As usual, the cute old ladys don't believe that I'm strong enough to get them out of bed. They all want the big strong men! It's such a common thing, that I really don't think twice about it. Often, especially the larger patients, tell me that I'm too tiny to get them out of bed, I may drop them. Which always makes me laugh because I definitely DON'T see myself as tiny. Far from it. But they're cute old ladys and I just thank them and tell them that I'm stronger than I look. That and THEY'RE going to do all the work anyway.
Well this one particular patient said I was too tiny, "Like my daughter, she's a size 2 petite, and you look just that size" I couldn't help but laugh. She was only like 12 sizes off. :) I thanked her very much for the compliment, and told her I wear a size 14. She was shocked. It was very cute. I love little old ladies.
Well, I guess it's nice to know that people, even if it's only little old ladies, think I'm so thin. :)
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Thursday, February 16, 2006
The Things We Circulate At Work....
There is a reason why middle aged women shouldn't go to Mardi Gras and drink....
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
I got a Gift!
Very unusual for me, to get a gift from a patient that is. It's not at all uncommon in outpatient, or even rehab, but when you're in the hospital and you only see patients a few days before they move on to rehab or to home, it's kinda rare.
Well, this patient broke her hip and had to have surgery to pin it back together. She was having a lot of pain control issues so she ended up staying in the hospital for a longer time than most. PLUS she got anxious with her mobility because she was anticipating the pain. She was NUTS to work with. You really needed to have patience with a patient like that, and also continuity is good. The patient will often do more for a therapist she knows and trusts rather than having someone different every day. So I kept her on my schedule as nuts as she made me. She wasn't bad in the sense that she wasn't mean or rude or anything like that. But she had a lot of problems with the mobility because of her pain and also because of her anxiety. It made for a difficult situation, and a session that could have lasted 20 minutes would take an hour and a half, just to get her out of bed and walk three feet to her chair. Trying to get her to walk further was like pulling teeth. It's been a heck of a week.
Other than the fact that she was NUTS, she was a nice patient and her large family was also very nice. They weren't from CT, they were just visiting for the day when she fell and needed to go to the hospital. She left today for rehab (thank goodness!), and they all were saying what a positive experience it was, if it had to happen at all, it was a good environment to have to be in. The hospital is like that. Recovering at the Hilton where patient satisfaction is of the utmost importance. :)
Anyway the family gave the floor a platter of cookies. Not uncommon. Families bring in food for the nurses on the floor all the time. It happens in EVERY hospital everywhere. (and they always get devoured perty quickly) The patient has 3 shifts of nurses and different days and nurses aides and doctors and therapists etc so they get one thing for everyone and it all sits at the nurses station For a short amount of time anyway...), a highly tempting and highly caloric schmorgasboard. (did I spell that right? Oh well)
Anyway, the family had a platter of cookies for the nurses and other staff on the floor... and a platter of cookies for me. ME! My OWN platter of cookies! I was in shock, that NEVER happens. One of the sons told me that I have the patience of a saint to work so well with his mother, and that I was really great with her and helped her so much and encouraged her and all that and they wanted to thank me individually. (And what better way than cookies?) (The husband offered to share his lottery winnings with me if he ever won. :) I'd prefer that!) I was very thankful, it was really unnecessary, they didn't have to get me anything, it was very generous of them. That's what I'm there for. To encourage people to get out of bed. To help them when they're having trouble. To be REALLY patient with them when they are in pain and anxious and making you nuts. I've gotten pretty good at dealing with patients in that state. It's just part of the job. And it works, most of the time. And well this family rewarded me individually for it. It's nice to be appreciated. Even if it is with cookies that I can't eat because I have a wedding dress to fit into. I brought them to another floor for the nurses.
And that was my day. I got a gift. :) It was nice. It's my job and all to help people and deal with them when they're not at their best, so I let it all slide. But it's nice to be recognized all the same. Especially from the ones that drive you to eat cookies! :) YAY for platters of cookies!
Well, this patient broke her hip and had to have surgery to pin it back together. She was having a lot of pain control issues so she ended up staying in the hospital for a longer time than most. PLUS she got anxious with her mobility because she was anticipating the pain. She was NUTS to work with. You really needed to have patience with a patient like that, and also continuity is good. The patient will often do more for a therapist she knows and trusts rather than having someone different every day. So I kept her on my schedule as nuts as she made me. She wasn't bad in the sense that she wasn't mean or rude or anything like that. But she had a lot of problems with the mobility because of her pain and also because of her anxiety. It made for a difficult situation, and a session that could have lasted 20 minutes would take an hour and a half, just to get her out of bed and walk three feet to her chair. Trying to get her to walk further was like pulling teeth. It's been a heck of a week.
Other than the fact that she was NUTS, she was a nice patient and her large family was also very nice. They weren't from CT, they were just visiting for the day when she fell and needed to go to the hospital. She left today for rehab (thank goodness!), and they all were saying what a positive experience it was, if it had to happen at all, it was a good environment to have to be in. The hospital is like that. Recovering at the Hilton where patient satisfaction is of the utmost importance. :)
Anyway the family gave the floor a platter of cookies. Not uncommon. Families bring in food for the nurses on the floor all the time. It happens in EVERY hospital everywhere. (and they always get devoured perty quickly) The patient has 3 shifts of nurses and different days and nurses aides and doctors and therapists etc so they get one thing for everyone and it all sits at the nurses station For a short amount of time anyway...), a highly tempting and highly caloric schmorgasboard. (did I spell that right? Oh well)
Anyway, the family had a platter of cookies for the nurses and other staff on the floor... and a platter of cookies for me. ME! My OWN platter of cookies! I was in shock, that NEVER happens. One of the sons told me that I have the patience of a saint to work so well with his mother, and that I was really great with her and helped her so much and encouraged her and all that and they wanted to thank me individually. (And what better way than cookies?) (The husband offered to share his lottery winnings with me if he ever won. :) I'd prefer that!) I was very thankful, it was really unnecessary, they didn't have to get me anything, it was very generous of them. That's what I'm there for. To encourage people to get out of bed. To help them when they're having trouble. To be REALLY patient with them when they are in pain and anxious and making you nuts. I've gotten pretty good at dealing with patients in that state. It's just part of the job. And it works, most of the time. And well this family rewarded me individually for it. It's nice to be appreciated. Even if it is with cookies that I can't eat because I have a wedding dress to fit into. I brought them to another floor for the nurses.
And that was my day. I got a gift. :) It was nice. It's my job and all to help people and deal with them when they're not at their best, so I let it all slide. But it's nice to be recognized all the same. Especially from the ones that drive you to eat cookies! :) YAY for platters of cookies!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Campaign For Real Beauty
I saw this commercial during the Superbowl on Sunday and I loved it. It was so touching and such a great way to express how so many young women and even young girls feel about themselves. About their insecurities and the pressure that society puts on them to be a beautiful that is unhealthy and often unachievable.
I didn't know about the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty until I saw the commercial. I looked at their website yeaterday, and it's so imformative and so touching at the same time. It brings back a lot for me from my childhood and all the insecurities that I had then and the ones I still have now. I think it's a great cause, something that should truly be supported by all of us, because I think we can all relate to it, even if only a little.
Visit the website, watch the commercial and celebrate your true beauty, the differing beauties throught the world, and the beauty inside your heart. It is something that is yet another inspiration for me to make changes in my life and learn to love myself and my true beauty. Hopefully one day, I, and all the other women affected by todays society's definition of beauty will see this. And even more, let us continue to work so that our daughters will be influenced by a societal definition that is healthy, whole, and true.
I didn't know about the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty until I saw the commercial. I looked at their website yeaterday, and it's so imformative and so touching at the same time. It brings back a lot for me from my childhood and all the insecurities that I had then and the ones I still have now. I think it's a great cause, something that should truly be supported by all of us, because I think we can all relate to it, even if only a little.
Visit the website, watch the commercial and celebrate your true beauty, the differing beauties throught the world, and the beauty inside your heart. It is something that is yet another inspiration for me to make changes in my life and learn to love myself and my true beauty. Hopefully one day, I, and all the other women affected by todays society's definition of beauty will see this. And even more, let us continue to work so that our daughters will be influenced by a societal definition that is healthy, whole, and true.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
New Way to Describe a Fall
I tried to see a patient today. (he refused) He's in the hospital because he fell and hit his head. Not surprising given his history. He's 90-something, unsteady and has a history of alcoholism. Anyway, the point is, he fell.
Although, if you ask him, he didn't fall. The floor came up and hit him.
I guess that's one way to describe it. :)
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