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Thursday, May 24, 2007

Down like a punch drunk boxer

I can't say I wasn't warned. When I talked with my traveling buddy, Nancy, the other day on the phone, she sounded like she had been run backward's through a cheese grater. She had the husky voice of the 96 year old, red lipstick wearing old lady sucking on a filterless cigarette, swilling rot gut in one of those square drink glasses. With a cocktail onion. She has the dreaded Spring Cold.
I was hoping to avoid this all together, but being as I spent 9 days, sharing a room, and well, space with her, cheek to cheek in NY taxi's, ect. I knew the odds were against me. I was hoping that my superior nursing immune system would kick in and protect me. At least long enough for me to work my two nights. My friends, it was not to be. My laid back, California nurse immune system got beat down by the NYC spring cold bug. I felt slightly shitty yesterday, some body aches, ect. I attributed it to jet lag, and the fact that I didn't sleep well during the day. I went to work, anyhow, thinking, "I can do anything for 12 hours!" Yeah, right, says my body. By 0415 this am, I was a blathering idiot. Let me rethink that. A blathering idiot, taking care of a nearly dead patient on a ventilator. Perhaps, not my finest moment. My co- workers, including Celtic Rose, didn't even hardly blink when I announced, that even with only 3 hours left in the shift, I was going to have to go home. I was just DONE. Thankfully, we had a charge nurse who could take care of my patient for the last 3 hours, or, I would have been forced to suck it up. And I doubt it would have been pretty.
I was home by 0430, in bed at 0433, and sleeping like a punch drunk boxer by 0435. I just got up. Still feel like crap, but at least I feel like kind of rested crap. I go back to work in two, fun filled days. Yipee.
Hope the rest of you are good!
** upon re reading this, I feel the need to point out that it wasn't me who made the patient nearly dead, it was his years of copious alcohol intake, among other things. I think I actually managed to take good care of him up until I left. I left, because I could not see myself doing so well by him those last three hours, and I didn't want him to have any more problems than he already had. . .

5 comments:

kaliulka said...

Welcome back sweetie! Yes, flying in a metal tube with bad air does that to you. When I worked as a flight attendant (aka sky slut), I was sick all the time with respiratory krap. Confidentiality here---I am the HIPPA Queen under reasonable circumstances, but 8 hours of your already half dead self-inflicted damaged patient is enough. I took care of Bubba 2 nights earlier. 4 years older than me---what a lesson. Glad I slacked off the booze at 27 or so or my skin would not look so good at 53. Lost count after 7 Lactulose shitz the other noc. And then got a new admit at 0500-----grrrrrrrr! And Celtic Rose wasn't even working to give me some comic relief (AN was though---hey, she upped her contract for another go---just thought I'd brighten an already shitty day for ya). Anyhoo, the patient: too many brewskis and cigarettes. UMMMM-maybe could the fam-damly get their shit together to make him a DNR---Puhleeeeze!? Nothing new here in my little life people---lost my blogging momentum while Mielikki was incommunicado in Sin City. Newest thing in my little life: tried a new recipe yesterday, now have 7 types of birds at the feeder, and clipped the kitties nails and brushed their teeth today. How boring---makes up for the absolutely wild earlier part of my life---- that's another blog all together. Love and peace to all---Kali

mielikki said...

Kali
glad to see you resurface. We have four vent cases running wild in podunk ICU right now. And, I found out last noc that Amaretto Nurse will be here until August. I nearly ground my teeth into oblivion. Of course, feeling like I have been run over by a steamroller today just adds to the joy.
You brush your kitty's teeth? How many scars do you have from that? And, there is nothing wrong with a "boring life". Sometimes its safer that way

Rachel said...

I hate being sick and I hate being sick and having to work even more.
My employer has a very strict absence policy so usually when I have a cold I am at work plugging away. It is only when it involves fevers or liquid being emmitted form various orifices that I stay home.
Or a sick kid. That one keeps me home too.
I hope you feel better soon!!!

Mimi said...

Airborne for all plane trips - that's my rule.

Sorry you are feeling poorly.

sybil law said...

Ugh that totally sucks! Hope you're feeling better now. Those NYC bugs, they are the worst....