Skip to content
  • Nursing
  • Beauty
  • Travel
    • africa
      • 9 Days in Egypt
      • South Africa Travel Guide
    • asia
      • The Best of Dubai in 2 Days
      • Thailand Island Hopping Guide
    • North America
      • Maui, Hawaii Travel Guide
      • Dallas/Fort Worth Travel Guide
      • Visiting Nashville for CMA Fest
  • Life
    • Wedding
      • Wedding Part 1 – Prep
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • SHOP
clear
CRNA vs. AA? . #crna #caa #crnalife #nurseanesthe CRNA vs. AA? 
.
#crna #caa #crnalife #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthesiologist
It’s timeeee for Christmas decor 🎄🎅🏼 #x It’s timeeee for Christmas decor 🎄🎅🏼 #xmas2023 #christmasdecor #xmasdecor #christmasdecorating #crnalifestyle
Disney ✨🏰 Disney ✨🏰
Happy Sunday friends ☀️ . #crna #crnalife #nur Happy Sunday friends ☀️
.
#crna #crnalife #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesia #anesthesialife #futurecrna #crnaschool CRNA, Nurse Anesthesia
Halloween home decor 🕷️ do you prefer fall or Halloween home decor 🕷️ do you prefer fall or spooky decor in your own home? 👻 
.
#halloweendecor2023 #halloweendecor #falldecorating #gothichome #spookydecor #interiordesign
days off ✨ #crna #crnalife #nurseanesthetist #n days off ✨

#crna #crnalife #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthesiologist #dayoffvibes
Happy birthday babe 😍 I’ve never formally in Happy birthday babe 😍 
I’ve never formally introduced my husband on here which is stupid

There are bad people everywhere. Every profession. My husband is the most beautiful, caring soul I have ever met. I’m not just saying this because I’m married to the guy. If you know him personally, I know you think the same of him. 

Before he became a police officer, I really had no clue the extent of the profession. I just knew they were annoying when they called the nurses for info we couldn’t give out 😂. I thought nursing was a pretty awesome mindf*ck of a job, but after hearing how his shifts go, it’s really amazing how we can both comfort eachother with our similar feelings & experiences. 

He is my hero. 
He finds people who have died in their homes alone & makes sure they are cared for with dignity. He answers calls for domestic vi0lence & doesn’t leave until he knows those women feel safe & heard. He gets approached by the homeless asking if he can help them find their lost dog, the only friend they have. He finds young teens hanging out with the wrong crowd & talks to them like a friend, & encourages them that they can be anything they want to be. He gets the desperate call of someone who wants to end their life, & is incredible at talking them into giving themselves a second chance. 

He is amazing and makes a difference. I love you babe 🖤💙
.
.
.
#firstresponders #nurselifepolicewife #crna #crnaschool #crnalife #powercouple #thinbluelinefamily
Day in the life - Nurse Anesthesia 😃 . #crna # Day in the life - Nurse Anesthesia 😃 
.
#crna #crnalife #srna #anesthesia #anesthesialife #crnaschool #crnastudent #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthesiologist
May photo dump ☀️ saved the best for last 😁 May photo dump ☀️ saved the best for last 😁 happy june! 🌴
🩺 Happy Nurse’s Week!! 🏥 In honor of #nurs 🩺 Happy Nurse’s Week!! 🏥
In honor of #nursesweek I’ll be giving away a black (my fave) stethoscope from @heartsound_solutions ! Here’s how you enter:
🩺 Must be following @sassyanesthesia & @heartsound_solutions
🩺 Like this post ♡
🩺 Comment your nursing specialty or if you’re a student!
🩺 Tag a friend for extra entries! Each tag = 1 extra entry!

Good luck! Ends Saturday at 2359 MST.
. 
#nursesweek2023 #nursesweekgiveaway #crna #crnaschool #crnalife #icunurses

Sassy Anesthesia

nurse in medication room
Life

Returning to the Bedside After an Injury

April 28, 2017May 2, 2017

Hey guys! So for those of you who are interested,  I’m FINALLY back to work in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and so far so good. I was definitely nervous to go back as I had been out of work for almost 10 months, and didn’t know how my leg was going to be able to handle a 12 hour nightshift.

I was very surprised how long I lasted before I started to get really limpy. Regardless of limping, I was able to WALK which is incredible and didn’t have any pain. The limping is due to muscle weakness. My leg is still nowhere near what it used to look like, there’s still a lot of muscle atrophy. I started off doing a one night on, one night off schedule so my sleeping pattern was not great. I’ve progressed to do two shifts in a row this week and I was able to recover quickly enough! Man was I tired though. My endurance is still slower than before my accident.

In regards to ICU knowledge I also surprised myself. Things came back to me like I never left, which was so comforting since half of my anxiety was thinking I was going to forget so much important knowledge and accidently kill someone. Yay for not doing that.

I am loving being back to work, I finally feel like I have a purpose again! The days on leave were so long and unfulfilling. I’m exhausted, but it is so worth it. There’s lots of new nurses that have been hired onto the unit since I’ve been back, but other than that, it feels like I never left. I love my coworkers, they have been nothing but supportive and encouraging.

I still feel like I have a ways to go progress-wise as I’m nowhere near being able to run (or line dance), but I have seen so much progress this year and I’m hopeful that it will continue. As of my last doctor’s appointment, I still have a nonunion of my tibial plateau. A nonunion means that my bone still hasn’t completely fused together. I guess it’s safe enough to walk on – I have a follow up CT scan in 5 months to see if I’ve made progress.

Last week, I admitted one of my surgeon’s patients into the SICU. It was so emotionally incredible to see him at work as a coworker, and not in his office! I remember dreaming about this moment all the time when I was out on leave. We took this awesome selfie.

nurse and surgeon

I was fortunate enough to have been treated at home with a lymphatic massage last week. I wish I would have known about what this was in the early stages of my recovery. The purpose of lymphatic massage is to stimulate the lymph and interstitial fluid to flow where it’s supposed to go normally. The lymphatic system does not have a pump like the cardiac system. Thus, it relies on muscle movement and contraction, pressure changes, and physical stimulation like massage. This specific type of massage decreases swelling after surgery, improves your immune system, flushes out toxins, and helps with pain. It’s very gentle and relaxing, AND it was done in the comfort of my living room! I had never heard of this type of massage before, and if you know anyone recovering after surgery, I highly recommend trying this out. If you’re in San Diego, I got mine through Solace Massage.

If you’ve had a bad injury and have returned to work, I’d love to hear what worked for you, or listen to your story. I never imagined something as traumatic as my accident would ever happen to me, but I have learned so much and become a more empathetic nurse because of it. And you better believe my patients get their pain medicine within a minute 🙂

Nurses Week Save up to 25% – Entire Stock Favorite Brands. The Biggest Sale of the Year!

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Email
TAGGED WITH: critical care, disability, health, icu, injury, intensive care, lymphatic massage, Nursing, rn, trauma
10 Comments on Returning to the Bedside After an Injury

You may also like

nurses week gift ideas
Nurses Week Gift Ideas
Nail the Nursing Interview
stethoscope heart
Happy National Nurses Week

Post navigation

Previous postApril is Donate Life Month
Next postHappy National Nurses Week

10 comments on “Returning to the Bedside After an Injury”

  1. Trisha
    July 31, 2017 at 10:57 am

    Fellow noc shift nurse (cardiac sx ICU) here! I broke my ankle (trimalleolar fx) the last week of June, had surgery that week, and have now been off almost 6 weeks. It was a big fear of mine to have sx and to be unconcious. My coworkers recovered me afterwards, I was thankful for that. I’m hoping to start weight bearing in about a week and still not sure when I can go back to work. I feel like post open heart pts get on with life sooner than these ankle injuries! I still have to ice and elevate quite a bit yet and I feel so out of the work loop! It’s given me anxiety. I’ve got my fingers crossed PT goes well and I can get to steppin on 2 feet normally with post haste! Congratulations getting back into the unit and nice selfie 🤳! I hope you are still making good progress and friends. Thank you

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      July 31, 2017 at 2:26 pm

      Good luck with your recovery! I totally agree, orthodox injuries take foreeever to heal compared to a lot sicker patients we see! The time will fly by I promise, and you’ll be back to work walking well in no time with a changed perspective 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kelley
    July 25, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    Your post was so encouraging to me. I’ve been a nurse for a little over 6 years and have had 2 traumas personally. My first was ARDS after aspirating during a c-section. I was vented, rotoproned … the whole shebang! I was super lucky and went back to work 2 months after being discharged. This past November, I was in a horrific MVA and sustained an acetabular fracture, right ankle pilon fracture, broke 8 ribs, cracked my sternum and received a concussion. Almost 9 months, 5 ankle surgeries, an ORIF of my hip, tons of soul searching, later, I’m set to start in the nicu with my gimp limp and all! I’m super nervous but excited to start nursing again. I can relate to your blog on so many levels. Thank you for sharing your experience. You have no idea the impact you’ve had on me.

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      July 26, 2017 at 3:21 am

      Kelley, thank you so much for your story. That is such an awful series of events. I’m sure it’s hard to want to leave the house after all of that! At least I am after my accident. I’m so paranoid something traumatic is bound to happen again. But I guess you can’t live like that, and I’m so happy you’re going back to work! It helps so much to be back, it gives you some sense of purpose. I’ve still got my gimp limp too so you’re not alone! I hope you continue to recover and thank you so much for reading 🙂

      Reply
  3. Chelsea
    May 4, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    I think that every health care professional should have to experience being a patient. It definitely helps us to serve better! Glad you are recovering well! LOVE your blog! :)) “Somehow” I “stumbled” upon it. I don’t believe it was any coincidence. It is only by the grace of God certain people cross paths <3

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      May 4, 2017 at 9:54 pm

      Thank you so much for reading! I agree, I have a totally new perspective now as a nurse!

      Reply
  4. Tracie
    May 1, 2017 at 1:48 am

    Hi
    I just stumbled upon your blog. I had a pelvic fracture
    From a ski accident in January. I work full time as a RN case manager and was able to work at home for six weeks. It was awful. I am so active. I also do per diem on a floor. Missed 2 months of work. I was sore my first shift. I’m doing a lot better.
    You will be ok. Takes time !!! I am never taking my health for granted again

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      May 1, 2017 at 1:50 am

      So true! I’m very active as well I even hate watching tv and reading just because you’re sitting down! I finally got into it since I didn’t really have a choice being off for 10 months. I’m so glad you’re doing better too!

      Reply
  5. Corinne MacEgan
    April 29, 2017 at 12:23 am

    Welcome back, fellow Sharpie! I know how it feels to go from nurse to patient to nurse. I’m happy to hear you’ve developed another angle of healthcare from your experience. Thanks for posting your story! – Corinne from SGH

    Reply
    • lipstickandlifesaving
      April 29, 2017 at 1:34 am

      Thanks so much! Yes being a nurse and a patient is not a good mix! But I learned so much from it and definitely feel like it has improved my patient care. So cool you’re at sharp too!

      Reply

Leave a Reply to lipstickandlifesaving Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

author

Hi, I'm Marissa, CRNA

I'm a nurse anesthetist. Here you can find some education & motivation, along with a touch of sass to keep you sane in a difficult but rewarding career path. Thank you for stopping by!
signature

instagram

CRNA vs. AA? . #crna #caa #crnalife #nurseanesthe CRNA vs. AA? 
.
#crna #caa #crnalife #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthesiologist
It’s timeeee for Christmas decor 🎄🎅🏼 #x It’s timeeee for Christmas decor 🎄🎅🏼 #xmas2023 #christmasdecor #xmasdecor #christmasdecorating #crnalifestyle
Disney ✨🏰 Disney ✨🏰
Happy Sunday friends ☀️ . #crna #crnalife #nur Happy Sunday friends ☀️
.
#crna #crnalife #nurseanesthetist #nurseanesthesia #nurseanesthesiologist #anesthesia #anesthesialife #futurecrna #crnaschool CRNA, Nurse Anesthesia
Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • MUST HAVE Products for School
  • How YOU can get accepted into CRNA School (on the first try)
  • Being New in the ICU
  • How to get into CRNA School: Basic Admission Requirements
  • Nail the Nursing Interview
  • 10 Things You MUST Know Before Nursing School
  • My First Code Blue
  • SHOP
  • How to Write a Kickass Nursing Resume (for new grads)
  • How to Get a JOB after Nursing School

Like on Facebook

Top Posts

Being New in the ICU
59 comments
How to Write a Kickass Nursing Resume (for new grads)
18 comments
My Top 5 Beauty Picks for February
11 comments

Search

Facebook
instagram
pinterest
↑
 

Loading Comments...