i think i'm going to be a lock smith when i grow up

who here walks the long way around the unit to get your supplies and go to the potty just to avoid that one patient or family member...?

Bard rectal tubes get an A++ from me. I work 2 hospitals now and this johnny doe went from of them last night, to me at my other one today...and crap...he was sick. projectile C Diff isn't a pretty sight. now that i think about it I'm sure I should throw away my scrubs...ok i'm in my boxers and scrubs are in the trash. anyway you know when you check your labs and norms are in black and the alerts and alarms are all in red...yea well, everything was red. In less than 30 minutes I had tubes in every lower orifice and 3 iv's. its pretty cool though that i had a foley catheter draining what looked like stool, and a bard rectal tube draining what looked like urine. yes he was a mess. but bard...simple yet sweet product. back in my day we pasted and stuck stickers to the butthole....what's more the Johnny doe didn't even mind the tube or know i was finished. A++

a frequenter pee'd himself and schooled me on the freemasons...still didn't let me know what they actually did. quick wikipedia still left me clueless as to their reason for existance...but check out your us dollar bill. i just found out the pyramid and the eye is a symbol from the freemasons who date as far back as 1797....holy poop!

i seem to be getting into my patient's personal lives...this guy feeling depressed about his younger baby mother drama. she left and found another bo. well, now this guy's in a bad spot. but i felt for him, nice kid. i spent time talking to him about his issues, and i seem to have lifted him up. a few prayers go his way because he really seemed like he had a good head, just got mixed into some issues and with the wrong crowd. when my co-workers are chit chatting it up, i actually enjoy sitting with one of my patients and talk it up. what makes them tick, learn, and give what advice i can for their individual situation.

i gave my phone number to a patient who confided in me and told me he lost his whole family to drugs, suicide, and divorce...holy crap. i couldn't imagine. but i felt bad. am i getting too close? This johnny doe needed some advice and an 'in'. i even went out to check on him...at his invitation...to his auto shop. he wanted to show me a car he was working on. since i have 7 years auto under my belt i connected well with him. i haven't heard from him in a couple weeks...time to ring and check him out i guess...

so nursing isn't just needed in the badlands of Philadelphia. Its a world wide thing. As sure as anything, there will always be a need for nursing and medical help.

I've mentioned before that my wife and I are both ER nurses. I've also noted that we work together currently. We have just been confirmed on a medical missions trip to El Salvador this September. Our team is comprised of mostly nurses, but also a number of dental hygenists, a dentist, a couple translators, and a pastor. Things such as these are great. The ability to have a knowledge and skill, and then the opportunity and want to offer them to those in desperate need. The people we will serve are those without insurance, or even access to medical care. We shall travel to 3 smaller cities of El Salvador where the need is great. We expect to take 100 per day and accept this to be a modest number. This will be the first of many medical missions trips like this to El Salvador. The team is going to provide medical care as well as teachings and witnessing of the Lord's words and works. We travel abroad under the wing of Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia's head pastor Joe Focht. And under the guidance of a Calvary Chapel sister church we will put our skills to good use.

That is the story, and this is the pitch...trips such as these do not come easy for most. It is mentally, physically, and financially straining. My wife and I are both using our vacation time and many favors of our coworkers to take the time off and spend it helping those in need. We first ask for your prayers and thoughts. Second we ask for a monetary donation and any size or portion. If a monetary donation is not feasible, we do have basic needs for equipment such as otoscopes, thermometers, tongue blades, gauze, medical tape, surgical equipment, sphygmomanometers or blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, alcohol pads, etc.

Please contact me with any questions @ vernon.kalugdan@gmail.com
You can also directly mail or drop off your donations to the church @
Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia
13500 Philmont Ave
Phila Pa 19116

Please "c/o" the donations with "Vernon Kalugdan/El Salvador Medical Missions Trip"

The below button will take you to a Paypal donation form specifically tailored to our Medical Mission Trip to El Salvador. You may make ANY size donation, and anything you offer is greatly appreciated.

Keep your records as they will be your proof for tax deduction purposes.