So Dr B finally emailed me...told me I've been placed on a Med-Surg unit. And I'm working 7p-7a. SUCKS. I'm so frustrated because our clinical group basically got the crappy leftovers of what was left at O'Connor (this is because Dr Lewis was the laison and was taking care of placements for her group and ours). I'm trying to look at it in a positive way. I got to do a whole summer (and am currently still) in the ICU. I'm looking at this preceptorship as a chance to go "back to basics" as the Chief said in last week's season premiere of Grey's. haha. Time management and skills are my goals. I'm not going to be negative and dwell on the fact that I didn't get my first choice...or any top choices for that matter. Nursing is all about flexibility, right. So here's me being positive...=)

Saturday night Kee, Joc, and a couple of our friends went to the Cheap Trick, Heart, and Journey concert. It was awesome. I didn't know I knew so many Cheap Trick and Heart songs. Out of those two bands, Heart was my fave. They were so good. Then Journey came on. They were good, but the Filipino lead singer kind of threw me off. If I just kept my eyes closed and listened, I felt like Steve Perry was there because he sounds dead like him. But then I opened my eyes and watched Arnel's facial expression and dancing and it just was weird. haha But the show overall was really good.

K I'm about to get ready and grocery shop. Then meet Miranda to pick up pin forms and then I'm going to mail those bitches out! I'm so glad to get them out of my hands! haha.

I was sitting here trying to write my thank-you blurb for the grad program. Just writing basic thank-you's put me over 30 words. How am I supposed to limit it to 25?! It'll probably just say "THANK YOU: (and names) haha.

I give up for now.

I just want to let everyone know that I love you all dearly...seriously. I didn't directly experience a loss, but Kee did. A friend of his and her son died in a car accident last Friday. I don't know why it's affecting me. She and I were acquaintances. She always teased Kee that we were going to be BFFs and she was going to be in our wedding. She was nice but we never really got the chance to get to know each other. She started nursing school at the beginning of this year, so that was our common bond. The situation is just tragic. Then her son passed away from his injuries the other day. At least he's with his mommy and doesn't have to live this life without her.

So when things like this happen, they always remind me of how blessed I am to have such awesome people in my life. I love the memories we share and the times we get to spend together. I just wanted to let you all know that. <3

Yesterday was my last day as a full-time VALOR. And boy did I get a lesson in patience and saying "no."

So my patient assignment was a 63 y/o gentleman...a C4-5 Incomplete Tetraplegic. He was admitted to our Spinal Cord unit from Fresno VA for would care. Apparently we have a great SC unit and it's known for its wound care program. Well on the 13th he came to our unit with hypotension (SBPs in the 50s), altered mental status changes, and possible sepsis. Over the course of the the last couple days he's been intubated, extubated, RE-intubated, extubated, r/o for TB and aspergillus, so of course put in respiratory iso and then taken off.

So I picked him up yesterday. My preceptor gave me some lovely insight before I started. There are two types of spinal cord patients.

1. Completely independent and only need help for activities depending on their level of injury. Can be demanding at times and feel they know better than you. Can be assholes.

2. Completely dependent and need help for pretty much everything. Won't try to do anything on their own and love the fact they now have a nurse to do it for them. Can be demanding at times and feel they know better than you. Can be assholes.

I had the second type of patient. Literally, I wanted to slit my throat. It was 12 hours of constant "Scratch my nose, give me ice chips, I want water, stretch my arm, I'm in pain, shave me, when are you going to shave me, can you shave me now?" There's more, but my headache is coming back just thinking about it.

I was supposed to get the second OR...the L CEA, but my preceptor told me I should just stick with my guy b/c it's a good learning experience and I've had a couple CEAs from the OR already. SHE just didn't want to deal with him either. HAHA.

So he kept asking and at first i kept doing. But then it came to the point where I had to be like "NO." He was lucky he was my only patient, but if I had that other one that came in, it would HAVE to be a different story. So I straight up told him. "I have other things to do. If it's something urgent that needs to be done right now, I can do it. Other than that you're going to have a wait a little bit." It helped for a couple mins then he would just go back to the way he was.

It was tough but I learned a lot from that one day.

When Kee and I were windowing shopping in Tahoe, I saw this yellow bag that I really wanted. The store was closed, so we went and ate breakfast and came back to the store when it had opened. This bag was a mustard yellow with 2 outer side pockets (which I love!). And it was BIG! So I go in and check out the price...$678. Screw that. I loved the back, but not THAT much. (I'm trying to be good and save money...I've got bills and bigger purchases lined up).

So this past weekend, my sister and I did our bi-monthly pedicure day...and we mixed in lunch and shopping as well. We went to Stoneridge and walked around. Then we walked into Bakers and there it was...the bag! Well, it looked similar to the bag in Tahoe. So I go up to it and check out the price...it's basically like $615 cheaper! So it was meant to be. And I bought it. And I love it. Here it is:

Cute, right? I KNOW!

And just for fun, here's a pic of me and my paintball gun and my mask...'cause I think it's funny.

Hot, I KNOW.

I got back from Tahoe on Sunday evening. The wedding was sooo fun! It's a trip that people I grew up with are getting married and whatnot. But anyways, they had a photobooth which was super fun! (I'm going to scan the pics and post them up on the 'space, soon) and instead of a wedding cake, they had a Ben & Jerry's Make-Your-Own-Sundae bar. So fun! And the weather was gorgeous! Sorry I couldn't see you, Mary! I ended up going to brunch with the bride and her fam on Sunday and it lasted longer than i expected.

So today at work I got to take the Heart surgery that came in! It was a redo AAA repair and AVR (composite graft). I wasn't the primary nurse b/c obviously that is just way to overwhelming for me, but I did get to be the second nurse. And I got to do all labs and drips and all that fun stuff. I guess the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery has a problem with any students touching his surgical cases, so everytime I saw him, I ran out of the room. LOL Good thing the Chief Resident was cool and let me do things. So yeah, good day today!

Just wanted to say congrats to Caroline on your last day tomorrow. My baby girl is all grown up! *sniff*

Sorry for the lack of writing! I've been working 5 of the 6 past days! 12 hours, too! I'm exhausted. I'm sooo looking forward to a nice 4 day weekend.

Work is great...I am now taking care of level 3 ICU patients: Vented and hemodynamically unstable. I had two patients that pretty much seemed like mirrors of each other. Vented, ARDS, hypotensive and on pressors. One had an anastomotic leak and multiple drains draining stool and pus. Yum, I know. The other guy was admitted for management of a grand mal seizure with possible aspiration pneumonia. So now I'm getting really good at titrating drips, especially Dopamine, Levophed (Norepi), Fentanyl & Versed. My days consisted of lots of suctioning *BLEH* and learning what exactly those vent settings mean. Still couldn't tell you much. haha. But I do feel like I have grown so much in the past couple of days because I've been doing so much.

...I got the ultimate compliment from one of my preceptors today. She said she was amazed I was still a student. She says I have the confidence of a nurse with at least 2 years experience. I told her thank you but I don't feel like that! But I'll gladly take the compliment! It was definitely an honor to hear that.

Oh and I hate 1st year medicine interns. They're annoying. Okay I'm done. =)

I'm annoying...

...according to Kee. So because of my persistent annoying and bugging, I did find out that he's planning on proposing sometime this fall. =D You know there will be a big, huge announcement...and a myspace bulletin. LOL.

We started looking at houses again. I have about 25 listings written down here that I am going to attempt to look up. I really want to try and get a house by early next year. Wish me luck!