Replaced

I found a red purse. In December I almost bought one that was $300. This was $10. And the verdict? It is perfect. I love it.

Appreciated.

Day 10 was the sweetest I could have asked for. My patients literally said I was "exceptional" and that "they didn't know how they would get along without me," now that I had the day off. I again had 5  walkie-talkies (they walk &  they talk- how much more can you ask for?) and in my case, they all slept, too! whoo-hoo! Ok, well 2 of them slept all night anyways. 

Still...I felt so appreciated; it was such a calm night and things just go well when you are in a routine like that. Anyways, I'm glad it's over, but I survived. 

Afterwards, I came home, showered, got ready, and went to Ashley Minkalis' bridal shower that Ariana threw that was darling and so fun. Then slept for a few hours. Now off to a birthday party and a meet-people-from-utah-shin-dig. So much fun. 

When do I sleep again? :-)

Day 9- Rocky Point

K- so this was the hardest night so far. And it really could have been so much worse. It started out with me being informed of a mistake I made last night that could have turned out quite badly. They were really nice about it, but I still felt bad. Then I got a new admission right away who needed two specialists to see him at the same time that a different guy complained of chest pain. 

STAT EKG

STAT Chest x-ray

STAT Troponin x2

STAT consults

STAT PTT/PT/INR

That's what the first hour looked like. 

But then it settled down and was fine and the only terrible thing was that I forgot my hoodie by my front door and was freezing all night. 

And then at 6 I got a tired headache and felt like I was in slow motion. Which happens sometimes. We took my vitals, which were fine. My heart rate was 59, which meant only that my body was falling asleep even though I was telling it to stay awake. 

Then the chest pain guy who won't take blood started feeling totally short of breath....and I had to pass it off to day shift. Hope he's okay. 

I'm going to eat these eggs my dad made me (yum. thanks...he's visting for 2 days for spring training games) and go to bed. 

ONE MORE!!

p.s. My dad wondered this, so we looked it up. STAT= statim, Latin for "immediately." Now you know. Don't you feel smart?

Work It...

So generally nurses are escaping the harsh realities of the economy, with a few exceptions. But reality hit a couple weeks ago when we were notified that our "bonus" pay was being taken away. Bonus pay is getting paid time and a half for 16 hours instead of 12 when you work an extra shift or for 12 hours when you work an extra 8. The last day to get bonus pay is this Saturday. So while I usually work 3- 12 hour shifts a week, last week I worked 4 and this week I'm working 6. That comes to 10 out of 11 days. I have 2 days left of this. I thought I would write about it if anything exciting happened, and it has. Here's a brief overview so far.

Day 1 Things go smoothly until 5am, when suddenly a patient's oxygen saturations go down to 70% after coughing and hearing a pop. I had just checked him 10 minutes before and he was about 92%, which is MUCH MUCH better. Apparently his lung had re-collapsed. I transferred him to ICU. 

Day 2 Again, things are going relatively smoothly until 5:30 am, when a patient who rarely calls for me does. She's there for a gastrointestinal bleed (yep) and she has bled. EVERYWHERE. The bed, the floor, the bathroom, herself. I don't think I've ever seen that much blood. She is pale as a ghost. I start a blood transfusion within 5 minutes, and she goes to ICU.

Day 3 The calm after the storm. Everybody is happy. A patient who for several reasons has been there for 3 months celebrates his birthday. John stops by to say hi and finally gets to see where I work. Fun day. It gets a little busy after he leaves, I admit one patient. Things are good.

Day 4 Busy. Busy. For a few hours, and then absolutely a perfect day. My patients are nice, and everyone of them is continent. I am busy for about a half an hour of every hour after 1. That's a good night. Everybody has a lot of medications, but that's the clean stuff that I like.

DAY OFF Bridget has her 26th b-day party. We go to AZ-88 and have an awesome dinner and then to The Gelato Spot for dessert. So fun. Sunday to church and then back to work...

Day 5 I have 5 happy patients, include one who is very young and very sweet. I feel like his mom and his best friend. Also one passive aggressive patient, who is a little strange but tolerable, one lady who is totally with it whose family vacation is being ruined by C. Diff (you can look that one up if you want to), and one guy who had an amputation and is not accepting blood because he is JW and is scaring me a bit. Very chill night after fixing up the mess the nurse behind me left...she didn't exactly take care of these people how I would. 

Day 6 3 of my happy patients go home. I knew this would happen!! I run around until midnight getting my new patients all settled. A big texan with a blood clot, a ponytailed guy who can't breathe. My young little patient has left me a note on his dry-erase board thanking me for taking such good care of him. He's going into the Marines, and we bonded talking about going shooting. awww.. My C. Diff lady is going home tomorrow, so she tells me to make sure I stop by to say good-bye in the morning. I do. I really like her. 

Day 7 I realize now a day in this has disappeared. I think maybe day 5 was a lot like 2 days. I did neglect to mention that on Day 5 or 6 I talked to a guy (who keeps thinking he needs to take his wife to Village Inn for breakfast) about volcanoes until he realized that I really was going to forcefully place him back into bed that he decided to lay back down and try to go to sleep. This is really

Day 8 Everyone I work with is getting sick. I am taking my vitamins, being very very good to myself, and I slept like a dream yesterday. From 8:30 to 5. I was very awake today, my patients were all happy, except one guy who is very forgetful and thinks that I am ignoring the fact that he is coughing and warns me twice that if I don't stop it he might get rectal bleeding. I call respiratory and make them suction his throat. Whatever dude. He actually is nice enough. Some people just get irritable when they realize they have no idea what's going on around them. Also, make baby shower invitations with my boss for a few minutes for a co-worker. Definitely a pleasant shift. A little busy at the end when I try to put in 2 IV's and miss both. grrrr....

Day 9... I'm on my way in an hour. They are resurfacing the pool at my complex right outside my window. Due to an incessant jackhammer, I didn't sleep all that great today! Luckily, they will not be back tomorrow. Updates soon!

Spring Break in San Diego (Who says spring break is for students?)

A little note: this is a lot of pictures, but I only have half of all we have. Most of these are skydiving, the cement dolphins, and a tour of the house. I'm sure more will be coming. Even though this looks like a ton.
























So back in December, I wanted to go to San Diego to skydive for my birthday. And then everything got mixed up, and we didn't go. So it got backed up until this week. Originally, we had planned to stay at a hotel, but between parking and logistics, we didn't know how it would work out with all of us. Instead, John suggested we look into vacation homes. Oh, and we got the SWEETEST place ever. I feel so lucky how it all worked out. Here's a few pictures of the place we ended up staying. We got a great deal, and the people were so easy to work with. It slept 7 people in 3 bedrooms with 2 baths and was a 45 second walk to a gorgeous La Jolla beach. We were all so ecstatic. Except for the 2 uncomfortable futons that didn't exactly work out. But we still had furniture sleeping options. So everyone was pretty happy.
The ride down was fun, Dr. Brad (we call him that to not get him mixed up with my brother; he's working on a PhD) and I stopped at one point to take pictures of the Sea Level sign. I think he started giggling about an hour away. According to my brother, that's when John kicked in, too. 

The first night, we strolled around the village and ate at the Burger Lounge, where I had the best hamburger of my life. Hands down. Then, we went back home. Some of us watched movies in the living room, and the rest of us went walking on the beach.
The weather was a little chilly for all of us Pansy Arizonians, but we weren't allowed to mention this to John.

Sidenote: John is completely in love with La Jolla, San Diego, the whole area. He would rather be homeless in San Diego than to live in any rural inland town in the world. However, this isn't really the plan. His plan is to live in a beach house here and play on the beach daily with his future children. It's a good plan, and this trip just cemented this idea into reality. To John, the weather is perfect here, the people are perfect, the houses are perfect, and we won't even start on UCSD. Let's just say, there is no better place I could have chosen to invite John for Spring Break. But do not mention that you might be a little chilly. Because then you might be implying a possible imperfection in this celestial place. 

Anyways, it was chilly. But beautiful. Day 2 was skydiving. 

Originally, quite a few of us were going to go. But it ended up being just me and John (as a side note, I am very grateful for his courage despite the fact that this never ever would have made it on his to-do list.) I think the reality of the situation sunk in a little as we signed the waivers that included such inspiring lines as "I understand that in the event I am struck by the plane..." "You may land on a poisonous snake..." and "My dependents have been provided for..." And yet we signed away. WOOO-HOOO!!

We had to wait quite a while, but our instructors/tandem riders were really cool. We both thought the scariest part would be the jumping out. Really, that wasn't so bad. The hardest parts were:

a) Climbing up the little ladder into the plane. And realizing I would never climb down it.

b) The 45 degree ascent to 15,000 feet. Four times in my life my face has gone completely ashen. One of those times was during this ascent. The other 3 have been at work. One time someone died. One time I just thought they did. Yes, I was a little scared. 

But. The actual jump was a blast. The instructors messed with John and acted like my harness was jacked up right as a fell. Awful. I didn't even know they did that to him. The fall itself felt like it lasted forever, and actually felt very slow. It was a gorgeous view. San Diego. Mexico. Mountains. The Ocean. Fog. We did a few spins, and I steered the parachute for a little bit, which was cool. On the other side of the sky.....

John's ears hadn't popped on the way up, so he had a pounding headache on the way down, his left leg harness was on too tight, and his leg went numb. However, his instructor was cool, and they did a sweet dive down and spins. They landed 2 minutes earlier than I did. Despite all this, he thought it was sweet. 

Both of us hit the ground softly and happy. And then we spent the next 2 hours both trying not to puke. We may have gotten in the car too quickly afterwards and it was rough. We spent about a half hour standing around looking traumatized in the Target parking lot. I'm sure more than a few people thought we'd just found out about an unintended pregnancy. Because I don't think very many people have that look on their faces. Luckily, we made it home, ate dry toast, and managed to not throw up. whew.

While we were out, the rest of the group went to Balboa park. Which they all said was cool enough, but nothing to blog about...

We spent the afternoon swimming (Dr. Brad and Kim...crazy), laying out (Brad), playing frisbee (Me & John), and playing LaCrosse (Ariana and Tyler) and taking pictures on the cement dolphins. 

That night we walked across the street to House of Pizza, a one man Italian shop that was absolutely perfect. Don't ask for pan pizza though. It might take 3 hours longer if they're busy. 

We ate pizza, then walked down to watch the sunset. 

I'd never seen the sunset on the Pacific coast. To watch it quickly dip down and melt into the ocean was absolutely breathtaking. I was shocked, and we each got our picture taken with it. 

And Saturday morning, we all got up and sat on the beach. Dr. Brad went far enough down to see starfish, coral, and anemones, and we all just enjoyed our last few hours. It was a little more hazy than before, and, for me, this was the most peaceful part of the trip. There's a therapeutic feeling for me being on the coast, and on this trip, it took a couple days to show up. But that morning, it was definitely there. And I was so grateful to be there. 

And then we washed the sheets, the towels, vacuumed, and headed out. Brad & John & I went to my cousin Tyler's wedding at the San Diego temple. Brad had already been there for the ceremony, and John & I showed up as they went out. The temple was so remarkably gorgeous. It literally took my breath away the first time I saw it. My testimony may have even been a little renewed. 

Basically, it was a beautiful trip. And so much fun. Kudos to La Jolla. We'll be back. 

Future Doctors of America

So this is the dress I was so excited to wear and wore to church today. So it happened to be what I was wearing when I found out I was accepted. I wouldn't have it any other way. :-)

IN.

At 9:30 this morning, I received an email from ASU letting me know I got accepted into the Nurse Practitioner Program for Fall. YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYY!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE GETTING PACKAGES!!

Very little on earth makes me more excited than getting a package in the mail. I love sending them almost as much, but getting them is so EXCITING. Even if I ordered it. But especially if I did not and it is a TOTAL surprise. Like today. 

I got a package from former roommate Jessica. It was a late Christmas present, which, if it is a total shocker, is the best kind of Christmas present to get, in my opinion. Inside, I found:

4 WildFlour Bakery Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies from the Boise Co-op, which I adore.

And....(drumroll please)

HANDWARMERS!!

No, I don't know when I'll use them. I'm sure some day I will go somewhere cold. Or my AC will get stuck or something. But I love them. She knitted them all by herself and they make me feel very sexy and chic. And so I posed for you all. Enjoy, once again, Blue Steel. 

as a side note, do you all think people in general should just buy each other more random gifts and abandon the necessity of doing it in december? i kind of think so. i mostly mean friends, not families. families should stick to christmas mostly.

What Might Happen if You Sleep Through Spinning Class

So a few weeks ago I joined a new gym, and I love it. The people who work there AND the people that work out there all seem like the kind of people I would actually enjoy hanging out with. In-shape, medium-sized people who are around my age. And it's brand new. So I love it. One of the reasons I joined this gym was because it had spinning classes and my other one did not. And then I got sick and didn't go. So I set my alarm this morning for 8 to go to 8:30 spin class. And then I woke up at 9:30. I have no idea what happened. But I texted John because I was mad and told him I missed it, and his reply was,
"You could just go for a bike ride on a beautiful day! Remember what the outdoors looks like?"
Oh yeah. I HAVE A BIKE.
So having no excuse, I asked him if the greenbelt went as far north as his work. Yes, it did. Yes, I could stop by. So I got on my bike, on yet another gorgeous 65 degree day and biked 11 miles north.  
I sat around at the Resort where he works and smelled the orange blossoms and watched a hummingbird and a bunch of busy bees and John working.
I met a church group from Church of Grace on the way back who all were very nice and we rode most of the way back together.
All in all, it ended up being a 4 hour excursion where I biked 2 1/2 hours and 22 miles. On an absolutely beautiful day.
Speaking of which....
Since I've moved here, I've been a little peeved at the fact that no one smiles or waves back when I go running. I try several times and rarely do I get a response. But earlier this week, 3 people- THREE- Independently and of their own accord smiled and waved at me. On the same day.
Lots of thoughts went through my head:

• Is running getting easier and I look less stressed than usual?
• Does my smile look more genuine?
• Is it the 4 sailboats?
• It is Tuesday right?
• Do these highlights really do that much for my workout face?
• And lastly, is this what March is like?

And after the happy people I met today on my bike, I've decided that yes, March is like this. And it is now my favorite AZ month. The days are a little longer, the weather is just a titch warmer, and everybody smiles quite a bit more. 

Singing the Praises of ULTA

So I never thought I would say this. Sephora is one thing, but I'd never previously found the appeal of ULTA. For those of you who aren't familiar, it's kind of a cross between a drugstore, a hair supply store, and a department store beauty counter, and it carries only those things that exist for the sake of making you possibly prettier. Still, I'd never found anything amazing there.
But. A Detour. I have some seriously white-girl legs. They are strong and very functional, but white enough that I try not to show them off too much. During the winter, I wear "hooker boots" to church almost every week, which works just fine, but eventually I have to employ sunless tanner again.
And I have tried a ton of sunless tanners. And the best one ever is Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance gel.

Which is only sold at WAL-MART and only during the SUMMER. So I recently bought a smokin' hot dress which I need to tan my legs and I've been looking all over the internet for this stuff. And I don't want to pay $6 shipping for a $9 item, and it has been altogether just frustrating. But I finally went to ULTA's website and apparently they make their own for the same price and it looks very similar so I was just going to go buy it today (by the way, this place is less than a mile from my house). And right next to ULTA sunless tan are bottles and bottles of Hawaiian Tropic Island Radiance. OH, I AM SO ECSTATIC. I know this seems silly, but I am genuinely thrilled.
Also, they also sell Davie's Gate stuff, and while I generally do not buy people lotion as gifts, if I did, it would be this fancy brand, and I'd never seen it in a store. So, ULTA has my loyalty. And I'm sure I'll find a few reasons to go back.

Cheat Meal x2

Click here to go to Brad's blog and see what we had for dinner last night. I get one cheat meal a week on this abs diet, but I'm eating at Ariana's tonight for her birthday. I guess I could count this amazing meal as healthy. I mean, it WAS fish and vegetables. Creamed vegetables. Beurre Blanc made with 1/2 pound of butter.
But I had a good workout yesterday....

The Thing About Free Time...

I am currently on my 12th day off of work. It is gorgeous outside. I'm not in school. I already worked out today. I have too much stinkin' free time on my hands. I know, I know, you all want to jump right over here and punch me in the nose. I get it. But really. It's one thing to plan for 2 weeks off and another thing entirely to be sick for 5 or 6 days right in the middle of two weekends. And John is very busy, which means I'm trying to remember exactly what I used to do by myself before him. The Bel Air got detailed yesterday. I sewed up the seat. I've replaced my shower curtain liner. I vacuumed my COUCHES. My magazines are read. And it's 3:45. Too early for dinner. What to do, what to do?
In other, slightly related, news,
You know, I'm not a naturally "big group" social person. I get my 3 good friends wherever I live and I'm kind of set. I think I need to expand this to maybe 5 good friends and 5 kind-of friends that I'm comfortable enough to hang out with once in a while. At least. Things to learn before 30: how to make introductions that don't suck, how to ask people questions about themselves (good ones), and how to hang out in big weird potentially awkward groups. Like after institute.
Maybe I will learn this. Some days it doesn't really seem so important. But maybe mingling is.
Also, my days are getting longer and longer because my body is resetting itself back to days, so I've seen a lot of sun, and the DAYS SEEM ENDLESS! but fun.
I'm going to go eat some watermelon outside.
Anybody want to go boating?

Cracker Barrel

A little shout out to Cracker Barrel, which is a restaurant I avoided going to until just last month. For some reason I grouped it with Chuck'o'Rama, which is a restaurant I have never been to and plan on never going to. Apparently I was wrong. Cracker Barrel is actually DARLING. It does remind me a little of Frontier Pies, my first terrible and traumatic job, but still.
Anyway, I completely spaced writing about it until 2 of you wrote about it in your blogs this week. John decided I needed to go and we went for a late breakfast one morning (December 29th?). I'm almost positive I had blueberry syrup on blueberry pancakes. Really, I don't remember. I just remember that it was incredible. And that the lady waiting on us wanted my new American Eagle shirt.
But.
My favorite part was sitting in the recliners out front playing checkers on an incredibly gorgeous day (like today). It was perfect. And (bonus!) the next time I need a book on tape I'll know where to rent one.
Sorry to misjudge you Cracker Barrel. Y'all are great.

Pathetic

I have been sick since Saturday. I slept for 20 hours that day. But Sick Christin does that. And then usually she's better the next day. I should know better than to tell my trainee last week at work that I never get sick. I just rarely do. And it's not even the kind of sick you can feel good about. You know, there's no 103 degree fever with non-stop vomiting. I can move. Just not for long. I worked out yesterday. After taking a nap before AND after. I finally got some antibiotics today. The doctor said it seemed like an ear infection with a bit of a cold on top. Sweet. I called in sick to work for the second day. I HATE using my vacation days being "kind of sick." But what kind of nurse does a 12-hour night shift feeling like she just needs to take a 6 hour nap and just might pass out? (And by the way, I'm just tired enough to want to sleep. And then lay in bed and look at the ceiling. I feel like a loser.)
I was so glad my blood pressure today was 88/60 (for Ariana that's high, but for me, that's low. I'm usually 106/68). It was like one tangible sign that I'm not making my weakness and light-headedness up.
Frick. This is the dumbest sick I've ever been.

Winter Snowballs

I am not a huge fan of winter, but it turns out, I don't really hate it. There are perks. Morning snows, fireplaces, and cute winter clothes. Here are a few of my favorites:



The top is my Christmas Sunday Santa outfit. The next is my favorite hat ever. The last is a new purchase.
Which I love. To me, it screams fun winter party and snowballs. To my brother, it screams "The Dumbest Thing I've Ever Spent $40 On." So we have a deal, if you hate it, tell me. If you like it, tell me. If 6 people comment and say it's ridiculous, I have to take it back. I have a feeling I'll be keeping it...but maybe I'm wrong.

Birthday Song (You Don't Actually Have to Listen or Comment on This)

I have bangs again (and this time I'm not embarrassed!). But I might be about the Blue Steel Look.

So first off, today I got my hair done. By someone other than my mom. A girl in my ward works at a sweet salon in Scottsdale and I gave her mostly free reign with my hair. I have highlights, lowlights, bangs, and layers. And I LOVE IT!! It was so much fun.
Thanks, Vanie!! Here's a few pics.



Secondly, I am about to make a confession. It's about a face I make in the mirror when I get a new haircut. Or if my hair is straight. Or if I'm just feeling a little sexy. Jessica calls it my "Come Hither" look. Brad calls it my "Blue Steel" look (hence the video above). It embarrasses me to death when I'm called out on it, but I can't deny I do it. So here's few pictures (which, by the way, were not hard to find) of me doing my blue steel/come hither look. Oh goodness.

A "Real" Valentine's Day

I've had a few Valentine's Days in my life: one where my parents got me a red high heel phone, a few where I went to a high school dance, and even one where I avoided talking about Valentine's Day for the sake of a friend.

But this would be my first truly traditional Valentine's Day. The day before, Ariana and I went and got beautiful pedicures at MOSS, a spa over which I have lusted since before it opened. We sat in red velvet recliners, soaked our feet in milky water with sliced lemons, and had our legs wrapped in heated towels. Our toes look amazing.And afterwards we walked across the street to Scottsdale Fashion Square and paraded around in 6-inch on Jimmy Choo stilettos at the Jimmy Choo boutique where I momentarily considered the consequences of purchasing $800 shoes. And then we put the shoes back in their boxes and went home.

Saturday I made a trip to Sprinkles for a dozen cupcakes for friends (and due to a miscommunication and some hungry tummies, 2 friends got missed and I need to go BACK to Sprinkles for more). Anyways, apparently Sprinkles is INCREDIBLY popular on V-day, and they packed 40 people into that tiny little place. And 30 minutes later, I had peanut butter, strawberry, chocolate marshmallow, and hot red velvet cupcakes in my car. (Luckily, it was scheduled cheat meal day on the Abs Diet!!) I drove first to John's work and dropped his off. I'm aware that this is quite a girlfriend-ish thing to do, but there are days that you really have to just go with it, so we did...

After he got off work, John and I went back to True Food Kitchen. It was just cool enough and trendy enough to not be schmaltzy and romantical but still be very fun. John looked so hot in a new shirt of his, and I wore a shirt I almost never do and a necklace which I almost never do, and that in itself was fun. He had salmon which was perfection and I had Pacific Bass that was also so delicious. Dessert was Apple-Cranberry Crumble with maple ice cream. yumyum yum. 

Oh. And I got roses. That's a first. Thank you John. 

And if anybody wonders how much fun I was having, well, I forgot to take pictures. Here's the 2 half cupcakes that are left and my beautiful flowers. 

Happy V-day!

video added

And I added a video from Elf.  Go look.  Two down.  And no, it is not merely a clip to help cheer people up after looking at this disturbing picture of me.  It's relevant to the post.

Ominous Omen

I always thought I was above plastic surgery. Until this started happening:




Ignoring the fact that I took this picture before church on 3 1/2 hours of sleep and look like I just got mugged, do you see my eyes? I mean, really see them? Look closely. Do you SEE those saggy eyelids? This happens to me whenever I have to wake up earlier than desirable. The first time I noticed was terrified. What was I allergic to? What bacteria grew in my eye? What nerve ending just crossed it's last synapse? And then, 15 or 20 minutes later they sucked right back up where they were supposed to be. NEXT TO MY EYEBALL.

But I realized at this point that this will happen again. Probably all my life now. And one day, my collagen stores will all dry up and my eyelids will form this saggy little ridge forever. 

And the next day, I will call up my new plastic surgeon and schedule the surgery. I cannot live with old saggy eyelids.