FlyingScot, RN 2,016 Posts Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc. Has 28 years experience. Aug 19, 2011 I guess I don't equate not wanting to eat warm mayonnaise with being a germ phobic. I think that's a bit of a leap. Carry on with the nose-picking, I'll stick to kleenex. :rckn:
swoody 21 Posts Aug 26, 2011 there are new tuna packets out there that are already premixed - flavored and everything! they aren't bad and only about a dollar a bag. I throw a tuna bag, some ritz crackers, granola bar, banana...that usually does it. check target and walmart - that's where i always get my tuna packets
soraji 130 Posts Aug 26, 2011 there's a difference between finding microbes in school lunches and actual illness resulting from same. .now, how many deadly illnesses did they contract in these seething slurries of germiness? there are plenty of studies to show that children who grow up with pets have fewer illnesses and fewer allergies. in the developing world, the incidence of pediatric atopy and asthma skyrockets in one generation after worms are eradicated from schoolchildren-- but not in untreated adults or neighboring populations who still carry their normal commensals. every first grade teacher can tell you which kids didn't go to preschool-- not because they don't know their numbers or letters, but because they spend their first year in a mixed population getting sick. in a recent cholera outbreak in a resort area in indonesia, about 200 people were affected, and the only ones that died, that did not respond to ordinary iv fluids and support, were the japanese, that notoriously germ-phobic culture, where every piece of clothing you can buy comes with embedded antimicrobials, where people wear masks on the subway, and doctors don't tell you what your diagnosis is. many, many studies show that the majority of people, men and women, do not wash their hands after handling or wiping their genitals in the toilet. if so, since we are in constant contact with humans, how come we aren't all down for the count with gi disease all the time? don't even get me started on our favorite germ-swapping practices, all related to reproduction and all pleasurable. there's probably a reason for that.more studies are indicating that the immense numbers of chemicals, including antimicrobials, we are exposed to are --gee, i know this will come as a shock-- bad for us. the tremendous growth of resistant organisms-- heard of that? "kills 99.5% of household germs!" what are those other ones doing? multiplying, that's what.so you ask for an extra napkin for your silverware at the restaurant? who handled that napkin between the dryer and your table, and how? so you put your silverware on the edge of your plate instead of your table? who handled the edge of that plate? or the silverware, for that matter? so you think there are "butt germs" on the vinyl banquettes at the country buffet? does your butt slide onto them, and then do you touch your pants, or your purse, or the car seat that your pants just sat on after your meal? does your hand that helped you slide into your booth then touch the salt and pepper? did the hands of the people who sat there before you arrived? do you touch the rails on stairs, the buttons on elevators, try on clothes in department stores? do you just get the sterile ones, or maybe did someone else touch them too? what did they do with their hands before that?you can see where i'm going with this. actual pathogens are bad. i'm not advocating that we should go back to wells on the street corners that dispense hepatitis and typhoid with every bucket. i'm not saying we take semmelweiss and pasteur out of the medical and nursing curricula. i'm not saying we shouldn't change enteral feeding bags really often, give up scrubbing before surgery, forget glutaraldehyde in the endoscopy suite, use linens from off a hospital floor, or save money in surgicenters by making single-use vials and lancets multi-use.but honest to god, this phobia about germs, all germs, is ridiculous. there's increasing evidence that your gut and skin bacteria (and btw, how did they get there and from where, huh?) have beneficial effects. people evolved to live with commensals like worms; our immune systems are built and maintained to work with that. if you don't let them do what they are on guard to do, they are weakened when we need them, or they go looking for something else to do, and that's when the trouble starts. maybe we should start a campaign to have people outside of hospitals stop washing their hands so much, in the interest of the overall public health. boost the collective immune system, and the whole population benefits. it's what immunization was before jenner-- exposure to germs makes your immune system make antibodies. so get out there-- pick your nose, scratch before you make dinner for your family, stick your fingers in the batter to taste it, then do it again. pat the dog, then form the meatballs and roll out the pie crust. don't panic if your kid has a permanent snot-nose the first three years of her life-- she'll probably never be sick much again. let your grandchild gnaw on your fingers even if you haven't just slathered them with alco-gel first (come to think about it, how good is alco-gel for a baby, anyway?) go play in the dirt, swim in a pond. it's a big bacterial-laden world out there. if you want a decent immune system, don't live in a bubble...or delude yourself that you can.awesome post! it's very true that everyone is way too obsessed with keeping their children sterile and safe from evil microbes these days. i'm in my mid twenties and i'm amazed how many young kids have allergies to food/the environment compared to when i grew up. i don't remember more than 1-2 kids having peanut allergies when i was in grade school.also for packable lunches i also recommend taking a cold pack or cold drink to sit next to your foods that need to be kept cold. i pack sandwiches and leftover dinners as long as you have access to a microwave. i also like canned soups. i bring a tuberware to dump them into and heat them in the microwave.
saraleigh, ASN, RN 39 Posts Specializes in Med-Surg/Telemetry. Has 11 years experience. Aug 26, 2011 I have a Zero Degrees Innercool lunch bag that goes in the freezer at night. I add an extra ice pack in there too; my lunch has to stay good for 6 hours.
AppalachianRNstudent 87 Posts Aug 26, 2011 I use an ice pack. Two days a week I have classes from 10am to 8pm! They really work well. I usually pack a sandwich for lunch or a light snack. You can make your own mini pizzas. Get some Melba toast rounds, some spaghetti sauce and mozarella cheese. Bake as many as you want on 450 for about 2 minutes (until cheese is melted) and voila! You have lunch. You can put them in the fridge over night and the next day put them in a zip lock bag. For dinner, I usually have some sort of chicken meal. Chicken, bulgur and brocolli is my favorite - it's easy to make. I also have a small zip lock cup of V8. I can fit all this in my cooler with an ice pack so, I am covered on those really long days. Also, one of the things that will save time is to cook on a day where you have nothing going on. I cook a lot on Sunday and eat what I've cooked through the week so that I have time to devout to study and skills practice. Best of luck to you!
