Mark Young: Heroes Among Us 2/2

Today, we're continuing with Mark Young's posts that reflects how a personal experience provided fodder for the opening scene of his latest novel, Off the Grid. A great read for a great price!Welcome back, Mark!They seemed to vanish as we neared where I last saw them. We followed the trail they made for quite a ways without any further sightings. Finally, orders came through to break off and head toward our main camp. Just as we veered off, enemy...

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Mark Young: Heroes Among Us 1/2

Mark Young is a good friend and talented writer. I have read the opening scene of Off The Grid and it is gripping! I highly suggest you pick this novel up.Welcome, Mark!One of the bravest people I ever met was a navy corpsman who came to my rescue on a battlefield many years ago.As an author, creating fiction sometimes forces you to relive moments of your own life that you might otherwise suppress—maybe even try to forget. As I began...

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Up and Coming

Hope everyone is having a fabulous week. Thanks so much to all my new followers/subscribers! So glad to have you here.This Week:Monday and Wednesday: My good friend, Mark Young, drops by to talk about how real life military experiences influenced his current novel, Off the Grid. This is a great book for a great priced. Please, check it out.Friday: An all important topic for writers-- maintaining the chain of evidence. What is it and what does it mean if it's broken?What interesting things have you researched lately for your current work in pro...

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Medical Question: Brain Surgery

Today, Amitha concludes her thoughts on surgery with some specifics about brain surgery.-->>Note: If you're squeamish stop reading here!<<--As far as what would exactly happen during the brain surgery, it's hard for me to say because I don't really know what kind of surgery your fictional patient is having. But most basically, the surgeon first cuts into the patient's scalp, exposing the skull. They drill open and remove a portion of...

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Medical Question: Surgical Timeline

I'm pleased to have Amitha Knight back who will be hosting a medical question today and tomorrow about surgeries. Today, she covers the general surgical timeline and what the patient's process is through the OR. On Friday, she'll cover more in depth about brain surgeries.RB asks:In the book my one lead character, a Brain surgeon, will be performing two major surgeries during the life of the book, one on (an animal), and the other she will be performing...

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Medical Question: The Morgue

DV asks: I am writing a thriller right now and need a description of a large city hospital morgue. I haven't tried to secure a tour yet (do they even allow that?) at a city nearby. All I need is to know how they're set up. I've read they're usually in the basement near a loading dock, and they're usually unmarked and secure.Do they use a wall of refrigerated drawers? If not, what does the room look like? How are the bodies marked? Do they still use...

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Up and Coming

Hey Redwood's Fans! How has your week been?This week is all about author questions. I love the challenge of doing these posts. Amitha Knight is joining in on the fun as well.Monday: The MorgueWednesday: Surgical TimelineFriday: Brain SurgeryLooking forward to seeing everyone!Jor...

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Several Days Before Christmas

I'm pleased to host Frank Edwards, MD today as he writes about telling a family about the death of their loved one. I have been in this position, unfortunately, as well. Sometimes, getting the feelings of a healthcare provider is hard to do. I think Frank has done it well with this poem.It was a little after noon when the drizzle began.A truck skidded sideways on a bridgeand overturned.The driver wasn't hurt,but underneath his truckLay a car, roof...

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Author Beware: Unsecured Narcotics

I was happily reading along one of my favorite best-selling authors when I stumbled upon a troubling set-up. Now, this author makes a lot of money which is why I'm not sure the reason for his not picking up the phone to consult me on his manuscript. One character had been beaten up fairly well. He was in the hospital on a Valium drip. Huh? That's right, just a bag of Valium hanging and dripping into his veins.Issue One: Valium is not a...

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The Challenge of Caregiving: Rob Harris (Part 1/2)

Today, Rob concludes his first person account of caregiving under crisis. Good news is his wife is strong and well and they are still happily married.Welcome back, Rob.The cardiac room was cramped, even without the medical team working over her. I was relegated to the hallway with a nurse that had accompanied us from our oncology floor. She had been on break and was friendly with my wife and me. She was there to make sure I was okay – or was she...

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The Challenge of Caregiving: Rob Harris (Part 1/2)

I'm very honored to have Rob Harris here at Redwood's Medical Edge today. He's giving a first hand account of what it's like when your loved one nearly meets death. Part 2 will be posted Wednesday.Welcome, Rob.7:24 a.m. The nurse tech entered our hospital room and took my wife’s vital signs. I was awake, dressed and ready to record her findings on my Excel spreadsheet. “Temp: 97.5; BP: 122/61, Pulse: 32,” she said as she turned to depart our room....

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Up and Coming

Hey Redwood's Fans!Recently, I was gifted two blog awards by fellow writers and I want to acknowledge them in their kindness. The first was the Versatile Blogger Award given by Carrie Rubin at The Write Transition.The second was the Sweetest Blog Award given by Faith, Fiction & Friends.Both of these blogs are deserving of your perusal so I hope you'll take the time to check them out. I want to give a big shout out of thanks for their generosity...

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Medical Question: Pneumonia

Elaine asks: You've come highly recommended by quite a few author-friends and I'm hoping you can help me out with a medical question for my story.I have a high school senior who comes down with a severe case of pneumonia weeks before her graduation. She is hospitalized in the ICU, pulls through, but doesn't make it to graduation.Plot wise I need her to miss the fall semester of beginning college & have her family keeping her home during the summer...

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Author Beware: Hallmark's Christmas Magic

There's nothing more charming for me than a Hallmark Christmas movie. Several I loved this past Christmas season-- particularly Trading Christmas written by Debbie Macomber. Hilarious if you're a writer.Some I didn't like as much-- and you guessed it-- had to do with a medical reason.Christmas Magic was a Hallmark movie where a young PR exec was involved in serious car accident.Spoiler alert!Most of the movie, you're led to believe that she has died...

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Micheal Rivers: Altered Mental Status

I'm pleased to host guest blogger Michael Rivers today as he discusses the EMS perspective on altered mental status. Welcome, Micheal!EMS handles thousands of calls every year especially in the larger cities like Chicago. There is one kind of emergency call that can take the life of a Paramedic or EMT very quickly, or leave him or her with serious injuries. These calls are either for domestic or institutionalized people with altered mental status.These...

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