March Madness

I believe I stated when March began that it came in like a lamb.  I never would have guessed how lioness it would be come by it's end.  The weather has been mild and Spring sprung with my daffodils in bloom:

I'll need to get out and pick some for inside but time has been flying by with work and all it's crazy schedules.  Because we're not doing elective surgery we've taken on jobs all over the hospital.  I had the opportunity to actually work in our cafeteria kitchen. I'm here to tell you that some of the heroes of this virus war are certainly behind the scenes. I had no idea how an institutional kitchen ran and how the food was created for us and for the patients.  My coworkers were excited I was going down there and said I needed to add some flavor to the food! I had to laugh because after watching how it's made I really had no intention of actually cooking anything.  I hung out with Ann..someone I've known here at Samaritan for a long time.  She gave me the skinny on making salads, sandwiches, checking stock, filling patient food orders, making some cookies and desserts along with cleaning, dating all the food that's prepared in packages, standing and chopping, sorting, washing, and anything else I could handle that didn't ruin the food! It was exhausting! I started at 5:30am and ran until around 12:30 until I took a 30min. lunch break.  The head cook never even took a break or lunch!  I won't be back there because I'm moving on to another position of checking temperatures of people coming into the lab/xray at another facility for the hospital.  I'll be doing that for the month of April along with working in the operating room when needed or on call.  The nurses and the other surgical techs are elsewhere.  Most hate it and miss our regular schedule but do it anyway.  Working 12hr shifts on the front line.  I also want to take a second to thank our housekeeping crew.  Everyone is working hard, doing special cleaning and making sure we do all we can to keep ourselves, our patients, and the community safe or at least getting through this time.  I've always said that hospitals are not Doctors and Nurses...it's EVERYONE!  Every job is important.  Healthcare cannot be healthy care without a team effort.  Thanks everyone!

Thanks Ann!

Thanks Becky!

The kitchen is safe...I'm moving on!

Thanks Ashley for letting your sweet face get all red from those N95 masks!  Call with you is always a good experience!

Night all!  Don't forget to wash your hands!

Just For Today

I realized when looking at my previous post that my title might make you think I was positive for that stinkin' virus thing going around. (I'm sure you've heard of it)  Well, I'm still trying to stay "positive" in thought and hope for a new day with things getting back to normal or what might be a new normal after all this is over.  I do have hope it will be over if we all do our part.  My Mom is having a pacemaker and a heart ablation today.  It's hard on us because we can't be there with a no visitor policy. She's wondering where we all are and it make me sad that she doesn't understand what's happening.  Her hearing aides were lost in the rehab facility and when she fell again and hospitalized on Friday it made it really hard to explain what's going on.  On a brighter note, my sister is still doing well at home.  So just for today we will smile, have hope, pray for Mom, and for all of our neighbors and friends and family.  I'm home today and will be cleaning and putting up some decorations for Easter.  I don't know if we'll be able to have our annual Easter celebration but I'm still going to prepare for it anyway.  It's a favorite time of year for me. Ohio put out a mandatory stay at home policy for non essential travel and work.  I will be working the rest of the week at the hospital and doing my part to help where needed.  Since the OR is closed for elective surgeries our nurses are spread out over the facility working where they are not really comfortable and also hours that are different.  But they go anyway...they are the best.  Take care everyone! I was glad to visit my blog buddies this morning and find some laughs, good music, and just for today catching up!

I'm glad that Spring has sprung.

Taking this scripture to heart today and every day.

I'm Positive!

Jack said I needed to put a new post in and he's right! I'm home and getting caught up with our lives and the town and the empty store shelves.  Oh, and work.  All a bit on the sad side and it takes everything I have to stay positive. Elective surgeries have been stopped for the time being.  Only emergencies.  That being said everyone was wondering where we're going from here. Will we be working and earning a paycheck?  Lots of things have stopped but not living, eating, and paying bills.  There was a big meeting this afternoon to let us know what to do next.  Everyone will be working in some capacity but not all will be in surgery.  We have screeners who will be testing folks who think they may have covid 19.  The med/surg floor will need help if it gets too busy and the emergency room is short staffed. For now I'll be staying in the OR because I'm not a nurse...I'm a surgical technologist and my skills are for the operating room mostly. I mean, I can do general patient care without giving meds and such but my boss is trying to keep me away from the sick patients because I'm in the "danger zone" being age 67.  I'm glad about that because I hate being out of my element!  We may have to work different shifts, different days and even may have to drive to Cleveland to work at University Hospitals up there. I draw the line at that! But for those who want to do it, I'm glad they can still work and get paid.  I'm still worrying about my sister and Mom in Chicago but they are doing good for now.  I just hope it stays that way and they continue to progress on the path of health and rehab.  I do hope this virus runs it's course quickly and the economy, schools, and all around general life gets back to normal....or as near to normal as possible.  I really hope my hairdresser will be back on the job one day too!  I will probably be working longer than I planned..especially if my pension took a huge dive!  So I try to look at how positive nature is right now. Spring is around the corner:

Daffodils are peeping up...

See the purple crocus? They're closed up because it's been raining but they are there!

Daylilies are springing forth.  So Mother Nature doesn't let a little virus ruin it's day!  It's 7pm and still light out...sunrise will come and sunset too.  I guess we need to take a cue from the earth and just chill out.  Stay safe, stay home, stay positive!

Update #2

First, my sister is doing really good. She has made improvements daily and will be out of ICU today and going to a telemetry floor.  She still will need dialysis but also still hoping it's temporary.  So now for the really fun part.  Tuesday morning my Mom fell in her bedroom and fractured her tibia.  Thankfully she didn't need surgery but now she's also in the hospital, two floors up from Midge.  So as my sister's kids are with Midge, my siblings and I are staying the hospital room 24/7 with Mom.  She has been confused of course which is the nature of the beast with the elderly when medicated and in a strange environment.  So for now we're making arrangements for Mom to go to a rehab facility for PT and care. She should be there at least 3 months.  Midge will be able to go home with in-home care when she's ready.  We're taking everything one day at a time.  Prayers always appreciated. I would also pray for the stupid corona virus over reactors. Seriously people.  Never mind, don't get me started.  Maybe because as a healthcare worker we'll go to work as usual. Even if every idiot in the county has taken all the masks and toilet paper.  All I ask is please don't take all the diet Pepsi...actually, just asking for a friend.

Update

This has been a very rocky weekend.  Emotional, scary, and also finding answer to prayers. Thanks to all of my friends and family who sent well wishes and prayers. That certainly includes all my wonderful blog friends!  As they were getting Midge ready for the emergency surgery,  the doctor said over and over again that she only had 5% chance of survival.  But he never met my sister and she made sure she was in that 5%.  The surgery was very difficult because of other health issues in the way.  He said it was the hardest case he's ever done.  She did well and the next day she was extubated and breathing on her own.  Unfortunately, early Sunday morning she took a turn for the worse and had to have CPR done.  Her daughter, Amy, is a  nurse..a super nurse! She's been with her Mom nonstop and she was the one who noticed the heart attack.  She did the CPR and initiated the code.  The nurses working weren't the best and Amy just told them what to do the whole step of the way.  Again, Midge defied odds and after being shocked twice came back to  us.  Again she was intubated, had to have dialysis because her kidneys stopped working. They are hoping the kidneys will respond again but it could take months.  She made it through Sunday night and is doing well today.  The endotracheal tube was taken out and she was actually sitting in a chair and talking and joking.  She has a very long way to go and is in no way out of the woods.  So for today, for now, it's good.  God willing it will be that way until she can come home.  In the mean time we need a plan for Mom. None of us live in Illinois and we are trying to find a way to take care of her also.  She's healthy but at 93 has issues that make it necessary for somebody to be with her.  So for now my siblings are here and we're hoping for a recovery that brings her home...no matter how long it takes! Love you Midge! Your family is here for you always!

Asking For Prayers

I don't usually do this...shout out for prayers...but I'm going to today.  My dear sister is in the operating room as I write this for a repair of an aortic aneurysm.  She's been battling some other issues this past week and after a CT scan they found this aneurysm. So they re-scanned her today using dye. It showed a leak in the aorta and they rushed her to surgery. Having helped in this type of surgery I know the seriousness of it and also the high chance it could be a bad outcome.  She's my best friend as well as my sister. We are connected in a very special way...almost like twins.  I've packed my bags and will head out in the morning for the drive to Chicago.  Jack will stay here and hold the fort down.  Just keep her in your prayers if you think of it.  I know they help and I'll let you know how things go in the next few days.  Midge lives with my Mom and takes care of her so that will be my focus as well as taking care of her dogs.  I won't be blogging for a bit except for any updates.  Thanks so much.

Get Well Midge! And I'm not kidding!