Grand Rounds 4:33

 Updated 3/2017-- photos and all links removed as many are no longer active and it's easier than checking each one.

I had no theme for this Grand Rounds, but thought I would share some links and photos of Arkansas. This first one is of the Trail of Tears. This first post may well bring tears to your eyes --

David, Marianas Eye, describes his thoughts while awaiting a diagnosis of cancer in his six-year-old son in his post "On the Other Side of the Diagnosis". A well written post about a very emotional time in his life.

Dr Rob, Musings of a Distractible Mind, remembers his own son in "The Cry of a Tiny Baby". His son turned 16 this week.

Doctor Shazam is back from a trip to Honduras. "I can’t wait for my next machete wound in Hondura!" Check out the post on the extensor tendon repair done there.

Buckeye Surgeon presents a case of Fournier's Gangrene. Read the comments as well.

Bruce, Reflections in a Head Mirror, looks at Fear. His posts are always thoughtfully written.

Chris, Spinal Cord Injury and Healing, lives in Brooklyn, NY. He sustained an injury to his spinal cord in late January 2008. He talks about his Inspiration. "Many people who know me also know that I have wanted to be a surgeon, or at least some type of physician, since I was a child........ But just after I was injured, although I knew I could complete medical school, I became very scared that surgery might be out of my reach forever."

PalMD, Denialism Blog, writes Never say "hopeless". "I can't tell you the number of people who complain to me about having their hope taken away. Exactly what this means, though, isn't always clear."

Scalpel has seen some pretty nasty things happen to people over the years, but nothing like this Horror.

Bongi, other things amanzi, writes about a time when he was a less experienced surgeon, operating alone:  "so i took her to theater. i was so scared i could almost not talk. ....... i did the operation alone. my hands were shaking so much i'm surprised i got it done."

Landmarks and monuments are featured in some parks, like this one of the Louisiana Purchase State Park or the Crater of Diamonds State Park (Arkansas actually has a diamond mine open to the public -- you get to keep what you find). 

Here are some folks who received honors or should have this week--
Shadowfax states "When finally they were done, I made it a point to express my admiration and gratitude in the most direct way I could -- I went down to the hospital Starbuck's and bought them their favorite drinks (white chocolate mochas). Nurses rock!" I agree.
Christine, But Your Don't Look Sick, was recently honored at the NY Lupus Alliance Gala Brunch. Her acceptance speech focused on the " Yes, this has been my battle, my war with lupus… but luckily I have had an army to fight with me. We all have had lupus."
MedGadget highlights the National Marrow Donor Program's registration campaign to boost the ranks of committed bone marrow donors by allowing potential donors to register for free during the month of May.

Within five Arkansas state parks are cabins, pavilions, bridges, trails, a lodge, and other works that endure as a legacy to the craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps, part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal.

Sometimes policies/politics leaves behind a grand legacy, sometimes they don't. I'll let you decide about these next posts--

Annie, Home of the Brave, writes Nurses Week 2008: "There Were No Nurses". "I wrote this post over a year ago, but the more things change, the more they stay the same. The first week in May - to be more precise, May 6-12 - has been designated - mostly by hospital and nursing employers’ marketing departments - as Nurses Week."

Dr Val asks, "Do you know what your state's momscore? " Check out her post to find out what a mom score is.

Anybody practicing medicine today needs to be serious about medical guidelines. Dr Rich, Covert Rationing Blog, has a post that should not be missed on the the growing tyranny of medical guidelines.

Dr Anonymous asks a simple, yet, controversial question: If someone has used marijuana - even if used for medical reasons - should this prohibit him or her from being considered to be on a transplant list? Hospitals throughout this great nation struggle with this question every day.

John, NHS Blog Doc, submits an article regarding a major controversy in the UK. It seems that at present independent midwives work outside the NHS and do not feel bound by conventional medical practice. Consequently they cannot get insurance. So, unbelievably, they work without insurance. This article looks at one such Midwifery practice in Kent.

Laurie, A Chronic Dose, begins a series looking at the candidates healthcare plans beginning with John McCain. She attempts to look at the key policies of the candidates that resonate most with her perspective: someone with multiple chronic conditions whose problem isn’t lack of insurance per se, but lack of confidence in my insurance and lack of the comprehensive coverage I used to have.

Dr Couz, Tales from the Emergency Room and Beyond, is still plugging away at the incredibly misguided assumption that doctor shortages can be blamed on women.

Robert, Health Care Blog Law, writes a post on the new CHCF Report on the social media impact on health care (think blogging about health/medicine).

Sam, Canadian Medicine, feels that pathology is in a sorry state up in Canada. His post is about the discovery of a fourth scandal over a short period of time. Pathologists are mostly blaming the system's failure to devote enough resources to pathology and laboratory diagnostics.

There are many places for rock climbing, hiking, fishing, and boating within Arkansas. Granted we are land-locked so no major sailing for us.

Paul, Medicine for the Outdoors, warns ocean swimmers to be careful. From the month of May through September, if you swim in the waters along the U.S. Gulf coast be mindful of sea bathers eruption, a particular form of skin rash caused by tiny jellyfish.

Vijay, Scan Man's Notes, writes about an old man who had sustained an injury to his left forearm on the farm a month ago and was being ‘treated’ by a traditional bone setter.

Whitecoat allows us to play detective in his post CSI Whitecoat #2 . "What can you tell the detectives based on the appearance of the patient’s hand?"

Dr Clairebear writes "I Don't Smoke". She discusses how well (or not) we doctors follow the advice we give to patients. It's not just the smoking advice; it's the cholesterol diet, the exercise, etc.

TBTAM shares "I'm Glad She's Not My Patient". Every rose has it's thorns, but ...........

Joey MD explains why it is important to be careful with self medication. In the Philippines, antibiotics can still be bought over the counter in some drugstores.........

Dr Benabio, The Derm Blog, wants you to know that Botox can get into your head. Literally! Check out his post "Your Brain on Botox".

How to Copy with Pain Blog wants you to know that Mindfulness matters when it comes to back pain -- “awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.” You may find that making small changes in your posture will ease the pain.

Doc Gurley wants to help you with your spring cleaning -- spring cleaning your thoughts -- or, how to stop worrying about things you can't control (like the price of gas, the election, whatever).

In her post For Goodness Sakes Cosmetics Can Kill You, Nancy (Teen Health 411), writes about the safety of the cosmetics that our teens like to use. Very interesting and not just for teens.

Want to reduce your stress level, spend less money at the pump and do your part to help save the planet? Here’s one of the most simple yet effective tips that will accomplish all three. Walter, Highlight Health, may be able to help you.

I know that Arkansas' history is short compared to Africa or India's. Still there are the prehistoric Native American Indian burial mounds (Toltec) and farming-based, aboriginal civilization that lived here from 1400 to 1650 A.D. (Hampson Museum).

Blogger and type 1 diabetic Kerri Morrone, Six Until Me compiles a second edition of the Diabetes Terms of Endearment, with some of the best jargon bits of the community.

What do stereos and health care have in common? Henry Stern, InsureBlog, thinks that we're watching an evolution in how health care is delivered.

Louise, Colorado Health Insurance Insider, points out that Smoking Can Be Hazardous to Your Career. The post discusses Whirlpools potential termination of 39 employees for lying about tobacco use. The comments are very interesting, also.

Amy over at Diabetes Mine wants to announce The 2nd Annual DiabetesMine Design --- a competition designed to foster innovation in diabetes design and encourage creative new tools that will improve life with diabetes.

David, Health Business Blog, reviews a helpful little book that provides advice for board members of not-for-profit health care organization. It is an e-book: Navigating the Boardroom, 40 Maxims… Things You Must Know and Do to Be a Great Director. He provides a link to the book. He'll be hosting next week's Grand Rounds (May 13).

Clinical Cases Blog shares with us 5 Tips to Stay Up-to-Date with Medical Literature.

Tell a nurse how valued she/he is. Maybe buy them a cup of coffee or something.

Thank you for allowing me to present Grand Rounds to you. I hope you will visit each blog that submitted a post. Have a GRAND week!

Come visit us here in Arkansas. We'd love to see you.