Wednesday, August 15, 2007

I'm not dead

I am working four different shifts in the ER, often in the same week. As a result, my sleeping, eating, living schedule is all out of whack. I've wanted to blog several times in the last few weeks only to fall asleep before I even get started.

I shared my blog with a friend, though, so now I'm getting little gentle reminders that it's been a few days since I last wrote. Said friend, a fellow student, is sleeping as I write this. She came over for lunch and is now trying to catch a few zzzzz before she has to go back to the hospital for the night. Apparently, I'm not the only one whose schedule is a little out of whack. I was sitting in the living room (because you can't find a proper loungeroom outside of Australia) getting ready to study, when she yelled from my bedroom, "Are you gonna blog today? Because your people probably think you're dead." (My regular readers affectionately referred to as my people.)

So, even though I've got nothing exciting to share...oh, except maybe the story about the guy who ran himself over with his SUV. He ran himself over with his SUV, was admitted, treated, and sent home with a few broken ribs. He then came back to the ER last night covered in a rash. The attending explained that rashes of unknown origin--idiopathic urticaria, as they're called--are usually the result of stress. He gave him the name of a guy who writes books on meditation. He said, "You need to take 50 mg of Benadryl every six hours, relax, and realize that there is order in the universe." Order in the universe--to a guy who just last week hit himself with a car. Yeah.

But I digress. The point is...I'm not dead, and I'm here blogging today. Before I go, I should probably give my sleeping friend a blog name. She collects bugs in her spare time, kills them in her freezer, identifies them to family, and then pins them to a board. The result is an amazing and beautiful display of her mad entomology skills. Therefore, it seems only appropriate that she should be named Gracilliariidae after the family of leaf-blotch miner moths found in North Dakota. Since it took me 84 attempts to get that spelled correctly, we will just call her Graci for short. Graci gives great hugs and makes me laugh...lots. A shoulder to rest my head on, and a friend to bring out my snorting giggle--she truly lightens my load. Despite the bug holocaust happening in her freezer, Graci is a beautiful soul.

Finally, my people, although I haven't been commenting on all of your blogs as much as I'd like, I have been reading. You have all been a great reprieve from the rest of my hectic life. Thank you, friends.

I'm off now to study...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear from you T and welcome Graci. We may be a strange bunch but a loyal bunch we are! t, I hope you get some relief from your zigzag schedule soon. Anytime you get too tired and can't think about having to continue on with no sleep just read your previous post!

Vic said...

It's good to see that you have a good friend to support you through all this hard work. Cheers to Graci?

And you're welcome to my loungeroom any day!!!

Terroni said...

Cheers to Graci, indeed.

nina michelle said...

Just bouncing around blogland today. I've been roaming the countryside lately and haven't been keeping up with anyone. I am glad you are not dead. *grin*

Anonymous said...

"My people" an apt description for blogville.
Having done the suicide, day shift and night shift, overnight shift and call in relief shift all in one week for about six months I sympathise.
I went troppo at the end of it but hindsight has led me to believe this, sleep when you can and be selfish about it. eat your three meals a day in order, breakfast lunch and dinner with survival snacks when you need them. Otherwise your so whacked that you end up on about one and a half meals a day.
Get out in the sun whenever possible.
Friends are important so welcome to Graci, xoxox
And remember you can't help anyone when your running on vapours so take time out for yourself.
Much love and hugs xoxoox

dive said...

The IQ of SUV drivers, a mad entomologist and order in the universe.

This is why "your people" love you and are happy to wait around, T.

And Kate's advice is spot on.
What's "loungeroom" by the way?

Ms. Meander said...

oh my god, if a doctor gave me the name of a book on meditation i'd probably blow a gasket.

but then, i had gallstones while pregnant, which made it impossible to detect the gallstones on an ultrasound, which led my obstetrician to assume it was "stress" and offer me antidepressants instead.

antidepressants, as it turns out, don't help gallstones at all.

changing topics sort of, i ran into the doctor who delivered Storm. she was at the festival. i told her Lorelei was wanting to become a doctor and before she could stop herself she emitted a nervous, slightly hysterical-sounding giggle.

Maria said...

I figured you were probably one of the walking dead by now.....:)

And I am THRILLED that there is a Graci. Because you need a friend to get through the next few months and if you can find one who collects bugs, well...life will be good.

I'm with Kate. Make sure you eat regularly and sleep whenever possible. It is imperative and will be part of what gets you through.

I never had someone who ran over themselves with an SUV. I did have someone who had a dog who did, though. (Apparently, they were standing by the front of the car talking to their neighbor and the dog accidentally jumped on the gear shift....)

Anonymous said...

Welcome back, little one. I missed you so much but I understand ... hello to Graci too.
"a loyal bunch we are" - yes, indeed.
"you're welcome to my loungeroom any day" and mine, both the living room with fireplace or the morning room with sunshine.
"order in the universe" nice that the wanker is approaching sanity, slowly.
"I'm glad you are not dead. *grin*" me too, hooray!
"antidepressants, as it turns out, don't help gallstones at all" what a hoot!
"Just bouncing around blogland today", what fun.

There my little T, I've done your comments for you so you can sleep and dream beautiful dreams.
Mme xxxxxx