Clinicals and FISHIN'!!

I had an interesting patient assigned to me at the hospital today. He was borderline lewd with some of the remarks he made. At one point I was moving him to a wheelchair or something and he told me to move over he was, "Looking at the meat". I looked over my shoulder and my instructor and one of my classmates were standing in the hallway (both women). It made for an interesting day!

After clinicals I went fishing. I'd been fishing a few times already this year, but hadn't had any bites, but today was different. Even though the water is still very chilly, the fish were active, I caught an estimated 30 bluegills (or sunfish) and about a dozen crappie. I don't think I had ever caught a crappie before. I fished about 5 hours before going back to aunt Milly's to complete my nursing care plan for my patient.

I didn't have my cell phone with me to take pictures of any of my fish, (or the "meat") ha ha.

Fishing with new friends

I met some people at Griffy Lake in Bloomington this afternoon that I originally met on the "indianaifo.net" fishing site. Nice folks, we talked some and fished, but none of us caught anything.

Sad news

Joe'ls "Pop pop" passed away tonight around 10pm. She and her mother will be flying to PA tomorrow for the viewing and funeral, I think they'll be back on Saturday.
Keep her and her family in your prayers.

Back at BHOC

I'm working 6 hours this morning at BHOC ER, just to keep up to date on the new computer system. We just had our first patient come in. We'll see how it goes!

"Look what I can do!!"

I was working on a floor today for a new piece of a shed dad and I am building. I was using large staples with a pneumatic gun to put the frame to the sheeting on the floor. I was working too quickly, shot the gun but didn't have it flat on the surface. The staple propelled by 100psi of air flew into my hand. I didn't have a camera to take a picture of it actually *IN* my hand, but I did have the ER save the staple. I yelled at the neighbor (I was at mom and dads) he and his grandson came over, called Joe'l on the phone and she came and got me. I got some lidocaine (the shots were 10x worse than the staple in my hand) injected in my hand, that made the pain go away. The doctor pulled the staple out, I got an Xray to make sure it hadn't damaged the bone, everything is ok and I'm on Keflex to prevent infection. Now what you've all been waiting for, THE PICTURES!

A distance shot, to give perspective.

This is where the staple was embedded, I'm not

sure which of these marks are from shots and

which are from the staple.

Here's the staple. As you can see, it's not from

your desk stapler!

Here's the staple on my hand.

OUCH!

What happenings

I've been neglecting my Blog, bad owner.

I went fishing today! I used to love to go fishing. I didn't catch anything today, but just being out in the sun and wind made the winter blahs go away.

School is still going on, although I'm on Spring Break this week, thus able to fish...
We changed clinical sites last week. Now I'm on the rehab floor "Where the nurses do nothing, and then blame you for it!" Not really. Well yeah really.

I'm still working. I might be splitting my time in the newly-to-be-opening ICU also, we'll see how that goes.

Joe'l is fine, she trys her best to keep our overstuffed little house spic and span. Stacking and restacking gets her down sometimes. She had a hair disaster earlier this week, you'll have to ask her about it.

Bella is still being a little girl, trying as that is for us parents. She goes potty by herself now, and as long as we are there to wrangle her away from the sink she does a fine job.
She is a big helper around the house too. She helped me dig a hole in the yard on Saturday, what a good girl.

I'll try to keep up with the blog better, but I can't promise....

Sick

Well, I had school yesterday then worked lastnight. I woke up today; nausea vomiting and diarrhea. I hate being sick....

In my "spare-time"....

This is a pile of brush!!

Actually, it is a cover made for small birds and mammals

to hide in. It started with the trunks of the cedar

trees, then piled on the boughs, this creates a place

that birds (I'm hoping for quail) can hide in the winter.

Another picture of my brush-pile.

And another picture....

This is the Rise of Lost River in Orangeville.

The river is filling the banks here, and spilling over

down-stream.

This is a view of the Rise looking north.

You can usually see the rock "bluff", not this day!

A nice sun-rise picture, that is 37 in the foreground.

Catching Up

I have been so busy! I tried to set up so I can just email
my posts, but it doesn't appear to have worked.

School is going along, some good days some not so good days.
Lots of late nights working on Care Plans. I'll try to post my next post
from my laptop, I have some pictures on there.

Bella knew what we were saying today when we spelled N-A-P, and she said
she didn't want to.

A great idea!!

I have a question, not only for Douglas County,
but for the entire state of Oregon. Like a lot of
folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay
me, I pay my taxes and the government
distributes my taxes as they see fit. In order for
me to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a
random urine test, which I have no problem with.
What I do have a problem with is the distribution
of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a
urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test
to get a welfare check, because I have to pass one
to go earn it for them? Please understand, I have
nothing against helping people get back on their feet.
I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping
someone sit on their butt. Could you imagine how
much money the state would save if people had to
pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

Attributed to Leonard Wilson

Whats with the weather?

Cold, warm, windy, FREEZING, warm.......
Joe'l told me that it will soon be groundhog day, she said she hoped he didn't see his shadow (or whichever means no more winter) Anyways, I said "what winter? We haven't really had any winter yet."
I'm off today, although I have a full plate of things to do, at least I'm home!

Back at work

I'm at work now, wanted to drop a note and see if anyone had looked at the picture, but no one has.
The ER is very busy right now, I hope we get through this rush and have a peaceful night. I'm not getting my hopes up though.
The most important thing on my mind right now is what we are going to have for supper....I'm thinking Chinese, we'll see what everyone else thinks.

Who remembers this?

I told you this was coming, my own old pictures.

(I can't find the one of Leta that I promised, but I will.

Endo day at the hospital

Today I was observing in the endoscopy department all day. I watched 3 or 4 EGD's (down the throat scopes); 3 or 4 colonoscopies (up the rear scopes); 1 ERCP (shooting dye into the common bile duct to make sure the ducts are still patent, and the clip is still holding where the gallbladder used to be); and a bronchoscopy with biopsy under fluroscopy (real-time X-ray) THAT was really neat.

Joe'l came up to Bloomington and we went out to eat at Red Lobster. Bella is staying with her grandparents for the weekend.

OR time

I was in the OR all day at the hospital. I really had a good time! I took some extra medicine and prayed a lot before I left home. I didn't even *think* about being nervous today. I'm excited.
I got to see a carotid endarterectomy. That is where the carotid artery (in your neck) is cut open longitudinally and the plaque is taken out. I thought it would be like grease or fat that came out, but it was more like grissle or the parts of a piece of chicken that you don't eat.
In the afternoon I watched two hernia repairs done though the scope (endoscope). That was neat too, like playing a video game, watch the monitor and move the little graspers around inside.
I had a good day!

A bad day

Today I had class, a lady from the OR came to talk to us about do's and don't's for me we have observation time there. I'm the first person to have time in the OR, it is tomorrow. I don't want to do it. I'm afraid I'll freak out while I'm in there.
She said that if we feel like we are going to pass out that we should just sit down in the floor, not try to make it out of the room, we'd probably fall down and crack our heads. Great!
I was really happy to be home and see Joe'l and Bella, I'm having a hard time with my anxiety right now.

Splitting a weekend is bad

I worked Saturday 7am-7pm, and Sunday 7pm-7am. Don't try this at home.

I may be chosen to have a blog on the Ivy Tech website, I will find out later this week...maybe. There are several others vying for the position. But my wit and charm, I'm sure, will lead me to win.
We've had a good night in the ER, our patient numbers are up, which means we aren't all bored to tears all night long. And some of them are actually SICK! (and have insurance!)

One hour till I'm off, and I can't wait. I am really tired tonight. I work again on Tuesday day-shift and then have school on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and am scheduled to work Saturday and Sunday day-shifts, then school on Monday morning and a "nursing luncheon" at noon. Then I'll be off for a whole day! I think I'll sleep.

Thursday I'll be in the OR at Bloomington Hospital observing. Friday will be Endoscopy (that is where they put the scope down your throat and look, or cut or whatever needs done.) Endoscopy will be interesting and Surgery probably will be too.
But, going into Nursing school, the one thing that I didn't really want to do was OR, so what is the FIRST specialty observation I have to do.....OR of course. *sigh* This is just my luck. But I will arise and overcome!!
I gotta get some pictures on here, I'm sure the blog is boring.

Home away from Home

My Aunt lets me stay at her Condo on the lake when I need to. I'm probably going to be here more this semester than last, due to class schedule and work.

Tomorrow is the first day at the hospital for clinicals, we are going to be learing about IV pumps, and the computer system and where things are in the hospital....yee haa...I just had to learn a new facility, but that's ok, I will arise and overcome.

I am going to get to some reading, then to bed. (Why can't we just have a USB port put in our head and download all the information? al-a "The Matrix")

The Blog ought to be more frequent now that I am back in school.

Caving at the nudey camp

I went caving for the first time in months on Saturday. I had a good time, didn't do anything too over the top. Just a couple of small caves. One was on the property of this place http://www.ourhaven.info/ I didn't know such a place existed so close to home. It is actually in Martin County. This cave was only 65', but it did have some nice yet small formations in it. Most notably were the very tiny rimstone dams.
The second cave we went to was almost in the town of Shoals, it is a sandstone cave. We surveyed (mapped) this cave, and it took a lot longer than anticipated, due to many large rocks in the way. It took 2-3 hours, but we finished it. I'm anticipating seeing the map drawn out.

I started back to school today. I only have one class this semester, but two days of clinicals at the hospital, so I will be busy non-the-less. I'll still be working two shifts a week also.

Bella and Joe'l got back from PA yesterday, I was happy to see them, they had been gone for 9 days to visit family and celebrate the holidays with them.

I should be able to get back to the blog now that vacation is over and I'll be on a more set schedule.

Oh the wonders of boredom

We got a new "all-in-one" printer for ourselves around Christmas time...so I guess it was a gift to ourselves. Now I can scan in some of these pictures I have around. I have a bunch from my Senior band trip to Florida. Those will be NICE!! ha ha....
And I am pretty sure I have a really great one of Letajoy hanging onto the back of my lawnmower, being the "weight" for the grader blade, if I'm not mistaken, she is wearing a neon green hat....Yeah, maybe tomorrow I'll got on a scanning frenzy!

Joe'l and Bella are in PA, they left last Monday er Sunday, Friday maybe, I can't remember, I don't even know what today is. Anyway, they will be home on Sunday!
I miss them awful. :o( Poor daddy.