INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours
Comments
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glad your knees are doing better ! maybe less scrutiney at the security lines!
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LOL....it is definitely less but not gone.....depending on the trousers, if they are a little more fitting, I may still get patted for contriband..........lol.
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Chrissy whats that about the knees ------didn't like the Titanium in the airports?
Using both Ativan and melatonin to sleep. May be too much , but it works, Now I just need to get more active. No sleep sapped all will to keep tone up. 3 jays I know you get that one.
3 Jays-------working on Bean, but it's the holidays--------never get sick from now pre-Thanksgiving till the week after New Years. I'd be pushing alot harder if it was showing signs of Malignacy, but it isn't. Just growing. I'll let you all know ----what-up, when I find out. LOL.
I will try hard not to stay up all night--------I dislike Fridays, Tend to do all the things that hurt me b/c I'm alone. Duh. Namaste sheila
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Shiela, the thing about the knees...........when I was there and travelling by air, a few times going through security, I was taken aside for a pat down...........the first place they went to was my knees as they looked suspiciously like I had strapped something there and was trying to smuggle it through security. The look of shock on their face when they realised that the misshapen things were actually my knees was quite comical. I sometimes wished I could have taken a snapshot photo of them!
Hope you are doing well dear girl as I haven't seen you around for awhile.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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Chrissy----------I have been off awhile--------long story. Needed a break. But missed you all too much. The problem is I can't sit here too long legs start to swell. If it isn't one thing. The story about the knees-----what a hoot. Yes TSA officers do a need job, but can be so insensitive. The story about the poor fella whose urostomy bag leaked all the way home.
I won't fly again, but have consisdered flashing them when they would go to examine the foobs. I'm not the most cooperative at these sites. Have wondered if this is against the law b/c they aren't real. Anyone hear any rulings on this?
All the diseases that can be transmitted b/c they don't change gloves. The whole barefoot thing. Last time I made them put down paper and then carry my shoes back to me, so, I didn't have to walk on the gruddy dirty floor. They were not happy.
L&H's sheila
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Shiela, I just love your spunk! Namaste.
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Kay - sweetie-------I'm also responsible for the no lighter thing------was coming back to Fl. had a Bottle of Crown Royal for the son picked up at the Canadian border. I have been on the list for years b/c of complaints. So, they pull me aside and I had four lighters. They told me I had to give up three. I held them up to the light and they asked what I was doing ---I said---well I'm not going to give you a full one. Then asked for a supervisor. Asked who was going to reimburse me for the lighters. He said ---no you are giving them up voluntarily--------I said ---no you are telling me I have to give them to you, that's not voluntary, that's a demand, you are taking my property , so, I need to know how I will be reimbursed for this property. Poor guy. he was unprepared. Well, I amused myself enough gave them three. Next rule passed -------no lighters. They let the Crown Royal pass with no problems-------Go figure.
On the foot thing and barefoot etc. B/C it happened more than once, one TSA female officer whispered --I agree with you and the people that complain the most are nurses.
I would love to be able to flash them b/c it would bring the whole discussion to a national debate. But can't afford to fly b/c LE in L breast and axilla and upper arm would likely go to uncontrolled stages.Won't risk that.
Please, all here pray for my sister her health is declining rapidly. A St. jude Novena would be appreciated. Namaste sheila
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Sheila, so sorry to hear about your sister. I will keep her in my prayers.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
Namaste
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Will do the st. Jude novena for your twin. I hope you are okay. Am praying for you too.
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Sheila, praying for your sister.
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Thank you all, for praying for Sue. I'm so sad b/c I can't make it different. Love and thanks sheila
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hey sas, i lurk, but don't post much. im so sorry about your sister. i do know how you feel. i was powerless when my sister was sick, couldn't even see her before she passed, or make the funeral after...
i hope all is well with you, as well, with the "little bean"... love ya, gal.. so enjoyed meeting you in oct..........3jays
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Marybe is getting her tumor markers soon. We were sort of joking around and BarbE suggested we have a lottery, I chimed in a raffle with the prize being the satisfaction of winning. I wagered that Marybe's numbers would be under 6000. Then I just decided to go make a BCO donation regardless and now, so I did. It is easy the link is right at the top of the page on the right side, just scroll up. So, as at any board meeting where one is absent, Marybe named me in charge of spreading the word about this so we might get a nice pool of donations going for BCO which has done so much for so many of us.
It is tax dedutible too and I did donate in honor of Marybe but didn't request she be notified, she might get a big head ya know. Haha
Here is what Marybe wrote on her thread.
"Just thought of this....maybe you can spread the word of the contest to some of the other threads, I don't know about honoring me so much because believe me, I am really no one special, BUT wouldn't it be great to raise a bunch of money for BCO since it has given so much to us!? Also, I think you can use it as a tax deduction."
Thanks for reading
Ginger
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Gingerbrew, thank you for your donation, and thanks to Marybe for inspiring it!
Judith and the Mods
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To bed at 1:00, up at 3:00 with a nervous system full of Decadron. Taking down the Christmas tree, cleaning closets and doing all the things I'll be incapable of in a couple of days when I crash. I'll be exhausted for tonight but at least my house will be clean.
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Hello, All have been absent along time. Needed a break and sleeping better------Melatonin and Ativan. Yeah for sleep------Makes a world of difference.
Thanks for your prayers for my sister Sue----keep them going , she's improving and trying many things to get better.
Bean is still being worked on
3 jays ----sorry you had to go through that with your sister babe. I know it caused a hole in your heart((((((hugs)))))). Yes, Oct was fun , short time , but well packed with energy in such a short time. Have heard from our friend several times by email, but I'm dreaddful with email if you are talking with her. She sent me some gorgeous pics of the subject that we had interest in.
Kay thank you for the St. Jude novena. Again, she has definitely changed. Namaste---created havoc on Catholic match.com with the word, but others were receptive. It was a wild ride of a discussion.They Lock a topic after 200 responses. It has just been locked. Allowed me to learn allot and make so nice friends in the process.
Spent evening with neighbors. He is from Cuba. At midnight, their tradition is to throw water outside --symbolizes, throwing out all the bad, and then eating twelve grapes, one for each month of the year. So, we did , had some good laughs.
Can't get the poor dog to go out to pee b/c of the fireworks.------She's freaked. Now I have to stay up till they stop. To get her to go out----poor dogs,
Marybe's markers which one is over 6000. Like the idea of donating Thinging of doing an EFT once a month. Will have to check into details. BCO certainly has given to us.
L&H&P's and HAPPY NEW YEAR, BLESS ALL NAMASTE sheila
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Hey Sas! Long time no hear! So good that the bean is being worked on and your sis is slowly improving. Hope you have a great New Year and it brings you nothing but good things.
Love n hugs. Chrissy0 -
Haven't seen people around here for a while. Actually came in to shut down the computer. Have been dozing in front of TV now time for bed and won't be able to get to sleep.
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Hey Chrissy, missed you by minutes the other night. Hope your summer is going well. We are in a freeze mode here in Florida. Several layers of clothing LOL. Starting out like last year. I'm toooo cheap to turn up the heat. Just doing what I used to do up north pile on the clothes. Hope those warm up jackets have proved to be useful. I dodn't remember asking you before?
Hope all's well with you and the family
Allyson same to you and yours as Chrissy's. As far as sleeping, I am using melatonin as Chrissy suggested, but I have to take it in a much higher dose 10 mg with an ativan. Sounds radical, but my docs ok with it, and I'm getting 6-8 hours connected sleep. ----After 2 + years of awful sleep this is heaven. Sister is using it too and getting some sleep.
Of now to check a few threads then to bed. L&H&P's sheila
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Sheila, those warmup jackets and scrubs are great and yes I have used them.......a lot!...lol. Because they are cotton they are just perfect for me as they are warm without being hot, mind you, I have not needed then lately as it's been really hot!
With the Melatonin, you can take up to 20mg before you feel adverse effects. It's suggested that you don't go over that amount but if you are getting what you need from the 10 then yahooo! keep on taking it and sleep well my friend. Glad to hear that your sis is also benefitting.
Love n hugs. Chrissy
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HI SAS and Chrissy B, two of my favorites on this site! Hope all is well!
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Hey Gina! Good to see you!!! How you doing? I'm doing good, got the BC checkup next week and had the boods done for that yesterday so the results will be there and got the surgery date for my left knee as well, that will be May 23rd. Sounds like a long way off but if the first few days of the year are anything to go by, it will pass very quickly! I'm not looking forward to the recovery time but I guess if the pain in the knee goes and I can do more things, I will be one happy little camper....lol.
Oh, How is your DH recovering? Hope he's doing well. Say hi for me please?
Love n hugs girl! Chrissy
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Hi sagina----love the name---------it sings---------DH having a problem?
Chrissy glad the scrubs and jackets are working out. I always wore a jacket solid color as we talked about. B/C one room might by request be 80 the next(DH's) Might be in the 60's Never told you I was responsible for each patient defining by a phonecall what the temp in their room would be. The first design when the new hospital was opened. I described it as an ergonomic nightmare. One of the docs told the CEO, he sought me ought and asked what I meant. The first major change was the temperature control. They wanted nurse to sit at a terminal and put the request in -------I said that's nut's . Do you (CEO) have any idea how often a patient goes from hot to cold. Plus nurses don't have time for this etc. He went back and had the company change the system, but they didn't include the nursing station rooms. What a hoot. One day it maybe staffed by youngers, then the next by menopausals. It eventually was corrected b/c of so many requests for changes. Then copy delivery machines were added to both rooms, but not quite complete. One room only had fax capabilities. Made life difficult. but I won on temperature control. ERGO , the jackets were a must. The mistake in the design of the new hospital was they took chiefs to other new hospitals that talked to other chiefs--------no one talked to the warrior indians that did the work. So, throughout the US the facilities built in the last 15 years have much the same design. A few years ago it was mandated that all rooms be private. I fought for that 15 years ago. I rue the day that I didn't go to the open board meeting and ask questions like Mr. Chairmen(you are in a semi private room) tell me about your sexual history, any STD"s, any prostate probelems , how do your bowels work, what color are your stools, constipation/diarrhea--------you get the idea.-----------NO privacy.---so much for HIPPA.
Hope Knee surgery goes well---------bless you Sweetie. L&H's sheila
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No one to my knowledge has tested charts yet. They are NEVER washed. They must be a hotbed of bacteria. Think of all the hands that touch them. I believe they need to go through a high temperature wash after each use. If a patient is there over so many days the chart should be changed and sent through a high temperature wash with chemicals etc.-------Periodically, you will see studies that show lots of other things that have been tested, even Doc's ties(awful), stethoscopes, handheld cells, phones, EKG leads, computer keyboards. Other nurses used to laugh at my OCD of cleaning at the start of each shift. I was not only trying to protect the patients, but US.
Started with noticing zits, in a certain pattern on my face. I went through puberty, basically, without zits. Then noticed a similar pattern on the other nurses. Cell phones in hospital were handed off to each other at shift change. My research showed a really good study out of Israel on the topic. The four studies from Usa were all lazy studies. They all sited the Israel study versus doing any of their own microbial studies. Except one that sited a study of the Bacteria on EKG leads. Hand wiping EKG leads did little to remove bacteria. The study recommendation at the time was for disposable leads, but they weren't dependable enough at the time. Imagine my horror when waking up after my failed chemo that almost killed me, and they had put on telemetry leads across still healing Mastectomy wounds. Off they came--pronto. The nurse taking care of me reacted in disgust that I was so uncooperative with my CARE.
I felt like Felix Unger in the" Odd Couple". I'd have a talk with all newbies about cleaning the cells and beepers before handing them off. Even for break coverage, let alown at shift change. Cleaning their medication binders, the computer and Pixis keyboards.
Also. nix on fake nails-----horrible. First reports came in 1998. It took several years for it to become the rule. It only happened after Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation made it a "recommendation" and that they would be looking for policies on it.
If a doc comes in with a dirty lab coat send him on his way, No hand washing by anyone---speak up. Hand washing should go up to at least 4-5 inches up the arm
Jewelry even wedding bands should be outlawed.
Watches should be done away with in hospitals. They have clocks in every room. They just need to have a sweep hand to do pulses.
All this stuff can be googled. I should think where else this can be posted. People can't protect themselves against that which they don't know about.
All IV poles and commodes should go through a big wash container. Suggested this for the new hospital for OR tables, they did it.
Anyone throwing dirty linen on the floor should be retrained. Each room should have it's own linen container ----not taken from room to room , or carried down the hall.
Each person should be given there own BP cuff------This is becoming more common.
Each person should be given a new phone----This is also becoming more common.
Shoe covers should be used by in hospital personnel, changed after leaving a room that has a known infection----now only done with serious infections that are in isolation status. Not even required by many hospitals for OR people.
As there are many more hospital acquired infections, a return to things that were done in a previous time are being looked at for control of the spread of hospiatl acquired infections.
Lastly, I believe that all immuno-comprimised patients should be in reverse isolation for our full hospital visit. That's all of us that are receiving chemo or recently received chemo, but are numbers are "UP". Our immune systems are not the same after all the chemicals dumped into us. We need greater protection from what we are exposed too. Numbers being "up" doesn't tell the whole story. This one I can't prove by studies. Wish I could. But been there did that , seen it to often that we are more prone to infections based on our life saving drugs like Tamox and AI's.
Well this chapter is at an end.
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Sas, have you been in the hospital recently? Since I've been going in mid March, there are no charts any more. All the charts are electronic, on the computer. Maybe this is not the case everywhere though. I wonder if anyone is sanitizing the keyboards though? The thing my onc mentioned to me was the curtain they pull around for privacy. She said they never clean those. Not sure why she told me that.
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Sas - some people may think your recommendations are extreme, but not me. I had an abdominal hyster in 97. I had 3 previous c-sections and the old laceration-type cholecystecomy - so I had a general idea of how my body healed. I tolerate pain well and generally heal quickly from surgery - I knew I was going downhill fast after my hyster.three days after surgery, I went to a local ER - a red streak of about an inch suddenly appeared from my incision - it was ignored - my pain was ignored - I was sent home and told to give my body time to heal.
The next evening, I realized that something smelled awful and that the front of my shirt/pants were soaked! I realized that this horrible, virrulent fluid was coming out of my incision, that had actually opened. I then realized I had a staph infection. I packed my bags and returned to the ER. Some of the staff asked why I was back - I pulled back the sheet - they saw and smelled the reason.
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....addition to post....I was admitted for five long days - isolated in a private room like a leper, receiving IV antibiotics. Yep - that's what unsanitary hospital conditions can lead to!
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....one more addition....the other hyster patient I shared my hospital room with following surgery ALSO developed a staff infection...interesting....huh?
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Helloo Kay------Doc is wrong about the curtains, they do have them on a schedule of routine cleaning by changing and laundering. It is not done with each patient admission. So, if anyone reads this and sees something strange on their curtains, ask/ demand for a change.. If they happen to be sprayed with blood or , vomit, or feces------a phone call by the nurse can get them changed fast. Faster if the nurse says" I will not let a patient be admitted to this room until they are changed." and then- i would- notify the supervisor of housekeeping and nursing boss----Lightening speed things happened-------b/c then(each) ---they have to justify why a bed wasn't available ----But everyone has to be responsible, if the nurse doesn't make the phone call and allows an admission what do you have--------an unhappy patient that recognises it. Bad Patient public relations------Bad infection control. Your doc did you a disservice by saying that, 1 she didn't know the routine, 2 if she saw a dirty curtain she is part of the chain of responsibility , she should have notified someone. 3 if she really cared she should have followed up in some manner. What she did was cause you to question the cleanliness of the hospital. Worse, is if you got a hospital based infection. Her comment gave you grounds to question all there cleaning practices, Which put the hospital at risk for lawsuits that were unjustified/justified.
I once was admitted, and made them crazy b/c the brown grout around the toilet with the rest of the grout being white said-------La Caca. Poor housekeeping worked like crazy to make it white- couldn't b/c it had been that way for years, I was a patient so i could demand it. As a nurse, I couldn't . Made a few enemies that time. One of the things, I recommended for the new hospital was seamless flooring in the bathrooms and in all rooms. Won that one for all the bathrooms, but seem-less was only put in what was considered isolation rooms. Another win was sinks outside each room. Where staff could wash their hands , pointing out that the patient bathrooms were essentially contaminated. Sinks where staff could wash their hands on entering and leaving reduced potential for transmission of bugs. Lost on suggestion that all rooms be designed to be isolation rooms in consideration of the mounting resistance of bacteria. All rooms should be single occupancy, but designed to handle two-------in case of disasters which meant piping to handle oxygen, suction for two.These suggestions were made in the middle 90's- In the Middle 2000's the agency that establishes guidelines for new facility building made private rooms mandatory. Don't know about pipng.or isolation-----Isolation there is a different air flow requirement. Win some loose some. Be a thorn and your considered a trouble maker. My 7 pages were presented as being recommendations from our group.
When the nurses were asked for recommendations, the group I worked with said they were happy with the way things were. I wrote 7 pages. But this is the same group when I presented them with the current pain control recommendations from The "Agency on Health Care Policies and Recommendations-------AHCPR---- . This was before computer access was readily available, so, I had to go back many years of journals. Put together many articles , sent to AHCPR had their pain control teaching materials. Presented it to the group. I could see by their eyes, they didn't agree with what I presented. Which was predominantly," the worst judge of a patients pain was the doctor and the nurse. The best judge was the patients own description." I presented the 1-10 scale , the visual scale based on faces. I then said I can tell that what I have said you are not accepting ,please, tell me why, They looked at each other and one finally said "Well I know when my patients are in pain or not" She looked at the others and they said yes I agree. I then said even though I have described how AHCPR was developed as an agency to establish national standards of care and that there first charges/assignments was to develop standards for diabetes mgt./ urinary incontinence/pain management. That for each hundreds of people that were knowledgeable and had studies to support what I was presenting to them were brought together on a national level, you still could not accept any of the concepts.(started presentation with this to affirm the idea that it wasn't --me---it was a national based development of standard of care). After repeating that I asked are you open to any of these ideas------again the one that was willing to say no, looked at the others and they agreed. I said well thank you for listening, I at least tried. Joint commission made it a requirement several years later.
Charts may seem electronic, but are they completely. Just b/c a nurse brings in a portable computer to chart doesn't mean there isn't a paper chart---in a ring binder that you never see. The ring binders are the dirty things. The movement is towards, and will eventually will be a total electronic /paperless system. The government has mandated this, but the accomplishment is going slowly. Until it is accomplished, we are stuck with charts in ring binders, in a central location(semi central). That is then written on by the doc , the unit secretary takes off the orders, then the nurse checks off the orders for accuracy. That's where the dirty part comes in, these ring binders are never decontaminated between patients, they are emptied and put back in a rack to be used again. Think how often they are touched by hands. I used to hate handling them and washed frequently because they made my hands feel so grubby. I knew they were never cleaned-----everyone like I said thought I was Felix Unger. Ask DH what system they have?
Some very well funded advanced centers may have gone paperless. It will be awhile till all can. It's expensive. Rural areas will be allowed to meet the mandates at a different time, unless the government helps with costs.
Kay---Icould possibly go back into nursing--------but it's a dream only.nursing and I have been at odds since day one. The safest place for me to be was the OR. Operating room/department folks develop a like mind as to what is sterile, clean, contaminated and dirty. But I was a learning sponge, I got bored. Had the rare opportunity to teach Paramedics-----it was geometric if I could teach them well and each affected only four people a day etc. But the concepts learned in the OR are quite different than standard nursing. As a new entry to the OR , only a few days, I heard this yell done the hall. There's a fly. Doors slammed asll over the place. I innocently, Asked why? MY nurse teacher pointed to the sterile tables, I still didn't have the mind of the OR nurse. She could see it in my eyes. She says "if a Fly lands on the table, we consider everything contaminated" I began to get it. To this day I have different attitude about bugs. Egads! I live in florida. Seriously, I saw a roach 3-4 weeks ago-------thought I was going to have a heart attack. Then realized, I was the only one here to kill it. Got passed the light headedness and heartpain , went to get something to kill him, he cooperated by staying still and I killed him. But that kind of describes my nursing life. Operating room/department nurses have such a higher standard of what is clean etc. To leave the OR is very difficult and be normal on other units. But I do believe that if all nurses were required to do at least a minimum of 2-3 years in the OR, we could reduce our infection rates. It's a whole change in mind set. I loved those people, in my heart they were the greatest. We could look at each other and know what the other was thinking. Back-up and support was the most phenomenal in my nursing career retrospectively. All after I had to watch my back, b/c someone might not be there, or critizing, or undermining. Bummer.
I miss those folks the most , I wonder, I know I have changed many lives, but could I have done that without always trying to change the world. Namaste Kay miss you bunches sheila
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Well , I'm here again ---------by myself----------with wonderful music behind me. Soundscapes. Interestingly, much is Celtic. Then when I play the guitar it is the same way. I thought at one time , I was wrong. but then there was a night listening to it. I realized, I could have been a person of older times, that played in castles as person that carried stories. The beauty , the stories. The words and stories lost b/c our society no longer excepts that type of music. the loss of the song, the loss of music. The loss of the voice. different societies haven't let it happen. Churches yes, but spontaneous song in the USA is gone----------our children don't know it. AND it's considered uncool, but they listen to it every day---------What is that?
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