The Schlusser Unit...

In our own little corner of the world stands Schlusser Hospital for the depraved, wounded and sick. As charge nurse, I cover all manner of psychosomatic illness, boo-boo's and bodily fluid when need be. I won't bother you with the details of the virus of January 2001. Suffice it to say, it was not pretty. I tried to call housekeeping to come clean up the mess until I realized there is no union for the nursing staff...that means I am housekeeping as well.

Most times I am left to make a nursing assessment in our home, um, hospital, to decide on the level of care. If the incident is a trauma, I often let John make the decision. You see, at the scene, he out ranks me. Paramedic over RN. In hospital, I out rank him. Give and take kinda thing. But there have been moments...

A couple of years ago, John had a piece of asbestos shingle cut through his work boot and open up his foot. He sent me into the garage to get his old medic bag. I looked at the expiration date on the gauze he wanted me to use...some point in the early 1990's...and I got him paper towels instead. He was thinking about stopping the bleeding and I was thinking infection control. We make a good team.

So last night, when Miss Maggie came into the kitchen to tell us she had an eyeball problem..."It is falling out!!!!!" while pointing to her right eye ball, I turned to John and told him to use his assessment skills on this one...I was too busy giggling.

Turns out Maggie's eye was just fine, but her American Girl doll was in an ocular emergency. Shwoosh. Dodged that one!

We come at things so differently. I love that. Together John and I complete an entire picture. God knew what He was doing so long ago when He introduced us and tugged at our heart strings until we fell in love. He performed heart surgery on both of us and produced something new.