14 posts tagged “alex”

Alex and I are going to Islamorada this weekend to celebrate our two year anniversary!

I am so excited!!!!

Also, I got a 90% on my test today! Woohoo!

Another day gone, still NO WORK DONE towards school crap. Test is one day closer, still no studying done. I did go to CARP today, and I have to say that I got a lot out of it and I'm really glad I went. Don't feel like going into it now though, cause I'd be here awhile (and if I'm not going to get work done, I should at least get a good night's sleep).

I DID get a haircut today. I hadn't had one since August, not even a trim. This is because I am lazy and don't trust anyone not to mess it up. But I got a postcard for a salon near my house and decided to try it. I really, really like it. I got face framing layers and then layers in the back also. I only lost two inches of length off the bottom. I'm very happy with it.

The fun part was sending this picture to Alex via text:

with the caption "Got a little carried away"

He responded with "OMG"

I called him and just started laughing. I had just pulled back the long parts and left the layers around my face. Hey, if it wasn't for him my hair probably would be almost that short, so I think I'm justified in messing with him once in awhile.

Tomorrow I have no school OR work so I need to get up on my studying for the test on THURSDAY!!! Then after the test on Thursday, I need to do the two assignments I have to turn in next week (the IPR for CARP is going to be much easier than I thought, thank God) so I can enjoy my anniversary weekend.

Now off to bed. I am running myself into the ground.

I don't have a lot of time to write this entry, but I just wanted to say that I got to observe in the Cardiac Cath Lab today and I really liked it! Basically, a catheter is inserted into the femoral artery in the groin. From there it is threaded up to the heart where contrast dye is released so that the coronary blood vessels are visible. It is so cool. This is about what it looks like:

I alternated between standing in the room where the procedure was going on, and the room beyond the glass where the recording nurse sits. That person keeps an eye on the heart monitor and also records the procedure log. Here is what the image looks like:

So you can't really see the *heart* but you can see all the vessels surrounding it and pulsating. I can't explain to you how interesting this was to me. I'm just so jazzed up by this experience. I got to see 3 procedures done in the 4 hours I was there. I was lucky, it was a busy day.

Anyhow, got to get ready to take the train down to Alex's. He's picking me up on the bike. Woohoo!

I got a 92% on my test today! Awoohoo! Much as I hate to admit it, I think it might have something to do with all those required practice modules we had to do before this test. We had to complete 50% of the term requirement or we weren't allowed into the test. This brings my average up to 87.3%, 2.7% away from an A. That would be so awesome; this class is worth 7 credits.

Midterm evals for clinicals are on Monday. I'm not really worried about that. My teacher already said that my paperwork is great. I'm not saying that she won't have any suggestions for improvement, and actually I hope she does. I am gaining a lot of skill and confidence in this rotation and any constructive criticism is only going to further my competence.

In other news, Alex wants me to go to the doctor because I took my temp yesterday and it was 100.1F which means that I've basically been running a fever for almost 2 weeks now and I am just exhausted, even when I get a good night's sleep. I don't disagree with him but I don't have insurance now so it's going to cost me money I'd rather not spend. He does have a reasonable doctor who is very non-insured friendly, but it's down by him. He wants me to call and make an appointment today, even if it's not until next week. I am not sure why I am resisting this as much as I am. I can't function when I am this tired all the time. My life is exhausting as it is without adding a sickness to it. I just hope it's not something nasty I picked up in clinicals. I wouldn't think so, I'm pretty good about washing my hands upon entering and leaving patients' rooms. This week I had the same patient Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday they put him on contact precautions because his lab results came back positive for C. Diff. My first thought was, "Crap, I wish I had taken his vitals first," because you can't take dynamaps in isolation rooms so I had to take manual BP, use a disposable thermometer, and wipe my steth down completely with alcohol after I was done. My second thought was, "Great. He wasn't on contact YESTERDAY when I was in his room all day." Honestly, I'm not that worried because the organism is in his poop and you know I wasn't touching any of that.

Well I suppose I ought to get back to work. I only have 4 days left here, including today. Which reminds me, I seriously need to update my resume tonight.

I am so freaking tired! I know, this is nothing new for me but I've actually been getting a good amount of sleep this week. Tuesday night I got 12+ hours, Wed I got...maybe 6 or so (which is less than I prefer) but then last night I got 8 so I don't know why I feel like my head is about to fall onto my keyboard.

Except perhaps that I've been sick for a week. I don't know if I've continued to run a fever because I haven't taken my temp since Tuesday AM when it was 101F. I'm just not giving my body enough chance to recharge, I suppose, and I won't in the near future either. I would love to go home tonight and just go right to bed but I have too much stuff to get done.

I have a test on Wednesday and we have to show proof that we've completed half of the course requirements in the HESI and MedsPub modules or else they don't even let you take the test. HESI I can deal with. They say, complete 8 modules. MedsPub says, "Complete 90 minutes in this section", which is stupid. Last night I signed on and then let the annoying voiced lady talk while I cleaned up the computer room (which is such a welcome improvement. It was a shithole.). When she finished one page, I'd click to the next, and in that way I got a lot of the required time out of the way. I still need to study for the actual test too.

This weekend is going to be busy.
Saturday:
8:30-11:30am Skills Lab Class (and check off on CVL flushing and dressing change which I have to study for tonight)
1:30pm-?? My grandmother's 80th birthday party
7:30pm-?? Monster truck show at the stadium (I'm excited! Alex got the tickets free from work and I've never been to one before so it should be fun!)

Sunday Alex has his motorcycle class from 7am-3pm I think, so I shall sleep, study, and go see my grammie somewhere in there since she is selling her condo and they close on Wednesday. :( Oh and I also have to do my paperwork for clinicals on Monday.

I just. need. to SLEEEEEEEEEP.

Seriously. I feel like I'm going to fall over.

Last Sunday Alex and I just hung out watching the NFL playoffs. We might have played video games too. Oh, and I actually answered the case study question I was supposed to do on webct for my nursing lecture! My teacher said my answer was Excellent! She also called me Nicole. Sigh...

So, yesterday I had to get up at 5:30am and have Alex bring me to my car (I left it at Grammie's). When we got there he said that Taylor still seemed sick (she was up part of the night coughing) she could go back with him so she didn't have to go to school but I still could. He is so wonderful. I went to clinicals and then got some stuff done around the house. I left around 7pm to go back down to Davie. Alex was teaching until 9:30pm so I had dinner with his family and then we did some science trivia afterwards. Then I hung out with Gareth and Lyn talking about how he needs to start applying for colleges soon since he's a junior. After that I grossed Gareth out with pictures from my nursing textbook. Alex called on his break to check in and I told him that I was doing a search online to figure out why Gareth has excess salivation. What I found was this website: www.stopdrooling.com hahaha! Alex got home around 10 with a present for me :) He got me a totebag that said "(heart) a nurse" Now I have a nice bag to carry my books and stuff in to clinicals! He is so sweet!

Well, I have a test next Wednesday and I am seriously behind in my reading!!

I went to Laura's house last night to study and got home at 5am. Yes, that's right. And somehow I still couldn't get to sleep until 6. My alarm goes off at 7, at which point I left a message on my boss's voicemail asking if she could do without me. I left her my cell and told her to call me if she really needed me to come in, and she didn't. I slept until 12:30 or so and have been studying off and on all day. I put in a lot of good work last night, but at this point my brain has just checked out. I'm too tired to retain anything at this point.

I'll probably still forced some more pharm down my throat later and then rejoice tomorrow when THIS CRAP IS BEHIND ME.

(PS I'm going to Disneyworld with Alex and Taylor sometime in the next couple weeks! Yay!)

Diuretics, beta blockers, and neoplastics OH MY

Between yesterday and today, I've taken 23 pages of notes for my Pharm final. It seemed like a lot until I remembered I started yesterday. In between all that studying though, I went shopping (had to get Sabrina's present) and got some Christmas gifts crossed off.

Done:
Alex
my dad
my mom
Alex's dad, stepmom, and sister
Shannon
Sabrina
Coral
Mason
Dylan (these last three being my cousins' kids)

and Taylor is somewhat done. I finished getting her stocking stuffers tonight.

All I have left is something for my grandparents, Alex's stepbrother, and more stuff for Taylor. I don't *think* I'm forgetting anyone. Cards will have to wait until after finals to go out.

I'm beat. Must sleep now.

Today I have a Pharm test which I have to study for when I get home. I have a case study due tomorrow.

Next Thursday I have another Pharm test.

The Thursday after that is my Pharm final, PLUS my HESI exam.

The Tuesday before my Pharm final is my Nursing Lecture final.

And somewhere in there I have to get checked off on my skills like catheter insertion, NG tubes, bandaging a head wound (which my sorry teacher hasn't even TAUGHT US YET).

On the bright side I have two weeks off from school after that (and one of those I think I will take off of work as well). Also, the day after my final is probably the Dolphins Christmas Party. And the day after that, me and my clinical classmates are going out together to drink away this semester. If I make it that far.

This week I had a test in my nursing lecture class. I started the reading a bit earlier than I normally do, but couldn't make myself finish the last chapter of reading. I was told that only 5 questions out of 50 came from that chapter so I wasn't too worried. I also did all the review questions for all the chapters. I got an 88%. Of course I would prefer an A, but the effort to grade ratio is pretty good.

Then after my test, I had to go home and write a case study that was due at 11pm that night. I did the research part of it at Taylor's soccer practice and then compiled and typed it at home. Took maybe 1.5 hours I guess. I don't know what my grade is yet (and probably won't for awhile because my teacher takes for. ever. to grade) but I'm pretty pleased with it. It just made so much sense in my brain that I wondered if I was missing something. It seemed too easy. You know, I wanted to go into nursing to provide the type of L&D care that I got when I had my daughter. It's really great to realize that the booksmart stuff is a good fit too. I actually had fun writing that case study. I enjoy figuring out why a test has been ordered for my patient, what the results mean to me as a nurse, and what I need to do for the patient from there. It is just all coming together and that is an AWESOME FEELING!

In other good news, I am leaving work in just over 3 hours and my camping weekend shall begin. Alex is meeting me at my house around 3:45, we are loading up the car and heading off to the state park. We have a 'cabin' so we are not really 'roughing it' but we do plan on doing all of our cooking outside even though we have a kitchen indoors. The main reason we got the cabin was for comfort of sleeping. He paid for both nights at the campsite as my birthday present, in addition to a few other small presents (his words). I am beyond excited. Hopefully we get some fishing and canoeing in too, but 25 mph winds are forecast, so we might not be able to.

Speaking of birthdays! Mine is actually Nov 17, but we couldn't go that weekend because we have to plan around the Dolphins schedule since Alex works all home games. Anyhow, Sabrina called me last night and said that for my gift she is taking me to the Melting Pot on the 17th! Woohoo! I. LOVE. THE MELTING POT. So so excited. Now I just need to figure out when the heck I can see Shannon. She's going out of town my birthday weekend.

Anyhow, camping, birthday, school, Alex, wooooooooo! My life isn't perfect, but it's the best it's ever been. I'm lovin' it.