Day 78: November 13th, 2009

Quote of the Day:  "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched… but are felt in the heart." – Helen Keller

I got a lot of shopping done for Ron today. I have been meaning to get him his package together so that I could get it sent out tomorrow, but since tomorrow's study group I'm not sure that I'll be able to mail it out. I'll have to wait and see. I picked him up a couple of surprises, too, to throw in for good measure, so I now have to find a bigger box. Or send more than one. Not sure which, actually, I'll have to wait and see.

I have officially made it into my "recommended weight range" now! My recommended range is 113 to 140 pounds, and for the last two days I've been 139 and some change. YAY ME!!!! The only problem is that I'm so darn tired all the time now between being sick and having my tooth pulled that I just haven't felt up to doing much exercise. Which I guess is alright, since I really didn't eat much today at all. I haven't felt up to it. Not that I wasn't hungry or anything, I was a little. Just feel all icky and achy and generally blah. So maybe tomorrow. Oh, that' s right... study group... not much eating tomorrow either, then! LOL

One more quick update before I hit the bed: It's FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!  hehehe  And nothing bad happened! Hmm... maybe that's because... it's just another day!!!

COUNTING DOWN: GOING TO SEE "NEW MOON" WITH SHERRIE ON THE 20TH!!!!!! JUST 7 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 77: November 12th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love". ~George Eliot

Hey, just wanted everyone in the world to know the following information....  I HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE CIGARETTE ALL DAY LONG!!! And even better, it took me three days to finish a single pack!  I have given myself one month to quit completely, and I think that I will be able to manage it. No, I KNOW I will be able to manage it.  Willpower... something I'm learning a lot about through all the exercising I've been doing. 

The best thing is, though... I just had my LAST CLINICAL OF THE SEMESTER!WOOHOOOOOO! Only one SIMS lab left, and a couple classes, and then that's it. Kaput. No more clinicals until next semester. I can hardly believe it's already that time again!  But I am soooo grateful! One semester is all that's keeping me from being an RN, and that will be over just as quickly as this one.  I can hardly imagine what it will be like to have a life again... no more studying every minute that I'm not at school or cleaning. To be able to pick up and do things without feeling guilty about NOT studying.  Better yet, to not have that constant feeling that things are going to come crashing down around me at any given moment.  What I wouldn't give to be stress-free again! 

Today's clinical went very well. I had a really good time with all the nurses I worked with, and I felt like I was mostly right-on with where I needed to be. I had a terrible toothache the whole time, and was unable to take any of my pain meds because they make me all foggy-headed and I was afraid that it would interfere with my concentration. I would hate to have to worry about that on top of everything else.  I was giving insulin today, too, which is dangerous in and of itself. One mess-up and you could kill someone... nothing like putting the pressure on, right? But I got to see some things, and do some things, so it was a good day.

Tomorrow I'm going to be studying again for next week's test, I can't wait for it so that I can get another good grade. I'm shooting for the 90's this time so that I have an even better chance of getting a B in the class. I just KNOW I can do it! I'll be studying as much as possible so that I can.  It will help that the material is going to be easy for me to remember because I've been dealing with a lot of patients with kidney problems lately, and there's a lot of information on the renal system on this test. So, once again, please send me all the good luck wishes you can. And then after that, for the final, send me three times as much as you do for this test! :)  hehehe

Gotta go for now, but I'll be letting you know tomorrow how things go with the studying. Plus I have to go buy some things for Ron and get them mailed out, and pay bills.  Goodnight, everyone!

Day 76: November 11th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Brave hearts do not back down." -Sophocles

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY

Today was our 2nd-to-last test, and I am EXHAUSTED from studying all day yesterday and then getting up at 4am this morning to study some more.  I made an 84 on it, though, so I think that it was definitely worth it.  It seems that I've finally found the trick to my learning... I learn the best and retain more in the early morning hours.  Not too bad, figuring that out with only one semester left of school. Oh, well... maybe it will come in handy if (when) I decide to go for my bachelor's and master's degrees.  Just food for thought - right now I'm just trying to make it to an associate's degree.

You know, sometimes things happen to make you feel betrayed, and it gets to the point where you just have to get over it.  That's how I am feeling right now, and it sucks.  It's time to give it up and move on, though. Can't let things like that ruin your life, you know? Oh, and my stupid weight went up 1.8 lbs overnight!!!! UGH!!! I don't know whether it's stress, diet, or lack of sleep but I was very disgusted when I weighed myself this morning.  Of course, it was three hours earlier than I normally weigh in, I wonder if that has something to do with it? Hmm. Not sure, but I really do hope that tomorrow it's back to normal. THAT would be great. I don't feel like it will, but I guess you never really know. I'll find out tomorrow, either way.

For school, I've got tomorrow's clinical, then next week a test and review for the final, then SIM lab on Thursday, and then after the Thanksgiving holiday we've got one more class for review, end-of-term evaluations for clinicals, and the final. And that's it! One more semester down! WOOHOO!!!! I've heard next semester is the worst semester out of the program, but we'll see... I have been noticing that I've learned more than I thought as I've been studying, so maybe I'll be okay and it will be a piece of cake.  THAT would be nice. I think one of the biggest obstacles for next semester is what they call the HESI test. It's a test they came up with that is a practice NCLEX test (state board examination) which you have to pass or you cannot graduate. I don't think it's too big a deal, but everyone is all stressed out over it.  I guess last year's graduating class less than a fourth of them passed it on the first try. You get three tries, though. It can't be THAT hard, right? I've never had a problem with passing a test before on the first try, even the required math test which you had to get 100% on in order to stay in the nursing program.  So I guess it boils down to we'll see. I plan on studying over Christmas break to prepare myself and keep the information in my head, just in case. Evidently there are a LOT of people who plan on doing that.

Next semester is going to be fun, in my opinion. We're going to be doing our mother/baby clinical rotations and our mental health rotations.  Sooo.... labor & delivery, and mentally disturbed people! WOOHOO!  Oh, wait... there's not much difference between a woman in labor and a mental health patient, is there? If I remember right, I was mood swing central and multiple personality disorder all rolled together in one during my labor! LOL  In all seriousness, though, it's going to be fun.  I may even find out that it's what I will want to do when I get out of school.  I haven't yet found that one thing that really jumps out at me and says "This is it!" Laurie wants to work on the cardiac wing. I can understand that, and I wouldn't mind it either, since cardiac was one of my favorites.  But I'm waiting until the end of next semester, after I've had ALL the experiences, before making my choice.  That way I can make a more informed, objective choice.  Right? That's the plan!

I'm going to get off here now, I've got clinicals in the morning, so I have to get up super early.  See ya soon!

Day 75: November 10th, 2009

Quote of the Day: “Days of absence, sad and dreary, Clothed in sorrow's dark array, - Days of absence, I am weary; She I love is far away.” ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Cody playing peek-a-boo behind the chair

Ain't he strong, Dad?

Cody and Tiger

Me with my favorite kitty in the world!

Rock on!

This cat puts BIG on the map!

Cody going all Mission Impossible while trying to keep me from getting my picture taken

But I got one anyways! ;)

Whatup?

Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrr!

Day 74: November 9th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "The ability to summon positive emotions during periods of intense stress lies at the heart of effective leadership." - Jim Loehr

Okay, the surgery is officially OVER!!!! When I got there the dentist told me that my tooth had grown through into my sinus cavity, and that I would have a hole between my mouth and my nasal cavity that may or may not close. Yay!  I have this big huge lump of gauze in my mouth that makes me sound like Sylvester the Cat when I talk, and after the surgery I found out that I am not allowed to eat for 24 hours minimum.  AFTER not eating breakfast this morning, of course... knew I should have gone to McDonalds and gotten an egg mcmuffin!  I kept the tooth to show Cody what will happen to him if he doesn't start brushing his teeth, too.  I'm going to tell him that if it's this bad with me brushing, what's his going to be like WITHOUT brushing? 

 

Oh, and as for the rest of the post-op instructions.... I can't blow my nose for a month.  And I'm supposed to sleep with my head elevated. Not sure how I'm going to pull THAT off - guess I'll have to sleep in the recliner.  And I can't drink through a straw, or eat chips, or smoke. Yeah, you heard it... I can't smoke! LOL I had three cigarettes left in my pack when I left the dentist's office, and I finished the pack on the way home and haven't had another cigarette since then. I learned my lesson when I had my wisdom teeth pulled in Japan... I do NOT want to go through the pain of dry socket again!!! So I guess this can be considered day 1 of quitting? Maybe. I am probably going to still smoke, but I'm really going to try hard to cut back.

 

Oh, and I found out after I got home that Mike and Tiffany's dog Keslyn is having her puppies right now! She has had 5 so far, and I'll be going over there as soon as Tiff gets back from taking her mother up to the casino. Unless it's too late, then I'll just go to bed and deal with it later on.  Tomorrow I have to be down in Wichita Falls at 8:30am to get fingerprinted for the Texas Board of Nursing.... step one of getting my license!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited!  It's almost hard to believe that next semester is already it. I'm almost there. I have been so focused on making it "until next semester" the whole time, and now I'm amazed that I'm finally at the point where what's left for NEXT semester is concentrating on making it "until I pass the state boards!" WOOHOOOOOO!

Hey! What happened? Cody's taller than me! Wasn't he just at my knees yesterday????

Day 73: November 8th, 2009

Quote of the Day: “God give me work, till my life shall end And life, till my work is done.” ~Epitaph of Winifred Holtby

Got up this morning to a cool, crisp and very damp day. Not rain-damp, though, just dew-damp. But I was up early enough that I just happened to notice that for the first time ever since I planted them, the night-blooming white morning glory had flowers open at the same time as the day-blooming red and blue, so I snapped a quick picture of it. That’s pretty rare, so I wanted to enjoy it. Everything is starting to get that “fall haze” that everything gets covered in overnight around here. Cars, windows, plants, grass, roofs…. EVERYTHING gets soaked here in the fall. Spring’s the same way. I really enjoy it, though, as long as it doesn’t get cold enough to ice over on my windshield on clinical or school days. THEN it’s a problem, simply because I can’t park my car in the garage and end up running late because I have to wait for the stuff to melt enough that I can see. The next house we get will have a 6-car shop so that I can actually use my garage for what it was intended for: to park in.

The baby bell pepper has gotten bigger!

This is it. Tomorrow I drive up to Lawton for my tooth extraction. I’m a little nervous, but only because of what I went through when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. You remember what that was like, right, Ron? Horrible! I’m hoping that maybe they’ll give me something for the pain just in case, but if they don’t I’ve still got the prescription from my spider bite that I can possibly use. As long as it doesn’t make me nauseous again like it did when I had the spider bite. I’ll ask them about it while I’m there, but I honestly doubt they will give me anything. Probably tell me to take some Motrin or Tylenol. Either way, at least it will be done and I’ll be able to brush my teeth a little better. Right? And I don’t have to worry about my eating being impacted, because I saw on the x-ray that I only use an eighth of that tooth for chewing on. So it won’t be much of a loss at all.

Now there's another baby pepper to take its place.

I went outside and took care of some of the plants today, and it was really nice outside! Not too hot, or anything. It was just right. I was surrounded by bees the whole time, though… evidently they LOVE salvia. They are all over those bushes! I trimmed the flowering Quince, and worked on tying up my climbing rosebushes so that they will have some support. I had to work really hard to try and tie them all up nicely so that they aren’t all droopy anymore, but I just ended up all scratched up from all the thorns, of which it seems like there are three times as many as on a normal rosebush. And the “happy little roses” as Ron said that they’d be once I got them tied up DEFINITELY do not look happy. They look all rambly and overcrowded. It’s almost like they prefer to just flop around on the ground. I’m going to do some research over Thanksgiving or Christmas break and figure out what the best way to prune them is, and when. I’d like for them to be strong, healthy plants, but for now they just look… well, floppy.

I did find that one of the roses was pollinated, so it looks like I will be growing another rosebush or two from seed, depending on whether they will grow or not. Roses are so picky! But the best part is that because you are growing them from seed you never know what color you’re going to get once they bloom. It could be anything! Especially since there are two very different roses literally inches from each other, the new plants could turn out like either one, or a completely different breed altogether. Can’t wait to give it a try! I can’t help it…. I’m an experimenter. You never know, some of the prettiest roses were complete accidents. So we’ll see. I have five different rose hips full of seeds, and I have a sneaking suspicion that they will all produce more red roses. Then again, one of them was originally an orange and yellow rose, so it’s really hard to tell.