The Special Language between you and your Home Care Patient

[elizabeth8503RN, MSN, EMT-B, NP]

Everyone has their own little terms for specific things....these are a few that I have been taught in my time taking care of a rather interesting quad. (all of these "terms" have been created by the patient are used with all the staff that takes care of him)

I have been working with a quadrapeligic on a vent for the past year. He has some rather interesting terms that he uses with staff that help him, and most of them are quite funny once you get to know him.

Each night that I come in, I get him ready for bed, which involves a number of steps.

First he needs to "medicate his teeth" (give his HS medications and brush his teeth)

Then he needs to be "drained of all bodily fluids" (straight cathed Q 6-8 hours)

To be removed of any and all "carp" (rectal check...and remove what is within reach)

He also needs to be "wounded" (do dressing changes)

Twice a day he is to be "seated" (PROM's and CPT)

PROM's are also known as "seized" (he has muscle spasms with just about any touch)

CPT's are known as "beatings"

The "seated" comes from combinding the "seized and beatings"

Once all of this is done, we change the trach tubing from the "noisy tube" (speaking tube) to the non speaking tube.

While this is being done....he is able to go to Switzerland because he is no longer banded from there...(trach ties are removed to change the tubing...this is called being "banded")

Then comes the positioning for him to go to sleep. A pillow between his knees, behind his back to prevent from turning over, one to position the trach, one under his head, and the last one, over his head. (this is called being "suffocated"

At any point during the shift he may need to be suctioned, and when that requires NS to be squirted down the trach tube, this is called "drowning"

If you happen to yawn...it is called "gaposis"

Oh, thus is the special communication I have with my quad.

[BillyMae]

It's nice to work with clients who have a sense of humor, isn't it ?! It certainly makes work more fun, and your client a greater satisfaction with life as they know it.

[nursel56]

QUOTE=elizabeth8503RN;4461719] First he needs to “medicate his teeth” (give his HS medications and brush his teeth)

Then he needs to be “drained of all bodily fluids” (straight cathed Q 6-8 hours)

To be removed of any and all “carp” (rectal check…and remove what is within reach)

And wouldn't it be too funny if you actually pulled a fish out of his b*tt? (sorry:))

Your guy is way more creative than most people. When I first started with my patient, he would talk about "the yanker" is it something supposed to yank something out of something else? Ha. Got it later on. "Yankauer" He doesn't take his pills, he "drinks " his pills. A weird non-health related one, calls "Spam" (the food) "Spam-ham". On my day off the Russian speaking nurse had no idea what he was asking for!!

"I want Spam-ham! Spam-ham! S -P- A- M- --H- A- M!! When I returned, he said, "can you believe T---- didn't know what Spam-ham is??!! Yes, these are the moments that make it all worth it.