The Honor Presented with Thin Ribbons

June 16th, 2009

Once again, America’s brave sons and daughters are making the ultimate sacrifice overseas, defending our freedoms from tyranny and oppression abroad. When we ask so much from our military, the least we can do is honor that sacrifice by honoring their struggles. Parades are more than testaments of patriotism. They are expressions of gratitude, a handshake for a job well done in the spirit of the American military uniform.

Ribbons and medals are given for heroism performed on the battlefield, and thus should be worn proudly as tributes to the valor the uniform represents. Many soldiers and veterans are opting for lighter, thin ribbons that hold the same dignity and shininess of the regular medals, but are much lighter to wear and ideal for parades. They take off the weight while carrying the honor. Sacrifices have already been made in the performance of duty. Lighter ribbons honor that sacrifice with dignity, while being more comfortable for the solider or veteran at the same time.

In fact, thin ribbons have been approved by the Institute of Heraldry for all branches of the United States military, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, or Coast Guard. The medals were first distributed during the Korean War as a way to bestow the same dignity that was more comfortable to wear, not weighing the soldier or veteran down anymore than was necessary.

In the face of two military theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan and the flames of war on every horizon, thin ribbons and lighter medals are becoming more popular as people wish to proclaim their patriotism in a more comfortable and convenient uniform that doesn’t weigh them down. It’s especially helpful as many parades take place in the heat of the summer, which can be trying on the brave men and women who march so proudly down our cities’ streets. Why shouldn’t they be honored comfortably with a dignity they deserve?

If you have a son or daughter, father or grandfather who has served or currently in service to their country, ease their comfort in long hot parades with thinner medals and ribbons that are lighter but still pay the same dignified tribute. It’s a humble way of saying thank-you for sacrifices so nobly made for the freedoms we hold dear.

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Just in Case You Need a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

May 22nd, 2009

Alarmingly, medication errors account for 78 percent of all serious medical errors in an intensive care unit. In the heat of an emergency, decisions have to be made fast, but if the wrong medications are prescribed, your health or the health of a loved one is at risk. The wrong medication can wreck greater havoc than the original illness may have presented.

 Medication errors are often what prompt people to call a medical malpractice lawyer. Chicago is no stranger to medical malpractice.

There are strategies you can do to prevent medication errors from occurring. Extended physician care work schedules should be eliminated. We ask too much of our doctors, and the stress can play itself out in damaging errors that can result in death. Would you want to ride a Greyhound when the bus driver hasn’t slept in a week?

 Medication orders should be monitored to avoid human error. The current movement to computerize all hospital records should prove useful in this regard. The more streamlined our hospitals are, the fewer errors in medication we will suffer. When everything is on the same page, it’s easier to find the answers.

Pharmacists should have an active participating role in the ICU. Since the first place a patient will be prescribed a medication is often in the ICU, having a pharmacist on hand is every bit as important as having a doctor in the hospital. Pharmacists need to have more active roles in hospital settings, especially on the ICU ward.

 Patients should receive complete consultation regarding any medications they are taking upon admission or discharge to the ICU, and up-to-date medication lists should be maintained.

Researches show that it takes as many as 80 to 100 correctly executed steps to administer a single dose of medication to a critically ill patient in an ICU ward. This allows great room for error if the hospital doesn’t establish a complete and extensive system of checks and balances.

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