Christmas Review

Christmas 2006.
Location: UCSD Thornton Hospital, BMT Unit.
Sometimes it is not so great being a nurse. I know I can't really complain, working just 3 days a week, but when one of those 3 days lands on Christmas day, well, it's just not as fun. So keeping with the positive, I am formally recording my favorite memories of the day.

Seeing our break room bursting with food covering the 8 person report table, the whole second report table, the sink counter, and filling the refridgerator so it was hard to close. There was a whole turkey, a catering sized pan of mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, a small trash can sized bag of rolls, another bag of sweet rolls, a plate of banana bread the size of a trashcan lid, another of home made cookies, a 4 pound box of Godiva chocolates, 2 1-pound boxes of See's candy in addition to the 4 pound box of See's, a pan full of lumpia (christmasy!) a bowl of the dipping sauce, another bowl of cranberry sauce, 4 boxes of Vietnamese pasteries, 6 bottles of Martinelli's apple cider, a jug of apple juice, a plate the size of a trash can lid of brownies, and a variety of assorted regular sized plates of different home made cookies. I don't know what was in the refridgerator!

Having a little blue eyed blonde girl hand out candy canes with her daddy while most of us were in the back eating. "Who was that guy?" we all asked. No one knew. Finally the charge nurse came in and informed us, "That was the CEO of the hospital." Oops.

The very first "event" of Christmas morning, Christmas balls! Hanging down between the legs of a very naked man at the side of his bed, legs spread just enough, flat butt facing us, PISSING ON THE FLOOR!!! No prostate problems for this guy!

Meeting the brother, newly married sister, and parents of my favorite, always smiling patient who is all of 3 days older than me. Did I mention her very hot brother?

Getting the news that one of our nurses, who has been in Tahiti the past 2 weeks with her boyfriend, got engaged! She showed off her huge black Tahitian pearl and tiny diamond engagement ring as she frolicked about the unit in her white and green scrub top, her red pants tucked into her red and white striped socks with white fuzziness like Santa at the top.

And my favorite, having my favorite doctor, Bill, I mean "Dr. Mitchell" have all 4 of his beautiful, amazingly calm and cooperative children come up to the floor to visit, each with thier own jingle bell around their wrist, and singing christmas carols to my favorite patient. The baby, Will, was in a front pack and jingled all the way, as only a 3 month old can. The staff joined in the singing with Rudolph as back up. His kids are precious.

Most all the staff had their families come up to visit, and our lounge was packed. It was a very nice memory. The last Christmas I worked was up in Santa Barbara, and my dear friend, Christine, and I sat quietly at the nurses station, and picked at our hospital provided dry turkey and excuse for gravy with mashed potatoes. The highlight was us raising our glasses of apple juice, and saying to each other, "Well, Merry Christmas." "Yeah. You too." Gives whole new meaning to Silent Night.

I had the fortune to go home to family after work, and spent the remainder of the night surrounded by my own family opening gifts over jovial conversation and being amused by the Cat, and finally heading off to bed as sugar plums danced in my head, so I could get up again in the morning and do work again. It is good to be me!