Earth spins at approximately 1,000 miles per hour and orbits the sun at a mind-blowing 67,000 miles per hour. Doesn’t it feel like life on this planet picks up speed each year, as if we’re all trying to live faster than the world can turn? There are places to be,…
Hospital rounds are usually morning visits from a patient’s healthcare team to review their condition, treatment plan, and progress. The patient is examined, vitals are checked, and additional tests are ordered if needed. Tests can range from blood work or imaging to more invasive procedures such as cardiac catheterization. Depending…
Cornered. That is how my son Cullen, 25, and our family felt when he was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2008. But being cornered isn’t as scary when you look around and see who’s in the corner with you. Compassionate and knowledgeable doctors, nurses, and social workers were…
I’m the almost-pour-milk-onto-my-mom’s-plate-instead-of-in-her-cup kind of tired. The dump-potato-chips-instead-of-cat-food-into-my-cat’s-bowl kind of distracted. The place-things-on-my-parents’-stairlift-instead-of-carrying-them-up-or-down-the-steps kind of exhausted. My name is Colleen Steele, and I have caregiver burnout! It’s not the first time I’ve burned the candle at both ends. I cared for my son Cullen, 25, many times through this level…
I think it is more effective to watch for good advice instead of asking for it. An Inc. article titled “25 Excellent Pieces of Advice That Most People Ignore” covers words of wisdom that often go in one ear and out the other. “It’s easy to find someone to…
It’s a beautiful day in the country for what appears to be the beginning of autumn. There are acres of trees, mostly green except for a few that have changed to gold. They’re casting a shadow over a lake, but on the other side sun is glistening on the water…
Many a new year has been greeted with the saying “Out with the old, in with the new.” That is a fair declaration of a calendar flip, but it’s implausible that people will change just as easily on Jan. 1. I’ve often honored New Year’s as if it were the…
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” is one of the oldest Christmas carols. The lyrics, which have been altered numerous times to adapt to changes within the English language, are drawn from the Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke. In the 21st century, the common definition of rest is to…
It’s been a rough day. I change into my comfy clothes, pour a cup of tea, prop up my pillows, pull up a cozy blanket, and start to write. Others might open with “Dear Diary,” but I begin with a prayer: “Dear God, please help me …” As I mentioned…
When patients arrive at a medical facility, they often expect to be greeted with a helpful smile and comforting voice, not met by an inanimate object that could add to the complications illness can perpetuate. According to the Kiosk Information Systems website, “the demand for patient self-check-in and virtual…
Music is a universal gift given and received by people of all ages, ethnicities, and cultures. Its versatile melodies, rhythms, harmonies, lyrics, and instruments adapt to any person, place, situation, mood, and event. Music is the keeper of memories, the creator of dreams, and the healer of mind, body, and…
My 25-year-old son Cullen has been trying to deal with trying situations since he was a child. For years he explained to both his parents and medical professionals that something more than asthma or anxiety was making it difficult for him to physically keep up with his friends. A correct…
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