Hurricane Gustav Psyc Impact

We are grateful that things were not worse this time around! I hope all is well with you and your children. I did have some thoughts that may be helpful for you with your kids.

As the Director of the medical triage unit at the New Orleans Convention Center after Katrina, I experienced something quite profound that changed my perspective. As the father of three, it is something that I'm trying to teach my kids. The victims had two distinguishing characteristics: They believed they were powerless and their focus was on themselves. Those that not only survived but thrived believed the opposite. They believed that they had the power to make a difference and they focused on the needs of others. It may be helpful with your children to celebrate that you had the ability as a family to evacuate and that you were not powerless. Then it may be encouraging for your children to make something for other people that were impacted by the storm.

I will never, ever forget the impact of a man named Augie. He was in the triage unit and had lost everything except for a few bags of stuff. That night he went around with his blankets and covered up all of the elderly folks. Despite his tragic loss he found joy in helping others.

Food for thought. I hope that helps. I have Augie's story in detail posted on my website with his picture. Perhaps your children would be encouraged by it.

I will join the rest of the wonderful folks in this forum in praying for you and your family.

Dan

It's over, back from Birmingham but still in hotel room near Slidell. I still have no power. All is good at home, my son went back yesterday, no damage.
Thank you for all your prayers and good wishes, they really helped keep us safe.
Our patients will be back tomorrow so I am ready to go back to work tomorrow night. Packed uniforms and everything before I left town knowing that I would probably have to return to work before I went home. And, I also wanted to have work clothes with me in case I could not get to the house or it got flooded.
I'm ready to go back! The other team has been there since Saturday morning so I know they are ready to go home. Just don't know how many nights I will work in a row. Hopefully things will be back to normal by Monday.
Thanks again for all the prayers.

...no I'm not a nurse (yet), but I stayed at a Holiday Inn...lol. I want to add that my B/F and I stayed here in New Orleans for the storm. It was rough here. The power in our city and many many other parishes, lost power. Some lost water supply also. They couldn't even flush toilets. The older folks with special needs finally came home yesterday. I know that Sildell, Baton Rouge, Terrebonne, Houmas, and Lafourche were hit the worst. I know there a few more ares hit as bad, but I tell exactly who they are. There is an RN living across the street from us. She was, and still, gone through the entire ordeal. I know she was working her butt off. The local hospitals were running on huge generators. My heart, thanks and prayers go to all the nurses that stand strong during these special times of need. They ARE the heartbeat of America. Thanks again, Sharon