Busy, busy, busy

As per the title, I have been busy working. I have been working or on call for the past six days. I'm beginning to be really, really tired and I don't feel like playing any longer. It's not the tired that you feel when you haven't slept, it's the my bones hurt and I want to take care of myself and not you- tired. Nothing that can't be fixed by spending most or all of tomorrow in my bed writing papers and/or watching television. All I can say is that without my DVR and my bed, I would be forever lost. My husband used to be perplexed when I would spend all day in bed, now he has grown to accept and embrace it. I need one day of down time, where I can mend, so I can carry on and care for my family and patients again. If I don't get these days, it isn't pretty. I find that my compassion for others is very thin and that is not an attractive or acceptable response from a nurse.

Nothing overly exciting patient wise over the past six days. One of my patient's got to graduate from the ICU to the step-down unit and I have been watching the progression of the really sick patient progress. If you have never cared for a really sick person, it's kind of interesting to know all of the little things that have to be done and checked to make sure that optimal healing and progression is allowed. It's kind of tedious at times, but the outcomes can be devastating and cause further harm.

The best thing that happened over the weekend, was this:
My walkie-talkie patient asked me the following question, " You guys don't tie people down to the beds anymore do you." I looked at her, laughed and slyly responded, "Well, we try not to." Knowing her next door neighbor- the really sick one was presently restrained.