Morning Sniffles » Life

Gone to soon

morning sniffles — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:54:22 +0000

It was around 3:00 in the morning when Mrs. S’s condition has deteriorated.
We have just finished tranfusing another set of 6 units of platelet concentrate. She reported that she is having difficulty breathing and the pulmonary fellow on duty ordered for an IV push of Furosemide, a diuretic that was supposed to ease her pulmonary congestion.
She did not recover, the fellow ordered for an NIV or the Non-invasive ventilation but as the respiratory therapist was starting to set it up, it did not work immediately. While the RT was trying to jump start the machine, the fellow prompted us to prepare for an intubation. I wheeled in the crash cart in the patient’s room. Everything happened so fast. She crashed and so we called code blue.
Resuscitative measures brought her back and as we prepared for her to be brought down to the medical ICU, she crashed again. At that time, relatives have told the code team to stop. They want a DNR.
We let her go. I shook my head in disbelief.
She has just been diagnosed to have Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Up for the challenge

morning sniffles — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:53:29 +0000

My headnurse and I sat down for the discussion of my 6th month exam. She voiced out how disappointed she were about the turnout of the said exam. I felt like I was a butter melting under the sun as she tackled each of the item in my revalida. Honestly, I was and still am ashamed that I have not grasped the concept of cardiac medicines and the procedure and diagnostics related to cardiac diseases.
I know that I still have so much to learn and I am willing to engage in a serious one-on-one lecture in order for me to learn more. I am serious about my profession and I shall do anything to keep me knowledgeable anything that has to do about the human heart.
I owe to myself and to the institution.

Being hit the hard way

morning sniffles — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:56:39 +0000

I feel so sad to learn through a Twit from a friend that one of her fellow bikers was hit by an unruly car driver. The woman who hit the victim told the police that she actually saw the biker wave his hand to signal that he is going to take the shoulder lane but she did not mind to slow down. The biker was not seriously injured but suffered some bruises. Good thing that he is a member of the roadside assistance club that helped me pull through this serious accident.

The sports allowance

morning sniffles — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:50:47 +0000

I was excited to report for work after hearing that we will be given with the sports allowance. Seeing that no one is in the ATM booth, I immediately tried checking my balance only to find out that I only have P300 in it. When I reached the ward, I learned that only regular employees were given with such an allowance. So I came to thinking where did that P300 come from? I did not avail of any : rv loans. Maybe it was a mistake.

As she tied the knot

morning sniffles — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:46:35 +0000

One of my closest friends in the ward has just got married in June. I am so happy that she has found her better half. What also made me happy was the fact the I was one of the few who she trusted and told about her wedding. It think it was in January or February that she told me, along with the other juniors in the ward, that she’d be tying the knot.
We understood that might as she wanted, she chose not to invite any of her closest friends in the hospital to avoid hurting some people’s feelings.
Although we were uninvited, we were thinking of getting her wedding gifts at redenvelopewedding gifts at redenvelope. I am sure she would love them all.

Getting there in style

morning sniffles — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 07:31:51 +0000

I am really happy for my friend who is now in Edmonton, Canada. After the pain that he has gone through being deported from the US to the Philippines and having been separated from his wife right before their son was born. He put himself together and tried to make his life better. He found an opportunity to work abroad and he has been going to places except the US. I just saw his picture on Facebook riding horses in his killer riding boots so I teased him. I just miss our college days.

Sleepless

morning sniffles — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:34:53 +0000

I stayed in the dorm right after my blood extraction so I could get catch a nap before going to work for my night shift.
I was able to fall asleep easily but a few minutes after, I was awakened by a very loud noise. I got up and went out of the room to see what it was. I was so dismayed to see that the engineering people are trying to place some stainless steel drum in the comfort room.

She is gone

morning sniffles — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:58:44 +0000

I was the charge nurse that night.
We are preparing for her expiration as the doctor ordered to consume the ongoing dopamine drip. A part of her DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order. Her family refused giving of medications, feeding via nasogastric tube and conduction of any other tests.
She was hooked to cardiac monitor to check on her cardiac rhythm.
Her dopamine drip was consumed.
At 10:00 pm the monitor showed widened QRS complex with cardiac rate spiking at 150s beats per minute and her blood pressure was 80 mmHg palpatory. Her pupils were dilated and non-reactive to light.
I was fighting my tears but I could not.
She totally lost pulse and heart rhythm became flat line.
At 11:06 p.m. she was pronounced dead due to multiple organ failure.
I began to sob when her son, an elderly doctor, told me: Your grandmother has left you already.
Mrs. C born on March 10, 1915 and died July 3, 2010 has lived her life to the fullest.
She was admitted on August 1, 2008 and has been in and out of the medical ICU.
We shall miss you Lola!

Vertically challenged

morning sniffles — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 13:21:56 +0000

I was having a chat with my bedside nurse and she commented that she is underweight. I told her that it is expected for her to weigh less than 50 kilograms since she is small I even joked about her taking hgh supplements. She said that she is not small and that she actually stands 5’4. I told her that I am actually 5’4 in height and that she is now way at the same height level as me. She asked me to stand up side by side with her and I was surprised to see that I am just half an inch taller that her.
Looks could be deceiving sometimes.

Detoxifying after unwinding

morning sniffles — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 04:44:31 +0000

Last night was fun. It actually lasted until 3:00 am this morning.
The cool gang from my previous work, actually none of us still works for that company, got together at a music joint called Music Bank on Morato Street for some videoke trip.
Alongside the belting is some belching due to unending flow of heart-friendly treats. We feasted on cholesterol-induced dishes that I started to feel paranoid about clogging my arteries. During the last hour of our vocal power exhaustion session, the receptionist came in with a platter of fruits. According to her it is a complimentary treat from them. A good way to have a colon cleanse.
Right now, I am trying to detoxify with a cup of brewed coffee. I hope it does the trick.