LeBlog--The Blog about life…writing, raising kids, chasing dogs, handling life and all its bit parts.

March 4, 2009

 

I'm no Florence Nightengale!

Growing up, I remember pretending to be a nurse, taking care of my grandfather who had the flu or trying to. I had a cute little nurse's uniform which is what I liked the most. I tried to give my sister a pretend shot, and she knocked me across the bed and I ended up with a head wound bleeding profusely. I remember reading about all those great women like Clara Barton and Florence Nightengale, and somewhere along the way I learned I wasn't good at blood, vomit or other bodily fluids. During my years of teaching, I came face to face with many sick children. Cough, cough. One would cough right in my face and say, "I've got strep throat." Terrific. I soon had it too. Or the child who kept coming to school with pink eye. Yep, I got that too. And then there was the sweet little boy who sat on the front row who made a squeaking noise. I looked over at him. He'd covered his mouth with his hand. His eyes bugged out. And then vomit leaked through his fingers. "Go to the office! Quick!" That was always my solution. Then there was the child who started screaming, "Miss Wilson (that was my name back then)! Miss Wilson! It just keeps coming! It keeps coming! It won't stop!" I rushed over to her and discovered she was peeing all over the chair, a yellow pool forming on the floor. "Well, finish. Then go to the office," I told her. During high school, I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist and worked in a hospital for a short period of time. I'm sure the patients were glad I left after I wheeled a guy with a broken leg into a wall. Accidentally! Honest!!! I'm just not good at nursing. Then, I eventually became a mom. My son had projectile spitups. All day. Every day. I never got used to it. Then there's the time that I sat with a friend's husband in the hospital for a short period of time. Uncomfortable in hospital settings, I read a book while he napped. Suddenly, all these beeps and sirens were going off. Doctors and nurses rushed down the hall and into his room. I looked over and his eyes had rolled back in his head. He had flatlined. I just got out of the way. And he survived, no thanks to me. So here I am today, supposedly nursing my son, husband and dog. Is God trying to tell me something?



Comments: Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]





<< Home

Archives

June 2007   July 2007   August 2007   September 2007   October 2007   November 2007   December 2007   January 2008   February 2008   March 2008   April 2008   May 2008   June 2008   July 2008   August 2008   September 2008   October 2008   November 2008   December 2008   January 2009   February 2009   March 2009   April 2009   May 2009   June 2009   July 2009   August 2009   September 2009   October 2009   November 2009   December 2009   January 2010   February 2010   March 2010   April 2010   May 2010   June 2010   July 2010   August 2010   September 2010   October 2010   November 2010   February 2011   March 2011   April 2011   May 2011   June 2011   July 2011   August 2011   September 2011   October 2011   November 2011   December 2011   January 2012   February 2012   May 2012   July 2012   August 2012   September 2012   October 2012   November 2012   December 2012   February 2013   March 2013   May 2013   June 2013   July 2013   August 2013   February 2014   March 2014   April 2014   May 2014   June 2014  

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]