wathe
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Posts posted by wathe
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Fancied up the CR box for the holidays!. I put a string of LED lights inside it. The blur above the fan is a streamer dancing in the clean exhaust air.
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Save!
We've been using the same cloth bags and fabric pieces for close to 20 years now with family. They go back and forth year to year. Tie off with reused ribbon, yarn, or jute twine.
For gifts going outside the household, I will often re-use a paper gift bag. We save them, and alway seem to have enough that I never have to buy any. I will occasionally use paper instead. Usually kraft paper. Which the kids will sometimes cover with drawings, sometimes not.
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$400 a week is about right for us.
ETA: we are neither especially frugal nor spendthrifts
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Just got home from work. It was a hairy late-night drive. High winds and poor visibility. My local road has drifts all the way across, just barely passable with my AWD Subaru.
Local weather:
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OP, sorry I've taken your thread on such a tangent.
I hope you stay safe and warm.
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11 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:
Here, if you read the studies on hypothermia deaths, about 25% of them are from indoors, nearly all of them in single family homes, and over the age of 60 or medically compromised. This is from the Texas 2021 cold spell: https://www.wfaa.com/article/features/originals/the-ones-we-lost-at-least-22-people-in-dallas-county-alone-lost-their-lives-to-the-february-2021-winter-storm/287-a8654006-deb6-434b-8751-b60cb9eaf55e
That's not a pattern I've seen here (anecdotally).
I imagine that having cold-climate infrastructure would be protective (yes, it is protective, apparently).
And also, I am aware of the selection bias for what I see - I only see cases that are potentially resuscitatable. Cases that are beyond resus never come to me; they go straight to the morgue. I realize that what I see in the ED does not necessarily reflect overall mortality stats. Same would be true of CO poisoning cases too, though.
Canada has something like 50 (non-intentional, non-fire related) to 300 CO poisoning deaths per year. Hypothermia total deaths something like 80 per year. I couldn't find any good stats on what proportion of those are indoor (I suspect small). Sadly, homelessness is the biggest risk factor for death by exposure.
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13 minutes ago, MEmama said:
Interesting. Propane and kerosene heaters as backup were really common among people we knew in New Brunswick. Everyone relied on electric heat and/or wood stoves in our area so kerosene was a cheap and simple secondary source for heat security. All the old timers reminisced about the unique smell, lol. That's where I first heard of using them indoors (we have one to prevent the tangled web of water pipes for our radiator system in the basement from freezing—thankfully we haven’t needed it yet but I am grateful for the option should it be necessary).
Not approved doesn't mean people don't do it anyway...... hence all the CO cases! Old-timers in ice-fishing huts with propane or kero heaters are a common story.
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I'll add a PSA: CO detectors expire. Most of them last about 10 years, though some fewer.
I think that if anyone were considering an indoor propane heater, it would be wise to make sure that one's CO detector is in good working order and not stale-dated.
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2 hours ago, maize said:
Indoor propane or kerosene heaters are the way millions of people around the world heat their homes. When I lived in Japan we used a kerosene heater for our apartment, and so did everyone else I knew. We were taught to keep a window cracked for ventilation. Indoor fuel-burning heaters are generally safe as long as the oxygen concentration in the air in high--this is the primary purpose of ventilation. In the presence of normal oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide is the primary combustion byproduct. Carbon monoxide levels start to rise when oxygen is depleted. Make sure there is a steady supply of fresh oxygenated air and these heaters are generally safe.
Certainly safer than freezing to death.
Fair points.
I imagine that there is a reason why they aren't approved for indoor use in Canada, though.
I think I'm particularly sensitive to CO poisoning risk - we get multiple cases per year through our ED. I've personally transferred 2 to tertiary care for hyperbaric within the past year. On the other hand, I have seen zero indoor hypothermia cases in my entire career (outdoor hypothermia is a different story, of course).
The topic has piqued my interest. I had a look through the manuals: never run for more than 4 hours, never run while sleeping, always ensure ventilation/crack a window, always use a CO monitor, ensure device is properly inspected and maintained - it feels like there is a lot of room for user error.
I just can't get past the idea of a combustion appliance that exhausts into the house!
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In Canada they are outdoor-use only (the very same item marketed as safe for indoor-use in the US, excepting, it would seem, in Massachusetts).
Using an unvented, propane-fueled combustion device indoors seems like a bad idea. It will emit carbon monoxide, and other products of combustion. I can't see how burning propane indoors could possibly be a good idea. Maybe I am missing something?
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3 hours ago, kfeusse said:
at the top of the list of "rules"....it says no loomed items....does that mean no items made on a knitting loom?
I found a Reddit thread that attempts to answer . Something to do with gauge and holes and loose stitches on loomed hats.
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That's easy.
One kid will insist that his head is bigger than dad's. The other kid will insist it isn.t. Or that his head is even bigger - hard to predict which way it will go. And then bicker back and forth, until someone breaks out the tape-measure to restore the peace!
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This stuff also makes me nuts.
We make do with what we have on hand.
What I would probably do:
Santa hat: nip the band at the back with a few stitches to fit child's head,
Ugly sweater: attach decorations to an existing sweater. Do the same for with old socks for sock day.
Candy cane outfit: hot glue some small candy canes to an old shirt. Or fake ones.
Even better, use the christmas crafts that the child has (probably) been bringing home as the bling for the outfits.
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1 hour ago, KSera said:
I had super mixed feelings on this one. She lost me near the beginning when she seemed to think it was some kind of evil propaganda for people to say that kids don’t need medicine every time they have a fever. She seems to read a decent amount on current Covid stuff to be fairly well informed, but at the same time to be lacking enough information on some of this other stuff to be acting as an authority figure to other parents about it. Every four-year-old with an ear infection doesn’t desperately need antibiotics. Giving them out to every little kid with a viral ear infection is likely a large part of why there’s a shortage right now with so many viral respiratory infections around. Actually, it’s the four year old with the ear infection who likely needs the Tylenol more than the kid with the fever does. I do agree with many of her points, I just cringe a bit because poor information mixed in with good information harms the overall message.
Fever phobia and antibiotic mythology are stubbornly pervasive.
There are loads of excellent information sources on both topics (like, pretty much every children's hospital's website, professional paediatric society websites, etc.)
And yet. Fever phobia and abx myths remain deeply popularly entrenched.
It's a steep uphill slog.
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I've been ruminating on this overnight.
I think that a consult with a registered dietitian or sports medicine MD is a good idea.
I think that kids get the idea that protein powder is somehow magical, somehow specially performance enhancing. When really it's a food replacement; protein powder is not better than actual protein-rich food. It may be worse than actual food - additives, contaminants etc.
Sports drinks like gatorade are similarly "magical", in that kids get the idea they are somehow specially performance enhancing. Instead of simple replacements for food and water.
If this were my kids (and it might be in a year or two - my teen athletes are starting down a similar path), I think I would consult a reg dietitian and sports med. Assign a research project of sports nutrition. Kid would have to present objective evidence for and against.
I've already used this strategy in a limited way - had kid research sports drinks: history, marketing, sports nutrition etc. It was helpful. (Gatorade is big around here for teen sports, and big in his sport, it has magical qualities ::eyeroll::).
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1 hour ago, BandH said:
What do people think of as a benefit for protein powder, for someone who isn't underweight, has no dietary restrictions, and eats plenty of whole food protein?
Like what would be the benefits of putting protein powder in his morning smoothie, as opposed to Greek yogurt and serving some scrambled eggs on the side.Or having it for a snack instead of a bowl of edamame?
Kid thinks it will make him look more muscular, he sees the older boys on his team with these big muscles and wants to look like that. But honestly, I think they're just further along in puberty.
There isn't one. Protein powder will not make one iota of difference for a kid who eats well otherwise, including enough protein-rich foods.
Legit indications for protein powder: a way to supplement protein for people who actually can't get enough protein from actual food. Which isn't very many people (perhaps the elitest of elite athletes, or frail elderly who have trouble eating, etc)
IME, protein powder is a way to part you from your money. As is pretty much the entire nutritional supplement $$$$$ industry. It's predatory. There are a very few limited exceptions ie vitamin D in northern climates.
That said, protein powder is also not likely to do him any physical harm. It might make him feel like he fits in with the group.
(I do have concerns about it being a stepping stone to other performance enhancing "supplements", and then to actual performance enhancing substances. I have similar concerns about energy drinks. But that's not what you are asking about here)
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4 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:
Here they only give antibiotics for an ear infection after the eardrum bursts. This has been the practice for at least 20 years.
Yes.
It's interesting how much culture influences practice patterns.
We all have the access to the same body of evidence, yet practice patterns are so different in different parts of the world.
Ranging from your example to abx being over-the-counter and expected for every acute viral resp illness (a new acquaintance of mine from ukraine has this expectation, and I know that there are lots of other places in the world like this).
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Adding to my previous post:
Another industrial issue is pricing, I think. The abx that are in short supply (amoxil, clavulin, etc) are all older, generic ones. They are relatively cheap here. The mark-up and profit for each unit is relatively small. There isn't a lot of incentive for companies to prioritize their manufacture.
(small mark-up times large volume of sales is still a lot of money, but these are not high priority drugs for manufacturers).
I actually think that essential meds like these are a public good, and should be publicly funded to ensure supply.
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3 hours ago, Mom_to3 said:
Canada is now closing its pediatric respite care to allow for redeployment of staff.
Kids in the UK are dying from strep because they can't get fast enough access to the care they need. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/dec/04/strep-a-parents-told-to-be-vigilant-after-seventh-child-in-uk-reported-to-have-died Our big regional pediatric hospital was out of beds weeks ago - the worst it's .ever. been according to the medical staff there.
This is an excellent interview.
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ABX shortage in Canada is, I think, as mentioned by a PP, both a supply and demand issue.
Supply: international supply chain disruption and reliance on critical ingredients from overseas
Demand: Viral respiratory illness surge has lead to both an increase in secondary bacterial infections, and an increase in just-in-case abx use in viral infections: the appropriate kind (septic infant started on broad spectrum abs while awaiting results of septic workup, ear infections in infants under 6mo, or ear infections older children for whom follow-up care is unreliable), the inappropriate kind for what are clearly viral infections (acute bronchitis, sore throats that fail centor or other EBM based prescribing, acute ear infections in older children who do have good followup etc, bronchiolitis, covid, influenza, other viral resp infections) and the just-in-case really, really inappropriate kind that goes along with increased reliance on virtual assessments (which are way more common now than pre-pandemic) - providers are more likely to prescribe abx when they can't properly examine the patient.
I will add that the pressure for MD to prescribe abx even when not indicated can be intense and multifactorial (financial in fee for-service remuneration systems and other systems that reward pts-per-hour - an RX is quick, freeing you up to see the next patient, but explaining why abx not indicated is time-consuming, resulting in fewer pt per hour and less income); complaints avoidance and defensive practice; and patient expectations (the number of pts presenting with a chief complaint of "I need abx" when they clearly have a viral infection, and "I have strep and I need antibiotics" when they objectively don't, is truly astonishing). I've posted on this topic before - antibiotic stewardship is hard and thankless.
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9 hours ago, KSera said:
Many hospital doctors have been saying this and pleading this, but it seems to be a bridge too far for most people. I did see that LA County is possibly going to do this, for this reason. It only makes sense when our hospitals are in a state that they don't even have beds for very sick kids, or sometimes the medicine to treat them.
Yes.
CHEO (Ottawa's children's hospital) getting help with staffing from the Red Cross and has opened a second pop-up ICU
Alberta is discharging respite patients from its only children's hospice, to free up staff for over-loaded acute care. Heated trailer in the same city to act as additional waiting room space for overloaded emergency dept.
Pediatric influenza admissions are at a record and unseasonal high.
Hospitals across the country are slammed with respiratory cases, at critical over-capacity.
But, masking is too hard and too inconvenient.
It's completely insane
Figure for paeds influenza admissions in Canada:
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1 minute ago, KSera said:
In your experience, do they tend to over-diagnose issues, or miss issues on EKG?
They are often at least partly wrong. Sometimes ridiculously and completely wrong.
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Re EKG: That reads like an automatically generated by computer interpretation, rather than a read by MD interpretation.
For what it's worth, the computers aren't always very smart.
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13 hours ago, mommyoffive said:
Is this meant to be current? Because Ontario dropped its indoor mask mandate in March 2022.
update Dec 31 in first post Ventilation, indoor air quality and CO2
in The Chat Board
Posted
Bump for update in first post.
Also, we bought a Vitalight for DS to take to school. (He uses it to evaluate where to each lunch indoors in bad weather). We've had it about two months.
It's pretty good. Within +/- 50ppm of my Aranet if we keep it calibrated. We've discovered that it needs calibrating about once a week or so, or it gets wildly inaccurate. Calibrating is technically simple: a few button pushes then a couple of minutes in outdoor air. (Less practical in the winter, because it doesn't like temps below 0 Celcius, so I have to choose my weather window, and put it in my coat pocket to keep it from freezing).
It's advertised battery life (rechargeable) is 8h, but it actually runs much longer on a single charge, more like 24+h before it poops out. That was a pleasant surprise.
Well worth $60.