best "work" day ever

i had a personal chauffeur this morning - my mom.

we went to a french bakery for coffee and pastries before she dropped me off for my second day of jury duty.

from 9:00 until about 10:00, i sat in the quiet room at the municipal court on my laptop, catching up on emails, reading blogs, and pinning things on pinterest.

and right around 10:00, i got called off of duty.

and headed home.  once again, using my free bus tickets.

i was supposed to be working today, an entire 12 hour shift.

and get this, i got paid for the ENTIRE day.

plus my $10.00 jury duty payment.

working for the state and serving the state kind of rules.

here's to jury duty every year!

"rough" day

i'm downtown serving my civic duty today.

i woke up around 6:57 - much later than a normal work day.

and i leisurely walked a few blocks to get a coffee.

next, i hopped on the #12 down to madison and 5th avenue.

and i sat for a few hours until my name was called.

then, along with 15 other folks, i got quizzed on the law, on "innocent until proven guilty," and on my attitudes towards drinking and driving.

and i was kindly let go.

i think i'm too conservative when it comes to drinking.

for lunch i spent all but 1 of the dollars i am making today.

and now i am sipping on free tea while using wi-fi.

soon, i will be taking the bus home with my free bus tickets.

and my day will end hours before the end of a nurse shift.

"rough" day.

support

for the past few days, i've been working with a 45 year old woman struggling with breast cancer.  she's had breast cancer since 2001 - that means she was only 33 years old when she was diagnosed.  she was a new mom then.  now, she has a high school age daughter and an 18 year old son.  and although i don't know much about her life, i witnessed her support system.  she is circled by friends and caring and prayer.  and it's a huge honor to witness such love.

at this point in her disease, she has metastases to her bones and lymph nodes.  and as of late (like in the last week), she has had mental status changes that suggest she has brain mets also.  her responses to questions are slow.  and she has difficulty finding the correct words to explain herself.  she gets confused whether it is day or night.  and although she doesn't have much choice, she allows medical professionals to poke and prod her over and over.

last night, i knelt in front of her, held her shoulders that were slumped over her bedside table, and rested my head near hers (to keep her still), while two physicians sliced through ribs and drained almost one liter of fluid from her lungs.  i felt like we were taking a nap together.  she was calm.  and i was tired.  while we were "hugging," the world was still.  i felt good.  and i hope she felt safe.  that i would protect her from the resident who had never done a thoracentesis and was doing it for the first time with a fellow guiding his every move.  that i would talk her through their actions - since they sometimes forget they are working on humans.  that i would find her support system once the doctors left so that she would never be alone.

my job is incredible sometimes.  i witness such love.  and such devotion.  sometimes IT (whatever IT is) is so palpable that i am left speechless.

 in awe.  crying while charting at my computer.

did i mention that my patient's two main caregivers are her ex-husband and her best friend from mississippi who flew in to be with her for this indefinite amount of time before she passes?  some people are blessed with good support.  good friends.  and love.

i am too.      

see something new every day

today, i did something i've never done before.  i touched a penile implant.  in a penis. 

nursing is SO weird.

jury duty

you know your life is lame when you look forward to jury duty.  i got called.  for the third time.  on may 7th.  and sadly, i am not scheduled to work as a nurse on the 7th.  if i was, my employer has to pay me for my civil duties.  but i am scheduled to work on the 8th and the 9th.  if they put me on some trial that lasts days and days, perhaps i will get a little respite from nursing.  oh and they give you a whopping ten dollars per day as a juror.  woohooo!!!  i just worked 60+ hours in the last 7 days.  i need a break.  one that jury duty might provide.

compliments

a new nurse gave me a compliment yesterday that i really appreciated.  she said this - "i've been watching you precept that student and i'm really sad that i didn't get a chance in my orientation to be precepted by you.  you seem really smart and calm.  like i would have learned a lot from you."  it was nice.  i enjoy teaching.  and i think i am decent at it.  but to have someone recognize it.  to compliment me.  well, compliments always feel nice.

need another vacation

time flies.  i've already been back from vacation for more than 2.5 weeks and i feel like i could already use another break.  how does that happen?  i only work 3 or 4 twelves per week and already, i want more time off.  do all adults feel this way?  is constant vacation the only way to be happy?  better not be the case because the way i see it, at almost 33 years old, i have at least 30 more years of work ahead.  good god.  that seems a bit depressing.

since i never shared any photos from my trip to guatemala, let me do that.  this trip was not health related.  i did NO volunteer work.  i didn't save any children.  or cure cancer.  i didn't even build houses.  i simply toured all the sites, went to church on palm sunday, witnessed jesus parades for easter week, and enjoyed my boyfriend.  we went to tikal to see ancient mayan ruins.  and to lake atitlan for a hippy retreat off the grid (that means they used only solar power and our shower was frigid).  we spent only one day doing nothing - sleeping in, taking naps, and eating street food.  it was divine.  all of it.  guatemala.  cole (hospital hunk).  adventure.

without further ado...

baby "priest" sleeps through parade

 jesus and the telephone pole cross

 at the cemetery

 feet on cobblestone streets of antigua

 view from hippy hotel on lake atitlan

 colorful streets of antigua

umbrella sellers

 sweaty kiss at tikal on tower four