Some days you just need to breathe

I am trying to get back into the habit of writing but I feel like there is always something more important that takes up my time.

Anyway, there isn’t much happening here. I started taking oral chemo two weeks ago and that has left me feeling pretty tired but so far I have been able to make it through the day without being too weak. I am so grateful for that because I just want to feel normal again. Well, better. I want to feel better.

I had to work the late shift today and treated a patient with a 109*F temperature. It’s the highest I’ve seen in my career. I asked the mother if she had treated the child with some kind of antipyretic like Tylenol or Motrin but she simply replied, “No, I wanted you to see how hot he was.” Lady, your kid has a 109*F temperature! GIVE HIM A FREAKING FEVER REDUCER!” I had to just take a deep breath and do what I could for my patient. The kid ended up being admitted for pneumonia and dehydration so at least he has someone taking care of him tonight. The mother seemed too preoccupied with her phone and didn’t pay much attention to anything the doctor or I said to her. She kept asking, “Huh?” and we had to repeat ourselves. I truly pray for this child, that the help he needs will be available. He was sooooo sick.

I tried to take Nora, our chocolate lab, to the dog park this morning because it was so nice outside. She wasn’t interested and no other dogs were there with their owners so we mostly just drove around for 40 minutes. I took Emma to buy fabric because she wants a new bag to hold her scriptures and other things she carries to church on Sundays. I had planned on working on the bag before I went in for my shift but I had to go to bed instead. I got up super early because of the dog and couldn’t go back to sleep. I ended up doing some laundry and working on my Spanish lessons. I am so desperate to learn this language. I have been taking lessons for a week now but I know about twenty words so far! I am trying to practice what I know with friends who know the language and it has been helpful. I am pretty excited so far because I feel like this would be such a blessing in my life. I wish I had taken Spanish in high school or some other time before now but I didn’t have a reason. Now it is a big part of my job because we have so many Spanish speaking patients. I feel uncomfortable when I cannot communicate effectively so that has been a big motivational point for me.

I told the kids they should sit in on the lessons because it might be easier for them to learn, too. I feel as if eventually you will have fewer opportunities in life if you aren’t at least bilingual. With such a diverse culture in our area, knowing Spanish is the least you could do to boost your career. I really hope I can become fluent or more than conversational over the next year. There are 720 lessons in the series I am working on and I am on lesson 13. Each unit is divided into 36 lessons which take approximately 5-10 minutes each. I have a woman who can start coming to my house to teach me, too. Writing that reminds me that I need to contact her again.

I haven’t had much to say here so I am going to call it quits for the night. I am really really tired but also in that place where you can’t quite fall asleep. I hope everyone had a great day. If you can spare a few prayers, thoughts or good vibes send them up to my patient tonight. Poor kid is gonna need them.

xo
M