I just realized where my unnatural obsession with freezer pops comes from.

THE SUTTON POOL where I would ride my bike to and from every day of the summer!!

I had such a nice tan in those days.

Something to make you smile.

Today is the first day I've had in a REALLY long time at work where I actually enjoyed myself and was happy. Now don't expect this is a big change for me, and that it's going to be like this from now on because it was just a one day thing, but it was great. And I think I even did a little happy dance.

My patient was really sick. He was in a coma and not responding at all except to painful stimuli (i.e. if you pinched him, he would pull away from it). He wouldn't even open his eyes. This patient had a huge family, and when I say huge, I mean I had never seen a family this big before. It was awesome to see so many people loving and supporting him. They were at his bedside almost the whole day (probably 20 different people in one day).

One of his doctors came in to talk to the family today, and he bluntly told them that he thought he was doing terrible, and that it was his opinion that he would never wake up. In my experience, this conversation was completely premature. I have seen people that just needed a couple days, and when they were ready, they would wake up. The family was distraught all day, and they continually asked my opinion. I told them how I really felt which was that it really could go either way and he just might not wake up, but sometimes people just needed time to heal and rest, and that shutting down was their way of doing that. I told them that I felt it was too early to be losing faith and hope. I think they appreciated me being honest, yet still giving them something to cling to.

This is the most that I have ever hoped that someone I didn't even know would just wake up and be okay. I tried every hour and assessed him every hour, and he still showed no improvement.

The wife spent some time alone in his room, and I could hear her outside of the room yelling at him in tears to "WAKE UP! OPEN YOUR EYES! THIS ISN'T FAIR! WAKE UP AND TELL ME YOU LOVE ME!!" I almost cried myself.

One hour before my shift is over, and I once again go in to do my hourly neuro check. All of the sudden he opens his eyes. I got so excited, but thought for sure that he still wouldn't understand me. Sure enough, I asked him to squeeze my hands, and he did. Well, that had to just be a reflex. I told him to wiggle his toes, and he did just a little. It's a coincidence...he isn't really following commands. I asked him to hold up two fingers......he did. OMG! He's awake!! I was so ecstatic, and I just couldn't believe it. If any family deserved it, they sure did. I wanted so bad to give them the good news, but unfortunately they all left to have dinner! UGH! I looked at him, and I said "You're wife is going to be so happy that you're awake!!!"

And he smiled at me.

Computer vs. 1 less day of work = ??

Well, I would really like a new laptop that can play games, BUT I also want to work less, lol. I obviously can't do both since this laptop is like $1000. I don't need the computer. But I kinda want it. Damn double standards.

We've gone and made such fools of ourselves.

Fresh warm air makes me a happy girl. I'm loving this weather. It definitely helps make me feel better. What doesn't make me feel better???

The fact that you can't trust your life to the hospital. You're really sick, and they give you some fluid and send you packing with a prescription for pain meds...
What is wrong with this picture? The fact that the next day you come back to that very same hospital and die. Why has this happened too many times now? Have we not figured out that apparently people are getting meningitis? Is it that the residents are too stupid to pick it up, and the fellow doesn't pay attention to their residents? Is it that we just don't care? You'd think someone coming in with classic signs of meningitis would get a little more than some fluid and pain killers. Hmm, how about some prophylactic antibiotics until we get some test results? How about doing any tests at all? The fact that you would still be alive right now if they just would have given you an antibiotic...bothers me too much seeing as though I didn't even know you.

I cannot stress this enough - your doctor doesn't know everything. Hospitals aren't perfect. Googling your symptoms is not a terrible idea. At least then you'd have an idea what to bring to the table.
If you have flu-like symptoms, headache, stiff neck/neck pain, high fever...MAKE THEM GIVE YOU ANTIBIOTICS! Don't let them send you home with "now drink plenty of fluids and take some tylenol for that headache and high ass fever". Make them do some tests for meningitis. You may not find out right away, but taking that antibiotic could save your life, and it's certainly not going to kill you to take an antibiotic and then find out you really did just have the flu....but having bacterial Meningitis and not taking an antibiotic WILL. I don't care how old or healthy you may be, it will kill you.

I'm done with today's lesson. I don't want to scare anyone because it is very unlikely you will even get it, BUT a teenager just lost their life to it, so don't think it cannot happen to you.


So anyway, we're hitting the ol' zombie mall for some yummy chinese today, and then I'm taking my Rusty to see "The Watchmen". He's uber excited, and I am too. I am so thankful to have today off work. I'm going to try to start enjoying my free days more, and stop analyzing and worrying about work to where my days off are nothing. I want to get better at this, but it's just so hard. When things like above happen, it makes me never want to step inside a hospital again. I'm more likely than any of you to get these things because I'm around it all the time. And here I go thinking about work again. Ok, enough of that.

I'm looking more into making a quilt, and I WILL finish the damn thing (even though Russell and Andrea both think I won't, lol). I haven't decided all the details, but when I do, I will have my blankie!!

And I want to go back to the wow factory. Being crafty makes me a happy girl. And I like being a happy girl.