MONDAY OCT 15

I’m feeling very healthy living here and am surprised because my diet is much less varied.  My standard daily fare is two tablespoons of cod liver oil, a few ounces of sprouted flax and chia seeds, a handful of pumpkin seeds and a glass of watered down orange juice for breakfast; a kale, lettuce, flax, chia, and hemp seed salad for lunch; ½ apple and 12 oz of carrot, apple, ginger juice in the afternoon; another salad and some salmon or a scrambled egg for dinner; 8 oz of carrot, apple, ginger juice before going to sleep and lots of hot and cold water and tea throughout the day.  I couldn’t have imagined life without a wide variety of fruit and vegetables before coming to Barrow, but am surviving nicely and am grateful to feel healthier.      

My new apartment-mate, Joanne, is very good company.  She is nearing 70 and has been a public health nurse for many years.  We have our bathroom schedule and night time thermostat setting agreed on and are enjoying getting to know each other.  She has a quiet nature, subtle sense of humor and a wealth of knowledge.  We’re waiting for my box with some nut crackers to arrive so we can enjoy the pecans she brought.  I’ll be training one-on-one with her for three weeks beginning next Monday, so we’ll be pretty constant companions days and evenings.

Joanne is very curious about my diet and thinks that I might be a good candidate for teaching about healthy lifestyles.  Each public health nurse is able to develop a focus if they have a particular passion while being well-versed in all of the other areas as well.  I think I would like to specialize in nutrition and exercise as it relates to prevention of obesity and diabetes and mental health including suicide prevention and intervention.  Other nurses already focus on STD (sexually transmitted disease) prevention and treatment, domestic violence intervention and dental health.

I decided to walk to work this morning.  The temperature was 20 degrees which felt perfect for the 20 minute walk along the lagoon from Browerville to Barrow.  It is such a nice change from my hour long commute across Lake Washington on I-90 from Issaquah to Seattle. 

I joined Bertrand this afternoon for a 12-month well child check-up and immunization appointment.  I was good to see how he interacted with the little girl and her very young father, assessing her development and current cold symptoms and educating him about dental health.  She is still using a bottle and drinking predominantly milk and juice and her teeth are not being brushed.  Bertrand could see the beginning of demineralization on her front teeth.  He encouraged giving her water from a sippy cup and brushing her teeth at least once a day to avoid further decay.  Bertrand’s significant other is the chief dentist at the hospital and tells him that the incidence of tooth decay here is very high.  One of the contributing factors is that many people drink soda pop on a regular basis. 

I just about cried when the little girl received her four immunizations, all given in her two thighs.  Bertrand quickly brought out a bottle of bubbles and blew them in front of her, helping her to take her mind off of her discomfort.  I found myself laughing at the big billowy bubbles too and relieved that her shots were over.  Bertrand seems to have confidence that I will be able to do what he is doing in a very short time.  A friend of mine gave me a large bag of small colored finger flashlights to give to children during their appointments. This child would have been too small to get one as she would most likely put it into her mouth, but I can see older children lining up outside my exam room, ready for their shots and their little flashlights.  Thanks, Mike!

The day ended with a training and test on blood borne pathogens.  Along with taking the course, I was noting the format and presentation style because I will be one of the instructors in the not too distant future.

The heat in the Wellness Center hadn’t kicked on by the time we all arrived at work this morning and stayed very cold throughout the day.  I had my bottle of frozen carrot, apple, ginger juice under my desk that would usually thaw by noon, but was still completely frozen by the late afternoon.  Thank goodness for layers including a down jacket.  I wish I had worn the heated vest my always benevolent sister, Sandi, sent to me two years ago while living in Washington.  I noticed that several offices had space heaters so asked Nellie about getting one for Bertrand’s and my office toward the end of the day and was rewarded with being show where they are kept.  I secured one and spent the last half hour of the day happily defrosting.  I accepted a ride home this afternoon as I felt fatigued with working to stay warm.