Nurse Joc, Not Jackie

I have been picking up extra shifts like made and have been so overly busy, I am behind on many things. House work, knitting, and this poor, poor website all included. Our daycare has been closed for a week now, prior to that, my daughter was sick, and the daycare is closed all next week as well. That said, I have spent a lot of time with my daughter, which is awesome. She's always noticeably happier when I'm home, which makes me feel like crap when I have to go into work. Especially when she busts out with the "But mommy, I don't want you to go to work, I want you to stay here with me!" 

Pull at my heart strings, why don't ya?

Anyway, I will get to work on posting Vancouver Island Races for August (the remaining ones, woops...) And September. Stay posted :P 

PS. Congratulations, Wayne and Katherine on your beautiful wedding yesterday! Just have to edit those pictures and send them your way :)

Someone parked their brand new 2010 Mazda 3 Sport in my driveway. What's that? Oh! haha... My bad. That's my car!

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.

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.

As of 11:00 PM/2300 last night, I am a Practical Nurse. I'm undecided if I'm licensed or not... I received a registration card from the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia which gives me the authority to practice as a licensed practical nurse... LPN or PN, I'm all done with school! Pop open the bubbly.

It was a long hall... Even though it was only 12 months long. 12 months without any breaks sans the winter break. I see why grade schools have summer breaks. by the time you make it to the summer, your brain is fully fried.

The time passed quickly though it seems like I've always been in school. It seems like just yesterday I got the call that a spot opened up for the class I had just recently added my name to for the waiting list. I had two weeks to get ready, which ended up perfect.

I carefully composed my two week notice letter for my boss and handed it in feeling guilty -- I had only been there for 5 months. Then was the subject of parking passes, text books, financing, daycare issues, and so forth. I was so excited to start school that I had everything dealt with by the next two days. Then was the longest wait of my life.

I sat in the classroom for the first month asking the dumbest questions since it had been 7 years since I had sat with a teacher in front of me. This time, I was completely enthralled in all that she was saying. Taking notes that would make little-to-no sense to anyone else. Highlighting full paragraphs in my text books... I definitely won't be able to resell these, but why would I? They are filled with information that I still find interesting.

I think I've invested my time very wisely... I have enjoyed all of my practicums and all of my preceptorship. I've learned life stories I wouldn't have otherwise. I've experienced pain second-hand while administering a PRN morphine subcutaneously. Been up to my elbows in someone else's poop without flinching. Changed pus-filled bandages. I enjoy every second of it without a second thought.

Odd how after the first or second time, poop just becomes another normal part of the job. I don't see changing a brief or helping with a post-toilet clean-up as any different than helping someone brush their hair.

I'm really going to miss rehab. I hope I can land a job on the unit eventually :)

Tendinitis is severely underrated. It hurts a lot! I currently have it in my right rotator cuff as well as my righ elbow area. It makes it hard to lift things, or even take a sweater off. It hurts when I lay down in bed at night. Strange stuff! I just ty not to use it as much as posible and it usually resolves itself within a few weeks.

So I have been using the BeautiControl Skinlogics Clear line of skin care for 2.5 weeks now. While my skin isn't clear yet, I've had barely any nodular breakouts -- two. Usually it's one new one per day. Definitely an improvement! I have also been divulging in microderm abrasion (also from BeautiControl) once per week. I look forward to Thursdays knowing that it's a microderm abrasion night, haha

I have been trying out new products here and there. So far, my favorites are the Skinlogics skin care line, the Sugar Cookie (limited availability: just for the holidays!!) collection which includes body wash, butter, instand manicure hand scrub, lip scrub, lip conditioner, and extreme repair hand moisturizer; I also have fallen in love with most of their make-up products. I especially love their shadow control cream (in toupe) and Spectaculash mascara. Lip Apeel is of course a favorite of mine, as is the Spa Detox collection :P 

Heck, I just love everything they make. They really do make amazing products.

I really do hate ranting, but sometimes you just have to let the steam shoot out of both ears.

My preceptor is amazing. My instructors are amazing. I am not mad at them. I am frustrated with the situation that I am in, though. Since my original preceptor's schedule started four days later than usual, I missed out on quite a few potential shifts. Then it turns out that she wasn't actually available, so I only got three shifts the first week. Then my next preceptor, whom we snagged the evening before the very first day I started with her is on 8 hour shifts. I need about 180 hours to finish my credentials for licensing.

I forgot to get mad about how I have to rearrange my daycare completely for this as well... Anyway...

That said, I have four days off in the next three weeks because the schedule is so crammed, which I wouldn't have minded, but! This means that I have ZERO room for not making it to preceptorship. So why is this an issue? Two things:

My daughter is three. This is the first Halloween that she has ever been excited about it and it absolutely kills me that I am working Halloween evening. I have to miss what I consider to be a pretty important parenting moment. Sure, there will be other years, but this is the first year that she's actually excited about it. One of few years where she will be at home and not out with friends for it. Not to mention, I had been planning to do her costume/make-up for her. Now I can't. Kills me a little each time I think about it.

October 15th, 2009. My grandpa died. I was in the middle of a shift and had to leave for home after finding out this news. I already have to make up for that time I took off that day. His memorial service is to be held on Thursday -- in the middle of another shift. I am absolutely torn between not knowing if I can even afford the time off from SCHOOL. It's SCHOOL for cripe's sake! Or going to the memorial service. How on earth is school in a position to put me in any situation as remotely ridiculous as this?

Family funeral/death in the family versus not making enough preceptorship hours to obtain licensure. This is just absurd.

Saturday was our graduation ceremony. It was good! Short and sweet. It was a little harsh to see that the other intake groups had lost at least half of their group. My sister likes to blame it on our intake's teachers being easier. I prefer to think it's because of how close knit our class became. We all know eachother pretty well... We know the hardships we've all endured during this demanding 12 month program. We have all shared a good cry together during stressful exams, failed exams, relieving tears of barely passed exams, assessments, and so forth. It's been quite the ride.

My intake still has one more month left and our lisencing exam isn't until January. Boo! Oh well. Congratulations, classmates!

Sunday was the Run for the cure. I hadn't really practiced for it. I hadn't trained at all, acually. Prior to the run, my longest run ever was 1 km (without a walking break). Pretty weak! I went into yesterday's run knowing I was running for my grandma and her best friend... My grandma passed away what will be 2 years ago on the 14th, and her best friend was diagnosed with breastcancer shortly after that. My grandma did not die of breast cancer. No. She was a survivor. She was a survivor because of cancer research supported by wonderful people who volunteer for fundraisers, the people whom organize the events, the people who volunteer to set up the tents, the people who volunteer to cheer on the runners during these events, and lastly, the people who gather donations.

I want to say THANK YOU! Thank you to all volunteers and runners who participated in the Run for the Cure yesterday. Thank you for giving me my grandma back. Even though she's no longer here, it is because of your hard efforts that I had her with me for more than a decade longer.

I ran the full 5 km. Not once did I stop and not once did I walk. I felt like I was going to throw up for the last kilometer. I felt like my legs were going to give out near the home stretch. I couldn't even feel the muscles in my legs working, I was just trusting that they were doing what I told them to do. I told myself I would run the 5 km for my grandma, and I did.

I choked back my sobs as I passed people on the trail during the last kilometer, because I could not believe it. I was doing it. Shortly after crossing the finish line, I cried. Cried for my grandma, cried from the overwhelming runner's high, cried out of being proud of myself, and I cried for everyone else that shared their stories of how breast cancer affected their lives.

I can barely walk today :)

Ask yourselves these questions, courtesy of Zen Habits.

1. Who do I love, and what am I doing about it?
 I love my daughter and I tell her several times a day. I show it in my actions and let her feel loved. I love a lot of people, but my daughter is my everything.

2. Am I pursuing my dream, or is fear stopping me?
Fear is stopping me. I stay positive in day to day notions, but overall I feel like I'm in a life that I don't have a lot of control over. Regardless, I try my darnedest to start each day on a positive note.

3. Am I doing something that matters?
Absolutely. Motherhood, continued education, nursing (school). 

4. What am I doing to help others?
As a nurse, upon graduation, I will be helping others in many ways. I offer support and a listening ear to my friends and family... Even strangers when they need it.

5. Am I as good a person as I want to be?
No. I have very high expectations of myself and I don't feel like I can ever be as good a person as I want to be. I'm slowly growing to like myself and get to the point where I can actually say that I would be friends with myself if I met me.

6. What am I doing to live life with passion, health and energy?
I never hold back what I'm feeling inside. I tell at least one person when something is bothering me. I try to be physically active and I try to eat healthy, but I'm not perfect :)