Ok, so I know I haven't written in a while, but I will try to catch you guys up. I was going to write a few Sundays ago, but some things happened. I am going to skip the reason for my last post. Let's just say my life turned around. Within one night I could feel my whole body completely shutting down system by system. It was the worst pain I have ever felt and the hardest week I have gone through. I learned a lot though. I got closer to God, realized a lot of people actually read my blog (thanks to those who commented and called me!), got a lot of support from friends and family, and came out a stronger person than I was last week. But for now.. nursing stuff :).
Sooo I have no idea how I am going to catch you up on everything! I will start with this...
November 5th Saturday - Alex and I went to Zander's 3rd birthday party! He is absolutely adorable and really smart (I can actually say this from a nursing point of view, because I performed a DDST on him!).
We also went to the dog park with some friends. Bradley was a happy pup that day :)
Then at night, Amanda came over to hang out. And we turned into those people...
"The People of Walmart"...
Novemeber 6th Sunday- my bad day. No comment here.
November 7th Monday- I had a health assessment test this day. It was at 11AM, but with everything happening, I couldn't concentrate and didn't start studying until about 7:30 that morning.
My first F ever on a test...
Novemeber 8th Tuesday- So today in lab we learned wound care. There are different types of wound care, and different ways to clean a wound, etc. Well, the manikins in the lab are posterior, because that is usually where patients will get ulcers. And the manikins are usually just of the butt. Well... can you guess the name of the company who makes the manikins?
SEYMOUR BUTTS!!! If you don't believe me, go here...
http://www.eworldpoint.com/en/Products/Training-Equipment/Wound-Care/Seymour-Butts-II-Wound-Care-Model_-_VA910/?i=jI0y00dl5HcEZD2mhTgD3w%3d%3d
In our other lab, we assessed Ears Nose and Mouth. Say AHHHHHHHHH
Novemeber 9th Wednesday- A pop quiz at 7:30 AM, and a test. Ugh, still a horrible week.
Novemeber 10th Thursday- So considering I have been having such a bad week, I really need my parents. So I went home after the Orlando Health orientation today (zzzZZZzzZZzzz). It was nice to be home. And, on top of that, I was able to get all of my homework due within a week all done by the night. Thanks to a Harry Potter marathon and my mom making some good food :)
Novemeber 11th Friday- Parents took me out to see a movie today, Rum Diaries. It was pretty good with some funny parts. Then at night I went to this club called Rodeo that is back home. I saw people from high school that I haven't seen in over 4 years. It was insane. I rode a mechanical bull :)
Novemeber 13th Sunday -
World turned around again. :) but it turned back right side up. Smiles all around.
Novemeber 15th Tuesday - Amanda and I had to do a neuro presentation today. We did pretty good. Got all of our points :) In our essentials lab, we had our first simulation. It was soooo cool. So there is a complete other area of the nursing school that we had no idea of. It is pretty much a mock hospital. Well, a few of us were taken into a "patient's" room (it was a manikin). There were cameras in the room so teachers could sit in another room and hear and watch us. The manikin was actually a Sim Man. He has pulses, a blood pressure, heart and lung sounds, and can receive an IV and be shocked. There is a microphone inside of his mouth, so the teachers in the room watching us, can talk as if they are the patient as well. Well we got introduced to the patient, then were told to assess him while the "charge nurse" left the room. And then he started loosing breath. Of course to us.. it was more like..
OMG HE IS DYING!!! WHAT DO I DO!!!?!?!?!?!? We did pretty good though. We sat him up, called the physician, and got an order to give him medication. It was really neat to have this simulation so we can kind of get used to what it might be like in an emergency situation like that in real life. This was our first simulation, but there are many more to come. Some SimMan can even give
BIRTH. I can't wait for next semester.
Here is a link about SimMan if you are interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5HrOdHPPyo
Picture of SimMan!
Afterwards, Alex and I went rockclimbing. I am starting to really get into it. I have been bouldering pretty good and it is actually really relaxing going rockclimbing. I'm starting to feel an obsession coming on.. There is this one route that I have been having trouble on ... but I am GOING to get it...
Novemeber 16th Wednesday- So in Roles today we were talking about loss and death. At the beginning (of course after another pop quiz) we did an activity. You were given a piece of paper, and had to go through the paper and fill it out with 5 of your favorite activities, body parts, people you love, morals/values, and materialistic items. Then we were given a story about how one day you feel a lump. Cross out two items. It starts from here, and goes all the way until you are lying on your death bed from cancer, when you cross out the last two items. It was interesting to see what I was crossing out first before anything. The last two standing were my Mom and Dad <3
This was my list.
Today was also a friend's birthday from church. So Alex and I joined him at P.F. Chang's for his birthday! I heart lettuce wraps soooo much. Alex and I decided that Wednesday's are going to be our official date nights now. So no matter what, just me and him are going to do something. So after our dinner, we went back home and watched black and white movies and ate kettel corn. <3 A great date night with my love :)
Novemeber 17th Thursday - Now we are in a different ward in our long term care unit. So I have a new patient. I didn't get to see him much because today I was on my dementia rotation. And wow... I just know that I do not want to be in that field for my career. Next please....
Some of the girls came over afterwards for a bottle of wine and homework. Relaxing :)
November 18th Friday - At the LTC clinic again! It is nice to visit all of my patients and check on everybody. One of the girls had a semiformal with her sorority, so it was an early night for all of us! We got out at 6:00!!! Some of us girls have this obsession with edamame. We love this stuff. And this is what nursing school has taught us on how to critically think:
Yes, that is a surgical mask for our edamame shells. :)
November 19th Saturday- a ten page paper was due today! Cross your fingers! It was worth 100 points... oh man...
Also, Alex and I did the Orlando Diamond Dash with International Diamond Center. It was a ton of fun. It was downtown, and you got two text messages. The first was the location, and the second was a riddle or puzzle to solve at that location. If you got it right on the first try, you got 3 points, 2nd try was 2 points, 3rd try was 1 point. Whoever had the most points at the end of the race (2 hours long), they won a $15,000 DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING!!!! There were people that were in matching outfits, sweat bands, stretching on the corner, running everywhere. Alex and I realized we were not going to win, so we just took our time. We actually ended up getting about 57 points. It was a lot of fun though. An after party was at Ember. When the couple who won was announced, the girl started crying on his shoulder. They got up to the stage, and the host asked what he was going to do now that they won this ring, he said he was going to call her father and ask him for his daughters hand in marriage. He called him on speaker phone in front of all of us on stage. Then he got down on one knee, and put this HUGE rock on this girls finger. It was cheesy and cute at the same time.
This was the ring.... $15,000 Martin Flyer Diamond Engagement Ring. Do you see the diamond in the middle? It is almost as big as my thumbnail...
And this was the line....
My bear.
Novemeber 20th Sunday - Two test were due online today, plus another paper was due. Alex and I went rockclimbing in the AM. I have been doing better! I was able to get the route that I was trying to work on before. I ended up scraping up myself though. I scraped my knee pretty bad, then on one of the routes, I fell down the wall and hit every rock as I was falling. My stomach is bruised and scratched. I also landed on my butt.. and my left butt cheek hurts too.... maybe a little TMI....
Alex and I had a great week. We had a serious talk tonight about how much we are in love with each other and how fast we are falling. It has been almost a year and I can't wait until we celebrate our 20th anniversary. I am so happy with him. I can't even explain my feelings for him. It is amazing to see how much we have grown and how strong our relationship has gotten. Even within the past week, we are just so much in love with each other, and I love were we are at right now. It is crazy when you can tell the guy you are with, is the guy you are suppose to be with. I love you bear!!!! xoxoxo
Novemeber 22nd Tuesday - So that wound on my knee was soaking through my scrubs today (yes I know... ewwww...) So I asked my lab instructor for a bandaid. And instead of a bandaid, she handed me this stuff called Tegaderm. It is the bandage we use for our IV's on the manikins, and it works really well with wounds. Worked better than a band aid!
So today in labs, we just practiced for our skills check off. I can NOT believe how close finals are. Instead of having 6 finals in 3 days, I signed up to take one of my skills check offs on Tuesday instead of finals week. So only 5 finals in 3 days... but anyways, no classes all week after today. So at least there is a 5 day weekend to practice my skills. Now I just need to get with it....
Meeeee!
Our obsession with food is crazy.
Lauren hanging out
Afterwards, a lot of people were doing some homework, but I needed to rock climb, go for a run. Something and anything. So Alex, Ray and I went to Aguille. People keep asking why I have been doing this, but it is legit because it is fun. There is a great sense of satisfaction when you complete a route that is a little harder than your level and you finally get it! Like today, I finally did those routes I couldn't get early in the week! I can do V0 easily. V1 are a little harder but today I was rocking them out like it was nothing. And I was even starting some V2's today. I love it. And if you really want to know the reason why I love rockclimbing.. well...
I get to stare at my stud muffin boyfriend as he does pull ups. This is my new wallpaper on my phone. :)
Heel Move! It is a motion picture, so I am blurry : /
Go bear go!
Somebody fell from one of the holds. He was feeling weird in his neck, so the ambulance was called. I really had this urge to ask them if I could watch while they assessed him and help them move him to the stretcher and stuff.. BECAUSE I CAN DO THAT! But I did not. Maybe next time....
And it has taken me about an hour to catch you guys up. Until Sunday!!! I PROMISE I WILL WRITE ON SUNDAY!!!!
Smiling every day,
Katie
P.S. I AM ONLY 25 VIEWS FROM HITTING 1,000 VIEWS FROM YOU GUYS!!! KEEP READING!!!!
Also, thought this was cool.
This is where my audience is coming from. So hello to everybody!!! (Anybody know where Latvia is?)
