2 days after I had started the nutrisystem diet, I found myself waking up with sore throat. DAMN. This is NOT funny. I have NOT got a flu shot for this season yet and I already got the bug?

Gee, when it rains, it starts pouring, huh?

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH. I went to the bathroom and tried to clear the throat. It felt like a frog sitting in my throat. It was 0500 and I needed to get ready for work. I prayed that I would NOT get the ventilation room today. Oh God, please.

The patients on the ventilators have all kinds of bugs in all the body systems that you can think of. All the test results usually are positive. +blood culture. +sputum culture. +stool culture. +urine culture. Sometimes if they have bad pressure ulcers somewhere, the wound culture usually is positive with something. The door of the room is all tagged up with air or contact isolation. Whoever goes into the room needs to be gowned up with a mask. Its just too much work and care in one single room/ patient. And who will be in and out of the room the most often throughout the day? Lets see...the nurse and the nurse aid?

DAMN.

Grrrr, Grrrr, Grrrr. I was using salt water to rinse my mouth and throat. There are no magic pills for laryngitis (a.k.a cold) except drinking lots of water and rest. I will not be able to do either one at work. I will be lucky if I have time to eat and use the bathroom.

DAMN.

At 0650 I punched in and was ready for today's assignment. Please, please, please. NO ventilation room today, please. BAM! 338-341. There is a vent patient here on the list. Now it really starts POURING.

DAMN. I wish I called in today.

People had better NOT to mess up with me today. I walked to my work zone towards the end of the hallway.

p.s. Talking about nurses having concerns calling in sick....

Mark, one of our night shift RNs, came to work while still being sick from some virial infection. He said he has concerns calling in sick 3 days in a row and that his "points" would be deducted by the management. His being sick affected his work performance so much that 2 of the families of the patients' reported him being "unsafe" in giving direct care.

Gee, I'll make sure I call in sick when I really am.