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Staff Me Angry / Spilling Beans / Missing Pain Meds

October 9th, 2021 - 0844 hours

"What Do You Want?"

That's exactly what the nurse said to me when she came into my room first thing this morning. No introduction. No name tag. No smile. She was visibly angry.

So I explained what I needed.. details regarding my formula bag being rinsed out.

"What you sayin'? Start again."

So I did. Still, she was angry and not really listening.

Background

I'd been patiently waiting for an hour, hoping the nurse would help me out with my formula bag change out (I cannot do it myself). Initially, I explained to the CNA that I needed help. This was right around 7am. And the CNA said, "I'll let the nurse know. Maybe she'll get off her lazy ass."

Okay. Diminished expectations, right?

Forty-five minutes later the CNA came back into my room.

"The nurse asked me why I couldn't just pour more formula into your bag."

Note: only doctors/nurses are supposed to handle feeding formula and related equipment.. but it doesn't matter to me either way

So I explained to the CNA that the process was slightly more involved (though not complicated) than just dumping another bottle of formula into my bag, adding that I was willing to offer guidance. But after explaining, she decided against it, not wanting to overstep her reach.

Forty minutes later, someone (who I am assuming was the nurse) enters my room, hands immediately going to her hips.

"What do you want?"

Yes. She's angry. And after I explain half of the bag-rinsing/bleeding process to her (the second time) she takes off with my formula bag.

When she returns, I tell her to just leave the rest for me. Yes. Now I'm pissed off. I want to teach her a lesson. She does seem to be less angry, however, but I complete the rest of the process on my own. F#!$ her!

Fortunately, the bag is clean (thanks Mystery Nurse). Hooray! And I am good to go for the next eight hours.

Come to think of it, maybe someone stole the Mystery Nurse's cup of Top Ramen noodles. Or ruined her patterned silk blouse. Rotated her crops without permission. Established permanent residency in her backyard shed. Made whoopie with her ex. Inadvertently waxed nostalgic artifacts in her cauldron of despair.

Roommate

He's been sleeping for the past twelve hours. I appreciate the peace and quiet, but I am wondering if he's okay. Maybe it's a matter of being out of his pain meds.

A lot of Jeff's suffering is self-inflicted, but a fair percentage is not. And by the sounds of things, others suffer in his wake as well (family).

The message? Don't get sick. Don't get old. Legalize assisted suicide.

There should be established parameters regarding the care and treatment of the incapable elderly. They were once humans, too.

Supplies

Yes! My wife dropped off supplies at the front desk a little while ago (0923hrs). I'm going to like totally for sure O.D. on my probiotics. Something to Kill the Bloat. Repeat 10x while clapping maniacally - "Kill the Bloat!"

Speaking of words chanted and signage misspelled, we are now a society of inane three-word slogans. Somewhat recently, we used to be a society of several-word soundbytes. Prior to that? Headlines and front page news. Sooner than later, it'll be… Emojis. Nothing but faux faces. A return to caveman (and cavewoman) days chock full of grunts, groans and obscene gestures cannot be far behind.


Words We Don't Use Anymore: Antidisestablishmentarianism


M.E.

I know I don't hit on many illness related issues on this blog, but yes, I am still a practicing (and occasionally participating) member on this forum. I am not unintelligent, it's just that I don't quite understand what they're talking about in most threads.

If it can be seen, or visually represented, then yes, I can climb aboard. And if the subject matter involves methods of the mind, I am there, too. Things I've tried (supplements, etc.)? Yes, there's that as well.

Here and Now

I am performing undercover reconnaissance. And you know, I could tell these folks that I'm a writer of sorts, and perhaps mention that I have an active blog, and use this as a means to curry favor or preferential treatment. Or mention that I am trying to entice local media outlets into tagging along for the ride (I'm not, but I like the idea of doing so).

But that would be unfair to the other residents, the ones requiring more dedicated attention. And in order to attain an accurate picture of how operations like this actually run, I have to let this play out naturally. See, I am halfway imagining that I am on a secret mission of vital importance. My ego appreciates these sorts of false exercises.

Neglected

Roommate Jeff requires dedicated assistance with certain tasks/functions from time to time. And if these tasks aren't completed in a timely fashion, he not only suffers painfully, but there's potentially a large-scale clean-up involved.

So today, after waiting an hour to get anybody to respond, pain increasing, he starts becoming belligerent. Mind you, he's not been given his pain medication since last night. When they ran out. So, nearly twenty-hours later, he's legitimately pissed off.

I did my best to console him, redirect his focus, empathize, strategize.. yet still, no one was responding. So I called the front desk. I mean, what else could I do? So that woman called the nurses station for me, but nobody answered. And then she tried again. Shortly thereafter, the CNA arrived, saving the day.

The Angry Nurse? No idea.

Alleluiah! Shift Change!!

---- But what I find out will peel the paint off of your sky baby blue '77 Cutlass.

The Angry Nurse is working a double shift, so if she wasn't full-on angry-ass destructive before, she's probably ready to go nuclear right about now. A 17-hour shift… yikes.

Fortunately, I can change out the afternoon formula bag myself. Not easy, but heck, I used to be an athlete. Or in the least, fairly athletic. Coordinated? Not clumsy? Take your pick. Use your imagination. That's what I do. A lot. Ha!

Turnabout

I check in with my mother every day to go over a daily checklist of sorts, as her fading memory makes it nearly impossible to function on her own. I cannot afford to put her in a care facility that's both nice and reasonably priced.. and the state covered nursing facilities are on par with my current locale. Plus, she's wholly independent, defiant as hell, and would never stand for having a roommate, much less, in such close quarters.

Anyway, during today's conversation, she offered the following:

"You know, if you're ever bored there, you can call me up anytime. I'm in the same boat. No one else to talk to."

Her recognizing my situation was surprising. She's never really had any type of emotional awareness. And now, as she slowly approaches 90 years old…

Progress, right? Wow.

I cannot explain it, but I suddenly feel closer to my mother.


Take care. I am going to try and go back to sleep. Roommate Jeff has been up all night watching an "America's Loudest Stupidest Off-key Singer" marathon on his viewing device. Yes. Manufactured drama grates on me ----

H

Comments

I think that word you posted, was never used, it existed solely to be the worlds longest word nobody uses....or to torment spelling bee participants.

Rumor has it- we are experiencing complete burn out of our medical helper system. How many have quit. How many double shifts. I really feel for them.

We should have immediately trained up 1000s of LVNs, any body in two year programs could be helping right now, but why do that in a pandemic?

So as Howard the Spy- you could be very civic- out in the outer world of Blogging, about the general scene.

Think of the other prisoners, less capable of analyzing it and seeking aid.

Have you seen my favorite movie, Cloud Atlas? Probably my favorite scene is when they break out of the Rest Home. Because- we cannot tolerate Criminal Abuse....
 
You are on an important mission.
I do not think its coincidence you are in there right now and blogging. I am not sure where you will eventually take this but i know it will make an impact on many people and possibly benefit your situation. I really hope you eventually do decide to alert magazines or news organizations of your writings.

and wow....just WoW. As if i couldn't be more stunned by the abandonment of people like us in the medical community....people don't even know how to change your feeding tube in there or value the timely changes of it. woooooooowwwwwwwww.

sending healing energy your way today.
 
Yikes, whatever happened to sympathetic nurses? I've detected a decline in friendly, compassionate nurses over the years, and it's still going downhill. Sorry! The negligence is astounding.

I don't understand a lot of threads either, and reading your blog has made this forum more interesting, so thank you for doing it.

I love the idea of using a media outlet. Your writing is brilliant, and maybe things would improve for all the residents and maybe could be more far-reaching.
 
You’re a spy, on a secret mission

Or a whistle blower, blowing a C.F.S. friendly anti-P.E.M. whistle.

Have you seen my favorite movie, Cloud Atlas?

I haven't seen Cloud Atlas, but I did see The Dig. Was that the name of it? The archaeological excavation one? ¡Muy bueno!

Is Cloud Atlas M.E. friendly?

I do not think its coincidence you are in there right now and blogging

Yeah. Some good has to come out of this experience. I think that my being around people somehow helps. Not sure how though. Doesn't matter.

Hope you're getting in some good cat naps today.

Napped twice. Helped. :)

Yikes, whatever happened to sympathetic nurses?

Thanks. I have an Angry Nurse update in the next entry.. Stay Tuned!!!!

Hint. Today was better.
 

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Howard
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