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Saturday, July 26, 2008
checkin' in
Exhausted
whew! what a week. I think these 12 hour shifts just might do me in. I am loving the new job, though. I certainly didn't realize how much I missed patient care and I am very glad to be back - very rewarding, and very-very interesting to say the least. I will spare you all the goriest of details, but for the weak of stomach, stop reading here:
Yesterday, I touched a man's skull. And was thrilled to have done so. No laughing matter, but it was positively fascinating. Don't fret. He was upright and talking to me, and after 22 staples and 14+ sutures (we lost count on the internal sutures) he walked out and went home with a very bad headache. He was a lovely soul, and I can't wait until he returns to have his "hardware" removed in a week. Have I mentioned how much I love the patient contact? No, I do NOT mean glove-to-skull contact!!
* * * * *
I feel like today was my lucky day. My first of three days off, I decided to spend some time visiting those who I never see anymore now that I am working day shift. Incidentally, I return to night shift on August 11th. Anyway, I spent the entire day visiting with my sister and her grandson. As I was leaving her house, I heard an announcement on the radio that the local station we were tuned into was hosting a "free gas Friday" literally one mile from where we were. Noticing my gas gauge down to just 1/4 tank, I thought I'd give my luck a try. I am not a gambler, but we were literally right in the neighborhood and I needed gas anyway. When I pulled into the growing line of cars I learned that the first 106 people would receive 10 gallons of gas, and I was number 75! Now granted, I drive one of those environmentally unsound SUV's, and ten gallons only gets me about half a tank, but I just "won" another week's worth of travel! I was thrilled! I have never won anything before, not even at pull tabs or lottery tickets, so this was quite a thrill! I can now see how folks become addicted to gambling. I was ready to go blow the $45 I would have spent on gasoline on the Washington State lottery... I sincerely appreciate the little voice in my head that talked me out of it!
Happy Saturday to all of you!!
immeadow5 at 12:19:37 AM EDT
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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
my latest new job
Pleased
So here it is: another new job. Those who know me probably wonder just how stable I am if this is my third new job this year. Well, wonder no longer. I am perfectly stable...just a little indecisive about my life plan. I am still with S****** Hospital since 2001. If I follow Uncle Sam's plan for my retirement, I will still be working there when I am 71. I will retire from S***** when I am 72. Hopefully, I will have learned a few things along the way. Good night, nurse, I have 32 more years of education to come... I am still a baby!
Anyway, I have been working per diem since 2006, but with per diem scheduling I am afforded quite a bit of personal "down time". Not so good when I really need to earn a paycheck. So, my manager very graciously allowed me to come in a couple of times a week and do "busy work" for her - filing, faxing, you know where I am going - a real snoozer! Not that I didn't appreciate the hours, but they were still so sporatic that I never knew where my next paycheck was coming from.
Eventually, I accepted a part time position as Patient Liaison. Another great opportunity, with benefits, but as much as I love interacting with patients, it was a customer service position which is not where my talents lie. Who am I kidding? I know your five-hour wait seems outrageous, but the triage nurse has deemed you stable enough to wait here in this (lovely, comfortable...) waiting room until an exam room opens up for you. I will keep you updated on your status here (and bring you coffee, blankets, whatever creature comforts I can provide within reason...) in our (lovely, comfortable...) emergency room while you wait. What I really wanted to say is, "Yea, there really is a 5 hour wait, and since you are sitting here just waiting and waiting, you might consider this: the ER is jam-packed with patients who are every bit as "sick" as you are, and if you all would just go and visit your primary care doctor for this cold/cough/vomiting/diarrhea/back pain/toothache/whatever non-emergent condition-you-have, we might be able to treat the truly sick patients in a much more timely fashion..." Good thing I was only thinking these things. I found myself very frustrated in this position. I was able to keep most folks happy or content on a daily basis when the wait was long. It was the few that I could not resolve their frustration that really made it difficult. I did not enjoy the challenge. I could not "make a difference" to them, and it really wore me down.
My latest challenge (ie. position) is ED Tech. I am very much looking forward to direct patient care again. I haven't been hands-on with patients since I came to S*****, and interestingly enough, this is the job that I applied for back in 2001 but was offered Unit Secretary as there were no Tech positions open at the time. I almost turned the job down in 2001, because I felt that I had already done "as much secretarial work as I can" - it honestly, no longer interested me. The ED Manager at the time begged me to just come and observe for an hour or two, "Come see what it is like." he said.
I had no idea what the Unit Secretary did, obviously, because I did come and observe for a little while, just to humor him, and low-and-behold it was like nothing I had done before... and I was hooked! I accepted the position, and never looked back!
The Unit Secretary position is sort of a "coveted" position: no one leaves the job, unless they've graduated from nursing school, retired or died, so all this time I have been waiting for one of these scenarios to occur so that I could go back to an FTE. None have happened in the last nearly three years. I tired of waiting, and realized what I should be doing instead. And here I am: The first week of Tech orientation is over, I am precepting with an EMT on day shift (7a - 7p) and learning how to draw blood, apply splints and a whole laundry list of other things, and LOVING IT!! It feels really weird to be learning from a kid young enough to be my son, but feels so great to be doing something Ireally love. YAY!!
My true passion lies in Diagnostic Imaging, and I imagine that "someday" I will finish my degree in radiology. It is just down-right amazing to be able to see inside the human body by a minimally invasive technique (x-ray/contrasted CT/MRI). My hang up is whether or not I want to be part of the health care team, or part of the diagnostic team. Totally separate, and very, very different. I think I would miss the excitement of Emergency Medicine.
At this point in my life, I am in no hurry to decide, and certainly in no way ready to get back into classes -- Miss Kee is still so young, and I really can't see myself returning to school before she is in school full time. Heck, at the rate I am going, I will probably go to college with one of my kids!! Wouldn't that be a trip?!
Anyway, I will be on orientation for the next month, then back to working nights (7pm - 7am) just before the kids head back to school in the fall. I feel like I am finally getting my life back on track since my dad passed away... like I have been stuck in neutral all this time. Is that weird?
immeadow5 at 5:48:30 PM EDT
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I found this:
Inquisitive
Verba volant, scripta manent.
I found this while cruising J-land today. Never heard it before, was instantly intrigued -- my first thought was Harry Potter or some Wiccan chant -- turns out it is Latin meaning:
Spoken words fly away, written words remain.
I think I will sit back and ponder this awhile...
immeadow5 at 12:22:05 PM EDT
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
the Inaugural Shower
Cheerful
Complete and utter bliss.
The bathroom remodel is almost complete, the tub/shower now completely tiled, grouted, sealed... I did almost none of the work. My husband is so fabulous, he let me take the first shower in it anyway... It was wonderful. This being the only "bath"room in the house, we have been taking bird baths for almost two weeks, or using the showers at our respective hospitals. A mere inconvenience at it's worst, but to have the shower back... Priceless!
There is still one section of sheetrock to install, the new flooring to lay and then install the safety bars. After that, I take over for the fun part! I am serious when I say fun! I will be creatively expressing myself with color! Funny, thinking back now the whole reason we've remodeled this bathroom is because I wanted to paint it. Just a little color on the otherwise white walls. However, pink toilet, tub and sink were so completely unacceptable anymore that when our second tax "refund" arrived we invested it at Home Depot. So glad we did!!
Keep your eyes peeled - before and after pictures to post soon!! YAY!!
immeadow5 at 2:17:32 PM EDT
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Many thanks
Cheerful
Sincere gratitude to those well-wishers who left comments on my Mortifying Experience entry.
The baby is completely healed, had no complications with the burns (no secondary infection or anything...) and I have stopped making myself feel like a complete loser. You all are right. It was an accident. Completely avoidable, but an accident nonetheless. I am getting over it.
As they say, hindsight is always 20/20 and even at my ripe old age of twenty-one (let me live the delusion!) I am still learning this parenting gig. Not to say that we have never cautioned her on the dangers of hot things (among the multitudes of other no-no's) we have come to accept that some things she just has to learn on her own. She is 2-1/2 and defiant to the very fiber of her existence. We actually celebrate this quality in her, but with it comes some heartache. She fully understands the consequences of "hot" now... and yes, it sucked! For all of us.
Again, thanks to you all for cheering me up and sharing your own tales of misery. I very much appreciate(d) each and every one of you!
xoxo
MeMeadow
** defiant may be too harsh of a word. She is just very good at testing the boundaries of everything. She is like life lesson number 5 - learn the rules so you know how to break them. It is a good quality. Just somewhat frustrating to the parents when you're a toddler... **
immeadow5 at 1:35:19 AM EDT
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Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
A mortifying experience
Distraught
So here it is: I made a mistake. That's a tough thing for me to say. Oh, I make them all the time, but I try to pretend that I am perfect and that I don't make mistakes, but I am human after all. However, that is no good excuse... I do try to get away with not admitting to my mistakes at every chance. If I don't acknowledge them, they never happened right? Yea, right...
A couple of nights ago, I was getting ready for work and left the flat-iron (opposite of a hair curling iron...) unattended and my curious two-an-a-half-year old grabbed it and burned her fingers. Badly. I ended up taking her to the children's emergency room, because I just don't know anything about taking care of burns. Turns out, the burns were pretty minor in relative terms, but I was just so distraught over how distraught she was.
The doctors were awesome, really helpful and non-judgemental. I just wish we'd had our "first contact" with the doctors. Turns out, our first contact was made by a social worker. As if I didn't feel completely incompetent as a mother in the first place. Suddenly, my whole sense of self is in question. How could I have left my baby in danger like that? What on earth was I thinking, and better yet what the heck was she doing up at that hour? (My work day begins at 11pm, so naturally it was well past her bedtime when the accident happened.) Then come the next barrage of questions: Who watches her while we work (my husband a night-shift worker also)? Who watches her while we sleep? Where are the two older children? Who takes care of them during the day? It was a grilling. A very uncomfortable situation.
I certainly understand their purpose: to make sure this child, and all children for that matter, are safe and protected. I just never imagined myself on their opposing side. I am a healthcare worker. I see much worse situations in my own workplace. I assumed the "really bad parents" looked nothing like me. I was shamed, and deservedly so.
I am my own worst enemy, and believe me I had already beaten myself up pretty badly on the drive to the hospital, but to have perfect strangers and professionals in this area tell me how horrible I am really struck me.
The baby's fingers are healing really great. The hole in my heart will take longer.
The mental self-abuse continues.
immeadow5 at 1:57:37 PM EDT
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Friday, July 4, 2008
Electile Dysfunction
Silly
Electile Dysfunction: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for President put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.
... and I thought I was alone in missing Hillary! Happy Birthday, America!
immeadow5 at 11:07:57 AM EDT
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Sunday, June 29, 2008
Summer's Here
Chillin' | good morning to you, by the little birdies in my yard
Nope - no denying it. Summer has finally arrived in Seattle! Wahoo!! We held the first BBQ of the summer yesterday. SistaJ, SistaD, SistaE and Cuz'nL all in attendance - it was freakin' HOT! Literally, the temperatures. So hot, it was an indoor gathering. I laugh... we complain all year how miserable the rain is, how we can't "do" anything outdoors because of the rain, so what happens when the sun finally shows? We complain it's too hot to go out... sheesh...
I am guilty as charged!
Not sure what the forecast is for today. I have never been successful at finding a local weather report on HBO. I can tell you though, it is going to be another beautiful day. It is 8am, I have all the north-facing windows wide open and all the fans on hoping to capture a little cool air before I close the house up tight and try to keep from melting. My poor husband is working hard on the bathroom remodel - all the plumbing is complete (thank you Cuz'nL...) so now it is time to get the sheetrock and cement board up and then bring on the tile...
A little word of advice: Do it yourself projects are very nice. Don't be fooled into thinking you don't need some professional help. Plumbing is not something you can learn in a weekend from a book! Sure glad we have a plumber in the family to rescue us from disaster...
Keep cool - in every way possible! xoxo MeMeadow
immeadow5 at 11:45:57 AM EDT
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
gotta love a little quiz
Happy | can't quite figure out the tune in my head - itsy bitsy spider maybe?!
A fun little quiz that my son wrote and mass emailed to everyone in his address book. Remember, he's twelve -- toilet humor is still very cool.
Anyway, we all know how these work, copy and paste to your own journal, but leave me the link so I can go and read!!
Have fun!!
1.WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Tracy aka SistaT aka MeadowSoprano aka Mommy
2.FAVORITE COLOR? blue or green
3.MOST LIKELY TO ANSWER FIRST? hmmmm.... good question!
4.LEAST LIKELY? Kevin
5.FAVORITE SONG/BAND? American Idiot - Green Day
6.SOUNDS YOU HEAR? Miss Keely slurping the milk from her spoon, and the aquarium bubbling
7.WHATCHA WEARIN'? I'm completely naked under my clothing 
8.FAVORITE DRINK? Iced triple grande caramel macchiato (in the winter I take it hot...)
9.FAVORITE FOOD? Chinese, specifically egg rolls!!
10. 3 THINGS YOU DID LAST NIGHT? 1) pushed a few gurney's through the halls 2) listened to people complain about the long wait 3) served coffee and warm blankets to our waiting room 'family'
11.LAST MOVIE WATCHED? Kung-Fu Panda! Loved it!
12.INVENTION YOU'D LOVE? privately owned 'air vehicles' - think Jetson's
13. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED? a couple of hours ago...
14.FAVORITE NUMBER? 5
15.IS YOUR ROOM CLEAN, MR./MS? which one?! some are, some aren't
16.OBAMA OR MCCAIN? Hilary
17.BUSH DESERVES TO....? hmmm... can't seem to think of anything bad enough
18.HOW ARE YOU? sassy and cynical - and those are my better traits LOL!!
19. DID YOU SLEEP WELL? not yet - bedtime today is around 2pm
20. WHAT DID YOU DREAM ABOUT? well the last time I slept I dreamed about work - no, wait - I wasn't sleeping!!
21.WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR UNDIES (this information is needed. if no answer, write N/A)? hmmm... since my 12 year old authored this quiz, do I approve of this question?!
22.LAST QUIZ TAKEN? a couple of weeks ago
23.LAST TV SHOW WATCHED? Intervention - no, wait! that was work...
24.FAVORITE CAR? the one I'll never buy? BMW X5
25.DID YOU STAY UP ALL NIGHT (or until 2 A.M) THIS SUMMER? only on work nights!
26.ARE YOU HUNGRY? not yet...
27. DID YOU LIKE THIS QUIZ? Yes, Jamey er, James... it was lots of fun! Minus the underwear question... hee hee
Testing complete. Results being counted...
YOU ARE:
A good person!
You actually finished my test!
at 3:52:48 AM EDT
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