Stress and release

Today has been a bit like this photo, a day of contrasts and slightly out of focus.

One of the girls got a phone call telling her that her husband had taken ill and was being taken to hospital. She phoned later to let us know that he'd had a heart attack and had a stent put in, but was now doing well in coronary care (his brother died suddenly about a month ago). This brought reactions from a few of us. Another confided that her husband was having angina again, and was to see doc later this week about having another stent put in- he had a cardiac arrest a few months ago when they put his in. I thought about Mr P's experiences when he had his inserted.

A visitor was upset as her husband deteriorated, and I listened and comforted. Junior staff upset at dealing with death and dying, again I listened and supported.

At the end of the shift, looking forward to going home- staff problems. Quote "ISSUES". Again I acted as counsellor and mediator. The staff worked together, and survived the night duty (written in retrospect- I phoned this morning).

I got home at 10pm after leaving the house at 6am. Mr P looked at me, gave me a well earned cuddle, poured me a Baileys, and a rum and coke. I just started sipping it- when son came home with a certificate "overall best cadet", and passed his BTec diploma. So feel happier now