As Thanksgiving approaches, I find myself getting swept up in the hustle and bustle of the pending holiday season: the crowds, the noise, the pile up of assignments as the semester ends. This year, for many reasons, I'm taking the time to stop for a moment and remember a few of the good things in my life – the things that I am so very thankful for…

My children – the lub to my dub.

Mark Louis – enough said!

Women that realize the importance for their yearly exam – my job rocks!

The words “I love you” – and the mouths I hear them from.

A bath tub full of hot water – 30 minutes to relax.

My New Balance tennis shoes – good for a comfortable run!

A Family – it is not in numbers but in your heart.

A forgiving God – much needed answered prayers.

My camera – p.r.i.c.e.l.e.s.s.

My friends – new and old.

Lessons learned – my how I have grown.

Small town living – nothing else like it.

To be continued tomorrow….


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Sunday Snicker...

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Mammo-scam...

In my eyes, it's simple, because I know that mammograms will detect up to 90 percent of breast cancer in women. Polls taken for decades show breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 40 to 59. How can anyone say that a mammogram is not cost effective at age 40? Isn't that putting a price tag on a woman's life? I find that completely unacceptable but that's just my opinion.

The American Cancer Society's Opinion:

•Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer diagnosed among U.S. women, accounting for more than 1 in 4 cancers - it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.

•2.4 million women living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer and one out of eight American women who live to be 85 years of age will develop breast cancer.

•An estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2009 as a result 40,610 deaths are anticipated.

•The greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer is gender (female) and the second is age. Between 2000-2004, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women aged 40 and older.

•Patients with private insurance from all racial/ethnic groups are more likely to be diagnosed with stage I breast cancer and less likely to be diagnosed with stage III and IV than those who were uninsured or who had Medicaid insurance.

So, how many mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, daughters and friends are we willing to lose to breast cancer while the debate goes on?

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Male patients test my patience

The past 30 hours have reminded me why I have chosen to become a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner as my lifelong career – I am witness to a minor thumb surgery turning a grown man into a winey hiney – sad as it seems – that is exactly what has happened.

Given the high level of independence Mark usually exhibits most of the time – all self-sufficiency is now out the window – and I am not coping very well. I don’t mean to sound so insensitive – I really want to help him – but at this point, I am convinced that there is absolutely nothing that I can do!

He will not sleep….hardly a wink all night and/or all day.

Lortab makes him pace back and forth and back and forth…I’m dizzy

He keeps commenting that his fingers are swollen…hello? They cut your hand open honey!

He repeats, “My thumb is numb – but it hurts.” – OoooooKaaaaayyyy?!?!

Nausea is not his friend – I have to agree with this one!

He is upset that he cannot help with his usually husband/daddy duties – he should giggle to see me clean after I cook – that never happens.

While I cannot wrap my spinning head around the fact that a minor thumb surgery has him so high strung that even I cannot keep up – I know that he is hurting, he is tired, and he is thrown off kilter by this dramatic change in his daily living – but the bottom line is – men make terrible patients – I’ll pap every female between here and the moon – male patients test my patience.

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Sometimes more but never less...

Yesterday I asked Jackson exactly what he wanted from Santa Claus – he had yet to produce a list for me despite my several requests.

Jackson is indulged (I like that better than spoiled) – but after brain surgery and 18 months of chemotherapy – how could he not be? I am not the only one responsible for spoiling (okay - I'll use that word after all) him - the gifts galore have spilled in week after week – month after month most from his family and friends - only some from me. He has a grateful spirit – never a brat - at times discouraged and a bit hardheaded - but never a brat.

I expected his list to be minimal – a few small things, aside from the iPhone he has mentioned once or twice in jest - or maybe not in jest, either way I never expected what I heard.

Me: “Jackson, are you still working on your Christmas list? – It’s getting time to mail it to Santa.”
Jackson: “I don’t need to give you a list – I know what I want already.”
Me: “But if we don’t mail a list to Santa, how is he gonna know? You know it takes time for Santa and his elves to make toys in their workshop – sometimes LOTS of time”
Jackson, “Oh – they don’t need to make what I want!”
Me: “Really?”
Jackson: “Yep – Just make sure that I get to go see Santa before my next MRI and I’ll tell him what I need – you don’t make miracles in a workshop, momma.”

There was nothing left to say – either that or the lump in my throat wouldn’t let the words out - he is amazing - sometimes more but never less.

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Far more than I bargained for!

Only she could get away with mascara on her forehead - self-made bangs - beef jerky - and an attitude like no other...well, maybe a bit like me!

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Seven Word Saturday

This I know: Life is not fair.






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