This Sums Up How I Feel About Studying

Deacon doesn't approve of the constant studying, and neither do I.

GLEEEEEEEE withdrawl.

Dude. That show is SO effing good and I am SOOO EXCITED that Spring Awakening is coming to the Queen City in the spring - Lea Michele starred in the leading female role when the show premiered on Broadway. AND have you heard that Idina Menzel (Wicked, Rent) Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening) are both set to guest star on Glee in the SPRING???? Pant pant pant.

And don't get me started on how adorable Matthew Morrison. I only say adorable because he isn't shirtless all that often on Glee - which is umm a shame:
Yeah.

ANYWAYS. I just watched the fall finale for the second time in three days and I don't think I can wait SIX MONTHS for the show to resume. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I'll just stick with Modern Family and The Office and 30 Rock until next April. ::pout:: DVR is NOT helping me with nursing school, that's for sure.

On the home front - I bought a rug for the front door, we took down the nasty-ass green mini blinds in the kitchen and I put really pretty paper behind the glass in bathroom cabinet. However, I didn't study AT ALL for my final today. Oh well. There is always tomorrow! =)

1-2-3

(either The Jackson 5 or Britney Spears - your choice)

1 - It's freezing in my house, but I don't want to turn the heat any higher. I can hear my dad in the back of my head saying, "Put on a sweater!" Well, I already HAVE a sweater on (dad), but I guess I'll go find my robe. My dad's frugal gene is waaayyyy to deep for me to try and chunk it out of my genetic makeup.

2 - I had my second clinical evaluation today - this time with my new fave instructor. She was pleased with my progress, and thought that I was doing critical thinking with the information that I DID have (there is still SO MUCH more to learn...). One thing though - her last sentence of the evaluation said something to the tune of how it wasn't required in clinical for me to be so perky, and that I needed to learn that it's OK to cry with patients. I was like, ummmm can we talk about this?? It's funny because I was a cheerleader for one year in high school and I hated it - I hated this spirit fingers and the happy-joy-joy look we were expected to have. I am usually a sarcastic, semi-mean person who keeps it all candy coated. However, it seems that in clinical I'm PILING on the candy-coating, in order for the patient to feel better and/or for me to bury my emotional side. Then, I usually come home and disintegrate into a million pieces over something little. Welllll, let's just say that my clinical instructor was supportive and understood, but encouraged me to get it out throughout the day and not let it build. Sigh. I'm working on it.

3 - Mike has installed the hardware on the kitchen cabinets and has all of the bottom ones installed!!!! They look SO LOVELY - SEE??? As a reminder, this is what it looked like when we bought the house:
I'm so excited. Now if only we could get the rest installed, paint the walls, install the wainscoting, lay down new floor, replace the mini-blinds, and install the light over the sink... we would be in business!

Wishing, and hoping, and praying...

Sometimes I wish I was better at certain things - not philosophical things or mental things - but hnadys dirty get in the mud and fix it things.

Like my care stereo. M's friend left a stereo in M's trunk more than a year ago. And I finally went out and bought the adapter kit so we can pimp out my '92 Honda - and by pimp out I mean I'll finally get a CD player (I haven't had one since the 10-disc changer it came with konked out 5 years ago).

BUT I don't know how to change out the radio/stereo/thingie. Yes thingie. That attests to my utter ignorance right there. I have googled this multiple times, but I'm terrified. I could just get M to do it - but he doesn't get home until it's dark, and I have to work tonight and I'll be taking my car, and then he'll leave for work tomorrow and SUDDENLY it's Thanksgiving and I have to drive to the parent's house with just the radio to keep me company. Sigh.

It's other mechanical-ish things too. Like my washer is making a weird gurgling sound. And I want to install the new light we got for over the kitchen sink. OH and there is a KITCHEN SINK IN MY TRUNK that needs to go where the current sink is residing. But alas, I need the beefcake (aka M) for all this shit. And it annoys me a LOT.

Because what if I wasn't married? What if M didn't know how to do all this stuff? I would be out in the COLD sistah-friend. So the solution? JUST DO IT, right? Well, I would ... but I am REALLY Type A and I don't like messing things up - and how crappy would it be that we have all this cool stuff and due to my impatience it gets all messed up??? Not cool.

So yeah. Back to square one, right?

New Moon...

Was AWESOME. But I am still concerned that Stephanie Meyer may have put mental crack into that series ... my friend S looked at me after the movie and said to my mom, " See what this series does to a grown-ass woman? Now imagine the effect it has on my students, who are 10 years younger with no real relationship to compare it to! It sets them up for disappointment."

She has a point.

BUT I think my friend E ALSO had a point by saying - "Well, they would feel the same way about Mr. Darcy if they had read Pride and Prejudice. True dat E, true DAT. I love me some Mr. Darcy... that letter to Elizabeth is sooooo good. =)

Back to studying!!

Wit

Soooooo today was our clinical simulation day - we dress up in our MSON uniforms and go through a 30-minute session with a "patient" (one of the sim dummies). Now, the simulation is unrealistic for several reasons, one being that we were working in groups of THREE - and each of us got a job: Med nurse, assessment nurse and communication nurse. I pulled communication nurse (whooo hoooo lucky #3!) so I had to talk to our "nurse" and "doctor" (one of the instructors).

Well, my job was easy. And we all did pretty well. But that really isn't what my story is about - it's about the movie that they showed BEFORE my group did our simulation. We watched "Wit" a HBO movie (I think) about a woman with Stage 4 metastatic ovarian cancer - Emma Thompson plays the patient. Let's just say that I had a stack of dry tissues before the movie began, and afterward they were all moist and rolled up into balls. Sigh.

BUT. I had a moment of revelation during the movie. I want to be a nurse. This may seem silly to those of you that know I've been in nursing school for OH about seven months (btw, sheesh) now ... but school's been full of uncertainty up to this point. But now ... after my moment ... I really feel like God has been pushing me toward this for a while. Yes, God. I don't know what or who else could have figured this out - 'cause it SURE wasn't me.

It was something in the movie - the fact that the Fellow was a complete ass-clown, and that the patient had no family (or really friends). The nurse actually cared about the person, not just the petri dish the patient had become to the doctors. There is something inside me that feels drawn to helping people - and for the longest time I wanted to be a doctor to do just that. But - no offense to my med school friends - doctors figure out a lot of stuff, but aren't THERE for the patient. They aren't the ones that talk to you, or get you what you need, or make sure you're feeling ok, or helping you through something hard - that is all the nurse.

So. Good day. Now I just need to get all my nutrition and upper GI stuff straight so I can stay IN nursing school. Ha. That would be ironic, wouldn't it?

Happy Friday everyone!

I also <3 Gingerbread Cookies...

...but they are a pain in the ass to make. Something about having to buy molasses, I think.

ANYWAY I am SAVED this year - Pilsbury has come out with refrigerated gingerbread cookie dough. SEE? Easy Gingerbread Friends

We made gingersnaps tonight (read: cookie dough rolled into balls and rolled around in sugar - YUM) and OMG so good with milk. Sigh.

I heart the holidays...

I <3 Pop Culture

I love literature, and books in general ...but I also love pop culture. I am obsessed with PerezHilton.com, and I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL FEBRUARY for the last season of LOST. (Will Jacob be back? Will we figure out the smoke monster? How will Juliet be involved? SO. EXCITING.)

Whew.

Anyways, I am ALSO counting down to the New Moon movie. YES I know it is actually playing at midnight tonight, but I have a clinical simulation tomorrow and I can't GO. (and it's sold out...) BUT I'm going on Sunday afternoon with my bestest friend, her roommate, our other friend, my mom (who currently has a "Robert Pattinson as Edward" screen saver) and my co-worker. I can't wait to sit in the dark for hours and lose myself, regressing to my teenage years. Happiness. =)

ALSO I am currently obsessed with Lady Gaga's new song and video - Bad Romance.




She is freaking awesome. And so are those clothes. And makeup. Sheesh.

That's all. I just wanted to geek out on ya for a sec. OH my friend Shannon started a blog - http://shannonedgerton.wordpress.com/ - she is amazingly talented (I need to get her to design a layout for me) in all things creative. Check her out!

New Shoes and a Kitty

Just two photos tonight - First up, my new SHOES by Christian Siriano for Payless ...


Fierce. (PS - that is me in my rain-soaked cords, trying on the shoes at my local Payless store. Did you KNOW that you can ship anything from the WEBSITE to a STORE for FREE???)

Second, Deacon taking a widdle nap on the ottoman this evening. Sweepy Kitty.

He is so cute!!!! Mmmmk that's all. I have to get back to assessing the GI system and Upper GI disorders. Sigh.

11-13-09

Today’s clinical was an emotionally draining day. My patient was an African-American woman in her fifties, in with a Lupus exacerbation that covered her arms with sores. It literally looked like her skin was sloughing off – there were dark scabs, bright red areas and skin just hanging off her (like when you peel skin after a sunburn). It was extremely painful for her, but very interesting for me and Brenda the wound care nurse. On the surface, my day was full and fairly easy – I was able to administer oral medications on my own (I felt like an old pro, and it really boosted my confidence) and I gave several injections due to the patient’s diabetes. Later on in the day I dressed the client’s sores on her back, chest and abdomen.

Although I only had one patient, I still felt like I was being pulled in 20 different directions and at the end of the day I was wondering how I would ever be able to take care of multiple patients. After talking with a classmate, we decided that a lot of what we as nursing students do with some patients – vital signs, Accuchecks, hygiene – are usually done by techs. This is slightly sad in a way, because doing those tasks for my patient is usually what builds a rapport with them. I guess as my role changes over the next year I’ll learn to adapt and connect with the patient in a different way.

I previously mentioned that it was an emotionally draining day – it didn’t seem that way at the hospital, but I think I just bury everything in order to provide the best care for my patient. Between my patient, who was extremely sweet and in so much pain, and a classmate’s patient, who has an extremely rare form of cancer and was very comfortable with her ileostomy, I just was expending a lot of empathy. I came home and crashed on the couch, watching Mercy on television, and promptly cried (but then it was out of my system). I know that I’m an emotional person, and I wonder how becoming a nurse will affect that part of me – whether I’ll be able to handle all the emotions, or if I’ll become callused to people. I think that as I mature as a nurse, it will come – at least that is what I hope.

Overall, a really good day. I got to see something completely new, cement what we’ve learned in class about Lupus, and be there emotionally and physically for my patient. I hope next semester’s clinical will be as rewarding as this semester’s has been.

I WANT THAT FAUCET!

Just a quickie- 'cause I am supposed to be studying...

One Project Closer is doing a BITCHIN' giveaway... and I want to win!

Check out the nifty faucets they are giving away, but DON'T ENTER UNLESS YOU WANT TO WIN AND GIVE THE FAUCET TO MEEEEEE!

-Love, a crazy tired-of-studying Dani

You Give Me Fever...

Sigh. I was sent home early from clinical today - which sucks. I was in a patient's room, watching the would nurse replace a wound-vac dressing on the patient's shoulder (SUPER cool, SUPER painful for the patient and a SUPER amount of blood) when I started to feel a bit woozy. I thought it might be from the fact I was wearing gloves, a gown and a mask (I have a lingering cough that won't go away, and I didn't want to scare the patient with it's swine-flu-soundingness) - so I left the room and got some water. However, I didn't feel much better a few minutes later, so I grabbed a thermometer off the wall and took my temp - 100.0 degrees - crappers.

The night before was full of sinus pressure and sneezing, but I was hoping these symptoms were still residuals from some crappy virus I stumbled upon a few weeks ago. Apparently not. I immediately put on a mask and waited for my instructor to come out of another room, and waited, and waited. Sometimes the instructor can be in one of those rooms for a very long time, so I went to check on my patient - did a full assessment, talked to his wife about why we were putting Bactroban in his nose when he had MRSA on his penis, and helped him get to the bathroom.

When I was out in the hallway looking for new linens, I cam upon my instructor and told her about my slight temperature. "Well that's it then," she said. BOOOOOOOO!

I was upset that I had to leave. Not only did I feel like I was abandoning my patient (don't worry, I had to chart off to my instructor, my supervising nurse AND another nursing student - so the patient was in great hands) but I felt disappointed with my performance from earlier in the shift and I wanted to redeem myself. AND my patient was diabetic, so there was the chance that I would FINALLY give insulin before lunch. Sigh.

The whole disappointment thing - my current instructor is really tough when it comes to meds, which is different than any other one I've had. Sure, they have all made sure I had the correct dose and could administer the drug properly - and HEY they might have even asked me about nursing considerations or teaching - but they never really made me learn what the drug DOES. For example - Prilosec. Everyone has heard about Prilosec, and many people (me included) have taken it. So, when I was pulling it out of the med drawer for my patient and my instructor asked what it was for, I thought I was cool. When I told her it prevented acid reflux, she asked, "How?"

"By preventing excess acid?" I asked.

"How?" She countered.

I had to turn to my crappy-ass med card, which said that the drug was a proton pump inhibitor, and that it inhibited the production of gastric acid. I wasn't clear how that physiologically happened, so my instructor talked me through how the drug inhibits the hydrogen, potassium, ATP pump that churns out hydrochloric acid into your stomach. Since my patient didn't complain of any acid reflux, I asked her why my patient was on the drug. Apparently that pump goes into overdrive when the body is stressed, so doctors prescribe the Prilosec to counteract that possible overproduction from the general stress of being in the hospital. Nifty.

That was just ONE encounter with my instructor - over ONE med. I won't really get into our conversation about the propanolol my patient is on (an anti-hypertensive medication). Let's just say that NOW I know that I beta blocker relaxes the smooth muscle in the heart and vessels, lowering the blood pressure.

THE POINT, my friends, is that this instructor does not want to churn out more pill-pushing nurses who don't know what they are pushing, and don't have the knowledge to challenge a doctor's order if it seems a bit iffy. She really wants us to think everything through - which means a LOT more prep work prior to clinical, but a better nurse in the end.

K. Back to watching Mercy (my new favorite show) on the couch and drinking LOTS o' liquids.

Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucy, You Got Some SPLAININ' TO DO!

So. Every once in a a while I stop blogging for a bit. This is usually because I get to cracked-out-busy, but sometimes it's because I'm WAY down in the dumps, and I don't want the family members and dear friends who read this blog to think that I'm clinically depressed. Cause I'm NOT, I'm just sad or overwhelmed or emotional or frantic or just feeling nutty.

So with THAT in mind, oh-relatives/friends-of-mine, here we go.

Last weekend M and I went to ALABAMA (in that GREENBOW, ALABAMA voice, thanks to M) for a wedding. It was M's freshman roommate who was getting married - his freshman roommate who could not be MORE unlike M, the freshman roommate who ran track with M, is a surgeon at the May clinic, has dressed up as a vagina AND Borat (in the mankini) for Halloween - and who seemed to find his perfect match. How do I KNOW that she is his missing twin?? M failed to return his tux measurements OR the rehearsal dinner reply card on time (no surprise there, I swear that boy would forget to bring his head along with him if it wasn't attached), and the lovely bride-to-be told him that the consequences would be thus: he would be eating a shit sandwich for dinner, complements of the bride, groom and the strip bar down the street's 24-hour buffet, AND would be wearing a saran-wrap tux of the bride's design.

I knew I was going to like this woman.

BUT the point still stood that we had to drive EIGHT hours on Friday to get there (starting fairly early due to the fact that we had to be there early to pick up the saran-wrap tuxedo) and then it would be another EIGHT hours to get home on Sunday. Probably a hung-over EIGHT hours too. Sigh.

Sooooooooo we weren't that excited to go. But we promised (AND we had a hotel room reserved - Embassy Suites bitches!), and so we went. And you know what? The drive there wasn't bad. We met up with M's friend for lunch on Friday in HOT-lanta, and then kept on truckin' it to ALABAMA. However, a curious thing happened close to our destination - our cell phones and car clock didn't share the same time. Naturally, we thought our phones had gone wack-o cause they suck n general, but it wasn't the case. We were SO CONFUSED that I called my dad at WORK to ask him if he could oh so kindly look up the US time zones. ... Yeah. We actually crossed a time zone. This wasn't such a big deal for M (he's driven across the country like 7 times), but for ME it was huge. HUGE. AND CONFUSING.

for-We figured THAT out and then saw a rocket. Yes, a rocket! We did not know this, but Huntsville, ALABAMA is home to friggin' Space Camp. Like SPACE CAMP - the camp I have wanted to visit since I watched Lea Thompson and Tate Donovan and Kelly Preston and Joaquin Phoenix get launched into space by that crazy robot Jinx ("Jinx and Max ... Friiiiieeeeeeennnnndsssseeeeeeevvvveeerrrrr" - if you do not know what I am talking about, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THINGS HOLY rent Space Camp.).

The weekend was looking up. WAY UP.

To make a long story much much shorter - here was our weekend:
- ALABAMA (at least the north) is pretty! Who knew?!
- The rehearsal dinner was SUPER yummy and toasts were wonderful
- Our hotel room rocked
- Space Camp (OK, the US Space and Rocket Center) was bitchin'
- Wedding was FREEZING (outside reception) but really sweet
- The drive home felt like it took 10 more hours that it did to get there

Whew.

After all that activity and driving and funness, my hard drive crashed when we got home. Sigh. It's currently residing with the Geek Squad at Best Buy and I HOPE they can retrieve all my data and music and pictures and happiness because I'm an IDIOT and didn't back up my computer in the last month.

MEH.

K. Winding up. SO back to all that sadness crap. I think it was a combo of my computer dying, being faced with another week of studying (test next Wednesday) and not being able to SEE my bank account (we had to get 4 new tires on M's car so we wouldn't DIE on our way to ALABAMA) caused me to be really upset. That and M bought a pack of doughnuts. M, if you're reading this - I'M JOKING!

So yes. But I went to the library today. And I'm roasting a chicken. So I feel better. AND I might get to see my mom and a few aunts this weekend. Life is good. Sometimes it takes me writing a WHOLE bunch of shit down to get to that point, but I'm there now.

On A Side Note...

M thinks that our newest bathroom soap (courtesy of the people who formerly inhabited my house) smells like "dead babies." Yeah. It's "Sensual Amber" by Bath and Body Works and it's a bit weird (I prefer a citrus-y smell), but I'm not sure it smells like dead babies. Although, I'm not exactly sure what dead babies smell like. K. I'm going to STOP using that phrase...

The FLU - Muwhahahahaha

Ummmk. Let's just say that I got my flu shot (free because I'm a nursing student!) yesterday, and my arm STILL F-ING HURTS. Like, to the point where I raise my arm and I wince. SHEESH.

On the whole "illness" note, I have to go to the doctor today. =( I woke up AGAIN with post-nasal drip and a sore throat. It's been about two weeks since this whole gross sinus thing started, and I'm finally giving in. You would think as a nursing student I might be little more inclined to go to the doctor when my sinuses are stuffed with green goop - but my doctor is downtown ... and it's a pain in the ass to get to. BUT, I'm giving in and going. Meh.

Hmm. On another note, I'm cleaning the house today - because it's GROSS and was neglected while I was studying for my test last week and while we were at Homecoming last weekend. So far I've vacuumed, done laundry, organized clean laundry, run the dishwasher, pulled out the Halloween decorations and hung a picture. Whew. More to come later - for now I'm going to fold MORE laundry and watch Monday's Gossip Girl!

Sheesh

I'm taking a page out of Steph's book and making a loverly list. Because they are awesome (like her).

• I need to START reading the news again. I had to find out about Ken Lewis from FACEBOOK. Lame-O, Dani, Lame-O.
• Tea-time with the mommers must happen - SOON. I'm thinking Ooh-La-La's in the Queen City, since THE FREAKING NEW RITZ DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE HIGH TEA (pant pant pant). Anybody been?
• My patient for tomorrow came in with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea... and entered rehab after going through a MYRIAD of health-related nightmares. I can't imagine. I ALSO can't imagine getting Strep Throat so badly that you're admitted to the ICU (a girl at my work w/o any health insurance). SIGH.
• I just stubbed 3 out of 5 toes on my right foot. I am NOT happy.
• I'm also PMSing SO hard that M might move out. I seriously cried at a "high tea" menu. OMG.

Is this week over yet?

Our First Taste of Yard Work

Hmm. It started with pulling a few dead pieces off a plant... and turned into us thinning out the main front yard island AND the "island" that runs along the wall we share with our neighbor. Sheesh.

Forty-five minutes later, we had filled an entire trash can with yard waste and I was no longer chilly. I have one cut and multiple mosquito bites. I HAVE seen multiple spiders, NUMEROUS mosquitoes (when do those freaking things DIE already?), a wasp nest and a tiny brown snake. Woot woot!

It was actually fun - but don't tell M that or he might make it my permanent job! Also, no raking was involved...which is why it was fun. I hate raking. Blah. And with our neighbor's bajillion-year-old Pin Oak tree next door, we have enough leaves to rake all winter long. (That same tree has caused many, many tiny Pin Oak trees to pop up in our yard too - some of which we can't pull up by hand since the roots are already so freaking deep!)

Anyways, back to reading about intercranial pressure - but that was a nice break. And our front yard looks a wee bit more civilized. =)

Our Widdle House: Part Two

The peeps that formerly occupied our house enjoyed beautiful mossy green carpet, which we ripped up. Instead of extending the carpet across the whole floor, they only carpeted to the bricks on the floor (in front of the fireplace). In order to keep the pretty green scheme going, they actually painted the brick on the floor ... to match the carpet. Yes. painted it green. Isn't it pretty? Well, needless to say, I really hated that green brick and wanted to paint it white. We had ripped up the metal that connected the carpet and brick when we ripped up the carpet, so at least that was out of the way.
All I had to do was prime and paint...right? Yeah. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY WIDDLE GROOVES ARE IN BRICK? Of course you do, you aren't retarded like me. I thought it would be soothing, sitting on the floor and painting. It actually was a pain in the ass. Getting the brick covered was really difficult - it took two coats of primer and then two coats of oil-based paint of death. All those little grooves were GREEN, so they had to be covered well. Meh. But doesn't it look pretty? (Eventually the fireplace will be replaced with something loverly...but for now, it stays.)Here it is up close, with one of my mom's housewarming presents. =)
I heart Jane Austen...and zombies. More to come (including our NEW STOVE) lata! But I guess I need to study some today. ::pout::

Meh Meh Meh

Soooooooooooooo sorry I haven't posted in a bit - but I got a nasty cold after a very busy weekend and now I'm nearly at the weekend again. So, random thoughts are all you get.

- M bought a spray-painter thing to paint all the cabinets. I am intrigued/scared and I do NOT want to know how much he paid for it.
- Umm DOORKNOBS ARE EXPENSIVE. Ok, not ALL of them, but the pretty ones I LOVE are. ::pout::
- My patient for tomorrow is absolutely terrifying. And it's my fault (I told my instructor that it was hard for my to do my care map when the patient really didn't need anything. I AM AN IDIOT.)!
- Are you watching GLEE? YOU BETTER - it's freaking AWESOME.
- Does anyone have good advice on how to hang heavy pictures that have TWO hooks on the back? I can't ever get them to line up straight...

K. That's all I have for now... off to do patient paperwork and take another cold pill. SIGH.

Tea Partay

No - not the cool one with Smirnoff Tea, but the crazy-ass one that was in DC a bit ago. My best friend's dad and brother were there - she thought that it was a health care rally... it ended up being a right-winger's wet dream.

Check out the "unofficial video" here - http://blurbomat.com/archives/2009/09/14/unauthorized-video-from-09-12-09/

Sheesh people. Seriously? These people crack me up. What do YOU think? (That includes YOU Ms. Canadian Britt)

September 11 already?

I know that it is the eighth anniversary of Sept. 11, and we should be thinking of our country and the people that sacrificed for us on that day eight years ago... but I have been at the hospital since 6:45 this morning (I got home at 3:30) and I have to be at work (waiting tables) at 6 pm.

So I am a little beat and I don't WANT to think about how I felt when I watched those live news reports - when I saw the second plane hit the second tower - when the towers fell. I refuse. If that's unpatriotic, report me.

I'm still reeling from today's clinical. In BRIEF: my colitis patient was being released and there was really nothing I could do for her. So, I followed my supervising nurse around all day and helped her deal with all of her patients (well, at least I tried). One patient had a HUGE tumor on the side of his neck with a very smelly dressing that had to be changed. I watched his tube feeding, I swabbed his mouth (has Thrush - which I had never seen in real life), we changed his dressing (OMG THE SMELL.) and tried to get a line started (well I watched that too). He blew 4 veins before the nurse forced the doctor to order a PICC line ... which was slightly controversial because he was a DNR patient and going to hospice. Does infusing blood count as palliative care? What about when his Hgb is a 4???

That was only patient #1. Patient #2 had chest/esophageal pain and her blood pressure was sky high. And then her pulse went up to 138 beats per minute. The nurse went to go get backup and asked me to stay with her while she was hyperventilating - I guess to call a Code Blue if she stopped breathing. Sigh. This was going on RIGHT after another nurse asked if I was allowed to take out an IV (which I CAN do, but only with my instructor). I was on my way to get my instructor when I was pulled into patient #2's room. So, no IV removal for Dani today.

Patient #3 was very very sick, but I have no clue why. I just know he had a HIGH blood pressure and the nurse commented that he was "going down the tubes and she had to go figure it out." Sooooo all I did for him was drop off a urine cup. HOWEVER, after his BP meds were administered, I had to follow up and take his BP to see the meds' effect. Well, his right arm had an IV - no go - and his left arm had a HUGE hematoma from a bad stick. After I changed the blood bandage, I pressed on the hematoma to see if it would blow. It didn't, so I hooked up the BP cuff and crossed my fingers. Sigh.

Oh. My nurse actually had one OTHER patient - a 60-something male with a brain mass. After some sort of test, they were about to take him ti get a CT scan...when he decided he was done. And walked out. My nurse had to take out his IV in the parking lot.

If I am this emotionally and physically drained, I can't imagine how my nurse felt today. Sigh. I'm going to finish my dinner of carbs+carbs+more carbs, and then iron my uniform for work. =(

It's going to be a long night.

Our Widdle House, Part One of One Billion

So. M and I bought a house. Our first house. We thought, "Hey! Let's get a house that we can work on, and make it just like we want..." Ha. HAHAHAHA. Hrumph. Anyway, for those of you who have NOT seen it, this is it - our KUH-UTE widdle 1950's ranch house. It's in an older neighborhood, with mature trees and nice neighbors. The neighborhood is fairly close to the city, so we're close to M's job and the hospital...for when I EVER graduate nursing school. So...umm, I'm kind of intimidated to start this whole "documenting the house" process, so I'll start with the hardwood floors. And who KNOWS where we'll go from there? Here are some of the "BEFORE" pictures that everyone just loves to see. Just so all of you can see what we were dealing with. Fancy older hardwood floors, under WONDERFUL moss green carpet. The floors are about 50 years old, so that lovely orange-y color was from old polyurethane (says my dad). Soooo we ripped up all the carpets (which included three million staples and carpet tacks...)
...and found only ONE spot of damage - along a wall that has the bathtub directly on the other side.
Not too bad really. We hand-pulled all the nails and staples, and let the refinishers get to work (there was NO way that we were going to do this ourselves. My dad thought we could do it...but M and I decided to leave it up to the professionals...this time at least.

So, after only one day of refinishing the floors, the damaged portion of the floor looked like this:
Pretty! At the beginning of the second day we were forced to make a stain decision.

I HATE decisions. Sigh. We went with a middle brown color, although my heart pines for dark espresso. We have a cat that LOVES to shed, and light gray cat hair + espresso floors = CRAZY D from cleaning ALL the time. So yesh, middle brown it was.

Finally, Day Three Arrived.
SO PRETTY. I can't begin to explain how pretty the floors are. I also cannot begin to tell you how the house STILL smells from paint and polyurethane and blah blah blah. The point is, the floors looked great. Which was a good thing. Because as much as I spazzed about that stain color, IT BETTER LOOK FREAKING GREAT.

Whew. That was a lot of typing/picture editing/editing in general. I don't know HOW those Young House Love kids DO IT. However, I'm happy to share just a piece of this crazy process with all of you. More to come!

Seeeee Youuuu in Septeeeeembeeerrrr...

YAY September! I love this month. The weather is always SO NICE (although, to be fair to NC, this summer hasn't been as hellacious as normal.) and college football is back - ok, so I don't care about THE GAME as much as the TAILGATING. But whatever.

Also. In only 3 short months NEW MOON will be in theaters. Oh yes. I am not ashamed that on today, my first day of Internet access in WEEKS, I spent a good amount of time on the New Moon official movie site and www.newmoonmovie.org/, a sort of Perez Hilton for only New Moon - DO YOU HEAR THAT AUNT K?? Tell UNCLE M!!! Hahahaha.

Anyways, last note on New Moon - I thought this quote from New Moon director Chris Weitz was very funny, "We have to have this very fine balance between having too much and too little Edward. If you have too much Edward, it will be a terrible thing because you want the audience to experience that longing as well, and if you have too little Edward…I’ll be hunted down and killed."

Very True.

On the HOUSE front - I am currently painting the front door. woot! It's actually more exciting than it seems, and I am surprised that I'm still excited to paint after our painting BINGE that first week. It's wearing off quickly though - my hand hurts from gripping the brush! I swear I'll post more pictures soon, and more info about our oven-shopping experience, why our neighbor PROBABLY thinks we're alcoholics, and more fun tales from home-ownership-land.

TaTa!

Potassium Can Kill You

So. In case you didn't know, potassium is a very dangerous substance (at least when it comes to the human body). Today we were talking about IVs and IV solutions, and how there are strict restrictions on potassium and IVs due to the fact that "we were killing a lot of people." Oh, is that all??

My instructor went on to say that potassium IV pushes (pushing an amount of potassium directly into your bloodstream via your IV site) are only given in emergency situations: "We do give potassium in code situations - why? They're already dead! Can't get worse!"

I love my new instructor...

Another FYI - those tiny air bubbles in your IV line won't kill you - it would take an entire IV line of air to actually kill you... doesn't that make you feel better???

I WON!

I read a very cool blog called Young House Love - where a young couple, very much like M and I, fix up their older brick ranch house, very much like M and I! I have found ALL sorts of ideas and inspiration from their site, and it's a much-loved part of my Google reader.

John and Sherry of Young House Love do a "Fab Freebie" about once a week, and I've entered about six ... and I WON the last one!!! They were giving away a set of four crystal drinking glasses from the Mikasa Cheers Too line - SUPER CUTE.

All we had to do was leave a comment, starting with "I'll drink to that" and telling about the best toast you have ever given/heard. This is what I left:

"Comment by Dani on August 24, 2009 @ 3:49 pm

I’ll drink to that!

The best toast ever was one that my husband did at my friend’s wedding – he told the ENTIRE room that he met these two girls training at a restaurant (me and my friend), and he really liked one…but since she went home for the summer, he was stuck with the other one…and MARRIED HER (therefore … me!).

The whole room (me included) cracked up. =)"

Yay for my winning entry! All that was left was to pick the type of glasses I wanted - white wine, double old-fashioned or highball. After MUCH deliberation, M and I picked these - super cute right?? Yay housewarming present for us!!!

Paint colors are the devil.

Ummm I never knew that taupe could have so many freaking variations. One does NOT expect this shit when you sign up for house-painting. we decided on a gray - see below - FAR LEFT (PS - the walls look WAY PINK in this picture. I SWEAR it looks a lot more GRAY GRAY in real life. Sigh.). However, the tan that we want to put throughout the house is eluding me. Right now we are leaning toward the one on the left - but it looks to freaking GRAY in this picture. We just painted some on moving boxes here at the apt in order to put the color next to the couch and bed, and they both look fine...and neither is gray. Sigh. Blast you natural vs. artificial light!
Also, in this picture the WALLS look Gray. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh. I guess we'll just GO with it...right???

I hate making decisions!!!

Falafel for the Soul

This is very very cool - http://falafelforthesoul.blogspot.com/

Because everyone needs random encouragement. What better way to show love and support to our fellow humans?

Floors

I think that leaving my house in the hands of floor refinishers is kind of like how I'll feel when I leave my newborn with a babysitter for the first time.

Ugh.

One another note, HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY LITTLE BRO!

Home Sweet Home

We bought our first house.

Holy crappers.

Last One, I Swear.

Here is an interesting article about Obama-care from CNN (thanks mom) that everyone should read. While you're at it, take a look at these stories about health care in this country - it's atrocious.

Sigh. I didn't say that this was easy, or that we should trust what everyone says ... we just need to be as informed as possible. And I know that it's hard to do.

And Another Thing...

...I do NOT consider myself a liberal. Or a socialist. I do consider myself a Christian and a compassionate human being - one who does not want to see anyone suffer - thus my career path. I don't think it's right for people to be denied health care because they are poor, or sick. That isn't American. We are a very large country, and I just think that we should take care of each other. I know our finances are in the can right now, but won't we ALWAYS make excuses about not fixing the MESS we call health care in this country?

And videos like this DON'T HELP - they HURT. Hear that James Dobson?

Sigh.

Health Care

I'm not going to get into all the craziness that is buzzing about health care. But I am embedding this video:




I wish the different "sides" would get together, CHILL the F out and talk it out. In mild voices. I feel like it's the crazy partisian election all over again. And it makes my head hurt.

I'm SO EXCITED

I got an 88 on my Nursing 1000 final!!! This means that if I can pass my sterile dressing change on Wednesday, I will have SQUEAKED by with an 85.8 in the class - which rounds up to an 86 - a B!!!!! HOLY CRAPPERS.

What will I do NOW on my THREE-WEEK BREAK? Oh sister-friend, I have my list prepared:
- Organize group drinking session for Wednesday
- Send out book club e-mail
- Study my ASS OFF for Wednesday's sterile dressing change
- Finish book club book (City of Thieves) and play (Waiting for Godot)
- Go to Home Depot and look for paint colors and light fixtures
- Re-read entire Twilight series
- Close on our HOUSE
- DO crazy amount of renovating on said house
- Take LOTS OF NAPS
- Watch movies
- Start some sort of exercise routine
- Cut hair

And seriously, the list could go on. Because I also need to PACK and CLEAN our apartment, because apparently my lovely husband is lost without me. =)

Sigh. I also have to work somewhere in there. Whatever, it DOESN'T INVOLVE THINKING. I refuse to think for the next few weeks.

YAY!!!!

Note to self...

Back to school penny sales 8/2 - 8/8

When all this finals business is over ... I need to purchase school supplies for NEXT semester. (let's all do a collective prayer that next semester DOES happen)

I Have A Bad Memory

I can't find my watch ANYWHERE. And, I don't know the last time I wore it. =( I don't wear it to work, because I don't want to get food on it/get it wet. I don't wear it to the hospital because I don't want BODILY fluids on it. I wear it to school sometimes...but I don't ever take it OFF. I thought it might be at S's, since I've gone over there to swim...but she can't find it. I've looked in my car, in both bathrooms, in the bedrooms, the kitchen ... my purses, my bags, in my shoes.

I put up a REWARD sign at school ... I just hope I find it. You peeps that see me on a regular basis, do YOU remember seeing it not on my wrist?

=(

Fire Burning on the Dance Floor

No matter WHAT happens in nursing-school-land over the next few days ... I am having a girl-only dance party next week.

With a special kick-ass dance to this song.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!!!
-D

Quick Spazz Attack

This week is promising to be absolutely horrific - so I'll take JUST a sec to spell out the awfulness:

Monday - class, patient info at hospital, patient paperwork, do notecards on Fluid and Electrolytes
Tuesday - clinical all day, practice health assessment, review all skills learned during the semester, study all notecards
Wednesday - Skills validation on ALL skills learned this semester, study notecards, do review questions for test
Thursday - TEST FIVE, get details on final
Friday - begin weekend-long study session for final, work (HOPEFULLY NOT...I'm trying to get this covered...)
Saturday & Sunday - Study!!!!
Monday - FINAL

Sigh. Say a little prayer for me!!! Love you all...

Working Girl

I realize that I work in the service industry, and we are there to serve people - no matter if they are rude, cheap or unappreciative they may be. However, sometimes it's VERY difficult to be nice to your next table when the last one has SCREWED you on the tip. Sigh.

Example: Last night my first table tipped me 15%, then the second table tipped 10%. Next, a nice family of four was sat in my section. Two women got the special, the father had fried shrimp and the overweight son had a blue cheese burger and creamed spinach...and then proceeded to put the creamed spinach on the burger, along with the mayo and mustard he had wanted. (This post is NOT about the gross eating quirks that some people display, but I could write an entire BOOK about that...) They seemed ... grumpy. They just weren't animated at all. And that is fine. What is NOT fine is the fact that they paid with a $100-dollar bill (asked for change since the bill was only $67), and the proceeded to leave me $3 in cash on the table.

THREE DOLLARS. That is less than a 5% tip!!!

I'm not going to get into the politics of race at restaurants. It's nasty and mean and horrible. I'm just going to say that everyone should at LEAST tip 15%. Servers make VERY little money per hour, and tips are our livelihood. I actually don't make enough of a paycheck to have FEDERAL TAXES taken out. Literally I'll get an $8 check for two weeks worth of work - the taxes and medicare and social security are too high to have any money left over.

So please, tip your server.

Dear SYTYCD...

That whole Katie Holmes dance-thing was not spectacular. In any way, shape or form. We just saw that KICK-ASS Mia Michaels routine, and now you give me Katie Holmes shimmying around in a tuxedo jacket? PUH-LEASE.

Also, I am pissed at ALL OF YOU AMERICA. YOU DIDN'T VOTE FOR JASON. Ok, I didn't vote for Jason either, but I am a 25 year-old woman and you are a bunch of teeny-boppers. You should have been impressed with his Jacob-like face and very nice torso. Sigh. Stupid America.

MMmmmmk. That's all.

Putting Your Face On

"Putting your face on" is how one of my nursing instructors describes the preparation before going into a patient's room - creating a nonplussed expression that doesn't give way to the grossness, sadness, ugliness or awesomeness that we see every day. We have to remain professional ... at least until we get home.

When M got home tonight, I broke down and couldn't keep my "face" on any longer. Today my 85 y/o dementia patient got to me. More so, his well-to-do wife got to me. The way she looked at him. The way he smiled back with a senile expression. Her protectiveness, her gratefulness when I helped. I couldn't help but think about M and me ... and what it would feel like to have to go through all of that. It hurt, and I cried.

Then I called my grandma in PA - she fell recently and I wanted to call and check up on her. She probably won't remember I called, and she only stays on the phone for a bit, but I felt better when I got off. Like a bit of a weight was lifted.

Sigh. Nobody said nursing was going to be easy. (In fact, MANY MANY MANY people have told me otherwise.) But, I think it will be worth it.

Face-Blogging on the Twitter-Scape

(Or, How all of my friends keep in touch)

I am wired due to the fact I have clinical tomorrow, and so I posted "ummmmm too excited/freaked to sleep AGAIN. One day clinical won't keep me up all night... right?? Anyone???" on Facebook. Three seconds
later my NEWLY BOARD-CERTIFIED AND WORKING NURSE friend, N g-chatted me and we had the following convo:

N: why are you so excited??

me: just worked up i guess - tomorrow i have a 85 y/o who admitted with a DVT. he has Alzheimer's and Parkinson's,and really there is nothing i can do for him!

so I'm like hmmmmm what-will-i-do-all-day-tomorrow worked up

N: gotcha.what kind of floor are you on? med-surg?

me: yup -its usually renal/diabetic,but of course i have the non-renal, non-diabetic patient. he is on like 17 meds ...but really, there is nothing extra-wrong with him, ya know?

N: right.thats your typical med-surg. at least you get to learn a bunch of meds!

me: yup yup! hahaha - our paperwork isn't due until Monday, due to the fact i get a FIVE day weekend, so I kind of half-assed my paperwork for tomorrow. I didn't write up my patho-phys and left off my multivitamin drug card. I'm walking on the edge i tell ya.

Nikki: haha sounds like it!

Yes. Nursing school has reduced me to thinking that not doing all my homework and leaving off a MULTIVITAMIN drug card is walking on the edge. Sigh.

Please excuse me while I reminisce about the girl I once was... OK, who am I kidding? I have ALWAYS been a dork who plays by the rules. Not doing all my homework IS walking on the wild side. N, M, and S can all tell you. =)

K. Wellllll I guess I'll review how to do sub-cutaneous injections! Sweet! NEEDLES!

G'nite.

Robert Pattinson Vs. Harry Potter

Later on I'll talk about my day in the Operating Room, and about how high our F-ing power bill is for this month, or about how AWESOME Harry Potter 6 was, but for now I'll just leave you with this video:

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Robert Pattinson Vs. Harry Potter

This video IS SO FREAKING FUNNY.

Watch, and enjoy your Friday!

This is Awesome

London's Trafalgar Square is one of my all-time favorite places. It could be because London's kick-ass National Gallery is right there, or the fact that M and I saw a De Beers commercial shot right there, of the fact that Pret A Manger is right across the street... Anyway, it's awesome.

Besides the very cool Nelson stature and the infamous lions that reside in the square, there is a "fourth plinth" that's home to specially commissioned artwork. Past works include Allison Lapper Pregnant and Model for a Hotel.

Currently there is a great installation - real people. 100 real people over the next 24 days, 24 hours per day. Check it out in REAL TIME at One & Other - I promise you'll be amused/amazed/astonished.

New Week, New Outlook

Thanks to the love and support of my family and friends, I made it through last week. It was gross and awful and full of failing things and feeling like a fish-out-of-water, but it's over. AND, I still have the opportunity to rock it out on another quiz, test, and the final - so I'll just buckle down and do it.

On an exciting (to me, at least) note, I get to observe at the OR tomorrow!!!! This is SUPER exciting to me, since I have been mildly obsessed with surgeries ever since I was a little girl. When I was about four years old, I would ask my mom to watch the surgeries on TV - she would turn on some health channel and I'd contentedly watch an open-heart surgery. Add to that the imaginary "carrot people" that I talked about, and no wonder my grandmother thought I was strange... I like to call it creative.

Some Letters of my Own

Today's post was inspired by The Tooth Fairy's Adventures, and her latest post.

Dear staff nurse that I helped yesterday:
I know I am just a first-semester nursing student, but you don't have to look at me like I'm an idiot, especially when you don't have YOUR shit in order.
Love, the eager/terrified nursing student from yesterday

Dear Clinical Instructor,
Just because you want to go on vacation doesn't mean you get to rearrange my schedule and make this week a living hell. You are a VERY nice person, but I am seriously pissed at you.
Love, the student who was trying not to cry in post-conference today

Dear bestest-friend S,
Thank you for listening to me be very upset today on the phone. I heart you bunches and bunches.
Love, DD

Dear M,
I love you SO MUCH and I feel awful that we don't get to spend as much time together as I would like. Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm studying insetad of hanging out with you, but I know you understand and want me to do well - which makes me feel worse when I screw up. Yes, I realize I'm rambling and a wee bit emotional today.
Love, your favorite wife

Dear makers of the Twilight Conversation Hearts,
You made a really cute product, and I love the Twilight-inspired sayings that you came up with ... but could you make the hearts taste a wee bit better than ABSOLUTE GROSSNESS?
Love, your paying customer

Dear Right Eye,
STOP F-ING TWITCHING. Gah.
- Dani

Awesome.

This picture was hanging up at the bank yesterday. I approve.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

What a Wednesday

Today's post is presented by a tall Vodka Cranberry.

• My mom came down last night and spent the night, so she could move my little brother out of his frat house and into a new frat house (don't ask). Turns out his new frat house was uninhabitable, and now he's staying with M and me for a week while they fix all the crap wrong with it.
• Our house inspection is TOMORROW MORNING.
• This is the coolest idea ever. I don't know if I have the balls to undertake it. But hey, If Ann's Daughter can do it, so can I. A Deacon never says die!! (Or is that a Goonie?)
• The Teeter has crab legs on sale for $2.99 a pound. I WANT.
• SYTYCD is on in 5 minutes.
  
• My vodka cranberry is delish.
  

Web Site Story

This combines my love of musicals AND the interweb. Thanks College Humor.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Using Google Earth for the opening credits?? GENIUS. Dissing E-vite for having to click through? Awesome. I think college humor has finally outdone itself. =)

Houses Part DOS

First of all - something completely unrelated, yet hilarious.

A helpful chart for sorting through the GOP sex scandals.

Now that we've had our laugh for the day, lets move along to houses. And big, fat, scary inspections. And Asian grad students who REALLY GET ON MY NERVES WHEN THEY LECTURE ABOUT SHIT WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE WE AREN'T IN MED SCHOOL OR EVEN IN AN UPPER LEVEL NURSING COURSE. THIS IS F-ING FUNDAMENTALS LADY.

Pant pant pant.

K. So... now we'll talk about the house.

The house that is about 50 years old...and the house that widdle Dani is TERRIFIED won't pass inspection... or will have something horribly wrong with it that the MORONIC sellers won't fix.

::pout::

We'll see how it goes (it being on Thursday).

On another note, my MOMMY is coming to stay tomorrow night, which is fantastic. She only lives about 90 minutes away...but I don't see her enough. And I Lav her. A lot.

AND my college roommate is supposed to be in town this weekend! WHICH IS AWESOME AS WELL.

mmmmmK.

I'm awesome-d out now. On to reading about Pain Management.

woot!

Redbox

I just discovered that you can RESERVE MOVIES AT MOST REDBOXES.

My life is complete.

And Confessions of a Shopaholic, you are MINE!

Adulthood, and Houses

Well, we've officially put in an offer in on a house. I'm not going to say ANY more about the house than that, because we have no clue if we'll be laughed at or if they'll say "ok" and I just can't take the stress of it all already.

My mom is already reading up on how to rip out carpets (there are hardwoods throughout) and paint cabinets ... but I just am wondering how this whole endeavor will fit in with the working part-time and going to school.

We shall see. I KNOW that at least it will mean a lot of lonely yard work for M over the next month... at least the grass doesn't grow that fast in July ... right?

ASJLKJDLKWUKNASOPLAKjLKEJ ARE WE NUTS?? ASLKJLKJEKNEKQUOIWIEPOWIEPWOIEPODLKSAJD

Randomness

Shout out to Ann’s Daughter for reminding me that I heart ExplodingDog.com’s awesome, awesome, f-ing crazy comics. Here is an example - http://explodingdog.com/title/unstoppable.html - I LOVE ZOMBIES.

Also, how CUTE is Dooce’s new baby girl? I cannot WAIT until her post on labor and delivery…I’m sure that will be a hoot.

On another note…our team name at trivia the other night was “Today I used lube on a Tootsie Roll,” because, well…earlier that day I had used lube on a Tootsie Roll. For CLASS PEOPLE FOR CLASS. I had to insert it into a fake anus. As a pretend suppository. Yep. Just linger on that image for a while.

Ummm Last random note – MyPoints.com is awesome…for wasting time and getting free crap. They send me emails about random products and in return for “reading” them, I get points. These points translate to gift cards (supposedly). I’ll let you know next week if I actually get the gift card I ordered… I love the internet for wasting time!!

Hmmm…k. Off to bed, where I can express my randomness through dreams.

You say TomAto, I say TomAHto

Just wanted to show off my super sweet tomato plant, "Bob" - if you don't get the reference, please YouTube/Wikipedia "Bob the Tomato" (from VeggieTales).

Just a baby:
And now our 2 biggest tomatoes so far:

I heart gardens, and tomatoes!

House Hunting (Or, Being a Bad Friend)

SO, I've decided that a surefire way to make your relationship miserable is to house-hunt together. It's also a great way to distance yourself from all your friends. Maybe that's just me though. With school and trying to find a place within the next 30 days...ummm yeah. I'm not that stressed per say, I just feel worn out all the time. I'm sleeping a lot and I always feel tired. I just don't want to DO anything. I'd rather sit in front of the computer and look on zillow.com. And today looking at houses just wore me OUT - I came home and passed out for a bit on the bed before waking up to the sound of CRAZY-ASS wind. We had to pull our plants off the deck again, but not before the palm/corn plant fell over. =(

Meh.

Anyways, we are looking for a widdle home for us and the Deac. And it's eye-opening to see how other people live/decorate. FASCINATING. People are weird. With weird things in their homes. And CATS. I think three of the houses we looked at had cats. One was sitting all slouched-like in the master bedroom... with a "Helllllllll No" expression on his face...

No worries cat. We didn't like that house anyway - too small!!!

Anyway, back to my SYTYCD countdown - just 45 more minutes!