November 18, 2011
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 30, No. 14
ChapLaIn’s Cheer gIves Comfort
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tIps In handLIng hoLIday grIef
It’s hard dealing with grief, but the holidays can make it even worse. Here are tips from MUSC chaplain Lynn Conklin about handling the holidays if you or a loved one faces a season of grief.
1. Give yourself extra TLC.
Be intentional about taking extra good care of yourself. That means eating well, getting adequate rest and doing comforting activities. It also means preparing for the unexpected and unusual, such as an outburst of crying or having to explain to someone again the loss in your life. It also means ignoring well-meaning, but hurtful comments that people may make.
2. Change the holiday routine. Rev. Lynn Conklin gets a laugh from patient Latoshaj Fludd, who’s awaiting the birth of her baby.
By Dawn Brazell Public Relations
T
he Rev. Lynn Conklin strikes fear into the hearts of some of the patients she visits. They’re not exactly sure why she has come to visit. They fear it’s a sign of imminent death. She’s quick to assure them otherwise. “I tell them, ‘I’m not coming in to
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prod or probe. I don’t stick needles, and I don’t take blood pressure.’ I try to put people at ease.” When she comes across employees in the hallways who apologize for perhaps some colorful language that they may have used, she puts them at ease as well. “You know what? I was a human – still am — before I became a chaplain. And if you whisper, God doesn’t hear you.”
spIna BIfIda program MUSC’s staff responds to the needs of patients, families at specialty clinic.
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That generally gets a laugh when they figure out she’s teasing. Laughter’s good for the soul, as are the honest, sincere talks that Conklin and the other chaplains are on call to provide 24/7, 365 days of the year. Conklin is part of MUSC’s Pastoral Care staff, which includes eight full-time and six part-time chaplains. Eighteen
Do things differently. When her father passed away, she decorated her tree in purple and teal. Changing the tradition from what it usually was helped her cope with a holiday that wasn’t going to be the same with her father gone. She also encourages people to think about changing their routines to do something different.
See Chaplain on page 6
See Tips on page 6
Women In LeadershIp
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Applause
Pilot program exposes girls to medical leadership roles.
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Meet Eric
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Currents
READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst