NTI!

Guess what?? My manager came up to me today to "congratulate" me. I asked for what? And she said they picked me to receive the scholarship to attend the NTI and Critical Care Exposition Conference in Washington, DC this May!!

I totally thought they picked someone else since I had not heard anything!

I am soooooooOOOooo happy and thrilled!!!!! I really need this enthusiasm again for my career.

She said that 7 people applied, too from all over the different campuses.

And then, one of the women who was on the panel came by and said that everyone read my essay and it was UNANIMOUS! She said everyone picked my essay (it was a blind-study type thing)!! I cannot believe it. I'm so happy:):)

eggcelent

Just came back from a tortuous bike ride. The temperature in Florida lately has been so wacky. Usually, the high around this time of year is about 74, but the high has been in the 50's. I haven't been riding because it is cold for me. Well, I decided that enough was enough and I would go out to brave the cold.


...

it sucked!
The wind was terrible. I was pushing so hard that my head started to hurt and my stomach, too. I made myself ride for about a half hour, but it sucked. I was on the Pinellas trail, too, so I had to keep going over huge hill overpasses. I had to walk up one because my legs were just lead.
I doubt I could do a triathlon. I have no stamina for anything and I get out of breath way too quickly. Luckily, I know my heart is okay since last year, my doctor heard a carotid bruit and made me have a carotid ultrasound, echo, ekg, and an MRA. All showed that my vessels are obviously clean, but just twisty (my HDL is over 85, so I highly doubted I had plaque build up). I was sinus, and my echo showed my EF was good and no regurge or anything significant. Still, I wonder if I get SOB more than most sometimes?

I really need some ideas for dinner.
I'm totally in a food rut. I did pick up my veggies from the CSA yesterday, which included carrots, red mustard, some weird bokchoy with flowers (apparently the chef's requested it), another lettuce, and a dozen eggs. Mirza made omelette's last night, so I'm not in the mood for that again. Also, I am working the next two days and would like something for leftover lunches.

The eggs are perfectly imperfect. Actual free-range, organic. All different shapes and sizes.

Any dinner ideas? Do you ever get in food ruts? It's like nothing sounds appealing for some reason.

questions

Two small dilemmas on my mind:

#1 is not so much of a dilemma, but I will still discuss it, anyway.

I've calculated that in September, I should probably have enough hours to take my CCRN. I kind of hinted this to the nurse I am working with and she was like, "nah, you should really get a good 2-3 years experience and then take it."
To me, it seems like if I am studying for this exam over the next months, then I am only increasing my knowledge base and helping me become a better ICU nurse. If I meet the minimum requirement (1750 hours in ICU), then I qualify just like everyone else, right? Either way, I went ahead and ordered the DVD's and will start studying. It has always been my goal to get my CCRN, and I also want to go back to school part time for my Master's and get a start on that, so I would like to have it prior to my application, as well, but certainly that is not my sole reason for wanting it since I would still need to keep up with CE's. I'm just going to do what I want...


#2
Mirza is (supposed to) graduate next May with a BS in Music Education. I had planned on starting my MSN program in January.
However, given his degree and the economy, I'm thinking realistically that we may need to relocate for him to find a job.
Should I wait until he is finished and know for sure what is going on before I start school? I'm just worried that I will start my program and then we might have to move or something. I'd rather have him settle with his job...does this make sense? The only thing is that I want to start school sooner rather than later, but more experience in the ICU is never a bad thing, either. Also, I'm not the kind of person to keep putting off school because I love it and actually miss it (hence the excitement for studying for my CCRN).

I'm a planner, if you can't tell.

Any thoughts?

headache

pain
I've had a headache all morning. Does anyone else suffer from headaches/migraines? I tend to get cluster and tension headaches, on one side of my head, or focused behind one eye. I seem to get one every week, if not more. Last week I suffered a headache at work and at one point started to see stars before I asked a coworker for medicine. If you opened my "medicine" cabinet, you will only find one medicine, and that is Excedrin extra strength migraine. I rarely take anything because I'm rarely sick, but when it comes to headaches, I try to give it a few hours before I give into the powers of the pharmaceuticals.


bummer
Well, it looks like I did not get that scholarship to attend the critical care conference. I haven't heard anything, so I am taking that to mean it was given to someone else. Bummer.
Also, my glo bars arrived yesterday, but I was at work so they brought them to the manager's office, but it is Sunday and they're closed, so now I need to wait until tomorrow~ argh.

work
I had snake bite guy back yesterday. He had been on the ventilator a lot longer than expected because of a nasty pneumonia, followed by a self-extubation and re-intubation the day previously. I was anxious to get him extubated to hear the story of how one gets bit on the tongue by a snake, but I kind of already figured how. He pretty much said it was just a "dick" move on his part that he wishes he could forget. He was messing with the snake...a wild snake. He'll be fine. In the morning before extubating him, we did a sedation vacation and he was acting appropriate, so we told him he was bit in the tongue by a snake, he was in the hospital, etc. He nodded to each account. Finally, the nurse I am working with said, "And the snake is dead," to which his eyes got wide and he pouted his bottom lip. It was funny.


Hoping to spend some quality time with Mirza and see a movie. I haven't been on a bike ride in awhile due to the unusually cold weather. I could have gone today, but my head was killing me. It is beautiful out right now. Probably in the low 60's, sun shining, and clear sky.

wicked excited

My mother got me tickets for my birthday to see Wicked. It was AMAZING!! I loved loved loved it. And Mirza did, too, despite the giant hair bush right in front of his view. We were in the orchestra, row P, right in the middle, so I loved the seats.
My favorite part of the show was the last song of Act I ("Defying Gravity") and then Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) flies up in the air. It's a powerful performance.

(not my photos)

Supposedly today they are going to let the "winners" of the scholarship know if they got it. I'm not sure if they will be calling or what, but I hope I get it. I would LOVE to go to Washington, DC even if it is by myself. And to go to a conference for critical care nurses who are all excited about their careers? I feel like I need to feel and see this enthusiasm again about nursing. I'm doubting I did get it. I turned in my packet two days before the due date, but my manager only gave me the letter of recommendation the day prior and I had to put it through the hospital's mail system. She assured me it would get there in time and she also let them know to be on the look out for it. But I am paranoid.

Another thing I am waiting for today: my Glo Bars!!! They were supposed to arrive yesterday, and the UPS has already been by twice taunting me. grrrrrr!

Updates to follow if I hear anything..:/

---

ps: Just got my tickets to see DMB in July!! woooooo. I saw them once a few years ago, so we've been wanting to see them again. Cannot wait!

kissy kissy

The past few days at work have been good. I am going with the flow, like I said, and learning to benefit from my preceptor's knowledge and organizational skills for the next two weeks.

Of course, they are giving us the sickest patients.

Probably the most amusing:

40 something male who came in with a diagnosis of poisonous snake bite. Now, this might seem run of the mill...until you find out where he was bit.



Yes. The tongue. How does someone get bit on the tongue by a copperhead snake? Let's just say his blood alcohol level was elevated upon admission.


And what does a bite on the tongue from a poisonous snake get you? You guessed it! A wonderful stay in the Intensive Care Unit and a complimentary endotracheal tube, making it easier and convenient for you to breathe and...live!

7 years in photos

Yesterday was a good day at work. I do not care anymore about my last post. I'm just going to take advantage and go with the flow.

In other news, yesterday was my SEVEN year Anniversary with Mirza!! To celebrate, here are some pictures over the past seven years:

From 18 and in high school....to 25 and all grown-up (not!)...

Probably the first picture taken of us together. How dorky!

I have a bunch of photos from 2003-2005, but they're printed out and in an album.

Thanksgiving '05


2 year anniversary collage:

Best  7 years<3