Categories
Medical

Hearing Aids: Lost and Found

Robert & Camel
Robert’s hearing aid enhanced sound of camel slurping in his ear

On a flight from Baltimore, Maryland to Stuart, Florida, Robert took a tomato juice shower. We were seated in the bulkhead row when Robert’s sister, Paula, stepped past him, handed him her juice, and asked him to hold it. Robert didn’t hear her and was drenched when she let go the cup.

Upon arrival at Palm Beach International (PBI) airport we were relieved when the scooters were delivered in working order, but shocked when Robert was also presented with his hearing aid. It was the first time Paula and I heard it was missing. Someone in Baltimore noticed it on the scooter seat and made sure it was returned along with the scooter at PBI.

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Not all of our hearing aid stories have such a happy ending. Take the 1990s hearing aids that were crushed when I drove over them in the garage or washed and dried in the pocket of Robert’s pants. For some reason, they didn’t work after that. Thirty years later, I still check the pockets before placing his clothes in the washer.

Advances in technology have transformed hearing aids from clunky devices costing hundreds of dollars to mini computers with sophisticated circuits and microchips costing thousands of dollars. They even have Bluetooth connectivity to cell phones, music players, and TVs. Crushing or washing today’s hearing aids—excluded from health insurance plans—would make this a very sad and expensive story.

Yet misplaced hearing aids remain a common phenomenon in our household. After taking them off, Robert puts them down in various places. A couple of times, I’ve retrieved them from a recycle bin next to the dresser where they were placed. For the most part, they are spotted within a few hours. But not always. Recently, when one hearing aid was missing for a couple of months, Robert’s brother Mickey reminded him the aid was covered by a 3-year warranty. Thankfully, Robert made a successful claim to replace it two weeks before the warranty expired.

The obvious solution would be for Robert to routinely put them on when he gets up and take them off when he goes to bed, takes a shower, or goes swimming. Not only would this habit give a predictable place for storing the hearing aids, it would also eliminate the stress of looking for them. Apparently it would also reduce the risk of developing dementia, falling, declining mobility, depression, social isolation, and anxiety. And the bonus would be improved communication with his wife! And if this routine breaks down, he could pay the extra for GPS locators on the aids.

Robert counts among the estimated 48 million Americans with hearing loss, including the more than 30% of people between the ages of 65 and 74. His loss is attributed to a complication from his Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia Congenita (SEDC) dwarfism diagnosis. Although he’s been wearing hearing aids since he was in college, the severity of his hearing loss has increased since he retired.

So how do you relate to Better Hearing and Speech Month?

Read more of our marriage adventures in the second book in my dwarfism trilogy, PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/pass-me-your-shoes/.

Categories
Dignity

Dwarfs Object to Being the Plaything of Society as Bullfighters or Frisbees

Trimmers

When I read about dwarf bullfighting in Spain, I had the same visceral reaction as when I heard about dwarf tossing in Australia. I never imagined either “sport” as acceptable entertainment or that dwarfs would be willing participants. I’m pleased that comic dwarf bullfighting didn’t come to my attention until after Spain outlawed “shows or recreational activities in which people with disabilities are used to provoke mockery or ridicule from the public.”

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The parallels between dwarf bullfighting and dwarf tossing are striking. In both cases dwarfs were seen as objects of ridicule. Dwarfs in Spain dressed as firefighters or clowns to chase bulls at public spectacles designed to be humorous. Dwarfs in Australia, America, and the United Kingdom window-dressed with a useless padded helmet and were tossed like a human frisbee to the roar of a jeering crowd.

In March 1985, I was talking about dwarf tossing when I wrote: “Little people are tired of being ridiculed and the butt of people’s jokes, and object to being treated as a plaything of society.” In April 2023, Firstpost Explainers expressed a similar sentiment about dwarf bullfighting. “People with dwarfism were subjected to mockery in public squares in our country, passing down the idea that it is OK to laugh at difference, to so many girls and boys who go with adults to see these shameful performances.”

According to news reports, Spain’s Royal Board on Disabilities pushed for the ban on dwarf bullfighting. Jesús Martín Blanco, a person with dwarfism and director general of the board, denounced the fact that children were the target audience of people with dwarfism presented as buffoons. “If the children are going to laugh at a person in a bullring, they will surely laugh at me when they come out.”

Support for the ban also came from the Alpe Achondroplasia Foundation representing those with the most common type of dwarfism. The parent of a 29-year-old dwarf with Achondroplasia is reported as trying to get these shows banned since her son was born. She tells of people pointing out her son on the street and erroneously describing him as the bullfighter fireman. The legal advisor to the foundation warned against building an unhealthy society by teaching children that it’s a laugh to make fun of those who are different.

As with dwarf tossing, vehement opposition to the bullfighting ban came from the dwarfs involved in the spectacles. Tossees and bullfighters both argued against removing their livelihood. Prior to the legislative vote, dwarf bullfighters staged a protest in front of parliament in Madrid, Spain pleading “Everyone should be able to work at what they want.”

In both cases, the onus was put on the legislature to decide if the participants right to work in freak-show style entertainment outweighed the rights of nonparticipants to be viewed as viable candidates in respectable occupations without being branded by the indelible and degrading images of bullfighting and dwarf tossing. Thankfully, legislatures in Spain, Florida, and New York came down on the side of human decency and outlawed these morally bankrupt practices.

Image by Car Loss Voniya from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/trimmers-torero-bullfighters-sales-2314774/

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Categories
Relationships

Good Neighbors Give and Receive

helping pic lychees

Good neighbors have always been there for us. In an emergency they’ve used our spare house key to unlock the door for the ambulance and EMTs responding to Robert’s emergency 911 call and on holidays have shared home baking. It makes sense, therefore, that on May 16—National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day—we pause to appreciate those who are closest to us.

We were second generation homeowners in our Rochester, New York neighborhood. Many of the original owners willingly shared past stories about the street. Flora, our neighbor across the road, was a huge help.

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Without being asked, she regularly brought our garbage can to and from the curb, trimmed bushes, and swept the driveway. She kept a watchful eye on our place. If we left the garage door open, she let us know. When we were away and allowed a friend to work in our garage, she confronted him and had to be convinced that he had our permission to be there.

Mary, our next door neighbor, was friendly across the fence. Her gardening advice was invaluable. One day when Flora was helping Robert weed an overgrown flower garden, they started hacking at what looked like a dead bush. Mary helped me stop them from destroying the gorgeous lilac bush that blossomed in the spring.

When we were negotiating to buy the lot on which we built our house in Stuart, Florida, I sensed the owner was just as concerned to get a good neighbor for her daughter who lived next door as she was to get a good price. When mailing our financial offer, I included enough personal details to persuade her we were suitable neighbors. Thankfully, our classification as good neighbors wasn’t spoiled when we had to hook up to her daughter’s well for 10 days while our well was surged after sucking too much sand.

Other Stuart neighbors have also been a godsend. They’ve helped lift heavy packages and suitcases, raised the garage door when we were trapped, and plunged the toilet. Anonymous neighbors have carried palm fronds to the organic garbage pickup pile and wheeled the garbage can up the driveway.

As newlyweds in Baltimore living in a multi-level apartment building, we had to learn how to be good neighbors. Despite not talking loudly in the hallways or running the dishwasher late at night, the noise from dragging the stool across the kitchen floor resulted in neighbor complaints. In this case, being a good neighbor meant replacing the stool with a carpeted platform along the length of the counter.

Over the years we have been good neighbors when we—

—watched a child while her mother took her sister to the ER.

—shared plants, coconut palm saplings, coconuts, and fruit with whoever wanted them.

—welcomed new neighbors with flowers.

—stopped guests from parking on our neighbor’s lawn.

—kept an eye on their home while they were away.

—prayed for them when they grieved the loss of a pet or recovered from surgery.

So what are your good neighbor experiences? 

This post is adapted from the second book in my dwarfism trilogy, PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith. https://angelamuirvanetten.com/pass-me-your-shoes/.

Categories
Awareness

Barrier Removal Beats Awareness

Robert barrier removal

As one among 60 or so million people with disabilities in the United States, National Barrier Awareness Day is not a day that I need. Everyday I’m fully aware of barriers that impede the integration of people with disabilities in society. Yet the day is definitely needed by the people without disabilities who erect discriminatory barriers that exclude us from accessing education, employment, the built environment, health care, housing, and myriads of other programs and services.

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When President Ronald Reagan first promulgated the day on May 07, 1986 he recognized that barriers inhibit or prevent so many of our fellow Americans from participating fully in the life of our society. He lamented the effect of barriers blocking the contribution of people with disabilities. However, his proclamation merely called for public understanding and awareness.

Reagan stopped short of calling for barrier removal. Instead he erroneously called for the public to appreciate the barriers people with disabilities must surmount. Absolutely not! We are not obliged to surmount barriers.

Today our focus must be on barrier removal. Just as Reagan boldly demanded Mr. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, people with disabilities must demand offenders to tear down disability barriers. The time for soft-peddling and awareness programs won’t get the job done.

This year’s barrier awareness day requires a call for removal of barriers that obstruct major life activities like bending, breathing, caring for one’s self, communicating, concentrating, driving, eating, hearing, lifting, learning, parking, performing manual tasks, reaching, reading, seeing, shopping, sleeping, standing, talking, thinking, walking, wheeling, and working.

Given my stature of 40 inches, I’m continually confronted by reach barriers. For example in the last two weeks I’ve been unable to reach amenities in a hotel, medical building, dental office, and school. The hotel had several reach barriers:

  • The check in counter was above my head making communication with the customer service representative difficult and signing the signature pad impossible.
  • The bed was too high to climb onto.
  • The thermostat set at 68 degrees Fahrenheit was too cold, but was too high to change.
  • Service counters at the breakfast buffet and chef station were too high. We could not see or serve our own food.

At the medical center, a new self-check in machine was installed above my husband’s head and at the dentist, the receptionist was hidden behind a wall that was above my head. At the school I was visiting, the door was locked for security purposes and I was unable to reach the doorbell to announce my arrival. I also had to straddle two parking spaces due to there being no van accessible parking.

Although staff and friends provided an alternative means of accessing services in these scenarios, they all deprived me of independent use of the facility. As you can see, the necessity for barrier removal is frequent and the continuing need to tear down disability barriers can be overwhelming and requires perseverance.

            What barriers have you persevered in tearing down?

Read more about breaking down barriers in book three of my dwarfism memoir trilogy, “ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE: Champions of Change for People with Dwarfism and Disabilities,”https://angelamuirvanetten.com/always-an-advocate/.

Categories
Awareness

Debunk Dwarfism Stereotypes

Clown
  1. Our Height Doesn’t Define Us

Negative names focus on our height: midget, pint-size, runt, shorty, shrimp, and stumpy. But our essence is not measured in inches or based on appearance. Dwarf pride comes from our abilities, character, personality, preferences, heart, soul, spirit, and size.

2. We Are Equal

We are robbed of equality when elevated to a pedestal as heroes or downgraded to victims needing pity and special treatment. Our equality demands acceptance for who we are, inclusion, and accommodations for a level playing field.

3. We Are Not Children

Condescending conversation amplified with a pat on the head, soliciting our response from another adult, and ignoring our presence by reaching over our head to jump the line all need to stop. People with dwarfism must challenge child-like treatment with adult confidence, correction, language, topics, tone, and behavior.

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4. We Are Not All Entertainers (Clowns & Characters)

Little people don’t appreciate strangers offering us a circus job, mistaking us for a performer in a visiting Muppet Show, or inviting us to a Saint Patrick’s Day parade as a leprechaun. Entertainment is one among many career paths little people choose. We are also well represented in professions, trades, service industry, and the arts. We don’t exist exclusively to entertain and amuse the public.

5. We Are Not Needy & Helpless

Little people are not obliged to accept help especially when it’s not needed. Overzealous helpers undermine our independence. We should inform helpers it’s okay to ask if help is needed, but they must accept a “no thanks” reply.

6. We Don’t Only Marry Other Little People

Having height in common is insufficient commonality to make for a happy marriage. People with dwarfism enjoy happy marriages with people of short, average, and tall stature.

7. We Don’t All Know Each Other

An Englishman once told me, “I know your friend.” He was referring to a little person in the UK, a place I had yet to visit and where I didn’t know any people of short stature. Such irrational claims need to be challenged.

8. We Don’t All Look Alike

Many strangers don’t distinguish between us, even when we’re different ages, heights, hair color, and proportions. For example, many little people report being mistaken for reality TV stars, Matt or Amy Roloff from Little People, Big World. It’s important to refute the error, maintain our own identity, and stand our ground when people don’t believe us.

9. We Are Not Carbon Copies Of One Another

Dwarfs do not have the same interests or make the same choices. For example:

  • Some lower kitchen counters and others use stools or climb.
  • Some drive with pedal extensions and others use hand controls.
  • Some couples have biological children, some adopt, and others have no children.
  • In conversation with average-size people, some prefer they kneel down or crouch for eye-to-eye communication and others don’t want any concession to height differences.

10. We Are Not Always Happy

Little people have just as many ups and downs as other people. We don’t all have a happy gene.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/vectors/clown-crazy-happy-funny-cartoon-1295519/s

This post was based in part on excerpts from the first book in my dwarfism trilogy, “Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses.” For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog and find information and buy links to my books.

Categories
Character

Employee Theft and Embezzlement

stealing

Employee theft costs employers up to $50 billion annually and negatively affects about 95% of businesses, 75% of employees admit to stealing from their employer at least once, and 60% of employees would steal if they knew they wouldn’t get caught. Clearly the need for National Honesty Day on April 30th has never been greater.

My husband Robert is one of the 22% of small business owners to experience employee theft. The trust and responsibility held by employees in a small business put him at greater risk of being robbed.

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Robert was confident when he hired another little person we had known since she was a teenager as Secretary #7 in his rehabilitation engineering practice serving people with disabilities. He saw no reason to run a background check. Not that it would have exposed a problem; she like 96% of employee thieves had no prior fraud convictions. Robert expected her to do well with her bright personality, four-year degree, personal knowledge of disability issues, and work experience. She was in her 20s and nowhere near 49, an embezzler’s median age.

One of #7’s duties was to prepare checks for Robert’s signature. Her degree made learning the accounting program easy, but did not insulate Robert from becoming a fraud victim; 49% of employee theft is performed by those with a university degree.

After only six weeks of employment, #7 embezzled the first of 21 checks. She took advantage of being in a smaller organization where check and payment tampering is four times more likely. After seven months, #7 was fired for poor performance, unpredictable behavior, and lying. We didn’t know if she was living beyond her means or having financial difficulties, but it was evident that she coveted my new car. In hindsight, we know these were embezzlement red flags.

After #7’s termination, Robert noticed bookkeeping anomalies and requested copies of canceled checks from the bank. We were stunned to see his forged signature on checks totaling $9,164.68. She even forged a check to pay her taxes. And the reason #7 gave for stealing? She needed the money.

Only 16% of companies call the police to launch an employee theft investigation. But Robert agreed to be a support witness in the banks criminal prosecution of #7. She was arrested, charged with 21 felony counts of forgery and altering business records. Although she could have served prison time, a plea bargain led to three years’ probation, counseling, and restitution. Her father was a big part of this generous deal because his restitution payment of $4,000 persuaded the district attorney to plead the charges down to misdemeanors.

We didn’t want #7 to go to prison, but in his victim statement to the judge, Robert recommended community service hoping it would give her an appreciation of those truly in need. We were amazed when she did pay all the court-ordered restitution. The bank manager told us that this almost never happens. According to employee theft statistics, businesses typically get back less than half of their stolen money.

If you’re a victim, get help during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 24-28, 2023. Contact Carla at CILO at 561-966-4288 ext. 125 or email cpazmino@cilo.org.

Image credit: Tumisu from Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/stealing-money-cash-dollar-case-3937735/

This post is based on an excerpt from the second book in my dwarfism trilogy, “Pass Me Your Shoes: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith.” For more information and memoir buy links, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can also subscribe to my weekly blog.

Categories
Accessibility

Therapeutic Gardening and Accessibility

garden

Gardening was part of my childhood experience: picking violets at grandmas and pansies at home, eating grapes off the vine at nanas and vegetables from grandad’s garden, and admiring my aunt’s azaleas. And those gardening seeds planted in childhood propagated when I was an adult, first with apartment house plants and then outdoor gardens as a home owner.

National Gardening Day on April 14th got me digging into the merits of gardening for people with disabilities. I was drawn to the aesthetics of indoor plants, but never thought about their role in removing air contaminants and increasing humidity in dry areas. I didn’t know plants lowered my stress and blood pressure and improved my mood. For example, my snake plant that relocated with me three times had apparently eliminated air pollutants, reduced tension, and promoted relaxation.

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I knew outdoor gardening supplemented my Vitamin D intake, but had no idea the sun lowers my risk of certain cancers and other maladies. The exercise involved saves me from a gym membership, promotes sleep, helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces stress, and improves cognitive skills.

In recent years, these advantages are recognized as therapeutic horticulture used in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, senior centers, schools, and prisons. Patients with catastrophic injuries are observed to heal faster when they access outdoor spaces with plants. British primary-care doctors often give patients a “social prescription” for gardening as an effective alternative to talk therapy or antidepressants.

However, in order for me to benefit from therapeutic gardening I need a garden that accommodates my inability to kneel, touch my toes, and stand for any length of time. When designing the garden next to our front door, some plants were kept in reach as a border next to the sidewalk and others adjacent to a circular pathway around the garden interior. Underground watering was linked to the lawn sprinkler. Weeding was reduced with mulch. Dead leaves and flowers on the begonias, bromeliads, and anthuriums were plucked with salad tongs. Debris was gathered in a throw away grocery bag. Gardening for the day stopped when the bag was full.

anthurium

For 22 years my tropical garden in our Florida climate thrived. But time has left its’ mark with a broken watering system, ups and downs in the soil level, and spreading plants almost eliminating my pathway. This year’s cold spell almost wiped out some plants and many dead leaves weren’t plucked given my lack of access.

My friend Susan helped me clean up the garden, but going forward accessible features are needed. As a retiree on a fixed income, I need affordable options that don’t involve starting from scratch. To avoid kneeling, bending down, and plants spreading into the walkway, I’m exploring easy watering like a seep hose for containers and a raised bed built to my height with plants that won’t grow out of reach. Hanging planters with a pulley system would be cool. Ergonomic light weight tools with a comfortable grip and long reach range are necessary.

What accessible gardening tips can you add?

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Categories
Awareness

Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses: 35-Year Anniversary

Dwarfs Don't Live

Written by baby boomer Angela Muir Van Etten, Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses—published in 1988—has influenced three generations of readers: baby boomers, Gen X, and millennials. The 2021 e-book release makes discovery by Gen Z possible.

Baby boomer Karen described it as “a great book with pride of place on her bookshelf.” After discovering the book in a secondhand bookstore, Millennial Clinton stated, “We picked up this gem because you learn about identity and your people in history by reading the stories and the books they write.” Jenn responded to his Facebook post saying, “I remember this book from when I was a kid!”

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Indeed the book is my history of growing up in New Zealand in the 1950s and 60s. When introducing the digital edition, I alerted readers to consider it as a time capsule for how little people and their families experienced life prior to disability civil rights laws. I anticipated that readers would recognize that despite passage of laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, human behavior has not changed. Consequently, the book remains relevant for disability issues that continue to this day: acceptance, advocacy, attitudinal and environmental barriers, bullying, dating, dwarf tossing, employment discrimination and reasonable accommodations, inclusion in education et al.

Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses has led the way in dwarfism memoirs and is probably the first written by a little person. As noted on the back cover it’s “a unique opportunity to see personal, family, school and public life through the eyes of a dwarf from the point of view of a single person.”

At the time of it’s 1988 publication, the memoir was endorsed by a psychologist with dwarfism, Leonard Sawisch; author and anthropology professor, Joan Ablon;the Chairman of the Little People of America (LPA) Medical Advisory Board, Dr. Charles Scott, Jr., and two parents of adult children with dwarfism, LPA National Parent Coordinator, Helen Ference and Elizabeth Elder. Sawisch noted the keen insight into the dwarf experience. Scott applauded the wealth of experience and wisdom made animatedly realistic, personal, revealing and at times humorous. Ablon characterized it as a rare window into the life experiences of a dwarf child, teenager, and young adult. Elder heightened her awareness and confessed to not realistically seeing life as a little person experiences it.

Throughout the years, readers have commented favorably. One mother of a short-statured child told me, “I keep your book by my bedside and refer to it frequently.” Readers with dwarfism report finding wisdom and help. Average height work colleagues appreciated having misconceptions dispelled and being informed of everyday obstacles a little person overcomes. In January 2022, Rebecca wrote on my Goodreads page: “Very thought provoking read. Angela does a good job of bringing the reader into her life. Definitely recommend reading this book to help remind yourself not to “judge a book by it’s cover.”

So how about you? If you’re ready to grab one of the 4,000 print books originally sold, get a used copy at Amazon.com while supplies last.

For more about my dwarfism memoir trilogy read:

A voice for people with dwarfism & disability guided by faith and justice. https://angelamuirvanetten.com

Categories
Awareness

Popular Children’s Books on Dwarfism

Girls reading

“We all need to read books where the heroes are relatable to our own selves. It’s even more important for kids. It helps develop hope, solutions, connection and a strong sense of identity, belonging.”

Meriah Nichols, deaf mom to three children with disabilities

In honor of International Children’s Book Day on April 2nd, I compiled a list of children’s books on dwarfism in order of their popularity on Amazon. A complete booklist is available in the resources section of my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com/resources/#childrenbooks. Please contact me if you know of books missing from the list.

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Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon 
by Patty Lovell (Author), David Catrow (Illustrator)
August 27, 2001

Molly Lou Melon is short and clumsy. When bullied on her first day in a new school she remembers her grandmother’s advice.
Reading age: 3 – 6 years

Break the Mould: How to Take Your Place in the World
by Sinéad Burke
October 15, 2020

Drawing on her own experiences as a little person, Burke encourages readers to believe in themselves, have pride in who they are, and make the world a more inclusive place.
Reading age: ‎ 9 – 13 years

Being Small (Isn’t So Bad After All) 
by Lori Orlinsky 
February 11, 2022 

A picture book about the shortest kid in the class who is scared to go to school. Her mother instills self-confidence in her by pointing out the advantages of being short.
Reading age: ‎ 2 – 6 years

Short 
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
January 9, 2018

Julia is very short for her age, but she discovers her own sense of self when playing a munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz” after befriending Olive, an adult with dwarfism in the production.
Reading age: ‎ 8 – 12 years

The Thing About Georgie 
by Lisa Graff  
August 26, 2008

A warm and humorous novel starring an unforgettable young boy with dwarfism.
Reading age:‎ 7 – 10 years

Little Imperfections: A Tall Tale of Growing Up Different
by Peet Montzingo & Rockwell Sands 
November 1, 2022 

In this picture book, Montzingo is the only “tall” sibling in a family of little people. He addresses being different, feeling like you don’t fit in, and finding yourself.
Reading age: ‎ 4 years and up

Short Or Tall Doesn’t Matter At All
by Asaf Rozanes
February 3, 2018

This illustrated story delivers the anti-bullying message about a little girl who is picked on in school because she is short and helps young kids understand they are not alone.
Reading age: 3 – 8 years

Mummy There’s a New Girl 
by Danielle Webb
June 24, 2021

When a new girl joins the class, children pick on her for her looks, but one little boy looks past her differences and learns that really – size is no big deal!
Reading age: ‎ Baby – 7 years

Louie’s Together Playground 
by Dr. Nicole Julia (Author), Jeff Crowther (Illustrator)
January 23, 2023

Louie is a llama with dwarfism who, together with his friends, dreams up a plan to bring the very first all-inclusive playground to their town.
Reading age: 2 – 7 years

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/girls-books-reading-read-library-5711423/

Categories
Medical

Appreciating a Doctor Is in a Patient’s Interest

Operation

Gone are the days when we had a family doctor who attended the needs of everyone in the household. Instead I have 17 doctors entered in my phone contacts list, each with their own specialty. Add to that eight doctors unique to Robert and we have a whole classroom of doctor’s being schooled on aging issues and dwarfism.

Where would we be without our cadre of physicians? Good question for National Doctors Day on March 30th, a day set aside every year since 1933 to honor physicians for the work they do for their patients, the communities they work in, and for society as a whole.

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Doctors invest a decade or more in medical training and have student loans averaging around $200,000. Despite healthy physician salaries—averaging $223,000 for primary care and $329,000 for specialists—these loans take years to pay down. Doctors typically work 60 to 70 hours a week thereby sacrificing time with their families and for personal needs.

It’s in the patient’s interest to appreciate the doctors we depend on for our health care needs because they’re quitting medicine in alarming numbers. Nearly half of doctors experience physician burnout caused by bureaucratic tasks, insufficient time with patients, and long hours, to name a few. The 10 to 20 hours a week spent on administration detracts from the most rewarding part of a doctor’s job and their reason for being drawn into the profession in the first place—patient care.

A doctor shortage is exacerbated by the growing number of aging patients and physicians. Patients age 65 or older generally require more specialty care and, in the next five years, 35% of working physicians will be of retirement age. And even before retirement, about one third of doctors report their intention to reduce work hours in the next 12 months. The effects of this shortage are already being felt. Patients often have to wait weeks to get an appointment with a specialist.

There are several steps patients can take to encourage physicians to continue practicing medicine. Please consider doing one or more of the following: 

  • Since physicians rely on online reviews to bring new patients through the front door, take the time to write a fair and accurate review that reflects the positive aspects of your patient experience with the doctor. This will help offset your doctor’s worry about receiving negative reviews.
  • Send thank-you cards to physicians you value.
  • Bring your doctor a red carnation, the representative flower of National Doctor’s Day.
  • Follow your doctor’s sound medical advice so that they don’t feel like you’re wasting their time.
  • Ask your doctor how they’re doing. When I did this at my annual cardiology check-up last month, I was surprised when my cardiologist disclosed his personal struggle navigating a divorce with two teenage children.
  • Pray for your doctors.
  • Make an honorary donation to an organization that would recognize the doctor you honor. For example, worthy candidates would be doctors on Little People of America’s (LPA) Medical Advisory Board, https://www.lpaonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106:medical-advisory-board&catid=19:site-content&Itemid=103. They volunteer their time at free medical clinics and workshops at LPA national and regional conferences.

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/operation-operating-room-doctor-540597/

For more of my writings, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com where you can subscribe to my weekly blog and find information and buy links to my dwarfism trilogy memoir.