Monday, January 29, 2007

How is a Brucheon like a Christmas Party?

Good question!! The answer: some idiot decided that I should plan the unit Christmas party. I didn't understand why, I hate shopping, making decisions, and I procrastinate. The idiot typing this blog volunteered to speak at a luncheon for the ladies at the church on heart health. It's this Saturday... I work Thursday and Friday. I'm thinking it's time to work on the presentation. Of course, I'm also thinking about what would happen if I catch that horrible stomach bug that is going around. It would get me out of the stress of speaking to the ladies AND the nieces wedding.

Why am I hesitant? One, I've not been the most faithful to the church over the last several years. I did start attending regularly this Easter but most of the people I knew in the church have left. I'm not in the mood to be that social. Two, I always worry about what to say, I have a rather dark sense of humour, not everyone gets me. On the upside, a friend will be with me, she's very proper, they will like her.

Oh well, it's a done deal. Now to do the work. I've just got to get a power point presentation put together. I know the material. Off to work (but I'd rather read).

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Honeybun

My patient today only wanted one thing: a honeybun. Seems all night last night she cried out to anyone passing her room, she wanted a honeybun. She's older than God and on a clear liquid diet. My great nursing skills, she got an order for 1/2 honeybun x 1. I was considered a hero. I brought her the honeybun with a small cup of coffee. At the same time she was berating me for not bringing a fork, she stuffed her mouth full of pastry. It was great!!

It felt good to actually think that I did something that actually made someone happy. :)

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Butterflies

I'm ADD, no official diagnosis, but I know. Two thirds of my children are ADD, I know where they got it. I never used to think I was, maybe it's that I'm older or maybe it's because my dad isn't here to beat me into stillness.

I'm really working on trying to look like I'm listening, or actually maybe trying to convince the other person I'm listening. I think the image of chasing butterflies is the best description, or a cocker spaniel, could be a lab. Definitely not a border collie, gee they really focus (one of my friends wants to take my BC to his college class on the first day to show them how they should focus). Lately I think it's worse.... I find myself going to do one thing, getting distracted, doing something else, then realizing I'm off down the bunny trail (ie, chasing rabbits). My poor friends, how they suffer...... "yes, I'll do that for you!!" and then off I go, totally NOT doing what I planned.

Maybe I need meds, I just really hate adding something else to the regimen. For those that know me, I'm truly sorry, I'm honestly trying. May I suggest a light tap on the cheek when I get glassy eyed, or a shock collar......... I have an extra now. But then, who would I trust to push the button...........

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Lizard CPR

Went for my CPR Instructor class today, the instructor tells this story, swears he did it.

Got a call for a child with an obstructed airway, FD rescue ran hot to get there. Turns out that momma was napping with kid resting on her chest, kid was napping with lizard on his chest. Kid sleeps with mouth open........ lizard sees a nice dark cave. Lizard, well he's a lizard, went into the cave. Kid wakes up, can't breathe, mom wakes up, grabs lizard by the tail, tail pops off....... Mom freaks, sticks fingers in kids mouth, removes lizard with only slight trauma to mouth........ FD arrives, kid crying in background with a bloody mouth, LIZARD is dead........ FD attempts to revive lizard, however all rescue breaths go out where the tail belongs. Sadly, lizard does not survive, but kid is fortunately fine.

Instructor hands out instruction sheet for proper CPR for lizards...... I feel so empowered!!!!!

Monday, January 15, 2007

Ginger

Tuesday we lost one of our best friends. Ginger has been part of this house for almost 15 years. Who is she? Well, let me tell you......

Ginger was a mixed terrier that looked like Benji. She belonged to a friend of mine, but sadly enough, Ginger liked to chew on things that were not meant for chewing. One of those things was a new couch...... So Ginger got to move to my parents house. I don't remember how that happened, but it was a good thing for Ginger.

My parents totally spoiled their animals. Not only do they live inside, but they got peanut butter, slivers of food, cheese, just whatever. While the animals do tend to be overweight, they are not in horrible shape.

Ginger was often compared to an "old lady in a dog suit". The old lady part was really true, she was set in her ways. When my mom died, Gin got very depressed, moped about the house, always sniffing at closed doors to see if mom was there. Then dad remarried, and built a house next door. The new wife didn't allow "dogs" in the house, but we were living in Gingers real house anyway so she stayed with us. Funny thing is, I think Gin knew that it was her house and we were the boarders.

The dog was ritualistic. Every day pretty much the same pattern. At bedtime though, you would say, Gin, go to bed, and she went to her "room", okay, it was the laundry room but it was hers. One of the signs that she was getting older was the night she refused to go. Basically she decided that it was her house, she wanted to sleep in the room with us and we could just deal with it. So we did. The problem was her snoring. But we adapted.

Then it got to be that she would wake up at 3am and need to go out. I believe that she became diabetic towards the end, the peeing and drinking increased a lot. Lots of things changed for her. We knew that she was losing her eyesight and her hearing. I felt guilty at yelling at her but it was the only way that she could hear us. But at times she would get afraid because she didn't hear us coming and we would pet her and she would jump.

Many friends have talked about her, some came over to see her that last night. It was sweet. Comments: "I loved coming over and knowing that she was going to bark at me, then come sit on my foot for me to pet her."

The bug man's last trip here was with Gin knowing he was here but couldn't see him, so she barked at the wall until he left.

If she didn't like you, she wouldn't let you anywhere around, even if you were there to feed her.

My husband was feeding her for my parents once, discovered they were out of dog food and called my folks to see what he should do. Dad told him to make her a peanut butter sandwitch, smooth peanut butter only. Spouse had never done that before. Dad also told him how to cut the sandwitch for her. Spouse was in disbelief, but did it anyway.

When I figure out how to do pics on here, I will post some favorites.

There are many stories, the sweet thing about our vet is that when we took her in, she spent a lot of time with us listening to the stories and petting the dog. She didn't have to, but she did anyway. It was hard to do this, we always hoped that Gin just wouldn't wake up one day, but we loved her enough to do the right thing. And I know that Ginger is with my parents, complaining about how we treated her (but now this dog had her own cat that she picked out) which I'm sure was never as good as my folks. So anyway, heres to you Ginger, I miss you. Give mom and dad a bark for me

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

iPod

The iPod is a marvelous creation. I never thought I would like something so much. It has become my new best friend for distasteful tasks. Wal Mart, Kroger, exercise, and housecleaning have all been done with a much better attitude than ever. In fact, I started out in July with a 2GB iPod thinking that there was no way I would outgrow that. Alas, for Christmas I asked for a 30GB iPod (black please - you know, so the earplugs would blend better). I have not even come close to figuring out how to use it except that I have more music (spouse puts the music on it for me - he decided to broaden my musical horizens when he loaded it). I'm still looking for my CD collection, it got away from me recently to put even more stuff on this thing.

The problem I'm running into is that I'm finding places I would rather iPod than real life.... sadly sometimes church is one of those, work is usually one of those but I do intend to keep the job and not iPod. (Yes, I'm more afraid of God than the boss, however, I have a lot of very spiritual stuff on the iPod).

And another good thing, spouse loaded mahjong on the iPod...... really didn't think he would, I do waste a lot of time on that game. But on the upside, I've learned to use Mac a little better since he put the game on the laptop. See, there's always an upside...

Mom

Mom died in 1999, I was applying to nursing school, she was a retired nurse. Mom started nursing school before she married, met dad there and after they were married she got pregnant with my brother and had to drop out of school (back in the day when you couldn't go to school and be pregnant). In the 1960's we moved to this state, she challenged the LPN boards and passed. In the 1970's she went back to school for her RN degree.

I remember those days well, she was not a good scholar, she had trouble with the ACT, but she was good with the technical stuff. During this time she paired up with two other women, one was very book smart but didn't even know how to take a tempurature when they started, the other was in between. It was interesting to watch them study, one would go over the book, mom would explain how it worked in real life. Once mom got pink eye and I had to read to her, I still remember it was on MI's - which is what I specialized in - and her explaining it to me, and how my grandma died of one, she made it interesting to me then.

I got a call yesterday from a daughter of one of the women, she died that day. The daughter just wanted to let me know. She also had fond memories of those days. The "smart" one came to see me when mom was sick, she helped me a lot in those days. I hope to see her with this funeral (she was younger than the other two).

Before I make you sad, I know that my mom would be very proud of me - I don't do the kind of medicine she did (she liked rehab and ortho - I like ER and units) - but she taught me about caring about her patients and being the best you can be. Of all the things that I would say I regret in my life there are two that come to me the most: 1. I got into a lot of trouble in the 70's and she had to drop out of school for a year, I didn't understand the sacrifice at the time, but oh do I now and 2. that I didn't get to share this with her when she was alive. She died before I even got in school, but she knew the path I was on.

December 26th was the anniversary of her death, she had a wonderul life, she was well loved and she loved well. My children were blessed by her and I can only hope to the be blessing to my grandchildren that she was. At work that day though, I think I honored her by sharing with a family that was having to make a decision to let their loved one go the lessons that my mom taught me in her death. They made a good decision, and I know I can do that without regret because I was shown the way by parents that walked a path before me.

Thanks mom - like others before you lit the path for me. I miss you.

Sarcasm

I've noticed on most of the medical blogs I've been on that there is a fair amount of sarcasm in them. For those of you who are not medical you need to understand that this doesn't mean we don't care about those that are our patients. Alas, I suspect that we have to have this "dark humour" in order to survive. Why is that? Because you can't constantly see what we see without developing an overwhelming sense of irony.

For example - people come into the ER on a regular basis after having done some of the most stupid stuff and wonder why we laugh. I mean, if you drink a case of beer and decide that now is a good time to move the fish tank and you get cut in the process (and the fish died, I might add) I WILL laugh at you.

I will laugh at you if when I go to give you a shot and you whine, yet you are covered with tattoo's. Sorry, I can't help it.

I will look at you with that "are you really that stupid" glare when you complain that the service is slow when you are here for an earache and I have a patient having a heart attack next door and he "doesn't want to bother me" with his chest pain.

My first days back in the ER after working in the unit were amazing to me. I had been away from patients that didn't need to be admitted for a year and had forgotten how stupid some folks really were. Now we get a different level in the unit, and it might be that my ER background really shows - don't threaten me that you can go to another facility, I'll give you the papers. Don't waste my time, I won't beg you to stay. In fact, there are people wanting to get in the unit and can't come because your sorry butt is in the bed.

Then there is "don't let grandma die" - yes, she's got severe dementia, doesn't know who you are, hasn't walked in a year, on every machine I can drag in the room, she's had a great life, and she even told you she didn't want to be on machines, but YOU can't live without her. Do you hate her??? I mean, come on. Let the woman go....... There are some things worse than death.

The funny thing is, I won't harm grandma, please understand that, but I pray that God will release her from her body, and that I can convince you that a DNR is a wonderful thing. I don't like doing CPR and hearing bones break, I don't like shocking grandma. So please, when I laugh at something stupid, it's so that I can take care of grandma when you won't make the tough decisions.