Saturday, September 29, 2018

MANAGE NURSING CARE AT HOME, Dedication, Acknowledgments, Preface

DEDICATION

For those who take on the difficult and generous task of caring for their patients in the context of the family home.

In memory of Diana Winslow Cooper, LPN, who cared deeply and well for all her patients and for her family and was, in return, much loved, and in memory of our dear mother, Priscilla Taylor Cooper, also greatly loved.  

In memory of Donald J. Steinbrenner, Diane Beggin’s beloved twin brother.  Don died much too young from consequences of hemophilia.  His death, but foremost his perseverance in living with a chronic disease, and the birth of her hemophiliac son helped kindle Diane's interest in medicine and nursing.

And in memory of our colleague Angela J. Mullins, LPN, whose skilled care, humor, and great personal warmth have been greatly missed, due to her tragically early death.






ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We appreciate the help we have gotten from the doctors and nurses involved in our own situation of providing nursing care at home and, most recently, in the writing of this book. We thank the following:

Drs. A. Baradaran, P. Chidyllo, A. Fruchter, F. Guneratne, S. Koyfman, R. F. Walker, and the doctors and nurses at Orange Regional Medical Center, Middletown, NY, who have given the care that has helped preserve our patients’ lives.

Cheryl C. Cohen for her friendship, encouragement, and editorial aid.

Eboni Ivory Green, PhD, RN for sharing her medical and editorial expertise and for contributing to our book her Foreword and Appendix 1 on tips for caregivers.

Adria Goldman Gross for her friendship and generous sharing of portions of our co-authored book, SOLVED! Curing Your Medical Insurance Problems.

IBM, for their continuing generous support for the past twelve years for skilled nursing care at home of our beloved Tina S. Cooper.

Rick Lauber, for his encouraging comments, and his highly informative The Successful Caregiver’s Guide.

Ellen Puleo, LPN, for her skilled nursing help and her editorial aid, and for their helpful comments: Luanne Furman, RN; Annamarie Carotenuto-Odland, RN; and Maureen McDermott, RN, BA, MA, CCRN.

Tena L. Scallan, for her supportive words and her encyclopedic The Ultimate Compassionate Guide to Caregiving.



PREFACE

     According to AARP (2015), 16.6%, one out of every six, of Americans provide unpaid care to an adult. In many cases, this care goes beyond custodial care and qualifies as skilled nursing care.
    
     We wrote this book to make it easier for those who step forward to provide care in their home for a family member or friend, although not being trained medical professionals themselves. One can manage something without being an expert, but it does require a working knowledge of the major concepts and implementation of some variety of systematization. Whether you are managing the care at home or just monitoring care being given at home by an agency, this book should be of assistance to you in understanding what is needed and what is being done.

Having managed nursing care at home for my wife, bedridden with multiple sclerosis for over two decades, with around-the-clock skilled nursing for the past twelve years, involving ventilator use and gastric tube feeding and medicating, I [DWC] decided to prepare this book, with our head nurse [DRB], to help others succeed in managing or monitoring nursing care at home, for themselves and their loved ones.

     Diane R. Beggin, RN, became our head nurse soon after starting with us in 2004, and she has developed many of the systems and documents we have used to care for my wife and also, for the past several years, to care for my bedridden, nearly-100-year-old mother, Priscilla Taylor Cooper, who died in November of 2015.

     How to Manage Nursing Care at Home tells its readers what to expect and gives them the necessary information and structure, in terms of needed forms, “charts,” to understand and oversee the nursing care given by RNs and LPNs.
    
     We invite our readers to contact us with their questions and with recommendations for our subsequent publications on providing nursing care at home.

Douglas Winslow Cooper, PhD
264 East Drive, Walden, NY 12586
douglas@tingandi.com

Diane R. Beggin, RN
40 Sycamore Drive, Montgomery, NY 12549
DianeBegginRN@gmail.com


Available from Outskirts Press and from Amazon:

How to Manage Nursing Care at Home


                   



WHAT EVER HAPPENED...? "Music, Music, Music"



          Music has been such an important part of my life. It started when I tried to play the flute, but my elementary music teacher, Mrs. Van Ness, said my arms were not long enough, so I played the piano for a while. Mr. Chupay, a neighbor, taught me.
When I became a teenager, I played the bass drum and the xylophone in the percussion section of my high school band. Basically, I wanted to be in Mr. Van Ness’s band so I could be near my high school sweetheart who played the saxophone. When I had to carry that bass drum in parades, I practically fell over because I think it weighed more than I did. Those were the days…to be that thin!
[As I was compiling this chapter, I learned a new thing about the marching I was once able to do. I was at a church choir rehearsal and our director, JoAnne, asked us to march in place as we rehearsed the song so we could get the beat better. I tried to march, hold my sheet music, and watch her. I lost my balance, almost hit a pregnant soprano next to me, grabbed the chair in front of me, and felt my back snap. I hid the pain because I’ve caused enough drama in this setting, and so I didn’t tell anyone then except Aiden what had happened. I ended up at several chiropractic appointments and needed both a back brace and a cane. So – my doctors tell me – no more marching for me. My brain can’t do that much at one time!]
          As I’ve written about here, I’ve met a few musicians. I was never very good at playing the piano, xylophone, or drum, but I know good music when I hear it, so that’s why I’m thankful for meeting musicians.
I thoroughly enjoy going to my friend Maggie’s gigs when she’s hired to play her guitar at restaurants and such. Her music has such a calming effect on me.
She sings from her soul and that’s so obvious. She plays requests so I get to hear John Denver, Judy Collins, and more. Keep it up, Maggie!
Recently (spring 2016), I went to hear Boz Scaggs play at the Ulster Performing Arts Center in Kingston, NY. The UPAC has a lot of great shows and concerts. Boz’s warm-up singer was an excellent guitarist, Jeff LeBlanc. When I had only heard him perform three songs, I climbed over others in my row to go buy his CDs. His music touched me. He sings so articulately. His songs resonate well about things we all have to overcome in life, which is very therapeutic. He was humorous on the mic, and though he had gone to college to be a middle-school teacher, he’s touring with Boz Scaggs. Because of how tall and handsome he is, I doubt any teenage girl would have paid attention in his class. Go listen to him or get his CDs – he’s extremely gifted.
The music that we sing at my church, that is selected by a wonderful woman, JoAnne Schubert, helps me quiet my brain and get closer to God. Though I actually can’t read music anymore, when I join one of her choirs, I listen carefully to whatever soprano sits near me, and I copy her. I know it seems funny that I can’t read music because, as I said, I played instruments and I sang in school choruses and other church choirs for many years. But, reading music is very hard for me now due to my brain injury. There’s a lot of words and symbols on sheet music!
So, I mark up whatever sheets I’m given with lots of arrows and words to remind me how JoAnne wants it done. If we’re to sing quietly, I write “sh!” in that section. If we’re supposed to hold some notes for a long time, I draw a big, long arrow to remind me to do that. I bring the sheets home with me to practice (instead of leaving them in the pile with everyone else’s). If she requires our attendance at three rehearsals but offers many dates to choose from, I try to attend all of them, because I need to. There is a list of some of these excellent songs and others at the end of this chapter. (Thanks, JoAnne, for all of your help compiling this list!)
Once, when I rehearsed with our church choir, I was seated near Marian R., a sweet woman who sang with us that time. She called herself my “therapy dog,” because I told her how much my dog keeps me calm. Marian was able to help me keep calm at choir rehearsals, but even before that, she helped me at Growth Groups (Sunday school classes). If I over-talked at G.G., I asked her to say, “duct tape” (or “DT” for short), and when she did, I gave someone else in our group a chance to speak. Her cues helped me a lot. [I miss her gentle nature SO much now since she moved away.]
In lots of the books I’ve read about brain injury, music is stated to be a real helper to our brain. When my friend Maggie goes to nursing homes to sing to the elderly there, families tell her what songs their loved one enjoyed and so she learns them, and plays them for the patient on her guitar. Many times, people with memory problems sing along with her. That is such a tribute to the brain and its connections to music. That’s probably why my neurosurgeon wanted me to listen to music right after the operation and try to remember the words of the songs I selected.
The three months that I was not allowed to drive right after my brain surgery, Aiden and/or my parents drove me everywhere, and I sang along to whatever song was on the radio. Once, my parents were busy visiting friends, and Aiden couldn’t drive me one day, so I took a cab to the post office to pay some bills. The cab driver looked amused as I belted out the song on her radio as she drove me around.
I read somewhere (maybe a church sign?) that music makes life a symphony when God is the Conductor. I think that saying helps me remember that God is the One in charge, and music helps us get through “it.” (Whatever any of us is going through).
I love to watch old movies to help me remember music better. Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music come to mind for that.
A radio station near my home called “The Sound of Life” plays excellent Christian music that helps me as well. That station also has inspiring quotes that I write down and then post somewhere to read over and over. My favorite one is this: “Your past is a place of reference, not of residence!” Thanks for that one!
Certain songs on other radio stations really help me feel better, too. Pharrell Williams’s “Happy” does just that every time I hear it on the radio. My dog Happy loves it too because she hears her name in it over and over again (as I sing along).
Once, when I was at a BIANYS (Brain Injury Association of New York State) Conference, a facilitator of one of the groups I attended played this song as we sat in a circle to try to work on feeling better about our new lives.
One participant, Angela Leigh Tucker, author of a book, Me Now–Who Next?, about her brain injury, was giggling so much in her chair she looked radiantly happy. I kept thinking, as I watched her wiggle and giggle, that I hope someday I can get over this life change as well as she apparently has. Her book is very inspirational. Her personality is helpful to be around because she’s not negative like I am. She’s much more appreciative of surviving. I hope and pray I get to that same “happy place” someday….
The song “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack has also been a big help to me for many years (long before I even knew that a brain tumor was growing inside my head). The words, “When you come close to selling out, reconsider,” really saved me one night. I'm not going to go into too much detail here, but suffice it to say, that one line from that song saved my life one dark and rainy evening on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge in the year 2000.

One more breakup had just taken place in my very-messed-up love life, and I was totally “gone.” I have a cousin named Drew, and his girlfriend-at-the-time helped me through this dark place by getting that song to me so I could hear those words. Thank you, Mo'! Your love and concern for me has NEVER been forgotten even though other important things have been.
Now, back to a happier subject – a wonderful organization that I so enjoy being uplifted by is The Singing Songbirds. I try to attend a couple of their performances a year, held at The Fountains at Millbrook, a retirement community in Millbrook, NY.

The Songbirds bring together people with disabilities, families, seniors, and/or anyone who loves to sing. The ability to read music is not necessary because they are excellently guided by their director, Peter Muir, and his wife, Judith. When I learn of the dates for their winter and spring performances, I am excited if I'm able to attend. They sing with such enthusiasm and joy, it's a wonderful evening. The ride there is beautiful (on New York's Taconic State Parkway) and reminds me of days gone by when my family drove on it to visit relatives in Brooklyn when we lived in upstate New York. These performances remind me of when my students sang for various audiences. If I had more time, I'd join their group. They seem to be a fun bunch of folks!
As I stated in the chapter about meeting Aiden, I met him at a karaoke night. I learned to sing to him the KC and the Sunshine Band’s song “Give It Up.” I had mysophobia, so I held the mic with napkins (which took a lot of prodding by others for me to even do). I rarely hear that great song on the radio anymore because it was popular so long ago. But, when I do, it reminds me of my karaoke performances when that tumor was “alive and well” in my brain.
Another song that I only hear every once in a while, but brings me back to a happier time in my life, is the song “Saturday Night” by the Bay City Rollers. I still fondly remember prancing around my parents’ house in Florida with my relatives mimicking the song like the Scottish guys who sang it.
A song that I hope someday to be able to sing solo in my church is “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).” The version I cry over each and every time it is sung there includes the words: “my chains are gone; I’ve been set free…. My God, my Savior, has ransomed me.” I’ve told JoAnne many times that I’ll know when I’m ready to ask her to help me do it solo. I know that those “chains” are still there, but maybe this book’s publication will help somewhat with that. This is just one of the many songs we sing in church that I’ve listed here. I hope they help someone as much as they have helped me.
Speaking of that, another thing I’ve witnessed in my church that is pure pleasure for me is when these two little girls, who sit near me, get up and dance together in the aisle as our songs are being sung by our worship team and congregation. Watching these girls enjoy the music that way always makes me feel better emotionally. The “free spirit” of little ones is so helpful to me.
So, to wrap up the chapter about music (though there are tons of songs and artists I adore but didn’t write about), I just need to end by saying that all schools should make music an important part of the curriculum. Bands, choruses, plays, and other events that incorporate music are so worthwhile for a child’s well-being.
Remember – immediately after my brain surgery, I wasn’t told to name objects or people. I wasn’t told to remember or count numbers. I wasn’t told to read lots of books. I WAS told to listen to music and sing immediately to help my brain function optimally again. That right there shows how important music is. It’s therapeutic.
One of the books I have listed in my Recommended Books section is The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge, M.D. He stated in this book that brain scan studies have shown that when the brain is stimulated by music, the neurons begin to fire in perfect synchrony with it. He goes on to write that since neurons fire in unison to music, music is a way to change the rhythms of the brain.
He has much more in his excellent book, some of which I’ve noted in my Recommended Books section. Throughout my book are stories about how I used music in my classroom. I also put on some “great productions” at various schools I taught in, with using music as the focus of what we performed. One example I remember vividly is a group of students from Pine Plains CSD singing Whitney Houston’s version of “The Greatest Love of All” with photos of the kids displayed behind them as they performed. I have this recorded, and though this old VCR tape from the 1980s has faded, I still can see a little bit of it and hear my students sing this beautiful song about loving yourself. I also vaguely remember a performance we did there to the song “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics.
To this day, I get very weepy when I attend local schools’ play productions, because they remind me of a happier time in my life. Recently, I had to leave Mary Poppins at the Pine Plains, NY, high school and then The Beauty and the Beast performance at another local school because I was so upset, I began to cry too loudly. These are supposed to be fun events, and my demeanor ruins it for any family sitting near me, so I exit way before the play ends.
I have discussed this with my doctors, and we all agreed that I have to work on enjoying the here and now versus missing the past so much that I need medicine to calm down.
I “tested” myself at a third show. It was another local school, performing The Lion King. I was able to sit and stay for the entire event and needed no meds to do so. I even went up to the director and told him how thrilled I was with his show AND how pleased my doctors will be to hear that I stayed for all the songs.
So, use music to get better, whether it’s at your church, your stereo, your school, or wherever. It helps your mind, body, and soul.
Here is a list of songs and hymns that I've heard sung at my church and elsewhere. They are truly inspirational, and I've been scribbling down their titles and their performers’ names for three years so I could add them here.

Their words are displayed on big screens in my church for us to sing along with our worship team. Sometimes I have to just stand and listen to others around me sing the words because I'm too emotional to belt them out.

The power of God's music is such a gift. To quote a publication I read daily entitled Our Daily Bread, “music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” So true!

Another publication entitled Scientific American Mind: Behavior. Brain Science. Insights also discusses how music feeds the brain through its power to lift moods and build connections.

To try to reduce some of my OCD behaviors (on doctor's orders), I have just named my personal favorites here in random order, not alphabetically. I'm really trying to learn how things in life don't have to be in “perfect order” to be useful and helpful. I hope you too hear this musical list and truly listen to the messages the words deliver [“by” means “sung by”]:

·       “Grace Wins,” by Matthew West
·       “Forgiveness,” by Matthew West
·       “Unfinished,” by Mandisa
·       “Overwhelmed,” by Big Daddy Weave
·       “Eye of the Storm,” by Ryan Stevenson
·       “Victor’s Crown,” by Darlene Zschech
·       “Write Your Story on My Heart,” by Francesca Battistelli [I’ve done just that in this book.]
·       “Bring the Rain,” by Jonny Diaz
·       “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone),” by Michael W. Smith
·       “How Great Thou Art,” by Stuart K. Hine [This hymn makes me tear up each time I sing it, because I think it's been sung at most of the funerals of my family members.]
·       “I Wanna Go Back” by David Dunn [I do too!]
·       “Even If,” by Mercy Me [This song makes me sob, but crying can help me feel better.]
·       “Control,” by 10th Avenue North
·       “The God I Know,” by Love & the Outcome
·       “We Believe,” by Newsboys
·       “Sometimes I Cry,” by Jason Crabb
·       “Everything That Has Breath,” by Parachute Band
·       “In the Garden,” by C. Austin Miles
·       “You Found Me,” by Passion
·       “It Is Well,” by Matt Redman
·       “East to West,” by Casting Crowns
·       “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again,” by Danny Gokey
·       “Dear Younger Me,” by Mercy Me
·       “Redeemed,” by Big Daddy Weave
·       “Breathe,” by Jonny Diaz
·       “This Is Amazing Grace,” by Phil Wickham
·       “Cornerstone,” by Hillsong Live
·       “Mended,” by Matthew West
·       Any song by Chris Tomlin
·       “All Things Possible,” by Mark Schultz
·       “Walking Her Home,” by Mark Schultz
·       “Remember Me,” by Mark Schultz
·       “Back in His Arms Again,” by Mark Schultz [Can you tell I like Mark Schultz's music? While working on this book, I met him at a concert at my church. He touched my shoulder as he walked past me after the performance and asked, “How are you?”

I said, “Better now,” as he kept moving with the crowd so he could sign autographs. I was better because sitting quietly to hear him sing, tell us stories, show his videos, and even make us all laugh, did make me feel better. I encourage you to listen to his music or see him in person. It's worth it!]

Then, of course, there are songs on the radio that are not necessarily spiritual, but also have a very helpful message. Here are some of my favorites, with their singers:

·       “It’s Over,” by Boz Scaggs [A humorous story is that, even though I attended a concert of his, and had written about him in this chapter, I had to ask the crowd at one of my friend Maggie’s gigs who sang this song.]
·       “Hold On,” by Wilson Phillips
·       “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything,” by Barry White
·        “Both Sides Now,” by Judy Collins
·       “I Hope You Dance,” by Lee Ann Womack
·       “The Heart of the Matter,” by Don Henley
·       “I Will Survive,” by Gloria Gaynor [And yes, I did!]
·       “Dancing Queen,” by ABBA
·       “So Far, So Good,” by Sheena Easton
·       “The Locomotion,” by Grand Funk Railroad
·       “Hold the Line,” by Toto
·       “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth,” by Meat Loaf
·       “Maggie May,” by Rod Stewart
·       “Rhythm of My Heart,” by Rod Stewart [A funny family-story about this artist that I told during my Grandpa McColl’s eulogy is that once, because my grandfather was the president of a Scottish society, he was supposed to introduce a man he called “some Rod guy” at a concert in Florida. Our family had a good chuckle over Grandpa not knowing who this famous singer was.]
·       “Out of Touch,” by Hall & Oates
·       “Release Me,” by Wilson Phillips
·       “Say What You Need to Say,” by John Mayer [That song helped me re-connect with my family once upon a time.]
·       “I Think I Love You,” by The Partridge Family. [This is a childhood favorite that a DJ just played on the radio and brought me happy memories. I pray that David Cassidy is able to read my book and remember this song because of his diagnosis of dementia. David – we will ALWAYS remember you!]
·       “You Could Have Been with Me,” by Sheena Easton.
·       “Home,” by Michael Bublé [I’m praying for his young son who was diagnosed with cancer as I was putting the “finishing touches” on my book.]
·       “Believe,” by Cher
·       “Jive Talkin’,” by The Bee Gees
·       “Forever Young,” by Rod Stewart [The theme song I chaperoned a senior prom for my elementary school first student, Cliff. The other chaperone with me was Bobby Jacovino. R. I. P., Bobby!]
·       “Don’t Stop,” by Fleetwood Mac
·       “Piano Man,” by Billy Joel
·       “Country Roads,” by John Denver
·       “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” by Elton John and Kiki Dee [This song was played constantly the summer my family and I were in England, 1976.]
·       “Follow You, Follow Me,” by Genesis
·       “Ride Like the Wind,” by Christopher Cross
·       “All Right,” by Christopher Cross
·       “Last Dance,” by Donna Summer [This song was played at a dance each last night of the campers’ stay at Ramapo Camp in Rhinebeck, NY, the summer of 1981. That camp helped me get my first teaching job, because I learned how to work with special ed. kids. I loved it!]
·       “How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You),” by James Taylor
·       “Steal Away,” by Robbie Dupree
·       “You’re a Friend of Mine,” by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne
·        “I Got You Babe,” by Sonny and Cher [A song Aiden and I used to sing together at karaoke nights.]
·       “Never Gonna Give You Up,” by Rick Astley
·       “Together Forever,” by Rick Astley
·       “Heaven Knows,” by Donna Summer
·       “Cold As Ice,” by Foreigner [The “theme song” for my FINAL relationship!]
·       “Against All Odds,” by Phil Collins
·       “Baby Hold On” by Eddie Money
·       “You Don’t Know What I Feel,” by Annie Lennox
·       “I’m Still Standing,” by Elton John [The words in this song were so poignant for me when I heard it on the radio during a tumultuous spring of 2017….]
·       “Treat Me Right,” by Pat Benatar [My theme song for the rest of my life!]
·       “Mr. Know It All,” by Kelly Clarkson. [Did she sing that about my love life?]
·       “Amie,” by Pure Prairie League
·       “Can We Still Be Friends?” by Todd Rundgren
·       “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” by Leo Sayer
·       “She Drives Me Crazy,” by The Fine Young Cannibals
·       “Is This Love?” by Bob Marley and the Wailers
·       “Build Me Up Buttercup,” by the Foundations
·       “September,” by Earth, Wind & Fire
·       “Cecilia,” by Simon and Garfunkel
·       “Waiting in Vain,” by Bob Marley and the Wailers
·       “Same Old Lang Syne,” by Dan Fogelberg
·       “Keep on Loving You,” by REO Speedwagon
·       “Thinking of You,” by Loggins and Messina
·       “I’ll Be There,” by The Jackson 5
·       “Black or White,” by Michael Jackson [I tearfully watched his funeral, the day after it took place, since on the funeral day, my brain was being operated on. I watched the funeral over and over in re-runs as I lay in my NYU hospital bed. I cried each time I saw it, alarming the hospital staff, who thought I was in physical pain, rather than sometimes in emotional pain over losing him. I miss him!]
·       “Spirit in the Sky,” by Norman Greenbaum
·       “Sugar, Sugar,” by The Archies
·       “The Sweet Escape,” by Gwen Stefani
·       “This Love,” by Don Henley
·       “Close to You,” by The Carpenters
·       “Maniac,” by Michael Sembello
·       “Shannon,” by Henry Gross
·       “Thunder Island,” by Jay Ferguson
·       “Nice to Be with You,” by Gallery
·       “God Only Knows,” by The Beach Boys
·       “Doctor’s Orders,” by Carol Douglas
·       “I Won’t Give Up,” by Jason Mraz [This was supposed to be my wedding song with Aiden.]
·       “Rock the Boat,” by The Hues Corporation [One of the many records we had in my family’s jukebox in our playroom in the house I grew up in, in Rhinebeck, NY.]
·       “You Light up My Life,” by Debby Boone
·       “Hungry Heart,” by Bruce Springsteen
·       “Surrender,” by Cheap Trick
·       “Waiting for a Star to Fall,” by Boy Meets Girl
·       “Let the River Run,” by Carly Simon
·       “The Greatest Love of All,” by Whitney Houston
·       “The Living Years,” by Mike and the Mechanics
·       Any song by Carole King [I heard her Tapestry album as a little girl in my uncle Ian’s garage-turned-into–a-”Woodstocky”-bedroom, in Hampton Bays, NY, so many times that I learned all the words.]
·       Any song sung by KC and The Sunshine Band
·        “My Own Way,” by Jeff LeBlanc [This is an artist not as well-known as the others listed here, but, believe me, I think you'll love his music as much as I do. I hope his musical career takes off!]


[On one of the worst days of my life, in March of 2017, I heard three songs on three different radio stations that helped me immensely get through it all.

The first was Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” and the next song was by The Foundations, “Build Me Up Buttercup.” I’ve written about both of these in my book, and how they were used in my classes. Hearing them on this “dark day” reminded me of happy days long ago in my classrooms.

The third song was “Day One” by Matthew West. I had to move on from a terrible experience. The words in this song got that process started for me.


I believe God is in charge of everything, including songwriters, singers, and DJs….]





For the coming year, I (Douglas Winslow Cooper] will be 
excerpting, weekly, material from this almost-final version of the fine book by Janet Johnson Schliff, M.S. Ed., which she wrote over a three-year period with some coaching and editing help from me, through my business, Write Your Book with Me.

Her memoir is now available in paperback and ebook formats from Outskirts Press  and amazon.com

What Ever Happened to My White Picket Fence? My Brain Injury from My Massive Brain Tumor



                                              ###

BOOK TALKS AND SIGNINGS

Janet Johnson Schliff was on WKNY  Radio 1490 at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday, March 1, Kingston, NY.

Janet spoke at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3 at Barnes & Noble in Kingston, NY. I [DWC] attended, along with about 40 other people. Congratulations to Janet on a fine talk!

Janet Johnson Schliff spoke at the Starr Library in Rhinebeck, NY, at 7 p.m. on March 6. 

She spoke at the Golden Notebook Bookstore in Woodstock, NY, at 2 p.m. on March 17. 

She spoke at the Morton Library in Rhinecliff, NY, at 6:30 p.m. on March 28. 

She spoke at RCAL in Kingston, NY, at 4 p.m. on April 3. I was able to attend. They gave her an impromptu book-launch party.

On 4/4/18 Janet spoke at the Parkinson's Support Group at the Starr Library at Rhinebeck at 2:30 p.m.

On 4/27/18 Janet spoke at the Stone Ridge Library at 5:30 p.m.

On 5/4/18 Janet spoke at the Hurley Library at 6 p.m.

On 5/9/18 Janet spoke at the Kingston Library at 6 p.m.

On 5/14/18 Janet spoke at the Staatsburg Library at 7 p.m.

On 5/31/18 Janet spoke at the Clinton Community Library at 6:30 p.m.

On 6/9/18 Janet spoke at the Tannersville Mountain Top Library at noon.

On 6/11/18 Janet spoke at the Gardiner Library at 7 p.m.

On 6/20/18 Janet spoke at the Marbletown Community Center at 6 p.m.

On 7/13/18 Janet spoke at the Esopus Library at 7 p.m.

On 7/20/18 Janet spoke at the Pine Plains Library at 6 p.m.

On 7/23/18 Janet spoke at the Ulster Library at 5:30 p.m.

On 8/11/18 Janet spoke at the Northern Dutchess Bible Church in Red Hook at 1:00 p.m.

On 9/06/18 Janet spoke at the Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz at 7 p.m.

On 9/15/18 Janet spoke at the Adriance Library in Poughkeepsie (93 Market St.) at 2:30 p.m.

On 9/21/18 Janet was interviewed on the radio at station WRIP-FM (97.9) at 8 a.m.

On 9/22/18 Janet spoke at the Tannersville Mountain Top Library, at noon.

On 9/28/18 Janet spoke at the Enchanted Cafe in Red Hook at 7 p.m.

On 10/04/18 Janet will be speaking at the Hyde Park Library Annex at 7 p.m.

On 10/14/18 Janet will be participating in an Author Weekend at the Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On 10/22/18 Janet will be speaking at the Tivoli Library in Tivoli at 5:30 p.m.



On 11/07/18 Janet will be speaking at the Germantown Library in Germantown at 6:00 p.m.



More signings will be coming up. A fine feature about Janet by John DeSantos [845 LIFE] appeared in the Middletown Times Herald-Record on Monday, March 12, as part of Brain Injury Awareness Month. An article about her book was just published in the May 2018 Living Rhinebeck Magazine. An article about her book appeared in the May 14 Daily Freeman of Kingston, NY. and another in the Family Life section of the Poughkeepsie Journal on June 8th. The Millerton News published an article on Thursday, August 2, about her talk at the Pine Plains Library.