the resilience of nurses- well done team!

I am posting this not to toot my own horn- but to acknowledge the amazing team I work with.
Yesterday was an especially trying day in my world. I am a cardiac nurse. One of our roles is to run when we hear the code blue alarm go off and to record everything that goes on as part of the records of the patient. Sometimes there are days that go by without a single call.

Yesterday was different.

The very busy and congested emergency department had 3 codes called, plus one they worked internally- meaning they ran it without the call for back up.
As the recorder I have the luxury of observing everything.
What I observed and recorded was an amazing team of nurses and doctors working together fight for the life of the patient as well as to protect and support each other. The day doesn't end for them at the end of one battle. They dust themselves off and head right back into it giving it their all.

Yesterday was difficult.

Walking out of the one trauma bay to collect thoughts and finish charting I hear "right behind you" as they are wheeling someone else into the second bay, I made it to the desk when the second code was called. The team jumped into action once again, with the look of determination and with everything they had, they worked away once again.
I am in awe of the wonderful men and women who fight each and every day for the lives of those people that come through the doors of our emergency department. The conditions are not ideal but they are working their hardest and seriously giving their all.

Yesterday was demanding.

The nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, social workers, care aids, unit clerks and members of our community EHS all work very hard to help each and everyone that comes through the unpredictable doors of the emergency department, they work so hard, every day.
The news only reflects the troubles that happen in that department. This is just my simple way of thanking them for everything they do.
Thank you friends. I know if anyone I loved came in the doors you would work your hardest to help them.
So if you are reading this and know anyone who is a member of the health care team working tirelessly for long 12 hour shifts do me a favour and thank them. It is one thing we don't often hear after days like that, it is sometimes all we need to feel a little better about coming back the next day to face it all over again!


hug your loved ones.

Challenge accepted!

Recently I was challenged to blog more.. and let me just apologize for any lameness that results from this challenge… I don't necessarily find my life that funny or worthy of a post, but talking with a few people over coffee and yes even skype ;) I was encouraged and even challenged to write more.
I do enjoy writing, about the little things that strike me as funny but unfortunately some of them when explained may lose the context in which they were funny.

For those of you (my 6 loyal readers) who don't know, I am a nerd… I have tried to hide it.. I confess I love books, nerdy jokes, science and technology, I find humor in the every day and love the art and science of Witt. I have to warn you, I do work night shifts, so the majority of ideas for posts are started in the still of the night… never during the sane waking hours of the day. I have had so many eye rolling moments, ones where you have to hold in the giggles or you wake the patients. But these, I am afraid are the moments that when shared in the light of day may lose their humour and charm. I will be challenged to perfect the science of story telling.

I have attempted to cook more this year, I guess it is some what of a resolution. I know that it is something I can do, I just have to do it. As a single girl, cooking for one, it is difficult to make something that I will want to eat 10 times… because chances are the recipe makes enough for 8 and with me bringing it in my lunches for work it stretches it even further as lunches are never as big as whole meals. I have tried to freeze things, I might as well just toss them now. Once it is in the freezer it has passed on to the other side. I tried freezing something I had made so I dutifully thawed it out, and it was bad… not just bad but really bad, it was watery, which is hard to do after all it was soup! it had beans in it so the beans turned kinda hard and mealy and the little noodles in it almost totally disintegrated! Not cool. The recipe even encouraged me in italics at the end "freezes great!" well the little italics lady LIED to me.
As you can see I felt betrayed. so now I am a little weary about freezing meals.
I have chosen 2 recipes for this week. One is twice baked potato pie, it has a ground beef ( I will substitute turkey) crust, and a chicken or turkey quinoa chili that can be constructed in the crock pot.

I also have a recipe for a salad… yes I need a recipe for salad…

Until then wish me luck!

ps- I actually posted this as a draft and when I came back to post an update on how yummy the recipes were I realized I hadn't even posted the original… so I'm sorry I took away your chance to anticipate the outcome of the yummy recipes.
I guess the one thing I can give you I froze half of it and have not tried to thaw out and eat it yet?
oooo the anticipation!

I love "the googles"

"Hey remember that movie with the guy from the show we just saw last night?" 

This ever happen to you and it takes forever for you to think of who it was?? 

Well NOT ME! thank you smart phone and the wonderful search engine GOOGLE!

I think I am addicted! I will be reading an article, I'll google something mentioned in it... 

I will be watching tv and google something I see in an add or something a character mentions.. 

Yep its pretty bad... well I guess it is wonderful to have so much information at our finger tips... 

But for someone who has a brain that catalogues every tiny little bit of information it sees, hears, or ready I am just afraid all those little juicy nuggets of viable information will uproot something important and I will wake up unable to tie my shoes ! 

So how much google is too much google?

Seriously! What do you google?

I google everything! 

hmmm cesar salad would be yummy ..... how do you make dressing?

Disney land looks like fun.... how much does it cost to visit?

Booster Juice is so tasty... how good are they for me?

I haven't been to Old Navy for a while.... when are they open until?

Wait that doesn't sound right... What are the lyrics to that song?

wait a minute when does that cd come out?

see? Its bad! 

I need to cut back... 

So now that i know what time my favourite show is on, When Sherlock Holmes is coming back to BBC, the release date of an upcoming cd, I have two recipes for dressing printed and a pattern for a super cute head band I think I can leave google out of the equation and actually be in the moment, not busy googling it :)

So goodnight google... sleep tight and see you later... much later.

2013, you were a good one!

New Years has come… in with the new out with the old?

I like to look at the year past, instead of rushing to make new plans for the new year

What did you get done this year?

Looking back I am rather impressed at all the little things that add up to this year we have just laid to rest. 

No wonder I am so tired!

Looking back it was actually something that happened Christmas time 2012 that made the biggest changes for 2013. I woke up one day with a back that wouldn’t move, I hadn’t done something that would have made it do that, I slept. That is it.

Who does that?! Who sleeps and wakes up not being able to move!

This scared me into realizing how hard my job is on my body. So I cracked down on things. I lost some weight tried to get stronger, and yes signed up for my Masters for heaven forbid that time comes I am no longer able to nurse at the bedside, I hope to teach others how to be kickass nurses!.

I think that has been the big news for 2013, I have been chipping away at my masters degree full time at times, part time during the winter—textbooks and articles, papers and projects. This has been my life in 2013!

It shall continue well into 2015 according to my calculations so I am sure I will have cause to write about it again.

I have traveled this past year, my favourite flight was down in secret to California to surprise my sweet little “nephew” Sawyer on his Birthday on the beach! So fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat!  It was a 24 hour visit but I loved every birthday second of it!

In September My friends were able to travel up to my house! It was by far one of my favourite visits… unfortunately it was the rainiest coldest first week of September we have had in ages! So not many adventures were had we stayed in a lot, I introduced them to the truly Canadian experience of Corner Gas. Yep  places like that really exist! I have driven through many of them on my treks to and from Ontario!

I have knit my way through many months, babies scattered around the area are sporting hats and quilts made by yours truly, and by the looks of things 2014 will be a busy year as well!  I will have to rummage through my stash and see what this year holds for those coming babies J

2013 saw many trips to the movies, endless cups of coffee, some adventures down town, countless visits with Trader Joe, sushi enough to feed a small pod of whales, and a list of books read I wish was longer. I have spent time with old friends made some new friends and loved every minute of it!

So as 2014 unfolds before us I look back at this past year with fondness and a sense of anticipation for what is to come !