Saturday, May 21, 2011

Military Widow Katie Hubbard's Love Story


James and I met at his civilian job (he was in the Army Reserves for the last 28 years of his career) at a jail. He was a supervisor on first shift, and I was a newly hired correctional specialist on second, but did all my overtime on first. The first time I met him, I was intrigued. What a good looking man! The first week I was there in training (the last part of March 2005), the supervisors were undergoing taser training. He got teased and sounded just like Chewbacca. It cracked me up and became an easy way to tease him.

We started talking when I did my overtime as I was usually a rover (not assigned to a module and therefore had direct communication with the supervisors) and we got along quite well. That July he asked me to come over to watch a movie on my days off. I agreed but we weren’t able to exchange numbers until the next week due to an incident that came up right then. So on July 26, 2005 I came over to his house to watch a movie and hang out. I knew then there was something between us. We started talking everyday after that and were together. Though we couldn’t be open about our relationship at the time.

Through our talks, I learned a lot about him. He was raised in Georgia, where he attended an all black school before integration happened. He was then drafted at the age of 20 in September 1972. He signed his enlistment papers Oct. 24 of that year and stayed on Active Duty until Sept. of 1980 when he switched over to the Army Reserves. Feb. 2003 he was called up as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 1 with the 450th Movement Control Battalion out of Manhattan, KS. He was based out of Talil, Iraq, though traveled throughout the country. He came home March 2004 and his blood work was crazy! They told him to see his civilian provider and so he did and was sent to a blood specialist.

The specialist monitored his blood work, but never really said much to him. During this time issues of post traumatic stress disorder arose and he was VERY angry. He was able to control it a bit as time went on, but the issues were still there. He was monitored for a few months then let go with no further information given. When we met in 2005, he was doing better, but certain things were triggers for him. He was still very physically fit, especially for a man in his mid 50s and was able to keep up with this young 20’s girl! As our relationship grew, his ability to run was getting harder and harder and he struggled with it. We chalked it up to his age (he was 53 when we first met) and didn’t think much about it.

In Feb 12, 2007 we went and got legally married, and 7 weeks later on April 7 had our wedding. He was set to deploy with the 139th Medical Group out of Independence, MO to Kosovo as part of Task Force Med Falcon XIV, KFOR9 that summer. He started trainings and deployed late summer. He was in Kosovo until July 2008. During this time he mentioned how “humping those hills” over there was taking his breath away. When he got home, we figured his fatigue was due to age, the time and altitude changes, and didn’t think much of it. We were newly weds, he was healthy (never taking a pill), and we had plans. He went to the VA hospital that Sept. to begin post deployment check-up.

After a few appointments they did blood work. A couple days later we were called and told he needed to come back that the test results were odd and wanted to repeat them. When those results came back they called panicked saying that he needed to come in right then and may be hospitalized! We were confused! He being who he was said he’d come in a few days later. When we did they had us see a hematologist who stated that his counts were low and they wanted to schedule a bone marrow biopsy. The doctor said he thought it was most likely a parasite, but a slim chance for cancer, but if it was it wasn’t the bad kind (is there such a thing as a good cancer?). They wanted to do the biopsy the next weekend, but he had a military thing with the Brigade’s General and said they’d have to wait until he got back.

So on the anniversary of 36 years of service he had his biopsy. We were told we’d hear back in 3 weeks the results. So on Nov. 14, 2008 we were called into the room and the doctor said he had Leukemia, but they weren’t sure if it were Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia or Bi-lineagal Acute Mylogenous Leukemia. We were in shock! He had no family history of any cancers! The doctor said that they were seeing an increase in the number of soldiers coming back from Iraq with Leukemia's and other cancers and that based on his history (the funky blood work, where he was based, his age, and the type of cancer) that he got his cancer from his tour in Iraq!

Our world was rocked to the core! How could this be?!?! So we fought to use his civilian insurance because the VA they wanted us to use was unacceptable! The doctor wouldn’t answer questions, he told me not to ask things, and the place was just not good. They only gave a 60% survival rate too. So we got to MD Anderson in Houston, TX and met with the doctor in Feb. 2009. She gave him a 90-95% survival rate! We were hopeful that this was the path we were meant to be and that we could really start our lives together. We started treatment the next week. When we started treatment he had 85% leukemia blasts in his blood. After cycle 2, he was down to 0.6%!! In cycle 4 the doctor said that after cycle 5 we would do another biopsy and if his levels were 0.00% then no transplant would be needed, anything higher and he would. They also changed his antibiotic that cycle. When we saw the doctor on May 19, I expressed my concern with his severe diarrhea and the doctor said take more Imodium and see you in a few weeks. We came home like we did after every cycle.

On the 21st I went to see my dad and James stayed home as he was exhausted as normal. I came home that afternoon and James asked me to hurry home as he had an accident and needed help. I helped clean him up, got him some applesauce to eat and some water to drink and brought it to him. He fell over on the bed and just wasn’t right. I called 9-1-1 and they arrived shortly after. While waiting for them, I took his hand, told him I loved him and not to leave me. That I couldn’t live without him. EMS arrived and I explained the situation and told them he wanted to live!!! As soon as they kicked me out of our room, he stopped breathing and they began working on him. I was looking for his med list and just going crazy.. Having my heart beat out of my chest, breaking with every beat. One of the workers came downstairs to go to the ambulance to get something and I stated “He’s not breathing is he?” and the guy said no. I knew he was gone. They brought him downstairs and out to the ambulance and they left for the hospital, leaving me to follow in my own vehicle!

I got to the hospital and was prevented from going into the ER. The doctor came and asked me a few questions while I registered him. A few minutes later he came and told me he was gone. He tried asking more things and all I kept saying was could I be with him. I went into the room and sat there with my handsome husband. My world crashing all around and my future was black. As I sat there with him waiting for my family and having to call his grown sons to let them know the horrible news, our life flashed in front of me. At 6:10pm on May 21, 2009 my husband was pronounced dead. The following days the arrangements were made, the house cleaned, and the funeral planned. He left behind his sons, Ja'Vaughn and Ashton, and grandson Keegan after serving 36 years, 6 months, and 27 days in the military with no breaks in service.

Our Featured Artist - Ms Alison Carney

Ms. Alison Carney performed at our First Annual Mother's Day Brunch, Sunday, May 8, 2011 at The Front Page in Arlington, Virginia. She invited her Mother and Grandmother to the brunch; Alison was raised by a wonderful single mother who loves and supports her. Look for more of Alison she is performing at our Second Annual Project Impact Scholars Benefit Gala, Saturday, October 15, 2011.


About Alison

Alison Carney is a jack of all trades. A singer, songwriter, fashion designer, and an educator, Alison uses everything she does creatively to continuously foster her artistic growth. She is an experienced vocalist whose natural born ability to create sound, is a gift to us all. Born and raised in Washington DC, her sound transcends any categorization of how music is defined. Her live performance can be described as pleasantly energetic and astonishingly chill. With a firm understanding of how sound effects emotion, the structure around her songwriting is structureless. Thus, she presents herself to all in natural form, the result is honest music.

Classically trained, and formerly the front woman of an R&B/Soul Band, Alison has released an EP and has written and performed on two studio albums in addition to touring in Asia & around the country.. She continues to hone her craft by providing support vocals for such notable artists as Sy Smith, Kokayi, YahZarah, Wayna, Choklate, V.Rch, and J. Hayden, many of which are Grammy Nominated. An annual performer for The DC Dilla Tribute & Can A Sister Rock a Mic (CASRAM) Alison has had the opportunity to share the stage with Pete Rock, Talib Kweli, and even Ma Yancey herself in celebration of the life of James "J Dilla" Yancey. Collaborations and stage performances with other artists and producers range far and wide, some of which include: Tabi Bonney, Dwele, XO, Slum Village, Raheem Devaughn, Kyonte, Jay Mills, Phife/Tribe Called Quest, Mr. Turner, J.Laine, DJ RoddyRod, Judah, and TFox.

Chosen by the Washington City Paper as the "Best New R&B Singer of 2010," Alison uses music, art, education, and fashion as her muses. Fronting the musical experience alisonWonderland new project coming out in Summer 2011 Which Alison says "This new project is a journey into a more electronic fantasy world" (Alison Carney + Spinser Tracy + Jon Laine) proves, her creativity speaks volumes, her and her lifestyle exudes endless opportunity.

For more about Ms. Alison Carney please click http://mim.io/123f01

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

National Nurses Week 2011

A Brief History

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year.

The nursing profession has been supported and promoted by the American Nurses Association (ANA) since 1896. Each of ANA’s state and territorial nurses associations promotes the nursing profession at the state and regional levels. Each conducts celebrations on these dates to recognize the contributions that nurses and nursing make to the community.

The ANA supports and encourages National Nurses Week recognition programs through the state and district nurses associations, other specialty nursing organizations, educational facilities, and independent health care companies and institutions.
Milestones

1953
Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare sent a proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year. The proclamation was never made.

1954
National Nurse Week was observed from October 11 - 16. The year of the observance marked the 100th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s mission to Crimea. Representative Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in the 1955 Congress, but no action was taken. Congress discontinued its practice of joint resolutions for national weeks of various kinds.

1972
Again a resolution was presented by the House of Representatives for the President to proclaim “National Registered Nurse Day.” It did not occur.

1974
In January of that year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proclaimed that May 12 would be “International Nurse Day.” (May 12 is the birthday of Florence Nightingale.) Since 1965, the ICN has celebrated “International Nurse Day.”

1974
In February of that year, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurse Week, and President Nixon issued a proclamation.

1978
New Jersey Governor Brendon Byrne declared May 6 as “Nurses Day .” Edward Scanlan of Red Bank, N.J., took up the cause to perpetuate the recognition of nurses in his state. Mr. Scanlan had this date listed in Chase’s Calendar of Annual Events. He promoted the celebration on his own.

1981
ANA, along with various nursing organizations, rallied to support a resolution initiated by nurses in New Mexico, through their Congressman, Manuel Lujan, to have May 6, 1982, established as “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”

1982
In February, the ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982, as “National Nurses Day.” The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as “National Recognition Day for Nurses.”

1982
President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation on March 25, proclaiming “National
Recognition Day for Nurses” to be May 6, 1982.

1990
The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration, declaring May 6 - 12, 1991, as National Nurses Week.

1993
The ANA Board of Directors designated May 6 - 12 as permanent dates to observe National Nurses Week in 1994 and in all subsequent years.

1996
The ANA initiated “National RN Recognition Day” on May 6, 1996, to honor the nation’s indispensable registered nurses for their tireless commitment 365 days a year. The ANA encourages its state and territorial nurses associations and other organizations to acknowledge May 6, 1996, as “National RN Recognition Day.”

1997
The ANA Board of Directors, at the request of the National Student Nurses Association, designated May 8 as National Student Nurses Day.

Source: © 2011 By American Nurses Association. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

Heath Reform: Shaping the Field of Nursing

Healthcare reform measures enacted last year grant 32 million people greater access to the healthcare system, and registered nurses are on the front lines as millions more patients seek care.

“We know that many of these individuals will need access to primary care providers, and we have a shortage,” said Cheryl Peterson, director of nursing practice and policy for the American Nurses Association. “In order to fill that gap, we’re likely to look to nurse practitioners and mid-wives to serve in a primary care capacity. Opportunities for nurses in those advanced practice areas are going to grow dramatically.”

There are about 2.6 million registered nurses currently employed, making nurses the single largest segment of the healthcare workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nursing is projected to be the top field in terms of growth through 2018, with more than 500,000 new nursing positions. As the population ages and more people have access to healthcare, demand for nurses is expected to rise.

“We’re opening the door by removing barriers such as access to health insurance for people who have been uninsured or underinsured,” said Jeanne Matthews, interim chair of the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University Medical Center. “This requires significant increases in nurses at both an advanced practice level and basic level who are able to take care of that population.”

Waves of retirement make the threat of a nursing shortage real. Between 2004 and 2008, more than 400,000 nurses received their licenses, but the nursing workforce grew by only about 150,000.

In an effort to address the anticipated demand for care, the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) funds educational and career development opportunities and offers scholarships to nurses and students. These measures include grants for nurses pursuing advanced degrees in geriatric care; workforce diversity grants; and grants for schools and hospitals to develop primary care training programs.

In addition, the ACA expands the Nursing Education Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program, which repays student loans for nurses who go on to serve at least two years as faculty members at nursing schools.

“We’re dealing with a nurse faculty shortage,” Matthews said. “If we want to be able to increase the pool of nurses, we have to have qualified faculty in place to handle the demand for nursing education.”

The ACA provides financial support for nurse-managed health centers where advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) provide comprehensive primary care and wellness services regardless of a patient’s income or insurance status. The law also establishes loan repayment programs for nurses who serve for at least three years in areas underserved by healthcare professionals.

Susan Reinhard, senior vice president of the AARP Public Policy Institute and chief strategist for the Center to Champion Nursing in America, explained that healthcare reform offers more coverage but also new priorities for patient care. “We need a workforce prepared for changes in thinking about chronic care, primary care, and care coordination,” she said. “It’s not just the number of nurses; it’s their skill sets.”

There are also provisions in the law to educate and prepare nurses for taking care of people outside of the hospital as well as measures to lower the frequency of re-admittance to hospitals within a short period of time. “This is new for nurses—and for all healthcare professionals—in many ways,” Reinhard said. “But healthcare reform, the ACA, and in general new thinking about healthcare delivery is driving change very significantly at a real, direct care level. It’s a big change.”

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