**Tuesday as I was leaving work, I told my coworker, with whom I worked to call me in the morning if things were hectic and I'd come in early and help her catch up before the day person was to arrive. I went out to dinner that night, was totally wrecked, and ended up being out later that I had planned. Got home, had a lot on my mind, and couldn't sleep. Finally went to bed at 2 am. God knows who I heard the text message, but at 5:30 am it was my coworker. The message "Haven't sat down all night, not even a chance to eat." Which seems typical for calls, regardless where in the world one is. She didn't specifically ask me to come in. But knowing the hour of the morning, and knowing I would be in bed, to me there was an implied message. Please help. I think back to when almost exactly a year ago I was having a horrible night in the CCU and was so far behind I called in the morning person early. (That's not the exact story, but we'll leave it at that). So, I got up, showered, ate, made coffee (well made coffee then showered and ate) and headed in, arriving slightly before 6:30. I'm hesitant to describe what I saw, in full.
-one resident doing CPR/bagging one newborn.
-2 nurses bagging and doing CPR on another newborn
-one resident doing a spinal tap on a newborn who had been seizing
-one resident trying to get an IV on a kid who needed a bolus, urgently.
-4, or 5 (maybe even 6) other kids in cots (meaning all 8 usual beds/heaters were full).
-a pair of 650g twins, under the same head box of oxygen, unable to tell if they were still breathing.
**I rounded in NICU today. NICU is really only 12 beds. (The step down NICU is about 30 beds). They didn't want to overload me since I'm just an MO/SHO, so they had me round on 2 kids. 2 kids. Phew, was I swamped. Silliness. This hierarchal shit is really getting old.
**After work tomorrow, my friend David and I are headed to the Drakensberg, the Central Berg for some hiking. It'll be great to be in the mountains tomorrow.
**My car alarm went off last night. Twice. I grabbed my new headlamp and headed out to look around. Of course, all I had to defend myself with were keys and a headlamp. I was annoyed, and embarrassed that it went off a second time. So I just left it off last night. And then when I got into bed, the power went out. And of course I wondered in that means that somebody had cut the power line to disarm the alarm to the house so they could come in. And then I realize that really, they would have seen my just walking out to look at the car with a flashlight and keys to protect me.
**My car alarm went off sometime during the day when I was at work.
**
