Friday, November 2, 2007

bored




For those of you who don't know I am a nurse in a Newborn ICU. It's a great job, and one that after getting over the initial terror of having the responsibility to keep really really sick and tiny newborns alive (obviously not by myself), I really enjoy. So then I got pregnant, and pretty quickly realized that having your head over the toilet for a good percentage of the day, is not conducive to safely doing that job. I really mean that too. I think that it is important for me to be able to focus on what I am doing at work, and do my best to take care of those precious little babes. And so I took a leave of absence, which sounds like a lot of fun...a big break from work...time to do whatever I want. Except I haven't really done much. I mostly sit on the couch and watch way to much TV. Or sleep. But all good things must come to an end.

So yesterday was my first attempt at going back to work. It lasted five hours. I don't know what I was thinking. I got myself all psyched up the night before--had my little name tag and scrubs all set out-got to bed early--I even showered in the morning (which rarely happens seeing as I have to be there at 6:30 am). So I get there and things are going OK for the first hour or two, but after lugging heavy oxygen tanks and transport monitors, not getting enough to drink or time to sit, several trips to the bathroom to puke, a dizzy spell, two really unhappy babies to care for (I don't blame them), not to mention the...let's just say copious, amount of bodily fluids coming out of pretty much every imaginable orifice (and some that are not!) of the those two babies (again...I do not blame the sweet babies, and realize that dealing with that stuff is the job I chose), I pretty much threw in the towel. Oh plus I cried. Don't ask me why. I don't know. I think I was overwhelmed and didn't feel good...so I started crying when someone asked me how I was doing. Yeah. Well there was that stuff plus the fact that one of the babies I was taking care of was radioactive and unsafe for me to care for following a procedure he had. Long story, but let's just say that I am glad that the radiology tech caught on that I was pregnant (by this point in the day I was complaining a lot and loudly), and mentioned the radioactive thing. Turns out it is not as common as you might think-- you know-- to radio-activate an infant.

Oh and I heard about twelve, "Are you OK? You look really pale/flushed", and one, "Did you just throw up? Yeah? You have that look. I just felt great during my pregnancy...best time of my life. I think a women's body is just meant to be pregnant". Yeah great...I agree. I do not think however, that a women's body is meant to stand for 13 hours straight. So I went home, where I will stay for at least another month I think.

So do you have any good book recommendations? I am really sick of TV.

Also, while I am complaining, I would also like to mention that it feels like I am being stabbed in the side every time I sneeze. Is that normal?

10 comments:

  1. I know how you feel (not the 'being pregnant' part, but the 'I don't have a job, so what in the heck should I do with my life' part.) After I quit my job I watched an imbarrassing amount of tv for the first little bit (ie: the entire series of Felicity for two hours every day for how ever long it took to air the show and enough food network to make it seem like I could be a professional chef!) I decided it was time to turn the tv OFF during the day!

    So that's what I did. Now I rarely watch tv during the day (sometimes Oprah) and it made me be productive. And sometime I would just leave the house and find things to do. Granted you don't have that luxury with all the pukiness. So i guess all I'm saying is I know how bored and unproductive you feel. That's all. This comment is basically useless because that's all I've got, some empathy.

    *sidenote* now that I have a newborn I'm slipping back into my old tv watching days. I don't know what else to do when all he wants me to do is hold him?? It's not like I can do the dishes or vacuum?

    Good luck with your book hunt... you could start your Christmas shopping? You could joins Anne's book club? Lots of love!

    Oh and good job attempting going back to work! Your job sounds really hard and intense! I don't know how you did it before you were growing a person inside of you!

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  2. p.s. I like the Dispatch! Mark and I have been listening to a little Dispatch lately...reminiscing about the days we were young and in love, dating! What fond memories, even if all we did was break up, I still love the memories!

    Ok I'll stop commenting now!

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  3. books...I was in school for what seemed like forever and so all I read was text books (I have a developmental psychology book you can borrow if you want to--it's kind of interesting, and I think I will review it when I have children...) Besides texts books, I have made time for Harry Potter, which is worth reading if you haven't read them (and I never liked fantasy before). I've heard the 'Twilight' books about the vampire are good, but I haven't read them, so who knows.
    I'm sorry work didn't go well. Health care if a fun field when you feel up to it, but when you don't, then you just need to know your limits so YOU don't become a patient!

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  4. Definitely read Anne's recent pick Stargirl, if you haven't. You'd love it. I don't know if this is for you, but I love searching for book ideas online then requesting them from the library, so I just have to run in and pick them up. Of course, you don't have little kids to take in with you, so you could just go to the library and hang out -- just make you know where the bathrooms are.

    I need to bring you your pitcher (did you notice it was missing?), so would you like to accompany me and two preschoolers to Discovery Gateway? Call me on a morning when you're feeling (semi)good and we'll be right over!

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  5. Oh, Danielle! I'm sorry you are so sick! I really hope it gets better soon. As for books.... a really fun, entertaining read is one by Orson Scott Card called "Enchantment". It's a really clever retelling of the sleeping beauty story. One of my all time favorite books. It has romance, adventure, a great villain, and will make you laugh.

    (Also, did you ever get that pregnancy book I told you about?)

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  6. The stabbing in the side IS normal! I have it every time I sneeze, turn over in bed, or get out of the car too quickly. I did some reading (and my midwife confirmed) that it's "Round Ligament Pain." It's a result of things stretching down there and isn't a problem at all--just another of the "joys" of pregnancy.

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  7. I get that round ligament pain a lot. It's no fun.

    Yes, definitely you should read Stargirl. And all the other novels on my blog. ;)
    I should lend you my copies...

    Hmmm...a few grown-up books that I've been meaning to read... "Wicked" and "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling" oh and also there are a bunch of classics I've never read, "Pride and Prejudice," "Jane Eyre," and on and on. Those are what I want to read, maybe you would like to also...??!

    Oh, and yes, it was Troy at Costco. I checked his nametag. Taylor and I almost died when we heard "In the Ghetto" from the cookware section. It was amazing!

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  8. Danielle, I don't know if you watch "The Office", but Jeff and I started this year and we go to Blockbuster and rent the season episodes. It is soooo worth the lazy hour! Don't feel guilty about being lazy...Jeff always tells me, "You are growing a baby fo heaven's sake. Give yourself some slack and be lazy if that's what you want to call it."

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  9. I think you would love Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre if you haven't read them yet. Some of my favorite books! I love Little Women, too! And a book I read recently that's changed my life - The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs.

    When I was first pregnant I was working at BabyGap in CT while Jason finished an internship. It was no fun standing up all day, but the discount and the cute baby clothes made it tolerable. When we headed back to Provo I looked for another job and couldn't really find one, so I went back to a job at the BYU kitchen I had while going to school. I lasted about a month and I was already over the pukiness by that point. Standing up all day and overheating in the kitchen was not worth it! So I just came home and enjoyed my last bit of time to myself! I read every birth, pregnancy, and parenting book I could find at the library!

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  10. Hey, this is Kate's sister in law, I occasionally lurk your blog, and I love to read! Sorry you are so sick . . .you do need some good books. I loved Life of Pi, Gone With the Wind, and Twilight (the teeny bop vampire books) is good even though it's a total formula romance . . . the story is complex enough that you don't notice so much. I also liked Harry Potter and Star Girl. These is My Words is an awesome book; start there.

    Congratulations on your baby girl, and thanks for explaining the onesies; they are darling and will make great baby gifts.

    It will be fun if we actually meet some day. Maybe Charlie's blessing/sealing?

    PS Kate will be so proud of me for actually leaving a comment on a blog!

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