what's new...

Well, I've been so busy. Last week I had to study all wk for our first exam. BTW, I didn't do well at all, I got a D! It was such a strange test. Very subjective questions. No excuses, but I really did feel ready. So, I'm buckling down to pull it up. I usually get B's on exams, but oh well. I went to the nursery for clinicals this wk. It was a bit slow, but the nurses kept telling us that, that is very unusual for them. The baby's were cute, but the day went very slooooooooooooow, with only 2 babies all day.

I did my patient teaching project also on Pregnancy Loss. I think I did well, I guess I'll find out next wk. Due next wk, is my concept map. Scary, so very different from what I'm used to. So that is what I am working on now.

I have to say, that I love, Love, LOVE the students over at my new school. What a great group of folks. (And.... nurseSF, I don't mention schools because I switched schools, and I don't want to hurt any one's feelings since I have friends at both schools. It's just a personal thing)

My dd has her first boyfriend. It's pretty cute, and the guy is a very nice guy who adores her. (maybe a bit much, but it's okay for now) My boy struggles a bit in Jr. Hi, it's such a big transition, and so very different. But I hope he's getting his footing now.

My hubby is doing pretty well considering he's got some pretty tough classes. (he's a teacher)

and me... as you know... I'm just a hangin'. :0

spread 'em bucko

yup, i gave my first foley. fascinating. and darned slimy. hard to keep those suckers open! I can't say I had much success, or finesse, but my instructor helped me, and it was just magic when that pee came down that tube. Beauty in a tube, I'm telling you. I tried to help out my nurse this week, but she is so danged skilled and fast, that i generally try to stay out of her way. There is so much to know in L & D, that it's very overwhelming.

This coming Tuesday, I will attempt the Foley once again. Hopefully without shaking so much. I did watch another delivery, and... egad.... an episiotomy! I will never be able to scissor chicken breasts again without thinking of her episiotomy since that is what the dr used. Eughhhh, i kinda shiver every time i think on it. Scary. Also witnessed an eclampsia pt. 14 yo. frightening! Poor girl. I hope she's doing better. So again, never a dull day in nursing. So darned fascinating, and I feel so privileged to be able to be part of peoples lives during such trials. I thank God that I am part of it. (Even if all I do is get ice chips!) And I never tire of hearing one more patient tell me, that I'm going to be a great nurse. I hope so.

Life is good....

Yeah, I continue to have a great experience at my new college and L & D clinicals. Me and my fellow transferees are constantly in awe at what we hear from instructors, and what is required of us. An absolutely positive experience. I am very overwhelmed however with our IV book. I swear i'm reading russian. I get how to run the IV machines, but the IV book so far is a lot of chemistry which i never took. We will have our first exam in a wk and a half, and from what I hear, most of the questions will come straight from the texts. I'm good with the mother/baby text, but I worry about the IV one. I will go to lab tomorrow, to see if i can get some help.

Last wk was amazing as I actually got to watch a real live baby get born! It was pure magic. Just completely amazing seeing one born from that angle. I tell you i could not stop smiling. I also got to observe up close an epidural being administered. What made that so interesting is that the anesth. was completely teaching/explaining to me personally each and every step. I've never seen a Dr. want to help out a student, me, before. It was great. I did get to be up close through the whole delivery, and after. By far the best day I've EVER had at clinicals.

Tuesday I will give my first Foley. I'm up for it!

a little help here???

does anyone have a microsoft Word I could download? I promise I will give it back when i'm done... pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.

I keep getting downloads froms others which are not compatible w/wordperfect or Works, dangit. Thanks!

A breath of fresh air.....

Yup, that's what this week has been. Now, I understand that not every semester will be like this, but let's just do something together shall we?

Breathe in through your nose slowly, raising you hands to the sky, and release through your mouth slowly.... Feel that? That is something that I have been feeling this week.

Thank you to those who have sent up prayers for me, I so appreciated it. And God was in this move from one school to another. Now it occurs to me that the OB, Peds rotation might just have the most nurturing type teachers of the program, but I am just going to enjoy it. The workload appears to be MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE than I am used to. Not easy, but definitely manageable. I took a math test, which i did great in, and a quiz on Thursday that i did great in too. All in all a great way to start off the semester.

My first rotation (for the next 3 wks) in OB will be L/D. Kinda intimidating since I have SO much to learn. There is so much more going on down south than I ever knew as a mom, or even as a woman. But again, my fascination with Anatomy and Physio keeps me delightedly wanting to learn it all. I went to the lab yesterday to prep, which i watched a DVD on positioning during labor for pain etc. I feel so ill equipped to tell another gal to move it when in so much pain. Maybe if I suggested the new positions during the no pain cycles? Some of these positions would require a lumberjack to assist. Sadly I hung up my axe long ago.

On another note, the program really went out of their way to make us transfer students feel welcome and at ease. I have met so many very nice folk so far. And there are a goodly amt of us newbies, that we are never lacking for someone who understands what we're going through. I think one of the most challenging things homework wise will be the concept maps. I am a very linear learner, and the maps are NOT linear! It's a thing in the middle with lines connecting to other boxes, where it looks something like a spider web with a bunch of different colored boxes scattered in it. I know I will get used to it, but eek, it causes me anxiety at this point. Also, I don't have the Word program (not WordPerfect or Microsoft Works Word which is what I have!) that would make it possible to do ALL of it on line, as opposed to cut and paste (literally) that I have to do now. Soooooo if anyone has the software for that, that you would like to lend me, I would gladly give a foot or shoulder massage! I'm desperate. I'm not sure of the exact name of the program but I know I've heard it called Word, and it's not mine.

On the home front: We painted my little strip kitchen (AKA galley) a beautiful kinda pacific or Williamsburg blue (a tinge of grey in it). Once Eric put all my junk back up on the walls, it looked beautiful. I have always collected Delph plates/tiles, and it looks much more amazing on a blue wall than white. I am loving my little kitchen. We also got some much needed carpet replaced in the living room, and we splurged and got DEEEEEELUX padding! Yup, it's so squooshie, it practically bounces. I love it. The color is a little more brown than before, but it has some lovely little specks of color, that i will later take advantage of, with some new curtains. I will make them, so it will be a while before that happens. And Eric is presently tiling our shower, yup, real tile. He removed our fake tile piece, and I was glad to see it go since it had cracked and was molding, probably with some of that KILLER mold that is insidious, and makes everyone sick with it's flying spores.... but I digress. For now, we are all sharing the kids tub. Quite the hub, that. And thus we conclude the "This Old House" portion of our show.

Bryce started Jr. High this week, and so far loves it. Kierstin is liking 10th grade so far, with her new goal of being nicer, and smiling to those enemies of hers from last year. Both my kids are cute as can be. Okay, I am their mom!

So please tell me how you are doing? How was your wk back to school, or how was your week with WHATEVER you are doing! Thanks for reading my blatherings.