Some burnout brewing

It's been extremely busy around the RT Cave lately. It seems this is the time of year where all the bugs that were brewing around all winter settle in and cause havoc for those with chronic illnesses.

And, since all that wheezes is considered as asthma, doctors are ordering up asthma and COPD drugs that only respiratory therapists can deliver, meaning the workload is skyrocketing, which results in burnout.

What is burnout? According to dictionary.com, burnout is: "fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity."

That's exactly where your humble RT is right now. I would like to add to that definition: "feelings of mush, burning feet, easy irritation."

The busy times will pass, it's just a matter of how long. Since we have no way of predicting the future (other than weathermen), we'll just have to bide our time.

It is for the fact I have no control of how busy it will be here at shoreline that I cannot have regular scheduled posts here at the RT Cave. And why I often promise to write something "tomorrow," and get to it a month later.

For example, I promised you guys I'd write about the link between pollution and asthma. I promised another guy I'd write about Primitine Mist and how it should never be used. I think I also promised once I'd write about PFTs.

This is a perfect example of the challenge of being an RT. You can plan on doing one thing, and the next instant your beeper will be going off and you have to do something else for a long, long time. You just sit down to eat and, WHAM! ER pages you STAT.

Hopefully soon the rush and the burnout will pass and I can get back to writing something useful, like the things I mention two paragraphs up.