work sucks. plain and simple.

well I am exhausted. my legs are both about to fall off ~ good thing I have them up and am sitting in a comfy chair at home. as the title of the piece says ~ work sucks. big green donkey dicks. nice image, no? not mine, however. Rita Mae Brown has that honor in an early work of hers. Look her up, she is a good writer of fiction. anyway, back to my carping about work.

We have been going out 3 to 4 people short each night. A normal load is a count of 40 ~ last night I had a count of close to 60. ICU 1 - 7, I had patients in all rooms save one. All were on ventilators, except one, who was on a bipap (and needs it 24/7). I was CVRT ~ check all the lines and assist the Intensivest in inserting lines and other duties, as needed. We did do one line (RIJ). Attempted weaning of a couple of patients. There were multiple 'events' - throughout the hospital .. thankfully I didn't need to attend - too effing busy with my own unstable patients. Blood gases, suctioning patients with copious secretions - oral and otherwise. Finding errors other techs made (hellloooo ~ do you match up your ABG before you accept it and transmit) Stupid errors made by someone sloppy and seemingly not to care. And writing down the results and not even thinking that the result was so far removed from reality to recheck her work. I hate the words "I don't know how to do that"... well sister, figure it out. And.............. IF YOU HAVE TIME TO SIT ~ YOU HAVE TIME TO HELP OTHERS. nothing pisses me off more than when we are so extremely busy, and others have time to sit in the RT department, laughing, joking - not helping their co-workers.

The bosses don't seem to care that we are drowning. It is a major worry.. and a lawsuit in the making. We don't have enough staff to see all the patients ordered on therapy. Someone's gonna die or have terrible problems that could have been avoided had we enough staff. Management goes home at the end of the day. Why not? their work is done. This is my license, not to mention someones life. It is a terrible situation.

Ah God! wishing I could retire, quit........... find work elsewhere. I am at the top of my payscale however. There is no way I'll get the $ I'm getting at my current job. And I'm going out on surgical leave. The pisser is I have about 7 weeks of FMLA leave left (after all my other surgical LOA's) I need to be out 12 weeks with my knee. I saw the boss yesterday, and he told me he couldn't guarentee I'd have a job when I got off my surgical leave. After almost 20 years of work in this department I am an optional 'tool'? I'd like to think I am a contributing member of the staff. Guess not? the boss is going to check with HR today and see what kind of leave I need to take once my FMLA runs out. I think if I could wait on the knee replacement, I would. But its not a possibility. I can't walk. Well, I can but it hurts like hell and more. My tortoise can walk faster than I can.

Well, long night is past, and my eyes are just about rolled up backwards and closed.

to sleep then. Hopefully no dreams. I would like nice quiet rest, thank you very much. To help balance the 'sucks green donkey dicks' kind of night we all had last night.

jan 25 2011

I don't expect anyone to read this. it is simply a place for me to put my thoughts, at times, my anger, and probably most of all, wishful thinking. Having said that....



January 2011. so much done, so much yet to do. I am 57 years old (and a half) and looking at more surgery. Last year I had my right eye operated on (vitrectomy). pleased with the results. the left eye is pending. I finally had a breast reduction - after some 15 years of trying to get the insurance company to pay for it..... happy with results. It was never about the perfect boob for the body type - it was and is, about pain issues. No more spasms, back pain, rash, heat issues. I am very happy. Almost 6 pounds gone and from a 44DD to about a 40B. Now left knee problems. I see the surgeon day after tomorrow to set up an arthoplasty. To those not in the know, a knee replacement. I had the right one done some 10 years ago, not it is finally time for the L. sigh. I don't look forward to the aftermath of the operation, but do look forward to (after time) no more knee pain or issues. Once that is done, I'll have my left eye vitrectomy.



I've had more surgeries done these last 6 months than I've had the last 15 years. Not complaining. I'm getting older and the body is getting weaker. That is time, wear and tear. I'm fortunate I can have these things done when I'm younger and can tolerate it, and I'm working and have insurance to cover the costs. Can't imagine what I'd do if I had no insurance. well, sure I know. would suffer and not have things taken care of.

Our vacation has yet again been tossed to the muck. Looking forward to when we are both well enough to have a vacation. We'll have short camping trips, rock hunting and fishing... but the weeks worth of time to visit John and Susan in Texas has been axed this year. I can't see going to michigan for a visit, and I won't see Margo unless she comes here. Sigh.