Heart Walk & Healthy U!

Today was the 2008 American Heart Association Heart Walk and Healthy U sponsored by Midland Memorial! I have been participating with Midland Memorial in the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Walk and Healthy U since I started at the hospital in 2003! This event is so much fun!! Each year I help raise money for the AHA, and then me and my fam and friends always go out and walk for healthy hearts and bodies! :o) Usually the puppies go every year, this was the first year they had to miss out since their dad decided to plan a hiking trip on this weekend! They were really sad this morning when I told them they couldn't go. I also made sure to tell them that it was their dads fault as to why they couldn't go! He! He! :o) After the walk is over Healthy U then starts!

Healthy U is basically a healthy fair where the community can come out and have their blood pressure, cholesterol and all that jazz checked out! You will find every branch of health care at the fair along with other booths to teach people how to become more healthy! I always head up the booth for the Ortho Neuro Center and get to educate people about joint replacement, spine surgery, and osteoarthritis! I get to talk ALOT...which is one of my favorite things to do!! :o) We even have alot of the patients that we have seen for surgery stop by to show us how they are doing....I love that!

I was able to get alot of cool stuff from our doctors to show off and give away at our booth this year and we had a TON of people stop by! Yippeee! We even gave out these nifty little pens and key chains is the shapes of bones....they were cute & quite popular! We also gave out surgical caps to all the munchcans! They all looked pretty bomb dig! The event lasted until 2 o'clock today and then we had to load up! I tell you I am pooped after this week! All the time and energy it takes to get everything prepared and loaded and then set up and then take down and to get everything taken back will wipe you out! But it is all worth it in the end! Having the opportunity to educate and maybe even have an influence in someones life in a positive way is one of the best feelings! It is one of the reasons why I became a nurse! I LOVE my job and the wonderful people I get to work with!

The starting point for the walk and Healthy U!

The SUPER nurses of Ortho / Neuro

My bomb-dig fam who always come out to support me!

Our rockin' booth

Everything you you ever wanted to know about knee replacement

Everything you ever wanted to know about the spine and brain!

Everything you ever wanted to know about hip replacement!

The coolest nurses this side of Texas! :o)

Juice the Moose is ready to go in for surgery!

My chocolate sista! :o)

My hospital family..........

The Endo Gang!

Our neighbors in the hospital - Wound Care!

The Therapy Gang!

Ok who forgot to give Todd his meds! I swear we can't take him anywhere!

The Respiratory Therapy Gang!

Christina and Elsa

Super Nurse Daria

Super Nurse Lynda!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I am so happy that my Red Raiders pulled out a victory! Thanks to Beeler I got score updates during Healthy U so that I could know what was going on! Get your guns up! Brandon will be home tomorrow...YEAH!

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around”

~ Leo F. Buscaqlia ~