Comments on: The Psych Ward, Ten Years Out http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109 a blog by Laura Crossett Tue, 20 Jul 2010 01:25:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: your mom http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34609 your mom Sat, 01 Nov 2008 03:42:36 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34609 update from the front: we do have real coffee now, though as it's hospital coffee it still lacks something (but not caffeine). Smoking--was partly driven by staff who brought it in as an OSHA thing, partly by accrediting agencies, partly by we're doctors, dammit, we should care about your health (when the author of this blog was a lump, there was smoking in the OB waiting room). But we do hand out piles of nicotine patches and gobs of gum. update from the front: we do have real coffee now, though as it’s hospital coffee it still lacks something (but not caffeine). Smoking–was partly driven by staff who brought it in as an OSHA thing, partly by accrediting agencies, partly by we’re doctors, dammit, we should care about your health (when the author of this blog was a lump, there was smoking in the OB waiting room). But we do hand out piles of nicotine patches and gobs of gum.

]]> By: laura http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34608 laura Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:09:31 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34608 Yes, I also do not understand the coffee policy. There is also now a no smoking on the ward no matter what policy, which also strikes me as perhaps not particularly helpful to the patients the ward is trying to serve -- but, again, we get back to the point that the psych ward is not primarily there to help patients; it is just there to keep them from doing themselves in. Yes, I also do not understand the coffee policy. There is also now a no smoking on the ward no matter what policy, which also strikes me as perhaps not particularly helpful to the patients the ward is trying to serve — but, again, we get back to the point that the psych ward is not primarily there to help patients; it is just there to keep them from doing themselves in.

]]> By: aerin http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34607 aerin Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:01:53 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34607 Thanks for sharing Laura. What I don't really understand is not giving people coffee. That seems (to me) to not make sense. I have gone through caffeine withdrawal before, and it is not pretty. With the headaches and irritation, I suspect I would not be a pleasant person to be around - no matter where I was. So - I hope that particular policy has changed ALONG with the voting policy. Thanks for sharing Laura.

What I don’t really understand is not giving people coffee. That seems (to me) to not make sense. I have gone through caffeine withdrawal before, and it is not pretty. With the headaches and irritation, I suspect I would not be a pleasant person to be around – no matter where I was.

So – I hope that particular policy has changed ALONG with the voting policy.

]]> By: laura http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34605 laura Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:24:04 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34605 Mom, I don't think <em>anyone</em> could have helped me then. In that sense, Dr. C may have been right about not being able to do anything for me. Don't blame yourself. Mostly I'm just surprised that I'm still so angry about it all these years later. I suppose I just think that having opinions is the thing that makes us individual people, and if you are denied the option of having an opinion, then essentially you're being told you're not a person. It's sort of like <a href="http://www.dailyiowan.com/media/storage/paper599/news/2003/03/13/Opinions/Students.At.SitIns.Homeless.In.The.Hallways-391961.shtml%3EStudents%20at%20Sit-Ins,%20Homeless%20in%20the%20Hallways" rel="nofollow">the point I made about the sit-in</a> so long ago. Mom, I don’t think anyone could have helped me then. In that sense, Dr. C may have been right about not being able to do anything for me. Don’t blame yourself.

Mostly I’m just surprised that I’m still so angry about it all these years later. I suppose I just think that having opinions is the thing that makes us individual people, and if you are denied the option of having an opinion, then essentially you’re being told you’re not a person. It’s sort of like the point I made about the sit-in so long ago.

]]> By: your mom http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34602 your mom Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:48:17 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34602 thank you. We need to hear this (that's the professional side of me talking). I need to be reminded of a time I couldn't or didn't do enough to help you myself. One thing: we asked everyone on the unit I run if voting were of interest, we would help them get a ballot. There's a deadline for mail requests, and some of our patients are from out of county. For them, it's too late now, though it wasn't when we asked. For some, it's geography and timing. But I will remind our entire staff that any Johnson Co. resident should be given an opportunity to vote; there's satellite voting in the hospital all day. thank you. We need to hear this (that’s the professional side of me talking). I need to be reminded of a time I couldn’t or didn’t do enough to help you myself.
One thing: we asked everyone on the unit I run if voting were of interest, we would help them get a ballot. There’s a deadline for mail requests, and some of our patients are from out of county. For them, it’s too late now, though it wasn’t when we asked. For some, it’s geography and timing. But I will remind our entire staff that any Johnson Co. resident should be given an opportunity to vote; there’s satellite voting in the hospital all day.

]]> By: Chadwick http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34600 Chadwick Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:26:12 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34600 Oh Laura, what a difficult thing to go through. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm glad to know you and so glad that things got better. :) I'm voting early in just a few hours. Oh Laura, what a difficult thing to go through. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I’m glad to know you and so glad that things got better. :) I’m voting early in just a few hours.

]]> By: hermit greg http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34599 hermit greg Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:52:52 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34599 Ah, Laura, I agree with Megan, and I'll add: you must write more. Few people express citizenship as uniquely---and well---as you do. Ah, Laura, I agree with Megan, and I’ll add: you must write more. Few people express citizenship as uniquely—and well—as you do.

]]> By: Laura http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34596 Laura Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:31:34 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34596 You're welcome -- and thanks for reading. You’re welcome — and thanks for reading.

]]> By: Megan http://newrambler.net/ramblings/back/109/comment-page-1#comment-34595 Megan Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:13:23 +0000 http://newrambler.net/ramblings/?p=109#comment-34595 It's hard to put into words why, but thank you for this post. It’s hard to put into words why, but thank you for this post.

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