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Musings of a Senior Scribe
Old Dogs, Children, and Two Boost Cell Phones
By Mona Lease 

I woke up Sept. 20th with Tom T. Hall singing "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine" in my head. Lots of unusual stuff goes on inside my head - this was most unusual. 

In 2009, I started Doula training. Doula is old Greek for "She who helps."  It mostly relates to childbirth now. They are licensed, but Ohio declines that. I had to go to Marion, Indiana. Life altering events hindered me from completing that. A Doula works with or without a hospital. She can deliver or assist. The main function is to keep communication going, keep the Mother focused on breathing with the contractions - not against them. 

Sprinkled in with these thoughts were companies who will "relieve us of the burden of our old gold, etc., from a marriage or engagement gone bad."  And the U.S. Armed Forces telling the enlisted - "If you do not know what to do - do nothing." 

The day wore on and I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something was going to happen! I brushed my old dog, vacuumed the house, and waited. 

Then I received "the text." A girl whom I had been mentoring and bonded with, was in labor. In the hospital, with the labor-inducing" drugs IV'd to her; the labor stopped. 

In the room were the girl, her sister-in-law (acting coach), and the Father. They heard words of C-Section, something's wrong, etc. The texts flew back and forth. God bless Boost!! 

I grabbed my cell phone, some juice and headed for a quiet corner. I called the girl. I had explained to the coach that she would have to read the monitor (shows when contractions start to peak, peak, and subside), since they gave the girl meds to take the "edge" off the contractions. 

With the cell on speaker and the coach reading the monitor, I spoke to the Mother - Breathe in through the nose - sniiifff - out through the mouth - sheeewwww. Nice and easy. Long and slow. I went through a few contractions with her. I had texted the coach to tell the Father to hold the Mother's hand, rub her cheek, anything to create calm. We hung up and I offered up another prayer. 

An hour later I received another text. At  6:16 pm. Martin Jr. entered the world. He weighed 8# 11oz. His head measured 13 1/4 "around and his chest another inch wider - 14 1/4". 

How do all of these seemingly opposing ideas relate? Around 4:30 am the next morning it all congealed itself. Keeping calm is crucial. When we feel threatened our body responds with extra adrenaline for strength and energy. We tend to breathe more shallowly, which is less oxygen. That is especially not good if you are "breathing for two." Panic comes in holding hands with fear. Paranoia arrives searching for a similar past experience to be used as a reference point. Usually these "memories" end badly, which escalates the panic-fear-paranoia "wall." 

Finding a positive reference point is the key. In the hospital scenario, I told the girl to remember the sound of the neighbor guy's Harley. It had a low, distinctive, put-put-put-put. Breathing deep and easy gives much needed oxygen to the body's brain, heart, and lungs - critical areas to sustain life. 

To the "old gold" - the gold did not lose its value. The "memories" attached to it are triggers. The scenario is much the same - shallow breath, elevated heart rate; the mind races through every bad feeling searching for validation that we were not wrong. Before you sell the old gold on an emotionally driven basis - take a deep breath. Don't sell something that will increase in value, to be "relieved" of a burden. Many things and people trigger bad memories. 

The Armed Forces training is obvious. If you are not sure what to do - do nothing. Do not just "guess."  

"Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes. God bless little children while they're still too young to hate." And the Watermelon Wine? It must have been the Welch's juice I drank!! 

Remember the kiddies and our service people. Be good to the feathered and furry ones out there. Be safe and healthy!! 

Ever Toodles!!

MONA

 

 




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