A Dose Of Reality

There is nothing that will get a person's attention like an episode of chest pain. (Or, so it was for me...). I have been catching quite a bit of nagging from my better half and my kids about the hours that I have been working as a nurse (it's been - you name them, I work them lately). It appears that they possibly know best, and I am not Super Mom.

Wednesday I woke up feeling lousy. Not anything definable, but a general fatigue which did not go away. I went to work and had started to make my rounds checking on my patients when I started to have pain in my chest. At first I thought it was indigestion, but as I continued on the pain got worse and after a hour had started to spread into left armpit area. Not long after that I developed nausea and became dizzy. (Instant denial had set in by this time). My supervisor noticed I was looking green and started quizzing me. Shortly after (much to my dismay), I found myself in a wheelchair headed for our emergency room.

Have you ever heard it said that nurses and doctors make poor patients? Well, it's true. Being on the receiving end of numerous standard operational lines like, "you are gonna feel a stick"; "take a deep breath and slowly let it out"; "on a scale of 1 to 10, where would you rate your pain?"; "the oxygen will help you breathe" is a disconcerting experience. I found myself finishing their sentences, attempting to help start the IV - well, you get the picture...

So to make a long story short, I was admitted overnight for tests. Numerous tests, with machines like this one (part of a stress test series). The end result? Good news - the ticker and plumbing are in good shape. Bad news - we really don't know what hit you. But, my family does and I guess they are probably right. My work hours suck - I don't sleep much for days on end, then will sleep 12 to 16 hours straight to "catch up". I split my time between two different homes, living basically out of a suitcase because I am never in one place long enough to unpack.

The answer to the problem seems simple, but it's not. Something has got to give. Figuring out the part that I want to give up is going to be a big decision. There is no option in the two homes and commuting. I love my job and the people I work with. As I sit here and write, the only thing I want to give up is my crazy work hours. Whether that can be done and I can keep my job is another story.

I'm "resting" for a couple of days before going back to work. Doctor's orders, you know. So, feel free to add something here of yours this weekend while I catch up on my sleep.

You are invited to advertise your stories daily (no limits), but please read my rules. Find my rules here for submitting your piece. Thanks for sharing!

Reality rules at:
Peakah's Provocations...with Perverted Justice Part II (watching those that prey on our young)
The Florida Masochist with Happy Anniversary (an anniversary that came through a coup)
The Florida Masochist with The Knuckleheads of the Day award (litigation over autopsy pictures - how disgusting)
The Florida Masochist with Awards, Knuckleheads, and a few blogging notes (some crazy people are in the running for this award...)
The Real Ugly American with More Bias at the BBC? / Open Trackback Weekend (funny, the wrestlers that visited the troops said they didn't see a single reporter the entire time they were in Iraq or Afghanistan...wonder where these guys get their news?)
Tidbits And Treasures with What Message Are We Sending Our Children? (welcome to a new blogger sharing here - with thoughts on a recent sad case involving a child and a gun)
The Florida Masochist with Our Florida tax dollars at work (wonder who's desk these sat on???)
The Florida Masochist with Anyone need a 2.1 tonnes paperweight? (at rest no more...)
third world county with "All by myself... " (I'm a milkmaid...no surprise there, I actually grew up milking cows by hand!)

I will post it here (to give credit to you) as soon as my schedule permits.