Two months?

Has it really been two--almost three--months since I last posted? Wow!

It's been a busy summer, although not as busy as it might have been. As I mentioned in my long ago previous post, I took the summer off from school. Part of me regrets that. Part of me thinks I should have taken classes over the summer to keep the brain juices flowing and the financial aid funds coming.  But I didn't.

I didn't because I knew that with nursing school imminent, leisure time would be precious. Time spent with my family would be sparse. Bleary-eyed mornings would be abundant and sleeping in would be a rarity.

I did it because my husband asked me to. Actually, he demanded it. Yup, I'm a good wife that way.

But now the summer is nearing its end. My children start school in a couple weeks. My nursing school orientation (yay!) is the same week my children start school. My first day of the semester comes less than two weeks after that, and by September, I'll be well-entrenched.

Probably a little tired.

Maybe a little short-tempered.

And I predict my house will be a mess.

But I will be a NURSING STUDENT!

*not actually me

Step One Achieved

My past two years have been dedicated to getting into nursing school. I had that terrifying first day of college. I studied my butt off. I spent an entire summer threatening to hide a sleeping bag in the back of the Health Sciences building so I wouldn't have to waste study time commuting to and from school. I finished my pre-requisites with a 4.0 GPA. I agonized over my entrance exam. I ROCKED my entrance exam. And then finally, on April 10th, five semesters after I started, I received (drumroll, anybody?)

THE LETTER.

(I really wish I could make those two words flash and maybe play a fanfare. That would be so cool. And add little fireworks. Fireworks would make it even cooler.)

 I'm in!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I was officially accepted into the Associate's Degree Nursing Program starting fall 2013.  Class of 2015, baby!

I can now call myself a Nursing Student.

Of course the hardest part, surviving nursing school, is yet to come.

But, you know what? In my book, my acceptance alone is quite an accomplishment. So I'm going to bask. I'm basking in my accomplishment. Watch me bask. Bask and engage in many happy butt wiggles.

*not actually me

And I'm taking the summer off from school.

I'm taking the summer off to recharge my nearly burnt-out batteries and complete all the tasks required of me in order to retain my spot in the program. I ordered my background check yesterday and today I peed in a cup.

That was loads of fun.

Friday I get to be poked with needles. Maybe this weekend I'll go check some shoes out at the local
healthcare professional supply store. I'll check shoes out and stethoscopes, too. Stethoscopes! I need my very own stethoscope! How cool is that?

How ever am I going to avoid playing with all my nursing school toys until August?

I should enjoy this excitement while I can. I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be long before the idea of a stethoscope will no long elicit such giddiness.

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As I work my way through the process of nursing school prep, nursing school, graduation, passing the NCLEX, and employment, I'll try to blog my journey. Feel free to enjoy it with me!

Spring Has Sprung

image from http://tinyurl.com/a2utwa2

Don't be mislead by my post title; I'm not referring to the weather. Instead, I'm talking about the same thing I always seem to talk about: school. Today was the first day of the Spring 2013 semester.

Today was the official first day of Spring 2013 semester. The first day of my Spring 2013 semester is tomorrow. Tomorrow will be my first day back in classes since early December. I've been on my semester break long enough to get used to sleeping late. Urg.

In fact, my children returned to school today, as well. And when my alarm clock went off at 5:45 this morning, I honestly thought it was a mistake. I thought I was dreaming. My first instinct was to grab the television remote because I thought the volume was too loud. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before I realized the ugly truth. It wasn't a mistake. I wasn't dreaming. And it wasn't the television.

image from http://tinyurl.com/bbrpkwl

I'm taking a light class load this semester, as I'm preparing to take my nursing school entrance exam in a couple months. In addition to studying for my classes, I'll also be studying for a huge standardized test that will either make or break my mood for the rest of the year. I'm confident enough for the reading/writing portion of that big exam. I'm even running a low panic level for the math portion. But the science portion? That one has me scared. Result: for the next 2-1/2 months, I'll be reviewing all the physiology I learned over the past year.

Double urg.

Two classes. One is a class I need for my degree. The last one outside of the nursing classes I'll be taking. The other is a class of my choosing. One that I hope will help prepare me for nursing school. I'm really looking forward to one of them. Can you guess which?

Intro to Humanities

Human Pathophysiology

And here's where my geek shines through. I didn't have classes today. I didn't have to do anything school-related today. Yet, first thing this morning, I still logged into ANGEL, my school's "web-based course management and collaboration portal." In other words, it's the place where I do all my homework, contact my instructors, get notes and assignments, and often take my quizzes or tests. And I logged on this morning. Just to see what was there.

No, my post title isn't talking about the weather, despite the fact the weatherman predicts a high of 73 this Saturday (wowzers!). It is talking about the school semester, and thus, the conditions and atmosphere in my home.

Hm. Now that I think about it, maybe I was talking about the weather.

Best Wishes for the New Year

Unsolicited Advice Makes Me Think

After my classes today, I stopped at my school's library to print the PowerPoint slides for my next Micro unit. There was another woman in there, also printing. I happened to catch a glimpse of text on one of her printouts. Nursing Diagnosis, it read. She caught me reading her PowerPoint as it sat on the printer, and she smiled.

"What's your major?" she asked.

"I'm in my last pre-nursing semester," I told her. "Once I finish Micro, I'm applying to the program."

She nodded. "I'm at the end of the journey and you're just starting out."

Then she looked me dead in the eye, her expression serious. "If you don't cry at least once, you won't become a nurse."

"Really?"

She nodded again. "It's hard," she said. "Very hard. You'll be overwhelmed and you'll cry. But you'll get through it."

Some days, I'm certain I'm ready for it. I'm positive I'm on the right path. Right where I need to be. It's going to be hard. I know it's going to be hard. It should be hard. Nothing worth achieving is easy. But then there are the other days. On the other days, I'm just not sure. Can I do it? Can I handle it? I guess time will tell.

Farewell, sweet Prince

R.I.P., Prince

Beloved friend and family member

Sad, sad weekend in my household. On Sunday, we said goodbye to a dear, dear friend and family member.

Prince showed up in our neighborhood about 10 years ago. He was a sweet, sweet dog who seemed to take a liking to my front porch. Back when I still smoked, I would go out onto the porch for my before-bed cigarette and there he'd be, sleeping in the corner.

I didn't realize it at the time, but he kept coming back to my front porch because my kids were putting food out for him.

This went on for a couple weeks, maybe a little longer. He was just the cute, sweet, stray dog who showed up on my porch every night. Then came the December day when the weatherman forecast the nighttime low to drop below 30 degrees. I couldn't bear the idea of the sweet little dog left out in the cold, so I brought him into my house.

He promptly wedged himself beneath our Christmas tree, knocking ornaments this way and that.

A couple days later, Animal Control knocked on my door. Apparently, another neighbor had called them to pick up the dog, and had told them he was last seen at my house. By then, Prince was living in my backyard with our other dog, so I sent Animal Control away, telling them to contact me if anybody came looking for their lost dog. The officer took my number, thanked me profusely (Animal Control was pretty full), and left. That was the last we heard from them.

When we took Prince to the vet, we were told the sweet dog had probably been abandoned, since he tested positive for heartworms. Of course the vet recommended we have him treated, as he probably wouldn't live very long otherwise. Sadly, we didn't have a spare $700 laying around, so we figured we'd keep him comfortable and happy. At least now he'd have available food, fresh water, and a warm place to sleep to live out his days.

That was around ten years ago.

I guess the heartworms finally got him. And old age--our best guess is he lived to be about 12-14 years old. Arthritis made it hard for him to get around. We found him on the back patio. Maybe he'd been sunning himself. That's what I'm trying to convince myself. He knew his time was upon him, and he wanted to enjoy the warmth of the sun one last time.

Now he's in doggie heaven. He's pain-free and able to run like he used to. He has all the toys he wants. There are no more heartworms making breathing and life in general difficult. That's my dream. That sweet Prince is pain-free and happy and barking at the sky like he used to.

Goodbye sweet Prince. We weren't your first family, but I hope you knew how much we loved you. How much we still love you. Rest in peace.

Nature, Nurture, and Bacteria

Today. Monday. Today is Monday. The third Monday in August. First day of Fall Semester. First day of my last semester of pre-requisites. I'll be testing for and applying to my program in January.

Yikes!

Today is the first day of Fall Semester and I'm sitting in my living room in my pajamas at 7:43 am. I like first days like this. I would say my real first day is tomorrow, but that wouldn't be entirely true. I'm braving another foray into the world of online learning despite my previous experience, so technically, my first day really is today.

Fall Semester 2012 will be another three class, seven credit hour semester. That might seem like a light load to some, but since two of those three classes are science, it feels like a smart decision.

"Take your sciences by themselves," they said. They being advisement, and anybody -- students and instructors alike -- who has an opinion about the Health Science programs. Gotta keep that 4.0 GPA to help make myself a more attractive candidate for my program. The higher my GPA, the better my shot at acceptance.

Besides, after my ultra-busy summer semester, I needed more time wearing my mom hat again.

 

My first class is the online class. PSYC 2103 Human Development. I've heard good things about this class, although the reports I've heard were for the on-campus class. That's what I would have preferred, but there wasn't an on-campus class available that worked with my schedule.

The instructor has a great reputation and ratings, so that will help. She was one of the teachers I thought about taking for PSYC 1101. After re-reading what some of her former students say about her, I kind of wish I could have found a suitable on-campus time to take her. I think I would have enjoyed her lectures.

Classes two and three are my sciences and they're linked. Introductory Microbiology and its accompanying lab. I think at one time, even though lecture and lab were offered at different times, they were billed as one class. No more. Lecture is a 3 credit course and lab is worth 1 credit. You register for them separately, they're graded separately, and you can have different instructors for each.

I'm pleased with the instructor I have for both lecture and lab. He's the head of the department, and all my resources (including my A&P II teacher) say he's the one to take. They say he "knows his stuff." I had to work hard to get him, though. His lab and lecture classes filled before I was even allowed to register. A couple weeks after registration, perseverance (and extended time mumbling and staring at the registration screen) finally paid off. I managed to snag one of the very few slots that came available during drop/add. 

I've heard mixed reviews on the class -- I guess it depends where your interests reside. Some people love it and call it easy, others hate it. One they thing all agree on is it's a lot of work. I'm not afraid of work. I proved that in Summer Semester.

I'm hoping for a little more breathing room than I had last semester. I'm praying for more time to spend with my kids. Especially since my mother, who was here to help during my summer semester, has gone back home (sniff!). That means I'll be taking the kids to Tae Kwon Do, Hap Ki Do, and marching band practice. That means I'll be doing the shopping and cleaning and cooking and laundry. That means I'll have nobody home with me to make faces at when my kids are arguing with each other or with me and are on my last nerve.

I really really really miss my mom.

And thus ends my long, boring, humor-free post. My public statement of my whereabouts for the next 16 weeks. I've been invited to the lifespan while buried in micro. See you in December. Maybe earlier if I'm able to come up for breath.