Sleepless night

After getting to bed way too late, due in part to the only storm we've really had all season, and in part due to my own stupidity, I managed to survive AND do my good deed for the day. I worked a PM shift so I can have this Sunday off, which makes for a nasty short turn around for this morning. Couldn't fall asleep until after the storm passed, and then hacked my way through the night, promising my self I'd stop and the walk in clinic on my way home to beg for some codeine cough syrup.

Backing up to last night, utter chaos. Dementia is a horrible thing. We currently have a resident who is just two years older than one of our nurses, they actually went to high school together. Ugh, so sad...Nursing wise, this guy has what we call "Impaired safety awareness". He's also a mean old coot. He's hurt several of my CNA's, and has threatened to hit, kick and throw things at several other staff members. Fun guy. Between him and two other residents with similar issues, I should have sweated off at least 5 pounds. It was hard to get anything done other than just babysitting these three residents. I had an admit to finish, new TB paperwork to finish on all of our current residents, and several of our nurses are boycotting doing the TB paperwork catch up. Vent to come later on that.

The night nurse is as slow at getting report as she is at giving it, so I didn't manage to leave until 45 min. after my shift ended. It was already 11:30 when I got home. I fixed myself a snack, settled into bed with my 'puter and the TV when the sirens when off--which immediately gets my adrenaline going. No sleep for me until the storm passed. I tried falling asleep about 12:30, and thought "Well I can still get close to 5 hours if I go in late." I had warned the night nurse I'd be late.

The night went something like this: Hack, hack, hack. Cough, cough, cough. Roll over. Repeat. Flip the pillow to find the cold side. More coughing, nose drains to the other side. Debate taking more robitussin. Get up to pee. Still spotting, a little crampy, but where's my period? Back to bed...kick the dog out of my spot. Hack, hack, hack. Cough, cough, cough. Roll over. Alarm rings...

No shower this morning. Hotter and sticky at work. Sweating dripping off my forehead. Crappy slow CNA's. No real problems with the wing, nothing unexpected, just slow CNAs. There is one who can't seem to get it through her head that when I have a pt. on M-W-F weights that I really will expect that weight on those days! She acts like a surprise every time I remind her. This resident has been a 3x a week weight for the last 6 months--what the heck? Maybe I'll try and get that one discontinued since she's been stable. Easier than fighting with the CNA three times a week.

Now for my good deed. One resident was determined to get some new yarn and knitting stuff. It's the beginning of the month, so she has her monthly spending account re-filled. Less than $100/month...how sad is that? She spends it mostly on snacks and soda. Truthfully, if I end up in a LTC, that's where my money will go too. Anyway, she tends to obsess when she gets an idea in her head. So I agreed to get the supplies she wanted. At times in my life I've had close to $1000 in cash, yet I clutched onto her $16 like it was gold. If anything had happened, I just would have paid out of my own funds--but still. When you get less than $100/month to call your own...Anyway, I made her day. My good deed was done.

It ended up being 4:30 when I got home. Too late for a nap, but I tried anyway. Hack, hack, hack...here we go again. Beloved called me on my crap "Thought you were going to the quick clinic?" yeah, I was...

I'm anticipating another sleepless night. But I will HAVE to take a shower in the morning. Poor Beloved has to sleep next to my stink.