Nurse Pickle

Time flies

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:09:00 +0000

Wow, who knew it had been August since my last post. I guess time flies when you work full-time, go to school, and have a dog!! Beasley and I are doing well. We just try to keep out of trouble (him way more than me). I am progressing nicely with school and should be finished in mid-March if all goes as planned.

Work continues to keep me busy. If I'm not working OT, I'm involved with a committee or something else on the unit. I continue to face my daily challenges head on. I still love taking care of my patients. They are the whole reason I'm doing this. I've learned way more about myself over the past two years than I ever thought possible.

Not much else is going on...I can't think of any good stories right now. Just thought I'd pop in to say hi! :) Until next time, cjb

My new baby! :)

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:15:00 +0000

So I've been really busy since last weekend. Of course, the normal things are happening - school, work, life...but I got a dog this past weekend. I had a friend that was no longer able to take care of this dog and I thought about it for weeks before I decided to take him. His name is Beasley. He is a Jack Russell Terrier/mini schnauzer mix. He is amazing. He has a ton of energy, but is so loving. He sits right beside me all the time while I'm home. He's finally comfortable with me and has started eating more since arriving to my home! :)

This is Beasley prior to any clipping. He was extremely matted and needed a lot of TLC! :)

This is Beasley after a lot of clipping and prior to the groomer. He was still matted and wouldn't let me touch his paws or under his belly!

Here's the new look!! I think I'll probably let his hair grow out a little bit. We went to petco and bought a hairbrush and lots of other things!! Isn't he the cutest?

Beasley will sit like this for 10-20 minutes. Sometimes he's begging, but most of the time he just wants attention!!

I think that's all the news I have for you. I just wanted to put another plug in for my Heart Walk for the American Heart Association. The link is on the side and if you have anything extra to spare, I would love the help. If you don't, please don't feel bad. Just be my side line cheerleader!! Thank you all for all you do every day!! Until next time, cjb

Overwhelmed with thankfulness!

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:09:00 +0000

So I just posted about raising money for the American Heart Association and already I have had two generous donors. My total is up to $50.00 in two short days!! I can hardly believe it. Thank you all for your wonderful kindness!!

It's a three mile walk, so I need to start getting used to walking! LOL! My job requires me to walk all the time, but I think I should start using the treadmill again. I'll manage to get into shape to walk this thing...this just may be the motivation I need!

Again, thank you for your kindness. If you aren't able to donate money, your love and support are needed!! Hugs, cjb

I need your help!

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:50:00 +0000

Some of you may have noticed that I have some new items in the sidebar. I am walking for The American Heart Association on September 12, 2009. Please be a cheer leader for me and if you have a little bit of extra cash, I would love your donation. Thanks a ton in advance for any help you are able to give!
Hugs and love, cjb

I was fired....

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:30:00 +0000

by a patient today...This was a first for me. Apparently this patient has been rude and crude and socially unacceptable to almost everyone who entered the room. I attempted the "kill them with kindness" routine, but apparently that wasn't enough. Some days you really just can't make anyone happy...and especially if they are unhappy people to begin with.

I'm glad I only have one more day this week...I don't know if I'd make it anymore. I feel like I've been used and abused to the max.

I'm also in the last week of this class. It's been a killer. We had a group project which I just contributed my portion to...ugh...what else? Ummm....I'm tired, and hot and ready for another vacation!! Until next time, cjb

whatever....

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:11:00 +0000

So my lab results came back today and apparently everything is "normal", for what it's worth. That's good news and bad news because I'm still having horrible hot flashes. My doctor thinks it's stress related, ummmm....okay. Yes I'm stressed, but this has been going on for awhile....So what do we do about that? Apparently I'm going to start Lexapro and see if that helps at all. I go back to see him in two weeks and we will be talking about where to go from here because something is not right.

That's what I know....gotta work again tomorrow....Night all, cjb

Another week ahead

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:06:00 +0000

So my class this time is nursing research. It's a killer. I keep thinking that the one I just finished was the hardest and then they throw another class my way! I know I'll get through it, I really don't have a chance.

I also made it to the doctor again today. I've been having really bad hot flashes and also waking up drenched in sweat even though my air is on and I have a ceiling fan and floor fan blowing on me. He had some blood worked ordered. Hopefully we'll know something on Thursday. I just know I'm tired of being a furnace ALL.THE.TIME.

Not much else is going on...I'll post again later, cjb

And the beat goes on....

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Since I last posted, things have been pretty much status quo. I managed to make it to the neurologist and we have changed the time I take my medication to night so that maybe I can get some more energy. I think it's working a little.

However, I am still having a bad time with hot flashes. I'm perpetually hot and sweaty. I have started waking up drenched. I tried to get in to the doctor this week, but they are closed on Friday and that's the only other day I have off this week. I settled for Tuesday, hopefully we'll draw some blood and figure out if my hormones are out of whack.

I woke up with a horrendous migraine this morning. Of course I woke up too late to call in, so I managed to make it to work. I got assessments completed and meds passed and decided that being tough wasn't worth it. Every time I moved I seriously thought I was going to throw up...and all this was WITH my meds. Thankfully we had an extra nurse today, so she took over my patients and I managed to make it home by 11:30. I went right to bed and slept until 4:45...how I managed to sleep that long and still manage to get up functioning, I don't know. I got up and attempted to do school work for a little while.

This class is going to be a little more challenging. We have some group work that has to be done and only have the discussion board to figure it out on. It's hard for me to do group projects when I don't know the people. Keep in mind the only place I've "met" these people is online. Without communciation, there is a challenge. I think we will manage to get everything done, but I may be venting about it some.

I don't think I have anything else of significance to say, so until next time, cjb

Tired

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:16:00 +0000

I feel like all I'm saying these days is "I'm tired"...Well, at my neurologist appointment on Tuesday, I talked to him about it. He thinks it is the new medication I'm on. I thought when I stopped taking Topamax this extreme tiredness would go away. But it seems like that is no the case. We switched the time I'm taking my new med to night time. If it doesn't get better we may have to change my medication again...I really just want my headaches to be under control and to have my energy back...I know it will all work out.

Today was an insanely busy day at work. I didn't get any of my patients charted on while they were under my care. If I discharged them, I was opening and closing the chart at the same time...but it was still a good day. The main reason is because I was able to influence a new nursing student in a positive way. I was able to share some of my knowledge about school and resources and that made me feel good. When I left for the night, she told me that she really appreciated the care I gave her, and that is priceless. So even though I'm exhausted and didn't get home until after 8 pm, I made a difference today...What did you do today? cjb

So much on my mind...

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:37:00 +0000

As I went to work today, I had no idea I would be orienting a new nurse to the floor. She has actually been on the floor some, so it wasn't completely out of the blue, but I expected to have to work a normal shift. All was well, she did a great job and we were able to complete several tasks to check off her competency form. We had a slight run-in with a physician that got to the director of nursing. I really think it was blown WAY out of proportion, but all the steps were followed and that's all I can really say about it. I was able to attempt to start researching a few things for the floor. I never got very far, but I've got a little bit better idea on where to head. I was able to clean out some emails and follow up with some things. I checked my grades online a couple times hoping I could get my tuition reimbursement submitted, with no such luck. So as soon as I got home, I checked my normal accounts and then checked my grades again...just for kicks and grins. I was very surprised when I saw my grade was posted! :) I managed to pull out another A, which for a tiny bit I was a little worried. My GPA is slowly increasing and I should graduate with honors! :) Of course, it'll be a little bit longer before I'm finished, but I worry about things like that! LOL...Not much else is going on...just tired and have to work again tomorrow! until next time, cjb

What a day! :)

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:31:00 +0000

So today I had the privilege of attending a Nursing Quality Summit for the healthcare system I work for. This was supposed to happen on Nurse's Day, but due to the H1N1 flu, it was postponed until today. Let me tell you, I am revived and rejuvenated. I am anxious to get back to my floor council to start implementing some research projects. This all came just before my Nursing Research class...what awesome timing! There were so many nurses there, it was inspiring.

I am tired, but happy. I'm hoping that I can take this energy and apply it for good on my unit. I wish everyone would have been able to attend. I know I have a better understsanding for so many things that are happening...hurray!! Can you tell I'm excited?

more later, cjb

Wow

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:31:00 +0000

Everytime I go so long without posting, I always think I'm going to do better. The truth of the matter is, I'm busy. Not just work busy, but school busy, and life busy.

As I think I've mentioned before, I'm working on my bachelor's right now. I just finished my second class. The first one was a 6 hr class, this one was a 4 hr class. My classes are 5 weeks each. By the time I start, it's almost over. But this process is working for me. Everything is completely online and I don't have to worry too much about taking tests. I am good at writing, which is a plus. However, trying to complete all my assignments can turn into a chore. I now have a week off from school, but that doesn't mean I don't have anything to do.

Work continues. We are continuing to expand. There are construction crews everywhere. I can't even walk into the hospital without feeling like it is going to cave in on me. I think we are going to see the construction crews for quite awhile, as the building has only just begun. Since we moved up a floor and they expanded the ICU, we have had a ton of changes. Almost instantly, the patient population on my floor changed. We went from having patients for days on end, to sending at least half the floor home a day and getting that many patients back. It has caused a lot of stress and irritability on the floor. We are still adjusting. Some days are better than others. However, I work with an amazing group of people. It does make it a little more enjoyable to go to work knowing you have people to back you up. I'm taking a class this to allow me to start orienting new nurses to our floor. I'm looking forward to that challenge. I have also become much more involved in some of the committees the hospital has. I am a co-chair for our shared governance committee, which is the nurses' voice for changes. With that comes meetings, and more meetings. My hospital is also on the road to Magnet status. I have yet to go to one of those meetings, but I will start going to those next month.

Life in general keeps going as well. I've had some changes in my medications for my migraines and for the most part, feel that my migraines are better. I am struggling with the constant feeling of being tired. I'm hoping that it is transient. I know I am doing a lot and am sure that is a contributing factor. I am looking forward to spending a weekend with my extended family in July. I'm actually taking just over a week off so I can stop and see some friends and just enjoy myself! :) Nothing else is really going on...I'm just truckin' along, as I imagine you are too! :)

Happy Nurses Day! :)

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:21:00 +0000

I know I have a lot of fellow nurses out there and I just wanted to be sure to wish you all a Happy Nurses Day! :)

I've run across a few promotions and thought I would share them with you!!

Cinnabon is offering a free classic cinnabon to all nurses this week with your ID. Stop by and pick one up! :)
AJN is offering free access from May 6-12 for their entire site. Their website is www.ajnonline.com. You may find some interesting articles! I know I have.
RNPathways is giving away a MacBook. This is actually open to nurses and non-nurses alike. You can find details on their website www.rnpathways.com.
Scrubs and Beyond is offering free shipping on orders over $50.00.

If you run across any post them to your blog! :) Share the information!! Hope you all had a wonderful day! More later, cjb

Oops...I really didn't forget

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Life has kept me super busy. I can't believe I haven't posted since March!!

I'm just about finished with my 2nd class for my BSN. Time is flying! I'm really enjoying my classes overall. I'm learning a lot and really appreciating the online process.

Work continues to keep me busy. We continue to go through this expansion. The first part will be complete next Monday, but the construction has just begun. Hopefully this first part will ease some of the stress we have all been feeling over the past few months. I'm also getting more involved at work. I just signed up to be a co-chair for the council for the floor I work on. We have our first meeting after the move. School has really encouraged me to get more involved.

Home life continues to go along....we'll leave it at that! :)

I hope all is well with you. More later, cjb

Again...

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:02:00 +0000

So, life around here is crazy as normal. Work keeps me insanely busy. I have been working four days a week in an effort to do my part to keep our floor adequately staffed. Well, I almost lost my marbles last week. I'd done enough overtime. And school was getting to me, too.

Why did I decide that school was a good idea right now? Especially 5 week courses? Geez, I barely have time to sit down and I'm starting another paper. Throw work into the mix and if I'm only off three days, I don't even have time to go to the store, let alone clean house. Anyone want to volunteer to come help me shop and clean? Cuz, I'd love the help right about now!

Never fear, I'm cutting back on the next schedule. I had already committed to these days before school started, so I must fulfill my commitment. Hopefully things will be better soon. Heck, they have to get a little better.

I don't know much else. If you are lucky enough to catch me on the phone, don't be surprised if I can't talk long! Time is precious to me right now. I still think about my blog, but that's about all I do! One day I will be able to return in full force here, one day, I promise! cjb

Update of sorts

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Well, I've been over here a couple of times to update and one thing or another has pulled me away. As some of you may or may not know, I started back to school. I am in my third week of a five week course. It is all online. It involves a lot of reading and even more writing. So, hopefully, you, my dear readers, will forgive me if I'm not up for a lot of extra writing now.

I am also working a lot of extra hours. It is really wearing me down. We are in the process of expanding the hospital and are in between hiring new staff members. I have decided, though, on the next schedule to only work three days a week and to try to take every other weekend off. We'll see how it works.

Not much else is going on. I'm working and going to school and trying to maintain some semblance of order in my life. I'll try to be more diligent about posting...but we know how that's been working out lately! LOL, cjb

Still truckin'

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:48:00 +0000

So, I'm still alive and well. And for those of you out there wondering, I'm still working out with a vengeance. The weight isn't falling off as fast as it went on, but I know I will be healthier because of this. I bought "The Biggest Loser" DVD's and have added them to my routine. I don't know if I will walk every day that I use them or how I will incorporate them exactly, I just know that all my muscles hurt! Bob and Jillian are hard core!!

I also officially start school on February 23rd. I'm excited to get started. It will all be done online, so that will help with my work schedule.

Not much else is going on here in North Texas. I'm just truckin' along! More later, cjb

Instructed to post again

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:22:00 +0000

So, I was basically told that I HAD to post again! Apparently I'm not posting enough for some of my audience (even if they don't comment)!

So quite a bit has happened since I last blogged...I am still walking and still losing weight. I am currently down 4 pounds since I started! :) I'm very happy about all of this. I am weighing in once a week and walking at least 3 times a week. It is all working out nicely.

My computer however is not doing so hot...It decided that a worm or virus was necessary and it crashed on me. I lost all my files from October. I've had to reformat my system completely. It has proven to be a complete pain in the butt. I am still finding things that I am missing and need to install. I have to go through and find all my bookmarks again.

Work is going well. We are going through an expansion process which always makes things interesting.

Oh, there is something else. I was finally accepted into the BSN program at the University of Texas at Arlington. I should be starting on February 23rd. I'm looking forward to getting this over and done with. It is an online program and each class is five weeks long. It'll be a busy year, but I should be finished with my bachelor's degree in about a year! :)

Not much else is going on in my little world...I'll try to post again soon! :)

Holding strong!

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:23:00 +0000

So I've been making a few small changes in my life. Not a lot at once. Just a few small ones. First, I started snacking while I'm at work. Mostly I take almonds and raisins and things like that. I've also started drinking mostly water. This wasn't a huge change, but I'm making an effort not to drink sodas. I think in the last two weeks I've only had two or maybe three. I've also started walking again. Since the weather can be rather precarious in January in North Texas, I've started utilizing the gym on the property here. I'm not making myself walk on the days I work, just the days I don't work. I'm up to three days that I've walked. I've increased my time by 1 minute every time. I don't know how long I'll do that, but it's something.

I even cooked tonight. I know. Don't have a heart attack! :) I baked some chicken, rice, and sauteed squash and zucchini. It was all so good! I even have left overs for lunch tomorrow.

Work continues to go as smoothly as possibly. I'm still working mostly 3 days with an occasional 4th day thrown in. I have a hard time writing about work. Maybe one day I'll be able to find the balance.

For now, that's my update! I hope you are all doing well this January (what we have left of it anyways!). I'll update later, cjb

All clear! :)

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:26:00 +0000

So I went back to my GYN on Monday and my pathology came back CLEAN! :) My ovary was very cystic (which we expected), but it was clean! I really didn't expect it to be otherwise, but in the back of your mind, when they send something off, you always wonder. . . . Also, as long as this pap comes back normal, she doesn't want to see me for a YEAR!! Can you believe that? She wants me to be a normal patient? What's that about? Seriously, though, I do need a break from medical issues. I hope this year is easier on me than last year. I have established relationships with a few new docs and hope that we can keep it to routine checkups.

I'm mulling some things around in my head about moving my blog to a different server. You mostly won't see the changes (except possibly an address change and would be well notified of it before it happens). I want a little more freedom to add more pages and such to my site. I'm exploring my options and talking to some people. We'll see. I'll keep you updated.

Work is back in full swing. I've done three days. Yesterday was by far the busiest. I ran from the time I got there til the time I left. I've got to figure out my routine again. I need to try to start eating smaller meals more often, but it's so hard when I hardly have time to go to the bathroom. I really want to try to kickstart my metabolism.

I haven't been up to much more than crocheting. I know I haven't posted pictures lately. I'm going to try to get those up soon! :)

As always, thanks for reading! More later! cjb

Happy 2009!

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe another year has passed us by. This time last year I was studying like crazy for the NCLEX and gearing up for my internship to start. Now, a year later, I am an independent nurse who handles 3-4 patients at a time on a daily basis.

I'm working on getting back into school this year for my BSN. I still have a few kinks to work out before I can start. I was hoping to get that done while I was off, but of course, the school was closed for the holidays.

I go back to work tomorrow. I'm feeling really good from my surgery. However, I came down with an awful cold yesterday. I'm trying to drug it out me today and just rest so that I feel good tomorrow.

I was able to get my eyes checked and got new contacts. I also got new glasses ordered. They should be in within 2 weeks. The eye doc says that I have some eye strain, so he put some prism in my glasses. It should be interesting to try to get used to it.

I had a good trip to OKC. Both of my nephews are doing good! :) It was good to meet the baby and see the big one! :) I can't believe how fast they grow. They will both be so much bigger the next time I get up there.

Can't think of much else. I'm going to try to be better at posting this year! :) Thanks for reading, as always and HAPPY NEW YEAR! More later, cjb

Happy Holidays! :)

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 15:17:00 +0000

So, I've missed a few important things as I've been lazily recovering from my surgery. My parents celebrated another anniversary; I celebrated another birthday; Christmas has come and gone; my brother celebrated a birthday; and I'm sure there are many other things that have happened since I last posted.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. I had a very low-key day spent with friends. I think I was able to talk to all of my family and many of my friends that are far away. I am very blessed. It was a warm day in North Texas, but then again, you never quite know what to expect in December. One day you can have ice on the roads, the next it could be 70 degrees.

I was able to spend yesterday with Jen. We went shopping at Firewheel (an outdoor mall). Her husband only had to work a partial day, so he stayed home with their son. It had been awhile since it had just been the two of us. We had a blast and were able to find some really good deals!

Today, the yarn store I frequent, had their year-end sale. I met some of the ladies I crochet and knit with early (4 am) and we waited for the store to open at 6. We were able to get an extra 5% off our purchase. Everything was already 35% off. I got a book I had been wanting and yarn for two sweaters. I had received a couple of gift cards from some friends and used money from those! :)

I have to head back to work on the 2nd. I'm going to try to get some semblance of schedule back in my system. It's been nice to be able to be so lax. I didn't realize how much I really did need some time off. I'm going to make a trip to OKC to see the baby (and his parents). I've been trying to get up there since he was born, and it just hasn't worked out. If I don't do it now, who knows when I'll be able to get up there. Plus, I have a whole bunch of stuff I've made for him that I want them to be able to use! I'm looking forward to a slight change of pace even for just a day or two.

I guess that's all that's been going on. I really have planned on starting to post more. It's just hard when you don't feel good. That's all changing! I'm feeling better. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as I've gone through this journey. More later, cjb

Slowly but surely

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 01:00:00 +0000

I'm sure some of you are wondering how I'm doing. Well, I'm came through surgery nicely. Mom flew in from OKC on Sunday and we had a lovely evening. We went to dinner and then went grocery shopping for the week. I very rarely have enough food in the house and I knew mom would be cooking to freeze food while I recover, so we made our list and went and got everything we needed. We were quite the site carrying 10 bags each up my flight of stairs!!

I had to be at the surgery center at noon for a 1:00 surgery. The doctor was running late and my surgery started at 3:00. I think I recovered pretty quickly and we were home by about 6 or 6:30, just in time for the ice to start. The first night was the worst, but mom was so good to help me get out of bed everytime and reminded me to take my pain medication.

Tuesday was ok. I slept til about 9:30 and took a nap around 2 for a couple of hours. When I woke up, we started working in the living room a little bit. Mom would ask me where I wanted something and she would promptly place it there. This was wonderful. We were able to make it through a couple of boxes on Tuesday.

Wednesday was a much better day. Mom and I ran some errands and ate lunch out. I took a nap when we got home and then we did more unpacking and decorating. By the time we went to bed the living room was completely boxless and beautiful!!!

Today we managed to get mom back to the airport. She drove and I drove back. I took a nap when I got home and then ran a couple of errands after I woke up. I'm having a pretty low-key evening.

I'm sooo thankful that mom was able to come down and spend some time with me. She did more than I expected her to do! Thank you so much for helping me start my recovery, Mom!! You're the best!!

About time for an update

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:27:00 +0000

I know it's been awhile since I've updated, so i figured before I go in for surgery, I'd post again.

Not much has been going on. I've just been working and attempting to stay out of pain! My feet are doing much better. And after this surgery, my other pain will be gone. I have to be off work until Jan 2, so I will miss working Christmas and New Year's. It shouldn't be that big of a deal. We will start slowing down a lot soon. I just can't believe I only have two more days to work and then my surgery is here. I'm thankful mom will be here.

I'm enjoying my time on Ravelry. I've gotten to know a lot of the Traveling Scarf group pretty well. We are doing an awesome several month long secret swap. My partner sent me some awesome bath goodies last month and I can't wait to use them! I love spoiling someone (though I can't give any hints as to who it is because she might be reading!).

Work remains work . . . a lot of changes are going on as we continue to grow. It makes for some stressful times with everyone, but we make it through!

A major cold front came through a couple of nights ago and it dropped into the 20's. We had some snow flurries, but nothing stuck. I am trying hard to stay warm. I've been drinking lots of hot tea and hot cocoa. And if you're wondering, the heat came on a couple of weeks ago!

I'll update again after my surgery, cjb

New sponsors

auntpickle@gmail.com (Crystal) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:43:00 +0000

I would like to welcome my newest sponsors to my website. If you have a chance, and are need of new scrubs, head on over to Medical Scrubs Mall and Uniform Advantage for your needs!!

You can also click their ads to the right of my page and they will get you straight to their websites!!

Thanks for visiting my site!! cjb