Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Pneumonia - poor thing

Little tyke has pneumonia. Had a sneaking suspicion.

Last thursday she decided she wanted to sleep with me. I was up most of the night doing my school work and she work up with croup - when you hear your child coughing and sounding like a seal - ya know it's croup. Poor kiddo.

Off I went to run a shower and came back to retrieve her. I also gave her a dose of Ibuprofen - to try to reduce the swelling in her throat.... and the fever that had developed. Brought her to the shower and we had a blast in it - she thought it was all fun and games! At least by the time the water ran cold the Ibuprofen had kicked in and she was feeling more comfortable. Down we went back to bed and tucked into bed. Plus some cough syrup (without any febrile meds in it) but one with a cough suppressant. And she slept good for the rest of the night.

The next day I kept her home from school and battled fevers that entire day - piggybacking Ibuprofen with Acetaminophen (Motrin and Tylenol respectively) - so that they could be controlled. At one point her fever got up to 40.1 - eeek. She complained that day about her ear bothering her but only mentioned it once. No croupy cough at least!

Friday night I put vicks on her and gave her some cough syrup at bedtime and she slept wonderfully!

Saturday you would have thought that she was getting better for how much spunk and sassiness she had! So off hubby and I went for our anniversary dinner and date. While we were out at dinner MIL called and asked if she was allowed to take little tyke to London over night to see family- figured she was getting better so we allowed it. Plus Sunday we were heading there anyways so figured it was all good. No issues as far as I'm aware.

Sunday I'm sure she was up at the crack of dawn because there were children HER age there and so she just couldn't WAIT to be able to play with them! Then more children arrived and she didn't stop for that entire day! When hubby and I arrived she was upside down on a swing because one of her cousins was doing so on the other swing! She was having a blast! So much so that she didn't want to leave! My MIL convinced us that they would drive her back if we wanted to let her stay for a bit longer so we relented. I'm little tyke was so exhausted that she fell asleep as soon as she was put into the car, she was so tuckered that when they got back home, she didn't move a muscle when I picked her up out of the car and brought her inside and put her to bed!

Unfortunately, Monday  morning she came into my room to wake me up and just as she reached my side of the bed she has a coughing fit and sounded TERRIBLE! As in, nursing spidey sense was just a tingling!!!! I asked her if she was feeling yucky again and she said she was - so I told her that she wasn't going to school but crawling back into bed and sleeping some more! Surprisingly she relented and slept for another four hours. I called our family doctor's office to find out who was doing walk-in and found out that in the afternoon it was our family doctor (there's 3 other docs that rotate) so I waited til he was on and brought her in.

I had him check little tyke out first (I had to go in too to get my Hep B vaccine done) and had her tell him what was wrong. While we were waiting for our turn she commented about her ear hurting and told her that she had to tell the Dr about it so when he came in she recalled this right away. So he took a look in her ears. She forgot about her cough but when he asked her if anything else was wrong she looked at me and so I gestured to her about it and she ended up coughing anyways so I told him about the high fevers over the weekend and the croup and how it's turned into the congestion and nasty cough - which he agreed to.... then asked him to listen to her. Which he did and he concurred - it is pneumonia and so instead of just getting the ear drops we were now getting antibiotics. Poor little tyke.

It's been two days now, and with the antibiotics and vicks and mommy loving (and sleeping/cuddling with mommy) she's starting to feel better - which also means going back to school. She's happy about that though, she misses her friends!

Friday, May 23, 2014

We eloped

6 years ago we decided that there wasn't anything hubby and I could say or do that could turn his parents to support our decision to be together. So off we went and eloped.

We met through a dating site and conversed for just over a month before we met up. The day that I met hubby I knew that he was the one for me. I was so incredibly honest that I told him on our second date that if he were to ask me to marry him that day that I would say yes. There was just something about our connection that I knew would last all time. And I wasn't wrong - at least not yet!

That's not to say that we haven't had our ups and downs. We argue like anyone else but we communicate. I've learned that when his mom becomes a raging lunatic (at least once a week) that he will inevitably tranference it to me - and that I just have to walk away. I know that he will recognize his assholeishness (new word :P) and come and apologize.

Let me tell you, if you had asked me in the beginning where we would be, I wouldn't have thought one iota that we would be where we are today. We both have careers, we're both in school to advance our education - but we're still living in his parents house. If I could correct ANYTHING that would be it! Because of how unhappy I've been, hubby and I have arranged our living space to ensure that I have my "own" space that I can be in and get away from the rest of the family. We have a space that we can be together in and recharge our marriage battery. I also know that this won't be forever - we are making headway towards our dreams and aspirations. We are supporting one another, even if that means that we're compromising along the way.

To celebrate 6 years we're going to a hibachi/teppanyaki dining facility on Saturday (even though our anniversary is today) - oooooo I can't wait. This has been something that hubby and I talked about going for for two years or more, just haven't for some reason. But now we are and I'm uber excited!

I look forward to our future. I can't wait til I'm done my BSN. We want to have more children but we want ME to be done that at least. We want to have our OWN house - at least 4 rooms. I want to have a loud house full with my children's voices and that of their friends. I want my house to be the IT house. Just as my house was for my brother's friends (we lived in a neighborhood that had TONS of boys by brother's age but no girls my age - SUCH a pity!) - we nicknamed my parents house "grand central station" - because there was ALWAYS people over - friends or family, or both. My cousins LOVED being in our house because dinner time was always together and an event - it was always loud but there was always love. I would LOVE to have at least 2 more children - as many as 4 (if I'm lucky enough!)

Poor little tyke is sick atm - she has croup. She's been having recurring fevers. Poor darlin. Tomorrow is her end of the year school part - she wants to go soooooooooo bad. We'll see though because even if we don't send her to school, if she's ok enough later on we might let her check out the party. I hope she's ok though, it's rough seeing little tyke sick. Good thing for meds though!

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Oh great, another thing to look forward to!

Went to the Dr's last week (I think I have another abcess! - EEEK!) for a follow up on the blood work we took a couple of weeks ago.

So I'm in the all clear for the Strep - didn't think I caught anything but it's always good to make sure - I mean, I DID use standard precautions and I didn't notice anything splash up so I figured I was alright....

So what's with the title you ask?.....

I earned a trip to the immunologist....

Turns out that I'm STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLL not immune to measles, mumps (but rubella finally took) which means I got ANOTHER round of injections for that sucker - that will make round THREEEEE (ouch my arm!)

On Tuesday I have to go back to him to get the next shot for the MMR - hopefully it'll work.

And just because work wants to know (was supposed to do it when I got hired) - I'm not immune to Hep B

Here in Canada we get immunized when we're in Grade 7-8.... and we get three shots to make sure that we're good and immune.... which is supposed to last FOREVER!!!!! Ya well it seems this body doesn't LIKE immunizations and so now I get to do these shots all over again!!! All three of them!

Wanna know the kicker?! Because I'm not enrolled in the grade 7-8 time slot, I get to pay $30 PER SHOT

UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH

So now because this is the FOURTH abcess I have developed and the immunizations don't seem to hold up in my system, we need to do some investigative work which means an appt with an immunologist - which won't be until the middle of November - such a long time away.... wonder if it means that I won't be able to work because I'm not immune to a bunch of things?!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

My daughter made me cry today

I worked a day shift - oh how I hate those. Hate IS a strong word and I don't fling it around carelessly - so let me blatently clear - I HATE DAY SHIFTS!!!! Especially if it is a monday or a friday! Those are generally the busiest days - with doctors doing rounds and writing orders - before or after the weekend.... tests get done, labs are done - all of which mean that you need to check these things.... on top of makng sure that you give meds, do assessments, bathe these people.... you know, the things us nurses have to do on a daily basis coupled with all the extra shit. Plus I have to get up at the crack of dawn in order to make it into work on time - the drive is almost tripled in time it takes - to get there! Then when I'm done my shift it takes me an hour + to get back home. ERRRRGGGGHHHH! I hate days, I hate days, I hate days.....

Surprisingly though, today wasn't too bad. I caught a pretty big med issue - one of our guys who has chronic pain and has a G-tube is getting Meslon = controlled released morphine.... except that we have to OPEN the capsule thus eliminating the whole CONTROLLED RELEASE aspect.... and this guy was on 30mg! So ya, I don't understand why it took EIGHT days (twice daily!) in order for it to be caught! Thankfully we looked into it and was told by pharmacy that although it's not advised to open them, the little balls inside the capsule are encapsulated sorta on their own and so you get SOME controlled release - but certainly not the 12hrs that it's supposed to last! So the doc left him on that med and included a fentanyl patch - which is shocking because these docs here do NOT like to prescribe that damn patch! However, this guy needs it - he has pontine myelinitis - essentially his brainstem isn't working and so he's pretty obtunded and completely aphasic. So the guy just moans and moans and moans - we figure it's pain related because when we give him the PRN morphine, he quiets down - and it's not enough that we're snowing him so I guess there's pain?!

Now back to why this post it titled what it is..... hubby had to be the one to take little tyke to school today and so she was pretty bummed out that I wasn't going to be the one - and so she was uber excited when I got home. After a nap (remember, days = no sleep for me cuz I'm a night hawk and my body doesn't get sleepy til real late) she came downstairs into my room to find me on the computer and got all excited like and ran back upstairs.... then came straight back down and told me that she had a card for me. Now this isn't the first "card" that she's brought/made for me.... What was different about this one you ask?

She wrote out "happy mothers day I love you" and drew me a picture of a flower..... and signed her name

I'm getting teary just thinking about it.... It was the best mothers day present yet from her and I'll treasure it forever. Completely made me forget about my nasty day shift (that wasn't as bad as they normally are). And of course I had to call my mommy, all sobbing and tell her about what her grand daughter did for me!

Man I love that little girl!!!!

Happy mother's day to everyone and a special one to my mama - I love you!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Exposed = tests

My leg guy - well it turns out he's positive for strep A & B - necrotizing facitis it turns out...

Off I went today to get tested for them.

I don't think I was actually exposed per se but I did clean his wounds with a saline bottle and there's always a miniscule chance that a drop or something went onto my scrubs or in my eyes or nose - but I didn't feel anything and I was careful - but I wasn't using a face mask or goggles so there's always a chance.

Hubby got all concerned that I didn't tell him about the exposure and that I was being flippant about safety. The Dr asked me why I was doing the dressing change on a guy that was known to be strep B positive without "proper" precautions. I explained that because I admitted him I had to take the dressings apart, clean them and put them back together again. I didn't know about the strep A - only the strep B and that was in his blood. I figured that using gloves would be enough - and being careful of course.

As nurses. admitting someone from the ER means that we will be exposed to things (strep, TB, MRSA, HIV etc...) without knowing such until several days afterwards. As was the case today. This is the reason why we must always be careful when we take care of our patients. We never know what we're getting into.

I have faith I'll be alright.

The best way to lose a leg

Who would wait a month when your leg become painful to touch and you start developing wounds and edema so bad that you CUT IT OPEN!!!!!  Ya only a man could!!! This would be the best way to lose a limb!

Dr was questioning whether it was necrotizing facitis - google necrotic leg and see what you come up with! It ain't pretty!!!!! But let me tell you, neither was this leg!

I admitted this pt and I am required to do my documentation - so I take apart the dressing so that I can accurately document. Well this one wound that he had tunneled so badly I pulled like 3 ft (not kidding either) out of that wound. It was all kinds of nasty. I'm VERY surprised that it didn't smell though. I totally expected it to. And the amount of wounds that were on the leg I expected the ciruculation to be dying as well. Another surprise. I couldn't feel his pedal pulse but his toes had good color, movement and sensation. Surprising as hell. What would surprise me is if he actually got to keep this leg. We shall see.

This is the sort of thing I miss about being on a more acute unit. You just don't see these kinds of things. It might have made for a crazy shift but it was certainly interesting!



Friday, May 2, 2014

So close but no cigar

Did my final exam for my mental health course



I got 86% - yay for me! This is my weakest subject area so I'm proud of that number. I studied for lots of days to get that amount...



Unfortunately it wasn't high enough for me to get my A-.... I missed that by TWO questions! A bloody 4% overall. That's the part that doesn't sit well with me.

For the other tests that we've had the teacher has come back and corrected marks because of questions so I'm REALLY REALLY hoping that he'll do the same thing.

But for now, this is me....