Emma:Life is too short

[Emma]

Another challenge inspired by @deftona. Thank you.

Crashing fatigue the past few days. Haven’t been getting enough sleep, and looking back on food journal, not enough red meat.
Yesterday, had weekly covid test, and every exam I did was with a covid patient. Had proper PPE which meant a lot of sweating was done and I quit early, because crashing fatigue and I just couldn’t anymore. Had a good nights sleep and take out beef enchiladas today so feeling better, but still tired. Newspaper headline this morning 7 more dead today from covid. Mostly in nursing homes. This is like triple what the daily total was last week. And we had zero deaths for a long time at the beginning.
I do have a challenge planned. More later.

[Sloth the Enduring]

After reading the first sentence, I have to assume you’re going to learn how to twerk.

[Tateman]

Here to follow along. I would be sweating pretty hard too dealing with covid tests with a covid patient. My Sister-in-law runs a clinic in the central coast, and she has had quite a few close calls in there too.

[Novaurora]

Following along.  Much appreciation for the work you do!!!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following as well. I just had a covid test an hour ago.

12 hours ago, Emma said:

Haven’t been getting enough sleep, and looking back on food journal, not enough red meat.

*Weeps for you in Texan*

[Snarkyfishguts]

following along!

[Sciread77]

Also following. 

[Emma]

 

Challenge:

Life is too short for shitty food. To eat yummy, healthyish food.

Life is too short for crappy clothes. To buy a couple more nice outfits.

Life is too short for an unhappy body. Exercise and eat healthier.

Life is too short for unpleasant surroundings. Keep my home clean and pretty.

The biggest problem I think will be food. I am wanting snacks too often.

[Snarkyfishguts]

Awesome challenge!  

 

I think as you continue to put your health and happiness first in this challenge, you'll find the wanting of snacks will subside. And if you're genuinely hungry between meals, I mean, there are loads of yummy, healthy snacks that you can eat that won't sabotage your self-care goals. I'm really happy for you, there is a lot of positivity in these goals, and I love the underlying message that you have worth.  because you totally do.

[Emma]

Friday

meh day.

Ate well, rode exercise bike, went to work. I was in facilities with covid patients, but didn’t have to work directly with them, so a little less stressful.
So far today, housework and sleeping. Still need to do PT.

Van air conditioning is fixed! Finally! Yay!

[Emma]

Not sure what I did wrong here but it got messed up.

[Emma]

18 hours ago, Snarkyfishguts said:

Awesome challenge!  

 

I'm really happy for you, there is a lot of positivity in these goals, and I love the underlying message that you have worth.  because you totally do.

It took me two days to write down those goals. Developed bad anxiety every time I tried. I’m still not feeling the self worth.

[Snarkyfishguts]

1 minute ago, Emma said:

It took me two days to get those goals written down. Every time I tried I developed bad anxiety. I still don’t feel the self worth thing. It’s hard to believe that I deserve this and I’m not sure I will ever get there. But I will keep trying.

BELIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE 

 

 

You’ll get there. It takes time and a little nerdfitness friendship, but you’ll get there!

[Snarkyfishguts]

5 minutes ago, Emma said:

Not sure what I did wrong here but it got messed up.

2020 is all over the place wreaking havoc. It’s even in our quotes!

[Emma]

Snarky is responding to the post that got messed up and I thought had disappeared. I do not understand technology.
Thank you for the vote of confidence.

[deftona]

On 7/30/2020 at 4:37 AM, Sloth the Enduring said:

After reading the first sentence, I have to assume you’re going to learn how to twerk.

 

It's weird stuff like this has become my legacy because all of this is true of ideal Deffy, but real life ACTUAL Deffy falls very much short in the ass department. 

 

On 7/31/2020 at 6:48 PM, Emma said:

 

Challenge:

Life is too short for shitty food. To eat yummy, healthyish food.

Life is too short for crappy clothes. To buy a couple more nice outfits.

Life is too short for an unhappy body. Exercise and eat healthier.

Life is too short for unpleasant surroundings. Keep my home clean and pretty.

The biggest problem I think will be food. I am wanting snacks too often.

 

I love this challenge!!! 

 

20 hours ago, Emma said:

It took me two days to write down those goals. Developed bad anxiety every time I tried. I’m still not feeling the self worth.

 

Whatever you think you're worth, you're worth that many times over.

 

[Sloth the Enduring]

Ideal or mere shadows on the wall, you’re the one who taught me to slut drop.

[Edigo]

following you ! you can do it ! 

I don't remember what work you do, but working with covid patients must be super stressfull. Don't forget yourself in all of this

sending hugs 

[Emma]

Hi nova! 
Hey, snarky!

Tateman! Glad you’re back.

Hello Sciread.

Hugs to Tank!

Hi deftona! Good to see you.
Hi edigo! Thanks.

i am a mobile X-ray tech and drive around with a portable X-ray machine to take xrays of people who can’t get out of bed. Almost entirely nursing homes. So I am in and out of several facilities every day. It was several weeks after the start of the shutdown before I saw a single covid patient in a nursing home. Now I am seeing three or four a week. It’s breaking my heart.  Most  facilities are following the protocols with varying degrees of strictness but a few aren’t even trying. Skilled nursing facilities are not set up for isolating large numbers of people and must improvise, with varying degrees of success. Personally I suit up in full PPE , personal protective equipment,  every time I walk through the door of a facility-N95 mask, gown, gloves and goggles. I add a hair cover if I know I’m going into an isolation area. If the facility is following protocol someone takes my temperature and watches me as I fill out a questionnaire asking about symptoms, travel, and exposure to covid. As I leave the building I toss the PPE, except for the reusable goggles, and disinfect the equipment. I hate disposing the PPE because I know there’s a shortage, but I can’t risk cross contamination, carrying germs to another facility. I used to do a chest X-ray in twenty to thirty minutes. Now it usually takes an hour. 

Sunday

exercise and eating happened. It was a stupid day at work. Nothing major, just annoying. 
Today I have to take my equipment to San Leandro for calibration, then go to work. Tomorrow back to San Leandro for inspection by the state physicist and back to work. Long days with a lot of sitting around at the main office. Sigh. Must remember to bring book to read.

[Tateman]

Sounds like some crazy amount of traveling all around. 

[Emma]

Sometimes 300 miles a day. PM shift, not as many cases as during the day so in order to get their money’s worth, I cover more territory.

Monday

PT done

Eating  plan

Boss was at the San Leandro office and he made sure I got calibrated and out in a relatively short time. I really like this guy.

Did xray of Mr J, an old coot that I have a for whom I have fondness. An aide spoke rudely to him one evening and Mr J schooled that aide. I smiled. Mr J is positive for covid. He’s eighty years old. I hope he makes it.

My last exam was at a facility in a low income area. I asked for a gown and they had none. NONE! The nurse said it was okay, they have no covid in the facility. You guys want it to stay that way? My last case was a covid patient, I was in full PPE but maybe I’m bringing some germs in with me.
Rant about school openings.

You people cannot be serious. Nursing homes have nurses and aides who are trained in infection control and have years of experience in isolation procedures and they haven’t been able to keep nursing homes safe. The residents are cooperating. Dining rooms are closed, all social activities are banned, no one allowed in the building except employees and essential people, like doctors and X-ray techs.The residents stay in their rooms with same one or two roommates all the time. And the covid is still spreading. 
What in the name of all that’s holy makes people think that inexperienced teachers and staff with limited, rushed training can keep children safe in an environment like a school? Yes, teaching in person is better, yes students who learn online will fall behind. But a living, breathing kid can get caught up. A dead one can’t.

[Emma]

PT done.

Eating plan done

Started early. My machine passed its inspection with flying colors.
Nobody said there was going to be a pop quiz.
One of the inspectors asked me how much paperwork was in my van. 
None! I clear it all out at the end of my shift. (Touchdown!)

Do I have a copy of my license in the van? 
(Fumble) No, it’s on file with the company.
Not good enough, you need a copy with you at all times.

Uhh, I have a picture of it on my phone. (Save!) (I had to text it to boss when it was renewed)

Where would you find the RPP?

(Fumble, looking at boss, trying to keep poker face while wondering what the heck the RPP is.) 

(And it’s an assist from the boss!) The radiation protection program is online now in program x. 
(Still fumbling, turns on laptop to pretend I’m looking for the damn thing. When inspector looks away, I look at boss with my most pathetic I don’t know what’s going on, help me please! look.  Boss winks at me. Winks!)

 Boss says they recently put it online and he needs to go through this with all the techs. (Save!) (Told you I liked this guy.)

Last covid test was negative. Got another one today.
I was supposed to quit early but stats kept coming in. I did take a full hour for dinner.

Tomorrow is my Saturday. Yay!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

What kind of machine do you use? At the hospital our techs use the big heavy ones with the motorized wheels. Whenever I'm on the elevator and one of the techs rolls a machine on the whole elevator shakes as it adjusts to the weight. I'm always scared I'll get a toe broken if one of them runs over my foot.

[Emma]

 

Below is a link to the kind of portable machine in hospitals. The big box is the battery. We don’t want to take the time hunting for a plug during an emergency, so it’s battery powered. When it’s not in use, it is plugged in, recharging, somewhere near the ER, so it’s ready to use at a moments notice. It is also used to xray patients in bed if they don’t want to move the patient down to the Imaging department. And yes, it will likely break a bone if it rolls over your foot. They have a motor to move it because the battery is so heavy. X-ray machines use a lot of electricity. 

 

https://avantehs.com/p/ge-amxiv-portable-x-ray-machine/934

 

Below is the one that I use. It has no battery and plugs into a wall outlet, like the ones in your house. In older homes, I can blow a fuse. Once I shut down an entire wing in a nursing home. That’s the kind of ramp I use to get it in and of the van.

 

https://www.zzmedical.com/sr-130-portable-x-ray-unit.html?utm_source=google_shopping&scid=scplp4380&sc_intid=4380&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3dDsi5-E6wIVgobACh0P1wdLEAQYAiABEgK9NPD_BwE

 

In conjunction with the machine I use an image receptor (instead of film) that is placed under the body part being xrayed. It is a hard plastic plate, about 20 by 20 inches, weighing 10 pounds. It translates the radiation coming through the body and sends the image to my lap top. Algorithms on the computer play with the pixels and enhance the image.

The digital receptor allows us to use only about ten per cent the amount of radiation we needed with film. An X-ray that required 40 mAs with film requires only 3-4  mAs digitally. The algorithms give us “wiggle room” so if we use a little too much or too little radiation they can compensate and save us (and the patient) from repeating the X-ray.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Yes, the hospitals use the digital ones as well. When I can do so without getting in the way, I often take a look at the images. I usually see them after an intubation when the image is used to check the position of the tube. I'm glad to know your machine doesn't need the giant battery, I was trying to picture you getting one of those in and out of a van.