I am driving in my car

IMG_0183
Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

This is a picture of complete doggie delight: the satisfied exhaustion of a run through the park, the comfort of basking in the sunshine, and the joy of a "goferaride in the c-a-r". If only pure bliss was as easy for all of us :)

Next time you see somebody flatline on the monitor on a TV medical show, and the docs shock them, you can shout at the TV, "That's so not real! You never shock asystole!" and sound super smart. Well, at least sound like you took a 16-hr ACLS class, like I'm doing this weekend. Funny how no matter how many hours of classes and certifications you get, the thought of asystole on your patient's monitor still makes your own heart clench up and stop and you might wet your pants a little bit. Or so I've heard. I bet that never happens when you're just answering phones or flipping burgers. But hey, maybe it does. Note to self: most days, I like my job. Wet pants, clenched hearts, and all.

Ted schmoo

IMG_0174
Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

Yesterday I was in a funk, just kind of a glum, no-motivation mood. Just moped about the house, went to Target (which didn't even help much!), cuddled with the dogs, watched Monarch of the Glen. Maybe I'm still recovering from the stress of the blown pupil at work and the frenzy of the neurosurgeons on Tuesday. I think I'm still in a bit of a post-vacation funk and feeling sad that it's a long ways off till my next fun trip. Although I'm working on planning the trip to Whidbey so that helps. And also, looking at this little schmoo face makes it hard for anyone to be too glum. And today it's sunny but chilly, with weird snow bits on the ground (I always have a chuckle when Seattle tries to be all "wintry" like that. Heh.) So, I'm off to the park with S, which will help combat the glumness too. Enjoy your schmoo pic of the day :)

Haystack Rock

Haystack Rock
Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

The third largest monolith in the world, and we were there! Cannon Beach was wonderful. The beach was beautiful, the weather was great, the dogs had a fun time and were excellent little travellers.

Get out of town!

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Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

Went to Cannon Beach on Wednesday, got back last night. Just going through the photos now, listening to the new Belle and Sebastian, in a bit of a post-vacation funk. The trip itself was awesome. Had a great road trip with dogs, and am now sure that Ted is completely over his car sickness! However, he still gets a bit squirrelly, but over all, is a very good traveller. Tessa, of course, is an old pro. She just settles into her doggy car seat and naps, looking up occasionally as we pass through towns. We stayed here, and it was adorable and cute and everything we needed. We watched silly cheesy movies and ate pizza and drank wine. Then the next day we finally saw the ocean (for the first time!!) and walked up and down the beach. It was crisp and clear and gorgeous. We toured the wee town of Cannon Beach, very very cute. We made a quick tour of Seaside, OR, and decided it was kitschy and cute but definitely to be avoided during tourist season. All in all, everyone had a great time, and we decided we really must get out of town more often!!

Private eyes...watching you...

He sees you! Here is wee Ted, taken from quite far away actually, with my new camera.

There are more pics from our trip to the dog park last Friday. Still learning how to use the camera and all the special features, so bear with me. 

Life at work

Ack! It's been a while since I've posted anything. Ah well, at least no one is concerned. I've been at work the past three nights. Well, I'm still at work right now, but that's semantics I guess. My first night this week my patient called me a "lying sack of shit" and a "lying bitch" because I told him that there actually was not an alligator eating his foot, as he believed. Ah well. Just a bit of ICU psychosis, possibly worsening by steroids, and maybe even a little HHV6 on the brain. I didn't take it personally. At least he didn't believe monkeys were eating his foot, because I was wearing my monkey print scrub top. It was a little weird as I was in my other patient's room down the hall, taking his vital signs, and I could hear my first patient yelling down the hall, "Why are you trying to kill me?" The following night at work I had a different assignment in the ICU. This patient was completely unresponsive and obtunded and no one knew why. Needless to say, I didn't get called any names at least. Tonight I have an ICU admit who thankfully is not too acutely ill although the large hemorrhage and midline shift on his CT does not bode well.

In other thrilling news, I've unpacked my new sewing machine and made my first pillow! Yay! I can't wait to make many many more and even some curtains this week. Of course I am am still knitting...hope to finish the plaid scarf this week and get a lot more done on the baby blanket and the blue cabled hat. Then maybe I'll start a wee kimono or cardigan. There just aren't enough crafty hours in the day!

On the dating front...I had sushi with S on Thursday. He met the dogs, which went well except Tessa was not overly impressed. That does not bode well. I suggested maybe bowling this week with my friends, which he apparently took to mean that I wanted to do something more casual and let him down easy. Weird. Guys are just weird. Had some nachos and met G for the first time last week, that was cool. Will hopefully see him again, maybe even this week. He seems fun and goofy but not as quirky weird as S. But there's something about S's quirkiness that fascinating in a nearly repellent way. I don't know though. No one should mention smurfs and p*rnography in the same sentence. Regardless, I'm think I'm going to quit the dating scene thing for a bit. I've got cable now, and would mostly rather stay home and sew seams and knit hats. Sounds lame I know, but my cable box and my dogs are better company than 99.94% of other people out there. And you 0.06%, you know who you are :)

I will post some photos with my new camera soon...of the lovely pillows, and the adventure to Cannon Beach!

Rosie the Riveter

Tessa in the donut
Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

Okay, so there was technically no riveting involved, but there was some twisting of an allen wrench, it just wasn't as fun-sounding. But I built a desk! Well, as in, I opened the box from Target and put the pieces together. Here is a picture of it. See, you can see two of the legs on the left side of the photo. Can I help it if the camera just naturally aims at the cute doggie with a slipper as a pillow?

Doggie of Day

Ted from above
Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

Ted just wants to say how very very excited he is that I finally broke down and ordered cable TV so he can watch the Animal Planet while I'm not home, instead of Maury Povich or Fear Factor or any of the WB's quality programming.

He doesn't know that the reason I broke down is because there's shows about HORSES on the Animal Planet now!! And I'm a horsey girl at heart. Sucker for horsey things. Yes, I'll put the model horses away. As soon as I get a proper display cabinet/storage thingy. Seriously.

Funnies

Got this in a random email, made me chuckle, not sure where it originated from...

WINTER CLASSES FOR MEN AT THE LEARNING CENTER FOR ADULTS REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED BY January 31, 2006

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM.

Class 1 How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays --- Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll --- Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion. Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub? --- Group Practice. Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor --- Pictures and Explanatory Graphics. Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 After Dinner Dishes --- Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink? Examples on Video. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning At 7:00 PM!

Class 6 Loss Of Identity --- Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other. Help Line Support and Support Groups. Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things --- Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming. Open Forum. Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch --- Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health. Graphics and Audio Tapes. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost --- Real Life Testimonials. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks? Driving Simulations. 4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live --- Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife. Online Classes and role-playing. Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques. Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy --- Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered. Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven --- What It Is and How It Is Used. Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Rivers of Poo

These have been three very very bizarre nights at work. Are the planets in a weird alignment or something? Is Mars in the house of Uranus or whatever? Two days ago, the hospital had five Code 199's (Code Blue = Cardiac Arrest) within a few hours. To give you an idea, most days there's only one, if that. On our unit alone, day shift had an unexpected death, a code 199, an emergent intubation, then a code on our stem cell unit downstairs, a death downstairs, and another death at the very start of night shift. That's more than sometimes happens in a month.

Here's one for the List of Things You Do NOT Want to Hear in Report: Pt is received four liters of Golytely. Golytely is an electrolyte solution, often given to a patient the day before he or she is to undergo a colonoscopy or similar procedure...it Cleans you Out. There is nothing "lyte" about it. And four liters is a lot. Combine that with the fact that the patient is getting tube feeds and hasn't had a bowel movement in over a week, and you're not in for a pleasant night. First of all, my genius hospital assistant showed me the wonder of a cannister connected to wall suction. However, I will never forget the sound of suctioning stool off the bed. But, that was over a liter of stool into the suction wand that didn't end up on the floor or worse: on me. And we all know Rule #2 of Nursing: The only thing worse than poop is when it's on your pants and it's not yours. But perhaps my finest moment was as I spooned the stool off the bed into a tiny clear plastic container to send it to the lab. There's something about a white plastic spoon and well...I just kept repeating to myself, "I am a highly trained professional. I have valuable skills. I have an expensive education. Ah shit...the suction's clogged again..." Seriously, rivers. Nonstop. Continuous. Oozing. Tonight my love for double-gloving really paid off. And yes, if you are still reading this and aren't running screaming "Groders!!" then I will admit that there was digital disimpaction involved as well.

I am a highly trained and skilled professional. And don't forget the mask with face shield, people.

bananarama

I am feeling a smidge less crabby now. Not sure why I was crabby, or why I'm feeling better, but these things probably contributed to my feeling better:
1. Cricket and taxes (see this movie! Don't let the plot outline, and all that stuff about cricket and taxes and Victorian India fool you, it's not boring. And never mind that it's almost four-hours long...)
2. See previous post with cute dog faces
3. Visit from S
4. Fresh-baked cranberry orange muffins

Anyway...back to work tomorrow night.

Life with dogs

So I said, "Ted, what shall we do today?"




























"You mean, besides sleeping on the couch?"

Ted seemed less than enthused. Until I tried to take a picture of Tessa, looking sleepy and cute with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.















Yeah, didn't turn out so well. Oh well. Back to sleeping on the couch, I guess. The above photo illustrates why there are mostly pictures of Ted on this site. Because that's what happens when I try to take a picture of Tessa.

Cabley hat

Cabley hat
Originally uploaded by rosebuttons.

Here is the basic cable hat, from Stitch N Bitch Nation, using Rowan Polar yarn. Supposed to be adult size, but it turned out wee.

still here...

Ack! I haven't posted in a while. If there was a chance that anyone read this, I might feel guilty. But I don't.

Anyway...this week a dear little 82-year doolally came into our ICU. She had been at the dentist, simply to have a crown replaced. BUT...somehow, she inhaled the old crown. Inhaled it pretty good, right past that epiglottis and way deep down into her lung. They tried to get it out with a bronchoscope, but couldn't. I think it was finally removed two days later, surgically. Sheesh. As if you needed one more reason to avoid going to the dentist.

This week I did my taxes, and now I get to decide what to do with the "free" money that Uncle Sam has been holding for me all year. I want this. I also really want one of these. But I really really want to go to Iceland, and maybe Paris and maybe even Amsterdam. With a stop in England, of course. But over next Christmas I think I should go on a Mediterranean cruise or maybe just to Vegas. All these choices! In the meantime I should go fill my car with gas and go grocery shopping.

Saw Brokeback Mountain last night, I liked it very much. Mostly because I love cowboys and the west and horses, and it showed that being a cowboy can pretty much suck most of the time. Which is true. But it was pretty well done.

I'm really crabby this weekend so I'm going to sign off now, since I can only think of more crabby things to say.

What every girl wants

My pal Luke came across these, and of course they are what every girl wants. Well, every girl who knits, and of those girls, those who happen to mostly knit at night...anyway, they're perfect.

I finished my super soft white cabley hat tonight, but it turns out I miscalculated when I substitued bulky Rowan Polar yarn for the Lamb's Pride Worsted the pattern calls for. So, I finished Bambino's super soft white cabley hat tonight. While we don't know the gender, we do know that Babykins will have a warm and toasty head next winter. Tomorrow I will cast-on for the adult-sized version.

lazeeeeegirl

Ahhh...I just had the most deliciously lazy day. I wore sweatpants all day long. I didn't brush my hair. I watched four hours of trashy DVD (the OC!) while I worked on my tweedy plaid scarf then the Bambino blankie then I started a soft white hat for me while I watched One Day in September. It's a 1999 documentary of the events at the Olympics in Munich in 1972, as depicted in Spielberg's new movie, Munich, which I haven't seen yet. I wanted to see the documentary first, sort of as a primer, because I didn't know very much about the events and get annoyed when I'm watching a movie based on "historical" events but keep saying to myself (hopefully not out loud, but you never can be sure...) "Seriously? Did it really happen like that? Or this the part where I suspend disbelief for the sake of entertainment?" Anyhow, very well done documentary, once you get past the weirdness that is Michael Douglas narrating. But, all I can say about the events that September...uhm, Germany? Way to fuck that one up. Maybe they weren't just embarrassed enough over a little thing called World War II. After 6 million, were eleven more inconsequential? Sheesh. Thanks for diverting my usual disgust and embarrassment towards the US government for an hour and 34 minutes. Oy. I could go on, but I don't want some angry Bavarian on my case.

Wheeee

Tonight I met S at Coastal Kitchen, in Capitol Hill. We ate Portuguese food which was good, but I couldn't have any Portuguese fish because it all had some kind of bacon sauce or something bacony on the side, so I had something artichokey and chickpea and portobello, which was really good anyway. S is nice and tall, and he really needs a haircut. But he's really quirky and funny and kind of nervous and shy and an only child from Iowa. We seemed to have a lot to talk about. After dinner he showed me his super cute bright blue scooter, and let me ride it! Wheee! I went in a straight line, down an alley, but I can't turn yet. I want one! Then we had a drink at the Canterbury and it kind of smelled funny in there and the gin was icky but it was okay, and I told him all about pygmy goats. He loves goats. Heh. So yeah, good banter. Whenever I said something like, "Here's this really weird idea I have," he would get this really interested, excited look in his eye. And he liked my car a lot. So do I!

In the bathroom at the restaurant tonight I learned that the 3-year-old Portuguese King Sebastian ordered his armies into Africa, to their bloody death. The following day it was discovered that his nanny has misunderstood his request for strained peas.

Now I'm very tired. I wish I had pics of the weiner meet up today, but maybe next time. I have absolutely nothing planned to do tomorrow and I'm really really excited about that. I'm going to watch lots of DVDs, work on the plaid scarf, the Bambino blankie, cuddle with the short dogs, and maybe clean the bathroom. Oh I can't wait to do nothing!!

I see you

The past two nights I had an "off-service" patient in the ICU, meaning she wasn't an oncology or stem cell transplant patient, she just came to our unit probably because the other ICUs were full. She was 24, and came to the hospital for a complicated abdominal surgery. She sailed through that, then her dialysis fistula (surgical permanent graft between blood vessels in the arm used for kidney dialysis) clotted off, so she had to go to Interventional Radiology where they were going to try to bust out the clot with a balloon threaded through her artery. Well, that failed so they kept her in IR to insert a temporary dialysis catheter into a vein through her chest well. I know, blah blah, medcakes. Just a little background. BUT...the night before going to IR, her potassium level was pretty high, probably because she hadn't had dialysis (see fistula clotting off...). To bring it back down, she was given a large dose of insulin (insulin drives potassium back into the cells, thus lowering potassium levels in the blood). And in order to combat this large dose of insulin, she also got some D50 (big dose of dextrose) to avoid dropping her blood sugar level. Well, apparently, this didn't work too well, so they repeated this procedure the following morning, then sent her on down to IR where she got large doses of fentanyl (narcotic) and versed (sedative). I know, my astute readers, even if you're not in the medical profession, you are wondering, did anyone check her blood sugar in the midst of all this insulin and dextrose? Apparently not. So our little patient went happily to sleep in IR while they poked about with catheters and the like, and when all that was done, seemed to be taking her sweet time waking back up. Actually, she didn't wake back up. So her nurse called a "code", gave her lots of narcan (reverses the effects of narcotics, really pisses off drug addicts when you administer it in the ER, but that's a completely different story) which had no effect, and a doctor began bagging her (administering oxygen with a mask and bag, just like on ER!). Finally someone checked a blood sugar level, it was 35. That's really darn low. Me and you and Sue over there are probably around 80 to 120 most of the time, and that's good. Below 50 and you might fall asleep, or go into a coma. Your brain eats glucose for energy and food, and nothing else, so it gets pretty pissed off when there's no food. And if you're following the timeline of the story, you might be realizing that our little patient could have had such a low blood sugar for g*d knows how long. If you're even more astute, or a nephrologist, you will also realize that our patient is in chronic renal failure (dialysis, fistula, etc). And how does the body get rid of insulin? Through the kidneys. But what if the kidneys don't work? Insulin hangs around. And like Pac Man, just zips its way through the blood, chomping happily through every bit of glucose in its way. So we'd give her dextrose, her sugars came up briefly, then within a few hours, she bottom out again.

Following her "code," the patient, I'll call her Katie, was transferred to the ICU which is where I met her. Her family and friends were at her bedside, tearful and worried. Katie was awake, staring off into space. She looked tiny in the big bed, with long hair, huge blue eyes, she looked 12. She wouldn't track, make eye contact, follow commands, or communicate. She was fairly restless and agitated. The nurse giving me report explained her current neuro status, as well as her extensive medical history. As he ran down the list of the neuro assessment, I asked, "Well, what's her baseline? What do I have to compare to for improvement?"
"Her baseline? Well, last week she was working at Starbucks. That's her baseline."
The nephrologist examined her later following dialysis then spoke to me in lowered tones in the hallway. "What I'm really afraid of, which is really possible, is that the damage is permanent," she confided. By the morning, Katie was tracking better, and much calmer, but hadn't spoken a word. She responded to questions simply by nodding, but she nodded to everything. Her best friend stood at her bedside, talking to her, "Dude, you need to talk to me," she said half-joking, as her voice quivered.

Anyway, I came back the next night, and Katie was sitting up in bed, surrounded by friends, trashy magazines, and stuffed animals. "That was freaky!" she laughed. "Hypoglycemic coma and shock SUCKS!"

Sometimes they get do get better.

Doggie of the Day

In case I needed another one, here is Reason #74 why I'd rather stay at home than go to work. Well, technically, reasons #74 and 75. That's sort of not true, I actually look forward to going to work and mostly really enjoy my job (I know, I'm crazeeeee). But, when these little faces beg me to come back to the down blankie and them on the couch, it's a tough call.

D, the burrito date from last night, emailed and said he wants to get together again. He even suggested going to the p-a-r-k with the dogs or playing tennis with his son (eek?). Maybe we'd do better if we were just hanging out rather than over a meal. Should I give him another chance? He still wants to see me even though a.) I admitted to not having a problem with running into toddlers with a shopping cart...hey, it only takes one time, and they won't do that again!, and b.) Nary even a hint of a goodnight kiss last night, since I sped off as fast as the Matrix would go. Hmm. I guess this idea that other people of the opposite sex actually want to make plans with me and spend time with me is a bit new, since I'm used to competing with the dwarves from Worlds of Warcraft for attention and I was usually less compelling than a Southern Comfort and Coke...funny that.

So...to recap, date with S on Saturday to eat Portuguese fish (I'm excited, he's an architect and he builds things from wood!), possible tea with G next week (he has red hair and is 6'3"), and cocktails with J at the Matador either Sunday or next week. Then there's D...maybe I'll give him another chance. OR...I'll invite them all to the same place at the same time, I'll hide in the next room, and my friends will circulate, making small talk with the possible suitors, and vote on a winner. We could do it weekly! Like Survivor, except voting people off Rose Island!

Ho hum

All I can say is, I'm glad I'm the girl and phooey on feminism, because at least I get free burritos out of this dating thing. Date with D was okay, burrito was excellent, as usual. He was getting over this "flu" thing and kept coughing, and would end each cough with a little "Ow" whine. So yeah, that was hot. And he seems to be very into working out, and healthy food, and things that I am not. Granted, I see the value in working out and healthy food, but as lifestyle choices and not riveting conversational topics. I think I might have spent more time getting ready to go out than dinner actually lasted. Things seemed a little boring. I'm not sure if it was because I wasn't too excited to go in the first place (not a good sign that when I went to pick him up and he wasn't outside waiting, I wondered if 45 seconds was a reasonable enough time to wait before calling it a night and going home). Or maybe just we didn't have a lot in common or much interest in each other. Perhaps I didn't need to say, "Do you need to finish your water or are you ready to go?" And I had to drive, which seemed weird. Probably only weird because I'm so super picky and always look for things to be weird, but still. So when I dropped him off he asked if I wanted to come in, and offered to show me the clock he had with his own picture in it, but I demurely declined, citing an early meeting. So yeah.

Stay tuned for Saturday night, with S. What should I wear? Is a skirt and boots too much for a first date? Jeans and boots? Comfy elastic waist pants? Come on people, help me here.

I went to the gym today, for the first time in 3 years or so. Big step for me, because I'm always confused and intimidated by gyms. But I went, rode the bike for 23 minutes, and left. Of course I'll do more next time, and if it isn't so full I'll maybe try to figure out how to use those big machines with the weights and pulleys and thingies or something. Still need to clean the bathroom, but I have a scarf to work on and The Madness of King George to watch.