Working Hard for the Monday

To say that today was a hard day would be an understatement.  Here lately, Mondays and Friday are the absolute worst at work.  We are so busy and usually understaffed and I am not a fan of Mondays as is.  When I decided to become a dietitian I had no idea that my days would be spent as they are.  Today went somewhat like this:

-First patient of the day is a Cardiac/Diabetic diet education and turns out he is a very pleasant gentleman and former small town council man, educate said patient and wife on post CABG diet instructions and complete a few more follow ups
-Peanut butter and graham cracker snack break
-a lot of RD screens for patients who have been NPO or on clear liquids for more than 3 days (interesting, I know)
-pump for 20 minutes
-see 22 year old patient who now has a perforated bowel because he swallowed a piece of sheet metal to avoid a court date (yes this is for real).  He was proud to show me his GPS ankle tracker
-lunch (best time of the day)
-coffee break
-more diet educations with patients who can't comprehend the most basic of instructions (no more sugar/salt/fat, etc) and sign 15 documents to prove I attempted to educate above patients, bang my head against the wall as I leave the room
-see a severly protein-calorie malnourished patient who already has onee above the knee amputation and was in to have the opposite leg removed below the leg (awesome)
-downstairs to my office for emails and other general daily updates
-back up to ICU two more times to write tube feed orders

I think a lot more stuff happened today but I am just beat and don't really remember anything else.  Ha!  And I have not mentioned any names so I am in the clear with HIPPA.  I really do love my job and most of the time find it extremely interesting and even challenging.  Sometimes the "mandatorys" and "have tos" just get in the way.  I guess it's like that with all professions though. 

Days like this are always worth it when I have a sweet little family to come home to.  As I was walking up to our house I could hear Shannon from outside screaming "Mommys Home!, Mommys Home"! It made me laugh.  

Hope everyone's Monday was better than mine!  We did have a good dinner and I will post the recipe for all!

Tiffany