A Nice Award From A Friend

I was given this lovely award by my friend Debbie over at Through Thick and Thin. Thanks, Debbie!

Here are the suggestions

1. Link the blogger who gave you the award on your post--see above

2. Write 10 things that make you happy--done

3. Share it with at least 10 friends. Instead of this, I'm opening it up to everyone. You're all special in my eyes!

Away we go...

Happiness is...being married to my wonderful hubby.

Happiness is....payday. It makes me happy to be able to pay all the bills and have something left over.

Happiness is...being stable. Being bipolar is hard, but when I'm stable, life is pretty damn good. Hooray for the current drug cocktail I'm on, because it's working great!

Happiness is...having a job I love.

Happiness is...iced coffee. I love the stuff.

Happiness is...our pets. Especially Ginger, our dog.

Happiness is...my Dell widescreen laptop. Couldn't live without it.

Happiness is...a good nap. I love napping.

Happiness is...a good book.

Happiness is...being sober. I celebrated 10 years of sobriety on 2/4/10. Yay me!

Patient Care--Then and Now

I'm not going to join in today's Sunday Stealing. I'm just not interested in more belly button gazing about why I blog. Instead, I want to talk about a question that StorytellERdoc asked me in a comment to one of my posts a while back. His comment was this:

"Do you miss patient care at all?"

The answer is complicated. When I was an ICU nurse, I thrived on the adrenaline rush of multiple drips, ventilators, balloon pumps, and the like. The sicker the better. I felt like I was fighting with death itself. When my patients got better, and transferred out to stepdown, it was cause for celebration. I still remember many of them, and one in particular, years later. I was careful to never let myself get attached, to keep that professional distance, but him, I got attached to. I'm glad he lived.

What ultimately drove me out of ICU was burnout. I can remember the exact patient that I lost it over. A 19 year old massive head injury who became an organ donor. His mother and I shared a first name. She and I walked his body to the OR together. They were able to use his heart, liver, kidneys, eyes, bone, and cartilage. His mother became a fierce advocate for organ donation, and helmet use, travelling the state with his X-rays, showing them to young people. After that case, I realized that I was done. Eight years is a long time for an ICU nurse. I've read that 18 months is the average. I transferred to OR.

OR was interesting. I enjoyed it a lot. I moved though, and there wasn't a position open in my local hospital when I got here. Plan B time. I applied at the SNF (skilled nursing facility) that I currently work in, for a charge nurse position. It was a huge mindset change, to take care of, and pass meds to, 30 people, instead of one. I didn't think I was going to succeed at it, frankly. But with some help from some really amazing LPNs, I did. Nine months after I joined the building, I was promoted away from the bedside to a management position.

So, back to the original question. Do I miss it? Sometimes. I miss ICU and the rush. I miss the problem solving and the technology. I miss bringing someone from near death to wellness. I miss OR, the camraderie, and the fascination with what the surgeon is doing. I just plain like watching surgery. I miss being a charge nurse sometimes, being involved daily with the same group of residents and getting to know them and their families day to day.

But I don't miss it enough to do it again. I like wearing a lot of different hats. I'm never bored. I get to work with lots of different residents all over the building. I'll never have to have that sinking feeling in my gut knowing that my patient is crashing and burning and not being able to figure it out. I won't be coding anybody any time soon. No vents. No balloon pumps. Don't miss 'em.

I guess I've just moved on.

Saturday 9--I Started a Joke

1. Tell us a joke that you think is funny. If you don't tell jokes tell us why.

I'm not a joke teller. I can never get the punch line right, thereby ruining the joke.

2. Where do you buy most of your clothes?

I get my work clothes (scrubs) from a local scrubs outlet or at Tafford, an online scrub store. My "at home" clothes mostly come from trips to visit my Mom, LOL. She likes to shop for me, I like to let her. The last bunch of things came from Dillard's and Talbot's. I do shop for myself on occasion, mostly at a Florida department store called Beall's that has nice things and great sales.

3. Which famous person would you like to meet? Why?

I think I'd like to meet James Cameron. I know he has a reputation as an asshole, but the man is a stone-cold genius, and I'd like to pick his brain about Avatar. That movie knocked my socks off.

4. What is your ultimate ambition?

One of these days, I'd like to be a Director of Nursing again.

5. Do you like to live in the area of your country or would you prefer something a little different?

That's a hard one. Florida is alright, but frankly, I'd rather live someplace else. I just don't know where. My parents getting older tells me to move up their way (SC/NC), but I love New Mexico, and wouldn't mind going back. It's all really going to hinge on what jobs present themselves when hubby graduates university.

6. Has a newspaper or television reporter ever interviewed you? If so, what were the circumstances and what did you think when you read or saw what you said?

Nope. I've managed to stay out of the media. Very happily, I might add.

7. What was the last CD/mp3 album that you purchased? How did you like it?

I have no idea. I don't remember the last one I purchased. My husband bought me "Safe Trip Home" by Dido, which I love, because I use it to go to sleep. I find her voice extremely soothing.

8. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

Cathedral--Crosby,Stills,& Nash.

Quiet Times--Dido

For What It's Worth--Buffalo Springfield

Crash Into Me--Dave Matthews Band

Pride and Joy--Stevie Ray Vaughan

9. Do you or your partner usually begin intimacy?

One or the other. It's not set in stone.

Off to Orlando

I'm off to Orlando today to attend a seminar given by our pharmacy provider at work. Something along the lines of how to use the pharmacy system (it's all computerized) to control our pharmacy costs. I have a feeling it's going to be a big snoozefest, but I'm going to go with a good attitude.

I'm going with my boss, the DON, so we'll have a nice little bonding day. *eyeroll*

I'd better get going--Orlando traffic is notoriously awful, and I don't want to be late. Laters.

Sunday Stealing--The Pretentious Blogging Meme

1. How long have you been blogging?

Since June 2007

2. What made you start?

I started with documenting my progress on my weight loss after I'd had my gastric bypass. After awhile, that became pretty boring, and it became much more than that.

3. Who inspired you?

I was inspired by a blogger called Melting Mama, initially.

4. About how many hours a week would you estimate you spend on your blog?

A few hours a week. Nothing spectacular.

5. What kind of experience or background do you have with writing?

I've journaled on and off my whole life.

6. Talk about how you come up with blog topics. Where do you get your ideas?

It's just daily life stuff. I don't plan blog entries or anything, they just come from daily life stuff.

7. What or who inspires you and your blog?

There's no particular inspiration.

8. Where and/or how do your brainstorming for your blog?

I blog sitting in my favorite spot on the couch, laptop in my lap, iced tea at hand. Nothing special.

9. Do you have any blogging rules or guidelines you follow?

There are certain things that I never blog about. Things I prefer to keep private. I also make sure that I don't violate HIPAA when I'm talking about work. Otherwise, no rules to speak of really.

10. Is there anything you will not blog about?

See #9.

11. Do you have any sort of a publishing schedule in terms of day of week or topic?

I occasionally do a Friday Grab Bag thing of my own, and always do Saturday 9, and Sunday Stealing. Otherwise, it's whatever comes to mind.

Saturday 9--Everybody is a Star

1. Did you ever think that you'd be a star? If yes, doing what?

Hmmmm. I never thought I'd be a "star" per se. I've always been very good at whatever I've set my hand to, though.

2. Tell us about the last time you had a romantic dinner.

I can't remember. But in a few weeks, we're going all out for our 5th anniversary, and taking ourselves to the Chart House. We deserve it!

3. Tell us about your worst job interview.

I've never liked the kind of interview where you sit in front of multiple people who are asking you questions. I prefer one on one interviews.

4. Tell us about your stupidest date.

I have no idea. I don't remember going on anything other than your normal run of the mill date.

5. How much in common do you think you should have with a romantic partner?

I think you should have a lot in common. Otherwise, what do you have to talk about?

6. Tell us about a favorite meme that you loved but no longer posts.

Can't think of one.

7. How did you get into blogging?

I had a lot rattling around in my head, and have always written journals and such, so it was sort of a natural progression, once I had my own computer.

8. Do you share all your fantasies with a significant other?

Not really.

9. What change in your life would you like to happen this year?

In a perfect world, I'd have my old job back, but that looks like it's on the back burner again. So, I think I'd just like to stay stable, stay out of debt (now that our tax refund is getting us out of debt), and stay well. I'd be happy with that.