Expense of Learning- Part II

In the last post, I gave a quick tutorial on the process I use to decide whether it’s wise to part with my money when it comes to healthcare advice for sale. Now it’s time to dig into the details. Whether it’s a book, a classroom or online course, a members-only website, or a coach or counselor you’re considering hiring, there’s a lot you can do that amounts to a literary background check. It’s not hard to do a little good research, and you’ll soon know whether the knowledge is worth the cost.

When you’re researching a particular offer, jot down some notes and keep a running tally of your thoughts. Use the evaluation suggestions below as a guide.

1.) NAYY (It’s Not a Horse Laugh)
If you come across the offer on a blog, the site must disclose if its owners benefit financially by recommending the product (often indicated by the words “compensated affiliate”) or if it’s an unbiased referral by someone who gains nothing by promoting the resource (sometimes indicated by the playful non-legalese disclaimer “NAYY” which means “no affiliation, yadda yadda.”) Both scenarios have their advantages – a compensated affiliate may believe in a product strongly enough to put its reputation on the line, while an unbiased referral may be more likely to point out drawbacks of a product.
Things to Note: Will the person doing the recommending make money if you buy?

2.) Reputation – Who’s Recommending?
Do a search on the blog author or organization recommending the item and evaluate what comes up. Is he referenced in established publications or websites? Or do only obscure, less-than-polished sites pop up? (An investment in a well-designed, professional webpage is a one indication of someone who cares about professional reputation)
Things to Note: Does the recommender appear to care as much about maintaining a professional reputation as closing the sale?

3.) Reputation- What’s Recommended?
Find out all you can about the author or creator of the product you’d like to buy. Check with your library and do a look-up on Amazon to see the depth and extent of the author (or instructor’s) experience. Amazon includes professional reviews (they’re first – above the customer reviews) which can provide detailed and thoughtful summaries of what you’ll be buying. I’d recommend scanning customer reviews for general themes of likes or dislikes, but remember that anyone can post a customer review without demonstrating much knowledge the product.
Things to Note: Jot down the most detailed product elements that are critiqued to get an idea if it will have a lot or a little information about specific topics that interest you.

4.) Your Gut Reaction
There’s a lot to be said for intuition. If you’re reading a website, explore it with a critical eye and pay attention to the “huh?!?” factor. If the content or even  the look of the site makes you question the motives of the seller, it’s a red flag. (Nothing’s too silly – believe it or not, too many exclamation points drives me nuts – whoever does that can’t be trusted!!!!!) ;)

If it’s a friend making the recommendation, think about all the traits you share – and don’t share – and your differing styles when it comes to handling healthcare issues. If your gut reaction is “if she likes it, then I’ll like it” then by all means go ahead and explore further. If not, well, proceed with caution.

When you’re done jotting notes, tally up the pros and cons. You should have a much clearer picture of whether you’re getting a good buy, or better off saving up for something else.

The Expense of Learning (Part I)

When serious illness hit my child, I was desperate for knowledge. Thank goodness there was a lot of free advice to be had on the internet and (critically important) I had an understanding of how to evaluate the source and credibility of what I was reading. Even still, Googling for information is time-consuming and piecemeal. And there are bonafide experts on every condition imaginable who gladly offer all (or most) of what you need to know is one package… for a price.

The dilemma is knowing when it’s smart to take the offer. When is the knowledge worth the cost? I did a little sleuthing on some current caregiver-related offers and thought I’d share my process for deciding how and when to spend my money.

First, a friend forwarded to me an e-mail advertising the release of a book on caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, put out by Johns Hopkins University. Price - $50.

Next, I came across a blog mentioning that the New York Times offers educational courses and an upcoming topic is eldercare. For a cool $90, there’s a two-week online course beginning at the end of this month.

Although I have no affiliation with either Johns Hopkins or the New York Times, I will say I’ve been a fan of Johns Hopkins medical center ever since we took our child there for an enlightening second opinion six years ago. That, along with their venerable reputation, is a point in their favor. Next stop, my favorite search engine to see what it turns up about the Johns Hopkins author. Turns out Dr. Peter Rabins also offers videos aimed at Alzheimer’s caregivers, so kudos for multi-media experience and the chance to see a snippet of him in action. Finally, he turns up on Amazon (with book excerpts and reviews) and at my local public library. Checking out a previous title might be the best indicator of whether that $50 will be well spent for his new book.

The New York Times webpage gave surprisingly little information on the content and format of the class. But, again, one would hope that a distinguished institution which stakes its reputation on providing a high quality product would come through – especially for that price.

Here at Patient Loving Care, we hope to debut a (reasonably priced) e-book in the near future. And we promise it will be well worth your while.

Meantime, our next post will be the Expense of Learning Part II: the nitty gritty of analyzing how and when it’s smart to invest in medical caregiving knowledge.

Marriage: It's Really Hard

My husband and I recently sat together over a glass of wine and took stock – we’re rounding third and headed for home on the mortgage; we’re proud parents of one successful college student and his younger sisters, all of whom dream big, just like we taught ‘em; we’ve both managed to stay gainfully employed through this Great Recession. Then we chuckled at how we’ve lived a wonderful life together, but one completely different than what we imagined twenty years ago this week when we said “I do.”

Nobody told us “in sickness and in health” doesn’t just apply to the bride and groom – it’s a catch-all phrase for the stress put on a marriage when nursing elderly parents through cancer (and ultimately losing one of them to the disease) and for the enormous drain on family resources caused by a child’s chronic medical condition.

Our son’s health challenges were no small part of our life together gone off script. Thankfully, our marriage survived, strengthened in fact, through the adversity. What doesn’t kill you, as they say, makes you stronger.

And so with hard work and lots of grace, we’ve survived and thrived.

Happy anniversary, honey.

Needle & Thread

Are you crafty? I have this weird compulsion to sew even though the result is rarely anything that’s publicly wearable. For all my efforts, it never fails that my garment “looks a little home-sewn” as they say on Project Runway.

But that doesn’t stop me from envying those who can work magic with fabric – I just counted up and I have 133 sewing blogs bookmarked! If you find sewing or needlework calming, the internet is a goldmine for advice and projects when you need to take a moment from chaotic daily life for something you really enjoy. And it’s a great resource if you’re looking for projects that can make life easier (or just more fun) for someone undergoing treatment.

A quick online search turns up a number of free online tutorials for chemo caps and preemie blankets. But look a little deeper and you’ll also find instructions to make hospital gowns (who wouldn’t want to trade those dreadful, flimsy hospital-issue gowns for something personalized and snazzy!) and even a knitted wig (ok, this one was a Halloween project, but I told my daughter if I ever find myself in the chemo ward, I’d like her to make me one).

A very special blog I have bookmarked is SewPaula. This one is written by the mother of a disabled child who is expert at adapting patterns to accomodate her daughter's wheelchair along with modifications to access ports and her feeding tube. Paula is a blessing to her children (she sews beautiful clothes for all her kids) and to other sewists looking for directions on adapting garment patterns for special needs.

So don’t fear Heidi Klum’s brutal reality show critiques like those running through my head. Whether you craft for yourself or for others, take heart with a few words of wisdom on what they used to call “womanly arts”…

“A creative mess is better than tidy idleness.”
                                                            ~Author Unknown

“Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.”
                                                                    ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.”
                                                                                 ~Author Unknown

(photo courtesy tvguide.com)

Foody Friday: Eating Affordably

Money is bound to be tight for families dealing with a health crisis or chronic illness. So once hospital visiting hours are over for the day or you're coming home from yet another treatment appointment, you're caught in a trap: too exhausted to cook but too broke to eat out yet again.

Whether you like to cook, or view it as a nothing but a necessary chore, now is not the time to skimp on meals. Sure, your stomach is too tied up in knots to enjoy a meal, but neglecting nutrition is one of the worst things you can do when your energy is already sapped by health worries.

I'm a fan of Rachael Ray (yeah, I know... you either love her or you hate her). But even if you're not, you can find many of her famous 30-minute meals for free online. I also like 30 Day Gourmet for meals that freeze well. If you have some downtime to browse, check out the American Dietetic Association page with tips on eating right affordably.

Meanwhile, try this recipe that's one of my favorites from a long-ago issue of Family Fun magazine. What's great about chili is you can leave out anything you don't like and add what you love. This is the quickest chili recipe I've ever seen - it says to simmer for up to two hours, but I've served it after only 20 minutes on the stove. It's great right out of the pot, even better left over, and freezes beautifully.

Chili (from Family Fun Magazine, circa 19??)

2 15-oz. cans kidney beans
1 medium green pepper
2 medium onions
2 or 3 cloves garlic
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 ½ to 2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 ½ tsp. cumin
1 ½ Tbsp. Flour
3 cups chicken or beef broth
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. steak sauce
½ to 2 cups additional stock, tomato juice or water, if needed.

1.) Brown ground beef. Remove from pan.

2.) Pour 3 Tbsp. olive oil into skillet and add diced peppers and onions. Saute on medium heat for six minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

3.) Sprinkle chili powder, cumin and flour over the vegetables and sauté for one minute more, stirring nonstop. Stir in 1 cup broth and cook for one minute.

4.) Put browned meat in stock pot and add contents of skillet, along with crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire and steak sauce. Stir in remaining 2 cups of broth and beans.

5.) Gradually bring chili to low boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat slightly and cook chili, covered, at gentle simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. When done, the chili should be thick, but still somewhat soupy. If it starts to get too thick, add some extra stock, tomato juice or water.

6.) Serve chili in soup bowls, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese and jalapeno pepper, if desired. Makes 8 or more servings.

Happy Generosity Day

While taking a break from scavenging for the dark chocolate caramels in the truffle box today, I came across a news item from Time Magazine about rebooting Valentine's Day as Generosity Day. I've always loved the idea of random acts of kindness and paying it forward, and this idea for celebrating today's holiday in a seemingly unexpected way reminds me of caregivers and their loved ones who are already so familiar with giving generously each and every day. Creator Sasha Dichter says "...one day of sharing love with everyone, of being generous to everyone, to see how it feels and to practice saying "Yes." Let's make the day about love, action and human connection..."

So however else you may be observing the modern day Feast of St. Valentine, take a moment to think of a simple way to mark Generosity Day as well.

And to you... the caregiver who strengthens human connection every day; the patient, whose love and perseverance inspires all who know you; the doctor or health professional who incorporates the emotional needs and family ties of patients into every consultation you give...

Happy Valentine's Day from patientlovingcare.com.

Everybody Loves a Freebie

Everybody loves a freebie. And there are times in life when you really deserve a freebie. So today we're sharing a list of giveaways for patients undergoing treatment, and we’ll add more as we come across them.

Look Good Feel Better
Look Good Feel Better is perhaps the most familiar service donation program for patients - you’ll see it promoted periodically in fashion magazines. Since 1989, this program offers makeovers to women undergoing treatment for any type of cancer. The organization connects patients with volunteer aestheticians who teach them beauty techniques to help manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer. What we didn’t know is the group also offers an informational website for men undergoing treatment and runs a website plus hospital-based group programs in 18 cities for teens of both genders who must deal with the appearance, health and social side effects of cancer treatment.

Cleaning for a Reason
This foundation coordinates with professional residential maid services to offer general cleaning to cancer patients once a month for four months as a way of giving back to their community. Because they are a small operation, the Texas-based Cleaning for a Reason accepts a maximum of 50 applications each day, beginning at noon Central Time, Monday through Friday. Although the organization is represented in all 50 states and Canada, cleaning services are available in limited geographic areas. The group recommends clicking on their interactive map before applying to be sure there is a participating cleaning service in your area.

Stowe Hope
In the highly competitive travel and tourism business, this idea is genius: plan a wellness conference after ski season in Stowe, Vermont, and offer free hotel rooms to cancer patients. This year’s Stowe Hope event is April 29 to May 1, with registration opening March 1. Billed as retreat and outreach experience, it promises education, enlightenment and fun. The weekend is filled with doctor-led seminars, hands-on workshops and other opportunities addressing physical, emotional, spiritual and financial aspects of this broad disease. The area’s lodging association members donate hundreds of rooms each year to new attendees and their loved ones, according to the organization’s website.

Corporate Angel Network
Far fewer people may need a free plane ride to access medical treatment than say, need their kitchen floor mopped (see Cleaning for a Reason, above). But for those who do, this program could be the difference between medical progress and the status quo. The Corporate Angel Network offers empty seats on corporate jets to cancer patients and companions. Patients must be ambulatory and not in need of medical support while traveling. Eligibility is not based on financial need, and patients may travel as often as necessary. Patients must e-mail or call toll-free within three weeks of their appointment at a recognized cancer treatment center, and have back-up plans with a travel agent or airline, as Corporate Angel Network cannot guarantee a flight will be available to match your traveling requirements.

Free Communication Tools… Priceless
And of course there’s this: the Patient Loving Care Doctor’s Memo. We think you can’t put a value on having an effective conversation with your doctor, so patientlovingcare.com offers a free downloadable guide that can be typed in, saved on your computer, printed out and used again and again. The PLC Doctor’s Memo download package will walk you through how to collect your thoughts, jot them down in a clear format and present them to the doctor in a way that will lead to meaningful conversation so you can both understand your condition and find solutions to problems you're encountering.

Do you deserve a freebie? You bet.