Residential Space

I am typing this from the airplane as I return to Seattle from San Antonio (after a stop in Dallas). I have had negative experiences in the past with Dallas’ airport, but I figured that a stop there was better than having to transfer to another plane. Dallas did not fail to incite my frustration, and now I compose this blog post to honor the airport’s not-so-outstanding customer service efforts.

After the flight landed in Dallas, I opted to leave the plane (with my carry-on bags) in order to locate either a lactation room or a family bathroom. I have a five month old baby at home. The Seattle-Tacoma airport, to its great credit, has spoiled me with a children’s play area and adjoining “mother’s room.” Prior to leaving Seattle on this trip, I was able to use this room just before boarding the airplane, and the seven hours of travel did not seem as bad (four hours to Houston, hour layover, 45 minute flight to San Antonio, and a cab ride to the hotel). In anticipation of a four hour flight from Dallas to Seattle, I thought it was a reasonable plan.

We landed at the A terminal. I spent almost ten minutes searching for a family bathroom or “mother’s room.” All I found was a large restroom with multiple stalls and busy traffic in and out. No good. I asked an American Airlines rep where the nearest family bathroom or lactation room was (I used the words “lactation room” to illustrate why I needed some degree of privacy). She informed me there was no such place in the A terminal, but to go to the C terminal. I carted my bags to the C terminal (a nice hike), and found the family bathroom with the sign on its door: “Closed for Renovation.” Hmmm…that’s frustrating.

I asked another American Airlines rep the same question, and she suggested (I am not fabricating this) that I try the A terminal. When I explained that I had just been there and was told there was no family bathroom there, she said, “Oh, maybe there isn’t one there then.” My frustration was peaking when I noticed the American Airlines Special Travelers office, and I thought: Maybe I’m a special traveler. I have a special need, right? A need that many, many, MANY women have at some point during their lives. This is not unheard of.

I asked the woman at the desk the same question. She told me she didn’t know where a family bathroom or a lactation room was. I then clarified: “Do you have a private bathroom with an electrical outlet that I can use?” There was a children’s play area behind her (completely empty – not a soul there) with an attached family bathroom. She took me around the corner to a small bathroom. I waited for the occupant to exit, and once she did, I entered, only to find the lack of an electrical outlet. I returned to the desk and relayed this information to her. She said, “We don’t have anything then.” I asked specifically about the family bathroom behind her. She replied (again, this is what she actually said): “That’s an area for kids and families so you can’t use that.” When I told her there were, in fact, no kids and families back there, and I was trying to take care of a need for a baby at home, she told me again I could not use it. She then explained that there was a bathroom in the area for people staying overnight with them, but I could not use that either. So basically – nada.

So that was it – I returned to terminal A, reboarded the plane, and that was that.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding. The benefits at this point are not disputed, even by companies who produce formula. It is good for babies. It benefits the mother as well, not just financially and emotionally but physically (lower risk of developing breast cancer). All we need is one small room with an electrical outlet. While pumping in the bathroom is kind of gross, I sought anything. Had I been in Seattle perhaps I would have thrown my jacket over my front and pumped at the gate. However, because I was in Texas (whether this is rational or not) I did not want to be arrested should one of the other passengers or employees decide he/she was uncomfortable with this.

I’m sure the city of Dallas does not care that I will not fly through its airport again. I’m even more sure that American Airlines would remain indifferent to my dilemma, even if I wrote to the CEO (which I am contemplating). But it makes me feel better to write about it anyway, because I think the more that is out there about this topic, the better in the long run. Hopefully by the time my five month old daughter has children, she will be able to find at least a dark storage closet to pump milk for her baby, should she choose to do so. 

Okay, I should say that I “get” the Super Bowl commercials in that I understand why they are supposed to be funny. The problem is – they just aren’t. Or, at least as my Facebook status update stated just after the Super Bowl this year, I must not be the target audience of Budweiser or of Doritos. The Bud Light commercials were predictable and passe – sorry, but if I were stranded on a deserted island, and had the choice between radioing for help or running for Bud Light, I think I would choose the first option.

While Budweiser’s ads lacked charisma, I found some of the Doritos ads just downright offensive. One Doritos ad featured a man coming to take a woman on a date, and the woman’s young son observes this man eyeing her. When the woman leaves to finish getting ready, and the man reaches for a chip in a bowl, the boy slaps him across the face, telling him to keep his hands off of his Doritos AND off of his mother.

I spoke with many other parents after this, and we all agreed – if our children slapped an adult in this way, they would be in so much trouble. I know Gabriel would be in a timeout, would have toys taken away, and would have to apologize to his target, at the very least.

There were a few good ads, though. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Google ad featuring the French love story. It was clever – no spoken words, it requires the viewer to read in order to follow along, and it brings one in to the story. It was not predictable – the final line has you thinking that the person is searching for “how to assemble a wedding invitation,” but instead he writes “how to assemble a crib.” Evan and I both let out an “Awwwwwww.” Very sweet! Of course, this ad was only voted the ninth best of the game. C’est la vie.

Ken Burns has to be my favorite documentary film maker at this point, and I say that having never seen his well-known piece on the Civil War. Gabriel was born just as Burns’s World War II film, The War, was being shown on PBS. As we endured many throughout-the-night feedings during that newborn period, I watched this film in 20-30 minute bites and felt sheer amazement at the amount of research and the organization required to sift through so many photos, video clips, and tracking down witnesses sixty years later for interviews. Well, days after Caroline was born, I saw Burns interviewed on The Colbert Report, discussing his newest film on the U.S. National Parks. I finished the final segment in the wee hours of the morning today, and it was AWESOME.

I just cannot find a more sophisticated way of saying it – it is an awesome film. It is well-researched, elegant, educational, inspiring – after twelve hours of total viewing over a three week period, I found myself disappointed that there was not even more. It got me excited about the latter half of the 19th century in U.S. History/early 20th century, and I found myself browsing online for books about John Muir (about whom I knew nothing until this film experience), Theodore Roosevelt (why don’t I know more about him than I do?), Stephen Mather (of whom I had never heard until this film), Horace Albright – the list goes on and on. There are so many very pivotal figures in our nation’s history, responsible for preserving much of our native biological heritage, who are overlooked in high school history classes.

We welcomed the newest member of our family, Caroline Erin Dodds, on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 3:43am. She weighed 7lb10.5oz, and measured 18.5” long (and arrived complete with dark red hair)! She is a sweet, wonderful addition to the Dodds household, and we are delighted that she is finally here.

Caroline Photos:

Gabriel is an excellent and enthusiastic big brother and seems very taken with his baby sister. We’re all doing well and resting when we can!

As Evan and I watched President Obama’s speech to Congress tonight regarding his healthcare plan, an interesting point arrived during which Obama claimed his plan did not provide federal coverage for illegal immigrants. Suddenly, this shout from the audience of “You lie!!” erupted. We looked at each other and had to spend a few seconds, baffled at who could get elected to Congress, and then be so low class as to shout this at the Commander in Chief. Then, I wondered if potentially it was not a member of Congress, but some heckler who had found a way into the Chamber past security.

After the speech, my question was answered with this article. Wow. First, South Carolina elects Senator Jim DeMint, who has definitely made headlines for himself as – well, anyway, I’ll move on. Let’s just say he has been noticed, even out here in Seattle. Then, the state’s governor stole headlines for over a week with this bit about the Appalachian Trial-turned-trip-to-Argentina, not allowing the story to die (even with the death of Michael Jackson filling the air waves) because he kept holding mea culpa press conferences. Now this. WOW.

What makes “this” even more significant to me is that this guy represents the district where I grew up. He was a SC state senator when I was growing up, and I shook his hand at many a Chapin Labor Day parade. He attended our town’s high school graduations and awards ceremonies. When our long-time U.S. representative, Floyd Spence, passed away in 2001, Wilson was elected to replace him.

Apparently, fact checkers have confirmed since the speech that the healthcare reform proposed by Obama does not provide funding for those in the U.S. illegally. Regardless of how one feels on this particular subject, why would you yell “You lie!” at the president when he makes this claim, especially when it turns out the president was the one telling the truth?

WOW. How can South Carolina, a fairly small state, produce so many politicians that grab national headlines with such frequency?

I have neglected my blog since the end of June, and I confess – I have missed it. The major highlights of this period of time have included:

• Experiencing Gabriel’s second birthday and watching him grow into his newly acquired “two year old” title. The language acquisition from week to week is astounding, and now he sings along (real time) with his music. The only thing he wanted for his birthday was “ice cream and cake.” He has also transitioned to the “big boy bed,” but still does have some difficulty remembering to stay in it. This will come. Overall, it’s a great age!
• Beginning my vascular neurology fellowship in July; so far it’s a very worthwhile experience. I know I’ve really made it because I have an office and a desk. I don’t mind the lack of air conditioning or sharing the office with two lovely other people – just having a place to keep my stuff rather than carting it back and forth to the hospital each day is extremely satisfying. I have clinic two half-days each week, which tends to spill over into other days as I return patient phone calls, complete paperwork, and follow up on studies. I have also already seen a lot of stroke cases and am developing in my subspecialty. I am pleased to have stayed on for the extra year of training.
• Growing a new baby! Our second child is due at the end of September, and we are becoming more eager to meet her (and more desperate to get our place organized in anticipation of her arrival).
• Traveling to SC for my brother, Tim’s, wedding. The weekend started at the beach; Gabriel had a blast in the waves and building sandcastles (or rather, just doing a lot of digging while we showed him how to fill the sand molds for castle construction). After a few days, I settled into my role as a pregnant bridesmaid, and we enjoyed a terrific experience as Gabriel gained an Aunt Channing and I got to see my brother truly happy.
• Enjoying a month-long visit from Evan’s sister, Catherine. She is in her fourth year of medical school in NYC and spent the month in Seattle doing a dermatology clinical rotation. It was wonderful to get to know her better (we’ve always been separated by significant geographic barriers), and for Gabriel to bond with his aunt. We indulged in many blackberry-heavy fruit salads after picking them by the buckets behind our building – what a great crop this summer for Seattle!

I’ have also been reading voraciously over the past six weeks or so and have fallen short in posting my usual reviews. Here are my reads with reviews of five words or less for each one:

• The House of Hope and Fear by: Audrey Young – great read; the Harborview experience!
• Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by: James Clapp, MD – ehhh, so-so.
• The Telephone Gambit by: Seth Shulmann – intriguing possibility!
• The Omnivore’s Dilemma by: Michael Pollan (still in process of reading) – excellent and infuriating

…and I did not have to use Drain-O or another toxic chemical formula to do it. Check this out.

The water had been draining more slowly by the day, troubling me as I faced the decision: living near Puget Sound, home to whales, salmon, and other amazing wildlife, did I really feel right about pouring toxic chemicals down my drain to clear the blockage? I have in the past, but the four years of living in Seattle had finally gotten to me – the guilt was too much. Surely there was a way to clear this in a non-offensive way.

I went to the internet for advice. Universally, sites encouraged me to clear the blockage mechanically. I unscrewed the plug in the tub to find grating beneath it, and yes – there was a lot of gross stuff that I will not describe, but definitely a proximal blockage. I tried bending a coat hanger to get through the metal slats to break it up and dislodge it, but I only retrieved about 20% of it. I thought maybe I had destabilized it, and perhaps it would clear now just with water. After running water through it, things still drained slowly, and nothing budged.

Next, a website suggested something interesting – pouring 1/2 cup baking soda down there, waiting 15 minutes, and adding 1/2 cup vinegar. Hmmm…okay, I thought, picturing the experiment in fifth grade with the volcano “erupting” as a result of this chemical reaction. BUT IT WORKED. After giving the reaction a few minutes to work, I then poured water down the drain, and it very rapidly disappeared. Mission accomplished. And two months later, the drain is still beautifully clear!

I just finished the brief book/monograph, True Green Home: 100 Inspirational Ideas for Creating a Green Environment at Home. It included some interesting points about how to conserve environmental resources (ie, energy, water) at home in daily life. Some points I had not previously considered:

• The concept of “gray water” and reusing it around the home. The idea is to take water that has been “used” (ie, shower or bath water) that should not be used for drinking water, but can potentially be reused for purposes where perfect water is not required, such as watering a garden or yard, or recirculating it to the toilet for flushing. Redirecting this water seems reasonable from a conservation standpoint.
• Unplugging electronic devices when leaving for a prolonged period – ie, unplugging digital clocks, computers that may be in standby mode, etc. The authors go further to say that, when leaving for a vacation, empty the fridge, unplug it and leave the door slightly ajar. I don’t think they are implying that we should throw away perfectly good food to do this, but perhaps over a 1-2 week period prior to leaving for a trip, consuming the food in the fridge such that it would become empty as one is leaving town. It is quoted in the book that a fridge with a freezer uses ~1,800 kWh/year (an average family uses ~11,000 kWh/year – so the fridge consumes a significant amount of a family’s household energy). Other tips for reducing the fridge’s energy use include keeping the coils behind it clear of dust and debris for more efficient cooling, making sure the temperature setting in the fridge is not so cold that temperatures are near-freezing, and ensuring that the door seals properly when shut.
• According to the authors, a typical bath uses ~70 gallons of water, versus 20 gallons for a shower. Just thinking about these numbers, if one switches from a daily bath to a daily shower, the amount of water saved totals 18,250 gallons.

Anyway, an interesting and quick read with many bullet points about being a better environmental steward in the home.

Last night, I graduated from the University of Washington’s neurology residency program. After four years of being on call, running back and forth from the ICU to the ER, giving talks, and honestly – having fun (did I just say that?) – residency is over. Well, unless one includes working next week and taking three more calls before June 30th.

It’s hard to believe that, after a twelve year road, I’ve reached the end of my training. I’m thrilled to be staying on for the next year at Harborview as the stroke neurology fellow, to continue treating patients while devoting more time to reading, working on various projects, giving talks, writing papers, and transitioning further into that independent role as a practitioner.

Here’s to the next 30 years!

Having lived near Charlotte, NC for many years prior to becoming a Pacific Northwesterner, I flew on US Air flights not infrequently. Evan was even one of their preferred (I don’t recall the specific title) Dividend Miles customers because he flew with them so frequently on business trips out of Charlotte. When Gabriel and I recently were trying to get back to Seattle from Charlotte after a trip East, US Air and I experienced a painful break up.

I initially flew to Charlotte on a Continental flight as we got a great fare (of course, I later realized why – the connection was through Newark). In any case, the return flight was cancelled, and Continental placed us on a US Air flight from Charlotte to Houston, followed by a Continental flight from Houston to Seattle. After being booked, we walked to the US Air counter, where no one was available to assist us with getting boarding passes (the automated kiosks did not recognize our information). Finally I called a woman over to help us, and she rudely informed me that I needed to use the kiosk. When I explained that our information was not in there because we had been re-routed, she then told us Continental should have dealt with this. I explained to her that the flight from Charlotte to Houston was a US Air flight and we needed boarding passes from US Air.

Then came the baggage check. Gabriel and I were both fully ticketed passengers – we paid for two tickets. However, for ease of travel, we consolidated our items into one large suitcase. The suitcase weighed 57 pounds, seven pounds over what they allow for the $15 charge for a single checked bag. I asked how much I owed per pound over, and she informed me it was a $50 fee for any amount over 50 pounds, be it an extra half of a pound or 20 pounds. I wondered if this was an issue with workers not having to lift bags that are too heavy, but no – if you’re first class, your bag can weigh up to 70 pounds, free of charge.

Next came the obvious question – since we paid for two tickets, but were only checking one bag, could she just charge me $15 as if we were checking a second bag that weighed seven pounds? No, she told me. The rules clearly state that I had to move seven pounds from one suitcase into another bag. But why, I asked? It’s easier to have it in one bag, and I’ll just pay you $30. No, she replied, it’s our policy that any amount over 50 pounds for cabin passengers is an additional $50 charge. At this point, my mother, bless her heart, lit into her, and an impressive verbal exchange took place between the two of them. Eventually, we took seven pounds worth of stuff out of the suitcase and left it with my mother in Charlotte. Then, to find that US Air did not carry milk on their flight from Charlotte to Houston was absurd! With all of the children flying, and not being able to bring extra milk through security, how can they get away with not providing it on the planes, even at a charge? Continental had it and was happy to share it.

Flying used to be fairly simple, and fun at times. It has gotten to be so miserable. Between this episode, having to leave a secured area in Houston to travel between terminals and then re-endure security with a toddler for the second time in a single day, getting to Houston and realizing that every single food service place had closed by 6PM and food was nowhere to be found (fortunately my cousin, a flight attendant, was able to buy food for us and bring it to us), and having my son’s little plush puppy taken from him in Seattle to be examined by security while he cried helplessly, I was ready to be finished with air travel. However, because we live 3000 miles from my family, air travel will remain part of our lives, despite my disdain for it.