Scattelogical ramblings and desultory humor - Daffy Time

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=8-0380002930-0

Watership Down.

Translating Thucydides commentaries on the Pelopennasian Wars no doubt.

Sorry about the extra letters, but I worked hard for them. I'm certified as a Critical Care Practitioner and trained to do all phases of critical care, but am specialized in high risk maternal/child nursing. Spent most of my career in Labor and Delivery operating room. I also have separate training in lactation.

That must be very rewarding, Laurel. The L & D nurses always seemed very happy.

It's all the special patients, families and fattening gifts that keep us going. I currently do lactation consults, but am out of the hospital scene.

L

Tough hours though, correct?

Now you did it, Laurel. You said the "L" word with Victor online. We try hard to avoid doing that when he is around. He obsesses!

Gloria - you are hitting on all cylinders tonight with me: loved Watership Down; haven't put on a skirt once since I retired for the same reason you mentioned; am currently storing all my caladium bulbs from the co-op in my non-used, work era panty hose. They are hanging in our guest room closet......no more guests because they would freak out! Pretty lumpy-looking legs hanging there!!

I'm leaving that one alone, Louise.

The hours were never an issue as it was my commitment to the families. If I was laboring a patient, I stayed 'til the outcome because the outcome was often not a baby that was viable for very long. Thus my extra letters. Although the next shift could step in, I was not able to leave a family in crisis. Often the baby had annomolies that only allowed for hours of survival. I cared for the entire family and when the baby died, I bathed, dressed and photographed the baby so that the family could bond. If they were not able to do that, I maintained files for a year, tried to keep in touch with the family, and after one year discarded the file if the family did not want to have the photos, bands, etc. It was very rewarding, but very stressful. Gardening really helped but it was hard to get the dirt out when I had to scrub for the OR.

L

Oh boy - that is tough going. I don't envy you. Thank God there are people like you who can do that.

DB. You wouldn't want any guests that didn't appreciate caladium stuffed pantyhose anyway.

I love Watership Down. In fact I think Ill read it again after reading the review I found. (See link above) I know I still have it in the library somewhere. I can just see that 13 year old who was going to read it for a book review.

Rabbits!

Right on target again, Gloria!

Laurel - that is quite some dedication and devotion you have....It is great there are people like you for those families. It must have been emotionally draining for sure! My sister is a nurse, and I have the deepest respect for all nurses. They make such a difference when they are of the caliber you have described.

I was in the hospital last week and was very impressed how those nurses swoop down on you and anticipate your every need. Now this will be cold . . . YOWEE. It sure was , but good to have some anticipation of what was going to happen.

Are you ok now, Gloria?

Shhhh! It was just a colonoscopy. A routine test every 5 years or so. Just to know what's happening. And I must say, the nurses made it go so much easier. It can be a very frightening experience as you can imagine.

The nurses kept calling it a "surgery". Hey, I said. I want to leave here with everything I came in with. They call it a surgery because it involves anesthesia.

This message was edited Apr 13, 2008 8:04 PM

Thanks and you are each so amazing in your own way as I get to know you. I am no longer doing critical care although I went back to school and was in the hospital last year to re-certify my credentials. I do lactation consults now and more creative fun stuff like small time catering. Truth is I loved my career, but... hospital bureaucracy. I am a GREAT nurse, but also a free spirit. I worked NICU before that (neonatal intensive care) and PICU (pediatric intensive care). It's typical of nurses like me not to do floor nursing. The goal was midwifery. I fell in love with the OR and made a career of it.

I'm pretty happy with my career as nurse turned clinical software support. Currently the health dept is in for our standard survey, so I am putting in a few more hours and a little more stress. Glad it only occurs every couple years.
Laurel, having a friend just lose a baby 2 weeks prior to delivery, I really appreciate what you did. She said holding her baby was the hardest thing she ever did, but was thankful for the opportunity.
And she was thankful for the understanding from the nurses.

Maypop. I bet a lot of people remember you, the way I remember going off under the anesthetic. There were three nurses patting my shoulder, reassuring looks


zzzzzz.

but they were still there, busy, busy, busy when I woke up.

Oh, Deb, how terribly sad. I'm so sorry for your friend! That hurts to think of their pain!

Yes - very sorry, Deb. My cousin lost a baby three days after birth. Was horrible.

Gloria - I just had that done too.....glad to have it over with! I do not like going under anesthesia. I'm glad you're out and fine and have it behind you too.

Choice of words??!

You beat everyone to it Victor!

Oh My! You're on top of your game tonight, Victor! No pun was intended! LOL

I am still touched with every story. I have gone into the delivery room with friends and their kids. Thanks for the appreciation. I have letters from people twenty years later and grown up babies named for me. What could be more rewarding?

Off to bed as I am wont to wake up at weird hours from years of being on call. DH is really good about making coffee and being in the garden at 6 am (or watching astroid showers at 2 am because the "Queen Bean" says so.

O.K. here's another "Barbara Walters", Victor and you others in the 30+ crowd. No one likes to have a colonoscopy, but regular check ups can save your life.

And thank goodness for the hospital staff to help you through all of the humiliation.

I can't say enough good things about nurses. My mum and dad (and once my sister) have been in and out of the hospital for the past ten years with scary deadly things, and the compassion that the nurses invariably displayed just amazed me. Not only were they dealing with my parents and sister--who were scared and sick--but with me, who was scared and irritable and pestering and no doubt incredibly annoying. The doctors tended to rush in, poke a few times, and rush out, but the nurses stayed and made all the difference.

Laurel, I have a similar problem...love my job, can't stand the bureaucracy. Ugh...too bad you can't have one without the other.

Gloria, I had my first C scope last year. Woo, was that fun. The worst part for me was the 24 hour fast--I was so freaking hungry by the time the procedure came around I thought I was going to eat the gurney. Good drugs, though...I was high as a kite for the rest of the day.

Still, I'd rather be gardening. :)

pam

I watched it as it was ongoing. The thing that surprised me most was when the doctor recognized my face.

Yeah, me too, Pam! Glad those aren't annual exams!!

You weren't out, Pirl??? Oh, Yikes!!

Is this thread loading slowly for anyone else? I wonder if it's my computer.

I wanted to see the process.

No thanks!

I second the Barbara Walters announcement!!! Colon cancer got my mum and it's why I started getting scoped last year when I was 38. Honestly, I was dreading it but it wasn't as horrible as I'd heard. Like I said, the worst part for me (and my long suffering DH) was that I was ferociously hungry. The, um, purging part isn't nearly as bad as having stomach flu, and you don't feel much of anything during the procedure (I was anesthesized but awake). Then you go home and eat and take a nice long nap.

And that's another thing nurses are great about--something that seems humiliating to you is just totally business as usual for them. They've seen worse and they make you feel better about your own situation. Can't pay these people enough, as far as I'm concerned!!!

pam

Pirl, I have to say, I had absolutely NO desire to see the inside of my colon. :)

DonnieBrook I am certainly glad they aren't annual exams...goodness knows annual exams are unpleasant enough. :)

pam

I want the camera pill or the virtual one.

i wear skirts all the time, and i almost never wear "pantyhose". Bare legs in the summer days and sometimes nights, tights in the winter but NOTHING shiny - i like ones more like leggings. i wear fishnets for dressier things, all year. i have many colors. i really like the tan ones with a close weave - they have this lovely vintage look. (i'm having trouble finding replacements.)
But pantyhose? The ones that are supposed to look like your legs but aren't? ewww.
The absolutely dressiest things i have done i have gotten coloured super sheer... pantyhose (what an icky word) once in silver, once in black.
i wear skirts because my legs are so darned short i can't get pants that fit w/o tailoring.

(and now, back to our regularly scheduled medical program.)

Pirl. I watched the first one also. I was so proud of my colon! Id heard of people with diverticulitis or diverticulosis where they have embedded rocks and orther debris. Not moi! Smooth and pink and elastic.

Yes! Smooth, pink, clear and watching them capture the polyp with the snare, then cauterize the spot and "tattoo" it (to check next time around) was magical. It happens in maybe two or three seconds and there is no pain associated with it.

I'll be ondeck with mine on the 23rd. Last one was five years ago. No big deal.
Jo Ann

Starting to sound like fun!

The hard part is drinking the electrolite prep drink.

Ug!