A Short Story
Once upon a time, in a country not too far away, in a town so small, you would barely even notice it, there was a nurse named Elise.
Elise was — at least that’s how her friends and those who knew her would have described her — quite ordinary. She lived in an ordinary apartment, she worked in an ordinary hospital, and there had never been any scandal, the smallest bit of rumor about her.
But, and few people knew this, and those who did would never tell: Elise was anything but ordinary. …
…And What She Taught Me About Life.
When you start working in the medical field, no matter if you are a physician, a nurse, or a student, you will be confronted with humanity in a whole different format.
While you might have studied the most complicated diseases and while you might have understood the complex physiology of the human body, I don’t think anyone is ever prepared for what caring for others really means.
Suddenly, it is your job to care for very sick patients in their final moments. Suddenly, you have integrated into the intimacy of total strangers. …
Someone Died on Our Watch Today
It’s a very average morning on a very average ICU in a very average hospital, somewhere in Germany. While the rest of the world might be under the impression, that the infection with the Corona Virus is the only life-threatening disease these days, that’s of course not true.
On our ward, people are suffering from cancer, hepatitis, autoimmune diseases, and more.
While the new virus is overshadowing the year 2020, other sicknesses have not stopped.
I have been doing my internship on this very average ward in this very average hospital for about four weeks now and I am already…
…And I Bet You Know Them All
An undefeatable superhero. His mission? To save the world from an unknown villain. Danger. Mystery. Tension. And, of course, there is also the girl.
Everybody has seen the movies about the Secret Intelligence Service Agent James Bond, better known by his code number 007. He is a heavy smoker, consumes large amounts of alcohol, and yes, sometimes he is a sexist. Yet, we all know that he is a good guy.
If we break it down to what the story around James Bond is actually about, we can wrap it up in one sentence: An agent is called on an…
A story about a patient, skin-tone bandages, and a potentially life-threatening disease.
“Mrs. S., come with me please.” An older woman gets up from one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area. Underneath my mask, I try to give her a welcoming smile. It has been a difficult year for all of us and the waiting area in the emergency room is definitely not the place to be in this ongoing pandemic.
I guide her to one of our examination rooms. She must be a little over 80 years old. Of course, she came by herself. …
The Incredible Story of Invisibobble®
Sophie Trelles-Tvede was only 18 years old when she accidentally came up with what was soon to be a multi-million dollar idea.
In her first year of college, she was getting dressed for “Bad Taste Party” organized by a student union — while her outfit was already on point, she had no time to style her hair. As a joke, she ripped out the spiral cable of an old disused telephone hanging on her dorm-wall and used it to tie up her hair in a messy bun.
When she woke up the next day, tired and feeling groggy, her hair…
Our Nights Are Made of 90-Minute-Cycles. Use Them Wisely.
We all enjoy it, we all need it — and most of us don’t get the amount their body would need: A good night's sleep is essential to be able to concentrate throughout the day.
While we sleep, our bodies get the rest they need. We can re-energize and regenerate important physiological mechanisms, for example, our well-functioning immune system.
A newborn baby will sleep for up to 18 hours per day, while an adult usually needs around 7–8 hours of sleep per night.
Yet, getting even seven hours every single night can be tough. …
Having Countless Options Can Be Overwhelming — But Writing Them Down Can Be a Quick Fix.
I’ve always been interested in a variety of topics.
If you were to ask me what I wanted my future job to look like when I was a teenager, I would have told you different things each week.
Some days, I wanted to go into politics to work for a better future.
The next day, I came up with the idea of starting an adoption agency. Then, I wanted to be a teacher, a physician, a scientist, a writer.
When you’re young and free, without any responsibilities and somewhat good high school grades in your pocket, it seems like anything…
And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
“Ugh, Ruby. You won’t believe the day I’ve had.” My roommate Lisa enters my room. The days where we used to politely knock on each other's door are long gone, apparently.
“Oh, were you sleeping?”
I was immensely tired but urgently needed to get some studying done, so I was just about to take a ten-minute nap. I guess this wasn’t going to happen anymore. Is it just me, or does sleeping during day time is just so much better than at night?
“That’s okay, I was just about to take a nap”, I say and try to free my…
…and I Can’t Control It*
Every morning, I leave my house with some freshly brewed coffee in my favorite To-Go-Cup, some overnight oats with freshly cut fruits, and the newest edition of our local newspaper on my iPad.
I was never a morning person. When my alarm rings, I don’t even bother thinking about switching it off right away to start a super productive morning routine. I turn around, I snuggle and enjoy ten more minutes of dozing off to sleep.
Yet, I have figured out a morning routine that works for me — because I decided to take a little bit me-time on the…
Ruby Melone
Passionate about writing, medicine, nature and my bunny “the shredder”,
