I often wonder

Why patients have some really oddball, preconceived ideas, but now I know where some of them are coming from.

How to poop at work (from Gawker).

Sure, it's not high journalism, but people get a grip! Fluid, fiber and exercise will bring a return on investment, if you get my drift.

That is all.

Enjoy your Monday.

In the news...

Warning: Leaving a rehab nurse to her own devices to surf the 'net while the educators debate over who's doing the central line checkoff at the preceptor fest may lead to some Internet entertainment.

I had no idea...
I just found out the Ken doll was discontinued in 2004 (What did Barbie need him for anyway?) Never fear, doll aficianados, Ken is back...and he'll resemble a football player. W.T....?

Anywho, for all you Iowa State Cyclones, Kenny's gonna look like this character who won a contest.

Somehow...
I don't think this recent study featured in Reuters is going to keep any of our folks at the Hotel from requesting Viagra et al. That surely didn't stop Mr. D. from asking recently, even though his wife died years ago.

Yes, sex can kill you, US study shows

I think maybe he's just going to ask for more bran muffins and salads, if eating fiber really can reduce heart disease (from UPI)

So...
If I'm going to eat today, it's gonna be comfort food. Maybe not the recipe in this article, but it's going to be good.

Stay tuned...

Knotted stomachs

Just happen to be the condition of the week among the staff. People are calling in due to variations of this theme: GI distress due to not drinking enough fluids and eating enough fiber, morning sickness, and good old bad gall bladders. A little extra stress with the transition of our nurse manager to his/her new job is not helping matters much, either.

So glad I get some vacation really soon. I plan on vegetating in place and enjoying the spring weather which is coming our way.

Stay tuned...

Loss, greaving and removal

There's been a lot of all these things going on lately in my life. Last week seemed like funeral central between the funerals, wakes, and news of people we know (or know their families) dying.

On the removal topic, my one patient of the day Friday got his halo removed. It was not a painless procedure, either. I had to go with him to Washington to see the neurologist. It involved unscrewing some pretty deeply seated screws and my (and his family's) attempts at diversion weren't always the best. I premedicated him for the trip, but by the time we got to the removal, he could have used another PRN dose of morphine.

We found out from the neurologist that the halo and its rods were actually made from carbon fiber. The patient's family took one of the rods (and one screw--the clean one) home as a souvenir. He didn't want anything else--just to get rid of it. As a replacement, he got a Miami J collar and he has to get used to that. I washed his hair once we got back, cleaned the pin sites and he ate some lunch. He can shower on Monday, which he's really looking forward to doing. On a related note, I found this great post from a woman who described her own halo removal happiness in an ABC format. I'm thinking about passing it along to him.

The actual procedure and x-rays didn't take very long, but the whole trip to Washington and back surely did. I was happy to get back at about 1300, so I could finally sit down. I charted and straightened up his room, and before I knew it, it was time to go home.

I'm off this weekend, so more goodies next week. Stay tuned.