At -15 degrees, with a-30 to -50 degrees windchill, what's an older person to do? Take a walk and get frostbitten? No, stay home and enjoy the view. Here's mine this morning: But, as time passed, the day deteriorated. I worked on my computer for three hours trying to sync one thing with another. Much …
Continue reading Driving Adult Daughters Bats on Chicago’s Frigid Days
Remember the days of going to the mailbox and finding a handwritten letter addressed to you? You’d stop whatever you were doing, find the letter opener, settle into your favorite chair, slit open the envelope, and begin to read. Those were the days, my friends, before emails. So imagine my excitement last October when I …
I think it was the tea. For several days last week, I methodically decluttered my closets and drawers in one bedroom, one kitchen, one living room, one dining room, one study, one hallway, and three bathrooms. My husband even noticed. “Whatever you’re on, let me know, so next time the house needs to be cleaned, …
Continue reading Tea-inspired Decluttering Party Naturally Leads to “Caring Lessons”
One day I was fine, and the next day I was not. We know life can change in an instant—an accident, a life-threatening diagnosis, a surgery—but I, for sure, never dreamed of having to learn to live with chronic itching. But I will have to. Following eight months of total body itching, accompanied by numerous …
Imagine my delight reading the August/September' AARP magazine. On page fifteen: "Is it time to divorce your doctor?" The content fits right in with what I've written about doctors' therapeutic communication skills, or lack thereof. Author Caroline E. Mayer lists six reasons why it may be time to change doctors, all dealing with "substandard communication" …
People living in houses often ask, “What’s it like living in high rise?” This question came to mind last week when we received a notice from our building manager. The notice addressed our “audible enunciators.” An inspection is coming up to make sure they are working. In case you’ve never heard of these, I hadn’t …
Continue reading Living in a High Rise – Audible Enunciators
Fun things first. In honor of this third anniversary, I'm giving away one copy of Caring Lessons: A Nursing Professor's Journey of Faith and Self. All you have to do to qualify for a drawing is make a comment on this post. On Wednesday, September 25, I will randomly select one winner, contact that winner …
Continue reading Caring Lessons Celebrates Third Anniversary
That line was the funniest one I heard last week. The context? Imagine retirees, and the gal saying this to her husband. I’m sure you can conjure up many scenes that you want to say, perhaps yell, that line. Before I retired in 2000 I was aware of potential problems with Marv and me being …
Ask my husband about the hazards of marrying a PK, and he’s likely to tell you, “Be ready to drive off the highway at any inopportune moment.” You see, growing up as a preacher’s kid, I lived in five states. Marv was born and raised on the same farm. So by the time we met …
Last week I praised my internist’s therapeutic communication skills and promised I’d write about some bad experiences soon that I’ve had during my nearly 15-year history of fibromyalgia. So today is the time to give you one example that still floors me years later.Some back story. When I taught nursing, therapeutic communication was my favorite …
Continue reading How is your doctor’s nonverbal communication?
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