Conversions

I got my Tampa General ID badge today.  Tomorrow we may or may not go do an orientation at TGH for clinicals.  However, the "worry" over that will have to wait-I have a math test to study for tomorrow.  The big test.  The one that if we fail, we are unable to pass medications in the hospital.  The one that we only get to take twice, and no matter how well we do in the classroom setting-if we fail, well, we fail the entire semester.  So, no pressure right?

Today I've been studying (before I went into Tampa) math calculations.  I full believe that who ever made up the apothecary system of measurement needs to be shot.  Not fatally, but just enough that they can listen to the medical staff calculate how many drams of whatever to give him/her to save their life.  Oh, the meds don't come in drams?  you need me to calculate milligrams?  Let me bust out my calculator...this'll only take a few minutes.  What? you don't have a few minutes? your losing blood by the ounce?  Wait, let me translate that into metric.  I'm telling you...apothecary translation will be my downfall.  I have not even STARTED on Fahrenheit to Celsius.  5/9 or 9/5 can kiss my big old tukus!  (please don't correct my slang-I'm already doing it lol.)

As the parental units of this home, the spouse and I have decided to ban all carbonated high fructose corn syrup items in this house.   That includes us as well.  It's going to kill us all if we don't.  There are (as I already know, and my dearest Imzadi has pointed out so eloquently) many benefits of not drinking pop.  (that's "soda" to all you non-Yankee's)  I have in the past given up pop, one time for more than a year, but all it takes is a few drinks to get back on the addiction train.  CHOO CHOO, next stop headachville, and aggitation station.  Luckily I have found a comprable subsitute.  Crystal Light makes a grape with caffiene in it.  Doesn't taste quite as good as Target's grape, but if I mix it together, it tastes like grape kool-aid.  Bill and I are going cold turkey.  No more pop after tonight.  We are going to save a ton of money too.  I know I said somewhere that we are poor, living frugally so we can splurge, and well, this was one of our splurges.  By doing this, we may off-set the cost of healthier alternatives (you know, because it's so flippin' expensive to eat healthy...and they wonder why poor people are fat...who's the stupid ones there government?) 

So, now the question of the night is...what to have for dinner?  I have not been grocery shopping for the next week, I've been busy studying stupid apothecary conversions.

Family Ties

Does anyone remember that show?  When Alex Keaton was in Kindergarten, he had green mittens that had money signs on the palms.  Skippy had green mittens too, (just with no money signs) that's how they became friends.  Why do I remember that?  Why do I remember any kind of useless crap like that?  My mind sometimes is a non-filter memory machine--but when it comes to me remembering the important things, sometimes I'm a little lax.  Just a little.  But seriously, talking about long term things, I can remember a LOT of stuff.  It's just that short term brain thing I need to work on.

So, family.  How do you define yours?  What is your family?  Today I had to draw on the love I have for my family to stay with my job.  I told my mom about the day I had (because my husband doesn't usually like to hear about the grossness at work), and I felt a teeny bit better.  My husband asked me to tell him about my day, because he knew I had a REALLY bad day.  After telling him, I looked back and I can't believe I let so much ruin my day.

Today was one of those days everything got to me.  EVERYTHING.  I even said to myself:  "If my family didn't need me to keep this job, I would walk out, even though I would lose my license."  I don't like being taken advantage of, I don't really think anyone does, but today it seemed that I was, not belittled, but berated maybe because I am a caring/thourough person in my care as an aide. 

The ADON (that would be assistant director of nursing) called me in to have me ask her what is wrong with a patient.   When I mentioned something she said "Oh, I didn't even see that, what else is wrong here."  Finally I gave in and said "What?!?  What is wrong?"  It did set the tone for the whole day, but really; I'm a DAMN good CNA, and I'm seriously thinking about taking my "compassion" skills somewhere else.  I give good care, I just don't have enough time to give the highest quality of care I can with the current patient load.  I have to do "run throughs" on some people.  I have a resident who actually asked me one time to "run her through the car wash"; meaning she wanted a quick shower.  But, as I sit here I think-how did she come up with that analogy?  Did she think it up?  Did an other aide say that to her?  I don't know, but it's got me thinking.

So, back to family.  My family is the CORE of everything I do.  Whenever I have a thought, I think about how it'll affect my family life.  I don't much go out, because I'll miss out on my family time.  My kids are not going to be home the rest of the life (Despite Zsusanna's adament remarks.)  I have to be here to enjoy them.  I have to be here to encourage them.  I have to be here, to be their mother.  I can go out after they are moved away, or even in college.  (once again, Zsusanna is insistant she is only going to stay in the dorms for freshman year)  Today it just reaffirmed to me that I love my family, and how near and dear they are to me.  So much so, that I would deal with my crappy day and not let it get me to quit.

I came home and warned the children.  "Mommy had a bay day, let me calm down."  Too bad the dog doesn't understand American English!  I was trying to relax in my room, when I stood up to come into the living room, the dog jumped up and knocked the glass of pop in my hand, spilling it on my comforter.  I tried to knock if off/clean it up, before it sunk it, but it was too late.  The splatter reached farther than I had originally thought.

It's alright....
It's ok....

Because this is what makes life all worthwhile:



Thank goodness their room doesn't look like that any more, or I may come home and wanna pull my hair out too!


So, just to give a little shout out to my family here.  I love you guys and you all make my days worth it.  With out you, I would truely be nothing.