I napped!

Before I got out of bed this morning, I finished my plan of care for the week.

Check. One thing done.

I hopped out of bed and went downstairs to make breakfast.

Once that was done with, I hung a new picture:

I started typing up my midterm clinical evaluation and got about half of it done.

I took a break and went for a walk.

I checked my mail on my way back in and I had received a package from my parents!

I received a notepad and two shirts.

This included an NBA champions shirt! wooh!

I finished typing up my evaluation and relaxed in bed.

I took a nap for the first time in ages.

When I awoke I got sucked into a lifetime movie.

I had to do something quick. 

I called up Stesha and we went to dinner at the Olive Garden.

The bad thing was...it is 30 minutes away in Cary.

The good news....it was right next to the closest Sonic.

I scored me a drink!

I've got a butt load of studying to do tomorrow to prepare for my first Mental Health Exam.

Once it is complete, I will be free of exams until after summer break!

Happy Father's Day

My chin is a bother. haha

the glue is starting to peel off... I keep picking at it

I've always had this need to pick at things. I wish I could stop. It's a bad habit.

Give me a peeling sunburn..and I'm a happy camper.

I really thought after the dark skies yesterday evening that we would have some big storms last night.

It never happened.

clouds in last night's sky

I slept in this morning and I had a buddy.

Alley was creeping over me.

I don't mind.

The first thing on my list of to-dos was a clinical reflection paper.

This was challenging because I have only had 2 days of clinical so far.

I chose a situation and got to writing. 

I chatted with my Dad and wished him a Happy Father's Day.

The great thing about being home last weekend was that I got to give him his gifts in person and spend time with him.

I set out for a jog/walk.

Stesha picked me up on the side of the road when I was just about finished.

We went out to lunch and then I showed her some episodes of This American Life on Netflix.

I spent the rest of the afternoon completing this week's Pharm quiz...and then guess what?

I finished next week's quiz too!

Yay!

I've been catching up on the DVR'd shows and relaxing.

I'm taking the rest of the night off from studying.

tonight's dinner

Happy 1st Birthday Blog!

Once upon a time....

...a girl started a blog....

Hey!

Guess what?

Today is my blog's 1st Birthday!

My how time flies. 

I guess that means it has been just about a year since I sent off my Duke application in hopes of getting an interview.

I never knew everything would work out the way I had planned (so far...hah).
What if I hadn't gotten an interview? What if I did...but didn't make it into the program? What if I got in, but couldn't make the transition...or decide to go through with it?
All of these "what ifs".
But here I am, almost halfway done =)

Today was long and hard....and fun!

I gave my first round of meds and gave my first injection!

Stesha called me afterwards to make sure I made it through the day without passing out..HAHA....so funny...not! =P

I made sure to keep my butt cheeks clenched throughout the day.

My chin is healing nicely...but it does start to ache if I don't take aleve every 6-8 hours.

I'm looking forward to sleeping as late as I want tomorrow!

The professional pics from the wedding last month are up.

I'm sharing the two of us dancing.

I met this man 6 months ago...and I'm forever changed.

goodnight

Chubby

Happy Friday!

It was a day full of Adult Health Fun.

We finished up on the respiratory system and moved onto the GI system.

Nothing too crazy or amazing happened today.

After Community Health, Stesha and I tried a new place.

We were in the mood for Mexican and searched Yelp once again for help.

We came across Chubby's Tacos.

The verdict?

AMAZING!

They had SEVERAL different salsas you could choose from at a "salsa bar". 

so good...mmm...mmm

We stopped by The Duck Shop and I picked up another little surprise for Lance.

He is going to be one spoiled boyfriend. 

I came straight home (after a stop for froyo) and hopped into bed.

I've been here ever since.

I've got a 12 hour shift tomorrow and I hope I survive (no falls this time).

Goodnight moon

Activia makes me REGULAR

I woke up this morning with horrible muscle pain in my neck and upper back.

I guess that fall....er....falls yesterday caused some more damage than I thought.

As the day went on I realized I also had a bruise on some of my left ribs and my knee =/

I had my first Pharm exam at 8 AM.

The test wasn't horrible...but some questions were strange. I felt like I had a good grasp on the concept, but some of the answer choices were off. Maybe I'm crazy.

I ran back over to the ED after the test to get my permission to return to clinical slip thingy signed. 

Dummy me forgot that it needed to be signed by a MD or NP.

I got an RN to sign it...so dumb.

So I had to run back over there for a third time (in two days). A nice NP signed it for me.

My pharm professor started the lecture out with a wonderful SNL clip:

We were discussing Laxatives =)

We took a break for lunch and then it was Mental Health time.

Our professor started the lecture off with this video:

she then danced around and made us all laugh

Several students got up and danced around with her.

If I had the guts to dance...or felt up to it...I would have, but my chin was causing too much pain.

It's all bruised and hurts =(

We discussed substance abuse.

Enjoy:

The last class of the day was Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

It took everything I had to stay awake.

I'm dying here. hah

We got out 30 minutes early and I headed to the ED (what I mentioned before...for the third time to get my slip signed).

Stesha picked me up outside the ED and we had dinner at Red Robin.

I've never been to one before and I wasn't even sure what it was.

I didn't even know Texas had them until my boyfriend mentioned he had been to one before.

I thoroughly enjoyed my burger.

I came home and saw that my boyfriend's surprise had arrived at my doorstep.

He has to wait two weeks to get it! =)

Daily wound pic (I can't help myself).

Time to massage my neck and shoulders and fall asleep.

3 fall outs and 2 stitches later...

It was a beautiful morning.

..or so I thought

I got up early enough to have time to get coffee.

2nd week of addiction...check!

I didn't even make it to 9 AM before I had a vasovagal reaction. 

Great, just great.

2 days in and I'm already getting sent to the ED.

Here's what went down.

I started feeling really hot and dizzy.

I excused myself from the room and was trying to get to the break room to sit down.

That didn't go so well.

I started to black out and FELL on the ground. I caught myself with my hands and got back up.

This is where I got stupid.

I STOOD BACK UP....and FELL again!

...and then?

I got up and FELL a THIRD time.

I am so dumb.

All I could think in my head was "I need to get off the floor because it is dirty".

There was absolutely no one around. 

I braced myself against the wall and started walking towards the break room.

I saw one of my peers and told her I didn't feel well.

They sat me down and took my vitals.

My BP was 92/60. So so low.

They got me some water and crackers...and then I noticed blood on the floor.

I started feeling around on my face to see where the blood was coming from.

I was in no pain whatsoever...so I was confused.

Turns out I had a big gash under my chin that would not stop bleeding.

I was given an ice pack to stop the swelling on my chin and my cheek (I guess I hit that too...). 

After talking with my CI and one of the professors, they decided the best thing would for me to be wheeled down to the ED.

They slapped a fall precautions bracelet on my arm and I felt like going nuts.

I heard the talk of stitches and freaked out a little in my head.

on my way to the ED

I was seen pretty quick and the doc told me I needed some stitches.

He put 2 stitches in internally...and glued the outside.

me with lidocaine soaking into my chin

 He used a 30 gauge needle (super small) to numb me up. I barely felt the thing go in...thank goodness. 

I was lucky enough to have one of my peers sit with me and we quizzed each other for our Pharm exam tomorrow. 

post stitches/glue

a couple of hours later my CI came down to check on me. I told him I would be back on the unit in a bit. He told me to "GO HOME". haha

I made my way home and have been studying with Stesha for Pharm.

I'm not going to lie, having time to study is great.

I just wish it didn't come at the cost of me busting open my chin.

I should have just sat in the hallway until someone found me.

I did learn from a nurse in the ED to squeeze my butt cheeks together when I feel faint the next time. It causes a different reflex that constricts your blood vessels. 

That is all for now.

My chin hurts and I need to study.

I'm Home

I needed a mental break. As I said last week, I was in a funk.

I needed a change of scenery. 

I came home.

I bought the ticket last Wednesday.

I made sure I brought along all of my school stuff.

I had a list of things I needed to get done while I was gone.

So back to last Friday.

I got up early to get to school an hour before my Adult Health Exam.

Starbucks was a must!

Twice in one week. I'm going nuts.

The exam came and went...and guess what?

I survived.

It wasn't bad =)

We had a day's worth of lecture to get to after the exam.

We took a quick break to take a look at a giant dragonfly a girl in the class had captured on her way to school.

Beth even put it on display.

Notice it on the projector screen!

As soon as class let out, Stesha took me to the airport.

I took pictures of the pages in some of the text books I needed to read. Just the big ones...

I brought my mental health book and pharm book with me.

Studying in the airport

I did get placed next to a chatterbox on my first flight.

Turns out his daughter is in nursing school in Oregon...AND his wife is a RN.

Small world.

I didn't get any studying done on that flight.

However, on the next one I got a BUTT load of reading done.

I knocked out community health and the majority of next week's adult health reading.

I landed and got to choose where to eat dinner with my parents!

Babe's it was =)

The next morning I had my favorite breakfast.

I walked the dogs with my Mom.

I even got my ATI practice exam done.

It was only 90 questions.

Then I got my Vitamin D on.

I finally got to see The Hangover II on Sunday. I laughed quite a bit. I think the reviews were wrong, I thought it was just as good as the first.

I took a Mental Health Quiz and completely bombed it.

That's what I get for doing all of the reading and taking good notes =/

right?

ugh

moving on...

More Vitamin D time!

getting my Pharm reading done

We got the chance to celebrate Father's Day early =)

The Mavs ended up winning the NBA title! pretty cool

I stayed up way too late talking politics and childhood stories with my boyfriend.

=)

I went on a shopping trip today to pick out some things for Lance.
We've got a gift swap happening in a couple of weeks.

I relaxed and studied for my Pharm exam that is this Thursday.

I got my grade back for my Adult Health exam and I aced it =)
This was a great feeling after that debacle yesterday in Mental Health.

Katie came by to see me for a couple of hours and we got to catch up.
Now the time has come for me to drift off to sleep.

Back to NC tomorrow.