I had taken my morning lasix...and just after choir practice I ran to the toilet....Aaaaaah, just in time. It was then I realized that I had a new problems. The toilet paper roll was over half way used and the end of the roll was wrapped tightly against itself. I took my hand and angled it toward the roll...with the tips of my fingers I slowly spun the roll so I could reach the loose edge...I couldn't find it...Rolled, looked, yes, there was that little end, still snug against the mother roll. Reached in again straining against the plastic cover, with the tips of my fingers I rolled it again...The plastic toilet paper container must have been installed by a vertically challenged custodian because I had to lean way over to inspect where that end had gone...Now it was on top. People are coming in and looking throught the crack for the toilet stall wondering why I am almost standing on my head...Umph, they shouldn't be so nosey! I noticed a small loose end on the outside of the roll that just maybe I could grab and proceed with my need... Now I have red marks where the edge of the plastic cover has pushed into my wrist...Forget about using a thumb..It was way to short for this task...So once more, gently turnning th roll I grabbed the end! I almost wanted to jump out of the stall and give high fives.. Short fingers...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Love, Mom
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Attack on the toilet paper!
When I need to wear gloves I usually wear Large due to the wide palm that I have. This sometimes leads to little flaps waving off the tips of my fingers; my fingers are very short.
This sometimes causes a certain challenge, these short fingers. I remember when Sue Pankey, my nursing director at Keosauqua hospital tried to show me how to check a new mother to be for effacement and cirvical dialation. Now you have to understand that Sue was very tall and had these long thin fingers that any piano teacher drools over. She carefully demonstrated the proper technique to glove, KY and exam. There she was with the palm of her hand clearly visible..."Now, you do it." I got the glove, the KY and the exam began. However, by the time I was able to feel this poor woman's uterus I noticed that I was up to my elbows!
Somewhat the same thing happened when Ms Sue taught me how to do IV s. She instructed me to watch her...I did.. When she held the IV catheter you could easily see the blood backflow into the needle when you accessed the vein, right there between the thumb and index finger! Looked easy to me! Then I tried...there comes the short fingers again...For me to hold the needle the up was up under the palm of my hand...Oh, well I got the hang of it eventually..got quite good at it, too.
This sometimes causes a certain challenge, these short fingers. I remember when Sue Pankey, my nursing director at Keosauqua hospital tried to show me how to check a new mother to be for effacement and cirvical dialation. Now you have to understand that Sue was very tall and had these long thin fingers that any piano teacher drools over. She carefully demonstrated the proper technique to glove, KY and exam. There she was with the palm of her hand clearly visible..."Now, you do it." I got the glove, the KY and the exam began. However, by the time I was able to feel this poor woman's uterus I noticed that I was up to my elbows!
Somewhat the same thing happened when Ms Sue taught me how to do IV s. She instructed me to watch her...I did.. When she held the IV catheter you could easily see the blood backflow into the needle when you accessed the vein, right there between the thumb and index finger! Looked easy to me! Then I tried...there comes the short fingers again...For me to hold the needle the up was up under the palm of my hand...Oh, well I got the hang of it eventually..got quite good at it, too.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Stopped for "drunk" driving
It was about 1 am. I had been out talking to a family about the signs and symptoms of their loved one's approaching death. I had been working all day and this was a late night "on call" visit. I was driving my company car with the UT HOMECARE logo on the side. Since I had been picked for speeding the month before I had placed my cruise control on the strait stretch before the left hand turn onto Hattie Branch Road. I tapped my breaks to release the cruise and toggled the wheel slightly to the right in preparation to make the left hand turn. That's when it happened. The vehicle behind me started flashing blue lights at me! I quickly pulled over, rolled down my window and reached for my driver's license.
When the officer got to my window he was laughing!.."What I got me was a tired homecare nurse!'' He said.."The way you started right then left made me think I had a drunk driver! I would not have stopped you if I had seen the sign on your car sooner. Do you think you can get home safely?"
I assured him I could.. and breathed a sigh of relief..glad that he had not tried to smell my breath for alcohol...I had eaten a onion covered hamburger to keep awake just a few minutes earlier. That may have caused a nasty surprise for him.
When the pager went off thirty minutes after getting home alerting me to another late night visit I had T get up and take me. I was not sure the officer would let me off so easily if he saw my car weaving on the road again..
When the officer got to my window he was laughing!.."What I got me was a tired homecare nurse!'' He said.."The way you started right then left made me think I had a drunk driver! I would not have stopped you if I had seen the sign on your car sooner. Do you think you can get home safely?"
I assured him I could.. and breathed a sigh of relief..glad that he had not tried to smell my breath for alcohol...I had eaten a onion covered hamburger to keep awake just a few minutes earlier. That may have caused a nasty surprise for him.
When the pager went off thirty minutes after getting home alerting me to another late night visit I had T get up and take me. I was not sure the officer would let me off so easily if he saw my car weaving on the road again..
time stops too often
There are times that I problems with my watch not working. For a while I had to use the old style wind up wrist watch because the battery watches would spin it's hands too fast. I first noticed this after I moved to Iowa from Tennessee. This story is about my watch stopping.
I was on call that night and looked at my watch when the pager went off. One of my own had died and I quickly got dressed to go to pronounce. The patient's home was about 65 miles away. T insisted that he drive me; he knew how tired I was. When we got to the van I checked my watch to record the time . That is when I realized that my watch had stopped. I borrowed T's watch.
When I got to the patient's home I talked with the wife. She reported that he was calling to Jesus when he died; his hand held up in the air like he was taking someone's hand. Then he dropped back into his bed and was no longer breathing. That was the same time that my watched stopped.
Time stopped. Time is relative. Time goes on anyway. Love, Mom
I was on call that night and looked at my watch when the pager went off. One of my own had died and I quickly got dressed to go to pronounce. The patient's home was about 65 miles away. T insisted that he drive me; he knew how tired I was. When we got to the van I checked my watch to record the time . That is when I realized that my watch had stopped. I borrowed T's watch.
When I got to the patient's home I talked with the wife. She reported that he was calling to Jesus when he died; his hand held up in the air like he was taking someone's hand. Then he dropped back into his bed and was no longer breathing. That was the same time that my watched stopped.
Time stopped. Time is relative. Time goes on anyway. Love, Mom
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Malibu
Hollis was very proud of his Pontiac..I'm not sure what year it was but he kept it washed and waxed..The car came to an end when the engine blew on our way home from Ames to Keosauqua. His parents were very kind and co-signed with us at the Cantril Bank to buy a new Malibu...We drove it for the next 7 years...Hollis was proud that he paid it off . We talked about getting a new car but he did not want to do that. His reasoning was he did not want others to know that we could afford something new. He was financial clerk and knew that his salary at RCA gave him a better income that most of the other 3rd Ward members. The Malibu was still in excellant condition even though I had stripped the chrom off the right side when trying to back out of the little garage. It was a Sunday morning and Hollis was already at church..I was just sure he was going to yell at me.. I thought I deserved it...but he got back to the house someway..I was too upset to remember what churchmember drove him.... He looked at the predicament of what I had done with the car and was able to manuver it back out into the driveway. Later, when I asked why he was not angry with me his response was that it was too late to be angry it just needed to be fixed. I think he was able to snap the chrom strip back into place..the car was none the worse for wear.
I still hate backing out! I will do a 5-6 point turn in a small driveway so I do not have to back out!
I still hate backing out! I will do a 5-6 point turn in a small driveway so I do not have to back out!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
October visit
Chuck and Liz along with Kaden in tow came to see me. Chuck was excited to have Kaden go for go-cart rides in Pigeon Forge. With grandma in tow we went to the Track. Kaden was tall enough to ride in the big cart with is daddy and Chuck treated Liz and me to a single cart.
Getting into the cart was not a problem, little did I know that I would now become a stationary fixture attached to the cart itself, but I'm getting ahead of the story. The green light came on and I had problems figuring out how to get my cart to run . Once I figure it out then I was worried about going into the curves too fast. needless to say I was the slowest on the tack and lapped several times by the other racers. That was the least of my humiliation.
When the end of the race came, as indicated by the red traffic light, I dutifully pulled into the back of the line of carts. Then I discovered with great horror that I could not get out of the cart! Since there are no sides to the little beast I could not leverage myself up, my knees were pinned under the steering wheel so I could not get my knees under me. The steering wheel had me pinned to the back of the seat.
Thinking I could do better if I could get my leg up over the steering wheel I managed to do this acrobatice maneuver. Then, when I reached over to lean on out of the cart and push up onto the little sidewalk at the edge of the track I discovered that not only was it too low for leverage but that it was also to far away to support my attempt. Now I am stuck, with my posterior flashing high and no place to go!
Liz turned and realized my perdicament and started to run to my aid , The track attendant also started to race over..for I was slowing the next batch of riders from getting started. With Liz's hand on mine and a heavy tug I was dislodged from the vehicle. Kaden suggested that next time grandma should just watch.
I told this to some of my patients the next week, they wanted to know if anyone had made of vidio . Thank goodness , no! But, they all said, it would have gotten you money from the tv show America's Funniest Videos. I think I can do without that money.. Love, Grandma.
Getting into the cart was not a problem, little did I know that I would now become a stationary fixture attached to the cart itself, but I'm getting ahead of the story. The green light came on and I had problems figuring out how to get my cart to run . Once I figure it out then I was worried about going into the curves too fast. needless to say I was the slowest on the tack and lapped several times by the other racers. That was the least of my humiliation.
When the end of the race came, as indicated by the red traffic light, I dutifully pulled into the back of the line of carts. Then I discovered with great horror that I could not get out of the cart! Since there are no sides to the little beast I could not leverage myself up, my knees were pinned under the steering wheel so I could not get my knees under me. The steering wheel had me pinned to the back of the seat.
Thinking I could do better if I could get my leg up over the steering wheel I managed to do this acrobatice maneuver. Then, when I reached over to lean on out of the cart and push up onto the little sidewalk at the edge of the track I discovered that not only was it too low for leverage but that it was also to far away to support my attempt. Now I am stuck, with my posterior flashing high and no place to go!
Liz turned and realized my perdicament and started to run to my aid , The track attendant also started to race over..for I was slowing the next batch of riders from getting started. With Liz's hand on mine and a heavy tug I was dislodged from the vehicle. Kaden suggested that next time grandma should just watch.
I told this to some of my patients the next week, they wanted to know if anyone had made of vidio . Thank goodness , no! But, they all said, it would have gotten you money from the tv show America's Funniest Videos. I think I can do without that money.. Love, Grandma.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
little daily miracles
I'm back, I thought I would share with family a series of miracles that happened last Tuesday.
I was on call Monday night and went to make a visit to a family I had not met before. They were distressed because mama was dying and wanted a nurse to come out and tell them what they already knew. I go home about 1:30 am Tuesday morning. Climbed into bed hoping that no more calls would come in but expected one from the family I had just visited.
Suddenly, out of a very sound sleep I woke up. I looked at my bedside clock and noted the time was 5:47am..almost time for the 6am alarm to sound. I wondered what had shook me out of such a sound sleep! Uggh...I rolled over and tried to get a few more zzzz's..slapped the alarm off when it sounded...struggled with getting the bed off my back and had one leg out from under the covers when the phone rang.. 6:20am...Above family called... Mama is gone, come right away.
It was later in the visit that a granddaughter reported that her grandmother had died about 5:45 am..So that is who woke me up! She was giving me the head's up to get out of bed to get to her house and family.
On the way to her home I saw a beautiful sunrise!
Later that morning I was using the ladies room at Hardee's in Oliver Springs (water pills were doing their work). I opened the door for a lady who had her arms full of goodies, she looked up through the door as I held open for her and then said, "How beautiful you look!" Wow, if that didn't make my day!
I made a visit to a patient that is a vocal teacher and choir director at her Methodist Church. We had shared stories about selecting music and how thrilled we both were when the minister's talk corralated with the selected hymns chosen weeks earlier. I had told her that I was singing a solo in Church for the Christmas program. This Tuesday she asked me to sing it for her. Then she critiqued it..She was very kind in her comments..
So you see, I had many small miracles on Tuesday...I hope you found some too. Love , Mom.
I was on call Monday night and went to make a visit to a family I had not met before. They were distressed because mama was dying and wanted a nurse to come out and tell them what they already knew. I go home about 1:30 am Tuesday morning. Climbed into bed hoping that no more calls would come in but expected one from the family I had just visited.
Suddenly, out of a very sound sleep I woke up. I looked at my bedside clock and noted the time was 5:47am..almost time for the 6am alarm to sound. I wondered what had shook me out of such a sound sleep! Uggh...I rolled over and tried to get a few more zzzz's..slapped the alarm off when it sounded...struggled with getting the bed off my back and had one leg out from under the covers when the phone rang.. 6:20am...Above family called... Mama is gone, come right away.
It was later in the visit that a granddaughter reported that her grandmother had died about 5:45 am..So that is who woke me up! She was giving me the head's up to get out of bed to get to her house and family.
On the way to her home I saw a beautiful sunrise!
Later that morning I was using the ladies room at Hardee's in Oliver Springs (water pills were doing their work). I opened the door for a lady who had her arms full of goodies, she looked up through the door as I held open for her and then said, "How beautiful you look!" Wow, if that didn't make my day!
I made a visit to a patient that is a vocal teacher and choir director at her Methodist Church. We had shared stories about selecting music and how thrilled we both were when the minister's talk corralated with the selected hymns chosen weeks earlier. I had told her that I was singing a solo in Church for the Christmas program. This Tuesday she asked me to sing it for her. Then she critiqued it..She was very kind in her comments..
So you see, I had many small miracles on Tuesday...I hope you found some too. Love , Mom.
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