November 14, 2009

Fainting Returns!

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Twice today Mary Ann fainted.  She has not done so in many weeks.  The fainting is due to a sudden drop in blood pressure, referred to as Orthostatic Hypotension.  It is another of the systems run by her compromised Parasympathetic Autonomic Nervous System.  That system runs the smooth muscles, such as those that create the peristaltic movement that keeps everything moving through the alimentary canal (esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon).  It also runs the smooth muscles that cause our arteries to constrict when we stand up, raising our blood pressure to compensate for the pull of gravity.

That was a lot of technical language that simply means that people with Mary Ann’s version of Parkinson’s and Dementia are often constipated and often faint after getting up from a sitting or lying position.  In both cases today, Mary Ann fainted when on the toilet stool, after trying to get up.  Having watched this at close range for so many years, it was clear to me that both syncopal episodes (medical term for fainting is syncope) happened when a dose of her generic Sinamet kicked in.  When it kicks in her body starts involuntary wavy motions called Dyskinesias.  Sinamet (Carbidopa-Levadopa) is the main medication that treats Parkinson’s.  It is the same medication that has been used for decades.  Most of the newer meds just help the Sinamet do its job better.

During the hospital stay, I suggested lowering her dosage in half of the medicine (Midodrine) that raises her blood pressure to keep her from fainting.  Last summer we doubled the dosage when the fainting got out of hand and was reducing dramatically our quality of life. That medication and the higher BP slowly damages the heart, reducing its flexibility.  Her heart is enlarging, stiffening, her kidneys are being damaged.  If we eliminate the Midodrine, it might add a little time, but the time would be of little quality.  The goal of my suggestion of lowering the dosage is to find a middle ground that gives us the best we can get of both longevity and quality.

I am not yet ready to raise the dosage of Midodrine.  If the fainting comes only when the Sinamet kicks in, I think we can manage the problem.  If the fainting increases to the level it was last summer (multiple protracted fainting spells, sometimes even just when sitting in her chair) we will need to increase the Midodrine back to the full dosage.  We will do what is necessary when it becomes necessary.  Gratefully, the Cardiologist and Neurologist understand the problem and have given Mary Ann and I the freedom to adjust the two meds (Sinamet and Midodrine) within a prescribed range as we determine appropriate.  I am grateful for the latitude in dosing, and I also feel the weight of that responsibility.

The day continues: Mary Ann slept until about 2pm.  I got her some lunch.  She did reasonably well at feeding herself.  She still is not eating enough.  I convinced her to let me help her with some cake after lunch.  She kept putting the fork to her cheek instead of to her mouth.  She was resisting my help, but eventually I was able to get most of it in her mouth  She managed a snack of ice cream later.

We got to the grocery store!  I was hoping we could get it done.  Since she is in the wheel chair, mobility is not an issue when going to the grocery.  I push her with one hand and pull the grocery cart behind with the other.  It is a little tough on my wrists, especially when she drops her feet to the floor and I am pushing against rubber soles on a tile floor.  Years ago, she used one of the motorized carts.  We gave that up.  There were too many displays put at risk by a driver with spatial issues.

We brought home Sesame Chicken from the Chinese counter in the store, so supper went pretty well.  She went to bed at about 7pm and has been sleeping pretty soundly since.  The first couple of hours after she goes to bed are usually pretty good. I will continue this post tomorrow with a report on how the night went (way more information than any who read this blog actually want or need).

Next day (Friday):  The night wasn’t too bad, but it was another early morning with multiple trips to the commode in the wee hours of the morning and finally up before 7pm.

She ate a good breakfast with my help on the bowl of cereal.  After a while in her chair she wanted to get dressed.  Immediately after getting dressed, she got back in bed for a nap.  That was about two and a half hours ago.  She did get up once for a trip to the bathroom.

The issue of fainting continues to be a concern.  She said that she has been dizzy the last couple of days.  That is usually from the low BP.  I tried to take her blood pressure while she was lying in bed this morning, but it didn’t register on the electronic monitor.  That usually means it is too high for it to measure.  BP is usually highest when lying down, since the heart is not pumping against gravity.

While she hasn’t actually fainted today, she came close to it once when I was trying to get her to the bathroom.  She also has seemed to be dizzy at least a couple more times.  I suspect that the switch to the higher dose of Midodrine will be needed.  I am giving it another day to be sure.

The day continues:  After getting up from her nap, I discovered something mightily irritating.  We had to start using new disposable underwear today.  Kroger’s generic has worked very well for us.  They have just discontinued the combination male/female one for new gender specific ones.  The same size and weight as we used before, but in the new female version managed to leak.  It happened twice.  All her jeans had to be washed.

I can only conclude that someone in the Kroger braintrust decided that it would be better for sales if they marketed gender specific disposables.  That would be fine if they had bothered to make them in a way that actually accomplished their purpose.  To those of us who use them, it is no small inconvenience.  The small amount it took to leak the two times it happened today suggest that a long nap or a long time between trips to the commode during the night would provide enough leakage to demand changing the bedding and washing the linens, as well as whatever she was wearing.

I took them back to the store, got my money back and bought the Depend’s brand in hopes that they will work better.  Even though they also are gender specific, the appear to be constructed in a way more like the generic male/female ones we were using.  The Depend’s brand, of course are $12 and change versus the $9 and change price for the generics.  We buy three or four packages every time we go to the store.  There goes the grocery budget.  We will soon determine if the Depend’s are adequate to the task.

The good news is that I found part of a package of the old generic ones in the bathroom closet.  Hopefully that will get us through until tomorrow.  I change the disposables often to protect against urinary tract infections.

Mary Ann was up for a while this afternoon, after her long nap.  She ate a good lunch, lots of left over Sesame Chicken and a huge piece of cake with ice cream.  We were able to run a number of errands with her in the car while I did the errands.  She is now down for her third nap.  It didn’t begin until almost 5pm.  It is now almost 7:30pm.  She has had no supper.  I don’t think there is a chance there will be much sleeping tonight.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

October 16, 2009

Quality of Life Is a Prime Consideration

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Information on Parkinson's, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Her head is hanging over the side of the transfer chair resting on the table next to it.  I suggested that she go to bed, but she insisted on staying there for another half hour.  That half hour will be up in a few minutes.  I wlll take a break and get her into bed in a moment.

After a restless beginning last night, sleep finally came and stuck around.  There were only a few commode trips after she finally settled.  She chose to sleep in until about 9:45am.  That rest seemed to help her alertness and responsiveness.  She has often put her head down on the table today.  I think the restless nights and early mornings have finally caught up with her.

I am heading off to get her to bed now.

She is in bed and already appears to be asleep.  It is too early to tell, but I certainly hope she sleeps well.  She needs the rest.

When the phone rang this morning it was the call I was expecting from the Cardiologist’s Nurse.  She had in hand the reports from the echocardiogram, the carotid sonogram and her blood work.

The call was another encounter with realities that are not visible.  Probably the most serious concern is the increase in the severity of her Pulmonary Hypertension.  That is the disease that took the lives of those who had taken the diet medication called Phen-Fen (sometimes designated in reverse, Fen-Phen).  Pulmonary Hypertension has been a part of the array of Mary Ann’s diseases for the last two to three years.  It is a funcion of the high blood pressure, which is, of course, raised by the Midodrine.  Any treatment would involve medications to reduce her blood pressure, bringing on the return and probably increasing the frequency of the fainting spells.

As last summer’s posts reveal, the fainting spells lower dramatically our ability to function.  Gratefully, both Mary Ann’s Cardiologist and her Neurologist understand the dilemma well and respect our decisions on how to proceed.

As I mentioned a number of posts back when reflecting on the report we had received on her blood work, her kidney function also has declined in the last six months.  She is now only one point away from Stage 4 (of 5 stages) of Chronic Kidney Disease.  A couple of years ago, her Nephrologist agreed that any treatment would lower her blood pressure, creating the same problem as the treatment for the Pulmonary Hypertension.

The Cardiologist’s Nurse said that the lesion in her left Carotid is still not past the 50% mark, which is the point at which the need for surgery comes into play.  She mentioned that there is a build up on her right side also.  I don’t remember whether that has been mentioned before.

The Nurse confirmed that there is leakage in more than one heart valve, including the Mitrovalve.  That regurgitation seems to have worsened some, but the language of the tests was not clear on that issue.  At our last appointment with the Cardiologist six months ago, the leakage was not bad enough for the surgery option to be up for consideration. There are also enlarged chambers in the heart, especially the left Atrium.  That problem has worsened.

All of the above has been factored into our consciousness at some point already in the past.  Hearing the results of the tests bring it all to the surface.  My questions always probe the rate of change.  This set of test results seem to indicate a more pronounced decline that in the past.

I plan to fax the Neurologist to probe further any treatment options for the fainting that might not raise the blood pressure.  At one point he mentioned an off label use of a drug called Mestinon.  The Cardiologist was unfamiliar with it and unwilling to prescribe it at that point.  I may try to get them to talk with one another about that or other options.  Getting doctors to talk with one another is not always an easy thing to accomplish.  They are both good doctors — maybe it can happen.

On the matter of the quality of life and the health of this Caregiver, the power of the Alien possession is now getting scary.  This is the Alien from planet Pedometer Prime who, as in the movie the Body Snatchers, is trying to change me into some sort of walking, exercising pawn.  This will frighten you.  Mary Ann and I made an afternoon run to the store for something.  Afterward, I offered to get some ice cream.  We went to Sheridan’s Frozen Custard for a what they call a concrete.  The one of choice is made with chocolate frozen custard with pecans mixed in.

Here is the terrifying development.  As we approached Sheridan’s, the Alien simply took possession and overpowered my will to eat ice cream.  Those of you who know me well (or have been following this blog) understand just how horrible this was.  I got Mary Ann a concrete as described.  Then the Alien took over the car and drove it to Cedarcrest where I walked the path while Mary Ann ate her treat.  It is a miracle we made it safely.  I certainly had no control over that car or, at the very least, we would have veered left at 17th and headed for Maggie Moo’s.

If that is not horrifying enough, the Alien had already forced me out to walk in the neighborhood early (for me) this morning while Mary Ann slept.  Keep alert, you never know when one of those Aliens will try to take you over too!!

By the way, Mary Ann actually said she liked what I made for supper tonight.  There were a couple of pork chops in the fridge recently thawed and needing to be cooked.  We had some red potatoes, onions and fresh broccoli in the there also.  I cut up the potatoes and veggies and put them on a foil covered cooking sheet (I hate cleaning pans).  We had some Hendrickson’s dressing and marinade that we have used in the past and liked.  I tossed the veggies in it.  Then to make the food preparation easier, I put the pork chops in a baking dish and covered them with the same marinade.  Both dishes went in the oven (375) for almost an hour.  I really liked the meal, but then I like everything.  Mary Ann only ate the meat, but volunteered at one point that it was good.  There is such a feeling of victory when something has passed muster with those finicky taste buds!

Just in case the Alien attacks again in the morning, I had better settle in for the night and get some rest.

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

July 23, 2009

Living on the Edge

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There has been almost no fainting today, but at what price? 

It appears that the increase in Midodrine, a medication that raises the baseline blood pressure, has moved Mary Ann back over the threshold to the ability to stand up and walk without fainting due to a sudden drop in her blood pressure. 

Earlier today, our Cardiologist had Mary Ann come in to have a Holter Monitor hooked up to a number of leads that had been put on her.   If I understand correctly, the monitor is a miniature EKG recorder (Electrocardiogram).  The pattern of Mary Ann’s heart activity is recorded for that twenty-four hours.  We have a log on which we are to record the time of and describe any symptoms, in her case any fainting episodes (Syncope).  The Cardiologist will be looking for any irregularities in her heart beat during the symptoms.  Mary Ann has had this test two other times in the last three years.  If I remember correctly what the Doctor said, there were no irregularities those two times. 

One of the results of the timing of the increase in the dosage of the medicine is that it is working well enough to all but remove the episodes that are to be monitored. 

Here is why the title of this post is “Living on the Edge.”  I asked the Tech today if he would check Mary Ann’s blood pressure since the increased dosage of the Midodrine might be raising it too high.   In fact, I asked if he would first take it while she was lying down.  He did so.  It measured 240/110.  He had a look on his face that was mild shock.  I asked him if he would take it with her sitting up.  He did so.  It measured 248/118.  I was a little surprised since I thought it would lower some.  Then I asked him to take it after she had been standing for a few moments.  He did so.  It measured 140/70. 

The Tech was pretty surprised by the rapid change.  He said that in his twenty year career as an EMT and Clinic Tech, he had never seen anything like it before.  We feel so special!! 

Apparently, Mary Ann’s blood pressure needs to be kept far too high to keep it from going far too low.  When I measured two days ago it was 165/85 when she was sitting down, but when she stood up for a few moments, she fainted and was out cold for many minutes. 

The high blood pressure has weakened her heart and diminished her kidney function significantly.  Gratefully we have much more kidney capacity than we need, so she is not yet in serious danger because of the diminished kidney functioning.  As the Nephrologist said, she is likely to die with that problem, not from it. 

I guess for some, living on the edge makes life exciting.  I am here to say that Mary Ann and I would gladly accept a less exciting life!

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

July 19, 2009

Blood Pressure Controls seem Broken

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She sat on the bed,  fainted, and just slipped off on to the floor.  She had fainted moments before on the toilet stool.  I got her on to the bed, grateful for the physical strength that remains in this small in stature, 66 year old, pot-bellied frame. 

I finally just laid her down on the bed to nap.  It was her second nap of the day.   The third one came early in the evening.  We did manage to get out for pancakes during the mid-afternoon. 

As is obvious to those who read these posts, this story is getting to be an old one.  It is beginning to suggest that the Autonomic Nervous System is just unable to sustain her blood pressure consistently.  The muscles around her arteries just won’t respond as they should, at least as quickly as they should. 

We have increase the medicine that raises the blood pressure, but have to be cautious about that, since years of high blood pressure have already weakened her heart and kidneys.  The Cardiologist will get another call on Monday. 

The Cardiologist will want to know what her blood pressure has been running.  It is no small task to get a read on her blood pressure.  The battery operated blood pressure monitors are pretty much useless when trying to measure Mary Ann’s blood pressure.  More often than not, there is just an error message.  Either her BP is too high and cannot be measured, or the dyskinetic movements create noises in her body that confuse it. 

I have purchased a stethoscope and pressure band to take her blood pressure myself.  I can get the meter pressure high enough, but the variety of sounds have frustrated my ability to get a good reading.  At times I have been able to do it — not today.  Gratefully we have a parish nurse at our congregation.  She cares very much for Mary Ann and will come and help whenever we need her and it is possible for her to come.

I called Parish Nurse Margaret, who came over to take her blood pressure.  As always, she brought flowers from their flower garden and vegetables from their vegetable garden. 

She arived shortly after Mary Ann had taken her mid-day dose of the blood pressure raising medicine.  Sitting in her chair, her BP was 140/70.  Then we walked into the bedroom to test the effect of standing up and walking.  She sat on the bed and Margaret took it again.  Mary Ann was on the verge of a fainting spell.  Her BP was 108/78.  The lower number was higher than I expected, but she said that when the two numbers are too close to together it can cause the fainting.   

Then Mary Ann laid on the bed while her BP was taken.  That is when it is usually highest, since gravity is not pulling the blood to her feet.  I wanted to measure her BP at what would be likely to be its highest point.  Knowing that measurement would help provide the Cardiologist with the information needed to make a good decision on whether or not it would be safe to increase the medicine that raises her BP to keep her from fainting.  Lying down her BP was 142/100. 

After that Mary Ann moved into her transfer chair, and we moved to the living room.  Margaret took her BP two more times as we talked for a while.  Those readings were 140/80 and 150/8o.  By the way throughout the measurements there were no missed heart beats and her heart rate remained steady at 60 beats per minute. 

With all this information the question remains, is her Autonomic Nervous System’s ability to control her blood pressure simply broken, beyond correction, or can meds provide a return to the quality of life we had a few weeks ago.  A question that follows along beside that one is, will my physical strength be adequate to hold her up with one arm while she is fainting as I pull up clothes with the other hand after using the commode.  When will we pass the limits of my ability to handle her physically?

At the moment, I am still one tough cookie.  I can do it now.  That is all I know.  It is all I need to know.   I’ll deal with tomorrow when it arrives.    I have neither the time nor the energy to waste worrying about what it might bring. 

 If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.

 

March 29, 2009

Caregivers’, Carereceivers’, Volunteers’ Safety Issues

Posted by PeterT under Daily Challenges, Help from Others, Meaningful Caregiving, Practical Tools for Coping | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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I got the dreaded phone call.  I was at work, Mary Ann was at home with a wonderful, capable Volunteer who had agreed to stay with her for a three hour shift.  Some days there were as many as five different people to cover all the time I was at work, which often included evening meetings.   Mary Ann had fallen in the bathroom and hit her head on the ceramic tile floor. 

Understand, Mary Ann is not the sort to just sit still and wait for someone to tell her when she can get up.  Her independence (a euphemism for stubbornness) has carried her through challenges any one of which would have taken a person with less strength of will.  Mary Ann got up to use the bathroom — a simple and necessary task.   Parkinson’s or not, Mary Ann can move like lightning.  She moves with a determination that says, don’t mess with me, I can do this.

Either before or after the task at hand, as she stood, Orthostatic Hypotension entered the story.  That is one of the many things we have come to know about.  We now know more than we ever had any interest in learning.  I could have gone to my grave without ever knowing what Orthostatic Hypotension is, and would have been content and fulfilled.  When anyone of us stands up, our blood pressure drops.  In an instant our blood vessels constrict to raise our blood pressure so that, among other things, our brain has enough blood to function fully.  OH is what happens when people who have a compromised autonomic response (in her case, medicine and disease process) stand up and the resulting blood pressure change is not corrected.  The person faints.  The doctors call it Syncope.  Somehow knowing the medical jargon makes me feel better able to deal with the multiple medical professionals on our team.  They may very well think it sounds silly, since I am sure I don’t always use the terms correctly. 

Here is the important part of this story.  Mary Ann fell on that hard floor, smashed her glasses into her face producing a bloody nose that would not quit.  What appeared worse than that was the giant hematoma on her forehead.  Because of the blood thinning character of Plavix, which she takes to help prevent another stroke, her forehead filled with enough blood to bring the protruding bump to the size of a softball. 

When I arrived home, she was still on the floor with her face down, blocking our veiw of the hematoma.  It became obvious as soon as I got her up off the floor that we needed to get to the Emergency Room.   

How can we keep our Loved One safe if we use Volunteers? 

First of all, we can’t!  We cannot keep our Loved One completely safe whether we use Volunteers, or paid Professionals, or never leave her/him alone.  Either we come to terms with that reality or go completely nuts, becoming useless to our Loved One and ourselves. 

With that said, we do have an obligation to use whatever means are at our disposal to create as safe an environment as possible.   This is not just about the safety of our Loved One.  What can we do to keep ourselves and the Volunteers safe?  If we hurt ourselves trying to help our Loved One we will cease to be able to give the care that is needed.  If a Volunteer hurts him or herself, we will feel responsible for our part in letting them be hurt, their lives will be disrupted, they will not be able to help your Loved One, and someone will be liable for any costs associated with their care. 

Are you scared yet?  Have you just phoned all the Volunteers and told them to stay home?  While we cannot guarantee no one will be hurt, we can make responsible decisions on what to do to minimize the likelihood of someone being hurt and at the same time prepare for that contingency. 

What follows are just a few of the things we have done over the years to address safety issues:

Mary Ann wears a gait belt at all times — something she hates.  A gait belt is just what is sounds like, a belt that is a help when she is walking.  I walk beside her (when I can get there fast enough) and put my hand lightly on the back of the belt.  Because it is at her waist, high enough in relation to her center of gravity, if she begins to get out of balance, it takes very little pressure to pull her back from going over.  We found a non-profit that makes them in a variety of colors, www.gaitbelt.com.  Gratefully, they are also very inexpensive.

After Mary Ann’s fall in the bathroom we began by putting down on the floor mats for children’s play areas. We now use them in the garage  to cover the area she is in when she goes out the door into the garage to get in the car.  We got ours at Sam’s Club, but here is an online link showing the floor covering:  http://www.matsmatsmats.com/kids/playroom-floor/soft-floor.html  We found a shower mesh floor that avoids the problem of mold due to moisture trapped under the mat, it resists mold.  It can be found at http://www.duragrid.com/shower.html  That is what now helps protects Mary Ann from hurting herself badly if she falls to the floor in the bathroom.  It looks good and is easy to install and remove for periodic cleaning.

We found that some of those people who served as Physical, Occupational and Speech therapists were willing to give their time to come to a gathering of Volunteers to demonstrate how to help Mary Ann without hurting her or them.  Once in one of those training sessions Mary Ann got on the floor and the therapist showed how best to help her up.  They were willing to demonstrate simple activities that could be done with Mary Ann to provide appropriate mental and physical stimulation.   

We put together a booklet filled with all sorts of information.  It includes contact numbers, whom to call for help getting her up if she falls, what hospital we use, directions to the house that may be given to the Emergency folks if 911 must be called.  The booklet is to go with her to the hospital, so it includes the names of Mary Ann’s doctors, a current list of medications, her Living Will.

It also includes a description of what to do when Mary Ann gets up to walk, what to do and not do when she begins to fall, what help she needs with personal tasks.  It lists things that are normal for Mary Ann but might concern a Volunteer, dyskinetic (involuntary) movements, dizziness, confusion. 

We talk through with new Volunteers what to expect.  We assure them that we understand that none of us can control what happens, to help relieve them of concern that they will be held responsible if she falls and hurts herself.

Finally, we have obtained an umbrella insurance policy to help provide for the contingency that someone might be hurt trying to help Mary Ann.  With so many people in and out of the house, there is a vulnerability that comes. 

After the fall, we took Mary Ann to the Emergency Room.  Even though she had fallen flat on her face on a ceramic tile floor from (apparently) a standing up position, she broke nothing, not even her nose.  It took hours each of two days to get the nosebleed to stop.  When the packing came out a few days later, to our surprise, it did not start bleeding again.  She did not have a skull fracture but was pretty confused for a few days.  We did need to get a new pair of glasses.  Mary Ann seems to be made of iron.  She has fallen multiple times, sometimes more than once in a day, but has broken no bones. 

Safety is an issue whether there are Volunteers or not.  Our job as Caregivers is to do what we can to create as safe an environment as is reasonable given the place in which we live, the resources we have and our Loved One’s need for some independence.  Having done that, it is time to let go of the constant terror we could choose to embrace.  Life is too short to waste living in fear.  Live safely, but live. 

What are some things you do to make your Loved One as safe as possible?  Do you use Volunteers?  Where do you find them?  How do you prepare them?  How is it going?

If you want to write a comment about this or any of the posts on this blog, look to the column on the right side of this page, titled “Recent Posts,”  click on the name of a post and you will find a box at the end of that article in which you can write a comment.  Clicking on the title of the post you are reading will accomplish the same thing.  Comments are appreciated.