Humor Injections: A Humor and Healthcare Blog

Archive for April, 2009

Kids Have It Good

29 Apr, 2009  No Comment

I just got back from taking my son to the orthodontist.  It was like a factory in there.  Kids in one side and out the other.  Five chairs filled at all times and more on deck in the waiting area.

For us parents, there were lots of magazines in the waiting area.  Redbook, Field and Stream, Hygienists Gone Wild.  My particular favorite is People.  In fact, I try to schedule some sort of doctor’s visit every few weeks so I don’t have to subscribe.  Besides magazines thought, there’s not much more for the parents.

But you know what the kids get?  A Mario Brothers video game and cookies.  Yep, fun and food.

These two simple items make arriving at and leaving the orthodontist fun.  If the doctor is running behind (which never happens even though he moves more kids through there than Chicago O’Hare Airport), you can play some Mario Brothers.  If the visit causes you some discomfort, oh, there’s a delicious cookie for you as you leave.

It’s brilliant.

Next time you adults go to the doctor, the dentist, or God forbid the emergency room, look around for the items that are designed to make your visit more fun.  Occasionally, I’ll get lucky and discover a copy of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.  More likely, I get artificial plants, a grumpy receptionist, and a big sign that tells me to pay upon leaving or else they’ll give me my illness back.

Kids have it good.

Ron

Cancer and the Healing Power of Play

27 Apr, 2009  2 Comments

On Friday, I visited a friend of mine, Roz Trieber.  Roz has been teaching people, whether intentionally or by the way she lives, about the benefits of humor for most of her life.  A couple of years ago, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  She got through that ordeal only to have a recurrence a few months ago.  Roz is now receiving hospice care but her health challenges have not dampened her spirits one bit.

Roz told me that the hospice nurse had offered to arrange a visit from a rabbi.  Roz told the nurse that she’d already had a visit from her rabbi but would like a visit from a Christian chaplain.  I asked her why she wanted to see both.  She said, “I’d just like to hear another perspective!”  So, she saw the chaplain and found it quite interesting. As I was leaving, the day of my visit, yet another rabbi was arriving.  I think she’s just covering her bases.

It’s that kind of attitude that makes Roz a delightful person who is very good at both her work and her life.  She would rather get caught up in the fun than in the pain.

Last year, after her first battle with pancreatic cancer, Roz co-authored a book called Cancer and the Healing Power of Play.  It’s a wonderful book designed to help patients and caregivers to lighten up the heavy burden of cancer and illness.  Roz’s co-author, Izzy Gesell, is an expert in improv and play.  Together, they have brought the world a wonderful resource.

As my visit with Roz was winding down, she said to me, “Now, how can I help you succeed?”  I was floored.  Here was a woman battling a very serious illness and she wondered what she could do for me.  Little did she know that by allowing me to visit and to be part of her life, she had already done more than enough.

If you’d like to find out more about the book and the authors, click the following links:

Cancer and the Healing Power of Play
Roz Trieber’s Website
Izzy Gesell’s Website

Ron

Economy, Stress, and Humor

15 Apr, 2009  No Comment

While the healthcare industry has not been hit quite as hard as some other industries (see bank, financial), there is still a lot of stress related to jobs, savings, mortgages, etc.  Much of this is out of our control and yet if you’re like me, you tend to look at your money every day trying to determine how long it will last.  In the midst of life’s biggest challenges, our heads keep us focused on the stress, the negative, and the obstacles.  And while we must pay attention to these things, we can’t let them get a hold of us.

The April 20, 2009 issue of Time magazine had a wonderful article showing how some people in New York are dealing with the stress of the economy.  It’s called the Unemployment Olympics and it’s for folks with available time who need to relieve the stress of layoffs or firings.  The events include the telephone toss and the “You’re Fired!” footrace.

These folks are out of work but not out of humor.  The event will not get them a job.  It will not necessarily change the reality of their situations.  But, it does keep their perspective in check and allows them a few hours of fun with other people in the same boat.

This is all it takes to let humor and fun work for you.  It doesn’t cure the world’s problems but it sure makes them easier to swallow.

Ron

It’s April Fool’s Day!

1 Apr, 2009  No Comment

Since it’s April Fools’ Day and the start of National Humor Month, I encourage you to think of ways to add humor to your work and personal life.  Here are some examples of great practical jokes:

Once at Sun Microsystems, employees disassembled a Volkswagen Beetle and reassembled it in their boss’s office.  That’s above and beyond the call of funny!

At Emory and Henry College, students led a cow up the steps and into the Administration Building.  Turns out, cows will walk up stairs but not down.  What a mess!

In one hospital where I worked, we’d put KY Jelly on the earpiece of the phone and then tell someone they had a call.  It was really funny.

My high school biology teacher took my exam and copied the way I wrote my answers but changed the answers.  The next day, he returned my paper and it had an “F” on it.  After I freaked out, he burst out laughing.

When my college roommate drank a bit too much the night before his wedding, we put both his legs in casts.

After firing an employee, I wrote a fake letter to our HR Director as if the fired employee was suing the organization.  I let her be out of control for just a few minutes before I told her.

You see, there are just so many possibilities.  If you have examples, let me know!

Ron