Jane's Journal

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Saturday, November 12, 2005

Saturday Happenings and Unanticipated Little Surprises!

A sort of funny thing happened today. I spoke with my sister earlier this AM and she asked if I might be going to the farmer’s market. She had just been, was now in a different part of town and realized she’d forgotten to buy green peppers (four for $1, can’t beat that price, eh?). So, since I... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

How Do You Tell Them Their Loved One Is Dead? With What Words? (Conclusion)

How does one tell family members that their loved one has died? Words are completely inadequate; no matter what comes out, the sound must surely be bitter and distressing to the hearer. The caring arms around their shoulders meant for strength and succor – wooden and cold. The explanations always... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, November 7, 2005

Death In The Midst of A Blizzard, Part 3 (not for the faint hearted) . . .

The room looked as if a war had been fought within. Grouped about the head of the bed were the monitor, suction canisters, the ventilator and other bits of equipment so loved by ICU people. The equipment was the only normal part of the room. On the bed was the bloodied, lifeless body of this young... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, November 6, 2005

Death In The Midst of A Blizzard, Part 2 (not for the faint hearted) . . .

We donned water proof aprons and masks because there was so much blood. Infusing through a large bore intravenous in her femoral artery were multiple drips – bags of packed red blood cells, normal saline and Norepinephrine (1). Everything was running not only wide open but under high pressure, as... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, November 5, 2005

Death In The Midst of A Blizzard, Part 1 (not for the faint hearted) . . .

Not sure why I was reminiscing over this today. Nothing about my day was remotely similar to the events of this other day from many years ago. But for whatever reason, this tragedy popped back into my head and I pondered it for awhile.... I was working nights in a big ICU. We were a large unit at a... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Ladies, Do YOU Shave YOUR Face? . . . It's OK, You DON'T Need to Answer!

I was pulling up to a parking spot at the bank today when I happened to look over and see an elderly woman sitting in the car next to me. What caught my attention most, though, was that she had a disposable razor in her hand and the visor down so she could see the mirror, and she was shaving her... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

~ ~ ~ Completely Demented, but How I Love Her! ~ ~ ~

I did not think I'd fall in love with my residents the way I have. I'm completely besotted with a number of them, but there’s one in particular who tugs at my heart each time I look at her. For the sake of this discussion, we’ll call her Mary. In my line of work one can never stray too far from... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

~ ~ ~ I Think I MIGHT Have Been with a Psychopath Today! ~ ~ ~

Definition of a psychopath, according to Webster: "an emotionally and behaviorally disordered state characterized by clear perception of reality except for the individual's social and moral obligations and often by the pursuit of immediate personal gratification in criminal acts...." So here's what... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, July 11, 2005

We Get Them All -- Both Young and Old . . . .

As I alluded to in the "about me" section, I am now a nurse practitioner, and I work in long term care and rehab, providing primary care. I see all types of folks, and certainly not just the demented old folks that everyone is so paranoid of becoming. It's actually a rather intriguing job. Some of... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Traveling From Point A to Point B = C -- A Lot Can Happen!

On Friday I awakened at 0340 to begin my journey from Michigan to California. I had three alarm clocks set, since 0340 is not my usual time to awaken and I was afraid I'd sleep right on through my 0605 flight out of Grand Rapids. The first alarm clock awakened me without difficulty. I shut that one... Sign in to see full entry.

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