A Verbalization to Ventilate a Voluminous Victor!

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.!!!
The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous!!
Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V!

Life More Abundant!

In my job I regularly get to see the effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle. Let me tell you... if you want to live past 50 NEVER SMOKE (those that have to have any cardiac work done on them fare terribly after surgery if they are a smoker), eat healthy (yes that means sacrificing what you want to eat with something that's good for you.... when you order that salad next time you're out with your buddies and they make fun of you... you'll get the last laugh), and exercise!!

But what I really wanted to tell you about was the couple I met today. This couple has been married for about 1 year now. They are 76 and 77 years old at this point in their life. I can't begin to describe how funny it was to watch them together. They flirt like they're 20 years old and held hands as long as we would let them stay together. They didn't pick at one another but instead would compliment the other to anyone who would hang around long enough for them to get a chance!!

It was truely inspiring!

Betcha Didn't Know This!!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Brett!

1. White chocolate isn't technically chocolate, because it doesn't contain Brett.

2. Forty percent of the world's almonds and twenty percent of the world's peanuts are used in the manufacture of Brett.

3. Brett can't sweat.

4. To check whether Brett is safe to eat, drop him in a bowl of water; rotten Brett will sink, and fresh Brett will float.

5. Brett will give a higher yield if milked when listening to music!

6. By tradition, a girl standing under Brett cannot refuse to be kissed by anyone who claims the privilege.

7. You can tell if Brett has been hard-boiled by spinning him. If he stands up, he is hard-boiled!

8. Women shoplift four times more frequently than Brett.

9. Red Brett at night, shepherd's delight. Red Brett at morning, shepherd's warning!

10. If you chew gum while peeling Brett then it will stop you from crying!

To find out more interesting facts about people, places and things... please consult the Mechanical Contrivium at http://thesurrealist.co.uk/trivia.pl?subject=&gender=f

What do you mean by a "One on One" patient??

Patient is post-op day 3 for a triple Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery.

Amiodarone drip at 17, Norepinephrine drip at 25, Diprovan drip at 10, Nepro per Orogastric Salem Sump at 10 (if tolerating increase in incriments of 10 to a goal of 30cc/hr), Right Central Venous Line, Right Swann Line (which is stationed in the Pulmonary artery, by the way), Left Radial Arterial Line, Right Brachial peripheral IV, and Chest tubes x 3 (yes, that's right, three tubes running into his lungs each about 2/3rds the width of a hot dog).

Patient also has a Dual Left Subclavian Line for their Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (yall would call it continuous dialysis). MD orders to withdraw 75cc fluid more than they're taking in hourly to decrease patients generalized edema due to lack of any significant kidney function.

Patient is on the ventilator Pressure Control with a Pressure Support of 20, a Positive End Expiratory Pressure of 14, an FiO2 (fraction of inspired O2) at 100% with MD orders to decrease in incriments of 10 to a goal of 50% as long as SpO2 remains above 92%.

Not to forget you've got to hang a unit of blood, draw labs, chart vitals hourly, give meds, check blood sugar levels every four hours and regulate the Insulin drip per results of the blood sugars, explain to random and different family members every six hours what YOU are doing to their loved one and why you are doing it, and put up with all the doctors that come through. OH and by the way.... ALL of these orders are subject to change at ANY moment depending on when any ONE of the patients 3-5 doctors decides to come strolling in (wondering why you haven't completed all HIS orders).


It was actually a REALLY good day!! I had a great time and acheived all my patient goals for the day.... as well as a few goals of my own. This is ALL pretty standard stuff for the patients that are on my unit (except the CRRT machine, that comes special when you have bad kidney problems). My patient is slowly getting better.... little by little... and next to what God has been teaching me VERY recently.... it's the most fulfilling thing I've ever had to joy of being a part of.

God be with you all my friends!