Sara's...]]> Sara’s one-hour surgery took three and a half hours. The doctor’s promise of “no pain” was a lie. The promise of “only one incision” was, too. The “four-hour easy recovery” actually involved 24 hours in ICU. We are only home now because we have life support equipment.

Sara’s mad at us, but she’ll get over it. I even expect her to smile again soon. But for now, every time a family member comes to visit her, Sara simply must tell them all about her hospital visit, making full use of her hoarse voice and her cutest pout.

As for the family, we’re hoping that the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) surgery proves to be the promised cure for seizures. The VNS is like a pacemaker, stimulating a nerve in the neck, and we’ve heard that many patients with intractable seizures have benefited from this device.

The previous week. . .

Like many parents waiting for a doctor to come out after surgery, my husband and I became agitated when the doctor didn’t appear until hours after the estimated time. When he finally came out, he told us that everything was all right, but that nothing had gone the way it had been planned, which didn’t put us in high spirits.

The doctor promised that we could go back and see our daughter in an hour, but after two hours had passed, my fear level had increased, and I grew more hostile. I pestered the young man at the information desk until I finally got to speak to Sara’s nurse on the phone. By the time they let me into the recovery room, I was an emotional tornado, spinning black clouds around everyone who came near me.

Sara was more than mad; she was scared and in extreme pain. The doctors couldn’t remove the intubation tube because Sara wasn’t able to breathe on her own, and she couldn’t have pain medication because her blood pressure wasn’t stable. She was on the verge of hypothermia with a temperature of 88.

“I don’t think she’s getting the best care,” I said to the nurse. That was a mistake. As soon as I blurted this out, I thought: “Careful, they can kick me out of here anytime they want to.”

I guess I should have been a nurse instead of an interior designer.

In Surviving Healthcare: How to Take Charge and Get the Best from Your Doctor, Your Hospital, and Your Health Insurance, Pam Armstrong says, “Remember, you should know about and have a say in everything that happens to your body while you are in a hospital. Your health should always be the focus of your care. Hospital routines should serve your needs, not the staff’s or hospital’s needs. Don’t let yourself be intimidated by hospital staff who seem to feel otherwise. To get the best care, combine assertiveness with a partnering and empathetic approach toward staff, who may have overfull workloads.”

When the patient is a child or is otherwise unable to speak for themselves, a family member must work in partnership with the hospital staff to make sure the patient gets the best care. I learned years ago that hysterical outbursts at nurses and other hospital staff do little for my daughter. I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut, to think first, and then to speak gently. That doesn’t mean that what I say doesn’t count–I’ve just learned a few key phrases that will show the hospital staff that I know what type of care my daughter needs.

After mothering Sara (requesting heated blankets, wiping tears, and straightening her legs), I explained my fears to the nurse. Apologizing for my outburst, I told the nurse how scared we were because the surgery had taken longer and had been more involved than had been planned, and because Sara was in pain. Instead of telling me to leave the recovery room, the nurse agreed to let my husband come in, too.

Acknowledging my fears and keeping my mouth closed helped our daughter receive the best care during her hospital stay. Sara, at twenty-five, still needs total care because of disabilities. Instead of placing Sara in an adult intensive care unit with many patients and limited visiting hours, Sara was moved to Pediatric ICU, where the ratio of patients to nurses is only two to one. There was also newer equipment, but best of all, they allowed me to sleep in her private room.

You too can learn to help care for a loved one when they’re faced with hospitalization. Just remember to partner with the physicians and hospital staff to ensure that your loved one will get the best care.

(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher

For more information about Surviving Healthcare: How to Take Charge and Get the Best from Your Doctor, Your Hospital, and Your Health Insurance (Chestnut Ridge Books, 2004, ISBN 0-9754560-59, $19.95), see http://www.SurvivingHealthCare.com . After nearly 25 years in health care administration, Pamela Armstrong, MPH, MBA, is on a one-woman mission to ensure consumers that they get the quality care they’re entitled to.

Jeanette Fisher is the author of Design Psychology and real estate books. For more information about VNS surgery for seizure control and “Saving Sara: Love Heals,” visit http://www.savingsara.info .

. Genes
. Inner nutrition - what we eat and drink
. Exercise
. General health and well-being
. Emotional health, and
. Outer nutrition - how we take care of our skin

While...]]> Great skin is something that nearly everyone can cultivate. Our skin is affected by our:

. Genes
. Inner nutrition - what we eat and drink
. Exercise
. General health and well-being
. Emotional health, and
. Outer nutrition - how we take care of our skin

While we can’t alter our genes, we can improve our skin by making the necessary adjustments in the areas we can influence. Read on to discover the basic components of a healthy outer nutritional plan for your skin.

If you seriously want great skin the very first thing to do and wear a hat and good quality sunscreen when out in the sunshine. Having said that, let’s move on to understand the next three basic foundations to great skin.

If you want your skin to look and feel great, careful cleansing is very important. This should be done first thing in the morning and last thing at night to remove pore-clogging dirt. Don’t cleanse enough and you could find yourself prone to spots. Cleanse to often and you could be stripping away essential oils and be susceptible to dry skin or even eczema. Understanding your skin type (normal, dry or oily) and using a cleanser to match is the best foundation for great looking skin. Remember to rinse your face with warm water after using a cleanser, as any residue will continue to work on the skin if not completely removed.

Our grandmother’s used soap and waterisn’t that good enough? Soap is not very good at removing makeup because it does not contain enough oils to dissolve the staying power that most cosmetics have today. Remember the ‘tight’ feeling after your have washed your fact with soap? Soap can be very drying on your skin and may wash away essential oils. Another reason not to use soap is that it is not matched to the natural balance of our skin. Soap is generally alkaline, whilst skin is naturally acidic.

The second step to great outer nutrition for your skin is to tone. Toners are designed to remove any last traces of cleanser, while also helping to tighten and refine pores and prevent the build-up of dead skin cells. After toning your skin should fee and look revitalised and refreshed, and ready to be moisturised. Again you will need to apply a toner that matches your skin type.

The third foundation step is to apply moisturiser to help restore the moisture loss caused by the drying effects of sunlight, central heating, wind, cold and pollution. A good daytime moisturiser would contain a sunscreen and will be easily absorbed into the skin. At night you should use a richer, more nourishing cream, as this is when your skin more readily absorbs moisture.

Despite the plethora of products on the market and the myriad of additives. the most important ingredient of any moisturiser is water! If water is just splashed on the skin it will not say there. Moisturisers are basically oil and water emulsions which contain a humectant (a substance added to another to make it moist), which attracts water and helps ‘fix’ it in the upper layers of the skin.

Moisture that is lost firm the skin needs to be replaced quickly so that the surface of the skin is kept both soft and smooth. The living cells in the layers need water so that they will not shrivel up and die. A moisturiser can protect the skin by providing a varier between the skin and the external environment. It also prevents the loss of moisture from the deeper layers of the skin.

Should people who have oily skin use a moisturiser? Moisturisers are particularly recommended for people with dry skin but everyone can benefit from using a moisturiser. You simply need to ensure that you choose the correct moisturiser for your skin type. People with oily skin should choose a moisturiser that hydrates their skin whilst helping absorb any excess oil.

(c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore

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Why is mineral supplement so important? Minerals are key to maintaining a good health. But if you do not consume enough minerals with the food, mineral supplement would be the answer. Minerals play a number of roles in your body. For example, they help your ...]]> Mineral Supplement - be healthy.

Why is mineral supplement so important? Minerals are key to maintaining a good health. But if you do not consume enough minerals with the food, mineral supplement would be the answer. Minerals play a number of roles in your body. For example, they help your body to use the energy from foods. You need to control the amount of minerals that you consume with food, since the shortage of minerals in your body can harm your health.

Mineral Supplement - sources of minerals.

Mineral supplement is the answer when your intake of minerals is lower then the norm, but before using any supplements you should try to maintain a well-designed diet. There are many types of food that can provide your body with minerals. For example, fruits, vegetables, and animal products such as meats, fish, and poultry are the major source of minerals. Many health organizations suggest getting at least 5 to 10 servings a day of fruits and vegetables.

Mineral Supplement - reasons for taking.

Do you need to take some type of mineral supplement? Well, it depends on many factors. For example, if you have a known deficiency of a particular mineral or if you lead a busy and stressful life, then yes. But if you maintain a well designed diet and eat many food sources of minerals, then probably no. Always try to get the minerals from fresh foods before you turn to supplements.

Mineral Supplement - how to choose the right one.

If you decide to take supplements, consult with your doctor to make sure you don’t take any which can be harmful. Then you need to create a good supplement program. For example, you need to be aware of all the ingredients. Also, many supplements work better when taken together, and others, when taken separately.

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We invite you to review our minerals chart for causes and deficiency problems at http://www.liquid-vitamins-4u.com