Catching up...

So I've been a slacker.  I apologize.  Lots of great stories are happening here, but not much blogging.  However, tonight I was reminded exactly why I blog.  My stories are insane.  Here are some of the highlights of patients I've cared for...

*16 year old with an open book pelvic fracture who ended up with abdominal compartment syndrome requiring immediate intervention...eek!

*Patient in ARDS on an oscillating ventilator, rotorest, and CVVHD... oh and by the way, he was on pressors, an insulin drip, had 3 chest tubes and 2 wound vacs.  Not busy at all.

*Motorcycle crash dude who ended up ripping off a leg on the road and was admitted to my unit via LifeFlight, then was put on our fluid resuscitation protocol shortly after (resus protocol = lots of blood products and fluids until you stop bleeding)

*24 year old car accident victim with a fatal head injury, who had a ventric/bolt placed at the bedside (I got to keep the drill).  She became the first donor patient I've had to manage, and I hear several organs were recovered.  This was also the saddest/most emotionally draining case I've ever been a part of for too many reasons to name.

* A woman who was 36 weeks pregnant got hit by someone involved in a high speed chase by the cops.  Her baby was emergently delivered in the ER, and she ended up in our unit with multiple wound vacs and on the vent.  I actually received orders (written, mind you) to put cabbage leaves on her breasts to stop engorgement.  WTF?  

While all of those were interesting in their own ways, tonight takes the cake.  I cared for a man who was in a Dick Cheney-type hunting accident.  He was obviously the one who ended up shot.  Anyway, the dude has abdominal wounds so extensive they started using maggot therapy on him.  Uggghhh!!!  So when the critters started escaping from the belly wound, I had the honor of catching them in a specimen cup so they wouldn't metamorphose into flies and contaminate our unit.  By far the absolute nastiest thing I have ever done in my life.  My patient had maggots.  Maggots!!!

At least my night wasn't horrible.  My filter never clotted off on the dude's CVVHD, AND I got to get in a ROTOprone bed last night!!!  It was so much fun, like a carnival ride, but it makes me nauseous thinking about having to be rotating for 20 out of 24 hours.  No thanks!  I'll post pics later.  

Oh, and I'm off orientation in 2 days!  Woo hoo!