Do You Have A Story To Tell?

Almost everyone I know has a story they would like to tell. How many times have you heard: "You oughta write a book about that." It's not surprising to find a large number of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that are based on the author's personal life experiences - something about an event in their life or a tale about a grandmother who drove an oxcart to Texas or a relative who fought in the battle of the Alamo. The list goes on. I find myself calling on past experiences or on stories passed down over the years by family members when I write. In the novel, Return to Dos Encinos,  the heroine's life closely follows that of one of my grandmothers. Both were women's rights activists and suffragists.

I know of one author who found that telling stories to his dyslectic child years ago - as a part of the child's treatment - became the foundation for his writing children's books today, many of which have become award winning stories.

My advice to anyone who wants to tell their story: Start writing! Who knows where your beginning might lead you?

Later, if I receive positive feed-back on this message, I'll touch on how you begin.

Sentinel Events in a Hospital

     If you are unfortunate enough to have to be a patient in a hospital for any reason, you run a risk of being a victim of some twenty- eight occurrences that should never happen. Many of these mishaps are labeled Sentinel Events. The definition of Sentinel Events as defined by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations is:

     A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk therof.

     Listed below are some examples:

• Infant Abduction 
• Wrong Site Surgery
• Suicide
• Blood Transfusion Error 
• Medication Error
• Maternal Death

     What should you do?   Check the safety ranking of your hospital. Is it Joint Commission accreditated? Or is it on the Accreditation Watchlist with deficiencies that need correction? Get informed before you enter a hospital in your community.

     How do you check?     Internet:  www.jointcommission.org  Click on Sentinel Event. Click on statistics. If necessary, submit a question.

CODE PINK! Missing Children

CODE PINK! Missing Children

On Mother’s Day this year my thoughts turn to the many mother’s of abducted or missing children – 60,000 a year in the state of Texas alone. How devastated those mothers must feel at a time like this – a time when children shower their mothers with love and kisses, flowers, and candy.

Fortunately we do not have many newborn infants abducted from hospitals when they are only one and two days old. But it does happen. This year the abduction from a Lubbock, Texas hospital brought that fact to the stark realization of every media reader.

Every mother, mother-to-be, and every grandparent should inquire into what measures their hospitals take to prevent newborn abduction. It can happen in any hospital.

The frequency of missing and exploited children is everyone’s moral and ethical responsibility. Click on the web site for National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: www.missingkids.com. It’s an eye opener! When you see the pictures on the home page, click on more. It is heart rending..