The weekend and the vaccine.

[whitewriter]

It's day one of my (ICU) week so I'm hyped up. Seemingly the 4 12 hour shifts in a row has not deterred me and I've slept well despite the needlestick so I'm refreshed. It'll be 6 days in a row by the time I finish all my shifts which; as it is by choice feels like less of an insane idea as it was by choice rather than by force.



I have a super easy pelvic exonteration who becomes wardable early on so I try to help everyone else out. The nurse I'm next to is a senior who seems to be having a frustrating day, between worrying about Mr 36 (previously Mr 26/Old mate TKR infected = amputation now readmitted for pneumonia) falling out of bed and Ms 23 (Aka. 4th degree tear now a stoma) from ripping out her tracheostomy and Mr 24 (super needy multiple admissions 44 yr old now with repeat OT for abdominal adhesions from all the multiple surgeries - necrotising fasciitis from ?ingrown hair into bowels now has compartment syndrome in bilaterally lower legs) who was driving her insane with his incessant questions and demands. The first 30 mins had set up the whole shift as she felt like she could not escape the room for all his needs and questions.



Meanwhile I sat there happy as a clamp with my super easy dude.



Luck of the draw.


Nurses are starting to get their covid vaccines. It's booked appointments with 30 mins post waiting time for serious side effects and a second dose pre booked. It's in a building that's about a 10 min walk away from the hospital.

Comparing attitudes to the vaccine from SSH to MISH is really interesting.

Staff at SSH: I don't want to be a guinea pig for the government. I'd rather just actually get sick and have immunity that way, rather than being injected. Some are resigned to the idea that boarders between countries may not be open if you have not had a vaccine - that if you have family overseas, that you won't be able to leave and enter countries freely without it.

Staff at MISH: I'm happy to have the vaccine and I hope I don't die from it. If I don't return to my shift after having it then au revoir guys, I'm going to my (potential) death. Oh and the overseas visiting thing.

Currently if your pregnant you are recommended not to have the vaccine.

As I was leaving my shift, two ip juniors were laughing in the tea room about a senior who has definitely gotten more demanding in the last few years of her work. Demanding in the sense whereby if she doesn't get allocated the "best" patient (aka. ventilated, sedated, preferably paralysed, and in a bedspace not shoved up the back corner) then she literally. Has crocodile tears. They laughed cause she was literally almost in tears at having beds 13,14 rather than bed 17 or 20.

Ah JH. I walked past and said "nice watch!" which she replied "I've had it for ages" in a teary voice and whilst I thought she looked odd, I've learnt never to ask JH what's up. Cause your gonna be there for 20 mins listening to problems that aren't really problems. Unless your really bored and have 20 mins to burn.



Have I mentioned how much I love the "will you marry me" scene in season 5.



I had Mr Bed 26 today.

He had cancer so bad: that they had to take out his R) pelvic bone (amongst other things: bowel Ca so also - colostomy/bladder into an ileostomy).

Predictably? Possibly, when orthopods as they are affectionately termed, was cutting his pelvis in half to remove the bone : he bled out and had 80 units of packed red cells.

80.

not 8.

8-0.

Today I heard they were planning to actually amputate his entire R) leg... but that he was too unstable to do so.

As I was leaving, he was sorta desaturating, and looked more and more strokey (they were talking about watershed infarcts which is a diffuse stroke like injury: the neuro nurse in me comes out: there isn't a treatment for those: other than if you get swelling in your brain and raised ICP then you could go for a decompressive craniectomy and EVD insertion.) There are no treatment limitations for Bed 25 so this is a realistic possibility. His arms were more and more oedematous, and they said his arms were manipulated for long hours during the surgery which they are attributing to his decreased range of motion especially to his L) arm.

He was hallucinating too. Seeing lights, screens, decorations -

the best one was when he asked the consultant to "can you speak English?"

and the consultant replied "I am speaking English" and the two continued to converse (in English). lol.

On my way out this shift, the nurse I handed over asked me if I read. And i was like, well, yeah... and she's like what. And I embarrassingly said : Well I read fanfiction . Then she gave me a magazine out of her backpack where she looked to have a stash of about 5. It says SHALOM! on the front... and then she said God bless you! have a good night and I was like. Oh. It's that kind of magazine... She's one of the old Indians so I don't mind. Maybe it'll be an interesting read.



I would not be surprised if I came in tomorrow morning and he was re-intubated and had a scan - and possibly even, a decompressive crani.