Sex, lies, and videotape

Yes, there's a real old movie of the same name out there (for you young'uns who don't remember). I never thought someone at the Hotel would resort to this in order to get some attention.

Just also happens to get you fired.

WT...?

Stay tuned...

Working up to Nurses' Week

I'm going to post videos and links to posts of note in honor of Nurses' Week: Delivering quality and innovation in patient care.


I really enjoyed this video from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Nurses shatter the stereotype. My favorite part describes my job in the Hotel, because nurses really do make important decisions about how healthcare is delivered. Yes! All that and more.

Nurses even serve in Congress and run Federal agencies.

With a film like this, c'mon, don't YOU want to be a nurse?

Awww....some lucky folks

This story on Spaulding Rehab in the Boston area reminded me of when Saintarama Rehab was moved. It was particularly moving, because of the patients who were excited to be the first occupants of the new hospital space, including some injured in the Boston Marathon bombing.

One quote was particularly telling:

“Traditionally, rehab has always been relegated to whatever rundown space existed in the corner of the hospital,” Storto said. “I have wanted this [building] to be a bold statement for the rehab field, for people with disabilities and their families.”

Amen, brother, (as more than a few of my patients said, when we opened our new wing at the Hotel), amen!

Dear Hotel Geek Squad

Yes, I realize you are under pressure to upgrade all the PCs in our building by the end of the fiscal year because the IT honchos told you to do so.

It is not, however, a good idea to not tell the nurse manager that at 0300, while nurses are writing notes, recording vital signs, etc., you guys (since there are no women involved) will be pushing PC updates over the network to many computers at the nurses' stations.

In case you forgot, nurses really do work 24/7. While you are snoring away and a computer is doing your work, nurses are doing theirs live and in person. You simply cannot do this without warning.

As my professor in nursing school used to say (because some IT guy said it to her), "If I want to break something or find flaws in how it works, I give it to a nurse." So if you disturb the night nurses, they will figure out ways to break your stuff. Off/on is not a good game to play on a PC early in the AM when updates are going over the network.

Just sayin'...be nice to the night (and really all) nursing staff.

Sincerely, really, so not kidding,

Your favorite nurse ('cause I fix the easy stuff so you don't have to),

RehabRN

Snowballed

Things you really don't want to happen in a rehab hospital to your patients:

1. Falls
2. Osteomyelitis
3. Anemia
4. Heart attack
5. Organ rejection (transplant patient)
6. Pressure ulcer

Now imagine that this happens to one of the Hotel's patients. Not two patients, not three patients, not six. patients..one.

One patient ends up with all of these during their hospital stay.

It really is like a snowball rolling down a hill.

Stay tuned...

Sunday silliness

Ah, the joys of bubble wrap. If only I really could do this, I'd take some to work tomorrow.

So if you don't have any on hand, don't fret. Virtual bubble wrap has been online for ages! (thank goodness!) The wonderful folks there even have an Android app and a desktop version for all of you looking for some therapeutic communication tools to use at home (check with your local IT folks if you want to try this in the break room at your hospital 'cause it may be verboten!)

If none of those are nearly annoying enough, check out the Insane version (and crank your speakers). Need help? Check out this video from CBS earlier this year about a world record bubble wrap session.

If all that bubble wrap popping doesn't work, check out Sunday Stealing's Three Wishes meme. Here are some of my answers below. Enjoy your day and your week wherever you are!

What is your dream career?  Philanthropist with a flexible schedule.

If you had a dragon what would you name it?  Angus (seems like a good dragon name) or something Slavic and about 9-12 letters long, like Bronislav.

What do you put on hot dogs?  Ketchup, mustard and relish.

What's your favorite way to get inspired? Roam aimlessly, walking around or driving in my car listening to music.

If you could go back in time would you and why? There are so many places I'd want to go. I'd want to meet relatives who died when I was young or before I was born. I'd like to meet my parents as teenagers, and I'd like to see some friends again when they were younger (before I knew them). I'd also love to go back to the Hotel in the old days, to see what a "new" rehab hospital was like.

Would you rather be rich or healthy? I've tried healthy (reasonably speaking) so I'd like to try stinking rich, but, if I got that philanthropy job, I'd probably already be rich (or at least get paid to give away money to good causes, which would be a lot of fun.)

Dear Mother Nature

Okay, I have to tolerate the full moon every month.

Please cut out all this rain and snow. Yes, it is almost May and it's NOT supposed to snow here in RehabLand.

Besides, I'm getting tired of my backyard flooding and WildDog refusing to go outside since the porch is damp.

And on top of this, the smokers at work are grumpy as hell. I have enough to deal with this week.

Sincerely not,

RehabRN

Yes, it's here!

The weekend, the weekend, the weekend.

It was a pretty productive week with a little weirdness added in for good measure. (What is that full moon for, anyway?) Yes, if you want to use the VPN client  for Hotel work, you have to have the blessing of the Information Security Officer. It would have been nice if they'd have told my doc that before he/she left with a computer without access. (I got to play "scramble" to get things done.) I love HIPAA!

I got most of the work I'd started completed by the end of the week and lined up even more. For entertainment, we bet each other sodas (my favorite is Dr. Pepper) on the number of folks Dr. Q. would discharge by today. He was hoping for 6, but we did get 4. I guessed 5, so Mike, our nurse manager, won the prize, a Mountain Dew from me and two other folks who participated.

Now to face laundry and teach Dahey how to use his birthday present (an iPhone).

The fun never ends.

Stay tuned!

More signs of dysfunctional workplaces

This is a great article with a list of those infamous traits. The following seemed to jump out at me based on everything going on lately.

Decisions are made at the highest level  possible.
Regardless of what it is, you have to check with your boss before doing it.  She also has to check with her boss. So does anything really get done? No. Not without a lot of stone rolling up the hill.

Delegating means telling somebody to do something, not giving them the power to do it.
The total antithesis of nursing, but reality sometimes.

Management approaches from the latest best-seller are regularly misunderstood to mean what we're doing already is right on the  mark.
"Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," "Good to Great" and "Who Moved My  Cheese?" all seem to boil down to, "quit griping and do more with less."

Or a Lean Six Sigma class...where the resources just don't happen to be allocated to your department.

Stay tuned...more to come

Signs of a dysfunctional workplace #10

Today, I was fired on my second day of work after a year and a half of unemployment. Apparently, my "tendency to solve problems instead of just accepting them made the other workers uneasy". 

Courtesy of FML

I really, really, really think the Hotel is heading this way somedays. (smacks head into desk)

They're back! Nuggets!

No, not those nuggets or even these nuggets, but good old nuggets of news carefully dug up by yours truly while I'm wasting time, er, waiting to do something at home or away.

Enjoy them one at a time or all at once!

One hell of a clinical day
This story from Medscape describes a clinical group that worked the Boston Marathon this year.

I want one!
This study from Medscape, discussed an emergency environment which tested the efficacy of ultrasound to get IVs in people who are tough sticks.

Glove it, doc
This article (from DailyRx) discusses a recent study with children where they had fewer HAIs (Hospital Acquired Infections) when their doctors wore gloves each time they examine patients.

Are you stressed?
Maybe you live in one of the states mentioned in this Atlantic article. I was surprised RehabLand wasn't included in the top five. Oh, well, we can't win 'em all. We've still got crime and chlamydia!

News you may not have heard about
I found out about the Kermit Gosnell story in my local paper when they mentioned him hiring teenagers to man his abortion clinic. No matter what side of this debate you are on, this story is unimaginably cruel, particularly for the women involved, maimed, mutilated or even dead, because of this man.

And that's what it's all about...
No, not that song, kids! However, patient engagement is a hot topic in the news lately. I like this article because Mayo Clinic acknowledges people may not learn everything they need in one try.

More to come...stay tuned! And that's what it IS all about...

Sometimes

I wonder about my faith in humanity when I see the world around me. Idiots and criminals get me rattled.

But today, I have flashbacks to my former lives.

JJ, one of our tech folks, took good care of one of my doctors, when her laptop when crazy.

His cohort, who made various sexist remarks when I brought the laptop over yesterday, had me wishing I had a beer bottle. (One, to drink and two, to smash over his head for his callousness.) Too bad it's verboten on our property and two, I'd have a hard time justifying giving him a beer bottle headache.

All in all, after a nice chat with my new manager, I think the Hotel may get where we need it to be.

Cross your fingers (toes, and other appendages) because I will be too.

More later.

Think pink

Now it all makes sense. Monday madness was just a harbinger of the full moon at the Hotel. But this one is special. It's pink and in some areas (not RehabLand, though), there's even a lunar eclipse.

No dogs eating girls this time, but it should be interesting!

Stay tuned...

Despite everything...

The day went reasonably well. Things went as well as expected for a Monday.

Let the rest of the week begin!

What kind of week will it be?

Oh, the joys of your pager going off at 0500...we shall see.

Peeling back the layers

While I'm not the one who waits to admit patients to the Hotel anymore, I have assessments to do for folks who end up in the SU, so I still visit. I knew this particular patient would be trouble from the start.

Mr. I. had a history from faraway. He was a complex character. I had fun trying to find his records but when I did, they told me two big things: mental illness and intractable pain. Many nurses, when they see this think of two words: drug seeker. Mr. I. had a life of ill repute, so certainly he must be addicted to those painkillers, one staff member told me matter of factly one day. He was also mentally ill.

I did my required assessment and found him pleasant and with his sister when I came to call. Mr. I was fine doing his assessment with the sister there. "Sure, she can be here. I tell her everything." I did my work and was on my way, thanking both of them. Mr. I had been estranged from his family for a long time due to the distance and his illness.

The course of his stay was usual. Patient caused trouble, psych was called, meds were changed, and the Caffeine free Diet Mountain Dew cans were thrown at staff. Empty, Mr. I told the security staff, when they called a surliness code one day. "I know a full can might hurt someone, so I'd never do that, but she (Nurse Suzy) made me mad." Nurse Suzy made him mad when his pain meds were late and he was in pain. Mr. I told everyone that he was in pain all the time and nothing worked. Mr. I also said he had pain for years. "I probably have terminal cancer." he told another nurse. "I've been reading about it on the internet."

Day after day, Mr. I still complained about this and that, and was finally consulted to the pain management doc, and he/she said to leave his pain meds alone. He/she didn't see any changes coming anytime soon, so it was best to leave them alone.

Well, change came soon enough. Mr. I complained, complained, and complained some more. The docs decided to give him big workup. We found out his one chronic problem wasn't the only thing causing his pain.

The workup found that Mr. I has cancer. Metastatic cancer, partly related to his chronic condition, but the rest they aren't sure of. The oncologist gently told him that they can't give him a realistic prognosis without one more test (that wouldn't be terribly invasive, but would answer his questions.) Mr. I said he wanted to know, so do the test.

It was a sad day recently when his sister showed up. I asked if she needed anything and she just looked up sadly and said, "I need to get I's things. He's going to hospice, instead of that assisted living place the social worker found." The nurses guided her to the room and one offered to help her. "I'm fine," she said. "I always knew something like this could happen. I just never thought it was true. Now I know."

I waited to see if there would be an emotional response, but she stoically packed his belongings and took the computer and clothes out of the room."I promised to be there for him this time, and now I've got my chance. I never thought it would happen because he was gone for so long."

She turned and with a look of calm said, "I'll take whatever time he's got to help. It's all I can do. I'm his sister after all."

Calling all neurologists...

Someone just needs to save Dick Van Dyke from his "throbbing headaches" which canceled his upcoming show in NY.My favorite line, in one article was that he has a "yet to be diagnosed neurological disorder".

Maybe Doc Grumpy or some of the other neurologists in the blogosphere can help him out while he waits for the tabloids to diagnose him.

Stay tuned...

The joy of tests

I had no idea there were so many standardized tests for grade school kids until I did a little recon.
Bubba is in the throes of standardized testing this week. So what to kids do to prepare?

In my day, (eons) we did all our homework and showed up at school with a number 2 pencil. The scoring sheets were sent off, then returned on a little printed slip for our parents. Nothing significant was really done with the information.

For Bubba, it's been a completely different story. We were prepped for the tests by the teacher at the last parent-teacher conference. Notes came home telling us to make sure Bubba goes to bed early and no texting or game-playing while in bed.

If that parenting tidbit wasn't enough, we were also given a menu of what "good" breakfast food is, and how Bubba needed to make sure he eats breakfast every day of testing.

Finally, Dahey and I were asked to write "motivation letters" to get Bubba excited about sitting through hours of testing. Dahey, of course, found goofy photos on the internet, including certain cats like this one and even some sarcastic cats.

I'm glad the two of them have a similar sense of humor.

More test excitement to come...

Happy Hump Day

An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.~ James Whistler

It's hard to have vision when the labor is all you have time for some days, when people absolutely, positively refuse to do what they say they will and leave you with the rest.

And do you think it could get worse? Yes, it could. Your big boss tells you to help him/her with the big chief of medicine meeting today. The one positive: you can just send your report, because, in finest tradition, the people in the field (i.e. troops) are not allowed to attend. (Hallelujah!)

Gotta love that interdisciplinary teamwork (head smacks firmly into table)!

Stay tuned...you never know what will happen at the Hotel.

No surprises here

I really love reading the news some days. This one is the best story I've seen in a while, and yes, often, very unfortunately true.

Hospitals profit from surgical errors (New York Times)

It should be criminal.

More to come...

Love just letting it go...

Thank you Grumpy for posting this video. I so needed a good laugh. It is a great spot for a PSA.

Patriots' Day

Paul Revere may have warned them the British were coming, but no one warned anyone of today's horrors at the finish line in Boston.

Lives, legs, loved ones disappear in a moment. So sad.

Thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in Boston tonight. An unspeakable end to a journey so long awaited for many.

Thanking the heavens

It's not good, but it is getting better. One of Dahey's relatives was out in the storms recently and was seriously injured because he couldn't been seen due to wind, rain and darkness.

He and his family were in a car accident and he was the worst injury of the lot (rest of the injuries were minor). The medical staff at PrivateU are watching and waiting since he had to have this procedure and a small part of his brain removed to reduce brain swelling post-injury.

Send all those good thoughts and prayers our way.  It will be a long road ahead, no matter what happens.

Stay tuned...

Another week done

Hooray! Give me the weekend, even if it's colder than when the week started. If it's sunny (like they say it will be), I will rejoice.

I have seen way too many clouds lately, in the sky and at the Hotel.

One of my old regulars came back this week. He's sick. He tried to stay well he told me, and now it seems, his body's giving up. He sick and he's scared.

Another regular came back right in the "season" as he calls it on his farm. His family misses him and calls him with reports. Even the dog misses him.

Finally, I got to finish the day off by helping some of the case management folks review files for Hotel admissions. I learned a lot about syndromes that I never knew existed. One started when the patient's main complaint was "I keep falling".  He fell one time, however, and couldn't get up.

And it's looking like the start of the "season" for me, too. One relative (who was hospitalized last year a long time) is going to the ER tonight. I hope it all goes well. I'm not sure if I'll be a good supporter this year or not. I'm drained after everything that happened last year. It was a wild roller coaster ride.

More to come...

Field trip!

Bubba had the time of his life with the kids from school. They went to the tallest skyscraper in Major Metro City, had lunch at a restaurant (arranged by the PTO) and rode the bus a LONG way.

It's all he talked about for an hour when he got home. You'd have thought he met a bunch of celebrities in the elevator.

My day was busy troubleshooting. So glad the weekend is coming!

Stay tuned.

Time to wake the lion...

Er, kid, I mean.

It is daylight longer so Mr. Bubba thinks it's fine and dandy to stay up goofing off as long as possible, since "my homework is done, and it's not dark yet."

Now, we have to get up for school (I love being the drop off queen for the neighborhood). Agony.

Stay tuned. The drama of statewide standardized testing starts soon!

After a rough day...

Sometimes you need a break, after walking all of your 10000 daily steps going up and down hills to meetings.

So glad the weather is finally nice in RehabLand!

More to come...with a nice German Kolsch. Tasty relief!

My day...

This quote sums it up:

Nothing can be done except little by little.~ Charles Baudelaire

Especially when most of your day will be held captive in meetings. Here I go!

Stay tuned (some actual work may get done today)... 

Short weekend...

When you volunteer and spend most of the day working. It was fun, though, because I didn't do any work when I got done, like I would if I were in town. I liked that part of volunteering: to stay in a hotel and play tourist too, on my off time.

Bubba's favorite things: swimming and vegging out with Dahey watching basketball. When that gets old, play games on the computer.

But would someone please tell me why the bloody toads and frogs must welcome spring with an excessively loud chorus?

Ah, the joys of the changes of the seasons.

More to come later. Stay tuned!

Murphy was here...

Yes, Murphy's Law was in force today at the Hotel.

1. We thought the TVs were firmly attached when they renovated the Hotel. Until one fell off and hit a patient and a staff member.

2. We thought the roof was fixed, until recently, when it rained and leaked all over in the break room and in the SU.

3. Today, the plumbers made it rain in another hallway. Some water pipe thing.

I am so glad I'm going to a seminar tomorrow. I just hope I come back to an office intact.

Stay tuned...

One of these days...

That expense report will come on into my bank account. Meanwhile, I wait for Captain Obvious to fly over Accounting or these people will finally retire/quit/get fired..

Stay tuned!

Dear Charge Nurse

Thanks for sitting on your lazy arse and pontificating about how "short" you really are today.

I will not create safety hazards because you just don't think I need the help in the SU. I will be happy to put your name on the accident report should the need arise.

Thankfully, one of the unlicensed staff shows more nursing judgment than you can. She rocks. Don't worry. I made sure to tell your manager how good SHE really is in a nice, glowing letter.

You. Not exactly the same...just saying, when they say the charge nurse is ultimately responsible for safety on a shift, they mean it.

Sincerely not,

RehabRN

So much for...

Giving patients an easy way to remember their password on the Hotel's web portal. You can't even use even password-altered expletives on some sites anymore. Nice...

Guess I'll have to figure out more ways to alter pet names (as if I don't already).

Stay tuned.

Two letters

In the grand scheme of things, it seems miniscule. To ask a favor for a friend who is dying. A friend you  shared stories and did wonderful things with, all while doing your job.

It's a small token, but worthwhile nevertheless.

I read this story today and so many memories of patients and last requests came back to me: watching the baseball game, seeing your son/daughter/sister/brother/mother (pick a relative), dreaming about going home, hanging out and laughing.

No fooling. Making these requests come true is a gift we can all give...if we get lucky enough.

More later.

Ah, the weekend!

It's  a lot of work celebrating Easter at our house in RehabLand, but we have fun. Lots of stuff going on. I got up and assembled all the ingredients I needed. I found out that Dahey ate one of them (you just can't leave him alone with certain kinds of canned fruit), so that went on the shopping list.

Next, it was run over to one of Bubba's soccer games at 0800. (So glad it was not an 0700 one!) Bubba got up early anyway, and asked me if I saw what was outside. RehabLand was covered in a huge fog.

Once we got done with soccer, it was back home to start some of the baking, with Dahey on watch (and warned not to eat anything else.) so I could go to the store to pickup the missing items and a couple of other things.

While I was out, I also returned a movie. I'd wanted to see The Intouchables forever. I finally did with Dahey last night. As a rehab nurse, it was an absolute riot. I especially loved the references (and reactions) to teaching the caregiver about bowel programs.

It would be a riot if any of our folks had a Maserati. I can only imagine what might happen with a similar setup.

More later...

Kids say...

The darnedest things. Since I wanted to watch a grown up movie from a Redbox this weekend, I went looking online.Bubba, who sees lots of movies, told me the one I chose to rent (The Intouchables--good for a rehab nurse, eh?) is "basically rated R, Mom". Yes, I knew it was since I had to prove I was over 18.

His assessment of the last rated R movie he saw (he caught bits of Dahey watching Silkwood): "they say a lot of bad words."

Somehow, he mentioned Lincoln was rated PG-13 and had "a" words and "b" words. Then he says, "Isn't booby trap a bad word?"

It all depends, dear, it all depends. Should be an interesting Easter weekend here in RehabLand with the gathering of relatives, Dahey's birthday, and all the other assorted excitement.

Hope you all enjoy whatever holiday you'll be celebrating wherever you are.

Three words...

Expense report hell.

Still waiting for reimbursement almost a month after MegaConference. Pushing the expense report back and forth, back and forth. Passive aggressive accounting people are so much fun!

Praying this is over soon.

More to come...

Something to keep in mind...

This is going to be my motto today:

To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. ~ Reba McEntire

One more workday, then it's a LONG weekend with Bubba and Dahey to celebrate Easter.

Stay tuned!

Patients, positivity and a liberator

I loved this post a psychiatrist wrote about his patient who passed away. Today, a Buchenwald liberator died, and what stories he had to tell in his 95 years.

And my favorite, because I need positivity  in my work and home life, was this one from Shawn Achor of Waco, Texas. So many funny quotes about life, applying (and getting accepted) to Harvard on a dare, and dealing with life.

The quote: "The absence of disease is not health." So true.

Really spring?

Yes, we're having a snowstorm in RehabLand. Who could think of a better way for us to appreciate spring when it gets here? (Those crazy meteorologists.) Anywho...here are a few goodies I ran into once I got off the slick roads and out of the grocery store today. (I had to get my triple coupons!)

Since the groundhog predictions of an early spring are off, some litigious folks in Ohio want to get Phil. Thank you BBC for being on the mark for this important story.

Grumpy has a weekend rerun ALL nurses will enjoy. Thanks for thinking of us Grumpy. I'd stash you a Diet Coke, anytime!

Yet another problem: how to tell if the new iPad you just bought is really in the box. Hard to believe this could have happened at a major retailer, but if it's worth something, people will try to steal it.

Sunday silliness

I loved this video when I saw it. Another Oreo dismantling technique. Be sure to watch all the way to the end to see the best splitting method.

The things you learn with children

My child, Bubba, is a character. He's spent his afternoon after soccer, singing around the house: church songs, and even Adele.

He's also having a grand old time trolling the internet on the iPad we got recently. (I won it at MegaConference). When he wasn't busy playing a map game of the NCAA tournament, he was checking YouTube and looking at videos of other kids.

He also learned about genetic diseases when he happened upon a video of a kid with a rare skin disease. We looked it up and found out that is now survivable. He was most impressed that the little girl we saw doesn't live too far from RehabLand.

Now it's a golfing math game, so he wanders to and fro, but when supervised, he has fun and learns something, too.

More to come...spring break is still young.

Rites of passage

Bubba gets to go to his very first orthodontist visit while he's off on spring break.

Boy, do I remember that!

More to come...

Signs you know the weekend is near...

1. Your NP traveling friend is growling a lot and the bags under her eyes have suitcases.

2. Everyone is saying, "Is it Friday yet?"

3. The heat was turned off in the building (or it seemed that way, anyway).

One more day...

The first day of Spring

Yes, it's spring on the calendar, but you can't tell in RehabLand. It's freezing!

I went to the allergist for the first time in a LONG time. (my personal rite of spring). Discovered that I really do need to change up my meds so I can be less stuffy, or at least have a less stuffy nose.

Even though it was cold, I stood outside waiting by PrivateU to get lunch from a food truck. Not just any food truck but an exceptional Asian fusion one. To top it off, a pink cupcake truck was parked nearby.

Life really is sweet...and lunch was surely wonderful today.

Stay tuned...more to come.

Now I know why...

The Hotel requires fluent nurses, since you just have to ask ahead of time.

I guess they were so busy that the nurse manager didn't get an interview and just did not pick up on that little tidbit that most likely would not have escaped notice in a verbal interview.(scratches head)

Wow!

More to come...

Three reasons

Why I should stay in bed today...

1. Dark. (I hate Daylight Savings sometimes!)
2. Wet. (Still raining.)
3. Monday.

Stay tuned...

It has begun

That illness known as March Madness has descended on RehabLand. Dahey and Bubba are glued to the TV and the tournament has not even started.

It is fun though. A couple of teams from the local area are hot, hot, hot as they say. We know all the patients who are basketball fans because I'm hearing, "Hey, I have to go back to my room, X game is on.", and "Bob, I'll bet you a soda X team wins the conference."

Let the games begin...

Always a sobering thought...

You go out for a walk and your kid gets away from you...lost.

Got stopped by the local PD today. A little boy in RehabLand is out there alone with his dog. The cop thought Bubba (running ahead of course, since WildDog is so geriatric...) might be him.

It's frightening to even think about it.

More later.

No, it's not normal

My life is not THAT exciting, thank you so much!I thought walking miles at MegaConference and staying in a place without flushing toilets was exciting.

No. I was topped again. I talked to my pharmacist friend who told me about her week. Besides the usual crazy cast of characters in the large metro neighborhood, one of them decided to steal a police automatic rifle, out of a police car, one block from her store.

Said thief must have been what she lovingly calls an "unlicensed pharmacy professional" who obtained said firearm for protection of his "inventory." Thief then sells his wares to local yokel and shows him the rifle.

Local yokel takes random drug of the moment (she had no idea what) and has a bad experience. Could he get physically sick? Oh, no! He does get psychotic thought and starts trashing aisles of BigPharmacy, where she works. Store management calls police and 911.

Once local yokel sees they are on to his bad trip, he runs to the pharmacy and proceeds to jump over the counter, screaming, "The machine gun man is coming to get us."

My friend, freaked out and having no idea, that Local has been reported, calls 911. They put her on hold. She wanted to run out of the store (via a back door) but her tech froze, so no dice.

After  all the hubbub, Local is taking to station, and stuff  written up. Local only got a night in jail.

So what's the first thing you do after you crazily climb into the pharmacy and tell everyone a murderer with a machine gun is coming?

You call your pharmacist (at the same store) and ask for a refill, because you forgot it.

Madame Pharmacist was not amused...

Weekend follies - travel wrap-up

Yes, if you travel, you get to do lots of things.

Here's a few of the things I did:

1. Walk. I went over 10,000 steps on my pedometer every single day walking back and forth to various sessions. That's not including the to and from to the conference.

2. Eat. Lots and lots of restaurants (and some nice receptions) with loads of food. I tried to stay away from too many bagels (aka meeting room food).

3. Drink. Lots and lots of coffee--every kind you can imagine. Also had some of the local beverages which were quite tasty.

4. Chat with presidents. And vice presidents and marketing directors, as well as our sales reps. I was enlisted to do a demo with one of the products I use regularly for one vendor. She didn't know how to use it.

5. Collect swag. I got a gallon Ziploc full of pens for the nursing staff: light up pens and even the  new pens with stylus ends for your tablet. I also got a purple dragon and mints, among other things. Wish I could have gotten a fedora (yes, one vendor gave those out) for S.

6. Meet. Met lots of fellow nurses from around the country. Had lots of fun discussing everything we do in the SU. Was almost tempted to show up in scrubs when the dress code said "business dress".

Yes, even in the SU, scrubs are business attire. However, I caved and wore my "I could be a banker" suit.

And now, I get to do one more thing: prepare an expense report. It's all worth it. I learned a lot, walked a lot and had a lot of fun.

Stay tuned...

I didn't run away...

Oh.My.Heavens. MegaConference was just that--MEGA. And I had to walk miles every day just to get to the different sessions. I met lots of folks and enjoyed myself immensely.

Fun, fun, fun. Stay tuned!

Have money...

For cabs, coffees and the copy machine.

Suitcase is packed and ready. Electronics are charging and I'm about ready to do the same right out the door. Left Bubba and Dahey all set up for some little and big man togetherness, roughing it in the refrigerator.

Look out! Here I come.

Stay tuned, 'cause I'm gonna take you all along.

Wild, wooly, and can we join you

Wild would have been an appropriate description of part of my day. One of the patients grabbed a trapeze and threw himself into his bed a la Tarzan. All I had to do was maneuver the feet and park the wheelchair.

Wooly described the outerwear I was wearing. Damp and dreary, but I'm not complaining. A few of our folks at the Hotel hail from areas being blanketed by the latest round of snow. In a couple of towns, they've had so much snow in the last week that roofs are collapsing.

And while the first round of inspectors came and quizzed us, our program was one of the stars of the show here at Hotel Rehab. They love the SU work. They want more of it.

Now just give us what we need: a backup so if I ever win that lottery, someone has a clue as to what is going on.

It would be nice! So so nice! A nurse can dream...stay tuned.

The week to come

I'm enjoying the Oscars. It's so pretty and quick. I only hope the upcoming inspections go about as well.

Stay tuned...

Choices

Yes, it's the weekend. So many choices ahead, as I get ready to go to MegaConference. Do I buy tons of food to see if Dahey and Bubba will actually eat it, or do I let them fend for themselves?

Do I keep up with laundry, so I don't have a bunch to do when I get back? Decisions...

It was like that at work this week, too. Lots of decisions for me and for the patients.

One patient who needed a specialty appointment decided not to go, even though the weather was nice that day. Why? I don't know, but it could be a decision that changes his life.

Another patient had to take a chance and be seen in our SU clinic. He enjoyed it tremendously.

Many patients were deciding whether or not they needed to do some things on the unit. A couple of our patients decided they didn't need to do something important, which then reminds me of that saying, "Failure to plan is not necessarily an emergency on my part." I did a lot of teaching with one of these folks. It seemed like he took it all in, but only time will tell.

Otherwise, he'll be making some other decisions. Stay tuned!

Still waiting

Snowmaggedon is on hold. Not a flake in the sky, but all the schools are closed. Let's see what the day brings.

Ah, snow!

It's coming. From the way the weather folks at the local RehabLand television stations put it, we're looking at potential snowmaggedon.

This is always fun at the Hotel. Patients don't come in for our outpatient clinics, and they miss tests. Inpatients get grumpy when their relatives can't come into visit. Thankfully, the grounds of the Hotel are cleaner than any roads in the area.

Nursing staff loves snow because it usually means you get to work overtime, since some of your coworkers never ever make it to work.

We do have something to look forward to...none of this should last. The temperatures will be above freezing by the weekend.

And the snow will go, go, go...stay tuned.

Back to work and...

"She never gives out/She never gives in/She just changes her mind.
 She's always a woman to me."
 Billy Joel, She's Always a Woman to Me (The Stranger, 1977)

Q. is a character. A short, thin, sassy, color-coordinated one. So much so, that she put those color extensions in her hair to cheer up the patients. She put red and green in for Christmas. She put football team colors in during football season. Other colors for baseball. And there was always purple, because it is her favorite color.

Q's laugh, high-pitched and resounding, could be heard all over the unit. One regular patient told me, "I know Q's here whenever I come, because I hear her." She'd fly into a room and give patients she knew a big hug and tell them, "C'mon Mr./Ms. So-and-So, you need to get up and see those therapists. They're waiting for you."

She would also clean them up and get them ready for relatives, trips to x-ray, or only to roll out in their wheelchair or stretcher on the unit. She had her favorite patients, and she'd tell you who they were. She was known to negotiate to get the ones no one else wanted. And when she was done with them, they wanted her as their nurse every day.

One day, Q. told me in the hallway, when I was done with one of her patients appointments, "RehabRN, I really have a pain in my side." I told her, "Q, you'd better check that out. Don't hurt yourself."

In a couple of days, Q. was at work and she told one of the staff she was having chest pain. Since she didn't fit the profile of a heart attack victim, staff still worried about her because she didn't like to complain. R., the staff member she told, took her to the ED down the road, so she wouldn't have to go alone.

Q. got the workup and she didn't have a heart attack. She had terrible labs, though. By the time the weekend came, Q. got the news: she had cancer. She started treatment immediately. She went through a short rehab to get her well enough to go home, but she went downhill quickly. She was sent to World Renown for better treatments, but she didn't make it.

Today we found out Q. lost her battle. Her infectious laugh will never be heard again, nor will we see those crazy colors for the patients.

The Hotel Rehab will be pulling out the black bunting again.

The boys are back

And they're telling stories at Serenity Now Hospital again. Yippee!

Glad to have you back! Enjoying the snark coming out of the ED again. Not sure if the stripper story or the citrus one are more clearly Captain Obvious cases or not.

Go see for yourselves. More to come...

On the hunt (or how to search for bugs)

A teaching moment with the nursing students this week:

Since we work with patients who sometimes have lots of bugs, I have made it a habit to look up any I don't immediately recognize. This week, we had a few, so I went to some of my favorite resources to find details.

First, I went to Medscape and found this great article on hospital-acquired infections. One of the bugs on this list was a perennial favorite: klebsiella. We are seeing more of them that are resistant to lots of drugs.

Also, we talked about common drugs used for other bugs, like pseudomonas. We studied a couple of cases where we needed something else (due to adverse reactions). Even when you switch, there can be consequences to your actions.

Rule of thumb: when in doubt, go to your agency approved resources and look it up.

Legends are lessons

Bubba, Dahey and I had a lot of fun watching Brave recently. We decided that sometimes, when the weather is just not good for going out, staying in is a better option.

As a kid, I always liked hearing stories, so this movie, centered around a legend, was pretty interesting.

With a warm home, snacks and a good movie, it was a lot of fun for all of us.

Stay tuned...

Field trip!

I am one of those people who loves to get out of the Hotel and roam. Even if it's only to the cafeteria on a nice day.

Today was different. I had meetings at Washington (aka the Mothership).Since Bubba and Dahey were roaming around on RehabLand Elementary's February vacation (why they give kids a five day weekend in February...), I had them drop me off there and pick me up when I was done.

I was there and had 3 meetings with people in four hours. It wasn't too terrible, because I had time in between.

First, I had to meet with Dr. C. He's a surgeon our chief wanted me to talk to about the SU. Nice. He was a character, still in his OR cap, as if he'd just come from a case. Dr. C. is about 5 feet tall. In reality, I think he just wore it, so patients would think he was busy. For a surgeon, he was interesting. He sat next to me and looked me square in the eye when he talked, very unlike any of the other surgeons we work with.

Next, my old super, Reg, took care of me when I needed a computer to finish my work between one of those meetings. It was fun. He gave me his office on the unit in the middle of an allied health open house. Respiratory therapists and therapists of all stripes were being interviewed everywhere on that end of the building that's normally not occupied.

I visited Dr. V. next. He and I worked at Saintarama Rehab. We got assigned to the same committee for that reason. He's smart, but not a subject matter expert on this project, so that's why I'm with him. I started having flashbacks to undergrad when he started talking about SWOT analysis and Professor Brothers saying, "RehabRN, what are the opportunities for Company X?" Just as long as I don't have to take accounting again, I'm okay.

Finally, I visited the last person on our chief's list. The urologist. Everyone's favorite person among the male patients. A positive evaluation from him gets you the ED drug of your choice, based on your diagnosis. His waiting room was crowded. I was just shocked that he took time out to talk to me, along with his nurse.

Although I left later than I wanted, the diversion was worthwhile. Washington's coffee bar in the lobby has some really wonderful brownies. Yes, I was supposed to give up sweets for Lent, but I distinctly recall the priest saying, "Don't give up something you're just going to start again when Lent is over."

On my honor, I will never EVER give up chocolate. End of story.

Have a great weekend wherever you are!

Itching

The crazy weather has been creating havoc with my sinuses. I'll be so happy when one season or another sticks around here in RehabLand.

More to come...

So social

I know the job of some of our coworkers is to have fun and even have fun with the patients.

However, from the looks of what they are posting on social media, I really don't think they understand the part about HIPAA and privacy.

I don't think our media guru is anywhere as strict as some other folks.

Just my 2 cents...

Sunday stealing - Obscurity

Check 'em out here...enjoy!

21: Would you swear in front of your parents?
On accident, then I ran.
22: Which continents have you been on?
North America, Europe. I'm slow moving continents. Hoping for Asia next year.
23: Do you get motion sickness? Any horror stories?
Yes. I don't do rides on ocean going boats without my stuff!
24: Why did you name your blog whatever you named your blog?
Describes me in my work life.
25: Would you wear a rainbow jacket? A neon yellow sweater? Checkered pants?
Have worn all of the above at least once. Helps to live through the 80s (where all were popular for a while.)
26: What was your favorite cartoon growing up?
Too many!
27: In a past life I must have been a...
Not sure...once an aristocrat, another an adventurer.
28: If you had to look at one city skyline for the rest of your life, which would it be?
Hmm...no idea. Have seen a few I like. One friend lived far enough away to have a great view right from the bedroom. (was a selling feature).
29: Longest plane ride you've ever been on?
10 hours.
30: The longest you've ever slept?
12-16 hours (after that 10 hour flight)
31: Would you buy a sweater covered in kitten pictures? Would you wear it if someone gave it you for free?
No, and no.
32: Do you pluck your eyebrows?
Yes, with a tweezer.
33: Favorite kind of bean? Kidney? Black? Pinto?
All. Prefer black on most Mexican stuff.
34: How far can you throw a baseball?
Far enough.
35: If you had to move to another country, where would you move?
Canada
36: Have you ever eaten Ethiopian food? Vietnamese? Korean? Nepalese? How was it?
Yes, every one of them. They all have delicious things to eat.
37: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Many chucks.

Up, down and all around

This describes my week perfectly.

The ups: getting my new clinic finally going after two months and seeing the look on the patients' faces. They are really excited.

Another up: I'm getting sent to a HUGE conference. And I am presenting a poster. It is a really huge honor. Pinching self that the Manglement at the Hotel really came through. I know the Big Boss really made it happen. (Thank goodness he/she is a nurse!)

Downs: when I had the administrative people tell me that "no way is this clinic set up right." Good thing they had their wits come back the next day, and they recanted everything they said the day before. (So I put the Tums and Nexium away...)

All around: Me in the house. Doesn't matter that Dahey's off work, I still have my chores.

But when I'm gone to the MegaConference, he'll just have to hold down the fort for me.

Happy weekend to all, wherever you are!

More to come...

Those marketing people...

We had an interesting discussion at the Hotel as to why our census is down. If you read all the pundits, there are multiple, multi layered reasons.

My favorite: one of our old school rehab NPs had a patient tell him/her: "Oh, I just don't want to come in to the hospital in December or January. February is nice."

We get patient from all over. From states with mottoes like "Land of Lincoln", "Land of 10,000 Lakes" or "Land of Enchantment."

We even get some from a state that wants to change their motto to "Kicks Ass". Just as long as they don't think they're going to "Show Me" by kicking mine....

Stay tuned.

The tradition..super

 The reason women don't play football is because eleven of them would never wear the same outfit in public.  ~Phyllis Diller

For many years, I actually got paid to watch Super Bowl commercials thanks to a guy named Bob and a job in a marketing department. (That was fun!)

Since I left that job almost a decade ago, now I just have to watch the commercials from home. When I first became a nurse, it seemed like my weekend to work was literally EVERY Super Bowl Sunday. So since I'm not there anymore, it was no surprise that the nurse manager (only half jokingly) asked if I wanted to work today.

It seems no one wants to work Super Bowl Sunday if they can be at home  partying it up. Sometimes we get volunteers coming in for Super Bowl, but not always.

Nevertheless, the rehab nurses at the Hotel can totally love this Super Bowl cake photo. It will describe their evening shift...thanks to Cake Wrecks.

Stay tuned...and have a Supper bowl wherever you are. 

So glad it's Friday!

I have to say, I like Fridays. Not just because they signal the end of the week, but because, overall, since I've started this gig in the SU, Fridays are usually the least obtrusive and most easy-going days of the week.

Today was one of those easy-going days. I got to talk to patients and teach, which, incidentally, is one of my favorite parts of the job. (Guess I missed my calling!)   I led an in-service for the unit staff for patient education. It seems since there's been turnover, a lot of the newbies are still learning. I wasn't planning on educating the newbies, but the nurse manager insisted. So away I went...

My secret: props.  I like props. So I brought mine: handouts and I rolled in a COW (or WOW if you're politically correct) to do a live demonstration. I also come with prizes, because people tend to pay better attention when they think they'll win something.

I brought  the usual goodies: pens stolen, er given out at the best conferences in interesting hotels at some of the places I went to last year. The good prizes (bags, books, journals) this time went to the two lucky people (each shift) who got the copies with a special mark or photo (I had Florence Nightingale on one page hidden among the pages.)

When I was done with the in-service, I was able to talk to one of the regulars. He/she was in for therapy, so I got to bug him/her about one of our new programs. This regular has a plan: to get more education so he/she can do more work suited to his/her functional ability right now.  I really admire this patient. He/she keeps progressing and keeps on moving forward.

Finally, I finished the day with an appointment with another patient. He loved our technology. While it may have been cold here in RehabLand, it was sunny and bright, and so were most of the folks on the unit.

Happy weekend all! More to come...

Where I have been...

Out and about, and consequently tired.

More to come...

Sunday stealing...

Yes, that's right. It's been a LONG time since I wandered over to this blog, so I figured I'd throw my hat in the ring and answer some of those burning questions. (only burning if I forgot to turn off the stove...)

Here they are...enjoy the weekend while you can (what's left). I'll be ironing.

Sunday Stealing: The Meme From Suburbia

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was getting ready to watch the Super Bowl. Not long after, I got laid off.

2. By this time next year, I ... hope to be making more money and working in a job that allows telecommuting.

3. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing?
Yes! Yes!

4. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime?
Hmm...don't watch TV too much, but NCIS has some interesting characters...

5. Who is your greatest enemy?
Insecurity
 
6. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?
We visited relatives.

7. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Depends. I like both.

8. Do you have a nickname? What is it? 
Dutch. One of my father's favorites.

9. What are you dreading at the moment? 
Going to work tomorrow. We may have icy roads.

10. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
Sure. Doesn't really bother me, though.

11. If you find an outfit you love, but the size on the label is larger than you want, do you buy the outfit? Why or why not? 
If it looks good, who cares what size it says it is. I'm a sucker for a good fit, regardless of numbers.

12. Even the biggest slackers are anal-retentive about something? What are you anal-retentive about? 
Everything. I was always taught to do your best 100% of the time, so I shoot for the moon, and this drives some lazy coworkers crazy.

13. Out of all the books you read as a child, which one had the biggest influence on how you are today?
Not sure...read so many that it's hard to pick just one.

14. Which Golden Girl would you want to spend a night on the town with? 
Probably Rose...might turn out interesting.

15. What is the one product you would never buy in its generic form even if the generic is half the price?
Cigarettes (don't smoke, but still...) and certain types of sparkling wine (get a darned good headache drinking cheap champagne...don't ask me how I know, but I do).

16. How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa? 
Eight. Opened the wrong door...whoops!

17. What is the one smell that turns your stomach without fail?
 Liver.

18. If someone holds out a carton of milk to you and asks you to sniff it to see if its spoiled, do you? 
Yes. Then I taste it (very small cup).

19. You have a completely free day and $2000.00, What are you doing? 
Depends. Right now, I'm running to the bank, then paying some bills with it.

20. What is the most used item in your home? 
Coffee makers, and microwave is a close second to the stove.

I think I'll call...

Grumpy made me think of a phrase we hear often at the Hotel. Amongst the rabble, er, employees at the Hotel, we say it in jest. However, the patients take it seriously.

"I'm going to call my Congressman(woman or Senator)!"

While I was doing a follow-up call with one of our folks, he/she was really close to uttering that famous line. I was fortunate that I was able to resolve the problem thanks to one of my office pals.

What happened to a consult for an AFO that was submitted electronically? It went everywhere internally it could go. Things got messed up when it went to the vendor on paper (who'll actually make this one). Somehow the paperwork from the vendor never ended up where it should have.

That's not all...when  Patient X called right around Christmas to see what happened with his/her paperwork, someone (of course they don't have a name) told Patient X, "Well, you know, I'm sorry. We've been busy since So and So retired." Customer service? I don't think so.

Pal enlightened me. "Nobody retired over here, RehabRN. Don't worry, Mike, the assistant chief will call Patient X."

And he did. And Patient X was happy. And so was the Congressman/woman and the Senator.

Brr!

Yes, the Arctic blast is back again. I just may have to try some of those tricks I saw on TV.

1. Counting how fast a pot of boiling water freezes when left outside.
2. Throwing a cup of hot water into the air and turning it into vapor.

And yes, at the Hotel, the heating system is crazy. In a couple of rooms, we need some tropical foliage and sand, so we can say we're at the beach.

Or one of our case managers can just put a sign on her door that says "Sauna", since her office temps never go below 90.

It's always something...

It's really Monday

It may be a holiday (banks are closed, Bubba's out of school) but it's still a Monday.

I told the nurse at my appointment this afternoon that there were several, telltale Monday signs. One, if it can go wrong, it will. Luckily, all my odd things that happened weren't life-threatening. Two, the doctor was late for my late afternoon appointment. No big deal...he's nice and doesn't short change you on your moments.Three, the parking lot was full. My favorite comment by one lady coming into the office, "There must be a lot of sick people here today."

Lady, if you only realized what you just said. I heard nary a cough (except for one cough out of a little boy on the far side of the room) while I was there.

Thank goodness they don't run late with the sick folks.

More to come...the week is still young.

Not in a million years...

I love reading the specialty physician notes on our patients. Lab reports are also another way I learn things.

I've seen some pretty strange bugs with pretty strange habits (think pretty blue drainage from pseudomonas) and purple Foley drainage bags which can be caused by a number of bacteria and chemical conditions.

However, I have, in my years of rehab nursing, NEVER smelled a caramel-smelling wound. Our patient may indeed have the correct bug, but not sure if the nose actually knows...or ever will.

Off to tackle another Monday...enjoy!

Is he really that old?

Duh, the most important thing this weekend...

Bubba is 10. I can hardly believe it. He changed my life (and Dahey's and WildDog's...). Bubba is an ebullient character who says things like, "What is going to be OUR commuting vehicle?" when we bought a new car.  He loves music (like his dad) and has a horrible sweet tooth (just like me).

I look at him and see bits and pieces of both of us, with shades of my late father-in-law, the stubborn, yet likable internist.

Time surely flies! I'm going to enjoy every minute.

Baseball on the brain

Yes, it's not a nursing topic, but in these parts of RehabLand, you know when people have had enough of winter, because they start talking about spring training. It's on television, it's in the newspaper, it's the stuff of discussion on the unit amongst the locals. (The non-locals are all about football and basketball right now...)And even more so since two old ball players got their heavenly rewards this week: Stan Musial and Earl Weaver.

A few of our old timers talked about their memories: radio stories, pros buying an enlisted guy a drink on his birthday, harmonicas, confetti, and screaming matches. One old character told us about his friends from the Negro Leagues. This guy actually showed up to tell the story about how he always was the target of fights since he liked throwing pitches "high and tight".

Nothing like thoughts of spring to help ward off this winter chill. More later...

I need a good laugh...

Oh, 2013 is really off to the races. Lots of changes everywhere.

I almost feel like a newlywed and a part of me doesn't like this part: the part where my husband has to move from town to town to work.

With an old dog and a kid, I'd rather have him at home more, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen much anymore. As a contract worker, Dahey's contract was abruptly ended when the firm he was working for lost the contract on his job.

In addition, the funding for said project also was downgraded, which lead to his job disappearing early with no warning.

But Grumpy made my day talking about superpoop, RePOOPulate (I'm not kidding about the name...)

You know how to make an old rehab nurse laugh!

Thanks! I needed it.

Reason 83: Why should we do research?

I really enjoyed reading this article lately. I've always been fascinated about how things we'd never expect are used as treatments.

As a rehab nurse, I've certainly seen (and smelled) more than my share of 1) poop and 2) C-diff.

My favorite quote, though, sheds some light on the why/how physicians do research.


“After the first four or five patients, we started thinking, ‘We can’t go on doing this kind of obscure treatment without evidence,’ ” Dr. Keller said. “Everybody is laughing about it.” 

If you thought you left high school when you entered the international renown of medicine, you really haven't.

Who would have guessed...

Exercises

Yes, as the title mentions, I've been doing a bit! I now have a pedometer, so I'm counting all my steps around the Hotel and the SU. I get in extra ones whenever I can.

Today was a lot of different exercises. At first, it felt as if a lot of my day was an exercise in futility, but eventually, I saw that my work was paying off. Patients got updated orders and the MDs on the unit were happy I got them what they needed.

I also had an exercise in compassion. I had the pleasure of sitting with one of our confused characters and calming him/her down. It took a little while, but worked. So well, in fact, that I would have fist bumped anyone walking down the hall had they been there.

And finally, the real exercises come out. Dumbbells and bands and medicine balls, here I come!

Stay tuned...

Going all "Network"

1. This sign in a doctor's office from one of my favorite sites, http://www.passiveagressivenotes.com

2. Grumpy vents to Siri (at least she's not human...)

3. The quote here in this video...
My day, however, was not nearly as exciting.

At least, I got my exercise running the steps and plenty of nice comments. The stupid folk must have been hiding in the Hotel somewhere else!

Hindsight

This would have been a handy thing to have had printed in the break rooms at the Hotel recently.

High blood pressure and heart attack

Sometimes, I think we overlook when folks normally "run high" as we like to call high blood pressure.  However, you have to get out your detective skills, as well as err on the side of caution.

As my nursing instructor used to say, "If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, good chance it's probably a duck."

Nursing judgment really is a good thing.

Resolutions

A new year means new resolutions.

2013 came (finally) after what seemed to be unrelenting drama here in RehabLand, both personally and professionally. I saw births and deaths (often too many of the latter) and I found out that I don't really need to highlight my hair anymore, because lots of it is turning white. Yes, I hear stress will do that to you and does show up in those follicles. Only my hairdresser knows, but those follicles would have one heck of a story after this past year.

Thankfully, the stressors are slowly going away. No one has died yet this year (crossing fingers). Bubba got the flu after I waited too long to get him a flu shot, but thankfully, with speedy antiviral treatment, he's doing well. The boss is leaving, but supposedly, we have candidates for replacement. I'm still waiting for a new manager that I asked for at Christmas. Hopefully, someone will start before the folks who are nearing retirement are ready to go this year (we have a few candidates).

I am learning to just keep going. The administrative hellhole that paperwork tends to fall in at the Hotel is still there (just fished out some stuff that went missing a month ago) and got my coworker K. to rescue some more. I am plugging away at new projects that really will change the face of our little clinic and the way we take care of patients.


My biggest resolution is to better myself physically. Stress took a toll last year, on more than just the hair. I bought myself a cool little pedometer that links into my computer. I have been tracking my diet and exercise. I am enjoying not being a student at the moment.

The short term may be stressful, but when I look to the long term, the future, I am encouraged.

There's a saying that the race belongs not to the swift, but to those who keep on running. That's my plan, to keep on going, for me, for my little white hair follicles, for Bubba, Dahey and WildDog.

Stay tuned!

On New Year's Eve...

Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. --Brooks Atkinson

Hope you enjoy your night wherever you are!

I am showing my age..

I feel sorry for the girl who actually brought Joan Rivers along to pick out her wedding dress.
Too bad an opinionated mother or sister wasn't enough. (head smack)

Back to reality, not TV...nursing a bunch of characters at the Hotel is WAY easier than dealing with Joan Rivers.

Stay tuned...

Points to ponder

Yes, it seems far away from nursing to talk about insider trading, but it's not really if you read this article.

Sure, those investment types are NOT supposed to take the advice of a doctor and go sell stocks, but they did. They made huge profits.

And it just reminds me what one of my old professors said eons ago. "Take a glass of water with you to every meeting. If they start to discuss insider trading or price fixing, accidentally spill said glass of water on yourself and walk out. Make sure this is recorded in the meeting minutes, or make a note to self."

Just in case the SEC and other sundry law enforcement folks come calling...

Just in case...

You missed the annual Yule Log available on many TV stations around the country today, roll on over to ye old computer and view it up close and personal here.

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas everyone!

 This song reminds me of my first Christmas away from home many years ago in England. Merry Christmas to all wherever you are today!

Ding dong! merrily on high
In heav’n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv’n with Angel singing.

Gloria,
Hosanna in excelsis!

E’en so here below, below,
Let steeple bells be swungen,
And “Io, io, io!”
By priest and people sungen.

Gloria,
Hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime
Your matin chime, ye ringers;
May you beautifully rime
Your evetime song, ye singers.

Gloria,
Hosanna in excelsis!

Mysteries to be solved

The message carried by a pigeon found in a chimney recently (from World War I) may have been solved.

The mystery as to why I couldn't register and get free registration (as promised) for a conference I'm going to go to next year was solved today. Thanks Stacy for getting that computer to work!

A mysterious sputtering ailment plaguing my aging car will be resolved (hopefully) tomorrow. I've been preparing my husband for car end-of-life all weekend. Sometimes, you have to know when to give up and let go.

And now I say good night, since I get to stand in all day for K., who will be home tomorrow with a very sick kid. If I don't do it, no one will.

Stay tuned...

The beginning, again

Grad school is over. I know one of my grades was an A for the semester. I'm awaiting sentencing on the other one. It's kind of odd to get too excited about graduation from a school that only has one annual commencement, when that's in May and you're finishing in December like me.

I've been called odd before. No sweat.

The beginning is my long-neglected exercise program and diet log. I have a snappy doo-dad on my computer to track calories, activities, and even glasses of water. It still remembers what I weighed when I tried this food tracking earlier this year.

I'm also beginning to evaluate what really needs to be cleaned in my house. After a couple of semesters of neglect (that shows), I'm going to have to bribe, er, train Bubba to do more housework for his allowance.

Should be an interesting time!

Stay tuned...

Is it the end?

It certainly is almost the end of the weekend and the end of the year. I will miss that, the weekend part, anyway.

WildDog is getting slower and more incontinent. Not sure when/if his end will come soon. I thought about it the other day when I wrote the Christmas letter. We have had WildDog since before Bubba was born, and he was about 5 years old when we got him. He is getting gray around his muzzle, too.

Even though, he's an old dog, he loves the head scratches and ear rubs.

My car is making all sorts of noises. Dahey is in charge of investigating that. What joy! It's older than Bubba and almost as old as WildDog.

I'm thinking it might be time to just buy a little compact to go back and forth to work, since I'm lucky enough to be close to the Hotel.

Plenty to think about...

It's Friday

And one day, I'm glad is over. My very last paper of grad school is finally done.

But nothing today could be as noteworthy (or notorious) as the school shooting in Connecticut today.

As a mother of a child who could have gone to school there (Bubba's the right age group), I am numb. Numb to think that someone would kill his mother, steal his brother's identity, then go and kill as many as possible in an elementary school.

I could somewhat understand if the shooter chose adults with whom he had a grievance, but he did not. He killed defenseless little children.

Some things I just can't understand...the terror, the grief, the unspeakable sadness for families, first responders, for all the people of Newtown.

I will just pray. For all of them.

12...

12/12/12...a lucky day.

It just might be. I bought some lotto tickets, since this kind of day won't come around for another 100 or so years.

Might as well enjoy it while it's here! A beautiful day here in RehabLand.

Reality

Yes, it is 0430, and I'm up finishing this paper after my advisor gave me a scathing review of my draft.

I don't want to appear superficial when I've worked on this massive thing all semester...

Stay tuned.

I think I can, I think...

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.~ Marie Curie

One more week to attain...off I go!

Cross your fingers...

Trains

If I were a nurse educating you teenagers on the dangers of crossing at unmarked areas of the train tracks, I'd tell you this.

Yes, I have jumped a train. I grew up with the tracks close to my home. I jumped the tracks when the train staff helped me when a locomotive broke down on the tracks on the way to school. I never jumped a train on my own.

My parents grew up in the same area of the tracks, and they both had stories of maimed and dead friends from the neighborhood. One kid I knew, K., died when he was hanging out on a trestle one night and thought he could jump off it into the water below. He didn't make it.

It pains me to see the stories lately of the kids who die cutting over the tracks because they  left their earbuds in and the 60 mph train snuck up on them.

It doesn't have to be...be safe out there. Take off the earbuds, or leave one out so you can hear. Look both ways. If you must cross the tracks in an unmarked spot, run. Do not dawdle. Do not attempt to hurry if you have a cart or stroller or something else that might get stuck.

Take the long way and you just might live another day.

I'd rather not tell K's story again.

Why does this remind me of someone?

And I'm not even in the ER...

Another week in RehabLand...

And what a week it was! Lots of ups and downs, happiness and sadness. I got what I asked Santa for already: equipment and the start for a new clinic. And I got four pounds of espresso! Ho ho ho! I can't wait until clinic starts in the New Year.

At Madison, one of our doctors celebrated ten years at the Hotel. We finally got a new doctor to replace our last one who retired recently. Then our boss announced that he/she is taking a new job in a month, four hours away.

One of our staff complained of chest pains and got a cancer diagnosis instead once he/she was hospitalized.

School is on hold, I'm awaiting sentencing, as one of my old professors used to say. (Actually, he said waiting for the plea bargains....really miss that sense of humor.)

In a way, I feel the same. I'd like to plead for my sanity, but I'm just going to relax and see what happens.

More to come...

Sunday silly boy

Loving you is easy, Bubba. You are so funny! You burn so bright, you electrify...