Sunday, August 30, 2015

Disciplining friend's children

Hubby's BFF his wife & kids came over for a visit...

Little tyke and their son (their son is 6 mos younger than little tyke) were playing - acting like power rangers or something.... little tyke is play kicking & punching but their son goes out and punches little tyke full force into the chest - it hurt so much she almost started crying.

I spoke calmly to both and told them that how they were playing was too rough and that it needed to stop.

Then not 10 minutes later he goes and hits little tyke again.

UGH - so calmly I look at him with my mommy look and say "didn't I say that you couldn't play like that?!" He goes mute, not responding - so I repeat myself and he shakes his head yes

So I tell him that he needs to go sit down and be in time out

He actually listened to that but then immediately starts crying in this whiny pathetic voice.

So his mother races over and picks him up - shushing him and telling him that it's "ok" and tells him that he doesn't have to be in time out and he just needs to be calmer when playing with little tyke!

So just like that their child goes off without any sort of recourse

This kid - he's whiny and NEVER gets disciplined - UGH!!!!!

Pisses me off that hubby did NOTHING.... yet, he's also caught between a rock and a hard place because what could he do without setting them off

Thursday, August 27, 2015

We're off to the races & ICU's stupidity

School started - WOW - and boy are we under the grinder already - it's only the second week! It's crazy! Good thing I picked up my shifts before this semester started because I don't think I'll be able to pick up shifts cuz this course is crazy... oh ya, and I also have an english course that I have to deal with!

We'll see what my stress level is like throughout but I doubt that it will be going down anytime soon!

The other day there was a code blue on our unit - probably because the pt was experiencing septic shock so the Dr wanted a certain antibiotic NOW - as in get your ass moving and into the pt like yesterday.... so off went one of our nurses to contact ICU to have them tube it to us for the pt in the code blue and was told "no, find it from someone else because it comes out of our budget"!!!! You can bet your bottom dollar that didn't go over well! So I just took one of the sheets and RAN to ICU to pull from their machine myself and ran back to the unit.... anything for the pt right?!

I'm sure someone will be getting in major doggie doo-doo for that comment! I mean, seriously - they were told who it was for, one should NEVER hear that in response! Brutal

Sunday, August 16, 2015

My immunologist appt & butt issues oh ya and school's beginning

I saw the immunologist the other day - or rather the resident - who inquired about everything I've been dealing with from childhood til the most recent.... everything the other immunologist had already asked (I get it, I'm in health care!)

In the end tho, I find out that my blood work looks fantastic except for my IgG1 which they say is "mildly" low..... but when I got a copy of the blood work, it's not all unremarkable. There's  a section that's all high & low but they're in letters & numbers that I don't understand (it's the complement's being checked) and when I google them it doesn't really make sense.

The Dr came in and said that although my IgG subclass is low, he won't do anything about it but more testing in 6 mos! I asked about my vaccinations being non existant and req FOUR rounds of MMR to still have issues with mumps - told that I could be someone who doesn't hold them and no idea how long that the coverage will last for but that I just have to check them every once in a while.

So we recheck my subclasses and check oxidative burst assay to see if my phagocytes are working the way they're supposed to. Plus the suggestion is to see my ENT and determine whether I have a ciliary movement disorder which would explain the sinus/throat & ear issues.

Then when I was going to the bathroom the other night, I was ensuring that I was clean and all and after wiping, my seton came out - just like that. Hopefully I can see the surgeon soon, I don't know if the seton has done what it's supposed to (cut through all the way to the rectum) and I'm worried that the abcess & fistula will just recur just like last time.

On a better note - school's right around the corner (tomorrow actually) - it would mean the count down is on to getting this program completed. The second last of my electives and #5 of the nursing courses. Goodness I hope this time next year I'm entering my last two courses of this program!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Cancellations are a wonderful thing!

I called the immunoligist's office and asked to be put on the cancellation list - to find out that one had JUST been received.... so now I have an appointment for FRIDAY!!!!

My family doc is possibly sitting tomorrow for walk-in so i have to call in the afternoon and find out if he is... I want to get little tyke checked to see if she has immunity to MMR & dTAP as she's heading to Pakistan and so if she's not immune, this will put her at risk! A risk I don't want to take if I don't have to.

Unfortunately, I see the immunologist before I have results to which I could ask the one person who would have the answers any questions I may have.

Hubby still isn't on-board so I'm a bit leary about taking him with me to the appt - but I'm hoping that when he hears the information from the doctor, things might sink in and he might be more supportive. At least that's what I'm hoping!

So ya - busy couple of days to come!

Saturday, August 8, 2015

The invisible disability

I have suffered for many years with being sick. Knowing that my immune system was screwed up but had NO idea how to get answers.

Remember, I've been in the medical "field" for almost 15 years and have had to be my own advocate. It's not like the doctors that I've had find many answers.... or go looking for them - it's usually dealing with the symptoms at hand and managing what I'm dealing with at that time. It's hard to look at the whole when you're looking at the incident.

I received confirmation today about the IgG1 deficiency and now I want some answers.... to see what symptoms fit with what or what further examinations need to be requested and advocated for.

I had a "tiff" with the hubby tonight on the phone - how my disability is completely invisible and is difficult to understand. When you're disability is physical, one can understand when you're in pain or you can't do something. If you have cancer or something like that it's understandable that you're tired or can't do something. But when you can't see what's wrong it's harder to grasp or understand.

My husband says to me - well if you lost weight then you would have more energy...

he's ABSOLUTELY correct! HOWEVER, that's easier said than done when every time I go to exercise it increases my bumm infections and pain.... so I can't exercise.

He complains that I sleep all the time.... well I AM tired!!! Somedays it's just everything to sit on the couch and do NOTHING!

My hubby can't believe that I've been on the computer all evening doing my "research" and can't I just wait for my appointment in OCTOBER for answers from the specialist?! .... to which my retort was..... "have doctors provided me answers or given me all the information or what sort of things are we going to do next???? NOT VERY OFTEN!!!! It's usually I who is inquiring about things, asking for referrals to certain ppl, asking for certain tests..... while I'm lucky that I have a family physician who listens to me and certainly is willing to give what I ask, it's me who is initiating everything.

I hate that I have to wait almost 2 months til I see a person who specializes in this, and I doubt that treatment will be commenced when I see the physician. I'm sure that I'll have more questions, very little answers. UGH!!!!

Friday, August 7, 2015

My IgG number

So I had my follow up with my family doc - last week I had bloodwork to see if I was anemic and to see if he could get the results of my bloodwork from the immunologist.

So it seems I'm not anemic - my Hgb is 140 - perfectly in the normal range - which is suprising to me because every time I have a bowel movement I am bleeding. Seems that my bleeding is encouraging my body to create more.

The bloodwork from the immunologist confirms an IgG deficiency - subclass #1 deficiency with a value of 2.68 - normal range is 4.5 - 9.0 g/L.

The bloodwork also shows I'm still NOT immune to mumps, even though I've been vaccinated against it 4 times in the last year!

At least I'm immune (ATM) to measles, rubella, diptheria and tetnus!

So now I can go into my appointment armed with questions and possibly a few answers - I don't like going through things completely unaware.

Now, where to go from here.... that's the question!

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Going to the capital of my country

Tomorrow bright and early we're leaving home and heading to Ottawa, Canada.

We're going to the largest waterpark in all of Canada; Calypso

I still have yet to figure out how tall little tyke is, I'm hoping that she's tall enough to go on the majority of the rides.

Another day we're going to take in a few things in and around the city....

A restaurant/lounge/cafe where we get to hang out as a family, have a snack/treat and play a couple of board games.... AWESOMENESS!!!! There's this one game that hubby and I really enjoyed playing before little tyke came along and I've wanted to buy it several times but it's like $80 and so we never have.... I'm putting my foot down that if it's available to purchase when we go (the one place sells some of the games as well) then I'm buying it (and maby more!).

Another part of the day we're going to hit up a farm where you can get up close and personal with the animals. And to go along with this we're going to hit up the agriculture and food museum where I'm hoping we have fun and have a bit of learning as well.

I asked hubby if he wanted to hit up the parliament building and go on a tour or do stuff more appropriate for little tyke, he chose stuff for little tyke.

There's also Hog Back Falls that we're going to go to - perhaps grab some take out and have a picnic at the falls, that would be nice.

There's the Byward market that I want to go check out, it's right around the corner from the boardgame place I'll probably kill two birds with one stone.

And perhaps if we have enough time we may go to a trampoline place to expend some energy that little tyke has pent up. Not sure if we'll get to this or not but at least I have it if that's how we decide to go.

And if we're bored enough and have some times on our hands then we may go to a cinema where the movies are only $5!!! Hopefully they don't try to make up for this by charging an arm and a leg for popcorn and pop!

I've found some really yummy places to go to eat - some BBQ, a mexican joint and a place that if we are in the mood for brunch then we have it!

Oh boy I can't wait! hopefully this will recharge my batteries and get me ready to undertake another heavy loaded course. I'm sure I'll have fun, hopefully  hubby can be patient for this trip - he tends to get very anxious and tends to cope very poorly when we're on trips and he lashes out. He said that he would "work on it", I hope he does!

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Trippy

I've been thinking lately about graduation. Ever since I got through the one course (not this last one) that has been the bane of my existence I have had trouble not thinking about the end - graduation

I have been taking this program for 3 years - getting my readings done, assignments completed and group projects accomplished.

I have 15 months left until I (hopefully) finish this program.

IF I finish next year (which I sure hope I do!) it will have taken me 15 years to obtain my BSN

I have 6 courses in my way to get my degree

I have 4 nursing courses to get through

I have 2 english courses that must be completed by the end of  next semester

By the end of April I will have gotten through 4 courses - both english courses and 2 of the nursing courses.

By that point I will have gotten through 2 clinicals - I hope! I will certainly try my hardest to make all these numbers a reality! But they really are doing my head in to think about. I want so badly to be at the finish line - to see my course's final mark and knowing that the only thing that stands in my way of being a registered nurse is the NCLEX!