Various topics

Work is going well...at least I know which way to turn out of most rooms now. I have about 25% of the names of people I work with memorized, and I have received a few pay checks! On the down side, I am experiencing every bit of the learning curve that I expected. I have had a few cases that I would do differently if given the chance (no major problems). But these lessons have a way of sticking with a person...for instance, never undo the suction on a stomach tube and THEN fix the bend in the tube! You are asking for gastric contents down your leg.

Chelsie and Michael's first year wedding anniversary is coming up next week...amazing that a year goes so fast. Just this time last year I was in scramble mode getting stuff done for the wedding.

They are the cutest couple...have two dogs and a ton of family and friends. They host game nights at their house and fix up all their single friends. They have two couples to boast of (at this time) and are always looking for matches.

The first year of marriage is known for the hard adjustments that you have to make but these two make it look easy!

The cat has stopped throwing up since I took the branches out of the house...whew!

We planted a branch off our willow tree in the front yard. It is listing to one side at this time due to a heavy wind storm yesterday...Kevin's going to have to get right on that.

Ta ta for now (ttfn in text language)

Greeaat...

So you know the branches I brought in to blossom out and leaf out to introduce a little spring into the house? The cat has been eating the leaves and throwing up all over. I didn't get the connection at first...just noticed that the cat had thrown up a few times the past week. Then it was every day.

Well, you don't have to hit ME over the head more than a few times. I finally saw the whole thing unfold before my eyes...cat nibbling leaves...cat throwing up a few hours later. Cat/leaves...cat/ throwing up...catleavescatthrowing up...Oh my gosh! Take the branches out of the house you idiot!

Baby it's cold outside

Man, I was walking to my car this morning and about froze my cheeks off and it's only a few steps! I guess it's good for the snowpack though...gotta think about the farmers.

I cut a few branches off our apple trees and put them in water to see if they would blossom indoors (heard the idea on the radio) but nothing yet. The willow branches are doing their thing though...see those little green leaves on the twigs there? Those willows are practically indestructable. We put a willow branch in a bucket of water once to see if we could get roots to grow. They did. We left that poor tree in the bucket for months before we planted it and it still took off and became a huge tree.

If you want a willow tree just ask. We have these massive trees in our back yard that we planted from stumps just 5 years ago. They are way taller than the picture can include.

I am getting a tad sick of winter. I want to be able to get outside and walk along the greenbelt or go up to our cabin and get it aired out. We have some more work we want to do up there this summer (of course). We will be concentrating on the siding and getting the main floor finished so we can bring in living room and dining room furniture at long last.

At least that is our plan. We need to see if Kevin still has a job this summer. If Micron decides to fold, he may be out on his ear...in which case, he will go work on the cabin! It's all good.

Kauai

Holy cow I did it! (posted a picture) Lindsey will be so proud of me! So here is a pic of Kevin and I hiking down to Queen's bath on the North shore of Kauai. We didn't get all the way down the trail because of the mud and the high surf but we did see this cool waterfall. This was taken on my iphone...not bad for a camera phone. Now that I figured this out, I will be a camera-phone fool!

Bubble burst (warning: anesthesia related language and queasy inducing descriptions for some people)

It was bound to happen sooner or later...a bad day at work. Not a cry-your-guts-out kind of day but just a could've-done-better kind of day. I had a patient who didn't want to tolerate the light sedation I was giving (kept moving around despite local anesthetic at the surgical site) so I put him off to sleep with a general anesthetic. He woke up great but coughed all over everyone within range..(totally my fault and totally NOT SMOOTH!!!)

The other case, the guy tolerated the anesthetic but threw up after he was awake. I have never had a patient throw up before. I grabbed the suction and got him cleaned up, no problem. I had given him some anti-nausea/vomitting medication while he was still asleep but it didn't help in his case.

Just not a smooth day and I'm still too new to let a day like this roll off my back.

First Week on the job

 I am almost through my first week as a bonified, real, not on orientation, nurse anesthetist. I was so darn nervous about this week. It has turned out quite well actually. They have kept me in relatively tame waters this week, which is smart of them. They don't want to overwhelm me. I am building confidence with every case that goes well and learning a ton. 

 We have a house guest! Laura, a girl from the next class is here in Boise for her clinical rotation at the VA. It's great to have her here and talk about her experiences since now I can look back on it with a little bit of perspective (and a great deal of relief). She will be with Kevin and I until the end of May. The dog is already expecting a lot from Laura...looks at her like "what do you have to eat?", can I have some?"

Bak bak bak bak bak (think chickens)

OK, so as part of my preparation for the crash of our economy, I wanted to pick up a couple of hens and keep them in my back yard...in a coop...in the middle of a tight subdivision. Here's the thing, each hen will lay an egg a day if you provide the proper feed, lighting, etc. IF...the grocery stores were all cleaned out or there were no shipments of eggs or they cost too much or it was too dangerous to go to the store or you needed something of value (food) to trade for car parts or something (big breath here) then you would have a surplus of eggs to use! I mean, Kevin and I don't even eat eggs everyday so we would have extra.

Chelsie and Michael are having way too much fun over this...crazy mom and her doomsday preparations! They've told all their friends about it. I'm a laughing stock. Chelsie was thus cracking up one day on the phone when I mentioned that I would be raising these hens from chicks. She got all quiet and then in a heart beat started talking all high and cute, "you mean they will be babies?????!!!" And her heart just melted thinking about those cute little fuzzy chicks. She wants to name them. I told her she could come with me to pick them out. She's super excited now...go figure. She said at the end of the call, "ok mom, I guess it's not so funny if they are cute".

On the orientation express

Yep, I'm week two at work and in my last few days of orientation. I have had experience in OB, peds, neuro, ortho, and general. My next hurdle will be cardiac. Now this is not to say that I have MASTERED these areas...oh no, far from it. The good news is that I have a pager and can get help at any time. So next week when I am flying solo, I'll be keepin' that pager handy.

The cafeteria at work was a "wonderland of coolness" the first week, a "pretty good variety" this week, and I am afraid it will be a "can't stand the place" by the fourth week. As with all cafeterias, they have to repeat the menu now and then and when I get through it at least once, I will be ready to move on. Here is the problem, I will be working there for years to come. I will most likely pack a lunch a couple of days a week to shake things up a bit though.

I stopped by the bread store today after work...you know the kind...whole wheat bread with seeds and stuff in it. Well, since the last time I went, they've branched into baking cookies and not just whole wheat ones. Today they had white flour sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting, my absolute favorite. They also started baking quick breads like pumkin chocolate chip and rasberry/blueberry bread. Ok, so I spent 23.00 on breads and cookies today but it will all freeze. I'm not eating all this stuff TODAY...maybe just the cookies.

Still rockin'

Four days on the job and I still walk down the hospital corridor and the thought crosses my mind that I am not in Boise, that I am at some clinical site somewhere else. I have to remind myself that this is my job and that I'm in my home town...so weird.

And the job is going well. I am feeling ok about my progress. BUT....the scrubs they have there don't fit me AT ALL. The smalls are too small, the mediums are too big and the pants are cut so weird that I can't make them work. PLUS...the top has a pocket right at the bottom hem. This prevents me from tucking in the top. So there. I have seen other CRNAs in their own scrubs so that's what I'm going to do.

Well, are you all gearing up for the coming depression??? Better get things in order because we are all going down the drain. Not to be negative or anything...just get some food stored. If you want to scare yourself straight, check out this website, http://www.chrismartenson.com/ and listen to the "Crash Course". It's a series of powerpoint presentations that map out why we are in such a precarious situation.

On a lighter note (man, this post is totally bi-polar) the Bachelor is so stupid! He let the best girl go for a couple of immature ones. I think he just needs to be needed and Jillian was too much of a person in her own right. She should be the next Bachelorette. But I'm torn...she would probably end up in a broken relationship like the majority of Bachelor couples so that would be a bummer to see. But as for this Bachelor, he deserves to be in a broken relationship, he's so stupid.

1st day on the job

Well...it went better than I could have hoped. I envisioned getting lost, getting left alone, making mistakes, etc. But as it turns out, none of those things happened! I was put with a CRNA that had been there several months. She was very welcoming and nice. She showed me around and stayed with me the whole day. I guess I should say I stayed with her.

I got comfortable enough to do a case on my own towards the end of the day. My guide was still with me but she let me run the whole thing. It went well.....except for the KNOT that I managed to tie AROUND the ETT with the OG! If you are not in anesthesia, you will not know what I just said. Let me just say that I could not repeat that feat if you paid me "a million dollars" (picture Dr Evil).

At the end of the case, I went to remove the OG and it wouldn't come easily. Then I noticed the ETT moving everytime I pulled a little on the OG. So I held the ETT in place and gently tugged the OG up until I saw the knot. I couldn't believe it. My guide wanted a picture of it but I didn't have my camera phone on me. Damn!

I guess something memorable has to happen when there is a first day of anything. All was well in the end. I just pulled the OG out with the ETT on extubation.

What a weird feeling to actually be earning money for something I spent the last year and a half doing for free...in fact PAYING to do it. I tell you what, it feels good!