good day

i sent my nurse patient for emergency surgery last night. it's crazy. we avoid surgery like it's the plague during transplant. in fact, we avoid any invasive procedures... even simple ones like pricking patients' fingers for blood sugar checks. any damage to skin creates a porthole for infection to enter the system. hence, i was more than surprised! i was shocked. followed by insanely busy! when the decision was made.

within minutes of the consent being signed, i had phone calls from the OR wanting an extensive report. there were emergency platelets to order and administer to reduce the risk of bleeding. i had stat labs to draw, a type and cross to be sent in case of a need for blood transfusions. not to mention all of the other medications she needs on a daily basis that keep more than busy.

i left last night with a sense of doom. for the procedure, the nurse patient would get general anesthesia which requires intubation. with a risk of difficulty extubating (especially in someone with known respiratory issues - she has metapneumovirus, a common cold). because her body is not making it's own platelets, she is at a HIGH risk for bleeding - despite the three bags of platelets i administered. not to mention, her risk for further infection (she already has positive blood cultures causing fevers) increases with incisions and manhandling. nurse patient has ZERO immune system... and won't for at least two to four more weeks. so, in my doom and gloom mind, i envisioned an intubated nurse patient, bleeding out, and septic from infection to "greet" me in the AM.

but, to my surprise (and delight), nurse patient was a-okay this morning. aside from being pissed that her night nurse put a bed alarm on her so that every time she got up to use the commode, an alarm signaled (and it's incredibly loud), she was okay. in fact, she was better than okay. the pain caused by the infection that was drained during her surgery had decreased. and in the end, today was another busy, but good day.

keep the good days coming!