And it made the residents cranky. The sweet lady who calls me "Sugar" and "Honey" and "Baby" told me to leave her alone. One lady got so cranky they sent her to a special home in Litchfield for residents with behavior problems (sounds ominous, doesn't it?). Her husband eats dinner (the same tray as her as well as a cover up for him too... how sweet is that?) with her every night. Even though she was sent away, he still came for dinner to eat with his sister. His sister never says a word and sits with her eyes tightly shut. Although last night she opened them for a second when I told her I wanted to see her pretty eyes. And she smiled a little. So apparently she is one who likes heat.
My big lumberjack resident must also like the heat. I could hear him whistling down the hall and when I walked into the room he smiled at me. I've never seen him smile. In fact, the other CNAs warned me to watch out for him because he likes to hit. He's been nothing than pleasant with me (although last night as I rolled him over he said very loudly, "Owwww. Goddamit!"). Anyway, he smiled at me. I told him I loved his smile and would like to see it every day from now on.
So, my night was going pretty well even though the residents were cranky as all get out. One of the nurses asked me to work in the am (6-2:30). Without thinking I said sure. That's when everything took a turn for the worse.
It started with the gal who is 3 years older than me. She was so cranky she was giving me the evil eye. Everything I asked her was answered with "I don't care." With huge tone.
"Sally, would you like to wear these pink pj's?"
"I don't care."
"Sally, would you like to wash your face?"
"I don't care."
"Sally, would you like to go with me to the big lake and jump in?"
"I don't care."
So getting her cleaned up and tucked into bed took twice as long. Not to mention, whoever had her in the am didn't do a very good job cleaning her up so she was doubly dirty.
After tucking her in, I checked in on my lumberjack who had pooped for the third time my shift. And his poops have a smell that I have never smelled before... some unnatural, not from this world kind of smell. He is a very large man who can't help at all. Which means I have to roll him from side to side alot to get him cleaned up. My muscles and back usually scream "Owww... Goddamit" when I'm done with him. Sadly, when rolling him, he got his cover sheet dirty as well (the small sheet that keeps the main bed sheet from getting dirty). This meant more rolling to get the dirty sheet out from him and the clean one in. Keep in mind I woke him up from a deep sleep to roll him around. It was like waking an angry bear early from hibernation.
After the Lumberjack, I went to tuck in Lucy a very large, pretty mobile (wheelchair to walker and back), and very alert resident. To pull her up to standing you grab onto the back of her pants and pull her up. Without giving you the grossest of details, she had had the runs at some point. I didn't realize it until pulling her up... that's when I noticed it... all over her pants, all over her wheelchair, and all over the floor. Nice. It took me 4 times as long to get her tucked into bed than usual. And by now I was extremely cranky. Although, she would have never known it.
I did some charting and then made my last rounds right before my shift was to end. Sure enough, the Lumberjack had done it again. What a nice ending to my night. Hmmmm... and I had agreed to come in again in the morning! What had I been thinking?
So this morning when my alarm went off at 5 and my back and shoulder and arm muscles were still screaming, "Owww... Goddamit!" I did the unthinkable. Something I have never done in my entire working career. I called in sick even though I wasn't.
Oh, the horror!
Guilt washed over me when the RN who answered the phone said that she hoped I felt better soon.
What a horrible monster I am.
And the worse thing is, now I can't go into town to have bkfst or get coffee because someone might see me!
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