Recently, I got to go on the other side of the fence. I had a sleep study in a sleep lab, after my two home studies looked funny.
I got basic prep over the phone, but I still had to call to make sure it was okay to take my meds in advance, etc. Preparing Dahey and Bubba was fun, too. They are always wanting instant communication when I am gone, so I had to let them know I was going to spend most of my time there sleeping. Translation: Don't call and send me a bunch of text messages.
To keep the environment quiet, I had to turn off my cell phone and all my electronic devices since I was going to be wired up in bed. They budget 45 minutes to do this. My tech was great. I got wires on my head, which seemed to involve sandpaper, to make sure the electrodes and the goop got a good seal. I also got belts around my chest and waist. For good measure, I even had some leg electrodes with weights (kind of like those used when fishing). All the leg ones were attached with a good amount of goop and sealed with Medipore tape.
My room looked just like a hotel: heavenly bed type setup with a million pillows, flat screen TV and there was even a very nice leather recliner. Since I hadn't had any caffeine all day, I was ready to go to sleep when I got there.
Lights out were at 9PM for me. It took me about another hour to fall asleep. Then the fun started. My cannulas came off, not once, but twice. My room got hot, so the tech had to come in and cool it down. She warned me of this earlier, because if you sweat, the electrodes can come loose. (No way I was going to do this one twice!) Finally, the room got cooler (I think the duvet and the pillow top on the bed made me hot, but not sure.) I slept, but it was not quality sleep. I could hear trucks going down the road outside.
Miraculously, I woke up and it was nearly the wake up time we discussed when I started. I had to take all the wires in the bathroom with me, but when I got back, she took them all off. Relief!
The PhD who interprets the labs was in before I left, so I got a report. Yes, I have periods of apnea, but since none was severe enough for CPAP during the night, I probably won't get one. (My best sleep is on my side, so he recommended that). I just missed the score for a CPAP (barely). What does this mean? I will have to discuss with my doctor and see what he can wrangle with the insurance company.
As Dr. X, the pulmonologist told me, the PhD said he'd just put me on one, too. A borderline score shouldn't be an eliminator, but since insurance companies look at the almighty dollar, it is. CMS even has guidelines on this for Medicare. There are alternatives which I will have to check.
Now, I just have to wait until my next appointment to see what the verdict is.
Showing posts with label study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label study. Show all posts
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Friday, May 31, 2013
Total, utter shock
Hospital workers frequent Facebook during free time, says study
Okay. Yes, this does describe some of my coworkers at the Hotel to a tee, but what about shopping, travel planning and other mindless things they do in the middle of the day when they should be working?
Alas, these were limitations of this study.
Stay tuned.
Okay. Yes, this does describe some of my coworkers at the Hotel to a tee, but what about shopping, travel planning and other mindless things they do in the middle of the day when they should be working?
Alas, these were limitations of this study.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Attention all student nurses
Looking for stuff to prep for NCLEX that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Check out the Elsevier Student Life site. For fun, I like to help student nurses prep for the test, and this is my absolute favorite book of all time (and I have used several tools).
Try it out and enjoy! If you find something better, post a comment, and share with the rest of the group. ;->
NOTE: they only asked me to do this. I'm not getting any free books, so you'll have to check them out and buy your own.
Good luck!
Try it out and enjoy! If you find something better, post a comment, and share with the rest of the group. ;->
NOTE: they only asked me to do this. I'm not getting any free books, so you'll have to check them out and buy your own.
Good luck!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Nuggets for August 25
Oh, it's been a long time, but I went meandering about the web and found these goodies. Hope you enjoy!
Chug, chug, chug
Think Gatorade is great after a marathon? What about near beer? A recent German study says non-alcoholic beer may be the best drink after you run. (from www.nytimes.com)
Sad, but true
The cancer bogeyman is back visiting Steve Jobs of Apple and he's decided to call it quits. (from www.nytimes.com)
ER is the real deal
Emergency nursing was recently recognized by the ANA. Kudos to all those ER nurses out there, especially Maha, Kim and Nurse K. (from www.nurse.com)
Pot calling the kettle...
Yes, I'm guilty. I do exercise to look better, but I feel better, too. (from www.latimes.com)
Chug, chug, chug
Think Gatorade is great after a marathon? What about near beer? A recent German study says non-alcoholic beer may be the best drink after you run. (from www.nytimes.com)
Sad, but true
The cancer bogeyman is back visiting Steve Jobs of Apple and he's decided to call it quits. (from www.nytimes.com)
ER is the real deal
Emergency nursing was recently recognized by the ANA. Kudos to all those ER nurses out there, especially Maha, Kim and Nurse K. (from www.nurse.com)
Pot calling the kettle...
Yes, I'm guilty. I do exercise to look better, but I feel better, too. (from www.latimes.com)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Nuggets for February 25
Yes, I'm a little behind, but I've been saving up so many goodies I've found, I thought this would be a better use of my time at this very moment, instead of getting ready for work.
Here are a few of the items I've found out on the 'net and in the blogosphere while meandering. Hope you enjoy!
Tips and tricks
Ian from impactEDnurse has a great little video about keeping air bubbles out of your IV
lines.
Not Nurse Ratched has an informal tip for you (or your patients) experiencing nausea. Not sure where it came from, but would be happy to do the research. The Hotel is full of smells, particularly on evenings.
While it's not a specific trick, this PBS segment on Dr. Atul Gawande's book, The Checklist Manifesto, talks about using checklists in hospitals and health care.
Jo has a survival guide to the night shift at her blog, Head Nurse.
Check 'em out
If you work odd hours, such as evenings, nights and weekends, you need to check out Life in the Trenches: Nursing at Night and on the Weekend. This blog is a part of Dr. Patti Hamilton of Midwestern State University's RWJF funded research project about nursing at these times of day and what happens.
We've heard a lot about the Haiti earthquake's wake lately, and one thing, you don't always hear about is how to meet the psychosocial needs of patients after disaster. Somehow, I stumbled upon this interesting CEU article called Psychiatric Emergency: Caring for Patients in Crisis.
The OMG section
Rehab is predominantly a low-tech area of nursing, because patients need to get up and running with a minimal number of devices. As an escaped techie, though, I never cease to be amazed by all the technological prodecures and devices that are on the market or will be there soon.
Liver transplants that do their job, then fade away is about a transplantation procedure, used primarily in kids, featured recently in the NY Times.
Coping
Bravo Roger! I found the Well blog article over at the NY Times which discusses life for Roger Ebert since his cancer surgery. Appearance is not everything. You might just blurt stuff out, as your wife says, but sometimes they are things we just need to hear.
Scuba diving accessible to people with disabilities? Check it out here in this article. (from www.pva.org)
Here are a few of the items I've found out on the 'net and in the blogosphere while meandering. Hope you enjoy!
Tips and tricks
Ian from impactEDnurse has a great little video about keeping air bubbles out of your IV
lines.
Not Nurse Ratched has an informal tip for you (or your patients) experiencing nausea. Not sure where it came from, but would be happy to do the research. The Hotel is full of smells, particularly on evenings.
While it's not a specific trick, this PBS segment on Dr. Atul Gawande's book, The Checklist Manifesto, talks about using checklists in hospitals and health care.
Jo has a survival guide to the night shift at her blog, Head Nurse.
Check 'em out
If you work odd hours, such as evenings, nights and weekends, you need to check out Life in the Trenches: Nursing at Night and on the Weekend. This blog is a part of Dr. Patti Hamilton of Midwestern State University's RWJF funded research project about nursing at these times of day and what happens.
We've heard a lot about the Haiti earthquake's wake lately, and one thing, you don't always hear about is how to meet the psychosocial needs of patients after disaster. Somehow, I stumbled upon this interesting CEU article called Psychiatric Emergency: Caring for Patients in Crisis.
The OMG section
Rehab is predominantly a low-tech area of nursing, because patients need to get up and running with a minimal number of devices. As an escaped techie, though, I never cease to be amazed by all the technological prodecures and devices that are on the market or will be there soon.
Liver transplants that do their job, then fade away is about a transplantation procedure, used primarily in kids, featured recently in the NY Times.
Coping
Bravo Roger! I found the Well blog article over at the NY Times which discusses life for Roger Ebert since his cancer surgery. Appearance is not everything. You might just blurt stuff out, as your wife says, but sometimes they are things we just need to hear.
Scuba diving accessible to people with disabilities? Check it out here in this article. (from www.pva.org)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Nuggets for August 13
There were a whole lot of interesting items out there recently, so here are a few of them for your viewing pleasure.
You've got questions...
They've got answers, and no, it's not an electronics store. ConsultantLive had this great article on the ubiquitous purple urine bag. I've seen it a few times before (also blue) and asked questions about it, and never got a straight answer until I found this article. They also have a number of other articles of interest, so peruse at whim.
Crispy and brown
Feeling burnt out? Need to read something to get you going? Laura Wisniewski has this great article over at www.nursinglink.com called Re-Engage Your Passion for Nursing that has a few interesting points to ponder.
A telling anniversary
It's been ten years (yes, it was 1999) that the IOM published To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System.
There are still lots and lots of mistakes happening out there. The Houston Chronicle (a Hearst Newspaper) recently ran a series called Dead by Mistake on what the state of error reporting is in the US, and it's not so hot. Don't miss it.
Study, study, study
I'm still doing some certification study (yes, it seems like forever...) and I ran into some terms I didn't recognize, so I went searching and found some articles of interest.
Glossopharyngeal breathing is used with some ventilated SCI patients. This article explains what exactly it is and how it works.
Figure ground deficit is explained in this Google Book called Neurological Disabilities: Assessment and Treatment.
I always feel weak in my studies of the brain, so I found this article about a particular TBI patient very interesting as an aside. (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
Privacy (or lack thereof)
And you thought a prescription was private (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
I just shuddered reading this article...what will they think of next? I'm sure all you pharmacists out there have some stories like this.
And everything else about bloggers
It seems like life is very electronic these days...with good and bad results. Here are a few articles about various topics related to blogging I've seen lately. And, no, some things just don't need to be blogged or explained electronically, at least not in my little world, thankyouverymuch!
Mommy bloggers and ethical conflicts (from http://www.cnn.com/)
A no tweet, no blog party (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
You've got questions...
They've got answers, and no, it's not an electronics store. ConsultantLive had this great article on the ubiquitous purple urine bag. I've seen it a few times before (also blue) and asked questions about it, and never got a straight answer until I found this article. They also have a number of other articles of interest, so peruse at whim.
Crispy and brown
Feeling burnt out? Need to read something to get you going? Laura Wisniewski has this great article over at www.nursinglink.com called Re-Engage Your Passion for Nursing that has a few interesting points to ponder.
A telling anniversary
It's been ten years (yes, it was 1999) that the IOM published To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System.
There are still lots and lots of mistakes happening out there. The Houston Chronicle (a Hearst Newspaper) recently ran a series called Dead by Mistake on what the state of error reporting is in the US, and it's not so hot. Don't miss it.
Study, study, study
I'm still doing some certification study (yes, it seems like forever...) and I ran into some terms I didn't recognize, so I went searching and found some articles of interest.
Glossopharyngeal breathing is used with some ventilated SCI patients. This article explains what exactly it is and how it works.
Figure ground deficit is explained in this Google Book called Neurological Disabilities: Assessment and Treatment.
I always feel weak in my studies of the brain, so I found this article about a particular TBI patient very interesting as an aside. (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
Privacy (or lack thereof)
And you thought a prescription was private (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
I just shuddered reading this article...what will they think of next? I'm sure all you pharmacists out there have some stories like this.
And everything else about bloggers
It seems like life is very electronic these days...with good and bad results. Here are a few articles about various topics related to blogging I've seen lately. And, no, some things just don't need to be blogged or explained electronically, at least not in my little world, thankyouverymuch!
Mommy bloggers and ethical conflicts (from http://www.cnn.com/)
A no tweet, no blog party (from http://www.nytimes.com/)
Monday, December 15, 2008
My life and nuggets for December 15
Hello all! I survived the weekend and all the assorted festivities for my birthday. Turning over a speed limit birthday recently on the odometer wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Bubba is alive and well and still coughing here and there, but not as much. School was closed today due to weather. With the forecast for the coming week, we'll see how it goes. Dahey is working outside right now and I don't think he was too upset about stopping due to the cold and ice. Thank goodness the heat works on our unit (some places better than others, anyway).
Today, I was passing pills and doing my best to get my patient up to therapy today. I took care of this guy last week, but he stayed in bed. Today, he was motivated. It's amazing how they get that way when the docs tell them they'll be with us until February if they don't get up. We even practiced transfers to and from the commode in the middle of the day (just one of the joys of unscheduled bowel routines...when you gotta go, you gotta go.)
Some of my coworkers just look aghast when a patient tells them they have to go. I guess they're just a little too used to a lot of quads and others who can't tell when they have to go and going on their bowel routine (usually in the AM or after dinner). I figure the unexpected is the often the most important part of rehab--teaching people how to live. And yes, Virginia, living involves a lot more than seeing Santa Claus. It involves boring old stuff like moving your derriere to the commode and toileting.
Surprisingly, my patient was duly proud of himself and his transfer efforts. (I needed backup on the way back to the chair, but we did it.) I made sure I told the therapists so they have something to work with in therapy with him, or at least, they'll have a chuckle or two at their next team meeting.
When I wasn't busy today, I spent some time reading my Nursing Practice in Multiple Sclerosis: A Core Curriculum book. I also cleaned up my locker. Now I can actually find things!
Here are a few nuggets I encountered on the internet when I was working.
I read that one of our patient's had a T6 corpectomy with decompression surgery and cages. This page at Augusta Orthopedics in Staunton, VA shows different cages and how they're used in spinal surgery. If you want to know more about cages and spinal surgery, check out this Google book, Complications of Spine Surgery or this Google book, Motion Preservation Surgery.
One physician even has his own blog about spinal surgeries: http://drlloydhey.blogspot.com/. Another group of medical professionals has a site devoted to spinal issues here: http://www.spine-health.com/.
Finally, if that's not enough spinal issues, check out http://www.spine.org/Pages/Default.aspx for more information on NASS, the North American Spine Society.
And when I wasn't finding stuff on the spine, here's the latest NY Times article about the effectiveness of colonoscopies. We have a lot of patients visiting us for these procedures lately.
Did you know...living with your in-laws can stress you out? It was a very big deal in this Japanese study.
More goodies to come...stay tuned.
Bubba is alive and well and still coughing here and there, but not as much. School was closed today due to weather. With the forecast for the coming week, we'll see how it goes. Dahey is working outside right now and I don't think he was too upset about stopping due to the cold and ice. Thank goodness the heat works on our unit (some places better than others, anyway).
Today, I was passing pills and doing my best to get my patient up to therapy today. I took care of this guy last week, but he stayed in bed. Today, he was motivated. It's amazing how they get that way when the docs tell them they'll be with us until February if they don't get up. We even practiced transfers to and from the commode in the middle of the day (just one of the joys of unscheduled bowel routines...when you gotta go, you gotta go.)
Some of my coworkers just look aghast when a patient tells them they have to go. I guess they're just a little too used to a lot of quads and others who can't tell when they have to go and going on their bowel routine (usually in the AM or after dinner). I figure the unexpected is the often the most important part of rehab--teaching people how to live. And yes, Virginia, living involves a lot more than seeing Santa Claus. It involves boring old stuff like moving your derriere to the commode and toileting.
Surprisingly, my patient was duly proud of himself and his transfer efforts. (I needed backup on the way back to the chair, but we did it.) I made sure I told the therapists so they have something to work with in therapy with him, or at least, they'll have a chuckle or two at their next team meeting.
When I wasn't busy today, I spent some time reading my Nursing Practice in Multiple Sclerosis: A Core Curriculum book. I also cleaned up my locker. Now I can actually find things!
Here are a few nuggets I encountered on the internet when I was working.
I read that one of our patient's had a T6 corpectomy with decompression surgery and cages. This page at Augusta Orthopedics in Staunton, VA shows different cages and how they're used in spinal surgery. If you want to know more about cages and spinal surgery, check out this Google book, Complications of Spine Surgery or this Google book, Motion Preservation Surgery.
One physician even has his own blog about spinal surgeries: http://drlloydhey.blogspot.com/. Another group of medical professionals has a site devoted to spinal issues here: http://www.spine-health.com/.
Finally, if that's not enough spinal issues, check out http://www.spine.org/Pages/Default.aspx for more information on NASS, the North American Spine Society.
And when I wasn't finding stuff on the spine, here's the latest NY Times article about the effectiveness of colonoscopies. We have a lot of patients visiting us for these procedures lately.
Did you know...living with your in-laws can stress you out? It was a very big deal in this Japanese study.
More goodies to come...stay tuned.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Whirlwind trip is over
After way too much fun and excitement on United Airlines last night, I finally made it home. Since there was no coffee on the plane, I drank some Coke and was awake enough to get home in one piece without falling asleep. It was tempting but I just don't sleep well on planes.
I enjoyed the seminar with my partner-in-crime, A. We got a lot of shopping and walking done in between sessions and it was fun. I met a lot of interesting people and the organizers plan on keeping in touch with us, to see how we're doing. Since we all work for the same place, I'm not surprised that they're doing this....it'll probably end up as a research project or something!
Today so far has been busy, and tomorrow I'll be back to work after a week away. I'm as ready as I'm going to get right now. Back to housework...stay tuned.
I enjoyed the seminar with my partner-in-crime, A. We got a lot of shopping and walking done in between sessions and it was fun. I met a lot of interesting people and the organizers plan on keeping in touch with us, to see how we're doing. Since we all work for the same place, I'm not surprised that they're doing this....it'll probably end up as a research project or something!
Today so far has been busy, and tomorrow I'll be back to work after a week away. I'm as ready as I'm going to get right now. Back to housework...stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Nuggets for March 5
Here a few goodies I've encountered lately that I just have to share, because I'm that kind of gal.
If you think your day was bad category:
The Laws of Nature have been temporarily suspended... (from head-nurse.blogspot.com)
There's always something interesting going on with head-nurse, so check this out.
A minor tragedy in two acts (from gentlemansc.blogspot.com)
It's not nursing related, but some of you nursing students can appreciate this.
In the same vein, if you'd like to know what those instructors are really thinking, check out Rate Your Students, which is a snappier retort to http://www.rateyourprofessors.com/.
The trolls are on the loose at GuitarGirlRN when she discusses methadone users who try to score in the ED.
Finally, I found this article about seductive nurses from the Times online in the UK when I read this post at Nurse Ratcheds. They're both worth a read, but I really was ROFL when I saw this comment in the online story from the Times:
Oh good! I'm going in for a hip operation on my 86th birthday. I might get laid at last.
David, London, UK
If you think your day was bad category:
The Laws of Nature have been temporarily suspended... (from head-nurse.blogspot.com)
There's always something interesting going on with head-nurse, so check this out.
A minor tragedy in two acts (from gentlemansc.blogspot.com)
It's not nursing related, but some of you nursing students can appreciate this.
In the same vein, if you'd like to know what those instructors are really thinking, check out Rate Your Students, which is a snappier retort to http://www.rateyourprofessors.com/.
The trolls are on the loose at GuitarGirlRN when she discusses methadone users who try to score in the ED.
Finally, I found this article about seductive nurses from the Times online in the UK when I read this post at Nurse Ratcheds. They're both worth a read, but I really was ROFL when I saw this comment in the online story from the Times:
Oh good! I'm going in for a hip operation on my 86th birthday. I might get laid at last.
David, London, UK
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)