The Bike Wife: As Of Late....

This update regarding my infrequent postings is brought to you courtesy of night shift.

I have been incredibly lucky throughout my nursing career and I've never had to stay up past 11pm. (At least not at the hospital. There were of course study sessions that went well past 2am, and mid-nursing-school crisis WhatamIdoing? sessions that surely went later than that.) But I've never had to work a shift later than 11pm. Lucky.

When I got hired at the 24 Hour Surgery, they were very upfront in telling me that I would have rotating shifts including a run of night shifts every 2 months. The 24 Hour Surgery is a lot like an "Immediate Care" or "Prompt Care" center in the States, except that we are the only medical establishment open 24-hours besides Christchurch Hopsital's Emergency Department. This severe lack of overnight medical centers is of course because of the earthquakes.

Anyhow, back to me. I had gotten out of my night shifts until now because of of the variations in my job and schedule, but the time had finally come. I dreaded it for weeks. Pretty much since I saw the days in ink on paper back in May. 3 nights. 8 hours each. Midnight-8am.

I whined about it to all who would listen. I warned my husband that I would likely be an inconsolable ball of sleepless anger and fury and self pity, and that he was best advised to stay away or stay quiet. (Like, silent). I made sure to stock up on food (the only foreseeable positive thing in my life for the next 72 hours). And then I tried to sleep.

Of course I couldn't. Who sleeps during the day when they haven't yet stayed up all night? Not this girl. I managed to show up for night 1 with a 1-hour nap under my belt (but a solid 8 hours the night before). And you know what? It wasn't that bad. Work was steady, as Friday nights in emergency nursing are. When I came home, I dropped dead to the world and slept for 4 hours.

For the following 48 hours I commenced zombie-life during the day time and perky-ness at night. I have to say, although I had a 0% productivity rate during the awake part of my days, I was surprised by how easy it was to stay up all night. For a girl that has trouble staying up after midnight for a drink with friends. I impressed myself.

The last night, or early hours of Monday morning, were really slow. Like 2 patients in 4 hours slow. This is when the going got tough, the nausea set in, and my eyes felt like they were filled with gravel. But 4 hours out of a total 24 isn't a bad ratio. I'll take it. Also, working nights means working with many fewer nurses, and getting to do the cool stuff like suturing. Sweet!

So I was really hyped up about something that wasn't that bad. I'm not going to go on looking forward to my next night shift. But there won't be so much dread next time.

Anyways, a photo from our guest room when I was making the bed last night. Scott's parents will be here tomorrow!!!