I love vacation....

We had a wonderful Christmas. For La Noche Buena, we visited the two sister-in-laws.

We spent the first half of the evening playing dominoes with one sister and her husband. I love doing this. My BIL takes the whole thing so seriously, and I just tease, tease, tease him.

Then at 10:00 we went over to the other SIL's apartment. I got to visit with my baby niece, Joyce, who is 3 months old. I love, love, love that baby. She is so beautiful, and easy going. We were there until 1:00 am and came home.

Christmas day, we got up early and D. opened his Santa bounty. Then we went to my Grandmother's house for breakfast with my mom and step-dad. My Grandma gave me a beautiful pin of a nurse's cap to wear after I graduate. It was a very nice holiday.

The first week after school was finished, I kept feeling like I should be doing something. I had not realized how much of my life has been consumed with school, until it was all over and there was nothing left to study, no care plans to prepare, no uniforms that needed to be ironed.

Now, I have been knitting up a storm, staying up too late, sleeping in, spending time with the boy child. Last night we went to my friend Dan's daughter's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Today we will either go to the museum or to the park. Tomorrow, who knows.

Hope everyone out there has a wonderful New Year!

W. :)

Looks like we made it.....

We have made it half-way through. I ended up with B's in both classes and an A in clinicals. Both Kim and Dan have made it through as well.

Disney World was so much fun. We went to EPCOT, David's first time. After about the third ride, David says "Is EPCOT all about learning stuff?" Still he was very interested, especially in the space stuff. He was not too impressed with the World Showcase. Still it was lots of fun.

I need to get walking more often. After walking around for 8 hours, I was a bit tired but ok. However, once we got back to the hotel and sat down for a good length of time, I was so sore and stiff, I felt every one of my 36 years. Ugh!

Birthday festivities were pretty much non-existant. We arrived home last night at around 6, and after getting everything inside, I went to my Grandmother's for a bit.

Then it was back home to prepare to return to work. My little vacation was very little indeed. Wednesday, David stayed home from school with a rash all over his body. Then we spent the remainder of the day at the University library doing homework/studying. Thursday was study/test day. Friday was errand/packing/lunching with Mom day. Disney/Orlando now it is back to work.

I am glad to be back to work, though. I feel wierd if I have been home too long. Plus we have a week off from the University next week. Yay, free vacation!

W. :)

All I want for Christmas is....

everything.... and nothing....

I have an Amazon wishlist 7 pages long. I am constantly adding to it. I even have it split into a variety of categories. (Shiny Pretty Things, Miscellany, Music, Movies) I would love to receive anything on it. However...

Whenever I am asked by anyone what I would like to receive for Christmas or my birthday, I answer nothing. When pressed, I'll just refer them to my wishlist.

Why do I do that? Why do I feel guilty asking for something that I want? Why do I feel that having something just because I want it is a bad thing? Like, I should only ask for things I need, like garbage cans, a stove, and paint. So, if I don't ask for that, am I bad, selfish, irresponsible?

This started the year I got married. I went through the trouble of registering for my wedding. I picked out what I wanted to have for my home. Instead of receiving the things I requested, I was given crystal and silverplate. I was told, point blank, that they did not like what I had picked. Not one thing I picked was ugly, or extravagantly priced. If anyone knows me at all, they know I am not a crystal and silverplate sort of person, and to give me such things is a waste of money. I was really very hurt by the blantant disregard for my preferences.

Therefore, I ask for nothing. Risk nothing, lose nothing.

W.

Two down, one to go.....

Last night was the med-surg final. I know for sure I passed. I know for sure that I have made it out of med-surg. I know for sure that I now have to study my butt off to make sure I make it out of pharm. Hence.....

Whereas I would have had this Saturday off, I will instead be coming to the University to camp out and study here in the Hospitality room. I am trying to convince Dan that he should come, too.

I will be taking 3 days off of work next week. Wednesday will be study day, with a few hours break to see "Memoirs of a Geisha" with Kim for my birthday. Thursday I will spend most of the day at the college to study before the test. Then, dum dum dum.......I will either pass and move on, or take a year's break. :(

I sincerely hope it is the former.

Friday, I will be passing out. :)


W. :)

The world would never be the same.....

I was nine years old. I I had just come home from school and was watching TV when they interrupted the program I was listening to to announce that John Lennon had been shot and killed in New York City. I called my mother inconsolable. The music of the Beatles and Lennon had been so much a part of my life as a child, that him being killed was like losing someone I actually knew.

To this day, no music affects me like the Beatles' & Lennon's music does.

W.

The search is over!

I have finally located the elusive "Din Daa Daa" in MP3 format. I am so happy. I have been looking for this song forevah. And I really didn't want to have to spend $20 on his album when all the other songs are awful. One hit wonders.....sigh.

I had mentioned a while back that we had to make a commercial for our pharmacology class. We did clindamycin (Cleocin). Our commercial is horribly funny. Emphasis on horrible. My friend Dan is a protraying a redneck Nascar fanatic who got some sort of respiratory infectin at a race. Kim ran the camera and gave the intro. I am the voiceover person since I have a nice speaking voice and can speak quickly. Then at the last second, we had an unexpected addition to our group. So Dan got a wife. Horrible, I tell you.

I spent the evening last night studying for tomorrow's final. However, I have to keep the house very quiet when my son is doing his homework. So, I kept falling asleep while reading about MI's. I decided I needed some study inspiration, so I call Dan. He answers the phone with, "Studying sucks! I was studying and all of a sudden I am waking up to the phone ringing." So much for inspiration.

I kept on studying until "Charlie Brown Christmas" came on, because even though we have it on tape, it is tradition to see it on tv. Then more studying, until the husband came home from school. It just feels like too much to cover. Like no matter what I study, it may not be the right thing.

I won a CD from the radio, and had to go pick it up today at lunch. I am giving it to Dan, since he is a big Korn fan, and I am not so much. I love radio contests. I have fairly good luck with them. I rarely call, but when I do, I win about 30% of the time. Not bad odds, right?

Well I have totally rambled.
W. :)

Waiting to Exhale...

Well, last night they posted the results for the pass/fail critical thinking and care plan tests. And........

I passed both. As did my two best friends. We are all so relieved. The scenario was a good one. A bit challenging, because there were no vital signs, just what you observe upon entering the room and doctors orders.

Actually, here it is, in case anyone is interested:

68 year old man with hx of HTN, CAD, and Angina Pectoris, in the hospital for cardiac catheterization. He is pos-op and back on the floor. His doctors orders are as follows:

O2 @ 3L/min
VS Q 15 min for 1 hour, then Q hour X 4 hours
Clear liquid diet progressing to regular as tolerated
Complete bed rest with left leg extended for 6 hours
Cardiac enzymes Q 8 hours X3
Cardizem PO (can't remember the dose)
Nitrodur Patch 2.0 mg 1 Q24 hours
Nitro-tab 0.4 mg sublingual PRN
Morphine 2.0 mg PRN acute pain
Darvocet PO Q 4 hours for pain (can't remember the dose)

You walk into the room 4 hours later and find the pt sitting up on the side of the bed slumped over. Pt states that as he tried to get up to go to the bathroom, he felt dizziness, chest pain, and slightly short of breath. He also states that he feels a "weird tingling" all over his left side, especially in his left leg. You notice that his speech is slightly slurred.

Not one vital sign. Can you believe it?

Now, on to the med-surg final Thursday. I knew the teacher was going to keep it short. 65 questions for 7 months of material. Isn't that nice? :P

W. :)