Day's off, its a good thing

I am off and darn happy about it also. Working this last week with this crud still lingering on, taking the responsibilities of self staffing, and this darn stomach pain made the week go slow and stressful.

Although I feel much better and the cough is so much better now my ear hurts constantly and that pain in my stomach is worse. I feel like I tore a stomach muscle. So every time I cough, which is still pretty often, it is like getting stabbed. This has been a bad month for us health wise. Rick is still coughing and for both us when the Tylenol wears off we get all the body aches right back. What a persistent virus.

I have my last physical therapy today and then next Tuesday I see the ortho doc about my shoulder. I have no idea what they plan on doing. The pain is tolerable going the way I am doing. If I don't use it it isn't that painful. When I use it, it hurts. How long will my job let me slide on a 2 pound lifting limit before they terminate me? On the 3rd it will be 5 months since I hurt it. I have days when I think it is much better and then will reach for something and wham, pain all the way down my arm. The muscles are looking pretty wasted in the arm even with me doing my exercises which is disturbing. But as I said I have gotten used to it. If it doesn't get any worse I can live with it. I just don't know what the chances of that are. If I start lifting with it again will it tear the rest of the way?

So enough of that. I spent 2 hours in meetings yesterday on top of workng all night. We got the latest briefing on the swine flu as probably every hospital in the country has been getting. I am still not extremely worried about this flu but...... it is a new virus. They don't know exactly how it will react or revolve. The first wave, the one we are having now isn't very bad with most people having mild symptoms. The 2nd way is the one they are more concerned with. If the virus mutates to a more deadly virus and knocks you down and then comes right back and hits you again with a 3rd wave it could be very bad. So having a plan is a good thing and most hospitals and clinics are getting ready. Be prepared for worse, but still expecting the best.

Best advice. Wash wash wash your hands, don't go to work or shopping if your sick, cover your mouth if your coughing. Same as usual. Remember, so far more people die from the regular flu then have died from this. You can track the flu at the CDC to see how many cases their are. Don't go to ER to get screened. Call your doc if you have symptoms and let them decide if you need to be screened.

I have gotten some spring shots as you can see by the first photo and am hoping to get out this weekend and get some more. It is still trying to rain and is overcast but hopefully we will get some sun. I hope to get on my bike this week and start working on my leg muscles. I miss my bike rides, camera slung to my handles, warm sun on my body. Of course now I have to wear a hat and sunscreen. Hope everyone else is remembering them.

Time to get ready. I have to go to the libarary. My Steven Hawking books are in. Have a great weekend all.

I have been average 1320 calories this week. I tried to get the graft to copy but it won't. Not to bad. I am not drinking enough water but hope to change that today. If you click on the photo below it gets larger and makes a nice desktop pic.

As You Slide Down the Banister of Life

As You Slide Down the Banister of Life, Remember:



1. Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have written
an impressive new book. It's called ...
“Ministers Do More Than Lay People”

2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink
and be Mary.




3. The difference between the Pope and
your boss is the Pope only expects you
to kiss his ring.

4. My mind works like lightning; one brilliant
flash and it is gone.


5. The only time the world beats a path to
your door is if you're in the bathroom.



6. I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once.
The seat folded up, the drink spilled and
that ice, well, it really chilled the mood.


7. It used to be only death and taxes
Now, of course, there's
shipping and handling, too.



8. A husband is someone who, after taking
the trash out, gives the impression that
he just cleaned the whole house..


9 My next house will have no kitchen - just
vending machines and a large trash can.

10. A blonde said, “I was worried that my
mechanic might try to rip me off.
I was relieved when he told me all
I needed was turn signal fluid.'


11. Definition of a teenager?
God's punishment...for enjoying sex.

12. As you slide down the banister of life, may
the splinters never point the wrong way.

Swine Flu

DON'T DO THIS AND YOU SHOULD BE O.K!

7 Down

My first week on my old eating plan is going fair. I am down 7 pounds but really the first 10 or more is just water so we shall see how it falls next week. All in all I am happy with the progress so far. Now if it will stop raining this week so I can climb on the ole bike. If it doesn't I guess I will hit the gym.

We did our 2nd night of self staffing. As feared all shifts were staffed perfectly except the 11's. We haven't exactly had perfect staffing for awhile now so nothing new but it could be bad when we get full again. Low census on the day shifts, short staffed at night. But I am keeping my game face on and not being the grumpy old nurse who has been through this and 400 other changes that come and go. Doesn't help anyway.

It has been raining cats and dogs. Everyday the flowers are opened up more. The old plum tree that fell during last years storm has some shoots coming off the bottom truck. May grow back so we are leaving the stump for now and going to see what happens. The flowers smell so good.


So what's with this swine flu. 152 deaths or 7. Every since they started letting you use calculators in school no one can count. So I got to wonder. What's in it for the government to get the numbers so wrong? Maybe this. See why we need global health care. For situations just like this. Hummmmmm. This cynical old lady. Or a smoke screen to keep our minds on other things. Or maybe like at work I am just a old cynical lady who always looks for the hidden reasons behind every decision made.

Now a disclaimer. The flu is something that can be very serious especially for the elderly or young or those with other health conditions. Occasionally even the very healthy will die.


Well, time to start drinking the water. I am bad at that. Can you smell the flower below? Actually since I still have the crud I can't either but I remember how it smells and am getting better everyday. Now if only my shoulder would be better.

Figured it out

I figured out what is wrong. It is only wrong on my laptop also. When I downloaded everything to my external hard drive something I needed to open my mail and post pictures on this was deleted. I am on my main computer now. I will have to hookup my ebook to the laptop and see if works then. Get rid of one thing, lose another.

Work the rest of the weekend went by fast. Lets see, I got attacked by my detox patient with a open safety pin, this ole lady can still move pretty fast when I have to. Security showed him the error of his ways, and Sunday night I got pulled to another floor. They were having a blue light special in lets get drunk and stab the one's you love night, so it flew by.

I slept 10 hours last night. Catch up time . It was wonderful and I feel great. I needed that and it is wonderful to be able to lay down and sleep. Now I am doing more laundry and then going to the library after my shower.

I am going to re-read, Hawking of the big bang and black holes, by Steven Hawking and see what else they have I haven't read of his yet. One of my favorite subjects and with him being ill reminded me I wanted to read them again.

I also want to get out with my camera. Spring is bursting out all over. The trees are in the early stages of blooming. We have had rain so the trees are now green and it looks like my grass needs to be cut. I want to go looking for flowers.

We went to self staffing now so I also went to caller ID. Most of us are not happy about it. But..... hospitals around the country are in bad financial trouble. With the new decreases in reimbursement in medicare and medicaid it is going to be worse. Hospitals are closing and out reach clinics are closing all over the country. This will get way worse before it gets better so I am trying to just stay happy I have a job. I just am not happy about possibly working 16 hours at a time or not getting my hours in at all. I hope it works out.

Well, time to go hop in the shower. Take care all. Don't sweat the swine flu too much. Wash your hands and stay home if your sick, you'll be fine. Media does love a scare story.

Questions

Is anyone having trouble blogging today? My part to add photo's and graphics is gone. The format looks different. I don't like it. anyone else having problems or notice any changes?

Isolation

I was down isolation alley last night. MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and VRE, (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) are becoming more and more common and unfortunately we get several patients with these antibiotic resistent bugs. They are in isolation at the hospital, but when they get home they probably go shopping, to the movies, swimming......
But at the hospital they are in isolation. Which means I wear a gown, gloves and a mask and as always use good handwashing. I am a handwashing freak and my hands show it. They look at least 10 years older then the rest of my body. A price to pay but worth it.

Anyway. I was down isolation alley last night and it was probably a good thing. I have been on antibiotics since Tuesday and feel 70%, better, just have the cough left and my very sore belly from the staples ripping out, but since I was all gowned up it protects my patients from germs also. Win Win situation. I won't get what they have, they won't get what I have. And a lovely group of patients it was also. My freq flier detox patient starting getting twitchy, but not until 10 minutes before I had to leave, lucky me because when that patients goes full blown he is big and out of control. We nurses always pay for it. Nothing like being tossed like a matchstick to make you leary about getting within arm distance.

Anyway it was a quiet night and went by quickly. ER was very busy but mostly ortho which triples in good weather and a weekend and people go out to play. This time of year though our floor finally quiets down slightly. From bursting at the seams for months to empty rooms we all take a breather. Farmers are getting their fields ready and nothing short of a amputation will bring them in and except for the spring crud making the rounds most peoples hearts behave for awhile in the spring. Another reason to look forward to it.

Monday is the day we go back to self staffing. Us old timers are dreading it and the new people are excited. Yeah we won't have to pulled anymore.... Boo, no help for when we are short. Extra shifts, mandatory overtime and on call. Sigh.

I am not excited but know historically speaking it probably won't last long. For the same reasons it didn't last the last time.

Patrick from Caregivingly Yours has a great music video posted you should check out if you haven't been there already. It's a feel good song and just cheers you up. Music is good for the soul.

Well, Rick is making supper. Not doing the best job about keeping it in my calorie limits. Time for me to take a hand in the shopping. Yesterday I had 1350 calories but today with the supper he is making it will go up to 1975, and that is with me restricting any bread and limited portions. Have to start thinking lean.

I haven't eaten in a fast food restaurant more then 1 time in the last 10 years and then I got sick. Remember my son's bike race. Tent camping and being at least a block from a bathroom. Now that was fun I can't forget, LOL. So anyway, cooking at home it should be easy to watch what I eat. Rick however likes to cook what he knows and likes. And its fattening. Zoey and I suffer and he rarely gains weight. He will gain 10 pounds over the winter and drop it overnight in the summer, plus some. Makes me sick.

Anyway. Time to go. Take care all.