Busy at work! Who cares! I'm on Vacation now!

It's the middle of July. The weather is beautiful up her in Shoreline, Michigan. In fact, I don't think it can get any better -- not too hot, not too cool. And, yet, instead of being out and enjoying it, it seems many individuals are getting sick -- or faking it for attentjion -- and visiting me at the hospital.

It seems to me in that most summers I work business is slow. In fact, in years past I remember telling my friends that I'm never going to take a vacation in the summer again because it's so slow at work in the summer that going to work is like a vacation in itself. I sit there all night and play on the Internet, get caught up on my personal projects -- like this blog and my check book -- and simply enjoy it.

This year, however, it seems the summer vacation at work is not going to happen. Why? Does the economic circumstance lead to depression and hence sickness? I don't know, but that's what I'm beginning to wonder.

We actually got down to 4 patients last Tuesday, but as soon as I stepped in the door Thursday evening (7-p.m. exactly) a Code Blue was called over head. After spending an hour at that, I spent the next two hours in the ER, and it seems every patient I saw was admitted, including Mr. Montague who seems to get pneumonia once every two months. While I was giving him his tx in the ER, his wife says, "He wants to be admitted." It's not very often people come right out and admit that.

Mrs. Cocrain in the critical care has been on a ventilator for the better part of three months. I've written about her on this blog, but I can't seem to find it. She initially had a DNR order the family did not respect. So, now she has to live this way until she dies. Although she hated the vent dependend unit down state, so she gets anxious, a feeling of air hunger befalls her, and she finds herself admitted for the three millionth time. And when she is here, she gets treated as though she were in a VDU: on the vent at night, off during the day.

And then it seems we have at least 12 other patients all admitted for some reason not related to bronchospasm, and yet they all must have breathing treatmtns because???? Your guess is as good as mine. My boss says we should all quit complaining (not that I am), and be happy we have jobs. Well, she has a point, but it would be better to at least enjoy the off season, the usual vacation season that comes with summer.

Normally this time of year it's 90 degrees with 100% humidity this time a year (either that or it's coming soon), and since I don't have air at home I look forward to coming to work where I can enjoy the cool air. Perhaps if it's slow enough I can sit in an empty patient waiting room and watch the Detroit Tigers.

But, none of that seems to be happening this summer. By Monday Morning I'm running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off on my 4th straight day, and, you guessed it, Code Blue! wails overhead. My long weekend ends the same way it began. The code went well, and then just as I'm getting ready to leave I get word my relief forgot she had to work today. No prob.

Either way, I'm happy to be on a real vacation now. My feet are aching and my eyes are weary. It may take a few days into this free time to recoup. So, since I will be on vacation this week, don't expect anything too thought provoking at the RT Cave. In fact, I think I might spend the bulk of it just loafing around and pretending the Internet doesn't exist.

A virus forced me to take a vacation from RT Cave

While it only takes one day to get burned out, it takes at least five days to get un-burned out. That's where I stand right now, on day #5 of being off. But that, my fellow readers, is not why I haven't posted here at the RT Cave the past four days.

Despite all the spyware on my computer, I caught a virus. It was one of those where every time I logged onto the Internet an anti-virus company had it's ad on my screen saying I had many viruses on my computer, and the only way to get rid of the viruses was to buy the product offered.

It was quite obvious to me that the same company who wanted me to pay to get rid of the virus was the same crooked company that put the virus on my computer. It's fraud plain as day. Yet how do little folks like you and me prove who put that virus on my computer? From what I've learned, it's nearly impossible to prosecute these thugs.

So it took my brother in law five days to read up on and figure out how to remove the virus. And that's where I stand right now. Finally, after a nice vacation from the Internet, I am back on here.

However, I have to say, taking a vacation from the Internet is not so bad. It was actually quite nice to take a vacation not only from work, but from the Internet as well. And three consecutive nights with 12 hours sleep helped as well. The result is that my burnout is gone. I hope it stays that way.

Yet, as all medical workers know, while it may take five days to get un-burned out, it only takes one busy night at the hospital to get all re-burned out again.

The ironic thing about this profession, though, is that if it's not busy at work, work can be a vacation in and of itself. Well, we'll have to wait and see how it is tomorrow when I do return to work.

Great to be back.

A positive note from a fan

I like to contend I have no ego. However, reading comments like the one left on this post are still enjoyable to read:

"I've had asthma since I was four and I'm 29 now. The articles you have written are the best I've ever read on asthma. I was in the ER today and last Sunday with asthma. Thank you thank you thank you for posting. You just don't know how many people you've helped. I'm going to pass this along to my friends and family that are suffering from asthma

This is especially true while experiencing burnout. So ego up a notch from zero to 0.1.

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.

Ever dread going to work one more night?

Do you ever have a day you simply dread going to work? That's about where I sit right now as I write this. My wife worked last night, and she said it is a complete zoo there. And she was not referring to OB, even though they too are busy.

I do feel a certain amount of joy that I will be needed. And I do feel joy knowing that I will provide a solution to some person's problems tonight, be it a patient or a nurse or both. I do feel joy in knowing that I will be really working tonight and earning my keep, as opposed to those many days recently where I had so much time as to watch several TV shows on the Internet.

However, I dread the idea that I will be beeped every time I sit down to chart, and I dread the idea that when I sit down to chart again I will again be paged, and when I sit down to chart again I will be paged. I know this sounds redundant, but that's exactly how my nights have been lately.

I have already promised myself that no matter how frivolous the reason for paging me is, I will not complain. I will be happy. I will smile. (fingers crossed)

Well, I say that, but we'll have to wait and see. Usually when I get irritated at getting paged for stupid things, like a treatment that is not indicated, or an EKG on a patient that came in because she stubbed her toe, I grumble and gripe to myself if at all, and by the time I get to my destination I never say anything to the nurse.

And, expecially when I enter the patient's room, I know that I left my attitude, if I had one, at the door. I'll have to remind myself about this more than once tonight, as I still am burned out from the weekend from hell. And we had a wee bit trouble sleeping last night after sleeping until 1:00 yesterday. Whoops. I shouldn't have done that.

Oh well. I can say oh well, and I can rest pretty assured that I will stay in a relatively good mood tonight if only for the simple truth that I know I will not have to return to work tomorrow for my regularly scheduled final night before my six day off stretch. I say this because tomorrow I'm taking off so that I can leave for Florida Friday morning. Yippee.

Yet, a part of me still dreads that I have to work one more night. The burned out sensation that runs through my veins and has worked its way to through my muscles to the core of my bones, especially in my feet, wants me to stay far, far away from that place.

Songs like "One More Night," will rail through my head, reminding myself that it will be over soon. But soon, sometimes during hellish nights, seems like a long time while it's happening.

Do you ever dread going to work like that? I'm not talking about hating your job, but just wishing you could take that final day off, like a Friday per se for people who work normal eight hour shifts with no weekends.

Ever? I bet you do.