IT'S TIME

RĖSUMĖ ALERT

· Do you have a résumé?

· If not, where would you begin?

· If so, when was it last updated?

· If your résumé is outdated, what is preventing you from updating it?

· If, in fact, you updated your résumé recently, do you present it proudly?

· What could be missing from the résumé that exhibits your uniqueness?

· Has your résumé been requested by a non-profit for a board position or by a bank for starting a new business?

· Has your résumé been critiqued by anyone?

· Would you like to rediscover and recapture those talents you may have overlooked?

· Has your résumé been edited for incorrect grammar or typos?

IT’S TIME TO GET THAT MOJO OF YOURS GOING

Surgeons vs. Chefs

Surgeons from Tucson Orthopaedic will be competing against a number of chefs in a pumpkin carving contest tomorrow night, 10/28, from 6-8 at the Embassy Suites Tucson La Paloma on Skyline. Proceeds will benefit "kiddos" with arthritis and I wouldn't miss it for the world. How about you?

A Visionary Without Clear Vision

That clearless visionary would be me. In 2 hours, I will be experiencing my second corneal transplant in my left eye. As it gets closer to 3:00, I feel myself coming out of the funk I've been in these past few weeks. Why? I FINALLY figured it out. My eye has been out of focus which has caused me to be mentally and emotionally unfocused, unclear and out of sorts. When you think about it, it makes such good sense. Yes, I am a visionary and, yes, I shall continue to be a visionary until I put a dent in those dreams of mine. Have I made myself clear?

Reinventing Retirement - Work, Play, Volunteer

Yesterday I attended a panel discussion moderated by Gabrielle Giffords with three retired panelists. The room was packed with pre and post retirees. The purpose of the program was to launch the resource and planning guide provided by United Way. One of the panelists, Arthur Goldberg, a medical doctor for 40 years, read the definition of retirement: "to withdraw from circulation or from the market; to withdraw from usual use or service." Sounds deadly to me.
Arthur (he doesn't want to be called "Doctor" anymore and just wants to be one of the boys) admitted that he disliked the word "retire" and I'm in total agreement. Arthur prefers the word "phase" and explained how much he's enjoying this phase of his life. That statement alone brightened up the room. Questions from the audience included "I can't seem to stay focused" and "I don't know what to do." Enter United Way's "Transforming Retirement With Extended Life Options." (Each of us received a copy of the 151 page Guide).

The Guide includes topiccs such as Employment Opportunities, Volunteer Opportunities, Lifelong Learning, Having Fun, Housing Options, Transportation Options, Financial Planning, Legal Planning, Health and Wellness, and Spirituality." There are numerous resources for each topic. You can obtain a copy of this Guide by contacting United Way (520.903.9000).

I'm proud to say that I was on the subcommittee that put this Guide together. It took us two years and without the leadership of Fred Ebeling and Karen Lamberton, it never would have come to pass. It's a work of art, in my opinion.

This "phase" of my life is fun and fulfilling. Yours can be too -- honest.

Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2009

This bill is currently in the House of Representatives (H.R. 1210/S 984). It will:

• Allow more people to be diagnosed early and avoid pain;


• Establish a juvenile arthritis population database to better understand the disease in children and their treatment


• Enhance support for pediatric rheumatology training programs


• Establish a loan repayment program for pediatric rheumatologiists to address the country's shortage of these critical health professionals.

There is so much more in this bill and, if interested, I recommend you take a good look at it. In the meantime, the Executive Director of the Arthritis Foundation's Tucson office, a child with juvenile arthritis, their parent and I will be visiting with a representative of Gabrielle Gifford's office (Mr. Zimmerman) to learn the status of this Bill and when Congresswoman Giffords anticipates it will be passed. And, yes, I will let you know the results of that meeting. I'm optimistic.

I'm learning that with passion for a cause comes impatience. Please keep me focused, friends.

Kiddos With Arthritis

Arthritis Today magazine is a monthly publication provided by the Arthritis Foundation. What I didn't know was that July was Juvenile Arthritis Month and there were some surprising current statistics in July's issue about Kiddos with arthritis in the United States:

1 in 250 kids have JA; 83,000 emergency room visits are made each year; and there are 13 states without a pediatric rheumatologist. Arizona has one, just one, and he's in Phoenix.
More current stats to come in my next blog. STAY TUNED.