My sewing machine is malfunctioning, so it goes to the Bernina store today for a diagnosis and spa treatment. Hope this patient (machine) will live, and it is nothing serious!!
Julie
The binding is cut, so I can just add it when done. This bit of prep really helps later on in the process.
I found an old pair of plaid pajamas for the border for this quilt. Instead of matching the plaids, due to my limited fabric, I put little random spacers in-between the little pieces of plaid pajama pants. This will all be trimmed prior to the last border, which I am still thinking about. I think it adds a little more "folk" to the project. That is my story, and I am sticking to it!
**************Nurse's notes**********************
In addition to my beloved open-heart patients, I have now been trained in the ICU, oncology and hospice. Training was kind of hilarious, because from day one I took all the patients and my "preceptor" just signed papers that I was competent. After decades of doing this, I just need to know where things are, mostly. The charting is ridiculous...I feel like I take great care of the computer, and no time for patients!! But I speed through the charting junk so I can be with the patients. Becoming a more versatile nurse is challenging, but fun! I worked as a "task nurse", the other day. I gave meds, hung IV's and IV antibiotics, started IV's, hung blood, bathed patients, took patients to the car after treatments, turned patients and did oral care, and ran one code!! Anything to help out the nurses. I did not sit once all shift. Honestly, it was great fun!! Super busy, but I just did tasks...no thinking involved. I loved it!
ICU is for the sickest of the sick...nurses teasingly call it the "Icky Care Unit", because of all the infectious diseases there. We try and keep the Cardiac Intensive Care unit infection free. Last time I worked there, I had a covid patient on max vent support and a cancer patient with cancer everywhere, that moved on to hospice. It was challenging and amazing to see the baby nurses there...most 21-25 years old. I was the float there and they frequently asked me for advice.... but I don't work there! I can help with the nursing stuff...but I didn't know where anything is. I did have a brain surgery patient, and wow! That is intense. I loved that too. He had a ventriculostomy.
Hospice is reverent, and sad, and a release of so much emotion. It is exhausting for me. Lots of sitting and waiting. I find stuff to do...I dust and clean and disinfect and such in-between patient care. There are few meds except comfort meds. Little charting, unlike the at least every hour vitals/drip management/vent management, balloon pump and dialysis management for ICU/CCU. Lots of patients are just alone, with the phone calls checking on them. I focus on these people, and read to them, and sing to them, until they tell me to stop please! LOL! Not really! One lady was a huge bible reader, and I read a bunch of the Psalms to her, as she slumbered. I found that very meditative, and very calming for me, and I pray she benefitted too. Some have family in the room non-stop, and I support them with love, hot coffee and blankets, information and care of the patient.
So my nursing life is different now. I am glad I made the change!
*************************************************
Continuing my history exploration of the twentieth century, I am going to read about the 1940's this year. This is a fascinating, horrific decade for America and much of the world, and I look forward to knowing more history about this, which my parents lived through, and maybe some of you, too. Library, here I come, and internet searches too, and the best thing...interviews with folks from WW2. They are few and far between, but I am privileged to meet some in the hospital
Julie
Good morning, or evening to you!!! I have been sewing pouches of different sizes, and I enjoy filling them with different things and giftin...
