Thursday, April 26, 2007

Third times a Charm

I completed my third night last night of working in the hospital pharmacy...and I liked it! I'm becoming a TPN pro. (TPN = total parenteral nutrition...think big IV bag full of carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins used for people who can't eat the regular way). It is my favorite thing that I get to do. I'm also feeling more comfortable with a lot of the other IVs I get to make (there are alot!). One thing that still leaves me a little anxious is the delivery that I have to make each shift at 6PM. This involves dropping off drugs/IVs all over the hospital in the med rooms of each unit. It's not hard. I just can't seem to learn my way around the hospital. It's like one of those mazes that they put mice in in laboratories. I'd better get it straight soon, though, because after two more wednesdays there throwing caution to the wind and having me cover the shift all by my lonesome (no more working with my trainer). Ahhh!

Now for some COMY:
We have growth! Here are some before and after shots to give you an overview:
Before:













And Now:













We've picked our first vegetable: radishes! (I ate the one that is in the photo just now and it was delicious. Nice and spicy!) And we have some peas that will be ready soon too. And, and!! the clematis has it's first bloom! So exciting. Check it out:


Sunday, April 22, 2007

17 Days and Counting...

Oooooh, I can't explain to you how ready I am for summer. I'm looking forward to being able to deep clean the house, spend more time working in the yard, do some house projects that have been sitting around for months, cook more often, excercise more regularly, organize things, etc. All in good time.

It was a crazy weekend to follow a crazy week and I've got another test tomorrow to boot. I'm just taking it one day at a time now until the end of the school year and like I said above, only 17 days left.

On a more festive note I'd like to wish a happy b-day to Brooke. Welcome to the "now we're officially old" club.

Happy Birthday!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

To the OR, STAT!

My little sis Jill (pictured above before her most recent formal) was rushed to the ER last night for an emergency appendectomy. Everything went smoothly and she's doing well. She has one more round of IV antibiotics and then she'll be released this afternoon. They did the procedure laparoscopically (think little camera inside so they can see) so she only has three little stitches. I found this cool (it might only be cool to me since my brain is totally medical-ified, but whatever) illustration of what they did to her:

Though it is weird, I must say that I've wanted mine out since I was about nine. I'm just so curious about what it would be like to have surgery and this seems like a relatively safe and routine procedure. I suppose I'll just live vicariously through her. I'm just glad she made it through with flying colors.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Don't. Push. Me. 'Cause. I'm. Close. To. The. Eeedge.

*My professors have become very cranky lately...cranky as in being mean and annoying in class and also deciding at the last minute to give us things like lab practicals.

*Car Wars (aka idiot marketing scheme to get peolpe to buy lamo vehicles) is going on this weekend which means the giant parking lot at War Memorial stadium where I park for school is closed which means there are 5,000 people fighting for 200 parking spots everyday for the rest of the week.

*I started my job last week, and though I think I'll like it eventually, I don't like having to work while I'm still in school. It sucks a whole day of my week away because I'm at school from 9am to 2pm and then work from 2:30pm to 11pm not to mention that I'm responsible for not killing anyone with the IV's that I make. Stress!

*We still have ants!! I keep getting rid of them in one area and then they show up in a different room. We're not dirty people. Leave us alone you crazy insects!

Disclaimer: I'm not complaining. I know I could have a lot bigger problems in my life. Sometimes you just gotta blow off a little steam.

Friday, April 06, 2007

COMH (+ TGIF! Yahoo!!)

Check out the new side table and lamp that my mom bought me for my b-day. I've had the table for a while (seeing as how my b-day was back in Feb.), but the lamp just came in last week. I love them both but especially the lamp. Only a few more things left to do to the living room before its "done!"

Fun fact for the Day:
The outermost layer of the covering that surrounds our brains (underneath the skull) is called dura mater which means "tough mother." Ha!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Privacy Please.

So, I have not started my new job yet. Maybe next week. Maybe the week after that. It turns out you have to jump through a lot of hoops and over a lot of hurdles to be able to work in a hospital pharmacy (they even light one on fire before you jump through). I won't bore you with all of them, but I will tell you about what I had to do this morning. I went up to St. Vincent cause they needed me to fill out some paperwork for a background check (as if I haven't already had four or five done since I started p-school...you think they would have found out if I was naughty by now). Then I had to go up to employee health for a drug screening among other health related things. Now here is where it gets out of control. I was required to let the nurse watch me pee into the cup!! Some of you may be saying big deal, but bathroom time for me is private time and I didn't enjoy sharing this moment with some random lady. And, of course I couldn't go cause she was sitting there watching me the whole time so it took like five whole minutes. It's not like I'm gonna smuggle in some pee to take the place of my own, but I guess they have a problem with that and that is why they have to watch. I'm just glad I didn't get hired to watch people pee everyday.
Oh well, now it's off to the nuclear pharmacy down the road to take a tour for one of my classes. Hopefully I won't glow when I'm done. (Really though. It's pretty safe.)