Category Archives: Family

Ignorance is NOT Bliss When it comes to Your Health…

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It has been years  decades actually since I became a mom.

As a nurse, it seems that I was overwhelmingly  aware of various symptoms for which I should contact my doctor during pregnancy and in general.

Admittedly, it is nice having a medical background but it has some disadvantages, like  knowing just a little too much and thinking the worst when a symptom appears…so it is ALWAYS better to check with your medical professional.

If you develop any one of the symptoms like the ones in the list below, a visit to the doctor would be advised.

But do your homework before you arrive for your doctor’s appointment so that you can get the most out of it and come away with an understanding of your symptoms and a plan to diagnose and relieve them.

A doctor’s visit is an anxious event and for me it is no different.

I have had my share of medical issues for which the ultimate diagnosis and plan resulted in open-heart surgery and a Mitral Valve repair.

When it comes to medical appointments I go prepared with questions and I come away with answers and a written plan with the help of a pad and pencil.

Here is a list of health symptoms that no one should ignore especially moms, (we tend to care for everyone but ourselves).

These are a few symptoms that could be easy to correct or they could actually indicate that you might need some serious interventions.

In general, a young, healthy mom will probably need more sleep, some vitamins, diet adjustments and exercise. But in some cases if you have diabetes or thyroid problems, more treatment will be indicated.

Have a look at this link and don’t have a panic attack if you have any of the symptoms…don’t look up all info on Google…just make an appointment with your physician.

If you don’t have a doctor…now is the time to get one.

9 Health Symptoms Moms Shouldnt Ignore – Parenting.com.

Dear Friend…

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CANCER SUCKS!

this week our dear, elderly neighbor with recurrent cancer

made the lonely decision to end his life.

since hearing this very sad news,

intermittent thoughts of him continue to come to mind

I feel pain for his loneliness and suffering.

I feel sorrow for his wife, children and grandchildren that are left behind.

I feel we in medicine somehow failed him

by not realizing how afraid he was,

how affected he was by his cancer diagnosis

as it reared its ugly head again,

after seemingly being beaten back by chemo.

he did not see any relief from the pain

only the eventual outcome

death, in small steps.

he wanted a say over the when and where…

had he only known another way

to relieve his pain…

he might have chosen it.

I am praying for our friend and his family…

without him, life will never be the same but it can still be good…

as husband, dad and grandpa

he would want it that way.

RIP dear friend…

Intersection of social media and journalism

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As a social worker and maternal child nurse my work efforts have always advocated for the well-being of mother and child.

I am frequently drawn to humanitarian causes that focus on the mother child dyad. I read so much on social media sites and in newspapers that sometimes the “bad” news often becomes overwhelming and triggers an episode of compassion fatigue.

Personally, I have to pick my causes carefully. I rely on journalistic sources to fill in some of the gaps in my knowledge of what is going on world-wide in the lives of women/mothers and children.

The recent controversial Kony 2012 video overlaps social media and journalism in the reporting of the horrific conditions that are inflicted on young children and their parents. I found myself confused with all the comments on social media sites…but Jessica Gottlieb‘s post has helped shed light on why I am feeling this way.

My critical thinking was being overwhelmed by my compassionate, empathic spirit…this was not a good thing for someone like myself who works in the service of others. I found some balance after reading Jessica’s post which is linked below.

If you are not familiar with Invisible Children and the Kony 2012, viral video you should read Jessica Gottlieb‘s post on this type of journalism and draw your own conclusions about the intersection of credible journalism and social media.

In this era of intense social media exposure the need to be critical readers/listeners/viewers is mandatory lest we believe everything we read, view or listen to or lest we throw away a good message because of the messenger.

There are many good journalists in America. There are talented documentarians too. Great journalists and biographers aren’t typically found in social media. Sure there are some, but not the majority.

http://jessicagottlieb.com/2012/03/this-american-lie-kony2012-and-the-problem-with-messengers/

The Switch Witch- what to do with halloween candy

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As Halloween approaches there is always the dilemma of  what to do with all the candy. Well, here is what I am going to do this year with my granddaughter’s haul complete with a “fairy  witch’s tale”.

Have you heard about the Switch Witch?  The Switch Witch is a great way to deal with all of that Halloween Candy.

The story goes like this: a child gets to eat all the candy they want up through Halloween night.  On Halloween night, before the child goes to bed, s/he lays out all their candy for the Switch Witch. The Switch Witch comes when they are asleep and takes the candy and switches it for a toy. Ta da! Cavity-creating candy is gone and desirable new toy is there instead!

via The Switch Witch- what to do with halloween candy | A Child Grows.

Happy Fourth of July!

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(Martha’s Vineyard 4th of July)

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays….I love the summer and it is the summer celebration that I enjoy the most!

I particularly enjoy the display of flags all around….my family was a military one so the flag was almost always on prominent display.

So this 4th is like many others …I pause to remember the past and look forward to the future while enjoying the present with my family and friends.

My hope is that you do the same if this is a holiday that you celebrate.

Mother and Baby Reunited in Spain | Care2 Causes

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“Two weeks ago, Care2 reported that Spanish social services had taken a baby away because her mother refused to wean. The mother, known as Habiba, had moved into a women’s shelter in Madrid with her 15 month old daughter, known as Alma. On May 31, Habiba’s daughter was taken away from her because she refused to forcibly wean her baby. Habiba was also criticized for cosleeping with her baby instead of putting her in a cot. On June 22, they were finally reunited after a social services committee overturned the earlier removal.Louma Sader Bujana, one of the bloggers who translated materials into English and helped to bring international coverage to the story, wrote about the reunification on her blog Amor Maternal. She translated and shared an official update from Fundacion Raices, an organization that had been supporting Habiba:

via Mother and Baby Reunited in Spain | Care2 Causes.”

Apparently this is not an isolated incident on the world scene.

It is a very sad commentary on how women and children are treated.

This story is both sad and deplorable.

There are many points here that bother me but the fact that social services was involved in this situation is particularly disturbing.

Here in the United States, many times the depiction of the “social worker” is one that takes children from their parents and puts them in protective custody due to suspected child neglect or abuse. This task is usually  carried out by a social service caseworker who is not a Licensed Social Worker. Caseworkers sometimes receive specific training by the state in which they work but they are not necessarily Licensed Social Workers, who in many states have a Masters degree in social work.

That being said, Licensed Social Workers in the United States would be expected by their National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics to treat the person in their environment and try to maintain the mother-child bond if possible.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker  and am disturbed by the implication that a professional social worker is many times associated with such situations as the one in this news story.

As a profession, licensed social workers must dispel the notion that social service caseworkers are synonomous with licensed social workers. We must clarify what a Licensed Clinical Social Worker is and what they actually do when it comes to child and family services.

Licensed social workers are expected to help and advocate for those in need not impose undue distress on an already stressful situation such as homelessness.

We also owe it to the global community to condemn the actions of social services that promote taking a child away from its mother and forced to wean as was done in Spain.