Dude. I can’t even begin to describe the past 18 hours. I had a really rough day. I was going a mile a minute from the second my shift started…and the first time I looked at the clock I was shocked. Already 11:20!?! Uhhhh…what!? How could this be?
Because my job is time dependent (meds, blood draws, etc. all require a strict schedule) it’s rare that I’m not aware of the time. Today, however, I never had a moment of rest. Not even a millisecond. I was definitely behind for most of the day…perpetually trying to catch up is frustrating. It really felt like a chaotic (and never-ending) cycle.
However, there is a key difference between my job now and my job in NYC. And that is support. Yes, I was running around from the start of my shift to the end, but I was not overwhelmed to the point of frustration. I never felt like I wanted to go in the corner and cry. I was just REALLY busy. And as tiring as that is, it’s not going to break me. I may whine (in my head), but in actuality, I thrive on it. Plus, at this hospital, rising to the challenge doesn’t go unnoticed or unrecognized. I felt like a damn good nurse today. But that doesn’t mean the day didn’t have it’s ups and downs…
*Warning: this post may be graphic.
Low point: Spending 15 minutes with my fingers up a 360 pound patient’s a$$ trying to reinsert a poop tube. 15 minutes may have been an underestimation too. If anyone had taken a peek into the room the scene would have looked like a war zone. I had so much freakin’ surgi-lube and A&D ointment that the bed was like a damn slip ‘n slide…and my phone rang 4 times while I was probing away (to tell me my other patient was having chest pain and major arrhythmia issues). Oy.
High point: Rearranging my quadriplegic patient and having him tell me to “spread his legs like a cheerleaders.” Amazing.
So yeah. It was a poopy day in more ways than one. Speaking of brown…
Too graphic? Ok, I’ll get to dinner later.
First I’ll discuss my pre-packed eats that I brought with me to work.
Oh hayyyy, look at all that tasty stuff!
Cheerios, Three Sisters Cinnamon Sweets, Udi’s gluten free granola, raw almonds, raisins, and carob chips eaten in the car with coffee #1
Thank goodness I had this before I started work because I didn’t get a breakfast break. My next meal didn’t come until after noon.
Breakfast for lunch? Sure, why not. Oats, NutsOnline cacao nibs, Tropical Traditions shredded coconut, dried cherries, dried cranberries, and NuNatural’s stevia.
I like, I like. :) Cacao nibs are like hard little nuggets of dark chocolate. They are semi-bitter when eaten plain, but mixed with sweet oats…oooooh yes.
I actually think coconut and dried cherries are the most fabulous combo. I’m already brainstorming a dessert bar that incorporates both these ingredients.
Finished these cacao goji energy bites off for dessert. I’m sad there are no more. They are really the perfect on-the-go nutrient dense snack dessert (who am I kidding, they were totally a sweet treat disguised as a snack). At least they really are healthy. Raw. Whole foods. Organic. Yes. Yes. And yes. Also, they are made of some of my fave ingredients: dates, sunflower seeds, raisins, apricots, cacao powder, sesame seeds, sunflower meal, shredded coconut, and goji powder.
All that brown was getting old, and as I mentioned yesterday, the absence of greens in my diet was saddening…
Cue the broccoli.
I blanched two batches so the little trees could keep their vibrant green color.
Greeeeeeens!
I combined quinoa, raisins, & broccoli and covered them all with a packet of Artisana raw macadamia nut butter.
Ok, I didn’t get to eat this until almost 5 pm.
That’s what happens when your patients have no interest in staying in a normal sinus rhythm. But that’s life I suppose.
Artisana’s nut butters are unreal. I mean it. Un. Real.
This one was like a creamy (more cashew-y) version of the raw “cheese” made at Pure Food & Wine. In other words, it’s the most amazing topping to grains and broccoli. Try it. You’ll love me for showing you the way.
I passed the rest of the day with an apple, pear, and candied ginger…and finally finally my shift came to a close.
I came home and Kyle was back from Washington. Hooray!
As much as I love and adore him, dinner showering was my priority.
The rest of the day’s eats were just brown, brown , brown.
Brown
Brown
Brown
Ok, seriously, I’m grossing myself out here, so I have to explain what some of these meals are. (Well, I’m assuming you can deduce what the chocolate and nuts are).
I thawed two Boca vegan burgers, mashed them up, added BBQ sauce, Nasoya veganaise, dijon mustard, and hummus.
All stuffed in a pita like a lazy girl’s sloppy joe.
Aside from the color scheme, I’d say my day’s eats turned out pretty decent given the insane circumstances under which I was operating.
Tomorrow’s a day off and I plan on minimizing the brown as much as possible.
I admire you, seriously 🙂
Btw, I’m a veterinary student, so nothing can gross me out 😀
wow! so many eats!! I tried cocoa nibs once and was so put off by the bitter taste.. so i tried melting them.. FAIL..but i think its about time I try them again- i still have a whole package!
What a day! You are an amazing nurse!!!
All your eats always look so good! Love the lazy girl sloppy joe.
you always make my mouth water with your broccoli, grain, and butter combos. i need to try one tonight, i think. there’s a cashew butter squeese container calling my name! 🙂
it’s either that or a lazy girls sloppy joe on the menu. i have some frozen veggie burgers in my freezer, too! decisions, decisions… 😀
well, i definitely admire people like you. someones gotta deal with peoples poop, i suppose!
happy friday 🙂
And energy left to blog? Impressive 🙂
Your broccoli bowl looks delicious!
i am like pissing myself laughing in the office by myself right now. i love you.
and yes – the chocolate bar offer was real, and they shall be in the mail soon 🙂
I am sure your patients appreciate you more than they say! Nurses are so valuable. I like hearing your work stories. Hope you slept good after your shift!
You need to be very proud of yourself. Having been around a lot of hospitals and sickness I have ultimate respect for competent nurses.
And your food looks like crap 😉 hee
If I find any other great ways to use them I’ll be sure to share!
So… Elise?
You’re not only a good nurse. You’re a FABULOUS one 🙂
And, I know brown may not be the prettiest color…
But who said it can’t be the tastiest?
Hahahaha.
Love you, girl!
Hahahaha wow. That is a great way to spend 15 minutes. Major, major, major props to you my friend.
And chocolate doesn’t count as brown food. It counts as DELICIOUS food!
LOLing at this post. More brown-ness to come your way later, but not in the same form as your patient’s you know…yuck!
p.s. Navitals had the best mix of Golgi berries, Cacao nibs and all sorts of goodies. Free stuff is always good stuff, even better when they’re tasty and healthy. Try them!
You know you work in a hospital when you can immediately follow a “poop story” with pictures of food! We can have the smelliest, nastiest patient and then go right to lunch afterward and talk about how disgusting it was WHILE we eat…yeah, gotta remember that’s not normal table talk when around others! 😉
Lovin’ the luscious green broccoli!
Lol Nurse humor. We rock.
Funny, while you were inserting a poop tube, I was trying to remove mine from a GIB patient and it splattered out everywhere AND SOMEHOW, it totally missed ME. Wow. Miracle.
This post takes me back to family dinners, with a nurse mom and a sister in nursing school at the time – you can imagine what I got to hear. 😛 I have a lot of respect for nurses and still marvel at the things my mom deals with at her age.
Too bad this was the first post of yours that I’ve read. Kinda gross but I’m not scared! I found your blog through Lynn’s site and I can’t wait to read more! 🙂
thanks for stopping by…haha…sorry the first post you read was about poop!!
I had no idea artisana was selling nut butter in singe serve packets. I must find those, they’re prefect for travel!
Cacao nibs are best on a smoothie or yogurt 🙂
Whitney