ashes and heat

I'm home trying to nurse my cold. i got sick on Sunday night and I've been taking NyQuil and Tylenol religiously. I was suppose to go to San Diego today to have lunch with Jackie. well i couldn't do that because of my cold and the fires all around me. They are slowly making their way into Orange County. I can not believe more than a 250,000 people were evacuated. I've been trying to look up and see how many people were uprooted in Katrina.

The air is hot outside an every time you take a deep breath you throat burns and you don't know what to do to make yourself feel better. I've been hiding in my room somehow thinking that the air is nicer inside. We left the kitchen window half way open on Sunday when we went to church and when we got back the counter was black from the dust.

I worked yesterday and i thought since I'm close to the beach i can see clear sky but it's worst than in Anaheim. This is about 10 to 15 miles from my work.

I was surprised we didn't get more people with respiratory issues yesterday. I was so upset yesterday that people are so uneducated about the usage of ER. I had a 2o's year old patient that came in with headache, runny nose, body aches. I was upset because here i am your nurse who is running a fever, got a headache and body aches temporary tamed by Tylenol is at your service. Is a cold really an ER problem? Needless to say, the bed next door held a patient that was in her 40's who called 911 for abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting. All i wanted to say was: are you kidding me there are all these fires and you took the time of 911 to call for nausea and vomiting????? Oh the life of ER!

On these occasions I'm not envious of firefighters anymore. We give them such a hard time when they bring patients in because everyone respects them and always thanks them while they forget about the nurse who hold their hand and rub their back while they are hunch over a bucket vomiting, but i would rather be in my air condition hospital dealing with my drunks on a Saturday night than face to face with fire. Christian and I have you in our prayers. Thank you!

Angela and I trying to look like heroes

My friend Amy updated me that her family home in Fallbrook has nearly escaped the fire. Her backyard with amazing fruit trees is gone but the home is still standing thanks to her brother who stayed behind. This is one of the homes in Fallbrook

I couldn't end this post with out this: