Updates!

Oops...I've been a bad blogger...no updates since Valentines Day :( But- here's a good one, so hopefully it'll make up for my negligence!

Last week at work was a bit rough. It was just busy and hard. I had a challenging patient two out of the three days and went home each night feeling tense and stressed out about her situation. She is only 6 weeks pregnant and basically, puking her guts out. She has been hospitalized for over two weeks now and currently is on a medical floor receiving TPN (intravenous nutrition). It was just a bad situation all around: she didn't plan on getting pregnant, and now she's totally miserable. We maxed out all of the anti-emetic (code for: stop the puking) drugs, pain drugs, and were stuck. It's awful to have to say to your patient over and over again "I'm sorry, I've done everything we can do, we just have to wait it out". Not fun:( But this week has been much better!

Monday we discharged 11 patients, and by the end of the shift we had 5. 5 patients on the whole unit. On the average day I care for 5 patients by myself! It was a really nice easy way to start the week. However...these blissful moments can only last for so long. By yesterday at the end of the shift, we had: get ready: 21 patients!!! That means (including our 4 antepartum patients and 1 postpartum infection) 15 people delivered babies in the 24 hours from Monday night til Tuesday night!!! CRAZY!!! And there is all this stuff that has to happen in the first 12-24 hours of life that had us all running around like chickens with our heads cut off!
I was super tired by the end of the day yesterday, and more than ready for our weekly dinner and LOST viewing night with my new dear friends Kim and Paven. That's right folks, I HAVE FRIENDS!!! They are lovely ladies and we had a great night (and morning this morning!)
Then, later this morning I went to get my hair cut and roots taken care of, and next thing I know, I'm walking out a blond! The highlights were slightly brighter than I anticipated...But I think I like it...What do you think? (ignore my "tired eyes")

Bad A_ _ Nursery Nurse

Happy Valentines Day!!! So this weekend (both days) I was the nursery nurse. As it would turn out, after that first crazy time, I'm pretty great at being the nursery nurse. And I love it! Yesterday I had a health care tech AND 3 nursing students in the morning to help with task-y stuff, like transporting babies to and from their rooms and giving baths, which was really helpful. It gave me time to admit the new babies and assist the MD with circumcisions. Plus, it's fun to teach the students what I know! Today was a little slower, but I didn't have any help, so I kept pretty busy. I got stuff done without feeling out of control and got extra things done for my co-workers too! And I get some nice compliments from them for it! One of my co-nurses said "Katie, man, you are a bad A_ _ nursery nurse!" One of the pediatricians asked me if I loved what I do, I said yes, and he said "I can tell. Don't ever lose that." And tonight when I was reporting off to the night nurse, she said "You are really good at giving report...and actually, I'm just impressed by you, you seem like you've been doing this for 30 years!". Can't hear that enough! It's really great to be respected as a peer now, and not just one of the "new girls". I'll sleep well tonight. There's something to be said for having a job where you get to cuddle babies. My soul feels happy!

Back in the Game

Ok, so I'm mostly recovered, although it still hurts on occasion when I forget that I just had surgery. The last 6 days were SUPER BORING. I am under a 10-15 pound lifting restriction for two weeks so I'm not allowed to be a nurse. Apparently, if a Mom fainted or something, I'm supposed to catch her...which would be bad for my newly repaired hernia. So instead, I get to sit at the desk outside of our unit, screening people for H1N1. Basically, I take temperatures and argue with people about the visitor policy. It's a good time. And by "good time" I mean, BORING time. I worked at 8-12 hours at the desk on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. And Saturday I worked from 7 am to 11 pm. That's 16 hours people. It SUCKED. It has also been really hard because our unit has been crazy busy (I know, I always say that, but on Tuesday they did 6 c-sections before I left at 3...the average is 2-3) and I just had to sit there and watch my coworkers struggle without being able to help them. But, I should be glad that they let me work anyway, considering I haven't been working long enough to take extended time off. And, after serving (more than) my time at the desk, on Saturday I finally get to be a nurse again. YAY!!! Turns out I am really bad at sitting still when I'm not TRYING to be lazy.

OUCH

Ok, so I'm not sure how long this will be, I don't have tons of energy just yet, but can I just say- OUCH?! A hernia repair (despite how quick and delightful and laproscopic they describe it) is not fun, not easy, and not comfortable! You don't realize how you use those core, inguinal (meaning close to the crotch) muscles to do, oh yeah, EVERYTHING! There is not one move- not sitting in any position, as possibly still as you can without even breathing-where you aren't using those muscles in a hard core (ha-ha, get it? CORE?) way. It's terrible when you need assistance just to sit down on the toilet, and then to get back up again! Yuck! Everything went well, but they said it was a relatively small hole and a relatively LARGE hernia, so there was lot's of pushing to get it back in. Also, I look like I got punched in the mouth (apparently I am hard to intubate), so it was hard for me to swallow anything. And that was just the first day. By yesterday, the pain was more under control, I was starting to wean myself off of the narcotics, and starting to feel more human. Today, I even took a shower all by myself! The worst part now is that I am antsy to get back out and do stuff, but still too exhausted to really do anything of interest. I have yet to sleep through the night (hopefully that will happen tonight because I have only taken one nap today).
I'm not sure what this means for work in the next few weeks. I am technically under a lifting restriction for the next two weeks, which I guess means that I can't go back to my normal duties... My boss is trying to figure out what kind of light duty schedule they can get me on for now....
I can tell you that when I do go back, man, do I have some new perspectives to take with me! I hate to admit it, but I have not always thought nice things about moms after c-sections who aren't just jumping to get out of bed. I always thought, I know it's rough, but just do it- it'll be better when you do (which IS the truth). Now, I have WAY more sympathy for them! I mean, I only have three, minor incisions, not one HUGE one that goes through ALL of the layers! YOUCHERS! I am not sure my actions will change much (I'm always sweet and nuturing on the outside), but I will be thinking much kinder, gentler thoughts!