I'm Not Florence

When I started this blog on a cold Winter day, I really did not know what I was doing and not much has changed, I still don't. I was in the basement perusing my collection of ancient nursing care plans, yearbooks, photos, and assorted nursing  paraphernalia. I heard a voice in the distance, " The first thing I'm going to have to do after your funeral  is rent a dumpster to get rid of all your junk." That gave me the brilliant idea of starting a blog, you cannot haul a bunch of electrons in cyberspace off to some landfill. The OldfoolRN blog was born.

The "about you" description of me was reasonably accurate. I'm old, foolish, and a  long ago retired nurse that fantasizes about scrubbing "one more time." When I came across that lovely, graphic, pure, black and white image of Florence Nightengale, I went for it. It never occurred to me that people might think it was really me. When only a few people read this blog, Florence's image seemed like a minor, unintentional deception. As more and more people began reading my foolishness it began bothering me and then I started to think that I might be making light of Florence. My real intention was quite the opposite.

Anyhow, I took down that lovely image of Florence and put up one that is not so nice, but accurate. Yes siree.... that's me in one of my all time favorite places. Dr. Slambow was always kidding me about looking "bright eyed and bushy tailed" even after long  cases. I always protested that I was fatigued and one day after a long trauma case he called out to me just after I ripped my mask off. I know it might look funny, but I used to wear my OR cap really low-almost down to eyebrow level. It got really hot in the summer under those overhead lights and the cap absorbed forehead sweat. There was never a cute nurse to mop my brow, that privilege was restricted to surgeons, not a lowly nurse.  He then snapped this photo and presented me with a copy as evidence of my indefatigability.

Dr. Slambaugh always carried two things in his black MD's bag. His ancient Argus 35mm camera and his cigars. When he asked one of us to run up to the lounge and "get my bag," we knew he was either preparing to smoke or take a picture. When he snapped that photo of me I was telling Nancy (the back of her head is in the foreground) that I would grab some hydrogen peroxide to help remove the blood from the overhead light. There had been a mishap involving a blood pump and a loose IV connection. Nancy said she could handle it and to meet her in the lounge for a well deserved break. I was attempting to figure out what to do when Dr. Slambow snapped the picture.

I have also reviewed and removed a couple of old posts because they were not truthful and more fabrication than fact. Google should invent a BS meter and introduce it as a new blogger tool. Any how I will try to be more honest in the future. Thanks for indulging in my foolishness!