Tortillas are incredibly easy to make. I just whipped up a batch and froze half of it my Tupperware Freezer containers. I used this recipe:
Easy Tortillas Recipe
From this video:
Enjoy!
Someone parked their brand new 2010 Mazda 3 Sport in my driveway. What's that? Oh! haha... My bad. That's my car!
Halp! I needs a tissue! :(
The last half of this month, I have had a heck of a lot of shifts! I was pretty darn happy with that. I was enjoying my one day off and preparing to go back to work for another 4 days before having my 5 days off! Score! And then, BAM! I get nailed with a pretty silly illness. I think it's a cold... A bit of a harsh cold.
I called in sick, fully expecting to go back the next day. Next day comes, and I'm suddenly taken over by an overwhelming feeling of drowsiness and weakness. I called in sick again, fully expecting to be in the next day. I wake up today -- day three of what would have been my four shifts, and I can't talk! Auhg! My throat hurts something awful right now and I have a really gnarly cough. I tried calling in sick, but I know I'm letting my boss down a lot this week. There aren't a lot of back-up LPNs for this particular shift, but... Hell. I'm sick. It's not like I can really help that...
I left a voicemail... I wonder if she'll be able to understand it through the random voice crackles, and high pitched whines made by my frail larynx. :P
In the meantime, I've been working on my first knitted sweater! I'm guessing it will take me another month to finish since I usually only work on it during days I don't work.
I received a certificate in the mail yesterday. It states I am a professional. It states I can append the letters L.P.N. to the end of my name. Oh my goodness, what a feeling it was to read that. I've been practicing as a nurse for half a year, but the graduation date, date of the licensing exam, and time it took for licensure to take effect spanned out over 5-6 months. I've, rightfully, been calling myself a nurse for multiple months now, but now I have a certificate I can hang on my wall and I have the right to append acronyms to my name. Wow. What a feeling...
That said, let's take a look at some common myths I've already run into as a practical nurse.
"LPNs can't give injections," said by an RN and read in NRGH's training manual on first floor (cardiac). Wrong. LPNs are trained to give injections in the same manner and style as RNs. The only medications we cannot give thus far is IV medications (includes central lines). Read that again -- LPNs receive the same training as RNs for injections. We can put in subcutaneous butterflies, too. Pretty darn easy skill... I was pretty taken back when this surprised one of my coworkers, but I guess there isn't much effort put towards educated people on the ever-changing role of the LPN.
"LPNs only work in nursing homes." Said by a very friendly coworker of my boyfriend. Actually, LPNs are respected assets to hospitals all across Canada. We work with stable patients. This is where the line blurs -- RNs will take unstable patients while LPNs will care for stable ones. Keep in mind that LPNs/LVNs in Canada are not the same as LPNs in the USA.
"LPNs don't work in maternity wards." I won't beat around the bush, the charge nurse at NRGH's maternity ward was nothing short of rude to my entire class during or practicum. She did her best to make us feel unwelcome and questioned us being there for the entirety of our stay. I really ought to return to the ward to extend my sincere gratitude to the RNs there that welcomed us to the ward with open arms and took us under their wings. For licensing, LPNs are required to have at least one day of maternity during our practicum... Why? Because LPNs can work on all floors -- we are trained to care for the full life span. Our scope of practice expands from newborns to the elderly. We can take all ages, so long as the patient or resident/client is stable. In more remote hospitals, LPNs are sometimes the only nurse on duty in maternity wards and can assist with deliveries. Unfortunately, less remote hospitals are not as open to change and still sees LPNs as having the scope of practice they had nearly a decade ago -- back before we even gave oral medications.
LPNs can... insert urinary catheters, be trained for ear irrigation, trained for dis-impaction,trained for mechanical debridement, soon BC LPNs will be doing IV starts, we can remove surgical drains, perform dressing changes, remove stitches and staples, take all vitals, per rectal medications, oral medications, subcutaneous medications (butterfly or injection), intramuscular injections, can be trained for vaccination administration, topical medication, eye and ear drops, all personal care, assist with ambulation post-surgery, assist with vaginal deliveries, perform newborn baby assessments, baby baths, weights/vitals, etc., etc.
Our scope has changed. We are now what RNs were a decade or two ago. RNs are moving up, too! In fact, I believe they have just had stitches added to their scope! Awesome :D
The toughest part of getting fit is eating right. You can exercise all you want, but if you're slacking off in the kitchen, you won't see much progress, if any. Some helpful things to have on hand are pre-made meals. What can make this easier? Tupperware. I kid you not.
I went ahead and purchased a full set of Vent'N'Serve containers, the stack cooker for the microwave, and a set of midgets containers. Use the stack cooker to fully cook the chicken with some water (4-20 minutes) in the microwave, then pack one cup of frozen vegetables on the bottom of a smaller Vent'N'Serve container, cut up the chicken and place on top of the veggies and you have your main meal for on-the-go, or for when you're too tired to cook a proper meal for yourself. If you're aiming for more calories, just add more veggies and more chicken -- these containers can hold a lot!
As a snack, I use the water-tight midgets containers for packing some natural peanut butter! I love natty PB, especially smothered on a rice cake. The midget container is the perfect size for packing some along without having to worry about peanut oil leaking all over your lunch bag.
Another thing that helps is... An ice cream maker. Maybe it's just me and my insatiable addiction to ice cream, but being able to make my own at home using So Good soy milk, protein powder, and low calorie sweeteners, I can take the guilt out of my must-have treat :)
I'm not too much a fan of the size of Tupperware's sports bottle, but I am a fan of its nifty little container on the bottom of it. Slip your locker key into the bottom of the bottle (removable bottom acts as a storage container!!) And all you need to carry around with you at the gym is your water bottle. Zing!
Grab your own Tupperware goodies at http://my.tupperware.ca/NurseJoc You can also host an online Tupperware party through me -- just visit that website or contact me to make an arrangement.
If you work in a location that does not have a union, just remember that British Columbia has laws to cover your buttocks. Please see the BCLaws website:
Click here for the massive webpage outlining laws for BC employers.
Your time is valuable and you are entitled to certain pays, even if you are "casual," or "part time," rather than a full time employee. Assuming you do not have an agreement with your employer that states otherwise, you are entitled to time and a half for any hours you've worked over 40 during any given week. You are also entitled to time and a half if you are working a stat, have been an employee for more than 30 days, and have worked 15 shifts in the last 30 days leading up to the stat holiday... Unless you choose to move your stat to another day -- i.e. work the stat, but then take another day off in its place; then you are not entitled to the overtime pay.
Anyway, that was just my "light" reading for this morning as I strap on my white shoes and head on out to brighten up some lives and pop a few hundred pills out of their packets while reciting 9 rights aloud, three times in a row. Right drug, right dose, right time, right route, right reason, right person, right documentation, and the patient has the right to refuse and the right to be educated about the drug. There's your NINE. count 'em nine rights. Oi! I think the RNs in BC have recently started doing 10 rights? Anyone know what the 10th right is?
Here are the April running races for Vancouver Island. If you have one that is not listed, please let me know so I can update the list!
| Date | Location | Race Name | Distance | Race or Organization Website |
| April 2th | Nanaimo | Fletcher's Challenge Trail Race 12K | 12 Km | rocnanaimo.com |
| April 4th | Merville | Merville 15 K | 15 Km | VI Running Assoc. |
| April 11th | Courtenay | MS Society Walk 3K/7K/10K | 3-10 Km | MS Society |
| April 18th | Sooke | Sooke River 10 K series and Rewards | 10 Km | VI Running Assoc. |
| April 25th | Victoria | Times Colonist 10 K | 10 Km | Times Colonist 10 k |
After many years of the over-sized, orange-tinting, battery noming digital camera, I finally broke down and bought a new one. I didn't research too much, I just looked at the size and the price. I managed to get the $160 camera for $89.00 thanks to the amazing price matching service provided by the website NCIX.com, which is a Vancouver-based business.
I have ordered two complete computer systems through NCIX in the past 10 years. (Yeah, note to self: dust out your PC tower every once in a while so that you don't set your video card on fire again... Good times.) They provide excellent customer service, great pricing, quick shipping, and awesome return policies. Nope, this isn't a paid blog post or anything like that. I just like spreading the good word on companies I <3
The only issue I have so far is that the camera's software is severely lacking. There isn't a way to resize your images through their software. As much as I love to keep original pictures in 9 trillion pixels by 10 billion pixels, I like to be able to resize some so that I can upload them online for my website or to send through email to relatives. Luckily, I've recently found this website that allows you to resize images quickly and easily (http://www.shrinkpictures.com/resize.php)... Though, it's just one image at a time. I won't complain! It's a free service :D
For the past year or so, I've been hearing all about goji berries and how good they are for our health. I knew they were high in antioxidants and decided that I'd try eating a handful each day. Mostly, I was motivated by the idea of possibly having something new to help me in the fight against nodular acne. I started eating them at the same time as I started a bunch of changes in my diet and supplementation, so it's hard to say whether or not they've been extraordinarily helpful or not.
I have had one nodule show up since I started eating the berries. Let's take a quick look at Goji berries per 1/4 cup serving; percentages based on recommended intake per a 2,000 calorie diet:
Blah, blah, blah... We always hear about antioxidants. Is it just a buzz word in your vocabulary that you don't have a definition for? Let me help you out:
" Antioxidants: A group of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes called antioxidants that help protect our body from the formation of free radicals. Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms that can cause damage to our cells, impairing our immune system and leading to infections and various degenerative diseases. Antioxidants work together with the body's natural free radical scavangers to eat up these free radical particles. " - Acid Reflux Information Website (didn't really have a proper title, heh)
Are they worth the insane price per Kg? Heck yes. In my book, they are! Even if it's just for the placebo effect :P Do yourself a favor, though, and avoid reading up on the health benefits. Most of the websites you will find out there on google are pushing you to buy the berries while providing unclaimed benefits. Unfortunately for us, these amazing, nutrition-packed berries have not had studies performed on them outside of the animal testing world. There are plenty of false claims out there ranging from "better legs" to curing cancer.
I eat them in three main ways:
Enjoy!
Are you enjoying the weather? The sun has been out all day! My goodness, it's just gorgeous out there. I decided to go out with my sister and her son, our friend Shanon and her daughter, my dog, my daughter and I. We went to the park and checked out the new boardwalk that the town is in the middle of constructing along the beach. It looks like it will make an excellent run spot ;D
On a random note, I've been reading through a lot of antidepressant forums and reading up on people trying to wean themselves off of them. I see so much wrong information and well-meaning, but bad advice being handed out... I'm tempted to write a post relating to depression and antidepressants. Mostly, I want to address the "I feel better now and would like to stop taking the medication." Mentality. Unfortunately, the reason why you feel so good is because of the medication. When depression is made enough that it warrants medication, you are going on the medication for life, not until you feel better... Generally, anyway.
The withdrawals are terrible. You have to be prepared and have your doctor on your side as well as your family and support system.
Aww darn, see? I'm turning this into a post about antidepressants already! For those of you that are curious, I am on 37.5 mg of Effexor OD for depression. I feel completely normal and completely fine/content/happy while on it despite the occasional headache. My family has a history of depression and I battled with it for 13 years before turning to medication. I only wish I turned to medication sooner. It doesn't change who you are, doesn't make you a bad person, but it does help you to start thinking like a normal, healthy person :D
WOW! Maybe adding the recipe will help you out. haha, woops. Here's the recipe for Hearty Breakfast Cookies :)
I'm really sorry if you're allergic to peanuts! I've been making all kinds of peanut butter based cookies lately. I made these breakfast cookies last week and they were just delicious. I cut down on the sugar, of course... No one needs that much sugar :P
They are filling and have a really good balance of flavors so that there's no overload of sweetness or peanut butter.
Give them a try :D
Oh my gosh... I can't move. I am never, ever baking these cookies again. I made enough cookies to completely fill a giant freezer bag and it lasted my family and I barely 24 hours. I hate to admit it, but I probably ate 95% of them. They were so good. Never making them again.
I spent today scrubbing my car until it sparkled inside and out. There was a lot of sap on it, so my arms are quite sore from the elbow grease that was required. Darn white cars. I have a few new job applications to hand out despite my having 17 shifts next month. As much as I enjoy my job, working on a dementia unit is incredibly hard and demanding. I need a balance of normalcy in my work life.
That said, I'm trying to get back into knitting as much as possible. I want to finish the sweater I started and then forgot about in December/January. I'd like to be able to have it finished so that I can start a new one for my daughter for her birthday, which is coming up in June.
Put on shorts/sweat pants and a t-shirt or a tank top. Okay, now put on your shoes. Go for a walk! The weather on the Island is absolutely amazing today. I just got back from a super-short run (15-20 minutes... I have to work in a few minutes here) with my dog... The sun is shining, but the air is crisp yet mild. It is perfect running weather. I wish I had more time to spend outside, but I'm off to work inside a building until 2300 hrs.
I'm really not a fan of evening shifts, but work is work :) I'd much prefer to have my plate filled up with night shifts. I won't complain too much -- I really appreciate the job and how my boss is giving my nearly full time hours as a casual nurse.
Oh yes, I passed my licensing exam :D Hurrah!
Help me compile a list of running races on the island! I'm trying to find as many as I can and intend to sign up for a handful of the 15 k and under races with my sister. Once I have a list of races, I'll provide details about registration and so forth.
Let's continue on with the great start to the new year and get our fitness levels up to a point where our hearts thank us for making them stronger ;)
I finished two months of the Tetracycline paired with Benzamycin (a topical gel that lives in the fridge, containing erythromycin and benzoyl eroxide). They both worked pretty well up until the last week. During the last week, I broke out in about five nodules. It was working so well, too. Oh well...
I wasn't really using the tetracycline properly, anyway. I had to eat something with it or I would throw up as I always did whenever I tried taking it as ordered -- 1 hour before food or three hours after food, never within a close time-frame of diary/calcium-rich or iron-rich foods.
The benzamycin gel worked alright... I really hate that it creates a large dependency on consistent use. You skip a morning or a nightly application and you will break out, without a doubt. When you are on a flip-flop schedule like mine, you can't really work a product like that into your schedule very easily. Not to mention the severe drying it does to your skin, the fact that it bleaches all hair it comes into contact with (eyebrows, surrounding hair line) and it discolours most fabrics... Uhg. I don't want topical solutions anymore. I'm sick of them and how much they limit lifestyle... I won't even get into the time I tried camping and came home with a polka-dot face, ha.
So now... I'm getting myself back onto the health wagon. It's time to stop eating junk food and restart taking my main vitamins; vitamin E and vitamin B (complex). I'm on day three of this, so we'll see how it goes. I want to exhaust all methods, even though I've tried most of them before. Last, last resort will be acutane which I would really love to avoid.
Been keeping super busy at my new job! Wahoo. My only complaint is that the location isn't unionized.
Now, where the heck did Kinda Car Sick go?? I loved that blog *cry* Especially after Sara posted her lovely staff infection. Come back, lady!
In the knitting world, I'm currently working on my very first sweater. So far, I only have about 3 inches of 1x1 ribbing done. I'm using the pattern, Carona, though I will alter it slightly to make it londer in the body as well as the sleeves. I love sweaters that stop half-way down the bum since it's a good length to avoid the "constantly pulling my shirt down" syndrome.
I got my new blackberry in the mail. I love it so far... I'm easily amused, though. I spent at least an hour in bed last night at around 5:00 AM playing the texas hold'em game on it. If you haven't guessed, I have been doing a lot of night shifts lately so sleeping normal hours is next to impossible.
I'm about ready to take a nice long bath with my two new BeautiControl products -- not kidding you. I effing love the Fango seaweed masque. The way it smells, the way it feels, and how it leaves my skin after I'm done using it makes me crave using it :x I pair it up with my other favorite poduct, the Luxuries of the Sea bath soak which has an aroma that compliments the masque very well. This isn't a plug, I swear haha I can't make money from this stuff online! I just love it :( A lot. A lot, lot, lot.
I have my licensing exam in two more sleeps. I'm super nervous... Halp!
Oh, PS. Although tetracycline is absolutely kicking my butt to the curb with its nausea-inducing tendencies, it has done a wonderful job clearing up my skin. I haven't had a new break-out for two weeks. One and a half more months left... Sweet jebus.
First post of 2010, holy toledo!
Roger's is having a massive sale on some of their smart phones in an attempt to rid their old models in stock. I took advantage of this and locked into a 3-year contract with no setup fee for $1.11. The data plan is a little more than what I was paying, but well worth it in the end. I've been looking at smart phones for nearly two years now and wanted this particular type of phone for the past 4 years. Well worth the wait, or so I hope!
That said, I hopped onto Etsy to take a look at what neat little trinkets I could buy for my new phone... I decided I had spent enough this season so far, but did a little browser shopping anyway. Some shops I enjoyed were:
I think I'll pimp out my cellphone as a reward when I knock off the first $1k from my credit card :)
Quick look of the past month: Christmas, knitting, new job, new dog.
I got my first job at a non-unionized location. There weren't a lot of people hiring when I was looking for work, so I accepted the first job offer that I recieved. The pay is the same as unionized facilities, the staff are amazingly nice, and the place is well kept, so I'm pretty darn happy with the place! I've already learned a bunch since I started two-three weeks ago. I'm still on the hunt for some work in the hospital as well as more casual positions.
I want work in a hospital because I get to utilize all of the skills I've learned in school. In long term care facilities, there aren't many opportunities to perform skills outside of morning and night-time care, the occasional stoma-related care, and the far-and-few-between catheter insertions and irrigations.
The nice thing about working in a long term care facitity is you get to learn all the resident's quirks, likes, and dislikes, plus you get to meet the families and create a relationship with them as well. They put their trust into you as a nurse and you get to give them updates on their family member. This is especially true for dementia units.
I managed to finish my very first pair of socks. I ended up finishing two pairs for Christmas -- one for my mom and one for my brother. I'm now going to start a pair for my daughter, since she's been asking me for a pair since forever :(
I got a new dog, but I won't go into too much detail about that since this update is long enough as it is. Wheeler, the new dog, is a beautiful mutt. He's a cross between a bernese mountain dog and a golden retriever... The perfect blend. A family dog with a docile temperment crossed with a snow-loving cuddler. Wheeler has fit right into our family and it is just amazing having a dog in the house again :)
I have been having motivation issues the past week and a half! Along with Tetracycline, I started another medication which made my energy levels plummet the first week. I seem to be adapting now :)
Tetracycline is a huge pain in the butt. For the best results, you should take it one hour before eating or two-three hours after eating. You are also expected to avoid dairy products within one hour of taking it, though the warning should really be to avoid calcium-rich foods which includes soy milks, fortified beverages, dark green vegetables, some fish, calcium suppliments and so forth. Tetracycline has a tendancy to bind to calcium, rendering the drug ineffective.
So far, I have managed to get one new nodule since I started taking tetracycline. I heard that it is supposed to take a few weeks to start working, but it seems to have held the current breakouts at bay while almost eliminating new ones.
Side effects... I've thrown up once and have learned that I should be trying to take the second dose of tetracycline before supper time so that my stomach has time to digest it and so that the nasuea that it causes me can subside enough. I get nausea after I eat, before I eat, and while I sleep... Unfortunately, this is a minor trade-off for how painful the breakouts can be. I'm hoping my body will adjust to it.
The biggest issue I have with it is timing the doses. I'm thinking I'm going to try setting a new alarm up to go off one hour before I'm to get out of bed, then taking it and going back to sleep. Then I can have my coffee and I should be able to take the second dose 2-3 hours after lunchtime.
