Scared Straight

Well, it's been an eventful few days. We finished up our week of school with our math pre-test. Whew! It's all medical calculations, and we'll all have to make a 90% on the real test. I came in with a solid 82%; sadly, I thought I'd done better. However there are many "rounding rules" that I was unsure of the application. We'll see tomorrow. I think we can review our tests then.

Since then, I've cooked and cleaned, had a date Friday, saw a concert in the rain Saturday with a friend and had an incredible dinner with my best friends on Sunday. I might add I'm still full from the dinner Lynn made, which incidentally was the best meal I've had anywhere all year long. So, the real funny part is that both Friday and Saturday were with 25 year-olds. Clearly I'm either regressing or finding my inner youth. It's certainly a new cohort for me. I've hung out with and dated older, smarter, cooler, funnier, etc. However, I've never tried the young-er. It's a new "-er" for me. Yes, I've heard all of the cougar jokes. Funny, haha.

However, the jig was up today. I realized last night how far behind I was in my reading. Since my workout this afternoon I've pretty much been non-stop. The good news is that it's a little after 11:00 and I've finished preparing for tomorrow. The bad news is that I have more reading to catch up on. I was IM'ing with my old college buddy and roomie, Gloria, tonight. She asked how school was going, and I told her it would be better if I'd used my weekend more wisely. Her response was something to the effect of, "isn't that always the way in school?". So this week I'll have to really knock it out. Our first big exam is next Monday. Maybe I just like the pressure?

1st Day of School: 17 August 2009

Day 3: Skills Test, AKA, "handwashing test"

Well, yesterday was a little bit more eventful than the first day of school. We actually had a lecture with power point and everything. The big excitement though was our Skills Test we had today and our Medical Calculations pre-test we have tomorrow, Thursday.

So, today we all suited up in our glorious royal blue -- yes, Duke blue -- scrubs for our inspection and test. I passed, which is the best part. However pulse has always been my weak spot. Robin and I compulsively practiced this morning. Every time I went to take her pulse, I could feel it so easily, but I'm sure you see where this is going. I got myself so worked up in the test, that I almost didn't pass. Fortunately, I know how I am. I asked if I could change sides and try again. My instructor allowed it, and I did it!!!! I just needed to switch it up a bit -- like the spot I was sitting in was jinxed. Change is good for me.

The funniest part of this is that I had to still go to the BP station. When Robin released the stopper somewhere between 160-180, I could feel my pulse. Now my BP is never high. Clearly the stress was taking effect. Our fabulous instructor just looked at Robin and said, "why don't you give Caroline's arm a rest and do that again." I'm sure she thought I was going to stroke out. I guess my 1 1/2 hour work out at the Y this morning could only put so much of a dent in my stress. Ms. Jones-Sutton told me to pull on my earlobes. My BP dropped to a more normal level immediately. Note to any of you who have BP issues, pull on your earlobes!

Tomorrow is math. I'm sure I'm not as prepared as I should be, but math has always been good to me. And, it's only a pre-test.

P.S. I'm still a little bitter about the color of our uniforms. Why not Carolina Blue? Counting the days until basketball season.

First Day

So this has really been quite a journey. For those of you who know me, you know it all started with a part-time gig at Gyland & Lanier pediatricians. I talked my way into the job after John Morgan got one there. I knew working at Wendy's was not for me. Just to date myself, I was there when we got our first computer where all of the diagnosis codes were loaded, and when we were preparing for the first HMO to come our way. I became Dr. Gyland's "blue-jean nurse" one summer when most of the ladies were on vacation. I grew to love medicine and the profession. After a "C" in freshman Chemistry, my dreams of being a physician quickly faded. I think when I couldn't complete the whole last page of the final, I gave up. So I quickly combined my love for languages and politics and slid over to being an International Studies major. However after a few years in Washington, DC, I had the idea that maybe I would go to medical school. Not getting in right away dashed my hopes. You might say I lack some patience. So, I accidentally fell into a career in sales. Cosmetics with all of its glitz, glam and cha cha shoes was for me -- at least for a while.

However, when my husband, Walt, died, my best friend, Jessica, gave me some sage advice. She said, "Make a list. Make a list of everything you've been wanting to do and haven't done. Find something on the list and do it. Go to the South of France or Nursing School, but just do it." Well, I'm a great rule follower. I made a list. Chose Nursing School. And here I am. Two years of pre-requisites later, I started Nursing School. I was a little offended when they told me I'd have to retake some classes, because some of them had, "expired". That was a nice way of calling me old. Many classes later and many friendships forged, I made it!

Today was Day 1 of Nursing School. It was just like any other college course. They spent four hours going over the syllabus and telling us what we needed to do to stay in the program. The excitement over my new backpack and school supplies quickly faded when my friend, Robin, pointed out that we have 15 modules to go over by our first test date -- which is two weeks from today. Funny how they left out the most important information.

I miss Walt all of the time. Days like today make it more obvious. I've lost one of my biggest cheerleaders, but my friends and family have always been my biggest fans. Today is certainly bittersweet, but it's been a great experience. Thanks to all of you who have encouraged me, to Jessica who guided through that horrible time, and to Jessica's mother who taught her twins to give me my latest and greatest nickname -- Nurse Bubbles.