Share Joy, Not Germs

I am home sick today (Wednesday).  I also called off last Friday, when I had a fever, aches, headache and sore throat.  Over the weekend, I took it easy, and felt OK to go to work yesterday, despite some coughing.  Today I don't feel too bad, but I don't have much voice- I guess I used it up yesterday.  As each day wears on, I seem to have longer and longer coughing jags.  I think that is more what did in my voice, rather than talking.  
Staying home from work sick is a complex concept.   Friday I went out and did a bit of grocery shopping.  I kept myself away from any close contact with anyone, and I was not coughing yet, so I don't think I spread many germs.  At work, I am in fairly close contact with patients and other staff most of the time, so its not so easy to keep my germs to myself.   I do wash my hands frequently at work.  I also follow the current advice to cough or sneeze into the elbow of your sleeve, rather than your hand.  This spreads fewer germs than using your hand, but then whatever your sleeve comes in contact with gets a swipe of germs, and we can't wash our sleeves as readily as we wash our hands. 
As I may have mentioned in the past, over the past year our department has lost 1 1/2 full time positions, and is now down to 2- just over half what it was.  The workload has not been decreased significantly, we are left to use our best judgment what to cancel.  I am not one of those full time people.  I cover for the others when they are out.  One of them is out this week for deer hunting, so I am filling in for him.  So when I call off, there is no one to cover for me.  That leaves one person doing what used to be done by 3 1/2 people.  Do I go to work, and possibly share my germs with everyone there?  Or do I stay home to avoid spreading germs, but put my coworker in the position of having to figure out how best to juggle the day's workload by herself? 
I don't want her to burn out and quit, but on the other hand, is it fair for me to go to work, unintentionally sharing my germs with anyone I come in contact with, just to make her life easier?   Today was an easy decision, because I can't do my job without a voice.  What about tomorrow?  I will still be coughing, but not as much, and I will still be hoarse, but also not as much (I hope).  Where do I draw the line?  Doctors follow the Hippocratic Oath, which starts out: first, do no harm.  I think that is a good rule for anyone to follow.  I will make my decision based on how I can do the most amount of good, with the least amount of harm.  If I still can't talk, the answer is obvious.  If I  think I can do my job with a minimal amount of germ sharing, I will go to work.  If I am still coughing alot, it would probably do the least harm if I call off again. 
This is something to think about, not only in regards to work, but also any other activity where there are other people involved.  Shopping, church/synagogue/mosque/whatever, holiday/family gatherings...  If you are sick (the germy kind, not the chronic kind), it is not only your own health that is involved, but the health of everyone else.  If no one went out when they were sick, then no one would spread germs, and no one would get germs, and no one would be sick in the first place to have to stay home.  Since we don't live in that ideal world, we do have to concern ourselves about germs.  Make your decision based on what would do the most good with the least harm.  Share your joy, not your germs. 

Helping, Fixing, Serving

One of the blogs that I follow gave me some food for thought today.  The blog, Beyond Meds,  is about one woman's journey getting free from psych meds.  She often finds interesting tidbits which she shares with her readers.  This particular post is a brief excerpt from an article by Rachel Naomi Remen, who is an MD, has lived 45 years with chronic illness, and an author of some very powerful books. 
The gist of the article is a comparison of the words helping, fixing and serving.  Here is one paragraph from Dr. Remen's article:  Helping, fixing and serving represent three different ways of seeing life. When you help, you see life as weak. When you fix, you see life as broken. When you serve, you see life as whole. Fixing and helping may be the work of the ego, and service the work of the soul.
As an occupational therapist, my work generally falls into the category of fixing.  I have even, on occasion, told the nurses I work with that that is the big difference between what they do (helping) and what I do (fixing).  Actually, what I do is not directly fixing, but teaching the patients what they can do to fix themselves.  (I teach anger management and stress management, among other things).

Wow.  I had always thought that I was doing the best thing for my patients by teaching them skills they could use to improve their lives.   Based on what Dr. Remen wrote, I have not been doing right by my patients.  In order to teach them better ways, I have to approach them from the premise that they are broken.  If they are broken, and I can fix them, that puts me on a higher plane than them, right?   It is too easy to fall into that kind of thinking, and I must confess that I may approach my patients with that thought in the back of my mind somewhere.
Dr. Remen reminds me that I am human, and my patients are human, and no human is above any other.  Some of us may be smarter or more skilled or more educated or more experienced in different areas, but that does not make any one of us better than another.  When I am working with patients, I will take a minute to remind myself of this truth.  I will approach them in order to serve them, not to fix them.  I will still teach the same skills I have been teaching, but I will change my attitude.   
Another paragraph from Dr. Remen's article:  Serving makes us aware of our wholeness and its power. The wholeness in us serves the wholeness in others and the wholeness in life. The wholeness in you is the same as the wholeness in me. Service is a relationship between equals: our service strengthens us as well as others. Fixing and helping are draining, and over time we may burn out, but service is renewing. When we serve, our work itself will renew us. In helping we may find a sense of satisfaction; in serving we find a sense of gratitude.
I need to explore this concept more, to chew on it, to turn it over, this way and that, and make it my own.  How can I change how I think and work in order to really apply it in my relationships with everyone, not only patients?  As I said at the beginning of this post- food for thought.

Coping Creatively

In the description of my blog I state that it is about living with and coping well with chronic illness and pain, using art and other means. I have mostly followed that, but I have seldom written about my art. Off and on throughout my life I have done a variety of creative things, and several times attempted to make a living from my art. Not an easy endeavor, and I have never been successful.

None the less, many people know me as an artist, and ask me how my art is going, what I am currently working on, and other questions like these. Lately I have had a hard time knowing how to answer these questions. For the past year or so, I have done little with my art. So little, in fact, that when I had a commission recently that involved illustrating a poem with colored pencil drawings, I felt nervous from being out of practice. (Once I started working on it, it turned out fine, and they loved it).

So why have I been neglecting my art? I don't think I have. It is true that I have not been doing much drawing, or papercutting, or stained glass or silk painting, all of which are among my most recent media. Neither have I been doing woodworking/carving or silversmithing, past endeavors of mine. I have been doing other creative things, such as writing this blog, and developing the programs for the Chronic Illness/Chronic Pain Support Group I run twice a month.

Most people I know who are creative have a variety of creative outlets. They write stories and illustrate them. They write songs and make pottery. I like learning new things, and trying new media. I may not be creating physical objects lately, but I am creating with words.

My support group has a discussion/education segment and a creative segment in each session. The discussion/education segment allows me to use my occupational therapy training, my research skills, and my writing skills. The creative segment allows me to use my artistic skills. Finding /creating a creative experience that relates to the discussion topic gives me a chance to stretch my analytical and inventive skills.

Writing this blog gives me a chance to use my occupational therapy training, research skills and writing skills. It also gives me the opportunity to connect with and relate to other people all over the world who have chronic pain and illness. Being sick can be very isolating. Even if your pain and illness are such that you can still live a fairly 'normal' life, like I can, there is the isolation of others not understanding. I know that many (most?) of my readers do understand, and they read my blog because they sense that I understand.

I enjoy working with my hands, using various media, and get a sense of accomplishment from my creations. I also have often had the pleasure of seeing others appreciate my art. There is a difference, though, between making someone's world more aesthetically pleasing, and making their lives easier and more comfortable. My art does the former, my writing does the latter. Not only do I benefit from writing, but others benefit from reading what I write. That is something that my other creative endeavors seldom gave me. Writing gives me a creative outlet that gives to others and that gives back to me.

Winter Exercise

Sunday my husband and I went for a hike. Monday I did some work outside. It has been in the 60's, probably the last time we will see such high temps for about five months. Alot of people struggle to get enough exercise when the weather is cold and ugly out. I am lucky in that my town has a natatorium with indoor pools, exercise equipment, classes, etc. that is fairly reasonably priced. If joining a gym is not an option for you, either because of unavailability, lack of funds, or other reason, there are still plenty of ways to get exercise in the winter.

Many people find outdoor sports invigorating- hiking, ice skating, skiing, etc. Not me. I hike outside some in the winter, but my body reacts to the combination of cold and damp (such as sweating)- by developing hives. They do go away soon after I am warm and dry, but can be uncomfortable while I have them.

Most malls open early for walkers. My mom used to meet friends at the mall, walk for 45 minutes, then go out for coffee. Exercise and a social outing combined. Actually, pairing exercise with social opportunity makes it more likely you will follow through.

Some people have a hard time getting out of the house, especially when it is cold, snowy, icy, etc. Sorry- that's no excuse. There are still many ways to exercise at home. There are hundreds, if not thousands of DVDs and videos that guide you through an exercise routine. Try getting some from the library to see if you like the style and level of the routine. Another option related to this is You Tube. Try searching for 'exercise' for a variety, or for a specific type such as 'yoga' to narrow down the list. There are videos of single exercises, as well as whole routines. Try searching the internet for a type of exercise you like. There are many sites that demo exercises you can follow. Just remember that anybody can make a video or website. Just because it is available and has the right title doesn't make it good or even safe. Use your judgment. If something doesn't look compatible to your ability or interest, skip it.

Pun intended there- Skipping is excellent exercise. You can skip up and down a hallway, around a room, with or without a jump rope. You probably will want to make sure there is enough clearance for the jump rope, if you choose that option. You can walk around your home. Set up a course of furniture to go around, in and out of rooms. If you have stairs, going up and down is excellent exercise. You can get an exercise step, or a sturdy, stable step stool to step up and down on.

There are a variety of exercise machines that you can buy, but it is a good idea to do some research before you buy. A type of equipment that one person really likes may cause pain for another person. If you can, try out different equipment at a gym before you buy. Unless you are rich and have a large home, it would be a shame to buy something that doesn't work for you, and end up with an expensive, massive, ugly clothes hanger in the middle of your room.

I have a Wii, and the program Dance, Dance Revolution. It is a fun way to exercise on days I don't want to go out into the elephants (or, as most people call them, the elements). There is also Wii Fit, with a variety of exercise and health related programs. Some other game consoles have exercise related programs as well.

To exercise your arms, you can get small weights or even cans of soup to lift, or Thereband or other stretchy material to pull on. Videos, You Tube, or other online sites can show you what to do with them. You can do wall push ups, or other pushing, pulling, lifting activities. Think about how you use your body, and avoid actions that aggravate your pain.

I believe exercise is important for everyone, no matter your ability or disability. If you have something that limits how much you can exercise, it is still important to stretch and to move your muscles and joints around. This can help to keep you as flexible as possible, to make bathing, dressing, etc. easier, and can even decrease pain.

This list covers a variety of options, but I am sure there are other options that I did not think of.  Experience, combined with common sense (and, if needed, input from your doctor and/or physical therapist) will tell you what level and type of exercise is right for you. A general goal for most people is to start where you are, and slowly increase your strength and endurance. It is good to have a variety of things you do, so that you can alternate cardio with strengthening, and vary which muscles you use. It can also be helpful to have choices for different moods or for days you have more or less energy or pain, or just to have enough variety so you don't get bored.

Eat Yogurt, Help Cure Breast Cancer

I like eating yogurt because it tastes good, is refreshing, and is a healthy snack.  Yogurt is a good source of calcium and vitamins A & D.  It also has live and active probiotic cultures which may help your digestive system.  I have recently discovered Greek yogurt, which is thicker, tastes richer, and has twice the protein as the same amount of regular yogurt.  Unfortunately, it is also more expensive.
Yogurt comes in a huge variety of flavors, from the more traditional vanilla and fruit flavors, to more exotic (?) cinnamon roll and chocolate mousse.  You can choose from low fat or fat free, with sugar or sugar free. You can even get plain yogurt.  It can be used in cooking, mix it with fruit or granola, or eat it as is.  My cat loves yogurt, and is always happy to wash out the container for me to get it ready for recycling.  
Now eating yogurt helps others as well.  Yoplait yogurts now have special pink lids, each with a code on them.  Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G Koman for the Cure for each lid redeemed by sending in the lids, or submitting the codes online, up to $2 million.  The money will be used for breast cancer research and local breast cancer awareness programs.  This promotion will last until December 31, 2011. 
My mother and my aunt both had breast cancer.  I also have several friends who have fought it, or are currently fighting it.  According to the Susan G Koman website, over 230,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, almost 40,000 women will die from it.  Catching it early saves lives.  Remember to do monthly self exams, and get mammograms annually starting at age 40.  I have been putting mine off, I plan to call tomorrow for an appointment.  Are you due for a mammogram?

 

Anger- Is It Worth It?

I read a variety of publications related to health, one of which is Consumer Reports on Health.  In the October issue, there was a brief article on anger by Redford Williams, M.D., who teaches a life-skills program.  In the article, Dr. Williams suggests an easy way to tell whether a situation is worth getting angry about.  There are four questions to ask yourself, which can be remembered by the phrase "I AM WORTH IT".
1.  Is it Important?  If the situation is trivial, let it go. 
2.  Is what I am feeling Appropriate?  Would any reasonable person feel the same way?
3.  Is it Modifiable?  Is there anything I can do to change the situation?
4.  Would it be WORTH IT to take action? 
If you said 'No' to any of these questions, take a deep breath, let it out, and tell yourself that getting angry isn't helpful.  Distract yourself with other thoughts, and just let it go.  According to Dr. Williams, people they have taught this method to say they get rid of 1/3 to 1/2 of the things that bother them in every day life.  (I suspect they actually get rid of the feelings, not the thing itself).  
If you said 'Yes' to any of these questions, then instead of stewing, take action.  Be assertive, say 'No', or problem solve how best to respond to the situation. 
I am not bothered by many things, so I think I do a process like this automatically.   Personally, I think I am a much happier person since I learned to just accept life for what it is, and not let things get to me.   For example, I long ago trained myself not to be bothered by other drivers going too slow.  I learned to just accept this as a fact of life. My husband still gets annoyed by them, and calls them idiots.  I have been unsuccessful in getting him to just let it go. I think I will email him a link to this post.  
If you get annoyed easily, try this method.  Let me know how it works for you.