A Glimpse into the life of an (unintelligible)-year old woman who is ready to get a few things off of her more-than-ample chest! ..And who wants her Netscape-using friends to be able to see her 'blog in all (or most) of its glory!
85191818">
Disclaimer:Every post will begin with this text:"This post to be posted simultaneously on 2 sitesohregina.blogspot.com and my tripod site*click on the weblog tag on the home page :^) ...blogspot works best with IE, Netscapers use the Tripod site :^) Enjoy!"
Well, my therapist wanted me to chronicle this week, she was on vacation and it was tough! Not cool-tough like "the kids" say, but hard...very hard for her to be away, I will be glad to see her this week, although my appointment is at 8:30 am Wed ! YUK! I have to work Tues 7a-7p in the ICU, don't get me wrong, I enjoy working there, it's just that my standing appointment with Susan is Tues at 6 pm...looking at the schedule just posted at work, I think I will be able to go at 6 pm Tuesdays most of the schedule, which goes through October 5th. Tough schedule for me this time, again, not cool-tough, hard! I have to "double-back" a few times. That is, work evening shift one day then day shift the next. It always makes me nervous, so I can't sleep, then I am tired at work and the few order entry errors I make are usually those "days after." SUCK! I asked my supervisor to please avoid this when making the schedule, well, for one schedule I didn't have any, then I have had at least one every schedule since. :^( A few other pharmacists have to do this, but not everyone, which I don't think is fair, well, actually, I don't think anyone should have to do this! It's just that we have a lot of part-timers and people who don't want to work evening shift and don't have to, well, I guess I have never understood why part-time people get to write their own ticket and full-timers have to work when others don't. I mean, don't get me wrong, my ultimate dream is not to "not work," but to work part time. I would love it! But I work full-time and feel my loyalty should be rewarded. And I very much appreciate all the pharmacists' hard work. I just don't think doubling-back is safe! And if even one person has to do it, everyone should, or no one at all. And that's all I have to say about that. (Thank you, Forrest!)
Ok here goes...the week that was since my last post...
Sun 6/16...My cold was in full swing and I felt awful, I went into work because I feel morally obligated not to call in on the weekends. I was scheduled in the Central Pharmacy with Lynn, a good friend and a good pharmacist. It wasn't too busy and I was glad because I was really tired and feeling my cold, and really was glad Lynn was there. One thing happened which upset me. The Ortho/Neuro floor called and said that one of the doctors (I never found out who this doctor was) was "on his way down" to the pharmacy to pick up a 60 cc syringe, betadine, and an 18 Gauge Spinal Needle; apparently he needed these items for a procedure. I told the person that called that the Betadine was in their Pyxis machine (an automatic dispensing machine for medications up on the nursing floor) and that we had 60 cc syringes, and 18 Gauge needles, but I didn't know if they were "spinal needles" or even able to be used in that way. This person (I don't think she was a nurse) told me that I just had better get the stuff ready, the doctor would be there any minute! So I got a 60 cc syringe and an 18 Gauge needle and put them in a bag, then put a label on the bag which read "I do not know if this is a SPINAL needle or not!" I put the items in the slot underneath our "window" where people come to pick things up. I told the tech who was working with us to get me if someone came to pick the stuff up, that I wanted to talk to the doctor about the needle. He never did come. I guess he figured it out. But then another pharmacist, whom I have not asked if I may use her name, started in. She saw the bag in the window, and started spouting off, as she often does. "I do not know if this is a **SPINAL** needle or not?" What the heck? That's Regina's handwriting! What is this doing here?" Now this is the same woman who admonished me for "talking to the air, or to [myself] or whatever" and here she is doing the same thing! I swear, she infuriates me! And since I was physically vulnerable (e.g. tired and sick) I spouted off myself...not to her but to Lynn..."That's what they said he wanted, I wanted to talk to him about it, if he ever comes to pick the stuff up!" I said. "Is [name of pharmacist] afraid to talk to me? She makes me so mad! I swear! {Expletive deleted}..." Then I hear [name of pharmacist] say something about how things are not supposed to be in the slot like that, but whatever! So I called out and said, "So move it, I don't care!" Who knows if she heard me, she is so narcissistic I really don't think she listens to anyone except herself, well, maybe herself, maybe the air..HA HA Anyway, like I said, the doctor never came for the stuff, but I was upset that I let, well, I have taken to calling her Narcissa, the female form of Narcissus, so let's call her that. I let Narcissa get to me, but I didn't say much to her, which was good. If I had not been so tired and sick I would have saved my comments for the drive home, where I sometimes "let it out" over the blaring radio. Feels so good! Of course when one is tired the filter between brain and mouth is non-existent, unfortunately. So I could have handled it better but I didn't handle it so badly. I went home from work and went to bed early, my migraine which had started on Wednesday, had surprisingly gone away -- YAY! But it was replaced by sinus pain and pressure from my cold -- BOO! I went to my parents' house for Father's Day, I just sat like a lump, I had no energy. My mother's friend JoAnn was there, they went to grade school, junior and senior high school together, and JoAnn had flown in from FL to attend their 50th HS reunion. It was great for my mom to have a girlfriend around. They acted like old friends, old friends who had not been separated like they had been. My father liked the jammies I got him, and my brother-in-law liked the shirt I got him. He said I buy the best shirts, the ones he likes so much, he still has one I got him for Hannukkah a few years ago, it's ripped but he keeps it because it's so nice and comfortable. KEWL! My sister made my dad a shirt with my niece's and nephew's handprints, and her dog's pawprint, and their names painted on the shirt. He loved it of course. But my brother hit the jackpot, he got my dad a coffee table book of warplanes. My dad was a fighter pilot in WWII, he flew P-51 Mustangs, bombing raids over Europe and the whole bit. He LOVED it! It will keep him occupied for weeks! My brother picked up Shapiro's Deli Meat...MMMM...Deli! It was good but I couldn't taste it much. I took some home to make sandwiches. All in all a good ending to the day. I gave my niece the "rare golden snitch" Harry Potter Stone I got for her off of ebay, and I had a spare "Hermione" stone I gave her too. She was very excited. I love my niece and nephew so much! I would do anything for them! My nephew is really talking a lot now, he knows all our names, and he was calling to us at the dinner table...he sometimes didn't have anything to say, he's just so excited he can call us all if he needs to, or wants to. Of course, these kids are the smartest and cutest of all! It's so nice to get together so I can see them!
Mon 6/17-I woke up a bit before 5:30 (when I usually get up from work) and could not breathe or speak, I called in a croaking sick call to work. I hated to call in, but I was one big cholinergic reaction...for those of you who don't know what that is, the acronym used to describe it is SLUD..salivation, lacrimation (teary, watery eyes), urination, and defecation. I felt like total crap and decided to stay home and get some rest. I slept for 5 more hours, got up and had a bite to eat, slept 5 more hours, then took a shower, got dressed, went out to get the mail, had a bite to eat, then drugged myself so I could sleep. It was a wasted day in the eyes of some but I did feel a bit better.
Tues 6/18..I went into work because I knew there was no one else to work on the Bone Marrow and Oncology floors, my cold was stubbornly hanging on and I was pretty tired. I was very busy, I ate lunch around 2:30 pm while entering a chemo order, I didn't really get away, oh well, that's how life goes. My boss said, "Are you just eating?" Yes! Then another supervisor said, "Is there anyone else who could enter that chemo for you?" No! Bummer! I have to admit I was a bit grouchy with some of my fellow employees, but they understood I was sick and forgave me. That made me feel so happy I cried a little bit. Other places I have worked I was pretty much grouchy all the time, and here I am not so they can forgive the occasional sickness-induced grouchiness. I went home and collapsed, so happy I was working evenings on Wednesday. I slept for about 2 hours then couldn't get to sleep of course :^( I woke up several times coughing, unable to breathe...YUK!
Wed 6/19...Got up, went to the store for a few things, came home, took a little nap before going to work, work was not too bad, I coughed non-stop for the first hour or so. People kept saying, "Are you ok?" Well, not really, but I didn't want to call in! I had a lot of problems to solve and I managed to clean everything up, that always makes me feel good. I was so happy because I had Thursday off and I could rest!
Thurs 6/20..As I said, I didn't have to work so I slept in, got up about noon, I had a doctor's appointment at 2:45, I got some Midrin in case I get another migraine. I hope of course I don't ever have one, but if I do I have the med, I hope it works. I also got some Diflucan for an unfortunate infection..I will spare details, but suffice to say it's much better now! I picked up the latest Janet Evanovich novel, "Hard Eight," and the Harry Potter books at Borders (now I can give my brother his Harry Potter books back), then I went to BestBuy and got an integrated remote for upstairs that actually DOES control ALL the components of my Home Theater System..but it was so flippin' hot in there I couldn't wait to leave! It was 90 degrees outside and I swear it felt better outside! I went to Circuit City and got a new TV stand for downstairs, because I HATE the one I have now! What a mistake..oh, well, this one is SWEET and my brother is hopefully coming tomorrow (well, it is technically Sunday, so today) to help me move my TV to the new stand, there is no way I can do that myself! Then I saw "Windtalkers;" I felt bad, because I was coughing a lot, I tried to cough only during intense battle scenes. It was a good movie, nobody does dark brooder like Nic Cage, but I agree with the critics, there was about 15 minutes of Navajo stuff in a 2 hour movie. I guess there were a couple of codetalkers (real ones) at the Eiteljorg museum here in Indianapolis last weekend, too bad I was working, that would have been cool to talk to them. I got home and put together the TV stand, watched "Osmosis Jones" on Showtime, then collapsed. I had felt better, so I did a lot of things, but that pretty much exhausted any energy I had.
Fri 6/21...First day of summer, and it was 90 degrees out again! YUK! I remembered almost too late that I was supposed to be at work at 1 pm instead of the normal 2:30 pm for some computer training. I got there and the training went fine, but I was tired and sick again so I took a little nap in the car from 2pm-2:30 pm then came into work. I worked most of the evening on a project, calling all over creation for some medication for a patient. The doctor wanted to give WinRHO to a patient with ITP, immune Thrombocytopenic Purpurra..it is formerly known as Idiopathic Thrmbocytopenic Purpurra (although a dcotor once told me that "idiopathic" [which means, basically, they don't know how/why people get the disease] means that the idiot doesn't know the pathology!)...it is a disease which causes one to have low blood counts, hemoglobin, and platelets, which of course is very dangerous. One's body pretty much starts destroying these cells. The WinRHO can sometimes correct this. It is the same thing given to a pregnant woman whose baby's RH type (the "negative" or "positive" in B or A or O or AB negative or positive) is different from hers. But the dose is much higher for ITP. I found enough for one dose, but the doctor wants 2 doses, one a day for 2 days. I left a note on the chart to let the doctor know, she had said it could wait til Monday, and I pretty much said it would have to, we could give one dose Monday, then get some in overnighted for Tuesday. I left all the info for the weekend crew as I have the weekend off. Like I said, that took most of my evening, I also solved some problems and felt pretty good when I left. I went to bed "early" for me...after I work evenings, especially if it is busy, it takes me a LONG time to decompress, and I stay up til 2am at times. I went to sleep at about 12:30am. I didn't set the alarm, I just wanted to rest.
Sat 6/22...woke up around 10 am, I puttered around the house for a few hours, I had a sudden rush of energy and didn't want to waste it, so I did some cleaning and straightening, and then I felt tired again so I took a nap. I woke up at 5pm and went to get some soup at Panera Bread...but they didn't have my favorite soup so I left. I went to Circuit City, I saw on their website that I could get the wireless speaker I wanted there, it is cool, the transmitter plugs into the headphone jack on the receiver, so I was going to put it in my kitchen, so when I am cooking, I can hear the TV. Well, I went in and asked for the Advent Wireless outdoor speaker. The kid said he hadn't seen it. "The website says you have it, can you check?" I asked. He went to check and said, "Ok, I have it." He showed me a Jensen WIRED outdoor speaker. Man, sometimes I feel like I am speaking a foreign language. "That's not it!" I said, "I guess I'll have to get it on the website; well, not your website, probably!" He didn't care of course, he doesn't get paid enough to care. I went to the website when I got home and it's not available for direct shipment, so I will look elsewhere. I e-mailed Circuit City and told them what happened, and asked them to be a bit more careful, that I believed the website and was disappointed. I told them this makes them and their employees look bad. I was nice but firm. I think I handled it ok. I was disappointed...no Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, no Speaker. So I went to COMPUSA to buy some more DSL filters, and they had a SWEET 18" ViewSonic "PerfectFlat" monitor for only $299, I snapped one up! I am using it now and is is SWEET! I asked one of the employees if they had flat-bed carts for the monitors, he said, "Oh, that will fit in the regular cart, we'll just turn it on its side." Well, I guess We meant Me, I thought he was going to help me but no luck, I tried to lift it myself and a very nice man (who didn't work there!) lifted it into my cart for me. "Thanks," I said. "Now, help me out to my car, and I will give you my address," I joked. He and his wife smiled. I went to the cash register and asked for a comment card. The kid asked what was wrong, I told him, he called over an assistant manager (who was nice but too nice, you know, and reeked of cigarette smoke) and I told him what was wrong, he aplogized, gave me the comment card, and took the monitor out to my car and unpacked it and placed it in my car. (that same man who helped me get the monitor into my cart was behind me in line and said he would do it, I told him thanks but no thanks, I would let "assistant manager-boy" handle it! He was a nice guy, of course he's married, all the good ones are taken!) I will think long and hard before I fill out that comment card, it's like they ignored me until I asked for a comment card, but in the same way, they did try to make it right. And the monitor is SWEET! I lifted it out of my car, and when I was sure I had it, I just walked very quickly through the house, didn't stop, kept saying to myself, "You can do it, forward motion, forward motion," then put it down on the trunk I have outside the computer room. AAHHHH! I did it! YAY! ME! I got it set up, no problem, and can't say enough how SWEET it is!
I feel like my cold is finally going away, I still have some sinus drainage-couging stuff going on, but my nose isn't running too much and that's a good thing. I haven't been to the gym since I've been sick, which totally sucks! I hope my brother comes over to help me move the TV, then I will have all that taken care of. I am looking at DirecTivo, supposedly there is a new model coming out that is a Direct TV receiver + Tivo, and will enable PIP and record one or even 2 shows while watching another. I saw one that has most of these features, but supposedly there is a newer, better model coming out in September. I can wait a few months. Anyway, these units are not small, and I needed a bigger TV stand anyway, the one I have is too low to the ground, and I can't even store videotapes upright! BAH!
…and now it is time once again for "The Daily (Almost) Affirmation to The Little Girl", the little girl inside me who for 30 years or more has been my protector….
Well, it's late and this has been a LONG post, so let's get to it...we have been sick this week, and when we are physically vulnerable, we are emotionally vulnerable, so yes, we will be tired and grouchy. But people understand, we don't need to feel bad about it, once we feel better physically we will feel better in other ways. It's been a tough week without Susan, but we have the blog to "Let it out" so to speak, and we see her Wednesday and can tell her all about it. We have done extremely well for how sick we have been, let's celebrate that! YAY! US! We are taking good care of ourselves, that is what is most important right now! Good night, sleep tight, this to us both! I love you! ..and this has been the…
How many people have visited my 'blog since 3/27/02?