Bellybuttons

You remember when I started this blog I promised that my postings wouldn't be regular?  Well, I lived up to that this quarter.

This past quarter (I took and passed the final today!) was dealing with med-surg, as in caring for people before, during, and after surgery, caring for people with medical illnesses, and learning to care for the specific needs of the elderly.  This quarter my clinical site was about 50 minutes away, which gave me lots of time for prayer and letting my mind wonder.  (By the way, the iBrevary app is awesome!)

During the quarter, we each had an opportunity to observe in a surgery unit.  I was fortunate to be able to observe two gallbladder removals during my day in surgery.  As someone who had their gallbladder removed at the tender age of 11, I was eager to see how this happened.

While the patient was being prepped for surgery, my fellow student nurse and I observed the surgery team cleaning the patient's abdomen and paying particular attention to cleaning the patient's bellybutton, including pulling lint out that I'm pretty sure was older than me!

My classmate and I were watching and silently trying to figure out why they were paying so much attention to the bellybutton, when, just as my classmate asked me if I knew what they were doing, it dawned on me.

They were prepping it for an incision! 

Typically, this surgery involves four small incisions; one just below the breastbone, one on either side of the abdomen, and one at the very bottom of the bellybutton.

The rest of the surgery was uneventful and the whole day, and quarter, went smoothly.

God bless!

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a very blessed Christmas season. Remember, today is the first day of the twelve days of Christmas!

God Bless!

Christmas Ideas

Having a hard time shopping for your favorite EMT/STNA/RN student?  Need a gift for your favorite cardiologist or ER doc?  I present the defibrillator toaster!

One more picture is available here.  I found this initally on Dr. Grumpy's blog.  While it is just a concept product, I think someone could make some serious cash making these and selling them at medical personnel seminars.

Queenly Edicts

If I was Queen of the World for a day:

1)  Nothing Christmas related would be displayed at least until Advent started.
2)  If a person is sick and/or disabled enough to live in a nursing home, they are too sick to continue smoking!

That's all for now.  I'm still alive, nursing school is going well (A- average!), and in about 3 weeks I'll have break!

God bless!

The Dress

I found it at the second shop we looked at.  It was the only dress with sleeves (a must!) in my size.  When I tried it on it fit perfectly, like it was made just for me.  We looked at a few other stores, but nothing compared to that dress.  I knew it was going to be my wedding dress.

The day of my wedding, I remember standing in shock, looking at my reflection in the mirror.  Until then, I never saw myself as beautiful.  In that dress I saw myself as beautiful.

I walked down the aisle in the dress and promised to love, honor, and cherish a man who I thought I would be with the rest of my life.

After the wedding, I put the dress away and dreamed of the day I would use some of my dress to make a baptismal gown for a future little one, or maybe a future daughter would walk down the aisle in the same dress.

Then, one day I woke up and I found out that my life wasn’t how it seemed.  I realized that the man I married wasn’t who he presented himself to be.  So, I cried a little, took a breath, and started picking up the pieces.  I believed that things could still work and I would still have my happily ever after.

After awhile, I realized that instead of things getting better, they were getting worse.  I found out that the man I thought I married was nowhere near to the child he really was.  I realized that to stay in this marriage would mean spending the rest of my life not as a wife, but as a caregiver to a mentally ill man.  So, I got angry, cried a lot, took a lot of breaths, and, with the help of God and a lot of amazing people, left that marriage and started rebuilding my life.

While rebuilding my life, I found out how amazing, strong, and beautiful I really am, even if I’m wearing an old skirt and t-shirt and repacking an entire house of stuff!  I realized that things with huge sentimental value, like wedding dresses, are just things.  I figured out a new definition of happily ever after and am working towards achieving that dream, with the new understanding that I must keep my mind open to God’s will for me.  My favorite prayer is, “God, this is what I think you want me to do, if not stop me!”

And the dress?  Right now it’s at a used bridal sale.  With any luck it’ll sell and I’ll use the money towards my new happily ever after.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

School started this week, so and I think I did pretty well on my break list:

1)      I didn’t get to work any extra hours.  The hours available were days I was either already working or had to be home as soon as work was over because I was on call with squad.

2)      I made some decent progress on The Hidden Manna.  I found the first hundred pages or so to be very tough reading, but once I figured out who were heretics and who were not, it became much easier.  I’ve often wondered what exactly the Protestant “reformers” were thinking when they left the Church; after reading parts in this book, I’ve concluded that they weren’t thinking!

3)      The car is clean!  Labor Day morning was spent washing, scrubbing (including hubcaps!), vacuuming, and waxing.  It shines like brand new!

4)      I was able to do 1.5 hours of CEUs on bath salts, as that’s all that was available.  I’ve never completely understood why people would want to ingest substances that caused them to lose control of themselves, so abusing substances is beyond me!

5)      As you can see, I adjusted the blog layout and added as patron saints of this blog Mother Thrice Admirable, Queen and Victress of Schoenstatt and St. Michael.  I’m still not sure if I like it or what I should change; it seems more crowded now, but I’m not sure what to do about it.  Any thoughts would be appreciated!

6)      I have a few blog pieces written ahead of time and a few more bouncing in my head.  It seems when I get a few out, a few more come in!

7)      The books are bought and, when stacked up, measure around 3 feet high!  Amazon and the college bookstore wanted my firstborn, but when I explained I didn’t have a firstborn, they were happy to take my debit and credit cards!

God Bless!

School's Out!

“School’s out, school’s out, teacher let the monkeys out!”

Yeah, I know, Labor Day is in a few days and the vast majority of students either have gone back or are getting ready to go back.  But, I just completed my last final for summer quarter and have three weeks before nursing school starts!  (Yep, I got in a year early!  Yea me!)

I way I see it, this is perfect.  I spent the majority of the summer season in my air conditioned car, house, job, or classroom.  Now I get three weeks to veg and prepare for fall while the weather is fabulous.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a list-maker; I always have a list either on paper or in my head.  This is my list for the next three weeks.

1)      If possible, work extra hours to pad my savings account.

2)      Finish one of two books I have been working on.  I’ve been reading St. Augustine’s Confessions and The Hidden Manna by Fr. James T. O’Connor.  Confessions is really interesting, but The Hidden Manna is on my Nook and that makes it more fun and more discreet to read.

3)      Thoroughly wash my car, inside and out.  I do a pretty good job of keeping my car clean, but I intend to scrub off every bug that met an untimely fate on my front bumper and wax it.

4)      Catch up and get ahead on EMT CEU’s.  In my state we have the option to renew our EMT certification by completing a certain number of continuing education credits in a three year period.  My current certification won’t expire until April of 2014, but considering most of that time will be in nursing school, I’m planning on doing as many as I can whenever I can.  Thankfully my county has access to a website with free (!!!) CEU’s.

5)      Adjust the blog.  Not a complete overhaul, but I want to change the layout and add a few pictures.

6)      If possible, try to write articles for the blog ahead of time, so it isn’t neglected for 11 weeks at a time.  I have a few ideas bouncing around; I just need to get them on the computer!

7)      Buy books and read ahead for fall quarter.  I’m not liking that idea right now, but I know in a week and a half or so I’ll be ready to dive in.

Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend!  God Bless!