Awhile ago I finished reading a biography about Florence Nightingale, which I can not recommend, but I can recommend you learn about her on your own, without the help of the rabbit trailing periodical.
'Tis the season for coughs and flues. Florence, who is known for taking nursing to a whole new level and relentlessly fighting for the care of soldiers in the Crimean War, had this to say about recovery. This is one of the few jewels I got from the book. Seriously, I had to PULL myself through that book by pure determination.
Do you want a healthy environment for your dear ones during this flu season?
1) Pure air (after learning this we open the windows once a day, rain pending, for an hour, cold or not)
2) Pure Water (really really)
3) Efficient drainage (we don't have this problem these days)
4) Cleanliness (wash those hands)
5) Light (regular 'ol sunlight- the minute the sun comes out Keane gets outside time, again, cold or not)
She said that without these, no house can be healthy. Without fresh air, she said the other points are almost worthless. Lately, I've had the urge to throw up, at random. I don't have the flu or anything (I'm not pregnant either), but the minute I open a window, roll down the car window, or open a door, all is well. So if your baby is sick, don't crowd him/her up in the upstairs room with all the windows closed. Open a window just enough for them to get fresh air, but not chilled.
Also, those dear ones need light. She said that she found it peculiar that the really sick ones would lay down and face the light like plants. She said that she watched patients in pain on one side choosing to lay on that side to face the light. When questioned, they didn't know the answer as to why they were doing it, but she did.
Cut the noise down as much as possible. Don't talk about your sick child in a whisper outside their bedroom, it just creates expectation and frustration, however, tip toeing around and moving slowly doesn't help either. Quick, intentional movements to take care of that little one.
Flowers! Ever wonder why flowers are so prevalent in hospitals? Our Florence girl, most likely, started that. Patients need more to look at than paint chipping from their walls.
Food- here's another good thing to pay attention to. She said that a large group of really ill patients CAN NOT take solid food before 11:00 A.M.
I want to bring up Florence's character for a second, also something I gleaned from the book (yeah). At a time when nobility could care less about the common soldier, she fought for their rights. She was nobility herself. She had come from a very high class family who had nothing better to do than to travel around and hold events. She was a different kind of nobility, though. She could care less about the latest fashion or the who's whos. She was sick to death with how the rich treated the poor and when she had the opportunity, she fought the system. Would we could find these kinds of society changers in our midst. Before I open the can of worms wide, that's all I'm going to say about that. She was ostracized, ridiculed, scorned and became rather jaded toward the end of her life, but she fell down on the right side of history. Praise the Lord for her fortitude. Upon further thought. Does anybody remember the names of the nobility of that time that tried to ignore the plight of the soldiers? Ummm, let me answer that for ya, no. You know who loved Florence? Queen Victoria. Seems she cared about her people (that was a little bonus).
All of the health things are found in her book, Notes on Nursing, which I have not read.
Bibliography (I'm probably not doing it right)
Wellman, Sam., Forence Nightengale, Lady with the Lamp., OM Authentic Books, 2003 (first Indian Edition)
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