Dr. Lloyd Johnson Jr.

Dr. Lloyd Johnson Jr. passed away Tuesday. I distinctly remember our first meeting: I was a teenager lying on a gurney in a draped-off emergency room at the old Colonial Manor Hospital. I had never heard the name Dr. Johnson before and was obviously frightened while waiting for this unknown orthopedist to arrive.

When Dr. Johnson first entered the small area, I had no idea who he was and I was not particularly impressed by his appearance, other than he was tall. Then he spoke in reassuring words, telling me of my injuries and explaining what needed to be done.

In later years I would see Dr. Johnson at various civic events. He was always surrounded by family and friends--a man rich in more ways than one. Even before I became a nurse, I knew that Dr. Johnson and his partner Dr. Frank Hatchett had introduced the modern world of orthopedics to the Shoals area, an area that had until then been often served by what could traditionally be called "sawbones."

Dr. Johnson continued to work after retirement from his orthopedic practice a few years ago and remained an active presence in the Shoals. He was truly an inspiration to all who knew him and he will be greatly missed.

My sympathies to his family,

Nurse Nan

Does Your Doctor Speak Martian?

Judging from my e-mail, most of my readers have very little idea what their physicians actually say during their office visits. Even hospital dismissal paperwork is sprinkled with Med-Speak and incomprehensible to many. So, how do you know what's actually going on with your health and your medical treatment?

Should you buy a Physician's Desk Reference to check out the drugs you take? Well...you could, but a Davis Drug Guide is handier for the layperson to use and much cheaper. New drugs enter the market monthly, but information about the majority of meds doesn't change, so a used copy purchased form Amazon.com or even at a yard sale is a good investment. The Davis Drug Guide is preferable to other such books, listing meds alphabetically, rather than by type (after all, how many laypeople know drugs ending in "lol" are usually beta-blockers? You get the idea).

Now that you're fixed on drug info, how do you know exactly what your diagnosis means or what treatment it will entail? If you just need a good medical dictionary, Tabor's is the best. Again, these books can be purchased used, and 99% of the material does not change from year to year.

If you're more concerned about treatment or progression of certain maladies, you need a Merck Manual. These are written for physicians, but much of the material is easily comprehended by the layperson. These books are harder to find used, but usually a few show up on Amazon.com.

One word of caution: Just because you have one symptom of a disease doesn't mean you actually have that illness. The only thing a physician hates more than having a patient read the Merck is having a patient who is a Merck-reading nurse, but of course I would never do that myself...

Good luck and happy book hunting,

Nurse Nan

Now, About Those Face Masks...

If you purchased a box of face masks for an epidemic that failed to arrive as advertised, we suggest you keep them for future use. There's no expiration date, and they take up little storage.

However, if you just have to get rid of them in order to purge any bad thoughts concerning WHO and the CDC, we suggest you donate them to Safeplace, Inc. Our sister blogger Shoalanda has a column dedicated to that wonderful organization, just in time for Mother's Day.

http://shoalandaspeaks.blogspot.com/

If there's not a Safeplace in your area, please contact your local United Way for the name of an appropriate organization.

Thanks,

Nurse Nan

A Scarf?

All out of masks at the pharmacy? Yes, you can use a scarf. Natural cotton or silk is preferable to synthetic fabric and will dry more quickly. Just remember to spray with Lysol or other disinfectant at the end of the day.

And what goes with hand washing? If you're at your home sink, take the time to rinse your mouth with an antiseptic each time you wash.

It's the first of May; let's keep the flu away.

Nurse Nan

WHO Says Pandemic is Coming

Medscape release:

Breaking News - April 29, 2009

Swine Flu One Step Closer to Pandemic
Swine flu has pushed the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its pandemic alert level to phase 5, which means that a pandemic is imminent. It's the second time in a week that the WHO has raised its pandemic alert level, which ranges from phase 1 (low risk of a pandemic) to phase 6 (a full-blown pandemic is under way).

Swine Flu Redux?

Two readers have contacted us asking about the Swine Flu inoculations of 1976--specifically if this vaccine would offer any protection against a possible outbreak of the 2009 version. In my opinion it would, and while it would be very little, a little is still better than nothing.

Swine flu vaccines were provided to those under 25 or over 70 and to those in chronically bad health. A series of two inoculations was recommended, but I'm sure many were like me and stopped with only one. The vaccine came with some hard to take side effects, namely serious flu like symptoms that lasted for 24 hours. To an active teenager, the risk didn't seem to outweigh the discomfort and the possible necessity of canceling social activities.

I will stress again, if you have traveled recently and suspect you have contracted the disease, contact a physician immediately and ask for Tamiflu. Also, while regular flu shots are usually given in October in order to be effective during the winter flu season, and are not expected to combat this new strain, any extra protection is better than none.

Think of it this way, staying home the next few weeks may not only save you money in this recession, but also save your life.

Good luck,

Nurse Nan

A Flu Pandemic?

If you've read or seen the news in the past two days, you know that a flu pandemic may be at hand. While I doubt this is the case, we all need to take some simple precautions whenever confronted with what could be a serious threat to our health.

If you haven't taken any echinacea recently, immediately begin a regimen of 14 days. Do not take this herbal supplement for longer than two weeks, as it can overstimulate your autoimmune system.

While expensive, Tamiflu has proved to combat all strains of influenza and should be administered if you have been exposed. Above all, wash your hands often and when mingling with large groups, don't be afraid to shy away from handshaking or to wear a mask.

Your friends won't care if you look like Michael Jackson, but they will care if you wind up, what's the word, oh, yes, dead.

Good luck to everyone and remember Summer is just around the corner!

Nurse Nan