Tip #382 Nutrition Nuggets; JELL-Oh

     Do you remember the old Bill Cosby Jello commercials? I was recently looking for Jello pudding pop recipes and stumbled onto a bunch of them on YouTube. And, as I remembered, they're very cute, and he is funny. What does Jello have anything to do with recovering from severe illness or trauma? Good question. Allow me to share with you my recent Jell - oh epiphany...
     You see, I fit into a small subset of people who have made a vow to never look at, taste, or even consider eating Jello ever again. No offence to the makers of Jello (Kraft), I don't think it has a single, solitary thing to do with the taste. No, I really don't. Just as the commercials are nostalgic, Jello is a reminder. The commercials take you back to time spent giggling in front of the TV as Bill Cosby does and says silly things while eating Jello  But the actual tangible Jello product takes you back to a very different time. It is a reminder.
     A reminder of what you ask? A reminder of being in the hospital and the feelings that come with severe illness and/or trauma. Jello seems to be a universal staple in every hospital in every country. BUT, and this is a good but... the type of Jello seems to be limited to the clear, slightly jiggly version. Why is this a good but? Because as it turns out, Jello has more products that are nothing like the jiggly version, and you can still do good things with it in the recovery world. Like making Jello instant pudding into pudding pops. A lot of people recovering from stroke, and those with abdomen or esophagus issues, or an inability to swallow certain textures, etc. are permitted to have Popsicles, and puddings too. Putting them together just makes it better!
    Again I say that it is not a good idea to start something new in your diet without consulting your dietitian, physician, or any other relevant team members. But if you can have pudding pops, we've been making a few versions here as of late and I have a few suggestions for you...

• Directions: Follow the Jello instant pudding directions on the box and fill the trays right away Or, do the same, but add real, genuine, not-the-fake-stuff maple syrup first... it's yummy. For that matter, you can add all sorts of flavours and colours, especially to the vanilla. Be creative!
• Freezing: If you can find a silicone ice cube tray, or puree tray (slightly bigger than ice cube tray (like this one at amazon.com) or a bigger, similar tray also at amazon.com or Dixie cups (small, waxy inside paper cups). Note, silicone makes it easier to get the pops out (can push up from bottom instead of breaking the handle by pulling it too hard).
• Handles: For smaller pops try toothpicks, or deli sandwich skewers; for larger use Popsicle sticks
• Whatever you are using for your handle (for lack of a better word), insert the handles after you put the plastic wrap (ie. saran) over the full tray. This way the sticks will stand up and stay that way until frozen.
• If you are using Dixie cups instead, each one should be covered with wrap, and then you may need to break the plastic a bit with the toothpick and then insert the Popsicle sticks. 

     As it turns out, I have found out that I really, really like Jello pudding! Why Jell-oh? Because this discovery has been filled with "Ohs" as in, "Oh, look at the kinds of pudding flavours they have - I thought there were chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch only," and "Oh, butterscotch tastes even better when you add maple syrup" and "Oh, wonderful! Jello now has single serving pudding powder packets, so when we make them, we don't have to have 30 pudding pops of the same flavour before the trays are empty and ready to use again."
     Who knew that I'd ever agree with Jello's slogan "There's always room for Jello?" I didn't. But there does seem to be room all of the time now...

 Happy Jell-oh-ing!

Tip #10 Frugal Fixes; The Case of the Coloured Baskets

     He knew she was lying; how could she have seen the man leave his house by the light of the moon as it was a new moon, and thus could not have provided any light...
     Okay, so I'd never make it as a novelist writing detective stories, but nonetheless I have helped solve a mystery or two in my time. I'm not talking about solving murders and robberies - but you knew that. No, it's the mysteries that revolve around medical events that have not yet happened; events avoidable if the right checks and balances are in place. What kind of events? Dangerous ones. Potentially harmful and even fatal ones; like medication errors.
     Medication errors are very easy to make in the home setting. This is especially true for people recovering from a traumatic injury or illness that now have a large number of medications to manage. In such a case as this, considering the kinds of things that can go wrong is a step in the right direction (without dwelling on it). If you want to avoid an incident of medication error, then consider the following (note, this is not an exhaustive list):
1) Who has access to said medications? Make sure no one accidentally takes medications meant for you - especially young children, someone with low vision, or someone who is easily confused.
2) Are there a number of people involved in your care? Make sure there are good protocols in place:

• Have them tell you the expiry date, and the name of the drug before handing it to you
• Give each med a "home" so they're easy to find, and use them in the order they came (oldest- but not expired, to newest)
• Have each person receiving a delivery from your pharmacy check that a) the med has your name, and b) the med is actually the one you ordered/reordered

3) Minimize mistaken identity issues between meds. There is a lot of room for error in this department. For instance, if you have two or more medications that come with nearly identical labels and/or packaging, VERY CLEARLY label them (in colour, or capital letters, etc)

4) Ensure that it is safe to have this medication (again) now. Each time you are about to take a med, make sure that you and/or your attendant look on the whiteboard (or however you track your meds) to note the last time you had this med, and that you are taking the right med in terms of your symptoms

      So where is the frugal fix in all of this? Using a basket system (as in the picture) makes it easier to accomplish most of the suggestions above. The blue, red, and brown baskets in the picture of the refrigerator collectively cost less than $10. In fact, most dollar-type stores carry them in varying sizes and colours for a dollar or two. If your meds don't need to be refrigerated, and/or require much smaller baskets, this system can still work, just don't use the fridge, and use size appropriate baskets. However, if you are going to adopt this system I suggest that you consider doing the following:

• Choose different coloured baskets for each med or group of meds
• Label the outside of the baskets with large lettering
• Place a a piece of brightly coloured card stock or cardboard to separate the current supply from the new refills within the basket. 
• Place stickers with the date of expiry written in colourful marker on any medications that have a very short shelf life (e.g. some IV meds come as seven IV bags that last only a week; in this case label each bag)
• Periodically review the system, to ensure that everyone is following the protocols the same way, and consistently.

     Not all of these issues and/or strategies may apply to you. Still, whether or not they apply I hope that this gets you thinking more critically about something we often forget to pay attention to - how dangerous meds can be if not administered properly. So, make friends with your pharmacist. When you look at your meds processes, make a plan that makes it hard to for you and/or others to make dangerous mistakes. Sit down with your caregivers/attendants to make sure that whatever system you've adopted, everyone knows the plan and how to carry out that plan. Implement whatever it is you need to in order to make you as safe as possible. Mistakes still happen, but I think they happen much less when you have all of your ducks in a row. Or, I guess in this case, all of your coloured baskets in a row...

Happy Detective-ing!

      

Tip #104 Choosing Cheer; Why Not Me?

"Why Me Lord, What have I ever done, to deserve even one...."

     Do you recognize the opening words of this song? It's a Johnny Cash song (and I do really love all Johnny Cash music I must confess) written by Kris Kristopherson. Although I do recognize those opening lines from when I was a little girl, I assumed they meant something they don't. You know what they say about assumptions don't you? To assume makes an a__(we'll say donkey) out of "u" and me... Well, consider me a donkey then because for the longest time I thought this song was a "Why Me" whine. 

     You know what I mean don't you? It usually starts with phrases like "Why did this have to happen to me of all people" or "What did I ever do to deserve this?" or "Why am I the unlucky one?" and my personal favourite (note the sarcasm), "It's not fair! Why me?" I've truly don't understand this phenomenon. My thoughts? When you say why me of all people, you're implying that it should be someone else. Who? I wouldn't wish all of this on another human being at all. Besides, what makes me any better than you? Nothing. So, why should it happen to you instead of me? It shouldn't. 

     And the whole it's not fair thing? Where did we ever get the idea that life is supposed to be fair? Where does the manual of life say that? If you step outside in a storm, do you expect it to rain only on people who are deserving enough to be rained on? Do you see little black clouds hovering over the heads of the people you consider nasty? Of course not. Now, if this has been your train of thought, and you're upset right now, please don't give up on me yet. It sucks that what has happened to you has happened to you, and the "why me" is a common reaction. I get that, but think that it's important for anyone who starts that way to move past it. We are all entitled to our own opinions, however, and I'm okay if you don't like mine - but please hear me out anyway...

      So, please don't mistake me - I think there's no shame in being upset that something not-so-good is happening to you. There is no shame in feeling angry or devastated that you've been injured physically or emotionally, or that you are frustrated beyond belief. And, there's nothing wrong with being upset that whatever trauma you've experienced is life changing, overwhelming and mind bending. Nope, no shame in any of it, and it should be expressed rather than bottled up inside you. It is actually a good sign if you are experiencing any of those emotions. It means you are human, and that you are not in denial, and most importantly, that you are trying to cope. Emotions aren't wrong, they are what they are. To me though, there is still a HUGE difference between expressing, acknowledging, being devastated and/or overwhelmed vs. the negativity of the why me whine.  It's the "you use more muscles to frown than smile" phenomenon - the why me whine requires more energy. 

     Okay, so remember I asked you to consider me a donkey because of my incorrect assumption? Well, I meant it and I'm glad to be donkey in this case! As it turns out, the song "Why Me Lord" has absolutely nothing to do with the why me whine. Nothing at all. Let me finish the first few lines now (and if you click this link you can see them all).  

Why me Lord? What have I ever done? 
To deserve even one of the blessings I've known.Why me Lord? What did I ever do?      That was worth love from You 

And the kindness You've shown.

I love it! It is actually a song about humility, and astonishment; that grace is freely given and love is unconditional. I'm so very glad that I was wrong! Now it's one of my favourite songs (and the fact that Johnny Cash sings it doesn't hurt at all :P )!

     Ultimately, I think what I am trying most to convey is that it is okay to be devastated about circumstances. Absolutely. I'm sorry you have to go through what you do. But if you can make a choice for the "Why NOT me" stance, then I think you might get farther in your recovery, in your relationships, and in your coping. Choosing to move over to the "Why not me" camp not only feels better, but saves significant amounts of energy that are otherwise expended on the seldom-explained answer of "why me?' Why spend your energy trying to figure out why something has happened to you in particular, instead of spending that same energy on the process of recovering emotionally, physically, and for many like me, spiritually as well? Why not try it? If it doesn't work, you can call me a donkey. I promise I won't mind:)!

Happy Why-Not-me-ing!