It's Sunday

I have a bruise on my forehead.  No food in the house (desperately need to go shopping).  Apparently I'm having a shot of bourbon with a patient tomorrow.  I have to do dishes that have been sitting there for 3 days.  I can't get a Kelly Clarkson song out of my head.  I just told a boy I like him. Where do you want me to start? :)

Of course, your first question is about the boy.  Actually... I've already spoken about him.  Remember the dream I had (with the friend that I met in my last job) and I wasn't sure how to interpret it or what it meant but it made me smile?  I wrote him to inform him of the dream, to let him know he makes me smile (thanks for the advice, Bambi) and over the years, even though we don't talk much, I've felt connected to him. Well, gosh, how long ago was that?  A week or two?  He wrote back today :)  He wrote a few paragraphs and was happy I let him know.  He also believes we're connected to some people for reasons/purposes we may not always know and that it's important to keep in touch with these people, in however minor of mediums.  It was fantastic.  Well, then I was comfortable expanding on how I felt about him, even though I'd kept it to myself from it being so long ago.  I never really thought much about it and seemed natural to do so, given the circumstance, so we'll see.

Ha, I know, next you're wondering about the bourbon with the patient.  Maybe I shouldn't be publicly writing about this.. lol.  He's an older patient, not doing well, for the most part.  Don't know what's wrong with him.  Has good days and bad days.  I knew a couple days ago he's had a fantastic day.  He ate a lot, was talkative and I thought to myself, 'oh, he's gonna crash soon'.. and it's so hard on the family.  Their demeanor can do a complete 360 and they're a different person (if you've ever dealt with Alzheimer's people you'll understand).  Sure enough, yesterday he turned.  His wife, who's always at his side God bless her, was in tears, which almost got me in tears (I never know what to say).  He didn't eat, he was angry.  I was so sad.  Anyhoo, when he has good days, he'll say, "Would you like to sit for a bourbon?" (which I'm told by his wife he did all the time with his close neighbour), so I was honoured to receive the invite :)  Only, we're in a hospital and.. that would be weird.  Heh, well he asked me again today and I said "Sure" going along with it and there were hints that we'd have one tomorrow.  So tomorrow should be interesting.

It's important to me when I see patients not eating.  Besides medicine and (nurse or doctor) care, that's the third (in no particular order) element to survival.  For nourishment.  For healing.  When someone doesn't eat I keep them on my radar and watch them during their stay, following their meal (only dinner, unfortunately, since that's the only shift I'm on) and snack (if applicable) consumption.  I'll speak with the patients about their appetite if they're lucid, families if they're not.  If I notice they're not eating a common food, I discuss why not and if I can replace it with something else.  I want you to eat because eating gets you out the door.

Oh!  I have a work picture for you today!

Okay, so it's not a great pic (but I made it extra big so you can see).  This is one of our walk-in fridges.  These are the trucks that are stacked with patient meal trays that we take upstairs and cook in the ovens (I have 3 on my floor). There is a divider in the middle of the tray to keep the hot side hot when it cooks and cold, likewise. Mind the crooked cart in the middle, that's P's fault (she's in the corner there) :)

I was going to get pictures of me taken today but I was too busy taking pictures of everyone else :)  (One co-worker was even so dramatic to go, "YOU TOOK A PIECE OF MY SOUL! I WANT MY SOUL BACK!)... so I emailed him his picture.  I said, "Here's your soul back".  :)

The bruise?  My forehead and the door of the large fridge in my NC met.  Ow.

I did my dishes and swept the apartment.  More cleaning will be done on a day off.

Oops.. almost forgot: The Kelly Clarkson song I can't get out of my head (hey, don't judge).  It's called, All I Ever Wanted.  It's my new theme song.  I play it constantly.  I dance with abandon (and a little rage) in my living room.  It's fun.