Adult Separation Anxiety?

Wow, we did it! Our oldest daughter graduated high school this spring and we dropped her off at college this month! There are so many emotions to deal with and I feel like no one prepared me for this moment.

At first, I was ecstatic and proud that our baby girl graduated and matured into a beautiful and intelligent young woman. As time drew nearer for college move in day, I felt anxious! You know the normal worries that moms have about their babies going into the world. Will she be safe on campus? Will she eat right or eat enough? What if she meets people that don’t have her best interest at heart?

College move in day was exciting, exhausting, and depressing all at the same time! That hug goodnight when we left the dorm almost took me out!! The tears just kept flowing! I was leaving my baby in the hands of adult strangers miles away from home. How could I do such a thing? What happens next? Our home won’t be the same without all of us in it.

After a week, my nerves began to get better. Listening to my daughter’s excitement as she described her orientation week and social activities brought everything full circle. We had raised her for this very moment. To spread her wings, get her education, be a productive member of society, and do the things that she loves!

Parents, it is alright to be emotional during your child’s transition into adulthood. You may experience transient anxiety or depression and this is natural. However, if you find yourself losing interest in things you normally love doing, feeling down or depressed most of the days, having a poor appetite, difficulty sleeping, or having thoughts of harming yourself or others, please reach out for help! You may contact your primary care provider, a mental health professional, or call/text 988 the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.

Love,

Nurse Neesy💕

Happy Nurse’s Month!

Thanks for all you do! The long days and nights, sore bodies, and wearing multiple hats when caring for patients does not go unnoticed. You are very much appreciated!

Mental Health Help

Photo Credit: American Heart Association

Mental Health Check In

Photo Credit: https://newsroom.pcschools.us/may-is-mental-health-awareness-month/

Spring has sprung and most of us have completed our spring cleaning. May is here and it’s mental health awareness month. Let’s take a time out and make sure that we are OK. Check in with that one person you know who is the “strong one.” Call your family and friends to make sure they are doing alright mentally. Yes, even children should have mental health checkups! There is no shame in seeking help for our mental health. If we don’t care for ourselves we can not be available physically or mentally for others that we love ❤️.

Photo credit: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/

Photo Credit: https://www.crisistextline.org/

Please contact your primary care provider or specialist if you are in need of help. There are also crisis hotlines available via text or phone. Please don’t suffer in silence. #mentalhealthmatters

-Love Nurse Neesy

Beginning of Black History Month

Credit: NAACP.org

Suicide Prevention Month

Photo Credit: Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Have you taken a moment to check on your family and friends? How about checking on the “strongest person that you know?” They need to be checked on as well. We have all been trying to get through this pandemic while still going to school, working, and taking care of home. Stress, anxiety, and depression levels have skyrocketed! Take time out each day for a “mental moment.” Meditate, go for a walk, listen to music, paint, etc. Engaging in these types of positive coping skills can help improve your mental health. If you find yourself participating in negative coping behaviors, please seek help from a mental health professional. There is no shame in doing so!

#InThisTogether

#endthestigma

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday. I know it has been a rough year dealing with politics and the pandemic, but find time to enjoy your family and give thanks! Please remember to keep the well-being of your elderly and ill family members in mind as you celebrate. Spread love, not germs.

Quarantined…Now What?

It has been two weeks since we have been quarantined and surprisingly I haven’t lost my mind! Homeschooling my children has not been that bad considering I have one child in elementary, one in middle, and another in high school. The assignments have actually been fun and I only need to get them refocused a few times out of the week. School for them has been suspended until the end of April, but I doubt that they will return for the rest of the year.

Cooking has been fun and creative! I have been hesitant to allow my family to eat out with this pandemic, so whatever they are craving as far as takeout, we make ourselves! Hubby and the kids practiced baking a cake for my birthday next week and it actually turned out great! My birthday…sigh. I turn the big 40 next week and my girlfriends and I had a birthday bash planned for this weekend, I was actually supposed to be in Miami today! Well, that’s been canceled, thank you Covid-19!

On the health front, my family has been taking their vitamins, exercising, practicing good hand hygiene, social distancing, and cleaning/disinfecting our home. We come outside in our front or back yard to get fresh air and exercise. Hubby and I only venture out to the pharmacy or grocery store for necessities, since I stocked the pantry a week before being placed on quarantine. My “mommy senses” told me to do it.

Watching news stories about my fellow nurses and healthcare personnel have been very disheartening! Hospitals have been running out of rooms and ventilators for patients, and there is a shortage of personal protective equipment. There are not enough testing kits to diagnose patients either! Ambulatory practices are being exposed because patients are coming in saying that they have one set of symptoms but they actually want to be tested for the coronavirus!

Healthcare workers have been working in deplorable conditions, to say the least. I just saw a New York article today that my brother-in-law sent showing nurses in New York protecting themselves with trash bags! My girlfriend shared an article about nurses in California being told that they will be fired for wearing their specially fitted N95 masks! Are you kidding me! There are so many “unknowns” with the Covid-19 coronavirus, and I feel that we were not prepared here in the United States.

I will continue praying for the families of those healthcare workers on the front lines who’ve lost their lives taking care of their communities. I pray for those who are still active in the trenches fighting the good fight! Thank you! I also pray for you reading this blog post. May God protect you and your families during these uncertain and ever-changing times.

Go Red For Women Day!

Just dropping a friendly reminder that tomorrow February 7, 2020, is National Wear Red Day! We join together to bring awareness and to help fight against heart disease and stroke.

Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in women. Did you know that cardiovascular diseases kill a woman about every 80 seconds? That’s mind-blowing!! Ladies, I know that we are busy with our careers, being mothers, and wives, but when will you make time for you? If we don’t take care of ourselves both physically and mentally, how can we be there for the ones that we love?

High blood pressure and cardiovascular disease are hereditary in my family. To help reduce my cardiovascular risks I have stopped eating meat (besides lean/ heart-healthy fish), reduced stress, and started exercising regularly. What will you do to prevent your risks?

For more information on warning signs of heart attack, stroke, or how to donate to the American Heart Association, please visit:

https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/about-us/heart-attack-and-stroke-symptoms

Nurses: It’s OK to be Scared!

It was 2014, and I was working in an internal medicine office. Suddenly, a patient walked in with complaints of fever, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting! The patient reported that they had just returned from Africa a week ago, and that’s when the office felt like it stood still! Although all clinical staff completed an in-service about the Ebola virus, we were all terrified! Yes, we were all professional and took care of the patient, however, the fear of possibly contracting the virus still crossed our minds.

Recent news reports about the coronavirus have lots of people panicking, which is to be expected. However, as healthcare professionals, people depend on us for healthcare information and proper care. So is it alright for you as a healthcare team member to be scared in certain situations? Yes, it is! We are all human and you will encounter anxiety or fear about working with patients who are diagnosed with certain viruses or diseases. What matters is what you do when you encounter them!

Remember that you have been trained to critically think and handle challenging situations within healthcare! You stay current on evidenced-based practices, know what type of precautions to take, and which personal protective equipment to don. Most importantly, you know how to treat your patient as a person and not the virus or disease that they were admitted with!

The next time that you feel frightened when caring for a certain population of patients, just remember that those feelings are absolutely normal! Take a brief moment to regroup, let that healthcare training kick into high gear, and go save those lives!