I love L&D!

Really it was amazing!! I saw a fantastic delivery, I was priveledged to get to assist and be a part of an amazing Rock Star of a womans delivery! And she went Natural! And she did it all while maintaining a smile and being polite! It was amazing!!

The nurse I worked with was phenomenal! She was so good about letting me assist. I started two IV’s, inserted a foley cath, and then got to assist with a baby assessment!

Today I am working on Mom/Baby so I should be able to see my lady who delivered yesterday!

There is no feeling in the world like that of witnessing life enter it. I couldnt help but cry. It was amazing. The most beautiful miracle one can witness.

Does it ever get old?

Could it be cancer?

As a very pale caucasian and a blonde, I am at an increased risk for skin cancer. I try pretty hard to keep the sunscreen on, but my love of warmth causes me to burn a bit.

With my last pregnancy I had a funny mole that changed substantially. It grew, changed shape and even got a funny black spot in it.

So I went to the dermatologist and he called the mole suspicious. He then suggested a shave biopsy.

Now my ugly possibly cancerous mole is now a hideous spot on my back that hopefully wont scar too much.

Preclinical on L&D

Holy crap…I wanna cry! Up until this quarter our clinical work has been the same. We go in for preclinical, are given a patient assignment, we research the patient, go home and spend all night trying to figure out the patient care plan and concept map, go in the next day for clinical day one, then home ot revise, then clinical day two, then revise and the following week we turn in the post clinical paperwork.

Typically on clinical days it was not uncommon for me to crawl into bed around 3am, and then up at 7am to pound out the rest of my information. I was sleep deprived and barely conscious during clinicals.

And I was ok with that! I embraced the fact that I knew what was coming. And this quarter….its all different!

My OCD is in complete overdrive. I am dying here. I got assigned to the antepartum unit for tomorrow. Which means that I have no preclinical work to do this evening. Which means that when I go into clinicals tomorrow I am going to have no clue what to do.

I am so excited to be in L&D. I am so eager to see the birthing process, and I am so hopeful that the unit meets my expectations. I am hoping that from a potential future patient that this L&D unit really puts the patients needs above the Nurses needs.

Im hopeful, Im eager, Im excited, and Im a ton terrified. Tomorrow is clinical day one.

A meme….

1. Who was your first prom date?
Galen Housley.

2. Do you still talk to your first love?
Nope, we still live in the same community though.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink?
Tequila sunrise…..still remember thinking: “Wow this is delicious!”

4. What was your first job?
I babysat alot, but my first actual job was at the Hello Kitty store.

5. What was your first car?
1991 Geo Metro Hatchback! And even though it barely seated 4, I was once able to cram 8 people into it!

6. Who was the first person to text you today?
Keri. Cancelling Lunch because she was sick…

7. Who was the first person you thought of this morning?
My amazing Hubby.

8. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Dempsey, she was incredibly over weight and had narcolepsy.

9. Where did you go on your first flight in a plane?
We travelled alot. I think probably to Japan or the Phillipines.

10. Who was your first best friend and do you still talk?
The first one was Sean Stergill. Dont keep in touch with him. The first one I really considered a best friend was Jessica Zentner, and we lost touch.

11. Where was your first sleepover?
Probably at a family members house, I dont really remember.

12. Who was the first person you talked to today?
Hubby, made me smile all day long.

13. Whose wedding were you in for the first time?
My Aunt Naomi’s. I was a bell ringer.

14. What was the first thing you did this morning?
Chatted online with my Hubby.

15. What was the first concert you went to?
The Party.

16. First tattoo?
Tramp stamp that is viney and has butterflies.

17. First piercing?
Ears at infancy.

18. First foreign country you went to?
Japan or Phillipines

19. First movie you remember seeing?
One of the Alien movies…dont remember which!

20.What state (province) did you first live in?
Connecticut

21. Who was your first room mate?
I plead the fifth

22. When was your first detention?
Junior high for beating up another student, and multiple times after that for attitude.

23. When was your first kiss?
First good kiss was in 6th grade, and I dont even remember the guys name. But it was a good kiss.

24. What is one thing you would learn, given the chance?
Scuba diving!

25. Who will be the next person to post this?
No clue….but comment if you decide to post it!

Evil avoidance shows her face again

Yes, its only week one and Ive managed to avoid school work pretty effectively. The entire weekebd is almost over and yet I have managed to barely start reading the material for my exam on Thursday.

This has become a huge problem for me. I was used to working and usibg my time very efficiently to get reading and homework finished, now Im a stay at home wife/student and I have no other issues to deal with and here I cant seem to get my butt in order to start studying!!

What is your schedule? How do yoy force yourself to study?

Surviving week one!

Its Saturday!! The first week of my second year has officially come to a close.

I dont know if it is because I am not working, or because I am used to the flow of nursing school, or if this quarter really is easier, but I am not feeling too much pressure yet.

The first week ended with only one big exam to study for. Next week is the first OB exam. Im stressing a little bit because the professor was all over the board when she was lecturing. One minutes she is talking about delivering the placenta and the next she is talking about keeping the water in the bath tub below nipple level while in the birthing tub. I just couldnt keep up with her.

My notes are all crazy too. They jump around from here to there. I spent last night reading about the latent phase of labor. I cant believe how long that phase can last! Horrible!!

I mentioned before that many of the students in my class noted how disgusted they were about the birthing process, many of them even talked about how they thought they would have to adopt now because the process of birthing looks so horrible. I just cant beleive that after seeing Med/Surg and all the surgeries that THIS would bother them.

It makes me excited. And nervous. It shows how miraculous it is to have a healthy baby. The odds of concieving each month alone are amazing to beat and then you add in the miracle of how our anatomy changes and then goes back (relatively back). I am so impressed by what the female anatomy can do! I think I may have found my calling…….

Clinical Orientation

Is it just me or does this quarter seem to be filled with alot of Orientations? I looked through my blogs from last term and I dont seem to see anything about orientation. I had my syllabus orientation early this week, now orientation at the Naval Hospital, then Monday I have orientation at the regular hospital. I mean seriously people, two weeks of orientation for a 5 week course?! This is the most prepared I have ever felt for a clinical rotation.

Ive been on a roll with going back to the gym, it has greatly decreased my snarkiness. Although it has left very little room for posting on other peoples blogs….I promise to get back to that ASAP. I got sucked into the world of Farmville and am just now starting to see the light of day.

Last night I felt vaguely like a third grader, I was sitting and defining a ton of vocab words. Do you remember those old homework assignments where you had to define them and write them out a couple times. Well, that basically sums up my exciting evening last night. There are a ton of terms that are totally specific to OB that you wont use anywhere else. And although I am pretty diverse in my basic experience in the hospital setting I have never worked in L&D, and only moonlighted in OB/GYN. I can run a Non-Stress test like the best of them, but anything more than that or setting up for a PAP, Im lost. So to try and get accustomed to the L&D lingo, I am learning the language.

To all my L&D ladies, what do you call the placenta as it is being delivered? It comes out one way and it called something, and if it comes out the other it has a different nickname. Can you help me here? The professor mentioned it in lecture yesterday but the idiots beside me were busy exchanging birth stories during class and I wasnt able to hear.

Thanks!!

Baby mama drama

Today was the first official OB lecture. At the end of the first half we were shown a video about labor and delivery. It included some graphic images of cervical dilation and delivery.

I got teary eyed watching the miracle that is childbirth. But then again I cry when I think about how miraculous conception is to begin with. I was shocked and disapointed by the looks in the faces of my colleagues. They were disgusted.

Come on now people. Get your game face on! We are going to (hopefully) be able to bear witbess to a live birth and if you cant even watch the video without having a gag face on, how on earth are you gonna make it through clinicals.

Personally I cant wait for clinicals. I cant wait to get myself back into the game!

Tell me your birth story, or L&D experience…

Stupid Nursing students

Do you ever wonder how some people get into Nursing school? I really wonder sometimes.

There is one student in my program who has miraculously made it through the first year, and is now in my year. She was asked recently about what Insulin is used for….and she claimed not to know. Im not kidding. For some reason she has barely skated by in clinicals, the nurses eat her ALIVE. Yet she makes it by just a point or two. I dont understand it! Her book work seems to be great quality, but if you are actually doing the work yourself, then how can you not know what Insulin is used for? Im pretty sure my 4 years old neighbor could tell me the answer to that.

Does this happen in any other program? Do you see people who are dangerous and still passed on?

Second year of nursing school

It was interesting. I started with OB today, I have that for the next 5 weeks. Today was just a syllabus orientation but I got the biggest kick out of getting to see how stressed out the First Year students were. Ive not seen so many people with horrified looks on their faces as I did today. Everyone tells me to wait and see how scared they are next week and then I will really have some PTSD!

The worst part of today started way before school. I got up and had a most wonderful conversation with my Hubby, then showered, got dressed and headed out the door. Wouldnt you know it that as soon as I turned my car on, I had an “indicator Light” on? WTF?! My car had 4 weeks of me having nothing that I HAD to do, and it chooses today to act up? I was so mad!!

Lucky for me it just turned out to be that one of my tires was just a smidge low on air. I have to go and get them all rotated!! It could have been way worse, so I am incredibly thankful!

I was talking to one of the first year students and she was telling me how much she has to do for the next few days, and I HAD to go back and look at how busy I was during the first few days…Holy cow am I glad that I dont have to do that again!

262 days until graduation!!

And it starts again in 12 hours….

Classes start again. Im starting with a basic syllabus orientation tomorrow for my OB class. I spent last night dreaming about Vaginas and all the things that go with them, that would be the joy of falling asleep after reading two chapters from the Maternal Newborn Nursing book.

Im nervous about starting again. But this year should be much more enjoyable because I will be able to focus on school. No work to distract me….only facebook to make me crazy…damn farmville!

Does sleeping with a text book count as cheating on your spouse?

Because if it does, then the Maternal-Neonatal Nursing Text and I are having a lavish affair. After spending a good portion of my evening reading the first two chapters, I woke up with the book laying next to me.

As if the knowledge that today is the first day of my second year wasnt already staring me in the face, I woke up to the beautiful image of a cervix dilating. Yes, it was very exciting.

So with my Hubby still doing his patriotic duty in the middle east, his side of the bed is now occupied by my laptop, highlighter, notebook, and OB book. Its started……Only 12 weeks until winter break.

I can survive 12 weeks right?

Fibroid fun

I have a fibroid. Here is a little fibroid education in case you were wondering….

A fibroid is defined as a non-cancerous tumor that originates in the smooth muscle layer and connective tissue of the uterus.

Mine is relatively small. Should not pose any problems, however I am going to have to have routine Ultrasounds every 6 months to make sure that nothing is growing.

Anyone else have any experience with these?

Happy Birthday Dad

Dear Dad,

Happy Birthday Old Man! I hope that this birthday brings you all the joys and success in the world.

Love,
Me

Getting ready

This is my brand new Vera Bradley school bag….isnt it cute?

School starts in just a couple of days, and I am sooooooo not ready.

But atleast Im packed.

THoughtful Thursday

Only 4 days until school starts back up……

The other side of the curtain

Last night I had the priveledge of experiencing nursing from the patients perspective. After being told that my PCP could not see me, the nurse sebt me to the ED.

8/10 abdominal pain and 4 hours later I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and my appointment with the magic dildo camera was moved up to today.

Some of the things that I learned last night are valuable lessons for nurses to know. For example, sitting naked in an exam for for 20mins really does feel like hours. And when someone is having an exam done it really does make the patient feel little when there are a dozen people that walk in and out of the room during the exam.

My experience really was positive though. I was seen by an amazing nurse who even went to the same school that I do! She is good friends with one of my favorite professors!

All in all…Im gonna live.

Dildo Cam here I come

Being a woman is full of fun stuff. One such fun event is the run in with the dildo cam. Just as a side note, Im not pregnant! With my previous incidents with pregnancy and loss, I became quite accustomed to the lovely dildo cam and the poking and prodding. It brings back anxiety inducing memories to be forced back onto the table again. Friday should be a blast of sonographic fun!

I am just having a recheck of a pesky cyst. But since the Navy likes to be extra thourough (cough, hehe) I have been scheduled for a dildo cam adventure.

Im actually hoping that I can get the tech to take a picture of my adorable bundle of fluid to post here. As Im sure you all would love to see it!

I need to name it….any suggestion? I was thinking PIMO. (for: pain in my ovary).

Sorry sir, I didnt mean to grab your crotch

Did the title catch your eye? Did it get you interested?

Here’s how it went down. While out at my girls night out on Friday, I decided to wear my new eyes (glasses) and when the show was over I was walking dowb the stairs and started to fall. I reached my habd out to grab something and……the something that I grabbed was the crotch of some old dudes pants!

Lucky for both of us I let go. But I was totally gonna fall down the stairs and take the mans crotch and pants with me. Talk about a WICKED evening!

I loved seeing the show and for those of you that havent seen WICKED yet, go see it!

It was green and great! I loved it!! Abd with the new eyes I could even see the faces of the actors!

Up too early ramblings

School starts in just over a week. Summer feels like it flew by and like I got nothing accomplished. Im excited and nervous about starting school again. Im loving that this time it is a count down….one less day until graduation!

I still havent purchased my school supplies. I was shocked to see that I am out of almost everything that I need. I still need to press the marshmellow suit (scrubs) and buy some new white socks. Exciting stuff, huh?

Ive been meaning to mention how thankful I am to be going into this school year having my tuition paid for. My amazing husband has given me a portion of his GI bill and we got the approval for it to cover my nursing school. I feel so lucky and I know what a huge blessing this is for us. Its a hufe weight lifted off my shoulders.

Ok…I guess I can stop my rambling now…..

My lack of a 9/11 post

It was noticed by some that I failed to post about 9/11. This was done intentionally. Not because I am not remembering, not because I have forgotten. I did not post about it because of the amount of emotions that it brings up.

My Husband is in the Middle East, in the desert, because of the aftermath of September 11th. I remember that day, every single day. I think about the life changing events of that day every time I pray, every time I hear from my hubby, everytime I think about him.

Trust me, I have not forgotten.

Words of the day

Beautifully tragic and hyper fancy…..

I hear whispering between my legs

To the wonderful Doctor who performed my annual exam,

Thank you so much for insisting that I need a same-gender standby. It made me reassured that you as a male doctor were looking out for me.

However I do not think it was appropriate to have the standby be a woman who you are obviously having a relationship with.

And, I do not think that flirting with her and whispering in her ear while you have you hands on a speculum is acceptable.

I know that the world of dating is incredibly diverse but hitting on a woman while standing between another womans legs is just plain weird.

Thank you for being gentle and good luck with Nurse Betty.

Sincerely,
The head attached to that who-ha you were working on.

Toby Keiths Bar

On Saturday night we met all the cousins at Toby Keiths Bar….it was awesome!! Great music, great food, awesome drinks!!

We danced till the cows came home!

Happy Birthday Baby Moose

Happy Second Bday Baby Girl!!

Baby Giada-Two years old

Baby Giada-One month old

Here’s to hoping for more birthdays to come! Cheers!!