In answer to certain parties… June 4, 2008

who think the dog to fiance picture ratio needs equaling out.

Points of interest this week:

I had a patient with a condition called dextracardia…meaning his heart was on the right side of his chest.

I read a good book called Black Swan Green by David Mitchell recommended by JNF.  It’s about a 13 year old British boy and was fairly painful to read. I had hoped that it would be something like The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 but Swan was less comedy and much more emotional.  Well written and worth it.

I think I found the dishes for Josh and I at this cool store www.bureauliving.com . It’s a gem on the Cass Corridor, around the corner from Avalon, one of my favorite Detroit haunts.

It would take dire circumstances… March 28, 2007

to get me to read the book titled Father, Lover, Bodyguard that I saw in my patient’s room yesterday.  I’m not judging her.  She’s stuck on the oncology unit and a person can only take so much daytime TV.  Maybe that would be my breaking point too, but I hope not.

I would like to take a moment and state that the painting of Jesus walking on the water that was seen hanging on our living room on Sunday is not mine.  Nor do I like it.  I have been slandered and feel confident in saying that I will have retribution.

28 days till my final final.  “I will survive” is my current theme song…Gloria Gaynor’s original is great, but I find the Cake version just a  little bit more satisfying.

“I’ll go get the nurse. Wait a second. I am the nurse.” March 23, 2007

My job contract is staring me down from the end of my bed.  Need to sign it and send it back.  I’ve decided to stay on in the ER (I think it challenges me in a good way) and I’m alternately excited and terrified at the thought of graduating in a couple weeks.  I’m fairly certain that nursing school has been the bunny hill and that I’m about to step out onto a double black diamond run.  Scary, but certainly not boring.

listen to this song. you won’t be sorry. February 20, 2007

what i lack in dedicated studying i seem to make up for with confident test taking.   i listened to “for once in my life” by Stevie Wonder about 5 times on my way into school yesterday, arrived in a great mood and proceeded to kick a** on the HESI (a practice exam for the nursing state boards).  Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me…I’m leaning on the faith of others….and I appreciate you.

the party on P2 January 17, 2007

Had my first day on the Oncology unit and it was great. I only had one patient and she was a stitch…albeit somewhat confused.

Me: What have you had to drink this morning?

Pt: A shot.

Me: Shot of what?

Pt: Liquor.

Me: (putting hands on hips) Liquor, huh? Where’d ya get that?

Pt: Oh honey, I’m just jokin’. (slapping my arm) But I bet you like to drink it. Come on, you know you do. At the party?

Me: Maybe at a party (thinking)…but I’m not at a party. I’m in a hospital. Do you know what hospital this is?

business as usual. January 9, 2007

I tend to have extreme thoughts when I’m sick (perhaps due to dehydration) and last week was no exception.  While throwing up at 2am I was tearfully lamenting the fact that I was going to die of the bird flu at 31 and that I hadn’t done anything worthwhile with my life yet.  12 hours of sleep and a liter of Gatorade later things were looking a little less dire.  Today I’d go so far as to say I’m wondering brightly about the future (although I still sorta think that bird flu and global warming are going to take us all out).

Classes started back up yesterday and it looks to be a pretty good semester with Community Health, Senior Med/Surg, and a Boards prep class.  I’m not thrilled to be on an Oncology unit for Med/Surg, but I’ll get through it.

“Batter my heart” December 20, 2006

Since most of my days started between 5 and 6 am this semester it feels particularly decadent to be lying in bed at 10:30 enjoying the winter sunshine and doing nothing. exams…are…done.

Studying, praying and generally being quiet at the monestary was really good for me. I would not say that it was easy or comfortable though. Somewhere around noon on Saturday I realized that I had no escape from my thoughts and that I was weary of them. At home I would listen to music or clean or call friends…any number of things. So it was a little intense in that regard, but I’d recommend it. Ben, the black lab, was happy to walk me after Terce and None each day. I say that he walked me because he picked the trail and how long we stayed out for. I took my camera one day and spent some time fiddling around with bittersweet wrapped around a tree. When I got back up to the trail Ben was sitting there with an expression that said, “I don’t know what you were messing around in the bushes for because the trail is right here and I’ve been waiting for you.” He’s got personality, that one.

I was introduced to the music of Imogen Heap at the Royal Oak Music Theater the other night and it was a really good show. She’s got a website (imogenheap.com) and a my space page if you want to take a listen, but I have to say that seeing her live was incomparable.

And finally, I’ve been reading and praying some bits and scraps of John Donne. I’d like to make it to John King Books over break and find a better collection of his poetry. Here’s one of my favorites from The Holy Sonnets- 1633.

Batter my heart, three-personed God: for You

As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;

That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, ‘and bend

Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.

I, like an usurped town to’another due,

Labor to’admit You, but O, to no end;

Reason, Your viceroy’in me, me should defend,

But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.

Yet dearly’I love You, ‘and would be loved fain,

But am betrothed unto your enemy.

Divorce me,’untie or break that knot again;

Take me to You, imprison me, for I,

Except You’enthrall me, never shall be free,

Nor ever chaste, except You ravish me.

~

“Do not approach the celebrity.” November 15, 2006

So Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, made an appearance on my floor today. We had been thoroughly warned not to look at, speak to, or approach her for any reason on pain of dismissal. Dismissal. I ended up being so busy getting my patient off to surgery that when she did walk through all I caught was a quick glimpse and in truth I was much more excited about going to the OR…but I hope the little girls who had a tea party with her enjoyed the time and attention. And no, Jim, she wasn’t wearing a tiara.

science is neat November 11, 2006

It’s been something of a banner week: my clinical was cancelled on Mon. and Tues. so I had time to finish (FINISH!) the upstairs, and today instead of playing hall monitor (read: getting lost) at the DMC I got to go to a Trauma Symposium and listen to a bunch of scholarly types discuss treatment methods for various grisly injuries.  My favorite  presentation was a case study on the injury/treatment and resulting death of Princess Diana.  And it was fascinating.

Not sure what I’m going to do with myself now that I don’t have to paint or come up with excuses for not painting or make repeated trips to the hardware store for more paint…but I’m going to enjoy finding out.

living vicariously November 2, 2006

Walking dogs is on my top five list of favorite things. People who own pets are less likely to be depressed. There’ve been studies. Sadly, despite scientific evidence that this could be good for the collective health of our household, Rebecca remains immovable on the topic of getting a dog. But I digress. My friends’ son, G., turns six this week and they got him the greatest black lab. Ruby is 6 months old and still has that floppy, uncoordinated, puppyish way of loping around and I can’t wait to dog-sit.

I’ve been half-heartedly working my way through Three Soldiers by John Dos Passos but longing for something better, something else, so I went looking for Palace Walk by Naguib Mafouz at Wayne’s library today. It was last checked out in 2002 and is “awaiting return.” That sounds so optimistic, “awaiting return”…when the truth is that some disgruntled Lit. student is getting back at The Man for charging hundreds of dollars a credit hour and I’m probably going to cave and buy it online tonight.

And finally, Life and Media meet. I sat through a 2 hour inservice at work today on how to manage and manually operate an LVAD (left ventricular assitive device). Now if I fall tragically in love with a dying heart transplant candidate I’ll have the option of pulling an Izzy.