Summer 2011

Goodness...I am not so good at this blogging thing!
To catch up a bit....
I have had a very busy summer! I strained my back really bad doing an intensive 2.5 hour procedure at work in April and ended up at home for 2 weeks in a lot of pain and then worked for 3 months in the office while trying to get better through physical therapy. I finally went back to work a month ago and it's been really nice to be seeing patients again. It made me realize how much I enjoy being a nurse. Thankfully, my back is 90% better but I will have to be careful for the rest of my life.

Having time off work was a blessing in disguise and helped me to complete some intensive nursing certification courses and clinicals this summer. I will be all finished next week and after taking my national exams in the next couple months, I will officially be a RN WON, or Wound Ostomy Nurse. This means I am trained to be a wound care specialist. (For example,a colostomy is a type of ostomy....a surgery you would have if you had colon cancer with your intestine diverted to your skin temporarily or permanently. There are many types of ostomies and there are many complications that can occur and Drs do not always know how to treat them.) Most reactions I get to this are "Huh?" or "What is that?" or "Wow, that's gross." Yeah, I guess so, but I enjoy caring for and teaching these patients very much. They are usually in a very vulnerable time of their lives and really need assistance. It's really rewarding to see them improve and heal over time and assume independence again. This certification is still quite rare but very valuable so I'm hoping to find a higher paying position soon at either my current home health agency, a hospital, or a wound clinic. I have enjoyed doing my clinical hours at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena so much! I have seen things there I had never seen before and have wonderful preceptors. It has been a fabulous experience.

Chad finished his clinical rotation in the Lompoc ER in June and has been interviewing for EMT jobs and applying for firefighter positions wherever he can. He's been working out a lot and passed the CPAT (annual physical test) again a few days ago. For Glendale City, he passed the written test, 2 interviews, and hopefully the polygraph test. We are waiting to hear back. He's applied to Oxnard to begin the testing process and should be starting his paramedic internship soon. Meanwhile, he is being a great helper with errands, housework and making dinner while I have been doing school. It's ok to take turns, right? He's such a good husband. We make a good team I think. =) We had our 4th anniversary on 8/10! We can't believe it...time has passed so quickly. We are still very happy and I'm so glad every day I married my best friend. Love you pumpkin!