A Peek Into the Future

We are all set for the new hockey season.

Light At the End

I have only 3 weeks left until my program is done. Then I have 2 weeks holidays. Then I begin my new job as a EEN (Endorsed Enrolled Nurse, which is the equivalent to a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario) on a medical ward (ages 0-11yrs old) at the children’s hospital. I am very much looking forward to beginning a position I can remain in for more than a few weeks. I am looking forward to the stability in that sense for a while. I will be starting off my first 2 months full time 8hr shifts. When we get back from Canada, I should be eligible to begin 12hr shifts, which will mean I am on 3 days a week, but still working full time hours… which is what I wanted… less time at work… more time for other things… zero cut in pay.

My next task is to complete my application for university. Which now only involves written a personal statement and sending in some documents, since the rest is already done. But it’ll be good to get it out of the way, and one less thing to worry about.

I have been working on an oncology ward the past 4 weeks, and while there isn’t heaps of clinical stuff I can do (chemo, bloods, total parenteral nutrition, and almost all patients have a CVL which I can’t access) it has been interesting.

And heartbreaking. One of my patients, an 8yr old girl passed away 2 weeks ago. She was alright on Friday when I left, and had deteriorated over the weekend, and was gone Sunday morning. Her family was great, and she was an awesome kid. I have another patient who just discovered he had relapsed and is getting worse every day. He’s 17. Another patient, a 15yr old boy just learned today that his sister and 2 of her 3 children were killed in a bus accident. His 3rd nephew is in hospital with injuries. I try not to focus on the details, because they make me weep. I try to focus on my patients, who are right there in front of me. It is only when I am away from them, and my mind drifts to their circumstances that I feel myself fighting back tears.

There are so many others whose stories are so positive and amazing. But it is the tragedy that clouds everything over. It is certainly not fair.

I am inspired by these little ones and their families. Inspired to live. To make the most out of the time I have with my own son. With Jo. With everything.