Reese's to the Rescue

Tonight was a Level IV night (rare for a Monday) and Jack, true to his supportive nature, met me at the door with a box of Reese's Pieces, a cute card, and a bottle of wine. While I still had to work, just knowing he cared enough to put together a "Level IV Package" made me feel wonderful. And despite my exhaustion, I was able to power onward.

Granted, my eyes are crossing involuntarily as I write this!

I started my day with the usual operations meetings and was interrupted mid-morning by a 29-year old patient needing emergency plasma apheresis (where we sort of "add" platelets to his blood because he didn't have any by a fancy transfusion that first runs through a machine to sift out the platelets). This required an emergency meeting with our contracted company, an emergency meeting with Blue Cross Blue Shield, an emergency call with the Illinois Dept of Public Health to make sure we were even licensed to provide this treatment, and the drafting of an emergency contract with the consult of our legal team.

After four harrowing hours, we finalized everything and shipped the patient off to the blood bank at our other campus for his type and screen. While we were doing EVERYTHING possible to expedite this for the patient, I could see how they might have been inpatient...four hours for a hospital to coordinate care for one patient?!?! This was our first ever outpatient plasma apheresis case we've ever had and darnitall, it all came together for the patient!

One 29-year old was saved today!

The rest of my day consisted of a bunch of chats with the Education Director as I finalize the roll-out of my next hospital program, I oversaw a health fair that the managers of two of my areas hosted (it was GREAT), and conversed with Nurse Jackie for two hours about the Craziness Project. You get to a point where you're not sure how you're still standing upright! I wanted to close my eyes as I drove down the highway, on my way home.

Remember that episode of Ellen from the 1990's, where she is driving late at night and drifts off at the wheel? When she awakens in her car (unscathed), she's in a pasture surrounded by cows. Without opening her eyes, she says, "I'd like a coffee, please!" Then a cow moooos loudly next to her and she says, "Yes, I'd love a splash of milk in it!" I think of that scene when I'm ready to drift off and chuckling, it helps keep me awake a while longer!!