Taking Care

Adult nonfiction 

     A nurse saved my life.  

     My first childbirth could have been scripted by Stephen King.  I woke up thinking my water had broken.  Only there was blood everywhere.  I was instructed to go right to the hospital where I was in labor 16 hours until my blood pressure started plunging and they had to do an emergency c section.  A couple of days later I woke up sure I had an infection.  The doctor on rounds (the villain) said it was my imagination and made a snide comment to the doctorlings about first time mothers.

     You know what we're taught to do, accept that doctors know best.  I didn't.  I rang for the nurse (the hero) and asked her to take my vitals.  I was in the grip of a hospital acquired infection so aggressive that if I'd gone along with the doctor I wouldn't have survived.  I'm a big fan of survival.  I owe almost half of my nearly 72 years to a nurse.  My husband didn't lose his life partner.  Our two younger children, one of whom went on to save lives as an EMT, were able to be born.

     I am a big fan of nurses and of Sarah DiGregorio's Taking Care: The Story Of Nursing And Its Power To Change The World.  It's one of those rare books that I believe can engage both professionals and the rest of us.  I tore through it in a day because I couldn't put it down.

     The book starts off with the history of the profession.  A lot of people including me were taught that Florence Nightingale (the lady with the lamp) started the whole enterprise in the 19th century.  Actually there were nurses well before her time as in Bible times and before.  A lot of them were not privileged white ladies.  Indigenous people and people of color were rocking a lot of wisdom and knowledge.

     At the time of the Crimean War there were actually two competing paradigms.  Nightingale's basically replicated the the sexist, classic, and rigid hierarchy of the Victorian social order.  Mary Seacole's approach was more holistic and patient centered...

     ...not surprisingly Nightingale was practically sanctified and Seacole basically forgotten.

     After the history we learn about some of the amazing roles 21st century nurses play:

*in neighborhoods educating and treating people in familiar surroundings;

*in building community;

*in end of life care;

*in the fight for accessibility of birth control and abortion;

*in understanding and combating climate change; and

*In humanizing addiction treatment.

     In the final chapters we learn that when nurses someday win their battles for professional respect and safer working conditions we all will be a lot safer than we are now.

     If you're a nurse read the book.  If you're related to or friends with a nurse read the book.  If you have a human body with potential for illness and injury for sure read the book.  It needs to be in every college, university, and public library in this nation.  So if your library lacks it and you can afford to donate a copy please do so.  A lot of people will benefit from such a thoughtful gift.

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday my good friend, Mazie, took me to Sweet Frog to celebrate 🍾 my birthday early and catch up.  That was so much fun.  When we stopped at Goodwill I found something I'd been looking for for months--a Squishmallow big enough to be a pillow.  I'd wanted a new pillow but find traditional ones too hard.  I also found a package of adorable Christmas cards featuring cats and dogs.  I'll need them pretty soon. The kids have wisely decided to not have the get together this weekend.They're tentatively rescheduling it for the next weekend. (Jules)

Mazie is a good friend of the family.  We had a nice visit when she brought Jules home.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Mazie and to Amber, Katie, and Adam.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

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