As I wrote earlier, it is nearly impossible to get any rest in the hospital. And so, as that morning went by, I became restless. By this point, my potassium was trending in the right direction, as was my ammonia level. I knew that I only remained in the ICU as a precaution, so there really wasn't too much to stop me from doing what I did next...
I pulled out my laptop and started working... Well, as best I could given the circumstances!
Well, needless to say, this was something that they hadn't seen before in the ICU. While they do have wi-fi, the staff was more used to seeing it being used by family and friends, as opposed to the patients. I couldn't do a lot, but what little I could do felt good -- At least it kept me busy. And then I noticed something on an email sent to me... Something that would change my focus...
The American Liver Foundation was having a Liver Life Walk to raise funds. It was still a while away, and it gave me a bit of perspective. I would soon set a new short term goal for myself... I was going to get myself strong enough to participate in the walk -- Didn't know how fast I could go, or how far I was going to get, but I would be there. And thus began a new way of looking at my situation. Instead of reacting to each new symptom, I would do my best to be more proactive -- Even if it was only one small event, I was going to take back a bit of control over the situation!
And, soon after I made that decision, as if fate were already beginning to intervene, my nurse walked back into the room. My latest tests showed that my creatinine level -- the indication of damage or issues with my kidneys, had started to change direction and was, ever so slightly, turning in the right direction. And while mind still wasn't fully back to "normal", I knew that I had made the right decision...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life...
As I sat in the ICU that day, I realized that there was another "type" of health care worker that I hadn't really thought of. My nurse in the ICU that came came in and introduced himself, and I soon began to see that this would be a very long day...
He walked in, and introduced himself, telling me that he would be there until that evening. Very nice person, and from his appearance I surmised that he may have a military background. "Good to see", I thought, "He'll keep things in order!" Well, I sure that it was his intent, but I could soon see that, try as he may, his execution could not match his effort.
In the room next to mine was, as I began to gather, an older patient who, whether her condition was acute or chronic, had lost touch with reality. And, it seemed, every 5 minutes would push the call button for the Nurse, without any real reason to do so. Most certainly not her fault, but, I can imagine, a stressful situation to all involved. And while most of the personnel seemed to have developed some pretty strong mechanisms to deal with the stress, this particular nurse had not.
With all of his good intent, he begain to get increasingly frustrated with her. And while it really didn't affect the level of care that he was giving, the stress was clearly wearing on him. While others would walk into her room, take care of an issue, and walk out, the next step was key. The others would, if necessary, stop for just a moment and take a deep breath, or speak with a colleague before seeing their next patient. And when they did walk into the next room, you couldn't ever tell that they were stressed in the first place.
In the high-paced world of the ICU, it would seem that those who last long term, and who truly enjoy their work, are those who can manage to keep on smiling throughout their day -- No matter what. For that reason, I most certainly hope that he has since learned the lesson and can deal with his stresses better, or that he has transferred to another type of unit. As I have learned long ago, life is far too short to devote that kind of energy to a job that you don't really enjoy!
He walked in, and introduced himself, telling me that he would be there until that evening. Very nice person, and from his appearance I surmised that he may have a military background. "Good to see", I thought, "He'll keep things in order!" Well, I sure that it was his intent, but I could soon see that, try as he may, his execution could not match his effort.
In the room next to mine was, as I began to gather, an older patient who, whether her condition was acute or chronic, had lost touch with reality. And, it seemed, every 5 minutes would push the call button for the Nurse, without any real reason to do so. Most certainly not her fault, but, I can imagine, a stressful situation to all involved. And while most of the personnel seemed to have developed some pretty strong mechanisms to deal with the stress, this particular nurse had not.
With all of his good intent, he begain to get increasingly frustrated with her. And while it really didn't affect the level of care that he was giving, the stress was clearly wearing on him. While others would walk into her room, take care of an issue, and walk out, the next step was key. The others would, if necessary, stop for just a moment and take a deep breath, or speak with a colleague before seeing their next patient. And when they did walk into the next room, you couldn't ever tell that they were stressed in the first place.
In the high-paced world of the ICU, it would seem that those who last long term, and who truly enjoy their work, are those who can manage to keep on smiling throughout their day -- No matter what. For that reason, I most certainly hope that he has since learned the lesson and can deal with his stresses better, or that he has transferred to another type of unit. As I have learned long ago, life is far too short to devote that kind of energy to a job that you don't really enjoy!
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