Early Wednesday - And Being Afraid

"Whenever we're afraid, it's because we don't know enough. If we understood enough, we would never be afraid." ~~Earl Nightingale

Hello everyone...I worked Monday night and it wasn't too bad.  No one pooping in the sink at any rate, lol.  But seriously, I was in charge and it wasn't too bad.  We started off with 8 admit holds and gradually got those up.  We ended up with holding 3 admits over for day shift.  Not bad considering what day shift left us.  We had a few drunks, but no one who was so combative we had to tie down, thank goodness.

We have this one Hopi Indian guy, "H" who takes turns at making rounds to the hospitals.  He hasn't been around our hospital for probably 3 months or so and then he is in the ER 3 times in 24 hours.  I was so mad when the PA let him sign out AMA around 9:30pm because the bars were still open.  Sure enough, about 1:30 here he comes in again.  Now "H" always gets away with needing medical care because "my sugar is too high" (he's diabetic).  Well duh, dummy, you are out drinking alcohol loaded with sugars.  Well, funny thing is this time "H's" sugar was less than when he left the ER because we had given  him some insulin and it had kicked in really good.  So the doctor says "If he can walk, I'll MSO him (medical screening only - quick exam, no charge, no reason to treat).  So "H" had been asking for some water.  So I quickly went to the ice/water machine, fixed a cup of water and left it there.  So I go "H do you want a drink of water?"  He's like "yeah".  So I say "Okay get up and walk with me".  So up he walks to where the water is, I hand it to him and then he walks back to the bed and lays back down.  The doctor says, "Okay, he's MSO'd".  Yea!  We all cheered.  Sad, I know, what we get out kicks out of.

David drove in Monday night while I was at work, so I didn't get to see him until I got home at 8:30 this morning.  I was up until around 10:30 just chatting, hanging out with my boys (Caleb got up) and then up a couple of times to check on my Dad.  Then I got up around 6pm, couldn't stay awake, and went back to bed around 8pm and got up again at 1:30am.  Now I'm awake, but I think I fading again and will likely head back to bed in a few minutes.

I did tell you about my Dad didn't I?  He went in last week for a Ultrasound on his prostate and kidneys and they found a very large tumor in his right kidney.  So they did surgery yesterday morning to remove it.  The only thing I know is that it was malignant and they got it.  I don't know what kind of tumor it was (there are several different kinds in your kidney) or if they felt they got it all, etc.  I do know that he was doing good, and stating "my ovaries are hurting", so at least he has his humor about him.

Now what really upset me and let me know my Dad is scared and worried about this tumor, was that he told me the other day "Rita and I picked out our plots and paid for our funerals".  I'm like "shut up, we all know you want to be cremated and your ashes spread in the garden cause that is where you are happiest" (I have literally heard this my whole life).  But Daddy's like "I'm serious."  Then he goes, "but don't worry because Rita knows where all the important papers are".  Okay, I say "now I'm really worried".  I say it in a joking manner, but I don't like it.  This comment just made me realize how scared my Dad really is about the whole thing. 

I'll check on my Dad tomorrow when he is awake enough to know I have called 500 times to check on him today.  I've also sent flowers and a balloon.  Hopefully by the time he really wakes up good he'll remember that, even though I couldn't be there physically, I'm still his favorite daughter.  Right Kathryn?

  Hope you feel better soon, Daddy!

I think I will retire again to the bedroom again.  Hope everyone is doing okay.

Ciao!  De ;)

Tags: Kidney Tumors

Early Monday - The No Goals Life, The Saturday Six & The Sunday Seven

Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively.  You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal. ~~Maxwell Maltz

This picture (and thanks to Dawn for introducing me to this site) sums up a typical night in my ER.  I am so freakin sick of taking care of drunks, I can hardly stand it.  Last night was no exception, and you are really, really not going to believe what happened.

I was charge and in triage.  I like to do triage when I charge because that frees me up to help out other nurses, check in ambulances, avert crises, etc.  At 0300 I assumed the rooms of a nurse who was going home, and it happened that one of the patients was a drunk (we'll just call him Rm11).  Mr. Rm11 was quite friendly and combative when he first arrived, kicking, hitting and spitting at everyone, but by the time I took over was merely sleeping off his drunkenness in a nice cool comfy bed courtesy of the tax payers of Maricopa County (i.e. on medicaid meaning I was paying for his ER visit).  Well I went into the room next to his to give a patient some pain medicine and when I came out I noticed the door was shut.  I'm thinking maybe, just maybe the tech or another nurse went in there to assist him so I ask "Hey, how come Rm11's door is shut?"  No one knows so the tech and I go in to investigate.  Here is where you are not going to believe this...

Mr Rm11 had decided he needed to go to the bathroom and have a wonderfully body cleansing bowel movement, but must have decided it was way too much trouble to ask for help or simply get up and walk out of the room to find where the nearest restroom was located, so instead he stripped down, hoisted his butt up on the counter, and, yes you guessed it, defecated in the sink.  I have absolutely no idea why this shocked me, but it did.  I yelled at him and said "Oh No You Didn't!!"  To which Mr Rm11 replied with a snore.  So I went over to the bed and prodded him ever so gently (not) and said "I'm going to be right back and when I am you are getting up and cleaning up this mess!"

I went down to the lab and counted to 150 before I gathered up supplies to clean the room.  I got the security guard and the tech and together we went back into the room and, I have to admit, rather rudely woke up Mr Rm11.  I said "Wake up!  You are getting up and cleaning up this room."  He said "What?  What for?" Okay, you've got to be kidding right?  I said "Get up and find out."  So we assisted this poor fellow up and out of the bed and walked him over to the sink.  I placed washcloths, disinfectant spray, towels, etc and said, "Now clean up this shit!" (Okay, so I'm not very nice when I get mad)

It did take some prodding and forceful encouragement courtesy of the security guard, but Mr Rm11 finally did clean up the feces, counter, floor, and bed.  You know what he said to me while he was cleaning?  "You are just making me do this because you think I'm a Mexican (he is Native American)."  What?!  You've got to be kidding me, right?  So I advised Mr Rm11 that "You are very ignorant if you think this has anything to do with race.  I don't care if you are pink, purple, or green.  This has to do with respect.  You came to us for medical treatment which we have provided to you, and you have treated us with disrespect by defecating in the sink.  I don't know where you come from or where you were raised, but here in America we are a civilized country and we treat our fellow man with courtesy and respect, especially when we are a guest in their house.  And that my friend, is what this is all about.  Perhaps one day you will understand that!"

After my little lecture, Mr Rm11 tucked himself soundly back into the bed, under the covers and went back to sleep snoring like only those without a care in the world could accomplish.  After all was said and done in the room, I walked up to the doctor and said, "Mr Rm11 is now ready to leave.  He has been up, awake, oriented enough to take a dump in the sink, clean it up, and all without assistance.  He is ready for discharge, please get me his papers."

The rest of the shift I really can't complain about.  We were busy enough to keep busy, and slow enough to have a good night.  I just want to practice real nursing and I'm either going to have to move (hey, I think we are working on that) or get the laws changed for public intoxication in this state.  The latter I don't see happening anytime soon.  ::Very heavy sigh::  Oh Julie, I do hope you had better patients than I.

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Okay, now a couple of memes from Patrick to lighten the mood...

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The annoying emails from services like Classmates.com, which seemed like such a good idea when I first signed up, stillcome in. “Hey, Patrick, 7 new people did searches for your name.” “Hey, Patrick, 3 new people signed up from your graduating class.”

Of course, the people who searched for my name were looking for a different Patrick, and the 3 new people who signed up as being part of my class are people I’ve never heard of. And I venture to guess that if I break out the old yearbooks, there’d be no mention of them.

And I can’t find out any specifics without paying their monthly membership fee, which is outrageous for what you get.

Anyway, as you might have guessed, this week’s questions may have something to do with high school.

But first, Otowi of “Otowi” was first to play last week. Congratulations!

Here are this week’s “Saturday Six” questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal…but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as “first to play,” you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Think about your best friend in high school: how long has it been since you’ve seen him?  Well, isn't this a loaded question?  I will be as brief as possible.  Last I saw Anne Francis Brawner Cozart, my very best friend of 20yrs, was when I told her I was getting a divorce from my ex.  She led me into her bedroom, opened the Bible and had me read a verse that basically stated one of us was a sinner and shouldn't hang out with the other.  So I said "Who is going to Hell, you or me?"  Anne said "I am if I hang out with you."  Hmmmm.  "Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't  God want you to save my soul, not abandon me?"  I leftright after that and haven't seen Anne since.  We have exchanged the occasional Christmas card and pictures of our kids (who I thoughtwould grow up togeher), but when I wrote her a six-page letter explaining how I felt about her conditional friendship and everything I had stood by for her, I never heard back.  My DH has always said "You were a much better friend to Anne than she was to you."  I think I am finally beginning to believe him after 11 years of heartache.  Now aren't you glad you asked?

2. Think of the last time you saw more than one of your high school classmates together at the same time: how did you happen to run into each other?  10-year High School Reunion.  Haven't made another one yet.  25yrs is in August.

3. How many of your teachers do you think you would love to visit in person after all the years since you graduated, just to talk about having them as a teacher and catch up: one or two, three to five, five to ten, or more than ten?  Oh I can think of Mr Cooke (Govenment) and my History teacher (sorry I've forgotten her name).

4. Take the quiz: Could you pass high school?

You Passed High School with an B

You have the brains of a high school graduate... at least!

Could You Pass High School?

5. What was the best lunch foodyour high school served?  Was there one?

6. Did you participate in any extra-cirricular activities in high school, like sports, band, etc? If so, how many?  Oh I attended Robert E Lee High School and was a "Southern Belle Officer", which is the equivulant to a pom squad these days.

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America and its cars: as much as they cost these days, I supposed we’re justified to feel a certain pride in the models we buy. But where does your brand loyalty lie? Chevy or Ford? Cadillac or Dodge?

But first, though Julie was first to leave a comment, she didn’t leave a link to the specific post in which she answered the questions, so the rules dictate that the second commenter, Otowi of “Otowi” must be declared the first to play last week’s question. Congratulations!

On to this week’s question!

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:
Name the seven makes (not models) of cars you are most likely to buy.

1.  Land Rover

2.  BMW

3.  Nissan

4.  Honda

5.  Jeep

6.  Mercedes

7.  Toyota

  Ciao!  De ;)

Tags: Goaless Life, Saturday Six, Sunday Seven

Wednesday - Always the Optimist & The Tuesday Twelve

Any mans life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if he makes up his mind to do his level best each day. ~~Booker T Washington

You know how things aren't always obvious when you are on the inside of a problem looking out?  Sometimes you don't want to ask anyone because maybe they are too close to the problem, or part of the problem.  Or maybe, just maybe, it's you that is the problem.

I tend to be a pessimist.  Oh not that I think everything is doom and gloom.  But when I get stressed about certain situations, I refuse to see when things are getting better.  I don't want to believe in something until it is concrete.  Otherwise, I'm not counting the eggs until I get home and none of them are broken.

I'm making a pledge from today forward that I'm going to try and be more positive.  I'm going to try and see the silver lining instead of the dark clouds.  I'm going to try, but it's not going to be easy because I've been this way since before I was born.  My Mom always says "you worried in the womb", lol.  I do believe she is right.

Okay.  Enough of self-improvement pep talks.  How bout Tuesdays with Dawn (yes, I do know it is now Wednesday).

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It is Tuesday, so here is my Tuesday Twelve!

I say ___________, you say ______________ .

Phone  -  I've gotten really really bad about talking on the phone.  I avoid it like the plague when I'm home.  Rather be on the Internet.  But...put me in the car on my way to work, perfect time for catching up with family and friends.

Potato  -  Chips (like Dawn).  My complete and utter downfall.

Clip  -  Art.  Does anyone use that program? 

Alpine  -  Skiing.  But I prefer cross-country.  I have more control that way.

Super  -  Woman.  What I am very obviously not.

Last  -  Call.  Because I soooo need a drink right now.

Fifth  -  What the drunks who come into my ER really drank instead of "just two beers".  OH Dawn....it's "Living on a Prayer" sung by Bon Jovi.  :)

Grape  -  Caleb's favorite fruit.   He could eat a whole bag just by himself.

Mix  -  Drips at work.  We don't have a pharmacist at night and I have become one in addition to nurse, maid, waitress, mechanical engineer, etc.  My Dad would be so proud of his favorite daughter, sniff. 

Magnet  - Babe.  You know, like Johnny Depp (see my sidebar), Jude Law, David Beckham, Sean Connery, Paul Newman...oh you get the idea.

Ginger  -  A spice I just really don't like and don't think I will ever acquire a taste for.

Maid  -  What I wish I had, and we might as well throw in a cook as well as long as we are at it.

Ciao!  De ;)

Tags: Pessimist, I Say and You Say

Early Saturday - The Character of Man

Circumstances do not make the man, they reveal him.~~James Allen

I am a firm believer that a person's true character is revealed in the ER...

Well I had a pretty pleasant two nights at work on Wednesday and Thursday.  Such a nice change from the previous week.  Whew!  We needed the break.  On Thursday we had a system-wide shut down for upgrades.  It lasted from 8pm until 3am, and then periodic black outs up until the time we left at 7am.  We had to revert to paper charting (oh no, back to the dark ages, lol).  We had to make sure we were keeping track of patients, and solved that problem solved writing names on the Plexiglas at the nurses station.  The other thing we had to accomplish was ordering tests.  We had order sheets where we would write down the requested tests and then call the departments (lab/xray/cardio/) to come do.  It really went much smoother than expected.  Thank goodness!

I got really put out with a couple of patients last night.  I had an ICU patient with a GI bleed.  She had low blood pressure and I had to keep pumping her full of IV fluids and medication to keep it up.  She also needed a blood transfusion and it seemed to take forever to get the blood ready.  I don't know what the lab's problem was with that one.  But when I finally got the first unit of blood I had a new patient in the bed next to her.  He was like "hey, hey, nurse, can you come over here and lower my bed?"  So I said, "I'm in the middle of something here and I'll be over there in a minute."  "But this bed is hurting my back, I need you to lower it now."  Very heavy sigh on my part.  "Sir, I will be with you as soon as I can, I need to help this patient right now."  Over half of this conversation was spoken through a curtain.  I do go right over and fix the bed for him as soon as I'm done hanging the blood.  Then when I go to discharge him a little bit later he keeps interrupting me to ask me "are you from the south?  what part of the south are you from?  I just love southern girls."  Even heavier sigh.  "Please check out in the lobby, sir."

Then I get a new patient during the time I'm getting my patient ready to head over to the ICU.  She goes "nurse, I'm in pain over here."  Heavy sigh.  "I'll be with you as soon as I can."  But I guess that wasn't good enough because the patient said, "But I'm in a lot of pain over here." Heavier sigh.  "And I will be with you as soon as possible.  Right now I'm a little busy."  So I get my ICU patient all bundled with blood infusing, monitor, oxygen, etc and head over to ICU.  I get back, pick up that patient'schart (who must surly be dead by now from all the excruciating pain she was going through) and go into the room.  She looks up at me and very sarcastically said, "Well, you must be very busy because that was more than just a few minutes."  Even heavier sigh, biting my tongue so hard it must be bleeding.  "Ma'am, I am busy.  That lady in the bed next to you was very sick and possibly even dying.  You, however have back pain, and in my 12 years of nursing I have yet to see anyone die because they strained their back.  So even if I weren't busy, someone who is dying will always come before someone who is not.  Now, which side would you like your shot on?"

So okay, if only two people annoyed me all night long it couldn't have been too bad, right?  So how are you?

Oh, and if you haven't met Natalie, pop on over and give her a visit.  A talented lady who offers insight into our ever expanding world.

 Ciao!  De ;)

Tags: The character of man

Tuesday - And I Need Refueling

To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it.~~Mother Teresa

Well...last night was pretty horrific.  I swear, this has been one heck of a week!  We only had 4 admit beds available to us because otherwise the hospital was completely full.  I was going around telling the doctors not to admit people.  I said "If you are riding the fence, send them home", lol.  In the end we only ended up holding 5 patients.  Could have been a heck of a lot worse!

You remember me talking about that first nurse, C, that I was training.  Well she is all but gone.  She didn't come in for her scheduled shifts on July 4th and on Sunday "because of a family wedding in Las Vegas".  Then last night she was a no-call no-show.  Dumb.  That's not how you handle things!

I met the new nursing director, R, this morning and he was rude.  There was only one of us night shift nurses who had met him and he introduced R to me and I said something like "oh nice to meet you" and he just shakes my hand and stares at the board.  We had 5 holds plus 4 other patients.  I said "oh yeah we have holds because there are no beds".  "Uh huh."   Okay...I said "there actually are no beds versus no nurses because the hospital is completely full."  He said "I know, S (house supervisor last night) told me."  Okay again..."Okay then, I'll get back to work" and he didn't say another word and walked out.  I mean what the heck? Oh and first week on the job, w/o even having a get to know you meeting, R changed staffing by posting a bulletin around the ER.  There will now be three 7a nurses.  An 11a and a 3p nurse (if census supports both based on day shift numbers not how busy night shift typically is), and three 7p nurses.  Oh yea.  If we had been staffed like that this past week we would have drowned in the water.  Deader than a doornail.  I tell ya, great first beginnings.

So what do you think I did this morning?  I pulled out my handy little transfer request and turned it in for the new hospital (which is only 5 miles from my house vs the 25miles I drive now).  Yeppers!  I was supposed to get R to sign it but I couldn't find him after our friendly little introduction, so J in HR said she would get his signature for me.  Then I picked up a form for another nurse to fill out.  Whoo hooo!  Now we will see how long it takes us to get over there, you know since we have three nurses just ending their contracts, C gone, and one other nurse who has had his fill too.  So, it'll be a race to the finish line, ha ha.  Another thing is I am so sick and tired of taking care of drunks and druggies.  That is NOT why I got into nursing.  I'm hoping the new hospital will have less of those kind of people since its going to be a different demographic group.

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Okay time for the Tuesday Twelve with Dawn!

I say ______ and you say______!

Girlfriends -  missing them.  Channy & Jen over to the new hospital.  Bee, Julia, and Tara in OKC.  Melissa in San Antonio.

Here to stay  -  Taxes, darn it!

Call me  -  Blondie.  Oy, I'm copying Dawn because my mind is a blank.

Frustrated  -  Work.  New nursing director, new changes.  Frustrated.

Public school  -  My child better not get left behind.

Glitch  -  In my paycheck.  I'm sure I'm supposed to be making double what I'm paid for sure! 

Mystery  -  Why people destroy their lives for drugs and alcohol is beyond me.

Cheese  -  Heroin and Tylenol PM wrapped in plastic wrappers.  Beware if you kids suddenly began talking about it...

Director  -  needed in this circus called life.

Twist  -  of lemon.

Exclusive  -  Usually means offered to 1million people + you.

Ninja  -  Ask a...  One of Hannah's fav sites.

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Now for something completely different, lol.  My Uncle Fred sent me a satire article about Al Gore III getting arrested and the Ex-Vice President's take on it.  “Even at 100 miles per hour,” said the elder Mr. Gore, “the Prius produces less deadly greenhouse gas than a Lincoln Navigator or a Hummer.  While I don’t condone getting caught with marijuana, I would venture to say that my boy’s total carbon footprint is still substantially smaller than the median for his socioeconomic and age brackets.”   I got to thinking the exact same thing and was laughing that Al III was this "big ole boy" driving a little bitty Prius and saying Daddy made him drive it for the "carbon printing", etc.  Leave it to Daddy to put a positive spin on his son getting arrested for possession and excessive speed.  A true politician.  Kinda makes me vomit a little in my mouth.

Okay then, have a nice day!

 

 

Ciao!  De

Tags: This little light of mine, Tuesday Twelve, Carbon Printing

Saturday - Rockin' Girl Blogger

  Wow!  Well, it looks like I have been honored with this undeserved reward...I want to thank Marti who nominated me, and who is someone who rocks herself with her beautiful poems and funny stories.  I'd also like to thank all my peep (you know who you are) who read my blog for some unknown reason.  The list is long and boring so I'll just keep this simple (I heard your collective sigh of relief)...I nominate in turn:

Lily, a wise and wonderful young lady full of life, poetry, and dreams.

Julie, a funny lady who shares my passion for nursing and who makes many sacrifices of her personal time to care for her ailing MIL.

Mary, just Mary.  Wry humor on the everyday happenings in her life.

Lyn, a lady who gives us a Brit's humor and outlook on her life in the good 'ole USA and being married to the Navy.

Jan, a friend across the great "pond" who opens her home and gives us a look at another country's charm.

Betty (lv2trnscrb), in memoriam.  No she's not passed on to the great beyond, but passed on journaling for a while.  Betty was my first "reader" and is now one is my best friends ever.  I miss her wonderful inspiration and encouragement, and the devotion she has to the Lord.  I keep in contact with Betty everyday, but simply miss being able to read her as well.

I would nominate Dawn, Deb, Natalie, Penny, etc., but I know they are have already been done so.  So for the rest of my "rockin" buddies, see my sidebar and see who I find wonderful enough to keep on reading.

  Ciao!  De ;)

Tags: Rockin' Girl Blogger

Wednesday - Celebrate Freedom

The house we hope to build is not for my generation but for yours.  It is your future that matters.  And I hope that when you are my age, you will be able to say, as I have been able to say - We lived in freedom.  We lived lives that were a statement, not an apology.~~Ronald Wilson Reagan

      Happy 231st Birthday America!  May we never take our Freedom for granted and may God continue to Bless the United States of America now and forever!

Happy July 4th everyone!

 De ;) 

Tags: July 4th, Celebrate Freedom

Monday - Adversity and The Jesus Painting

Adversity is another way to measure the greatness of individuals.   I never had a crisis that didn't make me stronger.~~Lou Holtz

In case you didn't notice, I've been absent of late.  A habit I have developed when things get stressful.  I don't answer the phone or emails, and I obviously don't write very much online.  I also tend to retreat in other ways...I tend to retreat from God, when it is Him that I should turn to most.

I know there are plenty of my J-land friends who are having stressful times as well (I don't want to name names and leave anyone out).  Stress just seems to be all around us, sometimes surrounding us with a suffocating blanket.  Well, I got this video from a dear friend in my email group and I felt the urge to share.  So to all those who are going through difficult times right now, this is for you.  I hope it lifts you up as it does me.

Now don't you feel better?  I know I do!!!

Ciao!  De

Tags: Stress, friends, Jesus Painting