This patient's journey to us for rehab was long and arduous. One day you're minding your own business and start having these unusual pains. They find out you have this terrible condition.
The doctors save your life, but it was rough. You seem to be getting better when all Hades breaks loose. You go back to the OR, get almost triple digits of PRBCs, and abdominal washout and have all sorts of complications. You lose so many things. But you are here with us, so you are hopeful.
You come to us, are barely here a week, and we have to send you to World Renown, because we aren't staffed (in surgery or anywhere else) to resolve your latest issue. Unfortunately, we have seen this scenario before. You have a problem even World Renown can't fix. They send you back.
They leave us to tell you the bad news. You cry and yell. But to me and the other nurses, you are nice. You're not sure of what's going to happen, but I tell you, that no matter what I'm here with the staff for you to help give you some control in your room; to help you do what you need to do.
It is bittersweet. I have seen this before, and while the characters change, the stories all end the same. I just hope we can make some good memories before the clock runs out.
Stay tuned.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Reeducating the boss
My task this week: bring a boss up to speed when I've sent e-mails.
The ones I sent (meant to be on top) got buried in 400+ when he/she had to take an extra week of sick leave.
More to come...
The ones I sent (meant to be on top) got buried in 400+ when he/she had to take an extra week of sick leave.
More to come...
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Sunday funnies
Disclaimer: I am one of those people who enjoys reading obituaries and wedding announcements. (A trait I inherited from both my parents, for whom this was a sport).
Some obits are sober and fact-filled. Others are downright entertaining. We occasionally have a good one here in RehabLand's Old Reliable News, but for regular reading, I always check the New York Times.
So needless to say when I read this lawyer and dentist's wedding announcement, at first, it looked pretty typical. However, when you read it all the way through, you see what is really important in life, even for a dentist.
Enjoy your day wherever you are! Remember, life is short, so make it memorable.
More later...
Some obits are sober and fact-filled. Others are downright entertaining. We occasionally have a good one here in RehabLand's Old Reliable News, but for regular reading, I always check the New York Times.
So needless to say when I read this lawyer and dentist's wedding announcement, at first, it looked pretty typical. However, when you read it all the way through, you see what is really important in life, even for a dentist.
Enjoy your day wherever you are! Remember, life is short, so make it memorable.
More later...
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Here comes the rain again
April showers do bring May flowers, but after those showers get mixed in with tornado watches and warnings, I get a little edgy. It fits the mood, though. I'm still a little melancholy after this week.
Thankfully, the latest tornado watch was called off so Bubba could go to his track meet, hang out and have fun while Dahey and I had a date night. We went to a neighborhood I grew up in (which has since become moderately gentrified) to a restaurant I've wanted to try. It was nostalgia: some things change and some things stay the same. Thankfully, the food was good, the beer was cold, and the various games were on the (baseball, hockey, etc.) TV so Dahey could follow along.
Since we were on a nostalgia trek, Dahey decided to drive to a shopping mall we walked in a lot while we were dating. A lot of stores are gone, but some old reliables got bigger. They even got an Apple Store in this particular mall. Which of course, made Dahey want a new phone. Thankfully, his problems can be resolved by sending his phone in for repair, which will be done this week (thank goodness!)
Now, I'm back to doing my volunteer homework. Sometimes this is a time-consuming activity, but other times, it's a lot of fun.
Enjoy your weekend wherever you are!
Thankfully, the latest tornado watch was called off so Bubba could go to his track meet, hang out and have fun while Dahey and I had a date night. We went to a neighborhood I grew up in (which has since become moderately gentrified) to a restaurant I've wanted to try. It was nostalgia: some things change and some things stay the same. Thankfully, the food was good, the beer was cold, and the various games were on the (baseball, hockey, etc.) TV so Dahey could follow along.
Since we were on a nostalgia trek, Dahey decided to drive to a shopping mall we walked in a lot while we were dating. A lot of stores are gone, but some old reliables got bigger. They even got an Apple Store in this particular mall. Which of course, made Dahey want a new phone. Thankfully, his problems can be resolved by sending his phone in for repair, which will be done this week (thank goodness!)
Now, I'm back to doing my volunteer homework. Sometimes this is a time-consuming activity, but other times, it's a lot of fun.
Enjoy your weekend wherever you are!
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Dodging bullets
Dahey dodged one on Monday. He was not selected for layoff (or furlough) at his job. What's the reason? Working without a contract, the firm on his job site finally ran out of money. It closed one location. Federal contracting isn't all it's cracked up to be if the government can't decide.
I didn't dodge a bullet, but I missed one thing. My chance to get out of the Hotel is dashed for now. I just need to look at a few things, then decide when to try again. I told someone if they talked about it too much, it might not come true. (From years of experience, I keep my mouth shut). It was only a transfer opportunity, but after four years of this, I feel like moving on.
I hate it when I'm right.
More to come...
I didn't dodge a bullet, but I missed one thing. My chance to get out of the Hotel is dashed for now. I just need to look at a few things, then decide when to try again. I told someone if they talked about it too much, it might not come true. (From years of experience, I keep my mouth shut). It was only a transfer opportunity, but after four years of this, I feel like moving on.
I hate it when I'm right.
More to come...
Friday, April 17, 2015
TGIF fun
It was gorgeous! The pollen may be high and driving Bubba crazy, but it was beautiful. I took my friend K. to Washington to get some admin stuff out of the way and I checked in on a new patient in our acute wing. We stopped by and grabbed lunch on the way back to the Hotel, so I could sit outside at work on the patio and enjoy the glory of a bright, sunny day.
K. had lots to do so she had to go back to her desk in the inventory department. It was sad we couldn't enjoy lunch together. I really miss her now that she's back in that group full-time. We don't see each other often, even though, we're on the same hospital campus.
I got a lot of work done, because I opened the blinds to look out regularly, and whenever I could, I stepped out the front door and just looked around. As my Irish grandma used to say, you need to go outside "and get the stink blown off you." Maybe life's not a smelly, but yes, fresh air is good!
My favorite specialist (Dr. E.I.) came to see us for a Grand Rounds that Hippy Nurse planned on her favorite topic. However, HN didn't quite complete her task: she forgot to show up today. I'll remind her (and her nurse manager) that she's really not too good on completing tasks. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. Working behind her on the floor is a nightmare. Some things she does beautifully (she can get an IV in just about anyone) but some things really vary (like charting, turning and paying attention to detail). They vary because it depends on how enthralled she is on Facebook that day. Other staff and patients complain, but nothing (including her work) never seems to get done some days. Needless to say, other shifts get angry. This is just one (of many reasons) I don't miss working the floor.
But nothing could stop me from running out the door when the day was done. It was just too pretty.
Hope your weekend is beautiful, too, wherever you are.
K. had lots to do so she had to go back to her desk in the inventory department. It was sad we couldn't enjoy lunch together. I really miss her now that she's back in that group full-time. We don't see each other often, even though, we're on the same hospital campus.
I got a lot of work done, because I opened the blinds to look out regularly, and whenever I could, I stepped out the front door and just looked around. As my Irish grandma used to say, you need to go outside "and get the stink blown off you." Maybe life's not a smelly, but yes, fresh air is good!
My favorite specialist (Dr. E.I.) came to see us for a Grand Rounds that Hippy Nurse planned on her favorite topic. However, HN didn't quite complete her task: she forgot to show up today. I'll remind her (and her nurse manager) that she's really not too good on completing tasks. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated event. Working behind her on the floor is a nightmare. Some things she does beautifully (she can get an IV in just about anyone) but some things really vary (like charting, turning and paying attention to detail). They vary because it depends on how enthralled she is on Facebook that day. Other staff and patients complain, but nothing (including her work) never seems to get done some days. Needless to say, other shifts get angry. This is just one (of many reasons) I don't miss working the floor.
But nothing could stop me from running out the door when the day was done. It was just too pretty.
Hope your weekend is beautiful, too, wherever you are.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Gone but not forgotten
She got ready and she took the train to glory.
RIP my pharmacist friend (and nursing school seatmate).
I will miss you (and your caring, gentle, hilarious soul) forever. May they find a cure soon.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Six kinds of crazy
1. You don't get enough sleep, then have to go to work. Ugh!
2. Your procrastinating husband decides to empty a storage locker on the day before the rent on it is due. You're required to come along to haul back all thec#$p, er, stuff.
3. You find your lunch in the office fridge after it had been there too long.
4. People who really need to read e-mails don't do it. Thankfully, that read receipt thing on your e-mail system allows you to prove to the manager, that, yes, indeed, the Slug may have heard you, but you have no idea if he/she comprehended, since there's no proof he/she can read.
5. Your colleagues elsewhere in the Hotel ask "Why So and So doesn't do this/that anymore?" Hmm...ask So and So maybe?
6. You schedule a patient to see a specialist, as part of your role as a care coordinator in your hospital system. Right after you schedule the patient, the patient's attending MD finds you to tell you he/she's already going for a procedure, so can the specialist see him/her while he/she's there? Panic ensues. You calmly make three phone calls and get a plan together. Finally, you get the details done and get to go home.
And that ends your six kinds of crazy day. More excitement for another day. Enjoy yours wherever you are!
2. Your procrastinating husband decides to empty a storage locker on the day before the rent on it is due. You're required to come along to haul back all the
3. You find your lunch in the office fridge after it had been there too long.
4. People who really need to read e-mails don't do it. Thankfully, that read receipt thing on your e-mail system allows you to prove to the manager, that, yes, indeed, the Slug may have heard you, but you have no idea if he/she comprehended, since there's no proof he/she can read.
5. Your colleagues elsewhere in the Hotel ask "Why So and So doesn't do this/that anymore?" Hmm...ask So and So maybe?
6. You schedule a patient to see a specialist, as part of your role as a care coordinator in your hospital system. Right after you schedule the patient, the patient's attending MD finds you to tell you he/she's already going for a procedure, so can the specialist see him/her while he/she's there? Panic ensues. You calmly make three phone calls and get a plan together. Finally, you get the details done and get to go home.
And that ends your six kinds of crazy day. More excitement for another day. Enjoy yours wherever you are!
Monday, April 13, 2015
Monday, Monday (aka back to work)
It was a brief trip to MegaConference and it was fun. I even met some new friends on my whirlwind tour. I tried to meet one nurse blogger, but she wasn't coming in, until I left town. I got lots of looks at my poster and made sure I didn't take a single handout home, by using a couple of marketing gimmicks. (I marked my literature holder--aka a brown envelope--with the words TRADE SECRETS).
All that business experience helped. I also corralled a spot near my poster and carefully set my coat and a notebook there (with a glass) so I could go between sessions and not lose my spot. (We were expected to be by the poster at break times, so...)
Dahey and Bubba drove around the town exploring, watching dogs and sailboats. Bubba also proved that kids needing to go to the bathroom is really a universally understood problem, no matter in what sort of ethnic neighborhood you may find yourself. They also saw a movie, which was a good excuse for Dahey to find a dark place with a comfy chair for a nap. (We got up really early to get me to the conference on time, since our hotel was far away in the suburbs.)
There was a party once the session was over, but I literally had to fly out of there, after I talked to an exec I had tweeted to during the sessions. It was nice to finally meet her after conversing back and forth. It was bedlam--cars, taxis, buses, everywhere. It was a miracle Dahey and Bubba could get to me amidst all the masses escaping the conference hall looking for a ride. I was really happy one of the staffers there was able to get us back to the highway to RehabLand.
It was literally down the street and around one corner. So we drove away into the evening to RehabLand.
Today was a long day with lots of caffeine infusions. My last one is wearing off, so I will say good night.
More fun to come...
All that business experience helped. I also corralled a spot near my poster and carefully set my coat and a notebook there (with a glass) so I could go between sessions and not lose my spot. (We were expected to be by the poster at break times, so...)
Dahey and Bubba drove around the town exploring, watching dogs and sailboats. Bubba also proved that kids needing to go to the bathroom is really a universally understood problem, no matter in what sort of ethnic neighborhood you may find yourself. They also saw a movie, which was a good excuse for Dahey to find a dark place with a comfy chair for a nap. (We got up really early to get me to the conference on time, since our hotel was far away in the suburbs.)
There was a party once the session was over, but I literally had to fly out of there, after I talked to an exec I had tweeted to during the sessions. It was nice to finally meet her after conversing back and forth. It was bedlam--cars, taxis, buses, everywhere. It was a miracle Dahey and Bubba could get to me amidst all the masses escaping the conference hall looking for a ride. I was really happy one of the staffers there was able to get us back to the highway to RehabLand.
It was literally down the street and around one corner. So we drove away into the evening to RehabLand.
Today was a long day with lots of caffeine infusions. My last one is wearing off, so I will say good night.
More fun to come...
Saturday, April 11, 2015
I see it every day - Lessons in life
When you work in a rehab center with spinal cord injury patients (SCI), you hear the themes in this opinion piece from the Wall Street Journal a lot.
Remember: just because someone is in a wheelchair and can't move much at all, doesn't mean their brain doesn't work (or their mouth).
Talk to the person in the wheelchair, not their companions. That is all.
Happy weekend wherever you may be.
Remember: just because someone is in a wheelchair and can't move much at all, doesn't mean their brain doesn't work (or their mouth).
Talk to the person in the wheelchair, not their companions. That is all.
Happy weekend wherever you may be.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Random thoughts
It's a stormy day already here in RehabLand, and Bubba's up early wanting donuts. My head is splitting. AND I double booked myself at work today. I can't wait for this day to be over.
Here are a few points to ponder:
There's always some new technology to learn in nursing. It just amazes me, though, that some people figure out how to "game" it as soon as they can. It really gets scary when this gaming potentially interferes with care.
There's an updated version of this code, but somehow, I don't think people like the Slug actually read (or practice) it.
If you get tired of the bullies, check out this advice on bullying or parallel violence from Katie Duke.
And finally, if you want to feel good about what you do, no matter what, check out this post from KevinMD.
Thank you patients. You are the reason why we are all here.
More later...
Here are a few points to ponder:
There's always some new technology to learn in nursing. It just amazes me, though, that some people figure out how to "game" it as soon as they can. It really gets scary when this gaming potentially interferes with care.
There's an updated version of this code, but somehow, I don't think people like the Slug actually read (or practice) it.
If you get tired of the bullies, check out this advice on bullying or parallel violence from Katie Duke.
And finally, if you want to feel good about what you do, no matter what, check out this post from KevinMD.
Thank you patients. You are the reason why we are all here.
More later...
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Happy Easter
And if you don't celebrate Easter, I wish you a blessed Passover. Don't celebrate that either? If you were here in RehabLand today, it was glorious. Enjoy the spring weather wherever you are. It only comes once a year.
I didn't fall off the earth, I got a little busy this week exercising and watching various astronomical phenomena, like a little space station buzzing by and the latest Blood Moon.
Bubba, Dahey and I finally went out for the brunch that was so rudely interrupted by a terrible virus for Dahey's birthday weekend last weekend. It was a good coincidence that it was Easter, since I was fortunate enough to excuse myself from galley slavery with some of my relatives. That felt just as glorious as the weather. Since we went to one of our favorite pizzerias last night, we had leftovers for dinner so I did no cooking AT ALL. Ah! My idea of a wonderful day.
I did have a temporary lapse when I decided to thoroughly vacuum and mop all the floors upstairs. I corralled Dahey and Bubba in the basement, so I got to enjoy the quiet and drying when the floors were done. For one, brief, shining moment (in a house where everyone must wear shoes with a soon-to-be teenager who is constantly eating) they were clean.
Now, we're getting ready for the big chamber music night at Bubba's neighborhood junior high. He's going to play this song with some other brass players. Sounds like it will be a tuneup for the Spring Concert in a few weeks and the auditions for the symphony and jazz band groups. Bubba was so excited to wear a suit to church today, that I will be very surprised if he doesn't go formal for the next concert. He looks very longingly at some of those tuxedos when we are out shopping.
Work is still work. I have to go back for a full week tomorrow. I need a day off every week to motivate me, but I don't think that will ever happen. It would be nice, though. I'd like to know if I'm going to get another job at the Hotel, but with my luck (and our illustrious HR department), I'll be waiting six more weeks to find out. Nothing ever happens fast.
I'm going to stop here. All the cleaning and fun have made me tired today. I bid you all a good night wherever you are.
Stay tuned...
I didn't fall off the earth, I got a little busy this week exercising and watching various astronomical phenomena, like a little space station buzzing by and the latest Blood Moon.
Bubba, Dahey and I finally went out for the brunch that was so rudely interrupted by a terrible virus for Dahey's birthday weekend last weekend. It was a good coincidence that it was Easter, since I was fortunate enough to excuse myself from galley slavery with some of my relatives. That felt just as glorious as the weather. Since we went to one of our favorite pizzerias last night, we had leftovers for dinner so I did no cooking AT ALL. Ah! My idea of a wonderful day.
I did have a temporary lapse when I decided to thoroughly vacuum and mop all the floors upstairs. I corralled Dahey and Bubba in the basement, so I got to enjoy the quiet and drying when the floors were done. For one, brief, shining moment (in a house where everyone must wear shoes with a soon-to-be teenager who is constantly eating) they were clean.
Now, we're getting ready for the big chamber music night at Bubba's neighborhood junior high. He's going to play this song with some other brass players. Sounds like it will be a tuneup for the Spring Concert in a few weeks and the auditions for the symphony and jazz band groups. Bubba was so excited to wear a suit to church today, that I will be very surprised if he doesn't go formal for the next concert. He looks very longingly at some of those tuxedos when we are out shopping.
Work is still work. I have to go back for a full week tomorrow. I need a day off every week to motivate me, but I don't think that will ever happen. It would be nice, though. I'd like to know if I'm going to get another job at the Hotel, but with my luck (and our illustrious HR department), I'll be waiting six more weeks to find out. Nothing ever happens fast.
I'm going to stop here. All the cleaning and fun have made me tired today. I bid you all a good night wherever you are.
Stay tuned...
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