Alaska chat for June. - Page 3

[liza-s]

Spruce - I've trimmed the raspberry stalks to the ground, the good news is that there are new stems growing so I'll have my patch back next year. I dug down to check out the rhubarb root and it was rotted. The barrel was actually frozen until early May. I'm thinking that the very wet summer last year soaked the ground to saturation and then it froze solid before it could go dormant. My SIL has a rhubarb that she wants to get rid of or at least decrease so I'm going to take some of hers.

Good luck with the Potter Party. Sounds like fun.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by spruce

Having a Harry Potter bday party for Number One Son next week...aaack! We did this 8 years ago when W turned 8. It was so much fun! Now, though, everything is related to the movies (and I discourage my kids from thinking of HP in terms of movies...I much prefer their imaginations!) and even ordering plastic HP glasses for all the kids was going to be over twenty-three bucks!

Wish us luck, we're making a giant snitch as a pinata, and doing our traditional "Pin the scar on Harry" game...E has also whittled 12 wands from twigs and branches he's cut on our land, and we're going to paint, glue and glitter them in different ways, to be handed out to all the kids.

Suddenly birthdays seem like so much more work than the actual birth!

love, p

make sure you smack the snitch with a broomstick!

BTW: Boscos usually has chocolate frogs and every flavor beans if you are looking! We usually pick some up before a film release.

[liza-s]

I'm starting to get a "20 week" ultrasound. I'm 17 weeks now. I had an ultrasound earlier to confirm the due date - it was at AK Regional. I was very unimpressed with the ultrasound techs there. It was a student and a "real" ultrasound tech, with the student doing the actual wand on the belly. They spoke in whispers, didn't explain or describe what was on the screen, and I had to keep asking them to angle the screen so I could see. The ultrasound I had with DS was at AK Family Sonograms, and they were much more friendly and customer-oriented. I also felt like they didn't capture any "good" shots for my scrap book, although there were a couple of good views. Unfortunately Regional is my insurance preferred-provider and I'll have to pay over $400 to go to somebody else.

I'm wondering if I just got the anti-social techs or if others have had this experience. Have any of you made a imaging appointment and specified "no students." I had a c-scan there a few years ago and had a student radiologist rough handle me so much as asked for somebody else.

[rabrog]

Hey, everyone!

Penelope - DD loves karate, we love Mr. and Mrs. G and Sunny and Master Wick rocks! We're taking a two month hiatus and starting back up in August.

Jenn

[spruce]

Jenn, I'm so glad you're enjoying TSD! A is a red belt, E a brown (!!!!), and M finished Little Dragons and is now an orange belt and will be joining the "big kids" in Sept. Iris is starting Tiny Tigers (technically a year early, but she's practically grown up there!) in September, and the kids are trying to talk me into joining. I just might! (The world's oldest white belt, lol!)

Liza, I don't think I'd request "no students," but I would be pretty vocal about telling them how I prefer to be treated. "Hi, I realise you're in training, but this is my baby we're talking about, and I'd really appreciate you not whispering. And please, keep the screen pointed in my direction, I do like to see what's going on."

Good luck, it can be tough to advocate for yourself when you are counting on others to help you with information.

I loved the ultrasound I had with my last baby. It was an early one (I don't like ultrasounds and generally avoid them) but I have anxiety issues and wanted to make sure everything was OK. He asked me right away what I wanted to know, and I told him: "I want to see two healthy lungs, two healthy kidneys, a pumping heart with four chambers, a brain and brain stem, a complete and enclosed spinal column, four limbs with proper attachments, an umbilicus with the right number of arteries, etc." He went through every single thing with me, and showed me a totally healthy baby, and made the rest of my unexpected pregnancy so much easier! Maybe you could go in with a list of what you'd like to know about (limbs, lungs, heart, etc) and have them show you each one? THat way if you do get a student, they get a bit of training, and you still get some attention paid to your needs?

love, p

[1stimestar]

Originally Posted by spruce

Having a Harry Potter bday party for Number One Son next week...aaack! We did this 8 years ago when W turned 8. It was so much fun! Now, though, everything is related to the movies (and I discourage my kids from thinking of HP in terms of movies...I much prefer their imaginations!) and even ordering plastic HP glasses for all the kids was going to be over twenty-three bucks!

Wish us luck, we're making a giant snitch as a pinata, and doing our traditional "Pin the scar on Harry" game...E has also whittled 12 wands from twigs and branches he's cut on our land, and we're going to paint, glue and glitter them in different ways, to be handed out to all the kids.

Suddenly birthdays seem like so much more work than the actual birth!

love, p

You could set up a craft table so they can decorate their own wands.

[spruce]

We thought about letting them decorate their own wands. THe problem is that everything we do has to be moveable to indoors if it pours on his birthday. So we're going to pre-paint and glitter the wands and let them choose their own.

My broccoli is growing like crazy! I'm so excited! And I have six really nice-looking romaine lettuces already about 3 inches tall, and the sunflowers sprouted yesterday! : It feels like summer for sure!

love, penelope

[Sarah8Jane]

Originally Posted by spruce

Liza, I don't think I'd request "no students," but I would be pretty vocal about telling them how I prefer to be treated. "Hi, I realise you're in training, but this is my baby we're talking about, and I'd really appreciate you not whispering. And please, keep the screen pointed in my direction, I do like to see what's going on."

Good luck, it can be tough to advocate for yourself when you are counting on others to help you with information.

I loved the ultrasound I had with my last baby. It was an early one (I don't like ultrasounds and generally avoid them) but I have anxiety issues and wanted to make sure everything was OK. He asked me right away what I wanted to know, and I told him: "I want to see two healthy lungs, two healthy kidneys, a pumping heart with four chambers, a brain and brain stem, a complete and enclosed spinal column, four limbs with proper attachments, an umbilicus with the right number of arteries, etc." He went through every single thing with me, and showed me a totally healthy baby, and made the rest of my unexpected pregnancy so much easier! Maybe you could go in with a list of what you'd like to know about (limbs, lungs, heart, etc) and have them show you each one? THat way if you do get a student, they get a bit of training, and you still get some attention paid to your needs?

love, p

I love this Penelope! I mean shouldn't they be looking for "two healthy lungs, two healthy kidneys, a pumping heart with four chambers, a brain and brain stem, a complete and enclosed spinal column, four limbs with proper attachments, an umbilicus with the right number of arteries, etc" too? You wouldn't think it would be hard to share what they're doing. It just made me smile.

[rabrog]

Liza, it wasn't that there was a student in the room. I think it's part of the new rules that have been put in place. My u/s with DD (age 5) and DS (age 15 months) were worlds different and I've heard it's because of new rules that have been put in place. The screen is now away from the patient or completely behind them and the techs can't tell you anything accept gender. They aren't allowed to say anything - all other information has to come from the doctor. It's really stupid for people with healthy babies, but there are two pregnancies here in town right now that I fully understand why the policy is in place. It is agravating, though.

Jenn

[liza-s]

Jenn - Thanks for that explanation. I can understand a tech not saying anything remotely diagnostic. But when I asked a question like "is that an arm or a leg" the response was "I don't know, it could be either." Once I reviewed the pictures it was absolutely obvious it was a leg. And if they doctor has to tell me if it is an arm or a leg when do I meet with the person. My midwife just got a text report of the US- and it looked to be nearly exactly what was on the CD I got at the time of the US. I guess what is really frustrating to me is they just don't communicate anything. If its a policy not to talk to the patient at least say so - don't treat me like I'm not even in the room or that I'm too stupid to know that legs don't begin at the neck.

[L&K'smommie]

Jenn-When did they change the rules? I had an u/s in October for my ds with Gretchen at Real Time II in Wasilla and she was able to tell me everything, no waiting for the u/s to get to my MW. Is that just hospital policy and not the policy at other u/s places? Just curious.

And your gardens sound great! My dh plants and upkeeps ours...I'm a plant killer LOL! We have cucumber, tomato, peppers, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, onions, snap peas, potatoes and zucchini. I can't wait to use it all.

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by L&K'smommie

Gretchen at Real Time II in Wasilla and she was able to tell me everything, no waiting for the u/s to get to my MW.

Is she the one kind of behind WalMart? We LOVED her. :

We had an awful experience at the one in Anchorage near UAA (lake otis & 36th) the first time.

[PaulaJoAnne]

Originally Posted by rabrog

Liza, it wasn't that there was a student in the room. I think it's part of the new rules that have been put in place. My u/s with DD (age 5) and DS (age 15 months) were worlds different and I've heard it's because of new rules that have been put in place. The screen is now away from the patient or completely behind them and the techs can't tell you anything accept gender. They aren't allowed to say anything - all other information has to come from the doctor. It's really stupid for people with healthy babies, but there are two pregnancies here in town right now that I fully understand why the policy is in place. It is agravating, though.

Jenn

I don't even want to think about where those kind of rules could lead to someday....

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by PaulaJoAnne

I don't even want to think about where those kind of rules could lead to someday....

Yep, you and me both. My PA was monitoring my progesterone numbers.. I had class, so I would call on my breaks to get the results- obviously they were with patients already, they couldn't release the numbers to my husband, and the receptionists weren't allowed to tell me what they were either.

It was so frustrating and all due to the same reasons I think.

When the Palins were talking about finding out about Trig, Sarah said that her doctor wanted her to come in to get the results and she said no, she could get it over the phone. I found that interesting. I mean obviously if the doc wants you to come in to get results, they wouldn't be great would they? I was glad to see she forced the issue and got her results the way she wanted them.

I guess this "protect your practice by only releasing certain info to the patient at certain times" is getting to be a common practice. How upsetting. My last son was born at 37 weeks. All my other kids had been past their due date so I was a bit surprised (disbelief really). Later my OB said there had been something about my blood pressure and she was sure the baby would come early to take that extra pressure off of my body.. Great, and when were you going to tell me that? I don't like people hiding things from me "for my own good". Not my mother, not my husband, and certainly not a care provider- it's not their call.

I strongly believe in empowering the patient. Can you tell?

[1stimestar]

Originally Posted by rabrog

The screen is now away from the patient or completely behind them ... Jenn

Seriously, I would sit up and walk out. They work for YOU. Would you hire a house painter and not want to know what color he will be painting your house?

[BusyMommy]

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

Seriously, I would sit up and walk out. They work for YOU. Would you hire a house painter and not want to know what color he will be painting your house?

ITA :

[spruce]

I've walked out of several appointments, always with OB/GYN types. For some reason, there is a predominating sense among these HCPs that your health is not to be entrusted to someone as ... parochial...as you, yourself. It infuriates me.

When my now-13yo was more than two weeks "overdue" the midwives sent me to see an OB for a non-stress test. It was actually part of the law covering th eir standard of care, and I appreciated how hard they were working to keep me under their care.

When the doctor told me he was going to "do an exam" (which I don't allow others to do without my asking them), I told him no. He proceeded straight to scare tactics 101: "Your baby could DIE!!!" I told him (with my mother watching in horror): "I'm getting up now to leave. I need to get dressed. You can stay and watch or you can get out. "

I went straight from there to my MWs and they were trying hard not to giggle...they said they told him that I was just a very private person.

Well, maybe he should have introduced himself before offering to fondle my cervix.

:

love, p

[rabrog]

My first emergency u/s was in July '07 and I wasn't allowed to see anything, etc. Now, if you go to a place that just does u/s and is not directly connected to a clinic or hospital, there probably aren't any rules like this. My first one was at the hospital and I'll never have another one there again (FMH). The others were a little better at TVC, but still not as good as with my DD in '03.

Penelope, you crack me up! : That's why I love Dr. Bartling at TVC. He never did exams unless I asked him and he'd just ask "do you want me to examine you?" and was totally cool with "no" as an answer. He kept me exclusivel until 35ish weeks when I had to meet with Dr. Hess since he was doing the c/x (I had to fight with him to get the c/x when I wanted it, total PITA).

Jenn

[spruce]

Rabrog, I think you're right...my ultrasound w/ Iris was with a private Dr. (at the Medical and Dental Arts Building). I think ultrasound is just about all he does now. He's awesome, informed, and very empathetic. His nurse, however, almost got the, "See ya!" treatment.

I walked in and she told me to change in a curtained area. I asked why, and she said the "wand" (cue scary music) would be used, so I needed to be naked. I said it would NOT be used, he could see very well through my belly, TYVM!!

When I hopped up on the table, she pulled that damned wand out and put a plastic sleeve on it. I told her to put it away or I would need to leave. The doctor sort of glared at her and told her we wouldn't be needing it.

That nurse didn't like me very much. For some reason, I think I should get to choose which bits of computerised machinery ever get to enter my body, in any way, shape or form.

love, p

[katiesk]

good for you, spruce!