Archive for February, 2008

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First Week On The Ward

February 28, 2008

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– I have met a child who was born with no backpassage. That’s right. He had no pooper. You’ll be happy to know he has one now.

– I have hung out with a 10year old child with anorexia nervosa.

– I have helped a patient insert a catheter by themselves.

– I have walked the halls with urine.

– I have sore feet.

– I have learned about securing my home when my boy begins to get mobile.

– I might be able to put a vacuum dressing on someone now.

– I have consoled a wandering 4yr old patient.

It’s been good. I am exhausted at the end of the day, and am hanging on for the weekend, but the first week back has been good. Still waiting on my state exam marks.

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Almost Done

February 20, 2008

The Boy's First 5 weeks I have 2 more days of TAFE to go and then it is goodbye forever… hopefully. I sat our state exam on Tuesday, have 2 more assessments to complete (one administration of medication by injection, and one by IV) and a theory exam to sit by Friday… but then I can leave this part of the program behind me.

I have discovered a few triggers for frustration for me over this second block of TAFE. One is definitely disorganization. I wonder sometimes how that place functions. We spent far too much time sitting around doing nothing, and staff never seemed to know what was going on. That stressed me out. Unfortunately for Rick, that’s what he got to see when he was here. Much fun.

We have also moved yet again (that’s 6 times since we’ve been married). Our agents at the last place were completely incompetent. I am not even being dramatic. They were. We had 7 different property managers over our 6 months there, and left with no one in charge of rentals. This equalled to absolutely nothing being done about the water streaming into the place in 3 spots, a bathroom vanity that was rotting apart, and a hot water system that sounded like a train running through our roof. We actually really liked the place, but were just a but wary of what might have happened if something seriously had gone wrong. Did I mention that one weekend our sewage was pumped into our neighbours front yard and we had no emergency number to call? Yeah. That stress is also behind us.

It was good to have Rick (and Andrea for a bit) with us for a fortnight. Although, as I mentioned, I was completely stressed and not really myself. But he seemed to enjoy himself. We pointed him in the direction of public transport and he was off. He probably had the worst weeks for weather possible. It rained at least part of the time every day. Funny enough, it hasn’t rained like that since.
IMG_1015.JPG The boy has reached 6.1kg and is in the 90th percentile in weight, height, and length (and looks). That to say he is doing well, although last night he got his 8week vaccinations and his little legs were pretty sore. It made feeding a bit traumatic for him unfortunately. He seems to be doing better today, so hoping he sleeps well tonight.

Let’s see, what else is new… Our last game of floorball is on Saturday. Jer and I have still not played during a hitmen victory. We HAVE played for quite a few of our losses. But no one is really counting. I am thinking about taking up jujitsu again. There is gym around the corner from us. I have also discovered the joy that is Lego Star Wars: The Original Trilogy. I should probably go over some notes for Friday. Gone.

Proof Rick Was In Oz