King Cobra

We've been working hard and fast lately at work. Night after night, putting in 12 - 14 hours. It's a super overloaded program for those with Heart Disease. Apparently, we are not winning that "war" yet. And it surely won't happen, until people take charge of their health habits. Heck, I'm not complaining, it's job security............if I can survive the stress, that is.

Yesterday I had a 49 year old (that's young these days, remember?) nasty patient, father of two wonderful and intelligent daughters (13 & 17). He had a minor stroke last year, a single coronary stent 6 years ago, and he can still work. Of course, he has really good reasons why he is perpetually angry and why he can keep smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. He wore his victim badge, proud and strong. And he treated his children like any nasty parent does. His berating, putting-down, demanding, petty reprimands, continued all day long.

Now get this, he has some idiotic tradition, that when he has completed some "life-saving" procedure like a Heart Cath, or whatever, he wants a juicy hamburger, fries, pumpkin pie and Pepsi. I am not making this up. During his procedure, his sweet daughters went down the street where the best hamburger place is, across from the Russian doctor (just telling his daughter how to get there, was a lesson in parental nastiness, for sure) and they should have it ready when he came back.

Of course, the moment he had gotten back from the Heart Cath at 8:30 pm, he immediately demanded that I give him some food.........and proceeded to work himself into a vein popping, red-faced fit, because we no longer had any food around. His daughters brought him a good looking hamburger, thick home fries and an apple pie." What? Didn't I tell you to bring me a pumpkin pie"? "Just throw that pie away; you heard me, throw it away!"

Folks, this is why Nurses don't carry guns at work. Although some of us might need one, when we're in the parking-garage at midnight: the odds are, we would be thinning the ranks of our patient population, such that it might get the attention of Risk Management. Rules?!?! What can you do?


King Cobra

Evil moods
From this nasty man,
Make everyone suffer
That's his plan,
He's afraid to die
And too angry to live,
Two daughters need love
He has none to give.

He's angry with the hospital
He hates all the waiting,
Talking with his daughters
He's mostly berating,
Demanding their attention
"Why didn't you listen to me?"
I wanted to offer them shelter
From his toxicity.

A 49 year old cesspool
Telling me, that he's a victim,
Yes you are, sir
I won't contradict him,
A victim of his own evil
That permeates his soul,
His tentacles entrap his family
Sucking them into his hole.

Two beautiful daughters
And he treats them like dirt,
He throws off their love
Like an unwanted shirt,
They need parental emancipation
I mentioned that to him,
But he's deaf, dumb and blind;
His kids are just a phantom limb.

So touching, that he apologized
For his moods and behavior,
Falsified worthwhile excuses
Telling me I was his savior,
For sticking around
Putting up with his crap,
If I had a King Cobra
I would have dropped it in his lap.

6/30/12