Bad, bad blogger

I always make these promises to myself that I will blog, I will email, I will call and then I get home from clinical and, well, I move into a comatose state that lasts until bedtime.

So what have I been up to?

I went home over Spring Break (which is a wonderful thing for all my fellow BYUers that never got one). I spent most of my time with my fabulous nephews and niece (sadly Rebecca was in TX). I jumped on a trampoline. Yes, that was an event. Remember the knee surgery - I'm scared to run across the street much less jump on a tramp. Good thing I love my nephews so much! It was great fun. I fell in love with Guitar Hero and Rock Band. It was a great vacation.

I got home and jumped back into clinical. I was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which I loved but I just don't think it has all the action I'm looking for and I would have to work nights indefinitely. So I'm still set on the ER. I spent a day in the Children's ER last week and really enjoyed that so maybe that will be an option. I started an IV on a kid - super scary! I thought I was keeping my visible panic in check but then the mom asked me, "Are you nervous?". If I wasn't before I am now!!!

Now I'm in my Multi-system Failure rotation so I'll go from ICU to CCU to Cardiac Step-down to ER. I've had some time in the ICU now and let me just say, for the record, if anyone ever does that to me I will haunt you forever!! We can do some pretty impressive things to keep people alive but I wonder, should we? Some of the patients I've seen, let's just say I wrote a whole rant about it but just deleted it due to confidentiality but there are some major ethical issues going on. I don't think the ICU is going to be the place for me. Too many opportunities to tell people what I really think. Oh, and if I'm going to tell people what to do - get an advanced directive or a living will and a medical power of attorney (please note, if you're concerned about mental illness you need a separate document naming a mental health power of attorney). Document what you want so your neurotic, grief-stricken family doesn't have to make those choices for you. And please, for crying out loud, see a doctor once in a while. Not seeing one doesn't make the problem go away it just makes it less solvable. OK, I think I'm done ranting.

It is a pretty exciting place though. I got to practice some exciting skills and, I AM A ROCK STAR! I do love my job.

I'd write about my social life but there isn't much to report. I got a PlayStation 2 so we've had people over to hang out and play. I've been making an effort to get to know people in this ward and while my first impressions were a little disappointing, I'm finding some great people. This weekend, hopefully, I'm going flying with a friend. I wonder if he'll let me fly the plane. I have had one lesson. Later this month I'm going to the single adult conference in Huntington Beach. I'm trying to keep an open mind but I'm preparing myself to find the humor in it. I promise to report.

That's about all. I have to get to bed - we're practicing mock-codes tomorrow. Yea.

Del Sol: Wickenberg to Scottsdale

The most incredible weekend ever. What could be better than a race, a road trip, and camping trip with my best friend all in one weekend. No worries, we only slept about 3 hours so I got to enjoy every possible minute I had with my friends in AZ. Van 1 was captained by my old roommate Theresa and included her siblings Annie and Daniel, Daniel's friend Sterling and friends from our former ward Paige and Natalie. My van included me (as the Team Captain, Honorary Gimp, Race Coordinator), my friend from my Salt Lake days Ryan, my BYU roommate Karen, friends from CA Kristin and Andrea, and Carlin a friend from Tucson. I didn't get to run in this one - darn knee - but I'm eager to run in the 2009 Northwest Passage race. I'd write more but right now I'm a bit pooped.

Banner Week

This week has definitely been a banner week. So many wonderful things have happened!

Sunday: My roommate and I were invited to dinner. Exciting because she enjoys one of the guys in attendance and because the guy who invited us is the coolest guy in our ward. He makes me laugh embarrassingly hard. I always love making new friends.

Monday: I actually made it to Pilates. Now that may not sound exciting to you but it's a pretty big deal to me. By the end of my school day I'm usually ready to curl up in the fetal position, not so much ready to head to the gym. It was a good class - way over my fitness level but I enjoyed it none the less.

Wednesday: Prices came down just enough for my roommate and I to buy tickets to London!!! I've been wanting to go forever and now I'm really going! We'll be going for 10 days in May (during the semester break). I'll keep you posted on that one!

We also invited people from our new ward over for Sunday dinner. Our first dinner party!

Thursday: I passed my skills test which was the last requirement for one of my courses. Clinical begins on Tuesday. The only downer of the week - I got the scariest instructor for my psych rotation. She has a reputation for writing people up for the most ridiculous infractions and one of her students mysteriously wasn't allowed to come back this semester. My whole group is a bit panicky.

Friday: NO SCHOOL! If that were all it would be the most exciting event of the week. My clinical group was required to attend a job fair at TMC so I dragged myself down there and made a beeline for the ER booth. I asked the manager what she thought about starting in the ER straight out of school and she went on about personality and what it's like and being really challenging... I peppered her with questions and finally she leaned over, put her hand on my shoulder and said, "you just don't seem like a med/surg nurse to me." That may be one of the best compliments I've ever received! Shortly thereafter the nurse recruiter asked me to fill out the background check release and while I was doing that she came back over and said, "the Emergency Dept would like to make you an offer..." I have a job when I graduate!! Actually, I have a job now, I can work as a nurse tech (whatever that is) until I get my license. So I don't have to "work my way up" to the ER, I get to start there. I very, very excited about that. I will, of course, inquire about opportunities in CA but if I end up staying in Tucson this is the best job I could hope for.

On top of all that greatness, I had some errands to run and in particular needed to buy a new pair of black heels and I found the perfect pair at Target. Shoes at a reasonable price. Ahhh, the glory of it.

Not a bad week. Not at all.

I love Western Medicine...

Today we learned about a pain management technique called Therapeutic Touch. It's based on the idea that we all have energy fields around us and when we are ill or experiencing pain there is a disruption in our energy field. Therapeutic Touch is designed to smooth out the energy field and help us heal. I have no problem with that, I believe we do have an energy about us, but since I couldn't "feel" my field one of my classmates volunteered me as a subject. Perfect, I had a headache (like always) and my back hurt (from sitting on a stool for hours on end) so hey, I'm game. So our instructor waved her hands around me and I didn't feel anything - which believe me was not what I was supposed to say. We kept practicing and by the end of class my little headache was a full-blown, I hate the inventor of light and please stop making noise I might vomit, bad headache. Assuming it was a sinus headache I prescribed myself 2 Sudafed and waited. Nothing. Called mom - going to die - Nothing. So I took a couple, okay 4 Ibuprofen and 2 (never take more than 2 at a time if you want to keep your liver) Tylenol and a bowl of Cheerios (never take that many drugs on an empty stomach) and, hey, 30 minutes later I feel fantastic. Might even be ready to tackle my neuro assignment. So while I think this "natural" stuff is lovely and makes my heart warm, when I hurt - give me the good stuff.

Oh, and the good news is... I will be spending my Vulnerable Populations rotation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). I can't wait.

I've been running like a crazy women since coming back to Tucson. My old roommate Risa was here when I got back and was able to stay a day. We went exploring up on Mt. Lemmon and ate at my favorite restaurant Oregano's. I started school a few days later and it's been INSANE! School is always crazy but this semester we fit an entire semester worth of didatic into two weeks. That's everything you ever wanted (or didn't want) to know about psych and vulnerable populations. Now we're going to spend the next couple of weeks in lab learning how to not kill our critical care patients. Yea. Of course my life is never simple so I couldn't set up my wireless internet and in the process of trying killed my roommate's land line, ran out of printer ink thereby partially printing on 50 pages, crashed Adobe Acrobat and had so many printer issues I want to cry everytime I have to print anything. Oh, and I was sitting in class 8 hours everyday. So my first weekend back Karen came to visit, which I loved, and we went exploring on Mt. Lemmon. One of the Search and Rescue teams was practicing and asked if we'd like to "play" to which we smiled and giggled and then kicked ourselves for not going along with. My new roommate Keri is amazing. I love coming home because she's so pleasant and she goes and does stuff with me and she makes me go work out with her (very good). She kind of balances my tightly wound personality and is literally keeping me sane. I also started my new diet. It sucked the first week but then Keri offered to cook my dinners (and the leftovers I eat for lunch). Keri is in a master's program that's mostly online and hasn't found a job yet so she gets very, very bored. And she loves to cook. So good for me. I do the dishes, take out the trash and anything I can possibly think of to keep her happy. My diet is going really well - 10 pounds down today! That turns out to be about 3.3 pounds a week. I can handle that. Still no guys in Tucson but I registered for the mid-singles conference in Huntington Beach so I'm trying to be optimistic. In Feb Ryan, Karen, Andrea and Kristen are coming out to run in the Ragnar Relay - so excited about that. Even if Ryan has started calling me a "neurotic worrier". I really don't think I was being irrational. Someone in his car wanted to leave after classes (which finished at 3pm) I told him I didn't think it was a good plan to leave that late for a 12 hour drive when he would be up all night the next night and then have to drive back another 12 hours. I could just picture what he would look like in the trauma bay at UMC. Okay, maybe a little neurotic. They're leaving at 9am. I doubt any of that had to do with my concern. I can't wait to see my friends. So, as you can see, my brain is all over the place and slightly chaotic but I'm hanging on and enjoying almost all of it (I'm still scared of my printer).

What's in a name...

***What Julie Means***


You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you.
You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries.
You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. I'm pretty sure that's all true.

You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way.
And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life.
You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. Me? Lucky? You've got to be kidding me. Greedy, yes. Lucky, definately not.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. Relaxed??? Chill??? Only when sedated. And even then...

You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing.
You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long.
You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. Sooo true.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. I like "friendly, charming, and warm." Yes, that's definately me.


What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/

Recipe Challenge

By way of explanation:

I just began a new diet. It's a pretty rigid diet but I am confident I will be successful with it and the long term benefits will far out-weigh the sacrifices. But I need help. I am required to eat lots of veggies and you all know I'm not the biggest veggie fan. So here's the challenge: please post/email me your favorite veggie recipes and prep tips. There are a few requirements: there are specific veggies I'm supposed to eat so please limit your veggies to those. You may use any spices but no oil of any kind. Vinegar is allowed.

List of approved veggies:

Asparagus
Cabbage
Cauliflower (not broccoli - thank goodness)
Celery
Cucumber
Green Pepper
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onion
Spinach
Spring onions/Scallions
Tomato (no grape/cherry)
Zucchini
Squash

Recommended Spices:
Black Pepper
Curry (without starch)
Mustard (powder only)
Vinegar
Garlic (YEA!!!)
All Herbs
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cloves
Salt

I promise I will try each recipe. Thanks in advance for your help!