Dimple's Discoveries

Tuesday night was a pretty exciting night. My roommates, my close friend and I were trying to decide what to do for the night's entertainment. Wrestling matches ensued, and we were having fun Indian leg wrestling each other. Indian leg wrestling is laying side by side with your heads opposite each other, link arms and connect legs and try to flip each other over. I threw one roommate twice, then challenged another roommate. I flipped her once, and then we went one more round. This one didn't go quite so well. I got pinned in fetal position on my neck for a few seconds, and when I sat up, I knew something was wrong~I had full movement, no tingling or anything, but the pain was dizzying, from the crown of my head down to the bottom of my shoulder blades. I sat for a moment, then carefully laid back down. After a few minutes we started the movie and I started cryotherapy in an attempt to numb the pain and lower any swelling. By the end of the movie I knew I needed a priesthood ble...

I have a nasty job. A job that, like Michael from My Best Friend's Wedding so eloquently puts it "Unfortunately, I happen to love!" Like any normal person, when I come home after a long day, I want to tell someone my funny stories, or the yucky things that happen, things like that. My mom is a good sport to always listen to my stories, even though I know she doesn't like knowing some of the details I consider a crucial part of the story. :) I am not married yet, and the man I do marry will have to put up with my stories, no question. That has definitely been a make-it-or-break-it on dates, and I've found it's best to get it out of the way on the first date so we don't waste any time. Now, I don't normally throw it out over dinner (although I won't deny it has happened before!) but I'll usually try to slip it in the conversation how much I love my work, or that I got to work a shift last night or something. "Wait, doesn't that mean th...

We’ve been taught since we were very young the combination 9-1-1 for emergencies. Our parents would carefully bring the phone over and let us pretend to push the buttons, and teach us the importance of calling it if there was ever a problem. We knew the gravity of that, and it was always a dreaded prospect if we ever had to.  As a caregiver I have often been put in a position where I have had to call EMS (emergency medical services) whether it be for a diabetic patient who hadn’t eaten and their blood sugar drops dangerously, a patient who has fallen, or a patient who’s O 2  levels are hovering in the 60-70%, or any other number of problems we can’t take care of at my facility. By the time we have to call EMS, we are in some trouble, and we need them to be fast, efficient, and kind. I have met at least a hundred EMTs, paramedics and sheriffs over my years of work, and had almost all fantastic experiences. They are so good about addressing our concerns, quickly evaluating...

Sorry I missed last week guys, life has kept me on my toes these past few weeks.  If I had to pick a favorite out of all of the people I have ever cared for, she would be it. This patient had Alzheimers, final stage, and she was a sweetheart. She was the most kind woman I have ever met, which speaks volumes for her because Alzheimers changes most people's personality for the worse. When I first became a CNA and met her she was wandering with her walker aimlessly down the hallways, circling for hours until she accidentally went into someone's room or we needed her for something. By the time she passed away her physical condition had worsened to the point that she fell every time she tried to walk without help, but still had that urge to roam, so we had to keep a very close eye on her. Her daughter had brought in a desk tray that we could strap to her wheelchair to keep her in it, but just a day before my story we had been told to get rid of it because it was considered a rest...