WILTW 7/18: I'm tired :\ (complaint department and other things)

[ixchel]

Good lord I'm worn out. It's weird because I honest don't do as much as I did while working, but here I am. It's not as much body tired, but brain tired.

Recent weeks have been eventful, though. Appointments, benefits crap, recovery crap, bakers cysts (OMG), and family crap. It's all that and arguing kids. I can't figure out who decided I have to adult, but that person needs a good throat-punch.

So, as a patient, I have learned...

1. Recovery from spinal fusion is excruciatingly slow. Yes, I mean "excruciatingly". I don't know how to do slow.

2. A doctor is as strong as his staff. I am so thankful for a great team.

3. My time off was extended. This is terribly bittersweet. It feels like I failed missing a landmark, but I'm glad it was obvious I needed to.

4. It is possible to develop bilateral baker's cysts. It is possible to have bilateral cyst rupture. It is possible to have synovial fluid in your feet bilaterally. This will hurt. HORRIBLY. For days.

As a nurse, I have learned:

1. People who have inpatient stays with histories of receiving meds late might bring their own. They might also bring meds from home if they decide staff doesn't administer enough. (Disclaimer: yes, I knew this might happen, but I had a person admit and defend it. They said the staff would never know. I asked what she would do when staff brought meds she already has taken. NO RESPONSE.)

2. I'm now terrified of patients being like that person. When an autopsy shows an overdose of med reaction, the family will blame us.

As a human, I have learned:

1. Even if you think you don't care about a person's opinion, she might still see you for all your faults and weaknesses and tear you limb from limb, destroying your heart in her wake.

2. If you leave your dog home for a week with brief visits from a sitter, when you get home, the dog might not let you beyond paws' reach for days. (Meaning, expect an extremely persistent animal laying on you constantly, and smacking you hard with a paw if you decide to do something with your hands other than hug or pet.)

3. This is a delayed thing, but we got a spacecraft into Jupiter's orbit and watching mission control live as it happened was the most awesome thing!

4. YOU GUYS. You need to watch Stranger Things on Netflix.

I am going to keep this short this week. I was thinking about going longer, but honestly, you aren't the complaint department! Onward and upward, my friends... :)

(I have veered a little from the nursing path, so I'm adding this quick reminder that these threads turn blue when they remain too far off the nursing path.)

What have you learned this week?

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

New post is UP!!! Post in this week's new posting!

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/wiltw-7-24-1061977.html#post9129804

[Axgrinder]

I learned I still hate summer in AZ, which is like living in the 7th Circle of Hell. I've learned 110° F feels like 300° F, and the inside of a car may be hot enough to cook a human. I've learned to use the sun reflector screen when parking my car in an unshaded area, or bring pot holder mits in order to be able to touch the starting wheel …

I've learned that no one you live with will offer to help clean up 3 consecutive floods in the laundry room in the same day, making themselves scarce …

I've learned even high dose Rx xanax as isn't much of a buffer for a large dog with storm anxiety. I've had to come to terms with cleaning up things he has destroyed if left unattended even for a moment …

I've also learned the hard way that being on the receiving end of pt care is a very bitter pill to swallow for most nurses. I wish you a speedy recovery S/P your recent surgery, and hope others in your life can try to put themselves in your place while you convalesce and heal.

[ixchel]

I learned I still hate summer in AZ, which is like living in the 7th Circle of Hell. I've learned 110° F feels like 300° F, and the inside of a car may be hot enough to cook a human. I've learned to use the sun reflector screen when parking my car in an unshaded area, or bring pot holder mits in order to be able to touch the starting wheel …

I've learned that no one you live with will offer to help clean up 3 consecutive floods in the laundry room in the same day, making themselves scarce …

I've learned even high dose Rx xanax as isn't much of a buffer for a large dog with storm anxiety. I've had to come to terms with cleaning up things he has destroyed if left unattended even for a moment …

I've also learned the hard way that being on the receiving end of pt care is a very bitter pill to swallow for most nurses. I wish you a speedy recovery S/P your recent surgery, and hope others in your life can try to put themselves in your place while you convalesce and heal.

Thank you! [emoji173]️

I take it you may be near mid-Atlantic region? We got a loud and bright storm two nights ago. We also have an anxious dog.

[allstressedout1]

What are people doing when they are totally worn out? When 3 12 hour shifts are enough to wipe you out but you have 3-4 mandatory shifts a paycheck. When you are contacted almost everyday that you are off to see if you are available. When you are having to go in for unit meetings, open forums, BLS, critcal care training, etc on your days off. When you struggle to keep up with online learning, work emails etc because you truly dont have time to do it at work. When you are a single parent so your days off you have tightly scheduled and have to cancel appointments, vacations, etc, to get your mandatory call days in after the schedule comes out. Your 2 day weekends or days off in a row turn into off one on one off one, or 4,5,6 days stretches. You are too tired to manage home life when you are home, so things pile up and become overwhelming. And no one seems to care.

[Jensmom7, BSN, RN]

Hearing the breaths of someone in the process of dying is terrifying and sobering. I've never heard anything like those death rattles.

.

Three drops of Atropine 1% ophthalmic SL work wonders on that death rattle. Can be repeated every 30 minutes if necessary.

Add in some Roxanol if it's really bad.

Atropine drops are my favorite drug during the dying process. They work quickly, and help keep family members from freaking out. Because they aren't a narcotic, there's little to no resistance to their use from the family.

[Axgrinder]

Thank you! [emoji173]️

I take it you may be near mid-Atlantic region? We got a loud and bright storm two nights ago. We also have an anxious dog.

Southern Arizona. Monsoon season (aka: we get nearly all our rain fall in July & August - biblical proportion rain at times). Dog is not a happy camper. Sorry your dog gets scared too.

[Axgrinder]

What are people doing when they are totally worn out? When 3 12 hour shifts are enough to wipe you out but you have 3-4 mandatory shifts a paycheck. When you are contacted almost everyday that you are off to see if you are available. When you are having to go in for unit meetings, open forums, BLS, critcal care training, etc on your days off. When you struggle to keep up with online learning, work emails etc because you truly dont have time to do it at work. When you are a single parent so your days off you have tightly scheduled and have to cancel appointments, vacations, etc, to get your mandatory call days in after the schedule comes out. Your 2 day weekends or days off in a row turn into off one on one off one, or 4,5,6 days stretches. You are too tired to manage home life when you are home, so things pile up and become overwhelming. And no one seems to care.

OMG! I could have wrote this!

I care!!!

I know how it feels - every last bit of it. I'm sorry you are experiencing it too.

So burned out I have turned to ashes and blown away on the wind my friend.

[Axgrinder]

Three drops of Atropine 1% ophthalmic SL work wonders on that death rattle. Can be repeated every 30 minutes if necessary.

Add in some Roxanol if it's really bad.

Atropine drops are my favorite drug during the dying process. They work quickly, and help keep family members from freaking out. Because they aren't a narcotic, there's little to no resistance to their use from the family.

How sad that families can be resistant to their loved ones having symptom relief while dying.

Many times dying is a lot of work - it doesn't just swoop out of the sky and carry people off to The Promised Land … sometimes a huge amount of effort goes into getting there first (equivalent to hiking through knee high wet sand for 100 miles under a blazing noon day sun - with no potable drinking water, while carrying 50 lbs of equipment on your back - and maybe even another person too depending on the circumstances).

Lord knows I've run into families like that myself while caring for dying pt's, simple post-op pt's needing acute pain relief, and pt's that hit the bar somewhere in the middle.

It's sad and frustrating when the family member(s) would rather their loved one's suffered due to their own personal lack of education and understanding, ignorances and biases.

Sad, but it happens a lot - and in many situations what family says is law.

My own husband has done it himself with a beloved dog that was dying. He wouldn't allow the vet to medicate enough for comfort because he wanted the dog coherent (say what?). The yelps and whines made me want to imprint my hand across my honeybun's face for that bit of twisted logic. I'm still angry over it 9 years later.

[ixchel]

Southern Arizona. Monsoon season (aka: we get nearly all our rain fall in July & August - biblical proportion rain at times). Dog is not a happy camper. Sorry your dog gets scared too.

Thank you [emoji173]️

Our big storm was a few days ago. The thunder was house shakingly strong at about 0200, followed by lightening that lit the house like strobe lights. :\

I do wonder if we got our dog a puppy, would she be better at stuff like this?

[Quilterbeth]

Effexor is the worst to wean from. Took me months, and still had horrible anxiety and panic attacks.

We we had a patient walk away from the unit last night. Took off the monitors and walk off with the saline lock still in. Got to love those + UDS patients. Won't have to search for a vein tonight!

[ixchel]

New post is UP!!! Post in this week's new posting!

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/wiltw-7-24-1061977.html#post9129804

Don't miss this week's thread :)

[Axgrinder]

Thank you [emoji173]️

Our big storm was a few days ago. The thunder was house shakingly strong at about 0200, followed by lightening that lit the house like strobe lights. :\

I do wonder if we got our dog a puppy, would she be better at stuff like this?

He wasn't like this when he was younger (he's 11 now - ancient for a chocolate lab). I think this is learned behavior, because the older he gets the worse it is.

His list of feared things are: fireworks, gun shots (no matter how far away), gentle rain, thunder/lightening, wind, and the AC air intake vent at floor level (which fell open once, so of course a flesh eating monster must use it as a lair). Other things in time certainly will join this ever growing list.

He believes he is a big cat - and the cats treat him as such. Since he has seniority, he is their elected leader. After copious amounts of xanax yesterday he gathered all the cats (and his doll) for a staff meeting - most likely about the inclimental weather. No decisions were reached at that time, but the cats then took a 17 hour nap afterward, and he ripped all the sheets off my bed …