Life

It hasn’t gone as planned the past few days.  I was all set to write a big 2 year post, and then life happened.  Yesterday I walked in a 5 k.  My friend and I did it in 44.56 minutes, which means a 14.24 minute mile, or something like that.   Afterwards I was able to go home.  It was a last minute thing, but my grandparents were visiting my parents so I drove 2 hours to hang out for a couple of hours.  Right after that set of grandparents left, my grandpa T called to say that they were rushing my grandma to the ER. 

I hate end-stage COPD. 

She is okay, just some difficulty breathing and a rapid heart rate.  Some extra oxygen, breathing treatments and she was good to go, but still.

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It has been a hard spring for lungs.  I don’t know if it is the pollen count, the colder than normal temperatures, or what, but our frequent flyers have been in more frequently and for longer times, we have had several middle-age women with asthma coming in, people who have never required anything more than a rescue inhaler.  Even though my area never got hit hard with the flu, seasonal or h1n1, it still has seemed hard.

I have had the opportunity to spend time with lots of family members as they make the choice for hospice.  There is something really hard, but also very “nursey”(I can’t think of the perfect word for this. empowering? inspiring? touching?) about sitting with a family and explaining how their loved one was going to die.   They needed to know.  They needed me to explain.  They needed the knowledge to help the person they love die in peace.  Sometimes helping the family help the patient is what nursing is all about.

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Funny story:  the nurses in the ED seemed really nice (that isn’t the funny part.) so they kept coming in and checking vitals, giving breathing treatments, starting IVs.  As they worked, grandma kept asking me questions.  “what kind of medicine is this?  how long is it going to last"? why do I need an IV?  can I have coffee?”  As she asked, clearly looking at me, the nurses/rt techs would answer.  She would then look at me to verify.  As soon as they left we had to repeat the conversation, with me saying the same thing they had already said. 

I truly am her nurse.

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In other news, I now I have an active Alaska license. 

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Life is random.