Finding a New View @findinganewview-blog - Tumblr Blog

Monday 22nd April

The first call we received was an alaphalactic reaction to a bee sting. He had a swallon tounge (you could tell by the way he talked) and a swallon inferior lip. He was also Tacicardic when we arrived but the antihistamine the doctors gave him helped his cardiac cycle go back to normal, and his condition improved. He insisted that he didn’t want to go to the hospital so the doctors had to leave him there.

#findinganewview #22nd April

Wednesday 17th April

One of the calls we had today was a man who had fallen into a alcoholic coma. When we arrived this man looked completely gone, not there at all, his body was limp, he wasn’t responding, I thought for a while ‘is he still alive?’ They straped him into a chair and took him out to the ambulance. When I saw him again in the emergency department he was awake, which was a great relief.

#findinganewview #17th April

Monday 15th April

Today was an incredible day. I found the most amazing nurse that allowed me to help out heaps. So this is what I did.

- 2 tetanus injections

- 8 Administering drugs

- 4 EKGs

- 7 Insert IV cathator’s

- 5 Remove IV cathator’s

- 2 Take blood

- 2 Set up saline drip line

FUN FUN FUN!!!

#findinganewview #15th April

Treasure Hunt

So I don’t really know when this happened but I wanted to add it in because it was very….interesting. Ok. One afternoon I arrived back at my accommodation after work and I was given a slip by the reception to say there was a package for me to pick up at the post office and they told me where the post office was. Just down the road, the street right to the big orthodox church. I followed their directions and went to the post office, but it wasn’t the right one. I was at post office number one and I was meant to be at post office number two. Well I wasn’t told that…I didn’t know there were two post offices. I didn’t trust myself to find the post office on my own so I gave the taxi driver the address and hopped in the back. I found it very strange just opening a taxi door and sliding in. It’s kind of like opening a random car door on the side of the road and hopping in for a ride. I don’t know if it’s strange for anyone else but I found it very foreign. Anyway along with my story. I jumped into a taxi and give him the address on the slip of paper. He starts driving, and keeps driving for a while till we come to a post office. The taxi driver is so nice and comes in with me and talks to the people at the counter. I don’t know what’s going on because it’s all in Romanian, but he shakes his head and actions that it is not the right place and to leave. As we go back to the taxi he tries to talk to me about the location, ask me…I’m not actually sure what he was asking, it was in Romanian. I tried to understand but it didn’t work. I get back into the taxi and he calls his taxi company as he drives (The New Zealand police would have a frenzy here in Romania with all the people who talk on their phones. There was this one bus driver, I think it was coming back to Targu Mures from Brasov, it’s about a 3 hour trip, and the bus driver was talking on his phone the entire way…Is that safe? Especially with those small winndy roads.) So he’s off the phone and he takes me to another post office, but nope that’s not it. Get back in the car. He rings his taxi company again and this time he hands the phone to me to talk to the person on the other end. I was a bit confused to start with unsure whether they would speak English, but they did. I tried to explain where I wanted to go and then she translated it to the taxi driver. I think that worked we ended up at another post office. I didn’t realise Targu Mures had 5 post offices (four that I went to that day, and I found another one in my last week. We went into the post office but left again and had to go around the back, which was a little creepy. Finally we walked into this small little place where they thankfully had my package. That was a relief to see Mum’s writing on the front and a smiley face.

Loved opening the package after the effort it took in getting it. Thank you for sending it, loved everything in it, (even the pictures of Bmo…thanks Carrie. )

@Peter.

Thank you for your experiences, not too much information, I have seen too much information. The patients don’t even get a gown. All they get is a sheet and half the time it doesn’t seem to be doing its job. Plus there are always a crowd of people around so they are far from privacy as you can get apart from at a world cup rugby game. It’s actualy quiet horrible to think about yourself in their position. Like today, there was this one lady getting a catheter inserted, there was about 6 people surrounding her while her whole world was being shown off.

Thank you so much, I’m glad you’re enjoying it, sometimes I wonder if some of it is appropriate for me to be writing…hope you are well.

#findinganewview #Reply #Peter

Wednesday 10th April

I really need to be more organised and get up earlier. I seem to be making a habit of eating my breakfast as I walk to the hospital. Is it strange to be walking down the street with toast in your hand? I’ve been getting some strange looks. So that is my goal to wake up earlier and be able to sit down while I eat. I wonder if it will be accomplished. I will have to set my alarm.

One of the call’s I went out on today was a 10 day old baby, I felt for the mother, having to sit there and hear your child cry and have the doctors work on him. I don’t have a clue what it really feels like to be in that position but I just got a feeling from being in the room with the mother that it wasn’t something you would want to experience. I was surprised to hear what was wrong with the newborn. He was dehydrated and had only been feed 10ml of milk a day. I know for a fact 10ml is not nearly enough for a baby. It’s horrible that a baby is brought into this world and is subjected to this. All I really hope is that the mother can learn from this and do better for her child.

Later in the day, I was on my way to fill up my water bottle and this one lady just started talking to me like I we were best of friends. I wondered for a while if we had met before and I felt bad that maybe I had forgotten her. Im pretty sure that was the first time we had met. Saw her again later and she told me I was her friend..She was so lovely. Thank you for making my day.

#findinganewview #10th April

Tuesday 9th April

So the day started with a cathator being put into a man’s subclavien vein, very interesting. It made me smile as I was watching to see the doctor’s hand’s shaking. I guess they still get nervous even though they seem the most confident people.

I could hear the cricket’s in the resuscitation room from then on. From about 1030ish to when I left at 415 there were no patients. Although two of the receptionist came in for a bit as patient’s. One hadn’t being feeling the greatest with a cough, so they took blood and blood pressure. And the other guy had a headache and was given painkillers though a drip. I wouldn’t think this was necessary but I guess it was just to fill the time.

Durning the quietness I was shown a bone IV. This is exactly what it sounds like, if you are unable to get a IV into a vein in the skin, then what’s the other option….put it in the vein. They have this tool that resembles a drill that is used to insert it. It just sounds horrible. But apparently it doesn’t hurt….I’ll just trust them, I’m not willing to try it out.

#findinganewview #9th April

Monday 8th April

It makes your day so much better when you are working with people who are lovely and friendly.

So…New skills that I was able to try out today. First I was able to listen to someone’s breathing through the stethoscope, and this time it was a real one. Not a plastic one that I used to play with when I was younger. Although….I’m laughing at myself now, I didn’t hear a thing. I’m not really sure what I was suppose to hear, I was told afterwards it sounded like a concert. I’m pretty sure I didn’t hear a concert in there. I guess I will have to keep at that one. I also got to take out an IV, that was pretty easy, all you have to do is peal off the plaster around, that is holding it in place then just pull it out, place a cotton bud on the area and done. I wish putting one in was that easy. Had another two goes at doing them, wasn’t so successful. Not going to give up though, I’m going to master this either while I am here or once I get into the clinical part when I get home.

#findinganewview #8th April

Friday 5th April

Today I spent the day in the green room where the most stable patients are. It was slow not much happening. I helped out with quiet a few EKG (ECG) watched some IVs being put in (the nurse I was with today wouldn’t let me do it) and helped an older lady out of the wheelchair and to the bed. Because it was so slow, I was given a Hungarian lesson. I don’t remember much, I have it written down so I must try and learn a little.

So I’m sitting in an old dirty bus station waiting for a bus to Brasov. N and myself were going to get a bus at 5-15 but our taxi driver dropped us off at the wrong place, and we thought we were going to be late, the bus was just pulling out when we arrived..but it was full so we are waiting for the next one. So we have a three hour bus ride to Brasov tonight and hopefully we will find a taxi to take us to our hostel.

Arriving at our hostel was a surprise it was nice. More comfortable and modern that I expected. We meet a Canadian guy and an English guy. It was amazing to meet more people who spoke English.

#findinganewview

Thursday 4th April

Today was great, I was placed with a great doctor who spoke really good English, which made the day easier. The great thing was he taught me how to put in an IV line. The first one I did I was putting it in a ladies hand, which the vein was very easy to find. So I got it in one go. The next wasn’t so good, the vein was superficial meaning it was deep, so the doctor took over for me. The next was good, got the vein, bit spilled a bit I’d blood on the floor. Looking forward to the next one. There was one call that day, we spent nearly about 50 minutes traveling to the patient, who was diagnosed with a coronary block. 50 minutes back to the emergency department and I find out all she has is a cold and dihareaha. Thy was worth the two hours we spent out on the road.

#findinganewview

Wednesday 3rd April

I spent the day in the recusatation room. I had a great translator, Paul who was amazing and allowed me to understand what was actually happening that day. Bad and good news… Good news I got the opportunity to do CPR again. But the bad news was that we could revive him, he passed about 430 in the afternoon. It’s hard to see someone just laying there lifeless. Your bit really sure what to do. But as I looked around at all the doctors and nurses it didn’t seem to phase them they just continued on like nothing had happened. It felt strange to me like they didn’t have any respect for the patient, but after I thought about it they would have to get on and care for those still alive.

#findinganewview

Sighisoara - Saturday 30th March

Today I went to Sighisoara, can you pronounce that. I have had it said to me so many times, but I still can’t say it properly.

I got a taxi to the bus stop, got on a bus and was on the way to Sighisoara.

Was very confused when I stepped off the bus, not really sure where I was, found my way, was pretty easy when you have a very tall clock tower to direct you in the right direction. Spent a few hours walking around the old city with cobblestone paths and old buildings. Took quite a few photos they will explain better than I can. It felt as though you had partially walked into another time, it felt like that until I heard Pink being blasted out one of the windows.

First time since leaving New Zealand I felt sun on my face, it was so nice just to sit there looking at the old buildings soaking in the sun.

On my way back, it turned into a bit of a nightmare, I got lost and didn’t have a clue how to get to the bus station. I walked down one road and found a tourist information center, I thought I was saved but oh no they were closed. Tried asking for directions but nobody could understand me. I was praying as I walked that I would find some way out of here and thank you Lord, I found a Taxi, he didn’t speak English but he understood where I wanted to go. I was so relieved when I saw that taxi.

“I will not be anxious about anything, instead I will tell God my needs and thank him” – Philipians 4v6

#Sighisoara #findinganewview