My story was published in Pulse: Stories from the Heart of Medicine on August 18, 2017 Out of the Blue Friday, 18 August 2017 Marianna Crane ~ As I sit in the exam room waiting for my first patient of the afternoon, the phone rings. It rings four more times before I realize that Amanda…… Continue reading Out of the Blue (aka Mr. Foley)
Tag: gerontological nurse practitioner
Getting on the Bus
This post appeared in two parts on September 8 & 20, 2013. The first night in a hotel room in Estoril, Portugal, my heart, flipping about in my chest, jolted me awake. Thump. Thump. Thump. Silence. Then a rush of horses’ hooves clopped on my ribs. Trying to ignore my heart’s gymnastics, I tried…… Continue reading Getting on the Bus
Netflix Show Gets Aging Right
I am thrilled that the third season of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie is finally here. As one of the first gerontological nurse practitioners to be certified by the ANA back in the 60s and now a 70-something woman, I am depressed that the very same stereotyping and dismissal of the aged I first encountered is…… Continue reading Netflix Show Gets Aging Right
Luther
I received my memoir manuscript from my editor this past week. Thankfully, she hadn’t any issues with structure. (I’m not counting the many grammatical errors she found that I thought I had addressed but still missed). Since the last version of my book, I have changed the title, dropped five chapters, deepened some others, and…… Continue reading Luther
Rewriting the Book
I’m doing what I said I would never do. Rewrite my book. I completed my manuscript late last year, sent it out to 20 small presses and one agent. While I have been waiting for the results to trickle in—those returned so far have been rejections—I’ve been troubled by a lingering discomfort that I have…… Continue reading Rewriting the Book
NEW OLD AGE
I usually have several topics twirling in my head the days before my bimonthly post is due. I’m never sure which direction I am going until the last minute. First, I thought I would update you on my cell phone case that Connie Burns had made for me. (See last post: PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER: MD OR…… Continue reading NEW OLD AGE
WHAT I LEARNED
I am writing my memoir because of what I learned when I ran a clinic on the tenth floor of a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) high-rise twenty years ago. All my patients were over sixty years of age. I was an inexperienced nurse practitioner and new to working with older people. I learned that…… Continue reading WHAT I LEARNED
FEAR OF GETTING OLDER (FOGO)
It isn’t often that I applaud a drug company. In fact, I can’t remember if I ever have. Here’s to Pfizer for creating an initiative to stimulate dialogue about getting older, which was described in the New York Times business section this past Wednesday (Elliott, Stuart. Pfizer to Inject Youth Into the Aging…… Continue reading FEAR OF GETTING OLDER (FOGO)
I HAD A DREAM
In preparation for moving I discover the darndest things as I unpack dusty boxes stored in the attic untouched for years. This time it’s a mercury sphygmomanometer, packed in its original carton along with a “limited warranty” card that should have been filled out within ten days of purchase. Looks like I didn’t even…… Continue reading I HAD A DREAM
THERE ARE SOME PATIENTS WE NEVER FORGET
01/29/2012 BY MARIANNA CRANE When you have been a nurse as long as I have there are patients who take residence in your memories and resurface frequently. They could almost be family except they have a short history in your life. What they were like before or after you knew them usually remains a mystery.…… Continue reading THERE ARE SOME PATIENTS WE NEVER FORGET
Getting Older: Charting the Uncharted 