comes the bad.
I read the obits today before I went in for my shift and found that one of my patients passed away this weekend. He was doing so well last week, but had to have a port put in for his dialysis. He was so concerned about the anesthesia, and how he did not want to be put under. The next day he wasn't doing so well, and then I found that he had been moved back into the critical care unit after his surgery. Just proof that the one who holds us in His hand has a plan for everything.
That said, I got my first week review done, and I'm doing really well. That makes me happy. I'm a people pleaser so it's hard for me to be a student...I want to do a good job!! Of course, today I forgot to put the socks on my CABG patient which is a huge safety issue but we made it safely back to the room, so phew!!! Live and learn...a little more every day. :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Time flies...
when you eat, sleep, and breathe physical therapy. I have finished up my last semester, and started clinicals this week.
I was placed in ICU/CCU units at a local hospital. It's terrifying and amazing all at the same time. Amazing at what science has discovered about the human body, and unbelievable at the same time...we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I have seen people survive some pretty amazing things this week, and had a patient that was doing so well take an unbelievable turn for the worse. It has just confirmed my thoughts that God has a time and place or everything.
I read somewhere once that the more educated a person was, the less likely they are to believe in God. I think the more I learn, the more amazed I become by His power.
I was placed in ICU/CCU units at a local hospital. It's terrifying and amazing all at the same time. Amazing at what science has discovered about the human body, and unbelievable at the same time...we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
I have seen people survive some pretty amazing things this week, and had a patient that was doing so well take an unbelievable turn for the worse. It has just confirmed my thoughts that God has a time and place or everything.
I read somewhere once that the more educated a person was, the less likely they are to believe in God. I think the more I learn, the more amazed I become by His power.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
SO EXCITED!!!
I am so stoked!!
First of all it is finals week (no, that's NOT what I'm stoked about!). I'm home alone studying while the rest of my family has gone to church. That part sort of sucks. I needed a break and thought, well I wonder if we checked the mail yesterday. So I got up and trotted out to the mailbox to find a HUGE envelope from the college. I got TWO scholarships!!!! Thank you God!!! I'm so flipping excited! They weren't huge, 25% tuition paid each, but together that will pay half of my tuition for my last semester. That means I will get a bigger refund back, and considering that I only have 6 weeks of class in the fall, and the other 10 weeks are clinicals...that will be useful money for buying scrubs and gas back and forth. Oh, and let's not forget that $500 licensure test I will have to take after Christmas. The two scholarships together, plus the additional grant I received will equal out to about what I would have made if I worked those 6 weeks. I'll have to go over it with Chad, but hoping this will be enough that I won't have to work in the fall. I can just focus on studying and getting this last semester done and over with!!!
Ok, no more time to cheer. I have to go finish studying so I can pass all these tests, so I can START my final semester in the fall.
First of all it is finals week (no, that's NOT what I'm stoked about!). I'm home alone studying while the rest of my family has gone to church. That part sort of sucks. I needed a break and thought, well I wonder if we checked the mail yesterday. So I got up and trotted out to the mailbox to find a HUGE envelope from the college. I got TWO scholarships!!!! Thank you God!!! I'm so flipping excited! They weren't huge, 25% tuition paid each, but together that will pay half of my tuition for my last semester. That means I will get a bigger refund back, and considering that I only have 6 weeks of class in the fall, and the other 10 weeks are clinicals...that will be useful money for buying scrubs and gas back and forth. Oh, and let's not forget that $500 licensure test I will have to take after Christmas. The two scholarships together, plus the additional grant I received will equal out to about what I would have made if I worked those 6 weeks. I'll have to go over it with Chad, but hoping this will be enough that I won't have to work in the fall. I can just focus on studying and getting this last semester done and over with!!!
Ok, no more time to cheer. I have to go finish studying so I can pass all these tests, so I can START my final semester in the fall.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
what a week!!
Spring break, my @ss!! No breaks here and no rest for the weary!
Monday I admit, I worked an 8 hour shift, came home, and sat on the couch watching tv. However the rest of the week has been nonstop action.
Tuesday I worked, then did my first 5 mile (8K). I'm still paying for it today, my left hamstring has been giving me fits for a few days. Not fun, not fun at all!
Wednesday, it was wound care observations and then spent about 5 hours when I got home doing research for my case study project. I have to say, after 3 years of this, I've found one area of physical therapy that is *not* for me. I told Chad last night that if the only job I got offered was doing wound care, it was a deal breaker. I'd work at McDonalds. Interesting, but ewww.
Thursday was back to work and research, except that I finally got the research done and started on my outline.
Friday, worked 8 hours and came home. The darned chicken I put out to thaw was still totally frozen so we ended up going out to eat at one of the local restaurants. I haven't eaten at Smokey D's since it moved from Bandana to LaCenter but it was wonderful!! I had forgotten how much I love their catfish...and I'm really not a catfish fan. That's sort of like saying "I don't like Basketball" ... around these parts, that makes you a pariah. However, in my case, both are true.
I worked on my outline until about 11. Honestly I should be working on it now...but I'm here, blogging instead! LOL I need to finish it up because I have to provide copies of my outline to my classmates, to the first year students, and to my instructors. I had *planned* on being done, taking it to work yesterday and running copies there. Free. LOL But I didn't get done so looks like sometime this weekend I'll be making a trip to Office Depot and having copies done there.
I still have to write out my home exercise plan to discharge my patient with, write up my SOAP note for one of my treatments, find pictures and set up my display. Not to mention the regular homework and reading I need to do. I'm so ready for school to be over!!!
Today they are tearing down old house that I grew up in. I just couldn't go watch. It would be different if my dad were still alive and he wanted it gone. But he loved that house, and even after we moved into the new house right next door...he kept the old house as a workshop. It was a one room school house, someone moved it to our property and then my parents purchased the property a little while later. It was a fun old house to grow up in, lots of history...good and bad. I wonder how many kids ran thru those front and back doors. I wonder about the family of the man that killed himself there. I will never forget freezing half to death in the winter because we heated with wood and my room was at the back of the house. I think that's probably why I sleep with a ton of blankets...even though we have central heat! I remember Mom hanging our clothes on the backs of chairs by the stove so when I got up, I would race up to the front of the house and jump in warm clothes. The floors were always freezing!! In my older child days, we bought a new wood burning stove that had a fan built it. It's a wonder I didn't burn my feet off, I would race up there, and then stick my feet up under the stove, inside the fan area to warm them.
Summers were hot...all that linoleum on the floors. We'd be sitting on the floor watching tv and try to get up and be stuck to the floor. The floors still looked great though, after all these years. Even a few weeks ago when we were in there cleaning them out they looked dirty, but good. Floors now days sure don't last that long!
There was a spot on the ceiling with footprints. My mom was gone to work one night, and my dad (probably having had too much to drink!) got to laughing and kidding with us, and for whatever reason (I don't remember??) he pulled out the ash pan under the stove, dipped our feet in, flipped us upside down and had us walk across the ceiling. I remember my mom coming home and being pissed, pissed, pissed! Oh she was mad! If the feet had still shown up after all these years I probably would have pulled the panel down and kept it.
Let's not forget the time I fell out of the top of the closet and snagged my lip on the 16 penny roofing nail that stuck out for me to hang my backpack and coat on. That babysitter never came back.
Or the time that Jason and I were swinging from the closet door to the bed, bouncing off the bed, and landing on top of the cast iron table in his room. Except he missed just once and knocked his front tooth out. Or the time a few weeks later he was riding his tricycle and slammed into the front porch steps and knocked the other tooth out. I yell at my kids to this day for slamming their bikes into the porch...I'm still traumatized by that! LOL
The old barn door I had for a bedroom door, that would open on the top, or you could open both halves. Super fun for a kid growing up. We had that crazy dog so half the time I just crawled over the top of the door instead of opening the bottom half.
Time marches on....
Monday I admit, I worked an 8 hour shift, came home, and sat on the couch watching tv. However the rest of the week has been nonstop action.
Tuesday I worked, then did my first 5 mile (8K). I'm still paying for it today, my left hamstring has been giving me fits for a few days. Not fun, not fun at all!
Wednesday, it was wound care observations and then spent about 5 hours when I got home doing research for my case study project. I have to say, after 3 years of this, I've found one area of physical therapy that is *not* for me. I told Chad last night that if the only job I got offered was doing wound care, it was a deal breaker. I'd work at McDonalds. Interesting, but ewww.
Thursday was back to work and research, except that I finally got the research done and started on my outline.
Friday, worked 8 hours and came home. The darned chicken I put out to thaw was still totally frozen so we ended up going out to eat at one of the local restaurants. I haven't eaten at Smokey D's since it moved from Bandana to LaCenter but it was wonderful!! I had forgotten how much I love their catfish...and I'm really not a catfish fan. That's sort of like saying "I don't like Basketball" ... around these parts, that makes you a pariah. However, in my case, both are true.
I worked on my outline until about 11. Honestly I should be working on it now...but I'm here, blogging instead! LOL I need to finish it up because I have to provide copies of my outline to my classmates, to the first year students, and to my instructors. I had *planned* on being done, taking it to work yesterday and running copies there. Free. LOL But I didn't get done so looks like sometime this weekend I'll be making a trip to Office Depot and having copies done there.
I still have to write out my home exercise plan to discharge my patient with, write up my SOAP note for one of my treatments, find pictures and set up my display. Not to mention the regular homework and reading I need to do. I'm so ready for school to be over!!!
Today they are tearing down old house that I grew up in. I just couldn't go watch. It would be different if my dad were still alive and he wanted it gone. But he loved that house, and even after we moved into the new house right next door...he kept the old house as a workshop. It was a one room school house, someone moved it to our property and then my parents purchased the property a little while later. It was a fun old house to grow up in, lots of history...good and bad. I wonder how many kids ran thru those front and back doors. I wonder about the family of the man that killed himself there. I will never forget freezing half to death in the winter because we heated with wood and my room was at the back of the house. I think that's probably why I sleep with a ton of blankets...even though we have central heat! I remember Mom hanging our clothes on the backs of chairs by the stove so when I got up, I would race up to the front of the house and jump in warm clothes. The floors were always freezing!! In my older child days, we bought a new wood burning stove that had a fan built it. It's a wonder I didn't burn my feet off, I would race up there, and then stick my feet up under the stove, inside the fan area to warm them.
Summers were hot...all that linoleum on the floors. We'd be sitting on the floor watching tv and try to get up and be stuck to the floor. The floors still looked great though, after all these years. Even a few weeks ago when we were in there cleaning them out they looked dirty, but good. Floors now days sure don't last that long!
There was a spot on the ceiling with footprints. My mom was gone to work one night, and my dad (probably having had too much to drink!) got to laughing and kidding with us, and for whatever reason (I don't remember??) he pulled out the ash pan under the stove, dipped our feet in, flipped us upside down and had us walk across the ceiling. I remember my mom coming home and being pissed, pissed, pissed! Oh she was mad! If the feet had still shown up after all these years I probably would have pulled the panel down and kept it.
Let's not forget the time I fell out of the top of the closet and snagged my lip on the 16 penny roofing nail that stuck out for me to hang my backpack and coat on. That babysitter never came back.
Or the time that Jason and I were swinging from the closet door to the bed, bouncing off the bed, and landing on top of the cast iron table in his room. Except he missed just once and knocked his front tooth out. Or the time a few weeks later he was riding his tricycle and slammed into the front porch steps and knocked the other tooth out. I yell at my kids to this day for slamming their bikes into the porch...I'm still traumatized by that! LOL
The old barn door I had for a bedroom door, that would open on the top, or you could open both halves. Super fun for a kid growing up. We had that crazy dog so half the time I just crawled over the top of the door instead of opening the bottom half.
Time marches on....
Sunday, March 20, 2011
what a wonderful day...
The sun was shining, took a long (and I mean LONG!) walk with my little girl. We walked about 2 miles, headed west to the pond and stood around for a while enjoying the turtles swimming around. Next time I think we will have to take a blanket and sit and watch for a while longer to see what other critters show up. We walked on down a little farther and found a patch of Easter flowers. Lydia brought back a beautiful bouquet and was thrilled when I found a little pitcher and bowl for her to put the flowers in so she could have live flowers in her room. It was so warm and sunny - I can't wait for summer!!
I am so ready for bed; I missed my Sunday nap today because Lydia and I, after our walk, came home and watched Marley and Me. Fun movie, just as great as the book, and of course, just as sad at the end. I, of course, cried like a baby. My ever-so-practical daughter looks at me and says "guess they need to put him to sleep, huh?". She's going to make an excellent vet, if she ever learns how to spell and gets better at math!
Lazy day today, I didn't do any homework...I'll have to double up tomorrow for sure! But for now, it's the last 10 minutes of Holmes Inspection...and then bed!
I am so ready for bed; I missed my Sunday nap today because Lydia and I, after our walk, came home and watched Marley and Me. Fun movie, just as great as the book, and of course, just as sad at the end. I, of course, cried like a baby. My ever-so-practical daughter looks at me and says "guess they need to put him to sleep, huh?". She's going to make an excellent vet, if she ever learns how to spell and gets better at math!
Lazy day today, I didn't do any homework...I'll have to double up tomorrow for sure! But for now, it's the last 10 minutes of Holmes Inspection...and then bed!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
GOOD: Today, I have marked off 5 of the 9 things on my Modalities Spring Break Homework list. Yay me!
BAD: It took me over 3 hours to finish the online training module/ CEUs for my clinical site. Boo hiss!
UGLY: The remaining 4 things are all the time consuming projects, such as STARTING (yes, I said starting!) my case study research presentation. Procrastinators of the world...UNITE... eh, tomorrow.
Good thing the day is almost over, because much more of this crap today and I'll have pressure ulcers on my ass for sure!!!
BAD: It took me over 3 hours to finish the online training module/ CEUs for my clinical site. Boo hiss!
UGLY: The remaining 4 things are all the time consuming projects, such as STARTING (yes, I said starting!) my case study research presentation. Procrastinators of the world...UNITE... eh, tomorrow.
Good thing the day is almost over, because much more of this crap today and I'll have pressure ulcers on my ass for sure!!!
Finally the weekend!
The last few days have been really intense. We have rush, rush, rushed through all sorts of information. I jokingly told my instructor that I should just bring a funnel, lay on the plinth and prop the funnel in my ear since she insists on pouring more and more info into my brain. The funnel might make it faster!
I spent Thursday on a "field trip" as I like to call it. We went to one of the local offices of a national prosthetics and orthotics company and received a wonderful welcome. They brought in donuts and juice for us for breakfast and then spent the next 5 hours demonstrating how prosthetics and orthotics are made, the different types out there, and even asked one of their customers to come in and be a visual example for us. The young man that came in was an Army Ranger wounded in Iraq. He is an amazing guy. It takes someone with a lot of confidence to come in and let a group of women ogle your injury and your prosthetic and watch as you are fitted for parts and the prosthetic is repaired. He answered all of our questions and then some, and really made us all laugh the whole time. It was a great reminder why I love physical therapy...even when I'm ready to jump off a cliff because I'm so overwhelmed. The company bought us pizza for lunch to close out the day so that was really nice of them as well.
Then it was back to the real world and here, this is due, and this is due and don't forget to do this, and your research project....blah blah blah!!! I came home that night and went to bed at 8:30. Mental exhaustion is the worst!! I can usually push thru being physically tired but when my brain gives out, that's it. I'm done.
Therefore... on this wonderful, sunny, beautiful first day of my spring break, I'm going to sit here and knock out as many projects as I possibly can. I want to get as much done so the rest of the week isn't quite as hectic. I have to work next week, and it's my last week there until summer term, so I've got to get my replacement up and running on her own (at least mostly!) and get some things done so that my next week back at school I can focus on studying for finals and getting thing lined up with my clinical site.
In my personal world, my 13 year old's surgeon finally came back from vacation. We've been waiting about 2 weeks to find out what his restriction levels are. Spring football practice started last week and the change in terms for him means he's back to PE class again. As a (future!) therapist, I knew things were bad in his knee because of what I've seen and learned. But there's always a part of you that hopes maybe it's not quite that bad. Wednesday they called and told us that Dr. Hunt had fixed up Dustin's note and it was with the receptionist at the front desk for us to pick up. My mother-in-law (who is a nurse, and knows Dr. Hunt also) stopped by his office and spoke with him and picked up the note for us last night. I opened it up when I got home from work and Dustin has total restriction. No football conditioning, no PE class, no activity whatsoever. I think that was the final door slamming for me. I know the signs and symptoms of a "terrible triad of the knee" which is why I took him to the ER in the middle of a game. And I also know that we have a lovely collection of various knee braces now. But when a surgeon tells a very active, athletic 13 y/o boy that he can't do ANYTHING... I have to assume it's all damaged. Dustin is trying very hard to act like it doesn't bother him but I know that he misses football something terrible, his friends and the camaraderie. I just can't help but wonder if he will ever get back to playing with the confidence and skill he had before. That kid had the heart of a grown man on the field, and all he has ever wanted was to play football. God has a plan for him, and it's starting to look like the plan we thought was in motion is now being changed. Nothing to do now but wait and see. We go back to see the doctor in May for a surgical consult to determine when he will operate.
I guess it's also God's way of making sure I have a hormonal, emotional teenager after all! *wink*
I spent Thursday on a "field trip" as I like to call it. We went to one of the local offices of a national prosthetics and orthotics company and received a wonderful welcome. They brought in donuts and juice for us for breakfast and then spent the next 5 hours demonstrating how prosthetics and orthotics are made, the different types out there, and even asked one of their customers to come in and be a visual example for us. The young man that came in was an Army Ranger wounded in Iraq. He is an amazing guy. It takes someone with a lot of confidence to come in and let a group of women ogle your injury and your prosthetic and watch as you are fitted for parts and the prosthetic is repaired. He answered all of our questions and then some, and really made us all laugh the whole time. It was a great reminder why I love physical therapy...even when I'm ready to jump off a cliff because I'm so overwhelmed. The company bought us pizza for lunch to close out the day so that was really nice of them as well.
Then it was back to the real world and here, this is due, and this is due and don't forget to do this, and your research project....blah blah blah!!! I came home that night and went to bed at 8:30. Mental exhaustion is the worst!! I can usually push thru being physically tired but when my brain gives out, that's it. I'm done.
Therefore... on this wonderful, sunny, beautiful first day of my spring break, I'm going to sit here and knock out as many projects as I possibly can. I want to get as much done so the rest of the week isn't quite as hectic. I have to work next week, and it's my last week there until summer term, so I've got to get my replacement up and running on her own (at least mostly!) and get some things done so that my next week back at school I can focus on studying for finals and getting thing lined up with my clinical site.
In my personal world, my 13 year old's surgeon finally came back from vacation. We've been waiting about 2 weeks to find out what his restriction levels are. Spring football practice started last week and the change in terms for him means he's back to PE class again. As a (future!) therapist, I knew things were bad in his knee because of what I've seen and learned. But there's always a part of you that hopes maybe it's not quite that bad. Wednesday they called and told us that Dr. Hunt had fixed up Dustin's note and it was with the receptionist at the front desk for us to pick up. My mother-in-law (who is a nurse, and knows Dr. Hunt also) stopped by his office and spoke with him and picked up the note for us last night. I opened it up when I got home from work and Dustin has total restriction. No football conditioning, no PE class, no activity whatsoever. I think that was the final door slamming for me. I know the signs and symptoms of a "terrible triad of the knee" which is why I took him to the ER in the middle of a game. And I also know that we have a lovely collection of various knee braces now. But when a surgeon tells a very active, athletic 13 y/o boy that he can't do ANYTHING... I have to assume it's all damaged. Dustin is trying very hard to act like it doesn't bother him but I know that he misses football something terrible, his friends and the camaraderie. I just can't help but wonder if he will ever get back to playing with the confidence and skill he had before. That kid had the heart of a grown man on the field, and all he has ever wanted was to play football. God has a plan for him, and it's starting to look like the plan we thought was in motion is now being changed. Nothing to do now but wait and see. We go back to see the doctor in May for a surgical consult to determine when he will operate.
I guess it's also God's way of making sure I have a hormonal, emotional teenager after all! *wink*
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