Project GLAM – Start Your Own Dress Donation Drive

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As a part of our unit’s community service project, we decided to do two projects. One of them was Project GLAMGranting Lasting Amazing Memories. Somehow I was assigned to make the flyer and ended up becoming the head cheerleader for this project. WGIRLS Inc started Project GLAM back in 2010 where you can donate your gently used prom dresses (or cocktail dresses or bridesmaid dresses) for underprivileged girls who need prom dresses!

The idea started back in January by my nurse manager where she handed me some printouts from the website. Even Oprah endorsed it, how can you go wrong?

I made the flyer and started talking about it with coworkers a week before our donation drive. I set the drive to a short amount of time (2 weeks) so that people who were interested would bring in their dresses right away. I thought the flyer should be colorful and have spring colors, as well as the logo of the project. The timing of the drive is also important — it just turned spring, just in time for spring cleaning and Earth Day (reduce, reuse, recycle!), and it is before prom session starts. The Project GLAM was also discussed in the local news, which helped bring interest.

It was exciting talking to people about it, and hearing others talk about it with others. There’s a large age range of those working on the unit so many had different ideas of which dresses they should donate — some brought their own cocktail dress or bridesmaid dress, and others brought their own daughter’s prom dress!

We collected about 10 dresses and many accessories. Next, I got in touch with Amy, the president of WGIRLS, who then put me in touch with Kristi, the VP of WGIRLS in Long Island. We decided on a location and I dropped off the dresses.

Overall, it was a successful drive and I hope that other organizations will do the same! It helps to have a group of people donating to bring a sense of community together. However, if you’re interested in donating your own dresses, drop off your dress and accessories at these locations.

Have fun with your own dress drive and make a difference. 🙂

Let’s stop cyberbullying — More compassion please

It’s so easy to say mean and rude things on the internet because often times the person receiving the message is not face to face. This TED talk by Monica Lewinsky shows how bad shame and humiliation can be… To the point where you would rather die than be so humiliated. No matter where she went, people didn’t know her for her but as that other women. It used to only a small community knowing the shame of a person. Now it’s the whole internet world shining a spotlight on an embarrassing moment. To stop this, there are things that need to be done. 

First, be nice. If you see a mean comment, counter it with something kind. 

Second, don’t click on those demeaning links. The more clicks, the more advertising, the more they can make money, and the more they will spend on finding embarrassing stories to tell. People have souls. 

Here were a couple things I learned from the video:

  • Even in small numbers, when there’s consistency over time, change can happen. 
  •  Compassionate comments can abate bullying. Think about the other person on the other side of the headline. 
  • We have a responsibility to the freedom of expression.

The Flu season is back

You either get the flu shot or you don’t. If you decide not to, you must sign a waiver and then wear a mask at all times once you’ve stepped inside the hospital… At least until the flu season is over, usually sometime in the beginning of April.

This requirement is so serious that if you didn’t comply, you’d end up with leave without pay and eventually fired within a week. So hop to it!

Most people don’t want to get the flu shot because they feel more tired and ill afterwards. They fear getting the flu from the flu shot. But people are much more likely to get the flu from the community than from the flu shot.

Some have an egg allergy, or a family history of Gullian Barre. In this case, definitely don’t get it. Or if you’re body is immunocompromised from another disease. Then adding a dead strain of the flu to your body is probably not a good idea.

Anyhow, wearing a mask all the time isn’t so bad. In fact, in Taiwan majority of hospital workers wear masks, partially due to the H1N1 and SARS virus that broke out a few years ago. The only annoying thing about it is if you wear glasses, it sometimes fogs up the glass or if you have an allergy to the mask material and you break out from it.

I never got the flu shot prior to 5 years ago. I was at Employee Health to get cleared to volunteer at a Cancer Center. The nurse asked if I got the flu shot. I said no and I didn’t want it.

What she said next changed my life. She said,

It’s not just about protecting you; it’s about protecting others.

Cancer patients are definitely immunocompromised. The radiation and chemotherapy is killing off good and bad cells, unfortunately. If I got the flu, my body may be able to fight it off easily but if I cough on someone else (by accident of course), it’d be much easier for them to get the flu.

That day I didn’t get the flu shot because I had a certain pride of never getting the flu shot.

2 days later I got the flu shot. I didn’t want to be that agent to pass on the flu.

For my boyfriend, I encourage him to get the flu shot. Last year we were at a Breast Cancer event in October in Providence, Rhode Island. There, Walgreens was offering free flu shots. So he got one.

This year I encouraged him to get the flu shot again. He didn’t want to because it’s an out of pocket expense. However, at his work they were doing an experiment on ways to encourage people to get the flu shot. They offered it for free. So he got one.

Cost and fear of getting the flu are the 2 major barriers for not getting the flu shot. Protecting yourself and others are my reasons for getting it.

What’s your reason for getting it or not getting it? Comment below!

NYC Marathon Volunteer

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The 2014 NYC Marathon
Medical volunteer
For the first time
At mile 15
In Queens

Keep those cramps and aches at bay…
PT to the rescue!
Massage, massage
Ice, ice
In 3, 2, 1
Off you go

Don’t drink too much water otherwise
You’ll get hyponatremia
Eat some salt!
Drink Gatorade to replace electrolytes!

Vaseline for chaffed thighs

Tylenol 650, not Advil
And only once
red dot
drink it down
Off you go again

Too cold
Warm up
Sit in the warm ambulance
Keep going!

Blisters
New bandaid

Ankle hurts
Wrap, wrap

And of course,
Scan in, scan out,
The fastest documenting ever

Inspirations abound
Spirits high

Let’s go!!

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Sprint 4 Minutes to Get Results

Sprint for 4 minutes. 3 times a week. Do it running uphill, climbing stairs, swimming, biking, or fast walking.

Just this alone will bring your blood pressure and blood sugar to appropriate levels.

No, it’s not a weight loss program. But maybe, just maybe, it’ll help you get healthier. One step at a time.

The 4 Minute Workout