According to this mornings news on the Today show, there was an 11 year old girl who died prior to the 17 year old boy. The healthcare industry is "shocked" that MRSA is now being found outside of the "traditional" environment of hospitals and nursing homes. What part of you take it home with you because you allow yourself to be contaminated with it, don't they understand?

I was reading the AOL news blog about it yesterday and was disturbed by the number of comments that were just ignorant. Some commenters were blaming blacks and illegal mexicans. Others blaming foreign muslim doctors, and of course God. Nurses claiming that the general public is "filthy", and if they didn't "demand" antibiotics of their doctors for every little problem, none of this would be occuring.

The medical profession has known for a decade or more what contributes to the mutation of these "superbugs", yet they have continued to prescribe according to the patients demands. What did we do, all go to medical school? If that's the case, why do we even need them? The average person doesn't take antibiotics correctly, they don't use the entire course. Most stop when they feel better which does nothing more than kill off the weaker virus and allow the stronger ones to mutate. This information has been out there for years, but do people listen? No! That's why we pay the big bucks to our healthcare professionals, yet they allow the patient to tell them what they need. Scary isn't it? If this doesn't convince us that our healthcare industry needs overhauling, nothing will.

These same nurses and doctors that were commenting on that blog are the same ones that have allowed MRSA to flourish in the hospital and nursing home setting. They blame it on the patient, yet take next to no precautions to keep from spreading it. The home healthcare industry has a much better record of containment than hospitals and nursing homes do. None of us believe that it's appropriate to handle any of our clients without wearing gloves. We even request that the client allow us paper towels in their bathrooms for the protection of both of us.

In a hospital setting, patients there for extended periods get bed baths, and in a nursing home there's a daily wash up with one shower a week. In the home, care plans require that the client shower on each of our visits, which is 2 or 3 times a week in most cases. Our girls wear exam gloves when doing laundry or making beds. They wear them when the client is receiving any personal care. The cleaning of the bathroom fixtures require the use of neoprene gloves. Paper towels are there for our girls to dry their hands on following any task provided, and we use the paper towel to turn off the faucet. With an identified MRSA sufferer, we wear gowns even when the client is not exhibiting signs of active infection. We aren't contaminating ourselves, so we can't infect someone else.

In every case of carelessness I've heard the "We're busy and understaffed" excuse. I can't count the number of times I heard that during my numerous trips to the hospital during the stays of both my parents. I also found many times that both my parents who should have been admitted to precautionary rooms were placed in the general population. Even in the ICU the information that Dad had MRSA was not available to the staff until I told them. That's not what he was being treated for so that wasn't mentioned. I actually had the head nurse tell me it was curable with the proper antibiotics. No it isn't curable. It can be forced into a dormant state but it is an opportunistic bug and will attack whatever part of the body it can in order to flourish. The only way to eradicate it is to protect someone else from infection through use of correct universal precautions.

Healthcare professionals in hospitals and nursing homes have had this information for close to a decade, yet MRSA continues to flourish in our nations institutions. In 2005 AIDS killed approximately 17,000 people. That same year MRSA caused the death of 18,000. In 2005, the number of infected people was 90,000. In 2006 that number increased to 100,000. It will be more this year. Disturbing statistics when you stop to think that nothing more than frequent and correct handwashing techniques could have prevented this.

The news last night and this morning is all about the young man in Virginia that died from MRSA. Twenty one schools in Virginia are closed for cleaning. Now the CDC is claiming that 100,000 people are infected annually with 18,000 deaths happening from this "Superbug". I have a hot flash for the parents of that young man, if the medical profession had addressed the issue of following universal precautions with every hospital employee, he might not have died.

I sat here listening to the news report remembering that for the last year of my mothers life I couldn't hug her or kiss her. She had it in the lungs, mouth and nose. She wouldn't let me touch her at all without wearing exam gloves. Nor would she touch me. Then my Dad contracted it after a 2 day stay on the same ward my mother was on when she was infected. Both of my parents died within a year of contracting it. That is the expected life span of an elderly victim of MRSA. Now it's in the schools, and some young 17 year old had to die before it makes the news.

I remember the nurse handling my mother without either exam gloves or a gown on. I asked if that was wise and was told it was all around us, we probably all have it. I wonder how many people she infected with MRSA? We all have staphlococcus aureus on our skin and in our noses. Some people have boils and frequent acne. These can be cared for without fear because they are not all Methycillin Resistant. It is that resistance to antibiotics that makes it a danger. Staphlococcus can be killed by washing with soap and water or by using alcohol containing hand sanitizers. The average nurse or nurses assistant DOESN'T wash their hands correctly, or use the hand sanitizer as often as they should because it dries the skin out.

When they do approach the sink for a proper washing, they turn on the faucet with bare hands, or with gloved hands. After the washing takes place they then shut the faucet off using their bare hands. More than 50% of the hospital staff probably does this. So, they've contaminated the faucet handle and then contaminated their hand again by not using a paper towel to turn the faucet off.

I can't count the number of times I saw hospital staff enter the room without using exam gloves and then going back out to get them. In the meantime they've touched the call button, or TV remote with bare hands. Items that my mother had touched after coughing . Items that she touched with contaminated hands because she was bedridden, and hand cleaner wasn't available to her. Contaminated tissues on the floor picked up by housekeeping staff not wearing exam gloves. Food trays removed from rooms by aides not wearing exam gloves. Hand cleaning can't just involve the staff, cleaners have to be made available to the patient as well. It's fine if the patient can get up, but those that can't should be furnished with hand sanitizers and reminded that they should be used frequently.

In one instance my Dad's post surgical bandages were being changed by a nurse who was not wearing a gown to protect her clothing. My stepmother said something and was told by the nurse that gloves and gowns were for the protection of the visitors. Medical professionals know what they can touch. Sure they do, yet they have no explanation why something easily controlled by proper hand washing is still spreading and now it's become a danger to the general population. More people are projected to die from this than die from AIDS. More people have probably all ready died from this than have died from AIDS. The cause of death in an elderly patient infected with MRSA is never listed as MRSA, because it isn't exactly the cause of death in those patients. It is the cause of their numerous debilitating hospital stays. It stresses and weakens their bodies at a time when their bodies would be weakening from age and other causes.

MRSA was a contributing factor in my Mom's 9 hospital trips the last year of her life. It was the CAUSE of 11 of Dad's 13 hospital stays in the last 9 months of his life. There is no hospital in this nation in which careless and uncaring medical professionals are not employed. The CDC website has carried information about controlling MRSA on their website for at least a year if not longer. MRSA could and should have been eradicated by now. Yet 100,000 people are infected annually. There are 2 cases of it in the Syracuse area school system, and last year a wrestler in the Boonville schools system was discovered to be infected. There's no way in that type of sport that he didn't infect somone else. I'm disgusted and terribly sad at the same time because none of this should be happening. Our parents and grandparents should be safe in our nations hospitals and our kids should be safe in schools from this bacteria. The fact that they aren't is a medical profession disgrace.

I have received a Private Message from someone who started an account to send it to me. It says nothing more than "Do you know what you're talking about?" I would post the information if this were a blog account but it's not, so the question at hand is all that's important to this post.

Yes, I know what I'm talking about. Between the years of 1915-1917, the Ottoman Empire caused the deportation and massacre of 1.5 million Armenians. By anyones definition of genocide, this qualifies. The Turks, on the other hand deny that this happened. However, the point I'm trying to make is that Congress doesn't need to address this issue, there are bigger fish to fry. Like bringing our young men and women home from Iraq.

At the moment Turkey is a valued ally. If we choose not to hold present day Germany responsible for the genocide of 6 million Jews, Roumanians, and possibly Armenians, why do we want to hold present day Turkey responsible for a genocide that happened before Hitler took power?

While I'm on the subject, who do we resolve to hold responsible for the number of Native Americans we so conveniently killed off so we could have their land and natural resources? Now there's another issue Congress could address while it's making itself look like it's doing something. We displaced the entire Cherokee nation from Georgia in a forced march during which 4000 women, children, and old men died from starvation. It may not be 1.5 million but I can't see that much difference because if there were 1.5 million to starve to death on a march, it would have happened.

We are in Iraq because we wanted the oil. We've deposed Saddam, set off a Civil War there, and now we want to alienate an ally. Have they been that useful to us? I don't know, but I'm not willing to find out in a manner that endangers our young men and women any more than they all ready are. Twenty two countries have passed a resolution stating that what the Ottoman Empire did to the Armenians was genocide. The Turks aren't buying it. Let's just quit the fingerpointing and get on with America's business.

This past week I had a visit from a candidate for election to the Oneida County legislature. He thinks he's the man for the job based on his history as an elected official to a local volunteer fire department. His position within the department is that of treasurer, and his ideas regarding fiscal responsibility are rather interesting. He has been endorsed by both the Democratic and Independent parties and was rather surprised when I suggested that political parties should be done away with.

I'm a registered Democrat and there are some areas in which I am Liberal and some in which I am Conservative.
I normally vote for the person I feel will do the best job rather than vote for a Democratic candidate simply because I'm a Democrat. The only time I actually voted an entirely Democratic line was during the last election. I have to say now that in hindsight, I'm sorry I did that. I did so because I wanted to break the Republican stranglehold on our government, and as far as that went it was successful. Mission accomplished and based on what I'm seeing, apparently the Democratic Congress felt that was all that is necessary. I, on the other hand, have been left with a bad taste in my mouth because in order to do nothing more than defeat Republicans I voted against Ray Meier, who frankly would have been a much better junior Congressional representative for my district.

I suppose it was the right thing in many ways, and I would be much happier had there been some effective changes brought about by the power, we as voters, vested in this Democratic Congress. However, I can't help the feeling that somehow, at a time when our Congress should be assisting America establish solid diplomatic foundations with the world, the train has jumped the track. Instead of doing that, we appear to be alienating Turkey by our insistance in meddling with a situation that is not now nor ever was any of our business. Furthermore, the perpetrators of the crime are long since dead. Turkey, one hundred years ago bears little resemblance to the Turkey of today, but Nancy Pelosi has to have her resolution declaring Turkey guilty of genocide in the matter of the massacre of the Armenians. She owes it to her Armenian constituents?

The Armenians in the United States that vote are citizens of our country. They have sons and daughters who may be dying in Iraq. They want to feed and house their families, and have a better healthcare system. They want safe neighborhoods, and a better quality of life as do we all. What part of this is accomplished by a resolution declaring a massacre a genocide? What is it that Congress owes the Armenians as well as the rest of the nation? What part of taking care of the business of improving America and it's ties with the world is accomplished by the passing of this resolution?

As I see it, Nancy and her political bedfellows are accomplishing nothing more than creating hostility between the citizens of Turkey and the United States. This is one time when I actually agree with the Republicans. The reality of life in these United States is not one of gold lining the streets. It's a day to day struggle to pay bills, put food on the table and take care of our families. The middle class is almost nonexistant because of rapidly rising prices. More and more Americans are losing their healthcare coverage and their jobs. In the meantime Congress is wasting time trying to pass a resolution declaring a terrible tragedy that happened 100 years ago, give or take a few years, a genocide. Last time I looked, Bushwhackers Inc were still playing fast and loose with the Constitution. Why aren't the "new brooms" sweeping up that mess? Oh yes, that's right. Nancy owes it to the Armenians.

I thought I only moved 4 miles, but apparently those 4 miles has placed me in a parallel universe. Time Warner Cable is unable to provide me with Road Runner unless I'm willing to go to great expense for the installation. I'm more than 50 feet from the closest pole which their wire hangs on. Why does it make a difference? I wasn't able to get a good answer. Apparently they've never heard of buried drop cables.

I have a very good line of sight to the Dish Network satellite and they just have added satellite DSL to their options, so I gave them a call. It's going to cost $200 for the installation, with a discount of $10 off the TV programming package for 10 months. The monthly charge will be $59.95 per month for their midpriced package. That will give me 750 kilobits of upload speed with a 200 kilobit download speed. This was what I was getting from Verizon with the only difference being the download speed was only 128 kilobits, and sometimes less download speed than that. Finetune requires a minimum of 128 kb's and there were times when I couldn't operate finetune at all, even on DSL. I paid for up to 1 Meg of upload speed and never saw it. They didn't kiss me first, either.

The major difference will be that there are no other modems drawing from my broadband so I will get what I pay for, assuming that there is no major storm going on in New York State that will affect me. Those days I may require dial-up but if it's the same as the TV reception it won't happen that often. I've only had loss of satellite signal once here for 5 minutes during a thunderstorm. I wouldn't have the computer on during that type of storm anyway. Blizzards will mean dial-up.

I love my new place. It's so much quieter than our old site. We don't have cars going by all night long, the neighbors here are all older couples, no kids, except grandchildren. I have trees around me on three sides, and my door opens towards the trees instead of my neighbors place so I have privacy. I am allowed to do whatever I want with no "rules and regulations" beyond the basics of trash disposal and noise.

For the next couple of Saturdays I can't post music because at 24 kilobits to 26 kilobits per second on dialup I'm simply not capable. It's taking me 5 minutes at times to download some of your sites so if you don't see me for a few days, my apologies, but I'll get there when I can get back up to speed. I will be enjoying the use of The Rainbow Room tonight so stop on by and say hello. Hope to see you then.