Crazy Busy Day

So I have seen several of you post about the whole blogging every day this month. I thought I would give it a try although at first I kept silent. I think I have posted something though every day. So here it is. I can't even remember what it's called but I'm going to give it a try. It might all be boring crazy ranting from that batty nurse lady.

Today was a bit crazy. We were really busy at work. Busy is good in that it is job security but it's also difficult when patients don't understand why it takes a couple of hours for their visit, much of it waiting for what they think is simply lab work. I don't always understand it either but it is what it is. It's also more than just lab work and EKG's, it's a start to ensure their surgery is accomplished as safely as possible.

I did get another boob flasher today. Some lady trying to express to me where it hurt lifts up her shirt and whips out the tit. Umm, yeah. Could you please put that away. Really even in the hospital there are times and places where it's inappropriate to whip out ones boob. I was getting the idea pretty well just with the pointing. Oh well, gives me something to blog about. Oh and then there is the reminder that spandex velvet body suits really truly don't work for everyone. Honestly, I'm not sure they work for anyone but it certainly didn't work for this lady. Yikes.

Then of course there was the conversations about how people get to the place they are. That and different peoples perspective. One nurse I work with admits to being cynical and her perspective is that certain people are being polite to manipulate the system and most know how to work the system. Maybe they are, definitely there are those who know how to take advantage of the system as much as they can. Me, I find myself wondering how someone got to where they are. This is something that has hit me several times in the last week. One patient who stated he had "no one" to make decisions for him if he were unable to do so for himself. No one. No friends, no family. He went on to explain how he had no contact with his family. I of course have no idea what kind of life he has led but he seemed like such a nice man I can't help but wonder how that happened. How he got there. Then the guy who has done time in prison. Yet he is very polite and respectful, none of the crude behavior or speech often seen etc. Wondering what happened to this person that he ended up where he is now. Wondering if whatever it was was significant enough to be a life changing event that will enable him to choose a different life. I know the odds are against it but still I wonder. I also wonder if I'm the only one who thinks of these things. I have a hard time not seeing the person behind the person sitting at my desk telling me their life histories. Sometimes this feels like a really heavy thing to be taking in all these peoples stories and putting things down on paper. Helping them to find their way through difficult and scary times and diagnoses. Other times it feels like a great honor to have been witness to their strength and just who they are.