Archive for July, 2009

The one who blogs here? (In case you are sometimes confused about the first sentence or paragraph, I usually mean for the subject to read as part of it. Make sense? mmkay) So it’s been over a week. I’ve been saving people’s lives so I have an excuse and you better believe that particular excuse will be exceptionally overused. It’s the king of all excuses. Well I suppose it could be trumped by: “I’ve been teaching poor Mongolian children about Jesus” but ONLY that one.
I just wanted to say a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to my mom! I was driving home last night and it struck me that I had not said one word about it and usually I do a little tribute to my peeps on their birthdays. It’s gets a bit harder with parents due to the whole Father’s Day, Mother’s Day in combination with birthdays and then transplant anniversaries, but oh well. Parents put up with a lot and therefore deserve more than one tribute per year.

So mom. I would not have made it this far in nursing school without my mom. I mean, I guess it is POSSIBLE but the outcome of that situation would give a VERY GRUMPY and HUNGRY me. As well as loads more crying and flinging of passive-aggressive comments. My mom has truly made a refuge for me at this house. I can come home, decompress, cry if need be, talk and then be left alone (with large quantities of Dr. Pepper and Pringles). There are home-cooked meals that keep me from gaining those predicted 20 pounds from fast food. There is a lunch in my lunch box EVERY DAY! As well as the aforementioned endless amounts of DP, Pringles and HUMMUS! She’s even been putting sheets on my bed as late because when I am TRULY exhausted I tend to believe that sheets are COMPLETELY unnecessary. When I’m discouraged she talks me out of quitting. We’re not gonna even start about the baked goods, OH THE BAKED GOODS! Last, but certainly not least, she totally believes I will marry Prince William.
Happy Birthday Mama! I love you bunches!

disclaimer: that is not her beer. She was “holding” it for someone. No she was, really. I take back the quotation marks.

LOVE!

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The ONLY reason I am awake right now is because I want to get AS MUCH documentation done tonight as humanly possible. Naturally that leads me to blog. I was looking through some photographs for some vertical shots of Australia or Europe as my cousin has 4 empty frames that need filling. I am not much help on that front but I DID come across this photo and reallllly like it. I didn’t know if I’d shared it before or not. This picture pretty much sums up everything I love about rainy days.

Darling Harbour, Sydney

Okay off to see how many useable brain cells I have left!
LOVE!

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so I might as well blog and stay up another 15-ish minutes.

I’ve been thinking a lot of thoughts lately. Since my mind has no room for anything but nursing thoughts, they are nursing-related. big shocker, I know. We are told, at LEAST once a day, “DO NOT JUDGE” patients. Like patients struggling with obesity or who have HIV, etc. Though I do believe I have always posessed compassion (shameless plug, how GREAT AM I?), when our professors put things certain way and teach us, my heart breaks for patients. Can you imagine telling someone they have HIV or a lifelong STD? I digress. My thought is this: Shouldn’t I be not judging people already? as a believer? My answer is this: CHUHHHHHH! So nursing is the perfect profession for one who wants to continually work on compassion without judgement, open-mindedness and LOVE, lots and lots and lots of LOVE.
Also, nursing school incurs so much exhaustion that I don’t have energy to be mad, wrapped up in something I need to let go or get riled up in road rage. sweet!
Our pastor said recently that our job is to do God’s will (aka do justice, love mercy and walk humbly) and everything will fall into place. When I get worked up over worrying about whether I’ll get married (what’s that, a broken record I hear?) or whether I’ll have enough money to pay off my loans quickly after school, it is SUCH A RELIEF to realize ALL I HAVE TO DO is be in God’s will and everything will be fine. It’d be nice to not have to remind myself 194810975015 times a day, but HEY, I’m making progress. I just love typing random numbers quickly!
Okay this thoughtful girl is going to bed.

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DID YOU SEE THAT? THE TITLE ABOVE WHERE I WRITE AT THIS VERY MOMENT? 2 MONTHS DOWN PEOPLE, GONE FOREVER! AND ONLY 44 *ahem, 10 months to go (edit per a CERTAIN ANAL person’s request)* TO GO, WOO!

Okay, the good news, not so much crying this week as there was last week. Whew, last week was a doozy. Also on the good news front, Adult Health has yet to kill me. So the first test wasn’t a breeze and I didn’t do so hot, I still passed. And I’m honestly really enjoying school right now, although I can’t exactly pinpoint why. Clinical on Friday was AMAZING! I had a great patient on whom I performed all sorts of (NECESSARY) torture but still liked me all the same. They even remembered my name and talked to me without being prodded. Though there was a lot of prodding too. I am proud of myself for breaking out of my comfort zone and asking the patient about their sexual activity and life. Now this may sound odd to some of you, but we’ve been encouraged this week in lecture to break down those walls and get on with it, ask about sex, STDs and pregnancy, because you want the patient to be healthy. Not asking could pose a risk, like say, if you didn’t ask and this patient has an STD that could wreak havoc on their reproductive system but could be cured with antibiotics. Wouldn’t you feel awful if you didn’t ask because of your own comfort? I sure would, which is why I totally asked my patient, in front of their spouse and let the awkwardness abound.
I also drew blood from a needle (!), took out a urinary catheter and inserted a new one and totally got over any hang-ups about dealing/handling with genitalia. Yes, this clinical day was a very eye-opening experience to little old me. It was an exciting day, which is sometimes just what you need to get back on board with school and clinicals. I almost feel like I have clinical under control (knock on wood), that next time I won’t forget anything and will practically be ready to graduate, seriously! Of couse the likelihood that I don’t forget something is like 0.000001% but who cares! I AM COMFORTABLE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT SEX! Nothing can stop me now.
On the bad news front, nursing school has OFFICIALLY taken over my life. I hate when you’re all, “oh this IS bad,” only to have it get worse and you’re like, “WHY DID I SAY THAT, I TOTALLY JINXED MYSELF AND NOW THINGS ARE REAAAALLY BAD.” And by “bad” I mean, somwhat sad and almost intolerable. My precious, precious Saturday was completely consumed with documenting and doing my plan of care from my MOST AWESOME! day of clinical yesterday. Of course throw in a good 12 hours of sleep last night and nothing seems all that overwhelming. Now that I’m deliriously happy that I’ve finished my plan of care I realize I have an exam Monday, which requires STUDYING ALL DAY tomorrow.
So, dear, dear, weekend, it was nice to know you. Thank you for continually letting my sleep exorbitant amounts. I will miss your fun, uninhibited laziness as well as your carefreeness. boo hoo. love, mandy.
Apparently late-night, post-finishing-homework posts require lots of capitilization and sane exaggeration (as opposed to insane exaggeration where I cry and declare I am MOST.CERTAINLY.DYING.FROM.SCHOOL.).
Let’s see if I have a picture to top off this crazy post.

In case you hadn’t seen enough, two of my most successful fireworks pictures. Not taken on the fourth, but instead during our small town fest or what-have-you. This was after the Beatles impersonating band (which was awesome and I’m totally hoping they stick around so I can hire them for my wedding).

LOVE!

ps you would not believe the trouble I had with spelling the phrase “wreak havoc”, sheesh!

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Yall, I’m about to fall over from exhaustion. I don’t know why today I am SO VERY TIRED but I am. Maybe because I got accustomed to wonderfully long nights of sleep at the Lake, or maybe because I woke up at 5:30 for clinical and worked til 4:30 this afternoon. Who knows. All I know is this post is gonna be short. But there will be photos! because 1 photo = 1000 words, ya?

meet the newest family member aka Alex’s birthday gift.

If you hadn’t already guessed, this was love at first sight!

Okay so all of us fell in love with sweet Denali this past weekend, he’s loads of fun! My favorite thing about him is that when he walks or runs he actually jaunts. I think this is an universal puppy trait but it never gets old.

We didn’t neglect our dear dog (too much), here she is getting furminated! Photo by Reba!

What Lake weekend wouldn’t be complete without some good ole down-home shootin’? When in Rome (Ozarks), do as the Romans. Yes I totally just compared Rome to the Ozarks.

Here’s my girl and me peeking out! Photo by mamacita!

And lastly, to prove we don’t turn into complete hicks while at the lake, a photo of the cell phones. I was hoping to get these plus all the iPods because that would’ve been CRAZY. We had lots of gadgets (”and gizmos a-plenty, whose-its and whats-its galore”, name that movie).

It was a very good weekend and I’m so very glad I could combine quality time with the family, good friends and Lake-age-ness all in one! I even read a whole book (not textbook)!! woo.

LOVE!

ps A real post will come, eventually. I’m thinking about telling everyone about the best date I ever went on. For those of you who haven’t already heard that story. yeah?

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I don’t take enough pictures still but took some at our family/neighborhood get-together last Sunday afternoon. What a fun time. Anyhoo, I always love reading blogs when people put up pictures so I’m gonna try to put up more photographs. Yes, most of them are of my special guy. My cousins have DANG CUTE KIDS, I cannot get enough of them!

ella, ethan and me: take 1

ella, ethan and me: take 2

ella and me getting ready to eat. I love her “smile” in this one (deer in the headlights!) When Ella dresses for a party, she goes all out!

*sigh*

3 of the great-grands, LOVE!

That’s all for now. Heading to the Lake tomorrow night so no update-age this weekend. I can sum up; it’s been rough.

LOVE!

PS guess who totally got a “kiss” from Ethan this morning before going to school?!?! Guess who’s (whose?) heart melted as a result??

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