thoughts o' pondering

I'm thinking....have been thinking...about returning to school for my master's. That being said I'm not quite sure I want to get my MSN or go another route, but still in health care. I've thought about public health with a focus in epidemiology, healthcare administration, and then as far as MSN: admin, public health, and I've even considered education. Its all very confusing, as I'm not solid on one particular track thus far. That, and, different schools offer different programs. I'm pretty sure I don't want to choose a program that is all face-to-face classes, as I'd like to have the option of taking some courses online. Ugh. Decisions... Back to reality... Tonight I return to work after being out for my surgery for nearly a month. I'm excited to go and get back into the swing of things. I've missed caring for patients and some of the people I work with, as I am a social creature. Staying at home is no longer something I can do fulltime! I've healed up quite nicely. My only problem has been the lingering pain in my right side, which has gotten better, but at times - especially after twisting just so - its more uncomfortable. I do have a peek-a-boo suture. It's most likely an internal suture that decided to surface from one of my five abdominal incisions. Every so often I give it a gentle tug to see if it has loosened enough from it's internal resting spot and so far, nope. I look like I have a shopping tag sticking out of me. You know how you get a stuffed animal and when you clip the tag it remains sticking out until you pioke it back in? Yep, mine doesn't budge either way! I go back at the end of the month fo rmy next post opfollow-up and will point it out to my surgeon. That's if it's still there by then.

thought it would never get here...

...and now it is here...and I feel like throwing up! So I'm going to keep this short, as to not psych myself out even more!

This semester I will be taking two nursing classes, Intro to Nursing and Health (2 hours), and Nursing Skills (lecture [1 hour] and lab [6 hours]), and Orientation to Health Professions (1 hour). Seems like a light load? Maybe it is. Those who haven't had any schooling have other classes, general education classes, like College Composition and Anatomy & Physiology, to take. I've done most of that other stuff. Will take care of the gen ed classes I need down the line.

Along with the six credits I am taking for my nursing program, this semester, I am also taking my final class for my bachelor's degree. It's an online, 3 credit class, but is not going to be the easiest either. It's Research Methods in Psychology, a requirement for my major-psychology. I am taking it along with my first semester of nursing classes, for one because I want to get this degree finished and it is the last class I need to graduate. Another reason is I want it over so I may focus on what is most important to me...my nursing classes.

I've been told by a few people that the first semester is the hardest. I am prepared to meet this challenge. I will probably shed many tears, scream enough to drive my guys crazy-they're kind of used to it, and beg to quit. Quitting is not an option though. I've also been told it's the hardest thing to do, but the best thing to have done. In the end it's worth it.

Now it's time to get clothes out for the big day, to make sure everyone's taken care of, and to take a deep breath!