Oh! Ouch! You're stepping on my FEELINGS!

It is sickening that we have come to a point in our society where one can no longer voice an opinion that could potentially be perceived as intolerant by anyone on Earth. I simply do not understand this train of thought. I hear plenty of things, daily, that irk me to the bone, but I keep my mouth shut because it is everyone's (watch out, I'm gonna say it) GOD given right to speak their mind and exercise free will. Now what really torques me is that when those of us who respect others' right to free speech decide to take said liberty ourselves, we are verbally spanked for "ignorance" or "intolerance". I would like to take this opportunity to illustrate my point, at the expense of my dear blog buddy and friend, on her latest post and resulting comments.

So, for the sake of all that is free and legal, I have chosen to make today my own personal Day of Intolerance. Any of you who wish to adopt this day as your own, feel free to do so. I do not hold any patents or copyrights to this label, and I think this damned country needs a serious dose of reality such as this. The world is not a warm and fuzzy, hand-holding, kumbayah-singing, dope-smoking, love your domestic-partner, convenient "embryo disposal", don't-say-that-it-hurts-my-feelings kind of place. You want to shove your immoral, whiny, entitled, intolerant demands for acceptance and approval in my face, then get ready: right back 'atcha.

I don't care if you like me, or my viewpoints, or if you care about my beliefs in God or Jesus Christ. I don't walk around demanding that you accept my statements, or that you tailor your comments to preserve my feelings. But turnabout is fair play. If you get the ability to voice your opinions and affect change for your beliefs, then so do I. And believe me, there's plenty about this God-forsaken nation that I'd love to change.

For instance, government handouts without reasonable qualifications are gone. No more welfare, Medicaid, WIC, EMTALA, and any other taxpayer-made donation to a lazy way of life. People with a true disability who qualify for Social Security or Medicare are okeydokey. All the rest of you moochers, hit the road. Maybe another country that wants to socialize and carry you, hmm?

Doctors (poor people) are forced to come up with "new" diseases to explain the otherwise unexplainable complaints their pain-in-the-rear patients continue to request pain medicine for. And I don't care what American/National/Association of Whoever's say it's a real disease. Maybe if there wasn't such a prevalence of junkie, drug-seeking jerks permeating our emergency rooms looking for their next fix, we wouldn't be so opinionated about pseudo-diseases like fibromyalgia/chronic pelvic pain that have been classified as potential drug seeking diagnoses often employed by malingerers. I know, big words. Invest in a dictionary and a brain.

I believe homosexual marriage is wrong. Just as gay/lesbian/transgender/dog/cat/cousin/pedophile relationships are wrong. I don't like/approve/tolerate/support/condone that behavior nor do I knowingly fraternize with anyone who participates in it. Keep away from me and my family. AAAAHHHHHH, the intolerance!!!!!

I believe men that minister/pastor in the ways of Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Ted Haggard, Mark Driscoll and the like are securing their followers eternal damnation, and deserve a special place in hell themselves. And women, by authority of the Bible, you are not allowed to preach. Sorry. Look....I have an opinion. Sue me.

I believe that if you strike a healthcare provider, you should automatically be arrested and sentenced to 30 days in jail. No trial. No bail. No appeals. No I-was-drunk/high/psychotic/confused excuses without a previously diagnosed incurable mental illness that would incapacitate your ability to control your own behavior. And if that is the case, then you should probably have a court appointed guardian, since you are unable to make safe and reasonable decisions on your own.

I believe that life begins at the moment of conception (for those of you who don't know what that means, it is the moment when the sperm and the ovum join together) and extends through the moment of natural death. Anyone who "terminates" the life of a human being between these two points is a murderer, regardless of whatever politically correct reason you want to give for it. If you don't like that stigma or label, don't do it. Easy enough. Think that's bad? Check this out (and I agree with his idea as well).

Shocked and appalled? Disgusted? In disbelief that someone could be so intolerant in her feelings and opinions? Well, there's a lot more where that comes from. If you don't like it, you can leave a comment that tells me how much you don't like it. And if I don't like your comment, I'll delete it. Ahh, the power of comment moderation. Gotta love that freedom of speech and intolerance!

So this is normal....

Things are different. The new job is nice; low-key and a totally new mindset, too. It's difficult to look at these patients and keep myself from thinking of ways to fix them. I love being able to single-handedly direct the majority of patients' care, though, and only consult the doctor once a week (unless I run into something strange). And being able to take the time to educate patients and families, or get things they really need just by making a phone call, feels great. I don't feel as rushed, and not nearly as jaded, but I have realized that my organizational skills could use some major improvement.

I'm drowning in paperwork! I never thought I would say this (ever), but I really think computerized charting could help here. My biggest fears, after these two weeks of orientation, revolve around this silly paperwork. I'm sure I'm going to forget to fill out some form, or run out of forms in the field and be an hour away from the office and not be able to fill out something important. Hence the multitude of binders and page protectors and folders and dividers that have been procured and planned for special spots in the trunk of my car. I'm sure one day I will long for an office job where I can put up handmade pictures from my child in my cubicle, and maybe even own a file cabinet or two. Until then, I'll just stick to my office on wheels.

All that aside, I really do enjoy the pace and scope of my newest venture. My husband and daughter seem to be glad to have me home for supper every evening, and I like going to bed at night and getting up in the morning. Strange, I know. I never thought I would have a "9 to 5" type job before I turned 40. It sure is nice that the good Lord watches out for me. And I have to laugh....I've only been gone two weeks, and already three people from the ER have called to say hi. Funny how you never know how integral a part of the team you are until you leave.

I keep praying for patience and guidance and wisdom, especially in this new position. It is so nice to have the time for introspection, not to mention compassion for other people who truly deserve it, and I don't want to waste this wonderful opportunity to grow. And to digress for a moment, I have to say thank you to my loving husband for taking time today to help me pick out fabric for my next sewing adventure. I'll have to let you all know how the skirt comes out, but if nothing else, the fabric is beautiful! And I was shocked on Wednesday to find out that one of the ladies at church would like me to make a birthday cake for her daughter's birthday next month, similar to the one I made back in November for Missions Conference. Who knew anybody else cared about my cakes?! What a nice surprise.

I hope that everyone is doing as well as we are. I do miss some of the camaraderie in the ER, and being able to turf patients that are a tad on the difficult side. I think one of the most poignant things I've learned in the past two weeks is that familes that were dysfunctional before terminal illness are going to continue to be dysfunctional after diagnosis, and there is nothing that we can do to fix it. So, we'll just form a care plan around it, and do the best we can to keep the patient comfortable. Pretty laissez-faire compared to the ER, but I bet I'll get used to it. :)

Don't infringe on my Second Amendment rights, and no one gets hurt

See this gun? Ok. Besides being a semi-automatic .45 caliber handgun, is there anything that differentiates it from other handguns, especially in the arena of stopping power (or deadliness, as I'm sure the left-wing anti-gun fanatics would call it)? Yes. In fact, this particular handgun is less deadly than, say, the .357 Magnum 5-shot revolvers that preceded it. Granted, if I were shot with the above firearm, I would definitely be reconsidering the action I was attempting, but I would be more likely to survive than if I were shot with a standard .357 revolver. This is based purely on the velocity at which the bullets travel (facts and physics, I know, are confusing to those who are afraid of the big "G" word--GUNS!!!):

.357 Magnum---> velocity= 1,410 ft/second energy= 574 ft-lb of force
.45 ACP---> velocity= 1.080 ft/second energy= 518 ft-lb of force

Ok, so if I haven't lost you yet....let's move on with the above premise in mind. One of our great liberal nation's legislators has proposed the Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2007, H.R. 1022, that would take out of my hands the less deadly of these two weapons, simply because it is "a semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that has the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds" (see subsection G). Apparently Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) has not taken the abbreviated version of handgun physics as provided above, and therefore is also afraid of the big "G" word. Shocking.

Now, for those of you who do not own such an "assault weapon," you may not be as outraged about this as I am. However, I would encourage you to check out the link to this bill, as there are a slew of new and updated restrictions to all classes of firearms that would be considered illegal should this bill pass. And anything not listed yet would be up to the discretion of the Attorney General as to its legality. Hmm, here in about 10 days, that's scheduled to be Eric Holder. That name sounds familiar...oh yes, he was the deputy Attorney General during the Clinton administration. Questionable pardons, unethical practices, and now dishonesty regarding dealings with our friend Mr. Blagojevich. Yep, I think I'll trust him with my Second Amendment rights....when hell freezes over.

In closing, I would like to offer a reminder of the Second Amendment guarantee to American citizens, just in case anyone forgot: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." So, I will be purchasing for myself in the near future a handgun that will not (at least initially) be outlawed, should such an asinine bill as this be passed in the coming years. Take a good look, because if you come to take my guns away, it may be the last thing you see.

Pronto al Viaggio

I have an itch. And it seems to be getting worse, as I will be unable to scratch it until this coming Thursday. I am ready to leave this God-forsaken hole and move on, even if it ends up being just as mentally exhausting and terribly nauseating as the ER. At least I will be able to say that I gave it my best effort. And not staying on PRN makes it even more permanent, as I will not have a safety net to fall into in case there is something about hospice that I don't happen to like. So, in light of my pending exodus, I feel that a list of some reasons why I am leaving the ER is in order. Note: this list is by no means exhaustive, nor is it ranked. :)

1. Condescending, know-it-all doctors who do NOT know it all.
2. Rude, angry, physically and verbally abusive patients.
3. Impatient patients (oxymoron?), family members, and friends.
4. Parents of small children who double as imbeciles.
5. Untrained, underqualified security guards (I don't use that term loosely).
6. Unsafe working conditions and asinine policies/regulations.
7. Surplus of non-emergency conditions clogging up beds needed for real emergencies.
8. Alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health disorders.
9. Lazy, unmotivated, slacker co-workers.
10. Administration without a clue, but with enough hot air to float the Hindenburg.

I don't see an end in sight for any of these issues, and unfortunately with the inauguration of Mr. Obama this month, I believe it will only get worse. So I will watch from a different venue, and listen to my friends' lamentations when they experience first-hand these sickening frustrations over and over again. And I will refer to this list if I ever suffer from a bout of nostalgia for the ER, for as my loving husband said, if I even entertain the thought of returning to the ER for at least a few years, we will have the biggest argument we've ever had. I don't think I want to go there. So, I'll get ready to leave (again), and see what the Lord has in store for us when I take this leap of faith.