Do the right thing

Now that we are in "work mode" there isn't much to update you on this time...

On Sunday, May 20, there was a solar eclipse visible in the LA area.  Not to the naked eye though, which I quickly learned but kept looking anyway.  I saw spots for awhile afterward, never saw anything really like the images below.  These were borrowed since I was driving at the time.  Pretty rad!

My first few nights at work were...  interesting.  My friends spoke of a difference in east coast nursing versus west coast nursing.  I just thought it was a personality difference until I was training in the ICU and later when Jared and I shared horror stories.  In short, he ran two codes on his first night (there were five patients total in the ICU) and neither made it.  I initiated interventions on a very sick woman (who was not my patient) and ended up doing my first set of chest compressions (I know, I know, in three years the opportunity never presented itself to me) on my first night.  Her temperature was 107.3 F at midnight, she also did not make it. Then the next night, there were three patients in the ICU and I was responsible for two of them, they both made it through the night.  Welcome to the ICU. 

The above events were simple things to avoid by sending labs after surgery to make sure the patient isn't losing too much blood, monitoring white blood cells to trend infection, or actually waking the patient up to interact and monitor his or her mental status...  It was really discouraging and frustrating.  It's not the same practices that I am used to, but I am just here to help, while feeling help-less.  I guess I am going to have to work very hard on my advocating voice these next few months...  And look for a teaching hospital for my next assignment.

To make matters even worse, the cafeteria is not open overnight and there is no Jimmy John's to speak of either.  I suppose that is how one gains a beach body. 

Speaking of beaches...

Max is really getting the hang of this!  He is getting more and more brave about running into the ocean and not waiting for it to come to him by accident.  He still poops on the beach but he keeps it solid, atta boy! 

The photo below cracks me up!  He made a friend and they were playing, running up and down the beach.  His dog friend walked into the ocean so Max followed.  Then they "got told" by the ocean and Max walked out disgusted.  Ha!

I am pretty sure he enjoyed this trip to Rosie's Dog Beach.  The photo below makes me smile.

"I'm a hap-py boy, hubba hubba hubba hubba"

Ten minutes after we left the beach, the sun showed up and stayed for the rest of the day.   I parked myself by the pool and prepared my body for the beach day that is coming up next week.  My San Francisco friends are coming down for a few days to play.  My first visitors, I cannot wait!