Preventing burn injuries

Yesterday, one of my contacts on LinkedIn reminded me that this week - February 4 - 10 - is National Burn Awareness Week, so I made myself a reminder to blog on it today. Then, last night, I heard about the latest video "challenge" -- being videotaped with your arm/hand resting on the lit eye of an electric stove. That made my topic for this blog a no-brainer.

Electrical burns

Go through each room of your home and cover (inserted into the socket) outlets to ensure that children can't insert coins or other objects which could cause an electrical shock or start a fire. Additionally, be extremely careful when using an electrical appliance near water such as the kitchen sink or the shower.

Kitchen burn injuries 

Never, I repeat, never leave food unattended and cooking on the stove. During my 25 years with the fire service, I have lost count of how many fires we responded to that were a direct result of food left unattended on the stove. You can prevent potentially hazardous spill (and burns) by turning pot handles where they are facing toward the back of the stove and using the back eyelet from foods the poise a spill hazard. (Kitchen fire video [YouTube]).

Preventing scald burn

A scald is a burn that result from exposure to - or coming in contact with - hot liquids or steam. Studies have shown that sixty-five percent (65%) of children hospitalized for treatment of a burn injury, suffered it as a result of coming into contact with a scalding liquid -- particularly bath water than was too hot. That being said, check your water heater and make sure that it's set no higher that 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius). Also, safety experts recommend when drawing bath water for a child, run the cold water first and add the warm water in when the tub is approximately half-full.

Adults are not exempt from scald injuries. One of the most common such injury's results from the dishwasher. Use EXTREME caution when opening it at the end of the drying cycle. It's also a good rule of thumb to be careful when removing food cooked or heated in the microwave since it doesn't heat evenly.

My sources:

Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation (GFBF)
Safety smart 911

Sometimes . . .

. . . You are ask to do something and you don't realize how much it is going to affect other people. Such was the case earlier this month when I agreed to go to Washington, D.C. for the Hydrcephalus Association's Rally for Medical Research. This is important to me because there has been no significant research (emphasis added) involving hydrocephalus in fifty (50) years. Hopefully, by the time the rally ends on the evening of September 14th, we will have convinced our elected officials to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health by 2 billion dollars during FY 2018.

About a week or so after I committed to the trip, my wife took ill and I had second thoughts about making the trip. In preparation for the trip, I had been updating my Hydrocephalus education blog and posted the link to a new entry on my Facebook page. At the same time, I ask if I should consider cancelling my trip due to Marylou's health issues. The answer I got was a resounding "no"! I think my sister Darlene's response summed it up best:

"I love you and I'm ecstatic that this opportunity is given to you...Nothing selfish about it...you have earned this trip and I hope you go...probably once in a lifetime thing that most people don't get the chance...take it and let doctors take care of Marylou...love you"

Her comment along with those made by two other long-time friends helped me to realize that this trip was more than just raising awareness about hydrocephalus, I would be a voice for others who have a disability and can't make the journey to Washington. Not only that, but it would send a loud and clear message that those of us with a disability are like a "normal" person if we are given the opportunity to prove ourselves.

What is hoarding disorder?

Here of late, I have began watching Hoarders on Arts and Entertainment channel (Channel 38 on Comcast here in Atlanta) and was under the misconception that it was something of a new phenomenon. Turns out I was wrong -- I had been hearing about it for years, but knew it by another name -- Collyer's Mansion Conditions. It was originally coined by the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) to describe a residential dwelling (either a single-family dwelling or an apartment building) that is cluttered either by a collector or a "pack rat". I also learned the original name for such a situation was Collyer's Mansion Syndrome.

New York Police officers investigate conditions inside of the
Collyer mansion

What causes Hoarding Disorder? The exact cause is unknown, however, researchers have identified a number of risk factors including having a family member who also suffers from a problem with hoarding. Genetic research has recently shown that there are certain gene variants that might convey the risk of becoming a hoarder. There is also a confirmed correlation between brain injuries and acquired or secondary hoarding symptoms in some patients.

The symptoms of hoarding disorder - such as difficulty in discarding items - is usually first seen during the teen years. If these symptoms are not treated, the hoarding disorder tends to become chronic often becoming more severe over the decades. Interestingly, the Collyer brothers were an exception to this rule as both were in their early to mid-twenties when they began hoarding.

Is hoarding disorder treatable? The answer is yes. According to the American Psychiatric Association it can be treated using either medication or cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Patients treated with CBT gradually learn to discard the unecessary items while, at the same time, experiencing less stress and diminishing their exaggerated perceived need (or desire) to save these possessions. They also learn to improve their organizational, decision-making, and relaxation skills.

To find help with hoarding disorder in the Atlanta area, contact.The Anxiety and Stress Management Institute

It has been a while . . .

I realized this morning that I hadn't blogged for a while, but I didn't realize it had been almost a year. Such is life when you are a college student, husband, and dedicated American Red Cross volunteer. That being said I decided, if I got nothing else done today, I was going to update atleast this blog. Of course I have done other things including: making the bed, taking out the garbage, checking the mail, and, later this evening cooking supper. Here's what's gone on in my (and MaryLou's) life:

I am a television star! A while back I was contacted by Atlanta Interfaith Broadcasting about providing assistance for segments on a new show they were putting together called Life Plus. The producer and I got to talking and she did this Life Plus interview (YouTube video) that aired on the premiere episode. It was interesting to be able to sit back and watch myself because I had never realized I am so animated when I talk.

It's almost over. It's hard to believe, but I start my senior year at Kaplan University in October. It seems like just yesterday I started my first quarter as a freshman! Even before I receive my diploma next fall, I will re-register to go back and begin work on my Master's degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. There are probably those who don't understand why I am putting so much effort into education since I am retired and could enjoy life. It is because this has always been my dream and now it is about to become a reality!

I am shrinking! Not my entire body just my head. About four (4) months ago I realized I had sight in my right eye which had basically "been for looks" because inner-cranial pressure from my Hydrocephalus made the optic nerve in that eye non-functional. On a Friday evening I was sitting here working on my laptop when I saw the hard-drive light flash with that eye. An emergency appointment with my opthamologist and he confirmed that I had what he referred to as "minimal vision" in that eye. Not only that, but comparing pictures of me from, say, nine years, to pictures of me today, there is a marked decrease in the height of my forehead. Thank you Lord!

Finding the strength to press on

Press On (Selah)

Over this past five months or so as I have suffered with sick sinus - a form of heart trouble - and eventually had to have a pacemaker implanted, I've learned that family isn't always related by blood. I say that because my biological family just did not seem to care. It was my friends that "circled the wagons" and visited MaryLou and I, prayed for us, and weren't too busy to check on me during that time and since I got home.

From a blood-family standpoint, I have two-sisters - Darlene and Patricia - but I have at least nine who have "adopted" me as their brother. I know I am going to leave someone out, but here goes: Kat, Renay, Terri, Nancy, Carol, Page, Genora, Amy, and Beth. They check on me everyday, encourage me, and do anything a biological center would do . . . we're just not biologically related. The important part is that we love each just as if we were related by blood.

By now, I'm sure you're wondering what the link to the Selah video has to do with getting a pacemaker and adopted family. The connection is, during my illness and surgery, my adopted family taught me the importance of pressing on and being strong. Thank you family . . . I love you!