  A young social worker suffered from neck pain. After one session, she was pain free and was able to release her neck when she felt it beginning to hurt. She has since gone on to become a Feldenkrais practitioner.
•  A dancer in her 30s had low back pain and hyper-mobility in her joints. She was very motivated to stay healthy so she could participate in activities with her young children. She learned to integrate her upper and lower body for greater comfort and long-term prevention of serious spinal problems.
•  A 65-year-old carpenter learned to reorganize the way he swung his hammer so he could work through the day without pain and discomfort.
•  A 40-year-old woman who enjoyed hiking slightly held back on downhill slopes, afraid of tripping or falling. She wanted to keep up with her husband. She’s now as quick as anyone and going strong in all her outdoor activities.
•  A high school student who stood at 6’6” had grown so fast that he suffered from poor posture and low-back pain that prevented him from activities with his friends.
•  A high school counselor had regular migraines. In sessions she learned to release the tension that developed during conversations with her teen clients. She became migraine-free.
•  A 35-year-old woman was rear-ended in her car and suffered whiplash. The traditional treatments were not helping her and in fact, made her worse. Locked in a holding pattern, she was terrified to turn her head for fear of pain. With Feldenkrais, she returned to her normal level of function.

Want to know even more about Feldenkrais? Click over to Kim’s website for more informative reading or check out this video:

Continue reading »]]> Okay, so kicking off a book club in the midst of my final semester was a bit ambitious. But I am ready and willing to get going on this!

First I need to gauge your interest.

If we started a virtual book club, would you be interested in participating in some way? I am putting together a forum for ongoing discussion, but it would also be just as easy to simply post discussion questions and let you offer your thoughts at your convenience via the comments (or even a guest post reviewing the current book).

I would also love to start a running list of books related to nursing, health, health care, etc. that you have enjoyed and would like to recommend to others.

So you have several options. Feel free to take part as actively as you would like:

1. Participate in the forum (instructions coming soon) through ongoing discussions as you read the selected book.
2. Use the discussion questions that I post to leave a comment or just give you food for thought on your own time.
3. Write a guest post reviewing the selected book (I would love this!)
4. Send me suggestions for an ongoing reading list. I think I’ll call it Bookworm, RN.

Let me know how or if you would like to participate!

And in case you missed it, our first book for conversation will be My Name Is Mary Sutter. I’ll post the questions on June 1 and we’ll give it a month, and see how it goes.

Continue reading »]]> You know what? It is nice to post about something besides school. I am slowly but surely realizing that I am getting my life back. Like this Friday, I can sleep in as late as I desire, lie on the couch and stare at the ceiling fan if I want to. I won’t, but it kind of rocks to know that I can.

Anyhow, I have mentioned before that we have had a time of it with our former landlord. I won’t share all the sordid details because A) Many issues are still unresolved and B) It pains me to relive much of it. But I will offer a brief synopsis and dish on lessons learned.

Basically we found our last house via Craigslist and loved the vibe of the post. It was very “us.” When we met the owner, we loved her. She was kind, open-minded and very flexible about issues such as rent payment (could we pay several months in advance with the help of student loan stipends? But of course!). So we entered the arrangement feeling very warm and fuzzy about it all – based on what our landlord told us, the feeling was mutual.

The problems began when we started having basic maintenance issues with the house, which is about 70 years old and in my non-expert assessment, has all the original wiring and plumbing. We couldn’t seem to come to an agreement about how to fairly distribute the costs of repair – it seemed that there were a lot of conflicting assumptions. We assumed that since she was the landlord, she was responsible for the maintenance. She assumed that because we caused the “wear and tear” after 9 months of living in her old house, we would pay for at least half.

It would be kind to say the house is quirky. We lived with the inconveniences for a while but a few months before graduation, we sat down, crunched numbers and realized that at the rent we were paying, it just wasn’t worth the quirks. And then came the firestorm. First, we started feeling enormous pressure to help her sell or rent the house as soon as we were gone – it was clear that she couldn’t afford to have it empty, nor had she anticipated that we we would leave after only a year. There was a lot of back and forth about our responsibilities and her expectations. Which happened in the midst of my last three weeks of school and graduation. There was also a series of misunderstandings that resulted in incomplete resolution of our move-out responsibilities, which further led to a series of rather angry and pointed emails authored by yours truly. I’ll admit it wasn’t my finest moment, but I was also completely freaked out.

(Source)

So where does that leave us now?

Awaiting final word on exactly what our final deposit refund will be, with very little understanding of how this all happened and what we should do about it.

It also leaves us with a new outlook on the process of renting:

1. Warm and fuzzy only gets you so far. Having a kind landlord is a wonderful thing – it means there is great potential for a fair and even creative process. But only if that process is well-documented and clearly outlined. Assuming that all will go hunky-dory just because we’re all nice people is a grave error that we made. It’s still a landlord-tenant relationship, which means your goals are different from theirs.
2.  This is a corallary of the lesson above. It may actually be beneficial to rent through a property management company or from an individual who views the relationship as a business transaction. They’re more likely to understand the importance of clear agreements and communication. They’re also more likely to have a clearer understanding of local real estate law because they’re trying to CYA just as much as you are. When I was a homeowner, I used a property manager because I lived far away from my house,  and we also rented through a similar company a few years ago. There were a few administrative headaches, but I felt more protected as both a tenant and a landlord.
3. Document, document, document. Take pictures of everything when you move in and when you move out. Keep notes on all conversations. Keep receipts of everything you purchased related to the home in case there is a chance of being reimbursed (better to agree ahead of time on reimbursement policies). Keep a file. Make sure you have copies of your lease for your own reference. Document, document, document.
4. Insist that all communication be in writing. We really messed up on this one. Even though we live in the 21st century and wifi is everywhere, and even though she owned a smartphone, for some reason our landlord preferred not to email. She said it was easier and more relational to talk on the phone and/or trade voicemails. This bit us in the ass at the end, and from now on I am insisting on a paper trail for all further correspondence. It goes back to lesson #1 – warm and fuzzy doesn’t cut it in a business relationship. You need to have any agreement you made clearly written down, even if by email. Not only so that you can go back to it for future reference, but in case you have to go to court (God forbid!).
5. Being a tenant can be just as risky as being an owner. Yes, you don’t have property taxes and home ownership headaches to deal with, but if your landlord flakes, or screws you over, or even simply miscommunicates, the experience can cause a lot of unnecessary stress. I’m persistently anxious about the “resolution” that we are anticipating this week. After our experience last weekend, I am somewhat pessimistic that we have a ways to go.

At this point, I’m also anxious to be done. This whole experience has caused me to lose a little bit of faith in humanity. Not just my own – I know I was unnecessarily angry. But I am also more likely to question the motives and integrity of people who appear at first glance to be wonderful and kind. I don’t think our landlord is a terrible person any more than I think that of myself – neither of us have handled this well, in my opinion. But I do wonder … stress can make good people do and say ugly things. And we live in a stressful time. So how do we survive (or, God help us, thrive) in a world that so acutely tests us and our coping abilities?

Continue reading »]]> We did it.

We are moved. The place is even more insane and huge than I remember. We’re still licking our wounds from a less-than-optimal move out experience with our previous landlord. Another story for another day. But regardless of those nightmares, we’re out of there and we get to wake up to this view every morning:

More than anything I love the location. Yes, my commute went from 15 to 45 minutes. But on our drive home last night, we rolled down the windows, “oohed” and “aahed” at the spectacular views, stuck our arms out the window and breathed the fresh evening air deeply. It was incredibly peaceful and incredibly healing.

We’re giving up both cable and internet for the entire summer (although I WILL find a way to follow SYTYCD). Cable doesn’t reach our rural location, satellite was exorbitantly expensive, and we just didn’t feel like investing in a 4G router through our wireless company (hello equipment fees and 2-year contract). So we’re going off the grid.

But never fear, dear friends, I’m not going anywhere. I get to work 30 minutes before my day officially starts, so I’ll have time there. Plus my 4-day work weeks will actually be 4-day work weeks…huzzah to no more clinical! So this leaves Fridays for adventures, shenanigans, and lots and lots of writing! I’ve already started staking out the best local coffeehouses.

I feel like I can breathe a little bit better with each new day.

Here’s to summer!

Continue reading »]]> So the big move is coming tomorrow.

S and I have moved almost every year since we met. My total moves now number in the double digits.

When we first realized this spring that we needed to relocate, I perseverated on my lack of a home base and begged S to help us find a place that would have some sense of permanence (we even contemplated buying). Then again, we thought this last place would be more enduring than it was. That’s a whole different story.

Instead we’re doing something a little bit lot different. Just call me an adventure seeker (ha).

A friend of ours is a realtor and clued us into a house going through bankruptcy proceedings due to owner conflicts/divorce. It’s been on the market for years and the bankruptcy trust likes to have the place occupied to keep an eye on the property/keep out squatters/prevent general disrepair. The current “caretakers” moved out and our realtor-friend asked us if we would like to move in. Rent-free.

Um, yes please.

The house is ginormous – almost twice the size of my childhood home (which comfortably housed five people). It’s on 40 acres atop rolling hills in a rural area outside of town. We are within walking distance of five vineyards.

Talk about wide open spaces.

Double yes please.

This will be my first summer free of classes/homework/papers in over six years. I’ll have three day weekends every week (I work Monday-Thursday). We have packed a box of books for our “summer reading list”. We have started shopping for patio furniture. We are freeing ourselves of technology by getting neither cable nor internet. S is planning his summer garden. The dogs will be in seventh heaven. We’ll be able to squirrel away hundreds of dollars a month.

Our commute will extend considerably but we’ll carpool into town. We’ll both hit the gym after work (I’d rather sweat than sit in traffic – excellent motivation!). We’ll carpool home. We’ll cook dinner together and drink wine and eat outside. We’ll have a clear view of the stars every night. I’ll devote my Fridays to Feldenkrais and writing. We’ll hit the farmer’s markets on Saturdays and do yoga together on Sundays. We’ll finally get to be newlyweds, after seven months of marriage.

Chances are the house will either sell or foreclose by the fall.

Either way I’ll get my summer vacation.

Continue reading »]]> I’ve been a graduate for five days now.

The only thing that has substantively changed is that I don’t feel this ongoing sense of urgency. Well at least not related to academia (ask me about this again next week after the movers have gone).

But there has been a shift.

I can make dinner without watching the clock to make sure I have enough time to finish up a paper. I can pack up my house without feeling panicked about being unable to find an article I have to read. I can kiss my husband without feeling guilty about the fact that I really should be studying … but I’d rather snuggle. I can horse around with the dogs and not worry that the little one is going to jump all over my notes.

(Apparently I am still wound tight. )

But it is a relief that we made it to this point. I’ve spent the past four years (check that, SIX counting prerequisites) preparing to become a nurse and to develop my skills as a nurse leader. I’ve had to make a case for my ability to be a leader this early in the game, and prove myself with actions rather than words.

I’m on my second nursing job. I’ve earned two nursing degrees, and am seriously contemplating a third (and maybe a fourth? More on that later.)  I’ve come to the conclusion that nursing is exactly what I am supposed to do, but I’ve also learned to redefine and reframe what it means to be a nurse. I’ve transitioned from the dream of pediatric oncology to the joy of gerontology.

In the past two years as I have developed as a professional, I have been both inspired and disheartened by the state of nursing in this country. Mostly inspired.

And I have so much more to share with you. Thank you for abiding me with me along the way. I look forward to more conversation, more debate, more community.

I said something on Facebook about the journey coming to an end, and a close friend pointed out that maybe it was just the beginning.

She’s so right.

Let the journey continue.

Continue reading »]]> I have a special treat for you all today…

In the spirit of a pregnancy-focused April, The Holistic Nurse is featuring a special interview with Caitlin Boyle. Caitlin is the founder of the international Operation Beautiful movement and blogs at Healthy Tipping Point. She is also the author of Operation Beautiful and has two more books coming out this year. She and her husband Kristien (who was featured on The Holistic Nurse in January) are expecting their first baby this June!

 Caitlin’s story is so personally inspiring to me, and I have found myself glued to her blog throughout her pregnancy journey. As someone who hopes to have a baby in the near future, I really admire the decisions she is making. And I thought readers of the Holistic Nurse series would appreciate her perspective on what it means to have a healthy pregnancy.

How have your activity levels changed since becoming pregnant? How has your nutritional intake changed?

I went from running 10 – 15 miles a week and swimming occasionally to walking 2 – 3 miles once or twice a week, swimming twice a week, and going to prenatal yoga.  Even though my activity level is down, I’m maintained my caloric intake around what it was before because I need the extra energy for baby-growing. I’m also focused on eating as much whole, organic foods as possible, although I do have more treats, too.

What has surprised you about being pregnant?

I was surprised that I didn’t get sick. I always thought that everyone got morning sickness, and while I had a few ‘hungover’ weeks, I never threw up and generally feel normal, although a bit more tired.

What qualities are you looking for in an OB/GYN or midwife? Do you have a personal preference between the two?

I switched to another OBGYN who has midwives in the office that deliver babies if the patient is low-risk.  I chose to switch because my other OBGYN was very pro ‘Western’ medicine and pushed some testing, vaccinations, and pharmacological drugs on me during the initial few weeks of pregnancy. Based on my research, I felt like many of her choices as a doctor were unnecessary and ‘over medicating.’  spoke to my new OBGYN and she said she wouldn’t have asked me to take antibotics at that point, for example.  I haven’t seen my midwives yet but I do think that is my preference, given that I continue to be low risk.  I want a OBGYN or midwife who is open to holistic healthcare and does not feel the need to medicate every symptom to death.

Are you planning to write a birth plan? How detailed do you plan to make it? What are some “non-negotiables” of your birth plan (if you have any)?   

I’m planning to write a birth plan and a baby plan to detail how I’d ideally want birth and post-birth to go down.  My number one goal is a healthy baby, but my secondary goal is to avoid unnecessary medical intervention and drugs, including an epidural.   I’m not exactly sure what it will look like yet, however.

On your blog you discuss the concerns people expressed about announcing too early and then miscarrying (you touched on this in your “Baby Details” post). Can you share why you think it is important to talk more openly about miscarriage?  

Although I have never experienced miscarriage, it is something that has happened to so many people that I know that I can’t help but wonder why, as a society, we are so silent on the issue.  I imagine that miscarriage is very hard on a woman and she shouldn’t feel alone just because the subject is taboo.

What worries/concerns have you had during your first pregnancy? How have you dealt with any baby-related anxiety?  

I experienced bleeding and cramping during my first few weeks and subsequently had a lot of baby-related anxiety. One day, I decided that I was just not going to stress out over things that weren’t happening yet. I educate myself and try to make decent choices, but I’m going to sip wine every now and then and occasionally lay on my back and whatnot.  I’m not extremist or the ‘perfect pregnant woman’ – I think trying to be that would personally do me and the baby more hard than good.  Reading The Panic Free Pregnancy has really helped, as well.

What does it mean to you to have a “natural birth”? 

To me, it means without contraction-inducing drugs or an epidural.  I’m okay with being induced via a membrane sweep if I go past my due date.

The big philosophical question: What does it mean to you to have a healthy pregnancy?  

I think many women focus too much on the physical side of pregnancy and lose sight of the emotional aspect as well. There is so much research that suggests being calm and stress-free during pregnancy is pivotal in shaping a relaxed, happy baby. I have accepted that I am not in control of many things and that all I can control is the way I react during this experience. I think it’s important to find balance.

Are there particular books, blogs or websites that have been particularly helpful to you and your husband?  

I highly recommend the following books:  The Panic Free Pregnancy, Origins, and Birthing From Within.

You can read more about my pregnancy journey at http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/pregnancy.

Continue reading »]]> As you may or may not be able to tell from this blog, I’m somewhat of a political junkie. I’m also a feminist. Hello, Captain Obvious. I make no apologies for my beliefs but I have generally tried to be careful about broadcasting them far and wide, for fear of alienating readers.

But I learned something recently: Everything is political.

One of the challenges of becoming a nurse has been understanding that when one is in survival mode (you student nurses know this mode well), one often neglects to look outside oneself. Case in point: I started 2008 completely gung-ho about the upcoming presidential election. I volunteered at phone banks, served as a Communications Director in a grassroots organization, and contributed a chapter to a book about youth involvement in the Obama campaign.

And then I started nursing school. It was all I could do to watch the news and yell at pundits from my living room couch, while I drowned under piles of pharmacology flash cards. I wept tears of joy on Election Night and on Inauguration Day. And I got back to the work of learning how to become a nurse. I took my head out of the sand once or twice to get on my soapbox, but for the most part I kept my eyes on the prize. As did my cohort. Even organizing a leadership forum on health care reform wasn’t enough to energize us (although we did have some healthy debates in class).

But I recently had the honor of representing my state nurses association at our annual House of Delegates. We voted on action items and revised policy and engaged in healthy debate about the essence of nursing. We took a stand. And it rocked my world.

I sat between a retired nurse who had served as a delegate for decades and a younger nurse who was extremely involved in the nurses association and spoke out numerous times throughout the day. They both reminded me of an important truth about nursing…

It’s easy to stick your hand in the sand and feel removed from the larger issues affecting our profession. But when hundreds of us come together in one room and have a healthy discussion about the future (and present) of nursing, you start to realize that you are part of something bigger than yourself.

I plan to continue serving as a delegate in the future, and possibly even running for election in one of our cabinets. Behind all the bs that we see and hear in today’s political climate (a climate I hate), is that reality that everything is political. Even (especially?) nursing. So it behooves us to stand up and advocate for our profession.

How will you take a stand?