Just Between Us

Recently I cried.

I cried because of my work.

Although I worked all day and all night, 

There was only so much that could be done by the team,

and there were so many more that need our help!

This is a call to Healers.

Healers from all kinds of methods and practices of training.

You are invited to come on board. Why?

It's time.

The following conversations--events happened recently, and I think you should know:

• UCLA hospital provides juice, saltine crackers, and graham crackers for all medical staff routinely. They are in a drawer. A surgeon I know graduated from that program. She had many meals that were just that--juice, graham crackers and saltines--so many that for years she couldn't eat them any more. Just opening the package gave her flashbacks of residency overwork.  (UCLA has an excellent cafeteria with meal tickets for all of the residents. It's free. But the work hours are so arduous, that there really isn't much time for those who have those tickets to eat. It was the same for me in my residency. I lived off ensure I 'borrowed' from the burn unit with the nurses kindly 'looking the other way' because as a second year surgery resident running the ICU's at the hospital, I was plenty overworked myself.)
• This same surgeon also had, at all times in the hospital, a cooked pop tart wrapped and ready to be shoved in the mouth, in the pocket of the white coat. This surgeon is extremely thin. But even still, thin surgeons need to eat, and meals were not always an option in training. In my locker in the O.R. I always had a spare can or two of Boost, in the chocolate flavor, for the same reason--to get a couple more cases in without the need to eat.
• Another surgeon from UCLA was in the O.R. the time that the patient caught on fire. There was oxygen pooling under the drapes, and there was a spark from the cautery, and up in flames the drapes went. (drapes are the surgical paper cloths used to keep something sterile during surgery.) The anesthesiologist RAN out of the room! 
• The point here is that medical care might not be available during a mass casualty--the providers have to choose between helping others and helping themselves.
• During the Northridge Earthquake, the Sepulveda VA was affected. The generators didn't turn on. The staff was having to decide 'who to let go' because they couldn't keep all the ventilators running and people squeezing bags to help those patients breathe. (also the i.v. pumps with the pressor drugs had their batteries die out). 
• During this same Earthquake, a resident who was not at work had an axe and some other safety equipment in his apartment. He drove to the hospital, and broke windows open to permit air to come in to the hospital. The ventilation system was down, and this unsung hero saved many lives!
• At our hospital, if we are not on call during a mass casualty (disaster where many patients/wounded come in all at once to the nearest receiving hospital), we do not have to go in. We can stay with our families. Always remember that people want to be with their loved ones in times of distress--not every doctor and nurse and pharmacist is going to be at the hospital like always. Think of it as 'weekend staffing' and 'more than normal weekday demand in patient care'--this is why we are inviting you to help with the others...to rise to the occasion.

Surgeons have to sleep. So do anesthesia providers, and nurses and even the people who clean the instruments and the floors in the O.R.

Although because of our training, we work long hours as a matter of course, this is not easy on us.

Imagine 911 with the firemen and the policemen in those first few days after the collapse of the buildings...and that was just one building, not a whole town.

Imagine right now where there is poison (for whatever 'reason' leaking tank or intentional) affecting the water supply from the Ohio River, which feeds into the Mississippi ultimately...resources are being gathered to get bottled water to the people who are affected, and massive prayer is being sent out by healing hearts from across the globe...

Imagine any or all of these unpredictable things that can happen, acts of nature or acts of man.

Superimpose on that the current ability to meet current demand in health care in local hospitals and mental health centers.

And imagine a sudden increase if anything were 'to happen' in your area.

Do you feel that 'nudge' and 'wish to be of assistance' in your heart? If you feel so moved, read this, and also, reflect on your 'inner guidance' at any time of 'situation' that might come up in the future. With the economy and global politics the way they currently are, anything can happen.

And as healers? It's best to just face the facts and prepare as a team, together, for 'what may arrive'.

We are in this together, all of us, with Spirit's assistance on our behalf, too.

Here is a letter from a news update from the Healers Group at Prepare For Change:

The Healers Group is concerned for the well-being of others in the immediate time after the Event. 

As with any sudden disruption, people tend to be in shock. Often they worry more about their loved ones than themselves. Although many will be glued to the TV to make sense of what is happening, there are things we as healers can do to make the changes easier on them.

Our goal is to comfort and reassure, to be the Light for others, and to work with Spirit to adapt more rapidly to the changes in order to make the path clear for those who follow.

We anticipate people to be in a numb lull, fogged out, spaced out, and feeling 'lost' or 'ungrounded'.

General suggestions to the public include staying home for the day, playing with your kids, and allowing yourself the time and space to process what is going on around you. 

We also anticipate the rise in vibrations to be positive for the majority of the population, and bring out the best in others who will rise to the occasion and give help overall. (there might be a few lower density people who will be uncomfortable at first, but will readily adapt if not 'pushed' in that direction.)

Here are some examples of simple things healers can do to make a big difference in the lives of others:

1) for the children--PLAY with them. The human interaction and play are the most healing things one can do for a child. For them, Play is 'normal' and helps them to process the change on their own terms.

2) for seniors--check to see where their comfort zone is, and keep them as close as possible to that. 

3) for everyone in between--be there in roles of comforting for them. Listen to your inner guide, your heart, and do what 'feels right'. 

Many who have experienced a trauma or sudden Event are disoriented. A paramedic on our team suggests giving small tasks, such as getting a drink of water or a blanket, to keep them focused. Unfocused people tend to wander, and might walk into danger, such as oncoming traffic.

It is important for Healers to stay centered in the Heart. Look for the tell-tale glaze in someone's eyes of having 'information overload' and being in a protective state of denial. Be courteous, kind, and caring to these individuals as they come 'back to earth' after the big shift.

In summary, we advise the Healers to Listen to their inner guidance, to follow their spontaneous direction, and to trust that. It is a time for letting go of the Lower Ego Mind, and to integrate the intuitive Sense.

Be The Light.

Be the Love.

Trust the Process.

Sincerely,

The Healers Group

No matter what, it's going to be OKAY!

Aloha and Mahalos,

Namaste,

Reiki Doc

Fat Doctor. Fat Nurse. On Hospital Food--part 2

I recently began to follow a nutritionist on Twitter. I had just posted about hospital food trying to kill me when I was in the hospital. And I asked this expert if they had any ideas on how to make the food service in a hospital better from a nutrition perspective.

The response was shocking--'Hospital food is poison, just go look at the fat doctors and nurses eating Mc Donald's in the hospital'.

It was arrogant, dismissive, and completely without understanding for the situation most of our patients, doctors, nurses, technicians and other hospital employees are in. Coming from a teaching background, where I was a University professor for eight years, trained in the notion that 'there is no such thing as a dumb question', I felt extremely dumb after seeing help from this individual.

Like Nora Ephron's parents once said, "take your misfortunes and turn them into a story", I am sharing my story now with you.

First and foremost, anyone new to the working side of medicine needs to understand this: most of your caregivers are overworked, sleep-deprived, and hungry. Yes, we are in the business of health care, and in caring for our patients we are not exactly practicing what we preach.

When I was a medical student, I ate with the team. Surgeons tend to eat their meals in the gaps between cases. But while caring for patients on the floor, the interns sometimes go without. A colleague who was in internal medicine used to have soup for lunch because 'It was faster' (he could eat it while walking around taking care of patients). When I was in charge of the ICU and Burn Unit, the nurses would look the other way while I helped myself to ensure, because they knew that I was not able to eat due to my workload while taking care of patients. I did this so often, they showed me a way to make it more palatable: mix it with equal parts milk and pour it over ice. While I was on that service I lost twenty pounds.

After I changed specialties to anesthesiology, I was given a fifteen minute break in the morning, thirty minutes for lunch, and fifteen minutes in the afternoon to attend to my personal needs. This time was watched closely. I would get in trouble if I did not return promptly from my break. If the patient was unstable, or it no one was available to give me a break, it was understood that I would go without and not ask for a make up time since I was salary, not hourly, worker. Can you imagine the lines in the cafeteria? They are long. As a consequence, I learned to eat my meals as fast as possible. At a restaurant, I eat so much faster than friends and family, that it is embarrassing to me when they point it out.

These breaks went away once I graduated from the training program. Now I eat in the gaps between surgery cases in the O.R. But when work is busy, or I have a pushy surgeon who will not begrudge me the ten minutes it takes to buy and eat a sandwich, I do not get to eat.

Everyone knows that hungry people tend to make unhealthy food choices, and overeat.  I find in the hospital, the thought about mealtimes is eat while you have the chance because you do not know when the next chance will be. I actually pack my lunch of organic, wholesome food even though I do not have to. Doctors at my hospital have access to hospital food at discounted rate. But I find my own food is faster. I don't have to run to the cafeteria. It saves time. And I feel better, too.

I think hospital workers are Innocent bystanders in the Hospital Food Conspiracy. We are a captive audience. Where else to go?  When there is time, we escape to Fast Food. One of the staff will make a food run and usually the doctor on call will treat. Many times, the food that is served at dinner in the cafeteria has been on the steam trays since lunch and is unappetizing. (I also do not eat any of the chicken dishes, because the chicken is of low quality and I suspect full of hormones and antibiotics. The same is true for beef and pork, and most of the fish that is served.)

Work hours start at seven in the morning, and often last until seven at night, or longer, for many of the workers in the medical center. Consequently, there is very little time to exercise (I take stairs whenever possible to compensate.) The hours and the workload can be stressful.  But there are always little treats around the hospital, like donuts or a candy jar. It is difficult sometimes to pass these up. The stress is even worse when we are stuck at work on holiday. Because we miss spending time with our families, we often have a pot luck to make ourselves feel better. You can imagine what kind of goodies everybody brings in.

In the hospital the work is demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. There is not much aerobic activity although we are on our feet most of the day. (I wear compression stockings to keep my feet from swelling up after my shift.). We also see misery and conditions that are disturbing, such as death, suffering, and fear. If anyone is in need of excellent fuel and optimization to do their work, it is the workers in the health care field. Many are forced to make the choice between time spent with their family and taking care of themselves with exercise during the short hours they are awake when they are away from the hospital.

What has our workplace done for this? Sneaky changes that are touted as healthy but are only stop gap measures in the big picture:

* the ice cream freezer 'broke' and was never replaced three years ago
* January 1st we learned of NEW HEALTHY FRIES! Baked, not fried. The deep fat fryer was taken away. The sweet potato and regular fries are tasteless and not edible.
* Doritos, Lays', and Fritos got the boot January 1, too.  Healthy Chip options are pita chips and whole grain baked. Not even Sun Chips. Again, Kale chips would taste better than these.
* Unfortunately they still have Coke, Snapple, Minute Maid Juice, fountain drinks, and energy drinks. But Honest Tea, sweetened with honey in glass bottles,  is gone.  Wouldn't this have been one of the first places to have made a change for health like the others?
*Although a salad bar is always open, a food worker once told me, 'you don't want to see what we have to do to the food so you can eat it--regulations'

The changes are inconsistent, without buy-in from the staff, and promote the American Heart Association recommendations for low-fat, low-cholesterol diet that is now being found to increase rates of diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

My favorite vegan surgeon actually met with the CEO to discuss the possibility of having hospital food meet more current demand, such as organic, vegetarian, and locally grown foods. His ideas got shot down with laughter by the head of the organization, then and there in the administration's highest office.

And that, dear friends, is the opportunity that lies in front of us: to bring health back into the health care industry, one hospital, one patient, one worker at a time. Your knowledge and input is crucial to making this a reality. Ask for it. Don't accept the situation as it is. 


Namaste,

Reiki Doc

The Surgeon Who Likes To Work Late

Surgeons are above all else, highly trained specialists who do good by bringing us health via operations. They are human, however, and often times they have a weakness that will affect their ability to take as good care of you as someone else. Let us go over some of the tips you might want to consider in order to make the choice that works best for you.

First--know yourself! There are lots of personalities of physician out there, and some of them make a better 'fit' for you than others. Do you like Hi-Tech? Probably better to go for a surgeon fresh out of school to mid-career. How about Really Good Bedside Manner, that will Listen to You? For that you might want to go by word of mouth and friends. Yelp and other online resources may give insight to who you might be dealing with. Take what you find on the internet with a grain of salt, however. Some of the clinker comments may be from disgruntled patients. So if there is ONE really bad evaluation, and others that are favorable, you might want to give that doc a chance. Do you like everything to Go Like Clockwork, efficiency and order through your day? A non-trauma specialty at a hospital that doesn't do trauma would be where your chance is best to find it. Orthopedics. ENT. Not OB/Gyn or General Surgery--their schedules are constantly changing.

Get the idea?

Once you get to 'know yourself' in this manner, here are some basic personalities to look out for in the hospital. Especially the O.R.

The Surgeon Who Likes To Work Late:
Is your surgeon scheduling you for your operation late in the day? If you are an 'add on' case, someone who has an emergency and needed surgery today, no worries. You are going to be fine. But if your surgeon is planning ELECTIVE surgery (something optional or urgent, like a cancer), that isn't a really good plan. Think about it--where does everybody in the hospital go at night? They head home--the usual support and teams. Nights are much different in a hospital than days. Talk about basic minimum staffing, with the exception of Labor and Delivery because babies arrive 24/7 every day of the week.

The lesson of the Surgeon Who Likes To Work Late is, why are they scheduling you late in the day when the hospital shuts down? Do they need the money? Do they have a lot of places that they operate over town? Are they rested? Are they capable to do the surgery? And what about Anesthesia? When did they start their day? I wake up at four to get to work by seven.  I go to bed at nine. Would you want me staying up until midnight taking care of you if you could help it? Would you want me to come back after only four hours of sleep and work on you the next day? I think you get the picture.

The Old Guy:
On the downhill slope of their career. Lots and lots of experience. Their techniques work, but your incisions might be a little bigger than they could have been with a newer technique. There is a Standard of Care, and just about everyone meets it, as surgeons. But like a mean with a standard deviation, there are people at one side and the other of the bell-shaped curve. Ask yourself 'do I want someone who falls alseep in the doctors' lounge at the drop of a hat and makes everyone wonder if they have a pulse?' to operate on me? They ARE perfectly capable, and would be thrown out of the hospital if they weren't. Yet wouldn't you want to KNOW that is what they do between cases? Sleep like Grandpa on the couch, sitting up, mouth wide open.

Dr.Rushy-Rushy:
Sometimes I wonder why surgeons like this ever went into medicine? Wouldn't they enjoy it more if they slowed down the pace from frenetic to efficient? These are people who for some reason are not happy with the Status Quo--the way 90% of the other surgeons run their cases in the hospital. They either want an earlier start, or to move up their case, or to run two operating rooms at the SAME TIME!

Did you know a surgeon can do that? They have an extender, either a RN First Assist or a Physician Assistant to finish up in one room while they start the other. Some want THREE rooms for their cases. And start  trying to rush the janitors while cleaning the room between cases. Isn't that an important function that no one would want to compromise, cleaning the room?

Surgeons like this are apt to skip steps. Some of those steps might be inside of you!

Dr. Hipster:
 A surgeon who works primarily on Medicaid and Worker's Comp patients I know has a Lamborghini and lives in a three-thousand dollar a month apartment in the swanky part of town. The timer is DEFINITELY up on the Delayed Gratification that got them through training in the first place!
How can someone like that, who is placing priority on material wealth going to open up their heart and care for you? Hipsters often turn Rushy-Rushy and yell at everybody in their way when they deviate from schedule. They are not flexible in any way, shape or form. Know you have a Dr. Hipster and decide if that works for you. It just might, if you have something easy and want to just 'get in, get fixed, and get out of there!'

Eeyore:
This one id depressive, cursing, and angry. They yell at everyone every day, all the time. The problem with this is that except for the anesthesia doc, the surgeon is out of line to show anger to someone outranked by him. Only equals may do this, and only in private.  Do your homework and find out this one's rep directly from the O.R. They might be a pussycat in the office, and a terror the the surgical suite.

Women:
Tougher than nails, and have been through heck to get where they are today. Often are juggling commitments between family and work. More are more caring than the men and have excellent skills. My tend to run late in office (empathy! empathy!) but deliver excellent care.

The Savant:
These tend to think 'outside the box'. There may be a 'history', either public in the papers or private, of being 'a cowboy', that is going outside the usual and customary plan of care. They are either  an Einstein or Curly Stooge. You never know by talking to them. The worst are very taken in by their work. Just research carefully, and if you want to go on a new-cutting-edge theme with them, just keep your eyes open while making your decision.

The Foriegner:
Often technically very good. You may not understand them when you talk with them, but most of the time their skills are very good.

Namaste,

Reiki Doc

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did. : )))