The Crazy Life

I think I need to change the title to my blog. I think the Crazy Life is much more appropriate. I am soooooo sorry for dropping off the radar, but I have been taken out for the past 3+ weeks.
Let me tell you my story...
Ok, so you know about Michael being gone, then the classes I had to go to, you know I work from time to time, so I have to fit that in, then there's the kids, spouse, house, laundry, social events, oh, yeah, then there's Joshua breaking his leg!!! I've heard about other peoples' kids breaking bones, but never my own. Yep, he got a broken leg. My precious little 13 month old child... damaged and fractured. We all felt so bad, but not nearly as bad as he did. Michael was getting him dressed on the changing table, not knowing I abandoned use of the changing table long ago becaue he will NOT hold still!! He was about to put his shirt over his head when Joshua rolled towards Daddy and right off the changing table landing feet first on the floor. I guess children that age are not meant to JUMP off things. He sustained (that's nurse talk) a buckle fracture of his left tibia. He did not need a cast, but we were told no weight-bearing for 1-2 weeks. All right, anyone have toddlers out there? Have you ever tried to confine them? Needless to say, it was frustrating for all of us. I did purchase an umbrella stroller to use in the house as his "wheelchair", then we all just took turns carrying him. The first few days went fairly well as he did not want to stand on it because it hurt, but then he started to compensate in questionable ways, like walking on his tip-toes (I tried it and it does take the wieght off the tibia- very clever), he also started walking on his knees (this I eventually allowed because it was so darn cute). we did get through one week of no weight bearing, then I figured when the doctor said one to two weeks he really meant one, so we turned him loose. At his follow up visit, the bone was healed on x-ray, so he officially got the "all clear". Whew.
After the fractured baby adventure, I got influenza from my mother. Thanks Mom. Read her latest posting on her blog (see link to the side) for more details on that lovely gift. Let me just say that I was VERY sick for a full two weeks. Michael had to take a week off just to take care of me. I didn't even ask him to, he just looked at me (pathetic and still in bed) Monday morning before leaving for work and said, "I can't leave you like this, I think I need to stay home." So any of you have work-aholic husbands like me? I think you can see how sick I really was! After that Monday, he didn't get back to work until the following week. Seriously, for two days I felt that this is what it must be like to die. Looking back, I feel like it was the grace of God that I lived through it. I am so happy to be well!!
So that brings us to this week. I have been truly healthy for 3 days. Now my blog is updated, my laundry is done, my seeds are started, my chicks have been moved to the garage, we got our standardized testing done for Matthew and Hannah (for homeschooling), I made a nice supper, and I'm back to work. I feel like I've accomplished a few things and am guilt-free!
I've missed you all and look forward to catching up with you.

WARNING! Graphic Content

Yes, I have been falling down on the job. I haven't posted in days and days. Sorry, a big case of life happening here. It's been a rough week, topped off with me having to spend two days at St. Mary's Hospital recertifying for TNCC (trauma nursing core). I feel like I've just spent two days on Hamburger Hill. One nice touch they added to the course this time around is LOTS of graphic pictures of trauma patients. A little bit of that is ok and educational, but 8 hours of lecture with graphic overheads of stabbings (I've seen more kitchen knifes sticking out of men's chests and backs than I ever thought possible. Advice- don't complain about dinner!), suicide attempts and successes, car accidents, PTO twisted, mangled, and removed limbs, child abuse, domestic violence, burns from kids chewing on cords, and other crispy critters, a missing chest wall from a boat propeller, and a mangled leg from an auger of some sort. These are just the ones that are replaying in my mind right now, there were lots more. Oh, I almost forgot the countless gunshot wounds. Those were especially yummy right before lunch.
I'm sorry for the graphic nature, but I believe in sharing what I have. Anyway, it was two very long days of lecture and images I could not escape from, ended by skills stations (the easy, fun part) and a VERY difficult written test that took me by surprise. I have taken this course before, but in light of the increase in natural disasters and terrorism on the rise and all other forms of violence on the rise, it has been revamped. I failed the test!! I almost cried and threw up simultaneously! (I did get to retake it and did fine the second time around). I was not prepared for all the questions on treatment for biological, chemical, and nuclear attacks. Disaster Management is HUGE. I live in my nice, quiet world, quite happily. My eyes were opened to the fact that I better get up to speed with the real world and know how to deal with the increase of natural and man-made disasters that are on the rise. This stuff is not going to go away, it's the reality of nursing in the 21st century. Much as I'd like to hope for a day off when the disaster drill is happening, I think it's time to get my head out of the sand and know what to do. This is one area of my professional development I've REALLY let slide and that was very obvious. So... much as I hate knowing about all the horrible things that can and do happen, I hereby vow to learn what to do and actually start attending some mandatory meetings. The supervisor better know what's going on, right?
I have been thinking about this prior to recertifying TNCC this week. I agreed to go to training next week to be a crisis intervention instructor in Mpls. Tues.-Friday. You would be so proud of me! I hate conflict and I hate stepping into a scary situation mostly because I don't know what to do and I don't want to get hurt. So I thought this would be very good for me. It's been years since I've done anything but the absolute minimum required to keep my job, thinking I would be quitting and being a stay-at-home mom. That's not happening and I'm now ok with that. But I do have this job, and I owe it to my employer to be effective at it, not just putting in my shifts. I came to the conclusion that I need to start stepping up to the plate and being a good nurse again. I need to start looking at the areas where I am weak personally and professionally and doing something about it. There, you're the first to hear it. I'm facing my fears and stretching myself. Ugh.
I'll let you know how it goes...