Letters to editor of the Pahrump Valley Times

Reader receives great care at Desert View Hospital

Unfortunately, I have become very familiar with hospitals, here and in Vegas. Since 2010, I’ve been admitted to hospitals 34 times - all because of heart issues. Since 2014, when my last stent was put in, I have been doing pretty well. But all hell broke out on September 25th and I was off to the ER at Desert View Hospital.

During my visits to area hospitals, I have found that usually you run into a few really good nurses, doctors and staff. The food is bearable but very small portions and little flavor. The staff are usually friendly but don’t really do anything special. The same hospital can have great people working in one shift, then not-so-great the next shift. Often in the past, if the alarms went off and my heart quit working, I wondered if anyone would notice.

Although I have been to Desert View in the past, nothing prepared me for the great people that cared for me during this last visit. Wow. Charge nurses Lily and Cindy were awesome. In the past, I rarely met a charge nurse unless I was bitching about a nurse. Lily and Cindy (and probably all charge nurses) made the rounds in the mornings with my nurse and the doctor. Although they handle a lot of patients, all made time to talk and listen to my problems and concerns on a daily basis. That was refreshing since too many hospital health care providers want to look at data and test results only, not listen to patients. That is unfortunate but not at Desert View.

My nurses Myesha, Jason and Sabryna were superb in all respects - knowledgeable, professional but very kind and helpful. There were times during my visit when my fluttering heart (arrhythmia) made breathing difficult but I was comforted by seeing my nurse at the door asking if I was alright. The “system” listened and responded to the telemetry machines and reacted quickly when the EKG indicated my engine needed some timing adjustments.

The people you see the most in the hospital are the CNAs who fill your water pitcher, deliver your food, take your vitals, and basically help you survive your hospital stay. They can make or break your view of the care you receive since they provide for your comfort and well-being to a large degree. I had truly great CNAs - Jackie, Edna, Rose, Gaby and others.

In fact, everything and everybody were exceptional during this visit - the ER, the doctors, nurses and cleaning ladies. Even the food was very good. They have a fairly extensive menu that you can order from and receive a variety of great-tasting food with substantial portions to help you eat away your concerns.

When staff work as good as they did and have the positive attitudes I found everywhere, you know management must be doing their jobs very well. So both staff and management should take a bow. The meds worked, my symptoms went away and I was released at exactly the right time I felt.

Just so you know this is not a paid commercial, the TV sucked and I hated the slippery pillows. Other than that, I received wonderful and compassionate care that I had not experienced before at Desert View or any other hospital. My deepest appreciation.

Chuck Augustin

Addicts need a plan in recovery to be successful

Leaving treatment for addiction without a plan is like going on a road trip without a map. It is very important to have a set plan before leaving treatment.

The plan should be realistic and the recovering person should be able to follow it without getting discouraged. This plan should include both structure and accountability. It should also have goals that are reachable and reasonable. This helps the recovering person feel accomplished and productive.

The plan does not have to be filled with things you don’t typically want to do. It should incorporate some fun things as well, so they don’t get burnt out. After a long day of being productive maybe they would like to go to the gym or the beach, that’s completely fine.

The quickest way to relapse after treatment is a person having way too much time on their hands. Where getting drunk or high filled this time before they went to treatment, they should now fill this new-found time with a solid plan in a structured environment. Following this plan can help eliminate the stress and anxiety that comes up when going back into the real world after completing treatment. This will greatly increase a person’s chances of being successful and remaining clean and sober.

For more information on having a plan after treatment, go to https://www.narconon-suncoast.org/blog/leaving-treatment-without-a-plan-is-like-going-on-a-road-trip-without-a-map.html. If you are in need of a referral to a treatment center, call us at 877-841-5509.

Shauna Krout

Is Hitler’s guide being used in politics today?

Mein Kampf was Hitler’s guide to taking over a country. A large section of the book was devoted to media propaganda. Here are the propaganda rules editors were to follow to gain control of the masses (citizens) through any form of media. Propaganda:

Must target the least intellectual of those to whom it is directed.

Acknowledge the broad masses of the people are not made up of persons who are able to form reasoned judgment in given cases.

Acknowledge the broad masses are a crowd of human children who are constantly wavering between one idea and another.

Propaganda must not investigate the truth objectively. It must present only that aspect of the truth which is favorable to its own side.

The receptive powers of the masses are very restricted, and their understanding is feeble.

Credibility doesn’t matter. The victor will not be asked whether he told the truth.

Credibility doesn’t matter. Keep this phrase in mind the next time you listen to a speech by Pelosi and her supporters. Then ask this question: Are they following the editorial guidelines laid down in Mein Kampf?

Scott Culshaw

Political party loyalty should not override truth

Mr. Culshaw wrote in his column, which appeared on Oct. 2, “President Nixon was impeached for income tax fraud.” According to Google, President Nixon was not impeached.”

I voted for Nixon twice and closely followed the Watergate investigation. The House had prepared impeachment charges against Nixon but said charges were never passed by the House, therefore no impeachment. Instead, Nixon resigned after Senator Goldwater informed Nixon he had lost his political support from the Republicans in the Senate.

It is sad that some of us resort to demonizing House members like Nancy Pelosi simply because we don’t like the message. Some don’t like the message and attempt to politically kill the messenger. This did not occur in Nixon’s time. We never let party loyalty override the truth.

Trump has actually confessed to trying to get a foreign government to dig up dirt against a potential political opponent, Joe Biden. Our Constitution clearly does not allow this. Trump’s own transcript of the phone call to the Ukraine president reinforces almost verbatim the message from the whistleblower. The other account by Hannity on Fox News has been totally discredited by the Wall Street Journal, a Republican paper, and by Morning Joe, another Republican.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag, and to the republic for which it stands.” How can we do this if we allow party loyalty to override our Constitution?

Jim Ferrell

Resident thanks Times staff for printing his letter

I want to thank the Pahrump Valley Times for printing my ‘letter to the editor.’ I had a lot of fun with it.

First I purchased several papers when I saw you had done so. I cut it out of the paper and went to Walmart to purchase a frame because I knew that my wife would not want to hang it in her office at the hospital.

Then I went to Albertsons, where I bought a delicious cake. A skilled and nice young lady named grace somehow printed “Thinking of You – Opie and Sammy” on it.

Then I went to the hospital and told the lady at the front desk that I was from FedEx and had a special delivery for a Maria Wilson.

She escorted me to the medical records section where my wife was summoned to sign for her “special delivery.” Of course she was very happy with the cake, and as I expected, she hung the framed letter on the wall in her office.

Your staff made my wife happy for a while during a very stressful time and for that I thank you with all my heart.

I talk to Opie and Sammy every day. They’re in doggie heaven now and say they’re happy to be together again. About all they do now is run around and chase each other, just like when they were puppies.

Again, to all the staff – myself, my wife, Opie and Sammy say “Vaya con Dios” – may God be with you always.

Steve Wilson

Fall Festival carnival prices shock grandparents

My husband and I, both retired seniors on a fixed income, took our three granddaughters to the Fall Festival this year.

I was shocked when I heard it would cost us $96 for them to have a day pass for rides! I think it’s disgraceful that it would cost this much for a family activity, in which this country is in need of! It just angers me to no end, at the high and always rising costs of activities for families to enjoy. Because of the long lines, my two older granddaughters were only able to go on three rides. That’s $32 per ride!!

How can families spend time together when this is what they’re faced with? Sadly, this will be the last time we will take our grandchildren to what most adults of my generation consider a traditional family-fun day. Because of our health issues, we were only able to stay for three hours.

What an over-priced day in trying to provide entertainment for our granddaughters. Just shameful.

Kathi Fraser

Couple moving to Pahrump seek info from locals

We are planning on moving soon to Pahrump and would like to get some feedback from the locals.

I’m a Vietnam veteran (1968 U.S. Air Force) with my better half, Suzy, retired from Honeywell in Phoenix.

My career was as salesmen, General Sales Manager and Director of Sales for Coca Cola-owned radio stations in Honolulu.

Twenty-two years later, I left Hawaii for California jobs and after 14 years, left to come to Idaho for 15 years, where we live now.

Welcome hearing from anyone at my email danogto@live.com.

Thanks and God Bless,

Dano and Suzy Savino

The country is in need of ‘party of Lincoln’ again

It is hard to believe that the current Republican politicians belong to the same party as President Abraham Lincoln. The choices and decisions Lincoln made were made to benefit the entire nation, not just the white Republicans.

The same was true of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who empathized with those who were less fortunate and he helped create many of our country’s programs that help the elderly and the poor, whereas Donald Trump and the modern-day Republicans are creating a tribe of ‘Me and Mine’ while no longer even recognizing a democratic society of ‘Us and Ours.’

For a while Republicans were bragging about an agenda of family values. Is stealing elections part of their ‘family values’ agenda? Is zero tolerance for immigrants part of the GOP family values program?

Is Donald Trump’s hateful language and bigotry part of the Republican family values charade? Where is the Party of Lincoln?

Ron Lowe