Yep, I went to work last night... and it was a real bitch until about 01:00. Busy, busy, busy. But it's the last one for a week, anyway.
The reason that it was so busy was, as it so often is, that the ER people were using our traumex room for a patient room. This is a constant thing on days and evenings, but it very seldom happens on nights... I've got the people I work with trained right. We all cooperate, and they realize that what's good for me (having the traumex room available to do x-rays) is also good for their patients, and the patient flow in general.
But it seems to be a power struggle at all other times... and it shouldn't be that way at all. O'well.
Anyway, I just volunteered to work a bunch of extra hours... mostly to avoid getting the 7-on-7-off taken away. I volunteered to work six ten-hour nights per week so that they wouldn't have to cover with the day/evening staff when my counterpart leaves. This made my supervisor happy, but she still has to clear the OT with the director...
We had two code blues come in last night, and we lost both of them, dammit. Well, they were lost long before they got to our place, actually... but we still feel like it was our doing, after they come through the doors. Intellectually, we know better.
Intellectually doesn't count for shit sometimes.
When I say "we" I mean mostly the other people there; I generally don't do much but stand around and wait to take a chest x-ray if the resusitation is successful. Occasionally I'm called upon to be helpful in some other manner... mostly, it's just answering the phone when nobody else is available. But the "we" is still applicable.
I made it through the night without too much itching, anyway. I slathered the cortisone on before I went to work and did pretty well for twelve hours. But I am still having new bumps pop up after almost three days of treatment, and that kinda worries me.
What still really worries me is that I have no idea where I got the stuff, so I don't know what or where to avoid. That's driving me crazy, and I know that I'll never find out for sure... I just need to be more careful and more observent and... luckier.
I've always had trouble with that last part. Luck is elusive. Or at least the kind of luck I really want... like a million dollars dropping on me from somewhere.
On the other hand, I am a pretty lucky guy, in general... survived two heart attacks, alcoholism, smoking, a good xian upbringing.... and I'm a lot happier than any other nine guys that I know.
So when you see me bitching about... well, anything... take it with a grain of salt. I'm not really much different than anyone else... I like to bitch, and I have a forum here...
More tomorrow....