A DETOUR TO GREECE

It took only a few weeks after arriving home from Spain for that little travel itch to start acting up again.  I knew the only thing to relieve that itch was to start planning a new trip. My first priority on trip planning is the price of a round trip ticket. I went to Spain because I found a round trip ticket for $575.00. I bought the ticket last December before gas prices soared.

I considered going to Bulgaria to visit friends, but the price of that ticket was out of the question.  I found a ticket to Greece which was more than I wanted to spend but within reason and decided to look for a “gig” somewhere in the country that would pay for my bed and a meal before buying the ticket.  When I went back to buy the ticket, just a day later, the price went up $400.00 more dollars and I could not find a cheaper flight.

Meanwhile, while looking at other tickets, all of which were climbing in price by the minute, I was being bombarded by travel nurse agency’s offering 13 week “gigs” in exotic places. They have been after me for over a year. In case you have not heard there is a shortage of workers everywhere, not just nurses. In a weak moment I agreed to work in the exotic location of Springfield, Missouri. Not exactly Greece, but they do have several Greek restaurants.

Springfield, Missouri is a few miles from Branson, Missouri – home to one of the largest 55 plus entertainment centers in the USA.  One can take in the Andy Williams theater, Dolly Parton’s Dollywood and Silver Dollar City.  They are also home to “Cashew Chicken” which they claim started here in Springfield. There are beautiful lakes surrounding the area for boating and fishing.  It is only a few hours from Bentonville, AK which houses Crystal Bridges Art Museum, the largest collections of American Art put together by the Waltons. And let’s not leave out the show “Ozarks” which almost everyone has seen and has made the area famous if not exotic.

Springfield boasts some of the best Meth you can buy and it is very reasonable.   And this is where I come in.  No, I have not taken up a new addiction, I will stick to my travel addiction for now.  I personally value my teeth too much to switch my addiction to meth at this time.

 A meth patient recently told me his Hispanic friend named “Jesus” became addicted to meth and now they call him “Methssiah.”    All joking aside because it really is not anything to make a joke of, the problem with meth in Springfield is very serious

Meth, is a powerful stimulant and very addictive. It increases the amount of dopamine in the brain which is involved in movement and motivation. Short term affects include wakefulness; increased energy and decreased appetite. Long term affects include severe dental problems, intense itching, skin sores, psychosis and hallucinations. Also known on the street as ice, chalk, pookie, crystal, crack to name a few.  Just in case you are “in need” of that information.

The problem is so large here that they have what they call Behavioral Health Overflow Emergency Room. FYI “Behavioral Health “ is the PC word for Psychiatric Unit. We don’t use the word psychiatric units or psych patient anymore. Too many negative connotations.  And this is where I work!  Mercy Hospital, Behavioral health, three days a week, 13 hour days. I sometimes pick up a fourth shift, but only if I can get a hold of some meth to stay up and have the energy for another 13 hour day – JUST KIDDDING!!

We have 8 beds, one nurse, one BH trained technician and one security officer on the floor. We sit behind a shatter proof locked room and my number one priority is to keep the patient safe from himself.  Many are homeless. They are sometimes up for 40 hours straight high on meth, then crash into a psychotic state and sleep for three days straight.  When they wake up they are hungry and very grouchy!!!

Many come in on their own, homeless with nowhere to turn. They walk in the ER stating they plan to hurt themselves and they know we will take them in, give them a bed, meals, shower – it is a safe place.  We do try to get them into rehab or set them up with homeless shelters and social workers but most do not follow through and walk out and are back again in a month or so.  Some come in so frequently they request their old room back “Hey, nurse can I have room 8, it is my old room and I am use to it.”

Many of the patients with addiction come from a background of the same and carry heartbreaking stories of abuse and neglect while growing up. There is no easy or quick fix and I always leave wishing I could do more.

Not all the patients have addiction related mental health problems, some come with depression and anxiety.  I teach the Family-to-Family course for NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) and the first thing I tell the class is that we all have mental health issues. From depression, anxiety, OCD etc. On a scale of 1-10 we all have something to work on at times in our life.  Our mental health is as important as our physical health and should be evaluated on a regular basis just like our yealry physical.  According to a recent article in Forbes there is an increase in the need for mental health professionals and a severe lack of all health care providers in this area, from psychiatrist to nurses and everyone in between. 

I have 7 more weeks in this exotic location. I have concluded that it might just be one of the more exotic “worlds” I have visited. Definitely a different culture and language!  

I will end with a travel quote from Anthony Bourdain:

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”