Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Giving Thanks

I need to scribble  something  here to obliterate that image of a transorbital intubation in the previous post.  Jeez...that image gives me the willys. What was I thinking?  It's no wonder I got blacklisted by a couple of referral sites for being too grotesque. Blame it on poor judgment instilled by far too many years in the trenches. What comes to me, I suppose, not every time, but often enough, are the inelegant vignettes of trauma that have pitched a tent in my hippocampus.

So it's time to move on.  I'm wishing a festive Thanksgiving to all those who peruse my foolishness. I'm humbled by your readership and it simply  amazes me that someone is always viewing my foolishness-especially those who visit the middle of the night when all should be sound asleep.

I have so much to be thankful for, especially the patients I cared for in days gone past. They did more for me than I did for them. One thought that never escaped me was the notion that all those nasty ailments lurking out there in the world are equal opportunity afflictors. Anyone could be stricken down any time. It's really just a matter of chance accompanied by good fortune that I was fortunate to remain healthy and  vertical for so long.

Glioblastomas are out there in the world  and occur at the rate of about 4 per 100,000 people. I owe so much to those patients that suffered and ultimately succumbed to this terrible neoplasm. It could have just as likely been me with the glioma, but someone else took  all that pain and suffering to spare me of this terrible fate. I owe them a deep debt because it could have me.  I don't know how many times I uttered a silent thank you to these patients and tried to do something special for them. I am eternally grateful to these patients who took the hit for me.

This gratitude fills me with a sense of helpful sharing and a strong disdain for the greed and financial preoccupation of healthcare today. Oops... don't get me started on that one! The respect and peace that nursing has filled my soul with cannot be  derailed by dollar signs. It's what's left in your heart when the day is done that really matter, not your bank account.

Anyhow, for some genuine foolishness here is a link to a post I wrote some time ago https://oldfoolrn.blogspot.com/2015/11/how-do-you-cook-thanksgiving-turkey-in.html

Happy Thanksgiving! I treasure your loyal readership. It  means more to me  than you know!

7 comments:

  1. I remember that '14 T'day post ~ too funny I was the first one to reply!
    I wish you a Happy T'Day this year too ~ Hope you have much to be thankful for ~
    And thank you for continuing your blog ~ it always makes me smile!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have a fulfilling Thanksgiving Day, Bobbie, and I love your comments

      Delete
  2. We don't have Thanksgiving here in Australia but I know it's a special day for you there in the good old USA - so have a great day OFRN and everyone else! Sue

    ReplyDelete
  3. Spot on with this write-up, I actually believe this website needs far more attention. I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks for the information!
    Hip surgery Chicago

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such an eloquent way of putting into words the heart that we have for patients. I have somehow never, even after 11 years of nursing, thought about their illnesses in this way. I've always been thankful that I was in a position to help, but never really considered that they've spared me from their pain.

    Thank you for the new, gracefully worded, perspective.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's amazing the things you can learn from patients. I took care of an insurance actuary once who impressed on me that the incidence of illnesses occur at a predictable rate. Sure, genetics and environmental factors play a big role, but the chance of succumbing to some dread ailment is real. Someone has to suffer.

      The actuary gave me one other piece of advice I never forgot, "If you want to add 12 years of life to your existence here on earth all you have to do is stay out of bars.

      Delete