Just got a note from a friend asking to fill in for Videoswallow Studies at another hospital. It's always a fun experience to work with different radiologists, new rad techs, and also just new protocols. I am super looking forward to it, even though it is only two days next week.
Still should be a great time!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Hate to admit it
As much as I hate to admit it, I have a weakness. I have somehow managed to hurt my back (herniated a few discs). So I will be seeing Dr. Maria Walker at the Rockford Spine Center on the 3rd. I am very happy to be seeing a specialist because I hope it means I will be able to resume any and all activity...including my running.
Pray for quick healing for me. Please. I am losing patience.
Pray for quick healing for me. Please. I am losing patience.
Headed away
Not only am I looking forward to being a "Conversation Leader" for USFRA (US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance), I am looking forward to having a night away from my children. Absence makes the heart grow stronger, and I think my heart will need to get a little stronger from a night away.
I am also looking forward to having excellent conversations about where our food comes from, the safety of our food, and how to use social media to get there.
I will have lots of follow up once we are done. I hope...
I am also looking forward to having excellent conversations about where our food comes from, the safety of our food, and how to use social media to get there.
I will have lots of follow up once we are done. I hope...
Gourmet Scented Pencils
We just recently entered the world of the store "Justice". It's been a crazy transition for mom, Bella managed just fine. One of the things we ended up with were these Gourmet Scented Pencils. Which really smell like what they say. I have the Mint Chocolate Chip one because Bella didn't "care for it". So, I am now using it in my office and feel so much younger. :-)
Yeah for smelly pencils!
Yeah for smelly pencils!
I want these pumps! For real!!!
Unfortunately, they are $595 at Saks Fifth Avenue. So...if there are any of my followers who feel like being my benefactors, I would take a pair in size 7.5. Thanks!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Pink Slime--questions answered
The truth about Pink Slime is that it has gotten blown out of proportion, imagine that. The goal of using this Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) is to use as much of the animal as possible. Please see the article link below that takes you to information from Dr. Dickson from Iowa State University.
http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/main/food_for_thought/0/111
http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/main/food_for_thought/0/111
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
USFRA Training/Conversation Leaders
I have the distinct honor of being selected as one of the "conversation leaders" for USFRA (US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance). I will go up to Chicago next Wed./Thurs. for more extensive training on how to start those conversations with consumers. Please feel free to check out their website and follow their facebook page.
http://usfraonline.org/ It's a great page, good design, user friendly. Even my farmer/rancher friends should be on there.
http://usfraonline.org/ It's a great page, good design, user friendly. Even my farmer/rancher friends should be on there.
IL Legislative Day
John and I are headed to Springfield for the IL Pork Producers Legislative Day. We are hoping to get a chance to share our story and express our thoughts and feelings on many of the Agricultural bills that are coming up in the house and senate. I hope that you are all taking the opportunity to at least get to know your legislators, at least know their names.
After the election, and redistricting, you need to know if there is a difference. Enjoy your days!
After the election, and redistricting, you need to know if there is a difference. Enjoy your days!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Want to make these with the kiddos
Easy Rice Krispie Treats in Easter colors using PEEPS! :-) With GF Rice Krispies, I can make this perfect snack for Mae.
Before and after
I cannot believe I had that much hair, either! I will be donating all of it to Wigs for Kids. They do not charge for their wigs. I was disappointed to hear that Locks for Love makes people pay for their wigs.
$$ at the Supermarket...Meat prices will go up without changes
Food for thought...and $ from your pocket.
From IL Soybean Association:
Food Costs Could Rise With Greater U.S. Livestock Regulations
Paying more for food may not be out of the question for consumers if regulations on the U.S. poultry and livestock sectors increase. In fact, consumers could pay up to $16.8 billion more annually for meat, milk and eggs if such regulations raise input costs by 25 percent. Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture, a recent soybean checkoff-funded study, evaluated current U.S. supply and demand for poultry and livestock products and the impact of regulations on retail prices. For example, requiring cage-free housing for laying hens would increase the cost of eggs from $1.68 to $2.10 per dozen, a total cost of $2.66 billion per year to U.S. consumers. The report cites other potential increased regulations that could drive up production costs by anywhere from 10 to 25 percent. A 25 percent increase in costs to animal agriculture would reduce U.S. exports by $1.1 billion, and cause nearly 9,000 Americans to lose their jobs. Statistics compiled with checkoff funding show the poultry and livestock sectors support 1.8 million jobs and generate more than $283 billion for the U.S. economy.
From IL Soybean Association:
Food Costs Could Rise With Greater U.S. Livestock Regulations
Paying more for food may not be out of the question for consumers if regulations on the U.S. poultry and livestock sectors increase. In fact, consumers could pay up to $16.8 billion more annually for meat, milk and eggs if such regulations raise input costs by 25 percent. Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture, a recent soybean checkoff-funded study, evaluated current U.S. supply and demand for poultry and livestock products and the impact of regulations on retail prices. For example, requiring cage-free housing for laying hens would increase the cost of eggs from $1.68 to $2.10 per dozen, a total cost of $2.66 billion per year to U.S. consumers. The report cites other potential increased regulations that could drive up production costs by anywhere from 10 to 25 percent. A 25 percent increase in costs to animal agriculture would reduce U.S. exports by $1.1 billion, and cause nearly 9,000 Americans to lose their jobs. Statistics compiled with checkoff funding show the poultry and livestock sectors support 1.8 million jobs and generate more than $283 billion for the U.S. economy.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Family Photos
My fav family photo from our session this winter. Love that we were all at least looking at the camera. I have an amazing, supportive family. My only regret is that we don't live closer to each other.
Rehab Staff
I know that for most people, they look at Mendota Hospital as a small, only in emergency type facilty. Now that I am the patient, I have only the most amazing things to say about our staff. I work with these people, they are my friends, but I am a bad patient, so my editorial is truly based on my opinion of the treatment, NOT the friend part.
Jared Wise, PT. Amazing. He's young, but thorough. He's also honest, maybe more than I was looking for. :-) He has provided me with exercises, stretches, and confidence to push through the pain and move forward.
Laura Geldon, AT. Young, just out of school, but amazing. Great asset for our team here at MCH and for the local high school sports program. Laura has provided me with massage and plenty of education on how and WHY things hurt when they do.
Nancy Walzer. Technically our dept. secretary, but so much more. She has been helping me from day one with everything from occasional massage when needed to trying to work around my schedule and their schedule (the most difficult part of this whole thing).
And, finally, Dr. Amy Matheis-Soliman. As a friend, we are super compatible. As a doctor-patient our relationship is just as compatible. She has taken the time to listen to what I am feeling, prescribed the needed things to get through my life with three kids (since she has four of her own), and understands the demands of being a mom.
Long story short, consider MCH for your treatment needs. It's a great place to work and be a patient!
Jared Wise, PT. Amazing. He's young, but thorough. He's also honest, maybe more than I was looking for. :-) He has provided me with exercises, stretches, and confidence to push through the pain and move forward.
Laura Geldon, AT. Young, just out of school, but amazing. Great asset for our team here at MCH and for the local high school sports program. Laura has provided me with massage and plenty of education on how and WHY things hurt when they do.
Nancy Walzer. Technically our dept. secretary, but so much more. She has been helping me from day one with everything from occasional massage when needed to trying to work around my schedule and their schedule (the most difficult part of this whole thing).
And, finally, Dr. Amy Matheis-Soliman. As a friend, we are super compatible. As a doctor-patient our relationship is just as compatible. She has taken the time to listen to what I am feeling, prescribed the needed things to get through my life with three kids (since she has four of her own), and understands the demands of being a mom.
Long story short, consider MCH for your treatment needs. It's a great place to work and be a patient!
Being a "Farm Mom"
So, part of writing this blog was supposed to be my role on the farm as farm "mom". What I find is that it truly extends to just being a mom. I have to work sick kids into the schedule the same as the rest of you. For those of you with Grandparents nearby, you understand my ability to have that super small sigh of relief knowing that you can lean on them during the tough times.
As a farm mom, I want my children immersed in the farm. They spend time with us in the barn. When the pigs are small enough (remember my oldest of three is only 6), the kids are in the pen with the pigs. When the pigs are too big (just so they don't knock the kids down), the kids help me do chores by walking down the alleyway and "waking" them up. Imagine my two year old Nolie saying, "Up piggies, come on, Mommy needs you up". So cute!
Planting season is around the corner and they will also be immersed in that. They love riding in the tractor and being part of the action. I hope that all of this is preparing them for the future that I see for them in farming.
As a farm mom, I want my children immersed in the farm. They spend time with us in the barn. When the pigs are small enough (remember my oldest of three is only 6), the kids are in the pen with the pigs. When the pigs are too big (just so they don't knock the kids down), the kids help me do chores by walking down the alleyway and "waking" them up. Imagine my two year old Nolie saying, "Up piggies, come on, Mommy needs you up". So cute!
Planting season is around the corner and they will also be immersed in that. They love riding in the tractor and being part of the action. I hope that all of this is preparing them for the future that I see for them in farming.
Beyond the Elevator video
Great video by IL Soy. If I was home I would add the photo from our barn location where you can see the nearest elevator just beautifully. Leave feedback!
A Humble Victory
I was honored last Wednesday when my project was chosen for the National Patient Safety week challenge. In all honesty, all of the projects were wonderful, and I'm not even sure how mine ended up on top.
My project, presentation, etc., are all from 7 years of hard work in pulling together and trying to implement an "actual" Oral Hygiene Protocol and Free Water Protocol. **Note, we do not currently charge patients for water...it's free--as in unrestricted**. The gist is that if patients are on thickened liquids and we do strict oral hygiene (at least three times each day) they can have thin water between their meals. We as a staff are responsible for offering water to those patients more frequently. The benefit is less post admission infections, better patient outcomes, and shorter acute care stays!
So, anyhow, again, I am humbled and honored to have been chosen for this award. I am over the moon that some of the physicians have already begun to write orders. I think we are on the way to even better patient care here at MCH!
My project, presentation, etc., are all from 7 years of hard work in pulling together and trying to implement an "actual" Oral Hygiene Protocol and Free Water Protocol. **Note, we do not currently charge patients for water...it's free--as in unrestricted**. The gist is that if patients are on thickened liquids and we do strict oral hygiene (at least three times each day) they can have thin water between their meals. We as a staff are responsible for offering water to those patients more frequently. The benefit is less post admission infections, better patient outcomes, and shorter acute care stays!
So, anyhow, again, I am humbled and honored to have been chosen for this award. I am over the moon that some of the physicians have already begun to write orders. I think we are on the way to even better patient care here at MCH!
IL Products Expo
John and I had a chance to volunteer to hand out samples of "Da Burger" at the IL Products Expo on March 3rd. It was a lot of fun, and I was really surprised by the amount of vendors at this event. There were many small farmers present and some specialty growers, along with vendors with beer. They also dedicated a whole section to IL Wine and it was great to see our August Hill friends there.
We got to taste some fantastic cheeses (thanks Ropp's for bringing the Green Olive cheese!), brats, beer, honey, fudge, etc. Entry was only $5 (for us it was free since we were volunteering), and we got a free t-shirt to boot. At the IL Pork booth, Bloomington Meats were selling 1/3 lb pork burgers (3/pack) and pork spice. They emptied the chest freezer at least twice while we were there. It was estimated that we gave out over 3200 samples on Saturday alone, and they carried this over to Sunday!
Feel free to ask at your grocer's counter for ground pork burgers (they are different than sausage because they have no seasoning). Have them make 1/3 or 1/2 pound burgers to be extra delicious!!!
We got to taste some fantastic cheeses (thanks Ropp's for bringing the Green Olive cheese!), brats, beer, honey, fudge, etc. Entry was only $5 (for us it was free since we were volunteering), and we got a free t-shirt to boot. At the IL Pork booth, Bloomington Meats were selling 1/3 lb pork burgers (3/pack) and pork spice. They emptied the chest freezer at least twice while we were there. It was estimated that we gave out over 3200 samples on Saturday alone, and they carried this over to Sunday!
Feel free to ask at your grocer's counter for ground pork burgers (they are different than sausage because they have no seasoning). Have them make 1/3 or 1/2 pound burgers to be extra delicious!!!
Last week was Ag Week
In Michele Payne Knoper's recent blog, she asks...does ag week actually make a difference? Are we doing it right, can we "switch our shoes?" so to speak and have a conversation about what is important to the consumer, or are we preaching to them about how we are right? Here's the link to her conversation:
http://www.causematters.com/advocacy/agriculture-week/
On my end, I spent a WONDERFUL day at Holy Cross School. I was welcomed into each of the classrooms. I was shocked by the questions that even the little kiddos posed, and was so pleased to get a chance to talk to them. It is surprising that even in a small town, there are very few "farm kids" in our school. Many of them were surprised by the amount of animals we have with only our family taking care of them. Naturally, they all giggled when we talked about poop, but we discussed how we call it manure and what we do with all of it.
Overall it was a fun day. Check out these resources for some really fun games.
www.myamericanfarm.org
www.podtoplate.org
http://www.causematters.com/advocacy/agriculture-week/
On my end, I spent a WONDERFUL day at Holy Cross School. I was welcomed into each of the classrooms. I was shocked by the questions that even the little kiddos posed, and was so pleased to get a chance to talk to them. It is surprising that even in a small town, there are very few "farm kids" in our school. Many of them were surprised by the amount of animals we have with only our family taking care of them. Naturally, they all giggled when we talked about poop, but we discussed how we call it manure and what we do with all of it.
Overall it was a fun day. Check out these resources for some really fun games.
www.myamericanfarm.org
www.podtoplate.org
New Acronym, and I love it!!!!
HSUS: The “Hysterical Society for Uninformed Simpletons”
What a riot. Thanks again to Humane Watch for that one.
Visualization of HSUS donations to IL shelters.
I wanted to share this image I got off of www.humanewatch.org I find it very interesting that IL's percentage of donations is just over one 1/100th of a %. Look at some of the other states....0% in some of them. So, when you make a donation because you saw a TV commercial, where do you think your $$ are going? Think about it.
Golly...this is harder than I thought
So the end of February/beginning of March has been rough on our family. We have had sick kids, I herniated a disc in my back, and life continues at the crazy pace. I am 11 posts behind and doing my best to catch up. I apologize for the truncated posts that you are probably going to be getting until I get caught up. I think I bit off more than I can chew, but I won't give up.
Hang in there with me!
Kate
Hang in there with me!
Kate
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