now that's a big pile of...

mulch. Double shredded hardwood mulch to be exact. 10 cubic yards.

Normally by now I'd have been out working in my gardens, to include adding the Spring layer of mulch. Mother Nature helped ease my yearning to be out there, what with all the cold weather we've had. I have to say I appreciate her helping a nursing student out, but the time has come to get things done. Along with studying and baseball games this coming weekend we will be working on our front and back yards. Our backyard is pretty much a blank slate. Big B has dug up two islands and will finish the planned areas alongside the back of the house and patio. We only have a four foot farm-style fence so our yard is open to the world and I need to have a little bit of seclusion, besides landscaping adds value to the house.

These are some pictures I just took for "before" landscaping.






Yes, the girls just had to be a part of the photo session. They prefer action shots. You can see how they've added to the current landscaping. They'll have to find a new potty spot, since that's where I've planned to scape out a plot that goes flush along the back of the house, and patio.

And it was not too much later before they were fighting as usual, yelling such obscenities as "screw you" and "I hate you!" That was all from AW. LB usually antagonizes AW to the point of total, and utter frustration.

brotherly wonders

As I was taking a brief moment of relaxation (very much needed after the mood I came home in from clinicals today) I happened to look out the back windows, from which we can see a good portion of our backyard and the common area beyond, and I caught a glimpse of something near miraculous. My two sons, who are two completely different human beings, were outside playing football together, with some other boys. I had to catch it on film, and even though the photos aren't of the greatest quality I wanted to share them anyway. I've also included two photos I took yesterday with my Blackberry. With all the rain we've had lately the clouds have been nothing short of amazing. I think one of the things I'd like to do with my free time once this semester is over, is to go out and spend some time just taking pictures of some of my favorite things

This could be dangerous! It's too much fun.

I've been reading the chapter in my mental health book on dementia and other organic disorders of the mind. I do believe delirium is settling into my brain.

Two doses of amoxicillin down. Still feeling quite crummy--although I do know it's too early to feel better due to meds.

Just wanted to check out posting by text.

Thanks to all of you who've wished me well!

not just another manic monday

Lately I've been dealing with this feeling as if I'm swallowing over a pill that has become lodged in my throat. It's been going on for about a month now. Last week I went and saw a physician who then referred me out for a barium swallow. (As if I have time.) Friday I started feeling somewhat crummy and have since developed a nice little spring cold. So that's what that chapter was talking about as far as stress and its effect on the body! As if I didn't already have full understanding of that concept. This morning at about 3 I awakened with an excruciating pain in my head. You know the type, as if an icepick is being poked in and TWISTED! I took some Dayquil and was able to return to my slumber. I awakened at the usual time for the day and was still in a bit of pain. At this point routine ensues when I take the dogs downstairs for their morning kibble, and relief. Then I awaken the boys to shower and get ready for their day. I climbed back into bed and was able to get a little more rest. Off to class I went and sat like a zombie through lecture. Promptly as lecture ended I arose and left for the doctor's office. I was not seen until about 2:50 p.m. I had checked in at 12:12 p.m. I have a sinus infection and the workings of an ear infection.

While sitting in the exam room I witness this old, white oldsmobile pulls up. (I can see this from the window in the exam room.) Now, please take a moment to envision Randy Quaid and his family in the Vacation movies. The people that stepped out of this car made Randy and his movie family look like the Hiltons or the Trumps. I wouldn't usually think twice, as I wouldn't usually have needed to even pay attention to the people, but....the woman gets out of the car and she is screaming at the top of her lungs at whomever she was on her cell phone with. I could hear her through the window!

The man gets out and is, I don't know what, but then he goes to the passenger side and is speaking with whomeever is sitting there. It seems as if he's trying to persuade said individual into getting out of the car and into the wheelchair he's brought around. The second person, a man, gets out with some struggle and stands up and it looks like he refuses to get into the wheelchair. He ends up back in the car. A few minutes later everyone has climbed back into the car and they take off.

You have now entered the Twilight Zone.

Next I go to Rite Aid, after finally being seen, to pick-up my antibiotics and Prilosec. The physician didn't write a script for the Priolsec since it's now offered OTC. She's told me to take it to see if it will relieve what is possibly GERD, aka the lump in my throat. I'd read on the 'net that it was possibly due to GERD, and a friend's husband had the same problem. I'm hoping the Prilosec does the job and I can cancel the barium swallow. (I really don't have time for it anyway.)

As the pharmacy tech tries to ring up my sale the electronic keypad I'm paying on with my debit card starts to act up. Meanwhile there's this woman pestering the pharmacists about her prescriptions. Evidently she's a frequent flyer and makes whenever she comes in.

Ever have one of those days where you wished you would've just stayed in bed? If this makes no sense whatsoever it's because my head feels like it's filled with cottonballs and my nose is running a marathon.

may 6th, come on down!

Have I mentioned how eager I am for the arrival of that very date, May 6th? Let's take a walk up the path leading to the day I will shout to the high heavens rejoicing the end of this, my second semester of nursing school.

Today...must pay bills, gather stuff for the American Legion yard sale tomorrow, work on careplan, study, LB's baseball game at 5 (away), and somehow AW has to get to the local skating rink with his friends--and I'll be in a town, at the baseball game in the totally opposite direction.
Tomorrow...yard sale (o'dark early until I wanna leave), possibly nap, study
Sunday...need to get out in that garden and at least clip back perennials, LB has his driving test/last day of Behind the Wheel, work on careplan, write up case studies for Nursing P&C, study
April 20...class from 9-12, home to study, work on careplan
21st...study in the morning, class from 1-3, LB baseball game at 6, away
22nd...clinicals 0645-1230, home to study, work on careplan (hopefully should be somewhere near finished)
23rd...clinicals 0645-1230, home to study, LB baseball game at 6 @ home
24th...Fridays are study days, maybe I can actually do some housecleaning....nah that's what May will be for! We keep the house pretty straightened up anyway (Big B has slight OCD issues), LB baseball game at 6 @ home
25th...nothing planned other than studying, and LB baseball game at 1, away--may or may not go....depends on how much studying I've done, and how I feel about it
26th...Sundays are usually pretty open unless we go do something like going to the mall, otherwise I have them scheduled for studying. The careplan is due Thursday and will make sure it's done, if it hasn't been finished already.
27th...class from 9-12, home to study
28th...study in the morning, class from 1-3, LB baseball game at 6 @ home
29th...clinicals 0645-1230, home to study, LB baseball game at 6 @ home
30th...clinicals 0645-1230 (careplan due), home to study
May 1st...ATI exams, 1100 and 1300 , LB baseball game at 6 @ home
May 2nd and 3rd...nothing planned other than studying and the occasional family outing
May 4th...final exam for NUR108, Nursing Principles and Concepts, study for Nur203, Mental Health Nursing final exam
May 5th...final exam for NUR203, Mental Health Nursing
May 6th...wake up with the biggest grin on my face and shout to the highest heavens!!!!!!! and start cleaning, gardening, and doing everything else that I haven't been able to do!

Oh and how about let's rejoice at being a SECOND YEAR NURSING STUDENT!!! We have to get there first by way of passing ATIs and finals, so....

back to the books and all the regularly scheduled programming!

Natasha Bedingfield - New Music - More Music Videos

dose of humble pie

As is the recent standard we have no sunshine in the skies above Virginia. You look out your window and all you see is gloomy gray ranging from slate to dove. It suits my mood right now. Today was hard, hardest yet. I had to witness an occurence report that I brought on to myself with shear stupidity.

In clinicals we're trading each others' residents to gain experience in skills we otherwise wouldn't get, at least in the near future. My one classmate, LW, and I swapped so she could administer meds via PEG tube, and I took care of her resident. Boy did I ever take care of her! It was horrible. I dressed, we'll call her Mrs. Doe in her gown (a pretty new thing she got for Easter--not one of those icky hospital types), and then proceeded to transfer her from her bed to her wheelchair. Lesson learned: do not forget to lock the wheelchair and make sure you have a second person to assist. If you don't follow these simple rules you may end up on the floor, as I did with Mrs. Doe. I actually couldn't tell you if her buttocks even touched the floor because I already had her under her armpits, with my arms to support her. One thing I remember from my days as a medic in the Air Force is how to go down to the floor with a patient. Recall from the depths of your memory can certainly come in handy!

One of my classmates was taking care of her resident in the next bed over and I immediately called for her assistance. She was there in a flash! We managed to lift Mrs. Doe into the chair. Schew! After getting Mrs. Doe settled in activities I promptly went to let my instructor know what happened.

She told me to tell the nurse, and so I did. The look that came across Nurse C's face made me get queasy, but she just said we'd have to fill out an occurence report. Along with the report itself she also filled out the physician notification and then I saw the spot on the report where it asks if family has been notified. Gulp. Nurse C called the family and that's when I lost it. All I could think about was if it were me on the receiving end of that call and how I'd feel.

After a few minutes in the restroom I gained my composure and went back out to the nurses's station and got the "everyone makes mistakes, and we learn from them" schpiel, along with reassurance that it was all going to be ok. The family member was at first horror stricken because evidently Mrs. Doe has had an actual fall that left her with broken bones. Fortunately there was no injury sustained today. I'm sure she may be a little sore under her arms. I know I supported her with all my might and adrenaline as I guided her downward.

If you do ever go through this horrid situation I hope you have someone react the way that Mrs. Doe did. Can we say "angel"? I, of course, apologized profusely, to which she gave me the "we all learn somehow" schpiel. The events of the morning along with the necessity to obtain vitals signs and blood glucose per the occurence report protocol, not to mention everything else the woman endures, left her very tired. When I went to go I told her how much I appreciated her patience with me, and she said, "That's alright honey". She was too kind, too, too kind.

Well if that isn't all enough to wear a woman down I just received the call from hospital #1 and got the "we decided to go with other candidates...there were so many great, experienced people....please apply next year as a new grad..."

Lovely.

let's go crazy

In honor of my last unit exam for Mental Health Nursing:


Lets Go Crazy - Prince -

That would be today. Here in a bit I'll go finish studying for the test and at 1 pm will commmence to taking it. I really, really can't wait for this semester to be over. This class has been the bane of my existence. It's boring, but not because of the content. At times, while reading, I thought for sure I would go crazy, but being in class was/is sure to be the final clincher in the armor of sanity. My armor is made of aluminum foil anyway.

I like psychology, I really do. It's the instructor. She read from the PPTs last semester, and this semester hasn't exactly done that. She's skimmed the PPTs, I guess you could say. She doesn't teach the material though. Really, we could do just as well reading, and rereading the text. That's what I've been doing. I was printing off the PPTs, but gave up on that in an effort to somewhat Greenish. The material was pulled directly from the text, so why bother? PPTs and lecture should add to the content. Ugh!

I took my last unit exam for Nursing Principles and Concepts yesterday and got an 89. I'd like to know how I got an 89, as it should be an 88 or a 90. Fifty questions, at 2 points a piece, you do the math. See...going crazy, because who really cares???

May 1st I go to take both of my ATI exams, one for Mental Health, the other for Fundamentals. I told a couple of my classmates that I was taking them on the last possible day, and got some interesting feedback from them. They think we should take the exams in plenty of time to retake before the end of the semester. I think you should take the time to study the material, and pass the first time around! A 65 is needed to pass. I'm using other materials along with the ATI modules, so I'm hoping for the best. I don't want to have to do remediation, which has to be done before you retake the tests anyway. I don't want to have to go back to the testing center if it isn't completely necessary. One of my classmates, the only guy, took his tests yesterday. I'll find out from him today how he did, and see if my plan needs adjustments.

May 4th (Nursing P&C) and 5th (Mental Health) are the dates of our final exams. May 6th I'll be able to wake up and rejoice that the semester is over! May 22nd starts summer semester, and I'm taking A&P II, Nutrition and Development, and Developmental Psych. I was going to CLEP out of Dev Psych, but need 6 credits to maintain half-time status, necessary to maintain deferment of my student loans. The first two classes only add up to 5 credits. Rather than taking an unnecessary class I'll take the psych class. All the classes will be online.

I should find out sometime soon if I got the externship from Hospital #1. At this point I have mixed feelings about it. I would love to do it for the experience, not to mention the income would be nice, but it may be for the best if I don't get it. We shall see.

Time to do some last minute studying! Huh, "last minute" almost seems ridiculous since I'll be studying pretty much straight through til May 5th!

Easter wishes

May your day be filled with joy!