Halloween

Last night was Halloween, and I had to work.

You know how they say the crazies come out on Halloween?

Yeah, well, my crazies came out in the form of elderly dementia patients who [somehow] gained super strength.

Patient #1- despite being so sick and weak that we have to turn him to prevent bedsores, he managed to pull out ALL of his lines (IV, catheter, wound vac, and gown..he was naked as a jay bird) and then get a death grip on my hand while I was trying to hook him back up. I had to push the call light and literally scream for help.

Luckily, 5 of my favorite co-workers rescued me and were able to pry him off of me. The parting gift he left me with are some lovely fingernail marks cut into my hand. I know, it was so sweet of him to leave me with a reminder of our time together :)

In hindsight, I should have found some nail clippers and gone to town on his claws nails. Just sayin'.

Crazy Patient #2- weak and contracted from an old stroke, whose body was shot but her mind wasn't. This little lady was horribly confused and forgetful during the day. At night she was even worse (yay for sundowners!). When I went into her room to give her evening meds, she decided she hated me...

The voice that suddenly possessed her seemed soooo familiar...in a bad way.

Have you ever seen "the Exorcist"?

Do you remember the low, rumbly voice of the demon in Regan after she was possessed?

That's the voice that suddenly took over this little lady and exploded profanities and called me every name in the book, along with some pretty hefty insults.

Add that to her swatting at me and trying to kick me, and we had a fun moment!  Not  ;)                                          

Now, in all seriousness, she was not nearly as bad as the little guy next door.

All I had to do for her was leave the room, wait 15 minutes and go back in. By that time she had forgotten that she hated me, was perfectly calm and polite and took her medicine. Yay for a happy ending!
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I don't normally dress up for Halloween, but I've always wanted to dress as a nurse from Silent Hill. Like this, but a little more creepy and a little less sexy:

picture from here

I jokingly told my husband I was going to dress like that for work....Now I kinda wished I had! I might have scared my patients into being good....kidding!

sorta...