Ahhhh....... its a snowy, windy, blizzard day. Yes!!! I'm home-did not have to go to work, even tho I got called (as if its any easier for me to drive in than someone else! I could have but chose not to), and school was cancelled. So its me and the boys at home. As, of course, Del went to work! No staying home for him cuz he's no wimp! :-) And he made it there safe and sound. The boys had dentist appts in town today which were cancelled so its home for us during the day. Hockey tonight, and time will tell if that will go ahead. Wait and see.
Nothing new to write about again. Not that anyone wants to know anyway! Work, hockey, school.... and more of the same. Can you tell thats a cycle? Makes it difficult to write updates in our lives when it revolves around the same stuff.
But, I will share some thoughts. At work a couple of weeks ago, I had one of those moments where a light bulb went off for me. Nothing spectacular, just a different view of a mundane chore we do at work, on a very regular basis. Medication. Ever put any thought into it?? I often think about why, what, and when, and who. But that morning I was passing regular patient meds, and i thought, 'here is life in a cup'. A little, white, paper med cup. I'm trying to recall what meds they were. Lasix, Slow K, ASA, Calcium, Vitamin D, Altace, Tylenol, and one I can't remember. I remember it was 10 pills. We've solved this persons struggle with congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and recovery from a fractured hip. All in one little cup. Isn't it amazing! oh, yeah, the other pill was thyroxine. Without these little lifesaving meds, this person would become short of breath, fill up with fluids and the circulatory system would slowly tire out and shut down. With a couple tiny little colorful pills we give the patient the opportunity to carry on life as a regular human being. Who was the bright scientist who came up with this??? Why has life expectancy lengthened in the last 20-30 years? Because some very smart and wise people have researched long and hard and enabled others to make progress in the medical field. And why not??? A way to improve someone's quality of life. An easy fix! So for the next while, my mundane task of pouring routine meds has a new spin on it.
It's easy for me to see the results of giving some medication by intravenous and seeing it work immediately. Try some cardiac drugs-change a heart rythym just like that, if you're lucky. Or a sedative.......within seconds to minutes. Done. Or a few months ago.......someone thought it was cool to go out and drink a few. A few too many. Passed out. Ambulance called. Comatose. Unable to rouse by any means, including pain. Pop in an IV, push the med in, and voila!....... 2 minutes later, a miracle, the patient is opening eyes and wondering what it going on! Those are the moments we live for in our field....... adrenaline rush at its finest!
Kudos to the people doing the grunge work that has gotten us to this pinnacle of medical excellence. Hopefully this pinnacle is only going higher.
Thats my wise thought of the day. :-) Now onto regular house wife/mother duties. Like cleaning house and bathrooms. Laundry. Necessary. Nothing too glamorous or fancy. Rewards are smiles, kisses, and hugs. The important stuff!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
2010-off to a rousing start!
Good morning & Happy New Year to all! Early morning greetings are the best, aren't they? 4 am and unable to sleep. Woke up to being unable to breathe........just a head cold fortunately, and the nasal passages are FULL! Flu of fever and muscle aches earlier this week has just gone to this head cold. So, I sprayed some nasal decongestant and received a head rush when one side got too much..... therefore its easier to just get on out of bed and type some thoughts on out of that merry go round going on in there. :-)
Kyle came home from the first day back at school this year, with the same flu as I, and we spent the day together at home on Tuesday. Fortunately for him, he only missed one day at school, and is back to normal routine; oh to be 13! Jayde & Del have managed to ward off the germs so far, and have been at work and school, and at the rink, like always.
I've been back at work-first shift back after Christmas was New Years Eve. A full moon on new years eve....makes you a little wary of what to expect. Nothing we couldn't handle, fortunately, but yes, it was steady, and yes, some people need a kick in the a**.
I'm going to try and create a mental picture for you of a situation at work-without breaking any confidentiality or anything like that! So work with me here, please.
I admit a patient late Thursday evening. A stranger to me. A very pleasant, elderly person. Is brought to us from another community due to a lack of beds in their facility. This patient is supposed to be a routine admission. I settle this patient in a bed, thinking that maybe they are sicker than initially thought. Color is off, respirations are labored, you know, you get that sinking feeling, when your instincts tell you that something is off. But this patient is grateful for any little thing that we do for them. Constantly thanking us and apologizing for any inconvenience they are to us. So, we treat this patient as we need to. I speak to the family on the phone, as they are a distance away. Very pleasant conversation on the phone. I'm impressed with the caring attitude I'm picking up from this family and patient. This patient tells me they have the best spouse in the world. They have the best kids in the world. The kids don't live close by, but one of the children has travelled across the world to surprise them on Christmas Eve with a visit for Christmas and a birthday. Tears in patients eyes as they tell me how wonderful a Christmas they had with their family.......I hope you're getting my picture. Very sweet. So, forward now to yesterday. I'm off my nights, and back on day shift. I get to see my patients with their room lights on. I get to meet patients when they're supposed to be up and awake. I get to meet visitors during normal visiting hours. This patient is still in my facility and I get to meet this family and see the interaction with each other. Its so tender and sweet. The words and emotions I saw the other night weren't empty. You can feel the love in the air between this couple and their family....... Tender touches, smiles, hugs, laughter, treats for each other, time, holding hands. Yes, it was beautiful! And then reality comes to bite-a CT report comes in. Results. Damn!! A 5 pm meeting with the doc and the patient and family-a bomb for this family. The results are accepted with tears, questions, and grace. 56 years together...... and now this. You know, I don't know how to aptly describe how tender this couple was...... they were emanating an aura of love and peace. For each other, totally. 56 years!!!! And the sweetness, respect, and caring was still there! Don't know where they've been along the way, but they still have it!
I've been so honored to have gotten to know this patient and family! What an example! How heartbreaking to watch this devastating news throw a wrench into this family's senior years! But how beautiful to be a part of it!
Don't know how this saga will end-time will tell-but I think I'll always remember this family, and hopefully I'll take a little bit of what I've seen, and apply it to my life.
And so I mentally prepare to go back to work today. Yes, I'm short of sleep, and my head and nasal congestion is sickening, but I will be just fine. And I'm gonna do a fine job at work, once again. So, I'm going to hit the shower. Have a wonderful day everyone!!! And please, if there's anything you take from this.......... appreciate the family you've been blessed with!
Del, Jayde, & Kyle- I love you!
Kyle came home from the first day back at school this year, with the same flu as I, and we spent the day together at home on Tuesday. Fortunately for him, he only missed one day at school, and is back to normal routine; oh to be 13! Jayde & Del have managed to ward off the germs so far, and have been at work and school, and at the rink, like always.
I've been back at work-first shift back after Christmas was New Years Eve. A full moon on new years eve....makes you a little wary of what to expect. Nothing we couldn't handle, fortunately, but yes, it was steady, and yes, some people need a kick in the a**.
I'm going to try and create a mental picture for you of a situation at work-without breaking any confidentiality or anything like that! So work with me here, please.
I admit a patient late Thursday evening. A stranger to me. A very pleasant, elderly person. Is brought to us from another community due to a lack of beds in their facility. This patient is supposed to be a routine admission. I settle this patient in a bed, thinking that maybe they are sicker than initially thought. Color is off, respirations are labored, you know, you get that sinking feeling, when your instincts tell you that something is off. But this patient is grateful for any little thing that we do for them. Constantly thanking us and apologizing for any inconvenience they are to us. So, we treat this patient as we need to. I speak to the family on the phone, as they are a distance away. Very pleasant conversation on the phone. I'm impressed with the caring attitude I'm picking up from this family and patient. This patient tells me they have the best spouse in the world. They have the best kids in the world. The kids don't live close by, but one of the children has travelled across the world to surprise them on Christmas Eve with a visit for Christmas and a birthday. Tears in patients eyes as they tell me how wonderful a Christmas they had with their family.......I hope you're getting my picture. Very sweet. So, forward now to yesterday. I'm off my nights, and back on day shift. I get to see my patients with their room lights on. I get to meet patients when they're supposed to be up and awake. I get to meet visitors during normal visiting hours. This patient is still in my facility and I get to meet this family and see the interaction with each other. Its so tender and sweet. The words and emotions I saw the other night weren't empty. You can feel the love in the air between this couple and their family....... Tender touches, smiles, hugs, laughter, treats for each other, time, holding hands. Yes, it was beautiful! And then reality comes to bite-a CT report comes in. Results. Damn!! A 5 pm meeting with the doc and the patient and family-a bomb for this family. The results are accepted with tears, questions, and grace. 56 years together...... and now this. You know, I don't know how to aptly describe how tender this couple was...... they were emanating an aura of love and peace. For each other, totally. 56 years!!!! And the sweetness, respect, and caring was still there! Don't know where they've been along the way, but they still have it!
I've been so honored to have gotten to know this patient and family! What an example! How heartbreaking to watch this devastating news throw a wrench into this family's senior years! But how beautiful to be a part of it!
Don't know how this saga will end-time will tell-but I think I'll always remember this family, and hopefully I'll take a little bit of what I've seen, and apply it to my life.
And so I mentally prepare to go back to work today. Yes, I'm short of sleep, and my head and nasal congestion is sickening, but I will be just fine. And I'm gonna do a fine job at work, once again. So, I'm going to hit the shower. Have a wonderful day everyone!!! And please, if there's anything you take from this.......... appreciate the family you've been blessed with!
Del, Jayde, & Kyle- I love you!
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