Wild Weekend

My friend came out from CA to visit this past weekend. She's been thinking about applying to UA so it became my job to convince her that Tucson is a rockin' place to live. So maybe it's not rockin' but at least a fun place to live. She came the best possible weekend - weather wise. The monsoons finally managed to drop the temp down to a reasonable level and the humidity wasn't to bad. She got to witness a monsoon rain. I absolutely love those. We had a really big one on Friday. Driving home from work I had to go through these huge, intersection wide puddles - don't worry, I watched to make sure cars smaller than mine got through first. I wouldn't want to be fined under the Stupid Motorist Law (yes, it's really called that). Anyway, cars would go through these puddles and would put out wakes comparable to a medium size boat! It was so bizarre to watch! I wanted to get out and take a picture but not quite as much as I wanted to stay dry and get home to eat my dinner - 12 hour shifts are long. My car got me home reasonably unscathed except now when I use the remote to lock it the horn sounds like it has a cold. I'm hoping that will somehow, miraculously resolve on its own. The regular horn still works fine.

Speaking of 12 hour shifts, I finished my first week in OB. I got to observe a C-Section (Mom and Crissie - I am so sorry!) and a vaginal birth (Ash and Kelli also very sorry). It makes me think twice about having a baby but then I think of my adorable nieces and nephews and think, maybe I can just love them and not go through the whole birthing thing. Kudos to all you moms out there. Friday I spent in the nursery and with the lactation consultant. It was a really good experience for me and I got to hold babies so how could be not be a great day. I gave my first HepB vaccine to a brand new kiddo and learned to take vitals. Vitals are much harder on infants than on grown ups! I'm getting pretty decent at it though.

Saturday I showed my friend around Tucson - mostly taking her to all my favorite restaurants. We went to The Waffle House for breakfast - just because we thought it would be good since it's pretty dive-y looking. It was - once the waitress brought us the correct food. I think she just ordered whatever she wanted for us - of the four people she was serving she didn't get a single order right! My friend later told us that The Waffle House has been described as a gas station bathroom that serves waffles. Not to far off! After waffles we went shopping then saw "Hairspray" and I LOVED IT!!! I was hoping they would just start it over so I could see again. Ash - we might have to go see it when I come home. Fabulous, Fabulous!! Of course we were starving by the time it was over so we went to Beyond Bread - my favorite bakery/sandwich shop for a late lunch. By the time we were done it was almost time to meet up with friends for a birthday dinner at Chili's. We weren't very hungry but the company was awesome. Then we came home for a dance party. We didn't have a lot of people but we managed to get the cops there anyway. Good times. It felt so good to dance!

Some of the boys...

A couple of the girls (some of us were smart enough not to be photographed!)


Us in our stunner shades (my aren't quite big enough but the color makes up for it).

Sunday was church and then we had friends over for games. Today I had to go back to school and my friend went home but before she did we took a drive out past my house and into some beautiful country. It's not Yosemite but it's not bad. So I'm back to studying and longing for home. Only 9 more days!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today was the best 30th birthday ever! It started out a bit wild - I somehow thought that if I needed to leave for work at 6 that I should get up at 6. My schedule is so wild it's amazing I manage to ever get the right location on time. So I got ready in 10 minutes this morning. Probably didn't look my best but that's okay. I got to work in labor & delivery today. Today was the day of pre-term laborers and teenage moms. We weren't optimistic about seeing anything. They tend to want to keep those pre-termers in. Happy surprise, at 7:30 I got to go in to observe a C-section. I'll admit, I almost cried. Later in the day I got to be in a vaginal delivery. I was there for all the pushing and I'm telling ya - this girl was amazing! She didn't have any drugs and hardly made a sound. There's not much I can say but wow! And maybe that I'm a bit scared to have a baby. Throughout the day I got tons of texts and messages! It was great to be so remembered! After work I met up with some friends at Claimjumper and had some amazing desserts. It was a great day and Theresa is planning a party for Saturday night. Should be super!!!

My first day in hospital scrubs - so much more comfortable than uniform scrubs!

Birthday Dessert with (L to R)

Theresa, Adriana, Elizabeth, ME, Kira, Karen, Jamie, Chris

Monsoon

The last couple of days the monsoons have come in. Late in the afternoon the clouds turn black, the thunder rumbles and lightning illuminates the sky and then it rains. I've never seen rain like this before. It literally comes down in sheets. Running from my car to the door - a whole 10 feet - soaked me through. So yesterday, knowing I had all day today to study, I cuddled up on the couch, opened the blinds and read Harry Potter and watched the storm. Absolutely delightful.


The view from my apt. before a storm.

No more LTC!

I officially completed my long-term rotation! YEAH!!!! Next week I start OB. I can't wait!!!

Welcome to my home...

I've had some requests for photos of my home and life here in Tucson. Here is the first instillation.

The front of my condo.

My living room. I do most of my studying on that couch.

My living room from the other direction.

My kitchen.

My room - at the end of my bed is the wind tunnel - a fan, a humidifier and a HEPA filter. Someday I'll be able to breathe!!

What a week...

I started my first clinical rotation in long term care this week. After touring the facility on Tuesday I called home and cried. The place I work probably hasn't bought new furnishings since the early 80's, smelled funny, was hot and humid and had elderly residents sitting in the halls staring at the wall. It scared the bee-gee-bees out of me. I remember when Grandma started telling me not to get old and now I know why. It's scary. Of course Mom gave me a great pep talk so on Wednesday I went in determined to get it my best shot. I got paired with a PCT, and man, they work hard! I didn't get to do any "nursing" things but I got patients up and clean and dressed and comfortable. At the end of the day I helped care for a women who was aspirating. I have to say I've never felt so gross at the end of the day and I don't think I could handle it long term but it was gratifying to take care of people who needed it so desperately.

Thursday turned into a very exciting day for me. I've developed asthma since moving to Tucson, in addition to my horrible allergies, so I've been seeing an immunologist and getting allergy shots. At my first appointment I had to do this lung volume test - 3 little houses show up on a computer screen and I have to blow through a tube and try to "blow them down". The first time I did it I did well - above average lung capacity (still got a diagnosis of asthma :( ). This week I could only blow down 2 and 1/3 houses - not a good thing. I've lost about a soda can worth of lung capacity in the past 2 weeks. I also have a sinus infection. So I started on antibiotics and steroids to bring down the inflammation in my lungs. One of the steroids was an inhaler with a long-acting albuterol, which would have been good for most people but it made my heart rate uncomfortably high. So I went to clinical and couldn't breathe, couldn't walk without getting super winded, light-headed when I bent over, not to mention the pasty skin. Anyway, I got sent home to rest - and to prevent me from passing out. It all worked out okay, I got a new inhaler without albuterol and was back in clinical today. Never a dull moment with me.

Today was a pretty exciting day. Due to HIPPA rules I have no idea what I can say but today I got to complete my first assessment on a real live person and take vitals! Very exciting day for me. However, that wasn't my most important learning experience of the day. Here it is: get you colon cancer screenings. I won't gross you out with details but, please, get your colon screened.

I was right...

They spent a tremendous amount of time today confusing us about clinicals. I think I know where I'm supposed to be tomorrow but I could be wrong. I currently feel like I've been hit by a truck. And Dansko shoes are not comfortable. I promise I will be more cheerful tomorrow. Right now I have to go spend another $50 for pharmacology program and maybe buy another pair of white shoes.

One Term Down

I took my last exam of the term on Thursday morning. I think it was a bit sick and wrong to give us our biggest exam the day after Independence Day but no one consults me on these things. Needless to say, my holiday was a bit lack luster but I did well on my exam. I would have liked to do better but an A is an A. Was that bragging? Maybe just a little. I'm really pleased with how well this first term went and, starting Monday, I will be heading to a long-term care facility to apply my newly developed skills. Half the class will be going to long-term care (LTC) and the other half will be doing an OB rotation (then we'll switch). I think it's laughable that they subject old people and laboring mothers to nursing students with a whopping 5 weeks of school and very little practice. I can see why both student nurses and the patients report being nervous.

Since I arrived I've been hearing about the monsoons that are apparently so spectacular. Well, one has been "coming in" for 2 days now but I've seen little more than a sprinkle. I'm very excited for the electrical storms and the decrease in the temperature. Last night we lost power. Not a good night as it was movie night. The host lost power so the whole group came out to my house (10 min drive) only to find my power out. So we went back to the original host's house who, luckily, had power restored. It was much funnier yesterday.

Tomorrow we're planning on floating down the river. I have no clue which river except that it's in Chandler area and that I get to eat Cafe Rio afterward. I would probably go just for the Cafe Rio.

Some of you have asked what my apartment, school, Sim Man, etc. are. I will work on posting some pictures in the next couple days so check back. I've also had requests to know what my schedule is like. It changes but here's a look at next week.

MONDAY
8-10am Group Discussion - we meet in small groups and discuss readings. I'm probably the only conservative thinker in my group. Anything you deduct from that is probably true. Especially since I've noticed that one member in particular doesn't wash her hands after using the bathroom.

10-11am Course Orientation - we're starting a new quarter so I assume they'll be telling us where we need to be and what we need to be doing but not with enough detail that anyone will actually have a clue.

12-2pm Pharmacology

2:30-3:30pm On-site OB clinical tour and Orientation - I'm not sure how that's going to work since it will take far longer than 30 minutes to get to my OB site.


TUESDAY
8-11am LTC Clinical Orientation

12-4pm Pediatric Skills Class - Why are we having a pediatric skills class when we won't actually work with peds until Fall.

WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY
6:45-2:45 Clinical - LTC

This seems, to me, to be a fairly light week. I'm especially excited that we only have reading to do for Monday (mind you, it's 6 chapters of pharmacology and something really boring about being a professional nurse) and an assignment due on Friday. I may actually make it to FHE!