This past weekend was a rollercoaster filled with work. And lots of it. Thursday, Friday and Saturday night were my nights to work. Fully prepared for craziness there. If you have been following my blog closely (I know I have SO many fans out who read every single post obviously...) I had made a post about a previous patient of mine who is a young women with 3 small children and stage 4 cancer. Well, she is back in the hospital again for other complications related to the cancer. All I kept saying to myself the entire weekend was how I need to not attach myself to patients because I already have with her. I can’t help but think about her when I am away from work, hoping and praying a miracle happens. I just know if something happens to her I am going to be a mess...but I am just going to do the best I can to help her now. That’s the only thing I can do. Prayers and doing my job at work.
It was Jackie’s birthday on Friday and unfortunately for her she was working. But at least she got to work with me, Mal, and Adrienne...obviously making her night the best it could be: complete with a yummy sandwich ring, some D. C. (diet coke) that we drank way too much of because of lack of sleep the day before, bomb dip from her mom, and a cookie cake made by yours truly. We had some cream aka ice cream too, but there was way to much food for us to handle already. We had a crazy first 5 or so hours of work that night as well so it’s not like the night we were celebrating her birthday. That would not have been realistic seeing as we were at work obviously. But it was the best we could do for being there during her 23rd birthday.
Saturday night turned into being a slow night until 6am med passing started where a patient’s urostomy leaked all over the place which led me to having to change it not once but twice in the last 20 minutes of the scheduled shift. Thank god Mal helped me pass on of my patient’s meds for me. After the 12 hour shift they needed help in many areas of the hospital and were offering extra pay if we stayed for 4 hours over. So tempting. So tempting that I took them up on it and worked on the step-down unit until 11:30. I had 3 patients, 2 of them having been in a car accident the day before. They were both in the same accident, and both in the same car, and both broke ribs along with other bones. And both the most compliant and thankful patients I have ever had. I was taught a valuable lesson from something one of them said when this conversation happened:
Me: “You are going down for your surgery now, I forgot to take off your heart monitor and earrings before, so we need to do that now before this nurse takes you to the Operating room if that’s ok with you! I’m so sorry I forgot, I thought I had thought of everything...I am trying to do things perfectly for you and I guess that I failed with that one!”
Patient: “Sweetie, there was only one person that was perfect...”
Wow, so true. I guess I can only try my best at work/in life in general. Nobody’s perfect. Thanks go to her after 15 hours of work and still teaching me a valuable lesson.
I gave report to the next nurse coming on and headed home to finally rest before going to Columbus to say my goodbye to Fahad. I slept for a little over 3 hours grabbed a dc and headed south. Fahad and I went to Hyde Park and had a delicious dinner filled with steak, cheesecake, and wine. Oh, and we got calamari/crab cakes/scallops for an appetizer...I know what you are thinking. Amanda does not like sea food. Well we got it anyway so I could attempt it again. And I can honestly say I enjoyed it this time. Maybe it was lack of sleep? Or maybe it was that I was enjoying the company of Fahad? Or maybe I really did enjoy it (shhh don’t tell anyone). For reasons like this one, I will continue to try to like seafood so I don’t miss out on something people seem to really enjoy.
We ended up closing the restaurant and headed back to campus. I was going to originally head home, but I was suckered into going to mug night. I wasn’t too upset by it. We sat outside on the deck and people watched for most of the time before Falon and Alex showed up. It was a nice chill night with all of them and I am glad I made the decision to stay for it. I haven’t been to Columbus in a long time where it was just a small group of people out like that. Different, but in a great way. So glad I got to see Alex before he leaves for Tucson next month since I can’t go down for his going away party either. Saying goodbye to friends is always so flipping hard, but I say those are just 2 more people to add to the list of placed I can go and visit. And it’s see-ya later for everyone, not goodbye for good. And I know the people who are leaving ohio are leaving for amazing opportunities that should not be passed up. So happy for my friends and all their journeys even though they will all be missed like crazy!
In other news I tried for a run the past 2 days. There is no place for me to ride without being in the direct sunlight, and with the heat being 100+humidity I would say that running was a better idea. I timed it to run in the rain yesterday right by where I will be living in a month and a half! It was much better once the rain started. Today I had chemotherapy class and afterwards headed up to wildwood to be in the shade. It was only 85 out in the shade instead of 105...yea, thank you toledo weather. Nice to be in the AC again. That is until volleyball tonight at 9:30. Maybe it will cool down to 90...
For now, a shower is in order.
Keep it real.
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