Record Keeping

Sitting on the floor beside my desk is a stack of medical records about two feet high.  I'm supposed to be reviewing them - which means reading through them and documenting the pertinent information for each record. I've been procrastinating this task even more than usual, not so much because the case is uninteresting or unimportant - it involves a medical malpractice case against the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego related to a birth defect, so it's actual very interesting and quite important. The main reason I'm so averse to these records is the fact that they're all handwritten.

That's right.  Imagine about 500 pages of chicken scratching and you'll understand my reluctance to delve in.

Handwritten medical records are nearly extinct. Most hospital policy or policy management administrators demand policy software on board that makes medical record keeping safe, succinct, and legible. Even though these records are eight years old, I'm really surprised the hospital didn't have digital record keeping procedures in place.

Alas, they did not, making an already onerous task even more difficult.

Where You Can Find Me

It might seem as if I've been hiding, but I've really been exploring this place called Texas, preparing for a baby named Connor, and enjoying the company of my little family. Though words have not appeared in this space, they have certainly gone round and round inside my head. Some of them may yet find their way onto this page. If you've missed me, you can find me at Andi's blog today, where she was gracious enough to invite me to be a guest blogger in her series about finding time for the things that matter.

Staying At Home

Contribution by Stevie Kirby Gosh, it’s hard being a stay at home mom. No one ever told me before I did this how taxing it would be on me both physically and emotionally but I’m trying to get through it one day at a time. It seems like not so long ago I was an attorney trying to build her own practice going to networking events, looking on BANK-CARD-PROCESSING.com and calling fresh graduates and here I am nowadays up to my knees in diapers. It’s not that I don’t love my kids, I really do, but sometimes I feel like my brain is just melting into mush. It’s tough not having a lot of adult conversations anymore and I know if I tried to go back to work now all I would think about would be the kids so I feel like I’m kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. I always said I wanted to stay at home but I guess I never realized how hard it would actually be on me when it happened!

Write On Wednesday: Outside Opinion

Earlier this summer I participated in an online writing class which turned out to be a very rewarding experience.  I completed six essays on a variety of topics and in a variety of formats, connected with six other amazing writers and got the benefit of their feedback on my work, and got some vital insights about ways I could improve my writing. It's been a long time since I put my writing up for grabs.  Sure, I write blog posts all the time, but since you all are such a forgiving group those posts are like chatty letters to a friend rather than a piece of writing  up for critical review.  I won't lie and say it wasn't a little scary to write something completely different and then put it online for my classmates to read and critique.  But luckily my fellow writers were very supportive, our group leader was gentle, and we all learned a great deal.

Something I missed growing up as an only child was the opportunity to have a critic, someone not afraid to tell you when your outfit looks dorky or your haircut is lame.  I'm sure those of you with siblings are saying, "Opportunity?? It's more like a pain in the a#@!!"  But, taken (and given) in the right spirit, an outside opinion can prove invaluable as you're learning to navigate the wider world.

Same with the world of writing, I think.  Anne Lamott refers to her "second opinion" readers as "midwives," who bring her best work to life. "Theoretically I could do it alone," she says, "but it sure makes it easier to have people helping." I know that I appreciated the writers I worked with this summer, and will not hesitate to seek outside opinions whenever I'm able.

Getting Ready

I'm getting ready for a trip here in a couple of days.  Heading out on a jet plane to one of the hottest spots in the nation right now. And I mean that literally.

Yes, we're on our way to Frisco, Texas, which, along with the rest of the greater Dallas area, has enjoyed a record breaking 37 days of temperatures over 100 degrees.

And we thought the hurricanes in Florida were bad.

What I'm wondering is, if my only child has to live 1500 miles away from home, why does it have to be in a place where the weather plays these ridiculous tricks on people? First it was Florida, with the ever present threat of being swept away by tidewaters and tropical winds. In Texas, apparently you run the risk of being roasted alive. That is, if you don't spontaneously combust from the drought. It's not bad enough that he drags me and his father into these places, now he's bringing my grandson into the world to live in extremis along with the rest of us.

But, like any red-blooded American mother, I goeth wheresoever my offspring goeth. So off I goeth to Frisco, and pray the power stays on.

Seriously, I think I'm part of a new breed of parent/grandparent. Like nomads, we wander around the world so that we can spend a few precious moments every now and again with our children and their children. Within my fairly limited social circle I have friends who travel to Missouri, Vermont, Santa Barbara, Phoenix, and Texas to visit their children. I suppose I should be thankful - one of my friends from work just welcomed her first grandchild in Norwich, England.  And of course, my daughter in law's poor parents live on the other side of the world, at least in terms of visiting this new grandson.

But don't get me wrong - I'm thankful that I have the ability to make the trip, and make it fairly frequently if I so desire.

After all, when you're getting ready to welcome a new grandson in the family, what's a little heat wave?