Change Is Good

 A lot has happened since the last time I blogged. I changed jobs and my new career path took me to long-term care (LTC) where I was given the opportunity to experience a whole other side of nursing. Acute care nursing had its challenges, and I enjoyed every one of them. However, life changes occur as we get older and in lieu of that, so did my career path.  In December of 2020 I accepted a position in a nursing home - it had been 12 years since my last stint in LTC. I was very excited but also very nervous. What if I didn't like the work? What if my new co-workers didn't like me? I also worried about having to learn all the different tasks that went with the new job. What I hadn't thought about was all the physical differences between my old job and the new one. I basically went from a desk position to a floor position and was no longer getting only 800 steps a shift - I was now averaging around 5,000 steps each shift. The other problem . . . elderly people are always cold - the thermostats were set to a balmy 74 degrees. Holy crap! I am going to talk about some of those changes as I slowly sweat to death. 

Connections: I forgot how much I enjoyed interacting with the elderly. When I was growing up, my 70–80-year-old neighbor lady was one of my best pals. I would run across the yard and go visit Dena whenever I had the chance. Sometimes my sister would come with me.  Dena lived in a big old house and sat in her rocking chair much of the day, looking out the window while she was crocheting. Her sister, Laura, also lived with her. Laura was blind but boy could she play the piano and sing. I learned how to play Rook, was introduced to the joys of piano playing, and was fascinated by the endless miles of thread being crocheted into beautiful works of art. Dena liked to crochet large tablecloths with intricate patterns and doilies so dainty they looked like lace and spider webs. Their house had ten-foot ceilings, hard wood floors, crown molding finishes, stained glass windows, and built-in cabinets that stretched from floor to ceiling. There were beveled glass china cabinets, with pillars reaching up to the ceiling, that were filled with knickknacks and other wonderful treasures to look at. Both ladies were still active in their advanced ages - Dena was a retired nurse and she drove a big old red vintage car - us kids used to call it a land yacht. She would get in her car, rev the engine, and if it was possible to squeal the tires on gravel, she could have done it. She drove like a bat out of hell. She once rode with my mom in our family car and at one point the window started to make a whistling noise. Dena asked my mom how fast she was going, and mom replied that she was driving 55 miles per hour. Dena commented, "Oh, my car doesn't whistle like this until I get it up to 80". That comment pretty much sums up Dena's zest for life.

I was flooded with memories of Dena and Laura as I continued to learn the different aspects of my new job. Over time I developed a great rapport with the staff and came to love and be loved by the residents. When residents passed on to be with God, I mourned but wasn't stricken by grief because I know that before they died, I made a difference in their life no matter how short their time with us was. I developed real friendships with many of the residents while learning their life stories. I love to travel and many of the residents worried about me when I was on my trips while at the same time looked forward to getting e-mails and updates on my adventures. 

Fast forward 20 months . . . life changed again, and I have made another career change. This time I am taking on the role of care coordinator at a sister LTC facility. I has been 14 years since I last worked at this site and I am both nervous and excited to take the next step forward in my career. I won't have as much physical hands-on interaction with the residents, but I will have a very important role in making sure they get the best care possible. I just completed my first week of orientation in my new job as Care Coordinator, and I LOVE IT! The skills and experience I have gained over the years have been extremely helpful and I am still able to create that long term connection with the resident that was missing when I worked Acute Care. I believe in the holistic approach and working with residents and their families to develop the best plan of care for everyone is a huge part of my new job. I have been able to reconnect with prior co-workers and the job itself has consistent hours that do not require weekend or holiday shifts to be worked.  The physical demands are less, and I can appreciate that as I am getting older and find that I have to slow down some . . . just a little :)

I anticipate that this job will be my final career change until I retire, and I am okay with that. The road always twists and turns but eventually we end up where we are meant to be. This journey started the day we moved into the big green house, and I looked across the yard to see a big boned, white haired lady walking toward my family to welcome us to the neighborhood.

Life is good, change is good ~ Daemon

Vaccinated . . . it's the only way to travel (seriously)

 I really debated whether or not to get a Covid vaccine. In the end, the deciding factor was this, "A vaccinated me could travel to other countries easier".  I'm not even going to try lie and say I did it because it was the right thing to do since I work in healthcare.  Those who know me best would have seen right through me anyway.

 I am not opposed to vaccines, and I am not really worried that they aren't safe. However, I have reacted to vaccines in the past, and I have a history of not retaining immunity. My dilemma was this: What if I got the first dose and I reacted and couldn't get a second dose. Would it have been for nothing?  I decided to wait and get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine - the "one and done" seemed like the best choice.  I mean, if I reacted then it was already a done deal and I wouldn't have to worry about a second dose, right?  I had a date lined up to get the vaccine - my son got one several days before I did and he got sick. He had already had Covid once over a year ago.  Hmmm? Was J&J the right one to get? Then, a couple days before my vaccination appointment, the health department put a temporaty hold on the J&J due to reports that people were developing blood clots.  Of course, I happened to be in this risk group.  Nope, J&J was off the table for me - now what?

 I spoke with some of my healthcare co-workers and did a little more research and decided to get the Moderna vaccine.  Other than my arm being really sore for a few days (it's a tough shot), I was fine. I had a mild headache but otherwise everything went really well.  Last week I received my second vaccine. Still had the same arm pain but otherwise, it wasn't too bad until approximately six hours later.  I started to get a headache and felt tired. My arm was getting more sore and I was feeling slightly nauseated.  I went and laid down. Within 24 hours I had a fever, chills, migraine headache, nausea, a sore throat, dizziness, blurred vision, and my muscles and joints felt like I had been dropped off a cliff. My hands were swollen so I couldn't get my ring off, but my mouth was dry like cotton. I couldn't see the veins in my hands so I knew I was dehydrated (that's my tell).

 I laid back down and went to sleep again. The next time I woke up I had to make it downstairs - I needed something in case I vomited. I could hardly move; my joints and muscles hurt so bad and I had to hold onto the wall so I didn't fall over from having vertigo (spins). I knew I needed to hydrate so I grabbed a large glass of water, a bucket, and made my way back upstairs. I slept again. I think it was Friday afternoon when I got up to get more water. My whole body was hot and flushed. My husband was getting ready to go to the cabin and he asked me if he should stay home with me. Nope . . . I wanted to feel sorry for myself, by myself. Off he went for the weekend.  I was hoping I would feel better by the next day. It is now Sunday, three days later, and I still don't feel so great but only the rash, mild headache, and dizzyness are left.  I am hopeful they will all be gone by tomorrow.  

 Tomorrow, I have to go to work.  It is holiday pay tomorrow and the miser in me likes getting paid extra to do my normal job.  Don't we all? Just in case though, I lined up someone to work for me on the off chance I wake up feeling like crap. Was the vaccine worth it?  Of course . . . how else will I travel without having to quarantine?  The fact that I am protected from Covid is just an added bonus!

Random thought: My parents took me and my siblings over to friends, neighbors, or family members who were infected with measles, mumps, & chicken pox so we could "get it and be done with it".  However, that probaby wasn't the best strategy and definitely not one recommended in today's world. Vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate . . . and if you don't, that's okay. Risk is a personal choice. 

This is randomly me ~ Daemon

Link to my travel blog

https://travelingwithfamilyandfriends.blogspot.com/2021/03/the-colosseum-rome-italy.html

Do You Like Your Job?

 Another day has slipped away and I really didn't accomplish much other than eating and catching up on some much needed sleep.  I don't know if we can really "catch up" on sleep or not.  Are we catching up or are we banking for a later day?  I guess it doens't really matter as long as a person can rest enough to feel like facing the next day.

Time seems to fly by way to fast unless I am at work.  I swear the clocks move two hours ahead and one hour back during my shift.  Unless there is a major deadline - then the clock goes into double time.  I was working on a project the other evening (I work straight evening shifts) and I didn't realize it was close to quitting time until the night shift crew walked by my office and greeted me.  "WHAT???" 

Work has been a complicated and tricky place to be recently.  The patient load is high and the staff availability is low.  This computes to not enough nurses to work needed hours and extremely overworked nurses being asked to pick up even more shifts than they already do.  I am not one of those nurses.  I pick up extra shifts here and there, but due to a heart condition I cannot work the hours that I used to.  I also struggle with the fact that my current profession is not the intended path I embarked on when I went back to college.  It's almost comical to see the expression on people's faces when they ask "why did you want to be a nurse?" and I reply "I never intended to be a nurse - I went back to school to become a paramedic". (cricket - cricket - cricket)  Sure, I make the best of my job and I do enjoy certain aspects of it, but trust me, the first solid opportunity that comes along to do something else will end up with the door hitting my ass on the way out.

 I recently cut back on my hours - not because of my heart, but because I am fortunate enough that I do not need to work full time to make ends meet.  Working many hours during our earlier years allowed my spouse and I to reduce our debt and put ourselves in a position of being debt free.  Of course, that could very well be what caused my heart condition.  The multiple jobs sometimes had me working up to 170 hours every two weeks.  In addition to that I had two children to help raise.  Looking back, I don't know how I did it.

My oldest son recently quit a job that he had been at for almost four years.  He enjoyed the job, but he could no longer work the 12 hour shifts 5-7 days a week like he had been doing for all those years.  He was a young healthy man but the physical and mental stress of the job has taken its toll on him.  He got injured on the job a year ago and has since become deconditioned, overweight, and his patience level is almost non-existent.  As much as my spouse and I wanted him to have a great paying job with benefits, we could not stand to see what was happening to him - his life was passing him by and his health was declining.  We encouraged him to find a different job and to quit where he was.  He did this and the new job did not work out for him.  He is currently looking for work - but that is okay, we are in a position to help him until he finds one that is a good fit for him.  I am a firm believer that if you don't like your job or your working conditions then you need to leave.  No job is worth losing who you are as a person.

Random thought:  What if we could agree to train in profession that has a shortage and our government would provide us up to four years of free schooling along with living expenses to help to help attain our goals?  Of course we would have to maintain a standard that meets requirements, but just think of how this could help reduce professional shortages in many fields.

This is randomly me ~ Daemon

Surviving Covid

I never thought I would be as affected by the isolation that goes hand in hand with Covid-19.  I don't mind being alone and I often enjoy my solitude.  However, being on the cusp of introvert-extrovert, there are times when I need to be in large crowds to get energized.  With the pandemic looming large, that option is not available to me without creating a situation where I risk exposure to someone carrying the virus.  For those of us who enjoy and have a compulsion to travel, I can honestly say that social distancing sucks!

I recently took a trip - yes, I know I should have stayed home and not risked myself or anyone else - to Boston with some of the women in my family.  Many online news sites, social media platforms, and travel sites had information stating Salem was closing everything down and were recommending that travelers cancel their trips.  I am very happy we did not heed this poor advice.  We got tested for Covid before we left on the trip, got our results the second day of the trip, and had an absolute blast the rest of the trip!  We took a day trip up to Salem and I have to say that I was really impressed with the precautions and enforcement the Salem community had in place.  There were plenty of places to visit in Boston too.  Although many of the businesses were closed, many were not.  People practiced social distancing, wore masks, followed the rules set by the communities, and because of this we were able to enjoy our trip.

Nobody in our group got sick, nobody aquired Covid from travel, and nobody complained that the trip was wasted.  We were able to contribute to the Salem and Boston economy (even though our contributions were a drop in the bucket compared to normal tourism) without creating additional risk.  I don't think travel is a bad idea if people are smart about their social practices and pay close attention to hygeine.  Even working as a nurse, I am wearing my mask, using hand sanitzer followed by washing with soap and water (yes, I do both - in that order).  I don't touch my face, I don't pull my mask under my nose or chin - I remove my mask to eat and I don't let it dangle off of one ear like some.

I have taken a "hands off" stance when it comes to my own well being.  My coworkers do not touch me and they respect my "bubble".  This is nothing new for me and maybe that is another reason why I haven't contracted Covid.  My two sons have had it, I have been exposed mutlitple times, and I have had direct patient contact with Covid positive patients.  I have had five tests since last spring due to exposure or symptoms - all were negative.  Maybe the antihistamine effect of my allery pills make me less susceptible or maybe the Vitamin D supplements really do help.  Or maybe I am just lucky. I prefer to think that I am just cautious and that my efforts are what have kept me Covid free and hopefully will continue to do so.

This is Randomly Me - Daemon