Kapachino

My brother David

Here is my very handsome and very charming brother, David, with our mutual friend Lauren on her birthday.

Another Reason

As part of my clinical experience at The Methodist Hospital this semester, everyone in my class who is assigned there comes together every other week for a conference. During this time we have a lecturer on a specified topic, and then 5-6 students per week discuss an issue they have encountered during their time there.

 Today’s lecture was on end-of-life and palliative care. This is something I am extremely passionate about. I remember when we had to watch the movie Wit in class a year ago, and I had to keep myself from completely losing it. I think I’ve written here before that for some reason I am drawn to the patients who are nearing end-of-life or who are dealing with serious illnesses. I feel that they are so often overlooked, neglected, and not given the chance to die with dignity. I want to help change that.

Our lecturer was a member of the palliative care team, and she began with a skit that brought up so many things, things that people are uncomfortable talking about, like intimacy at end-of-life. She told this story:

“I was called in to consult on a patient in the CVICU, a younger man who was dying. His wife was there with him, and she asked me what she could expect with all this. I went over things with her, and then I asked, ‘Would you like to just curl up in bed with your husband and hold him one last time? Because we can take care of the equipment and make that happen.’ Tears sprung to her eyes and she responded, ‘I didn’t know I could do that.’”

And I was weeping in the conference room. I don’t know how everyone wasn’t. It’s little things like this that will make all the difference. That’s the kind of nurse I want to be.

Desk

My desk at work. Really interesting, right?

This May Be The Cutest Thing EVER

Courtesy of my brother David:

These baby hedgehogs think this cleaning brush is their mother!! Click here for the full story.

Tiara

 Here is a random picture of me trying on a veil and a tiara at some random bridal shop. I can’t remember which one. I’m so glad I ordered the dress I’m going to wear because I am sick of trying them on already. Now if the perfect ceremony and reception venue would just fall into my lap I could just coast for a few months. Sort of.

The Job Hunt Begins

I heard on the radio this morning that nursing is the #2 most wanted profession in the U.S. So surely I will be able to find a job that I like, right? Right?

So far I have applied to three hospitals: St. Luke’s, Methodist, and M.D. Anderson. They are all in the medical center. Let me tell you a little something about the medical center. If you live in Katy, it SUCKS.  This is my drive right now:

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This will be my drive once I’m married and move in with David:

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I fill my tank up with gas about once a week already. And that road that I drive down? Is an expensive tollway. Not to mention the fact that parking in the medical center is ridiculous.

Sigh.

But I had a phone interview with M.D. Anderson last Friday, and the starting salary is more than double what I’ve ever made in my life before. I know that they are calling all of their applicants to screen for which ones they want to come for an on-site interview, but I was still excited because it was my first response from anyplace I’ve applied. Of course, the place that I really want to work, Memorial Hermann Memorial City, requires a much more extensive process and I’m waiting on a recommendation letter from my preceptor before I can be considered. And I’m looking into some Katy hospitals, but I don’t know if they have any graduate nurse positions that offer a training program - which I NEED.

So I’m sure it will all work out, but this could be seriously stressful.

Indecent

 Yeah, I took a picture of Cleo taking a dump next to the pet waste contraption that is NEVER stocked with bags. And that is the ONLY reason I didn’t pick it up. It’s my form of protest, because they didn’t listen to my comments that I made on the yearly resident satisfaction survey.

This Morning

It’s really hard for me to write anything on days that I work my clinical shifts, which are usually Tuesdays. Reason being I wake up at five a.m., leave at 5:45 a.m. (not usually enough time for me to get ready, but I refuse to wake up any earlier), and don’t get home until 8:15 p.m. By that time I am pretty much useless to do anything besides collapse on my bed. But since I did such a bad job of posting last week I am making it a point to write every day, and that means today you get this pointless rambling you are reading now. 

I woke up about ten minutes ago, and it was not easy. Cleo had burrowed her way under the covers and was stretched out beside me like a human, and she was not eager to move. I love it when she lies like that, and all I wanted to do was cuddle with her for oh, five more hours? That would have put me at 12 hours of sleep which is about what I need to feel refreshed. 

My roommate is using the shower that we share at the moment, and since I already leave myself less than the usual amount of time to get ready on these mornings I should be doing something more productive than this, but it is just so hard to break out of that dang morning routine. It just doesn’t feel right to eat my breakfast before my shower. 

Oh, she’s out - gotta go! 

Edit: I drove all the way to the medical center (not a simple task as you Houstonians will agree) wasting gas and money for tolls and parking only to find that my preceptor (the nurse that I work with) was called off today. There was nothing to do but go home. So here I am. And I can’t just enjoy a day off, no. I’m going to go to work! But first I WILL treat myself to a short nap.

Dreary

 We got some rain and a cold front yesterday. This was the view out of the window by my desk at work.

Mixed Bag

I let myself go last week and only posted once. Sorry about that. To get back into the swing of things, I’m going to post this meme because I was tagged by Tabaitha last Wednesday, but I’m just now getting around to it.

10 years ago:

• I was a sophomore in high school, and my classes were pretty easy. 
• It was soccer season, so I was probably doing a lot of that.

Things on my to-do list today:

• Work
• Dry cleaning and alterations
• Laundry
• Print out a picture to send to Mary (our Compassion child)
• Go to bed EARLY!

What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire?

• Pay off my credit card and my student loans. Also David’s truck.
• I’d probably buy a house too.
• Buy some things I really want, like a Tempur-pedic mattress.
• Support all the charities and organizations that I really believe in.
• Help people out when they need it.
• Travel.

Three of my bad habits:

• Texting and reading while I drive (but I’ve pretty much cut it out thanks to my New Years’ resolution!)
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times
• Avoiding any kind of confrontation or conflict

Five jobs I have had:

• Server at Johnny Rockets
• Counselor at Forest Glen/Camp Good News
• Maintenance at Tabor College
• Medical records at Texas Oncology Cancer Center
• Office assistant for a bankruptcy trustee 

Five things people don’t know about me:

• I have a pen pal in Australia that I have been keeping in touch with since 3rd grade
• I had three hamsters growing up and I named them all after types of bread: Muffin, Crumpet, and Biscuit
• I suffer from sleep paralysis 
• My morning routine rarely varies. Make bed, shower, dress, hair and makeup, breakfast, take care of Cleo, leave.
• You wouldn’t think it, but I was a stellar hurdler (100m and 300m) in junior high track.

I tag you!