Monday, November 30, 2009

Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumbass

It’s befitting that I got to take care of the following three gentlemen after getting TNCC* certified. Three home-boyz found themselves in a slight altercation involving a ‘fine ass bitch’ who turned them all down. Home-boy #1 took out his gun and shot home-boy #2 near the tibia. Home-boy #2 was not impressed so he shot home-boy #1 in the upper thigh. Feeling a little left out and getting pissed off at home-boy #2 for shooting home-boy #1, home-boy #3 took out his gun but wasn’t quite schooled in how to use it properly and so, ended up shooting himself in the foot. All three of them limped in cursing and bloody and accusing each other of ‘startin’ shit and messin’ wid da fine bitch’ who supposedly belonged to one of them only. At home-boy #1’s insistence, I caved in and called the woman who they were fighting over only to have her curtly tell me to euthanize them all. Needless to say, the ‘po-po’ were also involved.

*TNCC - Trauma Nursing Core Course

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Miss Maha if You're Nasty

A little old lady with a hip fracture after being catheterized: What does RN stand for?

Me: Registered nurse, ma'am.

LOL: Should be real nasty for what you just did to me.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Items Misplaced


Looking for a clean scrub top before a night shift and this is what I find instead. Had to wear a t-shirt that night :)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Lights

On my way to work, I pass by an old Tudor style house. Its backyard can be seen from the train tracks and each evening regardless of the weather, there were festive lights casting a lovely glow to the entire house. Every time I had a night shift during the summer, I would pass by that house and I would see a giant barbecue, a myriad of guests, all sorts of flowers in stunning colours and of course all those lights. Being somewhat of a recluse, I always wondered who would have the energy to entertain so many guests so frequently. In winter, the backyard lights cast a beautiful amber glow on the snow and it made me want to befriend that person over a great cup of hot chocolate. There was something about that house that instantly made me feel happier. I know I have dreamed about that house many times.

Last week, was a little different. I was on the train daydreaming and staring out the window but the lights weren’t on. In fact, had I not known about the house previously, I would have never thought to look for it. Thinking that electricity bills finally got the better of the owner, I let my thoughts wander aimlessly once more until I reached my stop. By then, I had forgotten all about the house and started to worry more about my imminent future – namely what kind of department would I be walking into.

As usual, I purchased my latte and walked over to my assigned area to get asked, “Ready for report?”

“Sure”, I replied.

“For now, you only have one patient. She’s a 66 year old woman presenting with diffuse CP, SOBOE x2 days and mild 1+ pitting edema in the ankles with no relief from nitro. Positive trops, no significant ECG changes from previous visits, she’s a bit more comfortable with morphine. Cardiology is consulting on her now so you get to wait for their orders. She really doesn’t want to stay here because she’s convinced she won’t make it out of here so you get to deal with that. Family will be here in a little while. Any questions?”

“No, I’m fine. I’ll get the rest from the chart. Good night”.

“Night”.

I hung around the nursing station for a while savoring my latte while I looked over her labs. Eventually the patient was admitted and I finally got a chance to talk to her. From the minute I walked into her room, I felt as if I had known her all my life. She reminded me of so many people in family that I haven’t spoken to in months just because life gets in the way. Listening to her speak was effortless. I was simply spell bound by her eloquence, charm and her ability to describe the texture of a life that I could not possibly know. I lost track of time as she told me about how she managed to escape Afghanistan in the early 80s, made her way to Pakistan and eventually into California before coming to Canada and resuming her career as a teacher. She paid a heavy price for leaving – she lost three of her four children, her parents and many of her friends. Once she managed to buy a house and provide for her daughter, she started to feel as if she spent her days struggling against the relentless waves of guilt at having survived while having to watch too many of her loved ones fail and pay with their lives. She thought about killing herself – overdosing, throwing herself on the train tracks, jumping from a building – anything that would get the job done but ultimately she could not sacrifice her daughter’s well being to appease her own dark desire for escape. She sought help for her depression and eventually started to befriend others in her community and reestablish roots in Canada. Her daughter grew up, fell in love, married the man of her dreams and had two children who were lavished with love by everyone in the family. She said that for as long as she could, she always wanted her family and friends near her because at any moment, all of the newfound beauty in her world could be snatched away. She did not want to stay in the hospital and have her troponins and ‘lytes measured on a tele floor because she had a house whose backyard needed a new string of lights so she could once more take in the sights and sounds of her loved ones enjoying a delicious meal under their glow.

And that’s when it dawned on me that she owned the house that captured my imagination for so long. I wanted so badly to tell her what seeing her house everyday meant to me – how just for an instant, I was able to let go of my worries completely and just admire the beauty and warmth of her house and its spirit. But as it happens, I was slammed with two new patients back to back who needed a whole lot of work done. When they were discharged, the influx of patients did not stop and she eventually got transferred to the tele floor by another nurse.

I got to work early the next night so that I could visit her, say goodbye and wish her well in her recovery. She coded that afternoon. I doubt I will ever see the same house on my way to work again.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

A Family Business

When asking a patient what he does for a living:

Patient: I’m a dealer yo. My mom’s a dealer. My dad’s a dealer. My sister’s a dealer. My brother’s a dealer. Yo guy, even my motherfucking dog is a dealer.
Me: Foshizzle bro.

*fist bump*

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Un-effin-believable

EMS brought a patient over to triage who called and demanded that he be taken to the hospital to get her H1N1 shot. She was livid that we did not have it. Furious does not even begin to describe how I felt towards her. Similarly, I don't have a sufficient vocabulary to express the amount of loathing I felt towards her for tying up an ambulance for an hour.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Keeping Kosher

Elderly Jewish patient with a sense of humor who tested positive for H1N1: Is it Kosher for me to suffer from the swine flu?

Me: Sir, almost seven years of schooling and the meager experience that I have as a nurse in this department has not prepared me to answer your question in a satisfactory manner. Would you like some orange juice?

Sunday, November 1, 2009

More Photography Fun!





I was threatened - err kindly asked - by my sis' bf to post some of his work. I'm impressed by the detail!