The Eye of This Storm

A hurricane may be the best way to describe my grouping of shifts this week with three on one off two on. I feel like I have successfully made it to the eye of the storm. With being down for the count on Thursday with a cold and headache I was praying my health would be returned by Friday since there are no such things as sick days as a traveler. Friday with the help of ibuprofen and airborne was one to check off in the books and never do again. I felt good enough to be at work but with a head ache, and a heart ache on board already the announcement that they were taking my little first time mommy to section with out what I would consider a fair chance at delivering vaginally really dragged me down emotionally. I thought of Suzanne, this was her story except that she delivered out side of the hospital and was given time making her own labor curve and successfully delivering her beautiful baby girl vaginally. This time was a happyish ending though. There was absolutely no fetal distress, mommy didn’t change her cervix in two hours of every 5-7 min. contractions no pit, no epidural. beautiful vigorous baby on the small end had the cord wrapped around the neck four times. So it is possible that we saved her the emergent C-section later although I have seen one baby with 4 neucal cords deliver vaginally it wasn’t a first time mommy. That was at lunch time so by the time I was caught up enough to eat lunch it was 11 hours into my shift and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to twelve. I ate a few quick things out of my lunch bag and hurried back to the floor to tie up loose ends for the on coming shift. Dragging I ate dinner and fell into bed where I slept soundly and felt surprisingly good the next morning. Requiring less ibuprofen for the sinus headache and feeling so much better my busy second day flew by but I felt very accomplished by the time the shift drew to a close. Today I felt almost as good as new going into work. My assignment was odd and the triages kept walking in with the weirdest complaints all preterm of course and nothing that made them cut and dry or text book. There had to be the preterm contractions, huge fibroids, weird antibodies, vaginal bleeding and chest pain and of course ultrasound isn’t in house on the weekend. It was on the busy side but doable I’d rather not stand around trying to think of ways to look busy anyway. There was opportunity to get to know my coworkers a little more as the morning was slower. Two of the Heathers I work with (the third one is too I just haven’t had much of an opportunity to get to know her too well) are pretty awesome, interesting people who are both concerned about doing the right thing and being a team just the kind of weekend crew that all nurses would want to be a part of.
Chad made potato salad for dinner and the kids were complementing him on his cooking skills and then putting in requests for twice baked potatoes and stuffed jalapeños, so I added Lasagna on the list of should have soon food. Chad turned with a smile and said, ” you would think they have a gourmet cook for a dad or something.” So I added, “they kind of do.” Chad is really good with them and I love that he is passing on his love of cooking and of good food. Chad has gone to bed early tonight. It seems that I have shared my cold with the family although it really isn’t a bad one, mostly it’s that first day that will get you….and the sinus headache.
I am sure we will chill tomorrow resting in the eye of this storm of shifts, two more and I will be Scott free for a whole week!