NURSE'S NOTE: ALL PLUGGED UP

Well today was fun.

There's just nothing quite like re-arranging your afternoon and abandoning your original plans so that you can instead wrestle your poor, scared little kiddo in the doctors office for a few hours....

Sigh.    

Back in May when we had Brinlee in for her 4-year-old check up, the doctor took a peek in her ears and said she was pretty full of wax.  She said it usually works itself out, but told us we need to bring her back in if she starts complaining of discomfort or having difficulty hearing.

Well, over the last few weeks Brinlee started being bothered by those very things!  Not consistently, so I hadn't thought much about it.  But over the last few days it really started to kick in, and this morning in particular she was pretty bugged.  She kept tugging at her ears and telling me "They feel weird mom, I just can't hear!"  

Poor baby girl.  While I was in the shower she decided to take matters into her own hands and when I got out I found her busy with a Q-tip... Ack!!

Now.  If I'm being totally fair and honest, I would admit that she has learned by example...  

Not that I haven't made it very clear to these kiddos that Q-tips are a mommy's job only!

But I like clean ears, ok!  Especially kid ears. 

And I know what you're thinking - DeeAnna, Q-tips? Seriously, you're a nurse!

Well don't worry, I get it now, we've learned our lesson around here and I'll be changing my ways.

Brinlee was near tears.  "It's not working, I still can't hear.  And my ear hurts!"  So I peeked in, did my own quick swab, came out with some blood, went into official panic mode, called Tim for a quick "help calm me down and tell me what to do!" session, and then took her in to get checked out.  

Long story short:

- There had NOT been any damage to her eardrum, thank goodness! 

- She was totally plugged on both sides by a huge amount of deep wax.

- The doctor wanted to do a good rinse of both ears to help get her feeling and hearing better.

- Brinlee completely hated it!  

- And every single person in that whole office definitely heard her make that very clear  :(

Before they did the rinse, they put in some ear drops and our little lady looked something like this.

And then an hour later when all was said and done we were leaving looking something like this.

Talk about rough.  My poor sweet girl!
I will say this, her ears may have been plugged, but her lungs were working just fine.  She sure hollered.  Bless her heart.  She tried so hard to be tough and brave, but it was uncomfortable, and she just hated it.
But, now she feels and hears like a new woman.  So, worth it I guess?
Still heartbreaking.

Lessons Learned:
1. It's true what they say, No more Q-tips!
2. Don't be fooled by little ears, they can hold an amazing amount of gunk. (Seriously, it was a ton!)
3. A milkshake really can make everything better.

Sheesh.  Here's to a happier, more relaxed, not so traumatizing, not so tear-filled, not so ear wax-filled, fun day tomorrow.  She deserves it!

Nurse's Note: My Week

Here is a little look at my week so far.

Looks like a seriously good time doesn't it?
You know, it really hasn't been actually.  I spent all last week absolutely miserable.  I caught a bit of a bug (read: some completely awful virus) and spent several days trying not to breathe on the girls and sleeping as much as I could.  It was terrible.

I am feeling better now thankfully, but that means tackling the aftermath.  I hate that.  The sickies make me a bit paranoid as it is (the curse of a nurse I guess), but it's been even worse this winter having a new little baby.  I don't want to see my girls sick.
And so, I'm sterilizing.
Everything.
It makes for some really fun days (insert cheesy smile and sarcastic thumbs up).  
Isn't winter awesome?!

Nurse's Note: Thank You Hemostats

Well we had our first round with the inevitable "small object up the child's nose" experience.

Good grief.  

Why is it so fun for them to stick things up there??

All I can say is Hemostats are awesome!

I have decided no house should be without a pair of those beauties.  I got them from the hospital and always had them in my scrub pants pocket there.  But after today, they may have earned a permanent spot in my mommy pants pocket as well.  Serious life saver! The rock-concealing culprit was not so fond of them of course. Don't bring it up, she still gets very serious when she talks about it.  But they were just what that tiny nostril needed.  

Hopefully it was a lesson learned.  

But we will be keeping the hemostats very handy... just in case.

Nurse's Note: Bed Baths and Ode To Coban

Our family is having a hard time keeping the sickies away (thank you winter), and poor Little Miss has had it bad.  She spent a week and a half really moody with a nasty cough, fevers, and a terrible runny nose.  We exhausted our bag of tricks early with no luck and the poor baby ended up on her first round of antibiotics for her first ear infection.  She's taking it without a fuss and handling it really well.  It did give her some diarrhea though, which re-kindled a somewhat dormant quirk of mine.

One of my "things" is dirty bed sheets.  They totally gross me out.  I get these terrible mental images of developing nasty diseases or of things crawling on me in the night.  Gack!  I used to have a very strict "change at least once a week" policy.  Lately I haven't been so vigilant though, and Brinlee's sheets had been on for quite a while.  And then the diaper happened.  At first she was all tears and really upset about it.  That cleared up quickly.

This round of bed baths was more involved than my usual.  Brinlee sleeps with several "cuddlies" (blankets and stuffed animals).  We bundled all of her stuffed friends into pillow cases and stripped her mattress and it took two loads!  Why does she have so much stuff??

While her stuff was washing, Brin got to dress out of mommy's closet.  She was thrilled.  And adorable.

And she was fascinated with her stripped mattress.  She was perfectly content in there...

...until she fell and whacked her face, and then she couldn't get out of there fast enough.

When the laundry was all done I had her help me make her bed, and I could not have been a more proud mama.  I am a weird bed maker.  Poor Tim has given up trying in that department, I always strip it and re-make it.  I can't help myself, I have a system.  

And apparently Brinlee has a system too.  She spent forever straightening all her blankets until they were layered and flat and lying just so.  Like mother like daughter.

She was very pleased with her work.

Her friends didn't dry very quickly, our bathroom stayed occupied over night.  They smelled awesome though!  I love that smell.  I think I have gotten re-excited about doing this more often.  There's nothing more comfy than a fresh, clean bed.
Well... except for brand new socks... there really is nothing more comfy than that.

On a non-cold weather related note, I sliced my thumb off last week.

That was annoying.  I was trying to cut apple slices really quick to appease a hungry little girl while we waited on dinner, and instead I got trapped in the bathroom, without the tip of my thumb, getting nothing done. 

I really shouldn't be left unsupervised I guess.     

Quite honestly, it wasn't that bad.  Just dumb.  Naturally the ER never crossed my mind (I work with those people, how embarrassing!).  Besides, our cupboard is stocked with a few goodies that did the trick just right: sterile gauze, and coban!

I use this stuff all the time at the hospital, and I knew it was neat.  But it has officially gained a permanent place on our "must have for our first aid kit" list.  This stuff rocks!  No bandaid in the world will really stay on the tip of a finger.  But coban... it stays anywhere.  It doesn't use adhesives that leave nasty stuff on your skin, serious bonus.  And it comes in all kinds of cool colors.  With coban, you can keep your ouchies dressed without ruining the look of your outfit.  I'm sold!

Coban does not however take away pain, and that stinking thumb hurt like crazy for a long time.  I am happy to report that it is almost 100% better now though.  But I am tempted to keep up with the coban bandages anyway.  It's that awesome.

Nurse's Note: Family Documentation

Not many of you may know this, but every nurse is at least bilingual.  

It's true.  

Medical profession folk are blessed with the ability to speak in legal documentation.

It's kind of fun actually.  The whole point of the language is to think of the most unnatural way to say something, and then type it for permanent record purposes.  Most of the time it's just time consuming and awkward.  But I have wondered at times what a night of my life would sound/look like if I were to document it the way I would a hospital note...

Dinner prepared and eaten without incident or complication.  Husband compliant with dish-duty at this time, encouraged to call for assistance as needed.  Angel baby in bed sleeping soundly, no s/s of distress or discomfort.  Dry diaper on, pacifier within reach.  Toys put away, baby monitor on and functioning.  Clean clothes folded, front door locked, Christmas tree lights glowing.  Warm pajamas applied and hot chocolate brewing as per wife request.  Husband and wife enjoying eachother's company. No complaints or further needs noted at this time.

Even in awkward nursing note language my life sounds pretty awesome.  Seriously, SO blessed!

Nurse's Note: This and That

The sickies have been hanging around Rexburg lately and have in fact attempted to breach our borders more than once.  It is times like these that make me start to be even more paranoid than usual about things like
this. . .  and this. . .  and yes, even this.

I can practically see them crawling!  gag!  And that is why this past Saturday, we spent a few hours getting reacquainted with a little bit of
this. . . and this. . . and yes, even this (review this gem here).

And that was that!  Just about everything I could think of that our potentially germ-infested selves have touched has now been effectively scrubbed.  Basic Healthy Home Principle: Disinfection successfully implemented?  check.  My worries temporarily set a little more at ease? check.  Ideally I wouldn't wait until the threat of impending doom is looming overhead to think to wipe down a few door knobs... but it's done now!  So to celebrate we indulged in a little bit of this

Excellent!  

And to think, we don't even have any of this to worry about yet...

All in time my friends, all in time.  In the meantime however, perhaps we should restock our cleaning supplies...  

Nurse's Note: Toothbrushes

I worry about little things... I think I get it from my mom.  But today I implemented a basic Healthy Home 101 principle: Boiling the Toothbrushes. 

 

This is one I picked up from my mother actually, she often gathered up all our toothbrushes and gave them a steamy disinfecting bath, and I suppose the idea has stuck with me.  Simple and effective, and I'm pretty positive bedtime brushed teeth from a newly boiled toothbrush feel even cleaner!

 

 Some say why not just buy a new one?  I say come now, these ones have just barely been broken in!  Besides, the $1.50 savings is too worth it to me.  That money can buy us a chocolatey ice cream treat, 

which we will later brush off our teeth with our freshly boiled toothbrushes