RN Shift Report

Wednesday July 7th, 2011

0900: Pt. coming in for chemotherapy tells me about her 4th of July. She says that every year she and her husband have an argument about how much money to spend on fireworks. She loves them and is willing to "blow the bank" while her husband thinks its foolish to spend money on something that burns up in the sky in seconds. This year she told her husband that she was going to buy as many fireworks as she wanted and he wasn't to say a word. After all, this could be her last 4th of July. So he pulled out his VISA card and they lit up the sky.

1100: Phone call from an elderly gentleman's family. He had chemotherapy a week ago for advanced colon cancer and is not eating or drinking and is saying he wants to die. They want advice on what to do. I'm speechless for a few seconds, then I find my voice. I tell his wife and son that wanting to die is normal and natural when suffering outweighs quality of life. I gently let them know that it's OK, that when you're old you eventually die and a person deserves to do so with a minimum of suffering and that stopping chemotherapy is not a weakness or "giving up". The phone line grows silent and I panic wondering if I've said too much , if I've overstepped my boundaries. I brighten up some and cheerfully say, "Well let's see what next week's scan show." I can't let the call end on a dreadful note.

1300: Appointment for woman who has breast cancer and has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer as well. She's lost her home to the flood. And I'm whining about my lenghtened commute to work.

1400: My mother and my neice who is visiting from Colorado stop in to bring me a strawberry milk shake. I'm too busy to hardly even thank them, but what a welcome treat!

1500: Patient shares a story of a miracle that happened to him while traveling in Norway. He had lost something very important to him and the finding of it was an inspiring story. I'm so thankful to him for sharing that experience with me. I was in need of some divine intervention myself, to lift my spirits and believe again!

1700: Time to lock the doors and go home. Tomorrow will be another day.