Today's Health

Nursing School is Over!

2013-04-21T19:47:00.001-07:00

Well, nursing school is over. Kind of. I am done with all of my classes, I have turned in all of my assignments and now I just have to take finals. Then boards. I don't care much about boards, I will pass them, I just need to put in the time to study. My finals are currently occupying all of my time and attention now. I have 6 of them. I have 4 of them this week and 2 the next week. I started studying for them about 6 days ago. I go to the library every day for a few hours to study. I can't get anything done if I stay home, I would just stop and play with my cute daughter every 5 minutes if I tried staying home. I'm doing my wife a favor by leaving too, so she doesn't have to keep the house quiet while I'm home studying.

When I started nursing school 2 1/2 years ago, I was in a state of shock for some time. I couldn't believe the amount of quizzes we had to take, the amount of reading we had to do, the amount of big papers I would have to write, the amount of big projects that I would have to do, the amount of clinical hours I would have to spend in the hospital, and how hard the tests could be. It was quite apparent to me that my life was about to change significantly. After my first semester, I guess that state of shock just became my new normal, everyday life.

Nursing school kind of feels like you are doing 2 majors at once. You spend A LOT of time in lecture taking vigilant notes and a lot of time in the nursing lab. On top of that, you spend a countless amount of hours in the hospital working as a student nurse (not getting paid of course). On top of all that, you spend more hours at home studying than I even want to talk about.

If you are going for your Bachelor of Science in Nursing like I did, you get the whole grand slam of nursing courses. Going for your bachelor is the best choice, you don't get paid any more, but you are much more educated and you open up your chances of working in management or grad school should you desire.

You probably didn't know this, but most nurses are only Associate degree nurses. Only 30% of nurses have their bachelor in nursing. The American nurses association has a goal to have 80% of nurses with their bachelor degree sometime in the future.

Here are some funny things I found online about nursing school, there is some truth to all of them:

A few weeks ago, my wife and I took a trip with some friends to southern Utah to stay in a cabin in Zions National Park. It was a nice quick little get-a-way from nursing school and we had a great time. Here are a couple of pictures taken at Zions:

We took a trip into nearby Springdale to get some groceries, and on our way back, we were escorted off the road by a police officer to make way for the oncoming Springdale parade. It was quite the interesting parade. We were very entertained for the entire hour. My favorite part of the parade was this hippie guy driving his beautiful John Deere tractor:

Accept This Truth, It Will Never Be The Same...

2013-01-13T15:18:00.001-08:00

Last semester, I went over to the University of Utah with several of my fellow nursing students to attend a lecture on the topic of grieving. It was very fascinating to me, and I learned a lot. I wanted to share some of what I learned with you. Maybe you are currently grieving, maybe you have grieved in the past, but certainly at some time in your life you will find yourself grieving and I hope something here will help you cope with your grief.

"Accept this truth, it will never be the same."

You need to lower your expectations and try to find peace in your grief journey.

Grief is sadness on steroids, it is a bunch of messy emotions.

Very important: There is NO WRONG WAY to grieve.

No loss is more or less painful from another, it is just different.

To loose a parent is to loose the past...
To loose a child is to loose the future...
To loose a spouse is to loose the present...

You should not make any important decisions while you are grieving, you will have what many people describe as "brain fog," and you just need to get up in the morning and put one foot in front of the other.

To give yourself a gift does not feed self-pity, it prevents it...and is a wonderful thing to do.

To be in denial is not unhealthy, as long as you consciously make the decision to be in denial.

Do not try to triumph over grief, just survive it, because that is just as honorable.

Grief will eventually go away, but the emptiness and yearning for those we love does not ever go away, nor should it.

Violence Against Women

2012-10-26T17:01:00.002-07:00

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A friend of mine inspired me to make a post on it. I just recently finished my Community/Public Health nursing course this month and it was quite timely as indicated above.

First off, here is a quote that many of you may have heard from Martin Luther King Jr.

This quote especially applies to IPV, or intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is primarily violence against women. I attended a very good lecture that lasted a couple hours long a couple weeks ago where a physician from the State of Utah brought her team and discussed with us nursing students the topic of IPV. Did you know...

1 in 3 women report being victims of IPV
Females between the ages of 20-34 are at the greatest risk of IPV
4-8% of women are abused during pregnancy

37% more likely to deliver preterm
17% more likely to deliver SGA infants
30% more likely to have neonates requiring ICU care

Homicide is a leading cause of death for pregnant and post-partum women
Domestic abuse & IPV go together in most cases

So, obviously IPV is a very big problem in our country. I'm not sure you or I realize what a problem it is in our society, at least I didn't prior to hearing this lecture. The problem about IPV in the past is that it is something that most people are afraid to talk about, it is a topic swept under the rug and only spoken about in hushed tones behind closed doors. That is partially why it has become such a big problem. WE need to bring it out in the open, and discuss it as we would discuss any everyday item. Only through IDENTIFICATION and ACKNOWLEDGMENT of abuse will we be able to end the cycle. It is such a tragedy that there is a 33% chance that any woman you randomly run into in this country has been a victim of IPV.

1 in 3 women report being victims of IPV
Females between the ages of 20-34 are at the greatest risk of IPV
4-8% of women are abused during pregnancy

37% more likely to deliver preterm
17% more likely to deliver SGA infants
30% more likely to have neonates requiring ICU care

Homicide is a leading cause of death for pregnant and post-partum women
Domestic abuse & IPV go together in most cases

If you are from Utah like me, you might be thinking to yourself "Well we live in Utah, this is happy valley, that kind of stuff might go on out there, but hardly ever here..." Well, I am sorry to report to you that is wrong. There was an emergency room physician at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City that did a study a few years ago. He interviewed every woman that came into the ER over a period of time and received the following results when his study had concluded:

36% of Utah women presenting to LDS hospital had been a victim of IPV at some point in their lives
13% of Utah high school students were also victims (from their dating partner)
29% of Utah women had experienced a sexual offense
Since 2000, domestic violence-related homicide accounted for 40% of all adult homicides

So it's very much a problem here in Utah, actually it is slightly higher here in Utah than it is nationally. So listen up! IPV is about power and control, a man will use behaviors to establish and maintain control over his partner. It can be emotional/psychological, physical, or sexual abuse. And yes, some men are victims of IPV as well. A woman does not just leave a violent relationship, she has to ESCAPE from one, for their own safety, and the safety of her children.

In conclusion, I GUARANTEE that you know people that are/have been victims of IPV. Maybe you are aware of it and maybe you are not. IPV should not be a 'private matter' and it is not just a law enforcement or criminal justice concern, it is a concern of all of us.

So if you are a victim of IPV, know that you have resources in the community that can help you get restarted after you escape. Please do not be afraid of leaving, but do it with intelligence and caution and remember that NOTHING that happens as a result of you leaving is your fault, it is ALL ON THE PERPETRATOR. ALL! And if you know of someone that is currently a victim or has been one in the past, you need to be genuine, nonjudgmental, and supportive. If you suspect a friend or family member is a victim because of something you witness, ask them about it--because if you don't ask, they won't tell.

To report abuse or share with someone what you are going through, you can call the numbers below.

1 Month Until Alzheimer's Cure?

2012-07-11T18:35:00.003-07:00

We're about to find out within 1 month if 3 new drugs being tested will yield any results in slowing the onset of Alzheimer's. We will know within a month about 2 of the drugs, and later in the year the results of the third drug will be posted.

These 3 drugs are practically the "last men standing" in late-stage trials after more than a decade of failed attempts to halt the mind robbing disease. If these drugs don't work, experts say drug companies may pull out of the field in frustration and leave the 35 million world-wide with dementia with little hope.

Neurofibrillary Tangles Beta-amyloid plaques

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. 5 million people have it in the U.S., and 27 million have it worldwide. The cause and progression of the disease are not well understood, but are thought to be related to neurofibrillary tangles and beta-amyloid plaques. There is rapid degeneration of the brain that eventually leads to death. The average life expectancy after you have been diagnosed is 7 years.

Comparison of normal-aged brain (left) with the brain of an Alzheimer's victim (right).

The interesting thing about these drugs is that they are not drugs in the traditional sense, they are antibodies (proteins made by the bodies immune system) designed to clear amyloid plaques in the brain. Scientists aren't even sure that amyloid even causes Alzheimer's, or that by removing it, symptoms will improve in those who have the disease, but there have been some hopeful signs that they are on the right track.

Everyone in the field is holding their breath in anticipation that something good will come of these results. Even a small effect will mean huge success, because that will mean the drug is working.

There has not been a drug made that has even helped symptoms in the past 9 years...let's all cross our fingers!

Health Alert: New Sunscreen Guidelines

2012-06-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the weird colors, blogger is messed up.

Now trust me, this is something you all need to hear. If you like your skin, and don't want cancer, then your going to want to pay extra close attention. The FDA has been after sunscreen companies for a while now. Why? Because sunscreen companies have not been honest. They have not been honest concerning the degree of protection that their sunscreens claim to provide.

The FDA ordered that changes be made by this month (June 2012), so that we don't all get fried with cancer-causing sun rays this summer. Well, the sunscreen manufactures came crawling back complaining that they were having a hard time meeting the deadline, so last month in May, the FDA granted them a 6 month extension until this December 2012. Perfect timing, right as the world ends right? Some smaller companies have even longer, until December of 2013. The FDA worried that holding companies to the original deadline would result in sunscreen shortages this summer.

What is it that the FDA wants to be made clear about sunscreens? Here you go:

The sun emits rays in 2 different wavelengths. A and B. There is a big difference between these two.

UV-A rays: Causes premature aging&wrinkling. Contributes to and initiates skin cancer
UV-B rays: Plays key role in skin cancer

Don't believe that the sun causes premature aging? Here's the picture of the trucker who always had the sun on the left side of his face (without any sunscreen). The wrinkles were caused by UVA rays.

What else?

Sunscreen companies can no longer claim their lotions to be waterproof or sweatproof, only water and sweat resistant. This is so people know that sunscreens have to be reapplied frequently when you are sweating or swimming (the protection washes off quickly).

What is the FDA is not asking these companies to do is to reformulate their sunscreens. What they are asking them to do is to change their labeling about the real protection their sunscreens really offer. The delay is due to the time it takes them to revise package labeling, especially on smaller packages that now will have to fit extra information about just what protection is offered.

What will the NEW regulations mean for us?

You want protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Once the new rules are in place, any sunscreen labeled "broad spectrum" will offer both, but until then, there's no guarantee behind that wording.

Once the new rules are in place, sunscreens with less than an SPF of 15 or that aren't "broad spectrum" will have to carry a warning label: "This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging."

If it still says "waterproof," it was bottled under the old rules. Once the new rules are in place, the sunscreens will have to say how long they're water-resistant.

So, what sunscreen should you get?

Sun bathers and outdoor enthusiasts should beware of harmful ingredients found in many sunscreens. According to a recent CNN article, only "25 percent of 800 tested sunscreens" are safe. That means that 600 out of 800 sunscreens tested were NOT safe.

To make that safe list, sunscreens had to be “free of oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate (a type of vitamin A), not have SPF above 50 and protect against UVA and UVB sunrays.

According to Experts, you need to get:

An SPF of 25-30, but nothing below 25. Always use less than SPF 50.

Sunscreens that contain either zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or both. Those are the two safest ingredients, they are physical barriers, not just chemical barriers, and they block both UVA and UVB rays. Don't get any other active chemical ingredients.

Getting a true SPF coverage means making sure skin is getting completely covered, which often takes 2 coats of sunscreen. (It can be very easy to miss a spot, and that's all you need for cancer to start.)

Avoid oxybenzone or retinyl palmitate (a type of vitamin A)

Avoid direct sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. That's because the most significant amount of UVB hits the U.S. between these times.

If you weren't paying attention, here's a little something to scare you into wearing sunscreen:

The Sex of Your Baby

2012-03-29T18:45:00.008-07:00

Few things in my life have been more exciting than finding out the sex of my baby. Am I going to get a little guy to show all the ropes of manhood too? Or am I going to get daddy's little girl? Most people think that they will just play whatever cards they are dealt when it comes to the sex of their baby. But do we actually have a say in the matter...??? Read On...

There are books out there that tell you all sorts of things you can do to help sway the odds in one direction or another, but when it comes down to it, the most important factor in determining the sex of your baby is TIMING.

What is it that determines the sex? It's the man. The woman always gives one X chromosome, maybe hoping that she will get a little mini-me, but the man has the final say in the sex and can give either his X or his Y. There are two kinds of sperm, sperm that call for a male, and sperm that call for a female.

So what can you and your spouse do to put in your two cents with the guy upstairs?

First, you need to understand this concept: male sperm swim faster than female sperm.

Secondly, the woman needs to know what day of her cycle she ovulates. If you don't know this, don't worry, your not alone. You can buy tests that you pee on that can confirm whether or not your ovulating, but here is another fairly accurate way to tell:

Take your temperature BEFORE YOU GET OUT OF BED. If your temp goes up (even 1/3 a degree Fahrenheit) and STAYS up, over the next two or three days, you are ovulating.

So, once you know the day you ovulate, you can make it work in your favor.

IF YOU WANT A BOY: Have intercourse about 2 days AFTER ovulation. That way, the egg is just waiting for the first sperm, and since the male sperm swim faster, they will be first to arrive and fertilize.

IF YOU WANT A GIRL: Have intercourse about 2 days BEFORE ovulation. That way, the male sperm have already come and mostly died off, and by the time the egg presents itself, the female sperm are just arriving to fertilize.

ANOTHER TIP: Some people think that having intercourse everyday increases their chance of getting pregnant. It can take up to 11 days for sperm to fully mature and be ready to fertilize an egg, so by having sex everyday, you can be releasing lots of immature sperm that will not fertilize the egg. A better method might be to wait until your fully potent with lots of mature sperm, and then follow the guidelines up above in trying to determine the sex of your baby. If you don't care what sex you get, then disregard everything and let chance do its thing. As you know, almost nothing in pregnancy, labor, and childbirth is exact. However, this method did work for me and my wife, and look what we got:

HAPPY BABY MAKING!!!

I bet you didn't know this about childbirth...

2012-03-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Did you know:

There are 6 million pregnancies every year in the U.S.

50% of the 6 million miscarriage. Some don't even know they are pregnant.
3% of women have twins.
13% of women in the U.S. have postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression is primarily due to hormone changes.
The "blues" usually only last 2 weeks after giving birth. If it goes longer, it is known as post postpartum psychosis.
Fewer than 10% of babies are born on their due date.
50% of babies are born within one week of their due date.
14 million adolescents become pregnant each year throughout the world
Each day 1,600 women die giving birth
99% of those deaths occur in developing nations.
The closer you live to the equator, the more likely you are to have a girl
A healthy male ejaculates 7,200 times throughout his life (7.5 gallons)

Ingredients of Vaccines

2012-01-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

Question: What about all those other ingredients that I hear about that they put in vaccines?

The concerns about specific vaccine ingredients are common because some vaccine opponents are trying to scare people. Anything in excess is toxic, extremely tiny amounts of relatively toxic things are not harmful.

Mercury - see above (thimerosol)

Aluminum - Alum is not the same as aluminum, it is a salt that is added as an adjuvant. Vaccines contain antigens (either whole viruses or bacteria or parts of them) that we create a memory response against, as well as adjuvants, which are like a 'danger signal' for our immune system that pushes the immune response in specific directions.

Formaldehyde is used to kill viruses to prepare vaccines. It is mostly removed, but trace amounts remain in some vaccines. These tiny amounts are not harmful, even to newborn infants. In fact, we all have formaldehyde in our bodies because we need it to make DNA and amino acids.

Antibiotics are also added to some vaccines in tiny amounts to prevent bacteria from contaminating the vaccines after they are made.

Human serum albumin is added as a stabilizer. It is derived from human blood. The only reason I can think of to oppose it is the chance that it might be contaminated with a blood-borne pathogen, or if you are religiously opposed to blood transfusions. All blood is screened carefully before it is used to reduce the risk of blood-borne infections.

Gelatin is also a stabilizer. Some people might be allergic to gelatin or to egg proteins (some vaccines come from viruses grown in eggs). People with these allergies shouldn't get vaccines made from eggs or that have gelatin added.

Some vaccines are made using yeast cells. Small amounts of yeast proteins may end up in vaccines. We are loaded with yeast in and on our bodies. I'm not sure what the problem could be here.

Question: What if I just don’t feel right about vaccinating my children?

Answer: We are of course free to make choices that are contrary to the weight of accumulated evidence and rational thinking. Such decisions may however harm others, not just our own families. Look into how babies are dying in California because unvaccinated people spread pertussis to them (whooping cough). These very small infants can't get this vaccine and they depend on those around them to be immunized to protect them.

Can Vaccines Overwhelm The Immune System?

2012-01-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

Question: I still feel that I am overwhelming my child’s immune system by exposing it to too many antigens.

Answer: Some people believe that this could lead to various problems related to interactions between the vaccines, or maybe putting the immune system in a state of shock. Therefore, they follow a delayed or selective vaccination schedule. The reality is that our bodies are continuously exposed to microbes. If you count all the human cells in your body, and then all the bacterial cells, the bacteria outnumber us 10 to 1. Every time you brush your teeth, you are introducing hundreds of thousands of
antigens into your bloodstream. Even an infant is able to respond to the equivalent of about 10,000 vaccines at once. Neonates develop the capacity to respond to foreign antigensbefore they are born. B and T cells are present by 14 weeks’gestation and express an enormous array of antigen-specificreceptors.

Question: Why are there some PhDs out there that are against vaccinations? Isn’t their argument legitimate?

Answer: People should be very careful about making sure they get an accurate picture of what the data is regarding the benefits and risks of vaccines. Any yahoo can promote reading "both sides of the issue" as though scientists are evenly split about these issues. They are not. After all, there are people with PhDs in mathematics and astronomy that are arguing that the earth is actually the center of the universe (http://galileowaswrong.com/galileowaswrong/). You can always find contrary opinions. Science is about developing new hypotheses, and those that are supported by the data will be accepted over time.

Question: Do you vaccinate your children? Why or why not?

Answer: Yes, I vaccinate my children and I get vaccinated myself. I study bacterial diseases for a living. I know what the risks are, and the benefits, to my family and society. Bad things do happen occasionally after vaccines, ranging from soreness to allergic reactions, encephalitis and death. These things are extremely rare and it is nearly impossible to predict who will have these reactions. It is very sad. But the risks are far greater when we don't vaccinate. In my opinion, the anti-vaccine movement is one of the more damning evidences of the historical and scientific ignorance (and arguably ingratitude) of modern society. Jonas Salk was a national hero in 1955 when his vaccine against polio was proven effective against a disease that Americans feared more than anything else except an atomic bomb. Now vaccine researchers and producers are viewed with hostility and subjected to attacks on their credibility, and some even receive death threats.

Vaccines Continued

2012-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

The following will be a series of common questions asked in regard to vaccines with answers given by the above mentioned Doctors:

Question: Aren’t the diseases that vaccines protect against rare in the United States?

Answer: Yes, it is true that many of these diseases are rare in the U.S. but that is only because we are vaccinated. Most of these diseases are deadly.

Question: Isn’t it a better idea to wait until your child is older to vaccinate?

Answer: It is true that often side affects decrease with the children's age but then they are unprotected for longer. It is a risk. I know someone who's child got whooping cough at a family party just 2 years ago.

Question: I have heard that the chicken pox vaccine is dangerous?

Answers: Since chicken pox isn't usually life threatening I didn't get my 1st child immunized until I met a mother whose child is blind from chicken pox. I then researched the rates of permanent issues from chicken pox and the rates of issues from the vaccine and once again, the vaccine was the clear choice. Now all of my children are vaccinated against chicken pox.

Question: Don’t vaccines contain mercury? And isn’t mercury poisonous?

Answer: Another concern that got a lot of press is the common preservative thimerosol, a compound that is 49.6% ethylmercury by weight. It is added to vaccines to prevent bacterial contamination. A fringe medical journal printed a paper proposing (without a shred of evidence) that autism could be a form of mercury poisoning due to thimerosol. Of course ethylmercury is not the same as methylmercury, which is known to accumulate through the food chain and can cause toxicity including neurological effects in people who eat large amounts of fish, for instance. Although ethylmercury is eliminated from the body much faster than methylmercury and does not cause
toxicity, it was removed from all children’s vaccines by 2001 as a precautionary measure. Since then, the thimerosol-autism connection has been thoroughly debunked, but public fears are unfortunately very evidence-resistant.

Question: I’m worried that by vaccinating my child, I will overwhelm their immune system.

Answer: Some feel that vaccines “overload” the immune system and lead to chronic diseases. Others have the perception that since many of the vaccine-preventable diseases have largely been controlled (thanks to vaccination!), there is a very low risk of their child actually becoming infected. Since adverse reactions are temporally associated with vaccination in an extremely small percentage of those that are vaccinated, then it doesn’t make sense to them to vaccinate their children. However, no study (that I’m aware of) has ever shown a causal relationship of serious adverse event in healthy children with vaccinations currently in use. Vaccination programs have been successful precisely because of the sort of “social contract” involved – individuals are willing to incur the extremely small risk of an adverse event in order to keep infectious diseases out of their communities. As more and more people choose to take a free ride on the immunity of others, the incidence of these diseases will inevitably rise.

Vaccines...What's All The Fuss About!!!???

2012-01-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Being in the medical profession, I see and hear about way too many heart breaking cases of diseases that were vaccine preventable. About a year ago, I conducted an extensive interview with a couple of PhD's in microbiology about the use of vaccines. I have their contact information and credentials if you want them. I wrote a long paper based on the interviews, I will highlight the important parts for you. I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you read this. If you have any further questions, send them my way. This will be a series of posts.

It began as the scientific paper that served as a central pillar for the idea that vaccination could increase children's risk of developing autism. Now, with a formal retraction from the Lancet, the medical journal which in 1998 published this piece of research by Dr. Andrew Wakefield, most researchers will view the study as if it had never been published in the first place.

Ten of the 13 authors of the original paper, all of whom were researchers at the Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine in London, partially retracted the paper in 2004. However, the first author, Andrew Wakefield, didn't. Dr. Wakefield, has not been returning phone calls to comment.

Wakefield's hypothesis was that by combining vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella into a single shot, known as MMR, the vaccine weakened the immune system and damaged the gut. He said that this, in turn, led to the development of autism.

The General Medical Council concluded that Wakefield participated in "dishonesty and misleading conduct" while he conducted the research. Specifically, it found Wakefield responsible for an ethics breach because he wrote that the children involved in the case report were referred to his clinic for stomach problems, when he knew nearly half of the children were actually part of a lawsuit looking into the effects of an MMR vaccine. Some children didn't have stomach issues at all.

Wakefield also failed to disclose he was paid in conjunction with the lawsuit, or that he had a patent related to a new MMR vaccine in development when he submitted the case report for publication.

Moreover, according to one of the findings against the doctor, Wakefield took blood samples from children at his own child's birthday party and paid them each five British pounds for their trouble.

In a statement explaining its retraction of Wakefield's paper, the Lancet said: "Following the judgment of the U.K. General Medical Council's Fitness to Practice Panel on Jan. 28, 2010, it has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield and others are incorrect ... in particular, the claims in the original paper that children were 'consecutively referred' and that investigations were 'approved' by the local ethics committee have been proven to be false. Therefore we fully retract this paper from the published record."

Having mentioned this, I feel it is of importance to note that unfortunately, the stigmatism that people have towards vaccines, and the idea that vaccines cause autism is already out there and the damage has already been done. Years of research have clearly disproven a vaccine-autism link, yet many people continue to believe in it. If all of that research hasn't changed their minds, the Lancet's retraction is not likely to make much difference.

Because of that, I have dug deep to seriously address the many concerns that people have regarding vaccines. Even after all this, people will still believe what they want to believe, but the facts are there, and everyone has the freedom to choose what they want to do with the facts. I believe in making our own decisions, but I also believe that it is our duty to do as much as possible on our part to gain information. So it is for that reason that I have taken the time to go out and get as much information as I can about vaccines from those who are most qualified to give it, and share it with as many people as possible.

The Emergency Room

2011-11-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

*There are some sensitive issues talked about in this post, please don't read it if you don't wish to*

For clinicals the other day, I was in the Emergency Room. It was very interesting to see what some people thought constituted an emergency. The following are reasons why people came into the ER:

A cold sore that was "tinglin" on the upper lip
An anxiety attack (caused by stopping medication)
Dropping a bookshelf on the great toe with only a pair of socks on
Starring the windshield in a car accident because of not wearing a seat belt.

Now while some of these actually do constitute coming in to the ER, the cold sore was my favorite. It was fun to see the ER from the side of the nurses and doctors for an entire day, instead of being a patient there. I had to go to the ER about a year ago for cracking my face open on another kids face while playing basketball (it helps you get in a little faster if you leave the blood running down the side of your face).

I now understand what causes some of the long waiting in the ER. I also understand that as a nurse in the ER, you have to keep a good sense of humor. If you don't, you will get weighed down and not be able to do your job in some cases.

I've talked to a lot of ER nurses, and most of them feel like when an 80 or 90 year old person dies, there really isn't an extreme amount of sadness/grief. They feel like they have lived a good life, and been able to spend many, many wonderful years with those that they love. There is another reason why this is though. That's because they also have to see babies and little children brought in who, unfortunately in many cases, were horribly abused by their own parents. In cases like these, the baby or child sometimes do not make it. It's a whole different world when this happens. The staff will sometimes have a meeting together and have to work through the immense grief of such cases together.

It's so terribly sad when something like this happens, you really never know what or who is going to walk through those admitting doors next. It could be a mass murderer or rapist from prison that you have to provide excellent care for or it could be someone who looks like or reminds you of your own parents or family member.

It was a great experience learning from the excellent nurses in the ER. I am so excited because I get to go back there again next week again for my last clinical of the semester!

If you want to read an interesting article from the Reader's Digest, click on the link below. My dad told me about it, it is titled, "50 Secrets Your Nurse Won't Tell You." I found most of them to be true, but some of them did not seem very accurate to me.

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/50-secrets-your-nurse-wont-tell-you/

Thanks for reading!

An Evening on the Farm...

2011-10-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

My wife and I took our baby girl to wheeler farm tonight! It was really just an excuse for us to go, we loved it! We went on a wagon ride pulled by a tractor, and saw lots of farm animals. We love the fall!

Claire Beth

2011-10-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been awhile, we've been a little busy having a baby! Sweet little Claire Beth was born on October 13th. She was 7 lbs 8 oz and 20". She is so cute, and is my little princess. More pics to come later!

Seinfeld...

2011-10-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

I just have to make a post about my favorite show. I don't know how anyone can not love watching Seinfeld. It doesn't matter what episode is on, if it is playing, I will watch it. I have never been able to decide who my favorite character is, because I love both Kramer and George so much. I also love it whenever Kramer and Newman get together. And you can't forget about Kramer's friend, good old Bob Sacamano. In a perfect world, they would still be making Seinfeld episodes. This show is the ultimate of classics! What do you like most about Seinfeld?

My Happy Place...

2011-09-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday night, my friend Nate and I went to watch the former BYU baskeball All-Star Jimmer Fredette All-Star game. There were 20 newly drafted NBA players all having a scrimmage against each other. It was probably the most talented group of players to ever play on the Marriot Center baskeball court. It was full of lots of dunks, and very little defense being played. It was awesome!

Then, on Friday night, my wife and I went to watch the BYU football team play against Central Florida with my friend Clint. They had just come off a tough loss to utah the week before, but they were able to beat Central Florida, and it was a great Friday night!

Awesome seeing "Jimmer" as one of the teams!

Jimmer's brother TJ rapping during half-time

Death, Code Red, and Getting Hit On...

2011-09-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day of clinicals for this semester. I gave lots of shots, prepared and hung a lot of medications, and was able to learn a lot from all the staff. I have to say that it was a very full day. We reported to the hospital at 6:30 am sharp and were there till about 7 pm. During that time the following events happened:

A patient died right in front of me.
A Code Red (Fire) was called.
My patient started hitting on me and asked me for my phone number.

While it's true that most days are very busy and a little crazy at the hospital, this is not the norm. I am way excited for my clinical days coming up where I will be able to be in the operating room standing over the surgeon watching operations all day long. I will also be able to spend entire days in endoscopy and the ER. This is going to be an awesome clinical semester!

This is how i felt when i got home:

And The Winner is....

2011-09-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

The Hungry Runner Girl! Congrats! Just email me an address you want your $30 Dick's Sporting Good's Gift Card sent to. devinvholt@gmail.com

Stay tuned for more giveaways!

Welcome to Nursing School!

2011-09-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a little while since my last post. I'm working on my Bachelor Degree in Nursing and school just started up again and I'm back at it. Thank you to everyone who has become a new follower. Tell your friends to follow quickly because I will be announcing the winner of the $30 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card on Tuesday, September 6.

For those of you who are new, you need to know that I love to blog about things that I learn in school, and random things that interest me. Some of it is about my life, and a lot of it is what I feel is very beneficial health information--current information, straight from the mouth of my professors and textbooks.

I love to share about unique experiences that I get to have at the hospital I work in or at the hospital that I do my clinical rotations in. I STRONGLY feel that by following this blog, you will:

Be able to make better health decisions
Be more informed about current healthcare recommendations and practices
Be reminded of important topics that you never would have thought about otherwise
And you'll definitely be entertained by the experiences that I have and share

It would mean the world to me if you would encourage other people to join this blog, because I really want my voice to go far, and i really make a big effort for this blog to be fun, and beneficial to all those who follow it. I'm confident that you will really benefit from reading both my past and future posts. Thanks!

For those of you who have been to nursing school, or who have wanted to go, or for those of you who just might be curious, I thought I would take you on a little tour of my school. It's called Westminster College and it's located in Salt Lake City:

This is on the outside of the Nursing building

This is the Nursing building

This is the entrance

This is one of my classrooms where I am being taught Medical-Surgical Nursing

So, what do you think of my school, and what do you think of the blog?

Free Giveaway!

2011-08-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

To celebrate my new awesome blog, I am doing a free giveaway! It will be a $30 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods. To be eligible, simply follow my blog here on the right column! I will announce the winner soon!

Also, if you have any health related questions, I would love to make a post with an answer. Just click the "Ask Devin" tab and drop your question in. Thanks!

9 things you shouldn't say to your child (Part 3)

2011-08-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

'Wait till daddy gets home!'
This familiar parenting cliché is not only another kind of threat, it's also diluted discipline. To be effective, you need to take care of a situation immediately yourself.

Discipline that's postponed doesn't connect the consequences with your child's actions. By the time the other parent gets home, it's likely that your child will actually have forgotten what she did wrong. Alternately, the agony of anticipating a punishment may be worse than what the original crime deserved.

Passing the buck to someone else also undermines your authority. "Why should I listen to Mom if she's not going to do anything anyway?" your child may reason. Not least, you're putting your partner in an undeserved bad-cop role.

'Hurry up!'

Who in this world of back-to-back appointments, overbooked schedules, sleep deficits, and traffic snarls hasn't uttered these immortal words?

Certainly every parent whose toddler can't find his shoes or blankie or who's blissfully oblivious of anything but putting on his socks "all by self!" has. Consider, though, your tone of voice when you implore a child to hurry, and how often you say it.

If you're starting to whine, screech, or sigh every day, with your hands on your hips and your toes tapping, beware. There's a tendency when we're rushed to make our kids feel guilty for making us rush. The guilt may make them feel bad, but it doesn't motivate them to move faster.

"It got so hectic at my house in the mornings, I hated that the last image my kids had of me was being angry," says family therapist Paul Coleman, author of "How to Say It to Your Kids." "So I made a pact with myself. No matter what, I wouldn't yell or roll my eyes even if someone spilled their Cheerios or asked me to find something just as we were heading out."

Rather than hectoring ("I told you to turn off that TV five minutes ago!"), he looks for calm ways to speed things along (he turns off the set himself).

'Great job!" or "Good girl!'

What could possibly be wrong with praise? Positive reinforcement, after all, is one of the most effective tools a parent has. The trouble comes in when the praise is vague and indiscriminate.

Tossing out "Great job!" for every little thing your child does -- from finishing his milk to drawing a picture -- becomes meaningless. Kids tune it out. They can also tell the difference between praise for doing something rote or simple and praise for a real effort.

9 things you shouldn't say to your child (Part 2)

2011-08-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

#4. 'Why can't you be more like your sister?'

It might seem helpful to hold out a sibling or friend as a shining example. "Look how well Sam zips his coat," you might say. Or "Jenna's using the potty already, so why can't you do that too?" But comparisons almost always backfire. Your child is herself, not Sam or Jenna.

It's natural for parents to compare their kids, to look for a frame of reference about their milestones or their behavior, say experts.

But don't let your child hear you doing it. Kids develop at their own pace and have their own temperament and personality. Comparing your child to someone else implies that you wish yours were different.

Nor does making comparisons help change behavior. Being pressured to do something she's not ready for (or doesn't like to do) can be confusing to a little kid and can undermine her self-confidence. She's also likely to resent you and resolve not to do what you want, in a test of wills.

Instead, encourage her current achievements: "Wow, you put both arms in your coat all by yourself!" Or "Thanks for telling me your diaper needs changing."

#5. 'You know better than that!'

Like comparisons, quick gibes can sting in ways parents never imagine. For one thing, a child actually may not have known better. Learning is a process of trial and error. Did your child really understand that a heavy pitcher would be hard to pour from? Maybe it didn't seem that full, or it was different from the one he's successfully poured from by himself at preschool.

And even if he made the same mistake just yesterday, your comment is neither productive nor supportive. Give your child the benefit of the doubt, and be specific. Say "I like it better if you do it this way, thank you."

Similar jabs include "I can't believe you did that!" and "It's about time!" They may not seem awful, but you don't want to say them too much. They add up, and the underlying message kids hear is: "You're a pain in the neck, and you never do anything right."

#6. 'Stop or I'll give you something to cry about!'

Threats, usually the result of parental frustration, are rarely effective. We sputter warnings like "Do this or else!" or "If you do that one more time, I'll spank you!"

The problem is that sooner or later you have to make good on the threat or else it loses its power. Threats of hitting have been found to lead to more spanking -- which itself has been proven to be an ineffective way to change behavior.

The younger a child is, the longer it takes for a lesson to sink in. "Studies have shown that the odds of a two-year-old's repeating a misdeed later in the same day are eighty percent no matter what sort of discipline you use," says Murray Straus, Ph.D., a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire's Family Research Lab.

Even with older kids, no discipline strategy yields surefire results right off the bat every time. So it's more effective to develop a repertoire of constructive tactics, such as redirection, removing the child from the situation, or time-outs, than it is to rely on those with proven negative consequences, including verbal threats and spanking.

9 things you shouldn't say to your child

2011-08-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

I came across a great article and I want to highlight it here for you. This is the first part of a series of 3 posts because I wanted to keep them short and to the point.

We all say the wrong thing sometimes, leaving our kids feeling hurt, angry, or confused. Read on for some of the most common verbal missteps moms and dads make, and kinder, gentler alternatives:

#1. 'Leave me alone!'

A parent who doesn't crave an occasional break is a saint, a martyr, or someone who's so overdue for some time alone she's forgotten the benefits of recharging.

Trouble is, when you routinely tell your kids, "Don't bother me" or "I'm busy," they internalize that message.

"They begin to think there's no point in talking to you because you're always brushing them off." If you set up that pattern when your children are small, then they may be less likely to tell you things as they get older.

From infancy, kids should get in the habit of seeing their parents take time for themselves. Use pressure-release valves -- whether signing up with a babysitting co-op, trading off childcare with your partner or a friend, or even parking your child in front of a video so that you can have half an hour to relax and regroup.

At those times when you're preoccupied, or over-stressed, set up some parameters in advance. I might have said, "Mom has to finish this one thing, so I need you to paint quietly for a few minutes. When I'm done, we'll go outside."

#2. 'You're so...'

Labels are shortcuts that shortchange kids: "Why are you so mean to Katie?" Or "How could you be such a klutz?" Sometimes kids overhear us talking to others: "She's my shy one."

Young children believe what they hear without question, even when it's about themselves. So negative labels can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Thomas gets the message that meanness is his nature. "Klutzy" Sarah begins to think of herself that way, undermining her confidence. Even labels that seem neutral or positive -- "shy" or "smart" -- pigeonhole a child and place unnecessary or inappropriate expectations on her.

The worst ones cut dangerously deep. Many a parent can still vividly, and bitterly, remember when her own parent said something like "You're so hopeless" (or "lazy" or "stupid").

A far better approach is to address the specific behavior and leave the adjectives about your child's personality out of it. For example, "Katie's feelings were hurt when you told everyone not to play with her. How can we make her feel better?"

#3. 'Don't cry'

Variations: "Don't be sad." "Don't be a baby." "Now, now -- there's no reason to be afraid." But kids do get upset enough to cry, especially toddlers, who can't always articulate their feelings with words. They do get sad. They do get frightened.

"It's natural to want to protect a child from such feelings, but saying 'Don't be' doesn't make a child feel better, and it also can send the message that his emotions aren't valid -- that it's not okay to be sad or scared."

Rather than deny that your child feels a particular way -- when he obviously does -- acknowledge the emotion up front.

"It must make you really sad when Jason says he doesn't want to be your friend anymore." "Yes, the waves sure can be scary when you're not used to them. But we'll just stand here together and let them tickle our feet. I promise I won't let go of your hand."

By naming the real feelings that your child has, you'll give him the words to express himself -- and you'll show him what it means to be empathetic. Ultimately, he'll cry less and describe his emotions instead.

Waiting at the Doctor's Office...

2011-07-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

We live in a world where reserving a rental car doesn't mean your going to get a rental car exactly when you want it. Where having an airplane ticket doesn't mean your going to be on an airplane (or the intended flight) when you want to be. And we live in a world where having a doctor's appointment at 1:00 doesn't mean your going to have a doctor's appointment at 1:00.

The average wait time in a doctor's office in the nation is right around 24 minutes. That means that some people get right in, and some people end up waiting for an hour or more.

Many doctor's today are triple booking their appointments, so that appointment that you have at 1:00 could very likely be shared with 2 other people. Try getting to the doctor's 10 minutes earlier, and beat the other two. It could end up saving you a half hour or more.

It's kind of funny how it works at a doctor's office. When you first arrive, you spend the first part of waiting in waiting room #1. After a long period of time spent reading 4 year old parenting magazines, you are sent to waiting room #2 and left in a holding pattern.

This second room is the room with the roll of paper out on the exam table that never seems to be changed. In this second room, you get the illusion that you are close to meeting with the doctor. You can hear him walking by outside, talking with the nurse or other patients. The tension builds, but alas, you continue to wait. Should you pull out your phone and play around? "Would it be rude to the doctor if I was on my phone when he walks in?" you ask yourself... You continue to wait.

Finally at about 1:45, the doctor comes in and you put your phone away quickly. If many of you are waiting for very long periods of time like this at your doctor's office, you should consider shopping around and finding a doctor that doesn't triple book his appointments, because not all doctor's do. I understand why some of them triple book, some family doctor's are not making bank like we think they do. The specialists and surgeons are usually the one's taking on the burden of all that money. You may be limited by your insurance as to who you can go see, but it's much worse not having any insurance.

If it's really bad, write a letter to your doctor and tell them about your frustration. It's been done before, and it has caused doctor's to change the way they make appointments. Or you could be a smart scheduler, make your appointment the first one in the morning, or the first one after lunch.

So, next time your at the doctor's office, bring something to do in waiting room #1, and don't get your hopes up too much in waiting room #2.

What Happens In Vegas...

2011-07-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are expecting our first baby (a girl) in October, so we started planning a trip to Las Vegas a couple months ago as our last big trip before the baby comes. We just got back! Here were some of our favorite places we visited:

These last two pictures were at Hoover Dam, we took a tour there and it was awesome! Vegas was great fun, but we were definitely ready to get away from the strip. One thing that surprised us was how many parents brought their little kids (about age 5 or 6) to the strip with them. They would bring them late at night too! The strip is no place for kids!

This brings me to what my next post will be about. I came across a really great article titled "9 things you shouldn't say to your child." I would like to highlight the article to all the parents out there that take their kids to the strip, especially late at night. It's actually really interesting, so check back for it:)