The car saga continues.....

Three weeks since I was attacked by an Evil Cadillac. My poor car has been in the shop all this time. Apparently, they really did my car in. They are still waiting for a new door, so it will be another week before my baby car comes back to me.

I can't wait for tomorrow to arrive.

#1 I am getting my haircut. This is a momentus occasion, because I usually get a haircut about once every 8 months. I started my job in November last year and got my haircut just before starting. It is now bugging the hell out of me, right on cue.

#2 I get to have lunch with my best guy friend. We have been friends for 12 years. He is gorgeous, funny as all get out, and gay. We used to work together, and then he left for greener pastures. But unlike most of my other work friendships, we remained friends, because our friendship went beyond the usual comisserating about work. He is my polar opposite. He is flighty, and extremely outgoing, and a bit trampy. I am stable, way introverted, predictable, and monogamous. Strangely enough, we click. I can't wait to see him, again.

#3 Long weekend. No school on Saturday, which means no waking up at 5 AM. Which means I get to thoroughly clean my house again. Taking off the slipcovers, taking down the shades, taking off the ceiling fan blades. Everything gets washed. Move all the furniture around. Cookout at Grandma's on Sunday. Fireworks at the country club on Monday.

Of course there will be studying in there, somewhere. I am going to have to teach myself how to do trach suctioning and care, because the evil skills lab instructor is not opening the lab for two weeks, and we have a test on this skill in two weeks. Another fun thing, we have one trach kit, and we need to have that for the test still sterile. That means I have to improvise. How about a piece of pvc pipe, a shoestring and a straw?

Oops, there I go whining, again.

Oh my recipes have all been yum, yum, yummy. The cordon bleu rollups were messy to make , but good. The turkey curry salad is coming out of my pores. Makes me real pleasant to be around while I am on the treadmill. (gym neighbor "Hey, do you smell Indian food?" Me, "I don't know what you are talking about.") Tonight, I am lazy. Fish fillets and mac & cheese. The boy child will be thrilled. Speaking of the Karate Kid, he is testing for his green belt tonight. If he gets it, I will post a picture.

Back to ye olde grindestone.

W. :)

Changes

I have swithced to Haloscan for comments. I did not like the Blogger commenting system. I hope I like this one better. Not being able to reply to comments was a pain in the butt.

W. :)

Just another Manic Monday.....

I wish it was Sunday.. Wo wo. Cuz that's my get everything I never have time for done day.

Had some real hands on experience this weekend at clinicals. The patient I did my workup on had been discharged, so I was given a new patient. A very cranky old man. That's ok. I can handle cranky. Mr. Cranky, however, stomped on my attempt to give my first injection. He tells my instructor, "I don't want her to give me my shots (pre-measured injection mind you). I want my nurse to do it." Note to self: Must not take patients personally. However, patient did let me give him his pills. And I got to change his IV bag. (yay, actually used something I learned in skills lab this semester)

Then he was all taken care of, so all the students were to go assist in wound care on this lady with a Stage 4 sacral ulcer that was infected. Fortunately, I was on the other side of the patient, because the student who was actually cleaning the would nearly threw up all over the patient. I got the fun task of flushing a rectal tube. When the teacher told me to do it, all I could do was look at my pretty white uniform and whimper. But, I did it, and managed to stay clean.

The rest of the weekend was relatively peaceful. Saturday evening, we went to visit one of the husband's sister. We stayed until my eyes wouldn't stay open anymore. I would have much rather stayed home and read my textbook. Alas, my in-laws already think I am anti-social. So I had to go make nice.

Yesterday, we went to see "Herbie Fully Loaded." It was cute. Also rented some movies (since I have no energy to do much else at the moment). This week's selection: "The Phantom of the Opera". Very good. "In Good Company." Did not end quite the way I expected.

I started a sock last weekend like I said I would. It is in Lorna's Laces colorway "Bittersweet." No picture to post, as there is only about an inch and a half of cuff in 2x2 rib. I usually get to knit about 2 rounds on it before bed. I have this weekend off (sort of, I still have to read), and then a month-long break coming up in a month. Then, maybe, I can get some real knitting time in. Doesn't help that I am, possibly, the world's slowest knitter.

The Dean of the school I work in gave me a crock pot. I have no idea what to make in a crock pot. So, I decided that the logical thing would be beef stew. So, hopefully, when I get home, there will be beef stew waiting for me. Anyone know of anything else to make in the crack pipe? Suggestions welcome.

I decided to try a variety of new recipes this week, especially since I tend to make the same 5 things all the time. (Did I mention that I hate to cook?) So this week's selections will be Curried Turkey Salad (kind of like Waldorf salad but yummier), Asian Chicken Salad, Sesame Noodles, and Chicken Cordon Bleu rollups. I am trying to make a conscious effort to cook most days of the week, and rely much less on processed foods and restaurants, especially fast food. The ultimate goal is to lose weight. The current goal is to feel better, and have more energy than I have had lately.

Next step, get off my butt and move.

W. :)

YEEEEE HAW!!!!!

I got an A! I got an A! I got an A!

"What book do you think you need?"

"Ummmm, what book do YOU think I need?"

"Well, I was going to buy you whatever book you wanted, since you got the highest grade in the class."

"Huh?!?! Me?!?!?"

Did I mention......I got an A! I got an A!

I'm floating. Definitely better than hitting PhD's with volleyballs!

W. :)

stuff to show the husband....

http://www.adamlein.com/images/Gallery/DSCN5380.jpg

http://www.koreus.com/files/200405/mahnamahna.html

Way to make an impression, Wendy......

I have always had a motto in life. It goes like this:

"If anything stupid will happen, it's gonna happen to me."

Take yesterday, for example. On my way out to do the mail. Co-worker stops to talk to one of the professors. A volleyball comes flying out of the gym. I decide to be 'helpful' and throw the ball back into the gym. You see where this is going right? I throw the ball, it hits the door, and bounces back hitting the PROFESSOR in the face!!!!!!!

Like this!



Ground!?!?! Please open up and swallow me whole! I apologized, oh about a million times.


Tonight, I find out my grade from last week's test. And I have to pick a patient for pre-assignment for clinicals. This week, I am taking whichever patient I see first. No more picking and choosing. When I work, I will not have that option, and I need to prepare myself for that now.

My patient last weekend was a mess, medically. However, they did not require much of me as a nurse. They could ambulate, self-feed, self-bathe, and I wasn't going to be passing meds because the instructor already picked five to give meds with. Aside from assessing, and making sure they were comfortable, there was not much for me to do. I wound up spending most of the day helping other students with their patients.

I just hope I get a good diagnosis.

For now, I am staying away from balls in the halls.

W. :)

So wrong, it's right.....

Tom & Katie at the Candyshop!

W. :)

Getting mail is fun, again!

I got another package from my SP! See....



Let's open it up and see what's inside....



3 skeins of Popsicle Blue Cotton-Ease. I really like this yarn, because it has enough give to not kill my hands. Not yet decided what to make, but I am thinking this




Maybe a little tank. I have some CE in pink in my stash that maybe I could do a pink stripe across the bust and around the edging. Very Miami Vice! Whatever it will be, the gift is very appreciated. Thank you, so much!

Not much happening this weekend. Clinicals and skills lab yesteryday. I learned how to do a foley catheter. Rented a bunch of movies last night. Watched "Be Cool." Tonight is "Ocean's Twelve." Later today we are going to visit my grandmother and meet my aunt's new kitty-baby.

Oh, well, thanks again, SP. Off to do laundry.

W. :)

Thanks for all the pozzivibes!

This is going to be a bit scattered and rambling.

The test was not hard, as in "What the hell is this? We never covered this in class!"

The test was hard in that there was more than one possible answer for about half of the questions. Diabetic person is hypoglycemic..do you give juice or candy? Either one could be right, dependent on the amount. Person is in a cast, are they at risk for Compartment Syndrome or Disuse Syndrome? Uh, both.

I am just relieved it is over. Now on to cancer and Women's health. I had to go to the hospital to pick a patient for pre-assignment. There are two patients with cellulitis. I really wanted to work this diagnosis up, so I pull the first chart. Pt is 100 years old and on contact isolation. Hmmmm......Pull the second chart. Pt is HIV+. Hmmmm......Bartholin's abcess looking pretty good at this moment.

I decided that I would go with HIV+ pt. Not giving injections or drawing bloods, so no risk of needle sticks. So I have all my info, and will do my workup tonight and tomorrow night for Saturday.

My friend Kim and I were contemplating the expanding waistlines of our classmates, and ourselves (we're being honest here, right?) Well, not so much Kim, because she reads nursing textbooks on the stairmaster, and has the metabolism of a hummingbird. (hate her) She asks why do I think most of us are gaining weight? Well, I tell her, unlike you, most of us can not read this stuff and exercise at the same time. You can't read it and watch tv. You can't read it and do anything that requires any sort of concentration. You can't read it lying down, because it will put you to sleep (and it doesn't get absorbed through osmosis. I tried.). A lot of us feel that we can't spare a minute to make a proper meal and are subsisting on fast-food. And really, it seems the only thing that one can do while trying to absorb all this information is eat.

It's a bit sad that as future health care providers, one of the things we are sacrificing to do this is our own health.

The husband and I are having a date night on July 15. A real date night. One where we get all dressed up, do dinner and the theater. I am so excited! We are going to a program called Amal Hayati, which translated means "The Passion of my Life." It's a bellydance show, but one that is produced for the theatre.

Of course Willie is going to see the girls shimmy in skimpy costumes (he was lured into going by a postcard with sloe-eyed, large-breasted women). I am going because I love bellydance.

Actually, I love just about all kinds of dance, and I would love to take ballroom dancing lessons. However, I would have no partner, because the husband refuses to step foot on any dance floor anywhere. :P

This year will make our 13th year being married. We have danced together exactly twice, and both times were at our own wedding.

Perhaps this weekend, I can start a new sock. Then, I can have some mindless stockinette to occupy my hands while I read about cancer.

W. :)

Thank you Secret Pal!!!

I got my prezzie! See....


The fabulous Ms. Modesitt's "Confession of a Knitting Heretic." This book has been on my wishlist forevah! And believe me, if anyone out there is a heretical knitter, this backward, left-handed, self-taught, ContinEnglish person is definitely one.

You did good, Secret Pal.

Other fun errands run at lunch time... picking up this:



That is my accident report. See the car crashing into me?


Grrrrr......

So the giftie definitely came at the right time. :)

My eyes are about to fall out of my head, I have been studying so much. I still feel totally unprepared. Everytime I think I have read all I possibly can, I remember something else I need to know. How I will ever remember all that I am learning is beyond me. Nurses of the world, you have my utmost admiration.

Tonight is the exam. Wish me luck.

W. :)

By the skin of my teeth.....

I hate role playing. For our skills lab, we have to practice with plastic people. We have to treat, and interact with, the plastic people just as we would a real, live patient. That means role playing.

"Hello, sir. Could you please tell me your name and date of birth?" (Check bracelet)

"Thank you, Mr. Soandso. My name is Wendy, and I am here to change your IV bag. This should only take a few minutes. Do you have any allergies to any medication, solutions, tape or latex?"

When I do this, I tend to mumble. Why? Because I feel like an idiot talking to an inanimate object.

I had completed my procedure, my drip rate was perfect, and I was waiting for the instructor to check me off. So Ms. Miller (who has a reputation for being a beast of a teacher, tho' I like her), sits herself down at the end of my bed, and says, "Let me hear your overriders."

Hamana, hamana, hamana......

"Hello, could you please tell me your name and date of birth?" (check armband)

"Thank you Mr. Soandso. My name is Wendy, and I am here to chankge your IV bag. This should only take a few minutes."

Notice something missing? And she is trying to clue me in, as subtly as she can. I go through this three times, and then finally she says, "Allergies." AAAAAGGGGHHH!!!!!!!

Bonehead, bonehead, bonehead!!!!!

Fortunately, she had heard me say it the first time, but when put on the spot, I totally blanked. I passed, because my procedure was spot-on. You can be sure, that I will never forget about allergies each and every time, ever, ever again.

Oh, we finally got our stinkin' badges, and were allowed to work with patients. We got split in to groups of three, and were each given a total care patient. We were to give our patient a bath. The fire alarm had gone off in the hospital, and the air conditioner had shut down. Our patient was on contact isolation so we had to have plastic gowns and gloves. It was so hot. We bathed the patient, and would each do an area, and then switch around. One would wash, one would dry, one would lotion. I looked at us, and I said we looked like a joke. "How many nursing students does it take to bathe a patient?" However, the patient was relieved to be cooler and clean. The clinical instructor told me I need to not be afraid of breaking the patients, and to get in there and move them around. My number one fear is causing the patients harm or pain. Though, I realize that sometimes pain is a necessary part of treatment.

Yesterday, movies. Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It was good, however, the plot was completely and totally predictable.

Tonight, study, study, study. First test in lecture on Wednesday.

W. :)

On the Road Again......

I really hate to be on the road again. It's like deja vu all over again, and I don't want to be on the road again.

I got a rental car. I so don't want to drive it, but I have to be at the hospital by 6:30 AM. To take the bus, I would have to be at the stop at 5:00. Yeah, no thanks.

I never even had a car until my son was almost 3 years old. So I managed the bus carrying all the baby bags, baby, stroller, my crap, etc. for three years. I really wouldn't mind going back to mass transit. However, after we moved, I started school and my office changed locales, well that made buses impossible.

Except for the crazies, and the smelly people, I really liked riding the bus. I would bring reading, or cross-stitch (this was in my pre-knitting days), or music. And before I knew it, I was at work, stress-free.

I think I need to move to NY. And I really need to start carrying my camera with me!

Mia, yes driving in Miami is sucky almost all the time. If we had any sort of a decent transit system, and much less urban sprawl, I so would not drive.

Freaky Friday.....

And the hits just keep on coming.

This morning I am on my way to take D. to summer camp. I got 4 blocks from my home and "BAM"....There was a Cadillac sticking out of the side of my Toyota Echo. Yeah... it's been that kind of day. Have I mentioned how much I hate driving in Miami? Well, I do.

Now my poor little car is all bent, battered and bruised. My right front tire sticks out at some strange angle. My right door won't open. My gear shift.....I don't even know what happened to it. But it is in 3 pieces. Grrr.

Can I please just make it through three years with no accidents? Please?

Labor Day weekend would have been the three year anniversary of my Beetle being totalled. And there was another accident almost three years before that one. I swear, I must have "Crash Into This Car" painted in invisible letters that can only be seen by bad drivers.

From now on....I'm taking the bus.

W. :P

Houston. We have a sock!

Taaa Daaa!!!!



And to prove my feet really are that big, here's the supermodel shot:



Hope my pasty calf didn't blind anyone.

W. :)

Look at me....

I'm a Knitty Wendy! I am surprised how many of us there are. I am sure there are more, but have not yet joined the ring.

Not much interesting progress to show on the sock. I'm working the instep, and already dreaming of what sock I will make next.

I'm sad to say that this sock shall remain a single sock. Reason...Well, instead of using my good sock yarn, I made this one of Simply Soft Acrylic. Acrylic socks and Miami do not mix. (Hello, athletes foot!) So the sock shall be interred into "Wendy's Famous Hall of Projects She Did Just To See If She Could."

School/clinicals yesterday were productive. I passed the Pharmacology test at clinicals, so I will be allowed to pass meds. I missed three on the test for stupid mistakes. However, they were not mistakes that effected the dosages given. So, no patients would have died. Still no actual patient interaction, because the hospital has yet to give us the paperwork and badges we need to be cleared to work with the patients. "Badges.... We don't need no stinkin' badges!" So for the rest of the time, we did a work up and a care plan. And as usual, I got a patient with 11 meds to look up. Grrr.

At skills lab, I got to do an IVPB, and got the drip rate perfect. We have a skills test next weekend, which means I will be visiting the lab a few times this week.

Today is chore day. Laundry and groceries. Then study, study, study. Life is grand.

W. :)

What's this?!?!?!?!

Could that be a turned heel? I did it! I really did it. And it was no trouble at all. Just followed the instructions exactly and now I have a heel. So,of course, I had to reward myself with this:


Yes more Lorna's Laces. Sock in Uptown. Sport in Tuscany. Pardon my work underneath.

I also got some goodies for my SP. Teehee. I sure hope she'll like them. Sorry, no pictures, just in case.

After reading my entry from yesterday, I have decided that it is probably not a good idea to start a post on Tuesday and complete it on Thursday. It was very comfusing.

Off to background check.
W. :)

Ahhh, Weekends....

They really should all be 3 days long, doncha think?

So much accomplished this weekend. The house is cleaned and scrubbed (yay for holiday weekends with no school). The family spent quality time together. I bought a bookshelf and some bins, and now everything is somewhat organized. Well, at least the nursing school books have a permanent home. The grandma was visited (always important).

No Rapids. David got sick. Thankfully, he is better. But for my child (the Whirling Dervish) to spend two whole days lying down, and one of those days sleeping for 16 hours.... That is not normal. Mr. Energy is back to full speed. Today is his last day of school. He gets out early today, and will be helping me at the office this afternoon.

We went to see "Madagascar" on Sunday afternoon. It was cute. The lemurs were the best. Husband bought me a sock book. Specifically, "Knit Socks!" Yeah, we'll see about that. I'm not giving up.

No yarn store visits, because it was closed. Figures. My one weekend off. grumble, grumble.

After a very short workweek, I am on a very extended weekend. Currently, I am Wannado City with the boy child. This place is wonderful for kids. They hook you up with tracking devices, and then you let the kids run wild. No grownups allowed in any of the activities. (Wish I'd known that before. Iwould have brought my knitting or study books or something.) Fortunately, there is a grownups lounge, and it has computers. So here I am typing away.

So far today, David has been a firefighter, a pathologist, an archaeologist, gone to the fair, been an artist, and now he has gone gold mining. For every job he works he makes "money" to spend at the entertainment attractions like the fair and the threater. He's having a ball.

Last night, I came home to find a distraught child. He takes me into the kitchen and shows me blood spots on the floor. "Look what Daddy did." and then bursts into tears. Turns out his father somehow managed to shoot him in the hand with a BB gun. Lovely. Husband got a severe chastising, and the BB gun is going away. I tell you, Man-Love is strange.

Tomorrow, I have to do a background check and be fingerprinted for school. Other than that, no real plans, since the movie date already happened. Maybe, if it decided not to rain again, I can pick up his cousin and take them to the park.

W. :)