Why do people assume the worst (or is it just me)?
Then he said something about seeing how far into the new year he could get without writing the old year.
My eyes are fine; no significant changes.
I ended 2016 with a husband fail.
A screw was coming loose from my wife's glasses. I tried to screw it back in, but it wouldn't go in straight. I figured I'd take it out and start over. When I took the screw out, it wouldn't go back in. At all. The holes just don't line up, which probably explains why it wouldn't go in straight to begin with.
If that's the worst thing that happened to me in 2016, I guess I'm doing all right. My wife is wearing an old pair of glasses, and she may have another opinion on the whole subject.
One mystery gift yet to arrive!
Nanny (Sandra Jean) was born 12/28/1939 in Bangor, Maine to Florence and Norman. It was Thursday, under the sign of Capricorn. The US president was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Color TVs were not yet invented.
Little about her childhood is known, but there is no definitive proof that she wasn't a child prodigy or imbued with super powers. Just saying.
Where Nanny really shined was with her grandchildren. Her grandchildren were always welcome, and she was always willing to give them the love and attention they desired. Nanny never hesitated to tell me how many times she got up with me in the middle of the night when I was a baby. My earliest, and some of my fondest memories, were at Nanny's house in Eddington.
Nanny never complained when her grandchildren would build a fort under the kitchen table and then run off without cleaning it up…at least she never complained to us. She never complained to us when cutlery went missing because her grandchildren had taken it outside to play and left it under a tree. However, she might have been a tad upset when we would drink too much of her Tab.
For those unaware, Tab is a diet cola soft drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company, introduced in 1963. All of my memories from the house on the Nickerson Rd in Eddington include Tab as the drink of choice. At some point she changed from Tab to Diet Pepsi. Diet Pepsi was never quite as alluring as the mysterious Tab.
Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of raising children and grandchildren, she found the time to become a CNA at Eastern Maine Medical Center.
Time passed, situations changed, and Nanny was forced to move around. She was at times homeless, lived in the Freese's Building, and lived at the Phillips-Strickland House. It was during this phase that her mind started to deteriorate. She would do things like catch her hair on fire while cooking, or drop a salad, breaking the bowl, just to pick it up and put it in another container…with some of the broken glass from the original bowl.
Somewhere in this timeframe, she also earned the name "Nana Hemp" as she shared a story about growing a "very pretty plant" in her window for a while only to later learn it was marijuana.
Nanny moved to Florida with Cindy in 2013. Who wouldn't rather spend their final years basking in the sun rather than freezing in the snow? Also, retired dudes.
Sandra Jean Davis died peacefully, with her daughter Cindy by her side on May 17, 2015.
She is survived by her sister Linda, daughter Sally and her husband John, daughter Cindy, and her son Dan.
She had 12 beloved grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, 3 stepsons, and 4 step grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her mother Grammie (Florence), father Norman, brother Larry, and daughter Beth.
She will be buried at Pine Tree Cemetery in Eddington. May God have mercy on her soul…enjoy her glass salad, and tactfully ignore the pretty pot plant growing in her mansion window.
We figured Sunday would be a good shopping day. Other activities may not be open, plus we were still a bit tired from the trip.
The wife's primary goal on the vacation was to get cowgirl boots.
I needed some jeans and replacement cargo pants. I always live on the edge, I know.
The Lucky Jeans saleswoman said their jeans would change my life. I told her I wasn't sure I was ready for that kind of commitment. Bought two pair of Wrangler instead. The wife got a couple shirts.
We visited a couple different outlet malls with little success in finding stuff we were really interested in. Maybe hitting outlets multiple times a year has accustomed us a bit too much.
We ended the day at Thee Pits Again for some BBQ, as seen on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. There were a couple good items on my sampler plate, but far more that was just OK.
We just went back to the resort to relax the rest of the day.
This year vacation has brought us to Arizona. The availability fit our timeframe and our desire for a warm vacation. Here we are in Phoenix, our brains a day (due to the Friday holiday) and three hours ahead of these Pacific Timers (some of our electronics still show Eastern Time, though they supposedly sync on their own). We have no complaints about the heat!
Sunday will be shopping day. Everything opens between 10 and 11. We've got boots, books, and outlet shopping on tap.
I was merging onto the interstate when the oncoming car in the travel lane started honking his horn and pointing vehemently at the Yield sign in front of me. The odd thing is that I had already timed my entry to pass behind his car, assuming he didn't slam on his brakes or do something else similarly stupid on the interstate. Also, there was nobody in the passing lane, and he could have easily moved over to let me into the travel lane to let me on if he was worried about my car.
Sometimes I don't move over if I'm worried about not having a chance to get back in the right lane before my exit, but this guy didn't get off any of the next 3 exits. He also was distractedly weaving about his lane and completely ignoring the speed limit.
Why get so up in arms about making sure I see one sign while he was ignoring another? What's this guy's deal?
Here's my yearly list of Christmas loot!
For my May term course I have to keep a journal of daily events. It's our first course that's hands-on with patients. In the end we will qualify as CNAs. That's the frame of reference for the journal, just so you don't expect too much. Since I have to keep a journal, why not share it on my blog?
We added some medication research to our care plans this morning. We have to choose the three most important medications on the patient's list (according to our instructor or the patient's nurse) and write them up. I think it will be great practice for things we do next semester.
We also had to switch floors, which is good because we had gotten comfortable on the previous floors. There are subtle differences in the layout of the floors, but overall things seem to run pretty much the same. On this other floor, all the oncoming staff listen to prerecorded shift handoffs. I can see some good and some bad in performing patient handoff this way.
I spent a lot of time in my patient's room today, helping them get washed up and changing the bed linens. There was sponge-bathing (so to speak), lotioning, powdering, and foot washing involved. I know it will be rare for a nurse to have the time to do all that with the patient, so I need to get good at the skills now. I think I'm close to having this one down.
I left report for the oncoming student that our patient should be encouraged to get up and walk around more. I think this a big thing for hospital patients and one that should be encouraged as much as possible. Proper circulation is very important, and you can't get it by lying in a bed all day.
For my May term course I have to keep a journal of daily events. It's our first course that's hands-on with patients. In the end we will qualify as CNAs. That's the frame of reference for the journal, just so you don't expect too much. Since I have to keep a journal, why not share it on my blog? This one had to be hand written and turned in before we left on Friday, so I didn't have a copy to post here until it was returned.
SOAP and DAR narrative types added. We jumped right into vital signs. The morning meal came, and we went into the shift assessment. I forgot another major portion of the assessment, CSMs. I did remember the pulses I forgot yesterday. Between the two, I did a completely thorough assessment.
I helped reposition a patient with a jugular IV so that her pump would stop the occlusion alert. I also toileted a patient from the floor and documented her output.
I documented my patient's output, apparently something we forgot to do yesterday. There was 3200 mls in the commode when nursing emptied it last night.
My patient got another bed bath and linen remake. Then OT and PT came, keeping her busy the rest of the day.
Yay for the weekend and sleep!
Added this morning: NANDA nursing diagnoses, objectives, interventions, evaluations, and IV information.
Today we were all supposed to perform and observed, graded shift assessment. This is the assessment the nurse does on the patient when they first see them at the beginning of the shift. Unfortunately, not everyone got to finish their assessment for a grade today because of timing.
I was given the opportunity to see a PICC line inserted today, but apparently the person performing it was new and a little student-shy. Hopefully we get to see the process tomorrow instead. It will be good to get ourselves used to these procedures.
I assisted a physical therapist who was trying to get a patient to stand and possibly walk using a walker. The patient was having none of the standing part, especially since his hospital stay was due to a fall. He did try to bite me twice, though he didn't seem to serious about it.
I helped my patient get ready for her bed bath, and I changed her sheets when she was done. I also performed an ungraded shift assessment. Luckily it was ungraded, because I probably would have failed. Checking pulses is kind of a big deal. At least it should help me remember tomorrow. Also tomorrow I hopefully remember turgor. I have forgotten that the last two days.
I am impressed with some of the questions I hear my classmates asking and some of the observations they make. They seem like they will make really good nurses.
Another step was added to our nursing care plans this morning. It seems pretty involved, but then I realize we haven't added medications to the care plan yet. They are going to get even more intense soon.
My patient was sleeping until breakfast came, so I was able to get some catch-up research and some preparation research done. I was also able to talk to the nurse more about the patient's background and how everything is interconnected.
When the hands-on work started it was consistent but more comfortable than yesterday. Not only did we do vital signs, but we also practiced a shift assessment. We are going to be graded on these tomorrow. Too bad we weren't graded today. My patient was all too willing to let me do whatever I needed for practice. Luckily, I hear tomorrow's patient is accommodating as well.
I also got practice helping a patient wash up and changing linens. Nothing that sounds too exciting, I'm sure, but things we need to be able to do.
Tomorrow starts the process again, adding more.
Today we were assigned our patients. The instructor chose our patients last night, wrote down everything he could tell us, and gave us a mock report this morning. Then we went upstairs to try to take part in the real report. The nursing staff didn't seem to know we were coming, or didn't care, as they were already giving report to the oncoming nurse by the time we found out who we should be shadowing.
Our assignment for the day was to take a set of vital signs and to chart them. For some reason I can take vital signs all day in a controlled classroom environment without a problem, but I have difficulty in real life. I keep telling myself it comes with practice, but I have had a lot of practice.
My patient's blood pressure was low. Real low. I had taken it manually…for more practice. I took it again with the machine to double check myself. It was still low, though not quite as low as I had found. I went to tell the nurse, who was expecting a low BP but not as low as what I got. The patient had to have a saline infusion. The nurse tried to tell me I saved the patient's life, but all I did was take a blood pressure and report it. That reaction seems melodramatic.
I stayed with my nurse for the first hour. I rarely interacted with the CNA. When I did it was just to pass along something I wanted her to know about my patient. We are supposed to be primarily working with the CNA, so I probably missed out on a few training opportunities today. Luckily the nurse is really nice and tried his hardest to fill in my knowledge/critical thinking gaps.
I wasn't really able to help any of the other students with their tasks. Another student and I walked a patient who didn't have a student. I delivered coffee and graham crackers to another patient who I wasn't assigned to. Some of the others performed bed baths or linen changes. I feel like I didn't do enough. On the other hand, the nurse taught me a lot about nursing.
Tomorrow I should have the same patient. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with him. I think that's outside of my scope.
The day started with a seemingly unnecessary drive to the University of Maine, where attendance was taken, we were told where we would next meet, and at what time. There was then a drive to SJH, where I was able to get my badge before we began.
At St Joseph's Hospital, we again took attendance and went over some general information. We were split up into two groups, half getting computer training and half going on a hospital tour. The computer training was unfortunately disorganized and ill prepared. We did receive some key information on where to find the parts of the patient chart we needed to access.
The hospital tour was helpful in orienting us to break rooms, bathrooms, computer stations, patient boards, and some information that is kept outside the patient rooms. For a tour, it was quite adequate.
With the two groups back together, we pored over our class packet and what is expected of us. It was helpful to know up front what the expectations and grades are based upon.
All in all, I am cautiously looking forward to tomorrow's start with the patients. I don't feel I can get everything done in the time allotted, though I will have no idea if that is true until it actually happens. I want to be able to perform my patient activities well from a grading standpoint AND from a patient perspective. I want to fill all my paperwork out completely and correctly. I really want to be able to help my classmates when they need assistance, but I'm not sure if that will happen if there isn't enough time for me to get my requirements completed.
One of the few recurring themes I have is my Christmas loot. This is the stuff my amazing wife got me.
I don't always take the time to make little connections with people.
I stopped at Taco Bell on the way home from Portland last night. My work partner and I had just dropped a patient off at a hospital in that area, and I was a little hungry.
I went inside, and almost immediately a slightly disheveled young lady with the tag "Shift Leader" came around to take my order. I asked "how's it going," and she proceeded to tell me how busy it had been a few hours earlier. I asked if there was anything special going on, thinking graduations or some such. She mentioned it was because of KFC's latest special deal.
When she brought my tacos, I noticed the chocolate chip cookies beside the register. Knowing that my partner had a biscuit for me in the ambulance and I had nothing in trade, I told the young lady that I had to buy a cookie while hauling my wallet back out. She asked if I wanted just one. I said yes and she then said she would just give me one. When she was bagging it, she said "what the heck, I'll give you two." I left, telling the young lady she was my new favorite.
Since leaving her place of business, I have told my work partner and my wife about this exchange. Now I'm telling anyone who wants to read on the internet. I took just a few seconds to honestly ask about her day, and she provided excellent customer service (even if she hadn't given me free cookies).
I know we're used to thinking about fast-food workers as low people on the totem pole. I joke that way sometimes, too. However, I really feel that they are providing a great service and their jobs are important. Besides that, they are important as people. Each and every one of those workers has a life outside of that job. They have interesting personalities, and quite often see things in different ways than I do. I can learn a lot from engaging them and getting to know them, even if just for a couple of minutes.
There are many, many interesting people out there, and they show up everywhere. I continue to try not to overlook them.
We knew we were going into the mountains, and that "civilization" was pretty much an hour away. When turning off the state route, we drove in between two buildings of a farm. The winding road led us up and around the mountains until we arrived at the resort in the valley.
We checked in and were sent to our room. The building outside was warn. It was stained wood, and the stain was faded. We were on the second floor and there was no elevator (not a big deal, but something to keep in mind for older users). The side wall of the stairs was missing wallpaper and had the stains of some sort of liquid.
We entered the room, and it looked like it hadn't been updated since it was built. My wife estimated the 40s, but I think it could have been as recent as the 80s. The living room did not have a DVD, though this is 2012 and a DVD player was advertised on the website. The master bedroom had a TV on the wall beside the bed, not directly across from the bed, which would cause neck strain for anyone trying to watch. The second bedroom had an older style TV and a VCR player.
The resort is a small community set in the mountains. It advertises for family vacations, and it expecting people of all walks and all ages. However, the resort does not have sidewalks or footpaths for people to use. To walk anywhere on the resort, the guests have to walk on the side of the road…with little shoulder. Besides guest cars coming and going at all times, the resort has busses, vans, and work trucks constantly going from one location to another.
The resort has a hotel on the campus, which seems to be its own separate business. This hotel seems to have been renovated recently and looks rather impressive. The sporting area attached, however, has not been.
Considering the fact that the resort is at least an hour from other attractions, one would think that they would want the attractions on site to be…attractive. We looked at the bowling alley, the pool tables, the pool, the hot tub, and the pool showers. All these areas have been neglected upkeep for quite some time. We also looked at the racquetball courts, but have no basis for comparison of their appearance.
Our room had an ironing board, but no iron (the iron was eventually found, on the last night of our stay, when we took the strainer out from under the sink to dry hand-washed dishes). The DVD player was hooked up to the TV, but we couldn't get it to work. There were no instructions in the room. We have used multiple types of DVD players before but couldn't figure this one out.
There were hand typed signs stating that Villa Roma was "no longer" responsible for items in the fridge that weren't kept cool enough, signs stating that there was a $75 dollar charge for dishes not being done before we left, and signs stating that there was a $100 charge for not checking out on time, no exceptions. These were all unprofessional notices handled with unprofessional signs.
The last particular disappointment of note for Sunday was the meal we had at the on-site restaurant. It was the only eatery open on-site Sunday night, so they kind of had the monopoly. Just like other monopolies, they didn't seem to care about the quality of the product. My four piece fried chicken came out with pieces so small I thought perhaps they used chickadee instead of chicken. My wife found her ravioli unappetizing. After paying a not-so-moderate price for the poor meal, we went back to the room to wallow in the inadequacy of it all.