well done

Last night I was taking care of a Tamba, a man in his 40's, whose intake (what they drink/iv fluids) and output (how much they urinate) was being closely monitored. He knew if he he drank more, he would void more, and if he void more, he would get his Foley catheter removed.

The goal was 30 ml an hour.
At 6 pm he had surpassed 900 ml in only four hours.

As I emptied his catheter (nursing is such a glamorous professions) he saw me holding the jug which was full of urine and he smiled in pure delight.

"I have done well," he announced to the ward.

Agreeing with his statement, I told him we could take out the tube. He turned to Mahawa, the 8 your girl in the bed next to his, and said,

"Young girl, you close your eyes."

MaHawa is a free spirit. A flowing stream of vivacious energy. Most of the men on A ward have complained, "That girl talks too much."

So I pretty much understand MuHawa completely. I was probably exactly like her when I was 8.

Upon Tamba's command, MuHawa broke out into a giggle and I couldn't stop myself from joining in (I suppose I should have been "the adult" and made her stop..oops..). I turned my back so Tamba couldn't see my laughter.

Then I grabbed a curtain so I could give him some privacy.

When we were finished, I announced to the ward tenets
"You can open you eyes now."

This time, Tamba was the one laughing.