Just a quick post today – as I’m sure the case is with everyone, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks and things don’t let up until next week.  My energy levels are lagging this week due to work and holiday engagements; while fun, late nights definitely take their toll.  Last night was our company holiday party that I set up and we feasted on Argentinean cuisine from a local restaurant, so I just finished some leftover empanadas with chimmichurri for lunch.  It was delicious, but now I’m ready for a serious nap.

Anyway, of course it’s the season of giving, and if you can make the time, it is always a good idea to give some small gifts to your team of doctors whom you work with regularly.  Given the multi-system nature of Crohn’s, my team or “Pit Crew”, as I like to call them, is made up of my PCP, my GI doc, my Hematologist, Surgeon, Chiropractor and masseuse.  The gifts don’t have to be anything fancy, but I think it is important to let them know their efforts are appreciated; I can tell you from past experiences that it never hurts to “grease the wheel” a bit to ensure that securing last minute appointments or things of that nature are accommodated easily.  Note that I did mention the staff – while a gift to the doc is a nice idea, it’s the support staff in each office that are the gatekeepers, so make sure to include them as well.

If you’re a frequent flyer in the hospital, don’t forget the nursing staff in the ER and on the floor in your local hospital.  There is nothing more comforting than a smiling face that recognizes you in the ER when you’re in tremendous pain, and the gesture does not go unreturned.  I was recently in the outpatient section of our local hospital for my yearly scope, and when I mentioned to the nurse that I had a port, she immediately told me that they don’t access those in the outpatient unit.  While I understood this, I also have incredibly shitty veins, and I was not about to subject myself to 30 minutes of routine needle stabbing while they attempted to find something in my hand or foot.  I asked them to call over to the ER and see if someone from over there could pop in and access it for me.  The nurse told me she would try, but that they don’t normally do this.

Five minutes later, one of my favorite ER nurses, Matt, showed up at my door bearing the access kit; as I thanked him profusely for going out of his way to make sure I didn’t have to go through the normal IV access route, he told me that as soon as he heard it was me he didn’t think twice.  Little gestures of kindness can go a long way in making your life easier.

As I mentioned, you don’t need to go crazy; I typically make a batch of my homemade granola and put it in mason jars to hand out, and since it is also fairly healthy, it is a nice alternative to all the sugar and sweets bombarded on everyone this time of year.  So get in the kitchen and make something for those that have taken good care of you!