JCC, MoCo ag fair, nursing update.

Today was Edda’s last day at Camp JCC.  Each year is special at camp, but everyone acknowledged that this summer, at least in Kochavim, this was an amazing, unforgettable summer.  We knew that Kuala & Edda had formed a special bond and Kuala was crying and I was crying at drop-off this morning (Edda was not crying, lol).  We hugged and hoped to see each other again – though she’s off to California for college and her parents are also moving to the West Coast; and so we have these moments and memories that we are part of each other’s lives and then we scatter hoping to come together again someday.  After Edda and Kuala headed off to the first morning activity, I checked in with the head counselor of the Edda’s group and she said in her nine years of doing this, this was the best year ever.  The kids and counselors were well matched, there was nary a parent complaint, all the counselors became good friends and helped each other out during the day.  A great summer.  Edda laughed and smiled the whole way.

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The MoCo ag fair starts today and that means that we won’t see Vince for about 10 days.  He’s old enough to be running the show now, he’s quartermaster – in charge of equipment.  Walkie talkies, flashlights, golf carts (?).  We have to put in parent hours, but we are doing that in one straight shot on Monday.

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I’m working at the hospital both Saturday and Sunday this weekend.  Now I’m a couple weeks into the routine, I will say that I do wake up each day I have to head to the hospital full of both anxiety and determination, but more on the anxious side.  My initial gut feeling is that I don’t want to go again, but I tuck that feeling aside and then keep going.  There is so much to learn; first medically: how to hang blood, which IV push meds burn when you inject them and have to be diluted, how to insert Foleys, how to do a bladder scan, that vancomycin needs a blood draw before you dose it so you know that you won’t send the patient into toxicity, that lostartan is held in patients with high potassium because it’s in a class of medications that are called ARBs and they exacerbate hyperkalemia, second logistically: how to print out armbands, how to call pharmacy when you are out of a med, how to send collected samples through the tube system, how to print out discharge papers, where do the empty oxygen tanks go.   I have so many stories (already) that can not be told, that are important to me and because I can’t tell them, I’m afraid I will forget them.  I know this is the unit I’m suppose to be on, I have found nothing but kindness in all the other nurses and managers.  Everytime someone passes me – they ask if everything is going OK, they ask if I’ve had a break or a snack or taken a proper lunch.  I left my shift on Wed, even though I was tired and overwhelmed and feeling incompetent, thinking – I love this.  This is what I’m suppose to be doing right now.  Hopefully I can sustain that feeling.  Look!  I got a thank you gift from a patient’s granddaughter. 

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2 thoughts on “JCC, MoCo ag fair, nursing update.”

  1. The type of a nurse who would be able to do all things that you described would have to be intelligent, good at multitasking, calm, determined, compassionate and patient. And I don’t know anyone else who is all of the above but you. You are a great nurse!
    And next time Alice is at the hospital, I will make sure to leave a thank you card. I left some boxes of goodies and a long thank you card to the PICU staff at Hopkins. I will remember to do that again next time. ❤️

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