"Santi, you punched me!"

Today was an odd day at work.

The morning started with laundry, followed by another round in the med room of. "Auntie, hold down this patient!" I'm slowly, slowly getting use to some of the medical stuff. Thanks to Mr. John Borges, a Prem Dan alum, I'm now the proud owner of a medical tips and trick handy dandy field guide. It's my new bible. Thank you, John.

This time the patient had a foot problem. I've gone from hands to feet. This woman today had what I think was a pretty severe staph infection. She is a new patient, so I think this was one of the first times her foot had been worked on. Again, all I had to do was hold her down--however, I think my face still had that holycrapholycrapohmygoshohmygoshohhhhhhgeez look on it. The gauze on a clamp the Sister was cleaning the wound with was shoved a good 4 or 5 inches up into her foot. That's how deep the infection had spread and eaten away at the flesh. Geez, I almost lost my banana and chai right there on the floor. The woman was so brave. She was screaming through clinched teeth the whole time...but, not fighting me too much. I think I would have passed out. These patients never, ever cease to amaze me.

Then I went upstairs to be amazed, yet again...but, in an entirely different way. I walked to the upstairs ward, started handing out everyone's pills, when all the sudden I heard a bunch of yelling. I looked over and Santi and one of the other mentally disabled patient were fighting. I immediately reacted by stepping in and trying to separate them. I was standing forearm to each surprisingly strong middle aged woman and there it came BAM. Santi clocked me right in the jaw. I yelled, "Naaaay!! Santi, you punched me!" I was in shock. It didn't hurt too much, but to see this normally sweet woman who I'm friends with be mean and violent really shocked me. She glared at me, walked to her bed. The other girl went and pouted in the corner. I felt like doing the same. I was mad that I was mad at patients. They don't know any better. Regardless, I was already having a rough day and I didn't need a punch to cap it off. I decided physical harm is grounds to take the afternoon off. So, now I'm here, in the internet cafe feeling guilty for yelling at Santi and slightly dizzy and tired. Not every day at Prem Dan is wonderful. Or even nice.

All will be well though. Serendipitously, I received a package this morning at the Mother House from my parents and Ben. I'm going to go home now and relish in its awesomeness and open it very slowly so as to get every bit of home out of it. And then I'm going to take a nap.