text:
And now that this
Moda Bake Shop Tutorial has been published for quite a while, I am now able to
post it here on my blog as well for easy convenience ;)
So just follow along below for the full step-by-step tutorial. And
if you just love it, you can get the printer friendly version here :)
Materials Needed:
1 Sugar Pop Jelly Roll
1 Sugar Pop Charm Pack
1 Yard of Bella Solids White
1 1/4 Yard of Coordinating Print for Pieced Backing
Grab your jelly roll and open it up. Separate your jelly roll into two piles. One pile with 22 strips and one pile with 18 prints. Try to evenly distribute the colors and prints. And don't feel like you have to follow my print piles, do what pleases your eye :)
First we will work with our pile of 18 prints. These pieces are for your binding so when you have cut them, go ahead and set them aside for a while. Lay your first jelly strip roll out of your mat. Line your ruler up so that the end of the jelly roll is on the 15" line of your ruler. Cut so you have a 15" strip. Repeat this process with the remaining 17 strips. (You could stack them up, but honestly I found it faster to just hurry and whack them verses taking the time to try and line up the strips perfectly.) Set the leftover portion of the jelly roll strips aside, we will be cutting them up in a minute (or 2 or 3 depending on how fast you cut.)
Now we will turn to our pile of 22 jelly roll strips. Lay several strips at a time out on your mat lining the edge along the 0 edge of your mat. Then line your ruler up with the 25" strip on your mat. Go ahead and cut. This gives you a 25" strip and some leftover. Repeat this process with all 22 of your strips. Once again, set the leftover aside. This time it probably will only be a minute before you cut them up :)
Grab your leftover jelly roll pieces. You are going to be cutting them into 5" long pieces. You cut these the same way you did your 15" piece. Line your ruler up so that the end of the jelly roll is on the 5" line of your ruler and cut, then slide your ruler down another 5" and cut, and so forth. You should be able to get 3 pieces or "coins" out of each strip in your 22 pile (the pile that you cut 25" off before) and 5 pieces or "coins" out of each strip in your 18 pile (the pile that you cut 15" off before) You'll have a little scrap off of each strip. Yippee, everyone loves scraps!!
Grab your charm pack. You are going to be using 30 charms now and setting 12 aside with your 25" long jelly roll strips to be used for the pieced back. Hint - To get an even distribution of prints on the front of your quilt, get the 22 charms that you were only able to cut 3 coins out of your leftover jelly roll first. Then choose your next 8 favorites. Now take your 30 chosen charms and cut them in half .
Grab your "coins" from your jelly roll and your "coins" from your charm pack and you have a beautiful pile of "change" ready to be sewn together.
Now onto your sashings :)
Now onto your sashings :)
Grab your yard of white solid and lay it out on your mat, aligning the fold line with the 0 horizontal line on your mat. Align your ruler along the last line of your mat and trim a nice straight edge. Measure in 1 3/4". I like to normally just use my mat for this, but if the 3/4" throws you, you can always double check your measurement by placing another ruler along the side of your long ruler and ensuring that the edge of your fabric is lined up with the 1 3/4" mark on your second ruler. Go ahead and cut. Now without moving your fabric, slide your ruler over another 1 3/4" (use your second ruler to double check if necessary) and cut. Repeat this process until you have 12 strips.
Lets cut up the 12 strips. Start by aligning your ruler along the horizontal mat line at 21 1/2 inches (just below where the selvage edge ends). If you don't have a 21 1/2" line on your mat, line your 1/2 mark on your ruler with the 21" line on your mat. This should make your ruler edge now at 21 1/2". Trim off the selvage edge.
We need 16 1/2" strips, so move your ruler down to the horizontal 5" line on your mat. Align your mat along the horizontal 5" line and cut. Go ahead and set 6 of those little 10" strips aside (the ones under the ruler :) . The rest can go into your scrap pile :)
Now grab the last of your yard of white. Lay it out on the mat just as before and cut another 6 strips measuring 1 3/4" wide (See previous instructions if confused on how).
These strips will be used for your center strips between rows and your borders. However, they need to be a little longer. Remember those six 10" long pieces I said to set aside? Grab them. Lay a 10" piece on top of your WOF strip. Sew a 1/4 seam along the edge. Keep doing this with all 6 of your strips. Press. Now you should have six 54" x 1 3/4" strips. And cutting is done and onto more sewing :)
Making the change rows is a super fun and easy process. We'll start by taking our single coins and making them into sets of 2. Grab 2 coins. I like to make sure I don't have similar prints here. Also, I like to align the two cut edges and sew my seam along that edge. It helps to fix cutting boo-boo's :)
So with that said, lay your first coin on top of your second coin, right sides together. You are going to match up your pinked edges. If this causes your cut edges to be slightly off no worries, that is why we are sewing them first. I don't pin these. They are small enough to just handle while sewing but if that makes you nervous, feel free to pin away :)
Now go ahead and sew 1/4" seam along the cut edge of your two pieces. After you have sewn one set of coins don't stop. Don't cut your threads. Just feed the next set of coins through your machine. This is called Chain Stitching and it saves tons of time! So go ahead and Chain Stitch all of your sets of 2 coins.
This is what you will have now: a huge pile of attached sets of 2. Now you can cut the threads between each of your sets.
You should now have a few stacks that each look like the set of 2 on the bottom. Aren't they cute! So here is where your personal preference comes in. I don't iron here. I don't feel it is necessary for me and I like how fast and easy it makes this quilt go together. With that said, if you don't like working with pieces that aren't totally flat, feel free to iron your seams.
Now the process starts over again, but this time we are turning sets of 2 into sets of 4. Once again, when grabbing your pieces, try to avoid the same prints next to each other. Now just repeat the process! Lay your sets of 2 right side together, chain stitch you 1/4" seam, and cut your threads.
You have sets of 4 and you guessed it, we are turning those into sets of 8. You are a pro at this now, huh! Repeat the same process of lining up right sides together, chain stitching and clipping threads.
Now, I go ahead and press all of my seams in one direction. Do this on all 27 of your sets. Yes, that is right, you should have 27 sets now. If you don't look around on the floor, you have lost a few in the process.
And there you have it. 27 beautiful Change Rows.
This is the layout for your block. You will be making 9 of them. Just a side note before we get started... I liked to make sure that each time I line up a row that I don't have an identical print across from each other and that I am keeping an even distribution of color. I love the look of random, but I tend to try to control the random a bit :).
So we can start by attaching the center strips to the coin stacks. Go ahead and set aside 9 coin stacks. On the remaining 18 stacks, lay a 16 1/2" white strip on the right side of your strip making sure your edges line up. Once again, I didn't pin here but if you prefer to, or if you find your edges aren't lining up, go ahead and pin. Chain stitch a 1/4 seam on all 18 stacks, clip your threads.
Now pressing. I went ahead and pressed toward the white, I did this to avoid bulk. With that said, there are some prints that you will be able to see through the white strip to the print below. So if that bothers you, go ahead and press toward the prints. Once again, this is a personal preference thing.
We are going to take those 18 strips that you just sewed and sew them together to create 9 total pieces. So this is how you are going to line up your two pieces. (You will be doing this with 9 sets).
Lay your right hand piece on top of your left hand piece with right sides together. Just flip it over, don't spin it or anything. Go ahead and pin making sure your edges line up. Oh and double check you flipped it right. You know you are aligned correctly if you are pinning the coins to the white strip underneath. Now go ahead and chain stitch your 1/4" seam along the 9 sets, cut your threads and press.
Now you should have 9 sets that look like this. You are now ready to add on the last row of change. So grab those 9 rows you set aside.
Lay the final row onto your pieced block with right sides together. Pin along the edge. And once again, chain stitch your 1/4" seam, clip your threads, and press.
You now have 9 beautiful blocks! Don't they just POP!!
Now that your blocks are done, you are ready to get your top all sewn up. Well start by laying out the rows. Go ahead and play with your blocks until you get a scheme that you like. Make sure that your block alignment matches this picture. (ie Row 1 and 3 blocks go vertical, horizontal, vertical while Row 2 blocks go horizontal, vertical, horizontal.) You will want to mark your blocks so that as you pick them up and sew you don't loose this layout. I find the easiest way is to take a picture that you can refer back to. Done :).
We want to attach the vertical sashings first. Lay your 16 1/2" white strips on the right hand side of your first 2 blocks in each row. Once again, I didn't pin, but you can if you want. Sew a 1/4" seam along the indicated line. Press.
Sew your rows together block by block. You will do this the same way you sewed your blocks together. Sew blocks 1 and 2 of each row together first and then press. Then add block 3, sew and press. If you get confused look back to the instructions of Step 3, its the same just on a bigger scale.
Yippee Skippee!! Your rows are done. Add your long sashing strips and border, and you are done. Grab those 6 super long white strips that you made back when you were cutting. They are a little long but no worry, we'll trim any excess.
Lay a white sashing along the bottom of your row 1 and another white sashing along the bottom of Row 2. Make sure that you have right sides together. (Seriously, I had to do some unpicking because I wasn't paying attention here, arghh!!) I didn't pin, I just lined it up as I sewed it (again, personal preference). Sew 1/4" seam and press. Go ahead and clip off any excess overhang.
So now you are here! You are ready to sew your rows together!
Take Row 2 (the center row) and lay it up onto Row 1. Go ahead and pin. ** See the next 2 pictures for a note on pinning**
When pinning, you want to take care that you are lining the sashing between your blocks up. To do this, pin your seams on either side of your sashing first.
Double check that they are lined up by flipping up the edge and making sure that the pin are in line with the seams of the sashing. Nice and lined up, okay! Sew your 1/4 seam along the entire row and then press.
You're here now! Isn't it just beautiful! Now you are going to add the bottom row the exact same way. Go ahead, you can do it!
You are almost done with the top. Now it is just adding on the borders and they are a snap! Add your two side borders first. Lay a long white sashing along the right side of the quilt and one along the left side of the quilt. Once again, make sure that the right sides are together. ( We don't want raw seams on quilt tops :). I didn't pin. Line up your strip as you sew your 1/4" seam and then trim the excess at the end. Press.
Add the top and the bottom border. And you do it the exact same way you did the side borders. I know you can barely sit still. Go ahead and sew and press!
And there you have it!!! A beautiful stunning quilt top!! Don't you just love your Sugar Pop N Change!
We'll start the pieced back by making the corner blocks. You need 4 corner blocks. Start by pulling out those 12 left over charms. Grab 4 and cut them in half. Now remember those scraps you had left from your jelly roll? Go ahead and get 4 scraps and cut four 2 1/2" squares out of them.
That's all the prep. Now you are ready to sew your 4 corner blocks together. Here is the layout.
First you start by placing your rows right sides together and sew 1/4 seam and press. This is what they should look like now. Remember, you are making 4 :)
Lay your top row onto your bottom row. Make sure that you line up your seam. Pin and then sew your 1/4" seam and press.
Your 4 blocks are ready to be trimmed down to size. The corner blocks need to be 6 x 6. You don't want to trim on the sides that has the 2 1/2" block. Line your 6" ruler along the side of your block and trim.
Turn your block 90 degrees clockwise, line up your ruler for 6 inches, and trim again. There you have it, four corner blocks :)
Okay, onto making your coin rows. We are going to do this the easy way! It isn't quite as random but turns out super nice for a border. Layout your 22 25" jelly roll strips. Play with the layout until you get a nice flow of prints and colors that is pleasing to the eye.
Once you have them the way you like, stack them up right to left. Now you are going to stitch all of the rows together. Start by getting your first two strips from the pile, align them right sides together. Sew 1/4" seam. Don't worry about pressing, it can wait. Oh, and if your ends don't match up perfect no worry, I left some wiggle room in the cutting for that. Go ahead and grab the next row on the pile. Align it to your pieced set and sew your 1/4 seam. Keep repeating this process until you have sewn all 22 of your strips together.
Press your seams in one direction. This is what you should have.
Now we are going to turn this strip into your 4 borders. Fold your strips in half so that they fit on your cutting mat. Line the fold line up along a horizontal line of your mat. Now you want to make a straight edge so line your ruler up along the vertical line of your mat closest to the edge of your fabric and cut. Measure 6 inches over on your mat. Align your ruler and cut. Repeat this 3 more times.
You now have 4 beautiful change rows for your border. Wasn't that easy?? And now you are ready to put the back together. Get your 1 1/4 yard piece of coordinating fabric. Make sure it is squared up. (I cut mine to 43 3/4" inches square so that the selvage wouldn't be left on.) Sorry, My photography skills are not near what my quilting skills are :) Here is the layout for the back.
We'll start by adding the side borders to the back. There might be a little bit of overhang. No worries, we'll just trim later. Lay each of your borders along the right and left side of the quilt. Pin, sew your 1/4" seam, and press. Trim off the excess overhang.
Add your top and bottom border. If you had to trim your sides, it is most likely that you will have to trim your top and bottom as well. However, this time you have to trim your sides first, so your corner blocks will actually end up in the corner :) Lay your top and bottom border out. Now, go ahead and trim off any excess so that you only have 1/4" overhang from the center back piece. Sorry, that doesn't make a lot of sense but the picture make it a lot easier to understand. Trim all 4 of your border edges as such.
Now you are ready to add your corner pieces. Lay your corner piece so that the 2 1/2" block is in the center. Lay the block over onto the border. Pin. Do this with all 4 blocks. Sew your 1/4" seam and press.
So this is where you should be now. You are so close. Now it is just adding the top and bottom border.
Lay your top and bottom border onto your center panel. Make sure to align your corner block seams (where my scissors are pointing.) You know what to do: Pin, Sew, and Press!!!
And Ta Da!! Your back is finished!!
So now it is time
to turn that finished quilt top into a finished Quilt ;) Time to
Baste It, Quilt It, and Bind It!!! Which is a whole lot in one
little sentence. If you are new to quilting, you can see my Finishing Your Quilt Series of video tutorials that will walk you through Basting,
Quilting, and Binding step by step ;)
Baste. The more pins the merrier :)
Quilt. The gloves really do make a difference, I highly recommend them :)
And bind! Remember those 15" strips you set aside. Put them in a mixed up color order and sew them up to make your binding strip. There is a great tutorial here on binding if you haven't done it before.
One super fun and bright Sugar Pop N Change Quilt that measures 53" x 53" and even has a cute pieced quilt back!!! Happy Quilting!!
I hope you have
enjoyed this tutorial and if you make your own Sugar Pop N Change Quilt I would love to see
it!! You can email me a picture at email@example.com or add
it to my flickr group here or post it to social media with
#happyquiltingwithmc ;) I can't wait to see your Sugar Pop N Change Quilts!!!
Thanks so much for popping in today and every day ;) I hope you all have a very Happy Quilting Day!!!


text:
The segregation debate: reflections from Copenhagen
Roger Geffen, CTC
There is a long running debate among cycling protagonists about the pros and cons of segregated cycle facilities. They are often hailed as the solution for getting more people cycling. CTC and most local cycle campaign groups are sceptical, citing the conflict they create with pedestrians, and some evidence suggesting that any safety gains for cyclists between junctions may be outweighed by increased conflict AT junctions, where around 70% of cyclists' collisions occur.
This year's annual international 'VeloCity' conference took place in Copenhagen, and many UK-based cycle campaigners attended. Speaker after speaker talked about the fantastic growth in cycle use achieved through
providing quality segregated facilities, not only in Copenhagen but also in cities as diverse as New York, Melbourne and Bogota. There is little doubt that Copenhagen's segregated facilities are part of the reason why so many more people there are happy to cycle and to let their children do likewise.
But would this approach work in Britain? Are there differences in UK driving culture or law which would need to be addressed before we could embrace continental-style segregation? Or is segregation – leaving most of the roadspace available for motor traffic – quite simply the wrong answer in principle, at a time of growing awareness of the need for drastic cuts in CO2 emissions?
Sadly, dear readers, I have a prior appointment with a multi pack of discount value fireworks this weekend so won't be able to pop up to Edinburgh to find out for myself what the outcome of this talk is, but if anyone does happen to be going (or even has advanced access to the slides!) I would be most interested in finding out more.
I'd be particularly interested to hear how creating proper cycle lanes (which often involves taking back a lane of traffic from motorists or removing car parking, as anyone who has read their Jan Gehl design standards would know) can be portrayed as "leaving most of the roadspace available for motor traffic." I'd also be very interested to know what, without such infrastructure, the CTC proposes to do to introduce mass cycling (ie 30-40% modal share) especially considering that cycling has statistically been proven to be steadily decreasing for the past 15 years whilst since 1997 private car ownership has increased by 25% to a record 63% of the national modal share of all journeys - that's more than air travel, ferry trips, buses, trains, trams, walking and bikes put together. For more worrying and troubling data such as this see my previous post "The National Travel Survey: cycling's canary in the coal mine?".
Meanwhile if any well-intentioned cycle campaigner has the pleasure of attending Saturday's conference in Edinburgh and can see themselves as ibikelondon's Scottish delegation acting as a roving reporter on our behalf please do get in touch!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Phone #: (443) 462-2971
Diocese of Pennsylvania, Delware, Maryland, & West Virginia
- St. Mary Church
Cooksville (Savage), Maryland
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Confirmations at end - google search key concepts more on flu & vaccinations updated 03/07/2017
June 25, 2009 [ World Health Organization & United Nations ]
Barbara Minton, Natural Health Editor
[for simpler explanation see Interview with Jane Burgermeister]
(NaturalNews) As the anticipated July release date for Baxter's A/H1N1 flu pandemic vaccine approaches, an Austrian investigative journalist is warning the world that the greatest crime in the history of humanity is underway. Jane Burgermeister has recently filed criminal charges with the FBI against the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and several of the highest ranking government and corporate officials concerning bioterrorism and attempts to commit mass murder. She has also prepared an injunction against forced vaccination which is being filed in America. These actions follow her charges filed in April against Baxter AG and Avir Green Hills Biotechnology of Austria for producing contaminated bird flu vaccine, alleging this was a deliberate act to cause and profit from a pandemic.
Summary of claims and allegations filed with FBI in Austria on June 10, 2009
In her charges, Burgermeister presents evidence of acts of bioterrorism that is in violation of U.S. law by a group operating within the U.S. under the direction of international bankers who control the Federal Reserve, as well as WHO, UN and NATO. This bioterrorism is for the purpose of carrying out a mass genocide against the U.S. population by use of a genetically engineered flu pandemic virus with the intent of causing death. This group has annexed high government offices in the U.S.
Specifically, evidence is presented that the defendants, Barack Obama, President of the U.S, David Nabarro, UN System Coordinator for Influenza, Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, David de Rotschild, banker, David Rockefeller, banker, George Soros, banker, Werner Faymann, Chancellor of Austria, and Alois Stoger, Austrian Health Minister, among others, are part of this international corporate criminal syndicate which has developed, produced, stockpiled and employed biological weapons to eliminate the population of the U.S. and other countries for financial and political gain.
The charges contend that these defendants conspired with each other and others to devise, fund and participate in the final phase of the implementation of a covert international bioweapons program involving the pharmaceutical companies Baxter and Novartis. They did this by bioengineering and then releasing lethal biological agents, specifically the "bird flu" virus and the "swine flu virus" in order to have a pretext to implement a forced mass vaccination program which would be the means of administering a toxic biological agent to cause death and injury to the people of the U.S. This action is in direct violation of` the Biological Weapons Anti-terrorism Act.
Burgermeister's charges include evidence that Baxter AG, Austrian subsidiary of Baxter International, deliberately sent out 72 kilos of live bird flu virus, supplied by the WHO in the winter of 2009 to 16 laboratories in four counties. She claims this evidence offers clear proof that the pharmaceutical companies and international government agencies themselves are actively engaged in producing, developing, manufacturing and distributing biological agents classified as the most deadly bioweapons on earth in order to trigger a pandemic and cause mass death.
In her April charges, she noted that Baxter's lab in Austria, one of the supposedly most secure biosecurity labs in the world, did not adhere to the most basic and essential steps to keep 72 kilos of a pathogen classified as a bioweapon secure and separate from all other substances under stringent biosecurity level regulations, but it allowed it to be mixed with the ordinary human flu virus and sent from its facilities in Orth in the Donau.
In February, when a staff member at BioTest in the Czech Republic tested the material meant for candidate vaccines on ferrets, the ferrets died. This incident was not followed up by any investigation from the WHO, EU, or Austrian health authorities. There was no investigation of the content of the virus material, and there is no data on the genetic sequence of the virus released.
In answer to parliamentary questions on May 20th, the Austrian Health Minister, Alois Stoger, revealed that the incident had been handled not as a biosecurity lapse, as it should have been, but as an offence against the veterinary code. A veterinary doctor was sent to the lab for a brief inspection.
Burgermeister's dossier reveals that the release of the virus was to be an essential step for triggering a pandemic that would allow the WHO to declare a Level 6 Pandemic. She lists the laws and decrees that would allow the UN and WHO to take over the United States in the event of pandemic. In addition, legislation requiring compliance with mandatory vaccinations would be put into force in the U.S. under conditions of pandemic declaration.
She charges that the entire "swine flu" pandemic business is premised on a massive lie that there is no natural virus out there that poses a threat to the population. She presents evidence leading to the belief that the bird flu and swine flu viruses have, in fact, been bioengineered in laboratories using funding supplied by the WHO and other government agencies, among others. This "swine flu" is a hybrid of part swine flu, part human flu and part bird flu, something that can only come from laboratories according to many experts.
WHO's claim that this "swine flu" is spreading and a pandemic must be declared ignores the fundamental causes. The viruses that were released were created and released with the help of WHO, and WHO is overwhelmingly responsible for the pandemic in the first place. In addition, the symptoms of the supposed "swine flu" are indistinguishable from regular flu or from the common cold. The "swine flu" does not cause death anymore often than the regular flu causes death.
Burgermeister notes that the figures for deaths reported for the "swine flu" are inconsistent and there is no clarity as to how the number of "deaths" has been documented.
There is no pandemic potential unless mass vaccinations are carried out to weaponize the flu under the guise of protecting the population. There are reasonable grounds for believing that the mandatory vaccines will be purposely contaminated with diseases that are specifically designed to cause death.
Reference is made to a licensed Novartis bird flu vaccine that killed 21 homeless people in Poland in the summer of 2008 and had as its "primary outcome measure" an "adverse events rate", thereby meeting the U.S. government's own definition of a bioweapon (a biological agent designed to cause an adverse events rate, i.e death or injury) with a delivery system (injection).
She alleges that the same complex of international pharmaceutical companies and international government agencies that have developed and released pandemic material have positioned themselves to profit from triggering the pandemic with contracts to supply vaccines. Media controlled by the group that is engineering the "swine flu" agenda is spreading misinformation to lull the people of the U.S. into taking the dangerous vaccine.
The people of the U.S. will suffer substantial and irreparable harm and injury if they are forced to take this unproven vaccine without their consent in accordance with the Model State Emergency Health Powers Act, National Emergency Act, National Security Presidential Directive/NSPD 51, Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-20, and the International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza.
In the U.S. since 2008, Burgermeister charges that those named in her allegations have implemented new and/or accelerated the implementation of laws and regulations designed to strip the citizens of the U.S. of their lawful constitutional rights to refuse an injection. These people have created or allowed provisions to remain in place that make it a criminal act to refuse to take an injection against pandemic viruses. They have imposed other excessive and cruel penalties such as imprisonment and/or quarantine in FEMA camps while barring the citizens of the U.S. from claiming compensation from injury or death from the forced injections. This is in violation of the laws governing federal corruption and the abuse of office as well as of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Through these actions, the named defendants have laid the groundwork for mass genocide.
Using the "swine flu" as a pretext, the defendants have preplanned the mass murder of the U.S. population by means of forced vaccination. They have installed an extensive network of FEMA concentration camps and identified mass grave sites, and they have been involved in devising and implementing a scheme to hand power over the U.S. to an international crime syndicate that uses the UN and WHO as a front for illegal racketeering influenced organized crime activities, in violation of the laws that govern treason.
She further charges that the complex of pharmaceutical companies consisting of Baxter, Novartis and Sanofi Aventis are part of a foreign-based dual purpose bioweapons program, financed by this international criminal syndicate and designed to implement mass murder to reduce the world's population by more than 5 billion people in the next ten years. Their plan is to spread terror to justify forcing people to give up their rights, and to force mass quarantine in FEMA camps. The houses, companies and farms and lands of those who are killed will be up for grabs by this syndicate.
By eliminating the population of North America, the international elite gain access to the region's natural resources such as water and undeveloped oil lands. And by eliminating the U.S. and its democratic constitution by subsuming it under a North American Union, the international crime group will have total control over North America.
Highlights from the complete dossier
The complete dossier of the June 10th action is a 69 page document presenting evidence to substantiate all charges. This includes:
Factual background that delineates time lines and facts that establish probable cause, UN and WHO definitions and roles, and history and incidents from the April, 2009 "swine flu" outbreak.
Evidence the "swine flu" vaccines are defined as bioweapons as delineates in government agencies and regulations classifying and restricting vaccines, and the fear of foreign countries that "swine flu" vaccines will be used for biological warfare.
Scientific evidence the "swine flu" virus is an artificial (genetic) virus.
Scientific evidence the "swine flu" was bioengineered to resemble the Spanish flu virus of 1918 including quotes from Swine Flu 2009 is Weaponized 1918 Spanish Flu by A. True Ott, Ph.D., N.D., and a Science Magazine report from Dr. Jeffrey Taubenberger et.al.
The genome sequence of the "swine flu"
Evidence of the deliberate release of the "swine flu" in Mexico
Evidence as to the involvement of President Obama that delineates his trip to Mexico which coincided with the recent "swine flu" outbreak and the death of several officials involved in his trip. Contention is made that the President was never tested for "swine flu" because he had been previously vaccinated.
Evidence as to the role of Baxter and WHO in producing and releasing pandemic virus material in Austria includes a statement from a Baxter official stating the accidentally distributed H5N1 in the Czech Republic was received from a WHO reference center. This includes delineation of evidence and allegations from Burgermeister's charges filed in April in Austria that are currently under investigation.
Evidence Baxter is an element in a covert bioweapons network
Evidence Baxter has deliberately contaminated vaccine material.
Evidence Novartis is using vaccines as bioweapons
Evidence as to WHO's role in the bioweapons program
Evidence as to WHO's manipulation of disease data in order to justify declaring a Pandemic Level 6 in order to seize control of the USA.
Evidence as to the FDA's role in covering up the bioweapons program
Evidence as to Canada's National Microbiology Lab's role in the bioweapons program.
Evidence of the involvement of scientists working for the UK's NIBSC, and the CDC in engineering the "swine flu".
Evidence vaccinations caused the Spanish killer flu of 1918 including belief of Dr. Jerry Tennant that the widespread use of aspirin during the winter that followed the end of World War I could have been a key factor contributing to the earlier pandemic by suppressing the immune system and lowering body temperatures, allowing the flu virus to multiply. Tamiflu and Relenza also lower body temperatures, and therefore can also be expected to contribute to the spread of a pandemic.
Evidence as to manipulation of the legal framework to allow mass murder with impunity.
Constitutional issues: the legality vs. illegality of jeopardizing the life, health and public good by mass vaccinations.
The issue of immunity and compensation as evidence of intent to commit a crime.
Evidence as to the existence of an international corporate crime syndicate.
Evidence of the existence of the "Illuminati".
Evidence as to the depopulation agenda of the Illuminati/Bilderbergs and their involvement in the engineering and release of the artificial "swine flu" virus.
Evidence that weaponized flu was discussed at the annual Bilderberg meeting in Athens from May 14-17, 2009, as part of their agenda of genocide, including a list of attendees who, according to a statement once made by Pierre Trudeau, view themselves as genetically superior to the rest of humanity.
Media is keeping Americans clueless about the threat they are under
Jane Burgermeister is a dual Irish/Austrian who has written for Nature, the British Medical Journal, and American Prospect. She is the European Correspondent of the Renewable Energy World website. She has written extensively about climate change, biotechnology, and the ecology.
In addition to the charges currently under investigation that she filed against Baxter AG and Avir Green Hills Biotechnology in April, she has filed charges against WHO and Baxter among others concerning a case of exploding "swine flu" vials meant for a research lab on a busy IC train in Switzerland.
In her view, control of the media by the ruling elite has allowed the world crime syndicate to further its agenda unabated while the rest of the people remain in the dark about what is really going on. Her charges are an attempt to get around this media control and bring the truth to light.
Her greatest concern is that "in spite of the fact Baxter has been caught red handed nearly triggering pandemic, they are also moving ahead, together with allied pharma companies, with supplying the vaccine for pandemics." Baxter is hurrying to get this vaccine to market some time in July.
For more information:
Confirmation below: or
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Dr. True Off on Pandemic
Quotes of NWO elitist
see how
Rumsfeld has profited
Criminal Charge of Man Made Flu 112 pages
$ 196 billion for UN Health - Does it help ?
Schools used as Vaccination Clinic
Burgermeister charges World Health - Google
Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and ...
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3. OpEdNews » At OpEdNews: Journalist Files Charges against WHO and ...
"26 Jun 2009 ... is underway. Jane
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against the World
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United ..."
4. Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and ...
8. Hating Autism: Illuminati's Plan to Murder Us All With Flu Vaccine
has recently filed criminal charges
Minton, Health Editor charges flu pandemic WHO
UN - Google Search
Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and
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2. Pandemic — Blogs, Pictures, and more on WordPress
"Journalist Files
Charges against WHO and UN for
Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit ...
Bioterrorism — Blogs, Pictures, and more on WordPress
"Journalist Files
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Bioterrorism and Intent to Commit ... As the anticipated July release date for
Baxter's A/H1N1 flu pandemic ..
4. Journalist Files Charges against WHO and UN for Bioterrorism and ...
"25 Jun 2009 ... Natural News.com ^ | June 25,
2009 | Barbara Minton, Natrual
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charges that the entire "swine flu"
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5. APFN - Journalist Files Charges Against UN for BIOTERRORISM/MURDER
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Get Real Americans ! Great forces are fighting against you.
The forces (people) you think are protecting you, are not !
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Here is another concept below. I have not researched it.
Michael Jackson Assassinated by CIA by: Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers [ He was going to use his world stage to warn the people of pandemic] https://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1244.htm
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text:
Pickled, sun-dried, infused with red shiso (beefsteak) leaves, and aged for a year. Ideal for sushi and rice balls, they lend tartness to dressings, dips, and sauces. Japan's chicken soup in cold and flu season is okayu, a thin rice porridge with umeboshi. Made of the 'nanko' plum variety that is prized for its juicy pulp, delicious flavor, and high citric acid content. 'The king of alkaline foods', umeboshi plums are an ancient food used to balance and strengthen. Traditionally valued as a digestive aid.
Eden Umeboshi Plums are made from unripe green plums Prunus mume, harvested toward the end of June when their juice is the most acidic. The plums are first washed and soaked overnight to remove bitterness, before placing them in large kegs with alternating layers of sea salt. The salt immediately begins to draw juice from the plums. To keep the plums submerged in the juice, a flat lid weighted with stones is place on the top. The combination of salt and pressure extracts the juice creating the pickle brine. The plums are kept in this salty, dark, unheated environment for one month. Desirable lactic acid bacteria quickly multiply under these conditions inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms and enzymes. The plums are then removed, placed on wooden racks and left outside to sun dry for four to seven days depending upon the weather. Red shiso leaves are placed in the brine turning it a brilliant red. The sun dried plums are replaced in this red brine where they soak for four or five more days. Their color changes from green to pinkish-red. The plums are removed from the salty red brine and placed in kegs where they are allowed to naturally age for a year or more. It is said that an umeboshi aged five years has had all of its citric acid move from the flesh of the plum into its pit and back into the flesh, transformed and energized. The red pickling brine is bottled and sold as tangy, salty umeboshi vinegar.
The plums used to make umeboshi are actually an Asian variety of apricot Prunus mume that has been referred to as a plum for centuries. The first reference to umeboshi was recorded in the 10th century in Japan, although they are believed to have originated in China over 2,000 years ago. Shiso Perilla frutescens, a member of the mint family, is a small bush with dark red or green heart shaped leaves. The red leaves, known as 'beefsteak' leaves, are used. Besides adding color to the umeboshi, red shiso contains a natural preservative called 'perilla-aldehyde,' that is documented to have over one thousand times the strength of synthetic preservatives used in food., and when ingested contributes to digestive health.
Umeboshi plums are valued as an alkalizer, a digestive aid, and an appetite stimulant. Umeboshi is believed to help maintain a healthy acid/alkaline balance.
Unlike most commercial umeboshi plums, Eden Umeboshi Plums are made in the ancient and traditional manner used for over 2,000 years. They contain no artificial red coloring agents, preservatives or flavorings.
Eden Umeboshi Plums impart a delicious tangy, salty flavor to sauces, salad dressings, dips, and vegetable dishes. Great in nori rolls, rice balls or with grains. For a special treat rub just a little on corn on the cob in place of butter.


text:
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text:
That's where the Eld come in. Being very ancient, intensely chaotic, and amazingly adept at magic, the Eld are my catch-all explanation for many of the monsters in my campaign setting (the other being the Thulians). In addition, I decided early on to limit myself only to the humanoids that appear in OD&D and to use their descriptions as the basis for my own, with a couple of exceptions. Reading Monsters & Treasure, it's clear that there's a "continuum" of humanoid creatures, beginning with goblin/kobolds and working upwards by Hit Dice. I decided I'd take that idea and find a way to make sense of it. What I came up with was this:
- OD&D implies that goblins and kobolds are the same creatures, the only difference being that kobolds are weaker physically. I'd already decided that goblins are one of the few genuinely aboriginal races of my setting; kobolds will be the degenerate mine-dwelling versions thereof. While I like the scaly dog-men versions of kobolds a great deal, Gary often said that that version was, like so many other D&D monsters, based on a miscommunication between himself and the illustrator, Dave Sutherland. Gary originally envisaged kobolds as evil wizened, gnome-like creatures, as in German folklore. So, I'm going with that, albeit one that complements the "little green men" version of goblins I'm using.
- Goblins are, in their natural state, not very nice from a human perspective: greedy, selfish, and with a penchant for cruelty. But they're not willing servants of Chaos. That's where hobgoblins came in. They were magically created by the Eld as taskmasters and "drill sergeants" to keep ordinary goblins pressed into Eldritch service in line. They're now "independent operators" but still enjoy lording it over goblins when they get the chance.
- Bugbears are another magical mutant of goblins, created by the Eld as shock troops. I can't make up my mind as to whether I'll go with the Monster Manual appearance of these guys or stick with Greg Bell's wacky pumpkin-headed version.
That about covers the basics. I'm still pondering what to do about giants and trolls, but I've already decided that ogres are human beings cursed for having indulged in cannibalism and have now become monstrously ravenous eating machines.


text:
That's oh-be-GUY-n, not oh-be-GIN, as some (primarily people from Texas) would like to refer to my chosen profession. Although, working in this field can sometimes cause one to develop a penchant for gin...hmmm.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Office Dos and Don'ts
Ob/Gyn Office *Dos*
1. Do make an early appointment. Whenever possible, make your appointment the first appointment of the morning or the first appointment after lunch. Trust me on this one and see below.
2. Do arrive for your appointment at least 10-15 minutes early. I know, I know, why would you want to show up early when you just *know* you are going to be in the office for *hours* on end. Here's why: The Snowball Effect. Invariably, as is required by the office, your insurance, or pencil pushers from various state and local agencies, you will be asked to fill out some kind of form upon your arrival. These are usually not mind-shatteringly difficult, but they can take time. Then the receptionist has to verify your information, make sure your insurance is still good, find your chart, and send it down the line to the MA/RN who will be bringing you into the office. The MA then fills in any new information, takes your vitals, asks the reason for your visit, and takes you to the room. Imagine what happens when you are "just 15 minutes" late for your appointment, everything that has to be done gets done further and further away from your appointment time. Before you know it, you are in the exam room 30 minutes after your appointment time, and if you think your schedule is thrown off, multiply that by 12-15 patients in a half-day. If all of them are even 5 minutes late for their appointment time, it creates a significant backlog for the physician to overcome. We're good, but we can't reverse time. It's just not feasible.
3. Do know your personal and medical history. Be sure that you have approximate dates of any surgeries or hospitalizations that have occurred in the last few years. Know what body parts you do and do not have. Know what medications (and their doses) you are taking, for the love of all that is holy! I have no idea what birth control pills are in the pink rectangular package, and will not be able to divine it easily. Have a tentative idea of when your last period happened. I also have no idea what is in your medical history unless you bring your records to me to look at or have them sent to the office *before* your appointment, so please don't wave a dismissive hand and mumble something about how "it's all in there somewhere."
4. Do bathe. Applying soap and water to your body sometime in the 24 hours before the appointment is considered common courtesy. I really don't care if your legs or any other areas are shaved, hair maintenance really doesn't concern or bother me in the least, but the courtesy of bathing is much appreciated.
5. Do know what you want to accomplish. Write down the questions that you have or issues that you want to address at your appointment. In the hustle of the office routine, you will probably forget something. Keep a little list on a piece of paper or on your phone to review...and I stress *little.*
Ob/Gyn Office *Don'ts*
1. Don't make a routine appointment for an out of the ordinary problem. This, of all things, is my number one pet peeve when it comes to office visits. If you are feeling depressed, your libido is in the toilet, your uterus is falling out, or you feel like you are bleeding to death every month, even if it *is* just about time for your pap smear, please, please, PLEASE don't call the office to make an "annual exam" appointment. Believe it or not, GYN physicians do more than just pap smears. If you want to see the doctor for a problem, make an appointment for such. Here is something you may not realize: You do *not* have to disclose to the scheduler *what kind* of problem you are having! Simply stating you have a problem you would like to discuss with the physician is totally adequate and spares you any embarrassment you may feel. Annual exam appointments are usually given about 10 minutes, but problem appointments can be scheduled for 15 minutes-30 minutes. This means you get more time with your physician to discuss treatment options and formulate a plan to get you feeling better. In the same vein, don't save up all of your problems for your annual exam; there is only so much we can do in an annual exam. Change your birth control? Yes. Change your birth control, cure your depression, diagnose your infection, and evaluate abnormal bleeding? Not so much. Scheduling the appropriate kind of appointment sets up a "win/win" situation for all involved.
2. Don't expect to get an immediate answer/treatment/cure after one visit. Some problems (like infections) are easy to solve, but some problems are more complex and require data gathering and imaging studies. Your initial appointment may need to be followed by a secondary appointment in order to assimilate information and assess treatment efficacy. You may not have all the answers after seeing your physician one time, but I can assure, you will be headed in a definitive direction for treatment.
3. Don't be rude to the office staff. They are there to do a job, and when you get seen, how you get seen, and certain office policies (like late policies) are totally out of their control. We all work together as a team, and you can bet that if you are a raging b*tch to my MA, I am going to hear about it before I step foot in the room. I can't guarantee a warmed speculum in those cases, either (I KID, NO HATE MAIL, PLEASE!!) On the flip side, if our staff is rude to you we want to know about it, so please share your experience with us.
4. Don't expect your physician to (do even more) work for free. Trust me when I say that much of the "behind the scenes" work that we do goes uncompensated. It is common courtesy to inform you of your lab results over the phone (usually our nurses or clinical staff will do this), however, if you want to discuss the interpretation of your labs or formulate treatment plans based on the lab results? Make an appointment. Physicians' clinical opinions are based upon what we spent years learning; this is our professional service, and we deserve to be compensated for services rendered.
5. Don't attempt to dictate your own treatment. Dr. Google is great for answers in the middle of the night, but printing sheaves of paper dictating how you *think* you should be evaluated/treated is incredibly off-putting. I value an educated patient, and appreciate when my patients "do their homework." This is not the same thing as demanding of a physician a specific test or treatment that you happen to think you may need. We want to collaborate with you about your care, and have spent years of training learning how to do this. Our knowledge is not so easily replaced by We.b.M.D. or W.ik.ipe.d.ia.
31 comments:
- The Brown Recluse (TBR) said...
The last thing in the world I'd want to do is have to take my clothes off and be examined twice if there's anyway at all I can help it.
If I had to make a choice (because I hate it so bad), I'd get the problem looked at and skip the annual exam.
But, thankfully, during my annual exam, my doctor always asks me if there's any problems or questions, and if so, she discusses it with me at that time. One visit. I'm glad I have my doctor. - 2/04/2011 3:57 PM
Please remember that most patients have NO IDEA how the office works. things that seem obvious to you are not obvious to others. I know that I learned from this post things I never knew before:
1. Appointments have varying lengths. Not once, in my 40+ years of living, has an office staff ever said "I have you scheduled for 10 minutes." or "I have you scheduled for 20 minutes." All I get is a start time, I have no idea any appointment is different from any other.
Perhaps you could train your office staff to ask things like "Is this for an uncomplicated annual exam, or are there additional issues you'd like to discuss with the doctor?" when scheduling. Seems like a simple change that would solve much of that issue.
2. I had no idea that the staff does not factor in paperwork as part of the appointment. Everyone has paperwork. Instead of expecting patients to magically *know* to show up before you tell them to, you could build that time into the schedule. If someone tells me my appointment is at 4:30 - I take them at their word and show up at 4:30. Patients are not mind readers. If you want me there at 4:20 - tell me to be there at 4:20.
Communication is key, and both of these issues could be greatly helped by the office better communicating with patients. - 2/04/2011 3:58 PM
- dr. whoo? said...
Brown Recluse~ It is not that we don't (often!) address concerns at annual examinations, and of course your physician should always ask if you have any concerns at your appointment. However, if you are coming to the doctor for a problem and just scheduling an annual exam, it sets up the wrong way right from the start. You may not have to get "all the way undressed" for a problem check appointment, either. I know that patients don't know this...which is why I wrote it in the blog. :) Thanks for reading...
Anon~ I know! That is what I said at the beginning of the post! ;) Glad that the post gave you some insight into how the office works. Our office staff does ask the pt. routine appointment or problem check, and they also explain that the appointment time is "blank," please arrive 15 minutes early to update paperwork. Our appointment reminder cards say this, as well. I agree that communication is key! - 2/04/2011 4:17 PM
- Lindsey said...
Dr. Whoo... just found you and managed to read through your archives well into 2009 before my kids woke up from their naps.
I am so relieved to find your blog. I'm a CBE/doula and birth junkie, and so many of the places I frequent online publish pages and pages of "doctors are evil" and "they love to slice" and whatnot, and to be straight up honest, my experiences attending birthing women don't always leave me feeling warm and fuzzy for the person with OB/ at the end of their name. What I'm getting around to saying though is that I appreciate your candor, giving a glimpse into the practice of at least one physician who bristles at the negative stereotypes perpetuated about your specialty. Not only that but it seems you are genuinely concerned about the why of this phenomenon.
The story about the mom whose baby crashed and needed the emergency c-section under general anesthesia had me reaching for the tissues... your humility in feeling like you'd done a "bad" job when the family was so quick to thank you... that is the stuff truly empathetic and effective OBs are made of. Looking forward to reading along even more! - 2/04/2011 5:07 PM
All I can say is... AMEN! As a fellow ob-gyn I 100% agree with you on all of the above!
- LauraT said...
Your post was very helpful. Do all doctor's offices run this way? It seems that I've had some doctors (and I've had MANY ob/gyn's) with incompetent and/or rude staff. No info was given about how the office works unless I ask - and even then I never got a straight answer from the main secretary. It sounds like you have a well-run office. This is not true of all doctor's offices, however. As much as I try to be a considerate patient, the doctor needs to make sure his/her staff is well trained in communication.
- ER's Mom said...
I would add : Please don't lie to the nurse while she's rooming you as to the reason for the visit.
My nurse has been with me for many years and is very well trained as to what I want to do for any particular type of appointment. The equipment I want will be laid out before I go in. It wastes her time and sometimes my supplies if I go in there to find that you weren't completely honest with her.
So, your bathing suggestion has me a little nervous... I can pretty much guarantee a shower the morning of an appointment but I can no longer always get in a second within an hour or so of my appointment with the whole juggling of 3 young children I have going on. So, there may be a slight "womanly fragrance" going on- especially at the end of pregnancy. That's ok, right? Do I need to be nervous about that?
And don't, for heaven's sake, make an appointment for a routine problem and whip out an FMLA form you want filled out RIGHT THEN. It won't be happenin'. (Maybe ob/gyn doesn't have to deal with this).
- ER's Mom said...
@mamadoc - we do FMLA forms all the freakin' time - pregnancy is even its own category, plus off work for surgeries.
I won't do them at the appointment - my other patients' time is valuable. - 2/06/2011 9:45 AM
Great list! I love the do know which body parts you do and do not have..scary:)
Good to see you blogging again.
Amy in OH - 2/06/2011 5:00 PM
- Speculative Speculum said...
I found your post rather insulting. You are pretty much saying, "don't bother me. You are not worth more than 5-10 minutes of my time on any given day."
I have specifically heard women complain about their OB visits when they have to repeadetly come back for minor issues that could be resolved in appointment; albeit, this might slightly over the maximum allowed for the usual appointment. Patients do not want to keep going to their OB when they are generally healthy. It's a waste of time and money. For the few that make all their issues known to the intake nurse/clerk, not everything mentioned may trickle down to the physician, and the intake person might not schedule wisely. Not all office staff has the medical knowledge necessary to predict how long an appointment will take.
As for me, I don't complain about any issues to my OB beyond anything life threatening. I don't want to be that patient who is "frequent" because of little things or the one who says during my routine exam, "oh yeah, I bleed through a tampon/pad every hour for two days while on my period out of fear of the OB. I don't think patients want to bother their OBs, and they might not know whether something is minor or serious. They just wait until their routine exam.
One of my friends recently got married. She wanted to go on BC (she was a virgin). She went a month before her yearly exam. She was a little pissed off that things couldn't be done together (prescribed birth control and have a yearly) even though this is what she said to the staff when she made the appointment were her intentions of the visit. That's just ridiculous to me. It's one month off. Why should she have to come in again if the BC for the first month goes well? Ultimately, she won't be going back to her provider after that. - 2/07/2011 4:40 PM
- dr. whoo? said...
Lindsey~ I am really touched by your comment. Thank you for taking the time to read and to approach this blog with an open mind. We *aren't* all evil knife sharpeners! Hope to dialog with you more in the future! :)
Anon 2/4, 5:07~ Always happy to hear from a fellow Ob/Gyn in the trenches, thanks for the support!
19lt70~ Glad to hear that this post helped! I can't say that *all* physician offices are run this way, but the few that I have worked in are very similar. You do find rude and uncommunicative staff members in the best of offices, and I bang my head regularly over inappropriately scheduled (by the scheduler) appointments. Communication is the key to moving forward.
ER's Mom~ OMG, yes! How could I forget that one? Especially in an office with EMR, have to go back and replace the entire template...frustrating!
Anonymous~ No, nothing to be nervous about at all! If you saw what I posted, I had the "within 24 hours of your appointment caveat." Showering that morning is well within that time frame. And of course, normal "womanly" fragrance developed over the course of the day is no issue at all.
mamadoc ~ Amen! As ER's mom said, we do them all-the-friggin-time. We charge a $25 form fee and the office staff collects them. We do not do them at the appointment. Total waste of *everyone's* time.
Amy in OH~ Thank you! Glad to be back! You would be amazed, simply amazed. - 2/07/2011 7:54 PM
- dr. whoo? said...
Speculative Speculum ~
I found your post rather insulting. You are pretty much saying, "don't bother me. You are not worth more than 5-10 minutes of my time on any given day."
While I hate that you found the post "insulting," I am puzzled as to how you came to this conclusion about how making your trip to the GYN more "efficient" translates to the patient is unworthy of a physician's time.
It's a waste of time and money.
Perhaps the issue is that you think that physicians should give their time, the time of the other patients on the schedule, and their expertise away for free...since it isn't worth anything. I can't tell you what happens with these multiple and vague "friends" of yours of which you speak, but I doubt that minor medical issues would require more than one or two visits. More severe problems or treatment/medication follow ups certainly require (necessarily) multiple appointments and possibly exams.
For the few that make all their issues known to the intake nurse/clerk, not everything mentioned may trickle down to the physician, and the intake person might not schedule wisely. Not all office staff has the medical knowledge necessary to predict how long an appointment will take.
You are totally right about a scheduler/secretary having little medical knowledge about what appointment would require how much time, *however* they do know that a consultation for a problem can be put in a 30 minute slot, whereas the annual exam is in a 10 minute slot. The resposibilty lies upon the patient for taking charge of what they need out of their visit that day. It really is key to inform the intake RN or MA all issues you wish to address at the appointment, this helps the physician be best prepared to help you.
I don't think patients want to bother their OBs, and they might not know whether something is minor or serious. They just wait until their routine exam.
I agree that patients may or may not know if their concerns are serious, but they also cannot possibly expect for everything to be solved and tied up in a neat little bow within 15, 20, or even 30 minutes. I disagree that physicians find that their patients bothersome if they present with multiple different visits for other concerns. It is far better to return until the problem is adequately resolved than to just "suck it up" until the next annual exam.
One of my friends recently got married. She wanted to go on BC (she was a virgin). She went a month before her yearly exam. She was a little pissed off that things couldn't be done together (prescribed birth control and have a yearly) even though this is what she said to the staff when she made the appointment were her intentions of the visit. That's just ridiculous to me. It's one month off. Why should she have to come in again if the BC for the first month goes well? Ultimately, she won't be going back to her provider after that.
While inconvenient for your friend, true, you can't blame that one on the OB/GYN. She will find this issue wherever she goes due to *insurance coverage.* If you try to have your annual exam any earlier than a year and a day past the time of your last exam, insurance will not cover the cost of the exam and your friend would have had to pay roughly $200 in order to avoid being "inconveieneced." So while it sucks, this isn't the physician's doing, and they are being improperly blamed by your friend. Just sayin'... - 2/07/2011 7:54 PM
Oh, yes. I saw "with in 24 hours" but I was worried you were just being polite...
Thanks for the reassurance! - 2/07/2011 8:07 PM
- Speculative Speculum said...
I ain't even mad. lol
Gee, how about some dos & don'ts for the doctor?
Do... read the medical records you told the patient to send from the previous doctor.
Don't ... cause unnecessary pain to the patient.
More than 20 years ago I had to see a new dr in a new city I'd recently moved to, because of an abnormal pap, because I was a DES daughter (I *do* hope you know what that means without resorting to Google) ... and after he'd begun the exam he asked a question that made it quite clear he hadn't bothered to look at the records. With me spread open, he riffled through the folder, and then gave me such a rough exam that I literally could not sit down afterwards for several hours.
And, gosh, I'd arrived 20 minutes early to fill out his office paperwork, and showered that morning, and all that. Guess I got that oh-so-rare GYN who hates women. - 2/09/2011 10:33 PM
I wish my OBGYN's office staff would read the chart or simply know medical terminiology!
They always ask me what type of birth control I use. I always tell them "My husband has azoospermia." To which case I get either a) dumb stare b) Oh, is that a kind of spermicide? or c) oh, so you're trying to get pregnant.
I find this extremely insulting, especially when I have to explain what it means in really small words. Then I go into the doctor's office, and she reads the notes (definitely has not read the chart) and either a)asks me "what does no sperm mean?" b) tells me I need to take care of and respect my body by taking bc c) asks me, so if you get pregnant, that's good right? or d) tells me I just need to relax. That last response didn't give me much confidence in her medical knowledge as how would ME relaxing suddenly make my HUSBAND develop sperm?? grr. If you have any tips for how I can deal with this infuriating office staff, I would appreciate it. - 2/12/2011 7:58 PM
- kate sweeten said...
Can I get an "amen" on the "don't be rude to the office staff"?
I've been working a clinic front desk for just about three years and it never fails to amaze me as to how horrible our patients are willing to be to a total stranger. - 2/14/2011 11:51 AM
10 minutes for an annual?? One of the things I adore about seeing my CNM is that she isn't so tightly scheduled that she can't talk to me. When I was pregnant some of my checkups were that fast, but the annual exams were a lot less pressured.
I also am not fond of the front office in that office. Rude, taciturn, and unfriendly. When I saw a job advirtized in that office my Dh wanted me to apply and I said "Oh hell NO, I wouldn't last a month!" - 2/20/2011 3:45 PM
- Kyla said...
Now that I know what goes on behind the scenes in the doctor's office, I'm always trying to explain it to frustrated patients who wonder why in the world their doctor is running behind. It makes a lot of sense once you know!
- Lizzie said...
Thanks, this is a relly helpful, not to mention amusing, article. Will definitely keep your tips in mind!
Good advice for us patients, definitely. Thanks for reminding me of the people on the other side of the speculum.
I would like to point out, though, that there does need to be some consideration shown in the opposite direction. When I was pregnant with my second child, I had to arrange a babysitter for my toddler (usually my mother on her one day off a week), my husband had to take a 1/2 day off work to drive me (I can't drive due to a brain injury), and then I had to spend almost half a day sitting there in the office waiting -- EVERY TIME. So forgive me that once I showed up five minutes late. Prior to that, I had never waited LESS than two hours past my appointment time to see the doctor (and sometimes as much as five hours!) for three to five minutes for my OB check. The one time I came five minutes late because my husband got nabbed on his way out of work for an important question, the office staff tried to turn me away, saying that it wouldn't be fair to the other patients if one could just "show up whenever" and be seen. I have to confess I was a bit touchy and asked to the waiting room at large if anyone there had the appoinments after mine, or if the doctor was behind enough my turn hadn't even come yet. Guess what? The doctor was running his usual two hours behind, so the receptionist decided that "just this once" she could allow me the priviledge of waiting another two hours to be seen.
I understand tight scheduling, dwindling profit margins, emergencies, and all that jazz, but routinely double- and triple-booking appointments so that you're HOURS late every time is disrespectful and wasteful of your patients' time, too. My husband is also a busy professional and used every scrap of his vacation time taking me to those doctor appts, leaving one two days for him to take off after the birth with pay (he had to take the other eight as unpaid leave). The occasional huge wait is understandable; the constant huge delay is unconscionable. And even that would have been bearable if the doc even pretended to actually care about my pregnancy or health instead of treating any and all questions about my rather high-risk pregnancy as an annoyance and interruption. If only there had been another high-risk practice in town! Grrr.
I'm sure you're not one of those docs, but thanks for letting me vent about the insensitive ones who are. - 3/20/2011 11:43 AM
- BuckeyeNP said...
LOVED EVERY WORD!! so true (i'm an NP in OB/GYN).
- Tee said...
Just came across your blog today and really enjoyed this post! Thank for writing it! I spend a lot of time in various doctor's offices and take pride in the fact that I am a polite person to EVERYONE involved in my care. Even so, this list helped open my eyes to some other things that I can do to make their lives easier! I'm looking forward to reading through your back posts!
- Lara said...
Dude, I always want to address you by your real name when I write comments (admittedly, although it has been a very long time! since I commented!). I think you are so brave to endure some of the comments that your posts elicit, and I'm so proud of you for your honesty here. Also, this post was really helpful! It never occurred to me to warn the front desk when making my appointment for an annual exam that I have a problem (if I do). I do agree with a previous commenter that it might be helpful if more front desks were to ask at the time of making the appointment if we are having any out-of-the-ordinary issues that need to be discussed, but I also realize that it is impossible for that to happen since most people schedule annual exams well in advance of their own awareness of a problem happening (I'm not one of those people, because I know I'm unreliable if I make an appointment a year in advance - I'd rather call around the time I'm due and hope an appointment time opens up). Anyway, I love you, friend, and I hope you are doing well, feeling appreciated, and know that I think of you often and think it is incredibly cool that you are doing the work that you do. You get to see miracles happen every day! But you also have to endure a miraculous amount of crap!
Hmmm...with my family practice doctor it was always a much longer appointment for my annual - a full 30 minutes.
Now that I alternate the gyno onco with the gyno I have a real hard time convincing them it is NOT just an annual. I know it is going to take time. He always has to review several pages of case history and tests. I feel bad that I am the case that puts him further behind but I swear I try.
If you have advice other than telling them succinctly I see him and my onco on alternating 6 months I would love to hear it!
Oh yeah, and the last two times I saw him was in relation to the mass they found in my MRI. I was scheduled for a 10 minute appointment (his office has it printed on the form you hand to the nurse). I know I personally spent 30 minutes each time plus the time on the phone and doing paperwork.
I can, however, say I was freshly showered both times and arrived 15 minutes early the second time. The first time they called and said, "When can you get here?" - 5/04/2011 2:00 AM
- plus size skirts said...
Finally, good to see you blogging again. I really enjoy each blog you've posted.
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE APPAUSE !!!!!! I am an FNP and I swear I love my job and I love my patients but when I see "URI" on my schedule and I go in and they say "oh no...I wanted to talk about my rectal bleeding" I just want to throw my schedule up in the air !!!
- Nurse and Hospital Stories said...
Great list dr whoo. Love the bathing do list, eh. It's good to have a patient who smells clean and look so refresh. :)
Thanks for sharing,
Peny@plus size scrubs - 10/19/2011 10:32 PM
Well I been gooing to my ob-gyn since my first child and now its my third I met a new nurse named Lauren, I told the first nurse to get my doctor to fill out this form for my gym membership, so lauren comes in with an attitude telling what she can't do and crap trying to tell me aboyt exercise I told her I dontwork out while pregnant and she also insulted my skin vitiligo I never want to see her ever she was very very very rude


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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Topic Overview
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.
Anyone who has gone through a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. But people don't always have to see a traumatic event or have it happen to them to get PTSD. Sometimes learning that a traumatic event happened to a loved one can cause PTSD.
These events can include:
- Combat or being sent to a combat zone.
- Military sexual trauma.
- Terrorist attacks.
- Physical violence.
- Sexual violence, such as rape.
- Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.
- Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, flood, or earthquake.
- Life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer.
- Living in or near a conflict, such as war.
After the event you might find that you are thinking a lot about what happened, avoiding reminders about the event, and thinking negative thoughts about yourself and the world.
What are the symptoms?
After going through a traumatic event, you may:
- Feel upset by things that remind you of what happened.
- Have nightmares, vivid memories, or flashbacks of the event. You may feel like it's happening all over again.
- Avoid places or things that remind you of what happened.
- Often feel bad about yourself and the world.
- Feel numb or lose interest in things you used to care about.
- Feel that you are always in danger.
- Feel anxious, jittery, or irritated.
- Have trouble sleeping or keeping your mind on one thing.
PTSD symptoms can change your behavior and how you live your life. You may pull away from other people, work all the time, or use drugs or alcohol. You may find it hard to be in relationships, and you may have problems with your spouse and family. You may become depressed. Some people with PTSD also have panic attacks, which are sudden feelings of fear or worry that something bad is about to happen.
Children can have PTSD too. They may have the symptoms above and symptoms that depend on how old they are. As children get older their symptoms are more like those of adults.
- Young children may become upset if their parents are not close by. Or children may have trouble sleeping or suddenly have trouble with toilet training or going to the bathroom.
- Children who are in the first few years of elementary school (ages 6 to 9) may act out the trauma through play, drawings, or stories. They may complain of physical problems or become more irritable or aggressive. They also may develop fears and anxiety that don't seem to be caused by the traumatic event.
What can you do if you think you have PTSD?
If you think you have PTSD, it's important to get treatment. Treatment can work, and early treatment may help reduce long-term symptoms.footnote 1
If you think you have PTSD:
- Talk to your family doctor.
- Talk to a mental health professional, such as a therapist.
- If you're a veteran, contact your local VA hospital or Vet Center.
- Talk to a close friend or family member. He or she may be able to support you and find you help.
- Talk to a religious leader.
If you have thoughts about hurting yourself or someone else, call 911 , 1-800-273-TALK (suicide hotline), or go to a hospital emergency room.
How does PTSD develop?
All people with PTSD have personally experienced—or have experienced through others—a traumatic event that caused them to fear for their lives, see horrible things, and feel helpless. Strong emotions caused by the event create changes in the brain that may result in PTSD.
Many people who go through a traumatic event don't get PTSD. It isn't clear why some people develop PTSD and others don't. How likely you are to get PTSD depends on many things. These include:
- How intense the trauma was.
- If you lost a loved one or were hurt.
- How close you were to the event.
- How strong your reaction was.
- How much you felt in control of events.
- How much help and support you got after the event.
Having a history of mental illness, substance use disorder, or childhood trauma may also increase your risk of getting PTSD.
PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not happen until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years. About half of people who develop PTSD get better at some time. But other people who develop PTSD always will have some symptoms.footnote 2
If you have symptoms of PTSD, counseling can help you cope. Your symptoms don't have to interfere with your everyday activities, work, and relationships. It is never too late to get professional help or other forms of support that can help you manage the symptoms of PTSD.
Reminders and anniversaries of the event can make symptoms worse.
How is PTSD treated?
Treatments for PTSD include:
- Counseling, which can help you understand your thoughts and learn ways to cope with your feelings. This can help you feel more in control and get you back to the activities in your life. A type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for treating PTSD. Cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure therapy are examples of types of CBT that are used.
- Antidepressant medicines, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). They can help with many PTSD symptoms. SSRIs include fluoxetine (such as Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
You may need to try different types of treatment before finding the one that helps you. Your doctor will help you with this. These treatments may include other types of medicines and other forms of counseling, such as group counseling. If you have other problems along with PTSD, such as overuse of alcohol or drugs, you may need treatment for those also.
Treatment can help you feel more in control of your emotions, have fewer symptoms, and enjoy life again.
One Man's Story: "I can't turn my brain off. Sometimes I stay up all night. The bad part is not staying up, but what's going through my head. I can't stop it." —Marvin |
Health Tools
Health Tools help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.
In Their Own Words
Telling others about having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is hard. But for the following people, it's part of recovering.
Read what they say about how PTSD felt, how it affected their families, and how treatment is helping them get better.
One Man's Story: Marvin and his family survived Hurricane Katrina on a neighbor's rooftop. "I have visions of being up on the roof and going through it all over again. I just keep seeing the water coming up and up." —Marvin |
One Man's Story: Tim is an Iraq war veteran and former medic. "When I came home, so much had changed for me on a day-to-day basis. I just couldn't communicate the same." —Tim |
One Man's Story: Ron is a Vietnam veteran who has had PTSD symptoms for decades. "Whenever I was under extreme stress, it would come back and slam me." —Ron |
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be terrifying. They may disrupt your life and make it hard to continue with your daily activities. It may be hard just to get through the day.
PTSD symptoms usually start soon after the traumatic event, but they may not happen until months or years later. They also may come and go over many years. If the symptoms last longer than 4 weeks, cause you great distress, or interfere with your work or home life, you may have PTSD.
Even if you always have some symptoms, counseling can help you cope. Your symptoms don't have to interfere with your everyday activities, work, and relationships.
Most people who go through a traumatic event have some symptoms at the beginning but don't develop PTSD.
There are four types of symptoms:
Reliving the event
Bad memories of the traumatic event can come back at any time. You may feel the same fear and horror you did when the event took place. You may feel like you're going through the event again. This is called a flashback. Sometimes there is a trigger: a sound or sight that causes you to relive the event. Triggers might include:
- Hearing a car backfire, which can bring back memories of gunfire and war for a combat veteran.
- Seeing a car accident, which can remind a crash survivor of his or her own accident.
- Seeing a news report of a sexual assault, which may bring back memories of assault for a woman who was raped.
Avoiding situations that remind you of the event
You may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. You may even avoid talking or thinking about the event.
- A person who was in an earthquake may avoid watching television shows or movies in which there are earthquakes.
- A person who was robbed at gunpoint while ordering at a hamburger drive-in may avoid fast-food restaurants.
- Some people may keep very busy or avoid seeking help. This keeps them from having to think or talk about the event.
Feeling bad about yourself or others
You may find it hard to express your feelings. This is another way to avoid memories.
- You may not have positive or loving feelings toward other people and may stay away from relationships.
- You may blame yourself for what happened. You may feel guilt, fear, or shame.
- You may forget about parts of the traumatic event or not be able to talk about them.
Feeling keyed up
You may be alert and on the lookout for danger. This is known as increased emotional arousal. It can cause you to:
- Suddenly become angry or irritable.
- Have a hard time sleeping.
- Have trouble concentrating.
- Have reckless behavior or to think about hurting yourself.
- Fear for your safety and always feel on guard.
- Be very startled when someone surprises you.
Other symptoms
Other symptoms also may include:
- Physical symptoms for no reason you can think of (called somatic complaints).
- Difficulty controlling your emotions.
- Problems with family or friends.
- Impulsive or self-destructive behavior.
- Changed beliefs or changed personality traits.
One Man's Story: "People don't understand the emotion tied to flashbacks. It's like it's happening all over again, and you're having the same physiological reactions." — Marvin |
PTSD in children and teens
Children can have PTSD too. They may have the symptoms listed above and/or symptoms that depend on how old they are. As children get older, their symptoms are more like those of adults.
- Young children may become upset if their parents are not close by. Or children may have trouble sleeping or suddenly have trouble with toilet training or going to the bathroom.
- Children who are in the first few years of elementary school (ages 6 to 9) may act out the trauma through play, drawings, or stories. They may complain of physical problems or become more irritable or aggressive. They also may have fears and anxiety that don't seem to be caused by the traumatic event.
If you think you or a loved one has symptoms of PTSD, see your doctor right away. Treatment can work, and early treatment may help reduce long-term symptoms.
Military Concerns
If you were in the military, you may have seen combat. You may have been on missions that exposed you to horrible and life-threatening experiences. You may have been shot at, seen a buddy shot, or seen death. These are types of events that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Other things about a combat situation can add more stress to an already stressful situation and may contribute to PTSD and other mental health problems.footnote 4 These things include what you do in the war, the politics around the war, where it's fought, and the type of enemy you face.
Another cause of PTSD in the military can be military sexual trauma (MST). This is any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the military. MST can happen to men and women and can occur during peacetime, training, or war.
Getting treatment
Many veterans don't seek treatment for PTSD. You may feel that treatment won't help, or worry about what people will think. Your military background may add other pressures that keep you from seeking treatment. You may feel that it will hurt your career, or that those in your unit will lose faith in you. You may fear that your unit will see you as weak.
- If you need help deciding to see your doctor, see some reasons why people don't get help and ways to overcome them.
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has many programs for veterans and their families who are worried about PTSD or related problems. If you are a veteran, contact your local VA about these resources (http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/where-to-get-help.asp). You can find help with treatment, jobs, housing, and sexual assault.
One Man's Story: "Being in the Guard now is like a mandatory support group, because they've all been there too." —Tim |
Tests & Treatments
There are many types of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You and your doctor will discuss the best treatment for you. You may have to try a number of treatments before you find one that works for you.
A type of counseling called cognitive-behavioral therapy and medicines known as SSRIs appear to be the most effective treatments for PTSD. Treatment can help you feel more in control of your emotions and result in fewer symptoms, but you may still have some bad memories.
Counseling means talking with a therapist on your own or in a group about the traumatic event and PTSD. You will talk with your therapist about your memories and feelings. This will help you change how you think about your trauma. You will learn how to deal with painful feelings and memories, so you can feel better.
There are different types of counseling for PTSD. Several types of therapy have been shown to be effective in treating PTSD. These therapies are:
- Cognitive therapy, in which you learn to change thoughts about the trauma that are not true or that cause you stress.
- Prolonged exposure therapy, in which you talk about the traumatic event over and over, in a safe place, until you have less fear.
- Cognitive processing therapy, in which you learn to change negative emotions and thoughts related to the trauma.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), in which you focus on hand movements and sounds while talking about the traumatic event.
Finding a therapist you trust is important. A good therapist will listen to your concerns and help you make changes in your life. Your doctor can help you find one. If you are a veteran, the VA is a good place to start. Churches sometimes offer services that help people get counseling. Or you can call your state Health and Welfare office.
SSRI medicine
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are a type of antidepressant medicine. They can help with many PTSD symptoms. They appear to be helpful, and for some people they are very effective. SSRIs include fluoxetine (such as Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).
One Man's Story: "It's hard to let people in on your private thoughts. A professional is a great listener, and if you can let them in, when you talk about your flashbacks, they understand that they're not some random thoughts." —Marvin, 58 |
Other types of treatment
Your doctor also may suggest you try other types of medicines and other forms of counseling.
- Antidepressants like venlafaxine (Effexor) may also be used.
- Other types of counseling include group treatment and family therapy.
If you are using medicine, take it exactly as prescribed. Call your doctor if it's not helping your symptoms or if the side effects are very bad. You and your doctor will decide what to do.
Some people who have PTSD may try complementary or alternative treatments to manage their symptoms. These treatments may include acupuncture, meditation, and hypnotherapy. And they may include natural supplements, like ginkgo biloba. These treatments may be helpful for some people with PTSD. But more research is needed.
Talk with your doctor about any complementary health practice that you would like to try or are already using.
Deciding to get treatment
Unfortunately, many people don't seek treatment for PTSD. You may not seek treatment because you think the symptoms are not bad enough or that you can work things out on your own. But getting treatment is important.
Treatment can make your symptoms less intense and stop them from coming back. It can help you connect with your family, friends, and community. Many people get better with treatment.
If you need help deciding whether to see your doctor, see some reasons why people don't get help and ways to overcome them.
When you first see your therapist, he or she will ask questions about the traumatic event causing PTSD and how severe your symptoms are. You may want your spouse, your partner, or a close family member to come with you. This person can help your doctor understand your symptoms and can help your therapist understand what you've been going through. Being with someone you trust helps you relax.
If you have other problems along with PTSD, such as overuse of alcohol or drugs, you also may need treatment for those problems.
Recovery from PTSD does not mean forgetting the past trauma. It does mean that you learn how to not have the bad physical and emotional reactions in response to memories so that you can fully live your life. Recovery is not a cure. It helps you believe that you can reach your goals and learn new things to help yourself. It helps you gain self-confidence and respect for yourself.
One Man's Story: "I'm a much more peaceful person now. I sleep so much better." —Ron |
Positive coping skills
Coping is about dealing with your symptoms. When you cope with your symptoms in a positive way, you often feel more in control. You accept what the traumatic event did and take steps to improve your life.
- Learn about PTSD to better understand how and why it affects you.
- Relieve stress to relax and feel less anxious.
- Exercise and be active to reduce how tense you feel. People who are fit usually have less anxiety, depression, and stress than people who aren't active.
- Get enough sleep to help your mood and make you feel less stressed. Many people with PTSD have trouble sleeping because they feel nervous and anxious or can't stop thinking about the traumatic event.
- Eat a balanced diet to help your body deal with tension and stress. Whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and protein are part of a balanced diet.
- Find things to do to ease your memories and reactions. Consider channeling your emotions into activities or sports, painting or writing, or a rewarding job.
- Identify your beliefs to keep you balanced. PTSD can cause a spiritual crisis. You may begin to question your own beliefs and values and ask yourself why war or disasters happen. If this happens to you, talk to a family member, friend, or spiritual adviser. Consider spiritual study, prayer, or meditation.
Negative coping skills
Negative coping skills are certain ways you may try to deal with your symptoms and problems that cause more harm than good. These are quick fixes that don't improve your situation in the long run. They include drinking too much, avoiding others, and lashing out.
Support groups and social support
There are times when you may need a shoulder to cry on or a ride to the doctor. You may want to learn more about PTSD or talk with others who have PTSD. You need people who understand what you are going through and will help you and care about you. This is your support network.
Support takes many forms. You can find it in seminars and groups led by professionals, in groups made up of others with PTSD, and in your relationships with family and friends.
Emotional Health and Well-Being
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't always occur alone. Other medical conditions often occur with it, such as:
- Substance use disorder.
- Depression.
- Suicide.
- Anger and fear.
- Grief.
- Panic attacks.
- Physical health problems.
One Man's Story: "I didn't know why I needed to drink or wanted to drink. But Vietnam was never very far away when I did." —Ron |
Family and Community
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can harm your relationships with your family and community. Feelings of anger and depression and not wanting to deal with people can make it hard to connect with them. Pay attention to how you act with your family and try not to pull away. Your relationships can make a big difference in your recovery from PTSD.
Here are things you can do to help yourself, your family, and your community better understand and deal with PTSD.
- Know when to get crisis help. Sometimes you need help right away. This may be the case when you have had thoughts about suicide or if anger turns to rage.
Help your family. Your family plays an important part in your recovery from PTSD. But you also have to help them. This means:
- Talking to your family about PTSD and what it does to you.
- Talking to your kids. Be sure they know they aren't to blame.
- Talking about your triggers. Triggers are places, sounds, and sights that can cause symptoms. They can be locations, social events, or holidays.
- Remember that life transitions, even positive ones such as getting married, having a baby, or starting a new job, can cause stress and result in more PTSD symptoms.
- Keep in mind that your relationship to your community can be changed by PTSD.
Your family and community are part of your recovery. Do as much as you can to work with them. With knowledge, your family and community can better help you.
One Man's Story: "Talking about it with my wife is getting easier. The more I talk about it with people, the better." —Tim |
What can others do to help?
- If you care about someone with PTSD, here's what you can do to help.
- Learn what you can about PTSD. The more you know, the better you can understand what your loved one is going through.
- Help your loved one make friends and form a social network.
- Learn how to deal with anger. Both you and your loved one may be angry at times.
- Learn the best way to talk with your loved one. Be positive when you can. Don't give advice unless you are asked.
- Take care of yourself by taking time for yourself and having your own support system.
Some people with PTSD are also depressed. For information on how to help with this, see:
Your family and community are part of your recovery. Do as much as you can to work with them. With this knowledge, your family and community can better help you.
Related Information
- Cahill SP, et al. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for adults. In EB Foa et al., eds., Effective Treatments for PTSD: Practice Guidelines From the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 2nd ed., pp. 139–222. New York: Guilford Press.
- Johnson DC, et al. (2008). Posttraumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. In MH Ebert et al., eds., Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychiatry, 2nd ed., pp. 366–377. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Department of Veterans Affairs (2017). VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of posttraumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder, version 3.0. Available online: https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/mh/ptsd/. Accessed December 3, 2018.
- Wright KM, et al. (2012). Alcohol problems, aggression, and other externalizing behaviors after return from deployment: Understanding the role of combat exposure, internalizing symptoms, and social environment. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(7): 782–800.
- Davidson J, et al. (2006). Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder with venlafaxine extended release. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63(10): 1158–1165.
Current as of: February 9, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine
Jessica Hamblen PhD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
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In Their Own Words
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In Their Own Words- Top of the page
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Military Concerns
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Symptoms- Top of the page
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Tests & Treatments
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Family and Community
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Current as of: February 9, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson MD - Internal Medicine & Jessica Hamblen PhD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder