Open for business!!!

I had a pretty good response from people regarding a labor & delivery blog; so it's now open to the public!!!

Check me out & leave comments about what you think!!!

www.hollieinlabor.blogspot.com

Snot Factory

I am in the throes of a nasty allergy attack. The nasty kind with fatigue, body aches, low-grade fevers, sneezes, snotty noses and raw throats.  One of those where you're tired like you've pulled an all-nighter but cannot sleep. Ick-o. 

So, needless to say, I was pretty disappointed when I got a phone call at 5:11 this morning asking me to work today (I was on call).  I think I actually cursed under my breath when the phone rang. And for what? To take over care of a 23-week-er who delivered shortly after lunch. Since 24 weeks is the "cutoff" of viability, the baby died shortly after birth.  Definitely not what I had in mind first thing this morning; although I'm sure this was not what my patient had in mind first thing this morning either. Very sad.

Ike's on the way and I think we'll be feeling the effects in the early morning and all day tomorrow. I am not really worried about being here and having any issues; however Jordan's parents & sister/brotherinlaw/niece/nephew are in Southwest Houston and have boarded up their house and are preparing to "hunker down" and ride out the storm. We just got word that they've already lost power. We're praying for their safety and hope they have little more than a bad thunderstorm to endure. 

Current song stuck in my head: none. too tired. :P

What's in there???

I took a cue from another friend's blog- what does this huge new purse of mine hold???

The answer?

-Black Sunglasses

-Brown Sunglasses

-Cell Phone

-Keys

-Lipstick

-Lipgloss

-Chapstick

-My ever-loved and needed planner

-My ID badge for work

-Several pens

-A wristlet that holds my cash & change

-Earplugs (a necessity when traveling!!!)

-Eyedrops

-Bottle of advil/tylenol/meclizine/aleve

-Wallet

With room to spare.

Current song stuck in my head: The Huggies commercial jingle.

pisssssssssed.

I am so frustrated!!!!

Recently, I was diagnosed with GPC... Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis. (do not google it. It's not pretty.) Basically, my eyelids have developed an allergy to the protein that my eye creates that gets stuck to the front of my contact lenses. When I have my contacts in, these rough bumps form on the insides of my eyelids and cause my eyes to be itchy, watery and painful when blinking. Also, the bumps get so big that they pull my contacts out of my field of vision when I blink. So, everytime I blink, it hurts, itches, waters and I cant see. If I take my contacts out, there's nothing between these rough bumps and my bare eyeball, so it's incredibly painful!!!! Dont ask me if I can get Lasik. I cant; my corneas are too thin. (I can, however, get a more expensive, painful, long recovery form of refractive surgery. No thanks.) Back to GPC. It will never go away. The longer I wear my lenses, the worse it gets. Unfortunately,  it seems like the length of time it takes now for my eyes to get itchy, watery and painful is a few hours. Thats with being incredibly judicious with my eye care... prescription eye drops ($70/bottle which has approx 20 drops inside.), contact care, lots of glasses time; an entirely too long process just to prevent something that comes 2-3 hours down the road anyway. This morning; on the way home from work, I could hardly see to drive. I've already been to the opthamologist about this (hence the diagnosis) and there's not much more I can do besides changing contact lenses again. I just started a new brand and paid for a year's supply. I HATE this. HATE IT. It's one of the most frustrating things ever; to not be able to see comfortably. And what's more? It'll never go away. What's the solution? Glasses? I have a pair that's probably 5 years old now and no longer the right prescription (not to mention badly scratched) Too bad I've already used up this year's insurance $$ on multiple opthamology visits and a year's supply of contacts that aren't working for me. Right now, scratching my eyeballs out sounds like a pretty good solution to my problem. 

And my tongue is still numb. 

And I just had a root canal too. I hate the dentist. 

Ugh. I'm taking a nap.

Current song stuck in my head: the Safe Auto jingle. (and I thought things couldnt get any worse.)

Reads

Just finished: 

Was good: Relatively predictable, with some dialogue issues. Picked up where Even Now left off, which in my opinion was a better book, but Ever After was still well worth the time & effort. It mostly kept my attention, which isn't easy to accomplish.

Currently reading:

This book came as a recommendation from a friend who also loves to read. I'm probably about 1/3 of the way into the story and I've enjoyed it very much. Some would argue that the composition is very broken, that the train of thought or conversation lasts for a few paragraphs and then the subject or the narrator changes, but, being that I very often have a hard time staying interested in books, it helps to keep my interest high. The dialogue is not insulting to its reader. 

Next to come:

Prior to Ever After, I read Swapping Lives by the same author. It was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to seeing what The Other Woman has to offer.

Current song stuck in my head: Hella Good by No Doubt

Meanderings...

I am content right now living vicariously through my nieces & nephew. (For those of you wandering about the ubiquitous "when are YOU having a baby??" question.)

I have recently been thinking about starting a 2nd blog that only talks about work. It seems like most everyone who reads my random thoughts on a regular basis seem to enjoy learning about L&D from an insider's point of view. Recently, at work,  we started a little book titled "Labor Laughs" and it's a journal of the funny/stupid things our patients say and do. Evil? only a little. I think if I did start a 2nd blog all about L&D, it'd also be called Labor Laughs. Would anyone read it????

I had one of those unfair days Tuesday. One of those, 'why?' days. It was also probably the first time I almost passed out during a delivery. Wild, I know. One of my patients had a 4th degree tear- I saw it happen and it took my breath away. For those of you who are privileged enough to be unaware of perineal tears and their differing degrees.... well.... in the case of a 4th degree tear, your bottom is never the same again. It's referred to as a "vaginal c-section" by cynical old labor nurses. It's bad. It was the first time I called Jordan on the way home and said 'I dont ever want to have a baby.'

Anyway. Back to the unfair part. I had 2 patients. One was 15 (recently turned 15) on her 2nd pregnancy. She labored for approx 4 hours, delivered after 3 pushes. No pitocin, had an epidural. Was a pretty ideal/easy delivery. And then my other patient was 39. First pregnancy. Married. Responsible. Labored for 15+ hours, with pitocin, pushed for 2 hours. Had an epidural which ran out midway through pushing. 4th degree tear. What about that makes sense???? There are a lot of things that I dont understand and this example is one of those things. You've got an unemployed, cracked-out mom who's pregnant with her 7th child; the other 6 are in CPS custody. And in the next room, you have the married couple who have finally resorted to in-vitro to get pregnant and are losing their baby @ 20 weeks. How does that make sense? Saying this would probably label me as a cruel person and unfit nurse, but I wish I didnt have to give my patient an epidural (the teenager); I wish she could have understood the pain of labor to hopefully keep her from getting pregnant again in 2-3 months. Because it will happen. 

But, because I am a prudent, responsible nurse, I am obligated to give all my patients equal care, regardless of how my conscience feels. 

My newest obsession: Bounce Pure Essentials Chamomile & Lemon Verbena scented dryer sheets. They're like smelling heaven in your clothes/sheets/towels. We have the box in our closet and it covers all odors; shoes, dirty socks, old seminary housing carpet. It's wonderful.

My other newest obsession: My new purse. I looooooove it.

Isnt it wonderful? Isnt my husband wonderful for giving me the go-ahead to spend an exorbitant amount of money on yet another new purse? I lurve it.

Too bad I dont have a picture of another current obsession: my hair & it's new auburn/copper fabulosity. 

My mommy is coming to visit in a couple of weeks & I am so excited!!! I love love love love getting company out here in Texas! It is so refreshing to have visitors, especially my mama. We've already decided to go to San Antonio while she's here and spend the majority of the day in San Marcos!!! Wooo!!! For those of you Georgians who dont know what San Marcos is, you'll just have to come visit and I'd be happy to make the trip down there with you too!!! 

Other plans (so far):

-Sam Moon (delicious.)

-Dallas Galleria (yummy.)

-Sprinkles Cupcakes (seriously. yummy.)

-Tex Mex 

I hate hearing about how upset people are that we dont visit Georgia more often, when it's just as easy (which, in fact, it isnt that easy) to hop on a plane to DFW. Anytime I phone my family, they're always upset that we cant come visit for so-&-so's birthday, but what's keeping them from visiting us??? Ok, now I'm just running my mouth. Enough.

Current song stuck in my head: All We Are by One Republic

Long/tired/good

Today was one of those good days. 

Good and long and tiring.

I had the most fun, wonderful patients today- the kind that make me love my job more than anything. Sharing joyful tears with new families is just a wonderful thing. Because of laws that prohibit revealing patient information, I cant really say anything else about them, but they made my day. Super sweet, funny, married, appreciative, excited, and completely & totally IN LOVE with each other and their baby. It was such a blessing to be apart of their delivery experience. They were even so good as to bring plug-in air fresheners and a stereo with soft music. Some smart nurse-friend of theirs must have tipped them off...... I told the patient I was just glad to hear Norah Jones and NOT Jerry Springer, and also glad to smell fresh lavender and NOT hoo-hah (or "cooter juice" as my patient put it. crude and hilarious.), as both of these evils are somehow always hanging around in my patient's rooms. Darn daytime television.

So after a long day of laboring, I needed to go to a staff meeting, which didnt end until 8:40.... a full hour & a half after I usually leave- which is significant when you've already been @ work 12.5 hours. and you worked yesterday. And you'll work tomorrow. and Saturday. I just finished off my second serving of ice cream. The only other thing I've "eaten" today is a slim-fast. Nursing is not good for my waistline.

Speaking of my waistline- our WiiFit is pretty awesome. Although, according to it, I have gained 2.8 pounds since my last weigh in. grrrrr. Must be the repeated servings of ice cream. I dont see myself working out tonight; in fact, I dont see myself doing much more of anything besides getting in bed.

Current song stuck in my head: nothing, really.