Perinatal Loss Support Group

The hospital where I work has an excellent support group for people who have experienced the death of an infant. You do not have to deliver where I work to be able to join the group. The group alternates in English and Spanish. The English group starts in September. If you live in the area and are in need of support this may be the place for you. See below for more information or feel free to email me or leave a comment. I am supportive of this program for I know that it helps those who do attend...

Always Together

Perinatal Bereavement Support Group

The goal of this group is to provide support to parents facing infant loss and help them strengthen their spirit in a safe and compassionate environment.

The support group is FREE of charge to the community and will meet once a week for 8 consecutive weeks during the following dates of 2011:

Thursday, September 01st

Thursday, September 08th

Thursday, September 15th

Thursday, September 22nd

Thursday, September 29th

Thursday, October 06th

Thursday, October 13th

Thursday, October 20th

Sessions will be held from 6:00 to 7:30 PM

Place: Sister Francis Dunn Building, Room # 3

1100 W. Stewart Drive, Orange, California 92868

For additional information or to register, please call Marjorie Mac Donald, MSW

(714) 771-8000 Ext. 13295

New Hope Grief Support Community 3443 San Anseline Ave., Long Beach, CA 90808

(562) 429-0075 www.newhopegrief.org info@newhopegrief.org

~Debbie~

The Help

I read the book when it came out and this weekend Erika and I had a mother - daughter date and went to see the movie.

It was very good.

Well, not quite as good as the book but I will probably buy the DVD version when it is released. It is so hard to imagine that people actually lived like these black housekeepers did. In our country. And not so long ago.

I grew up with, and still have, many black friends. When I was in high school, I played on a field hockey team that only had two white girls on the team. So to see a film where the was such division is a little foreign to me. I know that it was and probably still is like this in many areas of our country. But, to me, they were all my friends. There were no differences based on skin color. I am glad that I was able to grow up in an area that is so diverse. It has helped me be a nurse that can give care ~ regardless of race or status.

Being a bit of a rebel that I am, I think I would have been like Skeeter. I would have been looking for the truth and trying to make a difference. I could never see myself as one of the bridge club players or having a maid to raise my children. I'd be the one trying to expose the lies of that time...

If you want to see a good chick flick - The Help is one to see.

~Debbie~

Just a Dream

Have you ever had one of those dreams that seems so real that when you wake up you can't shake it??

Well, I had one of those.

I haven't been sleeping well lately (yes, I'm in that age where hormones start to go wacky again). I seem to be able to fall asleep but wake up and spend most of the night watching the clock. So, I have been using a little unasom or Tylenol pm to help me get some decent rest.

And I know that I have been a little stressed with Dad having surgery, Mom having some weird kidney problem, and other family things. I am the one in the family who tends to worry about all of the family members. I know it is the nurse in me. The one who wants to fix everything and make it all better.

So, I had this dream last night....odd thing was that in my dream my parents still lived on the old street that we grew up on (they haven't lived there for 20 years!!).

In my dream, my younger sister had a suspicious growth on an ultrasound or something. She is taken to surgery where they find cancer every where and just close her back up. They tell me there is nothing they can do and I feel that I have to find a way to get her home. There is no way I'm going to let her stay in the hospital so I start formulating a plan as to how to get her home where I can care for her as she is dying. My mom and I consult with a neighbor who have their dying daughter at home.

I fight to wake up...

I think, "wow, where did that dream come from?"

I have been "off" all day...disturbed and worried.

I finally texted my sister while she was at work - asking if she was ok. "You are not sick or anything are you?" I tell her I had such a strange dream about her. "like a cold or what?" she asks. "Naw, I say - no worries...just wanted to be sure you were ok and encourage you to get any unusual symptoms checked out."

She responds back ~ "Yes, dear"

I know that it was just a dream, but is sure seemed real!

Maybe I need a vacation!

~ Debbie ~

Final Surgery

Dad has had his final surgery (we hope) for his cancer on his nose.

I am so comforted knowing that my friends are giving him the best care that he can receive. It makes it easier for me to watch him be wheeled off to surgery knowing that his doctors and nurses are people who I care about and care about me and my family. I know that they will treat him as one of their own.

He normally has the same anesthesiologist (whom we all love!)

His plastic surgeon is the sweet, tiny, unassuming young lady. She wouldn't let us take photos of her...even when we promised we wouldn't post any on the internet. She is one of the best plastic surgeons around but is not pompous or arrogant. She is like family now to us and they all love my dad. They say he is "so calm and easy going". The anesthesiologist said we could "probably just give him a stick to bite on." I just tell them that Dad has always been like this. But as someone who works in the patient care industry it is nice to have easy going patients on occasion.

Dad is going to heal up just fine. He already looks so much better without the nose flap and you you can hardly see the scar that crosses his entire forehead. The plastic surgeon will probably still thin out the nostril area where the graft was done. First he has to undergo some radiation treatments. Once we see how that affects things then his plastic surgeon will clean it up just a bit. She said that could be done in the office though, using local anesthetic.

Here's a picture of my Dad in the recovery room...smiling just an hour post-op!

I am glad this part of his treatment is behind us. I love you dad and am glad you are healing up well! Can't wait to see what it all looks like 6 months from now.

Dad - you are a rock star and a hero in my book!

Love you bunches, Debbie

Perinatal Hospice

I ran across this video tonight while I was doing some research. It explains a bit about the type of work that I do and rationale for this work. Yes, it is sometimes emotionally draining ~ but it is oh so important.

Be sure to silence my playlist down below so the two sounds don't compete with each other.

A Compliment

Tonight in class we were handed back two of our papers.

The instructor says to me, "You need to be in grad school."

I asked her what made her say that and she said that my papers were so well written, so well thought out and were of "grad school quality." She said I had an excellent writing talent.

She also said that those that God gives a talent to should not waste that talent...

I will take that as a compliment and will think about going to grad school - have to finish my BSN first!

~ Debbie ~

She's a Grandma

My good friend Lori has joined the ranks of grandma-hood!!

Her daughter, Brittany, gave birth to a little baby boy and he is just absolutely precious.

We went over to visit and snuggle ~ I love, love, love newborns. It just never gets old for me.

But we didn't get to hold him long. Like many newborns he wanted to eat and be with his mommy.

Welcome to the world baby Kaden! Your grandma and I are going to have so much fun playing with you. Thanks for making her a grandma. She is so loving and kind and will spoil you rotten. You are lucky to have her as your grandma and I am lucky to have her as my friend!

~ Debbie ~

Hats for Hannah

Do you know any one who is having a baby?

These little hats sure make cute gifts.

They are made by a mother who was expecting a little girl, to be named Hannah. In honor of that little girl she makes these very sweet hats.


Check out her website - hats for hannah.com

Debbie ~