Louisiana writes in her journal prior to going to work. (She got a late start this morning.)
Feb. 1, 2008, 5:31 a.m., C.S.T., Nashville, TN~
Dear Journal~
Louisiana here. This won't be too long; woke up late, just got out of the shower, got dressed, and now I'm waiting for my hair to dry somewhat. I'll put on my uniform, my sweater, get my face put on, do my hair, get my purse, and head on out the door to go to work.
Thought I'd pop a quick one in here before doing that.
Bill's up with the kids; hear the kids milling about, getting ready for breakfast. Listening to the school report, to see if there's any school today--whoops! Nope! All schools still cancelled, the kids are cheering as they go back to bed, as they can now sleep in. A long weekend for the kids.
Uh-oh: hear Ronee' ranting and raving; she absolutely HATES to miss school!! Johnny, her brother, meanwhile, is no doubt pumping the air with his fist, saying "Yes, Yes, YES!!" (He's not a fan of school.)
The littler students are happy because they can play; the older students are happy because they can sleep in to noon--or even one o'clock in the afternoon! LOL
Bill has the day off, so he'll wrangle with the kids while I work my tail off at the hospital. I have been working lots of extra hours lately, day shift AND night. Looks good on the paycheck, but boy, is my body paying for it! *OW* LOL
We have a sad one in the PICU: Tegan Brook Green is six years old, a child with spina bifida and other health problems; she is due to have surgery later today. Tethered spinal cord that's compromising her breathing. If she makes it through this risky procedure, it'll be a miracle. I will have to say some special prayers for her!
I didn't work the PICU yesterday, but Kerry, one of my nurses, did; she was the one who told me about Tegan's sad condition.
No matter how much I know the answer, or deal with it on a regular basis, I don't understand why God allows such human misery to occur. A child shouldn't be punished because of the sins of their parents! I know it's a test of faith, but still--it's so heartbreaking to see some of these cases!
I've dealt with kids with no brains (literally), missing limbs (all limbs, like my daughter Enriquesa and my son Emir), missing limbs AND paralysis (Deborah), severe brain damage (too many to count), cerebral palsy (again, too many to count), devastating childhood diseases (Nashi Ben Ami who has Canavan disease; she was once healthy; now she's blind and severely physically disabled--or my son, Johnny, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy), or kids who have suffered severe burns and are now permanently scarred for the rest of their lives.
It's enough to make me want to give up nursing at times; yet I soldier on, pray God gets me through another day as I work with these children, hoping, praying for a miracle in their lives as we nurses try to help them through their time of illness/injury.
Maybe I will work the PICU today. Hope so; I love the kids. Always have, always will. I just hope that if I do I will get to meet Tegan Green and try to comfort her; no doubt she's scared about her upcoming surgery.
The weather's settled down somewhat, yet it's still windy, and snow blankets the ground. We got nearly 2 1/2 FEET of it; no wonder schools were cancelled! Too bad my job can't be cancelled; that's the hospital for you. Places like hospitals, some factories, police stations, hotels, fire stations, etc. never close. We're a viable part of the community; therefore we always stay open.
Nuts.
I wouldn't have minded sleeping in! LOL
Well, my hair's about dry, so I'll cut on out of here, finish getting ready for work. Then I'll slip and slide my way to Nashville Mem, hope I get to the hospital in one piece. LOL I-65 can get mighty slick during these winter storms; and people here don't know how to drive on snow! We Nashvillians aren't used to it! LOL
Take care and God bless! Will write in here again soon!
I have been in contact with Nurses, not too many times, but enough for recognize that they do it everyday, with a smile and the wish to do it well and aleviate. We don't say thak you to them often enough.
Louie keeps on keeping on, fortunately for any patient lucky enough to be under her care. :) Her family, too: blessed! Although I don't know how she does it: I'd have no hair, so wouldn't have to worry about letting it dry! I'd a snatched all mine out!! LOL Well done.
I soldier on, pray God gets me through another day as I work with these children, hoping, praying for a miracle in their lives as we nurses try to help them through their time of illness/injury.
A wicked Cajun Fairy named Robes Pierre entered the impenetrable Magical doll land of Sha Bebe. Queen Faustina, the ruler of the doll land, thought she had destroyed him, but he's back! Will the doll land survive his evil ways?
The familiar lament of dual-career parents raising children is, "I just can't do it all." The Libra Solution provides an alternative - a more satisfying and sustainable work and life approach - to the overwrought modern day norm.
