Advocacy.

This awesome picture is courtesy Devon Advocacy

The Business of Life is sometimes about sticking up for yourself.

Still in California. Still at the hospital. Still hanging out with Dad, post-brain surgery.

What LeBetsy is finding out, from my experience with my Dad, both post-surgery and prior with his cancer treatment, is that you much always be on.  On the case I mean. Making sure you are on top of the needs.

My father treatment here at UCI Medical Center has been pretty outstanding. Phenomenal in fact. He’s been with them, with various doctors and treatments from the beginning, almost from the first moment the melanoma was discovered.

From surgery to surgery, radiation to chemotherapy my Mom has been running the gamut, since we’ve been here my sister and  I’ve been trying my best to help. And it has been really trying.

As I tweeted and FB’ed, the biggest lesson learned at my Dad’s bedside is that one must firmly advocate for their (or in this case a loved one’s) well-being. The moment you assume that someone (Drs. in this case) knows what’s best, is the moment you cede control of your destiny.  I bet it also, looking back, probably the moment that most things go to hell in a hand-basket for people.

Not that we stopped being Dad’s advocate, it’s that you have to be almost fanatical about it. Ask all the questions, follow-up always, confirm constantly.  Never relent.

It’s exhausting.  And I’m only a visitor here.

My mom’s been tirelessly and fanatically advocating for my father for over 2 years.

Recently we had one small episode where we assumed his neuro team had informed his oncologist about the brain surgery. Decisions were being made and we assumed (again, that word!) that these included input from his fabulous oncologist.

We were wrong.

No blame, Dad’s surgery was 2 days after Christmas.  Xmas- New Year’s is a crazy time. And things fall through the crack– like my father’s cancer dr being informed.  It’s all been fixed.  Dad’s in the right place and being monitored by Neuro, cancer and endronoligists — which is exactly what we want.

But I learned a valuable lesson.

You are you’re own best advocate. Ask the dumb questions, assume nothing and always follow-up.

For you and your family.

CPR for Everyone Else- So Save a Life Why Dotcha?

Just me practicing me some CPR…

The Business of Life includes… being prepared.

As a mom of seven year olds means Brownies and Boy Scouts.  I’m currently planning to take a gaggle of little girls to visit a rather cool women-owned bakery, Ginger Betty’s. It’s supposed to be fabulous.

And it also means LeBetsy is learning LeCPR.  And Le First-Aid.

And this is a very good thing.

It’s required by the Girl Scouts of America, and after I started this process I realized that The Business of Life includes being prepared.  And it probably does for you too. Think about it.  We’re around children, we hang & work with people, we have aging parents.  Accidents happen.  Strokes happen. Heart attacks happen.  And I hate to say it, but given recent natural and man-made disasters (hello terrorists!) happen, — we ALL should get trained.

So learning CPR/First Aid shouldn’t be painful.

And the Red Cross has made it (relatively) easy.

Gone are the crazy amount of class time.  Those clever peeps at Red Cross have come up with the most efficient way to learn how to save a life. It’s called blended learning. Part online and part in-class, it really makes the most of your time. I’ve completed 2/3 of the home-work and this weekend I’ll be spending 3 hours working on technique in a class room setting. It is was dirt cheap. $50 for both the on-line and in-class portions.

Easy-peasey and super-convenient. So much so that it’s become a blog post.

So chickies, there’s no excuse not to be a hero.

This really is CPR for Everyone, and believe me, everyone needs CPR in their life — for their family, their friends, their coworkers and even for the random old guy who has a heart attack while running. (This last one really happen, and a woman running by saved his life with CPR, which his wife, children and grandchildren are very, very grateful for.)

So save a life why dotcha?

To find a Red Cross blended-learning class near you click HERE.

Fashion.

Folks, can someone please explain this 'cause I just don't get it.

The Business of Life includes… Style

Or lack thereof.

My dear reader, today I find my fabby self at the salon. Since I don’t go in the sun, but love my Cali blond, I pay for it. Quelle Surprise! Code word “Kissed by the Sun” = 2 hours of foils and looking like an alien freakizoid. At the end of it, TheBetsy is fabulous.

But I digress.

So I’m at the salon, which for all those that don’t know, is the epicenter of what’s going on wherever you might be. Seriously. New in town? Need a tip on the best (insert word)? Go to the local hair salon. Those ladies there will set you straight and set you up for whatever you need. Tip well.

So back to the point of this story. And there is one.

Going and getting all dolled up means… magazines. Loads and loads of Vogues, Elles, Bazars, W’s, InStyles, and Marie Claire. In a word, H-E-A-V-E-N.

So laden with super-thick fall issues, I was shocked. SHOCKED… to find that I don’t get whatever the HELL is going on in today’s fashion. Sure, I’m not 20. But oh holy crap of St. CoCo Chanel what’s going on? Military? Chiffon floral dresses? Battered leather jackets. Super sexy booties. BUT ALL IN THE SAME LOOK? What? Throw in a few pearl and military spike necklaces and I’m just baffled.

Clear instructions were given how to put these looks together, which still left me lost, lonely and … old.

Should I be the coming to grips with the fact that I am … (how do they say it?).. too old to appreciate today’s fashion?

Or has fashion just lost it’s mind?

Right now I’m going with the latter.

‘Cause it’s totally true.