I Joined A Gym

I recently developed a lot of time on my hands. So naturally, I joined a gym. As hilarious as that sounds it's true. I signed up two Fridays ago online and went in late that night. My current work schedule requires a gym that's open 24 hours. The elliptical machine kicked my butt so I road on the bike for an hour until it kicked me off. I almost always fail my goals so I haven't decided on how many days per week to go. My job forces me to walk around several buildings and some shifts are worse than others. It can be exhausting. Also, there is the weather to contend with. One of the benefits of living in the city is that the gym is less than ten minutes away from home and five minutes away from work.

I'm tired of being tired all of the time. I'm tired of being fat and ugly. I'm tired of being told I'm fat and ugly, especially by my own family and acquaintances. But mostly, I just want to reduce stress and pain to feel happy again, at least while exercising pumps endorphins all throughout my body

It's been two weeks since joining the gym and I've gone 9 times. That's not as much as I would like, so there is room for improvement. While some people keep track of what they do each time, how much they do it, etc., I'm not going to do that. My time at the gym is the happiest part of my day, aside from sleeping. I looked at some statistics on gym membership and members usually go an average of 2 times per week. Not sure how accurate that information is but I'm well above that number. Work has been awful lately (as has life) but it's easier going to the gym after work than you'd expect. My gym also has amazing showers, so I can work out the stress and then relax a little bit before going home. Of course, this means I don't get to bed until one or two in the morning (and sometimes three).

As mentioned above, work has been horrible. So horrible, in fact, that I'm looking for something else in my current healthcare system. My back hurts too much to be a CNA. I try not to think about having to hold out until July 21st, which will be my one-year anniversary with my employer. I have until that time for a miracle to happen or else I'll be making even more drastic changes.

Until next time,

~Staci~

Moving, Among Other Things

It's official: I'm moving!!! Tomorrow, actually. It's been in the works for about a month now, but I wanted to wait before making an official announcement. I've resigned myself to the idea of living in this area for a long time, and have been ready to find my own space. A former coworker invited me to rent out her basement and the house is only a few minutes from my hospital. Perfect. Another perk is that it comes partially furnished. All I really need is a bed, tall dresser, shelving space for my (thousands of) books, and other miscellaneous items. After a short spell of packing last week I've done almost nothing this week. My desk faces the opposite direction of my bed so I don't have to see the empty boxes currently taking up space, allowing me to ignore them and type this post and eat leftover chicken nacho pizza (yummy!). As exciting as it is to be moving, I HATE packing. The number of books I own seem to grow exponentially every time I move. I'm grateful to have friends around willing to help.

In other news, I'm currently crushing on a podcast that an acquaintance of mine mentioned a few weeks ago called Welcome to Night Vale, which can be found on iTunes or Podbay. Another podcast I've been listening to is Podcast of Doom, which appeals to the nerdy part of me. (I do NOT receive any sort of compensation for mentioning either podcast.) They keep me from going crazy. That is all.

Much love to my readers. Not sure when I'll have another post up.

Until next time,

~Staci~

http://commonplacebooks.com/
www.podcastofdoom.com

Recap

Greetings All!

My last post came in January and though there's been a lot to write about, one excuse led to another excuse and I never got around to posting updates. So much has happened and there isn't enough time to go into detail but I hope my readers will enjoy (briefly) reading about my adventures this year.

School
Months of hard work came to an end in May and I graduated with certificates in Phlebotomy and Certified Nursing Assistant. My phlebotomy clinical rotation at an outpatient lab in a local hospital went better than expected and I successfully completed 175 out of 193 sticking attempts. My clinical instructors had been phlebotomists for over 40 years combined. They were kind and willing to teach me, and were patient when I made mistakes. I aced both final exams in the class. CNA clinical rotation was a little more stressful, but again, I aced the final exam and passed the clinical portion with a 2.4 out of 3. Though my phleb clinical was a solitary experience, my CNA clinical was not. My classmates were extremely helpful and supportive. Since my school had hundreds of graduates I decided not to attend graduation and settled for a small party. My small party turned into a large family affair. Admittedly, I was not on my best behavior that weekend.

Work
This has been the most successful year of my adult life in regards to work. The nursing home that hosted my CNA clinical rotation hired me even before graduation, which allowed to quit my dreaded waitressing job. Typing my letter of resignation and handing it in was a GREAT day. But my heart was set on working as a phlebotomist and spent a lot of time applying for other jobs. One of the local hospitals interviewed me in June and hired me to start work in July. After years of debating and months of doubts, I finally found a job that I'm good at, a job that I enjoy, and an employer and managers who respect me. There is room to grow, experience to gain, and paths to move up. Handling two jobs at once proved to be too much for me and I left the nursing home in August, but the hospital keeps me busy. My 90-day exam and evaluation were last month and both were successful. I get my first raise in December.

Callie
My darling Callie cat got worse after we put Max down last year and I regretfully put her down at the end of August. A future post will go more into detail. I miss her so much.

I'm still fiddling with the layout and the design of the blog. I'm also thinking of a different title and direction of it altogether. Things are moving forward and different than where they were when my blog was first published. The draft for this particular blog is taking forever to write as I feel like I've lost the touch. My writing sounds TERRIBLE as I reread it. Even after 50 posts and ten months of not writing, I'm hesitant to share my thoughts and life with the world via words.

Until next time,

~Staci~

Phlebotomy

This is just a quick update in case you haven't heard the details. One week before school began, the director of the phlebotomy program called to let me know that there was an open position this semester and that I was next in line. Even though everything was all set for me to take the CNA program, I asked both program directors if was alright if I did both. Now I have 10.5 credit hours this semester. The first half of the week is jam packed with classes and homework, the second half is spent recovering, studying, and working (if I'm given the hours). Both of my instructors put the fear of God into their first lectures. We live in a lawsuit-crazy society and both CNAs and phlebotomists are susceptible to being sued for damages. It's a good thing I love lists because nearly every procedure done in classes and clinicals is a step by step process.

My blog is potentially on hiatus (or has been off and on already), but I don't really have much to say anymore. Gram, Callie, and I are still missing Max. Sometimes I hear him bark and it unnerves me. We were planning on getting another dog, but with the added cost of school this semester and the lack of time it's probably not a good idea.

Until next time,

~Staci~

Max

Max
Gram made the tough decision to put her beloved dog to sleep earlier this month. He had been acting strangely for a few weeks and would keep one or both of us up all night. The vet said it was possible that he had suffered from a stroke and was confused.We knew we were going to put him down, but I wasn't aware that our last night was going to be our last night. I had been up with him most of the night and he was driving me crazy. I feel awful now because I'll take a sleepless night over him being dead anytime. Gram told me we were taking him to the vet while I was in the middle of taking a test for my terminology class. Gram had him for over 15 years, ever since he was a puppy. She was the apple of his eye; no amount of spoiling from others could change that. I knew he was suffering and we were suffering from not getting enough sleep, but I'm grateful Gram made the decision to put him down, not me. Heartbreak #3.

He sat next to me on the way to the vet in the backseat. We went over everything with the vet, and Gram was determined. They gave Max a sedative as we said goodbye. He gave me one final kiss and slipped away quickly after the shot. There were several moments where I wanted to shout, "You can't take him!" and run out of the room with him alive in my arms. But I didn't. I took off his collar and tags and slipped them into my pocket. They still sit on my dresser in the same spot I put them after we got home. Max was wrapped in a blanket and put in a box for burial later that night. We brought him home and Callie, my cat, sniffed the box. I think she knew what happened. They were best friends. Gram decided to have him buried at my uncle's house.

The three of us are still trying to adjust to life without Max. The first few nights were rough. His bed is still in the kitchen. His toys are still in the living room. There's food in his dish. We both want another dog, though Max can never be replaced. Some friends of mine suggested that we wait until a couple of months after Christmas to get one. Gram really wants another Shih Tzu but I'll take just about anything, and since it has to be my dog, I should probably get final say.

School
I was notified back in November that I did NOT  get into the phlebotomy program for next semester. My adviser looked up my profile and found out that I was one point shy. That was Heartbreak #1. So I've been scrambling to get everything in order to do the CNA program starting in January. It's not something I want to do long-term, but my current job is less than stable and there's no guarantee when I'll be accepted into the phlebotomy program. There is a long list of (expensive) things that need to be done over the next couple of months or I won't be allowed to stay in the program. I'm still not sure going back to school was the right decision.

It's hard to write more at this moment. Everything is getting jumbled in my head.

Until next time,

~Staci~

Here's To The B

This post is coming several weeks late but I managed to survive summer semester. After not doing as well as I would have liked on my tests, I passed anatomy & physiology with a gorgeous B. That letter has never been so beautiful to my eyes. My online class was an easy A, but most of my time and energy was spent trying to force myself to study a&p. Halfway through the semester we studied the blood chapter and I finally knew that I was pursuing the right career. Up until then I had plenty of doubts, but when we watched a video of white blood cells attacking bacteria, my eyes teared up with happiness. Literally. It's in cases like this where I'm grateful to be in a family of nurses in which I'm not such a freak.

That final week of classes was a doozy, however, with an exam on that Tuesday and the final on Thursday, with an emergency in between. (More on that in a moment.) Coffee was my best friend. I studied so hard. The final exam was longer than our other exams but our professor graded them after class and posted grades in the afternoon. I met Gram and two of her friends for lunch and went back home. I knew I had to get at least 50 points (out of 100) on the final to keep my B. I was somewhat sure that passing was possible, but getting 87 points came as quite a shock. Gram and her friends got to see me jump up and down in the living room. Getting the B gives me an extra four points on my phlebotomy application which will need to be turned in before October 1st. But now I'm taking medical terminology which I think I'm going to love. It's not required for my degree but it sounds quite fun. This class only meets on campus six times throughout the semester and the rest is online. This will allow me to go on vacation at some point. Awesomesauce.

As to the emergency, Gram passed out in the bathroom from low blood sugar on the Tuesday night before my final exam. I was in the middle of studying when I heard her fall. THANK GOD I WAS HOME THAT NIGHT! She was alert when I found her but she wasn't able to respond to my question. I was fine on the phone with 911 and was fine taking care of her before the firefighters and paramedics arrived. Then I lost it. Completely. Even to the point where one of the paramedics had to watch me in case I passed out. But my uncle came over to help and ended up taking her to the hospital and I was in contact with several friends. The paramedics gave her glucose, but they can't force any conscious person to go the ER. What was scary to me was that I could have sworn she hit her head against the side of the tub. But she was checked out at the hospital and came home early the next morning. I'm grateful God gave me enough strength to get her the help she needed and I'm grateful for God giving ME the help I needed.

The end of July and most of August has been busy and eventful. Started dating again, was cheated on, got dumped. That's all that needs to be said about that. Work is part of why I've been so busy. Most of my coworkers have gone off to college and haven't been replaced. I should have gone on vacation right after school ended but missed my opportunity to go. My new coworkers need to be trained before I can get a decent enough vacation to go back to MI. Gram is going to stay with my mom next month for two weeks, maybe longer. Party time!

A friend of mine from church is going through a major tragedy right now, so if you're the praying type, I would appreciate it if you would say a prayer for him and his family.

I say this almost every time, but I hope to post on a regular basis again. I keep waiting for life to slow down.

Until next time,

~Staci~

Sad Excuse For A Blog Post

It's been over a month since my last post. The weather is beautiful, but I am stuck inside studying for an exam taking place tomorrow. Classes began two weeks ago and I am relearning how to be a college student, how to study, and how to juggle home life, work and school (and finances!). It's been five years since college graduation and I can't remember it being this hard. It's no longer possible for me to completely rely on my memory for quizzes and exams. Studying now consists of  reading, flashcards, practice quizzes and chunks of my day spent pouring over charts, study guides, and books. I try not to study too much at once and allow myself breaks to read (something for my library's summer reading program) or writing a blog post. I'm not used to getting a "C" on an exam and feeling somewhat proud about myself. I'm hoping for a "B" tomorrow.

My garden has been planted and is growing. I think the two zucchini plants will take over again. Aside from that I planted two types of tomatoes, eggplant, string beans, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, and what might be my pride and joy this year: pumpkin. My original plant was destroyed. The store was out of plants and only had seeds left. I've never grown anything from seeds before so it will be extremely exciting if I harvest pumpkins this year. The seedlings HAVE sprouted and will probably need to be thinned later this week. Last year's batch of head lettuce came up, allowing us to have homemade salad instead of buying it from the store. My diet and pocketbook enjoy this. Harvesting the lettuce will allow more space for the pumpkins to spread out.

Gram is still refusing to let me paint anything bright red or a blue/gray/green combination around the house.

My cousin is getting married this weekend and many relatives will be coming into town for it, including my mama. I'll be happy to see her. Perfect timing since there won't be an exam next Tuesday. Glory to God in all things!

My "break" is over and I have to get back to studying bone remodeling and repair. I seem to have a block on memorizing the steps. I was hoping to have a Father's Day-centered post but it didn't work out.

Until next time,

~Staci~