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April Fools
Joke’s On Us
April Fool’s Day
April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian Calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1st.
The people who were slow to get the news or, failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1st, continued to celebrate the new year during the last week of March through April 1st. These people became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.
I didn’t know that.
This year, April Fool’s Day is pretty much canceled this year due to the Corona Virus. News and media platforms are encouraging people not to play pranks right now because, frankly no one is in the mood.
Everyone is stuck at home and the general mood held is not jovial.
One thing that is keeping everyone entertained is The Tiger King on Netflix. That shit is hilarious. The show is like a train wreck you can’t look away from. One thing I did learn- Carol Baskin definitely killed her husband.
It is so hard to be positive right now. The most exciting part of the week is going to the grocery store where you never know what weird item people are going to be freaking out over next. Like, toilet paper. WTF is wrong with people? Why toilet paper? It’s a pandemic.
This reminds me of hurricane season in Florida.
Before a hurricane, grocery stores are emptied out because the people know that there is a great possibility that they won’t have access to the roads and stores for a few weeks . Not to mention electricity is not available so, canned goods are a must.
I don’t understand why people are buying the stores out right now. We have electricity, water, and access to the roads… I guess people need to feel a sense of control and having hoards of toilet paper gives them that feeling.
Quote of the Day
“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it.” – Jack Handey
What’s for Dinner?
Take out from Shwarma On The Run
Dinner from Shawarma On The Run in New Orleans P.S
There are at least 1,002,159 cases of coronavirus globally, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tally. Over a million cases. That is mind blowing.
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One Million
One Million Reasons
Keep Fighting
Battle.
The word means to fight or struggle against. We are all fighting a battle to win the war against Covid. Every single one of us. Each of our battles are different but, we all want the same result. To resume life with as many victories as possible.
Battle.
My battle isn’t the same as yours. You may have small children at home and you are probably ready to put them up for adoption at this point. Maybe you are learning to be a teacher in order to homeschool your kids. Or perhaps, you live alone and it seems like your walls are caving in on you. Possibly, you are old and you rely on others to bring you essentials along with the fear that the person helping you will actually kill you by way of exposure. Last but not least, you may have lost someone to the virus.
Battle.
The more we fight our urges to be social, and as long as we continue to think of the common good, we should be okay. Maybe we won’t be the same but I believe we will be okay.
Battle.
A battle is a struggle that can be both physical and mental. Battles are usually associated with war and conflict. What about individual battles with mental health which is an internal conflict. I can only imagine that this whole situation is exacerbating any existing mental health issues. Not to mention creating new ones.
Battle.
We won’t all win. I see it everyday. Death.
I lost a previous coworker to suicide today.
Battle.
I also see life and I choose to focus on what the future will hold for us instead of the death that surrounds us.
Battle.
The United States now has over ONE MILLION Coronavirus cases. More deaths related to Coronavirus have been reported in the past three months than were reported from the entire Vietnam War.
Battle.
Do I need a break? Yes. We all need a break from this but if we take a break now we LOSE.
Battle.
Just imagine how nice it is going to be to finally hug your kids and your mom and dad and all your friends. It’s going to be such a relief and celebration.
This is why we battle.
We Will Win!!!
Quote of the Day
“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” –
What’s for Dinner?
Greek Gyro Salad
- In less than three months, more Americans have died from coronavirus than the number of US service members killed in the Vietnam War, according to updated numbers from Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday afternoon.
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Suit Up
Suit Up and Show Up
… who said that? Well, basically the saying originated with Alcoholics Anonymous and the idea that wearing nice clothing to AA meetings would give the public a better perception of alcoholics. The saying comes to mind everyday I go to work and have to wear the PPE suits.
In the hospital policies and procedures are changing several times a day.
It’s hard to keep up with what is expected. For example, each patient requires a full body assessment every 24 hours instead of every 12 hours. Charting is minimal at best. They call it ‘disaster charting’.
There are now doors blocking the halls to the units when you get off the elevator. Before we can enter the door to the unit we have to ‘suit up’ in the donning station. The donning station is located in what used to be the family waiting room. There is always some random hospital employee sitting in there to guard the PPE because some asshole stole some the other day.
YUP!! Stole the fucking PPE. Some humans are an atrocious waste of oxygen.
Suit Up
Donning (putting on PPE) now means putting on a full body suit, shoe covers, gloves, a face visor and, an N95 mask. We have to wear this the entire time we are in the unit. We can wear surgical masks if we are in the nursing charting areas. Before we leave the unit we have to take it all of at a doffing station.
Getting ready to go back in the unit after lunch A red duct tape rectangle marks the doffing (taking off the PPE) station and it contains a chair to sit in and laundry hampers to put the used gear in. The hospital sends the suits out for cleaning and they are sent back to us to re-use. We put our masks in brown paper lunch sacks with our names on them and leave them in the unit for re-use on our next shift. We wipe down our face shields and goggles with bleach solution at the end of our shift for re-use by the oncoming nurses.
My face is breaking out in a rash where the mask sits and my ears and face are sore. I shouldn’t complain. At least we have proper PPE…for now.
Show Up
I feel bad for the hospitals that don’t have appropriate PPE. It’s so sad to know that there are healthcare workers being totally exposed to this virus. There are several of the nurses here that are sick with Coronavirus. Some were hospitalized and others managed their symptoms from home. The ones who have recovered actually came back to work. That is unrivaled bravery and they are superheroes in my eyes.
Quote of the Day
“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Superman
What’s for Dinner?
Drago’s shrimp po-boys.
Drago’s fed us lunch today. Shrimp po-boys. P.S.
The local restaurants are sending food to the hospital employees almost on a daily basis which is very nice of them. Their businesses are suffering terribly right now. They are trying to find random jobs for their employees to keep them on the books. The hospitality industry is big here in NOLA so, it’s going to be important for us to support our local eateries and businesses after the quarantine ban ends.
- Deaths from COVID-19 become the leading cause of death in the United States.
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Happy Easter
Happy Easter. We Are Doomed.
The following video enrages me as a human and as a nurse.
Healthcare professionals and first responders are putting their lives at risk everyday and the fine citizens of Pensacola thank us by having an Easter block party.
The video was taken in my hometown of Pensacola Florida (where I used to be a police officer).
This video is a display of Darwinism at its finest. Watch it and let the absolute lack of regard for human life sink in. Pitiful.
Happy Easter
Video Courtesy of Pensacola News Journal
Fucking idiots
The little kids in this video can’t fathom the danger they are in and these parents are like fuck it, it’s Easter. How neglectful is that?
To say I am pissed off at this behavior is an understatement.
I just want to scream.
The government is pleading with churches across the country to hold virtual Easter services to avoid gatherings. What is wrong with everyone? Why can’t they see how terrible this whole pandemic is? They want to risk their lives and everyone else’s around them to worship and hunt for eggs?
Worship at home!! Hunt for eggs at home! God won’t mind, I promise.
Stay the FUCK at HOME!
I feel like I am losing IQ just typing these words.
Quote of the Day
“We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” –
What’s for Dinner?
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Everything is Nonsense
Everything is nonsense right now. What Is, Isn’t. It all feels so upside down and backwards.
Today, I had morphine ordered on a few of my patients. No big deal right? Morphine is not an uncommon drug in the hospital as it is used for pain control and hospice most of the time. But, this specific incident of morphine was significant and, very different, from the usual delivery method. It’s hard to explain but, I’ll try.
A pharmacy tech came to the unit carrying medications for the patients. Also, not uncommon. Typically, the pharmacy tech will bring scheduled narcotics or certain antibiotics for our patients that are not carried on the unit. Anyway, I signed for the medications assigned to my patients and went to my charting area to go through the meds.
I look at one of the medication bags and I see that it reads Morphine. What?
This is an ENTIRE 100 mL bag of morphine!
Everything is Nonsense
This has to be a medication error. Normally, we administer morphine to our patients in 0.5 to 4 mg… in a syringe, not a bag. Sometimes, it is administered in higher doses but that is rare unless you are on a post op unit. Furthermore, if we are giving narcotic medications in high doses like this or, on a frequent basis, we put the medication in a PCA pump. This is called Patient Controlled Analgesia and it is a machine that is LOCKED and programmed to deliver the med to the patient in a safe fashion.
Class is over now.
I go to the charge nurse and alert her to the suspicious medication. She calls the pharmacy and confirms that this medication is correct. Both of us are puzzled.
We call the doctor who ordered the medication.
Me: ” I need clarification on an order for the patient in room blah blah blah HIPAA HIPAA HIPAA…”
Dr.: “That order is correct. Thank you for calling to clarify.”
Me: “Okay, this is just an odd order. Thank you.”
Dr.: ” It has become protocol to give this medication to the DNR- Covid positive patients to ease their suffering.”
Okay. Wow. I don’t know what to say.
But, I do have a question.
Am I about to euthanize my patient?
Quote of the Day
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” –
What’s for Dinner?
Ramen Noodles
My bowl of ramen from Ivan Ramen in NYC Jump to the next post
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Here Be Dragons
Here Be Hope
Quote of the day
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” – Neil Gaiman
What’s for Dinner?
Hamburger patties with onions, gravy and a side of okra and tomato
Louisiana saw coronavirus infections in climb by 295 and deaths by 27 statewide, but none of those new deaths were located in Orleans Parish to mark a positive benchmark for one of the nation’s biggest hotspots.
P.S.
Yesterday, Orleans Parish had NO new deaths from Coronavirus reported.
That is a step in the right direction. It made me smile and it gives me hope and a very tiny sense of victory. Our hard work is improving the numbers. Small victory but, we will take it. Hell yeah!
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