Visiting an ER - do you make it harder on yourself?

It's not easy for millions of people across North America who don't have family doctors. They don't have someone to turn to when they have the aches and pains that should be checked but aren't emergencies. Unfortunately, their only choice is then to visit an emergency room when things get really tough.

But, after many years as a nurse and many years as someone who has needed to use the emergency room for my children and for me, I've seen many, many instances of people abusing the system - going to an emergency for something that just isn't remotely close to being an emergency; perhaps not even needing a doctor.

In the early 90s, I worked for a brief while in a small rural hospital. I was the nursing supervisor and the only nurse in the emergency room. Luckily for me, during my short stay, there wasn't anything life threatening, but I did get visitors. One, I will never forget. It was a man, likely in his 30s or 40s, who came in around 3 a.m. When I asked what the problem was, he told me that he was there because he couldn't sleep.

Not being sure I heard correctly, I probed to be sure that was what he meant. Finally, I asked him incredulously something along the lines of, "let me get this straight. You can't sleep. Because you can't sleep, you want me to wake up our doctor??" His response, I still remember, was: "Well, I have a cold too."

I don't recall if he went home or waited until a more decent hour, but I know I didn't wake the doctor for him. Sadly though, he wasn't alone in that type of doctor's visit. I have spent many hours in the emergency room of our Children's hospital and there were often children there who obviously didn't need to be there. If you eavesdropped, you would even hear the parents saying that among themselves. And these were the parents who were furious because they had to wait hours to be seen.

I never liked waiting a few hours - something that didn't happen often - but I figured if I had to wait that long, then my child's problem wasn't life threatening. Because, when my children did have serious issues, we didn't have to wait long at all.

So, do you make ER waits harder for yourself by going when you really shouldn't?

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Paul Newman and lung cancer

As much as many people are mourning the death of legendary actor Paul Newman, 83 years is a good run. Of course, if we're healthy and still able to enjoy life, we would like to live longer, but it seems that Mr. Newman packed a lot of living in his life and he touched many lives.

From his unforgettable acting and good looks to his gracious and generous donations to various causes and the fact that he remained married to the same woman for 50 years, gives him an aura of being one of a kind. I'd like to think that he's not one of a kind, that there are many others like him, but he does seem to be one of a select few.

Sadly, he died from lung cancer. He's from a generation that promoted smoking as glamorous, as something that everyone did. If you can't imagine that time, watch an episode of Mad Men - a drama about advertising men in the 1960s - and you'll see how pervasive smoking was. The news stories report that Mr. Newman fought a lengthy battle with cancer. But because he was a private man, most people didn't know that.

Lung cancer is often thought of as a fast moving disease. But there are many people who live with lung cancer for many years. Depending on the type, it can move slowly and it can be treated, kept at bay for a while.

Because some the symptoms of lung cancer can seem like many other illnesses, it can be a while until it's actually diagnosed. Here are the most common symptoms:

• A cough that doesn't go away and gets worse over time
• Feeling short of breath, difficulty catching your breath
  
• Wheezing (high pitched sound in your lungs)
  
• Losing your voice (hoarseness)
• Frequent bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis
• Not hungry, losing weight without trying
• Feeling tired
• Chest pain that doesn't go away
• Coughing up blood

Rest in peace Mr. Newman. Thank you for sharing your talent and your generosity with the world.

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Energy drinks - friend or foe

I have to admit, I've never tasted one of the so-called energy drinks like Red Bull or any other brand. Likely because I'm afraid of what that type of sugar/caffeine/chemical mix may do to my heart. I've already had an ICU experience as my heart decided to do some funny things.

Also, caffeine doesn't do anything for me. When I used to work nights, if I was tired, I was encouraged to drink coffee, but it never kept me awake. I can drink coffee before I go to bed and still have the same type of sleep (lousy!) as I would have had without it. So, the caffeine appeal goes right over my head. However, it's not bypassing the youth, if you take a look at their sales and their presence in just about every store you enter.

My first question is why do we need these drinks. Is our society spinning so quickly that we can't get by on sleep any more? I know that in every generation, there was something that was sold or available to be used as a pick-me-up, a study aid, or something to help you party longer and harder. But, this time, it's right in our face and being sold in our stores. Legally. And to any age, although admittedly, some of the drinks do say that they're not meant for children. Well, neither are cigarettes and booze, but teens get them anyway.

Now, there's an alert out by the medical community about the dangers of these drinks and caffeine intoxication. What is not being said though, is what about the dependence on these drinks too? If we're hooking teens on these high caffeine, high sugar drinks now, what may they be wanting to use later?

I worry about products like this. I don't even like to hear people saying they "need" their coffee to get started in the morning. I do have a cup of coffee every morning because I like the taste. But, for various reasons, I've gone several mornings without coffee and my day has been exactly the same as those with coffee. But, it's common place for just about everyone, every morning to say, things like, "I can't think straight, I haven't had my coffee yet," or "don't talk to me, I still have to have my coffee." My fear is that this will get even worse as our kids are getting hooked earlier on these types of stimulants.

What do you think?

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Chinese tainted milk scandal widens

I wrote a few guest posts over at BabyLune for a fellow blogger who is having computer problems and one of the posts was on the babies who were affected by the tainted baby formula in China (Chinese baby formula scandal claims a second life). Unfortunately, since I wrote that post, more babies have died and more have been affected - significantly more.

Some recent news reports say that almost 13,000 children have been affected and so far, four have died, so far, but this morning, new reports are coming out that this number may actually be as high as 50,000.

What is the problem? Melamine, a product used in plastics, has been found in the powdered milk. Ingesting this poison can cause kidney stones and other problems in the urinary tract system. Although the problem seems to be wider - melamine has now also been found in some yogurt and other milk products, children are the hardest hit and therefore the only ones affected up to now. This is because of the large amount of milk that infants, babies and toddlers drink compared to most adults.

I can't even begin to imagine how the parents of these children must feel - parents of any child in China, even those not affected because of the fear and worry while they wait to find out if theirs has been made ill.

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