Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Sick or Faking?



Did you ever fake being sick so you could stay home from school?

Did you pass down this wonderful trait to your own children?

When I was a kid, I would plot this out the night before. I would lay in bed and plan the whole decietful lie that would get me out of school.

First it would be a headache, however I knew that this would not be good enough, then my stomach would hurt. I would pull out my best sick, whinny voice and complain of the pounding in my head and the cramping in my belly. Mom would then put her hand on my forehead and check for a fever.

"Nope, cool as a cucumber. Now get up and get dressed you have to go to school today. ", She would say.





Ok, so this led me to more plotting. I had to figure out how to fake a fever. But until I got that figured out, I would work my magic at school. By 3rd period, I would make myself late to class, I would pinch my cheeks to make them red, splash a little water on my face and tell the teacher I was late because I was in the bathroom thowing up. She would send me to the nurse where I would get to rest for about 45 minutes. I would continue to complain of achy skin, upset stomach and such. She would take my temperature. . . NORMAL!!! Back to class it was for me.

Then one day I had it figured out. When I complained to mom before school, I would still be in bed. I had a waterbed, WITH a heater!!! I would get my hands really warm and rub my face making it a little warm too. When she came in to get me up, yep. . . no more "cool as a cucumber" for me. Off she would go to get the thermometer. She would put it in my mouth, you remember those old mercury thermometers, and then she'd go back to the bathroom to finish getting ready for work. While she was gone I would put the thermometer against the warm mattress of the water bed. Up it would go. But that didn't get it warm enough to get me out of school. So, I would rub it really fast against the blanket on my bed. Yep, 100.2! That should do it.

Next thing I know she is on the phone to the school and I am snug in my nice warm bed. After she would leave for work, I would take my blanket and pillow and find my spot on the couch. . . for the rest of the day!!!!

This rubbing the thermometer trick worked really good to get me out of class when there were missed assignments or tests I wasn't ready for. I would use the same technique as above to get me out of class and in the nurses office. She would have me lay on one of the beds in her office. Lucky for me there were curtains around each bed. After she had given me the thermometer, I would rub it against my jeans. Sure enough, my dad was there to pick me up within the half hour.

I will never forget the day it backfired. I was in my bed, trying with all my might to be sick. I had to get the themometer up there quick because mom was running late. I rubbed and rubbed really fast. Then I heard her coming. I didn't have time to check it. I quickly put it back into my mouth just before she got to my bedroom door. When she checked it it was 104!!!!

Yep, you guessed it. . . I went to school. BUSTED!!!!



What did you do to get out of school???

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Monday, October 5, 2009

14 and pregant. . .

When I was doing my OB clinical rotation while still in nursing school, I remember this 14 year old girl coming into the ER after giving birth to a very premature baby boy. She delivered this baby at home in the toilet.

She told the doctors she didn't know she was pregnant. She was dieting because she couldn't figure out why she was gaining weight. Then she was hurting pretty bad and went to the bathroom. Low and behold, she lost all that weight she had gained, right into the toilet!!!

She ended up being fine, the baby went to the NICU and never went home with his 14 year old mother. Instead he went home with a foster family after living in the hospital for about a month. He had no one except for the nursing staff and doctors for the first month of his life. What happened to him after that I will never know. I just have to trust that he is still alive, happy and healthy and with a forever family who loves him as their own.

What concerns me is that this 14 year old girl was pregnant and her mother didn't have a clue. What are we teaching our kids these days? Are we talking to them or are they learning by our actions? How can things like this happen?

I know it is not all that uncommon anymore for a young girl this age to be pregnant but are we doing anything to stop it from happening? These kids aren't ready to be raising kids. They can't even take care of themselves let alone be responsible for another life. Who is teaching them to respect themselves? Where was this baby's daddy?

My heart breaks each time I think of this situation. It has been 6 years since this incident happened. Where is this baby now? He would be in school already. Does he know someone loves him?

My heart breaks that we don't pay enough attention to our children to let them be children. . . to teach them what is right. . . .to give them what they need and deserve.




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Saturday, October 3, 2009

Are you educated?

She was 25 years old came into the ER with a bad cough and trouble breathing. By the time I had seen her she had been in the hospital already for about 2 weeks.

She had a bad case of pneumonia. However it was not just pneumonia she had. While inpatient they discovered she was not just HIV+, she had AIDS. This was very difficult for her to believe, as she stated she was NOT a drug user and had not had sex in 6 years. Not since her son was born.

Nonetheless, it was in fact AIDS. She was angry, almost hateful even. She was not very nice to the staff, and would not even talk to the social services people who were trying to help her. She was convinced it was not AIDS. There must be some mistake. She was sure she didn't have what they said she had. She demanded those words not even be said in her precense.

After being in the hospital a total of about a month and a half and after many tests, many new medications, many procedures, she went home. She went home with home health to care for her. She went home to spend what time she had left with her son, who during this hospital stay also learned that he was HIV+ as well.

How can a person live that long and look so frail and sickly and never learn the fate that is set before them. Did she not go to the doctor? Did she not have the financial means to get there? Did they not test her while she was pregnant? There are so many questions here.

Where did our healthcare system fail this family? Will it ever get better?

What can we do to ensure that each person has the health care they need and the education that is so important?

I am seeing this all too often. People come into the ER for what they think is something so simple. However they don't have a family doctor because they can't afford one. They come to the ER and probably don't even have the money to pay that bill and the hospital ends up writing it off. Then while they are in our ER, they learn that because of lack of healthcare, they now have a very serious illness. One that will now take their lives because they did not have proper preventative care. Now they have to live what life they have left with AIDS, lung cancer, breast cancer, an inoperable brain tumor. . . .

Our country as a whole needs to be focusing on education. People need educated!!! It is not just the middle or lower income people who are having this issue. It is also the higher income people. Those who just think they will live forever. Don't have time, don't want to spend the money to go to the doctor. Or maybe they have the attitude that, "It won't happen to me".

Let me assure you, it can happen to any of us at any time. These terminal illnesses do not discriminate. They don't care who you are, who your parents are, how much money you have or how important you think your life is. If you don't take care of yourself and have regular check ups with your doctor you could be that person that finds yourself in the ER with what you think is an easy fix, just to learn that it's not that easy.

Ladies, go see your OB at least once a year. Teach your daughters about annual exams, and how to do a self breast exam.

Gentleman, have your yearly check ups as well. You are not exempt. Teach your sons how to do testicular exams. Did you know that men can get breast cancer too??

When you become of age for colonoscopies and mammograms, GET THEM!!! Early detection is the key!!!

If you have questions, make an appointment to see your doctor. Don't let these things go!! Love yourself and your family enough to take care of your body.

There is a young man who will now grow up without his mother. There is a mother, who will miss out on the majority of her son's life. She will probably not live to even see his 8th birthday. Could this have been changed if she had been having regular annual check ups with her doctor? Who knows. There would have at least been a better chance of them catching it earlier and prolonging her life.

Educate yourself and the ones you love!!!




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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month



In honor of September being Ovarian Cancer Awareness month, I thought I would do a little education. All information below can be found here.

Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women ages 35-74. It is estimated that 1 out of 58 women will develop ovarian cancer during her lifetime.

If diagnosed and treated early, and the cancer is confined to the ovary, the 5-year survival rate is over 90%. However, because the symptoms are not specific and because of lack of early detection only about 19% of all cases are found at that early stage. Like many other cancers, the survival rate decreases, when it is caught in later stages.

According to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, there are more than 30 different types of ovarian cancer. This type is determined by the type of cell they start from.

For more information on the types of ovarian cancer and the stages, click here.

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

  • Bloating
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain
  • Trouble eating or feeling full quickly
  • Feeling the need to urinate urgently or often
  • Fatigue
  • Upset stomach or heartburn
  • Back pain
  • Pain during sex
  • Constipation
  • Menstrual changes

These are vary vague symptoms, many of which women deal with on a regular monthly basis. However, when the symptoms persist and do not subside with normal intervention, it is IMPERATIVE to see your physician.

Screening tests are available and should be discussed with your physician, especially if you have a family history of ovarian, breast or colon cancer. You are also at risk if you are over age 35 and/or have undesired infertility. A pap test DOES not detect ovarian cancer, it detects cervical cancer.

Screening tests for ovarian cancer include:

  • Pelvic Exam
  • Transvaginal Ultrasound
  • CA-125 Test

If you or someone you know is at risk, please click here and learn more about detection, stages, treatment, risk factors, and prevention of Ovarian Cancer.

You can also contact the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition Helpline (1-888-682-7426) to get more information or to find support services in your area.

Don't take your health for granite, make regular visists to your GYN!!!

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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Acute Confusion


She laid in her bed yelling out. "Daddy. . .! ", "Oh, my God, what's happening to me?" , "Brian!"

I think she was yelling out the names of her children. Daddy was refering to her husband of more than 60 years. Each time she yelled out a name, it was a long drawn out cry. It was breaking my heart. It was making the rest of the nurses and other patients crazy.
I kept hearing those famous words, "Can't you give her something?"

At 83 yrs old, Mrs. Springer was experience a nightmare within her mind. The only problem, she wasn't sleeping. I couldn't wake her up from this. I was in her room about every 5 minutes. Trying everything to distract her, reassure her, listen to her. Nothing was working. I was at my wits end. The nurses who cared for her the last two days said this was her behavior for 2 days straight. They had given her everything and nothing was working. They had tried Ativan, Haldol, Dilaudid and nothing was making a difference. They were not even helping her sleep.

She had a recent joint replacement and had returned to the hospital with a Soduim level of 119. She had pulled out a foley catheter, and 3 IV's. She was refusing food, and at times combative. I believe all of these behaviors were due to the fear she was feeling, which was in turn caused by the confusion, caused by the low sodium. A domino kind of effect.

Finally I got her to be quiet enough to hear me ask if she was in pain. She just let the tears flow and nodded her head yes. I repositioned her in bed, gave her alot of pillows and tried to make her comfortable, put her TV on the music channel and let her listen to very soft, quiet music. Then I gave her 1mg of Dilaudid through her IV. It took about 30 minutes and she was fast asleep. This was about 9pm. At 5:30am I hesitated to wake her because she had slept all night without waking up. But I had to draw her labs. I had waited as long as I could.

She was very cooperative during the lab draw, however it didn't take but 20 minutes for her to start yelling again. I thought about giving her more Dilaudid, but the last dose had her alseep for so long. It was almost morning and I didn't want her to sleep the whole day. She didn't really have anything else I could give. I offered her a drink, fed her some pudding, and went to my next blood draw of the morning.

Ringing down the hallway was the sounds of a crying, weak voice. . .
"What's wrong with me?"
"Where am I?"
"I've lost it. . . . I've lost it!"

Over and over she yelled "I've lost it, Oh my God, I've lost it!"

I went back to Mrs. Springer's bedside to try to talk to her again.

Me: "Mrs. Springer, what is wrong? Are you hurting?"

Her: "NO! I've lost it!!"

Me: "Lost what?"

Her: "My mind, it's gone, what's wrong with me?"

Me: "Mrs. Springer, you are not well right now. Your sodium level is low, that is why you are
feeling this way. We are working to make it better. You will be your old self before you
know it."

Her: "Oh my God! I've lost it! Just call the patty wagon! I'm done for!"

Me: (doing all I can to not laugh!) Now Mrs. Springer, I promise you we are working on it. The doctor will be here to see you soon. Your levels are improving it is just taking some time.

This was obviously doing no good. She continued to yell, and cry. There was no consoling her. I called the doctor and got an order for Ativan. She only gave me an order for 0.5mg IV ONCE.

Yep, it worked until shift change. Imagine day shift coming in to this poor lady yelling. That was all they needed to hear to go ahead and come to the conclusion it was going to be a terrible day. I assured them the doc had told me he would be making rounds early. They could expect him within the next hour. The look of horror on their faces didn't change.

I worried about her all the way home. Praying that she was able to find some peace within her mind. That they could find a medication that would calm her at least long enough to stop the torment she must have been experiencing.

Lessons to be learned here:
  • Low sodium causes major acute confusion
  • Confusion causes torment
  • Tormented patients who are confused need a patient nurse
  • Nurse has to be someone who knows how to pray for peace
  • Peace may not come for days for the patient or the nurse


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Back from a blogging sabbatical


I have to say, I have missed blogging! I have been one busy nurse, but after a short sabbatical from the blog world I am back. I probably won't be posting daily, maybe not even every other day, but I will try to keep up.


I have stories to that need to be told. I have stories that I need to document, because I don't ever want to forget them. I have stories, I tell you!


I have to commend all you bloggers who can post religously every day, follow hundreds of blogs and make comments and be a great blogger. I tell you, I will try. That is the best I can do right now!!


Let the stories. . . . .resume!!!

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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Did Somebody Say Chocolate?

Everyone loves chocolate!! I am not sure I have ever met a woman who does not at least like chocolate. Many of us love chocolate to the point of not being able to go a day without at least a little taste. Some of us only really crave it once a month.

Ever wonder why women have an intense craving for chocolate around the time of their menstural cycle? There has not been alot of research on this but what I did learn was:

Chocolate is very high in magnesium. A Magnesium deficiency can exacerbate PMS. PMS for most women start 7-14 days prior to their period. It is not really known what exactly causes PMS but there is much known about helping to control the symptoms of PMS. Some of those include staying away from caffeine, taking B6, calcium and magnesium supplements, among other things.

Here is how it relates to chocolate. Before menstruation the levels of the hormone progesterone are high. This promotes fat storage preventing its use as fuel. This in turn may cause a craving for fatty foods. One study stated that 91% of chocolate cravings that were associated with the menstrual cycle occured between the time of ovulation and the actual start of menstruation. These cravings were most intense in the late afternoon and early evening.


This timing made sense to me because if it is a craving for those fatty foods, those are the times when your body would be needing more energy to get through the rest of the day.


Chocolate also generally makes us feel good. Especially if you are a "chocolate person" to begin with. You crave chocolate when you are depressed, lonely, feeling blue, etc. The sugar in chocolate causes a release of serotonin. The brain uses serotonin to reduce depressive or anxious feelings. Chocolate also causes a release of several other chemicals (tryptophan, anandamide, phenylethylamine) in the brain that can give a person a mental boost, increase the heart rate, stimulate the nervous system and produce feelings of euphoria. These chemicals effect serotonin as well as dopamine in the brain. Both serotonin and dopamine are used in antidepressants and antianxiety medications that help make us feel "happy" and/or "relaxed".

So, now you know! When you are feeling blue. . . take the plunge. Eat a piece of chocolate maybe eat two. But remember, all things are good in moderation!! Don't overindulge, you will be more blue later if you do. Especially after you step on the scale and see that extra pound or two because you ate a whole box of chocolates!



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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Payback's a . . . what?

I bet you are still wondering about the payback from yesterday aren't you???

Well here it is. I was really smart on this and waited and plotted with some other day shift girls for a couple of weeks. I wanted to make sure that the thoughts of payback were gone from my friends mind. There were two girls under the bed that grabbed my ankles, and I only went after the one that came up with the idea.

I had worked day shift this particular day. I went home took a quick nap, met my friend for a late dinner and then we were going back to work for the night shift. I had already had it worked out with the girls that were going to coming off shift when we got there. They were almost more excited about this than I was.

While we were at dinner, I told this friend of a new resident who was admitted that afternoon. He was very angry. His family pretty much brought him in and left him. He didn't want to be there and was yelling alot. He pretty much wanted to be left alone. I warned her that if she went into his room to approach him carefully as he had been combative earlier when the other girls had tried to bathe him and such. I also told how he liked to lay in bed with his head covered up, like Mr. Lambert does down the hall. She knew exactly who I was talking about, another gentleman that slept that way. I told her, don't pull back the covers without talking to him, it made him real mad and he took a swing at Jackie today.

She fell for the story hook, line and sinker. I was so suprised. I didn't think she would really believe all that mess. However, we had several combative residents, so this was not all that uncommon.

We came on for our shift at 10pm, got our assignments, listened to report and I told her I would catch up with her to start passing our ice water in minute. I was going to the bathroom before we got started. She thought all the evening shift people had left. I went around the corner "toward" the bathroom but never went there.

A call light went off and she went to see who it was. It was "him", the new gentleman. She went into the room, and sure enough his head was all covered up. She gently touched his arm, which was also under the covers, and asked him if he needed something. She was so sweet when she talked to him. He didn't respond. He didn't move, didn't say anything. So she shook his arm a little and spoke to him again. Again. . . nothing. She then gently started to pull back the covers. Just as she did that. . . .

the "new resident" stood straight up in the bed and made a funny/scary noise at her. She yelled and ran out of the room.

It was the funniest thing I had seen in a long long time. I was watching from the bathroom in the residents room. I knew that I would never be able to pull this off by myself. Had I been the person in the bed, I would have laughed and ruined the whole thing. Jackie was great. She was my "new resident".

Payback was complete. We were even! And we laughed about it all night!


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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Post of the Day Award!!


Thank you very much AuthorBlog!! I am very honored that you choose my blog for your Post of The Day (POTD) today!!



If you have not been to see AuthorBlog, please click on the link and go for a visit. His blog is very intersting, funny, and overall a great read! Also go visit the other blogs he chose for POTD.

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What Lies Beneath

Keeping to the nursing home theme from yesterdays post, I would like to share yet another tale of nursing home days long ago.

I had just started picking up some night shifts for overtime. I loved working with the night shift girls. It is no secret in nursing that night shift is a breed all its own. The girls began to tell me of the "ghost stories" of this facility. How they would see things, hear things, call light going off in rooms that had no one living in them, etc. This in turned totally freaked me out. Everyone knew if there was a call light going off, we were going to work in tandum. I hated going into rooms alone, just because I never knew what I was going to find. I sure didn't want to come face to face with that black figure they had all seen lurking around.
On one particular night, I was working with some of my best friends. We were all pretty tired because we were all on overtime. It was the middle of a bed check and we were at the far end of a long long hall. All of the sudden we hear a call light going off. I told the girl I was with that I would go and get it. I didn't really want to but I was trying really hard to overcome the fear, and be a big girl. In essence it was high time I "put my big girl panties" on. I needed to prove to them that I wasn't the "scaredy cat" they all thought I was.

I went down the long hallway that was poorly lit (we turned the hall lights down at night), and turned the corner to the short hallway that finished off this unit. There it was, the call light that needed answered. I found it a little odd that the call light was on in this particular room. The lady living in that room was very old, bed ridden, deaf, and demented. She had no idea what the call light was let alone how to use it. I kept trying to tell myself that maybe she accidently hit the call button or something. I was determined not to be afraid. There was no one really close so no one would know that I turned on the room light just to walk in and turn the call light off. The reset button was right next to this lady's bed. I turned off the call light then I reached over and pulled this sweet lady's cover back over her, she had kicked most of them off. Just as I was reaching into her bed to grab the covers. . . . .
something grabbed my ankles!!!!! There was a tight grip on BOTH of my ankles. I couldn't move. All I could do was scream at the top of my lungs and before I knew it I was standing in a nice warm puddle.
Thank goodness this lady was deaf. She had no idea what was going on around her! The hands that gripped my ankles let loose, I am sure because they were now quiet wet. And all I could hear was giggling coming from below the bed.

Two of my "dear friends" who knew my fears, had planned this all night. They had been the ones to push that call button. What was so funny is that one of them was sure I wouldn't be able to scream. We had talked about fearful times before and every time I had been in a situation where I should have been scared enough to scream, my mouth would come open but nothing would come out. So they felt it pretty safe that no noise would come from me.

It was terrible!! However now it makes for a great story when we are reminiscing of days gone by. Everyone remembers the day I had to borrow a pair of sweat pants from the unclaimed clothes in the laundry department.

Let me assure you that pay back for those people was OH SO SWEET!!!


(that is a tale for another time . . . .)


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Monday, June 29, 2009

She called on, Jesus, Mary AND Joseph. . .

Catherine was quiet a feisty lady. She was at least 80 yrs old and I was somewhere in my 20's when I was her Aide at the nursing home she lived in. She had raised many children, lived on and worked a farm with her husband, until they were no longer physically able. She knew the meaning of tired to the bone.
She had dementia. Her husband had already passed on several years before this, and her children had important lives to lead. They would come visit at Christmas and Thanksgiving and sometimes even on Mother's Day. But I am not sure at this point Catherine really even noticed. We had become her family, and she had become "Grandma". That is what she answered to, so that is what we all called her.

She was no longer able to walk, however she couldn't seem to remember that. She was in a wheelchair with a "lap buddy" or a tray. It really depended on the day and how feisty she was at that moment. She was able to stand but only long enough to move her from the bed to wheelchair or from the wheelchair to the toilet. Her bed was 6" from the floor with a soft mat laying on the floor beside it. She was forever trying to get out of bed, forgetting she wasn't able to walk, and then would fall. So to help prevent her from breaking anything (like a hip), her bed was lowered as low as it would go.



"Grandma" taught me how to think fast, and move fast. She hated to get out of bed. She hated to get a bath, she hated to get dressed, and she never wanted to give up her teeth for the night so they could get cleaned and soak. I learned real fast, that if I was going to make it out of her room without bleeding I had to hurry and get her dressed and bathed just as fast as I could. See, Grandma I am sure was a street fighter in her younger days. She had a great right hook!! She would hit, yell, curse, bite, pull hair. Whatever it took to get you to leave her alone. But once you were done that was the end of the battle. It was like she totally forgot you just lost 5 pounds of sweat just trying to dress her for breakfast. Once in her chair she was happy as a lark.

I learned one night while putting her to bed that if you talked real sweet to her, she would be nice just long enough to get her teeth before she bit you. See, no one was able to get those teeth out of her mouth without getting bit. She just wasn't giving them up. I would get her laughing and before she even knew what happened I could do a one finger sweep and get the bottom plate right out of there. As soon as she realized it though, she would be mad as a hornet!! But once the bottoms were out I was less afraid of being bit. See, if you can hold the bottom jaw down long enough to get the top plate out, you are home free. Just watch out for her hands because she would be swinging by this point. I could have this whole tooth thing done in a matter of less than 2 minutes.

"Grandma" was my favorite nursing home resident. I think it didn't bother me that she beat me up everyday when getting dressed and undressed because I knew she didn't know what she was doing. After her teeth were out it wasn't as hard to deal with. I would be changing her clothes while she was knawing on my arm. Her teeth were already out so she was just "gumming" me to death. That didn't bother me in the least and it kept her busy and satisfied until I got her clothes changed.

However, keeping her nails trimmed was quiet a chore. You let those babies grow too long and you were in trouble. I have scars on my arms to this day from sweet little "Grandma". I think of them as my way to never forget her!

I remember one morning I went to get her up. It was early probably 5am, but I had alot of people to get up and dressed before breakfast and I knew she was going to put up a fight no matter what time I did it, so I just as soon get her done. I went in and knelt down by her bed, rubbed her forehead and talked real sweet to her, trying to wake her up in a good mood. She looked at me with utter disgust and said, "Well, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, but especially Joseph!" I think this was her way of saying. . . 'I have been up with the chickens my whole life, can you not just let me be for one cotton-pickin' day?'

Grandma wasn't always combative, sometimes she could be so sweet. She would tell us she loved us and give us a sweet little kiss on our cheeks. And if you weren't careful when you walked by her wheelchair, she might just give you a little swat on your behind, and chuckle like a mischevious child.

The nursing home was awfully quiet after "Grandma" passed on. Of course her family showed up just in time for that, even though they had not been there much of the other time. "Grandma" had us with her too. She left this world only after making an impact on many lives of those who cared for her. Most of us in our 20's to early 30's thought we had it all figured out. "Grandma" helped us remember what is important about life. Loving someone even though, even if and even when.

She loved her family even though they didn't visit, even if she was mean to them too, and even when she couldn't remember who they were.

And we (her caregivers) love "Grandma", even though she yelled and hit, even if she pulled our hair and bit us, and even when she would slap our behinds and give us those sweet kisses.
One can not have too many Grandmas!!!

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Inflammation. . . . damaging the sheath

She was 37 years old, with complaints of progressive weaking in her lower extremeties over a couple of weeks. It really started with slight neck pain, then to the lower back. Then all of the sudden her left leg was really weak, then the right. By the end of the two weeks, her husband was calling 911 because she could not move any part of her body from her belly button down. She was unable to urinate, unable to have a bowel movement, unable to wiggle her toes, unable to lift her feet or legs off the bed. She could feel them if you touched them but she could not move anything! She kept complaining that her legs were tingling like they were asleep, and that they were so heavy she couldn't lift them. She really wasn't having alot of pain other than a headache and some "muscle pain" in her shoulders.




After several tests including x-rays, MRI's, a lumbar puncture, and blood work up they diagnosed her with Transverse Myelitis. What is Transverse Myelitis you ask? I am going to give you the short version since I have also left you with a very informative website. The website is where I am getting all my information for this post as well.



This is an MRI of the thoracic spine (the part between your neck and your lower back). The grey solid area in the middle is your spinal cord. The white area where there is an arrow (very difficult to see) in the spinal cord is the area of inflammation. The really white areas that kinda outline the solid grey spinal cord is CSF (cereberal spinal fluid).


Transverse Myelitis is not limited to age, sex or race. There does not have to be any family history of this for you to have it. Most cases occur however, at the ages of 10-19 and 30-39.


It is a neurological disorder that is caused by inflammation across the spinal cord. Inflammation can actually damage or destroy myelin, which is the fatty substance that insulates and covers nerve cell fibers. This ends up causing scaring on the nervous system that interrupt communication betweent he nerves it the spinal cord and other parts of the body.



There are many things that can cause Transverse Myelitis, such as viral infections, insufficient blood flow in the spinal cord, complications from syphilis, measles, lyme disease, certain vaccinations (ex: chickenpox and rabies). It often developes following viral infections such as varicella zoster, herpes simples, cytomegalovirs, Epstein-Barr, influenza, echovirus, HIV, Hep A, and rubella.



Because some affected individuals also have autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren’s syndrome, and sarcoidosis, some scientists suggest that transverse myelitis may also be an autoimmune disorder. In addition, some cancers may trigger an abnormal immune response that may lead to transverse myelitis.



An acute, rapidly progressing form of transverse myelitis sometimes signals the first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS), however, studies indicate that most people who develop transverse myelitis do not go on to develop MS. Patients with transverse myelitis should nonetheless be screened for MS because patients with this diagnosis will require different treatments.



Symptoms may develope over several hours to several days/weeks. Usually starting with lower back pain and/or sudden burning, tickling, prickling or tingling in the legs, as well as partial paralysis of the legs. This paralysis usually progressed from the legs to the lower part of the trunk. Bladder and bowel dysfunction is very common. The patient will likely feel general discomfort, headache, maybe a fever, loss of appetite and muscle spasms. Depending on the area of the inflammation on the spinal cord, some may even experience respiratory problems.



There is currently no effective cure for Transverse Myelitis. Treatment is meant for managing the symptoms and really depends on the severity. Steroids to degrease the inflammation, they also reduce the immune system activity since there is also suspected autoimmune involvement. Then there is pain control. The goal is early treatment and keeping the boy functioning, while waiting and hoping for some kind of spontaneous recovery of the nervous system. Physical therapy place a huge role in this, with range of motion and keeping those muscles moving.

Recovery typically begins within 2 to 12 weeks of the onset of symptoms and may continue for up to 2 years. However, if there is no improvement within the first 3 to 6 months, significant recovery is unlikely. About one-third of people affected with transverse myelitis experience good or full recovery from their symptoms; they regain the ability to walk normally and experience minimal urinary or bowel effects and paresthesias. Research shows that a rapid onset of symptoms generally results in poorer recovery outcomes.



Many people with Transverse Myelitis only have one episode, however there is always a chance it can rare it's ugly head again. When/if it does return there will likely be more workups for underlying causes such as MS or systemic lupus erythematosus. Most people who have more than one episode have some kind of underlying disorder.

Now that you have had some education, let me tell you that I have seen this many times in my years of nursing. It is very scary for the patient and family. One day you have control over your own body and the next day, you can't move! People think they are just tired, been doing too much, and pretty much let it go. Thinking they just need some much needed rest.

This particular patient I cared for after she had already spent over a week inpatient. She was scheduled to go to an inpatient rehab hospital for intensive Physical and Occupational Therapies. She was diabetic, had been on 1000mg of Solumedrol for 5 days. That is ALOT!!! Her blood sugars had been hard to control because of all the steroids, so she was having to deal with that aspect as well. They also had her on Baclofen to help with the muscle spasms, as well as low doses of Vicodin for pain. While in the hospital she was also receiving therapies. She had a foley catheter, because she was unable to urinate, and she was having trouble with her bowels. They just didn't want to work.

Her husband was amazing! He never left her side. He was right there caring for her and doing whatever it was she needed at that moment. Her spirits were good. When she was admitted to the hospital, as I stated before, she could not move ANYTHING from her belly button down. The day I had her, the day prior to her discharge, she was able to lift her left leg (the first leg to be affected) off the bed. Now, she was not able to lift it far, but she did get it off the bed. She also couldn't hold it for long and was unable to hold it against pressure. But she was making progress.

Her attitude was amazing. He kept me in stitches all night. She and her husband both should have been stand up comedians. Most patients of this age would have found themselves in a heap of tears and doom. Looking only at the possibility of never being able to move again. Not this young lady. She knew she was going to recover fully and have a full normal life.

I have not heard of her or seen her back at my hospital since that night. My prayer is that she did recover. That she is home with her husband, living life to the fullest!







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Friday, June 26, 2009

To ICU or Not?

I had a 47 year old patient several months ago that was admitted from an outside hospital because he had a ruptured appendix that ended up causing a MAJOR infection. He had been in our hospital for about 4 weeks and had just been transferred from ICU that morning.

He was extubated the day before, had been in a vest restraint as well as soft wrist restraints in ICU because he has pulled out a total of:

* 3 IVs
* 1 PICC Line
* 2 Small bowel feeding tubes
* 1 Foley catheter
* 1 Rectal tube
* 2 Chest tube
*Rectal Tube - the large blue end in the bottom left
of the picture is what is inserted into the rectum.
It is then inflated like the picture above to secure placement.
The other end of the long tubing is connected to a collection bag.


*Small Bowel Feeding Tube - Inserted into the nose down the back of the throat through the esophagus and stomach to the small bowel. Can be used to give liquid feedings and medications for patients that can't swallow well and are at risk for choking.
This was all included in my shift report at the beginning of my shift. The day shift nurse also told me he had been "pretty good" that day. He was no longer in restraints. He did however have a sitter, and his mother stayed in the room with him. But he wasn't pulling at anything. Well, HELLO??? Was there anything left to pull out??? He did have PICC Line but that was all that was left. He was only really oriented to his name. He had no idea where he was or why he was there. He could not tell me the year or who the president was. He was very confused and most of what he said didn't make sense. His mother was off the chain!!! You could tell she was so worried about him and she just wanted to do whatever she could to make him better, but really she couldn't do anything but sit there and listen to him talk crazy and drop the "F" bomb about every 45 seconds.
On first assessment he complained he couldn't breath. He thought his lung was collapsing again. His assessment was negative, however I did call the doctor just to inform her of how he was feeling, even though his lungs sounded great. He was pretty anxious so I ended up giving him oxygen just to make him feel better. I actually worked. It gave him something to play with. He didn't keep it on however. But since his O2 sats were 98% on room air, I wasn't really concerned too much.

As the night progressed, he became more and more confused. He was increasingly agitated and began hallucinating. He was seeing birds in the room, he thought there was a fire in the room. He also told the doctor how beautiful her ears were, they looked just like those of a baby deer. He was so sweet when he said it, he was sure he was giving her the grandest compliment.

I had been giving him, per her orders, Fentanyl 50-100 Mcg IV for pain. He could have it every 3 hours. Normally it would have made other patients sleep for a while. He was not sleeping. He was crawling out of bed, yelling, and requiring me to be in his room ALOT. I had 3 other patients so this was not that easy. She had me begin using Ativan to see if that would calm him. Two mg would calm him, but only for a short time. She decided to put a request in for a med psych bed and we were going to transfer him once there was a bed available. Well in the middle of the night this is not a quick task.
He kept complaining about his breathing and I kept talking to the doctor about it. Finally we got a chest x-ray, ABG's and some other labs. His x-ray didn't come back too bad but his ABG's were all jacked up. The doctor stated to me that if he was in ICU she would be intubating him right now. Then she said she was calling the ICU resident and they would probably intubate him and take him to ICU. She wanted to intubate him on the floor, without having the rapid response team or code team there.
While she was on her way to the room I called my house supervisor who also came because she was not going to allow anyone to be intubated on the floor without the team there. Well, short version, the ICU doctor wouldn't take him in ICU. They had 9 admits already that night and he and the other doctor that I was dealing with collaborated back and forth on what to do.

Ultimately he ended up with a 50% venti mask and alot more drugs. She said pretty much he was hyperventilating. He wouldn't slow down to breath well enough to get good air exchange. So she wanted him as sedated as I could get him without sending him to the ICU so he would breath slower and more calmly.

He ended up with the Fentanyl every 3 hours; 2 mg of Ativan every hour, and 5 mg of Haldol every 3 hours. I calling her before I gave any of it because he really wasn't going to sleep. He was calming down some but it was really hard to keept he mask on him. He kept taking it off. I was so afraid all the meds were going to catch up with him and eventually knock him on his butt! The doctor was calling me about every hour (when I wasn't calling her) checking on him. There was so much charting to do just to keep up with what we were doing with him. And then there were my three other patients.
He ended up sleeping about 45 minutes out of my 12 hours shift. Med Psych never had a bed, the meds never caught up with him.
I reported off to the day shift and apologized because he was going to be so much to handle. I recommended her getting him off the floor as soon as she could because he was really a 1 on 1 patient and this floor doesn't staff that way.
I went back to that floor 3 days later. . . . .
He was being discharged to home as I was coming on to my shift. He was a new man!!! Evidentally that day shift after I left him last, he was quiet. He didn't cause them any trouble at all. And by that next evening shift he was off all oxygen and totally alert and oriented and no longer hallucinating.

Now you tell me what causes someone to change mental status so quickly!!! I worried about him and the day shift nurse the whole time I was off that day. And within less than 24 hours he is totally a different man!!!
AMAZING, what a body goes through!! How much it can handle and how quickly it will recover sometimes. I was glad to see him going home. Not because I didn't want to take care of him again (although, it did make for a really rough night!!!), but because he was becoming more himself. He had a young daughter to go home to. He had a life. He was not an ill person before all of this. He was hallucinating and acting crazy before the doctor had me giving him all the meds, so it wasn't the meds causing him to be acting crazy. But whatever it was, it was better. He was going to be ok. He would be back to work in a few weeks after his surgical incision healed and hopefully he would have little memory of his bizzare behavior in the hospital.
Thank God for selective memory!!
Today, I wish him well as he should be fully recovered and living a full and happy life with his family, what mattered most to him!!!
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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Is it wrong to need people to be sick. . . .?

"When you're a nurse you know that
every day you will touch a life
or a life will touch yours.
-- Anonymous
Ok, so this is going to be quickie! It was jut running through my mind how a census can change so quickly at a hospital. I heard this past week that a major hospital in our city was on diversion. We received alot of admits because of this. Our census went way way up. Which for me is a great thing because I get to work. Then this week, census is way, way, way low. I have been scheduled for three shifts so far and only worked one of them. I was cancelled the other two! This is not good when you are nonbenefited!
So is it bad to want people to be sick? Because my job and lively hood depends on it?
Or maybe I should just pray that the people who are already sick and at home and refusing to get medical attention for whatever reason, FINALLY decide to show up so we can make them well!!!
THERE! That is better. I don't want people to be sick so I can do my job!!! Just want the sick people to use their heads and get help.
Good grief, I hope I don't get cancelled tonight. This is certainly messing up my sleep pattern!!! I sleep all day then try to go to work then get cancelled then up all night!
Gotta run!!! Got to get ready for work!!!



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MRSA & C-Diff

Have you ever smelled MRSA. . . . .what about C-Diff. If you haven't you probably have no idea what I am talking about. If you have, it is a smell you remember for life. One that goes with you in your nostils after you leave your place of employment. And the only way to rid that smell is to immediately take a shower and try to drown yourself with the water spraying from the hot-as-you-can-stand-it shower.

I walked into a patient room, knowing the patient was there because of cellulitis of her foot and diabetic foot ulcers. Also by this time it was known that she had osteomylitis. What she didn't know at this point was that she would most definatley be losing part of her foot before this hospital stay was over.
Anyway, as I was saying. . . I walked into her room and immediately smelled it. MRSA!! She wasn't in isolation yet, I guess they were waiting to get the wound cultures back to confirm what we already knew. It was MRSA in that foot! I backed out of the room and went ahead and called for an isolation cart for the room. Once it arrived I gowned, and gloved and went in to see what the smell was all about. The closer I got to her bed the stronger the odor was. I thought I was going to lose my lunch! I could see blood stains on her sheets around her feet. I uncovered them and the odor just about knocked me on the floor. There were two large wounds on her right foot. Her big toe was about twice the size it should be, and very red and the reddness was halfway down her foot. On the back side of the toe it was all black and oozing clear/pink drainage (serosangous). There was no dressing on this wound just left open.

There was another wound just below the toe on the bottom of the foot. This was about the size of a dime and I could see bone inside it. If you picture it like a bullseye, it would look like this: immediately around the opening is a thin, hard black ring, then a hard white ring, then the rest of the foot is red and hot. This wound had thick, yellowish, puss draining from it (purulent). It did however have a dressing over it. It had a dry 4x4 gauze that was STUCK to it. I took that off and cleaned it all.



I asked her what she used at home as a dressing and she said usually she got out of the shower and would dry it off and put toilet paper on the bottom one. She didn't know about the one on her toe. She didn't know it was there and had not seen it. She just knew her toe was red and hurting. So, I guess that explained why I was digging toilet paper out of that wound huh? GROSS!!!!




I put a wet to dry dressing on it because there weren't really dressing orders and I knew the podiatrist was doing to be seeing her in the morning and hopefully telling her what the plan was. She was really wanting to get home. She had no clue how serious this was. The xray showed definate osteomylitis. She was on 2 different antiboitics and she was going to leave the hospital, minus one toe.

I felt bad for her because she was in such deniel. She was non compliant with her diabetes. She didn't take her medicines at home, she didn't eat right, she had poor hygeine. All of this leading to the condition her foot was in now. AND. . . she was in her mid 50's!!!

About two hours after I did all the work on her foot, I went to help her to the bathroom and low and behold. . . . C-DIFF!!!! She had been on antibiotics evidentally just long enough to cause her to have C-Diff. Now not only did I have to smell the wound infection in the room. . . . I could smell the C-diff all the way to the hallway.
At the end of this shift. I was wishing we had a staff shower that we could use. I so didn't even want to get into my car or come into my house I was feeling so grimey! Poor lady, had to live in that room with that smell! And she was still going to lose her toe! AND. . .ALL cultures came back positive. She did in fact have C-Diff and MRSA!

Moral of this story~~~~

If you are diabetic, take care of yourself. Keep your sugars in control, take your medicine and pay attention to your skin. And for goodness sakes DON'T DRESS A WOUND USING TOILET PAPER!!!

**If you dont' know what C-Diff and MRSA are let me know. I will do a little more education in another post!

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Defying Gravity!!!

I recently went to see the musical Wicked.

I have to say I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED it!!! There are a couple of songs in it that have brought me to tears at times and also made me think back in my life of different times.

This particular song, "Defying Gravity" makes me think about my time in nursing school. See, many of you who read this really don't know me. Not the real me! So let me tell you a little.



I was an "OK" student in high school. Really? I did just enough to graduate, nothing more! I had a high school counselor who actually told me after I took the SAT's that I wouldn't even be able to get into a community college because my scores were so low and my grades were not good enough in school. So I might as well decide now to try something else. That was a real downer!! Actually, I don't ever remember in all my high school years ANY school counselor, acedemic advisor, teacher, or any other adult leader, telling me what classes to take or advising me on things to do to actually make it to college. No one telling me that I should take the harder courses not just the easy ones.



I decided to try college anyway. My grandmother was an elemetary school teacher and the job I had as a high school student was working in a day care. So, how hard could it be to become a teacher. I liked kids. So I thought I would try that. Maybe kindergarten, since the older kids really just mostly made me angry with their attitudes. Well, short version, I did get into the local college. I again didn't have much help putting my class schedule together and ended up with a crazy schedule of pretty in depth classes the first semester. Needless to say, I didn't do so good. I hated it actually. So I guess I proved that high school counselor right when I decided to quit school after a semester and a half!!!



Back to working at day cares and minimum wage jobs for me!! That was not going to land me anywhere fast. I then ended up in a nursing home working as a CNA for a long long long time. I watched as the nurses would get burned out. I watched as I would get angry at lazy nurses. I watched as the older CNA's would struggle with their job because of their age, yet this is what they had done all their lives and couldn't/wouldn't do anything else. I knew that I didn't want to be a CNA forever! I couldn't live on that kind of money. This is where I also decided that maybe being a nurse was for me. I wanted to be better than those nurses who were just there for the paycheck. I wanted to be a nurse who really cared.



I fianlly decided to go to nursing school. (that decision in itself is a whole other post!) I was 29 years old when I walked into class for the first time. There were many people who thought I was crazy. Many people who thought I didn't have what it took. And some who thought I wouldn't make it at all. There were also moments when I myself thought I was drowning and wouldn't make it through. Being in classes with those young, right out of high school kids who had planned for years to be a nurse and took all the biology and anatomy they could in high school was pretty intimidating! I had alot going against me at different times during my college years. I cared for a grandmother who had Alzheimer's. I also helped care for a mother-in-law, who had Alzheimer's, and I had a family! It was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. AND looking back, I truly feel that I did EXACTLY what I was supposed to do. I am EXACTLY where I am supposed to be in my life. I have no doubt about that at all!!!

I really did DEFY GRAVITY!!!


Below are the lyrics to that song from the musical Wicked. Every time I hear it, I think of how I overcame the odds and made something of myself!

(I did leave off some of the lyrics at the end, but this is the jist of it)



DEFYING GRAVITY

Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules

Of someone else's game

Too late for second-guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It's time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes: and leap!


It's time to try

Defying gravity

I think I'll try

Defying gravity

And you can't pull me down!


I'm through accepting limits

'Cuz someone says they're so

Some things I cannot change

But till I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost

Well, if that's love

It comes at much too high a cost!

I'd sooner buy

Defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye

I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down







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It's got to be hard being the "on-call" doc

James was admitted one day before I was blessed with him on my assignment. He was a 70'ish year old man with a very distended and firm abdomen. He was scheduled for a colonoscopy the next morning so I had the previledge of administering the bowel prep. He was sitting up in a chair with his wife, son, dauhter-in-law, granddaughter and grandson visiting him , when I started my shift. I quickly went in did my assessment and got out, giving them time to visit and giving me time to see my other patients before I would be busy with this bowel prep.

He had been having a little trouble breathing when he was in bed because of the pressure from his belly. So sitting up made him feel better. I explained what the evening was going to consist of and told him I would be back in about an hour to get everything started. He had already been drinking miralax so we were well on our way with the easy part of the prep.

About an hour later I came back and was going to talk to him about the timing of the enemas and how much miralax he still had to drink, but I was incredibly distracted by the wheezing and coughing I heard from him. He had not been doing this when I was in the room an hour earlier. His face was flushed and he was freezing. His wife had 4 blankets on him.


I helped him back to bed, raised the head of the bed up so he could breath better and took his temp. . . 101.9! Great! I asked him about the wheezing and couphing and he said he just started that. I listened to his lungs and they did sound a little wheezy too. He was NPO (nothing by mouth) so all I had for the temp was a tylenol suppository. So we postpone the enema (x2) that was supposed to be the next part of the prep, and go straight for the suppository. I called the doc about the wheezing, as he also had a heart history, and I was a little concerned about fluid overload with the fluids they were giving him. We ended up with a chest xray that came back clear, and respiratory treatments.


I no more got that order written and sent to the pharmacy, that I hear his pulse oximenter beeping. His oxygen had dropped to 82%. . . and he was already on 3L of oxygen. I called the RT (respiratory therapist) to get the neb treatments now, and put him on a 50% venti mask.







Poor guy, stayed on a venti all night long. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I called that doctor. I felt so bad for her, calling in the middle of the night but I really didn't have alot of choice. She was the one on call. However she was not the doc that had been seeing this patient, so we did alot of conversing and putting our heads together to keep this guy comfy through the night.
One of the times I called her was for a critical lab. His INR was way high. So high that I knew they would surely cancel the colonoscopy scheduled for the morning. Then by 6:00am (my shift ends at 7:30) his blood pressure was dropping. I had to call her yet again, because it was below the call orders. I also inform her that this patient has been getting fluids all night and has not urinated. We did the enemas, but had no results, and his belly is bigger than it was when I started my shift, AND his face is a little puffy, and his arms are a little puffy (they weren't this way to begin with). By this time the wife is getting a little freaked out. The on call doc simply said, Dr. Surgeon (who was his admitting doc) will be in in a couple of hours. See what he wants to do.

I go to inform the wife that I am sorry, we will have to wait for Dr. Surgeon to get here. I let her know that the on call doc said Dr. Surgeon should be here early. She thanked me and seemed ok with this information. I however felt terrible, my gut knew something was not right!

What I wanted to do was stop the fluids, sink and NG and get it hooked up to suction, anchor a foley and give the man some lasix. But of course I am just the nurse. . . . I had to trust Dr. OnCall and wait for Dr. Surgeon to get there.
I reported off to the day shift nurse and told her all my concerns. She then informed me that Dr. Surgeon is NEVER there before 10AM and since this is a weekend, it would probably be later. I then asked if there was someone else I could call before I left to try to get something done before I clocked out. She just looked at me with this really dumb look and said, "No, but thanks." She really didn't appear that concerned about anything I had told her.

I worried about this man all the way home. I went to sleep and woke up to get ready for my next shift still with him on my mind. Wondering what was done and was the nurse attentive enough, proactive enough, to take care of him.
I didn't work that same floor that next night. However what I learned was that the colonoscopy was in fact cancelled and Dr. Surgeon didn't come in until around 11 and took him straight to the OR. I am assuming they did a bowel ressection, but I have not heard that. Last I had heard, he was still vented in ICU. As soon as I heard the news, I went to the ICU waiting room to see if his wife was there. She never left his side since the day he admitted so I thought maybe she would be sleeping in the ICU waiting area. She was no where to be found. When my shift was over, I stopped by the ICU waiting area again, and still was unable to find her.
All the way home that morning I prayed for him to recover and for his wife to have her husband back at home with her. I have thought of them several times since then. They were a very sweet couple and I felt so bad for them and what they were enduring that particular night.

I never did fine out what the outcome was with James. This is the part of the job that is hard. I have to care for them and let them go. However there are so many that I can't let go of. They remain with me as a gentle reminder of why I love my job. This is the part of my job where I learn to have faith in God, knowing that He will take care of these people. Either way. . .

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Forever Changed . .

Not long ago I was blessed to care for an incredibly brave woman. Not that most of the patients I care for aren't brave but this one was different.

She came to the ER because she was "turning yellow". She was in her 80's had already suffered and mostly recovered from a stroke a few years earlier. She had just a few minor residual effects from that stroke. In the ER they did a scan, admitted her to the general med floor where she stayed for 3-4 days. She learned during this stay that there was a mass on her pancreas. Not only was there a mass, but she had cancer, it had already metastasized to her liver and basically she was told there was nothing they could do for her. She was not a surgical candidate and really it was too far already to start treatment.

The family all gathered around and took shifts staying 24/7 with their mother as the doctors worked to find ways to improved her quality of life. To see if there was anything that could be done. They changed her to a DNR, and were making plans to take her home to die at home.

Issues. . . her INR was off the charts!! I am not sure I have ever seen one this high. We were giving her Vitamin K to help reverse it and decrease the chance of spontaneous bleeding, but it was not working. After several doses of Vit K the INR results were left unchanged. Her liver was not functioning enough to make the clotting factors needed to bring the INR back down. The original plan was to get the INR down and send her home.

The night I cared for her, was crazy. I had the Resident on speed dial and he spent many hours talking to the family, and on the phone with me. The patients IV went bad. We were giving her fluids to help with her blood pressure because it had been so low, she was also receiving antibiotics through the IV. I pulled the bad IV with the intentions of starting a new one, however that didn't work out. When the bad IV was pulled, the bleeding started. I held pressure on that spot for literally one hour! That is not a good thing when you have 3 other patients on your assignment. I called for help from another nurse who tried to start another IV while I held pressure on the bleeder. He tried twice to get the IV and both times the vein would blow then more bleeding. The doctor was called about the IV site problems then came questions from the family. I spent many hours at the bedside of this sweet lady. Comforting her, answering questions and trying to help them make sense of this sudden diagnosis and what to expect. They were a very attentive family. They loved her very much and that was evident. They wanted to make sure we were doing everything possible. They were fine letting go if that was the only option, they just wanted to be sure. They were scared, and I could certainly understand that.

She didn't get much sleep that night. It seemed there was a reason for me to be in that room at least every hour. Then when morning came and it was time to check vitals again, her blood pressure was 70/40. At this point I again called the in house Resident. We both thought there was probably internal bleeding going on. It only made sense. When the patient saw this blood pressure on the Dinamap, she looked at me as serious as could be and said, "I'm dying aren't I?"
HOLY COW!!! What am I supposed to say to that? I sat on the corner of her bed, held her hand and as gently as I could I told her the truth. That is what she wanted. I told her that the blood work was not good. I explained about the INR being high, I explained that the blood pressure wasn't good but that we were going to see if we could get it up. I also told her that as she knew the prognosis wasn't good. This was not new news to her. However I didn't think she was going to die today. Her daughter looked at me with tears and asked if they needed to get her other children in town. Some of them lived out of town and even out of the country. I told her daughter that it would probably be a good idea, however I nor the doctors would be able to tell them when she would die or how long she really had. That was up to someone much bigger than us. The patient squeezed my hand and thanked me for being honest with her. She said she already knew all of this but still felt she needed to ask.

My heart was breaking. She was so sweet and was so brave. She laughed and joked and told stories and treasured the time she had with her children. If she herself was fearful at all she certainly didn't show it. At one point all the family had stepped out of the room for one reason or another and the two of us sat on in the room, just us, and I prayed with her. I prayed that God would give her strength, that He would ease the pain she felt and keep her at peace with what was before her. I prayed for her many children and grandchildren that they would be able to handle this journey as well. That they would hold on to all that was good about their mother. We together prayed for safety for the children that were traveling. I could tell this was difficult for her, however she faced it with such courage. Not letting on that if there was one ounce of fear.

She went to the inpatient hospice unit the very next day. She knew she would never again see the inside of her home. She knew that this was where she would spend her final days with her children and grandchildren by her side. She was resolved that this was what was left of her life here on earth.

She lived about a week longer. Honestly, it was a week longer than I expected. She passed peacefully with her family at her side. She savored all the moments she could with each of them until God decided it was time.

I will never forget her smile. . . her courage.

I go to work thinking that I am there to help my patients, to care for them and hopefully bring some form of healing to their lives, their bodies. What I learn is, that most days, the patients that I care for are really bringing some form of healing to me. I take a piece of them with me at the end of my shift. Whether it be the patient who is dying, the one who has tried my very last ounce of patience, or the one that is a simple post op that will stay 24 hours and go home. I learn something from each of them. And, my heart is forever changed. . . . on a daily basis!

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Uninterested. . . .

I have been tagged by Deanna over at Mops and Pops Place.
I am to identify 6 uninteresting things that I love and then pass this task on to 6 others. This is not as easy at it sounds. I think my life overall is pretty uninteresting and how fun is it to share uninteresting things with people who don't know you well, ya know like all 12 of you who actually take time out of your busy day to read this blog.

So I guess here goes. . .

1. I love to people watch - I could go to the mall and sit there for hours on end just watching people. I don't really like to shop so sitting on a bench would suite me just fine! You can learn alot about a person just watching.

2. I do love spreadsheets (not that I like to admit it - so let's just keep this between us ok???) - keeping a list and putting things into a spreadsheet keeps me organized. Sometimes it is the only way to take what is twirling around in my head and make it make sense. I have done a spreadsheet for house cleaning, for how to care for our dogs, for our finances, for vacation planning, for items needed to be purchased (when we were building our house), for my work schedule. . . you name it and I can make a spreadsheet for it. Most people I know think this is pretty "geeky" (is that a real word??), but it works for me!

3. I love to read other blogs - my family thinks it is crazy, and mostly a waste of time, but I love to have that little window into the lives of other people. Maybe because it takes my mind off of mine for a while, maybe because their life is a little more exciting than mine, or maybe because it makes mine look less crazy. Who knows, but I do love it.

4. Crossword Puzzles - this is a new thing for me. But I am starting to like it. . . does that mean I am getting old. I always thought it was older people who did crosswords, but I caught myself searching the hospital giftshop the other day for a crossword puzzle book that I could actually do. You know the easy ones. That is where it all started. They banned facebook from the hospital computers so on my downtime at night when all patients are sleeping and things are quiet (however we never ever ever EVER say that "Q" word outloud!!!!!). I have been working crossword puzzles. Unfortunately for me, my nights have not been "Q" enough lately to even have a chance to pee, so that book is not good and broke in yet.

5. I absolutely love love love musicals!!!!! - We own a ton of DVD's and given the choice I would rather watch a musical than any other kind of movie. And better yet. . . see it in real life! I don't think I have many friends or even family that share this same love for music and theater and I don't get to do it near as often as I would like. I could probably name every song from every Rogers and Hammerstein musical. If there was a trivial pursuit category on musicals, you would definately want me on your team! I love them! My dream (in regards to musicals) is to see a real live Broadway show actually on Broadway!

6. I check the obituaries daily - does that totally make me strange? Many of my friends would say so. However, I have cared for many many people in my career. And sometimes that is the only way to find out what ever happened to them. You can learn alot about a person from their obit. Ok, so don't think I am totally nuts or obsessed with death. I just like to be in the know. . . ya know?



This did take some thinkin' power. But now I am supposed to pass this along to 6 other people, to do the same. Please check out their blogs as I have listen them because I feel they are worth reading. I am choosing blogs I read often but don't comment on alot. I have to admit I am a terrible commenter, even though I love love love it when people comment on my blog. Guess I will have to work on that huh?

Malia,
the cutest little girl I have seen in a
really really long time.
She also gives her mama
lots and lots to blog about!!
An adoptive mom, Air Force wife, and crockpot cook.
Great recipes, stories about a sweet
brown eyed baby girl, and a woman of great
strength raising a baby while
her husband is deployed.
Our heros are our soliders AND their families!!!
A neurologist who totally cracks me up!
Maybe because I love neurology who knows.
I can totally relate to many of his stories though.
A new blogger who inspires me every day!
She has a great positve outlook on life and can
always find the sun shining even
when there are clouds.
Go check her out and welcome her to blogland!
A fairly new RN working in the Emergecy Department.
She has some great stories to tell and it is so
nice to see and hear from a yet
unjaded, compassionate nurse.
A nursing student and single mom of three children.
This alone makes her my new hero!!
A blog I have been reading but for some reason am
not able to comment on. I click on the comment link
and nothing happens. So I hope she reads this and
knows that I am tagging her and reading her
blog and cheering her on in the wonderful adventrue she is on!
OH. . and don't worry 1/5 IV starts isn't terrible!
You will get the hang of it. It is totally a practice makes perfect thing!
Ok, so go check out those blogs, show them some love and get tagging!! This is a great way to learn more about the people reading your blog and those you read. It is also kinda fun!



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