GI Lab

I only got blood on the floor once. My nurse said I have beautiful technique. My first IV stick wasn't, as they say, successful but then again that vein was never seen again. All the rest, not bad for a newbie. I actually really enjoyed starting IV lines and, yes maybe it's sadistic, but I liked sticking the vein. There's quite an art to it but my patients said I did great. And the blood - I just forgot to occlude the vein before pulling out the needle. I won't forget that again! Oh, and while I was in the GI lab I got to see a couple colonoscopies and an EGD (esophogus, stomach, small intestine). Pretty cool and thankfully everyone who had a colonoscopy today followed their prep routine so there was NO POOP! Seriously, that's a REALLY good thing.

P.S. I posted some new pictures on my "Better Week" post.

Typical for Clinical

Everything smells like pee to me and I have vital signs written on the inside of my left arm. Pretty typical result of clinical. Off to the gym - where everything will smell like pee, sweat and BO. Lucky me.

Good News

This has been a much better week. I started clinical on Monday, well technically Tuesday as Monday was orientation. I was assigned to a nurse who also happens to be a nursing instructor at Pima. I am so lucky - and I'm not being sarcastic. She was wonderful! She had me tag along with all her patients as well as take care of my own patient. That way I got to do WAY more stuff than I would have. I doubt it's exciting to anyone else but I got to give a heparin shot, an insulin shot, reposition patients, manage a chest tube, see dialysis, work with contact precautions patients (a preview to my infectious disease career) and give LOTS of meds. I remember now why I want to be a nurse. Sometimes I find the class work and lectures tremendously overwhelming and miserable but once I'm working with patients (minus long-term care) I remember why I'm doing this. I love it.

Overall this week has been better. I managed to get to institute this week - I've been making a real effort. I'm taking a Doctrines of the Gospel class for 25-30 year olds. It's interesting and enjoyable to hang out with others my age (sort of my age). I've exercised 5 times this week - 2 of those times being racquetball. Racquetball is my new favorite sport. I'm getting better at it. I can actually beat most of the new players and hold my own with the more experienced ones. I've only been hit a couple of times but this week I managed to whack my own hand with the racket. I have a lovely bruise now.

(I know you can't see it very well in the photo but I thought you'd all like to see a photo of my hand!)

Friday night I went swimming/hot tubing with Scott, Chris, Jaime and Brian then watched a movie and today I'm going over to their house to watch the football game. While that might not seem like a big deal to most people I'm really enjoying having my own friends (that call me). It's taken a while to find my group.

Mark (behind), Wes (front left), me, Jamie, Chris, Amy (in front) at the football game.

Next week will be more of the same - except I have to go in on Sunday to get my patient. I'm bummed that there was no way to resolve that but what can I do, right?

It's been a long time...

I know it's been a very long time since I last blogged. In the past month I finished my first level of nursing school with a 4.0, went home to see my adorable nephews and nieces and have just finished my first 3 weeks of level 2. My first level was challenging as I was new to Tucson, lonely, developing asthma and trying to figure out where the heck I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to be doing. Second term has been a nightmare. Here are a few of the highlights.

This semester has been overwhelming at best. We have more assignments that I can comprehend completing (I made the mistake of making a list of all the assignments and when they're due. Every time I look at it my heart starts to race and I start sweating). The assignments would be reasonably do-able except we have 3 days of clinical (which require hours of prep work) and 2 full days of lecture. Even that was do-able but then they told us we have to go to our hospitals (mine is 45 minutes away) on Sunday night to get info on our Monday patient AND THEN do a huge prep assignment. The estimated time - 4-6 hours not including travel time. There went my Sunday. This just officially became a 7 day/week program. I've never been particularly rigid about my Sunday behavior but since starting this program my Sunday's have become precious. I don't know how I'm going to make it through this. Honestly, I don't. I talked to the professor and there isn't really a way around it but they will try to negotiate our clinical days for Tues-Thurs next semester. Anyway, I can't talk about it anymore - it just makes me upset and desperate and I can't do anything about it. Actually I've been so stressed I left my cell phone at Albertsons last week and just the other day left it in a lecture hall - oh, and after 45 min on the phone with Verizon they told me I can't get insurance on it. Such has been my life these past couple of weeks. On my way back into the building to search for my phone I ran into my clinical instructor - she asked how I was doing and, on cue, my eyes welled up with tears. Thankfully they didn't roll down my cheeks! Got to feel good about that!

In better news, I went camping with my ward Friday night and got to know Scott a bit better. No one knows who Scott is so... He's Dan's roommate... need another hint? I just met him a couple weeks ago and thought he was kind of quiet but Theresa told me that he said I was fun so I had to think he was a pretty cool guy. So last weekend he called and invited me (and my roommates but that's not important) over for a BBQ and we laughed about it's hard to find other grown-ups to talk to so we have to stick together (he's a ripe old age of 26). So I drove down with him and a couple of non-verbal 20 year old girls and back just the 2 of us. I had the first real, I'm being completely myself, comfortable, intelligent conversation since I moved here. One where I didn't just listen but someone actually listened to me!!!! It was incredibly delightful. Of course we've already entered the friend zone (as I am prone to do) so if anyone has any suggestions on that - let me know.

And now to entertain you. Two weeks ago my bishop had a fireside during which we talked about truth. I made a comment and to finish it off a bit flippantly I said, "well of course, all truth can be circumcised into one great whole." Yes, I did say circumcised not circumscribed. My bishop took the liberty of correcting me at which point the entire ward erupted in laughter. I have to admit - it was pretty dang funny. Turns out word travels fast and while my identity has, for the most part, been kept on the down low, the story has not. Last night at the campfire someone brought it up at which point it was pointed out that it was me who said it. I wonder how long it will take for that one to become legend.

12 hours

6:30am - leave for work
6:30pm - leave the hospital
Hours of work: 11
Hours on my feet: 10
7:00pm - arrive home
9:00pm - go to bed

11 hours is a very long time to be at work. Friday will be 12 hours.

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