Thankful Thursday | caring kindly
This week, I am thankful:
for the way my hospital cares for people
One of the most touching things I see at my hospital involves incarcerated patients. More often than not, we have one or two on my unit, guards at the bedside, patients often handcuffed to the bed.
The thing that is beautiful to me is: for us, the inmate status is irrelevant. These are just human patients. We treat them the same way we do other patients; the surgeons meet with them, perform surgery, and we care for them post-surgery just like usual.
I think it is beautiful that, although these patients have possibly broken the law in some way (I say "possibly" because we never know their stories), we treat them with dignity and respect. People do not have to be perfect to receive calm and professional care.
And even when there are behavioral problems (which can happen with any patient, not just with inmates, trust me!), we try to handle the situation in the most non-violent, non-harmful ways possible.
I feel proud to be part of this team of people, truly I do. 🙂
for the ability to listen to my textbooks
Is the reading voice a boring, monotone computer? Yup.
But I can throw it on 2x speed, put in my earbuds, and get some "reading" done while I fold laundry, wash dishes, and clean up my kitchen.
for the brightness of the snow
I say this every time it snows, I know. But I love how it makes my house so bright! I would like to have this lovely reflective surface on my yard the whole winter long. 😉
What a nice little bonus in these dark days of winter!
for the lengthening days
Speaking of darkness: as of today, sunset is at 5:40.
And on the last day of February, sunset will land almost exactly at 6:00 pm. Woohoo!
that I'm at the six month mark in nursing
My group started mid-August, so now we have been doing nursing for six months.
I have always heard that the first year is really rough for new grad nurses, but honestly, all things considered, I feel decent.
Do I frequently have dreams about forgetting to give a med or about charting improperly? Yup. But overall, the stress levels feel manageable.
I figure that if I can handle the first year ok, I'm probably gonna be fine. And here I am, halfway through that first year.
that my iron pills are treating me all right
Regular iron supplements always made my stomach hurt, but the slow release ones my doctor recommended are working well.
It's a lot easier to stick with taking a supplement when it's not painful to do so!
It's nice to hear about such compassionate care for everyone.
I'm thankful the cortisone injection I received in my knee on Tuesday seems to be helping.
That my husband very cheerfully picked up the slack while I wasn't very mobile -- walking our dogs by himself daily and driving me around, cooking dinner and doing laundry, etc.
For YouTube videos that help me figure out how to do things -- whether that is a new knitting stitch or a cooking technique. So handy!
For the inspiration offered by all the athletes at the Olympics.
Your #1-- I can't help but wonder if people had cared for these incarcerate folks from the very beginning, how many of them wouldn't be in the position they are in now. Don't get me wrong: I know some people have all the right beginnings and then make one bad choice after another, but showing caring is so important. When I was teaching, I loved working with my "at-risk" students best. It felt like a most needed job.
This week I am thankful:
*for electricity. On Tuesday morning when I was trying to type up my comment here, our electricity went out. It was out for almost 6 hours. Later, when the power was back on and I had time, I sat down to type my comments again. The power went out again, so I gave up.
*that my son’s solo flight went well. I’m so proud of him for finding a way to make one of his dreams happen. (He’s still working on scholarship applications for college to make another dream happen.)
*for my daughter’s can-do attitude. Her brother wanted her to knit a piano shawl as a gift for his accompanist. She’s putting together a few different patterns to design such a thing because there aren’t many piano shawl patterns out there, and what she found didn’t seem elegant enough for her. It’s coming together nicely.
*for yesterday afternoon. I moved our read aloud time to the dining room table so the kids could create Valentine’s Day cards and boxes. It was a delight to read from _Little Women_ while they were creating.
*that the weather is warming up. I was motivated to go outside and walk on Tuesday. The forecast is more warmth, and that feels so wonderful to me. Except— I really want next Saturday to be colder because it is butchering day—and we need a bit of chill for that.
*for the knowledge that difficult things tend to clump together—yet they pass, and we get a breather.
*that my eldest college boy is starting to feel better from a sickness.
I think you're exactly right that a reason many end up doing badly is a lack of care, along with circumstances such as low income, poor mental health and general low support, as well as various individual reasons. It doesn't mean there is no choice but it adds understanding.
I often wonder this about many of my patients; feeling sad for them and wondering if they have had a terrible lack of support and resources and hope in their lives.
Obviously, we do all have some agency in our lives, but some of us have had it much easier than others, and remembering that helps to promote an attitude of compassion vs. judgment. I hope I can keep remembering this so that I don't develop a case of compassion fatigue!
I remember watching the young resident (in his 20s) consulting with my last incarcerated patient, and it really made me think of the contrast between his life and the life of the patient. What a different start in life they must have had.
Hoo boy this is going to be hard.
I'm thankful that DS#3 went all night last night without an "incident" (anybody with ulcerative colitis knows what that means). I'm thankful that they finally, FINALLY decided to start staggering his steroids rather than do one big dose, because that approach wasn't working.
I'm thankful that it looks like he'll be coming home today. Scared and worried about him being off the IV, which was keeping him hydrated and delivering the stronger steroid...but we think we figured out that if his pain is managed well enough he can avoid incidents.
I'm thankful for grown sons with driver's licenses that can go pick up food for me at the store. Thankful for my faith which I'm leaning on HARD right now. For friends who listen to me rant in our text chat group.
Hands across the miles again to you and yours in this latest tough time, Karen A. And I hope that the Commodore is continuing to do his feline duty.
I just said a prayer for your son, you, and your family that you will navigate this latest medical challenge as quickly and incident-free as possible. This, too, shall pass.
I am sorry about what you're going through. Lean on friends by all means, and remember to take care of yourself, too.
Sending healing thoughts and prayers to your son, Karen.
Oh friend, sending you and yours a big hug. Hoping for improved days ahead for you!
I’m sending every good wish your way for a healing result for your son. Glad to hear about your faith, too.
I'm thankful for nurses like you!
This week I'm so thankful for my trip to Florence! On the afternoon when I arrived I went up the Duomo which was incredible. I am doubly thankful for this because it was closed for refurbishment for the rest of my stay. A lot of places were closed on Monday so I took the train to Pisa and climbed the Leaning Tower! That was also amazing (although I'm done with towers for a while), as was a basilica and synagogue I visited in the afternoon. On Tuesday I went to the Academia museum where I saw Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi art gallery where I saw the Birth of Venus, along with several other beautiful pieces of art. I am thankful to my past self for taking the time to prebook tickets and print them off, so I didn't have to stress about loading them on my phone! I hiked up to another church which ended up being futile as the floors were currently covered, and I had gone to see a special zodiac floor design, but it was worth it for the view! I had some time before my flight back yesterday so I went to a monastery and admired the frescoes. Past Me stocked up on food so I was able to relax today (and as I live near a supermarket, I was able to pick up a couple of things I forgot when I was coming back last night).
Otherwise, I visited the Cathedral, discovered wine windows (and enjoyed a glass of wine overlooking the Arno river), rode a merry-go-round, ate gelato and had a lovely conversation with some fellow guests at the hotel, where we enjoyed our drinks with a beautiful view of the Duomo.
I am thankful to all the various people who helped me with directions and for the fact that I was able to go to Florence and appreciate such a special city!
I'm thankful for NDN1's (and CF's) PCP, who--when he asked her at last Friday's 6-month appointment if she was thinking about a possible move to assisted living, and she gave her usual hedge of "Oh, I might do that in a few years"--looked her straight in the eye and said, "The time is now." So now AL is "doctor's orders" instead of just CF and me trying to persuade her.
I'm also thankful in many ways for CF: for her pull with the PCP in persuading him to be the first to suggest AL, and for her help in everything else pertaining to NDN1. Most importantly, she's pulled the necessary strings for us to take NDN1 tomorrow for lunch and a tour of the AL facility that she and I visited back in January. May the Force be with us all.
Finally, I'm thankful that when I went over to the Bestest Neighbors for dinner last night (taking a half loaf of bread machine bread and a salad), nothing really bad happened when the ribs that Dr. BN was grilling caught fire on the grill. Dr. BN was able to put the fire out quickly, and we all crunched down on the ribs and reminded ourselves that charcoal is said to be good for the stomach. 🙂
Ditto on the slow release iron supplements; they are much gentler on my stomach than regular multivitamins with iron.
I just want to say that your compassion keeps me coming back to your blog. But, please be mindful of inmates. I live in a rural area with a prison nearby. An inmate brought into the ER pulled the gun off the female guard. The other guard had to shoot him. They did try to save him but he died. Never let your guard down, please, for your safety. Yeah, everyone is treated with dignity but trust your instincts.
Oh yes, they always have two officers at the bedside, and the handcuffs are generally in place too, so we are safety minded while also being compassionate.
Today I am thankful for:
*the abundant sunshine and plenty of yard bags (ha!) as I am raking up leaves and debris. Seems like spring has already sprung here. (:
*thankful for my little tooty coffeepot which does a good job of making coffee so I can ignore the urge to buy a new one - a co-worker had me almost buying a Nespresso!
*crafting time yesterday spent making gift bags for two very special co-workers for Valentine's Day. Today I will fill them with goodies from IKEA.
Side note: In my hospital system, the care of incarcerated patients is also no different than for anyone else. It is an expectation, and I have never witnessed anyone behaving otherwise. We frequently see teens in cuffs, which is hard to witness when you yourself are a parent. But we can compartmentalize this and do what we are trained to do - the same applies in trauma. For people new to the medical field that seems amazing - but again, expected. I would want it for my family members, too.
What is a little tooty coffeepot? It sounds like the most delightful thing in the universe!
Every human has dignity, and every human deserves to be treated with dignity. Thank you for what you and your fellow medical professionals do.
I am grateful...
that my mother's hand surgery went well and she was discharged from the hospital.
for the great medical care in my country.
for a challenging day at work that was less stressful than expected.
for longer days.
for good friends who send me nice messages.
for a few days off.
for good food at home. I am a big foodie and enjoy spending money on food.
for coffee, always!
I am thankful that my friend came through surgery beautifully! I will be going down to her house this weekend to help her out for a few days.
I am thankful for libraries. Not just because they provided employment for me for many years. I will be picking up a book on hold later today and it strikes me how supportive a service this is. Want a book? A few clicks and some time later a come-and-get-it email arrives.
I am thankful for a spell of winter weather that is just normal.
I am thankful that even though I am 76, I can still climb the 30 steps into my condo without huffing and puffing.
I am thankful for a full pantry, a full freezer, a full closet -- and later today I'll be thankful for a full tank of gas.
Libraries are the best!
Thankfuls:
--For a day without wind today. We're coming into our windy season, which sort of kills the enjoyment of the increasing warmth. So I will enjoy today's 66 degrees with little wind.
--That my son who struggles with school has had a much better time with it the last couple of months. He's trying very hard, but also I think the material is just easier in the most recent math units.
--That my eldest decided to do track on his own. I really, really thought he should, but I didn't say anything because if it's not his idea, he will double down on the resistance. He came home with the form for the physical last week out of nowhere, though, so I hope he actually manages to get through the season this year.
--For a good talk with a good friend.
--For a book that was challenging to read, but ultimately resulted in some clarification for me. (It was "Come Be My Light," which is a collection of Mother Teresa's personal correspondence. Hard to read, and I don't think I would recommend it to a lot of people, but it certainly made me reflect on some difficult things.)
--That my entire family shares my love of reading. For a big reader, there is nothing so satisfying as reading the same book as someone who will talk to you about it. I can do this with all of my children now--with age-appropriate books, of course, for my younger ones--as well as my husband. And I also have a friend who's a big reader that I lend books to a lot, which is also fun.