Woofstock: 2011

Spending the Weekend out with the dogs is great fun for friends, family and of course the dogs. There are plenty of activities for the dogs and their masters. There was the dock dog competition, which is where the dogs run and jump into water and are measured how far they jump. It was a great for the dogs on this hot day. They also had sheep herding demonstrations. I think the kids liked that the most. There were tents set ups for dog products and services. Dog sitter services, grave site markers, tee-shirts and treats of all kinds. Not to mention horse painting where you can actually finger paint on a horse. The there was plenty of food to eat for the humans…lol The best for me was that I was able to get my schnauzer microchiped for 20 bucks just in case he ever gets lost. This usually is 30-40 bucks. It is a microchip they place under the skin that can be detected at vets and animal shelters. That way they can get information to let you know they found your dog. There was also a fly ball competition and a pet parade. We did the pet parade. We didn’t place in any of the competition classes but we did get in the paper. Well the dog did…and my leg. So I guess my leg is famous now….hehehe
My baby with his bandana on.

Teenage Truths

I know that the world is different that it was 10 years ago.  I knew that kids were having sex at a alarmingly younger age.  What I didn’t realize was just how mean some of them are.  Had the 13yr old female come in because she might have been gang raped.  13!  What the hell.  So I have to go in to the exam room because the male doctor needs a chaperone to keep everyone honest.  I knew it was a possible rape but I did not expect to see this child close to my daughters age.  She was dressed in her hospital gown with this look of fear.  When the doctor asked what happen this is what she told us.  She went to spend the night at her friends house and apparently she didn’t know that there wasn’t going to be any parents there.  Let alone a party. The mother who looked mortified just repeated…she was spending the night at a friends house a sleep over…she looked like she was going to burst into tears.  The child, babe yes child because she is far from an adult states I was drinking just like everyone else and woke up with my pants around my ankles.  She states she hadn’t had sex before and wasn’t sure if she was raped.  She didn’t think she was.  Under her gown was in black permanent marker from her chest down to her privates smiley’s, dike, slut and many other foul language and pictures.  Who could be so cruel to do this to a child but other children.  What is wrong with kids today.  I was almost in tears with the mother.  I just don’t get it.  The mother was mortified and in shock.  She knew the parents and just assumed that this was a “normal” sleep over.  I was so upset that I probably spent a hour lecturing my children about underage drinking and being safe.  Please remember to talk to your kids start early before they get to that teenage age.  You know the age where they do listen to you.  I hope those kids get into trouble and I hope nothing happened.  But its in the court system now.

Mistaken Identity

Well  I shall warn my readers there is some graphic pictures that I have found on Google to help with my story.  So don’t read any further if you’re a queasy one. This was a wake up call that not everything is as it seems.  Plus a wake up call for me.  Here goes  There was an evening that a lady came in.  We were told that we needed to triage a OB patient because one of the nurses on OB couldn’t come down at this time.  So when I went to see the patient I was shocked to see that there was no way that she was pregnant.  Why you ask?  Well let’s just say I was hoping she wasn’t.  I asked her are you the pregnant patient?  She replied no.  So I blew it off like someone else must have gotten her.  I asked her what her chief complaint was.  Duh can’t you see?  Course I could see she was orange, her eyes were yellow and her stomach on the frame of a 110 person was a huge “pregnant” looking stomach.  I was astounded in the size of the patient stomach who apparently was suffering from Ascites. After obtaining her history of end stage liver disease due to alcoholism and drug use.  Some would say great another user…but this was my wake up call.  I was upset that the doctor just wanted to get her out of her as fast as he could.  The lack of compassion really grind my gears.  No insurance, No doctor would touch her.  So with the history of drug use no pain meds.  She appear more than 9 months pregnant.  Carrying all that extra fluid would be painful.  She would laugh about the size of her stomach only to cry again because she was hurting.  I understand that she would never qualify for a donor.  But the only way this patient could get relief was alcohol.  She was drunk.  She was a hopeless case that pulled at my heart strings.  There with no one to comfort her because she had burned all her bridges, I listened to her confess her problems and her pains.  I wanted to cry right along with her.  I don’t know what caused her to keep using and drinking till she looked like this… but I do know  I will try to be a little more compassionate to those that drug seek.  Maybe just listen a little more and try to convince these doctors they need treatment not 5 lortabs to get the out of the ER faster.
*image provided by google search

Alcohol: it's what's for dinner

Well apparently some men cannot live without alcohol.  Of course this family always points to other members in the family because they are the “alcoholics” and the accusers are not.  No matter how much education that I have I apparently have no clue what constitutes as an alcoholic.  So blogger buddies…tell me what you think is an alcoholic?  Because I am at my wits end with this family of drunks.  One hides his booze and think no one knows that he drinks.  The other likes to raid his stash to get drink his alcohol or visits each of the family drunks to get his alcohol because heaven forbid he buy it himself. There’s another who’s girlfriend is at fault that why he drinks even more.  Now mind you she is a drunk too because many of us have had to “stop by” and pick her arse up out of the floor because she got too drunk to stand.  Not that she could walk well in the first place.  But the one that chaps my ass the most.  Is the one that doesn’t drink hard liquor.  He drinks at least 6 beers to 9 a day.  Heaven forbid its his day off because he will start at 10am and not figure out why I get pissed that it’s a little to early don’t ya think?  But what do I know?  I only see the drunks in the ER, the causes of too much alcohol over the years, the wonderful people they end up with because the smart people left their ass a long time ago.  So quit bitching that we might leave you and cheat on you.  We won’t be leaving for that reason. We are going to leave you because you cheated on us with alcohol.  You know the thing you can’t live without.  It’s the first thing on your lips in the morning and the last on you way to bed.  We are tired of the beer breath and that can glued to your hand. Sick of you not remembering conversations from the night before or just being plain mean.  We are fed up with your excuses.  Great it tastes good whoop dee do.  I love brownies but I don’t eat a pan of them every night.

ER Red Flags

Okay so I follow this great blog called emergency-room-nurse  who wrote her red flags.  I feel that she missed a few and I wanted to add my red flags…any other nurses out there that can add some feel free.  Please click on that site to see the original RED FLAGS IN THE ER.
Red flags in the ER:
1) You are allergic to Tylenol , Motrin, Ultram, Ultracet, Toradol and pretty much any non narcotic drugs.
2) You tell the nurse you have a diagnosis of pseudo seizures  which if you were smart enough would realize that means false seizures or to us a big seizure faker.
3.)  You have had this issue for a year and just now at 3am decided to visit the ER
4) We saw your brother yesterday for Opioid withdrawal and you share the same address.  (hmm did your supplier get busted?)
5) You bring your own bag lunch
6) You ask or tell me that we don’t need to run a drug screen on you.
7) We run a drug screen and you tell us someone must have spiked your drink
8) Because of the 1000 times you have been  to the ER it causes my computer to take 10 mins to pull it all up or it just crashes from the stress.
9)  The ER nurse knows you by face and can put your name and birthday and most of your history without you even talking.
10) You tell me how the last 2 other ERs that you have been to for this problem don’t know their butt from a hole in the ground.
11) You know my name without looking at my name badge.
12)  You request your meds by name.  I can’t take Zofran because it doesn’t work but 25mg of Phenergan works…or hmm I don’t like Toradol makes me feel funny.  Last time I was here 2mg of Dilaudid worked real well.

13) Your relatives or friends are in rooms 12 and 13.

14) You tell us you’re a 10 on the pain scale but your texting and talking on the phone
15) And last but not least…you tell me you refuse to see these list of doctors because they don’t ever do anything for you.
So that is my red flags if you come into my ER