I Passed!

Semester 1 is officially over and I passed! Wow...I feel like sleeping in my hammock for a while. Perhaps my friends are teaching me more about balance and that perfection and a 4.0 aren't everything (while I resist ;0)) Last night I sat on a couch praying with Amber...green grass with kids from a tougher neighborhood...and then the chairs at the grocery store with friends talking about how God moves. (on a school night before a final!!!)

I leave for the birth center in just a few days...the car is in the shop so I'm here at home mentally listing things to get done. What a wild adventure God has me on...who knows where its going.

Boredom to a Whole New Level

Yesterday some of our teachers gave us study guides. That was very nice of them but 76 quite general points to study for the Pharm final and about 10 chapters of patho to study for that final didn't quite boil it down as far as I'd hoped. I'm having to strategize...while I'd like to memorize two pages of tables on skin issues it really is only going to be ONE question. I basically now that info so I'll trust its somewhere in the gyri of my brain

Back the agonists/antagoists to the alpha 1&2 and beta 1&2 receptors. Good grief!

Really the pharm final should just be the underlying thing she teaches us every week. "As a nurse you have to cover your rear end...even if the doctor, pharmacist or whoever messes it up once YOU give it you're gonna be sued...loose your license...and have wasted all this time stressing out in school"

Tales of Clinicals...Coffee...and Folk Music

I mentioned earlier I would blog a little about my clinical experience this semester. Its really hard to sum it up and I have a host of stories. What I did take away was an appreciation of the time I have as a student. I had the time to spend talking to patients, hearing their stories, and hearing their needs. There were many times I felt out of my element working with geriatric patients (instead of moms and babies), but I learned a lot!

Often my job was to do clean up. Thanks to being on heavy sedatives during my hospital stay in Asia I know how awkward it can be to be put on a bed pan or walked to the bathroom. I tried to keep the process as dignified for my patients and make sure they didn't feel they were a bother. Often these weren't my specific patient I was just helping on the floor. Over the course of the day doing various tasks and answering call lights I met some people with amazing stories. There was a woman who had owned nurseries and knew an amazing amount of info on flowers. There was a man who had made it in NYC then gone on to pastor.

I'll never forget my little elderly guy whom I told we were going to fix up. After a bath I did his hair, gave him a foot massage and got him a shave. We had him up in the chair and I told him that he sure did look dapper. He got the biggest smile. (that was a work-out) There was the women with the most horrid bed sores for which we had to care. I held her hand and tried to reassure her and explain what the team was doing during wound care.

I had my share of those labeled "difficult" patients. But I found even they had stories and often just needed someone to sit down and listen on their level. By the end of the day I was wiped out but it felt good to work hard. I know when I'm a nurse that I will likely not have this freedom with time. So, I enjoy it as a student. I got to see how messed up health care is in my own country and that was good reality check. Maybe I didn't have an "exciting" round of clinicals but I learned lessons of how to care in new ways.

Today we had our huge Pharmacology test and last official day of class before finals begin. I was out with my study group last night at 11pm downing my 4th cup of coffee and feeling wired. I spent part of the evening with Della and tried to relax about the test by watching a matinée. I now have hope that if an ogre can have super cute babies, maybe I don't need to worry that my kids will be ugly.

Tuesday night around a bonfire praying, reading, toasting smores, and listening to a group of passionate people God began to show me that He is opening my eyes to some needs of women here. It feels like an overwhelming task and I told some friends I feel that same feeling I had standing on the edge of the slums feeling so small and asking "but what can I do...I'm so small...so scared" For now I can pray and look for the daily opportunities God brings. Who knows what the future will bring.

Out with friends from church....

Cool Word

This came up on my Gmail today as the word of the day. For some reason it has a great ring to it.

bombast: pompous or pretentious speech or writing.

Still studying and smelling like smoke from the b0nfire last night.

Beautiful Disaster

Today we got out of class at noon, but our student nurse association duties kept us occupied much longer. Our summer "giving tree" for the local foster home had been a huge success...we thought. In reality it was, but as we were packing up the gift bags we realized 11 were missing and nine of those had no corresponding name on the sign-up list (where people put which number they took).

Two hours later we had inventoried and called various people to find missing bags or get donations to buy the necessary pieces. Kathy was frustrated that we are letting people who can't follow simple directions and initial near a number be in charge of taking care of patients. =0)) In the end (late afternoon) we packed Ms. A's SUV full of summer stuff for the kids. So it was worth it.

I think our omnipotent God is pretty amazing sometimes in his providence. Tonight I REALLY wanted to talk to Georgia...she might not have an earth shattering revelation, but I needed to feel like I could talk to her as in old times. =0)) But...she's up in the mountains of the Northern Philippines and I have no phone card. Amazingly we were able to exchange some emails at the same time and it was the next best thing. How cool is that!

Studying for the Pharm test...

Happy Birthday, Andrea!

Yesterday was Andrea's birthday. We celebrated with a hot dog roast at her grandma's house outside of town.





Rob & Danea
Mom & Dad
Al & Ben
Ben took this last picture and I think it just captures Andrea amazingly.

Back to the Birthroom?!?

Breaking news...looks like I'm headed south of the border to help at Shelly's birth center in June. Wow...only 4 weeks left in school!!!

An Exciting Weekend in the Plains

My blog is full of recent adventures, so I thought it was time to welcome you into the hermit/nerdy side of my life. Yesterday I spent hours making note cards, drawing pictures to remind me of properties of electrolyte imbalances and fluid distribution, and listening to taped lectures at double speed. (Thanks to David for that handy tip)

Last night I did venture out with a group of friends to our local International House of Prayer. I'd heard of the one in Kansas City, but had no idea we had a satellite one here. We were there till about 1am. Though I found myself quite restless early in the evening it turned out to be a sweet night.

Today I woke up and started studying and doing online tests for school. Save for a quick trip to Big lots for emergency salsa, that's been my weekend. Yes, the riveting life it is! My presidential duties this week including purchasing, and erecting a faux 8 ft palm tree to kick off our "giving tree" project. If we learn nothing else, at least Kathy and I come of with some corny tag lines for everything we do.

Perhaps I am suited for spinsterhood and graduate school. ;0))