Be A Nurse

Boys, it’s time to sit down on our virtual couch and have a little chat. I know that you are only six, four and almost two, but we need to talk about your future careers.

We think you should all start out and do the two year LPN program so that you can learn everything we have been trying to learn in the last two weeks.

Two weeks ago your Nana went into the hospital. We knew she had cancer, but we were waiting to hear from the Cancer Clinic since July 20th. Nana is really tough, but she kept getting sicker and sicker.

On Monday, August 5th, Nana went to the ER and was admitted to the hospital because she was dehydrated and it a lot of pain. We found out later that Nana’s tumour was growing.

Lucky for us Dr. Daniels was the Gynaecologist-on-call and she took on mom’s case.

Nana has had Dr. Daniels looking out for her, but it has been the nurses who have worked day and night to help Nana be comfortable.

We have learned the names and kept track of pain killers, anti-nausea drugs, blood thinners, stool softens, cholesterol medication and more powders that I can name. Thank God for pen and paper and the nurse friends we have had on speed dial as well as nurse friends we have run into in the hospital. Here’s amazing Auntie Michelle showing us how to take notes.

We have had many nurses who have touched our hearts, Leslie the first night mom came into the ER, Jackie on 2East as well as all the nurses on the women and children’s ward.

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Nurse Jackie with mom and I

We have probably had over twenty nurses. They know an incredible amount of information about the human body as well as negotiating hospital culture. They have been Nana’s sole provider of giving comfort to us all through medicine, expert knowledge and comforting words.

Today, Nana had a very sleepy day. She didn’t get out for a walk, but she enjoyed some rests and it looks like her bowel obstruction had been healed. Yeah for poo! We put on leg stockings to help the fluid in her legs and she enjoyed some lemon Popsicles made by Rea.

While Nana was in one of her deep sleeps, a nurse crept in to give mom some anti-nausea medication. After she had mom hooked up, she took the time to read this poster you boys made with your cousins.

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The nurse stood with a big smile on her face then whispered “sweet” to me as she walked out the door.

Me, I broke into tears because she took the time to get to “know” about Nana, even when she was only the nurse delivering the medicine.

So boys, the moral of this story is that we aren’t going to insist that you become a nurse, but that you take the time to get to know people God has placed around you at work and at home. If you ever end up in a hospital rely on the nurses because they really are making things happen around here.

Let’s keep praying for Nana’s healing, but we can stop praying for poo.

Be Walking To The Winter Garden

Yesterday, in between vomit sessions mom took two walks outside. She is one determined lady.

It was the first time she was outside in 11 days. Being inside is a rarity for our bike riding, green thumb, paddle boarding, hiking and walking mom.

Here are mom and dad heading into the winter garden. This is an outside garden between the new tower and the old part of the hospital.

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We sat outside for about twenty minutes enjoying a warm wind and even a few drops of rain on our faces.

Be Sick With Chemo

I was one of those kids that vomited a lot. We were never sure why but it would just sneak up on me in the evening and whammy vomit city

I have many ‘fond’ memories of my hair being held back, a cold cloth on my neck or my forehead and either a bucket or toilet in front of my face. Usually my dad was by my side as mom would be vomiting with me if she was in the room.

Now my mom is very sick from the double dose of chemotherapy she received on Monday. Very sick!

Today mid vomit, mom quipped, “Joanna, you are doing really well with all this!”

Sexy Neck and I had a good laugh at the two vomit-phobes weathering this together.

Mama, anything for you! Even cleaning up vomit.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

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An empty vomit bucket – love the cardboard!

Be Laughing In The Midst Of Tears

Sexy Neck and I enjoyed a beautiful moment on the deck last night. We laughed til we cried while reading these stories posted on Facebook.

This morning I read this to my mom and cousin Rea. The nurse came in right after we finished the last story. She asked mom if Rea and I needed to be kicked out because we were drinking. Mom had to assure the nurse that everything was fine with us.

Brace yourselves!

EMBARRASSING MEDICAL EXAMS

1. A man comes into the ER and yells ..’
My wife’s going to have her baby in the cab.’ I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady’s dress and began to take off her underwear.
Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs – – – and I was in the wrong one.

Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald ,
San Francisco

2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient’s anterior chest wall.

‘Big breaths,’. . . I instructed.
‘Yes, they used to be,’. . . Replied the patient.

Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes ,
Seattle , WA

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct.

Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a ‘massive internal fart.’

Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg

4. During a patient’s two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with One of his medications. Which one?’. .. . I asked. ‘The patch…
The Nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I’m running out of places to put it!’ I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn’t see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body!

Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.

Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair ,
Norfolk , VA

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, ‘How long have you been bedridden?’
After a look of complete confusion she answered .. . . ‘ Why, not for about twenty years – when my husband was alive.’

Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson-
Corvallis , OR

6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a man I asked . . .’ So how’s your breakfast this morning?’ ?It’s very good except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can’t seem to get used to the taste. Bob replied. I then asked to see the jelly and Bob produced a foil packet labeled ‘KY Jelly.’

Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf ,
Detroit ,

7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman with purple hair styled
Into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered . . . It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery.. When she was completely disrobed on the operating
Table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green and above it there was a. Tattoo that read . . .’ Keep off the grass.’

Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient’s dressing, which said ‘Sorry . . . had to mow the lawn.’

Submitted by RN no name,
AND FINALLY!! ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB. I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams… To cover my embarrassment I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly.

The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said. . ..
‘ I’m sorry. Was I tickling you?’
She replied with tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard . . ..

‘ No doctor but the song you were whistling was .. . . ‘ I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener .’

Dr. wouldn’t submit his name….

ONE MORE

Baby’s First Doctor Visit

This made me laugh out loud. I hope it will give you a smile!

A woman and a baby were in the doctor’s examining room, waiting for the doctor to come in for the baby’s first exam.

The doctor arrived, and examined the baby, checked his weight, and being a little concerned, asked if the baby was breast-fed or bottle-fed. ‘Breast-fed,’ she replied..

‘Well, strip down to your waist,’ the doctor ordered.

She did he pinched her nipples, pressed, kneaded, and rubbed both breasts for a while in a very professional and detailed examination.

Motioning to her to get dressed, the doctor said, ‘No wonder this baby is underweight. You don’t have any milk.’

I know,’ she said, ‘I’m his Nana, but I’m glad I came.

Be Learning Lessons From A Hospital Bed

Be present.

Be making a will.

Be asking people to pray for you.

Be honest.

Be talking about the hard things.

Be enjoying my mom’s breath.

Be letting go of expectations.

Be talking about God.

Be talking about death.

Be talking about poo.

Be real.

Be honest and say what you feel.

Be sitting.

Be listening to and learn from other people’s cancer stories.

Be loving.

Be open to any help you can get.

Be humble and gracious.

Be watching for where God is working.

Be eating even if you aren’t hungry.

Be having a good old cry.

Be asking for a hug and let the other person hold you up.

Be letting God hold you in the palm on His hand.

Be full of faith and trust.

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Be Rooted

My mom has had her pain and nausea under control for the last two days.

On Friday, she was moved into a private room on the women’s and children’s floor in the new hospital tower. It like a hotel compared to the hell hole she was in before. (Sorry I have racked my brain and I can’t think of another descriptor for her four person room in an incredibly busy ward.)

I am starting to move out of flight and fright status or “game face” as my sister and I call it. I feel my body relaxing. I am feeling my body again. Man I am hungry.

The exceptional nurses on this floor have everything under control. Our amazing angel Dr. Daniels has been checking on mom. Yesterday she visited three times.

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Dr. Daniels talking with mom and dad this morning.

Moms blood clot in her lung is dissolving, her bowels are moving and she even walked down the hall today.

My boys feel loved surrounded by all their cousins, aunts and uncles even though their mama is at the hospital many hours and is a tad bit distracted and teary.

God is good.

But none of this makes sense.

We continue to live in shades of grey, but I continue to reach down into the roots God has established for me in His word and with my family and friends.

” And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Bring on the chemo.

May we all know the fullness of God and just how wide, long, deep and high Christ’s love is.

"Be a human BEING, not a human doing!"