Baby, You Get My Motor Running

I have to admit that I've been a little depressed lately. Summer is here. Memorial Day Weekend, for me, is the best weekend ever. Its the beginning of summer which means weekends at the lake.

This year I haven't been looking forward to it at all. It was just a reminder of the deep, dark depression I've been it.

It all started on an unusually hot Friday afternoon. Good Friday to be exact. Dustin and I were out on the boat with some friends, Leigh and Jeff. It had been a wonderful day. I was about 6 beers deep and we were returning from the "Stansion," a campsite named after our dear friend Stan and his gang of misfits.

All of a sudden the motor turned off.

And it wouldn't start.

We had no oars to row.

The water was a cold 52 degrees.

I had to pee.

We sent out a SOS.

Nothing.

Jeff and Dustin, hero'd up, tied themselves to the boat and started swimming. Leigh and I waved and shouted. We showed boobies...not really but it would have been funny. Finally someone helped! We made it.

But then depression started. We needed a whole new motor. We have no money. No money equals no motor. No motor equals no boat. No boat equals no summer. How the hell am I going to make it?

After several long, dark weeks, the sky has parted. We got the money together and the motor arrived today. So in just a few weeks we'll be back. And I predict the summer will be the best ever. The Redneck Yacht Club is back in business. Stansion here we come! Below is my summer prediction in pictures:









Hope yaw'll can come hang with us this summer. I promise it will be an experience you'll never forget.

Comic Relief

Just when you think you can't take anymore, sometimes you're hit with some much needed comic relief.

This week has been intense. I've spent a total of 26 hours this week in lectures discussing modes of mechanical ventilation, weaning parameters as well as non conventional methods. Don't worry...I'm stopping here. Yes this can be quite boring. But anyway...I went to work this morning the first time since Monday due to these said lectures.

Now, most days at work my day is boring and dreadful. I'm an equipment tech for the Respiratory Dept. at a fairly large hospital. What this means is I clean and set up ventilators and put away materials when it comes in. This has been valuable and I'm very fortunate to have this job. But it is BORING most days.

Well now that I'm a little further in school and I've proven to not be a complete idiot, I'm now starting to help more in traumas, codes and other procedures. Which leads me to the purpose of this post today.

So we had an 18 year old male come into our ED today for a conscious sedation to reset a fractured leg. Basically the leg was set incorrectly yesterday and he isn't ready for surgery yet due to swelling. So it had to be redone today. Now its much safer to do a conscious sedation than to put someone completely under. Basically the patient is given Diprovan (yes that is what killed MJ) but in much smaller dosages. The patient is pretty much asleep but conscious. Get it?

Ok...so this particular lad required quite a lot and fought the drugs so he never feel asleep. We couldn't give him too much of the meds so unfortunately he did feel a little pain but not too much. So the orthopedic surgeon is there resetting his leg and all of a sudden he sits up, and shouts, " You mother f&*@ers are hurting me. Please, please stop...I'll give you all my weed. Just please stop."

Of course we all started laughing and feeling extremely glad that we had asked his parents to leave the room.

We do this job every day to make other people feel better. But every once in awhile, a patient makes you feel better...whether they remember it or not.

~M

Just a Shout Out

A shout out to all my lovely friends near and far. I love you all. Here's hoping today, tomorrow and always bring you nothing but the joy and happiness all of you deserve. Here's hoping all your dreams and wishes come true. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. And here's hoping I see all of you soon!


xoxo,
M

Two Down, Three To Go

Today starts a new semester. It is sure to be the most challenging semester yet. And from what I've been told, this is the make or break point. Many people will not make it through the summer; either for grades or just realizing they aren't meant to do this. This semester is dedicated to mechanical ventilation or as most of you know it as, life support.

For me, I can't be more excited. Up unitl now, we've been slinging nebs and working on our patient assessment skills. As beneficial as this was, quite frankly I was bored to tears. But from now on I will be in the critical care units, both in adults and pediatrics. As sick and unfortunate as these patients will be, I can't wait to glove up, gown up, poke, probe, stick, suction and pull tubes!

Many of you probably think I'm sick in the head. Perhaps you are right. But it takes all kinds to make this world go round. I've come to "appreciate" blood, guts, snot, and boogers. And it kinda makes me excited.

And you probably wonder why I didn't choose nursing; they make more money and get more recognition. One simple reason. I don't do poop!

Its so comforting to know that I've finally found my calling in life. A few years ago, I would have never thought I could do this but I was so bored doing office work, I needed a new challenge. And a challenge it has been. I defiantly stepped out of my comfort zone on this one!

Off to class I go. So until next time, just breathe! Because if you don't, I'll have to tube you!

~M

Taking Out the Trash

I must start with the disclaimer that in no way am I calling anyone "trash" in the blog you are about to read.



In recent months, I've been forced into decisions that I myself did not want to make. Well, actually these decisions were made for me. In my life I've been doing some spring cleaning, if you will, and getting rid of people in my life that are just not good for me anymore. Well, really they got rid of me because I chose not to choose. What I mean by this is that I have people in my life that necessarily do not like other people in my life. And that's okay; really it is. But some individuals could not get pass the fact I chose to live my life in a way that noone has problems with me and I do not have problems with anyone else. Now I haven't also agreed with everything between the two groups but nothing had ever been done personally to me. But anyway, I was told several months ago that the time had come that I had to choose. I chose not to and well the people who I thought were my friends got together and I guess collectively, as a group, decided that I was no longer someone they needed in their life and tossed me out of their lives like yesterday's trash.



So, starting today I'm cleaning house. So, if you are the following, be prepared to have yourself "deleted" from my life. I am too old and too good of a person to keep dealing with this nonsense. I have come to realize who my true friends are and although my list of friends is getting shorter and shorter I am thrilled to finally start weeding out the bad and toxic seeds in my life.



1. Friends are not hypocritical.

2. Friends do not kick you while you're down.

3. Friends do not talk behind your back; they go straight to the source.

4. Friends do not threaten you.

5. Friends do not keep score.

6. Friends do throw in your face every nice thing they've ever done for you.

7. Friends do not rejoice in your misfortunes.

8. Friends let other people make their own decisions.

9. Friends do not take advantage of you.



And finally..... FRIENDS DO NOT MAKE YOU CHOOSE!



I've never done any of the things that I've been blamed for and I know in my heart I'm better off. There comes a time in your life when you just have to throw things out. Even if at some point prior it was important and meant the world to you. Even if you once adored these certain items in your life. You grow up and realize certain things. So here's to taking out the trash!



***Once again, I'm not calling anyone trash. Because there has been a threat of freedom of speech vs. legality issues of blogging, I can't stress enough that I'm not calling anyone trash***

A Tribute on Mother's Day

A week ago today, you passed away. As much as I want to sit here and cry and mourn your passing, I'm not. You'd kick my ass if I did. So instead I'm gonna celebrate your life, and laugh. I'm gonna laugh today until my stomach hurts and I have tears rolling down my cheeks. Tears of inspiration and tears of gratefulness for the life I have. The life, you helped shape.

Remember when Dad and I put together your stationary bike and didn't tighten the seat on good enough? I do, you sat down on it and fell backwards, feet over head onto the floor. You just laughed and laughed.

Remember when you told me that you were a Mouseketeer on the Mickey Mouse Club? I told you to prove it and you made up some ridiculous tap dance and song and performed it. I went to school and told everyone you were a Mouseketeer. You just laughed and laughed.

Remember when you were in Atlantic City and hit it big on the slots and all the quarters came flying out? You were so excited that you fell off your stool and the security guard had to help you up. You just laughed and laughed.



Remember when Dustin and I took you to see Chicago and I asked you how you liked it? You said, "well he's no Richard Gere, but he'll do." You just laughed and laughed.

Grandma, you taught me to always see the humour in everything. So today I'm going to laugh and laugh.

Janie Watson

June 6, 1926 - May 2, 2010

Allow me to introduce myself

My name is Humpty...well it was for one night back in college but we'll address that in a future blog. I go by several different names. Melissa, Twat (don't judge-there's an explanation), Twitty, Mel. I'm in school for respiratory therapy, hence the title of my bog. And married to a wonderful man that must have the patience of God for putting up with me.

So why blog? Well it seems like the cool thing to do these days and I enjoy reading many of my friends' blogs. Now, I'm not as creative as the likes of K. Law, Spanky or Summer but I'll try not to bore you to tears.

As a little girl, I wrote in a diary/journal often and wrote poetry to deal with my feelings, insecurities, etc...So why not as an adult I ask myself. So, in this here blog you'll get a little bit of everything, my friends. My obsession with "little people," the good, the bad, the ugly, and a little bit of my hospital encounters. Now there's some doozies.

I stay pretty busy, so I'll try to update as often as I can. So let's get started...how about you asking me questions to get my creative juices flowing. I answer truthfully and honestly.

Until next time, just breathe!

Melissa