Rough Week...

It has been a rough week in the CVICU...we have had a patient that has been there since April 4th, each one of us grew fond of this man and I know that he touched each of us!  This patient had open heart surgery, then had to go back to surgery for abdominal issues,  and then back to surgery to have a permanent pacemaker placed...so he was with us through the long haul.  This week as I was working nights, I did my usual as I did everyday I worked and popped into his room to say hi and see how he was doing, but on Thursday night, I didn't have time to get in there before I started my assesments as I had a fresh post-op open heart and another patient that was 2nd day post-op.  So, when Jamie came to me and said, "Allison, I need your help, he is having bright red bloody stools." my heart seriously dropped.  From then on, it was a night from hell.  We rapidly infused 7 units of blood after we put in a NG tube (a tube that goes in your nose and down to your stomach) and sucked out a liter of blood, we were pushing calcium, bicarb, and amps of epinephrine like it was going out of style, and he was on every pressor (medication to keep your blood pressure up) known to man-kind. He had the look of death written all over his face. There was one time when Jamie looked at him and asked him if he want to keep fighting and he shook his head no, I seriously lost it!!!  There was no way that I was going to be able to stop from crying!  This is the patient that everyone spoiled...when he was NPO (nothing by mouth) after his abdominal surgery, we would give him soda to dip his swabs in, we did a cheer when he first started passing gas after his surgery that made him laugh, we praised him when he was able to get up and walk down the hallway, when he was doing well we took him outside on nice days to get some fresh air since he had been in the hospital so long, he was the patient that called you sweetheart even when you made him do something that he didn't want to do or didn't have the energy to do, he was the patient that just put a smile on my face.
Despite every effort that we did that night, he didn't make it and he went to heaven to be reunited with his wife that he only lost in November.  I pray that his son makes it through grieving for both parents, because personally, I don't know if I would be able to survive losing both of my parents in a 6 month time.
As I sit here tonight, with my balcony door open listening to the waves of the ocean, I hope that he is looking over me and all the other nurses that took care of him.  I pray that he continues to look over each of us nurses on the CVICU as we continue to take care of the people that need us the most!  It's patients like him that make our job worthwhile and makes dealing with the difficult patients a little bit easier!

It's been a while.....

To everyone that follows my blog...I am so sorry that I have been MIA!!!  I went To Sioux Falls, SD for Easter and when I got back I worked a week of night shifts!!!  I finally have a day off and start back on days tomorrow...so it's been a busy couple of weeks!!!

I went to Sioux Falls, SD for Easter to see my family and we had a fabulous time!!!  I love my family more than anything in the this world, but I love the fact that we are so close even more!  When I was able to see my family whenever I wanted I took it for granted, and now that I am not able to just jump in my car and drive a few hours to see them, I cherish every moment we have together even more!  Our weekend consisited of the one thing that bonds us together as a family: church!  As we sat in church on Easter Sunday and listened to the homily it seriously touched each of us individually and as a whole family!  There were many times when I thought the priest was talking to me and there were also times when I thought he was talking to my family as a whole!!  As a family we have definitely taken our turn on carrying our cross just like Jesus did, and the way the priest put it into persceptive it really hit home!!! 
Our weekend didn't only consist of church...we went shopping, to a movie, had taco night at my sister's house, had a fabulous Easter dinner, and of course my mom's famous 3 mile walks!!!! 

Our whole family LOVES Madea, especially my nephew, so when we saw that the new movie was coming out the weekend of Easter is wasn't even a question as to wether we were going or not!!!  My nephew is growing up way to fast and got every joke that was in the movie, including some of the ones that as an aunt thinks he shouldn't have got!!!! 

Tori is waiting patiently for Lee's family so that we can take family photos!!  Once again, she loves sticking that thumb out there!!!!

My wonderful family!!!  Love them!!!!

SISTERS!!!  :)  I have to clarify that I am the tallest one of us three, however, I chose to wear flats and they chose to wear heels!!! :)

After the family pictures, we all got comfortable and got cozy on the couch!!  Mom even dozed off for a snooze!!!!

Since being in Delaware, I have made some good friends!!!  Unfortantely, Ashley, a travel nurse as well, has just finished her contract and is back in Arkansas.  I miss her already!!!  We did lots of things together!

Here are some pictures at a party after several people that I work with did the Mud Run!

Ashley, Jamie, and I

Ashley and I



I have started the count down to the end of my contract!!  I have 4 weeks left!!  I can't believe how fast this contract has come and gone!!!  I am super excited to be home in KS and spend two weeks with my family preparing and celebrating my little sister's wedding!!! 

Easter Goodies

There are somethings that I love during the Easter season that aren't exactly good for me, but I love then nonetheless, and I buy them every year during this season! 

PEEPS!!!  I love these things!!!  I know that they now make them for different holidays, but they aren't a peep unless they are the chicks and yellow!!!  I am picky...I have to have the chicks and the yellow ones.  Now, I know that the pink, blue, purple chicks or bunnies don't taste any different, but I don't like my mouth to be different colors, and the chicks are the cutest!!!  So, when I have a peep it has to be the yellow chicks!

These are my FAVORITE!!!  I love these mini eggs!!  There is nothing better than the crisp sugar shell that is on the outside of the chocolate!!!  I have make myself only buy one small bag of these every Easter, if I don't just keep it to one, I will eat multiple bags!

I am so excited for Easter!!!  I am flying to South Dakota to my older sister's house, where I will also meet up with my mom, dad and little sister!!!  I can't wait to see my family!!  I haven't seen my mom, dad, and little sister since I was home in Feburary, and I haven't seen my older sister and her family since Christmas!!!  I am counting down the days!!!!

Bus Trip!

Last Thursday I went on a bus trip to Washington DC to see the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and to the Francisan Monestary!  Now, I signed up for the this trip after seeing it in the church bulletin, so I had an idea that I was going to be the youngest person on the trip, and well, I was right!  I was on this bus trip with 47 senior citizens...so I was the youngest by 30 years!!!  When I first got on the bus the bus driver (who could have been my grandpa) said to me "Well, what are you doing here, you are young."  I just laughed, but I really wanted to slap him and say that young people can be interested the the Shrine and Monestary.  So, I find my seat and here come this little old lady asking if the seat next to me was taken, when I said no she asked if she could sit with me, and I said sure!  Well, she was a talking tammy, I finally had to pretend that I was sleeping so that she would be quite for a few minutes, but that didn't stop her, she just turned to the people across the aisle and talked to them! 

The Shrine was absolutely beautiful: 
I am going to put a few pictures on here from the internet because my computer won't let me download my photos at this time and these pics are prettier!!!

The front of the National Shrine

From the back of the shrine

This mosaic is at the front of the shrine and absolutely breathtaking.  It is made of 3 million little mosaic pieces!

View of the National Shrine

The Fransican Monestary was beautiful also!  The gardens around the building were amazing with all the tulips, bleeding hearts, and pansies in bloom! 

The last supper

Inside of the monastary

At Calgary

So while I was walking around the gardens outside one of the eldery men came up to me and asked me if I was hired as the nurse to be on this bus in case one of the senior citizens fell or got sick.  I was like serioulsy!!!  But, I politely said to him "No, I paid the same amount of money as you did to come on this trip and I just happen to have a degree in nursing!"

While on the bus ride home that little old lady that sat next to me gave me her phone number, address and gave me turn by turn directions on how to get to her house, she said "Come over some day, and we'll go bike riding.  I ride a bike with 3 wheels, but I have one with 2 wheels that you can ride."  I just laughed, however, she was so sweet, I  might just take her up on it!!! 

Over all, I had a great time on this trip and it was very interesting to see all these things that pertain to my faith!!!  I would like to go back and see it again, because we didn't have near enough time to soak everything in!

Open Chest...SAY WHAT???

This last weekend I was thinking about my blog, about how it is my adventures as a travel nurse. I'm out here in this great big world experiencing all kinds of things...and I don't think I have ever blogged about something that pertains to my job!!!  Well, something exciting happened today that I have never experienced before and to get my hands in the mix of this crazy afternoon, was, well fabulous!  If you are a healthcare provider, you will completely understand that adrenaline and "fun" that today brought, however if you aren't a healthcare provider you are going to think this is pretty gruesome!
The day started like any other, expect the fact that we were starting to computer chart everything for the first time...that was the least of our worries by the end of the day!  We had 3 patients, and one was being whisked to the OR for open heart surgery as I arrived...after that the day was calm!  We got our line placement call from the OR, then we got our "on pump" call, which means the patient is on the bypass machine so the heart can be stopped for surgery, we got our "off pump" call, then we got the "we are back on pump" call (which is not a good thing), then we got our "off pump for the second time" call (ok things are looking a little better), then we got the "we are coming to you with an open chest" call!  You read that right, AN OPEN CHEST!!!!  Seriously, when the nurse that took the call said this out loud, I had to turn around and say, "What did you say?"  But, she wasn't kidding!!! 
After that call and by the time the patient arrived to us in the ICU it was CRAZY!!!  Imagine this...a small hospital room, with 4 IV poles, 8 IV pumps with 8 different drips, 2 chest tubes, a IABP, a temporay pacemaker, all the cords to both A-lines and a CVP with the transducers, a patient with an open chest, a bed, a heart cart, a respiratory therapist, 3 nurses, 3 PA's,  the perfusionist, 2 cardiovascular surgeons, and 2 anesthesologists....and our manager running all over the unit getting the things we needed...IT WAS NUTS!!!  People were shouting orders, and yelling get this and get that, then there was me...and all of a sudden we lost a pulse...everyone was so concentrated on what everyone else was doing, so above all the chaos, I yelled "WE LOST THE PULSE"...and of course we couldn't do chest compressions, so all we could do was shock the patient...thank goodness the patient was in vfib and not asystole, so the shocking worked!!!  We were slamming adenosine and digoxin into this patient, giving him blood, titrating drips like a mad man, all while performing fantastic teamwork...it was so much fun!  I know some of you are thinking that is morbid...but I go to work everyday to take care of the sickest people in the hospital...and that is exactly what I did today!!!

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Most of you know the Scarament of Reconciliation as "Confession".  This week when I was at work, I was looking at an app that I have recently downloaded on my phone about preparing for confession, and one of my co-workers asked me what I was looking at when I told her, I found myself once again defending and trying to explain to deaf ears why we, as Catholics, go to confession.  I am going to try to explain to the best of my ability the sacrament that Catholics take so seriously. 
I like to consider going to confession as doing some spiritual inventory, or maybe some spring cleaing of my soul.  As I was preparing all week to make a good confession, I asked myself questions like these:
* Am I becoming more like Christ?
* Am I growing in holiness?
*Are there still ares in my life that I want to change?
* What do I need to do to effect those changes?
* Is my goal in doing penance to please God?
As my life is weakened by sins, my church gives me the opportunity to reconcile with God and the Body of Christ in front of a priest that helps absolve us from sin.  We go to confession to be reconciled.  Reconcilation means "to meet again".  As sin has caused us to lose our way spiritually, confession is our way a back home, back to the right relationship with the God who made us. 
As I prepared for confession this week, and as the today got closer, I can't help but get a little anxious about going.  No one wants to sit in front of a priest and tell them all the things you have done wrong since the last time you were in a confessional.  However, the second I walked out of that confessional, it was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  Telling someone your faults and wrong doings while sitting face to face with them, not only helps build your faith, but also your character! 
I'll leave  you with this: Jesus calls us to repentance: "This is the time of fulfillment.  The reign of God is at hand!  Reform your lives and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15)  As our response to His call, let us change our hearts inwardly, change our lives outwardly and then we can celebrate joyfully with Jesus, His Resurrection.

Washington D.C.

Another traveler (Ashley) and I took a 2 days trip to Washington D.C. and we had a great time!  I love Washington D.C.!!!!!  Here is a rundown of our trip:

Arlington National Cemetery:
One of our first stops was Arlington National Cemetery...this was one place that I really wanted to see.  The fact is...pictures don't do it any justice.  This place was AMAZING!!!  It was beautiful.  Those white tombstones that you see on the TV, in magazines, or textbooks are as far as you can see in every direction.  We watched a couple ceremonies and the changing of the guards are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  I am so glad that we went and saw this breathtaking place!

Changing of the guards

National Museum of Natural History:

So, as Ashley was talking about all the musuems at the Smithsonian, she kept referring to it as the mall.  The whole time I was thinking, "that is just an odd place for a mall, right the middle of all this history and there is a mall."  But, she was talking about all the museums that are referred to as the mall, not necessarily my type of mall, but interesting to say the least!  Neither of us are big museum people so we decided to go to the Natural History Museum.  It was amazing!!!  The mammals, reptiles, and insects were my favorite rooms!  We went into the butterfly exhibit, and walked among 80 different species of butterflies and moth flying around us.  They had an orchis exhibit, and those flowers were amazing. 

The Hope Diamond was gorgeous!!! 

This HUGE elephant was at the entrance of the museum!

Orchids!

Butterfly and Moth that were in the butterfly exhibit.  This orange and white moth had just came out of her cocoon that morning. 

Washington Monument & US Capitol Building:

This monument was freakin' huge!!!  It was interesting to see it!  There were people running all over the place, it kind of gave me some motivation to keep on running.  The US Capitol Building was just like you see it in the movies, books, and news!

Lincoln Memorial: 

You hear about this memorial and you see pictures of it, but I never thought that this statue of  President Lincoln was this big.  He was huge, but it was surreal to stand there and look at it and know that you were standing the exact place that Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous speech. 

Right where Martin Luther King Jr. stood during his speech

Cherry Blossoms:

The highlight of this trip was to go see the Cherry Blossoms in bloom!!  They were so pretty!  Some people said that they weren't in their prime bloom yet, but that's ok because I don't know if I will ever plan another trip to DC just to see the cherry blossoms.  I was so glad that they were as bloomed as the were and that I got to see them!!!

Segways:
Renting segways the my favorite part of the trip!! We walked miles on Friday, so on Saturday I told Ashley that we were renting segways to get around!  They were so much fun!  I accidently ran over an old guys foot, but he is the one that stepped out in front of me.  As a slowed down to apologize, I said I'm so sorry, and this old guy snapped back, "Yea, well I am too."  I seriously about wasn't able to keep my mouth shut and yell right back at him for stepping out in front of me, but then I thought, "Allison, shut your mouth, you are in the middle of  DC, and who knows who is around and might shoot you." So, I just increased my speed on that segway and got the heck out of there!!  I do hope that I didn't break that poor old guys foot!!!!