BOOT in Northampton tonight!

If anyone is in the Western Mass area (413, what up!?) come check out BOOT and Friends. 


 BOOT is Amy "Butts" Koske, Mark Teffer, Scott Braidman and Rachel Braidman.

And the "friends," tonight are non other than yours truly plus Improv Boston's talented and lovely
 Rachel Rosenthal and Shannon Connolly.

I can't wait to get on stage with all these amazing people. You should probably come watch.

The show is at 7pm and costs $5.
Come to the old Dynamite Records space on the lowest level of Thornes Market.
(Use the door that faces the parking lot.) For those of you who didn't hang out in Northampton every weekend for four years or more: directions.

this is where your psych training comes in

The patient is digging around in her medication cup.

Patient: What's this pill?

Nurse: That's an ace inhibitor, it's for your blood pressure.

Patient: I told them I'm not taking that.

Nurse: You don't have to if you don't want to. May I ask why?

Patient: I've been sneezing a lot.

Nurse: Excuse me?

Patient: I've been sneezing.

Nurse: Do you think it's the blood pressure medication?

Patient: No. I've never tried it since they ordered it because I don't want to get even sicker.

Nurse: Ma'am, your blood pressure is dangerously high. If you take it we'll monitor you to be sure  that there are no adverse eff-

Patient: (staring at RN threateningly) Sure. I'm going to take it but if I die YOU are personally responsible.

Nurse: If you feel that strongly then I'd rather- (the nurse reaches out, but the patient swallows the pill)

Patient: Remember. Remember, if anything happens to me, it's your fault. It's on you.

As if we could forget.

H1N1 Update

The media may have backed off the story a bit, but H1N1 continues to be a problem in the U.S. Please, please get vaccinated, especially if you come in contact with people who are likely to have complications as a result of infection from this strain of flu. Remember, per the CDC, most of the deaths have been children and non elderly adults.

BHCHP is offering another public flu clinic on Wednesday, January 27th from 10am-1pm.

Jean Yawkee Place, 780 Albany St.

Please pass it on to anyone you know who may be at risk for spreading H1N1.

my city's still breathing but barely it's true

Wednesday was the kind of day at work where I suddenly would realize I'd been holding my breath and I wouldn't know for how long I had been doing it but how could I have possibly gone that long without taking a breath -

and then I would exhale. But then a little while later it would happen again. For twelve hours I had to keep reminding myself not to hold my breath.

Yesterday wasn't a much slower day. It became apparent even before 8:00am as I moved past another nurse in the hall.

"You just sighed," he pointed out, "everything ok?"

"Oh that, " I replied reluctantly, "that was just me breathing."

I got out of work late, tired but restless. I pushed through the throngs of people waiting outside of BMC for the bus and decided to walk to the next stop. Then the bus caught up but all those people from the BMC stop were already on it. So I kept walking. I missed two more buses and before I knew it I was at the Mass Ave bridge. It was now 5pm, and I had spent most of my walk talking on the phone to my mother.

I wondered if I had been breathing much. I guessed not.

So I stopped on the bridge. I put the phone away.

The sky to the East was a muted, periwinkle blue, but pearly and back lit, and it perfectly matched the color of the ice covering the Charles. Despite the wide semicircle of dark buildings dotted with glowing lights, splitting the sky from the water, it was possible to view the two as one entity. The regularity of the car lights coming and going against the neat rows of building lights gave the scene a methodical, orderly feel that was altogether reassuring. Still the effect of constant sparkling against the dark concrete and steel frameworks hinted of faery lights, mischief, and magic. The old John Hancock Building (now the Berkeley Building) lit its weather beacon as I watched lights turn off in the offices on floors below. Behind me the sunset was tinging the clouds light orange behind the Citgo sign.

I stood there for a very long time. In the middle of the city that I love, walkers, joggers and bicyclists passed me by. I put my hands on the railing and watched the ice and the sky fade at the same rate.

And I just breathed.

Stand With Haiti

Haiti Needs You

Please don't stop praying and donating. I know I sound like a broken record but I can not imagine how frustrating it must be save so many people from the wreckage only to lose them to infection because the antibiotic supply is so low right now. Please send money if you can.

Yesterday the aftershock took even more lives and created complications for rescue efforts.

Let's continue to stand in solidarity with Haiti and to offer them support as far reaching as we can afford.

Hope and Hope and Hope

All I want is healthcare and equal rights for everyone.

Today one of my coworkers pointed out that there's something very interesting about the result of last night's special senate election. Something almost inspiring. Brown deserves credit for running a much more successful campaign and for being the head of a small movement that made big waves. I have to give Massachusetts credit for voting for change. I was big on Change in 2008. I urged people to forget party lines and vote with their heads and their hope.
So I can't begrudge others the same mind set. I expressed this thought aloud at work.

"I can," piped up another nurse bitterly, eliciting scattered laughter. Everyone here seems to think healthcare reform died last night. It's a very somber day here. But I'm not giving up.

All I want is healthcare and equal rights for everyone.

I'm not giving up hope for those things, no matter what. I will continue to be a voice for those who don't have one. Brown, as he pointed out last night, is "everyone's" senator. Although that's already becoming a joke in my own household --

"Maybe you could rent a truck from home depot to go get the mattress."

"Maybe I'll just call Scott Brown."

he represents all of us, whether you picked him or not. Maybe this just means we're going to have to stop assuming our representatives know what we want and start telling them.

Brown could end up being a swing vote, after all. This may be an outcome far more in line with the way our government was intended to work.

I am being perhaps a bit naive, imagining that the GOP might not use Brown to block attempts at healthcare reform. Or more to the point that he might break from his party and they won't be able to. But I have hope, hope the size of mountains, that says maybe this won't be the end of progress on the reform front.

Government is imperfect. For someone like me politics are specifically tricky. As a "liberal" Catholic, or "religious" Democrat there are few things that actually please me. My faith isn't in government, it's in God. If I sound like I'm excusing myself from the entire democratic process, I don't mean to. I read, I vote and I yearn for progress. But I do so knowing that it's a never ending process. There will not be a day when everything falls into place and we can just stop hungering for a more perfect world. Not here anyway, and not because of anything we come up with ourselves.

All I want is healthcare and equal rights for everyone. I see no reason to declare those desires more impossible today than they were two days ago. Maybe less possible,

(because, yes, I understand what a filibuster-proof majority could have accomplished), but still not impossible. It may be splitting hairs, but what else am I going to use this tiny axe for?*

Because I could talk about this at great length but would rather move on to talking about Haiti, homelessness, my friend Pim, and videos of my favorite songs, I would like to offer my last thought on the subject for today.

We can only address the problems in our world one step at a time. The Massachusetts special senate elections results may appear to be a set back to some people, and a victory to others right now. But the future will hold many more opportunities for all of us to continue to stand up for what we believe in, one day at a time. Because that's what makes this country worth living in.

---------------------------------------------------

* get it? Because I'm so tiny, my axe must be tiny too. Oh, forget it.

Improv Asylum at the Hard Rock Cafe

Finally you can get your comedy fill while sitting underneath a vest worn by Jimi Hendrix!

For the next six weeks Improv Asylum's Hanover St. space will be undergoing construction to bring you a better bar, bigger bathrooms and an all around more awesome theater-going experience.

In the meantime ( Jan 21st through Feb 27th) we'll be doing our regular shows at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston.

Thursdays 8pm

Fridays 8pm and 10pm

Saturdays 7pm 9pm and 11pm

Directions are here.

You can check out all the details for tickets, bar info and parking validations here.

An important change is that all our shows at the Hard Rock Cafe are going to be 21+.

EDIT:  shows are now 18+

What are you waiting for? I know you've always wanted to see me and Madonna's underwear in the same room. Call or email me if after the show you want me to introduce you to
Bon Jovi,
Dan Faneuf.

Having A Dream

When I went to college my first major was Social Thought and Political Economy. My hunger and thirst for justice were fueled by one of the best teachers I had in high school, Judi Freeman. But my first sense of why I should care about the rights or lives of others came from my faith based upbringing.

I believe that we are all called by God to serve one another. Serving others is a common theme in several major world religions, leading me to believe that no matter which one you practice, we're probably all on the right track when it comes to that particular point.

Christians are taught that we're all different parts of one Body. We're each called to a unique and different vocation, and we are meant to utilize our own gifts as well as we can so the body is complete. It follows, although this is not part of the verse I am thinking of, that different parts of the body should protect and care for one another. I use my hands to wash my face, my nose stops me from eating rotten foods in my fridge (or purse), and if my immune system starts to attack me instead of intruders, there's a serious problem.

It's an analogy that works well for most non Theists too, I think. The reason I should care about your lot in life is because ultimately your lot and mine are inextricably connected.

I left the Social Justice and Political Economy program because during my dad's illness (and after his death) it became increasingly necessary for me to do something immediate and tangible to save people. "I needed to get my hands dirty," was often how I'd answer the unavoidable questions from professors about my change of heart. When I made that (admittedly rash) decision to change my course of study I had no idea how hard the next four years would be. I also didn't know how much being a nurse would change and shape the way I view the world every single day. I don't regret that decision one bit.

Still, when I made that decision I also left behind a wonderful network of people who really do believe that they can make a difference and leave the world a better place than when they got here. I miss that zeal. I miss rising to meet the challenge of making change happen. I miss the implicit expectation within that community of rising above selfishness and apathy. Every day.

I am humbled by the perseverance of those who dedicate their lives to human rights.I am floored by the hope that they carry like a lamp for the rest of us.

Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Let's also celebrate the lives of all those who have given themselves in the constant struggle for justice and equality. While we're at it, let's celebrate each other for the fullness of life we bring to one another and to the world when we act out of love instead of hate. Let's celebrate how far we've come, and let's vow to go even further. Let's celebrate God. And Love. And let's vow to use our own unique gifts to fill the world with beauty, peace and compassion.

Medical volunteering in Haiti

Partners in Health (PIH), and Doctors without Borders (MFS) both have medical personnel ready to deploy at a moment's notice for disaster response.

I am not part of any agency that would have sent members to Haiti during this time. But it's not surprising to have heard several people from various local public service roles wonder if there is something they can do that's more active than sending money.

The more I settle into my identity as "nurse," the harder it is to not imagine myself responding in person to emergencies of this magnitude.

I have since been convinced that the most useful thing any of us can do is send money right now.

However, as Deval Patrick mentioned at the meeting on Wednesday night, a time may come when more volunteers are recruited for various relief efforts in Haiti.

For any of you who may be interested in that you can contact Richard Chacon, Director of the Office for Refugees and Immigrants, through Deval Patrick's office at 617. 725. 4000.

You can also call the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency at any time by dialing 211.

As always, it's a number you can call to get critical information about human and health services (like "where can I bring this confused old lady I just found?") or to obtain information during a disaster or public emergency.

You can use this service to inquire about smaller groups being organized for relief work (if and when that phase of response comes about).

Until then please send all the money and prayers you have.

Relief for Haiti

I was pouring medications at my med station when I heard a cell phone ring.

Looking up and expecting a patient, I was surprised to see a coworker grab at her pocket and bring a phone up to her ear without even looking at the number on the screen.

"Hello!" she started. then silence. "Mmmhmm," she said, and then, "Ok. Ok. Ok."

This particular co worker is a wonderful and hard working nurse for whom patients always come first, so her answering a personal call in the hallway was an immediate red flag.

"Are you ok?"

"No," she said, putting the phone away, "my entire family is in Haiti." And then, "I haven't heard from anyone."

She spent the shift quietly working with her patients; I thought I heard her sniff once, but I looked over and she was bent over a set of orders.

As we sat having lunch she showed me photos on Facebook of her home town, destroyed.

"I went to school there," she said pointing to a once cheerful blue and white building covered in dust. The building's roof was completely caved in.

"I hope the nuns are ok. That's where they lived."

We stared at the photo, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

All over our building, all over our program, all over the city and state, people tried to carry on their days here while their hearts and thoughts were miles away in Haiti.

I know some of you have already gotten this information from Twitter, Facebook or CNN.com or wherever, but for the sake of organizing I thought I'd engage in some repetition.

Money, money money. Money is what is needed the most right now. Money to fuel the organizations that specialize in relief action. At the meeting held last night at Holy Cross, the resounding themes from every speaker were patience, prayer and money. There will be a time soon for canned goods and food, and even for more volunteer groups to deploy, but right now, money is the biggest need.

The problem is there are a lot of places that are asking for money right now.

So which ones do you pick?

The important thing is to try to channel funding into the most useful organizations. The programs with the infrastructures most suited to immediate action.

The Mayor's office distributed a list of the most useful places to donate at this time. These organizations are reputable, powerful and your money will be put to immediate and efficient use:

The Red Cross (website or text "HAITI" to 90999 to charge $10 to your cell phone)

Yele Haiti (website or text "YELE" to 501501 to charge $5 to your cell phone)

Partners in Health (through their website)

Catholic Relief Services (through their website or during Masses in Boston upcoming weekends)

Additionally, Mayor Menino has established a Haitian Family Relief Fund at Bank of America. You can make donations directly to the fund through Bank of America or through The Fund for Boston Neighborhoods, Inc, at City Hall.

I think that in situations like this it's rare that there's a whole lot we can do. And of course we all want to do something, but it's paralyzing to think that it wouldn't be enough anyway.

However in this case I am convinced that our pocket change will make a remarkable difference in the outcome of this first critical stage for life saving efforts. There are so many people willing to help with search and rescue, and all they need is our financial support to facilitate their aide. So let's do it.

..if you just smile

Tom's of Maine is one of my favorite companies because I have loved their products for years and I love their commitment to community. As many of you may already know from talking to me or browsing through Facebook, right now Tom's is getting ready to grant five different clinics a $20,000 sponsorship. And they have decided to let communities vote to determine the recipients.

You can go onto their website every day from now until March 12th and vote for up to five different clinics.

Annnd... (here's where I come in) the dental clinic of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless is one of the clinics in the running. Specifically, they are being considered for their initiative to create more support for HIV/AIDS and Diabetic patients.

BHCHP has been targeting the oral health of homeless men, women and children since 1985.

As of right now they have two locations (Pine Street and Jean Yawkey Place) where our patient population can easily access comprehensive dental services from cleanings to denture fittings.

If our dental clinic is awarded the sponsorship they'll be able to hire a new dental assistant who will be specifically working to provide fluoride treatments and oral hygiene education to patients with HIV, AIDS, and diabetes who are at risk for serious health complications otherwise.

This paradigm shift towards primary preventative healthcare would be huge in stopping very avoidable oral health issues from snowballing into major medical problems.

Please. Please. Please. Take the time to go vote for BHCHP. And maybe a couple other clinics whose ideas you like, too. And remember you can vote every day, for up to five different places.

This kind of financial support in the hands of the dedicated programs listed on the Tom's website can only lead to good things happening for quality, accessible care.

where is your hope, sister?

Once, I stopped my busy work day just to watch a man change his own stump dressing.
It took a long time.
But I did it because it restored all of my hope.

Stringer Bell and the Merry Christmas Elf

The Tuesday after Christmas my boss told me the following story:

"We were all pretty sure two of the patients were involved in some drug dealing. We even got a tip that one of them had passed something to the other in the coffee room.

"So we went to the security desk, and rolled back the tapes to the right time. It was myself, the security guard, and the team nurse.
We found them both on the tape, in the same room. As we watched one of them approached the other slowly. Something was pulled out of a pocket, and just as they were about to make contact what do you think happened?"

I shook my head.

"We saw a small elf dance her way into the room, jingle bells flying... and she got right in the middle of the drug deal. "

I started to laugh, but only because my boss was laughing.

"I mean.. you didn't walk into the room. You were DANCING. In an ELF COSTUME. And the two patients turned away from each other to look at you. You had to see their faces. And we just couldn't stop laughing.
It was unbelievable. Only at McInnis."

2010

Happy New Year, everyone!
I'm on vacation for five days.

Now that's starting the year right.