That smell

You know it when you smell it. It's sickly, sweet almost, and nauseating. Once it permeates my nose, I'm done until I can get purge the remnants from my nostrils.

It's the smell of C-diff. I had a patient who had all the classic signs: loose stools, brown going to golden colored stool and the horrific smell. Rehab nurses are used to dealing with bowel, bladder and skin issues. This bowel problem made me want to run out in the arctic tundra that is our parking lot just to get away. And I was starving.

Thank goodness for bleach wipes and my handy, dandy air freshener. The air freshener permeated the room and made the smell go away.

Escaping and taking a nice, long walk helped, along with my lunch. It's amazing how therapeutic a lunch break and a walk at work can make you feel.

More to come...