My Learning Log for MMG508 Information Research & Technology

After we completed our classroom time, part of the requirements to complete this course was to continue with 3-4 posts per week to our blogs, and comment on classmates posts. At the end of July we were to submit, via our blogs, a "Learning Log" for this course. This is my learning log for this course.

From Linda, Eileen and Lin I have increased my knowledge regarding the nursing shortage and the various factors affecting this profession. Being a nurse I knew some about many of these factors. Through my classmates research I have learned what is being done to decrease this problem, and many on the job techniques for reducing the stress associated with a multi-generational work force. All three of these women are a credit to the nursing profession.

From Jen I have increased my general knowledge regarding various ultrasounds and how they may be used in helping diagnosis in day to day issues. I have also learned from her the depth of knowledge required to do her job well, and she is a true professional!

Joann shares an interest which I have "dabbled in"; alternative therapies and complimentary medicine. I have several books on many of these topics, and an extensive collection of essential oils for use in aromatherapy techniques. She has brought to the forefront more information on a variety of CAM techniques.

Jocelyn has taught me more about gem diamonds than I ever realized possible! She is a true "Rock Wizard" and I would take her advise seriously and in a heartbeat. This woman knows her diamonds!

Mary Anne...she has shown me what real strength is all about. She has experienced the loss of her father during this course, yet she turned her loss into a beautiful learning log. She also came up with some terrific ideas to improve the workplace for all generations and types of workers. She should be featured on "Exceptional Women", the morning program heard on Magic WMJX, 106.7 radio station, right here in Boston!

MaryLou has found so many ways to educate us Baby Boomers, and keep us healthy. She has such a niche for teaching and does it exceedingly well! We need more "Boomers" like her!

Shannon has brought back the memories of how it was to be a child and use your pure imagination to create a fun, fantasy world. She reminds us all how important it is to encourage our children, through use of their imagination. They will become our leaders of tomorrow.

Tahia, so full of love and passion for what she wants to do. She will make an excellent Wedding Planner, although I think she should be "An Event Planner", not just limiting herself to weddings. I never realized how much was involved in putting a terrific, memorable wedding together. Things certainly have changed since I was married 35 years ago!

I have learned more about Melanoma than I ever wanted to know. This was not started initially out of a desire to do so , but a need to do so.I have through this class ,learned how to obtain scholarly research, and how to use technology to reach the largest audience possible; to warn others about the dangers associated with skin cancers. I plan to continue this blog. It is too important not to continue.

From Catherine Seo, our course professor, I have learned more about WEB 2.0 than I ever thought possible! I know more about the "codes of HTML/JavaScript" than I ever thought I would want or need to know, yet I have used them more than once in this project! I have realized what I do does make a difference, and the use of technology along with adding ClustrMap to my blog has only reinforced that belief. In less than 30 days I have had over 1000 visits to my blog from more than 53 areas across this country and the world! I think in part because melanoma affects everyone; it does not discriminate among races, creeds, skin tones, ages, or location. The fact I am having so many visits to my little blog site only reinforces this. None of this would have been possible without the help of Catherine. Her love and true passion for technology makes learning fun, and challenging. Her positive attitude always left me and others in my class, feeling like "Yes, we can do this". I can only wish all my remaining courses at Cambridge College are this stimulating! Most of my other courses have also been very educational and stimulating! Cambridge College truly creates an exceptional educational experience geared toward the adult learner. They realize all of us come to the table with a different skill set and valuable life learned experiences to be shared. They have an unique way of blending these experiences into the classroom setting and they do it very well!

Have You Ever Thought About Becoming a Writer?

Did you even once think, "I could have written that". Well here is your chance to write, and then possibly win a prize and a scholarship. Danielle M. White author of ONLY SKIN DEEP? An Essential Guide to Effective Skin Cancer Programs and Resources and the co-founder of The Cancer Crusaders Organization invites writers of all ages and skill levels to enter an essay contest about skin cancers. The winning essay will later be published in her next book. See what she has to say about skin cancer.........."Skin cancer incidence in the U.S., and across the globe, continues to rise at an alarming rate," White says. "In fact, melanoma is killing more women ages 20-39 than any other cancer. Yet, this disease is preventable!" White continues, "In our on-going effort to raise awareness and educate people--especially young adults--about skin cancer, we thought an essay contest would be a great way to generate interest and participation, as well as provide further educational opportunities to our communities."

I think she is definitely onto something here. She has a great idea to get young people involved in protecting their own skin and learning at the same time. For the complete article and the rules for the essay, which needs to be received by August 25, 2007 click here:http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/7/prweb542663.htm

Discard Your Old Suntan Lotions

Just when you think it was safe to go out in the sun! Applying suntan lotion with the proper SPF is great, a first step in protecting against Melanoma. However, how many of you save the rest of the bottle when the summer season it over? New reports reveal if the product has gone past it's shelf life, you are using what amounts to a "no protection" lotion and you are remaining a potential Melanoma victim. Please read this informative article to insure maximum protection against this aggressive skin cancer.

Bin the Bottle and Stay Safe in the Sun
26/07/2007
Holidaymakers are being urged to bin the bottle and buy new protection for their 2007 holiday, if they want to stay safe in the sun.
Sun-lovers should discard any suntan creams, lotions or oils that are half-used, or past their sell by date, warns travel insurance provider Essential Travel. Old creams will be ineffective and could leave users vulnerable and exposed to skin damage. For the rest of the article click here:http://www.travelconnect.co.uk/News/BintheBottleandStaySafeintheSun_508.html

Melanoma On the Rise in Teens and Young Adults

This article was found on the Cleveland Clinic Information site. They have done some amazing work with Melanoma studies and younger people. Young people are the target group I am hoping to educate as the most damage to the skin occurs before the age of 20. I want the older generations to be able to recognize any abnormal moles and have them treated, but I also want the younger generations to be able to avoid this deadly disease altogether, by using proper preventative measures. I know teenagers are going through an image conscious stage, and tans seem to make everyone more think they are attractive. I really want the teens of today to know the dangers associated with the 'wonderful tan" they are seeking. The tan can come with a price they may find too high to pay later down the road. Parents need to explain this in a non threatening way, so their teenagers accept what they are trying to teach them about the dangers of over exposure to the sun and tanning beds. If they choose not to listen to an adult, then listen to a peer.

Return to the posts I have of Miss Maryland, who was also diagnosed with Melanomas, which she attributes to over use of tanning booths, so she could look "Pageant Perfect", but I ask you at what cost? To view the entire article see the site:

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3800/3891.asp?index=12371

"Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon-day sun."

Ruydard Kipling wrote the words I used for today's title post. I saw it used in an article written by DR. GIFFORD JONES, which appeared in the edmontonsun.com, lifestyle section. He was discussing the need to check your moles and any changes which may have occurred.

With the warm weather we will be experiencing over the next 2-3 days, I once again remind all who will be out in it to protect your skin. Use the suntan lotion liberally and apply often, break out that wide brimmed hat, and limit exposure during 10am-4pm.

If you would like to view Dr. G. Jones full article go to:http://www.edmontonsun.com/Lifestyle/2007/07/21/4356917-sun.html

Scientists Make Strides Against Melanoma

This article appeared today in Forbes.com. It seems Melanoma is definitely in the forefront of today's news stories. I have copied the entire article here. I have covered much of this information previously and I bolded statements where I think we as a general population need to take heed and pay attention to the facts. Interesting reading.

Scientists Make Strides Against Melanoma07.22.07, 12:00 AM ET
SUNDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Melanoma remains a stubborn foe, with doctors reporting limited success in preventing the sometimes fatal skin cancer and even less success developing a cure.
"We'd like to reduce that death rate, but that's not happening," said Dr. Martin A. Weinstock, chairman of the American Cancer Society's Skin Cancer Advisory Committee. "We're not being effective in preventing melanoma. We've been making progress in early detection but not as much as we would like. And therapy for melanomas not detected early is basically poor."
But several advances announced in the last year -- from testing "sentinel" lymph nodes as a way to jump-start aggressive treatment, to new gene therapies that may one day beat back the cancer -- have given doctors a cautious sense of optimism.
Still, the experts add that these treatments need more testing, and prevention remains the best way to avoid the disease. So, the message remains the same -- protect yourself from the sun, and keep an eye on unusual skin growths.
"There are a lot of therapies that are promising," said Weinstock, professor of dermatology and community health at Brown University and chief of dermatology at the VA Medical Center in Providence, R.I. "But they're all possibilities. We just don't know if they're going to pan out yet."
Skin cancers in general are extremely survivable. The U.S. National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 1 million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer will be diagnosed in 2007, claiming fewer than 2,000 lives.
Melanoma is another matter. It's rarer than basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, with about 59,900 new cases expected to strike Americans this year. But it will kill an estimated 8,110 people, according to the cancer institute.
Melanoma remains frustratingly hard to prevent and cure, Weinstock said.
It begins in skin cells called melanocytes that produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its natural color. Skin exposed to the sun causes melanocytes to produce more pigment, creating a sun tan. Sometimes, clusters of melanocytes and surrounding tissues form moles on the skin.
Melanoma occurs when those pigment cells become malignant. The first sign of trouble often is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of an existing mole, with most melanomas displaying a black or blue-black area. Melanoma also can appear as a new mole that is black or looks abnormal or ugly, according to the cancer institute.
If undetected or left untreated, melanoma can spread to other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs or brain. The first sign that melanoma has spread, or metastasized, usually is the appearance of cancer cells in the body's lymph nodes. Part of the body's defense system, the nodes produce lymph, which travels throughout the body and filters out impurities.
In the past, doctors fighting melanoma would remove many or all of the body's lymph nodes to help prevent the spread of the cancer. But the experimental sentinel node biopsy technique allows doctors to remove only a few lymph nodes directly affected by the melanoma.
In the procedure, a radioactive substance is injected near the melanoma and its progress through the body is tracked. The first lymph nodes to take up the substance are called the sentinel lymph nodes.
Since the cancer is most likely to head to those lymph nodes first, only those nodes are surgically removed for testing. If positive, the rest of the lymph nodes are tested and removed. But if negative, the patient avoids what can be a painful procedure.
Sentinel node biopsy has been around for about two decades, but new studies have shown that its use can give patients a better fighting chance against metastasized melanoma.
A 2006 study headed by Dr. Donald L. Morton, who helped create the technique, found that patients whose lymph nodes tested positive and then had the rest of their nodes removed enjoyed a much higher five-year survival rate, compared with people who tested positive but delayed removal of their lymph nodes.
"The risk of dying from melanoma was almost one-half reduced if you had the lymph nodes removed versus waiting for them to grow to a detectable size," said Morton, medical director and chief of the melanoma program at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center, in Santa Monica, Calif.
Other scientists have found that boosting the immune system's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells shows promise in treating melanoma.
In a recent study, National Cancer Institute researchers treated 17 patients with advanced, metastatic melanoma with white blood cells called T-lymphocytes that had been genetically engineered to better recognize the skin cancer. The result: Two of the patients went into a sustained remission.
Doctors believe this shows that such gene therapy can work, but much more work and many refinements remain ahead.
Until these tactics are improved upon, Weinstock recommends that people use the American Cancer Society's recommended "Slip, Slop, Slap" strategy for fighting skin cancer.
"The one major avoidable cause of melanoma is exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun," Weinstock said. "Slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen and slap on a hat."
More information
To learn more about melanoma, visit the American Cancer Society.

Familial Melanoma Monitoring Worthwhile

By David Douglas
NEW YORK JUL 17, 2007 (Reuters Health) - A program aimed at relatives of people with hereditary cutaneous melanoma and dysplastic nevus syndrome achieves beneficial results, Swedish researchers report in the July 1st issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
"Our study," lead investigator Dr. Johan Hansson told Reuters Health, "shows that a coordinated program aimed at detecting and performing preventive activities in kindreds with familial melanoma results in a low number of diagnosed melanomas during follow-up among participating family members, as well as early diagnosis of those melanomas that still do occur."
For the rest of the story link to site:http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=11122

From Channel 9, WSRY=TV, Syracuse

In Depth: Fighting Skin Cancer
Last Update: Jul 19, 2007 11:50 PM, This newscast did a nice job complete with pictures of both normal and abnormal moles. To view the entire article and program click here: http://www.9wsyr.com/content/family_healthcast/story.aspx?content_id=f3afa916-475b-4d18-92d0-9d1acfc0e3b2

Know Your Melanomas-The Basic Types

There are actually different types of Melanoma.

Superficial spreading melanoma accounts for 60-70% of all melanomas. This is the most common and this particular type travels along the very top layers of skin before penetrating to deeper levels. It is generally flat, can have various colors and may present with irregular boarders.

Nodular melanomas are the second most common type of melanomas and they are responsible for 15-30% of melanoma cases. It will generally present as a black lump appearing on the arms, legs and trunk of the elderly and the scalps of men.

Lentigo melanoma is another type. It appears similar to the superficial type, and accounts for 5%of the melanomas on the elderly and generally appears on sun damaged arms,faces and ears.

Another type is acral lentiginous melanoma. It usually appears under the nails or on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands. it is the most common form of melanoma found in Asians and Afro-Americans and accounts for 5% of all melanomas, it is least common among Caucasians.

Desmoplastic melanoma is a very rare, very aggressive, and the hardest to diagnosis. It usually appears on the neck and head of elderly patients.

The most important point to come away with is, they are all Melanomas, they all need examination from a physician and they will all need follow-up! Learn to become sun-savvy and know your moles!

Sun Burns on the rise, which state is worst?

I just found this interesting article on sunburns. It is the latest study available, completed in 2004. the study looked at the rise in sunburns, state by state. Please make note this is a sunburn study, different than the state by state listing of the top 10 for newly diagnosed cases of Melanoma which I have previously listed. Remember sunburns are the first step toward the development of Melanomas. From the article:

Here is that list for 2004, the most recent year for which state statistics are available. States with the same percentage are ranked together. Hawaii and Guam didn't report sunburn statistics in the 2004 survey.
1.U.S. Virgin Islands: 50.1%
2.Utah: 49.9%
3.Minnesota: 48.7%
4.Wisconsin: 48.6%
5.Idaho: 48.5%
6.Wyoming: 48.3%
7.Vermont: 47.1%
8.Nebraska: 46.9%
9.North Dakota: 46.4%
10.South Dakota: 46.1%
11.Michigan: 45.6%
12.Missouri: 45.2%
13.Colorado: 45.1%
14.Montana: 44.1%
15.Maryland: 43.9%
16.New Hampshire: 43.8%
17.Iowa, Oregon, and Washington: 43.6%
18.Ohio: 43.4%
19.Indiana: 43.3%
20.Connecticut: 43.1%
21.Arkansas and Virginia: 42.9%
22.Pennsylvania: 42.7%
23.Maine and Massachusetts: 42.6%
24.Arizona: 42.1%
25.Illinois: 41.7%
26.South Carolina: 41.6%
27.Oklahoma: 41.5%
28.Delaware and Kansas: 41.4%
29.New Mexico: 41.3%
30.Mississippi: 40.5%
31.New Jersey and New York: 40.2%
32.Washington, D.C.: 40.1%
33.Alabama: 39.6%
34.Georgia: 39.2%
35.Rhode Island: 38.7%
26.Nevada: 38.3%
37.West Virginia: 38%
38.Florida and Texas: 37.7%
39.California: 34.8%
40.Alaska: 34.1%
41.Tennessee: 32.6%
42.Louisiana: 30.5%
43.North Carolina: 28.1%
44.Kentucky: 27%
45.Puerto Rico: 14.2%

The data don't show whether those people got sunburned in their home state or elsewhere, whether they got burned by the sun or in a tanning bed, or what (if any) sun protection they were using at the time.
The results appear in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

For the full article and complete story please go to:http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=81463

The A,B, C, D and now "E" 's of Moles

I have previously talked about the A,B,C and D's of mole criteria. It has been brought to my attention there is now an "E". E for Enlargement. Taken from a comment from "Brian";
"More recently physicians have recognized the importance of moles that are new or getting larger in predicting high risk lesions. They have now added E for enlargement to the criteria and many recommend following the ABCDE’s. Having reliable information on whether a mole is changing increases the specificity of the skin exam and could therefore reduce the over-diagnosis of suspicious lesions."

Thank you Brian for your useful addition. To view Brian's complete comment see his entry under 7/15/07 "OK, Test Time".

A Non-Kitchen Use for "Glad Press'N Seal"

Well I made a discovery this week! This may be known to some of you, but if not here it is! Glad Press'N Seal wrap, the wrap which sticks to bowls, containers, and other surfaces also sticks to skin!!! We needed to find a way to keep the dressing over the wide excision and skin graft clean and dry until later into this week. Well, Glad Press'n Seal works so well! I strongly suggest using it for anyone who needs to cover a dressing and keep it dry. Be sure to firmly press down on all areas of the skin to be sure you have a good seal. Then take your shower! Kevin has been using this for the last couple of days to keep the dressing dry. All the "waterproof tape" and using plastic wraps prior to giving Glad Press'N Seal a try, was not working.

OK, test time!

I have added an element to my blog. I have a quick quiz along my side bar. Please locate it and take my Melanoma quiz. I promise, no failing grades!

Thanks!

Sunscreen Summary — What Works and What's Safe

This is an excellent link! A recent study tested 785 brand- name sunscreens. Not only does this study point out many sunscreens do not live up to the sun protection they claim, but many are not even safe to use!

A quote from the article:"Most people trust that the claims on the bottle will ensure that the product truly protects their health and their families'. Nothing could be less certain."

Please take the time to check out this list and see if you are using a safe and effective product. http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php

Did You Know???

"The incidence of melanomas is also increasing more rapidly for people living in sunny climates; for example, it quadruples every ten years in Australasia but only doubles in Northern Europe. "

For the full story see this link:http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/our_experts/article1926920.ece

Australians have the highest incidence of Melanoma worldwide. Being in the Outback, one needs to protect their back! Check those moles often. Happy Friday, enjoy the weekend and play in the sun...safely.

Not as harmless as it looks: Melanoma on rise: Dermatologists seeing disease in younger patients

This article should be read by all parents of children under 20 years of age. It was just released today, so it doesn't get much fresher! An excerpt:



“More than two blistering sunburns before age 20 increases your risk of melanoma,” said Dr. Jane Rowe, a dermatologist with Blair Medical Associates in Altoona. Malignant melanoma is a type of cancer that occurs in the melanocytes cells of the skin. Melanocytes produce melanin, or the skin’s brown pigment. When a person has melanoma, the melanocytes give rise to malignant tumors.

Please click on the link to read the entire article. Your children's health depends on it!


http://www.altoonamirror.com/Life/articles.asp?articleID=13443

Dancing Friesian Horse

Well I promised if we had good news you'd see a "Dancing Horse". Friesians are the breed we have so I think it only right a Friesian dances for you! The node biopsy showed a few atypical cells, however they assured us it is nothing to worry about. The only thing the PET Scan showed was some arthritis in Kevin's left wrist! A little Advil and he can live with arthritis! He can live with that for a long, long, time! Thank you all; both my MEEI family and my Cambridge College family for your support and understanding. As the song at the end of the dance says.."You're Simply the BEST!

We visit the Oncologist tomorrow

Well tomorrow Kevin has his post-op visit from the skin grafting ,node biopsy and PET Scan with the oncology group. I am assuming they will have all results available. I am being positive because I think if it were awful news they would have called us to move the appointment up. At least I want to think that. I added a "News Reel" section to my blog. It is pretty good, you key in certain words and the latest in the news appears when you click the highlighted areas. Of course you also get articles about suntan lotions on airplanes, nothing to do with Melanoma protection, but it did find the words "suntan lotion" and pops up the article. Try it with your blog, if you don't like what is coming up, simply delete the post! Easy! I am sharing a picture of Kevin and myself from a couple of years ago. I was just recovering from a broken pelvis and have put on a few extra pounds from lying around for 10 weeks! Kevin looks the same, he never ages! He has the same waist size he did when we got married 35 years ago! I wish I did! Until tomorrow.

The World Health Organization has many interesting articles which provide information on several topics. One of those topics is centered around sunbeds, tanning and UV exposure. Follow the link for the complete and informative article.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs287/en/index.html

There is nothing better than a Sunday morning trail ride!

Happy Sunday! Kevin is doing well, no more "wooziness" from narcotics in his system. His pain has been controlled by Tylenol since Friday evening. He wanted Advil but I would not give it to him because of the bleeding potential post operatively. Today I left him early to join a young friend for a trail ride. We knew it would be a hot one so the plan was to leave early and it worked well. We left in the trailer from my place at 8am. We were ready to ride by 9 am. I must share, she just turned 18 and is the picture of youth; bronze, blond hair, full of energy and a "I know it all attitude". We, or most of us have been there. She had appropriate riding shoes and breeches on but she attempted to leave the barn with a "tank top" and NO sunscreen! How far do you think that went??..... Not far... her Mom asked if she applied sunscreen, she said "No, I don't need it I have a tan". I gently reminded her, "tans do not protect, look what I just went through with Kevin". This is a very bright young lady who plans to become an MD. I know she has the potential to meet those goals as she was essentially handed a full scholarship to the college of her choice. She then agreed, "you're right" and let her Mom apply the sunscreen. We went off and had a very nice ride, where I took the opportunity over the next 1 1/2 hours to share a bit more of what I have learned about Melanomas. I had a captive audience... where could she go on a one lane trail! She will be a great physician, she listens well!

WebMDLog

I was playing around on Technorati and found this interesting WebMDLog. An interesting post, very informative. you may have heard the information already, but remember you need to hear something three times before you truly retain and absorb it. You can never have too much knowledge! Check this out. http://blogs.webmd.com/all-ears/2007/05/here-comes-sun-watch-out.html

Metastasized melanoma cancer treatment results after being treated with alternative complementary and holistic health care

Another video, this one is an infomercial for CAM. JoAnn should check this out for her blog as it is directly related. www.sanoviv.com

Melanoma Awarness Public Service Video

One more video,lots of good information.

Melanoma Insight: ScienCentral News Video

Another very interesting video. Genetic research looking to fight melanoma on a cellular level, using genes.

Nuclear Medicine

Nuclear medicine has come a long way. Think back to the bomb shelters of the 50's and 60's, where everyone was fearful of nuclear radiation fallout. People were encouraged to build lead lined shelters in their own yards to protect them from possible radiation fallout, which would lead to a 'horrible death". Today people are willing to have radioactive tracers injected into their very own bodies, not as a way to end their lives, but as a way to help prolong their life. In the past two days nuclear medicine has played a big part in Kevin's battle to rid melanoma from his life. Two different radioactive tracers have been used; one to help with the node mapping, the other, done today to look for "hot spots" or areas of metastases. Today's PET Scan using a radioactive tracer, will give a three dimensional view of his entire body, identifying hot zones, where cancer may have spread to. The process starts with fasting, then they give you a "banana flavored drink" which helps move the tracer through the body. After drinking it, you wait about 30 minutes then the radioactive tracer is injected. After a very short period of time the scanning begins. It takes about 2 hours for a total body scan. Then you go home with no restrictions. Follow up with the oncologist will take place this Wednesday, then the results of the PET Scan and the node biopsy will be discussed. We have the weekend off, no doctors, no tests, just waiting until Wednesday. Honestly the waiting is truly the hard part. Stay cool and have a nice weekend. It will be a hot one. Don't forget the sunscreen!

Join Technorati.com

Linda is right! It is simple and easy to join.

Technorati Profile

PET Scans (Positron emission tomography)

PET Scans are the newest addition to the many tools used to diagnosis cancers and check for metastases. A radioactive tracer is injected into the patients system. As the tracer breaks down it emits a positron, which can be tracked and located by the PET Scan. Learn more about the details by clicking on this site.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_scans
Kevin will be injected at 12:30pm today with the tracer. His scan is scheduled for 2:30pm. When we leave the hospital today we will know much more regarding Kevin's current state of health.When I first entered nursing this technology did not even exist. It is amazing how far we have come in such a short time! Fast and accurate diagnosis is key when fighting melanoma. PET Scans have become a part of the standard of care in treating this cancer.

Surgery Day

The day started at 6am, and we were home by 3pm. Kevin did well with the anesthesia, the surgeon states the margins are clean with a little better than a 1 cm cancer free boarder.The skin graft went well, it will leave a bit of a divot on his neck, but we can LIVE with divots. We will not know about the node until early next week. Kevin will have his PET Scan tomorrow. He could have just stayed in the hospital, but he wanted to come home. I guess it's my good cooking which made him come home for supper! (Nothing against Jordan, but in the kitchen I am a tough act to follow!)

The new day surgery unit at the Jordan Hospital is wonderful! Bright, open, cheery and very clean. Very nicely done. They have a lovely quiet conference room which they escort you to after surgery, there you can discuss how things went with the surgeon. They made me feel welcome and acted like I was the only person waiting to hear news regarding their loved ones. I was treated like a queen, yet I feel this is how they treat all their patients. They did not know I was a nurse, I was another family member of a patient they were caring for. I guess that is the key word, "caring" , they do it well. It is no surprise to me that they have earned the Magnet Status Award. It will be another fasting night, as you cannot have anything but water for 6 hours prior to the PET Scan. Until tomorrow, I hope I post more good news!

July 4th 2006 Fire Works in Boston

Now this is how we do fireworks in Boston! Go Pops!:)

Fireworks Finale NYC July 4th

Have a happy and safe holiday. Remember to protect both your eyes and skin. Use the sunscreen while enjoying your cookouts, and sunglasses during the day. If you are not going to view fireworks tonight I have provided a short clip for you to enjoy

UV Index Forecast Map

The ozone layer protects the Earth from the harmful effect of Ultraviolet radiation (UV) The protection offered by the ozone layer varies day to day based on seasonal effects, weather conditions, and general ozone depletion rates. One way you can protect your skin from harmful radiation rays is by utilizing the forecast map for the current UV index in your area and follow the advised precautions. The UV index predicts radiation levels using a 1-11+ scale. The higher the level the more protection needed to prevent damage to your skin. You can check your local area for current levels for a four day forecast. The site is managed under the EPA. Check out this site: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html