IN THIS ISSUE
What's News at Guardian Nurses?? Good Grief!!
Kudos to Alison Christy, RN
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What's New at
Guardian Nurses
Buy Your Pre-Release DVD Today!
Those of you following The Flame know that the critically acclaimed full-length documentary,"Nurses:
If Florence Could See Us Now"
has been touted here. Many of you have expressed interest in purchasing the film. Well, now you can! And at a discount. 
Purchase the Home Video DVD as gifts for your neighbors, staff, family and friends!!! This is a special opportunity to pre-purchase copies of the DVD for home use at a discounted price prior to the film going on sale to the general public on April 30th. DVDs will ship mid-April---just in time for Nurses' Week!!!!
Order your DVD and say THANK YOU to your favorite nurse!
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Listen for Our Spots on WHYY-FM
Believe it or not, Guardian Nurses is gearing up for our 10th ANNIVERSARY in October!! My how time flies when you're having lots of fun!
To celebrate, among other things, we're launching a six-week campaign on 90.9 FM, WHYY in Philadelphia. The spots will begin to air on Monday, March 4th and run through Sunday, April 14th.
Let us know you heard about us
on WHYY!
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Kudos to
Alison Christy, RN
This month, Alison Christy, RN, one of our highly competent nurse advocates, worked on an insurance case for a patient who had paid $14,000 out of pocket for his surgery. He expected to get back most of that investment once his insurance claim was submitted. Imagine his surprise when he received just $1200 back from the insurance company! Despite his best efforts with the insurance company, he gave up and called Guardian Nurses. Thanks to Alison's work, he will be receiving additional money from his insurance company. And, even better, we were also able to eliminate more than $40,000 in additional charges that could have been his responsibility. The moral of this story? When insurance companies confound you, call Guardian Nurses!  Congratulations, Alison, on a
job well done!
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It's February and in case you haven't heard, it is heart month--not just because Valentine's Day is on the 14th. Rather than review the good things you can eat to maintain a healthy heart, or the exercises you can do to improve your heart's function, we thought we'd try a different topic as it relates to your heart.
Many of you have heard or even used the term "broken heart" or 'heartbroken." Both are common metaphors used to describe the emotional pain or suffering someone feels after losing a loved one, whether through death, divorce, breakup, physical separation, betrayal, or rejection.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, there actually IS a cardiac condition known as "broken heart syndrome." It is a temporary heart condition brought on by stressful situations, such as the death of a loved one.
People with broken heart syndrome may have sudden chest pain or shortness of breath, and think they're having a heart attack. These symptoms may be brought on by the heart's reaction to a surge of stress hormones. (There goes those hormones again!) The condition was originally called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Today, it's referred to as stress cardiomyopathy or stress-induced cardiomyopathy.
But enough about REAL cardiology! In this issue of
The Flame, we offer ten suggestions to mend a broken heart and experience what we would like to call "Good Grief!
 Thanks for reading,
Betty Betty Long, RN, MHA President Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates |
Good Grief!
Mending a broken heart is not easy. Losing someone close to you hurts regardless of how it happens. There is no quick way to stop your heart from aching or hurting. But grieving, and feeling the pain, can be therapeutic. So, we're calling it Good Grief!
1. Go Through It, Not Around ItThe most difficult task for a person with a broken heart is to stand still and feel the crack. But that is exactly what must be done. There are no shortcuts. As one therapist said, "Go through it. Not around it." 2. Detach Attempting to fill the emptiness yourself is what detachment is all about. No doubt you'll miss your loved one, and you may feel that you'll never be the same without him, but you trust that you will be whole again. 3. Find and Identify Your StrengthsYou are not just your grief. You are much more. Some therapists have suggested that by listing your strengths you can move on from the sadness and try to be a productive, engaged person again. If listening to the Rocky theme helps, turn it up and start writing! 4. Help Someone ElseTurning your attention to another person, especially someone who is struggling, allows you to forget about your pain for a split moment, maybe longer. And some days, that might be just the miracle you need. 5. Laugh. And Cry.Most of us know that a good laugh is very therapeutic, but so is a good cry. University of Minnesota biochemist William Frey has spent close to 17 years studying tears. Among his findings is that emotional tears, as opposed to tears of irritation---like when you cut an onion, contain toxic biochemical byproducts. So, crying removes these toxic substances and relieves emotional stress. Get the Kleenex!
6. Make a Good List and a Bad List.
Know which activities make you feel good and which ones will make you feel bad. And you may not know which is which until you start trying things. Try to stay away from the things that make you feel bad and try to do the things that make you feel good!
7. Work it Out
On many levels, exercising is good for you. But when grieving, it may be even more important. Exercise increases the activity of serotonin and/or norepinephrine which are neurotransmitters that among other things, influence sleep, mood, appetite and alertness. So, working out may help lighten your pain a little.
8. Create a New World
Think about moving forward with new activities, like a class or learning how to play an instrument, maybe a new book club. Consider friendships or activities that may not be helpful during your grieving and take a break from them while you're still tender.
9. Remember Hope.
The aching emptiness following you around after a loss might feel like it will be with you forever, but one day, you'll smile again. And you'll feel lighter. Hope is about believing that your sadness can evaporate.
10. Love Again.
Loving someone and losing them, either through death or other means, can be devastating. And grief can be ugly. But the heart is meant to be used. And people are meant to be connected. So try not to shut off your heart. It is a muscle, after all, and needs to be used and enjoyed! Give yourself time to grieve and get back in the game of life!
To all of Guardian Nurses' friends, family members, colleagues, clients, and patients experiencing the loss of someone they loved, we send you our deepest condolences, our warmest thoughts and our best wishes for good grief! |
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