Happy Respiratory Care Week!!!

Hope your hospital appreciates you more than my hospital!!!

Give me a break!!

My phone rings....

"Respirtory, this is IE."

I need a breathing treatment in ER bed 2.

So, I wander over to the ER, and pull the chart for bed 2.
51yo female; cheif complaint - pneumonia x 3 months; vital wnl; in bold letters, I read, IS A DAILY HEROIN USER.

Great.

"Hi, DHU (daily heroin user), my name is IE from respiratory. I
have a breathing treatment for you."

"I got pneumonia for 3 months. cough. cough. I just finished a course
of antibiotics that didn't do nutin. cough. cough. I think I need to admitted
for IV antibiotics. cough. cough."

"Okay, here's your tx, let me take a listen....take a deep breath."

Now this lady was a clear as clear can be. But 'coughing' up a storm.

"How do I sound?" she asks me.

"Not too bad for having pnuemonia for 3 months."

"Oh," she says, "well can you make it worse than it is so they will admit
me?"

"Seriously? Just sit there and take your treatment and I'll be back
in a few minutes."

So I promptly found her nurse and informed him of our conversation.

Fast forward 10 minutes, I go to take DHU's tx off.

"Now what? Aren't you gonna give me some antibiotics? And pain meds?
This pneumonia is giving me alot of pain. At least a 9."

Now how did I know this was coming????

"Now you will wait for radiology for a chest xray and probably
another breathing treatment or too."

"Hhhmmmtt. I couldda done this at home."

Don't let the door hit ya....

Oh the pain!!!

I've given birth to 4 babies, broken my big toe playing soccer, busted
my knee playing soccer, broken my arm three times, suffer from chronic
pain which will require a hysterectomy (thanks to the crappiest doctor
ever) as soon as I work up the nerve to be cut wide open.

But last night, wow!

We went out to eat at the local yummy pizza place. The tables and
floors are a little sticky, but the pizza is awesome.

My daughter spilled her drink all over the place. As I started to
stand up, my foot slipped out from under me and right under the base
of the table. Since it doesn't really get cold in southern California,
I was wearing flip flops.

My poor index toe slid right under the table and the nail was lifted
up. I tried not to make a scene, but tears instantly welled up. Holy
crap, did it hurt. I looked down, toenail still there, but now it's
bleeding.

Now I love blood and guts, but not my own. I'm kindof freaked out, so
I just asked for a bag of ice & poured peroxide all over it when I got
home. The nail is cracked & loose, but I'm afraid to try & remove it,
so I just covered it up & took a motrin.

Oh, I know what I'll do, call 911. Then the er doc can take care of it
for me. Oh!!! Maybe I can get a shot of dilaudid too. The pain is
definetly an 11.

;)

Dead girl walking

I've heard stories, but never seen it until now.

61 yo female outside smoking with her friend complains of chest pain &
collapses. Paramedics get there within 5 minutes & begin CPR. It takes
them exactly 30 minutes to get to the hospital. In that time, she
gets...
Epi x 4
Atro x 1
Ami x 1
& is defib'd 4 times. She goes from
Vfib to pea to asystole back to vfib to jr.

Now she is in our er. We take over CPR. Here she gets...
Epi x 4
Defib'd 3 more times

Still nothing. So they decided to stop & everyone leaves the room.

A minute or two later, a nurse goes back into her room & guess what?!?!

She's alive!!!

The doctor gives her a grim prognosis & the family makes her a dnr.

Four days on the vent, weaned & extubated.

She is currently on tele on the floor. Absolutely fine neuro-wise. She
can't believe what happened.

She does, however, complain of sternal pain where her chest is
bruised :)

Small price to pay for life.

Wrong, just wrong

Skunks should not live near hospitals...

Draw your own conclusions

I am old

My dad used to do it during church...
My father in law does it all day long...
Night shift does it during report...

And now I do it too...

I have found myself closing my eyes to catch a 2 or 3 minute nap when
there is some down time.

I only knew old people to do it. I guess my life is catching up to me.
A husband, 3 kids, 3 dogs and a full time job.

I am old...ok, ok, maybe just exhausted.

34 isn't THAT old

Concern from a 'nobody'

Growing up in Southern California, I have had former friends go from
'nobody' to 'rich and famous'.

I went to high school with a now famous politician. A semi famous
model. A few pro football players. An awesome pro baseball player who
is the pride & joy of my high school. I saw Gwen Stephani of No Doubt
once at a Japanese resturant in the oc. I saw Mark McGuire once at the
gym.

I also was friends with Travis Barker of Blink 182 way before he was
famous. I haven't seen or talked to him in 10 years or so, so I can't
say we are friends, but we were & I am concerned & worried.

He was just in a plane crash in South Carolina & is now in a burn
center in Augusta, GA in critical, but stable condition. 4 died, 2
survived.

When I worked at Big University Hospital, they had the only burn unit
in the county. My least favorite place to work, BICU. Holding an ETT
during hydro is torture for me. I can't stand the smell & the torture
the patients go through. Unbearable A burn nurse has my uttmost
respect. I could never do what they do.

Anyways, the long road ahead Travis now has ahead of him. I have seen
it. My heart breaks for him & his family.

If any of you work where he is at, I know, I know, hipaa, blah, blah.
Take good care of him.

This 'nobody' RT wishes she could take care of her former 'nobody'
friend.