1 Peter 4:9-11

These verses have really been ringing true for me in life but also in my job and service as a nurse...

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in it's  various forms...if anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ"

I know a lot of times when a call light goes off it takes me away from whatever I was doing and I definitely have an internal (and external) sigh of frustration...but I need to remember, they are usually helpless in there and can't help but ask for help in their time of need.  (now of course, there are other situations where you need to lay down boundaries and explain there are some things they can do themselves but overall, they do really need your help and aren't trying to be a "bother")

I also like how because I am using my gift God has given me i am an active and tangible part of God's grace, to me, that is a cool idea. 

When I am at work and feeling a bad attitude coming on, I remind myself of these verses and the true purpose which is so do all this so that God may be praised.

Moyamoya Disease

Took care of a patient diagnosed with Moyamoya disease which is a very rare vascular disorder made even rarer that it normally takes place in childhood so that I took care of an adult with this disease is pretty exciting. I may never take care of someone with this disease again.

Moyamoya is a Japanese word meaning puff of smoke because that is what it looks like on an angiogram showing the blockage of the arteries in the Circle of Willis and the appearance of the vessesls that have developed to compensate for the blockage (pretty cool, huh?)

So essentially, Moyamoya disease is the progressive narrowing and blockage of the arteries in the Circle of Willis which causes irreversible blockage to the carotid arteries that feed the brain. This can be fatal, obviously!

My patient had hypertension, was of Asian descent and had been experiencing continous TIA's (transient ischemic attacks). Her treatment by a neurosurgeon was creating a bypass around the blockage just like bypasses in the heart. For me, neurologically she was confused but moving everything...but it was really hard to really assess what she was saying as she didnt speak a lick of English. She was also blind from her many TIA's.

Overall, my actual interaction with the patient wasnt that interesting...it was a smooth and easy night of providing care but her diagnosis was interesting and I wanted to share and document it!

www.mayoclinic.org/moyamoya-disease