A Spunky Guy In Richmond I'd Like To Meet

As I write, the five-hour drive to Virginia would land me four hours too late to meet Bob Wendell. A shame, because he’s 92 and a classical bass player-turned harmonica recording artist. Plus he’s the compelling example on a panel discussion this evening about today’s fragmented healthcare system - a system that could debilitate or even kill a senior who isn't savvy enough to keep medications and doctor’s orders straight. In other words, a senior who's not Bob Wendell.

His story was originally told here in Richmond Magazine.

Wendell’s litany of health concerns includes five strokes, swallowing problems that mean he eats some food and gets the rest through a feeding tube in his stomach, and caring for his wife of 30 years who has advanced Alzheimer’s. Wendell’s search for second opinions and active participation in his own care mean he continues to lead a full and happy life. His ability and desire to take charge of his health is a great lesson that he teaches to neighbors in his senior building, where he’s president of the residents association.

Tonight’s event at WCVE public radio brings together experts to elaborate on the magazine story. It’s a public discussion which will be recorded and broadcast on October 16 here and over the air.

And it all rings so true with PatientLovingCare.com’s central purpose – to provide patients and caregivers the tools they need to navigate the medical maze. In the spirit of Bob Wendell and others like him, we hope our doctor’s memo is a start and inspires you to take charge of your own care.

Some day, it could save your life.

(Photo: Bob Wendell, RichmondMagazine.com)

Newsy Tuesday

Welcome to Newsy Tuesday. Pour yourself a cuppa whatever you'd like and pick from amongst this collection of good reads. It's like a mini gym visit for your mind - refreshing!

Autistic and Seeking a Place in the Adult World
Here's an expertly written story from the New York Times, told from the perspective of a New Jersey boy. Tender without being maudlin.

The Creative Brain on Exercise
I just may do a full-blown post on this one, although at patientlovingcare.com I'm preaching to the choir about the mental benefits and disease-fighting power of exercise.

New Drug-Free Treatment for Depressed Teens
If your life includes a teen with mental health issues, you know all about the medication high-wire balancing act. 3GenFamily blogs about a study on the effectiveness of non-pharmacy treatment. Hooray for research!

A Story about Finding Assisted Living - Part I
This is a British blog with a name similar to ours. Unlike PLC, however, author Linda Abbit focuses solely on eldercare issues. I'm eagerly awaiting part II of this series on moving Aunt Sally to assisted living.

Enjoy, and bottoms up!

Show Me Your Fridge, I Dare You ;p

At a fashion shoot, photographers will occasionally step away from their professional cameras to take a cheap snapshot. It gives a quick, fresh perspective and it’s an easy way to spot adjustments to lighting, background and pose in order to get that perfect shot.

So, what if you used the same technique with your life: snapshots to get a fresh perspective? I dare you – right now- to go and snap a picture of the inside of your fridge. Since in my fridge you might spot that black, fuzzy thing at the back of the bottom shelf, I’ll let words describe my picture:

• half a cake
• apples
• leftover fries
• milk
• homemade mac and cheese

Not too bad, but there’s probably room for improvement. Knowing you might want another peek soon, I’ll shop a little wiser today and be able to show off salad fixings, some more fruit and maybe some OJ next time.

Even if you're not going public with such info, taking a snapshot is a great idea to make us more aware of our daily choices. In fact, the idea comes from a group of researchers who used cell phone pictures as a creative way to combat disease.

Since a major cause of chronic disease is individuals’ everyday health-related decisions that affect long-term health, the researchers gave families cheap cell phones for the purpose of snapping pictures related to day to day activities. Simply drawing attention to what went on over the course of the day prompted families to think about what easy adjustments they could make to improve their health. Counselors also reviewed the information with the families and added nutrition education and health tips to further encourage a healthier lifestyle. (Find the full study here in the Journal of Participatory Medicine.)

The premise again is this: A major cause of chronic disease is individuals’ everyday health-related decisions that affect long-term health.

Put that up behind a fridge magnet and ponder it.

The Brakes On the Wheelchair

Last month, I felt quite clever but at the same time irritated that by the third visit to the hospital we were able to navigate the long walk from the front lobby to ICU without a map. After all, I didn’t sign up for this stint of several visits a day. It was involuntary enlistment.

Nevertheless, in such circumstances you learn the ropes and develop a routine. Being a quick study conserved my energy for more important things. What I noticed though, was how attentively the Cleveland Clinic hospital where my father was admitted eased the stress of family visits with simple courtesy.

Staff at all levels seemed trained to be mindful of visitors. Recognizing – and alleviating - bewilderment is apparently a priority. You get a map every time you check in. Stand still in a hallway for just a moment and staff – whether housekeeping, a tech or a doctor – ask how they can help to direct you. Everyone seemed to understand that – with the possible exception of the maternity floor – every visitor in the building wished they didn’t have to be there.

My first inkling I'd be catered to in this way came at the entrance, where visitor wheelchairs are stashed . On my first visit after arriving in town, the usually abundant supply was gone but a valet traipsed through two departments to retrieve one for us. Then, after we arrived at ICU, I realized my ignorance with this basic piece of equipment – fumbling at first until an aide pointed out the brake that would keep the wheelchair from scooting across the room, landing the occupant squarely on the floor (!).

Like everything else in healthcare, treatment of patient families is institutionalized and codified. In fact, my research on the subject turned up a press release from the Disney Institute announcing a new training module on family interaction for the purpose of increasing hospital satisfaction ratings, which are about to become a matter of public record due to new government regulations.

But only so much civility can be taught in a seminar. At a hospital where veterans lead by example and empathy is valued, painful memories of a last hospital stay are softened by the kindness of strangers.

The Empty Blog

There's no need to write up a post today.

Just click here for a must-read inspiring story.

When you're done, you'll suddenly feel the strength to move mountains.


(Image via Facebook. Painting by Margaret Stineman.)

Lace Up That Trusty Pair of Chucks

A trip to Ohio last week meant a rare chance to see my BFF and blogging partner Diane “in real life” as we say online. It was great to spend some time with her family! Two of the many fantastic things about the Buckeye State are her husband Dave’s grilling skills (he used to do it professionally – working his way through college) and that pitcher of margaritas that is was in Diane’s fridge.

I also brought back a souvenir for PatientLovingCare readers that I picked up on the front page of Friday’s Cleveland Plain Dealer. I immediately bookmarked this story about walkwithadoc.org and tracked down the organization website to share here.

Walk With a Doc is the brainchild of a physician who found that patients often had trouble getting started on an exercise program but were more than willing to take a walk at a local park if their doctor invited them to come along with him. Soon after he started the program in Columbus, Dr. David Sabgir had 100 people joining him for Saturday morning strolls.

Dozens of doctors have signed on since, agreeing to organize walks and socialize alongside regular folks who like the group support and the idea that healthcare providers are nearby as they tentatively step out for a fitness program. The docs are required to begin with a short health presentation and be available to chat for a 45 minute stroll.

It is said that one hour of walking adds two hours to your life expectancy. Who could refuse that kind of return on investment? I was curious though, what motivated the doctors to sign on for this busman’s holiday of having their patients join them for their workout time. Turns out it’s just good marketing. Sponsoring a local Walk With a Doc builds good will and brings attention to the docs as community leaders.

Click here to find a group near you. Or contact your favorite healthcare provider to suggest starting up a chapter – it’s win/win for both of you.

If I Told You To, Would You Believe In Yourself?

Today we dust off our soapbox on the topic of education. If you are caregiver to a child, you know the unquestionable importance of learning success despite medical obstacles.

What prompted this post was an opinion piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer with the attention-grabbing headline “Self-esteem exercise boosts minority teen achievement.” Despite my initial suspicions, it was not at all a rehash the ‘90s self-esteem psychology that I’ve seen employers blame for a young workforce ill-prepared to learn from constructive criticism because they’ve been raised on a strict diet of praise.

Rather, the article is about the profound power of expectations. Author David Kirp (a Berkeley professor of public policy) says that as early as kindergarten, a disproportionate percentage of African-American boys believe they lack the innate ability to succeed in school. And so they don’t. The piece goes on to cite middle school and college studies that, in a nutshell, suggest that when minority students are a.) told stories of upper classmen who succeeded in spite of feeling at first intimidated and unworthy or b.) given a primer on how “effortful learning” rewires the brain, the result is that test scores and grades measurably improved compared to control groups.

I’ll leave the education and minority-achievement debates to others. But I’ll take this opportunity to speak out on how chronic illness affected my own child’s expectations at school. His symptoms became progressively worse as he moved through junior high. A straight-A student in elementary school, he started to believe “I used to be smart, and now I’m stupid.” When things hit rock bottom, he was seeing several counselors outside of school. My child, his parents and school staff were at wits’ end. But the best thing any of us did - and what he may be most grateful for today - is when people told him he was wrong: he wasn’t stupid, he was just temporarily having trouble while we struggled to get neurological problems under control.

I am still very proud of the essay my child submitted with his college application. The third paragraph mentions a science teacher who recommended he be moved down from college prep to general ed classes because of his medical condition. “I set the goal to ‘prove him wrong’ and I was able to stay in college prep level classes…. I had to study harder and harder just to squeak by. Finally my hard work started to pay off and I was able to bring up my grades and do well on the SAT. For a while, I thought I wouldn’t be able to go to college and now I think I will have no problem earning a four-year degree.”

Fortunately, his college of choice agreed, and he is well on his way to succeeding at earning a bachelor’s degree.

Figuring out where to set the bar on expectations can be difficult. The wrong decision can be disastrous. But I can’t think of any circumstances where setting a goal for improvement is a mistake. Illness, minority status, nor intelligence tests can ever take into account the miraculous power of a child inspired to believe he can “prove them wrong.”