September will be an Interesting Month

I mentioned a business opportunity several posts back . . . next month, I'm going to be the new owner of a newspaper! I'm looking forward to it . . . but a little nervous as well. There will be a very steep learning curve.

On my private duty case there is one other main nurse. She typically works 4-5 days a week. She just found out that she has to have surgery, and will not be working at all in Sept., and perhaps need time off beyond that! There is another nurse on the case, but she only works 1-2 days a month.

I'm happy for the opportunity to work extra hours, and earn extra money, but I"m not sure I can handle working 4-5 days a week, physically or mentally! There are a few days I won't be able to work because of previous commitments. I think I'll plan to work most other days. I can always leave early if I've gotten everything I need to, done. That will help with the mental aspect of being around the dysfunction.

New Doctor?

Don't get me wrong, I really, really like my doctor. He delivered both of our children, and has been our family doctor for more than 17 years.

But.

The office staff is rude.

I've had a run in or two with his nurses. I don't like their attitudes.

It's a minimum of 30 minutes waiting in the waiting room every time we go, scheduled way ahead or scheduled that day.

There is a minimum 20 minute wait in the exam room, to see the doctor.

If I call in with a question, I NEVER, EVER get to talk to a nurse . . . so it's another wait of at least an hour (many times all day) to hear back.

The doctor is a GP, and I'm not confident he can answer my questions and discuss the issues I'm facing as I get more "mature."

But I hate, hate hate the thought of looking for another doctor! What if I have a longer wait? What if I don't like him (or her) any better? What if the office staff is more rude? I know I"m getting good care from my doctor, I just do not like having to plan a minimum of 2 hrs. for even what should be a short, routine visit. I"m comfortable with him . . . he knows my physical history, and my own personal neurosis. It's a small town, so I don't have a lot of options unless I go out of town. I just don't know.

Allergies

It seems to be a really bad year here for allergies--hayfever and environmental allergies. I always have some level of hayfever, but usually nothing that isn't helped by a Zyrtec and maybe some Tylenol for a sinus headache.

This year, however, has been terrible! The Zyrtec doesn't seem to help, and I"m getting lots of sinus headaches despite OTC meds. I hate to be continually taking something or other! And I try very hard not to overmedicate myself, but when I need an antihistamine, decongestant, and something for headache pain, a combination med seems to be the only answer.

Last week I had a headache for several days. It was fairly low intensity, but not going away completely no matter how much stuff I took. In the early hours of Wed. I woke up and it had escalated into a migrane. I ate a little bit (was very nauseated) and took some Tylenol with Codeine, hoping it would kick in and I could work. I woke up and was still very nauseated, but ate and thought I'd be OK to work . . . unfortunately after a little while at work the room was spinning and it was clear I wouldn't be able to stay! SL's mom was nice about it, thankfully . . .

I threw up as soon as I got home and slept on and off through what was almost the worst headache in my life. I was way too nauseated to eat anything, so I could TAKE anything for it . . . finally I remembered an anti-nausea suppository that my daughter had left from a prescription, and thankfully that relieved the nausea, so I could eat, so I could take something for the headache.

I probably need to go to the doctor again, but I really, really don't want to . . . but that's another post!

Back Again

My back recovered fairly quickly . . . I did the exercises the Physical Therapist had showed me last time I hurt my back, and then did something I never thought I'd do--went to a Chiropractor. I would NEVER go to a chiro who said he/she could cure cancer, asthma, heart disease, etc . . . but this didn't make any of those ridiculous claims. He showed me a good stretch (that I did for at least a few days!) and then did an adjustment. I didn't feel better instantly, but felt better each day after that. I haven't been back, but the insurance statement just came and insurance did cover 80% of the visit, so I won't be afraid to go back!

I also went for yet another follow-up pap smear this week. In about Jan. of 2007 I had one come back with ASCUS changes. The next one, 6 months later, was OK . . . but the one in December of 2007 again showed changes. Toward the end of December I went to a GYN for a colposcopy and biopsy. That was ONE UNCOMFORTABLE PROCEDURE! At the end he put some cream on my cervix, saying it was mustard-like . . . I almost asked him if it was honey-dijon or spicy, but restrained myself because I hadn't seen him before.

The biopsies came back with some changes, but no further procedures needed at that time. I was supposed to have a follow-up pap this month, which I just did. I just hate this whole thing . . . I did not used to dread my yearly check up, but I sure did this last one. I "knew" when I had the one last Jan., and last Dec., that they were going to come back "not good." I just hate to have whatever trouble it could potentially be, brewing inside. If this pap comes back with more changes, I want to have a hysterectomy and get it over with! I'm not going to use those organs any more anyway.

I do not want to go thru more procedures; the next one would be the LEEP, which is basically cutting off part of the cervix with a hot/electrified wire. The doctor said it wouldn't hurt as first they'd anesthesize my cervix BY INJECTING A PAIN KILLER INTO IT!!! YIKES! No needle is going to go into my cervix if I can help it!

And . . . if I DO have to have another procedure like that, I'm taking my husband along and making him watch! Men (at least in my life) can be sooooo wimpy about their pain . . . I might get a bit of sympathy if he has to watch what happens during one of those kinds of procedures (evil giggle).

Back Ache

Last Monday I worked, then was on the road for about 5 hours taking a friend to see another sick friend in a hospital about 100 miles away.

Tuesday afternoon, my back started to ache. By Tuesday evening I could hardly walk or stand. I didn't work on Wednesday. I treated it with ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and ice, and rest, and by Thursday was feeling much better. I worked Friday, but didn't lift my patient.

I FEEL all recovered today, but my hip is still very sore/painful when I get out of the car even after driving for just a few minutes. I hope this is not becoming a chronic problem!

I feel so bad for nurses (and anyone, for that matter!) who faces back pain every single day. Or any type of chronic pain, for that matter! It was very frustrating to me to have my everyday activities curtailed for even a few days . . . it would be very difficult to face that every day.

I received a very interesting business proposal last week. I'm praying about it and considering it from all angles. If I do take it, it would mean that within a few months I could quit my nursing job! I will continue to work at it at least several days a month in order to fulfil the requirements for keeping my license active , and keeping active with the company I now work for.

I didn't realize how much this job is getting me down, even just working a few days a week, until I seriously considered the prospect of possibly being able to, for the most part, quit.

Things that Annoy Me

My husband becomes annoyed with me when we watch medical shows together. I can't help but commenting on the inaccuracies on so many shows--the patient rooms are huge, CPR is rarely done correctly, nurses sometimes behave like idiots (I particularly dislike when nurses are portrayed inaccurately) . . .

I used to love the show House. What I enjoyed the most was House's attitude, and how he said what sometimes I would love to say to people! However, the medical situations are so unbelievable to anyone with any knowledge of medicine, I can't watch it anymore. I'm too distracted by the medical aspects that just cannot take place. I don't understand why they can't make the show at least somewhat believeable.

One of my dream jobs would be as an OB nurse, so I occasionally watch some of the shows about birth. They irritate me too! I realize that time constraings prohbit them following a laboring lady through her whole labor, but it seems so many times they show a lady laboring on her back, in bed . . . announce she's not making progress, and immediately decide to do a C-section. There are soooo many interventions that can assist the progress of labor--walking, changing position, squatting, slow dancing, and so on and so on and so on! I know many pregnant women watch these shows, and if labor were portrayed just a little more accurately, women might realize the things they could do to assist labor.

It's our job as nurses to educate people--about innacuracies portrayed in TV shows as well as many other things. It's overwhelming to try to do this, however, in the face of so many shows, watched by so many people.

Simple Solutions

I've found that sometimes it's simple to make tasks easier. My patient's home is small and crowded, and for several years I struggled with turning her wheelchair around in her room, after I'd gotten it from the closet in which it was stashed between uses. One day it hit me--why not BACK the wheelchair down the hallway, and up to her bed? I also back into the room when I take her back to bed, saving myself from having to turn it around again in the very limited space in her room. This had made a tremendous difference in the time, effort, and back ache involved in transfering her several times a day. {I felt rather silly when I told the other nurses about this great discovery, and they replied that they'd been doing this for years!}

SL's mom fixed up a small cart in another room, which contains items for dressing changes, IV flushes and supplies, and other procedures we routinely perform. One day I decided that instead of trying to get all of the supplies to her room, I'd take the whole cart to her room! WOW--what a difference! I didn't have to worry about forgetting anything, and if I dropped something on the floor or needed different or more supplies, they were right there.

What can you do to make your job easier? We all develop our own methods and routines in getting through our days, whether we're nurses, mothers, students, carpenters, or cooks (or fill all of those roles during our day). Think about what you can do to make any job easier.