Author Archives: electricnurse

Happy Valentine’s Day….to?

Posted on by
1

Adam and I were picking out a couple of Valentine’s cards and I picked up this one and couldn’t help but start laughing. He burst out in a fit of laughter too. I mean how can you not! First off, who would you give this too? Secondly, well…who would you give this too again???? It didn’t matter to us, though because we just HAD to buy it and decided we would figure it out later who to send it to (I mean, nothing says “will you be my Valentine like this card”!). We already have and it is stamped and ready to go and I guess you’ll see if it is you if it shows up in your mailbox! heh heh.. Here it is, folks:

 

Bad sign…bad bad sign

Posted on by
3

Whenever I see this lil’ guy on the weather screen online I know it is a bad sign. In fact, it reminds me of the good ol’ days back in Havre, Montana when we were in undergrad. I swear that was the coldest place on earth. There were days when the high would be -20 with a windchill of -70; NOT kidding. Now here, this hunched over cold looking man means: high of 2, windchill of -18. Cold to the freaking bones is all I know. Reminds me of the movie Armageddon where that guy says “worst environment imaginable…that’s all you have to say…just worst environment imaginable…”. brrrrrr

Belly Busters

Posted on by
2

The clinic I work in is hospital owned and the hospital always does a “Biggest Loser” program. You need to be on a team of 4 and it is $25 to sign up. You need to weigh in weekly and at week 6 the team that has lost the smallest percentage (not pounds) is booted out, and then each week thereafter a team is ousted for the same reason until you have your grand winner. While there are no trips to Jamaica promised there are some fairly decent prizes, such as Husker tickets (which are very difficult to come by), one year there was a Wii, etc…

The clinic, itself has never had a team but this year we decided to. It consists of my bookie aka Peg, she cleans the clinic and collects $2.00 from everyone that wants to participate in the clinic every Wednesday that wants in on powerball for that night so that someday we can all win and be on TV and say how we are going to split our money and what we are each going to do with it and how we are going to keep working even though we are now millionaires, etc. Then there is Kathy our new office manager~I am just now getting to know her. Next is one of my partners, Pat aka Dr. Wetovick (and also my friend because he is a great cousin Eddie impersonator). He’s awesome and also the reason we decided to go with the name Belly Busters instead of Muffin Tops….I’m just sayin’ cause he’s a guy and all. And then there is me.

I blogged last year about getting my body ready for babe and that included losing weight and I did that. In fact, 50lbs. And, I have kept that off. Butttt. Then the college (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) released new BMI recommendations and wouldn’t ya know it! Yeppers, I should be a lil’ lower yet. So, I’ve been still working on it which is fine. Lordy knows I don’t want to be the reason the Belly Busters gets banished. Apparently it is a 12 week “game” if you want to call it that. I’m down 11lbs, I think we are all doing fairly well so I’m hoping we’ll still be contenders at week 6! I’ll keep you posted.

The interesting thing is that other than getting my muscles into shape I think my body is probably ready for a baby. Yes Mom and Kim, I just wrote that. For real. It is spiritually that I am weak. I have deep fears that I am working on. That is for another post.

I’ve strayed long enough…so, here is to the Belly Busters!

Holy Pocket Change!

Posted on by
5

Excuse me while I vomit after looking at this old ad:

One of the most difficult deaths to watch is that of COPD (emphysema). What am I saying?! No death is enjoyable-geesh…but those patients of mine that have died the death of COPD have had such torment at some time or another, no matter what I may try to ease their symptoms. It reminds me of someone drowning. It truly does. As if I am standing by and watching someone in the deep-end coming up and gasping for a teeny breath of air and then going under and then coming up again for one lil’ gasp of air, all the while I am just standing there watching. At least that is the way it feels. I. Hate. It. Needless to say I urge patients to quit smoking any chance I get.

I had the table below from ten years ago when I first started practicing and had forgotten about it. Last week a patient decided to quit and she told me that she was excited to save the money from the cigarettes. She is going to put it in a jar and see how it adds up. Being out of the “cigarette cost” loop I asked her how much a pack was after tax and she told me she buys the “el-cheapos” and they are still $5.60! WOWSER, I say.

I went and dug out my old table and decided to update it with the current price of cigarettes today. Now, I am told that fancy schmancy cigarettes are a lot more than $5.60 per pack but who am I to say. People, this is a huge chunk of change. Not to mention that the cheapest inhaler on the market (EVEN GENERIC) that I can prescribe to someone with COPD is $109.00 at Walmart. So so expensive. So so addictive. So so tough to stop. What to do, what to do…for now, these tables are on bright yellow paper taped up on the cabinets in my exam rooms and I have a jar of molasses with broken up cigarette pieces in that is supposed to represent the tar you put in your lungs each year when you smoke on my desk that people always pick up and take a gander at but otherwise…

  1 pack 1 ½ packs 2 packs 2 ½ packs 3 packs
Day $5.60 $8.40 $11.20 $14.00 $16.80
Week $39.20 $58.80 $78.40 $98.00 $117.60
Month $156.80 $235.20 $313.60 $392.00 $470.40
1 Year $1,881.60 $2,822.40 $3,763.20 $4,704.00 $5,644.80
10 Years $18,816.00 $28,224.00 $37,632.00 $47,040.00 $56,448.00
20 Years $37,632.00 $56,448.00 $75,264.00 $94,080.00 $112,896.00
30 Years $56,448.00 $84,672.00 $112,896.00 $141,120.00 $169,344.00
40 Years $75,264.00 $112,896.00 $150,528.00 $188,160.00 $225,792.00