Nitnoy stuff, since it's been a while

Wow, so its been over a month since I last posted. I guess with all the writing I do on a daily basis now, my brain hasn't wanted to conjure up anymore creative explanations for daily life. I do enough of that with the in-depth descriptors of patients' bowel programs or vague pain complaints, attempting in vain to justify their melancholy existences to governmental bodies whose job it is to regulate a person's qualifications to die in comfort. Now I will never think that it is only an ER nurse who is overworked, underappreciated and pushed beyond the physical limits on a daily basis. Just a quick shout out to all my fellow nurses, both ER and hospice, who strive every day to make some sort of an impact on a generally ungrateful society. Once in a while, someone does notice, and even when you feel like nobody cares, just remember that I think of you often and silently commiserate with you.

Now onto better and brighter things: I would like to form the anti-uterus task force, whose mission it will be to eradicate all unused and unwanted uteri (is that a word?) from the female population for all those willing to participate. I have had my child, my husband and I (thanks to previous surgery) will not be having any other children, and I have some of the worst monthly experiences a woman could have. Why in the world would I want to keep this useless, painful, leaking organ? I think I will hold my hand out for the female stimulus package, whereby the federal government will pay for my hysterectomy and time off from work for recovery. Sounds plausible, right? I think that I fall into the "minority" category with this "disability" too. Maybe all put together that would get me what I'm looking for. I'll keep you up to date on that...

As an aside, there are moments when I miss the emergency room. Not often, but specifically when I REALLY want to tell a patient's family member where to get off. That, unfortunately, is a luxury I gave up when I left the ER, as hospice nurses are typically relegated to the "angel" category: sweet, gentle, slow to anger, patient and non-judgmental. I play that role with the best of them, even on days when I don't feel like any of those things, and most days it isn't even an act. But there are days, like today, when I really wish I could educate certain families on the "hospice philosophy"--your loved one is dying, and frankly, their TSH and lidocaine levels (lidocaine is local anesthetic, not systemic, FYI) are not going to impact their quality or quantity of life. Butt out, or graduate from medical school. One or the other, I don't care which.

Ok, so I feel a little better now. I'm off to bed, in the hopes of getting fewer admissions tomorrow than I got today. Say, in the ballpark of...zero. 17 patients is plenty for me to juggle, and if I'm lucky, I'll make it back here before May.