wathe
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Posts posted by wathe
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We played Exploding Kittens with our new expansions (Streaking Kittens and Barking Kittens). The kids think these are hilarious. Great for when we need a quick, fun game that's light and humorous.
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11 hours ago, BlsdMama said:
Yes, this is a game that gets faster after your familiarity has grown.
Honestly, with pretty much any Euro style game, there is a learning curve where familiarity must be attained, often 3-6 plays, and then it’s far smoother. Mentally, accept the hump to get over and we generally will play a game several times in a short span (1-2 weeks) to kind of cement it in your brains because we rotate through a fair number of games. It’s worth it.
i will add that I prefer Ticket to Ride Europe. I do not like the spellings they have chosen! However, I like the train depot pieces and it takes away the part I don’t like of TTR America - “Hey! You hogged four routes to come and go from X City!”
Agreed, Euro style games have a learning curve. We really like them once we get over the hump. They tend to be very re-playable and have multiple strategic options.
I also really like Ticket to Ride Europe. When I bought it, I didn't realize that the rules were different than TTR USA. I chose the Europe version because I thought it would be a sneaky way to get some European geography practice in (and as Canadian homeschoolers, we are already indundated with so much American content, I chose the thing that wasn't even more American content). Now that I know more, I think TTR Europe is the better game and I made a lucky choice.
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New games we've played:
Poetry for Neanderthals - super fun. Quick to set up, quick to learn, quick to play.
Catan Pirates and Explorer - long and complicated, but the kids (11 and 13) are totally all in and loving it.
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I think there must be an element of local culture with the hair thing. In my professional circles, "covid hair" is totally an acceptable thing. Clean and combed is enough - doctors, lawyers, accountants, financial advisors etc.
Personally, I've embraced the scrub cap. Pre-covid times, a scrub cap on emergency dept personel would have been quite unusual. Now it's de rigueur. I think I'll keep it for a long time to come - I like not having to worry about my hair while at work.
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Poetry for Neanderthals arrived 2 days ago. My goodness, it's fun. We've played the last two evenings.
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You know, I am surprised that there haven't been more hospital department outbreaks. Staff are people, and they are tired. Managers and directors have had their hands full with crisis after crisis - staffing, cleaning protocols, process changes, policy changes, sourcing PPE, organizing testing centres and mass vaccination programs - and are so distracted that they have actually been much less present in their departments. I don't think they know what's actually going on on the ground much of the time. Small protocol breaches like sneaking coffee and snacks at the desk aren't getting policed, and these sorts of behaviours tend to spread (social contagion, if you will). Necessary logistics often lag behind policy changes. There hasn't been time to foster department culture or really train good habits. Instead, we get a lot of email. But, I don't think human behaviour/habit training has ever been fixed with email.
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8 hours ago, kbutton said:
Interesting. I really wish healthcare workers were tested routinely.
Long Term Care staff are tested regularly here, but not necessarily hospital staff. (Ontario, Canada).
I've had one covid test since the start of the pandemic, which I initiated because I had the world's smallest cough. Many of my colleagues have never been tested. I'm in an Emergency Department.
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We started pill-training our kids quite young (around 4). We had them practice with frozen peas.
Small tricks to make pill swallowing easier: 1) Try using a straw to take the liquid she uses to swallow the pill with. Pursing the lips to suck through the straw helps open up the back of the throat. (obviously, place the pill in the mouth first - don't try to suck the pill up the straw!). 2) Try scraping the pill through butter to make it nice and slippery. Sounds gross, but it helps.
Most antibiotics come in a liquid form. You'll just end up with larger volumes as she grows.
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Re vaccine and pregnancy, and vaccine and allergy risks:
Both the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the The Canadian Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (CSACI)- have put out position statements
“For individuals who are at high-risk of infection and/or morbidity from COVID-19, it is the SOGC’s position that the documented risk of not getting the COVID-19 vaccine outweighs the theorized and undescribed risk of being vaccinated during pregnancy or while breastfeeding and vaccination should be offered.”
“The CSACI would like to reassure our fellow Canadians that unless one has a pre-existing allergy to a component of a vaccine, including the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, it is safe to proceed with vaccination for COVID-19. In addition, those with other allergic problems are no more likely to experience an allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine than the general population and should safely be able to receive this vaccine—this includes those with a history of serious allergic reactions or anaphylaxis to substances that are not an ingredient in this vaccine, and those with food allergy, eczema, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma, or stinging insect allergy.”
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Just now, wathe said:
I've not thought of that - childhood vaccination as a gender equity issue. It does make sense that vaccines would free up many days for work that would otherwise be spent looking after sick children.
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3 minutes ago, Ordinary Shoes said:
RE time out of school, I've read that vaccines are one of the things that allows women to work outside of the home.
I've not thought of that. It does make sense that vaccines would free up many days for work that would otherwise be spent looking after sick children.
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52 minutes ago, MissLemon said:
Or they talk about how they want to teach their kids "coding", and buy a fun robot toy you can "program" to turn when you push a button.
My kids love Scratch. But for us, it's not school; it's a free time activity. They do learn quite a lot with it - I treat it as a species of creative play.
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I am on the "don't-work-don't-eat" plan, by the way. My colleagues and I are very motivated to show up to work, even if mild-moderately unwell. Which has it's own set of issues, for sure.
Other workers in my department who are union with benefits take way more sick days in general. I'm paying attention to how reported side effects plays out between the two groups.
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Just musing: I wonder if there is an element of social contagion regarding the more subjective side effects. If media hype regarding side effects and hearing the experiences of others side effects causes one to expect to feel rotten, and if that expectation actually causes one to feel more unwell than one might otherwise.
I mean, anaphylaxis is objective, and that's not what I'm talking about. More about subjective side effects like fatigue, degree of arm pain, degree of headache etc. And workplace culture regarding sick days (paid vs unpaid etc)
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4 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:
I just checked our state requirements. It looks like it mostly follows the CDC recommendations and includes the chickenpox vaccine. One major difference is the HPV vaccine which is on the CDC schedule but not the state schedule.
It's always been my understanding that the purpose of the chickenpox vaccine is to prevent shingles in adulthood instead of preventing childhood deaths from the chickenpox.
Here is our state's requirements:
Arizona Guide to Immunizations Required for Entry
Parents can obtain exemptions for medical reasons, "religious beliefs," and "personal beliefs."
Chickenpox vaccine has reduced both morbidity and mortality from chickenpox itself. Definitely not just about reducing shingles. From the CDC:
"Chickenpox used to be very common in the United States. In the early 1990s, an average of 4 million people got chickenpox, 10,500 to 13,000 were hospitalized, and 100 to 150 died each year.
Chickenpox vaccine became available in the United States in 1995. Each year, more than 3.5 million cases of chickenpox, 9,000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths are prevented by chickenpox vaccination in the United States."
Add to that the days missed from school, and days missed from work to care for ill children. The effect of the vaccine is actually quite substantial.
And I can tell you that chickenpox associated pneumonia and chickenpox associated necrotizing fasciitis are no joke. When I was training in the 90's we used to see these. We don't see them anymore - that's a win, for sure!
ETA - Also, reduced stress and worry for pregnant women who work with children.
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1 hour ago, Bootsie said:
My mom (79) is scheduled to get the Moderna vaccine on Saturday. She was able to make an appointment through her regular health care provider (which has a special geriatrics division). They said they will schedule the follow up vaccine at the time she receives the first injection.
DD has a friend who received the vaccine this past week; she works at a military base and everyone in her office was vaccinated. She reports that they all felt lousy the following day, so much that almost all did not go into work (10 people in her office).
Interesting. This hasn't been the experience at my hospital at all. Everyone seems to get a sore arm, but is able to carry on with work. No other reported side effects, and no-one has needed time off. We've all had the Pfizer vaccine.
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Sore arm is almost completely resolved. No other side effects so far.
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Bib-style might be more forgiving for fit. If you have to size up for length, it doesn't matter so much that waist is very loose; the pants will still be functional.
Men's sizes will have more length per unit of waist.
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24 minutes ago, Frances said:
My husband’s hospital is doing it this way. Right after they got their first shot, they were given an appointment for the second shot. They are anticipating stronger side effects with the second dose, so are requiring everyone to get it when they have at least two days off afterwards.
Here too. An appointment for your second dose is made for you while you are getting your first dose. Package deal.
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I had mine today (technically yesterday since it's just after midnight). My arm is a little sore - similar to a flu shot. I worked a full shift post vaccination without any issues.
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One more cranky post before I go - odds are that I will attempt to resuscitate someone tonight who wouldn't really have wanted resuscitation if they'd known what it really meant. But had never had the conversation with their PCP or family, and did not have a directive in place. And family either won't be available in the moment that a decision is forced, or they will be overwhelmed and not able to make a decision. So I will break ribs with chest compressions, and put a big tubes airways, and give electric shocks, and then they will likely die anyway. This happens all.the.time. It's really hard on those who do the resuscitating TBH.
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I have thoughts that I will post later. But right now I'm off to go work in an over-crowded, overwhelmed, understaffed emergency department during a holiday week, in a pandemic, when many PCP's offices and other outpatient resources are closed. I can guarantee that both I and many of my patients will leave the department frustrated at the end of the night.
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Just now, wathe said:
So much yes.
The role of the ED is to determine if there is a life-threatening or emergency cause for the stated complaint/presentation. And deal with said life-threatening or emergency issue. The rest is deferred to the PCP.
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2 minutes ago, MeaganS said:
I just wanted to say something regarding this point. That is actually the job of the ER. Their job isn't to diagnose you or make sure you have follow-up care. It is to see if you are sick enough to need to be hospitalized and give you whatever immediate care you require and if not determine if you are well enough to go home. Diagnostics is the job of a PCP and other specialists. I feel like a lot of people misunderstand this. ERs aren't designed to be a one-stop shop. It's in the name, "Emergency." This misunderstanding is one reason people are so frustrated with hospitals. They misunderstand the purpose of the care. DH comes across this a lot as a hospitalist. His job isn't to figure out and fix all the problems you have. His job is to get the problem that is made you be admitted in the first place in good enough shape for you to go home and work on it there. He's had patients in for head injuries who want him to investigate their diabetes or something. It's not why you are at the hospital.
That said, many people end up having to use them that way because they don't or can't get preliminary care, and that's a different issue. But it I just wanted to defend the ER, because it isn't their job to fix people's root issues or even diagnose them beyond anything emergent.So much yes.
Board game reviews?
in The Chat Board
Posted
We heavily modify the rules when playing concept. Forget teams. We play it as a co-op, with the goal to correctly guess as many words as possible in a set time (an hour or so). We take turns presenting the concept, and everyone else guesses. And then try to "break our record" the next time we play.