Wow how my life has changed since my last post! I cannot believe I am 25 and 3 years into my career as a nurse. I have learned so many valuable life lessons and even more about myself in the past year. I've learned what I really want out of life, what I want to give to others.
I've have met the world's most amazing guy, Nate. I could not have handpicked a better guy for me! He is just ....sigh......amazing. I think the most amazing thing about our relationship is how much we are growing and becoming better people just by knowing each other. I'll post pictures soon!
My neices and nephew just keep growing! Mackenzie is ten and on dance team and loves to read! She is an amazing young lady, an old soul, I feel like she is pretty much one of my best friends! Kailey is seven and enjoys being the center of attention and making everyone laugh (hmm...who does that sound like?! :) She is going to be some sort of entertainer! Ethan turns two in a couple of days and boy is his personality shining through! He is a people watcher, he takes everything in before he reacts to a situation. Everyone else in my family is happy and healthy! Could not ask for anything more!
:) Becca
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Thursday, November 27, 2008
thankful....
My pastor created a challenge for us to think of something/someone everyday the month of November leading up to Thanksgiving that we are thankful for, so here is my list (i only expanded on a few):
1. Family.
2. Friends
3. Faith in God
1. Family.
What would I do without all the amazing people in my family?! At Thanksgiving dinner with the family, I just sat in my grandma's rocking chair holding my sleeping nephew and looking around the room at my family and I got goosebumps thinking how much I love them.
2. FriendsMy friends mean the world to me. I rejoice in the differences between my friends and I.
The differences allow me to grow as a person. I love each and every one of you!
3. Faith in God
Faith is the strength that holds the bond of my relationship with God.
God shows me daily how much he loves his children.
4. Education
5. Music
6. Dance
7. Laughter
8. Smiles
9. Hugs
10. Church
11. Nature
12. The opportunity to travel
13. Sense of Humor
14. Medicine (the practice of)
15. Sleep
16. Alarm clocks :)
17. Different cultures
18. Freedom
19. Advice
20. Photography
21. Art
22. Theater
23. Trust
24. Compassion
25. Equality
26. Dreams
27. Internet
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Beautiful Day!
This pic is of my nieces, nephew and I @ Boo @ the zoo! I love them!How great is the weather outside?! This morning I met up with Allison (a nurse I work with) and had lunch at Baja 600 on the plaza (yum!) We walk in and the manager gives us free cheese dip! (We don't really know why!) Apparently we are kind-of a big deal! HA! Anyways! Lunch was awesome and I always love catching up with Allison! Being as we work days together, we don't get to update each other at work so it was nice to actually be able to finish a conversation! After finishing lunch, Allison had to meet up with her mother-in-law, so I just walked around the Plaza alone and enjoyed the weather! I bought a macbook a couple of weeks ago and I haven't really mastered it yet! While I was on the Plaza, I dropped my new macbook and my old pc off at the mac store to have them transfer files (what a great service!). I also signed up for a one on one teaching session for new mac owners. I really want to get the most out of my mac! After the mac store, I walked over to, you guessed it, Gap! Holy cheese! They were having the biggest sale ever and on top of that I got 30% off (if you want the coupon let me know and I will email it to you, it's good until the 16th)! I saved over $150 today! I keep telling myself I need to stop buying my nieces and nephew so much because I don't want them just to expect material things from me, but I cannot turn down an amazing deal! I got Mackenzie and Kailey Christmas outfits and Ethan two Christmas outfits (complete with shoes and a hat) for less than $100! I was so proud of myself! I'll put pics up of the outfits and kiddos soon! I love being an aunt! I also got a dress for tomorrow, because I have a funeral to go to tomorrow.
My dad's Aunt Doris died (my grandma's best friend) I NEVER know what to say in these situations, so I just don't say anything. My grandma called me today to ask me if I was coming to the funeral, I am scheduled to work, so I called in, I have to be there for my grandma.
Please pray for my grandma (Mary), she's really bummed about her sister's death.
Talk to you all soon!
Becca :)
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
New Outlook
Well, I have decided it would be therapeutic for me to write a blurb or two every once and awhile. So....
This past weekend is one of the most emotional weekends I have ever had in my life. I'll start from the beginning....
On October 7th, I was volunteering at a free health clinic and I got a needle stick from a DIRTY needle in my palm. I was using a butterfly needle and I was trying to place the security device over the needle and I did not realize the tubing had coiled in my hand. The rubber covered needle that is used to put blood in the lab tube is what stuck my palm. I obviously was very upset. I was wearing a glove and I did scrub my hand afterwards. But I had no idea what the patient's history was. i knew i needed to have my lab drawn, two people tried to draw labs on me and could not get anything but a couple mls, which works in the peds world I live in, but not in the adult world. I inform the Clinic Director ( a physician) of the situation and she tells me the patient is "very low risk" and she "doesn't think I have anything to worry about." I asked about any antiretroviral or pretreatment drugs I needed to start on and she stated she didn't think I needed to start anything and to wait on the results of the labs. Oh yeah, she also informed me that she was going to Disney World the next week for a family vacation but she would call me with the results.
SOO........
Three days later, October 10th, I get a phone call from the Dr stating the pt was hepatitis neg and lfts were wnl and we just needed to wait on the HIV. I felt relieved, but still anxious for the HIV results.
As days went by I kind of forgot about the fact I was waiting on the HIV results.....and........
I had an AMAZING day at work on Thursday (October 16) and on my drive home I checked my voicemail. There was a voicemail from the "clinic coordinator" (a non-medical individual) stating the results were in and the doctor would call me when she got back from vacation on the following Sunday (FOUR DAYS AWAY!) I'm thinking to myself, why can't I know right now? What is so wrong?? So I call the guy back and ask him what's going on. He says to me, "Well, since you are asking, I am going to give it to you straight up. The doctor called my sister who called your friend (a coworker who asked me to come volunteer at the free health clinic) who called me and I was told the worst has happened and the patient is HIV POSITIVE!" I literally FREAK THE HELL out! Holy crap! I ask the guy for the doctor's number and he's giving it to me while I'm driving and was just told I got exposed to HIV; so, I kept messing up the numbers because I was freaking out. The guy says to me, "I know you are upset, but you need to calm down." Like he knows what I'm going through! Excuse me! Does he really know what just happened?? What affect this kind of information has on a person???
When I get home, I walk in the front door to my parents sitting in the living room watching TV ( mom was waiting on me to go to the dance studio to watch my niece's dance for watch week) and I didn't even make halfway through the front door when I COMPLETELY lost it and just could not calm down enough to tell my parents what was going on. I explained through sobs what was going on and my mom immediately called the 'clinical coordinator' and was asking him all sorts of questions ( which i cannot remember b/c i was sooo upset) My dad gets on the phone and calls the hospital that the labs were ran at and is trying to get information ( i told him they could not get ANY information, but he insisted on trying) I then remember that there is no baseline lab draw from ME! Knowing my needle stick protocols, i wanted to get this done ASAP. but it was 800pm and i did not want to go to an er and get them done. i called my friend (a nurse practitioner) that referred me to volunteer at this clinic b/c she had volunteered there for years. she helped me so much that night and told me to go to my pcp and have labs draw there and she would check with some infectious disease docs about what i should do about antiretrovirals. needless to say, i had no dinner and no sleep that night and one HECK of a HEADACHE!
Friday, i went to my doctor and had my labs drawn. holy crap the lab tech blew the heck out of my ACs! thank GOD for my brother! he went with me and supported me! i also made a phone call to the CDC and talked with a ID doctor who dealt solely with HIV exposures, she reassured me that there are only 57 documented cases in the last 30 years where the health care worker exposed to HIV contracted the disease. she also told me my chance were 0.3% of converting. ALSO it was too late to start antiretrovirals because it's only recommended within the first 72 hours....ugh.....
So can we say STRESS MUCH!!!!!
I kept myself busy: Friday night-Trisha's wedding, Saturday-zoo with the family and dinner with visiting friends
Saturday night-still no sleep and a HUGE headache....as i am out to dinner with some friends from out of town and my entire family, i get a phone call from the clinic director ( the doctor who runs the clinic) and she is REALLY upset. the first words out of my mouth were "i already know" and she says to me, " no you don't" i was like holy CRAP what else could it be??? she says " i don't know what the clinic coordinator was thinking (she used his name) but the patient is NOT HIV POSITIVE!" she kept apologizing for the miscommunication and how she could never forgive herself for what happened. i really didn't know what to say......yes i was SO happy that i had not been exposed to HIV but i had A LOT of questions as to how this all happened....however being at dinner with guests i had to just say thank you for calling and we WILL be back in touch.
Today i talked to the doctor (of course I'm at work) and i got my questions answered. There is no doubt that this could turn into a lawsuit/civil suit for violation of HIPPA; however, that is NOT my intent. this woman, the clinical director has dedicated her LIFE to this free health clinic. and i guess i feel it is not her fault if some, excuse my language, jackass decides he wants to give out false information. i mean who does he think he is???? does he understand the HELL he put me and my family through???
I am supposed to meet with the doctor next Thursday....I want to see the paperwork with the results on it myself to clarify.....past that i don't know what else to do or say???
I guess I just need to forgive and forget.....but I'm not sure I am ready for that yet??
I know good will come out of this and I need to look at the fact I was not exposed to HIV and just LIVE my LIFE! !
This past weekend is one of the most emotional weekends I have ever had in my life. I'll start from the beginning....
On October 7th, I was volunteering at a free health clinic and I got a needle stick from a DIRTY needle in my palm. I was using a butterfly needle and I was trying to place the security device over the needle and I did not realize the tubing had coiled in my hand. The rubber covered needle that is used to put blood in the lab tube is what stuck my palm. I obviously was very upset. I was wearing a glove and I did scrub my hand afterwards. But I had no idea what the patient's history was. i knew i needed to have my lab drawn, two people tried to draw labs on me and could not get anything but a couple mls, which works in the peds world I live in, but not in the adult world. I inform the Clinic Director ( a physician) of the situation and she tells me the patient is "very low risk" and she "doesn't think I have anything to worry about." I asked about any antiretroviral or pretreatment drugs I needed to start on and she stated she didn't think I needed to start anything and to wait on the results of the labs. Oh yeah, she also informed me that she was going to Disney World the next week for a family vacation but she would call me with the results.
SOO........
Three days later, October 10th, I get a phone call from the Dr stating the pt was hepatitis neg and lfts were wnl and we just needed to wait on the HIV. I felt relieved, but still anxious for the HIV results.
As days went by I kind of forgot about the fact I was waiting on the HIV results.....and........
I had an AMAZING day at work on Thursday (October 16) and on my drive home I checked my voicemail. There was a voicemail from the "clinic coordinator" (a non-medical individual) stating the results were in and the doctor would call me when she got back from vacation on the following Sunday (FOUR DAYS AWAY!) I'm thinking to myself, why can't I know right now? What is so wrong?? So I call the guy back and ask him what's going on. He says to me, "Well, since you are asking, I am going to give it to you straight up. The doctor called my sister who called your friend (a coworker who asked me to come volunteer at the free health clinic) who called me and I was told the worst has happened and the patient is HIV POSITIVE!" I literally FREAK THE HELL out! Holy crap! I ask the guy for the doctor's number and he's giving it to me while I'm driving and was just told I got exposed to HIV; so, I kept messing up the numbers because I was freaking out. The guy says to me, "I know you are upset, but you need to calm down." Like he knows what I'm going through! Excuse me! Does he really know what just happened?? What affect this kind of information has on a person???
When I get home, I walk in the front door to my parents sitting in the living room watching TV ( mom was waiting on me to go to the dance studio to watch my niece's dance for watch week) and I didn't even make halfway through the front door when I COMPLETELY lost it and just could not calm down enough to tell my parents what was going on. I explained through sobs what was going on and my mom immediately called the 'clinical coordinator' and was asking him all sorts of questions ( which i cannot remember b/c i was sooo upset) My dad gets on the phone and calls the hospital that the labs were ran at and is trying to get information ( i told him they could not get ANY information, but he insisted on trying) I then remember that there is no baseline lab draw from ME! Knowing my needle stick protocols, i wanted to get this done ASAP. but it was 800pm and i did not want to go to an er and get them done. i called my friend (a nurse practitioner) that referred me to volunteer at this clinic b/c she had volunteered there for years. she helped me so much that night and told me to go to my pcp and have labs draw there and she would check with some infectious disease docs about what i should do about antiretrovirals. needless to say, i had no dinner and no sleep that night and one HECK of a HEADACHE!
Friday, i went to my doctor and had my labs drawn. holy crap the lab tech blew the heck out of my ACs! thank GOD for my brother! he went with me and supported me! i also made a phone call to the CDC and talked with a ID doctor who dealt solely with HIV exposures, she reassured me that there are only 57 documented cases in the last 30 years where the health care worker exposed to HIV contracted the disease. she also told me my chance were 0.3% of converting. ALSO it was too late to start antiretrovirals because it's only recommended within the first 72 hours....ugh.....
So can we say STRESS MUCH!!!!!
I kept myself busy: Friday night-Trisha's wedding, Saturday-zoo with the family and dinner with visiting friends
Saturday night-still no sleep and a HUGE headache....as i am out to dinner with some friends from out of town and my entire family, i get a phone call from the clinic director ( the doctor who runs the clinic) and she is REALLY upset. the first words out of my mouth were "i already know" and she says to me, " no you don't" i was like holy CRAP what else could it be??? she says " i don't know what the clinic coordinator was thinking (she used his name) but the patient is NOT HIV POSITIVE!" she kept apologizing for the miscommunication and how she could never forgive herself for what happened. i really didn't know what to say......yes i was SO happy that i had not been exposed to HIV but i had A LOT of questions as to how this all happened....however being at dinner with guests i had to just say thank you for calling and we WILL be back in touch.
Today i talked to the doctor (of course I'm at work) and i got my questions answered. There is no doubt that this could turn into a lawsuit/civil suit for violation of HIPPA; however, that is NOT my intent. this woman, the clinical director has dedicated her LIFE to this free health clinic. and i guess i feel it is not her fault if some, excuse my language, jackass decides he wants to give out false information. i mean who does he think he is???? does he understand the HELL he put me and my family through???
I am supposed to meet with the doctor next Thursday....I want to see the paperwork with the results on it myself to clarify.....past that i don't know what else to do or say???
I guess I just need to forgive and forget.....but I'm not sure I am ready for that yet??
I know good will come out of this and I need to look at the fact I was not exposed to HIV and just LIVE my LIFE! !
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Sometimes what we feel needs to be spoken in word, or else we are feeling by ourselves
hey guys i wanted to get a blogspot so i can actually comment on other's!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
