R(etired)N

After posting the blog entry on BostonMed....I was thinking about errors that are made in the realm of healthcare.  Definitely they exist and are well documented  - but there are some not even admitted to, that slip under the radar....and then add to that number the "near misses" - where a mistake is caught before it occurs or does damage.

It is old news and has been the subject of research for a number of years.

It is found that if an acknowlegement of an error is made along with an apology and an offer of monetary compensation - the number of lawsuits goes down - by 36%  in one particular study.  Not only that...but there was a reduction in the amount of time it takes to settle and thus the cost of each individual lawsuit also is reduced.

This was the subject of a study that was funded by Blue Shield in Michigan:

"The program started with the belief that doctors had an ethical obligation to disclose mistakes, and it followed that making a fair offer of compensation was also the right thing to do," Kachalia said. "They really didn't know what it was going to do to costs."

Apparently the study doesn't prove that being honest and disclosure of mistakes reduces liability, but it did prove that it wouldn't "break the bank".......

Patients realize mistakes can be made.  What they usually want when on the receiving end,  is an admission of error followed by sincere apology - and to also see that there is a move toward "fixing" the error or improving the system so no one else has to experience the same mistake. 

We know that Doctors tend to order more CYA tests than necessary just because of he threat of lawsuits - and if there is a reduction in the threat of lawsuits, it follows that a reduction in tests can reduce medical costs in general in the USA.

Dr Death

In Canada, there isn't the propensity to lawsuits as there is in the USA.  I am not saying there aren't any....there are....but not to the extent that you see south of the border.  This is evident in the much smaller insurance premiums paid by Canadian MDs in comparison to their American counterparts (read the comments section where a Canadian MD explains the benefits to working in Canada (don't care for the other MD hosts and some of their their narrow minded rants - seems curious that they didn't believe my defense of the Canadian system as an RN, but would take the MD's as god-honest truth - but then, consider the source).

 Plus, if you decide to sue but don't succeed - you may end up paying everyone's expenses - thus discouraging the "frivolous" type lawsuits.   

As an RN, if you go to court (not that you ever would want to ) the standard that the courts judge you by is against "the standard of a reasonable and prudent nurse with similar education and experience in a similar situation" (CRNBC document)  A poor outcome - as long as everything was done to the best of the medical professions' abilities and in the case of the RN, in line with the Standards of Practice set out by our professional body -  is not grounds for a successful lawsuit.

I am glad of the increased transparency of the system, and hopefully it will continue in this direction.

This song doesn't have anything to do with the posting really....I just liked the song.

I leave you with a photo my husband took yesterday when he went golfing......and no, it isn't smog...the sun was setting - which gave the land a golden hue,  and then he edited the photo in picasa- just giving it a touch more gold..... we really do live in a beautiful area of the country....

I noticed that there aren't as many nurses featured on BostonMed anymore.  Others have also noted this same evolving  discrepancy  -  here and here.


Hmm.  Could it be because the focus has shifted in favor of the MDs as it usually does?  Or  - could it be that nurses are being a little bit smarter than MDs in regards to their visibility on a TV show?

 Case in point:

Did you see the episode 6 where the lead Pediatric Heart Surgeon at Mass General flippantly told the mom and dad that he would fix their little baby's heart defect  - no problem, don't worry?  He reassured the parents that he was going to be as good as new.

 This was this Doc's time to shine....although, the story didn't really go the way he anticipated.   After the surgery, the baby went sour and had to stay on the heart and lung machine for a week while they tried to figure out what went wrong.

The error was discovered by a Cardiologist that was brought in to look at the xrays a week later.....and his statement hinted this to the Surgeon ...."There is Something really really unusual..it looks so weird ...."  looking slightly uncomfortable having to say it in front of the cameras.   Not exactly coming right out and saying - "Surgeon, you screwed up and sewed the wrong vessel to the wrong side of the heart" - because, after all, the cameras were rolling......but nonetheless.....that statement hit like a lump of lead.....

At the moment it dawned on the Surgeon  - the cameras pan to him.   It is suddenly obvious to him    -  he has made a HUGE mistake -  and his head drops, hand fanning over his face - trying too late to hide the sick look the camera has already framed ........

Bad enough that it happened at all....but it was recorded by the cameras as evidence  -  AND  will now be shown on a highly publicized Hospital reality show that is going to be released across the USA and Canada.  

I noticed that not once did he say "I made a mistake" while the camera was on him - but instead - it seems the news was given to the parents off camera.  To his credit, he did admit it to them - and followed it up with "I can fix it".  This is the part that was glossed over on the show itself.   Hereafter the Surgeon  referred the second surgery as "making a revision because the connections weren't right"  as opposed to "fixing the mistake I made".  When questioned by the interviewer " what was the original mistake you made...?" he replied "..originally we just didn't have things hooked up the way we wanted them hooked up...so now we do....." 

You can see the parents' interview 18 months later here.   At the time of the "corrective surgery"  they were told there was a possibility that their baby could  be severely brain damaged, blind and/or have physical disabilities due to the error.

You can see on the news clip via the link above that they did take their baby home, and they were happy he is now seemingly ok, although he had to be fed by a feeding tube for months after due to the "damage from the surgery and being so long on life support". 

You will also note that the news video mentions that the Surgeon is no longer working at that hospital and also the pediatric cardiac surgery program at Mass General has been suspended.   I would hazard a guess that there was also a little bit of a settlement payout to the parents.

Which brings me back to the beginning of this blog entry.  How much exposure do you want on a Reality TV show as an RN anyway?  Clearly this Surgeon is feeling the repercussions of his error.

 I am sure people are constantly thinking, if not reminding him....."Hey, aren't you that surgeon that f***d up on that TV program?" (I am cleaning it up here)  I almost felt sorry for the guy - until I remembered that he was the one that signed all the release forms to appear on the show..... (never mind that he looks a little bit like my ex.....) 

We all make mistakes at one time or another.   I understand that.  We are only human.  But if I were to make a mistake....it would be agonizing enough to go through with -  firstly - the realization there was damage done,  then secondly - the apology to the patient,  then thirdly -  the  documenting/counselling process for any medical errors made - without THEN having it broadcasted to the WORLD.    Not the kind of notoriety I would want.

So,  perhaps it is a smart move on the part of the RNs to lay low - albeit probably not of their own choosing.   At the end of the news video, the parents had nothing but fabulous things to say about the anonymous nurses involved off camera.


When "Birth Stories" (or one of those popular facsimiles)  came to one of the Birthing Units I worked at  - I made darn sure I wasn't anywhere near the camera.  Heck - I don't even want my name on this blog,   as insignificant it is.....

Let the MDs take the glory on TV.    I will gladly go about my business off camera, thanks.

I can't imagine going to school (not just one degree but TWO!) and then working as an RN with this health challenge. She is now working in NICU....her "dream job".......I am so impressed.
Good Luck Katy!

This is the link to my blog entry  from June 23 when I first saw the 2 young girls with Cystic Fibrosis singing on America's Got Talent. (Yes I admit to watching it!)  They have great voices which is amazing since we know as nurses what these 2 girls go through with their daily regimen to coexist with CF. Although medicine has advanced to the point where they could have a longer life than in the past...the reality is - they probably won't live into their 30s* - and any infection can bring them to their knees at any time


They impress me.....I have to root for these 2 girls!

As you can see, I have a "Opinion Poll" question on the right.  You can check off more than one...to allow for the "Wish I were / Wish I weren't"  at the bottom of the choice selection.  Humor me. :)

I read a blog regularly called "Gray Matters" - a Widower Blogger. He was lamenting because he only has 9 "followers" and no one had commented for a long while, so he was getting discouraged and thinking of quitting his blogging, thinking no one was reading it. I tried my best to encourage him by telling him that we don't always get comments (hardly ever- unless you are hugely popular) and just because no one comments, it doesn't mean you aren't being read.   Even if you aren't being read.....what does it matter? Nothing substitutes for a catharsis.

I enjoy reading his blog....I have followed his blog from the beginning - as he tells of his journey from Independent Working Person in Oregon - to a Retired Person in a Retirement Home in Washington State. He writes of his adjustment to living with a bunch of old people...how the old women view him as "new meat". 

It chronicles the conflicts and trials of life in a place that is perhaps turning out to be not quite the heaven he thought it might be and the tribulations of being elderly with not much money.  It is a glimpse into the mirror of our own future....what is in store for all of us if we don't prepare for the future.  In his case....he doesn't have much because most of his life - he was helping others - giving away what little he earned.

 He tells a compelling story.  He doesn't know it - but he was my inspiration to start blogging.


I then started thinking.....I think it is mostly Nurses reading my blog....I wonder where they are in their Nursing career?   Are they mostly near retirement? Just starting out?   So I thought I would throw it out there and see what comes up.  

Like I said.  Humor me.  :)  Making me happy is just a click away.......

Ok. So I have laundered and processed all of my April blog entries. Now I will be doing the same to May and June - then July - then I am pretty well caught up. I am so glad I found all my files......




It's almost more fun second time around...... :) Hope it isn't too boring for those who have followed since the beginning. I have changed them somewhat and added stuff I had forgotton.

*sigh* Where's my wine? I need to jog my memory again......

OH! and one other tidbit. Found this recent ad for a "Department Store Nurse" in Davao City in the Philippines. I am wondering - how much do they pay an RN over there?
Here is the ad:

Company Nurse
at Victoria Department Store in Davao City (posted on 08-19-2010)
Filed under Healthcare & Nursing
•Female, Single, not more than 28 years old
•Graduate of BS nursing, NLE passer
•Related experience is an advantage
*Can work under pressure

(obviously, this is not a job offering in Canada where you can't discriminate by age, sex or marital status. And...wtflip is the "can work under pressure"thing??? From my experience, Store Nursing is on the stress level of a Walmart greeter......yes, I actually admit that. That is why it was so much fun...because it wasn't stressful in the least - and I got paid for it!  Closest I have ever come to getting paid for doing nothing - so to speak.  At least - that's what it felt like. I wonder what goes on in Filipino Malls that it would be so stressful???)

AND: here is a partial article from the American Journal of Nursing 1941 - a peek into the life of a Department Store Nurse in New York - "From Teakettle to Busy Medical Department". Really. I suppose Cherry Ames book Department Store Nurse's description is pretty well on the money after all. Both were written in the same year. =^@
And here I thought it was all bogus.

...never mind that they have the same attitudes also.....

I did work Psychiatry for a couple years.

 This is my blog from April 13th  - check it out.

 I am putting the original blog entries in their proper place - when they were first written  - and creating a link from these new entries. 

You certainly can see how things have changed.....

This is a posting from June 9th. I laundered it a bit and now am reposting because I just had a question from a fellow blogger as to why I was considering stopping my blog back in July. Obviously I haven't. I missed it way too much. But...I have decided to just "revamp" the old posts to remove the identifiers to me..... and put them up again. I just don't feel comfortable with who has been visiting my blog.... here .... and here.


Both of these organizations can do damage if they so choose....and you don't even have to be guilty to be on the receiving end of the damage ($$$$). It's just too small of a world nowadays. So, here is the entry:

Speaking of "small world"......here's a story for you!

Family Photo - Surinam

Take a look at these photos of America from 1939 to 1943 when it was recovering from the depression and going into the Second World War.

Quote:
What's missing? I couldn't see one morbidly obese person in any of the photos. Take a look. I suppose people had to struggle to get by, children played outside instead of on computers, and walking was actually a mode of transportation......you were lucky to build up any fat on the frame.

"These images, by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information, are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations. The photographs are the property of the Library of Congress and were included in a 2006 exhibit Bound for Glory: America in Color"

They are quite amazing. You can see the dirty little feet of barefoot children. Houses that some people lived in. Meagre morsels families shared at meals and gatherings. The countryside as it was..... it is so much more real seeing it in color as opposed to the black and whites that one usually sees from that era.
How times have changed.

Speaking of which...got to get off this computer and head on out....my niece is here from Delaware and we are going to tour downtown Vancouver, Gastown and Chinatown.

Gonna get me some exercise!

I have seen videos of people approaching wild animals .... one of the worst of these is the woman who has an interaction with a seal. Stupid. You never know what a wild animal will do, so don't be surprised if they turn on you and injure you or even kill you.

Yes, they may look "cute" but beware! Especially take note: If there is a baby animal present, be sure there is an angry mother nearby.

Take for instance - a town in our province that has a problem with deer because people are leaving food out for them to eat. There is talk now of "getting rid of the problem" which is interpreted by most to be the deer, but in my thinking should perhaps be the stupid humans. After all, who was here first, and who created the "problem" in the first place?

Watch this video and then tell me how cute and friendly deer are*:

(here is the link in case the embedding doesn't work for you)




*The old dog has recovered and is ok.

My husband says I make the BEST salads in the world. I am wondering where he has been eating salads because I am not sure anything I make is particularily special.

However - this shrimp salad is hands down the BEST I have ever tasted - and it is our SECRET FAMILY RECIPE. You WON'T find this recipe ANYWHERE because it is one my mother got from the radio in the 1960s.....and I have scoured the internet and have yet to find it. There are a few that are similar, but none the exact same recipe. We used to have a restaurant 40 years ago... and this is one of the salads offered on the menu.

I have made it many times - and every time - it *almost* doesn't make it to the table because of all the "sampling" that goes on by my friends. For this reason, I usually make a double batch. It is quick and easy to make, most ingredients can be kept on hand for last minute preperation and it is a refreshing salad on a hot day!

SHRIMP SALAD
1 - 15 oz can pineapple bits (you can substitute with the fresh equivalent)
1 tin mandarin oranges
1 tin large whole shrimp (you can sub with the fresh equivalent - I put in more than what the recipe calls for!)
Celery hearts - approximately 5-6 stalks
Dressing:
3/4 cup miracle whip
1/4 tsp curry (I usually put in a "titch" more!)
dash garlic
dash tobasco
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Drain the pineapple and orange pieces. Drain the shrimp and rinse. Cut celery hearts into thin pieces - finely chopped.

Mix dressing ingredients together and mix lightly with fruit and celery and shrimp. Decorate the bowl with the leafy tops of the celery.
It is a very refreshing salad on a hot day.
If you make this recipe....let me know what you think!

New York Square: A Celebration of the End of the War

VJ Day - 65 years later.

If you recall my post of approximately 3 wks ago.....the Experience in the Local ER.....and the ensuing phone calls to the Nurse Manager and the Administration....I did get a follow-up phone call on Friday in regards to the progress in Changes Being Made.

Apparently they are wanting to create more of a "Patient/Family Centered Care"...the latest Buzzword among Hospitals.


I reiterated to her that I didn't think it was unreasonable to limit the NUMBER of visitors (one is reasonable) and restrict visitors with unacceptable BEHAVIOR ...but to limit access to a spouse - the only "visitor" - when she is worried and also has not had any information about said spouse is irrational and unwarranted.

It looks like a meeting is coming up where this "policy" will be reviewed with the staff. I also was told that it was only certain Nurses that they were having trouble with.

*sigh*

Meanwhile here is an updated photo of my husbands fingers. The one nail fell off and the new one is growing in. Coming along nicely. He is happy, since he has been able to go back to his golf game.

I was going through some old drawers and boxes today....and found this stack of date books.

Ha. Cute. Way cuter than the real thing. If you read this am's blog, you will have seen them. Giant Microbes. You can order them online. They come with information about that particular "bug" and their own Petri dish.

If you have friends with a sense of humor or just need an interesting learning tool, here's the best selection I have come across, medically speaking.

Ecoli just isn't so scary anymore:
You can now throw germ free Chickenpox parties.
Yeast Infections can be a cuddly good thing.
And how about those STI's you could give your loved one? - Chlamydia - Gonorrhea or HPV?

and Herpes (the petri dish, the real slide and the plush "toy"version):

 Gangrene - it will set in just when you least expect:
And hospitals would welcome these Giant Microbes:  C-diff  and  MRSA:


The site has photo illustrations of the real thing and the plush "toys" are built to look as close to the real thing as possible. You can Choose your own microbe by the common name or the Scientific Name or Grouping. Pick your Poison.


And - if you didn't like the plush toys - how about a Coffee mug or a Tie or two?



....because we all know how GERMY they are!!!!


ACHOOOOO! Now I have just given you the Common Cold!

As I was running through all the blogs I follow, one in particular came up this am.

I have to tell you about a gal I met on FB a few months ago in a Canadian forum - she is from Toronto, Canada and she is a Teacher. Trupti is her name. She has a Blog called "Send a Postcard. Save a Life".

She isn't asking for money.

What she asks is - if you are travelling - to send her a postcard from the country you are travelling to - and she will donate $5 for every postcard sent to her favorite charity: NOTHING BUT NETS.

Nothing But Nets distributes mosquito nets to prevent malaria transmission in Africa. Each family in need receives one mosquito net - for every $10. Did you know that Malaria was only eradicated from the U.S.A. in 1951? Did you know that 1500 travelers from the U.S.A. come back with Malaria every year? (the red on the map indicates the areas where Malaria is)

"- Every 45 seconds, a child dies from Malaria, accounting for 20% of all childhood deaths in Africa.
- Non-immune pregnant women are at risk as malaria causes high rates of miscarriage (up to 60% in P. falciparum infection) and maternal death rates of 10–50%.
- Semi-immune pregnant women in areas of high transmission. Malaria can result in miscarriage and low birth weight, especially during the first and second pregnancies. An estimated 200 000 infants die annually as a result of malaria infection during pregnancy.
- Semi-immune HIV-infected pregnant women in stable transmission areas are at increased risk of malaria during all pregnancies. Women with malaria infection of the placenta also have a higher risk of passing HIV infection to their newborns. "

As a student 30 some odd years ago, I was working in a small community hospital near where I lived. I was placed in the ER and this particular night a very sick man came in. No one could figure out what was going on with him. Then, one MD - who came from elsewhere - I am thinking South Africa since we have very many of them in B.C. - recognised the symptoms and had some blood drawn. He was interested in teaching - enough to haul me, a young nursing student, across the hall to the small hospital lab and let me look through the microscope at the blood sample from this patient.

"Take a look" he said - "You may never get to see this again."

He's right. I have taken care of only one other patient with malaria - and that was on a L&D unit - and she was one very sick mom, if you can imagine after reading the above facts from the WHO site.

"263 territories of the world. 263 postcards. $1315. 132 mosquito nets. 132 families saved."

Great Idea. Great cause. And it will only cost you the price of a stamp and the fun of seeing where you went written up in her blog. Check out what countries still "free" to send from - there can't be any repeats - and - get travelling! (But be careful!)

And - omg! - I can't believe that this site is selling these!!!


* Map thanks to NASA, Photo of Malaria thanks to CDC.

My Kit#2 is still hanging in there. Lost a little bit more weight but is active, happy, cuddling, enjoying life and her food and still able to use her cat box. She was starting to lick the wound and make it bleed so now I clean it daily with iodine and apply a dressing and Ace wrap - which she tolerates. I give her abx when her wound gets "stinky" and that kills the bacterial infection. But, I am afraid she is using up all of her 9 lives. It can't go on like this forever. Here is what I wrote 4 months ago:  My post of April 17th

Look closely over the fireplace....what do you see??? This is a photo of the small sitting area downstairs of my folk's B&B. Yup. Antlers. See, I wasn't kidding. There is a fixation here. I am thinking that is actually the set of antlers that used to be above my bed with gauzy stuff floating down from it. That was in my "log cabin" phase of decor.
I am now into "Manly Golf Course Clubhouse" decor, thanks to my husband. :)



Just to make y'all feel better ....here is the view from their place.....

This Link is to the Re-post #2 - my first experience as an LPN.

Reading it again reminded me of something I once read. Here it is:



" Grandfather's Birthday"- by Rudy Joe Mano of Racine Wisconsin

It was Grandfather's birthday. He was 79. He got up early, showered, combed his hair and put on his Sunday best so he would look nice when they came.

He skipped his daily walk to the town cafe where he had coffee with his cronies. He wanted to be home when they came.

He put his porch chair on the sidewalk so he could get a better view of the street when they drove up to help celebrate his birthday.

At noon he got tired but decided to forgo his nap so he could be there when they came. Most of the rest of the afternoon he spent near the telephone so he could answer it when they called.

He has five married children, 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. One son and daughter live within 10 miles of his place. They hadn't visited him for a long time. But today was his birthday and they were sure to come.

At supper time he left the cake untouched so they could cut it and have dessert with him.
After supper he sat on the porch waiting.

At 8:30 he went to his room to prepare for bed. Before retiring he left a note on the door, which read, "be sure to wake me up when they come."
I don't know about you, but it made me cry.

My start in Nursing - actually, I am enjoying re-vamping my old posts. There was lots I had forgotten and added in. Plus now I can put it all in chronological order. :)

Here is a new study out of UBC (and St Paul's Hospital) that suggests that ASA is not as effective as once thought for preventing first time MI's - the benefits are only "slight" and the side effects from regularily rx'd asa to certain groups may outweigh the side effects.

However, it does benefit those who have had an MI already - reducing a subsequent MI by 20% - and it also may prevent Strokes in women. Apparently ASA doesn't reduce the risk of MI with diabetics and women - as previously thought.

"Some have postulated that ASA may be ineffective in women because of male-female differences in salicylate metabolism or interactions with hormones" - so the article says.

Read about it here in the BC Medical Journal.

It isn't going to stop me from grabbing a tab and chewing on it if I ever thought I was having an MI.

I was sitting in the hot tub this afternoon, soaking in the ambiance....watching the light breeze rustle the palms in our back yard (yes, we can grow palms in Western Canada- outside!) and the flowers around the yard....enjoying the hazy afternoon sunlight reflecting off the panes of glass.....

.....and I realized....NO PAIN!

I hadn't taken anything for pain since I started with the twice per day use of the hot tub we bought a couple weeks ago~! It's a miracle in itself that I am not taking anything ( tried celebrex, arthrotec, Mersyndol -stayed away from outright narcotics) but it is even more of a miracle that I forgot to take anything!

I had been in two rear-ender MVAs in the last 10 years. In 2001 I was sitting at a stop light waiting for it to turn green and a woman in one of those HUGE old cars - plowed into the back of me. Distracted with her daughter in the seat next to her - she just wasn't paying attention. After an intensive physio program I was left with only a slight residual shoulder pain - but able to go back to L&D full time.

No sooner had I settled that case - that very month - I was driving along the freeway at lawful speed (100 kmph), once again minding my own business on my way to my Uncle's funeral, when a Mack truck with a tandem and full load hit me from behind and knocked me off the freeway....just missing a concrete abutment on one side and a water filled ditch on the other. I managed to keep the vehicle upright. Angels were present, I am sure of that. I could have been killed.

What it did to me was cause injury to my upper back and shoulders - and after a struggle, and an ill-fated attempt to go back to work, I realized that I couldn't do hospital nursing anymore. Can't do heavy lifting. I was having constant upper back and shoulder pain. I went to Physio, OT , acupuncturist, chiropractor, Registered Massage Therapist....saw my MD for regular cortisone shots and a Surgeon to consult for possible surgery and a Physiatrist for suggestions for rehab.....all said the same thing.

No more hospital work.

It was heartbreaking, but I was lucky to be able to fall back onto a nursing job that is not physically demanding but still nursing. I am even luckier to be able to do it from my home most of the time - since now I am stressed about freeway driving.

So - you can see how amazed I was to discover - I no longer needed anything for pain! The Jets of our spa are incredible. It's only a 3 man spa but it has 2 motors with incredible massage capabilities. Better yet, to use it, I don't have to make an appointment, get dressed up, drive to where it is or share it with anyone else (people soup-ick!). I can use it as soon as I need it instead of waiting until an appointment becomes available.

Ahhhhhh. This is the life. Hydrotherapy - Just what I needed!

Here is a partial view of what I can see from our Spa......

Ok. I have thought about it and decided that I will keep this Blog public.

I will repost some of the blogposts I removed - but reworked without the identifiers(identifiers meaning identifying me - since I never did ID any patients) .

If that is possible.

Some of you will find these reposts familiar - if you have been reading my blog since the beginning. If you do, just bear with me. Don't worry - I won't be posting the repeats only - I will sprinkle them with new stuff as the circumstances arise.

My "blogfriends" Rachedy and New Nurse in the Hood posted a meme on their blog - which recognised and voiced appreciation to the Nursing Blogs they read. Thanks, you two, for the shout out and link.... and forgive me for not realising I was supposed to do the same. I am clueless.

Anyway.

I blog mainly for myself. I haven't been blogging about recent nursing experience for obvious reasons....but mostly about my career 15 to 30 years ago....and how it has changed. I blog about the difference between the USA and Canada - since I have worked both. I blog about my daily experiences as I fumble through life. It's the small things, I have realised, that will be important to me down the road.

I know I will be able to remember the BIG events. I just want to make sure I remember the small things that happen in my life when my mind goes....and since I maybe have another 20 years until that happens....why not do that here? And therein lies the reason that I blog.

If you would like to join me in my journey - feel free. Life is an adventure and best lived living it to the fullest. After all, when you get old, you don't want to be mulling over " I should have.....I could have....". I don't think I have ever had to rethink my life........

No regrets. That's my philosophy in life but I guess, not in Blogging - if you catch my drift.

There are Four types of Nurse Bloggers I gravitate to:
1. Old Nurses like me: Don't get offended. It's OK to be "old". Wrinkles are life's Roadmap.
There is a lot to be learned from the Experienced. Plus ....it makes me laugh to read about what went on way back when, the understanding of where nursing came from and the appreciation for someone who has "been there" too! Being allowed to Complain is our Reward for "staying the course"!!
2. Student Nurses: Love 'em. Can't get enough of 'em. They are enthusiastic, energetic, and full of anticipation for what their career will offer them. We need 'em. We want them to succeed.......and all you "old" nurses out there....please take them under your wing and nurture them and guard them with your life......remember - we were all there once - and we will need them in a few years- so mentor them well!
3. ER nurses: what fun and excitement. Just love them! I only did a float through ER and loved it so much! Would have loved to work there full time but ended up in L&D instead....which in many ways....is similar in that you can go from one patient to a full house in a matter of an hour, your patient can go from doing great to dead in a matter of minutes....and you can wonder why it's so quiet one minute - then running full speed dealing with several emergencies the next...... That adrenaline rush is something else, and I live vicariously through you!
4. Male Nurses: Love their perspective. I wish there were more of 'em. I work with several right now and they are above and beyond my favorites to work with.

I do follow a few religiously.....Rachedy and New Nurse in the Hood are on the top of my list, then NurseXY, Nurse J, Madness: Tales of an Emergency Room Nurse, Those Emergency Blues , Running Wildly, Tex, Nurse Jackie, Who's Life is it Anyways? , Send a Man to Nursing School, NYCRN , AlbinoBlackBear (ER RN going for her MD)...... oh - and let me credit one more: Drawing on Experience. His cartoon illustrations of what he is experiencing as he goes through Nursing School is amazing. I am jealous of his talent, being somewhat of an artist myself.

I love these blogs (and more! sorry I couldn't name you all!) for the reasons above.

Now on with mine. :) Be damned the Prying Eyes of Government and such.

Speaking of antlers.....


This is a photo from 1938, taken in the little log cabin that was my father's home as a child.....out in Saskatchewan.


Winters were severe, and they only had oxen as transportation and also to pull the equipment on the farm.


This was taken at Christmas. You can see the candles on the tree....yes REAL candles! Looking past the tree, you can see the deer head....the antlers are being used for draping assorted ties, hats etc......so I guess it's a Canadian thing.


The 3 boys are my 2 uncles and my dad.

My husband is a Golf freak.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining! I find great joy knowing that he enjoys something so much! There are worse things he could do to fill his time.

Occasionally I have been known to go out onto the course for a round or two but since my MVA that has not only stopped me from doing hospital nursing - it has stopped most strenuous activities that I used to love to do including weight lifting and golf. 

It is discouraging when you have once been able to hit a golf ball near 200 yards, and now, because of the shoulder injury, it is all you can do to get it a hundred feet. Not fun.  Also, I can only do 9 instead of 18.  I can still enjoy the 19th hole though.

Like I said, I would never deny my husband the happiness he gets from golfing. Or from watching golf.

So I hear this familiar buzzing sound emitting from the tv....almost as bad as when the Soccer was in it's prime a month ago.....Vuvuzelas!

Coming around the corner, I expect to see a soccer match, but NO...it is a Golf Game!

Apparently the Senior's tournament is being held near Seattle, and the sound is -
  airplanes!   The course is situated near a small airport and the small planes are buzzing about, trying to view the game in progress.

I would almost like to be listening to vuvuzelas because at least they thought to mute the sound at the station level.

.... in Downtown Vancouver. My girlfriend and her husband stopped in on their trek back to their Log Cabin up the ski hill - after graduating with her Dental Hygienist Degree - for which she came to the City.





Apparently it caused a stir in Downtown Vancouver. People were stopping to look. Not only did they stop to look but they were actually stopping them in the street to ask if they were Real Moose Antlers as they were driving. And yes - they are.

My girlfriend's brother lives on a farm and the sun-bleached Antlers were lying out in the field for years. He was going to burn them. As a First Nations Canadian.....my girlfriend thought that they were an appropriate home decor item.

Pretty cool.

And how Canadian can you get.

Reminds me of the deer antlers I had over my bed years back.
* * * * *

"Honey, don't forget the antlers when we go camping, eh?"