Tuesday, December 21, 2010

I'll be home for...

NEW YEARS!! I'm quite excited about that because I miss my family. I know that so much has changed and I know that it'll be a little weird going to my old house but I know it'll be nice at the same time. It's gonna be hard though cause now I have to leave a brand new kitty named Apple at my apartment all alone. Well not completely alone. Becky, Jamie and Kyrsten said they'd come over and watch her once a day while I was gone so I don't have to board her at a vet's office or have a "pet sitter" come watch her. I feel better about having people I trust come to visit with her. And she's truly super low maintenance even though she's probably not even one year old yet.

So my apartment is pretty barren right now. I have no christmas decorations up this year. It's a weird feeling but I just wasn't on top of it this year. It feels weird but then again it's how it is this year. Next year I'll be more prepared and have a tree and everything. Next year will be different as far as lots of things go in my personal and professional life. I don't want to stay med-surg forever so I'm thinking that as soon as I hit my 6 month mark for my time at work. I'm thinking L&D, PICU, Peds, NICU or post pardum. I'm not sure how great I'd be at L&D or post pardum cause I've never had kids but I still think I'd like it. PICU/Peds is where my heart lies for the moment but we'll see after I shadow.

I'll post new years resolutions once I've thought of them.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

"I need another story..."

This is very true. I feel like some days I'm having the time of my life and others I feel like I'm going in slow motion.

I just started as a brand new nurse. Completely on my own. No strings or umbilical cord to keep me tied. I feel such freedom and yet I feel so scared. I did 6 days in a row and everything was great. I had a rocky first day, I felt like my brain was trying to catch up with what my body was doing. I kept forgetting to get things and kept forgetting to bring prn pain meds. One PA made a joke to me which completely made me want to cry but I held it together cause I knew he was only joking and it was a completely harmless joke. He and I were on the same page after that. He's pretty awesome. In fact most of the Neuro PA's are pretty awesome. After that moment, I knew I would be OK. Well, then I had to call a doc on my own. Which was different but the same as when you have a preceptor. I've called and spoken to doc's plenty of times before, but only with a preceptor close by to make sure I say the right things. Now it's ALL on me. Scary but very freeing. Like not wearing underwear under a dress. Then after THAT moment, when it was all over and the doc heard me out and I gave all the appropriate info and the convo finished, then I knew I would be OK.

"Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world...like I'm the only one who knows your heart..."

Went to visit Anthony this past weekend. Every time I see him we talk more seriously about being married and having a future together. It's amazing. I've wanted this for a while and I knew that he wasn't ready the whole time I was but now I feel like we're on the same page. He doesn't want me to sacrifice anything I want to do and the same for me about him. We completely support each other. Everything is so great right now with he and I. It's amazing.

Tonight and tomorrow night are my last nights of freedom and then it's back to the grind.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

This week has been absolutely crazy. Lets start with last Friday, the work week from hell. I worked 6 days in a row so from Friday night thru Wednesday night. By the time wednesday rolled around I was dead tired and just wanted it to be 0700 on Thursday morning. during this whole escapade, I was pretty sure my friends had forgotten about me but lucky me, they popped up to see me on Thursday morning during good morning med time. I was much pleased. =]

This weekend I came to see Anthony again and even though I missed out...again on doing something with my friends, it was worth it cause seeing him makes me less of a grumpus. Sometimes I just feel like my relationship suffers with my friends cause we're on two different schedules right now. I work nights and they work days and we never see each other. Well almost never. I'm not really sure how to feel about this. Part of me is sad, but part of me feels that this is how it's supposed to be. I mean, this is the path that is being laid out for me. I'm going to marry Anthony and we're going to have a crazy army life together with children and a dog (which is going to be pretty exciting and I'm naming the dog Jeffery) but at the same time, these are my friends and I do miss them. We'll get it figured out, its just difficult right now. But life would be boring if it was too easy.

On a happy note, I saw Beth yesterday, which always makes me happy. She's almost done in San Antonio and that makes me sad...BUT she is moving on to continue her army nurse work in Maryland. =] I think weekend after next, I'll come back and take a tour of post, one where I can walk around and see lots of things and take pictures (I NEVER remember my camera anymore), and we can just hang out and be merry. Maybe we'll drink some more Dosaritas. =]

Time to make fried chicken with my lover boy. =]
Back to Belton tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

So I finally have internet in my apartment. It makes my life so much better because now I can pay my bills without having to track everything with me to the amenity center. I still don't have a washer and dryer but I'm ok with that. I don't mind going to the amenity center to do laundry, which desperately needs to be done tomorrow because it gets me out of the house. I also use the amenity center to work out. Today I didn't work out...bad me. But tomorrow I will. Anthony and I are doing this competition thing to see who can run the most miles in a month. Now I know what you're all thinking "what are you crazy, he run way more than you cause of the army" well, it'a all about timing and energy level. This week I have the time and the energy to run at least 2 miles a day (minus today) which puts me at 10 miles for the week (we started this whole thing yesterday). If I complete 10-12 miles each week until december 9th which makes about 4 weeks then I'll have ran 40-48 miles this month. Crazy when you think about it. I wanna try and run 40 miles this month and just keep increasing miles per month as I go. It's an accomplishment thing for me cause I never work out. Oh yeah, the winner, whoever runs the most miles in a month, gets a prize! I'm not sure of the prize but it'll be a good one! =]

Work is great. I'm officially done with orientation and will be starting on my own Friday night. Exciting but scary at the same time. I really can't wait! I'll update after my first week of work is over. I'm hoping I make enough PTO to be able to fly home and visit my family. They miss me and I miss them so much! I'm missing out on a bunch too, like Camden, my little bro, drives now. WTF mate? My little brosuf is driving. This is ridiculous. Seriously. But I'm way proud of him. =]

Alright. I have nothing else to say. I love you all!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

What a day. I've been up since 0500 and am not going to bed until at least 0700 tomorrow morning (I hope I make it). WHY you may ask...cause tomorrow night officially starts my first night shift. In order to keep myself awake and functioning I plan on being in the 24 hour amenity center as long as possible. For now it's just so I can get laundry done. So here I sit, alone, on the floor, listening to the spinning of both washing machines. I'm currently waiting for the 'add fabric softener' light to turn on. It's like my own personal space. I kinda feel like I'm in college again. The whole doing laundry outside of your living space brings that all together for me. For tonight, it's OK, but I really think it's time for my own washer and dryer in my apartment. I have been thinking about this for quite sometime and have just been too lazy to call or I forget. I also really must get internet. The whole not having internet at my apartment is killing me, and it makes it hard to check my work email and get anything else productive done. But at least I have TV which keeps me mostly sane.

So I've decided. I've decided that if Anthony drove up here and asked me to marry him tomorrow, with out without a ring, I'd say yes. I know that my mom would not think me wise but I can't explain it, when you know, you know. Now, this isn't something that I've just decided in the moment, it's something I've been thinking about since probably July. For me, it's like every other decision I've made in life. When I was 18, I thought I wanted to be a nurse, but I wasn't completely sure. Now, I'm 22, graduated and working at a wonderful hospital and I know that a nurse is exactly what I want to be. With Anthony, it's the same way. In the beginning I wasn't completely sure. I knew I loved him, but was he THE ONE? And now, I can't imagine my life without him, at all. We've done a lot of talking lately about a lot of things. We're definitely taking things one year at a time. I'm not sure when we'll be engaged, but I know, that when he asks me, the answer is yes.

Kinda heavy right? I know, I've been feeling all these things in my head and heart for a while and I think I finally have them sorted. Well, mostly sorted. =)

Anyway, enough for now. I think I've placed my words correctly and said quite a bit for one evening.

Goodnight moon, may the sun greet you with a smile in the morning.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Dinner last night was pretty spectacular, minus the whole fact that we each paid like $40 to eat meat on a plate. We should have known it was going to be like that when we pulled up and they were vallet parking people and absolutely should have known after we walked in and saw that it was all dimly lit and there were empty tables but it was still a 30 minute wait cause we didn't have a reservation. We decided to sit in the bar cause we didn't want to wait and the waiter came and asked Anthony and I if we wanted Pellegrinio or regular tap water. It was WAY fancy. Beth and Brad felt completely under dressed but we ended up having a good time anyway. Anthony was the only one who was smart and actually read the menu carefully cause he ended up with a steak about the size of his fist and some scalloped potatoes. Needless to say, we won't be going there again. We sat there for 4 hours talking and regaling each other with memories from college. It was really nice to see Beth and to meet Brad. The next time I come to San Antonio Beth and I are going to go on the ghost tour. =D

Tuesday is my last class for orientation. It's skin class from 07-1200 and then RT/Trach from 1230-1530. I start nights the next day on Wednesday and am pretty excited about it. Actually I'm super excited for my last off unit day with the pain management team. Those guys are flippin' hilarious. Next week starts the last two week of orientation. I can't believe that by the time October ends I'll be done with orientation. It blows my mind. Completely blows my mind. I feel ready but at the same time I don't. But I guess I'll never completely be ready and but I'll never be completely alone either. This was comforting advice from a girl who just finished her orientation on Wednesday. It will definitely be a defining moment in my life when I take my first group of patients completely on my own.

6ish days til my ladies get here! SO EXCITED

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Goodness it's been a while. So since I've been here, Jamie, Kyrsten AND Becky all got jobs at Scott and White. How exciting for them and for me cause now I'll have people that I know well close to me. Jamie and Kyrsten are living in the same complex as I am in Belton and Beck is living in Temple. They all get here on the 14th...it's like mass exodus to Texas from Arizona all at one time but I am really excited. Unfortunately when they get here I won't be able to help them move in but I'll see them soon, even though I am starting nights next week. EEP! Beck came to Temple to check out apartments on Wed and I went to dinner with her and her mom on Thursday night. It was really nice. =]

Other than that, I have no other exciting news. I'm in San Antonio this weekend cause I love Anthony and at this time, this is the only way I'll see him cause he's doing army training. It doesn't bother me though to drive down to San Antonio. The drive isn't too bad, although I must remember to wear my glasses when I make the drive cause my eyes get super dry if I wear my contacts. Beth arrived in San Antonio I think on Wednesday and tonight she, her fiancee, Anthony and I are going to get dinner. I'm pretty excited for this occasion cause before Thursday's dinner with Beck and her mom I have been completely deprived of people I know and love at NAU.

Work is going well. At the end of October I am off of orientation and am on my own, meaning I no longer have a preceptor. I feel o about this prospect though cause technically I am on my own already and I ask for help when I need it. Thats pretty much how it'll be when I am officially alone except it'll be on nights instead of days, thank goodness.

Well time to get ready for dinner. =]

Ciao