A Communication Space for Jaeteuk and bestVase7265 only. (Please do not reply or respond, thank you)
I hope this can be a start of support for the long-term for the both of us.
@bestVase7265
2 down, 3 more days of 10 hour shifts to go. I'm already exhausted and tired. Still haven't been sleeping so well, I started yawning around 3pm on Tuesday, and shift ends at 8pm. My leg muscles are tired from all the walking around, more than 21,000 steps on Tuesday. My left knee was hurting since the weekend, and I've been using an elastic bandage to wrap my knee for my shift, and using the elevators instead of taking the stairs. It hurts when I bend it, when I put too much weight on it, and when I'm walking down the stairs.
We'll be 3 staff short for this week. One on vacation, one's father passed away unexpected, and another one got rear-ended by a drunk driver Monday night, so she may be off for the rest of the week. I'm doing so much work, times when I think I'm the only person doing everything that a team is suppose to work together to do. Sigh, and it's going to beike this all week. It's so tiring when the other staff does not act like a teammate and only cares about her work. The moment I start my shift at 10am, all she does is care about her main task and she doesn't help out with other things at all. This will be a long tiring week for me, at least she thanked me for starting earlier in the day. But still..
I am sorry that the week is going to be a tougher one for you. You will get through. I am sending strength and peace.
Mine is tougher too. I am with my parents arranging for assisted living for my dad. He really isn't eating anything.@Jaeteuk
For some reason, I woke up at 5:40am this morning.. had started yawning very early in my shift. I arrived earlier for work, to get some bloodwork done at the lab. Lucky me, no waiting. Get it done before my shift starts. Now, just waiting for the Hospital to call me with the ultrasound appointment. I dropped off the requisition yesterday, and the lady said since I'm staff, will be put more at the front of the list. So hopefully it doesn't take too long.
Is your dad eating any solid foods or not eating much at all? It's so tough seeing your parents not eating. Does he have any favorite foods? To get his appetite going.
He is eating no solid foods and almost no non solid foods. He constantly feels like he is going to throw up. It may be a swallowing issue. He has dropped over 50 pounds in a year. He has no energy so things are really desperate. We are hoping that the nurses can sort things out for him in the next few days. It has been a very, very hard one for me.@Jaeteuk
Do they give him fluids then? How is he getting his nutrients? I was afraid my grandmother will have the same problem, as we were told the muscles in her neck were deteriorating. So, I guessed that it meant her swallowing may be a struggle. But then, staying at the Hospital, my Aunt says she's been eating quite well.
I hope the nurses can find a solution quickly, it won't be good if he isn't eating for a long period of time.
I'm so tired today, I started yawning right from the beginning of my shift. My eyes are tired, and I was awake around 6am, but I went back to sleep by 6:15am and wake up to the alarm for 7am. But all week so far, I'd either be woken up around 5 or 6 am, so I feel tired and sleepy. Every day this week, I've been walking more than 20,000 steps. Yesterday, my leg muscles were sore. One more day to go!
My brother was in France earlier this week for a business trip, this morning, he messaged me that he's off to Brussels. Several hours later, I asked if he was able to eat at the Restaurant he liked, he said he went, but it no longer had the dish he wanted to eat. Then, he went on to say that he might have pulled a muscle in his left shoulder, as it's painful when he raises his left arm. So, he was just resting at the hotel. He should be coming home Friday, I asked if he'll be able to drive home from the airport, and to let us know if he can't. He says as long as it doesn't worsen, he should be able to drive. Worst case, is have my parents meet him at the airport, have my dad drive his car, and my mum drive their own car back. Since I'm working tomorrow still, I won't be able to help even if he can't drive himself.
Sending you hugs, and prayers to you and your father~
That is just it. He isn't getting enough nutrients because my mother was trying to get him to eat at home. The place that he is staying now will hopefully be able to figure out more why he can't eat, convince him to eat more, and slowly get his strength back. But we are going to have to be really patient, I think. He has lost so, so much. I would just love to be able to see him lift his head and smile again.
But I am back home now and letting the nurses handle him. My mother is finally getting some much needed rest from care giving. So we will see how the next few weeks go.
That does sound like quite a few steps. Hopefully you will get more rest soon. @Jaeteuk
My brother somehow injured his bicep tendon before his business trip. Although he returned home last Friday already, but he has been unable to lift his left arm sideways. He went to a walk-in clinic this past Saturday, to get some prescription pain killers, as he's unable to sleep at night due to the pain, and today, he just picked up some topical lotion from the pharmacy. Yesterday, I had to become his hands, and typed up some notes for him to send off as emails to work. He spoke his mind/thoughts, and I typed. We worked on it for about an hour.
A colleague messaged me yesterday, asked if I could work for the rest of the week, then shortly after the message, I get a call from the Program Clerk (person who assign shifts), missed the call. But to address the message the colleague asked me, I emailed the Program Clerk that I'm not able to work because my brother injured his arm, and I need to become his hands for his work.
I worked so much overtime last week, I think I deserve this week off. We were short-staffed, of 3 people. Each day, I did 10hr shifts. Even if I don't accept to work this shifts for this week, they are only 1 staff short. I bet you though, none of those staff will be asked to work overtime either. So, why must I make things easier for them? Let them feel how it's like when it's short-staffed.
I did all the work last week, all the running around, in 5 days, working 10 hrs shifts, my steps accumulated to over 100,000 steps! A normal shift, usually averages 13,000 steps, last week, it was at least 20,000 steps per day. I was so exhausted, I think I need to be off this week to rest.
Well it sounds like your brother's injury will allow you to slow down a bit. That will be good, but I hope that he also feels better soon. @Jaeteuk
He went for Physio this morning, he now has some tape over his tendon, I guess to keep the muscles together so he doesn't stretch it further. Yes, I hope he gets better soon too. He's getting weird side effects from the pain killers/anti-inflammatory pills. His face secreting a lot of oil.. but it's nice to take a break from his work too, although his work is rushing him to hold meetings again.
@bestVase7265
Those kinds of injuries can have quite varied healing times. @Jaeteuk
Yes, he's still only able to move his arm sideways a couple of inches away from his body.
My immensely busy summer shifts start next Tuesday. So, hopefully with a few more days' rest, it will gradually become better. His work is already making him hold meetings, over dinner tonight, he said that during his meetings today, he typed with one hand. Typing with his good hand, has caused more stress as it's more difficult. So, hoping that he won't overwork his good hand too, otherwise, both his hands would be useless and he won't be able to do anything. I've already offered to be his hands to type, but then, I guess that's not possible when he's in meetings and needing to chat through text at the same time as talking.
On another note, I've launched my business, now, I just need to work on earning that first dollar. Once that happens, then, it will prove that all my hard work was well worth it and I can start to grow it.
@bestVase7265
That all sounds good. You are moving in the right direction. @Jaeteuk
So, working the early morning shift for this and the following week. A shift I haven't worked since last year, which makes me very slow in doing my tasks. Which is mainly picking cases (as in each surgical cases have items to pick). By the time another colleague started at 11am, I had only picked for 3 Operating Rooms out of 6 in total. Very slow. Being short-staffed, I had to do other tasks in between, and since I haven't worked this shift for so long, a lot of the items really took me more time to find and locate. Especially, when some of the names have changed. Hopefully, I'll get quicker by the end of this week, and would get used to it for next week.
The colleague that started at 11am even helped me pick for one of the ORs, so I only picked for 5 rooms and it still took me just past 2pm. When, everything is normally finished latest, by 1pm. I might have to start asap when I start my shift at 6:30am, maybe start picking by 7am. This morning, I had kind of took my time doing other tasks and didn't really start picking until past 7:30am.
Because I was so slow in picking the cases, I didn't even have time for a break (coffee breaks or meal break, I barely squeezed in a bathroom break). So, I went for my break at 3pm, then, went home straight after. My colleague said I should just go home, but, if I went home instead of taking the meal break at work, I wouldn't get paid for that 30 minutes. So, I stayed. As my shift ends at 3:30pm, I was about to leave, but remembered I had to check something on the computer and send off a couple of emails. Then, as I was about to leave the lunch room around 3:45pm, I was stopped by another colleague to help her with a password change for the computer (it was her first time doing it, as we need a password change every 3 months, I guess for security reasons). I didn't get home until 4pm (luckily, I'm less than a 5 mins drive away).
Hopefully you will get some rest and find a better cruising speed soon. You are a hard worker, so I am pretty sure that you will be able to get better at things quickly. Sending a good night sleep. @Jaeteuk
Thank you, a good night's sleep is important, being that I'll be waking up at 5am (but working the early morning shift, I usually start yawning by 1pm anyways). As I eat a full breakfast before heading to work (oatmeal with 2 eggs). I woke up almost instantly from the alarm this morning, and yet, I felt a bit rushed heading to work. Starting shift at 6:30am, I need time to pay for parking and change into my scrubs, at least 5 minutes before my shift starts. Sometimes, parking is a hassle, especially if the Parking App is not working, and I'll need to pay at the Parking Meter instead. I'd actually rather be all changed and ready to start my shift at least 10 minutes before, I tend to like to try and start a bit earlier with all the things I need to do in the morning, but this morning, by the time I finished changing and is in the department, it was already 6:25am. Luckily, the other colleague (covering a shift at the desk) who also started earlier, and she had some things completed for me already.
But she left a note at my desk, listing things that she had done this morning, and is supposed to be my duties. So, maybe she's just doing it today and will expect me to do them onwards for the days to come. If that's the case, it will be a benefit if I could start that 10 minutes earlier. I feel like I'm doing more than I'm supposed to, being that I'm on my own until 11am. I remember when another colleague worked my shift, and I started at 10am, that colleague wasn't doing any of the in-between tasks that I was doing. But at the same time, it's what that morning shift should help with. That's why, I think that whenever I work the afternoon shift, being short-staffed, and for the other colleagues that end up working that morning shift take advantage of me, as they will not do any in-between tasks while they are working alone in the morning. Then, when I arrive, I end up doing it all. (we have to move bags of patients' belongings to the recovery room, after they have entered the OR for surgery, I remember when I started my shift at 10am, the morning staff had only signed off in bringing the bags over for the first cases of each room and some procedures finish quickly and would already be on the second cases by the time I started, and yet, those bags aren't taken over yet. It's like those colleague purposely just left everything for me, for when I start my shift, which I think is unfair). For today though, because I feel like a brand new staff picking cases, there were times when I didn't get the chance to move the bags over, and I saw a couple of times as I walked past them, Nurses from the Recovery Room came for the patients' belongings instead.
I'll have to see if I can leave my house by 6am, rather than 6:10am. That 10 minutes does make a difference.
@bestVase7265
It sounds like you are figuring it all out well. Do the best you can with the time and energy that you have and worry less if someone is taking advantage of you. @Jaeteuk
I started yawning much earlier in my shift on Wednesday, I was already quicker with picking the cases, but not looking forward to Thursday. Nearly 10 more cases than Wednesday to pick.
One good news though, our elevator is finally going to be fixed next week, they will come to corner-off the area for the contractor to work this Friday afternoon. Then, they will work on it next Monday and Tuesday. The guys say, hopefully that it can be finished in 2 days. Our elevator has been out of service for at least the past 3 months. It's been so much more extra work for us and the colleagues in the department below us. We are both short-staffed, and all the up and down the main elevators is such a hassle. Especially when nurses are constantly calling downstairs for extra instruments. We either have to end up going down to get them, or the staff downstairs deliver it. With the fixed elevator (which is a small elevator located within our department), it will be back to normal to having carts and instruments sent up and down the clean lift.
I'll definitely need to be out of the house by 6am Thursday morning, need to wheel the garbage down our steep driveway to the curb. We have hooks on our Compost Bin, and a bear broke into it recently. So, my dad replaced it with a heavy-duty hook, it's quite difficult to open, must wear leather, garden gloves. Hoping I won't have trouble in the morning.
Maybe I'll sleep around 11pm tonight, I had been sleeping around midnight, knowing that I usually can only sleep for 5-6 hours. Even if I'm in bed before 10pm, I don't sleep until past 11pm. Just so that I won't be waking up earlier than my alarm. But for some reason last night, I fell asleep before midnight, and I woke up briefly just before 1am. When I looked at the time, I thought I had slept for a few hours already. Maybe that's why I'm more sleepy today (Wednesday), because I woke up shortly after falling asleep, so it's like a disturbed sleep. Since I'm already tired and sleepy now, hopefully my sleep will be better tonight. Tomorrow will be a busy day!~
@bestVase7265
My sleep last night was one of the worst so far. I tried to sleep at 11pm, but couldn't fall asleep. As if I wasn't tired. But I had been even yawning during dinner. Then, I woke up around 2:30am and 4am. I was yawning a lot during my shift today too. One more day before the weekend, hope tonight's sleep is better than last night.
I read in an article a couple days ago, saying that eating boiled apple will help with insomnia, constipation, and lower cholesterol. I tried it last night, and I fell asleep before midnight and slept through to my alarm.
Going to try it again tonight, because I might've just been too tired yesterday from the accumulated sleepless nights and busy day at work. Since it's the weekend, I could try and sleep in, or wake up naturally, rather than to an alarm.
Well I really hope that the new apple method helps. That sound great.
Sorry that I missed last night. We were at a baseball game and didn't get home until late. So now I am tired and in need of sleep too. @Jaeteuk
With only 4 hours of sleep last night, I still had a nightmare and woke up with a racing heart.
Other than myself, my parents and 2 other people were involved. The storyline of the nightmare was that my brother was missing. I was getting help from a guy that was good at solving mysteries and the girl, tried to help me through some sort of witchcraft. My parents didn't want me to search for my brother with the guy. The racing heartbeat was because of the girl's way, kept being scared by people/ghosts popping out every corner I turned or small space I searched in. In the nightmare, I screamed so many times. Luckily that I didn't scream out loud. Sometimes, I catch myself talking in my sleep as I waken up from them.
I can't go into detail of the nightmare at the moment, need to finish my breakfast within half an hour to head to work.
But with only 4 hours of sleep, today's shift will definitely be tiring. And I won't have time until I get home from work to write about it (I keep a Dream Log).
So sorry for the nightmare. I hope that things are more peaceful now.@Jaeteuk
I've been getting only 4 hours of sleep the past couple of nights. Luckily no dreams or nightmares last night, but with that little of sleep, I'm still quite tired and sleepy during my shift. I can't wait until this week is over. Friday is going to be busiest, 30 surgeries.
At least I was able to stay sleep. I've been trying to eat boiled apples to help with the sleep, it seems to be working. Not waking up mid-sleep. I'll try it for the rest of this week, if it really works, maybe I could have my mum try it too. That way, she won't need to take sleeping pills for her sleep troubles because of menopause and getting hot flushes during her sleeping time.
You are going to make it! Just one day left. I am glad that the apples are helping. @Jaeteuk
Very good sleep last night, got 5 hours and 40 minutes of sleep. Slept through right to my alarm.
On another note, my sister is coming to visit next week. My brother is thinking to arrange for them to come over to our place next Saturday for BBQ. This older sister, not blood-related, she is the eldest sister to one of my brother's best friends from University. We all call her big sis, and I treat her like my real sister. She'll be coming to visit and stay for just under two weeks, the first time her hubby to visit here, so she'll be taking him everywhere. Her parents and younger brother + family will also come. Then, after two weeks, they will go visit the youngest sibling (brother's friend) who lives in Washington D.C.
At first, my brother was thinking of having dinner with them on a weekday, but since starting next week, I won't be off until 8pm, I wouldn't be able to join. So, that's why he says maybe we could invite them over to our place instead. It's going to be a house full of guests. If her parents are free, they'll come join us too, and we're also inviting my brother's other friend who lives locally, and my mum suggested him to invite another friend, so we have more hands to help with making BBQ, we have 2 BBQ stoves. If everyone can make it, including my parents, that will be 12 people! Sister says her brother is not free on Saturday (probably has plans to meet his own friends). It will be very crowded! My brother attended big sis's wedding a few years ago, I didn't go, because I was working and don't have to money to buy my own plane ticket. So, I haven't met her hubby before, but only know his name. She came to visit with her mum last summer too and we met up, just to the of us for coffee. We ended up buying some donuts and coffee, and just sat in the car in the shade and just chatted. That was nice, I don't think we'll get that kind of chance this time she visits though, since her hubby is with her. I guess I'll just chat more with her when they come for the BBQ.
Now, I hope next week's work will go by quickly!~
@bestVase7265
That visit sounds like an awesome change of pace. It can be tougher with lots of people but there is also joy there too. I hope that you get good conversations and smiles out of it. @Jaeteuk
Oh yes, looking forward to it too. Then, we'll have another BBQ in the first weekend of August. That time, inviting a family friend. Would also be 13 people. We've always been talking about inviting them for several years, but never really asked them. A couple of weeks ago, my parents bumped into them at a Cafe, and finally mentioned about inviting them over. They lost their eldest daughter from Leukemia, next year will be 10 years. She passed on Valentines Day. We used to be very close to that family friend when we were kids. Always had Christmas parties at their house, and even had sleepovers. But, ever since her passing, we stopped contacting them as the mum ended up with depression due to the grieving. It was kinda sad, she had a fiancé and was planning to get married when she was getting better, but when it came back, the guy's family told him to break up with her as there would be no future. Then, her parents just kind of disappeared for a few years.
It is great that you will be able to focus on the friend time that you do get. Enjoy that as you know that none of us are ever sure how long we are going to get it.
So, I haven't been eating boiled apples before bed the past couple nights. Thinking that since my shift starts at noon, I could easily sleep in if I didn't sleep well. But, last night, I woke up twice and was awake around 7am. Couldn't really fall back asleep, but still stayed in bed until almost 9am.
Tonight, I'll have the boiled apples again.. and offered to make a portion for my mum too. If boiled apples can help her with sleep, that's better than the sleep medication she finally had our GP prescribe for her. Although, I think she only took it for a few days. She also purposely bought some apples for this sleep remedy on Sunday for me. So, I'd better make it before it's been in the fridge for too long.
I hope that it works beautifully for you. @Jaeteuk
Someone like a Big Sister is coming for dinner/BBQ tonight. With her husband and parents, my brother invited another friend, who also knows her too. So, there will be 11 of us in our house. Big Sister and her parents are visiting from Hong Kong. They will be in town just under 2 weeks, before they go to the States to visit her youngest brother and see her two nephews.
I'm having some health problems, and it's causing a lot of worries. Making me very tired and not sleeping as well at night. I woke up around 4am this morning, the same as yesterday. (You'll see a post in Women's Issues).
Hopefully you can focus just on the visit as much as possible. It sounds as though it will be very special. @Jaeteuk
The BBQ was a success. We had so many leftovers, but because there were so many guests, I didn't have much of a chance to chat with my sister. She bought me a very thoughtful gift, has my name engraved on it.
With my medical concern, and hoping to get a cancelation spot this week to see my Gynecologist, even with the boiled apple, I haven't been sleeping well. Getting less than 5hrs of sleep per night.
I spoke with an Anesthesia Doctor yesterday, someone who is friendly and I've spoken with her multiple times before. Asked her questions, she claims that because I'm staff, once a get a procedure date, I could request from the desk clerk (lady who usually is in charge for the day and assigns nurses to different operating rooms daily), for which Anesthetist I'd prefer or which nursing staff I'd want in the room during my operation. I thought about asking her to be my Anesthesia Doctor, and I have another lady as a second choice, whom I spoke with recently too. Not about my case, but asked her questions about something else. A colleague suggested a male doctor that she's known for 10 years, but if I get to choose, I think I'd rather have an all female team.
At first, I thought about the embarrassment of having the procedure done at the same hospital because I know all the staff here, but, when I think about choosing another hospital, not knowing anyone else but my Gynecologist and possibly the Anesthesia Doctor, it feels even more uncomfortable. It's like, letting complete strangers take care of me.
It's already dreading as I wait for a possible cancelation appointment spot this week, or wait for my initial appointment made for August 1st. I get the feeling that until I've seen her, my sleep will continue to be poor.
I am so happy that your big event went well.
It is hard having to worry about medical procedures. I have had multiple gynecological ones in the last year so I can really sympathize. You worry about the procedure itself and then have to worry about the results afterwards. But they usually go very smoothly. It will be nice to have the opportunity to work with people that you know. @Jaeteuk
Mine should be a simple one, but I'm still losing sleep just waiting for my in-person appointment to go over my ultrasound and bloodwork results.
I can imagine. Last year near Christmas they had to do a biopsy and I had to wait a week on the results. It was quite challenging. The key is to focus on other things to distract yourself as much as possible.@Jaeteuk
I'm waiting until Thursday to see if I will be called to pick up a canceled appointment for Friday. Since cancelations usually require 24hr prior the appointment to call. Otherwise, my booked appointment is August 1st, one more week to wait. I haven't been sleeping well though, but I think my depression mode kicked in. As even with the lack of sleep, I don't feel super tired/sleepy during the day.
I started a new TV drama last night, cried a few times. It was nice to let out some tears. I had been so frustrated, stressed, worried, depressed, etc, that being able to release my emotions through watching a drama that made me cry, makes me feel a bit more relieved. The only problem is, I watched until 5am, then woke up around 9am-something. So, less than 5 hrs of sleep. But like I mentioned earlier, being in Depression Mode, even with the lack of sleep, I'm still energized through the day enough while working.
Continue to watch dramas like that. They actually can really help with the depression because they let out some of those emotions in a way that your brain won't let you do otherwise. And don't feel like you need to feel guilty about wasting time. It is how your brain can heal a bit. But do try to get more sleep when you can. @Jaeteuk
I felt very emotional at work today too. Just very upset. My Gynecologist saw me in the hallway today and spoke briefly with me. Says we will discuss more options when I see her next week. For that day though, I'm wondering if I should just take the day off (in case I end up being an emotional wreck after the appointment), or just let the staff know I might be starting up to an hour late for work, depending if there had been a delay in her patients from earlier in the morning.
If it were me, I would want to work to distract myself. It is easier to process it all as I am doing other things. But each person is quite different on that front. @Jaeteuk