Translating Doctor's Prescriptions

Recently I spent a week with my sister-in-law who is hospitalized. I read through all the doctors' various orders and prescriptions.

I was searching for a clue as to which drug might be causing her horrendous side effects. 

Fortunately, I had a "cheat sheet" in order to interpret the most common prescription instructions. I found it years ago in a magazine and typed it up.

In case you're mystified by what you read on a prescription, here's a copy for you. I'll list these common doctor orders in this format: abbreviation = Latin words = the meaning, in common language. Feel free to copy and paste this into a document then clip it and carry it in your wallet.

Does That Rx Symbol Mean Anything?

Yes, this commonly seen symbol refers to prescriptions, but it's actually an upper case R with a long ending stroke crossed by a short slanted line. That short crossing line means that it's an abbreviation.

Rx = recipere = recipe

Historically, the Latin word recipere meant to take or receive. Our word recipe first meant prescription in the medical sense. Later it was used in connection with cooking which is the common usage today.

Translating Prescriptions 

a.c. = ante cibum = before meals

p.c. = post cibum = after meals

c̅ = cum = with (you may see this with the overbar or without it)

s̅ = sine = without 

d = dies = day

b.i.d. = bis in die = twice a day

t.i.d. = ter in die = three times a day

q.i.d. = qauter in die = four times a day

p.r.n. = pro re nata = as needed

h.s. = hora somni = bedtime

O.D. = oculo dextro = right eye

O.S. = oculo sinistro = left eye

O.U. = oculo utro = in each eye

p.o. = per os = by mouth

gtt = gutta = drop

Takeaway Truth

If you need any prescription instructions not shown here, you can find them by doing a Gooogle search. I hope this helps. If it does, let me know in Comments.

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About Beaufort Wind Force Scale

Have you heard of the Beaufort Wind Force Scale?

I'm writing a new book, Foolishly Yours, for the Last Chance Beach Romance series.

There's going to be a storm on Last Chance Beach, but I haven't decided whether it will be a hurricane or just a big winter storm with lots of wind.

The story is set in late winter/early spring. Research answered my questions. Even though hurricane season is June 1 through November 30, hurricanes have occurred as early as January and as late as December.

Author Decision

The storm won't be a hurricane, but it will be a heck of a lot of wind. So how hard can the wind blow? Pretty darn hard according to the Beaufort Wind Force Scale which catalogs the wind based on its speed and the effects it produces at different velocities.

Created by British Navy Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort in 1805 as a masurement of the effect of wind on waves—thus on sailing ships—the scale is still used today. Visit the National Weather Service to see detail about the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.

The scale starts at zero (0) and goes to 12. A zero is 0-1 mph (0-2 kph) wind which is described as calm. The observed effects are: smoke rises vertically; no wind.

A 12 is a Hurricane with winds 74+ mph (117 kph), and the observed effect is devastation.

What Wind for my Storm?

I haven't decided. I think it will be a 7, Moderate Gale, with whole trees swaying, about 32 - 38 mph (51 - 61 kph). I guess you'll have to read the book to learn. *LOL*

Takeaway Truth

I love research! I want the information in my novels to be correct, and I have the added benefit of being a formidable trivia contestant. I didn't know about the Beaufort Wind Force Scale before. Did you? Let me know if you're a sailing enthusiast and knew about it.

Check Out Charities Before Donating

Since it's the beginning of a new year, I wanted to tell everyone to be smart when you donate to a charity.

Some charities spend so much on marketing and fund raising that there's little left for the people who need it.

Some charities also pay big salaries and benefits to executives so there's little left for the recipients of the charity.

It's easy to check out a charity online and see which ones funnel the most money to the charity itself. 

Simply go to Charity Watch. You can see an alphabetical list of charities. They're rated as to those who do the most for the people their charities help. You may be shocked that the charities you hear from most often are some that spend far more on everything but the people they're supposed to help. 

Takeaway Truth

Before making a donation, always check out the organization on Charity Watch.  to find  rather than paying huge salaries and benefits to some CEO.

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Girl Named Tuesday

When I was very young, I remember a pretty blond actress named Tuesday Weld. I always wondered how she selected Tuesday as a name.

I guess she was a rebel from the get-go or her environment made her one. She may have begun the trend toward innovative names for children.

She chose the name—based on a childhood nickname of Tu-Tu—and legally changed it from Susan Ker Weld to Tuesday Weld in 1959.

When she was 4 years old, her father died, leaving the family in dire financial straits. Her mother put her to work as a model. Eventually, Tuesday became the sole support of her widowed mother, sister, and brother.

Using her resume as a model, her mother got her into acting when she was 12. Still in her teens, her mother was scandalized by her daughter's love affairs with older men, such as actor John Ireland.

When she was 16, Tuesday Weld left home. She said, "I just went out the door and bought my own house."

It's not very surprising she was Stanley Kubrick's first choice to play Lolita in his 1962 film. She turned the offer down because she said, "I didn't have to play it. I was Lolita."

Her history is fascinating. Read all about it on Tuesday Weld's Wiki.

Origin of Tuesday

The name Tuesday is a girl's name meaning Tiu's Day. Tiu, or Tiw, is Old English, coming from Old Norse Tyr. Tiu/Tiw/Tyr is one of the oldest gods of the Germanic peoples and a rather mysterious entity.

He was the Norse god concerned with the formalities of war, like treaties, and also the god of justice.

Other Famous People Named Tuesday

Tuesday Lynn Knight, American actress

Tuesday Bassen, American designer and illustrator

Tuesday Hansen, daughter of singer Beck and actress Marissa Ribisi, who was born in 2007.

Tuesday Gaghan, daughter of film director Stephen Gaghan and socialite Minnie Mortimer, who was born in 2009.

Heidi Isabella Tuesday Jackson, daughter of YouTubers Ash and James Jackson, born in 2011.

If you'd like to know more about Ms. Tuesday Weld and her movies—she starred with a lot of the biggies—read her biography, Pretty Poison: The Tuesday Weld Story.

Takeaway Truth

If you're looking for an unusual name for a baby girl, Tuesday might be a good choice. It sounds good, it's memorable, and it's not commonly used.

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Immutable Laws of Marketing

Monday is Make Things Happen Day.

At least it is in my world.

Last week, I blogged about marketing with the post, "Does Marketing Sell Books."

Since it's Make Things Happen Day, let's talk a bit more about marketing with a universal truth about this thorny subject. This truth applies whether you're selling hammers or books.

Immutable Law of Marketing

It takes 9 times before something sticks in the customer's mind.

I'll be honest. In today's world where one is bombarded by email, video, TV commercials, online ads, etc., I think it takes much more than 9 times before something sticks.

I know I hear about books that sound delightful, but by the end of the day, I can't remember the title. Know what I mean?

I think ad agencies responsible for TV commercials agree because just think of all the repetitive commercials one sees on TV. They're on a loop. In a 30-minute sitcom, you may see the same product advertised at least 6 times—probably more like 12 times.

The fast-paced TV commercial world now features commercials 10 seconds in length. It's little better than viewing flash cards, but the one thing the viewer gets is the name of the product.

These commercials are repetitive for a good reason. Quantity equals lots of exposure for the product name. Comapnies want to reach every corner of the viewing audieence. If you take a bathroom break during a commercial, you will eventually end up watching the commercial at some point–at several points during the day or evening.

Of course, those advertiserss have millions to pay to flash their message and product before your eyes. Authors don’t have that. Most of us depend on less costly tactics to get book covers in front of readers.

When you blog around the internet, your cover gets seen by readers which is why authors often guest blog—to reach a different set of readers. Same thing when authors post their bookcovers on a friend's newsletter—exposure to a different audience of readers.

Takeaway Truth

Always ask yourself, how can I get more exposure?

Blog Tip: From General to Specific

If you keep hearing that blogging is dead, don't believe it.

The blog is alive and well.

I've been blogging since 2005, and I still love it. I guess I feel as if I still have something to say.

If you've thought about starting or keeping a blog, here's a tip for you. Do it.

I always say start by making a list of things you would talk about. That's what I think a blog is: talking about something with readers looking for entertainment or information or both.

If you can come up with a list of 5-7 topics that you can easily talk about week after week, then the hard part is over. You do this by doing your thinking with a pen and paper.

Brainstorm that list of things that interest you. Then narrow it down to 5-7 things that interest you enough that you'd like to write about them frequently, as in, 5-7 days a week.

Takeaway Truth

You start out as a generalist and end up with a specific list of subjects. Happy blogging.

3 Health Uses Apple Cider Vinegar

Every morning, Darling Hubby and I drink 8 ounces of water with a teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar in it.

We've been doing this for a few years now, and we've not had a cold or the flu in all that time. We started doing this because we'd read that it was good for the gut. 

Gut health has become more and more important in the last few years.

Most health uses of apple cider vinegar, or ACV, are because of its anti-bacterial properties. Since it can burn in full-strength, never drink it or use it on your skin without diluting it.

3 Health Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

Do not use any of these in place of doctor-prescribed medication. Also do not use these instead of medical treatment if you have health problems.

1. Mix 1 part ACV with 2 parts water and use as a throat gargle. (Never use straight vinegar because it can burn your throat.)

2. Use the same mixture of ACV and water with a cotton pad in place of facial toner.

3. Make a winter tonic with 2 tablespoons ACV, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and 12 ounces hot water. Stir well and sip instead of a cup of tea or other hot beverage.

Takeaway Truth

Research has found that taking ACV can help with blood sugar levels, liver function, acne, and gut health. It's an acquired taste I suppose, but it's worth it.