Work Hangover Wednesday: Baring Teeth

Another recovery day from work. The past two days were intense, extremely busy and long, lots of time on my feet. Work days have been consistently busy, we actually set a record for the number of patients we saw in the month of August. Good for job security, physically and mentally exhausting for nurses.

Tuesday I took two different patients to interventional radiology for intrathecal chemotherapy, something we don't do a lot of, but I always like to get away from the usual routine and go somewhere else in the hospital. I sort of miss that part of my ICU days, but that's about it.

I recovered from my dehydration on Sunday by drinking a lot of fluids, only to be up several times during the night peeing. That was good for the kidneys but my brain takes a hit by the end of my second shift. And by the end of my second shift I was in the mood for showing my teeth.

I try to schedule some of my errands and stuff I have to do but don't really want to do, on my work hangover days, because I figure as long as I get a nap in that afternoon, I'll be so out of it all day I won't notice that I'm spending the day doing not so fun things.

And that's how I ended up with my own dental appointment on the same day as Isabelle's teeth cleaning at the vet today.

Poor Isabelle had to be dropped off at 7:30 am with morning rush hour traffic, complete with trains. I swear you would think that the railroad is doing this intentionally to piss off people in Fort Collins. Trains come through at morning and evening rush hour, and also at noon. It's crazy because they block the major east-west streets all the way through town, causing havoc with traffic.

When I took her in and talked to the tech, signed the consent and got ready to leave my baby, her eyes got huge, these big brown orbs, saying "You're not LEAVING me here, are you? Breaks a mother's heart.

I went home and took Iris for a run. Dennis stayed home with Iris until I got home because Iris freaks out when Isabelle isn't around. And she did. I took Iris for a run, and then she seemed to be okay. Then I went out to finish a few more miles before my dentist appointment at 11.

I got my teeth cleaned, no issues there, except the dentist told me I have sun damage on my lower lip and I need to be more careful about using lip balm with SPF. Yes, I do need to remember to re-apply it when I'm running. I am bad about remembering to keep re-applying it, even though it's in my pack. I should move it to the front pocket and maybe I'll be better about it.

I managed to get a good 2 1/2 hour nap before I went to pick up Isabelle. Everything went well, her teeth look beautiful, her breath is much better, and she will continue on antibiotics for at least another week while the gingivitis clears up. We have a follow-up appointment next week. I wonder if she'll ever trust me to take her to the vet again?

All she has to show for it, besides clean teeth, is the spot on her arm where they shaved her to put an IV in. Poor baby. But she's happy and squeaking, which is her way of talking, back at home now with her sister.

Got another 5 miles in this evening. I usually do my tempo run with Shannon but he's off to run Wasatch this weekend so I'm going to wait until Thursday morning to do it, so I can get some cool air to help me. My legs would have been trashed tonight anyway, not much benefit if I can't run fast.

I have a good training week planned for the rest of this week. I'm hoping to get a decent long run in, and I might even run a 5K if I can find one within reasonable driving distance on Saturday. If not, I'll be doing speedwork.

And if I need some motivation, I can get pissed off about politics again, it might help me run faster.